Ideas for IELTS topics Development of ideas by Adam Smith Target Band 7 + IELTS JOURNAL PDF

Preview

Summary

f b.com/ ebook.sos + 7 Target Band IELTS JOURNAL Ideas for IELTS topics Development of ideas by Adam Smith First Published in 2015 IELTSJOURNAL f b.com/ ebook.sos Who is this book for? This is a suitable book for busy students and busy teachers of IELTS. Many students have no ideas or opinions about...

Description

fb.com/ebook.sos

Target Band

7

+

IELTS JOURNAL

Ideas for IELTS topics Development of ideas by Adam Smith First Published in 2015

IELTSJOURNAL

fb.com/ebook.sos

Who is this book for? This is a suitable book for busy students and busy teachers of IELTS. Many students have no ideas or opinions about IETLS writing topics. Even if your grammar is perfect, you will not get a high IELTS score if you do not know what to write. This book is for students who want to go into the writing exam feeling confident that they have excellent ideas, opinions and vocabulary for as many topics as possible. How do you get an IELTS score of 7 or higher? The key to a high score is not just grammar, it is not your use of words like ‘moreover’ or ‘in addition’, and it is not your use of phrases like ‘this is controversial issue nowadays …’. To get a high score, you need to use good ‘topic language’ i.e. words and phrases that are related to the question topic. You need good ideas in order to answer the question well. How should you prepare for IELTS writing task 2? There is an enormous amount of advice in this book. Here is a summary of what I suggest: x Spend more time preparing than testing When you test yourself, you find out what your level is, but you do not learn anything new. You will not improve if you only write test essays. Before writing an essay, study the topic and prepare your ideas, opinions and vocabulary. x Copy my ideas If you only use the vocabulary that you already know, you will not learn anything new, and you will not improve. Practice linking my topic ideas together to write perfect essays. x Use this book together with the instagram page @ieltsjournal The instagram page contains lessons that show how to use the ideas from this book. You can keep in touch with the author there and ask your questions.

IELTS JOURNAL

2

fb.com/ebook.sos

How to use these ideas One way is to practice writing paragraphs using the e-book ideas:

Some ideas from the e-book about the benefits of mobile phones: x The mobile phone is the most popular gadget in today’s world. x We can stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues wherever we are. x Users can send text messages, surf the Internet, take photos and listen to music. x Mobiles have also become fashion accessories. x Mobile phones have revolutionized the way we communicate. By linking these ideas and adding a few things, we can write a paragraph: The mobile phone has become the most popular gadget in

today’s world. The reason for this is that it is portable and versatile. Mobile phones are now carried at all times by most

people, allowing us to stay in touch with family, friends and

colleagues wherever we are. Furthermore, they now have many more functions than a standard telephone; mobile

phone users can send text messages, surf the Internet, take photos and listen to music, as well as making calls. Mobiles

have become fashion accessories, and they have revolutionized the way we communicate. (93 words)

IELTS JOURNAL

3

fb.com/ebook.sos

From ideas to paragraph It’s always recommended planning ideas for their main body paragraphs before starting to write. Let's look at how to put some ideas together to make a paragraph. Here's the question: The main reason people go to work is to earn money. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Ideas for one main paragraph: x x x x x

Agree that money is the main reason people work People look at salary first, they rarely take a salary cut Need to live, pay bills, food etc. Look after our families, save for the future Otherwise, most people would probably choose not to work

Full paragraph using the ideas above: I agree that the majority of people work in order to earn money. Before taking any other factors into account, it is normal to first consider the salary that a particular post offers, and it is rare to hear of a person who happily takes a cut in pay when beginning a new job. We all need money to pay for our basic necessities, such as accommodation, bills and food. Many adults also have families who depend on the wages they earn, and at the same time they are conscious of the need to save for the future. If we no longer needed money, I doubt most of us would choose to continue in our jobs. (116 words)

IELTS JOURNAL

4

fb.com/ebook.sos

Contents 1. Advertising

Positives, negatives, opinions

8

2. Animal Rights Testing on animals, vegetarianism, zoos

9

3. Cities

Urbanisation, negatives of city life, pedestrian areas

11

4. Crime

Police and crime prevention, punishments/

12

prisons, rehabilitation, capital punishment, community service, crime in the media

5. Education

Benefits, studying abroad, technology in

14

education, education in developing countries higher education, home-schooling, bad behaviour in schools, corporal punishment, single sex education, streaming (grouping children according to ability)

6. Environment

Global warming, impact of humans on

19

the environment, solutions to environment problems, waste/rubbish, litter, recycling, nuclear power

7. Family

Family size, working parents: negative

22

effects on children, divorce, care for old people

8. Gender

Gender and education, gender and work,

24

women’s and men’s role in the family

9. Genetic Engineering

IELTS JOURNAL

Positives, negatives, genetically modified foods

5

25

fb.com/ebook.sos 10. Global Issues Problems in developing countries, how

27

to help developing countries, immigration, multi-cultural societies, globalisation

11. Government What governments can do, public services, and Society

29

censorship, video cameras in public places, smart cards, disabilities

12. Guns and Weapons

Gun ownership and possession, police

31

and guns, arms trade, nuclear weapons, armed forces

13. Health

Diet, exercise, governments’ role, state

33

health systems, private healthcare, alternative medicine, stress

14. Housing and Architecture 15. Language

State housing, old buildings,

36

modern/green buildings English as an international language:

37

positives and negatives

16. Money

Money and society, consumerism

38

17. Personality

Happiness, success, nature or nurture

39

18. Sport and

Professional/competitive sport, sport

40

Leisure 19. Television

salaries, sport and politics Positives, negatives, opinions, Internet

42

Internet, Phones compared to newspapers and books

20. Tourism

Positives, negative effects on environment,

44

future of tourism

21. Traditional

Losing traditional skills, traditional customs

vs. Modern

IELTS JOURNAL

6

45

fb.com/ebook.sos

22. Transport

Traffic problems, traffic solutions, public

46

transport, road safety

23. Water

Importance of clean water, water supply,

48

water and politics, water should be free, bottled water

24. Work

Same job for life, self-employment, unemployment, unemployment benefits, work/life balance, technology and work, child labour

IELTS JOURNAL

7

50

fb.com/ebook.sos 1. Advertising Positives of Advertising x Advertising is a key part of modern business x Companies need to tell customers about their products and services x Advertisements inform us about the choices we have x Advertising is a creative industry that employs many people x Without advertising we would have less choice x Without advertising there would be higher unemployment x Advertising is a form of modern art x People enjoy adverts Negatives of Advertising x Advertising manipulates people x It aims to persuade people that buying a product will make them happier x Advertisers focus on selling a brand image x They use glamorous, successful people x We now live in a consumer culture x We are persuaded to follow the latest trend x We are encouraged to associate certain brands with a higher status x Advertisers often aim their marketing at children x Children can easily be influenced by advertisements. x Children put pressure on parents to buy them things Opinions about Advertising x Advertising should be regulated x Advertising aimed at children should be controlled or even banned x Unhealthy foods should not be marketed in a way that attracts children x Products that can be risk to health should display warnings x In some countries it is illegal to advertise cigarettes on television x Warnings must be displayed on cigarette packets x However, advertising is necessary in free market economies x It creates demand for products x Governments should only censor false information or products that are harmful

IELTS JOURNAL

8

fb.com/ebook.sos 2. Animal rights Arguments for Animal Testing x Animals are used in important scientific research x It is necessary to do medical tests on new drugs x Animal testing helps to advance medical and scientific knowledge / medical breakthroughs x Many important medical discoveries involved experimentation on animals x Researchers aim to minimize the suffering that animals experience x Testing for the cosmetics industry is now banned in many countries x Some medical or scientific experiments simply cannot be done on humans

Arguments against Animal Testing x The benefits of research using animals do not justify the suffering caused x It is cruel if it is just done to publish papers x There are alternative methods of research x Computer simulation can be used in most cases x The lives of animals should be respected x Humans have no moral right to do experiments on animals Arguments for Vegetarianism x Vegetarians do not eat foods that are produced by killing animals x Many people choose a vegetarian diet for moral or health reasons x A healthy diet is possible without eating meat x It is unnecessary to kill animal for food x A vegetarian diet may reduce the risk of disease like cancer x Many people question the treatment of animals in factory farms Arguments against Vegetarianism x Vegetarians do not eat a balanced diet x In many cultures, meat is the main ingredient in traditional meals x Meat-eaters argue that animals are below humans in the food chain x It is completely natural for us to kill them for food x Our aim should be improve farming methods x Farms should produce organic food

IELTS JOURNAL

9

fb.com/ebook.sos Positives of Zoos x Zoos play an important role in wildlife conservation x They can help to protect endangered species x Zoos allow scientists to study animals and their behavior x Zoos are educational, interesting and fun x Children, in particular, enjoy learning about animals x Zoos provide job opportunities. Negatives of Zoos x Zoo animals are kept in artificial environments x They are kept in cages or have limited space x Zoo animals rely on humans x They lose the freedom to hunt for food x They best way to save endangered species is by protecting natural habitats x Some people believe that zoos are unethical x Zoos exhibits animals with the aim of making money x We have no right to use animals for entertainment and profit.

IELTS JOURNAL

10

fb.com/ebook.sos 3. Cities Reasons for Urbanization x People move to cities in search of job opportunities x Cities offer greater employment possibilities and a higher standard of living x People migrate to cities from the countryside x Traditional activities like farming need fewer workers nowadays Negatives of City Life x Life in cities has its drawbacks x The cost of living is higher than in rural areas x Some people do not manage to find work x Housing is usually much more expensive x Homelessness and poverty are common on cities x There is a gap between rich and poor x Life in cities can be extremely stressful x There are problems like traffic congestion or traffic jams and crime x Cities lack a sense of community x People do not even know their neighbor(s) x Cities are sometimes described as “concrete jungles”. Pedestrian Areas x Pedestrian zones in city centre can improve the local environment x Banning cars encourages people to walk or cycle x Many European cities have built bicycle lanes x Dependence on cars is linked to health problems like obesity x People who walk or cycle regularly are generally healthier x Pedestrian areas are safer and more attractive for both residents and tourists

IELTS JOURNAL

11

fb.com/ebook.sos 4. Crime Police and Crime Prevention x The job of the polices is to catch criminals x They must also prevent crime and make communities safer x There should be an increase in the number of police officers on the streets x Police officers should be seen as part of the community x They should be involved with education and prevention x The police should be in close contact with schools x They should focus on young people who have dropped out of school x These teenagers may become involved with gangs Punishments/Prisons x Fines are used as punishment for minor crimes x If the crime is more serious, prison is the most common punishment x Some criminals pose a threat to society x They are put in prison to ensure the safety of other citizens Negatives of Prisons x Criminals are put together x They make friends with other offenders x Many prisoners re-offend when they are released x A criminal record makes finding a job more difficult Rehabilitation x Another aim of prisons is rehabilitation x Prisoners receive education of vocational training x Prisoners should learn personal skills and specific job skills x Punishment could make prisoners’ behavior worse x Rehabilitation aims to make them better citizens x Rehabilitated prisoners are less likely to re-offend Capital Punishment x Supporters say that capital punishment deters crime x Fear of the death penalty stops people from committing offences x The death penalty shows that crime is not tolerated x It is a form of revenge x The cost of imprisonment is avoided x The offender cannot pose a threat to others

IELTS JOURNAL

12

fb.com/ebook.sos Against Capital Punishment x Innocent people could be wrongly convicted and executed x Crime rates are not necessarily reduced x Many criminals do not think they will be caught x Capital punishment is not a good deterrent x Executing prisoners creates a violent culture and encourages revenge x We have no right to take another human life Community Service x Community service is a way to reform offenders x It could be a solution to prison overcrowding x It avoids the cost of imprisonment x It makes offenders useful in their local communities x They are required to clean streets or talk to school groups x Offenders repay their community x They avoid the negative influence that prison can have Against Community Service x Community service is not a sufficient punishment x Criminals should be locked up, away from their victims Crime in the Media x Crime is one of the main subjects of most news programs. x The mass media focus on violent and sensational crimes x This leads to fear of crime among the public x Sensational stories attract more viewers or readers x The media report crime stories in order to increase their audience

IELTS JOURNAL

13

fb.com/ebook.sos 5. Education Benefits of Education x Education gives people knowledge and skills x People with qualification are more likely to find work x They can earn a higher salary x They can contribute positively to society x Schools aim to teach young people moral values such as tolerance and sharing x Schools prepare children to be members of a society Benefits of Studying Abroad x Foreign institutions may offer better courses x Many students want to attend a prestigious university x The best universities employ teachers who are experts in their fields x Qualifications gained abroad can open the door to better job opportunities x Living abroad can broaden students’ horizons x Overseas students are exposed to different cultures and customs. x They become more independent x They are responsible for cooking, cleaning and paying bills x They will learn a foreign language Drawback of Studying Abroad x Living and studying abroad can be difficult x Students have problems with paperwork such as visa applications x The language barrier can be a problem x Students have to find accommodation and pay bills x Studying in a foreign language is challenging x Living alone in an unfamiliar culture can cause homesickness Technology in Education: Advantages x Technology is a powerful tool to engage students x Technology can make lessons much more interesting x Students can do research using online resources x Students can study at their own place x Adults can take distance learning courses x Students can study whenever and wherever they want x Students also learn skills which are useful for their future jobs x For example, they learn to write reports using a word processor

IELTS JOURNAL

14

fb.com/ebook.sos Technology in Education: Disadvantages x People rely too much on computers x Young learners do not become proficient in some basic skills x They use word processors and spelling may suffer x People should be able to write a letter by hand x Technology is no substitute for a real teacher x Learners need a structured course x An experienced teacher knows what materials to choose x Computers are expensive to maintain and can be unreliable Technology in Education: Opinion x Institutions should supplement traditional teaching with the use of technology x Technology is part of everyday life x It can enhance a teacher’s lessons x Students can use online resources to help with homework x Students must still learn to write by hand x They should still use traditional sources of information such as books Education in Developing Countries: Problems x Children often have to work from an early age x There are no schools in many areas x Families do not have access to books or computers x Literacy rates are often low x People in developing countries need knowledge and skills x Education is the key to improving the economy of these countries Education in Developing Countries: Solutions x Developed countries could help developing nations by providing money x They could invest in schools and technology x They could supply the funds to build schools and pay for teachers x Children need to have access to free schooling x Computer equipment could be donated x The Internet can expose students to a world of knowledge and information x Governments should make education compulsory for all children x They should encourage parents to send their children to school x Governments of developed and developing countries must work together

IELTS JOURNAL

15

fb.com/ebook.sos Higher Education: Advantages (also see ‘Benefits of Education’) x There are many benefits to going to university x A degree can open the door to better employment prospects x Economies are becoming increasingly knowledge-based x Most jobs require specific knowledge and skills x Skilled worker...