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Here is the task and response as they appear in the video:

Consumers are exposed to an extreme amount of advertising in the modern era. To what extent do you think people are influenced by ads? What measures would you suggest to protect them?

Modern approaches to marketing have become increasingly intrusive, and this has exposed people to more advertising than ever before in history. Because many of these advertisements successfully manipulate the viewer’s lifestyle and opinions, I feel their influence is profound. This essay will analyse examples that demonstrate this influence. It will also offer suggestions regarding how society can guard itself against the powers of advertising.

The influence of advertising can change lifestyles and societal values in dangerous ways. For example, fast food, such as that served by McDonald’s and KFC, is often presented as the diet of athletic people. To the public, these images normalise and validate what many scientific studies have confirmed is a very unhealthy dietary choice. In addition to altering lifestyles, marketing campaigns can also confuse the public about important societal events. For instance, a recently released video depicts a group of marching protestors defusing a confrontation with the police by giving them a Pepsi. Many people correctly pointed out that such imagery trivialises the purpose of protest and the professional role of the police, images that could dangerously alter the opinions of impressionable young people. Thus, as the above examples show, advertising in the modern era is extremely influential.

To protect people from these negative effects, one approach is to regulate the number of times a marketing campaign can target a specific person’s social media account. This has been effective in Canada, where marketers are only allowed to present their promotional Facebook imagery to people old enough to know they are being advertised to. A second strategy could be to create awareness programs in high schools that educate young people about advertisements and their influence. These two policies would help preserve the public’s ability to remain critical of what they see.

Although advertising is an economic necessity, its influence should be recognised and kept under control. As the above has shown, societies should work to guard their freedom to make decisions unaltered by the interests of large companies.

>>>DOWNLOAD THE UPDATED COURSE FILE HERE!<<<<

My online IELTS course file has been updated to include Task 1 and 2 questions seen in late 2016 and early 2017! Download the file and then buy a corrections pack to get started:

1 Correction (either a Task 1 or 2 submission from you, not both) = $25 USD

3 Corrections = $65 USD

5 Corrections = $99 USD

After your payment clears, send your work to ryan@ieltsielts.com. I will return a full cleanup and comment to you within 36 hours.

Please remember to send me your success story after your IELTS. Here is one I received this week:

Dear Ryan,

I must give all my gratitude to you and if I had not used your correction service, I would definitely have not achieved writing band 7 so smoothly!

If you need any testimonial, just feel free to ask me to do that. 

I have recommended your website, YouTube video lessons and correction service to many of my clients, who also have the same IELTS requirement for the migration purpose. 

One thousand thanks are not enough for you, indeed!!!

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 Here’s another one from a few weeks earlier:

Dear Ryan,

I am writing this email to genuinely thank you for helping me crack IELTS writing. I wouldn’t have been able to do that, if it wasn’t for your ebooks.

I scored 8 in writing only because I followed your blogs, watched writing videos and read your ebooks for task 1 and task 2. It took me six months to raise my score in writing from 7.5 to 8 but it was all worth it. I was in desperate need for this perfect score so I could become eligible for my permanent residency application process and now I can gladly say that I am.

So thank you for the amazing work that you are doing to help out thousands of people who are struggling to achieve their target score.

---

Big congratulations on the success and thanks for sharing, guys!  😎

Click here to study with Ryan!

Here is the template seen in this video (scroll down for the full text of the essay):

Do you feel the money governments spend to protect the environment would be better used elsewhere?

_____________ the world over typically _____________. There are reasons to support and refute this practice. Using examples from_____________, I will discuss both positions before declaring a personal stance.

Firstly,_____________ is beneficial for many reasons. For example, in _____________, _____________, such as _____________. This _____________ is important because it not only_____________, but it also _____________. Because such _____________ are common among most countries, it is clear why __________________.

However, despite these benefits, _____________ has undeniable merit. In _____________, for example, _____________. Similar _____________ can be seen among _____________, such as _____________. Thus, it is clear that for _____________, _____________ may be better _____________.

Following this examination, I support _____________, but I strongly feel this _____________. This is _____________, and I hope to see it _____________.

Do you feel the money governments spend to protect the environment would be better used elsewhere?

Governments the world over typically allocate a portion of their spending to preserving the environment of their respective countries. There are reasons to support and refute this practice. Using examples from my country, I will discuss both positions before declaring a personal stance.

Firstly, government-funded protection of a country’s environment is beneficial for many reasons. For example, in my country, the Canadian government has spent a tremendous amount of money to ensure large swathes of land, such as Algonquin Park in Ontario, are inaccessible to resource-hungry companies and city sprawl. This policy is important because it not only ensures the natural beauty and wildlife of Canada are maintained for future generations, but it also preserves Canadian identity, which is tied closely to the vastness and untainted nature of the land. Because such values are common among most countries, it is clear why many people the world over support government-funded protection of the environment.

However, despite these benefits, reallocating such funding to other needs has undeniable merit. In Canada, for example, preserving the integrity of the environment seems somewhat hypocritical when so many First Nations peoples, who have been historically driven off the land, are in need of resources that allow them to preserve and pass on their languages and cultures to their descendants. Similar needs can be seen among the native populations of other nations formed out of the colonial period, such as the United States and Australia. Thus, it is clear that for select countries, government funding may be better channeled to the preservation of not only the land but also its indigenous peoples.

Following this examination, I support the government-funded preservation of a country’s environment, but I strongly feel this funding should also be directed to promoting the health of other aboriginal facets, namely the cultures and languages of a nation’s indigenous peoples. This is a much more holistic approach to environmental preservation, and I hope to see it adopted by countries around the world.

Click here to get Ryan’s Task 2 ebook sent to your email!

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Want to know more about my IELTS Writing course? Download the entire course file here: http://ieltsielts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IELTS-Writing-with-Ryan-Official-Course-File.pdf

Here is a transcript of the conversation heard in the video:

Please give me your identification.

Here you are.

Thank you. Now, in this first part, I’d like to ask you some questions about yourself. Do you come from a large or small family?

My family is relatively large. There are 5 of us: my parents, brother, sister and me.

OK. And do the members of your family live together?

No. My parents live in the same house I grew up in. This house is in a town called Pembroke. At the moment, my sister is living there, too. But she is only there because she is on break from her studies at university. My brother lives and works in Toronto, and I am living in Toronto, too.

Do you have a lot in common with the other members of your family?

Umm, not really, but we are nevertheless very close. We always love getting together and catching up on each other’s news. My parents have a quiet, country lifestyle. It’s very different from the busy city lifestyle of Toronto. My brother enjoys watching sports and camping and hiking in the mountains; he’s very outdoorsy. My sister is a bit of a socialite, so she likes going out with friends and arranging little get-togethers. I’m a bit on the quiet side. At the moment, I mostly just focus on my studies.

Are you currently working?

I am, but only part time. I am a part time university student.

Can you tell me about your studies?

Well, I’m completing an undergraduate Arts degree with a major of criminology. Because

I am a part time student, I only have 9 hours of class a week. I have three-hour lectures every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and I am really enjoying the courses. The professors are interesting.

That’s wonderful. And what sort of part time work do you do?

I am waiter in a restaurant on the campus of my university.

I see. Do you enjoy that kind of work?

Honestly, not really. I’m not naturally a very social person, and waiting tables tends to demand this sort of personality. Also, university students do not tend to leave handsome tips.

But, I shouldn’t complain. It’s a job and it does help fund my studies.

Let’s talk about friends. Do you have many friends at your university?

Yes, I have a small handful of friends. But I suppose I would describe our relationship as more study partners than friends. We don’t really socialize outside of course-related topics.

Do you think friendships change as people get older?

Yes, definitely. I think life often makes demands of people and this can pull friends closer or push them away. A good friend of mine recently had a baby. I am very happy for him, but I know that this new development in his life will mean he and I will spend less time together. This is fine, I mean, of course he needs to spend time with his baby, but I think these sorts of life developments can change the dynamics of a friendship.

What sort of person do you easily make friends with?

I like people that have opinions. I enjoy talking with people about different subjects and hearing what they have to say about those subjects. I think I easily make friends with people that are good communicators. I don’t think we need to like all of the same things, but if we do share a few interests, that is obviously a plus. Character wise, I prefer quiet people to loud people.

Thank you. OK, let’s change topics. What do you do in your free time?

I have several hobbies. I enjoy jogging. I try to get a jog in every day. I also have a dog, so I spend quite a bit of time at the park. Um, I enjoy reading and surfing the net. I keep an online blog. It is a diary of my day-to-day life. I enjoy watching movies. I guess those are the main things I do in my free time.

What sort of pastimes are popular among Canadians?

Most Canadians like to play and watch hockey. I would say this is a very popular pastime. Canadians also like the outdoors, so hiking in the mountains, camping and canoeing are all popular hobbies. Um, Canada is a multicultural place, so I feel there are a lot of cross-cultural hobbies. Many Canadians like learning how to cook foods from other countries, for

example. These are probably the most popular Canadian hobbies.

Thank you. Now I’d like to ask you to speak one to two minutes on a topic.

Normally, you would have one minute to plan your answer, but for the sake of this recording we are going to skip this step.

Your cue card reads:

Remember you have one to two minutes to deliver this monologue. I’ll tell you when the time is up. Start speaking now, please.

I am going to talk about my high school music teacher, Mr. McGrady, and how he has influenced my life. I have known Mr. McGrady for about five years. He is a very patient man and an excellent teacher, and I feel he instills music appreciation and understanding in all of the students he teaches. He is also a very dedicated teacher. I remember he would come to school early four days a week to conduct our high school band. In doing this, I think he demonstrated a lot of commitment and leadership, and I believe these qualities rubbed off on the students he taught. I haven’t seen him in a few years, but I do not doubt he is just as much the positive image today as he was when I was his student.

For me personally, Mr. McGrady has influenced the way I see the subject of music. I played saxophone in the high school band, and by watching Mr. McGrady interact with the different instrument groups, I saw first hand how these orchestral sections operate and come together to create music.

Mr. McGrady was also always trying to push students outside of their comfort zones, and this greatly influenced me. For example, he encouraged me to join a singing group that he had organized. I couldn’t sing then and I can’t sing now, but it was encouraging to feel that he believed enough in me to ask me to join.

So, overall, I feel Mr. McGrady, firstly, acted as a wonderful role model. Secondly, he taught me how to look at music differently. And thirdly he pushed me to try new things. These are the three main ways he influenced me, and I’m very thankful I had a teacher like him.

Thank you. You mentioned you hadn’t see Mr. McGrady in a few years. Do you think you will see him again?

I hope so. I know he’s busy teaching his classes these days. I should drop by my old high school and see him and thank him again for the things he has done for me.

How important is it for people to have positive role models during their formative years?

I think it is quite key. Young people are very impressionistic, in my opinion. They are willing to mimic the actions of those around them. Surrounding a young person with positive role models gives these young people something healthy to aspire to be.

Do you think the role models young people look up to today are similar to the role models young people looked up to 25 years ago?

Hmm, that’s an interesting question. I would say that the core values of today’s role models are the same as 25 years ago. I think qualities like integrity, diligence, benevolence and reliability will always be considered positive. I suppose a difference today is that young people are exposed to more people through different media channels, so the pool of potential role models increases. I would say this is a positive thing, so long as parents ensure the role models young people look up to are healthy ones. But to answer your question, yes, I would say the majority of today’s role models are more or less the same as 25 years ago.

What sorts of people make poor role models in your opinion?

People with serious personal problems, I think. Anger problems or people that have become generally disappointed with life. I don’t think they inspire hard work or ambition. Of course, people with substance abuse problems. Role models should be individuals that you can aspire to be. If that person has serious problems, then aspiring to be like them may not be healthy.

Do you think pop icons make good role models?

By pop icons you mean…

…singers, actors…

Well, I think they can be role models. But the fact that they aren’t completely accessible to young people makes them significantly different. Young people can’t call up a pop icon and ask them for advice, for example. But, so long as the star is a good person, I don’t think they are a negative influence on a young person. So, yes, pop icons can make good role models. But young people also need role models they can talk to and learn directly from.

Are you anyone’s role model?

Am I anyone’s role model… Yes. My cousin has a son, named Ethan. He’s 5, and I see him every other week because they live here in Toronto. I think Ethan looks up to me. I guess that’s partly because I am a man in his life that is a little younger than his father. I try my best to be a positive person so that he will aspire to be one, too.

Thank you. That is the end of the speaking test.

Download the blank exam paper + answer key + transcript: http://ieltsielts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IELTS-Listening-Mock-Test-2-Paper.pdf

Download the exam MP3: http://ieltsielts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IELTS-Listening-Mock-Test-2-Recording.mp3

Buy Ryan’s Task 2 ebook here: https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?i=929957&c=single&cl=166811

Have Ryan personally assess five of your Task 1 or 2 samples: https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?i=930041&c=single&cl=166811