The bar chart gives information about the percentage of car trips made by male and female drivers
Write at least 150 words.
Some people think that the most important thing about being rich is it gives a person the opportunity to help other people. Do you agree or disagree?
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 bar chart compares the percentage of car trips made by male and female drivers for eight different purposes in 2005.
It can be seen that commuting to work was the most common reason for car travel for both males and females. Meanwhile, visiting town, recreation, going to the bank, running errands, and visiting friends were the reasons for car travel that saw the biggest difference between the percentages of men and women doing these activities.
In 2005, 52% of men travelled to work by car, which was about 13% higher than that of women for the same purpose. By contrast, slightly more women than men went on car trips for shopping, with 16% and 10%, respectively. Similarly, the percentages of men and women driving to courses were fairly similar, at 8% and 12% respectively.
The percentage of each gender was considerably different with regards to other purposes. The percentage of men who made car trips to visit town, at 9%, and for recreation, at 11%, were nearly three times more than that of women for each purpose. While cars were used by around 8% to 10% of women for going to the bank, running errands, and visiting friends, approximately 4% of men used a car for the same purpose.
(210 words)
WRITING TASK 2
It is said that the most important thing about being wealthy is that it allows people to help others. Although having a great deal of money does give the rich a chance to lend a helping hand to the less fortunate, I believe that it is not their responsibility.
On the one hand, becoming wealthy can enable people to ease the burdens of those in need. This is because wealthy people are generally less concerned about their finances, and instead are more open to supporting others. A great example of this is that in almost all charitable organizations, their founders or philanthropists tend to be millionaires, or even billionaires, who are willing to donate a great deal of their fortune to assist individuals who need help.
However, despite the undeniable positive social impacts created by helping people, being rich means a lot more than philanthropy. In order to become the upper-class in society, most people have to overcome countless difficulties and try very hard to gain their wealth. Therefore, when they become rich, it is reasonable that such individuals would want to enjoy their life to make up for those tiring days of hard work. For example, there are numerous things that wealthy people can do, such as travelling around the world, dining in luxurious restaurants, or even purchasing jewelry or houses. Such activities help people to be satisfied with themselves and prove that their hard work does pay off.
To sum up, I would argue that the most important thing about being rich is that it enables people to enjoy more things in life. Although helping others is socially beneficial, it should be optional.
(278 words)