Sample Essays Band 8.0+ For IELTS Writing Task 2 (Forecast Questions)

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IELTS WRITING TASK 2 FORECAST FOR UPCOMING

EXAM (SAMPLE ESSAY BAND 8.0+)
TOPIC 1:
It is important for children to learn the difference between right and wrong at an early age. Punishment is
necessary to help them learn this distinction.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
What sort of punishment shoud parents and teachers be allowed to use to teach good behavior to children?
A decent code of ethics is amongst the virtues, and it has an indispensable role to play in the moral
development of children. I agree that teachers and parents should employ selected punishments in their daily
lessons. I will also suggest some possible forms of penalties that I have applied on my children in the
following essay.
In the first place, it is scientifically proven by scientists in the field of cognitive development that the sooner
a child can distinguish right from wrong, the better their subconscious mindset is naturally built
accordingly. The ingrained thoughts in one’s head will be demonstrated through one’s behavior. For
example, if a child is educated that remaining silent without thanking after receiving a gift is a type of
misconduct, his mind will signal that this is a misdeed and therefore will take another appropriate course
of action. In reality, such puntitive measures can render a lesson indelible in children’s minds, boosting
their memory capacity. Furthermore, fear of being punished enables children to refrain from anlawful
acts, and have a law-abiding mindset. A psychological study by Oxford university reveals that 75 percent of
the pre-schoolers never repeat wrong actions following a punishment they are given.
At the same time, it would be well-advised for adults to apply punitive approaches that are not detrimental
to children’s physical and psychological growth. The first measure is to punish children by cutting down
on their weekly pocket money or compel them to reduce engaging in deleterious activities. For instance,
if my son is reported to use swearwords with his peers at school, he will not be permitted to use his tablet to
access the social networking websites during the day. Another step is to stimulate children to get participating
in worthwhile and positive activities. A school in my neighborhood requested all students who failed to
fulfill their homework assignments to plant 20 trees each. Such penalty was not only a chance for them to
repent of their mistakes but also contribute something to environmental protection.
To sum, it is advisable that we teach our young children to recognise what they are supposed to do and avoid
as early as possible. Along the way, thoughtfully categorized punishments are encouraged to increase the
effectiveness of our moral lessons in a constructive path so as not to physically and mentally damage
children’s growth yet still keep it strict enough to have kids followed.
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COLLOCATIONS AND IDIOMS:
Try to remember the Idioms And Collocations in each essay. You may encounter it in the actual exam!
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1. a decent code of ethics: how to behave correctly

2. ingrained thoughts: thoughts that are hard to be changed
3. have a law-abiding mindset: tend to obey the law
4. It would be well-advised for: somebody should do something
5. repent of their mistakes: regret their mistakes
6. thoughtfully categorised punishments: carefully prepared types of punishments
7. in a constructive path: in a good way
TOPIC 2:
When choosing a job, the salary is the most important consideration.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Many job seekers thoroughly consider remuneration in their decision of accepting an offer. Personally, I
disagree with the view that the salary is the paramount factor in choosing a career path because there are
various considerations that are as important as money.
On the one hand, there is no doubt that one of the purposes of working is to earn money to cover one’s basic
needs. It is vital for everyone to have adequate financial means to buy foods, clothes, houses and pay for
healthcare. For people who have a family with children, money is critical for them so that they could afford to
provide their kids with necessary education apart from a satisfactory quality of life. Furthermore, the amount
of money that people could make from their jobs is one of the indicators for their success and status. If they
are wealthy, they would be able to possess a bigger house, a more luxurious car.
However, I would argue that other aspects also play a vital role when people choose their professions. Firstly,
work environment is substantially critical in the consideration of taking a job offer. A friendly interrelationship
with colleagues and a supportive manager could definitely enable employees to work happily and boost
their performance. Secondly, job prospects are also an indispensable factor, which can be chances learning
new skills or promoting to a higer level in one’s future career development. These opportunities could provide
people with a sense of job satisfaction. More importantly, if people could work on what they have been
passionate about, this would probably the source of their success and happiness. For example, many artists,
writers and musicians have devoted their life to a career that they love doing, but these jobs not necessarily
generate significant income for them.
In conclusion, while I accept that it is reasonable to think of the salary when looking for a job, I believe that
other factors should not disregarded. They are all worth taking into consideration due to their equal importance.
Collocations and Idioms:
1. job seekers thoroughly consider remuneration: those who are looking for a job
2. cover one’s basic needs: get us what we need in life
3. have adequate financial means: have enough money
4. a satisfactory quality of life: good life
5. a friendly interrelationship with: good relationship
6. work happily and boost their performance: work happily and with good results
7. a sense of job satisfaction: feeling satisfied
8. passionate about: love
9. have devoted their life to: spent most of their time
TOPIC 3:
Many people think that the government should spend money to explore the outer space, while others
believe that it is a waste of public money.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Opinion is divided as to whether state’s budget allocation on space exploration is conducive or money-
wasting. In this essay, I will discuss both views from which my opinion about this investment shall be formed.
Many of the following benefits support government spending on space research. First of all, many of the
technologies we take for granted today were orginally thanks to space research. Take satellite technology
for example: we depend on it for broadcasting and weather forecasting. Without satellites, we would not be
able to follow global events as they happen, or give the general population 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 capacity 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.
It can be understandable as to why others argue that space exploration is a waste of financial resources. It
is no doubt true that the expenses for facility construction are prohibitively high and so is the expenditure
for an astronaut. Considering this, for most Third World countries where poverty remains the pressing
concern, space exploration is virtually impossible. For example, in African countries, a great number of
individuals are struggling to sustain their lives, and due to chronic shortages of foods and shelter, many
disadvantaged and underprivileged children have been inflicted with many obstacles, even dying
because of starving. Should space exploration be invested in, the needy will certainly confront
insurmountable difficulties, arising unexpected conflict between the state and its denizens. As a
consequence, the investment will cause social unrest and stagnate the country’s progress.
In conclusion, while space exploration is highly considered useful in rich nations thanks to its distinctive
benefits, it is neither possible nor practical for poor nations to implement such research. Therefore, my
personal view would be that it should be dependent on the financial conditions of each nation.
1. conducive or money-wasting: good or save money
2. take for granted today: think it is obvious
3. drive the development of: make something develop/grow
4. prohibitively high: extremely high
5. chronic shortages of foods and shelter: without place to live or food to eat for a long time
6. disadvantaged and underprivileged children: poor children
7. inflict with many obstacles: suffer from many trouble
8. confront insurmountable difficulties: have many trouble
9. arising unexpected conflict between the state and its denizens: conflict between people and
government
TOPIC 4:
Many parents choose to teach their children at home rather than sending their children to school.
Do you think the benefits of home schooling outweight its drawbacks?
Parents are, in most cases, extremely concerned about the growth of their children. When conventional
teaching fails some parents, some of them prefer to educate their children at home. People have been
pondering, for many years, whether or not home schooling is superior to traditional teaching without reaching
any definite consensus. As I see, as for those home learners, what will be lost is greater than what will be
gained.
Some parents believe that is is more feasible to let their children receive home education because they believe
this mode of education enables children to grow better both academically and mentally. One of the most
glaring merits of family education is that students with diverse abilities can receive the custom-tailored
education, which fits them. After all, parents are most familiar with their children and willing to devote all
their hearts to children’s character training and moral education. Another benefit coming from parenting
is that it is a good way to strengthen the family tie. The more time parents spend cultivating their children, the
better parent-children relationship will be.
Home education, however, might trigger some disadvantages to some extent. Indeed, on no account can we
ignore its potential drawbacks. On the downsides, those home learners tend to be socially inadequate due
to the lack of group experience. Even worse, one might become introverted or eccentric when he or she
is confined to home schooling for a long time. By contrast, traditional classroom education can help
youngsters to learn to how to communicate and associate with their peers. Another demerit might be that
in comparison with parents, teachers are professionally well-trained, know the common sense of education
and can summarize the core of knowledge. In this sense, those who receive traditional education are liable
to excel academically.
In closing, my stand is that although home education might have some advantages in some facets, it is not
universally suitable for most people. For one thing, educators outshine parents in terms of disseminating
knowledge. For another, those who receive home education are more likely to be emotionally
underdeveloped in their relations with their peers.
1. Extremely concerned about: very worried
2. Conventional teaching fails some parents: if some parents cannot use traditional teaching
3. With diverse abilities: with different abilities
4. Custom-tailored education: education is designed for only one person
5. Socially inadequate: cannot do well in society
6. Know the common sense of: know the basic things
7. Summarize the core of knowledge: summarize the things students needs to learn
8. Disseminating knowledge: teaching
TOPIC 5:
In some countries, the role of a mother differs in some ways from the role of a father.
Why do you think these differences exist?
How might parental roles develop in the future?
Parents are the initial teachers of their children, thereby, their speech and behaviors, to a larger extent, exert
a subtle influence on children’s character training and future development. The impacts that parents impose
on their kids might differ greatly due to various reasons. This essay aims to explore where the differences lie
and how parental roles will change in the future.
Due to the gender disparities, parental roles vary greatly in a child’s growth. Males tend to be more rational
and tenacious, while females tend to be more tender and sensible, in this sense, a child can benefit differently
from the parent. As a father, I always try my utmost to set a fine learning example for my child, what my kid
can acquire from me is to be a big heart, cherish great ambition and rely on honest hard work to strive for
those cherish-but-failed dreams. By contrast, seen from the role my wife plays, it is her unshakable
obligation to guide our child to unite peers, respect the old and make a clear distinction between right
and wrong. In addition, the distinct workload and pressure might account for the discrepancy. Fathers, in most
cases, have to stand out in career, hence, they usually allocate less time to educating children, by contrast,
mothers generally give priority to their families, thus, they will spend more time accompanying their children.
Indeed, it is no easy task to simply predict the change in the parental roles in the future, for different families
might have manifold conditions. One possible change might be that more professional mothers will turn to
families more when their families have accumulated enough wealth. More precisely, more females are
willing to return to families and wholeheartedly take care of their children. Another predictable development
I can figure out is that parents will make joint efforts in educating and guiding their children no matter how
busy they are because numerous parents might take fostering excellent children as their source of
happiness and spiritual contentment.
In closing, parents will always have many indispensable roles to play in shaping children’s character,
establishing their life outlook and influencing their destinies. My firm stand is that all parents will exert efforts
and take time to influence their children positively. After all, blood is thick than water.
1. exert a subtle influence on: produce a particular effect

2. strive for those cherish-but-failed dreams: try to get what they want but fail
3. unshakable obligation to: the duty to do something
4. have to stand out in career: succeed in their job
5. accompanying their children: being beside their children
6. families have accumulated enough wealth: earn enough money
7. wholeheartedly take care of: take good care
8. make joint efforts: both will do
9. sources of happiness and spiritual contentment: as the thing they love to do in life
TOPIC 6:
Some people believe that children who are brought up in families which don’t have large amounts of
money are better prepared to deal with the problems of adult life than children brought up in wealthier
families.
We each have a destiny, some people are born into rich families, while others come from humble
background. Perhaps no issue has led to such as endless debate as to whether or not those who are raised
by impoverished parents are more likely to brave the hardships when reaching adulthood in comparison
with those who have finacially richer parents. My stand is that although some children coming from poverty-
stricken backgrounds might stand out in a crowd, it is better for children to be brought up in well-off families.
I admit that a humble family background might have some positive roles to play in helping children ready
themselves for adult life. For one thing, people of low or middle economic statuses often grow up to be self-
made, mature and tenacious than those who are well-protected by affluent parents because they have to
rely on honest hard work at early age. Harsh reality lets them know they have no choice but to endeavor if
they desire to outshine other peers. Hence, they have a deeper insight into the agonies of life. For another,
poor children usually have burning desires to change their fates and thus they usually have a clear goal to
strive for. Meanwhile, they are less likely to be frail or depressed when problems occur because they have
been accustomed to the sense of failure and frustration.
Fine parenting, however, has positive roles to play in one’s growth and future. People can, in most cases,
become the beneficiaries of their advantageous family background. Initially, children from affluent families
tend to be more extroverted and positive because they, comparatively speaking, have rich experience of the
world and good state of mind. In this sense, they can remain cheerful even in time of adversity. Also, well-
to-do parents usually come from elite class, thereby, their personal struggle experience will set a fine
learning example for their children. Meanwhile, many successful parents usually have more concerns over
children’s moral education, character training. To illustrate, many eminent entrepreneurs attributed their
achievements to family influence. The third merit of being born in a rich family is that elite parents can
provide their children with more finacial support, which could help the children realize many rosy dreams.
For example, well-born children could receive better education, acquire more skills and travel around the
globe and so on.
Overall, it is no easy task to judge which family background will definitely determine one’s fortitude and
maturity. My firm stand is still that although children coming from poor family background might become
mature and tenacious more quickly, it is more luckly for children to be raised by financially advantageous
parents.
1. come from humble background: come from poor families
2. brave the harships: deal with difficulties
3. self-made, mature, and tenacious: do everything for their own life
4. a deeper insight into the agonies of life: know more about the tough life
5. have a clear goal to strive for: have a goal to try their best
6. accustomed to the sense of failure and frustration: get used to failing and feeling sad
7. remain cheerful even in time of adversity: even when they have difficulties
8. realize many rosy dreams: get what they wish to have in life
9. definitely determine one’s fortitude and maturity: nothing can change their goal
TOPIC 7:
International travel often leads people to have some prejudices rather than broad minds.
What are the main reasons for this phenomenon?
What do you think people can get a better understanding of the countries they visit?
Such is human nature to explore those exotic countries and feel the sense of refreshment. Many people
desire to expand their minds and enrich their experience of the wold in the process of visiting their dream
tourist destination. However, some problems inevitably ensure. Instead of feeling the pleasure of travel,
what some sightseers feel are only cultural prejudice, conflicts and misunderstandings.
First, historical differences and diverse customs, to some extent, contribute to the bias, misunderstandings
and even hostility. A case in point is that eating dog meat is permissible and understandable in some
minority areas in China or Korea. More precisely, Taiwan people might be quite amazed when hearing or
seeing dog meat is edible, for it is illicit and forbidden to persecute dogs in Taiwan. It is conceivable that
Taiwan tourists might be quite shocked and disappointed when visiting some Korean monority areas in
Mainland China. People there always consider dog meat as delicious foods.
Further, some sightseers’ deeply rooted concept, and diverse life experiences account for the appearance
of cultural prejudice. To illustrate, a kind of benefiction like may your child become a dragon might be
acceptable in the Chinese culture. However, westerners might consider this a malediction or curse for their
children, since dragon equals to monster in Western culture.
Several methods should be adopted to help tourists minimize the potential cultural bias or emotional
misunderstanding. Primarily, before paying a visit to a tourist destination, it is feasible to do a bit research
into the customs, histories and local people’s lifestyle. For example, if a Western visitor aims to do some
sightseeing in the Chinese minority or Korean areas, it is wise to get to know some taboos, learn some simple
minority language and the minority traditions. Also, efforts should be made by those tourist guides or local
mass media to disseminate local cultures and popularize some relevant travel taboos. In this sense, people
will acquire the first-hand knowledge and thus have a deeper insight into a new country.
Overall, it is easy task to iron out possible bias and conflicts before visiting some popular scenic spots.
However, memorable travel experience favors the prepared minds.
1. feel the sense of refreshment: feel relaxed
2. desire to expand their minds and enrich their experience: know more and experience more
3. permissible and understandable: is allowed and can be understood why
4. illicit and forbidden: not allowed
5. sightseers’ deeply rooted concept: some tourists’ thinking
6. may your child become a dragon: wish your child become a dragon
7. minimize the potential cultural bias: make it less biased
8. disseminate local and cultures and popularize: to have a better understanding about the local culture
TOPIC 8:
Some people think that museums should be enjoyable places to attract and entertain young people. Others
think that the purpose of museums is to educate, not to entertain.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Museums are buildings in which artistic, cultural, historical objects are displayed and stored. People are
attacted to museums for various reasons ranging from historical interest to killing time. People differ greatly
as to which should be the chief function of museums to educate visitors or to simply serve the function of
entertainment. Personally speaking, both sides make sense to some extent.
Indeed, appreciating museums should be a good way to instruct and enlighten the visitors. First, a museum
of natural history or an anthropological museum could not only enlarge one’s scope of knowledge but also
broaden one’s view of life. Further, some museums could incorporate the role of educators because they
vividly display the mystery of historical events via the storage of historic legacies. To illustrate, a visit to
millitary museums about the Second World War will educate the younger generation to be more
knowedageable and inspire them to be more diligent. Meanwhile, visitors can reflect on the past and thus
learn from historical lessons so that one can avoid committing similar mistakes.
Nonetheless, I still remain suspicious of the sole educational function of the museums. It is still advisable for
museums to entertain the visitors. First, as for those young visitors, the aim of pursuing their own pastime
is mainly for enjoyment not for getting educated, a museum will be less attractive if it lacks some humorous
or relaxing elements. Also, a museum is, to some extent, a tourist attraction, hence, entertaining elements
could help it generate immense economic value and enhance its reputation. To open a theater in the
museum might be a commendable suggestion.
In closing, it is my stand that both entertainment and education are indispensable to modern museums, and
they are not mutually exclusive but should complement each other. Actually, the most attractive museum
is where we can acquire valuable knowledge and enjoy ourselves.
1. artistic, cultural, historical objects are displayed and stored: such things are made to the public to see
2. instruct and enlighten: teach and make them understand
3. enlarge one’s scope of knowledge: give people more knowledge
4. vividly display the mystery of historical events: make historical events clearer
5. avoid committing similar mistakes: make the same mistakes
6. pursuing their own pastime: do what they like to do in their free time
7. generate immense economic value: bring more money
8. commendable suggestion: a thing that people should do
TOPIC 9:
In many countries, there is no enough recycling of waste materials (e.g. paper, glass, cans).
What are the reasons and how to solve it?
Recycling the waste and developing sustainable materials is a link that is essential for the national economic
construction. Alarmingly, it is not rare to see that litterbugs almost appear in every corner of individual
cities. Even worse, the failure to properly recycle wastes will pose a threat to the sustainable development
of natural resources. This essay aims to present the reasons and solutions.
Indeed, what some people are doing is wasting precious natural resources and disposing of garbage
randomly. The reasons why recycling waste materials leaves much to be desired are not far to seek. First,
some cities fail to establish enough recycling sites to collect and tackle waste materials. Meanwhile some
countries lack efficient techniques in terms of waste treatment. Another major reason is that some people
have little knowledge about how to deal with life waste or they simply lack eco-friendly consciousness.
Considering the severity of this issue, some effective measures should be adopted. First, relevant
departments of an urban government are expected to make an overall plan and rational arrangement for
establishing a collecting and purchasing network to promote the recycling of waste materials. Likewise,
attempts should be made by scientists to explore and popularize efficient and eco-friendly techniques of
recycling wastes. Further, running publicity campaigns to raise the consciousness of cherishing the natural
resources also works. Eventually, the responsibility should be given to every individual. The pubic should be
urged to use recycled products, install energy-efficient and water-saving appliances, separate solid wastes.
Overall, it is no easy task to effectively handle and recycle wastes. Only when concerted endeavors are made
by the government, scientists, the mass media and every individual can this thorny social issue be resolved
perfectly.
1. individual cities: each city
2. pose a threat to: do harm to
3. disposing of garbages randomly: throw waste without thinking
4. establish enough recycling sites: have enough places to recycle waste
5. lack eco-friendly consciousness: awareness of the environment
6. rational arrangement for: reasonable setup
7. explore and popularize efficient and eco-friendly techniques: create methods to make something popular
8. raise the consciousness of cherishing the natural resources: make people aware of the importance of
natural resources
TOPIC 10:
Scientists believe that eating fast food is harmful to one’s health. Some people think that education can
help them change that bad habit. Others, however, argue that education does not work.
Some prevailing are the fast foods that some teenagers are in the habit of eating junk foods nearly every
week. From the perspective of some nutritionists, an excessive intake of surgar, calorie and fat undoubtedly
health-threatening, for fast food, in most cases is low in nutritional value. People differ greatly in their views
as to how to foster wholesome dietary habits. As I see it, educating the public about the dangers of
unhealthy eating, regulating massive sales and food advertisements to children and lowering the price of
healthy foods should be used together to help people keep fit.
Granted, one effective way to promote a healthy diet is to educate people about the potential risks of
unhealthy diets. Modern people might opt for healthier meals and snacks if they are taught that fast foods
are high in salt, fat and sugar. To illustrate, I myself changed my unwholesome eating habits after watching
television programs on how to preserve health on TV. Also, while it is of great significance to educate adult
eaters, schoolchildren should be the main target for education because they are not only in their formative
years but also the regular eaters of fast foods.
In addition to education, other ways to promote healthy eating are not far to seek. First, methods should be
adopted to strictly censor those junk food advertisements aimed at children. Meanwhile, sales of children’s
meals by giving out gift toys ought to be banned. For instance, America has already enacted relevant
legislations to restrict such sale promotions of KFC and McDonald’s. Also, it is imperative for the
governments to ensure that healthy foods are cheaper so that people could afford wholesome foods.
Imaginably, the decreased price of fresh fruits and vegetables could enable more people to enjoy healthier
foods.
Overall, education could aid people to change bad eating habits. However, it also works to restrain the
improper publicity and sale of fast food restaurants as well as lower the price of healthy foods.
1. in the habit of: like to
2. an excessive intakes of: eating too much
3. low in nutritional value: do not have much nutrition
4. foster wholesome dietary habit: have good eating habit
5. potential risks of: the bad things
6. opt for: choose
7. high in salt, fat and sugar: bad things of fast food
8. enact relevant legislations: make some laws
9. afford wholesome foods: have money to buy healthy foods
10. restrain the improper publicity and sale of: restrict the running of
TOPIC 11:
Some people believe that to become the vegetarian is the only way to keep healthy.
Do you agree or disagree?
Happiness lies, first of all, in good health. Health enables us to brave career challeges energetically and
harmonize family life optimistically. The awareness of a healthier lifestyle has been making numerous
people alter their dietary habits, which explains the increase in the number of vegetarians. My stand is that
eating fruits and vegetables might be an effective way in terms of keeping fit, however, it is not the best and
only strategy.
Indeed, I have to concede that people who consciously avoid the intake of meat can, to some extent, help
them embark on a wholesome lifestyle. More precisely, a vegetarian diet helps people refrain from
excessive intakes of sugar, fat and calorie. Meanwhile, rich nutrients and vitamins are contained in plenty
of fruits and vegetables. What I want to rebut, however, is that too much consumption of fruits and
vegetables might result in the imbalance of nutritional value.
In fact, to avoid eating meat leaves much to be desired as far as keeping fit is concerned. Other ways should
be explored. First, strengthening physical condition and endurance is also a commendable way because
regular physical activities help us relax our bodies and ease our minds. Hence, one’s immune system can be
improved and one’s health index can be enhanced.
Also, modern people usually have to face fierce competition and huge pressure deriving from either study
or work. To stand out from the crowd, numerous people burn the midnight oil, which undermines their
health. In this sense, to strike a proper balance between rest and work can also ensure people’s health
statuses. To illustrate, occupied workers or students should be urged to arrange holiday trips or friend
reunions from time to time.
In closing, I re-affirm my conviction that regular sports activities and reasonable schedules will have
indispensable roles to play in helping people remain in their best health condition although reducing the
intake of meat might work in some cases.
1. awareness of a healthier lifestyle: knowing how important it is to have a healthy life
2. alter their dietary habits: change what they eat daily
3. consciously avoid the intake of: know what they should eat less
4. embark on a wholesome lifestyle: start to have a good life
5. refrain from excessive intakes of: avoid eating too much
6. strengthen physical condition and endurance: making one’s body stronger
7. undermine their health: make them less healthy
8. to strike a proper balance between: to have a balance between
TOPIC 12:
Currently, many people fail to balance the work with the other parts of lives.
What are the reasons and how to solve it?
Alarmingly, there is a growing awareness that a great many employees find it hard to strike a proper
balance between career and life; some people fail to care about their personal health and the
cultivation of new hobbies. [Crack IELTS with Rob] The failure of tackling the tense relationship
between career development and private life will have an adverse influence. This essay aims to
explore the reasons why it is far from easy to perfectly balance work and life and then present
solutions.
The potential reasons for the imbalance between career and personal life are manifold. First, to zero
in on career can be mainly attributed to one’s infinite desires in life. More precisely, many young
people aspire to outshine others in their career. [Crack IELTS with Rob] To fulfill their rosy
dreams, they have to exert themselves extremely hard. Thereby, the more time one spends on
career, the less time one can allocate to other activities such as family life, health management or
personal hobbies. Also, excessive workload and fierce competition are the reason why numerous
young adults have to fully commit themselves to their jobs. Particularly, a new employee is sure to
be eliminated out of the rat race given the cutthroat competition if he or she slackens efforts at
self-improvement.
Considering the conflict between career and life, it is high time that we adopted effective measures.
Initially, it is imperative for the relevant companies to reduce the heavy workload and create
healthy work environments. Indeed, to popularize a reasonable mode of work not only brings
happiness to the workers but also enhances work efficiency. [Crack IELTS with Rob] Additionally,
efforts should be made by everyone to change their opinion towards career. Specifically, people
should clearly know that success in career will never be the sole aim of life; to work diligently is to
create and savor wonderful life. No matter how busy one might be, one should always bear in mind
that family life tops all and he or she should never bring unfinished tasks or assignments home.
In closing, my stand is that it is no easy task to keep an appropriate balance between career and life
at times, however, one should make efforts to achieve this balance.
1. strike a proper balance between: balance between
2. zero in on career: focus on career [Crack IELTS with Rob]
3. aspire to outshine others: want to be better than other people
4. to fulfill their rosy dreams: to make their dream become true
5. excessive workload and fierce competition: many things to do at work and many people are
competing against each other
6. slackens efforts at self-improvement: do not try to improve himself
7. to popularize a reasonable mode of work: make a way of working popular
8. work diligently is to create and savor wonderful life: work hard is to have and enjoy life
TOPIC 13:
Some people think that printed books are no longer necessary in this digital era as all writings can be stored
electronically. Others think that printed books still play important roles.
Reading has a key role to play in people’s relaxation. Sure enough, it is not rare to see that the enormous
popularity of electronic equipment, such as Iphone and Ipad, keeps on soaring. Many people prefer to read
e-books rather than the traditional paper books. Hence, people differ greatly in their views as to whether or
not the printed books will be still of great necessity. As I see it, paper books could never be substituted
because of their unique merits.
Primarily, although it is easy to acquire and utilize e-books, it is far from easy, for millions of people, to
change their deeply-rooted habits of reading paper books. More precisely, numerous people insist on
perusing paper books in a traditional way because they can take nots in the blank of a page. A hard truth can
justify my stand. Traditional books used to be predicted to be supplanted by new technologies such as the
Internet or smart phones in the past several decades, however, this prediction has never been realised unitl
now. Similarly, traditional books will not vanish solely due to e-reading.
What I would like to add is that a newly published book or magazine could best stimulate one’s reading
impulse for the simple reason that a great many readers enjoy the fragrance of paper book and can feel the
sense of ownership when holding a book. Unlike using e-books, which is just a sort of fast-food reading,
traditional reading enables people to have in-depth thinking and thus enhance their literacy.
Indeed, there must be some reasons accounting for the popularization of e-reading. Seen from the positive
aspects, e-books not only provide words, illustrations and pictures that traditional books have, but also add
sounds, moving images and cartoons that printed books cannot offer. Another merit of e-books is that they
can be eco-friendly because less paper will be needed. Last, electronic libraries can both save more space
and store more information.
To sum up, it is my view that under no circumstances can we ignore the immense value of print books and
magazines. Printed books and e-reading are not mutually exclusive, for they enjoy respective merits.
Therefore, both of them will co-exist, e-books can be a beneficial alternative to traditional books.
1. Keep on soaring: continue to increase
2. Still of great necessity: still needed
3. Change their deeply-rooted habits: change the habits that they have had for a long time
4. Insist on perusing: keep reading
5. Supllanted by new technologies: replace by tech
6. Stimulate one’s reading impulse: encourage us to read
7. The fragrance of paper book: good smell of
8. Have in-depth thinking: think deeply
TOPIC 14:
Earlier technological developments brought more benefits and changed the lives of ordinary people more
than recent technological developments.
Earlier technological progress had been great with many far-reaching breakthroughs, especially in the early
period of the last century. However, the benefits and changes brought by the earlier technological
developments to the lives of ordinary people cannot compare with those brought by recent ones. Therefore,
I disagree with the given statement. In the following paragraphs, I intend to support my opinion with my
arguments.
Undoubtedly, recent technological developments have benefited and changed our life so much that we enjoy
almost all the comforts and conveniences that life can ever offer. Today, we can breakfast in Japan, lunch
in Singapore and dine at New Delhi. This is all because of the faster means of travel. The Internet has
revolutionized communication. Today we send and receive e-mails at the click of a mouse. We chat and do
video conferencing with our kith and kin in any part of the world. These are just two examples of how
dramatically recent technological developments have benefited and changed our life.
Furthermore, in the field of medicine, we have gadgets to diagnose cancers and many other diseases at such
early stages that almost complete cures are possible. Also, if we look at the means we use to go to work,
the electrical appliances we use at home, the devices we use in offices, the facilities and equipment we use
in factories, we can say with certainty that recent technology has transformed our lives beyond imagination.
Admittedly, earlier technological developments did benefit and change the lives of ordinary people from the
time when they were achieved, especially after the Industrial Revolution. However, it is self-evident as to
what benefited and changed people’s life more, telegraph or mobile phone, Phonograph or MP4, Steam
strain or the monorail.
In conclusion, I believe that, recent developments of technology have certainly benefited and changed our
lives more than the earlier ones did.
1. Far-reaching breakthroughs: great achievements

2. Revolutionized communication: change the way we communicate greatly
3. Kith and kin: friends and relatives
4. Gadgets to diagnose cancers: equipment to detect cancers
5. Transform our lives beyond imagination: change our lives so much that we can hardly believe
6. It is self-evident: it is obvious
TOPIC 15:
Multi-cultural societies, in which there is a mixture of different ethnic peoples, bring more benefits than
drawbacks to a country.
I definitely agree with the statement that cosmopolitan societies are better for the overall progress of a
country. That is perhaps by nations such as the USA, Canada and Australia, which are primarily multi-cultural
societies, enjoy great prosperity, stability and harmony. In the following paragraphs I shall provide
arguments to support my views.
Apparently, a multi-cultural society can bring a wide variety of benefits to a nation in terms of economic,
cultural and social development. To begin with, the majority of immigrants from different cultural
backgrounds are high achievers, including experts, scholars, engineers, business people and other well-
trained people. Their arrival means an inflow of expertise, experience, investments as well as a dynamic
labor force, which are all key factors to the increase of competitiveness, efficiency and productivity of a
nation’s economy.
What is more, the new arrivals know very well the importance of respecting the local traditions and customs.
Therefore, they cooperate and collaborate well with the natives. They work very harmoniously side by side
in offices, factories and schools. In addition, with a rich blend of people, cultures and lifestyles, people in
multi-cultural societies tend to be more open-minded and tolerant of other people’s customs and religions.
However, multi-societies also have some problems. Sometimes, people from overseas will try to maintain
their unique ethnic cultures with their own distinctive characteristics. These differences may seem trivial,
but they can cause some conflicts that make it difficult for immigrants to become assimilated into the
mainstream of the local social life. But multi-cultural societies are usually based on equality and diversity,
so these problems can eventually be dealt with successfully.
To sum up, after what I have discussed, the advantages of multi-cultural societies far outweigh the
disadvantages. That is the reason so many countries make great efforts to attract more immigrants from
abroad.
1. Cosmopolitan societies: there is a mixture of different ethnic people
2. Enjoy great prosperity, stability and harmony: are rich, stable and harmonious
3. Bring a wide variety of benefits: bring many benefits
4. High achievers: those who achieve a lot in their study and work
5. Maintain their unique ethnic cultures: stick to their own cultures
6. Become assimilated into the mainstream of the local social life: mix with their life there
TOPIC 16:
With the increase in the use of mobile phones and computers, fewer people are writing letters. Some
people think that the traditional skill of writing letters will disappear completely.
How important do you think is letter-writing?
It is irrefutable that in today’s era of modern technology, many people struggle to produce letters and often
avoid writing letter altogether. Nevertheless, I do not agree that this skill is gradually disappearing. In this
essay I shall put forth arguments to support my view and also talk about the importance of letter writing.
Firstly, let us consider the reasons why writing letters is less frequent nowadays. This is because of modern
technology. These days we are much more likely to email someone than write a letter. In addition our
business communications have become more informal than in the past. As a result a less formal style of
writing is more acceptable. Other forms of communication such as text messaging have reduced our need
to write letters even more.
However, in my opinion, there are times when there is no alternative to writing a letter. Letters are generally
more formal and carefully composed than emails. This makes them more suitable for occasions when they
are likely to be kept and re-read, perhaps several times, by the recipient, as with formal letters of thanks or
sympathy. Letters provide a written record, unlike telephone calls, so they are also a better way of setting
out an important or complex argument, as in the official complaints or legal matters. Moreover, that time
is still very far when everyone will have a computer and internet connection. Till that time letter writing can
never disappear.
So, it can be seen that letter writing is a very important skill to learn because there are many parts of the
world where it is very important to be formal. This is particularly true if you are involved in international
business. Because of globalisation the business world is becoming more and more international and it is not
always possible to pick up the telephone to talk to people. Consequently I believe that letter writing will
never die out completely. And even though these letters may be written on computers rather than by hand
we still need to learn and practice this skill.
In conclusion, I believe that, there are fewer times when we need to write letters than in the pass. On the
other hand, I feel there are still some important occasions when a letter is the most appropriate form of
communication.
Common Collocations and Idioms:
1. In today’s era of modern technology: in today’s high tech world
2. Business communications have become more informal: we tend not to be too polite in doing business
3. Set out an important or complex argument: organize something in writing, which is difficult or important
4. Die out: disappear
5. The most appropriate form of communication: best way to communicate
TOPIC 17:
When international media (including movies, fashion shows, advertisements and other TV programs)
convey the same messages to the global audience, people argue that the expansion of international media
has negative impacts on cultural diversity.
What is your opinion?
As international media companies expand across the world, the growing popularity and uniformity of some
media programs (such as TV shows, movies, fashion shows) is causing worldwide concern. Many people
have strong views toward this trend. In my opinion, international media is closely linked to cultural
globalisation and cultural homogeneity.
The dominance of international media is a sign of Western cultural imperialism and has the potential to
thwart cultural diversity. It is not a secret that international media is owned and operated by a handful of
giant corporations, such as Time Warner. They control large sectors of the media market and place national
media companies at risk. The contraction in the number of media owners will cause a proportional
reduction in the variety of programs broadcasted. For example, painting, music and movies accessible in the
media have a small number of genres, imposing restraints on one’s knowledge of art works of different
cultural backgrounds.
In addition to seizing control over those creative industries, global entertainment companies affect cultural
diversity by reshaping the perceptions, beliefs and norms of ordinary citizens in different countries. Most of
the cultural values and ideals promoted by the leading mainstream media are of American origin. American
cultural values individuality, maximisation of one’s benefits and material wealth, rather than communal life
and family solidarity, the values and norms previously treasured in many Asian countries. Unfortunately,
many Asian people now imitate American people, causing the alteration of their perceptions of family. This
radical change can be attributed to those movies and TV programs that portray the success of American
individuals or corporations.
The loss of media diversity is also responsible for people’s narrow sense of ways of life. The ruling class of
many countries speaks English, favours Western food, wears Western-style jackets and even prefers Western
weddings. Young people are captivated by American basketball and some even daubing the names of NBA
stars on their school sweatsuits. All these transformations in life are the result of the audience’s exposure
to Hollywood movies, TV shows and sports reports. The loss of media diversity will lead to degradation of
culture and to a minimisation of cultural diversity. It is a worrying trend, as people need cultural diversity
to preserve and pass on their valuable heritage to future generations, including lifestyle.
As shown above, international media, controlled by a handful of transnational media corporations, is

exporting Western culture worldwide and putting many indigenous cultures at the risk of extinction. The
uniformity of media programs has led to that of artworks, norms and ways of life wherever international
media goes.
1. grow popularity and uniformity: their popularity and similarity
2. thwart cultural diversity: prevent the differences in cultures
3. place national media companies at risk: threaten the media companies in the country
4. imposing restraints on one’s knowledge: limit one’s knowledge
5. seizing control over: having control
6. communal life and family solidarity: the neighbors and the bond between family members
7. narrow sense of ways of life: don’t know much about the culture
TOPIC 18:
Some people argue that the government should spend money on public services and facilities, but not
on the arts.
Do you agree or disagree?
The role of arts in modern life is unique, providing people with entertainment and yielding various
psychological rewards, such as relief from stress. Despite these benefits, the arts have been taken as luxury
goods in many cases. It is suggested that public money of a city should be concentrated in projects like public
facilities, which are more likely to bring immediate benefits to the public, rather than the arts. There are a
number of facts indicating that this position is right.
Public facilities, widely accepted as one of the main precursors to a city’s development, should be one of the
highest priorities. Those underdeveloped cities in particular, should direct sufficient funding toward public
facilities. While municipal office buildings, courthouses and post offices are essential components of public
services, libraries, hospitals, parks, playing fields, gymnasiums and swimming pools are available to the public
for social, educational, athletic and cultural activities. By boosting spending on public facilities, cities are
more capable of satisfying the needs of citizens and improve their standard of living.
In addition to social benefits, there are economic merits that public facilities can offer to communities. An
integrated transport network (maritime, land and inland waterways transport and civil aviation), for
example, promises the smooth and speedy movement of goods and people in a city. Industrial products, as
well as agricultural produce of a city, can be delivered to other cities in exchange for steady income. Of
equal importance are public Internet facilities. Providing access to information by improving Internet and
other telecommunication facilities has relevance to the ease with which businesses in a city receive, process,
atilise, and send information. It is no exaggeration to say that entrepreneurs, either from home or abroad,
will first examine the infrastructure of a city before deciding whether to pursue business opportunities
there.
The arts, by comparison, although enabling people to see the world and the human condition differently
and to see a truth one might ignore before, do not merit government spending. The first reason is that the
arts – referring to music, film and literature altogether – are more likely to attract the investment of the
private sector than public facilities. Business people continue to invest in the arts in the expectation of
earning lump sum income and the arts in return, continue to flourish without the government spending.
Meanwhile, the arts are a key component of a culture and naturally passed down from one generation to
another. Unlike public facilities, they require no money to survive.
It is therefore clear that construction of public facilities should be given the foremost consideration. The
concern about the well-being of individual citizens and that of a city is more acute than the apprehension
about the survival and prospects of the arts, something that businesses have a stake in.
Collocations and Idiom:
1. yielding various psychological rewards: benefit us a lot psychologically
2. the main precursors to: most focused on
3. direct sufficient funding toward: invest enough in
4. municipal office buildings: city buildings
5. in exchange for steady income: to get a good income
6. It is no exaggeration to say: it is true that
7. merit government spending: deserve to be invested by the government
8. given the foremost consideration: given the most attention
TOPIC 19:
It is more important for school children to learn about their local history than the world history.
It is argued that children at school be taught about the history of the place they are living in rather than the
history of the globe. I strongly agree with this view for the following justifications.
The main reason why it is of greater importance for schoolboys and schoolgirls to be informed of the local
history is that it helps them to cultivate a senses of partriotism and national solidarity. It is true that many
parts of Asian countries were plagued by numerous wars including the French colonialism and American,
British imperialism. Therefore, if the young are aware of how their forefathers bravely fought against their
enemies and sacrificed their lives, they would value the freedom and peace that they are enjoying today. This
will greatly stimulate them to make more efforts in their study to become a useful citizen and contribute like
a hero in their local area did. On the contrary, placing more priority on teaching young students of what is
occuring around the world end up making them ignorant of their own local historical values, depriving them
of a sense of root and belonging. Even worse, the children would make disparaging comments on their own
country’s history if there some outstanding figures who achieved more resounding successes in the world.
In addition, what happened to their ancestors would be easier for students at a small age to grasp. Unarguably,
the heroes and heroines in many wars are familiar among small children as those names tend to be heard
somewhere in daily conversations. By contrast, it would prove challenging if students have to memorize
foreign names which are usually found in a lesson on international history. As a result, schoolchildren would
have little difficulty in appreciating the historic significance, thus developing more interest in the subject
itself.
In conclusion, I totally believe that more emphasis should be placed on the history of a student’s local area
than the developments in world history. This is because it encourages kids to strengthen their national
identity meanwhile giving them a comfortable and effective time learning such a monotonous subject.
Common collocations and idioms:

1. cultivate a sense of patriotism and national solidarity: enrich their love to your nation
2. deprive them of: prevent from having something
3. develop more interest in: cultivate their love in something
4. strengthen their national identity: give more love to their nation
5. monotonous subject: the subject is tedious, boring
TOPIC 20:
Some people think that young people can learn useful skills by playing electronic and computer games.
Others argue that people who play electronic and computer games are wasting their time.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
There have been arguments over the possible impacts that computer and electronic games might inflict on
the young. Althought there is some truth to the belief that playing games on computers and other electronic
devices enhances certain skills, I would side with those who think playing such games is a waste of time.
On the one hand, there are several reasons why some people consider video games as tool to sharpen some
important skills. First, many games, such as science or puzzle games, stimulate young players’ brains and
sensitivity, which gives those players an opportunity to cultivate their creativity and problem solving skills.
Second, people argue that shooting games, like Counter Strike, require tremendous focus and extremely
fast reflexes to complete stages in those games. With reflexes and concentration capability improved,
players can demonstrate more effectively daily task which specifically require those enhance skills.
On the other hand, I would argue that spending time on video games is a waste regardless of the possibility
of skill development they might offer. Young people are supposed to study properly either at school or at
home, to which this form of entertainment is a grave detriment. Those types of games are fun; however,
they are addictive at the same time. An excessive amount of time would be used for games if players are
exposed to them on a frequent basis. This, consequently, results in the reduction of time for study, which
should be people’s top priority at their age. Furthermore, skills sharpened by computer and electronic games
can also be acquired by a number of other healthy, educational and less time-consuming options, such as
reading books or participating in sport clubs.
In conclusion, it seems to me that having a few skills enhanced by playing video games cannot justify the fact
that it is a waste of time.
1. Sharpen some important skills: practice to improve
2. Cultivate their creativity and problem solving skills: develop creativity and problem-solving abilities
3. Tremendous focus and extremely fast reflexes: high concentration and quick responses
4. This form of entertainment is a grave detriment: a not good form of entertainment
5. Players are exposed to them on a frequent basis: playing games frequently
6. Healthy, educational and less time-consuming options: good choices for health and education
Good luck!

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IELTS WRITING TASK 2 FORECAST FOR UPCOMING

COLLOCATIONS AND IDIOMS:

1. a decent code of ethics: how to behave correctly

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Collocations and Idioms:

2. cover one’s basic needs: get us what we need in life

3. have adequate financial means: have enough money

4. a satisfactory quality of life: good life

5. a friendly interrelationship with: good relationship

7. a sense of job satisfaction: feeling satisfied

8. passionate about: love

9. have devoted their life to: spent most of their time

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Collocations and Idioms:

1. conducive or money-wasting: good or save money

2. take for granted today: think it is obvious

3. drive the development of: make something develop/grow

4. prohibitively high: extremely high

6. disadvantaged and underprivileged children: poor children

7. inflict with many obstacles: suffer from many trouble

8. confront insurmountable difficulties: have many trouble

Do you think the benefits of home schooling outweight its drawbacks?

Collocations and Idioms:

1. Extremely concerned about: very worried

3. With diverse abilities: with different abilities

4. Custom-tailored education: education is designed for only one person

5. Socially inadequate: cannot do well in society

6. Know the common sense of: know the basic things

8. Disseminating knowledge: teaching

Why do you think these differences exist?

How might parental roles develop in the future?

Collocations and Idioms:

1. exert a subtle influence on: produce a particular effect

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Collocations and Idioms:

1. come from humble background: come from poor families

2. brave the harships: deal with difficulties

3. self-made, mature, and tenacious: do everything for their own life

What are the main reasons for this phenomenon?

Collocations and Idioms:

1. feel the sense of refreshment: feel relaxed

3. permissible and understandable: is allowed and can be understood why

4. illicit and forbidden: not allowed

5. sightseers’ deeply rooted concept: some tourists’ thinking

7. minimize the potential cultural bias: make it less biased

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Collocations and Idioms:

2. instruct and enlighten: teach and make them understand

3. enlarge one’s scope of knowledge: give people more knowledge

5. avoid committing similar mistakes: make the same mistakes

7. generate immense economic value: bring more money

8. commendable suggestion: a thing that people should do

What are the reasons and how to solve it?

Collocations and Idioms:

1. individual cities: each city

2. pose a threat to: do harm to

3. disposing of garbages randomly: throw waste without thinking

4. establish enough recycling sites: have enough places to recycle waste