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IELTS

Compiled by:

Ali Ahmed Aryan

8.5 band Score

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IELTS

• What is IELTS?

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System which tests English proficiency across the globe. Conducting one million tests globally, IELTS is the world’s most popular English testing system.

By studying for IELTS you will not only be preparing for the test but also for your future as a student in an English speaking environment. The test is designed to assess your ability to understand and produce

written and spoken language in an educational context. IELTS is accepted by more than 6000 organisations worldwide. These include universities, immigration

departments, government agencies, professional bodies and multinational companies. IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL

Examinations (Cambridge ESOL). International teams of writers contribute to IELTS test materials. Ongoing research ensures that IELTS remains fair and unbiased. Test writers from different English-

speaking countries develop IELTS content so it reflects real-life situations. IELTS is available on 48 fixed dates a year – up to four times a month, depending on local demand. • Test Modules

'IELTS has two versions – Academic and General Training. The Academic test is for those who want to study at a tertiary level in an English-speaking country. The General Training test is for those who want to do work experience or training programs, secondary school or migrate to an English-speaking country. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking tests but different Reading and Writing tests.'

• Test Format

'IELTS has four parts – Listening (30 minutes), Reading (60 minutes), Writing (60 minutes) and Speaking (11–14 minutes). The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. The Listening, Reading and Writing tests are done in one sitting. The Speaking test may be on the same day or up to seven days before or

after the other tests.'

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• Band description

IELTS - Speaking marking schemes

The speaking test is also marked out of 9 according to the following criteria: a. Fluency and coherence b. Lexical resource c. Grammatical range and accuracy d. Pronunciation

• TRF: Your Test Report Form will be posted to you 13 days after your test date. Some test centres

also provide SMS alerts and an Online Results Service. Keep your Test Report Form in a secure place as you only receive one copy, valid for 2 years. There is no pass or fail in IELTS. Scores are graded on the 9-band system. Each educational institution or organisation sets its own level of IELTS scores to meet its individual requirements.

You can check result online via this link https://ielts.britishcouncil.org/CheckResults.aspx

Band

Score Skil l Level Description

Band 9 Expert user has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.

Band 8 Very good user

has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well.

Band 7 Good user

has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.

Band 6 Competent user

has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.

Band 5 Modest user

has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field.

Band 4 Limited us er basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language.

Band 3 Extremely limited user

conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur.

Band 2 Intermittent user

no real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.

Band 1 Non-user essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words.

Band 0 Did not attempt the test

No assessable information provided.

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Requirements You must listen to four separate sections and answer questions as you listen. You will hear the tape once only. There will be 40 questions, carrying equal marks. The test will take about 30 minutes. There

will be time to read the questions during the test and time to transfer your answers on to the answer sheet at the end of the test. The level of difficulty of the texts and tasks increases through the paper.

Situation types The first two sections are based on social situations. There will be a conversation between two

speakers and then a monologue. The second two sections are related to an educational or training context. There will be a conversation with up to four speakers and a lecture or talk of general academic

interest. • Section1: conversation between two people set in everyday social context

• Section2: monologue set in everyday social context • Section3: conversation between up to 4 people set in an educational or training context • Section4: monologue on an academic subject

Purpose of the test The IELTS Listening test is designed to assess a wide range of listening skills, including how well you

understand main ideas and specific factual information

recognise the opinions, attitudes and purpose of a speaker

follow the development of an argument

Question types You will meet a variety of question types which may include:

• Multiple Choices

• Short answer questions • Sentence completion

• Notes/summary/flow • Chart/table completion

• Labeling a diagram which has numbered parts

• Matching

Listening

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Listening Tips Techniques: • Read the required questions in a FAST and QUICK way

• Underline stem words and try to predict the answer • Try to read and hear the topic of the conversation clearly

• Use your previous knowledge and cognition to answer if you fail to understand any part of the conversation as there is no negative marking. DO NOT LEAVE BLANK.

• Listen the Audio tape and make notes if possible • Listen it with full focus, improve your focus, practice through your religion.

• Listen and write the answer, it’s better to write abbreviations or acronyms to save time and move to the next question.

• You will be given some time to correct and recheck your answers at the end of every Section.

• Be an active listener and vigilant to the distracters i.e. homophone, pronoun and sequence of events.

• Learn transitional phrases or signposting while listening.

How to improve Listening Skills

• Adequate listening skills involve hearing ideas carefully, picking up ideas and interpreting the ideas as you listen. Listening module requires your full attention because you hear recording only once and have to grasp its complete thought to answer the questions.

• The first and foremost thing that plays a vital role in improving listening skills is improving your familiarity with spoken English. It is easy to understand by reading a passage than listening to a

passage, because in listening to a passage you have to deal (by listening to) with spoken English. Familiarity with spoken English is improved by learning correct pronunciation, learning accent

of native speakers. Familiarity with spoken English depends on your exposure to spoken English. The more you practice by listening to correct pronunciation and accent of native

speakers, the more you get familiarized with spoken English and so you improve you listening skills.

• Learning correct pronunciation carries prime importance. The recording which is played in the test has a Standard English and correct pronunciation of each word. If you don’t know the correct pronounce a particular word, you will not be able to recognize the same word when you

listen to it. Use dictionary to improve pronunciation. It is better if you use “talking dictionary” for learning correct pronunciation because you learn by listening to correct pronunciation

instead of reading its pronunciation by symbols in “text dictionary”. • Building a huge vocabulary (a great deal of words, their meanings and usage) is also helpful in

improving your listening skills because you may come across some difficult words while listening to recording in the test. If you are ignorant of meaning of a word you can’t answer

properly. • Learning accent of native speaker and familiarizing yourself to it contribute a lot to improve

your listening skills. The accent of learner of a language may be a bit different from that of native speaker. That is why it is a bit difficult for learners to communicate with native speakers

in proper way. You may come across same situation while listening to recordings in test. So it is very important that you learn the accent of native speakers, the way they utter words.

• For improving this aspect you have a lot of options i.e. listening to English songs, English News,

Movies, Documentary programs, talking to natives or mutual discussion in friends. • The real purpose of the IELTS listening test is to determine a candidate's preparedness to deal

with actual situations in the study-abroad contexts that require accurate hearing of English.

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Accordingly, the IELTS test is in four sections, all of which represent actual kinds of conversation, public speech, and lectures that a foreign student doing advanced study abroad might encounter.

• IELTS Listening section is a paper that many candidates fail to prepare for properly: there is just as much skill in listening as any other paper and more to the point you don't just

need to practise, you need to practise in the right way. If you just practise, practise, practise, there is a good chance you won't get any better.

LISTENING TOPICS

IELTS questions cover a limited number of topics, so if you develop your general knowledge in these areas, it should help you in the test. The topics the IELTS test cover include:

Media, Culture and Popular Culture Possible areas: Television.

Film. Popular music.

The role of music in popular culture. Privacy and the media.

Newspapers. Accountability in the media.

Etc.

Crime/Punishment Possible areas: Suitable punishments for crime. How to rehabilitate criminals.

The responsibility of parents in preventing crime. Etc.

Advertising Possible areas:

The influence of advertising. Stereotypes in advertising.

Ensuring responsible advertising. Government regulation. Etc. Food and Diet Possible areas: Food culture in your country. Food and health. Should food be genetically modified? Etc. Education - Possible areas:

Different education systems in different countries. Males and females and the impact of gender on performance at school. Different types of vocational training. Etc.

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Do’s and Don’ts

You SHOULD DO following thing while taking IELTS Listening Test :

a. Listen carefully to the introduction to each section. This will give you useful information about the situation and the speakers.

b. Use the time at the beginning of each section (and in the middle of Sections 1 – 3) to look through the questions and think about the topic.

c. Read the instructions for each task carefully. Remember to check the maximum number of

words allowed. d. Write all your answers as you listen – remember you won’t hear the recording a second time.

e. Check that what you write makes sense in the context. f. Answer all the questions even if you don’t feel sure about an answer – you may have

understood more than you think. g. Wait until the end of the test to transfer your answers. You have ten minutes for this which is

plenty of time. h. Write clearly when you transfer your answers. If an answer isn’t clear on your answer sheet,

you will lose the mark. i . Check your spelling (and grammar where necessary).

You SHOULD NOT DO following things while taking IELTS Listening Test :

a. Don't worry if you have to cross out or change an answer.

b. Don't panic if you miss one question. Look ahead and concentrate on the next one. c. Don't try to rephrase what you hear. Write down the words you hear which fit the question.

d. Don’t write more than the maximum number of words or letters allowed for each answer.

Don’t copy any words that were printed on the Question Paper when you transfer your answers to the Answer Sheet.

Further Tips to Follow for IELTS Listening

1. Read and listen to the instructions. Make sure you follow them correctly. 2. Read the questions carefully, underline key words and try to predict the kind of answer

required. 3. Try and find out the difference between similar looking pictures and diagrams. 4. The extra time given to check answers can be used to preview questions from the next

section. 5. Make sure you continue to listen to the conversation while you are writing your answers. 6. In the diagrams (or tables), read the information given on both the horizontal and vertical axis.

Don't start reading the words; instead, locate the numbers (questions) and see the information given corresponding to these numbers. Generally, the conversation in these kinds of tables and diagrams is in sequence -- either horizontally or vertically.

7. Try and stay ahead of the recording so you have time to go through the question and know what information you are looking for while the recording plays.

8. Don't panic if you miss out on any answer; jump to the next question. Attempt the missed answer when you get extra time to check the answers.

9. Carefully transfer answers to the transfer sheet. Ensure you don't make mistakes.

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10. There is no negative marking, so make a guess in case you have missed out on any answer. Don't leave any question unanswered.

11. Take adequate care while transferring the answers to the transfer sheet. The serial number in the question paper and answer sheet must tally and no variation must occur in the wording of the answer stem.

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Reading is the second part of the IELTS test, and takes 60 minutes. It consists of three reading passages of increasing difficulty with a total of 1500 to 2000 words, and there are a total of 40 questions to answer. Though you can mark and write on the Question Paper, you must enter your answers on the Reading Answer Sheet, and be aware that no extra time is given for transferring your answers from the

test booklet to the Reading Answer Sheet. Reading passages tests are taken from magazines, journals, books, and newspapers. At least one text contains detailed logical argument. One text may contain

non-verbal materials such as diagrams, graphs or illustrations. A variety of questions are used, chosen from the following types: · -Multiple choice · -Short-answer questions · -Sentence completion · -Notes/ summary/ diagram/ flow chart/ table completion · -Choosing from a "heading bank" for identified paragraphs/ sections of the text · -Identification of writer's views / attitudes/ claims

· -Classification · -Matching lists / phrases

Texts and questions appear on a Question Paper which candidates can write on but not remove from

the test room. All answers must be entered on an Answer Sheet during the 60-minute test. No extra time is allowed to transfer answers In reading part one must follow the following part to solve it

(1) In the reading part one have to read & understand, THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PASSAGE (2). Read the questions FIRST & remember them. Circle key words on the QUESTIONS like dates,

names, places etc. This is so that you can have an idea of the type of information you will be looking for & when you are reading the passage these key words/triggers will ring a bell.

(3). Read instructions carefully. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT because this is a READING test. You have to read instructions also

(4). Read the first Para & glance through the questions and think if you can answer any question. (5). Read other paragraph & do the same

(6). While reading paragraph also encircle the key words in the paragraph.

Speed Reading

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(7). Remember one thing, all the questions in ONE PARTICULAR SET are in a sequence & order and SO is the information in the paragraph. So are you answering 1 of a SET then logically the info in the paragraph is for 2 and so on.

(8). Do at least one hour of reading daily in quiet place & try to read 6 pages. (9). Daily in the night attempts just one passages (not three) & do it in 20 minutes.

READING TIPS

For many academic IELTS candidates reading is the hardest paper and the one which requires most

training. Here I suggest some different ways to make that training as efficient as possible. These IELTS

reading tips are fairly general and are designed to help you think about the best way to train yourself in

IELTS reading and how to avoid some common mistakes.

1. Beat the fear – read as much as possible

My first IELTS reading tip is to read as much as possible. By this I don’t mean do endless IELTS practice

tests, I mean do as much general reading as possible. I suggest you focus on reading short articles on

topics that interest you or on topics that are common in IELTS – newspapers and magazines are a great

resource here.

One reason why this is such a good idea is that many candidates freeze in the reading believing it is too

hard and so fail to get their band score. If, however, you read enough “native English” before the

exam, you will become more and more confident in looking at texts where you don’t understand every

word. Confidence is a very important concept in IELTS.

If you look at Daily Exercises, you will find lots of possible exercises for you. The idea is to find

something that interests you and read. That’s all.

2. Improve key skills – skimming and scanning and reading in detail

A major problem in the exam is the length of the texts and you will not have time to read them all

carefully. You need to train your speed reading skills so that you can read as efficientl y as possible. 2

skills here are skimming which is reading quickly for general meaning and scanning which is looking for

specific information.

You may sometimes see advice saying that you don’t need to read in detail. Incorrect. Bad advice. You

shouldn’t read the whole text in detail but you will need to parts of the text in detail – if you want to

get the right answer. Put simply, skimming and scanning are useful skills to help show you where the

answer might be: reading in detail tells you what the answer is.

3. Time management – experiment to see what works

Because the texts are so long you need to have a definite strategy for how you manage your time in

the exam to make sure you finish on time. This means deciding:

how long you look at the text before answering questions

how long you spend on each question

how long you spend on each group of questions

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how long you spend on each text

Do you leave time at the end to go back at look at unanswered questions?

There is a lot to consider here. You will find books and websites that insist you do it their way. They

may claim to have a magic formula and that you must do this or you must do that. Ignore them. Their

advice may be good for some people but not for you.

The key point here is that different learners have different styles and different needs. Much the best

advice here is to experiment and try different approaches and see what works best for you.

4. Focus on the question – avoid careless errors

The texts in IELTS are typically quite hard, so candidates spend as much time as possible reading the

texts. Mistake. Why? Well, a huge amount of mistakes are made by not focusing enough on the exact

question. It can be easy if you are in a hurry to miss a word such as “always” or “often”: the problem is

those sorts of words can change the meaning of questions.

There is an easy solution to this problem: it is to go back and look at the question before you write in

the answer. Make sure that the question says what you think it says. You will normally save yourself

2/3 marks this way.

5. Learn the exam – know the different types of questions

There are 8/9 different types of reading question that examiners may use. Before the exam, you should

make yourself familiar with each type of question as they are slightly different. What I suggest is that

you look at my series of tutorials on the different types of reading questions as a first step to see what

the question types are. The next stage is to experiment and see what techniques you are going to use

for each type of question.

This may mean that you approach different types of questions differently.

6. Train you, don’t test yourself

One common mistake candidates make is to practice exam questions too much. Exam practice is

important to learn the timing (3 above) and learn the question types (5 above), but that does not mean

that every time you practice reading you need to do it in exam conditions. My suggestion is that you do

some “open book” tests where you can see the answers as you do the questions. This way you will

learn how examiners set questions and how to find the answers. If you just test yourself, this may not

happen. How often and when you do this training will depend on your preparation programme.

7. Learn how to underline

This is a very specific piece of advice. You may believe it is wrong to write in books and generally I’d

agree with you, but IELTS is different. A very strong suggestion is that you should underline words in

the text in the exam. There are at least two reasons for this:

1. if you underline key words in the text, it can help you organise the text and this will save you time in

the exam

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2. if you find an answer, it is sensible to underline the part of the passage that relates to the question as a

check (see 4 above) and to write the number of the question next to it in case you find a better answer

later

How you do this, will depend on you and your style; some people underline different types of words in

different ways. I’d only add that less is more: if you underline too much, it can become confusing.

8. Beware word matching – be careful with key words

One very common mistake is to match a word in the question with a word in the text and to think you

have found your answer. It is almost never that simple and I am tempted to say that if the words do

match, then that is not your answer. What you are normally looking for are either synonyms (words

with a similar meaning) or paraphrases (short bits of text that say the same as the question.

One reason candidates make this mistake is that teachers (myself included) tend to say look for key

words in the question. This is helpful advice to show you where the answer might be and which

paragraph it might be in. After that you need to go back and read the whole question carefully to see

what the answer is.

9. The questions follow the text – normally

This is a very practical piece of advice and could save you a lot of wasted time. Typically, the questions

will come in the order of the text: so the answer to question 3 will come after the answer to question

2. This can be very helpful in the exam if you are a quick worker who goes through the questions once

for the easy ones and then a second time for the harder ones. If you have answer 4 underlined (see 7

above) and answer 6 underlined then you know where answer 5 must come.

NB: In certain types of question (e.g. paragraph matching) the order of the questions is jumbled.

10. The questions or the text – which do you read first

There is no one right answer here.

Text books tend to advise you to read the text quickly first so that you know how the text is organised.

This helps as you will save time later by knowing which paragraph will contain the answer. This can be

a good approach, particularly for high level candidates provided you don’t spend too much reading and

you have notes/underlining afterwards.

Many teachers say that you should read the questions first and not read the whole passage. There is

logic here too. Normally, you do not have to understand the meaning of the whole passage to answer

the questions, so why waste time reading it? This approach can work, especially for lower level

candidates who might not understand too much of the passage anyway.

However, there is always a third way. Life is not black and white. It is quite possible to decide to use

different strategies for certain question types. In paragraph matching you are going to have to read the

whole passage, so you might decide to read first then. In the short answer questions, you might decide

you look at the questions first. As ever, you decide.

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The only bad piece of advice is the one that tells you you must do it their way. Ignore them. The only

right way is the way that works.

11. Fill out the answer sheet

Okay, this is an eleventh tip. Practise filling out the answer sheet before you get to the exam. Too many

avoidable mistakes are made this way. I’d go further: whenever you practise IELTS reading, use an

answer sheet. This is what I do with my classes. Two points:

1. When you go through the answers in your practice book, make sure that you have written the

answer exactly as it is in the book – anything else will lose you the point

2. You need to fill out your answers in the 60 minutes. They don’t give you any more time.

IELTS Reading – Matching Information – chili con carne

This lesson gives you advice on how to approach matching information tasks in IELTS reading. This is

one of the harder question types and you need different skills to do it well. It is similar to a matching

headings task, but perhaps slightly tougher. To do it well, it really helps to skim, so I give you a practice

exercise on that. You will also find a practice exercise based on a long form text – the same length as a

full IELTS reading.

The task

Normally you are given a list of ideas and a text with paragraphs labelled A-H and the idea is that you

need to find which paragraph the information comes in.

The problems and the skills

One problem is that this task normally asks you to read and understand the whole text. This means

that it makes sense to skim (read quickly for meaning) the whole text first. If you do that, you can make

an intelligent guess about which paragraph might have the right information. It is just quicker that way.

If you don’t, you can spend a long time looking and finding nothing.

The other problem is that the information you are looking for in the text may use slightly different

words. This means that you should be looking for meanings not words. The question may have the

word “dish”, but the word in the text may be “meal”. Be very, very careful of only looking for “key

words”.

A skimming exercise

This is the skill that often gets forgotten. The idea is that if you read the text quickly, you will know

where to begin looking for the correct information. Skimming does takes time though and so you want

to make sure that you skim intelligently. One way to do this is to understand how the text is organised

Your task Read the text below in 2 minutes. Focus on the main ideas only – don’t worry too much about detail. How is it organized?

The text is organised according to time. It tells the story of chile con carne. If you find a question that relates to something in the past, then it is more likely to be in an early paragraph.

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Another thing you may want to consider is to make very brief notes. You can just underline words of

course but if you write something, you are more likely to remember it. If you don’t make notes, you

may just waste your time. These are mine

A – intro

B – first users

C – chile queens 1880

D – hygiene 1930s

E – second world war -spread of chile

F – ingredients

G – the beans

H – modern – food industry

The practice

The passage has 8 paragraphs labeled A-H. Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-H against questions

NB You many use any letter more than once

1. modern technology affected the variety of chili con carne sold

2. a misunderstanding about the necessary ingredients

3. not all versions of chili con carne contain meat

4. chili was sold alongside fast food

5. the initial ingredients of chili con carne were dictated by circumstance

A

One of the staples of world cuisine is chili con carne; it is one of the most iconic of dishes. Not only

does it frequently appear cooking competitions the world over, it has even been designated as the

official dish of the American state of Texas. If we go back a century or so though, chili con carne was

the most humble of dishes eaten almost exclusively by poor immigrant Mexican communities in the

south of Texas. How has that happened? How has a stew of beef, chile peppers and tomatoes risen so

far? Well, “chili” has quite a story to tell.

B

It is said that frontiersmen were the pioneers. There were but limited ingredients available on the trail

and cooking facilities were likewise restricted and the backwoodsmen needed some food that they

could easily boil over a campfire. Their solution was to pound together what ingredients that came to

hand and these were dried beef, suet, dried chili peppers and salt. What they created was in a sense

one of the first forms of convenience food, as they carried “bricks” of this chili around with them to be

re-heated wherever they made camp.

C

That much is uncertain and may be a matter of legend alone, what is much more certain is the next

stage in its evolution: the age of chili queen. By the 1880s, chili con carne had become well-established

in and around San Antonio, one of the most populous and Hispanic cities of Texas. At this time, a

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common sight on the streets of San Antonio was brightly dressed Mexican women accosting passer-bys

with their chili con carne. A whole street culture was born, combining not just the rich aromatic smell

of the chili itself, but also the sound of musicians serenading the customers who were drawn to stalls

where the food was cooked over charcoal fires.

D

The age of the chili queen lasted for almost half a century and was in large measure responsible for the

popularisation of chili con carne. The phenomenon which started in San Antonio slowly spread

throughout Texas as travellers returned to the native cities having acquired a taste for the dish. 1937,

however, brought a temporary halt to street vendors selling chili. The problem was one of hygiene as

the standards of the stalls where the dish was sold did not meet the new health regulations of the city

and so the chili queens disappeared from the streets. Despite a brief reprieve in 1939, it was not until

the 1970s that the queens were seen again as part of a revival of lost street culture.

E

Outside of San Antonio, chili con carne was mostly sold in chili parlours, which were normally family-

run institutions, set up by emigre Texans. Typically, each parlour had its own specific recipe for chili con

carne and would claim that its variation on the ingredients was the original and most authentic. In an

effort to diversify, these restaurants also began to sell a bewildering array different chili dishes, often

taking standard fast food fare such as a cheeseburger and adding chili as a relish. By the time of the

Second World War, it is safe to say that there was barely a city in the United States that did not have its

own chili joint. And by 1945, American GIs on military service abroad had exported chili con carne the

world over.

F

As chili con carne spread first though the United States and then the world, so did it begin to change.

Indeed, it is now hard to tell just what authentic chili con carne is so many different versions of it are

there. Famously, President Johnson, a Texan, decreed that any chili con carne served him should not

contain beef suet on the orders of his personal physician. The recipe he favoured featured onions and

tomatoes as well as venison and, thanks to his fame, that became a popular variation for a while.

Rather more curiously for a dish that means in a literal translation chili with meat, meat is not a

compulsory ingredient. There are also several versions of vegetarian chili con carne that are called

variously chili sin carne, chili sans carne and chili non carne and usually feature tofu or some other

meat substitute alongside vegetables such a squash, mushrooms or beets.

G

But what of the chili itself? A popular misconception is that the heat comes from the chili bean and

that this bean is an essential ingredient. It is true that many early recipes and most modern recipes do

include small red beans – the so-called “chili beans”. But both historically and currently, black-eyed

peas, kidney beans and navy beans are all also frequently used and it is likely that the use of beans in

chili con carne is simply down to the widespread use of beans in Tex-Mex cuisine. There is in fact no

one species of “chili bean” and the beans typically used have no particular flavour: the heat of the dish

comes from the sauce in which the beans are served and how hot that sauce is simply depends on the

type of chile pepper used.

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H

Needless to say, as the food industry became increasingly commercial during the latter part of the

twentieth century, so did chili con carne become part of the instant food industry? This too had an

effect on traditional recipes. Before the days when refrigerators were widely available, the ingredients

were pressed into a brick not dissimilar to the recipe of the early pioneer days. Then with the advent of

refrigeration and the popularity of canned food, more and more versions became available, some with

tomatoes, some without, some with chili beans, some without. The modern supermarket aisle is

packed with different brands, all ostensibly offering the same product until one reads the packaging to

discover that this type is microwave friendly and that type should be left overnight to mature. Questions:

i. Modern technology affected the variety of chili con carne sold

ii. A misunderstanding about the necessary ingredients iii. Not all versions of chili con carne contain meat

iv. Chili con carne was sold alongside fast food

v. The initial ingredients of chili con carne were dictated by circumstance

Question 4 Explanation: E

If you have skimmed, you might remember that the middle of the text talks about different places

where chili con carne was sold. "In an effort to diversify, these restaurants also began to sell a

bewildering array different chili dishes, often taking standard fast food fare such as a

cheeseburger and adding chili as a relish"

Read more: IELTS Reading - Matching Information - chile con carne -Dominic Cole's IELTS and

Beyond http://www.dcielts.com/ielts-reading/ielts-reading-matching-information/#ixzz2cDB3aZ00

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives

Question 3 Explanation: F

There are also several versions of vegetarian chili con carne that are called variously chili sin

carne, chili sans carne and chili non carne and usually feature tofu or some other meat substitute

alongside vegetables such a squash, mushrooms or beets.

Question 2 Explanation: G

If you did the note thing, then you may have seen that "ingredients" were mentioned most in G -

although they are also mentioned earlier. The key word is "misconception" meaning

"misunderstanding: A popular misconception is that the heat comes from the chili bean and that

this bean is an essential ingredient. It is true that many early recipes and most modern recipes do

include small red beans - the so-called “chili beans”.

Question 1 Explanation: H

You can guess it's one of the last paragraphs - modern. Then with the advent of refrigeration and

the popularity of canned food, more and more versions became available, some with tomatoes,

some without, some with chili beans, some without

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TIPS FOR FAST READING

Read Academic Texts

Read in your free time! The IELTS texts are “general academic texts”. This means they are taken from

sources such as textbooks and specialist magazines and journals. If you are not familiar with reading

these kinds of texts in English it is essential that you start reading them in your free time so that you are used to the types of language and structure used when you meet them in the exam. Three typical

sources for IELTS texts are (in order of difficulty – easiest first) the National Geographic, the New

Scientist and the Economist. You can get these magazines in most newsagents.

Focus

Focus on the text first, the questions second! A good understanding of the text helps you answer the

questions more efficiently and effectively.

Categorise

IELTS exam writers select a range of specific types of texts. Learning to recognise the type of text you are reading can help you predict its structure and therefore understand it more quickly. There are

four types of IELTS texts (a) analytic texts, which discuss the reasons why something happened or make recommendations or explain a concept (b) descriptive texts, which describe a situation, explain

how something is done or categorise something (c) discursive texts, in which different opinions are

expressed about an issue and (d) narrative texts, which explain a chronological sequence of events.

Skim

Develop your ability to skim. Skimming is reading quickly by skipping over unimportant words like

prepositions and ignoring difficult words that you don’t need to understand. Do this to get a general idea about a text or a paragraph or to intensively search for the answer to a question.

Scan

Learn to scan. Scanning is what you do when you look for a price in an advertising text or a name in a

telephone book. When you scan you do not actually need to read the text but move your eyes quickly over it. You can scan from left to right or right to left, from top to bottom or bottom to top. Do this to

find the location of answers in the texts looking out for easy to spot words like numbers, dates and

words beginning with capital letters such as place names.

Structure

Learn to recognise paragraph structure. This often involves spotting the relationship between the

main ideas and supporting ideas in a paragraph. Paragraphs are most frequently descending, i.e. they begin with the main idea somewhere near the start and develop from there, although some,

frequently the first and last paragraphs of a text, are ascending – the main idea is located towards

the end. This can be particularly helpful when matching headings to paragraphs.

Overview

Get an overview of a text before dealing with the questions. Do this by reading the title and subtitle

as well as focusing on the beginnings and ends (but not JUST the first and last sentences) of

paragraphs. This helps you process the information in a text (and thereby answer the questions) more quickly.

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Parallel Phrases

Learn to spot parallel phrases. These are different ways of expressing the same thing, such as, “I like

to ski” and “skiing is enjoyable”. Many questions, e.g. YES NO NOT GIVEN questions and gap fills, test

your ability to match up a similar phrase in the task with its equivalent in the text.

Don't Panic

Don’t panic when you encounter an unknown or difficult word. IELTS texts are packed with highly specialised vocabulary. Skip over difficult words which are not essential for your understanding of the

text. For words you do need to understand, practise trying to guess their meaning using the overall

context of the text and sentence as well as the form of the word – e.g. is it a noun or verb.

Manage Your Time

Time manage in the exam. Most IELTS candidates run out of time in the third reading section. Each

text should take you roughly 20 minutes (the examiners will tell you after 20 minutes have passed). Never spend too long on a single question – guess the answer or leave it to return to later. Also if you

feel you are running out of time, tackle questions like gap-fills before doing “easy to guess” tasks like YES NO NOT GIVEN questions. Don’t forget you also have to have all your answers on your mark

sheet by the end of the test. A good tip is to write them on the mark sheet in pencil as you go, correcting where necessary at the end.

Answer Sheet

You will transfer all your reading and listening answers on an answer sheet as given below.

You are not given extra time to in Reading to transfer answer whereas in Listening you are given 10

minutes to transfer your answers

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Writing

IELTS Writing Test lasts for 60 minutes, and you will need to complete two writing tasks, each of which

requires different text types (description, report, discussion, argument, opinion text).

IELTS Writing Task 1

In the first part, you are given a task based on some graphic or pictorial information. You are expected

to write a descriptive report of at least 150 words on the information provided.

IELTS Writing Task 2

The second task is more demanding. You are expected to produce a written argument on a given topic

and to organise your answer clearly, given some examples to support your points. You will have to

write at least 250 words and, as Task 2 is longer than Task 1, you are advised to spend approximately

40 minutes on this task and 20 minutes on the first task.

IELTS General Writing

If you are planning to take the GT module, the Writing test is different. You are allowed one hour to

complete two tasks, of 150 and 250 words, as in the Academic module. However, Task 1 is always a

letter, while Task 2 is an essay based on a given topic.

TIPS FOR WRITING TASK 1

The task here is to describe a graph in a report. The report is intended for university lecturer, so the language you use should be appropriate.

There are several different graphs you could see in Writing 1 Task:

line graph

line graph graph (Single, Double or Triple bar graph) chart –

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No matter what graph, diagram or table you are describing, you shouldn’t break these rules:

must be of at least 150 words written in 20 minutes shouldn’t write your opinion or copy words from graph – rephrase and use synonyms instead.

use bullets, write as if you were writing essay or letter.

When your Academic Writing 1 Task is graded by IELTS examiners, they look for this structure: Introduction Body

Conclusion

Introduction should describe the purpose of report and say what overall trends you see. For example, if the graph is climbing up or dropping down, you should mention that. You need to remember that you are describing a graph to someone who doesn’t see it. Write what the graph is about, its dates and location.

Body should describe the most important trends, while all information is summarized to avoid unnecessary details. For example, if there is a graph that has 2 peaks, you should mention them; tell

when those peaks appeared and what the peak values are. Notice how many distinctive features diagram has and divide information into paragraphs, one paragraph for one feature. You should link the paragraphs by sentences that logically connect them to one another.

Important! You need to write about all the periods of time and all the subjects of graph. If it shows several years (1992, 1993, 1994) – write about all of them, if it is about men and women – write about both. Remember, summarizing doesn’t mean throwing away information. The secret here is to select what’s important, organize it, compare and contrast.

Conclusion should sum up the global trends shown on the figure and compare them if possible.

Academic Task 1 - Vocabulary

The following words and phrases will help you describe trends:

Nouns

a rise an increase a surge a growth a peak a fluctuation a variation a period of stability a plateau

a fall a decrease a decline

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a dip

Verbs

to rise to increase to surge to grow to peak to skyrocket to fluctuate to vary

to fall to decrease

to decline to dip

to dive to plunge

Phrases

to show an upward trend

to show a downward trend to hit the highest point

to hit the lowest point to reach a peak to show some fluctuation to fluctuate wildly to remain stable to remain static to remain unchanged to stay constant to reach a plateau to level off to flatten out the highest

the lowest the second highest the third highest compared to compared with relative to

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Adverbs

sharply

suddenly rapidly

abruptly dramatically

significantly steadily

considerably markedly

slightly gently gradually wildly

Adjectives

sharp sudden

rapid abrupt dramatic steep significant

steady considerable

marked slight

gentle gradual

SAMPLE SENTENCES

There was a substantial increase in the value of stocks on March 15th. House prices rose dramatically in July. The number of tourists visiting New York fell sharply in October. The percentage of students walking to school continued to rise gradually over the ten year period

from 2000-2010. There was a sharp increase in employee turnover after the strike. Interest in environmental issues has risen steadily over the last 10 years.

MORE USEFUL WORDS AND PHRASES

1. Percent – the word percent comes after a number

Examples:

More than 25% of the students are from Brazil. More than 25 percent of the students come from Brazil.

2. Percentage - The word percentage comes after words like the, a, this and that. Often, it is preceded by an adjective. Examples:

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A small percentage of residents have lived in the building for more than 20 years. The percentage of students who live on campus has fallen sharply since the fire.

3. For numbers up to ten, write the numbers in words. For numbers over 10, you can write the

numbers in numbers. Examples:

Five percent of the employees were late this month. More than 50 percent of the students handed in their assignments late after the long weekend.

4. If the sentence starts with a number, always write it in words . Examples: Wrong: 25 students were from China. Right: Twenty-five students were from China.

GRAMMAR

Take note of the following prepositions which you will need to describe dates, numbers and

comparisons:

Dates In December

In 2005,

From 2001-2010, By 1998,

Between 1965-1969

Numbers Increase of 25%

Decreased by 10% Fell from 200 in July to 150 in August

Comparison Compared to

Compared with Relative to

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Academic Writing Sample Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write at least 150 words.

The chart below shows information about the challenges people face when they go to live in other

countries.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Model answer:

The chart shows the challenges people face when they settle in a new country and how the challenges vary according to people’s ages. The most challenging aspect for young people aged 18 to 34 is making new friends, a problem

experienced by 46% of the people in this age group. However, only 36% of 35 - 54 year olds find it hard to make friends, while even fewer people over 55 (23%) have this problem. 54% of the older age group finds learning the local language the biggest obstacle when settling. In comparison, the youngest age group finds this easier, and the percentage of people who have problems learning the language is much lower, at only 29%. In contrast to their language-learning difficulties, only 22% of people in the oldest age group have trouble finding accommodation. However, this is the second most significant problem for the other two

age groups with 39% to 40% of the people in each group finding it hard.

In general, all age groups experience the same problems to some extent, but people over the age of 55 reported that they face markedly fewer challenges settling in a new country than their younger

respondents.

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ACADEMIC WRITING DO’S AND DON’TS

DOs

Make sure that you read all of the information in the questions very carefully and respond appropriately.

Make sure that you follow all instructions including the number of words that you need to

write.

Make sure that you stop Writing Task 1 after 20 minutes to allow enough time to answer Writing Task 2.

Remember that Writing Task 2 carries more marks, so you need plenty of time to answer it.

Make sure that, for Task 1, you use figures or data from the question paper accurately.

Make sure that you plan your ideas before you begin to write. For Writing Task 1, stop to locate and select the most important pieces of information. For Writing Task 2, take time to

organise your ideas and argument.

Be sure to provide supporting evidence for any of your claims or views in Writing Task 2.

Leave time to check your answer for careless mistakes at the end. Try to check for spelling mistakes, verb and subject agreement, singular/plural nouns, tense mistakes and problems of

fluency.

Make sure that all of your ideas are relevant to the question.

Try to avoid repeating the same words, phrases and ideas too often. Try to use a range of

vocabulary. Try to make sure that you do not repeat the same idea too often, make sure you explore different ideas to provide a well-balanced response.

Make sure you write as clearly as possible.

Make sure that you produce organised and linked paragraphs and that the style of your

language is academic.

DON'Ts

Don't copy from other people’s work.

Don't write less than the required number of words.

Don't repeat task instructions in your writing.

Don’t use note form or bullet points.

Don’t leave out any required information.

Don’t waste your time learning essays by heart to use in the exam. You will be penalised for this and you will waste valuable time that could be spent developing good writing skills.

Don’t simply copy words and phrases from the question paper; try to use your own words at all times by paraphrasing the question.

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GENERAL WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You have been invited to attend an interview for a place studying a course in a college. Unfortunately because of a previous appointment you cannot come at the time they wish. Write a letter to the admissions tutor and explain your position. Apologise and offer to come on another day or later the same day. Ask also how long the interview will be and whether there will be

any tests during it.

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:

Dear………………….,

Sample answer:

Dear Sir, Thank you very much for your letter dated 15th May inviting me for an interview at your college on

Wednesday 2nd June at 10am. I am extremely sorry but I am unable to come to an interview at that time because I have a Maths exam that morning. It really cannot I miss this exam but of course I really wish to attend the interview with you. Is it possible that I could come to the interview the same day

but in the afternoon? Failing that, I would be able to come the next day or any day after.

I would also like to ask some things about the interview. I would like to know how long it will last and also whether I will be required to do any tests during it.

Once again I apologise for not being able to attend the interview at the time that you wanted and I

hope I will be able to meet with you at another time.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely, Ali Aryan

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GENERAL WRITING DOS AND DON’TS

DOs

- Read the instructions carefully.

- Plan before writing – thinking about why you are writing (purpose) and who you are writing

to (audience).

- Order your information in the sequence that is common in English letters and essays.

- Include all the information you are required to.

- Write your answer on the answer sheet.

- Link your ideas and paragraphs.

- Keep to the timing.

- Check your writing once you have finished – for style, completeness, linking, logical structure and accuracy of language.

- Support arguments in Task 2 with examples and evidence.

DON'Ts

- Don't copy from other people’s work.

- Don't write less than the required number of words.

- Don't repeat task instructions in your writing.

- Don’t write any addresses in the letter in Task 1.

- Don’t use note form or bullet points.

- Don’t leave out any required information.

- Don’t waste your time learning essays by heart to use in the exam. You will be penalised for this and you will waste valuable time that could be spent developing good writing skills.

WRITING TASK 2

In IELTS writing task 2 you receive a statement about an issue and you are required to write an essay giving your opinion. Most of the time you are required to write a discursive essay – that is, an essay in which you present an argument in support of your opinion. One type of discursive essay you might

choose to write is a discussion, otherwise known as a balanced argument essay. Skills: Planning and structuring a composition

Focus: 5 areas for a well organized task.

1. Brain Storming

2. Writing an introduction

3. Paragraph planning

4. Topic Sentences

5. Using linking words

6. Writing a good conclusion

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Brainstorming Once you have analysed the question in the IELTS test you need to brainstorm some ideas to include in your answer. Let’s look at the same question we looked at in the first two lessons:

The crime rate among teenagers has increased dramatically in many countries. Discuss some

possible reasons for this increase and suggest solutions.

Brainstorming is an important part of the planning process. In order to get a good score it will not be enough just to put a list of ideas - you need to extend and explain those ideas. If you look at the IELTS prompt, it says this:

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

So you need to support your ideas using reasons and examples. Developing Focus Questions For this question, you need to write about reasons for the increase in teenage crime and solutions.

In order to make sure you fully answer the question it is a good ideas to develop some focus questions i.e. questions that will help you focus on what you need to write. These are possible focus questions for this essay question: Focus question 1: Why has teenage crime increased?

Focus question 2: What can be done about it? You then need to brainstorm answers to these questions: Why has teenage crime increased? Breakdown in the nuclear family Lack of things to do

What can be done about it? Government - Provide better support for families & stricter punishments Individuals – take responsibility

[Nuclear family is a term used to define a family group consisting of a pair of adults and their children, as opposed to single-parent families].

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Extending and Supporting your Ideas

However, you now need to think about how your are going to extend and support those ideas you have brainstormed. In other words, you need to ask yourself further questions about each of your ideas. For example:

- Why has there been a breakdown in the nuclear family?

- What is the effect of this? - What is a good example of it?

Answering questions like these will make sure you have fully supported and explained all your points. For example: Why has there been a breakdown in the nuclear family? High divorce rates

What is the effect of this? No male role model; boys go astray & may commit crime Planning

When you have extended your main ideas, this then provides the basis for your plan.

Here is an example of the brainstormed ideas with further support, which has now become the plan for the essay:

Essay Plan Why has teenage crime increased? 1) Breakdown in the nuclear family

- high divorce rates = no father as ‘role model’

- boys go astray, drugs & crime -

2) Lack of things to do - e.g. TV has shown nothing to do - children see crime as entertainment

What can be done about it?

1) Govt - Provide better support for families - e.g. more youth centres

– guidance and activities, sport 2) Parents – take responsibility

- provide loving environment, relative as role model

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Structure of the Writing Task 2

Introduction paragraph

A background sentence giving some background information on the essay topic. A more detailed sentence linking the background sentence to the thesis.

A thesis that presents your point of view on your given topic. An outline sentence declaring the 2 points you are going to use to support your thesis.

Supporting paragraph 1

A topic sentence illustrating the first point you will be presenting to support your thesis (this point taken from your outline sentence).

A sentence showing a real-life example of this topic in action.

A discussion sentence that shows how your example links or proves your topic sentence. A conclusion sentence that links this entire paragraph back to your thesis.

Supporting paragraph 2

A topic sentence illustrating the second point you will be presenting to support your thesis (this point taken from your outline sentence).

A sentence showing a real-life example of this topic in action. A discussion sentence that shows how your example links or proves your topic sentence.

A conclusion sentence that links this entire paragraph back to your thesis.

Conclusion paragraph

A summary sentence that briefly states the 2 points you discussed in your supporting paragraphs.

A restatement of your thesis using different words.

A prediction or recommendation based on the topic you have been given.

Sample Answer: The essay can now be written. Here is an example essay written from the plan, with the main supporting ideas highlighted in bold: Over the last decade there has been a massive rise in the level of crime committed by teenagers in a numbers of countries. It is important to establish why this has happened and to look at ways to solve the problem.

One reason is the break down in the nuclear family. The high divorce rates have meant many children have been brought up in one-parent families with no father to act as a role model which is detrimental to their development. This is particularly important for boys, who without this guidance are easily led astray by bad influences such as drugs and crime. Another factor is the lack of things to do for the young. For example, in the UK, many television programs about this issue have shown that teenagers hang around in the evenings with little to do. When this happens, the boredom means they will find their own entertainment, which is often crime.

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There are, however, ways to tackle these problems. Firstly, the government should provide more support for families. They could, for instance, invest more into building and staffing youth centers which would provide guidance through the youth workers and also enable teenagers to focus their attention on sport and other activities. Parents should also be encouraged to take more responsibility for their children. Ultimately, the onus is on them to ensure their children are brought up in a loving environment which would make them less likely to turn to crime. They could, for example, find a male relative to act as a role model.

Therefore, it is clear that there are various reasons for this rise in crime, but solutions are available. If we begin to tackle the issue now, we may be able to prevent the situation declining further.

(Words 294)

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Speaking

IELTS Speaking is a one-to-one interaction between the candidate and an examiner. The three parts give the candidate the opportunity to use a range of different speaking skills. IELTS Speaking is recorded. Timing 11 – 14 minutes (sometimes Part 1 Self-profile (FAQ’s) 4 - 5 minutes

You

What is your (full) name?

Can I have your name please?

Could you tell me your full name please?

What shall I call you?

How can I address you?

Does your name have any special meaning?

Is your name important to you?

Do Korean people like changing their name? Why?

Have you ever changed your name? Why or why not?

Why do so many people change their name?

Study

What are you studying?

What’s your major?

Why did you choose that subject?

What do you find most interesting about your course?

What is your favorite subject?

What do you dislike about your study?

What do you hope to do after your graduation?

What are your ambitions for the future?

Do you hope to gain any qualifications?

What are the advantages of studying instead of working?

Work

Can you describe your job to me?

What do you do for a living?

How long have you been doing it?

Can you describe one of your typical working days?

What’s your daily routine on a working day?

Why did you choose to do that job?

What things do you enjoy about your work? Why?

What do you think is the attraction of your work?

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What is your ideal job?

Do you want to change your current job? Why or why not?

Are you willing to keep your job permanently?

What are your plans for the future?

Your town

Can you describe your town or village to me?

Tell me something about your hometown.

Where are you from?

Where is your hometown?

Where do you come from?

What is the name of the street you live on?

What kind of street do you live on?

What do you like about your town?

What is the weather like in your town?

What building is considered famous in your town?

What jobs do people in your town do?

How has your town changed over the last twenty years?

What changes have taken place in your city in recent years?

Do you think it is better to live in the center of town or outside in the country? Why?

Free Time

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

How much time do you have each week for doing these things?

Why do you like doing these activities?

How did you start doing this activity at first?

Is there some other hobby or sport you would like to try? Why?

How has the way people spend their free time changed over the years?

Holidays

What do you do when you have a holiday?

Who do you usually spend holiday with?

Where do you like to spend your holidays? Why?

Can you describe a typical day in your holidays?

Why are holidays and important to you?

If you could take a holiday anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?

What do people usually do during holidays and in your town?

Places to go in your free time

What do people do in your town in their free time?

Where can they go out for entertainment, or to enjoy themselves?

Which do you prefer: eating in restaurants or eating at home?

Which are the best places to eat out?

Transport

How did you come here today?

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What is public transport like in your town?

How do you think it could be improved?

Do you think people should use public transport more? Why (not)?

Shopping

How much time do you spend shopping every week?

Do you enjoy going shopping? Why (not)?

What is your favourite shop and why do you like it?

What problems are there with shopping in your area?

Your neighbourhood

Can you describe the house where you live to me?

What is there to do in the area where you live?

What do you like about the area where you live?

How do you think it could be improved?

Do you think it is better to live in the centre of town or outside in the country? Why?

Reading

Do you enjoy reading? Why?

What sort of things do you read?

Tell me something about your favourite book.

What are the advantages of reading instead of watching television or going to the cinema?

Sports and games

What sports are most popular in your country?

What sports and games did you most enjoy playing when you were a child?

Do people take as much exercise as in the past?

Why is exercise good for you?

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Part 2 Speaking (Individual Long Turn) 2-3 minutes Take one minute to prepare a talk on the following subject. Take notes if you like and remember to

include reasons and examples. You should then speak for between one and two minutes.

Part 3 Speaking (Two way discussion) 4 – 5 minutes

In what ways have families in your country changed in recent years?

Should husbands and wives have different roles within the family? Why (not)?

Which are more important to you: your family or your friends?

What conflicts can arise between a person's family and a person's friends?

What responsibilities do parents have towards their children?

What responsibilities do children have towards their parents?

Marks: Candidates are assessed on their performance throughout the test.

DO’S AND DON’TS

DOs

Talk to the examiner – you’ll feel more involved in the conversation.

Listen carefully to the questions you’re asked so that your answers are relevant.

Answer the questions you’re asked with some detail so that your answers are long enough.

Practise speaking for 2 minutes for the long turn in Part 2.

Use the preparation time in Part 2 to think about what is written on the card.

Use the instructions and prompts on the card in Part 2 to help you to organise your long turn.

Practise ways of delaying answers to give yourself time to think in Part 3.

Explain your opinions and give examples to support them.

DON'Ts

Don't learn answers by heart.

Describe the person in your family who you most admire.

You should say:

What their relationship is to you?

What they have done in their life?

What they do now?

And explain why you admire them so much.

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Don't give very short answers except when the examiner interrupts you at the end of the 2 minutes in Part 2. At this point the examiner needs to move on to Part 3 of the test and only expects a short answer to his/her questions.

Don't talk about something different from what’s on the card in Part 2.

Don’t worry if the examiner stops you in Part 2. It means you have spoken enough, and s/he has to keep to the timing of the test.

Don’t worry if you can’t think of a word, try to paraphrase and get round it.

Don’t write on the task card.

Don’t worry if you realise you’ve made a mistake. It’s OK to correct yourself. If you can't correct yourself, forget it and carry on.

Don’t ask the examiner if what you say is correct.

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Practice Test

Listening Section-1

Questions 1-5

Complete the table below

Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer

Apartments Facilities Other information Cost

Rose Garden

Apartments

Studio flat Example

Entertainment programme: Greek…..dancing…..

£219

Blue Bay Apartments Large salt-water swimming pool

-Just 1…… meters from beach -Near shops

£275

2……………….. Apartments

terrace water sports £490

The Grand Greek paintings 3………….

- Overlooking 4……… -Near a supermarket and a disco

5 £…………..

Questions 6-10

GREEK ISLAND HOLIDAYS

Insurance Benefits Maximum Amount

Cancellation 6. £……………..

Hospital £600 Additional benefit allows a 7……….to travel to resort..

8……………..departure Up to £1000. Depends on reason

Personal belongings Up to £3000, £500 for one 9………………..

Name of Assistant Manager: Ben 10…………………

Direct phone line: 543216

Section-2

Questions 11-20

Questions 11-13

Choose the correct letter A, B or C.

Win-ridge Forest Railway Park

11. Simon's idea for a theme park came from

A. Childhood hobby.

B. Interest in landscape design.

C. Visit to another park.

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12. When they started, the family decided to open the park only when

A. The weather was expected to be good.

B. The children weren't at school.

C. There were fewer farming commitments.

13. Since opening the park has had

A. 50.000 visitors

B. 1.000.000 visitors

C. 1,500.000 visitors

Questions 14-18

What is currently the main area of work of each of the following people?

Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter A-H. next to questions 14-18.

Area of work

A. advertising

B. animal care

C. building

D. educational links

E. engine maintenance

F. food and drink

G. sales

H. staffing

People

14 Simon (the speaker)....................

15 Liz.............................

16 Sarah.........................

17 Duncan ………….....

18 Judith ………………

Questions 19 and 20

Complete the table below

Write ONE WORD AND/OR NUMBERS for each answer

Feature Size Biggest challenge Target age group

Railway 1.2 km Making tunnels

Go-Kart arena (19)……………..m Removing mounds on

the track

(20)…………year-olds

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Section-3

Questions 21-30

Complete the notes below

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer

Study Skills Tutorial - Caroline Benning

Dissertation topic: the 21 .......,……………………

Strengths: • 22 ........................................

• Computer modeling

Weaknesses: • lack of background information

• Poor 23 …...................... skills

Possible strategy Benefits Problems peer group discussion Increases 24……………. Dissertations tend to contain

the same 25……………

Use the 26………… services Provides structured programme

Limited 27…………..

Consult study skills books are a good source of reference Can be too 28……………

Recommendations: • use a card index

• read all notes 29 ……….….

Next tutorial date: 30 …………………………January

Section-4

Questions 31-40

Questions 31 and 32

Choose the correct letter A. B or C.

31 The owners of the underground house

A. had no experience of living in a rural area.

B. was interested in environmental issues.

C. wanted a professional project manager.

32 What does the speaker say about the site of the house?

A. The land was quite cheap.

B. Stone was being extracted nearby.

C. It was in a completely unspoiled area.

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Questions 33-40

Complete the notes below.

Write ONE WORD AND/ORA NUMBER for each answer

The Underground House

Design

• Built in the earth, with two floors

• The south-facing side was constructed of two layers of (33) ................,...........

• Photovoltaic tiles were attached

• A layer of foam was used to improve the (34).......................... of the building

Special features

•To increase the light, the building has many internal minors and (35).................

• In future, the house may produce more (36) ……………………….than it needs

• Recycled wood was used for the (37) ............................... of the house

• The system for processing domestic (38) .............................. is organic

Environmental issues

• The use of large quantities of 39…………..in construction was

environmentally harmful

• But the house will have paid its 'environmental debt' within 40..........................

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READING

PASSAGE -1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this passage and answer 1-13 questions.

Attitude of Language

It is not easy to be systematic and objective about language study. Popular linguistic debate regularly

deteriorates into invective and polemic. Language belongs to everyone, so most people feel they have

a right to hold an opinion about it and when opinions differ, emotions can run high. Arguments can

start as easily over minor points of usage as over major policies of linguistic education.

Language, more often is a very public behavior so it is easy for different usages to be noted

and criticized one part of society or social behavior is exempt: linguistic factors influence how we judge

personality, intelligence, social status, educational standards, job aptitude, and many other areas of

identity and social survival. As a result, it is easy to hurt, and to be hurt, when language use is

unfeelingly attacked.

In its most general sense prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently

higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community.

The view is propounded especially in relation to grammar and vocabulary, and frequently with

reference to pronunciation. The variety which is favoured, in this account, is usually a version of the

‘standard’ written language, especially as encountered in literature, or in the formal spoken language

which most closely reflects this style. Adherents to this variety are said to speak or write ‘correctly';

deviations from it are said to be 'incorrect`.

All the main languages have been studied prescriptively, especially in the 18th century approach to the

writing of grammars and dictionaries. The aims of these early grammarians were threefold: (a) they

wanted to codify the principles of their languages, to show that there was a system beneath the

apparent chaos of usage. (b) They wanted a means of settling disputes over usage, and (c) they wanted

to point out what they felt to be common errors, in order to ‘improve' the language. The authoritarian

nature of the approach is best characterized by its reliance on 'rules' of grammar some usages are

prescribed; to be learnt and followed accurately; others are proscribed to be avoided. In this early

period, there were no half-measures: usage was either right or wrong and it was the task of the

grammarian not simply to record alliterative but to pronounce judgment upon them.

These attitudes are still with us, and they motivate a widespread concern that linguistic standards

should be maintained. Nevertheless, there is an alternative point of view that is concerned less with

standards than with the facts of linguistic usage. This approach ls summarized in the statement that it

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is the task of the grammarian to describe not prescribe to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and

not to attempt the impossible tasks evaluating language variation or halting language change. In the

second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley who’s

Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that ‘the custom of speaking is the original and only just

standard of any language. `Linguistic issues, it is argued, cannot be solved by logic and legislation. And

this view has become the tenet of the modem linguistic approach to grammatical analysis.

In our own time the opposition between ‘descriptivists’ and 'prescriptivists' has often become extreme

with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other. Descriptive grammarians have been presented as

people who do not care about standards, because of the way they see all forms of usage as equally

valid. Prescriptive grammarians have been presented as blind adherents to a historical tradition. The

opposition has even been presented in quasi-political terms - of radical liberalism v/s elitist

conservatism.

Questions 1-8

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 1-8 in your answer sheet, write

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

1. There are understandable reasons why arguments occur about language.

2. People feel more strongly about language education than about small differences in language usage.

3. Our assessment of a person’s intelligence is affected by the way he or she uses language.

4. Prescriptive grammar books cost a lot of money to buy in the 18th century.

5. Prescriptivism still exists today.

6. According to descriptivist it is pointless to try to stop language change.

7. Descriptivism only appeared alter the 18th century.

8. Both descriptivists and prescriptivists have been misrepresented.

Questions 9-12

Complete the summary using the list of words, A-l, below

Write the correct letter; A-l, in boxes 9-12 on your answer sheet.

The language debate

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According to 9 ………... there is only one correct form of language. Linguists who take this approach to

language place great importance on grammatical 10......................... Conversely, the view of 11

……….…... such as Joseph Priestley, is that grammar should be based on 12........................ .

Questions 13

Choose the correct letter A. B, C or D.

Write the correct letter in box 13 on your answer sheet.

What is the writer’s purpose in Reading Passage 1?

A. To argue in favour of a particular approach to writing dictionaries and grammar books

B. To present a historical account of differing views of language

C. To describe the differences between spoken and written language

D. To show how a certain view of language has been discredited

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READING PASSAGE -2

You should spend 20 minutes on this passage and answer question 13–26.

Tidal Power

Undersea turbines which produce electricity from the tides are set to become an important source of

renewable energy for Britain. It is still too early to predict the extent of the impact they may have, but

all the signs are that they will play a significant role in the future.

A

Operating on the same principle as wind turbines, the power in sea turbines comes from tidal currents

which turn blades similar to ships' propellers, but unlike wind, the tides are predictable and the power

input is constant. The technology raises the prospect of Britain becoming self-sufficient in renewable

energy and drastically reducing its carbon dioxide emissions, if tide wind and wave power are all

developed. Britain would be able to close gas, coal and nuclear power plants and export renewable

power to other parts of Europe. Unlike wind power which Britain originally developed and then

abandoned for 20 years allowing the Dutch to make it a major industry. Undersea turbines could

become a big export earner to island nations such as Japan and New Zealand.

B

Tidal sites have already been identified that will produce one sixth or more of the UK’s power - and at

prices competitive with modern gas turbines and undercutting those of the already ailing nuclear

industry. One site alone, the Pendant Firth between Orkney and mainland Scotland, could produce 10%

of the country's electricity with banks of turbines under the sea, and another at Alderney in the

Channel islands three times the 1.200 megawatts of Britain's largest and newest nuclear plant, Sizewell

B, in Suffolk. Other sites identified include the Bristol Channel and the west coast of Scotland,

particularly the channel between Campbell town and Northern Ireland.

C

Work on designs for the new turbine blades and sites are well advanced at the University of

Southampton‘s sustainable energy research group. The first station is expected to be installed off Lyn

mouth in Devon shortly to test the technology in a venture jointly funded by the department of Trade

and Industry and the European Union. Abu-Bakr Bajaj, in charge of the Southampton research said: The

prospects for energy from tidal currents are far better than from wind because the flows of water are

predictable and constant. The technology for dealing with the hostile saline environment under the sea

has been developed in the North Sea oil industry and much is already known about turbine blade

design, because of wind power and ship propellers. There are a few technical difficulties, but I believe

in the next five to ten years we will be installing commercial marine turbine farms.' Southampton has

been awarded £2’l5.U.D over three years to develop the turbines and is working with Marine Current

Turbines, a subsidiary of IT power; on the Lyn mouth project. EU research has now identified 1GB

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potential sites for tidal power 14% round the coasts of Britain. The best sites are between islands or

around heavily indented coasts where there are strong tidal currents.

D

A marine turbine blade needs to be only one third of the size of a wind generator to produce three

times as much power. The blades will be about 20 meters in diameter so around 30 meters of water is

required. Unlike wind power there are unlikely to be envi ronmental objections. Fish and other

creatures are thought unlikely to be at risk from the relatively slow turning blades. Each turbine will be

mounted on a tower which will connect to the national power supply grid via underwater cables. The

towers will stick out of the water and be lit to warn shipping, and also be designed to be lifted out of

the water for maintenance and to clean seaweed from the blades.

E

Dr Bajaj has done most work on the Alderrney site, where there are powerful currents. The single

undersea turbine farm would produce far more power than needed for the Channel Islands and most

would be fed into the French Grid and be re-imported into Britain via the cable under the Channel.

F

One technical difficulty is cavitations, where low pressure behind a turning blade causes air bubbles.

These can cause vibration and damage the blades of the turbines. Dr Bajaj said: 'We have to lest a

number of blade types to avoid this happening or at least make sure it does not damage the turbines

or reduce performance. Another slight concern is submerged debris floating into the blades. So far we

do not know how much of a problem it might be. We will have to make the turbines robust because

the sea is a hostile environment but all the signs that we can do it are good.

Questions 14-17

Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs, A-F.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter; A-F in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.

NB: You may use any letter more than once.

14. The location of the first test site

15. A way of bringing the power produced on one site back into Britain

16. A reference to a previous attempt by Britain to find an alternative source of energy

17. Mention of the possibility of applying technology from another industry

Questions 18-22

CHOOSE FIVE Letters A-J

Write the correct letters in boxes 18-22 on your answer street.

Which FIVE of the following claims about tidal power are made by the writer?

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A. It is a more reliable source of energy than wind power.

B. It would replace all other forms of energy in Britain.

C. Its introduction has come as a result of public pressure.

D. It would cut down on air pollution.

E. It could contribute to the closure of many existing power stations ln Britain.

F. It could be a means of increasing national income.

G. It could face a lot of resistance from other fuel industries.

H. It could be sold more cheaply than any other type of fuel.

I. It could compensate for the shortage of inland sites for energy production.

J. It is best produced in the vicinity of coastlines with particular features.

Questions 23-26

Label the diagram below

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer

Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.

An Undersea Turbine

Whole tower can be raised for 23 .............and the extraction of seaweed from the blades

Air bubbles result from the 25 …………...... Sea life not in danger due to the tact that blades

are comparatively 24………….....behind blades. This is known as 26 …………………..

READING PASSAGE -3

You should spend 20 minutes on this passage and answer question 27–40.

Information Theory – the Big Data

48

Information theory lies at the heart of everything - from DVD players and the genetic code of DNA to

the physics of the universe at its most fundamental. it has been central to the development of the

science of communication, which enables data to be sent electronically and has therefore had a major

impact on our lives.

A

In April 2002 an event took place which demonstrated one of the many applications of information

theory. The space probe, Voyager I, launched in 1977, had sent back spectacular images of Jupiter and

Satum and then soared out of the Solar System on a one-way mission to the stars. After 25 yea rs of

exposure to the freezing temperatures of deep space, the probe was beginning to show its age,

Sensors and circuits were on the brink of failing and NASA experts realized that they had to do

something or lose contact with their probe forever. The solution was to get a message to Voyager I to

instruct it to use spares to change the failing parts. With the probe 12 billion kilometers from Earth,

this was not an easy task. By means of a radio dish belonging to NASA’s Deep Space Network, the

message was sent out into the depths of space. Even travelling at the speed of light, it took over II

hours to reach its target, far beyond the orbit of Pluto. Yet, incredibly, the little probe managed to hear

the faint call from its home planet, and successfully made the switchover.

B

It was the I0ngest·distance repair job in history, and a triumph for the NASA engineers. But it also

highlighted the astonishing power of the techniques developed by American communications engineer

Claude Shannon, who had died just a year earlier, born in 1916 in Petoskey, Michigart. Shannon

showed an early talent for math and for building gadgets, and made breakthroughs in the foundations

of computer technology when still a student. While at Bell laboratories, Shannon developed

information theory, but shunned the resulting acclaim. In the 1940s, he singlehandedly created an

entire science of communication which has since inveigled its way into a host of applications, from

DVDs to satellite communication to bar codes - any area, in short, where data has to be conveyed

rapidly yet accurately.

C

This all seems light years away from the down to-earth uses Shannon originally had for his work, which

began when he was a 22-year—old graduate engineering student at the prestigious Massachusetts

Institute of Technology in 1939. He set out with an apparently simple aim: to pin down the precise

meaning of the concept of ‘information'. The most basic form of information, Shannon argued, is

whether something is true or false - which can be captured in the binary unit, or 'bit', of the form 1 or 0

having identified this fundamental unit, Shannon set about defining otherwise vague ideas about

information and how to transmit it from place to place in the process he discovered something

surprising: it is always possible to guarantee information will get through random interference - ‘noise'

— intact.

D

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Noise usually means unwanted sounds which interfere with genuine information. Information theory

generalizes this idea via theorems that capture the effects of noise with mathematical precision. In

particular, Shannon showed that noise sets a limit on the rate at which information can pass along

communication channels while remaining error-free. This rate depends on the relative strengths of the

signal and noise travelling down the communication channel, and on its capacity (its' bandwidth'). The

resulting limit, given in units of bits per second, is the absolute maximum rate of error-free

communication given signal strength and noise level. The trick, Shannon showed, is to find ways of

packaging up - ‘coding' - information to cope with the ravages of noise, while staying within the

information carrying capacity ‘bandwidth' - of the communication system being used.

E

Over the years scientists have devised many such coding methods, and they have proved crucial in

many technological feats. The Voyager spacecraft transmitted data using codes which added one extra

bit for every single bit of information; the result was an error rate of just one bit in 10,000 — and

stunningly clear pictures of the planets. Other codes have become part of everyday life - such as the

Universal Product Code, or bar code, which uses a simple error-detecting system that ensures

supermarket check-out lasers, can read the price even on. say, a crumpled bag of crisps. As recently as

1993, engineers made a major breakthrough by discovering so-called turbo codes - which come very

close to Shannon’s ultimate limit for the maximum rate that data can be transmitted reliably, and now

play a key role in the mobile videophone revolution.

F

Shannon also laid the foundations of more efficient ways of storing information, by stripping out

superfluous (‘redundant') bits from data which contributed l ittle real information. As mobile phone

text messages like 'l CN C U' show, it is often possible to leave out a lot of data without losing much

meaning, As with error correction, however, there's a limit beyond which messages become too

ambiguous. Shannon showed how to calculate this limit, opening the way to the design of compression

methods that cram maximum information into the minimum space.

Questions 27-32

Reading Passage 3 has six paragraphs, A-F.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-E in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.

27. An explanation of the factors affecting the transmission of information

28. An example of how unnecessary information can be omitted

29. A reference to Shannon`s attitude to fame

30. Details of a machine capable of interpreting incomplete information

31. A detailed account of an incident involving information theory

32. A reference to what Shannon initially intended to achieve in his research

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Questions 33-37

Complete the notes below.

Choose N0 MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer

Write your answers in boxes 33—37 on your answer sheet.

The Voyager l Space Probe

o The probe transmitted pictures of both (33) ...................and................then left the

(34).....................

o The freezing temperatures were found to have a negative effect on parts of the space probe.

o Scientists feared that both the (35) …………... and………………..... were about to stop working.

o The only hope was to tell the probe to replace them with (36) ………….... but distance made

communication with the probe difficult.

o A (37) ............................................. was used to transmit the message at the speed of light.

o The message was picked up by the probe and the switchover took place.

Questions 38-40

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 37 in boxes 38-40 on

your answer sheet?

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

38. The concept of describing something as true or false was the starting point for Shannon in his

attempts to send messages over distances.

39. The amount of information that can be sent in a given time period is determined with reference to

the signal strength and noise level.

40. Products have now been developed which can convey more information than Shannon had

anticipated as possible.

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WRITING

Academic Writing - Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below shows the different modes of transport used to travel to and from work in one

European city in 1950, 1970 and 1990.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where

relevant. You should write at least 150 words.

Writing Task 2

You should spend 40 minutes on it and produce at least 250 words.

According to a recent study, the more time people use the Internet, the less time they spend with real human beings. Some people say that instead of seeing the Internet as a way of opening up new communication possibilities worldwide, we should be concerned about the effect this is having on social interaction.

How far do you agree with this opinion?

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SPEAKING

Part-1

The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar

topics.

EXAMPLE

Giving gifts

o When do people give gifts or presents in your country?

o Do you ever take a gift when you visit someone in their home? [Why/Why not?]

o When did you last receive a gift? [What was it?]

o Do you enjoy looking for gifts for people? [Why/Why not?]

Part-2

You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have on e minute to think about what

you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.

Part-3 Discussion topics:

Doing new things Example questions:

o Why do you think some people like doing new things?

o What problems can people have when they try new activities for the first time?

o Do you think it's best to do new things on your own or with other people? Why?

Describe something you did that was new or exiting

You should say:

What you did

Where and when you did this

Who you shared the activity with

and explain why this activity was existing or new for you

Practice is the key and feedback of an expert is necessary to score 9.0 band in IELTS