Writing Task 1

The chart shows the fluctuations in the numbers of international students attending the
Sydney International Language Centre in 2001.
At the start of the year numbers were quite high at 170, this was because there were a
large number of students in University Preparation (UP) before the March intake. The
student population remained the same until the end of February when 40 graduated from
ELI and took up their offers in Bachelors and Masters courses. In both April and May, 15
extra students enrolled into ELI courses. There was a sharp increase in June when 20 new
students entered UP courses. In July there was only an increase of five students as the
Winter course intake was at the end of July and this was too late for students who were
entering university in the second semester. In comparison to the first semester, there was a
sharp drop in numbers as 50 students left, leaving only 135 students in ELI for August.
From here until the end of the year there was a steady rise in student numbers to a peak of
180 in December.
Overall it shows steady growth when compared to the 2000 enrolments.

An essay comparing and contrasting University education in the

USA and Australia
The Western style of education has gained popularity over the last decade. Many foreign
students come to countries like Australia and the USA to study at university and improve

their employment prospects. In this essay I will briefly compare and contrast these two
countries in terms of their appeal to foreign students.
There are many similarities between the two countries. Firstly they both have a very
multicultural population so it is possible to enjoy food from your own country when
homesickness arises. Also, as they are both large countries it is possible to find an
institution in an area with a climate that suits you. Another similarity is that their tertiary
institutions have a reputation of quality and excellence in academia.
On the other hand there are some appreciable differences. The main one is that education in
the USA is much more expensive than in Australia. However, many students think that it is
worth paying the extra money as some American universities have a world-wide reputation.
Furthermore, as the USA has a much larger population there are a wider range of
institutions to choose from and naturally, a wider range of courses.
To sum up, America offers more choice and a more acknowledged reputation, but at a
higher cost. Australia offers similar quality but is cheaper if you can find the course that you
want.

Argumentative essay about food

A recent theme in the popular media has been the decline in the quality and nutritional
value of the food that we buy. Newspapers in particular warn us of the problems associated
with convenience and take away food, whilst commenting on the spread of advertising
aimed at children. The government and manufacturers are frequently cited as the sole cause
of these problems. Although there are undoubtedly problems associated with current eating
habits it can be seen that the blame rests mainly with the consumer because of the law of
supply and demand. In short, modern shoppers value price and convenience over nutritional
quality.
The most basic law of the market shows us that if a consumer does not need or desire a
particular product, they will not buy it. When the sales of particular products are examined
it is possible to see that sales of convenience foods are always increasing, whilst sales of
basic ingredients are generally decreasing. People buy ready prepared food because it fits
into the busy lives that they have chosen to live, where an extra foreign holiday or a new
car has become more important than the health and welfare of families. This desire for the
trappings of modern life also has other effects on shopping habits. Many families would
prefer to have an up to date computer than to buy nutritional, healthy organic food. To have
both is only possible for the affluent due to the high cost of organic food in developed
nations.
To sum up it can be seen that convenience food has a double economic advantage. It is
cheaper to buy in the first instance, and also allows parents to spend more time earning
money at work. In the past people ate low quality food because they were poor, but now
they do it so they can afford a certain lifestyle and that is not the fault of the
manufacturers.

Argumentative essay on computer games

Computer games have been popular for decades now and many households have at least
one. However it can be seen that playing these games causes social, educational and
personal problems of several kinds both to youngsters and society.
Firstly, youngsters who spend a great deal of time in front of a monitor are not studying,
playing sport, socializing or learning about life. The skills which they need in order to
interact with others and succeed in the real world are not being nurtured. Moreover, studies
have shown that this generation of young males is actually growing less than previous
generations due to lack of exercise. Following from this, they are more likely to be
overweight and less healthy, so more prone to diseases such as diabetes.
In addition, the games themselves are often quite violent and dangerously sexist. For
example, there are games which show graphic fighting scenes where the most brutal is
most applauded. Women are shown as either sexy, but weak, or as improbable amazons.
Violence against women is often part of these games which encourages misogynistic
behavior. The language tends to be violent and sexist which further adds to the problems of
the lack of interaction and social skills.
It is easy to imagine the effects of such games on young minds. If we wish children to grow
up to become well-adjusted members of society, these games should be more tightly
controlled.

Percentage of consumer goods in UK homes

The table shows the percentage of household consumer durables sold in the UK from 1972
to 1983. It can be divided into three groups.
Firstly, a number of appliances were in a high percentage of homes for the entire period.
These included TVs, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and washing machines. TV ownership

was the highest, growing from 93% to 98% over the eleven-year period, while washing
machine ownership, the lowest of this group, increased from 66% to 80%.
The second group included central heating and the telephone and these showed the most
dramatic rise with increases of 27% for central heating and 35% for telephones. At the
beginning of the period these appliances had been present in 37% and 42% of homes
respectively.
The final group shows appliances that were only introduced onto the market during the
period shown. The video recorder was quickly accepted into households, achieving 18%
ownership by 1983. The dishwasher had less impact, with its ownership slowly rising from
3% to 5% between 1978 and 1983.
In all it shows that British households enjoyed an ever-increasing ownership of consumer
durables from 1972 to 1983.