,Topic: Economic progress is often used to measure a country's success.

However, some people believe that other factors are more important. What other
factors should also be considered when measuring a country's success? Do you
think one factor is more important than others?

The relative success of different countries is usually defined in economic terms.

There are several other factors, apart from the economy, that could be used to
assess a country, and
in my opinion education is the most important of all.

Standards of education, health and individual human rights should certainly be

considered when measuring a countrys status. A good education system is vital
for the development
of any nation, with schools, colleges and universities bearing the responsibility
for the quality of future generations of workers. Healthcare provision is also an
indicator of the standard of living within a country, and this can be measured by
looking at average life expectancy rates or availability of medical services.
Finally, human rights and levels of
equality could be taken into account. For example, a country in which women do
not have the same opportunities as men might be considered less successful
than a country with
better gender equality.

In my view, a countrys education system should be seen as the most important

indicator of its success and level of development. This is because education has a
considerable
effect on the other two factors mentioned above. It affects peoples health in the
sense that doctors and nurses need to be trained, and scientists need to be
educated to the highest
levels before they can carry out medical research. It also affects the economy in
the sense that a well-educated workforce will allow a variety of companies and
industries to flourish, leading to trade with other countries, and increased wealth.

In conclusion, nations can be assessed and compared in a variety of ways, but I

would
argue that the standard of a country's education system is the best measure of
its
success.
(288 words, band 9)
The bar charts compare students of different ages in terms of why they are
studying and whether they are supported by an employer.

It is clear that the proportion of students who study for career purposes is far
higher among the younger age groups, while the oldest students are more likely
to study for interest. Employer support is more commonly given to younger
students.

Around 80% of students aged under 26 study to further their careers, whereas
only 10% study purely out of interest. The gap between these two proportions
narrows as students get older, and the figures for those in their forties are the
same, at about 40%. Students aged over 49 overwhelmingly study for interest
(70%) rather than for professional reasons (less than 20%).

Just over 60% of students aged under 26 are supported by their employers. By
contrast, the 30-39 age group is the most self-sufficient, with only 30% being
given time off and help with fees. The figures rise slightly for students in their
forties and for those aged 50 or more.

- Cch dng t: hy cch pharaphase t vng trong bi sang cu tr li:

+ the main reasons for study, why they are studying, study for career/interest
purposes
+ employer supports is given to, the amount of support (students of different
age groups) received from employers, (students of different age groups) are
supported by their employers

--> Paraphrase cc k tt, hu nh khng c s lp t, nu c th cng

chuyn i t ng t sang danh t hoc ngc li (v d t support)
--> Dng t chnh xc: v d less than 20%, around 80%

- Cch t chc bi: m bi (nu tn 2 biu ), body 1 (nhn xt chung v 2

biu ), body 2 (im ni bt ca biu 1), body 2 (im ni bt ca biu
2)
--> R rng d theo di, p ng c yu cu ca bi
--> Ch nu ln im ni bt ca tng biu + dng s liu cho nhng im
ni bt : hu nh khng c vic nu s liu thun m ton l so snh/i
chiu

- Cch dng cu trc cu:

The bar charts compare students of different ages in terms of why they are
studying and whether they are supported by an employer.

Cu phc, bao gm 2 cu ni vi nhau bng and.

It is clear that the proportion of students who study for career purposes is far
higher among the younger age groups, while the oldest students are more likely
to study for interest.

Cu phc, bao gm 2 cu cha so snh (far higher, more likely) ni vi nhau

bng while hm so snh.

Employer support is more commonly given to younger students.

Cu b ng hm so snh.

Around 80% of students aged under 26 study to further their careers, whereas
only 10% study purely out of interest.

Cu phc, bao gm 2 cu ni vi nhau bng whereas hm so snh.

The gap between these two proportions narrows as students get older, and the
figures for those in their forties are the same, at about 40%.

Cu phc, hm ch xu hng.

Students aged over 49 overwhelmingly study for interest (70%) rather than for
professional reasons (less than 20%).

Cu n hm so snh.

Just over 60% of students aged under 26 are supported by their employers. Cu
n m t bnh thng. By contrast, the 30-39 age group is the most self-
sufficient, with only 30% being given time off and help with fees. Cu ny lin
kt vi cu trc to so snh.

The figures rise slightly for students in their forties and for those aged 50 or
more. Cu n hm ch xu hng.
--> Dng cu trc rt a dng: Ch c 2 cu m t thun (bao gm 1 cu m bi
v 1 cu u on 4), tt c cc cu cn li u c cha so snh, i chiu km
s liu minh ha
--> Cc cch so snh: dng while, more, whereas, older, the same, rather than
- First of all, Id like to look at

Finishing a point
- Those are the main points on
- Thats all I have to say about
- So that, then, is
- Now weve looked at
- Now weve dealt with

Starting a new point

- Now lets turn to
- Now lets move on to
- Id like now to consider
- Id like now to examine
- Next we come to
- Turning now to
- Lets move on now to
- The next point Id like to make is

Referring to what you have said

- As I said at the beginning
- I told you a few moments ago that
- In the first part of my talk, I said
- As Ive already said,
- As I mentioned earlier,

Referring to what you will say

- Ill come to that later.
- Ill return to this point in a few minutes.
- and Ill talk about this in the next part of my presentation.
- Ill comment on this in my conclusion

Summarising
- So now Id just like to summarise the main points.
- In brief, we have looked at

Concluding
- Thats all I have to say for now.
- (I think) that covers most of the points.
- That concludes my talk.
- Thank you for your attention.

Inviting questions
- And now, if you have any questions, Ill be glad to (try to) answer them.
- Does anyone have any questions?
- Any questions?
If the topic is 'cities', the examiner could ask:

How is life different in cities compared to rural areas?

How do you think life in big cities could be made easier?
What do you think cities will be like in 50 years time?

In my answers below I've underlined a few 'markers' that show

comparisons, opinions and future predictions.

Firstly, the cost of living in cities is much higher. Housing is much more
 expensive in cities compared to rural areas; everything costs more. I think
life in cities is more difficult. There are more people, so there's more
competition for jobs. Life is a lot slower in rural areas, everyone knows
each other and there's a sense of community. I don't think rural areas
experience the social problems that you find in cities, like crime and
homelessness.

In my opinion cities need to be well-planned. Good public transport can

definitely make life easier because there are so many people and it can be
really stressful just to move around. Public areas like parks are also
important because people need space to relax, and I think cities should be
made into healthier places to live and work.

I imagine cities will be less polluted because we'll have electric cars and
better public transport. More people might work from home so maybe
cities won't be so busy. But I think there will probably still be problems
because more and more people are migrating to cities. So I'm not so
optimistic about issues like crime, homelessness and unemployment.
Space exploration is much too expensive and the money should
be spent on more important things.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Model Answer:
There is an argument that exploring space is a waste of money
and that there are more urgent needs to be addressed on earth,
such as reducing poverty and preventing environmental
destruction. However, I completely disagree with this opinion for
two reasons.
First of all, many of the technologies we take for granted today
were originated thanks to space research. Take satellite
technology, for example, which we depend on for broadcasting
and weather forecasting. Without satellites, we would not be able
to follow global events as they happen, nor give populations any
warning of approaching storms. Space research has also led to
the development of new lightweight materials that offer us heat
protection and enable food preservation. Therefore, the challenge
of sending human beings into space has often driven the
development of new technologies that benefit our everyday lives.
Second, we cannot foresee the distant future, so we ought to
develop the capability to escape from the earth. Gradually, we
are learning how humans can survive for long periods in space
and even travel to other planets in the future. If space exploration
is halted, this valuable knowledge will never be acquired. It is
true that environmental destruction is also a serious issue, but it
is also true that we remain dependent on our environment if we
never accept the challenge of exploring other worlds.
In conclusion, while we undoubtedly face serious problems on
our own planet, it is imperative that we continue to explore
space. This will promote further technological advances as well
as provide a possible means of escape should earth become
uninhabitable in future. Ideally, all nations should cooperate in
the advancement of space research.
(278 words, IELTS 8.5)
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