Sample Writing CAE Exam C1 Essay PDF

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Sample Writing CAE Exam C1 Essay...

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Essay As part of a study project you have been asked to write an essay on the impact of the growth of the urban population. Read the instructions. Write your essay in 300350 words. You should write an essay with the following title: THE GROWTH OF CITIES: PRESENT AND FUTURE CONSEQUENCES In your essay, you should • explain why people move to urban areas from the countryside • discuss some of the consequences of this trend • give your view on what is likely to happen in the future. The growth of cities: present and future consequences People have many different motivations for moving from the countryside to cities, but by far the most significant is the greater opportunity for earning higher wages in urban areas. Rates of unemployment in rural areas are generally higher than in cities and, even (/people have a job in the countryside, they are likely to be earning less than they could in a city. Cities have other attractions, too, particularly for young people who want the kinds of educational and entertainment facilities universities, cinemas, and clubs, for example - that they do not have access to if they live in the countryside. Older people, too, may be attracted to the healthcare facilities found in cities. The growth of urban areas has consequences, mainly negative, for both cities and villages. Rural areas suffer from depopulation, which means that there may not be enough people to keep health centres and schools open. If a village loses a large proportion of its young people, the remaining older population may not grow sufficient agricultural produce for the village to survive. Unless urban growth is planned for carefully, there can be huge pressure on housing, with the resulting shanty towns seen in many cities in the developing world. The consequent overcrowding and poor sanitation can lead to the spread of disease. It is vital that the trend towards urbanisation is slowed down; otherwise, the future is bleak. But as long as the world population continues to grow, this is unlikely to happen. The main priority, then, is education and access to birth control. In addition, life in rural areas must be made more attractive to young people, encouraging them to stay. If governments don’t take steps to expand well-paid employment in the countryside, the flight to the cities will continue. The picture is not, however, all negative. In some countries, the problems of living in cities have encouraged older, richer people to move to the countryside, and with them have

come educational, health and entertainment facilities. If this pattern continues, we may eventually see a slowdown in the expansion of cities.

Over the last ten years there has been a rise in the number of teens finishing their studies at age 16 or 17. Statistics indicate that they are opting to leave school as early as possible, either because they are unable or unwilling to take their education further. It is clear that this could have a long-term impact on the skills, knowledge and qualifications of the general workforce. It is therefore essential that governments find ways to reverse this trend. We need to begin by asking why young people do not see college as a good option. A major factor is certainly the cost. For many low-income families, course fees, materials and equipment are simply unaffordable. Reducing fees would therefore enable many more students to attend college. However, for the government to do this, it would need to use a very large part of its total budget for education, year after year. It might be a more practical solution to offer young people more flexibility in when and how they study. If governments supported colleges in developing online courses and blended learning programmes, more young people could study at a time and place that was convenient to them. Students with daytime jobs, for instance, could choose to do their coursework and view workshops or online webinars in the evening or weekends. Setting up these kinds of programme would be expensive at first, but once the courses were established, it would be a cost-effective approach. Now we have the technology, we should use it to maximize educational opportunities for the young generation.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a car was a luxury that many could not afford, but since then, the number of vehicles on the streets of industrialized countries has soared. The simple fact is that most urban areas were never designed to cope with such high levels of traffic. It seems ironic that as car ownership has increased, the quality oflife for people living in cities has, in some ways, diminished. Traffic congestion creates stress, pollution and many types of health problem. It is an issue that governments must address. One approach that policy-makers could take is to introduce more legislation regulating the use of private vehicles. In certain countries, for example, drivers are required to pay a toll once they cross the boundary of the city centre. In some cases, car drivers are also restricted to using one lane only, leaving the other lanes for buses or taxis. Unfortunately, there is evidence that neither of these measures has reduced traffic to any significant extent. An alternative approach would be to make public transport more attractive to potential passengers. According to a recent online poll, it is inconvenience rather than cost which deters people from using buses. Local authorities would therefore need to provide a much wider range of bus routes, and run far more frequent services. In conclusion, an improved public transport system would certainly require considerable financial investment, but in the long term, it might be a cheaper option than borrowing money to fund new road-building projects. This is the strategy that I would recommend governments adopt.

The days when bullying just occurred in the playground or on the way home from school are over. Now, with cyberbullying victims can suffer everywhere and at any time and it has become difficult to know if a child is being subjected to this or perhaps is actually a cyberbully themselves. The government needs to set clear guidelines on how to prevent cyberbullying in schools and what to do if pupils suffer of this problem. One idea is for part of the school syllabus to be dedicated to the topic of cyberbullying. This would include group discussions which lead on to pupils drawing up their own lists of dos and don'ts. Kids could also design posters and leaflets giving advice on how to protect themselves against cyberbullies. Punishment is another matter the government needs to work on. Cyberbullies will often be under the age of 18, so a suitable set of penalties needs to be established. Schools could start with informing parents of any unacceptable online behaviour and the police could be informed in extreme cases. In conclusion, the government needs to do everything it can to avoid cyberbullying. Parents and teachers need to know what steps to take if it occurs. The possibility of being punished can work as a deterrent, but it is always better to educate kids to respect themselves. In this way they will get a comprehension of what is acceptable behaviour and will seek for help if they are exposed to any kind of cyberbullying.

Your class has attended a panel discussion on what methods governments should use to discourage the use of private cars in the centre of the city. You have made the notes below. Methods governments could use to discourage the use of private cars in the city centre • investment • education ✔ • taxes ✔ Some opinions expressed in the discussion 'Make businesses pay parking levies for their employees and they'll move out of the city centre.' 'Improve the public transport system, then people won't need their cars.' 'If people understood how much better pedestrianised city centres are, they wouldn't want to bring their cars in.' Write an essay for your tutor, discussing two of the methods in your notes. You should explain which method you think is more important for governments to consider, giving reasons to support your opinion. Too much traffic is a major headache for everyone in the city due to the noise, pollution and, of course, terrible delays during the rush hour. How can the government reduce traffic and dissuade people from driving their cars into the centre every day? In this essay, I will discuss two possible approaches to this pressing yet complex issue. The first option to consider is an education campaign which could comprise of visual and radio advertising, presentations to businesses and special designated days such as 'Wall to Work day'. Compared to the high cost of significantly upgrading our public transport system, advertising is relatively low-cost and straightforward to implement. On the other hand, it is difficult to gauge the effectiveness of such campaign in advance because it relies on individuals changing their ingrained habits. A second alternative would be to levy a tax on parking in the city. This could be applied both to businesses and directly to consumers. While it is true that this would have immediate gains in revenue and change behaviour, taxes are unpopular and could also place unfair pressure on small businesses and individuals who do not have other transport options for work. In my view, a multi-faceted education campaign would be the most effective starting point. In the future, a tax could be a possible option but it would be tolerated better once citizens are educated about the benefits of fewer cars and a more pedestrianised centre.

Your class has attended a panel discussion on the action governments can take to promote health and fitness among young people. You have made the notes below. Action to promote health and fitness among young people • improve teaching in schools. • improves attitudes to competitiveness. • improve the image of sports. Some opinions expressed during the discussion 'There need to be specialist sports teachers for children and students of all ages.' 'Some young people are put off by the pressure to compete.' 'A lot of young people don't think it's cool to take part in sports.' Write an essay for your tutor, discussing two of the actions in your notes. You should explain which action you think is more important, giving reasons to support your opinion. We often hear about the many benefits of health and fitness. However, less often do we hear concrete suggestions for how to improve participation rates, particularly among young people. In this essay I will discuss two possible actions that governments could focus on in order to promote health and fitness to youth today. The first possible action is to improve physical education teaching in schools. Local students have at times complained that the curriculum is rigid and emphasises repetitive activities instead of team sports and enjoyment. Better role models and more adventurous options could lead to improved attitude and participation. Naturally, employing specialist sports teachers would incur considerable cost. A second option would be to attempt to change the overly competitive attitudes that seem ingrained in many of the sports competitions for youngsters. When adults such as parents and teachers focus on winning above having a good time, it puts undue pressure on the participants. They may feel a sense of failure if they lose and also be less inclined to try a new sport. To sum up, either approach would be a step in the right direction. In my view, it would be wise to prioritise dealing with reducing competitiveness first because I believe it would help young people feel better about the sports they already do. They could then, in turn, influence their friends to join in.

Your class has attended a lecture on the action governments can take to make sure cultural heritage is preserved for future generations. You have made the notes below. Priorities for governments aiming to preserve cultural heritage • increase funding for museums. • protect old buildings. • teach the importance of cultural heritage in schools. Some opinions expressed in the discussion 'Cultural heritage isn't just about buildings - it's about a way of life.' 'It's the responsibility of the older generation to pass on a cultural heritage to the next generation.' 'Museums are the best places to keep shared memories of a community.' Write an essay for your tutor, discussing two of the priorities in your notes. You should explain which priority you think is more important, giving reasons to support your opinion. Cultural heritage is an invaluable asset for all generations to enjoy. It is about knowing where we have come from and having pride in the place we live. In this essay I will discuss two priorities for the government's support of the cultural heritage in our community. The first idea is to increase funding to museums. People say that museums are the heart of cultural heritage preservation. Not only do they display objects, they also teach and provide information about them. Increased funding could attract better care of objects, more specialised staff and more fun displays, in turn attracting more people to visit and learn. On the other hand, I would argue that it's unreasonable to expect governments to give more money to museums when they have got more important things to spend people's taxes on. The second idea is to protect old buildings. It has become clear in recent years that governments can no longer afford to provide generous grants to help people maintain their historically significant houses. I am sure there are many voluntary organisations which would be prepared to work on conservation projects. Nevertheless, the government could provide protection to ensure that old buildings are not demolished or transformed out of character. In my view, the most pressing priority is to provide protective legislation for old homes and buildings. I'm not alone in my concern about the loss of historical features which take such pride of place in and give character to our communities.

Your class has been involved in a discussion on whether a dress code should be introduced at the college where you are studying. You have made the notes below. Advantages of proposed dress code • image of college. • health and safety. • discipline. Some opinions expressed in the discussion: 'Wearing more formal clothes will prepare students for the workplace.' 'College isn't work or school, so students should be free to wear what they want.' 'Students are turning up to college in inappropriate clothes more frequently, so it's time for a dress code.' Write an essay for your tutor, discussing two of the advantages in your notes. You should explain which of the advantages you think would be most important for the college to consider in deciding whether to introduce a dress code, giving reasons to support your opinion. We often hear that it is important for young people to be able to express themselves by what they wear. At our college, our lack of clothing guidelines has led some students to dress in a way that compromises both safety and our reputation in the community. Items of concern include ripped clothing, hoods that obscure the face, offensive T-shirts and very high platform heels. In this essay, I will discuss two advantages of introducing a dress code at our college. The image that we present to the community is important for a number of reasons, but primarily because overly casual dress makes it more difficult to place students in homestays and on work experience. Recently, this problem seems to have escalated as we have received some phone complaints about students' scruffy appearance. Additionally, it has come to my attention that a few students have worn T-shirts with slogans that could be considered xenophobic. It seems obvious that implementing a dress code will improve the college's image. With regard to health and safety, three students have fallen down the stairs during the last month. One of them, who had been wearing a pair of stiletto heels at the time, unfortunately broke her leg. I have grave concerns that without a dress code outlining suitable footwear choices, further accidents may be inevitable. In my view, keeping people safe at our school is our responsibility. Consequently, this is the most pressing reason why it is time to introduce a dress code, even if it is initially unpopular with the student body.

You have attended a Science Club lecture on how schools could encourage young people to train for careers in science. You have made the notes below. Ways in which schools could encourage young people to train for careers in science • enjoyable science lessons. • careers advice. • guest lectures from professional scientists. Some opinions expressed in the discussion: 'Kids should be able to design their own experiments.' 'A lot of the careers advice given is already out of date.' 'A lot of the scientists are too busy to spend time visiting schools.' Write an essay for your tutor, discussing two of the methods in your notes. You should explain which method you think is more important for governments to consider, giving reasons to support your opinion. Ways to encourage young people to train for careers in science Nowadays we frequently hear about the lack of students pursuing scientific careers. How can we demonstrate to the younger generation that science is a rewarding and satisfying field? In this essay I will discuss two methods that schools could employ to help persuade teenagers to consider further study in this area. One possible approach would be to ensure that career advisors are on board by providing them with materials, training and even incentives for promoting science. While this would be fairly easy to implement superficially, a lot of information dates extremely quickly. In addition, generally speaking, career advisors have little background themselves in physics, chemistry and biology and therefore may not be able to drum up genuine enthusiasm. A second tactic that schools might take would be to invite scientists to come to their school to talk about their work. What might prove difficult would be to secure the scientists themselves, as they are often extremely busy. It would also be crucial to enlist experts able to relate to adolescents or they might actually have an adverse effect. Overall, I would say that the most effective measure would be to have guest speakers. Hearing an exciting story from the field is much more likely to influence career choice than some second-hand advice.

I believe that technology plays a more important role than testing when wishing to improve standards of literacy in schools. Using technology can give the child a more positive learning experience, whilst testing just points out the mistakes the child is making. Using technology children can have fun learning to read and write and as long as the programmes they are using are well designed children will progress without realizing they are learning. The teacher can monitor the child's progress and deal with any problems at a later date without interrupting the flow of concentration. Using the Internet to access books is quick and easy so if a child wishes to read a certain book they can download it rather than search the library or bookshop by which time they may have lost interest. Today's generation of children find reading from a tablet more 'cool' and teenagers who are poor readers can read at their own level without worrying about being made fun of. I feel that testing has a very limited place in improving literacy standards. In a test situation many children experience anxiety and will not give their best performance. Although testing can show some of the child's problems, these can also be seen by the teacher in individual or group reading or writing sessions. In conclusion, schools have to decide whether test results which may improve the school's image or using technology in an imaginative way to develop a lifelong love of literacy in their pupils is more important.

You have listened to a radio discussion programme about facilities which should receive money from local authorities. You have made the notes below: museums sports centres public gardens Some opinions expressed in the discussion:

“Museums aren’t popul...