GENERAL TRAININGÂ WRITINGÂ PRACTICE TEST 02 (TIME ALLOWED: 1 hour)
WRITING TASK 1
You should spend no more than 20 minutes on this task.
An Australian colleague is going to your country for a conference. He/She will spend several days in your home town, and has written a letter to you asking for advice about things to see and do there.
Write a letter to the colleague suggesting what he/she should see and do while he/she is in your home town.
You should write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write your own address.
Band 8.0 Model Answer:
Dear Dr. Milson,
 Thank you for your letter.I was very pleased to hear you will be visiting Jakarta and hope the following information will help you to enjoy your stay.
 First of all, Jakarta is a big and busy city, the centre of government and business. There are many international quality hotels and restaurants as well as shopping centres, markets and entertainment places.
 However, I think you would like to see some places that are unique to my country. I know you are interested in art and history so firstly I suggest you visit Monas, which is the Independence monument. Secondly, not far from Monas you can find the National Museum which has a large collection of art, textiles and other cultural items.
 Other interesting places are a ‘wayang’ museum, which features our unique shadow-puppet dramas, and Pasar Ikan (the fish market) where you can see traditional fishing boats.
 I hope these suggestions have been helpful. As you only have a short time in Jakarta, you probably will not be able to do much more sightseeing. But if I can help in any other way, please let me know.
Yours sincerely,
Ari
WRITING TASK 2
You should spend no more than 40 minutes on this task.
As part of a class assignment you have been asked to write about the following topic.
In Western countries, people spend a lot of money’ on their pets. They buy special food for their cats or dogs, buy them toys and often pay high fees for medical treatment. Some people think this is a waste of money’, and argue that pets are dirty and dangerous.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a pet? Do people spend too much money on pets?
Give reasons for your answer.
You should write at least 250 words.
SAMPLE ESSAY 1:
Human beings have had an extremely close connection with animals since our earliest history. Animals provide us with food and other necessary sources of living. In respond to this, we raise and create good living environment for them. Thus having a pet has been very popular in most countries. People all over the world raise pets, take care of them and spend a lot of money on them. This has led to some points of views that pets do not deserve to be spent such a huge amount of money, and that they are dangerous and useless.
Nonetheless, they absolutely cannot deny all the positive benefits pets bring to us. Firstly, as animals, they are functional in many ways. A dog protects your house from thieves and bad strangers, cats catch mice, and a small pool of fish does make your house more beautiful and lively. Obviously, when we have an intention of raising a pet, we will have to consider the advantages of this pet, and these functions appear in our mind that way. Secondly, pets take a significant role in our mental life. Taking dogs for a walk is an efficient way of relaxation, or playing with cats does help entertain ourselves. From early on, people have regarded pets as close friends, and even members in their family. They make us happier, and help us stay away from loneliness.
Pets are good, but this does not mean that they don’t go along with troubles. To many people, pets are very dirty and dangerous. Dogs can make easily make house disorganized or messy as they are always energetic everywhere. Furthermore, it is not pleasant at all to be bitten by this animal or allergic to cats’ fur. In addition to this, pets can sometimes give us some diseases, if they are not protected carefully. However, such disadvantages seem to pale in comparison with the gorgeous benefits they have brought. So what is the real matter people are concerning about pets? They do take us a lot of money. Expenditure on food, medical treatment and other products for pets are always considerably financial problems, especially to poor families. And more seriously, there is a fact that many rich people, like famous stars or businessmen, treat their pets much even well than they treat other people. They provide their pets with a luxurious life by spending hundreds of dollars, which can have been used in a more beneficial way to help other disadvantaged people. Though it is true that pets deserve to receive the best care from their owners, it is unfair to a large number of people who suffer from misery as well as financial difficulties in life.
The issue still continues causing a lot of controversy, and as far as I can see, it is important to be subjective when considering the role as well as negative aspects of pets on our lives. Animals are very crucial to the mankind, so the awareness of their importance and of how to spend money on them in proper ways is advisable.
MODEL ANSWER 2:
   In many Western homes people keep a dog or cat or some other kind of pet. While this does involve some expense in terms of good food and medical treatment, there are still many advantages to keeping a pet.
   First of all, pets are good companions. This is especially important for people who live alone and for older people who do not go out much. Some pets can also help to protect the house from thieves. Secondly, dogs and cats like to play and can give hours of amusement to children and adult. Taking care of an animal also helps children to develop responsible attitudes and to learn about nature. Finally, the actual expense of keeping an animal is not that high, and they can eat the leftovers of family meals.
   Some people claim pets are dirty. I don’t think this is altogether true. Responsible pet owners keep their pets clean and healthy so they do not smell bad. People also say that some pets, like large dogs, can be dangerous. There have been cases of dogs attacking and seriously injuring small children. However, these cases are uncommon and are the result of bad owners. These people don’t train their dogs properly or actually encourage them to be aggressive. So, the problems of pets being unclean and dangerous are in fact the problems of the owners, not the pets themselves.Â
   To sum up, there are more advantages than disadvantages to keep a pet, especially for lonely people and children. In most cases, therefore, the cost is justified.
