IELTS Listening Sample

Tasks
The IELTS Listening test includes a variety of tasks. Different question types are used,
chosen from the following: multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labelling,
form/note/table/flow-chart/summary completion, sentence completion.

Read the details of each task type on our Test format page.

IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council; IDP IELTS; and IELTS.org
Cambridge University Press & Assessment

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Contents
Listening Sample Task – Form Completion ..................................................................... 3
Listening Sample Task – Form Completion (Recording and Tapescript) ...................... 4
Listening Sample Task – Form Completion (Answers) ................................................... 7

Listening Sample Task – Multiple Choice ........................................................................ 8

Listening Sample Task – Multiple Choice (Recording and Tapescript) ......................... 9
Listening Sample Task – Multiple Choice (Answers) .................................................... 10

Listening Sample Task – Short-answer Questions ....................................................... 11

Listening Sample Task – Short-answer Questions (Recording and Tapescript) ........ 12
Listening Sample Task – Short-answer Questions (Answers) ..................................... 13

Listening Sample Task – Sentence Completion ............................................................ 14

Listening Sample Task – Sentence Completion (Recording and Tapescript) ............. 15
Listening Sample Task – Sentence Completion (Answers) .......................................... 17

Listening Sample Task – Matching 1 .............................................................................. 18

Listening Sample Task – Matching 1 (Recording and Tapescript) ............................... 19
Listening Sample Task – Matching 1 (Answers) ............................................................ 21

Listening Sample Task – Matching 2 .............................................................................. 22

Listening Sample Task – Matching 2 (Recording and Tapescript) ............................... 23
Listening Sample Task – Matching 2 (Answers) ............................................................ 25

Listening Sample Task – Plan/map/diagram Labelling ................................................ 26

Listening Sample Task – Plan/map/diagram Labelling (Recording and Tapescript) . 27
Listening Sample Task – Plan/map/diagram Labelling (Answers) .............................. 28

Listening Sample Task – Note Completion ................................................................... 29

Listening Sample Task – Note Completion (Recording and Tapescript) .................... 31
Listening Sample Task – Note Completion (Answers) .................................................. 33

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Listening Sample Task – Form Completion

PART 1

Questions 1 – 8

Complete the form below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

PACKHAM’S SHIPPING AGENCY – customer quotation

form
Example

Country of K
...e..n..y
...a….
destination: .

Name Jacob 1
: …………
Address to be collected ………… College, Downlands
from: Rd
Town
: Bristol
Postcode 3
: …………

Size of
container:

Length:
1.5m

Width: 4 Height: 5
………… …………
Contents clothes
:

6 ………
…

7 ………
Total estimated value: 8
£…………

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Listening Sample Task – Form Completion
(Recording and Tapescript)

Link to Recording

Tapescript

You will hear a telephone conversation between a customer and an agent at a

company which ships large boxes overseas.

A Good morning. Packham’s Shipping Agents. Can I help you?

B Oh yes, I’m ringing to make enquiries about sending a large box, a container,
back home to Kenya from the UK.

A Yes, of course. Would you like me to try and find some quotations for you?

B Yes, that’d be great. Thank you.

A Well first of all, I need a few details from you.

B Fine.

A Can I take your name?

B It’s Jacob Mkere.

A Can you spell your surname, please?

B Yes, it’s M-K-E-R-E.

A Is that ‘M’ for mother?

B Yes.

A Thank you, and you say that you will be sending the box to Kenya?

B That’s right.

A And where would you like the box picked up from?

B From college, if possible.

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 A Yes, of course. I’ll take down the address now.

B It’s Westall College.

A Is that W-E-S-T-A-L-L?

B Yes, ... college.

A Westall College. And where’s that?

B It’s Downlands Road, in Bristol.

A Oh yes, I know it. And the postcode?

B It’s BS8 9PU.

A Right ... and I need to know the size.

B Yes, I’ve measured it carefully and it’s 1.5m long ...

A Right.

B 0.75m wide ...

A OK.

B And it’s 0.5m high or deep.

A Great. So I’ll calculate the volume in a moment and get some quotes for that.
But first can you tell me, you know, very generally, what will be in the box?

B Yes there’s mostly clothes.

A OK. [writing down]

B And there’s some books.

A OK. Good. Um ... Anything else?

B Yes, there’s also some toys.

A OK and what is the total value, do you think, of the contents?

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 B Well the main costs are the clothes and the books – they’ll be about £1500 but
then the toys are about another two hundred – so I’d put down £1700.

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Listening Sample Task – Form Completion (Answers)

1 Mkere

2 Westall

3 BS8 9PU

4 0.75 m/metre(s)/meter(s) (wide) / three(-)quarter(s) (of) (a) metre/meter (wide)

/¾ m (wide) / 75 cm(s) (wide)

5 0.5 m/metre(s)/meter(s) (high/deep) / (a) half (a) metre/meter (high/deep) /

½ m (high/deep) / 50 cm(s) (high/deep)

6 & 7 in either order

(some) books
(some) toys

8 1,700

Words in brackets are optional - they are correct, but not necessary. Alternative answers are
separated by a slash (/).

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Listening Sample Task – Multiple Choice
PART 1

Questions 9 and 10

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

9 Type of insurance chosen

A Economy
B Standard
C Premium

10 Customer wants goods delivered to

A port
B home
C depot

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Listening Sample Task – Multiple Choice (Recording
and Tapescript)

Link to Recording

Tapescript

(A customer has been arranging with a shipping agent to send a large box overseas. This is
the last part of the conversation.)

A OK right. Now obviously insurance is an important thing to consider and our

companies are able to offer very good rates in a number of different all-
inclusive packages.

B Sorry, could you explain a bit more?

A Yes, sorry, um. There’s really three rates according to quality of insurance cover
– there’s the highest comprehensive cover which is Premium rate, then there’s
Standard rate and then there’s Economy rate. That one will only cover the cost
of the contents second hand.

B Oh I’ve been stung before with Economy insurance so I’ll go for the highest.

A Mh’hm and can I just check would you want home delivery or to a local depot or
would you want to pick it up at the nearest port?

B The port’d be fine – I’ve got transport that end.

A Fine and will you be paying by credit card?

B Can I pay by cheque?

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Listening Sample Task – Multiple Choice (Answers)

9 C

10 A

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Listening Sample Task – Short-answer Questions

PART 2

Questions 11 – 16

Answer the questions below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

What TWO factors can make social contact in a foreign country difficult?

• 11 ...............................

• 12 ...............................

Which types of community group does the speaker give examples of?

• theatre

• 13 ..................................

• 14 ..................................

In which TWO places can information about community activities be found?

• 15 ..................................

• 16 ..................................

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Listening Sample Task – Short-answer Questions
(Recording and Tapescript)

Link to Recording

Tapescript

You will hear an extract from a talk given to a group who are going to stay in the UK.

Good evening, and welcome to the British Council. My name is John Parker and I’ve
been asked to talk to you briefly about certain aspects of life in the UK before you
actually go there. So I'm going to talk first about the best ways of making social
contacts there. Now you might be wondering why it should be necessary. After all,
we meet people all the time. But when you’re living in a foreign country it can be
more difficult, not just because of the language, but because customs may be
different.

If you’re going to work in the UK you will probably be living in private

accommodation, so it won’t be quite so easy to meet people. But there are still things
that you can do to help yourself. First of all, you can get involved in activities in your
local community, join a group of some kind. For example, you’ll probably find that
there are theatre groups who might be looking for actors, set designers and so on, or
if you play an instrument you could join music groups in your area. Or if you like the
idea of finding out about local history there’ll be a group for that too. These are just
examples. And the best places to get information about things like this are either the
town hall or the public library. Libraries in the UK perform quite a broad range of
functions nowadays – they’re not just confined to lending books, although that’s their
main role of course.

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Listening Sample Task – Short-answer Questions
(Answers)

11 & 12 in either order

language
customs

13 & 14 in either order

music (groups)
local history (groups)

15 & 16 in either order

(the) (public) library/libraries
(the) town hall

Words in brackets are optional - they are correct, but not necessary. Alternative answers are
separated by a slash (/).

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Listening Sample Task – Sentence Completion

PART 3

Questions 27 – 30

Complete the sentences below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Studying with the Open University demanded a great deal of 27 …………………… .

Studying and working at the same time improved Rachel’s 28 …………………… skills.

It was helpful that the course was structured in 29 …………………… .

She enjoyed meeting other students at 30 …………………… .

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Listening Sample Task – Sentence Completion
(Recording and Tapescript)

Link to Recording

Tapescript

Two friends, Rachel and Paul, are discussing studying with the Open University. Rachel has
already done a course at the university, but Paul has not. The extract relating to these
questions comes from the last part of the recording.

Paul The other thing I wanted to ask you was, did you find it hard, studying
with the Open University?

Rachel You mean, because you’re studying on your own, most of the time?

Paul Mm.

Rachel Well it took me a while to get used to it. I found I needed to maintain a
high level of motivation, because it’s so different from school. There’s no-
one saying, ‘Why haven’t you written your assignment yet?' and that sort
of thing.

Paul Oh dear.

Rachel You’ll learn it, Paul. Another thing was that I got very good at time-
management because I had to fit time for studying round a full-time job.

Paul Well I’m hoping to change to working part-time, so that’ll help.

Rachel What makes it easier is that the degree is made up of modules, so you can
take time off between them if you need to. It isn’t like a traditional three-
or four-year course, where you’ve got to do the whole thing of it in one go.

Paul That’s good, because I’d like to spend six months travelling next year.

Rachel Huh, it’s all right for some. Then even though you’re mostly studying at
home, remember you’ve got tutors to help you, and from time to time
there are summer schools. They usually last a week. They’re great,
because you meet all the other people struggling with the same things as
you. I’ve made some really good friends that way.

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 Paul Sounds good. So how do I apply?

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Listening Sample Task – Sentence Completion
(Answers)

27 motivation

28 time(-)management

29 modules

30 summer school(s)

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Listening Sample Task – Matching 1

PART 3

Questions 21 – 25

What does Jack tell his tutor about each of the following course options?

A He'll definitely do it.

B He may or may not do it.

C He won't do it.

Write the correct letter, A, B or C, next to questions 21- 25.

You may choose any letter more than once.

21 Media Studies

22 Women and Power

23 Culture and Society

24 Identity and Popular Culture

25 Introduction to Cultural Theory

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Listening Sample Task – Matching 1 (Recording and
Tapescript)

Link to Recording

Tapescript

You will hear a Communication Studies student talking to his tutor about optional courses
for the next semester.

Dr Ray Come in. Oh hello Jack. Have a seat. Right ... you said you wanted to see
me to talk about your options next semester?

Jack That's right. We have to decide by the end of next week. Really, I'd like to
do all five options but we have to choose two, don't we.

Dr Ray Yes, but the choice depends on your major to some extent. You're
majoring in Communication Studies, aren't you?

Jack That's right.

Dr Ray So for example the Media Studies Option will cover quite a lot of the
same area you did in the core module on mass communications this
semester - the development of the media through the last two centuries,
in relation to political and social issues.

Jack Mmm. Well that was interesting, but I’ve decided I'd rather do something
completely new. There's a Women's Studies option, isn't there?

Dr Ray Yes, 'Women and Power' – again it has a historical focus, it aims to
contextualise women's studies by looking at the legal and social situation
in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries …

Jack So it would be useful if I intended to specialise in women's studies ... but

I'm not sure I do actually.

Dr Ray Well, it might still be useful to give you an idea of the issues involved. It's
taught by Dr Steed.

Jack Oh, really? I'll sign up for that, then. What about the option on Culture
and Society?

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 Dr Ray That addresses the historical debate on the place of culture since the
Industrial Revolution in Britain.

Jack So a historical focus again ...

Dr Ray Do I get the message you're not so keen on history?

Jack Well, it's just we seem to have done quite a lot this semester … anyway
I'll think about that one.

Dr Ray If you're interested in a course focusing on current issues there's the

option on Identity and Popular Culture – that approaches the subject
through things like contemporary film, adverts, soap operas and so on.

Jack Oh? That sounds interesting. Can you tell me who runs it?

Dr Ray Well, it's normally Dr Stevens but he's on sabbatical next semester, so
I'm not sure who'll be running it. It should be decided by next week
though.

Jack Right, well I might wait until then to decide ... And the last option is
Introduction to Cultural Theory, isn't it. I'm quite interested in that too – I
was talking to one of the second year students, and she said it was really
useful, it made a lot of things fall into place.

Dr Ray Yes, but in fact in your major, you'll have covered a lot of that already in
Communications 102, so that might be less useful than some of the
others.

Jack Oh, I'll forget about that one, then.

Dr Ray Now while you're here, we could also discuss how you're getting on with
your Core Module assignment ...

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Listening Sample Task – Matching 1 (Answers)

21 C

22 A

23 B

24 B

25 C

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Listening Sample Task – Matching 2

PART 1

Questions 1 – 4

Which hotel matches each description?

Choose your answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-E, next to questions 1-4.

The Bridge Hotel

Carlton House

The Imperial

The Majestic

The Royal Oak

1 is in a rural area ……………….

2 only opened recently ……………….

3 offers facilities for business functions ……………….

4 has an indoor swimming pool ……………….

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Listening Sample Task – Matching 2 (Recording and
Tapescript)

Link to Recording

Tapescript

You will hear a man talking to an official at a tourist information office.

Official Can I help you?

Man Yes, I was wanting somewhere to stay for a few days - a four- or five-star
hotel. Can you tell me something about the possibilities?

Official OK, right, well there are five hotels that might interest you. Were you
wanting a city centre location, or would you be interested in something a
bit further out?

Man Well, I do have a car so I could go for either.

Official Well, there are two central hotels in the range you're looking for – there's
Carlton House and The Imperial, they're both near the main square, but if
you've got your own transport you might be interested in the Royal Oak –
that’s out in the country, about ten kilometres away, very peaceful. Then
there's the Bridge hotel and the Majestic – they're both in town but not in
the centre, they're out on the airport road.

Man Mmm that might be a bit far out actually. OK, now the other two you
mentioned, in the city centre. Can you tell me a bit about them?

Official Well, they're both excellent hotels. If you want something with a bit of
character, Carlton House is quite unusual – it's a very old building that
was originally a large private house. It was bought by the Vannis chain
and they completely refurbished it – they took their first guests just a few
months ago but it's already got an excellent reputation. That's a five-star
hotel. Or there's the Imperial, which is a much more modern building.
That also has its own gym and it also has internet connection and
meetings rooms – it's used for conferences and corporate events as well
as private guests. That's five-star as well.

Man Does it have a swimming pool as well as a gym?

Official No – the Royal Oak has an outdoor pool, which is lovely in the summer,
but the only hotel with an indoor pool is the Bridge Hotel. It doesn't have

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 a gym though. The Majestic is planning to build a swimming pool and a
fitness centre, but it's not finished yet.

Man I see. Well, I think I'll probably go for one of the city centre hotels.

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Listening Sample Task – Matching 2 (Answers)

1 E

2 B

3 C

4 A

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Listening Sample Task – Plan/map/diagram Labelling

PART 2

Questions 11-15

Label the plan below.

Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letters, A-I, next to questions
11-15.

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Listening Sample Task – Plan/map/diagram Labelling
(Recording and Tapescript)

Link to Recording

Tapescript

You will hear the librarian of a new town library talking to a group of people who are
visiting the library.

OK everyone. So here we are at the entrance to the town library. My name is Ann,
and I'm the chief librarian here, and you'll usually find me at the desk just by the
main entrance here. So I'd like to tell you a bit about the way the library is organised,
and what you'll find where … and you should all have a plan in front of you. Well, as
you see my desk is just on your right as you go in, and opposite this the first room on
your left has an excellent collection of reference books and is also a place where
people can read or study peacefully. Just beyond the librarian's desk on the right is a
room where we have up to date periodicals such as newspapers and magazines and
this room also has a photocopier in case you want to copy any of the articles. If you
carry straight on you'll come into a large room and this is the main library area. There
is fiction in the shelves on the left, and non-fiction materials on your right, and on the
shelves on the far wall there is an excellent collection of books relating to local
history. We're hoping to add a section on local tourist attractions too, later in the
year. Through the far door in the library just past the fiction shelves is a seminar
room, and that can be booked for meetings or talks, and next door to that is the
children's library, which has a good collection of stories and picture books for the
under elevens. Then there's a large room to the right of the library area – that's the
multimedia collection, where you can borrow videos and DVDs and so on, and we
also have CD-Roms you can borrow to use on your computer at home. It was
originally the art collection but that's been moved to another building. And that's
about it – oh, there's also the Library Office, on the left of the librarian's desk. OK,
now does anyone have any questions?

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Listening Sample Task – Plan/map/diagram Labelling
(Answers)

11 H

12 G

13 D

14 B

15 F

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Listening Sample Task – Note Completion

PART 2 Questions 11 – 20

Questions 11 – 16 Page 4 of original Listening paper

Complete the notes below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE

Well known for: 11 …………………

Complex consists of: concert rooms

theatres

cinemas

art galleries

public library

restaurants

12 …………………

Historical background: 1940 – area destroyed by bombs

1960s – Centre was 13 …………………

In 14........................... .. - opened to public

Managed by: 15 …………………

Open: 16 ......................... days per year

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Questions 17 – 20 Page 5 of original Listening paper

Complete the table below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Day Time Event Venue Ticket price

Monday and 7.30 p.m. ‘The Magic Flute’ 17 …………… from £8.00
Tuesday (opera by Mozart)

Wednesday 8.00 p.m. 18 ‘……………’ Cinema 2 19 ……………

(Canadian film)

Saturday and 11 a.m. to 20 ‘……………’ Gallery 1 free

Sunday 10 p.m. (art exhibition)

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Listening Sample Task – Note Completion (Recording
and Tapescript)

Link to Recording

Tapescript

You will hear a man talking on the radio about a National Arts Centre.

Hello, and welcome to “Focus on the Arts”. I’m your host - Dave Green - and this is
your very own local radio programme. Every Friday evening we put the spotlight on
different arts and culture facilities, and look at the shows and events that are on offer
in the coming week.

And today the focus is on The National Arts Centre. Now, if you don’t already know it
yourself, I’m sure you’ve all heard of it. It’s famous throughout the world as one of
the major venues for classical music.

But did you know that it’s actually much more than just a place to hear concerts? The
Centre itself is a huge complex that caters for a great range of arts. Under a single
roof it houses concert rooms, theatres, cinemas, art galleries and a wonderful public
library, as well as service facilities including 3 restaurants and a book shop. So, at any
one time, the choice of entertainment there is simply enormous.

So, how did they manage to build such a big arts complex right in the heart of the
city? Well, the area was completely destroyed by bombs during the war in 1940. So,
the opportunity was taken to create a cultural centre that would be, what they called:
‘the City’s gift to the Nation’. Of course, it took a while for such a big project to get
started, but it was planned in the 60s, built in the 70s and eventually opened to the
public in 1983. Ever since then it has proved to be a great success. It’s not privately
owned, like many arts centres, but is still in public hands: - it’s run by the City Council.
Both our National Symphony Orchestra and National Theatre Company were
involved in the planning of the project, and they are now based there - giving regular
performances every week - and as the Centre is open 363 days of the year, there are
plenty of performances to choose from.

Pause

So, to give you some idea of what’s on, and to help you choose from the many
possibilities, we’ve made a selection of the star attractions.

If you’re interested in classical music, then we recommend you go along to the

National on either Monday or Tuesday evening at 7.30 for a spectacular production
of ‘The Magic Flute’ - probably the most popular of all Mozart’s operas. It’s in the
Garden Hall and tickets start at only £8.00, but you’ll have to be early if you want to

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get them that cheap! And remember, it’s only on for those two evenings.

For those more interested in the cinema, you might like to see the new Canadian film
which is showing on Wednesday evening at 8pm in Cinema 2. And that’s called ‘Three
Lives.’ It’s had fantastic reviews and tickets cost just £4.50, which is a reduction on the
usual price of £5.50. So it’s really good value, especially for such a great movie.

But you can see the centre’s main attraction at the weekend, because on Saturday
and Sunday, 11am to 10pm, they’re showing a wonderful new exhibition that hasn’t
been seen anywhere else in Europe yet. It’s a collection of Chinese Art called ‘Faces of
China’ - that’s in Gallery 1 - and it has some really fascinating paintings and
sculptures by leading artists from all over China - and the good news is that it’s
completely free, so don’t miss it!

So, why not go along to the National Arts Centre next week for one - or all - of these
great events - and you can always pick up a programme and check out all the other
performances and exhibitions on offer, or coming soon, on almost every day of the
year.

Next week we’ll be looking at the new Museum of Science …

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Listening Sample Task – Note Completion (Answers)

11 classical music (concerts)

/ (classical) (music) concerts

12 (a) bookshop / (a) bookstore

13 planned

14 1983 / (the) 1980s

15 (the) City Council

16 363

17 (the) Garden Hall

18 Three Lives

19 £4.50

20 Faces of China

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IELTS Academic Reading
Sample Tasks
The IELTS Academic Reading test includes a variety of tasks. The task types are:
multiple-choice questions, identifying information, identifying the writer’s
views/claims, matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching
sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table
completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion and short-answer
questions.

Read the details of each task type on our Test format page.

IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council; IDP IELTS; and

IELTS.org
Cambridge University Press & Assessment

Page 1 of 46
Contents
Academic Reading Sample Task – Matching Features ................................................... 3
Academic Reading Sample Task – Matching Features (Answers) ................................. 5
Academic Reading Sample Task – Table Completion .................................................... 6
Academic Reading Sample Task – Table Completion (Answers) ................................... 8
Academic Reading Sample Task – Flow-chart Completion: selecting words from the
text ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Academic Reading Sample Task – Flow-chart Completion: selecting words from the
text (Answers) .................................................................................................................. 11
Academic Reading Sample Task – Identifying Information: True/False/Not Given... 12
Academic Reading Sample Task – Identifying Information: True/False/Not Given
(Answers) .......................................................................................................................... 14
Academic Reading Sample Task – Matching Headings ................................................ 15
Academic Reading Sample Task – Matching Headings (Answers) .............................. 18
Academic Reading Sample Task – Matching Sentence Endings ................................. 19
Academic Reading Sample Task – Matching Sentence Endings (Answers) ................ 22
Academic Reading Sample Task – Multiple Choice: more than one answer ............. 24
Academic Reading Sample Task – Multiple Choice: more than one answer (Answers)
........................................................................................................................................... 26
Academic Reading Sample Task – Multiple Choice: one answer ................................ 27
Academic Reading Sample Task – Multiple Choice: one answer (Answers) .............. 29
Academic Reading Sample Task – Note Completion ................................................... 30
Academic Reading Sample Task – Note Completion (Answers) .................................. 33
Academic Reading Sample Task – Sentence Completion ............................................ 34
Academic Reading Sample Task – Sentence Completion (Answers) .......................... 37
Academic Reading Sample Task – Summary Completion: selecting from a list of
words or phrases ............................................................................................................. 38
Academic Reading Sample Task – Summary Completion: selecting from a list of
words or phrases (Answers) ........................................................................................... 40
Academic Reading Sample Task – Summary Completion: selecting words from the
text .................................................................................................................................... 41
Academic Reading Sample Task – Summary Completion: selecting words from the
text (Answers) .................................................................................................................. 43
Academic Reading Sample Task – Diagram Label Completion ................................... 44
Academic Reading Sample Task – Diagram Label Completion (Answers) ................. 46

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Academic Reading Sample Task – Matching Features

[Note: This is an extract from an Academic Reading passage on the development of rockets.
The text preceding this extract explored the slow development of the rocket and explained
the principle of propulsion.]

The invention of rockets is linked inextricably with the invention of 'black powder'. Most
historians of technology credit the Chinese with its discovery. They base their belief on
studies of Chinese writings or on the notebooks of early Europeans who settled in or
made long visits to China to study its history and civilisation. It is probable that, some
time in the tenth century, black powder was first compounded from its basic ingredients
of saltpetre, charcoal and sulphur. But this does not mean that it was immediately used
to propel rockets. By the thirteenth century, powder-propelled fire arrows had become
rather common. The Chinese relied on this type of technological development to
produce incendiary projectiles of many sorts, explosive grenades and possibly cannons
to repel their enemies. One such weapon was the 'basket of fire' or, as directly
translated from Chinese, the 'arrows like flying leopards'. The 0.7 metre-long arrows,
each with a long tube of gunpowder attached near the point of each arrow, could be fired
from a long, octagonal-shaped basket at the same time and had a range of 400 paces.
Another weapon was the 'arrow as a flying sabre', which could be fired from crossbows.
The rocket, placed in a similar position to other rocket-propelled arrows, was designed to
increase the range. A small iron weight was attached to the 1.5m bamboo shaft, just
below the feathers, to increase the arrow's stability by moving the centre of gravity to a
position below the rocket. At a similar time, the Arabs had developed the 'egg which
moves and burns'. This 'egg' was apparently full of gunpowder and stabilised by a 1.5m
tail. It was fired using two rockets attached to either side of this tail.

It was not until the eighteenth century that Europe became seriously interested in the
possibilities of using the rocket itself as a weapon of war and not just to propel other
weapons. Prior to this, rockets were used only in pyrotechnic displays. The incentive for
the more aggressive use of rockets came not from within the European continent but
from far-away India, whose leaders had built up a corps of rocketeers and used rockets
successfully against the British in the late eighteenth century. The Indian rockets used
against the British were described by a British Captain serving in India as ‘an iron
envelope about 200 millimetres long and 40 millimetres in diameter with sharp points at
the top and a 3m-long bamboo guiding stick’. In the early nineteenth century the British
began to experiment with incendiary barrage rockets. The British rocket differed from the
Indian version in that it was completely encased in a stout, iron cylinder, terminating in a
conical head, measuring one metre in diameter and having a stick almost five metres
long and constructed in such a way that it could be firmly attached to the body of the
rocket. The Americans developed a rocket, complete with its own launcher, to use
against the Mexicans in the mid-nineteenth century. A long cylindrical tube was propped
up by two sticks and fastened to the top of the launcher, thereby allowing the rockets to
be inserted and lit from the other end. However, the results were sometimes not that
impressive as the behaviour of the rockets in flight was less than predictable.

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Questions 7 – 10

Look at the following items (Questions 7-10) and the list of groups below.

Match each item with the group which first invented or used them.

Write the correct letter A-E in boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

7 black powder

8 rocket-propelled arrows for fighting

9 rockets as war weapons

10 the rocket launcher

First invented or used by

A the Chinese
B the Indians
C the British
D the Arabs
E the Americans

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Academic Reading Sample Task – Matching Features
(Answers)

7 A
8 A
9 B
10 E

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Academic Reading Sample Task – Table Completion
[Note: This is an extract from an Academic Reading passage on the subject of dung beetles.
The text preceding this extract gave some background facts about dung beetles, and went
on to describe a decision to introduce non-native varieties to Australia.]

Introducing dung1 beetles into a pasture is a simple process: approximately 1,500 beetles
are released, a handful at a time, into fresh cow pats2 in the cow pasture. The beetles
immediately disappear beneath the pats digging and tunnelling and, if they successfully
adapt to their new environment, soon become a permanent, self-sustaining part of the
local ecology. In time they multiply and within three or four years the benefits to the
pasture are obvious.

Dung beetles work from the inside of the pat so they are sheltered from predators such
as birds and foxes. Most species burrow into the soil and bury dung in tunnels directly
underneath the pats, which are hollowed out from within. Some large species originating
from France excavate tunnels to a depth of approximately 30 cm below the dung pat.

These beetles make sausage-shaped brood chambers along the tunnels. The shallowest
tunnels belong to a much smaller Spanish species that buries dung in chambers that hang
like fruit from the branches of a pear tree. South African beetles dig narrow tunnels of
approximately 20 cm below the surface of the pat. Some surface-dwelling beetles,
including a South African species, cut perfectly-shaped balls from the pat, which are
rolled away and attached to the bases of plants.

For maximum dung burial in spring, summer and autumn, farmers require a variety of
species with overlapping periods of activity. In the cooler environments of the state of
Victoria, the large French species (2.5 cms long), is matched with smaller (half this size),
temperate-climate Spanish species. The former are slow to recover from the winter cold
and produce only one or two generations of offspring from late spring until autumn. The
latter, which multiply rapidly in early spring, produce two to five generations annually.
The South African ball-rolling species, being a sub-tropical beetle, prefers the climate of
northern and coastal New South Wales where it commonly works with the South
African tunneling species. In warmer climates, many species are active for longer periods
of the year.

Glossary
1. dung: the droppings or excreta of animals

2. cow pats: droppings of cows

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Question 9 – 13

Complete the table below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.

Number of
Preferred Complementary Start of active
Species Size generations
climate species period
per year

French 2.5 cm cool Spanish late spring 1-2

Spanish 1.25 cm 9 ............ 10 ............ 11 ............

South African
12 ............ 13 ………...
ball roller

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Academic Reading Sample Task – Table Completion
(Answers)

9 temperate
10 early spring
11 two to five / 2-5
12 sub-tropical
13 South African tunneling/tunnelling

Alternative answers are separated by a slash (/).

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Academic Reading Sample Task – Flow-chart
Completion: selecting words from the text
[Note: This is an extract from a Part 3 text about the effect of a low-calorie diet on the aging
process.]

Adapted from ‘The Serious Search for an Anti-Aging Pill’. Copyright © 2006 Scientific American, a
division of Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved.

No treatment on the market today has been proved to slow human aging. But one
intervention, consumption of a low-calorie∗ yet nutritionally balanced diet, works incredibly
well in a broad range of animals, increasing longevity and prolonging good health. Those
findings suggest that caloric restriction could delay aging and increase longevity in humans,
too. But what if someone could create a pill that mimicked the physiological effects of eating
less without actually forcing people to eat less, a 'caloric-restriction mimetic'?

The best-studied candidate for a caloric-restriction mimetic, 2DG (2-deoxy-D-glucose), works

by interfering with the way cells process glucose. It has proved toxic at some doses in animals
and so cannot be used in humans. But it has demonstrated that chemicals can replicate the
effects of caloric restriction; the trick is finding the right one.

Cells use the glucose from food to generate ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the molecule that
powers many activities in the body. By limiting food intake, caloric restriction minimizes the
amount of glucose entering cells and decreases ATP generation. When 2DG is administered
to animals that eat normally, glucose reaches cells in abundance but the drug prevents most
of it from being processed and thus reduces ATP synthesis. Researchers have proposed
several explanations for why interruption of glucose processing and ATP production might
retard aging. One possibility relates to the ATP-making machinery’s emission of free
radicals, which are thought to contribute to aging and to such age-related diseases as cancer
by damaging cells. Reduced operation of the machinery should limit their production and
thereby constrain the damage. Another hypothesis suggests that decreased processing of
glucose could indicate to cells that food is scarce (even if it isn’t) and induce them to shift into
an anti-aging mode that emphasizes preservation of the organism over such ‘luxuries’ as
growth and reproduction.

∗calorie: a measure of the energy value of food

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Questions 1 – 3

Complete the flow-chart below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.

How a caloric-restriction mimetic works

CR mimetic
↓
less 1................is processed
↓
production of ATP is decreased

Theory 1: Theory 2:
cells less damaged by disease because cells focus on 3 ................because
fewer 2............... are emitted food is in short supply

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Academic Reading Sample Task – Flow-chart
Completion: selecting words from the text (Answers)

1 glucose
2 free radicals
3 preservation

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Academic Reading Sample Task – Identifying
Information: True/False/Not Given
[Note: This is an extract from a Part 1 text about the scientist Marie Curie.]

Adapted with permission from Encyclopaedia Britannica, © 2007 by Encyclopaedia Britannica,

Inc.

The life and work of Marie Curie

Marie Curie is probably the most famous woman scientist who has ever lived. Born Maria
Sklodowska in Poland in 1867, she is famous for her work on radioactivity, and was twice a
winner of the Nobel Prize. With her husband, Pierre Curie, and Henri Becquerel, she was
awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize for Physics, and was then sole winner of the 1911 Nobel Prize
for Chemistry. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

From childhood, Marie was remarkable for her prodigious memory, and at the age of 16 won
a gold medal on completion of her secondary education. Because her father lost his savings
through bad investment, she then had to take work as a teacher. From her earnings she was
able to finance her sister Bronia’s medical studies in Paris, on the understanding that Bronia
would, in turn, later help her to get an education.

In 1891 this promise was fulfilled and Marie went to Paris and began to study at the
Sorbonne (the University of Paris). She often worked far into the night and lived on little
more than bread and butter and tea. She came first in the examination in the physical
sciences in 1893, and in 1894 was placed second in the examination in mathematical
sciences. It was not until the spring of that year that she was introduced to Pierre Curie.

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Questions 1 – 3

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1 Marie Curie’s husband was a joint winner of both Marie’s Nobel Prizes.

2 Marie became interested in science when she was a child.

3 Marie was able to attend the Sorbonne because of her sister’s financial contribution.

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Academic Reading Sample Task – Identifying
Information: True/False/Not Given (Answers)

1 FALSE
2 NOT GIVEN
3 TRUE

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Academic Reading Sample Task – Matching Headings
[Note: This is an extract from a Part 2 text about the physics of traffic behaviour.]

© 2000 The Atlantic Media Co., as first published in The Atlantic Magazine. All rights reserved.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.

Questions 1 – 4

Reading Passage 1 has five sections, A-E.

Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

i Dramatic effects can result from small changes in traffic just as in nature
ii How a maths experiment actually reduced traffic congestion
iii How a concept from one field of study was applied in another
iv A lack of investment in driver training
v Areas of doubt and disagreement between experts
vi How different countries have dealt with traffic congestion
vii The impact of driver behaviour on traffic speed
viii A proposal to take control away from the driver

1 Section A

Example

Section B i

2 Section C

3 Section D

4 Section E

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 The Physics of Traffic Behavior
A Some years ago, when several theoretical physicists, principally Dirk Helbing and Boris Kerner of
Stuttgart, Germany, began publishing papers on traffic flow in publications normally read by traffic
engineers, they were clearly working outside their usual sphere of investigation. They had noticed
that if they simulated the movement of vehicles on a highway, using the equations that describe
how the molecules of a gas move, some very strange results emerged. Of course, vehicles do not
behave exactly like gas molecules: for example, drivers try to avoid collisions by slowing down when
they get too near another vehicle, whereas gas molecules have no such concern. However, the
physicists modified the equations to take the differences into account and the overall description of
traffic as a flowing gas has proved to be a very good one; the moving-gas model of traffic
reproduces many phenomena seen in real-world traffic.

The strangest thing that came out of these equations, however, was the implication that congestion
can arise completely spontaneously; no external causes are necessary. Vehicles can be flowing
freely along, at a density still well below what the road can handle, and then suddenly gel into a
slow-moving ooze. Under the right conditions a brief and local fluctuation in the speed or the
distance between vehicles is all it takes to trigger a system-wide breakdown that persists for hours.
In fact, the physicists’ analysis suggested such spontaneous breakdowns in traffic flow probably
occur quite frequently on highways.

B Though a decidedly unsettling discovery, this showed striking similarities to the phenomena
popularized as ‘chaos theory’. This theory has arisen from the understanding that in any complex
interacting system which is made of many parts, each part affects the others. Consequently, tiny
variations in one part of a complex system can grow in huge but unpredictable ways. This type of
dramatic change from one state to another is similar to what happens when a chemical substance
changes from a vapor to a liquid. It often happens that water in a cloud remains as a gas even after
its temperature and density have reached the point where it could condense into water droplets.
However, if the vapor encounters a solid surface, even something as small as a speck of dust,
condensation can take place and the transition from vapor to liquid finally occurs. Helbing and
Kerner see traffic as a complex interacting system. They found that a small fluctuation in traffic
density can act as the ‘speck of dust’ causing a sudden change from freely moving traffic to
synchronized traffic, when vehicles in all lanes abruptly slow down and start moving at the same
speed, making passing impossible.

C The physicists have challenged proposals to set a maximum capacity for vehicles on highways. They
argue that it may not be enough simply to limit the rate at which vehicles are allowed to enter a
highway, rather, it may be necessary to time each vehicle’s entry onto a highway precisely to
coincide with a temporary drop in the density of vehicles along the road. The aim of doing this
would be to smooth out any possible fluctuations in the road conditions that can trigger a change in
traffic behavior and result in congestion. They further suggest that preventing breakdowns in the
flow of traffic could ultimately require implementing the radical idea that has been suggested from
time to time: directly regulating the speed and spacing of individual cars along a highway with
central computers and sensors that communicate with each car’s engine and brake controls.

Page 16 of 46 IELTS.org
 D However, research into traffic control is generally centered in civil engineering departments and
here the theories of the physicists have been greeted with some skepticism. Civil engineers favor a
practical approach to problems and believe traffic congestion is the result of poor road construction
(two lanes becoming one lane or dangerous curves), which constricts the flow of traffic. Engineers
questioned how well the physicists’ theoretical results relate to traffic in the real world. Indeed,
some engineering researchers questioned whether elaborate chaos-theory interpretations are
needed at all, since at least some of the traffic phenomena the physicists’ theories predicted
seemed to be similar to observations that had been appearing in traffic engineering literature under
other names for years; observations which had straightforward cause-and-effect explanations.

E James Banks, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at San Diego State University in the
US, suggested that a sudden slowdown in traffic may have less to do with chaos theory than with
driver psychology. As traffic gets heavier and the passing lane gets more crowded, aggressive
drivers move to other lanes to try to pass, which also tends to even out the speed between lanes.
He also felt that another leveling force is that when a driver in a fast lane brakes a little to maintain
a safe distance between vehicles, the shock wave travels back much more rapidly than it would in
the other slower lanes, because each following driver has to react more quickly. Consequently, as a
road becomes congested, the faster moving traffic is the first to slow down.

Page 17 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Matching Headings
(Answers)

1 iii How a concept from one field of study was applied in another
2 viii A proposal to take control away from the driver
3 v Areas of doubt and disagreement between experts
4 vii The impact of driver behavior on traffic speed

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Academic Reading Sample Task – Matching Sentence
Endings
[Note: This is an extract from a Part 3 text about the scientific community in London in the
1500s.]

Science in 16th-century London

The Jewel House, a new book by historical researcher and author
Deborah Harkness
Deborah Harkness devotes her elegant clustered in several parishes near St Paul’s
and erudite new book, The Jewel House, to the Cathedral. The once wealthy merchant,
scientific community in 16th-century London. Clement Draper, even managed to transform
She (rightly) argues that it is thanks to the the King’s Bench prison in Southwark, where
imaginative collective efforts of the urban he served time as a debtor, into a center of
scientists that London became the melting pot research and discussion. By the end of the
in which a new mathematical and book Harkness has mapped London’s
experimental culture crystallized. scientific communities with astonishing
precision.
Harkness is known for her ingenuity as a
researcher and her historical empathy. In The Moreover, when Harkness reconstructs
Jewel House, Harkness turns her skills on the these groups, she provides not traditional,
city of London as a whole with surprising and static accounts of their theories, but
fascinating results. She began her research by dynamic analyses of their practices as
asking herself a new question: not what these developed over time. In many cases,
caused scientific revolution but what the she makes clear, the alchemists of
names science and scientist meant in 16th- Elizabethan London already understood
century London. Then she collected a vast that knowledge of nature had to rest not on
range of sources, from printed books to authority but on familiarity through practice.
scientific instruments and notebooks, and
recorded, in a relational database, information In one crucial respect, Harkness argues,
on the men and women who produced them. many of the 16th-century London scientists
differed from the later ones of the 17th
Every chapter of The Jewel House charts the century. They saw themselves less as
activities of a particular community. Harkness individuals out to gain fame, than as
leads us through the streets of London, members of larger textual communities bent
showing us, neighborhood by neighborhood, on exchanging and compiling information.
where the major forms of natural knowledge The passages in which Harkness analyzes the
found homes. For example, apothecaries 16th- century practices of note-taking and
settled in Lime Street, in what is now the City, communication are among the most novel
where they created a dense network of shops and informative in this fine book. She shows
and gardens. Clockmakers, both native that they adopted the textual information
craftsmen and many from overseas, processing methods of humanist scholarship
to radically new ends.

Page 19 of 46 IELTS.org
 In this book, Harkness has charted the local
and cosmopolitan worlds of science in
Elizabethan London with a learning, precision
and intelligence that compel admiration.
Moreover, she has crafted a complex and
effective new analytical mechanism which
may transform the practices of historians of
early modern science.

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Questions 1 – 3

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F, below. Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes
1-3 on your answer sheet.

1 Harkness’s research method was different to that of other writers because

2 Harkness’s reconstruction of the 16th-century London scientific groups was new because

3 Harkness shows that the 16th-century London scientists were innovative because

A she has the greatest knowledge of Elizabethan London.

B she started by seeking to understand how basic terms were used in the past.
C they worked as individuals rather than as a group.
D she examined how their methods evolved and changed.
E Clement Draper was the best scientist of his time.
F they used old ways of analysing written information for new purposes.

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Academic Reading Sample Task – Matching Sentence
Endings (Answers)

1 B ■ she started by seeking to understand how basic terms were used in the past
2 D ■ she examined how their methods evolved and changed
3 F ■ they used old ways of analysing written information for new purposes

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Page 23 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Multiple Choice:
more than one answer
[Note: This is an extract from a Part 1 text about older people in the workforce.]

© The Economist Newspaper Limited, London, 1999

Clearly, when older people do heavy physical work, their age may affect their productivity. But
other skills may increase with age, including many that are crucial for good management, such as
an ability to handle people diplomatically, to run a meeting or to spot a problem before it blows
up. Peter Hicks, who co-ordinates OECD work on the policy implications of ageing, says that
plenty of research suggests older people are paid more because they are worth more.

And the virtues of the young may be exaggerated. ‘The few companies that have kept on older
workers find they have good judgement and their productivity is good,’ says Peter Peterson,
author of a recent book on the impact of ageing. ‘Besides, their education standards are much
better than those of today’s young high-school graduates.’ Companies may say that older
workers are not worth training because they are reaching the end of their working lives; in fact,
young people tend to switch jobs so frequently that they offer the worst returns on training. The
median age for employer-driven training is the late 40s and early 50s, and this training goes
mainly to managers.

Page 24 of 46 IELTS.org
Questions 1 and 2

Choose TWO letters, A-G.

Write the correct letters in boxes 1 and 2 on your answer sheet.

The list below gives some of the advantages of employing older workers.

Which TWO advantages are mentioned by the writer of the text?

A They are less likely to be involved in careless accidents.

B They can predict areas that may cause trouble in the future.
C They are able to train younger workers.
D They can deal with unexpected problems.
E They are more conscientious.
F They are prepared to work for lower salaries.
G They are more skilled in personal relationships.

Questions 3 and 4

Choose TWO letters, A-F.

Write the correct letters in boxes 3 and 4 on your answer sheet.

The list below gives some of the disadvantages of employing younger workers.

Which TWO disadvantages are mentioned by the writer of the text?

A They are too confident of their own skills.

B They may injure themselves.
C They do not stay with the same company for very long.
D Their training has been too theoretical.
E They are not as well educated as older workers.
F They demand higher salaries.

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Academic Reading Sample Task – Multiple Choice:
more than one answer (Answers)

1&2 IN EITHER ORDER

B ■ They can predict areas that may cause trouble in the future
G ■ They are more skilled in personal relationships

3&4 IN EITHER ORDER

C ■ They do not stay with the same company for very long
E ■ They are not as well educated as older workers

Page 26 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Multiple Choice:
one answer
[Note: This is an extract from a Part 1 text about older people in the workforce.]

© The Economist Newspaper Limited, London, 1999

The general assumption is that older workers are paid more in spite of, rather than because of,
their productivity. That might partly explain why, when employers are under pressure to cut costs,
they persuade a 55-year old to take early retirement. Take away seniority-based pay scales, and
older workers may become a much more attractive employment proposition. But most employers
and many workers are uncomfortable with the idea of reducing someone’s pay in later life –
although manual workers on piece-rates often earn less as they get older. So retaining the
services of older workers may mean employing them in different ways.

One innovation was devised by IBM Belgium. Faced with the need to cut staff costs, and having
decided to concentrate cuts on 55 to 60-year olds, IBM set up a separate company called Skill
Team, which re-employed any of the early retired who wanted to go on working up to the age of
60. An employee who joined Skill Team at the age of 55 on a five-year contract would work for
58% of his time, over the full period, for 88% of his last IBM salary. The company offered services
to IBM, thus allowing it to retain access to some of the intellectual capital it would otherwise have
lost.

The best way to tempt the old to go on working may be to build on such ‘bridge’ jobs: part- time or
temporary employment that creates a more gradual transition from full-time work to retirement.
Studies have found that, in the United States, nearly half of all men and women who had been in
full-time jobs in middle age moved into such ‘bridge’ jobs at the end of their working lives. In
general, it is the best-paid and worst-paid who carry on working. There seem to be two very
different types of bridge job-holder – those who continue working because they have to and those
who continue working because they want to, even though they could afford to retire.

If the job market grows more flexible, the old may find more jobs that suit them. Often, they will be
self-employed. Sometimes, they may start their own businesses: a study by David Storey of
Warwick University found that in Britain 70% of businesses started by people over 55 survived,
compared with an overall national average of only 19%. But whatever pattern of employment they
choose, in the coming years the skills of these ‘grey workers’ will have to be increasingly
acknowledged and rewarded.

Page 27 of 46 IELTS.org
Questions 1 – 4

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write the correct letter in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.

1 In paragraph one, the writer suggests that companies could consider

A abolishing pay schemes that are based on age.

B avoiding pay that is based on piece-rates.
C increasing pay for older workers.
D equipping older workers with new skills.

2 Skill Team is an example of a company which

A offers older workers increases in salary.

B allows people to continue working for as long as they want.
C allows the expertise of older workers to be put to use.
D treats older and younger workers equally.

3 According to the writer, ‘bridge’ jobs

A tend to attract people in middle-salary ranges.

B are better paid than some full-time jobs.
C originated in the United States.
D appeal to distinct groups of older workers.

4 David Storey’s study found that

A people demand more from their work as they get older.

B older people are good at running their own businesses.
C an increasing number of old people are self-employed.
D few young people have their own businesses.

Page 28 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Multiple Choice:
one answer (Answers)

1 A ■ abolishing pay schemes that are based on age

2 C ■ allows the expertise of older workers to be put to use
3 D ■ appeal to distinct groups of older workers
4 B ■ older people are good at running their own businesses

Page 29 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Note Completion
[Note: This is an extract from a Part 1 text about the scientist Marie Curie.]

Adapted with permission from Encyclopaedia Britannica, © 2007 by Encyclopaedia Britannica,

Inc.

The life and work of Marie Curie

The marriage of Pierre and Marie Curie in 1895 marked the start of a partnership that was soon to
achieve results of world significance. Following Henri Becquerel’s discovery in 1896 of a new
phenomenon, which Marie later called ‘radioactivity’, Marie Curie decided to find out if the
radioactivity discovered in uranium was to be found in other elements. She discovered that this
was true for thorium.

Turning her attention to minerals, she found her interest drawn to pitchblende, a mineral whose
radioactivity, superior to that of pure uranium, could be explained only by the presence in the ore
of small quantities of an unknown substance of very high activity. Pierre Curie joined her in the
work that she had undertaken to resolve this problem, and that led to the discovery of the new
elements, polonium and radium. While Pierre Curie devoted himself chiefly to the physical study
of the new radiations, Marie Curie struggled to obtain pure radium in the metallic state. This was
achieved with the help of the chemist André-Louis Debierne, one of Pierre Curie’s pupils. Based
on the results of this research, Marie Curie received her Doctorate of Science, and in 1903 Marie
and Pierre shared with Becquerel the Nobel Prize for Physics for the discovery of radioactivity.

The births of Marie’s two daughters, Irène and Eve, in 1897 and 1904 failed to interrupt her
scientific work. She was appointed lecturer in physics at the École Normale Supérieure for girls in
Sèvres, France (1900), and introduced a method of teaching based on experimental
demonstrations. In December 1904 she was appointed chief assistant in the laboratory directed by
Pierre Curie.

The sudden death of her husband in 1906 was a bitter blow to Marie Curie, but was also a turning
point in her career: henceforth she was to devote all her energy to completing alone the scientific
work that they had undertaken. On May 13, 1906, she was appointed to the professorship that had
been left vacant on her husband’s death, becoming the first woman to teach at the Sorbonne. In
1911 she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for the isolation of a pure form of radium.

During World War I, Marie Curie, with the help of her daughter Irène, devoted herself to the
development of the use of X-radiography, including the mobile units which came to be known as
‘Little Curies’, used for the treatment of wounded soldiers. In 1918 the Radium Institute, whose
staff Irène had joined, began to operate in earnest, and became a centre for nuclear physics and
chemistry. Marie Curie, now at the highest point of her fame and, from 1922, a member of the
Academy of Medicine, researched the chemistry of radioactive substances and their medical
applications.

Page 30 of 46 IELTS.org
 In 1921, accompanied by her two daughters, Marie Curie made a triumphant journey to the United
States to raise funds for research on radium. Women there presented her with a gram of radium for
her campaign. Marie also gave lectures in Belgium, Brazil, Spain and Czechoslovakia and, in
addition, had the satisfaction of seeing the development of the Curie Foundation in Paris, and the
inauguration in 1932 in Warsaw of the Radium Institute, where her sister Bronia became director.

One of Marie Curie’s outstanding achievements was to have understood the need to accumulate
intense radioactive sources, not only to treat illness but also to maintain an abundant supply for
research. The existence in Paris at the Radium Institute of a stock of 1.5 grams of radium made a
decisive contribution to the success of the experiments undertaken in the years around 1930. This
work prepared the way for the discovery of the neutron by Sir James Chadwick and, above all, for
the discovery in 1934 by Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie of artificial radioactivity. A few months
after this discovery, Marie Curie died as a result of leukaemia caused by exposure to radiation.
She had often carried test tubes containing radioactive isotopes in her pocket, remarking on the
pretty blue-green light they gave off.

Her contribution to physics had been immense, not only in her own work, the importance of which
had been demonstrated by her two Nobel Prizes, but because of her influence on subsequent
generations of nuclear physicists and chemists.

Page 31 of 46 IELTS.org
Questions 1 – 6

Complete the notes below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 1-6
on your answer sheet.

Marie Curie’s research on radioactivity

• When uranium was discovered to be radioactive, Marie Curie found that the element
called 1 ………… had the same property.
• Marie and Pierre Curie’s research into the radioactivity of the mineral known
as 2 ………… led to the discovery of two new elements.
• In 1911, Marie Curie received recognition for her work on the element 3 ………… .
• Marie and Irène Curie developed X-radiography which was used as a medical technique
for 4 ………… .
• Marie Curie saw the importance of collecting radioactive material both for research and for
cases of 5 ………… .
• The radioactive material stocked in Paris contributed to the discoveries in the 1930s
of the 6 ………… and of what was known as artificial radioactivity.

Page 32 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Note Completion
(Answers)

1 thorium
2 pitchblende
3 radium
4 soldiers
5 illness
6 neutron

Page 33 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Sentence
Completion
[Note: This is an extract from a Part 2 task about the evolution of birds and their ancestry.]

The origins of birds

The science of evolutionary relationships has undergone a major change in recent decades. It used
to be the case that all the features of organisms were important in working out their family tree.
But following the work of German entomologist Willi Hennig, many evolutionary scientists now
believe that the only features which carry any useful information are the evolutionary ‘novelties’
shared between organisms. Mice, lizards and fish, for example, all have backbones – so the feature
‘backbone’ tells us nothing about their evolutionary relationship. But the feature ‘four legs’ is
useful because it’s an evolutionary novelty – a characteristic shared only between the lizard and
the mouse. This would suggest that the lizard and mouse are more closely related to each other
than either is to the fish. This revolutionary approach is called cladistics, and it has been central to
the idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs.

The ‘birds are dinosaurs’ theory was first developed by English palaeontologist Thomas Huxley
(1825–1895). According to some accounts, one evening Huxley went to dinner still thinking about
a mystery dinosaur bone in his lab. He knew he was dealing with the lower leg bone (tibia) of a
meat-eating, two-legged dinosaur belonging to the classification known as theropods, but attached
to the tibia was an unidentified extra bone. On the menu that evening was quail, a small bird
similar to a pheasant, and Huxley noticed the same strange bone, attached to the quail tibia on his
plate. He later realised that it was in fact the bird’s anklebone. More importantly, Huxley
concluded that its forms in both dinosaur and bird skeletons were so similar that they must be
closely related.

Huxley’s idea fell out of favour for fifty years following the 1916 publication of The Origin of
Birds by the Danish doctor Gerhard Heilmann. During this time, Heilmann’s theory was widely
accepted. Heilmann had noted that two-legged, meat-eating dinosaurs lacked collarbones. In later
evolutionary stages these bones fuse together to form the distinctive ‘Y’- shaped bone in a bird’s
neck, known as the furcula. Heilmann proposed the notion that such a feature could not be lost and
then re-evolve at a later date, so dinosaurs could not be the ancestors of birds.

Then, in the late 1960s, John Ostrom from Yale University in the US, noted 22 features in the
skeletons of meat-eating dinosaurs that were also found in birds and nowhere else. This reset the
thinking on bird ancestry and once again Huxley’s ideas caught the attention of the scientific
community. Subsequent work has found up to 85 characteristics that tie dinosaurs and birds
together. But what of Heilmann’s missing bones? It turns out that not only did many dinosaurs
have collarbones, these were also fused together into a furcula. Unfortunately for Heilmann, the
fossil evidence was somewhat lacking in his day, and the few furculae that had been found were
misidentified, usually as belly ribs

Page 34 of 46 IELTS.org
 US ornithologist Alan Feduccia and palaeontologist Larry Martin are two vocal opponents of the
dinosaur theory. They contend that birds evolved from some unknown reptile at a time long before
dinosaurs. Their reasoning is that flight is most likely to have started from a tree-climbing
ancestor, yet all the proposed dinosaurian ancestors were ground-dwellers. But the dino-bird
supporters contend that an unknown dinosaurian bird-ancestor could have been tree-dwelling, or
that birds evolved flight from the ground up by chasing and leaping after insects. Most of
Feduccia and Martin’s case against the ‘birds-are-dinosaurs’ hypothesis is based on differences
between birds and dinosaurs. Supporters of cladistics, however, maintain that differences between
organisms do not matter, as it is the similarities between them that count. Evolution dictates that
organisms will change through time, so it is only the features which persist that carry useful
information about their origins.

Most people on either side of the debate do accept, however, that the ancient winged creature
known as Archaeopteryx is an ancestor of today’s birds. This is in spite of the fact that its form is
distinctly non-bird-like, with a long bony tail, and teeth instead of a beak. The ‘birds-are-
dinosaurs’ supporters contend that, if clearly-preserved feathers had not been found alongside two
of the seven Archaeopteryx specimens, it would probably have been identified as a small dinosaur.
However, Archaeopteryx does have some bird-like features, such as a furcula and bird-like feet,
that suggest that it is too bird-like to be considered a dinosaur.

Over the last few decades several dinosaurs with bird-like features and primitive birds with
dinosaur-like features have been found in several countries, connecting Archaeopteryx back to
dinosaurs, and forwards to modern birds. Sinosauropteryx, excavated from 130-million-year-old
rocks in northeast China, is one example. It is a dinosaur skeleton surrounded by a halo of fuzz,
thought to be primitive feathers. And a reassessment of other dinosaurs reveals such bird-like
features as hollow bones and a foot with three functional toes, characteristics that appeared over
50 million years before Archaeopteryx took to the air. And Rahonavis, a primitive bird from
Madagascar is more bird-like than Archaeopteryx, yet retains some distinctive dinosaur features,
including a long and vicious claw at the end of its wing. Over a century since Huxley’s discovery,
it seems that cladistics may have finally settled the ‘dino-bird’ debate.

Page 35 of 46 IELTS.org
 Questions 1 – 5

Complete the sentences below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

1 Huxley formulated his theory while studying a dinosaur belonging to a group

called ………… .

2 Heilmann rejected Huxley’s theory because of the apparent absence of................. in

dinosaurs.

3 Feduccia and Martin believe that the ancestor of today’s birds was a kind of
early ………… .

4 In cladistics, the ............... between organisms’ characteristics are of major

importance.

5 The dangerous ................ on a primitive bird from Madagascar adds weight to the
‘dino-bird’ argument.

Page 36 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Sentence
Completion (Answers)

1 theropods
2 collarbones
3 reptile
4 similarities
5 claw

Page 37 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Summary
Completion: selecting from a list of words or phrases
[Note: This is an extract from a Part 3 text about language.]

© Guy Deutscher, Random House Adult Trade Publishing Group. 2006

'This Marvellous Invention'

Of all mankind’s manifold creations, language must take pride of place. Other inventions – the
wheel, agriculture, sliced bread – may have transformed our material existence, but the advent
of language is what made us human. Compared to language, all other inventions pale in
significance, since everything we have ever achieved depends on language and originates from
it. Without language, we could never have embarked on our ascent to unparalleled power over
all other animals, and even over nature itself.

But language is foremost not just because it came first. In its own right it is a tool of
extraordinary sophistication, yet based on an idea of ingenious simplicity: ‘this marvellous
invention of composing out of twenty-five or thirty sounds that infinite variety of expressions
which, whilst having in themselves no likeness to what is in our mind, allow us to disclose to
others its whole secret, and to make known to those who cannot penetrate it all that we
imagine, and all the various stirrings of our soul’. This was how, in 1660, the renowned French
grammarians of the Port-Royal abbey near Versailles distilled the essence of language, and no
one since has celebrated more eloquently the magnitude of its achievement. Even so, there is
just one flaw in all these hymns of praise, for the homage to language’s unique accomplishment
conceals a simple yet critical incongruity. Language is mankind’s greatest invention – except, of
course, that it was never invented. This apparent paradox is at the core of our fascination with
language, and it holds many of its secrets.

Page 38 of 46 IELTS.org
Questions 1 – 4

Complete the summary using the list of words, A-G, below.

Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.

The importance of language

The wheel is one invention that has had a major impact on 1.................aspects of life, but no
impact has been as 2 ………… as that of language. Language is very 3 ………… , yet
composed of just a small number of sounds. Language appears to be 4 ………… to use.
However, its sophistication is often overlooked.

A difficult B complex C original

D admired E material F easy
G fundamental

Page 39 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Summary
Completion: selecting from a list of words or phrases
(Answers)

1 E ■ material
2 G ■ fundamental
3 B ■ complex
4 F ■ easy

Page 40 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Summary
Completion: selecting words from the text
[Note: This is an extract from a Part 3 text about the ‘Plain English’ movement, which
promotes the use of clear English.]

‘The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language’, David Crystal, 3rd Edition, © Cambridge University
Press, 2010.

The instructions accompanying do-it-yourself products are regularly cited as a source

of unnecessary expense or frustration. Few companies seem to test their instructions
by having them followed by a first-time user. Often, essential information is omitted,
steps in the construction process are taken for granted, and some degree of special
knowledge is assumed. This is especially worrying in any fields where failure to
follow correct procedures can be dangerous.

Objections to material in plain English have come mainly from the legal profession.
Lawyers point to the risk of ambiguity inherent in the use of everyday language for
legal or official documents, and draw attention to the need for confidence in legal
formulations, which can come only from using language that has been tested in
courts over the course of centuries. The campaigners point out that there has been
no sudden increase in litigation as a consequence of the increase in plain English
materials.

Similarly, professionals in several different fields have defended their use of technical
and complex language as being the most precise means of expressing technical or
complex ideas. This is undoubtedly true: scientists, doctors, bankers and others need
their jargon in order to communicate with each other succinctly and unambiguously.
But when it comes to addressing the non-specialist consumer, the campaigners
argue, different criteria must apply.

Page 41 of 46 IELTS.org
Questions 1 – 5

Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

Consumers often complain that they experience a feeling of 1 ................ when trying to put
together do-it-yourself products which have not been tested by companies on a 2 ………… .
In situations where not keeping to the correct procedures could affect safety issues, it is
especially important that 3................information is not left out and no assumptions are made
about a stage being self-evident or the consumer having a certain amount of 4 ………… .

Lawyers, however, have raised objections to the use of plain English. They feel that it would
result in ambiguity in documents and cause people to lose faith in 5 ............... , as it would
mean departing from language that has been used in the courts for a very long time.

Page 42 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Summary
Completion: selecting words from the text (Answers)

1 frustration
2 first-time user
3 essential
4 special knowledge
5 legal formulations

Page 43 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Diagram Label
Completion

[Note: This is an extract from an Academic Reading passage on the subject of a method of
providing water to grow vegetables in desert regions. The text preceding this extract gave
some background facts about the development of the method.]

Charlie Paton has built a giant structure on a desert island off Abu Dhabi in the Persian
Gulf – the first commercially viable version of his ‘seawater greenhouse’. Local
scientists, working with Paton under a licence from his company Light Works, are
watering the desert and growing vegetables in what is basically a giant dew-making
machine that produces fresh water and cool air from sun and seawater.

The design has three main features. Firstly, there is a front wall of perforated
cardboard through which hot, dry air blows in from the desert. This wall is kept moist
by seawater pumped up from the nearby shoreline. As this water evaporates, heat is
taken from the air inside the greenhouse and moisture added to it. Last June, for
example, when the temperature outside the Abu Dhabi greenhouse was 46 °C, it was in
the low 30s inside and the humidity in the greenhouse was 90 per cent. The cool,
moist air inside the greenhouse allows the plants to grow faster, and because much less
water evaporates from the leaves, their demand for moisture drops dramatically.
Paton’s crops thrived on a single litre of water per square metre per day, compared to 8
litres if they were growing outside.

The second feature also serves to cool the air for the plants. Paton has constructed a
double-layered roof with an outer layer of clear polythene and an inner, coated layer
that reflects infrared light. Visible light can stream through to maximise
photosynthesis, while infrared radiation is trapped in the space between the layers, away
from the plants.

At the back of the greenhouse sits the third element, the main water-production unit.
Just before entering this unit, the humid air of the greenhouse mixes with the hot, dry
air from between the two layers of the roof. This means the air can absorb more
moisture as it passes through a second perforated cardboard wall. Finally, the hot
saturated air hits a condenser. This is kept cool by still more seawater. Drops of pure
distilled water form on the condenser and flow into a tank for irrigating the crops.

The greenhouse more or less runs itself. Sensors switch everything on when the sun
rises, and alter flows of air and seawater through the day in response to changes in
temperature, humidity and sunlight. On windless days, a fan ensures a constant flow of
air through the greenhouse. ‘Once it is tuned to the local environment, you don’t need
anyone there for it to work,’ says Paton. ‘We can run the entire operation off one 13-
amp plug, and in future we could make it entirely independent of the grid, powered
from solar panels.’

Page 44 of 46 IELTS.org
 Questions 1 – 5

Label the diagram below. 12345

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

The Seawater Greenhouse

3 ………… water
production
unit

4 …………

1 ……… 2 ………

5………… for irrigation

Page 45 of 46 IELTS.org
Academic Reading Sample Task – Diagram Label
Completion (Answers)

1 hot dry air ■ dry hot air

2 cool moist air ■ moist cool air
3 infrared radiation/light
4 (a/the) condenser
5 pure/distilled water ■ pure distilled water

Page 46 of 46 IELTS.org
IELTS Academic Writing
Sample Tasks
The IELTS Academic Writing test includes a variety of tasks.

In Task 1, test takers are asked to describe some visual information

(graph/table/chart/diagram) in their own words. They need to write 150 words in
about 20 minutes.

In Task 2, they respond to a point of view or argument or problem. They need to write
250 words in about 40 minutes.

Read the details of each task type on our Test format page.

IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council; IDP IELTS; and

IELTS.org
Cambridge University Press & Assessment

Page 1 of 26
Contents
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1A ................................................................................ 3
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1B ................................................................................ 4
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1C ................................................................................ 5
Academic Writing Sample Task – 2A ................................................................................ 6
Academic Writing Sample Task – 2B ................................................................................ 7

Sample Candidate Writing Scripts and Examiner Comments ....................................... 8

Academic Writing Sample Task – 1A – Sample Script A ................................................. 9
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1A – Sample Script B ............................................... 10
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1B – Sample Script A ............................................... 11
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1B – Sample Script B ............................................... 12
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1C – Sample Script A ............................................... 13
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1C – Sample Script B ............................................... 14
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1C – Sample Script C ............................................... 16
Academic Writing Sample Task – 2A – Sample Script A ............................................... 18
Academic Writing Sample Task – 2A – Sample Script B ............................................... 19
Academic Writing Sample Task – 2A – Sample Script C ............................................... 21
Academic Writing Sample Task – 2B – Sample Script A ............................................... 23
Academic Writing Sample Task – 2B – Sample Script B ............................................... 25

Page 2 of 26 IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1A

WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The chart below shows the number of men and women in further education in
Britain in three periods and whether they were studying full-time or part-time.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Page 3 of 26 IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1B

WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below shows radio and television audiences throughout the day in 1992.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Page 4 of 26 IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1C

WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram below shows the process by which bricks are manufactured for the
building industry.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make
comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Page 5 of 26 IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 2A

WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Children who are brought up in families that do not have large amounts of money are
better prepared to deal with the problems of adult life than children brought up by
wealthy parents.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your
own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Page 6 of 26 IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 2B

WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

International tourism has brought enormous benefit to many places. At the same time,
there is concern about its impact on local inhabitants and the environment.

Do the disadvantages of international tourism outweigh the advantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your
own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Page 7 of 26 IELTS.org
Sample Candidate Writing Scripts and Examiner
Comments

Both the Academic and General Training Writing Coherence refers to the linking of ideas
Modules consist of two tasks, Task 1 and Task 2. through logical sequencing, while cohesion
Each task is assessed independently. The refers to the varied and appropriate use of
assessment of Task 2 carries more weight in cohesive devices (e.g. logical connectors,
marking than Task 1. conjunctions and pronouns) to assist in
Detailed performance descriptors have been making clear the relationships between and
developed which describe written performance at within sentences.
the 9 IELTS bands. These descriptors apply to Lexical Resource
both the Academic and General Training
Modules. This criterion refers to the range of vocabulary
the candidate has used and the accuracy and
appropriacy of that use in terms of the specific
task.
Task 1 responses are assessed on the following
criteria: Grammatical Range and Accuracy
• Task Achievement This criterion refers to the range and accurate
• Coherence and Cohesion use of the candidate’s grammatical resource
within the candidate’s writing at sentence level.
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Task 2
Task 2 responses are assessed on the following Task Response
criteria: Both the Academic and General Training
• Task Response Writing Task 2 require the candidates to
formulate and develop a position in relation to
• Coherence and Cohesion a given prompt in the form of a question or
• Lexical Resource statement, using a minimum of 250 words.
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy Ideas should be supported by evidence, and
examples may be drawn from a candidate’s
own experience.
Candidates should note that responses will be
penalised if they are a) partly or wholly The other criteria for Task 2 are the same as
plagiarised, b) not written as full, connected text for Task 1 (Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical
(e.g. using bullet points in any part of the Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy).
response, or note form, is not appropriate).
Task 1
Writing responses are marked by trained and
Task Achievement certificated IELTS examiners. Scores may be
This criterion assesses how fully, appropriately, reported as whole bands or half-bands.
accurately and relevantly the response fulfils the
On the next 17 pages you will find candidates’
requirements set out in the task, using the
answers to five sample Writing tasks. There
minimum of 150 words.
are answers for each Writing task. Each
Task 1 Academic is a writing task which has a answer has been awarded a band score and
defined input and a largely predictable output. It is is accompanied by an examiner comment on
basically an information-transfer task, which the candidate’s performance for that task.
relates narrowly to the factual content of a
The examiners’ guidelines for marking the
diagram, graph, table, chart, map or other visual
Writing scripts are very detailed. There are
input, not to speculative explanations that lie
many different ways a candidate may
outside the given data.
achieve a particular band score. The
Coherence and Cohesion candidates’ answers that follow should not
This criterion is concerned with the overall be regarded as definitive examples of any
organisation and logical development of the particular band score.
message: how the response organises and links Please refer to the publicly available IELTS
information, ideas and language. Writing Key Criteria on our website.

Page 8 of 26

IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1A – Sample
Script A

Examiner comment
Band 5
There is a good attempt to describe the overall trends but the content would have been greatly
improved if the candidate had included some reference to the figures given on the graph. Without
these, the reader is lacking some important information. The answer is quite difficult to follow and
there are some punctuation errors that cause confusion. The structures are fairly simple and efforts
to produce more complex sentences are not successful.

Page 9 of 26 IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1A – Sample
Script B

Examiner comment
Band 6
The candidate has made a good attempt to describe the graphs looking at global trends and more
detailed figures. There is, however, some information missing and the information is inaccurate in
minor areas. The answer flows quite smoothly although connectives are overused or inappropriate,
and some of the points do not link up well. The grammatical accuracy is quite good and the
language used to describe the trends is well-handled. However, there are problems with expression
and the appropriate choice of words and whilst there is good structural control, the complexity and
variation in the sentences are limited.

Page 10 of 26 IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1B – Sample
Script A

Examiner comment
Band 6
The answer has an appropriate introduction which the candidate has attempted to express in their
own words. There is good coverage of the data and a brief reference to contrasting trends. The
answer can be followed although it is rather repetitive and cohesive devices are overused. In order
to gain a higher mark for content, the candidate would be expected to summarise the most important
features of the graph in an overview, for example, ‘audiences for radio peak in the morning, and for
TV, in the evening’. There is some flexibility and precision in the range of vocabulary used. Sentences
are long but do lack complexity. To score more highly there would be fewer errors in tense, verb form
and spelling which interfere slightly with the flow of the answer.

Page 11 of 26 IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1B – Sample
Script B

Examiner comment
Band 7

The answer deals well with both the individual media trends and the overall comparison of these trends.
The opening could be more fully developed with the inclusion of information relating to the groups
studied and the period of time during which the study took place. There is a good variety of cohesive
devices and the message can be followed quite easily although the expression is sometimes a little
clumsy. Structures are complex and vocabulary is varied but there are errors in word forms, tense and
voice though these do not impede communication.

Page 12 of 26 IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1C – Sample
Script A

Examiner comment
Band 5
Although the basic process is accurately described, this script fails to present an overview and some
of the key features are not adequately covered. The first sentence may have been an attempt at an
overview but it simply causes confusion and detracts from the answer. Despite this, the overall
progression is clear and there is effective, though mechanical, use of linkers and sequencers. There
are also examples of substitution and referencing, although sentences are not always well linked.
The vocabulary is minimally adequate for the task. Spelling is generally accurate but there are
inappropriate word choices, omissions and errors in word form. Some attempts at subordination and
complex nominalisations are made, but generally the structures are limited and there are frequent
errors. Overall this is a good example of a Band 5 performance.

Page 13 of 26 IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1C – Sample
Script B

Page 14 of 26 IELTS.org
 Examiner comment
Band 7
This test taker uses an inappropriate format at times (e.g. the letter-style opening and personal
comments) and this limits the band for Task Achievement. The process itself is adequately described,
although some irrelevant information is included and there is no clear overview. Information is
logically organised and there is a clear progression throughout the response. A range of cohesive
devices is used appropriately, although there are occasional errors in referencing and linking, and
paragraphing would have helped convey a clearer description of the stages. A wide range of
sophisticated lexis is used to convey meaning with precision, but there are also occasional flaws in
word choice that lead to some slightly awkward expressions. A wide range of structures is also used
fluently with only occasional slight error and the majority of sentences are error-free. In spite of the
high level of language proficiency, the flaws in format and organisation limit the rating for this
response to Band 7.

Page 15 of 26 IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 1C – Sample
Script C

Page 16 of 26 IELTS.org
 Examiner comment
Band 8.5
This response fully satisfies the requirements of the task. All key features of each stage of the process
are appropriately and accurately presented. There is an overview in the first paragraph indicating that
there are ‘seven consecutive steps’ however for the highest score, a fuller overview would be needed, to
summarise those key stages, for example; extracting the clay, then shaping, drying and delivering the
bricks. The message is very easy to read with seamless cohesion. Paragraphing, linking and referencing
are all skilfully managed. The language used is very fluent and sophisticated. A wide range of
vocabulary and structures are used with full flexibility and accuracy within the scope of this task. Only
rare minor errors can be found and these do not detract from communication or the high rating. This
item is a good example of a very high-level response.

Page 17 of 26 IELTS.org
 Academic Writing Sample Task – 2A – Sample
Script A

Examiner comment
Band 4
While it is obviously related to the topic, the introduction is confusing and the test taker’s position is
difficult to identify. Ideas are limited and although the test taker attempts to support them with
examples from experience, they remain unclear. There is no overall progression in the response and
the ideas are not coherently linked. Although cohesive devices are used, they assist only minimally
in achieving coherence. The range of vocabulary is basic and control is inadequate for the task.
Language from the input material is used inappropriately and frequent errors in word choice and
collocation cause severe problems for the reader. Similarly, the range of structures is very limited,
the density of grammatical and punctuation error is high and these features cause some difficulty for
the reader. Attempts to use complex structures, such as subordination, are rare and tend to be very
inaccurate.

Page 18 of 26 IELTS.org
Academic Writing Sample Task – 2A – Sample
Script B

Page 19 of 26 IELTS.org
 Examiner comment
Band 6.5

The arguments in this response are generally well developed, ideas are appropriate and there is a clear
position. (It is a shame that the first paragraph, and beginning of the second are mainly copied from the
rubric.) Better use of paragraphing would have allowed a clearer focus to some of the supporting points
and prevented the lapse into generalisation towards the end. Nevertheless, there is a generally clear
progression with a good arrangement of opposing arguments. Referencing is usually accurate and
effective, but better use of linkers would have improved the cohesion. Vocabulary is varied and used
with some flexibility. The choice is not always precise but the test taker can evidently incorporate less
common/idiomatic phrases into the argument and there is a good range that is generally accurate. The
repetition of language from the rubric, while integrated, reveals a lack of ability to paraphrase. Regular
errors detract from the use of a range of structures, although they do not detract from overall clarity. This
is a generally good response to the task, but the weaknesses in organisation and grammatical control
limit the rating to Band 6.5.

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Academic Writing Sample Task – 2A – Sample
Script C

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 Examiner comment
Band 8.5
The topic is very well addressed and explored in depth. The position is clear throughout and directly
answers the question. The ideas presented are relevant and very well supported, apart from some
over-generalisation in the penultimate paragraph. However, there is no mention of how well children
from ‘wealthy parents’ deal with problems. Although this is not a requirement, it could be added to
further improve the response. The ideas and information are very well organised and paragraphing is
used appropriately throughout. The answer can be read with ease due to the sophisticated handling
of cohesive devices, with only minimal lapses (for example, the use of ‘e.g.’). The writer uses a wide
and very natural range of vocabulary with full flexibility. There are many examples of appropriate
modification, collocation and precise vocabulary choice. Syntax is equally varied and sophisticated.
There are only occasional errors in an otherwise very accurate answer. Overall this is a very strong
performance and a good example of Band 8.5.

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Academic Writing Sample Task – 2B – Sample
Script A

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 Examiner comment
Band 5.5
The first five lines of this response are directly copied rubric; no credit is given for copied rubric.
The topic is addressed and a relevant position is expressed, although there are patches (as in the
fourth paragraph) where the development is unclear. Other ideas are more evidently relevant, but are
sometimes insufficiently developed. In spite of this, ideas are clearly organised and there is an overall
progression within the response. There is some effective use of a range of cohesive devices,
including referencing, but there is also some mechanical use of linkers in places. Paragraphs are
sometimes rather too short and inappropriate. A range of vocabulary is attempted and this is
adequate for a good response to the task. However, control is weak and there are frequent spelling
errors that can cause some difficulties for the reader, thus keeping the rating down for the lexical
criterion. The test taker uses a mix of simple and complex structures with frequent subordinate
clauses. Control of complex structures is variable, and although errors are noticeable they only rarely
impede communication. Although there are some features of a higher band in this response, flaws in
the paragraphing and the errors in vocabulary limit this rating to Band 5.5.

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Academic Writing Sample Task – 2B – Sample
Script B

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 Examiner comment
Band 7.5
The test taker addresses both aspects of the task and presents a clear position throughout the
response. Ideas are relevant, well extended and supported, although there are occasional lapses in
content (as in the opening of paragraph 2 and the tendency to ‘present solutions to the
disadvantages’ in paragraph 3). However, ideas are logically organised and there is a clear
progression. A range of cohesive devices is used effectively, but some under-use of connectives and
substitution and some lapses in the use of referencing are noticeable. A wide range of vocabulary is
used flexibly. The test taker can convey precise meanings, and although awkward expressions or
inappropriacies in word choice occur, these are only occasional and do not limit the rating for this
criterion. Likewise, a good range of sentence structures is used with a high level of accuracy
resulting in frequent error-free sentences. Minor systematic errors persist, however, and punctuation
is unhelpful at times. The strength of the appropriate response to the task, and the lexical resource in
particular, mean overall this response is a good example of Band 7.5.

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IELTS Speaking Sample
Tasks
The IELTS Speaking test includes a variety of tasks.

There are three parts to the test and each part fulfils a specific function in terms of
interaction pattern, task input and test taker’s output.

Read the details of each task type on our Test format page.

IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council; IDP IELTS; and

Cambridge University Press & Assessment
IELTS.org

Page 1 of 7
Contents
Speaking Sample Task – Part 1....................................................................................................................... 3

Speaking Sample Task – Part 2....................................................................................................................... 5

Speaking Sample Task – Part 3....................................................................................................................... 6

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Speaking Sample Task – Part 1

Part 1 – Introduction and interview: Examiner Frame

[This part of the test begins with the examiner introducing himself or herself and
checking the candidate’s identification. It then continues as an interview.]

Let’s talk about your home town or village.

1. What kind of place is it?

2. What’s the most interesting part of your town/village?
3. What kind of jobs do the people in your town/village do?
4. Would you say it’s a good place to live? (Why?)
Let’s move on to talk about accommodation.

5. Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in?

6. How long have you lived there?
7. What do you like about living there?
8. What sort of accommodation would you most like to live in?

Part 1 – Introduction and interview: Recording

Part 1 – Introduction and interview: Transcript

[This part of the test begins with the examiner introducing himself or herself and checking
the candidate’s identification. It then continues as an interview.]

Examiner: Now, in this first part, I’d like to ask you some more questions about
yourself, OK?
Let’s talk about your home town or village. What kind of place is it?

Candidate: It’s quite a small village, about 20km from Zurich. And it’s very quiet. And
we have only little ... two little shops because most of the people work in
Zurich or are orientated to the city.

Examiner: What’s the most interesting part of this place ... village?

Candidate: On the top of a hill we have a little castle which is very old and quite well
known in Switzerland.

Examiner: What kind of jobs do people in the village do?

Candidate: We have some farmers in the village as well as people who work in Zurich
as bankers or journalists or there are also teachers and some doctors,
some medicines.
Examiner: Would you say it’s a good place to live?

Page 3 of 7 IELTS.org
 Candidate: Yes. Although it is very quiet, it is … people are friendly and I would say it
is a good place to live there, yes.

Examiner: Let’s move on to talk about accommodation. Tell me about the kind of
accommodation you live in ...

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Speaking Sample Task – Part 2

Part 2 – Individual Long Turn: Candidate Task Card

Describe something you own which is very important to you.

You should say:

where you got it from

how long you have had it
what you use it for

You
andwill have why
explain to talkit about the topictofor
is important one to two minutes.
you.
You have one minute to think about what you're going to say.
You can make some notes to help you if you wish.

Rounding off questions

1. Is it valuable in terms of money?

2. Would it be easy to replace?

Part 2 – Individual Long Turn: Recording

Part 2 – Individual Long Turn: Transcript

Examiner: Alright? Remember you have one to two minutes for this, so don’t worry if I
stop you. I’ll tell you when the time is up.

Candidate: OK

Examiner: Can you start speaking now, please?

Candidate: Yes. One of the most important things I have is my piano because I like
playing the piano. I got it from my parents to my twelve birthday, so I have it
for about nine years, and the reason why it is so important for me is that I can
go into another world when I’m playing piano. I can forget what’s around me
and what ... I can forget my problems and this is sometimes quite good for a
few minutes. Or I can play to relax or just, yes to … to relax and to think of
something completely different.

Examiner: Thank you. Would it be easy to replace this, this piano?

Candidate: Yes, I think it wouldn’t be that big problem but I like my piano as it is
because I have it from my parents, it’s some kind unique for me.
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Speaking Sample Task – Part 3

Part 3 – Two-way Discussion: Examiner Frame

Let’s consider first of all how people’s values have changed.

1. What kind of things give status to people in your country?

2. Have things changed since your parents’ time?

Finally, let’s talk about the role of advertising.

3. Do you think advertising influences what people buy?

Part 3 – Two-way Discussion: Recording

Part 3 – Two-way Discussion: Transcript

Examiner: We’ve been talking about things we own. I’d like to discuss with you one or
two more general questions relating to this topic. First, let’s consider values
and the way they can change. In Switzerland, what kind of possessions do
you think give status to people?

Candidate: The first thing which comes in my mind is the car. Yes, because lots of
people like to have posh cars or expensive cars to show their status, their
place in the society.

Examiner: Is that a new development?

Candidate: No, I think it isn’t.

Examiner: People have thought like that for quite a long time?

Candidate: Yes. Another thing is probably the clothing. It starts already when you are
young. When the children go to school they want to have posh labels on their
jumpers or good shoes.

Examiner: What do you think of this way of thinking, that I need to have a car or
certain clothes to show my status?

Candidate: Probably it’s sometimes a replacement for something you don’t have, so if
your wife has left you or your girlfriend, you just buy some new, I don’t
know, new watches or new clothes to make you satisfied again.

Examiner: You don’t think of it as a healthy way of thinking?

Candidate: It’s probably not honest to yourself. You can understand what I mean?

Examiner: Yes. And do you think this will change? In the future, will cars and designer
clothes be status symbols in the same way?

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 Candidate: I’m sure that clothes will be ... that the thing with the clothes will be the same.
I’m not so sure about the cars because cars cause lots of environmental
problems and probably in some years, a few years, this will change because
it’s not reasonable to drive a car anymore.

Examiner: Can you tell me a little bit more about that? ...

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