How can I best prepare for the IELTS reading test?

Barron's IELTS (With 2 CD) (English) 2nd Edition https://tinyurl.com/p37kt64 Cambridge English IELTS 9 with Answers (Authentic Examination Papers from Cambridge ESOL) (English) https://tinyurl.com/qe3neex Before You Begin Your Creative Writing Always be prepared! Here’s a checklist of useful writing aids to have with you as you begin to write – just don’t forget the chocolate biscuits. A good notebook A decent pen Plenty of paper A computer or laptop A desk or other writing space A dictionary A thesaurus How to Generate Creative Writing Ideas Writer’s block affects all writers from time to time. If you feel a bit stuck for inspiration, try these techniques to get your creative juices flowing. Find a postcard, photograph or painting depicting two or more people and write a story about them. Look at any object and write about it – where does it come from, who does it belong to, who might want it? Read the newspaper for unusual and interesting stories and develop them as fiction. Listen to conversations on the bus, in a café or at the supermarket. Jot them down and carry them on, seeing where they lead you. Pick up a book you really like and open it at a random page. Pick a sentence you like and write it down, and then carry on writing your own story. Pick an emotion and create a story around it. Pick another, and carry on writing. Make the characters move from the first emotion to the second. Writing Your First Draft Writing a first draft of your creative writing project – whether a novel, short story, poem or play – can be a bit daunting. Follow these handy hints to help you organise your thoughts and manage your time: Don’t worry about a great opening line yet. Simply start writing wherever you like. Keep the flow going in the early stages – keep writing without stopping, going back, re-reading or changing what you’ve written. Remember to show not tell – think about how to dramatise what you’re writing about and create visual images. Start somewhere else and get going again if you become stuck on a particular passage. Rewriting and Editing Your Creative Writing Project Rewriting and editing helps to tighten up your work. But it can be difficult – what to chop and when to stop may not be clear, and you may change your mind more than once during the process. Ask yourself whether you need to take out: Unnecessary information and explanation. Passages of dialogue that go on too long. Clunky descriptions that give too much detail. Clumsy images that don’t really work. Too many adjectives and adverbs. You may need to add or expand: Something you know but have forgotten to tell the reader; perhaps the age of the main character. More specific descriptive information that shows instead of tells; instead of describing a man as ‘old’, describe his white hair, slow gait and mottled hands. Dialogue of what the characters actually say, rather than summaries. Material to add interest or create suspense. A better opening or closing line. You may need to move: Dramatic sections to make a stronger opening. Early information to where the reader really needs to know it. Essential information nearer the beginning of the book. Descriptive passages to add tension and suspense to incidents. Words, phrases and sentences to make a better rhythm. In your final edit: Check for grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes. Ensure you have no continuity errors. Pay particular attention to the first and last lines of any section or scene. Smooth out any awkward words and phrases. Clarify anything that isn’t clear. Ways to Develop and Improve Your Creative Writing Here are some top tips for developing your creative writing. No writing is ever a finished product – there are always ways to improve and refine your style. Go on a writing course. Join a writers’ circle. Find a good library and use it. Read and re-read good writing. Attend book festivals, readings and bookshop events. Understanding the format of each section   Listening Reading Writing Speaking   Listening 30 minutes You will listen to four recorded texts, monologues and conversations by a range of native speakers, and write your answers to a series of questions. These include questions which test your ability to understand main ideas and detailed factual information, ability to understand the opinions and attitudes of speakers, ability to understand the purpose of an utterance and the ability to follow the development of ideas. A variety of voices and native-speaker accents are used and each section is heard only once. Section 1 A conversation between two people set in an everyday social context. Section 2 A monologue set in an everyday social context e.g. a speech about local facilities. Section 3 A conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context, e.g. a university tutor and a student discussing an assignment. Section 4 A monologue on an academic subject e.g. a university lecture.   Back to top   Reading 60 minutes The Reading component consists of 40 questions. A variety of question types is used in order to test a wide range of reading skills. These including reading for gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical argument, recognising writers' opinions, attitudes and purpose. IELTS Academic The Academic version includes three long texts which range from the descriptive and factual to the discursive and analytical. The texts are authentic and are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. These have been selected for a non-specialist audience but are appropriate for candidates entering university courses or seeking professional registration. IELTS General Training The General Training version requires candidates to read extracts from books, magazines, newspapers, notices, advertisements, company handbooks and guidelines. These are materials you are likely to encounter on a daily basis in an English speaking environment.   Back to top   Writing 60 minutes IELTS Academic The Writing component of IELTS Academic includes two tasks. Topics are of general interest to, and suitable for candidates entering undergraduate and postgraduate studies or seeking professional registration.   Task 1 You will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. You may be asked to describe and explain data, describe the stages of a process, how something works or describe an object or event. Task 2 You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. Responses to both tasks must be in a formal style.   IELTS General Training The Writing component of IELTS General Training includes two tasks which are based on topics of general interest.   Task 1 You will be presented with a situation and asked to write a letter requesting information, or explaining the situation. The letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal in style.   Task 2 You will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. The essay can be slightly more personal in style than the Academic Writing Task 2 essay.   Back to top   Speaking 11 to 14 minutes The Speaking component assesses your use of spoken English, and takes between 11 and 14 minutes to complete. Every test is recorded. The Speaking component is delivered in such a way that it does not allow candidates to rehearse set responses beforehand.   Part 1 The Examiner will ask you general questions about yourself and a range of familiar topics, such as home, family, work, studies and interests. This part lasts between four and five minutes.   Part 2 You will be given a card which asks you to talk about a particular topic. You will have one minute to prepare before speaking for up to two minutes. The examiner will then ask one or two questions on the same topic to finish this part of the test.   Part 3 You will be asked further questions connected to the topic in Part 2. These questions will give you the opportunity to discuss more abstract ideas and issue. The part of the test lasts between four and five minutes. http://www.msinus.com/section/ielts-146/ if you like my answer please upvote and promote :) All the best.