Unit 3.

1:
Education and
Employment
Reading &
Writing
Tables of contents

0 Reading:
Multiple-choice

1 questions

Writing Task 1:
0 Describe graphs, bar

2 charts and pie charts

 01
Reading: Multiple-choice
questions
 Outcomes

● Recognize and understand the question

format
● Apply strategies and tips to answer the
questions
● Learn how to:
- Identify the main ideas of a passage
- Find information in a text quickly
 Multiple-choice questions: Introduction

What to know?

- Multiple-choice question (MC) may be a question with four

possible answers or the first half of a sentence with four
possible sentence endings. Sometimes you are given a longer
list of possible answers and you have to choose more than one
answer.
- Such questions test many different reading skills including:
detailed understanding of specific points or general
 Multiple-choice questions: 2 Types
Single questions with a List questions (Pick from a list) with
choice of 4 answers (A, B, C or longer list of possible answers and you
D). Occasionally, there maybe 3 have to choose more than one answer.
options.
 Multiple-choice questions: Tips
What to pay attention to?

- In MC questions, the wrong options (called distractors) will come

from the same part of the passage as the answer. Be careful of
that!
- If you don’t know anything about the topic, don’t panic. It is a
reading test, not a test of your knowledge.
- Read the first paragraph and the first sentence of every other
paragraphs usually helps you to identify the main ideas.
- Don’t leave any blank answers. You have a 25% chance of getting
 Multiple-choice questions: Strategies -
Approach 1
How to deal with this type of task?

1. Skim the text to get its general meaning.

2. Read the questions and highlight keywords. Think of any synonyms
or paraphrases of keywords that might appear in the text.
However, not all keywords have synonyms or paraphrases.
3. Read the text and using keywords to locate the part containing the
answers.
4. Read carefully and choose the correct answer.
 Multiple-choice questions: Strategies -
Approach 2
There is another way to do MC questions:

1. Identify the keywords in the question.

2. Find the part of the passage that gives answer.
3. Try to answer the question yourselves.
4. Look at the options and find the one that matches your answer.
Multiple-choice questions: Practice
Multiple-choice questions: Approach 1 -
Step 1,2
Multiple-choice questions: Approach 1 -
Step 3
Multiple-choice questions: Approach 1 -
Step 3,4
Multiple-choice questions: Approach 1 -
Step 3,4
Multiple-choice questions: Approach 1 -
Step 3,4
 Multiple-choice questions: Approach 2

● Now try another way to do this exercise.

● Practice MC questions using the second mentioned
approach (answer the questions as if there were no options
and then link your answer to one of the options) .
● Then decide which one that works for you.
● Please note that you don’t have to adopt just one
approach. You can always switch between approaches
depending on the questions.
 02
Writing Task 1: Describe
graphs, bar charts and pie
charts
 Outcomes

● Recognize types of charts (graphic types)

● Learn how to deal with charts in IELTS
Writing Task 1
● Learn to describe changes and use
prepositions with numbers
 Writing Task 1: Graphic types
Based on visualization, there are 4 types of charts:

- Line graph: contains one or more lines representing a sequential

change to some figures in a period of time.
- Bar chart: contains some bars representing a sequential change
to some figures in a period of time or some items/numbers in a
singular time.
- Pie chart: looks like a circular representation of some data, is used
to show percentage or proportion.
- Table: can represent period of time, items, types and numbers at
 Writing Task 1: Graphic types

line
graph pie
chart

tabl
bar
e
chart
 Writing Task 1: Type of charts
Based on data , there are 2 types of charts:

- Graphs with a trend: You need to write about a graph which

shows trends or changes over time (increase, decrease, etc.). For
this type, you will see a time period in the title of the graph.
- Comparative graphs: You need to compare data. The information
given in this type of chart does not change over time.
 Writing Task 1: Tips
For any types of charts, you need to pay attention to some
things:

- You must only use the given information.

- You must not add imaginary details or your own knowledge.
Remember that Task 1 does not test your knowledge about a topic;
it only tests your ability to write about data in English.
- It’s important to select and comment on salient features of the
data which ‘stick out’ as being special (the highest, lowest,
greatest change, etc. or different from other data in some way).
 Writing Task 1: Steps to do

How to deal with charts?

- You should spend 20 minutes for Task 1.

- Divide the time as follows:
+ Step 1: Plan - 5 mins
+ Step 2: Write - 12 mins
+ Step 3: Revise - 3 mins
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 1 (5 mins): Planning makes sure you include all the necessary
information

- Determine the topic: To identify the main details of the graphic, first
read the task and identify the type of graphic. Second, read the title of
the graphic and scan the features. To focus your thoughts, ask yourself
Who? What? When? and Where?
- Make notes about details:
+ The graphic might show, for example, different places, types of
people, types of activities, products, and/ or changes over time. Look
for similarities and differences among these things.
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Use your notes in the first step to
write your essay
Conclus
Introduct Body:
ion
ion Paragraphs
(Summa
● A topic sentence ● The main idea The ry)
restatement of
● An overview ● Supporting the introduction
details
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Introduction

- A topic sentence: summarizes the infor­mation in the graphic.. Do

NOT copy the title and task exactly. Paraphrase by using other
phrases and synonyms to express the same ideas.
- An overview: tells what comparisons you will make or what changes
you will describe in your essay.
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Body including paragraphs

- The main idea: Begin each paragraph with a main idea that
summarizes the comparison and trends you are describing.
- The supporting ideas: The main idea of each paragraph is followed
by details that support it.
Note: Remember to select and comment on salient features of the
data which ‘stick out’ as being special (the highest, lowest, greatest
change, etc. or different from other data in some way).
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Body including paragraphs
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Body including paragraphs

Sentences 1, 6, 8,
9

Should
not be
included
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Language to describe changes - Verbs
& Adverbs

went up, grew, doubled, halved,

improved, decreased, jumped, plummeted,
increased, rose dropped, fell, rocketed, shot plunged
went down up, soared,
surged
Verbs which describe big increases or decreases don’t
need an adverb. However, all the verbs in the first two
columns need an adverb to tell the reader what kind of
increase or decrease you are talking about.
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Language to describe changes - Verbs
& Adverbs
gradually

negligibly, remarkably,
marginally, slightly strikingly
considerably, steadil
significantly y
rapidly, sharply
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Language to describe changes - Nouns
& Adjectives

a
a fall fluctuation
a plunge
a levelling- a
off decrease
a decline a dip
a soar a recovery
a a jump
plumme
an a surge
t
increase
a drop growth
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Language to describe changes - Nouns
& Adjectives
steady considerabl
negligible remarkabl e
e

In most cases, to form an adjective, you just need to remove the -ly
from the adverb. In some cases, you need to change the spelling of
the adjective a little bit.
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Language to describe changes

a sharp rise in sales of

DVDs
fell significantly

grew
steadily
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Use prepositions with numbers
Express your understanding of 2 following
sentences?

The rate of unemployment rose to

12% on 2010.

The rate of unemployment rose by

5% in 2010.
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Use prepositions with numbers

Comple the following rules for

using prepositions.
to
to
at
at
by
by
between
between
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do
Step 2 (12 mins): Use prepositions with numbers

of
of
from to
by
Betwe
en in
 Writing Task 1: The graphic - Steps to
do

Step 3 (3 mins): Revise

Revise to make sure that:

- your essay is clear and well-organized

- you have used correct grammar and
spelling

Use this revision checklist to help you

practice revising.
Writing Task 1: The graphic - Practice
The graphic: Practice - Step 1
bar
chart
literacy rate by region and gender
% of people who can read and write

2011
seven different regions
the literacy rates of men and women in
seven regions of the world in 2011
 The graphic: Practice - Step 1

Make notes about details:

- the highest percentage of literate people:

Central Asia and Central/Eastern Europe
- the lowest of literate people: Sub-Saharan
Africa
- the greatest different between men and
women: South and West Africa
 The graphic: Practice - Step 2
The data shows the literacy rate for both males and females in seven
Introducti different regions of the world. In all regions except two, there is a
on
difference in the literacy rates of men and women.

Central Asia and Central/Eastern Europe have the highest percentage

of citizens who can read and write. Almost 100% of men and women
are literate in those regions. The lowest literacy rates are in Sub-
Body Saharan Africa.

In five out of the seven regions, there are different literacy rates for
men and women. The greatest difference between men and women is
found in South and West Asia. In this region, about 80% of men are
able to read and write, but only about 60% of women. Overall, the
difference between the most literate area and the least literate is
Conclusio about 30% for men and just over 40% for women.
n
 Preparation for the next class
A. HOMEWORK
Do the exercise [IELTS 6.] - Mindset 1: Unit 3.1 - Reading & Writing.

B. LISTENING
Do exercises on pages 54-57 of Mindset 1 Student’s book.

C. SPEAKING
Do exercises on pages 58-63 of Mindset 1 Student’s book.
Prepare notes to answer the following question:

Describe a time when you learnt something new.

You should say:
- What you learn
- How you learnt it
- What the result was
and explain how you felt about learning something new.
Thanks!