IELTS FIGHTER

UNIT 7: TELEVISION, NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS

A. READING
Exercise 1: Read the information. Then complete the sentences. Use the words and phrases in
the box.
When writers use the passive, they often leave out auxiliary verbs and relative pronouns that are not needed.
The sentences in this exercise are perfectly correct with or without the words and phrases that you add.
It is important that when you are reading a text in the IELTS Reading test, you are able to recognise that not
all passive verbs necessarily look like passive structures.

having been / that are / which was / who had been / will be

1. The briefcase _______________ stolen from the car contained an important business contract.
2. Many of the websites _______________ used most frequently by people generate millions of euros
in advertising.
3. With my bags already _______________ packed, I was ready to set off.
4. The paper will be published and the findings _______________ discussed at next year’s conference.
5. The identity of the people _______________ arrested was not made public for several days.

Exercise 2: Read the information. Then read the article and choose the most suitable title.

Choose the title that best fits the whole text, not just a part of it.

Anyone who regularly uses social media will be familiar with that rather irritating sensation of seeing
that all their friends seem to be having far more fun than they are. This could be particularly
noticeable if you are sitting at home feeling bored while everyone else, it seems, is out partying or
enjoying a glamorous holiday. Not fair, is it?
In fact, this might be just one aspect of a widespread and more ominous social phenomenon. Could
social media actually make people depressed? A study commissioned by the National Institute for
Mental Health has identified ‘a strong and significant association between social media use and
depression’ in a sample of young adults in the USA. This established that the amount of time spent on
social media sites, as well as the number of visits to the sites, correlated closely with depression.
Of course, the picture may well be more complex than this. Joanne Davila of Stony Brook University
has studied interpersonal relationships between both adolescents and adults. She acknowledges the
powerful influence that social networks can have on their users, but says it may just be the case that
‘people who are depressed use more social media sites’. In other words, it may be simplistic to
conclude that one thing necessarily leads to the other.
As we all know, social media allows people to establish, re-establish and maintain social contacts very
easily, with a minimum amount of time spent and at essentially no cost. Relationships can be kept
alive with people who live on the other side of the globe, or with those who we rarely, if ever, see. On
the other hand, social media can encourage feelings of isolation and, at times, inadequacy.
Naturally, everyone needs to sense that they are liked and approved of. Social media comes into its
own here, with ‘likes’ being the currency of many social media platforms. Many people aim for as

UNIT 7 1
IELTS FIGHTER

many as possible in order to enhance their self-esteem, but this of course is only a short-term boost to
morale.
It is widely known that a weakness (as well as a strength) of the internet is that it essentially allows
anyone to publish anything. If, like a substantial majority of people, you get your news from social
media, then the chances are that you are exposed to a daily dose of conspiracy theories and
misleading news. And when it’s all mixed in with reliable information from respectable and reputable
media sources, few of us can really tell which is which with any certainty.
In fact, researchers at Columbia University, using their ‘emergent rumour tracker’, found that
misinformation is equally as likely as genuine news to go viral. The phenomenon is by no means new.
After coming under scrutiny, many internet giants began to review their policies with regard to the
publication and subsequent removal of fake news. Facebook added a box at the top of its newsfeed to
inform users how to deal with dubious stories that look as if they might not be true; if concerned,
users can click on it and are taken to Facebook’s help centre where they are told about various
features frequently found in fake news items, such as misspellings and nonstandard onscreen
formatting.
In order to confirm the ease with which fake stories can be not just spread online, but also used to
generate income, Filippo Menczer deliberately created a website that would computer-generate gossip
about celebrities. This had no factual basis whatsoever, as a disclaimer at the bottom of the page
pointed out. The articles also contained advertisements. Sure enough, at the end of the month,
Menczer received a cheque in the post, courtesy of the adverts hosted by his page. This was
undeniable proof that polluting the internet with lies could actually make a tidy profit, which was the
conclusion Menczer expected to reach.
Nowadays, this is well understood, and we have a whole new industry: fake news and digital
misinformation. A lot of the work is done by bots – fake accounts created to look like real people,
whose only aim is to generate advertising money. Yet, the mainstream IT industry is fighting back.
Computer scientists at Indiana University have devised a program to identify whether the source of
online content is a bot or a genuine human being.
Another area in which the internet in general, and social networks in particular, are a cause for
concern is addiction. According to an article by O’Keefe and Pearson in the journal Pediatrics, 22% of
teenagers log on to their favourite social networking site ten or more times a day. At first glance, this
may not seem particularly problematic, as these ten or more visits almost certainly aren’t going to
have an adverse effect on the person’s health, as can be the case with other addictive behaviours. And
yet, it is now clear that people’s relationships frequently suffer damage as a result.
We should also be concerned about the decreasing amount of sleep that heavy users of social media
sites find they have time for, which is often inadequate for the body’s systems. In other words, this can
be detrimental to the well-being of a person. Often, people addicted to social media have a greater
propensity to take risks, as compared with the population as a whole.
Essentially, there is no treatment for social media addiction and little understanding of how it can
change over time. And how would it respond to therapy? At the moment, we have more questions
than answers.

o The drawbacks of social media

o Three reasons not to use social media
o Why social media needs to be regulated
o Here’s why social media can get you down

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IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 3: Read the information. Then read the first part of the article again. Which
paragraphs of the article contain the following information? Choose the correct letter, A–E, for
each answer.

In these paragraph matching tasks in the IELTS Reading test, you don’t always need to use every
letter. And, it is possible to use a letter more than once.

The drawbacks of social media

A Anyone who regularly uses social media will be familiar with that rather irritating sensation of
seeing that all their friends seem to be having far more fun than they are. This could be particularly
noticeable if you are sitting at home feeling bored while everyone else, it seems, is out partying or
enjoying a glamorous holiday. Not fair, is it?

B In fact, this might be just one aspect of a widespread and more ominous social phenomenon. Could
social media actually make people depressed? A study commissioned by the National Institute for
Mental Health has identified ‘a strong and significant association between social media use and
depression’ in a sample of young adults in the USA. This established that the amount of time spent on
social media sites, as well as the number of visits to the sites, correlated closely with depression.

C Of course, the picture may well be more complex than this. Joanne Davila of Stony Brook University
has studied interpersonal relationships between both adolescents and adults. She acknowledges the
powerful influence that social networks can have on their users, but says it may just be the case that
‘people who are depressed use more social media sites’. In other words, it may be simplistic to
conclude that one thing necessarily leads to the other.

D As we all know, social media allows people to establish, re-establish and maintain social contacts
very easily, with a minimum amount of time spent and at essentially no cost. Relationships can be
kept alive with people who live on the other side of the globe, or with those who we rarely, if ever, see.
On the other hand, social media can encourage feelings of isolation and, at times, inadequacy.

E Naturally, everyone needs to sense that they are liked and approved of. Social media comes into its
own here, with ‘likes’ being the currency of many social media platforms. Many people aim for as
many as possible in order to enhance their self-esteem, but this of course is only a short-term boost to
morale.

1 feelings of jealousy experienced by social media users A / B / C / D / E 

2 pros and cons of social media sites A / B / C / D / E
3 the difficulty of distinguishing between cause and effect A / B / C / D / E
4 how social media sites enable people to feel better A / B / C / D / E
5 a proven link between social media use and a psychological problem A / B / C / D / E

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IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 4: Read the first part of the article again. Then read the statements. Choose True, False
or Not Given.

1 People tend to use social media more when they are bored.
o True
o False
o Not Given

2 Joanne Davila has conducted her research among different age groups.
o True
o False
o Not Given

3 Joanne Davila’s research contradicted the findings of the National Institute for Mental Health.
o True
o False
o Not Given

4 Social media actually makes most people lonelier.

o True
o False
o Not Given

5 Many social media users get long-lasting benefits from receiving ‘likes’.
o True
o False
o Not Given

Exercise 5: Read the next part of the article. Match the sentence halves.

It is widely known that a weakness (as well as a strength) of the internet is that it essentially allows
anyone to publish anything. If, like a substantial majority of people, you get your news from social
media, then the chances are that you are exposed to a daily dose of conspiracy theories and
misleading news. And when it’s all mixed in with reliable information from respectable and reputable
media sources, few of us can really tell which is which with any certainty.
In fact, researchers at Columbia University, using their ‘emergent rumour tracker’, found that
misinformation is equally as likely as genuine news to go viral. The phenomenon is by no means new.
After coming under scrutiny, many internet giants began to review their policies with regard to the
publication and subsequent removal of fake news. Facebook added a box at the top of its newsfeed to
inform users how to deal with dubious stories that look as if they might not be true; if concerned,
users can click on it and are taken to Facebook’s help centre where they are told about various
features frequently found in fake news items, such as misspellings and nonstandard onscreen
formatting.
In order to confirm the ease with which fake stories can be not just spread online, but also used to
generate income, Filippo Menczer deliberately created a website that would computer-generate gossip
about celebrities. This had no factual basis whatsoever, as a disclaimer at the bottom of the page

UNIT 7 4
IELTS FIGHTER

pointed out. The articles also contained advertisements. Sure enough, at the end of the month,
Menczer received a cheque in the post, courtesy of the adverts hosted by his page. This was
undeniable proof that polluting the internet with lies could actually make a tidy profit, which was the
conclusion Menczer expected to reach.
Nowadays, this is well understood, and we have a whole new industry: fake news and digital
misinformation. A lot of the work is done by bots – fake accounts created to look like real people,
whose only aim is to generate advertising money. Yet, the mainstream IT industry is fighting back.
Computer scientists at Indiana University have devised a program to identify whether the source of
online content is a bot or a genuine human being.

establish that false stories are shared online just as much as true stories./ identify common
characteristics of untrue news stories. / know if a news story is true./ study the results. / tell if
an online text has been written by a real person or not.

1 Most people find it difficult to

_______________________________________________________

2 Academics at Columbia University were able to

_______________________________________________________

3 Facebook is trying to enable people to

_______________________________________________________

4 Filippo Menczer created fake stories in order to

_______________________________________________________

5 Staff at Indiana University found a way to

_______________________________________________________

Exercise 6: Read the information. Choose the best paraphrases for the sentences from the
article.

Being able to identify paraphrases is a key skill in the IELTS Reading test, so it is useful for you to practise
this here.

1 The chances are that you are exposed to a daily dose of conspiracy theories and misleading news. 
o It’s likely that you are irritated by what you find online.
o You probably often see stories that are untrue.

2 The phenomenon is by no means new. 

o This has been happening for some time.
o This is becoming increasingly common.

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IELTS FIGHTER

3 In order to confirm the ease with which fake stories can be not just spread online, but also used to
generate income … 
o In order to earn money when the stories reach more people …
o In order to find out how easily these stories are shared and earn money …

4 This was undeniable proof that polluting the internet with lies could actually make a tidy profit,
which was the conclusion Menczer expected to reach. 
o Menczer found a way that he could make money without doing anything illegal.
o Menczer was right that spreading untrue stories online could give him a better income.

Exercise 7: Read the information. Then answer the questions using words from the final part of
the article. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Note that the instruction says, ‘Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer’. This means
that either one word or two words are acceptable – three words are not acceptable. As a general rule,
write just one word if you can, and write two if both are necessary.

Another area in which the internet in general, and social networks in particular, are a cause for
concern is addiction. According to an article by O’Keefe and Pearson in the journal Pediatrics, 22% of
teenagers log on to their favourite social networking site ten or more times a day. At first glance, this
may not seem particularly problematic, as these ten or more visits almost certainly aren’t going to
have an adverse effect on the person’s health, as can be the case with other addictive behaviours. And
yet, it is now clear that people’s relationships frequently suffer damage as a result.
We should also be concerned about the decreasing amount of sleep that heavy users of social media
sites find they have time for, which is often inadequate for the body’s systems. In other words, this can
be detrimental to the well-being of a person. Often, people addicted to social media have a greater
propensity to take risks, as compared with the population as a whole.
Essentially, there is no treatment for social media addiction and little understanding of how it can
change over time. And how would it respond to therapy? At the moment, we have more questions
than answers.

1 What aspect of a social media addict’s life can be harmed by their addiction? ___________

2 What do many social media addicts not get enough of? ___________

3 What are social media addicts more likely to do? ___________

Exercise 8: The article has five paragraphs, A–E. Read the article. Which paragraphs contain
the following information? Choose the correct letter, A–E, for each answer.

A Social media has come in for some tough criticism over the years, with a number of commentators
believing that it prevents people from being able to successfully communicate face-to-face. There are
those that argue that we are raising a generation who are unable to take things seriously and who
through playing violent video games have become desensitized to cruelty and lack sympathy for

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IELTS FIGHTER

anyone besides themselves. However, are social commentators and parents right to be alarmed by this
trend? In the 1930s, there was panic that young people were becoming addicted to the radio, and in
the 1980s, the advent of personal stereos meant there were those that panicked about the youth
becoming increasingly isolated by wearing headphones all the time. Perhaps, therefore, we should
remain suspicious of claims that social media and the wide use of technology is going to lead to a
society where people lack the literacy skills of the past and cannot communicate and socialise
effectively.
B Firstly, it is perhaps wrong to assume that socialising on the internet replaces real-life interaction. A
number of studies have shown that people of all ages who are more active on social media tend to lead
the most fulfilling off-screen social lives, too. Other studies have also shown that social media can be
beneficial to younger teens who use it effectively to communicate with their friends and classmates.
This can enable them, for example, to get better at using humour effectively with their peers. As
children of this age don’t have the opportunities to meet up with their friends, social media can be an
effective way for them to stay in touch with their friends outside of class, strengthening these
relationships. The study also illustrated that children in this age group tended to use social media less
as they became older and were able to meet up with their friends in real life.
C Nevertheless, there are a number of other concerns that the rise of social media has led to. In the
past, we didn’t have the issues of a person’s right to personal privacy that have arisen due to the
increased importance of this phenomenon nowadays. However, a lot of the social media sites that
younger people use often delete photos and messages quickly, and many young people have
conversations and then delete their images and stories leaving no trace of what they have written on
the internet. This is not to say, though, that younger people are always careful, but perhaps at this age
it is important to remember that they are learning about the conventions of society, both online and
offline. It might be that we worry more about what happens online as we don’t understand it as well
as they do, and it also doesn’t help that the media is often full of scare stories, such as those about
cyberbullying. However, although there have been some terrible stories about this, these incidents
thankfully don’t seem to be as widespread as we may be led to believe.
D We can perhaps say, therefore, that young people are still able to communicate effectively, as they
are always communicating online. People can now communicate at speed and respond to their friends
instantly. However, educators have become increasingly concerned that the use of shorthand and
grammatically incorrect sentences has led to young people becoming less literate. Coupled with this,
they are reading less because of the time that they are spending using gadgets and devices. However,
studies by educators and linguists have shown that youngsters are aware of the importance of
formality and know where and when to use formal language, and that they are not making any more
errors than people of the same age 20–30 years ago. Young people between the ages of 13 and 16 also
seem to be more industrious than a generation ago, with studies showing that students are now able
to write essays that are on average six times longer and offer more complex arguments. Computers
have opened up students’ abilities to gather more information and explore different points of view and
therefore write more confidently.
E In fact, the online world gives kids a lot of opportunities to be more creative, as well as to make
more friends. For example, when Jenny Johnson, a 14-year-old from the UK, became obsessed with
the TV programme Teen Wolf, she decided to start her own blog about it, which has been a huge
success, attracting many regular visitors, and has helped her make friends with other school pupils all
over the world. Perhaps we should therefore be encouraging children to use the technology they have
in the best way possible, rather than telling them to put their gadgets down.

1 evidence of improved academic skills A / B / C / D / E 

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IELTS FIGHTER

2 an example of someone gaining a large online following A / B / C / D / E

3 an important contemporary principle that wasn’t a priority before A / B / C / D / E

4 ways in which social media can enable people to develop social skills A / B / C / D / E

 5 examples of how teenagers can be responsible users of social media A / B / C / D / E

 6 comparisons of social media use with other activities that became very popular in the past A / B / C /

D/E

Exercise 9: Read the article again. Choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.

1 It has been argued that playing violent video games 

o can make people less concerned about the welfare of others

o doesn’t need to be a cause for concern, according to research

o is known to have very damaging long-term consequences

o is probably rarer than is widely believed

o may be misguided

o probably makes teenagers less able to function effectively in the real world
o shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for face-to-face socialising

2 The use of social media sites to communicate with friends 

o can make people less concerned about the welfare of others

o doesn’t need to be a cause for concern, according to research

o is known to have very damaging long-term consequences

o is probably rarer than is widely believed

o may be misguided

o probably makes teenagers less able to function effectively in the real world
o shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for face-to-face socialising

3 Hostile behaviour towards other people online 

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IELTS FIGHTER

o can make people less concerned about the welfare of others

o doesn’t need to be a cause for concern, according to research

o is known to have very damaging long-term consequences

o is probably rarer than is widely believed

o may be misguided

o probably makes teenagers less able to function effectively in the real world
o shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for face-to-face socialising

4 The language used by young people online 

o can make people less concerned about the welfare of others

o doesn’t need to be a cause for concern, according to research

o is known to have very damaging long-term consequences

o is probably rarer than is widely believed

o may be misguided

o probably makes teenagers less able to function effectively in the real world
o shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for face-to-face socialising

5 Advising children not to use their electronic devices 

o can make people less concerned about the welfare of others

o doesn’t need to be a cause for concern, according to research

o is known to have very damaging long-term consequences

o is probably rarer than is widely believed

o may be misguided

o probably makes teenagers less able to function effectively in the real world
o shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for face-to-face socialising

UNIT 7 9
IELTS FIGHTER

B. WRITING
Exercise 1: Read the IELTS Writing Task 1 question. Then read the sentences. Choose the
correct responses.

The pie chart below shows the readership of print newspapers by five different age groups in a
European country. 
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

1 What does this pie chart show? 

o different newspapers read by age group
o how many people read newspapers in hundreds
o newspaper readership by age group

2 Which age group is not represented? 

o children
o the older generation
o working-age people

3 What is most noticeable about the data? 

o Many people don’t have time to read newspapers.
o Older people read the press more than other age groups.
o Young people don’t read newspapers at all.

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IELTS FIGHTER

4 What mustn’t  a candidate do in their introduction? 

o copy the question word for word
o paraphrase the question
o write a few lines in their own words

5 Which of the following would make the best summary statement? 

o Overall, the general tendency shown by the graph is that the older you are, the more likely you
are to read a traditional newspaper.
o To summarise, old people generally really love to read newspapers.
o We can see that younger people are not interested in the news.

Exercise 2: Read the information. Then read the sentences. Choose the correct alternatives to
replace the underlined words and phrases.

Paraphrasing helps to avoid repetition and also demonstrates a wide range of vocabulary.
Paraphrasing must be used appropriately to achieve a higher band in the IELTS test.

1 The chart shows the percentage of people who read traditional antique / conventional / old
newspapers by age group in a country in Europe.

2 People aged between 14 and 19 Children / Teenagers / Todlers were less likely to read newspapers
in their printed format. In fact, only 5% of the readership in the country being studied came from this
age group.

3 Print newspaper readership among 20- to 39-year-olds and 40- to 59-year-olds is the same, with
the figure factor / serial number/ total for each of these groups being 15%.

4 There is a significant considerable / gradual / small rise in the percentage of people who read
newspapers in paper format among those aged between 60 and 79 years old.

5 Not surprisingly, the over-80s age group is the one that reads print newspapers the brochure / the
edition / the press in the traditional format the most compared to the other age groups shown.

6 To sum up In addition / In comparison / In conclusion, print newspapers are far more likely to be
read by people aged 80 and over than by 60- to 79-year-olds, whilst people aged between 20 and 59
are more likely to read newspapers than those aged between 14 and 19.

Exercise 3: Look at the chart again. Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.

as / far / from / more / so / too

1 Compared to the oldest age group shown in the chart, young people under 20 years old are
____________less likely to read news publications in their traditional paper-based format.

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IELTS FIGHTER

2 The newspaper reading habits of the working-age population (20- to 59-year-olds) as a whole are not
that different ____________ those of 60- to 79-year-olds.

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IELTS FIGHTER

3 The ratio of people reading print newspapers in the 20 to 39 age range is the same ____________ in
the 40 to 59 age range.

4 The fact that ____________ few of those under the age of 20 read paper-based publications is the
most striking feature shown in the pie chart.

5 The pie chart shows that people aged 80 and above make up 40% of print newspaper readership,
which is 15% ____________than those aged between 60 and 79.

6 It is not ____________surprising to note that only 5% of newspaper readership in print format is

made up of the youngest age group shown in the chart.

Exercise 4: Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

1 Generally speaking, most print newspapers are / is / was read by people over 60 years old.

2 It can be / been / to be noticed immediately that people over 80 are the biggest readers of newspapers
of all the age groups shown in the chart.

3 Overall, the fact that only a small number of offline news readers are teenagers in this country are /
is / were very noticeable.

4 The same proportion of paper-based news publications is be / been / being read by those in their
twenties and thirties and those in their forties and fifties.

5 A quarter of the print newspaper readership are / being / is shown to be made up of people in the 60
to 79 age group.

Exercise 5: Read the information. Then choose the correct words and phrases to complete the
sentences about the pie chart.

In IELTS Writing Task 1, you will be tested on your ability to use numbers, fractions and percentages
accurately. It is important to use the correct fractions and percentages when completing Task 1. For example:

just over 30% = about one-third

approximately 50% = about half
under 25% = less than one-quarter
1 in 20 people = 5% of people

The pie chart below shows the readership of print newspapers by five different age groups in a
European country.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

UNIT 7 13
IELTS FIGHTER

1 Just almost / over / under a sixth of those who prefer to get their news offline are in the 20 to 39 age
group.

2 A fifth / quarter / third of those who read a newspaper offline are aged between 60 and 79.

3 Less than half / 40% / a third of the print newspaper readership is aged over 80.

4 With reference to teenage reading habits, it is clear that only 1 in 5 / 1 in 20 / 1 in 25 of those who
choose to get their news from traditional print publications is a teenager.

5 In general, well over a quarter / a third / two-thirds of traditional newspapers are read by those in
their eighties and above.

6 Those in the 20 to 39 and 40 to 59 age brackets account for the same share of print newspaper
readership and represent just about / over / under a third in total.

Exercise 6: Choose the correct articles to complete the sentences. Choose a, an, the or no article
(–).

1 With reference to a / an / the / -  youngest generation shown in the chart, they don’t show a / an / the
/ - desire to read print media, as they account for only 5% of the total readership.

2 Interestingly, people in a / an / the / - groups aged 20 to 39 and 40 to 59 have a / an / the / -  same
ratio, with each representing 15% of offline readership.

3 A / An / The / - extremely important feature of this chart is that well over a / an / the / - third of those
who get their news offline are in their eighties.

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IELTS FIGHTER

4 A / An / The / - pie chart illustrates how a / an / the / - newspapers are read by people from different
generations in one particular European country.

5 Regarding a / an / the / - 60 to 79 age range, a / an / the / - quarter of offline news readership is

attributable to them.

6 A / An / The / - quarter of people reading print media is made up of those aged between a / an / the /
- 60 and 79.

7 In a / an / the / - conclusion, many people over 80 get their news offline while many readers aged 14
to 19 don’t consume a / an / the / - news in its traditional format.

Exercise 7: Choose the correct prepositions to complete the conclusions.

1 In / On / With the light of the evidence represented in the chart, it is fair to say that the younger
generation are choosing not to read mainstream print media, while the oldest generation shown still
prefer to read newspapers in their paper format.

2 As / By / On and large, those aged over 60 still like to read paper-based newspapers, while the
majority of people under the age of 59 choose not to do this.

3 Generally speaking, the older generations prefer to get their news from print publications whilst the
under-19s have, among / by / for the most part, abandoned traditional newspapers for other media
formats.

4 In / On / With essence, print media is read mainly by those over 60, whilst it is much less popular
among those in the youngest generation shown.

5 The pie chart shows that, as / in / on balance, print newspapers are read mostly by those in later life,
whilst only a small percentage of the readership is made up of youngsters.

6 By / In / With summary, what is most striking about the chart is the large number of people aged over
80 who prefer to access news stories in print publications, compared to how few of those who do so
are aged under 19.

Exercise 8: Read the IELTS Writing Task 1 question. Then choose the sentences that would
receive higher marks.

The pie chart below shows the readership of print newspapers by five different age groups in a
European country.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.

UNIT 7 15
IELTS FIGHTER

1
o 25% of people who read print newspapers are between 60 and 79 years old.
o A quarter of people who read mainstream printed news material are aged between 60 and 79
years old.
2
o The chart shows print newspaper readership by age group, with age groups ranging from 14-
year-olds to 80-year-olds and over.
o The information in the chart shows the percentage of print newspaper readership made up by
different age groups.
3
o Of the total readership, 15% is aged between 20 and 39 and 15% is aged between 40 and 59.
o The same proportion of the readership, about one-seventh, is made up of people between the
ages of 20 and 39 and between 40 and 59.
4
o All in all, teenagers make up far less of the readership of printed newspapers than people in
their eighties, many of whom still prefer to consume news in this format.
o In summary, only 5% of the print newspaper readership are youngsters compared to 40% for
older people.
5
o A striking feature of this chart is the large difference between the proportion of young
readership (5%) and old readership (40%).
o The most noticeable feature of this chart is that only 5% of the print newspaper readership are
teenagers compared to well over a third for the oldest generation shown.
6

UNIT 7 16
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o Also, 25% of print newspaper readership are between 60 and 79 in comparison to 15% for
adults in both the 20 to 39 and 40 to 59 age groups, which is interesting.
o This age-based readership trend is further demonstrated by the graphic with one in four of the
print newspaper readership drawn from the 60 to 79 age group whereas both the 20 to 39 and
40 to 59 age groups drop down to 15%.

Exercise 9: Correct the 10 grammatical errors in the essay. There are errors with articles (the, a,
an), referencing words (it, this, that, etc.), prepositions (in, on,  at, etc.), relative pronouns
(who, which, where, etc.) and verb and noun forms.

The  chart  shows a percentage  of people, divided into different groups between 14 and 80  and over, 

which  read traditional  newspapers in a country in Europe.

The  most  noticeable  feature  of the chart are the number of people aged 80  and over who still  read 

printed  newspublications, comparison to those in other age  groups.  In addition, a quarter  of people 
who 
read  newspapers offline  are age  between 60 and 79.  Interestingly, the same  proportion  of paperbase
d 
news  publications  is read  by these  in their twenties and thirties and those in  their forties  and fiftie
s. 
What  is  also evidence is  that  only  5% of  newspaper readership in  print format is made on  of  the y
oungest  age group  shown  in the chart.

In  summary, it  can  be  say that the  older  generations prefer to  get their news from print publicatio

ns  whilst  the under
19s  had,  for the  most part, abandoned traditional newspapers  for other media formats.

Exercise 10:
WRITING TASK 1
You should spend 20 minutes on this text

The pie charts below show the devices people in the 18 to 25 age group use to watch television in a
European country in two different years.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where

UNIT 7 17
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relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

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C. LISTENING
Exercise 1: Listen and complete the notes. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
(²Track 7.1)

Background
•    The speaker became a journalist after she 1____________to write a successful novel.
•    The speaker became involved in a 2____________ factual television programme.
Advantages

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IELTS FIGHTER

•    Travelling 3____________can be very gratifying.

•    giving viewers something new and thought-provoking
Disadvantages
•    not suitable for anyone who cannot manage rigid 4____________
•    possible deterioration of interpersonal 5____________

Exercise 2: Read the information. Then listen and choose six answers from the list to complete
the flow-chart. Write the correct letter, A–I, for each question. (²Track 7.2)

For flow-chart completion questions, you may have to choose answers from a list of options. The options
may be mentioned in any order and not all of them will be required.
Look at the flow-chart before you listen and guess which words might fit both grammatically and
contextually. As you listen, focus on each question in turn, as these will be mentioned in order. Finally,
remember to listen for signposting language to help you follow the talk.

A complexity
B compact
C interest
D attention
E materials
F summary
G announcement
H articles
I repetition

Exercise 3: Scan the four extracts from the recording script. Choose the correct answers to
complete the sentences.

1  OK, so let’s start with the headline. Not only should this be brief, clear and to the point, but it also
needs to grab the reader’s attention. Whilst the first word in the press release could be, and often is,
capitalised, the rest of the text should be in lower case.

UNIT 7 20
IELTS FIGHTER

2  Right, so moving on to the first main paragraph in the body of the article. First and foremost, avoid
fancy language. Overlong vocabulary will simply confuse the reader. And you must be careful of
repetition – you don’t have the time or the space for this. In addition, I would suggest you do not use
complicated grammatical structures.
3  Clearly, you need to describe what you do and such like, and this should be done in a few lines. At
this stage, link to your web page and other useful information that you’d like to have quoted in the
release.
4  Finally, you should tie everything together by providing links to any additional supporting
materials, and, of course, details of how you can be reached for further comment.

1 In the flow-chart, ‘get’ in question 1 is a synonym for

A consider.
B grab.
C treat.

2 In the recording, ‘fancy language’ and ‘overlong vocabulary’ are paraphrases of

A complicated words.
B lower case.
C straightforward grammar.

3 In the flow-chart, ‘that help prove the facts’ in question 6 is a paraphrase of

UNIT 7 21
IELTS FIGHTER

A additional.
B further.
C supporting.

Exercise 4: Listen and complete the notes. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each
answer. (²Track 7.3)

Relationships
•    You won’t be liked and people may lose 1___________in you. 
•    People you don’t know well may stop talking when you 2___________ your job. 
•    friends no longer willing to tell you their secrets
Sacrifices
•    can be low-paid with long hours and 3___________work 
•    Unless you become well known, you may feel that you aren’t valued.
Many rivals
•    You need to get noticed.
•    if inexperienced, build your 4___________ using the internet

Exercise 5: Listen and choose six answers from the list to complete the flow-chart. Write the
correct letter, A–I, for each question. (²Track 7.4)
A super-computer
B assimilation
C observations
D predictions
E compromise
F scientists
G conditions
H satellite
I data

D. SPEAKING
Exercise 1: In this unit, you will learn how to answer IELTS Speaking test questions on the topic
of television. Look at the phrases in the box. Then watch the video of three native English
speakers discussing television. Notice how the speakers use some of the phrases for self-
correction, clarifying and omitting details. Complete the table with the phrases. (·Video 7.1)
sorry, I should have said … / to put that (in) another way … / and stuff like that/ what

UNIT 7 22
IELTS FIGHTER

I meant to say was … / by that I mean … / let me clarify that / et cetera/ and so on
/what I mean by that is …

self-correction clarifying

omitting details

Exercise 2: Watch the video again. Put the questions that the speakers ask in the correct order.
There are more questions than you need. (·Video 7.1)

Do you think our TV habits will change again in the future?

How do you think our TV watching habits have changed over the last few years?
How do you think watching TV will change in the next few years?
How will virtual reality change the way we watch TV?
What do you think the advantages of watching TV online are?
What do you think the disadvantages of watching TV online are?

Question 1: ____________________________________________________________
Question 2: ____________________________________________________________
Question 3: ____________________________________________________________

Exercise 3: Read the information. Then watch the video of the native English speakers talking
about the types of television programmes that they watch. Complete the conversation with the
phrases that you hear. (·Video 7.2)

A good way to prepare for the IELTS Speaking test is to listen to native speakers discussing different IELTS
topics, such as health or the media. This will help you to learn phrases that are typically used by native
speakers to clarify what they mean (e.g. What I mean by that is …), support their argument (e.g. for example)
or round off a list (e.g. and so on).

Speaker 1: So, moving on to that. So, what type of programmes do you end up watching, then?

Speaker 2: I watch a lot of documentaries, _____________, to learn different

things, _____________,quite a bit of sport, before, and also random stuff – so it will be property

programmes, or, I don’t know, a bit of cooking, get some ideas for what I’m gonna make. Yeah, I

mean, _____________, I kind of watch them. I also don’t really – often, I’ll have other stuff on in the

UNIT 7 23
IELTS FIGHTER

background, or the television will be in the background, and I’ll be doing something else, so maybe

not 100% of my focus is on the TV _____________. Yeah, I don’t know whether that chimes with

what you guys do?

Speaker 1: For me, I can’t … I love watching cooking shows, but I get hungry watching cooking

shows. Like, Saturday mornings, it’s always cooking shows, and I think, ‘I’m so hungry!’ But, yeah,

I’m a bit boring. I like watching documentaries, David Attenborough, history shows, _____________.

Speaker 3: I’m definitely the same. I like, kind of, nature programmes, wildlife programmes,

historical documentaries _____________.

Exercise 4: Read the information. Then look at the phrases in the box. What are their functions?
Complete the table with the phrases.

Sometimes in the IELTS Speaking test, you will need some extra time to think of an answer to a question. The
phrases in the box allow you to continue speaking while you think of an answer. They can be useful, but
don’t overuse them.

As far as I’m concerned … / So, I think, for me … / It’s an interesting question./ It

depends on … / I tend to believe … / It depends what you mean by that. / such as …/ It
tends to differ. / To illustrate what I’m saying … / so, for instance …

giving an example

giving your opinion

saying that something changes with

the situation
delaying your answer

Exercise 5: Read the information. Then watch the video of two native English speakers
responding to IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions. Choose the correct impersonal phrases
with it to complete the responses. (·Video 7.3)

UNIT 7 24
IELTS FIGHTER

Impersonal phrases with it can help you speak in general, for example about groups of people and their
beliefs and feelings. They can help you sound more objective. Using these phrases correctly will help you to
improve your Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy marks.

1 It has been estimated that / It is widely accepted that watching too much TV can contribute towards
a sedentary life style and that this can make people more susceptible to health problems, such as
diabetes and obesity.

2 TV habits are already changing. It could be argue that / It has been reported that more and more
people are turning to online TV and in particular features like catch-up TV, which allow viewers to
watch programmes when they wish.

3 It has been proven that / It has been reported marketing companies target young children and teens,
who are more vulnerable to persuasion. I think this needs to change and new laws should be
introduced to prevent this.

4 I think it is obvious that we spend a lot of time on social media. In fact, it has been reported / it is
said somewhere that some people spend more than seven hours a day online. That means that more
than half of most people’s day is spent on social media. That’s too much.

5 If I could change one thing, it would be to remove advertising from TV. It could be argued that / It
is claimed that the world would be a much better place without advertising. For a start, my favourite
TV shows would not be interrupted every 15 minutes, something which I find very frustrating at times.

Exercise 6: Choose the most logical phrases to complete the responses.

1 I think that TV is a very positive thing. And stuff like that / Let me elaborate on that / What I mean
to say was. It allows us to know what is going on in the world and can provide children with a lot of
educational information.

2 Children should be allowed to watch TV online unsupervised. By that I mean / It is claimed that / To
illustrate what I am saying they should be allowed to watch it without their parents, as long as there is
some security installed to prevent them going to inappropriate sites.

3 I don’t like watching TV programmes that are too serious. I prefer watching comedies and
cartoons and stuff like that / briefly / but I won’t go into the details here.

4 Watching TV online is a much better experience than watching it on a conventional TV. By that I
mean / It tends to differ / Such as it offers us the opportunity to choose what we want to watch and
where we want to watch it.

5 As far as I’m concerned, / It could be argued that / It’s an interesting question, watching TV is a

complete waste of time. I’d much rather spend my time at home reading a book.

6 It has been reported that / It’s an interesting question / So, for example , but I have never thought
about the impact of TV on people’s health before.

UNIT 7 25
IELTS FIGHTER

7 As far as I’m concerned, / I tend to believe that / To put that another way, people spend too much
time on social media, but I don’t have a strong opinion on it. It’s up to them. 

8 It could be argued that / It has been estimated that / It’s an interesting question printing newspapers
is a waste of time, as most people get their news online and it is a waste of natural resources.

Exercise 8: You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 1.

1. Do you like watching TV?
2. How often do you watch TV?
3. Do you ever watch TV online?
4. Do you ever watch TV programmes from other countries?

Exercise 9: You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a pencil.

Describe a TV programme which you enjoyed.

You should say:
     what kind of TV programme it was, e.g. a comedy, a documentary, etc.
     when you saw this TV programme
     what this TV programme was about
and explain why you would recommend watching this TV programme.

Exercise 10: You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 3.

1. What are some of the drawbacks of people watching too much TV?
2. How do you think TV watching habits will change in the future?
3. Do you think there’s too much advertising on TV?
4. How important do you think it is to follow what is happening in the news?

E. GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY

Exercise 1: Match the words and phrases with the definitions.

chat show / current affairs programme / documentary / drama / game show / reality show

1 an informal television or radio programme on which famous people are asked questions about
themselves and their work: _____________________

2 a TV or radio programme giving political news about events happening now: _________________

UNIT 7 26
IELTS FIGHTER

3 a television programme about ordinary people who are filmed in authentic situations:
_____________________

4 a television programme where people score points by answering questions or doing things:
_____________________

5 a film, or television or radio programme that gives facts and information about a subject:
_____________________

6 a play in a theatre or on television or radio: _____________________

Exercise 2: Put the words in the correct order to complete the sentences.

Of the people / were in favour / over 50% / interviewed said they / a little / of an election / .

Like to quit / half of / slightly under / said they would / all smokers / .

All residents felt / one-fifth of / that the amenities / were substandard / approximately / .

Third of / just / households / under a / have pets / .

On their phones / the commuters / almost all / to the news / said that / they listen / .

One in / ten viewers / with the quality / roughly / was happy / of news broadcasts / .

Exercise 3: Correct the underlined mistakes.

1.A small under 80% of regular listeners are satisfied with the quality of the programmes.

2.Slight over 30% of the readers said they were going to cancel their subscription to the magazine.

3.Approximatly 90% of subscribers to the online edition had no complaints.
4.Most all viewers felt that documentaries and financial programmes were well researched.
5.Just as over 50% of the people who took part in the survey wanted an election.
6.Rough one in three readers was dissatisfied with the sports coverage.

Exercise 4: Complete the sentences. Use the percentages in the box.

19% / 30% / 49% / 65% / 81% / 89%

UNIT 7 27
IELTS FIGHTER

1 _________is just over four-fifths.

2_________ is a little under two-thirds.
3_________ is almost one-fifth.
4_________ is about nine-tenths.
5_________ is roughly half.
6_________ is exactly three-tenths.

Exercise 5: Which passive forms are used in the sentences? Match the tenses in the box with the
correct sentences.

future perfect / future simple / past continuous / past simple / present continuous /
present perfect / present simple

1 The sports programme is being watched by millions of people. _________________

2 The sports programme was watched by millions of people. _________________

3 The sports programme has been watched by millions of people. _________________

4 The sports programme was being watched by millions of people. _________________

5 The sports programme will have been watched by millions of people. _________________

6 The sports programme is watched by millions of people. _________________

7 The sports programme will be watched by millions of people. _________________

Exercise 6: Rewrite the sentences in the passive.

1 The broadcasting corporation produces many historical dramas.

Many historical dramas______________ by the broadcasting corporation.
2 That presenter has read the news for ten years.
The news ______________ by that presenter for ten years.
3 The prime minister will make an important announcement on Wednesday.
An important announcement ______________by the prime minister on Wednesday.
4 The newspaper’s chief editor wrote the lead article.
The lead article ______________ by the newspaper’s chief editor.
5 The news channel is producing a documentary about homelessness.
A documentary about homelessness ______________ by the news channel.
6 The education minister will have closed all schools with fewer than 50 pupils by the end of the year.
All schools with fewer than 50 pupils ______________ by the education minister by the end of the
year.

UNIT 7 28
IELTS FIGHTER

7 They were making a film about the cultural scene in Bradford when we visited the studio.
A film about the cultural scene in Bradford ______________ when we visited the studio.

UNIT 7 29
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 7: Put the words in the correct order to complete the sentences.
1
Will be / that next year / reduced by 50% / documentaries produced / the number of / it has been
said / .

2
Believed that / by huge numbers / of young adults in the nineties / it is / reality TV / was being
watched / .

3
It is / for financial reasons / will have been stopped / the production of / all historical TV dramas /
widely accepted / that by 2025 / .

4
Over 10 million viewers / it is estimated / is currently / being watched by / that the sports
programme / .

5
Is listened to / aged over 50 every week / by 10 million people / the gardening programme on the
radio / .

Exercise 8: Correct the underlined mistakes.

1 A large number of sporting events are covered with the commercial channels.

2 Last night’s sports programme has watched by nearly 4 million people.

3 By the end of this month, proceedings in parliament will be filmed for over 30 years.

4 Highlights of many sporting events is shown nightly on the channel.

5 Many free newspapers are been distributed outside stations at all times of the day.

6 A play about the hardships of village life is being rehearsed when we visited the theatre.

Exercise 9: In which sentence is the adverb or adverbial phrase in the correct position? Choose
the correct sentences.
1
o The interview secretly with the motorist was being filmed.
o The interview with the motorist was being secretly filmed.
2
o A children’s programme currently is being viewed by all the pupils in the nursery school.
o Currently, a children’s programme is being viewed by all the pupils in the nursery school.
3
o The news channel has been criticised for its coverage unfairly of the election.
o The news channel has been unfairly criticised for its coverage of the election.

UNIT 7 30
IELTS FIGHTER

4
o British documentaries frequently were exported to South America in the eighties and nineties.
o British documentaries were frequently exported to South America in the eighties and nineties.
5
o This game show will have been broadcast over 100 times probably by the end of the year.
o This game show will probably have been broadcast over 100 times by the end of the year.
6
o This current affairs programme is regularly watched by most of my friends and colleagues.
o This current affairs programme regularly is watched by most of my friends and colleagues.
7
o Tomorrow’s tennis match will be watched by millions without doubt on pay-as-you-view
channels.
o Tomorrow’s tennis match will without doubt be watched by millions on pay-as-you-view
channels.

Exercise 10: Read the magazine article about a television documentary. Complete the sentences
with the verbs in the box.

have been added / is being broadcast / is broadcast / was being produced / was
opened / were / filmed / were relocated / will be shown / will have been watched

The aim of our new documentary is to bring to life the culture and industries of central England in the
nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Our documentary is based on an open-air museum located in
central England on 26 acres of former industrial land. It ___________ to the public in 1978, and
since then over 50 shops, houses and other industrial buildings from nearby towns ___________.
Most buildings ___________ from their original sites to form a village in which actors portray life
from over 300 years of history, but with a focus on the period 1850–1950. Many different aspects of
museum life ___________ during the ten-month period in which the documentary ___________. In
one scene, viewers ___________ what it was like to be a pupil in a Victorian reading lesson at the
village school, and in another scene the life of a miner underground will be depicted. The first episode
___________ this week and ratings are expected to be extremely high. It is estimated that by the time
the final episode ___________, the series ___________ by over 50 million viewers.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Exercise 1:

Hello, and thank you for coming. I’m going to be looking at my life as a current affairs researcher. It may
surprise you to know that it wasn’t my first choice of career; indeed, one could argue that it wasn’t a choice at
all – but I’ll go into that later.

Right, let’s start with what led me to where I am today. I had intended to become an author and, after
graduating, spent some considerable time attempting to write my first novel. However, after several failed
attempts, I found myself working for the local newspaper as a junior television journalist. I did this for a few
years and then, quite by chance, I was offered the opportunity to become involved in a high-profile TV
documentary. Well, it was a life-changing experience. We were working in a very remote area, and I was tasked

UNIT 7 31
IELTS FIGHTER

with not only finding potential interviewees, but also persuading them to take part in the programme. From that
point, there was no going back and my new career as a current affairs researcher was established.

OK, so now let’s move on to some of the key benefits. Of course, I get the chance to travel extensively, and this
is something that can be extremely rewarding. Secondly, in terms of personal development, I get a real sense of
achievement from going beyond the obvious and bringing something new and thought-provoking to the
viewers.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the key drawbacks. Firstly, don’t expect to work nine to five. The hours can be
painfully long and this really isn’t the right career for anyone who is unable to cope with tight deadlines.
Typically, these are immovable, so meeting them can be stressful. Secondly, you may find that you are away
from home for long periods of time, so relationships with friends and family can suffer as a result.

OK, so I hope you’re clearer on some of the advantages and disadvantages of a career as a current affairs
researcher. To sum up, whilst it’s an extremely challenging and pressurized job, for those who are prepared to
work hard, the rewards are incredible.

Exercise 2:

Hello, I’m here today to talk to you about the process of writing an effective media or press release. My talk
will be split into what I consider are the four key stages involved in the process.

OK, so let’s start with the headline. Not only should this be brief, clear and to the point, but it also needs to grab
the reader’s attention. Whilst the first word in the press release could be, and often is, capitalised, the rest of the
text should be in lower case. Typically, you should treat your headline as an announcement by extracting the
main points from the remainder of the release.

Right, so moving on to the first main paragraph in the body of the article. First and foremost, avoid fancy
language. Overlong vocabulary will simply confuse the reader. And you must be careful of repetition – you
don’t have the time or the space for this. In addition, I would suggest you do not use complicated grammatical
structures. Remember: the purpose here is to generate interest, and, therefore, we’re looking for a summary of
everything you want to say, written in a very straightforward way.

Now, turning to the remaining paragraphs, ensure they are written in the order you want them to be seen in the
release. Obviously, this means from the most to the least important. It’s critical that the paragraphs are compact
– unlike essay writing, which uses complex structures, sentences here are short and uncomplicated.

OK, so we’ve talked about the first three elements. Now let’s look at ‘Company information’, which is where
you let journalists know who you are. Clearly, you need to describe what you do and such like, and this should
be done in a few lines. At this stage, link to your web page and other useful information that you’d like to have
quoted in the release.

Finally, you should tie everything together by providing links to any additional supporting materials, and, of
course, details of how you can be reached for further comment.

Well, I think that just about clarifies the main elements of writing an effective release. Now, any questions?

Exercise 4:

Hello. As you know, I’ve come here today to talk to you about a specific role within the media, but before I do
that, I’d like to talk about some of the challenges you’ll face. I know many of you think it’s a glamorous life,
full of celebrities and parties. But, whilst it can be exciting in the extreme, the reality is often full of difficult
personal choices and sheer hard work.

UNIT 7 32
IELTS FIGHTER

OK, so firstly, be prepared for criticism from those you know – and don’t know. What I mean by this is you’ll
become unpopular. Many surveys suggest that the public just don’t have faith in those who work in the media.
You may be shocked to find, for example, conversations with acquaintances stop dead as soon you reveal what
you do for a living. And even friends and family are likely to become reluctant to share their secrets with you.
Why? For fear you’ll pass them on to whomever will pay the most for them.

Secondly, you’ll need to give up a lot. Salaries are low and working hours long. The tasks you undertake can be
tedious, with vast amounts of time spent on checking research and sources. Only the fortunate few actually
become household names, so unless you’re at the top, it’s likely you’ll feel underpaid and overworked – not to
mention undervalued.

Next, competition is stiff. As the industry becomes more popular and technology develops, the number of
people seeking entry into the field increases. This means, more than ever before, you need to stand out from the
crowd, both in terms of personality and experience. For the latter, you’ll need to use social media to build up
your personal brand and get noticed.

OK, so they’re the challenges. Now, let’s turn to something more specific.

Exercise 5:

OK, so we’ve looked at some of the challenges of working in the media and I now want to turn my attention to
a different role: that of a weather forecaster. Although we think of weather forecasters as broadcasters, there is
an awful lot that goes on behind our TV screens, as I’ll explain now.

OK, so let’s start with what a meteorologist does. Well, put simply, they collect and study data in order to
predict the weather. That sounds easy, but it is in fact exceedingly complex.

So, let’s start with data collection or observations. These are a vital part of the process, and over 500,000
observations are received daily. These record atmospheric conditions around the world and arrive by satellite
continuously throughout a 24-hour period. They include humidity, wind speed and temperature.

Next comes the assimilation of the data. This helps fill in the gaps that are not provided by observations.
Obviously, very remote areas cannot easily be reached – for example, large parts of the ocean – and therefore,
without adding the process of a best guess, weather predictions just wouldn’t be possible. These are adjusted as
additional data is assimilated.

Thereafter comes numerical data modelling. Weather models are usually generated on a three-dimensional grid
using a super-computer. The calculations take a matter of seconds, but, as I’m sure you can imagine, it’s a
highly mathematical process using vast amounts of data, and one which is being fine-tuned all the time by
teams of scientists.

The final stage – collaboration – is where meteorologists meet to make decisions about the data. This helps iron
out any differences in opinion, which are often based on experience, and is particularly useful for challenging
forecasts that are ambiguous – that is, they may be interpreted slightly differently. For example, how many
inches of snow or rain will fall at a certain time of day? Sometimes, when full agreement can’t be reached, there
may be compromise. This sharing of expertise often leads to more accurate forecasting.

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