Task 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You have just returned from a trip and think you have left your camera in the hotel.
Write a letter to the Hotel Manager. In your letter:
- explain the circumstances
- ask if they could look for your camera
- say what you would like the hotel to do
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear…
Write at least 150 words.
Dear Sir or Madam,
I have recently returned from a short stay in your hotel as part of the Kirra Tours tour group. Having returned home, I was looking to show my photographs to a friend when I realised I had left the camera in your hotel.
I was staying in Room 14, but I am not exactly sure where I may have left the camera. It might have been in the room, but I think I last had it in the restaurant at breakfast on the 14th – the day our party checked out.
I would really appreciate it if you could ask the staff to have a look for me. It’s a silver Canon DS40 digital camera in a small black camera case. I have my address written inside the camera case, so I hope that will help locate it.
If you find it, would you mind posting it back to my address? I would be more than happy to pay for the postage, but it’s a
little far for me to come and collect it.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Brian Wakefield.
(170 words)
Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Figures show that some countries have an increasing proportion of the population who are aged 60 or older.
What do you think the effects of this may be?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
In many countries, improvements in health care and a better awareness of healthy living now means that people are living longer, leading to a rise in the number of people aged 60 or beyond. There are a number of effects that this will have both immediate and in the near future, as will now be explained.
The primary issue that this trend is likely to have is the higher percentage of people that have retired and may require pensions or other financial support which will need to be covered by the taxpayer. In the UK, for example, it is estimated that the number of people due to retire or currently retired will cost the country 40% of tax revenue, leaving less for other sectors such as education.
Another concern relating to the increasing number of people over 60 is the potential limitation this may impose on the younger generation looking to get started in their career. Finding work will become more difficult as there will be increased pressure for jobs. This may mean that companies do not recruit younger staff, which in turn may lead to a loss of new ideas and fresher ways of thinking.
However, this is not to say that an increasing percentage of the population over 60 is an entirely negative aspect. Many people reaching their sixties have had many years working in a variety of different occupations, and may bring with them a pool of experience that the younger generation alone cannot offer. This has the potential to allow companies to develop their business with the wider range of knowledge and skills available among their staff.
In summary, a rising elderly population is likely to have significant financial effects in the future, demographic changes that may require a reconsideration of the age of retirement.
(259 words)