IELTS Writing Task 2 Question
There is a huge gap in the standard of living in the rural areas and in the cities. What are the reasons for this in your country? How can the difference be reduced?
Sample Answer
Today 60 percent of the world’s population lives in cities. In this essay, I will look at money made (generated) and government spending as reasons for this phenomenon and at decentralization as a possible way to reduce the gap.
Rural areas consist mainly of farming communities that are usually not very rich. In the cities, however, factories (industry) and shops (commerce) generate large amounts of money. Manufacturing industries, for example, change (convert) raw materials into products that are sold all over the country and are even exported to other countries. The salaries of the workers are spent in the city, and the profits generated are used to expand (grow) the business, enlarging the city further.
As a result of the above, national, provincial, and local governments spend more money on the facilities (infrastructure) in the cities than in the countryside. Transportation systems, for example, have to deal (cope) with the demand set by the industries in the city.
The gap can be reduced by means of a process called decentralization. It means that activities that are now centralized in the cities are spread (distributed) more widely throughout a region. The government can give incentives to industries if they are prepared to move out of the city. For instance, available land can be given to them on the condition that they build factories on it and employ local people.
We have seen that money generated and spent by the authorities is the main reason for urbanization and that by starting (promoting) decentralization, the process can be reversed.
Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2
decentralization: to take power from a central organization or government and give it to several smaller and more local ones)
raw materials: substances or materials used in the primary production or manufacturing of goods
facility: the equipment, buildings, and services provided for a particular purpose
centralize: to bring separate parts together so that they are organized or controlled from one place
incentive: benefits that make someone want to do sth or to work harder
urbanization: the process by which more people leave the countryside to live in cities
