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05.09.2024, 22:49 Ready for C2 Proficiency Student's Book Classroom Presentation

READY FOR WRITING
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Writing Part 1 Essay
Read the two texts below.

Write an essay summarising and evaluating the key points from both texts. Use your own
words throughout as far as possible, and include your own ideas in your answer.
Write your Essay.

BUY CLEVER, NOT OFTEN

We need to all take a long hard look at our mindset and alter our consumption
habits. Globally, people are buying more and more without giving a thought to
where all these products end up when their usefulness runs out. Landfills don’t
have unlimited capacity, and our resources are not infinite. For this reason,
instead of chasing after the latest fashions and gadgets every season, we should
focus on buying goods of quality that will stand the test of time. In this way, each
and every one of us can do our bit to ensure a more sustainable future.
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PURCHASING: FAR FROM LUXURY
We may be buying goods with increasing frequency, but for many,
rather than a luxury, this can often be due to necessity. The ‘Boots’
theory, imagined in a Terry Pratchett book, explains how people with
lower incomes can’t afford quality products that last longer, and so
are trapped in a cycle of having to opt for lower quality equivalents,
which need replacing more frequently. This costs them more money
in the long run. We just need to look at the abundance of throwaway
fashion and cheap gadgets that are constantly being snapped up to https://english0905.com/private/
understand how frequently this happens today.

Model answer

Opening statement to The high rate of consumerism is a modern problem that has no immediate solution.
engage the interest of
Where goods are readily available at a cheap price, there will always be people willing
the reader
to pay for them. However, the reasons behind these high levels of consumption are
arguably far from clear cut.
Hedging to make the
opinion more reasonable
The first text appears to put the blame for overconsumption firmly on the shoulders of Use of a specific
and less subjective
reporting verb to
the consumer, indicating that people should think more carefully about their spending
show the writer
and its associated environmental effects. The writer implies that buyers whimsically
understands what
follow trends with no concern for the wider world. However, their suggestion that the
the text explicitly
solution lies in buying quality items is perhaps a little unrealistic: modern items are states, and what is
simply not built to last. One idea could be involving customers in a more sustainable suggested.
product life cycle, where the majority of components are reused or recycled.
The second text states that the consumption habits of many people stem from
necessity, describing a vicious circle in which low-income earners cannot afford up-
Summary of text 2
front investment in quality items, and therefore are left with little choice but to buy
cheaper and more often. This argument holds a lot of weight, as the price difference
between low-cost and premium items can be incomparable. Nonetheless, it also
Writer’s opinion
oversimplifies the issue, disregarding the fact that shopping and trend following
on text 2
are also social activities. To really mitigate overconsumption, we must stop and ask
ourselves more often, ‘do I actually need this?’
In conclusion, while the current cycle of consumption may be set to stay, shoppers
should consider how to dispose of their items more responsibly, as well as consider
whether their purchases are in fact necessary in the first place.
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