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  • Band 9 Essay 4

  • Question: You should spend 40 minutes on this task.

  • Write about the following topic:

  • Many people believe that a country's wealth is dependent on the health of its citizens.

  • Other people argue that education is a better indicator of a nation's wealth and well-being.

  • What is your opinion?

  • What are some other factors that contribute to the growth and prosperity of a country?

  • Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge

  • or experience.

  • Write at least 250 words.

  • Answer:

  • It has often been said that the wealth of a nation depends on the health of its citizens.

  • In modern society, knowledge and education are also increasingly important factors behind

  • a strong economy.

  • In my opinion, healthcare and education are equally important priorities of a government.

  • Firstly, in order for a country to be economically strong, citizens must have access to good

  • healthcare.

  • If a citizen is unhealthy and weak, it can be assumed that that individual is not contributing

  • his or her potential energy, optimum work abilities and knowledge to his or her community.

  • By providing quality healthcare, a government can ensure that each citizen is as healthy

  • and capable as possible.

  • In this way, both developing and developed countries create stronger individual citizens

  • and, in turn, stronger nations.

  • Good education is equally important in modern societies.

  • In order for a country to advance in any area, its citizens must be educated so that they

  • can actively contribute new ideas to the workforce and to the economy.

  • For example, over the past two decades, advances in technology have helped nations like India

  • and China, among many others, to create strong economies and a better standard of living

  • for many citizens.

  • These advances in technology and the business opportunities created from them are directly

  • attributable to education.

  • Aside from healthcare and education, other factors also contribute to the development

  • of nations.

  • For example, abundant natural resources, positive relationships with other nations leading to

  • trade, efficient metropolitan infrastructures and a strong agricultural sector are all factors

  • which can help nations prosper.

  • However, I still believe that healthcare and education are the two most important priorities

  • of any government, because if the healthcare and education systems of a nation are effective,

  • then all other areas of an economy are positively affected.

  • In conclusion, in my opinion, quality healthcare and education systems are equally important

  • to the development of a strong nation.

  • (322 words)

  • Band 9 Essay 5 Question:

  • You should spend 40 minutes on this task.

  • Write about the following topic:

  • The quality of computer language translation has improved significantly in recent years.

  • Therefore.

  • it is not necessary for children to learn a foreign language.

  • To what extent to you agree or disagree?

  • Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge

  • or experience.

  • Write at least 250 words.

  • Answer:

  • In recent years, computer technology has advanced significantly.

  • Now we can communicate with people who speak different languages with the use of computer

  • translation software.

  • Despite the development of these useful resources, I disagree that children should not learn

  • foreign languages, because learning another language can not only help an individual better

  • understand their own language, but also communicate on both personal and cultural levels.

  • Firstly, learning a foreign language is often a helpful way to get a better insight into

  • one's own language.

  • For example, from personal experience, I found that learning Italian was useful in the acquisition

  • of more vocabulary in my native language: Spanish.

  • While computers can help translate Spanish into Italian, if I had exclusively used computers

  • to translate for me, I would not have gained further knowledge of my own and other languages,

  • like English and German, which also share some similar word formations.

  • In this way, learning foreign languages has many advantages beyond just communication.

  • Secondly, computerised translation software can help people translate foreign text or

  • even converse with a person who speaks a different language, but computers cannot communicate

  • on a personal or cultural level.

  • For example, one of my closest friends speaks Italian as a first language.

  • We could consult our computers to have a conversation, but our conversations are richer and more

  • interesting when we attempt to communicate by actually speaking to each other.

  • Also, we are able to share the different aspects of our cultures and home countries, the taste

  • of our native dishes and the expressions unique to our local dialects, all things which our

  • computers cannot do.

  • In conclusion, I disagree with people who believe that computer translation is sufficient

  • for communication between people who speak different languages.

  • I believe children should be taught foreign languages to broaden their knowledge and to

  • help them communicate with people of other cultures.

  • (312 words)

  • Band 9 Essay 6 Question:

  • You should spend 40 minutes on this task.

  • Write about the following topic:

  • Many people believe that strong tradition helps to civilise a nation and that governments

  • should therefore subsidise musicians, theatre companies, actors and artists.

  • Explain whether you agree or disagree with this statement and what you think governments

  • should do to promote the traditional cultural heritage of a country.

  • Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge

  • or experience.

  • Write at least 250 words.

  • Answer: Many countries' cultures are preserved by

  • the strong tradition inherent in the music, art and theatre of that country.

  • It has been argued that the government should pay to promote the uniqueness of a country's

  • culture by subsidising the artists, musicians and actors which keep culture alive.

  • I agree that a government should fund its citizens' cultural pursuits, since part

  • of a government's responsibility includes the preservation of its people's own unique

  • cultural traditions.

  • If a government wants to preserve and maintain the art and music which is historically traditional

  • to its country, then it must take steps to ensure that those traditions are valued and

  • fostered.

  • Firstly, a government can help maintain the cultural traditions of a country by using

  • tax money to build theatres, music and concert halls,

  • galleries and museums.

  • By providing venues for artists, musicians and actors to practice, perform and exhibit

  • their arts, the government is helping people come together to participate in traditional

  • creative activities.

  • Furthermore, governments could provide grants, scholarships and education to artists and

  • musicians who are prepared to make special contributions to the preservation of a country's

  • traditional music and art.

  • By giving students of art and music incentives to maintain cultural traditions, governments

  • can promote the longevity of its people's traditions.

  • For example, if a student who was interested in fine arts was offered a full scholarship

  • to explore and paint in tradition styles, that student would be more inclined to follow

  • that option than if no scholarship was offered.

  • In conclusion, I believe that governments should provide venues and offer grants and

  • subsidies to artists and musicians of traditional music and art, to maintain the strong tradition

  • of the country.

  • (280 words)

Band 9 Essay 4

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