IELTS ESSENTIALS

UNIT 4: TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT

A. GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY

Exercise 1 :
Complete the travel advice. Use the words in the box.

Exercise 2 :
Complete the sentences. Use a word from the same family as the words in bold. The
first question has been done for you.

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Exercise 3 :
Correct the spelling mistakes. There is one spelling mistake in each sentence.
1. I love travelling to different countries, because it gives me a chance to meet lots of interesting
foriegners. foreigners
2. We found the campsite in our gide book. It was close to the beach resort.  guide
3. I nearly crashed my car yesterday. The car in front stopped suddenly and I had to break hard to
slow down.  brake
4. The motorway was really busy. There were lots of slow vans, lorries, coaches and other large
veicles.  vehicles
5. Welcome abroad the plane. Please find your seats and place your luggage in the overhead co
mpartments.  aboard
6. We need to book our accomodation at the hostel soon.  accommodation

Exercise 4 :
Choose the correct answers to the questions.

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Exercise 5 :
Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

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Exercise 6 :
Match the examples in the box with the reasons for using the present perfect simple or
present perfect continuous.

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Exercise 7 :
Read the information. Then complete the sentences in the present perfect simple. Use
the verbs in brackets and contractions (e.g. I’ve), where possible. The first question has
been done for you.

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Exercise 8 : Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

1 That was the best holiday I’ve already/ ever/ never had.

2 Have you checked out of the hotel just/ since/ yet, or do you still need to?

3 It’s been raining for/ long/ since two weeks. It started on the first day of our holiday, and it’s.
been raining ever since.

4 There’s been an accident on the motorway for/ so/ yet now there’s a terrible traffic jam.

5 I’m afraid you’re too late. The train’s already / ever/ yet departed. You’ll have to get the next
one.

6 We’ve ever/ just/ yet been on a guided tour of the city. It finished a few minutes ago.

7 How already/ long/ since have you been working as a tour guide?

8 We’re absolutely exhausted because/ just/ so we’ve been travelling for over 24 hours.

9 We’ve been coming to this town for our holidays because/ long/ since we were children, and
we still love it.

10 I’ve been using the buses and trams in this city for years and I’ve ever/ never/ yet had my
ticket checked by a ticket inspector.
Exercise 9 :
Read the information. Then choose the correct verb form (present perfect simple or
present perfect continuous) to complete the sentences.

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1 We‘ve been walking/ ‘ve walked around museums and castles all day, so we’re all really
tired.
2 We‘ve been/‘ve been going to Russia a few times, but only to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
3 How long have you been having/ have you had that suitcase? It looks quite old.
4 How long have you been travelling/ have you been travelled? You look exhausted!
5 I‘ve been reading/‘ve read a lot of travel blogs recently. I’ve been trying to find ideas for my
next trip.
6 We’ve decided to go to Canada next year, but we haven’t been booking/ haven’t booked
our flights yet.
Exercise 10 ;
Put the words in the correct order to complete the sentences.

 How long have you been waiting here?

 Has the plane landed yet?

 I haven’t seen you for a long time.

 Have you ever flown in a helicopter?

 What have you been doing recently?

 I’ve never been there before.

 How many times have you been on this tour?

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 They haven’t announced the boarding gate yet.

B. READING
Exercise 1 :
To be successful in the IELTS Reading test it is important to understand how paragraphs are
written and used.
Read the statements. Are they True or False? Choose the correct answers.

Exercise 2 :
Read the title of the Reading passage and the paragraph headings (i–iii). What is the
passage about? Choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.

The annual Busójárás celebration

i Rituals that have continued to the present day

ii A connection between the carnival and historical events
iii The effect of the things people wear during the carnival

1 The topic of the Reading passage is likely to be about a traditional festival/ people’s
everyday habit.
2 The writer will explain why the celebration is no longer popular/ is still popular.
3 The celebration might involve people dressed in special clothes/ people using special
equipment.

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Exercise 3 :
Read the information. Then look at the paragraph headings (i–iii) again. Choose the key
information in each heading.

i Rituals that have continued to the present day

ii A connection between the carnival and historical events
iii The effect of the things people wear during the carnival

Exercise 4 :
Read the information. Then match the words and phrases in the box with
the underlined key words in the headings.

i Rituals that have continued to the present day

ii A connection between the carnival and historical events
iii The effect of the things people wear during the carnival

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Exercise 5 :
Read the information. Then match the paragraph headings with the paragraphs.

The annual Busójárás celebration

Agnes Kovacs travels to a small Hungarian town to witness a local festival that has entertained
people for hundreds of years

A The costumes are intentionally frightening. Several people walk around the square of the
small town wearing masks. The faces are red, with small eyes and large pointed teeth. Then,
there are the horns. In some of the costumes, they look like goat’s horns. Other masks have
bull’s horns. The people wear huge cloaks made of sheepskin, which make them look bigger
than they really are. With the sticks and rattles they carry to make noise with, they look like
monsters.
B This carnival has been a tradition in southern Hungary for several centuries. The town of
Mohács was the site of a famous battle between the Hungarians and the Ottoman Empire 500
years ago. The Turkish army was far superior at the time and would eventually overrun most of
Hungary. However, the small town of Mohács managed to repel the invaders, albeit briefly.
Legend has it that the townspeople dressed up as monsters and managed to drive away the
Turks.
C The carnival is a celebration of continued life and combines historical events with ancient
traditions of chasing away the winter darkness. It is held at the end of each winter and, as in
many other winter festivals around Europe, a man-like figure is constructed from straw. On the
final night of the carnival, the man is paraded through the town and set on fire. People from
the town hold hands and dance around the burning man until dawn.

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Exercise 6: Read the information. Then read the headings and decide which words are
the key words. Choose the correct answers.

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Exercise 7: Read the information. Then do the IELTS Reading task.

The text has seven paragraphs, A–G. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph and
move it into the gap. You do not need to use all the headings.

The meaning and celebration of Matariki

Henry Wilkes travels to New Zealand to investigate an ancient Māori tradition
A Over the cliffs at Mission Bay in Auckland, New Zealand, an incredible number of kites give
extra colour to the cold blue sky. It is no coincidence that so many people have gathered here
to fly them; they have come together to celebrate the arrival of the Matariki, the group of seven
stars that appear in mid-winter. Many of the kite fliers are Māori, descendants of the people
who first arrived in New Zealand in the 13th century, but others have European ancestors, or
are recent immigrants to this country. What all of them have in common is that they are keen to
take part in the celebration, and a key part of this is the designing and making of a kite. The
Māori used to make them out of pampas grass, flax and the bark of the mulberry tree, and
would often decorate them with shells or feathers. Nowadays, although it is easy enough to
make a modern plastic kite, people prefer to follow their customs and use traditional methods
and materials.
B Before the Europeans began to arrive and settle in New Zealand, festivities associated with
the Matariki were popular amongst all Māori tribes. They gradually began to disappear,
eventually coming to an end with the last traditional festival held in the 1940s. It wasn’t until the
beginning of the 21st century that people began calling in large numbers for Matariki to be
brought back as a cultural event. In 2000, around 500 people attended a community gathering
and public firework display in Hastings, New Zealand, to mark the return of Matariki. This year,

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over 20,000 people are expected to participate in the same event. And around the rest of New
Zealand, other similar events are co-ordinated.
C Māori have several stories about the origins of the Matariki. One is connected to their
creation myth, in which the god of the weather and winds threw his eyes into the heavens,
where they became the seven stars. In another version, the god of the forests, Tāne Mahuta,
became jealous of a very bright star which everyone admired. He angrily threw the star to
destroy it but instead it broke up into seven smaller stars. In a third myth, the main star is a
mother and the six smaller ones are her daughters. Regardless of the origins, Māori
communities have traditionally celebrated in similar ways.
D Although Māori living in New Zealand recognise January 1st as the official start of the year, it
is the appearance of the Matariki which traditionally marks the beginning of the Māori New
Year. Of course, people living in different parts of the world will be able to see the cluster of
seven stars at different times of year. However, for New Zealanders hoping to see the Matariki,
they should keep an eye out from the second week of June. If they look towards the north-east
horizon, slightly to the west of where the sun rises, they should have a good chance of spotting
it in the tail of the Milky Way. Of course, it is best to get up an hour before dawn, so the stars
are bright enough to be easily noticed. A pair of binoculars can come in handy, too.
E Like the first people to settle in Tonga, Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands, Hawaii and Tahiti,
the Māori were great sailors. All these Polynesian peoples were able to travel long distances
over water by observing the position of the stars. The seven stars that made up the Matariki
were especially useful due to the fact that they changed position during the year, showing a
clear direction for the huge traditional canoes to follow. It’s easy to see the common ancestry
of the people of Polynesia when you look at the names for the Matariki in the different
countries: it is Matali’l in Samoa, Makali’l in Hawaii, and Mataliki in Tonga, for example.
F Nowadays, as in the past, Matariki celebrations provide an excellent opportunity for
communities to unite. It is a time when people reflect on the experiences of the year which has
just passed, give thanks for the good things they have received from the land and the sea, and
look forward to the year ahead. It is also the perfect time for older members of the extended
family or local tribe to share their knowledge with the young. They may teach them traditional
songs or stories, demonstrate old ways of fishing or catching eels, or show them how to
prepare hangi (food which is cooked on heated stones in a hole in the ground). For many
Māori children, this contact and experience gives them a strong sense of cultural identity and
belonging.
G While Māori arts such as carving and weaving were practised during Matariki celebrations in
the past, the arrival of the seven stars had another significant role. Māori decided when to
plant their crops according to how easily the stars could be seen. If they were clear and bright,
Māori believed that the growing season would be a productive one, and they would plant their
crops in September. But if they appeared to be out-of-focus and closer together than usual,
they knew that the winter was going to be an extremely cold one. This meant they wouldn’t
start planting until October. But Matariki also occurred at harvest time, so there was plenty of
food to share around between family members and visitors. This kind of feasting is still very
much part of the modern celebrations.

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C. WRITING
Exercise 1 :
In IELTS Writing Task 1, you may be asked to describe one or two maps.
Look at the two maps. Then choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

1. The pictures compare/ show two maps.

2. The maps show changes/ improvements over time.
3. The map changes need to be explained/ described in your report.
4. The maps show different times in the past/ future.
5. The first map shows the location before new facilities/ shops were built.
6. The second map displays the same location after change/ development.
Exercise 2: Choose the correct words and phrases to complete the report.

The two maps show the layout of Green Village in different years. The first one shows the
village in 1985 and the second shows how it looked in 2005. To begin/ Overall, it can be seen

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that the village has been extended and enlarged in almost all areas. To begin/ Although, the
biggest change is that a new road was built around the village. As a result/ Regarding this, the
village has had several new developments: new houses were built both in the centre and out of
the village. In addition to/ As a result of these, a new shopping centre was built on the

southern edge of the village. As a result of/ Overall this, we can see that the small shop in the

middle of the village disappeared. Although/ However, the restaurant remained in the same
location in the centre of the village. Although/ However the school is still in the centre, it was
moved from the north to the south of the village.

Exercise 3: Look at the maps again. Then complete the sentences using the words in
the box. You can use the words more than once.

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Exercise 4: Look at the maps of a railway station in 1998 and now. Then look at the
things which have changed and match them with the correct verbs. You can use one
verb more than once.

Exercise 5: Look at the maps again. Then choose the correct words to complete the
report. You will need to use some words more than once.

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Exercise 6:
WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The maps show improvements that have been made to a university campus between
2006 and the present day.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words

Model answer:
The two maps show the development of a university campus from 2006 to the present day. It can be seen
from the maps that the campus has been improved and extended, with much more student
accommodation and facilities than previously.
Firstly, the number of student accommodation buildings has been increased in number and size. A
previous accommodation block south of the lake has been destroyed and replaced by a new building for
students, which includes shops and offices. In addition, the teaching facilities have been extended. The
previous single teaching block has been changed into a block only for arts subjects and there is a new
building for the sciences to the north of the campus. This has replaced the old university offices. The
lawn and outside seating area which were next to the lake have been removed. The lake, however, has
remained and is still the central point of the campus.
(152 Words)

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D. LISTENING
Exercise 1. Read the information. Then read the statements about Section 3 of the
IELTS Listening test. Decide if the statements are True or False. Choose the correct
answers.

Exercise 2 :
Read the information. Then, listen to a conversation between two students. Complete
the conversation with the words you hear. ( Track 4.1)

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Exercise 3: In the next exercise you will hear two students preparing for a seminar
presentation on the topic of ‘recognising why and when people tell lies’.
Match the words in the box with the correct definitions.

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Exercise 4: Read the information. Then listen to extracts from a conversation between
the two students. Complete the extracts with the words you hear. ( Track 4.2)

Exercise 5: Read the information. Then, listen to the next part of the conversation. What
comment, 1–3, do the students make about the topic? Choose the correct answer.
( Track 4.3)

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Exercise 6: What comments do the students make for each of the following topics
related to lying? Listen and choose five answers and write the correct letters, A–G, next
to the topics 1–5. ( Track 4.4)

E. SPEAKING
Exercise 1. Put the letters in the correct order to complete the collocations you can use
to talk about travel and transport.

 friendly

 jams

 airlines

 emissions

 ticket

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 efficiency

 car

 distance

Exercise 2. Complete the travel words and phrases. Use the words in the box. Then
watch the video and check your answers.

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Exercise 3. Choose the correct words to complete the sentences about travel and
transport. Use the words in the box.

Exercise 4. Read and complete the conversation from IELTS Speaking Part 3. Use the
words in the box. Then watch the video and check your answers. (Video 4.1)

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Exercise 5 :
It’s important not to run out of things to say in the IELTS Speaking test. Complete the
table with some words and phrases you can use to develop a conversation.

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Exercise 6 : Complete the conversation from IELTS Part 3 using the words and phrases
in the table. Then watch the video and check your answers. (Video 4.2)

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Exercise 7 : Complete the table with some more useful words and phrases you can use
to develop a conversation in IELTS Speaking Part 3. The first one has been done for
you.

Exercise 8 : Read the examiner’s questions. Choose the correct words and phrases to
complete the student’s answers.

1 Examiner: Let’s consider, first of all, types of transport. Which are the most popular forms of
transport in your country?
Student: Right/ That’s why/ Well, I would say buses are popular for getting around cities.

2 Examiner: Has public transport in your city been developed or improved recently?
Student: Yes, the stations are often modernized despite/ however/ in spite of the London
Underground being over 150 years old.

3 Examiner: Do people use private cars much in your country?

Student: Traffic jams are a common problem, so I ‘d like to ask/ will/ would say that private
cars are still overused.

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4 Examiner: How do people travel long distances in your country?

Student: Trains are never/ plus/ relatively inexpensive, so this is how people generally prefer
to travel.

5 Examiner: What are the disadvantages of using public transport?

Student: It’s often unreliable because of this/ inspite of this/ plus, it can be expensive.

6 Examiner: Let’s move on now to talk about changes in transport. Tell me, how has transport
changed over the last few decades?
Student: Mostly/ No/ Right, OK … well, I think that the government is reducing carbon
emissions by improving public transport.
7 Examiner: Do you think there are any negative effects of cheap air travel?
Student: Yes, I do. Budget airlines allow people to fly more frequently. As a result/ Due/
However of this, air pollution has increased.

8 Examiner: Do you think people will be using different types of transport in the future?
Student: Yes, of course. For instance, / In my opinion/ It has been predicted that oil will run
out one day, so electric cars will be usual.

Exercise 9 :
Watch the video of a student doing IELTS Speaking Part 3. Find and correct the
student’s mistakes. There are eight mistakes. (Video 4.3)

Examiner: ... Which are the most popular forms of transport in your country?
Student: Cars. Almost everyone in my country uses the car to transport from one place to an
other.
(1 mistake)  travel
Examiner: Why is that?
Student: Because public transports are bad in my country and it’s because petrol is cheap ...
(2 mistakes)  transport is
Examiner: Is it a good thing that there are so many cars in your country?
Student: Actually it’s a bad thing because there is always traffic jams. ... (1 mistake)  are
Examiner: How do people travel long distances in your country?
Student: By car, because my country’s too small ... it only take you two hours to go from east
to west. ... (1 mistake)  takes
Examiner: ... How has transport changed over the last few decades, would you say?
Student: More cars are being used ... If you take a look at the country, you will see that each
house got more than five cars. ... (1 mistake)  has got
Examiner: Have people started to use electric cars now?
Student: No, not yet. ... No-one want it to use them. ... (1 mistake)  wants
Examiner: Do you think that people will be using different types of transport in the future?
Student: ... Yes, of course, but they also be using ... environmentally-
friendly cars. (1 mistake)  they will also be

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Exercise 10 :
You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 3. Answer the questions.

1. Which are the most popular forms of transport in your country?

2. How do people travel long distances in your country?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of public transport?
4. How has transport changed over the last few decades?
5. Do you think there are any negative effects of cheap air travel?
6. Do you think people will be using different types of transport in the future?

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LISTENING SCRIPT
Exercise 5.

A: Another thing I read was that a lot of people lie in order to get something they really want,
like a job. We should see that as normal, regardless of how we feel about it.
B: Yes, but I doubt if these are big lies. These are just small ones, like making your CV sound
a little bit better than it really is.
A: Or making it sound like the job you did was a bit more important than it really was.
B: Exactly. I don’t think many people would put a huge lie on their CV.
A: No, especially because their lie would be found out sooner or later.
B: The thing is, that’s what job interviews are for. So the employers can find out how honest
the job candidate really is.
A: Yes, because it’s more difficult to lie face-to-face, when you’re in front of another person.
B: Especially in a job interview, when you’re in front of two or three people.

Exercise 6.

Presenter: You will hear two students, called Christina and Dan, preparing for a seminar
presentation on the topic of ‘recognising why and when people tell lies’.
Christina: So, did you find anything interesting when you were doing the research?
Dan: Well, I read a good article about children lying. It makes the point that parents in all
cultures tell their children off if they’re dishonest. They say ‘You mustn’t tell lies.’ However,
when children are about six, they start to realise that parents lie, too.
Christina: How?
Dan: Well, parents might say to a child ‘If your little sister wants another biscuit, we should tell
her that they’re all finished.’ So learning to lie is something that children are taught to do by
their parents.
Christina: So, that’s dishonest, isn’t it?
Dan: In a way. But the parents probably don’t see it as lying, they’re trying to get the child to
do what they want. The thing is that then, the child starts lying to get what he or she wants,
too! So, when children lie, we should actually see this as a normal part of their development.
Christina: Right. That seems like a good point to include in the presentation. One of the things
I was interested in is people telling ‘white lies’ – you know, small lies to make other people feel
better. According to one survey, it seems that women tell about 30 white lies a day, whereas
men tell about eight.
Dan: It won’t come as a surprise that people tell white lies to make other people feel more
positive, but we should mention the number of lies. That will be surprising to people.
Christina: What else did you find interesting?
Dan: Professor Miller mentioned body language, didn’t she? You know, if someone keeps
moving from foot to foot, or has their arms folded across their chest – psychologists used to

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say ‘That’s a sure sign of lying! But now we know that’s not true.’
Christina: So, if people are looking for those kinds of body language signals, they may
completely misunderstand what’s going on?
Dan: Yes. Especially because gestures have different meanings in different cultures.
Christina: For example, a lack of eye contact might be a sign of respect, not of dishonesty.
Dan: Exactly. What about people lying online? You know, someone posts a fake review of a
restaurant they’ve never actually been to.
Christina: Well, apparently there is a problem with people writing fake reviews, but the thing
is, journalists are always writing about it and saying how awful the situation is, when actually,
according to Professor Edwards, it’s just a small minority of people that do this.
Dan: So, just newspaper hysteria?
Christina: Right. So shall we say something about being dishonest at university?
Dan: You mean, pretending you wrote something when really you just copied it from
somewhere?
Christina: Yes.
Dan: That’s really serious. Like, if you get caught, you might be asked to leave the course.
Christina: I don’t think everyone knows that tutors have software programmes that only take a
few seconds to identify whether the work is yours, or whether you’ve copied something.
Dan: OK, why don’t we start with that point?

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