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March 2013

IELTS test in Almaty, Kazakhstan – February 2013 (Academic Module)

An IELTS test taker from Kazakhstan (thank you E!) shared the topics and questions below:

Listening testIELTS test in Kazakhstan

Section 1. A man was making a reservation of an accommodation.
Questions: filling in blanks, multiple choice.

Section 2. Two students were answering questions asked by professor, about their internship.
Questions: multiple choice, match headings to paragraphs.

Section 3. A woman was giving information about a museum, its history and modern conditions.
Questions: multiple choice.

Section 4. About marketing techniques.
Questions: filling in blanks.

Reading test

Passage 1. About El Niño (when water temperature increases in rivers and oceans)
Questions: True/False/Not Given.

Passage 2. About the history of automotive industry and first manufactured automobiles in particular.
Questions: match headings to paragraphs.

Passage 3. About amusia, a rare musical disorder.
Questions: match headings to paragraphs.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

University’s library plans for 1990 and 2010 were given and we had to compare them.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Subjects at schools are selected by authorities such as the central government (not by the teachers). Some say that these subjects should be chosen by teachers. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons and examples.

Speaking test

Interview

– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– What do you do to have a healthy lifestyle?
– What activities would you like to do for healthier lifestyle?
– Can you tell me about seasons in your country?
– What season did you like the most as a child? Why?

Cue Card

Talk about an interesting lesson or training that you have attended. Please say

– Where did it take place?
– What was the lesson/training?
– Why did you like/dislike it?

Discussion

– Should lessons taught at school be fun? Why?
– Describe an image of the perfect teacher, in your view.
– What do you think about the statement “It is never too late to learn”?
– Do you agree with it? Why?
– Do you think government should support elderly people who want to study?

IELTS essay, topic: Should people spend a lot on weddings and birthday parties?

Some people think that spending a lot on holding wedding parties, birthday parties and other celebrations is just a waste of money. Others, however, think that these are necessary for individuals and the society. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Throwing parties can be expensive. While some people do not find these fancy gatherings worth what they cost, others believe such events are important to both individuals and the society.

People choose to throw parties for a number of reasons. For starters, they can make better teams. Project kick-off parties are good opportunities to break the ice and help team members to know each other better. Celebrating a victory create a sense of success and belonging. Companies do not see parties as of money and allocate budget to support such events; moreover, they often leave good memories. From our own experiences, we all have happy memories of our birthday parties when we were little. Every family has great photos at family gatherings in their album. In addition, contrary to what some people believe that spending on parties is a waste of social resources, they actually create value, either by employing people in the party-planning business or by offering people better experiences.

The popularity of parties, however, causes some tension in the society. They are hard on introverted people who find themselves uncomfortable in the crowd. This is a clinic symptom which psychologists call “social anxiety disorder”. There are other ways to celebrate important events that may have greater value for their cost. For instance, companies could send out gifts after successful projects and parents could take their children on family trips to celebrate birthdays.

In my opinion, while a party is a form of social event that brings many benefits to individuals and the society, other choices should also be considered, either to cut spending or to relieve the stress of those who are not fond of crowded celebrations.

This is a very good essay. Other than minor inaccuracies there are no problems (mouse over the words underlined in blue shows corrections). Seems to be worth IELTS Band 8.

Click here to see more IELTS essays of Band 8

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