Dear Sir or Madam,

I am Adam Leeds, a participant in the Effective Recruiting Management Course that your university has organised. I am writing this letter to complain about some inconveniences that I am facing with the room that I was allotted to stay in during my course.

Before I joined the course, I applied for single-room accommodation in writing. I also mentioned that I would prefer to stay near the university, not far away from it. Unfortunately, I was given a shared room that I have been sharing with another student for the last couple of weeks. Moreover, it is at least 35 minute’s walking distance from the building where our classes are conducted.

The room is not large enough to support the healthy living of two persons, and its ventilation system is dreadful. Fresh air and sunlight can hardly get in. The room has crowded with two beds, two desks and it does not have adequate space. On top of that, my roommate has frequent visitors who often stay overnight. This interrupts my studies and privacy.

I thought I was getting a single room with enough sunlight and airflow and which would not be far away from the campus. Instead, a shared accommodation was arranged for me that has a poor ventilation system. So I would highly appreciate it if you could arrange for me a single and large room that has a proper ventilation system and enough airflow. The room I need should be conducive to healthy living and serious study.

I look forward to getting your support regarding this matter. Thank you in advance.

Yours faithfully,

Adam Leeds

The pictures illustrate the changes, which have taken place at West Park secondary school from 1950 to 2010.

Firstly, significant alterations occurred to the farmland, it was redesigned to a sports field in 1980 and then to a car park in 2010. There was an expansion of the car park in 2010 and the sport field was placed between the car park and the playground.

Moreover, substantial changes happened to the houses. They were removed from the map, car park and science block taking their place.

Furthermore, a science block was added to the school building in 1980 and playground was reduced in size. However, the locations of the playground and school were not modified.

In contrast, the main road remained unchanged throughout the period.

Overall, farmland and houses disappeared from the map, playground was abridged, and there were built science block, car park and sports field.

(151 words)

Dear Sir,

I am writing with regards to the complaint I made to you on 25th October concerning the stay I had at your hotel the previous night.

You may remember that on the day in question, you had a serious problem with your central heating system and that there was a great deal of noise, which started as early as 5 o’clock in the morning. Not surprisingly, this resulted in a very poor night’s sleep for my wife and me. We complained about this to you when we checked out. You agreed that we had a cause to complain and assured me that you would be contacting us regarding compensation.

It has now been three weeks since that conversation and we have yet to hear from you. Could you please confirm that this issue is being dealt with? I would also be grateful if you could let me know when we can expect to be told the amount of compensation we will be receiving.

I look forward to hearing from you very soon.

Yours faithfully,
Rick Carter

(178 words)

The two pie charts draw the conclusion of a survey of boys’ and girls’ cultural and leisure activities.

Overall, equal quantities of both sexes enjoyed listening to music, but a dramatically larger number of girls liked reading. There were also many differences in terms of the children’s preferred sports.

Turning to the first chart, we can observe that boys prefer playing computer games (34% participation rate) than taking other activities. Playing basketball comes as the second most popular leisure, practiced by almost a third of male children. Basketball is followed by soccer, which is exercised by 17%. Skateboarding and listening to music are less preferable activities, chosen by 11% and 10% of boys respectively. Reading, the least popular cultural activity among boys, represents only two percent.

Taking a closer look at the second chart, we can see that girls’ most preferred activity is dancing, being 27% of the total. In contrast to the boys’ preferences, reading is chosen by more than a fifth of all girls. Although percentage of female children who play computer games is roughly twice less than that of boys (16%), this activity is third most popular on the girls’ chart. With a slight difference between computer games and netball, the latter is practiced at 15% rate. Similarly to skateboarding popularity among boys, 11% of girls go in for gymnastics. Listening to music comes as the least popular leisure, with a proportion of 10%, equal to those on the first chart.

(244 words)

Dear Sir or Madam,

Hope I did not catch you at a busy time since I am sure that you have many other important priorities at work to take care of. But, the issue, I want to raise here, is also equally important for our office staff.

The reason for which I am writing this letter is that our office does not have any cafeteria for its staff where they can go and sit to enjoy some snacks, drinks and food. Now, this would not really be much of an issue if they did not have to walk about 10-12 minutes to grab something for them when they need something to eat or drink during their short breaks and thus collectively waste many important work hours. Besides, going out like this just to get some snacks or get a cup of coffee is rather inconvenient for us, especially, when the weather condition is not favourable.

Therefore, I would like to request you to set up a staff cafeteria in the large empty room at the corner of our office, which remains unused most of the time. That will make sure that our staff have at least one less issue to worry about when trying to be more productive and efficient at work.

I hope you will consider the issue and arrange to set up a cafeteria soon. Thank you in advance.

Yours faithfully,

Austin Arkins

Globalization has had a considerable effect on the world in the last few decades. While some people believe that these effects are all positive it can also be argued that globalization is destroying the identity of many countries in the world. This is because aspects of our lives such as entertainment, communication, products and business are similar in many parts of the world. This essay will argue that globalization is destroying national identity for three reasons.

Firstly, in terms of entertainment young people are less interested in their local culture and this could have dangerous consequences. If young people do not know about their cultural heritage they will not understand the older generation. As a result, there could be serious communication breakdowns within cultures.

In addition, globalization has produced large corporations which often prevent local businesses from making money. Many people only want to buy branded products from these international companies. Unless governments do something to limit the influence of these companies, local businesses will continue to disappear.

Finally, there is the problem of language. Due to globalization English has become the most important language in the world and many languages are beginning to die out. This is a negative aspect of globalization and could have serious consequences in the future. If everyone has to speak English in the future and not their own native language, the way we communicate could start to change in a negative way.

In conclusion, globalization is having negative effects on national identity and people should focus more on their local culture. If we allow globalization to continue to dominate local cultures, in the future we will have a better world.

(276 words)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter in response to a recent vacancy announcement at your museum in which you have asked for people to do part-time voluntary or unpaid work, I would like to work for your museum as a volunteer, and I am hoping that you would give me the opportunity.

I am interested in availing this great opportunity because I think that it would allow me to learn some great skills to have a better career in the future. Besides, it would also help me understand many important parts of my country’s history which I would probably never know otherwise.

Regarding my skills, I have good computer skills, and I also know how to work well in a team environment with other people. Besides, I have taken an art history class in high school to help me understand and appreciate the value of artworks. On top of that, I also live close to your museum which would really make it easy for me to commute. So, if you choose to hire me for this voluntary position, I will work hard to add value to your team.

I am available to work every day from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm except on Sunday, and if you decide to hire me, I can start right away.

I am hoping to hear a positive response from you.

Yours faithfully,

John Bold

The two charts give information about the gender and number of athletes who have entered the Games since they started. The bar chart illustrates the number of men and women entering the Games, whereas the line graph shows the number of participants.

It is evident from the bar chart that, until 2012, there were always significantly more men entering the Games than women. In 1924 and 1952, there were hardly any women entering the Games, yet in 1952 there were over 4,000 male participants. In 2012, however, the number of female athletes rose significantly to nearly 5,000, only approximately 1,000 lower than male participants.

The line graph shows a similar trend, with the number of participants increasing throughout the century. The most significant increase occurred between 1984 and 2012, when the number of athletes rose from just over 6,000 to over 10,000 in 2012.

To summarise therefore, since 1924 the number of athletes entering the Olympic Games, has increased dramatically. This is particularly the case for women, who are now represented in nearly the same numbers as male participants.

(179 words)

Dear Diro,

Hope you are in good health and spirit. I felt so happy to receive your letter last week. Anyway, you will be glad to know that I have bought a nice gift, actually, a wristwatch for you when I went to visit Switzerland about a couple of weeks ago.

I know how you have always loved to wear a wristwatch, especially one from Europe. So I have bought one for you, which is gorgeous and classy in my taste. Housed in a beautiful platinum case, this watch has a shiny, dark silver colour strap. Besides, its crystal perfectly matches with its hour markers inside which illuminate nicely in the dark. It is made by “Tissot”, one of the renowned watch brands in Switzerland.

I chose this gift because not only it will look good on you, but also because it won’t get damaged quickly due to excessive sweating, especially, when I know how profusely you sweat during the summer, I also thought it would be a good gift from my tour for you.

I think I am going to mail this watch in a courier service which should be delivered to you in the next couple of days. Please let me know whether I should courier to your home or office address.

Take care and stay fine.

Warm wishes,

Darling David

Medical care over the past century has improved dramatically. As a consequence, the world’s population is increasingly living Long into old age. Is this having a harmful effect on societies across the globe, or are there more benefits than drawbacks?

One obvious issue with an ageing population is that it can create enormous demands on a nation’s health service. As people live longer into their old age, the chances of them suffering from serious illnesses increases. As a result, the likelihood of them requiring medical treatment becomes higher, and it becomes more difficult to provide care for everyone. A further downside is that living longer does not necessarily bring happiness. By this I mean, an older person is unable to do many of the activities that they want to do, leading to the likelihood of depression and a deterioration in their physical health.

Having said that, one obvious benefit to people living longer is that young people can benefit for a longer time from the wisdom handed down to them by older members of their families. In today’s fast-paced world, it is often comforting to seek advice from older generations. Consequently, the physical health of a grandparent is almost irrelevant, as the children and grandchildren will benefit from the experience of an older mind. What is more, retired people today are generally much healthier than they have ever been, and often enjoy their lives more than they did when they were young. They have the best of both worlds – a family that can care for and look up to them, and better health than at any time in human history.

Weighing up both sides of the argument again, although there are a number of problems that old age brings – predominantly health-related – the benefits that it brings to the family unit and to society as a whole are impossible to ignore.

(313 words)

Dear Mills

I have recently become aware of a course called Social Media Marketing Essentials and I am writing to ask for your support in taking this course. It is a five-day intensive program being offered by the Business Leadership Association and it starts on Monday 15 February. I believe the course would be of great benefit to our company as we have been recently considering how to build up our social media presence and attract more customers online. After reading reviews by former participants, I think this Social Media course will help me professionally in my capacity as Communications Manager and make a real difference to our company.

For these reasons, I am requesting paid leave from 15-20 February to attend the course. It would be helpful if other team members did not take leave at this time; so far nobody else has applied. I believe this will not be a particularly busy time at work, but I am prepared to spend some time working on those evenings if needed.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best wishes
Nuel Macdonald

(183 words)

The maps outline the changes that took place in a public park called Grange Park from 1920 to today. Overall, the park was changed and renovated to offer people more possibilities than they used to have decades ago such as a cafe, theatre, playground and parking.

In details, the park was opened in 1920 and entertainment facilities including a larger stage and various areas for recreation have since been added to it. There was also notable relocation in terms of seats and the only areas that remained unchanged were the entrances and one minor garden. Besides, the fountain has been removed in favour of a rose garden with full seating arrangements around it. To the left of the new garden, the previous stage for musicians has been turned into a much larger amphitheatre facing the opposite direction that will allow for concerts in the park. This change has necessitated the removal of both seatings on the far left side as well as the rose garden in the bottom left corner of the map.

Moreover, the pond for water plants was removed from the right -top part of the garden and a children’s play area was introduced in the right-top of the park, and near this area, a cafe was built. Instead of the pond, a water feature has been built occupying the bottom right corner. Interestingly, the number of rose gardens was reduced to two. Besides, an underground car park was built in the lower right corner of the park.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am a resident of Boundary Road and I have recently read in the local newspaper that a shopping centre is going to be built near where I live.

This news was rather a surprise to me. I have been living in Boundary Road for five years now and it has always been a very quiet street with very few tall buildings, I think a construction like this will change the atmosphere of the area considerably and, like many other residents I have spoken to, I am not at all happy about it.

I think people who live in the area have a right to know more about the plan before it goes ahead, so I would like to request further details regarding the dates of the planned building work and the size of the centre. Also, I sincerely hope you are planning to provide a car park, as otherwise parking will become very difficult for everyone in the area.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Jude Harrison

(175 words)

The diagram outlines the process of electricity production in a hydroelectric power station. The process begins when the water flows from the river into a high-level reservoir and ends with the transmission of electricity to the national grid.

In general, the process is broadly distributed into day and night stages with the daylight stages involving electricity production from a river and storage of water in a reservoir. At night, the water flows back in the opposite direction towards an initial reservoir and the river.

The day stage of the process involves channelling the river water into a high-level reservoir backed up by a dam. There is an intake area leading to the power station that opens during the day and closes at night. Water flows during the day to generate electricity through the power station turbines. The generated electricity is then sent to a national grid through power lines while the excess water runs to a low-level reservoir.

During the night stage, the water stored in the low-level reservoir is reverted to the power station and the turbines of the generator pump it back into the high-level reservoir which is closed during the night. The river water is stored at the upper level and later it flows down, starting the cycle again.

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is John Nordstrom and I have been renting the flat on Parkway Boulevard from you for the past six months. As I’m sure you are aware I have been a good tenant during this period. I always pay my rent on time and look after the flat.

My rental agreement with you was for one year and the contract ends in January. Unfortunately, I have just heard that I will need to leave the flat in November, which is, in fact, two months early. The reason for this is that my manager has asked me to go back to Germany earlier than planned and I am afraid this is beyond my control.

As I am now unable to stay here until the end of the contract, I would be extremely grateful if you could release me from it early. I’m aware that this is not normally allowed but I hope you can understand my situation and still return my deposit.

Yours faithfully,
Frank Coventry

Whether or not tourist destinations benefit from international tourism is a debatable issue. To sonic governments, the local economic benefits are worth the overcrowding and hiked prices of the tourist season. However, there are environmental and social costs and other risks of relying on tourism as a major source of annual income.

Sleepy coastal communities can be changed beyond recognition by mass-market tourism. Package holiday companies operate huge numbers of low-cost flights to high-rise hotels in developing countries every summer. This means, of course, that easy money can be had servicing this seasonal influx and the government sees increased tax revenue and local employment. However, when the tourist season comes to an end, employment ceases and the area becomes a ghost town. The social cohesion of a small community can also be blighted by the seasonal migration of people to the cities to look for work out of season, leaving only the elderly behind. This is perhaps made worse by second home owners, who drive up house prices beyond the means of local inhabitants.

On the other hand, the local community do gain language skills and other fringe benefits of cultural exchange. Such a large volume of travellers every year can cause environmental problems to fragile habitats and historical sites. Age-old stone remains can be worn away and traditional buildings demolished in favour of bland international hotels. Local infrastructure can also fail to cope with large numbers of visitors, leading to pollution and litter. However, over time this can change as the economy improves and tourism becomes more of an established industry. Local government investment in infrastructure should ensure repeat trade and further benefits for the economy.

Overall, tourism can be a good source of income for countries blessed with natural beauty or sites of historical interest. However, governments must ensure that the wishes of local businesses are not put before the needs of the local community and that any revenue generated by tourism is reinvested in the area to protect the local environment.

(334 words)

Dear Jerry,

Hope this letter finds you in good health and spirit. I sure also would like to thank you for trusting me with such an important matter. So, here is what I have to say in response to your queries about the Pharmacy course at Monash University.

I understand that you also want to pursue a bachelor degree in Pharmacy from Monash University which I attended. By the way, pharmacy is not an easy subject since it involves very complex techniques and skills of preparing and dispensing medicines or drugs, and thus saving human life also. Students attending pharmacy degrees will learn how different types of drugs affect the human body and mind and how they interact when mixed together. Of course, the good thing is that the university, you are choosing, has some of the best pharmacy syllabuses, faculty members and laboratory facilities to teach you just what you need to succeed.

So, just visit the university website at www.monash.edu to learn more about how to apply online, or just call the admission officer to ask him or her to send you the admission form and other necessary papers in the mail, if you want to proceed further.

Take care. See you soon.

Warm wishes,

Fred

The column graph summarises the percentages of elderly citizens in the USA who were above 64 years old between 1900 and 2000 based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s decennial census of population data.

Generally speaking, the ratio of senior citizens in the USA increased significantly over the period, and 65 to 74 years old citizens were the highest in percentage in terms of their ratio among the elderly Americans.

According to the graph, four out of hundred Americans were above 64 years old in 1900 and the majority of them were between 65 to 74 years old at that time. Moreover, the ratio of people over 85 years old in this decade was very insignificant. After three decades, however, the elderly people’s ratio in the US reached over 5% and it kept on increasing until the end of the 20th century. Thus, almost one in ten US citizens was elderly in 1970 and 0.7% of them were 85 years old. The growth of senior citizens further accelerated after 1980 in the USA. As a consequence, during the last two decades of the 20th century, the USA had been the home to 12% of senior citizens and almost 4.5% of them were between 75 to 84 years old and 1.5% above 85 years old.

Dear Luke,

I have recently become aware of a course called Social Media Marketing Essentials and I am writing to ask for your support in taking this course. It is a five-day intensive program being offered by the Business Leadership Association and it starts on Monday 15 February. I believe the course would be of great benefit to our company as we have been recently considering how to build up our social media presence and attract more customers online. After reading reviews by former participants, I think this Social Media course will help me professionally in my capacity as Communications Manager and make a real difference to our company.

For these reasons, I am requesting paid leave from 15-20 February to attend the course. It would be helpful if other team members did not take leave at this time; so far nobody else has applied. I believe this will not be a particularly busy time at work, but I am prepared to spend some time working on those evenings if needed.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best wishes
Nick Markson

(183 words)

The bar graph outlines the drinking habits of Americans based on their age groups. As can be seen, US citizens’ drinking pattern greatly varies based on their age and elder population over 65 years mostly abstain from drinking.

According to the diagram, 60% US citizens between 16 to 24 years old have never been on alcohol while roughly 10% of them used to drink but now are abstainers. Around one-quarter of these young Americans are light-drinkers while remaining 5% drinks heavily. A similar pattern could be observed among the 25-34 years age group but with an increasing ratio of irregular drinkers and almost 8% hard drinker.

It is interesting to note that chronic alcoholics in the US are highest between 35-54 years population and this ratio is lower among the younger and senior citizens. The rate of people who never have had alcohol declines with the increase of age and a reverse trend could be observed for the ex-drinkers whose proportion hikes as people get older.

The highest ratio of hard drinkers falls between 45-54 years age group and the light drinkers is highest among the 25-34 years old Americans. Finally, an overwhelming number of US population, almost 40%, quit drinking when they are over 64 years old.