IELTS ESSENTIALS

UNIT 6: THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

A. VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR

Exercise 1 :
Choose the correct answers to the questions.

Exercise 2 :
Choose the correct words or phrases to complete the sentences.
1 A drill/ natural resources/ well is a useful thing that we get from nature.

2 Fissures/ Fossil fuel/ Wells are sources of energy that come from plants and animals that
lived a long time ago. We mostly find them underground.

3 People have been digging up and burning coal/ natural gas/ petrol, a hard, black fossil fuel,
for thousands of years.

4 Over the centuries, people have dug deeper and deeper holes under the ground to access
coal. One coal fracking/ mine/ power in South Africa is nearly 4 km deep.

5 Everything changed in the middle of the 19th century, when people worked out how to pump
hydroelectric power/ natural gas/ petroleum, a liquid fossil fuel, out of the ground.

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6 One of the most important oil products is coal/ crude oil/ petrol, the liquid fuel that powers.
most cars. In the USA, it’s called ‘gasoline’, or simply ‘gas’.

Exercise 3 :
Complete the text. Use the words and phrases in the box.

Exercise 4 :
Match the sentence halves to complete the sentences.

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Exercise 5 :
Complete the text. Use the words and phrases in the box.

Exercise 6 :
Put the words in the correct columns to complete the table.

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Exercise 7 :
Choose the correct words and phrases to complete the sentences.

1 There aren’t enough / isn’t enough recycling in my town.

2 We don’t get many / much floods around here.
3 A large amount / number of the food we buy is wasted and just gets thrown away.
4 We get a lot of smog because there’s too many / too much pollution.
5 Carbon monoxide is a / some harmful gas.
6 I need to go to the gas station to buy a / some gas or petrol, as you call it over here in the
UK.
7 The destruction of the rainforest causes a great deal of / a great significant amount of
damage to the planet.
8 A large amount / number of animal species are at risk of extinction.

Exercise 8 :
Complete the sentences. Use the words and phrases in the box.

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Exercise 9 : Match the replies with the first sentences to complete the conversations

Exercise 10 :
Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.
1 There are two options: Either we continue burning coal and find a way of reducing emissions
by at least 90%,either/ neither/ or we simply stop burning coal altogether.

2 A: Should I put this bottle in the green bin or the black one?
B: Both/ Either/ Neither. It’s glass, so it goes in the blue bin.

3 A: Which picture should we use in our report on ecosystems? This one of a coral reef or this
one of a rainforest?
B: Both/ Either/ Neither. I don’t mind which one you choose.

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4 A: What do you think the government should focus on? Solar power or wind power?
B: Both/ Either/ Neither. I think we need to produce more energy from wind and solar power.

5 A: I think we should reduce waste.

B: Yeah, me both/ either/ too.

6 A: I don’t really care about the environment.

B: No, me both/ neither/ too .

B. READING
Exercise 1 :
In any IELTS Reading task, it is useful to skim read the title and text to get a general
idea of the context.
Spend one minute looking at the title and skim reading the paragraphs. Then choose
the best summary in the box for each paragraph. There are more summaries than you
need.

How leisure time developed

A The beginning of what we now know as tourism – travelling as a leisure activity – didn’t
exist for the majority of people before the 1900s. Although people had been participating
in travel activities for centuries beforehand, it had been something that only those
fortunate people who had a lot of money and free time could enjoy. Either that, or people
would travel on pilgrimages to visit sacred shrines, cathedrals or other places with spiritual
or holy significance.

B For ordinary people, however, the experience of having ‘time off’ only really began after
the period of history in which people started using machines and tools to manufacture
goods on a mass scale. Once this began in Europe in the 1700s, the idea of a ‘working
day’ independent of the seasons or weather emerged. However, most factory workers had
no realistic chance of a vacation. Many had to work continuous ten-hour days in
monotonous jobs. Even our modern idea of the ‘weekend’ is a relatively recent
phenomenon, having been created by an American factory owner in 1908 to give his
workers a little leisure time. The ruling classes might have noticed that this allowance of
free time made their workers more efficient during the week.

C Still, the idea of an ordinary working-class person leaving their hometown for a holiday
did not become a reality until the mid-1800s in Europe. Perhaps the most influential
development was that of the railways. In particular, train routes were extended to connect
large industrial towns with what had previously been tiny settlements on the coast, such
as the town of Blackpool in the UK, where people could enjoy the fresh air, beaches and
exciting new delicacies such as fish and chips. This led to the spectacular growth of

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holiday resorts. By the end of the 1800s, there were over 100 growing towns along the
English coastline.

Exercise 2. Read the information. Then look at the summary again. What types of word
do you need to complete each gap? Choose the correct answers.

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Exercise 3: Read the paragraphs again. Then complete the summary. Use the words in
the box. There are more words than you need.

Exercise 4 :
Try to complete this IELTS Reading summary completion task in 10 minutes.
Complete the summary using the list of words, A–I, below.
Write the correct letter, A–I, in the gaps.

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How travel has changed

In the first half of the 19th century, some of the world’s most famous explorers
were trekking through jungles, climbing dangerous mountain peaks and crossing
endless miles of desert. The purpose of this was often to discover new places and
trade routes rather than pleasure, and for most people it was the kind of
adventure they could only read about, rather than take part in. However, by
travelling through unknown and often dangerous new lands, a few of these
explorers hoped to test themselves in a way that would increase their physical
strength, their courage and their ability to rely on themselves and no-one else. It
can be hard for people today to imagine how challenging some of these trips
would have been. If you wanted to head north, the stars or a compass would have
been your main tools. Many regions, such as deserts and mountains, would have
been unmapped. Certainly, travelling in those times involved a lot more risk than
any kind of journey today, and there was little chance of easily available help
should things go wrong.
By the second half of the 19th century, travel had become easier thanks to the
development of the steamship and the growth of railway networks. The tourism
industry began to grow from simple beginnings, but travel to other countries for
pleasure was, of course, still something that only wealthy people could afford.
They travelled mostly in order to gain an appreciation of music, art and literature,
and therefore the places they visited tended to be mainly ones with some
historical importance, like Rome or Venice. As this type of tour could be hard
work, and often go on for weeks or even months, travellers had to dress for both
formal occasions (dining and receiving guests) and informal occasions (visiting
ancient ruins, etc.). This meant that each traveller needed to take lots of luggage
with them (and staff to help transport it).
Huge changes in the travel industry occurred during the 20th century. During the
1960s, air travel became relatively common, and for the first time ordinary
people could afford to go abroad for their holidays. Furthermore, travel agencies
emerged to conveniently organise flights, hotel rooms, day trips, and so on. While
people might have had a good time, this kind of organisation also meant that most
people would go to the same resorts, eat at the same restaurants and visit the
same shops. In fact, you would spend most of the holiday with the group who had
booked the same holiday as you.
A plenty of food
B suitable clothes
C basic technology
D several documents
E unique experiences
F cultural education
G personal qualities
H pleasant experiences
I long journeys

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Exercise 5: Read the information. Then read the sentences taken from the Reading
passage that you read in Exercise 5. What do the words in bold mean? Choose the
correct answers.

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Exercise 6: Read the information. Then read the extracts. Do the statements below
match what the writer says in the extracts? Choose the correct answers.

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Exercise 7: Read the information. Then read the passage and decide if the statements
agree with the views of the writer.
Choose YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer of the text, choose NO if
the statement contradicts the views of the writer, or choose NOT GIVEN if it is
impossible to say what the writer thinks about this.

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Nowadays, tourism continues to change, most of those changes having been brought about by
technology. Statistics show that 148.3 million travel bookings are made online each year, 39% of which
are accommodation bookings, and 37% are plane tickets. It is now estimated that people spend at least
three hours online researching their trips, even if they go to a travel agent to make a final purchase. In
addition, it is increasingly common for people to create online reviews of hotels, restaurants and so on,
after having experienced something while travelling. Although this is very useful for travellers, the
effect is that the tourism industry is becoming much more consumer-oriented than ever before, and
much more alert to the needs of travellers, in the hope of receiving good reviews. A good travel
experience is something you can actively seek out and pay for.

By taking a mobile device on holiday, you can clearly save time, money and effort. The contents of a
restaurant menu can be quickly checked. The opening times of a museum can be found immediately. It
may be, however, that these are making the travel experience less of an adventure. It is possible that
we have lost the notion of going to a new place in order to explore it. It is, perhaps, regrettable if we go
to a place and already know what we will find there.

Indeed, a recent survey shows that over 1.8 billion photos are shared online each day. A great many of
these are images from holidays, and can share worthwhile information with other travellers. Such
photographs can tell you more about a place than any professional advertisement could, and it’s likely
that they are more honest. Just one amateur photo can give an accurate impression of whether or not
a particular festival, ski resort or hotel is the best one to choose.

It seems also that the average traveller is less likely to pack large amounts of clothes, and more likely to
take equipment for recording their journey and sharing it with others. According to another survey, the

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most common things to take are laptops, smartphones, tablets, digital cameras and e-readers (not to
mention the adaptors, cables and chargers that accompany them). One recent innovation that is
certain to attract consumer attention is a suitcase with its own GPS. Even if the owner loses it, it is
easily tracked, wherever it goes.

Back in the 19th century, many of the explorers sat down at the end of a long day to write an entry in
their diaries, some of which are now regarded as historical treasures. In the 20th century, it was
common for tourists to buy postcards, spend an afternoon writing brief messages, and post them
home. Nowadays, we have social media. Regardless of the convenience, and the easily accessed
information, if the point of travelling is freedom, it’s hard to say that this is what technology allows us
to gain. There is a constant pressure nowadays to update others about our lives and the experiences
we are having. Many people feel forced into checking everything before they go there, and relying on
other people’s recommendations about what to do. Surely a holiday is the one time when people
shouldn’t feel the need to do this.

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Exercise 8: Read the information. Then look at these extracts from the passage you
read in Exercise 8. Is it the writer’s View or is it a Fact? Choose the correct answer.

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C. WRITING
Exercise 1 :
In IELTS Writing Task 2, you may be asked to write an agree/disagree essay. For
example:

Some people believe the mass media have too much influence over people. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?

In this essay, you will have to write about the influence of the media on people. Which
types of media do people like to get the news from?
Complete the media words. The first letter of each word is given.

Exercise 2: Planning your essay in IELTS Writing Task 2 is very important. This makes
sure that your ideas are relevant and answer the question. Look at the essay question
again.
Some people believe the mass media have too much influence over people. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?

Select the ideas that are not relevant.

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Exercise 3: Put the paragraphs in the correct order to complete the essay.

Exercise 4 :
Look at the essay question again.

Some people believe the mass media have too much influence over people. To what
extent do you agree or disagree?

Then read the student’s essay again. Which ideas did the student include in his/her
answer? Choose the correct answers.

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Exercise 5 :
Look at the notes. Then put the words in the correct order to complete the sentences.

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Exercise 6:
Complete the sentences. Use the words and phrases in the box. You should use each
word or phrase only once.

Exercise 7: An agree/disagree essay should contain both facts and opinions.

Read the information. Then read the student’s essay again and decide if the points in
bold are facts or opinions.

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Exercise 8. Read the sentences. Are they facts or opinions? Change the facts to
opinions or the opinions to facts. Use the words in brackets. The first one has been
done for you.

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Exercise 9.
WRITING TASK 1
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic.

Newspapers are less important nowadays because we have up-to-date access to the
news on the internet. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answers and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge
or experience.
You should write at least 250 words

Sample answer:

In today’s world, newspapers are becoming less popular and less important than before as we
can now get up-to-date news on our portable devices, such as mobile phones and tablets.
Personally, I both agree and disagree with this statement and I feel it depends mainly on age,
as I will explain.

Firstly, when we consider younger generations, it is absolutely true that newspapers have a
less significant role. Younger people have grown up in a digital age and use technology to gain
information as it is fast, efficient and easy. Although newspapers are printed in the morning,
the news is continuously developing over the day and this is available on your phone

where you can follow breaking news stories. Younger generations feel much more comfortable
using mobile phones as they have always been part of their everyday life.

However, for older generations, the opposite may be true. Newspapers in many countries
have become part of our national identity. In some countries, the newspaper that you read can
reflect your political opinions and also your general thoughts and beliefs, and this is important.
In addition, older people may not be as comfortable when using the internet on mobile phones
and prefer the traditional feel of a newspaper. Technology can be frightening for some people
as we often feel afraid of the unknown.

To conclude, as younger generations grow older, newspapers will definitely be less important
as most people will be very comfortable with using mobile phones. However, in our world
today, it is still too difficult to be certain that this statement is true.

(263 Words)

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D. LISTENING
Exercise 1 : Read the information. Then match the words and phrases with those that
have a similar meaning

Exercise 2 : Read the information. Then listen and choose the correct answer, A, B or C.
(Track 6.1)

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Exercise 3. Read the information. Then match the sentences with the reasons or results.

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Exercise 4. Then listen and choose five answers to complete the flow chart. Write the
correct letters, A–I. (Track 6.2)

Exercise 5. You are going to hear two students talking to a physiotherapist. Listen and
answer questions 1 – 5. (Track 6.3)

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Exercise 6. Listen to the next part of the conversation and answer questions 6-10
(Track 6.4)

E. SPEAKING
Exercise 1 :
In IELTS Speaking Part 3, the examiner checks your fluency and coherence. This means
that you should try to speak without a lot of pauses or repetition, as well as talking
about your ideas clearly and in a logical order.
Match the descriptions with the explanations.

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Exercise 2 :
Read the examiner’s questions and the student’s answers, looking at the words and
phrases in bold.
Then match the descriptions with the student’s answers.

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Exercise 3.
Watch the videos. Notice how the student uses a range of words and phrases to speak
fluently and coherently. Complete the student’s answers using the words in the box.

( Video 6.1)

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( Video 6.2)

Exercise 4. In order to avoid repetition, it’s useful to learn vocabulary related to IELTS
Speaking Part 2 topics. Complete the table with the correct forms of the words related
to the topic of the environment.

Exercise 5: Complete the sentences about the environment. Use the words in the box.

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Exercise 6. In IELTS Speaking Part 2, it’s important to answer the points on the task
card coherently. Read the task card. Then watch the video and notice how the student
deals with each point from the task card in a logical order. Complete the student’s
answers. Use the words in the box. (Video 6.3)

Describe something you want to do that is good for the environment.

You should say:
what you want to do that is good for the environment
how you found out about doing this
how difficult or easy it would be to do this
and explain why you would like to do this for the environment

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Exercise 7. Watch the video of an IELTS Speaking Part 3 test. Then read the examiner’s
questions and choose the points the student talks about.

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Exercise 8. You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2 and Part 3. You will need some
paper and a pencil.

Part 2
Describe something you want to do that is good for the environment.
You should say:
what you want to do that is good for the environment
how you found out about doing this
how difficult or easy it would be to do this
and explain why you would like to do this for the environment.

Part 3

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1. What are some environmental problems that the world is facing today?
2. Which environmental problems are people most concerned about in your country?
3. Is it important for countries to work together to solve environmental problems?

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LISTENING SCRIPT
Exercise 2.
Presenter: You will hear two students, called Josh and Kate, preparing for a presentation on
‘the decreasing popularity of shopping malls’.
Josh: OK Kate, did you do any background reading?
Kate: Yes. Some of the data was quite surprising.
Josh: I’m guessing that the other students will enjoy our presentation. We’re probably not
going to use pictures – everyone knows what a mall looks like – but it’s a subject everyone can
relate to. All the other students will have their own view on the reasons why many malls are
closing down, so they’ll want to hear what we have to say.
Kate: Right. I went to the Bayview Centre on Saturday. At least five stores had closed down.
Josh: Interesting. Bayview’s nice – the way it’s laid out. Lots of light, open spaces where
people can take a break from shopping, and you can shop late in the evening. How did you get
there? By car? Because for most people, if you don’t drive, it’s not easy to get there.
Kate: Yeah – there’s only one bus that goes there.
Josh: It’s no wonder it doesn’t get enough customers. How about our survey?
Kate: Well, it didn’t turn out the way we’d hoped. We should have phrased our questions so
that people could answer with something more specific – not just ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Anyway – I
talked to over 60 people.
Josh: That’s not bad.
Kate: Yeah, I didn’t think we’d get that many. And I spoke to quite a variety of people –
mothers with children, quite a few teenagers and business people on their lunch break. So it
wasn’t a complete waste of time.
Josh: Great.
Kate: You read that article by Professor John Simmons, didn’t you? What does he think is the
main reason people don’t go to malls much now?
Josh: Well, he doubts it’s to do with a lack of cash. Even when people don’t have a lot of
money for luxury goods, they still go to malls for bargains.
Kate: So that doesn’t explain the decline. What about buying online? Surely that’s had an
impact?
Josh: Simmons thinks it’s part of the problem, but not the biggest factor. He believes people

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have simply stopped acquiring stuff that they don’t really need. He says they’re looking around
their homes and thinking ‘Where did all this stuff come from?’
Kate: Interesting. I had a look at Joanne Derrick’s paper – ‘Shopping trends in the 21st
century’. She says that no teenager or young adult wants to be seen wearing the same clothes
as their parents ...
Josh: Yes, too embarrassing.
Kate: Exactly. But a lot of clothes stores – even if their displays feature attractive, cool people
– don’t appeal to young people because they are still trying to attract middle-aged people.
They want to have it all ways.
Josh: I see.
Kate: In Derrick’s view, those stores lose a whole generation of shoppers. If the shops either
sold more expensive, classic clothes clearly designed for older people, or stuff that only
appealed to young people – they’d do better.
Exercise 4.
Kate: OK, so let’s have a look at one of the case studies for our presentation, Eastgate Mall.
Josh: It was doing badly, wasn’t it? Losing a lot of customers.
Kate: Yes, but in 2016, the mall committee decided the situation couldn’t go on any longer.
Josh: Everyone had different opinions about how to turn the situation around, didn’t they?
Kate: Right. But they finally came to a decision after speaking to some external consultants.
They realised they needed to conduct interviews. Not just with shop owners, but going out and
finding out what customers thought. That’s why the whole process took about six months.
Josh: But it was worth it. The committee used the information to completely re-think the mall.
Now, the first thing they did was to change the second floor. They had a large, empty space
where a couple of fast-food outlets had been. They offered the space to a local library, and
also a free medical centre.
Kate: They were right. As soon as those facilities opened up, more people went to the second
floor – and then went shopping afterwards.
Josh: Let’s move on to the fitness centre.
Kate: Yes, they used a corner of the car park to build one. They were quite clever about that –
they wanted busy parents to make use of the fitness centre, and then go shopping. So they
used part of the fitness centre as a crèche. They assumed that if there was somewhere for
parents to leave kids to play and be looked after, it would also lead to an increase in mall
visitors.
Josh: What was the other thing they did? Oh yes, they decided to extend the outside areas
after gathering responses from customers, who said that when they wanted to take a break
from shopping, they preferred going outside to have lunch or a coffee in the fresh air.
Kate: Yes, they installed tables and chairs outside for that reason, where people could take
their sandwiches and coffees and things. They could have made it nicer if they’d planted some
trees and flowers, though.

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Josh: True.
Kate: And, I think we could conclude by saying what the committee are planning to do in the
future.
Josh: Well they’ve been thinking about what kind of shops are missing from the mall. You
know, they want to get more young people in there, and a lot of teens and young adults are
really into surfing and snowboarding nowadays. And these people have plenty of money to
spend. They’ve concluded that there’s a need for more shops that sell the equipment and
accessories for that kind of thing.
Kate: Good idea.

Exercise 5:
Steve: Good morning, guys, come on in.
Mike: Thanks, Steve – it’s good of you to spare us some of your time.
Flo: Yeah – we really appreciate it.
S: That’s OK. So you’re studying sports science, are you?
M: Yeah – we’ve only just started our course, actually – but as I explained on the phone, um,
we have this seminar to do on sports injuries and we thought, who better to talk to than
someone like yourself?
S: Fine, OK. So what would you like to know?
F: Well, we thought we’d start by asking you about some of the treaments and services you
offer here at the clinic.
S: OK – well, as you know, physiotherapists deal with a whole range of different ‘problem
areas’ in the body.
M: Yeah – what sort of techniques do you use to help people? I mean, I know you use
massage – and I understand that’s a key form of treatment…
S: Yeah. Well, we call it ‘manual therapy’, you know, because it’s a hands-on treatment and it
just involves manipulating the soft tissue around a joint to relieve stiffness and pain.
F: Is that something that a lot of people come here for?
S: Um – well, we generally decide what’s best for the individual. This treatment can hurt
sometimes, but it gets results more quickly than anything else.
F: And is that true whatever the injury?
S: For sports injuries, generally, yes. But it doesn’t stop there – you have to do other things as
well.
M: I’ve heard of something called ‘stability training’. Do you do that?

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S: Defenitely. This is something that’s designed to improve overall posture and body shape.
M: So it’s for the back and neck?
F: Yeah – I think I’ve heard of this…it works on everything and gives you more power.
S: Yeah – this is important – we improve your overall form, and that’s quite good if you’re tired
of a bit weak.
M: Do you use any aids to boost performance?
S: Occasionally we recommend a pad or block for a sports shoe, but not often.
M: What about electrical equipment?
S: We do sometimes use electrotherapy, which is supposed to stimulate the body to repair
itself.
F: So that’s actually using a small electrical charge?
S: Yes, but there’s growing evidence that the ettect is limited.
M: So I guess you don’t use it much?
S: No – we tend to avoid it most of the time.
M: I see. What if people don’t have an injury but just want to get better at their sport? I mean,
sometimes people know they do something wrong when they…swing a golf club, for example.
S: Ah – then we film them and show them exactly what they do. It’s called video analysis.
F: That must be really helpful.
S: It’s what everyone asks for…it outstrips all our other services – because it’s great for so
many activities – not just sporting ones.
M: Can you help people with sedentary activities?
S: Absolutely – we offer workstation analysis because so many people have asked us for it.
F: Yeah, I spend hours on my laptop, and as the day goes on , my posture gets worse and
worse!
S: That’s why we tend to suggest that people come at the end of the day for this.
M: I guess the problem is that everyone’s built differently … I think we both need some help
there.
Exercise 6:
F: That was really interesting. So what happens when someone comes to your clinic?
S: Well, let’s imagine you’re the patient.
F: OK.

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S: A common situation will be that you sustained an injury, say, a year ago. So it’s not new …
so you turn up with what we call an existing injury.
F: Right. Like I sprained my ankle.
S: Exactly – that’s a typical one.
F: OK. And I had to rest it for a while, of course, and that meant not doing any sport. So I’ve
come to you because I’m fed up, basically.
S: Yes – you need to get the joint moving again. So what we would do first is to assess the
damage to the joint area.
F: I guess there’s a whole range of problems that it could be, and some are more serious than
others.
S: And we can’t afford to make mistakes. Now, once we know what the problem is, we select a
treatment – perhaps one that we talked about earlier – plus we design an exercise plan for
you.
F: That’s great if you stick to it.
S: Yes, that’s the hard part of patients because they don’t have time or they get bored. So we
ask them to come back regularly – we make appointments – and we monitor the movement in
the joint each time.
F: And you expect that to work?
S: Yes, and it usually does – quiet quickly, in fact, and then we can go on to rehabilitation.
F: You mean getting them back into the sporting activity they used to do?
S: That’s right. We have a fully equipped gym and we devise a training plan – well, a personal
trainer does that, and they eversee the programme for at least a couple of months and make
sure the patient carries it out.
F: It sounds really thorough. That’s great, Steve, thanks.

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