Sunday, November 6, 2016

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

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


Nuance – Word Of The Day For IELTS

Posted: 06 Nov 2016 07:52 AM PST

Nuance – Word Of The Day For IELTS Speaking And Writing

Nuance: (Noun) /ˈnuːɑːns/

Definition:

a very slight, hardly noticeable difference in manner, colour, meaning etc

Synonyms: 

Gradation, Nicety, Subtlety.

Collocations:

Subtle nuance

Example:

For IELTS Speaking:.
“These additional flavor layers offer greater opportunities to marry the dish with the subtle nuances of a fine Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.”
“Scientists now understand the subtle nuances of its genetic machinery.”

For IELTS Writing:
“Scientists now understand the subtle nuances of its genetic machinery.”

Exercise:

Choose the following words to fill in the blank: inherently, cessation, distortion, overlapping, analogous, nuance, mediator, refinements, confinement, scenarios.

  1. In October of 1968, U.S. president Lyndon Johnson ordered the total _______________ of American bombing of North Vietnam.
  2. The latest safety _______________ make this Volvo the best family car available today.
  3. American military personnel are staging various terrorist _______________ in order to better prepare for possible future attacks
  4. The amount of _______________ on the radio depends on how strong the signal is.
  5. Driving a car is not _______________ dangerous even though thousands of people die in accidents each year.
  6. The union has been unable to reach a settlement with the administration, and has asked for the services of a well-known _______________.
  7. Beauty was communication, each mote of light shaded with one _________ of meaning and each meaning had a colour.
  8. Schools are organized like factories, and the educational process is _______________ to commodity production.
  9. Despite his years of _______________ in a prisoner-of-war camp, the old man always had a positive view of life.
  10. If you want to make a darkroom for developing your photos, you’ll need to put _______________ sheets of black paper on the window so that absolutely no light gets through.

Answer keys:

  1. cessation
  2. refinements
  3. scenarios
  4. distortion
  5. inherently.
  6. mediator.
  7. nuance.
  8. analogous.
  9. confinement.
  10. overlapping.

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

Down At Heel – Idiom Of The Day For IELTS

Posted: 06 Nov 2016 07:14 AM PST

Down At Heel – Idiom Of The Day For IELTS Speaking.

Definition: 

wearing old clothes that are in bad condition because of not having enough money

Example:

“Henry is very down at heel since his business collapsed.

When I first met her she was down-at-heel but still respectable.

“Don’t go out with these clothes. You look like down at heel while wearing this

Exercise: 

  1. Choose the suitable idiom to complete the sentence below.
    “The homeless usually are ______________ because they cannot buy a basic food let alone good clothes.”
    A. have her name in lights
    B. down at heel
    C. dressed to kill
    D. runs in the family
  2. Describe a time when you helped someone. Try to use this idiom in your speech. You should say:
    – When it happened
    – Who you helped
    – What he or she did after receiving your help
    And explain why you helped her or him

Feral – Word Of The Day For IELTS

Posted: 06 Nov 2016 06:54 AM PST

Feral – Word Of The Day For IELTS Speaking And Writing

Feral: (Adjective) /ˈferəl/

Definition:

feral animals used to live with humans but have become wild

Synonyms: 

Wild, Ferocious, Savage

Example:

For IELTS Speaking:.
“A feral world of backbiting malice, veiled threats, liars and blackmailers.”
“Resembling a feral cat, it could be identified by its fox’s tail and shining, mirror-like eyes.”

For IELTS Writing:
“Interbreeding with feral cats is probably the biggest threat to the wildcat.”

Exercise:

Choose the following words to fill in the blank: crucial, appended, reinforced, highlighted, feral, intense, theme, visually, dramatically, plus.

  1. He had light brown hair and a _________ quality about him that made people do what he wanted.
  2. The opposition leader’s speech _______________ the need for an increase in health care spending in our province.
  3. The media often _______________ stereotypes regarding minorities.
  4. There are over 20 pages of grammar notes _______________ to the dictionary.
  5. The number of young people starting smoking dropped _______________ when the government raised taxes on cigarettes by over 10%.
  6. The twin attributes of language and culture have been _______________ in enabling the human species to adapt to a wide range of conditions and environments.
  7. Peace is the dominant _______________ in Islam; peace with Allah, with one’s soul, with family and friends, and with all living creatures.
  8. Four people have died in the _______________ cold which has hit Southern Ontario and Quebec this past weekend.
  9. Crocodiles and alligators sometimes communicate _______________ through body language.
  10. The ability to speak a foreign language is a real _______________ in today’s job market.

Answer key:

  1. feral
  2. highlighted
  3. reinforces
  4. appended
  5. dramatically.
  6. crucial.
  7. theme.
  8. intense.
  9. visually.
  10. plus.

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 93

Posted: 06 Nov 2016 01:55 AM PST

SECTION 1

Questions 1-5

Complete the form below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS or A NUMBER for each answer.

APPLICATION FOR RAILCARD

Example

Type of Card Required:                                                         Young Person's Railcard

First Name:                                                                              1_______________

Surname:                                                                                  2_______________

Date of Birth:                                                                           3_______________

Permanent Address:                                                               158 Kingwood Close, Norwich

Postcode:                                                                                   4 _______________

Telephone Number:                                                                5 _______________

Term-time Address:                                                               Housewalk Terrace,
London Postcode: WF1 4NN

Questions 6-9

Complete the table below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS or A NUMBER for each, answer.

Types of Ticket Restrictions Cost
London Day Out outside peak hours 6 £
Super Advance Return must hook seat  7 in advance £23
Saver outside peak hours 8 £
9_________________ no restrictions £60

Question 10

Circle the correct letters A-C.

10. How much does the student actually pay for his ticket to London?

A. £7.66
B. £15.34
C. £33.34

SECTION 2

Questions 11-13

Circle the correct letters A-C.

11. Who are mentors?

A. New students.
B. Second or third-year students.
C. University teachers.

12. How often should mentor groups meet?

A. Once a week.
B. Once a fortnight.
C. Once a month.

13. What is it essential to do at the first meeting?

A. Explain your problems.
B. Make new friends.
C. Agree when to meet again.

Questions 14-17

List FOUR things which students may be given information about. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

14 ____________________

15 ____________________

16 ____________________

17 ____________________

Questions 18-20

Complete the sentences below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

18. Your mentor will show you how to obtain a free____________________.

19. Mentoring is useful for people who are_______________for the first time.

20. Your mentor may give you advice on how to_____________________.

SECTION 3

Questions 21-24

What did each person say was the principal cause of stress for them?
Choose from the list of possible causes in the box.

Example                                                                                Answer
Ramon                                                                                 team work

21. Kikuko

22. Boris

23. Etienne

24. Nagwa

Questions 25-27

List THREE parts of one’s daily routine that can help reduce stress.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

List of Possible Causes of Stress

A. bad management
B. dual-career family
C. fear of unemployment
D. new technologies
E. working surroundings
F. powerlessness
G. too much work

25 ________________

26 ________________

27 ________________

Questions 28-30

Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS in each space.

Cause of stress                      Strategy for reducing stress
overwork 28_______________
fear of job 29_______________
new technologies 30_______________

SECTION 4

Questions 31-36

Circle the correct letters A-C.

31. The speaker compares a solar eclipse today to a

A. religious experience.
B. scientific event.
C. popular spectacle.

32. The speaker says that the dark spot of an eclipse is A simple to predict.

A. simple to predict.
B. easy to explain.
C. randomly occurring.

33. Concerning an eclipse, the ancient Chinese were

A. fascinated.
B. rational.
C. disturbed.

34. For the speaker, the most impressive aspect of an eclipse is the A exceptional beauty of the sky.

A. exceptional beauty of the sky.
B. chance for scientific study.
C. effect of the moon on the sun.

35. Eclipses occur rarely because of the size of the

A. moon.
B. sun.
C. earth.

36. In predicting eclipses, the Babylonians were restricted by their

A. religious attitudes.
B. inaccurate observations.
C. limited ability to calculate.

Questions 37-40

Complete the table below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

Date of Eclipse Scientists Observation
1735 Halley 37 _____________ who accurately predicted an eclipse
1868 Janssen and Lockyer discovered 38
1878 Watson believed he had found 39_______________
1919 Einstein realized astronomers had misunderstood 40_______________

Answer keys:

Section 1, Questions 1-10

  1. Stephen

2. Krockers

  1. 3rd February 1979/February 3 1979
  2. NR4 6JF

  3. 456 321

  4. 18

  5. one day

  6. 29.30

  7. Open (ticket)

  8. B

Section 2, Questions 11-20

  1. B
  • B

  • C

  • academic systems

  • study techniques/techniques for studying

  • university facilities

  • social activities

  • e-mail account

  • away from home

  • pass (your) exams

  • Section 3, Questions 21-30

    1. C
  • G

  • D

  • E

  • a balanced diet/vary your diet

  • drink less coffee

  • take regular exercise

  • manage time better/manage your time

  • make plans/set money aside/ update your CV

  • do training courses

  • Section 4, Questions 31-40

    1. C
  • B

  • C

  • B

  • A

  • C

  • (the) first person

  • (a) new element/helium

  • (the) lost planet/ (the) planet/Vulcan

  • gravity

  • 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

    (C = Clerk; S = Stephen)

    C: Central station, Norwich, Sue Brown speaking. Can I help you?

    S: Is that the […………………………..]?

    C: Yes.

    S: Er…is there a card that you can buy railway tickets and allows you to get […………………………..]on it?

    C: You mean a […………………………..]? Yes, there are various types. There’s the Young Person’s Railcard and the Senior Citizen’s Railcard, for example.

    S: Well, I’d like a Yong Person’s Railcard, but I’m over 21. Is that OK? Do I still […………………………..]?

    C: Yes, you’re eligible from 18 to 25.

    S: Great. And how much does it cost?

    C: […………………………..].

    S: OK…and can I get it over the phone?

    C: Well, I can take your details and process it now over the phone, but you’ll need to come in to collect the card.

    S: Yeah, that’s fine.

    C: OK, so I just need to take down some details. First of all, can I have your name?

    S:         Stephen Krockers.

    C:        OK, so first name Steven…Is that Steven with a “v”?

    S:         No, with “ph”.

    C:        Right…and can you give me your […………………………..]again?

    S:         That’s Krockers.

    C:        Crocker with a “c”?

    S:         No, I’ll have to spell it for you, K-R-O-C-K-E-R-S.

    C: Right, thank you. Now, you said you were over 21-can I ask for your exact date of birth, please?

    S: Yes, sure. It’s the third of February.

    C: Yes.

    S: And the year’s […………………………..].

    C: 1979. OK, lovely. So the next thing I need to know is your […………………………..].

    S: Right, I'd better give you my parents’ address then. I’m […………………………..]moving soon.

    C: Yes, that’ll be fine.

    S: It’s 158, Kingwood Close…

    C: Is Kingwood one word or two?

    S: One.

    C: Right.

    S: Norwich.

    C: And can you tell me the […………………………..], please?

    S: It’s […………………………..].

    C: NR4 6JS?

    S: No, F for Freddie.

    C: Right, and the next thing I need is your telephone number.

    S: Do you mean my parents’ number?

    C: Yes, the number at your permanent address.

    S: OK, it’s Norwich […………………………..].

    C: And are you living at that address now?

    S: No, in term-time I’m in lodgings. But like I said, I might be moving soon.

    C: Never mind, just give me the address where you’re staying now.

    S: Right, it’s 62, Housewalk Terrace, Wakefield.

    C: And the postcode?

    S: […………………………..].

    C: Right,that’s fine.

    S: And I want to get a ticket…can I do that now, and get the discount, or do I have to wait until the card’s ready?

    C: No, you can book the ticket now, and […………………………..]it at the same time as you get the card.

    S: OK. So I want a return ticket to London next week…how much will that cost?

    C: Well, it […………………………..]on what sort of ticket you get. There are four different kinds… I’ll go through them for you. Right, the […………………………..]one’s the London Day Out. That’s good if you're just going away for the day…it includes some bus and tube travel in London, but you have to travel outside peak hours. That costs £18.00.

    S: OK…

    C: Now, the next one’s called the Super […………………………..]Return. You can travel on any train with that, but you have to book vour seat one dav ahead. Actually it’s better to book earlier if you can, because there’s only a limited number of tickets.

    S: OK..and how much is that?

    C: It’s £23.

    S: That doesn’t sound too bad. What about the other types of tickets?

    C: They’re more […………………………..]. There’s one called the Saver which again you can use on most trains outside peak hours, that’s […………………………..]. But you don’t need to buy it in advance, you can get it on the day you travel.

    S: Mmm, that’s a bit expensive.

    C: And finally, there’s the Open ticket, and with that you can travel on any train on any day of the week, and you don’t need to book ahead, but that costs […………………………..].

    S: £60! Right, I’ll have a Super Advance. Now, I’d like to leave next Friday morning on the 8:30 train and come back on Sunday at 10 p.m. And… you said that usually costs £23?

    C: That’s right.

    S: So how much do I save with the […………………………..]?

    C: You get a third off…a third off £23 is £7.66. so you’ll pav £15.34 . But then this time you have to pay for the railcard too…that’s […………………………..]plus 18.00…so altogether you’ll have to pay […………………………..].

    S: And when can I collect them?

    C: They'll be ready by […………………………..], they should be at the bookings office after about 10:00 a.m.

    S: Oh…I don’t know if I can make it on Wednesday. You can’t post them, can you?

    C: No, you have to collect your railcard in person and sign it, and I nearly forgot to tell you, you need a […………………………..]photograph for it. If you don’t have one, there’s a machine on the station.

    S: No, I think I’ve got one somewhere. I needed some for my college […………………………..]. I think I had one left over.

    C: Good. So is there anything else?

    S: No, that’s great. Thanks a lot. Bye!

    C: Goodbye.

    SECTION 2

    Hi! It’s good to see you all here today and what a pity the weather is so bad for your first day at university! It could at least have stayed […………………………..]today! Now, my name is Pat Baker, I work for student […………………………..]and I’m going to tell you all about our […………………………..]scheme for new students. We've had it in place for a few years now and people starting at university for the first time in general find it a very […………………………..]experience at these meetings. What happens is this: each of you, if you want to join the […………………………..], will be assigned a mentor-that is, someone who’s been studying here for a year or two and who can show you the ropes, in other words, show you how things work, give you advice if you need it and just generally be […………………………..]contact for you in the university. Of course you’ll have your […………………………..]and lecturers who will also help you with […………………………..]problems, but this is someone at 37our own age who has been through the same experience quite recently.

    What the […………………………..]does is to have a group of usually two or three students and he or she […………………………..]meetings preferably about once every two weeks-we generally find that more than that is just too often-where you chat about your problems, […………………………..]life or just about things in general and your mentor will give you the benefit of his or her experience.

    If you’re joining this scheme, you’ll be meeting your mentor today just after […………………………..]. If you haven’t signed up by the way, it’s not too late. Come and see me after the talk. Don’t be […………………………..]about this first meeting: It’s going to be quite short so you won’t have time to tell your mentor all your […………………………..]-you’ll just get to know each other a little bit and, most importantly, fix a time and a place for your next meeting, which you can have when you’re feeling more […………………………..]and not so […………………………..]by the newness of it all.

    Mentors, as I’ve said, have been through the same […………………………..]as you quite recently, so they can understand your problems. They’ll be able to tell you about […………………………..]systems, which are so different at university from what you were used to at school. Also, because at university you are much more independent and you have to spend so much time studying on your own, they can suggest […………………………..]for studying which will help you to keep Q15 up-to-date with your work.

    This university is an […………………………..]place, so another thing which they’ll be able to help with is university […………………………..]– you know, anything from sports halls to libraries to medical services and they can probably help you get […………………………..]in all sorts of social activities, too -parties, clubs, sports, whatever.

    So, as you can see, this is a pretty useful scheme, but it does rely on people […………………………..]. The telephone’s pretty useful if you have one, but students are busy people and often out doing things, so […………………………..]is probably better. Your mentor will be able to show you how to get an e-mail account.. .they don’t cost anything to students. They’re free. For people who have never been away from home before, a mentor is a useful contact and […………………………..]-somewhere between a friend and a parent. And no doubt as the year […………………………..]and you start getting […………………………..]around exam time, your mentor will be ready with usefal tips on the best wav to pass your exams- after all, they did the same ones either last year or the year before and they […………………………..]them!

    SECTION 3

    Disc Jockey: And now, after that old favourite from “The Corrs” […………………………..]"1 never loved you anyway”, we have Dr. Greenhill to talk to us today about stress in the […………………………..]. Is it getting worse, Dr. Greenhill?

    Dr. Greenhill: I’m not sure whether it’s getting worse or just that more people are talking about it. Certainly lots more people are […………………………..]about it. I’ve just completed a study of […………………………..]workers from 20 different countries. And I’ve taken a multi¬cultural […………………………..]to the subject.

    Disc Jockey: And what have you found?

    Dr. Greenhill: That broadly speaking the cause of stress are […………………………..]all over the world. For example, Ramon from Mexico City says that society […………………………..]people by individual success. But, he says, increasingly work is […………………………..]in teams. This means there’s a […………………………..]between personal goals and the need to […………………………..]with one’s colleagues. He finds this an acute source of stress, actually.

    Then there’s Kikuko, from Osaka, Japan, who says she’s under a lot of stress because the company she’s worked for 30 years is in […………………………..]. She says it’s because her […………………………..]made a number of bad […………………………..], but really what worries her most is that she might lose her job. You know, she’s in her 50s and at that age it’s not easy to find another one. She says that she also feels […………………………..]and that’s getting her […………………………..]too.

    Well, then there’s Boris, from Odessa in the Ukraine. He puts overwork at the top of his list of […………………………..]. Then there

    are other factors. Both he and his wife have full-time jobs so that when they get home they don’t get to relax much either.

    I guess that’s a problem most of us can relate to!

    Disc Jockey: We always hear about computers, e-mail and cell phones as things which get people tearing their hair out. Is this true?

    Dr. Greenhill: Mmm. In many cases, yes, but not so much as you might think-only […………………………..] of […………………………..]give this as the main cause- Etienne from Quebec. Canada, is one-though he also mentions change and the feeling of being a victim of […………………………..]beyond his control. Other people talk about the amount of work which comes with continual change as being more stressing than new […………………………..]themselves. People feel they lack […………………………..]in their working life.

    But we must remember that in many places it’s really lack of new technology that puts people under most […………………………..]. Take Nagwa from Sohag in Egypt, for example. She says that for her the main source of stress was working in noisy, hot, […………………………..]conditions day out and with no end in sight. So it seems, we can’t win either way!

    Disc Jockey: So, what can we as individuals do to make things easier for ourselves?

    Dr. Greenhill: Well, I’ve talked to a number of […………………………..]about this- doctors and […………………………..]– and here are a few suggestions for reducing stress without you having to change your job! First, vary vour diet: fish, pasta, vegetables, fruit and so on. Try not to live off sandwiches and fast food-a […………………………..]diet in other words. Also, we tend to drink too much coffee. […………………………..], the drug in coffee, gets us more […………………………..]. So, if you want to feel less […………………………..], drink less coffee. It’s tough at first but you’ll notice the difference […………………………..]just a few days. Finally, take regular exercise. It’s a great way of relaxing and of course it makes you more healthy too!

    For particular cause of stress there are various things you can do. If your problem is that you think you’ve got too much work on your […………………………..], what you probably need to do is […………………………..]time better. You have to learn to deal with the things which are really vital. Don’t waste time on […………………………..]. There are courses to help you with this. If you are worried about […………………………..], make plans so that if it happens you are ready for it. Do things like set money aside and update vour cv so it’s […………………………..]to new employers. As for new technologies, do training courses so that you feel at home with them and so that you don’t feel […………………………..]of them. So in the end the best way to deal with stress is for you to take control of your life and not allow yourself to be a victim of […………………………..].

    Disc Jockey: Thank you, Dr. Greenhill on fighting stress, and, just when you thought you could relax, here’s Dolly Parton working 9 to 5…

    SECTION 4

    Good evening and welcome to this month’s […………………………..]Club lecture. I’m Donald Mackie and I’m here to talk to you about the […………………………..]in history.

    A thousand years ago a total eclipse of the sun was a […………………………..]religious experience, but these days an eclipse is more likely to be viewed as a tourist […………………………..]than as a scientific or […………………………..]event. People will […………………………..]travel miles to be in the right place at the right time to get the best view of their eclipse.

    Well. What exacdy causes a solar eclipse-when the world goes dark for a few minutes in the middle of the day? […………………………..]speaking, the dark spot itself is easy to explain: it is the […………………………..]of the moon […………………………..]a different and, to all intents and purposes, a seemingly […………………………..]part of the globe.

    In the past people often […………………………..]an eclipse as a danger signal […………………………..]disaster and in fact, the Chinese were so […………………………..]bv these events that they included among their gods whose job was to […………………………..]eclipses. But whether or not you are […………………………..]or take a purely scientific view, our earthly eclipses are special in three different ways.

    Firstly, there can be no doubt that they are very beautiful. It’s as if a deep blue […………………………..]has fallen over the […………………………..]sky as the sun becomes a black void […………………………..]by the glow of its outer atmosphere.

    But beyond this, total eclipses […………………………..]a second more compelling beauty in the eves of us scientists…for they offer a unique […………………………..]for research. Only during an eclipse can we study the […………………………..]and other dim things that are normally lost in the sun’s glare.

    And thirdly, they are rare. Even though an eclipse of the sun […………………………..]somewhere on earth, if you sit in your garden and wait, it will take […………………………..]on average for one to come to you. If the moon werp any larger eclipses would become a monthly […………………………..]: if it were smaller, they simply would not be possible.

    The ancient […………………………..]priests, who spent a fair bit of time staring at the sky, had already noted that there was an […………………………..]pattern in their recurrence but they didn’t have the […………………………..]to predict an eclipse […………………………..]. It was Edmund Hailey, the English […………………………..], who knew his maths well enough to […………………………..]the return of the comet which, […………………………..]bears his name.

    In 1735, Edmund Hallev became the first person to make an accurate prediction of an eclipse.

    This brought eclipses firmly into the scientific […………………………..]and they have since allowed a number of important scientific […………………………..]to be made. For instance, in the eclipse of 1868, two scientists-Janssen and Lockyer, were observing the sun’s atmosphere and it was these […………………………..]that ultimately led to the discovery of a new […………………………..]. They named the element helium after the Greek god of the sun. This was a major find, because […………………………..]turned out to be the most […………………………..]element in the universe after hydrogen. Another great […………………………..]involved Mercury…IH just put that up on the board for you now. See – there’s Mercury – the planet closest to the Sun-then Venus, Earth, etc. For centuries, scientists had been unable to understand why Mercury […………………………..]to rotate faster than it should. Some […………………………..]suggested that there might be an undiscovered planet causing this unusual […………………………..]and even gave it the name ‘Vulcan”. During the eclipse of […………………………..], an American astronomer, James Watson, thought he had […………………………..]this so-called “lost” planet. But, alas for him, he was later […………………………..]to admit that he had been wrong about Vulcan and […………………………..]his claim.

    Then Albert Einstein came on the scene. Einstein suggested that rather than being wrong about the number of planets, astronomers were actually wrong about […………………………..]. Einstein's theory of relativity-for which he is so famous-[…………………………..]with Newton’s law of gravity in just the right way to explain […………………………..]odd orbit. He also realized that a […………………………..]test would be possible during the total eclipse of […………………………..]and this is indeed when the theory was finally proved correct.

    So there you have several examples of how eclipses have helped to […………………………..]our understanding of the universe, and now let’s move on to the […………………………..]

    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.

    IELTS Cue Card Sample 72 – Topic: Describe an Bike/ Car Trip

    Posted: 06 Nov 2016 12:24 AM PDT

    IELTS Cue Card Topic:

    Describe a bicycle/motorbike/car trip that is interesting

    You should say:

    • Where you would like to go
    • How you would like to go there
    • Who you would like to go with
    • And explain why you would like to go there by car, motorbike or bike

    Band 8.0+ Sample Answer

    There is a thing that troubles me more often than not when living in Vietnam is the majority of people are riding motorbikes rather than cars. As a result, most people don't know how to drive a car, I included, which also itches me since I have always wanted to take a road trip across the country. A road trip by car from the south to the north of Vietnam would be tough and adventurous because hundreds of marvelous destinations are awaiting to be explored. However, it is worth taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone to truly experience what life has to offer when your legs can still carry you rather than to regret in your later life.

    "If you wanna go fast, go alone. If you wanna go far, go together." It might be fun if you were a lone traveler and didn't enjoy getting lagged behind your schedule. Still, the adventure could be more colorful and unexpected, hopefully in a good way, when you got company, especially during a long journey like the one I prefer. Hence, picking up a close friend or two who share the same vision, the same eagerness to capture the beauty of Vietnam would be my choice. We would start from the south where we are living and move north on the go, stopping at our favorite beaches like Phu Quoc, Nha Trang… a little longer than other places because there ain't nobody don't have time for juicy coconuts and white sand paradise. Vietnamese cuisine would also be our utmost priority whenever we reach a new place as the best way to live like a local is to eat like a local. A car is our best choice because it would give us room to comfortably converse with each other and shelter from inclement weather during our journey, if any. It is not only about the destinations but also about the time I would love to spend with my dear friends as we would share the same space in a four-wheel vehicle along the road; and at the end of the day, it's the people that matters.

    Vocabulary & Useful Expression

    • more often than not: usually
    • take risks: to do something that might be dangerous
    • have to offer: have something available to be used or appreciated
    • get lagged behind: get fallen behind
    • cuisine (n): style of cooking
    • utmost (a): greatest; most extreme
    • inclement (a)(of the weather) not pleasant; cold, wet, etc.
    • at the end of the day: in the end, finally
    • shelter (v): protect or shield from something harmful, especially bad weather

    Collins Cobuild: Phrasal Verbs Workbook

    Posted: 05 Nov 2016 11:29 PM PDT

    The Collins COBUILD Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs lists over 3,000 phrasal verbs and explains over 5,500 different meanings. This workbook practises the most important phrasal verbs, with around 300 different meanings. Almost 50% of these are formed with 18 common verbs. Six common verbs – bring, come, get, go, put and take – account for nearly 30% of the phrasal verbs in this workbook.

    INTRODUCTIONS:

    Though the workbook can be used on its own, more benefit will be gained by working closely with the Dictionary. Practice is approached through the individual particles, as featured in the Particles Index of the Dictionary.

    This workbook is a vocabulary book rather than a grammar book. The examples and exercises throughout the book show the different syntactic patterns of the phrasal verbs. Whilst working on this book, it was found that the most important phrasal verbs are nearly always adverbial. These are also the most difficult phrasal verbs for learners to understand. It is for this reason that prepositional phrasal verbs are not included in this workbook.

    For a detailed explanation of the grammar of phrasal verbs please refer to the Collins Cobuild Hnglish Grammar, as well as the introduction in the Collins Cobuild Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.

    HOW TO USE THE WORKBOOK

    There are ten units of material. The first nine units deal with single particles and these units are arranged in alphabetical sequence in the book; the final unit concentrates on seven more particles. All the units follow a similar format, and can be studied in any order. As this book is designed both for classwork and self-study, an answer key to the exercises is given at the back of the book.

    Every unit has an introductory page giving the important meanings of the particle being studied, with lists of the phrasal verbs to be practised in each section of the unit. Sometimes a phrasal verb appears twice in the same section, with two meanings. Quite often, a phrasal verb appears in two or three different sections. This is not surprising, as most phrasal verbs have more than one meaning, and can sometimes have as many as 20 different meanings.

    The final section of each unit is called Other Meanings. This includes phrasal verbs which often do fit into a category of meaning, but the category is too small or too limited in its meaning to be included in this workbook. You will, of course, find them in the Particles Index of the Dictionary. The other phrasal verbs included in

    Other Meanings are those which are too common to be excluded, but which do not clearly fit into any particular category of meaning.

    Under each category of meaning on the introductory page, space has been provided for other phrasal verbs to be added.

    • The Sections

    Each section of a unit covers one category of meaning. If more than ten phrasal verbs are to be studied, the section is split into two pans. A section begins with example sentences, showing typical use of the phrasal verbs. The examples are often followed by Language Comments, which highlight other phrasal verbs with similar or opposite meanings, and which also give more formal equivalent verbs, when they exist. It is a common misconception that phrasal verbs are mostly used in spoken language. They can be found in many styles of writing, including highly formal government reports.

    • The Exercises

    If a category of meaning includes phrasal verbs which are particularly difficult to understand, the first exercise asks you to complete the definitions of some or all of the phrasal verbs. Subsequent exercises involve matching phrases or sentences; choosing the phrasal verb that best fits a gapped sentence, from three alternatives provided; deciding on an appropriate phrasal verb to fill a gap, where no alternatives are given. For this last exercise you should pay particular attention to the form of the verb. Throughout the book you will also find exercises called Bad Jokes, where you are asked to match the two halves of the jokes.

    In most sections, there is a final memorization exercise, which has an elephant symbol beside it. Memory is aided by links, connections, and images. We remember unusual things much more easily than ‘normal’ things. In this exercise you should write a paragraph containing at least one example of each of the phrasal verbs in the section you have just studied. The phrasal verbs do not necessarily have to be in the same order. You must use a minimum of words or images. It is very important to have a clear mental picture of your story; you should be able to see ! as a little film in your head. To be more memorable, your paragraph could be exaggerated, strange, ridiculous, impossible, or amusing. ‘Hie Answer Key contains a sample paragraph on page 140.

    At the end of each unit there is a separate section of revision exercises, so that you can check your progress

    FREE DOWNLOAD HERE:

    Download Collins Cobuild: Phrasal Verbs Workbook

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