I am ...................................................................................

NQH PRE-IELTS
NQH IELTS TEAM

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT – ALL-ROUND DEVELOPMENT

Part 1 Complete the crossword below.

ACROSS DOWN
2 This word means ‘old’ 1 You take this when you are sick
3 Teachers use this to write on blackboards 5 A person who designs buildings
4 The number of people living in a place 6 You use this to stop a bicycle or a car
8 The seat on a bicycle or a horse 7 A competition for beautiful young
9 To affect somebody or something women
10 To create something new

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Part 2 Read the following passage and do the tasks below.

THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT OF MADAGASCAR

A Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. It is located in the Indian Ocean off the
southeastern coast of Africa. The country is quite poor and most people earn less than $2 a day.
However, there is growing interest in the country for tourism, but at the moment very few tourists
visit it.

B Madagascar has something special which makes it very interesting for scientists and tourists alike.
It has many species* of plants and animals that do not exist in other countries. Between 80 and 90
percent of its animals and plants have only ever been found in Madagascar.

C People have lived in Madagascar for a very long time. Most researchers believe that the first people
came to the island over 2,000 years ago from Borneo in the South China Sea. However, since then
Arabs and East Africans, and later Malays, Javanese, Indians, Chinese, and Europeans have all lived
in Madagascar. The population has risen to over 20 million people and this has caused many
environmental problems.

D Nearly fifty percent of Madagascar’s forests have disappeared in the last fifty years. It is even higher
on the coast. Scientists have estimated** that nearly 50 percent of Madagascar’s animal and plant
species are dead or will die. Madagascar’s most famous animal is the lemur. Unfortunately, at least
17 species of lemur have become extinct since people arrived. Many plants and animals we know
little about will be dead before we have a chance to know more about them.

*species (n.): a kind of animal or plant

**estimate (v.): to guess or calculate

Match each paragraph with the correct heading.

List of headings
i The people of Madagascar
ii What makes Madagascar special?
iii Environmental damage in Madagascar
iv Where is Madagascar?

1 Paragraph A ..................
2 Paragraph B ..................
3 Paragraph C ..................
4 Paragraph D ..................

Read the text again. Decide whether each statement is True or False.
1 Lots of people go on holiday to Madagascar.
2 Madagascar is a rich country.
3 Many plants and animals are unique to Madagascar.
4 Madagascar’s population is causing problems for the island.
5 The forest damage is worst on the coast.
6 Some species of lemur are in danger.
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Part 3 Who does the following things? Choose the correct person.
Which person…
1 ............. usually watches a new film?
2 ............. stays at home in the evenings?
3 ............. lives close to another family member?
4 ............. gets up later than usual some mornings?
5 ............. really enjoys doing some sport?
6 ............. doesn’t like going shopping?
7 ............. sees his friends in town?

List of people
A Mark
B Ryan
C Ashley

Mark I usually get up at 7 am on school days, but on Saturdays I stay in bed until 10 am. It’s great!
Then in the afternoon, my parents come to watch me play football. It’s often really cold, so
it’s not much fun – but Mum always brings hot drinks! In the evenings, my two brothers are
always in town with friends. My cousin Josh comes to my house and we watch a film
together. It’s usually an old one that we both enjoy.

Ryan I live with my dad and younger sister. Dad takes us swimming in the morning, so I need to
get up early. Then in the afternoon we go to the supermarket in town to buy food. That’s a
bit boring, but I know he can’t do it himself. He usually works on Saturday evenings, so my
sister and I go to my auntie’s house. It’s on the same street as our house. We all sit and
watch fantastic old movies together – it’s cool!

Ashley I have basketball practice at 9 am, so I get up at the same time as a school day – I hate that!
But I love playing the game. In the afternoons, I meet some of my classmates at the
shopping centre in town. We buy a few things, and then go and see one of the latest
movies. In the evenings, we sometimes drive to my grandma’s. It takes a long time to get
there, but we love visiting her.

Part 4 Read the following sentences and add one extra piece of information to each one using the
word in bold and your own ideas.
1 I really like cool weather because ........................................................................................................................
2 She does not live in an apartment because ......................................................................................................
3 He is not very friendly, so .......................................................................................................................................
4 Math is quite difficult, but ......................................................................................................................................
5 She left the house early this morning and .........................................................................................................
6 They were late for class last week, so .................................................................................................................

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 Now answer the following questions.
1 What kind of weather don’t you like?
........................................................................................................................................................................................
2 Is there a celebration that you don’t like?
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3 What is the most special animal in your country?
........................................................................................................................................................................................
4 What can we do to protect the environment?
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Part 5 (P.4) You will hear Jake and Ava talking about their new house. Choose the correct answer.
1 What does Jake like about their new house?
A The garden is tidy.
B The kitchen is big.
C The living room is warm.
2 Ava likes where the house is because
A she can see the park from her window.
B she can go to the library to study.
C she can get to the river easily.
3 Jake says their house is unusual because
A it has white walls.
B it has a red roof.
C it’s made of wood.
4 What does Ava still want to buy for her room?
A a comfortable chair
B an alarm clock
C a bookshelf
5 How do they decide to get to school every day?
A by bike
B on foot
C by car

Part 6 Read the following topics and try to write a paragraph with at least 4 sentences for each.
Remember to use the transitional devices you have learned in the course and try to include
at least one example that can support your ideas. Then talk to your partner about each topic.
Topic 1 Write about your favourite animal.
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Topic 2 Write about a film that you really enjoyed.
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