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IELTS in South Africa – September 2009 (General Training)

Thanks to N. from South Africa, we know a lot about the IELTS exam there:

Listening test

Section 1: It was about a burglary, an inspector was talking to a woman who owned the home (not rented). The entrance was made through the back door as nothing was opened or broken at the front. The PC was stolen and the inspector asked the woman for the serial number. Money was stolen as well.

Questions: How long have you lived here? Write down the serial number of the PC. What type of purse it was and its colour or type of fabric (in my test it was silver).

Section 2: A lady calls a reception to advise that there is no hot water in her room and and the receptionist tells her how to turn the hot water on.

Questions: Which knobs to turn for hot/cold water – fill these details in the blanks, then we had a diagram labeling.

Section 3: A continuation of Section 2. Regarding spare keys and where they are kept, light bulbs and where to find them.

Section 4: Organic vegetables.

Reading test

Passage 1: Three articles regarding 3 tours in and around the city.
Questions: True / False questions, short answer questions (one word).

Passage 2: Cannot remember.

Passage 3: An article about a person who went to other countries to get native plants and bring them back to England. Each section was broken into pieces and marked A to H.
Questions: Information matching, such as “Which paragraph did he almost die and lose all of his seedlings in?”

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a letter)
Write a letter to your friend overseas, invite them to a party and explain how to get to your home.

Writing task 2 (an essay)
Many parents use TV and computer games as ‘baby sitters’ (allow children to watch too much TV and or play computer games for too long). What are the reasons for this situation? What are the effects of watching too much TV or playing computer games on children?

Speaking test

Interview
– Your full name.
– Where do you live?
– What type of work do you do?
– Do you like working alone or with other people?

Cue card
Think of an advertisement you liked and say:
– Why you liked the advertisement.
– What in it would make you want to buy the product.

Discussion
– Why do you think the advertisement worked?
– What types of advertisements work?
– What types of advertisements have you seen on the street corners?
– What type of advertising is more effective, on TV or on the radio?

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