IPP IELTS HCMC

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ĐỀ THI NGÀY 8/4/2018

The chart below shows the average cost of monthly contract for four different mobile (cell)
phones in a European country from January to September 2002, measured in euro.

30

25

20

15

10

0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

Domo Lex Sim TX Alpha

The line graph illustrates changes in monthly payment plans of four different European mobile
phone brands between January and September in 2002.

Overall, while the average monthly cost of Domo, Lex and Alpha increased by varying
degrees, with the most dramatic change seen in Alpha company, the figure for Sim TX remained
relatively stable over the timescale. It is readily apparent that those using Domo phones had to
pay the highest cost every month.

As regards Domo, customers incurred erratic mobile expenses ranging from €15 to €25, with
the highest point being in July. Paying a stable amount of €5 on average for mobile services in
the first six months, Alpha phone users were charged surging costs in the last four months,
which amounted to over €25 in September, registering a fivefold growth from June.

It is of note that from January to June, the cost of mobile contracts for both Sim TX and Lex was
comparable, with an overall upward trend reaching the same figure of about 14 euros in June.
After that, the figure for Lex continued to go up steadily to €17, while that of Sim TX dropped to
only €9 in September.
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Some people argue that government money should not be used for art and cultural
activities. Some said it is necessary for governments to fund those activities for the benefit
of their population.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

People have different views about whether or not public money should be spent on art and
cultural events. I hold the opinion that governments should allot part of their spending to such
activities because they offer tremendous benefits in various ways.

Opponents of money allocation for art and cultural activities tend to argue that government
expenditure should be used to improve public services, thereby enhancing people’s overall
quality of life rather than spent on the arts, which is often deemed an unnecessary waste. In
increasingly secular societies, a large proportion of taxpayers have no religion nor an interest in
arts. Therefore, spending public money on organizing such events, which serve them no benefit,
may be considered a waste of money. From their viewpoint, monetary contribution through the
tax system should be, for example, invested in upgrading the public transport system to make
people’s travel experiences more comfortable or building more parks where they can gather to
relax, keep fit, and improve their general wellbeing.

However, I believe that art and cultural activities deserve funding from the government for many
reasons. To begin with, such celebrations are the hallmarks of a society in terms of its time-
honored culture, which should be preserved by all means. With the abolition of traditional
events, it might only be a matter of time before the loss of cultural identities occurs. In addition,
festivities are instrumental in boosting the economic growth of a country. Take Thailand as a
typical example. Songkran, which is the Thai New Year’s festival, attracts a massive influx of
tourists from different parts of the world every year, exporting the unique image of Thai
culture worldwide and thus promoting its tourism industry in in such a way that is inimitable.

In conclusion, although opinion is largely divided, as discussed above, I am completely

convinced that art and cultural events should be funded by the government because of their
indispensable role in retaining a country’s distinct cultural values and stimulating economic
development.
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ĐỀ THI NGÀY 14/4/2018

The charts below give information about the high-speed continuous internet connection of
households in five countries in 2001 and 2002.

Country Percentage change

South Korea +20

USA +170

Germany +80

Switzerland +120

Britain +230

connections per 1000

people

The table and bar chart illustrate increased access to high-speed internet among families in five
nations between 2001 and 2002.

Overall, it is clear that the rates of high-speed Internet access substantially rose in one year, with
the most dramatic rise recorded in Britain. The US was the clear leader across the chart with
the largest number of connections, far surpassing the figures for other countries.

In 2001, only 93 US households per 1000 used high-speed Internet; however, this figure surged
by 170% to a high of 251.1 connections in 2002. The high-speed Internet growth rate was at its
lowest at 20% in South Korea. It topped the chart in 2001 with 112 connections per 1000 heads
to then be relegated by the US one year later.

Between only 3.3 and 3.6 high-speed connections were set up per 1000 people in other countries
including Germany, Switzerland, and Britain in 2011. Growth rates in these nations were
significant, with figures of 80% for Germany, 120% for Switzerland, and the biggest figure of
230% for Britain. Despite a dramatic increase, it is of note that high-speed Internet was far less
accessible in these three countries than in the US and South Korea.
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Advances in science and technology have made great changes to the lives of ordinary
people, but artists such as musicians, painters and writers are still highly valued. What can
the arts tell us about life that science and technology cannot?

Some people question the role of the arts in modern society in which technological
breakthroughs have been transforming the way people live. While I recognize the countless
significant contributions of advanced technology to the overall improvement of our quality of
life, I believe that science and technology cannot rival the arts in some aspects of life.

It is not an exaggeration to say that science and technology could hardly tell people about their
national cultural values which are otherwise conveyed through various forms of arts. For
example, from an early age, Vietnamese children are taught songs and tales about their time-
honored culture and longstanding traditions, which should be preserved for future
prosperity. They also teach about national pride and patriotism. In this way, I am strongly of
the opinion that no matter how advanced technology becomes, it could hardly provide people
with these values.

What is more, the arts, especially plays and stories, have a crucial role to play in educating
people about human virtues. No other channel could make morality lessons as vivid and easy to
understand for children as fairy tale stories like Cinderella or Snow White. Many other forms of
art such as plays, comic books, and cartoons also have such lessons conveyed effectively. The
case is also true for adults whose emotions and perceptions of life can be lifted and changed
drastically by the arts. For example, hardly can anyone resist being touched by the classic Les
Miserable novel or the heart-wrenching The Thorn Birds movie. These art masterpieces have
the power of enriching people’s souls and orient them towards goodness in a subconscious way
that they do not event notice.

In conclusion, there is no denying the importance of science and technology in today’s digital
world; however, they could barely tell people about abstract concepts like culture, good human
qualities and morality, which can be easily found in works of arts.
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ĐỀ THI NGÀY 21/4/2018

The chart below shows the Japan’s population by age groups starting in 1960 and
including a forecast to 2040.

80

70

60

50
Population (%)

40

30

20

10

0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040
0-14 15-64 65+

The line graph illustrates demographic changes in Japan shifting towards an aging population
from 1960 to 2040.

Overall, it is predicted that the proportion of people aged under 64 will decline by varying
degrees, while un upward trend will be registered in the figure for the elderly.

Children up to the age of 14 accounted for nearly one third of the Japanese population in 1960,
before a slight increase to a peak of 35% in 1970. Except for a plateau in the 1980s, the figure
is forecast to decrease steadily to a low of 10% in 2040. From 1960 to 2000, the majority,
between approximately 65% and 70%, of the Japanese population was comprised of adolescents
and adults between 15 and 64 years old. However, this percentage is expected to decline
gradually to its lowest level of 53% in 2030 prior to a recovery to 55% in 2040.

It is of note that the figure for the elderly will continue to rise from 5% at the beginning of the
period to a high of 35% in 2040, indicating a 700% increase. From 2000 to 2040, Japan is
predicted to experience an enormous disparity between the figures for senior citizens and those
for children.
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Organized tours to remote places and communities are becoming more and more popular.
Is it a positive or negative development for local people and the environment?

Tourists have become increasingly interested in travelling to untouched places for their pristine
landscape. I hold a belief that tourism development in those places is mostly associated with a
negative impact on both the local environment and communities.

Firstly, tourist activities and services could leave irreversible environmental footprint. The
promotion of guided tours could turn remote places into popular tourist hubs where tourism
infrastructure and governance are underdeveloped and incapable of serving flocks of tourists. As
a result, irresponsible tourists may litter and damage natural places without awareness of
protecting local nature. The exploitation of private and unregulated tourism infrastructure
including hotel services, restaurants, or recreational activity arrangements in distant places
might result in huge amounts of waste disposed and fuel consumed for transportation. Take Binh
Ba Island in Vietnam, which used to be a natural treasure before tourist exploitation, for
example. The mushrooming of private tourist hostels and tours has turned the island into a place
filled with tourist trash along its coastline. Coral bleaching effects on beaches around the island
is more evident of how the flora and fauna has been adversely affected.

Secondly, there are social implications for indigenous communities as well. If organized tours
bring thousands of outsiders to a remote region at a time, the life of the local community might
be disturbed. The case of a small and exclusive country like Bhutan can illustrate this point.
Since indigenous cultural customs and religions are deeply entrenched in all aspects of the life
of local communities, economic and social changes to serve mass tourism would disrupt local
routines. For this reason, the Bhutanese government tries to control tourist numbers by allowing
only limited organized tours to ensure sustainable growth and minimize tourist disturbance.

In conclusion, I am of the belief that there is a link between the increase in guided tours to
remote destinations and adverse social and environmental implications for local communities.
Tourism in these places therefore should be carefully managed by local authorities, aiming
towards sustainable tourism exploitation to avoid undesirable impacts.
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ĐỀ THI NGÀY 26/4/2018

The maps below show Hunderstone Town at present and a proposed plan for it.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparison where relevant.

The map illustrates planned infrastructural developments to Hunderstone Town.

Overall, the proposed plan aims to improve the connectivity between the town and the main road
A1 through the addition of more road links, a large roundabout, and a new railway route. With
the suggested infrastructural development, the town would be more accessible from the North
and the South.

Currently, Hunderstone Town, together with its built-up area, is accessible from the A1 Road via
an arterial connected with the ring road of the town. Another way to reach Hunderstone Town
center is by railway which runs parallel with A1 Road and is situated between the A1 and the
town center. A gas station lies at the intersection of the railway and the connecting road.

The the proposed development is an additional road, named A4, to the south, directly linking the
A1 with the Hunderstone ring road from the South. A large roundabout will be installed in
proximity to the current gas station. The airfield in the northern area will be replaced by an
industrial estate which can be reached via the A1 Road from the West or via a railway extension
from the East.
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It is more important to spend public money on promoting a healthy lifestyle in order to
prevent illness than to spend it on the treatment for people who are already ill.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some people think that government expenditure should be used to encourage people to lead a
healthy life rather than spent on illness treatment. I totally agree with this belief since
prevention is better than cure.

There are many actions that the authority can take to promote a healthy lifestyle among its
citizens. First, they should consider building more public spaces equipped with sports facilities
to encourage people to do more physical activities. This could not only help to boost public
health and fitness levels but also greatly lower the incidence of several dangerous diseases such
as heart attack and stroke, from which the elderly are most at risk. Secondly, the state budget
should also be invested in sporting events which contribute to raising public awareness about
health issues. For example, the Ho Chi Minh City authority, together with businesses, annually
organizes ‘Infinity Race’, where people of all ages gather at one end of the street and run to the
other end. The aim of the event is to promote the importance of marathon running in improving
physical wellbeing.

I side with the opinion that it is much better to spend on preventative measures than on illness
treatment. The first reason is associated with cost effectiveness. It is quite obvious that the
amount of money needed for medical equipment such as CT scanners, X-ray and surgical
machines usually far exceeds that of constructing parks and running awareness-raising
campaigns. By focusing on prevention, the government could save a huge proportion of their
spending for other purposes. The second reason in favor of my argument is that prevention is the
best solution to incurable diseases, especially HIV. Patients can do nothing rather than bear the
pain until their death. It is therefore more imperative to inform the citizens about the dangers of
HIV and a healthy lifestyle to avoid it rather than paying for costly lifetime treatment for each
victim.

In conclusion, I am of the strong opinion that public money should be allocated to illness
prevention rather than the cure because of the reasons mentioned above.