subtitle indonesia

Friday, January 13, 2017

Posted: 13 Jan 2017 01:44 AM PST

Abhorrence – Word Of The Day For IELTS Speaking And Writing

Abhorrence /əbˈhɒrəns/ (Noun)

Meaning:

(formal) a deep feeling of hatred towards something

Synonyms:

Hatred, Hate, Animosity, Loathing

Examples:

Justin held in abhorrence the Gnostic mixing of myths and cults to make an unpalatable bouillabaisse of religions.
It was an abhorrence of waste of any kind of resource that motivated him.
He leaves office with near-record-high approval ratings despite widespread abhorrence at his personal behaviour, pollsters say.
The thought of marrying him filled her with abhorrence.

Exercises:

Try to use this word “abhorrence” in you writing

IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic:

Some people argue that capital punishment is a brutal decision and should be abolished. Do you agree or disagree?

Sample Answer

It is no shadow of a doubt that the word "Capital Punishment" itself seems brutal but regardless of its nature, often incidence of abhorrence and violence in countries create such a horrifying circumstances for present and future generations that ultimately challenges law to accommodate peace and justice.

With acts of capital crimes such as those claiming dozens of life on a daily basis, it is quite easy for a society to become desensitised to the carnage and to take it as an unavoidable fact of the life. For any developed or developing countries, progress and prosperity are reliant on a mutual balance of education, economy and law; the loss of any one of them from the chain consequently risks an irreversible damage to the system in the long-term. Hence, it is impossible to create a sustainable development of a country with the lenient law system.

I believe that strict law for instance capital punishment in a society keeps an awareness of the fact that criminals are approachable for their any negative act against humanity. Newton's law stated that “Every action has a reaction” same way every extreme illegitimate action should be responded by a strict legitimate reaction.

In conclusion, despite the differences of perception towards the matter, I do not agree for the abolition of capital punishment on the basis of being a brutal decision. If any government's judiciary would prefer abolishing such punishment as being brutal, they would be responsible for such severe perdition that would not let them progress peacefully.

desensitise (Verb): to make someone react less strongly to something by making them become used to it
Carnage (Noun): when a lot of people are killed and injured, especially in a war
Reliant on: dependent on someone or something
Irreversible damage: Damage that is so serious or so great that you cannot change something back to how it was before
Lenient (Adjective): not strict in the way you punish someone or in the standard you expect
Abolition (Noun): when a law or a system is officially ended
Perdition (Noun) Complete destruction or failure

IELTS Reading Practice Test 37 with Answer Key

Posted: 13 Jan 2017 12:50 AM PST

Section 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.

The Need to Belong

No one likes to feel left out, ignored by colleagues at meetings or not be invited to the big party that everyone is talking about Imagine not being part of a joke, or worse still, if the joke is on you. For most people, living the life of an outsider can have a negative effect on selfe-steem and mood. It can even lead to negative behaviour. The pull to belong is extremely strong. Scientists believe that, in part, there is an evolutionary explanation for why we have this need to belong.

In the past, people hunted and cooked together in tribes and each member of the group would be assigned a role. As each member had a purpose, it meant that in the event of the loss of one person, the group as a whole would suffer. For this reason, they had a vested interest in protecting each other. To our prehistoric ancestors, membership of a group meant the difference between survival and death.Those who were rejected and excluded from joining a group had to fend for themselves and struggled to stay alive alone in the wild. Apart from protection, being part of a group also ensured that genes could be passed on to future generations. Although it is very different now from the way our primitive ancestors lived, our brains have not had time to evolve to fit today’s lifestyles. In this day and age, it is no longer a matter of survival to be affiliated to a tribe or group, but the evolutionary instinct to find protection still lingers.

This inherent feeling of security that comes with being part of a group is powerful enough to make people employ both conscious and unconscious strategies to gain membership. One obvious way people try to be accepted into a group is self-presentation, which is the act of portraying yourself in the best possible light An individual will attempt to outwardly display the characteristics which are important to the group’s advancement At the same time, they will conceal any parts of their personality that may be seen as undesirable or not useful to a group. An example of self-presentation is the job application process. A candidate applying for a job will promote themselves as motivated, but is likely to hide the fact that they are disorganised. These conscious tactics that people use are not a surprise to anyone, but we also use other strategies unknowingly.

Psychologists Jessica Larkin, Tanya Chartrand and Robert Arkin suggested that people often resort to automatic mimicry to gain affiliation into groups, much like our primitive ancestors used to do. Before humans had the ability to speak, physical imitation was a method of begging for a place in the group. Most will be unaware they are doing it Larkin and her co-workers decided to test this hypothesis.

They took a group of student volunteers and had them play a game called Cyberball, a balltossing arcade game that resembled American football. The volunteers were led to believe they were all playing against each other, but in actual fact they were not The computer was manipulating the game by passing the ball to some volunteers and excluding others.

The ‘accepted’and ‘rejected’students were then asked if they enjoyed the game and about their opinions of the other players. Participants were then put alone in a room and their natural foot movements were filmed. Then a female entered the room under the pretence of conducting a fake photo descnption task. I he female deliberately moved her foot during the task, but not in a way that would be noticeable to the volunteer. It turned out that the rejected students mimicked the female’s foot movements the most This revealed that after exclusion, people will automatically mimic to affiliate with someone new.

However, Larkin and her colleagues wanted to go further.They believed that more often than not, in the real world, we actually know the people that reject us. How do we behave towards the group that we know has excluded us? The experiment was repeated with this question in mind. In the second experiment, only female volunteers played the Cyberball game, during which they experienced rejection by either men or women.Then each volunteer did the fake photo task, but this time with a man and then a woman. The results clearly indicated that the female students that felt rejected would unconsciously make more of an effort to mimic members of their own in-group – that is, other women – rather than men. This deep-wired instinct to mimic was not only directed towards random people, as initially thought, but targeted to specific groups, the particular group that did the rejecting in the first place.

To some, it is inconceivable why people will go to great lengths to be accepted into one of life’s social groups or clubs, enduring rejection and sometimes humiliation in order to be accepted. You only have to look at college campuses, which are notorious for strict initiations inflicted on candidates desperately seeking membership. But it happens and will continue to happen, because the desire to belong is a very powerful force and a fundamental part of human nature.

Questions 1-5

Complete the summary.

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

Modern mans basic need to belong to clubs and groups dates back to early history. Each person within the group had a 1____________________________ to play and was considered integral to the entire groups dynamics and success. For an individual, belonging to a group could affect their chances of 2_______________________________ In those times, few could avoid death living alone in 3_________________________ . Living with other humans offered 4_________________________ from danger. Staying in a group also meant that 5____________________________ could be passed down to descendants.

Question 6-10

Complete the flow chart below

Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. THE PROCEDURE FOR LARKIN'S EXPERIMENT

Volunteers believed they were playing a computer game, similar to 6 ……………………………….

The computer was controlling the gameplay, 7………………………….. to some and not others.

The volunteers gave their 8…………………………………. after the game.

Each volunteer first sat on their own in a room and had their foot movements 9………………..

The volunteer took part in a task with a woman who 10……………………………….. on purpose

Question 11-13

Choose the correct letter A,B,C or D

11 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the first paragraph?

A one experts view on evolution

B the consequences of being excluded

C being made fun of by the people around you

D a social event that people are eagerly awaiting

12 According to the article, which method do people consciously use to obtain membership into their chosen group?

A They tell the group they are strongly motivated.

B They convey the best parts of their personality to the group.

C They show how the group will be important to their lives.

D They alter aspects of their personality to suit others.

13 The writers main purpose in writing this article is to

A explain how people feel when they face rejection.

B encourage people to go it alone and not be part of a group.

C show the unconscious drive behind the need to belong.

D compare how the modern lifestyle is different to the past.

Section 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.

Is Technology Harming our Children’s Health?

Technology is moving at such a breakneck speed that it is enough to make your head spin. It can be difficult to keep up. However, with each new technological marvel come consequences. Much of the research conducted has shown the extent of the damage being done to our health by technology. It is a scary thought, and with teenagers and children being heavy consumers and users of these gadgets, they run the risk of being harmed the most.

The digital revolution in music has enabled people to download, store and listen to songs on a tiny, portable device called an MP3 player. The process is quick and afterwards you can have access to a library of thousands of songs that can fit into your palm. But experts say that continuously listening to loud music on these small music players can permanently damage hair cells in the inner ear, resulting in hearing loss. Tor instance, old-fashioned headphones have been replaced with smaller ones that fit neatly into the ear, instead of over them, which intensifies the sound. In addition to that, digital music does not distort and keeps its crystal clear sound, even on loud settings, which encourages children to crank up the volume. Combine that with the fact that many children will spend hours listening to their iPods, and you have the recipe for hearing loss. Put into further perspective, most MP3 players can reach levels of 120 decibels, which is louder than a chainsaw or lawnmower. When you consider 85 decibels is the maximum safe decibel level set by hearing experts over the course of a working day, and that children will listen to music at higher decibel levels than that for long periods of time, hearing will invariably suffer.

Apart from hearing damage, there are other serious health risks. We are living in a wireless age. Calls can be made and received on mobiles from anywhere and the internet can be accessed without the need for cables.The advantages are enormous, bringing ease and convenience to our lives. It is clear that mobiles and wireless technology are here to stay but are we paying the price for new technology? Studies have shown that the rapid expansion in the use of wireless technology has brought with it a new form of radiation called ‘electropollution’.

Compared to two generations ago, we are exposed to 100 million times more radiation. The human body consists of trillions of cells which use faint electromagnetic signals to communicate with each other, so that the necessary biological and physiological changes can happen. It is a delicate, natural balance. But this balance is being upset by the constant exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) that we face in our daily lives and it is playing havoc with our bodies. EMR can disrupt and alter the way in which our cells communicate and this can result in abnormal cell behaviour. Some studies have shown that exposure to wireless technology can affect our enzyme production, immune systems, nervous system and even our moods and behaviour. The most dangerous part of the phone is around the antenna.This area emits extremely potent radiation which has been shown to cause genetic damage and an increase in the risk of cancer.

Research shows that teenagers and young adults are the largest group of mobile phone users. According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, 70 per cent of Europeans aged 12-13 own a mobile phone and the number of children five to nine years old owning mobiles has greatly increased over the years. Children are especially vulnerable because their brains and nervous systems are not as immune to attack as adults. Sir William Stewart, chairman of the National Radiological Protection Board, says there is mounting evidence to prove the harmful effects of wireless technologies and that families should monitor their children’s use of them.

Besides the physical and biological damage, technology can also have serious mental implications for children. It can be the cause of severe, addictive behaviour. In one case, two children had to be admitted into a mental health clinic in Northern Spain because of their addiction to mobile phones. An average of six hours a day would be spent talking, texting and playing games on their phones. The children could not be separated from their phones and showed disturbed behaviour that was making them fail at school. They regularly deceived family members to obtain money to buy phone cards to fund their destructive habit. There have been other cases of phone addiction like this.

Technology may also be changing our brain patterns. Professor Greenfield, a top specialist in brain development, says that, thanks to technology, teenage minds are developing differently from those of previous generations. Her main concern is over computer games. She claims that living in a virtual world where actions are rewarded without needing to think about the moral implications makes young people’lose awareness of who they are’. She claims that technology brings a decline in linguistic creativity.

As technology keeps moving at a rapid pace and everyone clamours for the new must- have gadget of the moment, we cannot easily perceive the long-term effects on our health. Unfortunately, it is the most vulnerable members of our society that will be affected.

Question 14-18

Complete the table below

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

How MP3 players can threaten health

MP3 player features		Harmful results	Effects
Problem A	new 14….. fit inside ears	creates intense sound	damage to hair cells & loss of hearing
Problem B	15……. is distortion-free with clear quality sound	invites children to increase 16…….
Problem C	capable of producing sound at 17……..	as loud as a lawnmower or chainsaw – over recommended safe 18…….

Questions 19-23

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 2? Write

YES if the statement agrees with the writers views

NO if the statement contradicts the writers views

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

19 There are considerable benefits to our wireless world.

20 Wireless technology is a permanent part of our lives.

21 Exposure to EMR can lead to criminal behaviour.

22 It is possible to become obsessed with technology.

23 Using technology always helps with academic success.

Questions 24-26

Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

24 According to Professor Greenfield, what kind of world do children occupy when playing computer games?

25 What does Professor Greenfield feel children don't pay attention to when playing computer games?

26 According to Professor Greenfield, what may be lower in teenagers who play a lot of computer games?

Section 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

A History of Fingerprinting

To detectives, the answers lie at the end of our fingers. Fingerprinting offers an accurate and infallible means of personal identification. The ability to identify a person from a mere fingerprint is a powerful tool in the fight against crime. It is the most commonly used forensic evidence, often outperforming other methods of identification. These days, older methods of ink fingerprinting, which could take weeks, have given way to newer, faster techniques like fingerprint laser scanning, but the principles stay the same. No matter which way you collect fingerprint evidence, every single person’s print is unique. So, what makes our fingerprints different from our neighbour’s?

A good place to start is to understand what fingerprints are and how they are created. A fingerprint is the arrangement of skin ridges and furrows on the tips of the fingers. This ridged skin develops fully during foetal development, as the skin cells grow in the mother’s womb. These ridges are arranged into patterns and remain the same throughout the course of a person’s life. Other visible human characteristics, like weight and height, change over time whereas fingerprints do not. The reason why every fingerprint is unique is that when a baby’s genes combine with environmental influences, such as temperature, it affects the way the ridges on the skin grow. It makes the ridges develop at different rates, buckling and bending into patterns. As a result, no two people end up having the same fingerprints. Even identical twins possess dissimilar fingerprints.

It is not easy to map the journey of how the unique quality of the fingerprint came to be discovered. The moment in history it happened is not entirely dear. However, the use of fingerprinting can be traced back to some ancient civilisations, such as Babylon and China, where thumbprints were pressed onto clay tablets to confirm business transactions. Whether people at this time actually realised the full extent of how fingerprints were important for identification purposes is another matter altogether. One cannot be sure if the act was seen as a means to confirm identity or a symbolic gesture to bind a contract, where giving your fingerprint was like giving your word.

Despite this uncertainty, there are those who made a significant contribution towards the analysis of fingerprinting. History tells us that a 14^th century Persian doctor made an early statement that no two fingerprints are alike. Later, in the 17^th century, Italian physician Marcello Malpighi studied the distinguishing shapes of loops and spirals in fingerprints.

In his honour, the medical world later named a layer of skin after him. It was, however, an employee for the East India Company, William Herschel, who came to see the true potential of fingerprinting. He took fingerprints from the local people as a form of signature for contracts, in order to avoid fraud. His fascination with fingerprints propelled him to study them for the next twenty years. He developed the theory that fingerprints were unique to an individual and did not change at all over a lifetime. In 1880 Henry Faulds suggested that fingerprints could be used to identify convicted criminals. He wrote to Charles Darwin for advice, and the idea was referred on to Darwin’s cousin, Sir Francis Galton. Galton eventually published an in-depth study of fingerprint science in 1892.

Although the fact that each person has a totally unique fingerprint pattern had been well documented and accepted for a long time, this knowledge was not exploited for criminal identification until the early 20^th century. In the past branding, tattooing and maiming had been used to mark the criminal for what he was. In some countries, thieves would have their hands cut off. France branded criminals with the fleur-de-lis symbol. The Romans tattooed mercenary soldiers to stop them from becoming deserters.

For many years police agencies in the Western world were reluctant to use fingerprinting, much preferring the popular method of the time, the Bertillon System, where dimensions of certain body parts were recorded to identify a criminal. The turning point was in 1903 when a prisoner by the name of Will West was admitted into Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. Amazingly, Will had almost the same Bertillon measurements as another prisoner residing at the very same prison, whose name happened to be William West. It was only their fingerprints that could tell them apart. From that point on, fingerprinting became the standard for criminal identification.

Fingerprinting was useful in identifying people with a history of crime and who were listed on a database. However, in situations where the perpetrator was not on the database and a crime had no witnesses, the system fell short. Fingerprint chemistry is a new technology that can work alongside traditional fingerprinting to find more clues than ever before. From organic compounds left behind on a print, a scientist can tell if the person is a child, an adult, a mature person or a smoker, and much more. It seems, after all these years, fingers continue to point the way.

Questions 27-32

Reading Passage 3 has seven paragraphs, A-G.

Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-G from the list of headings below.


List	of Headings
i	Key people that made a difference
ii	An alternative to fingerprinting
iii	The significance of prints
iv	How to identify a criminal
v	Patterns in the making
vi	Family connections
vii	Exciting new developments
viii	A strange coincidence
ix	Punishing a criminal
X	An uncertain past
Example
iii	Paragraph A
27………………	Paragraph B
28………………	Paragraph C
29………………	Paragraph D
30………………	Paragraph E
31………………	Paragraph F
32………………	Paragraph G

Questions 33-35

Complete the sentences.

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

33 Unlike other_____________________________ that you can see, fingerprints never change.

34 Although genetically the same, ________________________ do not share the same fingerprints.

35 A fingerprint was a substitute for a______________________ in Indian contracts.

Questions 36-40

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3? Write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

36 Fingerprinting is the only effective method for identifying criminals.

37 The ridges and patterns that make up fingerprints develop before birth.

38 Malpighi conducted his studies in Italy.

39 Roman soldiers were tattooed to prevent them from committing violent crimes.

40 Fingerprint chemistry can identify if a fingerprint belongs to an elderly person.

ANSWER KEY FOR IELTS READING PRACTICE TEST

1 role

2 survival

3 the wild

4 protection

5 genes

6 American football

7 passing the ball

8 opinions

9 filmed

10 moved her foot

11 A because in paragraph 1 it says: 'Scientists believe that there is an evolutionary explanation for why we have this need to belong.' It doesn't give one expert's view on evolution.

12 B because in paragraph 3 it says: 'the act of portraying yourself in the best possible light*.

13 C because the text talks about our need to fit in and be part of a group, even if we don't do this consciously.

14 headphones

15 digital music

16 the volume

17 120 decibels

18 (decibel) level

19 YES because in paragraph 3 it says: 'The advantages are enormous, bringing ease and convenience to many of our lives.’

20 YES because in paragraph 3 it says: 'It is clear that mobiles and wireless technology are here to stay'

21 NOT GIVEN

22 YES because in paragraph 6 it says: 'It can be the cause of severe, addictive behaviour*

23 NO because in paragraph 6 it says: 'The children could not be separated from their phones and showed disturbed behaviour that was making them fail at school.'

24 (a) virtual (world)

25 moral implications

26 linguistic creativity

27 v

28 x

29 i

30 iv

31 viii

32 vii

33 (human) characteristics

34 identical twins

35 signature

36 FALSE because in paragraph A it says: 'Fingerprinting offers an accurate and infallible means of personal identification not the only effective method.

37 TRUE because in paragraph B it says: 'ridged skin develops fully during foetal development, as the skin cells grow in the mothers womb.'

38 NOT GIVEN

39 FALSE because in paragraph E it says: 'The Romans tattooed mercenary soldiers to stop them from becoming deserters.'

40 TRUE because it says in paragraph G: 'From organic compounds left behind on a print, a scientist can tell if the person is a child, an adult, a mature person.

IELTS Writing Actual Test in July 2016 & Band 8.0 Sample Cause/Solution Essay

Posted: 12 Jan 2017 09:07 PM PST

IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic

Every day, millions of tons of food are wasted all over the world. Why do you think this is happening? And how can we solve this problem?

Band 8.0 Sample Essay

Food wastage has now become a big problem in many parts of the world. There are several factors that are attributable to this situation, and solutions need to be adopted to combat the issue.

Primarily, people have become wealthier than before. Increased personal wealth means that individuals no longer appreciate food, and they tend to throw food away after eating rather than storing it in the fridge for the next meal. Fresh vegetables, meat and fish at the supermarket are now sold at an affordable price for middle-class people, so many of them are willing to discard the food as soon as they satiate their hungry stomach.

Another reason is that the food industry has been developing fast, with a variety of choices and marketing techniques that encourage food spending. Television programs are often interrupted by food advertisements that are digitally altered to trigger the craving for a wide range of delicious food. It is, therefore, not surprising why consumers do not feel the need to preserve the food that they have not eaten for later use.

However, food wastage is not an intractable problem. The simplest measure the government can do is to step up campaigns to raise public awareness with the aim of changing public attitudes to food consumption. The deleterious effects of food waste on the environment should be highlighted via posters and television programs to draw the attention of the public to the problem. Also, a heavy tax ought to be imposed on the food industry, which may causes the price of everyday food to rise and consequently deter people from taking food for granted.

In conclusion, people throw food away after meals because of several reasons, which requires the government to take action to mitigate the problem.

(292 words – ielts.vinh@gmail.com)

Useful Vocabulary and Expressions:

Food wastage
To be attributable to smth
To satiate smth
The craving for smth
To deter smb from doing smth

Thursday, January 12, 2017

IELTS Materials and Resources, Get IELTS Tips, Tricks & Practice Test

Hit And Run – Idiom Of The Day For IELTS
Reaffirm – Word Of The Day For IELTS
IELTS READING PRACTICE TEST 36 WITH ANSWERS
IELTS Writing Practice Test 35 (Task 1 & 2) & Sample Answers

Hit And Run – Idiom Of The Day For IELTS

Posted: 12 Jan 2017 08:52 AM PST

Hit And Run – Idiom Of The Day For IELTS Speaking.

Definition:

an accident where the driver who caused the accident leaves the scene of the accident, to escape punishment

Example:

“They caught the hit and run driver because someone saw his license number and called the police.”

“He went to prison for hit and run.”

“Luckily, a more concentrated police presence near busy intersections has cut down on the number of hit-and-runs over the past two years”

Exercise:

Choose the suitable idiom to complete the sentence below.
“Police are appealing for witnesses to help identify the ________________ driver of this morning’s fatal accident.“
A. took a bow
B. throwing money down the drain
C. hit and run
D. a cash-flow problem
Describe an accident that you have seen. Try to use this idiom in your speech. You should say:
– What the accident was
– When it happened
– Who was involved in this accident
And explain how did you feel about that

Reaffirm – Word Of The Day For IELTS

Posted: 12 Jan 2017 01:07 AM PST

Reaffirm – Word Of The Day For IELTS Speaking And Writing

Reaffirm /ˌriːəˈfɜːm/ (Verb)

Meaning:

to formally state an opinion, belief, or intention again, especially when someone has questioned you or expressed a doubt

Synonyms:

Reiterate, Restate

Collocations:

Reaffirm commitment

Examples:

The party reaffirmed its commitment to nuclear disarmament.
The government has reaffirmed that education is a top priority.
Teachers reaffirm their commitment to their pupils and schools.
The participating States reaffirm that freedom of expression is a human right and a basic component of a democratic society.

Exercises:

Try to use this word “reaffirm” in your speech

Describe a time that you and your friend had a disagreement.

You should say:

When this happened
Who you disagreed with
What you and your friend argued about
and if you two solved the disagreement in the end.

Sample Essay

Well, recently I had a disagreement with one of my close friends. We were planning a long travel to the South several days later, but we were not sure how many people went there together. I suggested that we just went on the trip with two or three people together because it would be very difficult to organise the trip to meet different people's needs. But my friend insisted that we should go with a group of people because it would be more fun and secure. I admitted his opinion was reasonable but didn't want to compromise as I didn't want to take a risk to plan everything for so many people in such unfamiliar place, and I thought he didn't care.

Ultimately, after the endless disagreement and even quarrels, I found myself couldn't express myself well and became more and more frustrated and less effective at explaining my feelings. So I left him that day without any results. The next day, after I calmed down again, I sent him a text message to tell him what I was concerning, attempting to reaffirm my opinion without angry or overly emotional exchanges. Finally, he replied to me that he understood my consideration now, and agreed with my plan.

Quarrels: an angry argument or disagreement

IELTS READING PRACTICE TEST 36 WITH ANSWERS

Posted: 12 Jan 2017 12:00 AM PST

Section 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.

Prehistoric Cave Paintings Took up to 20,000 Years to Complete

It may have taken Michelangelo four long years to paint his fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but his earliest predecessors spent considerably longer perfecting their own masterpieces. Scientists have discovered that prehistoric cave paintings took up to 20,000 years to complete. Rather than being created in one session, as archaeologists previously thought, many of the works discovered across Europe were produced over hundreds of generations, who added to, refreshed and painted over the original pieces of art.

Until now it has been extremely difficult to pinpoint when prehistoric cave paintings and carvings were created, but a pioneering technique is allowing researchers to date cave art accurately for the first time and show how the works were crafted over thousands of years. Experts now hope the technique will provide a valuable insight into how early human culture developed and changed as the first modern humans moved across Europe around 40,000 years ago.

Dr Alistair Pike, an archaeologist at Bristol University who is leading the research, said:The art gives us a really intimate window into the minds of the individuals who produced it, but what we don’t know is exactly which individuals they were as we don't know exactly when the art was created. If we can date the art then we can relate that to the artefacts we find in the ground and start to link the symbolic thoughts of these individuals to where, when and how they were living.’

Hundreds of caves have been discovered across Europe with elaborate prehistoric paintings and carvings on their walls. It is thought the designs, which often depict scenes of animals, were created up to 40,000 years ago – some time after humans began moving from southern Europe into northern Europe during the last ice age.

Traditional dating techniques have relied on carbon dating the charcoal and other pigment used in the paintings, but this can be inaccurate as it only gives the date the charcoal was created not when the work was crafted.’When you go into these caves today there is still charcoal lying on the ground, so the artists at the time could have been using old charcoal rather than making it fresh themselves,’ explained Dr Pike.

‘If this was the case, then the date for the painting would be very wrong. Taking samples for carbon dating also means destroying a bit of these precious paintings because you need to take away a bit of the pigment. For carvings, it is virtually impossible to date them as there is no organic pigment containing carbon at ail.’

The scientists have used their technique to date a series of famous Palaeolithic paintings in Altamira cave, northern Spain. Known as the ‘Sistine Chapel of the Palaeolithic’, the elaborate works were thought to date from around 14,000 years ago. But in research published by the Natural Environment Research Council's new website Planet Earth, Dr Pike discovered some of the paintings were between 25,000 and 35,000 years old. The youngest paintings in the cave were 11,000 years old. Dr Pike said:’We have found that most of these caves were not painted in one go, but the painting spanned up to 20,000 years.This goes against what the archaeologists who excavated in the caves found. It is probably the case that people did not live in the caves they painted. It seems the caves they lived in were elsewhere and there was something special about the painted caves.’

Dr Pike and his team were able to date the paintings using a technique known as uranium series dating, which was originally developed by geologists to date rock formations such as stalactites and stalagmites in caves. As water seeps through a cave, it carries extremely low levels of dissolved radioactive uranium along with the mineral calcium carbonate. Over time small amounts of calcium carbonate are deposited to form a hard layer over the paintings and this layer also traps the uranium. Due to its radioactive properties, the uranium slowly decays to become another element known as thorium. By comparing the ratio of uranium to thorium in the thin layers on top of the cave art, the researchers were able to calculate the age of the paintings.

The researchers have also applied their technique to engravings found in rocks around Creswell Crags in Derbyshire, which are Britain's only examples of ice age cave art. They proved the engravings were made at least 12,000 years ago. Professor Pablo Arias, an expert on Palaeolithic cave art at the University of Cantabria, Spain, said: ‘Until about ten years ago it was only possible to date cave art by using the style of the figures, but this new technique developed by Bristol University allows that date to be accurately bracketed. We want to study how the people of the time behaved and how they felt and Palaeolithic art gives us a way of looking at the type of symbols that were important to them, so we need to know when the people who were making the art actually lived.’

Questions 1 -5

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1? Write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1 Cave paintings inspired Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

2 It now seems that cave paintings were painted in one go and then left untouched.

3 Dr Pike is focusing on dating artefacts found on the ground in the caves.

4 There are a number of disadvantages to using carbon dating to date paintings and carvings.

5 The Altamira cave contains more cave paintings than any other cave in Europe.

Questions 6-8

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

6 Dr Pike believes that

A most caves remained undiscovered for thousands of years.

B archaeologists should not have excavated the caves at all.

C the caves were uninhabited but were treated as important.

D the paintings were painted by the people living in the caves.

7 Uranium series dating

A was previously used for other purposes.

B is a technique which was invented by Dr Pike.

C relies on the presence of stalactites in the caves.

D only works with caves which are underwater.

8 Professor Pablo Arias

A is sceptical about the benefits of the new dating technique.

B is enthusiastic about what the new technique will achieve.

C used the technique to successfully date Creswell Crags.

D believes it is necessary only to study the symbols in the art.

Questions 9-14

What is said about each of these things found in the caves?

Choose your answers from the box and write the letters A-H next to Questions 9-14.


A When this is removed, it damages the painting. B This can damage the stalactites and stalagmites in the caves. C Over time, this turns into a different element. D We could determine when it was made, but not when it was used. E This is produced as a result of radioactive decay. F Scientists used to think that this was a mineral. G This contains no carbon-based elements at all. H This can act as a firm coating over something.

9 charcoal

10 pigment

11 carving

12 uranium

13 calcium carbonate

14 thorium

Section 2

Children Tested to Destruction?

English primary school pupils subjected to more tests than in any other country

English primary school pupils have to deal with unprecedented levels of pressure as they face tests more frequently, at a younger age, and in more subjects than children from any other country, according to one of the biggest international education inquiries in decades. The damning indictment of England’s primary education system revealed that the country’s children are now the most tested in the world. From their very earliest days at school they must navigate a set-up whose trademark is’high stakes’testing, according to a recent report

Parents are encouraged to choose schools for their children based on league tables of test scores. But this puts children under extreme pressure which could damage their motivation and self-esteem, as well as encouraging schools to’teach to the test’at the expense of pupils’wider learning, the study found. The findings are part of a two-year inquiry – led by Cambridge University – into English primary schools. Other parts of the UK and countries such as France, Norway and Japan used testing but it was,’less intrusive, less comprehensive, and considerably less frequent’, Cambridge’s Primary Review concluded.

England was unique in using testing to control what is taught in schools, to monitor teaching standards and to encourage parents to choose schools based on the results of the tests, according to Kathy Flail, from the National University of Ireland in Cork, and Kamil Ozerk, from the University of Oslo, who conducted the research. ‘Assessment in England, compared to our other reviewed countries, is pervasive, highly consequential, and taken by officialdom and the public more generally to portray objectively the actual quality of primary education in schools,’their report concluded. Teachers’leaders said the testing regime was ‘past its sell-by date’and called for a fundamental review of assessment.

Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said England’s testing system was having a’devastating’impact on schools.’Uniquely, England is a country where testing is used to police schools and control what is taught,’ he said. ‘When it comes to testing in England, the tail wags the dog. It is patently absurd that even the structure and content of education is shaped by the demands of the tests. I call on the Government to initiate a full and independent review of the impact of the current testing system on schools and on children’s learning and to be prepared to dismantle a system which is long past its sell-by date.’

John Dunford, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, warned that the tests were having a damaging effect on pupils. The whole testing regime is governed by the need to produce league tables,’ he said. ‘It has more to do with holding schools to account than helping pupils to progress.’

The fear that many children were suffering intolerable stress because of the tests was voiced by Mick Brookes, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers. There are schools that start rehearsing for key stage two SATs [Standard Assessment Tests] from the moment the children arrive in September. That’s just utterly ridiculous,’he said. There are other schools that rehearse SATs during Christmas week.These are young children we are talking about They should be having the time of their lives at school not just worrying about tests. It is the breadth and richness of the curriculum that suffers. The consequences for schools not reaching their targets are dire – heads can lose their jobs and schools can be closed down. With this at stake it’s not surprising that schools let the tests take over’.

David Laws, the Liberal Democrat schools spokesman, said:The uniquely high stakes placed on national tests mean that many primary schools have become too exam focused.’ However, the Government rejected the criticism. The idea that children are over-tested is not a view that the Government accepts,’a spokesman said. The reality is that children spend a very small percentage of their time in school being tested. Seeing that children leave school up to the right standard in the basics is the highest priority of the Government.’

In another child-centred initiative, both major political parties in the UK – Labour and the Conservatives – have announced plans to make Britain more child-friendly following a report by UNICEF which ranked the UK the worst place to be a child out of 21 rich nations.

Parents were warned that they risked creating a generation of’battery-farmed children’ by always keeping them indoors to ensure their safety. The family’s minister, Kevin Brennan, called for an end to the’cotton wool’culture and warned that children would not learn to cope with risks if they were never allowed to play outdoors.

Questions 15-19

Complete the sentences.

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

15 According to the inquiry, the amount of testing puts a lot of on young children.

16 The education report describes testing in England as

17 Parents often select their childrens schools after studying test results in_______________.

18 Kathy Hall and Kamil Ozerk believe testing in England is also used to evaluate ____________ in schools.

19 The major political parties have promised to make Britain in view of the UNICEF report.

Questions 20-23

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? Write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

21 According to John Dunford, children would make more progress with much shorter and easier tests.
20 Steve Sinnott says what is taught at school should be more tightly controlled.

22 Mick Brookes wants to see earlier student preparation for SATs.

23 David Laws agrees with the opinions of Mick Brookes.

Questions 24-27

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

24 What does the government argue?

A There is not enough testing at present.

B Tests at primary school are too easy.

C Tests are not given too frequently.

D Teachers should take more tests.

25 The government spokesman

A is extremely critical of the way exams are written.

B accepts many of the points made by the teachers' leaders.

C thinks education is what the government is most interested in.

D argues it is the teachers' fault that students are tested so much.

26 According to UNICEF, children in the UK

A often spend too much time in the worst kind of places.

B are not so well behaved as in other countries.

C are not as rich as children in 21 other countries.

D could be having much more fulfilling childhoods.

27 What is the point Kevin Brennan makes?

A Children use too many electrical devices.

B Children would learn by being outside more.

C Its too risky for children to be outside on their own.

D The most important thing is childrens safety.

Section 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-40, which are based on Reading

Passage 3 below.

Three ways to Levitate a Magic Carpet

It sounds like a science fiction joke, but it isn’t. What do you get when you turn an invisibility cloak on its side? A mini flying carpet. So say physicists who believe the same exotic materials used to make cloaking devices could also be used to levitate tiny objects. In a further breakthrough, two other research groups have come a step closer to cracking the mysteries of levitation.

Scientists have levitated objects before, most famously using powerful magnetic fields to levitate a frog. But that technique, using the repulsive force of a giant magnet, requires large amounts of energy. In contrast, the latest theories exploit the natural smaller amounts of energy produced by the quantum fluctuations of empty space.

In May 2006, two research teams led by Ulf Leonhardt at St Andrew’s University, UK, and John Pendry at Imperial College, London, independently proposed that an invisibility cloak could be created from exotic materials with abnormal optical properties. Such a cloaking device – working in the microwave region – was manufactured later that year.

The device was formed from so-called ‘meta materia Is’ exotic materials made from complex arrays of metal units and wires. The metal units are smaller than the wavelength of light and so the materials can be engineered to precisely control how electromagnetic light waves travel around them. They can transform space, tricking electromagnetic waves into moving along directions they otherwise wouldn’t,’says Leonhardt.

Leonhardt and his colleague Thomas Philbin, also at St Andrew’s University, realised that this property could also be exploited to levitate extremely small objects. They propose inserting a metamaterial between two so-called Casimir plates. When two such plates are brought very close together, the vacuum between them becomes filled with quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. As two plates are brought closer together, fewer fluctuations can occur within the gap between them, but on the outer sides of the plates, the fluctuations are unconstrained. This causes a pressure difference on either side of the plates, forcing the plates to stick together, in a phenomenon called the Casimir effect.

Leonhardt and Philbin believe that inserting a section of metamaterial between the plates will disrupt the quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. In particular, metamaterials have a negative refractive index, so that electromagnetic light waves entering a metamaterial bend in the opposite way than expected, says Leonhardt.That will cause the Casimir force to act in the opposite direction – forcing the upper plate to levitate. The work will appear in the New Journal of Physics.

Federico Capasso, an expert on the Casimir effect at Harvard University in Boston, is impressed.’Using metamaterials to reverse the Casimir effect is a very clever idea,’ he says.

However, he points out that because metamaterials are difficult to engineer, it's unlikely that they could be used to levitate objects in the near future.

But there are good signs that quantum levitation could be achieved much sooner, by other methods. Umar Mohideen at the University of California Riverside and his colleagues have successfully manipulated the strength of the Casimir force by increasing the reflectivity of one of the plates, so that it reflects virtual particles more efficiently. Modifying the strength of the Casimir force is the first step towards reversing it, says team member Galina Klimchitskaya at North-West Technical University in St Petersburg, Russia.

Capasso and his colleagues have also been working on an alternative scheme to harness a repulsive Casimir effect Their calculations show that a repulsive Casimir force could be set up between a 42.7 micrometre-wide gold-coated polystyrene sphere and a silicon dioxide plate, if the two are immersed in ethanol. ‘Although the Casimir force between any two substances – the ethanol and gold, the gold and the silicon dioxide, or the silicon dioxide and the ethanol – is positive, the relative strengths of attraction are different, and when you combine the materials, you should see the gold sphere levitate,’ he says.

Capasso's early experiments suggest that such repulsion could occur, and that in turn could be used to levitate one object above another.’It's very early work, and we still need to make certain this is really happening, but we are slowly building up experimental evidence for quantum levitation,’says Capasso, who presented his results at a conference on Coherence and Quantum Optics in Rochester, New York, in June.

This is a very exciting experimental result because it is the first demonstration that we can engineer a repulsive Casimir force,’ says Leonhardt.

Questions 28-32

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3? Write

YES if the statement agrees with the writers claims

NO if the statement contradicts the writers claims

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

28 A mini flying carpet is a possibility according to some scientists.

29 Cloaking devices can be used for levitation.

30 Scientists now know all about levitation.

31 Things can be transported from place to place using empty space technology.

32 The most recent research into levitation has made use of large magnets.

Questions 33-37

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

33 Ulf Leonhardt and John Pendry

A worked together on a project in 2006.

B both came up with the same idea.

C invented the microwave oven.

D used only basic objects in their research.

34 Metamaterials are

A similar to light, but with a smaller wavelength.

B a combination of simple metals and wires.

C able to change where electromagnetic waves go.

D engineered when light waves travel around them.

35 The importance of the Casimir effect is that it

A doesn't require a vacuum in order to work.

B increases the number of plates that can be used.

C creates large and frequent fluctuations.

D creates pressure difference and stickiness.

36 Leonhardt and Philbin think that putting a metamaterial between two plates will

A cause the top plate to rise above the bottom plate.

B stop electromagnetic light waves bending.

C stop the Casimir force from working.

D not affect electromagnetic fluctuations.

36 Why is it important to change the strength of the Casimir force?

A to reflect the plates

B to help reverse the force

C to see virtual particles better

D to enable other scientists to progress

Questions 38-40

Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-F below.

38 Capasso is unconvinced that

39 Capasso has calculated that

40 Capasso has admitted that

A gold can be used to produce levitation.

B a particular type of ethanol has to be used.

C the levitation will last for only a few seconds.

D using metamaterials will help lead to levitation in the short term.

E his experiment will be extremely costly to perform.

F his idea is still only a theory.

ANSWER KEY FOR IELTS READING PRACTICE TEST

1 NOT GIVEN

2 FALSE because it says in paragraph 1: 'Rather than being created in one session, as archaeologists previously thought, many of the works discovered across Europe were produced over hundreds of generations, who added to, refreshed and painted over the original pieces of art*

3 FALSE because it says in paragraph 3: 'If we can date the art then we can relate that to the artefacts we find in the ground*

4 TRUE because it says in paragraph 5: 'this can be inaccurate*; 'Taking samples for carbon dating also means destroying a bit of these precious paintings because you need to take away a bit of the pigment.*; 'For carvings, it is virtually impossible to date as there is no organic pigment containing carbon at all *

5 NOT GIVEN

6 C because it says in paragraph 6: 'It is probably the case that people did not live in the caves they painted. It seems the caves they lived In were elsewhere and there was something special about the painted caves'

7 A because it says in paragraph 7: 'uranium series dating, which was originally developed by geologists to date rock formations'.

8 B because it says in paragraph 8: 'this new technique developed by Bristol allows that date to be accurately bracketed’.

9 D because it says in paragraph 3: 'it only gives the date the charcoal was created not when the work was crafted’.

10 A because it says in paragraph 5: 'destroying a bit of these precious paintings because you need to take away a bit of the pigment’.

11 G because it says in paragraph 5: 'For carvings, it is virtually impossible to date them as there is no organic pigment containing carbon at all.'

12 C because it says in paragraph 7: 'uranium slowly decays to become another element known as thorium'

13 H because it says in paragraph 7: 'small amounts of calcium carbonate are deposited to form a hard layer over the paintings'.

14 E because it says in paragraph 7: 'the uranium slowly decays to become another element known as thorium'.

15 pressure

16 high stakes

17 league tables

18 teaching standards

19 more child-friendly

20 FALSE because he says in paragraph 4: 'England is a country where testing is used to police schools and control what is taught' and he says that this is 'devastating' suggesting he thinks there should be less control over what is taught, not more.

21 NOT GIVEN

22 FALSE because in paragraph 6 he opposes early preparation: 'There are schools that start rehearsing for key stage two SATs [Standard Assessment Tests) from the moment the children arrive in September. That's just utterly ridiculous,' he said.

23 TRUE because in paragraph 7 he says: 'many primary schools have become too exam focused'. This is the same point Mick Brookes makes in paragraph 6: 'They should be having the time of their lives at school not just worrying about tests.'

24 C because in paragraph 7 it says: 'The idea that children are over-tested is not a view that the government accepts.'

25 C because it says in paragraph 7: 'Seeing that children leave school up to the right standard in the basics is the highest priority of government.’

26 D because it says in paragraph 8: 'a report by Unicef which ranked the UK the worst place to be a child out of 21 rich nations'.

27 B because in paragraph 8 it says: he 'warned that children would not learn to cope with risks if they were never allowed to play outdoors'.

28 YES because in paragraph 1 it says: 'So say physicists who believe the same exotic materials… could also be used to levitate tiny objects.'

29 NO because in paragraph 1 it says: 'the same exotic materials used to make cloaking devices'. It is the materials that are used, rather than the cloaking devices themselves.

30 NO because in paragraph 1 it says: 'two other research groups have come a step closer to cracking the mysteries of levitation, suggesting there is still much to learn.

31 NOT GIVEN The reference to empty space' in paragraph 2 is concerned with levitation – raising and keeping an object up – rather than transporting things from place to place.

32 NO because in paragraph 2 it says: 'In contrast' – this is in contrast to 'using powerful magnets'; 'the latest theories exploit the natural amounts of energy produced by the quantum fluctuations of empty space.'

33 B because it says in paragraph 3 that they 'independently proposed' the idea.

34 C because in paragraph 4 it says: 'They can transform space, tricking electromagnetic waves into moving along directions they otherwise wouldn't.'

35 D because it says in paragraph 5: 'this causes a pressure difference on either side of the plates, forcing the plates to stick together, in a phenomenon called the Casimir effect.'

36 A because it says in paragraph 6: 'forcing the upper plate to levitate’.

37 B because it says in paragraph 8: 'Modifying the strength of the Casimir force is the first step towards reversing it.'

38 D because it says in paragraph 7: 'he points out that because metamaterials are difficult to engineer, it's unlikely that they could be used to levitate objects in the near future.'

39 A because it says in paragraph 9: 'when you combine the materials, you should see the gold sphere levitate.'

40 F because it says in paragraph 10: 'It’s very early work, and we still need to make certain this is really happening’.

IELTS Writing Practice Test 35 (Task 1 & 2) & Sample Answers

Posted: 11 Jan 2017 10:34 PM PST

IELTS Writing Topic:

WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The pie charts below give information about the composition of household rubbish in the United Kingdom in two different years.

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

Write at least 150 words.

WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people believe that using animals to test the safety of human medicines is cruel and unwarranted, whereas others feel it is a medical necessity.

Discuss both views and state vour own opinion.

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

Write at least 250 words.

SAMPLE ANSWERS

Task 1 Model Answer

The different components of household rubbish in the United Kingdom in 1985 and 2002 are shown in the two pie charts.

The percentage of kitchen/organic waste jumped from 28% in 1985 to 44% in 2002, representing the greatest increase in that time. In contrast, paper waste was significantly reduced from 36% in 1985 to 16% in 2002. The proportion made up of plastic waste remained the same in both years at 7%. Similarly, the percentages of wood and textile waste remained relatively stable at 5% (wood) and 3% (textiles) in 1985 and at 6% and 2% in 2002 respectively.

The miscellaneous category which appeared in the 2002 pic chart did not feature in Ac 1985 pic chart. Also, the category of dust and cinders, which represented 8% of household rubbish in 1985, disappeared from the 2002 breakdown.

In general, the proportions of most categories of household waste remained similar from 1985 to 2002, but the two major changes were represented by increased kitchcn /organic waste and rcduccd paper waste.

(168 words)

Task 2 Model Answer

Animal testing has become a highly controversial debate in recent years, with strong and emotive arguments presented on both sides.

The view that testing medicines on animals is necessary is supported by those who argue that if not animals, then who? Animals are seen as the only logical testing population close enough to humans to accurately identify and test the efficacy of different types of medicines, including those involved in cancer treatment, and other potentially life-saving drugs. Furthermore, there is the notion that animals do not feel or experience pain and suffering in the same ways that humans do, and that all research on animals is ethically conducted to minimise any pain that is felt.

However, the other side of the debate revolves around the argument that animals do experience pain and suffering, and it is simply unacceptable to subjcct them to medical testing. Also, opponents of medical testing on animals point out that the results are not necessarily reliable when applied to human populations: even though as mammals we might be very similar, we are not the same. This brings into question the entire philosophical base behind testing medicine on animals. There is also the moral question of whether we humans actually have the right to subject animals to testing and inhumane experiments against their will.

In my opinion, the use of animals for medical testing should be avoided at all costs, as I feel that animals deserve human's respect and kindness. Alternatives to medical testing on animals must be sought

(252 words)