The graphs show figures relating to hours worked and stress levels amongst professionals in eight groups. Describe the information shown to a university or collage lecturer.
Write at least 150 words.
Cycling is a healthier and more environmentally friendly form of transport. Nevertheless, cycling is getting less popular. What are the reasons of this trend? What can be done to make cycling more popular?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
WRITING TASK 1
Two graphs give different information related to eight professional groups. The bar chart indicates the number of weekly work hours done by the groups while the pie graph illustrates the percentages of people suffering from stress related illness in the different professions given.
In general, business men work the longest among the eight groups while the smallest amount of time is normally worked by lecturers. According to the pie chart, lecturers struggle the most with work-related stress. Although their average working hours is smaller than any other group in the chart, lecturers suffer from the highest level of stress caused by their job.
The bar graph shows that business men and movie producers work the most at about 70 hours and 62 hours per week respectively. At the opposite end of the scale, lecturers work only around 25 hours. Working hours of other professionals varied with doctors, writers, programmers, lawyers and chefs working approximately 52, 46, 35 and 32 hours per week in the name ordered.
The pie graph shows that the professional who has the highest incidence of stress related illnesses is lecturers at 25%. Movie producers and doctors also have high rates with 18% and 15% each. The figures for business men, lawyers, chefs and writers can be grouped into percentages between 11 and 8%. The lowest rate of stress illness is attributed to programmers at only 5%, which is only a fifth the figure for lecturers.
(239 words)
WRITING TASK 2
People these days do not choose cycling to travel even though cycling is one of the few forms of transport that does not damage the environment. In this essay, I will examine a number of reasons why cycling is becoming less popular and suggest several ways to encourage people to cycle.
One main explanation for people losing interest in cycling is due to the need for a more efficient mode of travel. Given the fact that people do not want to spend too much time and effort while commuting, motor vehicles tend to be a more suitable and preferred choice. Another reason is that the majority of people are becoming less environmentally conscious and more concerned about their own interests. Many people, although fully aware of how beneficial cycling is to the environment, still choose to use other means of transport that are harmful to the surroundings but more convenient for their lives.
The authorities can attempt to promote the use of bicycles through a number of measures. Firstly, city councils can provide more cycling lanes throughout towns and cities so it will be safer and more convenient to travel by bicycle. In Amsterdam, for example, there is more space for cycling than for cars, which leads to a large proportion of the city’s population using bicycles as their main form of travel. Furthermore, levying higher taxes on other types of vehicles, together with raising social awareness of environmental protection, may help increase the likelihood of people turning to cycling.
In conclusion, most people tend to use motor vehicles instead of bicycles owing to the demand for efficient travel and the lack of environmental consciousness. The government is largely responsible for increasing the use of bicycles through the construction of more cycling zones and the imposition of heavier taxes on other forms of transport.
(304 words)