British Council IELTS Blog

2006-11-04T22:58:00.000+01:00

Welcome

2005-11-03T19:06:00.000+01:00

Welcome to the British Council IELTS blog site

You can practise various components of the IELTS exam
You can make comments and share ideas and opinions with other students.
You can get tips on how to tackle the IELTS exam.
You can get information on IELTS test dates.

We hope you enjoy using this site and find it useful!!!!

IELTS Test Dates 2005-2006 in Rome

2005-11-02T15:35:00.000+01:00

Below are the test dates for 2005 and 2006 at the British Council, Rome. We suggest you register for the exam at least 2 weeks before the test date.

November 24th Accademic and General

December 15th Accademic

January 12th Accademic and General

February 23rd Accademic

March 30th Accademic

April 27th Accademic

May 25th Accademic and General

June 24th General

July 22nd Accademic and General

You can now register for the IELTS examination online.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/it/italy-exams-ielts-esami.htm

IELTS Preparation Courses With The British Council

2005-11-02T14:20:00.000+01:00

Brief description of aims

This 15-hour course is intended for those who wish to take the IELTS examination in the near future. The aim is to maximise performance in the exam by familiarising participants with the format of the exam, as well as developing essential exam skills via strategy training and practice activities.

Content

Exam familiarisation
· looking at the content and formats of the different papers
· an explanation of the evaluation criteria

Strategy Training
· an analysis of the different question types
· advice on how best to approach the questions in all four papers
· specific techniques to tackle different question types and exam tasks

Exam Practice
· timed simulation activities
· particular emphasis on reading and writing, including presentation of arguments
· feedback on common errors

The required language level will be equivalent to British Council level 5 and above.

Please note that this course is exclusively for those candidates preparing for the academic module.

Fees: € 210 (Exam fee is not included)

Courses dates: November 14th, 15st, 16st, 21st,22nd

Enrolments will close 3 working days before the beginning of the course

Time: from 18.00 to 21.00

For further information please contact the Teaching Centre’s Registration Office on
06 47814218 -289 or email us on corsiinsede.roma@britishcouncil.it.

Academic or General Module?

2005-11-02T13:59:00.000+01:00

The Academic Module is for candidates wishing to study or work in the medium of English at an undergraduate, postgraduate or professional level.

The General Training is suitable for candidates who are going to English speaking countries to complete their secondary education, to undertake work experience or training programmes not at degree level, or for immigration purposes.

It is the responsibility of the candidate to inform the test centre whether you wish to take the Academic or General Training Modules. Centres are not responsible for providing this information.

Overview of the IELTS exam

2005-11-01T16:33:00.000+01:00

The IELTS exam consists of 4 components: reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Speaking Module Overview

General Points
An interview takes place between one examiner and one candidate for between 11 and 14 minutes.The candidate’s speaking is assessed on fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation.

Speaking test format
Part 1
Examiner and candidate introduce themselves, candidate answers general questions on familiar topics e.g. family, job, studies, free-time etc.about 4 to 5 minutes
Part 2
Candidate asked to speak on a given topic (information is written on a task card) for 1-2 minutes. One minute of preparation in which the candidate can make notes is allowed.4 minutes
Part 3
Discussion on more abstract issue related to the chosen topic in part 2 of the test.about 4 to 5 minutesListening

Module OverviewListening

Test format
IELTS Listening has four sections, each with 10 items (or questions). When the tape ends, ten minutes are allowed for candidates to transfer their answers onto an Answer Sheet.
Timing
Approximately 30 minutes plus 10 minutes transfer time.
Marks
Each question carries one mark, giving a total of 40 marks.
Listening texts
The first two sections are concerned with social needs. The final two sections are concerned with situations related more closely to educational or training contexts.
Recordings
Each section is played ONCE only. The recordings include a range of accents, including British, Australian, New Zealand and American.

Reading Module Overview

Module format
IELTS Academic Reading has 3 passages and 40 items (questions). Each item is worth one mark.
Answer format
Candidates record their responses on Answer Sheets.
Timing
IELTS reading takes 60 minutes. No extra time is given to transfer your answersTextsThe passages used in the test are based on authentic texts, and are taken from sources such as magazines, journals, books and newspapers.
Length
The total word count for each passage is between 2000 and 2750 words.

Writing Module Overview

Test format
There are two tasks. Candidates should spend 20 minutes on Task 1 and 40 minutes on Task 2. Task 2 is worth more marks than Task 1.

Task 1( general module)
Candidates are asked to write an informal or formal letter of approximately 150 words.
Task 1 (acacemdic)
Candidates are asked to write a report descibing a graph, table or map.

Task 2
Candidates are aked to write a discurrsive essay of approximately 250 words.

Timing
Candidates are given 60 minutes to complete both tasks

Listening Tips

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Skills for the Listening Module

In the IELTS Listening Module, the recording is played once only. You must, therefore, use a number of strategies to help you listen closely. There are a few main skills you will need to do well in the IELTS Listening Module:

Understanding the instructions

Instructions are both written on the question paper and spoken on the tape. Read and listen to every word in the instructions very carefully. Ensure that you follow them exactly and answer in the correct way.

Previewing and predicting

An announcer will briefly outline:
the topic
who is talking
the situation.

Try to listen carefully, as this will help you to preview the questions.
Before the recording begins for each section, you will be given up to 30 seconds to read and become familiar with the questions. Use this time efficiently so that you can prepare yourself to listen for the information you need.

:
Study the question carefully and try to predict what type of answer is required. For example, will it be a date, a name or maybe a number?

Check the differences between similar-looking pictures or diagrams.

Look for minor details such as different numbers or omissions.

In addition to the 30 seconds before each section, you will also be given 30 seconds after each section to look over your answers. If you are satisfied with your answers in the section you have just finished, move on to the next section and use the full 60 seconds for previewing.

Listening for specific information

Use of previewing and predicting skills will help you listen for the specific information you need to answer the questions in the Listening Module. Listening for key words and common connective words often helps to signal the specific information that you need in order to answer the question. Make sure that, while you are actually writing your answers, you continue to listen to the information given in the recordings as there will not be a second opportunity to hear it.

Checking and rewriting

You are given about 30 seconds after each section to check your answers. Check that all your answers correspond with the given instructions.

Make sure that you have answered every question. Marks are not deducted for incorrect answers so, if you are unsure of a particular answer, you should guess by writing down what you think is the most likely answer.

Check that you have included only what is necessary in the answer. At the end of the Listening Module, you are given about 10 minutes to transfer your answers from the question paper onto the answer sheet. Scan your answers to ensure that you have transferred them correctly so that the number on the question paper corresponds with the number on the answer sheet. Be especially careful when transferring answers from tables as sometimes the items are not linearly ordered.

Writing Task 1 (Academic) Ex.1

2005-09-25T18:07:00.000+02:00

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the data presented in the map below.
You should write at least 150 words.

Map showing the number of Afghan refugees received by neighbouring countries during the US led attacks on Afghanistan in October/November 2001.

See teacher's comment for model answer.

Writing Task 1 (Academic) Ex.2

2005-09-24T19:03:00.000+02:00

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the data presented in the graphs below. You should write at least 150 words.

You should spend 20 minutes on this task.

See teacher's comment for model answer exercise.

Writing Task 1 (Academic) Ex.3

2005-09-22T21:23:00.000+02:00

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Write a report for a university lecturer compare and contrast the data presented in the graph below.

You should write at least 150 words.

Main Forms of Taxation as Percentage of Total Tax Revenue in G7 Countries, 1995

See teacher's comment for model answer.

Writing Task 1 (Academic) Ex. 4

2005-09-21T19:14:00.000+02:00

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The charts below show the levels of participation in education and science in developing and industrialized countries in 1980 and 1990.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
You should write at least 150 words.

See teacher's comment for model answer.

Writing Task 1 (Academic) Ex.5

2005-09-20T14:42:00.000+02:00

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task
Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information below.
Write at least 150 words.

The graph below shows the different modes of transport used to travel to and from work in one European city in 1960, 1980 and 2000.

Writing Task 1 (General) Ex.1

2005-08-31T19:49:00.000+02:00

Here is a typical Writing Task 1 task found in the General Training Module.

You have seen an advertisment for a part-time job that you are interested in. Write a letter of apllication to the personnel manager

You should say

briefly introduce yourself and provide education history.
if you have any working experience.
when you would be available to work.

You should spend 20 minutes on this task and write about 150 words.

See teacher's comment for model answer.

Writing Task 1 (General) Ex.2

2005-08-29T14:49:00.000+02:00

You are due to start a new job next week but you will not be able to because you have some problems.

Write a letter to your employer. In your letter

explain your situation.
describe your problems.
tell him/her when you think you can start.

You should write at least 150 words.

See teacher's comment for model answer.

Writing Task 1 (General) Ex.3

2005-08-28T15:14:00.000+02:00

You should spend 20 minnutes on this task

You want to sell some of your furniture. You think a friend of yours might like to buy it from you.

Write a letter to your friend . In your letter

explain why you are selling
describe the furniture.
suggest a date when your friend can come and see the furniture.

Write at least 150 words.

See teacher's comment for model answer.

Writing Task 1 (General)

2005-08-21T15:56:00.000+02:00

You are always required to write a transactional letter. It may be a letter of enquiry, complaint, invitation, or a letter requesting advice, or reporting a problem. The style is usually fairly formal. Below are some practice tasks:

Task one

(i) You have received a letter from your college library stating that you have three books overdue. They say you must either pay a fine or replace the books, they also say that the college will not issue your certificate of qualification until this matter is settled. You have never borrowed the titles they mention.

Write to the Librarian explaining your situation and saying what you want him or her to do.

(ii) You have had a bank account for a few years. Recently you received a letter from the bank stating that your account is $240 overdrawn and that you will be charged $70 which will be taken directly from your account.

You know that this information is incorrect.

Write a letter to the bank explaining what has happened and saying what you would like them to do.

(iii) You are the secretary of your college debating society. A local politician has been in the news recently for his/her views on the banning of blood sports. Your members have suggested he/she might make a good guest speaker at a debate on hunting.

Write to the politician inviting him/her to speak at a debate. Include details of venue, time, other speakers and refreshments.

(iv) Your children are frequent users of a local public swimming pool. Recently they have been unwilling to go to the pool and you suspect they may have been bullied by older children there.
Write a letter to the Pool Superintendent

Writing Task 2 - Tips

2005-08-18T23:44:00.000+02:00

Before you start writing task 2
Don’t forget to

· Read the essay title carefully.

· Simplify the title (turn into a yes/no question) this will help you focus on ideas.

· Decide your main premise.

· Brainstorm ideas you can discuss in your essay.

· Do the For/against activity (decide for/against point for each idea)

· Think of some relevant examples you can use and ways of explaining themShow both sides of the issue by including the arguments that oppose your main premise.

· Use problematising phrases to mark those arguments that do not support your main premise to make them appear debatable or possibly untrue.

· Clearly the mark the place in the paragraph where you change from opposing arguments to supporting arguments with a "but-type" connective e.g. "however", "on the other hand" etc.

· Use listing connectives, such as "firstly", "in addition", "moreover", "furthermore", "finally", to list all the arguments that support your main premise

Writing Task 2 - Useful Language

2005-08-18T18:58:00.000+02:00

Here are some useful headers that you can use in your Writing Task 2 .

Expressing Views
I would argue that
I firmly believe that
It seems to me that
I tend to think that
People argue that
Some people think/say that
It is understood that
It is generally accepted that

Refuting an Argument
I am unconvinced that
I don’t believe that
It is hard to accept that
There is little evidence to support the……
It is unjustifiable to say that

Defining
By…… I mean
By this I mean
In other words
That is to say
To be more precise
Here I’m (not) referring to

Providing Support
For example
For instance
A good example of this is
Indeed
In fact
Of course
If this were the case
Firstly
Naturally
In my experience
Let me illustrate

Presenting
First of all…
I’d like to begin with
Secondly/ Then
I’d like to move on to…
Not forgetting the matter of
Before we go any further, let us look at
Last but not least there’s
To summarise,
To conclude

Generalising
Generally speaking,…
There are in the region of …
On the whole
As a rule

Emphasising
What we really need are.

Writing Task 2 Titles

2005-08-17T15:41:00.000+02:00

Writing Task 2

This task requires you to write an essay of 250 words.

Remember to:

answer the question and provide examples and evidence.
parahgraph, punctuate and use linking words to connect ideas.
use a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures.
be accurate in your use of grammar and vocabulary.

Below are some sample Task 2 questions:

Modern high-technology is transforming the way we work and is a benefit to all society. To what extent do you agree?

Higher mammals such as monkeys are often used in laboratory experiments. Give reasons for and against using animals in this way.

More and more young people are working and studying overseas. Is this a good thing?

Uncontrolled population growth is a major problem facing the developing world today. Therefore, the governments of such countries should implement strict birth control policies. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Space exploration requires vast sums of money. Is the amount of money spent on space research justifiable? Could the money be better spent?

One of the major problems facing the world today is the growing number of refugees. The developed nations in the world should tackle this problem by taking in more refugees. To what extent do you agree with this opinion?

Unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing developed nations today. What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of reducing the working week to thirty five hours?

Should museums and art galleries be free of charge for the general public, or should a charge, even a voluntary charge, be levied for admittance? Discuss this issue, and give your opinion..

Some people believe that the media, such as the press, TV and Internet should be more strictly controlled. Others feel that controls should be loosened to give people freer access to information.To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The only way to cut the crime rate is build more prisons and make prison sentences longer.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Computers exercise a bad influence on young children, and should not be used in primary schools. Discuss. Support your arguments with your own knowledge and ideas.

Please use comments to send in your Task 2 answers.

Writng Task 2 Ex.1

2005-08-16T23:59:00.000+02:00

Here is a typical Writing Task 2.You should write 250 words

People point to the number of presidents and to the rulers who come to power at an advanced age, or artists and famous people who achieve success late in life as one of the arguments against age discrimination in the work place. What are the dangers of such discrimination? Do you feel age discrimination should be banned or do you feel that there are certain jobs that should e open to younger people

See teacher's comment for model answer

Writing Task 2 Ex.2

2005-08-15T13:01:00.000+02:00

Below is a model answer of a Writing Task 2. The pargraphs are not in the correct order. Put them in a logical order.

See teacher's comment to check your aswers

1. Generally speaking, the majority of people in Britain go on package holidays abroad, to destinations like the Algarve in Portugal, or the Costa del Sol in Spain, or even further afield, to Greece.

2. A holiday in Britain, on the other hand, can work out much more expensive. Moreover, the weather can be cold, rainy or just downright unpleasant even in July or August, and the nightlife is often far from exciting.

3. What could be more attractive than the coastline of Devon in spring, the Highlands of Scotland in summer or the Lake District at any time of the year?

4. For these tourists, the hot, sunny weather is obviously a major attraction, along with cheap drinks and a vibrant nightlife, all at relatively low cost.

5. In conclusion, to gain the maximum benefit from any holiday, one should be a little more adventurous and be prepared to cope with the unexpected.

6. Unfortunately, however, most package holidaymakers see very little of the countries they visit, confining themselves as they do to the beach or the hotel in the daytime, often too tired to do anything else after a night spent in various bars and discos.

7. In spite of these disadvantages, it must be admitted that holidays in Britain at least pose no language problems, while parts of the countryside are genuinely beautiful.

8. In fact, a holiday in southern Europe can work out fairly cheaply, even though most destinations are at least 1500 kms away.

9. Another drawback is that public transport in the UK is often inadequate and exorbitant, which makes travelling by car a must.
10. All things considered, holidays abroad and in Britain both have their advantages and disadvantages. It is up to the individual to consider these beforehand, rather than having unrealistic expectations and then feeling disappointed. Personally speaking, I believe any holiday can be a positive experience, whatever the destination.

Writing Task 2 Ex. 3

2005-08-14T20:32:00.000+02:00

Below is a typcal Writing Task 2. You should write about 250 words and spend 40 minutes on this task.

A growing number of people feel animals should have the same rights as humans.
Discuss the difficulties that the adoption of such a policy would have for humans. What is your opinion on this matter?

See teacher's comment for model answer.

Speaking Part 1

2005-07-18T20:41:00.000+02:00

The first question you will be asked in the interview will probably be about your work or study plans or about the town/city you are from.

Look at the questions below for other topics you may be asked questions about.

e.g. Let’s talk about food.

Do you enjoy cooking?
Who does the cooking in your home?
Do you think family meals are important?
Have eating habits changed in the last twenty years?

Do you live in a house or an apartment?
Can you describe your home for me?
What are the advantages/disadvantages of living in a house/apartment?

What kind of clothes do you like to wear?
Do you think that the way we dress is important? Why?
Have the type of clothes people wear in your country changed during the last twenty years?

How many languages do you speak?
What did you find most difficult about learning English?
Do you think that learning foreign languages is useful?

Do you like reading?
Do you read more for pleasure or for study?
What kind of books do you enjoy reading?
Are there any kinds of books that you don’t like reading?

What newspaper do you usually read?
Why do you prefer that one?
How often do you read it?
What part of the newspaper do you read first?Which part of the newspaper do you find most useful?

Speaking Part 2

2005-07-16T21:29:00.000+02:00

Typical tasks found in Part 2 of the IELTS speaking test.

Describe a country or place you would like to visit.
You should say

where it is
when you would go there
how long you would stay

and explain why you are interested in going there.

Describe a memorable event in your life

You should say:

where the event took place
when the event took place
what happened exactly

and explain why the event was memorable for you.

Describe a film or TV programme that made a strong impression on you.

You should say:

what it was about
when and where you saw it
who was with you when you watched it

and explain why it made a strong impression on you.

Effective Reading

2005-07-16T21:15:00.000+02:00

Train yourself to become a more effective reader!

Follow the 12 steps below:

1) Find an article in a newspaper, magazine or journal that looks interesting.

2) Copy down the title in your notebook. Sit and think of all the vocabulary items you would expect to find in it, and write them down in a list.

3) Write down 5 questions you would like to find the answers to in the article OR
4) Five aspects of the topic which interest you.

5) Read the article through once quickly. It is important to set yourself a time limit, and to try to read as fast as possible. While reading, refer to your questions, / notes (steps 3,4) to see whether there is any discussion of these points.

6) Read the article again: Note down 5-10 new words, and write next to them your estimation of their meaning. Then, check whether you were right, using a good dictionary (The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

7) Write a 60-word summary of the main point/message of the article.

8) Practise writing headings for some of the paragraphs. This will increase your ability to find the main point in each paragraph.

9) Grammar check. Make a note of any sentence constructions that you are unfamiliar with. Keep these in a separate notebook.

10) Aim to collect a large folder of articles from VARIOUS different newspapers/ magazines, (including British/ American publications), covering most of the topics included in the information sheet you were given in the first week.

11) Reflect on the article, and write a paragraph expressing your own opinion on the issues discussed.
By the end of the course, try to have read at least 40 articles on a variety of different subjects.

Reading Tips

2005-07-16T21:13:00.000+02:00

INTRODUCTION:
The Reading Paper lasts one hour, in which time you have to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. It consists of three reading passages, each worth about the same number of points. The themes will certainly be varied: biology, alternative medicine, and language learning, for instance.

QUESTION TYPES:
There are 4 types of question usually found in IELTS papers:

a) Multiple choice.
The multiple-choice questions are familiar to most candidates and so I will not mention them here.

b) Judging whether information in the questions is correct according to the passage (Yes), incorrect (No), or whether it has not been included in the passage (Not Given).

Judging whether information in statements conforms to that in the passage is rather more unusual. Here, you should read the exact wording of the questions very carefully, as it is often the case that words like ‘all’, ‘always’ and so on, will change the meaning of a statement. If a passage states that Australians are, by and large, less religious than the British, it is not true that they are always less religious. This will change your answer from ‘Yes’ to ‘No’. Remember that some information will not be in the text. Most candidates ignore the ‘Not Given’, but there is always at least one answer (and often more) that contain statements not included in the reading passage.

c) Filling in the gaps with no more than three words.
Filling in the gaps using no more than three words means exactly that. Four words will automatically be marked wrong. You should remember that if these form part of a sentence already given, you must ensure that your answer conforms to the syntax.

d) Matching Headings to Paragraphs.
Matching headings to paragraphs causes many candidates a lot of difficulty. Here, you are not looking for particular information but for the general gist of a paragraph. As there usually many options, a sensible course of action is for you to cross out the ones you think are inappropriate as you go along. This enables you to focus on fewer alternatives.

SKIMMING AND SCANNING
To get a score of 6, one usually needs to get about 25 questions correct. This means one has to attempt all three passages. It is unlikely though that you will be able to complete all three. Here are some tips to maximise your chances of reading efficiently:

a) Read the first few questions before you start reading the passage. If you read the whole thing and then attempt the questions, you will find that you cannot remember the information and, so, you will have to read the passage again. This is very time consuming.

b) Always answer all the questions on a reading passage without leaving any blanks. You will not get time to have a second look. If you don’t know the answer, guess!

c) If questions include numbers, nationalities or names, skim the passage until you find the appropriate sentences. This is easy to do because capital letters and numbers stand out.

d) Use your common sense. If you know that answer X is ridiculous, cross it out and don’t even consider it as an option.

e) If you know that you are bad at a particular type of question (such as matching headings to paragraphs), it is probably best to do the reading passage that contains this question last. You will probably not score as well as on the other questions and so it is better to guess here than on ones that you are good at.

SCORING:
Finally, it is very important not to give up. Each Reading Paper is scored differently. If a particular test is harder than usual, the score you will require to get a 6 will be lower. It is, therefore, possible to get a 6 by getting only half the questions right on some papers. So, don’t give up!

Reading Task Ex.1

2005-07-16T20:43:00.000+02:00

Overrun by rats

It's boom time for rats. There are now more of them than of us. According to the latest research, the British rat population is nearing 70 million and growing by 18% every year. Is it too late to stop them?

Each of the paragraphs in this article begins with one of the headings below. Replace the headings in the appropriate places.

•Who is responsible for getting rid of rats?
•Do rats ever benefit humans?
•How is rat life organized?
•And is the rat an economic threat?
•Why do rats always seem to prosper?
•Why are rats proliferating?
•Is the rat dangerous?

______________________________

It's probably the greatest mammal pest of all time, the cause of more deaths than all the wars in history.
Harbouring lice and fleas and spreading diseases through its urine and droppings, it has been the source
of bubonic plague, typhus, salmonella, Weil's disease, trichina, infectious jaundice and many other
serious or fatal illnesses. Due to the risk of disease it is the only animal that SAS soldiers are banned from eating in the field. The only thing in the rat's favour is that it may have been unfairly blamed for the Black Death, which, according to a recent study, is more likely to have been an ebola-like virus transmitted from person to person.

______________________________

Rats destroy some 20% of the world's crops and cause a huge amount of damage to buildings and their contents with their chewing. The enamel on rats' incisor teeth is the hardest animal substance on earth - harder than aluminium or copper - so they can gnaw through piping, wires, masonry, even corrugated
iron. Rats once put out the lights at Heathrow airport by gnawing through double-insulated power cables. In the USA alone, economic losses due to rats are estimated to be in the region of $1,000m annually.

______________________________

Partly because they're ideally suited to living among humans. The common brown rat, Rattus Norvegicus - which consumes the equivalent of 10% of its own body weight every day – eats everything from soap to sweets, milk, eggs, meat, poultry and grains of all sorts. In cities they thrive on uneaten and spoiled
food discarded by humans. The average rat is about 12 inches long, not including the tail, but can grow to twice this length. Yet it can squeeze through a hole no bigger than a man's thumb. Adept at hiding, rats are also good jumpers, climbers and swimmers - they can even swim round the U-bend of lavatories. But perhaps the rat's greatest advantage is its amazing fertility. They reach sexual maturity eight weeks after
birth and have sex about 20 times a day. Females typically produce six to eight litters a year of up to 14 babies per litter.

______________________________

In Mexico and Africa they eat them; in China they drink 'baby rat wine' as a cure for arthritis. Selective breeding has produced the albino laboratory rat, which has been vital in developing cures for a range of human diseases. More bizarrely, an 'explosive rat' was developed by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II. It was made by skinning the animals, filling them with explosives, and then
sewing them up. The rats were to be placed next to boilers in strategic German buildings in the hope they would then be spotted and thrown on the fire, causing huge explosions. In the event, the Germans intercepted the container of rats before they could used, but the ruse still caused disruption. The trick rats were exhibited at German military schools, prompting a mass hunt across Germany for hundreds of others.

______________________________

Rats tend to live in big groups in which the larger males are dominant. Nests are built out of leaves, paper, twigs, or any other material the rat finds useful. If a suitable cavity or crevice is not available for nesting, rats make burrows in the ground. They tend to follow set trails on the surface, particularly under the cover of old boards or other rubbish. Even though rats are nocturnal, some can be found foraging during the daytime. These ones tend to be socially low-ranked individuals who have been denied access to food by dominant rats during the night, when most foraging activity takes place.
______________________________

Flooding has driven rats above ground, warmer winters encourage extended breeding, and the growth of fast-food restaurants has left pavements conveniently strewn with chicken and chips. In fact, over the past 35 years the amount of rubbish dropped on the streets has increased by 35% - to the rat's great benefit. Some experts believe that greater use of plastic building products has enabled more rats to chew their
way out of sewers into homes and gardens. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in communities of rats resistant to standard poisons. This has led to the introduction of stronger poisons which are more toxic to the birds and animals that eat rodents. Earlier this year a team of scientists at the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology discovered alarming levels of rat poisons in barn owls, polecats, foxes, weasels, stoats, red kites and even domestic cats and dogs.

______________________________

Local authorities have responsibility for dealing with infestations of rats above ground and in houses, but the trouble is that 60% of urban infestations occur in our decrepit sewer system where cracks in pipes provide bolt holes and allow rats to come above ground to search for food. Council pest control services used to deal with sewers too, but since privatization of the ten regional water authorities in the Eighties, responsibility for sewer baiting has been passed increasingly to private companies, many of which have little contact with the local council. The resulting lack of co-ordination, experts argue, is frustrating our ability to tackle the problem. When sewer baiting in Yorkshire and Humberside was contracted to aprivate company three years ago, councils soon complained of a rise in the rat population. In Sheffield, a public slanging match erupted after the city council blamed Yorkshire Water for a 40% rise in infestations. Pest control teams in other parts of the country worry that baiting may not be taking place at all.

To check your answers, see teacher's comment.

Reading Task Ex.2

2005-07-16T20:18:00.000+02:00

Read the passage on Daybreak trips by coach and look at the statements below. To check your answers, see the teacher's comment.

On your answer sheet write :

TRUE - if the statement is true
FALSE - if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN - if the information is not given in the leaflet

1. Millers Coaches owns Cambridge's Cambus fleet.
2. Premier is an older company than Millers.
3. Most of the Daybreak coaches are less than 5 years old.
4. Daybreak fares are more expensive than most of their competitors.
5. Soft drinks and refreshments are served on most longer journeys.
6. Smoking is permitted at the rear of the coach on longer journeys.
7. Tickets must be bought in advance from an authorised Daybreak agent.
8. Tickets and seats can be reserved by phoning the Daybreak Hotline.
9. Daybreak passengers must join their coach at Cambridge Drummer Street.
10. Daybreak cannot guarantee return times.

FROM CAMBRIDGE AND SURROUNDING AREA
SPRING IS IN THE AIR!

Welcome to our Spring Daybreak programme, which continues the tradition of offering unbeatable value for money day-trips and tours. All the excursions in this brochure are operated by Premier Travel Services Limited or Millers Coaches; both companies are part of the CHL Group, owners of Cambridge's Cambus fleet.

WE'RE PROUD OF OUR TRADITION

Premier was established in 1936; the Company now offers the highest standards of coaching in today's competitive operating environment. Millers has an enviable reputation stretching back over the past 20 years, offering value for money coach services at realistic prices. We've travelled a long way since our early days of pre-war seaside trips. Now our fleet of 50 modern coaches (few are more than five years old) operate throughout Britain and Europe but we're pleased still to maintain the high standards of quality and service, the trademark of our founders nearly sixty years ago.

EXCLUSIVE FEATURES

Admission inclusive faresAll Daybreak fares (unless specifically otherwise stated) include admission charges to the attractions, shows and exhibits we visit. Many full day scenic tours are accompanied by a fully trained English Tourist Board 'Blue Badge' guide or local experienced driver/guide. Some Daybreaks include lunch or afternoon tea. Compare our admission inclusive fares and see how much you save. Cheapest is not the best and value for money is guaranteed. If you compare our bargain Daybreak fares beware - most of our competitors do not offer an all inclusive fare.

SEAT RESERVATIONS

We value the freedom of choice, so you can choose your seat when you book. The seat reservation is guaranteed and remains yours at all times when aboard the coach.

NO SMOKING COMFORT

With the comfort of our passengers in mind, coaches on all our Daybreaks are no smoking throughout. In the interests of fellow passengers' comfort, we kindly ask that smokers observe our 'no smoking' policy. On scenic tours and longer journeys, ample refreshment stops are provided when, of course, smoking is permitted.

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Do I need to book?
Booking in advance is strongly recommended as all Daybreak tours are subject to demand. Subject to availability, stand-by tickets can be purchased from the driver.

What time does the coach leave?
The coach departs from Cambridge Drummer Street (Bay 12, adjacent to public toilets) at the time shown. There are many additional joining points indicated by departure codes in the brochure. If you are joining at one of our less popular joining points, you will be advised of your pick up time (normally by telephone) not less than 48 hours before departure. In this way, we can minimise the length of pick-up routes and reduce journey times for the majority of passengers.

What time do we get back?
An approximate return time is shown for each excursion. The times shown serve as a guide, but road conditions can sometimes cause delay. If your arrival will be later than advertised, your driver will try to allow for a telephone call during the return journey.

Where can I board the coach?
All the Daybreaks in the brochure leave from Cambridge Drummer Street (Bay 12, adjacent to public toilets) at the time shown. Many Daybreaks offer additional pick-ups for pre-booked passengers within Cambridge and the surrounding area. This facility must be requested at the time of booking.

See teacher's comment for answers

Grammar Ex.1

2005-06-05T23:34:00.000+02:00

In both Writing Task 1 and 2 you are marked on your use of linking words.
Try the exercise below.
See teacher's comment for answers.

Karen is rich; ___, her cousin Kate is poor.

a. therefore b. however c. otherwise

You'd better take a taxi. ___, you'll arrive late.

a. Consequently b. Furthermore c. Otherwise

I enjoy reading this new magazine. ___, it has good articles.

a. Moreover b. Nevertheless c. However

Jack wasn't tired. ___, he took a nap.

a. Otherwise b. Hence c. Nevertheless

Phil was not thirsty; ___, he drank five glasses of water.

a. however b. moreover c. furthermore

The kids didn't study. ___, they failed the course.

a. Therefore b. Nonetheless c. Otherwise

The weather was terrible. ___, we decided to delay our trip.

a. Furthermore b. Besides c. Therefore

You must buy the tickets; ___, we won't be able to see that play.

a. otherwise b. although c. besides

The neighbourhood isn't very interesting. I like the house, ___.

a. moreover b. thus c. though

We live in the same building; ___, we hardly see each other.

a. however b. therefore c. furthermore

He didn't earn enough money. ___, his wife decided to get a job.

a. Moreover b. Therefore c. Although

That house isn't big enough for us, and ___, it's too expensive.

a. furthermore b. hence c. although

Do's and Don'ts

2005-05-29T21:47:00.000+02:00

Do not:

· Use contractions, isn’t, don’t etc (unless you are writing an informal leter)

· Use abbreviations (e.g. govt. &)

· Split words between lines.

· Start sentences with 'and', 'but' or 'because'; they are conjunctions.

· Use numbered or bulleted points.

· Forget to organise your writing into paragraphs.

· Write out the question (it is a waste of time).and is not included in the word count.

· Use stock phrases, “health is wealth”, “education is the backbone of a nation” etc.

· Spend more than one minute per question in the reading test, guess or go on to the next.

· Leave blanks on the answer sheets, put in a guess.

Do
· Take two good sharp pencils and a pencil sharpener with you.

· Write neatly.

· Make sure that you know the difference between small and capital letters.

· Learn how to estimate how much you need to write to produce 150 and 250 words.

· Paragraph your writing.

· Answer writing task 2 first as it is “worth” more marks.

· Spend five minutes planning your answers to the written tasks, answering the question asked is most important.

· In the speaking test, talk to the interviewer and interact with him/her, this will help you to judge whether you have said enough and whether the examiner is ready to ask you another question.

· Think about what you could say in a conversation about topics of general interest, the weather, clothes, hobbies, watching TV, movies, sport, festivals, ceremonies.

· Practice speaking on topics for one minute, so that you can judge how much (or little) you need to say to fill one minute.

· In the reading and listening modules, check the questions before you start.

· Take care when you transfer the answers to the answer sheet. No extra time is allowed for this in the reading paper.

GOOD LUCK!

Useful IELTS Websites

2005-05-28T16:33:00.000+02:00

Check out these websites.
You can practise a variety of skills that are tested in the IELTS exam.

www.learnenglish.org.uk
The official British Council website.

www.onestopenglish.com/Exams/elt_exam_ielts.htm
Loads of IELTS practice material.

www.ielts.org
Full information on IELTS examination format and recognition with plenty of practice exercises.

www.aapress.com.au/ielts/english/ielts.htm
Lots of information and some free sample activities available from the publishers Adams and Austen Press. There are samples and information but no interactive exercises.

www.ieltscourse.f2s.com/index.html
Online for IELTS- an online IELTS course but it does have one unit of free material worth a look.

www.ieltsexam.com
IELTS Far Eastern website with more examples, hints and tips, but some information is not English.

www.ielts-test.com
IELTS Guide, with practice in Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking, IELTS exercises, IELTS books on line, Hot topics.

www.selfaccess.com/sa/sa/home.php
Samples on reading, writing, and listening for IELTS.

www.cambridge-efl.org/exam/business/bg_bec.htm
If you are taking or thinking of taking the BEC then the best place to get information about the exam.

www.ieltshelpnow.comhttp://newsdirectory.com
This is a very comprehensive site with links to TV, magazines and newspaper articles from all over the world.

www.le.ac.uk/li/sources/news/newspapers.html
This site was prepared for students of Leicester University in the UK, but its comprehensive look at current affairs should be of interest to everybody.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ and www.bbcworld.com
The first of these sites is very comprehensive and looks at all the news you could possibly want to read, the second is dedicated only to International news and as an accompaniment to BBC World TV.

www.guardian.co.ukT
his site recently one the best current affairs Web Site award, to find out why you can visit this site.

www.guardianunlimited.co.uk
Probably the most useful and user-friendly newspaper sites, with a search facility.

www.onestopenglish.com/tefl_skills/reading_worksheets
There are lots more. Keep reading, keep looking.