WRITING

BAR CHART
1. The graph below shows the hours of teaching per year done by each teacher in four
different categories.

The bar chart illustrates the number of teaching hours each year per teacher in four nations in
2001.
In general, USA teachers spent more time on teaching, compared to other countries in the
surveyed time. Noticeably, upper secondary school’s teaching time was the highest in three
countries, except for Ireland with lower secondary.
Regarding the two groups with the same pattern, Japan and Spain stayed at 600 hours for
primary and lower secondary school. However, there was a difference in upper secondary
school, while the former stood at nearly 700 hours, 1000 hours were the teaching time for the
latter which was the second lead.
As to the other group, USA was much higher than Ireland. The hours of teaching in Ireland
was 600, the same figure as Japan and Spain, whereas it was approximately 900 hours for the
USA. It can be seen that the smallest figure in USA was higher than the biggest one in
Ireland, the lower secondary group at 800 hours. The number of hours in upper secondary in
USA was nearly 1100 hours.
2. The chart below shows the expenditure on three categories among different age groups of
residents in the UK in 2004.

The bar chart illustrates the proportion of spending among separate age groups of society
members in the UK on three aspects in 2004.
In general, the group of people from 61-75 ( group D ) can be seen to spend the most money
in total while the under 30 group ( group A ) was opposite. Noticeably, food and drink was
the category with the highest spending, except for groups A, and D.
As to the three groups with the same pattern, group 76+ ( group E ) spent 23% on food and
drink, while this was just 20% and 16% for the 46-60 group ( group C ) and group D,
respectively. In restaurant and hotel cost, group D's expenditure was the smallest at 2%,
nearly 5 times and 3 times lower compared to groups C and E. Group D had the biggest
spending on entertainment at the same figure as the food and drink of group E.
Regarding the other countries, the percentage of spending on food and drink of the ‘31-45’
group ( group B ) at 13% was double that of group A. The highest figure for the latter was
restaurant and hotel with nearly 15%, while the proportion for this was slightly smaller at
12%. With the last aspect, the two groups saw nearly the same figure.
3. The graph below shows the proportion of types of magazines sold by the company in 1975,
1995 and 2015.

The bar chart illustrates the percentage of different kinds of magazines sold by the business in
a 40-year period from 1975 to 2015. In general, sports magazines were the best seller
products in the surveyed time. Noticeably, the highest number of sold magazines was in 1975
with a significant number.
Regarding the maximum and minimum trend, in 1975, the ‘sports’ group started at 33%,
which was three times as high as the ‘ food ’ group at only 10%. In the next 20 years, sports
group saw a slight rise to over 35% while the latter group significantly increased and reached
its highest point at nearly 22%. However, in 2015, sports continued its growth whereas food
decreased to its initial figure.
As to the other groups, the fashion group commenced at 22% while the ‘health’ and ‘others’
groups had nearly the same starting point at 26%. In the next period, fashion saw a significant
decrease by 17%, whereas the health group dropped and remained stable at 20%. The ‘others’
group ended its period by decreasing to its beginning value.
TASK 2
1. Some people think it is more important to spend money on roads and motorways than on
public transport systems such as railways and trams. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
There is a widespread belief that spending money on roads and motorways is more essential
than on public transport systems like railways and trams. However, I totally disagree with that
Firstly, increasing the quality of transport systems can be beneficial to society. It is obvious that
this kind of traveling is a good way to reduce environmental pollution, especially air pollution. As
it can carry more people at a time, prevents them from using their transports which may emit
much exhaust fumes. This can protect people from serious infectious illnesses, and maintain good
health for citizens. Moreover, when individuals commute by underground train or bus, the traffic
congestion can be reduced. Therefore, saving up more time for all passengers.
Secondly, taking public transport is also more economical for everyone as tickets cost much less
than the fuel they need for their private cars or motorcycles. For example, in Ho Chi Minh City,
the bus fare for 10 km is 12,000 VND but the motorbike fuel for 10km is about 52,000 VND.
Finally, the more public transport develops, the more jobs will rise, for example, driver, ticket
checker,.. This not only decreases the unemployment rate but also maintains a stable life quality
for workers and higher living standards for several households. All of these positive impacts can
be beneficial for the local economy.
In conclusion, I am inclined to think that the authorities should prioritize developing the quality
of public transport systems as it can bring more benefits.
2. Some people think that children should start school at a very early age, but others believe that
children should NOT go to school until they are older. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
The topic of age for starting school has attracted much attention of the community these days.
Whereas many individuals state that children should not enter school until they are about 6 years
old, I side with those saying that school should be started at an earlier age than that.
People have claimed that beginning school at an older age is better for some logical reasons.
Firstly, it is true that going to school late can give parents more time with their offsprings. The
repeated exposure can knit the family relationship, which may create a happy and memorable
childhood, instead of spending all the time at school. Secondly, not giving children to
kindergarten might help parents feel less worried. As, recently there have been a lot of cases of
careless teachers or more serious ones, scolding, and violent behaviors which can badly affect
children.
However, I support those with the view that children should start school at an early age because
it is more sensible. To begin with, a sooner starting time can benefit their family, especially for
those whose parents are always busy with their work ( nine to five jobs ) and do not have much
time to carefully look after their children. School can be a reliable place where children can be
taken care by teachers who have many qualifications on teaching and caring. Therefore, giving
the children to school is much better than babysitters at home. Moreover, children going to school
early means that they will have time to adapt to the academic environment and learn many good
lessons. For example, teachers can tell them about respecting the older and being honest,.. which
can shape their behaviors.
 In conclusion, although it is a popular opinion that children do not need to go to school soon, I
would argue that the stance of starting school earlier holds more logic.