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Tuesday, November 25, 2014

IELTS Listening: sustainable tourism

Watch the video and fill the gaps in the summary below it. If you watch the whole film, note down any more good vocabulary that you find.

Summary of film up to 1min 10:

Sustainable tourism is about creating a balance so that the business ______ profits, the customer has a great ______, and the people and the environment in the destination continue to ______. If destinations are not protected, in environmental ______, people will not want to visit them. Equally, if the social and economic benefits are not there for the destination communities, then ______ will not be welcome.

If you can't see the video, listen to the audio recording below.

IELTS Writing Task 1: checklist

Here's my preparation checklist for writing task 1. Can you put a tick next to each point on the list?

Know what the six types of question are (e.g. line graph...).

Try several real test examples of each type.

Know the 4-paragraph method suggested in lessons on this site.

Practise paraphrasing the question to write introductions.

Understand why we don't write a conclusion for task 1.

Know how to write an 'overview', and what to include in this paragraph.

Practise selecting key information, rather than describing everything.

Be able to write good 'comparing' sentences.

Be able to describe changes and trends (e.g. increase, decrease).

IELTS Vocabulary: band 7-9 phrases

Let's review the vocabulary that I used in yesterday's speaking lesson. Here are the phrases that I think would impress an examiner:

volunteer to run activity clubs

help out (phrasal verb)

residential homes for elderly people

support people living below the poverty line

there isn’t a scale of importance when it comes to helping others

all forms of help are positive

experience difficult times

run the risk of losing our jobs

people help others because they empathise with them

It’s impossible to generalise about...

from one generation to the next

IELTS Writing Task 2: introduction and conclusion

Wild animals have no place in the 21st century, so protecting them is a waste of resources. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Introduction (topic + general answer) Some people argue that it is pointless to spend money on the protection of wild animals because we humans have no need for them. I completely disagree with this point of view.

Conclusion (paraphrase the answer) In conclusion, we have no right to decide whether or not wild animals should exist, and I believe that we should do everything we can to protect them.

IELTS Writing Task 1: 'flood diagram' answer

The diagrams below show how houses can be protected in areas which are prone to flooding. ...

... Here's my full band 9 report:

The diagrams compare two different methods of defence for homes which are at risk of being flooded.

The key difference between the diagrams is that they show flood protection with and without a stopbank. In either case, the at-risk home is raised on stilts above ground level.

The first diagram shows how a stopbank acts as a flood barrier to stop river water from flooding homes. The stopbank is a small mound of land next to the river that is higher than the 100-year flood level, and prevents the river from bursting its banks. Nearby houses can be built on stilts to prevent flooding from rainwater, and a floodgate beneath the stopbank can be opened to allow this ‘ponding’ to drain off into the river.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'wild animals' essay

Wild animals have no place in the 21st century, so protecting them is a waste of resources. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some people argue that it is pointless to spend money on the protection of wild animals because we humans have no need for them. I completely disagree with this point of view.

In my opinion, it is absurd to argue that wild animals have no place in the 21st century. I do not believe that planet Earth exists only for the benefit of humans, and there is nothing special about this particular century that means that we suddenly have the right to allow or encourage the extinction of any species. Furthermore, there is no compelling reason why we should let animals die out. We do not need to exploit or destroy every last square metre of land in order to feed or accommodate the world’s population. There is plenty of room for us to exist side by side with wild animals, and this should be our aim.

I also disagree with the idea that protecting animals is a waste of resources. It is usually the protection of natural habitats that ensures the survival of wild animals, and most scientists agree that these habitats are also crucial for human survival. For example, rainforests produce oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide and stabilise the Earth’s climate. If we destroyed these areas, the costs of managing the resulting changes to our planet would far outweigh the costs of conservation. By protecting wild animals and their habitats, we maintain the natural balance of all life on Earth.

In conclusion, we have no right to decide whether or not wild animals should exist, and I believe that we should do everything we can to protect them.

(269 words, band 9)

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'wild animals' topic vocabulary

Did you note down the following 'band 7-9' phrases from my wild animals essay? I've left some gaps to encourage you to look a bit harder!

it is absurd to argue that...

exists only for the benefit of humans

allow or encourage the ______ of any species

there is no ______ reason why...

let animals die out (die out = become extinct)

exploit or destroy every last square metre of land

feed or accommodate the world’s population

exist side by ______ with wild animals

protection of natural ______

ensures the survival of wild animals

crucial for human survival

rainforests produce oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide

and ______ the Earth’s climate

IELTS Reading: which paragraph contains...?

Read the following passage about the tutorial method of teaching, which is used in some universities.

A) The tutorial method of teaching, where students are taught individually or in very small groups of two or three, developed as the collegiate system in Oxford and Cambridge Universities established itself. Teaching has existed in Oxford since the 11th century, and the role of tutors was documented in the 15th century, when Oxford tutors were described as ‘having responsibility for the conduct and instruction of their younger colleagues’ (Moore, 1968). Thus, the early role of the tutor was both pastoral as well as academic.

B) One of the foundations of Oxford’s academic excellence is the dialectic of the individual, discussion-based tutorial which is reputed to have reached its unique status in the middle of the 19th century. Professor Benjamin Jowett, classicist and Master of Balliol College, Oxford, is traditionally credited with having been the guiding influence behind the establishment of the tutorial system based on the Socratic method. His students said of Jowett, ‘his great skill consisted, like Socrates, in helping us to learn and think for ourselves’ (Markham, 1967). When Jowett took up the mantle of Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University in 1882, his teaching method of Socratic dialogue became established as a ‘pattern for the whole university’ (Markham, 1967).

C) In the last decade, multiple studies have been conducted exploring the unique learning benefits of the tutorial method. 130 years after it was formally established as the cornerstone of Oxford education, the tutorial method retains its prestige and effectiveness. As the present university website states, it is through the tutorial system that ‘students develop powers of independent and critical thought, analytical and problem-solving abilities, and skills in both written and oral communication and argument'.

(Source: http://www.greenes.org.uk/our-history/the-history-of-the-tutorial/)

Which paragraph contains the information in the statements below?

IELTS Writing Task 2: essay 'skeleton'

For me, the skeleton (or framework or basic structure) of a task 2 essay is:

- the introduction - topic sentences for main paragraphs - and the conclusion

Look at this essay 'skeleton' for example:

..........

People have different views about whether parents or schools should bear the responsibility for helping children to become good citizens. In my view, this responsibility should be shared.

On the one hand, parents certainly have a vital role to play in the upbringing of their children.

On the other hand, school teachers may contribute almost as much as parents to the development of a child.

In conclusion, both parents and schools should work together to ensure that young people become polite and productive members of society.

..........

Can you see how the 'skeleton' communicates my overall answer very clearly? The only thing missing is the detail in paragraphs 2 and 3.

IELTS Listening: multiple choice

Listen to the following talk about unemployment, then answer the multiple choice questions below. Make sure you read all 3 questions carefully before you start.

Click here to listen

1. A year from now, the unemployment rate will be

A) fairly good B) not as high in California C) very high for the country as a whole

2. One problem is that

A) employees cannot work for more than 33 hours per week B) employers will extend working hours instead of hiring new staff C) there are too many part-time workers

3. If the economy begins to improve

IELTS Writing Task 1: pie chart video

I've just published my latest video lesson at the bottom of this page. In the lesson, I explain my approach to describing pie charts, and I work through this question:

The charts below show household spending patterns in two countries between 1980 and 2008.

For this question, a key decision to make is how to divide the information into two 'details' paragraphs. You have three choices:

Write one paragraph about each year

Write one paragraph about each country

Group the information according to category (e.g. food and drink with utility bills in paragraph 3, and the other categories in paragraph 4)

IELTS Reading: yes, no, not given

Read the following passage about 'uni-tasking' and 'multi-tasking'.

The human brain evolved to focus on one thing at a time. This enabled our ancestors to hunt animals, to create tools, and to protect their clan from predators or invading neighbours. In parallel, an attentional filter evolved to help us to stay on task, letting through only information that was important enough to deserve disrupting our train of thought.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the twenty-first century: The plethora of information and the technologies that serve our brain changed the way we use it. Increasingly, we demand that our attentional system try to focus on several things at once. Uni-tasking is getting harder and harder to do. The information age now buries us in data coming at us from every which way. We are bombarded with more information than at any time in history - the equivalent of 175 newspapers a day, five times as much information as we took in thirty years ago.

If we want to be more productive and creative, and to have more energy, the science suggests that we should tame the multi-tasking and immerse ourselves in a single task for sustained periods, say 30 to 50 minutes.

According to the author, are the following statements correct? Answer YES, NO or NOT GIVEN.

IELTS Speaking: 'future aim' answer

Last month I forgot to write a sample answer for the question below.

Describe an aim or goal that you hope to achieve in the future. You should say

- what the aim is - when you hope to achieve it - what you need to do to reach your goal - and why this goal is important to you.

Here's my answer. Can you find any 'less common vocabulary' in it?

I’m going to describe a future aim of mine, which is to write a book. I’d like to write a novel, so the story or plot would be fictional, but it would probably be influenced by some of my own experiences, ideas and views.

Unfortunately I have no idea where to start or what my novel would be about, so I can’t imagine achieving this aim until later in my life. Maybe it will be something that I do as a hobby when I retire, or I might suddenly be inspired to start writing much sooner. It’s just a vague objective at the moment.

I think it must be extremely difficult to find the motivation to write a novel, so more than anything I would need time, commitment and the passion to keep working until I finished. I would probably need to set a goal of writing for a certain amount of time each day, and of course I’d need a good idea for a story in the first place.

IELTS Vocabulary: future plans

Here are the band 7-9 phrases from yesterday's lesson. Remember that I'm not trying to use strange or difficult words; I'm trying to speak in a natural way, using 'native speaker' collocations and phrases.

a future aim of mine

the plot would be fictional

influenced by some of my own experiences, ideas and views

I might suddenly be inspired

a vague objective

time, commitment and passion

to set a goal

I’ve always wondered how

create a work of fiction

bringing a story to life