Đề thi thử IELTS General Training số 1: IELTS General Training Mock Test 1

Listening (30 phút)

Part 1

Questions 1-10. Complete the form below. Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Phần nghe phát trong phòng thi.

1. Lost property report. Name: Helen ____
2. Type of bag: ____
3. Colour: dark ____ with black straps
4. Distinctive feature: a wooden keyring in the shape of an ____
5. Contents: a laptop ____
6. Contents: a ____ with her name inside the cover
7. Date lost: ____ November
8. Train: the ____ pm service from the city centre
9. Seat: coach ____
10. Collect from: the office beside the ____ entrance of Central Station

Part 2

Questions 11-15: choose the correct answer. Questions 16-20: what does the speaker say about each facility? Choose the correct letter, A-F.

Phần nghe phát trong phòng thi.

1. How often are residents' meetings held now?
   • every month
   • every three months
   • twice a year
2. What should residents do with glass?
   • take it to the bottle bank on the street
   • put it in the blue bins
   • leave it by their front door for collection
3. If a radiator is not warm, residents should first
   • call the repairs line.
   • contact the housing manager.
   • use the key provided to release air.
4. Quiet hours begin at
   • 10 pm every day.
   • 11 pm every day.
   • midnight at weekends.
5. What is the main purpose of the online group?
   • giving away furniture
   • reporting repairs in shared areas
   • organising social events
6. the bike store
   • must be booked in advance
   • can only be used during the daytime
   • needs a registered key fob
   • has a small charge each time it is used
   • is closed for repairs at the moment
   • is shared with another building
7. the roof garden
   • must be booked in advance
   • can only be used during the daytime
   • needs a registered key fob
   • has a small charge each time it is used
   • is closed for repairs at the moment
   • is shared with another building
8. the laundry room
   • must be booked in advance
   • can only be used during the daytime
   • needs a registered key fob
   • has a small charge each time it is used
   • is closed for repairs at the moment
   • is shared with another building
9. the guest room
   • must be booked in advance
   • can only be used during the daytime
   • needs a registered key fob
   • has a small charge each time it is used
   • is closed for repairs at the moment
   • is shared with another building
10. the parcel lockers
    • must be booked in advance
    • can only be used during the daytime
    • needs a registered key fob
    • has a small charge each time it is used
    • is closed for repairs at the moment
    • is shared with another building

Part 3

Questions 21-25: choose the correct answer. Questions 26-30: who will do each task? Choose A (Rosa), B (Tariq) or C (both Rosa and Tariq).

Phần nghe phát trong phòng thi.

1. Why did the students choose the library for their survey?
   • Rosa works there at weekends.
   • Their tutor suggested it.
   • The council wants residents' views on its refurbishment.
2. What is Mr Bennett's main concern about the first results?
   • Most of the people interviewed were older.
   • The sample was too small.
   • Some answers were not recorded.
3. Which type of question will be used most in the questionnaire?
   • open questions
   • rating scales
   • yes or no questions
4. What did the pilot survey show?
   • Some questions were unclear.
   • The questionnaire was too long.
   • People did not want to give their age.
5. How will the students mainly present their findings?
   • in a written report only
   • in a poster in the library
   • in a presentation to the library staff
6. update the questionnaire
   • Rosa
   • Tariq
   • both Rosa and Tariq
7. contact the library manager
   • Rosa
   • Tariq
   • both Rosa and Tariq
8. carry out the evening and weekend interviews
   • Rosa
   • Tariq
   • both Rosa and Tariq
9. enter the data into a spreadsheet
   • Rosa
   • Tariq
   • both Rosa and Tariq
10. prepare the charts for the presentation
    • Rosa
    • Tariq
    • both Rosa and Tariq

Part 4

Questions 31-40. Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

Phần nghe phát trong phòng thi.

1. Occupied time: hotels place ____ beside lifts so that waiting seems shorter.
2. Restaurants give customers a ____ while they wait, which makes them feel service has started.
3. Emotions: ____ makes waiting feel longer.
4. Uncertainty: a ____ showing the expected waiting time makes people calmer.
5. Fairness: a single ____ feeding several counters is seen as the fairest system.
6. People waiting ____ feel that time passes more slowly.
7. Memory of a wait is shaped most by its ____.
8. Theme parks: posted waiting times are often deliberately ____.
9. Virtual queues: customers receive a ____ when it is their turn.
10. People without a ____ may be at a disadvantage.

Reading (60 phút)

Section 1: Text A

Read the advertisements for evening courses. Questions 1-7: which course, A-D, does each statement refer to? Each letter may be used more than once.

Westbrook Community College: evening courses this autumn

A. Bicycle Maintenance. Learn to keep your bike running smoothly and safely. Over the course you will fix punctures, adjust brakes and gears, and replace a worn chain. Classes do not take place at the college: they are held at the Cycle Hub workshop under the railway arches on Dock Street, where there is space for twelve learners. Bikes are provided by the workshop, so you do not need to bring your own. 8 weeks, Tuesdays, 7 pm to 9 pm. Fee £120. Tools are provided, and spare parts can be bought at cost price on the night.

B. Introduction to British Sign Language. A course for complete beginners. You will learn to fingerspell, hold simple everyday conversations and find out about deaf culture and history. The course is taught by a deaf tutor, with an interpreter present in the first session only. Learners who pass a short assessment in the final week receive a Level 1 certificate. If you miss a class, a recording of the session is available online the following day, so you can catch up at home. 10 weeks, Wednesdays, 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm, Room 14, Main Building. Fee £150, including the assessment.

C. Upholstery for Beginners. Give a tired old chair a new life. You will learn how to strip off old fabric, replace webbing and padding, and fit a new cover neatly. Please bring a small chair, stool or footstool with a padded seat to work on throughout the course. Fabric is not included in the fee, but the tutor will give advice on choosing it in the first session. 6 weeks, Thursdays, 7 pm to 9.30 pm, Art Studio, Main Building. Fee £135.

D. Conversational Portuguese. This course is for people who already know some basic Portuguese and want to speak with more confidence. It is not suitable for complete beginners. Before enrolling, you will have a ten-minute chat with the tutor, by phone or in person, so that we can make sure the group is right for your level. Classes focus on speaking practice, with some reading and listening. Sign up together with a friend and you will each receive 15% off the fee. 10 weeks, Mondays, 7 pm to 9 pm, Language Centre, Main Building. Fee £140.

1. Learners must bring something of their own to work on.
   • A. Bicycle Maintenance
   • B. Introduction to British Sign Language
   • C. Upholstery for Beginners
   • D. Conversational Portuguese
2. Successful learners receive a certificate.
   • A. Bicycle Maintenance
   • B. Introduction to British Sign Language
   • C. Upholstery for Beginners
   • D. Conversational Portuguese
3. The classes are not held in the main college building.
   • A. Bicycle Maintenance
   • B. Introduction to British Sign Language
   • C. Upholstery for Beginners
   • D. Conversational Portuguese
4. There is a discount for people who enrol with someone else.
   • A. Bicycle Maintenance
   • B. Introduction to British Sign Language
   • C. Upholstery for Beginners
   • D. Conversational Portuguese
5. This course is shorter than the others.
   • A. Bicycle Maintenance
   • B. Introduction to British Sign Language
   • C. Upholstery for Beginners
   • D. Conversational Portuguese
6. Learners can catch up on a missed class online.
   • A. Bicycle Maintenance
   • B. Introduction to British Sign Language
   • C. Upholstery for Beginners
   • D. Conversational Portuguese
7. Applicants speak to the tutor before they enrol.
   • A. Bicycle Maintenance
   • B. Introduction to British Sign Language
   • C. Upholstery for Beginners
   • D. Conversational Portuguese

Section 1: Text B

Read the notice. Questions 8-14: do the statements agree with the information in the text? Choose TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN.

Harbourside Pool: changes from Monday 1 March

Opening hours. On weekdays the pool will now open at 6.00 am instead of 6.30 am, giving early swimmers more time before work. Weekend opening hours stay the same, from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm.

Lane swimming. During all lane sessions the main pool will be divided into slow, medium and fast lanes. Please choose the lane that matches your speed, and move to a faster lane if you find you are regularly overtaking other swimmers. Lane sessions can now be booked through the Harbourside app up to seven days ahead. Booking is recommended at busy times, but swimmers without a booking will still be admitted if there is space.

Children. Children under eight must be accompanied in the water by an adult aged 16 or over at all times. This rule applies even if the child holds a swimming certificate. One adult may accompany a maximum of two children under eight.

Lockers. The old coin-operated lockers have been removed. The new lockers are opened with a contactless bank card or a phone, so you no longer need to carry coins.

Sauna. The sauna will now be closed every Monday for deep cleaning. It is available at all other times when the pool is open.

Café. The poolside café, which has been closed since the autumn, will reopen on 1 March under new management. Details of the new menu will be posted in the entrance hall.

Parking. Parking remains free for pool users for the first two hours. Please remember to have your car park ticket stamped at reception before you leave the building.

1. The pool will open earlier than before on weekdays.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN
2. Swimmers must book a lane session in advance.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN
3. Children under eight with a swimming certificate may swim without an adult.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN
4. The new lockers cost more to use than the old ones.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN
5. The sauna will be unavailable on one day each week.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN
6. The café will offer lower prices to pool members.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN
7. Pool users can park for free for two hours if their ticket is stamped.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN

Section 2: Text C

Read the staff guide. Questions 15-20: complete the sentences. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.

Calloway Logistics: booking a desk at head office

Since the move to our new head office, most desks are no longer assigned to individual members of staff. Instead, everyone books a desk for the days they plan to be in the office. The only exception is colleagues who use specialist equipment, such as an adjustable chair or a standing desk. They keep a permanent desk. If this applies to you, please speak to your line manager.

How to book. Desks are booked through DeskFinder, which you can open from the staff intranet. You can book a desk up to two weeks in advance. To keep things fair, each person may book a maximum of three days per week. If your plans change, please cancel your booking as early as possible so that a colleague can use the desk.

On the day. Every desk has a QR code printed on a small sign. When you arrive, scan the code with your phone to check in. If you have not scanned the QR code by 10 am, your booking will be cancelled automatically and the desk will become available to others.

Zones. The second floor is the collaboration zone, where conversation and phone calls are welcome. The third floor is a quiet zone: phone calls are not permitted there, and conversations should be brief and kept to a low voice. Meeting rooms on both floors can also be booked through DeskFinder.

At the end of the day. We have a clear-desk policy. Before you leave, remove all personal items from your desk and wipe it down with the cleaning products provided. Each member of staff has a locker for personal belongings. You can collect your locker key from the facilities desk on the ground floor.

Equipment. Every desk has a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Plug your laptop into the docking cable and it should connect automatically. If any equipment is not working, please do not try to repair it yourself. Report the fault using the online form on the IT helpdesk page, and remember to include the desk number.

1. Staff who use an adjustable chair or a ____ keep a permanent desk.
2. A desk can be booked up to ____ in advance.
3. A booking is cancelled if the ____ has not been scanned by 10 am.
4. Phone calls are not permitted in the ____ on the third floor.
5. Locker keys can be collected from the ____ on the ground floor.
6. Faulty equipment should be reported using an online ____.

Section 2: Text D

Read the staff guide. Questions 21-24: choose the correct answer. Questions 25-27: complete the sentences. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer.

Flexible working at Calloway: what you need to know

At Calloway we believe that flexible working can help staff balance their jobs with other commitments, and that it often improves performance as well. This guide explains what kinds of arrangement are possible and how to make a request.

Who can apply? All employees can request flexible working from their first day with the company. There is no need to wait until you have completed your probation period. You may make two requests in any twelve-month period.

Types of flexible working. The most common arrangements are part-time hours; staggered hours, where you start and finish earlier or later than usual; compressed hours, where you work your usual total hours over fewer days, for example four longer days instead of five; working from home on some or all days; and a job share, where two employees divide one full-time role between them.

Making a request. Complete the flexible working form on the HR pages of the intranet and send it to your line manager. Explain the arrangement you would like, when you would like it to start, and how you think any effects on your team could be managed. Your manager must arrange a meeting with you within ten working days of receiving your request. You may bring a colleague to this meeting if you wish.

The decision. Managers consider every request carefully and can refuse one only for a genuine business reason, such as being unable to meet customers' needs. In many cases, rather than approving a permanent change straight away, your manager will suggest a trial period, usually of three months, so that both of you can see how the arrangement works in practice. At the end of the trial you will meet again to agree whether to make it permanent.

If your request is refused. You will be given the reasons in writing. If you disagree with the decision, you can appeal to HR within fourteen days. Appeals are heard by a manager from a different department, who has not been involved in the original decision.

1. When can employees request flexible working?
   • after completing their probation period
   • after six months with the company
   • from their first day
   • only once a year
2. What does compressed hours mean?
   • working fewer hours in total
   • working the usual total hours over fewer days
   • starting and finishing later than usual
   • dividing a full-time job with a colleague
3. What often happens before a new arrangement becomes permanent?
   • HR reviews the request.
   • The team is asked for its opinion.
   • A colleague attends a meeting.
   • The arrangement is tried for a period.
4. If a request is refused, the employee can
   • appeal to HR within fourteen days.
   • make a new request immediately.
   • ask the same manager to reconsider.
   • bring a colleague to a second meeting.
5. Employees may make ____ requests in any twelve-month period.
6. In a ____, two employees divide one full-time role between them.
7. A manager must arrange a meeting within ____ working days of receiving a request.

Section 3

Read the passage, then answer Questions 28-40. Questions 28-32: choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-F. Questions 33-36: choose TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN. Questions 37-40: complete the summary. Write ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Seed libraries: borrowing the future

A. In the corner of many public libraries today stands an unusual piece of furniture: an old card catalogue or a set of small wooden drawers, filled not with index cards but with hundreds of paper envelopes of seeds. Visitors can take a few packets home for free, plant them in their gardens or on their balconies, and are asked, at the end of the growing season, to bring back some seeds from the plants they have grown. Over the past two decades, seed libraries of this kind have spread through public libraries, schools and community centres in many countries. Their supporters see them as a way of getting more people growing food, of preserving rare varieties and of reviving a skill that most households have lost.

B. Saving seed is as old as farming itself. For most of human history, farmers kept part of each harvest to plant the following year, and in doing so they chose seeds from the plants that had done best in their own fields. Over many generations this produced thousands of local varieties, each suited to a particular soil and climate. During the twentieth century, however, commercial varieties sold by large seed companies replaced much of this diversity. Many of these were hybrids, produced by crossing two different parent lines. Hybrids can give excellent harvests, but their seeds do not grow true: plants grown from saved hybrid seed may look and behave very differently from their parents. For gardeners and many farmers, buying new seed every year became the norm, and the habit of saving it slowly disappeared.

C. Seed libraries try to make that habit easy to learn again. Borrowers usually sign up with an ordinary library card, and the seeds are labelled according to how difficult they are to save. Beans, peas, tomatoes and lettuce are usually marked as easy. Their flowers mostly pollinate themselves, so the next generation tends to resemble its parent. Squash and maize, on the other hand, cross-pollinate readily with neighbouring plants, sometimes with varieties growing in a garden down the road, and the seeds may produce unexpected results. Most seed libraries therefore guide beginners towards the self-pollinating crops and leave the trickier ones to experienced members.

D. The weak point of the system is the second half of the bargain. Organisers in many places report that only a minority of borrowers return any seeds at all. Some people find that their plants failed, others simply forget, and many are unsure how to dry and store seeds properly. To keep their drawers full, most seed libraries rely heavily on donations from experienced gardeners and on surplus packets given by seed companies at the end of the season. Organisers are generally relaxed about this. Even seeds that never come back, they argue, have done their job if they have encouraged someone to grow food for the first time.

E. Seed libraries have also had to deal with the law. In many countries, the rules on seed were written for the commercial seed trade, and they require seeds offered to the public to be tested for how many will sprout and to be labelled in particular ways. In 2014, officials in one US state told a public library that its seed exchange might break rules designed for commercial sellers, a dispute that attracted national attention. Since then, a number of states have changed their laws so that free, non-commercial seed sharing is clearly allowed, but the legal position still varies from one country to another.

F. For enthusiasts, one of the most exciting aspects of seed libraries is what happens over time. A variety that is grown and saved in the same area year after year gradually becomes adapted to local conditions. A tomato saved for ten seasons in a cool coastal town, for example, may ripen more reliably in short summers than the original packet ever did. Some libraries keep a special shelf of varieties with a long local history, and they record the stories of the people who donated them: the grandmother who brought a bean from another country, or the allotment holder who has grown the same onion for forty years.

G. Seed libraries are sometimes confused with seed banks, but the two do different jobs. A seed bank, such as the global seed vault built into a mountain on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, keeps samples frozen for conservation, as a safeguard against disaster. A seed library keeps seeds in circulation, alive in gardens and changing as they go. Both, in their different ways, help to protect the diversity of the plants we depend on.

1. Paragraph B
   • When rules for business met a free service
   • Seeds that carry local knowledge
   • An ancient practice pushed aside
   • A plan to make seed libraries profitable
   • A problem with getting seeds back
   • Why some seeds are recommended for beginners
2. Paragraph C
   • When rules for business met a free service
   • Seeds that carry local knowledge
   • An ancient practice pushed aside
   • A plan to make seed libraries profitable
   • A problem with getting seeds back
   • Why some seeds are recommended for beginners
3. Paragraph D
   • When rules for business met a free service
   • Seeds that carry local knowledge
   • An ancient practice pushed aside
   • A plan to make seed libraries profitable
   • A problem with getting seeds back
   • Why some seeds are recommended for beginners
4. Paragraph E
   • When rules for business met a free service
   • Seeds that carry local knowledge
   • An ancient practice pushed aside
   • A plan to make seed libraries profitable
   • A problem with getting seeds back
   • Why some seeds are recommended for beginners
5. Paragraph F
   • When rules for business met a free service
   • Seeds that carry local knowledge
   • An ancient practice pushed aside
   • A plan to make seed libraries profitable
   • A problem with getting seeds back
   • Why some seeds are recommended for beginners
6. Plants grown from saved hybrid seed are identical to their parents.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN
7. Borrowers usually need a library card to take seeds.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN
8. Organisers see seeds that are not returned as a complete failure.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN
9. The library involved in the 2014 dispute closed its seed collection permanently.
   • TRUE
   • FALSE
   • NOT GIVEN
10. Summary. Beginners are encouraged to grow crops such as beans and tomatoes, which are ____.
11. Over many seasons, saved seeds can become ____ to local conditions.
12. Some libraries record the ____ of the people who donated local varieties.
13. A seed bank keeps samples ____ for conservation, while a seed library keeps seeds in circulation.

Writing (60 phút)

Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows: Dear ...,

1. A friend lent you their camera for a trip you went on recently. While you were away, the camera was damaged. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter: explain how the camera was damaged; apologise and say what you have already done about the damage; suggest a way you could thank your friend for lending it to you.

   Tối thiểu 150 từ.

Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write at least 250 words.

1. In some workplaces, employees are encouraged to take a short nap during the working day, and quiet rooms are provided for this purpose. Do you think this is a good idea? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

   Tối thiểu 250 từ.