Lời giải ĐỀ THI IELTS 23/05/2019

Lời giải Task 1:

The graphs compare how employment was distributed among three different sectors of the economy in three different countries in 1980 and 2020.

Overall, it is clear that in all the countries the proportion of those employed in agriculture declined over the period, while the percentage providing services increased in each country.

In Country B, a high proportion of the working population were employed in agriculture. The figure in 1980 was about 65%, although this fell to about half in 2020.  In contrast, only 20% worked in agriculture in Country A in 1980, and this figure fell to 10% in 2020. In Country C an insignificant proportion worked in agriculture.

There was a small decrease in the percentage of industrial workers in Countries A and C between 1980 and 2020, whereas in Country B the proportion of those working in industry doubled from 20% to 40% in these years.

Finally, employment figures in the service sector rose between 1980 and 2020. The highest percentage was in Country A, increasing from 45% in 1980 to 55% in 2020.

171 words 

Written by NgocBach

Lời giải Task 2:

It is true that national and local authorities in some cities around the world fail to introduce restrictions on planning.  While this allows great freedom of choice for property developers and individual homeowners, I believe that the disadvantages outweigh such benefits.

On the one hand, uncontrolled construction of housing and offices encourages investment in a city.  If there are few planning regulations to adhere to, investors are more likely to speculate on increasing the housing stock, often using the most cost-effective designs.  With more available housing, there should be fewer people living on the streets.  In terms of the construction of office buildings, without controls on the provision of high-rise buildings, a huge amount of space can be made available for companies to locate in a particular city.  This might potentially increase employment opportunities in the area.

On the other hand, there are major drawbacks when urban development is unplanned in this way.  Firstly, urban sprawl is encouraged, and this is an undesirable feature of many modern cities.  In some US cities, for example, sprawling suburbs have sprung up while at the same time slum areas and sink estates have been allowed to decay in the inner city areas.  Secondly, when individuals can put up buildings to any design which they want, the result is that the city simply becomes an eyesore.  Buildings may simply not blend in with each other.  For instance, towering skyscrapers may be constructed next to famous landmarks, completely overshadowing them.

In conclusion, I would argue that the unplanned growth of cities has produced both ugliness and chaos.  Such drawbacks greatly outweigh any benefits.

268 words

Written by NgocBach

Ghi chú

Vocabulary from government:

  • national and local authorities                                                              Meaning: government organizations acting at a national level or within a smaller, local area 
    Example: Tackling crime is a responsibility of both national and local authorities.
  • to introduce restrictions on                                                                           Meaning: to limit what people can do or what can happen
    Example: The government must introduce restrictions on smoking in public places.
  • to adhere to                                                                                                     
    Meaning: to limit what people can do or what can happen 
    Example: The government must introduce restrictions on smoking in public places

Vocabulary from housing and architecture:

  • a property developer                                                                              Meaning: a person who buys land or buildings, and then makes improvements in order to sell them for more money
    Example: City planning cannot be left in the hands of property developers, who are only interested in making money.
  • high-rise buildings                                                                                  Meaning: tall modern buildings (not as tall as skyscrapers)                        Example: The centre of my city is now full of high-rise buildings, mainly offices and apartments, and the city has lost its old charm.
  • to be an eyesore                                                                                             Meaning: to be ugly to look at                                                              Example: The new multi-storey car park in the city centre is a real eyesore.
  • towering skyscrapers                                                                                    
    Meaning: very tall modern buildings, usually in a city 
    Example: While some people think that the cities of the future will be filled with towering skyscrapers, there are those who consider this vision to be a nightmare.
  • a famous landmark
    Meaning: a building that is very important because of its historical or modern significance 
    Example: The White House must be the most famous landmark in the USA, photographed by millions of visitors over the years.

Vocabulary from cities:

  • the housing stock
    Meaning:  all the houses available for living in
    Example: The inadequate housing stock in most cities has resulted in high rents, overcrowded living conditions and the growth of slum areas.
  • to be living on the streets
    Meaning: to be without a place in which to live
    Example: On my first visit to a big city in the UK – London – I was shocked to see the number of young people living on the streets.
  • urban sprawl
    Meaning: a large area covered with buildings that spreads from the city into the countryside in an ugly way 
    Example: Legislation is needed to control the urban sprawl which is destroying the green areas near cities.
  • sprawling suburbs
    ​​​​​​​Meaning: an area outside of the centre of a city where people live, but which is spreading without control into the surrounding countryside Example: The growth of sprawling suburbs makes it more difficult for people to commute to their place of work.
  • slum areas                                                                                                        Meaning: parts of a city where the houses are poor and the houses are dirty and in bad condition
    Example: Young people growing up in slum areas often turn to a life of crime.
  • sink estates 
    Meaning: housing located in a poor area of a city where social conditions are bad 
    Example: The sink estates in my city are areas of high crime where it is dangerous to walk at night.
  • inner city areas
    Meaning: the parts near the centre of a city, which often have social problems 
    Example: Recent immigrants to cities often have to live in crowded inner city areas, which have huge problems of crime and poverty.

Other vocabulary:

  • to speculate [verb]:
    Meaning:  to buy a house or other property, hoping to make a profit when you sell it, but with the risk of losing money
    Example:  She won some money, so she decided to speculate on buying a house which she would sell in the future.
  • cost-effective [adjective]:                                                                                Meaning: giving the best possible benefits or profits in comparison with the money that is spent                                                                                          Example: The use of security cameras is a very cost-effective method of preventing crime.
  • to spring up [phrasal verb]:
    Meaning: to appear or develop quickly or suddenly                                     Example: Playing areas for children are springing up all over the city.
  • to blend in (with something) [phrasal verb]:
    Meaning:  If something blends in, then it is similar to - or matches - its surroundings
    Example:  The green colour of the curtains blend in with the brown colour of the sofa.
  • to overshadow [verb]:                                                                                   Meaning: to make something (or somebody) seem less important              Example: The beautiful old church has been overshadowed by a towering skyscraper.
  • chaos [noun]:
    Meaning:  a state of complete confusion and lack of order 
    Example:  Heavy snow has resulted in complete chaos on the roads.