This will help you make developing your English-reading skills part of your routine. Each day, reading in English should feel a little more familiar and comfortable. Take at least 30 minutes and preferably an hour to read. You might read the newspaper before you head off to work or on your commute. Or perhaps you'd prefer to relax with a novel before you go to sleep. Since the Academic test is aimed at test-takers hoping to enroll in higher education or professional training programs, the texts on the exam are meant to test if you're ready for those environments. Since the test will contain the kind of materials you'd encounter in an undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate program, it's a good idea to read these types of texts to prepare yourself. The test will contain both descriptive and argumentative materials. For example, you might get a journal article that's presenting evidence supporting a particular scientific theory. Or, you might have to read a passage from a novel describing the countryside. Since the General test is meant to prepare you for "basic survival" in English-speaking countries, it has a wider variety of texts. Read magazines and pay special attention to the ads. Go to a jobs website like Indeed or LinkedIn and browse the listings. Finally, pick up some novels or nonfiction books at your local library. If you read about things you love, it'll be much easier for you to get excited about your reading sessions. Write down 5-10 topics you're passionate about and look for English-language materials on them. Work your way through the list in the months and weeks leading up to the IELTS exam. During each reading session, make note of English words you've never seen before. Keep a notebook and English-language dictionary next to you while you read just for this purpose. Write down the word and its definition. You can also copy down the sentence that contains the unfamiliar word. Especially when you're learning, you might not be able to record every new word you find in a text. Set a goal of 5 new words per session. At the end of each reading session, take 5-10 minutes to go through your vocabulary notebook and review your list of words. Keep a separate notebook for your questions and answers. Write down 3 main questions and answers after you read each new source. They should help you think about the main idea or purpose of the source, whether it had an argument, and a few key details or facts. For example, you might ask yourself: "What is the author's point? Why are they writing this source?" "Are there details that are so important that they would change the story if they were left out?" "In what kind of environment might I encounter this type of reading material?"

Summary: Set aside time each day to read in English. Read books, newspapers, and academic journals for the Academic test. Review advertisements, job listings, and books for the General test. Read about topics you're interested in. Highlight and look up new words. Ask yourself questions about the text to commit it to memory.

Go online, and look for sites like with phone-unlocking services. There you can get your unlock code for free or for a minimal fee. The only information you need to provide is very basic: your phone model, its mobile carrier (Verizon, in this case), and its IMEI code. You will also be asked to give an e-mail address where the unlock code will be sent once the phone-unlocking company processes your request. Unlock codes are commonly e-mailed to you within 24 to 48 hours, depending on the phone-unlocking service you used.

Summary: Search for websites that offer phone-unlocking services. Provide the basic information required. Check your e-mail inbox.

The down payment will be the largest immediate cost of buying a home. If you can pay for at least 20% of the total cost of your home up front, you will not have to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI), which protects the lender against you defaulting on your loan. If you must buy PMI, your monthly payments may be significantly higher. You'll also be able to get a better interest rate from mortgage companies, saving you money in the long run. You don't have to save up a 20% down payment in order to buy a house. Some loans will allow you to put 0% down, while others may require 3%, 3.5%, 5%, or 10%. Work with your lender to find the best option for you. However, paying this little will cause you to have to pay PMI. Some companies may allow you to skip PMI in return for paying a higher interest rate. This may or may not be a better option for you. Talk to a tax advisor to find out the best way to keep costs down. Closing costs include the inspection fees, property taxes, appraisal fees, escrow fees, lender insurance, recording fee, and the prepaid interest charged by your mortgage company. You may also need to pay extra fees directly to your lender, such as a charge to check your credit and a loan origination fee. All together, these will usually total between 2-5% of the total cost of the home. Moving expenses in the U.S. will generally run you between $400 and $2,000 USD. Although your inspection and appraisal fees are part of your closing costs, you will pay them when the services are rendered. In some cases, you'll need to pay for your first year of home insurance at closing, as well. Prepaid interest is the total interest that accrues between the day you close on your mortgage loan payment and your first official mortgage payment. Chances are that when you move in, you'll want to make some repairs. You may also want to fill up some empty rooms with new furniture! Since you should expect to invest about 1-3% of the total cost of your home each year in maintenance, plan to spend about that much right after you buy the house as well. It's never a good idea to get behind on mortgage payments, so make sure you're starting off your relationship with your lender on the right foot. If you've got enough saved to make at least a half-year of payments, you'll be prepared for any emergencies that could come up. Dedicate some of your savings to covering emergencies. You should always have enough money in savings to pay for 6 months of your total expenses (including food, utility bills, childcare, and everything in between). If buying a house would wipe out this emergency fund, you're not quite ready to take the plunge yet!

Summary: Shoot for a down payment of about 20%. Add in the closing costs and moving expenses. Have some cash ready for repairs and decor. Set aside enough to cover 6 months of mortgage payments. Do not plan to empty your savings account.

Make sure that the edges of the paper align perfectly, then crease the fold sharply with your fingernail.
Summary: Start with a relatively new, crisp one dollar bill. Place the bill portrait side up on a hard surface. Fold the left edge over until all you can see are the letters O-T-E in the word "NOTE". Lift the folded edge a bit, then fold the right edge of the bill under the folded end until it firmly meets the inside of the first crease. Again, make sure that the edges of the paper align perfectly, then crease the fold sharply with your fingernail. Your bill is now folded into exact thirds.