Thứ Hai, 20 tháng 1, 2014

Sample Ielts Writing



Mình sưu tầm một số bài essay tham khảo:
New technologies and ways of buying and selling are transforming to the lives of consumers



New technologies and ways of buying and selling are transforming to the lives of consumers. To what extend do you agree or disagree with this opinion?






My essay:


The internet has undoubtedly changed the way people shop. In some countries, buying and selling products online has become commonplace. Enthusiasts claim that the internet offers consumers greater choice and flexibility. However, those who say that the internet is transforming the lives of consumers are going too far.






Firstly, although online shopping appears to offer greater convenience, it is often rather risky and cumbersome in practice. Consumers can not evaluate the quality of online products by handing them directly. Instead, they must rely on sellers to describe goods accurately in word and/or pictures. Mistakes can easily be made, leading to the inconvenience of having to exchange goods or seek a refund. Products bought online also normally need to be delivered by post. The convenience of online shopping thus hinges in part on the efficiency of the postal service.






Secondly, in spite of the promise of lower prices, internet shopping seldom offers substantial savings. A competitive marketplace ensures that large price differentials rapidly disappear as suppliers align themselves with one another. Also, the cost of postage is normally borne by the buyer. A product that appears to be a bargain on screen often turns out to be no cheaper than the same product bought in a shop. Not surprisingly, only one in ten purchases in the UK are made online.






For these reasons, internet shopping is likely to remain a minority pursuit. The continuing popularity of shopping in the traditional way suggests that consumers continue to value its advantages: the opportunity to sample, compare and buy products in a real as opposed to a virtual space.









What can be done to maintain biodiversity?



The importance of biodiversity is being more widely recognized as increasing numbers of species come under threat.

What can be done to maintain biodiversity?





My essay:

In recent years there has been growing awareness of the importance of preserving the world’s biological diversity. As increasing numbers of unique, and potentially useful, plants and animals come under threat, people are beginning to ask whether more can be done to reserve this trend.

One possible approach is to regulate agricultural and industrial activity so that pollution and disruption to natural habitats is kept to a minimum. People argue that economic prosperity must be curtailed if it comes at the expense of the environment. However, businesses affected are unlikely to comply with such a strategy. It may even generate hostility to conservation efforts generally if the economic costs are perceived to be too high.

An alternative approach would be to protect and expand nature reserves so that complete ecosystems can be kept intact. This would ensure that a minimum number of wild plants and animals would survive. However, although such places are indeed valuable, experience shows that it is difficult to protect rare plants and animals from exploitation. In fact, as some species, like the tiger, become rarer, the more valuable they become to poachers and others who seek to benefit from their trade.

A more effective approach is to educate the public about the benefits of biodiversity. Money should be invested in the research and development of the world's biological resources. Once people understand that there are real benefits to exploiting natural resources in a sustainable way, they are more likely to make the short-term sacrifices necessary to preserve natural habitats.


Sample IELTS writing #6





Convenience foods replace traditional method of food preparation.

Convenience foods will become increasingly prevalent and eventually replace traditional method of food preparation.


To what extend do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

My essay:

One of the most significant advances of civilization is the development of modern methods of food production and preparation. Convenience foods have now become the norm in many societies. Although some people idealize traditional cooking practices and believe they will prevail indefinitely, demographic trends suggest that this is unlikely to be the case. In fact, there are a number of reasons for believing that convenience foods are unlikely to grow in popularity.

The first reason is the decline in family size and the increase in single-adult households. In more traditional societies, where families tended to be large, it made economic sense for one person to devote him/herself to time-consuming domestic tasks such as growing and preparing foods. Nowadays, people tend to live in ever smaller families units. If each family were to spend large amounts of time growing and processing food, this would be a poor use of society’s human resource.

Another reason convenience foods are likely to become more popular is the increase in the number of adults, especially women with children, who work in full-time employment. In the UK, for example, working mothers significantly outnumber stay-at-home mothers. There is evidence that consumption of convenience foods rises with numbers of hours worked. As modern life increasingly demands that people are economically active, this trend is likely to continue.

Although many people still value traditional foods and methods of cooking, the trend towards smaller, dual-income households suggests that convenience foods are likely to continue to grow in popularity and may very well eventually replace traditional methods of food production and preparation.



Sample IELTS writing #5





How to reduce stress (2)



How to reduce stress


Stress is now a major problem in many countries around the world. However, we can reduce stress if we know its roots clearly.


First of all, high pressure can lead to stress especially time pressure. Fortunately, better time management is often regarded to be the key dealing with time pressure. Time management include setting priorities which needs to be done firstly and setting real goals. In addition, better time management helps people to have more time to relax, which enhance their mood and health.


Secondly, stress can came from low health. Solution to people in this case is taking more daily exercises which can make them feel better and release stress. However, if they have a vulnerable body, they should ask doctor before doing anything. Obviously, well-nourished body is better to cope with stress so we should eat a healthy diet and get away from caffeine, sugar, alcohol and nicotine.


Thirdly, people may become stressed if they do not share their problems and keep these inside. Simply changing the viewpoint may help them to see it from a more positive way. Moreover, they should share their feelings with close friends. Their friends can encourage and help them more than they expected. In some case, if they cannot talk their friends, the best way they can do is smiling. Recent researches show that smile can reduce the stress considerably.



There are many solutions for stress. However, people should choose the best way for themselves. They should start thinking in a positive way and enjoy their life from now.





Sample IELTS writing #4





Causes of stress



Model answer:


Nowadays, stress has become more widespread in our modern life. A day with 24 hours doesn’t seem to be enough time for our busy life. As a result of this, many people are suffering from stress and in this essay, I will describe three main causes of stress which are careers, relationships and health.





The first main cause is careers, known as work and study. Today, the more development does live have, the more pressure at work do people have to face. They have to choose being jobless or working under pressure of which both lead to stress. Moreover, many people don’t have a good time management skill, so they have to live under the difficulty off balancing work, study and relaxation. In brief, people who pay attention on their career may become victim of stress.





Secondly, having a relationship benefits humans but don’t you know that failure in relationship is a reason of stress. The relationships could be among family members, friends, and colleagues. For example, parents don’t have enough time to spend with their children; friends have no respect or feeling jealous with each other. As a consequence, they can’t come after that complicated relationships, and stress.





Lastly, people may stress because off bad health. Physical exercises are good for reducing tiredness and increasing health but they often ignore them or they don’t have enough time for them.






In summary, there have been more and more causes off stress. So the only thing we can do is find the good way to reduce stress as much as possible. We should think positively and enjoy our life instead of stress.

Sample IELTS writing #3






http://sampleieltswriting.blogspot.com/

BAI NGHE EILTS

Các bạn có thể tham khảo các bài nghe EILTS ở link bên dưới:
https://mega.co.nz/#F!V19FnAaQ!SQvjdHk-9GJpyh3SN-Gkbw

Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 9, 2013

WRITING (PET)

WRITING
Part 3
[Cfr. Hashemi, Thomas, PET Practice Tests Plus, Longman]

Write an answer to one of the questions (7 or 8) in this part.Write your answers in about 100 words on your answer sheet.
 Letters
(Question 7)
A) This is a part of a letter you receive from your English penfriend:
I guess you'll get this when you've just come back from your holiday. I'd like to hear about it. Where did you go? What did you do there. What sort of place did you stay in?
Now write a letter to this penfriend.
 

Sample answer 1: 
I went to Tenerife with my parents and my brother. It's an island in the Atlantic. The weather is warm and sunny there and it's very popular with people from northern Europe. My brother and I swam every day and played tennis. We also went on a tour of the island with my parents. In the evenings we went to the disco in our hotel. The hotel was very big, with lots of sports facilities and two swimming pools. I shared a room with my brother. We had a view of the sea. It was a great holiday. Wouldn't you like to go there one day? Best wishes, Kurt 

Sample answer 2: 
I went camping with some friends from my English class. We went to a village near the sea. We had three tents for seven people. Luckily one tent was quite big. The place was very pretty, but the weather was not very good. It was cloudy on several days and sometimes it rained. But we had a good time in spite of the weather. We did some walking and on two days we went diving with a local club. It was very exciting. There was an old ship under the water that we could explore. Was your holiday good? Write soon.Love 
Bettina

------------------
B) Last week you went to a birthday party. This is a part of a letter you have received from your English penfriend, Annabel:
In your last letter you said you were going to a birthday party. Please tell me what you did at the party. What present did you take for your friend? Did everyone enjoy themselves?
Now write a letter to Annabel answering her questions.
 

Sample answer 1: 
Dear Annabel It was my friend Bobby's 21st birthday. His parents hired a room in a hotel and paid for a disco. I danced for four hours! I took Bobby a cowboy hat as a present. It's a real one I bought in America. I guess he liked it because he wore it all evening. 
There were about 60 people there. I knew most of them and they all seemed to enjoy themselves very much. I met one girl who I really liked. I'm going to see her again next weekend. In my opinion, it was a great party.
All the best, Simon 

Sample answer 2: 
Dear Annabel You wanted to know about my friend Luisa's birthday. We listened to some music and then we watched a video. The music was great. It was a CD Luisa got for her birthday, but the film was very silly. Luisa's older sister Martina was there and Martina's boyfriend and four other friends. I hadn't met Martina before. She's very pretty, and her boyfriend told some good jokes. They are both at university and they talked about that. We all had a good time. I took Luisa some expensive handcream and soap. She said she really liked it. Write back soon.
Love from Carla
------------------
C) You are going to stay with an English family This is part of a letter you received from them:
Can you tell us about your work or school, your hobbies and interests and say what you hope to do while you are in England?
Now write a letter to this family.

Sample answer 1: 
I am sixteen and I go to school here in Bern. I am studying a lot of different subjects, but my favourites are languages and biology. In my free time I like to go swimming, and of course skiing in the winter. I'm also keen on reading, especially detective novels. When I have time, I like to look around the shops with my friends because we enjoy trying on new clothes. I'm looking forward to coming to England and meeting you all. I hope I'll be able to visit some different cities in England, including London. Thank you for inviting me. Yours sincerely, Ursula Haupt 
 

Sample answer 2: 
It's very kind of you to invite me to stay with you. I suppose you'd like to know something about me. I'm nineteen and I live and work in Malaga. I'm one of the receptionists at a hotel. I meet lots of English tourists, so I'm looking forward to seeing England. In my free time I do watersports and I go horse-riding. I enjoy playing the guitar and singing, too. 

I'd like to try some real English food while I'm in England. I'd also be interested to visit some famous historical places, such as Stonehenge, if that's possible. 
Is there anything special I can bring you from Spain? 
With best wishes,
Miguel

------------------
D) This is part of a letter you receive from an English penfriend: 
I always go shopping with my friends at the weekend. What do you like buying when you go shopping? What kind of shops are there near where you live? 
Now write a letter answering your penfriend’s questions.
Sample answer 1:
 
I always go shopping on Saturdays. I get up late, then I meet my friends in the town centre. Sometimes we go to a café first, then we look at all the shops in the shopping centre. I like buying clothes best, but I also look for CDs. Sometimes there are sales. I'm happy then because I don't have much money to spend. There are lots of different shops in my town selling everything you need. We have plenty of good clothes shops, but there aren't many good shops for buying shoes. 
 
Sample answer 2
I live in a village which has only three shops - a baker's, a butcher's and a very small supermarket. I sometimes do the shopping for my mother there. At the weekend I often catch the bus with my friends to the town and we spend the day there because there are lots of shops. A lot of them sell food, but we like looking at the sports shops. When I have some money, I like to buy sports equipment and trainers. I sometimes buy CDs or clothes, but the clothes in my favourite shop are very expensive.


Stories(Question 8)
A) Your English teacher has asked you to write a story. Your story must have this title:
My lucky day.
 Sample answer 1: 
Last Wednesday started really badly for me. I woke up late and I had to leave the house without any breakfast. At school, I realised I had forgotten my books, so I ran home between lessons to fetch them. I was one minute late for the next lesson. 
The teacher asked me why I was late and I explained. He was surprised because he knows where I live. "If you can run that fast, you should come and play football on Saturday." I did, and I was amazed when he offered me a place on the team. So Wednesday was a lucky day for me!

Sample answer 2: 
M
y lucky day was a few weeks ago. I needed 50 euros to buy a new CD player, but I had saved only 40. 1 decided to go to the city centre to find a cheaper one. The tram costs 3 euros, but there was a problem with the ticket machine. I got on the tram, but I didn't have to pay. Then I went to the music store and saw that the CD player I wanted was cheaper than before, only 37 euros. So I was able to buy it, and I had enough money for the tram home.

------------------

B) Your English teacher has asked you to write a story. Your story must begin with these words:

I had just finished getting dressed when the doorbell rang.

Sample answer: 
I had just finished getting dressed when the doorbell rang. I ran downstairs and got into the taxi. The driver took me to the television company's offices.
'I'm here for the music competition,' I told the receptionist. I was taken to a waiting room. There were several other people there, some of them had musical instruments.
We could hear a singer in the studio next door. I was so nervous that I was shaking.
At last it was time for me to perform.
I sang well but I wasn't good to win. However, I made some new friends while I was waiting and we've started our own band. One day we'll be famous.
------------------
C) Your English teacher has asked you to write a story. Your story must have this title:
A new friend.
Sample answer Children were afraid of our neighbour Jordan Jenkins because he never spoke, but my mother said he was lonely and she sometimes invited him to dinner.
One week, my homework was to find out about the Second World War.
`Ask Jordan,' said my mother. `He was a soldier.'
At first I was frightened, but in the end I went to see him. We had a very interesting conversation. He showed me photos and let me try on his army cap and helped me to write my homework. I realised that he was shy, not unfriendly. Now we're friends and I often visit him.

------------------
D) Your English teacher has asked you to write a story. Your story must begin with this sentence:
I got off the train and waved to my brother, who was waiting on the platform
Sample answerI got off the train and waved to my brother, who was waiting on the platform. He called to me. "Hurry" he said "I've come in the car so we can get home quickly." I couldn't understand why he wanted to hurry because I was looking forward to having a rest at home. "Why do we need to hurry?" I asked. But he didn't tell me. When we went into the flat I noticed several suitcases in the hall. Then my mother told me. She had won a holiday in Greece in a radio competition. She told me not to unpack because there was no time. So instead of relaxing at home, I had a lovely holiday on the beach in Greece. 

(Sưu tầm)

Thứ Sáu, 30 tháng 8, 2013

English Collocations in Use

English Collocations in Use: Advanced

Cambridge: English Collocations in Use (Advanced) PDF

Download tại đây









Preliminary English Test (PET)


Practice test

Download a full PET Practice test with answer key, recording scripts and audio below.


PET for Schools Practice Test

Complete PET for Spanish Speakers includes a model PET for Schools practice test in the Student's Book. The complete test, with answer key, recording scripts and audio, can also be downloaded from here:

Wordlist with definitions

http://www.cambridge.org/servlet/file/store7/item5632981/version1/ObjPET_WLM_WithDefinitions.pdf

ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE

Đề thi B1 Châu Âu

Đề thi PDF


Thứ Hai, 20 tháng 1, 2014

Sample Ielts Writing



Mình sưu tầm một số bài essay tham khảo:
New technologies and ways of buying and selling are transforming to the lives of consumers



New technologies and ways of buying and selling are transforming to the lives of consumers. To what extend do you agree or disagree with this opinion?






My essay:


The internet has undoubtedly changed the way people shop. In some countries, buying and selling products online has become commonplace. Enthusiasts claim that the internet offers consumers greater choice and flexibility. However, those who say that the internet is transforming the lives of consumers are going too far.






Firstly, although online shopping appears to offer greater convenience, it is often rather risky and cumbersome in practice. Consumers can not evaluate the quality of online products by handing them directly. Instead, they must rely on sellers to describe goods accurately in word and/or pictures. Mistakes can easily be made, leading to the inconvenience of having to exchange goods or seek a refund. Products bought online also normally need to be delivered by post. The convenience of online shopping thus hinges in part on the efficiency of the postal service.






Secondly, in spite of the promise of lower prices, internet shopping seldom offers substantial savings. A competitive marketplace ensures that large price differentials rapidly disappear as suppliers align themselves with one another. Also, the cost of postage is normally borne by the buyer. A product that appears to be a bargain on screen often turns out to be no cheaper than the same product bought in a shop. Not surprisingly, only one in ten purchases in the UK are made online.






For these reasons, internet shopping is likely to remain a minority pursuit. The continuing popularity of shopping in the traditional way suggests that consumers continue to value its advantages: the opportunity to sample, compare and buy products in a real as opposed to a virtual space.









What can be done to maintain biodiversity?



The importance of biodiversity is being more widely recognized as increasing numbers of species come under threat.

What can be done to maintain biodiversity?





My essay:

In recent years there has been growing awareness of the importance of preserving the world’s biological diversity. As increasing numbers of unique, and potentially useful, plants and animals come under threat, people are beginning to ask whether more can be done to reserve this trend.

One possible approach is to regulate agricultural and industrial activity so that pollution and disruption to natural habitats is kept to a minimum. People argue that economic prosperity must be curtailed if it comes at the expense of the environment. However, businesses affected are unlikely to comply with such a strategy. It may even generate hostility to conservation efforts generally if the economic costs are perceived to be too high.

An alternative approach would be to protect and expand nature reserves so that complete ecosystems can be kept intact. This would ensure that a minimum number of wild plants and animals would survive. However, although such places are indeed valuable, experience shows that it is difficult to protect rare plants and animals from exploitation. In fact, as some species, like the tiger, become rarer, the more valuable they become to poachers and others who seek to benefit from their trade.

A more effective approach is to educate the public about the benefits of biodiversity. Money should be invested in the research and development of the world's biological resources. Once people understand that there are real benefits to exploiting natural resources in a sustainable way, they are more likely to make the short-term sacrifices necessary to preserve natural habitats.


Sample IELTS writing #6





Convenience foods replace traditional method of food preparation.

Convenience foods will become increasingly prevalent and eventually replace traditional method of food preparation.


To what extend do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

My essay:

One of the most significant advances of civilization is the development of modern methods of food production and preparation. Convenience foods have now become the norm in many societies. Although some people idealize traditional cooking practices and believe they will prevail indefinitely, demographic trends suggest that this is unlikely to be the case. In fact, there are a number of reasons for believing that convenience foods are unlikely to grow in popularity.

The first reason is the decline in family size and the increase in single-adult households. In more traditional societies, where families tended to be large, it made economic sense for one person to devote him/herself to time-consuming domestic tasks such as growing and preparing foods. Nowadays, people tend to live in ever smaller families units. If each family were to spend large amounts of time growing and processing food, this would be a poor use of society’s human resource.

Another reason convenience foods are likely to become more popular is the increase in the number of adults, especially women with children, who work in full-time employment. In the UK, for example, working mothers significantly outnumber stay-at-home mothers. There is evidence that consumption of convenience foods rises with numbers of hours worked. As modern life increasingly demands that people are economically active, this trend is likely to continue.

Although many people still value traditional foods and methods of cooking, the trend towards smaller, dual-income households suggests that convenience foods are likely to continue to grow in popularity and may very well eventually replace traditional methods of food production and preparation.



Sample IELTS writing #5





How to reduce stress (2)



How to reduce stress


Stress is now a major problem in many countries around the world. However, we can reduce stress if we know its roots clearly.


First of all, high pressure can lead to stress especially time pressure. Fortunately, better time management is often regarded to be the key dealing with time pressure. Time management include setting priorities which needs to be done firstly and setting real goals. In addition, better time management helps people to have more time to relax, which enhance their mood and health.


Secondly, stress can came from low health. Solution to people in this case is taking more daily exercises which can make them feel better and release stress. However, if they have a vulnerable body, they should ask doctor before doing anything. Obviously, well-nourished body is better to cope with stress so we should eat a healthy diet and get away from caffeine, sugar, alcohol and nicotine.


Thirdly, people may become stressed if they do not share their problems and keep these inside. Simply changing the viewpoint may help them to see it from a more positive way. Moreover, they should share their feelings with close friends. Their friends can encourage and help them more than they expected. In some case, if they cannot talk their friends, the best way they can do is smiling. Recent researches show that smile can reduce the stress considerably.



There are many solutions for stress. However, people should choose the best way for themselves. They should start thinking in a positive way and enjoy their life from now.





Sample IELTS writing #4





Causes of stress



Model answer:


Nowadays, stress has become more widespread in our modern life. A day with 24 hours doesn’t seem to be enough time for our busy life. As a result of this, many people are suffering from stress and in this essay, I will describe three main causes of stress which are careers, relationships and health.





The first main cause is careers, known as work and study. Today, the more development does live have, the more pressure at work do people have to face. They have to choose being jobless or working under pressure of which both lead to stress. Moreover, many people don’t have a good time management skill, so they have to live under the difficulty off balancing work, study and relaxation. In brief, people who pay attention on their career may become victim of stress.





Secondly, having a relationship benefits humans but don’t you know that failure in relationship is a reason of stress. The relationships could be among family members, friends, and colleagues. For example, parents don’t have enough time to spend with their children; friends have no respect or feeling jealous with each other. As a consequence, they can’t come after that complicated relationships, and stress.





Lastly, people may stress because off bad health. Physical exercises are good for reducing tiredness and increasing health but they often ignore them or they don’t have enough time for them.






In summary, there have been more and more causes off stress. So the only thing we can do is find the good way to reduce stress as much as possible. We should think positively and enjoy our life instead of stress.

Sample IELTS writing #3






http://sampleieltswriting.blogspot.com/

BAI NGHE EILTS

Các bạn có thể tham khảo các bài nghe EILTS ở link bên dưới:
https://mega.co.nz/#F!V19FnAaQ!SQvjdHk-9GJpyh3SN-Gkbw

Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 9, 2013

WRITING (PET)

WRITING
Part 3
[Cfr. Hashemi, Thomas, PET Practice Tests Plus, Longman]

Write an answer to one of the questions (7 or 8) in this part.Write your answers in about 100 words on your answer sheet.
 Letters
(Question 7)
A) This is a part of a letter you receive from your English penfriend:
I guess you'll get this when you've just come back from your holiday. I'd like to hear about it. Where did you go? What did you do there. What sort of place did you stay in?
Now write a letter to this penfriend.
 

Sample answer 1: 
I went to Tenerife with my parents and my brother. It's an island in the Atlantic. The weather is warm and sunny there and it's very popular with people from northern Europe. My brother and I swam every day and played tennis. We also went on a tour of the island with my parents. In the evenings we went to the disco in our hotel. The hotel was very big, with lots of sports facilities and two swimming pools. I shared a room with my brother. We had a view of the sea. It was a great holiday. Wouldn't you like to go there one day? Best wishes, Kurt 

Sample answer 2: 
I went camping with some friends from my English class. We went to a village near the sea. We had three tents for seven people. Luckily one tent was quite big. The place was very pretty, but the weather was not very good. It was cloudy on several days and sometimes it rained. But we had a good time in spite of the weather. We did some walking and on two days we went diving with a local club. It was very exciting. There was an old ship under the water that we could explore. Was your holiday good? Write soon.Love 
Bettina

------------------
B) Last week you went to a birthday party. This is a part of a letter you have received from your English penfriend, Annabel:
In your last letter you said you were going to a birthday party. Please tell me what you did at the party. What present did you take for your friend? Did everyone enjoy themselves?
Now write a letter to Annabel answering her questions.
 

Sample answer 1: 
Dear Annabel It was my friend Bobby's 21st birthday. His parents hired a room in a hotel and paid for a disco. I danced for four hours! I took Bobby a cowboy hat as a present. It's a real one I bought in America. I guess he liked it because he wore it all evening. 
There were about 60 people there. I knew most of them and they all seemed to enjoy themselves very much. I met one girl who I really liked. I'm going to see her again next weekend. In my opinion, it was a great party.
All the best, Simon 

Sample answer 2: 
Dear Annabel You wanted to know about my friend Luisa's birthday. We listened to some music and then we watched a video. The music was great. It was a CD Luisa got for her birthday, but the film was very silly. Luisa's older sister Martina was there and Martina's boyfriend and four other friends. I hadn't met Martina before. She's very pretty, and her boyfriend told some good jokes. They are both at university and they talked about that. We all had a good time. I took Luisa some expensive handcream and soap. She said she really liked it. Write back soon.
Love from Carla
------------------
C) You are going to stay with an English family This is part of a letter you received from them:
Can you tell us about your work or school, your hobbies and interests and say what you hope to do while you are in England?
Now write a letter to this family.

Sample answer 1: 
I am sixteen and I go to school here in Bern. I am studying a lot of different subjects, but my favourites are languages and biology. In my free time I like to go swimming, and of course skiing in the winter. I'm also keen on reading, especially detective novels. When I have time, I like to look around the shops with my friends because we enjoy trying on new clothes. I'm looking forward to coming to England and meeting you all. I hope I'll be able to visit some different cities in England, including London. Thank you for inviting me. Yours sincerely, Ursula Haupt 
 

Sample answer 2: 
It's very kind of you to invite me to stay with you. I suppose you'd like to know something about me. I'm nineteen and I live and work in Malaga. I'm one of the receptionists at a hotel. I meet lots of English tourists, so I'm looking forward to seeing England. In my free time I do watersports and I go horse-riding. I enjoy playing the guitar and singing, too. 

I'd like to try some real English food while I'm in England. I'd also be interested to visit some famous historical places, such as Stonehenge, if that's possible. 
Is there anything special I can bring you from Spain? 
With best wishes,
Miguel

------------------
D) This is part of a letter you receive from an English penfriend: 
I always go shopping with my friends at the weekend. What do you like buying when you go shopping? What kind of shops are there near where you live? 
Now write a letter answering your penfriend’s questions.
Sample answer 1:
 
I always go shopping on Saturdays. I get up late, then I meet my friends in the town centre. Sometimes we go to a café first, then we look at all the shops in the shopping centre. I like buying clothes best, but I also look for CDs. Sometimes there are sales. I'm happy then because I don't have much money to spend. There are lots of different shops in my town selling everything you need. We have plenty of good clothes shops, but there aren't many good shops for buying shoes. 
 
Sample answer 2
I live in a village which has only three shops - a baker's, a butcher's and a very small supermarket. I sometimes do the shopping for my mother there. At the weekend I often catch the bus with my friends to the town and we spend the day there because there are lots of shops. A lot of them sell food, but we like looking at the sports shops. When I have some money, I like to buy sports equipment and trainers. I sometimes buy CDs or clothes, but the clothes in my favourite shop are very expensive.


Stories(Question 8)
A) Your English teacher has asked you to write a story. Your story must have this title:
My lucky day.
 Sample answer 1: 
Last Wednesday started really badly for me. I woke up late and I had to leave the house without any breakfast. At school, I realised I had forgotten my books, so I ran home between lessons to fetch them. I was one minute late for the next lesson. 
The teacher asked me why I was late and I explained. He was surprised because he knows where I live. "If you can run that fast, you should come and play football on Saturday." I did, and I was amazed when he offered me a place on the team. So Wednesday was a lucky day for me!

Sample answer 2: 
M
y lucky day was a few weeks ago. I needed 50 euros to buy a new CD player, but I had saved only 40. 1 decided to go to the city centre to find a cheaper one. The tram costs 3 euros, but there was a problem with the ticket machine. I got on the tram, but I didn't have to pay. Then I went to the music store and saw that the CD player I wanted was cheaper than before, only 37 euros. So I was able to buy it, and I had enough money for the tram home.

------------------

B) Your English teacher has asked you to write a story. Your story must begin with these words:

I had just finished getting dressed when the doorbell rang.

Sample answer: 
I had just finished getting dressed when the doorbell rang. I ran downstairs and got into the taxi. The driver took me to the television company's offices.
'I'm here for the music competition,' I told the receptionist. I was taken to a waiting room. There were several other people there, some of them had musical instruments.
We could hear a singer in the studio next door. I was so nervous that I was shaking.
At last it was time for me to perform.
I sang well but I wasn't good to win. However, I made some new friends while I was waiting and we've started our own band. One day we'll be famous.
------------------
C) Your English teacher has asked you to write a story. Your story must have this title:
A new friend.
Sample answer Children were afraid of our neighbour Jordan Jenkins because he never spoke, but my mother said he was lonely and she sometimes invited him to dinner.
One week, my homework was to find out about the Second World War.
`Ask Jordan,' said my mother. `He was a soldier.'
At first I was frightened, but in the end I went to see him. We had a very interesting conversation. He showed me photos and let me try on his army cap and helped me to write my homework. I realised that he was shy, not unfriendly. Now we're friends and I often visit him.

------------------
D) Your English teacher has asked you to write a story. Your story must begin with this sentence:
I got off the train and waved to my brother, who was waiting on the platform
Sample answerI got off the train and waved to my brother, who was waiting on the platform. He called to me. "Hurry" he said "I've come in the car so we can get home quickly." I couldn't understand why he wanted to hurry because I was looking forward to having a rest at home. "Why do we need to hurry?" I asked. But he didn't tell me. When we went into the flat I noticed several suitcases in the hall. Then my mother told me. She had won a holiday in Greece in a radio competition. She told me not to unpack because there was no time. So instead of relaxing at home, I had a lovely holiday on the beach in Greece. 

(Sưu tầm)

Thứ Bảy, 31 tháng 8, 2013

Thứ Sáu, 30 tháng 8, 2013

English Collocations in Use

English Collocations in Use: Advanced

Cambridge: English Collocations in Use (Advanced) PDF

Download tại đây









Preliminary English Test (PET)


Practice test

Download a full PET Practice test with answer key, recording scripts and audio below.


PET for Schools Practice Test

Complete PET for Spanish Speakers includes a model PET for Schools practice test in the Student's Book. The complete test, with answer key, recording scripts and audio, can also be downloaded from here:

Wordlist with definitions

http://www.cambridge.org/servlet/file/store7/item5632981/version1/ObjPET_WLM_WithDefinitions.pdf

ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE

Đề thi B1 Châu Âu

Đề thi PDF