, Contents
Introduction 4 Unit 6 The world around us
l Getting started 69
The IELTS Reading test 6
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: table completion 70
Unit 1 Full of energy l Vocabulary builder: verbs of change; processes 72
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: flow-chart completion 74
l Getting started 7
l Spotlight on language: conditional practice;
l Spotlight on language: energy collocations;
working from context 8 sentence completion; useful expressions with if 76
l Spotlight on exam skills 3: table completion;
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: multiple choice 9
l Vocabulary builder 1: building your bank of expressions with earth 78
words and phrases 11
Unit 7 Sell, sell, sell
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: paragraph headings;
l Getting started 81
producing a paragraph-heading question 11
l Vocabulary builder 1: advertising 82
l Vocabulary builder 2: energy idioms; modifiers
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: True / False / Not Given 84
and intensifiers 17
l Vocabulary builder 2: lifestyle; collocation practice 85
Unit 2 Health, wealth and happiness l Spotlight on exam skills 2: True / False / Not Given 86
l Spotlight on language: paraphrase practice 89
l Getting started 19
l Spotlight on exam skills 3: True / False / Not Given;
l Spotlight on language: health and happiness
collocations 20 vocabulary development 90
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: skimming and scanning;
Unit 8 The road to success
sentence completion; word building; dealing with
l Getting started 93
new words 21
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: Yes / No / Not Given 93
l Vocabulary builder: paraphrase practice 25
l Vocabulary builder: positive and negative
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: speed reading; paraphrase
expressions; success and failure 94
practice; identifying text types; skimming for style;
l Spotlight on language: understanding the author’s
skimming for content; sentence completion 26
point of view; patterns in a text 96
Unit 3 Communication l Spotlight on exam skills 2: what is the author saying?;
l Getting started 31 Yes / No / Not Given 98
l Vocabulary builder 1: communication vocabulary;
Unit 9 Networks
working from context 32
l Getting started 105
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: short-answer questions;
l Spotlight on language 1: describing groups 107
matching headings 33
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: classifying 107
l Spotlight on language: prefixes 36
l Vocabulary builder: words in context 110
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: topic sentences;
l Spotlight on language 2: oppositions and contrasts;
word-building practice; mutiple choice; pick from
comparing and contrasting 111
a list 36
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: exam practice 113
l Vocabulary builder 2: prepositional phrases;
organizing words 42 Unit 10 Sport, leisure and time
l Getting started 117
Unit 4 Work and money l Spotlight on exam skills 1: labelling a diagram;
l Getting started 45
question-type review 119
l Vocabulary builder 1: jobs and professions 46
l Vocabulary builder: working with context 124
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: identifying what is
l Spotlight on language: chronology;
required; looking at words in context; dealing with
paraphrase practice 124
unknown words 47
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: exam practice 126
l Vocabulary builder 2: paraphrase practice; choosing
words from a list 50 Answer key 129
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: matching names; word
building; matching sentences 52 Useful websites for IELTS Reading
practice 135
Unit 5 Society and social issues
l Getting started 57 How this book will help you with the
l Vocabulary builder: social issues; word building 58 other IELTS papers 136
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: summary completion;
Vocabulary skills 138
exam practice 59
l Spotlight on language: forms with –ing; active and Answer-sheet skills 140
passive infinitives 65
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: note completion 66 Dictionary skills 142
A summary of IELTS tips 144
, 1
Natural gas in the transportation sector
Natural gas has long been considered an Natural gas is also an economical alternative to
alternative fuel for the transportation sector. In gasoline and other transportation fuels.
fact, natural gas has been used to fuel vehicles Traditionally, NGVs have been around 30 per
since the 1930s! cent cheaper than gasoline vehicles to refuel,
According to the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, and in many cases the maintenance costs for
>U
there are currently 150,000 Natural Gas Vehicles NGVs are lower than traditional gasoline
o (NGVs) on the road in the United States today, vehicles. In addition to being economical, many
and more than 5 million NGVs worldwide. In proponents of NGVs argue that a transpo,rtation
'lS
fact, the transportation sector accounts for 3 per sector more reliant on domestically abundant
ey cent of all natural gas used in the United States. natural gas will decrease the US dependence on
In recent years, technology has improved to foreign oil-allowing for a more secure, safer
allow for a proliferation of NGVs, particularly energy supply for the country.
for fuel-intensive vehicle fleets, such as taxicabs
and public buses. However, virtually all types of 2
NGVs are either in production today for sale to One of the primary reasons for pursuing
the public or in development, from passenger alternative-fueled vehicle technology is to
cars, trucks, buses, vans, and even heavy-duty decrease environmentally harmful emissions.
utility vehicles. Despite these advances, a It is estimated that vehicles on the road account
number of disadvantages of NGVs prevent their for 60 per cent of carbon monoxide pollution,
f mass production. Limited range, trunk space, 29 per cent of hydrocarbon emissions, and
higher initial cost, and lack of refuelling 31 per cent of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions
infrastructure pose impediments to the future in the United States. All of these emissions
spread of NGVs. released into the atmosphere contribute to smog
Most NGVs operate using compressed natural pollution, and increase the levels of dangerous
gas (CNG). This compressed gas is stored in ground-level ozone. Vehicles also account for
similar fashion to a car's gasoline tank, attached the emission of over half of all dangerous air
to the rear, top, or undercarriage of the vehicle pollutants, and around 30 per cent of total
in a tube-shaped storage tank. A CNG tank can carbon emissions in the US, contributing to the
be filled in a similar manner, and in a similar presence of "greenhouse gases" in the
amount of time, to a gasoline tank. atmosphere. The environmental effects of NGVs
are much less detrimental than traditionally
1 fueled vehicles.
~r There are many reasons why NGVs are NGVs are much cleaner burning than
increasing in abundance and popularity. New traditionally fueled vehicles due to the chemical
federal and state emissions laws require an composition of natural gas. While natural gas is
improvement in vehicle emissions over the primarily methane, gasoline and diesel fuels
foreseeable future . For example, the state of contain numerous other harmful compounds
California has some of the most stringent that are released into the environment through
environmental standards, many of which are vehicle exhau'st. While natural gas may emit
currently unattainable with conventionally small amounts of ethane, propane, and butane
S fueled vehicles. Natural gas, being the cleanest- when used as a vehicular fuel, it does not emit
burning alternative transportation fuel available many of the other, more harmful substances
today, offers an opportunity to meet these emitted by the combustion of gasoline or diesel.
stringent environmental emissions standards. These compounds include volatile organic
d. In addition, natural gas is very safe. Being compounds, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides
lighter than air, in the event of an accident, (which combine in the atmosphere to produce
natural gas simply dissipates into the air, ground-level ozone), benzene, arsenic, nickel,
instead of forming a dangerous, flammable pool and over 40 other substances classified as toxic
on the ground like other liquid fuels. This also by the EPA.
prevents the pollution of ground water in the Dedicafed NGVs also produce, on average,
event of a spill. Natural-gas fuel storage tanks 70 per cent less carbon monoxide, 87 per cent
on current NGVs are stronger and sturdier than less non-methane organic gas, and 87 per cent
gasoline tanks. less NOx than traditional gasoline-powered
vehicles.
1 Full of energy 15
....
, :1
3 In terms of refueling infrastructure, there are
NGVs as they exist today are best suited for currently around 1,500 natural-gas refueling
large fleets of vehicles that drive many miles a stations in the US, over half of which are open to
day. Taxicabs, transit and school buses, airport the public. Although this is a small fraction of
shuttles, construction vehicles, garbage trucks, the number of gasoline-fueling stations in the
delivery vehicles, and public-work:s vehicles are country, as environmental standards and
all well suited to natural-gas fueling. Because government incentives for NGVs increase,
these vehicles are centrally maintained and supplying Datural gas as a vehicular fuel will
fueled, it is economical and beneficial to convert become increasingly common.
to natural gas. While driving range, storage space, and initial
The primary impediments to the public cost are currently preventing the mass
proliferation of NGVs include the high initial production of dedicated NGVs (which in turn is
cost, limited refueling infrastructure, and preventing the expansion of public natural-gas
automobile performance characteristics. NGVs, fueling stations), it is expected that with
despite being cheaper to refuel and maintain, improved technology, research, and
are more expensive initially than their gasoline- infrastructure, the use of NGVs in non-fleet
powered counterparts. However, as the settings will increase in the future. NGVs
technology becomes more advanced, the cost of present an exciting opportunity to reduce the
manufacturing these vehicles should drop, damage of one of our most polluting sectors.
which may then be passed along to the
consumers.
adapted from www.naturalgas.org
7 Choose the best heading for each of the sections in the article in Exercise 6 (1-3).
There are two headings you will not need.
A The advantages ofNGVs
B The need for change
C Reducing carbon-monoxide emissions
D Who uses NGVs?
E An expanding refueling infrastructure
8 Match the words or expressions from the article (1-9) with words or expressions
that have a similar meaning (a-i).
1 proliferation a harmful
2 impediments b fixed
3 attached c barriers
4 foreseeable future
• d main
5 stringent standards e great increase
6 unattainable f out of reach
7 in the event of g soon
8 detrimental h if this happens
9 primary strict requirements
9 Find six more new expressions from the article that you think are useful and add
them to your vocabulary book.
Note Producing a paragraph-heading question
You will never be asked to
write a question like this in
the exam, but writing one 10 a Find a paragraph from a newspaper or magazine that has a heading. Now
yourself will give you a write three other headings for the paragraph.
much better understanding
of the question form . It's b Show your paragraph-heading question to your colleagues. Can they work
also good reading practice.
out which heading was the original one?
16 1 Full of energy
Introduction 4 Unit 6 The world around us
l Getting started 69
The IELTS Reading test 6
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: table completion 70
Unit 1 Full of energy l Vocabulary builder: verbs of change; processes 72
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: flow-chart completion 74
l Getting started 7
l Spotlight on language: conditional practice;
l Spotlight on language: energy collocations;
working from context 8 sentence completion; useful expressions with if 76
l Spotlight on exam skills 3: table completion;
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: multiple choice 9
l Vocabulary builder 1: building your bank of expressions with earth 78
words and phrases 11
Unit 7 Sell, sell, sell
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: paragraph headings;
l Getting started 81
producing a paragraph-heading question 11
l Vocabulary builder 1: advertising 82
l Vocabulary builder 2: energy idioms; modifiers
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: True / False / Not Given 84
and intensifiers 17
l Vocabulary builder 2: lifestyle; collocation practice 85
Unit 2 Health, wealth and happiness l Spotlight on exam skills 2: True / False / Not Given 86
l Spotlight on language: paraphrase practice 89
l Getting started 19
l Spotlight on exam skills 3: True / False / Not Given;
l Spotlight on language: health and happiness
collocations 20 vocabulary development 90
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: skimming and scanning;
Unit 8 The road to success
sentence completion; word building; dealing with
l Getting started 93
new words 21
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: Yes / No / Not Given 93
l Vocabulary builder: paraphrase practice 25
l Vocabulary builder: positive and negative
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: speed reading; paraphrase
expressions; success and failure 94
practice; identifying text types; skimming for style;
l Spotlight on language: understanding the author’s
skimming for content; sentence completion 26
point of view; patterns in a text 96
Unit 3 Communication l Spotlight on exam skills 2: what is the author saying?;
l Getting started 31 Yes / No / Not Given 98
l Vocabulary builder 1: communication vocabulary;
Unit 9 Networks
working from context 32
l Getting started 105
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: short-answer questions;
l Spotlight on language 1: describing groups 107
matching headings 33
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: classifying 107
l Spotlight on language: prefixes 36
l Vocabulary builder: words in context 110
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: topic sentences;
l Spotlight on language 2: oppositions and contrasts;
word-building practice; mutiple choice; pick from
comparing and contrasting 111
a list 36
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: exam practice 113
l Vocabulary builder 2: prepositional phrases;
organizing words 42 Unit 10 Sport, leisure and time
l Getting started 117
Unit 4 Work and money l Spotlight on exam skills 1: labelling a diagram;
l Getting started 45
question-type review 119
l Vocabulary builder 1: jobs and professions 46
l Vocabulary builder: working with context 124
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: identifying what is
l Spotlight on language: chronology;
required; looking at words in context; dealing with
paraphrase practice 124
unknown words 47
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: exam practice 126
l Vocabulary builder 2: paraphrase practice; choosing
words from a list 50 Answer key 129
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: matching names; word
building; matching sentences 52 Useful websites for IELTS Reading
practice 135
Unit 5 Society and social issues
l Getting started 57 How this book will help you with the
l Vocabulary builder: social issues; word building 58 other IELTS papers 136
l Spotlight on exam skills 1: summary completion;
Vocabulary skills 138
exam practice 59
l Spotlight on language: forms with –ing; active and Answer-sheet skills 140
passive infinitives 65
l Spotlight on exam skills 2: note completion 66 Dictionary skills 142
A summary of IELTS tips 144
, 1
Natural gas in the transportation sector
Natural gas has long been considered an Natural gas is also an economical alternative to
alternative fuel for the transportation sector. In gasoline and other transportation fuels.
fact, natural gas has been used to fuel vehicles Traditionally, NGVs have been around 30 per
since the 1930s! cent cheaper than gasoline vehicles to refuel,
According to the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition, and in many cases the maintenance costs for
>U
there are currently 150,000 Natural Gas Vehicles NGVs are lower than traditional gasoline
o (NGVs) on the road in the United States today, vehicles. In addition to being economical, many
and more than 5 million NGVs worldwide. In proponents of NGVs argue that a transpo,rtation
'lS
fact, the transportation sector accounts for 3 per sector more reliant on domestically abundant
ey cent of all natural gas used in the United States. natural gas will decrease the US dependence on
In recent years, technology has improved to foreign oil-allowing for a more secure, safer
allow for a proliferation of NGVs, particularly energy supply for the country.
for fuel-intensive vehicle fleets, such as taxicabs
and public buses. However, virtually all types of 2
NGVs are either in production today for sale to One of the primary reasons for pursuing
the public or in development, from passenger alternative-fueled vehicle technology is to
cars, trucks, buses, vans, and even heavy-duty decrease environmentally harmful emissions.
utility vehicles. Despite these advances, a It is estimated that vehicles on the road account
number of disadvantages of NGVs prevent their for 60 per cent of carbon monoxide pollution,
f mass production. Limited range, trunk space, 29 per cent of hydrocarbon emissions, and
higher initial cost, and lack of refuelling 31 per cent of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions
infrastructure pose impediments to the future in the United States. All of these emissions
spread of NGVs. released into the atmosphere contribute to smog
Most NGVs operate using compressed natural pollution, and increase the levels of dangerous
gas (CNG). This compressed gas is stored in ground-level ozone. Vehicles also account for
similar fashion to a car's gasoline tank, attached the emission of over half of all dangerous air
to the rear, top, or undercarriage of the vehicle pollutants, and around 30 per cent of total
in a tube-shaped storage tank. A CNG tank can carbon emissions in the US, contributing to the
be filled in a similar manner, and in a similar presence of "greenhouse gases" in the
amount of time, to a gasoline tank. atmosphere. The environmental effects of NGVs
are much less detrimental than traditionally
1 fueled vehicles.
~r There are many reasons why NGVs are NGVs are much cleaner burning than
increasing in abundance and popularity. New traditionally fueled vehicles due to the chemical
federal and state emissions laws require an composition of natural gas. While natural gas is
improvement in vehicle emissions over the primarily methane, gasoline and diesel fuels
foreseeable future . For example, the state of contain numerous other harmful compounds
California has some of the most stringent that are released into the environment through
environmental standards, many of which are vehicle exhau'st. While natural gas may emit
currently unattainable with conventionally small amounts of ethane, propane, and butane
S fueled vehicles. Natural gas, being the cleanest- when used as a vehicular fuel, it does not emit
burning alternative transportation fuel available many of the other, more harmful substances
today, offers an opportunity to meet these emitted by the combustion of gasoline or diesel.
stringent environmental emissions standards. These compounds include volatile organic
d. In addition, natural gas is very safe. Being compounds, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides
lighter than air, in the event of an accident, (which combine in the atmosphere to produce
natural gas simply dissipates into the air, ground-level ozone), benzene, arsenic, nickel,
instead of forming a dangerous, flammable pool and over 40 other substances classified as toxic
on the ground like other liquid fuels. This also by the EPA.
prevents the pollution of ground water in the Dedicafed NGVs also produce, on average,
event of a spill. Natural-gas fuel storage tanks 70 per cent less carbon monoxide, 87 per cent
on current NGVs are stronger and sturdier than less non-methane organic gas, and 87 per cent
gasoline tanks. less NOx than traditional gasoline-powered
vehicles.
1 Full of energy 15
....
, :1
3 In terms of refueling infrastructure, there are
NGVs as they exist today are best suited for currently around 1,500 natural-gas refueling
large fleets of vehicles that drive many miles a stations in the US, over half of which are open to
day. Taxicabs, transit and school buses, airport the public. Although this is a small fraction of
shuttles, construction vehicles, garbage trucks, the number of gasoline-fueling stations in the
delivery vehicles, and public-work:s vehicles are country, as environmental standards and
all well suited to natural-gas fueling. Because government incentives for NGVs increase,
these vehicles are centrally maintained and supplying Datural gas as a vehicular fuel will
fueled, it is economical and beneficial to convert become increasingly common.
to natural gas. While driving range, storage space, and initial
The primary impediments to the public cost are currently preventing the mass
proliferation of NGVs include the high initial production of dedicated NGVs (which in turn is
cost, limited refueling infrastructure, and preventing the expansion of public natural-gas
automobile performance characteristics. NGVs, fueling stations), it is expected that with
despite being cheaper to refuel and maintain, improved technology, research, and
are more expensive initially than their gasoline- infrastructure, the use of NGVs in non-fleet
powered counterparts. However, as the settings will increase in the future. NGVs
technology becomes more advanced, the cost of present an exciting opportunity to reduce the
manufacturing these vehicles should drop, damage of one of our most polluting sectors.
which may then be passed along to the
consumers.
adapted from www.naturalgas.org
7 Choose the best heading for each of the sections in the article in Exercise 6 (1-3).
There are two headings you will not need.
A The advantages ofNGVs
B The need for change
C Reducing carbon-monoxide emissions
D Who uses NGVs?
E An expanding refueling infrastructure
8 Match the words or expressions from the article (1-9) with words or expressions
that have a similar meaning (a-i).
1 proliferation a harmful
2 impediments b fixed
3 attached c barriers
4 foreseeable future
• d main
5 stringent standards e great increase
6 unattainable f out of reach
7 in the event of g soon
8 detrimental h if this happens
9 primary strict requirements
9 Find six more new expressions from the article that you think are useful and add
them to your vocabulary book.
Note Producing a paragraph-heading question
You will never be asked to
write a question like this in
the exam, but writing one 10 a Find a paragraph from a newspaper or magazine that has a heading. Now
yourself will give you a write three other headings for the paragraph.
much better understanding
of the question form . It's b Show your paragraph-heading question to your colleagues. Can they work
also good reading practice.
out which heading was the original one?
16 1 Full of energy
