雅思英语考试经典资料汇编5：Introduction.docx

IntroductionThe International English Language Testing System(IELTS)is widely recognised as areliable means of assessing the language ability of candidates who need to study or workwhere English is the language of communication.These Practice Tests are designed to give future IELTS candidates an idea of whether their English is at the required level.IELTS is owned by three partners:the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations,the British Council and IDP:Education Australia(through its subsidiary company,IELTSAustralia Pty Limited).Further information on IELTS can be found in the IELTS Handbook and the IELTS Information for candidates leaflet,available free of charge from IELTS centres.These can also be downloaded from the IELTS website (www.ielts.org).WHAT IS THE TEST FORMAT?IELTS consists of six modules.All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking modules.There is a choice of Reading and Writing modules according to whether a candidate is taking the Academic or General Training version of the test.AcademicFor candidates taking the test for entry to undergraduate or postgraduate studies orfor professional reasons.General TrainingFor candidates taking the test for entry to vocational or training programmes not atdegree level,for admission to secondary schools and for immigration purposes.The test modules are taken in the following order:Listening4 sections,40 itemsapproximately 30 minutesAcademic Reading3 sections,40 items 60 minutesORGeneral Training Reading3 sections,40 items 60 minutesAcademic60Writing2 tasksminutesO RGeneral Training Writing2 tasks60 minutesSpeaking11 to 14 minutesTotal Test Time2 hours 44 minutes4IntroductionListeningThis module consists of four sections,each with ten questions.The first two sections areconcerned with social needs.The first section is a conversation between two speakers and the second section is a monologue.The final two sections are concerned with situations relatedto educational or training contexts.The third section is a conversation between up to four people and the fourth section a monologue.A variety of question types is used,including:multiple choice,short-answer questions, sentence completion,notes/form/table/summary/flow-chart completion,labelling adiagram/plan/map,classification,matching.Candidates hear the recording once only and answer the questions as they listen.Tenminutes are allowed at the end for candidates to transfer their answers to the answer sheet.Academic ReadingThis module consists of three sections with 40 questions.There are three reading passages,which are taken from magazines.journals,books and newspapers.The passages are on topics of general interest.At least one passage contains detailed logical argument.A variety of question types is used,including:multiple choice,short-answer questions, sentence completion,notes/summary/flow-chart/table completion,labelling a diagram,classification,matching,choosing suitable paragraph headings from a list,identification ofwriter's views/claims-yes,no,not given-or identification of information in the passage -true,false,not given.General Training ReadingThis module consists of three sections with 40 questions.The texts are taken from notices, advertisements,leaflets,newspapers,instruction manuals,books and magazines.The first section contains texts relevant to basic linguistic survival in English,with tasks mainlyconcerned with providing factual information.The second section focuses on the training context and involves texts of more complex language.The third section involves reading more extended texts,with a more complex structure,but with the emphasis on descriptive and instructive rather than argumentative texts.A variety of question types is used,including:multiple choice,short-answer questions, sentence completion,notes/summary/flow-chart/table completion,labelling a diagram,classification,matching,choosing suitable paragraph headings from a list,identification ofwriter's views/claims-yes,no,not given-identification of information in the text -true,false,not given.Academic WritingThis module consists of two tasks.It is suggested that candidates spend about 20 minutes on Task 1,which requires them to write at least 150 words,and 40 minutes on Task 2,whichrequires them to write at least 250 words.The assessment of Task 2 carries more weight in marking than Task 1.Task 1 requires candidates to look at a diagram or some data(graph,table or chart)and to present the information in their own words.They are assessed on their ability to organise, present and possibly compare data,describe the stages of a process,describe an object orevent,or explain how something works.5IntroductionIn Task 2 candidates are presented with a point of view,argument or problem.They areassessed on their ability to present a solution to the problem,present and justify an opinion, compare and contrast evidence and opinions,and evaluate and challenge ideas,evidence or argumentsCandidates are also assessed on their ability to write in an appropriate style.General Training WritingThis module consists of two tasks.It is suggested that candidates spend about 20 minutes on Task 1,which requires them to write at least 150 words,and 40 minutes on Task 2,whichrequires them to write at least 250 words.The assessment of Task 2 carries more weight in marking than Task 1.In Task 1 candidates are asked to respond to a given problem with a letter requesting information or explaining a situation.They are assessed on their ability to engage inpersonal correspondence,elicit and provide general factual information,express needs, wants,likes and dislikes,express opinions,complaints,etc.In Task 2 candidates are presented with a point of view,argument or problem.They areassessed on their ability to provide general factual information,outline a problem and present asolution,present and justify an opinion,and evaluate and challenge ideas,evidence or arguments.Candidates are also judged on their ability to write in an appropriate style.SpeakingThis module takes between ll and 14 minutes and is conducted by a trained examiner.There are three parts:Part 1The candidate and the examiner introduce themselves.Candidates then answer generalquestions about themselves,their home/family,their job/studies,their interests and a wide range of similar familiar topic areas.This part lasts between four and five minutes.Part 2The candidate is given a task card with prompts and is asked to talk on a particular topic.The candidate has one minute to prepare and they can make some notes if they wish,before speaking for between one and two minutes.The examiner then asks one or two rounding-off questions.Part 3The examiner and the candidate engage in a discussion of more abstract issues which arethematically linked to the topic prompt in Part 2.The discussion lasts between four and five minutes.The Speaking module assesses whether candidates can communicate effectively in English. The assessment takes into account Fluency and Coherence,Lexical Resource,Grammatical Range and Accuracy,and Pronunciation.6IntroductionHOW IS IELTS SCORED?IELTS results are reported on a nine-band scale.In addition to the score for overall language ability,IELTS provides a score in the form of a profile for each of the four skills (Listening, Reading,Writing and Speaking).These scores are also reported on a nine-band scale.Allscores are recorded on the Test Report Form along with details of the candidate'snationality,first language and date of birth.Each Overall Band Score corresponds to adescriptive statement which gives a summary of the English language ability of a candidate classified at that level.The nine bands and their descriptive statements are as follows:9 Expert User- Has fully operational command of the language:appropriate,accurate and ftuent with complete understanding.8 Very Good User- Has fully operational command of the language with only occasionalunsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies.Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations.Handles complex detailed argumentation well.7 Good User-Has operational command of the language,though with occasionalinaccuracies,inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations.Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.6 Competent User-Has generally effective command of the language despite someinaccuracies,inappropriacies and misunderstandings.Can use and understand fairly complex language,particularly in familiar situations.5 Modest User-Has partial command of the language,coping with overall meaning in most situations,though is likely to make many mistakes.Should be able to handle basiccommunication in own field.4 Limited User-Basic competence is limited to familiar situations.Has frequent problems in understanding and expression.Is not able to use complex language.3 Extremely Limited User-Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations.Frequent breakdowns in communication occur.2 Intermittent User-No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs.Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.1 Non User- Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolatedwords.0 Did not attempt the test.-No assessable information provided.Most universities and colleges in the United Kingdom,Australia,New Zealand and Canada accept an IELTS Overall Band Score of 6.0 or 6.5 for entry to academic programmes.IELTS scores are recognised by over 500 universities and colleges in the USA.7IntroductionMARKING THE PRACTICE TESTSListening and ReadingThe Answer key is on pages 152-161.Each question in the Listening and Reading modules is worth one mark.Questions which require letter/Roman numeral answers·For questions where the answers are letters or numbers,you should write only the number of answers required.For example,if the answer is a single letter or number you shouldwrite only one answer.If you have written more letters or numerals than are required,the answer must be marked wrong.Questions which require answers in the form of words or numbers·Answers may be written in upper or lower case.·Words in brackets are optional-they are correct,but not necessary.·Alternative answers are separated by a single slash (1).·If you are asked to write an answer using a certain number of words and/or (a)number(s), you will be penalised if you exceed this.For example if a question specifies an answerusing NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS and the correct answer is 'black leather coat', the answer of coat of black leather'is incorrect.·In questions where you are expected to complete a gap,you should transfer only the necessary missing word(s)onto the answer sheet.For example,to complete 'in the .and the correct answer is 'morning',the answer 'in the morning'would be incorrect. ·All answers require correct spelling (including words in brackets).·Both US and UK spelling are acceptable and are included in the Answer key. ·All standard alternatives for numbers,dates and currencies are acceptable.·All standard abbreviations are acceptable.·You will find additional notes about individual questions in the Answer key.WritingIt is not possible for you to give yourself a mark for the Writing tasks.For Task I in Tests 1and 3,and Task 2 in Tests 2 and 4,and for Task I in General Training Test A and Task 2 inGeneral Training Test B,we have provided model answers(written by an examiner)at theback of the book.It is important to note that these show just one way of completing thetask,out of many possible approaches.For Task 2 in Tests I and 3,Task I in Tests 2 and 4,Task 2 in General Training Test A and Task l in General Training Test B,we have providedsample answers (written by candidates),showing their score and the examiner's comments. These model answers and sample answers will give you an insight into what is required for the Writing module.8IntroductionHOW SHOULD YOU INTERPRET YOUR SCORES?In the Answer key at the end of each set of Listening and Reading answers you will find a chart which will help you assess whether,on the basis of your Practice Test results,you are ready to take the IELTS test.In interpreting your score,there are a number of points you should bear in mind.Yourperformance in the real IELTS test will be reported in two ways:there will be a Band Score from 1 to 9 for each of the modules and an Overall Band Score from 1 to 9,which is theaverage of your scores in the four modules.However,institutions considering yourapplication are advised to look at both the Overall Band and the Bands for each module inorder to determine whether you have the language skills needed for a particular course ofstudy.For example.if your course has a lot of reading and writing,but no lectures,listening skills might be less important and a score of 5 in Listening might be acceptable if the Overall Band Score was 7.However,for a course which has lots of lectures and spoken instructions, a score of 5 in Listening might be unacceptable even though the Overall Band Score was 7.Once you have marked your tests you should have some idea of whether your listening and reading skills are good enough for you to try the IELTS test.If you did well enough in one module but not in others,you will have to decide for yourself whether you are ready to take the test.The Practice Tests have been checked to ensure that they are of approximately the samelevel of difficulty as the real IELTS test.However,we cannot guarantee that your score in the Practice Tests will be reflected in the real IELTS test.The Practice Tests can only give you an idea of your possible future performance and it is ultimately up to you to make decisionsbased on your score.Different institutions accept different IELTS scores for different types of courses.We have based our recommendations on the average scores which the majority of institutions accept. The institution to which you are applying may,of course,require a higher or lower scorethan most other institutions.Sample answers and model answers are provided for the Writing tasks.The sampleanswers were written by IELTS candidates;each answer has been given a band score and the candidate's performance is described.Please note that there are many different ways bywhich a candidate may achieve a particular band score.The model answers were written by an examiner