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access ; approach . gain entrance to . get at
acme ; apex . highest point . peak
acquainted ; familiar . close . intimate . aware
adroit ; alert . clever . ingenious . skillful . adept . dexterous
alleged ; supposed . believed . suspicious . doubtful
ascend ; climb . go up . rise up
asset ; property . possession .  something of value

barrel ; cask . round container
benefited ; profited
bias ; prejudice
bigot ; prejudiced person
cache ; hoard . stash . hiding place
cemetery ; place where dead people are buried
changeable ; fickle . interchangeable . inconstant
circuit ; fixed route . regular route . orbit . course
coerce ; force . compel to do something
colossal ; enormous . gigantic . tremendous . huge
concur ; agree . harmonize . coincide
cope ; struggle successfully . manage
coup ; sudden successful stroke . hit
dearth ; lack . scarcity
debris ; fragment . rubble . wreckage
defendant ; accused
devout ; sincere . pious . reverent
diphtheria ; infectious disease
discern ; distinguish . recognize
dismissal ;  sending away . firing from a position . sack
dissent ; opposition . disagreement . discord . conflict
dupe ; deceive . fool someone
elapse ; pass . go by . slip by
embarrass ; cause unease . cause anxiety .  shame . confuse
existence ; living . state of existing . life
exult ;  be happy . rejoice . be joyful
fatal ; deadly . causing death . destructive . fateful
forfeit ; fine . penalty . loss
frail ; fragile . flimsy . weak . slight . thin . feeble . infirm
frugal ; economical . thrifty
fulfill ; accomplish . complete
grammer ;
guarantee ; security . warranty . assurance
harass ; bother . hassle . torment
hoard ; collect . gather . amass . stockpile
hoax ; trick . deceive . dupe
hosiery ; tockings and socks
inane ; silly . foolish . senseless . empty . void
indispensable ; absolutely necessary . essential . vital
irate ; angry . furious . enraged
jewelry ; ornaments for personal adornment made of precious metals or set with gemstones
junior ; younger person . one having a lower rank or position . new arrival . student in a class which is next below the last year
labeled ; tagged . affixed with a label . named . classified
laudable ; worthy of praise or honor . commendable
lax ; lenient . permissive . loose . not strict
licence ; permit . certificate
lieutenant ; a army officer next in rank below captain . assistant . deputy
lightning ; flash of bright light produced by an electric discharge between clouds or between clouds and the ground
legion ; unit of the Roman army consisting of 3, 000 to 6, 000 soldiers . military unit . army . multitude . mass
lethal ; fatal . deadly . causing death . very harmful . dangerous
liable ; under legal obligation . responsible . prone . susceptible . subject to
medieval ; like the Middle Ages
mortgage ; conditional conveyance of property as for security on a loan . lien
naive ; simple . unsophisticated . unaffected
noise ; loud sound . ruckus
occasionally ; sometimes . now and then . every so often . from time to time
oust ; drive out . expel . evict
pamphlet ; brochure . leaflet
parallel ; equidistant . aligned . even . equal . analogous . similar
perceive ; feel . sense . be aware of . distinguish . discern . see . behold . observe
personnel ; staff . crew . work force
phlegm ; mucus . apathy . indifference
picnicking ; arrange an outdoor meal . eat a meal outdoors
plague ; epidemic . widespread disease . pestilence . nuisance . annoyance . pest
possession ; property . asset . ownership
procedure ; way of performing a task . course of action
puny ; weak . feeble . small . little . trivial . petty
questionnaire ; document containing a list of questions to be answered
quell ; suppress . quash . relieve . ease . soothe
racist ; one who is hateful or intolerant of people of other races
raze ; tear down . demolish . shave away with a knife
realm ;  kingdom . domain . region . area
remembrance ; memory . memento . souvenir
rue ; regret . sorrow . remorse
scissors ;  cut with scissors
seize ; hold . comprehend . understand . confiscate . capture . apprehend
senile ; geriatric . of old age
senior ; older . elder . student in his final year at a school or university
sergeant ; police officer below inspector
siege ; blockade . besiege
sophomore ; second year student at a high school or university
source ; origin .  place from which a river or stream issues
sulphur ; nonmetallic element
superintendent ; supervisor . overseer
surge ; large wave . billow . eruption . spurt . sudden rush
surpass ; exceed .  be greater than . do better than . excel . go beyond
usurp ; seize . take over
vacuum ; void . emptiness . vacuity . electrical device which cleans surfaces by creating air suction
venom ; poisonous fluid of esp. snakes . malignity . virulence . spite
vigil ; keeping awake during the night etc., esp. to keep watch or pray . period of wakefulness during the night
waitress ; woman who serves tables in a restaurant or pub
yield ; crop . harvest . return . produce . income . profit . surrender . give up . concede
yolk ; yellow part of an egg

aberration (n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1974, Poland won the World Cup, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and Poland have not won a World Cup since).

abhor (v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up getting hit in the head when he tried to play cricket, Marcin began to abhor the sport).

acquiesce (v.) to agree without protesting (Though Mr. Pospieszny wanted to stay outside and work in his garage, when his wife told him that he had better come in to dinner, he acquiesced to her demands.)

alacrity (n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Simon loved to help his girlfriend whenever he could, so when his girlfriend asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity.)

amiable (adj.) friendly (An amiable fellow, Neil got along with just about everyone.)

appease(v.) to calm, satisfy (When Jerry cries, his mother gives him chocolate to appease him.)

arcane(adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is an expert in arcane Kashubian literature.)

avarice(n.) excessive greed (The banker’s avarice led him to amass an enormous personal fortune.)

brazen(adj.) excessively bold, brash, clear and obvious (Critics condemned the writer’s brazen attempt to plagiarise Frankow-Czerwonko’s work.)

brusque(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (Simon’s brusque manner sometimes offends his colleagues.)

cajole(v.) to urge, coax (Magdas friends cajoled her into drinking too much.)

callous(adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (The murderer’s callous lack of remorse shocked the jury.)

candor(n.) honesty, frankness (We were surprised by the candor of the politician’s speech because she is usually rather evasive.)

chide(v.) to voice disapproval (Hania chided Gregory for his vulgar habits and sloppy appearance.)

circumspect(adj.) cautious (Though I promised Marta’s father I would bring her home promptly by midnight, it would have been more circumspect not to have specified a time.)

clandestine(adj.) secret (Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the library, Maria actually went to meet George for a clandestine liaison.)

coerce(v.) to make somebody do something by force or threat (The court decided that David Beckham did not have to honor the contract because he had been coerced into signing it.)

coherent(adj.) logically consistent, intelligible (William could not figure out what Harold had seen because he was too distraught to deliver a coherent statement.)

complacency(n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger (Simon tried to shock his friends out of their complacency by painting a frightening picture of what might happen to them.)

confidant(n.) a person entrusted with secrets (Shortly after we met, he became my chief confidant.)

connive(v.) to plot, scheme (She connived to get me to give up my plans to start up a new business.)

cumulative(adj.) increasing, building upon itself (The cumulative effect of hours spent using the World English website was a vast improvement in his vocabulary and general level of English.)

debase(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running the charity.)

decry(v.) to criticize openly (Andrzej Lepper, the leader of the Polish Self Defence party decried the appaling state of Polish roads.)

deferential(adj.) showing respect for another’s authority (Donata is always excessively deferential to any kind of authority figure.)

demure(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure.)

deride(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The native speaker often derided the other teacher’s accent.)

despot(n.) one who has total power and rules brutally (The despot issued a death sentence for anyone who disobeyed his laws.)

diligent(adj.) showing care in doing one’s work (The diligent researcher made sure to double check her measurements.)

elated(adj.) overjoyed, thrilled (When he found out he had won the lottery, the postman was elated.)

eloquent(adj.) expressive, articulate, moving (The best man gave such an eloquent speech that most guests were crying.)

embezzle(v.) to steal money by falsifying records (The accountant was fired for embezzling €10,000 of the company’s funds.)

empathy(n.) sensitivity to another’s feelings as if they were one’s own (I feel such empathy for my dog when she’s upset so am I!)

enmity(n.) ill will, hatred, hostility (John and Scott have clearly not forgiven each other, because the enmity between them is obvious to anyone in their presence.)

erudite(adj.) learned (My English teacher is such an erudite scholar that he has translated some of the most difficult and abstruse Old English poetry.)

extol(v.) to praise, revere (Kamila extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat-loving boyfriend.)

fabricate(v.) to make up, invent (When I arrived an hour late to class, I fabricated some excuse about my car breaking down on the way to work.)

feral(adj.) wild, savage (That beast looks so feral that I would fear being alone with it.)

flabbergasted(adj.) astounded (Whenever I read an Agatha Christie mystery novel, I am always flabbergasted when I learn the identity of the murderer.)

forsake(v.) to give up, renounce (I wont forsake my conservative principles.)

fractious(adj.) troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he wasn’t tired, his fractious behavior – especially his decision to crush his jam sandwiches all over the floor – convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed.)

furtive(adj.) secretive, sly (Claudia’s placement of her drugs in her sock drawer was not as furtive as she thought, as the sock drawer is the first place most parents look.)

gluttony(n.) overindulgence in food or drink (Helen’s fried chicken tastes so divine, I don’t know how anyone can call gluttony a sin.)

gratuitous(adj.) uncalled for, unwarranted (Every evening the guy at the fish and chip shop gives me a gratuitous helping of vinegar.)

haughty(adj.) disdainfully proud (The superstar’s haughty dismissal of her co-stars will backfire on her someday.)

hypocrisy(n.) pretending to believe what one does not (Once the politician began passing legislation that contradicted his campaign promises, his hypocrisy became apparent.)

impeccable(adj.) exemplary, flawless (If your grades were as impeccable as your brother’s, then you too would receive a car for a graduation present.)

impertinent(adj.) rude, insolent (Most of your comments are so impertinent that I don’t wish to dignify them with an answer.)

implacable(adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out: once you shun Grandmother’s cooking, she is totally implacable.)

It is helpful to know which words are NOT suitable to be used in IELTS examination…

Please find the new writing samples in the “Downloads Section” in PDF format.

I try to put more as soon as possible.

Yours,

Mohammad S. Heidary

1. Sample essay:

Every week millions of people buy lottery tickets, hoping their small investment will make them rich. They often believe that if they won a million dollars, their troubles would be over. If they actually got the money, would their dreams come true?

Whether people live “happily ever after” when they win the lottery probably depends on what their dreams are. Money can buy some things but not others.

Cash buys houses, cars, and college educations; it pays for medical treatment and clears up overdue bills. Money also purchases travel and new experiences. A million dollars could allow someone to quit a tough, boring job and try for something better. It could provide a feeling of security.

On the other hand, winning so much money could actually cause some problems. A person who quit working might eventually become bored or lose some self-respect. Family members might squabble over what should be purchased. Long-lost friends, relatives, and even complete strangers are likely to want a handout. The winner must then decide whom to help and whom to offend.

Despite all these drawbacks, I would rather win the money than not. The difficulties of having to manage a million dollars are troubles I would like to have.

2. Sample essay:

“After the baby is born, things will never be the same.” People say that to expectant parents-and they are right!

It will be a long time before those parents can again sleep late in the morning. A baby wakes early, screaming for food. The toddler thinks 6 a.m. is the right time to start the day. After that come early school mornings.

It will be years before the parents can go anywhere together on the spur of the moment. Every outing must be planned ahead so that a baby-sitter can be found. The budget will be stretched, the work load will get heavier, and by the time parents can be alone, they may be too tired to talk.

Still, people want children. Why? One reason is that children are a link to the future. They will probably be here after the parents are gone. In addition, their children will live after them.

A deeper reason for wanting children, perhaps, is that the more people we have to love, the more fulfilled our lives can be. By giving to a child, people enrich their own lives. In the end, we live not only for ourselves, but for others.

3. Sample essay:

It hurts to look at a paycheck and see how much of it was taken out for income tax. That money could have paid some important bills. It is easy to dream of doing away with the income tax and keeping all that money for ourselves.

If there were no income tax, however, the government would have a lot less to spend. The money we send to Washington seems to fall into a black hole and disappear. Actually, though, many people depend on it. The money pays the salaries of government employees, who provide services from drug control to highway building. It supports our military defense. Also, much of the money is returned to people in the form of student loans, veterans’ benefits, and payments to farmers, for example. The government has been working to cut its budget lately. With every cut, someone complains loudly.

So if the income tax were eliminated, other taxes would have to make up for it. Paying those other taxes would also hurt. Sales taxes fall most heavily on poor people. Taxes on manufacturers only result in higher prices to consumers.

Income taxes are not fun to pay. But doing without them would be worse. In my opinion, income taxes should be made as fair as possible. Then we each must “bite the bullet” and do our share.

Dear visitors,

Regarding to honorable visitors’ request, the “Downloads Section” of IELTS-CENTER is added now.

In this section, you can download:

Educational Materials

Reading Samples

Writing Samples

Listening Samples

Please leave your comments on it via  “Contact Us” section above.

Yours,

Mohammad Sadeq Heidary

WHAT TO EXPECT IN AN IELTS INTERVIEW?

The IELTS Speaking test takes the form of a one-to-one interview. There are three parts to the Speaking test. These allow you to demonstrate your spoken English skills through a number of tasks. The tasks are designed to elicit a range of language on a variety of topics.

The whole interview takes between twelve and fourteen minutes. Here is an overview of the Speaking test format showing the three parts and the approximate timing of each.

• Part 1: Introduction and interview, 4-5 minutes
• Part 2: Individual long turn, 3-4 minutes
• Part 3: Two-way discussion, 4-5 minutes

12-14 minutes Interaction!

The candidate has the opportunity to speak on familiar topics. The examiner asks a number of questions to which the candidate should reply as fully as possible.

The candidate is asked to give a short talk for 1-2 minutes on

a topic chosen by the examiner. The candidate has a minute to prepare and then speaks on the topic without stopping.

The candidate is presented with more abstract questions broadly linked to the topic introduced in Part 2, and is encouraged to engage in extensive discussion.

THE EXAMINER’S ROLE

IELTS examiners are teachers who have been specially trained to rate spoken English on the IELTS scale. They are chosen to be helpful and encouraging so that you can do your best on the day of the test. They know that you may be nervous but they can only assess what they hear so they will expect you to speak up. The examiners rate your language on a scale of 1-9 in four broad areas. In brief, they want to find out if you can:

• speak fluently and link ideas coherently

• demonstrate a range of appropriate vocabulary

• use accurate grammar and appropriate register

• speak so that you can be understood

THE CANDIDATE’S ROLE

Part 1

The examiner will ask you some questions about yourself and your interests, studies or working life. You should:

• reply by offering a full and appropriate response in each case, taking the initiative where possible.

• always offer more than yes or no as an answer as your examiner can only rate what he or she hears, and you need to make the very best of this chance to show off your skills.

• use Part 1 to overcome any nerves and demonstrate your basic fluency.

Part 2

The examiner will give you a topic, which is also written on a card, and will hand you some paper and a pencil to make notes. You have a minute to think about what you are going to say. You should:

• Think about the topic for a moment and decide how you are going to tackle it.

• Use the preparation time wisely by jotting down some key ideas (but do not try to write out a speech).

• Make the talk interesting and lively.

Part 3

The examiner will invite you to discuss a number of issues, broadly related in theme to the Part 2 topic. You should:

• Try to give informed, interesting and appropriate responses, but remember there is no right or wrong answer.

• Use this part of the test to demonstrate your control of language, your ability to express abstract ideas and to support your opinions appropriately.

• Show a willingness to provide extended replies.

As a student at college or university, you will have to produce a lot of written material. Some of this may be in the form of short essays or reports. Other pieces of writing will be longer and will require considerable planning and attention to detail. It will therefore be important for you to be able to express yourself clearly, write in a variety of styles and organize your ideas carefully. You will also need to be fairly accurate in your writing, so that your message is not obscured by a lot of grammatical errors.

• IELTS WRITING (ACADEMIC)

IELTS tests your ability to produce two quite different pieces of writing in a fairly short period of time. The test is divided into two parts and you are allowed one hour to complete both parts.

Writing Task 1

In the first part, you are given a task based on some graphic or pictorial information. You are expected to write a descriptive report of at least 150 words on the information provided,

Writing Task 2

The second task is more demanding. You are expected to produce a written argument on a given topic and to organize your answer clearly, giving some examples to support your points. You will have to write at least 250 words and, as Task 2 is longer than Task 1, you are advised to spend approximately 40 minutes on this task and 20 minutes on the first task.

• IELTS WRITING (GENERAL TRAINING)

If you are planning to take the GT module, the Writing test is different. You are allowed one hour to complete two tasks, of 150 and 250 words, as in the Academic module. However, Task 1 is always a letter, while Task 2 is an essay based on a given topic.

When you go to university or college, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of reading you are expected to do. You will have to do a lot of this reading on your own and you will need to be able to read discriminatingly. This means you will have to be selective about what you read. You will need to have the skills required to focus in on the information that is important to you and to skim through the information that is not.

READING FOR IELTS

The IELTS examination tests your ability to read between 1500 and 2500 words in a fairly short period of time in order to find out certain information. In both the Academic and the General Training modules, you are given 60 minutes to answer a total of 40 questions. The texts and items are graded in terms of difficulty. If you can identify the reading skills being tested in each set of questions, and if you have some mastery of these skills, you will have a better chance of completing the Reading test successfully.

• Academic Reading Module

The test has three reading passages and each of the passages is accompanied by a set of questions. There may be more than one type of question in each set. For example, you may be asked to find detailed information in a text in order to complete sentences; you may have to identify views and attitudes within a text; you may have to understand how something works and complete a diagram or chart. The passages may be written in a variety of different styles, such as argumentative, descriptive, narrative, discursive, etc.

• General Training Reading Module

The test has three sections. Section 1 contains two or more texts which are based on social situations. Section 2 contains two texts based on course-related situations and Section 3 contains one text that tests general reading comprehension.

The question types are similar to those in the Academic module. The texts in the first two sections are most likely to be descriptive and factual. The text in the third section may contain some argument.