IELTS WRITING

Topic: Some people think that hosting an international sports event is good for the country,
while some people think it is bad. Discuss both views and state your opinion ( Actual test
2021 Jan 9 )

Sample answer:
Sports have the power to bring people together, and as a result, it is not surprising
to see international sporting events  drawing enormous crowds. It is believed by
some that hosting these events is beneficial for a country, while from others’
points of view, such events pose a negative influence. This essay will closely
examine both positions before giving my opinion regarding this matter .

There are several reasons why hosting international sporting competitions is

positive for a country. First of all, the organization of such events will
greatly invigorate the country’s sporting movement; therefore, the host country’s
athletes will be roused to compete for the sake of patriotism and national glory.
Take China, for example; the country’s achievement at the Olympic Games in
recent decades was second to the US’s in every event save for 2008, when China
hosted the Beijing Olympics and was the frontrunner in terms of gold medals.
Additionally, hosting international sports events will also help place the host
country on the world map of tourism . Through the imagery displayed in the media,
the host can create a lasting impression on international audiences and become a
popular destination even long after the competition has concluded.

On the other hand, being a host of international sporting events can be unfavorable
due to several factors. Firstly, the host country will incur a gigantic amount of
public debt from loans that have to be taken to construct new sporting facilities
and upgrade existing ones. Understandably, this not only takes a toll on the public
budget but also opens up a host of opportunities for corruption
through kickbacks and dubious dealings. Secondly, the lives of local people may
be disrupted because of the policies implemented while making event preparations .
In a country that is well-known for hiring foreign immigrants to perform
construction projects, like Saudi Arabia, for instance, having a huge influx of
laborers from overseas to build large sporting facilities will likely cause
social friction with the locals. As a whole, these expenses are more significant
than one might think, and will make hosting an international sports competition
hardly a worthy endeavor.

In conclusion, I tend to agree with the opinion that hosting international sporting
events is detrimental to the country.
Vocabularies
- Draw a crowd (v.): thu hút đám đông
- Invigorate (v.): truyền sức mạnh, tiếp thêm sức mạnh
- Movement (n.): phong trào
- Be roused to (v): to make somebody angry, excited or full of emotion
- Patriotism (n.): lòng yêu nước
- For the sake of (prs): in order to get or keep something
- National glory (n.): vinh quang Tổ quốc
- Second to (adj.): xếp thứ hai sau (Cách dùng: be + second to + N)
- Incur (v.): gánh chịu  incur debt
- Gigantic (adj.): khổng lồ
- Take a toll on (v.): gây gánh nặng, tổn hại cho (Cách dùng: take a toll on + N)
- Kickback (n.): hối lộ
- Dubious (adj.): đáng ngờ
- Influx of people/visitors (n): the fact of a lot of people, money or things arriving
somewhere
- Friction (n.): sự bất hòa, xích mích