The market day budget in Bujumbura
A student in Bujumbura receives 20 000 FBu for the week. Transport to school costs 500 FBu each way, five days a week. Lunch costs 1 200 FBu per day. The student wants to buy an English exercise book for 3 500 FBu and save at least 4 000 FBu for a school trip. A friend says: "You cannot afford the book and the savings; you must choose." The student also has an English test and plans to study for 30 minutes each evening, but often spends that time on a borrowed phone.
1. Calculate the weekly transport and lunch costs, then decide whether the student can buy the book and still save 4 000 FBu. Was the friend right?
Read the worked answer
Transport: 500 × 2 = 1 000 FBu per day; 1 000 × 5 = 5 000 FBu per week. Lunch: 1 200 × 5 = 6 000 FBu per week. Total fixed costs: 5 000 + 6 000 = 11 000 FBu. Remaining: 20 000 − 11 000 = 9 000 FBu. Book + savings: 3 500 + 4 000 = 7 500 FBu, which is less than 9 000 FBu. The student can do both and still have 1 500 FBu left.
The friend was wrong: the plan is affordable. The real risk is not money but time management.
2. Write two short pieces of advice in English (2–3 sentences each) to help the student pass the English test, using at least one comparative and one modal verb.
Read the worked answer
Model answer:
"You should study for 30 minutes every evening, because regular practice is more effective than one long session. Put the phone away while you study: a quiet place is better than a noisy one."
"You must review your vocabulary every day. Reading English texts for ten minutes is easier and more useful than memorising long lists without context."
Checklist: advice uses should/must (modal verbs) and more effective / better / easier (comparatives); each piece is 2–3 sentences and directly addresses the test.