Cambridge University Press
978-1-107-62069-8 – The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTSPauline Cullen Amanda French and Vanessa Jakeman
ExcerptMore information

Listening skills
4 Places and directions
In this unit, you will practise:• understanding a description of a place• following directions• labelling a map• multiple choice

1 Describing a place
For some questions in the Listening paper, you need to look at a map of
a place, or a plan of a building.

1.1 Look at drawings A–F and decide what the images are.
A

D

B

E

C

F

Test Tip For labellinga map or plan in IELTS,
you may need to follow
directions, or you mayhear a description of alocation.

Test Tip You should
study the map or plan
carefully before you
listen. Having a clear
image in your mind will
help you understandwhat you hear.

25© in this web service Cambridge University Press

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Listening skills

1.2 Study the map in section 3.3 for 30 seconds.
1.3 Try to answer questions 1–4 without looking back at the map.
12
3
4What is it a map of?
Name three landmarks on the map.
Where is the entrance?
What is in the centre of the map?

Features already on the map are often used as landmarks to help you
find your way.

1.4

Listen to extracts from the four sections of the Listening
test. Complete the first column in the table by choosing thecorrect letter (A, B or C).
16

1

Where is the gift shop?
toiletsA

2

locating words/phrases

lifts• The entrance is

B• Then go• The shop you want is

lifts

entrance

landmark(s)•CWhere can you buy stamps?

lifts

• In
resort, you’ll see a

B

A

…
•
courtyard,
you’ll find a …
www.cambridge.org• It’s just
tree

pond

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C

entrance

3

What is the proposed location of the new bridge?
N
W

A

4

B

C

A

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E
S

Where is the ideal habitat for the Traviston Frog?
CB• I was thinking of puttingit• I think it would be better
if it’s
motorway• … it is unable to live inof a pond• … it does need to live intowater• … in a tiny burrowbushesListening skills

1.5 Listen again and complete the table on the previous page. Write
down the landmarks mentioned and fill in the gaps in thephrases that help you to locate the correct answer.

2 Following directions
2.1

17 Listen and decide which diagram (A, B or C) shows
the directions described by the speaker.

Test Tip You may
need to follow
directions to locate aplace on the map orplan. Marking the way
directly on the map canbe helpful.

BankRiverside Street
Post
OfficeQueens Road

Hotel

Bridge Street

A

BankRiverside Street
Post
Officeersity Press

Queens Road

Hotel

Bridge Street

B

Test Tip The
distractors for this typeof task might be extra
buildings marked on
the map, or they might
be extra options in a listof possible answers.

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Bank
Riverside Street
Post
OfficeQueens Road

Hotel

Bridge Street

C

2.2 Listen again and make a note of any words or phrases that areused to give directions.

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Listening skills

3 Labelling a map
Sometimes, a map completion task asks you to identify an area on a mapthen choose an answer from a list. For this type of question, you need tofamiliarise yourself with both the list of options and the features on themap before you start.

3.1 Look at this map completion task. Which landmarks might beused to help you to find your way around?

3.2

18

Listen and label the map with the correct letter (A–F).

3.3 Check your answers, then listen again.

Test Tip Before you
listen, read the options
several times so thatyou become familiar
with the information
you need to listen for.
Don’t cross out any
options unless you are
sure they are wrong.
If you can’t decide
between two answers,
write both down anddecide later.

Questions 1–4
Label the map below.
Choose the correct letter A–F and write the answers next to questions 1–4.
A
B
C

D
E
F

farm animals
fresh breadticket boothpicnic area
second-hand book stall
cookery shows

Brookside Market
2

Barbecueersity Press

Toilets

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1

Information
Entrance28

3

4

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Reading skills
4 Locating and matching
information
In this unit you will practise:• identifying types of information• locating and matching information• connecting ideas• matching sentence endings• matching information

1 Identifying types of information
For matching information tasks, you need to locate an idea or piece of
information in the text and match it to a phrase that accurately describes it.

1.1 Read the extracts from two separate paragraphs of a Reading
passage. What type of information has been underlined?
A a description of an animal’s habitat
B the issues that can cause something to happen
C an argument for a type of action
A
Meerkats devote a significant partof their day to foraging for food with
their sensitive noses. When they findit, they eat on the spot. Primarily,
meerkats are insectivores, whichmeans their diet is mainly made up
of insects.

B
These animals are transient by
nature and move
if their food is inwww.cambridge.org
short supply or if they’re forced out
by a stronger gang. The group’s
dominant male, the alpha male, marks
the group’s territory to protect theboundary from rivals and predators.

1.2 Look at this matching information task based on the extracts above.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
1
2

two situations that force meerkats to change where they live
how meerkats generally spend their time

1 For this type of question, do you need to look for individual words
or a whole idea?
2 Question 1 matches the information underlined in the paragraphabove, so the answer is B. Underline the part of paragraph A thatmatches the information in Question 2.

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Reading skills
These questions describe the information you need to find.

1.3 Look at extracts A–H from different Reading passages and matchthem to the type of information that best describes them.
A Water is forced
at pressure
through a narrow
pipe. The water
hits the top of
the water wheel,causing it to turn.

B The water iswarm thanks
to a natural hot
spring beneaththe riverbed.

C Our study lookedat the surrounding
environment
while previous
researchers haveconcentrated on
diet.

D We achieved thisby weighing theanimals both
before and after
periods of exercise.

E They live in dark,humid areasand so tend tobe found in andaround tropicalrainforests.

F

G After ten years,
they gave up.The
experiment had
failed and, as a result,the public grew
angry at the wasteof public funds.

H It takes 35 days forthe chick to leave
the nest and fly.

A month later, wewere able to test
it again and theresults showed asignificant change intemperature when theinsulation was used.

Types of information
1 the findings of a study
2 the method used in a research study
3 the reaction to something
4 a description of a habitat
5 the difference between current and past studies
6 a description of how something works
7 the cause of something
8 the amount of time needed for something

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2 Locating and matching information
Just like matching headings, matching information questions are
not in the same order as the passage.
Study Tip Some examples of the type of information you may be
asked to find are:• a number• a cause• a finding• a date• an effect• an account• a measurement• a conclusion• a reaction• a reason• the problems• a description.
When you are reading different passages in this book, think about
whether the information matches any of these types.

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Reading skills

2.1 Spend two minutes skim reading the passage below, so that you arefamiliar with the type of information it contains.
What is the main purpose of the passage?
A
BCD

to describe the habitat and eating habits of one specific animal
to explain the background to a proposed study into tropical animals
to argue that scientists can learn a great deal from studying nature
to give the findings of new research into an animal’s behaviour

How geckos cope with wet feet
A Geckos are remarkable little lizards, clinging to almost
any dry surface, and Alyssa Stark, from the Universityof Akron, US, explains that they appear to be equally
happy scampering through tropical rainforest canopies
as they are in urban settings. ‘A lot of gecko studies
look at the very small adhesive structures on their
toes to understand how the system works at the mostbasic level’, says Stark. She adds that the animals grip
surfaces with microscopic hairs on the soles of theirfeet, which make close enough contact to be attracted
to the surface by the minute forces between atoms.
B However, she and her colleagues Timothy Sullivan
and Peter Niewiarowski were curious about how
the lizards cope on surfaces in their natural habitat.
Explaining that previous studies had focused on
the reptiles clinging to artificial dry surfaces, Starksays ‘We know they are in tropical environmentsthat probably have a lot of rain and geckos don’t
suddenly fall out of the trees when it’s wet’. Yet, theanimals do seem to have trouble getting a grip onsmooth, wet, artificial surfaces, sliding down wet
vertical glass after several steps. The team decided
to find out how geckos with wet feet cope on both
wet and dry surfaces.
C First, they had to find out how well their geckos
clung onto glass with dry feet. Fitting a tiny harness
around the lizard’s pelvis and gently lowering
the animal onto a plate of smooth glass, Starkand Sullivan allowed the animal to become wellattached before connecting the harness to a tiny
motor and gently pulling the lizard until it came
unstuck. The geckos hung on tenaciously, and only
came unstuck at forces of around 20N – about 20
times their own body weight. ‘In my view, the gecko
attachment system is over-designed,’ says Stark.

D Next, the trio sprayed the glass plate with a mist ofwater and re-tested the lizards, but this time theanimals had problems holding tight. The droplets
were interfering with the lizards’ attachment
mechanism, but it wasn’t clear how. And when
the team immersed the geckos in a bath of roomtemperature water with a smooth glass bottom,
the animals were completely unable to anchor
themselves to the smooth surface. ‘The toes aresuper-hydrophobic,’ (i.e. water repellent) explains
Stark, who could see a silvery bubble of air aroundtheir toes. But, they were unable to displace thewater around their feet to make the tight contactthat www.cambridge.org
usually keeps the geckos in place.
E Then the team tested the lizard’s adhesive forces on
the dry surface when their feet had been soaking
for 90 minutes, and found that the lizards could
barely hold on, detaching when they were pulledwith a force roughly equalling their own weight.
‘That might be the sliding behaviour that we see
when the geckos climb vertically up misted glass’,says Stark. So, geckos climbing on wet surfaces with
damp feet are constantly on the verge of slippingand Stark adds that when the soggy lizards were
faced with the misted and immersed horizontal
surfaces, they slipped as soon as the rig started
pulling. Therefore geckos can walk on wet surfaces,
as long as their feet are reasonably dry. However,as soon as their feet get wet, they are barely able tohang on, and the team is keen to understand how
long it takes geckos to recover from a drenching.

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Reading skills

2.2 Look at this task based on the Reading passage. For eachquestion, underline the type of information you need to scan for.
The first two have been done for you.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
N.B. You may use any letter more than once
Write the correct letter, A–E, next to questions 1–7 below.
1visual evidence of the gecko’s ability to resist water2

a question that is yet to be answered by the researchers

3

the method used to calculate the gripping power of geckos

4

the researcher’s opinion of the gecko’s gripping ability

5a mention of the different environments where geckos can be found6

the contrast between Stark’s research and the work of other researchers

7

the definition of a scientific term

2.3 It is important to fully understand what you are looking for in

the passage. Answer these questions, based on Question 1 in thetask above.
1 Which of the following do you think is ‘visual evidence’?
A something the researchers believe
B something the researchers have seen
C something the researchers have read about

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2 Which of the following means the same as ‘ability to resist
www.cambridge.org Test Tip Make surewater’?
to note any plurals
A soaks up water
B sinks in water
C stops water getting in
3 Scan the passage to find ‘visual evidence’ of an ability to resist
water. Which paragraph contains this information?

2.4 Study Questions 2–7 in 2.2 carefully and match them toparagraphs A–E. Remember, the questions are not in the sameorder as the passage. This is because your task is to find out
where the information is.

2.5 Look again at Questions 2–7 and underline the parts of thepassage that gave you your answer.

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in the questions (e.g.
two examples of / thedifferent environments,etc). There may be partsof the passage thatrefer to only one of thethings mentioned, so
you need to find theparagraph that has
more than one. .

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3 How ideas are connected
Another type of question that requires you to match information is matchingsentence endings. For this type of task, you need to understand how ideas areconnected within the Reading passage.

3.1 Complete each sentence below with the correct ending, A–F.
1
2
3
4
5

When I pressed the switch,
If you heat ice,
The respondents to the surveyChildren who attend small schools
Parents with overactive children

A
B
C
D
E
F

all came from similar economic backgrounds.
tend to need more sleep at night.
the light came on.
reported that she has been successful.
generally get more individual attention.
it melts.

You were able to complete this task using only logic and your knowledge of grammar.
In the IELTS Reading paper, you can do this to confirm or check your answers, but
you will not be able to answer the questions without reading the passage.

3.2 Look at these matching sentence endings questions based on the passage in 2.1.
Try using these techniques to answer the questions.

1 Scan the passage in 2.1 to locate the information in the sentence beginnings(1–4).
2 Read the relevant part of the passage carefully, then choose the best sentence
ending (A–F).
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1 Other researchers have aimed to discover how
2 The work of Stark and her team is different because they wanted
to find out how
3 Stark’s experiments revealed that
4 The researchers would still like to know when
A geckos struggle to grip onto dry glass as well as wet glass.
B the gripping mechanism of geckos actually works.
C geckos have a weaker gripping mechanism than previously thought.
D geckos are able to grip in rainforest settings.
E geckos are able to recover their gripping abilities after getting wet.
F

geckos can grip more easily if their feet are not damp.

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Writing skills
3 Academic Writing Task 1 –Describing diagrams
In this unit you will practise:• understanding a diagram• understanding Lexical Resource• describing a process• being accurate• improving coherence and cohesion

1 Understanding a diagram
Another form of visual information is a diagram. Again, you need tospend a little time studying and understanding the diagram before you
begin to write. Remember, you need to include all of the most relevant
information.

1.1 Look at the diagram below for one minute.
How to make recycled paper from old newspapers.

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1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

www.cambridge.org

Test Tip Try drawing
your own diagram ofan everyday machine
in your home (e.g. a
washing machine).
Divide the process up
into different stages
and describe it.

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Writing skills

1.2 Match the verbs to parts 1–9 in the diagram. You may use morethan one verb for each image.
lift
mix

pour
press

leave
soak

drain
dry

add
place

put
slide

tear
beat

There may be some labels included in the diagram. These are usually
the names of different objects that you are not expected to know. You
should use these in your description.

1.3 Study the diagram again and complete these sentences.
1 You need old newspapers, ato hold the mixture andcontaining 250 ml of water.
a
2 An

is used to form the mixture into a pulp.

3 The pulp is poured into a
4 Some
5 A.

Test Tip Remember,
you have only 20
minutes to complete
Writing Task 1, so
you need to identify
the most important
information in only one
or two minutes. To help
plan your answer, write
the different verbs you
will use to describe eachstage on the diagram
itself. This will help tomake sure you don’t
miss out any important
steps in your description.

is used to lift the pulp out of the water.
is used to flatten the pulp and press the water out.

2 Describing a process – coherence and cohesion
Your Writing Task answer will be assessed based on its coherence (is it easy to understand?)and its cohesion (are the ideas connected well?). For every Writing Task answer, your ideas
must be organised in a logical way and be connected together. Your answer must not be a listof individual sentences.

2.1 Complete sentences 1–9 with endings A–I.
1
2
3
4
5

The diagram explains how toFirst,
Then, add 250 ml of water and
Next, using an electric mixer,
When it is ready,

6
7
8
9

Then, use a piece of mesh, to carefully
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Next,
open up an old newspaper andThen, use a rolling pin to
Finally,

A place the pulp mixture inside.
B beat the mixture for about 45 seconds until it forms a pulp.
C leave your new paper to dry in a warm place for at least 24 hours.
D make recycled paper from old newspapers.
E tear some newspaper into small pieces and put them in a bowl.
F lift the pulp mixture out of the tray, allowing the water to drain.
G press the paper down and force out any excess water.
H leave the paper to soak for up to an hour.
I pour the pulp into a shallow tray and add a further 100 ml ofwater. Mix it together by hand.

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Writing skills
To describe a process, we usually use the passive voice.
Active voiceFirst, tear some newspaper into small pieces.
Passive voiceFirst, some newspaper is torn into small pieces.
2.2 Now complete the description below by changing the sentencesin 2.1 to the passive voice.

The diagram explains how recycled paper is made from old
newspapers. First, some newspaper is torn into small pieces andput into a bowl. Then,

2.3 Look at the complete description in the Answer Key. The

beginning of each sentence helps to organise the informationand link it together. Complete the list of words/phrases belowthat help do this.

First, … Then, …

3 Lexical Resource – being accurate

ersity PressCommon spelling mistakes

3.1

www.cambridge.org

Accuracy in vocabulary includes using the correct spelling.
The sentences below each contain one spelling mistake. Find themistakes and correct them.
1 The goverment increased spending in 1988 and again in 1998.
2 The chart shows the persentage of students who have access tothe internet in their home.
3 From the pie charts, we can see the diffrent sports enjoyed byeach age group.
4 These figures remained steady untill 1990, when they rose
steeply.
5 The charts show the energy use of four different contries over a
50-year period.
6 The highest rise occurred betwen 1970 and 1990.
7 This figure had dicreased by 50% by the end of this decade.
8 While the amount of money spent on education remained thesame, the budget for transport incresed considerably overthis time.

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Test Tip Remember,your answer for
Writing Task 1 will bemarked against specificcriteria. One of theseis Lexical Resource. To
get a good score, youneed to use a wide
range of vocabulary(not repeating thesame common words)
and use vocabulary
accurately (without
mistakes).

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Writing skills

Using the wrong noun

3.2

Accuracy in vocabulary also involves using the mostappropriate words. Improve the accuracy of the sentences below
by replacing the underlined words with one of the nouns fromthe box.
percentage
amountnumberfactorsmeans
figuresmethod1 The number of traffic on the road continues to increase.
2 The diagram shows the way for making canned food.
3 The amount of children who do not have access to a computerat home is higher in Newtown than in Westbridge.
4 The chart shows figures for four different ways of transport in
The Netherlands.
5 Another significant figure is the percent of the budget that theschool spent on recruiting staff.
6 The chart clearly shows the reasons that led to the current
energy problems.

Using the wrong form

3.3

Another accuracy problem occurs when you choose
the right word but use it in the wrong form. Complete thesesentences with the correct form of the words in brackets.
between the two is only 9%. (different)
1 The. (work)2 This involved a great deal of hard
3 The chart shows several of the areas we tend to take forwww.cambridge.org. (live)granted in ourin 2000.
4 In the older group, there was a dramatic(increase)rate of women increased far
5 The graph shows that themore than that of men. (attend)
decrease from 2005 to 2010, but overall it
6 There was aremained the same. (slight)
7 The figures show how many people in the area make use of thecentre. (sport)
local
trips to museums and art galleries.
8 We often go on(education)

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