TASK 1 (BAR CHART): CAR OWNERSHIP
The bar charts display the results from a 2009 survey regarding people’s automobile in a European country. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
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Sample Answer
The two bar charts present findings from a 2009 survey regarding car ownership and purchasing habits, specifically focusing on the frequency of vehicle replacement and the type of cars acquired.
Overall, the data reveal two clear trends: the majority of respondents tend to replace their cars infrequently, most commonly after five years or longer, and there is a pronounced preference for second-hand vehicles over new ones.
In terms of replacement frequency, more than half of car owners reported changing their vehicles only once every five years or more, making this by far the most common practice. This figure was approximately ten percentage points higher than the second most frequent category, those replacing their cars every three to four years, which accounted for just under 40% of respondents. By contrast, all other categories were relatively insignificant, with only around 6% changing cars biennially, 4% never replacing their vehicles, and 2% doing so annually. Interestingly, the proportion of individuals without cars was marginal, at roughly 3%.
Patterns of car purchasing exhibited an even starker imbalance. A striking 75–80% of respondents reported buying second-hand cars, a figure that dwarfed the 25% who preferred new vehicles. The disparity is further highlighted by the fact that those alternating between new and used cars represented only 10%, while non-owners accounted for a negligible 2%.
Vocabulary
| present findings | trình bày kết quả |
| frequency of vehicle replacement | tần suất thay xe |
| reveal two clear trends | cho thấy hai xu hướng rõ ràng |
| majority of respondents | phần lớn người tham gia khảo sát |
| infrequently | không thường xuyên |
| pronounced preference | sự ưu tiên rõ rệt |
| by far the most common practice | cách làm phổ biến nhất |
| ten percentage points higher | cao hơn mười điểm phần trăm |
| second most frequent category | nhóm phổ biến thứ hai |
| by contrast | trái lại |
| relatively insignificant | tương đối không đáng kể |
| biennially | hai năm một lần |
| proportion of individuals | tỷ lệ cá nhân |
| marginal | nhỏ, không đáng kể |
| exhibited an even starker imbalance | thể hiện sự mất cân bằng rõ rệt hơn |
| striking | nổi bật, đáng chú ý |
| dwarfed | lấn át, vượt xa |
| disparity is further highlighted | sự chênh lệch càng được nhấn mạnh |
| alternating between new and used cars | xen kẽ giữa xe mới và xe cũ |
| negligible | không đáng kể |
