Ielts Material Booklet Latest

1
IELTS MATERIAL
JANUARY 1, 2017
2
Writing Section
Task 1
 Line Graph
 Bar Chart
 Pie Chart
 Table
 Process/flow chart
 Maps

In your IELTS test, you are advised to finish your graph writing in 20 minutes
Task 2
 Argumentative Essays
 Advantages Vs. Disadvantages Essays
 Problem Solution
 Descriptive Essay

In your IELTS test, you are advised to finish Task 2 in 40 minutes
General IELTS Letters and Emails

 Letter of Inquiry
 Letter of Complaint
 Letter of Job Application
 Letter of Apology
 Letter of Thanks

In your IELTS test, you are advised to finish your graph writing in 20 minutes
1
3
The structure of the IELTS Academic Writing Task

1: (Report Writing)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The line graph below shows changes in the amount and type of fast food consumed by
Australian teenagers from 1975 to 2000.Summarize the information by selecting and
reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
 Introduction:

One the hardest part of IELTS writing module is writing the introduction. If you have a good
technique for this, then the rest of the task is easy.

1) Paraphrase the Title:
You need to begin with one or two sentences that state what the IELTS writing task 1 shows.
To do this, paraphrase the title of the graph, making sure you put in a time frame if there is
one.
A- General Statement Part:

The General statement is the first sentence (or two) you write in your reporting. It should
always deal with:
What + Where + When.
Example:
The line graph compares the fast food consumption of teenagers in Australia between 1975
and 2000, a period of 25 years.
 A good General statement should always have these parts:
What = comparison of fast food consumption among teenagers

Where = Australia
When = from 19751 to 2000 ,over a period of 25 years
4
B- Give an Overview:
You also need to state what the main trend or trends in the graph are. Don‘t give detail such as
data here – you are just looking for something that describes what is happening overall.
Here are examples that cover the main changes that took place over the whole period:
• Overall, the consumption of fish and chips declined over the period, whereas the amount
of pizza and hamburgers that were eaten increased.
• One thing that stands out in this graph is that one type of fast food fell over the period,
whilst the other two increased, so this would be a good overview.
You may sometimes see this overview as a conclusion. It does not matter if you put it in the
conclusion or the introduction when you do an IELTS writing task 1, but you should provide
an overview in one of these places.
2) Reporting Details:
 Main features presented in the graph using numbers, figures and proportions or
percentages.(major ones only)
OR
 Compare and Contrast between the given data ;if you have more than one presented, using
detailed information .(major ones only)
OR
 Report on the most striking features of the graph.(major ones only)
3) Conclusion:
General statement
NB: Concluding paragraphs are sometimes optional. You are NOT asked to give your opinion
on the information, but generally to write a report describing the information factually.
5
Introductory Expression
Starting Presentation Description
Type
The given graph / shows / represents / the comparison of…
the supplied graph / depicts / enumerates / the differences…
the presented / the illustrates / presents/ gives the changes...
shown line graph / / provides / describes / the number of…
the provided line delineates/ expresses/ information on…
graph outlines/ denotes/ data on…
compares/ shows contrast / the proportion of…
indicates / figures / the amount of…
gives data on / information on...
gives information on/ data about...
presents information comparative data...
about/ shows data about/ the trend of...
demonstrates/ outlines/ the percentages of...
summarizes
Example :
 The provided diagram shows data on employment categories in energy producing
sectors in Europe starting from 1925 and till 1985.

 The given pie charts represent the proportion of male and female employee in 6 broad
categories, divided into manual and non-manual occupations in Freedonia.

 The chart gives information on expenditures of 4 European countries on six
consumer products namely Germany, Italy, Britain and France.

 The supplied bar graph compares the number of male and female graduated in three
developing
 countries while the table data presents the overall literacy rate in these countries.
 The bar graph and the table data depict the water use in different sectors in five regions.

 The bar graph enumerates the money spent on different research projects while the
column graph demonstrates the sources of the amount spent over a decade, commencing
from 1981.
6
Vocabulary for the General /Overall Trend Part:
 In general, / Generally speaking,

 In common,
 Overall, it is obvious,
 As is observed,
 As a general trend,
 As can be seen, / It can be clearly seen that/ It can be seen from the graph/table…
 As an overall trend,
 As is presented,,
 At the first glance it is clear,
 At the onset, it is clear that,
 A glance at the graphs reveals that...
 It is clear from the graph/table...
 As the graph/table shows,...
 As is shown by the graph/table,...
 As is illustrated by the graph/table,...
Example:
1. In general, the employment opportunity has increased till 1970 and has dropped
down afterwards.
2. As is observed, the figures for imprisonment in the five mentioned countries show no
overall pattern of increase or decrease rather shows the considerable fluctuation from
country to country.
3. Generally speaking, USA had a far more standard life than all the other 4
mentioned countries.
4. As can be seen, the highest number of passengers used the London Underground station
at 8:00 in the morning and at 6:00 in the evening.
5. Generally speaking, more men were engaged in managerial positions in 1987 than that
of women in New York.
6. As an overall trend, the number of crimes reported increased fairly rapidly until the mid-
seventies, remained constant for five years and finally, dropped to 20 cases a week after 1982.
7. At the first glance, it is clear that more percentages of native university pupils
violated regulations and rules than the foreign students.
8. At the onset, it is clear that drinking in public and drink driving were the most common
reasons for the US citizens to be arrested in 2014.
7
Vocabulary to Start the Report Body:

• Just after you finish writing your 'Introduction' (i.e. General Statement + General overview/
trend), you are expected to start a new paragraph to describe the main features of the diagrams.
• This second paragraph is called the 'Body Paragraph / Report Body". You can have a
single body paragraph/ report body or up to 3, (not more than 3 in any case) depending on
the number of graphs provided in the question and the type of these graphs.
There are certain phrases you can use to start your body paragraph and following is a
list of such phrases :
1. As is presented in the diagram(s)/ graph(s)/ pie chart(s)/ table...

2. Now, turning to the details....
3.As can be seen in the...
4.According to the...
5. The table data clearly shows that...
6. As the diagrams suggest...
7-To start,
8-To begin,
8
Vocabulary to show the changes:
Trends Verb form Noun Form

Increase rise / increase / go up / uplift / rocket(ed) / climb / a rise / an increase / an upward
upsurge / soar/ shot up/ improve/ jump/ leap/ move trend / a growth / a leap / a
upward/ skyrocket/ soar/ surge. jump / an improvement/ a
climb.
Decrease fall / decrease / decline / plummet / plunge / drop / a fall / a decrease / a reduction
reduce / collapse / deteriorate/ dip / dive / go down / / a downward trends
take a nosedive / slum / slide / go into free-fall. /a downward tendency / a
decline/ a drop / a slide / a
collapse / a downfall.
Steadiness unchanged / level out / remain constant / remain a steadiness/ a plateau / a
steady / plateau / remain the same / remain stable / stability/ a static
remain static
Gradual Gradual rise/increase an upward trend / an upward

increase tendency / a ceiling trend
Gradual a downward trend / a

decrease Gradual decrease/drop/fall downward tendency / a
descending trend
Stand ability/ level(ed) off / remain(ed) constant / remain(ed)

Flat unchanged / remain(ed) stable / prevail(ed) No change, a flat, a plateau.
consistency / plateaued / reach(ed) a plateau /
stay(ed) uniform /immutable / level(ed) out/
stabilize/ remain(ed) the same.
9
Examples:
1. The overall sale of the company has increased by 20% at the end of the year.
2. The expenditure of the office remained constant for the last 6 months but the profit rose
by almost 25%.
3. There was a 15% drop in the student enrollment of the University.
4. The population of the country remained almost the same as it was 2 years ago.
5. The population of these two cities increased significantly in the last two decades and it
is predicted that it will remain stable in the next 5 years.
10
Vocabulary to represent changes in graphs:
Type of Adverb form Adjective form

Change
Rapid change dramatically / rapidly / sharply dramatic / rapid / sharp /
/ quickly / hurriedly / speedily / quick/ hurried / speedy / swift
swiftly / significantly/ / significant / considerable /
considerably / substantially / substantial / noticeable/.
noticeably/.
Moderate moderately / gradually / moderate / gradual /

change progressively / sequentially. progressive / sequential.
Steady change steadily/ ceaselessly. steady/ ceaseless.
Slight change slightly / slowly / mildly / slight / slow / mild /

tediously. tedious/marginal
Example:
1. The economic inflation of the country increased sharply by 20% in 2008.
2. There was a sharp drop in the industrial production in the year 2009.
3. The demand for new houses dramatically increased in 2002.
4. The population of the country dramatically increased in the last decade.
5. The price of the oil moderately increased in last quarter but as a consequence, the price
of daily necessity rapidly went up.
11
Dates, Months & Years related vocabulary and grammar:
From 1990 to 2000,

Commencing from 1980,
Between 1995 and 2005,
After 2012/ By 1995/ In 1998/ In February,
Over the period,
In the first half of the year /For the first quarter /The last quarter of the
year, During the first decade / During the next 6 months
In the 80s/In the 1980s/In the mid-70s,
Within a time span of ten years /within five
years. Next month/ Next quarter/ Next year,
Previous month/ Previous year/Since 1990/.
Percentage, Portion and Numbers:

Percentages:
• There was a 10% increase in the ……. / It increased by 15%
• There was a 25 percent decrease in the use of ……../ The number of ……….dropped by 10
per cent / The percentage of ……… fell at 50%,
• The percentage of ……… tripled/ doubled
• The number of …….was /is 5 times higher than the number of ……/It was 3 timers lower
than
• The percentage of ………..declined to about 49%
• The percentage of ………stood exactly at 43%
Fractions:
4% = A tiny fraction.
24% = Almost a quarter.
25% = Exactly a quarter.
26% = Roughly one quarter.
32% = Nearly one-third, nearly a third.
49% = Around a half, just under a half.
50%= Exactly a half.
51% = Just over a half.
73% = Nearly three quarters.
77% = Approximately three quarter, more than three-
quarter. 79% = Well over three quarter.
Proportions:
2% = A tiny portion, a very small proportion.
4% = An insignificant minority, an insignificant proportion.
16% = A small minority, a small portion.
70% = A large proportion.
72% = A significant majority, A significant proportion.
89% = A very large proportion.
12
Words/ Phrases of Approximation - Vocabulary:
» Approximately
» Nearly
» Roughly
» Almost
» About
» Around
» More or less
» Just over
» Just under
» Just around
» Just about
» Just below
» A little more than
» A little less than.
13
General Tips for task 1:
1. Write the introduction and General trend in the same paragraph. 2. Your 'Introduction
(general statement + overall trend/ general trend) should have 75 - 80 words.
2. DO NOT give numbers, percentages or quantity in your general trend. Rather give the
most striking feature of the graph that could be easily understood at a glance.
3. Do Not use the same word/ phrase over and over again. In fact, you should not use a noun
or verb form to describe a trend/change more than twice; once is better!
4. To achieve a high band score you need to use a variety of vocabulary as well as
sentence formations.
5.DO NOT try to present every single data presented in a graph. Rather pick 5-7 most
significant and important trends/ changes and show their comparisons and contrasts.
6. The question asks you to write a report and summarize the data presented in graphs(s). This
is why you need to show the comparisons, contrasts, show the highest and lowest points and
most striking features in your answer, not every piece of data presented in the diagram(s).
Incorrect Presentation of the Overall Trend
"A glance at the graphs reveals that 70% male were employed in 2001 while 40 thousand
women in this year had jobs."
The correct version of the overall Trend
"A glance at the graphs reveals that more men were employed than their female counterpart
in 2001 and almost two-third females were jobless in the same year. "
What will the examiner assess?
a)The interpretation and presentation of data and trend.

b) How well you organize your paragraphs.
c) Overall clarity and fluency of your report and message.
d) How well you have organized the information, data and ideas in your writing.
e) Logical sequencing and appropriate use of linking devices between and within your
sentences.
f) The use of a wide range of vocabulary with very natural and sophisticated control of lexical
features.
g) Rare minor errors occur only as ‗slips‘.
h)The range of vocabulary you have used in your writing.
I) How accurately and appropriately you have used words/ phrases while presenting
the graph(s) as a report.
14
Synonyms and Antonyms

1 Complete the rewritten sentences, using a synonym (S) and an antonym (A) of the word
in bold. Choose from the words in the box.
impractical sensible irrelevant immaterial difficult foolish crucial

ineffective practical successful straightforward significant minor relevant
1-The research methodology was highly effective.

S: The research methodology was highly successful .
A: Unfortunately, the research methodology was completely ineffective .
2-The results of the test are unimportant as I have already decided what to do.
S: The results of the test are as I have already decided what to do.
A: The results of the test will be quite in deciding what to do.
3-It would be reasonable to keep a hard copy of the research.
S: It would be to keep a hard copy of the research.

A: It would be not to keep a hard copy of the research.
4-We found a very simple solution to the problem.

S: We found a very solution to the problem.
A: It was to find a solution to the problem.
5-A bicycle may be more convenient than a car in heavy traffic.
S: A bicycle may be more than a car in heavy traffic.
A: A car may be more than a bicycle in heavy traffic.
6-Don‘t worry about the trivial details, it‘s the bigger picture that‘s important.
S: Don‘t worry about the details, it‘s the bigger picture that‘s important.
A: As well as the bigger picture, it‘s to think about the details.
7-Can you make sure that the questions you ask are appropriate please? Stick to the point!
S: Can you make sure that the questions you ask are please?
Stick to the point!
A: That question is completely . Stick to the point!
15
Line Graph
16
Line Graph Worksheet - Gap Fill

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The line graph illustrates the amount of spreads consumed
from 1981 to 2007, in grams. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and
make comparisons where relevant.
Gap Fill - Choose the correct word
The graph shows the quantity of margarine, low fat spreads and butter consumed between
1981 and 2007. The quantities are measured in grams. Over the period 1981 to 2007 as a
whole, there was 1. in the consumption of butter and margarine
and 2. in the consumption of low-fat spreads.
Butter was the most popular fat at the beginning of the period, and
consumption 3. of about 160 grams in 1986. After this, there
was 4. .
The consumption of margarine began lower than that for butter at 90 grams. Following this,
in 1991, it 5. that of butter for the first time, but after 1996 there
was 6. in the amount consumed, which seemed set to continue. Low–
fat spreads were introduced in 1996, and they saw 7. in their
consumption from that time, so that by about 2001 they
were 8. than either butter or margarine.
1
7
18
Multiple Line Graph Model Answer
The line graph shows thefts per thousand vehicles in four European countries between 1990 and 1999.Summarize
the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task
The line graph compares the number of car thefts per thousand of vehicles in four countries from
1990 to 199, over a nine year period. 2-Overall, it can be seen that car thefts were far higher in Great
Britain than in the other three counties throughout the whole time frame.
To begin, car thefts in Sweden, France and Canada followed a fairly similar pattern over the
first five years, all remaining between 5 and 10 per thousand. The general trend though in both
France and Canada shows a decline in the number of vehicles stolen over the period at around
6thefts per 1000 in 1999. In contrast, Sweden experienced an upward trend, starting the period at
approximately 8, and finishing at just under 15.
Interestingly, car thefts in Great Britain started at 18 per thousand, which far exceeded that of the
other countries. It then fluctuated over the next nine years, reaching a peak of 20 thefts per 1000 in
1996, and ending the period slightly lower than where it began, at approximately 17 per thousand.
19
Bar Charts
A bar graph (also known as the bar chart) is a graph that contains either horizontal or
vertical bars to present data comparison or contrast among categories or variables This
bar graph will show the quantitative comparison of various data or categories and you are
expected to write a report or summary of the diagram. Following are some of the bar
graph examples to make thing clear:
• You will need to use the language of change. Look at the question – you are asked
to compare the data as well. So you must also compare the elements where relevant in
your IELTS task 1.
• You must also group data together to make sure you have a well-organized and
coherent answer.
• To do this, you need to look for similarities and differences when you first analyze the
graph for IELTS task 1, and decide what can be logically put together or not.
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
Being able to compare and contrast data is an essential skill for IELTS writing, especially
in Task 1. Comparatives and superlatives are one common way to do this.
Comparatives are used to compare two things:
• Leopards are faster than horses.
Superlatives are used to compare one thing against a group of others:
• The leopard is the largest of the four big cats.
Here are the basics of how they are formed:
Example
Comparative Superlative
Word
Words with one syllable High Higher the highest
the most
more
productive
Words with three syllables or Productive productive
more
the least
less productive
productive
Words ending in –y Wealthy Wealthier the wealthiest
Short words ending with a Hot Hotter the hottest

consonant/vowel/consonant
Irregular Good Better the best

20
Other Important Language

Transitions
1. The Middle East produces high levels of oil; however, Japan produces none.
2. The USA produces large amounts of natural gas. In contrast, South Korea produces none.
3. European countries make great use of solar power. On the other hand, most Asian
countries us this method of power generation very little.
Subordinating Conjunctions
1. The Middle East produces high levels of oil, whereas / while Japan produces none.
2. Whereas / While the Middle East produces high levels of oil, Japan produces none.
3. Although the Middle East produced 100 tons oil, Japan produced none.
Other Structures
1. Developing countries are more reliant on alternative energy production than

developed countries.
2. Solar power accounts for far less of the total energy production than gas or coal does.
3. Hydropower is not as efficient as wind power.
4. Like Japan, South Korea does not produce any natural gas.
5. The Middle East produces twice as much oil as Europe.
6. Western countries consume three times more oil than the Middle East.
7. Russia consumes slightly more oil than Germany.
8. The UAE produced the same amount of oil as Saudi Arabia
Using Approximate Data

When you compare and contrast, you also need to learn phrases so you can refer to
data that is not exact.
For example:
7.1
“just over 7 million tonnes‖
―approximately 7 million tonnes‖
65.6
“nearly 70 million tonnes‖
―almost 70 million tonnes‖
21
Practice 1
Natural Gas Consumption and Production, 2001in million tones
Country Consumption* Production*
The USA 588.9 500.0
The United Kingdom 86.1 97.3
The Former Soviet 7.1 0.4

Union
The UAE 30.0 35.9
Australia 19.1 28.0
Japan 68.6 0
New Zealand 4.9 5.1
South Korea 18.9 0
China 24.3 25.0
Look at the compare and contrast language in the drop-down box and choose the
correct word to complete the sentences.
1. New Zealand consumed the …………….. gas at approximately 5 million tones.
2. The former Soviet Union produced the……………. amount at 0.4 million tones.
3. The USA was the ……………. consumer and producer of gas at 600 million tones and
500 respectively.
4. The USA consumed and produced……………….. natural gas than any other country.
5. South Korea consumed 18.9 million tones of gas; …………….. , it produced none.
6. China‘s consumption and production of oil were ……….. at 24.3 and 25.0 respectively.
7. The USA, the Former Soviet Union, Japan and South Korea all consumed more
gas…………. they produced.
8. Australia consumed four …………… gas than New Zealand.
9. Zealand produced 5.1 million tones of gas,………….. South Korea produced none.
10. New Zealand consumed ……………. 5 million tones of gas.
22
Practice 2
2
3
24
Comparative and Superlative adjectives

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the adjective in brackets.
1 People who have more money aren‘t always (happy) ……….. than those with less.
2 Lazy people will always try to do (less) ……………. amount of work
possible. 3 Some countries are considerably (big)…………….. than others.
4 Be careful, that suitcase is easily (heavy) ………………. one of all!
5 In my opinion, blond hair isn‘t (attractive) …………….. as brunette.
6 His result was (good)…………….. in his class.
7 Give the keys to Jim, he‘s (trustworthy) ……………… boy in the
class. 8 It was (lovely)……………… sight I‘d ever seen.
9 I just can‘t go any (far) …………….. than this, I‘m exhausted.
10 I think girls look (pretty)……………… without make-up.
11 Climbing Everest is (dangerous) …………….. than climbing Kilimanjaro.
12 It is (brave) ………………. to stand up for yourself than to keep quiet.
13 She was (clever) ……………….. child in her class.
14 Jack is much (greedy)………………. than Jill.
15 Bananas are much (nutritious) …………………….than grapes.
16 I feel far (bad)……………. than I did yesterday.
17 When I come back, I expect this room to be a lot (tidy) ……………. than it is now!
18 It‘s much (wet)………….. this summer than last summer.
19 Jane was always (busy) ……………… person in the
office. 20 An ant is much (tiny)…………………. than a bee.
25
Practice More
Language focus: Modifying comparative and superlative adjectives

Look at the charts and complete the description using the words from the box.
Land area in kms Population (millions)
160
700,000
140
600,000
120
500,000
100
400,000 80
300,000 60
200,000 40
100,000 20
0
0
26
Language focus: Modifying comparative and superlative adjectives. Look at the charts
and complete the description using the words from the box.
similar / much / far / largest / relatively / nearly /the /even /second/ one / than / half
The charts show the land area and the population for five different countries. In the first chart
we can see that ... the…. largest countries are Afghanistan, with about 650,000 km and
Botswana, with 600,000 km. Ecuador is about ……….. the size of these, with nearly 300,000
km. Bangladesh and Cuba are ………. smaller, with 140,000 and 110,000 km respectively.
It is noticeable that the populations shown in the second chart do not correlate with the size of
the countries. By……….. the largest population is in Bangladesh, which is ……… of the
smallest countries. In contrast, one of the ……… countries, Afghanistan has a …………small
population, of about 30,000,000. Botswana‘s population is………. smaller, with around
1,600,000 people, despite being the ……….. biggest country shown. Ecuador also has a fairly
small population for its size, with about 13,000,000 people. This population is ………. to
Cuba‘s, but, as we have seen, Ecuador is ……… three times bigger ………… Cuba.
11
27
Practice Even More
The chart below shows the average time per day (in minutes) spent using communication
devices in 2005 and 2012. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the
main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
from /while / contrast/ similar/ however/ illustrates /overall / different/ by far/ both
/doubled / significantly
The chart …. illustrates …. how much time was spent on average using different
communication devices, in two 2 ………….years (2005 and 2012).
…………. the most popular device in both years was television, and the amount of time spent
watching TV increased between 2005 and 2012 by about 30 minutes. Radio was also popular
in………..years, but this decreased …………. just over 150 minutes to around 120 minutes.
In 2005, the internet and landlines were used for a ……… amount of time, around 15 minutes.
……… , in 2012, the amount of internet use had more than ……….. , to nearly 50
minutes,………….. landline use had reduced to less than ten minutes. By ………… ,
mobile phones were used………….. more in 2012, rising from around seven or eight
minutes to approximately 20 minutes a day. ……………. , the changes in the use of
communication devices reflect changes in technology, with both the internet and mobile
phones becoming more popular.
11
28
The bar chart gives information about the gender of teachers in six types of educational
institutions in the UK in 2010. The overall trend shows the popularity of female and
male instructors in different learning settings.
Women dominated the teaching profession in primary education, but less so at lower and
upper secondary education. It was particularly true of nursery school, where the share of
female teachers was above 95%. Similarly one-sided was the situation in primary school,
where over 90%of teachers were also female.
At secondary and upper secondary level this pattern was less pronounced, where there were
nearly equal proportions of male and female teachers. On the other hand, male teachers
outnumbered female teachers in high-level education, where the proportion of men was
twice that for women.
Overall, the higher the level of education, the more male teachers dominated, and the
reverse occurred with respect to female teachers.
(150 words)
11
29
Pie Charts
1-Choose the most important points to write about first

These will be the largest ones, in order of importance.
2-Make it easy to read
When you write a task 1, you should always group information in a logical way to make it
easy to follow and read.
3-Compare categories together across the charts, focusing on similarities and differences,
rather than writing about each chart separately. If you write about each one separately, the
person reading it will have to keep looking between the paragraphs in order to see how each
category differs.
4-Vary your language
You should not keep repeating the same structures. The key language when you write about
pie charts is proportions and percentages.
Common phrases to see are "the proportion of…" or "the percentage of…"
However, you can also use other words and fractions. These are some examples from the
model answer:

 A large number of people
 
 over a quarter of people
 
 a small minority
 
 A significant number of people
 
less than a fifth
11
30
If the percentages are not exact, then you can use qualifiers to make sure your description
remains accurate. Here are some examples:
Qualifier
Percentage
77% just over three quarters
approximately three
77%
quarters
49% just under a half
49% nearly a half
32% almost a third
This table presents some examples of how you can change percentages to other phrases:
The words below are interchangeable, though number is for countable nouns and amount is
for uncountable nouns.
proportion / number /
Percentage amount / majority /
minority
75% - 85% a very large majority
65% - 75% a significant proportion
10% - 15% a minority
5% a very small number
11
31
11
32
11
33
Vocabulary: Describing data
1 Look at the pie charts and complete the description using the words and
phrases in the box.
Camtown Museum Income 1992 Camtown Museum Income 2012
■ Government funding
■ Government funding
■ individual Gifts
■ Individual Gifts
■ Corporate sponsorship
■ Corporate sponsorship
■ Admission
■ Admission
■ Museum shop sales
■ Museum shop sales
■ School visits
■ School visits
■ Fundraising events ■ Fundraising events
34
Look at the pie charts and complete the description using the words and phrases in
the box.
the largest proportion / changed dramatically/ respectively/ came from/ shift from/
finally / provides information about/ overall / 6% / doubling much smaller proportion/
by contrast/ contributed / 18%
 The pie chart ……………… provides information about the different sources of
income for the Camtown Museum in 1992 and 2012.
 …………………, it is clear that the pattern of funding has …………..over the period,
with a ………………. government funding and individual gifts to other funding sources.

 Although ………………… of the total in both charts ……………….. government
funding, in the second chart this represents a ………………….. , at 33% rather than
50%. The amount of individual gifts also fell from 32% to ……………………..

 ……………………., corporate sponsorship and museum shop sales both increased,
from 6% to 12%, and 2% to 11% ……………………… .

 There was a …………………… in the proportion of income ………………….. by
admissions, but this was still a small part of the whole at 2% in 1992 and 4% in 2012.

 …………………. , income from school visits comprised ……………….. of the total in
both years.
35
These two pie charts show the changes in popularity of different leisure activities in the
United States of America between 1999 and 2009. It is obvious that the most popular leisure
activities were almost the same in both periods, but there were a number of differences in
popularity between the various activities.
It is clear that walking was the most popular activity in both 1999 and 2009, with around 30%
of Americans saying that they preferred it. Also, yoga was no longer among the preferred
activities in 2009, but weightlifting was chosen by 10% of people.
The second most popular activity was soccer at just under 20% in both years, a figure that was
matched by swimming in 2009, having almost doubled in popularity over the previous decade.
Most of the other activities became less popular over the same period of time, with cycling,
jogging and aerobics all falling by at least a half to fewer than 10%. The one exception to this
trend was camping which stayed almost unchanged at around 9%.
Based upon the above mentioned data, it is clear that US citizens ‗preferences of free timer
activities had changed over the years. However, few activities remained the same in terms of
their popularity. Noticeably, Yoga faded out and was replaced by weightlifting.
36
Tables
Analyzing the IELTS Table
 Describing an IELTS table is similar to describing charts or graphs. The same

structures of comparison and contrast are used or language of change if the
table is over time.

 A table is just another way to present information. It does not require that you learn
a new type of language or a new way to organize things.

 Do not describe all the data presented - present the main points of each
feature (you should make sure you mention each feature though)

 Look for significant data; e.g. the highest, the lowest etc




 Try and group the data. This may require you to use some general knowledge
about the world, such as recognizing developed and developing countries
Ask yourself the following Questions?

 What is the table measuring?
 What type of language do you need to use (Change? Comparing and contrasting?) 
 What tense would you use?
 Which ……. has the best quality of/the highest range of…….. and which has the worst?
 What information could you use for an overview / conclusion?
 How could you group the information?
 How many paragraphs would you have and what you would write about in each one? 
37
Practice
The table illustrates the proportion of monthly household income five European countries spend
on food and drink, housing, clothing and entertainment.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.
Proportion of household income five European countries spend on food and drink,
housing, clothing and entertainment.
Food and
Housing Clothing Entertainment
drink
France 25% 31% 7% 13%
Germany 22% 33% 15% 19%
UK 27% 37% 11% 11%
Turkey 36% 20% 12% 10%
Spain 31% 18% 8% 15%

38
Practice More
Word Choices
a quarter the largest

it is evident that However shows
on
much less
ranging
the remaining respectively while on
between
The table …………… the amount of household income that five countries in Europe
spend per month on four items. Overall,……………... all five countries spend the
majority of their income on food and drink and housing, but ………….. clothing and
entertainment.
Housing is ………….. expenditure item for France, Germany and the UK, with all of
them spending around one ………….. third of their income on this, at 30%, 33% and
37%.............. In contrast, they spend around …………. food and drink. …………….. ,
this pattern is reversed for Turkey and Spain, who spend around a fifth of their income
on housing, but approximately one third on food and drink.
All five countries spend much less on ………….. two items. Regarding clothes, France
and Spain spend the least, at less than 10%,……………… the other three countries spend
around the same amount,…………….12% and 15%. At 19%, Germany spends the most
on entertainment, whereas UK and Turkey spend approximately half this amount, with
France and Spain between the two.
39
Practice Even More
Country GNP per head Daily calorie Life expectancy Infant

(1982: US supply per at birth (years) mortality (per
dollars) head 1000 live births
Bangladesh 140 1877 40 132

Bolivia 570 2086 50 124
Egypt 690 2950 56 97
Indonesia 580 2296 49 87
USA 13160 3653 74 12
Complete the essay using words from the box
Smaller than /the highest (2) / far higher than /similar/ slightly higher/ the lowest/by far
the lowest/much higher /greater/ significantly lower
The table uses four economic indicators to show the standard of living in five
selected countries in 1982. Overall, it can be seen that the quality of life in the USA
was …………………….the other four countries.
To begin, the USA, which is a developed country, had …………………GNP at 13,160

dollars per head. It also had a ………………… daily calorie intake and life expectancy,
and …………….. rate of infant mortality.
The other developing countries had quality of life ratings that
were ………………………... The range of indicators for Egypt, Indonesia and Bolivia
were ……….., with Egypt having ………………… quality of life amongst the
three. However, the infant mortality rate in Egypt‘s was …………..than Indonesia‘s at
97 deaths per 1000 ……………………78 in Indonesia.
Bangladesh had ………………….. quality of life in all the indicators. Its GNP was one
hundred times ………………the USA‘s. Its calorie intake and life expectancy
were about half those of the USA, and its infant mortality rate was 10 times …………..
40
Writing: Avoiding repetition in Writing Task 1

1 Read the exam question and the sample answer. The answer contains too much repetition and the
introduction does not paraphrase the question. Use the words in the box to replace the underlined words or
phrases. There may be more than one possible answer.
The table shows the percentage of pupils in a school owning different consumer goods in different
years. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where necessary. Write at least 150 words.
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
3 11 26 49 61 90 96
Laptop computer 0 2 9 19 27 32 41
Portable music 49 53 52 55 54 60 62
player
Games console 52 58 56 68 72 71 73
Smartphone 0 0 0 0 4 24 56
Camera 52 55 54 51 43 37 32
notable /the latter/ these figures have/ possession/ have/ both of these have/ students /young people/
electronic items /children/ considerable/ the two former items
The table shows the percentage of 1pupils in a school who owned six different 2consumer goods between the
years 2000 and 2012. The figures show significant changes during this period.
One of the most 3significant features is the enormous increase in ownership of many of the consumer goods,
particularly laptop computers, smart phones and mobile telephones. In the year 2000, none of the 4pupils
owned 5laptop computers or smart phones and only 35% owned 6a mobile telephone. Twelve years later
7ownership of laptop computers, smart phones and mobile telephones has risen dramatically to 96%
ownership for mobile phones, which far exceeds 8ownership of other consumer goods. This compares to an
increase to 41% and 56% for laptop computers and smart phones respectively.
Not all the figures have risen and the popularity of owning a camera has decreased over the period from 52% in
2000 to only 32%, twelve years later. The number of 9 pupils who 10 own games consoles and portable music
players has fluctuated over the period, but 11the number of pupils who own games consoles and portable music
players has increased overall, from 52% to 73% for games consoles, and from 49% to 62% for portable music
players.
Overall, ownership of all six of the different consumer goods items has shown 12significant but different degrees
of change in the twelve-year period.
41
Pie Chart & A Table

The diagrams below give information on transport and car use in Edmonton.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
People’s reasons for using the car in city
Commute to work 55%

Shopping 15%
Leisure activities 15%
Taking children to school 40%
Business 45%
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
42
Maps
1- A Picture of an object or Objects.
Vocabulary for object description
Shape Round, oval, rectangular, circular, spherical,

cylindrical, shaped like a square/ cube/ sphere
long, thin, flat, curved, pointed

Qualities Colored, striped, spotted, sharp
Parts Head, face, eye, neck, top, main/ outer/ inner

part, side, handle, bottom, end
On one/ both side(s), in the middle, on/at the

Position top, above, below, around, inside, horizontal,
vertical
Material Wood(en), metal, paper, glass, leather, plastic, rubber
2- Maps
Maps often depict changes. To describe such changes in location, direction, places
and developments you need to learn the language first.
43
Words showing location and direction
around B.
is connected to B by means of C.
der, etc.)
How to Describe Specific Changes


Buildings– demolished, knocked-down, flattened, replaced, renovated, built, constructed,
reconstructed, developed, extended, expanded, relocated, converted and modernized.
Examples:
1-The government demolished the industrial estate and developed a sports ground.
2-They removed the shops and replaced it with a skyscraper.
3-A port was constructed at the edge of the river.
4-The factory in the city centre was demolished and relocated to the north of the
city. 5-The old warehouses were replaced with new hotels.
6-The factory was converted into apartments.

Trees and Forests- cleared, cut-down, chopped-down, removed, planted.
Examples:
The forest was cut-down and replaced with a shopping centre.
The trees were cleared to make way for houses.
Roads, bridges and railways lines- constructed, built, extended, expanded and removed.
The main road was extended and a new bridge built over the river.

Leisure facilities- opened, set up, developed.
Examples:
A skate park was set up next to the swimming pool.
A park was developed beside the forest
44
 Below are some examples of general statements we could use to describe change in towns and cities.
1-Over the period, the area witnessed dramatic changes.
2-From 1995 to 2005, the city centre saw spectacular developments.

3-The village changed considerably over the time period.
4-During the 10 year period, the industrial area was totally

transformed. 5-Over the past 20 years, the residential area was totally
reconstructed. 6-Over the time period, the old docks were totally
redeveloped. 7-Between 1995 and 2005, the old houses were rebuilt.
8-The central business district was completely modernized during the time period.

How to Describe Locations ?
You will also be expected to describe where things are maps and describe where changes have occurred.
You can use ‗to the left‘ and ‗to the right‘, but a better way is to use ‗north‘, ‗south‘, ‗east‘ and ‗west‘. I
normally advise my students to draw the symbols on the question paper if they are not already there.
Examples:
The forest to the south of the river was cut down.
A golf course was constructed to the north of the airport.

The houses in the south-west of the town were demolished.
The green fields to the north-west of the city were redeveloped as a park.
The airport in the centre of the city was relocated to the north-east of the river.
The school to the south-east was knocked down and a new one built to the east of the forest.

Prepositions of place
you will also be expected to use , e.g. at/in/on/by/beside/to/off/from, to describe where things are.
Examples:
1-Dramatic changes took place in the city centre.
2-To the south of the town, there is a golf course surrounded by trees.
3-A new school was built next to the swimming pool.
4-The old road running from north to south was replaced by a new motorway.
5-A marina was built on the banks of the river.

45
Words describing places / changes / development
matic over these years.
uch greener residential area with a large number of trees and individual houses.
up around the area.
…..Y….near the southern corner.

both maps reveals a shift / change from……. to ……..
46
IELTS Writing Task 1: Question

A map diagram in IELTS Writing Task 1 is likely to be a before/after street plan that
requires you to compare past and present. In this case, however, it’s present and
future that you need to compare.
The diagram shows proposed changes to Foster Road.
Write a 150-word report describing the proposed changes for a local committee.
47
Process Essay
Any process will have a number of stages that are in time order.You should start at the
beginning, and describe each stage through to the last one.
• Use the present simple passive
• Begin with paraphrasing the Topic Sentence:The diagram explains how chocolate
is produced
• Then mention how many stages are there in this process.
• Use a range of structures and vocabulary correctly rather than a limited number.
• If the flow chart is simple and linear then you may be able to link the stages
together by simply using some of the following transition signals:
To begin with,...
First of all,...
First,...
Secondly, thirdly, etc.
Then,...
Next,...
After that,...
Finally,...
• If the process is more complex, as in the example above, then you may need to
also use these words:
Alternatively,...
Otherwise,...
In addition,...
At the same time,...
Concurrently,...
48
The diagram illustrates the process that is used to manufacture bricks for
the building industry.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and
make comparisons where relevant.
1-Introduction
a-Introduce the Diagram
As with any task 1, you can begin by paraphrasing the rubric:

The diagram explains the way in which bricks are made for the building industry.
As you can see, this has been taken from the question, but it has not been copied.
You need to write it in your own words.
b-Highlight the Main Points
As there are no trends to comment on, you can make a comment on the number of
stages in the process and how it begins and ends:

Overall, there are eight 
stages in the process, beginning with the digging up of clay and
culminating in delivery.
49
2-Give the Detail

Now you need to explain the IELTS process diagram, and there are two key aspects
of language associated with this:
a) Time Connectors
A process is a series of events, one taking place after the other. Therefore, to connect
your stages, you should use ‗time connectors‘.
To begin, the clay used to make the bricks is dug up from the ground by a large digger.
This clay is then placed onto a metal grid, which is used to break up the clay into
smaller pieces. A roller assists in this process.
Following this, sand and water are added to the clay, and this mixture is turned
into bricks by either placing it into a mould or using a wire cutter. Next, these
bricks are placed in an oven to dry for 24 – 48 hours.
In the subsequent stage, the bricks go through a heating and cooling process. They
are heated in a kiln at a moderate and then a high temperature (ranging from 200c to
1300c), followed by a cooling process in a chamber for 2 – 3 days. Finally, the bricks
are packed and delivered to their destinations.

If you use before, this means that you will be mentioning a later stage before an earlier stage, so you need
 to use it carefully. If you can use it properly though, it will get noticed.
Here is an example using stages four and five:


Before being dried  in the oven, the mixture is turned into bricks by either placing it into a mould or
using a wire cutter.
b)The Passive
When we describe an IELTS process, the focus is on the activities, NOT the
person doing them. In this case, we use the passive voice, not the active.
Most sentences use this structure:
  Subject + Verb + Object

 A large digger digs up the clay in the ground.
In the active voice (as above), the digger is doing the verb i.e. the digger is doing
the digging.
When we use the passive voice, we make the object (the clay) the subject, and make the
subject (the digger) the object. We also add in the verb ‗to be‘ and the past participle (or
Verb 3).
50
 (S) The clay in the ground (V) is dug up (O) by the digger.
 
NB:
Some verbs cannot take the passive. For example, 'to go' cannot be passive, so it is
kept in the active voice:
 ...the bricks go through a heating and cooling process.
To begin, the clay (which) is used to make the bricks is dug up from the ground by
a large digger. This clay is then placed onto a metal grid, onto a metal grid, which
is used to break up the clay into smaller pieces. A roller assists in this process.
Following this, sand and water are added to the clay, and this mixture is turned
into bricks by either placing it into a mould or using a wire cutter. Next, these
bricks are placed in an oven to dry for 24 – 48 hours.
In the subsequent stage, the bricks go through a heating and cooling process. They are
heated in a kiln at a moderate and then a high temperature (ranging from 200c to
1300c), followed by a cooling process in a chamber for 2 – 3 days. Finally, the bricks
are packed and delivered to their destinations.
51
Practice More
Complete the missing parts using the words in the box
then following Later on To begin with Finally Next Once
The diagram explains the process for the making of chocolate. There are a total of ten
stages in the process, beginning with the growing of the pods on the cacao trees and
culminating in the production of the chocolate.
…….., the cocoa comes from the cacao tree, which is grown in the South American and
African continents and the country of Indonesia. ….....the pods are ripe and red, they are
harvested and the white cocoa beans are removed. ………………… a period of fermentation,
they are …………laid out on a large tray so they can dry under the sun. ………., they are
placed into large sacks and delivered to the factory. …………,They are roasted at a
temperature of 350 degrees, after which the beans are crushed and separated from their outer
shell . …………….., this inner part that is left is pressed and the chocolate is produced.
52
Practice Even More

The diagrams below show the stages and equipment used in the cement-making process, and
how cement is used to produce concrete for building purposes.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where
relevant.
The diagrams explain the processes of producing cement and concrete. Overall, there
are five stages for making the cement and one for the concrete. The cement must(1. to
make) first, as it (2. to use) to make the concrete.
To make cement, firstly limestone and clay (3. to feed) into two rollers which (4. to
crush) them up into a powder. This power (5. to mix + then) together,
before (6. to travel) down a tube and into a rotating heater.
The heat comes up from the bottom as the heater rotates, and once the power is ready, it (7.
to emerge) from this machine onto a conveyor belt where it (8. to grind +
then) into the cement. Finally it (9. to separate) into bags.
This cement is then used to produce the concrete. To do this, there is a mixture of 15 per
cent cement, 10 per cent water, 25 per cent sand and 50 per cent gravel. These (10. to
place) into a concrete mixer, which spins in order to form the concrete.
53
Writing: Sequencing a Task 2

Look at the diagram and put the phrases or sentences A–L in the correct order.
1 Hold card within 5 c of contactless payment reader. 2 Encrypted card number transferred to reader.
3 Amount below £20, no signature required 4-No need to worry–reliable payment technology
from Visa and MasterCard.. etc
.
magnetic strip
12s
27s
5 speed and efficiency

-contactless payment chip and pin card payment 6 -Traditional magnetic strip just in case.
56
Write a report for a university tutor describing the

production process.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
57
IELTS Academic Writing

There are different essay types, and these will require different ways to answer them. You are
supposed to write 250 words in 40 minutes
These are some of the types of IELTS essays you can get in the test:
 Agree / disagree
 Discuss two opinions
 Advantages & disadvantages
 Causes (reasons) & solutions
 Causes (reasons) & effects
 Problems & solutions
Not every essay will fit one of these patterns, but many do. The golden rule is to ALWAYS
read the question very carefully to see exactly what you are being asked to do.
How do I Write an IELTS Essay?
An IELTS essay is structured like any other essay; you just need to make it shorter. There
are three key elements:
1. Introduction
2. Body Paragraphs
3. Conclusion
58
Language focus: Prepositions

1 Complete the text using the prepositions A–D from the box.
A in B from C on D with
A new website was recently launched that will allow people who think they may be suffering
1 B a particular disease to diagnose their own conditions.
Like Wikipedia, the site will depend 2……. contributions from volunteers, but it will differ
3……. Wikipedia in that the creators will insist 4……. every contributor being medically
qualified.
The founder said that the idea stemmed 5……. a desire to give people access to more
information as people often struggle 6…… finding a source which is both reliable and written
in plain English. The site will also be supported by videos and diagrams.
The website has been set up in association 7 ……one of the biggest teaching hospitals in the
UK and users will benefit 8….. first-hand information from doctors who specialize 9…….
different areas of medicine. Many doctors are very enthusiastic about the new development,
believing that it is good for patients to understand and be able to manage their own conditions.
They will, of course, be encouraged to seek professional help as well.
Some doctors, however, are concerned that the website could result 10…… people self-
diagnosing wrongly. ‗Surgeries will struggle 11……. large numbers of people who have
convinced themselves they are seriously ill,‘ said Dr James Mason, a London GP. ‗They won‘t
be able to distinguish serious symptoms 12…… unimportant ones. And some patients will
argue 13….. the doctor, or refuse to comply 14….. his or her suggestions. I think it‘s a terrible
idea!
59
Agree /Disagree Essay
1) Introduction
You should keep your introduction for the IELTS essay short. Remember you only have
40 minutes to write the essay.
a-State the topic of the essay, using some basic facts or general idea about the topic
b-Say what you are going to write about
In the last 20 years there have been significant developments in the field of information
technology (IT), for example the World Wide Web and communication by email.
However, these developments in IT are likely to have more negative effects than
positive in the future.
To what extent do you agree with this view?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience
or knowledge.

Here is an example introduction for the above essay question about IT:
The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by IT, with many
advances in this field. However, while these technological advances have brought many benefits to the world,
it can be argued that these developments in IT will result in more negative impacts than positive.
-As you can see, the first sentence refers to the topic (IT) and uses facts about IT taken from
the question. Note that these are paraphrased - you must not copy from the rubric!
-The second part then clearly sets out the what the essay will be about and confirms
the writer‘s opinion (some questions may not ask for your opinion, but this one does).
2) Body Paragraphs
-You should have 2 or 3 body paragraphs - no more, and no less.
-For your body paragraph, each paragraph should contain one controlling idea, and
have sentences to support this.
-The essay is about the benefits and drawbacks of IT, so these will need to be discussed
in separate paragraphs.
Here is the first body paragraph:
60
To begin, email has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler and faster,
resulting in numerous benefits for commerce and business. Furthermore, the World Wide
Web means that information on every conceivable subject is now available to us. For
example, people can access news, medical advice, online education courses and much
more via the internet. It is evident that these improvements have made life far easier and
more convenient for large numbers of people and will continue to do so for decades to
come.
-The controlling idea in this first paragraph is the 'benefits of IT', and there are two
supporting ideas, which are underlined. No drawbacks are discussed as the paragraph
would then lose coherence.
-Most of the essay will focus on the negative aspects of IT, as the writer says there are
more negative effects in the introduction. So the next two paragraphs are about these.
-The topic sentence in the next paragraph therefore tells us we are changing the focus to
the negative points:
Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial. For example,
many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms of
communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation. This
could result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each other
on a day-to-day basis.
The final body paragraph gives the last negative effect:
In addition, the large size of the Web has meant that it is nearly impossible to
regulate and control. This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing
unsuitable websites and viruses. Unfortunately, this kind of problem might even get
worse in the future at least until more regulated systems are set up.
3) Conclusion
The conclusion only needs to be one or two sentences, and you can do the following:
 Re-state what the essay is about (re-write the last sentence of your introduction in
 different words)
 Give some thoughts about the future
61
Here is an example:
In conclusion, developments in IT have brought many benefits, yet I believe developments

relating to new technology are likely to produce many negative effects in the future that must
be addressed if we are to avoid damaging impacts on individuals and society.
The full IELTS Essay:
The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by
IT, with many advances in this field. However, while these technological advances have
brought many benefits to the world, it can be argued that these developments in IT will
result in more negative impacts than positive.
To begin, email has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler and faster,
resulting in numerous benefits for commerce and business. Furthermore, the World Wide
Web means that information on every conceivable subject is now available to us. For
example, people can access news, medical advice, online education courses and much more
via the internet. It is evident that these improvements have made life far easier and more
convenient for large numbers of people and will continue to do so for decades to come.
Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial. For example,
many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms of
communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation. This could
result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each other on a day-
to-day basis.
In addition, the large size of the Web has meant that it is nearly impossible to regulate and
control. This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing unsuitable websites and
viruses. Unfortunately, this kind of problem might even get worse in the future at least until
more regulated systems are set up.
In conclusion, developments in IT have brought many benefits, yet I believe developments

relating to new technology are likely to produce many negative effects in the future that
must be addressed if we are to avoid damaging impacts on individuals and society.
62
Writing: Organizing a Task 2 answer

1 Complete the essay using the sentences A–G below. There are more
sentences than you need.
A Furthermore, as people from different cultures learn more about each other, their
cultures are perhaps being lost, as everyone starts to want to wear the same clothes,
eat the same food and so on.
B Through Twitter and Facebook, for example, it is now possible to become
friends with people we would never have met otherwise.
C Something that might only have been known about by a few people can now
be quickly spread around the world, and this can help to protect people.
D However, I think that the benefits of increased communication far outweigh
these disadvantages.
E The difference between a real friend and an acquaintance is becoming blurred.
F There is no doubt that the world has changed enormously as a result of the
invention of the internet.
G The internet can be used to go shopping, book airline tickets or carry out research.
The internet is making it easier than ever before to communicate with people across the
world. Some people think this is a positive development, meaning that we can gain a
greater understanding of different cultures. Others think that it is a dangerous
development, and is destroying the individual culture of countries. Discuss both views
and give your own opinion.
1…………………… Rather than an expensive phone-call or a letter that might take a long
time to arrive, we can now communicate with someone on the other side of the world in an
instant, using email, instant messaging or Skype™.
Social networking has also been revolutionized. 2 ………………………. This greater
communication means that people around the world are more and more aware of what is
happening in other countries.
A positive aspect of this is that it is harder for governments to cover up human rights abuses.
3…………………………. People are starting to feel more connected to those in different
countries, and understanding more about each other.
On the other hand, it could also be argued that people are learning about negative things too.
Fraud and other crime is widespread on the internet. 4 ……………… . Undoubtedly these
are real problems. 5…………………. Ultimately, the better we can all communicate and
understand each other, the better the future should be for the world.
63
Advantage Disadvantage Essay
 In this essay you are required to assess whether the benefits of something outweigh the
 drawback
 It is important to distinguish between this and one that asks you to discuss advantages and
disadvantages but does not ask your opinion.
 If you are asked “What are the advantages and disadvantages of…..” you are not being
asked your opinion. You simply have to discuss the benefits and drawbacks.You could do this
in two body paragraphs – one discussing the positive points, the next discussing the
 negative points.
 However, if you have the word “outweigh” or “Will this trend have more positive or
negative effects?” then you are being asked for your opinion and you must say which
there are the most of – positive or negative impacts.

Take a look at these examples:

People now have the freedom to work and live anywhere in the world due to
the development of communication technology and transportation.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?



However, this one same topic but different approach:

People now have the freedom to work and live anywhere in the world due to
the development of communication technology and transportation.

Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

OR

Will this have more positive or negative impacts?
64
Problem Solution Essays
In this type of essay, you need to discuss the problems with regards to a particular
topic and then suggest possible solutions to these problems.
Problem Solution Essay Questions:
Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems.
Identify one or two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and
individuals can tackle these problems.
Nowadays many people have access to computers on a wide basis and a large
number of children play computer games.
What are the negative impacts of playing computer games and what can be done
to minimize the bad effects?
The internet has transformed the way information is shared and consumed, but
it has also created problems that did not exist before.
What are the most serious problems associated with the internet and what
solutions can you suggest?
In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing.

What problems will this cause for individuals and society?
Suggest some measures that could be taken to reduce the impact of ageing
populations.
65
Writing: Organizing a Task 2 answer (2)

Read the essay and cross out five extra sentences which do not fit.
We have a duty to preserve old buildings for future generations. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?
Many cities have a mixture of old and new buildings. People often feel strongly about the
older buildings, believing that it is important to keep this piece of history for our children, and
their children. Tall buildings have the advantage of taking up much less space.
Undoubtedly new buildings have their advantages. They can be purpose-built, whereas older
building is often not very suitable for today‘s needs. Older buildings can be very beautiful,
provided they are not allowed to get too run-down. They can also be designed so that they are
far more environmentally friendly than older buildings, requiring less lighting or heating.
Finally, designing and building new buildings can help the economy, providing work and
economic stimulus. Skyscrapers can be built quite quickly and easily, using prefabricated
materials.
However, although I understand all of these points, I tend to agree that it is our duty to
preserve at least some of the more impressive older buildings. Very often it is these buildings
which give a town or city its character. City centers need plenty of shopping malls, cinemas,
restaurants and so on. If we replace these buildings, before long everywhere in the world will
look the same.
And, although building can help the economy, tourism very often depends on protecting our
past, as this is what tourists want to come and see, not shiny new tower blocks. Tourism can
bring in a good deal of money, which can be used to pay for the preservation of old buildings,
as well as new building projects.
On balance, therefore, I would agree that old buildings should be preserved, so long as they
are of architectural interest or add something positive to a city. Although it is a shame that
modern cities look similar, it is probably at least partly unavoidable.
66
Writing: Using complex sentences to develop ideas in a Task

2 answer
1 Read the Writing Task 2 question and complete the model answer with words from the
box. There are two words or phrases which you do not need.
Some people think that the primary role of space exploration is to give us a better understanding
of our world and practical knowledge to improve life on earth. Others think that its true function
is to discover the universe and look for other forms of life. What, in your opinion, should be the
function of space exploration?
Although/ unless/ because /if /so that/ however/ provided /for example/ in
order to/ resulting in
Over the centuries the human race has had a fascination with discovering new worlds or life
beyond our own planet, 1 resulting in many missions into space over the last 50 years.
However, this is not the only purpose of space exploration and for many people recent space
missions have proved that space exploration can provide us with practical knowledge which can
enhance our lives on earth.
The belief that space exploration is solely to seek out new worlds and life forms is, in my view,
quite limited, 2 …………..this has been a motivating factor for many space missions. Our
desire to look beyond our own planet and explore our solar system and universe is part of
natural human curiosity. People have always wondered whether life on other planets exists and
some people feel that 3……………… we start colonizing other planets, problems of
overpopulation on earth are likely to worsen in the future.
4 ……………., space exploration is about much more than satisfying our curiosity and desire to
populate other planets. It has provided us with scientific knowledge about our own planet and
universe, which has practical applications in real life. ………………5 , astronauts in space
stations have conducted research 6…………………….. we can have a better understanding of
climate change on earth. They have also carried out experiments on different materials 7
……………….make aircraft safer, and on new medical technologies. It would be very difficult
to imagine modern life 8…………………. we did not have communications satellites, yet these
would not exist without space technology.
In conclusion, space exploration, in my view, has a dual role, both as a means to discover more
about life in the universe and as a way of providing us with the scientific knowledge to make
our world a better place
67
Selling an Item
Dear Gary,
Hope you are doing well.
I‘m doing fine, though my life is quite hectic at the moment because, as you know, I am
moving abroad and there is so much to do!
There are a few things that I can‘t take with me because they are too big so I am seeing if
any of my friends would be interested in buying them. One of the things I do not want to
take with me is my television, and I thought you might like to buy it off me for a cheap
price.
It‘s a 32―flat screen TV, and it‘s a Phillips model. It has a USB port so you can just plug
in a thumb drive to watch movies or listen to music. It has great stereo surround sound.
As you know, I‘m leaving the country at the end of the month, which is only two weeks
away. So, if you want to see it, it would be best to come on 20th or 21st. That will give
me time to sell it elsewhere if you are not interested.
Ok, I look forward to seeing you. Let me know if you can‘t make it.
All the best,
John.
68
Thanking Letter
WRITING TASK
1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
A friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on holiday. Write
a letter to your friend. In your letter • give contact details for when you are away •
give instructions about how to care for your pet • describe other household duties
Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as
follows: Dear .....................,
Dear Carolyn,
Thank you for agreeing to house-sit for me. If you need to contact me during my
holiday, I‘ll be staying at the Imperial Hotel in Bundaberg. If it‘s urgent, however, please
ring my mobile phone, which I‘ll keep with me at all times. I‘ve written the numbers on
a sticky note which I‘ve left on the fridge.
My cat needs to be fed twice daily so each morning and evening put a handful
of cat biscuits in his dish. You will find these in the kitchen pantry. Also, please check
throughout the day to make sure he has fresh water. You can give him a small bowl of
milk in the evening. I would like you to water my plants, too. The indoor ones in the
lounge only need water once every few days but the plants on the balcony need to be
watered daily unless there has been heavy rain.
Finally, for security, please clear my mail box every day and keep the
outside lights on at night. I look forward to seeing you on my return.
Yours, Katie
69
IIelts Academic Reading

True /False /Not Given OR Yes /No /Not Given
 
 Matching Headings
 
 Completing Summaries
 
Multiple Choice
70
IELTS True False Not Given – Practice
Top 10 Tips
1. Ignore anything you already know about the topic and don‘t make assumptions. Base
your answers on the text only.
2. Identify any words that qualify the statement, for example some, all, mainly, often, always and
occasionally. These words are there to test if you have read the whole statement because they
can change the meaning. For example, ‗Coca-Cola has always made its drinks in the U.S.A.‘
has a different meaning from ‗Coca-Cola has mainly made its drinks in the U.S.A.‘
3. Be careful when you see verbs that qualify statements, such as suggest, claim, believe and
know. For example, ‗The man claimed he was a British citizen,‘ and ‗The man is a British
citizen‘ mean two different things.
4. There will be at least one of all three answers. If you don‘t have at least one ‗true‘, ‗false‘
or ‗not given‘ you have at least one answer wrong.
5. Don‘t skim and scan the text to find the final answer. You will have to read the
appropriate part of the text very carefully in order to understand what the author means.
6. Don‘t look for words that exactly match those in the statements. You should also look
for synonyms. Remember that you are matching meaning, not words.
7. If you can‘t find the information you are looking for, then it is probably ‗not given‘.
Don‘t waste time looking for something that is not there.
8. If you have no idea what the answer is put ‗not given‘. You probably have no idea
because the answer is not there.
9. Answers are in the same order they appear in the text. Do not waste time going back. Keep
on reading.
10. YES/NO/NOT GIVEN questions are slightly different because they deal with
opinion. TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN questions deal with facts.
http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/true-false-not-given.html
True if the statement agrees with the text
False if the statement does not agree with the text
Not Given if there is no information about this in the text
71
Chilies originate in South America and have been eaten for at least 9,500 years. Organised cultivation
began around 5,400BC. Christopher Columbus was the first European to encounter chilies, when he landed
on the island of Hispaniola in 1492. He thought it was a type of pepper and called it the ―red pepper‖, a
name still used today. After their introduction to Europe they were an immediate sensation and were quickly
incorporated into the diet. From there they spread to Africa, India and East Asia.
The reason for the chili‘s ―hotness‖ lies in a chemical called Capsaisin. Capsaisin causes temporary
irritation to the trigeminal cells, which are the pain receptors in the mouth, nose and throat. After the pain
messages are transmitted to the brain, endorphins, natural pain killers, are released and these not only kill
the pain but give the chili eater a short lived natural high. Other side effects include: an increased heart rate,
a running nose and increased salivation and sweating, which can have a cooling effect in hot climates.
The reason for the presence of Capsaisin is thought to be to deter animals from eating the fruit. Only
mammals feel the burning effects; birds feel nothing. As birds are a better method of distributing the seeds,
which pass intact through their guts, Capsaisin would seem to be a result of natural selection.
The smaller chilies tend to be the hottest. This may reflect the fact that they tend to grow closer to the
ground and are therefore more vulnerable to animals. The heat of a chili is measured on the Scoville scale.
The hottest types such as the Habenero and the Scotch Bonnet rate between 100,000 and 300,000, the
world-famous Tabasco sauceo rates at 15,000 to 30,000, about the same as the Thai prik khee nu, while the
popular Jalapeno is between 5,000 and 15,000. Powdered chili is 500 to 1,000 and the mild capsicins and
paprikas can range between 100 and 0.
Questions:
1. Chilies became popular as soon as they were brought into Europe. T /F / NG
2. Capsaisin causes significant damage to the mouth. T /F / NG
3. Chilies can be part of a bird’s diet. T /F / NG
4. All large chilies grow high off the ground. T /F / NG
5. People breed chilies for their heat. T /F / NG
72
UN warns over impact of rapidly ageing populations

http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-true-false-not-given-reading-questions.html
The world needs to do more to prepare for the impact of a rapidly ageing population, the UN has warned -
particularly in developing countries. Within 10 years the number of people aged over 60 will pass one billion, a
report by the UN Population Fund said. The demographic shift will present huge challenges to countries'
welfare, pension and healthcare systems. The UN agency also said more had to be done to tackle "abuse, neglect
and violence against older persons". The number of older people worldwide is growing faster than any other age
group. The report, Ageing in the 21st Century: A Celebration and a Challenge, estimates that one in nine people
around the world are older than 60. The elderly population is expected to swell by 200 million in the next decade
to surpass one billion, and reach two billion by 2050. This rising proportion of older people is a consequence of
success - improved nutrition, sanitation, healthcare, education and economic well-being are contributing factors,
the report says. But the UN and a charity that also contributed to the report, Help Age International, say the
ageing population is being widely mismanaged. "In many developing countries with large populations of young
people, the challenge is that governments have not put policies and practices in place to support their current
older populations or made enough preparations for 2050,"theagencies said in a joint statement.
The report warns that the skills and experience of older people are being wasted, with many under-employed and
vulnerable to discrimination. Help Age said more countries needed to introduce pension schemes to ensure
economic independence and reduce poverty in old age. It stressed that it was not enough to simply pass
legislation - the new schemes needed to be funded properly.
The UN report used India as an example, saying it needed to take urgent steps in this area. Almost two-thirds of
India's population is under 30. But it also has 100 million elderly people - a figure that is expected to increase
threefold by 2050. Traditionally, people in India live in large, extended families and elderly people have been
well looked after. But the trend now is to have smaller, nuclear families and many of the country's elderly are
finding themselves cast out, says the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi.
There are more and more cases of physical and mental abuse, including neglect, suffered by the elderly at the
hands of their families. It is slowly becoming a widespread social problem, particularly in urban areas, one
which India still has not got to grips with, our correspondent says.By contrast, the UN report cited the case of
Bolivia as an example of good practice in the developing world. All Bolivians over the age of 60 get a pension
that is the equivalent of about $30 (£19) a month. Bolivia suffers from frequent flooding and landslides, and
older people there have been organized into "Brigadas Blancas"- White Haired Brigades. They help with
preparations for emergencies, and accessing humanitarian aid.
73
Questions 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading?
1. The growth of the elderly population is going to make it extremely difficult to provide adequate
social service provision
True
False
Not Given
2. Approximately thirty per cent of the population are over 60 years old
True
False
Not Given
3. Developed countries are much better prepared than developing countries for 2050
True
False
Not Given
4. More financing is necessary to ensure new pension schemes are successful
True
False
Not Given
5. Elderly people in India are not always being looked after as well as they were in the past
True
False
Not Given
6. India is starting to deal with the neglect of its elderly population
True
False
Not Given
7. Bolivian Families tend to look after their elderly relatives better than many other countries
True
False
Not Given
74
Childhood obesity goes global

Childhood obesity is rapidly becoming a global epidemic. The US continues to lead the way,
with as many as 37% of its children and adolescents carrying around too much fat. But other countries
are rapidly catching up. According to statistics presented at the European Congress on Obesity in
Finland, more than 20% of European youngsters between the ages of 5 and 17 are either overweight or
obese. Asia lags behind the US and Europe in its obesity statistics, but Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and
the Philippines have all reported troubling increases in recent years. Up to 10% of China's 290 million
children are already believed to be overweight or obese, and that percentage is expected to have
doubled a decade from now. So across Asia too, childhood obesity is on the rise, and a less marked
trend has been documented even in urbanised areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
Why do children become obese? One important factor is insulin, a hormone which enables the
body to store extra calories as fat. Physical exercise helps control insulin levels, while ingesting fat
combined with starches and sugar can cause surges in insulin levels. A child who sits in front of the
TV for hours on end, eating potato chips and doughnuts, is an ideal fat-storage machine.
What is urgently needed is for schools, health professionals, parents and children to work
together. Encouragingly, changing a family's lifestyle in healthy ways does not appear to be all that
difficult: it involves regular exercise, slightly smaller portions and slightly different foods. And this,
say health officials, is a message that badly needs to get out.
Write True/False/Not Given

1-Just over one third of the population of the US is overweight.
2-Asia and Europe have an equal proportion of obese Children
3- It is forecast that the proportion of overweight or obese children in China will reach 20% in ten
years‘ time
4-There is a downward trend in childhood obesity in some African towns and cities 5-
Insulin levels rise sharply when foods with high levels of starch, sugar and fat are eaten
6-Parents play the most important role in improving eating habits
75
Eating up Titanic
A In 1985, seventy-three years after it had sunk on its maiden voyage from Southampton
to New York, the Titanic was discovered lying 3,800 meters below the surface of the sea.
The first images the world saw of the wreck showed the metal hull or body of the ship,
draped in what look like strange underwater icicles. These structures are called 'rusticles'
from rust {the reddish brown substance that forms on iron when it is in contact with
water) and icicle.
В A decade later, microbial ecologist Roy Cullimore was called on to investigate

biological activity on the Titanic after the salvage company recovering objects from the
wreck noticed it seemed to be deteriorating. By carefully guiding the robotic claws of the
French submarine Nautile, Cullimore was able to collect some rusticles to bring back to
his laboratory for analysis. Gathering them was a tricky business - rusticles are brittle and
have a tendency to snap in the fast water flow created by the propellers of the submarine.
A second expedition brought up more rusticles when a large section of hull was lifted
from the sea bed. The largest of these, measuring 45 centimetres long, now hangs on
Cullimore's office wall.
С Each rusticle is made up of communities of bacteria, fungi and other microbes that
have joined forces to build a sort of rusting tower block to sustain them and protect them
from the outside world. The outer walls have a layered appearance, much like the
annular growth rings in trees. Inside, each rusticle seems to contain at least five distinct
communities of bacteria, or 'consorms', that live in harmony, with each type of consorm
performing a specific task. They are mostly clustered around water channels that run
through the structure. There are also fungal growths towards the outside of the structure
where the channels meet the surface. Along with the microbes, rusticles contain up to 35
per cent iron compounds in the form of ribbons that permeate the entire structure, in
much the same way that nerves or blood vessels do in an animal. Chemically, these
compounds are dominated by various ferric oxides, hydroxides and carbonates.
D Cullimore's work has revealed that the microbial communities work together to 'feed'
on the ship, actively removing iron from it. And the effects can be dramatic. In 1996, he
estimated that they were removing 100 kilograms of iron a day. As the rusticles grow,
the decay rate accelerates, and Cullimore predicts that the wreck will be unrecognisable
within 100 years or so.
76
E However, the rusticles colonise some parts of the ship but leave others alone. To find out
why, Cullimore has placed various steel samples on the Titanic's deck. His findings suggest
that the most susceptible areas are where the steel was ripped or twisted when the ship sank,
because the fractures allow microbes to get in more easily. The rusticles also seem to
consume the parts of the ship made of wrought iron, such as the rivets, more easily than
steel. This is bad news not just for the Titanic, but for other ships and undersea structures
such as oil rigs, because it is the rivets which hold the whole thing together. 'When you
destroy a rivet, you're weakening the whole section,' says Cullimore.
F Iron-loving bacteria such as those found in rusticles can also be useful, however. Sean
Tyrrel from Cranfield University has worked on projects to design iron filters for wells in
developing countries, to prevent problems caused by iron-rich water. There's been a great
interest in using groundwater to provide drinking water because it is generally regarded
as unpolluted and can be safely consumed without the need for treatment. But iron-
bearing groundwaters are often noticeably orange in colour, causing discoloration of
laundry, and have an unpleasant taste which is apparent when the water is-drunk or used
for food preparation. 'If there's a lot of iron in the water, people reject it,' Tyrrel says. He
and his colleagues have found that under the right conditions, certain bacteria will take
up the iron from the water and consume it, leaving it clear. The rusticles research should
provide more clues about how to harness these bacteria for good.
G And the reach of rusticles doesn't end there. Cullimore's research has convinced him
that ironloving bacteria could be harnessed for all sorts of industrial uses. He sees rusticles
as a sort of biological concrete, which has given him the idea that microbes could be added
to normal concrete to improve its performance. Such bioconcrete might even be grown
using microbes, instead of being mixed and allowed to harden as it is at present, before
being used for buildings. н Scientists still have much to learn about the specific types of
microbes present in rusticles and how they interact with each other. But what is certain is
that the various consorms must use a common language to successfully build and sustain
their mutual community. Cullimore ultimately hopes to begin to understand this language.
'If we could learn how they communicate, then we could say "Hey, you shouldn't be
growing here, wouldn't you rather be growing over there?
77
Questions 1-5 Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.
1 Underwater photographs of the Titanic show that the wreck is covered in rusticles.
2 Rusticles were first discovered on the wreck of the Titanic.
3 Roy Cullimore investigated whether rusticles were involved in the sinking of
the Titanic.
4 Rusticles are difficult to collect because they break easily.
5 The rusticle in Cullimore's office is the largest one in existence.
78
Multiple Choice
Australian Agriculture Innovations: 1850 – 1900

http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-multiple-choice.html
During this period, there was a wide spread expansion of agriculture in Australia. The selection system was
begun, whereby small sections of land were parceled out by lot. Particularly in New South Wales, this led to
conflicts between small holders and the emerging squatter class, whose abuse of the system often allowed them
to take vast tracts of fertile land.
There were also many positive advances in farming technology as the farmers adapted agricultural methods to
the harsh Australian conditions. One of the most important was ―dry farming‖. This was the discovery that
repeated ploughing of fallow, unproductive land could preserve nitrates and moisture, allowing the land to
eventually be cultivated. This, along with the extension of the railways allowed the development of what are
now great inland wheat lands.
The inland areas of Australia are less fertile than most other wheat producing countries and yields per acre are
lower. This slowed their development, but also led to the development of several labour saving devices. In 1843
John Ridley, a South Australian farmer, invented ―the stripper‖, a basic harvesting machine. By the 1860s its use
was widespread. H. V. McKay, then only nineteen, modified the machine so that it was a complete harvester:
cutting, collecting and sorting. McKay developed this early innovation into a large harvester manufacturing
industry centered near Melbourne and exporting worldwide. Robert Bowyer Smith invented the ―stump jump
plough‖, which let a farmer plough land which still had tree stumps on it. It did this by replacing the traditional
plough shear with a set of wheels that could go over stumps, if necessary.
The developments in farm machinery were supported by scientific research. During the late 19th century, South
Australian wheat yields were going down. An agricultural scientist at the colony‘s agricultural college, John
Custance, found that this was due to a lack of phosphates and advised the use of soluble
superphosphate fertilizer. The implementation of this scheme revitalized the industry.
From early days it had been obvious that English and European sheep breeds had to be adapted to Australian
conditions, but only near the end of the century was the same applied to crops. Prior to this, English and South
African strains had been use, with varying degrees of success. William Farrer, from Cambridge University,
was the first to develop new wheat varieties that were better able to withstand dry Australian conditions. By
1914, Australia was no longer thought of as a land suitable only for sheep, but as a wheat growing nation.
2. What did H. V. McKay do?
Export the stripper.

Improve the stripper.
Cut, collect and sort wheat.
3. What did the 'stump jump plough’ innovation allow farmers to do?
Cut through tree stumps.

Change the wheels for a traditional plough."
Allow farmers to cultivate land that hadn’t been fully cleared.
79
4. What did John Custance recommend?
Improving wheat yields.

Revitalising the industry.
Fertilizing the soil.
5. Why was William Farrer’s wheat better?
It was drought resistant.

It wasn’t from England or South Africa.
It was drier for Australian conditions.
80
Is Violence Innate?
http://ielts-up.com/reading/multiple-choice-1.html
In 1983, archaeologists in southern Germany discovered a mass grave containing 34 skeletons. They included
9 adult males, 7 adult females and 16 children. All of the skeletons showed signs of fatal trauma, including head
wounds. None of them showed any signs of defensive wounds, suggesting they were killed whilst running away.
The "Talheim Death Pit" dates from the Stone Age, around 7,000 years ago. It offers some of the oldest evidence
of organized group violence between two communities: that is, of war. Clearly, humans have been fighting wars
for thousands of years, and we may not be the only ones. There is growing evidence that several other species
also engage in warfare, including our closest relatives the chimpanzees. That suggests we have inherited our
predilection for warfare from our ape-like ancestors. But not everyone agrees that warfare is inbuilt.
Choose A ,B ,C ,or D
1. What did archaeologists in southern Germany discover?
A. Remains of 34 dead animals
B. Graveyard containing 34 skeletons
C. Relics of early civilization
D. 9 adult males, 7 adult females and 16 children
2. Why did scientists suggested that those people were killed whilst running away?
A. Their skeletons showed signs of fatal trauma
B. There were 16 children
C. During that period organized group violence was very frequent
D. Their skeletons didn't show any signs of defensive wounds
3. Why do human beings fight, according to the article?

A. Because they have been fighting wars for thousands of years
B. Because chimpanzees, who are humans' closest relatives, engage in warfare
C. Because humans inherited predilection for warfare from their ape-like ancestors
D. Because fighting is their inbuilt instinct
4. Which of the following phrases best describes the main aim of the Reading Passage?
A. To describe fighting among different species
B. To introduce principles of contemporary archaeology and its application
C. To introduce some relics of humans' warfare for further discussion whether violence is innate or not
D. To suggest ways of interpreting humans' violence
81
August 1985: The worst month for air disasters

There are many grim landmarks in the history of aviation. One in particular stands out. Three decades
ago, 720 travelers and crew lost their lives on board commercial aircraft in a single month - more than
in any other before or since.
The deaths occurred in four separate accidents in August 1985. Each disaster had quite different
causes. The aircraft involved ranged from a 747 with hundreds on board to a tiny twin engine
turboprop carrying just eight people.
There was Japan Air Lines flight 123, the worst single-aircraft accident in history, in which 520 of 524
on board were killed. A further 137 died when Delta flight 191 flew into heavy winds as it approached
Dallas-Fort Worth International. A fire on board British Airtours flight 28M at Manchester Airport led
to 55 deaths. And all those on board the smallest aircraft, Bar Harbor Airlines flight 1808, lost their lives
as it flew into a small airport in Maine, USA.
Each, in their own way, had a lasting legacy, whether in the memories of those left bereaved or in
changes in technology and procedure introduced as a direct result. The worst death toll was on Japan
Air Lines Flight 123, a Boeing 747, which was en route from Tokyo to Osaka on 12 August 1985 when
the airtight bulkhead between its cabin and tail tore open. The change in pressure blew off the vertical
stabilizer, or tail fin. It also destroyed the hydraulic systems. The plane lurched up and down.
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
1. When did the 720 travelers die?

A. Thirteen decades ago.
B. A few decades ago.
C. 30 years ago.
D. There is no information about it.
2. Twin engine turboprop could carry:
A. Eight people.
B. Four people.
C. Two people.
D. Only a pilot.
3. The worst accident in history, according to the paragraph, was:
A. Flight 123.
B. Delta flight 191.
C. British Air tours flight 28M.
D. Bar Harbor Airlines flight 1808.
82
4. Why did the Japan Air Lines Flight 123 crashed?

A. The change in pressure blew off the vertical stabilizer.
B. Destruction of the hydraulic systems.
C. The airtight bulkhead between its cabin and tail tore open.
D. It is unknown.
83
Why does coffee shoot out of the lid of your cup?

You're running late for work and you've purchased your coffee in a hurry. Just as you arrive at the
office, a jet of hot liquid escapes from the tiny hole in the lid, leaving you with hot beverage residue on
your clothes before the day has really started.
This is exactly what happened to Rob Kaczmarek after buying a cup of his favorite caffeinated drink.
The marketing director at Convergent Science was intrigued by why the coffee shoots out so far and
therefore set about modeling this, initially as a joke for those who enjoy a bit of computational fluid
dynamics. It's the design of the lid that's the problem, he explains.
"It happens because of the sloshing of the coffee against the lid, which is kind of unique. At the end of
the lid, the hole is right up above that. As the coffee sloshes against the end of the lid, that velocity is
amplified and it splashes up through the actual hole."
Not all coffee cups are designed with a hole, of course. Some have lids with a tiny hole and others peel
back to reveal a much larger gap, which offsets the shooting jets of hot liquid.
1. What accident might occur at work in the morning, after you bought coffee?
A. You spill it all over the place accidently.
B. You get burns from the hot coffee.
C. You contaminate your clothes with it.
D. Nothing out of ordinary.

2. Rob Kaczmarek explains to us that
A. The coffee shoots out very far.
B. He sat his experiment as a joke.
C. He was really intrigued by spilling the coffee.
D. Coffee spills because of the design of the lid.

3. The main reason coffee spills is
A. Velocity.
B. Sloshing.
C. Design of the cup.
D. It is not stated.
84
4. This text might be classified as
A. Scientific.
B. Humorous.
C. Fictional.
D. Romantic.
85
CLOCKING CULTURES
What is time? The answer varies from society to society
A If you show up a bit late for a meeting in Brazil, no one will be too worried. But if you keep
someone in New York City waiting for ten or fifteen minutes, you may have some explaining to do.
Time is seen as relatively flexible in some cultures but is viewed more rigidly in others. Indeed, the
way members of a culture perceive and use time tells us about their society's priorities, and even their
own personal view of the world.
в Back in the 1950s, anthropologist Edward T Hall described how the social rules of time are like a 'silent
language' for a given culture. These rules might not always be made explicit, he stated, but 'they exist in
the air'. He described how variations in the perception of time can lead to misunderstandings between
people from separate cultures. 'An ambassador who has been kept waiting by a foreign visitor needs to
understand that if his visitor "just mutters an apology", this is not necessarily an insult,' Hall wrote. 'You
must know the social rules of the country to know at what point apologies are really due.'
с Social psychologist Robert V Levine says 'One of the beauties of studying time is that it's a
wonderful window on culture. You get answers on what cultures value and believe in.' Levine and his
colleagues have conducted so-called pace-of-life studies in 31 countries. In A Geography of Time,
published in 1997, Levine describes how he ranked the countries by measuring three things: walking
speed on urban sidewalks, how quickly postal clerks could fulfill a request for a common stamp, and
the accuracy of public clocks. From the data he collected, he concluded that the five fastest-paced
countries are Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Japan and Italy; the five slowest are Syria, El Salvador,
Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico.
D Kevin Birth, an anthropologist, has examined time perceptions in Trinidad. In that country, Birth
observes, 'if you are meeting friends at 6.00 at night, people show up at 6.45 or 7,00 and say, "any time
is Trinidad time".' When it comes to business, however, that loose approach works only for the people
with power, A boss can show up late and just say 'any time is Trinidad time', but those under him are
expected to be on time. Birth adds that the connection between power and waiting time is true for
many other cultures as well.
E The complex nature of time makes it hard for anthropologists and social psychologists to investigate. 'You
can't simply go into a society, walk up to someone and say, "Teli me about your concept of time",' Birth
says. 'People don't really have an answer to that. You have to come up with other ways to find out.'
f Birth attempted to get at how Trinidadians regard time by exploring how closely their society links
time and money. He surveyed rural residents and found that farmers - whose days are dictated by
natural events, such as sunrise - did not recognize the phrases time is money, budget your time or time
management even though they had satellite TV and were familiar with Western popular culture. But
tailors in the same areas were aware of such notions. Birth concluded that wage work altered the tailors'
views of time. 'The ideas of associating time with money are not found globally,' he says, 'but are
attached to your job and the people you work with.'
G In addition to cultural variations in how people deal with time at a practical level, there may be
differences in how they visualize it from a more theoretical perspective. The Western idea of time has been
compared to that of an arrow in flight towards the future; a one-way view of the future which often includes
the expectation that life should get better as time passes. Some cultures see time as closely connected with
space: the Australian Aborigines' concept of the 'Dreamtime' combines a myth of how the world began with
stories of sacred sites and orientation points that enable the nomadic Aborigines to find their way across the
huge Australian landscape. For other cultures, time may be seen as a pattern incorporating the past, present
and future, or a wheel in which past, present and future revolve endlessly. But theory and practice do not
necessarily go together. 'There's often considerable variation between
86
how a culture views the mythology of time and how they think about time in their daily lives,'
Birth asserts.
Choose the correct letter. A, B, C or D

1-Edward Hall used the example of the ambassador to show that
A people in power are easily insulted.
В rules of time are different now from in the past.
С problems can be caused by different views of time.
D misunderstandings over time cannot be avoided.
2- In his research, Robert Levine measured the speed at which

postal workers
A delivered letters.
В performed a task. С
learned a new skill.
D answered a question.
3- Kevin Birth found out that in Trinidad

A expectations of punctuality vary according to relationships.
В time is regarded differently from anywhere else. С
employees as well as bosses may be late for work.
D people who are punctual eventually become more powerful.
4-Birth studied Trinidadian attitudes to time by

A asking questions connected with language.
В asking people how they felt about time.
С observing how people behaved in different settings.
D collecting phrases to do with time.
5- Birth finds there is often a difference between

A what cultures believe about time and what individuals believe.
В people's practical and theoretical attitudes to time. С
what people believe about time and what they say.
D people's past and present attitudes to time.
87
Matching Headings
Yoruba Town
http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/paragraph-headings.html
A. The Yoruba people of Nigeria classify their towns in two ways. Permanent towns with their
own governments are called ―ilu‖, whereas temporary settlements, set up to support work in the
country are ―aba‖. Although ilu tend to be larger than aba, the distinction is not one of size,
some aba are large, while declining ilu can be small, but of purpose. There is no ―typical‖
Yoruba town, but some features are common to most towns.
B. In the 19th century most towns were heavily fortified and the foundations of these walls are
sometimes visible. Collecting tolls to enter and exit through the walls was a major source of
revenue for the old town rulers, as were market fees. The markets were generally located
centrally and in small towns, while in large towns there were permanent stands made of
corrugated iron or concrete. The market was usually next to the local ruler‘s palace.
C. The palaces were often very large. In the 1930‘s, the area of Oyo‘s palace covered 17 acres,
and consisted of a series of courtyards surrounded by private and public rooms. After
colonisation, many of the palaces were completely or partially demolished. Often the rulers
built two storey houses for themselves using some of the palace grounds for government
buildings.
D. The town is divided into different sections. In some towns these are regular, extending out
from the center of the town like spokes on a wheel, while in others, where space is limited, they
are more random. The different areas are further divided into compounds called ―ile‖. These
vary in size considerably from single dwellings to up to thirty houses. They tend to be larger in
the North. Large areas are devoted to government administrative buildings. Newer
developments such as industrial or commercial areas or apartment housing for civil servants
tends to be built on the edge of the town.
E. Houses are rectangular and either have a courtyard in the center or the rooms come off a
central corridor. Most social life occurs in the courtyard. They are usually built of hardened
mud and have roofs of corrugated iron or, in the countryside, thatch. Buildings of this material
are easy to alter, either by knocking down rooms or adding new ones. And can be improved by
coating the walls with cement. Richer people often build their houses of concrete blocks and, if
they can afford to, build two storey houses. Within compounds there can be quite a mixture of
building types. Younger well-educated people may have well-furnished houses while their older
relatives live in mud walled buildings and sleep on mats on the floor.
F. The builder or the most senior man gets a room either near the entrance or, in a two- storied
house, next to the balcony. He usually has more than one room. Junior men get a room each and
there are separate rooms for teenage boys and girls to sleep in. Younger children sleep with
their mothers. Any empty room are used as storage, let out or, if they face the street, used as
shops.
88
G. Amenities vary. In some towns most of the population uses communal water taps and only
the rich have piped water, in others piped water is more normal. Some areas have toilets, but
bucket toilets are common with waste being collected by a ―night soil man‖. Access to water
and electricity are key political issues.
List of paragraph headings
i. Town facilities
ii. Colonization
iii. Urban divisions
iv. Architectural home styles
v. Types of settlements
vi. Historical foundations
vii. Domestic arrangements
viii. City defenses
ix. The residences of the rulers
x. Government buildings
89
Soccer Violence
http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-paragraph-headings.html
1-. Fiorentina's exclusion from the UEFA Cup after a match official was injured by a firecracker thrown
during their second-round match with Grasshopper Zurich in Salerno brought hooliganism back in the media.
2. The Florence club are appealing against the decision, arguing that the object was thrown by rival Salernitana
fans and the ban would set a dangerous precedent. But UEFA will have borne in mind that Fiorentina were
playing so far away from home only because they had been banned from their own ground for crowd trouble in
Europe last season.
3. Whether Fiorentina have been hard done by or not, fan violence is a major problem in the Italian game.
Fighting before Sunday's 1-1 draw between Bologna and Roma left eight people in hospital, two with stab
wounds. After the game a Roma supporters' bus was stoned and set on fire.
4. But Italy is not the only country suffering from what used to be called "the English disease". At the weekend
police in Bucharest fired tear-gas and made 20 arrests after a pitch invasion at the Steaua-Dinamo derby,
reflecting a marked growth in hooliganism in Romania. The Greek first division match between PAOK
Thessaloniki and Olympiakos Piraeus last week was abandoned after one of the linesmen was left concussed
by home fans furious at a disallowed goal, a decision which brought 10,000 people on to the streets of Salonika
in protest. In neighbouring Albania, SkenderbeuKorce were fined and docked three points last month after a
brawl involving players, fans and the referee.
5. Hooliganism is taking its toll on the South American game too. An Argentinian judge suspended all second
division matches this month in an effort to combat rising violence. The same judge halted the first division for
two weeks in May for the same reason.
6. Football violence has claimed 37 lives in Argentina in the Nineties and leading clubs routinely have to dole
out free tickets and cash to their gangsterish fans, known as barrasbravas, whose activities include extortion.
This is leading to a frightening atmosphere. A recent survey in Brazil found that 61 per cent of fans said they
stayed away from matches because they were too scared to attend.
7. FIFA is considering the postponement of the Confederations Cup, scheduled for January, which may
persuade the world champions France to take part, a FIFA spokesman said yesterday.
List of Headings
i. A climate of fear
ii. Fan violence returns
iii. FIFA's response
iv. Cancelling the cup
v. Legal action is taken
vi. Not just the fans
vii. Violence at the core of Italian football
viii. Not to blame
ix. Violence in the news again
x. A widespread problem
90
Clocking Cultures
List of Heading
Questions 1-6
The reading passage has seven paragraphs A-G.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings
below. i Time and technological development
ii A problem for those researching attitudes to time
iii Learning the laws of time for
intercultural understanding
iv Time and individual psychology
v Comparing the value of time for different groups of workers
vi Research and conclusions on the speed different nationalities live at
vii The history of time measurement
viii Attitudes to time and authority - a cross-cultural relationship
ix Variation in theoretical views of time
x Attitude to time as an indication of cultural and individual differences
Example Paragraph A Answer x

1 Paragraph В…………
2 Paragraph С……….
3 Paragraph D…………
4 Paragraph E…………..
5 Paragraph F…………….
6 Paragraph G……………..
91
Sentence Completion
Useful information about sentence completion questions:
 You should complete statements that paraphrase sentences from the text.
 You're given a word limit.
 Questions follow the order of the text.
You are given sentences, which you have to complete. Those sentences are
not exactly taken from the text: they are paraphrased. But they keep the initial
meaning.
Key words from questions may be your pointers: they'll help you to find the passage
that contains the answer. But to find the answer, you should understand the meaning of
the question and find the sentence with the same meaning in the text. You should look
for meaning, not separate words.
Note that if you are asked to complete sentence with no more than two words, you
can write one or two words.
Answering strategy:
1. Read the text.

2. Use key words to find the needed paragraph.
3. Make sure you understand the question statement and search for
sentence with similar meaning.
4. Once you've found the answer, check if it fits into the statement grammatically
and doesn't exceed the word limit.
5. Repeat this strategy with other questions.
92
European Settlement of Australia

European settlement of Australia began in 1788 when a British penal colony was established on the east coast.
From this starting point Australia grew rapidly and continually, expanding across the entire continent.
A number of reasons contributed to Britain's decision to colonize Australia. The most important factor was
Britain's need to relieve its overcrowded prisons. Several violent incidents at overcrowded prisons convinced the
British government of the need to separate unruly elements from the rest of the prison populace.
Additionally, Australia was of strategic importance to Britain, and it provided a base for the Royal Navy in the
eastern sea. Also, Australia could be used as an entry point to the economic opportunities of the surrounding
region. All these points figured in the decision by Lord Sydney, secretary of state of home affairs, to authorize the
colonization.
To this affect, on May 13, 1787, Captain Arthur Phillip, commanding eleven ships full of convicts, left Britain for
Australia. He successfully landed a full fleet at Botany Bay on January 18, 1788. However, they left the bay eight
days later because of its openness and poor soil, and settled instead at Port Jackson, a few kilometers north. The
ships landed 1,373 people, including 732 convicts, and the settlement became Sydney. Australia Day is now
celebrated on 26 January each year, to commemorate this first fleet landing.
Complete the following statements using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.

(put your choice into the gaps - use small letters and don't put any spaces after your last word)
1. Australia was originally founded as a .
2. The major consideration in colonizing Australia was Britain’s .
3. It was thought that could be gained in that part of the world due to the access provided via
Australia.
4. Lord Sydney took every factor into account when he gave official permission for the of
Australia.
5. Botany Bay was abandoned by the settlers due to the lack of cover and .
93
Air Rage
The first recorded case of an airline passenger turning seriously violent during a flight, a phenomenon now widely
known as ―air rage‖, happened in 1947 on a flight from Havana to Miami. A drunk man assaulted another
passenger and bit a flight attendant. However, the man escaped punishment because it was not then clear under
whose legal control a crime committed on plane was, the country where the plane was registered or the country
where the crime was committed. In 1963, at the Tokyo convention, it was decided that the laws of the country
where the plane is registered take precedence.
The frequency of air rage has expanded out of proportion to the growth of air travel. Until recently few statistics
were gathered about air rage, but those that have been indicate that passengers are increasingly likely to cause
trouble or engage in violent acts. For example, in 1998 there were 266 air rage incidents out of approximately four
million passengers, a 400% increase from 1995. In the same period American Airlines showed a 200% rise. Air
travel is predicted to rise by 5% internationally by 2010 leading to increased airport congestion. This, coupled with
the flying public‘s increased aggression, means that air rage may become a major issue in coming years.
Aside from discomfort and disruption, air rage poses some very real dangers to flying. The most extreme of these
is when out of control passengers enter the cockpit. This has actually happened on a number of occasions, the
worst of which have resulted in the death and injury of pilots or the intruder taking control of the plane, almost
resulting in crashes. In addition, berserk passengers sometimes attempt to open the emergency doors while in
flight, putting the whole aircraft in danger. These are extreme examples and cases of air rage more commonly
result in physical assaults on fellow passengers and crew such as throwing objects, punching, stabbing or scalding
with hot coffee.
Look at the words in the table and decide which word will fit in the reading gap fill summary. Type the
word into the gap (when you have completed it you can click below to reveal and check your answers).
Predicted rose incident Passenger Found assault

established occurring hoped Increased Injury passengers
The first time that an (1) of air rage was recorded was in the 1940‟s, but the passenger was never actually charged
for an offence because there were no clear rules in place to specify where to prosecute. It was
later (2) that it would be the country where the plane is registered. Air rage has (3)
significantly since this time, growing by a staggering 400% from 1995 to 1998. Air rage is (4)
to be a major problem in the future as air travel increases, as do levels of aggression.
Angry (5) can put everyone in danger including the pilots, the crew and the other passengers, with
some form of (6) being the most common consequence.
94
CHILDREN'S THINKING
http://www.ielts-mentor.com/reading-sample/academic-reading/67-ielts-academic-reading-sample-42-children-s-thinking
One of the most eminent of psychologists, Clark Hull, claimed that the essence of reasoning lies in the
putting together of two 'behaviour segments' in some novel way, never actually performed before, so as to
reach a goal.
Two followers of Clark Hull, Howard and Tracey Kendler, devised a test for children that was explicitly
based on Clark Hull's principles. The children were given the task of learning to operate a machine so as to
get a toy. In order to succeed, they had to go through a two-stage sequence. The children were trained on
each stage separately. The stages consisted merely of pressing the correct one of two buttons to get a marble;
and of inserting the marble into a small hole to release the toy.
The Kendlers found that the children could learn the separate bits readily enough. Given the task of getting
a marble by pressing the button they could get the marble; given the task of getting a toy when a marble
was handed to them, they could use the marble. (All they had to do was put it in a hole.) But they did not
for the most part 'integrate', to use the Kendlers' terminology. They did not press the button to get the
marble and then proceed without further help to use the marble to get the toy. So the Kendlers concluded
that they were incapable of deductive reasoning.
The mystery at first appears to deepen when we learn, from another psychologist, Michael Cole, and his
colleagues, that adults in an African culture apparently cannot do the Kendlers' task either. But it lessens,
on the other hand, when we learn that a task was devised which was strictly analogous to the Kendlers' one
but much easier for the African males to handle.
Instead of the button-pressing machine, Cole used a locked box and two differently coloured matchboxes,
one of which contained a key that would open the box. Notice that there are still two behaviour segments —
'open the right match-box to get the key' and 'use the key to open the box' - so the task seems formally to be
the same. But psychologically it is quite different, Now the subject is dealing not with a strange machine but
with familiar meaningful objects, and it is clear to him what he is meant to do. It then turns out that the
difficulty of 'integration' is greatly reduced.
Recent work by Simon Hewson is of great interest here for it shows that, for young children, too, the
difficulty lies not in the inferential processes which the task demands, but in certain perplexing features of
the apparatus and the procedure. When these are changed in ways which do not at all affect the inferential
nature of the problem, then five-year-old children solve the problem as well as college students did in the
Kendlers' own experiments.
Hewson made two crucial changes. First, he replaced the button-pressing mechanism in the side panels by
drawers in these panels which the child could open and shut. This took away the mystery from the first stage
of training. Then he helped the child to understand that there was no 'magic' about the specific marble which,
during the second stage of training, the experimenter handed to him so that he could pop it in the hole and get
the reward.
A child understands nothing, after all, about how a marble put into a hole can open a little door. How is he
to know that any other marble of similar size will do just as well? Yet he must
assume that if he is to solve the problem. Hewson made the functional equivalence of different marbles clear
by playing a 'swapping game' with the children. The two modifications together produced a jump in success
rates from 30 percent to 90 percent for five-year, the olds and from 35 percent to 72.5 per cent for four-year-
olds. For three-year olds, for reasons that are still in need of clarification, no improvement — rather a slight
drop in performance - resulted from the change.
95
We may conclude, then, that children experience very real difficulty when faced with the Kendler
apparatus; but this difficulty cannot be taken as proof that they are incapable of deductive reasoning.
Classify the following descriptions as a referring....
Clark Hull CH
Howard and Tracy Kendler HTK
Micheal Cole and colleagues MC
Write the appropriate letters in boxes 28-35 on your answer sheet. NB You may use any answer more
than once.
28) ......... is cited as famous in the field of psychology.

29) ......... demonstrated that the two-stage experiment involving button-pressing and inserting a marble
into a hole poses problem for certain adults as well as children.
30) ......... devised an experiment that investigated deductive reasoning without the use of any marbles.
31) ......... appears to have proved that a change in the apparatus dramatically improves the performance
of children of certain ages.
32) ......... used a machine to measure inductive reasoning that replaced button-pressing with
drawer-opening.
33) ......... experimented with things that the subjects might have been expected to encounter in
everyday life, rather than with a machine.
34) ......... compared the performance of five-year-olds with college students, using the same apparatus with
both sets of subjects.
35) ......... is cited as having demonstrated that earlier experiments into children's ability to
reason deductively may have led to the wrong conclusions.
Questions 36-40
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3? In boxes 36-40
on your answer sheet write :
YES if the statement agrees with the information

NO if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this in the passage
36- Howard and Tracey Kendler studied under Clark Hull.

37- The Kendlers trained their subjects separately in the two stages of their experiment, but not in how to
integrate the two actions.
38- Michael Cole and his colleagues demonstrated that adult performance on inductive reasoning tasks
depends on features of the apparatus and procedure.
39 -All Hewson's experiments used marbles of the same size.
40- Hewson's modifications resulted in a higher success rate for children of all ages.
96
Worms
About a quarter of the world's population could have worms living in their guts. For
many years experts have recommended treating large groups at risk of infection - but
is this mass approach worthwhile?
Evidence showing the benefits of large-scale deworming projects has come under
scrutiny in recent weeks - the debate has even been dubbed "worm wars". Parasites,
such as roundworm, hookworm and whipworm could be living inside more than 1.5
billion people according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
"People are usually infected through contaminated food but hookworm larvae can also
burrow into feet, get into blood vessels and make their way to the heart and lungs. From
there they can climb up to the oesophagus* and be swallowed, ending up in the gut
where they grow.
Worms are not usually fatal but in serious cases they can cause abdominal pain,
diarrhoea, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue and anaemia. In children, they can
also contribute to malnutrition, stunted growth, and absences from school. A nurse
gives deworming treatment to a boy in India
*oesophagus - throat
Complete the sentences below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
1-Now scientists doubt whether it is to treat large groups of possibly infected

people.
2-The experts called the debate .
3-Hookworm larvae might make his way to the and then be swallowed.
4-Although dangerous, worms are rarely .

97
IELTS Listening

Complete a Form

True /False /Not Given OR Yes /No /Not Given
 
 Completing Summaries
 
Multiple Choice
98
Completing Forms
Question 1-6 Hotel Information

http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-listening-test-part-1-practice.html
Example answer
Name of accommodation: (0) Carlton Hotel
Length of stay: 3 nights

Ages of children: (1)
Rooms available: Two en-suites at £270
Price inclusive of: (2)
Payment method: credit card
Name: Michael (3)
Date of birth: (4) 1968
Address: 273, Stanton Court, London.
Post code: (5)
Telephone: 08773 (6)
A new business owner enquires about courses. Listen to the conversation and
Transport Options
Mode of
Cost Arrangements Travel time to town
Transport
Approximately
Taxi Pick up from the hotel 10 minutes
(7) £
Walk down Oak Tree (8)

Bus £2 per person 15 minutes
Walk through
Walking -------- (10)
(9)
99
complete each gap with no more than THREE words

http://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/IELTS_listening_part1.htm
BUSINESS NATIONWIDE
Courses available:
Name of Getting Started
Course: Time: Two hours from (1)
Cost: Free
Is starting a business right for me?
Course Content:
Writing a (2) Some legal issues
Nearest Location: Handbridge
Next Course Date: 20th March
(3)
Name of Course:
Length of (4)
course: Cost: (5) or £20 for recently unemployed
Course Content: Day One: Legal Issues
Day Two: Marketing and Pricing
Day Three: Accounting and (6)
Nearest Location: Renton
Next Course Date: 5th March or (7)

100
CALLER’S DETAILS
Name: (8)
Address:
(9) , Eastleigh email: (10)
Questions 1~10 Complete

the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each

апswer. Example
Manager's name Steve Thomposn
Job available:1-………………………….(part Time)
Job responsibilities: supervising swimmers
2 care of …………………………..for beginners „classes
3-carrying out ……………………….regularly
Days: two per week 4 (……………………….. and …………………..)
Working hours:5 ……………to………………
Maximum pay:6……………..per hour
Interview: Friday at 2p.m
Address of Sports Centre: 7- 72327……………………….East Gate
Steve's direct line:8 ………………………….
Remember to bring:9…………………………..
10………………………
101
Revision on Listening Part 1
Online IELTS Listening Test Questions 1-10
http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-listening-test.html
Questions 1-4
Complete the notes below:
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
NOTES ON SPORTS CLUB
Name of club: Kingswell
Facilities available:
1-- Golf:
2-
3-
Classes available:
Kick-boxing
Additional facility:
5- (restaurant opening soon)

102
IELTS listening filling out a table
Before you listen – understand the table

The idea is that before each listening task, you should spend the 30 seconds to try and
do all of these things:
1. understand what you are going to listen to

2. understand how the table is organized
3. predict what type of answers you might want
Questions 5-8
Complete the table below:
Write NO MORE THAN TWO NUMBERS for each answer.
MEMBERSHIP SCHEMES
Type Use of Cost of classes Times Joining fee Annual subscription fee
facilities
GOLD All Free Any time £250

5. £
SILVER All £225 £300

6. £ From 7.
to
BRONZE Restricted £3 From 10.30 to 3.30 £50

8. £
weekdays only
103
http://www.dcielts.com/ielts-listening/filling-out-a-table/
https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-test/free-sample-tests/listening-sample-test-
1/listening-section-1
Questions 1-5
Example question Answer
Destination? Harbour City
Complete the notes below.

Write no more than two words and/or a number for each answer.
Questions: transport from Bayswater

Express train leaves at (1) …………………….
Nearest station is (2) …………………….
Number 706 bus goes to (3) …………………….
Number (4) ……………………. bus goes to station
Earlier bus leaves at (5) …………………….
104
Questions 6–10
Complete the table below.
Write no more than one word and/or a number for each answer.
Transport Cash fare Card fare
Bus (6) $ $1.50

…………
Train (peak) $10 $10
Train (off-peak) $10

– before 5pm or after (8) $
(7) ……… pm) …………
(9) ………… ferry $4.50 $3.55
Tourist ferry ((10) $35 –

…………)
Tourist ferry (whole $65 –

day)
105
Multiple Choice Questions Part 2

11 The company expanded in
A 2000
B 2007
C 2014
12 The number of permanent staff is
A 75
B 90
C 150
13 Most volunteers join the program
A in Winter
B in July
C when it is best for them
14 Time Abroad receives all its income from
A partner organizations
B volunteers
C the government
106
Practice
You will hear a woman asking a tutor for more information about a Media Studies course at
a university.
Questions 21 – 23Choose the correct letter A, B or C.

21 How long did Louise work at a radio station?
A 2 years
B 4 years
C 6 years
22 Why does Louise want to do a Masters?
A To get a promotion in her current job
B To go into TV
C Employers like post-graduate qualifications
23 How long will it take to do the Masters part-time rather than the modular route?
A 18 months
B 3 years
C 4 years
Questions 24 and 25Choose TWO letters A-F.

Which two things must Louise have to join the course?
A A bachelor's degree
B Work experience
C Either a bachelor's degree or work experience
D Research experience
E A completed thesis
F Motivation
107
Completing a Table /IELTS Listening

London Attraction
http://ieltsliz.com/ielts-listening-table-completion-practice/
Name of place Adult price Child Price (below Opening Times

the age of 5)
Hampton Court 16.50 (6)……………………. (7)………….to
Palace
Madame Tussauds (8)……………………. (9)…………………….. (10) 9:30am to ………
Section 1 Practice
http://www.ielts-mentor.com/listening-sample/208-ielts-listening-sample-1
Section One - Questions 1-10

Questions 1-5
Write NO MORE THAN One WORD
VIDEO LIBRARY APPLICATION FORM
EXAMPLE ANSWER
Surname Jones
First names: Louise Cynthia
Address: Apartment 1, 72 (1) ………. Street Highbridge
Post code: (2) ......................................
Telephone: 9835 6712 (home) (3)......................... (work)
Driver's license number: (4) ...........................................
DOB: 25th Month: (5)...............…Year: 1977

108
Questions 6—8
Circle THREE letters A-F.
What types of films does Louise like?

A Action
B Comedies
C Musicals
D Romance
E Westerns
F Wildlife
Questions 9 and 10
Write NO MORE THAN 3 WORDS .
9. How much does it cost to join the library?

10. When will Louise's card be ready?
SECTION 2
Section Two - Questions 11-20
Questions 11-13
Write NO MORE THAN T THREE Words for each answer
Expedition Across Attora Mountains
Leader: Charles Owen

Prepared a (11) ........................................... for the trip
Total length of trip (12) ................................
Climbed highest peak in (13) ...................................
109
Questions 14 and 15
Circle the correct letters A-C.
14. What took the group by

surprise? A the amount of rain
B the number of possible routes
C the length of the journey
15. How did Charles feel about having to change

routes? A He reluctantly accepted it.
B He was irritated by the diversion. C
It made no difference to enjoyment.
Questions 16—18
Circle THREE letters A-F.
What does Charles say about his friends?

A He met them at one stage on the trip.
B They kept all their meeting arrangements.
C One of them helped arrange the transport.
D One of them owned the hotel they stayed in.
E Some of them travelled with him.
F Only one group lasted the 96 days.
Questions 19 and 20
Circle TWO letters A-E.
What does Charles say about the donkeys?

A He rode them when he was tired
B He named them after places.
C One of them died.
D They behaved unpredictably.
E They were very small.
110
SECTION 3
Section Three - Questions 21-30
Questions 21-25
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer
Tim Jane
Day of arrival Sunday (21) ...........................
Subject History (22) ...........................
Number of books to read (23) ........................... (24) ...........................
Day of first lecture Tuesday (25) ...........................

111
Map /Diagram Labeling

http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-listening-map-labelling.html
15. 16. 17.

112
Practice 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGxq1Aqm7n8
113
Practice 3
http://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/IELTS_listening_test3_part1.htm
Label the diagram

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What’s on at the Museum of Modern Art? Select the correct answers:

Architecture and Design
Drawings
Painting and Sculpture
Photography
Prints and Illustrated Books
Film and Media.
114
Practice 4 http://www.ielts-
mentor.com/listening-sample/211-ielts-listening-sample-4
Questions 22-25
Complete the factsheet. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
FACTSHEET - Aluminum Cans
• (22) ............................................ produced every day in the US — more cans produced than nails
or (23) .......................................................
• each can weighs 0.48 ounces — thinner than two (24) .........................................................................
• can take more than 90 pounds of pressure per square inch — over (25) ............................................ the
pressure of a car tire.
Questions 26-31
Label the Aluminum Can.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

115
Listening Test 1
http://www.ielts-mentor.com/listening-sample/209-ielts-listening-sample-2
SECTION 1
(Questions 1-10)
Complete the notes below.
http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-listening-test.html
116
Questions 11-16
What change has been made to each part of the theatre?
Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-G, next to questions 11-16.
RIVENDEN CITY THEATRE
A. doubled in number
B. given separate entrance
C. reduced in number
D. increased in size
E. replaced
F. strengthened
G. temporarily closed
Part of the theatre
11. box office.............................

12. shop.....................................
13. ordinary seats.......................
14. seats for wheelchair users......
15. lifts.......................................
16. dressing room.......................
Questions 17-20
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Play Dates Starting time Tickets available Price
Royal Hunt of October 13th to 20. £

18. pm For 19.
the Sun
17.
and
117
Online IELTS Listening Test Questions 21-30
Questions 21
Choose the correct letter; A, B or C.
21. What is Brian going to do before the course starts?
A. attend a class
B. write a report
C. read a book
Questions 22-25
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
College Facility Information
Refectory
inform them 22. about special dietary requirements
long waiting list, apply now

23.
Careers advice drop-in centre for information
Fitness centre
reduced 24. for students
Library Includes books, journals, equipment room containing audio-visual

materials
Computers
ask your 25. to arrange a password with the
technical support team
118
Questions 26-30
Complete the summary below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Business Centre
This Business Resource Centre contains materials such as books and manuals to be used for training. It
is possible to hire 26 and 27 . There are materials for working on
study skills (e.g. 28 ) and other subjects include finance and 29 .
30 membership costs £50 per year.
Questions 31-37
Complete the table below.Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Social History of the East End of London
Period Situation
1st-4th centuries
Produce from the area was used to 31 the people of
London.
5th-10th centuries New technology allowed the production of goods made

of 32 and .
11th century
Lack of 33 in the East End encouraged the growth of
businesses.
16th century Construction of facilities for the building

of 34 stimulated international trade.
Agricultural workers came from other parts of 35 to

look for work.
17th century Marshes were drained to provide land that could

be 36 on.
19th century
Inhabitants lived in conditions of great 37 with very
poor sanitation.
119
Questions 38-40
Choose THREE letters, A-G
Which THREE of the following problems are mentioned in connection with 20th century housing in
the East End?
A. unsympathetic landlords
B. unclean water
C. heating problems
D. high rents
E. overcrowding
F. poor standards of building
G. houses catching fire

120
Reading Test 1
http://ielts-up.com/reading/ielts-reading-practice.html
Aphantasia: A life without mental images
Close your eyes and imagine walking along a sandy beach and then gazing over the horizon as
the Sun rises. How clear is the image that springs to mind?
Most people can readily conjure images inside their head - known as their mind's eye. But this year
scientists have described a condition, aphantasia, in which some people are unable to visualise mental
images.
Niel Kenmuir, from Lancaster, has always had a blind mind's eye. He knew he was different even in
childhood. "My stepfather, when I couldn't sleep, told me to count sheep, and he explained what he
meant, I tried to do it and I couldn't," he says. "I couldn't see any sheep jumping over fences, there was
nothing to count."
Our memories are often tied up in images, think back to a wedding or first day at school. As a result,
Niel admits, some aspects of his memory are "terrible", but he is very good at remembering facts. And,
like others with aphantasia, he struggles to recognize faces. Yet he does not see aphantasia as a
disability, but simply a different way of experiencing life.
Mind's eye blind
Ironically, Niel now works in a bookshop, although he largely sticks to the non-fiction aisles. His
condition begs the question what is going on inside his picture-less mind. I asked him what happens
when he tries to picture his fiancee. "This is the hardest thing to describe, what happens in my head
when I think about things," he says. "When I think about my fiancee there is no image, but I am
definitely thinking about her, I know today she has her hair up at the back, she's brunette. But I'm not
describing an image I am looking at, I'm remembering features about her, that's the strangest thing and
maybe that is a source of some regret."
The response from his mates is a very sympathetic: "You're weird." But while Niel is very relaxed
about his inability to picture things, it is often a cause of distress for others. One person who took part
in a study into aphantasia said he had started to feel "isolated" and "alone" after discovering that other
people could see images in their heads. Being unable to reminisce about his mother years after her
death led to him being "extremely distraught".
The super-visualiser
At the other end of the spectrum is children's book illustrator, Lauren Beard, whose work on the
Fairytale Hairdresser series will be familiar to many six-year-olds. Her career relies on the vivid
images that leap into her mind's eye when she reads text from her author. When I met her in her box-
room studio in Manchester, she was working on a dramatic scene in the next book. The text describes
a baby perilously climbing onto a chandelier.
"Straightaway I can visualise this grand glass chandelier in some sort of French kind of ballroom, and
the little baby just swinging off it and really heavy thick curtains," she says. "I think I have a strong
imagination, so I can create the world and then keep adding to it so it gets sort of bigger and bigger in
121
my mind and the characters too they sort of evolve. I couldn't really imagine what it's like to not
imagine, I think it must be a bit of a shame really."
Not many people have mental imagery as vibrant as Lauren or as blank as Niel. They are the two
extremes of visualisation. Adam Zeman, a professor of cognitive and behavioural neurology, wants to
compare the lives and experiences of people with aphantasia and its polar-opposite hyperphantasia.
His team, based at the University of Exeter, coined the term aphantasia this year in a study in the
journal Cortex.
Prof Zeman tells the BBC: "People who have contacted us say they are really delighted that this has
been recognised and has been given a name, because they have been trying to explain to people for
years that there is this oddity that they find hard to convey to others." How we imagine is clearly very
subjective - one person's vivid scene could be another's grainy picture. But Prof Zeman is certain that
aphantasia is real. People often report being able to dream in pictures, and there have been reported
cases of people losing the ability to think in images after a brain injury.
He is adamant that aphantasia is "not a disorder" and says it may affect up to one in 50 people. But he
adds: "I think it makes quite an important difference to their experience of life because many of us
spend our lives with imagery hovering somewhere in the mind's eye which we inspect from time to
time, it's a variability of human experience."
Questions 1–5
Do the following statements agree with the information in the IELTS reading text?
In boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1. Aphantasia is a condition, which describes people, for whom it is hard to visualise mental images.
TRUE
2. Niel Kenmuir was unable to count sheep in his head.
3. People with aphantasia struggle to remember personal traits and clothes of different
people.
4. Niel regrets that he cannot portray an image of his fiancee in

his mind.
5. Inability to picture things in someone's head is often a cause of distress for a

person.
122
6. All people with aphantasia start to feel 'isolated' or 'alone' at some point of their
lives.
NOT GIVEN
7. Lauren Beard's career depends on her imagination.
8. The author met Lauren Beard when she was working on a comedy scene in her next
book.
Questions 9–13
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each
answer. Write your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.
9. Only a small fraction of people have imagination as as Lauren does.
10. Hyperphantasia is to aphantasia.
11.There are a lot of subjectivity in comparing people's imagination - somebody's vivid scene could be
another person's .
12. Prof Zeman is that aphantasia is not an illness.
13. Many people spend their lives with somewhere in the mind's eye.
123
Life lessons from villains, crooks and gangsters
(A) A notorious Mexican drug baron‘s audacious escape from prison in July doesn‘t, at first, appear to
have much to teach corporate boards. But some in the business world suggest otherwise. Beyond the
morally reprehensible side of criminals' work, some business gurus say organised crime syndicates,
computer hackers, pirates and others operating outside the law could teach legitimate corporations a
thing or two about how to hustle and respond to rapid change.
(B) Far from encouraging illegality, these gurus argue that – in the same way big corporations
sometimes emulate start-ups – business leaders could learn from the underworld about flexibility,
innovation and the ability to pivot quickly. ―There is a nimbleness to criminal organisations that
legacy corporations [with large, complex layers of management] don‘t have,‖ said Marc Goodman,
head of the Future Crimes Institute and global cyber-crime advisor. While traditional businesses focus
on rules they have to follow, criminals look to circumvent them. ―For criminals, the sky is the limit
and that creates the opportunity to think much, much bigger.‖
(C) Joaquin Guzman, the head of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel, for instance, slipped out of his
prison cell through a tiny hole in his shower that led to a mile-long tunnel fitted with lights and
ventilation. Making a break for it required creative thinking, long-term planning and perseverance –
essential skills similar to those needed to achieve success in big business.
(D) While Devin Liddell, who heads brand strategy for Seattle-based design consultancy, Teague,
condemns the violence and other illegal activities he became curious as to how criminal groups
endure. Some cartels stay in business despite multiple efforts by law enforcement on both sides of the
US border and millions of dollars from international agencies to shut them down. Liddell genuinely
believes there‘s a lesson in longevity here. One strategy he underlined was how the bad guys respond
to change. In order to bypass the border between Mexico and the US, for example, the Sinaloa cartel
went to great lengths. It built a vast underground tunnel, hired family members as border agents and
even used a catapult to circumvent a high-tech fence.
(E) By contrast, many legitimate businesses fail because they hesitate to adapt quickly to changing
market winds. One high-profile example is movie and game rental company Blockbuster, which didn‘t
keep up with the market and lost business to mail order video rentals and streaming technologies. The
brand has all but faded from view. Liddell argues the difference between the two groups is that
criminal organisations often have improvisation encoded into their daily behaviour, while larger
companies think of innovation as a set process. ―This is a leadership challenge,‖ said Liddell. ―How
well companies innovate and organise is a reflection of leadership.‖
124
Left-field thinking
(F) Cash-strapped start-ups also use unorthodox strategies to problem solve and build their businesses
up from scratch. This creativity and innovation is often borne out of necessity, such as tight budgets.
Both criminals and start-up founders ―question authority, act outside the system and see new and
clever ways of doing things,‖ said Goodman. ―Either they become Elon Musk or El Chapo.‖ And,
some entrepreneurs aren‘t even afraid to operate in legal grey areas in their effort to disrupt the
marketplace. The co-founders of music streaming service Napster, for example, knowingly broke
music copyright rules with their first online file sharing service, but their technology paved the way
for legal innovation as regulators caught up.
(G) Goodman and others believe thinking hard about problem solving before worrying about
restrictions could prevent established companies falling victim to rivals less constrained by tradition.
In their book The Misfit Economy, Alexa Clay and Kyra Maya Phillips examine how individuals can
apply that mindset to become more innovative and entrepreneurial within corporate structures. They
studied not just violent criminals like Somali pirates, but others who break the rules in order to find
creative solutions to their business problems, such as people living in the slums of Mumbai or
computer hackers. They picked out five common traits among this group: the ability to hustle, pivot,
provoke, hack and copycat.
(H) Clay gives a Saudi entrepreneur named Walid Abdul-Wahab as a prime example. Abdul-Wahab
worked with Amish farmers to bring camel milk to American consumers even before US regulators
approved it. Through perseverance, he eventually found a network of Amish camel milk farmers and
started selling the product via social media. Now his company, Desert Farms, sells to giant mainstream
retailers like Whole Foods Market. Those on the fringe don‘t always have the option of traditional,
corporate jobs and that forces them to think more creatively about how to make a living, Clay said.
They must develop grit and resilience in order to last outside the cushy confines of cubicle life. ―In
many cases scarcity is the mother of invention,‖ Clay said.
Questions 14-21
Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs A-H. Match the headings below with the
paragraphs. Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 14-21 on your answer sheet.
14. Jailbreak with creative thinking
15. Five common traits among rule-breakers
16. Comparison between criminals and traditional businessmen
17. Can drug baron's espace teach legitimate corporations?
18. Great entrepreneur

125
19. How criminal groups deceive the law
20. The difference between legal and illegal organizations
21. Similarity between criminals and start-up founders
Questions 22–25
Write ONLY ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 22–25 on your answer sheet.
22. To escape from a prison, Joaquin Guzman had to use such traits as creative thinking, long-term
planning and .
23. The Sinaloa cartel built a grand underground tunnel and even used a to avoid the fence.
24. The main difference between two groups is that criminals, unlike large corporations, often
have encoded into their daily life.
25. Due to being persuasive, Walid Abdul-Wahab found a of Amish camel milk farmers.
Question 26
26. The main goal of this article is to:
A Show different ways of illegal activity

B Give an overview of various criminals and their gangs
C Draw a comparison between legal and illegal business, providing
examples D Justify criminals with creative thinking
126
Britain needs strong TV industry
Comedy writer Armando Iannucci has called for an industry-wide defence of the BBC and British
programme-makers. "The Thick of It" creator made his remarks in the annual MacTaggart Lecture at the
Edinburgh TV Festival.
"It's more important than ever that we have more strong, popular channels... that act as beacons, drawing
audiences to the best content," he said. Speaking earlier, Culture Secretary John Whittingdale rejected
suggestions that he wanted to dismantle the BBC.
'Champion supporters'
Iannucci co-wrote "I'm Alan Partridge", wrote the movie "In the Loop" and created and wrote the hit
"HBO" and "Sky Atlantic show Veep". He delivered the 40th annual MacTaggart Lecture, which has
previously been given by Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, former BBC director general Greg Dyke, Jeremy
Paxman and Rupert Murdoch. Iannucci said: "Faced with a global audience, British television needs its
champion supporters."
He continued his praise for British programming by saying the global success of American TV shows
had come about because they were emulating British television. "The best US shows are modelling
themselves on what used to make British TV so world-beating," he said. "US prime-time schedules are
now littered with those quirky formats from the UK - the "Who Do You Think You Are"'s and the
variants on "Strictly Come Dancing" - as well as the single-camera non-audience sitcom, which we
brought into the mainstream first. We have changed international viewing for the better."
With the renewal of the BBC's royal charter approaching, Iannucci also praised the corporation. He said:
"If public service broadcasting - one of the best things we've ever done creatively as a country - if it was
a car industry, our ministers would be out championing it overseas, trying to win contracts, boasting of
the British jobs that would bring." In July, the government issued a green paper setting out issues that
will be explored during negotiations over the future of the BBC, including the broadcaster's size, its
funding and governance.
Primarily Mr Whittingdale wanted to appoint a panel of five people, but finally he invited two more
people to advise on the channer renewal, namely former Channel 4 boss Dawn Airey and journalism
professor Stewart Purvis, a former editor-in-chief of ITN. Iannucci bemoaned the lack of "creatives"
involved in the discussions.
"When the media, communications and information industries make up nearly 8% our GDP, larger than
the car and oil and gas industries put together, we need to be heard, as those industries are heard. But
when I see the panel of experts who've been asked by the culture secretary to take a root and branch
look at the BBC, I don't see anyone who is a part of that cast and crew list. I see executives, media
owners, industry gurus, all talented people - but not a single person who's made a classic and enduring
television show."
127
'Don't be modest'
Iannucci suggested one way of easing the strain on the licence fee was "by pushing ourselves more
commercially abroad".
"Use the BBC's name, one of the most recognised brands in the world," he said. "And use the reputation
of British television across all networks, to capitalise financially oversees. Be more aggressive in selling
our shows, through advertising, through proper international subscription channels, freeing up BBC
Worldwide to be fully commercial, whatever it takes.
"Frankly, don't be icky and modest about making money, let's monetise the bezeesus Mary and Joseph
out of our programmes abroad so that money can come back, take some pressure off the licence fee at
home and be invested in even more ambitious quality shows, that can only add to our value."
Mr Whittingdale, who was interviewed by ITV News' Alastair Stewart at the festival, said he wanted an
open debate about whether the corporation should do everything it has done in the past. He said he had a
slight sense that people who rushed to defend the BBC were "trying to have an argument that's never
been started".
"Whatever my view is, I don't determine what programmes the BBC should show," he added. "That's
the job of the BBC." Mr Whittingdale said any speculation that the Conservative Party had always
wanted to change the BBC due to issues such as its editorial line was "absolute nonsense".
Questions 27-31
Do the following statements agree with the information in the IELTS reading text?
In boxes 27–31 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
27. Armando Iannucci expressed a need of having more popular

channels
28. John Whittingdale wanted to dismantle the BBC.
29. Iannucci delivered the 30th annual

MacTaggart lecture.
30. Ianucci believes that British television has contributed to the success of American TV-
shows.
31. There have been negotiations over the future of the BBC in
July.
128
Questions 32–35
Write the correct letter in boxes 32-35 on your answer sheet.
32. Ianucci praised everything EXCEPT
A US shows
B British shows
C Corporation
D British programming
33. To advise on the charter renewal Mr Whittingdale appointed a panel of
A five people B
two people C
seven people D
four people
34. Who of these people was NOT invited to the discussion concerning BBC renewal?
A Armando Iannucci
B Dawn Airey
C John Whittingdale
D Stewart Purvis
35. There panel of experts

lacks: A media owners
B people who make enduring TV-
shows C gurus of Television industry
D top executives
Questions 36–40
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 37–40 on your answer sheet.

129
Easing the strain on the licence fees

Iannucci recommended increasing BBC's profit by pushing ourselves more 36. . He suggests being more
aggressive in selling British shows, through advertising and proper international 37. . Also, he invokes
producers to stop being 38. and modest about making money and invest into
even 39. quality shows. However, Mr Whittingdale denied any 40. that the Conservative
Party had always wanted to change the BBC because of its editorial line.
130
IELTS Reading Passage 1

https://www.ipassielts.com/ielts_training/free_practice/reading
Read the passage and answer Questions 1-13
What if everything had a barcode?
A vast new database will let us catalogue every plant and animal on the planet, and identify them in
seconds. Sanjida O’Connell reports
1 Imagine going for a walk and spotting a wild flower. Its beauty and fragrance delight you, but the name
eludes you. No problem. You whip out a hand-held scanner, about the size of a mobile phone, and pop a
fragment of a leaf into the device. A few seconds, and the read-out tells you that you‘re looking at a
pyramidal orchid. Satisfied, you continue on your way.
2 Sound far-fetched? Not at all. Scientists are currently creating a DNA barcode for every species of plant
and animal on the planet. It won‘t be long before everyone, from experts to amateurs, will be able to scan
the world‘s flora and fauna as if they were checking out groceries at a supermarket, to look up or confirm
their identities.
3 There are numerous practical uses too. Such a device would let you scan fish at the fishmonger‘s to
check if it‘s been labelled properly, work out exactly what is in your mixed vegetable soup, and confirm
whether a piece of furniture really has come from a renewable forest, as the retailer claims. It would also
assist forensic science teams, who could quickly identify the pollen on a suspect, to link him to a
particular location; customs officials, in their efforts to prevent disease-carrying pests being taken across
national borders; and environmental inspectors assessing water quality, who need to work out what
microbes are lurking in a particular sample.
4 It was Professor Paul Hebert, a biologist from the University of Guelph in Canada, who came up with
the idea of DNA barcoding the natural world. The inspiration came while he was walking up and down
the aisles of a supermarket, marvelling at the ability of the store to keep track of all the lines stocked and
sold using the thick and thin lines that make up a barcode. Could scientists, he wondered, exploit a
barcode system to record the millions of species on earth via their DNA?
5 The compilation of a planetary inventory began more than 250 years ago, with the Swedish life classifier
Carl Linnaeus. In 1758, he founded the science of taxonomy – a method of classifying living things –
based on physical and behavioural characteristics. To date, scientists have classified about 1.7 million
organisms, a small fraction of the total number of species, which has been estimated at anywhere between
5 and 30 million. But taxonomy is difficult and time-consuming. Many species, such as the different kinds
of flies, look remarkably similar. Only an expert who has spent years examining a particular group can
distinguish one from another. Even the experts may be stumped, however, when presented with an egg, an
embryo, a seedling or a root. The next problem is that we are running out of time in which to complete the
inventory. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimates that a quarter of the world‘s
population of mammals are threatened with extinction.
6 So, Hebert‘s idea centred on finding a fragment of DNA that would disclose the identity of a species
without having to decode its entire genetic code. He envisaged a ‗DNA barcode reader‘, similar to the
scanners at retail checkouts. Outlining his idea in Scientific American, Hebert writes: ‗An inspector at a
131
busy seaport, a hiker on a mountain trail, or a scientist in a lab could insert a sample containing DNA – a
snippet of whisker, say, or the leg of an insect – into the device, which would detect the sequence of
nucleic acids in the barcode segment. This information would be instantly relayed to a reference database,
a public library of DNA barcodes. Anyone, anywhere, could identify species.‘
7 To create the barcode, Hebert proposed the use of a section of DNA, from the energy-producing units
found in all cells. He selected a gene that gives rise to an enzyme known as CO1. This gene is small
enough to be quickly and easily deciphered, but has sufficient variation for us to be able to tell most
animal species apart. You and I, for instance, will have different versions of CO1, but they will be similar
enough to show that we‘re both humans and not chimpanzees.
8 In 2003, Hebert and his team published their first results. They showed that the barcode system could
identify the group an animal came from (for example, whether it was a vertebrate, a worm or an insect)
and even the species when it was stored in the barcode library. After five more years of work, results
indicate that animals can now be identified by their barcodes in 98 per cent of cases. Early results have
confirmed the additional benefits of the new system: for example, caterpillars of the tropical butterfly
Astraptes fulgerator, which was first recognised as a species in 1775, all look very similar, and were
assumed to belong to a single species. Barcoding has shown there are 10 different kinds.
9 Of course, the value of the system depends on a comprehensive reference library of the DNA (CO1)
barcodes of established species. The Barcode of Life Data (Bold) systems is an enormous international
collaboration supported by 150 institutions in 45 countries. To date, it has compiled more than 500,000
records from 50,000 species. The consortium is hoping that the world‘s birds will be barcoded by 2011.
‗People have watched birds for so long that they might think every different tweet has been heard, every
different colour observed, but barcoding may prove otherwise,‘ says Professor Mark Stoeckle, professor
of the human environment at Rockefeller University, New York, who works with Hebert. He estimates
that out of the world‘s 10,000 bird species, DNA barcoding will distinguish at least 1,000 new ones.
Questions 1 to 3
Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.
Problems with taxonomy

 only 1.......species have been classified so far

 difficult to distinguish between species of certain creatures, for example 2.......

 possibility of a large number of species of 3.......dying out soon
Questions 4 – 8
Complete the flow-chart below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each
answer. Write your answers in boxes 4-8 on your answer sheet.
 
132
Hebert's system 
decided to create a device called a 4....... , like ones used in shops
↓chose a 5....... that produces a substance called CO1

↓samples of CO1 read by the device and matched with those kept in the 6.......
↓current results show that 7....... of animal species can be identified in this way
↓results show different species being identified, eg of 8.......
Questions 9 - 13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
TRUE - if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE - if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN - if there is no information on this
9 The writer believes that the barcode system will be widely used by the general public.
10 It is likely that the barcode device will show that many foods and goods have not been
correctly described.
11 Hebert got the idea for DNA barcoding from someone who worked at a supermarket.
12 The number of organizations supporting Hebert‘s barcoding project is growing all the time.
13 A large number of new bird species have already been identified by the DNA barcode system.
133

Read the passage and answer Questions 14 - 26
Giving The Brain A Workout
Mental agility does not have to decline with age, as long as you keep exercising your mind, says Anna
van Praagh.
A Use your brain and it will grow – it really will. This is the message from neuropsychologist Ian
Robertson, professor of psychology at Trinity College, Dublin and founding director of the university‘s
Institute of Neuroscience. His book, Puzzler Brain Trainer 90-Day Workout, contains puzzles which he
devised to stretch, sharpen and stimulate the brain. The puzzles, from 'memory jogs' to Sudoku to
crosswords to number games are all-encompassing, and have been specially formulated to improve each
and every part of the brain, from visual-spatial ability to perception, attention, memory, numerical agility,
problem-solving and language.
B Professor Robertson has been studying the brain for 57 years, in a career dedicated to changing and
improving the way it works. During this time there has been a remarkable paradigm shift in the way
scientists view the brain, he says. 'When I first started teaching and researching, a very pessimistic view
prevailed that, from the age of three or four, we were continually losing brain cells and that the stocks
couldn't be replenished. That has turned out to be factually wrong. Now that we know that the brain is
"plastic" – it changes, adapts and is physically sharpened according to the experiences it has.'
C Robertson likens our minds to trees in a park with branches spreading out, connecting and intertwining,
with connections increasing in direct correlation to usage. He says that the ―eureka‖ moment in his career –
and the reason he devised his ‗brain trainer‘ puzzles – was the realisation that the connections multiply
with use and so it is possible to boost and improve our mental functions at any age. 'Now we know that it‘s
not just children whose brains are "plastic",' he says. 'No matter how old we are, our brains are physically
changed by what we do and what we think.'
D Robertson illustrates his point by referring to Dr Eleanor McGuire‘s seminal 2000 study of the brains of
London taxi drivers. That showed that their grey matter enlarges and adapts to help them build up a
detailed mental map of the city. Brain scans revealed that the drivers had a much larger hippocampus (the
part of the brain associated with navigation in birds and animals) compared with other people. Crucially, it
grew larger the longer they spent doing their job. Similarly, there is strong statistical evidence that, by
stretching the mind with games and puzzles, brainpower is increased. Conversely, if we do not stimulate
our minds and keep the connections robust and intact, these connections will weaken and physically
diminish. A more recent survey suggested that a 20-minute problem-solving session on the Nintendo DS
game called 'Dr Kawashima's Brain Training' at the beginning of each day dramatically improved pupils‘
test results, class attendance and behaviour. Astonishingly, pupils who used the Nintendo trainer saw their
test scores rise by 50 per cent more than those who did not.
E Robertson's puzzles have been designed to have the same effect on the brain, the only difference being
that, for his, you need only a pencil to get started. The idea is to shake the brain out of lazy habits and train
it to start functioning at its optimum level. It is Robertson‘s belief that people who tackle the puzzles will
see a dramatic improvement in their daily lives as the brain increases its ability across a broad spectrum.
They should see an improvement in everything, from remembering people‘s names at parties to increased
attention span, mental agility, creativity and energy.
134
F 'Many of us are terrified of numbers,' he says, 'or under-confident with words. With practice, and by
gently increasing the difficulty of the exercises, these puzzles will help people improve capacity across a
whole range of mental domains.' The wonderful thing is that the puzzles take just five minutes, but are the
mental equivalent of doing a jog or going to the gym. 'In the same way that physical exercise is good for
you, so is keeping your brain stimulated,' Robertson says. 'Quite simply, those who keep themselves
mentally challenged function significantly better mentally than those who do not.'
G The puzzles are aimed at all ages. Robertson says that some old people are so stimulated that they hardly
need to exercise their brains further, while some young people hardly use theirs at all and are therefore in
dire need of a workout. He does concede, however, that whereas most young people are constantly forced
to learn, there is a tendency in later life to retreat into a comfort zone where it is easier to avoid doing
things that are mentally challenging. He compares this with becoming physically inactive, and warns of
comparable repercussions. ‗As the population ages, people are going to have to stay mentally active
longer,‘ he counsels. ‗We must learn to exercise our brains just as much as our bodies. People need to be
aware that they have the most complex entity known to man between their ears,‘ he continues, ‗and the key
to allow it to grow and be healthy is simply to keep it stimulated.‘
Questions 14 and 15
Choose TWO letters, A-E. Write the correct letters in the boxes below.
Which TWO of the following are claims that Robertson makes about the puzzles in his book?
1. They will improve every mental skill.

2. They are better than other kinds of mental exercise.
3. They will have a major effect on people‘s mental abilities.
4. They are more useful than physical exercise.
5. They are certain to be more useful for older people than for the young.
Questions 16 - 21
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers
in boxes 3-8 below.
 
Evidence supporting Robertson’s theory
 Research was carried out using 16__________ in London as subjects. It showed that their brains
change, enabling them to create a 17__________ of London. Tests showed that their18______ increased
in size as they continued in their job. There is also evidence of a 19-------------- kind. People playing a
certain game involving 20__________ for a period of time every day achieved significantly
better 21__________
 
135
Questions 22 - 26
 Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs A-G.
Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A-G in boxes 22-
26 below.
22 an example of a situation in which people will benefit from doing the puzzles in the book
23 a reason why some people don‘t exercise their minds
24 a discovery that had an enormous effect on Robertson
25 examples of things that people commonly feel they are not very good at
26 a reference to a change in beliefs about what happens to the brain over time
136

Read the passage and answer Questions 27 - 40
Fierce, fabulous and fantastic
A new exhibition traces the history of animal painting in Europe from the anatomically inaccurate to the
highly sentimental.
The first picture you see in the exhibition Fierce Friends: Artists and Animals 1750-1900 is of a giraffe –
sort of. Painted in about 1785, the creature in it has the neck of a giraffe, but its back is too long, its haunches
too developed, and its legs are out of proportion to its body. Like most Europeans in the 18th century, the
anonymous French artist who painted it had never seen a real giraffe. He relied on eyewitness descriptions,
and on the skin of a giraffe the scientist and adventurer François Levallard had recently brought back from
South Africa.
Exotic animals shipped back to Europe at this time usually died soon after arrival, even supposing they
survived the voyage. Until about 1900, taxidermy consisted of stuffing the carcass with straw, so the results
fell apart after a few years. This meant that ordinary men and women had very few opportunities to see
exotic animals at first hand until the establishment of the first zoos – in Paris in 1793, in London in 1818. For
an accurate depiction of a giraffe, Europeans had to wait until 1827 and the arrival of the first living
specimen, when the Swiss artist Jacques-Laurent Agasse painted his lovely study of the Nubian giraffe sent
to King George IV by the Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt.
For most people in the 18th century, animals meant farm animals, carriage horses, and food for the table. But
the Enlightenment was an age both of exploration and of discovery, as more and more species of animals,
birds, fish and insects were identified and brought back from the South Seas, Africa and India. In 1740,
almost 600 species of animals were known to science. One hundred years later, the number had risen to
2,400, including many that are familiar to most children today as a matter of course – ostrich, rhino, orang-
utan and buffalo.
Kings and princes, to be sure, had their own menageries, and wealthy collectors added rare birds, fish and
mammals (shown side-by-side with two-headed calves and fake dragons) to their cabinets of curiosities. In
this way, the forerunners of modern zoos and museums developed along parallel lines. On special occasions
an entrepreneur might exhibit a wild beast to the paying public, as was the case when the Venetian artist
Pietro Longhi painted bored masqueraders at carnival time gawping at a pathetic rhinoceros. Out of such
displays came another invention of the 19th century, the circus.
Wider knowledge of the animal kingdom came with the publication of George-Louis Leclerc Comte de
Buffon‘s multi-volume Histoire Naturelle (1749-88). Based on specimens studied in the royal menageries,
this remarkable book is still treasured – not for its scientific accuracy, but for its glorious hand-coloured
engravings. Far too expensive for most people to buy, it at least helped to make men and women aware of the
beauty of certain animals, as we can see in a service of Sèvres porcelain created in 1793, where the
decorative motifs are taken from the birds drawn by de Buffon.
Gradually, humans began to notice that dumb creatures have feelings. Man cannot afford to feel pity for an
animal bred for food. When that wonderful artist Jean-Baptise Oudry shows a display of dead game in the
1740s, he is simply painting a luxury – fresh meat – available only to the well-off. Peasants ate bread. His
lavish paintings were considered suitable for the dining rooms of the nobility because no one then expressed
137
the slightest ethical or moral hesitation about hunting and killing rabbit, deer and boar for the table, or about
slaughtering such vermin as foxes and wolves.
Domestic animals were a different story. When Oudry depicts a hound with her newborn puppies, the simple
picture has revolutionary undertones. The pretty white bitch, noticing that two of her pups have fallen asleep
and are not getting the nourishment they need, is full of maternal solicitude. At a time when French
noblewomen still sent their babes out to wet-nurses, even an animal is shown to display true maternal feeling.
And in 1824, the year Delacroix shows two horses killed in battle, there is a new element in man‘s attitude
towards the wanton slaughter of beautiful creatures: compassion. Delacroix‘s little masterpiece pierces the
heart, whereas the grotesque memorial to animals killed in war unveiled in London recently leaves the
viewer cold. But the moral impulse behind the creation of both works is exactly the same.
Once animals can be loved for their innocence or good nature, it becomes more difficult to treat them cruelly.
Almost 15 years before Jean-Baptise Greuze painted a picture of a young girl mourning her pet sparrow
(1765), William Hogarth published his series of prints, the Stages of Cruelty, showing how the mistreatment
of animals leads inexorably to the devaluing of all forms of life, including human. In this show, it is almost
impossible to look at Emile Edouard Mouchy‘s horrifying depiction of the vivisection of a dog (1832)
without wincing. Though such experiments represent a necessary evil, our very squeamishness represents
another rung upward in the moral evolution of mankind.
This process started in the early 19th century, when men began to see in the animal kingdom a mirror image
of their own feelings. In his portrayal of a horse frightened by lightning, Gericault lets us see the animal‘s
tensed body, foam-flecked mouth and brow furrowed in anxiety. In The Jealous Lioness of about 1880, the
German artist Paul Meyerheim shows a caged lioness enraged at the attention her mate is paying to a
beautiful lion tamer.
Gradually, artists began to blur the distinctions between animal and human. When Edwin Landseer in High
Life and Low Life contrasts a mongrel guard dog with a deer hound, the animals are surrogates for their
absent masters, a butcher and a nobleman. All these artists emphasised the physical and emotional
resemblances between animals and human beings.
Questions 27 – 40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D
27. The point the writer is making about the picture of a giraffe is that:
A. the artist knew it was inaccurate.

B. it might seem ridiculous today.
C. its inaccuracies are understandable.
D. it is not totally unlike a real giraffe.
28. In the second paragraph, the writer explains why:
A. there were no accurate paintings of giraffes in Europe until 1827.

B. people in Europe were so keen to see exotic animals.
C. people in Europe preferred paintings of animals to stuffed animals.
138
D. the establishment of zoos had an effect on the painting of animals.
29. The writer‘s main topic in the third paragraph is
A. which animal species became popular in Europe in the 18th century.

B. why the identification of species became an important issue in the 18th century.
C. the extent to which knowledge of animals increased in the 18th century.
D. the way in which attitudes to animals changed in the 18th century.
30. Which of these is the writer doing in the fourth paragraph?
A. contrasting the development of zoos with that of museums.

B. criticising the commercial exploitation of creatures.
C. describing a change in the portrayal of animals in paintings.
D. explaining the origins of the use of creatures for public entertainment.
31. The writer mentions the porcelain created in 1793 as an example of:
A. improvements in the artistic portrayal of creatures.

B. the influence of Buffon‘s Histoire Naturelle.
C. one of the disadvantages of de Buffon‘s Histoire Naturelle.
D. the popularity of pictures of creatures with the wealthy
.
Questions 32 – 35
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F below.
32. Delacroix‘s 1824 painting...
33. Greuze‘s 1765 painting...
34. Hogarth‘s series of prints...
35. Landseer‘s pair of paintings High Life and Low Life...
A: makes a moral point about human behaviour.

B: contrasts animal behaviour with human behaviour.
C: shows a human‘s feeling for a creature.
D: has an identical purpose to that of another work of art.
E: depicts similarities between creatures and people.
F: portrays the feelings creatures can have towards humans.
139
Questions 36 – 40
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the Reading Passage?
Choose from the following options:
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
36. It is understandable that people feel no emotion towards certain animals.
37. Some of Oudry‘s paintings are more impressive than others.
38. Some people claim to love animals but treat them badly.
39. Mouchy‘s painting shows something that should never happen.
40. Early 19th century art reveals a change in people‘s attitudes towards animals.
140
Speaking
IELTS Speaking Part 1
Hometown
I‘d just like to ask you some questions about your hometown or city.
1. What type of place is it?

2. What was it like growing up there?
3. Has it changed much since you were a child?
Studies
I‘d just like to ask you some questions about your studies.
1. What are you studying?

2. Why did you choose that particular course?
3. What job would you like when you have completed all your studies?
Work
I‘d just like to ask you some questions about your work.
1. What work do you do?

2. What do you enjoy most about your work?
3. What are your main duties?
4. Is there any other work you would like to do in the future?
Free Time
I‘d like to move on and ask you some questions about your free time
1. What type of activities do you like to do in your free time?

2. How long have you been interested in these activities?
3. Do you like to do these activities alone or with other people? (Why)?
4. Do you think people have enough free time? (Why/why not)?
Family
I‘d like to move on and ask you some questions about your family.
1. How many people are there in your family?

2. Do you all live in the same house? (Why/why not)?
3. What things do you like doing together?
4. Who is your favourite family member?
Timing
Let‘s move on and talk about being on time for appointments.
1. Is being late acceptable in your culture? (Why/why not)?
2. Are you ever late for appointments? (Why/why not)?
3. What type of excuses do you think are alright for lateness?
4. How do you feel when someone is late for an appointment with you?
Neighbours
141
Let‘s change the topic and talk about your neighbours
1. Do you know the people who live next door to you?

2. How often do you see each other?
3. What kind of relationship do you have?
4. How can neighbours be helpful?
5. What kind of problems can people have with their neighbours in a big city?
Food
Moving to a new topic, I‘d like to discuss cooking and meals with you.
1. Do you enjoy cooking? (Why/why not)?

2. What type of things can you cook? (Why)?
3. What kinds of food are popular in your country?
4. Is it an important part of your culture to have dinner parties? (Why)?
5. Do you prefer to eat with other people or on your own? (Why)?
Dreams
I‘d now like to discuss your night time dreams with you.
1. Do you dream much at night?

2. Do you often remember your dreams?
3. Do you think we can learn anything from dreams? (Why)?
4. Do people in your country talk about their dreams? (Why)?
5. Do you think that dreams can come true?
Magazines and Newspapers
Okay, let‘s move to a different topic and discuss magazines and newspapers.
1. Which do you prefer reading, newspapers or magazines? (Why)?

2. What type of stories do you like to read about? (Why)?
3. Do you think reading a magazine or a newspaper can help you learn a language? (Why)?
4. Why do you think some people prefer magazines to newspapers?
Humour
Let‘s change the topic and talk about comedy and humour.
1. What type of programmes do you find funny on TV?

2. Which types of programmes are most popular in your country? (Why)?
3. What kind of things make you laugh? (Why)?
4. Do you like to make people laugh? (How)?
5. Do you think it is important to have a sense of humour? (Why)?
142
IELTS Speaking Part 2 - Cue Cards

1-Describe a child that you know.
You should say:
Who the child is
How you know the child
When you see the child
Explain why you like/dislike this child.
2-Describe someone who has had an important influence on your life.

You should say:
Who the person is

How long you have known him/her
What qualities this person has
Explain why they have had such an influence on you.
3-Describe an old person that you know.

You should say:
What your relationship is to this person

How often you see them
What people think about this person
Explain why you like them.
5-Describe a businessman that you admire

You should say
Who this person is
How you know this person
What kind of business that this person does
And explain why you admire this person
6-Describe a lake, a river or a sea you have visited.

You should say:
Where the lake is

How often you have visited it
What activities you do there
Explain why you like this particular place.
7-Describe a present you have given someone.

You should say:
143
Who you gave it to

What kind of present it was
How it compared to other presents you have given
Explain why you decided to give this particular gift.
8-Describe a TV show that you enjoy.

You should say:
What type of show it is

How often it is on
How popular it is with other people in your country
Explain why you like it.
9-Describe a happy childhood event.
You should say:
When it happened
Who was involved
How you felt at the time
Explain why you remember this particular occasion.
10- Describe a time when you received some positive feedback.

You should say:
when was it
what the feedback was related to
who gave you the feedback
Explain how you felt about it.
11-- Describe one of the shopping centers you often go to

Where is the shopping center?
How often do you go to the center?
Why do you often go to it and its characteristics?
Follow-up:
Will smaller shops survive in the current business system?
What are the characteristics of shopping malls and smaller shops and their
difference? What is the trend of future shopping centers?
Talk about online shopping.
12-What is the important invention before the age of computer?

What is the invention?
Why do you think it is very important?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the invention?
144
Follow-up:
What is the significant impact of modern inventions on life?
Which skills do you want to study in the future?
Do you think it‘s necessary to develop modern invention in the countryside?
13-Describe your favorite photograph

Where was the photo taken?
Who took the photo?
What can be seen from the photo?
Explain why it is the favorite photograph for you.
Follow-up:
How to take good photo?
When do people use camera?
How can the new technology put cinema‘s skill advanced?
14-. Describe an area of your country you know and like

Where is it?
What are its special features?
What do you and other people do in this area?
Explain why you like it.
Follow-up:
What do you think of the historic place in the future?
Will the government increase or decrease the safety guard?
What are the changes to the local people and economy? What
is the impact on the historic place by tourists?
15Describe a historical person that you are interested

You should say
Who he or she is
What he or she did
When you first know him or her
And explain why you are interested in him or her
16-Describe your dream home

Where you are living now
Where you want to live
What kind of home is your dream home
And explain why you think it is your dream home
17-Describe a way to stay healthy

You should say
What this way is
How you knew about this
way When you started to do it
And explain why it can help you to stay healthy
145
18-Describe a good decision made recently by you or someone you know

You should say:
Who made the decision
Why made the decision
What happened later
And explain why it is a good decision
19-Describe an achievement that you are proud of

You should say:
What achievement you
have How you made it
What difficulty you have had And
explain why you are proud of
20-Describe an advertisement that made you want to buy the product

You should say:
When and where you saw
it What was advertised?
What the contents of the advertisement had
And explain how you felt about it
21-Describe a traditional product in your country

You should say:
What it is
Where you saw it
Why it is traditional
And explain why you feel about the product
22-Describe a recent change that happened on you

You should say:
What the change was
What caused the change
What you did for the change
And explain how you felt about the change
23-Describe an invention changed the people’s life.

You should say:
What it is? Who invent it
When it was invented
And explain how it changed people‘s life?
146
IELTS Speaking Part 3 - Questions and Topics

Eating habits
1. Tell me about the types of food that people eat in your country.
2. How are the eating habits now in your country different from eating habits in the past?
3. How healthy is your country‘s food?
4. Why do you think different cultures have different table manners?
5. How may eating habits change in coming decades?
Education
1. How are education priorities today different from those in the past?
2. What is your opinion on the way languages are taught in schools?
3. How can the type of school you go to affect career success?
4. What changes do you think will happen in the classroom in the near future?
Environment
1. Is water pollution a problem in your country?
2. What are some of the causes of water pollution?
3. What can individuals do to try and ensure water is kept clean?
4. Do you think problems with the cleanliness of water will improve in the future?
Influence of television
1. How popular is watching television in your country?
2. Tell me about the types of programme that are generally on television in your country.
3. Why do people like watching television?
4. Do you think state or private television is better?
5. What effects can watching television have on children?
Influences on the young

1. What type of people influence the young in your country?
2. Why it is important to have role models?
3. Do you think the education system in your country influences young people‘s behavior?
4. What type of person (parents, teachers, friends etc) are best to influence young people‘s behavior?
5. What do you think young people will be most influenced by it the future?
Leisure activities
1. What types of leisure activities are popular in your country?
2. Why it is important for people to have time for leisure activities?
3. Why are some activities more popular than others?
4. Are the types of leisure activities that are popular today the same as those that were popular when
your parents were young?
5. What types of leisure activities may become more popular in the future?
Flat/House
1.Would you prefer to live in a flat or a house? Why?
2.Compare houses that rural people live in with the flats that most city people live in
3.Do you think the prices of homes in your country are too expensive for the average person?
147
Shopping
1. Is shopping a popular activity in your country
2. How have shopping habits changed over recent years?
3. To what extent do you think advertising affects the way people shop?
4. Do you think shopping habits are likely to change in the future?
Sports
1. What types of sports are popular in your country?
2. What are the benefits of playing a sport?
3. Do you think the types of sport that are popular will change in the future?
4. how can sports bring people from different countries closer together?
Transport
1. How do most people travel long distances in your country?
2. Have the types of transport people use changed much over the last few decades?
3. What kinds of improvement have there been in transport in your country in recent years?
4. Do you think transport is likely to continue to improve in the future?
Drama /TV
0. What is the different between young people and old people‘s favorite TV drama? Why?
1. Do you think TV drama reflect what happen in the reality society?
2. What kind of TV dram does older people like watch in your country?
3. Do you think people will change their preference of TV drama when getting older?
4. Somebody says soap opera doesn‘t come from real live, what do you think? Why?
5. Do you think soap of opera will have bad influence on children?
My Country &Change
1. Is your country changing rapidly?

2. What can smart phone do these days?
3. Since most people do work on their computer, why do they still need to go to the offices?
4. Do you think people‘s work in the future will be heavily affected by the technology?
5. Compare the pace of technological progress in the pass and now.
Negative Feedback
1.What do people generally think about receiving negative
feedback? 2.When should someone give positive feedback to
another person? 3.Is it good to be well-known by the public?
4.What are the some of the drawbacks and advantages of being a public figure?

Ielts Material Booklet Latest

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ielts Material Booklet Latest

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Ielts Material Booklet Latest

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1

General IELTS Letters and Emails

The structure of the IELTS Academic Writing Task

A- General Statement Part:

What = comparison of fast food consumption among teenagers

Vocabulary for the General /Overall Trend Part:

 In general, / Generally speaking,

Vocabulary to Start the Report Body:

1. As is presented in the diagram(s)/ graph(s)/ pie chart(s)/ table...

Vocabulary to show the changes:

Trends Verb form Noun Form

Gradual Gradual rise/increase an upward trend / an upward

Gradual a downward trend / a

Stand ability/ level(ed) off / remain(ed) constant / remain(ed)

Vocabulary to represent changes in graphs:

Type of Adverb form Adjective form

Moderate moderately / gradually / moderate / gradual /

Steady change steadily/ ceaselessly. steady/ ceaseless.

Slight change slightly / slowly / mildly / slight / slow / mild /

Dates, Months & Years related vocabulary and grammar:

From 1990 to 2000,

Percentage, Portion and Numbers:

Words/ Phrases of Approximation - Vocabulary:

General Tips for task 1:

The correct version of the overall Trend

What will the examiner assess?

a)The interpretation and presentation of data and trend.

Synonyms and Antonyms

impractical sensible irrelevant immaterial difficult foolish crucial

1-The research methodology was highly effective.

A: The results of the test will be quite in deciding what to do.

3-It would be reasonable to keep a hard copy of the research.

S: It would be to keep a hard copy of the research.

4-We found a very simple solution to the problem.

5-A bicycle may be more convenient than a car in heavy traffic.

S: A bicycle may be more than a car in heavy traffic.

A: A car may be more than a bicycle in heavy traffic.

Line Graph Worksheet - Gap Fill

Gap Fill - Choose the correct word

Multiple Line Graph Model Answer

Here are the basics of how they are formed:

Words with one syllable High Higher the highest

Words ending in –y Wealthy Wealthier the wealthiest

Short words ending with a Hot Hotter the hottest

Irregular Good Better the best

Other Important Language

1. Developing countries are more reliant on alternative energy production than

Using Approximate Data

Country Consumption* Production*

The USA 588.9 500.0

The United Kingdom 86.1 97.3

The Former Soviet 7.1 0.4

The UAE 30.0 35.9

Australia 19.1 28.0

New Zealand 4.9 5.1

South Korea 18.9 0

China 24.3 25.0

Comparative and Superlative adjectives

Language focus: Modifying comparative and superlative adjectives