剑桥大学外语考试部(Cambridge English Language
Assessment):隶属于世界著名的教育测评机构和语言能力评估机构剑桥大学考试委员会Cambridge Assessment。剑桥大学考试委员会成立于1858年,是世界上享有盛名的考试机构,也是英国历史最久、考试业务规模*的考试机构,在130个国家提供一系列的学术、职业和技能的证书考试。剑桥大学外语考试部的考试项目在世界范围内得到了移民机构、政府、教育机构及企业的广泛认可。
目錄:
Introduction 4
Test
5 10
Test
6 30
Test
7 53
Test
8 74
Audioscripts 95
Listening
and Reading Answer Keys 116
Sample
answers for Writing tasks 124
Sample
answer sheets 132
Acknowledgements 136
內容試閱:
The
International English Language Testing System IELTS is widely recognised as a
reliable means of assessing the language ability of candidates who need to
study or work where 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, Cambridge English Language Assessment, part of the
University of Cambridge, the British Council and IDP Education Pty Limited
through its subsidiary company, IELTS Australia Pty Limited. Further
information on IELTS can be found on the IELTS website www.ielts.org.
WHAT IS THE TEST FORMAT?
IELTS
consists of four components. All candidates take the same Listening and
Speaking tests. There is a choice of Reading and Writing tests according to
whether a candidate is taking the Academic or General Training module.
Academic
For candidates wishing to study
at undergraduate or postgraduate levels,
and for those seeking
professional registration.
General Training
For candidates wishing to migrate
to an English-speaking country Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, and for
those wishing to train or study at below degree level
The
test components are taken in the following order:
Listening
4 sections, 40 items
approximately 30 minutes
Academic
Reading
3 sections, 40 items
60 minutes
or
General
Training Reading
3 sections, 40 items
60 minutes
Academic
Writing
2 tasks
60 minutes
or
General
Training Writing
2 tasks
60 minutes
Speaking
11 to 14 minutes
Total
Test Time
2 hours 44 minutes
ACADEMIC TEST FORMAT
Listening
This
test consists of four sections, each with ten questions. The first two sections
are concerned 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 related to educational or training contexts. The
third section is a conversation between up to four people and the fourth
section is a monologue.
A
variety of question types is used, including: multiple choice, matching,
planmapdiagram labelling, form completion, note completion, table completion,
flow-chart completion, summary completion, sentence completion, short-answer
questions.
Candidates
hear the recording once only and answer the questions as they listen. Ten
minutes are allowed at the end for candidates to transfer their answers to the
answer sheet.
Reading
This
test consists of three sections with 40 questions. There are three texts, which
are taken from journals, books, magazines and newspapers. The texts are on
topics of general interest. At least one text contains detailed logical
argument.
Writing
This
test 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, which requires them to write at least 250 words. Task 2
contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.
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 or event, or explain how something works.
In
Task 2 candidates are presented with a point of view, argument or problem. They
are assessed 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 arguments.
Candidates
are also assessed on their ability to write in an appropriate style. More
information on assessing the Writing tests, including the Writing assessment criteria
public version, is available on the IELTS website.
Speaking
This
test takes between 11 and 14 minutes and is conducted by a trained examiner.
There are three parts:
Part 1
The
candidate and the examiner introduce themselves. Candidates then answer general
questions about themselves, their homefamily, their jobstudies, their
interests and a wide range of similar familiar topic areas. This part lasts
between four and five minutes.
Part 2
The
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 questions on the same topic.
Part 3
The
examiner and the candidate engage in a discussion of more abstract issues which
are thematically linked to the topic in Part 2. The discussion lasts between
four and five minutes.
The
Speaking test assesses whether candidates can communicate effectively in
English. The assessment takes into account Fluency and Coherence, Lexical
Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. More information
on assessing the Speaking test, including the Speaking Assessment Criteria
public version, is available on the IELTS website.
HOW 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. All scores are recorded on the Test Report
Form along with details of the candidates nationality, first language and date
of birth. Each Overall Band Score corresponds to a descriptive 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 fluent
with complete understanding.
8 Very Good User
-
Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic
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 occasional inaccuracies,
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 some inaccuracies,
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
basic communication 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 isolated
words.
0 Did not attempt the test
-
No assessable information provided.
MARKING THE PRACTICE TESTS
Listening and Reading
The
Answer Keys are on pages 116-123.
Each
question in the Listening and Reading tests is worth one mark.
Questions which require letter
Roman numeral answers
? For questions where
the answers are letters or Roman numerals, you should write only the number of answers required. For
example, if the answer is a single letter or numeral you should write 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.
? Alterative answers are
separated by a slash .
? If you are asked to
write an answer using a certain number of words andor a numbers, you will
be penalised if you exceed this. For example, if a question specifies an answer
using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS and the correct answer is black leather coat,
the answer coat of black leather is incorrect.
? In questions where you
are expected to complete a gap, you should transfer only the necessary missing
words 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 answers in the Answer Key.
Writing
The
sample answers are on page 124-131. It is not possible for you to give yourself
a mark for the Writing tasks. We have provided sample answers written by candidates,
showing their score and the examiners comments. These sample answers will give
you an insight into what is required for the Writing test.
HOW SHOULD YOU INTERPRET YOUR
SCORES?
At
the end of each Listening and Reading Answer key 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.
Your performance 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 components and an Overall Band
Score from 1 to 9, which is the average of your scores in the four components.
However, institutions considering your application are advised to look at both
the Overall Band Score and the Bands for each component in order to determine
whether you have the language skills needed for a particular course of study.
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 component 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
same level 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 decisions based 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 score than most other institutions.
Further information
For
more information about IELTS or any other Cambridge English Language Assessment
examination, write to:
Cambridge English Language
Assessment
1
Hills Road
Cambridge
CB1 2EU
United Kingdom