Madina| IELTS 8.0

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It is becoming increasingly common for people to share their personal information on the internet, such as their address and telephone number, whether for social networking purposes or banking services. In my opinion, this is a mostly negative development because it leads to an increased risk of identity. There is no denying that sharing personal data online makes banking easier to manage, allowing users to save time by making payments online instead of travelling to banks and waiting in queues. This convenience is especially valuable for people with busy schedules and those who live in rural areas where access to banks is limited. Moreover, social networks are important for people because they strengthen friendships and keep them entertained after exhausting working days. Thus, many people may think they should not miss such opportunities to improve their overall quality of life. However, I believe that sharing personal information has more drawbacks than merits. One major reason is that personal data can easily fall into the wrong hands, enabling criminals to exploit it for identity theft and online scams. As a result, victims may lose their savings and spend years repairing their credit history. Furthermore, in some cases, companies might sell people's personal data to advertising companies without their knowledge. If this is left unchecked, people will gradually lose control over their own privacy. In conclusion, although social networking and online banking are convenient, the potential risks of identity theft and online scams outweigh the benefits. Therefore, governments should implement stricter data protection laws to prevent these risks.

Competetive⛔️ Competitive🟩

Yes, I'd say so, though it really depends on the degree. A moderate amount of stress can be a powerful motivator. When people feel a bit of pressure, such as an approaching deadline or an important interview, they tend to concentrate better and push themselves harder than they otherwise would. Take athletes, for instance. The pressure of competition often brings out their best performance, and without it, many would never reach their full potential. That said, there's a clear tipping point. Once stress becomes chronic or overwhelming, it starts to take a toll on both mental and physical health, leading to burnout, anxiety, or sleepless nights. So, in my opinion, a manageable level of stress helps people grow and build resilience, but prolonged stress is definitely harmful. The key is learning to strike the right balance.

Do you think a certain amount of stress is good for people?

* plumb — chuqurlashtirib o'rganmoq / tik * permeate — singib ketmoq, tarqalmoq * seize up — qotib qolmoq, ishlamay qolmoq * throwing the dice — tavakkal qilmoq * binding statutory — majburiy qonuniy * vindicate — oqlamoq, haq ekanligini isbotlamoq * misfortune — kulfat, omadsizlik * fit the bill — talabga javob bermoq, mos kelmoq * lavishly — dabdaba bilan, mo'l-ko'l * remunerated — haq to'langan * draft — loyiha, qoralama

The bar chart compares the percentage of social media use for business purposes among small, medium and large companies from 2012 to 2016. Overall, large businesses accounted for the highest percentage of social media usage throughout the period, while small and medium businesses followed at a considerable distance, with the former representing the smallest percentage. Notably, social media usage peaked in the final year, despite a significant decline in 2015 in all types of businesses. Focusing on large companies' social media use first, approximately 78% was recorded in the initial years of 2012 and 2013 before a marginal decrease by a mere 1 percentage point. Although the figure was remarkably lower at about 52% in 2015, it soared to nearly 80%, the highest point in the chart. When it comes to medium businesses, their figure stood at around 31% initially, which then increased gradually to 48% and 49% in 2013 and 2014, respectively, with just one percentage point difference. After falling considerably to 30%, the figure reached 53% in the final year. Lastly, only 28% social media coverage was recorded in 2012 in small businesses, the smallest figure in the chart. However, there was a gradual rise to 30% and 35% in the next two years before falling to 30 again. In 2016, small businesses rose sharply to 50% of social media use.

Conducting research of any kind is considered a waste of time and financial resources. I completely disagree with this statement since research allows us to enhance the most essential aspects of our lives. The primary reason why research is vital is that it can facilitate innovation. If people carry out research through examining existing cutting-edge technologies or working on enhancing traditional appliances, they can find certain problems which should be solved to maximize efficiency and reduce detrimental effects. For example, recently, unlike combustion-engine cars which harm the environment, electric vehicles have been introduced, contributing to a significant reduction in carbon footprint in industrialized cities due to their sustainable features. Another sector that stands to gain is healthcare. Although conducting research in medicine often requires a large amount of funding and might fail to succeed, trial and error helps researchers gain a deeper understanding about how various diseases can be cured and what kind of methods are highly effective for faster recovery. Furthermore, studying various diseases and discovering their root causes allows people to prevent themselves from being affected. COVID-19 can be a compelling case, when many people from all over the world suffered, while the majority of them died until the vaccine was created through thorough experiments, saving many lives. Research has always been one of the major contributors to educational development. By either searching for new methods of teaching or attempting to create a better study setting, we can remarkably improve students' performance, while also maximizing their learning efficiency. Even though it does not have immediate financial returns, improved productivity and better academic skills can yield tangible benefits later on, such as economic growth. Therefore, instead of regarding research as a burdensome expense, we should understand its paramount importance in the long- run. In conclusion, although carrying out research is costly, it improves the quality of life by promoting innovation, enhancing the healthcare system and optimizing students' excellence. Thus, just because of its financial demands, we should not neglect such importance.

The bar chart illustrates the survey findings on absenteeism at work in a particular European country in the years 2000, 2005 and 2010, measured in percentages. Overall, the majority of employees were absent at work due to illness in all three years, with the figure peaking in 2000, while family responsibilities were the second most common cause of absenteeism in general. In contrast, there were other reasons, though they accounted for far smaller proportions, with the least proportion of workers mentioning stress as a cause of absenteeism. Regarding the most common reasons for absenteeism, illness was found to be the major cause, accounting for nearly 45% in 2000 — considerably higher than the percentage for family responsibilities. In the following years, the figure declined gradually, falling by a total of 10 percentage points, yet stayed as the main cause, amounting to 40% in 2005 and 35% in 2010. Family responsibilities followed in a distant second place, accounting for around 27% in 2000, before easing slightly to roughly 26% in both 2005 and 2010. By contrast, less than 15% of workers mentioned personal needs, such as appointments, as a reason for missing work. However, the figure increased to 20% and 23% in 2005 and 2010, respectively. Unexpected problems, including transport and weather, accounted for a relatively small proportion of absences, making up about 8% initially. This figure almost doubled to 14% before falling to 13% in the final year. The lowest absence rate, at 6% in 2000, was due to stress, and this figure reached 12% after a fall to 4% — the least figure in the chart.