剑桥910考官范文

1、(C9T1 WT2)Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?Traditionally, children have begun studying foreign languages at secondary school, but introducing t

2、hem earlier is recommended by some educationalists. This policy has been adopted by some educational authorities or individual schools, with both positive and negative outcomes.The obvious argument in its favor is that young children pick up languages much more easily than teenagers. Their brains ar

3、e still programmed to acquire their mother tongue, which facilitates learning another language, and unlike adolescents, they are not inhabited by self-consciousness.The greater flexibility of the primary timetable allows for more frequent, shorter sessions and for a play-centered approach, thus main

4、taining learners' enthusiasm and progress. Their command of the language in later life will benefit from this early exposure, while learning other languages subsequently will be easier for them. They may also gain a better understanding of other cultures.They are, however, some disadvantages. Pr

5、imary school teachers are generalists, and may not have the necessary language skills themselves. If specialists have to be brought in to deliver these sessions, the flexibility referred to above is diminished. if primary language teaching is not standardized, secondary schools intake, resultin

6、g in a classroom experience which undoes the earlier gains. There is no advantage if enthusiastic primary pupils become demotivated as soon as they change schools. However, these issues can be addressed strategically within the policy adopted.Anything which encourages language learning benefits soci

7、ety culturally and economically, and early exposure to language learning contributes to this. Young children's innate abilities should be harnessed to make these benefits more achievable.C9 T2 WT1The chart below shows the total number of minutes(in billions)of telephone calls in the UK, divided

8、into three categories, from 1995-2002. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.The chart shows the time spent by UK residents on different types of telephone calls between 1995 and 2002.Local fixed line calls were the highest throug

9、hout the period, rising from 72 billion minutes in 1995 to just under 90 billion in 1998. After peaking at 90 billion the following year, these calls had fallen back to the 1995 figure by 2002.National and international fixed line calls grew steadily from 38 billion to 61 billion at the end of the p

10、eriod in question, though the growth slowed over the last two years.There was a dramatic increase in mobile calls from 2 billion to 46 billion minutes. This rise was particularly noticeable between 1999 and 2002, during which time the use of mobile phones tripled.To sum up, although local fixed line

11、 calls were still the most popular in 2002, the gap between the three categories had narrowed considerably over the second half of the period in question.C9T3WT2Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of sports facilities. Others, however, say that this

12、 would have little effect on public health and that other measures are required. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. A problem of modern societies is the declining level of health in the general population, with conflicting views on how to tackle this worrying trend. One possible sol

13、ution is to provide more sports facilities to encourage a more active lifestyle. Advocates of this believe that todays sedentary lifestyle and stressful working conditions mean that physical activity is no longer part of either our work or our leisure time. If there were easy-to reach local sports c

14、entres, we would be more likely to make exercise a regular part of our lives, rather than just collapsing in front of a screen every evening. The variety of sports that could be offered would cater for all ages, levels of fitness and interests; those with painful memories of PE at school might be ha

15、ppier in the swimming pool than on the football pitch. However, there may be better ways of tackling this problem. Interest in sport is not universal, and additional facilities might simply attract the already fit, not those who most need them. Physical activity could be encouraged relatively cheapl

16、y, for example by installing exercise equipment in parks, as my local council has done. This has the added benefit that parents and children often use them together just for fun, which develops a positive attitude to exercise at an early age. As well as physical activity, high tax penalties could be

17、 imposed on high-fat food products, tobacco and alcohol, as excessive consumption of any of these contributes to poor health. Even improving public transport would help: it takes longer to walk to the bus stop than to the car. In my opinion, focusing on sports facilities is too narrow an approach an

18、d would not have the desired results. People should be encouraged not only to be more physically active but also to adopt a healthier lifestyle in general.C9T4WT1The graph below gives information from a 2008 report about consumption of energy in the USA since 1980 with projections until 2030. The gr

19、aph shows energy consumption in the US from 1980 to 2012, and projected consumption to 2030.Petrol and oil are the dominant fuel sources throughout this period, with 35 quadrillion (35q) units used in 1980，rising to 42q in 2012. Despite some initial fluctuation, from 1995 there was a steady increase

20、. This is expected to continue, reaching 47q in 2030.Consumption of energy derived from natural gas and coal is similar over the period. From 20q and 15q respectively in 1980，gas showed an initial fall and coal a gradual increase，with the two fuels equal between 1985 and 1990. Consumption has fluctu

21、ated since 1990 but both now provide 24q. Coal is predicted to increase steadily to 31q in 2030, whereas after 2014, gas will remain stable at 25q.In 1980, energy from nuclear, hydro- and solar/wind power was equal at only 4q. Nuclear has risen by 3q, and solar/wind by 2. After slight increases, hyd

22、ropower has fallen back to the 1980 figure. It is expected to maintain this level until 2030, while the others should rise slightly after 2025.Overall, the US will continue to rely on fossil fuels, with sustainable and nuclear energy sources remaining relatively insignificant.C10 T1 WT1It is importa

23、nt for children to learn the difference between right ad wrong at an early age. Punishment is necessary to help them learn this distinction. To What extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? What sort of punishment should parents and teachers be allowed to use to teach good behaviour to chi

24、ldren?One Important stage in a childs growth is certainly the development of a conscience, which is linked to the ability to tell right from wrong. This skill comes with time and good parenting, and my firm conviction is that punishment does not have much of a role to play in this. Therefore I have

25、to disagree almost entirely with the given statement.To some extent the question depends on the age of the child. To punish a very young child is both wrong and foolish, as an infant will not understand what is happening or why he or she is being punished. Once the age of reason is reached however,

26、a child can be rewarded for a good behaviour and discouraged from bad. This kind but firm approach will achieve more than harsh punishments, which might entail many negative consequences unintended by the parents. To help child learn the difference between right and wrong, teachers and parents shoul

27、d firstly provide good role modelling in their own behaviour. After that, if sanctions are needed, the punishment should not be of a physical nature, as that merely sends the message that it is acceptable for larger people to hit smaller ones an outcome which may well result in the child starting to

28、 bully others. Nor should the punishment be in any way cruel.Rather, teacher and parents can use a variety of methods to discipline their young charges, such as detention, withdrawal of privileges, and time-out. Making the punishment fit the crime is a useful notion, which would see children being m

29、ade to pick up rubbish they have dropped, clean up graffiti they have drawn, or apologise to someone they have hurt. In these ways responsibility is developed in the child, which leads to much better future behaviour than does punishment. C10 T2 WT2The tables below ive information about sales of Fai

30、rtrade-labelled coffee and bananas in 1999 and 2004 n five European countries. Coffee1999 (millions of euros)2004(millions of euros)UK1.520Switzerland36Denmark1.82Belgium11.7Sweden0.81Bananas1999 (millions of euros)2004(millions of euros)UK1547Switzerland15.5Denmark0.64Belgium1.81Sweden20.9The two t

31、ables contain sales data for Fairtrade coffee and bananas in 1999 and 2004, in five nations of Europe.The first table shows low-level coffee sales in increasing in all five countries, albeit to widely varying degrees. In two places sales increased by the same small amount: 1.8 2 million euros in Den

32、mark, and 0.8-1 million in Sweden. The increment was slightly larger in Belgium, from 1-1.7 million euros. Meanwhile, in Switzerland sales doubled from 3-6 million euros. Finally, in the UK there was an enormous increase, from 1.5-20 million euros.In the second table, it is Switzerland which stands

33、out as buying far more Fairtrade bananas than the other four countries. Swiss sales figures jumped for 15-47 million euros across these five years, while in the UK and Belgium sales only grew from 1-5.5 and from 0.6-4 million euros respectively. Sweden and Denmark showed a different pattern, with fa

34、lls in banana sales from 1.8-1 and 2-0.9 million euros. Comparing the two tables, it is clear that in 1999 Fairtrade coffee sales ranged from 0.8-3 million euros in these five countries , while banana sales also mostly clustered between 0.6-2 million euros, with Switzerland the outlier at a huge 15

35、million euros. By 20044, sales figures for both products had risen across the board, except for Swede and Denmark which recorded drops in banana sales. C10 T3 WT2Countries are becoming more and more similar because people are able to buy the same products anywhere in the world. Do you think this is

36、a positive or negative development?It is said that countries are becoming similar to each other because of the global spread of the same products, which are now available for purchase almost anywhere. I strongly believe that this modern development is largely detrimental to culture and traditions wo

37、rldwide. A countrys history, language and ethos are all inextricably bound up in its manufactured artefacts. If the relentless advance of international brands into every corner of the world continues, these bland packages might one day completely oust the traditional objects of a nation, which would

38、 be a loss of richness and diversity in the world, as well as the sad disappearance of the manifestations of a places character. What would a Japanese tea ceremony be without its specially crafted teapot, or a Fijian kava ritual without its bowl made from a certain type of tree bark?Let us not forge

39、t either that traditional products, whether these be medicines, cosmetics, toy, clothes, utensils or food, provide employment for local people. The spread of multinational products can often bring in its wake a loss of jobs, as people urn to buying the new brand, perhaps thinking it more glamorous t

40、han the one they are used to. This eventually puts old-school craftspeople out of work.Finally, tourism numbers may also be affected, as travelers become disillusioned with finding every place just the same as the one they visited previously. To see the same products in shops the world over is boring, and does not impel visitors to open their wallets in the