SECTION 1
Questions 1-6
Complete the form below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
PATIENT RECORD
Time of appointment: 10:00 am
Given names: Simon 1____________________
Family name: Lee
Date of birth: 2_________________ 1989
Address: 3_________________ Adams Terrace, Wellington
Phone number: 0211558809
Name of insurance company: 4_________________
Date of last eye test: 5 _________________
Patient’s observations: Problems seeing 6 ___________________
Questions 7-10
Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
7. When must Simon wear his glasses?
8. What type of glasses are the least expensive?
9. What is good about the glasses Simon chooses?
10. How does Simon decide to pay?
SECTION 2
Questions 11-12
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
11 Who is buried in the tomb of the Taj Mahal?
A. the emperor Shahjahan
B. the wife of Shahjahan
C. the emperor and his wife
12 Where did the white marble come from?
A. India
B. China
C. Persia
Questions 13-16
Label the plan below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Question 17
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
17. What is the purpose of the Rest House?
A. a place for the poor to stay
B. a meeting place for pilgrims
C. an architectural feature
Questions 18-20
Complete the flow chart below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
How running water is provided
Water taken from the 18___________________ by bullocks.
Water channelled into the 19_____________________.
Water piped to the 20___________________.
SECTION 3
Questions 21-24
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
21. What background information does Daisy give about rice?
A. Wild rice is grown throughout Asia.
B. Some types of rice need less water than others.
C. All rice varieties have a lovely aroma.
22. Erik says that a priority for rice farmers is to be able to
A. grow rice without fertilizers.
B. predict the weather patterns.
C. manage water resources.
23. Where is the International Rice Research Institute?
A. The Philippines
B. China
C. Japan
24 Scientists in Bangladesh want to find a
A. more effective type of fertilizer.
B. strain of rice resistant to flooding.
C. way to reduce the effects of global warming.
Questions 25-30
Which country do the following statements apply to?
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
A. Japan
B. China
C. Thailand
25. They grow the most rice in the world.
26. They export the most rice in the world.
27. They aim to increase the nutritional value of rice.
28. Less rice is eaten than in the past.
29. An annual rice festival takes place.
30. A new type of rice is now popular locally.
SECTION 4
Questions 31-33
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD for each answer,
RADIO WRITING
31. You may have to ignore some of the ordinary___________________ of writing.
32. Written words do not indicate things like emphasis, the_______________ of reading or where to pause.
33. A script needs to sound like a______________________.
Questions 34-40
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Know who you are talking to
Imagine a typical listener:
- e.g. imagine telling your 34_________________ about a film.
Create an informal tone:
- e.g. use words like 35_________________ and _____________________
Work out what you are going to say
Remember: listeners cannot ask questions
you cannot 36_________________ ideas
Make your script logical:
- 37_____________________ the information.
Use concrete images e.g. compare the size of a field to a 38______________________.
Use the 39_______________________ to get attention.
Check the script by 40_____________________.
Answer keys:
Section 1
1. Anthony
2. 1(st) June
3. University Hall
4. Health for Life
5. September 2006 .. ^
6. (in the) distance
7. (for) driving
8. (the) full frame / full frame gla
9. (they are) strong
10. (in/by) cash
Section 2
11. C
12. A
13. (The) Main Gateway
14. (the) (16/sixteen) flower beds
15. (a/the) (raised) pond
16. (a/the) Mosque
17. C
18. river
19. (supply) tanks
20. fountains
Section 3
- B
- C
- A
- B
- B
- C
- B
- A
- C
- A
Section 4
- rules
- speed
- conversation
- grandmother
- us (and) we
- repeat
- space (out)
- football pitch
39 .first sentence
40..reading (it) aloud
BONUS EXERCISE: GAP-FILLING
The texts below are transcript for your IELTS Listening Practice Test. To make the most out of this transcript, we removed some words from the texts and replaced with spaces. You have to fill each space with the missing word by listening to the audio for this IELTS listening practice test.
SECTION 1
You will hear a conversation between an optometrist and a patient who has come for an eye test.
Optometrist: Good morning, can I help you?
Simon Lee: Yes. I’m here for an [……………………………]at ten o’clock with the [……………………………]. I’m a little early. I know it’s only ten to ten.
Optometrist: Are you Simon Lee?
Simon Lee: Yes, I am.
Optometrist: I’m Rachel White, the optometrist here today. Come in and take a seat.
Simon Lee: Thanks.
Optometrist: Before we test your eyes, I just need to get a few details from you. So, Simon, what’s your full name?
Simon Lee: [……………………………]— that’s A-N-T-H-O-N• Y. And my family name is Lee: L double E.
Optometrist: And your date of birth, Simon?
Simon Lee: The 1st of June, 1989.
Optometrist: The 21st of June.
Simon Lee: No. The first of June.
Optometrist: Whoops… sony! 1989 – ah, same year my son was bom! What’s your current address?
Simon Lee: I'm living at a hall of [……………………………].
Optometrist: Which one?
Simon Lee: At University Hall, not far from here, in [……………………………].
Optometrist: University Hall… And do you have any medical [……………………………]?
Simon Lee: Yes, I’m fully covered
Optometrist: And who are you insured with?
Simon Lee: I’m with 'Health for life'.
Optometrist: Healthy Life.
Simon Lee: No. People always get that wrong. It's Health for Life1. They're part of some big insurance [……………………………].
Optometrist: Good! Now, Simon. Have you ever had your eyes tested before?
Simon Lee: Yes, once. But not recently. It was when I was still at school.
Optometrist: So roughly when would that have been?
Simon Lee: Probably around [……………………………]. No, on second thoughts, it must've been the year before – September 2006. And my [……………………………]was fine then.
Optometrist: But you're having a little difficulty now, are you?
Simon Lee: Well, yes … since I started at university, I've been having difficulty with [……………………………]vision. I can’t always see things in the distance.
Optometrist: Well, let's have a look. Now I'm just going to cover your left eye. Can you read the top line?
Simon Lee: Yes. R… B… Q… S…
Optometrist: Well, Simon. Your eyes have [……………………………]got a little worse since your last test and I think you’re going to need to wear [……………………………]… er… not all the time and … not so much for reading or close work but [……………………………]for driving.
Simon Lee: Right. Yes. I thought that was probably the case.
Optometrist: So now you need to choose some [……………………………]. There’s a wide range to choose from, as you can see.
Simon Lee: Can you give me some idea of the difference in cost? I quite liked the idea of some [……………………………]glasses.
Optometrist: Mm… Did you? Well, the prices vary [……………………………], like everything, but the frameless ones are the most expensive. The cheapest are the ones with the full frame.
Simon Lee: Mm, [……………………………]I’d better go for those.
Optometrist: Or why not try these ones with the half frame?
Simon Lee: They’re not too bad.
Optometrist: Yes. They look quite nice and they’re strong • far less likely to break than the frameless ones.
Simon Lee: Oh, that’s a good point. OK, I think I'll take those ones.
Optometrist: If you pop back next Monday, I should have them ready for you. And you can pay for them when you pick them up.
Simon Lee: Thanks very much. Can I pay by [……………………………]?
Optometrist: You can, but there will be a slight charge if you do that.
Simon Lee: Right. Ill pay bv cash then, if you don’t mind.
Optometrist: No problem. Cash, credit card, debit card All the same to us. See you on Monday.
SECTION 2
You will hear an extract from an audio guide to the Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is the most popular tourist [……………………………]in India. It is also one of the most [……………………………]buildings of the world, and is considered as a symbol of love. But how many people realise that it was actually built as a tomb or [……………………………]place for the Emperor’s wife?
The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan to [……………………………]his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal when she died, and, although this was not his original [……………………………], for he had planned to build a black [……………………………]tomb for himself, they both he side by side in the tomb today. Emperor Shahjahan’s two greatest [……………………………]were [……………………………]and jewellery and both are [……………………………]here in all their [……………………………].
The most skilled architects and [……………………………]came from across India and countries as far away as Persia and Turkey. Much of the structure was built in white [……………………………]that was carried by a thousand [……………………………]all the way from the Indian region of Rajasthan some [……………………………]away. Crystal and jade came from China, [……………………………]from Sri Lanka and turquoise from Tibet.
But there’s a lot more to the Taj Mahal than just the tomb, so let’s have a look at the [……………………………]plan before we take a walk through the [……………………………]gardens. Your tour begins here at the point marked with an X on the plan. This is known as The Main Gateway. Walk through the gate and you come into an [……………………………]garden. There are two marble [……………………………]studded with fountains, which cross in the centre of the garden, dividing it into four [……………………………]. Each of these four quarters is then [……………………………]into flower beds. So there are 16 flower beds altogether. The tomb stands [……………………………]at the north end, not in the centre as you might have [……………………………]Instead, at the centre of the garden, halfway between the tomb and the [……………………………], there's a raised pond which provides a [……………………………]of the Taj Mahal. It's a magnificent sight. On either side of the tomb there are buildings made of red [……………………………]. The one to the west – to the left on our plan – is a [……………………………]. It faces towards Mecca and is used for prayer. On the east side of the Teg is a building known as the Rest House. It’s like the twin of the mosque, but because it faces away from Mecca, it was never used for [……………………………].
Many people have asked what the Rest House was for. Was it a place for [……………………………]to stay? Was it a meeting hall of some kind? Perhaps the most likely answer to this question is that its [……………………………]is purely [……………………………], to act as a visual balance for the [……………………………]and to preserve the [……………………………]of the design of the whole complex.
Let’s have a look at some of the engineering [……………………………]of the garden. For one thing, they require a constant supply of running water. When it was built, water was drawn from the river [……………………………], using an [……………………………]rope and bucket system, pulled by a team of bullocks. The water was then brought through a broad water [……………………………]and held in a number of supply tanks. These tanks were at varying heights off the ground and were [……………………………]designed to store the very large amounts of water required. Using an [……………………………]system of underground pipes, the water was then [……………………………]from the supply tanks to each of the [……………………………]. To ensure that the water [……………………………]was the same throughout the garden, there was a [……………………………]pot under each fountain [……………………………]to the water supply. It was undoubtedly a brilliant system.
SECTION 3
You will hear a tutor and two students discussing the crop rice.
Tutor: Good morning, everyone. So… following on from our [……………………………]on European agriculture last week, Daisy and Erik are going to talk about the most [……………………………]grown crop in Asia, which is, of course, rice. Erik, can you tell us what you’ve been working on?
Erik: Yes, sure… We've been looking at the role of rice in a number of countries, how it’s grown, ways of [……………………………]production. As I’m sure you know, rice is the staple diet [……………………………]Asia and, in fact, [……………………………]of the world’s rice is grown and eaten there. Daisy’s got some background on that.
Daisy: Um … well, rice was [……………………………]a wild plant which started out in the [……………………………]regions of Asia, but there are literally hundreds of [……………………………]today and each with different [……………………………]. For instance, one will [……………………………]floods, while another will grow in relatively drv conditions. A third has a really lovely smell. But wherever it grows, rice needs a lot of water.
Tutor: What do you mean by ‘a lot’?
Erik: Well, it takes about [……………………………]litres to get a kilogram of rice. This can be [……………………………]either naturally or by [……………………………]. And as most rice- growing countries suffer from [……………………………]weather, including drought – water [……………………………]really is the key.
Daisy: Research has become so important now that each [……………………………]country in Asia has its own research [……………………………], whether we're talking about Japan, China or Bangladesh… and they’re all co¬ordinated by a group in foe Philippines called the International Rice Research [……………………………].
Tutor: Interesting.
Daisy: Bangladesh, for instance, has been [……………………………]using different rice varieties and [……………………………]for 30 years. But because it’s such a flat, delta country, it’s very difficult for the water to drain away after the [……………………………]season, so they need to find special rice crops that can [……………………………]the floods. And with global warming, the [……………………………]is more urgent than ever.
Erik: Now I’d like to move on to our [……………………………]study. As you can imagine, China is the world’s biggest rice producing country. Collectively the Chinese people probably eat more than three billion [……………………………]of rice every day!
Tutor: Quite a statistic!
Erik: And of course, rice plays an important [……………………………]role too.
Daisy: We then compared China to Thailand. You know, even though Thailand only has about [……………………………]people, it is the world’s number one [……………………………]of rice. Not China as you might imagine.
Tutor: Is that so?
Erik: Yes. They send their rice everywhere… in particular to Europe, as well as [……………………………]and the Middle East. [……………………………]the fact that ‘jasmine rice’ is growing in [……………………………]is one reason why Thailand’s rice export industry is doing so well. People want something a bit different.
Daisy: And, of course, Thailand is well suited to rice growing – good climatic conditions, and lots of fresh water.
Erik: Going back to China for a minute, we should mention that at the rice research [……………………………]in [……………………………]they are working on ways of improving rice yields, using less water.
Tutor: By yields you mean… the amount they can grow?
Erik: Yes. They’re trying to find ways to get more rice from less land, [……………………………]the taste, but also have other things in it besides [……………………………]so that it’s healthier – better for vou.
Tutor: Good idea, considering it’s the staple food.
Erik: And then you’ve got Japan, which is totally [……………………………]when it comes to rice. This is basically because they have a high tariff on [……………………………]rice, so everyone buys the home-grown product. And they don’t export much.
Daisy: Yes, but you know, even though rice is a kind of sacred crop there, [……………………………]is only half what it was in the [……………………………]. This trend isn’t evident in Thailand or China.
Tutor: Interesting that you [……………………………]how rice is almost sacred in Japan. Because I believe in Thailand it also plays an important [……………………………]role.
Daisy: Absolutely! They have the ‘roval ploughing ceremony’ every year, which the King always attends and he actually [……………………………]a new stock of seed to the farmers, who pour into Bangkok for the event.
Tutor: What about the global interest in organic farming? Is there such a thing as [……………………………]grown rice?
Erik: Yes, indeed. And the Japanese are getting quite a taste for it. apparently. There’s an [……………………………]farm near the city of Akita in the [……………………………]rice belt – famous for its Sake, by the way – which has [……………………………]organic rice production, and now it’s sold all across the country. It’s a bit like the recent [……………………………]of jasmine rice in Thailand, but that’s for the export market, of course.
Tutor: Interesting how attitudes change, isn’t it?
SECTION 4
You will hear part of a lecture about writing for radio.
We're going to move on today to look at some of the key principles of writing for radio.
Of course the main thing that you have to remember is that a radio script is not written to be read, but to be spoken and heard. Now putting this into practice is more [……………………………]than it seems because writing as we speak [……………………………]abandoning many of the normal ‘rules’ of writing that have been taught to us from an early age. This is because we need to [……………………………]on how the piece sounds. Written words [……………………………]information, but they don't convey the full meaning of what you want to say… they don’t tell you what to [……………………………], what speed something should be read at, or where the pauses should come, so these have to be [……………………………]in a script.
Whatever is said on radio – whether it’s a link to a magazine [……………………………], a film review, or even a voice piece in the news – needs to sound as if it is coming from the mind of the speaker – almost like part of a [……………………………]– rather than something that is being read.
Before you begin to write, it’s a good idea to know who you’re talking to, to [……………………………]a typical member of the radio station’s [……………………………]. If you’re writing a film review for a local audience, for example, think about how you would tell your [……………………………]about the film, or if you’re reviewing a pop concert, think about how you would tell your friend about the band.
The words have much more [……………………………]if each person feels they are being spoken to directly. So your tone needs to be informal – rather than using [……………………………]words like ‘listeners’ or ‘the audience’, you can make it more informal… include them in what you’re saying by [……………………………]to ‘us’ and ‘WP’.
Once you know who you're talking to, the next thing is to work out what you’re going to say. Don’t forget that the person listening to you has no [……………………………]to ask questions, and in the same way, you can’t repeat what you’ve just said. For these reasons it’s important that your [……………………………]is logical and progresses [……………………………].
Too many facts too close together will cause [……………………………], so space them out evenly. The best scripts allow listeners to visualise what you’re [……………………………]. For example, instead of giving the physical [……………………………]of a field, describe it as being the size of, say, a football pitch: if you’re talking about a tall building, relate it to – perhaps – a ten-storey block of flats.
Now, all scripts need something that will grab the attention of the listener. You need something that will make them say, ‘Hey, I want to stop and listen to this.’ So the first [……………………………]has to do this for you… it needs to be [……………………………], interesting – and then it needs to be backed up by a second sentence that explains what you’re talking about. The last sentence should also give your listeners food for thought and can be in the form of a question, or a [……………………………]that sums up the item.
After you’ve finished your script you need to polish it up and the most [……………………………]method of doing this is by reading it aloud. This also helps you to avoid [……………………………]twisters or words that you might find awkward to [……………………………].
Practice every day to improve your IELTS listening skills. Don’t forget to visit IELTS Material website on a daily basis to find more practice tests for every skill in the IELTS Test.
