Guessing the Meaning from Context

Occasionally an IELTS essay may contain words that you are unsure of, such as prejudice and broad-minded in this essay.

If you don’t know the words then you will have to look at the question carefully and make the best guess you can.

By looking at the context and the words around it you can usually work it out.

Being prejudiced is having an unreasonable or unfair feeling or opinion about something, especially when formed without enough knowledge or thought.

Someone who is broad-minded is willing to accept and respect other people's beliefs and behavior that differ from one's own.   

Organisation

This is a causes / reasons and solutions essay.

You have to say:

1. Why international travel may make people prejudiced 
2. What can be done about it

With an essay like this you could write a paragraph about the causes then another paragraph about the solutions.

1. Body Paragraph One: Causes
2. Body Paragraph Two: Solutions

Or you could make each paragraph about a cause then the solution:

1. Body Paragraph One: One Cause + One Solution
2. Body Paragraph Two: One Cause + One Solution

Of course in option two you would need to make sure the solution specifically related to the cause before it.

Now take a look at the model answer and the comments below.

Which organisation does it follow?

Model Answer:

International travel is regarded as one of the finest ways of broadening one’s outlook by understanding the diversity of different places, the people, their culture and lifestyle. On the downside, international travel has also led tourists to become biased and cold instead of receptive and indulgent. 

One of the primary causes aiding this unwanted outcome is that what is considered sacred in one place may not hold any value for the tourists. In Arab countries, for instance, women are required to wear a burka or unrevealing clothes, and western women, not realizing the importance of being fully clad, may develop an aversion as to why women in these countries are treated the way they are. And visa-versa, a tourist hailing from a reserved background may not identify with the western culture, and feel appalled by the lifestyle of people there through not knowing better. Research prior to the trip can resolve this, or if there is a tour guide or organizer, they must take it upon themselves to educate the tourists about the local values and culture in a way that they understand and empathise rather than look down upon it.  

Stereotyping is another significant cause of prejudice among tourists. The source of stereotyping is media portrayal of certain countries, places and people which is why tourists have preconceived negative opinions about these places when they arrive. Without really getting to know the local people, a trip may just accentuate these views. Awareness is the only cure to break the stereotypes and for this interaction amongst the local people and the tourists must be rallied by encouraging home stays so that the differences between reality and media portrayal can come to the surface. 

In conclusion, international tourism does have its problems which can lead to prejudiced views. However, efforts in the right direction can overcome them. 

(305 Words)

Comments

This essay would achieve a high IELTS score for a number of reasons.

Firstly it fully answers the question. Causes and solutions are both discussed and some examples are provided to explain the ideas presented.

The essay is also well-organised. It has a clear introduction that introduces the issues and a conclusion to summarise the essay.

The body paragraphs are also well-organised, following the second pattern of organisation set out above, with a cause and solution being discussed in each paragraph.

Grammar and vocabulary are also accurate and there are some good sentences showing some complexity in the grammar.

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