ESSAY INFORMATION:
Written by: Xuân Phi
Supported by: Ex-BC Examiner
Question: The charts below show the distribution of the world’s water and the use of water in three countries. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
(IELTS Academic – Week 1, September 2025)
ANSWER (8.0+):
The diagrams illustrate the global distribution of water resources as well as how water is consumed in three different countries, namely Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Canada.
Overall, the vast majority of the world’s water is saline, with only a very small proportion being fresh. Moreover, the majority of fresh water is stored in ice and glaciers, followed by groundwater and, to a much lesser extent, surface water bodies. In terms of consumption, Egypt and Saudi Arabia allocate most of their water to agriculture, while Canada uses the largest share for industrial purposes.
Looking at global distribution, 97% of all water is saline, compared to just 3% that is fresh. Among fresh water sources, ice and glaciers account for the greatest share of 79%, groundwater makes up 20%, and only 1% is surface water. This indicates that groundwater is around twenty times more plentiful than surface water, yet it is still far less abundant than frozen water.
When comparing national consumption, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are almost identical, with agriculture consuming around 85% of water, which is more than eight times higher than their domestic use. Industrial use is also marginal in both countries, at under 10%. In sharp contrast, Canada demonstrates an opposite trend, as nearly 80% of water is devoted to industry, which is about eight times the share of agriculture. Interestingly, while domestic consumption in Canada
(around 10%) is similar to that of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the proportions of agriculture and industry are reversed.
(Word count: 247)
WORD LIST
A much lesser extent: Ở mức độ nhỏ hơn rất nhiều
Compared to: So với
Twenty times more plentiful than: Nhiều gấp hai mươi lần so với
Far less abundant: Ít dồi dào hơn nhiều
Almost identical: Gần như giống hệt
Also marginal in both countries: Cũng chiếm tỷ lệ rất nhỏ ở cả hai quốc gia
Demonstrates an opposite trend: Cho thấy một xu hướng ngược lại
About eight times: Khoảng tám lần
Similar to: Tương tự như
Are reversed: Bị đảo ngược
