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ACADEMIC MODULE WRITING TASK 1 – Model Answer

The bar charts show data about computer ownership, with a further
classification by level of education, from 2002 to 2010.

A steady but significant rise can be seen in the percentage of the population
that owned a computer over the period. Just over half the population owned
computers in 2002, whereas by 2010 three out of four people had a home computer.

An analysis of the data by level of education shows that higher levels of

education correspond to higher levels of computer ownership in both of those years.
In 2002, only around 15% of those who did not finish high school had a computer but
this figure had trebled by 2010. There were also considerable increases, of
approximately 30 percentage points, for those with a high school diploma or an
unfinished college education (reaching 65% and 85% respectively in 2010). However,
graduates and postgraduates proved to have the greatest level of ownership in 2010, at
90% and 95% respectively, 20 percentage points higher than in 2002.

The last decade has seen a substantial growth in computer ownership in

general, and across all educational levels.

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ACADEMIC MODULE WRITING TASK 1 – Model Answer

The bar chart shows how many tickets were sold to sports events, theme parks
and movies in 2009 and the table reveals ticket prices to various venues in the same
year. Going to the cinema was both the most popular and the cheapest form of
entertainment in 2009.

Cinemas attracted more people than theme parks and sports combined. Whilst
1,050,000 people attended movies, only a third of that number visited theme parks,
and a mere 150,000 went to sports games.

Movie tickets were far cheaper than other forms of entertainment. Attendance
at a football game in 2009 cost around $73, with little reduction for families.
Basketball and cricket games cost less, at $34 and $24 respectively for a single
admission. However, a family ticket to cricket, at $80, showed considerable savings.
Theme parks were only slightly less expensive than football matches at $70 a single,
but there was a significant reduction in the price of a family concession with four
people gaining entry for the price of three. Movie tickets at $15 for one, and $55 for
four, were the cheapest.

Overall, the cinema was the most affordable entertainment option.

190 words

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ACADEMIC MODULE WRITING TASK 1 – Model Answer

The chart shows the percentages of paper and cardboard, glass containers,
aluminium cans and plastics that were recycled in one country between 1982 and
2010.

In 1982, about 65% of paper and cardboard was recycled. This figure
fluctuated before rising steeply to reach a peak of 80% in 1994. From then on,
however, it decreased steadily to a level of 70% in 2010. In 1982, half of all glass
containers were recycled; after dipping to a low of 40% in 1990, the glass recycling
rate gradually increased to 60% by 2010.

Aluminium cans were first recycled in 1986, starting at about 5%, but this
figure climbed rapidly over 25 years and by 2010 it had reached 45%. Recycling of
plastics, on the other hand, was not introduced until 1990 and, although the growth in
this category was also constant, it was very slow, rising from about 2% to around 8%
over the period.

Overall, the proportion of paper and cardboard that was recycled was the
highest of the four classes of material, but this category experienced a decline after
1994, whereas there was a continuing upward trend in the recycling of the other
materials.

194 words

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ACADEMIC MODULE WRITING TASK 1 – Model Answer

The graph shows the value of sales of popular baked goods in an individual bakery in 2014.
Overall, bread and buns appear to have been more profitable than pies but the sales of buns
ended the period in steep decline, ending up even below pie sales.

In January, sales of bread were valued at $80,000 but this figure fell to around $45,000 in
March and fluctuated between $40,000 and $65,000 until September. The last quarter,
however, saw a jump in the value of bread sales to finish where it was at the beginning of
the year.

The sales of buns followed quite a different pattern. In January, bun sales stood at $40,000
but quickly rose to $70,000 in May and remained stable until August, after which they
plunged to just $30,000 in December.

The value of pies sold slowly increased from $10,000 in January to reach $20,000 in August.
Sales then levelled off but went up sharply in the last two months of the year to close just
ahead of buns at $40,000. Pies were the only item where sales figures in December
exceeded those in January.

184 words

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   24

ACADEMIC MODULE WRITING TASK 1 – Model Answer

 

The bar chart shows how those on low, medium and high incomes spend their money. Both
the differences and the similarities are striking.

Housing costs consume almost a third of each group’s income and another 15-19% goes on
transport. While the high income earners are able to put 17% towards their retirement, and
the medium group 10%, those on low incomes invest only three per cent of their income in
retirement funds.

All categories spend a similar percentage of their income on clothing (around 6%), eating out
(less than 5%), and entertainment (4-6%). The lowest income group spend a higher
proportion on their health (8%), eating at home (12%) and paying for utilities (13%) but less
on education, which stands at just three per cent compared with slightly more for the middle
group and over five per cent for the wealthy.

To sum up, each income group assigns by far the largest portion of their budget to housing
and a large portion to transport. However, only the rich devote a significant share of their
income to retirement savings. Poor families, on the other hand, spend more of their budget
on the basic necessities.

193 words

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   29

ACADEMIC MODULE WRITING TASK 1 – Model Answer

 

The table shows the amounts of grain that a certain country produced from 2010 with
predictions until 2030. Wheat is the leading grain crop and its production is expected to
remain fairly stable, along with maize and rice, whereas the barley harvest is estimated to
double over the period.

In 2010, 100 million metric tons of wheat were produced. This figure rose to 105 million tons
in 2015 and is predicted to increase slightly to 110 million tons by 2030. The maize crop was
only about a third of the wheat crop in 2010, at 34 million tons, and will remain much the
same until the end of the period. Rice production is also fairly constant at around 25 million
tons, although this dipped slightly in 2015 and will also do so in 2020. Production will
probably not exceed 25.5 million tons in 2030.

However, barley shows dramatic growth in production, rising from 50 to 70 million tons in the
first five years. The yield is projected to expand by another ten million tons in each
succeeding five-year phase, until finally reaching an estimated 100 million metric tons by
2030.

190 words

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