The charts below show the reasons why people travel to work by bicycle or by

car.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

1
Model answer
The first chart shows the reasons why some people in the UK prefer to cycle to work.
Conversely, the second chart gives reasons for those who choose to go to work by car.

The highest percentage of those who favour cycling say that this is because riding a
bicycle to work is healthier than driving. 30% of them gave this as a reason. The same
amount of people, 30% say that they cycle to work because it causes less pollution. 13%
of people cycle to work because it is cheaper than driving. Surprisingly, a similar amount
of people said that they cycled to work because it is faster than travelling by car.

In contrast to this, the percentage who prefer to travel by car because it is more
comfortable is 40%. The two least important reasons for going to work by car, with 14%
and 11% respectively, is that people need to carry things to work and that it is safer than
cycling to work. Finally, 16% say they prefer driving because it is faster than cycling.
This contrasts with the cyclists who ride to work because it is faster than driving.

In general, it seems that the majority of people who cycle to work do this for health and
environmental reasons. By contrast, those who travel by car want to have a more
comfortable journey over longer distances.

(229 words)

2
The graph below shows population figures for India and China since the year 2000 and
predicted population growth up until 2050.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

 Model answer
The graph shows how the populations of India and China have changed since 2000 and how
they will change in the future.

In 2000, there were more people living in China than in India. The number of Chinese was
1.25 bill ion, while India's population was about 1 billion. Between 2000 and the present,
there has been a 0.2 billion rise in the number of Indian citizens. Over the same period,
China's population has increased by 0.1 billion to reach over 1.35 billion.

According to the graph, the population in India will increase more quickly than in China, and
experts say that by 2030, both countries will have the same population of 1.45 billion. After
this, China's population is likely to fall slightly to 1.4 billion in 2050, while India's population
will probably increase and reach 1.6 billion.

Thus, over the 50-year period, India is going to experience steady growth in its population
and it will overtake China. On the other hand, China's population will peak in 2030 and then
begin to fall.

(173 words)

3
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The chart below gives information about Someland's main exports in 2005, 2015,
and future projections for 2025.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Model answer
This bar chart illustrates the performance of Someland's primary exports in 2005 and
2015. It also indicates future projections for 2025. According to the data, it seems likely
that international tourism will become the dominant industry, although dairy exports will
remain strong. In 2005, we can see that tourism was the greatest exports earner of the
three industries, with revenue standing at just over $6 billion.

This figure has increased slightly, so that now, in 2015, it has reached almost $7 billion.
It is estimated that international tourism will continue to grow, so that by 2025, it will be
earning around $8 billion for the country. In 2000, dairy exports were worth around $5
billion, but since then there has been a dramatic increase, and sales for this year are
approximately $8 billion. Experts are predicting that exports in this area may fall slightly,
so a figure of $7.5 billion is expected for 2025. Meat products are the third key industry
in Someland, but sales have dropped since 2000 and now stand at $3.5 billion. It is
expected that sales will continue to decrease in the future.

(187 words)

4
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram below shows the production of electricity using a system called Ocean Thermal Energy
Conversion (OTEC).

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

Write at least 150 words.

How Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) works

Source: Daily Telegraph - 8th Jan 2008

5
Model answer
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a system that converts heat
energy into the electric power using the temperature difference between
surface seawater, which can be up to 29 degrees Celsius, and deep
seawater, which is only 5 degrees Celsius.
The main components of the system are an evacuated evaporation
chamber, a turbine and a condensing chamber. The solar energy of the sun
heats up the surface water and this warm water is introduced into the
evacuated evaporation chamber, where it boils. As it boils, salt is
deposited and water vapour is generated. This vapour then drives a turbine
to generate electricity. After it powers the turbine, the water vapour enters
the condensing chamber, which is cooled by the water from the depths of
the ocean. The water vapour is condensed in this chamber, producing
drinking water. Meanwhile, waste salt water is discharged into the ocean
and the process can be repeated.
(152 words)

6
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The map below is of the town of Canterbury. A new school (S) is planned
for the area. The map shows two possible sites for the school.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features,
and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

7
Model answer
The map shows two proposed sites for a new school for the town of
Canterbury and the surrounding area.

The first site (S1) is situated in the countryside, to the north-east of the town
centre. It is just outside the main housing area of the town and not far from the
main road that links Sturry with Canterbury. It would therefore probably be in
an ideal location for students coming from Sturry, which is only 5 kilometres
away, and those who live on the east side of Canterbury. If there are students
coming from Chartham, which is 7 kilometres to the south-west, they would be
able to reach the school by taking the main road that runs south-west of
Canterbury.
The second site (S2) is located in the town centre itself. There are advantages
of this: it makes it practically equidistant for students coming from either Sturry
or Chartham. Moreover, it would presumably be relatively easy for students
who live in the housing area around the town centre to reach the school.
However, because of the no traffic zone in the town centre, no parent would
be able to drive their child all the way to school. This may make travel
arrangements difficult for some parents.

(206 words)

8
The diagrams show a structure that is used to generate electricity from wave
power.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Generating electricity from sea waves

9
Model answer
The two diagrams show how electricity can be generated from the
rise and fall of water caused by sea waves.
The process involves a structure which is mounted on the side of a
cliff or sea wall. This structure consists of a large chamber. One end
is open to the sea, and the other leads into a vertical column, which
is open to the atmosphere. A turbine is installed inside this column
and this is used to generate the electricity in two phases.

The first diagram indicates that when a wave approaches the

device, water is forced into the chamber, applying pressure on the
air within the column. This air escapes to atmosphere through the
turbine, thereby producing electricity.
The second diagram illustrates the next part of the process when
wave retreats. As the water level falls, the air from outside the
column is sucked back in through the turbine. As a result, electricity
continues to be generated. The turbine rotates only in one direction,
regardless of the direction of the air flow.
In conclusion, we can see that this structure is useful as electricity
is generated in both phases: entering and retreating of water.
(195 words)

10
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagrams below give information on transport and car use in Edmonton.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

People’s reasons for using the car in city

Commute to work 55%

Shopping 15%

Leisure activities 15%

Taking children to school 40%

Business 45%

Model answer

The table shows the reason why people in Edmonton use their cars in the city and the pie chart
explains what type of transport people prefer to use most of the time.

Looking at the pie chart first, it is clear that the car is the most popular means of transport in this city.
45% of the people say that they prefer to commute by car. The second most popular form of transport
is the LRT, while busses and taxis are the main means of transport for the rest of the people.

The table gives more detailed information about why people use their cars. Surprisingly, 55% of the
people need to commute to work by car. Cars are also used a lot for taking children to school or
business purposes. Only 15% of drivers are doing their shopping and, similarly, 15% need to travel by
car for leisure.

Overall, people in Edmonton make good use of alternative methods of transport but there is a heavy
dependence on cars for work.

(170 words)

11
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graphs below provide information on global population figures and figures for urban
populations in different world regions.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

 
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population

12
Model answer

The first graph shows the trend in world population growth between 1800 and 2100, while the second
graph gives predicted urban population figures for the next 25 years.

The world population has experienced continuous growth since 1800. Between 1800 and 1950, the
population grew slowly from just under 1 billion to 2.5 billion people. After that, the growth rate
increased and currently the figure is around 6.5 billion. Projections show a continued increase in
population in the near future, but a steady decline in the population growth rate. The global population
is expected to peak at 8.2 billion by 2050, and then decline to around 6.2 billion by 2100.

The predictions also show that almost all urban population growth in the next 25 years will occur in
cities of developing countries. In developed regions, on the other hand, the urban population is
expected to remain unchanged at about 1.3 billion people over the next two decades.

The graphs show that the global population increase will not occur evenly throughout the world, but
will be greater in some areas than others.

(180 words)

13
ou should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagrams below show UK students' responses to the question of to what extent would they describe
themselves as financially organised.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

  Very organised %
All students 21

   

Age up to 22 years 18

Age 23-25 years 26

Age over 26 years 35

Source: http://www.unite-group.co.uk/binaries/MungoBlobs-1350377092294.pdf

Model answer

The two diagrams show students' responses to the question of how good they are at managing their finances.
The pie chart illustrates the ability of UK students to manage their finances and the table shows the proportion
of students, by age, who think they are very organised at managing their finances. 
More than three-quarters of students (76%) believe they are either ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ organised financially, while
one in five (20%) say they are not very organised in this area. Only 4% of students rate themselves as ‘not at all’
competent.
The ability to manage one’s finances well would seem to develop with age and experience as older students are
almost twice as likely to say they are ‘very’ organised than younger ones (31% of students aged 26 or over
compared to just 17% for those aged up to 22). 
Overall, the findings suggest that students generally manage their finances well.

(151 words)

14
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The bar chart below shows the estimated sales of jeans for two companies next year in
Turkey. The pie chart shows the projected market share of the two companies in jeans at the
end of next year.

Write a short report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.

Write at least 150 words.

15
Model answer 1

The bar chart shows the estimated sales of jeans in thousands of pairs for two companies in Turkey
next year.

It is anticipated that purchases of jeans at Mango Co. will rise from 150,000 pairs in January to
approximately 500,000 pairs in August, and will remain there until November. For December, sales
are expected to be in the region of 600,000 pairs.

Meanwhile, it is estimated that the sales of jeans for Jack & Jones Co. will begin the year at around
450,000 pairs in January, falling to about 250,000, before increasing to around 400,000 in June. For
the next two months until August, sales are forecast to remain steady at this level, after which they are
expected to rise steadily to hit a peak of approximately 900,000 pairs in December.

The pie chart shows that, at the end of next year, the anticipated market share for Mango Co. and
Jack & Jones Co. is 20% and 30% respectively.

As can be seen from the chart, the overall sales trends for both companies are forecast to be
upwards.

(178 words)

16
In June 1996, an experimental flu vaccine was trialled in a large country town on females only.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.

You should write at least 150 words.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.

17
model answer:

The diagrams show data for a flu epidemic which hit a large country town in 1996. Figure 1 gives the
number of persons who died; Figure 2 shows the percentage breakdown of females who received a
new flu vaccine; and Figure 3 gives the number of cases of flu before and during the epidemic.

In Figure 1 it can be seen that the flu was responsible for the deaths of 2 females but no males in the
period from March to May. However, from June to August, there were 4 female deaths and 1 male
death.

According to the pie chart in Figure 2, only those females most at risk were given the new flu vaccine;
28% did not take part in the trial. Of those females who took part, 35% were aged (over 65 years old);
24% were babies or children; and 13% were either hospitalised or receiving other medical attention.

From Figure 3 it is clear that the new vaccine had a positive effect on the number of new cases of flu
reported in females. There were just over 1000 cases reported in March, climbing rapidly to a peak of
3500 in June. Thereafter, the number of cases dropped slowly to about 2800 in August, before
levelling off at 2500 for the rest of the year. For males, the figures were lower but showed a similar
trend throughout the epidemic.

18
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The map below is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is planned for the town. The map
shows two possible sites for the supermarket.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.

You should write at least 150 words.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

The first potential location (S1) is outside the town itself, and is sited just off the main road to the town of
Hindon, lying 12 kms to the north-west. This site is in the countryside and so would be able to accommodate a
lot of car parking. This would make it accessable to shoppers from both Hindon and Garlsdon who could travel
by car. As it is also close to the railway line linking the who towns to Cransdon (25 km to the south-east), a
potentially large number of shoppers would also be able to travel by train.

In contrast, the suggested location, S2, is right in the town centre, which would be good for local residents.
Theorically the store could be accessed by road or rail from the surrounding towns, including Bransdon, but as
the central area is a no-traffic zone, cars would be unable to park and access would be difficult.

Overall, neither site is appropriate for all the towns, but for customers in Cransdon, Hindon and Garlsdon, the
out-of-town site (S1) would probably offer more advantages.

(179 words)

19
The charts below show US spending patterns between 1966 and 1996.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.

Write at least 150 words.

Model answer

The pie charts show changes in American spending patterns between 1966 and 1996.
Food and cars made up the two biggest items of expenditure in both years. Together they comprised over half of
household spending. Food accounted for 44% of spending in 1966, but this dropped by two thirds to 14% in
1996. However, the outlay on cars doubled, rising from 23% in 1966 to 45% in 1996. 
Other areas changed significantly. Spending on eating out doubled, climbing from 7% to 14%. The proportion of
salary spent on computers increased dramatically, up from 1% in 1996 to 10% in 1996. However, as computer
expenditure rose, the percentage of outlay on books plunged from 6% to 1%. 
Some areas remained relatively unchanged. Americans spent approximately the same amount of salary on petrol
and furniture in both years.
In conclusion, increased amounts spent on cars, computers, and eating out were made up for by drops in
expenditure on food and books.

20