We have been living in the nuclear age now for over half a century. Since the first atomic bombs were developed, nuclear technology has provided governments with the ability to totally destroy the planet. Yet the technology has been put to positive use as an energy source and in certain areas of medicine. To what extent is nuclear technology a danger to life on Earth? What are the benefits and risks associated with its use?
Sample Response
In the past, nuclear technology was instrumental in defining the military power of a nation. It revolutionised the way wars are fought now. Nowadays, governments are doing more R&D, how to use this technology in a controlled environment to benefit power, medical, commercial and industrial sectors. This essay will analyse the merits and demerits of using nuclear technology for civilian useusage. Nuclear power plants can be made using this technology which will provide a cheap source of power for developing countries where energy crises are worseningenergy crisis are rising everyever year. For instance, Iran is using its nuclear power plants to generate electricity. However, if safety procedures are not followed strictly in operating these power plants, this can cause radiation to leakit can result in leaking of radiation in the environment which can have adverse effects on human healthadverse effects on the mankind and ecosystem of the region. The Chernobyl disaster is an examplePower plants in Russia is an example, where radiation leakage happened because of serious safety failuresdue to the mishandling and that caused the death of many power plant workers. MedicineMedical sciences and medical equipment are another domain where nuclear technology can be used to cure patients. For instance, Cancer, which was widely believed to be an incurable diseasenon-curable disease, can now be cured to some extent by using carefully targeted radiationexposing the patient to radiations on a regular basis. Again, this treatmentprocedure of curing is painful and does not work all the time. Another benefit which nuclear technology can provide is in oil and gas exploration. Nuclear well logging is used tot help predict the commercial viability of new or existing wells. It is also used in food processing where food is treated with ionising radiation. This food treatment if not handled with care can contaminate the food with radiation and it would be disastrous if the food reaches the market unchecked. To conclude, the above provides advantages and disadvantages associated with using nuclear technology for the civilian purposespurpose. In my opinion, even if the nuclear technology is used in a strictly controlled environment with proper safety measures, it still poses a threatposses' threat to humanity and the ecosystems of our planetmankind and ecosystem of our planet. We should expand our research and look into other technologies that can be an alternative to nuclear technology and is environmentallyenvironmental friendly.
Why this response received Band 6.5
The response discusses several civilian benefits and risks of nuclear technology and ends with a clear view that serious danger remains even under controlled conditions. Coverage is broad, but the central question about danger to life on Earth is not evaluated consistently, and some examples are inaccurate or weakly explained. Improve by organizing the essay around a clear degree-of-danger judgement and balancing each benefit against a specific, evidence-based risk.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
The task is addressed with relevant ideas, though development and precision are uneven.
Develop each main point with a specific explanation or consequence.
Coherence and Cohesion
The response is generally organized, though some progression and paragraph focus need improvement.
Give each paragraph one clear controlling purpose.
Lexical Resource
Vocabulary is sufficient for the task, but inaccurate collocations and word choices recur.
Prefer precise, natural topic vocabulary.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Meaning remains clear overall, but recurring sentence-level errors reduce accuracy.
Proofread agreement, articles, prepositions, and clause structure.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
We have been living in the nuclear age now for over half a century. Since the first atomic bombs were developed, nuclear technology has provided governments with the ability to totally destroy the planet. Yet the technology has been put to positive use as an energy source and in certain areas of medicine. To what extent is nuclear technology a danger to life on Earth? What are the benefits and risks associated with its use?
Your response
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