Visuals:Writingabout Graphs,Tablesand Diagrams
1.3 Understandingthe Purpose
TASK3.
Look at the following graph and the descriptions given underneath, and decide
which one is the most suitable. Try to explain why you think so.
AnnualUrbanGrowthRates
Average
ltsto-ts
T--l 1995-2000
ffiil 2020-2025
Asia Europe Latin North
America America
a) This gdph showsthe auerageannualurban groluth rate of 5 continentsfrom 1970
to 2025. According to the graph, Africa had about 5o/oauerageannual urban groutth
rate in 1970 and ouer 4%oauerageannual urban grozuthrate in 1995 and in 2025
the auerageannual urban [Link] is expectedto bejust ouer3o/[Link] Asia the
auerageannual urban groutth rate wasjust ouer3o/o in 1970 and 1995 and it utas
expectedto be about 2o/oin 2025. In Europe, by contrast,tlte auerageannual urban
groutth rat€ was only about 1.5% in 1970 and it went down to about 0.5o/oin
1995, and in 2025 it utill be lessthan 0.2o/[Link] Latin America tlte auerageannual
urban groutth rate utentfrom just under 4o/oin 1970 to just ouer2%oin 1995 and it
tuill probably bejust ouer 1o/oin 2025. In North America the auerageannual urban
groluth rAte uAs about 1o/oin 1970 and 1995 and is ffiPectedto stay tlte samein 2025.
b) Looking at the graph lae cdn seethat urban {ouath has happenedon all 5
continentssince 1970 and that it is expectedto continue right up to 2025. The most
dramatic grouth is in Africa, Asia and Latin America, becAusetbesecontinentshaue
experiencedthe most deuelopmentand industrialisation since 1970, while Europe and
North America show lessincreaseprobably becausethey already started being more
urbanised. In deuelopingcountriesmary)peoplefom the countrytsideare attrdcted t0
the cities to loohfor u,,orhand better opportunities in heahh and education, but this
rapid urbanisation is causingmany problems and needsto be connolled.
Visuals:Writing about Graphs, Tablesand Diagrams
that since 1970 there has beenconsiderableurban grotuth in all 5
) The graph shou,,s
continentspresented and that this trend is expectedto continue at least until2025.
Houteuer,the ratefor eaclt continent ltas not beentlte same. The deuelopingcounnies
of Afica, Asia and Latin America experiencedtlte most dramatic growth rates in
1975, with Afica hauing around 5o/oPer Annum, Latin America just ouer 4%oand
Asia ouer3o/o. In 1995 theseratesdeneasedto just ouer 4o/oin Afica and doun to
about 2o/ofor Latin Anterica, but Asia remained tlte same. This grouth rate is
expectedto decreaseby about 1% for all three continentsbjt the year 2025.
Mennuthile North America is expectedto maintain its groutth rate of 1o/op.a. ouer the
entire period, tahile Europe, hauing started theperiod at about 1.5o/ogrowth rate is
expectedto reducethis to only about 2% by 2025.
a Ansuer Ke!
differenttypesof Graphsand Tables
1.4 Understanding
\7e now need to look more closelyat what graphs and tablesshow, and the
differencesberween them.
'What
a) features do the following graphs have in common?
CigaretteConsumptionin China 1950- 90
WorldMeatProduction,
billions: Million Tons
2000
t Pork
1500
a Beef/Buffalo
40 ,.a( u Poultry
30 -ta
20 .---'-+/
R .A'
't0
..,.8'
/ F-.:::--.ts_+
0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990
b) Vhat features do the following graphs have in common? How are they
different from the previous ones?
Percentageof distributionof Internet-connected Waste1999
Household
computers, by incomeof countlies, July1999
Paper& Food& Garden
21%
Carboard Materials46%
High-incomecountries95.1 =-
Plastic 8%
Middleincome counldies4.7 -
/ Metal 6%
Low-incomecounti reso.z
Glass8%
Other'l l%
Visuals:Writingabout Graphs,Tablesand Diagrams
'What
c) about these graphs?
Percentaqe of all children
5 - 1 4 y e a - r sw h o w o r k 1 9 9 5
World AnnualWaterConsumption:
Europe
150
Africa
120
tuia
Thousands9o
Latin America of Litres
& Caribbean (percapita)6o
ffieoys
Icitlt 30
Oceania
o ',I990
1950 1960 1970 1980 2000
'What
d) kind of information do the following tables provide? How does this
differ from the graphs?
computers
Internet-connected Thelargestnumberof foreignstudentsby country
worldwide,1981-1999 of origin,in the 50 majorhostcountries:
1995
1987 28,174 China 115,87'l
1988 s6,000 [Link] 69,736
'1989 159.000 Japan 62,324
1990 313,000 Germany 45,432
'1991 617,000 Greece 43,941
1992 1,136,000 Malaysia 41,159
1993 2,056,000 lndia 39,626
1994 3,864,000 Turkey 37,629
r 09s 6,642,000 Italy 36,515
1996 12,881,000 Morocco 34,908
1997 19,5r+0,000 France 32,411
1998 36,739,000 Canada 28.280
1999 56.218,000 United States 27,749
a Ansuer Ke!
Understanding graphs and rables involves understanding the following details:
1. \X/hat is the information or data in the graph or table abo :ut?[ This
infarrnation is norma$t suppheA uith ilte graplt or tabla,J
2" r$fhat are the units of rneasufemeflt used?
3. \{hat is the area (place) involved ?
4. \f,hat is the time-scale involved ?
5. What is the purpose of the graph or table?