IELTS Writing task 2: Many people believe that international tourism is a bad thing for their country. What are the reasons? Solutions to change negative attitudes?

Outline

Opening:

- Paraphrase: international tourism = destinations welcome more foreign visitors

   -> Local people find this displeasing

- reasons behind this thinking + ways to change this view

Body:

Reasons: many reasons

1st reason: - more visitors = increased pollution

  -> tourists throw garbage, not care for environment

  -> New Zealand demolish "Lord of the Rings" castle -> fear tourists come and litter

2nd reason: disease outbreak

  -> past cases of virus spread

  -> Ebola: from Africa to other countries -> death

Solutions:

- instruct tourists not to litter

- health inspection at airports

  -> quarantine infected tourists

  -> make locals feel safer

Conclusion:

- Paraphrase opening

Sample answer

            Today, travel destinations all over the world welcome a growing influx of foreign visitors every year. Many people living in these places are, however, finding this development particularly displeasing. This essay will examine the reasons behind this thinking before suggesting some ways to change the hostile view towards international tourism.

            There are a host of factors to which this hostility can be attributed. Firstly, the arrival of foreign visitors is often accompanied by an increased level of pollution. Many tourists dispose of garbage at their own convenience, with complete disregard for the surrounding environment. For this reason, New Zealand's government had ordered for the castle that was built for the filming of "Lord of the Rings" to be immediately demolished upon completion of the movie, for fear that , should its existence be resumed, travel enthusiasts would flock to the castle and litter all over the place.

            Another fear that the locals harbor against foreign visitors is the possibility of a disease outbreak. This fear is rooted in past incidents when viruses and diseases were spread from one territory to another by tourists. An example of this is the recent Ebola outbreak, where infected travelers carried the virus from Africa to a number of other countries, causing a significant number of casualties.

            However, these problems are not without solutions. Concerns that tourists may harm the environment can be addressed by properly instructing them not to litter and be mindful of their surroundings. In addition, governments should continue to conduct thorough health inspection at international airports. Healthy travelers should be educated on the symptoms of contagious viruses while those who exhibit these symptoms must immediately be quarantined. This would certainly help local residents to feel more at ease about the presence of tourists.

            In conclusion, while there are legitimate reasons as to why locals view tourists unfavorably, a number of steps can be taken to banish these negative feelings.

Written by IELTS Fighter (318 words)

Good vocabulary

- influx of ... visitors: foreign people who come enter a country

- a host of (factors): many factors

- to accompany: to go with

- at their own convenience: whenever they want

- to demolish: to remove a building

- disease outbreak: when a disease spread to another place

- casualty: death by an incident

- to be mindful of: to care about

- quarantine: to keep a sick person in a separate place

- banish... feelings: to remove a feeling/thinking

IELTS Writing Task 2: The use of mobile phone is as antisocial as smoking. Smoking is banned in certain places so mobile phone should be banned like smoking. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The use of mobile phone is as antisocial as smoking. Smoking is banned in certain places so mobile phone should be banned like smoking. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is true that the use of mobile phones is sometimes disruptive to many people. However, it should not be banned in public places as in the case of smoking.

I agree that mobile phones can be as antisocial as smoking. Many people do not care about others when they are in public areas. For example, I often see passengers talking loudly via their phones on buses and trains while a number of individuals are reading books or simply having a short rest. I believe that these ‘noisy’ people create the same unpleasant feeling as smokers do to those who are around.

Nevertheless, it would be too strict to prohibit mobile phones in some places. Firstly, the length of a conversation is not often too long, meaning that it causes little disturbance to other people. Secondly, a ban on the use of mobile phones, even in some designated areas, merely hinders the convenience of the users. Many people depend on cell phones to work, and they may find it difficult to finish job tasks without phone calls.

Instead of restricting the use of mobile phones, the government should find ways to raise public awareness of using these portable devices in public places. For instance, posters or warnings ought to be displayed on buses, trains or stations to make sure that mobile phone users are aware of other people when making or receiving a phone call.

In conclusion, I believe that the government should consider other alternatives rather than imposing a ban on the use of mobile phones in public places.

(260 words – by ielts.vinh@gmail.com) 

IELTS Writing Task 2: Many museums and historical sites are mainly visited by tourists but not local people. Why is this the case and what can be done to attract more local people to visit these places?

Many museums and historical sites are mainly visited by tourists but not local people. Why is this the case and what can be done to attract more local people to visit these places?

There are a number of factors that explain why many museums and historical sites fail to attract the attention of the locals. However, this issue can be resolved by adopting a number of solutions, as will now be discussed.

Perhaps the primary reason is that local inhabitants often do not have interest in visiting these places as they tend not to be attracted by places and objects that are familiar to their cultural backgrounds. For example, many museums in Ho Chi Minh City welcome thousands of travelers from Hanoi annually, in contrast to the number of local residents who visit the museums and historical sites here in my home city of Hanoi.

Another reason stems from historical attractions themselves. They are often poorly conserved due to a low budget for operation while the authority does not make an attempt to improve the situation. Take the Air Defense museum in Hanoi as an example. For years, there has been no change for the better, at least visually, to attract the locals, and this is the reason why most of its visitors are tourists.

However, a range of available options can be taken to tackle the problem. The simplest one is that the authority should continue campaigns aiming at encouraging local people to visit these attractions. They could also consider rearranging and redecorating historical places to make them more interesting and attractive for all visitors. To achieve this, the government ought to allocate more public money to the conservation of these places.

In conclusion, various measures need to be taken to gain back local residents’ interest in museums and historical sites.

(269 words – written by ielts.vinh@gmail.com) 

IELTS Writing Task 2: Some people who have been in prison become good citizens later. Some people think that having these people to give a talk to school students is the best way to tell them about dangers of committing a crime. Do you agree or disagree?

Some people who have been in prison become good citizens later. Some people think that having these people to give a talk to school students is the best way to tell them about dangers of committing a crime. Do you agree or disagree?

Crime education is of paramount importance in any country, but the way it can be conducted is often a subject of debate in society. While I agree that asking those who are released from prison to have a talk to school students is a good education method, I also believe that there are better alternatives to the problem, as will now be discussed.

On the one hand, I agree that students may be aware of the consequences of engaging in criminal activities when attending a talk given by ex-prisoners. Their life stories are often vivid and persuasive, and this can attract the attention of school students easily. These ex- criminals are real examples that people have to pay for their unlawful activities, which can raise awareness about law-abiding citizens among young people. The success of a series of educational programs on Vietnamese Television channels about the price that offenders have to pay proves that the narrative forms of crime education can work. It is hoped that a speech of used-to-be wrongdoers is promoted at all school levels in future.

However, I believe that a combination of different education methods would produce a more desirable result compared to a former prisoner holding a talk. Primarily, parents should act as pioneers to educate children at an early age about social evils and how to avoid them. It has long been acknowledged that the home environment has a profound effect on the development of a child, and a significant percentage of juvenile crime stems from insufficient education criminals receive in their childhood. Teachers at schools also play an important role in raising the awareness of students about crime. Moral lessons ought not to be neglected in the classroom, and a positive education environment should be promoted, contributing to crime prevention.

In conclusion, it is my opinion that a talk given by ex-offenders, albeit effective, is not the best education method for crime education.

(319 words – by ielts.vinh@gmail.com) 

IELTS Writing Task 2: Some people think that schools should reward students who show the best academic results, while others believe that it is more important to reward students who show improvements. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Some people think that schools should reward students who show the best academic results, while others believe that it is more important to reward students who show improvements. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Giving encouragement is a necessary practice in every education system. In some countries, a form of awards is often given to those who achieve the highest level of academic attainment, but this is not the most desirable solution, as will now be discussed.

There are those who argue that students with the best academic results should be rewarded. The core of this argument is that this may encourage students to study hard for the best grade, and that those who excel at academic performances should be praised for their efforts. However, only some students who are very smart can be able to come top in formal exams while normal students may think that they are incapable of competing with more intelligent students at all. Therefore, slow students might feel reluctant to bury themselves in study to achieve higher scores.

However, I side with those who believe that schools should reward those who endeavour to study and make great improvements in the educational environment. For example, when I was a child, I often received a small gift from my parents once I scored higher than I did in the previous exam. I still remember that this did make significant contributions to my study and helped me to progress fast in the classroom. Thus, it is suggested that schools take the same action to encourage students to learn. For instance, teachers can simply pay a compliment as the recognition of the efforts that students make during the semester.

In conclusion, it seems to me that schools should reward those who make academic improvements rather than those who score highest in the exam.

(270 words – written by ielts.vinh@gmail.com)