IELTS WRITING 2 PRACTICE TEST 21
There are disagreement on the impact of increased business and culture contact between countries on a country’s identity. What is your opinion?
BAND 8.0 SAMPLE ANSWER
One of the most apparent characteristics of the 21 st century is a tighter connection between countries, in terms of culture and economics. Many people express a worry that this trend may lead to the extinction of countries’ identities. I hold a strong belief that this issue should be perceived and analyzed from multiple perspectives.
On the path to establish a closer connection with the outside world, a country does not necessarily eliminate its culture which should be considered as its precious asset. Not only allows one nation to distinguish itself from the rest of the world, an indigenous culture also plays many more essential roles such as attracting foreign visitors, developing tourism industry and yielding high revenue. The reason partly lies in the fact that for many tourists, a country’s cultural and historic background is one of the most important criteria in choosing a destination for visiting. For instance, thousands of people wants to pay Japan or Thailand a visit just because of the unique Japanese tea culture or gorgeous Thai temples architect…In response to this, many countries have put great effort in protecting and preserving their cultural identities, in order to keep themselves in the list of most popular destinations. It is not fallible to say that the increase in tourism motivates these countries in aiding the conservation of their features.
While tourism provides an encouragement for cultural conservation, some other elements of a culture, such as customs, tradition or taboos might die out over time. In some countries, the native people have become more accustomed to exotic cultures. It reflects the combined effects of the integration of foreign cultures, both through media and direct business interaction. For example, over time, the Western culture has permeated into many Asian countries and the locals are willing to break many of their time- honored traditions and adapt the new ones.
As discussed above, increased interaction between countries in the domains of business and culture can either strengthen or undermine the identities of countries involved. In fact, there is hardly any definite answer to this question.
