Professional Documents
Culture Documents
newspapers and magazines. To help you prepare better for this topic, the article will cover
useful vocabulary, collocations, idioms, & common IELTS Speaking topics & questions about
this topic with suggested answers.
A tabloid: a newspaper with fairly small pages mostly containing stories about famous
people and not much serious news
Compact a newspaper with fairly small pages that deals with serious news issues
Newspaper Content
headlines = heading or title appearing at the top of a page or article
columns = news that is printed in vertical columns rather than taking a whole page
advicecolumn = a column in the newspaper where advice is given to people who
write in for it
obituaries = a section in the newspaper about people who have recently died
horoscope = a section in the newspaper about star signs and zodiac signs which
foretell the future
weather report = a section in the newspaper for weather forecasts
business section = a section in the newspaper with business news
international
/ world news section = a section in the newspaper which focuses on
news from abroad
caption = a explanation or title matching a picture or cartoon
letter
to the editor = a section in the newspaper for people to express their views to
the editor of the newspaper
special feature = a special story
editorial = a news article containing the editor’s opinions
comic strip = a cartoon series in the newspaper
Your Habits
Follow a story, peruse my favourite column; track the news; catch a news bulletin; subscribe
to a publication
Types of News
local news; international news; world events; current affairs; business news; gossip;
sensational news; the scandal received wide coverage in the press; libel; breaking news;
make the headlines; objective reporting; cover a story; news coverage; analysis; the story
went viral
the gutter press: newspapers which focus on sensational journalism, often about the lives of
famous people
circulation
= the number of copies a newspaper distributes on an average day (some
newspapers have a wider circulation than others)
layout= the way articles are designed on a page (this can include the position of
pictures, the number of columns and the size of headlines)
attention-grabbing = a news story which draws public attention
eye-catching = a picture or layout which catches a person’s eye
in-depth = with many details
sensational news = news which causes public excitement or interest
black and white = without colour
paparazzi = a freelance photographer who follows celebrities
front page = the first page of a newspaper
factcheckers = a person (people) who checks if the newspaper facts and information
in an article are correct
hot off the press = news that has just been printed and is very recent
readership= the collective readers of a newspaper (some newspapers have a large
readership)
issue (n) = 1. an important topic for a debate 2. a copy of a newspaper
PRACTICE
IELTS Speaking Part 1 Questions:
Describe a newspaper or a magazine that you like to read. You should say:
– What the publication is
– What kind of information it contains
– How often you read it
And explain why you read it
Do you prefer to receive your by reading it, or to listen to the news on the radio, TV or
internet?
Do you think newspapers and magazines might one day disappear?
What qualifications should a person have to work in a news corporation?
Would you say the media presents us with more good news than bad news, or vice-
versa?
Should the government control what is in our newspapers?
Which news medium, TV, the internet, or mobile devices, do you think is best for
broadcasting the news?
What kind of person can become a good journalist?
Is it easier to share news today than it was in the past?
In general, how do people share or communicate (good) news with others?
Which do you think is better for communicating (good) news, telling someone face-to-
face or telling them on the telephone?
How has modern technology affected the way people share information with others?
Practice with Newspaper Vocabulary
Fill in the following sentences with word(s) from the above lists. Words can be adapted to
make the sentences grammatically correct.
1. I can’t understand why people buy ……………….. because they don’t contain real
news, just gossip.
2. Famous people deserve the right to privacy and the government should do more to
control and limit ……………
3. There are so many mistakes in that article with information that they’ve got wrong.
They really should employ a …………….
4. I’m not keen on the …………… of some newspapers. It seems to me as though they
are trying to fill the pages with pictures and big words to get people’s attention but I
just think it’s messy.
5. Did you read about that amazing hero in WWII that recently died? There was a
wonderful article about her life in the …………….. today.
6. The reason that many people only glance through the papers to read the
……………….. is that they are so busy and don’t have time to read the details in the
articles themselves.
7. Although we live in a global world, where international news is important to follow,
it is still vital that people read their ……………… newspapers in order to learn about
the community in which they live.
8. I quite like reading …………… because it’s interesting to read the views of the editor
on particular issues.
Answers
1. tabloids
2. paparazzi (it is also possible to have the answer of “the gutter press”)
3. fact checker
4. layout
5. obituaries
6. headlines
7. regional / local
8. editorials
Error Correction
Find the mistakes in the following sentences. There is one mistake in each sentence.
1. The paparazzi, who work freelance, are notorious for hound celebrities.
Answers