IELTS PRACTICE EXERCISE

Q 1. In the following passages the underlined phrases or sentences (0-7) do not conform with text writing principles. The main problem is the order of information. Rewrite these sentences appropriately, changing the grammar as necessary. The exercise begins with an example (0).

The Hubble Space Telescope 

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The Hubble Space Telescope was put into orbit by the American space shuttle Discovery in April 1990. (0) The earth is orbited by it at an altitude of 610 kilometres. (1) The light front space is not affected by interference from the earth’s atmosphere at this height. As a result the Hubble telescope is at least ten times more accurate than telescopes on the ground and has a much greater range. (2) In our search for distant stars and planets this makes it the most useful tool.  

The telescope is named after the most influential astronomer of the twentieth century. Edwin Hubble. Working at the Mount Wilson Observatory in Pasadena. (3) his close observation of the Andromeda galaxy was used by the American astronomer to develop the theory that the universe is expanding. (4) Directly based on his ideas is the Big Bang theory, now accepted as the most likely explanation of the creation, of the universe.

The Hubble Space Telescope has not had a smooth history. (5) Scientists at NASA discovered that the main mirror had become distorted and could not be used with any accuracy only two months after it went into orbit. Rather than abandon the project. NASA decided to find a way to resolve this problem. (6) COSTAR (corrective optics space telescope axial replacement) was the name of the solution. This was a device which contained ten smaller mirrors designed to compensate for the distortion in the telescope’s main mirror. It cost $360 million to develop the technology and more than 30 hours of spacewalks by astronauts to fix the device. (7) The Hubble Space Telescope is now working correctly and sending its astonishing data hack to earth,, the repairs were completed in January 1994.

0          It orbits the earth at an altitude of 610 kilometres.

Q 2. Choose the best alternative, A or B. according to text ordering principles.

1.      The witness gave the police details of her assailant’s appearance. ……. circulated throughout the metropolitan district.

A The description was

B The details of her assailant’s appearance were

2.                Della Jones, one of our best-loved singers, is well known for her opera repertoire. ……

A Her greatest operatic roles have included Rosina in II Barbiere di Siviglia and the title role in La Cenerentola.

B Rosina in II Barbiere di Siviglia and the title role in La Cenerentola are included among her greatest operatic roles.

3.                One of the great comic stars of the 1960s was Walter Matthau. ……

A Particularly noteworthy was Jack Lemmon’s film work with him.

B His film work with Jack Lemmon being particularly noteworthy.

4.                If you’re looking for a quiet holiday, forget about Ibiza. ……

A It may be sun-drenched and beautiful but it isn’t peaceful!

B Sun-drenched and beautiful it may be peaceful it isn’t!

5.                 Elizabeth inherited a kingdom torn by religious strife. ……

A Her first action was to try and pacify the rival fanatics.

B Pacifying the rival fanatics was her first action.

6.                Potential residents will find everything they need in the Dinglewood rest home in Harwich. …..

A Among its features are twenty-four hour nursing care and luxurious private rooms.

B Luxurious private rooms and twenty-four hour nursing care are among its features.

7.                 But I had nothing to do with it, Your Honour. ……

A My twin brother was the one the police saw outside the warehouse.

B The police saw my twin brother outside the warehouse.

8.                Built in 1078 by Bishop Cundulf for William the Conqueror, the Tower of London is one of the oldest landmarks in the city. ……

A Today its main claim to fame is the recently built Jewel House containing the fabulous crown jewels of Great Britain.

B The recently built Jewel House containing the fabulous crown jewels of Great Britain is its main claim to fame today.

9.                Birch trees can reach 30 metres in height and have a very vigorous growth pattern. …

A Damage can be caused to drains and house walls if they are too close to the particularly fast-growing roots.

B The roots are particularly fast-growing and can cause damage if they are close to drains and house walls.

10.            My rather unconventional sister turned up in the middle of the night without any warning. … soon sent our peaceful little household into total turmoil.

A My sister arriving unexpectedly in the night

B Her sudden arrival 

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Q 3. There is one mistake in each extract, 1-10. Some mistakes are incorrect linking words, some are incorrect use of vocabulary or grammar, and some are due to unnecessary repetition. Find each mistake and correct it.

1.      Dave – I’m off to Mum’s, for the weekend. Don’t forget to activate the burglar alarm if you go out! See you Monday. Love Jane.

2.    London is a vast sprawling metropolis containing millions of people over an area of several thousand square kilometres, much of which consists of endlessly monotonous suburbs. Consequently, many of the individual districts seem to have retained their own distinct and almost village-like identities.

3.    Swimming in the morning and skiing in the afternoon. Dining on seafood in the evening and to fall asleep to the sound of lapping waves at night. There’s nowhere like Andalucia. Call now for our brochure.

4.    Ralph felt the icy wind on his back and wrapped his scarf more tightly around his neck. It was surprising how chilly the icy wind could be once one got a few miles out to sea.

5.     Local residents are ready to take the matter to the police and the authorities. Nevertheless, they are going to write to their member of parliament to insist on a public inquiry into the affair.

6.    To make a recording first insert a blank tape into the machine. Then select the channel you wish to record and set the counter to zero. You ought to press the red ‘record’ button and at the same time press the ‘play’ button.

7.     8.00 Tonight’s episode of Changing Rooms features a brave married couple from Darlington. The brave married couple allow their rather ham-fisted neighbours to redecorate their recently rebuilt conservatory in what the programme makers describe as ‘tropical’ style!

8.    Policyholders wishing to make a claim under Section 3 should be prepared to provide receipts of purchase for all items. Items for which receipts cannot be provided will not be eligible for reinstatement except in really special circumstances and at the absolute discretion of the insurers.

9.    To have made one great album is easy. To have made two is not so hard. But having made three is a rare feat indeed in today’s easy-come, easy-go music business. Yes, Radiohead have pulled off the hat trick!

10.                        We moved into the new house today. Everything went pretty smoothly. The furniture van arrived bang on the dot of 10 and we spent an exhausting three hours unloading. At first, at one o’clock we were able to sit down on your own sofa in our own new living room.!

Q 4. Read the text about Paul Robeson and match the underlined phrases and sentences (1-8) with the features (A-H). (Note that underlined items 1-4 match text features A-D, and underlined items 5-8 match features E-H.) Write the numbers in the boxes.

Features

A Putting familiar information at the beginning by using a noun.

B Giving extra focus to information by putting it at the front of the sentence.

C Repeating a grammatical structure to give extra emphasis (parallelism).

D Using a linking word to make a contrast with information in the previous sentence.

E Familiar information at the beginning, new information at the end (the information principle).

F Using a substitute word to avoid repetition.

G Putting familiar information at the beginning by using the passive.

H Long and complex phrases at the end (the end-weight principle).

Paul Robeson was the first African American to gain international success in the ‘white’ world of Hollywood movies. He was born in 1898, the son of a Methodist minister and a runaway slave. 

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(1) Highly intelligent, he won a scholarship to Columbia University where he qualified as a lawyer. (2) But there were few opportunities for black lawyers in the New York of the nineteen twenties and Robeson decided to pursue a career on the stage. He soon became one of the biggest

stars on Broadway, taking the leading role in Eugene O’Neill’s play The Emperor Jones in 1924. (3) Applauded for his acting ability and acclaimed for his remarkable physical presence on stage. Robeson went on to show the world his greatest talent, his superb deep bass singing voice, by taking the role of Joe in Jerome Kern’s hit musical Show Boat in 1927. After a successful run in this musical he changed direction again by tackling Shakespeare, achieving rave reviews for his portrayal of Othello.

(4) Success on Broadway inevitably led to Hollywood and Robeson made his screen debut in the film version of The Emperor Jones in 1933. Word of his abilities soon spread outside the United States and (5) in 1935 the actor moved to England, where he starred in Sanders of the River and King Solomon’s Mines.

Back in America Robeson starred in Show Boat, singing his famous song Ol’ Man River. (6) A recording and singing career followed with Robeson popularising traditional negro spirituals, a form of religious folk song developed by black slaves in the American South. Robeson became increasingly involved in politics and in the nineteen fifties made a visit to the Soviet Union. It was an era of strong anti-communist feelings, in America and when Robeson returned home his passport was cancelled and he was forced to stay in the United States for the next six years. (7) He was blacklisted by Hollywood and was unable to find work. (8) Robeson left the States in 1958 and began a new career as a concert performer in Europe. But he became seriously ill in the sixties and returned to New York. He died in Harlem in 1976.

Q 5.

Use the following notes to prepare a short article for a reference book about the samurai. Write one sentence only for each numbered set of notes, using connecting words and phrases as appropriate. You may add words and change the form of the words given in the notes but do not add any extra information. The first point has been expanded for you as an example (0).

The samurai – Warriors of Japan

       0          s. = warrior class – founded by first ‘shogun’ (Military ruler) Yoritomo – 1180

1.      worked for shogun (wartime); employed by large landowners, (‘ daimyo’ ) in peace

2.    many rights & privileges: right to carry swords/ ride horses, etc.

3.    exchange for rights: owed absolute loyalty , their daimyo (even extent expected – commit suicide when d. died)

4.    this tradition – part of ‘bushido’ (= ‘The Way of the Warrior’): strict code of honour – stressed importance; self-discipline & bravery

5.     bushido based on peaceful beliefs of Zen Buddhism; despite this – helped s. become most ruthless, feared & brutal warriors in Asia

6.    s. reached peak importance & influence – civil wars (16th century) – fought for rival wariords

7.     peaceful years (after 1603) s. gradually lost military importance & many became administrators (not soldiers)

8.    1867 last shogun (Tokugawa Keiki) resigned; Japan began modernise military forces; conscription & western army structure (introduced 1972)

9.    s. no longer needed/ wanted = result; remaining s. in Satsuma decide mount rebellion against government

10.                        Satsuma rebellion = disaster for s. – finally defeated by imperial Army 1877

D       ANSWER KEY FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST

1          b 2          a 3          a 4          b 5          b 6          a 7          b 8          b

9          c 10        f 11        e 12        g 13        j 14        k 15        n

E       ANSWER KEY FOR PRACTICE EXERCISE

Q 1.

1.      At this height, the light from space is not affected by interference from the earth’s atmosphere.

2.    This makes it the most useful tool in our search for distant stars and planets.

3.    the American astronomer used his close observation of the Andromeda Galaxy to develop the theory that the universe is expanding.

4.    The Big Bang theory, now accepted as the most likely explanation of the creation of the universe, is directly based on his ideas.

5.     Only two months after it went into orbit scientists at NASA discovered that the main mirror had become distorted and could not be used with any accuracy.

6.    The solution was named COSTAR (corrective optics space telescope axial replacement).

7.     The repairs were completed in January 1994 and the Hubble Space Telescope is now working correctly and sending its astonishing data back to earth.

Q 2.

1 A      2 A     3 B      4 B      5 A

6 A      7 A      8 A      9 B      10 B

Q 3.

1 activate => turn on

2 Consequently => Nevertheless/However/ Nonetheless, etc.

3 to-fall asleep => falling asleep

4 the icy wind => the wind/it

5 Nevertheless => Furthermore/ In addition, etc.

6 You ought to press => Press

7 The brave married couple => The couple/ They

8 really special => exceptional

9 having made three => to have made three

10 At-first => Finally/ At last, etc.

Q 4.

A 4      B 1     C 3      D 2      E 8       F 5       G 7      H 6

Q 5.

1.      Although they worked for the shogun in wartime, they were employed by the large landowners, the daimyo, in times of peace.

2.    They had many rights and privileges including the right to carry swords and ride horses.

3.    In exchange for these rights they owed absolute loyalty to their daimyo, even to the extent that they were expected to commit suicide when their daimyo died.

4.    This tradition was part of ‘bushido’ or ‘The Way of the Warrior’: a strict code of honour which stressed the importance of self- discipline and bravery.

5.     Despite the fact that bushido was based on the peaceful beliefs of Zen Buddhism, it helped the samurai to become the most ruthless, feared and brutal warriors in Asia.

6.    The samurai reached their peak of importance and influence in the civil wars of the sixteenth century, when they fought for rival warlords.

7.     In the peaceful years after 1603, the samurai gradually lost their military importance, and many became administrators rather than soldiers.

8.    In 1867, the last shogun Tokugawa Keiki resigned and Japan began to modernise its military forces with the introduction of conscription and a western army structure in 1872.

9.    As a result the samurai were no longer needed or wanted and the remaining samurai in Satsuma decided to mount a rebellion against the government.

10.                        The Satsuma rebellion was a disaster for the samurai, who were finally defeated by the imperial Army in 1877.