Table

Hurricanes & Tornadoes

This table gives us information about two strong winds, hurricanes and tornadoes. Both are dangerous and destructive but there are important differences between them.

Firstly, the minimum speed of a hurricane is 74 mph, whereas that of a tornado is 40 mph. On the other hand, the maximum speed of a tornado, 250-300 mph, is higher than that of a hurricane, 155-200 mph. The hurricane is classified on the Saffir-Simpson C1-5 scale, while the tornado is measured on the Fujita F0-F5 scale. Whereas a tornado usually lasts from a few minutes to a few hours, a hurricane can last up to a week. A hurricane can be predicted 2-3 days in advance for a wide area and 6-10 hours beforehand for a locality, but a tornado can be predicted only minutes before it hits. Hurricanes start over warm oceans but tornadoes usually originate over land.

In brief, tornadoes are less predictable, last for a shorter period of time and can reach much higher wind speeds.

165 words

Reflection 3

In an argument essay, it is imperative to show that you can see 2 sides to an argument.

The introduction should state the hypothesis, e.g. smoking is harmful to society.

It is best in the second paragraph to give the opposite of your own point of view, e.g. smoking can be defended in terms of personal freedom of choice.

Then in the third paragraph, state the converse, i.e. your viewpoint, e.g. while smoking in private can perhaps be defended as a personal lifestyle choice, it is indefensible in public places; make sure you state forcibly why.

In a brief conclusion, state both sides of the argument but make your own view clear, as evidence of analysis & critical thinking.

Argument essay

Smoking is harmful to society

This is a view which has become increasingly prevalent worldwide in recent years. Nowadays, around the world, on all airlines and in most public places like cinemas and restaurants, smoking is strictly prohibited.

There are, of course, still many people who smoke and they often justify this by saying that it is a matter of individual freedom. They argue that they have a right to spend their money as they wish. They say, furthermore, that smoking gives them pleasure and that it even has benefits, such as helping them to relax and relieve stress. I personally can sympathise with this point of view and I certainly believe in freedom of choice and action as long as this does not impinge on the freedom of others. This is the crucial point: I believe people should have the right to smoke but only in private.

The fact is that smoking in public places causes distress and discomfort to non-smokers. It’s not just a question of discomfort. The scientific facts that smoking damages health are undeniable. The evidence of the links between smoking and respiratory diseases and heart problems is irrefutable. Governments began to realise this over half a century ago and the first steps they took were to ban TV advertising of tobacco products and to force cigarette manufacturers to post health warnings on their packets. It is not just active smoking but also passive smoking that causes health problems and that is why, worldwide, we see moves to ban smoking in public places.

While it is important to respect individual freedom it is clear that smoking is harmful to society and should therefore be prohibited in public places.

282 words.

Problem/solution essays

These should be divided into 4 paragraphs:

1. Introduction: state the problem, e.g.traffic congestion is a major problem in large cities around the world. Abu Dhabi is no exception and here the situation is made worse by chronic parking problems on the island of A.D.

2. Examine the causes of the problem, e.g. population growth, massive & rapid economic development, etc.

3. List the possible solutions to the problem, e.g. road improvements, developing public transport, etc.

4. State which of the solutions you feel would be the most viable.

This is important as it shows evidence of analysis and critical thinking.

Reflection 2

We use a 4-paragraph format for Compare & Contrast, viz

1) Introduction: state which 2 things you are going to compare and contrast.

2) Compare the similarities: at least 3 or 4.

3) Contrast the differences: again at least 3 or 4.

4) Say whether the differences outweigh the similarities, or vice versa.

State which you prefer, or look at the merits/demerits of both. For example, with small
town/village v big city, say what you like about each. You can be positive about both.

It's important to express your own ideas/opinions if you want to get above the
minimum pass grade.

Population graph

Proportion of Population over 65 & under 25 in 2007

The bar graph shows the proportion of the population over 65 and under 25 in six countries in 2007.

The proportion over 65 was highest in Spain, at nearly 40%, followed closely by France and then Wales. The country with the smallest proportion of the population over 65 was Egypt, with 20%. France and Sain had the lowest proportion under 25, both with about 20%. The country with the highest proportion, over 40%, of people under 25 was Egypt, closely followed by Tunisia. In third and fourth place were Wales and Turkey. One interesting fact is that Turkey had exactly the same proportion over 65 as under 25.

In summary, Wales was the only European country with a higher proportion of younger people than older. Egypt and Tunisia had the highest proportions of younger people, while Spain and France had the highest proportions of older folk.

146 words

Reflection 1

Describing graphs.

We use a basic 3-paragraph construction, i.e. introduction, c. 25 words, main body, c. 100 words, and conclusion, c. 25 words.

We started with pie charts, then moved on to bar graphs, tables & line graphs.

The line/time graph of busy times on the London Underground/tube (on HD1 website) gives useful vocabulary to the moving cursor.

It's important not just to describe the graphs/charts but also to extrapolate some kind of generalisation or observation of an outstanding trend or feature of the graph/table.

Bar graph: city growth

Growth of urban agglomerations, 1950-2015.

The chart shows the population of nine major cities over the past sixty years, and the projected level in five years time.

The only city where the population has fallen is London, from about 8M in 1950 to around 7M in 2000; it’s projected to remain the same in 2015. New York’s population rose steadily, from about 12M in 1950 to around 16M in 2000, rising to 17M by 2015. The other seven cities have all witnessed more dramatic growth. From 2.5M in 1950, Cairo is forecast to reach 14M by 2015. Mexico City is forecast to reach almost 20M, from about 3M in 1950, Shanghai nearly 15M, from 5M, and Sao Paolo 20M, from about 3M. Bombay and Tokyo are predicted to top 25M, from 3.5M and 7M respectively. Perhaps the most dramatic rise is Lagos, with a predicted 24M in 2015, from less than a million in 1950.

Only London has a fall in population, 1950-2015. New York shows a gradual increase, while the other seven cities all show spectacular growth.

169 words

Traffic/parking in Abu Dhabi

Traffic congestion and parking problems in Abu Dhabi.

Problem & solution essay.

Traffic congestion and parking problems are faced by most large cities around the world, and Abu Dhabi is no exception.

The main overall reason for these problems in Abu Dhabi is the rapidly expanding population. More people means more drivers and thus more cars on the roads. Many of these drivers are young and inexperienced which means more accidents and more hold-ups. Another factor is Abu Dhabi's rapid economic development over the past few decades. More industrialisation means more business and so more commercial vehicles, many of them large and slow-moving. There are now many more new, high-rise buildings but they haven't all been constructed with adequate parking space and this has led to massive parking problems in the business district. The fact that Abu Dhabi is an island with limited space for transport development has further added to the problem.

One obvious solution is to improve the existing road network by constructing more bridges, overpasses and underpasses to ease traffic flow. Another possible solution is to improve public transport, with better bus services and a new rail network, as in Dubai with its new metro. Yet another possibility is for the authorities, as in Singapore, to make motoring more expensive, through higher registration fees, restrictions on where and when motorists may use their cars, etc.

The first solution is already underway, an example being the recently opened underpass on Salam Street, near Khalifa Park. Similarly, public bus services have been much improved recently. The problem with regard to greater restrictions on motorists is that many people will see them as an attack on individual liberty and no doubt they would prove unpopular, at least to begin with. With regard to solving parking problems, the existing rules regarding new buildings having adequate parking space, preferably underground, must be strictly enforced.

300 words.

Date Production in 2001

Date producing countries in 2001

Top 10 date-producing countries

The bar graph shows date production in tonnes for the world's top producers in 2001. Ten countries in the Gulf region and North Africa are featured.

First, Egypt was responsible for the lion's share of production, with over a million tonnes, but Iran was a close second, with almost 0.9 million. Following them came the UAE and Saudi Arabia, rivalling each other with about 740,000 tonnes each. Pakistan and Iraq, with outputs of approximately 630,000, were not far behind. The rest of the nations, however, were far less productive. Algeria supplied the world with nearly 400,000 tonnes and Oman around quarter of a million. In contrast, the harvests in Libya and Sudan were far less plentiful, yielding under 0.2 million each.

In summary, date production was most abundant in Egypt and Iran. In contrast, the countries with the smallest output were Libya and Sudan.

148 words

US diet

Changes in the US diet

The two pie charts, one for 1990 and the other for 2005, show the changes in the average diet in the USA.

There are four main food categories in both charts: fat, sugar, protein and starches. The protein intake in 2005 was identical to that in 1990, at 12%. In the other three categories, however, there were striking changes. First, the consumption of sugar dropped significantly, from 24% in 1990 to 15% in 2005. Similarly, the consumption of fat fell from 42% to 30%. But the most dramatic feature of the two charts is the average intake of starches, which almost doubled, from 22% in 1990 to 43% in 2005.

As we can see, the most significant changes in the US diet between 1990 and 2005 were the fall in the consumption of fat and sugar and the dramatic increase in the intake of starches. The changes reflect the trend towards a healthier diet.

153 words