Recent Writing Tests – IELTS-Hungnguyen

Đề thi writing task 2 ngày 12/6/2021

Some people think the newly built houses should be as same as the old house style in local areas. Others argue that local authorities should allow people to build houses in their own styles. Discuss both views and give your opinion

With the rapid development of human society and overpopulation, the demand for new housing is increasingly high. Some people believe that newly constructed houses must follow traditional styles. I totally disagree with this point of view and my reasons are as follows.

On the one hand, it is argued that classical buiding design forms a defining characteristic for a locality, which would probably help distinguish it from others. This argument emphasizes that ancient architecture could attact an influx of visitors to an area, making tourism its competitive advantage. Hoi An Ancient Town in my country, Vietnam, can be taken as a typical example. All the houses here have been constructed in classical styles to cater for the tourism industry. The provision of accomodation, food and drink, together with selling souvenirs to domestic and foreigner travellers, has been the main source of livelihood for local inhabitants here. As a result, the hospitality industry has rendered this destination, the cultural center of Central Vietnam, properous over the past few decades.

However, I personally believe that allowing people to build their houses according to personal preferences will be more popular because houseowners can adjust the architectual pattern to suit their own usage. Undeniably, each household has dissimilar finances and purposes when constructing their house. So, compelling them to choose a traditional building model could trigger inconvenience for their family life. For instance, nowadays the global mean temparate is far higher than it was 20 years ago. As a result, architects often have to modify conventional building styles as well as dimensions so that sealed and air conditioned houses can be erected, thereby improving dwellers’ living conditions. Therefore, the prohibition of such novel building design is ill-advised.

In conclusion, although many people uphold classical architectural styles which can retain cultural indentity of a country, I claim that convenience is more significant.

(305 words)

- overpopulation (u) sự đông dân quá mức

- a defining characteristic: đặc trưng

- influx = inflow (c) sự đổ dồn đến

- competitive advantage: lợi thế cạnh tranh

- a means/source of livelihood: sinh kế

- the hospitality industry: ngành du lịch - nhà hàng - khách sạn

- personal preference: sở thích cá nhân

- dimensions (plr) kích thước

- sealed (adj) được bịt kín

- erect (t) dựng lên

- ill-advised (adj) unadvisable: không khôn ngoan, sáng suốt

- uphold (t) ủng hộ

- to retain cultural identity: giữ gìn bản sắc văn hóa

Đề IELTS Writing Task 2 ngày 22-05-2021

The use of mobile phones should be banned in public places like libraries and shops. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

People often take different views about whether the prohibition of mobile phones in public places is a good idea or not. Some people believe that the policy of banning cell phones should be put into effect as soon as possible. While I partly agree with this point of view, I also believe that the use of these devices in certain public areas is still necessary.

On the one hand, the proscription of mobile phones in public places would prevent disturbances they often trigger off for people around them. The noise of mobile users communicating with others or listening to music may be bothersome for those who are concentrating on their work commitments or studies. For example, in libraries where most people come to read books, repeated ringtones could interrupt readers’ train of thought and cause them not want to visit the library next time. In addition, using cell phones in churches and other places of worship shows a lack of attention to the sermon and disrespect for the priest who leads the ceremony. It is meaningless to attend a religious ceremony, but keep checking inboxes, surfing the Internet and ignore valuable commandments. Therefore, it is important to prohibit the use of cell phones in these places.

However, in many other public places, the permission to utilize mobile phones is more reasonable and favoured by users. Undoubtedly, smartphones enable humans to complete many tasks more rapidly and effectively. For example, when shopping in a supermarket or convenient store, costumers could use their phones to trace the origion of the products they want to purchase thanks to bar code scanning. Similarly, in emergencies like the hospitalisation of a close relation, mobile phones have a vital role role to play in informimg receivers of the bad news immediately. As a consequence, the prohibition of cell phones in these public places could arouse public opposition.

In conclusion, although the limitation of mobile phone use in some situations would reduce their interference, it is also my opinion that policy makers have to be selective before enforcing such a law.

Đề IELTS Writing Task 2 ngày 22-05-2021

Restoration of old buildings in main cities involves enormous government expenditure. It would be more beneficial to spend this money to build new houses and roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Today there are plenty of opposing opinions as to whether governments should dedicate a considerable part of their budget to reinstating run-down buildings or not. It is claimed that public purse should be expended on the construction of new and safer buildings. While I agree with this point of view to some extent, I also believe that the reconditioning of certain dilapidated buildings is necessary.

On the one hand, I claim that most buildings which were constructed ages ago could pose a threat to residents living inside or nearby. These buildings are highly vulnerable to extreme weather conditions such as a hurricane or minor earthquake. In other words, they can trigger regrettable loss of life and property when abruptly collapsing. In addition, most ancient buildings are of little economic value and often derelict due to being uninhabitable to dwellers. Nowadays, people prefer to live in modern and fully equipped houses rather than in a tilted and rickety apartment block. From an economic perspective, restoration is actually a waste of resources, especially if that building is located in a city center where profitability of the property is always the top priority. As a consequence, it is my view that governments should spend this money to construct more fortified and economically valuable ones.

However, some ancient buildings should be preserved due to their cultural and historical values. Historic buildings which have existed throughout different periods of history might be symbolic of a city or country. The collapse of such architectural works will inflict damage on local cultural heritage and in many cases deprive locals of a substantial source of tourist income. Therefore, it is understandable that many people oppose widespread destruction and and call for the preservation of these age-old buildings.

In conclusion, although we should restore historically significant old buildings constructed by previous generations, I believe that overly run-down and culturally or economically worthless buildings have to be superseded by new ones for safety if they are situated near residential areas.

Vocabulary

- reinstate = restore = recondition (t) khôi phục

- public purse (u) quốc khố, ngân sách công

- dilapidated = run-down (adj) đổ nát

- vulnerable (adj) dễ bị tác động, tổn thương

- extreme weather condition (c) điều kiện thời tiết cực đoan

- hurricane (c) cơn bão lốc

- regrettable = unfortunate (adj) đáng tiếc

- abruptly = suddenly (adv) bất chợt

- derelict (adj) bỏ hoang, vô chủ

- uninhabitable (adj) không ở được

- dweller (c) người sống, cư dân

- tilted (adj) xiêu vẹo

- rickety (adj) ọp ẹp

- from an economic perspective: nhìn từ góc độ kinh tế

- profitability (u) khả năng sinh lời

- property (c/u) tài sản, nhà cửa

- fortified (adj) được gia cố vững chắc

- preserve (t) giữ gìn, bảo tồn

- symbolic (adj) mang tính biểu tượng

- architectural work (c) công trình kiến trúc

- to inflict damage on: gây hại cho

- cultural heritage (u) di sản văn hóa

- deprive = take away (t) lấy đi, tước đi

- substantial (adj) considerable: đáng kể

- widespread destruction (u) sự phá hủy trên diện rộng

- be historically significant: quan trọng về lịch sử

- be culturally or economically worthless: không có giá trị về văn hóa hay kinh tế

- supersede = replace = displace (t) thay thế

- situate = locate (t) đặt vị trí (ở đâu đó)

- residential area (c) khu dân dư

Đề IELTS Writing 2 ngày 09-01-2021

Task 2: 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.

Sample Essay

There are plenty of opposing opinions as to whether a country should host an international sports event or not. It is claimed that the cost of organising these events is exorbitant and the state's butget should be diverted into other more significant fields like education or scientific research. However, I personally believe that they play a prominent role in establishing reputation of that country on the world satge.

On the negative side, hosting a global athletic competition requires a country to devote a great part of the public purse to the construction of infrastructure catering to a huge number of athletes and spectators. Those countries, especially in underdeveloped areas like in Africa or Southeast Asia, probably have to sacrifice the budget for important spheres which contribute more to the national development than sports does. For example, to qualify for an organiser of a world football tournament like World Cup or Olympics, the host nation has to have sufficient stadiums and facilities, most of which would be constructed. The decision to organise these events could make a country's government run the risk of high public debt and the economy stagnate.

Nevertheless, it is my viewpoint that major sports events are a rare opportuniry for a country to broadcast their culture and image to the rest of the world, which is a prerequisite for the development of many economic sectors of that nation. International sporting events always grab the attention of viewers all over the world, who are likely to become interested in and make a decision to travel to the host country afterwards if they notice that the destination has incredible landscapes and that the local inhabitants are welcoming and approachable, or to make investments in that nation because they recognize the economic potential of the area. Such activities may give a boost to the economic growth of a country when it would probably receive an influx of visitors and capital from abroad. All of these reasons explain why so many candidates are competing with each other for the organisation of global sports events.

Although countries should consider thoroughly whether their current situation is appropriate for an international sporting event or not, I still take the view that seizing such a chance is well-advised.

15/5/2021: Some people believe that a country will benefit greatly if its students study abroad. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Nowadays an increasing number of learners have an inclination to acquire an education overseas, especially in more developed countries. Some people are apprehensive that such a trend can lead to a brain drain. However, I disagree with this point of view and my reasons are as follows.

On the one hand, it is claimed that this trend could lead a country to be deficient in skilled workforce because after graduation, most talented students will prefer to stay in that exotic country, believing that it could be a life-transforming opportunity. Elite graduates often do not want to return and contribute to the development of their motherland, but rather choose a more promising future for themselves. For example, in my country, Viernam, there are hundred thousands of students receiving tertiary education in countries like America, Australia, Japan and Canada, but more than half of them will endeavour to apply for a position in a local company after graduating from university. It means that the contribution of international students to their fatherland is insignificant compared to domestic ones.

However, I believe that foreign students play a very important role in assimilating knowledge and lessons of first world countries in state management and modernisation, and afterwards apply what they have learned in order to shorten their nation’s industrialisation. For instance, every year the Vietnamese government sends first-rate students to industrialized countries like Japan and Russia to learn urban planning and space science so that we could master state-of-the-art techniques in these fields without depending on foreigner specialists in the long run. In addition, the repatriation of money by graduates working for an indigenous company to their families at home is also a contributing factor in putting a new face on their homeland. In Vietnam, many regions have become much more prosperous thanks to a part of monthly earnings repatriated by students who decide to settle in foreign countries after graduation.

Although it is understandable why some people are concerned about the tendency towards attending university overseas, I personally claim that the benefits such a trend generates overshadow disadvantages in the long term.

- inclination (c) khuynh hướng

- brain drain (c) sự chảy máu chất xám

- deficient = insufficient (adj) thiếu

- exotic (adj) nước ngoài, ngoại lai

- life-transforming opportunity (c) cơ hội đổi đời

- elite (adj) ưu tú, tinh nhuệ

- teritary education = higher education (u) giáo dục đại học

- endevour = try = attempt (t) cố gắng

- insignificant = negligible (adj) không đáng kể

- assimilate = absorb (t) lĩnh hội

- first world country (c) quốc gia giàu có, phát triển

- modernisation (u) sự hiện đại hóa