The line graph compares figures for daily travel by
workers in the UK using three different
forms of transport over
a period of 60 years.
It is clear that the car is by far the most popular means of transport for UK commuters throughout the period shown.
Also, while the numbers of people who use the car and train increase gradually, the number of bus users falls steadily.
In 1970, around 5 million UK commuters travelled by car on a daily basis, while the bus and train were
used by about 4 million and 2 million people respectively.
In the year 2000, the number of those driving to work rose to 7
million and the number of commuting
rail passengers reached
3 million.
However, there was a small drop of approximately 0.5
million in the number of bus users.
By 2030, the number of people who commute by car is
expected to reach almost 9 million, and the number of train users is also
predicted to rise, to nearly 5 million.
By contrast, buses are predicted to become
a less popular choice, with only 3 million daily users.
Sample #33
Television has had a
significant influence on the culture of many societies.
To what extent would you
say that television has positively or negatively affected the cultural
development of your society?
model
answer:
It has been around forty years since
television was first introduced into Australian households and people today
still have mixed views on whether it has a positive or a negative influence on
the society.
Many people believe that television damages
culture.
It promotes the stronger cultures of countries
such as Britain and North America and weakens the cultures of less wealthy
countries.
This is because the stronger, wealthier
countries are able to assert their own culture by producing more programs that
are shown widely around the world.
These
programs then influence people, particularly young people, in the countries
where they are shown.
Also, because television networks need to
attract large audiences to secure their financial survival, they must produce
programs which are interesting to a broad range of people.
In Australia this range is very broad because
we are a multicultural society and people of all ages like to watch television.
To interest all these different people, most
television programs are short in length, full of action and excitement, do not
require much intelligence or knowledge to understand, and follow universal
themes common to all cultures, such as love and crime.
Television programs which concentrate on or
develop themes pertinent to one particular culture are not so successful
because they interest a smaller audience.
Nevertheless we much acknowledge that
television does have some positive effects on the cultures within a society as
well.
People who do not live within their own
culture can, in a limited way, access it through the multicultural station on
the television.
For example, Aboriginal children who have
grown up in white families, or migrants and international students living in
Australia, can watch programs from their own culture on the television.
In conclusion, I hold the view that television
promotes and strengthens those cultures that are wealthy and influential while
it weakens the cultures that are already in a weakened position.
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