Day: 22 September 2016

IELTS Reading Sample # iPhone7

iPhone7 has been launched and there has been so much buzz about the phone that it is inevitable that one does not knows about it. In today’s reading section, we are going to look at a article that talk about the sales of Apple and how they increased with the coming of iPhone7. With this article, we hope to learn some vocabulary about business and how things actually work in the Business lifestyle. The article has been taken from – http://time.com/money/4489600/iphone-7-preorders/?xid=homepage

iPhone7

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U.S. wireless1 carriers Sprint and T-Mobile US said on Tuesday they received strong pre-orders2 for Apple’s iPhone 7, sending shares of the world’s most valuable listed company up 3 percent.

Sprint said pre-orders were up nearly four times, compared to last year. Pre-orders also rose nearly four times at T-Mobile, compared with its next most popular iPhone.

However, the companies did not disclose3 specific sales numbers. Pre-orders started on Friday.

Details about sales of the new iPhone are scarce4 after Apple announced last week it would not release weekend sales data, saying the number was more a reflection of supply than demand.

“While the iPhone 7 update is more revolutionary5 than evolutionary6, we believe investors7 could consider these strong early pre-order indications8 as being reflective9 of the impact10 of Apple’s significant11 iPhone installed12 base expansion13 over the past few years,” Stifel analyst Aaron Rakers said in a note.

Rival carriers AT&T and Verizon Communications were not immediately available for comment.

Apple’s shares14 were up 2.8 percent at $108.19 in morning trading15. Up to Monday’s close, they had fallen 2.1 percent since the iPhone 7 was launched on Wednesday.

SrWORDMEANING
1wirelessUsing radio, microwaves, etc. (as opposed to wires or cables) to transmit signals.
2pre-ordersPlace an order for (an item) before it is available for purchase.
3discloseMake (secret or new information) known.;allow (something hidden) to be seen.
4scarceInsufficient for the demand.
5revolutionaryInvolving or causing a complete or dramatic change.;engaged in or promoting political revolution.
6evolutionaryA gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form.
7investorsAn investor is any person who commits capital with the expectation of financial returns.
8indicationsA sign or piece of information that indicates something.;a symptom that suggests certain medical treatment is necessary.
9reflectivePproviding a reflection; capable of reflecting light or other radiation.;relating to or characterized by deep thought; thoughtful.
10impactThe action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another.;a marked effect or influence.
11significantSufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy.;having a particular meaning; indicative of something
12installedPlace or fix (equipment or machinery) in position ready for use.;
13expansionThe action of becoming larger or more extensive.
14sharesA part or portion of a larger amount which is divided among a number of people, or to which a number of people contribute.
15tradingThe action or activity of buying and selling goods and services.

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IELTS Speaking Sample Answers # Finding Love

Love is not something that you find, it is something that finds you. Most of the movies all around world, are made romantic. There are millions of songs out there that depict love and love has been the subject for poets for a very long time. Let us today have a look at some of the questions about finding love and understanding it.

Do you believe that love can be understood by looking at the brain and chemicals?

I am not very sure about the relation between love and science. Surely, science can bring out some facts related to love but for the normal person to stick to it and understand them or for say, applying them before falling in love, is not something possible. Love is more of what happens when brain is deactivated and heart takes the major role.

How is attraction different than love?

Attraction is very specific, so there are things that one likes about the other person, for say, may be the individuality or personality or the physical appearance. But, when one gets to know the negative side of the person, it is not the attraction but the love that allows one to accept the other. If the relation is based only out of attraction, on knowing the other completely it is more likely to fall, but when it comes to love, one person tends to accept the other beyond the positives and negatives.

Why do you think some people fall out of love?

I think the reason most people fall out of love, is because it is a very tiring thing to do. One has to forget himself or herself when they fall in love. And love is not just about loving other individual, it is also about loving things or work. And often love gets tough.
love

What is the most romantic movie you know?

I love watching romantic movies and from all of the ones that I have seen I would say, my favorite would be, “Lot like love”.There is something about this movie that appeals to me. The fact that it is all destined and we will surely meet our perfect soul mates some or the other day and no matter how much we try to escape from love, love finds you and hits you and life is all beautiful after that.

In public, how much affection is too much?

In my opinion it depends on the kind of society we are living in. For example, if some one stays in a western country there is obviously much more freedom as compared to the eastern countries. But, I also believe that if one can go to an extent of blasting a city to express hatred, there shouldn’t be any limits on expressing love.

How is showing love different now from in the past?

The medium has surely changed. Whereas earlier one could find love birds giving letters or meeting each other hiding from the world, these days, with technology coming in, you can find more of showing love through messages or emails. With time constraints, instead of meeting people, one prefers sending gifts to their loved ones. Surely, it does not mean that now people don’t express love, they do, but with the competition increasing, I suppose it surely has taken the back seat.

In all cultures there are famous love stories (i.e. Romeo and Juliet). What is a famous love story in your country?

Our country had its, “Mumtaz and Shahjahan” to showcase what love is. They both got married and when Mumtaz died, Shahjahan created a monument in remembrance of her. The monument that the world knows as “Taj Mahal”.

When you see a couple, how do you know they are in love?

You can judge it by the way they look at each other, talk to each other or fight with each other. I think it is only people who are in love can fight with each other and still come back to each other,always. There is so much positive air in the way two people in love fight. They don’t want to bring the other person down, just want to speak their hearts out, to each other.  There is a sense of ownership in both which is amazing and visible.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

I am not sure of love at first sight, but I think it is more like, someone just strikes, for the reasons unknown and you just feel like getting to know the other person more and more. At the first sight, saying that one has fallen in love and can do anything for the other, is not something I would agree to, but yes, it surely give the initial start to knowing each other.

What do you think of valentine’s day?

In my opinion, it is a great day to remind everyone that no matter what we are doing, the most important thing in our life is love and that we need to show our love to the people who matter the most. Because some how in this busy life we often forget to express love.

Why are most songs about love?

I think because it is one of the most powerful expression. People feel too much when they are in love, their entire senses, from brain to heart start working so well, we start seeing things in such a different way, that I think it makes complete sense to talk and sing so much about love.

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IELTS Listening Sample Questions # Elephants

ELEPHANTS

The below audio has been taken from BBC 6 minutes Learning English. The audio talks about elephants.

You can download the audio from the below link –
AUDIO

Answer the following questions in NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.

  1. How many elephants are still living in the wild in China?
  2. Which animal is on the verge of extinction in Australia?
  3. Which human activity is responsible for the extinction of animals in Australia?
  4. The speaker uses a term to refer to illegal hunting of animals. What is the term?
  5. The speaker uses a word for animals horns used for medicinal purposes. What is the term?
  6. Which phrase is used to refer to the fact that something has arrived?
  7. What are the places where animals live called?
  8. The speaker uses a word for the scheme that helps to bring back animals to their normal lives. What is it?
  9. The speaker talks about the way in which people farm their land. What is it?
  10. The speaker uses a word to refer to people earning enough money to survive. What is the word?

ANSWERS

  1. fewer than 300
  2. turtles
  3. over-fishing
  4. poach
  5. rhinoceros
  6. showing up
  7. habitat
  8. rehabilitation program
  9. farming practices
  10. make a living
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