Improve your Skills with Answer Key 4.5 Barry Cusack • Sam McCarter #401 MAC M I LLAN Improve your Skills Listening & Speaking for IELTS with Answer Key 4.0 Barry Cusack • Sam McCarter MACMILLAN Macmillan Education 4 Crinan Street London Ni 9XW A division of Macmillan Publishers Limited Companies and representatives throughout the world ISBN 978-0-230-46468-1 (with key + Audio Pack) ISBN 978-0-230-46467-4 (without key + Audio Pack) ISBN 978-0-230-46287-8 (with key + MPO Pack) ISBN 978-0-230-46286-1 (without key + MPO Pack) Text, design and illustration @ Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014 Written by Barry Cusack and Sam McCarter The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2014 All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers. Designed by !Came Design, Oxford Cover design by Macmillan Cover photograph by Digital Vision Picture research by Susannah Jayes Barry Cusack and Sam McCarter would like to thank the editors. The publishers would like to thanks all those who participated in the development of the project, with special thanks to the freelance editors.
The authors and publishers would like to thank the following for permission to reproduce their photographs: Alamy/aberCPC p30, Alamy/Arcaid Images p6(cm), Alamy/A. Although we have tried to trace and contact copyright holders before publication, in some cases this has not been possible. If contacted we will be pleased to rectify any errors or omissions at the earliest opportunity. Printed and bound in Thailand 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Introduction page 4 Topic Listening skills Speaking skills Unit 1 Change and Predicting in tables Identifying yourself page 6 consequences Discussing familiar topics Saying where you come from Pronunciation: stressing syllables Unit 2 The importance of Understanding signpost phrases Describing a past event page 14 the past Answering sentence completion Informal speech: using signpost phrases questions Planning your talk in Part 2 Answering matching questions Describing precautions Pronunciation: linking in connected speech Unit 3 Machines, cycles Understanding information in flow Answering Part 3 questions page 22 and processes charts Introducing opinions Pronunciation: using opinion phrases Unit 4 Education Identifying campus contexts Describing people page 30 Using infomiation in multiple-choice Making notes questions Pronunciation: placing stress in Answering sturtmary completion compound nouns questions Unit 5 Youth Understanding maps Describing jobs page 38 Answering sentence and table Stating advantages and disadvantages completion questions Pronunciation: stressing compound adjectives Unit 6 Culture Understanding layout Talking about free time activities page 46 Understanding noun phrases Expressing preferences Predicting from notes Dealing with unfamiliar topics Pronunciation: shifting syllable stress Unit 7 Arts and sciences Making questions from statements Comparing and evaluating page 54 Paraphrasing for matching Expressing others' views Pronunciation: weak forms and /a/ Unit 8 Nature Changing opinions Describing animals page 62 Answering multiple-choice questions Describing presents Completing a summary (2) Pronunciation: contrastive stress Unit 9 Health Predicting in tables (2) Recognizing similar questions page 70 Spelling words Emphasizing main points Taking time to think Pronunciation: using two intonation patterns Unit 10 The individual Paraphrasing questions Describing places and feelings page 78 and society Answering visual multiple-choice Starting your description questions Summing up impressions Pronunciation: using intonation in continuous speech Phonemic Chart page 86 Answer Key page 87 3 Introduction What is improve your IELTS Listening and Speaking Skills? Improve your IELTS Listening and Speaking Skills is a complete preparation course for students at score bands 4.00 preparing for the Listening and Speaking components of the International English Language Testing System.
Through targeted practice, it develops skills and language to help you achieve a higher IELTS score in these two components. How can I use this book? You can use Improve your IELTS Listening and Speaking Skills as a book for studying on your own or in a class. If you are studying on your own, Improve Your IELTS Listening and Speaking Skills is designed to guide you step by step through the activities. The book is completely self-contained: a clear and accessible key is provided, so you can easily check your answers as you work through the book.
There are two CDs which contain all the recorded material necessary for the Listening skills and Speaking skills sections of each unit. If you are studying as part of a class, your teacher will direct you on how to use each activity. Some activities, especially in the Topic talk and Speaking skills sections, provide the opportunity for speaking and discussion practice. How is Improve your IELTS Listening and Speaking Skills organized? It consists of ten units based around topics which occur commonly in the real test.
Each unit consists of: Topic talk: exercises and activities to introduce vocabulary and ideas useful for the topic. Listening skills: exercises and activities to develop the skills for questions in the Listening component. Speaking skills: exercises and activities to develop skills and language for the Speaking component, including practice questions from one part of the module. Pronunciation focus: exercises and activities to practise key aspects of pronunciation in English.
Exam listening: one complete section of the Listening exam to practise the skills learned. In addition, there are Techniques boxes throughout the book. These reinforce key points on how to approach Listening and Speaking tasks. How will Improve your IELTS Listening and Speaking Skills improve my score? By developing skills The skills sections of each unit form a detailed syllabus of essential IELTS Listening and Speaking skills.
For example, in Listening skills there is coverage of Signpost phrases and Prediction skills. In Speaking skills, there is coverage of Comparing and evaluating as well as Describing advantages and disadvantages. There is also Pronunciation practice at the end of the Speaking skills sections. 4 By developing language The Topic talk part of each unit develops vocabulary, phrases and sentence forms for use in the Listening and Speaking components.
The Speaking skills section has phrases to help you introduce and organize your spoken answers. By developing test technique The Listening skills sections introduce you to the skills you need to tackle the various types of question that can be asked. Knowing the best way to tackle each type of question will enable you to get the best mark you can. The Speaking skills section will make you familiar with the different question types and enable you to relax in the exam and perform at your best How is the IELTS Listening component organized? It consists of four sections: usually there are two monologues and two conversations on a variety of topics.
There are ten questions in each section. The topics cover everyday social matters and subjects related to educational or training situations. You hear the recording only once, but you have time to look at the questions first and further time to write your answers. What kind of questions are there? There are a variety of question types including multiple-choice, matching, short answer questions, sentence completion, form/table completion, labelling a diagram/plan/map, classification of information, matching information and summary.
How will I be assessed? You will get one mark for each correct answer up to a maximum of 40 marks. The questions gradually increase in difficulty, but all the marks have the same value. How is the IELTS Speaking component organized? You have a one-to-one interview with an examiner lasting between eleven and fourteen minutes. There are three parts.
Firstly, the examiner asks questions on everyday topics such as family hobbies and likes and dislikes. Secondly, you speak for one to two minutes on a topic given by the examiner. Finally, you take part in a discussion on more abstract issues linked to the topic of the talk. How will I be assessed? The examiner awards marks under four headings: Fluency and coherence: speaking in a continuous way, without unnatural hesitation, and organizing your thoughts and speech in a logical way.
Lexical resource: using a range of vocabulary appropriate to the topic. Grammatical range and accuracy: using a range of grammatical forms, including more complex forms, with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Pronunciation: speaking so that you can be understood by the examiner. 1! and consequences LISTENING SKILLS Identifying yourself Discussing familiar topics Saying where you come from Pronunciation: stressing syllables Topic talk 1Look at the advertisements and answer the questions below.
a Is rented accommodation expensive where you live? Why/Why not? b How can students be helped with accommodation when they move away from home? c Which accommodation would you apply for, a orb? Why? 2 Make a list of types of accommodation that you know. 3 Write your own advertisement (15-20 words). This can be based on your own Room available a I accommodation. in large, central apartment in return for 4 Complete sentences a—g with the words in the list.
Example looking after pets and Here in Australia, I live in a large frit in a twenty-storey tower block. Must be reliable, tidy and a non-smoker. Would suit female student. shared house • studio • farmhouse • house • flat • bungalow • penthouse terraced house a I'd love to live in a on the top floor of a tower block.
£700 a month, excluding b In my home country, I live in the capital in a spacious detached bills. Twenty minutes c I can't afford to live in a large flat so I am renting a small by train from London. d My parents live in a remote two-storey on a mountainside. Single occupant only.
e As my grandmother can't climb stairs and hates lifts, she lives in a in the suburbs. f My host family live in a red-brick right in the middle of a long row. g There are six of us living together in a in a student area of town. 6 Change and consequences 5 Add extra information to four of the sentences in exercise 4 using phrases Technique 1-4 below.
Add information to 1 with spectacular views of the city, especially at night. statements using with 2 with lots of open fields around them and plenty of fresh air. The additional 3 which has a kitchen, bedroom and living room all in one. It suits me fine.
information doesn't need 4 which can get a bit noisy if all our friends are around. to be long. 6 Decide which adjective in a-g below is the opposite of the other two. a boring dull fascinating Technique b cramped spacious sizeable Keep a list of new c traditional modern old-fashioned adjectives by theme with bustling quiet peaceful examples if possible.
cosy uncomfortable inviting f smart elegant shabby vibrant boring lively 7 Which type of accommodation do you live in? Make a list of adjectives to describe where you live. 8 The questions below come from an IELTS Speaking test. Match the examiner's questions with the candidate's answers. 1 Where do your host family live? 2 How close to the city is it? 3 Is your accommodation modern or old-fashioned? 4 Can you tell me what the area you live in is like? 5 What is your family home like? a The neighbourhood where I live is very peaceful.
b My parents' apartment is in a very dynamic part of the city, c The family I'm staying with live in a very chic part of town. The house is very high tech, It is in a very good location, 9 Develop the sentences a-e in exercise 8 by adding one of the following sentences. 1 because it is well connected to the city centre by train and bus. 2 so it is always noisy and full of people.
3 with plasma screens, remote controls for the lighting and wireless computers. 4 The area is residential with tree-lined streets, no shops and not many cars.