Model answer
A high band model answer to a real Task 2 question, with the task it answers. 40 minutes, at least 250 words.
This is a model answer to a real Task 2 question. Read the task first, write your own answer, and only then read the model. Reading it first tells you very little about your own writing.
A model answer shows you the target. It does not show you the gap between your answer and that target, which is why the band sample answers with corrections are worth reading alongside it.
The task
Write your own answer before reading the model.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Compared to previous generations, an increasing number of people are traveling overseas for holidays. Why is this? Is this a positive or negative trend?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
The answer
Written at the length the test actually asks for.
There are a number of factors which explain the rising tendency for people to take trips overseas for pleasure, and this has both advantages and disadvantages as will now be discussed.
Innovations in technology have made overseas travel not only faster, but also more accessible for those on a limited budget, meaning that in some cases a family can holiday in a different country with less inconvenience and a better price than staying in their home country. A flight from the UK to Spain, for example, can be accomplished in less time than it takes to get from one side of England to the other.
One of the clearest advantages here is that it gives people the opportunity to experience different cultures and customs, giving a broader perspective of the world. By visiting other countries, people become more understanding and tolerant of other cultures, and can learn to appreciate the cultural differences that exist. There are also benefits for the holiday itself, as many people tend to holiday in destinations that have better weather.
However, there are disadvantages for the country, as citizens are spending their money overseas rather than in the domestic market. However, this is negated by the fact that although people leave their own country for a holiday, other people visit their country for the same reason. In New Zealand, for example, money spent overseas by people leaving the country is replaced by those who visit the country for their holiday.
To conclude, advances in technology have given the consumer more choice in overseas holidays, and this has both positive and negative ramifications.
266 words
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