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2006

Listening tip # 5

Lately I was thinking a lot about IELTS-Blog and what I should add to it. So far, I’ve decided to continue posting Listening tips, but if you, guys, have better ideas – please let me know.

Anyway, here goes Listening tip # 5 (see the previous 4 under IELTS Preparation>>Listening tips section )

Know your clues

The answer is usually pronounced louder and clearer, it is easier to hear and understand. If you can’t hear something clearly (because the speaker swallows words or whispers), then probably the answer is not there. Practice and you’ll learn to tell the difference.

A good clue to answer is when you hear a repetition of a word, a word being spelled out (G A R F U N K E L) or a number dictated.

The following conversation is a classic example of repetition:

Mary-Joe: “These days there are many changes in our company policy”

Kathy:”Oh, what kind of changes?”

It is clear that the word “changes” is a clue to an answer.

Update from a General IELTS exam, India

Thanks to Chikur from India I can share with you this update, enjoy!

Listening test:

The only thing I remember – it was too fast. I had to sneeze and missed 2 answers!

Reading:

Reading was a bit tough this time. In the General Training IELTS, the first 20 questions are usually easy. But this time I found the first 10
questions about a long passage. Actually that passage was all about “answers” and we were supposed to match the “questions” to them, so it took longer. Two more reading passages came with questions of True/False/Not Given type and I had to fill in the gaps in a summary.

Writing test

Writing Task 1 (a letter)

Write a letter to a college Principal, where you attended a one day computer course and are unhappy about the way it was conducted. Explain what was the type of the course, what happened and what can be done to make sure this problem never occurs again.

Writing Task 2 (an essay)

In many countries, children are getting more overweight and less fit day by day. What is your opinion about this development?

Speaking test

Interview

I was asked questions about my hometown such as describe it, etc.

Cue Card

Describe 2 people from the same family with their similarities.

Discussion

Change in trends of family types and about the respect of elders in my family and my country.