The full version of Cambridge 19 is finally here, with a total of 143 pages in PDF! It is still divided into academic and training categories, including 4 sets of real questions, and each test contains the latest practice content for listening/reading/writing/speaking.
The first and most obvious thing is that the cover of IELTS 19 has changed to red. I wonder if you like it? But does this mean that the content of the IELTS test, such as the question types and test points, will change significantly?
The following are the test preparation strategies:
1. Don’t start doing exercises right away
Many newbies hear that they need to practice questions before the IELTS exam, so they start practicing real questions right away. In fact, this is wrong!
The correct approach should be to first have a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the IELTS test, determine your target score, and plan your preparation plan with a results-oriented approach!
Since each student’s strengths and weaknesses are certainly different and their sub-score goals are also different, they should first clarify their goals and then make targeted preparations.
2. Don’t get hung up on difficult problems
Many students want to focus on solving difficult questions right from the start, but this is not necessary. Usually, the order of listening and reading questions is from easy to difficult, so students can first improve their accuracy in the first three parts of listening and the first two parts of reading, and then try difficult questions.
Of course, if your goal is to get 8 points in each item, then you must ensure that all question types are answered correctly. However, if you are just getting started, it is best to make sure you can answer the basic and easy questions correctly first, and then move on to the difficult questions.
Some students tend to review the four subjects separately, for example, they only use the listening text to practice listening. This is wrong.
In fact, listening and speaking, reading and writing are interconnected. There are many daily conversations in listening, which can be applied to your oral answers, which can immediately make your answers more substantial! Moreover, these materials are all the most authentic expressions, so you don’t have to bother looking for them.
The expressions used in reading are also applicable to writing. Many reading materials are excerpted from English magazines, and the vocabulary, grammar and collocation used are the most formal and authentic, which is suitable for writing. Students can classify reading articles by scene and topic. For example, articles about science and technology and environmental protection that often appear in reading can be used in the same writing topic.
3. Conduct special exercises
Listening: Summarize mistakes and conduct targeted training
When you first start preparing, you don't need to do listening exercises on whole sentences. Instead, listen carefully to the core words and words that you are not sensitive to, and improve your auditory sensitivity.
Reading: Mastering skills and improving reading speed
For students with a good reading foundation, the difficulty is often not that the article is too difficult, but that there is not enough time. You should read the questions first and then the article, give priority to detail questions, and pay attention to synonym conversion.
For students with poor reading foundation, they should first accumulate a certain amount of vocabulary before using the tactic of doing a large number of questions.
Writing
There are six types of short essay questions: bar graph, line graph, pie chart, graphic combination (a combination of any two mathematical graphs), schematic diagram (usually two maps or architectural design drawings), and flow chart.
The exercise is divided into two steps:
① Practice reviewing questions and making outlines.
② Accumulate language materials for different types of questions.
The essay is the most difficult, so be prepared for a protracted battle
① Accumulate vocabulary (phrase collocation) related to the topic.
② Summarize the skills before reading the sample essay.
③ It is recommended that you take a mock test on a sample essay after practicing the 8 topics and find someone online to revise and score it to test your progress.
Speaking: Use the current speaking question bank and learn to string questions together
When preparing for the oral exam, you must make full use of the oral question bank and try to go through each topic. You can classify the topics, write down the keywords, and then compare the high-scoring materials to learn the framework and authentic expressions.
Don't just memorize the templates, but internalize the content of the question bank as your own material. The goal is to be able to quickly respond to any topic with a story you have prepared and use the authentic vocabulary you have accumulated. The words you use in spoken language don't need to be too complicated. Using some of the vocabulary and sentences you have accumulated in your daily life will add a lot of color.
When taking the exam, remember to smile more and keep talking with the confident attitude of a "social bull". In fact, examiners will often be moved by the confidence and enthusiasm of the candidates and give you more points.
Speaking scoring points: Pay attention to the 6 dimensions of scoring:
Speak fluently without audible pauses.
Length, not too short and not too long.
Don’t correct yourself (this is very important. Sometimes we realize that we have expressed ourselves incorrectly or not perfectly, so we will correct ourselves and say it again. This must be avoided because the examiner can easily deduct points from us because of this).
Vocabulary, don’t always use the same word, be sure to change words and use appropriate vocabulary.
Grammar, pay attention to tense, person, sentence structure, and make sure not to make mistakes. Our mistakes will be very obvious to native speakers, so try to avoid them.
Pronunciation, speak slowly, pronounce each word very clearly, so that the examiner can understand. Achieving the purpose of communication is the first priority!