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ECPE Writing - Sample Article (Banning Cars from the City)

This is the fourth sample article that conforms to the writing section requirements of the ECPE (Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English) of the University of Michigan.  My first post to deal with articles , explains what needs to be present in the piece of writing candidates compose. Examiners are looking for articles that elaborate on ideas and have solid arguments; are well organized; make use of a wide lexical and grammatical range; have an original ring to them (in other words,

C2 Sample Essay 7 (Travelling overseas affects us)

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What do I do with the sample writing found on this blog?


The following is a sample essay based on the Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE) writing section. The question can be found on page 72 of the ECPE Book 1 Practice Examinations textbook published by the Hellenic American Union. 


Many people travel overseas to experience new cultures and learn about the places they visit. How do you think people’s lives are affected by their experience, in terms of their interests in international cuisine, music or history? You may use examples from visitors’ experiences in your own country or your own experiences traveling overseas.



        The world has become smaller since the advent of seafaring vessels and even more so with the use of aircraft. Those with means have made tourism an annual indulgence, and traveling to far-flung corners of the earth has become commonplace. As a result of this, enriching experiences await travelers which affect not only their love of music and history, but also their culinary tastes in a variety of ways.
          By catching the first plane to visit places overseas, tourists possibly expose themselves to a different musical style. Those who visit New Orleans will undoubtedly be immersed in the jazz scene, while those who spend a fortnight in Greece will dance the syrtaki or hear the sounds of rebetiko songs drifting out of tavernas. Different nations undoubtedly have diverse musical traditions and even unique musical instruments, such as for instance the Russian balalaika, Spanish castanets or Hawaiian ukulele, all of which broaden a tourist’s horizons in that he or she might decide to learn how to play an instrument or join forums where people can talk about a style of music originating from the country visited.
          This broadening of horizons is taken one step further with the study of history. Travelers may decide to look deeper into the roots of rebetiko music and learn about 20th century Greek history through the changes in this style of music. Monuments and guided tours also help in learning about a nation and make people more cognizant of the turbulent times experienced by civilians in the past, even explaining at times the contemporary state of affairs a country is in. The plight of many African nations, for example, can be understood by studying colonialism, traces of which they would see in a number of buildings, place names and museums around the world.
          Finally, tasting the local delicacies enables people to savor new tastes which will affect them on various levels. Acquiring a taste for, say, traditional Mediterranean cooking or sushi will decrease calorie intake and constitute a healthier diet for those who decide to incorporate new recipes into their daily eating habits. Others could very well go into the food industry by opening up, for example, a Thai restaurant in a suburb of London after a short sojourn in Thailand. Whatever the case may be, individuals who bring back new culinary experiences have added yet another enjoyable moment to their lives they would not otherwise have done so had they not traveled abroad.
          All things considered, people are affected on a personal, professional and mental level through new interests in music, cuisine and history gained on their visits. They may take up a new hobby that will acquaint them with new friends, open a business related to their new passion or be more acceptant of people and places they have learnt more about.

Word count: approx. 450 words

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