Topic: Studying the English language in an English-speaking country is the best but not the only way to learn English.
Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Model answer:
Studying a language in a country where it is widely spoken has many advantages. It is, therefore, a good idea to study English in a country such as Britain, Australia… However, I believe it is not the only way to learn the language.
In the first place, most students in non-english-speaking countries learn English at secondary school, and sometimes at university nowadays. Although their spoken English is not usually of a very high standard, their knowledge of grammar is often quite advanced. This is certainly useful when students come to an English-speaking country to perfect the language.
Secondly, studying the basics of English at secondary school is less stressful than learning the language while overseas. This is because students living at home do not have to worry about problems such as finding accommodation, paying for their study and living costs, and trying to survive in a foreign country where day to day living causes much stress.
However, there are obvious advantages of learning English in Britain. Every day there are opportunities to practise listening to and speaking with Britain people. Also , students can experience the culture first-hand, which is a great help when trying to understand the language. This is especially true if they choose to live with a British family, as exchange students for example. Furthermore, if students attend a language school full-time, the teachers will be native speakers. In this case, not only will students’ speaking and listening skills improve, but attention can be given to developing reading and writing skills as well.
In general, even though it is preferable to study English in an English-speaking country, a reasonable level of English can be achieved in one’s own country, if a student is gifted and dedicated to study.

Topic: The world is experiencing a dramatic increase in population. This is causing problems not only for poor, undeveloped countries, but also for industrialised and developing nations.
Describe some of the problems that over population causes, and suggest at least one possible solution.

Model answer:
In most countries of the world the population is increasing alarmingly. This is especially true in poor, undeveloped countries. Overpopulation causes a considerable number of problems.
In poor countries it is difficult to provide enough food to feed even the present number of people. In addition , education to limit the number of children per family is not always successful. Poorer countries usually have a lot of unemployment too, and an increase in population simply makes the situation worse. The environment also suffers then there are too many people living on the land.
In rich, industrialised and developing countries it is very difficult for governments to provide effective public services in overcrowded cities. Moreover, there is usually a great deal more crime, which is often due to high rates of unemployment. Further large increases in population only cause more overcrowding, unemployment and crime.
There are two main solutions to the overpopulation problem. Firstly, every woman who is pregnant, but who does not want to give birth, should be allowed by law to have an abortion. Secondly, governments must educate people to limit the size of the family. In China, couples are penalised financially if they have more than one child. This may seem cruel, but the ‘one-child policy’ is beginning to have an effect in the world’s most populous nation. Eventually, similar policies might also be necessary in other crowded nations such as India, for example.
To sum up, if the population explosion continues, many more people will die of starvation in poor countries, and life in the cities, even in affluent nations, will become increasingly difficult.