1.

1 EXTREME SPORT

From the evidence of the history, dangerous sports have been more preferred
by people than other competitions. Despite this fact, some people hold the
opinion that these deadly sports should be banned as they may hurt athletes
health and even ruin their lives. I disagree with this view and believe that such
sports can ease international tensions and bring people together.

First of all, the history has shown that extreme competitions could even
interrupt battles and nations together to stadiums. From the ancient world,
when Greeks and Romans would leave battlefields to participate in the
gladiators games. Moreover, these sports usually attract the worlds attention
that could force leaders to stop their disputes and review options to make
partnerships with the opponents.

Secondly, dangerous sports can bring people with different background

together. For example, my country is a multicultural one, but, people are still
divided into ethnical groups. However, MMI fights is a national sport and
people with different culture and believes would support together our
sportsmen and sportswomen during the season. It is clear that these
competitions greatly benefit our community teaching the citizens tolerance.

Nevertheless, it is impossible to ignore arguments against dangerous sports. It

is obvious that there is a huge risk for athletes, but the event organizers could
improve rules and safety equipment to reduce this risk and to make such
sports less dangerous.

In conclusion, banning dangerous sports can bring more disadvantages than

benefits. In my opinion, we should focus on improving facilities, standards and
rules for these sports to minimize the risk. http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-
essay-banning-dangerous-sports.html
 1.2 EXTREME SPORTS

Today, an increasing amount of people take part in dangerous sports and some
of them have lost their lives in these sports. It is maintained that Government
should forbid people playing them, while others think people have a right to
involve in sports of their choice. In fact, the issue needs some justifications.

On the one hand, people definitely have their liberties to determine what sports
they want to participate. There is the fact that a lot of people by nature feel a
need to break through challenges which put them at the edge of human
endurance in order to test their resourcefulness to the limit and broaden their
horizons. Therefore, if involving in a sport is restricted, adventure-seekers will
continue to drive themselves into other life-threatening activities which not yet
be banned. Moreover, prohibition of so-called dangerous sport is very likely to
deprive people of fantastic experiences and thrills of taking part in them. For
instance, without mountaineering, people by no means conceive the grandeur
of a mountain.

On the other hand, outlawing high risk sports has its own merits in terms of
saving life and ensuring equality for taxpayers. That is to say, since indulging
in these sports namely free diving, mountaineering might not only injure or
threat participants lives but also put rescue personnel in thin line between life
and death once accidents happen, banning these sports is bound to limit
unfortunate mortality rate related to sports. Furthermore, it is unequal for
taxpayers when they have to incur cost of rescue and treatment for risk-takers
misfortune.

To recap, people should have opportunities to play whatever sports of their

interests. Besides, governments should give some optional suggestions and
instructions in terms of sports safety guidance instead of mandatory.

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 1.3 EXTREME SPORT

Nowadays, vast number of sports attracts public interest. But, above all the
dangerous sports sometimes wrongly coined adventure sports are the issue of
concern. Such sports are getting more popular among all the age groups. It is
strongly argued that such life threatening games should be banned. This essay
will discuss this in detail.

First of all, to my perspective, dangerous games portraits negative picture of

sports on society. For instance, it is commonly seen, young kids playing or
trying wrestling or boxing moves at homes while playing or kids showing
interest in such games. Reason for this is that today we are unable to
categorize the potential risk associated with particular sport and such events
has mass audience. Thus, good percentage of society is in threat of accidents
and should not be allowed to do so.

Secondly, these life threatening games are dominating society due to reason
that players are highly paid and well recognized. Young generation want fame
and money and start following them. But they may ignore the risk to life or
lifelong injuries associated with such games. For example, in Australia a sport
called Ultimate Fighting Championship is quite famous and every week we
read in newspapers about the players who got permanent disabilities due to
sport. So, whats the fun of doing something that put you in lifelong risk?

Furthermore, playing such sports like bungee jumping, free style boxing and,
wrestling may considered as the symbol of man power and something of
gaining prestige in society. People ignore the consequences that might be the
result of accident associated with them. Ultimately, these accidents may leads
to unpleasant results. Do we really need such games to play as we do sports to
keep ourselves fit?

In conclusion, it is not wrong to say that playing dangerous sports may results
in lifelong injuries or even death. Hence, such sports should be banned or
government should bring some control measures or restrictions to lower the
risk to the players.
 2.1 OVERPACKAGING

Over packaging is a clever tactic that many manufacturers employ to make their products
look more attractive. Since consumers get drawn to beautifully packaged items, over
packaging may help sell more products. Some manufacturers also employ this technique
to hide the flaws of their products. It is true that manufacturers have a responsibility to
avoid over packaging. But in my opinion, they are unlikely to stop this practice until
consumers stop buying over packaged products.

Over packaging is not a benign practice. It does not help anyone except the
manufacturer. Over packaging hurts the consumer and the environment. Wastefully
packaged boxes take up a lot more space than necessary in shipping trucks. As a result, to
carry the same amount of cargo, trucks have to make more trips. This results in the
wastage of energy, materials and manpower.

All the materials used for packaging will eventually end up in landfills. This creates a
serious problem for the environment. Over packaging may lead to deforestation, global
warming and air pollution.

Paper is still the most common material used for packaging. Each year tens of thousands
of trees are being cut down to create packaging materials. Plastic is also used for
packaging. The environmental impact of plastic is well-known. It is sad that companies
still havent woken up to the dangers of over packaging and resort to such practices to
sell their products.

To conclude, over packaging is not something that should be encouraged. While it might
seem to be a benign practice, it has negative impacts on the environment. Consumers
have to stop buying over packaged products. Only then will manufacturers take notice
and stop shipping their items in large almost empty packets.

http://www.ielts-practice.org/ielts-essay-sample-should-consumers-avoid-over-packaged-
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POINT: Convenience
 2.2 OVERPACKAGING

There is a growing tendency among manufacturers to present their products in excess

packaging and supermarkets exhibit them to attract customers, who are often lured by
such products. In order to reduce the amount of packaging, all the parties involved in
creating such a trend should make a joint effort in this direction.

Since many people today equate quality with superior packaging, companies would not
often take the risk of reducing it for fear of losing their market share. However, branded
companies that are already established in the market can experiment with simple
covering, without the fear of losing the popularity of their products. But it has to be
done with wide publicity through the media and the financial benefits should be passed
on to customers, or else, it could sometime become counterproductive. For example,
multinational companies like Colgate can successfully give up expensive packaging of
their toothpastes with economical alternatives.

Similarly, customers also have a role to play, by showing greater interest towards items in
simple packing. This would motivate increasing number of producers to pack their
products using inexpensive materials. Super markets would also be encouraged to
showcase such products with greater visibility.

On the other hand, the amount of packaging also indicates the need to ensure the
durability, safety and freshness of products. For instance, most instant foods are packed
in several layers using expensive materials like aluminium foil and superior plastic, with
the purpose of longer shelf life. Hence, lighter packaging of products should be
introduced only after taking these aspects into consideration.

In conclusion, manufacturers, supermarkets and customers have a collective role in

reducing the amount of packaging of products.

http://darsanaielts.blogspot.in/2009/10/essay-007_13.html
 3.1 Climate Change / Global Warming

Humans are responsible for a variety of environmental problems, but we can also take
steps to reduce the damage that we are causing to the planet. This essay will discuss
environmental problems and the measures that governments and individuals can take
to address these problems.
Two of the biggest threats to the environment are air pollution and waste. Gas emissions
from factories and exhaust fumes from vehicles lead to global warming, which may have
a devastating effect on the planet in the future. As the human population increases, we
are also producing ever greater quantities of waste, which contaminates the earth and
pollutes rivers and oceans.
Governments could certainly make more effort to reduce air pollution. They could
introduce laws to limit emissions from factories or to force companies to use renewable
energy from solar, wind or water power. They could also impose green taxes on drivers
and airline companies. In this way, people would be encouraged to use public transport
and to take fewer flights abroad, therefore reducing emissions.
Individuals should also take responsibility for the impact they have on the environment.
They can take public transport rather than driving, choose products with less packaging,
and recycle as much as possible. Most supermarkets now provide reusable bags for
shoppers as well as banks for recycling glass, plastic and paper in their car parks. By
reusing and recycling, we can help to reduce waste.
In conclusion, both national governments and individuals must play their part in
looking after the environment.

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 3.2 Climate Change / Global Warming

The topic of whether individuals or government should hold the major responsibility to
protect the environment is of concern for many people. As for me, only if both citizens
and government involve in environmental protection, will the world become better.

Some people believe that government plays a vital role in environmental improvement.
Firstly, the government has a great influence on environmental conservation. By stating
various laws and policies regarding environmental issues, the government is able to
control and supervise the factories and industries, which effectively regulate the
pollutions ejection and sewage discharge. Secondly, the government is responsible to
emphasize the importance of environmental preservation. As some uneducated people
are unconscious of the consequence of pollution, the government should instill them
with environmental awareness, for example, promoting ecological activities or
encouraging garbage recycle, which boosts the environmental interests of people.

However, some people insist that government cannot achieve conservation without the
help from individuals. To start with, if every citizen makes a small effort, the world can
be improved significantly. For example, suppose everyone chooses public transport to
commute rather than driving their own private cars, the released poisonous gas can be
minimized, thereby maintaining the air quality. Besides that, the environment is highly
related to individuals daily lives, so they are obligated to take care of environment. As
some personal behaviors such as the consistent use of plastic bag and the waste of paper
contribute to the worsening of water quality and climate change, people are responsible
to make up the mistakes and recover all the damages.

To sum up, I would suggest the government to corporate with individuals to help the
improvement of the environment, which will benefit peoples lives.

Average: http://m.testbig.com/ielts-writing-task-ii-essays/some-people-believe-
individuals-are-more-important-taking-care

http://testenglish.info/IELTS-SAMPLE-ESSAY-climate-change#.Vc3ikLKqqkp
 3.3 Climate Change / Global Warming

Probably the most worrying threat to our planet at the present time is global warming.
This essay will examine the reasons why global warming is occurring and discuss some
possible solutions.

The predominant factors resulting in the warming of the earth are the emissions of CO2
and deforestation. CO2, which damages the ozone layer, comes from several sources,
but the most problematic are those coming from the burning of fossil fuels from power
plants. This releases thousands of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. Another
cause of these emissions is the burning of gasoline for transportation, which continues
to increase because of our demand for cars and also our increasing worldwide
consumption, resulting in an increasing need to transport goods. Also, forests store
large amounts of carbon, so deforestation is causing larger amounts of CO2 to remain in
the atmosphere.

Nevertheless, there are potential ways to solve these problems, or at least reduce the
effects. Firstly, governments need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and promote
alternatives. Plant-derived plastics, biodiesel, wind power and solar power are all things
that are a step in the right direction, but governments need to enforce the limits on CO2
emissions for the polluting industries in their countries for these to be effective. Also,
individuals can play a part by making lifestyle changes. People should try to buy cars
with the best fuel economy, and only use their car when really necessary. They can also
switch to energy companies that use renewable energy rather than fossil fuels. Finally,
small things like buying energy efficient light bulbs, turning off electricity in the house,
and planting trees in the garden can help.

To conclude, although global warming is a serious issue, there are steps that
governments and individuals can take to reduce its effects. If we are to save our planet,
it is important that this is treated as a priority for all concerned.

http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/global-warming-essay.html
4.1 What is your opinion about native region and accomplished persons influence
on the region he belongs to?

Undeniably person's vicinity plays a vital role in moldings him into his success.
Accomplished person have great influence on their native region, as many youngsters
can relate to him and want to imitate his blueprint of success. This essay will discuss
successful persons influence on his native people.

To start with, there are multiple external factors that contribute to persons
accomplishments such as his way of living, culture, society, neighborhood etc. When a
person from ones neighborhood does something extraordinary, it sets a watermark for
those living in same region. It is a human nature to copy success. People can relate to
him and they expect same level of success for themselves. For instance, a friend of
mine went to London to pursue his masters. He studied for a year and got a job in one
of the reputed MNC. That sparked a keen desire in me to move to move overseas for
careers development. I decided to pursue Masters degree and couple of years later I
was doing my dream Job. Later on there were several boys who followed suit.

Moreover, these followers already had a blueprint to get to that level of success.
Accomplish person sets a standard for his native people and it becomes a holy grail for
generations to follow.

In a nutshell, successful person has a tremendous influence on his native region as he

has a potency to transform the whole town into a success for generations to follow.

Idea Ref: http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/identity-issues

I am not sure, if this was the actual question asked in past PTE Exam. There are
couple of different ways this question is put on Forums. I have written this from
two different perspectives.

IF YOU GET THIS TOPIC IN EXAM, PLEASE INFORM OTHERS AND MAKE SURE U
READ IT CAREFULLY AND ANSWER WHAT IS ASKED.
4.2 People believe that we are influenced by the place where they live in. Give an
example specific person who was successful / unsuccessful because of the influence.

Its an undeniable fact that people are highly influenced by their surroundings. Our
country, society, culture, and vicinity are major contributors of our success. The place
we live in can make us or break us. Herein, we will discuss how the place we live in can
shape our future.

To begin with, we behave in a way that we learn from people around us. Our language,
thinking, attitude, psychology everything has a flavor of the place where we live in. For
an instance,

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personality
 5. Television

5.1 Nowadays TV has become an essential part of life. Medium to spread news &
awareness and for some it acts like a companion.

Without a doubt, television has played an important role in regard to the information and
entertainment in our daily life. I advocate that information gathered through television is
significant. This essay will compile the reasons how effectively television performs the
role of an information and entertainment.

To begin with, television is a great source of providing information and helpful tool for
education. Television shows people to see what is going around them by giving current
news, weather updates, sporting events and regarding the criminal acts happening
around them. For example, the Newshour Show by Arnab Goswami gives the
significant information relating to current affairs. Moreover, TV feeds the information
from around the world without going at different places. For instance, discovery channel
shows the different countries cultures and lifestyle of the people.

Nevertheless, television is a mode of entertainment amongst different age-groups. For

instances, there are programs on television ranging from cartoon, politics, sports,
movies, comedy etc. which cater to the needs of various age-groups. Furthermore, the
choices of recording the favorite shows are also available in some parts of the world
which may be later watched as per the convenient timings.

To conclude, the television is the mode of both entertainment and information.

Television plays a pivotal role by entertaining and keeping people informed at the same
time. It depends on individuals choice what they would like to watch.

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sample-88-television-has-had-a-significant-influence-on-the-culture-of-many-societies

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 Mass Media

5.2 The mass media including TV, Radio and newspaper influence our society and
shape our opinions and characters. What is your opinion?

Nowadays, the mass media including TV, radio and newspaper have become the
essential part of our lives. What is your opinion?

Mass media plays a pivotal role in our life. Many people and businesses rely on these
mediums for their day to day transactions on the other hand for some viewers it is a
source of entertainment. This essay will shed a light on various aspects of this issue.

http://www.ielts-mentor.com/writing-sample/writing-task-2/328-ielts-writing-task-2-
sample-102-the-mass-media-have-great-influence-in-shaping-people-s-ideas

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 FORMAL WRITTEN EXAMINATION

9. In our education system assessments are done through formal written

examination. Do you think it is still valid?
OR
Do you think that formal written examinations are a good way to assess knowledge at
school? AGREE / DISAGREE? YES / NO?
9.1 PARTIAL AGREEMENT - http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-model-essay.html

Many educational establishments such as schools and universities are choosing to

assess their students through course work and projects undertaken during term time
rather than the traditional examinations. Continual assessment can be an effective way
to evaluate students abilities, but formal examinations should also be maintained.

There are two principle benefits of formal examinations. Firstly, they are a fair system
as every student has an equal opportunity since they all sit the same exam at the
same time, meaning that those students who work hard should be rewarded with a high
grade. In addition to this, it is also difficult to cheat if the exam is properly
invigilated. However, some students naturally excel in exams, whereas others find it
difficult to work under these stressful and time-constrained conditions. Formal exams,
may not, therefore, always reflect a students true ability.

Continual assessment, on the other hand, allows those students who work at a
slower pace more time to work on their course work and projects. The teacher can
also observe and assist students who may be weaker, thus providing them with the
opportunity to improve during the term. Not only this, projects encourage team work,
an important skill that is necessary for future employment. Focusing only on formal
exams may mean that this important component of childrens development is not seen
as important by teachers or students.

To conclude, it is evident that both continual assessment and formal examinations are
effective in different ways, but they also have weaknesses. I would therefore argue that
in order to have robust evaluation procedures in the future, both should be used to
assess students during their education. WORDS 273

http://dylanaung.blogspot.in/2015/04/pte-academic-essay-questions-and-ideas.html

http://debatewise.org/debates/1215-are-examinations-a-fair-way-of-testing-our-
knowledge/
9.2 Only formal examinations, can give a clear picture of students true knowledge
and ability at university level. Continuous assessment like course work and projects
are poor measures of student ability.
How far do you agree with this latter statement?

Formal examinations has been considered as a best testing method ever to identify
students levels at school for decades in developed countries. However, course work
and dissertations which are much more applied in university dynamics in Western
countries are demeaned in some old point of views. This essay will examine argument
for and against both of sides for each kind of measurement.

In the first place, it is often argued that conventional tests conducting at each
semester at school are very clear and require students well-preparation, which exactly
assess the students ability. However, it might be not totally true in this contemporary
time. Indeed, with the todays technological advancement, obviously, the wrong-doings
happening in exams are inevitable. For instance, many students cheat with the use
phones and super small sophisticated machines to know answers already though stern-
discipline investigations of observers in many developing nations in Asian area. In doing
so, they always get high scores and be evaluated at top-qualified students at school.

Furthermore, many people believe that formal exams are seen to be transparent.
Obviously, hardly can educational systems act like that. Bribery phenomenon has been
a widespread issue in many nations especially in developing countries. In Viet Nam, it is
not difficult for an individual at school to get an excellent result provided that money
given to teachers or examiners.

In the other hand, course works has been applied recently in western nations like
Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. In that kind of wide-scaled homework, students
have a privilege to reference any open-documents as to creatively brainstorm towards
their objects. The most benefit here is that no limitations, pressure on their mind,
which constrains their thinking. In addition, the regulations in most school apply course
works are strict enough to stay students far away from bribery.
Overall, I am convinced that course works are much better applied at academic
educational method for students. Principles at school need to change their mindset to
up-to-date adequate measurements to assess students ability in any levels.

WORDS 298
http://www.testbig.com/ielts-essays/only-formal-examinations-can-give-clear-picture-
student-s-true-knowledge-and-ability

POINTS:

YES Reasons

1. Coursework is being discredited as a way of demonstrating knowledge as it is

becoming easier to plagiarize or even buy coursework over the internet. This
leaves exams as the only obvious choice.
2. (Alternate) Discussions and debates are useless as a measure of your academic
performance if you just can't speak confidently in real time. (DEFENSIVE)
3. Performance under time and pressure: F R E is a good way to determine
whether someone has absorbed information or attained knowledge and can
eloquently reproduce it under pressure whilst being timed

NO. Because

1. Mastering tests and not the subject.

2. Tests do not encourage the pursuit of knowledge so much as the pursuit of
great grades
3. Marks on tests are frequently altered, human error / Misplace papers
4. The information studied is almost immediately forgotten, Defeats the purpose
5. Tests memory not skill
6. Vulnerable to cheating
7. Fraud: Exam papers can even be stolen or forged on their way to and from
examination centers.
8. Computers that contain the grades before they are formally released can be
hacked into or go wrong on their own.
9.3 PTE: Do you think that formal written examinations are a good way to
assess knowledge at school? AGREE / DISAGREE? YES / NO?

Many students dislike exams and children of all ages seem to have a diet of
more and more exams that they have to take. Without a doubt formal written
examination is used widely as assessment criteria. The moot question as to
whether the formal written assessment is reasonable is an interesting issue upon
which opinion varies greatly. This essay will discuss the validity of formal
exams as assessment criteria.

To begin with, formal written exams have been used as single most assessment
criteria for decades. The main concern is that, it tests students memory not
skills. For instance a medical student may memorize text book from cover to
cover, and score top grades, however he might not be able to handle the
practical requirements of the profession: such as doing a surgery. Moreover, by
merely preparing well for exam one can achieve high score, however this does
not prove that he is good at that subject. Most people forget what they have
studied in a short period.

Secondly, this assessment style is vulnerable to cheating, fraud and human

error. Students use variety of methods to cheat and that may push them above
their peers. Furthermore, often exams get rescheduled because of paper leak.
Many students send their papers for recheck and bribe the examiners if they are
not happy with their marks.

So to sum up, schools should look at alternate ways that will test students skills
in diverse ways. They must approach assessment from holistic approach and
written assessment should only be a part of it.

WORDS 257

Feedback > > > This essay only focuses on negative side of it F W A. In a
second para u can include alternate ways of assessment.
OR
You can also give contra opinion (What points opponents may have) and the
refute it.