FOR THE ACADEMIC EXAMINATION

ANSWER KEY and

Sample writing tasks

Scott Newman
Rob Nicholas
CONTENTS

Page

Answer Key 3

Test 1 3

Test 2 4

Test 3 5

Test 4 6

Test 5 7

Test 6 8

Sample Writing Tasks 9

Test 1 10

Test 2 11

Test 3 12

Test 4 13

Test 5 14

Test 6 15
Answer Key
TEST 1
LISTENING Reading
Section 1 Passage 1
➤ Questions 1–10 ➤ Questions 1–13
1 Burns 1 TRUE 8 C
2 59 2 NOT GIVEN 9 C
3 9 Luxted 3 TRUE 10 A
4 daughter 4 FALSE 11 D
5 Thursday 5 FALSE 12 B
6 9.30 6 FALSE 13 D
7 £4 7 NOT GIVEN
8 B
9 B Passage 2
10 A ➤ Questions 14–26
14 D
Section 2 15 A
➤ Questions 11-20 16 A
11 &12 C, E 17 B
13 &14 B, C 18 E
15 C 19 A
16 F 20 B
17 A 21 C
18 E 22 D
19 B 23 further (away)
20 D 24 galactic year
25 space/distance between
Section 3 26 dark matter
➤ Questions 21-30
21 G 26 D Passage 3
22 I 27 H ➤ Questions 27–40
23 B 28 E 27 D
24 F 29 F 28 C
25 J 30 G 29 E
30 B
Section 4 31 A
➤ Questions 31-40 32 NOT GIVEN
31 B 36 G 33 YES
32 F 37 B 34 NO
33 D 38 B 35 NOT GIVEN
34 A 39 C 36 (comparative) scarcity
35 D 40 A 37 renewable energy
38 invest
39 reservoirs
40 planning stage

3
 Answer Key
TEST 2 TEST 2
LISTENING Reading
Section 1 Passage 1
➤ Questions 1–10 ➤ Questions 1–13
1 H 6 12 1 B, D
2 A 7 7 2 C, D
3 C 8 £1,450 3 A, E
4 E 9 28 4 A, C
5 D 10 Bucharest 5 radio waves
6 more sophisticated circuitry
Section 2 7 astrochemistry
➤ Questions 11-20 8 parabolic dish
11 large inheritance 9 subreflector
12 income 10 feed horn
13 wealthy landowner 11 receiver
14 private tutors 12 amplifier
15 army 13 computer
16 administrative
17 military action Passage 2
18 voodoo dolls ➤ Questions 14–26
19 mummies 14 v 17 iv
20 shrunken heads 15 ix 18 vii
16 ii 19 i
Section 3 20 public shaming
➤ Questions 21-30 21 sustainable natural materials
21 17 27 twice 22 generating emissions
22 TH3 7AA 28 full-length 23 steer clear of
23 internet 29 get involved 24 improved drinking water
24 lighting 30 in instalments 25 passive solar design
25 local 26 building storm drains
26 enough time
Passage 3
Section 4 ➤ Questions 27–40
➤ Questions 31-40 27 F 30 A
31 Nobles 28 H 31 J
32 Vassals 29 C 32 D
33 Merchants 33 (the) Romans
34 Farmers 34 Germany and Denmark
35 Peasants 35 Anglo-Saxon
36 social change 36 Old English
37 archaeological evidence 37 the poorer classes
38 buy their freedom 38 English-speaking king
39 tax luxury goods 39 Greek and Latin
40 political gain 40 18th and 19th

4
TEST 3
LISTENING Reading
Section 1 Passage 1
➤ Questions 1–10 ➤ Questions 1–13
1 Morris 6 romantic 1 D 8 D
2 32 7 sometimes 2 B 9 C
3 17 Marsden 8 computers 3 A 10 A
4 BR3 7AB 9 day-care 4 C 11 B
5 2207 3121 10 Yes 5 E 12 D
6 C 13 A
Section 2 7 E
➤ Questions 11-20
11 perils of sitting Passage 2
12 twenty hours ➤ Questions 14–26
13 well-earned rest 14 vii
14 critical muscles 15 iii
15 fat and sugar 16 i
16 is inactive 17 ix
17 C 18 v
18 E 19 iv
19 G 20 FALSE
20 H 21 TRUE
22 TRUE
Section 3 23 NOT GIVEN
➤ Questions 21-30 24 NOT GIVEN
21 B 25 TRUE
22 B 26 NOT GIVEN
23 C
24 A Passage 3
25 working title ➤ Questions 27–40
26 script 27 F
27 location 28 J
28 lighting 29 A
29 soundtrack 30 I
30 edit / editing 31 C
32 E
Section 4 33 volcanic activity
➤ Questions 31-40 34 The Earth’s crust
31 poor 36 dry 35 condensed
32 categories 37 slope 36 molten material solidified
33 warning 38 hydration 37 Scotland and England
34 woodland 39 peanuts 38 equatorial forest (belt)
35 sandy 40 natural 39 (northern) desert (belt)
40 flooded

5
 Answer Key
TEST 4
LISTENING Reading
Section 1 Passage 1
➤ Questions 1–10 ➤ Questions 1–13
1 Furst 1 vi 8 NOT GIVEN
2 17 2 iv 9 NO
3 BH3 4AB 3 ii 10 YES
4 writer 4 ix 11 NO
5 shopping 5 vii 12 YES
6 buses 6 i 13 NOT GIVEN
7 parking 7 YES
8 private
9 pedestrianise
Passage 2
10 cyclists
➤ Questions 14–28
14 B
Section 2
15 A
➤ Questions 11-20
16 C
11 G 16 9.15
17 E
12 C 17 10.30
18 A
13 A 18 weekends
14 A 19 Tuesdays 19 B
15 C 20 12.00 20 F
21 E
Section 3 22 A
➤ Questions 21-30 23 at peak times
21-23 A, D, E 24 cleaning graffiti off
24 A 25 be diverted
25 C 26 use public transport
26 A 27 existing infrastructure
27 B 28 right of way
28 coherent order
29 wasting his time Passage 3
30 facial features ➤ Questions 29–40
29 A, B
Section 4 30 E, F
➤ Questions 31-40 31 F
31 C 32 H
32 B 33 C
33 A 34 A
34 shaft 35 D
35 brake
36 B
36 turbine generator
37 (his) single-mindedness
37 controller
38 quirky and fastidious
38 weather
39 (classic) cars
39 drive
40 an ageing female
40 yaw motor

6
TEST 5
LISTENING Reading
Section 1 Passage 1
➤ Questions 1–10 ➤ Questions 1–13
1 Briars 6 B 1 viii
2 TN 1748D 7 C 2 vi
3 part-time 8 G 3 i
4 pond 9 A 4 iv
5 D 10 D 5 ii
6 vii
Section 2 7 (major) asteroid
➤ Questions 11-20 8 the whole of
11 B 9 100 years
12 B 10 artificial intelligence
13 reduction / minimisation 11 total destruction
14 reuse 12 end of civilisation
15 recycling 13 data fraud
16 disposal
17 A Passage 2
➤ Questions 14–29
18 D
14 C
19 F
15 B
20 G
16 A
17 D
Section 3
18 D
➤ Questions 21-30
19 B
21 C
20 losing battle
22 B
21 entertainment purposes
23 A
22 laborious
24 D
23 higher resolution
25 2
24 wasted reel
26 Maths 25 a warmth
27 distance 26 attached
28 £120 27 review(ing)
29 £35 28 cost(s)
30 experienced journalists 29 storage

Section 4 Passage 3
➤ Questions 31-40 ➤ Questions 30–40
31 B 30 NOT GIVEN
32 C 31 YES
33 B 32 YES
34 a university education 33 NO
35 skills 34 YES
36 extracurricular activities 35 NOT GIVEN
37 more attractive 36 NO
38 independent adult life 37 teaching and testing
39 smart and motivated 38 lack of maturity
40 ask yourself 39 less than 1%
40 relevant and recent
7
 Answer Key
TEST 6
LISTENING Reading
Section 1 Passage 1
➤ Questions 1–10 ➤ Questions 1–15
1 briefcase 1 iv
2 2500 2 vii
3 silver 3 i
4 café 4 viii
5 station 5 iii
6 10.30 6 vi
7 Joan 7 TRUE
8 27 8 NOT GIVEN
9 FALSE
9 SW3
10 TRUE
10 232 2573
11 FALSE
12 FALSE
Section 2 13 TRUE
➤ Questions 11-20
14 FALSE
11 C 15 NOT GIVEN
12 E
13 F Passage 2
14 H ➤ Questions 16–28
15 three passengers 16 A, D, E
16 oil 17 C, E, G
17 closed down 18 D, F, G
18 cooking and drinking 19 E
19 traditional architecture 20 A
20 modern feel 21 J
22 D
Section 3 23 B
➤ Questions 21-30 24 C
21 B 26 F 25 F
22 B 27 C 26 startling
23 A 28 B 27 supernatural
24 B 29 E 28 marvel
25 E 30 D
Passage 3
➤ Questions 29–40
Section 4
29 C
➤ Questions 31-40
30 F
31 C
31 A
32 A 32 B
33 B 33 D
34 factories 34 E
35 produce 35 plot twists
36 ideas 36 (pick and) choose
37 political movements 37 happy endings
38 stereotypes 38 strength of character
39 work 39 (more) positive light
40 accurate timetables 40 distorted version
8
9
 IELTS

TEST 1 Sample writing tasks

Test 1
➤ Writing task 1
Writing task This bar chart represents the number of people in a town attending arts events,
cinemas and sporting events. The results shown on the chart are broken down
1 and 2
according to the level of education of the individuals polled.

Overall, a lower percentage of people educated up to the age of 16 attended any of

the leisure events compared to those educated up to the age of 18 or up to university
level. On the whole, there was a higher percentage of people from all three groups
attending the cinema, followed by the Arts and the least well attended by all three
groups were the sports events.

In the arts, just under 40% of respondents educated up to the age of 16 attended events.
This rises steeply to nearly 60% for those who attended education up to 18. The figure for
those who received education at university level is higher still, at just below 70%.

The figures for cinema attendance present a similar picture for the two higher levels
of education. Perhaps understandably, those educated up to 16 years old had a much
higher rate of attendance at cinemas than at arts events, with the total number being
about 60%.

Figures for those attending sports events showed considerably lower percentages
all round. In the youngest age group, this was at around 35%, rising to around 45%
for those who finished education at age 18. In contrast to the rising trend in the first
two event types, the number here actually shows a slight decline for people with
university-level education.

➤ Writing task 2
The vast majority of us have experience of sitting examinations. However, not everyone
performs at their best in them, and neither do exams fully assess a student’s potential.
Therefore, I think we need to explore alternative methods of assessment.

Firstly, with regard to exam nerves, we cannot argue that examinations are objective
when the student has done all he or she can be reasonably expected to do, yet fails
because of the pressure they are under. We need to look at other ways of assessing
students. For example, students whose coursework is routinely of the required
standard should be considered to be making satisfactory progress.

As far as creativity is concerned, this is a necessary skill in many disciplines, but is

not always a feature of examinations, which are all too often tests of rote learning.
We need to do more than simply force students to memorise lists of facts. For
instance, project and group work, as well as personal research, could all be excellent
indicators of a student’s progress, since these allow the individual to be creative and
demonstrate their abilities, albeit in a more humane and realistic environment.

Finally, I would concede that examinations have their place. For example, in
mathematics, exams are an objective method for establishing whether the student
is capable of further study. Nevertheless, this still punishes those who, for whatever
reason, may perform badly despite knowing their subject very well.

In conclusion, perhaps if we could limit the use of examinations, and place more
emphasis on continuous assessment, we might get better results in the long term.
This would encourage students to think for themselves in creative and imaginative
ways, and it would almost certainly result in greater progress, not only for the
student, but also for society as a whole.
10
 IELTS

Sample writing tasks

TEST 2

Test 2
➤ Writing task 1
The information in the charts refers to what two specific age groups, namely those Writing task
under 25 and those over 55, said was the most important thing in life.
1 and 2
Overall it is apparent that the two age groups have very different ideas about what
is most important to them, apart from music which both groups consider to be of
similar importance.

The younger age group placed more emphasis on relationships, money and music. The
greatest disparity is in relationships, where 26% of younger people said this was the
most important thing in life, as opposed to just 10% from the older age group. Money
too, featured considerably higher among young people, with 26%, compared to 15% in
the over-55s. The difference in music was much smaller at 10% and 7% respectively.

In contrast, the sectors that have greater importance for older people are health and
job satisfaction, with many more older people (32%) choosing health as their top
priority than younger people (6%).

Finally, in the categories of fashion and home, the former only appeared in the
under-25 survey and the latter only in the over-55 equivalent. This clearly shows
the lack of significance of fashion among older people, and likewise the lack of
significance of home for younger people.

➤ Writing task 2
Many of us are attached to our cars because they afford us the freedom to travel
anywhere we want. However, cars also have a negative impact on the environment in
general, and on our cities in particular. In some cases, therefore, our quality of life
could be improved if more people used public transport.

To begin with, public transport has several advantages. In many cases, it is cheaper,
quicker and more relaxing than taking the car. In my home city of Athens, Greece,
there is an extensive underground network as well as many bus, tram and trolleybus
routes serving the city. The cost of tickets is relatively low so, for many people
who live in the city, public transport is more economical than buying, running
and maintaining a car. Frequent traffic jams also mean that public transport is a
faster means of reaching your destination. Additionally, driving conditions here are
stressful, and this stress can be avoided if we opt to use public transport.

Nevertheless, public transport is not always the best solution. Overland transport
routes can be subject to the same delays car drivers face. In addition, some routes
are simply not covered by bus and train services. Finally, some people feel unsafe
when using public transport, especially at night. For these people, if the car is an
option, they will almost certainly choose it.

In conclusion, while I agree that encouraging people to use public transport is

beneficial to the city and its residents, we will always have people who choose to
drive if at all possible. We should definitely encourage people to use public transport
and the best way to do that is to eliminate some of the problems. Only if public
transport can be made the more attractive option will we be able to encourage
people to leave their cars at home.

11
 IELTS

TEST 3 Sample writing tasks

Test 3
➤ Writing task 1
Writing task The information highlights the types of problems students mentioned having with
their university courses.
1 and 2
Overall, it was found that dissatisfaction with the degree course was attributed to
a greater extent to issues concerning the students themselves rather than to the
university. In other words, more people were dissatisfied due to personal problems
than to course content, lecturers' performance or university facilites.

Issues such as family commitments and health, as well as students' own lack of
commitment to the course, were cited by 33 percent of students. A smaller percentage
(10%) experienced dissatisfaction with their social life while they were students.

The remainder of the reasons given were attributable to the university, with 22% of
students saying that they were not satisfied with the content of their course. This
was followed by complaints about lecturing staff who, it was felt, were sometimes
disinterested, were poorly prepared, or failed to offer students the necessary
support for their studies.

Three further categories were sources of discontent, although they were only
reported by a minority of students. These related to the facilities available at the
university, the way the students’ work was marked, and the lack of career guidance
that students felt they received.

➤ Writing task 2
The popularity of the Internet means that it is possible to access news of important
events from a huge variety of sources. The problem is that the standard of reporting
ranges from the reasonably objective to the extremely biased, meaning that we need
to exercise a degree of critical judgement when processing this information.

It is difficult to find a totally objective news source. So many newspapers, TV

channels and radio stations have a political agenda, resulting in stories being
omitted or misreported if they do not conform to the agency’s political beliefs.
Conversely, some news sources focus only on the types of stories that seem to
foster support for a certain course of political action. One example of this is the
immigration situation. A news source closely allied to a political party which
is against immigration is more likely to present frequent news items painting
immigrants in a negative light.

Other sources treat the news as an opportunity to sensationalise world events.

Their choice of news items to cover reflects what they feel a willing public will be
interested in. Some television channels report human tragedies and natural disasters
with great enthusiasm, going so far as to add dramatic music to footage of the
events. This trivialises human suffering, turning it into something which resembles
entertainment. Significantly, such news items are often shown and repeated at the
expense of other world events that perhaps deserve our attention more.

Because of the above, training people in critical thinking is essential if we want them
to be informed. Schools should have activities that encourage students to tell the
difference between factual reporting and sensationalism. The consequences of not
doing so are that we will have an ignorant, poorly informed and biased population,
and that would not bode well for our future.
12
 IELTS

Sample writing tasks

TEST 4

Test 4
➤ Writing task 1
The information in the graph shows the sales in different departments of a department Writing task
store between 2012 and 2017. It also features the projected sales until 2022. The three
departments covered are food items, home supplies and electronic and technical goods.
1 and 2

Overall, sales of electronic and technical items as well as home supplies are greater
than sales of food items. Food items and Home supplies are both in slight decline
whereas electronic and technical goods are steadily increasing.

Sales of food items are consistently the lowest over the ten-year period. They have
shown a steady decline from £4 million in 2012, and this decline is expected to
continue, with the forecast for 2022 at around the £3 million mark.

Sales in the home supplies department showed a pronounced increase in the five
years between 2012 and 2017, peaking at just under £8 million. However, the forecast
is for this to fall slightly by 2022.

The sale of electronic and technical goods has shown the most consistent rise. Starting
at just over £6 million in 2012, the sales rose to close to £7 million in 2017. The projected
figure for 2022 is a little under £8 million, making it the biggest seller according to the
forecast, and the only department of the three to show a consistent increase in sales.

➤ Writing task 2
Nowadays, it is natural for young people to follow the lives of public figures from
the world of sport, music, cinema, or elsewhere. Many celebrities are excellent role
models for young people because they do great things outside of their professional
careers, such as helping to promote charitable causes. However admirable this may
be, I would argue that this is not the main responsibility of the celebrity.

First of all, it is important to remember that celebrities are human and, as such,
they are prone to human failings. Because they occupy a prominent place in the
public eye, these failings will come under the scrutiny of the press, who are more
than eager to reveal the slightest hint of scandal. In my opinion, this is wrong, and
we would do well to ignore this type of journalism. Whatever celebrities do in their
private lives should make no difference to the way we view their talent.

Secondly, celebrities who attract scandal, or who bring disgrace upon their
profession, will undoubtedly suffer as a consequence. For example, a footballer
who is involved in a crime might be unable to find a team willing to take him on, or
might lose very lucrative sponsorship deals. Avoiding such traps and temptations
constitutes a responsibility to themselves, not to their public.

I think it is up to the fans to draw a distinction between what a celebrity does in

their professional and private life. We should appreciate them for the talent they
have, rather than the person they are. There is no harm in being interested in
their private life, so long as we realise that this is secondary to what made them a
celebrity in the first place.

In conclusion, positive role models are a good thing but we should not elevate
celebrities to the level where we hero-worship them. We should accept that they are
human and, if they do controversial, immoral or illegal things, we should have the
common sense not to do likewise. Everyone, whether they are a celebrity or a fan,
needs to take responsibility for their own behaviour.

13
 IELTS

TEST 5 Sample writing tasks

Test 5
➤ Writing task 1
Writing task The graph shows the population figures for Blackhill and Newtown over a fifty-
year period. The data begins in the year 2000 and includes a projection up to the
1 and 2
year 2050.

Overall, it is apparent that, although at present Newtown has a lower population

than Blackhill, it is predicted to continue to rise and eventually overtake the total
population of Blackhill. The population of Blackhill will level out and eventually
decrease.

In 2000, there were more people living in Blackhill than in Newtown. Blackhill
had a population of around 17,000, while Newtown’s population was about
5,000. Newtown, however, saw a fairly steep rise in population, with a predicted
population of over 20,000 by the year 2020. In contrast, the population of Blackhill
has grown at a more modest rate, and is expected to be just over 25,000 in 2020.

The population growth of Blackhill is expected to slow down and, by 2030,

forecasts indicate that it will level out and then start to fall gradually, dropping to
25,000 by 2050. Newtown, however, shows no signs of a downturn and, although
the rate of growth will slow slightly, it will exceed the population of Blackhill
around 2030, eventually reaching a population of 35,000 by 2050.

➤ Writing task 2
Vegetarianism is a subject that attracts some extreme views. Some feel that it
is perfectly natural for us to eat meat, while others see it as unnecessary, even
barbaric and immoral. Although I am a meat-eater, I can see very good reasons
why this should be limited.

Firstly, from a health point of view, there is no doubt that a diet rich in meat has
several adverse effects. Links between certain cancers and regular consumption of
certain types of meat have been proven beyond doubt. For this reason alone, we
should consider reducing the amount of meat we eat. Avoiding meat completely
is a good idea, so long as the vegetarian diet followed is balanced and nutritious.

From the perspective of animal welfare, we can no longer pretend that conditions
in which animals are kept are conducive to a happy, humane existence. Some
animals barely see nature, are bred purely for the table, and suffer treatment
which can, in some cases, be described as brutal. If we are to continue eating
meat, we must do something to end this unnecessarily cruel treatment of animals.

Another compelling argument in favour of vegetarianism is that, if we all stopped

eating meat, there would easily be enough food to go round and it would mean
the end of hunger and famine. This is a very logical argument, especially when
we think that the amount of grain needed to breed cattle for beef products could
feed people directly, resulting in many more people being able to eat.

While I don’t see that forcing people to stop eating meat is a viable solution,
people should be encouraged to eat less of it. Perhaps the answer lies in a
compromise whereby we aim to have meat-free days, or perhaps only eat meat at
weekends or on special occasions.

14
 IELTS

Sample writing tasks

TEST 6

Test 6
➤ Writing task 1
The chart shows the preferred home activities of university students. By far the most Writing task
popular activity mentioned was using the Internet, so this category is further broken
down in the table. 1 and 2

Overall, it is apparent that considerably more students spend their free time online
than doing anything else. Of these, the majority are occupied either by watching
videos or by gaming.

65% of students said they would be most likely to spend their free time on the
Internet. The only two other activities mentioned were chosen by far fewer
respondents, with listening to music and reading being chosen by 15% and 10%
respectively. So few people chose reading that it is equivalent to all the choices
covered in the ‘other’ category.

The table gives detailed information about what exactly people chose to do when
they were online. Of these, watching videos was the most popular, at 35%, closely
followed by the 30% who spent their time gaming. Communicating with others
follows, at 15%, while reading articles only accounted for 12%. A small percentage
(8%) cited activities not covered by the categories above.

➤ Writing task 2
It is an unfortunate fact that most people will, at some time in their lives, fall victim
to crime. Each of us needs to play our part in keeping ourselves and our property
safe. In this way, we may be able to reduce the chances of becoming a victim.

By far the most serious crimes that concern me are crimes against the person.
Although the chances of being attacked randomly are small, the consequences are
dire, so we need to guard against such things. One obvious measure is to make sure
you are never alone, especially at night. Sometimes, however, this is impractical, so
the next best thing is to stay vigilant and always carry a charged mobile phone, with
credit and several numbers on speed-dial.

Of course, the very fact that we are carrying a phone might attract a certain type of
criminal. Pickpocketing and the theft of small items of value like mobile phones are
crimes that remain prevalent. We should always be discreet when handling these
items because having them on display makes us a more likely target. Street thieves
have developed very sophisticated ways to rob us of our cash and belongings.
Keeping them out of sight in a pocket is a wise precaution.

Finally, we are not exempt from attack even when we are at home, so crimes like
burglary can be a worry. Security lights, burglar alarms and high fences can all help,
but so can getting into the habit of always locking up and not allowing any valuables
to be visible from outside. The vast majority of home invasions are opportunistic. In
other words, the criminal sees the opportunity provided by an open window and acts
upon it. With everything clearly locked and valuables hidden from view, there is a
much lower risk.

In conclusion, we need to be wary of criminal activity at all times. However, I believe

that if we take the necessary precautions mentioned above, we should aim to live
our lives normally, rather than let the activities of a few make us feel insecure.
15
FOR THE ACADEMIC EXAMINATION

ANSWER KEY and

Sample writing tasks

Hamilton House IELTS Practice Tests is a set of six complete Academic IELTS
practice tests for the International English Language Testing System. The book
covers a wide range of typical exam topic areas and provides extensive practice
in all parts of the IELTS Academic exam: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
The first two tests are given with extra help for students, providing them with
important facts and advice for each particular task.

Key features:
• a full introduction to the examination
• a Task Guide which offers information on what to look out for and how to
approach each task type to score maximum points
• a Step-by-step Guide for each task, which takes students through a series
of carefully-designed steps, helping them understand how to tackle the task
in hand

Available as a free download:

• sample writing tasks for each test
• a complete audioscript for the listening tasks in each test
• audio files for the listening sections in each test
• separate answer key for each test

IELTS Practice Tests consists of:

IELTS Practice Tests Student’s Book
IELTS Practice Tests Teacher’s Book
IELTS Practice Tests Audio CDs
IELTS Practice Tests Answer key and Sample Writing Tasks

Downloadables available at: https://www.hamiltonhousepublishers.com/downloadables