FCE Writing GOLD MAXIMIZER blue (old exam)
INFORMAL LETTER:
Dear Pat,
Thank you for your letter. I’m really pleased to hear that you will be visiting my country. Firstly I would advise you to come by plane, taking one of the many charter flights you can get now. When it comes to choosing between February and September, I prefer September because the weather is still warm then. What’s more, many of the native bird species can be seen in the wetlands near the coast then. So it’s also an excellent time for bird watching.
If you plan to spend most of your time in the countryside, you could stay with my cousin, who has a large country house. If this sounds suitable, please write back and I’ll arrange it.
With best wishes
Aviva (124 words)
STORY
A good day to stay in bed
I knew it was going to be a bad day as soon as I heard the phone ringing at 6 a.m.. I had gone to bed quite late the night before because I had an essay to finish for university.
I picked up the phone and heard my brother’s voice on the end of the line. He lives in New Zealand and had got confused about the time difference. By the time we finished talking it was quite late and I had to really hurry to get ready to go out. I was supposed to be meeting some friends and going on a picnic.
As soon as I stepped outside the front door, I realized that the weather had changed completely. The day before had been sunny and warm but now it was cloudy and quite cold. While I was waiting for the bus it started to rain.
It definitely wasn’t a good day for a picnic so I decided to go home and get some sleep instead. (168 words)
STORY
You have been asked to write a story for a student magazine beginning or ending with the words: “Malcom stuffed the letter back into the envelope and pushed it into his pocket
A change of direction? (p.96)
Malcom had been working for Ibis for nearly five. At first he had really enjoyed the work, but lately he had begun to feel bored and frustrated. That was why he had applied for a job with Macrodisk, a big computer company.
Naturally, Malcom hadn’t said anything to his boss or his colleagues at Ibis. He didn’t think he had a very good chance of getting the Macrodisk job but that morning he found a letter in his mailbox with Macrodisk on the envelope.
Even though there were a lot of people around him at the time, he couldn’t resist opening it. He hadn’t got the job and he was very glad he hadn’t mentioned anything to anyone at Ibis. Malcom stuffed the letter back into the envelope and pushed it into his pocket. (134 words)
ESSAY: Modern technology prevents real communication taking place (p.110)
The Pros and Cons of Technology
Many people believe that technological developments such as the internet and mobile phones stop us communicating with one other. It is certainly true that these developments have brought about major chances in communication but these are both positive and negative.
On the positive side, we have the fact that people can communicate much more easily and quickly. Instead of waiting days, weeks or months to receive a reply to a letter, with text messages and email we sometimes get an answer in a few minutes. We can also send and receive message at any time of the day or night. Furthermore, it doesn’t matter where we are as long as we have access to a computer or mobile phone network.
It is not all positive, however. Firstly, because people are so fascinated by electronic media, they probably spend less time actually talking to their friends and family. Secondly, the speed of communication means we sometimes say things in email or messages that we later regret.
On balance, however, I believe that these innovations have benefited humanity. It is now important to make sure everyone has access to them. (187 words)
ESSAY: Your class has been discussing the value of conserving old parts of your city. Your teacher has now asked you to write a composition giving your opinion of the following statements:
Too much money is being spent on preserving the old part of the town.
Our town centre: is it worth preserving?
Is preserving the old part of our town a good investment? There are different opinions about this issue.
Some people claim that the project has already cost a lot of money, and that even more money will have to be spent. Some of the buildings are actually dangerous and need repairs. This will be very expensive and will almost certainly cost more than the local council say. Furthermore, many young people prefer modern shopping centres and do not even go into the centre of town very often.
However, other people believe that the town centre is well worth preserving. Many believe that once it is renovated it might attract tourists. Furthermore, other people like going there and young people can learn about their past.
To sum up, it seems to me that there are a number of good reasons for going ahead with the conservation project. I am in favour of it because I want my grandchildren to be able to see the old part of the town just as I can today. (180 words)
ARTICLE (informal language):
My Study Dos and Don’ts
We all develop study habits and techniques but have you ever stopped to ask yourself how effective these really are? Here are some things I have learnt about working effectively. Lots of my friends go to the library. To my mind, that’s fine if you like to spend a lot of time outside chatting. If I really want to get some work done, I study on my own. Another thing my friends tell me is that they can study while listening to music. I know I can’t. When I am revising, I turn the music off so that I can keep my mind on what I’m doing. Finally, a lot of students can’t do anything without a computer. Of course computers can be very useful, but I prefer to switch min off while I’m studying so that I won’t be tempted to look at email or interesting webpages. How you learn best is a very personal matter. I think it’s important to try things out for yourself and not just listen to other people. (174 words)
ARTICLE: An international students' magazine is looking for articles on the topic: "What makes a good teacher?" They are offering a prize of £200 for the best article they receive. Write your article in 180 to 200 words
Top Teachers
Almost everyone has a favourite teacher, someone they have really liked and admired, but what is it that makes us say that a certain teacher really is fantastic?
Some people think that it is to do with how friendly and nice the teacher is. For me, what is really important is that the teacher is someone you respect. Another comment students often make is that the teacher’s classes should be fun. Of course, it’s great if you can enjoy learning but I think that a good teacher should help you learn and sometimes that might be a little bit boring. Finally, people say that a good teacher should know a lot. From my point of view, the important thing is that the teachers can communicate what they know and help you to develop your own knowledge.
To sum up, friendly teachers whose classes are great fun and who know a lot are obviously good teachers. Nevertheless, the best teachers for me are the ones you respect and who help you to learn and develop what you know you yourself. (179 words)
Young people today are addicted to junk food. Do you agree? Write us an article
telling us what you think. The best article will be published next month.
Healthy eating: have we forgotten what it means?
Hamburgers, crisps, soft drinks, and sweets: most of us enjoy these things and we eat them from time to time. But have young people exchanged healthier foods for mass-produced rubbish? Many people think that they have.
Of course there are a lot of teenagers and young adults who really enjoy this kind of food. Nevertheless, some of us are very concerned about a healthy diet. We prefer to eat natural foods like fruit and cereals. Others are probably fairly careful about their diet, though they might go out for a pizza or perhaps eat chocolate from time to time. People like this often points out that some so-called junk food is actually quite nutritious.
In balance, although some young people do eat snacks and sweets that are not particularly good for them, other are quite health conscious. (145 words)
REPORT
The director of the place where you study English wants to set up a a new common room for students to use when they are not in class. You have been asked to write a report saying which room in the school should be chosen for the common room, and making suggestions for how it could be made comfortable and attractive.
Report on the New Common Room
Introduction
This report is to recommend a room in the school for a student common room. I interviewed a number of students about this issue and the following were their opinions.
Results
Many students felt the room that is currently used as classroom 3 would make the best common room. It was pointed out that the new building in Malcom Street has brand new classrooms so it is probable that classroom 3 will soon not be needed for teaching purposes. It was generally agreed that the room should be painted and that sofas and easy chairs should be bought as well as a small refrigerator. Posters of pop, film, and sports stars could be used to give the space a personal touch. Finally, a number of people mentioned the fact that a sink would be very useful for washing up coffee mugs and so on.
Conclusion
Although it will be necessary to spend some money doing the room up, it is, in my opinion, the best choice. As we stated earlier, this is an opinion that is shared by many other students. (188 words)
REPORT
The director of the place where you study wants to sell clothing and other gifts for students to buy as souvenirs. You have been asked to write a report saying what items of clothing and gifts should be sold, making suggestions on how the items should be decorated to show that they come from the school.
School Souvenirs
Introduction
I have been asked to write a report on what kind of clothing and gifts should be sold as souvenirs in the school shop. I interviewed a number of students to find out their opinion on this matter.
Results
Many students suggested that sweatshirts and T-shirts with the name of the school would be a good idea. This could even be a picture of the school building or perhaps the school crest. Other students suggested that coffee mugs and bags would also sell well. Another clever suggestion was to make up posters with photos of typical school scenes like the common room or the new classrooms and to sell these.
Conclusion
Most of the suggestions made were things students could wear or use in some other way. In my opinion, anything of this type would be a success, though the poster idea is also a very good one. (151 words)