Cambridge University Press
978-1-107-62109-1 – Academic Writing Skills 2 Student’s Book
Peter Chin, Samuel Reid, Sean Wray, Yoko Yamazaki
Excerpt
More information
© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org
5
Unit 1 • Part 1
Exercise 1
The model essay below answers the following essay question:
Explain how an alternate form of energy is being used successfully in the
world today.
Identify these elements in the following model essay.
1. Introduction, body, and conclusion.
2. The three main parts of the introduction.
3. The three main parts of each body paragraph.
4. The three main parts of the conclusion.
“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we
don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” With this statement,
Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, recognized the capacity of the sun as
a virtually limitless source of energy in 1931. However, although a time when oil and
coal have been completely used up could be getting closer, the full potential of solar
power is yet to be harnessed by mankind. Televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners,
and all the other appliances common in the developed world require vast amounts of
electricity, meaning that the world’s most powerful countries still very much depend on
fossil fuels. In Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of South America, however,
solar power is already changing the lives of people who have until now lived without
a steady electricity supply. As low-cost solar panels become available, they are being
used most e ectively in some of the world’s poorest countries, which also happen to be
some of the sunniest. Solar power is improving people’s lives in developing countries
by providing e cient light safely, linking them to the global mobile community and
increasing their independence.
Low-cost, solar-powered lamps provide a dependable and safe source of light to
people in rural communities who often have no connection to a national electricity
grid. People either had to do without electricity, or were limited to using unreliable,
low-intensity light from candles or kerosene lamps at night. Now, a new solar-powered
lamp, when charged for eight hours in the bright sun, can provide up to a hundred
hours of continuous, stable light (“Solar”). As a result, families are now able to extend
and enrich their days by pursuing hobbies or crafts, and socializing longer into the
evening with a brighter, constant light. Furthermore, solar power is clean and safe. An
Energy Resource Group article reports, “Health problems caused by toxic fumes from
kerosene lamps are responsible for an estimated two million deaths annually” (Silver).
In addition, both candles and kerosene are a re hazard, especially in homes that tend
to be predominantly made of wood. Solar-powered lighting removes these dangers
from people’s homes because they emit no fumes and have no open ame, so people
bene t from cleaner air and a reduced worry of re. Solar power, therefore, has not only
changed people’s lives, it has also made their lives safer.