All about task 1

The table and bar graph illustrate how much time men and women spent on leisure and housework in 2008.

Overall, both genders spent the most time on TV, video, and radio and the least on sport. Furthermore, women were more engaged in nearly all household chores than men, with the exception of repair work. Finally, a comparison of the two graphs reveals that the amount of leisure time women enjoyed was noticeably less than that of men, which could be due to the greater involvement of females in housework.

Regarding the amount of time men and women spent on recreation, both showed the greatest preference for TV, video, and radio, with the former outpacing the latter by 19 minutes (137 and 118). Coming in a distant second, reading was enjoyed by both males and females nearly equally, with each spending just under 20 minutes. Engagement in sports, in contrast, ranked lowest, with the respective figures of 15 and 11 minutes for men and women.

As for household activities, a significant gender disparity could be observed. In fact, women spent more than twice as much time on cooking and washing the dishes as men, at about 75 minutes. Similarly, men spent three times less time on clothes washing and ironing than women, at 10 and 30 minutes, respectively. The margin was smaller for shopping, which occupied 25 and 35 minutes for men and women. Repairing was not only the least common type of housework, but it was also the type where men outpaced women, with the former spending virtually double the amount of time as the latter.

The image illustrates how aluminum cans are recycled.

Overall, aluminum can recycling is a seven-step process, starting with the collection of disposed cans and ending with recycled ones. It is also worth noting that the process is mostly machine-based, requiring minimal labor.

At first, individuals should dispose of their aluminum cans responsibly in designated recycling bins. Garbage trucks then collect cans from these bins to deliver them to an aluminum recycling factory, where the rest of the recycling work takes place.

At the factory, aluminum cans are cleaned, sorted, shredded, and compressed before they are heated to form molten aluminum. Aluminum in this form can then be made into thin rolls measuring 2.5 to 6 mm thick. Afterwards, these rolls are cut into aluminum cans, making up 74% of the final product. Finally, these cans are used for storing and distributing beverages.

The bar chart presents information on the changes in forest cover in 10 regions over time. In general, in five out of ten regions, increases in the percentage of forested land were recorded, whereas in others, the proportion of cleared forest cover exceeded gains. It should be noted that the most significant decreases in forested land took place in the 1995-2000 timeframe.

Central Asia, North America, and Europe had minimal increases, all under 0.5%, in forest cover among the regions with growth. East Asia and the Caribbean, on the other hand, had increases of over 0.5%, with the largest rise in East Asia between 2000 and 2005. In this particular period, East Asia’s forest cover had risen by 1.3%. In this same period, the Caribbean region also had its biggest growth, reaching 0.9%.

Among the regions with a decline in forested land, Central America stands out with the worst decreases in all three spans. Between 1995 and 2000, particularly, this region recorded a -1.5 percent change, the largest among all regions. Within this timeframe, North Africa and South Asia also saw reductions of over -0.5%, but between 2000 and 2010, their decreases were not as significant.

The images demonstrate the changes that have taken place in a university library since 2005. Generally speaking, the traditional library set-up has experienced a major transformation over the period, with an increased emphasis on automation and privacy. The library has also become more convenient for student use thanks to the introduction of more study desks, both for reading and laptop use.

In 2005, the library was quite traditional, offering a limited range of facilities. The access to the place was from the bottom, and students could find three study tables neighbored by a librarian's desk for book borrowing and returning in the center. While the right-hand side of the entrance, the left-hand wall and the far side were dedicated to bookshelves, the right wall and its bottom corner were used for desks with computers and a library office.

By today, however, the library has been substantially modernized. The study tables and the librarian's desk have given way to a large number of cubicle-like private study desks, emphasizing a focus on privacy. On the left of the entrance, bookshelves have been removed to make room for two groups of automated book-borrowing machines, separated by a partition. Although the bookshelves on the far side of the library have been retained, the computerized section, the library office and the bookshelves on the bottom of the plan have all been supplanted by desks for learners with laptops.

The maps illustrate the appearance of a beach resort called Felix Stone in 1967 and the changes that had taken place there by 2001.

Overall, upon redevelopment, the resort gained many new features, increasing the range of facilities available for tourists. These changes also allowed the area to accommodate more visitors. Notably, the expansion of the woodland and the addition of wind turbines demonstrated the area’s commitment to sustainable practices.

In 1967, Felix Stone had a rather limited range of facilities. The northern part of the area was occupied by a series of shops facing each other, flanked by farmland in the east and a golf course in the west. A fish market, café, and hotel lined the central road, overlooking a marina and pier in the south. Further west, dunes and bushes were present.

Within 34 years, the area underwent some radical changes. Although the golf course and shops remained intact, the farmland had been cleared to make way for a hotel, swimming pool, and tennis courts in the northeast. Similarly, the fish market, marina, and pier were removed to accommodate private and public beaches next to each other. While the café remained unchanged, the neighbouring hotel was reconstructed and expanded with a parking lot. The dunes by the beach shrank to make room for new wind turbines, while the woodland increased in size.

The line graph illustrates the percentage of people accessing news from four sources TV, radio, newspapers, and the internet over a period from 1995 to 2025.

Overall, the internet shows a dramatic increase in usage, while newspapers and radio experience a steady decline. Although TV remains the most popular source throughout the period, its usage slightly decreases over time.

In 1995, TV was the dominant source, with around 68% of people relying on it for news. However, this figure declined steadily over the years, reaching approximately 55% by 2025. Newspapers also had a high percentage, starting at about 55%, but witnessed a continuous drop, falling below 40% by the end of the period. Similarly, radio, which was used by nearly 50% of people in 1995, gradually declined to just over 20% in 2025.

In contrast, the internet, which was almost non-existent in 1995, began rising sharply after 2005. By 2020, it had surpassed both newspapers and radio, and by 2025, its usage is projected to reach nearly 55%, making it the second most popular news source.

The bar graph illustrates the frequency with which Americans dined at fast food restaurants in 2003, 2006, and 2013, with figures presented in percentages.

Overall, the most common frequencies were once a week and once or twice a month, while the proportions of those dining daily or never were minimal. A notable trend is the significant increase in the share of individuals eating at fast food outlets on a monthly basis.

In 2003, approximately 31% of Americans ate fast food once a week, rising slightly to around 33% in 2006 before falling to 28% in 2013. Meanwhile, the proportion of those dining once or twice a month started at 30%, dropped to 25% in 2006, and then peaked at 33% in 2013. The share of people eating fast food several times a week remained lower, fluctuating around 15–20% across the years.

Smaller proportions were recorded for those eating a few times a year, daily, or never. Individuals who dined at fast food restaurants only a few times a year made up about 13% in 2003, increasing slightly to 15% in 2006 and remaining stable in 2013. The figures for those eating daily or never were around 5% initially, with both experiencing slight declines over time.

The bar chart compares the percentage of male and female students who excel in a foreign language in six countries.

Overall, India dominates the chart with the highest share of foreign language-speaking students of both genders, while Thailand is the only country where males surpass females in terms of foreign language proficiency.

Looking at countries with a substantial gender difference in language proficiency, China shows the greatest discrepancy, with the figure for female students being double that for males, at about 30% and 15%, respectively. Similarly, in Romania, male students make up just over two-fifths, which is in sharp contrast with the figure for females, at about 65%. The same case can be observed in Vietnam, where the proportion of female students excelling in another language is noticeably greater than that of males, with the corresponding figures of 56% and 40%.

Regarding countries where such a gender gap is relatively small, Thailand exhibits the smallest difference, where the figures for both male and female students are around 30%, with the former overtaking the latter. Having the biggest share of students proficient in another language, India reports having well over half of male and about two-thirds of female students who know a foreign language. In contrast, the figures for Russia are much smaller, at about 35% and 42% to the advantage of female students.