Ad Sence

Saleh

Custom Search

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Some people say that the Internet provides people with a lot of valuable information. Others think access to so much information creates problems. Whi

Some people say that the Internet provides people with a lot of valuable information. Others think access to so much information creates problems. Which view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

There is no doubt that the Internet is one of the greatest humankind's inventions of the last century. It is fast and easy way to get a lot of valuable information. However, some people believe that the Internet creates many problems. From my point of view I think that the Internet brings us advantages as well as disadvantages.

First of all, I think that the Internet brings us many benefits. People can have access to the latest news, weather, traffic, bid-and-asked quotations, etc. Another important benefit is that the Internet is a great means of communication. A few years ago it was rather difficult to imagine that it would be possible to communicate with people from all around the world. Students have the opportunity to speak to the professors from prestigious universities, ask their opinions and extend their range of interests. People have the opportunity to communicate with the people from other countries, find out their customs, traditions and even visit each other. I think that the Internet makes our world smaller and friendlier. We' ve got the chance to learn more about the world's history, our forefathers and gain more knowledge.

From the other hand, many questions and difficulties arose with the appearance of the Internet. For example, children got the easy access to the information they are not supposed to read. Also, people's security and privacy are often violated through steeling and gathering information about people and then selling it. Many banks had to increase their Internet security because of hacking.

However, I believe that Internet gave us more advantages and opportunities than disadvantages and problems.

You have decided to give several hours of your time each month to improve the community where you live. What is one thing you will do to improve your

You have decided to give several hours of your time each month to improve the community where you live. What is one thing you will do to improve your community? Why? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.

I think the question what would I do if I had a chance to improve my community is difficult. I have in my mind many things, the improvement of which will make our community better place to live but they all require the participation of many people and, moreover, they require investments, which I can not provide. For example, my community is quite noisy. We have the huge mall just in front of our community, so traffic jams are very common for this place. I think that the construction of a few pass-by roads will benefit all people who live here as well as people who drive by every day.

Unfortunately, the question is what I can do for my community giving a few hours of my time every month. I think I can not do much, but I still can help someone in my community. For example, I can baby-sit. I know a couple of families with little children, who can not afford to spend much money on the baby-sitter. One of these families is a single mom with a little girl. Julia, this is her name, is a waitress in a restaurant. She is a great person and we became close friends. So, sometimes I offer her help with her child when she has to work in the evenings. Another family has two funny little twins. One time their parents asked me to baby-sit their children because they had to attend an unexpected presentation.

I think this kind of help brings many benefits to my community. First of all, people become friendlier. For example, those families, which I mentioned above, became friends after I introduced them to each other. Second of all, people get to know each other and feel more secure in their houses and apartments. Finally, I am ready to help those people because I am sure that they will help me too. One time I lost the keys from my car and Julia offered me her car for a while.

To sum up, I believe that baby-sitting is a great way to help my community in many aspects.

What do you consider to be the most important room in a house? Why is this room more important to you than any other room? Use specific reasons and ex

What do you consider to be the most important room in a house? Why is this room more important to you than any other room? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

My husband and I live in an apartment, which include a bedroom, living room, bath room and kitchen. We do not have children yet, so our apartment is pretty small but it is cheap and cozy. If I would have to choose the most important room in a house I think it would be living room. In the following paragraphs I will present my reasons to support my answer.

First of all, living room is the place where we take our guests. It is the main and the biggest room in our apartment and we try to keep it clean and cozy. For example, my husband vacuums it every other day especially when it is wet outside and our dog makes dirty sports on the carpet with its paws after a walk. Second of all, I think that living room is the most important room in our house because we spend most of our time there watching TV, having our dinner and just talking with each other.
Finally, our living room is a place where we study. Since our apartment is rather small we do not have a room for studying, so I have my table with the computer on it in our living room. I like to study there because the room is perfectly light with the large windows and the beautiful view from them.

My parents have a much bigger house with six rooms, large kitchen and two floors. However, I think that my mother would agree with me that their living room is the most important room in the house. When we visit them we always gather there, lay the table, and have a long talk. My mother makes delicious cakes and aromatic tea. I like those moments.

To sum up, I think many people will agree with me that living room is the most important room in a house because it is the room where people spend most of there time at home.

What are the important qualities of a good son or daughter? Have these qualities changed or remained the same over time in your culture? Use specific

What are the important qualities of a good son or daughter? Have these qualities changed or remained the same over time in your culture? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

I am from Russia. I think that qualities of a good son and daughter almost have not changed for the past several centuries. However, I believe that some qualities have changed. I will give the following reasons to support my answer.

Parents always expect from their children love, respect and help. I think these qualities remain unchanged. However, at old times parents expected from their daughter to be a good and practical woman because in this case she can marry a good and perspective man. Nowadays, I think parents' expectations from their daughter have changed. Now a woman has the same rights and opportunities to make a great career, make money and be successful at equal terms with a man. It means that now parents are not so worried about a future perspective husband. They know that their daughter can take care of herself and be happy. Nowadays parents teach their daughter to believe in herself, be motivated and strong. They want to be proud of her.

As for a son, I think expectations remain the same. Parents see their son as a clever, motivated and successful man.

To sum up, parents wish their children be more successful then themselves, achieve more goals. So, they with great patience pass down their knowledge and experience to their children. They teach them only good things and expect respect and love in return. Also, parents try to teach their children how to avoid mistakes they have made in their lives. I think the main quality of a good son or daughter is to make their parents proud.

Plants can provide food, shelter, clothing, or medicine. What is one kind of plant that is important to you or the people in your country? Use specifi

Plants can provide food, shelter, clothing, or medicine. What is one kind of plant that is important to you or the people in your country? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.

Plants play a very important role in our everyday life. They give us oxygen, provide with medicine, clothing and food. Every country has its own staple food that dominates in the diet of dwellers of that country. For example, the staple food for Japan and Korea is rice. As for me, I am from Russia. I believe that our staple plants are potato and wheat.

Some people believe that wheat is the most important plant because it provides full and nutritious meal. People bake bread and cookies, cook kasha and soup. At old times people in Russia raised wheat and prayed for the good harvest in order to survive. Millet has a good storage time so it gives the opportunity to consume it a whole year.

However, nowadays bread is no longer of that importance. A person has more products to choose from. Besides, some people tend to exclude bread from their diet in order to decrease the amount of daily calories and lose some weight. Personally, I think that potato is more important plant then wheat.
Virtually, every Russian has potato every day at least once. One can boil, fry, bake or mash it. My favorite meal is baked potato with cheese and a glass of milk. I think it is delicious and it does not take much time to cook it. Moreover, potato is easier to raise and store.

To summarize, I think that potato by far is the most important plant in Russia.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A person should never make an important decision alone. Use specific reasons and examples to su

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A person should never make an important decision alone. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

From my everyday experience and observation I can claim that discussion of an important decision with other people bring many benefits. In the following paragraphs I will give my reasons to defend this statement.

First of all, different people have different opinions. In order to make the right choice people should discuss every possible decision and its consequences. Making an important decision alone can bring many negative aspects. For instance, a person can reveal his selfishness or impatience and the consequences of that decision can effect many people in the future. I think that a good and wise decision can be born only in discussion because people can share their knowledge and experiences a look at the problem from different sides and aspects.

Second of all, I think that making decision alone is unacceptable especially for a company. Imagine that a chief makes the decision about increasing a production line without discussing it with his employees. In this case a part of company's profit will be spend on extended purchase of raw materials. So, share holders will be left without dividends. This decision may lead to getting rid of company's shares and as a result of this declining the value of a company as a whole.
To sum up, I think that a person should always consult his relatives or colleges when making an important decision to avoid possible mistakes

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Letter-GT-WRITE TO PRAISE HOSPITAL'S SERVICES

WRITE TO PRAISE HOSPITAL'S SERVICES

Dear Sir:

I am a business man from America, and my name is David Smith. Last month it was the first time that I traveled to Beijing for business, signing a contract with a Chinese food company. Unfortunately I got a bad flu and then had a fever. I was sent to your hospital. Because my temperature was nearly 40 degree centigrade, I was asked to be in hospital. I worried about my business and the delay of signing the contact will lead to great losses to my company.
However, After the doctors' careful treatment and nurses' patient care, I was recovered only in 4 days.I completed the negotiation with the food company smoothly and signed the contract on time finally. So I sincerely appreciate all the staffs in your hospital who helped me full-heatedly. I was deeply impressed by the kind doctors and nurses, the pleasant and comfortable environment, and considerate services. I have no relatives and friends in Beijing, but I felt at home in your hospital. I will always remember all those warmhearted persons and your hospital in my heart.

Best wishes to you all!

Sincerely yours,

Saleh

Letter-GT-PRAISE A RESTAURANT FOR THE QUALITY OF THEIR FOOD AND THE IMPROVED MENU

PRAISE A RESTAURANT FOR THE QUALITY OF THEIR FOOD AND THE IMPROVED MENU

Dear Manager:
I am a reporter from the News Weekend. Because of the demand of my work, I often come to Beijing to do interviews. Your hotel is my favorite, because of the comfortable living conditions, and the considerate service, especially your excellent food.The restaurants in your hotel have many kinds of delicious food such as Chinese food, Japanese food, French food and so on. Among these delicious foods, I like the Beijing Toast Duck best, not only because of its Chinese characteristics but also its special taste for people from all over the world. So every time I come here I always choose this course.Furthermore, what impressed me most is the high quality service, it always makes me feel at home. Waiters and waitresses are so kind and warmhearted that they always earnestly recommend every new or special food of the restaurant.
I will recommend your hotel and restaurant to my friends without any reservation and hesitation.Hope your hotel and restaurant will be more prosperous in the future.

Sincerely yours,

Saleh

Letter-GT-SOMEBODY HAS DONATED CONSIDERABLE MONEY; WRITE TO SCHOOL ABOUT HOW TO USE IT

SOMEBODY HAS DONATED CONSIDERABLE MONEY; WRITE TO SCHOOL ABOUT HOW TO USE IT

Dear President,
November 11, 1999I 'm very happy to hear that a famous author has donated considerable money to our institute. And I think we could use it to establish an education fund to aid our teachers to study abroad.
Firstly, teachers could increase their teaching level and enrich their knowledge by studying aboard. For teachers of a language institute, this kind of experience is really necessary. Teachers would consider that as a kind of prize and therefore work harder for that. Secondly, our institute could be benefited from doing that. Since we could provide the overseas-studying chance for our teachers, graduates with high score in the Normal Colleges are more willing to come to our institute.
Thirdly, that will help our students. Our last year's survey showed that 65% of our students prefer the language teachers who had overseas-studying experience.In a word, I think that using the donated fund to assist our teachers to study abroad is a good way to promote the healthy development of our institute. Please take good consideration of my advice.

Thanks!

Yours sincerely,

Saleh

Letter-GT-LOST SOMETHING ON AN AIRPLANE AND WIRTE TO THE AIRPORT FOR HELP

LOST SOMETHING ON AN AIRPLANE AND WIRTE TO THE AIRPORT FOR HELP

Dear officer:

In 01/01/2000, I took flight CA983 from Beijing to Los Angeles. When the flight arrived at Los Angeles, because of my carelessness, I left my handbag, a black leathered bag, on my seat. There are some important things in it, including my passport, ID card, credit card, some checks and one thousand US Dollars. But the most important thing is my business address book, in which record all my clients' phone numbers and appointment agenda in the following two weeks.Since this bag is very important to me, my friends told me that I should contact your department to seek help, so I write this letter to you anxiously. Hope you and your staff can help me find my lost bag. Your meticulous and warmhearted help will be greatly appreciated.For information about my lost thing, please contact me in the following ways.

Mobile phone: 01914885911

Home phone: 82326258
Office phone: 82326255

Yours sincerely

Saleh

LETTER - AS A RESTAURANT WORKER, MAKE SUGGESTIONS TO THE RESTAURANT

LETTER - AS A RESTAURANT WORKER, MAKE SUGGESTIONS TO THE RESTAURANT

Dear General Manager,

As a staff of Sales Department, I'm very glad to see the rapid development of our hotel. With the coming of New Year, I am writing to you to pre I think more on the further improvement of our hotel¡Âªto establish a website of our own to attract more clients.Firstly, with the development of Internet, more and more people are willing to go to the outside world through the information on Internet. Thus if we could establish our own website and introduce ourselves on it, more friends, especially foreign friends, could know our latest promotion at home whenever they want. Secondly, according to the statistics of World Hotel Association, 33% of clients made hotel reservation through the Internet last year. And the proportion will largely increase in year 2000. Thus if we could introduce reservation system on our homepage, clients could contact us and make reservation directly. Finally, hotel promotion on Internet could reduce our operation cost greatly.As someone says that Internet shorten the distance of the world, I believe that the one who could make use of Internet effectively today will be the winner tomorrow. We will get a lot and have a brilliant future.

Yours sincerely,

Saleh

Essay-2 Many teachers assign homework to students every day. Do you think that daily homework is necessary for students? Use specific reasons and deta

Many teachers assign homework to students every day. Do you think that daily homework is necessary for students? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

Homework helps students to understand material more deeply. However, some people believe that homework does not bring any benefits. Personally, I think that this issue has some advantages and disadvantages. In this essay first I will focus on the reasons why I support this idea about daily homework and then I will move on to analyzing its disadvantages.

From the one side, daily homework brings many benefits. As I already mentioned, it helps students understand subjects more deeply. Also, young people learn how to arrange their time to have all things done on time. In addition to those practical benefits daily homework teaches students how to make their own research if something is not clear. Curiosity is one of the main reasons that leads a person to a success. Students learn to make their research, work with different kinds of informational resources such as an Internet, books, magazines, journals and newspapers. I think it is a great experience and it is very good for a long run.

From the other side, daily homework can bring many disadvantages. For instance, if a person has no interest in biology, but has a huge interest in music he has to spend his precious time doing his homework and reading uninteresting books instead of spending this time practicing new melodies. Another important aspect of this that a student can have no time for his physical activities. So, basically, doing daily homework will not keep him in a good shape.

To sum up, I think that an intermediate position can be taken. For example, a student will have to do his daily homework if he is going to specialize in this field in the future.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Essay 2 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for students to study history and literature than it is for them

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for students to study history and literature than it is for them to study science and mathematics. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

Some people believe that students should study more history and literature. However, other people think that studying science and mathematics is more important. From my experience and observation I think that students should study both science and history. Bellow I will outline some basic reasons to support my opinion.

First of all, I believe that studying history and literature is important for the range of interests of students and people on the whole. It extends the range of interests and teach people to analyze their history. Every person should know the history of the country where he or she was born. Knowledge of one's roots and origins gives the opportunity to understand many things that are around. Second of all, I think that this kind of knowledge is essential for students who are going to be lawyers, newspapermen, political figures, etc. One more reason to study history is that it helps one to analyze mistakes made by ancestors or learn from their wise decisions.

From the other side, I think that it is also important for students to study science. Personally, I like studding mathematics because for me it is very interesting to work with figures, analyze them, develop different ways to solve the problem. It teaches one to think logically and improves one's ability to think non-typically. I think it is great.

Studding of science allows people to improve their life conditions, make discoveries, develop innovations, etc. Scientists work on new vaccines and pills to make our life longer and happier. They make researches in different fields from medicine to space. Because of this kind of knowledge humankind has opportunities to watch TV, fly, using jet airplanes, surf an Internet, play computer games, watch movies, drive cars, etc.

In conclusion, I think that students must study many things including science and literature in order to succeed in the modern world.

Essay 2 Should governments spend more money on improving roads and highways, or should governments spend more money on improving public transportation

Should governments spend more money on improving roads and highways, or should governments spend more money on improving public transportation (buses, trains, subways)? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.


Many people believe that governments should spend more money on improving roads and highways. However, other people think that more money should be spent on improving public transportation. Personally, I think that both of these opinions have their advantages and disadvantages.

The first reason for improving public transportation is overpopulation. The amount of cars is rising dramatically. As a result of this fact the contemplation of air is increasing that leads to irreversible aftereffects such as the presence of acid rains and different kinds of human diseases. So, the improving of public transportation will reduce pollution.

The second reason for this is the possibility to decrease the amount of traffic jams that also have a huge influence on air pollution. Moreover, it will save time and people's money. One does not have to pay for gas for his car, car insurance, repair, oil change and etc.

The third reason for this is a sharp decrease in the level of car accidents. People will feel more secure in this case.

However, despite all these advantages this decision has a few disadvantages. First of all, public transportation means the presence of schedule and working hours. So, one has to wait for a bus or for a train in a subway or call for a taxi in order to get somewhere. Second of all, it is a big chance that one has to spend some time getting to the nearest bus stop or subway entrance.

As for roads and highways, I think it is a very important and topical issue. A personal car in this modern world is an essential vehicle. It gives one freedom and independence. Improving roads and highways governments will decrease the number of car accidents and traffic jams. I believe that in several years air pollution can be dramatically reduced by using sun energy to refuel our cars.

Finally, I think that governments should spend money on improving public transportation as well as on roads and highways because it will benefit all people.

Essay Task-2 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should be required to help with household tasks as soon as they are able

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should be required to help with household tasks as soon as they are able to do so. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

The issue about whether children should help with household tasks as soon as they are able to do so is open for debate. Some people say that children should devote more time for playing with their friends, watching TV and studying. However, other people believe that children should help their parents with household tasks. Personally, for several reasons, which I will explain bellow, I adhere to the latter point of view.

First of all, I think that every child should have his or her own responsibilities. When I was a child my parents taught me how to make breakfast in the morning. So, I woke up, went to the kitchen and prepared a couple of toasts for breakfast. It was easy and I enjoyed doing it because I liked the way my parents thanked me and I felt that they were proud of me. Also, my mom always wanted me to know how to cook, clean and iron my cloth. Thanks to the learning, nowadays, when my maid can not come to my house I handle all household tasks myself.

Second of all, performing household tasks teaches children to value the job of people who did it. When I was a child I did not imagine that cleaning house could be so time and energy consuming. So, when I began to do some of the household tasks by myself I began to respect the job of others and tryed to collect all my toys after my playing with them.

Finally, doing household tasks teaches children to arrange their time. In addition to those practical benefits, help from children allows parents to have more spare time for their personal lives and for the children. A family can have more time to spend with each other talking, watching movies or just enjoying the beautiful moments.

To sum up, I think that children should help their parents with household tasks. Doing household tasks helps them to grow into independent, self-confident, and attentive persons who respect their parents.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Writing Task-1 The table below shows CO2 emissions for different forms of transport in the European Union.The Pie Chart shows the percentage of Europe


The table shows CO2 emissions for different forms of transport in the European Union.The Pie Chart shows the percentage of European Union funds being spent on different forms of transport.

You should write at least 150 words.Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
model answer:

The chart shows CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre for variuos methods of transport in the European Union while the pie chart shows European Union spending on transport. Flying by air produces by far the greatest CO2 emissions, approximately three times as much as passenger cars which are the next largest producers. Very little is spent by the EU on air travel while roads make up more than half of the EU transport budget.Trains produce about three times less CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre than passenger cars and eight times less than air travel. Nearly a third of EU transport funds are spent on railways.Ships are a clean form of transport and produce about the same amount of CO2 per passenger kilometre as trains do. However, only 2 percent of EU funds are spent on ports. A further one percent is spent on inland waterways.Coaches are the cleanest form of transport. Emissions of CO2 per passenger kilometre from coaches are half those of buses. Buses emit less than half as much CO2 per passenger kilometre as cars. The European Union spends 10 percent of its transport budget on public transport, such as buses and coaches.

Writing Task-1 In June 1996, an experimental flu vaccine was trialled in a large country town on females only.Summarise the information by selecting a







In June 1996, an experimental flu vaccine was trialled in a large country town on females only.Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.




You should write at least 150 words.Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
model answer:
The diagrams show data for a flu epidemic which hit a large country town in 1996. Figure 1 gives the number of persons who died; Figure 2 shows the percentage breakdown of females who received a new flu vaccine; and Figure 3 gives the number of cases of flu before and during the epidemic.In Figure 1 it can be seen that the flu was responsible for the deaths of 2 females but no males in the period from March to May. However, from June to August, there were 4 female deaths and 1 male death.According to the pie chart in Figure 2, only those females most at risk were given the new flu vaccine; 28% did not take part in the trial. Of those females who took part, 35% were aged (over 65 years old); 24% were babies or children; and 13% were either hospitalised or receiving other medical attention.From Figure 3 it is clear that the new vaccine had a positive effect on the number of new cases of flu reported in females. There were just over 1000 cases reported in March, climbing rapidly to a peak of 3500 in June. Thereafter, the number of cases dropped slowly to about 2800 in August, before levelling off at 2500 for the rest of the year. For males, the figures were lower but showed a similar trend throughout the epidemic.

Writing Task-1 The map below is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is planned for the town. The map shows two possible sites for the super


The map below is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is planned for the town. The map shows two possible sites for the supermarket.Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.


You should write at least 150 words.Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.


model answer:


The first potential location (S1) is outside the town itself, and is sited just off the main road to the town of Hindon, lying 12 kms to the north-west. This site is in the countryside and so would be able to accommodate a lot of car parking. This would make it accessable to shoppers from both Hindon and Garlsdon who could travel by car. As it is also close to the railway line linking the who towns to Cransdon (25 km to the south-east), a potentially large number of shoppers would also be able to travel by train.In contrast, the suggested location, S2, is right in the town centre, which would be good for local residents. Theorically the store could be accessed by road or rail from the surrounding towns, including Bransdon, but as the central area is a no-traffic zone, cars would be unable to park and access would be difficult.Overall, neither site is appropriate for all the towns, but for customers in Cransdon, Hindon and Garlsdon, the out-of-town site (S1) would probably offer more advantages.

Writing Task-1 The graph below compares the number of visits to two new music sites on the web.Write a report for a university lecturer describing the


The graph below compares the number of visits to two new music sites on the web.Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.


You should write at least 150 words.
model answer:


The graph shows people using new music places on the Internet in fifteen days period of time namely personal choice and trendy pop music.The overall trend shows fluctuation with slight Increased towards the end of the period.Starting with Music Choice websites; 40,000 poeple went on this new site on first-day. Half of them backed out the next day. In Contrast to this Pop Parade net sites were visited by 120,000 music lovers on day one which decreased slightly on the next day thereafter regaining the same fame on 3rd day.After 3rd day the enthusiasm for both music lines on Internet dropped slowly- reaching maximum fall of 40,000 on 7th day. Whereas Music choice gained popularity, slightly Improoving to get the original strength of 30,000 viewers on screen, but was getting still less visiters than their opponent Pop group i.e. 40,000 on day 7.In the biegining of the next week both gained remarkable recovery after a few fluctuations for 8th and 9th day having 40,000 and 50,000 visiters respectively, reaching to their peaks of one and a half thousand new viewers for Pop Parade on 11th day showing a contrast of very few people visiting Music choice for the same day. Thereafter Music choice gained popularity on 12th day for having more than 120,000 new visiters on web.In the end of the period Pop sites were visited by maximum viewers of 180,000 whereas sites located to Music choice were not explored by more than 80,000 explorers on the last day of the report.

Writing Task-1 The graph and table below give information about water use worldwide and water consumption in two different countries.Summarise the inf


The graph and table below give information about water use worldwide and water consumption in two different countries.Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.


Write at least 150 words.
Country


Population Irrigated land Water consumption per person Brazil
176 million 26,500 km² 359 m³ DemocraticRepublicof Congo

5.2 million 100 km² 8 m³
model answer:


The graph shows how the amount of water used worldwide changed between 1900 and 2000.Throughout the century, the largest quantity of water was used for agricultural Purposes, and this increased dramatically from about 500 km³ to around 3,000 km³ in the year 2000. Water used in the industrial and domestic sectors also increased, but consumption was minimal until mid-century. From 1950 onwards, industrial use grew steadily to just over 1,000 km³, while domestic use rose more slowly to only 300 km³, both far below the levels of consumption by agriculture.The table illustrates the differences in agriculture consumption in some areas of the world by contrasting the amount of irrigated land in Brazil (26,500 km³) with that in the D.R.C. (100 km²). This means that a huge amount of water is used in agriculture in Brazil, and this is reflected in the figures for water consumption per person: 359 m³ compared with only 8 m³ in the Congo. With a population of 176 million, the figures for Brazil indicate how high agriculture water consumption can be in some countries.

Writing Task 1 The graph below gives information about the preferred leisure activities of Australian children.Write a report for a university lecture

The graph below gives information about the preferred leisure activities of Australian children.Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown.

You should write at least 150 words.


model answer:The graph shows the preferred leisure sctivities of Australian children aged 5-14. As might be expected, it is clear from the data that sedentary pursuits are far more popular nowadays than active ones.Of the 10,000 children that were interviewed, all the boys and girls stated that they enjoyed watching TV or videos in their spare time. In addition, the second most popular activity, attracting 80% of boys and 60% of girls, was playing electronic or computer games. While girls rated activities such as art and craft highly – just under 60% stated that they enjoyed these in their spare time – only 35% of boys opted for creative pastimes. Bike riding, on the other hand, was almost as popular as electronic games amongst boys and, perhaps surprisingly, almost 60% of girls said that they enjoyed this too. Skateboarding was relatively less popular amongst both boys and girls, although it still attracted 35% of boys and 25% of girls.

Writing task -1 The diagram below shows how a central heating system in a house works.Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main fe


You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.


The diagram below shows how a central heating system in a house works.Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.



You should write at least 150 words.


model answer:



This diagram provides an overview of a domestic central heating system. It shows how the tank, boiler and pipes ensure a constant flow of hot waterto both the radiators and the taps.The cold water enters the house and is stored in a water storage tank in the roof. From there ü flows down to the boiler, located on the ground floor of the house.The boiler, which is fuelled by gas or oil, heats up the water as it passes through it. The hot water is then pumped round the house through a system of pipes and flows into the radiators, located in different rooms. The water circulates through the radiators, which have small tubes inside them to help distribute the heat, and this warms each of the rooms. Some of the water is directed to the taps to provide hot water for the house.Once the water has been through the pipes and radiators, it is returned to the boiler to be re-heated and circulated round the house again.Introduction: First sentence. Overview: Second sentence.Key features: Entry of cold water into boiler; circulation of hot waterto radiators and taps; return of waterto boiler.Supporting information: direction of flow; types of boiler; location of radiators; radiator tubesParagraph breaks: The paragraph breaks mark stages in the process.Linkers: and, from there, then, once, again Reference words: it, both, there, which, thisTopic vocabulary: enters, stored, roof, flows, ground floor, located, passes, pumped, system, circulates, heat, directed, returned, re-heatedLess common vocabulary: ensure, fuelled by, heats up, distribute the heat, warmsStructures: An appropriate mix of active and passive structures and a range of sentence types are used.

Friday, November 21, 2008

It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to develop you

It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to develop your essay.


Some people believe that it is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. However, other people think that a big city gives more opportunities and it is good for the long run. Personally, for several reasons I think that it is better for children's health to grow up in the country.

First of all, it is very important for a child to grow up in a healthy environment. Children need fresh air, not polluted by the huge amount of cars and factories of the modern city. In the country they can spend more time exercising and walking with their friends. Scientists say that now children spend the same amount of time watching TV as they do at school. Probably, the possibility to join their friends for a play will change this proportion. Another important aspect of this is that parents will have more time to spend with their children as a result of eliminating traffic jams and decreasing driving time as a whole.

From the other side, children have some advantages living in a big city. For example, they have more opportunities to choose from what they want to do. They can choose to attend ballet school, school of art, gymnastics, etc. For the long run, it is good for them. They will be better prepared for a live in a "real world" and they will have more chances to make a good career and succeed. Moreover, a big city usually has many entertaining centers with movie theatres and play stations. When I was a child I liked to go to the movie theatre with my parents to watch a premiere.

One more reason to choose a big city for a child is that a city provide better live conditions and services such as medical, dental, etc. My friend lived in the country for a while and one time he and his family had to drive a couple of hours to the nearest medical center when his child got a heavy cough.

To summarize, I agree with those people who want to raise their children in a city. The plenty of opportunities offered by a city helps children to find what they really like and be the best at it. Moreover, despite the air pollution, children get a better medical service that is good for their health.

Groups or organizations are an important part of some people’s lives. Why are groups or organizations important to people? Use specific reasons and ex

Groups or organizations are an important part of some people’s lives. Why are groups or organizations important to people? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.

Man, through the ages, has undergone many changes from the time when he lived in the caves to nowadays when he lives in a comfortable apartment. But one thing that remains the same is that people always lived in groups and organizations such as families, the smallest group, and tribes, the bigger group. I think that the reason why people live in groups is because we need communication and what is more important we need support to survive. So, from old times to nowadays people merged in groups because it made them stronger and helped to overcome many obstacles and difficulties. In the following paragraphs I will give my reasons and examples to support my answer.

First of all, people need to communicate with each other. We need to share out ideas and thoughts with each other. I think it is very important to know that someone think the same way one does and supports one. In addition, communication is one of the features of reasonable animals. All animals that can communicate with each other live in herds and support each other when one of them is in need.

The second reason, why I think groups and organization are important to people is because they make us stronger. For example, football team plays better then one player. Another example is the ancient hunters. At old times people gathered in order to get food and survive in severe conditions. It was impossible for one man to kill a big animal, but when people gathered in groups their chances increased. Scientists say that people survived because they lived together and supported each other.

For the reasons, which I mentioned above, I believe groups and organizations play an essential role in our life. Moreover, people's evolution would not be possible without them.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Grades (marks) encourage students to learn. Use specific reasons and examples to support your o

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Grades (marks) encourage students to learn. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion

From my everyday experience and observation I can stand that grades are very good indicators of knowledge. For several reasons that I will mention bellow I believe that grades encourage students to learn.

First of all, grades show students' knowledge. If a person gets a high grade on an exam it means that he understands that subject very well. Otherwise, if a student gets a low grade on an exam it means that he does not understand it completely. Personally, when I get a lower grade on an exam then I expected I know that I could be better prepared. So, next time I will spend more time and efforts to fix my lack of knowledge and do my best on the exam. In this case low grades encourage me to learn more. I try to analyze my mistakes and avoid them next time. Also, I try to arrange my time more effectively. I know exactly that I can do better than that, so I collect all my strength and focus on the incoming exam. It is like a new goal or obstacle that one should overcome in order to continue his path. When finally I get a higher grade on an exam I feel satisfaction and I am proud of myself. I think it is a great feeling. I feel stronger, more self-confident and patient. I think these qualities are essential for a person who wants to achieve something and succeed in the future.

Second of all, students have some kind of competition among each other for higher grades. When a student gets a higher grade then another one, the second student asks himself: "Why do not I have this grade? Is it something wrong with me? Is he better then me? ". I think every student at least one time asked himself this question.

To sup up, I think there is no doubt that grades encourage students to learn, gain more experience, knowledge, be more self-confident and persistent. Moreover, I am sure that these small victories will help students to win and succeed in the future.

Some people think that governments should spend as much money as possible on developing or buying computer technology. Other people disagree and think

Some people think that governments should spend as much money as possible on developing or buying computer technology. Other people disagree and think that this money should be spent on more basic needs. Which one of these opinions do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

Man, through the ages has undergone many changes from the time when he depicted a herd of mammoths on the walls of a cave to nowadays when he can chart with anyone across the sea by use of modern means of communication. Some people think that in today's world government should spend more money on computers. However, others think that it is inappropriate and government should spend more money on food and shelters for poor people, medicine, education, etc. These two options are very different and controversial. But I think that developing computer technology brings people more advantages then they think it does.

First of all, humankind nowadays more and more depends on computers. We often do not suspect the presence of computers around us. For example, when we withdraw money from cash machines, get some gasoline on the gas station and pay with our credit cards in the stores. So, nowadays computer technology plays an essential role in our everyday life. Second of all, computer technology brings more job opportunities. For a country computer technology means power, knowledge and constant development. In addition to those practical benefits, the development of computer technology brings a lot of money to the country.

From the other side, government should not forget about poor people, who can not afford computers but need food and shelters. However, I think that computers help people gain more knowledge and experience and find a job to provide food and home for his family. So, basically, computers give people the opportunity to reach their goals and be innovative.

To sum up, I think that computer technology gives people many benefits including the opportunity to improve one's knowledge and be more self-confident, persistent and experienced in this world.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Games are as important for adults as they are for children. Use specific reasons and examples t

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Games are as important for adults as they are for children. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Games as the ultimate form of mental and physical relief are important for adults as they are for children. People learn how to behave, control their emotions, follow the rules. The most obviously essential aspect of this is that people realize that our life is a big game with its own rules. In the next paragraphs I will give the reasons to support my answer.

Basically, there are two types of games. The first type is mental games that help us to upgrade our mental abilities. The second type is the games that involve physical activities. They keep people fit and healthy.

Mental games for adults play a significant role. Adults learn co-operation, discipline, team work, self-confidence. Scientists say that the brain cells of grown up people can grow with the help of mind exercising. The most simple way to exercise one's mind is through mental games. For example, playing chess makes people think, try to predict events, follow the strategy of an opponent.

From the other side, physical games help adults to stay in a good shape, relax, eliminate stress and tension. Also, it is a perfect way to lose weight.

Mental games for children also play an important role. They help children to understand the real world more quickly and adapt to the reality. In addition to those practical benefits mental games teach children how to behave, be supportive and patient. Physical games from the other hand, strengthening children' bones, health and teach discipline.

To sum up, I am sure that people need games and it is not important how old one is.

Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.


Man, through the ages, has undergone many changes, from a period when he hunted for food to the present time, when he buys preprocessed food in the shop centers. Some people say that the fact our food are easier to prepare these days has definitely improved our life. However, other people belief that this change has some negative aspects. In this essay I will least some advantages and disadvantages of such a change.

First of all, when people use a preprocessed food it definitely saves time. One does not have to spend much time in the kitchen washing, peeling, cutting and cooking vegetables, etc. All one has to do is just to use a microwave or a stove to warm up a ready for use food. Frankly, I think it is a very good benefit. People can more enjoy things they like to do like spending time with the loved ones, exercising, watching TV or walking with a dog.

Second of all, if one has a good salary he can allow himself to go to a restaurant every day. It is a great opportunity to have a fresh cooked meal with excellent service, meet friends and new people. One more reason to have dinner at a restaurant because one can taste different and delicious food from all over the world from Chinese to Mexican.

However, some people think that a preprocessed food has negative aspects. Unfortunately,
preprocessed food has less vitamins and minerals than fresh cooked food. Besides, it has more preservatives and unnatural ingredient that can not be good for man's health. In addition, the number of diseases such as obesity, fatigue, reflux disease etc. is rising.

Cooking is a great tradition. It is a means of eliminating stress and tension. Personally, I believe that people should not forget this tradition and do not abuse fast food.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.


Man, through the ages, has undergone many changes, from a period when he hunted for food to the present time, when he buys preprocessed food in the shop centers. Some people say that the fact our food are easier to prepare these days has definitely improved our life. However, other people belief that this change has some negative aspects. In this essay I will least some advantages and disadvantages of such a change.

First of all, when people use a preprocessed food it definitely saves time. One does not have to spend much time in the kitchen washing, peeling, cutting and cooking vegetables, etc. All one has to do is just to use a microwave or a stove to warm up a ready for use food. Frankly, I think it is a very good benefit. People can more enjoy things they like to do like spending time with the loved ones, exercising, watching TV or walking with a dog.

Second of all, if one has a good salary he can allow himself to go to a restaurant every day. It is a great opportunity to have a fresh cooked meal with excellent service, meet friends and new people. One more reason to have dinner at a restaurant because one can taste different and delicious food from all over the world from Chinese to Mexican.

However, some people think that a preprocessed food has negative aspects. Unfortunately,
preprocessed food has less vitamins and minerals than fresh cooked food. Besides, it has more preservatives and unnatural ingredient that can not be good for man's health. In addition, the number of diseases such as obesity, fatigue, reflux disease etc. is rising.

Cooking is a great tradition. It is a means of eliminating stress and tension. Personally, I believe that people should not forget this tradition and do not abuse fast food.

Some famous athletes and entertainers earn millions of dollars every year. Do you think these people deserve such high salaries? Use specific reasons

Some famous athletes and entertainers earn millions of dollars every year. Do you think these people deserve such high salaries? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

Some people think that famous athletes and entertainers have too high salaries for their work. However, others believe that these people deserve such high salary. Personally, I think that it is a controversial question and it is open for debate. For several reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think that famous athletes and entertainers have a great impact on our social life and make a big contribution to our society and, hense, deserve high salary.

The first reason why I think that such high salary is deserved by famous athletes and entertainers because we all need them. Entertainment plays an essential role in our everyday's life. We need to relax, watching TV with our favorite TV stars or favorite football players. Entertainment is one of the best ways to eliminate stress and tension and leave all troubles behind. For example, I can not stay home all day long without watching TV. So, basically, I believe that famous athletes and entertainers have such high salaries because we need them. They like doctors for our minds and soles. Scientists say that people usually spend the same amount of money for their food and entertainment. I think this fact tells a lot.

The second reason for this is that famous athletes have to work hard in order to get good results. I am sure that achievements they make is the result of hard work, persistence and pain. They sometimes risk their lives and health. For example, I am a big fun of L. Amstrong, the most famous cyclist in world's history. He faced probably, the most challenging difficulty in his life, cancer. He was very young for this disease. Amstrong was in his early twenties when he found out about it. I read a book about his life, and what impressed me were his words after his victory in France. He said: "Cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me ".He defeated the disease only because he believed in himself and did not give up. I think such person deserves to have a high salary and be loved by many people through out the world.

In conclusions, I want to say that if people get high salaries it means they are needed and their contribution to the society is huge.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Face-to-face communication is better than other types of communication, such as letters, email,

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Face-to-face communication is better than other types of communication, such as letters, email, or telephone calls. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

Humankind, through the ages, has undergone many changes from the time when people communicated only face-to-face to nowadays when a person has in use many types of communication means. Some people still prefer to use face-to-face communication despite many other sometimes more convenient ones such as phone, mail, e-mail and fax. I think to continue this essay it is essential to clarify what kind of conversation we are talking about.

For example, if people are negotiating it is very important to have a face-to-face communication. It is very important to see during a negotiation how one's opponent is moving, is he nervous or relaxed, what he is doing, etc. Scientists say that the body language and facial gestures can say many thing about a person, his strong and weak sides, his traits, manners and even habits. To know what kind of man one is dealing with is very essential aspect in negotiation. Many managers prefer to have with the future employees face-to-face conversation. So, in this case they see how a person behaves.

From the other side, if I need to notify my bank that I am going to close an account I do not want to spend my time driving there, waiting for my turn and talking with a representative. It is easier for me just to call or e-mail them. It saves my time and my bank's too.

To summarize, from my opinion all important issues better be discussed in face-to-face conversation. It will eliminate many farther misunderstandings and bring only benefits to both sides.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Most experiences in our lives that seemed difficult at the time become valuable lessons for the

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Most experiences in our lives that seemed difficult at the time become valuable lessons for the future. Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.

From my everyday experience and observation I have to agree with the statement that our present experiences become valuable lessons for the future. Someone said that today's problems will be the best experience in the future. Below I will give some examples to support my position.

First of all, I want to say that obstacles make people stronger. By overcoming difficulties people gain priceless and essential knowledge and experience. If one has to struggle with a disease he becomes stronger may be not in a physical way but in a mental way. A person becomes more patient, more self-confident and more attentive. These qualities will help him to win his disease.

Success has nothing to do with luck. People have to work hard in order to reach their goals. They face challenges and failures and often they lose. However, people do not give up. They use their previous experience and knowledge to try again and again. I think that difficulties teach us very valuable lessons. Only a man who understands this fact and knows how to use it in the future can succeed. Failures bring us wisdom and new experience. Personally, I always try to analyze my mistakes and make conclusions. If I am not succeed I know that next time I will avoid these mistakes and do my best.

To sum up, I think that human evolution and development are a result of constant efforts based on previous experience and knowledge.

How to Make a Good PowerPoint Presentation

A Successful Presentation Technique

Presentation Skills: World Champion of Public Speaking

Monday, November 17, 2008

People recognize a difference between children and adults. What events (experiences or ceremonies) make a person an adult? Use specific reasons and ex

People recognize a difference between children and adults. What events (experiences or ceremonies) make a person an adult? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.

I think the question what events make a person an adult is the one that is open for debate. Some people think that the graduation of high school makes a person an adult. Others think that the age of 21 is the age when childhood is replaced by adulthood. However, from my everyday experience and observation I can stand three major events that make a person an adult.

The first event that makes a person an adult is getting a job. The ability to earn his own money gives a person the opportunity to live independently from his parents. Personally, I think the first job is a very important experience in person's life and it has a great impact on his personality. He learns how to manage his expenses and how to save money for the more important things. In addition to those benefits, one learns how to arrange his time in order to have all done on time.

The second event, which from my opinion deserves an attention, is the graduation from a college or university. I think it is a very essential step in one's life because this means the beginning of a new life with more responsibilities.

Finally, I believe that marriage has a great impact on person's life. Marriage means an independent life from one's parents with a new person. It is a very great experience. Two persons create a new family and they face new difficulties and responsibilities.

In conclusion, I think that the list of events that make a person an adult can be continued. For example, getting a driving license has sometimes a very great impact on person's life. Another important event in a person's life is the army. I know many young men who served in the Army that changed them very much. They became more serious, self-confident and independent people. So, my point is that every person has different events that influenced his life and make him an adult.

Some people believe that a college or university education should be available to all students. Others believe that higher education should be availab

Some people believe that a college or university education should be available to all students. Others believe that higher education should be available only to good students. Discuss these views. Which view do you agree with? Explain why.

People learn through their entire lives. They constantly improve their knowledge and develop. I think that a college or university education should be available to all students because every person has the right to choose the way to self-perfection. Bellow I will give some of my reasons to support my position.

First of all, every person should have the chance to get a higher degree, gain new knowledge and experience. However, some people believe that higher education should be available only to good students. I think it is silly. It is like to make unavailable traveling for one who does not have IQ high enough.

Second of all, some young people do not do well at school but they have great personality and ability to learn. They are self-confident, persistent and patient. With these qualities they can get higher grades then their classmates who are talented but lazy. Imagine for example situation when a teenager gets high grades because his or her parents constantly make him or her study and help to do most of the homework. In this case a child does very good at school but I think a college can show the opposite results.

Finally, it is a discrimination against students to make available higher education only for good ones.
So, if a students does poor and gets low grades he/she should be sent down. But if a person was never given a chance to try himself/herself at college what to do in this case?

To sum up, I think that all young people should have the chance to get a higher education. To take or not this chance must be up to them.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents or other adult relatives should make important decisions for their (15 to 18 year-old)

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents or other adult relatives should make important decisions for their (15 to 18 year-old) teenage children. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

Parents are in most cases our first teachers and friends. From my everyday experience I have to agree with the statement that important decisions should be made by our parents or adult relatives. In the following paragraphs I will give my reasons to support this statement.

First of all, teenage children have the tendency to live in their own fantasies. They does not clearly understand the rules of a real life. When I was 18 years old I thought that the world was perfect and everything seemed to be simple. Teenagers are basically inexperienced, they aspire for independence and try to make their first steps towards freedom. I think that it is like starting to walk when a baby needs its parents for support. An independent life is a big and significant part in a person's life. So, my point is that it is very important to make this step right.

Second of all, I think that parents have right to interfere in their children's lives. They need to know what kind of friends their children have and how children spend their spare time. For example I had an eighteen years old friend who got really angry with his parents when they prohibited him to be friends with a young man. Somehow his parents found out that that young man was occasionally taking drugs. That man was dead in a year because of drug abuse. After that accident my friend thanked his parents for that interference.

Finally, I think teenage children should be more open-minded with their parents. It will help them to make the right choice and avoid many mistakes.

To sum up, I believe that young people should trust their parents because they wish their children only the best.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

1971,Bangladesh Liberation War

Bangladesh 1971 - 2006 (The Struggle of a Nation)

History of Bangladesh Independence

Tips for success in IELTS Speaking

Speaking tips

Speaking is a weakness of analytic learners (who learn English from books and tapes). Moreover, in countries where English is not a first language, improving your speaking in English is really difficult.

Therefore, I don’t have much experience in practicing speaking. Here are some tips that I got from my teachers and some suggestions that I think they might be helpful for you.


Pronunciation is the most important feature in speaking. If you speak correctly, academically and interestingly, but no one understands what you are talking about, you certainly lose your points.


One of my teachers, who is fluent in 5 languages, shares his experience that pronunciation is the key of learning a language. It might be true since native English speakers can pronounce a unfamiliar word correctly but don’t know how to spell it. Because English is a combination of many languages, there are no totally general rules for pronunciation. As a result, you must remember everything.


So how to pronounce the words correctly?


- Firstly, listen and learn what native English speaker said. As I mentioned, listening can help you in speaking. You can correct yourself in basic words if you listen a lot. Moreover, listening can also help you to learn how to stress important words, how to speak naturally and even how to organize your speech.


- Secondly, if you learn a new word, you must know how to pronounce it first. Typically, when people want to learn new words, they revise these words again and again, and write it down so many times. But now, to improve your speaking and listening, you must hear electronic dictionary pronouncing and repeat after it again and again.


- Thirdly, make sentences with new vocabulary. Everybody might know how to pronounce words correctly, but when they combine them all together, they cannot pronounce correctly anymore, or even if they do, their sentence may sound unnatural. The reason is they lack of intonation. Listening might solve this problem.


- Fourthly, practice pronunciation every week (3-4 times a week) by reading out loud a short passage. At first, you practice to pronounce all the words in that passage correctly. Then read the whole passage slowly and correctly (pay attention to ending sound).


Afterward, increase reading speed in each sentence (’read’ here means you must speak out the words, not read in your mind). If you speak quickly but start to pronounce wrongly, that means you reach your limit, don’t speak faster than that. And finally, you read the whole passage again at normal speed, or may be a bit faster than normal a little bit, but you MUST include intonation.

Now, to prepare for IELTS Speaking test, you should practice some more exercises:


- Pick a topic and stand in front of mirror to practice speaking test. You should go through all three parts of the real speaking test. Standing in front of mirror will help you improve your body language and also your pronunciation. You might find it strange that mirror can correct your pronunciation. In fact, there are some vowels and consonants that you can’t pronounce correctly if you don’t know how to do that (not just simply remember the pronunciation).


- Try to speak naturally. You are advised to speak fast with intonation (the previous reading exercise will certainly help you). You should learn and apply some verb phrases, idioms and slang expressions. This is not the key part of speaking test, but it is better if you know, not only for your test but also for you speaking skill. If you want to get 7.0, you must master pronunciation, accuracy and intonation.


Important tip #1When you practice in speaking, you must pay attention to the ending sound. But when you take the real test, don’t do that, because it will affect your fluency. In the real test, it is the time you show examiner what you got, not the time you can show them how good you can correct yourself. Using experience you gained from practicing to prove your speaking skill.

Tips for success in IELTS Reading

Reading tips

I must say that this skill based on intelligence very much. I was advised that reading various type of articles is the best way to prepare for IELTS.

In reality, I have never done that, simply because I don’t have time. I hate reading. But the fact is that is the skill I got the highest score. I have no idea why, not because I am intelligent man, but maybe, just maybe because I can understand the main idea very well.


Reading requires a great deal of vocabulary.Vocabulary is important, but you don’t need to know every word. You should only know keywords, the words that can change completely the answers.


Pay a particular attention to the grammar structure. You may see various types of grammar structures, but try to understand them all, they will be helpful for your writing. We all don’t know much vocabulary, but if you are weak at grammar, you don’t know what the text refers to, and obviously, you lose main idea. As a result, you can’t guess the meaning based on context.


Catching main idea in reading is also important. You must have known that skimming and scanning are 2 essential tools in reading. Both rely on understand main ideas. Therefore, if you can’t catch main ideas in short time, you will suffer. But how to practice getting main ideas in brief time? I must say that reading various articles in this case is helpful (even though I’ve never done so). But I tried to do reading tests every day, and tried to understand the main idea of every passages.


Another way to practice Reading is Speed Reading. I have known this method at English centers but to many people, maybe this is still a strange way. You choose a short easy passage (about 500 words) and then read quickly (for both main idea and details). Please note that the passage you choose must be easy. If there are more than 5 words that completely new to you, perhaps it is not the good one for speed reading. in addition, read as quickly as possible is NOT the key. If you read so fast that you have to read again, there are no benefits gained from this practice. The key here is main ideas, and next is details. Besides understanding all main points, you should try to remember as much details as you can. In speed reading exercises, there are 10 true/false question for you to do in the back. These questions will measure your accurate comprehension.


Besides skimming and scanning, I found that reading intensively is also important in IELTS test, especially to understand tough questions. Some questions or particular sentences, you need to read and try to understand every single word. Especially with true/false/not given (or yes/no/not given) questions, only one word can change the whole meaning.


After doing reading practice test, you MUST check all wrong answers, try to explain why you wrong (you may need someone which has good level of English to help you) and think of another way to answer faster those questions. You will gain necessary experience by doing this before the real test.


In brief, guessing is the key for reading. You must guess logically and academically. Pay time to practice reading, you will see that your reading skill will improve in just a short period of time.”

Tips for success in IELTS Listening

To succeed in the IELTS test, the key is practice. Never dream you will gain anything without any efforts. The fact is I had to do a great number of practice tests in a month before taking the real test.



Listening tips

This is considered to be the hardest skill to improve for most people. In reality, it is one of my weaknesses. To improve listening, you have no choice but to practice every day, practice as much as you can.

There are a lot of English channels where you can listen and try to understand what they are talking about. If you’ve got difficulty in understanding these universal channels, perhaps you need to learn more daily vocabulary and try to practice some easy listening books. The key here is just main idea. As long as you still understand what they are talking about, you will be fine. The purpose of this way is that you can familiarize with English and correct your pronunciation in basic words (the words you have known). Therefore, this is also an excellent way to prepare for speaking.

However, you MUST avoid BBC. There is absolutely nothing you can learn from BBC. If your level of English is good enough to understand BBC, you don’t need to come here and seek for advices; just do practice tests, it will save your time.

When doing Listening Practice Tests, you also have to catch the main ideas as well. However, this time you must practice listening to details too. The main ideas will help to you determine what the key words are and focus on important section. Stress and intonation are also helpful.

Sometimes, a lot of unnecessary details make you confused and then you can’t catch the key words.

To sum up, the key for listening is Listen to English as much as you can.

Secrets to success in the Writing test.

Writing tips

This isn’t, in fact, my weakness. But this skill is difficult to self-study. You need to go to English center where there are teachers who are willing to check your writing. Here are some suggestions I can think of, it maybe can’t help you out. But do your best, you will be fine.

1. Before writing an essay, you must know its basic structure.

2. Do task 2 first, because it is worth more mark and easier

3. Don’t waste too much time on Task 1. Learn all specific writing structure for each type of task 1. In the real test, you just have to apply that structure with new data and suitable verb tenses. Read sample essays and take note good structure to have a wide range of academic structures for task 1. Some structure might be used in task 2 as well.

4. You must complete both tasks. I don’t care how difficult the test is, I don’t care how little time you got. You MUST complete your test at any cost. If you don’t, you will be penalized very heavily.5. Again, practice writing. Do both 2 tasks in one hour. You can focus only on task 1 or task 2, but before the test, you should practice writing both tasks to familiar with time limit.

6. Practice makes perfect. In writing, this statement is completely true. But it is better if there is someone to check writing for you and you can learn from your mistakes.

7. Writing requires wide academic vocabulary. You also have to buy a vocabulary book to work on and enrich your vocabulary.

8. Avoid all informal ways of writing. There are some rules of writing you should follow. For example: no abbreviations, no 1st and 2nd pronoun or possessive (I, you, me, my, your), except in conclusion where you have to state your opinion.

9. Each body paragraph has to include: topic sentence, supporting sentences (2-3 sentences), development sentences (evidence: example, experience, data). In many languages (English included), there are many ways to develop a body paragraph, which results that topic sentence is not the first sentence. But you are advised to put topic sentence at the beginning of each body paragraph. Don’t be creative in this case.
That is all I can think of. I hope you will be lucky in your exam and what I wrote will help you in one way or another. But REMEMBER, to reach success, you MUST make an effort. You should have a clear motivation and a strong will to overcome difficulties. When I did practice tests, I was exhausted. But no success comes easily. Practice is the only way to gain success. Don’t just wait for lucky break, it will never come if you don’t know how to grab it.
And the final point I want to mention is:
Relax before the test!

Attempting to do one or two practice test before the real test won’t help you increase your score. In return, it will make you feel stressed and unconfident.

I took IELTS 2 times:
First time: no relaxing, I tried to do more practice tests right before the test day. As a result, I couldn’t concentrate on the test. and the result is: L:5.5 ; R:7.0 (don’t mention about W and S here because it depends mostly on examiners)

Second time: 2 weeks after the first time, that means when I received the first result, I had to take the test the day after. But this time I felt relaxed since I knew I got 6.5 overall in the first test. And here is the second result: L:6.5 ; R:7.5

I believe in a short period of time (two weeks), I couldn’t improve that much. Moreover, the second test was considered to be more difficult. So what makes the difference is the relaxation. There are more examples I could mention to prove this point, but it would be wasting your time.
In brief, you must relax before any tests. Forget about them to relax, and believe in yourself.

Why do you think some people are attracted to dangerous sports or other dangerous activities? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer

Why do you think some people are attracted to dangerous sports or other dangerous activities? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Nowadays many people attracted to dangerous sports and other dangerous activities. From my everyday experience and observation I think it is a result of dramatic changes in people's life.

Just imagine at old times men had to hunt for food, fight, face many challenges and obstacles. Now our days are quite ordinary with a cup of coffee, donut, computer, desk table and TV. Basically, we do not have to straggle every day for our life and we have nutritious meal without any efforts. So, all we have to do is to contemplate out life. However, I must confess it can be boring. All improvements created for the past centuries made our life easier. Nowadays people look for adventure. They want to face a challenge, prove themselves something, conquer the world, etc.

Personally, I think that every person sees different goals in doing dangerous activities. Some people want to add some stress and tension to their lives. From the other side, other people want to eliminate stress and tension gained from their everyday lives. They can forget about all troubles and leave them behind. I believe that dangerous activities give one freedom, happiness, feeling of independence and tone.

To sum up, I think that dangerous sports and activities are irreplaceable in our life. Without them out life would be miserable and boring.

Essay 2 Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Dancing plays an important role in a culture. Use specific reasons and examples to supp

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Dancing plays an important role in a culture. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Dancing is one of the ancient means of communication. People of every country have their own national music and dances. In old times people perform special rituals to make bad spirits go away and ask gods for fertile soil, good harvest, health and good weather. So, dancing plays an important role in a culture. Moreover, dancing of a particular country reflects its traditions, customs and history. In the following paragraphs I will give my reasons to support my answer.

First of all, the reason why dancing of a particular country is so unique because many art forms are put together. People need music, costumes, singers to perform, players and of cause dancers. Each of these art forms is unique and singular for every country. In old times people gathered to celebrate or mourn and every occasion had its own music and costumes. For example, ancient tribes painted their faces with ugly and strange patterns, put on colorful clothes and make strange movements around the fireplace.

Second of all, dancing is a combination of body movements that are peculiar for every nation. People of different nations have different bodily movements because dancing is one of the first means of communication. People differently express their feelings such as happiness, sadness, joy and sorrow though movements of their bodies.
To sum up, I think that dancing keeps people's traditions alive through the ages

Describe a custom from your country that you would like people from other countries to adopt. Explain your choice, using specific reasons and examples

Describe a custom from your country that you would like people from other countries to adopt. Explain your choice, using specific reasons and examples.

In our modern stressful world we often forget about our customs and traditions. However, I think that people should keep their traditions because they help to remember our forefathers and value the beautiful moments we have in our lives.

In my country we have a great custom called "Maslenica". It is a holiday, which is celebrated at the end of the winter. Many people gather on the biggest square of the city and see of the winter. They say to the winter good-bye and ask the spring to change the winter. They celebrate the beginning of the life when everything starts to grow.

People at this holiday bake pancakes and treat each other with them. Also, many people gathered on the square play different games. For example, the most well-known game "pulling a rope" subsists in that two teams pull a rope. The winner is the team, witch has a longer rope. Other people craw on the icy pole. People have fun at this holiday even if they just observe those games and do not participate.

In conclusion, I am sure that "Maslenica" would benefit many countries all over the world. People have the opportunity to relax, leave their troubles and worries behind and have fun. Also, this holiday helps people to find out more about each other, communicate and meet new people. In addition to those practical benefits, "Maslenica" helps people to slow down their life pace and enjoy the present moments that are irreplaceable and beautiful.

Essay 2 Holidays honor people or events. If you could create a new holiday, what person or event would it honor and how would you want people to celeb

Holidays honor people or events. If you could create a new holiday, what person or event would it honor and how would you want people to celebrate it? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.


Every country has holidays. If I could create a new holiday it would be "Day of Health". I belief that many countries already have this day, but I think that my day will be more beneficial because it will be celebrated at the beginning of every month. In this essay I will give the reasons and outline the benefits of this holiday.

First of all, to celebrate this day people do not have to go to a restaurant or to a movie, but they will go to the nearest park and celebrate it by walking, jogging, line-skating or bicycling. Some people will go to a fitness center or a pool. Smoking will be prohibited everywhere on this day. Also this will be a day of healthy food, fresh squeezed juice and a lot of smiling faces. This day will inspire people with energy for the rest of the month.

Second of all, people will be called to use their car as less as possible in order to prevent the air pollution and to keep air fresh. Every car has a large impact on the environment. People often drive their car to the nearest store to buy food when they can spend 5 minutes more and get there by foot or bicycle.

Finally, "Day of Health" will help people to relax, to slow down the pace of their life. Life is very stressful these days. People are competing for better job, companies and countries are competing for a market and business. So, this day will help people to enjoy the moments of their life, to leave their troubles behind and appreciate all they have.

In summary, I belief my holiday would make people friendlier, healthier and happier.

Essay-2 We all work or will work in our jobs with many different kinds of people. In your opinion, what are some important characteristics of a co-wor

We all work or will work in our jobs with many different kinds of people. In your opinion, what are some important characteristics of a co-worker (someone you work closely with)? Use reasons and specific examples to explain why these characteristics are important.

A large number of people spend most of their time at work. Our life is divided into three equal parts: 8 hours - sleep, 8 hours - work, 8 hours - family time. So, in the most cases, one's co-worker plays an important role in one's life. From my opinion, the essential characteristics of a co-worker are the following.

First of all, a person who works closely with me must like his job. I think it is very important for a person to feel satisfaction with his job. My husband is a software developer. He is fond of his job and people enjoy working with him because they see how many energy he puts into his job.

Second of all, my co-worker must be persistent and never give up. I like when people who came across a problem try to solve it, find a good decision instead of looking for another person to hand it over. Another important aspect of this is that a good worker should always ask himself "What can be improved?" and suggests new solutions.

In addition, he must be a good team player. In the modern world good communication skills and the ability to work in a team are among the common position requirements. Personally, I think it is great to help each other, share new ideas, develop new solutions, etc. It helps to create a team spirit and improve a labor productivity.

Finally, my co-worker must be punctual. He or she should finish the job on time I think that It is unacceptable to make the rest of a team wait while a person finishes his or her job. Also, my "ideal co-worker" should always be ready to offer his or her help and be supportive.

To summarize, I think if a co-worker possesses all of these qualities mentioned above he can make work with him really enjoyable and productive.

Daily Pronunciation #22 - Learn A New English Word Everyday!

Saturday, November 15, 2008

FREE ENGLISH LEARNING VIDEOS

It is generally agreed that society benefits from the work of its members. Compare the contributions of artists to society with the contributions of s

It is generally agreed that society benefits from the work of its members. Compare the contributions of artists to society with the contributions of scientists to society. Which type of contribution do you think is valued more by your society? Give specific reasons to support your answer.

From my everyday experience and observation I think that artists as well as scientists brings many benefits to society. It is a controversial question weather the contributions of artists are more or less then the contributions of scientists to the society. For several reasons, which I will mention bellow, I think that both types are valuable, priceless and irreplaceable for every society.

The contributions of artists to the society are very essential. Art forms people's spiritual sense, their views and personalities. People learn history, the traditions of their country trough the art. We also watch movies that entertain and at the same time extend our range of interests. Another important aspect of this is that art is an ancient means of communication. In old times people depicted the herds of mammoths on the walls of their caves. They performed different rituals around the fireplace asking their gods for health, good harvest and weather. Our language is a result of people's need to communicate.

From the other side, the contribution of scientists is could not be exaggerated. All humankind is indebted to the scientists because of their work and achievements. Scientists make our life easier. We have cars and airplanes to move fast from one place to another. We have microwaves and a bunch of preprocessed food to make the cooking much easier. We have different devices that simplify all we do. Finally, scientists are making great achievements in medicine that make our life longer and happier. Nowadays people have a great opportunity to do many things faster by use of computers.

To sup up, I believe that artists nourish our souls when scientists and technology feed our minds. So, we can not eliminate or underestimate one of them.

Some people say that computers have made life easier and more convenient. Other people say that computers have made life more complex and stressful. W

Some people say that computers have made life easier and more convenient. Other people say that computers have made life more complex and stressful. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Some people say that the invention of computers is one of the greatest humankind's inventions. However, other people think that computers make their life more stressful. I agree with those people who think that computers brought many benefits and play a very important role in our modern life.

First of all, every company nowadays uses a computer to store its data and make different kinds of operations. It is very difficult to imagine life without computers. A company would have to store millions of papers and documents. Moreover, a customer would have to wait hours to check his balance or get a piece of information about his transactions at his bank, while an employee was looking trough those papers. Another important aspect of this is that people are able to type all their information, make corrections, print or send documents using computers. It makes life much easier. One can spend the rest of the time watching TV with his family or working on something new.

We use computers every day sometimes even not knowing it. When we go to a store and use our credit cards many computers process our information and perform transactions. When we need to get some cash we use money access machines that are computerized too.

Second of all, computers provided a great means of communication - the Internet. I think it is the most easiest and cheapest way to get in touch with relatives, friends, business colleagues, etc. Nowadays the world becomes smaller and smaller. When I was a little girl, I could not imagine that it would be possible to communicate with people from all around the world in so easy way. A person can get latest news, become friends with someone from another country, find his old friends, ask for a piece of advice, etc.

Finally, in addition to these practical benefits people can shopping without leaving their house. They just use an Internet access, a computer and their cards to make a payment. It is kind of difficult to imagine that a few years ago people had to spend their time in lines buying tickets. Now, a person can choose a destination, company, date and time and get tickets delivered to his door. I think it is amazing.

To sum up, I believe that computers made our lives easier. They change our attitude towards life. I think with the invention of computers people became closer and friendlier.

When people need to complain about a product or poor service, some prefer to complain in writing and others prefer to complain in person. Which way do

When people need to complain about a product or poor service, some prefer to complain in writing and others prefer to complain in person. Which way do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

It is rather difficult for me to answer the question how I prefer to complain: in writing or in person because sometimes I just do not have a choice. For example, if I order a product using the Internet from another state or even country I will more likely have the opportunity to speak to a representative of a company in person. So, in some cases I choose to speak in person and in others I prefer to complain in writing. However, I believe that every option has its advantages.

From the one side, complaining in writing brings many benefits. First of all, one does not have to spend his precious time driving, waiting for his turn and talking with a representative. He can just send mail or e-mail and get all explanation he needs. Second of all, I think it is the best way to avoid an unpleasant conversation. Personally, I do not like to complain about anything especially, in person. Finally, sometimes it is impossible to have a face-to-face conversation because a company which provided a poor product or service is too far away.

From the other side, complaining in person has some benefits too. First, this type of complaining provides an immediate feedback. So, if I have some complains about company's products I will receive all information and explanation right away. However, sending a company a letter and getting a feedback can take more then a month. Second, face-to-face conversation is often more effective. People talk to each other, see each other facial gestures and body movements, which can tell a lot about a person. In addition to these practical benefits, in the case if one can not receive creditable explanation from one representative he always can require to talk to another person. For instance, my husband recently had some extra withdraws from his account by his bank and he was not aware of it. So, he went to the bank and explained to the bank's representative the situation and they together found the solution and those money was given back to my husband's account. I think, in this case face-to-face conversation is the best way to complain and get feedback fast.

In conclusion, I think that if I have to complain about a product or poor service I will do it in person. However, if face-to-face conversation is impossible I think I have nothing left but to send a letter or write an e-mail there.