6 Practice C
Model paragraph:
In 1889 he was introduced to Florence Rowe, the daughter of a bookseller, while on holiday.
After they were married her ideas affected the business: the product range was enlarged to
include stationery and books. The Boots subscription library and in-store cafes were also
introduced due to Florence’s influence. During World War I the Boots factories made a variety
of products, from sterilisers to gas masks. But after the war Jesse was attacked by arthritis and,
worried by the economic prospects, he sold the company to an American rival for £2m. This,
however, went bankrupt during the Depression and Boots was then bought by a British group
for £6m, and Jesse’s son, John, became chairman. The famous No.7 cosmetics range was
launched in the 1930s and in World War II the factories produced both saccharin and penicillin.
However, recently the company has been threatened by intense competition from supermarkets
in its core pharmaceutical business.
2.10 Problems and Solutions
3 Practice A
Problem Many developing countries have found that the development
of a tourism industry can bring social and environmental
drawbacks...
Solution A One possible solution is to target upmarket holidaymakers,
in order to get the maximum profit from minimum
numbers.
Argument against solution A However, this is a limited market and requires considerable
investment in infrastructure and training.
Solution B Another remedy is to rigorously control the environmental
standards of any development, in order to minimise the
impact of the construction.
Conclusion in favour of B This requires effective government agencies, but is likely to
ensure the best outcome for both tourists and locals.
5 Practice B
Model argument:
Currently there is increasing demand for university places, which frequently leads to
overcrowding of teaching situations. It has been argued that fees should be increased to reduce
demand for places, but this would discriminate against students from poorer families. Another
proposal is for the government to pay for the expansion of universities, but against this is the
view that this would unfairly benefit the minority who in any case go on to earn higher salaries.
A fairer solution might be for the government to subsidise the fees of the poorest students.