Plan this problem and solution essay about environment with the ideas and outline below, write it on a 40-minute timer, then compare it with a band-8 model answer.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Large areas of forest are being cut down every year around the world.
What are the causes of this problem and what measures could be taken to solve it?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
GoPrep wrote this practice question in the style of the exam. It is not an official IELTS question.
Pick two or three points from one or both columns. You do not need all of them, and your own examples score better than memorised ones.
Spend the first few minutes planning, then write.
0 words of 250 minimum
Your answer stays on this page only. Copy it before you leave.
Write your own answer first, then compare: how it answers the exact question, what each paragraph does, and which phrases you could borrow.
Every year vast areas of forest are cleared, threatening wildlife and the climate. This essay will outline the main causes of deforestation and propose several measures to address it.
The most important cause is agriculture. Farmers and large companies clear land to grow crops such as soya and palm oil and to raise cattle, particularly in tropical regions like the Amazon basin and Indonesia. Logging is another factor: timber is valuable, and illegal cutting is difficult to control in remote areas. Urban expansion and road building add to the pressure, since growing populations need housing and infrastructure. Poverty also plays a part, because many rural families burn forest for fuel or farmland simply to survive.
There are several ways to tackle the problem. Governments can strengthen laws against illegal logging and use satellite monitoring to catch offenders quickly; Brazil reduced forest loss sharply in the 2000s with this combination of technology and enforcement. Replanting programmes can restore damaged land, though they should use a variety of native trees rather than a single species. Rural communities need alternatives, such as financial payments for protecting forest or training in sustainable farming that produces more food on less land. Consumers and businesses can help too. By choosing products with trusted certification and avoiding goods linked to cleared forest, shoppers encourage companies to clean up their supply chains, and some countries are now introducing import rules to the same effect.
In conclusion, deforestation is driven mainly by farming, logging and development, but it can be slowed through firm laws, support for local people and responsible consumption. Since forests regulate the climate for the whole planet, acting quickly is both possible and urgent.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| habitat loss | destruction of animals' homes |
| illegal logging | unlawful cutting of trees |
| reforestation | planting trees again |
| biodiversity | variety of living things |
| clear land | remove trees and plants |
| timber | wood for building |
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