IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following passage and answer the questions below.

A Stradivarius is one of the violins, cellos, and other stringed instruments built by members of the Stradivari (Stradivarius) family, particularly Antonio Stradivari, during the 17th and 18th centuries. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or equal it, though this belief is disputed. The name "Stradivarius" has become a superlative often associated with excellence, and the fame of Stradivarius instruments is widespread, appearing in numerous works of fiction.

Depending on condition, instruments made during Stradivari's "golden period" from 1700 to about 1725 can be worth millions of dollars. In 2011, his "Lady Blunt" violin from 1721, which is in pristine condition, was sold at Tarisio auctions for £9.8 million.

These instruments are famous for the quality of sound they produce. However, the many blind tests from 1817 to the present have never found any difference in sound between Stradivari's violins and high-quality violins in comparable style of other makers and periods, nor has acoustic analysis. In a particularly famous test on a BBC Radio programme in 1977, the violinists Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman and the violin expert and dealer Charles Beare tried to distinguish between the "Chaconne" Stradivarius and three other violins, including one made in 1976, played behind a screen by a professional soloist. None of the listeners identified more than two of the four instruments. Two of the listeners identified the 20th-century violin as the Stradivarius.

Are the following statements true, false or not given?

    The superior reputation of Stradivarius instruments has never been questioned.
    The “Lady Blunt” Stradivarius is the most expensive violin every sold.
    Tests have shown that experts are able to distinguish the famous Stradivarius sound.

You may leave a comment for correct answers.

IELTS Writing Task 1: No need to learn too many synonyms

There is no need to learn too many synonyms to use in IELTS Writing Task 1. Some learners learn many different ways to write the word "shows" (e.g. the graph shows). They find words like depicts, indicates, reveals, displays, exhibits etc. But none of these words are really appropriate for the kind of essay we are writing.
It is advised to keep it simple to avoid making mistakes. Just learn one or two different ways to write the same thing. For example:

• shows = illustrates / compares
• graph = line graph
• chart = bar chart / pie chart
• the number of = the figure for
• increased = rose / saw an increase / there was a rise

IELTS Writing Task 2: better linking

Most students learn simple linking words (firstly, secondly, furthermore etc.). But did you know that there are other, more sophisticated ways to link your ideas? Here are some of them:

• Use this or these to refer to the idea in the previous sentence.
• Use pronouns like it and they to refer to nouns you have already used.
• Repeat a key word throughout the paragraph.
• Repeat a key idea in different ways.
• Develop an idea from 'general' to 'specific'.

You might not notice this type of linking because it seems so natural. To see a paragraph that demonstrates the 5 techniques described above check the picture below.

Collocation in IELTS-Which one is better?

Which one do you think is correct or better?

a)   A prime example
b)   A primary example

IELTS Reading: paragraph heading

Read the following paragraph and choose the best heading.
Melbourne has topped the list of the best cities in the world to live in, according to a new report by The Economist Intelligence Unit. Vienna in Austria and Vancouver in Canada came in second and third place respectively on the Global Livability Ranking. Cities across the world are awarded scores depending on lifestyle challenges faced by the people living there. Each city is scored on its stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. This is the third time that the Australian city has topped the list. Unfortunately, UK cities fared worse on the list with London coming 55 out of 140 cities while Manchester was ranked 51. The report also shows that livability across the world has fallen by 0.6 per cent.
A) Livability survey produces some surprising results.
B) How cities are ranked.
C) Results of the latest “Most Livable Cities Index”.
D) Melbourne is top city for tourists.

ELTS Speaking Test in India – August 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- When do you study: morning or afternoon?
- Do you watch TV?
- How much time do you spend on TV a day?
- Do you think TV is useful?

Cue Card
Talk about an event that was held recently. Please say

- Who were the visitors?
- What was the occasion?
- What did you do or planned to do?

Discussion
- What are the advantages of staying in a hotel or with a friends when you are in a different city?
- What services should be changed or improved in hotels, in your opinion?
- What are the main problems that people face while staying in hotels?
- What should the host country do to welcome people?

IELTS Speaking Test in Vietnam – August 2013

Interview
- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- Tell me about holidays and festivals in your country.

Cue Card
Talk about a party that you would like to give to your family and friends.

Discussion
- What festivals are there in your country?
- How do people celebrate them?