Power Vocab IELTS Speaking

TABLE OF CONTENTS Unit 1: Introduction to Collocations, Phrasal Verbs & Idioms Unit 2: Education 13 2.1 Technology in Education 15 2.2 Higher Education 20 Unit 3: Work 27 3.1 Qualifications and Experience 29 3.2 Job Hopping 36 Unit 4: The Environment 43 4.1 Environmental problems 45 4.2 Protecting endangered species 52 Unit 5: Tourism 59 5.1 Tourism and the Environment 61 5.2 Culture and Travel 66 Unit 6: Transport 73 6.1 Comparing forms of transport 75 6.2 Traffic problems 80 KEY 86 IELTS test-takers have heard a lot about phrasal verbs, idioms and collocations, and their seemingly ‘miraculous’ power in IELTS Speaking So what are they? Do they indeed magic, or are they overrated? Is learning them a piece of cake or a real headache? An Idiom is, as defined in the Cambridge Dictionary, “a group ofwords in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own.” So, like chalk and cheese has nothing to with chalk and cheese, and there’s nothing flying in your digestive tract when you say I have butterflies in my stomach Many idioms entail vivid images used as a metaphor for the thing you want to describe Phrasal verbs consist of a base verb and two or three more words The meaning of a phrasal verb is different from the meaning of a base verb For example, to look after someone doesn’t mean to look at their backs, and to up a house is, surprisingly, to repair and improve it We can consider phrasal verbs as similar to idioms, although they are often considered separate concepts in many books for teaching purposes A collocation is a combination of words that naturally go together We ‘make a decision’, not ‘do a decision’ ‘Large’ and ‘huge’ are similar in some instances, but only ‘huge’ collocates, or naturally goes with, the noun ‘advantage’ (a huge advantage) A great combination of a ‘V + Adj + N’ collocation is to ‘offer distinct advantages’ The boundary between a collocation and an idiom is loose; in other words, some dictionaries may consider a phrase an idiom, but others see it as a collocation The phrase ‘at risk’ is classified as an idiom in Oxford Learners’ Dictionary, but a collocation in Cambridge Dictionary ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc Glossary a piece of cake: /ə piːs ɒv keɪk/ very easy a real headache: /ə riəl ˈhedeik/ a person or thing that causes worry chalk and cheese: /ʧɔːk ænd ʧiːz/ completely different from each other have butterflies in your stomach: /hæv ˈbʌtəflaɪz ɪn jɔː ˈstʌmək/ feel nervous about something look after: /lʊk ˈɑːftə/ take care of up a house: /duː ʌp/ repaint, repair and improve a house make a decision: /meɪk ə dɪˈsɪʒən/ decide offer distinct advantages: /ˈɒfə dɪsˈtɪŋkt ədˈvɑːntɪʤɪz/ to have a lot of clear, obvious benefits at risk: /æt rɪsk/ in a situation when you may be harmed Prac�i�� Exercise 1: Label the following photos with the phrases suggesting them 1+1=2 1.………………………… 3………………………… 2.………………………… 4.………………………… Exercise 2: Fill in each blank with ONE word from the Glossary Wild animals are risk of becoming extinct They are twins, yet surprisingly their personalities are like and cheese At first I thought the IELTS test was a piece of , but then I ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc I always have in my stomach whenever I make a presentation This IELTS book offers distinct to IELTS learners.  Exercise 3: Complete the following sentences, using the following phraes You can make some changes to the phrases if necessary a piece of cake look after offer distinct advantages up at risk chalk and cheese Our house was built around 10 years ago, and now we need to a little bit Some of my friends see Maths as , but I don’t I almost failed once last semester! Tom may be of losing his job; the boss learned that he had lost a very important folder While fast food indeed especially to busy people, I don’t think that it is healthy if over-consumed The previous boss and our current one are like One is very friendly, and the other is quite aggressive I was on holiday, so I asked my neighbor to my garden Exercise 4: Rewrite the following sentences, using the words you have learned I have decided to take the IELTS test this month My brother is completely different from me Doing Tai-chi is beneficial to old people Before my first interview, I was very nervous because other applicants were more experienced than I was Adapting to a new lifestyle is very difficult to students who are studying in a foreign country 10 ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc Exercise 5: Answer the following questions, using the phrases you have learned What is your favorite subject at school? Suggestion: One possible reason a person likes a subject is that it is easy Do you often speak in front of a lot of people? Suggestion: Some people are really nervous when they have to deliver a speech in front of a huge audience What are some benefits of attending online classes? Do you think your house needs improvement? 11 CONSOLIDATION Down: Across: He was at of being fired because of his terrible performance synonym of “do up” Thanks to his relentless effort, To be anxious is to have he was out for promotion The interview was a piece of in your stomach The Internet several distinct advantages They are different like chalk and 12 ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc 71 CONSOLIDATION Across: peaceful private and peaceful; not near people or places After hours being off the track, I realise that I was lost; I am in the of nowhere this word is pronounced /vəʊɡ/ 72 Down: There is a new nature _ built in this area Some people are worried that robots will the world in the near future My doesn’t quite stretch, so I think I would rather stay home this time He was overcome by smoke and exhaust from cars ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc 73 74 ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc 6.1 Comparing forms of transport The type of transport that people choose to use depends on the purpose of traveling and the length of a journey Most people use cars for short and long journeys because of their convenience They can travel at a time that suits them and get from A to B without taking additional busses or walking However, owning cars is less appealing to city dwellers as traffic congestion is a perennial problem in major cities For short distances, cycling is not a bad option Being able to get through rush hour traffic quickly is the key advantage of traveling by bikes However, riding a bike demands high attention because cyclists not face the oncoming traffic Public transport is another ideal choice because it covers most roads in the city Due to frequent stops, the journey may take longer than expected, so buses or trains are not the best options when people are cutting it fine for important events 75 Glossary get from A to B /gɛt frɒm ə tuː biː/ travel from one place to another traffic congestion/ traffic jam /ˈtræfɪk kənˈʤɛsʧən/ | /ˈtræfɪk ʤæm/ a large number of vehicles close together and unable to move or moving very slowly perennial /pəˈrɛniəl/ always existing and not seeming to change rush hour /rʌʃ ˈaʊər/ a time when traffic is at its heaviest key advantage /ki ædˈvæntɪʤ/ the most favorable aspect of sth oncoming traffic /ˈɔnˌkʌmɪŋ ˈtræfɪk/ traffic that is coming towards you cut it/thing fine /kʌt ɪt/θɪŋ faɪn/ leave yourself only a very short amount of time to something 76 ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc Prac�i�� Exercise 1: Fill in each gap with a suitable phrase from the list You may change the phrases to fit the sentence get from A to B – rush hour – key advantage oncoming traffic – perennial – traffic congestion It takes 30 minutes to drive there, but maybe hours during the ………………… I use a bicycle these days to …………… The …………………………… of solar panel system is that it generates electricity without producing greenhouse gases during operation …………………………is one of the most serious problems in major cities due to an increase in the number of cars Remember to pay attention to the…………………… when crossing the street It is a ……………………problem, isn’t it? – Yes, it never seems to go away 77 Exercise 2: Circle the correct word I don’t care about the scenery I just want to get/go from A to B The evening rush traffic/ rush hour lasts hours My plane is taking off in an hour and I am putting/ cutting it fine, but I get stuck in the traffic congestion/ progression He crashed into incoming/ oncoming traffic A poor railway network is a perennial/ practical problem of the country Exercise 3: Answer the following questions using the phrases above What is the easiest way to get around your town/city? Do you use public transportation or private transportation? 78 ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc Exercise 4: Do the following IELTS Part 2, using the words you have learned Describe an interesting journey you have been on You should say: • where you went • how you traveled there • who you went with • what was so memorable about the journey 79 6.2 Traffic problems Traffic jams in our city are a common problem that city dwellers have to face Due to an increased number of vehicles in recent years, traffic flow is severely disrupted The rush hours are even more devastating as vehicles keep building up and tailing back for miles As everyone drives at a snail’s pace, impatient drivers sometimes try to cut in to get out of the dense traffic, which worsens the situation The city authorities have addressed the problem for many years, and yet there’s no proper step to tackle it 80 ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc Glossary disrupt /dɪsˈrʌpt/ to prevent something from continuing build up /bɪld ʌp/ to gradually increase in number tail back /teɪl bæk/ to form a long line at a snail’s pace /æt ə sneɪlz peɪs/ very slowly cut in (on sb/sth) /kʌt ɪn / (of vehicle or driver) to move suddenly in front of another vehicle be dense /bi dɛns/ very close together address sth /ˈæˌdrɛs/ to think about a difficult situation and decide how to deal with it tackle sth /ˈtækəl/ to make a big effort to deal with a problem 81 Prac�i�� Exercise 1: Fill in each gap with the suitable phrases from the list tail back at a snail’s pace cut in (on sb/sth) be dense address something The person in front of me is driving ………………………… and I am in a hurry for an important appointment The police let me off with a warning after I ……………… on a driver in front of me Traffic is expected to ……………………as more and more vehicles are coming toward the city after a week-long holiday Are they ……………………… the problem? Yes, I think they are making real effort Yesterday traffic …………………… along the motorway for ten miles Exercise 2: Circle the correct word After the car crash, traffic held back/ tailed back for five miles 82 ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc When the truck broke down, traffic was severely disrupted/ disturbed for several hours The traffic starts building up/ rising up around 5pm The roads were crowded and we were travelling at a turtle’s pace/ at a snail’s pace for two hours I prefer using public transport in urban area with tight/ dense traffic Exercise 3: Answer the following questions using the phrases above How much time you spend on travelling on a normal day? What traffic problems are there in your area? How does that traffic problem affect you? 83 Exercise 4: Do the following IELTS Part 2, using the words you have learned Describe a time when you had to wait in a traffic jam You should say: • when and where it happened • how long you were in the traffic jam • what you did while waiting • how you felt when you were in that traffic jam 84 ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc CONSOLIDATION Across: You’re not late, dear You cut it _! Traffic causes a nuisance for people travelling on the road This word is pronounced /dɪsˈrʌpt/ synyonym of ‘deal with’ Down: This word is pronounced /pəˈreniəl/ Influxes of cars flocking into cities in hours Changes happen at a ’s pace 85 ... 80 KEY 86 IELTS test-takers have heard a lot about phrasal verbs, idioms and collocations, and their seemingly ‘miraculous’ power in IELTS Speaking So what are they? Do they... first I thought the IELTS test was a piece of , but then I ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc I always have in my stomach whenever I make a presentation This IELTS book offers... overall in the IELTS test d who cannot find work every year e as a turning point for every student ANH NGỮ ZIM - Chuyên gia luyện thi IELTS cấp tốc Exercise 5: Do the following IELTS Part 2, using