IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2026
Welcome! I'm Liz. Develop your IELTS exam skills to maximise your score.
Below are answers for yesterday’s reading passage: Death of the High Street Lesson
If you haven’t done the lesson, please complete it before looking at the answers. Click here: Reading Lesson Death of the High Street.
Answers
I hope you found this lesson useful 🙂
All the best
Liz
A 2019 IELTS lesson 🙂 A reading exercise for matching headings practice about the “Death of the High Street”. This is an easy lesson to help you develop confidence. There are two exercises in this lesson.
Exercise 1: Matching Headings
Questions 1-5. Match the heading with the relevant paragraph below. Write a letter for each answer.
A) A big factor has been a fall in discretionary spending, spurred by rising shop prices and weak wage growth. A near 15% fall in the pound since the Brexit vote has pushed inflation over 3% – way above the Bank of England’s 2% target. This has made imported goods more expensive, with those costs passed on to consumers. Couple that with the fact that wages have been rising at a slower pace than inflation – and shoppers have less disposable income to spend in stores and restaurants.
B) Online giants such as Amazon have had a huge impact on the high street as more consumers see online shopping as cheaper and easier than going to the shops. And while overall retail sales growth is weak, online sales continue to shoot up. If shops fail to do either “value, convenience, or experience” well, they will struggle, Mr Martin says.
C) Toy store “Toys R Us” fell short in all three areas, according to Simon Thomas of Moorfields Advisory, the toy chain’s administrators. He says it was “unlikely” the retailer can be saved because its business model “isn’t what consumers really want now”. “We’ve got very large stores which are fairly impersonal. People are looking now to have a better shopping experience, and we were unable to deliver that.”
D) Inflation is not the only cost pressure retailers face. The National Minimum Wage and new National Living Wage for over-25s go up each year, pushing up payroll costs. “Business rates are deterring investment in local communities, causing shop closures and job losses in hard-pressed communities and preventing retailers from delivering what their customers want in an efficient and cost-effective way.”
E) As a consequence of over expansion, many retailers are shouldering “high debt burdens”, says KPMG’s Mr Martin. Just before its collapse, Toys R Us UK faced a looming VAT debt payment deadline of £15m. It would have been unable to pay it without a cash injection from an outside investor.
Source: Passage from BBC News Photo sourced online.
Exercise 2: Synonyms Practice
Questions 6-12. Find the following synonyms in the passage above. The answers will come in order in the passage. No more than two words for each answer. This question type does not come in the test. I have created it to give you essential practice with synonyms.
Answers
Click below for Answers:
AnswersPlease remember that in the real IELTS test, if you are asked to write a letter, you must write the letter and not the word. Always following instructions very carefully.
.
Hope you find the lesson useful 🙂
All the best
Liz
In this question you must match the correct heading to the correct section of the passage. Matching headings questions are common in IELTS reading and are one of the longest to complete. This is a practice exercise for students, not an IELTS test.
Take time to read through the headings given. Spot which ones are similar or contain similar language – they are often traps. Also check the number of headings given, usually there are more headings available than are needed.
The heading usually relates to the general aim of a section.
Antimicrobial Resistance
A) While antibiotic resistance refers specifically to the resistance to antibiotics that occurs in common bacteria that cause infections, antimicrobial resistance is a broader term, encompassing resistance to drugs to treat infections caused by other microbes. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial drug that was originally effective for treatment of infections caused by it. Resistant microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites) are able to withstand attack by antimicrobial drugs, such as antibacterial drugs (e.g., antibiotics), antifungals, antivirals, and antimalarials, so that standard treatments become ineffective and infections persist, increasing the risk of spread to others. The evolution of resistant strains is a natural phenomenon that occurs when microorganisms replicate themselves erroneously or when resistant traits are exchanged between them. The use and misuse of antimicrobial drugs accelerates the emergence of drug-resistant strains. Poor infection control practices, inadequate sanitary conditions and inappropriate food-handling encourages the further spread of AMR.
B) New resistance mechanisms emerge and spread worldwide threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases, resulting in death and disability of individuals who until recently could continue a normal course of life. Without effective anti-infective treatment, many standard medical treatments will fail or turn into very high risk procedures. This would be a financially draining situation for wealthy countries but for the poorer ones, it could have catastrophic effects.
C) Infections caused by resistant microorganisms often fail to respond to the standard treatment, resulting in prolonged illness, higher health care expenditures, and a greater risk of death. As an example, the death rate for patients with serious infections caused by common bacteria treated in hospitals can be about twice that of patients with infections caused by the same non-resistant bacteria. For example, people with MRSA (another common source of severe infections in the community and in hospitals) are estimated to be 64% more likely to die than people with a non-resistant form of the infection.
D) WHO’s report on global surveillance of antimicrobial resistance reveals that antibiotic resistance is no longer a prediction for the future; it is happening right now, across the world, and is putting at risk the ability to treat common infections in the community and hospitals. Without urgent, coordinated action, the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries, which have been treatable for decades, can once again kill.
Questions 1-4
Choose the correct heading from the list below (i-x)
Choose the correct heading for sections A-D from the list of headings below.
i. A fatal threat
ii. A global concern.
iii. The evolution of resistance
iv. MRSA in hospitals
v. The present situation
vi. What is antimicrobial resistance?
vii. Protecting future generations
(passage adapted from WHO)
All reading exercises on ieltsliz.com have been written by myself to help you prepare for your IELTS test.
Liz
Recommended
Matching Heading Practice: Medium Level
Before your test for your preparation, you need to find and develop ideas for IELTS writing task 2 topics. Your ideas and the way you present ideas make up 25% of your marks in writing task 2. So, you need to prepare ideas for common topics.
Follow the links to find a list of common topics for writing task 2 and also to get a list of over 100 IELTS essay questions. You can also follow the next link to see recent IELTS topics and questions posted by students after their IELTS test. Use these questions and topics as a starting point to develop ideas.
There are two ways you can find ideas for topics before your test. Below are your two options:
Take an essay question or topic and type it into google. Then start researching. There are always plenty of model essays, which although not always safe to use as models for IELTS, are good for gaining ideas and vocabulary. You can also visit debate websites which show you pros and cons of different topics or different world issues.
You can purchase an e-book which contains ideas and vocabulary for over 150 IELTS essay topics.
The ideas in the e-book are presented as exercises to help you remember the ideas and learn the vocabulary. Don’t forget that vocabulary counts for 25% of your writing task 2 marks so you will need to review or develop your word knowledge. Click here: Sample Chapter. Click here: E-book in Liz’s Store
The method you choose for developing ideas will largely depend on the time you have before your test. If you like convenience, get the e-book. If you have lots of time, do your own research.
It is important that you take time to analyse the essay question and plan your ideas properly. You are being marked not using relevant ideas, presenting them clearly and explaining them fully. Use at least 5 mins to make plans before you start writing. Remember – you control the time during the writing test. You have 1 hour for task 1 and task 2. It is your choice how long you spend on each one and which order you do them in. Click here: IELTS essay planning tips.
Subscribe to get New Posts by Email
The IELTS writing task 2 sample answer below has examiner comments and is band score 9. The topic of social media is common and this IELTS essay question was reported in the IELTS test. Check the model essay and then read the comments.
Many people think that the techniques used to get a band score 7 vary from those to get a band score 9. This is not the case. The techniques for a band score 9 essay are the techniques for all essays regardless of what score you are aiming for. The result of your band score will be decided by how well you apply those techniques, how well you address the task, and the level of your English language. So, the essay below is one that all IELTS candidates can learn from.
Many people believe that social networking sites (such as Facebook) have had a huge negative impact on both individuals and society.
To what extent do you agree?
Social networking sites, for instance Facebook, are thought by some to have had a detrimental effect on individual people as well as society and local communities. However, while I believe that such sites are mainly beneficial to the individual, I agree that they have had a damaging effect on local communities.
With regards to individuals, the impact that online social media has had on each individual person has clear advantages. Firstly, people from different countries are brought together through such sites as Facebook whereas before the development of technology and social networking sites, people rarely had the chance to meet or communicate with anyone outside of their immediate circle or community. Secondly, Facebook also has social groups which offer individuals a chance to meet and participate in discussions with people who share common interests.
On the other hand, the effect that Facebook and other social networking sites have had on societies and local communities can only be seen as negative. Rather than individual people taking part in their local community, they are instead choosing to take more interest in people online. Consequently, the people within local communities are no longer forming close or supportive relationships. Furthermore, society as a whole is becoming increasingly disjointed and fragmented as people spend more time online with people they have never met face to face and who they are unlikely to ever meet in the future.
To conclude, although social networking sites have brought individuals closer together, they have not had the same effect on society or local communities. Local communities should do more to try and involve local people in local activities in order to promote the future of community life.
Examiner Comments: This essay was about how social media impacts two aspects: 1) individuals, which means people 2) society, which also means communities. This essay did address both of these aspects of social media and developed them both sufficiently for a high score. The writer presented a clear opinion and retained this opinion throughout the essay. Organisation of ideas into paragraphs was logical. Signposting and linking were also flexible. Furthermore, the word length of this essay is typical for anyone aiming for band score 7 and above. Words 280 = this is a sufficient length for a high score. A long essay (well over 300 words) is not helpful for a high score in Task Response, particular as IELTS essays are designed to be highly focused and quite short.
Useful Links – IELTS Writing Task 2
FREE SUBSCRIBE
Free practice reading for IELTS True False Not Given questions. IELTS reading TFNG questions come in both the Academic reading test and the General Training reading test. Below are 4 FREE practice lessons for IELTS TFNG questions. They are practice lessons for IELTS candidates and are aimed at helping people develop awareness and skills to successfully tackle these types of reading questions. Before you do reading practice, watch this Free Video Lesson about how to successfully tackle these questions: TFNG Tips Video
Note: If you are confused about the answers to any questions below, please check the comments boxes where I have explained in detail.
These are questions where you are required to decide whether the information in the question statement is true, false or not given based on what you read in the passage. A TRUE answer is one where the question statement matches the passage information. A FALSE answer is one where the question statement doesn’t match the information because it is incorrect or gives an opposite meaning. A NOT GIVEN answer is one where there isn’t enough information in the passage to decide if the statement is correct or not.
Now try the reading passages below:
Passage: The Thames Tunnel
The Thames Tunnel was a tunnel built under the River Thames in London. It was the first subaqueous tunnel ever built and many people were so amazed that they exaggerated their description of it calling it the Eight Wonder of the World at the time it was opened. It was opened in 1843 to pedestrians only and people came from far and wide to see the marvel. The day it was first opened, it attracted five thousand people to enter the tunnel and walk its length of almost 400 metres. The Thames Tunnel was used by people from all classes. Most working class people used it for its functional use of crossing from one side of the river to the other as they went to work each day, while for the middle classes and upper classes, it was a tourist experience. In the age of sail and horse-drawn coaches, people voyaged a long way to visit the tunnel, but this was not enough to make the tunnel a financial success. It had cost over £500,000 to complete which in those days was a considerable amount of money. However, even though it attracted about 2 million people each year, each person only paid a penny to use it. The aim had been for the tunnel to be used by wheeled vehicles to transport cargo so that it could bring in a profit. But this failed and the tunnel eventually became nothing more than a tourist attraction selling souvenirs and a subaqueous pathway connecting either side of the river. walkway. However, in 1865, the tunnel became part of the London Underground railway system which continues to be its use today.
Questions 1-8
Are the following statements true, false or not given according to the information in the passage above?
Answers
Click below to reveal the answers.
AnswersNote: This passage was created by IELTS Liz. Information for this passage was sourced from various websites: ikbrunel.org.uk, wiki, britcannica.com and other sources.
.
*******************
Passage: Pyramid Building
The most famous pyramid is the Great Pyramid of Giza which is actually only one of over a hundred surviving pyramids. There is a long-standing question about how the pyramids were built given the lack of technology over 4,000 years ago but scientists are piecing together the puzzle. The blocks which make up the pyramids were hewn from quarries and then transported to the pyramids for construction. This was an incredible feat considering the distance that the raw materials had to travel and their enormous weight. The transportation of the materials was either by river using a boat or by land using a wooden sledge. Given the softness of the ground, the wheel would have been of little use had it been invented at that time. It is believed that the sand in front of the sledge was wet with water in order to facilitate the movement of the sledge and reduce friction. These sledges were pulled manually or sometimes by using beasts of burden depending on the ease at which the sledges could move over the ground. Interestingly, two thousand years after the pyramid building era of the Ancient Egyptians, the Romans moved stones using similar techniques at Baalbek. Once the blocks arrived at the pyramid construction site, it is thought they were moved into place using a ramp and pulley system.
The Old Kingdom period in Ancient Egyptian history is also known as the pyramid building era. The Ancient Egyptians achieved the most remarkable feats of building work which have still not been surpassed, particularly given the primitive technology used to build them. There is nothing remotely mystical or magical about how the pyramids were built as is commonly thought. Further still, while popular belief is that the Great Pyramid was built using slave labour, this theory has since been debunked. The first building made in a pyramid shape is thought to be the Stepped Pyramid which consists of six steps placed on top of each other in a pyramid shape to create the world’s first superstructure. The credit to finally achieving a smooth sided pyramid goes to Imhotep, an architect commissioned by King Sneferu. The pyramids were not an instant achievement, but the achievement of trial and error.
Questions 1-8
Decide if the statements below are True, False or Not Given according to the information in the passage.
Note: Photo by Les Anderson
Answers
Click below to reveal the answers:
AnswersNote: This passage was created by IELTS Liz. Information for this passage was sourced from various websites: catchpenny..org, wiki, bbc.co.uk and other sources
.
***********************
Passage: Beethoven
Composer Ludwig van Beethoven was born on or near December 16, 1770, in Bonn, Germany. He is widely considered the greatest composer of all time. Sometime between the births of his two younger brothers, Beethoven’s father began teaching him music with an extraordinary rigour and brutality, which affected him for the rest of his life. On a near daily basis, Beethoven was flogged, locked in the cellar and deprived of sleep for extra hours of practice. He studied the violin and clavier with his father as well as taking additional lessons from organists around town. Beethoven was a prodigiously talented musician from his earliest days and displayed flashes of the creative imagination that would eventually reach farther than any composer’s before or since.
In 1804, Beethoven was completing his third symphony, which he at first named “Bonaparte” in honour of Napoleon. However, when later that year Napoleon proclaimed himself Emperor, Beethoven was so disappointed that he renamed his composition “Eroica”. This work, his greatest and most original to date, debuted in Vienna in 1805. It was so unlike anything heard before that through weeks of rehearsal, the musicians could not figure out how to play it. At the same time as he was composing these great and immortal works, Beethoven was trying hard to come to terms with a shocking and terrible fact, one that he tried desperately to conceal. He was going deaf. At the turn of the century, Beethoven struggled to make out the words spoken to him in conversation.
Despite his extraordinary output of beautiful music, Beethoven was frequently miserable throughout his adult life. Beethoven died on March 26, 1827, at the age of 56.
Notice: The passage above is from biography.com. You can read the full article on this page: Ludwig Van Beethoven. There is also a great video to watch about this composer.
Questions 1 – 6
Are the following statements True, False or Not Given according to the information in the passage.
Answers
Click below to reveal the answers.
Answers.
************************
Passage: Spam Messaging
SPAM, as every user of mobile phones in China is aware to their intense annoyance, is a roaring trade in China. Its delivery-men drive through residential neighbourhoods in “text-messaging cars”, with illegal but easy-to-buy gadgetry they use to hijack links between mobile-phone users and nearby communications masts. They then target the numbers they harvest, blasting them with spam text messages before driving away. Mobile-phone users usually see only the wearisome results: another sprinkling of spam messages offering deals on flats, investment advice and dodgy receipts for tax purposes.
Chinese mobile-users get more spam text messages than their counterparts anywhere else in the world. They received slightly more than 300 billion of them in 2013, or close to one a day for each person using a mobile phone. Users in bigger markets like Beijing and Shanghai receive two a day, or more than 700 annually, accounting for perhaps one-fifth to one-third of all texts. Americans, by comparison, received an estimated 4.5 billion junk messages in 2011, or fewer than 20 per mobile-user for the year—out of a total of more than two trillion text messages sent.
(Notice: Passage from The economist, November 2014)
Questions 1-6
Decide if the following questions are true, false or not given according to the information in the passage.
Answers
Click below to reveal the answers.
Answers.
******************
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU:
FREE SUBSCRIBE
.
This IELTS Discussion Essay Model Essay Answer Band 9 with some techniques and tips. The Discussion Essay is a common essay type and requires you to discuss two sides of a given issue. This essay type is for both Academic and GT IELTS Writing Task 2.
Discussion Essays are probably the easiest to write of all IELTS essays so be glad if you get one in your test.
Discussion Essay Question
Completing university education is thought by some to be the best way to get a good job. On the other hand, other people think that getting experience and developing soft skills is more important.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
Discussion Essay Model Answer
Some people think that being a university graduate is the key to securing a good job, while others think experience and soft skills are better. In my opinion, I believe that the former is essential for academic jobs, while the latter are more useful in business and related industries.
On the one hand, many people think it is easy find good employment with an undergrad degree or above because it puts people one step ahead of other applicants, and can be the deciding factor between applicants. Furthermore, certain career paths are not open to those without a higher level of education, such as jobs requiring academic or specialist knowledge, namely teachers, lecturers, doctors and lawyers. Not only that, but academia does promote the development of useful skills, not just academic knowledge, for example analytical thinking, research skills and intellectual curiosity, which are valuable transferable skills. For this reason, I believe that in tertiary education offers an advantage mainly for those aiming for a professional or academic career.
On the other hand, having relevant work experience and soft skills can throw the balance in favour of the job applicant for certain types of work. For instance, for a corporate management position, having experience of managing others, running projects, delegating tasks and strong emotional intelligence is of more importance than the theory of management with no real hands-on experience when fresh out of university. Also, certain industries require interpersonal skills which can only be developed through extensive experience with people, such as in customer service, hospitality and sales. Consequently, it can be seen that tertiary education is no advantage at all in some areas.
In conclusion, I think that securing a good job requires a relevant background specific to the career or job the applicant is applying for. Some positions will require an academic background, whilst others benefit more from experience and skills.
Note: Please note that this essay is over 300 words. Longer doesn’t mean better. Most IELTS essays will be between 270 and 290 words, even for band 9. However, 300 words or just over is possible as long as ideas and supporting points remain highly relevant, and language errors are kept to an absolute minimum.
.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
.FREE SUBSCRIBE
Hi guys,
I have posted some model background statements on the original page. I also added a list of tips to help you learn the correct way to write for IELTS.
Click here: Background Statement Model Answers.
Sorry for posting this late.
All the best
Liz
Hi, my name is Elizabeth (Liz). I am your teacher and the author of this website. I am an experienced, qualified English teacher specialising in IELTS test preparation since 2008. Please enjoy the 300 plus pages of free lessons, tips, model answers, topics etc.
Copyright © Elizabeth Ferguson, 2014 – 2026
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2026 · Prose on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in
