1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS                                          
PAGES
PAGES 
4 
 TRAINING OF LISTENING 
13 
 TRAINING OF LETTERS  
19 
 TRAINING OF ESSAYS 
35 
 TRAINING OF READING 
45 
 TRAINING OF SEPAKING 
51 
 LISTENING EXAM 1 
57 
 LISTENING EXAM 2 
62 
 LISTENING EXAM 3 
68 
 LISTENING EXAM 4 
78 
 WRITING EXAMS 
84 
 WRITING ANSWER SHEET 
89 
 SAMPLE READING TEST 
102 
 READING ANSWER KEY 
103 
 REFERENCES 
 
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The Listening Test

Section 1 What is it?
▪ It is a conversation, generally between two speakers.
▪ It is usually divided into two parts.
▪ First, you are given a little time (no more than 30 seconds) to look at
the questions for Section 1.
▪ Then, you will hear an example.
▪ After the example, you will hear the correct answer.
▪ You will then have a little more time (about 20-30 seconds) to look at
the questions for the first part of Section 1.
The Example
Listening to the example gives you the chance to become familiar with the
voices of the two speakers and to practice working out the answer as you
listen.
Here is an example for you to practice. Read these instructions and the
example as you listen to the tape.
You will hear two friends talking about a trip they plan to take. First, look at
the example.
Example: What is Jane pleased about?
 
A meeting Steve B her holiday
C the semester ending D her exam results
The Questions
THE MAIN STRATEGIES ARE:
▪ reading all the questions in the section
▪ quickly analyzing any answer choices.
SECTION 1 Questions 1-11 Questions 1-7 Circle the correct answer.
1 What does Jane plan to do during the break?
A fly home to stay with her family
B take summer courses
C take an overseas holiday
D go on a camping trip
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2- Why can't Steve go home during the break?

A he has to earn some money to pay his fees
B he can't afford it
C he is taking a summer course
D he wants to study for next semester
3 Where will Jane and her friends go during the semester break?
A to Royal Island Park
B to the mountains
C to Royal National Park
D to Great Southern Park
4 Which route will the train follow?
A Central, Sutherland, Garie
B Sutherland, Caringbah, Waterfall
C Central, Waterfall, Sutherland, Garie
D Central, Sutherland, Waterfall
 
Questions 5 and 6 Circle TWO letters for each answer.
5 Which of the following does Jane suggest Steve should bring?
A diving gear B cooking equipment
C swimsuits D a sleeping bag
E plenty of food F his bicycle
6 What activities are they planning?
A boating B scuba diving
C bungee jumping D horse riding
E hiking F surfboard riding
Question 7
Write a NUMBER for the answer.
7 If Steve joins them, how many people will be going on the trip?
_____________________________________________
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Que estions 8-11 Label the areass of the m map to shoow the acttivities th
he group
will do in eachh. There are
a more activities
a than you will need. Note: Jaane does
not mention
m aall of the areas.
a You will have to
t leave soome blankk.

rock
k climbing
swim
mming
cycling Audleey
cliff
f walks A _______________
boatting B ________
huntting
horsse riding Wattamollla
scub
ba diving Waterfall
D _________
bird
d-watching
g Garie C ________

E _______________
 
F ____________________

Pred
diction. T
THERE IS
S NO TA
APE WITH E Two sttudents,
H THIS EXERCISE
Malccolm and Sheila,
S arre trying to
t decide what to do
d this evvening. Cirrcle the
corrrect letterr A-D
1 Wh
hat is on te
elevision at
a 7 00 p. m.?
m
A a horror film
B a programm on Russiian cooking
g
C the nighttly news
D the Open n University
2 Wha
at do theyy plan to eat?
e
A take-awaay pizza
B the buffet at the Hilton Hotel
C roast bee
ef
D cornflake
es
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3 What does Malcolm have to do before tomorrow?

A watch a football match on television
B telephone his family
C telephone his lecturer
D pay the telephone bill
4 Why doesn't Sheila want to go out?
A she hasn't got any money
B she's worried about losing her money
C she needs to borrow some money
D she has borrowed some money
5 Why does Malcolm decide to stay up late?
A to watch a football match on television
B because he is not tired
C he has an exam early the next morning
D because he is going to an all-night party

Questions 6-10. Complete the following news report using NO MORE THAN 3
WORDS OR NUMBERS.
Melcastle Flooded
Melcastle experienced severe flooding yesterday when the (6) …… Mel burst
its banks. This follows (7) …… days of heavy rain. So far, 5 people have been
 
reported dead and another 20 injured. However, many people are still (8) ……….
Houses in the affected areas are still under water and often the only way to
travel is by (9) … The airport has been shut for the last three days due to (10)
……… runways. An official from the Ministry of Transport said that they hoped
to resume normal services as soon as possible.
Questions 11-12
Name TWO of the problems faced by emergency services
Circle TWO letters from A-E
A transportation difficulties
B lack of food
C no electricity
D risk of fire
E lack of money
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Section 2. What is it? It is a monologue; that is, there is only one speaker.
It is often in two parts. You are given time to look at the questions. You will
not hear a spoken example, but there may be a written example in a shaded
box in the booklet. The topic is one of general interest to any member of the
community. The Questions, THE MAIN STRATEGIES ARE: reading the
instructions carefully, analysing the questions and predicting possible answers.

SECTION 2 Questions 12-17 Questions 12-14. Complete the table according

to the information given by the police officer.

number of cars stolen per year (12)……………..

number of cars recovered (13) ……………..

number of cars not locked (14) ……………..

Questions 15-17 Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
What are the two kinds of car thieves?
15 …………………………
16 ……………………
Which kind of car thief is likely to use a stolen car for committing a crime?
 
17 …………………………………
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Que
estions 188 and 19 Question 18 Choose se the pictture A-D w
which besst shows
what
at the policce officerr says a veh
ehicle owneer SHOUL LD DO.

Queestion 19 CChoose the

he picture A-D
A which
h best shoows what tthe police
e officer
sayss a vehicle
e owner SHHOULD NOT
NO DO.
 
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Section 3 What is it? It is a conversation between two or more speakers. It

is usually in two parts. You are given time to look at the questions. There is no
example on the cassette tape. The topic is often related to student life.
The Questions THE MAIN STRATEGIES ARE: analyzing the questions,
familiarizing yourself with the form of the answers, predicting possible
answers, eliminating unlikely answers and preparing yourself to distinguish
voices.
SECTION 3 Questions 20-29
Questions 20-27 Complete the table. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
for each answer. (Note: X means information not given.)
Reading Essays Lectures Seminars

Lisa too interesting handwriting (23) (25)

word limit

Sasha (20) (22) (24) (26)

Olaf (21) plagiarism X (27)

Questions 28 and 29 Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D

28 Who are Lisa, Olaf and Sasha?
 
A Lisa is a lecturer, Olaf and Sasha are students
B They are all first year foreign students
C Olaf and Sasha are foreign students, Lisa is their tutor
D Lisa is a local student; Olaf and Sasha are foreign students
29 What does Lisa think of Sasha's last seminar paper?
A it was like a lecture
B it was professional
C it was rather boring
D she couldn't believe it
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Section 4 What is it?

It is a monologue. It is usually not divided into parts, although there may be short
pauses. There is often a written example in the question booklet, but there is not a
separate spoken example. The questions to this section are often in the form of
notes or a summary to be completed. However, there is sometimes a mixture of
question types, as in Listening test Section 3 in this book. It is usually a short talk or
lecture similar to what you might hear at the beginning of a course, but you do not
need specialist knowledge to understand the ideas presented. The Questions THE
MAIN STRATEGIES ARE: reading the notes or summary quickly, predicting
possible answers, & taking notes as you listen.
SECTION 4 Questions 30-40 Complete the following lecture summary.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. South-East Asian
Traditions
Example: Course Coordinator Answer: Paul Stange
Course materials
two textbooks - Osborne and Legge (30) ………………………………
(31)………………………………
can get textbooks from (32) _______________and other materials from
Paul Stange after this lecture.
 
Two of the readings are difficult, but Bender (33)________ Smail
Both very important because help develop (34)………………….
Course structure
Main course focus is on (35) ……………… of South East Asia.
Influences from (36) …………… and (37) …………………….
These influences have been both (38) ……………………… and social
The emphasis is on (39) ……………………… between past influences and present

cultural patterns

Relation to other courses Later courses focus more on political and economic

aspects of modern period. This course serves as (40) …………………………. to later

courses
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Letters are an important form of communication. In the General Training

Writing Task 1 you are given a situation and tested on your ability to
write a letter in an appropriate style in order to achieve a certain
outcome. You need to include all the necessary details so that the
purpose of your letter is clear and the reader can easily understand your
message.

THE TASK
The task will present a situation to you on the question paper. You
have to write in the first person and imagine yourself in the situation
given. Here is an example:

You recently went shopping at the local supermarket. When you

got home and studied your bill, you found that you had been
charged for items you had not bought.

Write a letter to the supermarket manager explaining what has

happened. Tell the manager how you feel about the error and
ask him to do something about it.

1 Underline the verbs in this task which express what you have to do.

THE PURPOSE: It is important to remember that a letter is a form of

 
communication. Formal or semi-formal letters are always written with a
particular purpose in mind.

2. What is really meant by a 'purpose'? Give some examples.

3. What sort of things may prevent a letter from achieving its
purpose?
4. What purpose is intended in the task above?

Starting out

The purpose is sometimes stressed at the beginning of a letter. (It

depends on the type of letter you are writing as to how much you
emphasise your purpose at the start or whether you decide to leave it to
the end of the letter.) However, you do need to open your letter with
something that will be appropriate for the reader and will capture the
reader's attention and there are structures to help you do this. Read the
following examples:
I am writing with regard to/ with reference to / in connection with…
I am writing to express my concern about / my dissatisfaction about…
I would like to draw your attention to…
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10

5 What sort of tone do these structures have?

6 How might you begin a letter of apology to a friend?

Discuss the purpose of each of the following letters.

7. A letter to the gas company about a second bill (or reminder) you
received when you had already paid the first.
8. A letter to a close relative with an invitation to a surprise party,
9. A letter to an old teacher asking for a reference for a job.
10. A letter to a garage about some poor mechanical work they did
on your car.
Write an opening sentence or sentences for the above letters, and then
discuss these with your teacher.

EXPLAINING THE SITUATION

It is important that any background you provide on the situation is clear
and includes all the information the reader needs.

Re-read the first paragraph of the task on page 78 and look at the ideas
in the bubble diagram below:
 
Cashier

Details of Total amount

items of the bill

Name and
location Situation Method of
of store payment

Time of
noticing Excess
the error charged
Date

It is worth reading the question several times to make sure you

understand it fully, as you will lose marks in the IELTS if you
misinterpret the situation.
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11

Write the first part of your letter giving an explanation of what

happened at the supermarket. (You will write the second half of the
letter in Writing Unit 6.)

How to approach the task

You will need to invent some information for this task.
You must use your imagination but make sure your ideas are
realistic and fit the situation.
Copy this diagram and replace the ideas in the bubbles with
realistic information.
Consider the order in which you would want to present the
information in a letter.
Consider the tenses you will use.

Once you have your purpose clearly in mind and have given the reader
some background information, you should continue with your message.
The tone and level of formality that you use in your letter will affect how
successful you are at communicating your message.

THE MESSAGE
Expressing feelings
There are many feelings that you may wish to convey in a letter. Here
are some of the vocabulary and structures associated with them.
 
Dissatisfaction/dislike Regret/apology Needs/wants/desires
I am unhappy about / do not I am sorry that I … What I am looking for is…
like…
I am not comfortable about / I regret that I… What would suit me best is…
with …
…is not what I expected / was Please, accept my apologies I am very keen to …
expecting. for …ing
...does not suit me / my needs Please forgive me for … I would very much like to …
…is too + adjective Unfortunately I …/ Regrettably I would be grateful if you
I… could…
Gratitude Annoyance Pleasure/satisfaction
Thank you very much for … Although I stated that… I was delighted about / by…
I very much appreciated … Despite my request for … I thoroughly enjoyed…
I am grateful to you for … Even though I telephoned …was very impressive /
about… enjoyable.

1 What other feelings might you want to express in a letter?

Making requests, suggestions, etc.
You may also have to request or suggest something in your letter.

7. Look at the list of sentences and expressions below. What do you

notice about those in the left-hand column?
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12

8. Discuss with your teacher how a reader would react to some of the
statements in the left-hand column.
9. Rewrite some of the messages in the left-hand column using a
structure from the right-hand column.
1. Send me a brochure. a- __ I would like to…
2.I want a ticket for tonight’s show. b- __ I am very interested in …ing
3. I think you should employ more c- __ Could I suggest that …
staff.
4. You should give up smoking. d- __ Please, avoid …ing
5. In my opinion, you should e- __ Wouldn’t it be better if you…
improve your service.
6. I want to get a place at your f- __ I would be grateful if you / I
school. could…
7. I can’t stand your car alarm. g- __ Please, could you…/ Could
you, please…
8. You park your car too close to h- __ I would recommend that
mine. you…
9. Why is your information always i- __ I would appreciate it if …
out-of-date?
Write the second part of your letter in which you state how you feel
about the supermarket error and ask the manager to do something
 
about it.

IELTS Writing (GT)

Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You have a friend who lives in a city abroad. You have decided
that you would like to apply to do a course at one of the colleges
in this city.

Write to your friend explaining what you would like to do. Tell
him/her what type of work or studies you have been doing for
the past few years and ask for assistance in contacting an
appropriate institution.

You should write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write your own
address.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear ,
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13

You have some library books that you are unable to return as a member of your
family in another city has fallen sick and you have had to go and look after them.
Write a letter to the library explaining the situation. Apologize for the inconvenience and
say what you are going to do.
Fully do all the things that the question asks you. In this case it asks you to do
3 main things:
1. explain the situation
2. apologize for the inconvenience
3. say what you are going to do
The important part is to fully do these things. Don't take 1 line to explain about your
relative - people who do this often don't make the 150 word limit. Enlarge on what
the question tells you. Use your imagination. It must be something fairly serious to
make you leave town and you must be the only one possible to look after the
relative so go into these things. Be realistic as well.
You're writing to a library and you won't make it too personal. Apologizing won't
take up much space but you can still devote a couple of sentences to it. Saying
what you are going to do should be a full explanation as well.
Make your letter realistic so it would function in a real life situation. This involves
adding other things to the letter, which it may not ask you for, but without which your letter
would not perform its function. For this question, it would mean introducing yourself by
name, giving your library card membership number, telling the library the titles of the books
that you have borrowed, the names of their authors, their library reference numbers, when
you borrowed them and when they were due back.
 
Finally, in this question, the situation might involve you getting a fine for the late books so
you could ask politely for that to be cancelled due to the circumstances. Without this
information, the letter wouldn't help the library much in real life and, even though the
question doesn't ask you specifically to include it, the examiner reading your work will be
looking for such things. These are things that are needed to get a 9 for task fulfillment and,
theoretically, anyone, whatever their level of English should be able to get a good mark
here.
Ending your Letter
First of all, in English we often end letters before the sign off with certain phrases. These
can be included in most letters and will make your letter seem realistic and polished. For a
formal letter, you could use:
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanking you
in advance for your help, I look forward to hearing from you soon.
For a more informal letter you could use: If you need to know anything else, just get in
touch with me as soon as you can. Thanks a lot for your help and I hope to hear from you
soon.
Be careful though! IELTS examiners quite rightly look for writing that has been memorized
and just repeated so, if you use expressions like the ones above; make sure that they fit in
with the rest of your letter.
Don't be irrelevant. Although you can use your imagination to expand on your
answer, if any part of your letter is totally unrelated to the question and put in to just
put up the word count, then the examiner will not take it into account and deduct it
from the word count.
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Different Types of IELTS Essays

The table below summarises the three different types of essays you will likely encounter in
the IELTS exam. IELTS argumentative/opinion essay, IELTS Both sides/for and against
essay, and IELTS problem/solution essay.

Opinion Essay For and against Problem

question Rephrase question Discuss the advantages Problem and solution

words Position and disadvantages Cause and solution
Discuss the advantages Opinion and solution
and disadvantages
and give your own
opinion
Example Computers are being Computers are being
question used more and more in used more and more in Alcohol abuse is
education and so there education. Some people becoming more and more
will soon be no role for say that this is a positive common in many
the teacher in trend, while others argue countries.
education. that it is leading to What are some of the
To what extent do you negative consequences. problems associated with
agree or disagree? Discuss both sides of this alcohol abuse, and what
argument and then give are some of the possible
your own opinion. solutions?
Intro Rephrase question Rephrase question Rephrase question
Position This essay discusses This essay discusses
(how much [both sides + opinion] [problem and solution]
agree/disagree)
Body reason 1 Side 1 advantages Problems
reason 2 Solutions
reason 3/concession Side 2 advantages
Note: keep your own self
“I think” and opinion out of
the body. It is only about
what people in general
may think.
Final Summary Opinion Summary of problems
paragraph State that both are and solutions (rephrased)
Opinion/recommend. important/has merits
State which one is more Opinion/recommendation
important/better
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Before writing your answer, you should spend five minutes planning. These are
steps that you should go through.
 Read the questions and the instructions carefully.
 Analyse the topic and the focus.
 Decide what you think about the question.
 Brainstorm ideas to be used in your answer.
 Fit these ideas into an essay plan divided into paragraphs.
 Begin writing your introduction.

TOPIC / FOCUS

Present a written argument or case to an educated non-specialist audience on the

following statement.
The Internet will bring about a new freedom of information and so narrow the
technology gap between developed and developing countries.

The topic is the Internet. However, this does not mean that the examiner wants you
to write down everything you know about the Internet. The rest of the sentence
focuses the topic to the internet’s effect on the freedom of information and on the
possibility of it narrowing the technology gap. The question asks you to write an
argument or case, which means that you must argue for and against the statement.

Therefore, the question is: Will the internet bring about a new freedom of
information and will this freedom of information narrow the technology gap?

Another way of analysing a question is to underline key words, as in the question

below.
Due to the increase in unemployment in many countries, companies are
beginning to retire their employees early. This leads to a loss of valuable
expertise. At what age do you think people should retire?

The topic of this essay is the actual question: At what age do you think people
should retire? The focus is: Companies lose valuable expertise by retiring
employees early.

 Exercise 17
Look at the sample Task 2 questions below and write down the actual question
you’re being asked.
1. As public safety is of the highest importance, it is often necessary to test new
products on animals. It is better for a few animals to suffer than for human life to
be placed at risk by untested products.
2. If countries are serious about solving traffic problems, they should tax private
cars very heavily and use the money to provide free or very cheap rail travel.
 25

3. The quality of health care a person receives should not depend on the size of
their bank balance. The government is responsible for providing a high level of
health care for all its citizens.

 Exercise 18
Look at the three Task 2 questions below. The topic is the same. How is the focus
different?
1. Women should give up their jobs and go back to their traditional role of home-
maker in order to reduce world unemployment.
2. One solution to the decline in moral values in today’s world would be for men
and women to return to their traditional roles.
3. Women will play an increasingly important role in the workplace of the future.
BRAINSTORMING
Present a written argument or case to an educated non-specialist
audience on the following statement.
The Internet will bring about a new freedom of information and so
narrow the technology gap between developed and developing
countries.
Brainstorming is when you think of as many ideas on a subject as possible. For the
example above, you might come up with ideas like these:
1. World-wide communication possible
2. Greater access to information
3. Only the rich can afford access to the internet
4. Computing skills are necessary to operate the internet so new technology
gap developing
5. Makes the copyright laws hard to enforce so difficult to keep technology
secret
6. Difficult to censor.

After you have thought of as many ideas as possible you should organize them. One
way of organizing your ideas is to divide them into ideas for and against the
statement.
 Exercise 19 Put the ideas above into the table divided into 'for' and 'against'.
FOR AGAINST
 26

 Exercise 20
Look at the sample questions in  Exercise 17 and brainstorm and organize
ideas for at least one of them.

Now, link the ideas together to form paragraphs.

THE INTRODUCTION
In many ways, your conclusion and introduction are very similar in that they both
state your opinion. The introduction is probably the shortest section of a Task 2
essay.

It should contain:
 a restatement of the question
 your opinion
When you write your introduction do not:
 copy the question word for word
 give a lot of background
PRACTICE
Look at the following three introductions to the question below and decide which
you like better and why.

If countries are serious about solving traffic problems, they should tax private
cars very heavily and use the money to provide free or very cheap rail travel.

Introduction 1
Many nations are facing massive traffic congestions in their cities. This both makes
travel difficult and causes environmental damage. In order to solve this problem, it
is necessary to establish alternative transportation systems such as railways. In my
opinion, the best way to finance the development of public transport is to tax
private cars.

Introduction 2
Motor cars were invented at the end of the last century and have developed greatly
over the last 100 years. In many countries, families have two cars and sometimes
even three. As there are so many cars on the road, there are often traffic jams on
major roads. It can take many hours to complete a short journey at peak times in
some major cities. Many attempts have been made to solve the problems of bad
traffic. These include limiting the times cars are allowed to drive in certain areas
and making cars carry a certain number of passengers. These schemes have met
with varying degrees of success.
 27

Introduction 3
Many people say that if countries are serious about solving traffic problems, they
should tax private cars very heavily and use the money to provide free rail travel

 Exercise 21
Write an introduction for this Task 2 question.
A country’s first duty to its citizens is to protect them. Therefore, it is logical
that defence should take up a significant proportion of the national budget.
Write a report for an educated non-specialist audience for or against the
above.
Remember to analyse the topic and the focus of the question before you start. You
might also find it useful to brainstorm the ideas you want to include before
beginning to write.

THE ARGUMENT
Although you may have strong opinions about a topic or a question, you should also
state the opposing arguments to your case, to show that you understand both sides
of the problem.

PRACTICE
Look at the section of the writer’s plan and final paragraphs for the question below
to see how this was done.

Too much education is dangerous. If people receive more education than they need to
function in their job, it only breeds dissatisfaction.

Write a report for an educated non-specialist audience for or against the above.

Plan
For Against
Gives people unreal expectations How do you decide the level of education
Expensive a person needs?
Not enough challenging jobs to meet High level human resources necessary for
people’s expectations development
Students a major cause of disruption and Uneducated people unable to show
reject authority initiative
People have the right to attain self-
fulfilment
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Extract from essay

Some people may say that education gives people unrealistic ambitions; the law
of the market place decrees that not everyone can be a manager director. In fact,
for every boss there must be many more employees, so some countries believe
there is very little point in training people for a level of job that they can never
hope to achieve. What is more, education is expensive. Therefore, over education
is a waste of time and money. Another argument against education would be
that students tend to be a disruptive influence on society. Once you encourage
people to think for themselves, it is difficult to control what they are thinking.
It is hardly surprising that students are often found at the forefront of radical
organizations.
In spite of the problem of over education, most countries need a high standard
of human resources in order to compete in the world market. Constantly
changing technology means that the workforce has to be flexible and receptive
to new ideas to be of value to employers. When a person is only trained to
perform one job, it is not realistic to expect him or her to adapt to a change in
circumstances or an unexpected problem. All this is not to mention the moral
questions involved in limiting education. Who has the right to say how much
education a person is entitled to? What criteria could be used to decide a level of
schooling?
It may be true that a greater level of education tends to make people more
radical. However, if society is not going to become static, it must be prepared to
accept new ideas. Therefore, the degree of radicalism caused by a high level of
education can only serve to make the country more adaptable and better able to
withstand social change in the long run.
 Exercise 22
Look at the following topics and write two short paragraphs (about 50 words): One
supporting the statement and the other against it.
1. Nobody should marry before the age of 30.
2. Everybody has the right to carry a gun.

THE CONCLUSION
A good conclusion summarizes the ideas presented in the text and restates the
writer’s opinion.
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 Exercise 23
Look at the notes that a student wrote for this Task 2 question and write a
conclusion.

If countries are serious about solving traffic problems, they should tax private
cars very heavily and use the money to provide free or very cheap rail travel.

Introduction
Many nations are facing massive traffic congestions in their cities. This both makes travel
difficult and causes environmental damage. In order to solve this problem it is necessary to
establish alternative transportation systems such as railways.
For Against
Encourage people to use public Not door-to-door service like cars
transport
People like owning cars
Reduce the number of cars on the road
Increased taxes are always unpopular
Cut down on traffic jams/pollution Cheap railways would lose money and
Save fossil fuels need state subsidies.
More money to develop infrastructure
Organizing the paragraph
In essays, paragraphs usually have standard format.
 The first sentence is a topic sentence which explains the main point.
 The next few sentences develop the theme of the topic sentence.
 The last sentence should lead into the next paragraph.
Therefore, a standard paragraph should look like this:

Topic sentence
It is often said that people need to work to feel useful. This is not true.
Supporting arguments
It is doubtful whether most of the jobs people do are of any value to society. It is hard to
imagine people getting much satisfaction from the usual paper shuffling that takes place in
most offices. Therefore, if a lot of jobs are of little value to the world and some jobs are
actually harmful to mankind, there is no reason for people to feel guilty about staying at
home and doing something more interesting instead. In fact, it could be said that in these
times of high unemployment it is more useful not to work as you are giving other people
opportunities to feel fulfilled.
Summary
As most jobs are neither interesting nor productive, the idea of working to contribute to
society is not realistic.
34
 35

Reading

UNIT 8 The General Training module, Section 1

How much do you know about the IELTS General Training (GT) Reading module? (Check your
answers with the introductory section.)
1 How many sections are there?

2 How long do you have to answer the questions?

3 How many questions are there?

The GT Reading module presents a series of graded texts and accompanying questions that test a
variety of reading skills. The task types are similar to those used in the Academic module and
Section 3 of the GT module is the same as an Academic Reading section. However, the text types
in GT Sections 1 and 2 are very different from those in the Academic module.
4 Approximately how long should you spend on Section 1?
5 What is the general theme of the texts in Section 1?

MULTIPLE C H O I C E

In Section 1, you are most likely to be tested on your ability to find or identify
factual information, but you may also have to use your skills to deduce or infer
an answer. Texts in Section 1 of the General Training module are short and may
take a variety of formats.

Read the following advertisements and answer the multiple-choice questions.

6 This is an
advertisement for
A a pocket calculator.
В binoculars. Sureshot M
С a camera.
D sunglasses. Ideal pocket autofocus
compact, fully automatic,
high quality lens
was £129 VISA & MASTERCARD
 36
Reading UNIT 8

7 What sort of event is being

advertised?
A a circus
В a film
С a fashion display
D a talk

The price for this mosquito net includes

A something to carry it in.

В a tube of repellant.

С an impregnation kit.

D a treated pillow.

9 The advertisement suggests that the net can

A be used by children.
В fold up to a small size.
С be enlarged to fit any bed.
D be zipped or sewn.
 37
Reading UNIT 8

T R U E , F A L S E , NOT G I V E N

This is another type of task that may be used to test your ability to scan for
specific information.

IELTS Reading (GT)

How to approach the task

It is worth taking some time to read the rubric to this task carefully so that you
understand the difference between a 'FALSE' answer and a 'NOT GIVEN'
answer. If you write 'FALSE' as your answer, you are saying that the information
expressed in the question is the opposite of that presented in the text. This is
quite different from a 'NOT GIVEN' answer, which says that you can find
nothing in the text about this information.

Read the advertisement below and answer Questions 10-13 by writing

TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if no information
is given about this

10 It will cost £35 for two people to go to Gatwick,

11 Chestfield Cars is a new organisation.

12 Chestfield Cars will go anywhere.

13 A discount is available for bookings of eight or more.

 38
Reading UNIT 8

MATCHING

Matching is a test of your skimming and scanning skills and it is important to

develop these so that you are able to read quickly in order to find the
information that you need.

IELTS Reading (GT)

How to approach the task

Read through the list of statements (Questions 14-20) and highlight the key
words that will help you find the correct review.
Skim through each review and mark any possible areas that match
statements 14-20.
When you have skimmed through all the reviews, go back and decide which
ones contain ideas that directly match the statements.
If you have more than one possible answer, re-read the texts very carefully to
see if you can decide which is correct and which expresses a different
meaning. Although you may be able to match vocabulary items, the meaning
could be quite different.

Questions 14-20
Look at the reviews of running jackets A-F on the next page. Match the statements
about the jackets (14-20) to the descriptions in the reviews.
14 This jacket will give you the greatest protection in bad weather.
15 This is the least expensive of the jackets.
16 You can remove the hood of this jacket.
17 The company that makes this jacket has come up with a new fabric
18 This jacket makes more noise when you run than any other jackets.
19 You cannot buy this jacket at the moment.
20 This is suitable as a fashion jacket too.

For further practice, do the Supplementary activity on page 114.

Follow-up

When you have finished this unit, you may move on to Reading Unit 2
Skimming/scanning for specific information and detail.
 39
Reading UNIT 8

A Arlo Blockout £99.99 D High Flyer £49.99

Features Double storm flap at front;
adjustable velcro straps on sleeves; hood
rolls away into collar.
Evaluation As the dropped tail, slightly
heavier material and storm flaps show, this
is not exclusively a running jacket. That
doesn't mean you can't run in it. You can,
although you feel and hear it a lot more
than the others. The water-proofing is
excellent, but it struggled to allow any air
circulation on longer runs. But if you intend
to do more than run in the jacket, this is the
one for you.
Features Reflective piping; half-body
lining; two side pockets,
Evaluation If you want light and quiet,
this is your jacket. The material must be
one of the lightest around. It has a soft,
cotton-like feel which cuts down on the
usual noise of the jacket rubbing against
itself. But while water initially beaded and
fell off the jacket, in a heavy downpour it
can become quite damp inside. However,
it did dry out again particularly quickly. If
you're worried about price, this is a good
option.

В Fine World £84.99 E Run riot £79.99

Features Reflective piping on back of Features Concealed hood; reflective
shoulders and logo on collar; detachable piping; side pockets.
hood;two side pockets. Evaluation Their new material, Vortex, is
Evaluation Fine World set out with the extremely light, fully waterproof and seems
intent of finding a fully waterproof, to breathe pretty well. Rather than just a
breathable material at an affordable price. warm-up jacket, this really is a model we
It has largely achieved thai with a coated felt you could train in. The all-round vents
nylon which is fairly light, reasonably quiet help the body breathe, and though the
and certainly keeps out the water. Where it mesh lining was sometimes damp after a
suffers is in its ability to keep you dry run, the outer material wasn't.
inside. The polyester lining was always (NB The jacket is not available until next
soaking after every run, especially around season.)
the upper body.
F Storm-trooper £119.99
С Fine Form £119.99
Features Reflective
Features Reflective trimtrimonon bodybodyand and
Features Concealed hood, front and sleeves; elasticated
sleeves; elasticizedVelcroVelcro cuffs; thick thick
cuffs;
back reflective trim; two side pockets, collar.
collar
Evaluation This is a classic, no-frills Evaluation
Evaluation Despite Despiteits itsappearance,
appearance, Storm-
jacket specifically designed Tor the running trooper's
Storm-trooper's weatherproof materialahas
weatherproof material has softa
market. It is heavier than some of the other feel. However, although the large
soft f e e l . However, although the large back back vents
models, but it's certainly the best one to be help air circulate, it doesn't keep you
vents help air circulate, it doesn't keep you
wearing in the midst of a storm. Due to the perfectly dry inside, and the fleecy collar
perfectly dry inside, and the fleecy collar
doesn't help. Nevertheless, everyone who
weight, you tend to generate more sweat doesn't
ran in thehelp.
jacketNevertheless,
liked it a lot. In everyone who
fact, it looked
when you're running, which it struggles to ran in the
almost too jacket
good to liked
go itout
a lot. In fact,
running in.itThe
clear. It is expensive but well finished looked almost tooisgood to go out running
one curious thing the colour. Despite the
throughout. One minor irritant is the hood, in. The one curious thing
reflective elements, near-black is a is the colour.
which is bulky when rolled away in the Despite choice
strange the reflective elements,
for a winter jacket.near-black
collar and would be better detached is a strange choice for a winter jacket.
 40

Reading

UNIT 9

Section 2 of the General Training module also tests your ability to retrieve factual information and the
task types that you may come across will be similar to those in Section 1.

1 What is the general theme of the texts in Section 2?

2 How many words will you have to read in Section 2?

MATCHING

One of the texts in Section 2 may be made up of smaller texts. Look at the
advertisements on the next page. Skim through the information to get a general
idea of the content.

3 What are the advertisements for?

4 How many residences are expensive?

When you skim through a text like this the first time, it is a good idea to make
use of any graphics, keys and all headings/titles etc. to help you get an overview
of the content.

IELTS Reading (GT)

Answer Questions 5-9 by writing the appropriate telephone numbers in boxes 5-9 on
your answer sheet.
NB You may use any number more than once.
Which number would you ring if you are interested in

5 a double room and full board at a reasonable price?

6 long-term single accommodation with sports facilities?

7 inexpensive accommodation for yourself and your family?

8 low-budget, furnished accommodation for yourself and your partner?

9 a room close to the university with linen and laundry included?

For further practice, do the Supplementary activity on page 114.


Student Accommodation Guide
Enjoy mixing with other students in
luxury accommodation 30 minutes from
the station and close to all main bus
routes. Single and double rooms.
Students provide own food but all
cleaning services offered. Please bring
your own linen.
We can provide all types of
accommodation for all types of single
student. Rooms are fully furnished with
linen and have reasonable rates. Full
board possible. 35-40 minutes from
main universities and city. Please
observe codes of conduct.
We offer scenic views and old-world
charm. Located in pleasant rural
surroundings. Relax after a long day by
swimming in the pool or using the
exercise gym. Separate study rooms
available. No children. Bar & restaurant.
Ideal for new students, we provide
double rooms. If you wish, we can offer Bed and breakfast hotel offers student
assistance in finding a suitable person to accommodation for limited period only.
share a room with. All washing and
cleaning services offered at extra
charge. Large canteen and three
bathrooms on each floor. Sports centre
next door
KEY * cheap ** reasonable
41
Reading UNIT 9
Single or double rooms for students.
Fully air-conditioned with all amenities.
Only a few minutes on foot to the city
centre and close to colleges. All services
and meals included. The management
do not provide room-mates for
individuals seeking double occupancy.
Do you worry that you'll not have
enough money to see the term through?
Don't waste it on expensive housing.
This is a hostel for students run by
students. No references and no rules.
Shared bathroom, dormitory
accommodation.
Must provide own linen. All cleaning
operates on a rota system. Singles only.
This is a hotel but it offers apartment
style housing so that you can retain
some independence. Single or double
rooms available with separate bathroom.
All unfurnished. Children welcome.
Vacancies for on-the-spot reservations
usually available. Own bathroom and
"laundry racifitres but no cooking on
premises. Sports room and small pool.
*** expensive
 42
Reading UNIT 9

PARAGRAPH HEADINGS

Reading Section 2 may also test your global reading skills. Look at the IELTS
activity below and the passage on the following page.

IELTS Reading

How to approach the task (class activity)

Skim through the passage once to get a general idea of what it is about.

Read it a second time and underline any key words or ideas in Paragraph A.

Discuss why x is the correct heading for this paragraph and all the others are

wrong.

Go on to Paragraph B. Discuss the key ideas and then select the best heading

for this paragraph.

Do the rest of the exercise on your own.

The Reading Passage on the following page has six paragraphs A-F.
Choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the appropriate letters (i-x) in boxes 10-14 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more headings than paragraphs so you will not use all of them.
You may use any heading more than once.

List of Headings
i ew TeUnexpected
xt growth
ii How it all started

iii When to pick the right course

iv Making demands

v The participants

vi First attempts

vii Factors influencing school leavers

viii Focus on equality

ix Higher education needs

x A hard choice

Example Answer
Paragraph A x

10 Paragraph В 13 Paragraph E
11 Paragraph С 14 Paragraph Fi
12 Paragraph D
 43

Reading UNIT 9

Visit to Student Fair

is Vital Homework

A The number and variety of courses on offer D But what the youngsters did not know
A The number and variety of courses on
these days makes it difficult to pick the right D But
was thatwhat the youngsters
they were tapping did not know of
a source
offer these days makes it difficult to pick the was that they were tapping a source of
one. But thousands of Europeans who flock anxiety among students right across
right one. But thousands of Europeans who anxiety among students right across Europe.
to Brussels Exhibition
flock to Brussels CentreCentre
Exhibition will will
be be
shown Europe. The fair became an annual event. It
The fair became an annual event. It
howshown to simplify
how tothe difficult
simplify job ofjob
the difficult choosing
of expanded to include higher education
expanded to include higher education
the choosing
right course ofcourse
the right studyoffor the
study forcareer
the they bodies from
bodies from the thewhole
wholecontinent,
continent, becoming
becoming
wishcareer
to pursue.
they wish to pursue. known as the European
known as the European Student Fair.Student Fair.
В Ten В Ten years yearsago ago aahandful
handful of Belgian
of Belgian EEEach Eachyearyeartentenmillion students
million students areare faced
faced
teenagers, baffled by the arrayand
teenagers, baffled by the array andnumber
number with
with thethesamesame dilemma/
dilemma/ said exhibition
said exhibition
of university
of university courseson
courses onoffer,
offer, put
put their
their heads organiser Valeriede
organiser Valerie deNorre.
Norre.TheThe bewildering
heads together to try to hack their way bewildering variety of options, the evolution
together to try to hack their way through the variety of options, the evolution of the
through the academic undergrowth. They of the employment market, the economic
academic undergrowth. They knew that employment market, the economic
knew that choosing the wrong subject or downturn, changes in working methods and
choosing
failing tothemake wrong the subject
grade would or failing
make to make downturn, changes in working methods and
personal interests all play an important role
the finding
gradeawould job all the more difficult.a They
make finding job all the personal interests all play an important role
in the decision-making process. We hope
more difficult.
decided They decided
something had to be something
done to helphad in the decision-making
thefair canhelp people make process. We hope
the correct
to be doneapproach
students to helpthe students approach
task of choosing a the the fair for
decision canthemselves.'
help people make the correct
taskcourse
of choosing a course
in an effective way. in They
an effective
came up way. decision
F This year for themselves.'
the theme of the fair is 'the
They withcamethe up ideawithof a the
Student
ideaFair,
of a Student Fair. Fright
Thistoyear the theme
education of the
for all' and fair isthis
to mark 'the right
С It was decided
С It was decided that this that this would
wouldtake the the
take to education
there is a specialforexhibition
all' and area
to mark this there
for bodies
form of a small forum for everyone in that
form of a small forum for everyone in is a promote equal opportunities
special exhibition area forin bodies that
Belgium involved in higher education from education. Also, the Master of Business
Belgium involved in higher education from promote equal opportunities in education.
both the French and Dutch-speaking parts of Administration course continues to attract an
boththethe French
country. and Dutch-speaking
It would provide the opportunityparts of Also, the Master of Business Administration
enormous amount of interest across Europe
theforcountry. It would provide the
representatives of educational institutions opportunity course continues to attract an enormous
and, in response to demand, fair organisers
for to give representatives
information on the courses of educational
they have amount
are once againof interest
holding an across
MBA Europe
day. and, in
institutions
on offer andtoallow give information
school-leavers time toon the response to demand, fair organisers are
courses
discussthey thesehave with on
them.offer and allow school- once again holding an MBA day.
leavers time to discuss these with them.

Follow-up

For further practice in this task, go to Reading Unit 4 Improving global reading
skills.

In order to prepare for General Training Reading Section 3, you should cover
Reading Units 1, 5, 6 and 7.
44
Tips and advice for getting the score you need
In general

Try and speak as much as you can and show what you can do.
Showcase your accuracy, fluency, range of vocabulary, and
pronunciation.
Try and appear relaxed and speak naturally. It will make you and
your interviewer feel more positive.
You are given marks for pronunciation. One thing that can help is
appropriate intonation to get your points across. Try not to be too
“flat” in your delivery.
Never memorize a model answer. The questions change and so
you will find it difficult to answer naturally and fluently.
Do not panic if you cannot think of a word; try to paraphrase and
get round it.
Interacting with the examiner
Do not simply say “I don’t know” or request a different topic or
question.
Avoid short “yes” and “no” responses; always try to include a
little extra detail.
Do not worry if you realize you have made a mistake. It is OK to
correct yourself. If you cannot correct yourself, forget it and
move on.
Do not ask the examiner if what you say is correct.
Do ask the examiner to repeat the question if necessary. For
example, “Could you repeat the question please?”
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MUY IMPORTANTE
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tailieutienganh.net | up-to-date IELTS materials

 
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 IELTS Writing Answer Sheet – TASK 1
* 0 1 8 1 9 3 8 7 4 2 *

Candidate Name

Centre Number Candidate Number

Module (shade one box): Academic General Training

Test date
D D M M Y Y Y Y

TASK 1

Do not write below this line

100913/2
 Do not write below this line

OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Candidate Number: TA CC LR GRA

Examiner 2 Number: Underlength No. of words Penalty Off-topic Memorised Illegible

Candidate Number: TA CC LR GRA

Examiner 1 Number: Underlength No. of words Penalty Off-topic Memorised Illegible

 IELTS Writing Answer Sheet – TASK 2
* 0 1 8 1 9 3 8 7 4 2 *

Candidate Name

Centre Number Candidate Number

Module (shade one box): Academic General Training

Test date
D D M M Y Y Y Y

TASK 2

Do not write below this line

100895/2
 Do not write below this line

OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Candidate Number: TR CC LR GRA

Examiner 2 Number: Underlength No. of words Penalty Off-topic Memorised Illegible

Candidate Number: TR CC LR GRA

Examiner 1 Number: Underlength No. of words Penalty Off-topic Memorised Illegible

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 SAMPLE READING TEST
102