WRiTing TASk 1 Sample answer The table shows that there are significant diff erences
in patients’ perceptions of quality of provision at the
three health centres. By far the most highly rated is
the Peveril Centre with an overall mean of 8.3 and
the highest scores in all service areas. The weakest
performing centre overall was Longston at just 5.8, with
Marchbank between the two at 7.2. It is noticeable that
one aspect – Doctors’ service – received relatively strong
evaluations in all three centres, with scores ranging from
8 to 8.7. Pharmacy received the poorest ratings of the
services in all the centres: at 5.1, 6.3 and 5.8 at Longston,
Peveril and Marchbank respectively. Regarding the other
aspects of provision, there is considerable variation.
Perhaps the most striking diff erential in ratings is in
Response to concerns, which for Peveril is the highest
scoring of all the aspects, at 9.6. This compares with
6.5 for this area at Marchbank and just 4.3 at Longston.
Ratings for Care of children are moderate in all three
centres, though they are significantly lower for Longston
than for the other two: 6.3, compared to 7.5 at Peveril
and 7.3 at Marchbank.
WRiTing TASk 2 Sample answer In recent decades there has been a number of high-
profile innovations in farming based on scientific
research, most notably the use of chemical insecticides
and the genetic modification of crops.
Without doubt these have led to some very positive
outcomes. For example, researchers have been able
to identify which pests cause problems for a particular
plant and to create a means of destroying them. In some
areas of the world this has transformed farmers’ ability
to grow food for their own consumption as well as to sell
it to generate income. Equally, in recent years the ability
to manipulate the genetic make-up of plants has made
it possible to create strains of crops naturally resistant to
pests and diseases. In fact, some of these new scientific
developments are reducing the need for the innovations
of the previous generation.
However, there can be serious drawbacks to these
scientific developments in agriculture. For instance, it is
now becoming clear that pesticides may be damaging
beneficial organisms as well as pests. For example,
it is widely agreed that the world’s bee population is
being aff ected by chemicals; this means fewer plants
are being pollinated, which aff ects food supplies. It is
possible, also, that a range of human diseases which are
becoming increasingly common, for example asthma,
may be exacerbated by these chemicals.
My own view is that it would be wrong to deny the
potential of science to improve agriculture – as it has
done throughout history, from the development of
the plough to the refinement of livestock breeding.
However, we must be sure we understand as much as
possible about the eff ects of innovations before it is too
late to reverse any negative consequences.
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