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- Obsolete – Word Of The Day For IELTS
- IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE TEST 38 & BAND 8.0+ SAMPLE ANSWERS
- Academic IELTS Writing Task 1 – Process & Band 8.0 Sample Answers
- A Leopard Cannot Change His Spots – Idiom Of The Day For IELTS
- IELTS Cue Card Sample 78 – Topic: A Large Company
- IELTS Reading Recent Actual Test 6 in 2016 with Answer Key
- Advanced Prepositions to Score Band 7.0+ in IELTS Writing
| Obsolete – Word Of The Day For IELTS Posted: 30 Dec 2016 05:22 AM PST Obsolete – Word Of The Day For IELTS Speaking And WritingObsolete: (Adjective)/ˌɑːbsəˈliːt/ Definition:no longer useful, because something newer and better has been invented Synonyms:Out-of-date, Unfashionable, Antiquated Example:For IELTS Speaking:. For IELTS Writing: Exercise:Match the word below to complete these sentences. property, sweeping, nonentity, phoneme, nominal, retrial
Answer keys:
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 SPEAKING PRACTICE TEST 38 & BAND 8.0+ SAMPLE ANSWERS Posted: 30 Dec 2016 04:37 AM PST Check out IELTS Speaking Recent Actual Test in December 2016 & Sample Answers to be well prepared for both IELTS Academic & General Training Test.IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topics & QuestionsHouse or apartment
I'm living in a small house that has 2 storeys. It's a cozy house and was painted in green
I love my bedroom the best. I have my own space and personalize it to my liking. I always feel comfortable and relaxed in my room Personalize: If you personalize an object, you change it or add to it so that it is obvious that it belongs to or comes from you To my liking: If something is to your liking, it suits your interests, tastes, or wishes.
I'd like to have a small garden at the back yard. I want to grow some trees and flowers and it'd be perfect place to get away from the hectic of life Hectic: 1 full of activity, or very busy and fast
I think I'd move to another city. Though I've been living here for a long time, staying at one place can't teach me new things in life. I want to open my mind and spend time to explore the world open my mind: a mind or attitude that is open to new ideas and opinions
Well, my house is lower than other houses so there isn't much thing to see as it's surrounded by buildings and electric wire
Both of them are good for me. As long as we get on well with each other so no matter where we meet, I'm still happy get on well with: to have a good relationship
I'm friendly with everyone so whoever comes to my house I always treat the same. I'll ask them to stay for dinner or have some tea while talking. It makes the guests feel more comfortable so they'll come back the next time
Chocolate
Absolutely. I have a sweet tooth so chocolate is my favorite thing. It's full of flavor that makes my mouth water Have a sweet tooth :like eating sweet foods, especially sweets and chocolate. Makes my mouth water: to make someone hungry (for something)
I guess 2 or 3 times a week. Eating too much makes tooth decay so I just eat a small bar of chocolate when I'm hungry Decay: to (cause something to) become gradually damaged, worse, or less
Some people love chocolate some people don't so I only give them chocolate if they fancy it. Besides, I don't know how to choose delicious chocolate so I prefer giving another present like clothes
I think Chocolate is sweet and tasty so kids love it and even adults. It is also cheap and easy to eat
IELTS Speaking Part 2Describe a person from your past you would like to see again You should say: Who it is When did you see this person What do you know about this person And explain why do you want to see this person
SAMPLE ANSWER: The person I'm going to talk about is a friend or mine from Germany. I met him on Couchsurfing which is a famous app for travellers to (1) make new friends . (2) To the best of my recollection, I was surfing the internet then he (3) dropped me a message to hang out with him. I was reluctant at first as I didn't know who he was but (4) I had some on my hand so I said yes. My first impression about him was that he looked so young like way younger than I thought. He came to Vietnam as a part of his gap year plan and it was his last destination before coming back to Germany . I didn't have much expectation but that conversation really (5) breathed new life into me as we found out we both love teaching. He talked passionately about opening his own English center and his (6) aspiration to teach English for everyone. We (7) shared the same goal so that conversation lasted for hours with lots of ideas showed up. He also gave me sound advice to improve my English and how to teach effectively. Although he is young, he talks and thinks like a (8)fully matured man. Unfortunately that was his last day in Vietnam so we spent every moment to enjoy (9)quality time together. He inspired me a lot to become a better teacher and I do hope to see him again some day
IELTS Speaking Part 3
In my opinion, it depends on interest and goal of each person . People can go to the gym, make friends with ones who love (1) working out or join in some English clubs if they want to enhance English . Social networks is helpful method to find friends from all over the world and it (2) narrows the gap among people. They may even find their (3) soulmate there
I partly agree with this. People tend to (1) make up a new version of themshelves to impress others or (2) cover their weaknesses. That's why once they meet in person, they'll be upset about their (3) e-friend. On the one hand, it’s easier to (4) strike up a conversation when you’re hiding behind a screen. Lots of people have friends online and they (4) are bounded by distance but they are still nice with each other. They still keep in touch and become (5) lifelong friends like other relationships
I believe that (1) a friend in need is a friend in deed. A good friend means he'll be a (2) pillar of support to his friends though (3) thick and thin. They will never give up on each other and (4) keep each other in line
I think people are more (1) naïve when they are still at school. They don't know how to (2) ingratiate others and just make friends with people that make them happy.This warm relationship sets the stage for all future relationships, including friendships. Besides, people are (3) occupied with their work so they hardly have time to meet new friends and collegues tend to compete with each other. That's why when people grow up, it's harder for them to find true friends
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| Academic IELTS Writing Task 1 – Process & Band 8.0 Sample Answers Posted: 30 Dec 2016 03:52 AM PST IELTS Writing Task 1 Topic:The pictures below show the recycling process of wasted glass bottles. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison where relevant Sample AnswersThe diagram illustrates how wasted bottles made from glass are recycled and delivered back to the store. Overall, there are 3 main stages in the whole glass bottle recycling process, beginning with collecting wasted jars and finishing with the delivery of the products for sale. In the first stage, wasted glass jars are deposited at collection points where they are loaded on trucks to transport to a glass treatment plant. In the second stage, several steps are taken in order to transform wasted glass to recycled products. Firstly, bottles are washed under high-pressure water to remove any impurities, following that they are classified into 3 categories based on the colour, namely clear, green and brown glass. They are then transferred to glass factories in which they are crushed into debris. In the next step, those pieces are melted in a glass-melting furnace at around 600 to 800 degree Celsius. After that, recycled liquid glass together with new liquid glass are moulded into new products. In the last stage, the glass is used to bottle different products, and then sent back to the supermarket ready for sale. (185 words)
Sample Answers:The diagram illustrates the various stages in the recycling of waste glass bottles. There are three main stages shown in the diagram, beginning with the collection of the used glass bottles and ending with the delivery of products in new bottles to retail outlets such as supermarkets. Stage 2 begins with the process of cleaning the bottles with high pressure water and they are then separated into clear, green and brown glass. This is then broken into pieces in the glass factory and passed through a furnace, where they are burned at a temperature of 600 to 800 degrees Celsius. This recycled glass is now in liquid form, and it is joined with new liquid glass ready for moulding into a bottle shape. In the final stage, the new bottles are used for different products, ready for sale in supermarkets or shops. 166 words.  | ||||||||||||||||||
| A Leopard Cannot Change His Spots – Idiom Of The Day For IELTS Posted: 30 Dec 2016 12:14 AM PST A Leopard Cannot Change His Spots – Idiom Of The Day For IELTS Speaking.Definition: We cannot change the nature of things Example: “Mr. Wilson could not yell at Fred for stealing his mangoes because he is a very gentle and forgiving person. This instance portrays that Mr. Wilson was like a leopard who cannot change his spots.” “I doubt very much that marriage will change Chris for the better. A leopard cannot change its spots.” ” No matter what John told you, please do not rely on him, I know him too well, a leopard can't change its spots.“ Exercise:
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| IELTS Cue Card Sample 78 – Topic: A Large Company Posted: 30 Dec 2016 12:03 AM PST IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topic:Describe a large company that you know: you should say what kind of company it is what the company does why you are interested in it and explain how you became interested in this company.
Sample Answer I'd like to talk about Zalora group, one of the leading companies (1)specializing in selling clothes. It is an (2)e-commerce company for online shopping purposes and provides (3) a wide variety of style as well as current (4) fashion trend for both men and women . The company has been through so many (5)ups and downs that there was a time when they were (5) on the edge of bankruptcy. At first, I didn't care much about it ,not until I (6) came across a(7) eye-catching dress when going shopping in the mega mall did I become interested in its products. What amazed me is that the price is much cheaper than other brands so I can (8)get the best offer without (9)asking for a bargain. Normally it would take me 3 days for the (10) merchandise to be delivered but just only 2 days I could receive it. Another thing is that the (11) refund policy of zalora is much better than Lazada which is its (12) competitor. Customers can return (13) unpleasing products within 10 days and get a brand new one with similar price so that's the reason why zalora has great (14) customer base than any competitors. Lately, the company has (15) expanded its chain all over the place, therefore, customers no longer have to wait for delivered products and can enjoy great service from (16) physical stores. Starting from (17) modest investment to a leading company that has (18) highly profitable and thousands of employees, zalora is an icon for lots of (19) start-ups and (20 ) youngsters (21) running their own businesses. Useful Vocabulary & Expressions:
Ex :My company specializes in selling products online
Ex: Zalora group is an e-commerce company that sells everykind of clothes
Ex: Hanoi has a wide variety of tourist attractions
Ex: jeans is the fashion trend of all the time
Ex: he has been through so many ups and downs in life so he is more mature than his fellows
Ex: when I was travelling in India, I came across this lovely coffee shop
Ex: this dress is so eye-catching that I cant keep my eyes off it
Ex: you should go to Zalora if you want to get the best offer
Ex: you should ask for a bargain for whatever you buy in Vietnam or else you will be ripped off ( chặt chém giá)
Ex: there are plenty of merchandises I want to buy when going shopping
Ex: I never buy anything at a store that doesn't have refund policy
Ex: one of the things that companies face with is their competitors
Ex: unpleasing prodcuts should be returned within 15 days
Ex: a healthy company is the one that has large customer base
Ex: after working in clothes industry for 5 years, the firm decided to expand its chain to Asian countries
Ex: I prefer going to physical store to online store
Ex: every company starting with modest investment may not work for a long time due to the lack of captital
Ex: his company is doing really well as it has highly profitable
Ex: there are more and more start-ups in technology market
Ex: youngsters are really active as many of them have become successful businessmen
Ex: running a business has lots of pitfalls so you better consider about it  | ||||||||||||||||||
| IELTS Reading Recent Actual Test 6 in 2016 with Answer Key Posted: 29 Dec 2016 10:54 PM PST SECTION 1Coastal Archaeology of Britain AThe recognition of the wealth and diversity of England’s coastal archaeology has been one of the most important developments of recent years. Some elements of this enormous resource have long been known. The so-called ‘submerged forests’ off the coasts of England, sometimes with clear evidence of human activity, had attracted the interest of antiquarians since at least the eighteenth century but serious and systematic attention has been given to the archaeological potential of the coast only since the early 1980s. B It is possible to trace a variety of causes for this concentration of effort and interest In the 1980s and 1990s scientific research into climate change and its environmental impact spilled over into a much broader public debate as awareness of these issues grew; the prospect of rising sea levels over the next century, and their impact on current coastal environments, has been a particular focus for concern. At the same time archaeologists were beginning to recognize that the destruction caused by natural processes of coastal erosion and by human activity was having an increasing impact on the archaeological resource of the coast. C The dominant process affecting the physical form of England in the post- glacial period has been the rise in the altitude of sea level relative to the land, as the glaciers melted and the landmass readjusted. The encroachment of the sea, the loss of huge areas of land now under the North Sea and the English Channel, and especially the loss of the land bridge between England and France, which finally made Britain an island, must have been immensely significant factors in the lives of our prehistoric ancestors. Yet the way in which prehistoric communities adjusted to these environmental changes has seldom been a major theme in discussions of the period. One factor contributing to this has been that, although the rise in relative sea level is comparatively well documented, we know little about the constant reconfiguration of the coastline. This was affected by many processes, mostly quiet, which have not yet been adequately researched. The detailed reconstruction of coastline histories and the changing environments available for human use will be an important theme for future research. D So great has been the rise in sea level and the consequent regression of the coast that uch of the archaeological evidence now exposed in the coastal zone, whether being eroded or exposed as a buried land surface, is derived from what was originally terres-trial occupation. Its current location in the coastal zone is the product of later unrelated processes, and it can tell us little about past adaptations to the sea. Estimates of its significance will need to be made in the context of other related evidence from dry land sites. Nevertheless, its physical environment means that preservation is often excellent, for example in the case of the Neolithic structure excavated at the Stumble in Essex. E In some cases these buried land surfaces do contain evidence for human exploitation of what was a coastal environment, and elsewhere along the modem coast there is similarevidence. Where the evidence does relate to past human exploitation of the resources and the opportunities offered by the sea and the coast, it is both diverse and as yet little understood. We are not yet in a position to make even preliminary estimates of answers to such fundamental questions as the extent to which the sea and the coast affected human life in the past, what percentage of the population at any time lived within reach of the sea, or whether human settlements in coastal environments showed a distinct character from those inland. F The most striking evidence for use of the sea is in the form of boats, yet we still have much to learn about their production and use. Most of the known wrecks around our coast are not unexpectedly of post-medieval date, and offer an unparalleled opportunity for research which has as yet been little used. The prehistoric sewn-plank boats such as those from the Humber estuary and Dover all seem to belong to the second millennium BC; after this there is a gap in the record of a millennium, which cannot yet be explained, before boats reappear, but built using a very different technology. Boatbuilding must have been an extremely important activity around much of our coast, yet we know almost nothing about it, Boats were some of the most complex artefacts produced by pre-modem societies, and further research on their production and use make an important contribution to our understanding of past attitudes to technology and technological change. G Boats needed landing places, yet here again our knowledge is very patchy In many cases the natural shores and beaches would have sufficed, leaving little or no archaeological trace, but especially in later periods, many ports and harbors, as welJ as smaller facili- ties such as quays, wharves, and jetties, were built. Despite a growth of interest in the waterfront archaeology of some of our more important Roman and medieval towns, very little attention has been paid to the multitude of smaller landing places. Redevelopment of harbor sites and other development and natural pressures along the coast are subject- ing these important locations to unprecedented threats, yet few surveys of such sites have been undertaken. H One of the most important revelations of recent research has been the extent ofindustrial activity along the coast. Fishing and salt production are among the better documented activities, but even here our knowledge is patchy Many forms of fishing will eave little archaeological trace, and one of the surprises of recent survey has been the extent of past investment in facilities for procuring fish and shellfish. Elaborate wooden fish weirs, often of considerable extent and responsive to aerial photography in shallow water, have been identified in areas such as Essex and the Severn estuary. The production of salt, especially in the late Iron Age and early Roman periods, has been recognized for some time, especially in the Thames estuary and around the Solent and Poole Harbor, but the reasons for the decline of that industry and the nature of later coastal salt working are much less well understood. Other industries were also located along the coast, either because the raw materials outcropped there or for ease of working and transport: mineral resources such as sand, gravel, stone, coal, ironstone, and alum were all exploited. These industries are poorly documented, but their mains are sometimes extensive and striking. I Some appreciation of the variety and importance of the archaeological remains preserved in the coastal zone, albeit only in preliminary form, can thus be gained from recent work, but the complexity of the problem of managing that resource is also being realised. The problem arises not only from the scale and variety of the archaeological remains, but also from two other sources: the very varied natural and human threats to the resource, and the complex web of organisations with authority over, or interests in, the coastal zone. Human threats include the redevelopment of historic towns and old dockland areas, and the increased importance of the coast for the leisure and tourism industries, resulting in pressure for the increased provision of facilities such as marinas. The larger size of ferries has also caused an increase in the damage caused by their wash to fragile deposits in the intertidal zone. The most significant natural threat is the predicted rise in sea level over the next century especially in the south and east of England. Its impact on archaeology is not easy to predict, and though it is likely to be highly localised, it will be at a scale much larger than that of most archaeological sites. Thus protecting one site may simply result in transposing the threat to a point further along the coast. The management of the archaeological remains will have to be considered in a much longer time scale and a much wider geographical scale than is common in the case of dry land sites, and this will pose a serious challenge for archaeologists. Questions 1-3 Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write your answers in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet. 1.What has caused public interest in coastal archaeology in recent years? A Golds and jewelleries in the ships that have submerged B The rising awareness of climate change C Forests under the sea D Technological advance in the field of sea research 2. What does the passage say about the evidence of boats? A We have a good knowledge of how boats were made and what boats were for prehistorically B Most of the boats discovered were found in harbors C The use of boats had not been recorded for a thousand years D The way to build boats has remained unchanged throughout human history 3. What can be discovered from the air? A Salt mines B Shellfish C Ironstones D Fisheries Questions 4-10 Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1? In boxes 4-10 on your answer sheet, write
4. England lost much of its land after the ice-age due to the rising sea level. 5. The coastline of England has changed periodically. 6. Coastal archaeological evidence may be well-protected by sea water. 7. The design of boats used by pre-modem people was very simple. 8. Similar boats were also discovered in many other European countries 9. There are few documents relating to mineral exploitation. 10. Large passenger boats are causing increasing damage to the seashore. Questions 11-13 Choose THREE letters J-G Write your answer in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet Which THREE of the following statements are mentioned in the passage? A Our prehistoric ancestors adjusted to the environmental change caused by the rising sea level by moving to higher lands B It is difficult to understand how many people lived close to the sea. C Human settlements in coastal environment were different from those inland. D Our knowledge of boat evidence is limited. E The prehistoric boats were built mainly for collecting sand from the river. F Human development threatens the archaeological remains. G The reason for the decline of salt industry was the shortage of laborers.
SECTION 2 Activities for Children A Twenty-five years ago, children in London walked to school and played in parks and playing fields after school and at the weekend. Today they are usually driven to school by parents anxious about safety and spend hours glued to television screens or computer games. Meanwhile, community playing fields are being sold off to property developers at an alarming rate. ‘This change in lifestyle has, sadly, meant greater restrictions on children,’ says Neil Armstrong, Professor of Health and Exercise Sciences at the University of Exeter. ‘If children continue to be this inactive, they’ll be storing up big problems for the future.’ B In 1985, Professor Armstrong headed a five-year research project into children’s fitness. The results, published in 1990, were alarming. The survey, which monitored 700 11-16-year-olds, found that 48 per cent of girls and 41 per cent of boys already exceeded safe cholesterol levels set for children by the American Heart Foundation. Armstrong adds, “heart is a muscle and need exercise, or it loses its strength." It also found that 13 per cent of boys and 10 per cent of girls were overweight. More disturbingly, the survey found that over a four-day period, half the girls and one-third of the boys did less exercise than the equivalent of a brisk 10-minute walk. High levels of cholesterol, excess body fat and inactivity are believed to increase the risk of coronary heart disease. C Physical education is under pressure in the UK – most schools devote little more than 100 minutes a week to it in curriculum time, which is less than many other European countries. Three European countries are giving children a head start in PE, France, Austria and Switzerland – offer at least two hours in primary and secondary schools. These findings, from the European Union of Physical Education Associations, prompted specialists in children’s physiology to call on European governments to give youngsters a daily PE programme. The survey shows that the UK ranks 13th out of the 25 countries, with Ireland bottom, averaging under an hour a week for PE. From age six to 18，British children received, on average, 106 minutes of PE a week. Professor Armstrong, who presented the findings at the meeting, noted that since the introduction of the national curriculum there had been a marked fall in the time devoted to PE in UK schools, with only a minority of pupils getting two hours a week. D As a former junior football international, Professor Armstrong is a passionate advocate for sport. Although the Government has poured millions into beefing up sport in the community, there is less commitment to it as part of the crammed school curriculum. This means that many children never acquire the necessary skills to thrive in team games. If they are no good at them, they lose interest and establish an inactive pattern of behaviour. When this is coupled with a poor diet, it will lead inevitably to weight gain. Seventy per cent of British children give up all sport when they leave school, compared with only 20 per cent of French teenagers. Professor Armstrong believes that there is far too great an emphasis on team games at school. “We need to look at the time devoted to PE and balance it between individual and pair activities, such as aerobics and badminton, as well as team sports. “He added that children need to have the opportunity to take part in a wide variety of individual, partner and team sports. E The good news, however, is that a few small companies and children’s activity groups have reacted positively and creatively to the problem. Take That, shouts Gloria Thomas, striking a disco pose astride her mini-spacehopper. Take That, echo a flock of toddlers, adopting outrageous postures astride their space hoppers. ‘Michael Jackson, she shouts, and they all do a spoof fan-crazed shriek. During the wild and chaotic hopper race across the studio floor, commands like this are issued and responded to with untrammelled glee. The sight of 15 bouncing seven-year-olds who seem about to launch into orbit at every bounce brings tears to the eyes. Uncoordinated, loud, excited and emotional, children provide raw comedy. F Any cardiovascular exercise is a good option, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be high intensity. It can be anything that gets your heart rate up: such as walking the dog, swimming, miming, skipping, hiking. “Even walking through the grocery store can be exercise,” Samis-Smith said. What they don’t know is that they’re at a Fit Kids class, and that the fun is a disguise for the serious exercise plan they’re covertly being taken through. Fit Kids trains parents to run fitness classes for children. ‘Ninety per cent of children don’t like team sports,’ says company director, Gillian Gale. G A Prevention survey found that children whose parents keep in shape are much more likely to have healthy body weights themselves. “There’s nothing worse than telling a child what he needs to do and not doing it yourself,” says Elizabeth Ward, R.D., a Boston nutritional consultant and author of Healthy Foods, Healthy Kids . “Set a good example and get your nutritional house in order first.” In the 1930s and ’40s, kids expended 800 calories a day just walking, carrying water, and doing other chores, notes Fima Lifshitz, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist in Santa Barbara. “Now, kids in obese families are expending only 200 calories a day in physical activity,” says Lifshitz, “incorporate more movement in your family’s lifepark farther away from the stores at the mall, take stairs instead of the elevator, and walk to nearby friends’ houses instead of driving.” Questions 14 -17 The reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-G. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter A-G, in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet. 14. Health and living condition of children 15. Health organization monitored physical activity 16. Comparison of exercise time between UK and other countries 17. Wrong approach for school activity Questions 18-21 Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 18-21 on your answer sheet, write
18. According to American Heart Foundation, cholesterol levels of boys are higher than girls’. 19. British children generally do less exercise than some other European countries. 20. Skipping becomes more and more popular in schools of UK. 21. According to Healthy Kids, the first task is for parents to encourage their children to keep the same healthy body weight. Questions 22-26 Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write your answers in boxes 22-26 on your answer sheet. 22. According to paragraph A, what does Professor Neil Armstrong concern about? A Spending more time on TV affect academic level B Parents have less time stay with their children C Future health of British children D Increasing speed of property’s development 23. What does Armstrong indicate in Paragraph B? A We need to take a 10 minute walk everyday B We should do more activity to exercise heart C Girls’ situation is better than boys D Exercise can cure many disease 24.What is aim of First Kids’ trainning? A Make profit by running several sessions B Only concentrate on one activity for each child C To guide parents how to organize activities for children D Spread the idea that team sport is better 25. What did Lifshitz suggest in the end of this passage? ACreate opportunities to exercise your body B Taking elevator saves your time C Kids should spend more than 200 calories each day D We should never drive but walk 26. What is main idea of this passage? A health of the children who are overweight is at risk in the future B Children in UK need proper exercises C Government mistaken approach for children D Parents play the most important role in children’s activity SECTION 3You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 on the following pages. Mechanisms of Linguistic Change A The changes that have caused the most disagreement are those in pronunciation. We have various sources of evidence for the pronunciations of earlier times, such as the spellings, the treatment of words borrowed from other languages or borrowed by them, the descriptions of contemporary grammarians and spelling-reformers, and the modern pronunciations in all the languages and dialects concerned From the middle of the sixteenth century, there are in England writers who attempt to describe the position of the speech-organs for the production of English phonemes, and who invent what are in effect systems of phonetic symbols. These various kinds of evidence, combined with a knowledge of the mechanisms of speech-production, can often give us a very good idea of the pronunciation of an earlier age, though absolute certainty is never possible. B When we study the pronunciation of a language over any period of a few generations or more, we find there are always large-scale regularities in the changes: for example, over a certain period of time, just about all the long [a:] vowels in a language may change into long [e:] vowels, or all the [b] consonants in a certain position (for example at the end of a word) may change into [p] consonants. Such regular changes are often called sound laws. There are no universal sound laws (even though sound laws often reflect universal tendencies), but simply particular sound laws for one given language (or dialect) at one given period C It is also possible that fashion plays a part in the process of change. It certainly plays a part in the spread of change: one person imitates another, and people with the most prestige are most likely to be imitated, so that a change that takes place in one social group may be imitated (more or less accurately) by speakers in another group. When a social group goes up or down in the world, its pronunciation of Russian, which had formerly been considered desirable, became on the contrary an undesirable kind of accent to have, so that people tried to disguise it. Some of the changes in accepted English pronunciation in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries have been shown to consist in the replacement of one style of pronunciation by another style already existing, and it is likely that such substitutions were a result of the great social changes of the period: the increased power and wealth of the middle classes, and their steady infiltration upwards into the ranks of the landed gentry, probably carried elements of middle-class pronunciation into upper-class speech. D A less specific variant of the argument is that the imitation of children is imperfect: they copy their parents' speech, but never reproduce it exactly. This is true, but it is also true that such deviations from adult speech are usually corrected in later childhood. Perhaps it is more significant that even adults show a certain amount of random variation in their pronunciation of a given phoneme, even if the phonetic context is kept unchanged. This, however, cannot explain changes in pronunciation unless it can be shown that there is some systematic trend in the failures of imitation: if they are merely random deviations they will cancel one another out and there will be no net change in the language. E One such force which is often invoked is the principle of ease, or minimization of effort. The change from fussy to fuzzy would be an example of assimilation, which is a very common kind of change. Assimilation is the changing of a sound under the influence of a neighbouring one. For example, the word scant was once skamt, but the /m/ has been changed to /n/ under the influence of the following /t/. Greater efficiency has hereby been achieved, because /n/ and /t/ are articulated in the same place (with the tip of the tongue against the teeth-ridge), whereas /m/ is articulated elsewhere (with the two lips). So the place of articulation of the nasal consonant has been changed to conform with that of the following plosive. A more recent example of the same kind of thing is the common pronunciation of football as football. F Assimilation is not the only way in which we change our pronunciation in order to increase efficiency. It is very common for consonants to be lost at the end of a word: in Middle English, word-final [-n] was often lost in unstressed syllables, so that baken 'to bake' changed from [‘ba:kan] to [‘ba:k3],and later to [ba:k]. Consonant-clusters are often simplified. At one time there was a [t] in words like castle and Christmas, and an initial [k] in words like knight and know. Sometimes a whole syllable is dropped out when two successive syllables begin with the same consonant (haplology): a recent example is temporary, which in Britain is often pronounced as if it were tempory. Questions 27-30 Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet. The pronunciation of living language undergo changes throughout thousands of years. Large scale regular Changes are usually called 27___________ . There are three reasons for these changes. Firstly, the influence of one language on another; when one person imitates another pronunciation(the most prestige's), the imitation always partly involving factor of 28______________ . Secondly, the imitation of children from adults1 language sometimes are 29___________ , and may also contribute to this change if there are insignificant deviations tough later they may be corrected Finally, for those random variations in pronunciation, the deeper evidence lies in the 30______________or minimization of effort. Questions 31-37 Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3? In boxes 31-37 on your answer sheet, write
31. it is impossible for modern people to find pronunciation of words in an earlier age 32. The great change of language in Russian history is related to the rising status and fortune of middle classes. 33. All the children learn speeches from adults white they assume that certain language is difficult to imitate exactly. 34. Pronunciation with causal inaccuracy will not exert big influence on language changes. 35. The link of can be influenced being pronounced as ‘nf’ 36. The [g] in gnat not being pronounced will not be spelt out in the future. 37. The sound of ‘temporary’ cannot wholly present its spelling. Questions 38-40 Look at the following sentences and the list of statements below. Match each statement with the correct sentence, A-D. Write the correct letter, A-D, in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet A Since the speakers can pronounce it with less effort B Assimilation of a sound under the influence of a neighbouring one C It is a trend for changes in pronunciation in a large scale in a given period D Because the speaker can pronounce [n] and [t] both in the same time 38. As a consequence, 'b' will be pronounced as 39. The pronunciation of [mt] changed to [nt] 40. The omit of ‘f in the sound of Christmas ANSWER KEYS1 B 2 C 3 D 4 TRUE 5 FALSE 6 TRUE 7 FALSE 8 NOT GIVEN 9 TRUE 10 TRUE 11 B 12 D 13 F 14 A 15 B 16 C 17 D 18 NOT GIVEN 19 TRUE 20 NOT GIVEN 21 FALSE 22 C 23 B 24 C 25 A 26 B 27 Sound laws 28 Fashion 29 Imperfect 30 Principle of 31 FALSE 32 FALSE 33 NOT GIVEN 34 TRUE 35 TRUE 36 NOT GIVEN 37 TRUE 38 C 39 B 40 A  | ||||||||||||||||||
| Advanced Prepositions to Score Band 7.0+ in IELTS Writing Posted: 29 Dec 2016 09:09 PM PST IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS ACTING AS PREPOSITIONS1. As opposed to: Used to make a contrast between two things Example: This exercise develops suppleness as opposed to strength. 2. As regards : Alternative to Concerning At the behest of somebody/something Because somebody/something has ordered or requested it Example: at the behest of the King 3. By means of: With the help of something Example: The load was lifted by means of a crane. 4. By virtue of/In virtue of: By means of or because of something Example: She got the job by virtue of her greater experience. 5. For the sake of (doing) something: In order to get or keep something Example: The translation sacrifices naturalness for the sake of accuracy. 6. In accordance with something : According to a rule or the way that something should be done Example: We acted in accordance with my parents' wishes. 8. In addition (to somebody/something): Used when you want to mention another person/thing after something else Example: In addition to these arrangements, extra ambulances will be on duty until midnight. 9. In case of something: If something happens Example: In case of fire, ring the alarm bell. 10. In lieu of : Instead of Example: They took cash in lieu of the prize they had won. 11. In order to do something : With the purpose or intention of doing or achieving something Example: In order to get a complete picture, further information is needed. 12. In place of somebody/something : Instead of somebody/something Example: We just had soup in place of a full meal. 13. In respect of something
Example: A writ was served on the firm in respect of their unpaid bill.
Example: money received in respect of overtime 14. In spite of : See Despite 15. In view of something Considering something Example: In view of the weather, the event will now be held indoors. 16. On account of something Because of Example: The marsh is an area of great scientific interest on account of its wild flowers. 17. On behalf of somebody In order to help somebody Example: They campaigned on behalf of asylum seekers. 18. On top of
Example: He gets commission on top of his salary.
Example: Work tends to pile up if I don't keep on top of it. 19. Thanks to : Used to say that something has happened because of somebody/something Example: It was all a great success – thanks to a lot of hard work. 20. With a view to (doing) something With the intention or hope of doing something Example: He is painting the house with a view to selling it. 21. With regard to/In regard to: Concerning somebody/something Example: The company's position with regard to overtime is made clear in their contracts. 22. With respect to Alternative to In respect of – Definition 1 Example: With respect to IELTS, I’m intent on re-sitting the IELTS test to hike up my score to Band 9.0
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