SECTION D – WRITING

Part 1: Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first one. Use the
word given in capital letters and the word mustn’t be altered in any way. (5p)
1. Entry is free if you are under 18 years old (WITHOUT)
..............................................................................................................................................
2. In my opinion, classical music is far superior than jazz (RATHER)
.............................................................................................................................................
3. I suppose it's possible that she didn't understand my message (MAY)
.......................................................................................................................................................
4. My grandfather was sixty when he learnt to swim. (AGE)
................................................................................................................................................
5. The result of the match was a deep disappointment to the fan (DEEPLY)
......................................................................................................................................................
1. We’re thinking of getting someone to paint the outside of the house. PAINTED
à………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. What time is the train for Ho Chi Minh City ? LEAVE
à………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Do you ever regret not going to university ? WISH
à………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. The minister proposed regular meetings for the committee. MEET
à………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5. He was warned by the fireman not to re-enter the house. HIM
à………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
1. They will think your nephew stole the money (SUSPECTED)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Everyone but Jane failed to produce the correct answer (SUCCEEDED)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. Please would you send me further details of the job advertised? (GRATEFUL)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. I got bored with the film half way through (INTEREST)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Too much stress can cause illness, according to medical experts (MAKE)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
1. June was sure there was no mistake in her homework. (NOTHING)
………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Although the weather changed, the picnic went ahead as planned. (CHANGE)
………………………………………………………………………………………
3. I advise you to think carefully before accepting William's offer. (BETTER)
………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Apparently, Sheila wasn't listening to me. (APPEAR)
………………………………………………………………………………………
5. Margaret was offered a place on the course but couldn't accept because she was
ill. (TURN)
………………………………………………………………………………………
Part 2: Rewrite the sentences beginning in such a way that their meanings remain unchanged.
(5p)
1. The fire was brought under control thanks to the night watchman.
 If
it .........................................................................................................................................................
2. I haven’t been to the cinema for two months.
 The last time ........................................................................................................................................
3. Nobody had invited Jean to the party, which annoyed her.
 As she ..........................................................................................................................................
4. "Don't break my doll, John, or I will scream," said Mary.
 Mary threatened to .........................................................................................................................
5. Alice and Charles did not decide to move to a bigger house until after the birth of their second child.
 Only when Alice ...................................................................................................................
1. The manager wrote a long ungrammatical report.
àThe report ……………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Although she was frightened, she forced herself to pick up the snake.
àFrightened ……………………………………………………………………………………
3. It’s necessary to do all of this photocopying before lunchtime.
àAll of this photocopying ……………………………………………………………………………
4. A heavy shower prevented them from finishing their game of tennis.
àThey were ……………………………………………………………………………………
5. You may be disqualified if you don’t obey the regulations.
àFailure to ……………………………………………………………………………………
1. Women do not bear a lot of children any longer.
=> No longer..................................................................... .........................
2. He cannot make himself understood when he speaks English.
=> Hardly .............................................. .........................
3. They can speak English and use a computer so they can easily get a good
job.
=> Those who .................................................. ...................................................
4. Watching an international football match is wonderful.
=> I find................................................................. .........................
5. How heavy are you?
=> What................................................ .................................................. .........................
1. My brother prefers driving to being driven.
 My brother would rather……………………………………………………………………
2. I didn't notice that I had the wrong umbrella until I got home.
 Not until…………………………………………………………………………………….
3. Because he didn’t study hard, he failed the exam.
 Had……………………………………………………………………………….…………..
4. It is believed that the man escaped in a stolen car.
 The man……………………………………………………………………………………...
5. Are you against working on Sunday?
 Do you object………………………………………………………………………………..?
 Part 3: (15p)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
Last year you attended a presentation skill course at the Sydney College of Australia. Your new
employer has asked you to provide copies of your reports and assignments as quickly as possible.
Write to the director of the school and request these documents.
You should write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses.
Dear ............,

Part 4: (25p)
Write about the following topic:
Since the 18th century technological advances have replaced people in the workplace. With
today’s technology this process is happening at a greater rate. Technology is increasingly
responsible for unemployment.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Write at least 250 words.
SECTION D – WRITING
Part 3: (15p)
You have heard that a developer plans to build a shopping centre near your home. Write a letter to the
council. In your letter
 say how you heard about the plan
 explain how you feel about it
 ask for more information about it
Part 4: (25p)
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.
In the past, shopping was a routine domestic task. Many people nowadays regard it as a hobby.
To what extent do you think this is a positive trend?
SECTION D – WRITING
Part 3: (15p)
You are currently taking a course at a college but you will need to have a week off during this course.
Write a letter to the college Principal. In the letter
 give details of your course
 explain why you need a week off
 say what you want the Principal to do.
Part 4: (25p)
Today's teenagers have more stressful lives than previous generations.
Discuss this view and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant
examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words
SECTION D – WRITING
Part 3: (15p)
You are studying a short course in another country. Your accommodation was arranged by the course
provider. There is a major problem with the accommodation.
Write a letter to the course provider. In your letter,
 say what the problem is
 describe the accommodation you thought you were getting
 ask the provider to solve the problem
Part 4: (25p)
Some people think that a sense of competition in children should be encouraged. Others believe
that children who are taught to co-operate rather than compete become more useful adults.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. You should write at least 250 words. Give
reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Part 1: Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first one. Use the
word given in capital letters and the word mustn’t be altered in any way.
1. Entry is free if you are under 18 years old (WITHOUT)
You can enter / go in without (paying) money if you are under 18 years old
2. In my opinion, classical music is far superior than jazz (RATHER)
I’d RATHER listen to classical music than (listen) jazz
3. I suppose it's possible that she didn't understand my message (MAY)
She may not have understood my message
4. My grandfather was sixty when he learnt to swim. (AGE)
My grandfather learnt to swim at the age of sixty
5. The result of the match was a deep disappointment to the fan (DEEPLY)
The fan was DEEPLY disappointed by/with the result of the match
1. We’re thinking of getting someone to paint the outside of the house. PAINTED
We’re thinking of getting the outside of the house painted.
2. What time is the train for Ho Chi Minh City? LEAVE
àWhat time does the train for Ho Chi Minh City leave ?
3. Do you ever regret not going to university? WISH
àDo you ever wish you had gone to university?.
4. The minister proposed regular meetings for the committee. MEET
àThe minister proposed that the committee should meet regularly.
5. He was warned by the fireman not to re-enter the house. HIM
àThe fireman warned him not to re-enter the house.
1. They will think your nephew stole the money (SUSPECTED)
Your nephew will be suspected of having stolen the money
2. Everyone but Jane failed to produce the correct answer (SUCCEEDED)
Only Jane succeeded in producing the correct answer
3. Please would you send me further details of the job advertised? (GRATEFUL)
I would be grateful if you send me further details of the job advertised
4. I got bored with the film half way through (INTEREST)
I lost interest in the film half way through
5. Too much stress can cause illness, according to medical experts (MAKE)
Too much stress can make you (people) ill, according to medical experts
1. June was sure there was no mistake in her homework. (NOTHING)
June was sure there was nothing wrong with her homework
2. Although the weather changed, the picnic went ahead as planned. (CHANGE)
The picnic went ahead as planned despite the change in the weather
3. I advise you to think carefully before accepting William's offer. (BETTER)
You had better think carefully before accepting William's offer
4. Apparently, Sheila wasn't listening to me. (APPEAR)
Sheila didn’t appear to be listening to me
5. Margaret was offered a place on the course but couldn't accept because she was ill. (TURN)
Margaret was offered a place on the course but had to turn down because she was ill
Rewrite the sentences beginning in such a way that their meanings remain unchanged.
1. The fire was brought under control thanks to the night watchman.
 If it had not been for the night – watchman, the fire would not have been brought under
control
2. I haven’t been to the cinema for two months.
 The last time I went to the cinema was two months ago
3. Nobody had invited Jean to the party, which annoyed her.
 As she had not been invited to the party, Jean was annoyed
4. "Don't break my doll, John, or I will scream," said Mary.
 Mary threatened to scream if John broke her doll.
5. Alice and Charles did not decide to move to a bigger house until after the birth of their second child.
 Only when Alice and Charles had ( had) their second child, did they decide to move to a
bigger house
1. The manager wrote a long ungrammatical report.
àThe report (which was) written by the manager was long and ungrammatical.
2. Although she was frightened, she forced herself to pick up the snake.
à. Frightened as/ though she was, she forced herself to pick up the snake
3. It’s necessary to do all of this photocopying before lunchtime.
àAll of this photocopying has got to be done/ has to be done before lunchtime.
4. A heavy shower prevented them from finishing their game of tennis.
à. They were unable to finish their game of tennis because of a heavy shower.
5. You may be disqualified if you don’t obey the regulations.
à. Failure to obey the regulations may lead to (result in) disqualification.
1. Women do not bear a lot of children any longer.
=> No longer DO WOMEN BEAR...........
2. He cannot make himself understood when he speaks English.
=> Hardly CAN HE MAKE .........................
3. They can speak English and use a computer so they can easily get a good job.
=> Those who CAN SPEAK ...................................................
4. Watching an international football match is wonderful.
=> I find IT WONDERFUL .................................................. .........................
5. How heavy are you?
=> What................................................ .................................................. .........................
1. My brother prefers driving to being driven.
 My brother would rather drive than be driven
2. I didn't notice that I had the wrong umbrella until I got home.
 Not until I got home did I notice that I had the wrong umbrella
3. Because he didn’t study hard, he failed the exam.
 Had he studied hard, he wouldn’t have failed the exam
4. It is believed that the man escaped in a stolen car.
 The man is believed to have escaped in a stolen car
5. Are you against working on Sunday?
 Do you object to working on Sunday?

Dear Mrs. Morris

I am writing to request your help. I attended a presentation skill course at your college from 12
September, 2012. My full name is Maryam Anas and my student number was GP 6731. The course I
attended was Presentations skills training course, how to create and give successful presentations.
My class instructors were James White and Anna Davis.
I am about to start work at a very new agency and they have asked me to provide information about
the presentation skill and any assignments and reports. Unfortunately, I left all copies of these
documents at my friend’s house and cannot contact her at present. Therefore, I would be very grateful
if you could send me copies of the course outline, the two written assignments and the end of course
report as soon as possible.
I would be happy to re-fund any postal charges. Thank you so much for your help in this matter. I look
forward to receiving the copy outlines,
Yours sincerely,

MODEL ANSWER:
Technological advances always have an impact on people at work. Sometimes it can mean that people
are no longer necessary in their job, but sometimes they make people work easier. We can define
technology as scientific knowledge used for practical purpose in industry and commerce. I would also
like to make a further distinction between this and high technology, which is electronic or information
technology.
In my view, technology really began to have an effect on industry in the early of the 20th century. The
result of this was that certain industries like the car industry did not really need as many people, as
automated machines and robots were able to do jobs such as painting the car, or putting the car
together.
However, if we now turn to look at the effect of high technology on the workplace, in my opinion,
there has been a different effect. It is true that computers are able to do some things that people used to
do and advanced in high technology have made people’s lives better through improvement in
communication. For example, now we have e-mail, MSN and some electronic tool to chat with friends
or business partners. In addition, people working in service industries like banking use computers
much more than pen and paper nowadays. In addition, some work can be done from home, which
means that people do not need spend time travelling and can work where and when they want to.
In conclusion, technology has resulted in unemployment in some traditional industries like car
industry. On the other hand, in other industries such as service industries, technology has improved the
way the work.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am a resident of Boundary Road and I have recently read in the local newspaper that a shopping
centre is going to be built near where I live.
This news was rather a surprise to me. I have been living in Boundary Road for five years now and it
has always been a very quiet street with very few tall buildings. I think a construction like this will
change the atmosphere of the area considerably and, like many other residents I have spoken to, I am
not at all happy about it.
I think people who live in the area have a right to know more about the plan before it goes ahead, so I
would like to request further details regarding the dates of the planned building work and the size of
the centre. Also, I sincerely hope you are planning to provide a car park, as otherwise parking will
become very difficult for everyone in the area.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
John Carlson

Going shopping used to be a chore, but recently it has become a leisure activity or a pleasant outing.
To my mind, it is debatable whether this can be regarded as a wholly positive development.
For earlier generations, buying food or consumer products involved visiting several shops, each with
the same limited range on offer. Customers had less money and credit was not widely available. By
contrast, shoppers nowadays can find almost anything in the supermarket or shopping mall. The
comfortable environment, the variety of goods and attractions such as cafés and cinemas make
spending money enjoyable.
Nowadays, with many parents working full-time, families have little time together. In my experience,
it is normal to see families in the local shopping mall at weekends. Undoubtedly, one of the benefits of
this is that they are together as a family. Nevertheless, this is not ideal, especially if it leaves no time
for other activities, such as sport.
Another negative result of this change in attitudes is the effect it has on young people all over the
world, who spend time in shopping malls. The reasons for this are the influence of advertising and the
availability of credit cards. On the one hand, they are with friends in a safe environment, but on the
other, it can tempt them to buy things they do not really need and may cause them to get into debt.
Moreover, it would be better for their health if they met friends to go swimming.
In conclusion I would like to suggest that although shopping now is less tedious, this is not necessarily
a positive trend. It may be good for the retailers, but not for consumers if it replaces other, healthier
activities.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am an international student in my second year of the Computer Science course at the college. My
tutor is Mr Johnson, and I am a full-time student, living in the college residence.
I am writing to request a week's leave from the college next month. My cousin's wedding is taking
place in my home country and my family expect me to be there. Although this will mean that I have to
miss lectures for a week, I can arrange for one of my friends on the course to give me any notes
concerning what I have missed.
I would be grateful if you would give me permission to be absent for the week beginning 25th May. If
you are kind enough to allow me to do this, I will speak to Mr Johnson and arrange to make up for any
work that I did not do while I was away.
Yours faithfully,
Jonah Smith

Sample answer
Despite a continuing improvement in standard of living, many people believe that young people suffer
more stress than older generations. In this essay, the arguments surrounding the issue of teenage stress
will be discussed.
Firstly, teenagers are exposed to more products than earlier generations as a result of living in a
modern consumer society. Through films and the media, they see celebrities with expensive jewellery,
clothes and cars. In addition, youth-oriented advertising gives them an awareness of the latest
technology such as digital music formats and mobile phones. Consequently, teenagers feel pressure to
acquire these items. Some might argue that these pressures are not new. However, I believe that such
stresses were not so strong during earlier times.
It could also be argued that pressures at school are stronger than before. In order to achieve the
lifestyle they see in the media, teenagers must succeed in their studies so they can compete for the best
jobs. Parental pressure, examinations and homework are all reported as causing increased levels of
strain.
On the other hand, although it may be true to say that modern society produces certain stresses it does
not necessarily mean that stress was previously absent. In earlier times, hunger and physical
discomfort would undoubtedly have caused high levels of anxiety, as would hard physical labour, for
example, working down a mine. Any balanced view must take into account these alternative factors.
To sum up, consumerism and academic pressures are powerful causes of stress on today's teenagers.
Nevertheless, it is my view that these stresses are no greater than those experienced by earlier
generations of teenagers.

Dear Mr Watterson,

My name is Andrew Fish, and I am taking an eight-week intensive English course at Oxford House
College. My company is paying for my tuition, and I am using my summer vacation to study. It is
expected I will pass an English Proficiency Test as a result, and be transferred abroad. Therefore, it is
rather important to me that I am able to study in the best environment.

I am staying in Phoenix Hostel on campus. While my room is pleasant and the facilities are very good,
the hostel is extremely noisy. When I organised my accommodation, I was assured I would be staying
only with post-graduate or intensive-course students. However, most of the people in this hostel are
doing summer-school courses due to academic failure, and they are all under 22. It seems to me they
are enjoying one long party: certainly no one observes light out or turns down music despite being
asked to.

I wonder if I may be moved to a hostel which is more conducive to serious study, or I may use the
remainder of my accommodation fee to go towards payment for a hotel.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,
Andrew Fish

Nowadays, the purpose of education has changed in South Korea. Some people advocate the
competition among children, while others believe that children who are brought up to co-operate with
each other will become more responsible and social. There are advantages and disadvantages for both
of the arguments.
To begin with, what is the bright side if a sense of competition between children is made? Faced with
intense competition, children are stimulated to spend longer time in making efforts. In such situations,
it is common for a majority of students in South Korea to have personal tutors who are responsible for
teaching them extra knowledge at weekends in order to improve their competitiveness in studies.
Furthermore, during vocations, students prefer to study abroad for a month rather than review their
school works. If they have experiences such as going abroad, then it will be easier for them to apply
for a well-known high school successfully. Moreover, there are four main school-level and two
national examinations to test students’ learning abilities. Generally, only the top 40% of them have
opportunities to attend a good quality high school, which requires outstanding performance in previous
competition.
On the other hand, as they are busy with independent learning, problems that have been produced
cannot be overlooked. Children nowadays become selfish, careless and reluctant to help others
especially on the occasion of studies. So there may be a lack of collaboration between them. This
should not be encouraged because even though every one of them is intelligent, they still have various
weaknesses. Co-operation, indeed, can provide students with opportunities to learn from other
candidates and improve their own personalities as well.
In conclusion, I strongly agree that children should not be taught to compete but to co-operate. Nobody
is perfect, so people are suggested learning and working together to fulfil themselves. Therefore, I
think that parents and teachers should educate children to concentrate on collaboration, instead of
competing and ranking.