Secret To Getting Band 9 In IELTS Reading

IELTS reading is not really a reading test. Sure, you require the skimming and scanning techniques to score high, but the most important thing is VOCABULARY. Yes, the reading test is more about your vocabulary than about anything else. You not only have to know lots of vocabulary but also synonyms of the different words. For example – In the text you may find something written as “civil calender” but in the question paper the word “muncipal calendar” describes it. Or “to organize public events” in the question paper but “to co-ordinate communal activities” in the reading text.

IELTS reading

But, why are there so many synonyms in the reading text?
Well, because it is IELTS and not your school English paper! Just think about it, the IELTS team finds out some reading text and then makes questions from it. But, if they use the same words as written in the text, it would be far more simple and you will rarely see someone getting a six. There will be so many more 9’s.

Should you practice IELTS past reading papers?

It is a good idea to go through some of the past papers but that is not the real help. There are too  many synonyms in the English language and it is quite unlikely to get the same questions as earlier.

How can we improve vocabulary?

Vocabulary is very important if you want to score high in IELTS. Be it speaking, reading , writing or listening, you need to have good vocabulary. But, how can one increase vocabulary?

  1. Don’t read IELTS test papers – Yes, don’t read too many IELTS test papers. They are important and you should be reading some of them but don’t focus entirely on them. It is better if you read the stuff that you like. So, if you love football read lot about football, read magazines, ,newspapers, whatever you can find about something that you love. This will ensure that you are excited about the stuff and also improve English also. Even more, Read the international news.
  2. Record the words- There is no point in reading a new word if you don’t understand the word. So, when you read a word underline it and try to get its meaning. In the end, make sure your guess matches with the actual meaning. Also, make a dictionary of words. Write its synonyms, antonyms and a sentence using it. This will help you in understanding the word better.

You can read articles from any of the following sources, depending on your interest.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
NEW SCIENTIST
THE ECONOMIST
HISTORY TODAY
TIME
COSMOPOLITAN
WIRED

How should you practice test?

Well, there are two ways of practicing the IELTS test and you should go for both. First is the fast way. So, take the test in exam condition, make sure that you are able to finish off the exam on time. Next, take the exam the slow way. Check out why were the answers wrong. What are the other words that you left out. What is the meaning of the words you don’t know in the text? What are the synonyms of the words?

Once you start practicing in this way, you will start finding patters in the test. It will become easier for you to understand the test and the reading comprehension. It will be easier for you to answer questions, because you know them quite well. You will be familiar with more of the types of questions.

So, practice reading. Read things that you like and solve question papers. More importantly, understand the question paper well.

IELTSBAND7

IELTS Speaking Sample Answer # Luxury Items

We all crave for some or the other luxury item. However, luxury is a very relative term. What might seem to be luxury for one might be the basic requirement for other. No matter what, we all want to live luxurious lives. Let us have a look at some of the questions related to luxury items.

What is one luxury item you really want to have?

I would some day love to have a lamborghini outside my house. More than my house, I wish to gift it to my father.

 

What are the items that your country imports?

There are so many things each country imports and then exports. In case of my country, India, it imports oil, electronic items, beverages, aircrafts, plastics, iron and steel and many more.

Do you think developed countries focus too much on luxury items?

I think they do have the privilege to go for luxury items. Because at the end of the day their basic requirements are being met. Once they are met, looking forward to living for more than a basic life is something we all crave for.

What is exported by your country?

India is one of the largest exporter of oil based products. It is even one of the leading producers of steel and exports automobiles throughout the world. India even exports precious items like gold. It is the balance between the imports and exports that help the country to grow.

What do you think is the most popular luxury item in your country? Who is it made by?

I can think of Caprese bags as some luxurious item preferred by women in my country. Most of them go gaga over the bags and are even flaunted by some well knows personalities. The brand is owned by VIP, and Indian Brand.

Have you ever been jealous that someone had something you didn’t?

Well, there have been those weak moments here and there. Like very recently, the girl who lives next door to me has a laptop. She is a student and not even uses the laptop properly. But, I have a job and earning well but still am not able to afford a laptop which made me jealous. But, later I realized that there is no point of being jealous as I can buy it for myself as well.

Do you think that luxury goods make people happy? Why or why not?

They do make people happy, sometimes. Like, if a person works really hard and saves money for something big and luxurious and is able to finally buy it, the happiness is beyond imagination. However, if someone who already earns well buys some luxurious item, does not makes any difference. In my opinion, it is the pressure of saving money and then spending that makes buying luxurious items fun.

What do you think expensive perfume is made from?

Expensive perfumes are often made from the most refined and natural flavors. Like pepper or may be rose. While using them it is made sure that the natural essence of these things is maintained. It is then the process of making such perfumes that makes them expensive.

 

What is that one thing that can make you happy? How long do you think you can remain happy with it?

As of now, I think the only thing that can make me happy is the DSLR camera. I am in real need of it as I want to start a travel blog of mine. Also, if I get a good college through IELTS, I will be needing it to capture all the beautiful moments lying ahead. I think as long as I am able to use it and stay connected to my dreams through it, I will be happy.

LUXURY ITEMS

Who are the best electronics made by?

I think apple makes some great electronic items. Apart from apple, LG, sony, canon are even great leaders in the market of electronic goods.

Do brand name prices mean quality?

Yes, too an extent. Because a brand is able to make its name only after there is a long journey of trust from its consumers. And it is only after some time that people start trusting the brand completely. Based on their trust, more number of people tend to buy the same products. So, yes of course, brand names do mean quality.

Which types of products must have brand names if you are going to buy them?

I think when I am buying food items, I do look for brand names. Because it is something that I am going to consume and it will affect by body, which is the most important thing for me. So, I prefer going for brands. Apart from food, I look for brands in cosmetic items and shoes.

How often do you spend money on things you know you shouldn’t? What kind of things do you buy?

It is very rare that I spend money on something that I don’t need. Most of the times I make a budget for myself and try to stick with it. However, if there is something that I really like, especially bags or books, I go for it, no matter what the price of book or bag is.

IELTSBAND7

 

IELTS Reading Sample Question # Victims

Victims of Their Own Success

[A] Young men, spurred on by religious beliefs and encouraged by their peers, gathered on the edges of Asia Minor, waiting to attack the Christian world to the west. Immense kudos was to be won within the Muslim world from inflicting pain and damage on innocent victims: men, women and children who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Launching attacks could and did cause untold damage to the economy, driving fear and changing the way people lived, moved and thought. Training bases in northern Syria prepared eager would-be soldiers, teaching them the survival techniques needed to infiltrate enemy territory and, of course, how to launch their attacks. And spiritual rewards were on offer too: a place in paradise, if you met your end during the mission. That was Asia Minor 11 centuries ago.

[B]The Roman Empire splintered in two spectacular explosions. First, Rome itself was sacked in 410 and then its western provinces and many of those of North Africa collapsed later in the fifth century. Two hundred years later, ‘the most important parts of the Empire’ did not just remain standing, but were flourishing. Centred on the great city of Constantinople, the East Roman (or Byzantine) Empire, controlled the wealthy grain basket of the Nile delta, as well as Anatolia (modern Turkey), much of the Balkans, Greece, Palestine and Syria. Life looked rosy, as the numismatic  and archaeological records show.

[C]The second expansion brought the Byzantine Empire to its knees as followers of the Prophet Muhammad poured out of the Arabian peninsula in the 630s, forging a vast new world that linked Spain with the Middle East and Central Asia, pushing right up to the border with China by 751. The Empire hung on for dear life, pouring resources into a frontier network across Asia Minor to hold back the tide.

[D]Byzantine generals were realistic about how secure the border could be: there was no hope of stopping bands of motivated, fast-moving individuals from penetrating under the cover of darkness or otherwise: policing a frontier in this way required (and still requires) money, time, resources and people to maintain it. Instead, the Byzantines had to learn how to deal with attacks.

[E]They identified patterns. Timing was predictable; so, too, were the targets: the attackers were more keen on glory than death, on the bragging rights in this world than the next and more keen on enriching themselves than finding out what paradise had to offer. The best approach was to adapt to the reality and prepare for regular pin-pricks, rather than becoming the target of more powerful forces further away. As seen from Constantinople, there would always be problems on the periphery, so it was important to build relations with Baghdad and Cairo and to use official channels to try to rein in troublesome warlords in border zones, whose successes could destabilise not just the Byzantine Empire but the Abbasid Caliphate, too.

[F]In the 10th century, however, the balance began to change. A series of economic shocks rattled the economies of the Middle East and Central Asia, result of a period of climate change. Soul searching in Baghdad opened the door for daring Byzantine raids that knocked out the attack bases that had been used to such great effect for almost 200 years. That, in turn, changed the make-up and fighting practices of the imperial military. Having pioneered defensive tactics to prevent raids causing too much damage, attention now turned to big targets: fortified towns and cities.

[G]Within the space of a generation, the Byzantines had rolled the frontier back hundreds of miles, recovering places long lost to Muslims. The jewel in the crown was Antioch in northern Syria, the gateway to Palestine, but also the protecting valve to defend Asia Minor and the interior. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the century that followed saw an astonishing period of economic and demographic growth, as well as an intellectual and cultural flowering, as artists, scholars and writers like Michael Psellos created some of the treasures of Byzantine culture.

[I]The problem was that when a new threat appeared in the form of the Sekjuk Turks in the 11th century, it took the Byzantines too long to remember how to fight a rearguard action. Instead of dealing swiftly with nimble attackers, a ploy that had worked in the past, the response was to send large, heavy armies that took too long to move and were left chasing shadows.

[J]A similar problem, it seems, is facing the US Air Force today. In a recently published report, Lt General David Barno, former Commander of Military Operations in Afghanistan, argued that the USAF – like the Byzantine army of the 10th and 11th centuries – is a victim of its own success. Not a single American warplane has been shot down by an enemy aircraft since 1991; and not one has been lost to enemy air defences since 2003. ‘As a result’, General Bardo notes, ‘the risk to aircraft and airmen in combat has become nearly negligible’.

[I]At a time when the US is acutely aware of growing ambition and military expenditure by China and Russia, the fact that pilots have never experienced ‘contested air war’ means that investment is needed to prepare for threats of the future and not those of the present. It also means that skills need to be taught and developed in advance, rather than when it is too late. ‘Resilience’, for example, to enable soldiers and airmen to cope when ‘more and more squadrons of their mates don’t come home’, should be impressed on serving a military that has got used to undisputed superiority.

[J]When the going had been good in Constantinople 1,000 years ago, there were voices like those of General Barno, too, who warned about under-funding in the armed forces and the fact that young people did not want to serve the emperor but to feather their own nests by becoming lawyers and making money. By the time anyone listened, it was too late. Whether General Barno’s warning meets the same deaf ears remains to be seen.

VOCABULARY

spurred – a thing that prompts or encourages someone

infiltrate – enter or gain access to surreptitiously and gradually, especially to gain secret information

splintered – break or cause to break into smaller fragments

sacked – dismissed

numismatic – relating to or consisting of coins and medals

squadrons – a number of persons grouped together for some purpose

rattled -knocked or shattered

 

Questions 14-19

Sample Passage 7 has ten paragraphs labelled A-J

Which paragraphs contain the following information?

Write the correct letter A-J in boxes 14-19 in your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once

  1. During the 4th and 5th century, Rome was divided into two parts.
  2. Bryzantines were in danger from Sekjuk Turks during the period of 1001 to 1100.
  3. General Barno gave a signal that in future the young people of the country will be more interested in working for themselves rather than the country.
  4. The Americans have not lost a single aircraft to enemies in the 20th
  5. The soldiers were convinced to join army saying if they die during the war, they would certainly go to heaven.
  6. Bryzantine dealt with attacks by figuring out patters in them.

Questions 20-24 Choose the appropriate letters A, B, C or D.  Write your answers in boxes 20-24 on your answer sheet.

  1. What caused the shattering of economies of the Middle East and central Asia during the 10th century?
  1. Climate change
  2. War
  3. Both A and B
  4. Neither A or B

 

  1. What kind of army did Byzantines send when they were attacked by the Sekjuk Turks in 11th century?
  1. Small and nimble
  2. Large and slow
  3. Foreign attackers
  4. Neither of the above
  1. What was the warning given by general Barno?
  1. Soldiers will stop working of army
  2. People will prefer working for themselves rather than army
  3. People are more likely to become businessman
  4. There will be no need of army in later years
  1. What was offered to the future soldiers in the Syrian training camps?
  1. Place in paradise
  2. lot of money
  3. security
  4. financial support to the family
  1. How did Bryzantines dealt with the possible terrors possible in the border?
  1. Stopped bands of individuals marching towards border.
  2. Identified patterns of war.
  3. Predicting the timing and targets
  4. Both C and D

 

ANSWERS

  1. B
  2. I
  3. J
  4. J
  5. A
  6. E
  7. A
  8. A
  9. B
  10. A
  11. D

 

 

IELTSBAND7

Checklist To Get Band 9

If you are preparing to get a band 9 in IELTS, remember two things, first, it is tough. Second, if you had the guts to prepare for band 9, you surely deserve it.
If you really want a band 9 in your writing section, be sure that you check the following things in your essay.

LOGICAL PATTERN
Find out if your essay follows a logical pattern? To ensure a logical pattern prepare a rough draft of the essay before you start writing the essay.
GRAMMAR
You get 2.25 marks for grammar. Keep this is mind. Make sure that you use different grammatical styles and also that your sentences are grammatically correct.
checklist to get a band 9 essay

GO GET IT

INTRODUCTION MUST BE RELEVANT
While writing the introduction make sure that you have used three high quality words. Also ensure that you stated your opinion in the introduction, correlated with the statement.
CONCLUSION MUST BE SPECIFIC
Observe that you have mentioned the reasons for your opinion and state the main reason behind your opinion in the paragraph.
Make it a point to paraphrase your introduction sentence in the conclusion to mark a positive end.

Remember, the band 8 and band 9 writes the same essay, it is only the minute yet distinguishing difference that makes you band 9.

IELTSBAND7

1 21 22 23 24