Unit 1: Exercise 1

Choose the correct answers to complete the sentences. There is often more than
one possible answer.

1. Your uncle is your …

□ aunt’s husband.
□ mother or father’s brother.
□ sister’s husband.

2. Your cousin is your …

□ brother’s father.
□ father’s nephew or niece.
□ uncle or aunt’s child.

3. Your niece is your …

□ brother or sister’s daughter.
□ mother or father’s cousin.
□ son or daughter’s cousin.

4. Your brother-in-law is your …

□ brother’s wife.
□ husband or wife’s brother.
□ sister’s husband.

5. Your aunt is your …

□ cousin’s wife.
□ mother or father’s sister.
□ uncle’s wife.

6. Your daughter-in-law is your …

□ brother’s wife.
□ daughter’s husband.
□ son’s wife.

7. Your nephew is your …

□ brother or sister’s daughter.
□ brother or sister’s son.
□ niece’s brother.
Unit 1: Exercise 2
Complete the text. Use the words in the box.

Anniversary celebrate congratulated engaged have invited

married occasions together wish

I come from a very large family, but we all live in different places, so we don’t get
______________ very often. We usually meet for special _______________ like
weddings. Last year, we all met for my grandparents’ 50th wedding _________________ .

It was my birthday a few weeks ago, but I didn’t _______________ a big party. I prefer to
______________ my birthday with my family and a few close friends. My cousin, who lives
in Australia, phoned to _________________ me a happy birthday. She got
____________________ last month and is going to get __________________ next year. I
________________ her on the great news. She’s __________________ me to her wedding
next year. I'm so excited because I've never been to Australia before.

Unit 1: Exercise 3
Choose two correct words to complete the sentences.

1. Age: She’s …

□ middle-aged.
□ slim.
□ young.

2. Type of person: He’s a/an …

□ baby.
□ child.
□ scar.

3. Size/Height: He’s …

□ long.
□ short.
□ tall.

4. Weight: He’s …

□ plain.
 □ slim.
□ thin.

5. Looks: She’s …

□ good-looking.
□ plain.
□ wavy.

6. Hair: He’s got … hair.

□ Bald
□ Dark
□ fair

7. Features: He’s got a/an …

□ adult.
□ beard.
□ moustache.

8. Features: She wears …

□ big earrings.
□ glasses.
□ long hair.

Unit 1: Exercise 4
Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

Boss classmate colleague enemy neighbor partner relative

stranger

1. A/An ____________ is a member of your family, such as a cousin, a parent or one of

your children.
2. A/An ____________ is a person who hates another person and tries to hurt them or
stop them from doing something.
3. Your ______________ is someone who lives very close to you, sometimes in the
next house or flat.
4. If you don’t know somebody, they are a/an ________________ .
5. Your ______________ is the person who tells you what to do at work.
6. A/An ____________ is someone who is in the same class as you at school or
university.
7. A/An ____________ is one of a group of people who work together.
8. Your ______________ is a person you work closely with, for example in pairwork.
Unit 1: Exercise 5
Complete the sentences. Use the phrases in the box.

always does a lot of work doesn’t like meeting new people

doesn’t want to work or do anything that needs effort

is happy to give other people money, help or their time

is happy to help other people is happy to meet new people

thinks only of themselves, and doesn’t care about other people

will do what they say they will do

1. A hard-working person ------------------------------------------------------------------

2. A lazy person ------------------------------------------------------------------
3. A shy person ------------------------------------------------------------------
4. A friendly person ------------------------------------------------------------------
5. A reliable person ------------------------------------------------------------------
6. A selfish person ------------------------------------------------------------------
7. A helpful person ------------------------------------------------------------------
8. A generous person ------------------------------------------------------------------

Unit 1: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then change the underlined words to the negative form.
Use contractions (e.g. don’t, aren’t) where possible.

You will get 1 point per mistake (1 point for making each change correctly).

To make a sentence negative, we use do + not + the infinitive without to.

Positive sentence:
I see my cousin very often because she lives in the same town.

Negative sentence:
I don’t see my cousin very often because she doesn’t live in the same town.

1. I can remember people’s names because I’ve got a good memory.

2. My uncle looks old because he’s got grey hair.
3. My grandmother gives us lots of presents because she’s a rich person.
 4. We have a lot of family get-togethers*, so I know my cousins very well.
5. You can buy toys for your nieces and nephews because they’re little children.

* get-together = a social occasion/event, usually organised for a particular reason

Unit 1: Exercise 7
Complete the questions in the conversations.

1. A : How ________________ do you see your cousins?

B: Not very often. I only see them about once a year.

2. A : ___________________ wear a lot of make-up?

B: My boss? Yes, she wears a lot of make-up.

3. A : ___________________ your nephews and nieces?

B: My nephew is eight years old and my nieces are five and two years old.

4. A : ___________________ your colleagues lazy or hard-working?

B: They’re quite lazy.

5. A: How ___________________ got?

B: I’ve got six cousins.

6. A: What _________________ your brother’s hair?

B: It’s dark brown.

7. A: ___________________ your cousin’s wedding?

B: No, I can’t. I was only three years old at the time, so I can’t remember it at all.

8. A: ___________________ usually celebrate your birthday?

B: I usually have a party with my relatives and close friends.

Unit 1: Exercise 8
Choose the sentence that is closest in meaning to the first sentence. Use the
words and phrases in bold to help you.

1. Whenever it’s my aunt’s birthday, she organises a family get-together.

 o My aunt always organises a family get-together for her birthday.
o My aunt occasionally organises a family get-together for her birthday.
o My aunt rarely organises a family get-together for her birthday.

2. When it’s my aunt’s birthday, she usually organises a family get-together.

o My aunt almost never organises a family get-together for her birthday.

o My aunt always organises a family get-together for her birthday.
o My aunt organises a family get-together most years for her birthday.

3. My aunt often organises family get-togethers.

o My aunt always organises family get-togethers.

o My aunt occasionally organises family get-togethers.
o My aunt organises a lot of family get-togethers.

4. My aunt organises family get-togethers from time to time.

o My aunt almost never organises family get-togethers.

o My aunt always organises family get-togethers.
o My aunt occasionally organises family get-togethers.

5. My aunt organises a family get-together three times a year.

o My aunt organises a family get-together every four months.

o My aunt organises a family get-together every month.
o My aunt organises a family get-together every three months.

6. My aunt organises a family get-together every other month.

o My aunt organises a family get-together every four months.

o My aunt organises a family get-together six times a year.
o My aunt organises a family get-together twice a year.

7. My aunt doesn’t often organise family get-togethers.

o My aunt organises a lot of family get-togethers.

o My aunt organises family get-togethers from time to time.
o My aunt rarely organises family get-togethers.

8. My aunt hardly ever organises family get-togethers.

o My aunt almost never organises family get-togethers.

o My aunt always organises family get-togethers.
o My aunt occasionally organises family get-togethers.
Unit 1: Exercise 9
Read the active sentences. Then complete the present simple passive sentences
underneath. Leave out the underlined words from the passive sentences. The
first one has been done for you.

1. We treat elderly people with respect in my country.

Elderly people are treated with respect in my country.
2. We define teenagers as young people aged between 13 and 19 years old.
___________________________________ as young people aged between 13 and 19
years old.
3. The police describe the thief as tall with a scar on his face.
___________________________________ as tall with a scar on his face.
4. The police advise members of the public not to speak to the thief.
___________________________________ not to speak to the thief.
5. How do people usually celebrate birthdays in your country?
How ______________________________ in your country?
6. We don’t expect you to give us an exact number of guests.
___________________________________ to give us an exact number of guests.
7. They don’t allow us to wear make-up at school.
__________________________________ at school.
8. What kind of presents do people normally give at weddings in your country?
What kind of presents _____________________________________ at weddings in your
country?

Unit 1: Exercise 10
Complete the sentences with the correct present simple form of the verbs in
brackets. Some answers need to be in the present simple passive.

1. In my country, a wedding usually __________________ (take) months, or even

years, to prepare.
2. The best places for a wedding reception __________________ (book) years in
advance.
3. So you __________________ (need) to make a booking as soon as possible.
4. This ________________ (mean) that you need to quickly decide how many people
you want to invite.
5. A wedding often ________________ (cost) a lot of money, so you need to find
out how many people you can afford to invite.
6. The guests ___________________ (invite) as soon as possible to give them time
to make the necessary arrangements.
7. The whole event ___________________ (plan) very carefully, as there are a lot of
things to organise in time for the wedding.
8. Finally, the wedding day _________________ (arrive).
9. Usually, everything goes well, everyone has a nice time and the stress of the last
months _________________ (forget).
Unit 1: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will learn about IELTS Listening Section 3 and practise the
skills you need to answer three-option multiple choice questions.

The conversation in this unit is about the natural world. Complete the
definitions. Use the words in the box.

In IELTS Listening Section 3, you will hear a conversation between at least two people. The
conversation will always involve people in education or training.

Behavior coast dangerous marine rare sociable wild

1. Animals that live in forests, the jungle and mountains, and do not live at home as pets are
_____________ animals. (adj.)
2. We say that an animal is ________________ when there are only a few still alive in the
world. (adj.)
3. A _______________ animal lives only in the sea, for example, a dolphin or a shark. (adj.)
4. A _______________ person or animal likes being with others, rather than being alone.
(adj.)
5. Lions, tigers or sharks can harm you, so these animals are ______________ , not safe.
(adj.)
6. The __________________ is the area of land next to the sea. (noun)
7. When scientists study the _________________ of animals, they find out what they eat,
when they sleep and how they communicate. (noun)

Unit 1: Exercise 2
Complete the sentences with vocabulary related to the natural world. Use the
words in the box.

Behavior coast dangerous marine rare sociable wild

1. I really want to go on safari so I can see some _____________ animals.

2. My dog is incredibly ______________ – she has to say ‘hello’ to every dog we
meet on our walk!
3. In summer, dolphins arrive here and swim all along the west ________________ .
4. Because of the rubbish polluting our seas, ___________ animals are dying in large
numbers.
 5. In the past, there were lots of bears in our country but now sadly, they are very
________________ .
6. The ___________ of my last cat was quite strange. She only wanted to sleep on my
computer.
7. Some of the most ________________ snakes in the world live in Australia.

Unit 1: Exercise 3
Listen to a conversation about a project someone is working on.

Choose the correct answers.

In the IELTS Listening test, you will only hear each recording once. For three-option
multiple choice questions, you may see:

 a question with three possible answers, or

 the beginning of a sentence with three possible endings.

To answer this type of question, you may need to choose:

 the correct reason for something

 an opinion a speaker expresses
 a specific number, quantity or measurement
 a specific place or location
 a name
 the correct description of someone or something
 whether the speakers agree or disagree about something.

Tom: Hi, Anne. How are you doing? Are you enjoying life at college?

Anne: Yes, it’s great. And I really like my tutor for Ecology.

Tom: Steven Bakerman? I was in his class, too.

Anne: The thing is, I need to start doing some research for my project on
the natural world, and I’m not sure what to write about.

Tom: Well, you can’t write about pets like the cat that you have at home! play.MP3

You’ll have to write about animals that live in the wild. Which wild
animals are you interested in?

Anne: Well, I like pandas, but everyone will write about those, you know,
because they’re rare. There aren’t many of them left in the wild. Most of
the ones still alive are in zoos.
Tom: You could write about another endangered animal – like the red
panda in India.

Anne: The what? I don’t think so. I prefer marine life – you know, animals
that live in the sea.

Tom: Oh, like sharks? Yes, they’re fascinating. We have a lot of those in
Australia.

Anne: And you can keep them!

Tom: But most of them are not as dangerous as people think.

Anne: Maybe, but I think our coast in New Zealand is safer. You can go
into the water any time you like and not worry about it. What we do have
are dolphins, Maui dolphins, and I think I’d prefer to write about those. We
still have a lot to learn about their behaviour, you know? Where they prefer
to swim, how the adult dolphins look after the young ones – that kind of
thing.

Tom: I guess that everyone likes dolphins because they’re so sociable – I

mean, they always seem to enjoy being with other dolphins. And humans,
too.

Anne: Well, that’s something I need to research. It might not be true for all
dolphins. Anyway, I suppose I should find photos from the Internet to put
into my presentation.

Tom: Good idea. But I wouldn’t use too many. You want the other
students to be listening to what you’re saying, not staring at a screen.

Anne: OK, good point. Could we meet again later so that I can ask you
some more questions?

Tom: Of course! Just let me know when you’re free …

1. How many speakers are there?

o Two
o Three
o Four
2. What is the relationship between the two people?
o They are a student and her teacher.
o They are both teachers.
o They are both students.
3. Which animals does the woman decide to do her project on?
o Pandas
o Sharks
o dolphins
4. What does the woman have to do for her project?
 o write a report on an animal
o give a presentation about New Zealand
o take some photographs of wild animals

Unit 1: Exercise 4
Read the information. Then read the IELTS Listening three-option multiple
choice questions.

Match the questions with the types of information you would expect to need in
the answer.

By reading the questions before you listen, you can get an idea of what information to listen
for. For example:

Why has Anne asked Tom to help her? (Why tells you to listen for a reason, possibly starting
with the word because.)

In this exercise, the key words which give you this information are shown in bold.

adjective of character and behavior number and measurement of distance

number and measurement of length number showing quantity

place or location

1. How long is an adult male Maui dolphin?

_________________________________
2. Where are Maui dolphins found in New Zealand?
_________________________________
3. The population of Maui dolphins is now likely to be…
_________________________________
4. What do Anne and Tom agree is typical behaviour for Maui dolphins?
_________________________________
5. How far along the coastline do Maui dolphins swim?
_________________________________
Unit 1: Exercise 5
In IELTS Listening multiple choice activities, it is often important to recognise
different forms of the same word, which are used in paraphrasing.

Match the adjectives on the left with the nouns on the right.

When we paraphrase something, we use different words to express the same or a similar
meaning. Sometimes a paraphrase will include a different form of the same word. For
example, you hear a noun (e.g. danger) but the question or answer needs an adjective (e.g.
dangerous):

You read: When is a tiger most dangerous?

You hear: ‘If you see a tiger trying to catch fish in a river, you may be in great danger.’

Other times, we use an adjective that relates to a noun but is a completely different word, for
example large (adjective) and size (noun).

Height width length distance weight speed

Far
Wide
Long
Heavy
High
fast

Unit 1: Exercise 6
Complete the questions. Use the words in the box.

Fast heavy high length speed width

1. How __________ can a dolphin swim?

 2. How __________ do you think that dolphin is?
3. What __________ can a dolphin travel at?
4. What is the ___________ of time that young dolphins stay with their mother?
5. How __________ can an adult dolphin jump?
6. What is the ____________ of the pool that the dolphin lives in?

Unit 1: Exercise 7
Look at the five questions from different IELTS Listening tests with the extracts
from the conversations that answer them.

Listen to the recording. Choose the correct answers.

It is also possible to paraphrase the meaning of parts of a conversation.

You read: Which animals are the most difficult to photograph?

A bears ×

B lions ×

C tigers 

You hear: ‘Taking pictures of wild animals is never easy – bears are really dangerous, for
instance, and so are lions of course! But the hardest? I’d say tigers. They aren’t very
sociable so they can be hard to find!’

In the example above, the most difficult matches the hardest and the verb photograph
matches Taking pictures. The correct option is therefore C tigers.

Notice that the speaker mentions all three options – bears, lions and tigers. This is common
in multiple choice questions so listen carefully and do not choose an option just because you
hear the word in the conversation.

Announcer: One. How does the man describe female elephants?

Speaker 1: Many people think elephants are dangerous, but they’re really
not. Or at least they’re very rarely a danger to people. The most important
thing to know about elephants is that they are group animals. The family is
very important to them and especially to the cows – the females, that is.
While male elephants often spend time alone, the cows live in groups of up
to 25.
play.MP3

Announcer: Two. People should not keep wolves as pets because …

Speaker 2: Wolves and dogs come from the same family of animals, but
they are very different. Wolves do not belong in people’s homes and they do
not make good guard dogs for rich people. Wolves need to be in the forests
and to hunt and kill their own food.
Announcer: Three. How fast does a great white shark usually swim?
Speaker 3: It’s true that sharks don’t usually move very quickly – they
usually swim at just two and a half kilometres per hour. But that’s because
they’re not hunting. When they’re looking for food, they can swim at
amazing speeds. For instance, the top speed of a great white shark is about
56 kilometres per hour, and a Mako shark can swim as fast as 74 kilometres
per hour.

Announcer: Four. In what unexpected place do sea lions sometimes sleep?

Speaker 4: Well, sea lions live at the coast and so of course they usually
sleep where you might expect them to – on the beach. But surprisingly, they
have also been found asleep in the sea. They keep their noses above water
and lie back for a rest!

Announcer: Five. How long is a giraffe’s neck?

Speaker 5: Not many people know this, but the length of a giraffe’s neck is
the same as the length of their leg.
Speaker 6: Actually, I’d heard that before – they’re both about one point
eight metres long. Is that right?

Speaker 7: Yes, it is. So that means they can eat leaves from trees that are
between about three point five and four point five metres in height.

1. How does the man describe female elephants?

o Rare
o Dangerous
o sociable

2. People should not keep wolves as pets because they are

o wild animals.
o dangerous.
o very expensive to feed.

3. How fast does a great white shark usually swim?

o 56 kph
o 2.5 kph
o 74 kph

4. In what unexpected place do sea lions sometimes sleep?

o on the beach
o along the coast
o in the sea
 5. How long is a giraffe's neck?

o 3.5 m
o 1.45 m
o 1.8 m

Unit 1: Exercise 8
Listen to two students talking about an ecology project on Maui dolphins.

Decide which two of the five topics they talked about. Choose the correct
answers.

Remember that in the real IELTS Listening test you will only hear the conversation once.

Announcer: You will hear an ecology student called Anne talking to

someone called Tom, who is helping her with her project on dolphins.

Anne: Hi, Tom. Thanks so much for agreeing to help me with my dolphin
project. I hope you don’t mind that I asked you.

Tom: No problem, Anne. I remember when I was in my first year at

university – it was always good to get as much help as possible.

Anne: Yes, I can’t believe how quickly my first year is going. There’s so
much work to finish off. Does it get any easier in the second year?

Tom: Not in my experience, no!

Anne: Anyway, I wanted to do a project on the Maui dolphin because it’s so

rare. And my tutor told me that you’d done the same thing last year – I mean, play.MP3

you’d studied the Maui dolphin off the coast of New Zealand, and written
about it and given a presentation on it too, like I have to now. That’s why I
thought you’d be the best person to talk to.

Tom: Well, I wouldn’t say that I know everything about the Maui dolphin –
but I can probably tell you a few things about it.

Anne: Well, that’s great. Thanks so much. Um, the first thing I wanted to
check – because I keep seeing different information about it – is the length of
the Maui dolphin. I think young dolphins – they’re about a metre when
they’re a year old, aren’t they?

Tom: Yes, about that. But an adult dolphin is bigger – the males grow up to
1.5 metres in length, eventually. Still pretty small for a dolphin.

Anne: And the females are larger than the males, I think? They can reach 1.7
metres, I read.

Tom: That’s correct.

Anne: OK, I’ll just write that down.

Tom: Are you going to say something in your project about where you can
find Maui dolphins? Have you ever seen one?

Anne: You mean along the west coast of the North Island? I’m afraid I
haven’t had a chance to go there yet. I grew up in the South Island and I only
came to the North Island to go to university. And as you know, even though
we have other types of dolphin all along the coast of the South Island, we
don’t ever see Maui dolphins there.

Tom: Well, I think you’d be quite lucky to see one. Even if you did take a trip
out there on a boat.

Anne: Yes, that’s the problem, isn’t it? That their population is so small.

Tom: About ten years ago, there were approximately 100 Maui dolphins still
alive.

Anne: But now scientists believe that number has really dropped. They
counted just under 50 this year. It’s terrible.

Tom: Yes, the situation is worse than they expected. We can’t be sure that the
Maui dolphin won’t disappear completely until numbers increase to 500 – and
that doesn’t seem likely at the moment.

Anne: Unfortunately not. Now, I should say something about their typical
behaviour, I suppose.

Tom: Well, they’re certainly very sociable animals. In the past, when their
population size was much, much bigger, there were about 30 dolphins in a
group – and they’d play and swim together. That’s unlike other kinds of
dolphin that only travel in pairs or with a few others.

Anne: Yes, that’s true. And something that’s perhaps different about them,
too, is that, in general, they tend to avoid boats. They’re frightened of them.

Tom: And so they should be. One of the biggest problems for Maui dolphins
is that when people use a particular type of fishing net – when they throw the
net off the side of the boat and just leave it in the ocean – then the Maui
dolphins sometimes swim into the net and they can’t get out again.
Anne: I don’t think most people who go fishing would want to hurt a dolphin.

Tom: No, but sometimes their behaviour is dangerous. They should

remember that we have to share the water with dolphins and whales and other
animals.

Anne: Yes, we do. Oh, I’ve got one more thing I need to check with you.
How far along the coastline do Maui dolphins swim?

Tom: Good question. Well, they’re actually quite fast for a small dolphin.
They only go up to about 50 kilos in weight. Their top speed is about 40
kilometres per hour. But scientists think they only swim a distance of about 30
kilometres – up and down the same part of the coast – just staying in a fairly
small area.

Anne: I see. Well, you’d think that it would be easy for the government to do
more to protect them but …

1. the appearance of the dolphins

o Yes, they discuss this.

o No, they don’t discuss this.

2. the size of the dolphins

o Yes, they discuss this.

o No, they don’t discuss this.

3. how dolphins hunt for their food

o Yes, they discuss this.

o No, they don’t discuss this.

4. how many dolphins are still alive

o Yes, they discuss this.

o No, they don’t discuss this.

5. how the government is trying to

help the dolphins

o Yes, they discuss this.

o No, they don’t discuss this.
Unit 1: Exercise 9
Listen to the recording. Choose the correct answers.

Announcer: You will hear an ecology student called Anne talking to

someone called Tom, who is helping her with her project on dolphins.

Anne: Hi, Tom. Thanks so much for agreeing to help me with my dolphin
project. I hope you don’t mind that I asked you.

Tom: No problem, Anne. I remember when I was in my first year at

university – it was always good to get as much help as possible.

Anne: Yes, I can’t believe how quickly my first year is going. There’s so
much work to finish off. Does it get any easier in the second year?

Tom: Not in my experience, no!

Anne: Anyway, I wanted to do a project on the Maui dolphin because it’s

so rare. And my tutor told me that you’d done the same thing last year – I
mean, you’d studied the Maui dolphin off the coast of New Zealand, and
written about it and given a presentation on it too, like I have to now.
That’s why I thought you’d be the best person to talk to.
play.MP3

Tom: Well, I wouldn’t say that I know everything about the Maui dolphin
– but I can probably tell you a few things about it.

Anne: Well, that’s great. Thanks so much. Um, the first thing I wanted to
check – because I keep seeing different information about it – is the length
of the Maui dolphin. I think young dolphins – they’re about a metre when
they’re a year old, aren’t they?

Tom: Yes, about that. But an adult dolphin is bigger – the males grow up
to 1.5 metres in length, eventually. Still pretty small for a dolphin.

Anne: And the females are larger than the males, I think? They can reach
1.7 metres, I read.

Tom: That’s correct.

Anne: OK, I’ll just write that down.

Tom: Are you going to say something in your project about where you can
find Maui dolphins? Have you ever seen one?

Anne: You mean along the west coast of the North Island? I’m afraid I
haven’t had a chance to go there yet. I grew up in the South Island and I
only came to the North Island to go to university. And as you know, even
though we have other types of dolphin all along the coast of the South
Island, we don’t ever see Maui dolphins there.

Tom: Well, I think you’d be quite lucky to see one. Even if you did take a
trip out there on a boat.

Anne: Yes, that’s the problem, isn’t it? That their population is so small.

Tom: About ten years ago, there were approximately 100 Maui dolphins
still alive.

Anne: But now scientists believe that number has really dropped. They
counted just under 50 this year. It’s terrible.

Tom: Yes, the situation is worse than they expected. We can’t be sure that
the Maui dolphin won’t disappear completely until numbers increase to
500 – and that doesn’t seem likely at the moment.

Anne: Unfortunately not. Now, I should say something about their typical
behaviour, I suppose.

Tom: Well, they’re certainly very sociable animals. In the past, when their
population size was much, much bigger, there were about 30 dolphins in a
group – and they’d play and swim together. That’s unlike other kinds of
dolphin that only travel in pairs or with a few others.

Anne: Yes, that’s true. And something that’s perhaps different about them,
too, is that, in general, they tend to avoid boats. They’re frightened of
them.

Tom: And so they should be. One of the biggest problems for Maui
dolphins is that when people use a particular type of fishing net – when
they throw the net off the side of the boat and just leave it in the ocean –
then the Maui dolphins sometimes swim into the net and they can’t get out
again.

Anne: I don’t think most people who go fishing would want to hurt a
dolphin.

Tom: No, but sometimes their behaviour is dangerous. They should

remember that we have to share the water with dolphins and whales and
other animals.
Anne: Yes, we do. Oh, I’ve got one more thing I need to check with you.
How far along the coastline do Maui dolphins swim?

Tom: Good question. Well, they’re actually quite fast for a small dolphin.
They only go up to about 50 kilos in weight. Their top speed is about 40
kilometres per hour. But scientists think they only swim a distance of about
30 kilometres – up and down the same part of the coast – just staying in a
fairly small area.

Anne: I see. Well, you’d think that it would be easy for the government to
do more to protect them but …

1. Anne has asked Tom to help her with her dolphin project because

o he is in the same class as Anne.

o he is an expert on dolphins.
o he once did a similar project to Anne.

2. How long is an adult male Maui dolphin?

o 1.5 metres
o 1 metre
o 1.7 metres

3. Where are Maui dolphins found in New Zealand?

o around most of the coast of the North Island

o around the west coast of the North Island
o around the whole coast of the South Island

4. The population of Maui dolphins is now likely to be

o around 100
o well over 500
o less than 50

5. What do Anne and Tom agree is typical behaviour for Maui dolphins?

o They prefer to live with many other Maui dolphins.

o They often choose to follow boats to catch fish more easily.
o They are friendly towards people who swim near them.

6. How far along the coastline do Maui dolphins swim?

o 40 kilometres
o 50 kilometres
o 30 kilometres
Unit 1: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt from doing this unit.

Choose the correct answers.

1. Use the time before the recording starts to read the questions carefully and

o think about the type of information you might hear.

o use your own knowledge to answer some of the questions.

2. When you listen to the recording, you may hear the speakers mention

o some details or information from all of the A, B, C options.

o only the details and information from the correct option.

3. You can find the answer to a three-option multiple choice question by

o matching an option to exactly the same sentence in the recording.

o listening for paraphrases of the A, B, C options.

4. It’s best to choose a number or measurement from a set of options

o only after the speakers have mentioned and discussed all of them.

which the speakers mention first or more than once in their discussion

Unit 1: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will answer IELTS Reading short answer questions and read a
text called ‘How our sweet tooth is hurting us’.

Before you read the text, look at the statements. Do you think that they are True
or False? Choose your answers.

1. The expression to have a sweet tooth means to like eating sweet foods, especially
sweets and chocolate.

o True
o False

2. In 18th-century Europe, more poor people than rich people lost their teeth because of
sugar.
 o True
o False

3. If you drink a typical can of soda, you’ll consume about 10 sugar cubes.

o True
o False

4. In general, children in the USA consume a lot more sugar than their parents.

o True
o False

5. It is now possible to order chocolate-covered insects online.

o True
o False

Unit 1: Exercise 2
Before you try to answer IELTS Reading short answer questions, it is a good
idea to quickly read the text so that you understand what it is about.

Quickly read the text. Then answer the questions .

How our sweet tooth is hurting us

Over the last three centuries, the amount of sugar in the Western diet has continued to rise.
Back at the start of the 18th century, a typical English family consumed less than 2 kg of
sugar per year. By the end of that century, that amount had risen 400%. Compare that to the
40 kg that people now consume annually in the USA. In Germany, the second-most sugar-
loving nation in the world, people eat roughly 103 grams on average per day. In the
Netherlands, the country with the third-biggest sweet tooth, people eat 102.5 grams. Of
course, there are some countries in the world where sweet food is less popular: in India,
people eat only about 5 grams per day on average; in Indonesia, it’s 14.5 grams; and in
China, it’s just under 16 grams. If you’re not sure what 40 kg looks like, it means that the
average person in the USA now eats approximately 22 teaspoons of sugar a day. The
recommended limit, suggested by researchers from the World Health Organisation, is no
more than 8 if you want to stay healthy, but just one can of soda contains around 10.

It is common knowledge that many drinks, in bottles or canned, contain a lot of sugar.
Although advertisements say that they are ‘energy-giving’, professional athletes and
sportsmen and women usually stay away from them. It is teenagers that are their greatest
consumers. And – although advertisers promise that these drinks will make people feel
energetic and active – because of the type of chemicals they have, once a person has drunk all
the soda, they simply feel hungry instead. However, sugar is also in products that many
shoppers find surprising, for example, cereal, which actually has a lot. Because they believe it
is a healthy kind of food, parents buy it for their children’s breakfast.

A large part of the problem, according to nutritionists, is that people find it hard to understand
the labels on the back of food products. Nutritionists think this should be a lot easier for
them. But at the moment, manufacturers don’t have to write ‘sugar’ on them, but can use
words like ‘corn syrup’ or ‘dextran’, which can result in confusion for consumers. But why
should we be worried about our sugar consumption? Firstly, it is harmful to young children
because it causes tooth decay; the pain from this can mean that children don’t get the amount
of sleep they need. As a result, they can’t concentrate when they are in class. In this case,
schools and governments have a duty to educate them about good and bad food choices. For
adults, the problems increase. Eating too much sugar makes people quickly gain weight, it
affects the heart and liver, and can lead to diabetes.

Which of the ideas in sentences 1–5 are mentioned in the text on page 1?
Choose Yes or No. Read the text on page 1 again if you need to.

1. The increase in the amount of sugar we eat.

o Yes
o No

2. The places in the supermarket where you can find sugary products.

o Yes
o No

3. The way that advertising sugary products has changed.

o Yes
o No

4. The health problems that sugar causes in children.

o Yes
o No

5. The health problems that sugar causes in adults.

o Yes
o No

Unit 1: Exercise 3
In many IELTS Reading texts, you often see information or opinions given by
different people.
Match the people with the definitions.

Advertiser consumer manufacturer nutritionist researcher

1. a person or company that makes a product:

2. a person who buys or uses a product:
3. a person who studies a subject carefully:
4. a person who gives advice about healthy eating:
5. a person who makes commercials to sell a product:

Unit 1: Exercise 4
Who do you think might say the following things? Match the people with the statements.

In IELTS Reading texts, you need to identify and understand opinions and ideas. To help you
do this, think about who is giving their opinion or idea.

Advertiser consumer manufacturer nutritionist researcher

1. ‘My report studies the effects of sugar on the health of people aged 15–24
in the USA.’
2. ‘Feeling tired? New Choco-nut breakfast cereal will give you all the
energy you need!’
3. ‘There are ten sugar cubes in every can of soda so you shouldn’t drink
soda every day.’
4. ‘Our factory sells 50% more sugar today than 50 years ago.’
5. ‘I know sugar is bad for me, but I usually eat two bars of chocolate every
day.’

Unit 1: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then match the words in bold with the phrases that have
a similar meaning. Use the phrases in the box.

In any IELTS Reading task, it is important that you can recognise examples of synonyms and
paraphrasing.
Example:
If the phrase ‘too much sugar made him ill’ is in a question or option, you should look for
phrases or words with a similar meaning in the text, e.g. ‘he became unwell as a result of the
sugar’ or ‘he felt sick because of the sugar’ (ill, sick and unwell all have a similar meaning).

Recommend that you stay away from not clear consume harmful to
was unexpected

1. Sugar can be very bad for children.

2. My doctor said I was eating the wrong foods, which
surprised me .
3. We should buy and eat healthier food that doesn’t have a
lot of sugar.
4. I try to avoid chocolate when I’m hungry because it’s not
very healthy.
5.I think you should go on a diet.
6. A lot of information about good sugar and bad sugar is hard
to understand.

Unit 1: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then look at the questions. Select the key words that
show you the type of information you need to look for. The numbers in brackets
at the end of each question show you how many selections you need to make.

Before you begin to look for the exact answers in the IELTS Reading text, it’s important to
think about the type of information you need to look for and quickly find paragraphs which
contain that information. For example, if the key word in the question is ‘country’ you need
to quickly read through the text to find a paragraph that contains places and countries.

1. Which country consumes the least sugar per person? (3 selections)

2. What is the maximum recommended number of teaspoons of sugar that a person should
consume a day? (4 selections)
3. Which group of people drink more sugary drinks than anyone else? (3 selections)
4. How do people really feel after finishing sugary drinks? (3 selections)
5. Which food product has an unexpected amount of sugar? (3 selections)
6. What do nutritionists want to be clearer for consumers? (3 selections)
7. What may decrease as a result of tooth decay in children? (3 selections)
Unit 1: Exercise 7
Read the information. Then read the questions. Use the words and phrases in
bold to help you work out the correct answers.

Note that the answers do not relate to the reading text. Focus on the language,
not the content.

In short answer questions, it’s also important to understand whether you need to write a noun
or an adjective, and whether the noun should be plural or singular. For example:

How do advertisers say you feel after finishing sugary drinks?

×energise ×energu energetic

Energetic is the correct answer because it is an adjective, describing how people feel. Energise is a
verb and energy is a noun and so these words cannot be the ones you need.

1. What is the maximum recommended number of teaspoons of sugar that a person

should consume a day? 9/a few/a lot of
2. Which group of people drink more sugary drinks than anyone else?
Students/studies/student
3. How do people really feel after finishing sugary drinks? Happiness/exciting/excited
4. Which food product has an unexpected amount of sugar? Cheese/dinner/emonade
5. What do nutritionists want to be clearer for consumers?
Information/instructions/notice
6. What may decrease as a result of tooth decay in children? Concentration/daily/clean

Unit 1: Exercise 8
Read the information. Then match the paraphrases and synonyms in the box
with the phrases. The first one has been done for you.

Remember that the wording in the IELTS Reading short answer questions will be different
from the words used in the text.
Looking for paraphrases or synonyms can help you to find the answers more easily.

The phrases on the left are taken from the short answer questions. The paraphrases in the box
are taken from the reading text.

this can mean that greatest consumers recommended limit which actually has a lot

think this should be a lot easier for them soda

1. the least sugar sweet food is less popular

2. maximum recommended number
3. group of people drink more
4. sugary drink(s)
5. unexpected amount of sugar
6. want to be clearer for consumers
7. as a result of

Unit 1: Exercise 9
Answer the questions.

Choose ONE WORD OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

How our sweet tooth is hurting us

Over the last three centuries, the amount of sugar in the Western diet has continued to rise.
Back at the start of the 18th century, a typical English family consumed less than 2 kg of
sugar per year. By the end of that century, that amount had risen 400%. Compare that to the
40 kg that people now consume annually in the USA. In Germany, the second-most sugar-
loving nation in the world, people eat roughly 103 grams on average per day. In the
Netherlands, the country with the third-biggest sweet tooth, people eat 102.5 grams. Of
course, there are some countries in the world where sweet food is less popular: in India,
people eat only about 5 grams per day on average; in Indonesia, it’s 14.5 grams; and in
China, it’s just under 16 grams. If you’re not sure what 40 kg looks like, it means that the
average person in the USA now eats approximately 22 teaspoons of sugar a day. The
recommended limit, suggested by researchers from the World Health Organisation, is no
more than 8 if you want to stay healthy, but just one can of soda contains around 10.

It is common knowledge that many drinks, in bottles or canned, contain a lot of sugar.
Although advertisements say that they are ‘energy-giving’, professional athletes and
sportsmen and women usually stay away from them. It is teenagers that are their greatest
consumers. And – although advertisers promise that these drinks will make people feel
energetic and active – because of the type of chemicals they have, once a person has drunk all
the soda, they simply feel hungry instead. However, sugar is also in products that many
shoppers find surprising, for example, cereal, which actually has a lot. Because they believe it
is a healthy kind of food, parents buy it for their children’s breakfast.

A large part of the problem, according to nutritionists, is that people find it hard to understand
the labels on the back of food products. Nutritionists think this should be a lot easier for
them. But at the moment, manufacturers don’t have to write ‘sugar’ on them, but can use
words like ‘corn syrup’ or ‘dextran’, which can result in confusion for consumers. But why
should we be worried about our sugar consumption? Firstly, it is harmful to young children
because it causes tooth decay; the pain from this can mean that children don’t get the amount
of sleep they need. As a result, they can’t concentrate when they are in class. In this case,
schools and governments have a duty to educate them about good and bad food choices. For
adults, the problems increase. Eating too much sugar makes people quickly gain weight, it
affects the heart and liver, and can lead to diabetes.

1. Which country consumes the least sugar per person? __________________

2. What is the maximum recommended number of teaspoons of sugar that a person
should consume a day? ________________
3. Which group of people drink more sugary drinks than anyone else?
________________
4. How do people really feel after finishing sugary drinks? ________________
5. Which food product has an unexpected amount of sugar? ________________
6. What do nutritionists want to be clearer for consumers? ___________________
7. What may decrease as a result of tooth decay in children? __________________

Unit 1: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt in this unit.

Complete the advice. Use the words in the box.

different occupations is not the same one word or one number question words

the same order

1. When the instruction says ‘choose ONE WORD OR A NUMBER ONLY’ from the
passage, you must only write __________________________ that you can find in
the text.
2. The answers for the short answer questions task follow ___________________ as
the questions.
3. The language before, around or after the answers in the text
_________________________ as the language in the questions.
4. It can be useful to learn the names for ______________________________ .
 5. It is a good idea to predict what kind of information might follow
____________________________ like ‘which’, ‘where’ and ‘who’.

Unit 1: Exercise 1
Look at the pictures. Then complete the descriptions of the people in the
pictures. Use the sentences in the box.

He doesn’t worry much about the future.

He looks after his younger brother each afternoon.

He only watches TV and he never does his homework.

Last year he won the science prize at school.

She likes to do exciting sports like water-skiing and rock-climbing.

1.
1. Abdullah is quite clever.

2.
2. Liang is very kind.
 3.
3. Masako is really brave.

4.
4. Simon is so lazy.

5.
5. Mikhael is always relaxed.

Unit 1: Exercise 2
In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you will be given a task card on a particular topic.

Watch the video. Then choose the correct options to complete the sentences.
 1. The examiner says that he will give the candidate a topic/booklet .
2. The examiner says that the candidate should talk for one minute
/one to two minutes
3. The candidate has one minute/one to two minutes to make some
notes.
4. The examiner gives the candidate some paper/a booklet for making play.MP4
notes.
5. The candidate should /shouldn’t write anything in the booklet.

Unit 1: Exercise 3
In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you have one minute to make some notes.

Read the task card. Then match the points on the task card with the student’s
notes. Use the notes in the box.

Describe a person who you really like.

You should say:

who the person is
when and where you first met that person
what type of personality he / she has
and explain why you really like that person.

after he saw me on TV he’s like a member of my family lovely

message on Facebook, then met up my boyfriend, Danny

1. Who the person is:

2. When I met him:
3. Where I met him:
4. What type of personality he has:
5. Why I like him:

Unit 1: Exercise 4
In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you should use your notes to help you make full
sentences when you speak.
Read the task card and the notes the student made. Watch the video. Then
complete the student’s answers using three words in each gap.

 Who the person is: my boyfriend, Danny

 When I met him: after he saw me on TV
 Where I met him: on Facebook, then met up
 What type of personality he has: lovely
 Why I like him: he’s like a member of my family

1. ... The person who I’ll describe is my boyfriend. ____________ Danny.

2. ... a television station ... asked me if I wanted to do an interview, and

____________ me on the television.

3. He wrote _____________ on Facebook, ... and then we met.

play.MP4
4. He ________________ lovely person.

5. ... we’ve been together for three years, and he’s ______________ family ...

Unit 1: Exercise 5
Watch the video of the student giving examples. Then complete the text with
the words she uses.

In IELTS Speaking Part 2, try to explain your answers by giving examples.

He’s a very lovely person. He’s not _______________ my boyfriend, he’s

my _____________ friend. And when, for ______________ , when I’m very
_____________ , he’s there for me. He ______________ about me. play.MP4
Unit 1: Exercise 6
Read the task card. Match the student’s notes with the points on the task card.
Then watch the video and check your answers.

Describe a person who you really like.

You should say:

who the person is
when and where you first met that person
what type of personality he / she has play.MP4
and explain why you really like that person.

Supportive My friend, Ahmed. He is like my brother.

We were aged 5 and 6. At school

1. Who the person is:

2. When I met him:
3. Where I met him:
4. What type of personality he has:
5. Why I like him:

Unit 1: Exercise 7
Read the task card and the student’s notes. Put the words in the correct order to complete the
sentences. Then watch the video and check your answers.

Describe a person who you really like.

You should say:

who the person is: my friend, Ahmed
when and where you first met that person: aged 5 & 6, at school play.MP4

what type of personality he / she has: supportive

and explain why you really like that person: he is like my brother
 My friend is really I that The like person

1. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

__________ __________ __________

Met school were we years old We at when five and six

2. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

__________ __________ __________

Up We together grew

3. __________ __________ __________ __________

A speak I I problem, to have When him

4. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

__________ __________ __________

Part family a is my of He like

5. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

__________ __________

Unit 1: Exercise 8
Read the task card. Then put the words and phrases in the correct columns.

Describe a person who you really like.

You should say:

who the person is
when and where you first met that person
what type of personality he / she has
and explain why you really like that person.

he / she is lovely on holiday he / she is kind three years ago

my boyfriend my best friend at school I was 15 years old

 Who When we met

Where we met Why I like this person

Unit 1: Exercise 9
Decide whether the statements are True or False.

1. In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you have 2 minutes to prepare your talk.

o True
o False

2. While you are preparing IELTS Speaking Part 2, you should make a list of key words
and write as many ideas next to the key words as you can.

o True
o False

3. In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you should speak for 3–4 minutes.

o True
o False

4. In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you should remember to talk about each part of the task
card.

o True
o False

5. In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you should check the task card and your notes during your
talk.

o True
 o False

Unit 1: Exercise 10
You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a
pencil.

Listen to the examiner. Record your answer. Play to hear your answer

Describe a person who you really like.

You should say:

who the person is
when and where you first met that person
what type of personality he / she has
and explain why you really like that person.

play.MP3

Unit 1: Exercise 1
Choose the correct answers to the questions.

1. How many minutes should you take to complete IELTS Writing Task 1?

o 10
o 20
o 30
o 40

2. How many words should you write for IELTS Writing Task 1?

o 75
o 100
o 150
o 250

3. In Academic IELTS Writing Task 1 you might have to write:

o a report
o an essay
o a story
o a letter
 4. In Academic IELTS Writing Task 1 you might describe:

o a chart
o a line graph
o a table
o all of them

5. The diagram might describe:

o a process
o an object
o an event
o all of them

Unit 1: Exercise 2
Look at the pictures. They are from a diagram that shows the process of
producing tea for selling in a supermarket. Label the pictures (1–7) to put the
stages of the process in order.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Unit 1: Exercise 3
The diagram shows the process of producing tea for selling in a supermarket.
Complete the information about each stage of the process. Use the words in the
box.

260 degrees 3 years by hand in boxes indoors supermarket tea

1. Grown for _____________

2. Picked ______________
3. Left to rest (outdoors or ______________ )
4. Dried at ______________ for two hours
5. Teabags packed ______________
6. Delivered to ________________
7. Customer buys ______________

Unit 1: Exercise 4
When you write a report of a process in IELTS Writing Task 1, you should only
use important information from the diagram. Do not give your own opinion or
use information that is not important.

Look at a student's notes on the IELTS Writing Task 1. Choose whether the
information is important or not important.

1. Sun shining a lot. Important / Not important

2. Tea grows for three years. Important / Not important
3. Person picking tea is female. Important / Not important
4. Tea picked by hand. Important / Not important
5. Tea left to rest outdoors or indoors. Important / Not important
6. Round machine has open lid. Important / Not important
7. Tea in drying machine for two hours. Important / Not important
8. Tea is dried at 260°C. Important / Not important
9. Put in box at packaging stage. Important / Not important
10. Delivered to supermarket. Important / Not important
11. Tea is finally bought by customers. Important / Not important

Unit 1: Exercise 5
Read the report on the diagram and answer the questions.
The diagram explains how tea is produced before it is sold in supermarkets. Supermarkets in
my country sell a lot of tea.It shows several stages of production from the growing and
picking stages to when lorries deliver the tea to supermarkets and when customers buy it
while they are shopping. There are seven main stages between the tea being planted and
being bought.

First of all, the tea is grown for three years when it is picked by hand. After that, the tea is left
to rest either outdoors or indoors. After this comes the packaging stage. The dried tea is made
into teabags and the teabags are put into boxes. The boxes are then packed into lorries. The
lorries are very big. The lorries deliver the tea to the supermarkets. Tea is a healthy drink.

1. Has the student used all of the important information?

o Yes
o No

2. Has the student given his or her own opinion or used any information that is not
important?

o Yes
o No

3. Is the report long enough?

 o Yes
o No

Unit 1: Exercise 6
Look at the diagram again. Then put the paragraphs in the correct order to
complete the report.

The diagram explains how tea is produced before it is sold in supermarkets.

First of all, the tea is grown for three years when it is picked by hand. After that, the tea is left
to rest either outdoors or indoors. Next, it is put in a drying machine where it is dried for two
hours. The temperature during this stage of the process should be just over 260°C.

It shows several stages of production from the growing and picking stages to when lorries
deliver the tea to supermarkets and when customers buy it while they are shopping. There are
seven main stages between the tea being planted and being bought.

It shows several stages of production from the growing and picking stages to when lorries
deliver the tea to supermarkets and when customers buy it while they are shopping. There are
seven main stages between the tea being planted and being bought.
 1.

2.

3.

4.

Unit 1: Exercise 7
Match the correct pictures with the sentences describing the process of producing tea.

1. First of all, the tea is grown for three years.

2. Then it is picked by hand.
3.After that, the tea is left to rest either outdoors or indoors.
4. Next, it is put in a drying machine where it is dried for two hours.
The temperature during this stage of the process should be just over
260°C.
5. After this comes the packaging stage. The dried tea is made into
teabags and the teabags are put into boxes.
6. The boxes are then packed into lorries. The lorries deliver the tea
to the supermarkets.
7. Finally, customers buy the tea when they are shopping.

Unit 1: Exercise 8
Read the information below. Then complete the sentences in the present simple
passive.

To make a present simple passive sentence, you take the object of the verb in
the active sentence (e.g. the tea) + am/is/are + past participle (e.g. grown).
Example:

Workers grow the tea for three years.

This sentence is active.

The tea is grown for three years.

This sentence is passive.

1. Workers pick the tea by hand.

The tea ______________ by hand.

2. Workers keep the good oranges.

The good oranges ___________________.

3. Workers ship the coffee in fridges.

The coffee ________________ in fridges.

4. Workers pack the apples into lorries.

The apples __________________ into lorries.

5. The lorries deliver the rice to the supermarket.

The rice ________________ to the supermarket.

6. Customers buy the chocolate in the supermarket.

The chocolate _______________ n the supermarket.

Unit 1: Exercise 9
Look at the diagram. Then label each stage of the process. Use the labels in the
box.

Buying Stage Checking Stage Delivery Stage Growing Stage

Picking Stage Resting Stage Shipping Stage

Unit 2: Exercise 1
Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

Crowded fashionable historic leafy modern noisy quiet remote

1. A ____________ part of town is full of people.

2. A ____________ village is a long way from any towns or cities.
3. A ____________ part of town is pleasant and has a lot of trees.
4. A ____________ part of town is popular.
5. A ____________ part of town doesn’t have many people or cars.
6. A ____________ street is very loud, so it might be difficult to sleep if you live there.
7. A ____________ part of town is very new.
8. A ____________ area of town is old and has important buildings in it.

Unit 2: Exercise 2
Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

a village the city centre the coast the countryside the outskirts of

the seaside the south of the suburbs

1. I come from a tourist town by ______________ . Every summer the beach is full of
visitors.
2. My house is in ___________________ , so it’s part of the city but away from the city
centre. Many of the people who work in the city live here.
3. We live on __________________ the city – it takes just five minutes to walk from
our house to the countryside.
4. I’d love to live in ______________________ , away from all the noise and traffic of
the city.
5. Our house is in _____________________ in the mountains. There are only about 30
houses and two shops.
6. he city where I was born is on _______________________ . There are always a lot
of ships from around the world in the port.
7. I live in _____________________ , which is great. It means that I can walk to
restaurants, cinemas and museums. But it does get very noisy here sometimes.
8. My town is in _____________________ my country, not far from the mountains.
Unit 2: Exercise 3
Choose the correct verbs to complete the text.

When I was a teenager, I didn’t like living with my parents, so I left/moved/lived home when
I was 20 years old.
At first, I rented/ bought/ borrowed a room in a flat – it wasn’t my flat, so I had to pay money
every month to live there. I didn’t live there alone – I paid/lent/ shared the flat with three
other people. It was horrible. The other people never cleaned the flat, and we had a lot of
arguments. So I moved alone/out/in after a couple of weeks and caught/ stayed/gave with
some friends for about a week. Then I moved in/on/across with my brother and his family.
They help/owned/owed a big house in the suburbs. I lived with them for about six months,
but then they left/moved/chose house and went to live in a different city. So I had to find a
new place to live. In the end, I moved about/back/ between in with my parents. It’s much
nicer now than when I first lived here. But now I’m saving money to buy/become/earn a flat
– hopefully I’ll have enough money in a few years.

Unit 2: Exercise 4
Put the words in the correct categories.

leisure centre library tower block shopping centre retail park cinema

museum historic castle theatre department store residential area

housing estate

places to live places to buy things

places to relax and have fun places to learn about your city’s past
Unit 2: Exercise 5
Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.

1. A cottage is a modern house in a city/a small house, usually in the countryside .

2. A neighbourhood is a part of a town or city where people live/work .
3. A stream is a very small river/wide river.
4. A pond is an extremely small forest/lake .
5. A path is a narrow road for cars to drive along/people to walk along .
6. A town is bigger than a city/bigger than a village, but not as big as a city.
7. A hill is higher/lower than a mountain and easier to climb.
8. A wood is a group of trees/large lake .

Unit 2: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then complete the sentences with the past simple of the
verbs in brackets.

Be careful with the spelling of the past simple form of regular verbs.

 Verb ends in ‘e’ (e.g. hope→hoped)

 Verb ends in vowel + ‘y’ (e.g. play →played)
 Verb ends in consonant + ‘y’ (e.g. try →tried)
 One-syllable verb ends in one vowel + one consonant (e.g. rob → robbed)
 Longer verb ends in one vowel + one consonant, stressed final syllable (e.g.
regret →regretted)
 Longer verb ends in one vowel + one consonant, unstressed final syllable (e.g. happen →
happened)

6. It was a beautiful evening, so we ______________ (walk) along the beach.

 7. I was born in Spain, but my parents _______________ (move) to Switzerland when I
was a baby.
8. Last week, we _________________ (visit) the History Museum. It was really
interesting.
9. We ________________ (plan) to spend our holiday in the countryside, but we spent
almost all the time on the beach.
10. There isn’t a university in my town, so I ______________ (study) in a big city.
11. I _______________ enjoy) my trip to London, but there were a lot of tourists
everywhere.
12. When we lived in the city centre, we went to the theatre every week, but we
______________ (stop) going after we moved to the suburbs.
13. I ______________ (try) to contact you, but we were in a very remote house and our
phones didn’t work.
14. We ______________ (stay) in a lovely guest house by the seaside – it was smaller
than a hotel, but it had everything we needed.
15. We moved to the countryside when I was a teenager. My parents loved it, but I
_______________ (prefer) living in the city.

Unit 2: Exercise 7
Correct the sentences. Change the irregular verbs from the present simple to the
past simple. The number of changes you need to make is in brackets.

You will get a maximum of 2 points per mistake (1 point for finding the correct
part to change, 1 point for making the change correctly).

1. My parents buy their house 20 years ago. (1)

2. It is quite expensive, but the bank lends them half the money so they can afford to buy
it. (3)
3. It is a small house, but it feels OK when my brother and I are children. (3)
4. But as we grow older, the house becomes too small. (2)
5. After about ten years, my parents build a new room at the back of the house. (1)
6. But then my brother leaves home and the house is too big again! (2)
7. House prices then rise very quickly. (1)
8. So when my parents sell their house last year, they make a lot of money. (2)

Unit 2: Exercise 8
Complete the sentences with the past simple negative form of the verbs in
brackets. Use contractions (e.g. wasn’t) where possible. The first one has been
done for you.

1. We couldn’t (can) find their house for hours. It was in the middle of nowhere.
2. I _____________ (like) living in the city centre – it was too crowded.
3. Our old flat ______________ (have) a balcony, but our new flat’s got one.
4. There _____________ (be) many other children in the part of town where I grew up.
5. I _____________ (see) my grandparents often when I was young because they lived
a long way away.
6. We _______________ (need) a car when we lived in the city, but now we’re in the
suburbs, we have two!
7. It ________________ (be) a very fashionable neighbourhood, but I liked living there.

Unit 2: Exercise 9
Put the words in the correct order to complete the questions.

Were a child? Did you you Where young live when

1. _________ __________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_________ _________ _________ _________

What your was like? House

2. _________ __________ _________ _________ _________

Living enjoy you Did there?

3. _________ __________ _________ _________ _________

You didn’t it? What about like

4. _________ __________ _________ _________ _________ _________

Could from your you walk house? to school

5. _________ __________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_________ _________

To up? Place grow it Was a good

6. _________ __________ _________ _________ _________ _________

_________ _________

Home? You How you old left were when

 7. _________ __________ _________ _________ _________ _________
_________ _________

You Why did leave home?

8. _________ __________ _________ _________ _________

Unit 2: Exercise 10
Match the answers with the questions.

I left home because I went to study at university. I lived in a small mountain village.

I was 18. No, I couldn’t. It was too far away.

There weren’t many other children, so sometimes I felt quite lonely.

Yes, I did. It was a lovely place to live. Yes, it was. It was very safe.

1. Where did you live when you were a child?

_______________________________________________________
2. Did you enjoy living there?
_______________________________________________________
3. What didn’t you like about it?
_______________________________________________________
4. Could you walk to school from your house?
_______________________________________________________
5. Was it a good place to grow up?
_______________________________________________________
6. How old were you when you left home?
_______________________________________________________
7. Why did you leave home?
_______________________________________________________

Unit 2: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will practise the skills you need to answer short-answer
questions in the IELTS Listening test.

The conversation in this unit is about food and drink. This is a common topic in
IELTS, so it is a good idea to think about some vocabulary you might hear.

Match the words in the box with the definitions.

 Diet eat in eat out habit prepare ready-made meal takeaway
unhealthy

8. the food and drink usually eaten or drunk by a person or group: _________________
9. to have a meal at home rather than in a restaurant: ________________
10. food that has already been prepared and can be eaten after it has been heated in an
oven or microwave: ________________
11. a meal cooked and bought at a shop or restaurant but eaten somewhere else, often at
home: ________________
12. a type of food or drink that isn’t good for you: ________________
13. to have a meal in a restaurant rather than at home: ________________
14. to get something ready, for example to cut vegetables, before you
cook: ________________
15. something that you do often and regularly: ________________

Unit 2: Exercise 2
Read the information. Then listen to part of a conversation about how the diet
and eating habits of people in the UK have changed over time.

Choose the correct decades for the food eating habits.

In the IELTS Listening test, you may hear speakers talking about how things have changed
over a period of time. It is important to listen for past and present time signals, which will
help you to understand what time period the speakers are referring to.

Examples of past time signals:

at that time …, in the past …, by the 1990s …, previously …

Examples of present time signals:

these days …, at the present time …, nowadays …, now …

Woman: … right, right. And, of course, there are so many cookery

programmes nowadays, aren’t there? I mean there’s ‘The Great Cake
Competition’ on Channel 7 and then, I think, there’s ‘The Best Chef’ on the
Food and Drink Channel, and that’s really popular as well, isn’t it?

Man: Yes, that’s right. And it’s surprising, really, because there’s been a big
fall in the number of people cooking at home. You know, since the
introduction of takeaways and ready-made meals and so on, these days people play.MP3

hardly ever do any cooking at home. They just watch it on TV.

Woman: Hmm, yes. It’s an interesting development in the way we think

about food in this country. Why do you think our eating habits changed?
Man: Well, I’m not sure, but I think it goes back to the 1960s. At that time,
people usually stayed at home with their kids and they had the same types of
meal every week. For example, on Sunday, they always had roast beef or
chicken, and on Fridays, they had fish and chips.

Woman: Because previously it was traditional to eat fish on Friday?

Man: That’s right. But then in the 1970s the price of fridges went down quite
a lot. So that’s when things like frozen fish and peas became very popular.

Woman: And did that mean there was a decrease in people buying and
cooking fresh food?

Man: Yes, it did. And that created another new trend in the British diet – food
from different countries. You know, Chinese, Indian, Italian and so on. I don’t
have any data for this, but I know that the popularity of food from other
countries led to a big increase in the number of small restaurants.

Woman: Do you mean there was a rise in Indian and Chinese restaurants, for
example?

Man: Yes, that’s right. And the number of pizza places went up at about the
same time, too. This meant that by the 1990s, lots of people were choosing to
go out for dinner. There were more restaurants and so prices dropped.

Woman: And what about takeaways?

Man: Oh, well, yes, takeaways became very popular, too. In fact, do you
know what the figure is for takeaways?

Woman: The figure? Do you mean how much money the takeaway business
is worth?

Man: Yes – it’s £30 billion a year at the present time.

Woman: 30 billion! Wow! That’s an amazing amount of money! Well, that

business has grown since the 1960s, hasn’t it?

Man: It has indeed. And so now we sit at home with our favourite takeaway
meal while we watch professional chefs cooking on TV!

Woman: Hmm. That might explain why heart disease is now a bigger
problem than it used to be!

1. Watching cooking on TV and rarely cooking at home

o 1960s
o 1970s
 o 1990s
o NOW

2. Staying at home and eating the same food every week

o 1960s
o 1970s
o 1990s
o NOW

3. Buying more frozen foods such as fish and vegetables

o 1960s
o 1970s
o 1990s
o NOW

4. Eating out in restaurants

o 1960s
o 1970s
o 1990s
o NOW

5. Sitting at home and eating takeaway food

o 1960s
o 1970s
o 1990s
o NOW

Unit 2: Exercise 3
Read the information. Then choose the one word in each list that does not have
the same meaning as the others.

Talking about trends, such as changes in diet and eating habits, is an important skill in
IELTS. It is also important to recognise words or phrases that don’t fit a particular group or
set of words and phrases.

Example
takeaway
fast-food
ready-made meal
unhealthy

In the list above, takeaway, fast-food and ready-made meal are all types of meals. Therefore,
the word that doesn’t fit the group is unhealthy.

1.
o Fall
o Go down
o Decrease
o rise
2.
o Increase
o Drop
o Grow
o Go up
3.
o Sugar
o Water
o Fizzy drink
o Fruit juice
4.
o Nowadays
o At the present time
o These days
o previously
5.
o Development
o Introduction
o Change
o trend

Unit 2: Exercise 4
Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

6. The number of customers decreased/ dropped/ increased from 45 people a day in

2011 to 105 in 2016.
7. Fizzy drinks are unhealthy because of the very large amount/data/ figure of sugar in
every bottle.
8. Nowadays/ Previously/ These days you could only buy British food at this café, but
now the food is more international.
9. There was a big change/ introduction/trend in the way people shopped for food in the
1980s.
10. Although the number of burgers we sold last year dropped/ went up/ will decrease ,
sales of sandwiches rose.
 11. Eating sushi became popular in Britain in the 1990s and this figure/trend/rise
continues today.

Unit 2: Exercise 5
Listen to eight speakers spelling out names and numbers. Listen carefully and
decide which names and numbers have been written down correctly.

Choose the correct answers.

IELTS short-answer questions test your ability to listen for facts. The facts you hear may be
words or numbers such as:

 the name of a person, a place or a thing

 the title of a book or film
 an address
 a price
 a telephone number.

Often, you have to listen to someone spelling a word or reading a number so you can write it
down.

1. HEBBURN

o Correct
o Incorrect

2. EASTWOOD

o Correct
o Incorrect

3. BRAMPTON

o Correct play.MP3

o Incorrect

4. WORROW

o Correct
o Incorrect

5. MIDDLEDOM

o Correct
 o Incorrect

6. KIMBERLEY

o Correct
o Incorrect

7. 0141 768112

o Correct
o Incorrect

8. £948.75

o Correct
o Incorrect

Unit 2: Exercise 6
In IELTS Listening short-answer questions, you must spell words correctly, so
it is important to know how the letters of the alphabet are pronounced.

Listen to each recording. Write the words you hear.

--- --- --- --- ---

1.MP3

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

2.MP3

--- --- --- ---

3.MP3

--- --- --- --- ---

4.MP3

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
5.MP3

--- --- --- --- ---

6.MP3
 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
7.MP3

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
8.MP3

--- --- --- --- ---

9.MP3

--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

10.MP3

Unit 2: Exercise 7
Listen to the recording. Choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.

1. The problem is that many people ... have an unhealthy diet.

o Nowadays
o these days

2. The trend for buying Indian takeaways has risen by … since 2016.

o 16%
o 6%

3. Doctors are worried about the increase in heart disease among … and
over.

o men aged 35
o men aged 45 play.MP3

4. Good-quality food can be found in many of the city’s ...

o fine hotel restaurants.

o five hotel restaurants.

5. Sales of our … pies have fallen over the last three months.

o ready-made fish
o ready-made fish
Unit 2: Exercise 8
Read the information. Then think about the type of information you will need to
listen for to answer these questions.

Match the types of information with the short-answer questions.

Remember, before you listen, quickly read through the short-answer questions to predict what
kind of information you need to write (e.g. a name, a number, a price, etc.).

Also, think about the grammar of the word. For example, if the word you need is a noun, do
you need a singular noun (e.g. a sugar cube), a plural noun (sugar cubes) or an uncountable
noun (e.g. sugar)?

a kind of drink a person’s name a place a street name a type of food

a type of medical problem a word and/or number(s)

1. What is the surname of the writer that Sarah likes? ____________________
2. What is the password for the university library website? ____________________
3. Which drink does Joe say people should stop drinking? ____________________
4. Where are many families getting their meals from? ____________________
5. What problem does Sarah say is increasing because of unhealthy eating?
____________________
6. Which kind of fast food is most popular with other university students?
____________________
7. In which street is the sushi café? ____________________

Unit 2: Exercise 9
Questions 1–7

Answer the questions.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Announcer: You will hear two Health Studies students called Sarah and
Joe talking about their presentation on changing eating habits.

Sarah: Hi, Joe. How are you?

Joe: Not bad, thanks, Sarah. So, we have to decide what we’re going to
focus on in our presentation on changing eating habits.

Sarah: Right. Well, I looked at the list of writers that the tutor
recommended – you know, people who have written whole books on the
subject of changing eating habits – and I found two of them in the
university library.

Joe: OK, which writers were they?

Sarah: Well, I had a look at the introduction to Modern Diet – that was by
a researcher called Ann Robertson.

Joe: And what did you think?

Sarah: Well, I didn’t get very far, I’m afraid. I just didn’t find her style
very interesting. But the book by Joanne Mackenzie – that was very
informative, and I enjoyed that.

Joe: How do you spell her surname?

play.MP3
Sarah: Oh, it’s M – A – C – K – E – N – Z – I – E.

Joe: Great. I’ll go to the library and I’ll see if I can find another copy of
the book.

Sarah: OK, but what you could do instead – and it might be quicker – is
look at the university library website. It’ll tell you if there are other copies
– and when they’re going to become available. I mean, you don’t want to
be waiting ages and ages for a copy if another student has only just
borrowed it.

Joe: Good idea – I’ll do that. But I can’t remember what the password is
for the website.

Sarah: The password? Oh, I think I saved it on my cellphone. Let’s have a

look. OK, here it is. Do you want to write it down?

Joe: Sure. What is it?

Sarah: OK, it’s a mix of letters and numbers. It’s O – T – A – L – I – B –

2 – 0 – 1 – 6.

Joe: Great. Got it. So, I did some research myself at the weekend. I
thought we should look at what people are drinking nowadays, not just
what they’re eating.

Sarah: Good idea. I suppose that a lot of fizzy drinks are really bad for
you – but certainly last year there was a huge increase in the sales of that
kind of product.

Joe: True, but most people know that they’re unhealthy. But what a lot of
people don’t realise is that fruit juice is also really bad for you. It’s full of
sugar. People often drink it with their breakfast, but in my opinion, it’s not
something that people should buy any more. Water is really the best thing
for you. That’s what people should be drinking more of – whether they’re
at home or out.

Sarah: I agree. Actually, you just reminded me ... it’s interesting: between
2005 and 2015, there was a big increase in the number of people eating out
– going to restaurants, I mean. But now, for many families, there’s a new
trend. More and more people are eating in. But it’s not food that they
prepare at home themselves. Nowadays, it’s ready-made meals they buy
from supermarkets.

Joe: Rather than from takeaways, you mean?

Sarah: Yes, right.

Joe: That kind of thing is too expensive for me!

Sarah: Me too. And I don’t think they’re very tasty, anyway.

Joe: OK, what are we going to say about the problems that eating
unhealthy food causes?

Sarah: Well, the one that’s getting worse and worse in this country is heart
disease. There’s a huge number of people that are affected by it
nowadays.

Joe: And the figure’s going up all the time.

Sarah: The thing is, a lot of unhealthy food is cheaper than healthy food,
so it’s no wonder that people buy it.

Joe: Including students like us.

Sarah: Yes, that’s right.

Joe: I actually did a bit of research about that, too. I mean, on campus, you
know, we have six different places that serve fast food.

Sarah: Yes, my favourite is the Chinese place. It’s very convenient for
me.
Joe: Me too, but I discovered that the one that is busiest – that most of the
students go to – is the one selling pizza. It surprised me, because I thought
it was probably going to be the sushi café.

Sarah: Sushi would probably be the healthier choice. Certainly it has less
fat. Where is the sushi café anyway? I mean, which street is that on? I still
get lost around campus.

Joe: Which street? Um, let me think. It’s on Wellesley.

Sarah: How’s that spelt?

Joe: W – E – double L – E – S – L – E – Y. You know, it goes past the

John Wellesley Library – up near the park.

Sarah: Right, I know the one you mean.

Joe: OK, I suppose we’d better start thinking about what we’re going to
include in this presentation …

1. What is the surname of the writer that Sarah likes? ________________

2. What is the password for the university library website? ________________
3. Which drink does Joe say people should stop drinking? ________________
4. Where are many families getting their meals from? ________________
5. What problem does Sarah say is increasing because of unhealthy eating?
________________
6. Which kind of fast food is most popular with other university students?
________________
7. In which street is the sushi café? ________________

Unit 2: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt from doing this unit.

Complete the summary. Use the words in the box.

Facts hyphen instructions numbers predict pronunciation

1. For IELTS short-answer questions, you need to listen carefully for _______________
such as the name of a person, a place, a date or a phone number.
2. Always read the _______________ carefully to find out exactly how many
_________________ you have to write and if you need to write any
_________________ such as prices or amounts as well.
3. Remember that words with a _________________ , such as ready-made, count as
one word only.
 4. To prepare for the text, it is a good idea to revise the _________________ of the
alphabet in English. Practise listening to how the vowels a, e, i, o and u are
pronounced, and any consonants that may sound similar to you (e.g. t and d).
5. Before you hear the recording, read the questions and try to _______________ what
kind of information you will need to write your answers.

Unit 2: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will answer IELTS Reading sentence completion questions and
read a text about mammoths.

What do you already know about mammoths? Choose the correct answers.

Before you read any IELTS Reading text, you should quickly think about the things you
already know about the topic. You won’t be able to guess any answers like this, but this will
help you understand the general idea of the text.

1. Mammoths had ... .

o no fur and long tusks

o orange-brown fur and long tusks
o orange-brown fur and short tusks

2. The last mammoths were alive about ... .

o 4,000 years ago

o 7,000 years ago
o 10,000 years ago

3. People have found many bodies of mammoths ... .

o at the bottom of lakes in Europe

o in the desert in Australia
o in the ice in Siberia

Unit 2: Exercise 2
The title of the text about mammoths is called ‘Bringing the mammoth back to
life’.

What do you think the text might be about? Choose the best option.

o a scientific study of the way mammoths used to behave

o methods for transporting mammoth skeletons to museums in different countries
o the idea that mammoths might be created again in the future
Unit 2: Exercise 3
Read the information. Then read the first paragraph of the text. Try to focus
only on the
main words.

Choose the correct answer.

In any IELTS Reading task, it is a good idea to read the text quickly to understand the main
idea of each paragraph. Try to read only the main nouns, verbs and adjectives (shown in bold
in the paragraph below).

Bringing the mammoth back to life

Mammoths once lived in large numbers across Asia, Africa, North America and Europe.
However, over time, their numbers fell until the mammoth became extinct. Scientists think
this happened for two reasons. Firstly, the mammoths’ natural habitat decreased in size
because of climate change. Secondly, many mammoths were killed by people who hunted
them. The last population of mammoths lived on Wrangel Island, off north-east Siberia
in the Chukchi Sea. These were woolly mammoths that could survive in very cold
conditions, but they also died out around 4,000 years ago.

What is the main idea of this paragraph?

o to explain where mammoths lived before they became extinct

o to explain when mammoths became extinct
o to explain why mammoths became extinct

Unit 2: Exercise 4
In the text about mammoths, there is a range of vocabulary about the natural
world and the conservation of animals.

Match the words with the definitions.

a population a skeleton an ecosystem to become extinct to decrease

to hunt to preserve
1. This happens when a type of bird, animal or plant doesn’t exist any
more:
2. to become smaller in size or number:
3. to follow and kill an animal for food or for sport:
4. to put something (e.g. food) in ice, salt, sugar or chemicals, so it can
stay in good condition:
5. all the people or animals that live in one place or area:
6. all the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and
the environment:
7. the frame of bones supporting a human or animal body:

Unit 2: Exercise 5
Complete the sentences about the natural world. Use the words in the box.

Decrease ecosystem extinct hunt population preserve skeleton

1. Pollution harms all the plants, fish and animals in the ________________ .
2. The tutor showed the ________________ to the medical students and asked which
small bones were missing.
3. We expect the number of people living in the countryside will ________________ as
families move to the cities.
4. There are so few polar bears left that it is possible they will soon become
_________________ .
5. The ________________ of my city has risen to 8 million people.
6. Lions often ________________ other animals at night.
7. Nowadays, most people use fridges to _______________ their food.

Unit 2: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then read the sentences and look at the gaps. What type
of information do you need to complete the gaps? Use the words in the box for
your predictions.

In the IELTS Reading sentence completion task, it can be useful to first predict the type of
information you should be looking for in the text. To do this, look carefully at the words
before and after the gap.

 If the gap is before a verb + -s (e.g. hunts, falls), then the word in the gap must be a
singular noun (e.g. This animal hunts at night) or an uncountable noun (Snow falls
all year round.).
 If the gap is before a verb without -s (e.g. hunt, fall), the word in the gap must be a
 plural noun (e.g. The men hunt the lions at night.) or a countable noun (e.g.
Leaves fall from the trees.).
 If the gap is after very but before a noun, the word in the gap must be an adjective
(e.g. This is a very dangerous animal for the men to hunt.).

a plural countable noun a plural countable noun or an uncountable noun

an adjective a singular noun

1. The number of mammoths started to fall when their ________ got smaller.

This word is probably____________________________________ , e.g. forests or

land.

2. Mammoths had smaller ________ than modern elephants.

This word is probably____________________________________ , e.g. feet or eyes.

3. Mammoths were very ________ animals.

This word is probably _____________________________________ , e.g. large or

intelligent.

4. The ________ of a baby mammoth was found recently in the Arctic.

This word is probably ______________________________________ , e.g. body or

skeleton.

Unit 2: Exercise 7
In the IELTS Reading test, you will need to be able to recognise words and
phrases with a similar meaning (i.e. synonyms and paraphrases).

Match the words and phrases with the correct synonyms and paraphrases.

get smaller make a possibility both some lower (than) the contents of

1. build or create
2. inside of or within
3. a pair of
4. not as high as
5. a little or an amount of
 6. decrease or fall
7. might or may

Unit 2: Exercise 8
Complete the sentences below.

Write ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Bringing the mammoth back to life

Mammoths once lived in large numbers across Asia, Africa, North America and Europe.
However, over time, their numbers fell until the mammoth became extinct. Scientists think
this happened for two reasons. Firstly, the mammoths’ natural habitat decreased in size
because of climate change. Secondly, many mammoths were killed by people who hunted
them. The last population of mammoths lived on Wrangel Island, off north-east Siberia in the
Chukchi Sea. These were woolly mammoths that could survive in very cold conditions, but
they also died out around 4,000 years ago.

Prehistoric cave paintings show us that people ate the woolly mammoths they killed, but also
used their bones and tusks. They used these to make simple animal and human figures, an
early kind of art, and also to create some basic tools. We also know a lot about the woolly
mammoth because the freezing conditions in Alaska and Siberia have preserved them.
Researchers have studied their skeletons, their teeth and even the grass and plants that were
still inside their stomachs. We know that their fur was an orange-brown colour, they had a
thick layer of fat, and they had long, curved tusks. Their ears were short compared to an
African or Asian elephant’s we might see today, so they would not lose so much heat or get
frostbite.

In recent years, some researchers have suggested that we could bring woolly mammoths back
to life. Interestingly, not all scientists believe that bringing the mammoth back to life would
be a good thing. They think it would be unfair to create a ‘new’ mammoth and then keep it in
a small space. They think the right thing to do would be to give it a certain amount of
freedom, perhaps in a wildlife park. But where would this be? And the mammoth would also
be alone, and like elephants, mammoths were probably social in the way they behaved. This
does seem to be a strong reason against bringing the mammoth back to life. Perhaps the
‘new’ mammoth might also develop an ‘old’ disease – and this might have an effect on the
ecosystem that scientists cannot predict. Although the idea of bringing the mammoth back
seems like an exciting one at first, there are many issues that we need to consider

1. The number of mammoths started to fall when their __________________ got

smaller.
2. Humans used mammoths for food, and to make art and ____________________ .
3. Scientists have examined the contents of mammoths’ __________________ .
4. Mammoths had smaller _____________________ than modern elephants.
5. Some scientists think that a ‘new’ mammoth should have some
____________________ .
 6. Both elephants and mammoths are ___________________ animals.
7. There is a possibility that a ‘new’ mammoth could get a ____________________ .

Unit 2: Exercise 9
Read the information. Then complete the table. Use the nouns in the box.

In an IELTS Reading sentence completion task, there are often a variety of words used to
describe people and experts.

These kinds of words are very common and it is important to recognise them.

Society scholars the public academics researchers individuals

People Experts

Unit 2: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt in this unit.

Complete the advice. Use the words in the box.

IELTS Reading text kind of paraphrasing main point spelling correctly

synonyms of words topic type of information

1. Look at the title of the article to help you predict the __________________ of the
whole article.
 2. Quickly read the whole text first to get a general idea of the ___________________
of each paragraph.
3. Read the questions and use your general knowledge to predict the
____________________ you need to look for.

4. Look for key information in the questions and think what __________________ you
might see in the text.
5. Look out for ___________________ for people and different kinds of expert.
6. Only use words from the ____________________ in your answers.
7. When you write your answers, make sure you copy the _________________ , and
don’t forget to use the correct form if the word is plural.

Unit 2: Exercise 1
In IELTS Speaking Part 2 it is a good idea to avoid repetition.

Read the task card, paying attention to the words in bold. Then match the words
from the task card with words and phrases that have a similar meaning.

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.

length of time the reason why vacation liked during

location visited explain

1. holiday
2. enjoyed
3. say
4. place
5. how long
6. stayed
7. while
8. explain why
Unit 2: Exercise 2
Read the task card. Then complete the student’s notes. Use the words in the
box.

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.

Bought had ran stayed was went were

Notes

 where the place was

We ___________ a holiday in Pingyao, China = historical small town

 when you went there and how long you stayed

It _____________ this year (June) / we ______________ for 2 or 3 days

 what you did while you were there

We ____________ shopping and ______________ some local things

 explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place

The people who _______________ the hotel _______________ very friendly

Unit 2: Exercise 3
Read the task card again. It asks you to describe a holiday that you enjoyed, so you should
use the past simple tense in your answer.

Complete the table with the past simple forms of the verbs.
Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.

Bought did enjoyed had ran stayed went were

verb past simple form

Enjoy ------------------
Have ------------------
Be Was/ ------------------
Go ------------------
Stay ------------------
Do ------------------
Buy ------------------
Run ------------------

Unit 2: Exercise 4
Read the task card. Then watch the video of a student doing IELTS Speaking Part 2. The
student makes some mistakes and uses the wrong tense in her answers. Correct the ten
mistakes using the past simple form of the verbs.

You will get a maximum of 2 points per mistake (1 point for finding the correct part to
change, 1 point for making the change correctly).

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.
 1. I really want to go there.
2. We stay there for two or three days.
3. We travelling there and go around there and … buy some local things.
(3 mistakes)
4. We have two days in a hotel.
5. It’s quite a small hotel. play.MP4
6. I really enjoy this holiday.
7. After that, we go around another city nearby ...
8. And then we go back to Beijing.

Unit 2: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then complete the sentences using the past simple forms
of the verbs in brackets.

The past simple:

Positive form
subject + past simple verb + object
Example: You enjoyed the holiday.

Negative form
subject + did not + past simple verb + object
Example: You did not (didn't) enjoy the holiday.

Question form
Did + subject + past simple verb + object
Example: Did you enjoy the holiday?

1. Positive: In Greece, we ______________ in the sea every day. (swim)

2. Negative: When I was in Los Angeles I _______________ any hamburgers. (eat)
3. Positive: My friend _______________ Portuguese when we were in Brazil. (speak)
4. Question: _____________ the Colosseum when you were in Rome? (visit)
5. Question: _____________ your bags at the hotel? (leave)
6. Positive: I ______________ to visit the Fabergé Museum when I was in St.
Petersburg. (forget)
7. Question: _____________ your camera in my suitcase? (put)
8. Negative: In Tokyo I _________________ a lot of green tea. (drink)
9. Negative: We ________________ at all when we were in Cuba. (dance)
10. Question: _____________ the trip to the zoo? (enjoy)
Unit 2: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then watch the videos and complete the students’
answers. Use the words from the information box.

You can use words like and, or, but, so and because to give more information in your
answers.

1. I’m happy they could choose this period of time to spend with me and my
sister, ______________ I have good memories of this trip.
1.MP4

2. The place where I had a holiday that I enjoyed was in the Maldives,
_____________ it’s now two years ago.
2.MP4

3. It’s a historical place. It’s a very small town, ______________ a lot of history
has happened there.
3.MP4

4. So first we were relaxing __________________ the Maldives, ... is a place

where you can really relax.
4.MP4

5. We stayed there for two days ________________ three days.

5.MP4

Unit 2: Exercise 7
Match the two halves to complete the sentences.

and another thing was the wildlife. so I took a lot of photos on the holiday.

so I saw the pyramids. or Arabic, which meant that we had to speak English.

but I hated the weather. because the people were so friendly.

so I had to cancel my credit card. because they could not speak English.

1. When I was in New York I lost my wallet,

2. I loved the food in Germany,
3. We didn't speak Chinese
4. Sometimes people in Warsaw spoke to me
in Polish,
5. I visited Egypt,
6. One thing I liked about Alaska was the
scenery,
7. My father gave me a camera for my
birthday,
8. I didn't feel lonely in India

Unit 2: Exercise 8
Watch the video and read the information.

Then match the descriptions with the sentences. The sentences include words
and phrases that you can use in the IELTS Speaking test to sound more natural.

You can use words or phrases like basically, for a start, I mean,
now and actually to sound more natural.

Did you notice how the student in the video uses actually to talk about a
surprising fact?
play.MP4

Example:

... and it was actually the first holiday that we were together.

adds or clarifies information gives an example introduces a new topic

shows surprise about a fact simplifies or summarises information

1. It's a good place to visit. I mean, for a holiday. ____________________________

2. We spent the whole holiday on the beach. Every day, basically.
____________________________
3. There is a lot to see in this city. For a start, there are so many museums.
____________________________
4. Now, let me tell you about the hotel …____________________________
5. I thought it would be hot but actually it was cold. ____________________________

Unit 2: Exercise 9
Choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.
 1. I expected the weather in Jamaica to be lovely but actually/basically/for a start/I
mean/now it was really bad.
2. The weather was really bad. Actually/Basically/For a start/I mean/Now , it rained
every day!
3. Swedish winters are much worse than British winters. Actually/Basically/For a start/I
mean/Now , it always snows in Sweden, plus it’s a lot colder …
4. We loved the food in Italy. Actually/Basically/For a start/I mean/Now , I have to tell
you about the ice cream …
5. It’s an expensive city. Actually/Basically/For a start/I mean/Now , it isn’t as
expensive as some other cities, but it’s not cheap.

Unit 2: Exercise 10
You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a
pencil.

Listen to the examiner. Record your answer. Play to hear your answer

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.

Unit 2: Exercise 1
In IELTS Speaking Part 2 it is a good idea to avoid repetition.

Read the task card, paying attention to the words in bold. Then match the words
from the task card with words and phrases that have a similar meaning.

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
 what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.

length of time the reason why vacation liked during

location visited explain

1. holiday
2. enjoyed
3. say
4. place
5. how long
6. stayed
7. while
8. explain why

Unit 2: Exercise 2
Read the task card. Then complete the student’s notes. Use the words in the
box.

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.

Bought had ran stayed was went were

Notes

 where the place was

We ___________ a holiday in Pingyao, China = historical small town

 when you went there and how long you stayed

It _____________ this year (June) / we ______________ for 2 or 3 days

  what you did while you were there

We ____________ shopping and ______________ some local things

 explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place

The people who _______________ the hotel _______________ very friendly

Unit 2: Exercise 3
Read the task card again. It asks you to describe a holiday that you enjoyed, so you should
use the past simple tense in your answer.

Complete the table with the past simple forms of the verbs.

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.

Bought did enjoyed had ran stayed went were

verb past simple form

Enjoy ------------------
Have ------------------
Be Was/ ------------------
Go ------------------
Stay ------------------
Do ------------------
Buy ------------------
Run ------------------

Unit 2: Exercise 4
Read the task card. Then watch the video of a student doing IELTS Speaking Part 2. The
student makes some mistakes and uses the wrong tense in her answers. Correct the ten
mistakes using the past simple form of the verbs.
You will get a maximum of 2 points per mistake (1 point for finding the correct part to
change, 1 point for making the change correctly).

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.

9. I really want to go there.

10. We stay there for two or three days.
11. We travelling there and go around there and … buy some local things.
(3 mistakes)
12. We have two days in a hotel.
13. It’s quite a small hotel. play.MP4
14. I really enjoy this holiday.
15. After that, we go around another city nearby ...
16. And then we go back to Beijing.

Unit 2: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then complete the sentences using the past simple forms
of the verbs in brackets.

The past simple:

Positive form
subject + past simple verb + object
Example: You enjoyed the holiday.

Negative form
subject + did not + past simple verb + object
Example: You did not (didn't) enjoy the holiday.

Question form
Did + subject + past simple verb + object
Example: Did you enjoy the holiday?

11. Positive: In Greece, we ______________ in the sea every day. (swim)

 12. Negative: When I was in Los Angeles I _______________ any hamburgers. (eat)
13. Positive: My friend _______________ Portuguese when we were in Brazil. (speak)
14. Question: _____________ the Colosseum when you were in Rome? (visit)
15. Question: _____________ your bags at the hotel? (leave)
16. Positive: I ______________ to visit the Fabergé Museum when I was in St.
Petersburg. (forget)
17. Question: _____________ your camera in my suitcase? (put)
18. Negative: In Tokyo I _________________ a lot of green tea. (drink)
19. Negative: We ________________ at all when we were in Cuba. (dance)
20. Question: _____________ the trip to the zoo? (enjoy)

Unit 2: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then watch the videos and complete the students’
answers. Use the words from the information box.

You can use words like and, or, but, so and because to give more information in your
answers.

1. I’m happy they could choose this period of time to spend with me and my
sister, ______________ I have good memories of this trip.
1.MP4

2. The place where I had a holiday that I enjoyed was in the Maldives,
_____________ it’s now two years ago.
2.MP4

3. It’s a historical place. It’s a very small town, ______________ a lot of history
has happened there.
3.MP4

4. So first we were relaxing __________________ the Maldives, ... is a place

where you can really relax.
4.MP4

5. We stayed there for two days ________________ three days.

5.MP4

Unit 2: Exercise 7
Match the two halves to complete the sentences.
 and another thing was the wildlife. so I took a lot of photos on the holiday.

so I saw the pyramids. or Arabic, which meant that we had to speak English.

but I hated the weather. because the people were so friendly.

so I had to cancel my credit card. because they could not speak English.

1. When I was in New York I lost my wallet,

2. I loved the food in Germany,
3. We didn't speak Chinese
4. Sometimes people in Warsaw spoke to me
in Polish,
5. I visited Egypt,
6. One thing I liked about Alaska was the
scenery,
7. My father gave me a camera for my
birthday,
8. I didn't feel lonely in India

Unit 2: Exercise 8
Watch the video and read the information.

Then match the descriptions with the sentences. The sentences include words
and phrases that you can use in the IELTS Speaking test to sound more natural.

You can use words or phrases like basically, for a start, I mean,
now and actually to sound more natural.

Did you notice how the student in the video uses actually to talk about a
surprising fact?
play.MP4

Example:

... and it was actually the first holiday that we were together.

adds or clarifies information gives an example introduces a new topic

shows surprise about a fact simplifies or summarises information

 6. It's a good place to visit. I mean, for a holiday. ____________________________
7. We spent the whole holiday on the beach. Every day, basically.
____________________________
8. There is a lot to see in this city. For a start, there are so many museums.
____________________________
9. Now, let me tell you about the hotel …____________________________
10. I thought it would be hot but actually it was cold. ____________________________

Unit 2: Exercise 9
Choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.

6. I expected the weather in Jamaica to be lovely but actually/basically/for a start/I

mean/now it was really bad.
7. The weather was really bad. Actually/Basically/For a start/I mean/Now , it rained
every day!
8. Swedish winters are much worse than British winters. Actually/Basically/For a start/I
mean/Now , it always snows in Sweden, plus it’s a lot colder …
9. We loved the food in Italy. Actually/Basically/For a start/I mean/Now , I have to tell
you about the ice cream …
10. It’s an expensive city. Actually/Basically/For a start/I mean/Now , it isn’t as
expensive as some other cities, but it’s not cheap.

Unit 2: Exercise 10
You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a
pencil.

Listen to the examiner. Record your answer. Play to hear your answer

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.

Unit 2: Exercise 1
In IELTS Speaking Part 2 it is a good idea to avoid repetition.

Read the task card, paying attention to the words in bold. Then match the words
from the task card with words and phrases that have a similar meaning.

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.

length of time the reason why vacation liked during

location visited explain

1. holiday
2. enjoyed
3. say
4. place
5. how long
6. stayed
7. while
8. explain why

Unit 2: Exercise 2
Read the task card. Then complete the student’s notes. Use the words in the
box.

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.
 Bought had ran stayed was went were

Notes

 where the place was

We ___________ a holiday in Pingyao, China = historical small town

 when you went there and how long you stayed

It _____________ this year (June) / we ______________ for 2 or 3 days

 what you did while you were there

We ____________ shopping and ______________ some local things

 explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place

The people who _______________ the hotel _______________ very friendly

Unit 2: Exercise 3
Read the task card again. It asks you to describe a holiday that you enjoyed, so you should
use the past simple tense in your answer.

Complete the table with the past simple forms of the verbs.

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.

Bought did enjoyed had ran stayed went were

verb past simple form

Enjoy ------------------
 Have ------------------
Be Was/ ------------------
Go ------------------
Stay ------------------
Do ------------------
Buy ------------------
Run ------------------

Unit 2: Exercise 4
Read the task card. Then watch the video of a student doing IELTS Speaking Part 2. The
student makes some mistakes and uses the wrong tense in her answers. Correct the ten
mistakes using the past simple form of the verbs.

You will get a maximum of 2 points per mistake (1 point for finding the correct part to
change, 1 point for making the change correctly).

Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.

17. I really want to go there.

18. We stay there for two or three days.
19. We travelling there and go around there and … buy some local things.
(3 mistakes)
20. We have two days in a hotel.
21. It’s quite a small hotel. play.MP4
22. I really enjoy this holiday.
23. After that, we go around another city nearby ...
24. And then we go back to Beijing.

Unit 2: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then complete the sentences using the past simple forms
of the verbs in brackets.
The past simple:

Positive form
subject + past simple verb + object
Example: You enjoyed the holiday.

Negative form
subject + did not + past simple verb + object
Example: You did not (didn't) enjoy the holiday.

Question form
Did + subject + past simple verb + object
Example: Did you enjoy the holiday?

21. Positive: In Greece, we ______________ in the sea every day. (swim)

22. Negative: When I was in Los Angeles I _______________ any hamburgers. (eat)
23. Positive: My friend _______________ Portuguese when we were in Brazil. (speak)
24. Question: _____________ the Colosseum when you were in Rome? (visit)
25. Question: _____________ your bags at the hotel? (leave)
26. Positive: I ______________ to visit the Fabergé Museum when I was in St.
Petersburg. (forget)
27. Question: _____________ your camera in my suitcase? (put)
28. Negative: In Tokyo I _________________ a lot of green tea. (drink)
29. Negative: We ________________ at all when we were in Cuba. (dance)
30. Question: _____________ the trip to the zoo? (enjoy)

Unit 2: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then watch the videos and complete the students’
answers. Use the words from the information box.

You can use words like and, or, but, so and because to give more information in your
answers.

1. I’m happy they could choose this period of time to spend with me and my
sister, ______________ I have good memories of this trip.
1.MP4

2. The place where I had a holiday that I enjoyed was in the Maldives,
_____________ it’s now two years ago.
2.MP4
3. It’s a historical place. It’s a very small town, ______________ a lot of history
has happened there.
3.MP4

4. So first we were relaxing __________________ the Maldives, ... is a place

where you can really relax.
4.MP4

5. We stayed there for two days ________________ three days.

5.MP4

Unit 2: Exercise 7
Match the two halves to complete the sentences.

and another thing was the wildlife. so I took a lot of photos on the holiday.

so I saw the pyramids. or Arabic, which meant that we had to speak English.

but I hated the weather. because the people were so friendly.

so I had to cancel my credit card. because they could not speak English.

1. When I was in New York I lost my wallet,

2. I loved the food in Germany,
3. We didn't speak Chinese
4. Sometimes people in Warsaw spoke to me
in Polish,
5. I visited Egypt,
6. One thing I liked about Alaska was the
scenery,
7. My father gave me a camera for my
birthday,
8. I didn't feel lonely in India

Unit 2: Exercise 8
Watch the video and read the information.

Then match the descriptions with the sentences. The sentences include words
and phrases that you can use in the IELTS Speaking test to sound more natural.
You can use words or phrases like basically, for a start, I mean,
now and actually to sound more natural.

Did you notice how the student in the video uses actually to talk about a
surprising fact?
play.MP4

Example:

... and it was actually the first holiday that we were together.

adds or clarifies information gives an example introduces a new topic

shows surprise about a fact simplifies or summarises information

11. It's a good place to visit. I mean, for a holiday. ____________________________

12. We spent the whole holiday on the beach. Every day, basically.
____________________________
13. There is a lot to see in this city. For a start, there are so many museums.
____________________________
14. Now, let me tell you about the hotel …____________________________
15. I thought it would be hot but actually it was cold. ____________________________

Unit 2: Exercise 9
Choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.

11. I expected the weather in Jamaica to be lovely but actually/basically/for a start/I

mean/now it was really bad.
12. The weather was really bad. Actually/Basically/For a start/I mean/Now , it rained
every day!
13. Swedish winters are much worse than British winters. Actually/Basically/For a start/I
mean/Now , it always snows in Sweden, plus it’s a lot colder …
14. We loved the food in Italy. Actually/Basically/For a start/I mean/Now , I have to tell
you about the ice cream …
15. It’s an expensive city. Actually/Basically/For a start/I mean/Now , it isn’t as
expensive as some other cities, but it’s not cheap.

Unit 2: Exercise 10
You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a
pencil.

Listen to the examiner. Record your answer. Play to hear your answer
Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.

You should say:

where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place.
Unit 3: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will learn about Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test and
practise the skills you need to answer sentence completion questions.

The exam task in this unit is about money. This is a common topic in IELTS, so
it is a good idea to think about some vocabulary you might hear.

Match the words in the box with the definitions.

Cash trade coin financial valuable exchange payment worth

1. to give something to someone and receive something else from that person:
__________
2. a small, round piece of metal that is used as money: _________
3. relating to money or how money is managed: ___________
4. having a particular value, especially in money: __________
5. an amount of money you give to someone, often for a product or service:
__________
6. the activity of buying and selling products or services between people or countries:
____________
7. to be worth a lot of money: _____________
8. money in the form of notes and coins, rather than a credit card: _____________

Unit 3: Exercise 2
Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

Cash coin exchange financial payments trade valuable worth

1. Historians believe that the first ___________ was invented over 2,800 years ago and
was made of bronze.
2. The Mona Lisa painting is believed to be _______________ over $780 million.
3. Fewer people carry ________________ nowadays as more payments are being made
electronically.
4. Before money, many people used to ________________ food, like fruits and
vegetables, for tools.
5. A lot of antiques, like paintings and furniture, are extremely ________________
nowadays.
6. Many students receive ______________ support from their families while studying
at university.
7. The number of people making ________________ online is increasing every year.
 8. In the past, as groups of people began to explore new areas, ________________
between different cultures became more common.

Unit 3: Exercise 3
In this example of an IELTS Listening sentence completion task, you will listen
to two students talking about the topic of finance in preparation for a lecture.

Write one word to complete each sentence.

The instructions for the IELTS Listening sentence completion task and short-answer
questions are similar.

Read the instructions carefully to find out exactly how many words you have to write and
make sure that you spell each word correctly.

Greg: Hi, Penny. How’s it going?

Penny: Not bad, thanks, Greg. But I’m glad we’re meeting up. There’s lots for
us to do before next week, I think.

Greg: You’re right. What do you want to discuss first?

Penny: Shall we start with next Friday’s lecture?

Greg: Sounds good to me, Penny.

Penny: OK. We need to do a bit of preparation for it. I mean, the tutor told us
that we should do some background reading on money, didn’t she?

Greg: Yes, but not money in general – only on its history. So starting from
prehistoric times and ancient cultures – all the way up to the 21st century.
play.MP3
Penny: That’s right. So we should start by looking at what people used before
money was invented.

Greg: OK, so before money I think it was all about trade. So, like, in prehistoric
times, people probably exchanged all kinds of things – things that might have no
value at all today, like colourful stones.

Penny: But they were very valuable then, so people really wanted them. And
I’m sure they gave each other useful things as well. Um, you know, like tools?
Or food? For instance, maybe one person had a tool for hunting, and that was
worth a lot to him, and he could exchange it with another person who had some
meat or eggs or fruit.

Greg: Yes, you’re probably right. And then when they did start to use money,
maybe people used bronze to make their coins. Because it was a metal that was
quite easy to use.

Penny: Maybe, yes. Now, what was the name of the book that the tutor told us to
read? I remember the first part of the title: The Financial …?

Greg: The Financial World.

Penny: Oh yes, that’s right. Shall I see if I can find a copy in the university
library for us?

Greg: OK, that’d be great, then we can …

1. Greg and Penny agree to do some background reading on the history of

___________ .
2. Greg says that before money, _____________ was very common.
3. Greg says that in the past, bronze was probably used to make ____________ .
4. The book Greg and Penny should read is called ‘The ____________ World’.

Unit 3: Exercise 4
Read the information. Then read the six extracts. Decide if each word in bold is
an adjective, a verb, or a noun. Highlight the adjectives in green, the verbs in
yellow, and the nouns in blue.

In IELTS sentence completion tasks, it’s important to consider the form of the word you are
expected to write. Before you listen, read the sentences carefully and try to identify the type
of word. Often, it will be a noun, an adjective or a verb. Identifying the correct type of word
will ensure that you write it in the correct form.

1. So starting from prehistoric times and ancient cultures – all the way up to the 21st
century.
2. So we should start by looking at what people used before money was invented.
3. OK, so before money I think it was all about trade. So, like, in prehistoric times,
people probably exchanged all kinds of things – things that might have no value
today.
4. And I’m sure they gave each other useful things as well, you know, like tools.
5. But they were very valuable then, so people really wanted them.
6. Maybe people used bronze to make their coins.

Unit 3: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then match the words and phrases in the box with the
correct synonyms.

In the IELTS Listening test, you might hear speakers use different words to those used in the
sentences or questions. For example, a speaker might use a synonym (a word or phrase that has the
same or similar meaning as another word or phrase). Understanding synonyms will help you to
better follow a monologue and complete sentences with the correct word or phrase.

began to use circle were made for mostly had the idea produce
very small images

Introduced ___________

Mainly ___________

Make ___________

Pictures ___________

Round ___________

Thought ___________

Tiny ___________

Were designed for ___________

Unit 3: Exercise 6
Read the sentences. Choose the correct synonym for the words and phrases in
bold.

1. The UK introduced the two-pound coin in 1998.

o began to use
o created
o made

2. Before money, it was common for people to use food, such as rice, in exchange for
tools.

o Easy
o Difficult
o normal

3. The line graph shows the number of people who worked in finance in the years
between 1990 and 2015.

o Displays
 o Explains
o includes

4. According to recent figures, the company was valued at £25 million in 2015.

o sold for
o offered
o worth

5. Many countries in Europe started to produce paper money in the 17th century.

o began to make
o changed to
o decided to use

6. The five-yen coin, used in Japan, is round with a very small hole in the middle.

o Square
o Tiny
o Very big

Unit 3: Exercise 7
Read the information. Then read the extracts from a lecture on the history of
money and choose the five phrases that signal the introduction of a new topic.

Cues help you find the part of the recording you need to answer the questions and complete
sentences, but you also need to follow the ideas the speakers talk about.

You can do this by listening for signalling phrases. These are phrases that a speaker can use
to:

 introduce a new point or topic (e.g. We’ll start by …, But that wasn’t the only…)
 make a point about the current topic (e.g. It should be noted that …)
 give a definition or an explanation (e.g. In other words, …).

 Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times.

 It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins became more
organised.
 The only problem with these little tools is that they looked just like the real ones.
 Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this happened
in China.
 This is a metal which is quite easy to use and to make large tools from.
 It’s something that’s so easy to buy in the supermarket nowadays.
 But that wasn’t the only big development in China.
 What else was used instead of money in the distant past?
Unit 3: Exercise 8
Listen to a lecture on the history of money.

Put the signalling phrases for introducing new topics in the order you hear them.

Announcer: You will hear a lecturer talking about the history of money.

Lecturer: Hello and welcome to today’s lecture. As you might know already,
in this session we’re going to be looking at the history of money – how it
started out and how it’s changed over the centuries.

Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times. At this
time, people, of course, didn’t have money. If they could see that someone
else had something they wanted, maybe some animal fur or some vegetables
perhaps, they would offer that person something of their own – and one very
common thing that people offered was salt. It’s something that’s so easy to
buy in the supermarket nowadays, but in prehistoric times, it was very
valuable indeed, so worth quite a bit if you wanted to exchange it for
something.

What else was used instead of money in the distant past? Later, when groups
of people began to explore and come into contact with other groups, trade
between different cultures became more common. For example, we know that
ancient cultures in Europe started to exchange tools with each other – tools
that they’d made – that would have been interesting to the other group.
Typically, these would be tools that were designed for hunting, but more
rarely they would trade weapons of war and other tools needed for fighting.
These were the most important items for trade. play.MP3

Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this
happened in China. At that time, one of the metals that was common there, in
China, was bronze – and this is a metal which is quite easy to use and to make
large tools from. But, of course, it’s not always convenient to carry large tools
with you – just in case you want to buy some food, for example. So, some
people started to produce very small models of some typical tools, in bronze.
Then, if a person was interested in doing trade with someone else, he would
use those instead of real ones. And this was a big step forward in the history
of money because – like coins and cash and credit cards today – they had no
real value themselves. The only problem with these little tools is that they
looked just like the real ones, so they were sometimes sharp … a bit
dangerous to have in your pocket.

But that wasn’t the only big development in China. It was just a couple of
centuries later, around 2,800 years ago, when the Chinese started to create
something different, something that would be smaller and easier to make and
carry, something that was a lot safer and something they could give to each
other as a kind of payment. In other words, coins. These early Chinese coins
were small, flat circles of bronze, but with a square shape cut out of the
centre.

It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins became
more organised. It was here – around 2,600 years ago, in a region called Lydia
– that the city began to create coins that were stronger and would last
longer and were always the same size. They were made partly of gold, but
mainly of silver. And one important person that I have to mention is the King
of Lydia – his name was King Alyattes. He thought that different coins should
have different images to show that they had a different value. Again, this is a
tradition that has continued until today. We know from our research that some
of the coins had images of birds, and that others – although we don’t know
whether they were worth less or more – had an image of a snake on them. I
don’t think any modern coin has the same thing. Maybe you know differently.

Anyway, after that, the Chinese were the first to use paper money and …

But that wasn’t the only big development in China .

It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins became more
organised.

Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this happened in
China.

Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times.

What else was used instead of money in the distant past?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Unit 3: Exercise 9
Complete the sentences. Write ONE WORD ONLY in each gap.
Announcer: You will hear a lecturer talking about the history of money.

Lecturer: Hello and welcome to today’s lecture. As you might know

already, in this session we’re going to be looking at the history of money –
how it started out and how it’s changed over the centuries.

Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times. At this
time, people, of course, didn’t have money. If they could see that someone
else had something they wanted, maybe some animal fur or some
vegetables perhaps, they would offer that person something of their own –
and one very common thing that people offered was salt. It’s something
that’s so easy to buy in the supermarket nowadays, but in prehistoric times,
it was very valuable indeed, so worth quite a bit if you wanted to exchange
it for something.

What else was used instead of money in the distant past? Later, when
groups of people began to explore and come into contact with other groups,
trade between different cultures became more common. For example, we
know that ancient cultures in Europe started to exchange tools with each
other – tools that they’d made – that would have been interesting to the
other group. Typically, these would be tools that were designed for
hunting, but more rarely they would trade weapons of war and other tools
needed for fighting. These were the most important items for trade.

Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this
happened in China. At that time, one of the metals that was common there, play.MP3
in China, was bronze – and this is a metal which is quite easy to use and to
make large tools from. But, of course, it’s not always convenient to carry
large tools with you – just in case you want to buy some food, for example.
So, some people started to produce very small models of some typical
tools, in bronze. Then, if a person was interested in doing trade with
someone else, he would use those instead of real ones. And this was a big
step forward in the history of money because – like coins and cash and
credit cards today – they had no real value themselves. The only problem
with these little tools is that they looked just like the real ones, so they
were sometimes sharp … a bit dangerous to have in your pocket.

But that wasn’t the only big development in China. It was just a couple of
centuries later, around 2,800 years ago, when the Chinese started to create
something different, something that would be smaller and easier to make
and carry, something that was a lot safer and something they could give to
each other as a kind of payment. In other words, coins. These early
Chinese coins were small, flat circles of bronze, but with a square shape
cut out of the centre.

It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins

became more organised. It was here – around 2,600 years ago, in a region
called Lydia – that the city began to create coins that were stronger and
would last longer and were always the same size. They were made partly
of gold, but mainly of silver. And one important person that I have to
mention is the King of Lydia – his name was King Alyattes. He thought
that different coins should have different images to show that they had a
different value. Again, this is a tradition that has continued until today. We
know from our research that some of the coins had images of birds, and
that others – although we don’t know whether they were worth less or
more – had an image of a snake on them. I don’t think any modern coin has
the same thing. Maybe you know differently.

Anyway, after that, the Chinese were the first to use paper

1. People often exchanged vegetables for ______________ in prehistoric times

2. In Ancient European cultures, tools that were used for ______________ were most
important.
3. Around 3,000 years ago, the Chinese began to make tiny _______________ of tools
from bronze.
4. China introduced coins that were round with a _______________ hole in the middle
2,800 years ago.
5. Coins were made mostly from ______________ in western Turkey.
6. King Alyattes had the idea of putting pictures of birds and _______________ on
coins.

Unit 3: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt from doing this unit.

Listen to the advice and complete the sentences with one word or a number.

1. In Section _____________ of the IELTS Listening paper, you will

hear one speaker talking about an academic subject.
2. Read the sentence completion questions carefully to help you find
words and phrases that might be cues and paraphrases
____________ you listen.
3. Words and phrases that you read in the question and also hear in the
recording are _______________ .
4. These words and phrases are often for ________________ or for
times, dates and places. play.MP3
5. Words and phrases that express the ________________ ideas with
different words are paraphrases.
6. When the recording begins, listen for signalling phrases to help you
understand when the speaker is starting to talk about a new
______________ in the lecture.
Unit 3: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will learn about Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test and
practise the skills you need to answer sentence completion questions.

The exam task in this unit is about money. This is a common topic in IELTS, so
it is a good idea to think about some vocabulary you might hear.

Match the words in the box with the definitions.

Cash trade coin financial valuable exchange payment worth

9. to give something to someone and receive something else from that person:
__________
10. a small, round piece of metal that is used as money: _________
11. relating to money or how money is managed: ___________
12. having a particular value, especially in money: __________
13. an amount of money you give to someone, often for a product or service:
__________
14. the activity of buying and selling products or services between people or countries:
____________
15. to be worth a lot of money: _____________
16. money in the form of notes and coins, rather than a credit card: _____________

Unit 3: Exercise 2
Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

Cash coin exchange financial payments trade valuable worth

9. Historians believe that the first ___________ was invented over 2,800 years ago and
was made of bronze.
10. The Mona Lisa painting is believed to be _______________ over $780 million.
11. Fewer people carry ________________ nowadays as more payments are being made
electronically.
12. Before money, many people used to ________________ food, like fruits and
vegetables, for tools.
13. A lot of antiques, like paintings and furniture, are extremely ________________
nowadays.
 14. Many students receive ______________ support from their families while studying
at university.
15. The number of people making ________________ online is increasing every year.
16. In the past, as groups of people began to explore new areas, ________________
between different cultures became more common.

Unit 3: Exercise 3
In this example of an IELTS Listening sentence completion task, you will listen
to two students talking about the topic of finance in preparation for a lecture.

Write one word to complete each sentence.

The instructions for the IELTS Listening sentence completion task and short-answer
questions are similar.

Read the instructions carefully to find out exactly how many words you have to write and
make sure that you spell each word correctly.

Greg: Hi, Penny. How’s it going?

Penny: Not bad, thanks, Greg. But I’m glad we’re meeting up. There’s lots for
us to do before next week, I think.

Greg: You’re right. What do you want to discuss first?

Penny: Shall we start with next Friday’s lecture?

Greg: Sounds good to me, Penny.

Penny: OK. We need to do a bit of preparation for it. I mean, the tutor told us
that we should do some background reading on money, didn’t she?

Greg: Yes, but not money in general – only on its history. So starting from play.MP3
prehistoric times and ancient cultures – all the way up to the 21st century.

Penny: That’s right. So we should start by looking at what people used before
money was invented.

Greg: OK, so before money I think it was all about trade. So, like, in prehistoric
times, people probably exchanged all kinds of things – things that might have no
value at all today, like colourful stones.

Penny: But they were very valuable then, so people really wanted them. And
I’m sure they gave each other useful things as well. Um, you know, like tools?
Or food? For instance, maybe one person had a tool for hunting, and that was
worth a lot to him, and he could exchange it with another person who had some
meat or eggs or fruit.

Greg: Yes, you’re probably right. And then when they did start to use money,
maybe people used bronze to make their coins. Because it was a metal that was
quite easy to use.

Penny: Maybe, yes. Now, what was the name of the book that the tutor told us to
read? I remember the first part of the title: The Financial …?

Greg: The Financial World.

Penny: Oh yes, that’s right. Shall I see if I can find a copy in the university
library for us?

Greg: OK, that’d be great, then we can …

5. Greg and Penny agree to do some background reading on the history of

___________ .
6. Greg says that before money, _____________ was very common.
7. Greg says that in the past, bronze was probably used to make ____________ .
8. The book Greg and Penny should read is called ‘The ____________ World’.

Unit 3: Exercise 4
Read the information. Then read the six extracts. Decide if each word in bold is
an adjective, a verb, or a noun. Highlight the adjectives in green, the verbs in
yellow, and the nouns in blue.

In IELTS sentence completion tasks, it’s important to consider the form of the word you are
expected to write. Before you listen, read the sentences carefully and try to identify the type
of word. Often, it will be a noun, an adjective or a verb. Identifying the correct type of word
will ensure that you write it in the correct form.

7. So starting from prehistoric times and ancient cultures – all the way up to the 21st
century.
8. So we should start by looking at what people used before money was invented.
9. OK, so before money I think it was all about trade. So, like, in prehistoric times,
people probably exchanged all kinds of things – things that might have no value
today.
10. And I’m sure they gave each other useful things as well, you know, like tools.
11. But they were very valuable then, so people really wanted them.
12. Maybe people used bronze to make their coins.

Unit 3: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then match the words and phrases in the box with the
correct synonyms.
In the IELTS Listening test, you might hear speakers use different words to those used in the
sentences or questions. For example, a speaker might use a synonym (a word or phrase that has the
same or similar meaning as another word or phrase). Understanding synonyms will help you to
better follow a monologue and complete sentences with the correct word or phrase.

began to use circle were made for mostly had the idea produce
very small images

Introduced ___________

Mainly ___________

Make ___________

Pictures ___________

Round ___________

Thought ___________

Tiny ___________

Were designed for ___________

Unit 3: Exercise 6
Read the sentences. Choose the correct synonym for the words and phrases in
bold.

7. The UK introduced the two-pound coin in 1998.

o began to use
o created
o made

8. Before money, it was common for people to use food, such as rice, in exchange for
tools.

o Easy
o Difficult
o normal
 9. The line graph shows the number of people who worked in finance in the years
between 1990 and 2015.

o Displays
o Explains
o includes

10. According to recent figures, the company was valued at £25 million in 2015.

o sold for
o offered
o worth

11. Many countries in Europe started to produce paper money in the 17th century.

o began to make
o changed to
o decided to use

12. The five-yen coin, used in Japan, is round with a very small hole in the middle.

o Square
o Tiny
o Very big

Unit 3: Exercise 7
Read the information. Then read the extracts from a lecture on the history of
money and choose the five phrases that signal the introduction of a new topic.

Cues help you find the part of the recording you need to answer the questions and complete
sentences, but you also need to follow the ideas the speakers talk about.

You can do this by listening for signalling phrases. These are phrases that a speaker can use
to:

 introduce a new point or topic (e.g. We’ll start by …, But that wasn’t the only…)
 make a point about the current topic (e.g. It should be noted that …)
 give a definition or an explanation (e.g. In other words, …).

 Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times.

 It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins became more
organised.
 The only problem with these little tools is that they looked just like the real ones.
 Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this happened
in China.
  This is a metal which is quite easy to use and to make large tools from.
 It’s something that’s so easy to buy in the supermarket nowadays.
 But that wasn’t the only big development in China.
 What else was used instead of money in the distant past?

Unit 3: Exercise 8
Listen to a lecture on the history of money.

Put the signalling phrases for introducing new topics in the order you hear them.

Announcer: You will hear a lecturer talking about the history of money.

Lecturer: Hello and welcome to today’s lecture. As you might know already,
in this session we’re going to be looking at the history of money – how it
started out and how it’s changed over the centuries.

Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times. At this
time, people, of course, didn’t have money. If they could see that someone
else had something they wanted, maybe some animal fur or some vegetables
perhaps, they would offer that person something of their own – and one very
common thing that people offered was salt. It’s something that’s so easy to
buy in the supermarket nowadays, but in prehistoric times, it was very
valuable indeed, so worth quite a bit if you wanted to exchange it for
something.

What else was used instead of money in the distant past? Later, when groups
of people began to explore and come into contact with other groups, trade
between different cultures became more common. For example, we know that
ancient cultures in Europe started to exchange tools with each other – tools
that they’d made – that would have been interesting to the other group. play.MP3
Typically, these would be tools that were designed for hunting, but more
rarely they would trade weapons of war and other tools needed for fighting.
These were the most important items for trade.

Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this
happened in China. At that time, one of the metals that was common there, in
China, was bronze – and this is a metal which is quite easy to use and to make
large tools from. But, of course, it’s not always convenient to carry large tools
with you – just in case you want to buy some food, for example. So, some
people started to produce very small models of some typical tools, in bronze.
Then, if a person was interested in doing trade with someone else, he would
use those instead of real ones. And this was a big step forward in the history
of money because – like coins and cash and credit cards today – they had no
real value themselves. The only problem with these little tools is that they
looked just like the real ones, so they were sometimes sharp … a bit
dangerous to have in your pocket.

But that wasn’t the only big development in China. It was just a couple of
centuries later, around 2,800 years ago, when the Chinese started to create
something different, something that would be smaller and easier to make and
carry, something that was a lot safer and something they could give to each
other as a kind of payment. In other words, coins. These early Chinese coins
were small, flat circles of bronze, but with a square shape cut out of the
centre.

It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins became
more organised. It was here – around 2,600 years ago, in a region called Lydia
– that the city began to create coins that were stronger and would last
longer and were always the same size. They were made partly of gold, but
mainly of silver. And one important person that I have to mention is the King
of Lydia – his name was King Alyattes. He thought that different coins should
have different images to show that they had a different value. Again, this is a
tradition that has continued until today. We know from our research that some
of the coins had images of birds, and that others – although we don’t know
whether they were worth less or more – had an image of a snake on them. I
don’t think any modern coin has the same thing. Maybe you know differently.

Anyway, after that, the Chinese were the first to use paper money and …

But that wasn’t the only big development in China .

It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins became more
organised.

Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this happened in
China.

Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times.

What else was used instead of money in the distant past?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
Unit 3: Exercise 9
Complete the sentences. Write ONE WORD ONLY in each gap.

Announcer: You will hear a lecturer talking about the history of money.

Lecturer: Hello and welcome to today’s lecture. As you might know

already, in this session we’re going to be looking at the history of money –
how it started out and how it’s changed over the centuries.

Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times. At this
time, people, of course, didn’t have money. If they could see that someone
else had something they wanted, maybe some animal fur or some
vegetables perhaps, they would offer that person something of their own –
and one very common thing that people offered was salt. It’s something
that’s so easy to buy in the supermarket nowadays, but in prehistoric times,
it was very valuable indeed, so worth quite a bit if you wanted to exchange
it for something.

What else was used instead of money in the distant past? Later, when
groups of people began to explore and come into contact with other groups,
trade between different cultures became more common. For example, we
know that ancient cultures in Europe started to exchange tools with each
other – tools that they’d made – that would have been interesting to the
other group. Typically, these would be tools that were designed for
hunting, but more rarely they would trade weapons of war and other tools
needed for fighting. These were the most important items for trade.
play.MP3

Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this
happened in China. At that time, one of the metals that was common there,
in China, was bronze – and this is a metal which is quite easy to use and to
make large tools from. But, of course, it’s not always convenient to carry
large tools with you – just in case you want to buy some food, for example.
So, some people started to produce very small models of some typical
tools, in bronze. Then, if a person was interested in doing trade with
someone else, he would use those instead of real ones. And this was a big
step forward in the history of money because – like coins and cash and
credit cards today – they had no real value themselves. The only problem
with these little tools is that they looked just like the real ones, so they
were sometimes sharp … a bit dangerous to have in your pocket.

But that wasn’t the only big development in China. It was just a couple of
centuries later, around 2,800 years ago, when the Chinese started to create
something different, something that would be smaller and easier to make
and carry, something that was a lot safer and something they could give to
each other as a kind of payment. In other words, coins. These early
Chinese coins were small, flat circles of bronze, but with a square shape
cut out of the centre.
It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins
became more organised. It was here – around 2,600 years ago, in a region
called Lydia – that the city began to create coins that were stronger and
would last longer and were always the same size. They were made partly
of gold, but mainly of silver. And one important person that I have to
mention is the King of Lydia – his name was King Alyattes. He thought
that different coins should have different images to show that they had a
different value. Again, this is a tradition that has continued until today. We
know from our research that some of the coins had images of birds, and
that others – although we don’t know whether they were worth less or
more – had an image of a snake on them. I don’t think any modern coin has
the same thing. Maybe you know differently.

Anyway, after that, the Chinese were the first to use paper

7. People often exchanged vegetables for ______________ in prehistoric times

8. In Ancient European cultures, tools that were used for ______________ were most
important.
9. Around 3,000 years ago, the Chinese began to make tiny _______________ of tools
from bronze.
10. China introduced coins that were round with a _______________ hole in the middle
2,800 years ago.
11. Coins were made mostly from ______________ in western Turkey.
12. King Alyattes had the idea of putting pictures of birds and _______________ on
coins.

Unit 3: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt from doing this unit.

Listen to the advice and complete the sentences with one word or a number.

7. In Section _____________ of the IELTS Listening paper, you will

hear one speaker talking about an academic subject.
8. Read the sentence completion questions carefully to help you find
words and phrases that might be cues and paraphrases
____________ you listen.
9. Words and phrases that you read in the question and also hear in the
recording are _______________ .
10. These words and phrases are often for ________________ or for play.MP3
times, dates and places.
11. Words and phrases that express the ________________ ideas with
different words are paraphrases.
12. When the recording begins, listen for signalling phrases to help you
understand when the speaker is starting to talk about a new
 ______________ in the lecture.

Unit 3: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will learn about Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test and
practise the skills you need to answer sentence completion questions.

The exam task in this unit is about money. This is a common topic in IELTS, so
it is a good idea to think about some vocabulary you might hear.

Match the words in the box with the definitions.

Cash trade coin financial valuable exchange payment worth

17. to give something to someone and receive something else from that person:
__________
18. a small, round piece of metal that is used as money: _________
19. relating to money or how money is managed: ___________
20. having a particular value, especially in money: __________
21. an amount of money you give to someone, often for a product or service:
__________
22. the activity of buying and selling products or services between people or countries:
____________
23. to be worth a lot of money: _____________
24. money in the form of notes and coins, rather than a credit card: _____________

Unit 3: Exercise 2
Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

Cash coin exchange financial payments trade valuable worth

17. Historians believe that the first ___________ was invented over 2,800 years ago and
was made of bronze.
18. The Mona Lisa painting is believed to be _______________ over $780 million.
19. Fewer people carry ________________ nowadays as more payments are being made
electronically.
20. Before money, many people used to ________________ food, like fruits and
vegetables, for tools.
21. A lot of antiques, like paintings and furniture, are extremely ________________
nowadays.
 22. Many students receive ______________ support from their families while studying
at university.
23. The number of people making ________________ online is increasing every year.
24. In the past, as groups of people began to explore new areas, ________________
between different cultures became more common.

Unit 3: Exercise 3
In this example of an IELTS Listening sentence completion task, you will listen
to two students talking about the topic of finance in preparation for a lecture.

Write one word to complete each sentence.

The instructions for the IELTS Listening sentence completion task and short-answer
questions are similar.

Read the instructions carefully to find out exactly how many words you have to write and
make sure that you spell each word correctly.

Greg: Hi, Penny. How’s it going?

Penny: Not bad, thanks, Greg. But I’m glad we’re meeting up. There’s lots for
us to do before next week, I think.

Greg: You’re right. What do you want to discuss first?

Penny: Shall we start with next Friday’s lecture?

Greg: Sounds good to me, Penny.

Penny: OK. We need to do a bit of preparation for it. I mean, the tutor told us
that we should do some background reading on money, didn’t she?

Greg: Yes, but not money in general – only on its history. So starting from play.MP3
prehistoric times and ancient cultures – all the way up to the 21st century.

Penny: That’s right. So we should start by looking at what people used before
money was invented.

Greg: OK, so before money I think it was all about trade. So, like, in prehistoric
times, people probably exchanged all kinds of things – things that might have no
value at all today, like colourful stones.

Penny: But they were very valuable then, so people really wanted them. And
I’m sure they gave each other useful things as well. Um, you know, like tools?
Or food? For instance, maybe one person had a tool for hunting, and that was
worth a lot to him, and he could exchange it with another person who had some
meat or eggs or fruit.

Greg: Yes, you’re probably right. And then when they did start to use money,
maybe people used bronze to make their coins. Because it was a metal that was
quite easy to use.

Penny: Maybe, yes. Now, what was the name of the book that the tutor told us to
read? I remember the first part of the title: The Financial …?

Greg: The Financial World.

Penny: Oh yes, that’s right. Shall I see if I can find a copy in the university
library for us?

Greg: OK, that’d be great, then we can …

9. Greg and Penny agree to do some background reading on the history of

___________ .
10. Greg says that before money, _____________ was very common.
11. Greg says that in the past, bronze was probably used to make ____________ .
12. The book Greg and Penny should read is called ‘The ____________ World’.

Unit 3: Exercise 4
Read the information. Then read the six extracts. Decide if each word in bold is
an adjective, a verb, or a noun. Highlight the adjectives in green, the verbs in
yellow, and the nouns in blue.

In IELTS sentence completion tasks, it’s important to consider the form of the word you are
expected to write. Before you listen, read the sentences carefully and try to identify the type
of word. Often, it will be a noun, an adjective or a verb. Identifying the correct type of word
will ensure that you write it in the correct form.

13. So starting from prehistoric times and ancient cultures – all the way up to the 21st
century.
14. So we should start by looking at what people used before money was invented.
15. OK, so before money I think it was all about trade. So, like, in prehistoric times,
people probably exchanged all kinds of things – things that might have no value
today.
16. And I’m sure they gave each other useful things as well, you know, like tools.
17. But they were very valuable then, so people really wanted them.
18. Maybe people used bronze to make their coins.

Unit 3: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then match the words and phrases in the box with the
correct synonyms.
In the IELTS Listening test, you might hear speakers use different words to those used in the
sentences or questions. For example, a speaker might use a synonym (a word or phrase that has the
same or similar meaning as another word or phrase). Understanding synonyms will help you to
better follow a monologue and complete sentences with the correct word or phrase.

began to use circle were made for mostly had the idea produce
very small images

Introduced ___________

Mainly ___________

Make ___________

Pictures ___________

Round ___________

Thought ___________

Tiny ___________

Were designed for ___________

Unit 3: Exercise 6
Read the sentences. Choose the correct synonym for the words and phrases in
bold.

13. The UK introduced the two-pound coin in 1998.

o began to use
o created
o made

14. Before money, it was common for people to use food, such as rice, in exchange for
tools.

o Easy
o Difficult
o normal
 15. The line graph shows the number of people who worked in finance in the years
between 1990 and 2015.

o Displays
o Explains
o includes

16. According to recent figures, the company was valued at £25 million in 2015.

o sold for
o offered
o worth

17. Many countries in Europe started to produce paper money in the 17th century.

o began to make
o changed to
o decided to use

18. The five-yen coin, used in Japan, is round with a very small hole in the middle.

o Square
o Tiny
o Very big

Unit 3: Exercise 7
Read the information. Then read the extracts from a lecture on the history of
money and choose the five phrases that signal the introduction of a new topic.

Cues help you find the part of the recording you need to answer the questions and complete
sentences, but you also need to follow the ideas the speakers talk about.

You can do this by listening for signalling phrases. These are phrases that a speaker can use
to:

 introduce a new point or topic (e.g. We’ll start by …, But that wasn’t the only…)
 make a point about the current topic (e.g. It should be noted that …)
 give a definition or an explanation (e.g. In other words, …).

 Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times.

 It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins became more
organised.
 The only problem with these little tools is that they looked just like the real ones.
 Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this happened
in China.
  This is a metal which is quite easy to use and to make large tools from.
 It’s something that’s so easy to buy in the supermarket nowadays.
 But that wasn’t the only big development in China.
 What else was used instead of money in the distant past?

Unit 3: Exercise 8
Listen to a lecture on the history of money.

Put the signalling phrases for introducing new topics in the order you hear them.

Announcer: You will hear a lecturer talking about the history of money.

Lecturer: Hello and welcome to today’s lecture. As you might know already,
in this session we’re going to be looking at the history of money – how it
started out and how it’s changed over the centuries.

Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times. At this
time, people, of course, didn’t have money. If they could see that someone
else had something they wanted, maybe some animal fur or some vegetables
perhaps, they would offer that person something of their own – and one very
common thing that people offered was salt. It’s something that’s so easy to
buy in the supermarket nowadays, but in prehistoric times, it was very
valuable indeed, so worth quite a bit if you wanted to exchange it for
something.

What else was used instead of money in the distant past? Later, when groups
of people began to explore and come into contact with other groups, trade
between different cultures became more common. For example, we know that
ancient cultures in Europe started to exchange tools with each other – tools
that they’d made – that would have been interesting to the other group. play.MP3
Typically, these would be tools that were designed for hunting, but more
rarely they would trade weapons of war and other tools needed for fighting.
These were the most important items for trade.

Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this
happened in China. At that time, one of the metals that was common there, in
China, was bronze – and this is a metal which is quite easy to use and to make
large tools from. But, of course, it’s not always convenient to carry large tools
with you – just in case you want to buy some food, for example. So, some
people started to produce very small models of some typical tools, in bronze.
Then, if a person was interested in doing trade with someone else, he would
use those instead of real ones. And this was a big step forward in the history
of money because – like coins and cash and credit cards today – they had no
real value themselves. The only problem with these little tools is that they
looked just like the real ones, so they were sometimes sharp … a bit
dangerous to have in your pocket.

But that wasn’t the only big development in China. It was just a couple of
centuries later, around 2,800 years ago, when the Chinese started to create
something different, something that would be smaller and easier to make and
carry, something that was a lot safer and something they could give to each
other as a kind of payment. In other words, coins. These early Chinese coins
were small, flat circles of bronze, but with a square shape cut out of the
centre.

It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins became
more organised. It was here – around 2,600 years ago, in a region called Lydia
– that the city began to create coins that were stronger and would last
longer and were always the same size. They were made partly of gold, but
mainly of silver. And one important person that I have to mention is the King
of Lydia – his name was King Alyattes. He thought that different coins should
have different images to show that they had a different value. Again, this is a
tradition that has continued until today. We know from our research that some
of the coins had images of birds, and that others – although we don’t know
whether they were worth less or more – had an image of a snake on them. I
don’t think any modern coin has the same thing. Maybe you know differently.

Anyway, after that, the Chinese were the first to use paper money and …

But that wasn’t the only big development in China .

It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins became more
organised.

Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this happened in
China.

Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times.

What else was used instead of money in the distant past?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
Unit 3: Exercise 9
Complete the sentences. Write ONE WORD ONLY in each gap.

Announcer: You will hear a lecturer talking about the history of money.

Lecturer: Hello and welcome to today’s lecture. As you might know

already, in this session we’re going to be looking at the history of money –
how it started out and how it’s changed over the centuries.

Well, we’ll start by thinking about the situation in prehistoric times. At this
time, people, of course, didn’t have money. If they could see that someone
else had something they wanted, maybe some animal fur or some
vegetables perhaps, they would offer that person something of their own –
and one very common thing that people offered was salt. It’s something
that’s so easy to buy in the supermarket nowadays, but in prehistoric times,
it was very valuable indeed, so worth quite a bit if you wanted to exchange
it for something.

What else was used instead of money in the distant past? Later, when
groups of people began to explore and come into contact with other groups,
trade between different cultures became more common. For example, we
know that ancient cultures in Europe started to exchange tools with each
other – tools that they’d made – that would have been interesting to the
other group. Typically, these would be tools that were designed for
hunting, but more rarely they would trade weapons of war and other tools
needed for fighting. These were the most important items for trade.
play.MP3

Now, about 3,000 years ago, there was an interesting development, and this
happened in China. At that time, one of the metals that was common there,
in China, was bronze – and this is a metal which is quite easy to use and to
make large tools from. But, of course, it’s not always convenient to carry
large tools with you – just in case you want to buy some food, for example.
So, some people started to produce very small models of some typical
tools, in bronze. Then, if a person was interested in doing trade with
someone else, he would use those instead of real ones. And this was a big
step forward in the history of money because – like coins and cash and
credit cards today – they had no real value themselves. The only problem
with these little tools is that they looked just like the real ones, so they
were sometimes sharp … a bit dangerous to have in your pocket.

But that wasn’t the only big development in China. It was just a couple of
centuries later, around 2,800 years ago, when the Chinese started to create
something different, something that would be smaller and easier to make
and carry, something that was a lot safer and something they could give to
each other as a kind of payment. In other words, coins. These early
Chinese coins were small, flat circles of bronze, but with a square shape
cut out of the centre.
It was in western Turkey, however, that the system of producing coins
became more organised. It was here – around 2,600 years ago, in a region
called Lydia – that the city began to create coins that were stronger and
would last longer and were always the same size. They were made partly
of gold, but mainly of silver. And one important person that I have to
mention is the King of Lydia – his name was King Alyattes. He thought
that different coins should have different images to show that they had a
different value. Again, this is a tradition that has continued until today. We
know from our research that some of the coins had images of birds, and
that others – although we don’t know whether they were worth less or
more – had an image of a snake on them. I don’t think any modern coin has
the same thing. Maybe you know differently.

Anyway, after that, the Chinese were the first to use paper

13. People often exchanged vegetables for ______________ in prehistoric times

14. In Ancient European cultures, tools that were used for ______________ were most
important.
15. Around 3,000 years ago, the Chinese began to make tiny _______________ of tools
from bronze.
16. China introduced coins that were round with a _______________ hole in the middle
2,800 years ago.
17. Coins were made mostly from ______________ in western Turkey.
18. King Alyattes had the idea of putting pictures of birds and _______________ on
coins.

Unit 3: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt from doing this unit.

Listen to the advice and complete the sentences with one word or a number.

13. In Section _____________ of the IELTS Listening paper, you will

hear one speaker talking about an academic subject.
14. Read the sentence completion questions carefully to help you find
words and phrases that might be cues and paraphrases
____________ you listen.
15. Words and phrases that you read in the question and also hear in the
recording are _______________ .
16. These words and phrases are often for ________________ or for play.MP3
times, dates and places.
17. Words and phrases that express the ________________ ideas with
different words are paraphrases.
18. When the recording begins, listen for signalling phrases to help you
understand when the speaker is starting to talk about a new
 ______________ in the lecture.

Unit 3: Exercise 1
In IELTS Writing Task 1 you might be asked to write a report about a chart or
graph.

Match the descriptions with the charts and graphs.

This is a pie chart. This is a bar chart. This is a line graph.

1.

2.
3.
Unit 3: Exercise 2
The bar chart compares the amount of money (in millions of dollars) that people
in four different age groups from Seoul, South Korea, spent on going to the
cinema, restaurants and music concerts in 2014.

Fill the gaps in the chart below with the correct words.

Axis data different age groups money spent

Unit 3: Exercise 3
The bar chart compares the amount of money (in millions of dollars) that people
in four different age groups from Seoul, South Korea, spent on going to the
cinema, restaurants and music concerts in 2014.

Choose the correct answers to complete the statements.

1. The 26–39 age group spent less than the 40–55 age group on going to the cinema./
restaurants./ music concerts.
2. The 18–25 age group spent less than the 26–39 age group/about $14 million/the same as
the 56–80 age group on going to music concerts.
3. The 56–80 age group spent the least of their money on going to the cinema./
restaurants./ music concerts.
4. The 26–39 age group spent about the same on going to the cinema and restaurants./
the cinema and music concerts./ restaurants and music concerts.
5. The 40–55 age group spent about $10 million/ over $20 million/ under $5 million on
going to the cinema.

Unit 3: Exercise 4
The bar chart compares the amount of money (in millions of dollars) that people
in four different age groups from Seoul, South Korea, spent on going to the
cinema, restaurants and music concerts in 2014.
Read the information. Then read the sentences about the chart and match them
with the correct main features. Use the words in the box.

When you write a report on a graph or chart for IELTS Writing Task 1, you should try to
describe the main features. This means writing about the most important pieces of
information on the graph or chart. The main features could be the highest/lowest numbers,
the biggest differences, and any similarities.

a similarity a main difference important numbers

1. The 26–39 age group spent the most money on going to the cinema while the 56–80s
spent the least money. __________________________
2. The 40–55 and 56–80 age groups spent almost the same amount of money on music
concerts, at about $7 million. _____________________________
3. Overall, the most amount of money was spent on going to restaurants (about $67
million), compared with going to the cinema (about $40 million) and music concerts
(also about $40 million). _____________________________

Unit 3: Exercise 5
The bar chart compares the amount of money (in millions of dollars) that people
in four different age groups from Seoul, South Korea, spent on going to the
cinema, restaurants and music concerts in 2014.

Choose the correct words to complete the student’s report. Use the words in the
box.
 18-25 40-55 amount category compared highest money

Spent total

The bar chart shows how much South Koreans of different age groups spent on seeing
movies, eating out and going to concerts in 2014.

Overall, the _______________ amount of money was spent on going to restaurants (about
$67 million), _______________ with going to the cinema (about $40 million) and music
concerts (also about $40 million).

The _______________ age group spent the most on going to restaurants at about $22
million, while the _______________ age group spent the least with only $13 million. With a
total _______________ of approximately $12 million, the 26−39 category had the highest
spending on going to the cinema while the 56−80s spent the least _______________ , at
around $8 million.

Unit 3: Exercise 6
The pie charts compare what male and female teenagers from Peru prefer to do
in their
free time.

Look at the two charts. Choose the correct option to complete each statement.
 1. The most popular activities are using the internet for boys and meeting friends/playing
sport/reading/using the internet/watching TV for girls.
2. The least popular activities are meeting friends/playing sport/reading/using the
internet/watching TV for boys and playing sport for girls.
3. Girls and boys in Peru liked meeting friends/playing sport/reading/using the
internet/watching TV about the same with 20% for girls and 5% less for boys.
4. The biggest difference was playing sport: 20% fewer/ 35% fewer girls preferred
playing sport than boys.
5. Girls liked meeting friends/playing sport/reading/using the internet/watching TV
15% more than boys.

Unit 3: Exercise 7
Some words or phrases can help you compare or add information in IELTS
Writing Task 1.

Look at the charts. Then read the student’s report and look at the words in bold.
Complete the statements.
It is clear that the most popular activity for boys was using the internet while for girls it was
meeting friends. By contrast, the least favourite activity for boys was reading with only 10%.
Similarly, the least favourite activity for girls was playing sport, also with a low percentage
of 5%.

Using the internet was the favourite hobby for just under a third of boys whereas meeting
friends was the favourite for more than a third of girls. Reading was not very popular with
either boys or girls. 10% of the boys preferred to read and only 5% more of the girls.

Girls and boys in Peru liked watching TV about the same. 20% of girls preferred watching
TV and, in the same way, 15% of boys. The biggest difference was playing sport. 20% fewer
girls than boys preferred it.

1. Words and phrases used for comparing information:

... while ... ... ___________ ... By ___________ , ... ... but
... However, ...

2. Words or phrases used for adding information:

___________ , ... ... also ... ... in the ____________ way, ... ...
and ...

Unit 3: Exercise 8
Complete the sentences with the words in the box.

By contrast, Heart of Darkness is very short. By contrast, my sister always eats in

restaurants. In the same way, about 65% of singers can read it.

Similarly, my grandfather also skis every year. whereas all the adults cried.

whereas the worst thing is that it’s expensive. while 65% voted against.

while my least favourite are romantic comedies.

1. 45% of yoga teachers voted in support ___________________________________

2. My brother loves cooking. ___________________________________
3. The best thing about horse riding is that it’s fun
___________________________________
4. My mother loves skiing. ___________________________________
5. Two thirds of guitar players can read music.
___________________________________
6. My favourite movies are action films ___________________________________
7. All the children laughed ___________________________________
 8. War and Peace is a very long book. ___________________________________

Unit 3: Exercise 9
Put the words in the correct order to complete the sentences.

25% voted against 65% of voted in support while music teachers

1. ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

My mother loves swimming. my father hates it By contrast,

2. ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

is that it's cold about skiing The best thing the worst thing

is that it's exciting whereas

3. ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

___________

a good cook My sister loves cooking. Similarly, is also my grandmother

4. ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

In the same way, of cat owners don’t like dogs One third of dog

5. ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

___________

Unit 3: Exercise 10
WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The chart shows the average number of hours each day that Chinese, American, Turkish
and Brazilian tourists spent doing leisure activities while on holiday in Greece in August
2015.

Summarise the chart by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

Please add text into the Student post.

Student post:
Unit 4: Exercise 1
Put the words in the correct categories to complete the table.

Lemonade chicken yoghurt juice bread milkshake chilli salad

Cheese basil cabbage rice lamb salt and pepper onion beef

Butter carrot

herbs and spices

dairy products
meat
(= food that gives strong
(= foods made from milk)
flavours to other food)

side dishes
soft drinks vegetables
(= food that you eat along
with the main course)

Unit 4: Exercise 2
Complete the definitions. Use the sentence endings in the box.

you cook it at a temperature below boiling. you cook it for too long and it goes black.

you cook it in an oven. you cook it in hot oil or fat. you cook it under a very hot place.

you cook them in an oven, using a little oil or fat. you cut it into long, thin pieces.

you cook them in water that is boiling (= very hot). you cut them into pieces with a knife.

you put it on plates so that people can eat it.

 1. When you chop vegetables, __________________________________
2. When you boil potatoes, __________________________________
3. When you fry meat, __________________________________
4. When you simmer soup, __________________________________
5. When you burn toast, __________________________________
6. When you slice cheese, __________________________________
7. When you bake a cake, __________________________________
8. When you roast potatoes, __________________________________
9. When you serve a meal, __________________________________
10. When you serve a meal, __________________________________

Unit 4: Exercise 3
Complete the descriptions. Use the words in the box.

Crockery cutlery frying pan kettle napkin saucepan scales

serving dish tin opener utensils

1. A _____________ is a wide pan that you use to fry food in.

2. The general name for knives, forks and spoons is ______________ .
3. A ______________ is a small piece of cloth or paper used while you’re eating to
protect your clothes or clean your mouth or fingers.
4. The general name for cups, plates, bowls, etc. is _________________ .
5. A _____________ is something that you use to open tins of food.
6. A _____________ is a deep pan that you use for cooking vegetables or pasta in water.
7. You can use _______________ to weigh ingredients.
8. A _____________ is a bowl where you keep food before you put it onto plates.
9. The general name for wooden spoons, kitchen knives and other things that help you
cook is kitchen _________________ .
10. You can use a _________________ You can use a

Unit 4: Exercise 4
Complete the sentences. Use the adjectives in the box.

Bland delicious disgusting hot mild raw salty savoury

Spicy sweet

1. I love ______________ food. It’s hot and has lots of strong flavours.
2. I prefer _______________ food. It still tastes good, but it’s not hot and the flavours
aren’t very strong.
3. _______________ pies, like apple pie, are popular in many countries.
 4. _______________ pies, like meat pie, are also popular in some countries.
5. I don’t like ________________ chilli. It’s too strong for me.
6. This meal is _______________ . It tastes really nice.
7. I don’t like mashed potato. It’s so _______________ and doesn’t really taste of
anything.
8. These carrots are very _______________ . There’s too much salt on them.
9. This meat is still _______________ ! Please cook it a bit longer.
10. The meal was ________________ . It tasted horrible!

Unit 4: Exercise 5
Choose the best words to complete the conversation.

A: Come in! Dinner’s nearly cooking/made/ready .

B: Oh, great. It feels/smells/tastes lovely. What is it?

A: It’s Jollof rice. It’s a traditional dish/meal/plate from West Africa.

B: Oh, right. So what’s it made of/on/to ?

A: Well, the main course/ingredient/recipe is rice.

B: OK. What else is from/in/with it?

A: Well, it also contains/ holds/involves fried onions and tomatoes. Plus lots of spices like
chilli and pepper to give it a strong appetite/colour/flavour . Would you like to fry/test/try it?

B: Yes, please. Oh, that is nice. It looks/tastes/seems delicious.

Unit 4: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then read the sentences and choose the correct answers.

Countable nouns:
Things that you can count, e.g. one book, two books; one person, two people.

Uncountable nouns:
Things that we don’t normally count, e.g. water, fun.

1. I went to the shop and bought two ice creams, one for me and one for you.

o In this sentence, ‘ice cream’ is

o Countable
 o Uncountable

2. For dessert, we’ve got ice cream.

o In this sentence, ‘ice cream’ is

o Countable
o uncountable

3. In my family, we often have pizza for dinner. It’s our favourite meal.

o In this sentence, ‘pizza is

o Countable
o uncountable

4. I ordered a takeaway pizza, but when it arrived, it was really small.

o In this sentence, ‘pizza is

o Countable
o uncountable

5. Would you like a chocolate?

o In this sentence, ‘chocolate’ is

o Countable
o uncountable

6. I never eat chocolate. It’s too sweet for me.

o In this sentence, ‘chocolate’ is

o Countable
o uncountable

7. Could we have three coffees, please?

o In this sentence, ‘coffee’ is

o Countable
o uncountable

8. Do you like coffee?

o In this sentence, ‘coffee’ is

o Countable
o uncountable

The line graph compares the number of people living in five cities in the world between 1970
and the present.
Unit 4: Exercise 7
Read the information. Then choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

We use much with singular uncountable nouns and many with plural nouns
1. How many/much meals do you eat every day?
2. We haven’t got many/much bread. Can you buy some?
3. There wasn’t many/much food at the party, so I’m still hungry!
4. You eat too many/much sweets. They’re bad for your teeth.
5. Do you eat many/much fruit?
6. How many/much rice do you want? A lot or just a little?
7. You didn’t cook many/much peas. Are you sure there are enough for all of us?
8. I don’t want too many/much spaghetti. I’m not really hungry.
9. There’s too many/much butter on that toast! It’s not healthy.
10. I don’t eat many/much eggs. I don’t really like them.

Unit 4: Exercise 8
Choose the correct words to complete the text.

For breakfast, I usually have a/any/some toast and jam. I don’t put a/any/some butter on my
toast. I usually just drink a/any/some cup of tea with my breakfast. I don’t put a/any/some
sugar in my tea – I don’t like sweet drinks. At the weekend, I often have a/any/some egg
for breakfast. Then, at about 11 o’clock, I usually have a/any/some coffee break. I eat
a/any/some biscuits – just two or three. Then for lunch, I usually have a/any/some sandwich. I
also eat a/any/some fruit, like an apple or an orange. I never eat a/any/some crisps – they’re
really unhealthy.

Unit 4: Exercise 9
Complete the description of how to make scrambled eggs. Use a, the, some or
any.

1. You will need __________ butter, two or three eggs and ___________ large frying
pan.
2. First of all, break ___________ eggs into ___________ bowl.
3. Make sure there aren’t ____________ pieces of eggshell in _____________ bowl.
4. Mix ____________ eggs with ____________ fork .
5. Now melt ____________ butter in ____________ frying pan.
6. When ____________ butter has melted, pour ______________ eggs into the frying
pan.
7. Use ____________ wooden spoon to stir the eggs in ___________ pan .
8. When it’s nearly ready, add ____________ salt and pepper to ______________ eggs.
9. Keep mixing _____________ eggs with ___________ wooden spoon.
10. When it’s ready, serve ___________ scrambled eggs with ______________ toast.
Unit 4: Exercise 10
Choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.

1. I eat a few/ a little/ a lot of cheese – too much, really, but I love it.
2. I made a few/ a little/ a lot of sandwiches, but our visitors still ate every single one!
3. When I was younger, I ate a lot of chocolate, but I eat fewer/less/ more chocolate now
– I'm trying to be healthier.
4. We prepared enough food for ten people, but there were a lot fewer/less/ more people
than that at the party. It was really crowded!
5. The extra-large pizza is perfect for four or more people. For fewer/less/ more people,
we recommend a normal pizza.
6. It’s better to cook your own food than to buy fast food. Cooking usually takes
fewer/less/ more time, but it’s much healthier.
7. A: So who did you invite for dinner?
B: Just a few/ a little/ a lot of people – only three.
8. A: Do you want some milk or sugar in your coffee?
B: Just a few/ a little/ a lot of milk, please. Not too much.
9. A: How much time do you spend cooking every day?
B: a few/ a little/ a lot of ! At least three hours every day.

Unit 4: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will practise the skills you need to answer an IELTS Listening
matching task and a map labelling task. The topic of this unit is visiting
museums.

Listen to two students talking about a trip to the Museum of Transport. Choose
the correct answer.

Announcer: You will hear two students, John and Denise, talking about a
future trip to a Museum of Transport.

John: Hi, Denise. Are you looking forward to our field trip to the Museum
of Transport tomorrow?

Denise: Yes, absolutely. I haven’t been there for ages.

John: Well, I think they’ve added some new buildings in the last few years,
and they’ve increased the number of exhibitions. Like, there’s a new section play.MP3

on space travel.

Denise: Great. That’ll be interesting, I expect. Now, what activity did our
tutor say we had to complete when we arrived at the Information Centre at
the museum?

John: Well, we’ve already got our timetables for the whole visit, so we
don’t need to pick those up.

Denise: Oh, I remember – we’re supposed to introduce ourselves to

someone from the museum – the person who’s going to show us around the
museum later on and talk to us about some of the exhibits.

John: You’re right. That’s it. OK, well, we’d better do that first. Oh, and I
saw on the website that they’ve got a great room full of maps, too. I’d like to
see that if we have time.

Denise: OK, so what other …?

What activity do the students need to complete at this location at the Museum of Transport?

Location
The Information Centre

Activity

o collect their timetable

o get a map of the museum
o meet their tour guide

Unit 4: Exercise 2
Labelling maps is an important skill in the IELTS Listening test. It’s a good
idea to familiarise yourself with key vocabulary that you might hear when
labelling maps.

Read and listen to the extract of John and Denise’s conversation. Choose the
correct words and phrases you hear to complete the extract.

Denise: Great. That’ll be interesting, I expect. Now, what activity did our tutor
say we had to complete when we arrived at the Information Centre/ Welcome
Hall/ Gift Shop at the museum?
John: Well, we’ve already got our timetables/map/ brochure for the whole visit,
so we don’t need to pick those up.
Denise: Oh, I remember – we’re supposed to introduce ourselves to someone play.MP3
from the museum – the person who’s going to show us around the museum later
on and talk to us about some of the displays/ paintings/ exhibits.

John: You’re right. That’s it. OK, well, we’d better do that first.

Unit 4: Exercise 3
Read the information. Then listen to the next part of the conversation between
John and Denise and answer the question.

In the IELTS Listening matching task, you have to listen carefully to understand the details of
a conversation between two people.

As in other parts of the IELTS test, it is important to recognise synonyms (words that have
similar meanings, e.g. art show and exhibition), paraphrases (different ways of expressing
the same or a similar idea) and summaries (short words or phrases that describe something
longer and more complex, e.g. Why don't we go to the museum tomorrow?, which can be
summarised as a suggestion).

John: … to see that if we have time.

Denise: OK, so what other activities do we have to complete?

John: Well, we have to visit the Space Travel building, right?

Denise: Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing some of the engine designs. I saw a
great documentary on TV recently about how engine design has really
progressed over the last 30 years and it really got me interested.
play.MP3
John: Hm, OK, that sounds cool. Anyway, I think that what we have to do is
pick up a worksheet from the tour guide and answer a lot of questions about the
different engines and the space missions they were used for.

Denise: Yes, so there’ll be quite a bit of information we need to look for in that
building. We’ll have to allow ourselves enough time to read it all.

John: OK, maybe we should do that first, then.

1. The Space Travel building

o A do an interview
o B watch a short film
o C do a quiz
o D listen to a recording
o E learn to use some equipment

Unit 4: Exercise 4
Listen to the rest of the conversation. Which activity (A–E) do the students need
to complete at the Trains and Travel room, Central Hall and ‘Going Second
Class’ room at the Museum of Transport?
Write the correct letter (A, B, D or E) next to the locations (2–4).

Denise: … need to look at in that building. We’ll have to allow ourselves

enough time to read it all.

John: OK, maybe we should do that first, then.

Denise: And then there’s the Trains and Travel room.

John: Yes, what do we need to do there?

Denise: Well, I think that on a Tuesday – that’s the day we’re going – some
people who used to work as engineers for the railway line come and spend a
few hours at the museum talking to people. So I think the idea is that we
prepare a list of questions for them and talk to them and find out about their
lives and the job they used to do.

John: That’s great. Do you think we'll be allowed to film them? The
engineers, I mean? I could record them on my phone and we could listen to
it later – maybe even play it back to the class!

Denise: That's a good idea, but I don't know if we can do that. I'll email the
museum later and try to find out.

John: Would you? That’d be great, Denise, thanks. I’m sure we’ll hear some play.MP3
pretty interesting stories about ‘the old days’ from them.

Denise: Yes, and how things have changed. Now, what about the Central
Hall. What’s the activity there?

John: Let me see. I made some notes when the tutor was talking to us about
it. OK, here it is. There’s a large screen somewhere in the hall that the
museum’s got to show a short documentary about the way the city started off
in the 19th century – how it was built by the first people who came to live
here.

Denise: OK, great. Let’s make sure we watch that when there’s not too
many people around – I want to make sure I can hear it properly.

John: Alright. And there’s another location that the tutor said was part of
the tour. The ‘Going Second Class’ room.

Denise: What can we see in that room?

John: Well, I had a look on the website. It’s part of an exhibition about
travelling by ship – when people went on really long voyages and they were
at sea for weeks, sometimes even months.

Denise: So I suppose that ‘Going Second Class’ is about the people who
bought the cheaper tickets?

John: That’s right. If you were rich, you could have a nice room all to
yourself on the ship. But for many passengers, they all slept in the same
space full of lots of beds.

Denise: And lots of noise!

John: So, in the ‘Going Second Class’ room, I think they’ve made it look
exactly like the area where those people had to sleep – and there’s a lot of
headphones in there, and you can use them to listen to people talking about
their memories of travelling like this.

Denise: I guess we should take some notes, then. We might be able to use
them for our assignment next week.

John: Good idea. OK, is there anything else …?

A do an interview
B watch a short film
C do a quiz
D listen to a recording
E learn to use some equipment

2. Trains and Travel room _______

3. Central Hall _______
4. ‘Going Second Class’ room ________

Unit 4: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then read the extracts from the conversation and look at
the underlined phrases, the correct answers and the distractors. Decide if the
underlined phrases are essential information (that leads to the correct answer) or
distracting information (that links to the distractors). Highlight the essential
information in blue and the distracting information in red.

In the IELTS Listening test, you will often hear words or phrases that distract you from the
correct option.

Example: John says:

Do you think we’ll be allowed to film them? The engineers, I mean? I could record them on
my phone and we could listen to it later.

A do an interview
B watch a short film
C do a quiz
D listen to a recording
E learn to use some equipment

The underlined phrases seem to match with option B watch a short film (be allowed to film
them) or D listen to a recording (I could record them… we could listen to it later). However,
in the next line of the conversation, Denise says:

That’s a good idea, but I don’t know if we can do that.

Therefore, B watch a short film and D listen to a recording are incorrect answers or
distractors.

It’s important to listen to the whole conversation to identify words or phrases that lead you to
the correct answer (essential information) or to an incorrect answer (distracting information).

Correct answer A do an interview

1 Distractors B watch a short film
D listen to the recording

Denise: Well, I think that on a Tuesday – that’s the day we’re going – some people who used
to work as engineers for the railway line come and spend a few hours at the museum talking
to people. So I think the idea is that we prepare a list of questions for them and talk to them
and find out about their lives and the job they used to do.
John: That’s great. Do you think we'll be allowed to film them? The engineers I mean? I
could record them on my phone and we could listen to it later – maybe even play it back to
the class!
Denise: That's a good idea, but I don’t know if we can do that. I'll email the museum later
and try to find out.

Correct answer C do a quiz

2 Distractors B watch a short film

Denise: OK, so what other activities do we have to complete?

John: Well, we have to visit the Space Travel building, right?
Denise: Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing some of the engine designs. I saw a great
documentary on TV recently about how engine design has really progressed over the last 30
years and it really got me interested.
John: OK, that sounds cool. Anyway, I think that what we have to do is pick up a worksheet
from the tour guide and answer a lot of questions about the different engines and the space
missions they were used for.
 Correct answer A meet their tour guide
2 Distractors C collect their timetable

Denise: Great. That’ll be interesting, I expect. Now, what activity did our tutor say we had to
complete when we arrived at the Information Centre at the museum?
John: Well, we’ve already got our timetables for the whole visit, so we don’t need to pick
those up.
Denise: Oh, I remember – we’re supposed to introduce ourselves to someone from the
museum – the person who’s going to show us around the museum later on and talk to us
about some of the exhibits.
John: You’re right. That’s it. OK, well, we’d better do that first.

Unit 4: Exercise 6
Read the information below. Then look at the map of the Museum of Transport
and listen to three different speakers giving directions to the Space Travel
building.

What is the starting point for each speaker? Are they talking about a present or a
future visit? Write the starting point and either Present or Future for each
speaker.

In IELTS Listening Section 2, you will hear just one speaker giving information on a topic
connected to everyday life. For example, you may hear some instructions on how to use a
machine safely, or some information about different parts of a building and what activities
you can do in those places.

When you have a map, the first thing to do is orientate yourself. This means you have to
listen carefully to understand which part of the map the speaker is talking about at the
beginning of the recording. The speaker may be giving information to people who are already
in the location on the map, or they may be talking to people who are going to visit the
location in the future.

Announcer: Speaker one

Speaker 1 (Tour guide): OK, to get from here, the Welcome Hall, to the
Space Travel building, take the door on the right. When you get into the next
room, you’ll see it has two doors – you want the one on your left. Go
through there, and through the corridor into the long, narrow room opposite,
and then take the first door on your right. And you’ll see that you’re outside play.MP3
the Space Travel building.

Announcer: Speaker two

Speaker 2: … so I hope you're all feeling better now after the tea and cake –
I know I am! OK, then let’s see. For those of you who want to see the Space
Travel building first, it’s very easy. When you go out of here, you’ll see the
Welcome Hall on your left. Don’t go that way, just turn right – towards the
gardens – and then left and there it is – the Space Travel building will be
right in front of you.

Announcer: Speaker three

Speaker 3: … OK, so the bus will get us to the Museum of Transport for
about ten o’clock in the morning and we’re going to be arriving at the back
car park. So that means we’re going to go to the Museum Shop first. If you
want to see the new exhibition in the Space Travel building, you’ll have to
go out of the shop and into the Central Hall first, and then go through the
door that is immediately on your left. You’ll see two small rooms on your
right and the Trains and Travel room in front of you. Turn right outside the
Trains and Travel room and go through the narrow corridor in front of you –
that’s the one that goes between the two long rooms – and then you’re
outside. Then turn right and walk past the L-shaped building until you get to
the Space Travel building.

Speaker 1

1. Starting point? ______________

2. Time of visit? ______________

Speaker 2

3. Starting point? ______________

4. Time of visit? ______________

Speaker 3

5. Starting point? ______________

6. Time of visit? ______________

Unit 4: Exercise 7
Look at the map. Then listen to the tour guide at the Museum of Transport.
Choose the correct answers.

Tour guide:

OK, to get from here, the Welcome Hall, to the Space Travel building, take
the door on the right. When you get into the next room, you’ll see it has two
doors – you want the one on your left. Go through there, and through the
corridor into the long, narrow room opposite, and then take the first door on
your right. And you’ll see that you’re outside the Space Travel building.
play.MP3

For Trains and Travel, from the Welcome Hall, go into the Central Hall, and
then straight ahead through the opposite door. You’ll see that the Museum
Shop is on your left. Go past that, and the two small rooms on your right,
and then you’re in front of the Trains and Travel room. It’s one of the larger
rooms in the museum, as it actually contains some carriages from old trains.
1. The tour guide always mentions the name of a room or building before she gives
directions for them.

o True
o False

2. The tour guide starts from a different place on the map when she gives directions for
the Space Travel building and for Trains and Travel.

o True
o False

3. You can see some names of buildings and rooms on the map that you can also hear in
the recording.

o True
o False

4. The tour guide also talks about size and shape when she gives directions.
 o True
o False

Unit 4: Exercise 8
For the IELTS map labelling task, it is a good idea to learn words and phrases
for giving directions and instructions.

Read and listen to the tour guide giving directions to three locations. Complete
the directions with the correct word or phrase you hear.

OK, I’m going to tell you where some of the important rooms in the museum
are. We’ll start with the ‘Car Collection’ room. So we’re here in the Welcome
Hall, _________________ the Central Hall. You need to go through the door
over there on the right. That’ll take you to the room that ________________
to the café, but don’t go that way – take the other door instead. Go across the
corridor and then you’ll enter a long, _________________ room. Walk all
the way through this room, through the corridor and into the next one. That’s
where you’ll find our collection of cars.

Alright, you’ll also be visiting the exhibition called ‘Going Second Class’. Let
me explain how to find it. From here, the Welcome Hall, go _____________
into the Central Hall, and then head for the door on the left on the
_______________ side of the hall. Go through the door that leads outside – play.MP3
and then you’ll see a row of three buildings. When you’re facing the
buildings, the middle building will be directly ________________ you, and
you want the one on the left of it.

Alright, what about the ‘Fashion and Travel’ room? There are a couple of
ways to get there, but I suggest you leave here, the Welcome Hall, and go into
the Central Hall. _________________ left, but don’t go all the way to the
end. You want the door on your right, as you’re facing the western exit.
That’ll _________________ the ‘Fashion and Travel’ room.

Unit 4: Exercise 9
Listen to the tour guide. Choose the correct letters (A–L) from the map for each
of the three rooms.
Tour guide:
The building called ‘Crossing New Horizons’ contains many types of boat
from different countries. What you need to do is walk straight ahead from
the Welcome Hall into the Central Hall. From there, you want to head out
of the exit that you can see in the right corner of the north wall. That’ll take
you into a long, narrow corridor with two small rooms on the left-hand
side. Opposite those is a door that leads into a long room. Walk straight
across to the door on the far side and that leads out to the ‘New Horizons’
building. It’s an L-shaped building. You can’t miss it.

Now, we have a new exhibition of some very old maps. It’s really worth a
look. So to get to the Map room, the easiest route would be to leave the
Welcome Hall and go through the Central Hall. You’ll see the Museum
Shop on your left, and a couple of small rooms on your right. It’s the little play.MP3

room that’s nearest to ‘Trains and Travel’ that you want for the maps.

The room called ‘Explorers’ is definitely somewhere you should spend

some time in. From here, the Welcome Hall, go through into the Central
Hall and then walk towards the door furthest to the left on the north wall.
Go through that door and walk all the way to the door on the other side –
you pass the Museum Shop on your right as you go through. Just walk
across the corridor and you'll see the sign for ‘Explorers’ room right over
the door. Not only does it contain some fascinating information about the
men and women who first explored this country, but it also has a great
view of the park. OK, does anyone …
1. Crossing New Horizons building

o A
o B
o C
o D
o E
o F
o G
o H
o I
o J
o K
o L

2. Map room

o A
o B
o C
o D
 o E
o F
o G
o H
o I
o J
o K
o L

3. Explorers room

o A
o B
o C
o D
o E
o F
o G
o H
o I
o J
o K
o L

Unit 4: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt from doing this unit.

Complete the advice. Use the words in the box.

an everyday difference only one speaker orientate shapes and sizes

synonyms

Matching listening tasks

1. Remember that there will be a _____________________ between the language in the

recording and the language in the options.
2. It’s a good idea to think about _____________________ , for example quiz and
questionnaire.

Plan/map/diagram labelling tasks

3. For maps, remember to ______________________ yourself to the starting point, as all

directions will be given from this place.
4. It’s a good idea to learn words that are used for directions and words for describing
_____________________ .
 Section 2 of the IELTS Listening test

5. You will hear _______________________ giving a talk.

6. The topic of the talk will be _________________________ situation.

Unit 4: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will answer IELTS Reading matching information questions
and read a text called ‘How technology has changed the way we communicate’.

What do you know about the development of the telephone? Match the decades
with the correct photos.

1980s 1970s 2000s 2010s 1920s

1.
2.

3.

4.

5.
Unit 4: Exercise 2
What words and phrases do you already know for describing communication?

Match the words and phrases with the definitions.

Formal interaction online forum relationship social media

social network to get in touch to keep in touch to respond
1. to begin communicating with someone, for example, by email or telephone:
___________________________
2. to continue communicating with someone, for example, by email or
telephone:________________________
3. new information on a particular topic: ________________________
4. the different groups of people that you know: ____________________________
5. websites and computer programs that allow people to communicate on the
internet:______________________
6. a time when two or more people communicate with or react to each other:
_______________________
7. to say or do something in reply to something that has been said or done earlier:
____________________

8. describes language, clothes and behaviour which is used in important and serious
events, for example a job interview: _______________________
9. a place on the internet where people can leave messages or discuss particular topics:
__________________________
10. the way in which two or more people feel and behave towards each other:
________________________

Unit 4: Exercise 3
Read the information. Then match the phrases describing types of information
with the words in bold in the statements.

In an IELTS Reading matching information task, you will read a text and some statements
about it.

It is important to understand what types of information the statements need you to find. The
types of information might be:

 an example of / some examples of …

 a comparison between …
 a description of …
  a reference to …
 a prediction about …

a comparison between a description of a prediction about a reference to

an example of
1. Young students use Instagram far more than they use SnapChat. _____________
2. Digital devices will probably replace books in all UK schools by 2030.
____________________
3. The new phone has a great camera and a clever feature which makes apps easy to use.
_______________________
4. The first email message was sent in 1971. ______________________
5. There are many reasons why I stopped using social media, such as the huge amount
of time it took up. ______________________

Unit 4: Exercise 4
Read this paragraph from the text. What information does it contain? Choose
the correct answer.

How technology has changed the way we communicate

Paragraph A

It’s often impossible for teenagers to imagine that in the past we all had to make our social
arrangements either face-to-face or using a telephone landline. Just 20 years ago, trying to
organise a visit to the cinema meant that you had to call your friends at least a day in
advance and hope they’d be home when you rang. If someone didn’t turn up, you could try to
call them from a public telephone box. If their parents were home, you could leave a
message, but your plans for the evening would probably be ruined.

The information in Paragraph A is:

o a comparison between the advantages of old and new technology.

o a description of the difficulties people used to have before they had mobile phones.
o a reference to the way technology can make relationships better or worse.

Unit 4: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then match the types of information with the sentences.
When reading an IELTS Reading text, it is important to think about what type of information
it covers. Other types of information could be:

 a reason for ...

 details of ...
 a description of ...
 a suggestion ..

a description of a reason for a suggestion details of

1. Perhaps we should focus more on face-to-face communication than digital

communication? _____________________
2. Fewer people are sending letters by post because stamps are very expensive
nowadays. ________________________
3. Mervyn's YouTube channel had a huge number of followers. His videos were about
his daily life in New York and where people could go to find the best R’n’B music in
Manhattan. ________________________
4. 75% of teens in the 12–17 age group own mobile phones. Every month, girls send out
approximately 3,952 messages, and boys send about 2,815.
_______________________

Unit 4: Exercise 6
Read the next paragraph. Then match the information statements (A–D) with
the numbered parts of the paragraph (1–3). There is one information statement
that you do not need.

Paragraph B

Nowadays, getting in touch is a lot easier. Almost every aspect of human communication has
changed: we have email, text, Skype, Facebook and Instagram, and we are certainly busy
using them to build and maintain our relationships. According to recent reports, the top social
networks now each have more than a billion monthly active users. And keeping in touch isn’t
just something we do in class or at work any more: we continue to communicate with friends,
strangers, family and colleagues (1) while we’re on the train, in the living room and at the
dinner table, for instance. One recent British study indicated that (2) 79% of teens even
put their phone under their pillow so they can keep up-to-date with whatever is
happening on social media day and night, and not miss out on updates. As for adults, a
recent survey showed that (3) they now spend 20 to 28 hours a week on social media and
have on average 275 personal connections. However, in contrast, only 11% of these
same people actually meet their social connections in an actual physical environment on a
regular basis.

A a comparison between the time spent online with friends and time spent in real places

B some examples of typical locations in which digital technology may be found

C the reason why some young people feel the need to keep a digital device with them at all
times

D the suggestion that adults could learn about digital communication from their children

1.
2.
3.

Unit 4: Exercise 7
Read the next paragraph. Then complete the matching information statements
for the numbered parts of the paragraph. Use the words in the box.

Paragraph C

Email is now one of the most common means of communication. At the moment, over 100
billion emails are sent and received per day for business purposes. (1) This trend is expected
to continue, and business email will account for over 132 billion emails sent and
received per day two years from now. The number of letters which are sent through the
post, however, has decreased dramatically. (2) A consequence of this is that many town
and village post offices have closed. These were once places where a great deal of social
interaction used to take place between local people. Now it is no longer possible for
neighbours or workers in the area to meet up with each other like this, and older people
in particular are often unhappy about this development. But certainly the advantages of
email cannot be ignored: in the past, the post would only be delivered once or twice a day. If
a letter was sent to an overseas destination, it could take months. Without doubt, email has
made it easier to do business.
 a description a prediction community form of communication

1. ______________________ of how a particular _____________________

2. ______________________ of how the loss of a public service has affected the
______________________

Unit 4: Exercise 8
Quickly skim read the next paragraphs. Then do the exercise.

Paragraph D

However, there are several downsides to this form of technology. Firstly, no one would
disagree that email puts pressure on people to respond immediately as soon as they find a
new message in their inbox. A recent French report says that anxiety and general tiredness
has risen dramatically amongst office workers, largely because they carry their digital devices
with them, feeling obliged to constantly check for new mail from clients. A further problem
is how to write an email, especially when communicating with people we don’t know well. In
the past, everyone knew that it was ‘correct’ to begin a letter ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ and end with
‘Yours faithfully’. Nowadays, these phrases often feel too formal. No one wants to give the
wrong impression when writing an email, but without ‘rules’, this can easily happen.

Paragraph E

Another significant impact technology has had on methods of communication is in the field
of education. Traditionally, if someone wanted to take a higher education course, they would
have to travel to attend lessons on a university campus. Nowadays, it is possible to take a
range of courses through distance learning, and the number of these is likely to rise in the
next few years. What is the appeal of studying this way? Many online courses encourage
students to take part in online forums and post comments about their learning experiences,
reading assignments and projects. They must also comment on their classmates’ posts. In one
way, this approach certainly appears to encourage communication.

Paragraph F

However, some surveys have found the opposite to be true. Because online students are
physically separated, and indeed may never have met, they do not have the opportunity to
build a good relationship. Students who come to campus regularly have the chance to get to
know and support each other, and feel part of a community, so when they are asked to
comment on the other person’s work, they can do this in ways they know the other person
will appreciate. For example, some students prefer their peers to be direct in their criticism,
whereas others might prefer a more sensitive approach. But when students are asked to
comment on the work or opinions of people they have never met, they are often reluctant to
do so. Interestingly, one of the main reasons why people give up studying on their online
courses is that they miss the face-to-face interaction with others. Certainly technology has
made our lives more ‘convenient’ but perhaps also more complicated. There are many
questions still to be answered about how we can and should use our modern digital tools to
enable effective communication, an evolutionary skill that has been centuries in development.

Match the paragraphs with the general topics. Look at the text on page 1 again if
you need to.

1. the advantages of studying online

o D
o E
o F

2. problems that occur at work and in formal situations because of digital

communication

o D
o E
o F

3. the disadvantages of studying online

o D
o E
o F

Unit 4: Exercise 9
Read the paragraphs again, this time carefully. Then do the exercise.

Paragraph D

However, there are several downsides to this form of technology. Firstly, no one would
disagree that email puts pressure on people to respond immediately as soon as they find a
new message in their inbox. A recent French report says that anxiety and general tiredness
has risen dramatically amongst office workers, largely because they carry their digital devices
with them, feeling obliged to constantly check for new mail from clients. A further problem
is how to write an email, especially when communicating with people we don’t know well. In
the past, everyone knew that it was ‘correct’ to begin a letter ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ and end with
‘Yours faithfully’. Nowadays, these phrases often feel too formal. No one wants to give the
wrong impression when writing an email, but without ‘rules’, this can easily happen.

Paragraph E

Another significant impact technology has had on methods of communication is in the field
of education. Traditionally, if someone wanted to take a higher education course, they would
have to travel to attend lessons on a university campus. Nowadays, it is possible to take a
range of courses through distance learning, and the number of these is likely to rise in the
next few years. What is the appeal of studying this way? Many online courses encourage
students to take part in online forums and post comments about their learning experiences,
reading assignments and projects. They must also comment on their classmates’ posts. In one
way, this approach certainly appears to encourage communication.

Paragraph F

However, some surveys have found the opposite to be true. Because online students are
physically separated, and indeed may never have met, they do not have the opportunity to
build a good relationship. Students who come to campus regularly have the chance to get to
know and support each other, and feel part of a community, so when they are asked to
comment on the other person’s work, they can do this in ways they know the other person
will appreciate. For example, some students prefer their peers to be direct in their criticism,
whereas others might prefer a more sensitive approach. But when students are asked to
comment on the work or opinions of people they have never met, they are often reluctant to
do so. Interestingly, one of the main reasons why people give up studying on their online
courses is that they miss the face-to-face interaction with others. Certainly technology has
made our lives more ‘convenient’ but perhaps also more complicated. There are many
questions still to be answered about how we can and should use our modern digital tools to
enable effective communication, an evolutionary skill that has been centuries in development.

Which paragraph contains the following information? You may use any letter
more than once. Read the text on page 1 again if you need to.

1. a reason why some learners do not complete an academic programme

o D
o E
o F

2. a reason for an increase in levels of stress in employees

o D
o E
o F

3. a prediction about the way that an academic service might develop in the future

o D
 o E
o F

4. an example of a traditional practice in writing that people used to use more often

o D
o E
o F

5. a comparison between the ways that different people like to be given feedback on
their work

o D
o E
o F

Unit 4: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt in this unit.

Complete the advice. Use the words in the box.

a description of, a comparison more than one statement skim read the text

references to, reasons or examples of underline key words and phrases

what type of information

8. Before you look at the task, it is a good idea to ____________________________ to

understand the main idea of each paragraph.
9. Before you complete the task, _____________________________ in the matching
information statements.
10. The key words in matching information statements tell you
_________________________________ you need.
11. Some examples of key words in matching information statements are
___________________________________ .
12. Look carefully to see if any key words are plural, for example
__________________________________ .
13. Remember that sometimes a paragraph may match
___________________________________ .

Unit 4: Exercise 1
25% of your score in the IELTS Speaking test is for lexical resource. Lexical
resource means using a good range of vocabulary.

You can improve your lexical resource by building your vocabulary on IELTS
topics. Use the words in the box to complete the student’s notes. Then watch the
video and check your answers.

Describe what you like to have for breakfast in the morning.

You should say:

what you like to eat and drink for breakfast

how you prepare these things

play.MP4
whether you think this is a healthy breakfast

and explain why you like to eat and drink these things.

Breakfast eat eggs energy juice lives recipe

Sausage vitamin

what you like to eat and drink for breakfast

orange or apple _____________

scrambled ____________

beans and ____________

how you prepare these things

I will cook English ___________ with my parents.

I will find a ____________ to learn how to cook it.

whether you think this is a healthy breakfast

Orange juice gives us _____________ C .

It gives me a lot of ______________ .

explain why you like to eat and drink these things

This kind of breakfast is important in our ______________ .

I like to ______________ this breakfast because I enjoy it.

Unit 4: Exercise 2
In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you will speak about your personal experience of a
topic. Then, in Part 3, the examiner will ask you about your general opinions on
the same topic.

Look at a student’s answers and decide if each one describes a personal

experience (for Part 2) or a general opinion (for Part 3).

1. We should eat healthier food because we need healthy bodies to work and study. This
is personal experience for Part 2./ This is a general opinion for Part 3.
2. In my country, we eat noodles and rice for breakfast. This is personal experience for
Part 2./ This is a general opinion for Part 3.
3. I think that buying fast food is often easier than cooking for yourself. This is personal
experience for Part 2./ This is a general opinion for Part 3.
4. I think governments should give people more advice about healthy food. This is
personal experience for Part 2./ This is a general opinion for Part 3.
5. I think I have a recipe to show me how to cook it. This is personal experience for Part
2./ This is a general opinion for Part 3.
6. No, I don’t think so, because it is now more expensive to import food from foreign
countries. This is personal experience for Part 2./ This is a general opinion for Part 3.
7. I think we’re healthier than in the past because nowadays we concentrate on the
ingredients in meals. This is personal experience for Part 2./ This is a general opinion
for Part 3.
8. I don’t like milk. I just drink it because it’s healthy. This is personal experience for
Part 2./ This is a general opinion for Part 3.
9. Yes, I think so, because nowadays we are unhealthy because of fast food. This is
personal experience for Part 2./ This is a general opinion for Part 3.
10. In the morning, I like to have eggs, juice and toast. This is personal experience for
Part 2./ This is a general opinion for Part 3.

Unit 4: Exercise 3
Read the information. Then put the letters in the correct order to complete the
food collocations.

One way to build your vocabulary is to learn different collocations. Collocations are pairs or
groups of words that are commonly used together.

Example:
homemade + food = homemade food
(food that is made at home and not bought from a shop.)

t u r f i

1. Fresh _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

r t e a w

2. Mineral _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

s a k a t b e f r

3. English _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

o o f d

4. Fast _____ _____ _____ _____

j u i c e

5. Fruit _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

e t a

6. Green _____ _____ _____

g s e g

7. Scrambled _____ _____ _____ _____

r t u o h y g

8. strawberry_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

n h c e k c i

9. Roast _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

z p a z i

10. Italian _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Unit 4: Exercise 4
Watch the videos of the students doing the IELTS Speaking test. Write one
word in each gap to complete the different food collocations the students use.
1. ____________ food
1.MP4

2. ____________ food
2.MP4

3. ____________ food
3.MP4

4. ____________ food
4.MP4

5. ____________ food
5.MP4

6. ____________ food
6.MP4

Unit 4: Exercise 5
Read the IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions and answers. Highlight the words
that the student uses to paraphrase the examiner’s words in bold.

Another way that you can improve your lexical resource in the IELTS Speaking test is by
paraphrasing so that you do not repeat the exact words that the examiner has used.
Paraphrasing means saying the same thing but in a different way.

Highligh

1. Examiner: Do you think it’s easy to buy many types of food in your country?

Student: Yes, there is definitely a wide variety of things to eat where I am from.

2. Examiner: Some people say it’s better to eat mostly local food rather than food imported
from other countries. Do you agree?

Student: Yes, I think it is important to buy food that was grown near where you live.

3. Examiner: Do you think that your country’s traditional food might disappear in the
future?

Student: No, it simply isn’t possible that people would stop eating what we have always
eaten where I am from.4

4. Examiner: Do you think that the food people eat in your country now is better than the
food that they ate in the past?
Student: No, I don’t. I think what people used to eat was healthier.

5. Examiner: What are the reasons why unhealthy food is so popular in many countries
these days?

Student: I think there are several reasons why people like eating things that are bad for them.

Unit 4: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then watch the videos of students doing the IELTS
Speaking test. Replace ‘I think’ with an alternative phrase using the verbs in
brackets.

In IELTS Speaking Part 3 you should find different ways of saying phrases like I think
instead of repeating yourself. You could say I suppose, I believe, It seems to me or As far as I
can see.

1. I think it’s because unhealthy food is faster than local food. (believe)
1.MP4

2. I think it’s better than the past because nowadays we concentrate on the
ingredients in the meals. (suppose) 2.MP4

3. I think, we should … governments should have more advisers for healthy

food. (see) 3.MP4

4. I think it’s easy to buy it because Hong Kong is an international city. (seem)
4.MP4

Unit 4: Exercise 7
In IELTS Speaking Part 3 you can use and, but, so, and because to help explain
your opinions.

Read the information, then complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

Use and to join two ideas that are similar. (e.g. I like coffee and tea.)

Use but to join one idea that is different from another idea. (e.g. I like apple juice but not
orange juice.)
Use so to join one idea that is the result of another idea. (e.g. I want to be healthier, so I’m
eating more fruit.)

Use because to join one idea with the reason for another idea. (e.g. I am going to a restaurant
on Saturday because it’s my friend’s birthday.)

And because because but so

1. Sugar causes a lot of health problems, ___________ people should eat fewer things
that contain sugar.
2. In my country, it’s easy to have a healthy diet _____________ we grow a lot of fruit
and vegetables.
3. Fast food is unhealthy ____________ it’s tasty and cheap.
4. One reason I like fruit is that it tastes nice ___________ another reason is because
it’s healthy.
5. People drink a lot of water in the summer _____________ it’s very hot.

Unit 4: Exercise 8
Watch the video of a student doing IELTS Speaking Part 3. Listen and complete
the examiner’s questions.

1. Examiner: OK, we’ve been talking about food and drink and I’d like to
discuss with you one or two more general questions related to this. So let’s
consider, first of all, local and ______________ food. Do you think it’s easy to
buy many types of food in your country?

2. Examiner: Some people say it’s better though to eat mostly _____________
food rather than food imported from other countries. Do you agree?

3. Examiner: Do you think it’s _____________ ? Why?

4. Examiner: Do you think though that your country’s _____________ food

might disappear in the future?

5. Examiner: OK, let’s think about food ____________ and healthy food. Do play.MP4

you think that the food people eat in your country now is better than the food
that they ate in the past?

6. Examiner: What are the reasons why ______________ food is so popular

in many countries these days?

7. Examiner: Do you think that governments should make laws which

encourage people to eat healthy ________________ and avoid unhealthy
food?

8. Examiner: Do you think people would obey the rules, the government rules,
about ______________ food?

Unit 4: Exercise 9
There is one mistake in each of the student’s answers. Find the mistakes and
correct them.

1. Examiner: Do you think it’s easy to buy many types of food in your country?
Student: Yes, I think is easy to buy international food in Hong Kong.

2. Examiner: Do you like international food?

Student: I prefer eat local food from my country

3. Examiner: Do you think though that your country’s traditional food might disappear in the
future?
Student: As far I as can see, it’s possible, but unlikely.

4. Examiner: Why is unhealthy food so popular in many countries these days?

Student: Unhealthy food is usually faster food, which is often cheap and easy to buy.

5. Examiner: Do you think that the food people eat in your country now is better than the
food that they ate in the past?
Student: Personally, I thinking that it’s better nowadays.

Unit 4: Exercise 10
You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a
pencil.

Listen to the examiner. Record your answer. Play to hear your answer

Describe what you like to have for breakfast in the morning.

You should say:

what you like to eat and drink for breakfast
how you prepare these things
whether you think this is a healthy breakfast
and explain why you like to eat and drink these things.
Unit 4: Exercise 1
When a graph or chart appears in IELTS Writing Task 1, it will either compare
data at the same point in time or show trends over a period of time. A trend is a
general development or a change in a situation.

Look at the graphs and charts. Then choose the correct descriptions.

1.

o This chart compares the number of

visitors to five different holiday
destinations in Mexico at the same
point in time.
o This chart shows the number of
visitors to five different holiday
destinations in Mexico over a
period of time.

2.

o This graph compares the

populations of five different cities
in the world at the same time.
o This graph compares the
populations of five different cities
in the world over a period of time.

3.

o This chart shows the numbers of

different types of animal in the
Maasai Mara National Reserve in
Kenya at the same point in time.
o This chart shows the numbers of
different types of animal in the
Maasai Mara National Reserve in
Kenya over a period of time.
 4.

o This chart compares the ages of the

population of Ireland at the same
point in time.
o This chart compares the ages of the
population of Ireland over a period
of time.

Unit 4: Exercise 2
Look at the graph. Then choose the correct answers to complete the statements.

1. The population of Lagos increased by just under 4 million between 1970 and
1980. /decreased by just over 8 million between 1970 and 1980. /stayed about the
same between 1970 and 1980.
 2. The population of New York City increased by just over 2 million between 1970 and
1980. /decreased by about 1 million between 1970 and 1980./ stayed about the
same between 1970 and 1980.
3. The population of Moscow increased by about 2 million between 1990 and
2000. /decreased by about 2 million between 1990 and 2000. /stayed about the
same between 1990 and 2000.
4. The population of New York City increased by about 6 million between 1990 and
2010./ decreased by about 2 million between 1990 and 2010. /stayed about the
same between 1990 and 2010.
5. The population of Tehran has increased by about 5 million between 1970 and now./
has decreased by about 2 million between 1970 and now. /has stayed about the
same between 1970 and now.

Unit 4: Exercise 3
Look at the graph. Choose the correct verb forms to complete the sentences.

1. The population of Moscow increased/has increased by about 2 million between 1990

and 2000.
2. The population of Tehran increased/has increased by approximately 5 million
between 1970 and the present time.
3. Between 1975 and 1980 the number of people living in Lagos rose/has risen by nearly
3 million.
4. The population of Beijing at the present time is/has been about 22 million.

Unit 4: Exercise 4
Put the words in the correct columns to complete the table.
Decrease drop remain rise grown increase stay the same fall

go up go down no change

Unit 4: Exercise 5
Complete the table below with the correct verb forms.

Verb Past simple Present perfect

Fall ____________ Has/have fallen
drop dropped Has/have ____________
____________ decreased Has/have decreased
Go down ___________ down Has gone down
Rise rose Has/have ____________
grow ____________ Has/have grown
____________ increased Has/have increased

Unit 4: Exercise 6
Look at the graph and read the student’s report. Then complete the report with
the correct form of the verbs in brackets.
The line graph compares the number of people living in five cities in the world between 1970
and the present.

On the whole, the population of these cities ______________ (grow) a lot since 1970. The
number of residents in Lagos and Beijing _____________ (rise) the most, while the number
in Moscow and Tehran ______________ (increase) too.

In Lagos, the number of residents ______________ (rise) from about 1 million in 1970 to 2
million in 1975, but since then the population _______________ (grow) quickly from 2
million in 1975 to 18 million at the present time. Similarly, the number of people living in
Beijing also ______________ (increase) from 8 million in 1970 to just under 20 million in
2010.

By contrast, the population of New York City ______________ (stay) the same since 1970.
During the 1970s it ______________ (fall) from 8 million to about 6.5 million. The number
of residents then ______________ (remain) at about 7.5 million between 2000 and 2010, and
since then it _______________ (grow) slowly to around 8 million people at the present
time.

Unit 4: Exercise 7
Choose the correct prepositions to complete the student’s report.

The bar chart compares the different ages of people living in Ireland between 1980 and 2010.

All in all, the size of the 25–54 age group increased the most about/over the period while the
size of the two younger age groups decreased a little bit. The number of people in/to the two
older age groups stayed about the same.
The 25–54 age group grew from/over approximately a third of the population in 1980 to
nearly half of the population in 2010. By contrast, the 0–14 age group fell from/in just over
25% in 1980 from/to just under 20% in 2010. Similarly, the 15–24 age group dropped from
just over 20% of the population in 1980 to just over/under 10% of the population in 2010.

The older two age groups did not increase or decrease much. The size of the 65 and over age
group remained at/in about 12%, whereas the size of the 55–64 age group only fell
from/under about 12% at/to about 10% of the population.

Unit 4: Exercise 8
Read the information. Then look at the graph. Put the paragraphs in the correct
order to complete the report.

The report should have:

 an introduction that includes 2 or 3 main features of the chart.

 two paragraphs that provide details of the main features mentioned in the
introduction. (The main features are the most important pieces of information on the
chart.)

The older two age groups did not increase or decrease much. The size of the 65 and over age
group remained at about 12%, whereas the size of the 55 -64 age group only fell from about
12% to about 10% of the population.

The bar chart compares the different ages of people living in Ireland between 1980 and 2010.
All in all, the size of the 25-54 age group increased the most over the period while the size of
the two younger age groups decreased a little bit. The number of people in the two older age
groups stayed about the same.

By contrast, the 0-14 age group fell from just over 25% in 1980 to just under 20% in 2010.
Similarly, the 15-24 age group dropped from just over 20% of the population in 1980 to just
under 10% of the population in 2010.

The 25-54 age group grew from approximately a third of the population in 1980 to nearly half
of the population in 2010.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Unit 4: Exercise 9
Look at the line graph. Then complete the statements with the phrases in the
box.

between 1980 and 1985. each had more than 9 million visitors in 2015.
 from just over 4 million in 1980 to around 2 million in 2015.

from just under 4 million in 1980 to just over 3 million in 2000.

from just under 5 million in 1980 to around 9 million in 2015.

over the thirty-five year period.

with between approximately 8 and 9 million visitors each year.

with no more than 4 million visitors each year.

1. The Egyptian Museum was the most popular,

______________________________________________

2. The number of visitors to the Hermitage stayed about the same

______________________________________________

3. The Egyptian Museum and the Tokyo National Museum

______________________________________________

4. The number of visitors to the Hermitage fell

______________________________________________

5. The number of visitors to the National Museum of Anthropology stayed the same

______________________________________________

6. The number of visitors to the Tokyo National Museum increased

______________________________________________

7. The least popular were the Hermitage and the National Museum of Anthropology,

______________________________________________

8. The visitors to the National Museum of Anthropology decreased slowly

______________________________________________

Unit 4: Exercise 10
WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph shows the number of visitors to four international museums between 1980 and
2015.

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

Write at least 150 words.

Please add text into the Student post.

Student post:
Unit 5: Exercise 1
Look at the words in the table. Which words can you add to them to make new
words? Use the words in the box.

Bag foot manager online department convenience keeper

trolley assistant mens basket sports

Shop…. Shopping…

-wear …store

Unit 5: Exercise 2
Complete the descriptions. Use the words in the box.

DIY store bakery bookshop butcher's chemist's greengrocer's

Newsagent's travel agency

11. You can buy meat in a _____________
12. You can buy bread and cakes in a _____________
13. You buy books in a _____________
14. You buy newspapers and magazines in a _____________
15. You book a holiday in a _____________
16. You buy fruit and vegetables in a _____________
17. You buy things to help you build and fix things around the house in a _____________
 18. You get medicines in a _____________

Unit 5: Exercise 3
Choose the correct words to complete the story.

The department store in my town was having a discount /sale/sell last week – everything was
25% cheaper than usual. So I went to find some bargains/discount/sell . I love buying things
that are cheaper than they should be.
In the footwear and bags department, I found a lovely bag, with a 40% discount/off/sale . It
had a two-year fitting room/guarantee/receipt , so I could get my money back if it broke.
Then I went to the womenswear department and found some nice trousers on
discounts/refund/special offer . They were 50% of the normal price. I wanted to go to the
fitting room/queue/till to try them on, but there was a long bargain/queue/sale – there were
about ten other people waiting – and I didn’t want to wait. So I went to the cash
machine/fitting room/till and paid for everything.
When I got home, I tried the trousers on. They were the right size, but they didn’t
fit/pass/suit me at all – they looked terrible on me. So I decided to take them back and ask
for a receipt/refund/return . But I couldn’t find my footwear/receipt/shopping bag , so the
shop assistant said he couldn’t give me my money back. Next time, I’ll be more careful when
I shop at the sales.

Unit 5: Exercise 4
Complete the phrases. Use the words in the box.

Book Eat Go Meet Spend Take Try Watch

11. _____________ up with friends.

12. _____________ bowling.
13. _____________ out some money from a cash machine.
14. _____________ a film.
15. _____________ fast food.
16. _____________ on some clothes to see if they fit you.
17. _____________ a holiday.
18. _____________ money.

Unit 5: Exercise 5
Read the conversations. Then choose the correct reason for Speaker B using
will + infinitive or going to + infinitive each time. The first one has been done
for you.

1. A: Hmm, it’s a lovely jumper, but I can’t buy it today. I haven’t got enough money.
B: That’s OK. I’ll lend you the money. How much do you need?

o We often use will to make a decision while we’re speaking, or to ask another person
for a decision.
o We often use will to make a prediction (= a guess about the future) based on our own
opinions.
o We often use will to make a promise to another person.
o We often use will to offer help to another person, or to ask for help.

2. A: These trainers are quite expensive. Are you sure you need them?
B: Yes, Mum. Don’t worry – I’ll wear them every day. Trust me!

o We often use will to make a decision while we’re speaking, or to ask another person
for a decision.
o We often use will to make a prediction (= a guess about the future) based on our own
opinions.
o We often use will to make a promise to another person.
o We often use will to offer help to another person, or to ask for help.

3. A: I’m sorry, but we don’t accept credit cards at this till.

B: Really? OK, I’ll pay by cash.

o We often use will to make a decision while we’re speaking, or to ask another person
for a decision.
o We often use will to make a prediction (= a guess about the future) based on our own
opinions.
o We often use will to make a promise to another person.
o We often use will to offer help to another person, or to ask for help.

4. A: This phone looks great, and it’s really cheap.

B: Yes, a bit too cheap. I’m worried that it’ll stop working after a few weeks.

o We often use will to make a decision while we’re speaking, or to ask another person
for a decision.
o We often use will to make a prediction (= a guess about the future) based on our own
opinions.
o We often use will to make a promise to another person.
o We often use will to offer help to another person, or to ask for help.

5. A: Have you booked your holiday yet?

B: Yes, we’ve just been to the travel agency and bought our tickets. We’re going to go to
Thailand.

o We often use going to to make a prediction based on what we know or can see.
 o We often use going to to talk about plans and decisions that we made earlier.

6. A: Can we go home soon? I’m bored.

B: I want to try on this blouse, but there’s a long queue for the fitting rooms. It’s going to be
at least half an hour before we can go home.

o We often use going to to make a prediction based on what we know or can see.
o We often use going to to talk about plans and decisions that we made earlier.

Unit 5: Exercise 6
Read the conversations and correct Speaker B’s answers by using the correct
form of will + infinitive. Use contractions where possible (e.g. he’ll). The first
one has been done for you.

1. A: Look what I’ve found. A lovely shirt for you. Do you want to see if it fits you?
B: OK, I try I'll try it on.

2. A: The lift’s broken.

B: OK, I take the stairs.

3. A: Wow, I can’t believe I’ve bought so much today!

B: How do you get home with all those bags?

4. A: Can I tell you a secret? My ‘expensive’ dress was actually really cheap. I only paid £10
for it.
B: Wow! Don’t worry. I don’t tell anyone.

5. A: I ordered some books online yesterday, but they haven’t arrived yet.
B: Don’t worry. They probably arrive next week.

6. A: You should take those shoes back if they don’t fit and ask for a refund.
B: I know, but I’m a bit nervous. Do you come with me?

7. A: Can you wait here? I just need to go to a few shops.

B: OK. Are you long?

8. A: I don’t want to go to the shopping centre tomorrow. It’s always really crowded.
B: Don’t worry. It isn’t be crowded tomorrow morning.

Unit 5: Exercise 7
Put the words in the correct order to complete the sentences and questions.

It'll think expensive I quite be

1. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ .

 You'll think film enjoy the Do you

2. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

__________ ?

We'll stay I think don't long

3. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ .

Think cost How it'll do you much

4. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

__________ ?

Need think I'll a I trolley

5. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ .

To think don't need I you'll pay

6. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

__________ .

Do think go you shopping we'll When again

7. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

__________ __________ ?

There'll many you people think Do be

8. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

__________ ?

Unit 5: Exercise 8
Complete the conversation with the correct forms of the words in brackets. Use
going to + infinitive in all your answers. Use contractions where possible (e.g.
isn’t).

A: Hurry up! You need to decide. The ____________________ in a minute. (shop / close)
Which laptop _________________________ ? (you / buy)
B: _______________________________ one here. (I / not / buy)
A: Why not? Your old laptop’s broken and you’ve got a business trip next week.
______________________________ one when you’re away. (you / need)
B: I know, but _______________________________ a new laptop online instead. (I / get)
A: Well, don’t forget your flight’s on Monday morning, so that doesn’t leave you a lot of
time.
B: Don’t worry. ________________________________ it tonight. (I / order) It won’t take
more than three days to arrive.
A: _________________________________ pretty stupid at your business meeting next
week if you don’t get your new laptop by then. (you / feel)
B: Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.

Unit 5: Exercise 9
Read the information. Then choose the best answers to complete the sentences.

 We often use will to make a decision while we’re speaking, or to ask another person
for a decision.
 We often use will to make a prediction (= a guess about the future) based on our own
opinions.
 We often use will to make a promise to another person.
 We often use will to offer help to another person, or to ask for help.
 We often use going to to talk about plans and decisions. Often the plan/decision has
already been made.
 We often use going to to make a prediction based on what we know or can see.

1. This laptop comes with a five-year guarantee. That means that if it stops working in
the next five years, you’re going to/you’ll get your money back.
2. I’ve just bought some new running shoes because I’m going to/I’ll start running every
day from tomorrow.
3. Oh no! We’ve spent too long in the shops. We’re going to/We’ll miss the last bus
home. Look – it’s leaving now.
4. We aren’t going to/won’t buy anything. We didn’t bring any money. We only came
here to do some window-shopping.
5. A: What are you going to have for lunch?
B: I’m going to/I’ll have a burger. I haven’t had one for ages.
6. A: We’ve just bought our wedding rings.
B: Really? When are you going to/will you get married?
7. A: I can’t carry all these bags. Are you going to /Will you help me, please?
B: Yes, of course.

Unit 5: Exercise 10
Do the advantages of online shopping outweigh the disadvantages? Choose the
best words to complete the student’s answer.

In my view, the main advantage/disadvantage/positive aspects of online shopping is that it is

convenient – you can buy things in your own home, at any time of day or night. Another
benefit/drawback/negative aspects is that online stores are often cheaper than traditional
shops. All things considered/Moreover/Overall , they usually have a wider range of sizes and
colours.

However, there are also some important advantages/benefits/drawbacks to online shopping.

For one thing /Overall/Personally , you have to wait a few days, or even weeks, for your
shopping to arrive. However /In my view/What’s more , you can’t try on clothes before
buying them. Because/However/In addition , you sometimes need to pay extra for postage.
Many online shops do try to deal with/suffer/outweigh the disadvantages by offering free
delivery for any clothes that you want to return, for example.

For instance/Overall/So , I believe the benefits of online shopping deal with/outweigh/suffer

the disadvantages.

Unit 5: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will learn about Section 1 of the IELTS Listening test and
practise the skills you need to answer five-option multiple-choice questions.
The topic of this unit is libraries.

Read the information. Then read the sentences from different conversations and
decide who is speaking. Choose the correct answers.

In IELTS Listening test, Section 1 the conversation is always with two speakers, and five-
option multiple choice questions may test your ability to understand specific details (e.g. the
health benefits of doing yoga or times when you can visit a local gym) or the main ideas or
opinions you hear (e.g. I think yoga is a better form of exercise than lifting weights).

When you listen to the conversation, it is useful to understand the roles of each speaker (e.g.
teacher and student or shop assistant and customer).

A an architect
B a library assistant
C a member of the library
D a computer specialist
E a local journalist

1. I’m writing an article about the library for the local newspaper. A/B/C/D/E

2. I’ve got my library card with me. I’m interested in science fiction, mainly.
A/B/C/D/E
3. What I like best is ordering new books and recommending them to people.
A/B/C/D/E
4. I designed the new library. A/B/C/D/E
5. I’m working on a new piece of software for the library. A/B/C/D/E
Unit 5: Exercise 2
Read the information. Then listen to the recording and answer the question. Choose two
letters, A–E.

Announcer: You hear a conversation about a new library.

Jim: Hello, Mary. How are you?

Mary: Good, thanks. I haven’t seen you for a while.

Jim: No, I’ve been busy at work. But I was having a look at the local newspaper
and I saw that the new library had finally been opened. And I really wanted to
come and see it and have a look around, and of course, I’m hoping to take some
books home with me. It looks fantastic. Much better than the old library that was
here before.

Mary: Yes, we’re very pleased with the design. It’s a lot more open and we have
a good view of the park outside now.

Jim: And I can see that there’s a lot more technology in the library now.
play.MP3

Mary: Yes. We’ve got a lot more screens here for people to use. But people also
bring in their own laptops and tablets and things so they can do some work or
study and use the
wi-fi.

Jim: Great. So I guess your job has changed quite a bit.

Mary: That’s right. When I started, I was just checking books in and out for
people. But now I’m responsible for many different services. I have to say,
though, what I like best is ordering new books and recommending them to
people.

Jim: Well, what would you recommend to me? I’ve got my library card with me.
I’m interested in science fiction mainly.

In an IELTS five-option multiple choice question:

 there will be five options (A–E) to choose from

 you will always be asked to choose TWO of these five options
 the options will not be in the same order that they appear in the conversation (i.e. if
the first option in a list of buildings is A a library, the speakers may not mention a
library until the middle or the end of their conversation).
Which TWO people are taking part in the conversation about the new library?

 A an architect
 B a member of the library
 C a library assistant
 D a computer specialist
 E a local journalist

Unit 5: Exercise 3
Read the information. Then read the three extracts from the recording. Each
extract matches one of the incorrect options (the distractors), A, D and E. Match
the extract with the distractor and explanation.

In a five-option multiple choice question, three options will always be incorrect. Incorrect
options are also called distractors.

 Distractors might contain one or two words which are similar to something a speaker
says in the conversation – but they are different.
 The whole option will not give the same information that you hear in the
conversation.
 Be careful not to choose an option just because you read and/or hear similar words.

Which TWO people are taking part in the conversation about the new library?

A an architect 
B a member of the library 
C a library assistant 
D a computer specialist 
E a local journalist 
Extract 1:
‘We’ve got a lot more screens here for people to use. But people also bring in their own
laptops and tablets and things so they can do some work or study and use the wi-fi.’
Extract 2:
‘Yes, we’re very pleased with the design. It’s a lot more open and we have a good view of the
park outside now.’
Extract 3:
‘But I was having a look at the local newspaper and I saw that the new library had finally
been opened.’
 1. Extract 1/ Extract 2/ Extract 3 matches the distractor in option A and is incorrect
because the speaker only says that she likes the design. She doesn’t say that she
planned it.
2. Extract 1/ Extract 2/ Extract 3 matches the distractor in option D and is incorrect
because the speaker only describes the kind of computer equipment that the library
has. She doesn’t say that she knows a lot about computers.
3. Extract 1/ Extract 2/ Extract 3 matches the distractor in option E and is incorrect
because the speaker read some information in the local newspaper. He doesn’t say
that his job is to write articles for it.

Unit 5: Exercise 4
Read the information. Then listen to six extracts from a conversation about
library services. Decide if each speaker is talking about the Past, Present or
Future. Choose the correct answers.

Announcer: One
Mary: Lots of kids his age come along with their tablets and they all play
‘Tower Builders’ or some other game like that.

Announcer: Two
Mary: That’s an activity that we’re only going to run in a month or two.

Announcer: Three
Mary: The librarian chooses either an old favourite or a new book to read.

Announcer: Four play.MP3

Librarian: There was someone here who’d do that here previously, but not
now.

Announcer: Five
Mary: Oh, we used to, but I’m afraid the teacher left.

Announcer: Six
Librarian: The first session is taking place in May.

In the IELTS Listening test, it is important to understand when the speakers are talking about
the past, present or future. Listen carefully to the tense the speaker uses, as this will help you.

Note that when the speaker uses the present continuous tense (e.g. I am taking a Spanish
course), it’s important to listen for the time signal the speaker uses as they could be talking
about the present or the future. For example:

Present continuous to talk about the present

I am taking a Spanish course at the moment.
I am currently taking a Spanish course.

Present continuous to talk about the future

I am taking a Spanish course in June.
I am taking a Spanish course next month.

1.
o Past
o Present
o Future
2.
o Past
o Present
o Future
3.
o Past
o Present
o Future
4.
o Past
o Present
o Future
5.
o Past
o Present
o Future
6.
o Past
o Present
o Future

Unit 5: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then listen to the recording and answer the question.
Choose the correct letters, A–E.

In a five-option multiple choice question, you may need to understand specific details of
something you hear in the conversation. The question you see in the test will be similar to a
question you will hear in the recording.

For example:

You read: Which TWO health benefits of doing yoga does the man mention?

You hear: ‘So why would yoga be a good idea for the children? You know, what would be
the benefits for their health?’
When you hear cues (key words) like the underlined words, you should listen more carefully.
Look at the exam question:

Which TWO services does the library currently offer?

A a language-learning class for adults

B an after-school club for teenagers
C an evening art class
D a morning book-discussion group
E a story-reading session for young children

In the question, the cues are services and currently. This means you listen for the two services
that the library offers now.

Announcer: You hear a conversation about some services that a library

offers.

Mary: I wonder if you know about all of the services that are available at
the library.

Jim: Um, well, I know about some of them. I saw a notice on the wall over
there about an art class. That’s something my wife would really be interested
in.

Mary: Oh, good! But I’m afraid that’s an activity that we’re only going to
run in a month or two. We just need to get one of our rooms ready first.

Jim: Alright, well, I’ll tell my wife about it anyway. Oh, yes, I was just
thinking about my daughter. She’s only five years old and I know that other
libraries organise a time when younger children can come in and listen to
one of the librarians tell them stories and fairy tales. Does that happen here?
play.MP3

Mary: On Tuesday and Friday mornings, yes. It’s a very popular event. The
librarian chooses either an old favourite or a new book to read to the
children. But the parents seem to enjoy it as well!

Jim: Well, that would certainly suit my daughter. And are you still offering
Spanish lessons? I might be interested in those.

Mary: Oh, we used to, but I’m afraid the teacher left.

Jim: I see. That’s a pity. What about my son? He’s 14 years old, so do you
have anything for him?

Mary: Is he into gaming? If he is, he might be interested in coming along on

Wednesday afternoons. The library is open late on Wednesdays, so we open
one of our meeting rooms for the kids from five o’clock. Lots of kids his age
come along with their tablets and they all play ‘Tower Builders’ or some
other game like that.

Jim: Really? Libraries have certainly changed since I was a kid!

Which TWO services does the library currently offer?

 A a language-learning class for adults

 B an after-school club for teenagers
 C an evening art class
 D a morning book-discussion group
 E a story-reading session for young children

Unit 5: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then read the five words in bold in the exam task (A–E).
What type of cues are they? Choose the correct answers.

Before you hear the recording, it’s a good idea to identify the possible cues in the question
and in the five options. Adverbs that give information about how, where or when something
happens may be a cue, e.g. currently (which you saw earlier in this unit). Other words that are
used as cues may be:

 nouns for people, things, places or events

 adjectives that give information about people, things, places or events
 verbs for actions and processes (e.g. become or develop).

Which TWO things can library users do on the library website?

A pay fines for books which are returned late

B apply to renew a library membership card if one gets lost
C do searches for books which have become bestsellers
D comment on books and authors they’ve read
E update details of their home address if they want to

1. fines noun/ adjective/ verb

2. lost noun/ adjective/ verb
3. searches noun/ adjective/ verb
4. comment noun/ adjective/ verb
5. update noun/ adjective/ verb

Unit 5: Exercise 7
Read the information. Then look at the underlined words in each option. Which
two underlined words from each of the options are the most important? Select
the TWO most important words in each option, A–E.

Only some of the nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs that you identify in the question and
options will be cues. General words about the topic are unlikely to be important, so you
should look for words that have a specific meaning.

For example, the word books is probably less important because the conversation is about a
library. You will therefore probably hear this word many times in the conversation. However,
fines and late describe specific details. These words are likely to be important in the
conversation.

In the IELTS Listening test, you have a short time to read the questions and options before
the recording begins. Use this time to identify key words and think about possible
paraphrases (e.g. fine and fee, penalty and charge).

Which TWO things can library users do on the library website?

A pay fines for books which are returned late

B apply to renew a library membership card if one gets lost

C do searches for books which have become bestsellers

D comment on books and authors they’ve read

E update details of their home address if they want to

Unit 5: Exercise 8
Read the five extracts from the conversation. Match the headings in the box
with the extract they refer to.

apply to renew a library membership card if one gets lost

comment on books and authors they’ve read

do searches for books which have become bestsellers

pay fines for books which are returned late

update details of their home address if they want to

___________________________________________________
Jim: And what if I’ve forgotten to bring a book back before the due date and there’s a
charge for it because I’ve gone past the deadline? Can I pay online?

___________________________________________________

Jim: And I’m afraid that my son can’t find his library membership card. Can we use the
website to get another one and replace it? Or do we have to be here at the library to do that?

___________________________________________________

Jim: Is there some kind of list on the website where I can find out what the top ten books
are?

___________________________________________________

Mary: You can post your own review if you like. You know, tell other library users
whether it’s worth reading.

___________________________________________________

Mary: But if you’ve moved house recently, so you’re living somewhere different, you’ll
need to bring us a copy of an electricity bill or a bank statement – something with your street
number on it.

Unit 5: Exercise 9
Listen to the recording. Choose TWO correct answers.

Announcer: You will hear a library assistant giving a man information

about the library website.

Jim: So what’s on the library website? Can you tell me a bit about it? For
example, you were talking before about books that you recommended to
people. Is there some kind of list on the website where I can find out what
the top ten books are?

Mary: Well, that’s an interesting idea. At the moment, we display the most play.MP3

popular books on a special shelf – near the information desk. But one thing
that you can do online – after you’ve read a book – is you can post your
own review if you like. You know, tell other library users whether it’s
worth reading. Then they can read about it on the website before they come
in.
Jim: I see. And I suppose that helps people make up their minds whether
to order a copy for themselves or not.

Mary: Right.

Jim: And I’m afraid that my son can’t find his library membership card.
Can we use the website to get another one and replace it? Or do we have to
be here at the library to do that?

Mary: No, you don’t have to come in. We have an online form that he can
fill in with his name, date of birth – that kind of thing. It’ll save him some
time if he does it like that, hopefully. And then, when your son comes into
the library, he can pick the card up from the information desk. But if
you’ve moved house recently, so you’re living somewhere different, you’ll
need to bring us a copy of an electricity bill or a bank statement –
something with your street number on it. We need that information for our
records and so that can’t be done online.

Jim: And what if I’ve forgotten to bring a book back before the due date,
and there’s a charge for it because I’ve gone past the deadline? Can I pay
online?

Mary: You’ll have to come in if you owe us any money, I’m afraid. But
we do send out email reminders a few days before you have to return a
book. So hopefully you can bring the books back in time.

Which TWO things can library users do on the library website?

 A pay fines for books which are returned late

 B apply to renew a library membership card if one gets lost
 C do searches for books which have become bestsellers
 D comment on books and authors they’ve read
 E update details of their home address if they want to

Unit 5: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt from doing this unit.

Complete the advice. Use the words and phrases in the box.

a conversation between two people general topic of the conversation

key words from the question nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs time reference
 1. In Section 1 of the IELTS Listening test, you will hear
______________________________ on an everyday topic.
2. When you have to answer a five-option multiple-choice question, use the time before
the recording to underline __________________________________ in the options.
3. Don’t underline words which are about the _______________________________ .
For example, don’t underline words like read if the whole conversation is about
libraries.
4. You should carefully read the question too. Sometimes just one word might make a
difference to the options you decide to choose. For example, the question might
contain a specific ______________________________ , and then you need to listen
for something in the past, present or future.
5. Remember that you will hear certain _______________________________ in the
conversation – these words tell you when you need to listen very carefully.

Unit 5: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will do IELTS Reading matching heading tasks and read a text
on the topic of family history (also called ancestry).

What vocabulary do you already know on the topic of ancestry? Match the
words with their definitions.

a descendant a generation a record a relative a will an ancestor

birth certificate family background great - + noun run in the family

1. a member of your extended family, for example, your aunt or uncle:

____________________________________
2. a person who is related to you but lived and died before you were born:
____________________________________
3. a person who is related to you and who will live after you in the future (e.g. your
grandchildren’s children): _________________________________
4. a group of people who are all about the same age:
_________________________________
5. the history of your family, for example, where they came from, what jobs they had:
_________________________________
6. used with a word for a family member from an older generation (e.g. your mother’s
grandmother): ___________________________________
7. a piece of important information you write on paper or store on a computer:
_________________________________
8. a legal document that explains what a person has decided should be done with their
money and property after they die: ___________________________________
9. a phrase that describes a feature, quality, ability or disease that people from the same
family share: ________________________________
 10. a legal document that contains information about a new baby such as its name, the
names of its parents and the time and place it was born:
_____________________________________

Unit 5: Exercise 2
Read the information, then read the sentences from Paragraphs A–H. Do the
exercise .

The IELTS Reading matching headings task tests your understanding of the gist of a
paragraph – this means how well you understand the main idea or topic of the paragraph.

It is often possible to quickly get a general understanding of the main ideas and topic of a text
by reading only:

 the final sentence of the introduction (i.e. the first paragraph in the text)
 the first sentence of all the paragraphs in the main body (i.e. all the paragraphs
between the introduction and the conclusion)
 the final sentence of the conclusion (i.e. the last paragraph in the text).

Final sentence of Paragraph A: ‘… It was also necessary for landowners to know their
family background – so they could prove that a large castle or manor house really belonged to
them, and not to another person further along a branch of the family tree who wanted it for
themselves.’

First sentence of Paragraph B: ‘An interest in knowing who your ancestors were and what
they did is, of course, something which is common in all cultures.’

First sentence of Paragraph C: ‘While some people are still interested in family trees as a
way of making sure they can receive money or valuable items from a great-uncle or great-
great grandparent, others have different motivations.’

First sentence of Paragraph D: ‘Part of what makes family-tree research so fascinating is

the sense of uncovering a mystery as you find more clues – just like a detective would.’

First sentence of Paragraph E: ‘Before the age of the internet, if you wanted to find out
about your family history, you would have needed to travel to different locations.’

First sentence of Paragraph F: ‘Researching your family tree has now become an ever
more popular activity, partly for the reason that it has become much easier, faster and more
convenient.’

First sentence of Paragraph G: ‘Despite the advances of modern technology, it can still be
a challenge to find your distant ancestors.’
Final sentence of Paragraph H: ‘… Rather than writing out the family tree in a book in the
traditional way, they record stories, images and voices using audio and video recordings for
their descendants to see one day.’

Match the main ideas with the sentences from Paragraphs A–H. Read the text
on page 1 again if you need to.

A description of how people feel about ancestry

A method of learning about ancestry

A method of storing information about ancestry

A reason why people enjoy researching their family history

A reason why people needed to know their ancestry in the past

Different reasons why people might be interested in ancestry

Problems in learning about ancestry

Reasons why more people are learning about ancestry now

Paragraph A
Paragraph B
Paragraph C
Paragraph D
Paragraph E
Paragraph F
Paragraph G
Paragraph H

Unit 5: Exercise 3
Read the information. Then skim read the paragraph and choose the correct
heading.

Remember! To skim read a text, focus only on the main information. To do this, focus on the
nouns, verbs and adjectives (in bold in the paragraph below).

Ancestry in the UK

Paragraph A

Up until relatively recently, English school children were often obliged to learn the names
of the kings and queens that ruled the country from the 8th century to the 18th, and
understand how they were related. This was no easy task. Sometimes a king would pass
his kingdom to his son, but very often it would be a much more distant relative that took
over. To become king, you would have to show you had royal blood in the family tree,
and to do this, you would need to know exactly who all your ancestors were. It was also
necessary for landowners to know their family background – so they could prove that a
large castle or manor house really belonged to them, and not to another person further
along a branch of the family tree who wanted it for themselves.

The correct heading for Paragraph A is:

o How knowing your family tree could bring power and property
o The kind of buildings that wealthy relatives used to live in
o Which academic subjects most students would prefer not to study

Unit 5: Exercise 4
Read the information. Then skim read the next paragraphs and answer the question .

In an IELTS Reading matching headings task, there will always be at least one more heading
than the number of paragraphs. So, for example, if there are five paragraphs, you might have
to choose from seven or eight headings.

Skim reading the text to get the gist of each paragraph can help you get a general idea of
which headings might match one of the paragraphs.

Ancestry in the UK

Paragraph B
An interest in knowing who your ancestors were and what they did is, of course, something
which is common in all cultures. Not all cultures, however, have a phrase which translates as
family tree for when they want to describe earlier generations of the same family. We use this
particular phrase because it was traditional in the past in some countries to put the oldest
generations at the top of a drawing and the youngest generation at the bottom – sometimes
just the child of a recently married couple. This meant the image would be wider at the top
and narrower at the bottom – just like a tree.

Paragraph C

While some people are still interested in family trees as a way of making sure they can
receive money or valuable items from a great-uncle or great-great grandparent, others have
different motivations. Some people choose to research their family tree because they are
simply curious about their origins. Or perhaps they have heard an unusual story about an
ancestor and wish to discover the truth. They may even have a more serious and useful
purpose, for example wanting to find out about a medical condition which runs in the family.

Choose the correct headings for the paragraphs. Look at the text again on page
1 if you need to.

1. The correct heading for Paragraph B is:

o Practical and personal reasons for finding out about ancestors

o The appeal of making unexpected discoveries
o The problems people face in carrying out family-tree research
o Why we use ‘family tree’ to refer to our family background
o Traditional ways of researching family trees

2. The correct heading for Paragraph C is:

o The appeal of making unexpected discoveries

o Practical and personal reasons for finding out about ancestors
o The problems people face in carrying out family-tree research
o Traditional ways of researching family trees
o Why we use ‘family tree’ to refer to our family background

Unit 5: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then read the paragraphs again, this time with their
headings. The key words in the headings have been underlined. Then do the
exercise.
In IELTS Reading matching headings tasks, it is a good idea to underline key words in the
headings and match them with synonyms and paraphrases in the text. You can do this to
check your answers.

Paragraph B

Why we say ‘family tree’ to refer to our family background

An interest in knowing who your ancestors were and what they did is, of course, something
which is common in all cultures. Not all cultures, however, have a phrase which translates as
family tree for when they want to describe earlier generations of the same family. We use this
particular phrase because it was traditional in the past in some countries to put the oldest
generations at the top of a drawing and the youngest generation at the bottom – sometimes
just the child of a recently married couple. This meant the image would be wider at the top
and narrower at the bottom – just like a tree.

Paragraph C

Practical and personal reasons for finding out about ancestors

While some people are still interested in family trees as a way of making sure they can
receive money or valuable items from a great-uncle or great-great grandparent, others have
different motivations. Some people choose to research their family tree because they are
simply curious about their origins. Or perhaps they have heard an unusual story about an
ancestor and wish to discover the truth. They may even have a more serious and useful
purpose, for example wanting to find out about a medical condition which runs in the family.

Match the synonyms and paraphrases from the paragraphs (the words in the
box) with the key words from the headings (1–7). Look at the text again on page
1 if you need to.

a more serious and useful purpose motivations origins to research

perhaps they have heard an unusual story about an ancestor and wish to discover the truth

we use this particular phrase who your ancestors were and what they did

1. we say ‘family tree’

__________________________________________

2. our family background

__________________________________________

3. practical (reasons)
 __________________________________________

4. personal (reasons)

__________________________________________

5. reasons

__________________________________________

6. finding out about

__________________________________________

7. ancestors

__________________________________________

Unit 5: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then read the headings that the student has chosen, the paragraphs and
the reasons for the student’s answers. The student’s answers are incorrect. Then do the
exercise.

In the IELTS Reading matching headings task, it is easy to choose the incorrect answer. The
extra headings that you don’t need, called ‘distractors’, often seem to be logical answers.

Paragraph D:
Creating family trees for future generations

Part of what makes family-tree research so fascinating is the sense of uncovering a mystery
as you find more clues – just like a detective would. This kind of process was shown in the
hugely popular programme ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’, which featured well-known TV
personalities exploring their family origins. The show’s researchers often found surprising
information. One person, interviewer Jeremy Paxman, was disinterested at first. He believed
it was more important to be ‘forward-looking’ – and think about the future rather than the
past. Then he learnt that his great-grandmother had managed to raise nine children by herself
after her husband died, even though she was extremely poor. He soon wanted to know
more. Certainly this kind of programme has encouraged people to look for their own
ancestors.

Student’s reason:
I chose this heading for Paragraph D because the word ‘future’ is in the heading, and you
can also see it in Paragraph D, in the sentence ‘He believed it was more important to be
“forward-looking” – and think about the future rather than the past.’
Paragraph E:
The problems people face in carrying out family-tree research

Before the age of the internet, if you wanted to find out about your family history, you would
have needed to travel to different locations. People used to visit churches to look at their
records, for example of the names of people who were born and died in the area. Another
way to investigate family history would be to look through old newspapers that were stored
in the basements of libraries, or to search through birth and marriage certificates at the local
town-council building. Not all of these visits, of course, would be successful. You needed to
be very patient and have a lot of spare time to find out about your past.

Student’s reason:
I chose this heading for Paragraph E because the word ‘problems’ is in that heading – and at
the end of Paragraph E, the writer says ‘You needed to be very patient and have a lot of
spare time to find out about your past.’ That sounds like a problem to me.

Think about the mistakes that the student made on page 1. Choose the correct
answers to complete the advice. Read the student’s answers on page 1 again if
you need to.

1. After you read for gist, read the paragraph more carefully to check for the question
or main idea/ synonyms and paraphrases of key words in the heading.
2. Make sure the heading matches one sentence in the paragraph/ the main idea of the
whole paragraph .
3. The main idea of the paragraph can be found in one sentence in the paragraph/ all
the way through the paragraph.
4. Don’t choose a heading just because it uses exactly the same word(s) or phrase(s)/
the same idea(s) that you can see in the paragraph.
5. Make sure the heading paraphrases more than one word or phrase/ just one word or
phrase in the paragraph.

Unit 5: Exercise 7
Read the information. Then match the numbers with the Roman numerals.

In an IELTS Reading matching headings task, each heading has a number. These numbers are
always Roman numerals, so make sure you are familiar with them.

Only write the Roman numeral on the answer sheet. Do not write the whole heading. If you
write the Roman numeral incorrectly, your answer will be marked wrong.

Example:
Roman numeral i = 1

2 8 5 3 4 10 7 6 9

x
v
iv
ii
iii
ix
vii
vi
viii

Unit 5: Exercise 8
Read the options in bold (ii, iii, v, vi and x) from the list of headings and then
read the paragraphs. Which heading should be used with each paragraph? Write
the correct option numbers (ii, iii, v, vi or x).

i The problems people face in carrying out family-tree research

ii How technology has helped people research their ancestors
iii How businesses benefit from the growing interest in family trees
iv Practical and personal reasons for finding out about ancestors
v How ancestors are remembered and celebrated in different countries
vi Traditional ways of researching family trees
vii Creating family trees for future generations
viii How knowing your family tree could lead to power and property
ix Why we say ‘family tree’ to refer to our family background
x What people enjoy about making unexpected discoveries
 Paragraph D

Part of what makes family-tree research so fascinating is the sense of uncovering a mystery
as you find more clues – just like a detective would. This kind of process was shown in the
hugely popular programme ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’, which featured well-known TV
personalities exploring their family origins. The show’s researchers often found surprising
information. One person, interviewer Jeremy Paxman, was disinterested at first. He believed
it was more important to be ‘forward-looking’ – and think about the future rather than the
past. Then he learnt that his great-grandmother had managed to raise nine children by herself
after her husband died, even though she was extremely poor. He soon wanted to know more.
Certainly this kind of programme has encouraged people to look for their own ancestors.

Paragraph E

Before the age of the internet, if you wanted to find out about your family history, you would
have needed to travel to different locations. People used to visit churches to look at their
records, for example of the names of people who were born and died in the area. Another
way to investigate family history would be to look through old newspapers that were stored
in the basements of libraries, or to search through birth and marriage certificates at the local
town-council building. Not all of these visits, of course, would be successful. You needed to
be very patient and have a lot of spare time to find out about your past..

Heading for Paragraph D ___________

Heading for Paragraph E ___________

Unit 5: Exercise 9
Read the options in bold (i, ii, iii, v and vii) from the list of headings and then
read the next paragraphs. Write the option numbers that match the paragraphs.

i The problems people face in carrying out family-tree research

ii How technology has helped people research their ancestors
iii How businesses benefit from the growing interest in family trees
iv Practical and personal reasons for finding out about ancestors
v How ancestors are remembered and celebrated in different countries
vi Traditional ways of researching family trees
vii Creating family trees for future generations
viii How knowing your family tree could lead to power and property
ix Why we say ‘family tree’ to refer to our family background
x What people enjoy about making unexpected discoveries

Paragraph F
Researching your family tree has now become an ever more popular activity, partly for the
reason that it has become much easier, faster and more convenient. Councils have uploaded
many public records to their websites, including details of marriages, names of taxpayers and
property owners, and the wills of people who have died. Many museums and libraries have
also become involved, and offer guidance about the best tools and apps to use when searching
for ancestors. One online company which helps people trace their ancestors was recently
bought for over £2.4 billion – showing just how popular this method of research has become.

Paragraph G

Despite the advances of modern technology, it can still be a challenge to find your distant
ancestors. Before the 11th century, a person would only sometimes share their
parents’ surname. This was because a surname usually showed the town or region where you
came from, e.g. John of Kent, or your occupation, e.g. John (the) Baker. So, if a child was
born in a different place to a parent or had a different job, they might have had different
surnames. This system also meant that thousands of people had exactly the same surnames
even when they were not related. For wealthy people, it would also have been possible to
have two different surnames if they owned land or property in two different locations. Of
course, many old records have also been lost or destroyed, too.

Paragraph H

Many people who are keen on producing a family tree are interested in looking forwards
rather than back. They recognise their role as an ancestor of people who haven’t even been
born yet, and who may live in many different parts of the world. They want to create records
for them – showing the different branches of the family today. Rather than writing out the
family tree in a book in the traditional way, they record stories, images and voices using
audio and video recordings for their descendants to see one day.

Heading for Paragraph F ___________

Heading for Paragraph G ___________

Heading for Paragraph H___________

Unit 5: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt in this unit.

Complete the advice. Use the words in the box.

headings than paragraphs synonyms and paraphrases for key words the key words
 the main idea the first or last sentences the main nouns, verbs and adjectives

14. In an IELTS Reading matching headings task, it is important to understand the gist or
____________________________________ of a paragraph or text.
15. You can quickly understand the general topic of a text by reading
________________________________ of each paragraph.
16. You can also skim read each paragraph by focusing on
______________________________________
17. There will always be more __________________________________ in the text.
18. It is a good idea to underline __________________________________ in the
headings.
19. Remember to check the paragraph for _________________________________ in
the heading.

Unit 5: Exercise 1
Watch the video of the student doing the IELTS Speaking test, then choose the
correct answers to the questions below.

1. The IELTS Speaking test takes 5-10/11-14 minutes, and has three
parts.
2. In Part 1, you answer questions about yourself and your
opinions/suggestions .
3. In Part 2, you speak for 1 to 2 minutes about part 1/ a topic
4. In Part 3, you have a longer discussion/presentation about the topic play.MP4
from Part 2.
5. The three parts are always/not always in the same order.

Unit 5: Exercise 2
Watch the videos of a student doing the IELTS Speaking test. Which part is she
doing in each video? Choose the correct answers.

1. The student is doing IELTS Speaking Part 1./ The student is doing
IELTS Speaking Part 2./ The student is doing IELTS Speaking Part 3. 1.MP4

2. The student is doing IELTS Speaking Part 1./ The student is doing
IELTS Speaking Part 2./ The student is doing IELTS Speaking Part 3. 2.MP4

3. The student is doing IELTS Speaking Part 1./ The student is doing
IELTS Speaking Part 2./ The student is doing IELTS Speaking Part 3. 3.MP4
Unit 5: Exercise 3
In the IELTS Speaking test, 25% of your mark is for fluency and coherence.
Match the sentence halves to complete the sentences.

explaining your ideas in an organised and structured way, that’s easy to understand.

for example, using linking words and phrases like First of all , and Secondly.

increasing the amount of topic-related vocabulary and phrases you know.

speaking easily, well and quickly, without a lot of pauses or repetition.

1. Fluency means

______________________________________________________________

Coherence means

______________________________________________________________

You can improve your fluency by

______________________________________________________________

You can improve your coherence by

______________________________________________________________

Unit 5: Exercise 4
In the IELTS Speaking test, you should ask the examiner to repeat the question
if you don’t understand it.

Watch the video of the student doing the IELTS Speaking test and notice the
phrase she uses. Then choose the correct answers to complete the phrases.

You can use the phrases here to ask the examiner for more help if you haven’t understood the
question or need it to be repeated.
 1. Sorry, I don't/didn't understand.
2. Could you give me/repeat the question, please?
3. I’m sorry, would you mind repeating/saying that again?
4. I’m afraid I don’t know/understand the question. play.MP4
5. Excuse me, could you repeat that/this ?

Unit 5: Exercise 5
Watch the videos. Then complete the sentences with the words the student uses.
These words help with fluency and coherence.

Examiner: Some people say that buying things only makes people happy for
a short time. What do you think?

Student: I don’t think so well/because if I buy something ... I can always use 1.MP4
it but/and I will feel satisfy and I can share to others to let them see this new
thing, let them try it.
Student: I used to buy clothes from the shopping mall near my home ... It has
an online shop .... In our country, we can buy things easily, but/well my
mother always told me that I can’t buy clothes during the summer, 2.MP4
because/well I have a lot of summer clothes already!

Unit 5: Exercise 6
Read the conversation between an examiner and a student. Then match the
words in bold from the conversation (which help with fluency and coherence)
with the descriptions.

Examiner: So, do people in Hong Kong often go to big shopping centres and malls?

Student: Well, in Hong Kong, we usually go to big shopping malls because we can buy
things from other countries there.

Examiner: Right, and are you usually able to buy the things you want?

Student: Most of the time. Anyway, if you can’t find what you want in the mall you can also
look online.
Examiner: Now, let’s move on to talk about famous people and celebrities ...

So, ... Well, ... Anyway, ... Now, ... Right , ...

1. This word comes before the examiner changes the subject completely. __________
2. This word comes before the student explains something. __________
3. This word shows that the examiner has understood the student. __________
4. This word comes at the beginning of a new part of the conversation. __________
5. This word comes before the student gives some new and different information.
__________

Unit 5: Exercise 7
Complete the conversation. Use the words in the box.

Anyway Now Right So Well

Examiner: ____________ , I’d like to change topics and talk to you about shopping. Do you
like going shopping?

Student: ____________ , most of the time I like shopping, apart from if the mall is very
busy.

Examiner: _____________ , I see, so you mean you don’t like crowds?

Student: No, I don’t like crowds at all.____________ , it’s not normally a problem because
I often shop online.

Examiner: _____________ , would you say that you shop more online than in malls?
Student: Yes, definitely.

Unit 5: Exercise 8
Using linking words and phrases can help to improve fluency and coherence.

Put the examples in the box in the correct columns.

Another reason is … On the other hand The main reason is … In general

In most cases But Secondly First of all However Generally

In addition In the first place

 Explaining your main idea Adding a similar idea

Adding an opposite idea Explaining something generally

Unit 5: Exercise 9
Complete the conversation. Use the words and phrases in the box.

another reason however in addition in most cases the main reason

Examiner: Why do you think that shopping on the internet has become so popular?

Student: Well, in my opinion, __________________ is that it’s so convenient. You don’t

have to leave your house to do it. _________________is that it’s often cheaper.
___________________ , there is a lot of choice online, so you can choose from a wider
variety. ___________________ , I still prefer to shop in a mall. I like to spend the afternoon
with my friends looking at clothes. __________________ , it’s better to shop for clothes in a
mall because you can try them on before you buy them.

Unit 5: Exercise 10
You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a
pencil.

Listen to the examiner. Record your answer. Play to hear your answer

Describe a time you went shopping to buy something, but you were not able to buy it.
You should say:
what you wanted to buy
when and where you tried to buy it
why you were not able to buy it
and explain how you felt when you weren’t able to buy it.

Unit 5: Exercise 1
Read the sentences about IELTS Writing Task 2. Are they True or False?

1. You should spend about 30 minutes on IELTS Writing Task 2.

o True
o False

2. You should write at least 250 words in IELTS Writing Task 2.

o True
o False

3. You get a higher score if you can write a lot more than 250 words in IELTS Writing
Task 2.

o True
o False

4. You should discuss different opinions about the question and give your own opinion.

o True
o False

5. You should not write about your own knowledge or experience of the topic.

o True
o False

6. It is a good idea to be funny and informal in your answer for IELTS Writing Task 2.

o True
o False

Unit 5: Exercise 2
Read the information. Then decide whether the underlined words and phrases
are the subject or the special idea about the subject.

To understand the IELTS Writing Task 2 question you should find the subject, and the
special idea about the subject:

Eating enough fruit and vegetables is the most important part of a healthy lifestyle. Do you
agree or disagree?

In the question above, the subject is a healthy lifestyle and the special idea is that eating
enough fruit and vegetables is the most important part of a healthy lifestyle.

1. There are too many overweight children in the world. Why do children become overweight
and what can be done about it? the subject/ the special idea about the subject
2. Some people think that vegetarians are healthier than meat-eaters while other people think
they are less healthy. Compare the two views. the subject/ the special idea about the
subject
3. Compare the dangers and benefits of using oil in cooking. the subject/ the special idea about
the subject
4. Sugar is now a big health problem in many countries around the world. What is your
opinion? the subject/ the special idea about the subject

Unit 5: Exercise 3
After you have found the subject and the special idea about the subject, you
should decide what the essay question is asking you to do.

Match each essay question with what it is asking you to do.

Agree or disagree Compare advantages and disadvantages

Compare two different opinions Discuss problems and solutions

1. There are too many overweight children in the world. Why do children become
overweight and what can be done about it? _____________________________
2. Some people think that vegetarians are healthier than meat-eaters while other people
think they are less healthy. Compare the two views.
_____________________________
3. Compare the dangers and benefits of using oil in cooking.
_____________________________
4. Sugar is now a big health problem in many countries around the world. What is your
opinion? _____________________________
Unit 5: Exercise 4
Before you write the IELTS Writing Task 2 essay you should make a plan.

Complete the plan with the correct words or phrases in the box.

I think they should plan enjoy important my opinion too much cola
sugar in coffee sugar has bad effect on health

Essay ________________________

Introduction: a lot of people are unhealthy because of sugar

________________________ = people should eat less sugar but enjoy it sometimes
Main Paragraph 1, Fact: true = ________________________
Reasons or examples: people drink ________________________ / this could make them ill
Result or opinion: ________________________ drink less cola
Main Paragraph 2, Fact: traditional food is ________________________
Reasons or examples: like traditional cakes and coffee in my country
Result or opinion: I think it’s okay to have cakes at parties or ________________________
Conclusion: people should eat less sugar but still ________________________ it sometimes

Unit 5: Exercise 5
Put the paragraphs in the correct order to complete the IELTS Writing Task 2
essay.

Sugar is now a big health problem in many countries around the world.
What is your opinion?

Nowadays, a lot of people around the world are unhealthy because they eat too much sugar.
In my opinion, people should reduce the amount of sugar they eat but also enjoy sweet things
sometimes. In this essay, I am going to explain why I partly agree and disagree that sugar is a
big health problem.

On the other hand, it is important not to stop enjoying traditional food. For example, in my
country we have traditional sweet cakes with cherries and nuts, which we eat at parties. Also,
where I live it is normal to have sugar with coffee. I think it would be sad to stop eating these
cakes on special occasions and I do not agree that it is a problem to drink coffee with sugar
sometimes.

On the one hand, it is true that people eat too much sugar now and that it has a bad effect on
their health. For example, in my country a lot of people drink cola with their meals instead of
water. Cola has a large amount of sugar in it so they are drinking a lot more calories. More
calories means that people get fat and have problems with their heart or other illnesses. In my
view, they should reduce the amount of cola that they drink.

In conclusion, I agree that sugar is a big health problem. I think people should reduce the
amount of sugar they have by drinking water instead of cola but I also think they should still
enjoy sugar on special occasions or in coffee sometimes.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Unit 5: Exercise 6
Complete the essay. Use the phrases in the box.

For example, For example, In conclusion, In this essay, I am going to

On the one hand, On the other hand,

Sugar is now a big health problem in many countries around the world.
What is your opinion?

Nowadays, a lot of people around the world are unhealthy because they eat too much sugar.
In my opinion, people should reduce the amount of sugar they eat but also enjoy sweet things
sometimes.

__________________________ explain why I partly agree and disagree that sugar is a big
health problem.

__________________________ it is true that people eat too much sugar now and that it has a
bad effect on their health. _________________________ in my country a lot of people drink
cola with their meals instead of water. Cola has a large amount of sugar in it so they are
drinking a lot more calories. More calories means that people get fat and have problems with
their heart or other illnesses. In my view, they should reduce the amount of cola that they
drink.

__________________________ it is important not to stop enjoying traditional food.

__________________________ in my country we have traditional sweet cakes with

cherries and nuts, which we eat at parties. Also, where I live it is normal to have sugar with
coffee. I think it would be sad to stop eating these cakes on special occasions and I do not
agree that it is a problem to drink coffee with sugar sometimes.
__________________________ I agree that sugar is a big health problem. I think people
should reduce the amount of sugar they have by drinking water instead of cola but I also
think they should still enjoy sugar on special occasions or in coffee sometimes.

Unit 5: Exercise 7
Read the sentences and highlight the phrases for giving opinions.

1. In my opinion, people should reduce the amount of sugar they eat but also
enjoy sweet things sometimes.
2. On the one hand, it is true that people eat too much sugar now and that it has a bad
effect on their health.
3. More calories means that people get fat and have problems with their heart or other
illnesses.
4. In my view, they should reduce the amount of cola that they drink.
5. On the other hand, it is important not to stop enjoying traditional food.
6. I think it would be sad to stop eating these cakes on special occasions.
7. I do not agree that it is a problem to drink coffee with sugar sometimes.
8. In conclusion, I agree that sugar is a big health problem.

Unit 5: Exercise 8
Complete the sentences with phrases for giving opinions. Use the words in the
box. Some words can be used more than once.

Agree important means opinion think true view

1. In my ______________ , people should reduce the amount of sugar they eat but also
enjoy sweet things sometimes.
2. On the one hand, it is ______________ that people eat too much sugar now and that
it has a bad effect on their health.
3. More calories ______________ that people get fat and have problems with their heart
or other illnesses.
4. In my _______________ , they should reduce the amount of cola that they drink.
5. On the other hand, it is __________________ not to stop enjoying traditional food.
6. I ________________ it would be sad to stop eating these cakes on special occasions.
7. I do not __________________ that it is a problem to drink coffee with sugar
sometimes.
8. In conclusion, I _________________ that sugar is a big health problem.
Unit 5: Exercise 9
Complete the table with the advantages and disadvantages.

often cheaper than eating in a restaurant can be delicious quick and easy

sometimes tastes disgusting if you buy fast food you do not have to cook at home

can cause heart problems often high in fat and sugar can make you overweight

advantages of fast food disadvantages of fast food

Unit 5: Exercise 10
WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Hamburgers and pizzas may be convenient but they can also be unhealthy. Compare the
advantages and disadvantages of fast food.

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Please add text into the Student post.

Student post:
Unit 6: Exercise 1
Find the answers to the questions. Use the words in the box.

Basketball cricket football (soccer) golf hockey squash

table tennis tennis volleyball

1. In which sport do players try to score goals by kicking a ball into a net? ___________
2. In which sport do players use sticks to try to score goals, either on grass or on ice?
___________
3. In which sport do two or four players hit a small ball over a net on a table with small
bats? ___________
4. In which sport do players try to hit a ball into nine or 18 holes using a long thin stick
(called a club)? ___________
5. In which sport do players hit a ball over a high net with their hands and arms?
___________
6. In which sport do players hit a small ball against a wall using rackets? ___________
7. In which sport do players try to score points by throwing a ball through a high hoop?
___________
8. In which sport do players try to hit a ball as far as possible using a bat and then run
between two sets of wooden posts? ___________
9. In which sport do two or four players hit a ball over a net with rackets? ___________

Unit 6: Exercise 2
Complete the descriptions. Use the words in the box.

Course court ground gym pitch pool ring rink

Stadium track
19. An area of grass where you play football, hockey or cricket is called a ___________
20. Major sports events (and musical performances) take place in a ___________ .
21. In some sports, like golf and horse racing, the area of land or water you move along,
from the start to the finish, is called a ___________ .
22. In athletics, runners run around a ___________ .
23. Events like ice skating and ice hockey take place in an ice ___________ .
24. A sports ___________ is smaller than a stadium, but it includes a pitch and an area
for people to sit.
25. If you want to have a swimming race, or play water polo (a game where swimmers try
to get a ball into a goal), you’ll need a swimming ___________ .
26. In schools, the large room for sports is called the _____________ . It is the same
word for places where people go to get fit.
 27. You play indoor sports like basketball and squash, or outdoor sports like tennis, on a
___________ .
28. A boxing ____________ is a square, not a circle.

Unit 6: Exercise 3
Choose the correct verbs to complete the sentences.

1. It was difficult to beat/draw/win our opponents (the people you play against), but in
the end we won the match 13–11.
2. In karate, you have to hit your opponent with your hands or beat /kick/miss them with
your feet.
3. We didn’t break/shoot/win the tournament, but we came third, so we still won a
bronze medal.
4. We created a lot of good chances, but we couldn’t kick/score/shoot a goal, so the
final score was 0–0.
5. Don’t just keep the ball to yourself. Don’t forget to beat/pass/save it to other players
in your team.
6. I took a shot, but I was too far away and I hit/missed/scored the basketball hoop by a
few centimetres.
7. He ran 100 metres in 16.2 seconds, which broke/hit/won the school record. The
previous best time was 16.7 seconds.
8. Unfortunately, we lost/missed/past the match. Our opponents were better than us and
they scored more goals.
9. In football, if the ball goes off the pitch, one of the players hits/scores/ throws it back
onto the pitch.

10. Some tennis players can hit/push/save the ball at over 250 kilometres per hour.

Unit 6: Exercise 4
Read the information. Then complete the sentences with the correct prepositions
of place.

We use prepositions of place to show where something is (e.g. on / in / near).

Example:
In tennis, the umpire (the person who is in charge) sits in a high seat above the court, so
that he or she can see clearly what is happening and decide who wins each point.

1. We had great seats between/beyond/next to the pitch, so we could see all the action
really clearly.
2. In volleyball, there is a high net along/between/opposite the two halves of the court.
 3. When you serve in squash, you can’t hit the ball below/between/beyond the line on
the wall.
4. The other player was standing right behind/ in front of/outside me, so I couldn’t get
past him.
5. In football, the goalkeeper is only allowed to use his or her hands below/inside/over
the penalty area (the area within the white lines in front of the goal).
6. The golfer was careful not to hit the ball too far. Just around/ beneath/beyond the
hole there was a small lake.
7. In tennis, the players stand below/opposite/outside each other, on either side of the
net.
8. We couldn’t see much of the match – we were sitting behind/in front of/ on top of
some people who kept standing up.

Unit 6: Exercise 5
Complete the sentences. Use the prepositions in the box.

Across along at away from into out of over past

Through towards

1. In golf, players try to hit the ball ____________ a series of nine or 18 holes.
2. In horse racing, horses race _____________ a course to the finishing line.
3. In archery, people shoot arrows ____________ a target.
4. In basketball, you only get points if the ball goes ______________ the hoop.
5. The footballer got the ball _____________ five players from the other team, but then
she fell over without scoring a goal.
6. The runner made a good start and got ____________ the others quickly, so he won
the race.
7. The cricketer hit the ball so hard that it flew ___________ The cricketer hit the ball
so hard that it flew
8. I saw all the other rugby players running ______________ me and I got scared, so I
kicked the ball away.
9. Today’s your first tennis lesson, so just try to hit the ball _____________ the net.
10. The football pitch is in the middle of the running track, so you have to walk
______________ some of the track to get to the pitch.

Unit 6: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

We use comparatives (e.g. better, slower, more important) and superlatives (e.g. the best, the
slowest, the most important) to compare things.
  With short adjectives, we usually add -er / -est.
 With long adjectives, we usually add most / more.

1. Boxing is one of the oldest/most old/more old/older sports in the world.

2. I like running, but it’s a bit boring. Team games like football are the most exciting/
most exciting/ more exciting .
3. Crazy golf is a fun, short version of golf. It’s a lot the most easy/ easiest/ easier/ more
easy than real golf.
4. Formula 1® racing is one of most dangerous/ more dangerous/ the most dangerous
sports in the world.
5. In the USA, sports like baseball and American football are a lot more popular/ the
most popular/ most popular than soccer.
6. Table tennis is a lot more fast/fastest / most fast/faster than normal tennis – it’s hard
to see the ball most of the time!
7. Most sports have become safest/safer / most safe/more safe in the last 100 years, but
there are still a lot of accidents and injuries.
8. Most expensive/ The most expensive/ More expensive footballer in the world cost
£89 million.
9. The most cheap / cheapest/ cheaper/ more cheap sport is probably running – you don’t
need to buy anything and you can do it wherever you like!

10. You should do some more exercise! It’s a lot Healthiest / most healthy/ healthier/
healthier than sitting and watching TV all day.

Unit 6: Exercise 7
Read the information. Then change the adjectives in the sentences to the correct
comparative form where necessary.

Spelling -er forms

We can make -er comparatives from most short adjectives (e.g. clean) and some short
adverbs (e.g. soon).

 Word ends in -e, add -r

(e.g. nice→ nicer).
 Word ends in consonant + -y,
change -y to -ier
(e.g. angry → angrier).
 Word ends in one vowel + one consonant, double the consonant
(e.g. hot → hotter).

Irregular forms:
good / well → better
bad / badly → worse

far → further / farther

1. I’m quite good at most sports, but my sister’s good than me at everything.

2. I can run quite far, but she always runs far than me.

3. I can lift heavy weights, but she can lift much heavy things than I can.

4. I can jump quite high, but she always jumps high than me.

5. I’m quite tall, but my sister’s a lot tall.

6. I’m quite fit, but she’s much fit than me.

7. When we throw the ball in basketball, hers is always close to the hoop than mine.

8. She says I’m lazy, but she’s even lazy than me. She never practises sports, but she’s still
really good at them.

9. There’s only one sport she’s bad at, and that’s tennis. She’s terrible, but I’m even bad than
her.

Unit 6: Exercise 8
Use the correct form of the words in brackets to complete the sentences.

1. I can run 10 km quite easily, but a marathon is much _____________ (hard) .

2. Most basketball players are much ____________ Most basketball players are much
3. What’s _____________ sport, in your opinion? Which do you think is the hardest?
(difficult)
4. Skiing is a lot ____________ in mountainous countries like Switzerland than it is in
flatter countries like England. (popular)
5. Who’s ____________ runner in the world? (fast)
6. Motor racing is a lot _____________ than it was, but it’s still really dangerous. (safe)
7. I don’t think he’s better or ______________ than you. You’re both as good as each
other. (bad)
8. The least ____________ thing you can do is watch sports on TV all day! (healthy)
9. That was the _______________ goal ever! It was fantastic! (good)
10. I’m quite good at volleyball, but I’m not quite as good as my brother. He’s a bit
_____________ than me. (good)

Unit 6: Exercise 9
Put the phrases in the correct categories to complete the table.
Try to use these phrases to help link sentences, paragraphs, ideas, etc. in your writing.

On the other hand, … In my view, … There has been a lot of discussion recently about …

In my opinion, … Overall, … Also, … In addition, … Secondly, …

In conclusion … First of all, … For this reason … For instance, …

Some people believe that … As a result, … In contrast, … For example, …

Introducing a topic Saying what you think

Listing points in order Giving an example

Introducing a contrast (e.g. the

Introducing a result
opposite view)

Summarising all your points at the end

Adding a point to support an argument
and reaching a conclusion
Unit 6: Exercise 10
Complete the text. Use the words in the box.

All discussion example hand opinion overall people

Reason result secondly

There has been a lot of ___________ recently about the role of money in sport. Some
________________ believe that sport has become a business and, therefore, that we are
forgetting the original meaning of sport as a game.

In my _____________ , however, money is good for the world of sport for two reasons. First
of _____________ , money allows the best sportsmen and sportswomen to spend all their
time practising their sports. They don’t have to do other jobs just to earn money. As a
_______________ , they can become a lot better at their chosen sports.

_______________ , when there is more money, sports might become a lot safer. For
_______________ , sports teams could then afford more full-time doctors to take care of
their players. On the other ______________ , there is a risk that money gives the richest
people, teams and countries an unfair advantage. For this ________________ , most people
from poorer teams or countries rarely have the chance of reaching the top of their sports.

________________ , however, I believe that more money generally makes sport better.

Unit 6: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will learn about IELTS Listening Sections 3 and 4 and practise
the skills you need to answer three-option multiple choice questions and a map
labelling task. The topic of this unit is university life.

Complete the table with the words and phrases in the box.
 an interview a seminar a tutor a campus an accommodation officer

an administration block a lecturer a lecture halls of residence

People Places Events

Unit 6: Exercise 2
Read the information. Then look at the plan of a university campus and label the
features 1–5 with the words in the box.

In the IELTS Listening test, you may have to label a plan or map, which may include one or
more of the following:

 places that are already labelled, e.g. café, reception, main entrance, etc.
 features that are not labelled but can be seen in the drawing, e.g. a statue, a forest, a
hill, etc.
 buildings or other places that are a particular size (e.g. small, large) or shape (e.g.
round, square)
 compass directions, i.e. some plans and maps may include north, south, east and
west.

Before you listen, it is a good idea to look carefully at the plan or map to identify the objects
you can already see.
 Bridge fence lake river small park

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Unit 6: Exercise 3
Listen to a guide describe where different places are on a university campus
plan. Write the correct letters next to the locations.

A speaker may describe a plan or map in two ways:

 the speaker gives directions on how to get to different places

 the speaker describes the positions or locations of different places on the map or
plan.

When a speaker gives directions, you will hear language such as turn left, go
straight ahead or walk past. When a speaker describes positions or locations, you will hear
language such as at the top/bottom of the map, on the left of the plan or above the small park.
Announcer: You will hear a guide giving students some information about a
university campus.

Guide: OK, so we’re going to have a look at the plan of the City University
Campus. Can everyone see a copy? Great. Right, let’s start by finding the
Browning Lecture Hall. For a lot of you science students, that’s where all
your lectures are going to be. So, at the bottom of the plan, you can see the
administration block, and at the very top of the plan, you can see a river, and
going across the river is a small bridge. Just below that bridge – but slightly to
the right, not directly underneath, is the Browning Lecture Hall. Got it? It’s play.MP3

actually a great building for lectures – really modern and bright.

OK, the Dining Hall. A very important place for hard-working, tired and
hungry students! So, see where the administration block is? To the right of
that, you’ve got two quite big buildings – and you can also see that there’s a
fence. The Dining Hall is the building that has a fence on two sides – so the
building that’s a bit closer to the top of your plan.

1. the Browning Lecture Hall _________

2. the Dining Hall _______

Unit 6: Exercise 4
For an IELTS Listening labelling task, it’s a good idea to learn adjectives that
describe shapes. Label the shapes with the correct adjectives in the box.

L-shaped circular rectangular semi-circular square

1.

2.

3.
4.

5.

Unit 6: Exercise 5
Listen to the recording. Write the correct letters next to the locations.

Announcer: You will hear a guide giving students some information about
a university campus.

Guide: OK, so I’m sure you’ll want to know where the Halls of Residence
are. As you probably know, these rooms are for all first-year students and
also some students in their third year at university. OK, so across the top of play.MP3
the plan, you’ve got three fairly large buildings, all just below the river.
You’ve got that rectangular building in the middle, and then on the left of
that there's a square-looking building. That second building’s the Halls of
Residence. Your name and room number will be on the list outside the
building, by the entrance.

OK, how about the Seminar Rooms? You won’t be going to your first
seminar until the second week of term, but it’s useful – obviously – to know
where they are. OK, in the right-hand corner – the corner at the top of the
map, I mean – you can see that building that looks like an upside-down 'L',
next to a little group of trees. Part of that is used as the rooms for students
studying French, Spanish, Arabic – Modern Languages, you know. But the
other part is where you go for your seminars. You’ll have a nice view of the
lake from there.

Um, I guess that some of you are here for the Arts course. I would really
recommend that you join the Arts Society if you are. It used to be in that
semi-circular building, but not any more, sadly. It’s moved to that square
building in the centre of the plan – the one that’s been divided into two parts.
The Art Society is in the room nearer the bottom of your plan. OK, does
anyone have any questions about …?

1. Halls of Residence ________

2. Seminar Rooms ________
3. Art Society ________
Unit 6: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then listen to a conversation between two students on a
university campus. Choose the correct answers.

Announcer: You hear a conversation between two students on a university

campus.

Ann: Excuse me. Can you help me? I’m a bit lost.

John: Sure.

Ann: That’s great, thanks.

John: So where do you need to be?

Ann: Well, actually, I’m looking for a person – Professor Sarah Carter?

John: Oh, yes, I know her. Are you one of her students?

Ann: Oh, no, I’m not. Or not yet! I’m here to meet her. She’s expecting me.
That’s actually the main reason why I've come here today. I’m supposed to be
meeting her at 1.30. I’d like to be a student on her course next year and she
wants to know more about me. You know, ask me questions about the
subjects I’m doing at school, about my interests, about why I want to do the
course – that kind of thing.

John: I see, OK. In that case, you should go to her office. It’s quite near the play.MP3
administration block. Right next to the library.

Ann: The library? I think I walked past it already. Is it that huge, glass
building near the car park?

John: Yes, that’s the one. So if you’re going to meet Professor Sarah Carter,
does that mean you want to study History of Art?

Ann: Yes, that's right! In fact, I was planning to get here a bit earlier so that I
could go to Professor Carter’s lecture this morning. She was going to talk
about painting at the end of the 19th century. That’s my favourite period of
time in art history because so many things changed.

John: Oh, yes? In what way?

Ann: Oh, well, photography had become more popular by that time and that
made a really big difference. In fact, by the 1860s, photography was already
quicker and cheaper than painting. In fact, there were quite a few amateur
photographers at that time. Anyway, it was because of photography that a lot
of painters decided to change the way they made their pictures – they didn't
need to look like photos any more. So art became much more exciting and
imaginative in those years. But – oh! – the traffic on the way here was
absolutely terrible, so I was late and I missed the lecture!

John: Oh, dear! What a shame!

Ann: I know! So what about …

Remember that:

 cues (key words) in the question tell you when you should listen carefully for the
answer
 the words in each option will probably be expressed in different words in the
recording (i.e. they will be paraphrased).

In an IELTS three-option multiple choice task, the questions follow the same order as the
recording. For example, in the questions you will hear the woman explain why she has come
to the university before you hear her talk about painting in the 19th century.

However, the options A, B and C may not follow the same order as the recording. For
example, you may hear words or phrases connected to an interview (option C) before words
or phrases connected to books (option A) or a new job (option B).

1. Why is the woman at the university?

o A to borrow some books
o B to start a new job
o C to have an interview
2. According to the woman, 19th-century paintings
o A developed in an interesting way.
o B were as popular as photographs.
o C became an affordable hobby for the average person.

Unit 6: Exercise 7
Two of the options in an IELTS three-option multiple choice will be distractors.
A distractor is an option that seems to match part of the recording but it does not
answer the question.

Read the answers and distractors. Then read the extracts from the conversations.
Match the extracts with the correct answers and the distractors.

After you complete the exercise, notice:

 how the order of the options does not follow the order of the conversation
  how each option has been paraphrased.

1. Why has the woman come to the university?

A to borrow some books 

B to start a new job 

C to have an interview 

2. According to the woman, 19th-century paintings

A developed in an interesting way. 

B were as popular as photographs. 

C became an affordable hobby for the average person. 

1. She wants to know more about me. You know, ask me questions about the subjects
I'm doing at school, about my interests, about why I want to do the course – that kind
of thing. 1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C
2. In that case, you should go to her office. 1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C
3. The library? I think I walked past it already. 1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C
4. Photography had become more popular by that time … 1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C
5. In fact, by the 1860s, photography was already quicker and cheaper than painting. In
fact, there were quite a few amateur photographers at that time. 1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C
6. … a lot of painters decided to change the way they made their pictures – they didn't
need to look like photos any more. So art became much more exciting and
imaginative in those years. 1A/1B/1C/2A/2B/2C

Unit 6: Exercise 8
Read the information. Then read the sentences carefully. Decide if the words
and phrases in bold in each question or sentence are Facts or Opinions. Choose
the correct answers.

IELTS three-option multiple choice questions test different kinds of listening skills. For
example, some questions test your understanding of facts, while other questions test your
understanding of a speaker’s opinion.

For example:

1 Why has the woman come to the university? (Fact)

2 According to the woman ... (Opinion)

1. What time does the lecture start?

o Fact
o Opinion

2. What is the man’s attitude towards the project?

o Fact
o Opinion

3. How does the woman feel about the book called History Revisited?

o Fact
o Opinion

4. In the student’s view, the lecture on sociology was …

o Fact
o Opinion

5. Where did the research take place?

o Fact
o Opinion

6. According to the tutor, the problem with the US study is that …

o Fact
o Opinion

7. The two students agree that the most interesting finding is …

o Fact
o Opinion

8. The number of students that answered the survey was …

o Fact
o Opinion

9. The deadline for the project is the …

o Fact
o Opinion

10. Most students taking the Arts course have already visited …

o Fact
 o Opinion

Unit 6: Exercise 9
Listen and answer questions 1–2.

Announcer: You hear a conversation between two students on a university

campus.

Ann: But – oh! – the traffic on the way here was absolutely terrible, so I
was late and I missed the lecture!

John: Oh, dear! What a shame!

Ann: I know! So what about you? Have you been a student here for long?
Or are you new here?

John: I’m in my third year – but it’s not my final year. Most courses at the
university are three years, but my course is one year longer. It’s because
I’m studying Chinese and Japanese. All language students do four years
because we spend one year living abroad. So last year, I spent six months
in Beijing and six months in Tokyo.

Ann: How exciting! I’ll be starting my course here next January. I’m a bit
nervous, to be honest. play.MP3

John: Don’t worry! Most people feel the same way. It’s a new experience
for everyone when they start university.

Ann: How did you feel – about your first week?

John: Let me think. I remember they gave us a lot of different things to

read – even before we moved onto campus and started classes. But
actually, it made me feel more confident about starting. And in your first
week, you’re not really expected to write or produce very much at all. It’s
really just a time when you get to find your way around the campus, move
into the Halls of Residence, you know. The work doesn’t come until later
on. I think what I found really amazing was just how kind everyone was. I
mean, the other students in my seminar group and the lecturers. I thought
they were very easy to talk to. So I guess that was my main feeling about
the first week here.

University Life

1. How long is the man’s course?

o A one year
 o B three years
o C four years

2. How did the man feel about his first week at university?

o A He was confused by all the information he was given.

o B He was impressed by the friendliness of other people.
o C He was worried about the amount of work he had to do.

Unit 6: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt from doing this unit.

Choose the words in the box to complete the information.

a speaker describing locations. a speaker giving directions. in fact questions.

in opinion questions. or describe positions of things on a plan or map.

the same order of the information in the recording.

to identify things you can already see. vocabulary for shapes and sizes.

your understanding of facts or opinions.

6. When you have a plan or map, use the time before you listen
_________________________________________
7. A speaker may give directions to places
_________________________________________
8. Turn right and go straight ahead are examples of
_________________________________________
9. At the top and on the left are examples
of _________________________________________
10. For labelling a plan or map, it is a good idea to learn
_________________________________________
11. In an IELTS three-option multiple choice test, the options may not follow
_________________________________________
12. IELTS three-option multiple choice questions may test
_________________________________________
13. Words like view, attitude and according to are often
used _________________________________________
14. Words like what time and the number of are often used
_________________________________________
Unit 6: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will look at Yes / No / Not Given questions and summary
completion. You will read a text about travel photography.

Read the information. Then read the sentences about photography and decide if
they are the writer’s views or claims.

For IELTS Reading Yes / No / Not Given questions, you need to recognise and understand
the views and claims that a writer expresses in a text:

 a view is the writer's opinion about something.

Example:
The best way for students to spend their free time is in travelling and taking photos.

 a claim is something that the writer believes is a fact – information they understand
to be true.
Example:
The first modern photograph was taken in France in 1826 or 1827.

1. I was delighted with the way my photographs turned out.

o View
o Cliam
2. One of the world’s first travel shoots took place in 1849.
o View
o Cliam
3. Photographers now need to be more flexible about the kind of projects they work on.
o View
o Cliam
4. Some groups of native Americans strongly dislike photographs.
o View
o Cliam
5. The festival is held in November.
o View
o Cliam
6. This festival should be included in any photographer’s diary.
o View
o Cliam

Unit 6: Exercise 2
Read the information and look at the examples of both views and claims. Then
complete the statements based on the examples.

The bold words in the sentences below can help you to work out whether a sentence is a view
or a claim.

Views

Examples:
The best way for students to spend their free time is travelling and taking photos.

I was delighted with the way my photographs turned out.

This festival should be included in any photographer’s diary.

Photographers now need to be more flexible about the kind of projects they work on.

Claims

Examples:
The first modern photograph was taken in France in 1826 or 1827.

One of the world’s first travel shoots took place in 1849.

The festival is held in November.

Some groups of native Americans strongly dislike photographs.

1. Modal verbs for advice, necessity or obligations (e.g. should, need) are more
common in views / claims.
2. Words and phrases that describe when something happens are more common in
views / claims .
3. Words and phrases for feelings, emotions and attitudes are more common in views
/ claims.
4. Words and phrases that describe where something happens are more common in
views / claims .
5. Words and phrases for quantities (e.g. all, most, few) and qualities such as colour,
size, age, shape, etc. are more common in views / claims .
6. Words and phrases that give advice or make suggestions are more common in
views / claims .

Unit 6: Exercise 3
Read the information. Then read the first paragraph of an article on travel
photography and the statement which follows. Decide if the statement agrees
with a view or claim of the writer.

Choose the correct answer.

In an IELTS Reading Yes / No / Not Given task, you read a text in which the writer expresses
some views or makes some claims. Then you decide if a set of statements agree with the
writer’s views or claims in the text.

 If the statement expresses the same idea as the writer, the answer is Yes.
 If the statement expresses the opposite idea to the writer’s, the answer is No.
 If the statement expresses an idea that the writer does not express any views or
claims about, the answer is Not Given.

‘Eyes on the World’: Travel photography in the 21st century

One of the world’s first travel shoots took place in 1849 when two young Frenchmen,
Gustave Flaubert and Maxime Du Camp, decided they would set out on a great adventure and
travel to Egypt. Du Camp took hundreds of photographs of the Pyramids and the Sphinx, and
when he returned home and published his travel album, the images amazed the European
public and turned Du Camp into a celebrity overnight.

Maxime Du Camp became famous because of the photos in his travel album.

o Yes
o No
o Not Given

Unit 6: Exercise 4
In the IELTS Reading task, choosing No or Not Given can sometimes be more
difficult than choosing Yes.

Read the paragraph again. Then choose the correct answers

‘Eyes on the World’: Travel photography in the 21st century

One of the world’s first travel shoots took place in 1849 when two young Frenchmen,
Gustave Flaubert and Maxime Du Camp, decided they would set out on a great adventure and
travel to Egypt. Du Camp took hundreds of photographs of the Pyramids and the Sphinx, and
when he returned home and published his travel album, the images amazed the European
public and turned Du Camp into a celebrity overnight.

3. The European public was disappointed with the photos in Maxime Du Camp’s travel
album.

o No
o Not Given

4. The European public saw photos of Egypt for the first time when they looked at Du
Camp’s travel album.

o No
o Not Given

5. Maxime Du Camp was surprised by the amount of attention he received after

publishing his book.

o No
o Not Given

6. It took a long time for Maxime Du Camp to become famous after he published his
travel album.

o No
o Not Given

Unit 6: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then read the statements 1–7.

Match the synonyms and paraphrases in the box with the bold words and
phrases in the statements.

In an IELTS Reading Yes / No / Not Given task, it is important to look for paraphrases of the
statements in the text. This will make it easier to decide the correct answer.
 Dangerous event great is now acceptable outsiders work hard for

realise what the challenges were

1. Most photographers understand how hard it was to take photographs in the 19th
century. _________________________________
2. Some of the chemicals that Du Camp used for his photography were unsafe .
___________________________________
3. There is a lot of luck involved in taking really good photographs.
__________________________________
4. It’s usually photographs that require a lot of effort that professional photographers
are most pleased with. _______________________________________
5. All Souls Day in the Philippines is an older festival than the Day of the Dead in
Mexico. ________________________________________
6. Mexican locals are happy for foreigners to attend Day of the Dead celebrations.
____________________________________
7. It has become common for some native American groups to photograph important
ceremonies. __________________________________

Unit 6: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then read the next four paragraphs of the ‘Eyes on the
World’ article. Answer the questions

While Du Camp’s photographs may appear simple in comparison to modern photographs

with their special effects, it seems to me that nowadays the majority of photographers fail to
realise what the challenges were in taking photographs in the 19th century. To begin with,
foreign travel was expensive and difficult to organise. Fortunately, Du Camp had money of
his own and he was also able to get additional funding for the journey from the French
government. Another issue was the size and weight of 19th-century cameras – they were very
large and heavy. Finally, not only was there a great deal of equipment and chemicals to
transport, but travelling itself could be highly dangerous. Of course, travel photographers do
still take risks as part of their job, but the level of danger is hardly the same as when Du
Camp was travelling across continents.

Nevertheless, as any professional photographer knows, to be good at the job still requires
hard work and dedication. The popular idea that great photographs are often the result of a
photographer being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time, just by chance, does
not reflect reality. Last year, for example, on a visit to Reykjavik, Iceland, I met several
photographers I knew. We were all there for the annual Winter Lights festival, involving
works by many artists and musicians. One shot we all wanted was the perfect image of the
aurora borealis – the strange green lights that sometimes appear briefly in the sky as the sun
is going down. It took hours for everyone to decide how best to catch this moment and to
work out where to place themselves to get the best result. In the end, I was delighted with the
way my photographs turned out. In general, professional photographers share the feeling that
the most rewarding photographs are the ones you’ve worked hard for.
Events like this attract photographers because the atmosphere can help create some wonderful
photo opportunities. The Day of the Dead in Mexico is a perfect example. Although other
countries have a similar event, for example, All Souls Day in the Philippines, the Mexican
event is a photographer’s dream. It’s a time of celebration, when people remember relatives
who have already passed away. Good photographs will capture that sense of joy in the bright
and colourful decorations on the gravestones and in the faces of the families who are using
humour and art to remember their dead. What’s more, the local people are usually happy to
share this experience with outsiders so visitors can participate if they wish. The festival is
held in November, and should be included in any photographer’s diary.

Travelling as a photographer has encouraged me to question some ideas I previously believed

to be true. An example of this is the popular belief that some groups of native Americans
strongly dislike photographs and will turn away from cameras. This, however, is not the case.
From talking to native Americans I’ve met on my journeys, it seems that it is now acceptable
to regard photographs as valuable connections to ancestors and even include them in
important ceremonies, some of which I have been lucky to observe and record.

Read the statements and choose the correct answers. Read the text on page 1
again if you need to.

Note that the words and phrases for expressing views and claims have been
underlined here for reference.

1. Most photographers understand how hard it was to take photographs in the 19th
century.

o Yes
o No
o Not Given

2. Some of the chemicals that Du Camp used for his photography were unsafe.

o Yes
o No
o Not Given

3. There is a lot of luck involved in taking really good photographs.

o Yes
o No
o Not Given

4. It’s usually photographs that require a lot of effort that professional photographers are
most pleased with.

o Yes
o No
 o Not Given

5. All Souls Day in the Philippines is an older festival than the Day of the Dead in
Mexico.

o Yes
o No
o Not Given

6. Mexican locals are happy for foreigners to attend Day of the Dead celebrations.

o Yes
o No
o Not Given

7. It has become common for some native American groups to photograph important
ceremonies.

o Yes
o No
o Not Given

Unit 6: Exercise 7
Read the final paragraph of the ‘Eyes on the World’ article carefully. Then
choose the four ideas which are found in the text.

One question that people often ask is whether it’s possible to make a reasonable living in the
travel photography industry today. Gone are the easy days when photographers simply shot
photos for magazines and newspapers, sent them to an editor and got paid at the end of every
month: these forms of media now usually buy photos for their stories directly from
companies that store millions of them. As a result, photographers now need to be more
flexible about the kind of projects they work on. One way to do this is by working for big
businesses. In the past, photographers often decided where they would like to go, and could
perhaps experiment more with the kinds of photographs they took. However, working for a
big business often means that you are sent where the company wants you to go; perhaps to a
beach or a mountain if they want to promote these as tourist destinations. The desert is
another popular place: many car companies like to shoot this kind of background to advertise
their new vehicles. Of course, nowadays this kind of well-paid work opportunity is very
popular, so a huge number of photographers will all apply for the same job; a situation which
you didn’t see so much in the past. Nevertheless, in my experience, whether photographers
are amateurs or professionals, there is a generally positive feeling between them: they are
supportive of each other and willing to share advice about work opportunities and the risks
that travelling to foreign destinations sometimes involves.
 □ Some photographers like to take photographs of serious subjects while others like to
take amusing ones.
□ The typical career of a photographer is not the same today as it was in the past.
□ Newspapers no longer buy so many photographs from individual photographers.
□ Big businesses sometimes use photographers to take pictures of their products or
services.
□ The internet has made it much easier to see the work of many photographers.
□ There are a huge number of training courses if people want to study photography.
□ Photographers talk to each other about their experiences and provide useful
information.

Unit 6: Exercise 8
Read the information. Then match the paraphrases and synonyms in the box
with the ideas in the sentences.

For an IELTS Reading summary completion task you:

 should carefully read the part of the article which is being summarised to understand
the main ideas;
 should carefully read a gapped summary;
 may need to choose words or phrases from a box to complete the summary.

You will need to recognise synonyms and paraphrases in the text when you do this task
successfully.

good relationships great competition international exhibitions marketing purposes

new ideas public interest regular income work experience

1. The photographs are displayed in a gallery. _____________________________

2. Each month, the photographers get money for their work.
_______________________________
3. People really enjoy looking at their photographs. _____________________________
4. The photographers make suggestions and plans about what to do next.
____________________________
5. The photographers do the job to improve their skills but they don’t get paid anything.
______________________________
6. The photographers get on well with each other. _________________________
7. Some people use photographs to persuade other people to buy things.
_________________________________
8. A lot of photographers are all trying to get the same job.
____________________________________
Unit 6: Exercise 9
Read the final paragraph of the text again. Then choose the correct words or
phrases to complete the summary.

One question that people often ask is whether it’s possible to make a reasonable living in the
travel photography industry today. Gone are the easy days when photographers simply shot
photos for magazines and newspapers, sent them to an editor and got paid at the end of every
month: these forms of media now usually buy photos for their stories directly from
companies that store millions of them. As a result, photographers now need to be more
flexible about the kind of projects they work on. One way to do this is by working for big
businesses. In the past, photographers often decided where they would like to go, and could
perhaps experiment more with the kinds of photographs they took. However, working for a
big business often means that you are sent where the company wants you to go; perhaps to a
beach or a mountain if they want to promote these as tourist destinations. The desert is
another popular place: many car companies like to shoot this kind of background to advertise
their new vehicles. Of course, nowadays this kind of well-paid work opportunity is very
popular, so a huge number of photographers will all apply for the same job; a situation which
you didn’t see so much in the past. Nevertheless, in my experience, whether photographers
are amateurs or professionals, there is a generally positive feeling between them: they are
supportive of each other and willing to share advice about work opportunities and the risks
that travelling to foreign destinations sometimes involves.

Nowadays photographers no longer receive regular income/ exhibitions from the work they
do, and they need to look for different kinds of project. One option is to get a job with a
large company and take photographs for marketing purposes/ public interest . A job like this
is attractive to many photographers, and there is new ideas/ great competition between
them. However, it is also true that in general, photographers form good relationships/ work
experience with each other, no matter whether they take photos for fun or as a career.

Unit 6: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt in this unit.

Complete the advice. Use the words in the box.

attitude or feelings is a claim is his or her view read the statements

 same order statements summarise parts of the text text very carefully

understand a writer’s views and claims when or where

20. Yes / No / Not Given questions check how well you can _______________________
21. Something that a writer believes to be true _______________________
22. The writer’s personal opinion about something _______________________
23. Claims often include factual information such as _______________________
something happens.
24. Views often include expressions of the writer’s _______________________ about
something.
25. Yes / No / Not Given questions are always _______________________
26. Statements in Yes / No / Not Given tasks follow the _______________________ as
the text.
27. In the Yes / No / Not Given task, it is a good idea to _______________________
before you read the text.
28. In the summary completion task, you should read the _______________________
29. In the summary completion task, you need to choose words that
_______________________

Unit 6: Exercise 1
Match the activities with the correct photos.

Camping computer games cooking gardening hiking jogging

listening to music playing the harmonica swimming taking photos

1.
2.

3.

4.

5.
6.

7.

8.

9.
 10.

Unit 6: Exercise 2
In the IELTS Speaking test you can use and, so, or, but and because to explain
your answer.

Read the examiners’ questions and choose the correct words to complete the
students’ answers.

And because but or so

1. Examiner: Generally students and young people, what do they like to do?
Student: Activities like playing music and sport, _____________ learning a language
______________ nowadays language is very important.

2. Examiner: What do you like most about your hometown?

Student: The thing I like most about my hometown is the beach. There are lots of beaches
_____________ , in summer, a lot of people go to the beach.

3. Examiner: Do you spend much time in places where there are a lot of trees and plants?
Student: Yes of course, ______________ I need to relax after studying. I usually go
somewhere afterwards to relax. _____________ I spend time in the garden with my friends.

4. Examiner: What do you like doing in your free time?

Student: Well, I usually play the harmonica in the park, _______________ now, in winter,
it’s too cold.

5. Examiner: Is your hometown a popular place for tourists?

Student: Yes, _______________ my hometown is in the south of South Korea. It’s the
hottest city in South Korea _______________ lots of people come to enjoy the nice weather.
Unit 6: Exercise 3
Match the two halves to complete the sentences.

because I forgot my camera. because she says I make a mess in the kitchen.

or I run in the park. but I can play the piano.

so I always buy him a book for his birthday. and cooking.

or playing computer games? and both my parents love gardening.

1. I like to exercise each day. I either go

swimming
2. I didn’t take any photos on holiday
3. My father likes reading,
4. My sister’s favourite hobbies are listening
to music
5. I can’t play the guitar
6. We have a really big garden
7. Do you prefer watching TV
8. My mother doesn’t like it when I cook

Unit 6: Exercise 4
Read the information. Then choose the correct words or phrases to complete the
sentences.

In the IELTS Speaking test you can give examples by using for example, for instance, like
and such as. You can compare two things by using but, while, whereas and on the one hand
…, on the other hand.

1. On the one hand, most people think having a lot of free time is a good thing. On the
other hand/For example some people would rather have less free time.
2. I enjoy sports that you play in teams, whereas /like football, rugby, hockey and
basketball.
3. Most girls at my college like listening to music, while/for instance most boys prefer
playing computer games.
4. My family regularly eat together at the weekend. Such as/For example , last weekend,
my grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins all came to my house for lunch.
5. We live on a farm where we keep a lot of different kinds of animals, such as/whereas
horses, sheep, goats, chickens and ducks.
 6. My brother likes swimming but/for instance I prefer playing football.
7. In my country, people who are the same age as my parents have enough money to go
on holiday, for example/whereas a lot of young people don’t have money to travel.
8. My father has expensive hobbies. For instance/While , he likes horse riding and
sailing.

Unit 6: Exercise 5
In the IELTS Speaking test you can explain your answers by giving an example
or by comparing two things.

Read the conversations and choose what the student is doing in each one.

1. Examiner: Who usually has more free time – young people or older people?
Student: Older people have more free time because they are already retired and have lots of
free time. For example, my grandparents have lots of time every day.

o This student gives an example.

o This student compares two things.

2. Examiner: Who usually has more free time – young people or older people?
Student: I’m not sure. I suppose that maybe young people don’t have much free time
because they spend a lot of time studying and doing activities. On the other hand, old people
have a lot of free time because they’re not very active.

o This student gives an example.

o This student compares two things.

Unit 6: Exercise 6
Another way that you can explain your answer in the IELTS Speaking test is by
talking about the past or the future.

Do the phrases below give an example from the past or give an opinion about
the future? Choose the correct answers.

1. One time, a few years ago, I was …

o The past
o The future

2. I think that next year it might …

o The past
 o The future

3. In the past, people from my hometown used to …

o The past
o The future

4. In my country, people didn’t …

o The past
o The future

5. In my opinion, it will definitely become a problem if …

o The past
o The future

6. When my mother was a child, it was normal to …

o The past
o The future

7. I doubt that will happen because …

o The past
o The future

8. If you ask me, it will probably get better …

o The past
o The future

Unit 6: Exercise 7
Watch the video of the student answering a question in IELTS Speaking Part 3.
Then choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.

1. The examiner asks the student about the past/ the future .

2. The student explains his answer by giving an opinion about the future/ play.MP4
giving an example from the past

Unit 6: Exercise 8
Read the information. Then complete the phrases using the words in the box.

In the IELTS Speaking test, phrases like That’s a good question … can give you more time to
think of an answer.

Example:

Examiner: Have the types of shop you like going to changed over the years?
Student: That’s a good question, …

Good moment question see sure think what

1. That’s a very interesting ___________

2. Hmm … that’s a ___________question.
3. I’m afraid I’m not ___________, but …
4. Let’s ___________, that’s a hard one.
5. ___________an interesting question!
6. Let me think about that for a ___________.
7. You know, I would have to ___________about that.

Unit 6: Exercise 9
Put the words in the correct order to complete the phrases.

Interesting That's a very question

1. ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

That's question good a

2. ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

Sure not I'm I'm afraid

3. ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

A Let's hard that's one see,

4. ____________ ____________ ____________ ___________ ____________

____________

What question interesting an

 5. ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

For a moment that about think Let me

6. ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

____________

You know, I to think would have about that

7. ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

Unit 6: Exercise 10
You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a
pencil.

Listen to the examiner. Record your answer. Play to hear your answer
Unit 6: Exercise 1
Match the university subjects in the box with the people who studied each
subject.

Education Engineering Law Medicine Nursing Politics

Psychology Veterinary medicine

1.
2.

3.

4.
5.

6.

7.
8.

Unit 6: Exercise 2
Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

Many people think it is important to go to university while others prefer to start work
without getting a university education. Discuss both choices and give your opinion.

Put the parts of the essay plan in the correct order.

Main Paragraph 2: Fact Introduction Main Paragraph 2: Reasons or examples

Main Paragraph 1: Reasons or examples Main Paragraph 1: Fact

1. Essay Plan
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Unit 6: Exercise 3
Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

Many people think it is important to go to university while others prefer to start work
without getting a university education. Discuss both choices and give your opinion.

Then complete the student’s essay plan. Use the words and phrases in the box.

get a degree in Law get a degree in Medicine go going have a university education

improve your knowledge manage a business require a degree run studying

Essay Plan

Introduction: a lot of people want to _____________________________

Main Paragraph 1

Fact: true = there are advantages to _____________________________ at university

Reasons or examples: if you _____________________________, you can be a doctor

if you _____________________________, you can be a lawyer

also, a degree can _____________________________ and ability

Main Paragraph 2

Fact: however, some jobs do not _____________________________

Reasons or examples: a degree is not necessary if you want to

___________________________ a shop or _____________________________

also, ___________________________ to university can be very expensive

Conclusion (with my opinion): a degree is necessary for some jobs but not others

I think you should ___________________________ to university if you can

Unit 6: Exercise 4
Complete the essay. Use the words and phrases in the box.

Addition conclusion firstly for example in this essay likewise

Nevertheless on the one hand on the other hand secondly

At the present time, a lot of people want to have a university education while others choose
not to go to university, and get a job instead. _________________ , I am going to compare
both of these options and then offer my own view.

_________________ , it is certainly true that there are advantages to studying at university.

_________________ , certain jobs require certain degrees. If you want to be a lawyer or a

doctor, you will need to get a degree in Law or Medicine. _________________ , learning
about something that interests you can improve your knowledge. Moreover, there are studies
that show that getting a degree can help you learn how to ask questions and solve problems.

However, _________________ , there are a lot of jobs that do not require a degree. As a
result, some people prefer to start work as soon as they leave school without going to
university.

_________________ , if you want to run a shop, it is not necessary to get a degree in

Psychology first.

_________________ , you do not have to study Engineering or Education in order to

manage a business. In _________________ , university can be very expensive, so some
people prefer to get a job instead of paying a lot of money.

In _________________ , there are definitely advantages to receiving a university

education. A degree is necessary for certain jobs but not essential for others.
_________________ , in my opinion, everyone who has the opportunity to go to
university, should go.

Unit 6: Exercise 5
Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

Many people think it is important to go to university while others prefer to start work
without getting a university education. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Put the paragraphs in the correct order to complete the essay.

Secondly, learning about something that interests you can improve your knowledge.
Moreover, there are studies that show that getting a degree can help you learn how to ask
questions and solve problems.

On the one hand, it is certainly true that there are advantages to studying at university. Firstly,
certain jobs require certain degrees. If you want to be a lawyer or a doctor, you will need to
get a degree in Law or Medicine.

However, on the other hand, there are a lot of jobs that do not require a degree. As a result,
some people prefer to start work as soon as they leave school without going to university. For
example, if you want to run a shop, it is not necessary to get a degree in Psychology first.

Likewise, you do not have to study Engineering or Education in order to manage a business.
In addition, university can be very expensive, so some people prefer to get a job instead of
paying so much money.

In conclusion, there are definitely advantages to receiving a university education. A degree is

necessary for certain jobs but not essential for others. Nevertheless, in my opinion, everyone
who has the opportunity to go to university, should go.

At the present time, a lot of people want to have a university education while others choose
not to go to university, and get a job instead. In this essay, I am going to compare both of
these options and then offer my own view.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Unit 6: Exercise 6
It is important not to repeat the same words or phrases too often in IELTS
Writing Task 2. Using synonyms can help. Remember: synonyms are different
words or phrases that mean the same thing as each other.

Read the student’s essay. Match the words or phrases in bold from the
essay with the synonyms in the box.

At the moment From another point of view From one point of view In my view

To conclude

At the present time, a lot of people want to receive a university education while others
choose not to go to university, and get a job instead. In this essay, I am going to compare both
of these options and then offer my own view.

On the one hand, it is certainly true that there are advantages to studying at university.
Firstly, certain jobs require certain degrees. If you want to be a lawyer or a doctor, you will
need to get a degree in Law or Medicine. Secondly, learning about something that interests
you can improve your knowledge. Moreover, there are studies that show that getting a degree
can help you learn how to ask questions and solve problems.

However, on the other hand, there are a lot of jobs that do not require a degree. As a result,
some people prefer to start work as soon as they leave school without going to university. For
example, if you want to run a shop, it is not necessary to get a degree in Psychology first.
Likewise, you do not have to study Engineering or Education in order to manage a business.
In addition, university can be very expensive, so some people prefer to get a job instead of
paying a lot of money.

In conclusion, there are definitely advantages to receiving a university education. A degree is

necessary for certain jobs but not essential for others. Nevertheless, in my opinion, everyone
who has the opportunity to go to university, should go.

At the present time ____________________________

On the one hand ____________________________

On the other hand ____________________________

In conclusion ____________________________

In my opinion ____________________________
Unit 6: Exercise 7
Look at the words and phrases in bold in the student’s essay. Complete the table
with the correct words in the box.

From one point of view, it is certainly true that there are advantages to studying at university.
Firstly, certain jobs require certain degrees. If you want to be a lawyer or a doctor, you will
need to get a degree in Law or Medicine. Secondly, learning about something that interests
you can improve your knowledge. Moreover, there are studies that show that getting a
degree can help you learn how to ask questions and solve problems.

However, from another point of view, there are a lot of jobs that do not require a degree. As
a result, some people prefer to start work as soon as they leave school without going to
university. For instance, if you want to run a shop, it is not necessary to get a degree in
Psychology first. Likewise, you do not have to study Engineering or Education in order to
manage a business. In addition, university can be very expensive, so some people prefer to
get a job instead of paying a lot of money.

To conclude, there are definitely advantages to receiving a university education. A degree is

necessary for certain jobs but not essential for others. Nevertheless, in my view, everyone
who has the opportunity to go to university, should go.

Likewise however nevertheless moreover in addition as a result

also but because of this

Unit 6: Exercise 8
Choose the correct words or phrases to complete the sentences.

9. I like Maths but I also /as a result/however like Literature.

10. He was excellent in his interview. But/However/Moreover , he is the most qualified
for the job.
11. I had a headache during the exam. Also /Because of this/Nevertheless , I answered all
the questions.
 12. My grandfather runs a business. Also/Because of this/However , I could easily go to
work for him.
13. My sister always does her homework. But/However/Likewise , my brother always
does his, too.
14. If you want to be a dentist, you need good grades. Because of this/In
addition/Nevertheless , you must like working hard.
15. My father wants me to be an accountant also/because of this/but my mother wants me
to be a musician.
16. I didn’t think I would get the job. Also/Because of this/However , they offered it to me the
day after the interview.
17. My cousin failed his exams. Also /As a result/However , he has to repeat a year of
university.
18. There are two advantages to my job: it’s different every day and also/but/however I’m
my own boss.

Unit 6: Exercise 9
Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

Some people think that liking your job is more important than how much money you earn
while others think that your salary is more important than how much you like your job.
Compare the two views and give your opinion.

Decide whether the ideas below are advantages of earning a lot of money or liking your job.
Choose the correct answers.

1. You can buy special gifts for your friends and family.

o An advantage of liking your job

o An advantage of earning a lot

2. You might work harder and be more friendly.

o An advantage of liking your job

o An advantage of earning a lot

3. You might stay in your job longer.

o An advantage of liking your job

o An advantage of earning a lot

4. You can spend more money on your hobbies.

o An advantage of liking your job

o An advantage of earning a lot
 5. You might be less stressed at work.

o An advantage of liking your job

o An advantage of earning a lot

6. You can go on expensive holidays.

o An advantage of liking your job

o An advantage of earning a lot

Unit 6: Exercise 10
WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people think that liking your job is more important than how much money you earn
while others think that your salary is more important than how much you like your job.
Compare the two views and give your opinion.

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Please add text into the Student post.

Student post:
Unit 7: Exercise 1
Complete the descriptions with the words and phrases in the box.

Celebrity fan film star lead singer paparazzi reporter role model

supporter

10. A __________ is someone who is famous.

11. A __________ is a famous movie actor.
12. The ______________ of a band is the main (and sometimes the only) singer.
13. A __________ is someone who really likes a particular person, group or team.
14. Your ____________ is a person who you like and want to be like.
15. A __________ is someone who likes a particular sports team, person or group and
wants them to do well.
16. A __________ is a person whose job is to find information about news events and
describe them for a newspaper, on TV, etc.
17. The ______________ are photographers who follow famous people and try to take
photos of them.

Unit 7: Exercise 2
Choose the best words to complete the sentences.

29. Everybody knows his name. He’s really talented/ well-known/rich .

30. He’s a really good-looking actor. He’s so popular/ handsome/famous .
31. She’s very attractive. She’s such a beautiful/ talented/ well-known woman.
32. Everybody loves that band. They’re really attractive/ pretty/popular at the moment.
33. She’s got lots of money. She’s extremely popular/ well-known/ wealthy .
34. He can do amazing things that other people find difficult. He’s so talented/ stylish/
attractive
35. Her clothes are always really cool. She’s very fashionable/ handsome/famous .
36. They wear beautiful clothes. They look very rich/ stylish/ talented .

Unit 7: Exercise 3
Complete the text. Use the words in the box.

Appear attend earn own passed on present recognize sign

Star take
I’m going to be famous when I’m older. I’m going to ___________ a TV programme about
films. Later, they’ll ask me to ____________ in films and I’ll have my name in big letters on
movie posters. I’ll ______________ a fortune for every film I make and I’ll be incredibly
rich. I’ll also _____________ a luxury yacht and perhaps I’ll have my own private island.
My photo will ______________ on the cover of lots of magazines. I’ll ____________ film
premieres (and see movies before anyone else), where I’ll wear stylish clothes. Of course, it
won’t be so nice if thousands of people ______________ me in the street. I don’t really want
to ______________ hundreds of autographs every day. It’d be horrible if newspapers and
magazines _______________ rumours and gossip about my private life. I also don’t think
I’d like to _____________ part in lots of boring interviews and press conferences. Maybe
being famous wouldn’t be so nice after all.

Unit 7: Exercise 4
Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

Blogs broadcasting internet magazines media movies newspapers

Radio social media television

1. The _____________ is the general name for the group which includes the internet,
newspapers, magazines, television, etc.
2. One of the oldest branches of the media is _______________ . They are written by
journalists and then printed on printing presses or can be read online.
3. _______________ are similar to newspapers, but they’re generally more colourful
and entertaining. They are usually weekly or monthly.
4. Films became popular around the beginning of the 20th century, when people visited
cinemas to watch moving pictures (or ‘ ___________ ’) for the first time.
5. The 20th century was the age of ____________ – sending programmes to lots of
people at the same time, using, for example, television or radio.
6. ______________ was the first way of broadcasting spoken words and music, and it
continues to be popular today.
7. In the middle of the 20th century, as _______________ sets became cheaper, TV took
over from radio as the most popular form of broadcast media.
8. At the end of the 20th century, the ________________ added a new way of providing
traditional media, such as news, music and films.
9. However, in the early 21st century, millions of ordinary people started creating their
own online ‘newspapers’, where they reported whatever they found interesting in their
web logs (later shortened to ‘ _____________ ’).
10. Later, thanks to ______________ sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter,
everybody could broadcast everything to the world, instantly.

Unit 7: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then complete the sentences. Use the idioms in the box.
An idiom is a group of words in a fixed order which has its own meaning. Even when you
know the meaning of each of the words in an idiom, you still need to learn the meaning of the
whole idiom.

are in the public eye claim to fame make it big paying the price

rising star victim of her own success

11. I don’t know why she’s famous. Her only ________________________ is that her
dad was a famous singer.
12. I don’t feel too sorry for celebrities who complain about the paparazzi. They’re just
___________________________ for being famous.
13. This singer isn’t famous yet, but she’s been on TV a few times, so she’s definitely a
___________________________ – I’m sure everyone will know her name this time
next year.
14. I think all people who ___________________________ should be very careful about
what they say and do in public – many people look up to them and copy their actions.
15. She was a great songwriter before she was famous, when she was poor and angry. But
now she’s rich and happy, she’s got nothing to write about! She’s a
___________________________ .
16. It’s very difficult to ___________________________ in the music business. Many
people try, but only a small number succeed.

Unit 7: Exercise 6
Match the sentence endings with the correct beginnings.

It’ll be the best day of my life. do you ask them for an autograph?

their fans won’t be happy at all. there aren’t any tickets?

they go on tour. they keep printing private pictures of celebrities.

10. I’ll definitely go and see them in concert if _________________________________

11. If you see famous people, _________________________________
12. If the lead singer leaves the band, _________________________________
13. I’m going to see my idol next week! _________________________________
14. What will you do if _________________________________
15. I won’t buy that magazine again if _________________________________
Unit 7: Exercise 7
Correct the first conditional sentences by changing the incorrect use of will. Use
contractions where possible. The first one has been done for you.

1. I’m going to start writing about my life on social media. If it’ll be it’s interesting, I’m
sure people will want to follow me.
2. If I’ll get lots of followers, I’ll start my own YouTube channel and make funny
videos.
3. All my followers will watch my YouTube channel if I’ll tell them about my funny
videos.
4. If they’ll like my videos, they’ll keep coming back for more.
5. If enough people will watch my videos and share the links on social media, they’ll go
viral – thousands of people all over the world will watch them.
6. TV and newspaper reporters will notice if my videos will go viral, and they’ll tell
even more people about them.
7. If a TV or film producer will hear about my videos, he/she will pay me to make
professional films or TV programmes.
8. I’ll make a fortune if that’ll happen.
9. On the other hand, if nobody will follow me on social media, none of those things
will happen.
10. But if I won’t try, I’ll never know!

Unit 7: Exercise 8
Read the information. Then match the situations with the examples.

Can, could, may and might

Talking about ability

 Present: can / can’t

 Past: could / couldn’t
 Future: will be able to / won’t be able to

Asking for permission

 Formal: May / Could I / we … ?

 Less formal: Can I / we … ?
Giving permission (saying ‘yes’) and refusing permission (saying ‘no’)

 Very formal: You may / may not …

 Less formal: You can / can’t …

Asking for help

 Formal: Could you … ?

 Less formal: Can you … ?

Offering help

 I can … / Can I (help) … ?

Talking about things that aren’t certain in the future

 Positive: It may / might / could happen.

 Negative: It may not happen / It might not happen.

Asking for help Asking for permission Giving permission Offering help

Refusing permission Talking about future ability Talking about past ability

Talking about present ability Talking about something that’s not certain in the future

1. May I leave early, please? _____________________________________

2. You can leave when you’re ready. _____________________________________
3. I’m afraid you can’t sit there. _____________________________________
4. I didn’t enjoy the concert because I couldn’t see the stage.
_____________________________________
5. She isn’t talented – she can’t even sing!
_____________________________________
6. Don’t phone me when I’m at the concert later. I won’t be able to talk to you
_____________________________________.
7. I might go to the cinema tonight – I haven’t decided yet.
_____________________________________
8. Could you hold my camera for me? _____________________________________
9. Can I help you with your bags? _____________________________________
Unit 7: Exercise 9
Read the information again. Then choose the correct modal verbs to complete
the sentences.

Can, could, may and might

Talking about ability

 Present: can / can’t

 Past: could / couldn’t
 Future: will be able to / won’t be able to

Asking for permission

 Formal: May / Could I / we … ?

 Less formal: Can I / we … ?

Giving permission (saying ‘yes’) and refusing permission (saying ‘no’)

 Very formal: You may / may not …

 Less formal: You can / can’t …

Asking for help

 Formal: Could you … ?

 Less formal: Can you … ?

Offering help

 I can … / Can I (help) … ?

Talking about things that aren’t certain in the future

 Positive: It may / might / could happen.

 Negative: It may not happen / It might not happen.
 1. Do you/May I /Will I be able to have your autograph, please?
2. I’m sure I may not/might/ won’t be able to get into the concert tomorrow without a
ticket.
3. Let’s go to the party – it can/couldn't/might be quite good.
4. I’m afraid you can't/couldn't/might not take photos inside the cinema – it’s against
the rules.
5. When the film star said ‘Hello’, I couldn’t/might not/ won’t be able to think of
anything to say, so I just smiled.
6. I know lots of famous sports stars. I can / I’ll be able to / I may not get you their
autographs if you like.
7. Could/May/Might you be quiet, please? I’m trying to listen to the radio.
8. I’m not sure about my plans for next weekend. I couldn’t/ might not/ won’t be able
do anything.
9. The TV programme is on again tomorrow evening, so if you miss it tonight, you
may/you could/ you’ll be able to watch it tomorrow.

Unit 7: Exercise 10
Match the sentence endings with the correct beginnings.

I may ask? they put the price up again. you become famous?

you can send me a text and I’ll come and find you.

you manage to get tickets for the concert? you might be famous one day.

1. I might stop buying that magazine if ________________________________

2. If you can’t find the concert hall, ________________________________
3. If you work really hard and practise every day, ________________________________
4. Will you still be able to have a normal life if ________________________________
5. Could you send me a text if ________________________________
6. Do you enjoy being famous, if ________________________________

Unit 7: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will practise the skills you need to answer a diagram labelling
task in IELTS Listening Section 4. The topic of this unit is survival and the
environment.

Read the information. Then choose the correct words to form collocations about
the environment.
When you learn a new word, try to learn some collocations. Collocations are words that are
commonly used together. For example, here are some typical collocations using the word
environment:

noun + noun:
environment agency, environment policy
adjective + noun:
new environment, safe environmen

1. noun + noun
weather branches/forecast/storm
2. noun + noun
snow slope/ storm/ weather
3. adjective + noun
survival branches/wall/ situation
4. noun + noun
body situation/ slope/ temperature
5. noun + noun
cave forecast/ slope/wall
6. noun + noun
mountain forecast/ slope/ temperature
7. noun + noun
tree branches/ slope/wall

Unit 7: Exercise 2
Look at the diagram of a snow cave. Complete the descriptions of the diagram
with the words in the box.

In the IELTS Listening test, you may have to label a diagram. Before you listen, it’s a good idea to
think about the words the speaker may use to describe the direction (e.g. away from), the position
(e.g. on the bottom) or the location (e.g. the roof) of different parts of the diagram.
 away from back bottom entrance inside on the left

on the right on top of outside roof towards tunnel

1. Number 1 is _____________ of the diagram.

2. Number 2 is _____________ the cave.
3. Number 3 is _____________ of the diagram.
4. Number 4 is _____________ the cave.
5. Number 5 is the_____________ of the cave.
6. Number 6 is the _____________ of the cave.
7. Number 7 is _____________ the middle of the cave.
8. Number 8 is the _____________ to the cave.
9. Number 9 is moving ______________ the entrance.
10. Number 10 is moving _____________ the entrance.
11. Number 11 is the ______________ .
12. Number 12 is the _______________ of the entrance to the cave.

Unit 7: Exercise 3
Listen to the first part of a survival expert’s talk about snow caves. Write the
correct letters (A–H) next to the descriptions (1–2).

In an IELTS labelling a diagram task, you match the letters on the diagram to the correct
descriptions in the questions. In order to do this, you need to:

 listen carefully to descriptions of direction, position and location

 listen for the same information you see in the questions.

You do not need to use all the letters (i.e. there are more letters than questions).
Announcer: You will hear an expert on survival describe a snow cave.

Lecturer: OK, so let’s think about another kind of survival situation. Imagine
you’re on a mountain slope and suddenly you can see a snow storm coming.
The only way to survive is to build a snow cave. Let’s have a look at a
diagram.

So here you can see that the entrance to the snow cave is towards the right of
the diagram – and that a tunnel has been dug down. There’s a reason for
this, and that’s to stop the wind blowing directly into your cave, which would
make you extremely uncomfortable. A lot of things you can see in this
diagram are just very sensible things to do. Like, for example, you really don’t
want to have any kind of accident or injury while you’re digging your cave,
you want to reduce that possibility. So you can see that on the roof of the cave
– on the outside – more or less diagonally opposite the entrance to the cave on play.MP3

this diagram – you can see there’s a round-looking object there. That could be
a rock or a large stone or even just a large snowball – and you put it there to
remind yourself where the roof is. This is so you don’t walk on it and fall
through when you’re outside.

Um, before you shut yourself inside the cave for the night, do go out and
collect some tree branches – branches from fir trees are the best type – as
they’re nice and soft. You can then place these inside the cave, on top of the
flat shelf – the one towards the back of the cave and away from the entrance.
Certainly don’t put them at the bottom of the cave – the deepest part near the
tunnel, I mean. You can store your dry clothes on the branches or lie on them
– and it means you’re not lying directly on top of the snow.
 3. reduces the chance of accidents _________
4. soft branches are best _______

Unit 7: Exercise 4
Look at the diagram of a snow cave. Choose the correct words and phrases for
each part
(1–10) of the diagram.

In an IELTS labelling a diagram task, as well as listening for words that describe direction,
position and location, it is also useful to listen for nouns and adjectives that describe shapes
and sizes.

1. large pyramid/ small and round/ long, thin and narrow

2. wide and thick/ small pyramid shape/ small and round
3. deep/ slope/ oval
4. small pyramid shape/ large pyramid/ smooth and curved
5. oval/ long, thin and narrow/ dome-shaped
6. deep/slope/ smooth and curved
7. smooth and curved/ small and round/ long, thin and narrow
8. wide and thick/ small and round/ long, thin and narrow
9. large pyramid/deep/ dome-shaped
10. small and round/ small pyramid shape/ oval

Unit 7: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then listen to the second part of the survival expert’s talk
about snow caves. Write the correct letters (A–H) next to the descriptions (3–4).

In the IELTS diagram labelling task, you may be able to predict possible answers to the
questions. For example, look at the diagram of the snow cave and questions 3 and 4:
 3 piled-up snow adds strength …
4 allows air in and smoke out …

The answer to question 3 is probably either C or E because you can see piled-up snow in
these two places. The answer to question 4 must be either D or F because these are the only
places that can allow air in and smoke out.

Announcer: You will hear an expert on survival describe a snow cave.

Lecturer: Now it’s important to make your cave as strong as possible.

So, once you’ve dug out the inside of the cave, it’s a good idea to pile up as
much snow as possible over the top of your cave – on the outside, I mean, so
it’s good and thick. And you can see from the diagram that the pile has
formed into a pyramid shape. When the snow turns to ice and becomes
really hard, your cave will be less likely to fall in.

If your cave is big and wide enough for you to have a small fire inside, of play.MP3

course you’ll need to let the smoke out. And if you’re inside for the whole
night, you’ll need to let some air in, too. To do this, you’ll need to make
some small holes. So see on the diagram how the roof inside the cave has a
dome shape? The holes have been made near the top – on the right hand side
– and they go all the way through to the outside of the cave to that slope just
above the entrance. They should be narrow, of course, and if you have
something very thin, like a ski pole, use that to slowly make the holes.
3. piled-up snow adds strength ______

4. allows air in and smoke out ______

Unit 7: Exercise 6
Read and listen to the extracts from the recording. Complete the extracts with
between one and three words for each gap.

1. Reduces the chance of accidents – B

That could be a rock or a large stone or even just a large snowball – and you
put it there to remind yourself where ______________ is. This is so you
don’t walk on it and ______________ when you’re outside.

2. Soft branches are best – H

Um, before you shut yourself inside the ________________ for the night, do
go out and collect some tree branches – branches from fir trees are the best type – as
they’re ________________ . You can then place these inside the cave, on top of the play.MP3
flat shelf – the one ___________________ of the cave and away from the entrance.

3. Piled-up snow adds strength – C

It’s a good idea to __________________ as much snow as possible over the top of
your cave – on the outside, I mean, so it’s good and thick. And you can see from the
diagram that the pile has formed into a __________________ shape. When the snow
___________________ and becomes really hard, your cave will be less likely to fall
in.

4. Allows air in and smoke out – D

If your cave is big and wide enough for you to have a small fire inside, of course
you’ll need to __________________ out. And if you’re inside for the whole
night, you’ll need to let some air in, too. To do this, you’ll need to make some
__________________ .

Unit 7: Exercise 7
It is common in IELTS Listening tasks that you will not hear the same words in
the recording as you read in the questions. Match the possible paraphrases with
the words in bold from the descriptions (5–7).

5 cold air gets trapped …

6 a thick jacket or backpack work best …
7 melting is reduced by keeping smooth walls …

won’t be able to escape these would be ideal rucksack heavy coat

no pieces of ice or snow that stick out freezing there aren’t so many

1. cold
2. trapped
3. thick jacket
4. backpack
5. work best
6. is reduced
7. smooth

Unit 7: Exercise 8
Listen to the recording. Write the correct letters (A–H) next to the descriptions
(5–7).

Announcer: You will hear an expert on survival describe a snow cave.

Lecturer: Now, obviously you need to keep your body temperature up, which
means avoiding very cold air. As you probably know, cold air sinks, so see play.MP3
where the lowest part of the cave is – where it’s a bit deeper. That’s where the
cold air is going to remain. It won’t be able to escape into the rest of the cave.
So of course, it’s not where you’re going to sleep.

There are other items you can use to keep as warm as possible. If you have
something like a thick ski jacket or a backpack, these would be ideal for
pushing into the narrow space towards the bottom of your tunnel. That’s the
oval shape you can see. This will help prevent the wind or any more snow
from blowing into the cave. You might think it would be a better idea to wear
the coat, but it’s much better to use it to block the wind.

What can you do to make sure that the snow melts more slowly and there
aren’t so many drips falling on your head? You can see that on the left-hand
side of the diagram, towards the back of the cave, that the wall is curved and
there are no pieces of ice or snow that stick out. Try to build and keep the
walls like this. Of course, it depends on the tools and equipment that you have
with you, but yes, do try and keep them smooth.

5. cold air gets trapped _______

6. a thick jacket or backpack work best _______

7. melting is reduced by keeping smooth walls _______

Unit 7: Exercise 9
When you are preparing for the IELTS Listening test, it is a good idea to make
notes of useful collocations. Match the words on the left to the words and
phrases on the right to form collocations.

melts more slowly space as warm as possible that possibility night

clothes

1. reduce
2.dry
3.snow
4. whole
5.keep
6.narrow

Unit 7: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt in this unit.

Complete the advice. Use the words and phrases in the box. There are two
words or phrases you don’t need to use.

Movement parts of the diagram positions and locations purpose

same idea shapes

1. Before the recording starts, look at the whole diagram and think about vocabulary for
describing directions, _____________________ .
2. During the recording, listen out for words describing size and
_____________________ .
3. Look at the questions and think how the _____________________ might be said
differently in the recording.
4. Remember that the speaker does not talk about the _____________________ in order,
e.g. from A to H.

Unit 7: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will look at an IELTS Reading matching features task and read
a text on the topic of work and jobs.
What vocabulary from the topic of work and jobs do you already know? Match
the words with the definitions.

Automation employee employer flexibility manufacturing

Opportunity organization profit self-employed workforce

1. a person or company that employs people:

2. all the people who work in a company, industry, country, etc.:
3. another name for a company (often one that is very big):
4. money that a business earns after it has paid for everything it needs
(e.g. offices, factories, workers, etc.):
5. someone who is paid to work for someone else:
6. the ability to change or be changed easily according to the
situation:
7. the business of producing things (e.g. cars) in large numbers:
8. the chance to get a job or do something that you want to do:
9. the use of machines or robots to do the work in a factory:
10. working for yourself or having your own business:

Unit 7: Exercise 2
Read the information. Then skim read the title and the first paragraph of the text
below. Choose three statements from the list which express the main ideas of
the paragraph.

In the IELTS Reading matching features task, you read an article which contains the opinions
of different people who have knowledge or experience of the topic of the text. For example,
they may be academics or researchers.

The first paragraph of the article introduces the main ideas or topic that the people discuss.

Remember that you can predict the topic of the article from the title and that you can usually
find the main ideas at the end of the introduction.

The Changing Face of Work

Until the 19th century, there was a fairly good chance that a young man would follow in his
father’s footsteps and work in the same profession or trade. If the plan was to become a
doctor, lawyer or engineer, he would simply take the necessary subjects at university. If he
was planning to do manual work, as a builder, miner or factory worker for example, he would
learn through practical experience. As the 20th century progressed, both men and women
moved to cities to find work, in industries such as advertising, banking and retail. They may
have started at a company at age 17 and probably wouldn’t have left until they retired at 60 or
65. Now, in the 21st century, new technology is being developed all the time, and it is having
a dramatic effect on the kind of jobs people do and the ways in which they work. The speed
of change is so great that it is almost impossible to predict how people’s careers may develop
20 years from now.

□ Women now work in all the same professions that men do.
□ In the area of work, things change more quickly now than they used to.
□ Technology has a big influence on how people do their jobs.
□ People don’t have enough free time because they work too much.
□ It’s unclear what type of jobs people might do in the future.
□ Some industries have not been affected by new technology.

Unit 7: Exercise 3
Read the information. Then read the list (1–8) below. Scan the three paragraphs
of the text. Highlight the things from the list when you find them in the article –
they are in the same order as they appear in the list.

In an IELTS Reading matching features task, you need to skim read the article to understand
the general meaning, but you also need to scan the text. When you scan an article, you look
through the text very quickly to find a specific piece of information, for example the name of
a person and what that person’s claims or views are about a topic.

1 three examples of manual work

2 the age at which older people typically used to stop working
3 the name of a person who teaches at City University
4 the number of hours that people used to work in a typical day
5 the name of a person who works for an organisation called Pro-Com Enterprises
6 the name of a person who teaches at Mapplethorpe University
7 a type of industry that has had many job losses
8 something many people are doing illegally

The Changing Face of Work

Until the 19th century, there was a fairly good chance that a young man would follow in his
father’s footsteps and work in the same profession or trade. If the plan was to become a
doctor, lawyer or engineer, he would simply take the necessary subjects at university. If he
was planning to do manual work, as a builder, miner or factory worker for example, he would
learn through practical experience. As the 20th century progressed, both men and women
moved to cities to find work, in industries such as advertising, banking and retail. They may
have started at a company at age 17 and probably wouldn’t have left until they retired at 60 or
65. Now, in the 21st century, new technology is being developed all the time, and it is having
a dramatic effect on the kind of jobs people do and the ways in which they work. The speed
of change is so great that it is almost impossible to predict how people’s careers may develop
20 years from now.

Many people are optimistic about these changes. Patrick Carter, educational consultant at
City University, looks forward to a world where the types of jobs people do will be more
rewarding than ever before: ‘Think of the jobs many people have been forced to do
throughout history that were poorly paid and caused illness or injury,’ he says. ‘People look
back and say “the old days” were great, but they forget how difficult life was for many
employees in factories, who often had to do the same task again and again, for ten or more
hours a day.’ Carter feels that the use of robots to build and make products can only bring
positive change. However, not everyone shares this kind of optimism. Adrian Gates, a human
resources consultant at Pro-Com Enterprises, points out that, as new technologies replace
humans, there will be a huge decrease in the demand for employees: ‘Jobs for accountants
and retail workers, for example, will disappear. History proves that employers are willing to
lose workers in order to make as much money as possible. And some of those employees will
find it very difficult to retrain for a completely different career.’

Carter thinks differently: ‘If we introduce more automation, we don’t have to pay wages to so
many employees,’ he explains, ‘and then we will have more money to invest in further
learning and training for more people, so that they can qualify for jobs they really want to
do.’ So will there still be enough jobs for people if robots replace human workers? Joanna
Harding, a lecturer in music technology at Mapplethorpe University, makes an interesting
point about job creation and loss: ‘Recent developments in technology mean we can all listen
to music when and where we want. Certainly, these developments have created jobs for
people in the digital music industry, especially in engineering and in factories,’ she says.
‘However, those same developments have unfortunately caused huge job losses in the
traditional music industry. It’s this kind of dramatic change we often find hard to imagine.’
Harding explains that because of the digital music industry, and the fact that millions of
people download music illegally, many record companies can no longer afford to pay
songwriters, producers, technicians and marketing teams. ‘A large number of people
download music illegally just because everyone else seems to be doing it – but really, they
ought to consider what consequences their selfish actions could have on other people, in this
case, loss of employment.’

Unit 7: Exercise 4
Read the second paragraph of the text again and the four statements. Choose the
two statements that best match the opinions of Patrick Carter and Adrian Gates.
For an IELTS Reading matching features task, you need to match a set of statements or
pieces of information to a list of options, so it is important to be able to locate specific
information in the text.

Statements

1 . An increasing number of employers will want employees to have the right personality.
2. It is normal for companies to reduce the number of employees so that they can increase
their profits.
3. Some jobs that people did in the past were boring and led to health problems.
4 . Companies will increasingly appreciate the abilities of young people.

For an IELTS Reading matching features task, you need to match a set of statements or
pieces of information to a list of options, so it is important to be able to locate specific
information in the text.

Many people are optimistic about these changes. Patrick Carter, educational consultant at
City University, looks forward to a world where the types of jobs people do will be more
rewarding than ever before: ‘Think of the jobs many people have been forced to do
throughout history that were poorly paid and caused illness or injury,’ he says. ‘People look
back and say “the old days” were great, but they forget how difficult life was for many
employees in factories, who often had to do the same task again and again, for ten or more
hours a day.’ Carter feels that the use of robots to build and make products can only bring
positive change. However, not everyone shares this kind of optimism. Adrian Gates, a human
resources consultant at Pro-Com Enterprises, points out that, as new technologies replace
humans, there will be a huge decrease in the demand for employees: ‘Jobs for accountants
and retail workers, for example, will disappear. History proves that employers are willing to
lose workers in order to make as much money as possible. And some of those employees will
find it very difficult to retrain for a completely different career.’

Patrick Carter

o 1
o 2
o 3
o 4

Adrian Gates

o 1
o 2
o 3
o 4
Unit 7: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then complete the table with the words and phrases in
the box. The words and phrases are all taken from the Reading text ‘The
Changing Face of Work’.

In an IELTS Reading matching features task, it is important to recognise whether someone is

expressing a claim (something the person believes is true or a fact) or a positive or negative
view on a topic. This will help you match the quotes (the direct speech) in the article with the
statements (the questions).

cause (something to happen, e.g. illness) the better option

be forced to do (something) huge decrease in the demand for employees

to invest in further learning and training people can qualify for jobs they really want to do

may not be very useful welcome and value (somebody)

positive meaning negative meaning

Unit 7: Exercise 6
Read the numbered quotes in bold (1–6) from the third paragraph of the article.
Is each person expressing a positive view, a negative view or are they making a
claim? Choose the correct answers.
Carter thinks differently: (1) ‘If we introduce more automation, we don’t have to pay
wages to so many employees,’ he explains, (2) ‘and then we will have more money to
invest in further learning and training for more people, so that they can qualify for jobs
they really want to do.’ So will there still be enough jobs for people if robots replace human
workers? Joanna Harding, a lecturer in music technology at Mapplethorpe University, makes
an interesting point about job creation and loss: (3) ‘Recent developments in technology
mean we can all listen to music when and where we want. Certainly, these developments
have created jobs for people in the digital music industry, especially in engineering and
in factories,’ she says. (4) ‘However, those same developments have unfortunately
caused huge job losses in the traditional music industry. It’s this kind of dramatic change
we often find hard to imagine.’ Harding explains that because of the digital music industry,
and the fact that millions of people download music illegally, many record companies can no
longer afford to pay songwriters, producers, technicians and marketing teams. (5) ‘A large
number of people download music illegally just because everyone else seems to be doing it
– but really, (6) they ought to consider what consequences their selfish actions could have
on other people, in this case, loss of employment.’

1. expressing a positive point of view/xpressing a negative point of view/making a

claim
2. expressing a positive point of view/xpressing a negative point of view/making a
claim
3. expressing a positive point of view/xpressing a negative point of view/making a
claim
4. expressing a positive point of view/xpressing a negative point of view/making a
claim
5. expressing a positive point of view/xpressing a negative point of view/making a
claim
6. expressing a positive point of view/xpressing a negative point of view/making a
claim

Unit 7: Exercise 7
Look at the statements and read the third paragraph of the text again. Then do
the exercise

Statements
1 If more robots do manufacturing jobs, it will create opportunities for people to get a better
education.
2 People should think more carefully about how their behaviour might affect others.
3 Some traditional jobs will continue to exist but in a different location.
4 We cannot always predict how new technology will affect jobs in a particular industry.

Carter thinks differently: ‘If we introduce more automation, we don’t have to pay wages to so
many employees,’ he explains, ‘and then we will have more money to invest in further
learning and training for more people, so that they can qualify for jobs they really want to
do.’ So will there still be enough jobs for people if robots replace human workers? Joanna
Harding, a lecturer in music technology at Mapplethorpe University, makes an interesting
point about job creation and loss: ‘Recent developments in technology mean we can all listen
to music when and where we want. Certainly, these developments have created jobs for
people in the digital music industry, especially in engineering and in factories,’ she says.
‘However, those same developments have unfortunately caused huge job losses in the
traditional music industry. It’s this kind of dramatic change we often find hard to imagine.’
Harding explains that because of the digital music industry, and the fact that millions of
people download music illegally, many record companies can no longer afford to pay
songwriters, producers, technicians and marketing teams. ‘A large number of people
download music illegally just because everyone else seems to be doing it – but really, they
ought to consider what consequences their selfish actions could have on other people, in this
case, loss of employment.’

Who said what? Match the statements with the correct person. Read the text on
page 1 again if you need to.

1. If more robots do manufacturing jobs, it will create opportunities for people to get a
better education.

o Patrick Carter
o Joanna Harding
o Neither person

2. People should think more carefully about how their behaviour might affect others.

o Patrick Carter
o Joanna Harding
o Neither person

3. Some traditional jobs will continue to exist but in a different location.

o Patrick Carter
o Joanna Harding
o Neither person

4. We cannot always predict how new technology will affect jobs in a particular
industry.

o Patrick Carter
o Joanna Harding
o Neither person

Unit 7: Exercise 8
In an IELTS Reading matching features task, you will need to use your
knowledge of synonyms and paraphrases.

Match the words on the left with the synonyms and paraphrases on the right.
The synonyms and paraphrases are all taken from the text ‘The Changing Face
of Work’.

knowledge and skills companies the next few generations working for themselves

the kind of character welcome and value decide new environments older

1. appreciate
2. choose
3. different location
4. young people
5. abilities
6. traditional
7. employers
8. personality
9. self-employed

Unit 7: Exercise 9
Read the final three paragraphs of the text. Look at the statements and the list of
researchers. Match each statement with the correct researcher, A–D.

However, many large corporations have been created in the last 20 years because of the
existence of the internet. It is the internet that allows them to sell their apps or online services
as downloads. Professor of Sociology, Sara Millington, researches employment at these
massive internet-based companies. ‘They make enormous profits but employ few people, and
thousands of applicants hope to get the same few jobs,’ she says. ‘If you decide to apply, you
need to have the right skills and qualifications, but you also need to have the exact qualities
they are looking for,’ she says. ‘More and more companies are interviewing people to find
out if they have the kind of character that fits in with their company culture – and this trend is
going to continue.’
The way that people work is also likely to change. Nadia Campbell, who works for the
Independent Professionals Group, can see this trend already developing. ‘Many people no
longer want to do a nine-to-five job every day. And in the future, they will want even more
flexibility in regards to the hours they work, and with the place they choose to work from,’
she says. ‘The idea of working for one boss will become less and less attractive, as more
people decide that working for themselves, and from home, is the better option.’ New
technology might mean new types of jobs, but it is also likely that certain ‘older’ jobs will
have to evolve to suit future needs. A recent study from researchers in Finland concluded that
‘many of these jobs won’t disappear completely … they will move into new environments,
such as into outer space – where we still need people to take care of waste, the health of
astronauts and some kinds of construction work.’ Although change in the types of work we
will do is causing anxiety for many, it must be remembered that the generation that controls
much of the workforce, people now in their fifties and sixties, may retire in the next ten to
fifteen years.

Jack McCaw, a researcher for Career magazine suggests that the next few generations will
have a completely different experience of work: ‘In the year 2020, 50% of the US workforce
will be people born after the year 2000. These people know how to connect to others, learn
and work together in a digital way. They are used to working from anywhere and using
digital tools to complete all sorts of tasks. Most organisations today will welcome and value
them as they have the knowledge and skills they need.’ These are exactly the kind of people
now taking Joanna Harding’s music technology course. She knows that some of the things
she is teaching them now may not be very useful in ten years’ time, as the technology will be
completely different.

List of researchers

A Sara Millington
B Nadia Campbell
C Researchers in Finland
D Jack McCaw

1. A An increasing number of employers will want employees to have the right

personality.

□ A
□ B
□ C
□ D

2. Some traditional jobs will continue to exist but in a different location.

□ A
□ B
□ C
□ D
 3. More and more people will choose to become self-employed.

□ A
□ B
□ C
□ D

4. Companies will increasingly appreciate the abilities of young people.

□ A
□ B
□ C
□ D

Unit 7: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt in this unit.

Complete the advice. Use the words and phrases in the box.

a negative view, a positive view or a claim examples of direct speech

expressing the same opinion main ideas paraphrased same names

underline them understanding

1. Read the first paragraph quickly to get a general ________________________ of the topic
and the ___________________________ .
2. Look at the list of names, scan the article for the ________________________ and
___________________________ .
3. Read the article more carefully, and focus on the ______________________________ .
4. Decide whether the examples of direct speech express ______________________________
.
5. Look at the statements and think how they might be _______________________________
in the article.
6. Match the statements to the people _________________________________ or factual
information in the article.

Unit 7: Exercise 1
Put the letters in the correct order to find the jobs of the famous people in the
pictures.
 e r n i a t p

1. ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

n r n e u r

2. ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

p r e s e n e t r

3. TV ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

 o t a r c

4. ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

a o l l o t b f r e

5. ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

______
 t o a n l i i i p c

6. ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

______

a s r c e t s

7. ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

s n e g r i

8. ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

Unit 7: Exercise 2
Read the task card from IELTS Speaking Part 2. Then watch the video of the student doing
the exam task, and answer the questions.
Describe a famous person you know about.

You should say:

who the famous person is
why this person is famous
what you think about this person
and explain how you feel when you see or hear something about this person.

1. Does the student look at his notes while he is speaking?

o Yes
o No
2. Does the student answer all parts of the question?
o Yes
o No
3. Does the student speak for 2 minutes? play.MP4

o Yes
o No
4. Does the student have enough to say?

Unit 7: Exercise 3
In IELTS Speaking Part 2, it can sometimes be difficult to think of enough
things to say about the topic.

Look at the task card and watch the video again. Then complete the sentences
with extra information the student could have added. Use the words in the box.

Describe a famous person you know about.

You should say:

who the famous person is
why this person is famous
what you think about this person play.MP4

and explain how you feel when you see or hear something about this person.

American Championships example gold kind news team proud

 1. He is _____________ and he is a player for the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball
______________ .
2. LeBron James has also won several NBA _______________ and two Olympic
_______________ medals.
3. I think that LeBron James is a very ______________ and thoughtful person, and is a
good _______________ for children.
4. When I saw the ______________ , I feel very _______________ to be a fan.

Unit 7: Exercise 4
Look at the IELTS Speaking Part 2 task card. Then put the words you could use
in your answer into the correct categories.

Describe a famous person you know about.

You should say:

who the famous person is
why this person is famous
what you think about this person
and explain how you feel when you see or hear something about this person.

Intelligent excited footballer artist generous proud pleased

Guitarist funny

why this person is famous what I think how I feel

He is a: basketball player He is a: warm-hearted I feel : happy

Unit 7: Exercise 5
In the IELTS Speaking test you might sometimes want more time to think of
what to say. If this happens, you can use a phrase that gives you more time.
Complete the phrases that you can use to give you more time. Use the words in
the box.

Let difficult expert mind question really remember think

1. Examiner: Are there any disadvantages to being famous?

Student: The first thing that comes to ____________ is that journalists might write bad
things about you.

2. Examiner: Do you think it’s right that the media can talk about the private lives of famous
people?

Student: I’ve never _____________ thought about that before. I suppose a lot of people want
to read about famous people.

3. Examiner: What would you like to become famous for?

Student: Let me ________________ . I know! I’d like to manage a famous restaurant one
day.

4. Examiner: How do people become famous in your country?

Student: That’s an interesting _______________ ! There are a lot of talent shows on TV.

5 . Examiner: Are you interested in any well-known or famous people?

Student: _______________ me see. Yes, I am a big fan of the tennis player Novak
Djokovic.

6. Examiner: Would you enjoy being famous yourself?

Student: That’s a _________________ question! I don’t think I would like photographers

following me.

7. Examiner: Have you ever met a famous person?

Student: I don’t ______________ it very well but a famous football player came to my
school when I was six or seven.

8. Examiner: Why do the media often report embarrassing things that celebrities do?

Student: I’m not an ___________________ on this but it’s probably because embarrassing
stories are more interesting and sell magazines.
Unit 7: Exercise 6
Put the words in the correct order to complete the phrases.

Remember to use the phrases below while you think of an answer.

That The thing comes to mind is… first

1. __________ ___________ __________ __________ __________ __________

Before. that thought about never really l've

2. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

Let think. me

3. __________ ___________ __________

That's question! Interesting an

4. __________ ___________ __________ __________

see. me Let

5. __________ __________ __________

That's difficult a question!

6. __________ __________ __________ __________

it remember don't well very but… I

7. __________ ___________ __________ __________ __________ __________

__________

I'm but… on this, expert an not

8. __________ ___________ __________ __________ __________ __________

__________

Unit 7: Exercise 7
Match the examiner’s questions with the student’s clarifying questions.
If you are not sure what the examiner’s question means you can ask a question that clarifies
it. Clarifying means asking for more information that makes the question clearer or easier to
understand.

Student: Sorry, could you explain what you mean when you say ‘famous’?

Student: Sorry, when you say ‘the media’, do you mean ‘journalists’?

Student: Sorry, when you say ‘downside’, do you mean ‘disadvantage’?

Student: Sorry, can I just check what you mean by ‘star’? Are you asking me if I would
enjoy being famous?

Student: Sorry, can I just check what you mean by ‘celebrities’? Do you mean ‘famous
people’?

1. Examiner: Is there a downside to being

famous?
2. Examiner: Would you enjoy being a star
yourself?
3. Examiner: Do you think it’s right when
the media talk about the private lives of
famous people?
4. Examiner: Have you ever met a famous
person?
5. Examiner: How do people become
celebrities in your country?

Unit 7: Exercise 8
Complete the clarifying questions with the correct verb forms.

1. Sorry, could you repeat/repeating the question, please?

2. Sorry, would you mind repeat/repeating the question, please?
3. Sorry, could you rephrasing/ rephrase the question, please?
4. Sorry, could you asking/ask me the question again, please?
5. Sorry, would you mind rephrasing/ rephrase the question, please?
Unit 7: Exercise 9
Listen to the student responding to the examiner’s questions. Does the student
ask the examiner to clarify or repeat the question? Put the audio in the correct
category.

1.MP3 2.MP3 3.MP3 4.MP3 5.MP3

The student asks the examiner to The student asks the examiner to
clarify the question. repeat the question.

Unit 7: Exercise 10
You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a
pencil.

Listen to the examiner. Record your answer. Play to hear your answer

Describe a famous person you know about.

You should say:

who the famous person is
why this person is famous
what you think about this person
and explain how you feel when you see or hear something about this person.
Unit 7: Exercise 1
Before planning your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay, you need to have enough
ideas. If you know the IELTS topics well, you will have more ideas of what to
write.

Match the topics in the box with the essay questions.

Culture Culture Food and drink Free time History Shopping

Travel Work or studies Work or studies

1. Today many parents spend less time with their children than parents in the past. Some
people say that this is a serious problem. Do you agree or disagree? _____________
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for countries where governments spend a
lot of money on museums and monuments. _____________
3. Some people believe that drinking water is the most important part of being healthy
while others think eating fruit is. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
_____________
4. A lot of people want to get a university education. Discuss the arguments for and
against going to university. _____________
5. In some countries it is traditional for men to work and women to stay at home to look
after the family. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? _____________
6. Some people think that nurses should be paid more than teachers while others believe
that teachers deserve higher pay than nurses. Compare both opinions and give your
own view. _____________
7. Traffic in big cities is increasing. What are the problems associated with too much
traffic and what could the solutions be? _____________
8. Some people prefer to buy things online while others choose to go into a shop. What
are the advantages and disadvantages of shopping in these ways? _____________
9. Knowing the history of their country is very important to some people. What is your
opinion about this? _____________
10. Many people prefer to watch sport on TV rather than playing it themselves. Why is
this case? What problems can this cause? _____________

Unit 7: Exercise 2
Look at the map and the pictures of famous museums and landmarks. Match the
countries with the places.

Egypt Peru Zambia/Zimbabwe Algeria Greece Australia

Russia China
 1. Picture 1: Tipasa ____________
2. Picture 2: The Acropolis ____________
3. Picture 3: The Hermitage ____________
4. Picture 4: The Great Wall ____________
5. Picture 5: Uluru ____________
6. Picture 6: The Victoria Falls ____________
7. Picture 7: The Pyramids ____________
8. Picture 8: Machu Picchu ____________

Unit 7: Exercise 3

Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for countries where governments spend a lot of
money on museums and landmarks.

One way to have enough ideas of what to write is to do a mind-map activity like the
‘six-question technique’.

Complete the mind map. Use the questions in the box.

How? My opinion? What? Where? Who? Why?

Unit 7: Exercise 4
Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for countries where governments spend a lot of
money on museums and landmarks.

Use the phrases in the box to complete the student’s essay notes.

attract tourists for education and health good and bad points rich cultural life

landmarks and schools/hospitals services like healthcare are more important happiness

Introduction:
True = some governments use a lot of tax income for museums and landmarks. In my view,
this has both ______________________________________

Advantages:
1. Provides ______________________________________
2. Increases ______________________________________

3. Landmarks ______________________________________

Disadvantages:
1. Less money ______________________________________
2. Some countries must choose between ______________________________________
Conclusion:
There are advantages and disadvantages. Although it is a good idea, I think
______________________________________ .

Unit 7: Exercise 5
Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for countries where governments spend a lot of
money on museums and landmarks.

Use the student’s notes to help you complete the essay. Write the correct word or phrase in
each gap.

Student’s notes:

Introduction:
True = some governments use a lot of tax income for museums and landmarks. In my view,
this has both good and bad points.

Advantages:

1 Provides rich cultural life

2 Increases happiness

3 Landmarks attract tourists

Disadvantages:

1 Less money for education and health

2 Some countries must choose between landmarks and schools/hospitals

Conclusion:
There are advantages and disadvantages. Although it is a good idea, I think services like
healthcare are more important.

There is no doubt that governments of countries with enough money use a lot of tax income
for museums and landmarks. In my view, ______________________________ : looking
after the culture of any country is important but services like healthcare are more important.
In this essay, I am going to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of supporting museums
and landmarks financially and lastly, give my opinion.

On the one hand, governments spending taxes on museums and landmarks has clear
advantages. Providing a ___________________________________ for the population
increases national _______________________________ . Landmarks that are looked after
well also ____________________________ . For example, a lot of Russians visit the
Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and think it is an important part of their country. The
pyramids in Egypt are important to the local economy with lots of visitors staying in hotels
nearby and going to shops and restaurants.

On the other hand, if the government spends taxes on museums and landmarks it has less
money to spend on services like _____________________________ . Some countries that
have famous _______________________________ must choose between looking after them
and spending the money on schools and ____________________________ . In Zimbabwe,
for example, looking after the roads, paths and land near the Victoria Falls costs as much
money as paying for several schools and medical centres.

In conclusion, there are _______________________________to a government supporting

museums and landmarks with taxes. Although, I think _____________________________ , I
think services like healthcare are more important.

Unit 7: Exercise 6
Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for countries where governments spend a lot of
money on museums and landmarks.

Put the paragraphs in the correct order to complete the essay.

There is no doubt that governments of countries with enough money use a lot of tax income
for museums and landmarks. In my view, this has both good and bad points: looking after the
culture of any country is important but services like healthcare are more important. In this
essay, I am going to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of supporting museums and
landmarks financially and lastly, give my opinion.

On the other hand, if the government spends taxes on museums and landmarks it has less
money to spend on services like education and health. Some countries that have famous
landmarks must choose between looking after them and spending the money on schools and
hospitals. In Zimbabwe, for example, looking after the roads, paths and land near the Victoria
Falls costs as much money as paying for several schools and medical centres.

On the one hand, governments spending taxes on museums and landmarks has clear
advantages. Providing a rich cultural life for the population increases national happiness.
Landmarks that are looked after well also attract tourists. For example, a lot of Russians visit
the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and think it is an important part of their country.
The pyramids in Egypt are important to the local economy with lots of visitors staying in
hotels nearby and going to shops and restaurants.

In conclusion, there are advantages and disadvantages to a government supporting museums

and landmarks with taxes. Although I think it is a good idea, I think services like healthcare
are more important.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Unit 7: Exercise 7
Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for countries where governments

spend a lot of money on museums and landmarks.
Then look at the six-question plan that a student wrote for this task.

Read the essay and find the information to complete the student’s notes.

There is no doubt that some nations do not earn enough income to support their cultural
attractions. In my opinion, these countries should spend most money on the museums and
landmarks that will provide the highest profit for the country. In this essay, I am going to
discuss some of the difficulties associated with not looking after museums and landmarks and
give some possible answers to them.

On the one hand, it might be difficult for countries without high tax incomes to look after
their museums and landmarks. Some countries need to spend money first on schools and
hospitals. This might cause famous paintings or monuments to be damaged or for people to
forget about their country's history. For example, in 2011 I visited a Roman town in Algeria
called Tipasa. The government does not have enough money to support it and so the local
people do not learn much about it.

On the other hand, spending money on cultural attractions can make a profit. Famous
museums and landmarks attract tourists and these visitors spend a lot of money. The people
then pay more taxes and the government has more money to spend on things like healthcare.
In Greece most tourists who go to Athens want to visit the Acropolis where they spend
money in gift shops and cafés. It is, therefore, important that the Greek government looks
after the Acropolis.

In conclusion, if countries without a lot of money pay for the cultural attractions that will
make the most profit for the country, they can then spend that money on important services
like healthcare.

3. Who am I writing about?

Nations which do not earn enough income to support their cultural ______________ .
4. What are the problems?
Some countries need to spend money first on ______________ and hospitals.

What are the solutions?

Nations without a lot of money should at least pay for the cultural attractions that will make
the most _______________ for the country.

5. Why is it important to find solutions?

If countries don’t support their cultural attractions, this might cause famous paintings or
________________ to be damaged or people to forget about their ______________ .
6. Where will I write about?
Tipasa in ________________ . The _______________ in Athens, Greece.
7. How does the solution work?
Spending money on cultural attractions can make a profit. Famous museums and
landmarks attract tourists and these ________________ spend a lot of money.
8. My opinion?
If countries without a lot of money pay for the cultural attractions that will make the most
profit for the ___________________ , they can then spend that money on important
services like _________________ .

Unit 7: Exercise 8
Complete the essay with the correct forms of the verbs in brackets.

Some countries may not have enough money to look after their museums and landmarks.
What are some of the problems associated with not looking after museums and landmarks,
and what are some of the possible solutions?

There is no doubt that some nations do not _______________ (earn) enough income to
support their cultural attractions. In my opinion, these countries should spend most money on
the museums and landmarks that will provide the highest profit for the country. In this essay,
I _______________ (go) to discuss some of the difficulties associated with not looking after
museums and landmarks and give some possible answers to them.

On the one hand, it ________________ (might) be difficult for countries without high tax
incomes to look after their museums and landmarks. Some countries need to spend money
first on schools and hospitals. This might cause famous paintings or monuments to
_________________ (be) damaged or for people to forget about their country's history. For
example, in 2011, I ________________ (visit) a Roman town in Algeria called Tipasa. The
government ________________ (do) not have enough money to support it and so the local
people _________________ (do) not learn much about it.

On the other hand, spending money on cultural attractions can make a profit. Famous
museums and landmarks attract tourists and these visitors spend a lot of money. The people
then __________________ (pay) more taxes and the government _________________
(have) more money to spend on things like healthcare. In Greece most tourists who go to
Athens want to visit the Acropolis where they spend money in gift shops and cafés. It is,
therefore, important that the Greek government _________________ (look) after the
Acropolis.

In conclusion, if countries without a lot of money pay for the cultural attractions that will
make the most profit for the country, they can then spend that money on important services
like healthcare.

Unit 7: Exercise 9
Read the statements. Are they True or False?

1. You will have more ideas of what to write in IELTS Writing Task 2, if you already
know the possible topics and types of questions.

o True
o False

2. You need to know a lot about subjects like Geography and History.

o True
o False

3. One way to have enough ideas in IELTS Writing Task 2 is to use a mind-map
technique.

o True
o False

4. Using the six-question technique can help you to plan ideas for your essay.

o True
o False

5. You have 40 minutes to do IELTS Writing Task 2. You should spend about 10
minutes thinking of ideas and planning your essay.

o True
o False

6. When you make an essay plan, you should write complete sentences with good
grammar.

o True
o False

Unit 7: Exercise 10
WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In some countries it is traditional for men to work and women to stay at home to look after
the family. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?
Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.

You should write at least 250 words.

Please add text into the Student post.

Student post:

Unit 8: Exercise 1
Put the words in the correct categories to complete the table.

Rabbit salmon bee parrot shark crocodile frog bear

Whale snake eagle penguin lizard seahorse butterfly ant

Reptiles (animals that lay Amphibians (animals that

Mammals eggs and use the sun to keep live both on land and in
their blood warm) water)

Fish Birds Insects

Unit 8: Exercise 2
Look at the plant and animal characteristics. Which are the odd ones out?
Choose the incorrect answers.

1. Trees have

o Branches
o claws
o leaves.

2. Bears have

o Antlers
o Fur
o Teeth.
3. Eagles have

o Beaks
o Humps
o Wings .

4. Eleohents have

o Feathers
o Thick skins
o Trunks.

5. Salmon have

o Scales
o Tails
o Trunks.

6. Crocodiles have

o Fins
o Scales
o Teeth.

7. Rhinos have

o Bones
o Fur
o Horns.

Unit 8: Exercise 3
Complete the text. Use the words and phrases in the box.

Common conservation endangered species habitat population

Rare risk wildlife

I believe that people have a responsibility to take care of _____________ . The best way to
do this is to protect the places where they live – their natural _______________ . That’s why
I decided to take part in a local __________________ project to protect the plants and
animals in a forest near my town. The forest is home to several __________________ – types
of animals and plants which may soon not exist because there are so few of them. For
example, there are some very ___________________ birds, which are only found in a few
small areas now – there are probably fewer than 500 of them left in the wild. Fifty years ago,
there were lots of them everywhere – they were a lot more __________________ . Anyway,
thanks to our conservation project, the bird __________________ is slowly going up
again. The birds are still at __________________ , but hopefully we’ll be able to save them.

Unit 8: Exercise 4
Match the words and phrases with the definitions.

climate change global warming green issues greenhouse gases

pollution the environment the greenhouse effect the ozone layer

11. The general name for the natural world: the air, water and land in or on which people,
animals and plants live: _______________________
12. Connected to the protection of the environment: _______________________
13. Connected to the protection of the environment: _______________________
14. The layer of air high above the Earth that protects it from the sun’s rays:
_______________________
15. Changes in the world’s weather due to air pollution: _______________________
16. Damage to water, air or land due to human behaviour: _______________________
17. When heat from the Earth can’t escape into space, and so the Earth gets hotter and
hotter: _______________________
18. Gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) which stop heat from the Earth escaping into space:
_______________________

Unit 8: Exercise 5
Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.
 17. Is it too late to cause/produce/save our planet? I don’t think so.
18. I think we should do more to damage/destroy/protect the environment.
19. Power stations don’t just damage/produce/survive electricity; they also cause
pollution.
20. A lot of people believe that pollution causes/goes/saves global warming, but some
people think the Earth is getting hotter by itself.
21. The population fell to below 100 animals, but a group of conservationists worked very
hard and the number is now declining/dying/increasing – it’s going up again.
22. I think it’s wrong to cut down rainforests and destroy/go/recover animals’ natural
habitats.
23. When we cut down rainforests, etc., we make it impossible for the animals and plants
that live there to protect/save/survive .
24. Don’t break the branches on that tree! It’s alive and you’re
causing/damaging/recovering it!

Unit 8: Exercise 6
Read the sentences. How is the speaker using the modal verbs in bold? Match
the correct descriptions with the sentences. Use the descriptions in the box.

To talk about a future possibility

To talk about a lack of ability to do something in the present and past

To talk about a possibility in the present

To talk about an ability to do something in the present and past

16. Crocodiles can swim fast over short distances.

____________________________________________________________
17. Some species of crocodile might not exist in a few years’ time.
____________________________________________________________
18. Crocodiles can’t breathe underwater.
____________________________________________________________
19. Crocodiles may survive in other habitats, not just freshwater areas.
____________________________________________________________
20. The number of endangered crocodiles could increase as a result of conservation
efforts. ____________________________________________________________
21. If people understood crocodiles better and were less afraid of them, this could help
their survival. _________________________________________________________

Unit 8: Exercise 7
Complete the conversation using can, could, may or might.
Student 1: Our teacher’s asked us to write an essay on the natural world for homework. I’m
not sure what to write about. I ________ write about so many things.

Student 2: You __________ ask the teacher for help, you know.
Student 1: No, it’s alright. If I ask her, she ___________ think that I’m asking her for the
answer. I think I ____________ write about the destruction of the rainforests. What about
you?
Student 2: Oh, I’m going to write about what we ____________ do to slow down global
warming. I’m going to write about how we _____________ be more ‘green’. People
_____________ not realise that even small changes might make a big difference.
Student 1: Good idea. You ___________ talk about people recycling their rubbish.
Student 2: Yes, I ___________ do that. I’m not sure yet. I need to write a plan first.
Student 1: Me too!

Unit 8: Exercise 8
Match the examples in the box with the correct reasons for using the present
perfect.

I’ve felt very strongly about green issues since I was a child.

I’ve just bought a pet snake. Do you want to see it?

I’ve never seen a bear in the wild, but I’ve seen them in zoos.

That poor sparrow can’t fly because it’s broken its wing.

The squirrel population has now reached 500, so I hope it’ll reach our target of 750 soon.

We’ve already done the report for the conservation project.

10. IWe use the present perfect to talk about our progress through a list of jobs. I’ve
already done it often means ‘I don’t need to do it again’. I haven’t done it yet often
means ‘I still need to do it’.

_________________________________________________________________

11. We use the present perfect to talk about news – things that the listener probably
doesn’t already know. I’ve just done it means ‘I did it very recently’.

_________________________________________________________________

12. We use the present perfect to show the past reason for a present situation (often with
can / can’t). We often use because to show this relationship.
 _________________________________________________________________

13. We use the present perfect to talk about the present results of a process that is
continuing now. We often use numbers to present these results, and phrases like so
far or up to now.

_________________________________________________________________

14. We use the present perfect to talk about our experiences – things that have happened
in our lifetime. We usually ask questions with Have you ever … ? and we use never in
negative sentences about experiences.

_________________________________________________________________

15. We use the present perfect to measure a period of time from a point in the past (e.g.
yesterday) to the present moment. We usually ask questions with How long … ? and
use for (e.g. for a week) or since (e.g. since yesterday) to describe the period of time.

_________________________________________________________________

Unit 8: Exercise 9
Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

Already always ever just long never since so far yet

10. I’ve __________ been to a zoo and I don’t want to go. I think animals should be free.
11. The hole in the ozone layer has ________ grown very big.
12. Have you ___________ seen a shark?
13. Average temperatures around the world have risen by about 2°C _________ as a
result of global warming, and they’ll probably continue to rise.
14. Green issues have become a lot more popular ___________ the 1980s and 1990s.
15. I’ve _________ seen an eagle! It flew over that field a few minutes ago.
16. Politicians keep saying they want to stop global warming, but they haven’t done much
about it ____________ .
17. How ______________ have scientists known about the hole in the ozone layer?
18. I’ve ______________ loved plants and animals, ever since I can remember.

Unit 8: Exercise 10
Choose the correct verb forms to complete the interview.

A: How long are you being/have you been/were you a wildlife photographer?
B: Well, I’ve loved taking photos of animals since I’m/I’ve been/I was a child. I think I
take/I took/I’ve taken my first animal photo when I was about five years old. But I’m/I’ve
been/I was a professional photographer for about 20 years now.
A: In your career, you’ve won/ you win/ you won a lot of awards for your photos. What’s the
best award that you’ve won/ you win/ you won so far?
B: Wildlife Photographer of the Year . I’ve won/ I win/I won that five years ago, and then
again last year.
A: So you’re winning/ you’ve won/ you win that award twice, then?
B: Yes, that’s right, and I just hear/ I just heard/ I’ve just heard I might win it again this year.

Unit 8: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will practise the skills you need to complete an IELTS
Listening note completion task.

You will also hear a talk connected with the topic of transport. This is a
common topic in IELTS, so it is a good idea to think about some vocabulary
you might hear.

Match the words in the box with the correct definitions.

Destination elevator fare hire lane route sign traffic

Underground vehicle

1. a railway system in which trains travel through tunnels below a city: ________________
2. something that gives travel information or instructions to drivers and other road users:
__________________
3. a particular way or direction from one place to another: ____________________
4. a special part of a road that can only be used by certain kinds of transport (e.g. buses or
taxis): ________________
5. cars, buses and other kinds of transport moving along a road: ___________________
6. a machine, usually with wheels and an engine, used for transporting people or things,
especially on roads: _________________
7. to pay to use something for a short period of time (e.g. a car): ___________________
8. the money that you pay for a journey (e.g. on a bus or a train): __________________
9. the place where someone is going or where something is being sent or taken:
___________________
10. something that moves up and down, carrying people or things to different floors of a
building: ___________________
Unit 8: Exercise 2
Read the information. Then listen to the recording and answer the questions.
Choose the correct answers.

In Sections 2 and 4 of the IELTS Listening test, you will hear only one speaker. Before you hear the
talk, you will hear an announcer give a short description of the context (the speaker, the time, place
or purpose of the talk). For example:

You will hear a man talking about different kinds of transport people can use in a city.

At the beginning of the talk, the speaker will usually give more information about the context. You
should pay attention to this information, because it is often easier to understand what a speaker is
saying if you know who they are and why they are speaking.

Announcer: You will hear a man talking about different kinds of transport
people can use in a city.

Simon Clark: Good morning. It’s nice to see so many people here today.
My name’s Simon Clark and I’m in charge here at the community centre.
I’ve met some of you before, and I think that most people here today have
only been living in this area for a couple of months – or even just a few play.MP3
weeks. Well, I hope I can help you to get to know the place where we live a
little better today. And, er, specifically, I’m going to talk about some ways
that you can travel around the city – so, for example, getting about by
bicycle, using the bus or taking the underground train. Please feel free to ask
any questions as we go.

1. Where is the speaker talking?

o at a university
o at a community centre
o at a train station

2. Who is the speaker talking to?

o some people who have lived in the area for a long time
o some people from another country
o some people who have recently moved to the area

3. What is the purpose of the speaker’s talk?

o to give advice for travelling in a city

o to describe plans for the future of transport in a city
o to offer free travel around a city
Unit 8: Exercise 3
Before you listen, it is a good idea to guess what kind of words you need to
listen for (e.g. nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc.) and what kind of information is
missing.

Read the information. Then read the descriptions and the notes. Write the
correct description (A–H) for the missing words (1–10) in the notes. One letter
is used three times.

In the IELTS Listening test, you may have to complete a set of notes for a talk or a
conversation. Read the instructions and notes carefully. For this task, you should:

 complete the summary of information in the notes only with words that the speaker(s)
use(s)
 follow the word limit given in the instructions, e.g. write one word only (words with a
hyphen such as check-in count as a single word).

Descriptions
A a plural noun or an uncountable noun for an area where people can ride bikes
B a plural noun for something you find in a train station
C a singular or plural noun for part of a city (e.g. a building)
D an adjective for describing part of a road
E a plural noun for describing a group of people
F a singular noun for something you can collect when you buy a ticket
G a singular noun for something that helps cyclists
H an adjective for describing a kind of ticket

NOTES
City-centre travel
 (1) ______ lanes in centre are only for cycling – use these.

 A new (2) ______ makes cycling over busiest roads very safe.
 Buying a bike that is good for riding in an area that has (3)
Cycling
_______ is recommended.
 You can hire bikes from a place near the (4) _______ .

 Buy a (5) ______ travel card if travelling by bus every day.

 Take a ‘D’ bus to get to the city’s central (6) ______ .
Buses
 Discounts for elderly people and some (7) ________ .
  Trains best for visiting (8) ________ .
 Check if station has any (9) ________ or not before you take
Underground trains.
 A (10) _______ can be picked up from ticket offices.

Unit 8: Exercise 4
Read the notes. Then choose the correct answers to complete questions 1–4.

Write ONE word for each answer.

NOTES
City-centre travel
 (1) … lanes in centre are only for cycling – use these.
 A new (2) … makes cycling over busiest roads very safe.
 Buying a bike that is good for riding in an area that has (3) … is
Cycling recommended.
 You can hire bikes from a place near the (4) … .

because an adverb is not the correct word form for that gap

because it does not follow the word limit for the task

because the answer to that question must be a singular noun

because you must have a noun in this gap

1. Why is painted green wrong as an answer to question 1?

________________________________________________

2. Why is roads not possible as an answer to question 2?

________________________________________________

3. Why is easily not possible as an answer to question 3?

________________________________________________

Why is outside not possible as an answer to question 4?

________________________________________________
Unit 8: Exercise 5
Read the notes on city-centre travel. Then listen to the next part of the
recording. Write one word in each gap (1–4) to complete the notes.

Simon Clark: Let’s start with cycling. Now, the mayor of the city’s really
trying to get more people to use bicycles – for getting to work or just for
pleasure – so we have lots of things just for cyclists. For instance, you’ve
probably noticed some purple and yellow arrows in the parks. These signs
show you some really nice cycle routes.

For people cycling to work in the city centre, there’s lots of other traffic on
the road, so you need to be careful. The city has created some special lanes
that are only for cyclists. They’ve been painted green and they’re right next
to the orange taxi lanes. So just cycle on those and you should be OK.

Speaking of safety, the council have finally done something to improve

cycling on the most dangerous roads – you know, the ones with the most
traffic. A lot of cyclists had complained that it was quite frightening to ride
next to buses and big trucks, so there’s now also a new bridge that goes over play.MP3
some of the roads with the heaviest traffic. It’s a good way to avoid some of
the more dangerous vehicles that you sometimes get in the city centre.

Now, if you don’t have a bicycle yet and you’re thinking of buying one, you
need to think about the most suitable type to get. If you’re planning to go
riding around in the city, you need to remember that there are lots of hills, so
I’d advise you to get a bike of a type that can help you get up those nice and
easily.

Of course, you could just hire a bike instead. So if you want to do that for a
couple of hours – or even for a whole day – you can go to the university and
the bikes for hire are right outside. I think it costs about $10 an hour or $45
for the whole day.

NOTES
City-centre travel
 (1) ___________ lanes in centre are only for cycling – use these.
 A new (2) ____________ makes cycling over busiest roads very
safe.
 Buying a bike that is good for riding in an area that has (3)
Cycling
___________ is recommended.
 You can hire bikes from a place near the (4) ____________ .
Unit 8: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then look at the underlined phrases in questions 5–7.

Select two of the underlined phrases in each sentence that are going to be cues.

In the IELTS Listening note completion task, you will need to listen carefully for cues – key
words that appear in the notes. Cues have more specific meaning and are typically:

 nouns for people, things, places or events

 adjectives that give information about people, things, places or events
 verbs for actions and processes (e.g. become or develop).

Look at the cues (the underlined words) from the notes and the recording script for question
1. You should listen carefully for the answer (green) when you hear cues like these.

(1) Green lanes in centre are only for cycling – use these.

For people cycling to work in the city centre, there’s lots of other traffic on the road, so you
need to be careful. The city has created some special lanes that are only for cyclists. They’ve
been painted green and they’re right next to the orange taxi lanes. So just cycle on those and
you should be OK.

Highlight

NOTES
City-centre travel
 Buy a (5) … travel card if travelling by bus every day.
Buses  Take a ‘D’ bus to get to the city’s central (6) … .
 Discounts for elderly people and some (7) … .

Unit 8: Exercise 7
Listen to the next part of the talk about transport in the city centre. Complete the section
about buses in the notes below. Remember that the underlined words are key words that can
help you find the answers.

Write one word in each gap.

Simon Clark: OK, what about using the buses? Of course, you can still use money
– well, coins – to pay for your bus fare, but it’s sometimes easier to use a travel
card, and of course, there are different types of card. If you use the bus every play.MP3
day, whether it’s for a long trip or a short trip, I suggest you get the one called a
‘Monthly’. That’s actually cheaper than getting a new card every week.

You’ll notice that all the buses here begin with a letter – A, B, C and D – and
these tell you the direction the buses travel in. So for instance, all the ‘A’ buses
go north to south and all the ‘B’ buses south to north. It’s the same for the ‘C’
and ‘D’ buses, but they go east and west.

So from here, the community centre, you need a ‘D’ bus to go into the centre –
you’ll usually be able to catch one about every ten minutes and in fact, although
they all have different final destinations – for example, one stops at the park,
another in front of the theatre – they all stop outside the library (that’s the big
one in the city centre). I would recommend you pay it a visit if you haven’t
already been there.

It’s also possible to get a discount travel card, but this isn’t for everyone. You
have to be over 70 years old to get the lower fare – so this might be useful for
some pensioners. The other group that can usually get a cheaper card are
students, as long as they are under the age of 26 and have some kind of
identification that proves they’re taking an academic course.

NOTES
City-centre travel
 Buy a (5) _________ travel card if travelling by bus every day.
Buses  Take a ‘D’ bus to get to the city’s central (6) ___________ .
 Discounts for elderly people and some (7) ______________ .

Unit 7: Exercise 8
Match the words and phrases on the left to the correct synonyms and
paraphrases on the right.

As in all parts of the IELTS Listening test, some words in the question will be expressed
using different words in the recording (i.e. synonyms and paraphrases).

come out of go and see helpful make sure pick one up

recommend thinking about perfect method

1. ask for one

 2. best for
3. check
4. exit (verb)
5. planning to
6. suggest
7. useful
8.visit

Unit 8: Exercise 9
Listen to the last part of the recording. Write the correct words in the gaps 8–10.

Write one word in each gap.

Simon Clark: We also have a good underground train system in the city
centre. Of course, some people use it to go to work, but in my opinion, it’s also
the perfect method of transport if you want to go and see lots of different
museums that are located in the city centre. Many of these are only five
minutes’ walk when you come out of the train station. Now, you do need to be
a bit careful about some of the underground train stations in and around the
city. I’d recommend that you do a little bit of research before you set out, and
make sure that the station where you’re travelling to has some elevators – play.MP3
because not all of them do. It can be very difficult to walk up a lot of stairs if
you have very small children, for instance, or a lot of shopping. During the
week, the ticket offices at the stations are, in general, open from 6 am to 11 pm.
And if you’re planning to use the trains a lot, one thing that will be really
helpful is a map of the underground. You can ask for one at any ticket
office and as far as I know, they’re free. So, does anyone have any questions?

NOTES
City-centre travel
 Trains best for visiting (8) ________ .
 Check if station has any (9) ________ or not before you take
Underground trains.
 A (10) _______ can be picked up from ticket offices.

Unit 8: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt from doing this unit.
Complete the advice with the words and phrases in the box.

Context cues guess introduce their talk one speaker

Summarise word limit

IELTS note completion tasks

General information
In Sections 2 and 4, you will hear _________________ talking in the recording.

If you know the __________________ , it can help you understand the talk more easily.

Before listening
Read the instructions carefully – especially the ___________________ (e.g. don’t write two
words if the instructions say one word only).

Before you listen, try to ______________________ what kind of words you need to listen
for.

Look for _________________________ (key words) in the questions – when you hear them,
it helps you find the answers you need.

While listening
Speakers will usually _____________________ – they explain what they are going to talk
about and why.

The notes ________________________ the main information from the talk.

Unit 8: Exercise 1
In this unit, you will look at an IELTS Reading matching features task and read
a text on the topic of work and jobs.

What vocabulary from the topic of work and jobs do you already know? Match
the words with the definitions.
 1. When levels of water in your body become lower than normal:
container/evaporation/dehydration
2. To become smaller in size, amount, degree, importance, etc.: consume/trap/reduce
3. To eat, drink or use something, especially in large amounts: consume/trap/reduce
4. When a liquid changes into a gas (e.g. water turning into steam):
evaporation/dehydration/ontainer
5. An object, such as a box or a bottle, that can be used for holding something:
evaporation/container/dehydration
6. Successful or achieving the results that you want: effective/consume/container
7. To keep something such as heat or water in one place, especially because it is useful
(verb): reduce/dehydrate/trap

Unit 8: Exercise 2
Read the information. Then read the questions and options carefully. Highlight
the key words and phrases in the questions and the options. The numbers in
brackets at the end of each question show you the number of selections you
need to make. The first question and options have been done for you.

Key words are words that have a specific rather than a general meaning.

For example, in Question 1 below, words like writer and subject are general, but television
programmes and surviving in the wild are more specific, so they are the key words.

In an IELTS Reading four-option multiple choice question, it is a good idea to:

 underline the key words in the question and the options;

 use the key words to quickly scan the text until you find the same words that you see
in the question.

1. What does the writer say about television programmes on the subject of surviving in
the wild?

A The people who make the programmes know little about survival techniques.

B The people who appear on the programmes are never in real danger themselves.

C The programmes fail to make ordinary people aware of how difficult it is to

survive.

D The programmes should not discuss the stories of people who have not survived.
 (15 selections)

2. In the second paragraph, the writer makes the point that

A the speed at which dehydration occurs in people depends on the environment.

B people use all the water they have and only then start thinking how to get more.

C most people know when they are beginning to suffer from dehydration.

D people should find out where water is located before they go hiking.

(15 selections)

3. What recommendation does the writer make for reducing water loss?

A It’s never a good idea to travel after the sun has gone down.

B It’s best to consume food in small amounts and regularly.

C Hikers should not waste their time making a basic place to stay in.

D It’s a good idea to keep cool while doing any activity.

(18 selections)

Unit 8: Exercise 3
Read the first paragraph from the text about survival techniques. Read the exam
question and the four options, A, B, C and D. Then do the exercise

Dealing with survival situations in the wild

Over the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of television programmes
that show experts explaining how to survive in the wild. They use their experience to create
fires, build shelters, find water and decide which plants are safe to eat and which might kill
you. While these programmes are no doubt highly entertaining, what is less certain is how
successful they are at really educating viewers at home. Last year, over 2,300 hikers were
reported lost in the wild in the USA. While most of them were eventually rescued, not all
were so lucky. Some of the survivors told their rescuers that they had seen these kinds of
television programmes, and had believed they had learnt some useful skills. It turned out,
however, that building a fire from wet wood and finding a source of clean water was a lot
harder than they had imagined.

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

1 What does the writer say about television programmes on the subject of surviving in the
wild?

A The people who make the programmes know little about survival techniques.
B The people who appear in the programmes are never in real danger themselves.
C The programmes fail to make ordinary people aware of how difficult it is to survive.
D The programmes should not discuss the stories of people who have not survived.

Three students chose the wrong options to answer the question. Their teacher
asked them to explain their choices. Read the teacher’s comments and then
match them with the students’ explanations.

Teacher’s comments

1. ‘The people “making the programmes” in the option might mean the experts or it
might mean the producers. However, the writer says that the experts have experience
in creating fires, in building shelters, etc. So they do know about survival techniques.
The writer’s point is that ordinary people can’t learn very much about survival just by
watching TV.’
2. ‘Your comment is probably correct and is your point of view, but the writer never
talks about this. You should only choose an option if the same information appears in
the text.’
3. ‘The writer does say that some people who got lost in the wild did not survive. But the
writer doesn’t say that the survival television programmes ever talk about or show
pictures of this group of people.’

Students’ explanations

First student
‘I chose option A because I thought “the experts” could be the people making the TV programmes.
And at the bottom of the paragraph, it says that “building a fire” and “finding clean water” is harder
than they imagined.’ 1/2/3

Second student
‘I chose option D because the text says that some hikers got lost and they didn’t survive.’ 1/2/3

Third student
‘I chose option B because it’s true. Whenever you watch those kind of programmes, you know that
there are a lot of people who can help the expert or the presenter, like a doctor or a rescue team.’
1/2/3
Unit 8: Exercise 4
Read the information. Then read the first paragraph again. Choose the correct
option to answer the question.

In an IELTS Reading four-option multiple choice task, the questions are in the same order as
the information in the text, so the answer to the first question will be before the answer to the
second question, etc.

Only one option is correct, so when you have found the part of the text that answers your
question, you should read the text and each option A–D carefully – to make sure the option
you choose matches exactly what the text says.

Dealing with survival situations in the wild

Over the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of television programmes
that show experts explaining how to survive in the wild. They use their experience to create
fires, build shelters, find water and decide which plants are safe to eat and which might kill
you. While these programmes are no doubt highly entertaining, what is less certain is how
successful they are at really educating viewers at home. Last year, over 2,300 hikers were
reported lost in the wild in the USA. While most of them were eventually rescued, not all
were so lucky. Some of the survivors told their rescuers that they had seen these kinds of
television programmes, and had believed they had learnt some useful skills. It turned out,
however, that building a fire from wet wood and finding a source of clean water was a lot
harder than they had imagined.

1. What does the writer say about television programmes on the subject of surviving in
the wild?

o A The people who make the programmes know little about survival
techniques.
o B The people who appear on the programmes are never in real danger
themselves.
o C The programmes fail to make ordinary people aware of how difficult it is
to survive.
o D The programmes should not discuss the stories of people who have not
survived.

Unit 8: Exercise 5
Read the second and third paragraphs of the text. Then choose the correct
options to answer the questions.
The human body is approximately 75% water – and this water has several important
functions, including keeping the body at the right temperature. If a person doesn’t drink
water, it will take only two or three days for them to become dehydrated, and their body
temperature may either drop or rise to dangerous levels. Often it is the case that hikers or
campers who are lost in the wild don’t start thinking about how they can find a new source of
water until they run out of it, by which time it may be too late. They haven’t thought about
the consequences of dehydration, and neither do they recognise the warning signs. An ache in
the kidneys, a headache, general confusion – all of these can tell someone that they are in
need of water.

The average person loses 2–3 litres of water every day just through normal activities such as
breathing. It’s impossible to avoid losing water from the body, but there are ways to slow it
down. For example, when it may be necessary to build a shelter in the wild to sleep in, this
should be carried out in the shade rather than in full sun. This reduces the amount of sweat
which is produced when body temperature rises, which is, of course, water leaving the body.
Some people may find it surprising that eating may increase chances of dehydration, but
digestion does require water, so eating should be avoided if water is short. Hiking at night
when the temperature drops is also an option, but only if hikers have a good torch or there is a
full moon.

1. In the second paragraph, the writer makes the point that

o A the speed at which dehydration occurs in people depends on the

environment.
o B people use all the water they have and only then start thinking how to get
more.
o C most people know when they are beginning to suffer from dehydration.
o D people should find out where water is located before they go hiking.

2. What recommendation does the writer make for reducing water loss?

o A It’s never a good idea to travel after the sun has gone down.
o B It’s best to consume food in small amounts and regularly.
o C Hikers should not waste their time making a basic place to stay in.
o D It’s a good idea to keep cool while doing any activity.

Unit 8: Exercise 6
Read the information. Then look at the diagram of the process involved in a
solar still. Put the sentences in the correct order to complete the description of
the process.

In the IELTS Reading test, you may have to label a diagram. In order to do this, you will
need to read carefully to understand a process that is described in the text and shown in the
diagram.
The hole is then covered with a plastic sheet, as this kind of material will trap rising water as
it evaporates.

To ensure that the maximum amount of water possible is collected, a heavy object such as a
small rock should be placed in a central position above the container so that the water drops
can fall directly into it.

If people are near an ocean, water from here can be added to a second, larger container, and
placed beneath the narrow one.

Once the gas cools and turns back into water, it can fall into the container below.

Even though the salt content in this kind of water is great, the processes of evaporation and
condensation will remove it, and then the water can be drunk.

A deep hole is dug into the ground and a narrow container is placed at the bottom of it.

1. So how does a solar still work?

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Unit 8: Exercise 7
Read the text and look carefully at the diagram. Then label the diagram with the
bold words from the text.

For an IELTS Reading diagram labelling task, you should look carefully at the diagram to
understand how it relates to the description in the text. This will help you to quickly locate
the answers you need.

So how does a solar still work? A deep hole is dug into the ground and a narrow container is
placed at the bottom of it. The hole is then covered with a plastic sheet, as this kind of
material will trap rising water as it evaporates. Once the gas cools and turns back into water,
it can fall into the container below. To ensure that the maximum amount of water possible is
collected, a heavy object such as a small rock should be placed in a central position above the
container so that the water drops can fall directly into it. If people are near an ocean, water
from here can be added to a second, larger container, and placed beneath the narrow one.
Even though the salt content in this kind of water is great, the processes of evaporation and
condensation will remove it, and then the water can be drunk.

Unit 8: Exercise 8
Read the information. Then read the text and complete question 1 on the
diagram.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS.

In an IELTS Reading diagram labelling task, you must choose words from a text to label a
diagram. The words you write in the labels are usually single nouns, noun phrases or
adjective-noun phrases.

Reading the instructions for the task will tell you how many words you are allowed to write,
for example:

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage.

Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.

A solar still

In situations when people are unable to locate a stream or river, there are certain ways they
can get water which are less difficult than others. Building a simple structure called a solar
still is one of these methods, but it will be most effective in regions which have dramatic
temperature change. This is because, in very hot environments, lots of water is taken up into
the air and turns into gas, a process called evaporation. At night time, however, when it is far
cooler, the air releases the water again – the process of condensation.

Unit 8: Exercise 9
Read the complete description of a solar still and label the diagram.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each question.

 A solar still

In situations when people are unable to locate a stream or river, there are certain ways they
can get water which are less difficult than others. Building a simple structure called a solar
still is one of these methods, but it will be most effective in regions which have dramatic
temperature change. This is because, in very hot environments, lots of water is taken up into
the air and turns into gas, a process called evaporation. At night time, however, when it is far
cooler, the air releases the water again – the process of condensation.

So how does a solar still work? A deep hole is dug into the ground and a narrow container is
placed at the bottom of it. The hole is then covered with a plastic sheet, as this kind of
material will trap rising water as it evaporates. Once the gas cools and turns back into water,
it can fall into the container below. To ensure that the maximum amount of water possible is
collected, a heavy object such as a small rock should be placed in a central position above the
container so that the water drops can fall directly into it. If people are near an ocean, water
from here can be added to a second, larger container, and placed beneath the narrow one.
Even though the salt content in this kind of water is great, the processes of evaporation and
condensation will remove it, and then the water can be drunk.

Using the solar-still method will not produce enough water for people to collect and travel
with, but it can ensure survival while people are waiting for rescue.

Temperate change

Unit 8: Exercise 10
Think about what you’ve learnt in this unit.

Complete the advice. Use the words and phrases in the box.
description of a process how many words key words paraphrases or summarises
question read the text relates same words and phrases scan
skim slowly and carefully

our-option multiple choice questions

 Read the question and options before you _________________________

 Identify the ______________________________ in the questions and options and
underline them.
 ____________________________ read the text for gist (general understanding).
 the text quickly to find the key words in the text that are also in the
_____________________________ – this helps you find the part of the text you need.

Unit 8: Exercise 1
Before the IELTS Speaking test begins the examiner will ask you some
questions.

Complete the questions, using the words in the box. Then watch the video to
check.

Call full identification

1. Good afternoon. My name is Maggie Scott. Can you tell me your

_____________ name please?
2. And what shall I ______________ you?
3. Can I see your _______________ please? play.MP4

Unit 8: Exercise 2
In the IELTS Speaking test the examiner is checking your lexical resource. This
means you should use a range of vocabulary related to the topic.

Read the IELTS Speaking Part 2 task card. Then match the the words you might
use to talk about this topic with the definitions.
Describe a place you visited where the air was very clean and fresh.

You should say:

where this place was
when and why you visited this place
who you were with
and explain how you felt visiting a place where the air was so clean and fresh.

Atmosphere clean condition countryside factories fresh (air)

Green industry peaceful pollution

1. not dirty ___________

2. covered with grass or other plants ___________
3. the state that something or someone is in ___________
4. the air you breathe in a place ___________
5. the companies and activities necessary to produce goods for sale, especially in
factories ___________
6. clean and cool ___________
7. quiet and calm ___________
8. damage caused to water, air etc. by harmful substances or waste ___________
9. land not in towns or cities that is used for farming or is left for forests etc.
___________
10. a building or groups of buildings where large amounts of products are made using
machines ___________

Unit 8: Exercise 3
Look at the pictures. Then put the letters in the correct order to make words
relating to the topic of nature and the environment. You could use these words
to show the examiner lexical resource.

g e r a o m t a n i u n n
1. a _____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
_____ _____ (two words)

t e e r d s

2. a_____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____

o e t i r r s n f a

3. a_____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

O t n o l p l u i
4. _____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

C d e y n i o t s r u

5. the_____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

c e i r f o s t a

6. _____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

w l d l i i e f

7. _____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

 o o f d l

8. a_____ ______ _____ _____ _____

y e r e l v v a r l i

9. a _____ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
(two words)

a t E h r
 10. the_____ ______ _____ _____ _____

Unit 8: Exercise 4
For the IELTS Speaking Part 2 task card below, you need to speak in the past
simple.
Watch the student doing the task and notice the grammatical errors she makes.
Then correct the seven errors.

You will get a maximum of 2 points per mistake (1 point for finding the correct
part to change, 1 point for making the change correctly).

Describe a place you visited where the air was very clean and fresh.

You should say:

where the place was
when and why you visited this place play.MP4

who you were with

and explain how you felt visiting a place where the air was so clean and fresh.

In the IELTS Speaking test the examiner is checking your grammatical range and
accuracy. This means you should use a variety of tenses and types of sentences, and try not to
make mistakes.

1. I have been there in February last year.

2. There is a lot of clouds and a lot of mountains.

3. Some people who guide us can speak Korean and Japanese. (2 mistakes)

4. It is a very safe area, so we can have a walk alone at night. (2 mistakes)

5. When I go to Cusco I was with my friends.

Unit 8: Exercise 5
Choose the correct articles to complete the conversation from IELTS Speaking
Part 3.
Using the correct articles in your answers will help improve your grammatical range and
accuracy.

Examiner: Now we’ve been talking about a / the environment and I’d like to discuss with
you one or two general questions related to this. Let’s talk about living in a / the countryside.
What are a / the disadvantages of living in a / the countryside?

Student: In general, living in a / the ountryside might be inconvenient because a / the public
transport there is not very good. For example, people need to use taxis or take the bus,
because there’s no special transportation such as the underground. I think that is a / the
disadvantage for living in a / the countryside. Other possible disadvantages are ...

Unit 8: Exercise 6
Watch the student doing IELTS Speaking Part 3. Then put the questions that the
examiner asks in the correct order.

In the IELTS Speaking test the examiner is checking your fluency and coherence. This means
you should try to speak without a lot of pauses, and discuss your ideas clearly in a logical
order.

Examiner: Now, we’ve been talking about the environment and I’d like to
discuss with you one or two general questions related to this. Let’s talk
about living in the countryside. play.MP4

Is it possible for people to have a high standard of living without seriously damaging the
environment?

What are some ways people change or affect the environment when they live in the
countryside?

Do you think people damage the environment more when they live in a town or when they
live in the countryside?

Do you think humans can live in a completely unnatural or artificial environment?

 What are the disadvantages of living in the countryside?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Unit 8: Exercise 7
Match the examiner’s questions with the student’s responses.

Examiner: Do you think humans can live in a completely unnatural or artificial environment?

Examiner: Do you think people damage the environment more when they live in a town or
when they live in the countryside?

Examiner: Is it possible for people to have a high standard of living without seriously
damaging the environment?

Examiner: What are the disadvantages of living in the countryside?

Examiner: What are some ways people change or affect the environment when they live in
the countryside?

1. _____________________________________________________________________

Student: One main disadvantage of living in the countryside might be that it’s inconvenient
because public transport isn’t very good.

2. _____________________________________________________________________

Student: In my opinion, people affect the environment if, for example, they buy themselves a
car.

3. _____________________________________________________________________

Student: I think, in general, people who live in a town have more of an effect on the
environment. This is because a lot of people live in towns and, as a result, there is a lot of
traffic and rubbish on the streets.

4. _____________________________________________________________________
Student: I think it’s possible, although it depends on where you live. For example, you might
be able to afford a car, but you might choose to cycle to work or to school instead.

5. _____________________________________________________________________

Student: I think in some areas people already live in these kinds of conditions. However, I
don’t think it’s a good idea to live without any nature.

Unit 8: Exercise 8
Watch the video of a student doing IELTS Speaking Part 3 and listen to her
pronunciation. Then choose the correct statements.

In the IELTS Speaking test the examiner is checking your pronunciation. This means you
should say words clearly using the correct sounds.

1.

o The student pronounces the th- in there like z-.

o The student pronounces the th- in there like d-.

2.

o The student does not pronounce the dis- clearly in disadvantages.

o The student does not pronounce the plural ending -es clearly in
disadvantages.

3.

o The student does not pronounce the plural ending -es clearly in
disadvantages. play.MP4

o The student does not pronounce the d- clearly in countryside.

4.

o The student pronounces can’t like can.

o The student says cannot instead of can’t.

5.

o The student pronounces areas like airs.

o The student does not pronounce the plural ending -s clearly in areas.
Unit 8: Exercise 9
What happens in the IELTS Speaking test? Put the sentences in the correct
order.

The examiner asks for your opinions on the topic that you have just talked about.

The examiner asks you some simple questions about yourself or other common topics.

You talk for 1–2 minutes about the topic on the task card.

You prepare a talk on the topic for a minute, using the task card, paper and pencil.

The examiner gives you a topic on a task card, some paper and a pencil.

The examiner asks for your full name and to see some identification.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Unit 8: Exercise 10
You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a
pencil.

Listen to the examiner. Record your answer. Play to hear your answer

Describe a place you visited where the air was very clean and fresh.

You should say:

where this place was
when and why you visited this place
who you were with
and explain how you felt visiting a place where the air was so clean and fresh.

Unit 8: Exercise 1
Family friends friendship grandparents parents relations / relatives

relationship

11. members of your family: _______________

12. a situation in which two people are friends: __________________
13. people you know well and like but who aren't usually members of your family:
________________
14. the way two (or more) people feel and behave towards each other:
_________________
15. a group of people who are related to each other, e.g. a mother, a father and their
children: __________________
16. your mother and father: ___________________
17. the parents of your mother and father: __________________

Unit 8: Exercise 2
Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

It is sometimes said that old friendships are as valuable as family relationships. Do you
agree or disagree?

Then read the information. Complete the conclusion. Use the words in the box.

You should always write a conclusion to your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay. The conclusion
should be two or three sentences long and refer to the main points in your essay. It should
also include your opinion.

You can use the essay question to help you check if you have referred to the main points in
your conclusion.

Agree disagree family old friendships opinion valuable

Conclusion

In conclusion, I _______________ that _______________ are extremely _______________ but I

_________________ that friends are as important as relatives. In my __________________ ,
nobody can replace your relations because _________________ are the most valuable people in the
world.
Unit 8: Exercise 3

Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

It is sometimes said that old friendships are as valuable as family relationships. Do you
agree or disagree?

Then read the information. Highlight the three parts of the conclusion that paraphrase the
underlined words from the question.

When you write the conclusion to your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay you should paraphrase
the main points of the question instead of repeating them exactly. Remember: paraphrasing is
when you use different words to say the same thing.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I agree that old friendships are extremely valuable but I disagree that friends
are as important as relatives.

Unit 8: Exercise 4
Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question again.

It is sometimes said that old friendships are as valuable as family relationships. Do you
agree or disagree?

Read the information. Then read the student’s essay. What information should the student
include in the conclusion? Read the sentences and choose the correct answers.

In your IELTS Writing Task 2 conclusion you should not repeat examples from the rest of
your essay. Remember, the conclusion should include the main points of the essay and your
own opinion.

For some people, it is true that their friends are as important as their family. Personally, I
need my friendships a lot but I do not think they can ever replace the connection with my
relatives. In this essay, I am going discuss both sides of the argument before coming to a
conclusion.

On the one hand, I think that old friendships are very valuable. You can talk to friends who
you have known for a long time about anything and they give you advice from experience. In
addition, some people do not enjoy spending time with their relations because they are too
strict or argue a lot. Unfortunately, certain people do not have family because they have died
or moved away. For them, friendships are invaluable.

On the other hand, I disagree that friends are as important as relatives. In my opinion, nobody
can be as valuable as family. Your parents work hard to help you and bring you up. Your
grandparents did the same for your parents in the past. My family is particularly close
because we live in the same street. Although I see my friends most days, I see my family
every day. I eat with my grandmother at least twice a week and at weekends the whole
family, all 25 of us, eats together.

1. I agree that old friendships are valuable.

o Yes
o No

2. Friends can often talk to you about anything.

o Yes
o No

3. Some people’s relations are too strict or argue a lot.

o Yes
o No

4. Some people do not have family because they have died or moved away.

o Yes
o No

5. I disagree that friends are important as relatives.

o Yes
o No

6. In my view, nobody can be as valuable as family.

o Yes
 o No

7. Your parents work hard to help you.

o Yes
o No

8. My family all live in the same street.

o Yes
o No

9. I see my family every day.

o Yes
o No

10. I eat with my grandmother twice a week.

o Yes
o No

Unit 8: Exercise 5
Read the essay questions and the conclusions. Then choose the purpose of each
sentence.

1. Some people think it is better to speak privately to friends while others tell personal
things to their family only. Discuss the two different views and give your opinion.

In conclusion, sometimes people are more comfortable sharing personal details with friends
because they are embarrassed to talk about their feelings with their parents or their family
would not want to hear about problems. A summary sentence of first point of view/summary
sentence of whether effects are good or bad

On the other hand, other people speak to family because they feel they can trust them more
than anyone else. A summary sentence of alternative point of view/summary sentence of first
point of view Personally, I think that relatives are the best people to tell private information.
A summary sentence of main effects/My opinion
 2. The internet has changed the way friends communicate. What effects does the web
have on friendships? Are these effects good or bad?

To conclude, communicating through email or websites means that friends can easily keep in
contact but might not see each other as often. A summary sentence of main effects/A
summary sentence of first point of view The internet has, therefore, had both positive and
negative effects on friendships.

My opinion/A summary sentence of whether effects are good or bad At the end of the day,
however, I believe that it offers more good points than bad points. A summary sentence of
main effects/My opinion

Unit 8: Exercise 6
Read the IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

The internet has changed the way friends communicate. What effects does the internet have
on friendships? Are these effects good or bad?

Read the information. Then read the student’s essay. Highlight five unnecessary pieces of
information in the conclusion.

In IELTS Writing Task 2, the conclusion is a summary of the essay, so you should not add
any new information.

It is certainly true that the invention of the internet has transformed communication within
friendships. In my opinion, overall it has had more good consequences than bad. In this
essay, I am going to discuss the effects that the internet has had on the way friends
communicate.

Before the internet was invented, friends used to speak on the phone or meet each other to
talk. Sometimes they even used to write each other letters. Now they email, send messages on
smart phones or communicate on online networking sites. On the one hand, this means that
friends can easily keep in regular contact with each other. However, on the other hand, it
means that they might not see each other as often.

The web has, therefore, had both a good effect and a bad effect on how friends communicate
with each other. A positive example is that friends who you have not seen for a long time can
contact you online after several years, so you do not forget about each other. A negative
example is that friends might spend a lot more time alone now because they do not arrange to
meet each other as often. Even though you get a lot of texts or emails, you can still be lonely.
To conclude, I use two laptops, so I know that communicating through email or websites
means that friends can easily keep in contact but might not see each other as often. I email
my friend in Shanghai every day. The internet has, therefore, had both positive and negative
effects on friendships. Another negative effect is that people spend too much time looking at
a computer screen. At the end of the day, however, I believe that it offers more good points
than bad points. Another good point is that email is very quick. Another bad point is that
phones or laptops can break.

Unit 8: Exercise 7
The first words of your conclusion should be In conclusion or a synonym of it.

Choose the correct prepositions to complete the words and phrases that are
synonyms of In conclusion.

1. In/To conclude
2. In/To short
3. In/To sum up
4. In/To summary
5. In/To finish
6. In/To put it briefly
7. In/To the end
8. In/To summarise

Unit 8: Exercise 8
Correct the mistakes. There is one mistake in each sentence.

1. To put it breifly, parents are more important to children than their grandparents.
2. In sumary, the best thing about friendship is feeling emotionally supported.
3. To short, you are lucky if you have lots of uncles and aunts.
4. To summ up, you have to work at friendships like you have to work at marriage.
5. In an end, nobody should argue with their family.

Unit 8: Exercise 9
Read the statements about IELTS Writing Task 2. Are they True or False?
Choose the correct answers.
7. Your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay should be at least 200 words long.

o True
o False

8. You have 30 minutes to do IELTS Writing Task 2.

o True
o False

9. You should spend the first 10 minutes having ideas and planning your essay.

o True
o False

10. One way to have enough ideas in IELTS Writing Task 2 is to use a mind-map
technique.

o True
o False

11. You should use synonyms in your essay so that you do not repeat the same words too
often.

o True
o False

12. You should not include examples from your own knowledge or experience in your
essay.

o True
o False

13. You should always write a conclusion to your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay.

o True
o False

14. It is a good idea to include new information in the conclusion of your essay.

o True
o False

15. You can use the IELTS Writing Task 2 question to help you check if you have
included the main points in your conclusion.

o True
o False
 16. Knowing the IELTS topics well before you do the exam will help you in IELTS
Writing Task 2.

o True
o False

Unit 8: Exercise 10
WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Nowadays, in many families both parents need to have jobs. What are some of the
problems associated with both parents working, and what are some of the possible
solutions?

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Please add text into the Student post.

Student post: