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Line Graphs

Sample Answer: Electricity production in France between 1980 and 2012​

The graph below shows electricity production (in terawatt hours) in France between 1980 and 2012

The line graph compares the amount of electricity produced in France using four different sources of power over a period of 32 years.

It is clear that nuclear power was by far the most important means of electricity generation over the period shown. Renewables provided the lowest amount of electricity in each year.

In 1980, thermal power stations were the main source of electricity in France, generating around 120 terawatt hours of power. Nuclear and hydroelectric power stations produced just under 75 terawatt hours of electricity each, and renewables provided a negligible (adj. 可忽略的, 无足轻重的) amount.

Between 1980 and 2005, electricity production from nuclear power rose dramatically (adv. 戏剧性地;引人注目地) to a peak of 430 terawatt hours. By contrast, the figure for thermal power fell to only 50 terawatt hours in 1985, and remained at this level for the rest of the period. Hydroelectric power generation remained relatively stable, at between 50 and 80 terawatt hours, for the whole 32-year period, but renewable electricity production saw only a small rise to approximately (adv. 近似地,大约) 25 terawatt hours by 2012.

Sample Answer: Recycling Rate for Selected Materials: 1982-2010​

The chart shows the percentages of paper and cardboard, glass containers, aluminium cans and plastics that were recycled in one country between 1982 and 2010.

In 1982, about 65% of paper and cardboard was recycled. This figure fluctuated before rising steeply to reach a peak of 80% in 1994. From then on, however, it decreased steadily to a level of 70% in 2010. In 1982, half of all glass containers were recycled; after dipping to a low of 40% in 1990, the glass recycling rate gradually increased to 60% by 2010.

Aluminium cans were first recycled in 1986, starting at about 5%, but this figure climbed rapidly over 25 years and by 2010 it had reached 45%. Recycling of plastics, on the other hand, was not introduced until 1990 and, although the growth in this category was also constant, it was very slow, rising from about 2% to around 8% over the period.

Overall, the proportion of paper and cardboard that was recycled was the highest of the four classes of material, but this category experienced a decline after 1994, whereas there was a continuing upward trend in the recycling of the other materials.