Posted: 05 Oct 2016 10:56 AM PDT

IELTS Writing Actual Test inDecember, 2014 & Band 9 Argumentative Essay – Topic:

Some people think that it is best to live in a horizontal city while others think of a vertical city. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Band 9.0 sample

Some people believe that living in a horizontal city is the best, while the opponents of this idea prefer to settle in a vertical city. While there are benefits to residents who dwell in a city which consists of low-rise construction, I would argue that cities with skyscrapers and high-rise buildings offer more advantages.

On the one hand, it is beneficial for residents to live in a horizontal city based on a few financial and security reasons. Firstly, people have to pay less for building services. If residents settle in a private house, they may save a great deal of money since they won't have to pay for building services. Secondly, living lower to the ground is safer for inhabitants when emergencies occur. For example, if a fire starts in the home, they can quickly escape from the dangerous areas because the building is not too high off the ground and it won't take much time to leave.

On the other hand, it seems to me that living in a vertical city is the best choice. A city with skyscrapers will have more space for public usage because there will be less land used for residential areas due to the amount of people who can live in high buildings. As a result, the government would be able to use this land to build hospitals, schools or places for entertainment. Furthermore, it is much more convenient for residents to live in an apartment in a tall building which offers a wide range of goods and services, thanks to shopping malls and service centers on lower floors.

In conclusion, while living in a horizontal city does have some benefits, it seems to me that the advantages of life in a city with skyscrapers makes living in a vertical city the better choice.

(329 words)

Use words/phrases:

opponents of this idea: opponents arc people who disagree with an idea; they are against an idea, a policy or a rule; they don’t support it; they want something else to happen.
Example: The opponents of this idea believe that it won’t be good for the public
to settle in: to decide to live in a specific place; to decide to move to an area and stay there
Example: They have decided to settle in New York
financial and security reasons: financial refers to money issues, like paying fees; security refers to safety, like being safe in your own home in terms of crime or emergencies
much more convenient for: used to describe when something is much easier for somebody to do compared to something else
Example: It's much more convenient for them to come to my house first and then go w'ith us to the restaurant
Thanks to something or somebody: used to express the idea that something is good because of something specific.
Example: Thanks to my dad's help, we were able to purchase a new home.

Elated – Word Of The Day For IELTS

Posted: 05 Oct 2016 01:49 AM PDT

Elated – Word Of The Day For IELTS Speaking And Writing

Elated: (Adjective) /iˈleɪtɪd/

Definition:

extremely happy and excited, especially because of something that has happened or is going to happen

Synonyms:

Delighted, Overjoyed, Ecstatic

Collocation:

With adverb: very/ strangely
With verb: be/ feel/ look/ seem/ sound
With preposition: at/ by/ with

Example:

For IELTS Speaking:.
“He felt elated and mildly drunk.”
“The three of us worked together excellently, elated and playful.”

For IELTS Writing:
“Nor was the thought that he alone might hold the key to the mystery the sole component in his strangely elated state.”

Exercise:

Match the word below to complete these sentences.

strategic, elated, humble, depressed, lawful, phenomenon.

……………………. with the election victory, the crowd waved banners and chanted
At other times, he suffered serious infections and pneumonia and became very …………………….
In my ………………… opinion, Sarah is not so much interested in old relationships as new
They can be changed only by agreement or by the adjudication of a ………………… authority such as an international court
Family sentiment linked to a particular place is not a modern …………………..
In this competition, while a …………………… advantage lies with what exists, all tactical advantage is with the acceptable.

Answer keys:

elated
depressed
humble
lawful
phenomenon
strategic

Check out Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking & Writing on IELTS Material website to improve your vocabulary for IELTS and get a high score in IELTS.

IELTS Listening Practice Test 61

Posted: 04 Oct 2016 05:59 PM PDT

SECTION 1

Questions 1-7

Complete the notes below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Courses Available in

For example: ….Writing… in first term

1………………… in second term

2………………… throughout the year

3………………… during long vacation

Class sizes: 4………………. maximum

Course costs often paid by the 5…………………..

Exams available in 6……………………

Must enrol by 7…………………

Questions 8-10

Choose THREE letters, A-G.

Which THREE items does the student need to bring to the first class?

A. passport
B. computer disk
C. note from tutor
D. notebook
E. student identity card
F. dictionary
G. registration form

SECTION 2

Questions 11 -15

Of which types of transport is the following true?

Write the correct letter, A,B or C next to Questions 11 – 15.

A. tube
B. train
C. bus

Features of Transport

11 cheapest ……….

12 most convenient ……….

13 most comfortable ……….

14 fastest ……….

15 most frequent service ……….

Questions 16 – 20

Label the map below.

Write the correct letter, A-G, next to Questions 16 – 20.

IELTS Listening Practice Test 61

bus stop
train station
tube entrance
transport ticket office
taxi rank

SECTION 3

Questions 21 – 23

What is the advantage of each course?

Choose THREE answers from the box and write the correct letter A- E next to Questions 21 – 23.

Advantages of the Course

A. will be tested in the final exams
B. will be useful for a future job
C. will help with research skills
D. will improve writing skills
E. will support material already covered

Courses

21 Science and Ethics

22 Pharmacology Prelim

23 Reporting Test Results

Questions 24 – 30

Complete the sentences below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

The Maths course will run in the …………………
The tutor for Pharmacology is visiting from ………………….
………………………. for the project must be submitted by the end of January.
Resources for experiments are available in the ………………………
Extra ……………………. will be held in December.
Students are allowed to do presentations in ………………………..
Course assessment will be based on ……………………..

SECTION 4

Questions 31 – 37

Complete the table below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

	New Features	Size	Problems
transport	individual transportation	roads will be narrower	levels of investment
commercial areas	roofs will have 31…………..	32…………………. of current area	33……………….. will be limited to outskirts
residential areas	homes made of 34………………..	will be limited to 15,000	providing enough housing for 35…………………..
energy sources	36………………. will be an energy source	energy plants will be smaller	noise and congestion caused by 37………………….

Questions 38-40

Answer the questions below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Which three types of accommodation docs the speaker say will increase in city centres?

……………..

……………..

Answer keys:

SECTION 1 Questions 1-10

listening
vocabulary and grammar
general classes
15/fifteen
department
May
week five
8, 9, 10 B, D, G (in any order)

SECTION 2 Questions 11 – 20

SECTION 3 Questions 21 – 30

D
C
B
3rd/third term
industry
plans
new lab/laboratory
seminars
pairs
(an) interview

SECTION 4 Questions 31 – 40

gardens
one fifth
superstores
glass
older residents
waste
windfarms/wind farms
co-operative (buildings)
retirement (homes)
social (housing)

BONUS EXERCISE: GAP-FILLING

The texts below are transcript for your IELTS Liste. ning 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 science student enquiring about English courses at a University language centre

Student: Hi. I’ve come to ask about the English courses you run for [………………………………..]students.

Administrator: Oh right – I assume you're a student at the university?

Student: Yes, I've just started.

Administrator: OK. Well, we’ve got a range of courses. It [………………………………..]what you think you need. And how much. Um – we can’t run everything at the same time though so. for example, in this first term we are just doing a writing course.

Student: I see. That sounds quite useful. What else is there?

Administrator: Um. some of the courses only run for single terms and we lend to [………………………………..]on what students have [………………………………..]with. That means we don't usually do speaking courses but next term you can do listening. That'll help you with [………………………………..]and things. Our [………………………………..]is all based on what the [………………………………..]of our international students need.

Student: So is everything term-based – there’s nothing that you run all year?

Administrator: Well, let’s have a look. Yes. there is a class for [………………………………..]and grammar every term. That’s for everybody but it’s split into three or four levels.

Student: And what about in the [………………………………..]?

Administrator: We don’t do anything during the winter or spring break but over the summer there's just general classes because that’s what most students want – a bit of everything.

Student: OK. Quite a variety then. I’ll have a think about what I really need bccause I haven’t got much time. Do you have about [………………………………..]in each class – the same as our Science [………………………………..]?

Administrator: We try to keep il at about [………………………………..]and certainly not more than [………………………………..]. It's important for language classes. They’re very different from your normal courses.

Student: Right – and how much are the classes?

Administrator: The rate varies depending on how many hours you attend but you shouldn't have to pay – usually the [………………………………..]will fund you and even [………………………………..]which classes you need.

Student: Brilliant! It would be quite useful for me to have a [………………………………..]to lake back to my country. Do you put us in for exams?

Administrator: Yes. But wc don’t like them to clash with your main [………………………………..]in June, so we run them in May. That leaves you time for revision.

Student: Do I have to sign up for something now? I’m not quite sure what 1 want.

Administrator: Classes haven't quite started yet so you've got time to [………………………………..]what you do. All we insist is that you sign up before week five. That gives you about three weeks to decide.

Student: OK.

Administrator: Then, when you've [………………………………..]your mind, you need to come back here to the administration office to enrol.

Student: What do I need to bring with me when I enrol? My [………………………………..]. I guess?

Administrator: Yes. or your [………………………………..]. Then you'll be given a [………………………………..]form which you'll have to show to the teacher when you have your first class.

Student: OK. And should I ask my [………………………………..]about which classes I should do then?

Administrator: Yes. then you get a note from him and give that to the desk when you register.

Student: Can I use the computers here as well?

Administrator: Yes, you’ll be given a [………………………………..]when vou go to your first class, so remember to bring a disk with you to save your work on as you won't be [………………………………..]to save it on the hard drive.

Student: OK. Will I need anything else? [………………………………..]?

Administrator: We’ve got loads of those here that you can borrow, but you'll need a notebook as we don’t [………………………………..]paper or files.

Student: OK. Thanks.

SECTION 2

You will hear a man giving some information about transport in London.

Man: Hello, can I help you?

Student: Yes, I was wondering what the best way was for me to get around [………………………………..].

Man: Well, there are a lot of [………………………………..]. As you probably realise, the main ways to get around are bus. train and [………………………………..]— the underground. It depends how much you want to spend. All forms of [………………………………..]offer special tickets, such as cheap day returns on the trains and so on. Overall, you’ll spend less on the bus as it [………………………………..]on a basic flat fare for each journey. But, of course, it may not go to where you need to travel to. The [………………………………..]trains only operate in the [………………………………..]areas, though a few cross London, whereas the tube has [………………………………..]which are placed in central areas of the city close to the main sights and shops. Obviously there are more bus stops but you will [………………………………..]have to change buses to get where you want, which can be [………………………………..]. You will find that the buses are mainly in the central areas but some tube lines go quite a long way out of London so you could use this for longer [………………………………..]. Having said that, the tubes do get very [………………………………..]so you should use the train if you want to sit dywn. It docs depend where you’re travelling to.

Student: Well. I’m living on the [………………………………..]but I have to travel into London to [………………………………..]everyday and then around London when I'm here.

Man: OK, so time is going to be an [………………………………..]for you. The tube should be fast crossing London, but quite [………………………………..], there arc so many delays that it's not very [………………………………..]. Again, the train has fewer stops so is probably vour [………………………………..]option to get to and from college. Of course, which service you use might depend on how [………………………………..]it is. I mean, the trains might only be every [………………………………..]or whatever, but a timetable is [………………………………..]to save you hanging around. There are a lot of tube trains at busy times of day. but fewer at other times whereas the buses run every live minutes through most of the day and there are night [………………………………..]. But you’ll need to [………………………………..]your route first.

Student: OK, thanks. How can I get from here to Hackney, then?

Man: Right, well you can choose. We're here at the information office, OK? Now, next to us, on the turner of the high street and Sweet Street is the bus stop, [………………………………..]the bank. The bus goes all the way to Hackney but it is a very [………………………………..]so it could take ages. If you want to take the train, walk down the high street [………………………………..]the city, go past the bank and on your left is the station, just before you get to the post office. There's a mainline service to Hackney Wick so, if you need to get into the centre of [………………………………..], you may need to pick up a bus when you get there. Opposite the post office, on the corner of Heart Lane is the tube [………………………………..]– you'll see the big signs. That’s probably the best way to get there, though you may have to change. It's probably best if you go and get a [………………………………..]first. To get to the ticket office, you go out of here onto the high street. Then turn into South Street and the ticket office is on your right opposite the [………………………………..]. Of course, you may decide it’s quicker to take a taxi. But. it's a long way so 1 think it'll be very expensive. If you do want to get a cab. then the rank is [………………………………..]here just opposite the office.

SECTION 3

You will hear two medical students, Caitlin and Hideki, discussing options for courses.

Caitlin: Hi. Hideki. How are you?

Hideki: Fine, I'm glad I [………………………………..]into you. Have you got five minutes to sit down and discuss our [………………………………..]options for next term?

Caitlin: Yes, sure. You mean the support courses for our [………………………………..]?

Hideki: Yes, We’ve got three choices and I’m not sure which would be best for us to do.

Caitlin: Let’s have a look. Yeah – we could do Science and Ethics – sounds quite interesting.

Hideki: Yes – but I think we should be thinking what we get out of each course. So Scicnce and Ethics – there’s a lot of reading and [………………………………..]to do. And I don’t think it comes up in the exams, docs it?

Caitlin: Um – I'm not sure. Er – oh. I sec we have to do [………………………………..]and we get our score from that. But what it would do is to force us to get better at doing [………………………………..]and reports, you know, [………………………………..]them and using the right kind of language. Might be worthwhile?

Hideki: Yeah, you're right. An [………………………………..]is the Pharmacology Prelim coursc. I think it's in case we want to go on to transfer to [………………………………..]at the end of the year becausc lots of students do. So it depends what we want to do in the future, but [………………………………..]they send you off to find out about [………………………………..]companies and the differences between their products – it would give you lots of practice in [………………………………..]studies and analysis. I think I'd quite enjoy that.

Caitlin: Yes. I see your point. Um. then the other option is Reporting Test Results – sounds a bit [………………………………..]. Not sure why they have a [………………………………..]course just for that?

Hideki: Well, 1 could certainly do with some help in that because if vou go out into [………………………………..], that's what you’ll spend most of your time doing, so it’s got a very [………………………………..]application. 1 think I’m going to go for Pharmacology.

Caitlin: Me too.

Hideki: So let’s have a look at it in more detail. Oh, [………………………………..]if we do Pharmacology then wc have to do a [………………………………..]Maths coursc.

Caitlin: Oh no that's not fair. Mind you, I think I need it. Docs that mean we have twice as many lectures?

Hideki: No. this Maths is only a short course. The Chemistry department are [………………………………..]and they do it in the third term. So we've got all next term to [………………………………..]into the Pharmacology bit.

Caitlin: I find the tutor makes a real difference some of them make [………………………………..]so easy and some of them I can't [………………………………..]at all – like that one wc had from [………………………………..]Mind you, the one on this course should make [………………………………..]because he's a lecture who’s coming in for a lew weeks from [………………………………..]so at least it'll be linked to the real world!

Hideki: Yeah. The project we have to do on this [………………………………..]is huge and it doesn’t give us much time. We have to make a decision about what we want to do on the [………………………………..]as soon as we starl in [………………………………..], and then hand in our plans before the end of the month!

Caitlin: Doesn’t give us much time to sort out what ‘s possible or not. I mean, doesn’t the scale of our project depend on what [………………………………..]we can have, like what [………………………………..]we can use?

Hideki: I suppose so, though 1 think there’s plenty available. For example, it says that if wc need to do any [………………………………..], then we can use all the equipment in the new lab, as long as we book it.

Caitlin: Oh. OK. It’s slowly beginning to take shape for me. I think it'll be a good course. I'm just [………………………………..]that I get enough support to do it.

Hideki: I think y ou'll be OK. And the tutors are always available if you get [………………………………..].

Caitlin: Actually it says that if you're not sure, then, in December, they'll be running one or two additional [………………………………..]– so I might go to those.

Hideki: Actually, what’s quite interesting is that at the end of the course, when our project is [………………………………..], then wc have to do a [………………………………..]on it. I think that's quite good practice.

Chitlin: Bit scary though!

Hideki: Well, it shouldn't be too bad as they say that we can do it in pairs. [………………………………..]the load, as it were!

Caitlin: Oh. good. I have done presentations before but I’m always very [………………………………..]. And is the presentation what we're [………………………………..],on then?

Hideki: Let me look …. Ah. it says that we have an interview and we get a mark for the whole course depending on how well we do in that.

Caitlin: Right … (fade) …

SECTION 4

You will hear part of a lecture on cities of the future.

M: OK. we’ve been looking at how [………………………………..]will develop in the future and at the increase in the size of cities, so I want to talk to you today about the key [………………………………..]in these cities of the future. There are three key [………………………………..]I want to look at and these arc the new features they will have, [………………………………..]of size and the main problems to be [………………………………..]. First of all. individual transportation will be a [………………………………..]in these new mega cities as public transport becomes [………………………………..]. There'll be a huge rise in the use of Segways, which arc personal transporters like motorised [………………………………..]. As a result, and partly also to reduce pollution, roads will be [………………………………..]so that they are narrower and will take up less of a city's space than they do currently. Naturally, this is a major change to the [………………………………..]and something that may hinder it is the huge amount of [………………………………..]it will require. The next thing is, what is going to happen to the commercial areas? We do not want these to become even larger [………………………………..]jungles than they are at present so we have to look at design, and current designs for city development include building gardens on the roofs of these buildings to make a more [………………………………..]environment for workers. And you may think that these areas will [………………………………..]to cope with increased commercial activity. In fact, the [………………………………..]is that they will cover one fifth of the area that they do at present as we build upwards. The exception to this is shopping centres, which we predict will expand with more and more [………………………………..]controlled malls. What mav causc difficulties is that the [………………………………..]will be confined to the outer edges of the city as they will be too big to lit into the new malls. Then, of course, there are the [………………………………..]areas and these will undergo their own changes. One particular development will be houses which are built from glass, as [………………………………..]in this material allow it to provide light without causing problems with temperature inside a building. The [………………………………..]areas will not be allowed to expand without limit, as happens in some areas at present, and their size will be restricted to a population of [………………………………..]. One issue which has vet to be [………………………………..], and I’m not sure it ever will be. is how we manage to house older residents. They will be increasing in numbers as time goes on. Finally, how will these cities live? We know we have [………………………………..]sources so what will we do? Well, something currently in development which will be a feature, is that waste is going to become an [………………………………..], for example, to provide gas in homes. Also as new technology and systems are developed we will find that energy plants will become smaller. Another energy source we could use, but one which raises issues of having enough space and too much noise is [………………………………..]. Because of the problems. I'm not [………………………………..]these will be the grand solution to our energy problems that we thought they were going to be.

Now, moving on to looking at the social [………………………………..]of cities, we need to look at housing and how people will live. Cities currently have flats in the centre [………………………………..]by single people and wealthier [………………………………..], and families tend to move to the [………………………………..]. In the future, the centre of cities will sec a [………………………………..]change. We will see many more examples of co-operative buildings. This is where people join together to form a company that owns the building they live in. And. despite continuing [………………………………..]. there will also be a rise in the provision of [………………………………..]homes in city centres so that the elderly can have easy [………………………………..]to hospitals and shops. Recently, we have seen a levelling off in the growth of [………………………………..]housing and I think that will not change, but we are likely to sec more social housing as far fewer people will be able to [………………………………..]to own their own homes.

OK, now, if anybody … (fade) …

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.

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