174 How to Master the IELTS

Test 2

Listening section

Section 1, Questions 81 to 90.

 81 Harry Potter

 82 15th June

 83 Chew

 84 5

 85 £50

 86 23rd June

 87 £7

 88 5471 4710 2382 3900

 89 M236YC

 90 Jane

Section 2, Questions 91 to 100.

 91 C

 92 A

 93 B

 94 C

 95 C

 96 B

 97 sea

 98 park

 99 rope

100 climbers

Answers 175

Section 3, Questions 101 to 110.

10160

102title

10348

104essay

10550

106web page

107school book

108Introduction

109third

110top corners

Section 4, Questions 111 to 120.

111C

112B

113A

114B

115C

116A

117diagrams

118box

119followed

120rectangles

176 How to Master the IELTS

Academic reading

Reading Passage 4, Questions 121 to 133. Rosetta Stone

121FALSE

122TRUE

123FALSE

124FALSE

125TRUE

126NOT GIVEN

127TRUE

128FALSE

129E

130G

131B

132J

133C

Reading Passage 5, Questions 134 to 147. Tickled pink

134TRUE

135TRUE

136NOT GIVEN

137FALSE

138TRUE

139FALSE

Answers 177

140Rosy Glow

141ripens

142Ruby Pink

143pink area / pink colour

144Pink Lady

145B

146D

147C

Reading Passage 6, Questions 148 to 160.

Bubbly and burgers

148D

149A

150B

151A

152TRUE

153TRUE

154FALSE

155NOT GIVEN

156negligible risk

157alcohol

158very similar names

159a food service

160not exclusive

178 How to Master the IELTS

Academic writing

The following writing-task answers have been written by the author. The method used is explained at the end of each task. There are no right or wrong answers but you must cover all parts of the question. Marks are lost for mistakes in grammar, punctuation and spelling, as well as repetition of words. A higher mark is awarded for well-constructed sentences that communicate a clear message using sufficient vocabulary.

Writing task 1

The pie charts compare home ownership and renting for 1985 and 2005 in percent­ age terms.

In 1985, privately owned homes were the most popular type of housing, account­ ing for 55%, or more than over half of all homes. The next largest sector was council rented homes, amounting to 33% or nearly one-third of homes. The remaining homes were mostly privately rented (10%) with a tiny fraction being social housing (2%).

Twenty years later, in 2005, the number of privately owned homes had risen to 73%, or almost three quarters of all homes. This was an increase of 23% compared with 1985. Much of the increase in private ownership can be explained by the decrease in council rented homes, which had dropped from 33% to 11%. The percentage of privately rented homes had remained unchanged at 10%. However, there were 5 million more homes in 2005 compared with 1985 so the number of rented homes had increased despite the same percentage. Social housing has increased three-fold from 2% in 1985 to 6% in 2005, but it remains the least popular type of housing.

Method

The first paragraph introduces the pie charts, taking care not to copy what has been said in the question. The second paragraph deals with the year 1985, taking the segments in turn, starting with the largest segment and finishing with the smallest segment. The third paragraph describes the changes that have taken place by 2005 (increase, decrease, etc) when compared with 1985, taking each segment in turn.

Answers 179

Writing task 2

I do not believe that unemployed people should be given money for doing nothing. However, I accept that some people are unable to work through disabilities or ill health, in which case welfare payments are appropriate. Other than these excep­ tions, I see no reason why benefit claimants should not be made to work for their money like everyone else has to.

There are many advantages to working. It can help the long-term unemployed get back into the routine of work. It is very easy to get out of the habit of getting up early in the morning and working from ‘9 to 5’. There are self-esteem and confidence issues to consider. Working provides people with a sense of purpose and self-worth. It is easy to become socially isolated if you are out of work, whereas working forces you to meet new people. You might find something that you like doing or even learn new skills. It also looks good on your CV if you have been working rather than doing nothing. I found permanent work after a period of voluntary work in a charity shop.

The disadvantages of being made to work centre on the type of work that is avail­ able. If you are a professional person then manual work may be unsuitable for you. To save money, some employers might use unemployed people to do work that should be done by an employee.

I think that making unemployed people do some work for their welfare payments is a good idea. However, the workers should have some choice in the work that they do and it needs to be organized properly so that the employers cannot exploit them.

Method

The first paragraph starts with the writer’s own opinion (‘I do not believe’) as a way of introducing the issues raised in the first part of the question. The second paragraph deals with the advantages of making unemployed people take a job. The third paragraph covers the disadvantages of making unemployed taking a job. The fourth paragraph answers the final part of the question where the author restates his own view, linking it neatly back to the introduction.