SPC IELTS Week 8b notes – 5-7/2/2024

Vocabulary – words for talking about ideas

nouns adjectives
concept ambiguous
conjecture biased
consensus compelling
dogma credible
framework flawed
ideology valid
model
perspective
stance

1. dogma 2. stance 3. perspective (from a historical perspective)

4. conjecture 5. ideology 6. consensus (reach a consensus)
7. concept 8. framework
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2
positive: compelling, credible, valid
negative: ambiguous, biased, flawed
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3
1. d 2. c 3. a 4. b

4
noun ambiguit bias concept credibilit dogma validity
y y
adj ambiguo biased conceptu credible dogmatic valid
us al

5
1. framework 2. validity 3. perspective 4. flaws
cast doubt on sth – question or show doubt towards sth
6
1. philosophers and psychologists
2. consensus
3. theories
4. relief and incongruity
5. misfortune or inferiority
6. valid
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Reading

YES/ NO / NOT GIVEN

there will be at least one of each type of answer in the block
answers appear in text order

–
Almost every science fiction film features (includes) a type of AI.

Alan Turing decided it was possible to define intelligence in a machine

scientifically.
Agree – believe that scientists and technology experts receive more status,
money and media attention in modern society than musicians and artists.

Disagree – believe that musicians and artists receive more status, money
and media attention in modern society than scientists and technology
experts.

Agree - evidence Disagree – evidence

Status – By so frequently using the
technology designed by scientists
and experts, people are expressing
their respect for the work.
Money -
Pharmaceutical and IT companies
make up most of the top 10 most
valuable companies in the world.
This level of earnings also shows
how the public values the work
done by these companies.
Media attention -
The amount of attention to
celebrities’ private lives could be
interpreted as being disrespectful,
whereas scientists and tech experts
are allowed to maintain their
privacy.
Money – Famous artists and
musicians earn more money than
prominent scientists. A performer
like Taylor Swift can earn millions
of dollars for one concert,
comprising a few hours of work.
Status – Young people especially
look up to famous performers more
often than accomplished scientists.
Media attention – While a scientist
may achieve a lot working for a big
company, people in general will
remember the performer who was in
the advertisement rather than the
scientist who designed the product.

Introduction
Body paragraph 1
Body paragraph 2
Conclusion
Agree/ Disagree Introduction

In recent years, there has been a great deal of discussion about what is
valued in society. Some have suggested that scientists and experts in the
field of technology are more highly valued than musicians and artists. I
disagree and in this essay I will explain my opinion through the
perspective of status, money and media attention.

THE PURPOSE OF AN AGREE/DISAGREE TASK IS TO PRESENT

AND JUSTIFY YOUR OPINION.
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advantages: pros, positives, merits, positive effects/aspects, benefit

disadvantages: cons, negatives, demerits, negative effects/ aspects,

drawback
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advantages
Individual – telecommunication is
more practical than face-to-face
because it saves time and money
- for example you can quickly
update your loved ones at home
about your experience overseas.
disadvantages
Individual – It is easier to get
distracted by your surroundings
while telecommunicating – this
could increase the chance of
misunderstandings.

Business – It is much more easy to Business – Digital issues can

share information as this can be
done by just a few clicks – this
allows people to work from home,
and has been proven to improve
efficiency and employee
satisfaction.
happen which reduce efficiency. If
the devices and network used by a
business are not modern enough,
this can cause delays and frustration.
Body paragraph 1– what are two possible topics?
- advantages
- advantages and disadvantages for individuals

Body paragraph 2– what are two possible topics?

- disadvantages
- advantages and disadvantages for businesses

Introduction

Nowadays there is an increased rate of use of telecommunication both for

personal and professional purposes. This essay will discuss the pros and
cons of telecommunication compared to face-to-face communication for
individuals and businesses.

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per capita – per head of population

up down same
verbs Go up Go down be constant
expand Reduce be stable
grow collapse be stagnant
climb fall level off (after
(extend) cut going up or
improve push down down)
rise drop stand at #
shoot up stay at
soar
accelerate
nouns expansion reduction stability
growth collapse stagnation
(climb) fall
(extension) drop
improvement
rise
Phrasal verbs 3

1. get
get by – negotiate daily life
2. came across
come across – meet/find something unintentionally
3. getting through
get through to somebody – be understood by somebody
4. get away
get away with sth – do sth bad without getting caught/ in trouble
5. came down with
come down with an illness
Last Tuesday, Jon came down with food poisoning so he couldn’t come to
class.
6. get down to
start to do something
7. came into
come into an inheritance/ come into money
Donald Trump came into a large inheritance when his father died.
8. get round to
finally do something after a long delay
9. came up against
come up against – meet a problem / complication
10. get through
successfully pass a tough period of time
It is hard to get through the death of a pet.
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11. come out
come out on strike – stop working until demands are met
12. get on with = get along with
have a polite/friendly relationship
13. came of
sth come of sth = sth is a result of sth (usually negative)
He said he was going to paint the house but nothing came of it.
14. came to
= add up to / had a total of
A Big Mac, french fries and Coke comes to $17.50. Cash or card?
15. getting out of
= escape
16. comes off
come off better/ come off worse = have a better/worse result in an
argument/fight
If I have a fight with James, I will probably come off worse.
17. come down
reduce / be reduced
The price of beef and lamb in Australia has come down slightly in the past
2 months.
Butcher – SuperButcher
18. get through / come through
be received
19. got over
get over = recover from
I am still getting over the flu that I had last week.
20. get round = find a way to avoid sth
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Reading: Space travel
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How do we decide the main focus of a paragraph?

1.Look for a topic sentence / sentences - underline

2. Look for key words or words that are repeated – underline

From combining these two approaches, we can decide the main topic of
the paragraph.

After some very hot and very cold days, there was a period of stability
with the temperature being between 22 and 29 degrees for three weeks
in a row.
Proportion of population aged 65 and over

Year/ % Japan Sweden USA

1940 5% 7% 9%
1960 3% 8% 10%
1980 3% 12% 14.5%
2000 4.5% 15% 14.5%
2020 7.5% 19% 14.9%

P18 passive forms for process

1. are made 2. are peeled 3. are soaked 4. are put 5. are sliced
6. are rinsed 7. are fried 8. are removed 9. are then left
10. are added 11. be distributed 12. sold

p20 passive gap fill

3
1. thought 2. are placed 3. was believed
4. were allowed / had been allowed / have been allowed
5. is being serviced / is going to be serviced / will be serviced
6. will be opened 7. is expected

It is expected that
It is predicted that

8. is made 9. claims 10. are known 11. to be encouraged 12. to take

need sth / need to do sth
--
Multiple choice questions

What is the largest animal that has ever existed on Earth?

a. The elephant
b. The tyrannosaurus rex
c. The blue whale
Reading: Space travel
----
How do we decide the main focus of a paragraph?

1.Look for a topic sentence / sentences - underline

2. Look for key words or words that are repeated – underline

From combining these two approaches, we can decide the main topic of
the paragraph.

Match headings to paragraphs questions

1. Read the headings several times and try to put them in your short-term
memory
2.Look for a topic sentence / sentences - underline
3. Look for key words or words that are repeated – underline. Look for
paragraphs with many numbers – these are often described as ‘Figures/
Data for ….
When looking for topic sentences, check the first and last sentence of the
paragraph first.
4. Go back to the headings and start from paragraph A
Choose best answer
If more than one answer seems correct, mark them both and move on to
the next question – don’t spend more than 90 seconds on a question as this
is a waste of time.

5. As you answer the questions, make sure you cross your choices off the
list to make it more manageable.

Space travel
1. ii – covers time period from launch of Sputnik to ‘Nowadays’
2. viii – challenge and developing in first sentence - paragraph goes on to
explain
3. iv – The Apollo program -continuing from previous paragraph –
challenges have been overcome
4. v – resulted in the space shuttle fleet – first sentence background,
second sentence topic sentence
5. I – first sentence ‘looking back at Earth’ – land masses, oceans etcs
6. vi -second half of paragraph focused on different ways these are used
7. ix – first sentence – the future – last sentence – spiritual awareness
Popular Science, Scientific American, The Wall Street Journal, Time
magazine, The Economist, The New York Times magazine
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Making every drop count

14. xi - ...as towns gradually expanded. Roman Empire .. system of pipes

15. vii –
dark side
last sentence – preventable disease
16. v
first sentence – beyond human health /\
freshwater fish, ecosystems, soil quality – key words about environment
17. I
scientists = water experts
demand = call for
18. ix
first sentence - ..unexpectedly - surprising
19. ii
explanation -first sentence
20. x
have to be built
must be built to higher specifications
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21. NO – as much as
22. YES
23. NOT GIVEN
24. NO
25. YES
26. NOT GIVEN
--
advance analyse develop
React Invent research
Discover Innovate experiment

X 0 X
0 0 X
0 X 0

In order to win a square, you must use the vocabulary in a sentence in a

way that demonstrates that you understand the meaning.

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Writing about processes
Linking stages together

Next First Last

Then..(start of sentence or First of all…. Finally,
before main verb) The first step is (that) The last step is,
Subsequently...(start of sentence To begin with
or before main verb) Initially
After that,
At this point,
The next step is (that)
Following this,
The following step is (that)
...and then….
…, after which (middle of
sentence

I ate my breakfast, after which I brushed my teeth.

a. 5 b. 1 c. 7 d. 6 e. 2 f. 8 g. 4 h. 3

Next task: Write the process of making a well-known dish. Finish by 11:30

Read the process and let your classmates guess which dish you are
describing.

dough
Spaghetti bolognese, pho, vegetarian/tomato pasta, pizza, sushi (nigiri)
raw egg on rice, unspecified microwaved dish

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There are eighteen steps in the process, from planting the tea seeds in the
ground to drinking a nice cup of tea.

There are five steps in the process of making pho, from preparing
ingredients and spices to eating the noodle soup.

Write an overview for the dish you told the class how to cook
number of steps
first
last
12:05

Passive practice p21

1. The cans are allowed to cool.
2. The cans are sterilized/sterilised using a special heating process.
3. The fruit is taken to the cannery in large trucks.
4. The fruit is checked before storage and any poor quality fruit is rejected.

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WT1 homework for next Monday
Write a report about the process of canning fruit on p21

Include

Introduction + Overview
A description of each step, with steps grouped together where appropriate.
A variety of linking words.

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p20 passive practice

4.
1. be defined 2. be absorbed 3. affects 4. continues 5. are used
6. to use 7. are being built

8. is said that (It is said that…)

9. to decide 10. tackling

(sth needs doing)

(sth needs to be done)
There is dog hair all over the floor. The floor needs vacuuming.

Think of two things around the school that need doing.

The cutlery needs replacing.

The water filter needs replacing (with a bigger one.)
A tin of Milo needs buying.
A whiteboard eraser needs buying.
The light needs fixing.
The chairs need removing.

11. have been passed (someone passed them)

12. allows 13. are forced 14. know 15. will be used
16. have their cars checked
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p8 wt2
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Homework for Monday– complete this essay (number 3 on page 8)

unique New York

red leather, yellow leather
six thick sticks
three free throws
past participle
A proper cup of coffee in a proper coffee cup.
Speaking test 11-14 minutes

Speaking part 1 – 4 to 5 minutes

Questions about familiar topics
work or study, hometown, accommodation
+2 other topics
3 frames total
each frame will have between 2 to 4 questions

The questions will usually be a combination of yes/no and wh questions.

The questions will cover a variety of tenses.
----
Shopping
Do people in your country enjoy going shopping?
Do you often go shopping? Why?
When was the last time you went shopping?
Do you think you will go shopping in the near future?
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Covered present, past and future
Technology
Brainstorm four realistic part 1 questions on this topic

Speaking part 2 – long turn – 3 to 4 minutes

Intro → 1 minute prep → 2 minutes speaking → ‘rounding off’ question
Speaking part 3 – 4 to 5 minutes
Topic connected to part 2 but answers/questions are more in-depth and
analytical. We should try to use more academic vocabulary in part 3.
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Common question types

1. Present situation and ask opinion

Technology is important in our daily lives. Who should teach children
about technology? Why?
Pablo

2. Make a prediction
Do you think the way people use technology will change in the future?
Why/why not?
Seohyeon
Ckris
be dependent on
...play a large part in sth...

3. Past v present
How do you think the way we use technology today is different to 50 years
ago?
Shion
Technology has been democratised.

4. Hypothesising
Why are smartphones so popular?
June
Joao
fits in the palm of your hand
multifunctional

5.Evaluating
How should we help people who are not comfortable with technology?
Nerissa
tutorial videos

6. Your choice
Alternate
Start with a simple sentence stating your opinion
Follow with a complex sentence explaining your opinion.