Phần 6: Câu hỏi và các đề tài trong bài thi Viết

Trong bài này, chúng ta sẽ tìm hiểu câu hỏi của các dạng bài viết và các đề tài để viết luận trong cuộc thi IELTS. Hãy nhớ rằng việc hiểu rõ yêu cầu của câu hỏi là rất quan trọng.

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1) Clip 1: Question Tasks and Topics 

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

     a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tip

Reading newspapers regularly and watching programs on current affairs and stories of general interest can help you build a bank of ideas.

Think about whether you agree or disagree with topics discussed or look out for any causes or consequences of problems and solutions to these problems.

Remember, you will need to state your opinion and take a position on the IELTS topic in the Writing module.

QUESTION TASKS AND TOPICS IN WRITING

IELTS Writing Task 2 assesses your ability to present a clear argument supported with reasons and examples based on your own experience or knowledge. So, it is important to understand what the question is asking you to do and then support your answer with ideas that are relevant to the question.

An IELTS question consists of two parts:

Question Topic

Question Task

 

Question Topic

The topics around which writing tasks are designed are of general interest and do not require you to have specialist knowledge. It is important though that you do have an opinion on and interest in general issues in society.

The range of topics and subtopics discussed in the episode as well as other examples is listed in the table below.

Topic	Subtopic
Media	privacy issues; censorship; influence of advertising
Education	testing and assessments; public and private education; home-schooling
Environment	eco-tourism; global warming; pollution
Health and Nutrition	obesity; alternative medicine; diet; exercise; health care
Communication	the internet; mobile phones; text messaging
Society and Culture	communities; traditions, habits and customs; arts and music; traditional versus popular culture
Family	parents and children; responsibilities in a family; generation gap; relationships – marriage and divorce
Employment	unemployment; workplace conditions; job training; apprenticeships
Transport	infrastructure; vehicle safety; road tolls; choice of transport
Technology	dependence on technology; computers and mobile phones; trends and changes
Sciences	marine biology, archaeology, architecture; geography

 

Reading the newspaper and watching programs on current affairs in particular, will help you keep up-to-date with social and community issues and therefore will help you develop a bank of ideas.

 

Question Task

The Question Task provides the focus of an IELTS question or the requirements of the task. Its purpose is to test a range of skills which would produce different types of writing.

Question tasks are designed around the following skills and assess your ability to:

• present a solution to a problem

• present two sides of an issue

• evaluate and challenge an issue

• compare and contrast an opinion or evidence

• justify an opinion and use appropriate examples

There are many different ways question tasks can be worded to assess the different types of writing. Here are some examples.

• What are the causes and effects of …

• Provide a solution or suggestion to the problem of ….

• What is a possible solution to the problem of …

• To what extent do you agree or disagree …

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of

• Is this a positive or negative development …

• Discuss both these views.

• What are your views?

• What is your opinion?

The question task not only determines the type of writing or “essay type” but the kind of language structures you will need to use. For example, if the task asks for ‘causes’ and/or ‘effects’, then the language of cause, effect and result will need to be used.

 

Cause, effect and result language structures

The relationship between cause and effect can be summarised as follows

active voice
cause	markers	effect
Obesity	causes leads to results in can lead to	many chronic diseases. high blood pressure. heart disease. premature death.
The number of children in the obese category has doubled.	Consequently, As a result, Because of this,	the rate of disease is higher.
markers	result	cause
The cause of The reason for	obesity	is a sedentary lifestyle.
marker	result	Effect
The effect of One consequence of	obesity is	diabetes. premature death.
passive voice
effect	markers	Cause
Obesity	is caused by is the result of	excess body fat. a sedentary lifestyle.

 

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Sample Question Topics and Tasks

Here are some sample IELTS questions to practise identifying:

• The topic area

• the skill tested

• the main topic of the question

• task requirements

• topic ideas

• topic vocabulary

 

Sample Question 1

_____________________________________________________

WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

While the number of smokers in the industrialised world has been steadily decreasing, the same cannot be said for developing nations. Despite the warnings by health care workers about the dangers of smoking, the advice has gone unheeded.

What are some of the effects of smoking and how can governments address this problem?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

______________________________________________________________

 

Topic Area:                           Health

Skill:                                       Present a solution to a problem

Main topic:                            Dangers of smoking

Task requirements:           Name some of the negative effects of smoking.

Suggest ways that governments could deal with the problem that people are not taking advice of the warnings about the dangers of smoking.

Topic Ideas

Effects of smoking	Suggestions
• increases the likelihood of developing a serious illness, eg lung cancer, bronchitis, heart disease • places the lives of non-smokers at risk, especially children • addictive • can be dangerous i.e. cause a fire	• authorise advertisements showing the effects of the various diseases caused by smoking • prohibit smoking at work and in public places • restrict and prohibit the sale of tobacco products • conduct educational campaigns in schools teaching children about the dangers of smoking

 

Topic Vocabulary

target item	vocabulary choices
illness	chronic illness, stomach cancer, bladder cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases
dangers	dangerous substance, cancer-causing, endanger, risk, harm, injure, damage
addictive	causes addition, nicotine, bad habit, dependence, controlled by
advertisements	visually explicit advertisements
prohibit	ban, prevent, legally prohibit, legally enforce, restrict, remove, limit
campaign	advertising campaign, conduct a campaign, tobacco prevention campaign

 

Sample Question 2

____________________________________________________________

WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

Mass media is greatly contributing to the development of youth the world over because of its easy accessibility. Some say that the influence of media on the day-to-day lives of these adolescents is more harmful than advantageous.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

 

Topic Area:                          Media

Skill:                                       Evaluate and challenge an issue

Main topic:                            Influence of the media on adolescents is harmful

Task requirements:           Decide to what extent you agree (fully, partially) or disagree (not at all) that the media’s influence is harmful and state your where you stand on the issue. If you believe this to be true, then give reasons why you think there are benefits and state under what circumstances you think the media could be seen as harmful.

 

Topic ideas

Mass media harmful (agree)	Mass media advantageous (disagree)
• exposure to violent and unsuitable images • can affect children’s behaviour • children are immature so cannot discern right from wrong • interest in inappropriate products being advertised	• many good educational programs • the saying “the world is your oyster” is appropriate because the opportunities of learning form the different media about issues worldwide are limitless
Position: despite the harmful effects, adolescents could be supervised and guided to benefit from the advantages of mass media

 

Topic vocabulary

target item	vocabulary choices
mass media	television and radio programs, internet and mobile telephone advertisements, commercials, advertisements, films, newspapers, magazines; important source of information
unsuitable	inappropriate materials
children	adolescents, youth, young people, immature, those under 18
harmful	negative effects, disadvantages, drawbacks, detrimental effect, damaging
benefits	advantageous, advantages, beneficial, good, positive
accessibility	gain access to, availability, possibility

 

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     b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about by completing our activities. The answers for all activities are on the last 2 pages.

 

ACTIVITY 1

Tick (√) the ideas that are relevant to the topic.

 Topic 1:         Home-schooling is better for a child.

	Advantages		Disadvantages
	• emotional bond with child		• no interaction with peers
	• control what the child learns		• not taught by a professional teacher
	• it’s expensive		• don’t know how the child is progressing in relation to other students
	• protect the child from negative influences		• inexpensive

 

Topic 2: Living in the city is more beneficial than life in the countryside.

	Agree		Disagree
	• more employment opportunities		• more pollution
	• overcrowded		• stressful
	• more entertainment		• limited health facilities and services
	• people are more friendly		• too expensive

 

Topic 3: People are losing their identity, culture and traditions because of globalisation.

	Effects		Solutions
	• introduction of fast foods to the detriment of traditional foods		• reduce the greenhouse gases
	• English becoming the main language in day-to-day transactions		• impose heavier taxes on imported goods
	• preference for Western music among youth		• make the native language a mandatory subject at school
	• increase in global warming		• promote the country’s traditional cuisine

 

Topic 4: Industrialised countries should assist poorer nations financially.

	Agree		Disagree
	• addresses poverty, illiteracy and disease		• corruption is rife
	• helps national security		• may lead to dependency
	• it’s a humane thing to do		• they have their own poor and homeless people to help
	• increase the standard of living		• too costly

 

Topic 5: Living abroad for an extended period of time can be problematic.

	Problems		Solutions
	• homesickness		• chance to achieve success
	• language barrier		• take some language courses
	• lifestyle change		• join a club to meet new people
	• adjusting to a different diet		• learn to be independent

 

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ACTIVITY 2

Choose the appropriate cause/effect word or phrase to complete the sentences.

caused by      because                     cause of         a result of      due to leads to          consequence of       caused           effects of        cause

 

1. The country road was blocked _____________ the landslide.

2. John’s promotion came ____________ he worked hard.

3. An increase in interest rates ______________ a decrease in property sales.

4. The landslide was ____________ heavy rain.

5. It is well documented that the increase in diabetes is ____________ poor dietary habits.

6. Bad economic policies were the __________ negative growth and serious shortages.

7. Being obese may ___________ serious health problems.

8. Poor sleeping habits can be the _______________ stress and workload.

9. The explosion _____________ massive damage to the factory.

10. The task asked for the _____________ global warming.

ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

Tick (√) the ideas that are relevant to the topic.

Topic 1: Home-schooling is better for a child.

	Advantages		Disadvantages
√	• emotional bond with child	√	• no interaction with peers
√	• control what the child learns	√	• not taught by a professional teacher
	• it’s expensive	√	• don’t know how the child is progressing in relation to other students
√	• protect the child from negative influences		• inexpensive

 

Topic 2: Living in the city is more beneficial than life in the countryside.

	Agree		Disagree
√	• more employment opportunities	√	• more pollution
	• overcrowded	√	• stressful
√	• more entertainment		• limited health facilities and services
	• people are more friendly	√	• too expensive

 

Topic 3: People are losing their identity, culture and traditions because of globalisation.

	Effects		Solutions
√	• introduction of fast foods to the detriment of traditional foods		• reduce the greenhouse gases
√	• English becoming the main language in day-to-day transactions	√	• impose heavier taxes on imported goods
√	• preference for Western music among youth	√	• make the native language a mandatory subject at school
	• increase in global warming	√	• promote the country’s traditional cuisine

 

Topic 4: Industrialised countries should assist poorer nations financially.

	Agree		Disagree
√	• addresses poverty, illiteracy and disease	√	• corruption is rife
√	• helps national security	√	• may lead to dependency
√	• it’s a humane thing to do	√	• they have their own poor and homeless people to help
√	• increase the standard of living		• too costly

 

Topic 5: Living abroad for an extended period of time can be problematic.

	Problems		Solutions
√	• homesickness		• chance to achieve success
√	• language barrier	√	• take some language courses
√	• lifestyle change	√	• join a club to meet new people
√	• adjusting to a different diet	√	• learn to be independent

 

ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

1. due to                                 6. cause of

2. because                            7. cause

3. leads to                              8. consequence of

4. caused by                         9. caused

5. a result of                          10. effects of

 

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     c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS Preparation. I’m Margot Politis.

Today we’ll look at question tasks and topics in the essay section of the IELTS test.

Both IELTS tests - the academic and the general - require you to write a short essay.

What are the questions likely to be about?

Media:                        censorship; privacy; or the influence of advertising.

Education:                testing; computers; public and private education.

Environment:           eco-tourism; global warming; pollution.

Health:                       obesity; alternative medicine; exercise; diet.

Communication:     the internet; mobile phones.

Society:                     youth issues; juvenile delinquency; ageing populations.

There are two parts to an essay question.

First, there is the question topic, a statement like this:

Internet access should be under government control to avoid any potential harm to children.

And second, there is the question task, which will be something like:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

OR

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of government controlling Internet access.

OR

What are the reasons for government control? What other measures could be taken to deal with this problem?

The purpose of the different question tasks is to test a range of writing skills.

They can test your ability to identify causes and effects. You could be asked "What are the causes …" or "What are the effects …"

Or they are designed to see how well you can present a solution to a problem. For example:

What measures could be taken to deal with this problem?

Here you would need to say what can be done to stop children being harmed by material on the internet, such as using software that prevents children accessing harmful sites or keeping computers out of children’s bedrooms where they are not supervised by a parent. Often the question task tests whether you can present two sides of an issue, compare opinions and justify your view, such as these:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

OR

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of government control.

OR

What is your opinion?

Here’s the question topic again:

Internet access should be under government control to avoid any potential harm to children.

Let’s look more closely at some question tasks for it. First:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Here you would need to decide how much you agree or disagree with the issue of governments controlling Internet access and give your opinion.

Your ideas would need to be supported with reasons and appropriate examples.

Why should the government control the internet? Try to think of situations that support what you think.

A very similar style of essay would be required if you were asked:

What is your opinion?

With this question task you must still consider other points of view. And remember the instruction to give reasons and provide examples still applies.

What about this question task?

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Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of government control.

Here you’re not required to directly give your opinion, but to present and explain both sides of the issue. But by saying what you think is good and bad; your view of the issue should be obvious.

The question task can be more direct, like this:

What are the reasons for government control? What other measures could be taken to deal with this problem?

You should give reasons why governments need to control the Internet and then suggest what else could be done to protect children. This task tests how well you can identify causes and suggest solutions.

Let’s look at some more sample questions.

In some countries there are fewer doctors and teachers taking up jobs in rural areas. As a result, communities in these remote areas are being poorly served.

What are the effects of this and what measures could be taken to improve it?

The main topic is teachers and doctors not working in remote areas. Here you would need to write about the negative effects that a community experiences when there aren’t enough teachers and doctors.

For the second part of the task - what measures could be taken – you should suggest some ways of improving the situation. This question tests your ability to write about the effects of something and provide some solutions.

Let’s look at another question.

Children’s eating habits and lifestyles today are more likely to be harmful than beneficial.

Discuss both these views.

The main topic is what children eat and how they spend their time.

The task asks you to discuss two views - both these views.

What are the 2 views?

The question topic says "more likely to be harmful than beneficial", so the 2 views are:

The more likely, according to the statement, that children’s eating habits are causing harm.

And the opposite, that "children’s eating habits" are beneficial.

The task requires you to compare the negative effects of what children eat these days with the positive effects. So it’s the sort of question task that tests if you can compare 2 sides of an issue. And it gives you the opportunity to challenge the question topic.

You could argue that children these days eat very well and exercise a lot and that the idea that they don’t is exaggerated. Remember though that you can’t do this without giving good reasons and providing examples.

Computers have changed the way children are taught. Some believe this means that children are missing out on a well-rounded education.

What is your opinion?

Here the main topic is the use of computers in children’s education.

You need to decide what you think about computers in classrooms and whether they might stop children getting a well-rounded education. In forming your opinion, you should also write about what other people might think.

So we’ve looked at questions in the general areas of education, technology, society and health.

The essay question consists of a statement called the question topic, which can be about any topic of general interest and a question task, which determines the style of essay you need to write. Remember that the same topic can be looked at from different perspectives. Include not only causes, effects and solutions but also advantages and disadvantages when building a bank of ideas for a topic.

That’s all for now.

Go to our website if you want to watch any episode of Study English again. You’ll also find plenty of extra material there to keep you busy. The address is: australianetwork.com/studyenglish

I’ll see you next time on Study English.

 

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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