INTENSIVE MATERIAL

HANDOUT
Writing Task 1 – Table

Exercise 1: The sales of Fairtrade-labelled coffee and bananas

The tables below give information about sales of Fairtrade*-labelled

coffee and bananas in 1999 and 2004 in five European countries.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
making comparisons where relevant.

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Sample 1
The tables show the amount of money spent on Fairtrade coffee and bananas in two separate
years in the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium and Sweden.
It is clear that sales of Fairtrade coffee rose in all five European countries from 1999 to 2004, but
sales of Fairtrade bananas only went up in three out of the five countries. Overall, the UK saw by
far the highest levels of spending on the two products.
In 1999, Switzerland had the highest sales of Fairtrade coffee, at €3 million, while revenue from
Fairtrade bananas was highest in the UK, at €15 million. By 2004, however, sales of Fairtrade
coffee in the UK had risen to €20 million, and this was over three times as high as
Switzerland’s sales figure for Fairtrade coffee in that year. The year 2004 also saw dramatic
increases in the money spent on Fairtrade bananas in the UK and Switzerland, with revenues
rising by €32 million and €4.5 million respectively.
Sales of the two Fairtrade products were far lower in Denmark, Belgium and Sweden. Small
increases in sales of Fairtrade coffee can be seen, but revenue remained at €2 million or below
in all three countries in both years. Finally, it is noticeable that the money spent on Fairtrade
bananas actually fell in Belgium and Sweden.
Useful languages

● Highest level of spending: đạt lượng tiêu dùng lớn nhất

● Revenue (n): thu nhập

● Over three times as high as: nhiều hơn gấp 3 lần

● The year 2004 saw a dramatic increase: năm 2004 đã chứng kiến một sự tăng ấn tượng

● With revenues rising by: với thu nhập tăng …

● Increases in sales of Fairtrade coffee can be seen: sự tăng trong doanh thu của Fairtrade
coffe có thể được nhìn thấy

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Exercise 2: Consumer spending (2002)

The table below gives information on consumer spending on different

items in five different countries in 2002.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
making comparisons where relevant.

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Sample 2

The table shows percentages of consumer expenditure for three categories of products and
services in five countries in 2002.

It is clear that the largest proportion of consumer spending in each country went on food, drinks
and tobacco. On the other hand, the leisure/education category has the lowest percentages in
the table.

Out of the five countries, consumer spending on food, drinks and tobacco was noticeably higher
in Turkey, at 32.14%, and Ireland, at nearly 29%. The proportion of spending on leisure and
education was also highest in Turkey, at 4.35%, while expenditure on clothing and footwear was
significantly higher in Italy, at 9%, than in any of the other countries.

It can be seen that Sweden had the lowest percentages of national consumer expenditure for
food/drinks/tobacco and for clothing/footwear, at nearly 16% and just over 5% respectively.
Spain had slightly higher figures for these categories, but the lowest figure for
leisure/education, at only 1.98%.

Useful languages

● Leisure/education category has the lowest percentages: Đầu mục giải trí/giáo dục chiếm

tỉ lệ thấp nhất

● Noticeably higher/significantly higher: cao hơn đáng kể

● Spain had slightly higher figures for these categories: Tây Ban Nha có số liệu cao hơn ở

những đầu mục này

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Exercise 3: Amount of waste production (1980 – 2000)

The table below shows the amount of waste production (in millions of
tons) in six different countries over a twenty-year period.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
making comparisons where relevant.

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Exercise 4: Underground railway systems

The table below gives information about underground railway systems

in six cities.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
making comparisons where relevant.

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Exercise 5: Why adults in the UK attend arts events

The table below shows the results of a 20-year study into why adults in
the UK attend arts events.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
making comparisons where relevant.

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Exercise 6: Percentage of mobile phone owners using various mobile phone features

The table shows the percentages of mobile phone owners using various
mobile phone features.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
making comparisons where relevant.

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Exercise 7: Secondary/High school teachers’ salaries

The table below shows the salaries of secondary/high school teachers

in 2009.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
making comparisons where relevant.

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