Ielts - Page 4

**tigerchem** · 02-15-2009

Hi,
target band 7 mà mỗi ngày học 2 tiếng là điều gần như không thể, nếu mỗi ngày học gấp 4 lần thì may ra. Thực ra thời khóa biểu đó chỉ là gợi ý, nó chú trọng phần nghe nhiều vì cho rằng đó là kĩ năng khó lên nhất, đồng thời quan niệm rằng khi nghe phải đọc câu hỏi, ghi chú lại những gì nghe được và học cách đối thoại nên gần như luyện nghe là luyện cả 4 kĩ năng. Dù sao đó cũng chỉ là gợi ý mà thôi, đừng nên nghe theo mà có khi có hại, chủ quan khi thi mà điểm thấp. Tớ luôn quan niệm rằng tip chỉ để nâng cao tối đa số điểm mà mình có thể đạt được, chứ không phải giúp mình đạt điểm cao khi không có nội lực.
Thân!
PS: Mong nhận được chia sẻ nhiều hơn từ pro boy và các bạn .

pro_boy_92 · 02-15-2009

Đúng, tips chỉ giúp một phần thôi. Phân lớn các bạn học ielts chỉ mong học tips, thế thì sẽ không gọi là kiểm tra English mà gọi là kiểm tra xem ai nhiều tips hơn.

. Trong quyển target 7, cái phần nó dạy reading thì nó bảo là mình phải scan and skim nhưng mình thấy cái kiểu đó rất dễ sai vì trong bài có rất nhiều chỗ lừa. Cả phần match heading thì chỉ có một số trường hợp đơn giản thì heading của đoạn mới ở đầu và cuối. Còn đâu đã khó là nó ở giữa

**tigerchem** · 02-15-2009

Hi (and sigh :)
Thú thật là phần reading của mình rất tệ. Hồi học TOEFL ITP, mình tự tin reading bao nhiêu thì qua IELTS mình lo lắng bấy nhiêu. Phần match heading gần như sai be bét, ví dụ có 9 lựa chọn cho 5 heading, thì mình chọn đúng 5 heading, nhưng quăng sai vị trí đoạn . Tức là kĩ năng tìm thông tin tổng quan General của mình yếu quá. Phần điền thông tin vào bảng, sơ đồ, đánh trắc nghiệm thì mình làm khá ok, lâu lâu chỉ sai 1 câu, có lẽ kĩ năng specify là ổn.
Đang cố gắng khắc phục bài match heading, không hiểu sao sai te tua vậy.

pro_boy_92 · 02-18-2009

Đọc nhiều khắc giỏi, sợ gì

pro_boy_92 · 02-27-2009

Hôm nay mình xin giới thiệu với các bạn một bài nói về "Hedgeing in academic writing". Cái kĩ năng này khá quan trọng trong các bài viết ielts, làm cho bài viết của bạn trở nên more academic lên ^^

To ‘hedge’:
·To use an intentionally noncommittal or ambiguous statement
·To use evasive or deliberately vague language
·To avoid fulfilling or answering a question completely
·To be confidently uncertain
·To use verbal and adverbial expressions such as can, perhaps, may, suggest, which deal with degrees of probability
In order to distinguish between facts and claims, writers often use tentative language such as it seems likely that... or arguably.... This technique is called hedging or vague language. Hedging is crucial in academic discourse, and hedge words account for approximately 1 word in every 100 in scientific articles.
Example: “Our results seem to suggest that in less industrialised countries the extensive use of land to grow exportation products tends to impoverish these countries' populations even more”.
It is often believed that academic writing, particularly scientific writing, is factual. However an important feature of academic writing is the concept of cautious language, or "hedging". It is necessary to make decisions about your stance on a particular subject, or the strength of the claims you are making. The appropriate use of hedging strategies for academic argumentation is a significant resource for student writers and plays an important part in demonstrating competence in a specialist register.

Four reasons to hedge

By hedging, authors tone down their statements in order to reduce the risk of opposition. This position associates hedges with scientific imprecision and defines them as linguistic cues of bias which avoid personal accountability for statements.
Writers want their readers to know that they do not claim to have the final word on the subject. Expressing a lack of certainty does not necessarily show confusion or vagueness. One could consider hedges as ways of being more precise in reporting results. Hedging may present the true state of the writers' understanding and may be used to negotiate an accurate representation of the state of the knowledge under discussion. In fact, academic writers may well wish to reduce the strength of claims simply because stronger statements would not be justified by the data or evidence presented.
Hedges may be understood as positive or negative politeness strategies in which the writer tries to appear humble rather than arrogant or all-knowing. Hedging is a rational interpersonal strategy which supports the writer's position, builds writer-reader (speaker/listener) relationships and guarantees a certain level of acceptability in a community. Once a claim becomes widely accepted, it is then possible to present it without a hedge.
A certain degree of hedging has become conventionalized; hedging now functions to conform to an established writing style in English.

Language used in hedging

Modal auxiliary verbs	*may, might, can, could, would, should*	*‘Such a measure might* be more sensitive to changes in health after specialist treatment.’**
Modal lexical verbs doubting and evaluating rather than merely describing	**to seem, to appear (epistemic verbs), to believe, to assume, to suggest, to estimate, to tend, to think, to argue, to indicate, to propose, to speculate**	*‘In spite of its limitations, the study appears* to have a number of important strengths.’**
Probability adjectives	*possible, probable, un/likely*	*‘It is likely* to result in failure.’**
Nouns	*assumption, claim, possibility, estimate, suggestion*	*‘We estimate* that one in five marriages end in divorce.’**
Adverbs	*perhaps, possibly, probably, practically, likely, presumably, virtually, apparently*	*‘There is, perhaps, a good reason why she chose to write in the first person.’*
Approximators of degree, quantity, frequency and time	*approximately, roughly, about, often, occasionally, generally, usually, somewhat, somehow, a lot of*	*‘Fever is present in about* a third of cases.’**
Introductory phrases	*believe, to our knowledge, it is our view that, we feel that*	*‘We believe* that there is no simple explanation.’**
“If” clauses	*if true, if anything*	*‘If true, our study contradicts the myth that men make better managers than women.’*
Compound hedges	*seems reasonable, looks probable*	Such compound hedges can be double hedges (it may suggest that; it seems likely that; it would indicate that; this probably indicates); treble hedges (it seems reasonable to assume that); quadruple hedges (it would seem somewhat unlikely that, it may appear somewhat speculative that) and so on.

pro_boy_92 · 03-20-2009

Sau đây mình xin giới thiệu các topic của writing task 2 trong IELTS. Với mỗi đề bài các bạn nên brainstorm và chọn các đề thích nhất để viết ^^. Còn bạn nào có ý định đạt 8.0 viết thì hãy viết hết nhé

Works and Jobs
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1. The idea of having a single career is becoming an old fashioned one. The new fashion will be to have several careers or ways of learning money and further education will be something that continues throughout life. In what extent do you agree or disagree? (Cambridge IELTS 1)
2. In many countries, children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some people regard this as completely wrong, while others consider it as valuable work experience, important for learning and taking responsibilities. Discuss. (Cambridge IELTS 3)
3. It has been claimed that workers over 50 are not responsive to rapidly changing ideas in the modern workplace and that for this reason younger workers are to be preferred. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (IELTS Practice tests with answers)
4. In some countries the average worker is obliged to retire at the age of 50, while in others people can work until they are 65 or 70. Meanwhile, we see some politicians enjoying power well into their eighties. Clearly, there is little agreement on an appropriate retirement age. Until what age do you think people should be encouraged to remain in paid employment? (Model tests for the IELTS)
5. People today move to new cities or new countries more than ever before and experience many challenges. What strategies are there to meet these challenges? (Ielts on Track)
6. Some people argue that the government should give every unemployed person a mobile phone and should make sure they have access to the Internet. They believe this is the best way of using public money to reduce the problem of unemployment. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Focus on Ielts)
7. As there is increasing unemployment in the world, while at the same time those who have jobs are working harder and harder, it would be better to have a four-day working week for everyone, and so to create more jobs. In what extent do you agree or disagree? (Essay Writing)
8. Some people prefer to stay in the same job for the same company, but others prefer to change jobs frequently. Discuss. (China writing)
9. Some employers reward members of staff for their exceptional contribution to the company by giving them extra money. This practice can act as an incentive for some but may also have a negative impact on others. To what extent is this style of management effective? Are there better ways of encouraging employees to work hard?(Ielts practice plus)

EDUCATION

1. In many countries schools have severe problems with student behavior. What do you think are the causes of this? What solutions can you suggest? (Cambridge IELTS 4)
2. Subjects such as Art, Sport and Music are being dropped from the school curriculum for subjects such as Information Technology. Many people children suffer as a result of these changes. To what extent would you support or reject the idea of moving these subjects from school curriculum? (IELTS Practice tests with answers)
3. Because of the pressure of new subjects such as business studies, many schools have dropped sport or physical education (PE) from the curriculum. How important is sport or PE in a young person’s education? (Ielts on Track)
4. Studying the English language in an English-speaking country is the best but not the only way to learn the language. Do you agree with this statement? (Model tests for the IELTS)
5. The idea of going overseas for university study is an exciting prospect for many people. But while it may offer some advantages, it is probably better to stay at home because of the difficulties a student inevitably encounters living and studying in a different culture. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (IELTS to success)
6. In order to learn a new language well, you should also get to know the culture and the lifestyle. To what extent do you agree with this idea? (August 22nd, 2006)
7. Only formal examinations, written or practical, can give a clear picture of students’ true knowledge and ability at university level. Continuous assessment like course word and project are poor measures of student ability. In what extent do you agree or disagree? (Academic writing practice)
8. Academic achievement at school or university is the only true measure of a person’s intelligence. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Ielts Foundation)
9. Some people think that university should not provide theoretical knowledge, but to give practical training benefit to society. In what extent do you agree or disagree? (China writing)
10. Some people say that universities should be concerned with educating people so that they will have wide general knowledge and be able to consider important matters from an informed viewpoint. Other people say that universities should simply train students to do the jobs required by society and not concern themselves with broader issues. Discuss. (Insearch prepare for Ielts)
11. The wealth of a nation is said to depend on the health of its citizens. Yet, in the modern knowledge-based economies of the world, education is more and more being seed as the main force in the development of all countries. In what extent do you agree or disagree? (Academic writing practice)
12. Education is the single most important factor in the development of a developing country. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Passport to Ielts)
13. Too much emphasis is placed on testing these days. The need to prepare for tests and examinations is a restriction on teachers and also exerts unnecessary pressure on young learners. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Focus on Ielts)
14. Most education systems rely on examinations to encourage children to study, but as a result, children suffer from too much stress and they never learn to be creative. Therefore, examinations should be abolished. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Essay Writing)
15. All educational facilities should be funded by the government. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Passport to Ielts)
16. Who should be responsible for children’s education: the school or parents? Give your opinion and reasons. (Model tests for the IELTS)
17. Firm discipline is a necessary part of teaching children. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Passport to Ielts)
18. Many parents use punishment to teach the different between right and wrong to kids. Many think punishment is necessary to held children learn the distinction between right and wrong. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (China writing)
19. Too much education is dangerous. If people receive more education than they need to function in their job, it only breeds dissatisfaction. In what extent do you agree or disagree? (Reading and Writing module)
20. Parents and family background have more influence than teachers of a young person’s learning and academic achievement. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Ielts Foundation)
21. To be successful in education, it is more important to be a good student than to have good teachers. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Essay Writing)
22. Most people think that teachers should teach students how to judge right and wrong and how to behave well. Some feel that people should just teach students academic subject. Discuss. (China writing)
23. Some people think that there are benefits in going to private secondary schools. Others feel that private secondary school can have negative effect on the society as a whole. What is your opinion? Justify and give examples according to your knowledge or experience. (September 6th, 2006) (China writing)
24. Education is a lifelong task. In what extent do you agree or disagree? (September 12th, 2002)
25. Government should spend more money on education than on recreation and sport. In what extent do you agree or disagree? (March 7th, 2003)
26. As reading is important for good education, we should encourage children to read whatever appeals to them. Discuss. (China writing)
27. University graduates receive higher salaries than those who have a lower education. Therefore, some people say such students should pay for all their tuition fees. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (China writing)
28. Is education losing its value? (China writing)
29. Some people think educate children of different abilities together will benefit them. Others think intelligent children should be taught separately and give special courses. Discuss. (China writing)
30. Some people believe that students who want to go to university after graduation from high school should have about one year’s time to get a job to obtain work experience or have a travel to enlarge their vision. In what extent do you agree or disagree? (China writing)
31. People who have original ideas are of much greater value to society than those who are simply able to copy the ideas of others well. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Insight into Ielts)
32. Should there be a minimum school leaving age, or should students and their parents be free to decide when they leave school?
33. Some say that it is good for children to stay away from their families and go to boarding school. Others say that children had better live with their families and attend a day school. Discuss.

( Còn tiếp )

pro_boy_92 · 03-23-2009

Tiếp nào anh em ^^

THE MEDIA

1. New editors decide what to broadcast on television and what to print in newspapers. What factors do you think influence these decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more good news was reported? Discuss. (Cambridge IELTS 1)
2. The mass media, including television, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping people’s ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? (Model tests for the IELTS)
3. Television is dangerous because it has destroyed the family living and communication. Some people said that it absorb people’s time too much that they have no time to talk to each other. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (China writing)
4. Some people said the age of books is past. The information will be presented by video, computers, televisions, films. Others think the books and the written words will be necessary for spread information and complete education. Discuss. (China writing)
5. Television has had a significant influence on the culture of many societies. To what extent would you say that television has positively or negatively affected the culture development of your society?
6. We can get knowledge from news, but some people think we can’t trust the journalist. Discuss, what do you think is the important qualities that a journalist should have? (China writing)

CRIME AND LAWS
1. Without capital punishment (the death penalty) our lives are less secure and crimes of violent increase. Capital punishment is essential to control violence in society. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Cambridge IELTS 2)
2. Tobacco and alcohol are drugs that cause addition and health problems. Should they be made illegal? Or should all drugs be legalized? (Essay Writing)
3. Should criminals be sent to prison or should they do something else as a punishment? (China writing)
4. Recent statistics show that the crimes by the young people in the major city of the world are increasing. Cause, effects, solutions. (China writing)
5. Young women crime has become more and more prevalent in recent years. Causes, effects and solutions. (China writing)
6. Crime is nearly always related to the environment in which it occurs. For this reason, international laws and international law courts are unrealistic and will not succeed in reducing crime levels in different countries. Discuss. (Insight into Ielts)
7. Under British and Australian laws a jury in a criminal case has no access to information about the defendant’s past criminal record. This protects the person who is being accused of the crime. Some lawyers have suggested that this practice should be changed and that a jury should be given all the past facts before they reach their decision about the case. In what extent do you agree or disagree? (Ielts practice plus)
8. The use of CCTV (close circuit television) cameras in streets, stations, shops and other public places has increased rapidly in recent years. Although we are told that these cameras help in the fight against crime, some people are opposed to their use. They believe that everyone has a right to privacy. (serve more as an invasion of our privacy than as a protection of our safety). To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Focus on Ielts) (Model tests for the IELTS)