剑3 test 1
Task one
From the bar chart, one gets a clear idea about the number of Japanese tourists visiting other countries during the decade from 1985 to 1995, while the line chart offers information on the percentage of Japanese oversea tourists traveling to Australia over the same period of time.

Generally speaking, the number of Japanese tourists taking oversea travels increased steadily in most of the years, except the year 1991 when the figure witnessed a small drop. In 1985, almost 5 million Japanese people visited other countries, and afterwards the number climbed gradually and in 1995, it reached as many as 15.5 million, tripling the figure in 1985.

From the line chart, one can notice that before 1985, very few Japanese tourists visited Australia and in 1985, the figure stood at 2% among all the Japanese oversea travelers. Since then, the percentage surged dramatically, and in 1988 it climbed very close to 5% when it experienced a downturn, dropping back to almost 4% in 1989. Then, the percentage started another round of growth until registering a record high at 6.3% in 1993, when it dropped back to 6% in the following year.

To sum up, the number of Japanese oversea tourists and the percentage going to Australia showed and overall upward trend except in one or two years that small drops were shown.

Task 2
Popular events like the football World Cup and other international sporting occasions are essential in easing international tensions and releasing patriotic emotions in a safe way. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

As the 2012 Olympic Games in London coming to an end this summer, many people, while acclaiming for the outstanding performance demonstrated by talented sportsmen from worldwide, assert that popular events like football World Cup and other international sporting occasions are playing pivotal role in easing international tensions and releasing patriotic emotions in a safe way. However, from my point of view, this prevailing notion is somewhat groundless.

To begin with, international tensions are generally caused by deeply rooted reasons, such as border problems between nations, bitter feud left by historic or religious events, which can hardly be mitigated by merely sports. The long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestine best exemplifies the point. Without a territory to establish their own country, Palestinians are unlikely to be friendly while meeting their Israeli competitors on the sports court. In the II world war, Japanese troops invaded China and brutally slaughtered thousands of Chinese civilians, the tremendous emotional trauma of Chinese people can hardly heal through any kind of sporting occasion.

What’s more, those sports are competitive events where athletes play to win, and the cruelty is that there can only be one champion. The chaotic riots caused by football hooligans are heard from time to time when football matches are held. In cases like this, the strong senses of patriotic is released in a most violent way as those zealots are going to extremes to show their loyalty and support to their countries.

To conclude, caused by long-existing problems like politics, history or religion, international tensions are implacable through sport events. What’s more, the competitive nature of sports can lead the patriotism to go to extremes, and thus deepen the hatred and lead to riots.