IELTS exam in Abu Dhabi, UAE – April 2009 (General Training)
Our friend from Abu Dhabi reports about his IELTS exam. What an amazing memory, thanks J!
Listening test
Section 1: A woman is calling British railways to lodge a complaint about her lost hand bag. Describing her bag, the location where she kept it on the train, items that were inside the bag and the net worth of the bag.
Section 2: There was a map of an art institution explained by the organizer to the new students about various buildings, their purpose and the adjacent features.
Section 3: About 5 different personalities in the art profession and engaged in different kind of art forms ranging from wildlife photography to sports photography. The question was to match which person belongs to which field.
Section 4: A student talking with university professor about a education tour to a South American desert. Definition of the desert, the objective of the visit and available assistance and procedure for registration etc.
Reading test
Passage 1: About the library in Cambridge shire, its facilities, available materials, membership requirements and borrowing procedures.
Passage 2: About the motor licensing test that is carried out in New Zealand for those who wish to obtain complete license to drive on motorway and in the hills.
Passage 3: About a motor bike riding trip over a hill. The rules and regulations, things that need to be brought in, available assistance for the riders and their vehicles (in case of failing) and about the refreshments and prizes for the contest winners.
Passage 4: This one was tough. About the evolution of calculators. It had 7 paragraphs each consisting of average 10 lines at least and the clues were not very explicit.
Writing test
Writing task 1 (Letter)
Write a letter to a friend informing him about your move to a new locality; reasons for moving; description of the new location and inviting him/her to visit your new home.
Writing task 2 (essay)
Should we teach public speaking our children in schools? Is it so important to start that early? Justify the need to start this so early and what are the consequences of inefficient public speaking and how does starting early would help overcoming these issues.
Speaking test
Introduction
– Please tell me your full name.
– Tell me about your job.
– Do you know how to cook?
– Have you ever cooked?
– Are you a good cook?
– Home made or outside food, which one would you prefer? Why?
– Who cooks normally in your home?
Cue card
Tell me about a childhood group activity that you enjoyed the most.
Who were your associates in that?
Why was it the most enjoyed activity?
Discussion
– Is it that important to belong to a group or better to remain aloof, individually?
– What were your group activities as a teenager?
– Do the importance of belonging to a group changes as you get older? If so, in which direction and why?