You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Fewer and fewer people walk on a daily basis. What are the reasons and how to encourage them to spend their time walking?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer
In modern life, many people have lost the habit of walking regularly. While there are various reasons for this trend, some measures can be implemented to encourage people to take up walking as part of their daily routine.
There are two main reasons, in my opinion, why fewer people walk regularly nowadays. Firstly, the development of technology has discouraged some people from walking. Escalators and lifts have appeared everywhere in most towns and cities, especially in shopping centres and offices. They are, admittedly, convenient and time-saving but they also encourage laziness. Secondly, as part of our modern lifestyle, so many journeys are made by
car. For example, parents now often drop off and pick up their children at the school gate, even if the school is near their home. This is understandable in one sense, as parents worry about the safety of their children, especially if there are busy main roads to cross to get to school.
There are measures which could be implemented to encourage people to walk more often. In low-rise buildings, the use of the stairs should be obligatory, with a lift only for disabled people. In order to dissuade people from using their cars unnecessarily, no-stopping zones ought to be established in the vicinity of schools. If children become accustomed to the habit of the daily walk to school, then responsible parents would need to accompany them. The whole family would thus get used to regular walking exercise. As another measure, pavements should be improved and more pedestrian-only zones established in city centres. Covered walkways and more trees could provide relief from rain and sun in such zones.
In conclusion, some reasons why people are walking less regularly can be identified, and some simple solutions should encourage them to walk more frequently
Vocab Highlights
lost the habit [expression]: stopped some activity/ behaviour that you used to do often.
take up (something) [phrasal verb]: start to do something.
laziness [noun]: the quality of not wanting to be active.
drop off [phrasal verb]: quickly leave someone or something at a place.
pick up [phrasal verb]: go somewhere in your car and collect someone who is waiting for you.
understandable [adjective]: normal and reasonable in that situation.
low-rise [adjective]: a low building, with not many floors.
obligatory [adjective]: that you must do because of the rules or the law.
no-stopping zones [noun]: areas in which it is not permitted to stop your car or other vehicle.