As computers are being used more and more in education, there will be soon no role for teachers in the classroom

IELTS 8 Test 2 Essay Sample Answer Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Nowadays, the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology. In what ways has technology affected the types of relationship people make? Has this become a positive or negative development? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

Ever since email was launched, the nature of interaction between people began to change. Since those early days, technology has moved on and there are now many more tools and platforms such as video conferencing, chat, message posting services and video channels that make instant communication possible.
The fact that most of these exchanges are instantaneous makes it possible to interact with many different people from all over the world simply by typing a few words, pressing a button or just speaking. Instead of being limited to people we know, or people who live in our vicinity, the whole world can literally interact with only the different time zones offering any real obstacle.
This has meant that people communicate with a host of other people that they would not have done so in the past. Information is shared, conversations had, and friendships made across distances that would have made it virtually impossible previously. Many of these interactions are virtual in nature and the people involved never actually meet. Much interaction through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter result in very short interactions.
However, the nature of communication nowadays has fundamentally changed and it is no longer necessary to meet and know another person before starting a conversation or beginning to interact with them.
Some people believe the lack of personal contact and depth to interactions is not a good thing, while others believe it to be much more liberating and interesting than being limited to talking or interacting with people you meet in your daily life.
On the whole, personally, I believe it is a positive development and any perceived negativity attached to such virtual, impersonal and superficial communication exchanges is far outweighed by the opportunity to use technology to enable us to communicate with a wider audience than those we come into contact with in our immediate physical environment.
Cambridge IELTS 8 Practice Tests Academic Writing Test 3 Sample Essay Answer You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Increasing the price of petrol is the best way to solve growing traffic and pollution problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree? What other measure do you think might be effective? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
Increased traffic on our roads and concern for the environment are hot topics at the moment and so they should be as they directly impact our mobility and future. Traffic can be expected to increase even more as populations increase and developing countries become wealthier.
While increasing petrol prices directly impacts all who use the road, it is no long term solution for solving traffic or pollution problems. As we have seen, previous increases in the cost of petrol have not meant that traffic is now moving freely in the present. The normal sequence of events is something along the lines of: oil companies increase prices, transport companies and businesses simply pass on the increase to the consumer, and consumers tighten their belts a little and swallow the increase.
Recent technology applied to car manufacturing along with inner city traffic restrictions have probably had more impact on reducing traffic emissions and flow in urban areas than. While people travelling on vacation or in their free time to visit family or friends may think twice about using their car, the vast bulk of daily traffic on the roads consists of commuters; people going to and from work and commercial transport. Whether they travel by car, bus or motorcycle, these people have little option when faced with a petrol price increase, therefore we can hardly expect the volume of traffic to reduce drastically unless we also accept expect people to stop going to work.
We have already seen the success of technology in cars when it comes to reducing pollution and increasing energy efficiency and this probably holds the best hope for the future. Reasonable and conscious use of private cars by people should continue to be encouraged. While inner city traffic restrictions on private cars have had some success in reducing pollution, additional restrictions could well lead to other problems such as even further decay of local high street retail trade which has already been severely affected by out of town shopping malls and online shopping.

Cambridge IELTS 8 Practice Tests Academic Writing Test 4 Sample Essay Answer Writing Task2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing. What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
The fact that people are generally less healthy and obesity is on the rise in many countries has been widely reported in the news recently. Various studies and reports have confirmed this trend and governments and health care services are worried about the future consequences.
Various reasons have been identified by experts as to why a person may become obese or suffer a decrease in their levels of health and fitness. Changes in lifestyle and the disappearance of much traditional physical and manual work in many developed countries have been cited. More people now work in sedentary jobs. We have witnessed a major change in eating habits over the last few decades with a shift to more fast food and convenience food than was consumed before. In fact, in some countries convenience food has become the norm in large sections of the population.
Apart from food and changes in work patterns, many people now get less exercise than previous generations. People generally walk less and cycle less as a means of getting from one place to another. More people have cars and have become accustomed to travelling door to door. Many people complain of not having enough time for themselves. Work seems to occupy more and more time and they have less leisure time to relax or dedicate to exercise.
Young children and teenagers spend more time sitting using their computers or playing games than playing outside and running around than in the past. This can lead to weight problems at a younger age and carry into adult life.
In order to redress these problems, people need to make life changes, they need to adopt new eating habits, exercise regularly and make sure that they control their weight. The possible health risks associated with being overweight are serious, and in countries like the USA these conditions are now competing with those related to smoking as being the most draining on health resources and the most costly for health providers.
Being fit and healthy has many benefits and while people in general live longer nowadays, that is mainly due to improved medical care not due to people having a healthier lifestyle than in the past.
Cambridge IELTS Practice Tests Book 7 | Test 1 | Academic Task 2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: It is generally believed that some people are born with certain talents, for instance for sport or music, and others are not. However, it is sometimes claimed that any child can be taught to become a good sports person or musician. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

Nobody would argue that some children seem to be born with a natural talent for certain things, be it sport, music or something else. However, if such talent is actually genetic or not is arguable, but there is no doubt that any child can be coached and instructed in skills to develop or nurture any ‘natural’ talent.
Some children show skill in certain areas early in life either through physical prowess or artistic and creative actions. If parents become involved and act by developing the child’s talent through coaching or instruction, then it is highly possible that the child can reach a very high level of proficiency in the skill.
Other children become interested in certain activities such as sport or creative pastimes later in life, possibly through their own process of discovery, and again it is possible to channel such interest in a positive way and develop the necessary skills to perform well in their chosen area of interest.
What we have learned from people who compete at the highest level in sports and also world class musicians is that talent alone, whether it is considered natural or not, is not enough to guarantee success. The most successful creative people who rely on talent, put in an incredible amount of work in terms of training, practicing and developing their skill or craft and in many cases sacrifice other aspects of life in favor of their chosen activity.
Personally, I believe that even the most ‘gifted’ child would not fulfill their full potential without proper support and development of their skill or talent while a child with less talent who is coached, nurtured, supported and has lots of enthusiasm can perfect their skills and perform at the highest levels.

Cambridge IELTS Practice Tests Book 7 | Test 2 | Academic Writing Task You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: It is generally believed that some people are born with certain talents, for instance for sport or music, and others are not. However, it is sometimes claimed that any child can be taught to become a good sports person or musician. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
Nobody would argue that some children seem to be born with a natural talent for certain things, be it sport, music or something else. However, if such talent is actually genetic or not is arguable, but there is no doubt that any child can be coached and instructed in skills to develop or nurture any ‘natural’ talent.
Some children show skill in certain areas early in life either through physical prowess or artistic and creative actions. If parents become involved and act by developing the child’s talent through coaching or instruction, then it is highly possible that the child can reach a very high level of proficiency in the skill.
Other children become interested in certain activities such as sport or creative pastimes later in life, possibly through their own process of discovery, and again it is possible to channel such interest in a positive way and develop the necessary skills to perform well in their chosen area of interest.
What we have learned from people who compete at the highest level in sports and also world class musicians is that talent alone, whether it is considered natural or not, is not enough to guarantee success. The most successful creative people who rely on talent, put in an incredible amount of work in terms of training, practicing and developing their skill or craft and in many cases sacrifice other aspects of life in favor of their chosen activity.
Personally, I believe that even the most ‘gifted’ child would not fulfill their full potential without proper support and development of their skill or talent while a child with less talent who is coached, nurtured, supported and has lots of enthusiasm can perfect their skills and perform at the highest levels.
Cambridge IELTS Practice Tests Book 7 | Test 3 | Academic Writing Task You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: As most people spend a major part of their adult life at work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual wellbeing. What factors contribute to job satisfaction? How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

There is no doubt that it is beneficial for people to feel content and satisfied with their job and the environment in which they work. Satisfaction at work can contribute a lot to a person’s general state of health and affect their social and family life either positively or negatively, so it is an important lifestyle factor.
What constitutes job satisfaction exactly? There are documented theories on this subject that deal with different levels of needs, from security to social acceptance, motivation and opportunities for advancement and development. Ultimately, the level of satisfaction a person can feel in a particular job might be affected by a multitude of factors.
It is not uncommon for a person to like their job but at the same time be unhappy due to personal conflict in the workplace or problems with their boss. Equally, it is common for people to cite their social relationships in the workplace as important in their life while the actual job may offer less satisfaction.
Most people would agree that working in a job where they feel secure, valuable, respected, well treated and offered opportunities to grow and develop as employees would lead to a reasonable level of job satisfaction.
Clearly people will experience varying degrees of satisfaction with their jobs, depending on the nature of their work. It may not be possible for an employee involved in highly repetitive manual labor to feel the same level of satisfaction as a highly skilled employee who works in a creative environment. However, it is not unrealistic to expect all workers to experience an ‘acceptable’ level of job satisfaction in most cases.

Cambridge IELTS Practice Test Book 7: Test 4 Academic Writing Task 2 Writing Task 2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Some people think that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace. Others think that the true function of a university should be to give access to knowledge for its own sake, regardless of whether the course is useful to an employer. What, in your opinion, should be the main function of a university. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
Universities are generally considered to be places of higher learning, whether students pursue undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral degrees. While both views expressed have some merit the fact is that most universities offer a wide range of academic courses which clearly offer both options mentioned: access to directly relevant work related knowledge and learning to gain knowledge without any higher purpose than to learn more about a specific subject.
While some employers may not see the relevancy of a student following a degree course which has no apparent relevancy to any particular profession, a university education develops certain skills and abilities which can be useful in many wider areas of life. There are many cases where graduates in fact successfully take up professional positions which have little or nothing to do with the subjects they studied at university.

What’s more, universities are not unlike the general school system, there are many subjects which people would not consider essential to daily life as an adult, but the learning process builds a general knowledge and skill set which most adults need in order to be productive members of society.
Some people also believe that the experience of attending university is a valuable life lesson, allowing an opportunity for young people to grow, discover more independence and explore themselves as individuals.

Personally, I consider it essential that universities continue to offer a wide choice of subjects for students irrespective of whether they are directly relevant to obtaining a position in the workforce or not. They should be considered as places of personal development whether a student chooses to study anthropology or an MBA.
Some People Prefer to Eat at Food Stands or Restaurants. Other People Prefer to Prepare and Eat Food at Home. Which Do You Prefer? Use Specific Reasons and Examples to Support Your Answer.

Eating has become one of kinds of culture for centuries. Today people are interested in not only what and how they eat but also where they eat. Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people like preparing and eating at home. In my opinion, I would rather eat at home than at restaurants.
People want to eat at restaurants because of three reasons. Firstly, they will have a chance to enjoy a variety of food. Everyone has different favorite dishes and restaurants may satisfy all tastes of its customers. Secondly, sometimes people go to restaurants so that they have a private space to discuss something. Many people think that it is easier to do a business when they eat and negotiate at the same time. In fact, a number of negotiations take place successfully at restaurants. Thirdly, someone says that it takes a lot of time to cook at home. Therefore, they prefer to eat at food stands in order to save time.
However, many other people prefer to eat at home. This is because eating at home is much cheaper than eating at restaurants. Instead of spending money for expensive meals at a restaurant, people can prepare for a meal and save lots of money for other purposes. One friend of mine likes reading very much. She always cooks and eats at home to spend more money buying books. In addition, some people like cooking and they want to prepare for a meal by themselves. So as, they do not want to go out for a lunch or dinner at restaurants. Other people choose to eat at home just because they would like to spend time with their families. While having dinner at home, for example, they can share their happiness and troubles in jobs with their folks or even talk about a television program they like best.
I think that whether people eat at a restaurant or at home, the most important thing is whether they feel comfortable or not. However, if I have to choose, I will eat at home because it is a way to save my money and above all, I can have a good time with my family.