اختبار آيلتس تجريبي.. Test I

اختبار آيلتس أكاديمي تجريبي كامل ومجاني من دليلك (Test I): القراءة (3 نصوص، 40 سؤالًا) والاستماع (4 أجزاء، 40 سؤالًا) والكتابة (مهمتان) والمحادثة (3 أجزاء). الإجابة الصحيحة والشرح تحت كل سؤال بضغطة على «اعرض الإجابة»، لمن يستعد للآيلتس ويريد يتدرّب ويراجع أخطاءه.

حل الأسئلة أولًا ثم افتح الإجابة، أو ابدأ الاختبار التفاعلي بالوقت ليُصحَّح تلقائيًا مع باند تقديري. أصوات الاستماع تعمل في الاختبار التفاعلي، ونصها هنا تحت كل جزء.

القراءة الأكاديمية.. Reading

3 نصوص و40 سؤالًا في 60 دقيقة.

ابدأ الاختبار التفاعلي بالوقت

Passage 1: Mapping the World: A History of Cartography

ALong before any coastline had been accurately measured, early societies were already attempting to record the shape of their surroundings. The oldest surviving map of the known world is a small clay tablet from Babylon, dated to roughly the sixth century BC, which shows the city at the centre of a circular disc surrounded by a ring of water, with a handful of named regions arranged around it. Ancient Egyptian surveyors, meanwhile, produced far more practical documents: strips of land recorded for taxation purposes after the annual flooding of the Nile redrew field boundaries each year. Neither tradition aimed at geographic accuracy in the modern sense; the Babylonian tablet was as much a statement of cosmology as of geography, while Egyptian land records served an administrative rather than an exploratory purpose. It would be several centuries before mapmaking began to separate itself clearly from myth and taxation alike.

BThat separation owes a great deal to the Alexandrian scholar Claudius Ptolemy, whose eight-volume work Geographia, compiled in the second century AD, set out a system of latitude and longitude that allowed any location to be plotted by coordinate rather than by verbal description alone. Ptolemy compiled data from earlier travellers and traders, cross-referencing distances reported along trade routes, and the resulting maps, though never physically surveyed, mark the first serious attempt to render the inhabited world to a consistent mathematical scale. Ptolemy's estimate of the Earth's total circumference, however, was substantially too small, an error that survived largely unchallenged in Europe for over a thousand years. When Christopher Columbus later relied on a figure derived from Ptolemy's underestimate to calculate the distance westward to Asia, he badly misjudged the size of the ocean he was crossing, a miscalculation historians now credit with strengthening his resolve to sail regardless of the risk.

CFor much of the medieval period, European mapmaking drifted away from Ptolemy's mathematical ambitions. The mappae mundi produced by monastic scribes were organised around theological rather than geographical logic, typically placing Jerusalem at the centre of the page and arranging the three known continents in a stylised T-shape within an encircling O of ocean. These documents, of which the Hereford Mappa Mundi is the largest surviving example, were never intended as practical navigational aids; they functioned instead as visual encyclopaedias, crowded with biblical scenes, mythical creatures and moral lessons alongside geographic features. Sailors of the period, faced with genuinely hazardous coastal waters, relied on entirely different and far more functional documents.

DThose functional documents were portolan charts, which emerged in Mediterranean ports from the thirteenth century onward. Drawn directly from compass bearings and estimated sailing distances rather than from any mathematical projection, portolan charts crisscrossed the sea with the straight rhumb lines from which sailors could plot a compass course between ports, and their coastal outlines were often startlingly accurate for instruments produced without formal survey. The single most influential advance in navigational mapmaking, though, came in 1569, when the Flemish geographer Gerardus Mercator published a projection that preserved compass bearings as straight lines across the entire map, at the cost of dramatically exaggerating the size of landmasses near the poles. Sailors adopted the Mercator projection almost immediately because it let them plot a straight-line course with a ruler; the distortion this convenience introduced, inflating Greenland to appear larger than Africa despite being roughly one-fourteenth its actual size, would later become a familiar point of criticism among geographers.

ENational governments took a further step toward accuracy in the eighteenth century by adopting triangulation, a technique that calculates unknown distances from a single measured baseline and a network of angles observed between fixed points. Britain's Ordnance Survey, established in 1791 initially to map the south coast against the threat of French invasion, extended this method across the entire country over the following decades, producing maps of a precision no earlier civilian survey had approached. The project's name preserves its military origin: the Board of Ordnance was the government department responsible for supplying the army, and the survey was originally a defence measure rather than a public convenience. Comparable national surveys followed across Europe, each replacing older, looser sketches with maps anchored to precisely measured trigonometric points.

FThe twentieth century brought two further transformations. Aerial photography, developed during the First World War for reconnaissance, allowed cartographers to verify ground features from directly overhead rather than relying solely on surveyors walking the land, and by mid-century it had become the standard method for updating national map series. Satellite imagery and the Global Positioning System, operational for civilian use from the 1990s, then compressed the whole process further, allowing a location to be fixed to within a few metres almost anywhere on Earth within seconds. The most recent shift has been driven not by better instruments but by participation: platforms such as OpenStreetMap now rely on volunteers to record and correct map data collaboratively, a crowd-sourced model that would have been unimaginable to the monastic scribes who once copied mappae mundi by hand, yet one that ultimately serves the same basic purpose those scribes served: helping people understand where they stand in relation to the wider world.

rhumb line:
a line on a map crossing all meridians at the same angle, used to plot a constant compass course
triangulation:
a surveying technique that calculates unknown distances from a measured baseline and a network of observed angles

أسئلة النص 1

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1? Write TRUE if the statement agrees with the information, FALSE if the statement contradicts the information, NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

  1. 1The Babylonian clay tablet places the city of Babylon at the edge of the circular map.

    TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    FALSE

    "'shows the city at the centre of a circular disc surrounded by a ring of water' (Paragraph A)"

    ليش صحيح: النص يذكر أن بابل في المركز لا الحافة.. تناقض مباشر في الموقع.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست TRUE بسبب التناقض الصريح، وليست NOT GIVEN لأن الموقع مذكور بوضوح.

  2. 2Egyptian land records were updated annually because Nile flooding altered field boundaries.

    TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    TRUE

    "'strips of land recorded for taxation purposes after the annual flooding of the Nile redrew field boundaries each year' (Paragraph A)"

    ليش صحيح: إعادة صياغة مباشرة لحقيقة مؤكدة في النص.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست FALSE لعدم وجود تناقض، وليست NOT GIVEN لأن السبب مذكور صراحة.

  3. 3Ptolemy personally travelled to every location recorded in his Geographia.

    TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    FALSE

    "'the resulting maps, though never physically surveyed' (Paragraph B)"

    ليش صحيح: النص ينفي صراحة أي مسح ميداني فعلي، فتظهر العبارة متناقضة معه.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست TRUE بسبب النفي الصريح، وليست NOT GIVEN لأن النص يوضح الأمر بوضوح.

  4. 4Columbus's miscalculation of the distance to Asia was based partly on Ptolemy's circumference estimate.

    TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    TRUE

    "'Columbus later relied on a figure derived from Ptolemy's underestimate to calculate the distance westward to Asia' (Paragraph B)"

    ليش صحيح: إعادة صياغة مباشرة للرابط المذكور في النص.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست FALSE لعدم وجود تناقض، وليست NOT GIVEN لأن الرابط مذكور صراحة.

  5. 5The scribe who created the Hereford Mappa Mundi had personally travelled to Jerusalem.

    TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    NOT GIVEN

    "'the Hereford Mappa Mundi is the largest surviving example' (Paragraph C)"

    ليش صحيح: النص يذكر الخريطة كمثال لكنه لا يذكر أبدًا سفر صانعها إلى القدس.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست TRUE لعدم وجود تأكيد، وليست FALSE لعدم وجود نفي صريح.

  6. 6The Ordnance Survey was created purely for civilian purposes, unconnected to any military concern.

    TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    FALSE

    "'established in 1791 initially to map the south coast against the threat of French invasion... originally a defence measure rather than a public convenience' (Paragraph E)"

    ليش صحيح: النص يذكر أصلًا عسكريًا واضحًا، عكس ما تدّعيه العبارة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست TRUE بسبب التناقض الصريح، وليست NOT GIVEN لأن الأصل العسكري مذكور بوضوح.

  7. 7Volunteers contributing to OpenStreetMap must complete formal cartographic training before editing the platform.

    TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    NOT GIVEN

    "'platforms such as OpenStreetMap now rely on volunteers to record and correct map data collaboratively' (Paragraph F)"

    ليش صحيح: النص يذكر مشاركة المتطوعين لكنه لا يذكر أي شرط تدريب رسمي.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست TRUE لعدم وجود تأكيد، وليست FALSE لعدم وجود نفي صريح.

Complete the notes below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Ancient Babylon: clay tablet map centred on the city, surrounded by a ring of (8) ________

Ptolemy's Geographia: a system of (9) ________ and longitude for plotting locations

Medieval Europe: mappae mundi arranged in a stylised (10) ________ shape, centred on Jerusalem

1569: the Mercator projection preserves compass bearings as (11) ________ lines

1791: the Ordnance Survey established to map the coast against the threat of (12) ________ invasion

1990s: GPS allows a location to be fixed to within a few (13) ________

  1. 8Question 8

    اعرض الإجابة

    water

    "'surrounded by a ring of water' (Paragraph A)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة مأخوذة حرفيًا من النص.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: أي كلمة أخرى غير مذكورة في هذا الموضع.

  2. 9Question 9

    اعرض الإجابة

    latitude

    "'set out a system of latitude and longitude' (Paragraph B)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة الدقيقة المستخدمة لوصف نظام بطليموس.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: كلمات أخرى غير مذكورة في هذا السياق.

  3. 10Question 10

    اعرض الإجابة

    T

    "'arranging the three known continents in a stylised T-shape' (Paragraph C)"

    ليش صحيح: الحرف الدقيق المستخدم لوصف شكل الخريطة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: أي حرف آخر غير مذكور في هذا الموضع.

  4. 11Question 11

    اعرض الإجابة

    straight

    "'preserved compass bearings as straight lines across the entire map' (Paragraph D)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة الدقيقة المستخدمة لوصف خطوط بروجكشن ميركاتور.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: كلمات أخرى مثل curved تناقض النص مباشرة.

  5. 12Question 12

    اعرض الإجابة

    French

    "'against the threat of French invasion' (Paragraph E)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة الدقيقة لمصدر التهديد المذكور.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: أي جنسية أخرى غير مذكورة في النص.

  6. 13Question 13

    اعرض الإجابة

    metres / meters

    "'allowing a location to be fixed to within a few metres' (Paragraph F)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة الدقيقة لوحدة القياس المذكورة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: وحدات أخرى مثل kilometres تناقض الدقة المذكورة في النص.

Passage 2: How Wildlife Adapts to City Life

AA century ago, the sight of a fox trotting down a city street after dark would have struck most residents as remarkable. Today, in cities across Europe and North America, foxes, coyotes, raccoons and a growing list of bird species have become such familiar fixtures of urban life that their presence barely draws comment. Ecologists increasingly describe this shift not as an accident of tolerance but as evidence of genuine adaptation: species that once avoided human settlement almost entirely are now actively exploiting the resources cities offer, from discarded food to the relative absence of large predators. The pace of this change has surprised many researchers, who had long assumed that urbanisation would mostly displace wildlife rather than reshape it. What is emerging instead is a more complicated picture, in which some species do disappear from cities while others adjust, sometimes within a handful of generations, to thrive there.

BSome of the clearest evidence for adaptation lies in altered behaviour rather than altered biology. Urban foxes, for instance, have been observed foraging at almost any hour, in contrast to their rural counterparts, which remain far more strictly nocturnal; researchers attribute the shift to street lighting and a food supply that is available around the clock rather than concentrated at dusk. Birdsong offers an even more measurable case: several studies of urban great tits and blackbirds have found that individuals nesting close to busy roads sing at a noticeably higher pitch than birds of the same species in quieter rural woodland, a change that appears to help their calls carry above the low-frequency rumble of traffic. Neither adjustment requires a single generation to prove permanent, but both illustrate how quickly behaviour, rather than physical form, can bend to accommodate a new environment.

CA smaller but growing body of research points to changes that go deeper than behaviour alone. Urban blackbirds in parts of Europe have been found to migrate shorter distances, or abandon migration altogether, compared with populations in the surrounding countryside, a difference that has persisted across enough generations to suggest a genuine shift in the underlying population rather than a temporary response by individual birds. Similar patterns have been documented in urban populations of certain moths and beetles, where colouration and size have measurably diverged from rural relatives within a few decades. Scientists remain cautious about how far to extend such claims, since separating a true genetic shift from a flexible individual response requires controlled breeding studies that are rarely practical to run on wild urban populations, but the accumulating evidence increasingly favours genuine, if modest, evolutionary change.

DNone of this adaptation comes without cost. Roads remain a significant cause of death for urban mammals, and animals that grow accustomed to human food sources are also more likely to ingest rodenticides and other poisons intended for pest species rather than for foxes or birds of prey. Urban populations can additionally become genetically isolated from their rural counterparts, since busy roads and dense development interrupt the movement corridors that would otherwise allow individuals to disperse and interbreed across a wider area; over time, this isolation can reduce genetic diversity within a city's population, leaving it more vulnerable to disease. Conflict with residents adds a further complication, since a species praised as a conservation success in one context is frequently treated as a nuisance, or worse a pest to be removed, in another.

ECity planners and conservationists have begun responding to these tensions with deliberate design rather than incidental tolerance. Wildlife corridors, strips of connected green space threading between parks, waterways and residential gardens, are increasingly built into new developments specifically to counter the genetic isolation that dense city blocks otherwise produce. Some municipalities have gone further, redesigning road crossings with underpasses or reduced lighting at known wildlife routes, and revising pest-control guidance to reduce the risk that rodenticides pass up the food chain to urban predators. Advocates argue that treating urban wildlife as a planning consideration, rather than an afterthought, offers cities a genuine opportunity to support biodiversity even as they continue to grow; critics counter that such measures remain patchy and underfunded compared with the scale of the pressures urban wildlife now faces.

nocturnal:
active mainly at night rather than during the day
wildlife corridor:
a strip of connected habitat that allows animals to move safely between larger areas of green space

أسئلة النص 2

Reading Passage 2 has five sections, A-E. Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-vii, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.

  • iTwo examples of behaviour changing faster than biology
  • iiDeliberate planning to help wildlife cope with city pressures
  • iiiSigns that adaptation may run deeper than behaviour
  • ivWhy some species are now thriving rather than merely surviving
  • vThe hidden dangers that come with adapting to cities
  • viA long-standing assumption overturned by recent evidence
  • viiThe financial cost of managing urban wildlife populations

  1. 14Section A

    اعرض الإجابة

    vi.. A long-standing assumption overturned by recent evidence

    "'researchers... had long assumed that urbanisation would mostly displace wildlife rather than reshape it' (Section A)"

    ليش صحيح: الفقرة تصف افتراضًا قديمًا تم دحضه بأدلة حديثة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: iv أضيق مما تقوله الفقرة فعليًا؛ باقي العناوين تخص فقرات لاحقة.

  2. 15Section B

    اعرض الإجابة

    i.. Two examples of behaviour changing faster than biology

    "'Some of the clearest evidence for adaptation lies in altered behaviour rather than altered biology' (Section B)"

    ليش صحيح: الفقرة تقدّم مثالين واضحين على تغيّر السلوك.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: iii تخص التغييرات الأعمق من السلوك (C)؛ باقي العناوين لا تطابق.

  3. 16Section C

    اعرض الإجابة

    iii.. Signs that adaptation may run deeper than behaviour

    "'A smaller but growing body of research points to changes that go deeper than behaviour alone' (Section C)"

    ليش صحيح: الفقرة تناقش تغيّرًا جينيًا/تطوريًا أعمق من السلوك.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: i تخص أمثلة سلوكية فقط (B)؛ باقي العناوين لا تطابق.

  4. 17Section D

    اعرض الإجابة

    v.. The hidden dangers that come with adapting to cities

    "'None of this adaptation comes without cost' (Section D)"

    ليش صحيح: الفقرة تسرد مخاطر خفية مرتبطة بالتكيف الحضري.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: vii تخص التكلفة المالية تحديدًا وهذا غير مذكور في D؛ باقي العناوين لا تطابق.

  5. 18Section E

    اعرض الإجابة

    ii.. Deliberate planning to help wildlife cope with city pressures

    "'City planners and conservationists have begun responding to these tensions with deliberate design' (Section E)"

    ليش صحيح: الفقرة تصف تخطيطًا متعمدًا لمساعدة الحياة البرية.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: vii تخص التكلفة المالية تحديدًا وهذا ليس محور الفقرة؛ باقي العناوين تخص فقرات سابقة.

Complete the summary below. Choose the correct letter, A-G, from the box below. Write the correct letter in boxes 19-22 on your answer sheet.

  • Aindividual
  • Bnocturnal
  • Cpitch
  • Dcorridors
  • Eall
  • Fvolume
  • Gpopulation

Urban wildlife adaptation is visible first in behaviour: foxes forage at (19) ________ hours, while birds raise the (20) ________ of their song to be heard above traffic.

Deeper genetic change is harder to prove, since separating it from a flexible (21) ________ response requires controlled breeding studies.

Meanwhile, dense development can cut off the (22) ________ that allow animals to disperse and interbreed.

  1. 19Question 19

    اعرض الإجابة

    E.. all

    "'foraging at almost any hour' (Section B)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة الدقيقة المطابقة لساعات بحث الثعالب عن الطعام.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: B (nocturnal) تصف الثعالب الريفية لا الحضرية.. عكس المطلوب.

  2. 20Question 20

    اعرض الإجابة

    C.. pitch

    "'sing at a noticeably higher pitch' (Section B)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة الدقيقة المستخدمة لما يرفعه الطيور في غنائها.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: F (volume) مقاربة معنويًا لكنها ليست الكلمة الحرفية هنا.

  3. 21Question 21

    اعرض الإجابة

    A.. individual

    "'a flexible individual response' (Section C)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة الدقيقة لنوع الاستجابة المرنة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: G (population) تخص التغيّر الجيني نفسه.. عكس المطلوب هنا.

  4. 22Question 22

    اعرض الإجابة

    D.. corridors

    "'interrupt the movement corridors' (Section D)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة الدقيقة لما يقطعه التطوير الحضري.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: باقي الخيارات تخص السلوك أو الغناء أو العزل الجيني نفسه لا الممرات تحديدًا.

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.

  1. 23According to the passage, birdsong pitch increases near busy roads primarily because it helps birds

    1. A. attract more mates during the breeding season.
    2. B. carry their calls above traffic noise.
    3. C. defend territory from other urban species.
    4. D. adapt to reduced daylight hours.
    اعرض الإجابة

    B. carry their calls above traffic noise.

    "'a change that appears to help their calls carry above the low-frequency rumble of traffic' (Section B)"

    ليش صحيح: إعادة صياغة مباشرة للسبب المذكور في النص.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: A/C/D معلومات غير مذكورة في النص كسبب لارتفاع طبقة الصوت.

  2. 24The passage suggests that distinguishing genetic change from individual flexibility in urban wildlife is difficult because

    1. A. wild urban populations rarely produce offspring.
    2. B. controlled breeding studies are rarely practical on wild populations.
    3. C. scientists lack access to urban habitats.
    4. D. genetic testing technology is not yet advanced enough.
    اعرض الإجابة

    B. controlled breeding studies are rarely practical on wild populations.

    "'requires controlled breeding studies that are rarely practical to run on wild urban populations' (Section C)"

    ليش صحيح: إعادة صياغة مباشرة للصعوبة المذكورة في النص.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: A/C/D معلومات غير مذكورة كسبب لهذه الصعوبة.

  3. 25Genetic isolation in urban wildlife populations is mainly caused by

    1. A. a shortage of food sources within cities.
    2. B. competition with rural populations of the same species.
    3. C. roads and development interrupting movement corridors.
    4. D. deliberate culling programmes run by city authorities.
    اعرض الإجابة

    C. roads and development interrupting movement corridors.

    "'busy roads and dense development interrupt the movement corridors that would otherwise allow individuals to disperse and interbreed' (Section D)"

    ليش صحيح: إعادة صياغة مباشرة للسبب المذكور في النص.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: A/B/D معلومات غير مذكورة في النص كسبب للعزل الجيني.

  4. 26The passage indicates that critics of urban wildlife planning measures believe such measures are

    1. A. unnecessary given how well species already adapt.
    2. B. more expensive than pest-control alternatives.
    3. C. patchy and underfunded relative to the pressures involved.
    4. D. effective only in cities with strong economies.
    اعرض الإجابة

    C. patchy and underfunded relative to the pressures involved.

    "'critics counter that such measures remain patchy and underfunded compared with the scale of the pressures urban wildlife now faces' (Section E)"

    ليش صحيح: إعادة صياغة مباشرة لرأي النقاد كما ورد في النص.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: A/B/D معلومات غير مذكورة في النص كرأي للنقاد.

Passage 3: The Four-Day Working Week: How Far Should the Idea Go?

Few workplace ideas have moved from fringe experiment to mainstream policy debate as quickly as the four-day working week. What began a decade ago as a scattering of small trials among sympathetic employers has since been tested in national pilot programmes involving thousands of workers across several countries, with organisers reporting the results back to sceptical governments and cautious executives alike. The proposal on the table is rarely a simple compression of five days' work into four; most schemes instead promise the same salary for a genuine reduction in total hours, typically from around forty hours a week to somewhere between thirty and thirty-two, on the theory that a shorter week need not mean proportionally less gets done.

The evidence gathered so far offers real support for that theory, at least within certain kinds of workplace. The largest pilot to date, involving dozens of British companies over six months, found that most participating firms maintained or even improved their revenue during the trial, while staff reported markedly lower rates of burnout and improved sleep. Retention figures were particularly striking: firms that adopted a shorter week saw resignation rates fall sharply compared with the period before the trial, a result executives found persuasive given the cost of recruiting and training replacement staff. Proponents argue that a rested, less resentful workforce simply works more efficiently within fewer hours, recovering much of the lost time through fewer errors, less time wasted on unproductive meetings, and lower absenteeism.

Yet the picture that has emerged from these trials is far from uniform across industries. The gains have been concentrated overwhelmingly in knowledge-based and administrative roles, where output is loosely coupled to the number of hours a desk is occupied and where a motivated employee can genuinely compress a week's tasks into fewer days. Sectors built around continuous coverage tell a different story. Hospitals, care homes and retail outlets cannot simply close for an extra day each week, and a four-day model in these settings typically requires hiring additional staff to maintain the same hours of service, a cost that erodes much of the efficiency gain claimed elsewhere. Manufacturing lines dependent on expensive machinery running continuously face a comparable problem, since idle equipment on a fifth day represents a straightforward loss of output that no amount of staff motivation can offset.

Sceptics raise a further concern that even favourable pilot results may understate: the risk that a shorter formal week simply pushes work into informal, unpaid hours rather than eliminating it. Early surveys of some pilot participants found a minority quietly working through part of their nominal day off to keep pace with client demands, a pattern that, if it became widespread, would convert a genuine reduction in hours into a largely cosmetic one. Transition costs also deserve more attention than early advocacy has generally given them; reorganising rotas, renegotiating client expectations and retraining managers to evaluate staff by output rather than hours all demand a period of adjustment that smaller employers, in particular, may struggle to absorb without external support.

Taken together, the available evidence supports a cautiously optimistic but far from unconditional conclusion. For sectors where work is genuinely task-based rather than tied to continuous coverage, a shorter week appears to be a viable option that a meaningful share of employers could adopt without harming output, and the wellbeing gains reported are consistent enough across independent trials to be taken seriously rather than dismissed as a temporary novelty effect. What the evidence does not support is treating the four-day week as a universal template ready for blanket legislation across every industry regardless of its operational demands; the sectors where continuous coverage or expensive fixed capital dominate the cost structure face a genuinely different calculation, and pretending otherwise risks discrediting a reform that works well in its proper context by overselling it everywhere else.

A more defensible path forward, then, is sector-specific experimentation rather than a single national mandate imposed on every employer at once. Governments considering legislation would do well to fund further pilots targeted specifically at the industries where the case remains genuinely unresolved, coverage-dependent services and capital-intensive manufacturing among them, rather than extrapolating wholesale from results gathered largely in offices. Employers, for their part, retain every incentive to keep testing the model even without a legal mandate, given how directly the reported gains in retention and wellbeing bear on costs they already track closely. The four-day week, on the evidence so far, deserves neither the uncritical enthusiasm of its loudest advocates nor the blanket dismissal of its harshest critics.

burnout:
a state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged work-related stress
absenteeism:
the practice of regularly staying away from work without good reason

أسئلة النص 3

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3? Write YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer, NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer, NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this.

  1. 27According to the writer, most four-day week schemes simply compress five days of tasks into four while cutting pay proportionally.

    YES / NO / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    NO

    "'The proposal on the table is rarely a simple compression of five days' work into four; most schemes instead promise the same salary for a genuine reduction in total hours' (Paragraph 1)"

    ليش صحيح: الكاتب ينفي صراحة أن معظم الخطط تخفض الأجر أو تكتفي بضغط العمل.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست YES بسبب النفي الصريح؛ وليست NOT GIVEN لأن الكاتب يوضح الأمر بوضوح.

  2. 28The writer states that resignation rates fell in companies that adopted a shorter working week.

    YES / NO / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    YES

    "'firms that adopted a shorter week saw resignation rates fall sharply' (Paragraph 2)"

    ليش صحيح: تصريح مباشر من الكاتب يؤكد العبارة تمامًا.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست NO لعدم وجود تناقض؛ وليست NOT GIVEN لأن الحقيقة مذكورة صراحة.

  3. 29In the writer's view, sectors requiring continuous coverage can adopt a four-day week without added staffing costs.

    YES / NO / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    NO

    "'a four-day model in these settings typically requires hiring additional staff to maintain the same hours of service, a cost that erodes much of the efficiency gain' (Paragraph 3)"

    ليش صحيح: الكاتب يذكر صراحة تكلفة توظيف إضافية.. تناقض مباشر مع العبارة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست YES بسبب التناقض الصريح؛ وليست NOT GIVEN لأن الكاتب يوضح النقطة بوضوح.

  4. 30The writer believes some employees may work informally during their day off to keep up with demands.

    YES / NO / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    YES

    "'Early surveys of some pilot participants found a minority quietly working through part of their nominal day off' (Paragraph 4)"

    ليش صحيح: تصريح مباشر من الكاتب يؤكد العبارة تمامًا.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست NO لعدم وجود تناقض؛ وليست NOT GIVEN لأن الحقيقة مذكورة صراحة.

  5. 31The writer argues that the four-day week should be imposed as a single national mandate across all industries immediately.

    YES / NO / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    NO

    "'A more defensible path forward, then, is sector-specific experimentation rather than a single national mandate imposed on every employer at once' (Paragraph 6)"

    ليش صحيح: الكاتب يرفض صراحة الإلزام الوطني الشامل ويفضّل تجارب قطاعية.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست YES بسبب التناقض الصريح؛ وليست NOT GIVEN لأن موقف الكاتب واضح.

  6. 32The writer expresses a personal preference for working in a knowledge-based role rather than a shift-based one.

    YES / NO / NOT GIVEN

    اعرض الإجابة

    NOT GIVEN

    "القطاعات المعرفية والقطاعات المعتمدة على التغطية المستمرة مذكورة تحليليًا طوال المقال (الفقرات 3-5) دون أي تفضيل شخصي معلن."

    ليش صحيح: نقطة ارتكاز مجاورة.. كلا نوعي القطاعات مذكوران بكثرة، لكن أي تفضيل شخصي غائب تمامًا.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: ليست YES لعدم وجود تصريح بتفضيل؛ وليست NO لعدم وجود تصريح بعدم التفضيل أيضًا.

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F, below. Write the correct letter in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.

  • Amaintained or improved their revenue during the six-month trial.
  • Bquietly worked through part of their nominal day off.
  • Cfund further pilots targeted at industries where the case remains unresolved.
  • Dlose direct output whenever expensive machinery sits idle on an extra day off.
  • Ecannot close for an extra day without hiring additional staff.
  • Freported a decline in overall customer satisfaction.

  1. 33The largest British pilot found that most participating firms

    اعرض الإجابة

    A.. maintained or improved their revenue during the six-month trial.

    "'The largest pilot to date, involving dozens of British companies over six months, found that most participating firms maintained or even improved their revenue' (Paragraph 2)"

    ليش صحيح: إتمام مباشر يطابق حرفيًا نتيجة أكبر تجربة بريطانية.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: D/E تخص فقرات أخرى عن التصنيع والخدمات المستمرة؛ B/C/F لا تتعلق بهذه التجربة.

  2. 34Sectors built around continuous coverage struggle to adopt a shorter week because they

    اعرض الإجابة

    E.. cannot close for an extra day without hiring additional staff.

    "'Hospitals, care homes and retail outlets cannot simply close for an extra day each week, and a four-day model in these settings typically requires hiring additional staff' (Paragraph 3)"

    ليش صحيح: إتمام مباشر يطابق السبب المذكور حرفيًا.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: D فخ لغوي يخص التصنيع لا قطاعات التغطية المستمرة تحديدًا؛ A/B/C/F لا تتعلق بهذا السبب.

  3. 35Early surveys of some pilot participants revealed that a minority

    اعرض الإجابة

    B.. quietly worked through part of their nominal day off.

    "'Early surveys of some pilot participants found a minority quietly working through part of their nominal day off' (Paragraph 4)"

    ليش صحيح: إتمام مباشر يطابق حرفيًا نتيجة الاستطلاعات المبكرة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: A/C/D/E/F لا تتعلق بنتيجة هذه الاستطلاعات.

  4. 36The writer concludes that governments considering legislation should

    اعرض الإجابة

    C.. fund further pilots targeted at industries where the case remains unresolved.

    "'Governments considering legislation would do well to fund further pilots targeted specifically at the industries where the case remains genuinely unresolved' (Paragraph 6)"

    ليش صحيح: إتمام مباشر يطابق حرفيًا توصية الكاتب الختامية.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: A/B/D/E/F لا تتعلق بتوصية الكاتب للحكومات.

Complete the sentences below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

The largest pilot studied dozens of British companies over a period of (37) ________ months.

Firms adopting a shorter week saw a sharp fall in (38) ________ rates compared with the period before the trial.

In hospitals, care homes and retail outlets, a four-day model typically requires hiring additional (39) ________ to maintain service hours.

The writer states that transition costs deserve more (40) ________ than early advocacy has generally given them.

  1. 37Question 37

    اعرض الإجابة

    six / 6

    "'involving dozens of British companies over six months' (Paragraph 2)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة الدقيقة المستخدمة لمدة أكبر تجربة بريطانية.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: أي رقم آخر غير مذكور ويناقض النص.

  2. 38Question 38

    اعرض الإجابة

    resignation

    "'firms that adopted a shorter week saw resignation rates fall sharply' (Paragraph 2)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة الدقيقة المستخدمة لنوع المعدل الذي انخفض.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: كلمات أخرى مثل turnover ليست الكلمة المستخدمة حرفيًا هنا.

  3. 39Question 39

    اعرض الإجابة

    staff

    "'typically requires hiring additional staff to maintain the same hours of service' (Paragraph 3)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة الدقيقة المستخدمة لما يحتاج توظيفه إضافيًا.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: كلمات أخرى مثل workers ليست الكلمة المستخدمة حرفيًا هنا.

  4. 40Question 40

    اعرض الإجابة

    attention

    "'Transition costs also deserve more attention than early advocacy has generally given them' (Paragraph 4)"

    ليش صحيح: الكلمة الدقيقة المستخدمة لما تستحقه تكاليف الانتقال أكثر.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: كلمات أخرى مثل funding ليست الكلمة المستخدمة حرفيًا هنا.

الاستماع.. Listening

4 أجزاء و40 سؤالًا في 32 دقيقة تقريبًا. في الاختبار التفاعلي يُشغَّل الصوت مرة واحدة فقط.

ابدأ الاختبار التفاعلي بالوقت

Part 1

A customer phones Orchard Table Catering to enquire about and book catering for a colleague's retirement party.

Example.. Type of event → Retirement party

Complete the form below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Orchard Table Catering.. Booking Form

Type of event: Retirement party (Example)

Organiser's first name: (1) ________

Surname: (2) ________

Contact number: (3) ________

Date of party: (4) ________

Number of guests: (5) ________

Room booked: (6) ________

Menu choice: (7) ________

  1. 1Question 1

    اعرض الإجابة

    Daniel

    "Yeah, it's Daniel."

    ليش صحيح: الاسم الأول مذكور بشكل واضح ومباشر مباشرة بعد سؤال المنسقة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا يوجد خيارات أخرى في هذا السؤال (إكمال فراغ حر).

  2. 2Question 2

    اعرض الإجابة

    Whitfield

    "It's, um, Whitfield... W-H-I-T-F-I-E-L-D."

    ليش صحيح: الاسم يُهجّى حرفًا بحرف مع تأكيد المنسقة عليه.. علامة الإجابة المضمونة حسب تكنيكة 12.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل؛ يجب كتابة التهجئة الدقيقة كما سُمعت (Whitfield وليس Whitfeild).

  3. 3Question 3

    اعرض الإجابة

    07822 441122

    "it's oh-seven-eight-two-two, four-four-one, one-two-two.. OK so that's 07822 441122?.. That's it, yep."

    ليش صحيح: الرقم الثاني هو الرقم الصحيح والمؤكَّد من الطرفين.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: الرقم الأول (oh-seven-three...) فخ تصحيح فوري.. العميل يوقفه بنفسه قبل إكماله فهو غير صالح.

  4. 4Question 4

    اعرض الإجابة

    Friday 28th / Friday the 28th

    "we've already got a full booking that day... Would Friday the 28th work instead?.. I'll pencil you in for Friday the 28th, then."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو التاريخ النهائي بعد التصحيح.. فخ تغيير الرأي.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: Friday the 21st هو التاريخ الأول الذي تم إلغاؤه صراحة بسبب حجز آخر.

  5. 5Question 5

    اعرض الإجابة

    thirty-five / 35

    "Around thirty-five, all colleagues from the office... Thirty-five guests, noted."

    ليش صحيح: مؤكَّد مرتين بشكل مباشر.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل.

  6. 6Question 6

    اعرض الإجابة

    Garden Room

    "It'll be in the main hall.. sorry, actually, we've just switched it to the garden room... OK, the Garden Room, got that down."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو المكان النهائي بعد التصحيح الفوري.. فخ تغيير الرأي.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: the main hall هو المكان الأول الذي ذكره العميل ثم غيّره صراحة قبل أن تكمل المنسقة تدوينه.

  7. 7Question 7

    اعرض الإجابة

    Finger Buffet / Finger buffet

    "We were thinking the finger buffet, if that's something you do... I've written 'Finger Buffet' for the menu."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو نوع القائمة الذي اتفق عليه الطرفان فعليًا وهو ضمن حد الثلاث كلمات المسموح.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل غير هذا الخيار في المكالمة.

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

  1. 8What is the total price Daniel will pay per head, including the cheese board?

    1. A. £18
    2. B. £21
    3. C. £32
    اعرض الإجابة

    B. £21

    "the finger buffet works out at 18 pounds per head.. the additional cheese board, that's an extra 3 pounds per head.. that's the standard buffet plus the cheese board add-on for everyone, then.. the buffet-plus-cheese option sounds perfect for us, we don't need the seated meal."

    ليش صحيح: الرقم النهائي (21) غير مسموع في الصوت إطلاقًا.. يُحسب من جمع السعرين المذكورين صراحة (18 + 3 = 21)، وقد طلب العميل الإضافة فعليًا وأكّد صراحة رفضه للخيار الأغلى؛ فخ حسابي حقيقي لأن أحدًا لا يذكر الرقم 21.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: A (18) هو السعر الأساسي فقط دون طبق الجبن؛ C (32) هو سعر الوجبة الجالسة الفاخرة المذكورة صراحة في الصوت لكن العميل يرفضها بوضوح.

  2. 9What will the company do if the customer cancels within 48 hours?

    1. A. Charge a 50% cancellation fee
    2. B. Refund the customer in full
    3. C. Charge the full amount
    اعرض الإجابة

    C. Charge the full amount

    "if you cancel within 48 hours we charge the full amount.. most groups don't realise how strict the 48-hour rule is."

    ليش صحيح: هذه هي السياسة المعلنة صراحة للإلغاء خلال 48 ساعة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: A هي سياسة الإلغاء بإشعار أقل من أسبوعين؛ B هي سياسة الإلغاء بإشعار أكثر من أسبوعين.. كلاهما غير مناسبين لحالة الـ48 ساعة تحديدًا.

  3. 10How much deposit does the company ask customers to pay in advance?

    1. A. The full amount
    2. B. £40
    3. C. No deposit is required
    اعرض الإجابة

    B. £40

    "We take 40 pounds now by card, and the balance is due on the day."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو مبلغ العربون الفعلي المطلوب من العميل.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: A وC ممارسات تتبعها شركات تموين أخرى وتم استبعادهما صراحة (but we've found the small deposit works best for us).

نص الاستماع (Transcript).. Part 1

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Good afternoon, Orchard Table Catering, this is Sophie speaking, how can I help you?

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): Hi there, yes.. I'm hoping to book some catering for a retirement party we're organising at work.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Of course! Congratulations to whoever's retiring. Can I take a few details first? Could I get your first name, please?

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): Yeah, it's Daniel.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Lovely, and your surname?

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): It's, um, Whitfield.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Sorry, could you spell that for me?

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): Sure.. W-H-I-T-F-I-E-L-D.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): W-H-I-T-F-I-E-L-D… is that "ie" before the "l", not "ei"?

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): That's right, I-E before the L.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Great, got it.. Daniel Whitfield. And could I get a contact number, in case we need to reach you?

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): Yeah, it's oh-seven-three... actually, sorry, hang on, that's my old number.. let me give you my current one, it's oh-seven-eight-two-two, four-four-one, one-two-two.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): OK so that's 07822 441122?

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): That's it, yep.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Great. Now, what date is the party?

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): We're thinking Friday the 21st.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Right, Friday the 21st... actually, hold on, sorry, I've just checked our calendar and we've already got a full booking that day.. a wedding out at the coast. Would Friday the 28th work instead?

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): Oh.. yeah, the 28th's fine actually, that works just as well for us.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Brilliant, I'll pencil you in for Friday the 28th, then. And how many guests are you expecting?

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): Around thirty-five, all colleagues from the office.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Thirty-five guests, noted. And will this be held at your office, or somewhere else?

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): It'll be in the main hall.. sorry, actually, we've just switched it to the garden room, it's a bit more private for speeches.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): OK, the Garden Room, got that down. And do you have a menu style in mind?

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): We were thinking the finger buffet, if that's something you do.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): We do indeed.. that's one of our most popular options for office parties.

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): Perfect, let's go with that.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Great, I've written "Finger Buffet" for the menu.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Now, let's talk price. The finger buffet works out at 18 pounds per head.

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): OK.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): That covers the sandwiches, savouries and desserts, but if you'd like the additional cheese board, that's an extra 3 pounds per head.

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): Oh, yes, we'd love that actually, Margaret loves cheese.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Great, so that's the standard buffet plus the cheese board add-on for everyone, then.

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): Got it, standard buffet plus the cheese board.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): We also offer a premium seated meal with table service, but that one comes to 32 pounds per head.. probably more formal than you need for an office send-off like this.

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): Oh, no, the buffet-plus-cheese option sounds perfect for us, we don't need the seated meal.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Now, just a couple of quick questions before I finish the booking. If you need to cancel, we have three options depending on notice. With more than two weeks' notice we refund in full, with less than two weeks we charge a 50% cancellation fee, or if you cancel within 48 hours we charge the full amount.. most groups don't realise how strict the 48-hour rule is, so I always flag it.

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): OK, good to know.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): And there's a deposit to secure the date. We take 40 pounds now by card, and the balance is due on the day. Some caterers ask for the full amount upfront, or take no deposit at all, but we've found the small deposit works best for us.. it just confirms people are serious.

Customer (Daniel Whitfield): Makes sense, I'll pay it now then.

Booking Coordinator (Sophie): Lovely, let me just take your card details…

Part 2

The coordinator of Elm Street Community Garden gives an induction talk to new volunteers, explaining how the scheme works and announcing the calendar of communal sessions.

Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Elm Street Community Garden.. Induction Notes

Plots

New-member plot size: 4 m by (11) ________ m

Compost

Number of composting bays: (12) ________

Must not include cooked food or (13) ________

Water

Water points now available on site: (14) ________

Tools

New item added to the shed this year: (15) ________

Noticeboard

Now located just outside the (16) ________

Previously located just inside the (17) ________

  1. 11Question 11

    اعرض الإجابة

    five / 5

    "Each new member is given a standard plot measuring four metres by five metres."

    ليش صحيح: القياس الثاني للقطعة الجديدة مذكور صراحة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل؛ قطع الأعضاء القدامى (6×5) مذكورة لكنها لم تعد تُخصَّص.

  2. 12Question 12

    اعرض الإجابة

    two / 2

    "We've got two composting bays at the far end of the site."

    ليش صحيح: العدد مذكور صراحة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل.

  3. 13Question 13

    اعرض الإجابة

    meat scraps

    "please don't put in cooked food or meat scraps though, that attracts rats."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو العنصر الثاني الممنوع المذكور صراحة إلى جانب الطعام المطبوخ.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل؛ vegetable peelings وfallen leaves وgrass cuttings مسموح بها فعليًا.

  4. 14Question 14

    اعرض الإجابة

    three / 3

    "we've just installed a proper irrigation tap by the shed as well, so you'll have three water points to choose from now."

    ليش صحيح: العدد الجديد الإجمالي لنقاط المياه مذكور صراحة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: two هو عدد برميلي المياه القديمين فقط قبل إضافة الصنبور.

  5. 15Question 15

    اعرض الإجابة

    wheelbarrow

    "this year we've also added a proper wheelbarrow, which people have been asking for for ages."

    ليش صحيح: هذه هي الأداة الجديدة المضافة هذا العام.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: spades وforks وwatering cans أدوات موجودة مسبقًا.

  6. 16Question 16

    اعرض الإجابة

    shed

    "we've actually moved it round to just outside the shed."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو الموقع الحالي للوحة الإعلانات بعد النقل.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: the main gate هو الموقع القديم الذي انتقلت منه اللوحة.

  7. 17Question 17

    اعرض الإجابة

    main gate

    "It used to be just inside the main gate."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو الموقع القديم المذكور صراحة قبل النقل.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: the shed هو الموقع الجديد، وهو إجابة السؤال 16 وليس 17.

Complete the table below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Composting WorkshopTuesday10 amGrace(18) ________
Seed SwapThursday2 pmMarcusFree
Children's Planting SessionSaturday11 am(19) ________£3
Pruning ClinicSunday9 amGrace(20) ________

  1. 18Question 18

    اعرض الإجابة

    five pounds / £5

    "it's currently, let me just check... free of charge.. actually, sorry, that's last year's arrangement, this year there's a small materials fee, five pounds per session."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو السعر الحالي والمصحَّح بعد أن صحّح المنسق نفسه فورًا.. فخ تغيير الرأي.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: free of charge هو الترتيب القديم من العام الماضي الذي صرّح المنسق بأنه غير صحيح الآن.

  2. 19Question 19

    اعرض الإجابة

    Priya

    "led by our youth coordinator, Priya."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو اسم القائدة المسؤولة عن جلسة الزراعة للأطفال.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: Grace وMarcus يقودان جلستين أخريين وليس هذه الجلسة.

  3. 20Question 20

    اعرض الإجابة

    four pounds / £4

    "the Pruning Clinic runs on Sundays at nine am, led by Grace again, and that's four pounds per session."

    ليش صحيح: السعر مسموع حرفيًا لهذه الجلسة تحديدًا.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل؛ الأسعار الأخرى تخص جلسات مختلفة.

نص الاستماع (Transcript).. Part 2

Garden Coordinator (Tom): Good morning everyone, and welcome to Elm Street Community Garden. My name's Tom, I'm the scheme coordinator, and I just want to run through a few things before you get started with your plots.

Garden Coordinator (Tom): So, first of all, a bit about how the scheme works. Each new member is given a standard plot measuring four metres by five metres.. that's the standard size we allocate to everyone starting out, although a few of the original members from years back still have the old six-by-five plots, those aren't given out anymore.

Garden Coordinator (Tom): Now, compost. We've got two composting bays at the far end of the site, and any of your vegetable peelings, fallen leaves, or grass cuttings can go straight in.. please don't put in cooked food or meat scraps though, that attracts rats, which we obviously want to avoid.

Garden Coordinator (Tom): Water.. there are two water butts on site, but we've just installed a proper irrigation tap by the shed as well, so you'll have three water points to choose from now.

Garden Coordinator (Tom): Tools.. we keep a shared tool shed, and it's got spades, forks, and watering cans, but this year we've also added a proper wheelbarrow, which people have been asking for for ages.

Garden Coordinator (Tom): One more thing before I get to the schedule.. the noticeboard. It used to be just inside the main gate, but we've actually moved it round to just outside the shed, so it's more sheltered from the rain and easier to read.

Garden Coordinator (Tom): Right, now let's go through the calendar of communal sessions, because there's a few changes to be aware of there too.

Garden Coordinator (Tom): We'll start with the Composting Workshop. That runs on Tuesdays at ten in the morning.. it's led by Grace, and it's currently, let me just check... free of charge.. actually, sorry, that's last year's arrangement, this year there's a small materials fee, five pounds per session.

Garden Coordinator (Tom): Next we've got the Seed Swap, that's on Thursdays at two in the afternoon, led by Marcus, and that one's completely free.. no charge at all, we just ask you to bring a few seeds to swap.

Garden Coordinator (Tom): Then there's the Children's Planting Session, for younger members, that runs Saturdays at eleven in the morning, led by our youth coordinator, Priya, and that's three pounds per session, which covers the seedlings and pots.

Garden Coordinator (Tom): And finally, the Pruning Clinic runs on Sundays at nine am, led by Grace again, and that's four pounds per session.

Garden Coordinator (Tom): That's everything for today.. if anyone has questions about their plot or the schedule, do come and find me by the shed afterwards.

Part 3

Two statistics students, Chloe and Ryan, discuss the methods for their university project surveying commuting habits among students.

What did the students decide about each research method below? Choose the correct letter, A, B or C, next to Questions 21–25. You may choose any letter more than once.

  • AWill be used in full, without piloting first
  • BWill be tested first as a pilot
  • CWill not be used

  1. 21Online questionnaire

    اعرض الإجابة

    A.. Will be used in full, without piloting first

    "I think we should just go ahead and use it for the whole thing... no need to test it first."

    ليش صحيح: كلا الطالبين يتفقان صراحة على استخدامه للاستبيان الكامل مباشرة دون تجربة أولية.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: B مستبعد لأن Ryan ينص صراحة (no need to test it first)؛ C غير منطقي لأنهما اتفقا على استخدامه فعليًا.

  2. 22Station interviews

    اعرض الإجابة

    B.. Will be tested first as a pilot

    "let's pilot that one on a smaller scale first.. so that's a pilot then, not the full study yet."

    ليش صحيح: القرار النهائي بعد التردد الأولي هو التجربة على نطاق صغير أولًا.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: A مستبعد لأن Ryan يوضح صراحة (not the full study yet)؛ C مستبعد لأنهما لم يقررا استبعادها بل تأجيل استخدامها الكامل فقط.

  3. 23GPS travel-diary app

    اعرض الإجابة

    C.. Will not be used

    "let's just drop it, it doesn't really fit our timeline.. OK, so the app's out."

    ليش صحيح: القرار النهائي الصريح هو التخلي عن هذه الطريقة تمامًا.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: A وB مستبعدان لأن Ryan يغيّر رأيه من الإعجاب الأولي إلى الرفض الكامل.. فخ تغيير الرأي.

  4. 24Focus group

    اعرض الإجابة

    A.. Will be used in full, without piloting first

    "let's commit to running one... let's put that in as one of our main methods."

    ليش صحيح: كلا الطالبين يلتزمان صراحة باستخدامها كإحدى الطرق الرئيسية رغم التردد الأولي.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: B مستبعد لأنها وُصفت بـ(one of our main methods) وليس تجربة أولية؛ C مستبعد لأنهما يقرران المضي بها.

  5. 25Foot-traffic counting

    اعرض الإجابة

    C.. Will not be used

    "we ended up deciding against it... we're not going ahead with that one at all."

    ليش صحيح: قرار صريح ونهائي باستبعادها تمامًا.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: A وB مستبعدان لأن (not going ahead with that one at all) تنفي أي استخدام حتى كتجربة أولية.

Complete the sentences below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

The students are aiming to collect at least (26) ________ responses to the questionnaire.

The pilot interviews will take place (27) ________.

The students will conduct their interviews outside (28) ________.

Chloe predicts that (29) ________ will be the strongest influence on students' choice of transport.

The students' ethics approval is being supervised by (30) ________.

  1. 26Question 26

    اعرض الإجابة

    150

    "We're aiming for at least 150 responses for the questionnaire."

    ليش صحيح: الرقم مذكور صراحة كهدف عدد الردود، وضمن حد الكلمتين/رقم المسموح به.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل؛ صيغة (one hundred and fifty) غير مقبولة لأنها تتجاوز حد الكلمتين.

  2. 27Question 27

    اعرض الإجابة

    next month

    "We're planning to run the pilot interviews next month."

    ليش صحيح: التوقيت مذكور صراحة للمقابلات التجريبية تحديدًا.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: (the following three weeks) تخص جمع البيانات الكامل، وليس التجربة الأولية.

  3. 28Question 28

    اعرض الإجابة

    Fenwick Station

    "We've got permission to work outside Fenwick Station, the main station nearest campus."

    ليش صحيح: اسم المحطة مذكور صراحة كموقع إجراء المقابلات، وضمن حد الكلمتين المسموح به.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل؛ (the main station nearest campus) وصف عام للموقع وليس اسم المكان المطلوب.

  4. 29Question 29

    اعرض الإجابة

    journey time

    "I think journey time will turn out to be the strongest factor, more than cost."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو العامل الذي تتوقع Chloe أنه الأقوى تأثيرًا.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: (cost) و(convenience) عوامل ضمن سؤال البحث وليست الفرضية المطلوبة.

  5. 30Question 30

    اعرض الإجابة

    Professor Hale / Prof Hale / Hale

    "That's Professor Hale in the statistics department, she's already looked over our questionnaire draft."

    ليش صحيح: الاسم مذكور صراحة كمسؤولة الموافقة الأخلاقية.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل.

نص الاستماع (Transcript).. Part 3

Student (Chloe): OK so we need to nail down our methods for the commuting survey before Friday's deadline.

Student (Ryan): Right, yeah. So what have we actually got on the list?

Student (Chloe): Well, the first idea was an online questionnaire, sent through the university's student email list.

Student (Ryan): How do you feel about that one?

Student (Chloe): Honestly, I'm confident.. I think we should just go ahead and use it for the whole thing, it's the easiest way to get a big sample fast.

Student (Ryan): Yeah, agreed, let's use that one properly, no need to test it first.

Student (Chloe): Sounds decided then. What else did we list?

Student (Ryan): We also talked about doing short interviews at the station entrance, catching commuters as they arrive.

Student (Chloe): Hmm, I'm not totally sure about that one. I worry people won't want to stop when they're rushing for a train.

Student (Ryan): That's fair. Maybe we should just try it with a small group first, see how it goes, before committing to it properly.

Student (Chloe): Yeah, actually, that makes sense.. let's pilot that one on a smaller scale first.

Student (Ryan): OK, good, so that's a pilot then, not the full study yet. What about the GPS travel-diary app you mentioned?

Student (Chloe): Right, the idea was to have volunteers download an app that tracks their actual route and timing automatically.

Student (Ryan): I liked that idea at first too, but, actually, thinking about it more, I don't think we'll get ethics approval in time.. it collects location data, and that needs a much longer review.

Student (Chloe): Yeah, I'm with you on that one now.. let's just drop it, it doesn't really fit our timeline.

Student (Ryan): OK, so the app's out. Anything else on the list?

Student (Chloe): We were also considering a focus group, getting six or seven postgrad students together to discuss their commuting habits.

Student (Ryan): And how confident are you about that one?

Student (Chloe): I'll admit I was hesitant to start with, but after our last meeting I think we're both on board.. let's commit to running one, it should give us some really rich detail.

Student (Ryan): Yeah, definitely, let's put that in as one of our main methods.

Student (Chloe): Great, and finally you mentioned counting foot traffic manually at the bus stop.

Student (Ryan): Oh.. right, yeah, we did think about that, but, honestly, we ended up deciding against it. It only tells us numbers, not reasons, and that's not really what we need.

Student (Chloe): Yeah, we're not going ahead with that one at all.

Student (Ryan): OK, that all sounds like a solid plan.

Student (Ryan): Now let's think about the practical details.. sample size, timing, that kind of thing.

Student (Chloe): We're aiming for at least 150 responses for the questionnaire, since that should give us enough for a decent statistical analysis.

Student (Ryan): Good number. And what about the timeline?

Student (Chloe): We're planning to run the pilot interviews next month, and then the full data collection the following three weeks after that.

Student (Ryan): And where exactly are we doing the station interviews?

Student (Chloe): We've got permission to work outside Fenwick Station, the main station nearest campus.. the station manager was actually really supportive when we asked.

Student (Ryan): That's great access to have. Now, what's our main research question again, just so I've got it straight?

Student (Chloe): We want to find out what most influences a student's choice of transport to campus.. so things like cost, journey time, or convenience.

Student (Ryan): And do we have a hypothesis already?

Student (Chloe): I think journey time will turn out to be the strongest factor, more than cost.

Student (Ryan): Interesting.. we'll see if the data backs that up. One last thing.. who's supervising our ethics approval?

Student (Chloe): That's Professor Hale in the statistics department, she's already looked over our questionnaire draft.

Part 4

A university lecturer introduces the background, importance, threats and yearly life cycle of Antarctic krill.

Answer the questions below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

  1. 31What is the scientific name of Antarctic krill?

    اعرض الإجابة

    Euphausia superba

    "Antarctic krill, or Euphausia superba, to give it its scientific name."

    ليش صحيح: الاسم العلمي مذكور صراحة ومباشر.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل.

  2. 32About how long is an adult krill?

    اعرض الإجابة

    six centimetres / 6 centimetres / six cm / 6 cm

    "Krill are small, shrimp-like crustaceans, typically around six centimetres long."

    ليش صحيح: الطول مذكور صراحة كمتوسط تقريبي.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل رقمية أخرى مذكورة لهذا القياس.

  3. 33What do researchers call the process by which krill help lock carbon into the deep ocean?

    اعرض الإجابة

    the krill pump / krill pump

    "krill actually help lock carbon into the deep ocean through their feeding and waste patterns, a process researchers now call the 'krill pump.'"

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو المصطلح الدقيق المستخدم لهذه العملية في المحاضرة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل؛ (carbon-cycling benefit) وصف عام للفائدة وليس اسم العملية نفسها.

  4. 34Since approximately what year has the krill fish-meal and oil industry grown substantially?

    اعرض الإجابة

    2010

    "that industry has grown substantially since around 2010."

    ليش صحيح: السنة مذكورة صراحة كنقطة انطلاق النمو الكبير للصناعة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل رقمية أخرى مذكورة في هذا السياق.

  5. 35What method have research stations increasingly used to track krill swarm density?

    اعرض الإجابة

    acoustic surveys

    "A number of research stations have started using acoustic surveys specifically because they can then track krill swarm density in near real time."

    ليش صحيح: هذه هي الطريقة الدقيقة المذكورة صراحة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: (older net-based sampling methods) هي الطريقة القديمة الأقل دقة، وليست الطريقة الجديدة المطلوبة.

Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Antarctic Krill.. Yearly Life Cycle

Early spring: (36) ________.. adult females release their eggs

Early summer: (37) ________ stage.. larvae drift with ocean currents

Late summer: main activity is (38) ________

Autumn/winter: (39) ________.. sheltering beneath sea ice

Case study region: (40) ________, hosting long-term monitoring programmes

  1. 36Question 36

    اعرض الإجابة

    spawning / spawning period

    "In early spring, the main event is what's called the spawning period, when adult females release their eggs into the open water."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو الاسم الرسمي للمرحلة المذكورة صراحة لفصل الربيع المبكر.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل.

  2. 37Question 37

    اعرض الإجابة

    larval

    "In early summer, the eggs develop through what's known as the larval stage, during which the tiny larvae drift with the ocean currents."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو الاسم الدقيق للمرحلة المذكورة صراحة لأوائل الصيف.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل أخرى مذكورة لهذه المرحلة.

  3. 38Question 38

    اعرض الإجابة

    intensive feeding

    "By late summer, the main activity becomes intensive feeding, and this is usually when krill build up the fat reserves they'll need for winter."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو النشاط الرئيسي المذكور صراحة لأواخر الصيف.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل.

  4. 39Question 39

    اعرض الإجابة

    ice-association

    "the final major phase is what's called ice-association, which involves the krill sheltering directly beneath the sea ice."

    ليش صحيح: هذا هو الاسم الرسمي للمرحلة المرتبطة بالتجمع تحت الجليد في الخريف والشتاء.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل.

  5. 40Question 40

    اعرض الإجابة

    Scotia Sea

    "the Scotia Sea is often cited as the most heavily studied krill region. The Scotia Sea now hosts several long-term monitoring programmes."

    ليش صحيح: المنطقة مذكورة صراحة كدراسة الحالة المذكورة.

    ليش الباقي خطأ: لا بدائل؛ لم تُذكر أي منطقة أخرى كمثال في هذا السياق.

نص الاستماع (Transcript).. Part 4

Lecturer: Good afternoon, everyone. Today's lecture is about a species that plays an outsized role in the Southern Ocean ecosystem: Antarctic krill, or Euphausia superba, to give it its scientific name.

Lecturer: Let's start with a bit of background. Krill are small, shrimp-like crustaceans, typically around six centimetres long, and they're found in enormous swarms across the Southern Ocean, particularly around the Antarctic Peninsula.

Lecturer: So, why are krill so important? Well, there are several reasons, and I'll go through the main ones. First, krill form the base of the Antarctic food web.. whales, seals, penguins and seabirds all depend on krill directly or indirectly for their diet, which is why they're often described as a keystone species. Second, there's a carbon-cycling benefit.. krill actually help lock carbon into the deep ocean through their feeding and waste patterns, a process researchers now call the "krill pump," and some studies estimate this removes millions of tonnes of carbon from the surface each year. And third, there's a commercial angle.. krill are increasingly harvested for fish meal and omega-3 oil supplements, and that industry has grown substantially since around 2010.

Lecturer: Now, of course, krill populations face real challenges too, and I want to spend some time on those. The first major challenge is sea-ice loss. Krill larvae shelter and feed under sea ice during the winter months, so as sea ice forms later and melts earlier each year, fewer larvae survive to adulthood.

Lecturer: The second challenge is ocean acidification. As the ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide, it becomes more acidic, and this can interfere with krill's ability to form their exoskeletons properly, particularly in early life stages.

Lecturer: Third, there's the issue of the fishing industry itself. Even though krill fishing is regulated, catches are increasingly concentrated in a small area near the Antarctic Peninsula.. precisely where whales and penguins also feed most intensively, so competition for krill in that specific area is becoming more common.

Lecturer: Fourth.. and this is one people don't always expect.. there's a monitoring benefit. A number of research stations have started using acoustic surveys specifically because they can then track krill swarm density in near real time, which has proved much more accurate than older net-based sampling methods.

Lecturer: Now let's look at the krill life cycle across the year. In early spring, the main event is what's called the spawning period, when adult females release their eggs into the open water. In early summer, the eggs develop through what's known as the larval stage, during which the tiny larvae drift with the ocean currents. By late summer, the main activity becomes intensive feeding, and this is usually when krill build up the fat reserves they'll need for winter. And then, going into autumn and winter, the final major phase is what's called ice-association, which involves the krill sheltering directly beneath the sea ice and feeding on the algae growing on its underside.

Lecturer: Finally, let's talk about a case study.. the Scotia Sea is often cited as the most heavily studied krill region. The Scotia Sea now hosts several long-term monitoring programmes, and international researchers actively coordinate through shared survey data to track population trends there.

Lecturer: That brings us to the end of today's lecture.. next week we'll look at the broader Southern Ocean food web in more detail.

الكتابة.. Writing

مهمتان في 60 دقيقة: Task 1 (20 دقيقة، 150 كلمة على الأقل) وTask 2 (40 دقيقة، 250 كلمة على الأقل).

ابدأ الاختبار التفاعلي بالوقت

Writing Task 1

The graph below shows the amount of electricity produced from renewable sources and from fossil fuels in one country between 2000 and 2025. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Electricity production by source, 2000-2025 (TWh)
200020052010201520202025
Renewables15224075130210
Fossil fuels18019520018515095
اعرض الإجابة النموذجية (Band 9)

The line graph illustrates how much electricity was generated from renewable sources and from fossil fuels in one country over the twenty-five-year period from 2000 to 2025, measured in terawatt-hours. Overall, renewable electricity production increased continuously throughout the period, with growth accelerating sharply after 2010, while fossil-fuel production rose only slightly at first before falling back from 2010 onwards. As a result, the two sources converged and ultimately swapped positions: fossil fuels dominated the electricity mix at the start of the period, but renewables had taken the lead by the end. In 2000, fossil fuels accounted for the vast majority of electricity generated, at 180 TWh, compared with just 15 TWh from renewable sources - a gap of 165 TWh. Over the following decade, fossil-fuel output edged up further, peaking at around 200 TWh in 2010, while renewable output also grew, albeit from a low base, reaching 40 TWh in the same year. From this point, the trends diverged sharply: fossil-fuel production entered a steady decline, falling to 185 TWh in 2015 and then to 150 TWh in 2020, whereas renewable production accelerated markedly, climbing from 40 TWh to 75 TWh between 2010 and 2015.. an increase of almost 90 per cent.. and then rising further to 130 TWh by 2020. By 2025, the crossover was complete. Renewable production had climbed to 210 TWh, a rise of 80 TWh on its 2020 figure of 130 TWh, while fossil-fuel production had fallen further still, to just 95 TWh. Renewables therefore not only closed the original 165 TWh gap but opened a new lead of 115 TWh in the opposite direction, a striking reversal of the pattern seen at the start of the period.

TA (Band 9): key features are fully covered and clearly highlighted - the response selects exactly the two data-licensed features (accelerating trend divergence + the 2020-2025 crossover) and every comparative claim is supported using figures/data (TWh), staying inside the given data with no invented causes. CC (Band 9): four functionally distinct paragraphs give clear progression throughout, with varied cohesive devices (as a result, from this point, whereas, therefore) replacing mechanical sequencers. LR (Band 9): precise, varied trend vocabulary (accelerating, diverged sharply, edged up, entered a steady decline, opened a new lead) used with sophisticated control. GRA (Band 9): tense matches the visual's time frame throughout (simple past for dated points, past perfect for the 2025 crossover state), with a wide range of structures - comparative clauses, participial phrases, subordination - used with full flexibility and control.

قائمة الفحص للتقييم الذاتي
  • TAهل بدأت بفقرة overview منفصلة تلخص أبرز اتجاه (تسارع/تراجع) وأبرز نقطة تقاطع بدون أرقام تفصيلية فيها؟
  • TAهل كل جملة مقارنة في تقريري مدعومة برقم فعلي (TWh) من الرسم البياني؟
  • TAهل تجنبت ذكر أي سبب أو تفسير من عندي (مثل سياسات الحكومة) غير موجود في الرسم؟
  • GRAهل استخدمت الزمن المناسب لكل فترة (ماضي بسيط للأحداث المكتملة، Past Perfect عند مقارنة نقطة بنقطة سابقة عليها)؟
  • CCهل نوّعت أدوات الربط ولم أكرر نفس الكلمة (Firstly/So/Also) في كل فقرة؟
  • TAهل عدد كلماتي 150 كلمة على الأقل بدون حشو أو تكرار غير مفيد؟
  • TAهل وصفت فقط أبرز 2-3 عناصر (الاتجاه العام + التقاطع) بدلاً من سرد كل رقم في الجدول؟
  • LRهل نوّعت مفردات الاتجاه (rose/climbed/accelerated مقابل fell/declined/edged up) بدل تكرار نفس الفعل في كل جملة؟

Writing Task 2

Write about the following topic: In many major cities around the world, the cost of housing has become extremely high, making it difficult for many people to afford a decent place to live. What problems does this cause, and what solutions can be suggested to address them? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.

اعرض الإجابة النموذجية (Band 9)

In many of the world's largest cities, housing costs have risen so sharply that owning or even renting a decent home is now out of reach for a growing share of the population. This essay will outline the most significant problems this creates and then propose a set of realistic solutions. The most immediate problem is financial strain: when a large proportion of income is consumed by rent or mortgage payments, households have far less to spend on essentials such as food, healthcare and education, which in turn deepens inequality between those who already own property and those who do not. A second, closely related problem is displacement. As prices rise, long-term residents, including key workers such as nurses and teachers, are often forced to move to the outskirts of a city or leave altogether, lengthening their commutes and weakening the social fabric of the neighbourhoods they leave behind. Finally, unaffordable housing discourages young people from forming independent households, which can delay family formation and reduce a city's long-term economic dynamism. Several solutions could ease this pressure. Local governments could expand the supply of housing by relaxing overly restrictive planning regulations, particularly around city centres and transport hubs, allowing more homes to be built where demand is highest. Investment in social and affordable housing schemes, funded through targeted taxation of vacant or investment properties, would also directly increase the stock of housing available to lower-income residents. In addition, improving transport links to outlying areas would make more distant, cheaper housing genuinely viable for city workers, reducing pressure on central districts without requiring anyone to sacrifice their livelihood. In conclusion, while soaring housing costs create serious financial, social and demographic problems for major cities, a combination of increased housing supply, targeted affordable-housing investment and better transport infrastructure could substantially reduce the burden on residents.

TR (Band 9): both parts of the two-part question (problems AND solutions) are addressed fully and separately, avoiding the classic partial-question failure; ideas are relevant, fully extended and well supported with concrete mechanisms (planning reform, targeted taxation, transport investment). CC (Band 9): four single-function paragraphs give clear overall progression with genuine logical shifts marked by devices (A second closely related problem, Several solutions, In addition, In conclusion). LR (Band 9): sophisticated, precise vocabulary (financial strain, social fabric, economic dynamism, housing stock) with no unvaried repetition of key nouns. GRA (Band 9): a wide range of complex structures - causal subordination, fronted concessive clause, gerund/participial constructions - used with full flexibility and control and essentially error-free.

قائمة الفحص للتقييم الذاتي
  • TRهل أجبت على جزئي السؤال (المشاكل والحلول) بشكل كامل ومنفصل وليس جزءًا واحدًا فقط؟
  • TRهل ذكرت خارطة إجابتي بوضوح في المقدمة (سأتحدث عن المشاكل ثم الحلول)؟
  • TRهل كل مشكلة وكل حل مدعوم بتفصيل أو آلية حقيقية وليست جملة عامة فقط؟
  • CCهل خصصت فقرة مستقلة للمشاكل وفقرة مستقلة للحلول بجمل موضوع واضحة؟
  • LRهل تجنبت تكرار نفس الكلمة (مثل housing) بدون بدائل (rent, mortgage, property, housing stock)؟
  • GRAهل استخدمت جملاً معقدة متنوعة (سببية، شرطية، اسم فعل gerund) وليس فقط جملاً بسيطة متتالية؟
  • TRهل عدد كلماتي 250 كلمة على الأقل بدون نسخ عبارات من نص السؤال؟
  • CCهل خاتمتي تلخص المشاكل والحلول معًا بوضوح دون تكرار حرفي للمقدمة؟

المحادثة.. Speaking

3 أجزاء في 14 دقيقة تقريبًا.

ابدأ الاختبار التفاعلي بالوقت

Part 1 (4-5 min)

Let's talk about your family.

  • How many people are there in your family?
  • Who are you closest to in your family?
  • What do you like to do together as a family? (Why?)
  • Has your family changed much in recent years?

Let's move on to talk about films and TV.

  • Do you often watch films or TV series?
  • What kind of films do you prefer?
  • Do you like watching films alone or with other people? (Why?)
  • Did you watch a lot of TV when you were a child?

Part 2 (cue card)

Alright? Remember you have one to two minutes for this, so don't worry if I stop you. I'll tell you when the time is up.

Describe an object you own that is important to you.

  • what the object is
  • how you got it
  • how often you use it

and explain why it is important to you.

You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. · You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. · You can make some notes to help you if you wish.

Rounding-off questions

  • Is it valuable in terms of money?
  • Would it be easy to replace?

Part 3

We've been talking about an object you own that is important to you. I'd like to discuss with you one or two more general questions relating to this topic.

Let's consider first of all why people keep certain possessions. 1. Why do you think people keep objects that have no practical use? 2. Do you think people in your country are becoming more attached to material things?

  • Why do you think people keep objects that have no practical use?
  • Do you think people in your country are becoming more attached to material things?
  • Is that a recent development, do you think?
  • Why do you think people become emotionally attached to certain objects?
  • Do you think this attachment to objects will change in the future?

Finally, let's talk about consumer culture and buying habits. 3. Do you think advertising influences what people buy? 4. Do you think people today buy more than they actually need?

  • Do you think advertising influences what people buy?
  • Do you think people today buy more than they actually need?
  • What do you think of the way advertising targets young people specifically?
  • Can you tell me a little bit more about why people buy things they don't need?
  • Do you think buying habits will change as environmental concerns grow?
اعرض الإجابة النموذجية.. Part 2 (Band 6)

OK, so, um, the object I want to talk about is my grandfather's old wristwatch. I got it from my grandmother, um, after he passed away about four years ago, she gave it to me because I was the oldest grandchild, so it kind of, um, became mine after that. I don't use it every day, actually, because I'm scared of breaking it, so I only wear it on special occasions, like family events or, um, sometimes for important meetings when I want to feel more confident. It's important to me because, um, it reminds me of him, and also because it's, like, one of the only things I have that belonged to him, so it makes me feel connected to my family history and also, um, it makes me think about the kind of person he was, and I want to be like that too. My mother also has a similar story with a necklace from her mother, so I think, um, this kind of thing is common in my family, keeping objects that remind us of people. Yeah, so that's basically why this watch is so important to me and why I don't wear it very often.

FC: keeps going and demonstrates a willingness to produce long turns, but coherence dips through repeated 'um' and the connective-spam pattern 'and also... and also... and also' (a Band-5-leaning FC marker per standards/ielts/speaking.md §4's synthesis) that Band 6 tolerates only because it rarely impedes communication. LR: word choice sometimes inappropriate ('this kind of thing') but meaning is clear; paraphrase is not really tested since the candidate never needed to work around a gap. GRA: mix of short and complex forms with limited flexibility; clauses are strung together with 'and'/'so' rather than true subordination, errors rarely impede communication. P: chunking generally appropriate but rhythm affected by frequent filled pauses.

اعرض الإجابة النموذجية.. Part 2 (Band 8)

The object I'd like to talk about is a leather-bound notebook my older brother gave me when I left home for university, about five years ago now. He'd used it himself during his own studies, and rather than throwing it away once he'd filled it, he tore out the used pages, had it rebound at a little shop near our house, and gave it to me on the day I moved out, which honestly caught me completely off guard at the time. I don't use it constantly.. it's not something I scribble in every day.. but I reach for it whenever I need to think through something properly, a big decision, an essay plan, that sort of thing, so it comes out perhaps once or twice a month, always for something that matters. What makes it important to me isn't really the notebook itself, it's what it represents: the fact that my brother, who's never been particularly sentimental, went to that much trouble to make something practical feel personal, and that gesture has stuck with me far longer than any object normally would. Whenever I open it now, I'm reminded not just of him but of that entire period of leaving home, which was terrifying at the time but turned out to be one of the best things that's happened to me, so in a strange way the notebook has become a kind of anchor for that whole chapter of my life. I doubt I'll ever actually fill it, if I'm honest, because I've started rationing what I write in it, but that's rather the point.. it's meant to last.

FC: fluent, rare repetition/self-correction, coherent and relevant development across a single unbroken narrative arc (origin, use, significance, reflection). LR: wide, ready, flexible use with skilful idiomatic items ('caught me completely off guard', 'ration what I write in it', 'a kind of anchor'). GRA: wide range, flexible; majority of sentences error-free with dense accurate subordination. P: wide range implied by long unbroken clause chains and sustained rhythm across long utterances, consistent with the model's fuller sustained-2:00 length.

اعرض الإجابة النموذجية.. Part 3 (Band 8)

Examiner: Why do you think people become emotionally attached to certain objects? Candidate: I think it's usually because the object stands in for something else.. a person, a memory, a period of your life.. rather than being valued for what it actually is, so the attachment is really about what the object represents rather than its function or its price. Examiner: Is that a recent development, do you think, or has it always been that way? Candidate: I'd say it's always existed to some degree, but I think consumer culture has actually made it more visible, because we now own so many more objects than previous generations did, so the few that carry real emotional weight tend to stand out more sharply against everything else that's essentially disposable. Examiner: Do you think buying habits will change as environmental concerns grow? Candidate: I'd say so, yes.. I think we're already seeing a shift towards buying fewer, longer-lasting things rather than constantly replacing cheap items, and as awareness of waste keeps growing, I'd expect that trend to accelerate rather than reverse.

FC: hesitation occasionally content-related only; each turn is a fully extended, logically connected response rather than a bare opinion, and all three turns stay on the single possessions/consumer-culture theme rather than jumping topic. LR: effective paraphrase ('the object stands in for something else' reframes the prompt) and precise exam-register collocations ('essentially disposable', 'accelerate rather than reverse'). GRA: majority of sentences error-free with correct hedging modality ('I'd say', 'I'd expect') and comparative/conditional structures under time pressure. P: sustained rhythm and flexible stress/intonation implied across long, unbroken multi-clause turns.

قائمة الفحص للتقييم الذاتي
  • FCهل تحدثت بشكل متواصل بدون توقفات طويلة تبحث فيها عن كلمة؟
  • FCهل وقعت في «الربط الزائد».. تكرار and then... and then أو and also... and also بدل روابط متنوعة؟
  • LRهل استخدمت إعادة الصياغة عندما لم تعرف الكلمة الدقيقة، بدل التوقف الصامت؟
  • LRهل تجنبت الكلمات العامة جدا مثل this kind of thing واستبدلتها بمفردات أدق؟
  • GRAهل جربت جملا مركبة (subordinate clauses) بدل جمل قصيرة متكررة فقط؟
  • GRAراجع كثافة الأخطاء في جملك المعقدة تحديدا.. الجمل البسيطة قد تكون صحيحة لكن الجمل المعقدة هي الفارق بين باند 5/6 و 7/8
  • Pهل قسّمت كلامك إلى وحدات معنى واضحة (chunking) بدل كلام متصل بلا فواصل نطقية؟
  • Pهل حافظت على إيقاع ثابت دون تسريع الكلام بشكل يفقده وضوحه؟