Practice Test Answer Key

Listening Academic General Speaking

1 Park Reading Training Please use the IELTS
2 gardener 1 T Reading assessment criteria to mark
3 deaf 2 T your students.
4 hospital 1 B
3 NG 2 E
5 broken arm 4 F
6 photo/photograph/ 3 A
5 F 4 C
picture 6 T
7 bill 5 F
7 F 6 D
8 B 8 house
9 B 7 C
9 Daddy 8 T
10 A 10 75/seventy five
11 and 12 C E (in either 9 T
11 ground 10 NG
order) 12 text messages
13 and 14 A D (in either 11 NG
13 organization/ 12 T
order) organisation
15 and 16 B E (in either 13 F
14 v 14 opening
order) 15 ii
17 I 15 humour/humor
16 vi 16 substance
18 E 17 ix
19 D 17 relevance
18 i 18 confidence
20 B 19 iv
21 C 19 spelling
20 viii 20 proofread
22 A 21 and 22 B E (in either
23 B 21 range
order) 22 expenses
24 B 23 and 24 B C (in either
25 G 23 activities
order) 24 charities
26 A 25 combustion chamber
27 C 25 motives
26 ash tray 26 fun
28 H 27 D
29 F 27 B
28 A 28 D
30 D 29 I
31 and 32 B C (in either 29 C
30 G 30 B
order) 31 F
33 and 34 C E (in either 31 E
32 and 33 D E (in either 32 D
order) order)
35 and 36 A D (in either 33 C
34 D 34 B
order) 35 H
37 flight 35 E
36 A 36 B
38 climate 37 E
39 planting 37 isolation
38 B 38 ports
40 monitoring 39 G 39 unrest
40 C 40 western

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 Practice Test Answer Key

Academic Writing
Model answer Task 1

The charts show how much fish was caught in two different years, and in
what form these were sold. The first thing to notice is that the volume of
the total fish catch was much greater in 1985 than in 1950. In fact almost
four times as much fish by weight was caught at the later date: 76 million
tonnes compared to the previous 21 million tonnes. Secondly, a much
smaller proportion of the total catch was sold as fresh fish in 1985.
In 1950, half of the total catch was sold as fresh fish, but in 1985 a mere
20 percent of the fish sold were fresh. The proportion of cured fish also fell,
from a third in 1950 to just 13 percent in 1985. However, the percentage of
processed fish products of other kinds was greater. Sales of animal meal
rose from 10 percent to 32 percent; frozen fish rose from 1 percent of all
fish sold to 22 percent; and canned fish rose from 6 percent to 13 percent.

Model answer Task 2

• There are valid arguments both for and against trying to reverse the
decline of minority languages.
• On the one hand, all languages are intrinsically interesting, and
can provide valuable insights into the people who speak them. Therefore
the loss of any language is regrettable. Language is also one of the
chief ways in which people identify themselves, and so the decline of
a language must have a negative impact on those for whom it is their
mother tongue.
On the other hand, there are good reasons for not attempting to rescue
declining languages. Firstly, it is probably not possible to engineer
language use for any length of time. Change is natural. All social
and cultural behaviour is constantly changing, and language is no
exception. So at various times in history certain languages have briefly
gained the ascendancy, for social, economic and/or political reasons,
and others have similarly declined in importance. For example, the
government of a country might decree that a declining language variety
becomes the medium of education, and so briefly engineer its recovery.
But if a different language is perceived to have greater currency, then
those who can will find ways of acquiring it, such as choosing to study
abroad.
• Secondly, even if it were possible, the attempt to preserve a language
artificially may not be worthwhile. The attempt diverts resources,
which are usually scarce, for the sake of pursuing a goal which could be
regarded as an expensive luxury. In addition, proficiency in languages
which have wider currency, and are arguably more useful, may suffer as
a result.
• In conclusion, I disagree with interventions to prevent the decline of
languages, as such interventions are neither practical nor desirable.

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 Practice Test Answer Key

General Training Writing

Model answer Task 1

Dear Uncle James

I’m writing to thank you for your lovely letter of congratulations. I was very
grateful for the generous gift you enclosed with your letter. I haven’t spent it yet
but I fully intend to go into town this weekend and spend some time looking
round the bookshops. I thought I’d use the money to buy a biography of Bill Gates
as a suitable way to remember your kindness: I’ll think of you when I read it.
You ask how I celebrated getting the job. Well, as you can imagine, I really
wanted to relax after all the stress of the interviews. I threw a large party for my
friends, which went on to the small hours of last Sunday morning.
Now, I’ve got to start thinking about moving. I have been looking for a flat near
Sydney but they’re rather expensive and I might have to rent to begin with. Keep
your fingers crossed for me!
With warmest wishes
Danny

Model answer Task 2

Some people believe that teaching stronger and weaker students together
in the same classroom is both unworkable and wrong. Opponents of
mixed-ability teaching argue that it is very difficult to design and deliver
lessons which can accommodate pupils of different levels. They also
contend that both groups of students will suffer: the stronger ones will
be held back and the less academically able will struggle to understand;
ultimately neither will achieve their full potential.
Although I accept that practical problems can arise in mixed-ability
classes, I believe a very important aspect of a child’s education is learning
to respect difference. For example, in my own country until recently,
children with disabilities were put into ‘special’ schools. Other children
would spend their school years never meeting a disabled person. Over the
last 20 years the policy has changed and children of all abilities study
together and there is a much better level of respect and understanding.
I also believe that children should not just be valued for the way they
perform in exams but also for how they achieve in other ways. In our
obsession with league tables and grades, it is often easy to forget the
importance of creativity and originality, often shown in less-academic
subjects like music, art and physical education. A good education system
also encourages values such as honesty, willpower and unselfishness.
These can be promoted through praise and rewards for children showing
these qualities and not just for those getting top marks. This can only
really come about in properly mixed classes.

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