A book for ielts - Sam McCarter, Julie Easton

ContentsPagePreface iiiAcknowledgements ivListening Module 1Introduction 2Listening Test 1 3Listening Test 2 9Listening Test 3 15Listening Test 4 20Reading Exercises 25Introduction 261. How to read, or how to read efficiently? 282. Learning to read organisation 29 3. More about reading organisation 30 4. A summary of functions 315. Recognising paragraph types 326. Simultaneous functions 347. Reading control 358. Spot the difference! 369. Learning to concentrate 3710. Predicting organisation 1 3811. Predicting organisation 2 3912. Focus on paragraph headings 4013. Foreground and background information 4214. Increasing your reading speed - 4315. More about speed 4516. Words that slow you down 4717. Problems with meaning 4818. An introduction to Yes 5019. An introduction to No 5120. Meaning in a text 5221. Yes, No or Not Given 1? 5322. Yes, No or Not Given 2? 54Reading TestsTest 1 56Test 2 66Test 3 75Test 4 83Section on Writing 91Introduction 92Graphs and diagrams for Task 11. Looking for patterns 942. Language graphs 983. Which chart? 100v4. A maze in graph form 1025. Draw your own graph 1036. Graph comprehension 1047. Improving a text 1058. The language of comparison and contrast 1069. Graphs and charts combined 10810. It is predicted that... 11011. More comparison and contrast 11212. More complex terms ■ 11413. Some common language mistakes 11614. How many correct sentences are there? , 11715. Questionnaire 1 ; - 11816. Questionnaire 2 12017. Tables 12218. Map language and verb tenses 12319. Process language 12520. The process of making a newspaper 126Essay writing for Task 221. Understanding essay titles 12822. Plans for essays 13023. Same general subject - different focus 13224. A model essay 134Writing TestsTest 1 135Test 2 136Test 3 137Section on Speaking 139Introduction 1401. Eliciting information 1412. Example of extended discourse No.1 1453. Example of extended discourse No.2 1474. Your future plans 1485. Put meaning into your future 149KeysListening Tests 151Reading Exercises 167Reading Tests 179Writing - Graphs and Diagrams 203Writing - Essays 210Writing-Tests 211Speaking * 213

Preface This is a self-study publication with two audio-cassettes for students preparing for the Academic Module of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), which is administered by The British Council, the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) and by IELTS Australia. The book covers the four modules of the IELTS exam: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Special features of the book are: the reading exercises, the detailed Keys for these exercises, the wide range of exercises to help you prepare for Writing Task 1, and the detailed Key for the Reading Tests. The publication may also be used as a course book, or as a supplement to a course book. So that you may repeat the exercises in this book, we would advise you to avoid marking the text. This new edition incorporates the changes to the speaking module introduced in July 2001. Sam McCarter, Julie Easton and Judith Ash 2003 Contents Page Preface iii Acknowledgements iv Listening Module 1 Introduction 2 Listening Test 1 3 Listening Test 2 9 Listening Test 3 15 Listening Test 4 20 Reading Exercises 25 Introduction 26 1. How to read, or how to read efficiently? 28 2. Learning to read organisation 29 3. More about reading organisation 30 4. A summary of functions 31 5. Recognising paragraph types 32 6. Simultaneous functions 34 7. Reading control 35 8. Spot the difference! 36 9. Learning to concentrate 37 10. Predicting organisation 1 38 11. Predicting organisation 2 39 12. Focus on paragraph headings 40 13. Foreground and background information 42 14. Increasing your reading speed - 43 15. More about speed 45 16. Words that slow you down 47 17. Problems with meaning 48 18. An introduction to Yes 50 19. An introduction to No 51 20. Meaning in a text 52 21. Yes, No or Not Given 1? 53 22. Yes, No or Not Given 2? 54 Reading Tests Test 1 56 Test 2 66 Test 3 75 Test 4 83 Section on Writing 91 Introduction 92 Graphs and diagrams for Task 1 1. Looking for patterns 94 2. Language graphs 98 3. Which chart? 100 v 4. A maze in graph form 102 5. Draw your own graph 103 6. Graph comprehension 104 7. Improving a text 105 8. The language of comparison and contrast 106 9. Graphs and charts combined 108 10. It is predicted that . 110 11. More comparison and contrast 112 12. More complex terms ■ 114 13. Some common language mistakes 116 14. How many correct sentences are there? , 117 15. Questionnaire 1 ; - 118 16. Questionnaire 2 120 17. Tables 122 18. Map language and verb tenses 123 19. Process language 125 20. The process of making a newspaper 126 Essay writing for Task 2 21. Understanding essay titles 128 22. Plans for essays 130 23. Same general subject - different focus 132 24. A model essay 134 Writing Tests Test 1 135 Test 2 136 Test 3 137 Section on Speaking 139 Introduction 140 1. Eliciting information 141 2. Example of extended discourse No.1 145 3. Example of extended discourse No.2 147 4. Your future plans 148 5. Put meaning into your future 149 Keys Listening Tests 151 Reading Exercises 167 Reading Tests 179 Writing - Graphs and Diagrams 203 Writing - Essays 210 Writing-Tests 211 Speaking * 213 About the authors Sam McCarter is a lecturer in academic and medical English at Southwark College, where he organises IELTS courses for overseas doctors and other health personnel, and courses in medical English - including preparation for the OSCE component of the PLAB. Sam is also the creator and organiser of the Nuffield Self-access Language Project for Overseas Doctors and works as a freelance consultant in medical English specialising in tropical medicine. Julie Easton is a lecturer in academic and medical English at Southwark College, teaching on courses preparing doctors for the IELTS and the OSCE. Julie has considerable experience in both areas. Judith Ash is a former lecturer in academic and medical English at Southwark College. She now writes freelance and is working on distance learning programmes for IELTS. About Southwark College Southwark College has an international reputation as a centre for teaching IELTS and medical English. The College is situated in the centre of London. Telephone: 0207 815 1600 and Fax: 0207 261 1301. Listening Module Introduction § Practice Tests I -4 A book for IELTS 1 Listening Practice Tests Introduction to the Listening Module In the IELTS exam, the Listening Test forms the first part of the exam and lasts for about 30 minutes. In each test, there are four main sections, for which you have to answer a total of approximately 40 questions. Each main section is divided into two and, sometimes, three sub-sections. Before each of these sub-sections, you have time to read the questions and you are advised to write your answers in the question booklet. At the end of each section, you have half a minute to check your answers. At the end of the full listening test, you have 10 minutes to transfer your answers^to the Answer Sheet. Usually, the listening exercises become more difficult as you move from Sections 1 to 4. You will hear the test only ONCE. - A The range of question types may include the following: ; 5 - multiple choice questions - short-answer questions - sentence completion - summary/notes/flow chart/diagram/table completion - labelling a diagram which has numbered parts - matching Situations Answer sheet The first two sections are usually of a social nature. Section 1 usually contains a conversation, e.g. between two people in a shop, and Section 2 a monologue, e.g. a radio broadcast or a talk. Section 3 is usually a conversation in an educational or training context, e.g. a tutorial about a particular subject. In this section, there can be up to four speakers. Section 4 is a monologue, such as a lecture or talk on a subject of general academic interest. It is important to remember that the test is designed to test your listening comprehension skills. The answers to all of the questions are on the tape. You do not need any knowledge of the topic to be able to answer the questions. After the end of the tape, ten minutes are given for you to transfer your answers to the Answer Sheet. Hints on listening Common problem areas with this part of the IELTS exam include the following: Misreading instructions Changing Anticipation/ prediction Concentration Practice It is important that you read all the instructions very carefully so that you are clear about what is required for the answer to each of the questions. The instructions are usually clear and easy to follow, and an example is given in some cases. It is worth pointing out here that candidates often fail to read the instructions carefully or just glance at them. Students rely on the fact that the instructions are exactly the same in the Test as they are in the textbook(s) they have been practising with. Sometimes, the speaker may give a piece of information and then change his or her mind. So always watch out for this. When you are speaking to people normally in your own language, it is possible to predict what the person you are talking to is going to say. It is easier in this situation to do so, because you are part of the conversation and know the context. When you are just listening, it is just a little harder, because you are not actively involved in developing the context. However, you can do it with just a little extra concentration. ■*+ It is important to concentrate from the beginning. Some candidates think that the first section is going to be easy and do not listen carefully enough. They miss a few answers which affects their final score. If you are aiming for a high score, like a 7 or a 7.5 you should be aiming to answer all the questions in the first two sections correctly, as they are the easiest. If you do not have access to many IELTS textbooks to practise, use listening exercises from the other Cambridge exams, e.g. for the First Certificate and the Cambridge Advanced. The listening exercises are not the same but they give you similar practice. Also listen to the radio and watch TV, and if possible speak to people in English. 2 A book for IELTS Practice Tests Listening Practice Test 1: Section 1 Complete the Account Details using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each blank space. Account Details Example: Account holder: No Discount offered. First year students: (1) ■ Name: Nasreen (2) Address: (3) Compton Street, London. Mansions, Postcode: SE (4) Telephone number: 0181 (5) Questions 6-8 Put a tick in the spaces below, if the information is correct. Or fill in the blank with the correct information, if it is wrong. The first one has been done for you as an example. Example ^ ______ 7 _______________ Physics in the Age of Technology Experimental Science A Stern j£29^50^>o ,_T Out Of ly Stock £ y Simon Blair & Violet Boyd 6 ____________ 8. S- = A'-- - / Mathematics in Physics for the first Physics year student \ £27.95^> j £2<r^> Professor I Lovatt A Laska / A book for IELTS 3 Listening Practice Tests Questions 9 & 10 Circle the appropriate letter. 9. To collect the books the student must bring A three forms of identification. B two forms of identification. C one form of identification. D two forms of identification and the university confirmation letter. 10. The books will be kept A in the Chemistry Department in the basement. B in the Physics Department in the baserrfent. C in the Physics Department on the first floor. D in the Maths Department in the basement. 4 A book for IELTS Practice Tests Listening Practice Test 1: Section 2 Circle the appropriate letter. 1 1. There are _________ _________________ student counsellors at the university. A six B four C five D three 12. The speaker has come to talk about the ____________________ . A Student Union B Student Welfare Service C student health D Student Accommodation Service 13. The number of main sites is . A three B four C five D six 14. Where on this site is the student counsellor’s office? Questions 15-20 Complete the notes below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. 15. The information leaflet is available almost ____________________ . 16. The Helpline in the evenings and weekends is dependent on the____________ 17. The Helpline is staffed at the weekends for ____________________ . 18. Students contact the Student Welfare Service for a ___________________ . 19. If the counsellors cannot help you, they will put you in touch with ____________ 20. The Service gives ____________________to all volunteers on the Helpline. A book for IELTS 5