The chart below shows the price in Euros of 800 grams of four types of bread in one European country from 2001 to 2006.
Write at least 150 words.
Some people do not go directly to college but travel or work for a short time. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
WRITING TASK 1
The line graph illustrates the price of 800 grams of various types of bread in a particular European nation over five consecutive years, starting from 2001.
It is clear that while the price of brown, white and rye bread increased, the price of wholegrain bread witnessed a wild fluctuation over the period shown. Additionally, the figure for brown bread saw the biggest change.
In 2001, residents in this country had to spend 0.8 euros for 800 grams of wholegrain bread, while the other types only cost 0.6 euros each. In 2002, the price of wholegrain, brown and white bread increased dramatically, with the figure for wholegrain bread reaching a peak of 1.8 euros, whereas the price of rye bread saw a slight decline.
From 2002 to 2005, the figures for rye bread and white bread both increased considerably to 1.3 and 0.7 euros respectively, while there was a substantial drop of 1 euro in the price of wholegrain bread in 2005. Meanwhile, the price of brown bread fluctuated wildly between 1.4 euros and 1.6 euros throughout the period.
(178 words)
WRITING TASK 2
While some people prefer to go straight to university after graduating from high school, others choose to take a gap year in order to travel or work. From my point of view, the advantages of taking some time off after leaving high school far outweigh any disadvantages that this trend may bring.
On the one hand, pursuing tertiary education immediately after finishing high school does have some disadvantages. Firstly, some people know exactly what career path they wish to follow and are highly motivated to undertake the necessary steps needed to achieve their dreams. Taking a gap year could serve as a waste of time and money for such people, and may even cause some young people to lose sight of their previous goals. Secondly, some young people may find earning money while working to be much more appealing than going back to study. This could detract them from wanting to pursue further education, which could have significant disadvantages in the long run.
On the other hand, taking time off from studying to travel or work has countless benefits for young people. Although some high school graduates know exactly what they want to do in life, I believe that most young people have very little idea. This is largely due to the fact that kids these days live very sheltered lives, and do not know much about how the ‘real world’ actually functions. Taking a gap year is going to allow them to get some real-life experience, and broaden their horizons about their possible future career. Furthermore, kids these days are put through twelve years of schooling which can be exhausting for many. Taking a break to travel or work will help to prepare them for further education.
In conclusion, I believe that taking time off to travel or work before attending university would be highly beneficial to most young people today.
(310 words)