The diagram below shows the production of a lead pencil. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write at least 150 words.
The diagram shows the process by which a lead pencil is produced. Overall, it entails a total of twelve steps involved in two major stages: growing trees used for the outer cloth of the pencil and manufacturing using various kinds of equipment.
The process begins with cultivating plants in an open environment. The trees are replanted after growing for 4 months, and then they are thinned for the next three years. In the next 14 years, they are chopped and sent to factories, where the rest of the process takes place.
The second phase of the production stage is the longest one, requiring labor-intensive work. In factories, raw materials are thinned to make slats. The fine piece of wood is subsequently treated with resin and left to dry. With the passing of 60 days, black lead is put on the groove of the slat by being glued. After being covered with new slat, a half-ready product is subjected to intense heat compressed from above by metal equipment. On a final stage, after they are cut into long pieces, they are painted, sharpened, and stamped before being put into custom-designed packages.
Word Count: 190
The illustration depicts how pencils are produced from logs and leads. On the whole, the process contains twelve steps, beginning with the cultivation of the tree seeds, followed by a number of cutting and forming stages and culminating in the finished pencils being packaged for consumers.
First, the seeds are cultivated at nurseries before being planted four months later. Then, after three years the trees are thinned in order to facilitate growth and improve the quality of the wood. Once the trees are fourteen years old, they are ready to be used for the manufacturing of the pencils, so they are chopped down to make logs.
In the next step, the logs are cut into thin slats, treated, and then left for 60 days, which gives the wood time to dry. Next, a groove is cut into the slat and a special glue is injected. After that, a black lead is put into the slat followed by the placement of an empty slat to form a sandwich, which is heated and pressed. This action creates one piece, which is cut, so as to produce individual pencils. In the final step the pencils are printed, sharpened and stamped before being packaged for consumers.
(202 words)