IELTS FIGHTER

UNIT 3: ART AND ARCHITECTURE

A. READING
Exercise 1: Read the sentences in the box. Do the verbs in bold in the sentences refer to past time?
Complete the table with the sentences. The first one has been done for you.

Past time: he told me he was a sculptor; architects used to produce all their drawings on a wooden
drawing board.
Not past time: when heated to high temperatures, the material becomes flexible and easy to work with,
breaking news – prime minister resigns in shock announcement, I wouldn’t want to be an artist unless I
was a rich and famous one.

Exercise 2: Read the information. Then skim read the article quickly. Put the topics in the order
in which they appear in the article.

Architectural determinism

Back in the 1960s, the Welsh academic and town planner Maurice Broady came up with a
new term in architectural speak: architectural determinism. This referred to what he saw
as the practice of making unjustified claims that the built environment could somehow
change people’s behaviour in ways that could be predicted. It was a new term to describe
what at the time was not uncommon. Although the idea of architectural determinism is

UNIT 3 1
IELTS FIGHTER

now widely discredited, it had allowed the heroes of architecture to make all sorts of
ridiculous claims in the past.

In the 1400s, one of the stars of the Italian Renaissance, Leon Battista Alberti, claimed
that the balanced classical forms of well-designed buildings would convince invaders to
abandon their weapons and become calm, non-violent citizens.

In the early twentieth century, the British theorist and planner Ebenezer Howard
developed the idea of garden cities. These were to be village-like housing schemes with
substantial gardens and green areas, and were intended to provide working people with
an alternative to living in ‘crowded, unhealthy cities’. He envisaged a ‘group of slumless,
smokeless cities’, in which employees, benefiting from better living and working
conditions, would be more efficient.

Frank Lloyd Wright, designer of New York’s Guggenheim Museum and many of the USA’s
most iconic houses, believed that appropriate architectural design could even save the
USA from corruption and make people more virtuous.

The Swiss-born modernist architect Le Corbusier declared that one of the houses he
designed outside Paris, the Villa Savoye, would heal the sick. But when it did exactly the
opposite (its large windows made the house overheat, and its flat roofs let in the rain), the
owners threatened legal action. Le Corbusier only managed to avoid court due to the
outbreak of the Second World War.

The failings of modernist architecture are well documented, and many writers and
theorists have made a living out of critiquing it. But the high point of this trend was the
delight that many shared over the demolition of the disastrous Pruitt-Igoe urban housing
complex in St Louis in the USA. It had been designed by architects George Hellmuth,
Minoru Yamasaki and Joseph Leinweber, supposedly to create ‘community gathering
spaces and safe, enclosed play yards’. And yet for some reason, the community declined
to gather and play safely in their enclosed yards. Instead, the complex became a hotspot
for crime and poverty and was demolished in the 1970s.

As with many of the modernist planning and design philosophies of the twentieth century,
architectural determinism was appealing at first sight but ultimately misguided. It became
unfashionable during the post-modern era and all but disappeared. One of the
consequences of this loss of faith in the power of architecture is that architects are now
left defenceless before the superior technical know-how of structural engineers, the
restrictions placed on them by generations of planners and the calculations of project
managers.

But was architectural determinism dismissed too soon? This is one question posed by Jan
Golembiewski, a researcher in the environmental determinants of mental health at the
University of Sydney and a consultant for Medical Architecture, a firm specialising in
architectural psychology. Golembiewski’s research has found that the healthier a person
is, the more a well-designed environment will affect them positively, and the less a badly
designed one will affect them negatively. Patients who are mentally ill react more
negatively to bad environments, which means ‘fewer smiles, less laughter and a reported
drop in feeling the fun of life’.

UNIT 3 2
IELTS FIGHTER

Likewise, Charles Montgomery, author of Happy City: Transforming our Lives Through
Urban Design, points out that some environments do affect our moods, and that they do
so rather predictably. His central thesis is that urban sprawl – the unplanned spread of car-
dependent, low-density development that accounts for most new housing in many parts of
the world – makes us unhappy and isolated and drives teenagers to boredom. The
drawbacks of urban sprawl aren’t confined to psychological health; living amongst sprawl
ages people by an extra four years, and there are four times as many fatal traffic
accidents on suburban roads as on city streets, according to Montgomery’s research.

Many progressive measures were implemented by Enrique Peñalosa during his tenure as
mayor of Bogota in Colombia from 1998 to 2000. Bogota, now a city of 8 million people,
had no underground rail system at that time and suffered from chronic congestion.
Peñalosa’s city model gave priority to children and people not using vehicles. He built
hundreds of kilometres of cycle paths, pavements and parks, and set up traffic-free zones.
He organised a car-free day in 2000 (now an annual event), took measures to address
poverty and started a programme of urban improvement, with more than 100,000 trees
being planted across the city. All of these are impressive accomplishments in themselves,
but his most compelling legacy has to be the way that he transformed people’s view of
Bogota. Whereas previously, the city’s troubles had been seen as an inevitable
consequence of uncontrolled urban growth, people now began to see that they could
influence change in Bogota for the better.

Clearly, there is now a resurgence in the belief that the built environment is a key factor in
how we feel, and that buildings are central to influencing behaviour. Many of the journals
adopting this stance, such as World Health Design and Environment and Behaviour, focus
primarily on the design of healthcare facilities, as this is where quality design can
potentially have life-and-death consequences. Schools of architecture need to focus on
how their students might predict how their designs can impact the users of the buildings,
and give thought to including calming areas and spaces, such as gardens, in order to
affect our moods, behaviours and health in as positive a way as possible.

an abandoned belief -Exaggerated claims –– the virtual disappearance- the similar findings of two
writer – the positive influence – the reappearance
Exercise 3: Read the information. Then quickly skim read the article again to see what the main
ideas are. Read the four sentences about the article in the box. Which two sentences are the main
ideas, and which two are the less important supporting ideas? Complete the table with the
sentences.

UNIT 3 3
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 4: Read the information. Then read the opening paragraph of the article and the
statements below. Choose True or False.

Architectural determinism

Back in the 1960s, the Welsh academic and town planner Maurice Broady came up
with a new term in architectural speak: architectural determinism. This referred to
what he saw as the practice of making unjustified claims that the built
environment could somehow change people’s behaviour in ways that could be
predicted. It was a new term to describe what at the time was not uncommon.
Although the idea of architectural determinism is now widely discredited, it had
allowed the heroes of architecture to make all sorts of ridiculous claims in the past.

UNIT 3 4
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 5: Read the information. Then read the first part of the article. Do the statements agree
with the information given in the article? Choose True, False or Not Given.

Architectural determinism

Back in the 1960s, the Welsh academic and town planner Maurice Broady came up
with a new term in architectural speak: architectural determinism. This referred to
what he saw as the practice of making unjustified claims that the built
environment could somehow change people’s behaviour in ways that could be
predicted. It was a new term to describe what at the time was not uncommon.
Although the idea of architectural determinism is now widely discredited, it had
allowed the heroes of architecture to make all sorts of ridiculous claims in the past.

In the 1400s, one of the stars of the Italian Renaissance, Leon Battista Alberti,
claimed that the balanced classical forms of well-designed buildings would
convince invaders to abandon their weapons and become calm, non-violent
citizens.

In the early twentieth century, the British theorist and planner Ebenezer Howard
developed the idea of garden cities. These were to be village-like housing schemes

UNIT 3 5
IELTS FIGHTER

with substantial gardens and green areas, and were intended to provide working
people with an alternative to living in ‘crowded, unhealthy cities’. He envisaged a
‘group of slumless, smokeless cities’, in which employees, benefiting from better
living and working conditions, would be more efficient.

Frank Lloyd Wright, designer of New York’s Guggenheim Museum and many of the
USA’s most iconic houses, believed that appropriate architectural design could
even save the USA from corruption and make people more virtuous.

The Swiss-born modernist architect Le Corbusier declared that one of the houses
he designed outside Paris, the Villa Savoye, would heal the sick. But when it did
exactly the opposite (its large windows made the house overheat, and its flat roofs
let in the rain), the owners threatened legal action. Le Corbusier only managed to
avoid court due to the outbreak of the Second World War.

The failings of modernist architecture are well documented, and many writers and
theorists have made a living out of critiquing it. But the high point of this trend was
the delight that many shared over the demolition of the disastrous Pruitt-Igoe
urban housing complex in St Louis in the USA. It had been designed by architects
George Hellmuth, Minoru Yamasaki and Joseph Leinweber, supposedly to create
‘community gathering spaces and safe, enclosed play yards’. And yet for some
reason, the community declined to gather and play safely in their enclosed yards.
Instead, the complex became a hotspot for crime and poverty and was demolished
in the 1970s.

As with many of the modernist planning and design philosophies of the twentieth
century, architectural determinism was appealing at first sight but ultimately
misguided. It became unfashionable during the post-modern era and all but
disappeared. One of the consequences of this loss of faith in the power of
architecture is that architects are now left defenceless before the superior
technical know-how of structural engineers, the restrictions placed on them by
generations of planners and the calculations of project managers.

UNIT 3 6
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 6: Read the information. Then complete the table. Use the words and phrases in the box.

UNIT 3 7
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 9: Look at the words in bold in the second part of the article. Are they used in a positive
or negative way? Complete the table with the words in the box. The first one has been done for
you.

F The failings of modernist architecture are well documented, and many writers
and theorists have made a living out of critiquing it. But the high point of this trend
was the delight that many shared over the demolition of the disastrous Pruitt-
Igoe urban housing complex in St Louis in the USA. It had been designed by
architects George Hellmuth, Minoru Yamasaki and Joseph Leinweber, supposedly to
create ‘community gathering spaces and safe, enclosed play yards’. And yet for
some reason, the community declined to gather and play safely in their enclosed
yards. Instead, the complex became a hotspot for crime and poverty and was
demolished in the 1970s.

G As with many of the modernist planning and design philosophies of the twentieth
century, architectural determinism was appealing at first sight but
ultimately misguided. It became unfashionable during the post-modern era and
all but disappeared. One of the consequences of this loss of faith in the power of
architecture is that architects are now left defenceless before the superior
technical know-how of structural engineers, the restrictions placed on them by
generations of planners and the calculations of project managers.

H But was architectural determinism dismissed too soon? This is one question
posed by Jan Golembiewski, a researcher in the environmental determinants of
mental health at the University of Sydney and a consultant for Medical
Architecture, a firm specialising in architectural psychology. Golembiewski’s
research has found that the healthier a person is, the more a well-designed

UNIT 3 8
IELTS FIGHTER

environment will affect them positively, and the less a badly designed one will
affect them negatively. Patients who are mentally ill react more negatively to bad
environments, which means ‘fewer smiles, less laughter and a reported drop in
feeling the fun of life’.

I Likewise, Charles Montgomery, author of Happy City: Transforming our Lives

Through Urban Design, points out that some environments do affect our moods,
and that they do so rather predictably. His central thesis is that urban sprawl – the
unplanned spread of car-dependent, low-density development that accounts for
most new housing in many parts of the world – makes us unhappy
and isolated and drives teenagers to boredom. The drawbacks of urban sprawl
aren’t confined to psychological health; living amongst sprawl ages people by an
extra four years, and there are four times as many fatal traffic accidents on
suburban roads as on city streets, according to Montgomery’s research.

J Many progressive measures were implemented by Enrique Peñalosa during his

tenure as mayor of Bogota in Colombia from 1998 to 2000. Bogota, now a city of 8
million people, had no underground rail system at that time and suffered
from chronic congestion. Peñalosa’s city model gave priority to children and
people not using vehicles. He built hundreds of kilometres of cycle paths,
pavements and parks, and set up traffic-free zones. He organised a car-free day in
2000 (now an annual event), took measures to address poverty and started a
programme of urban improvement, with more than 100,000 trees being planted
across the city. All of these are impressive accomplishments in themselves, but
his most compelling legacy has to be the way that he transformed people’s view
of Bogota. Whereas previously, the city’s troubles had been seen as an inevitable
consequence of uncontrolled urban growth, people now began to see that they
could influence change in Bogota for the better.

K Clearly, there is now a resurgence in the belief that the built environment is a
key factor in how we feel, and that buildings are central to influencing behaviour.
Many of the journals adopting this stance, such as World Health
Design and Environment and Behaviour, focus primarily on the design of
healthcare facilities, as this is where quality design can potentially have life-and-
death consequences. Schools of architecture need to focus on how their students
might predict how their designs can impact the users of the buildings, and give
thought to including calming areas and spaces, such as gardens, in order to affect
our moods, behaviours and health in as positive a way as possible.

UNIT 3 9
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 10: Read the second part of the article again. Choose the correct answers to the
questions.

UNIT 3 10
IELTS FIGHTER

B. WRITING
Exercise 1: Read the information. Then look at the map. Do the statements accurately describe the
map? Choose Yes or No.

UNIT 3 11
IELTS FIGHTER

UNIT 3 12
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 2: Complete the table with the words in the box.

UNIT 3 13
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 3: Match the more extended and better developed sentences in the box with the simple
sentences.

UNIT 3 14
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 4: Read the information. Then choose the sentences that would receive higher marks for
coherence.

UNIT 3 15
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 5: Read the information. Then choose the most relevant and logically extended and
supported endings for the sentences.

UNIT 3 16
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 6: Complete the table with the words and phrases in the box.

Exercise 7: Choose the most logical sentences that develop the ideas in the first sentences.

UNIT 3 17
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 8: Read the information. Then read the summary paragraphs. Do they present the main
changes in the maps? Choose Yes or No.

UNIT 3 18
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 9: Read the model answer. Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

The two maps illustrate the changes that took place in Sholeaton town centre between
the years 1985 and 2015.

Firstly, Sholeaton’s swimming pool replaced / was replaced by the expansion of the park.
Furthermore, the town’s library was relocated and the old building had been
refurbished / was refurbished and made into a business centre. In addition, the café to
the west of the town was flattened and a fountain was put up in its place. Moreover, some
of the shops surrounding the former café were renovated, and some new restaurants are
erecting / were erected. The old shopping centre was enlarged to take the place of the
former bus station, which is being knocked down / was knocked down. Nevertheless, a
new bus station was built behind the town’s car park, which was altered to include a new
bicycle parking area. The number of houses tripled / had been tripled as eight more were
erected in the eastern part of the town. Finally, the road next to these houses was
improved / were improved, a pedestrian crossing was added, and a cycle lane was built to
improve access for both cyclists and walkers.

To sum up, Sholeaton, has gone / went through a lot of changes between 1985 and 2015.
The number of houses in the area increased / was increased , but so did the number of
facilities and amenities available to local residents and visitors to the town.

UNIT 3 19
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 10: WRITING TASK 1

You should spend 20 minutes on this task

The maps below show the changes that took place at a science and technology museum between 1996
and 2016.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

UNIT 3 20
IELTS FIGHTER

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

UNIT 3 21
IELTS FIGHTER

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
C. SPEAKING

Exercise 1: In this unit, you will learn about how to structure your response to the task card in
IELTS Speaking Part 2. Read the information about IELTS Speaking Part 2. Then read the tips.
Choose the correct answers to complete the tips.

Exercise 2: Read the information. Then read the task card. Match the notes a student has made
about the novelist David Mitchell with the points from the card.

UNIT 3 22
IELTS FIGHTER

Describe someone whose creative or artistic

work you like.

You should say:

what you know about the life of the person
what kind of creative work this person does /
did
why you like this person’s work
and describe the way this person’s work makes
you feel.

Exercise 3: Read the information. Then put the sentences from the introduction to the IELTS
Speaking Part 2 response in the correct order. Watch the video of a native English speaker doing
Part 2 and check your answers. (Video 3.1)

UNIT 3 23
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 4: Read the information. Then read the sentences in bold. Put the words in the correct
order to complete the more complex sentences.

UNIT 3 24
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 5: Read the information. Then complete the IELTS Speaking Part 2 response with the
correct forms of the verbs in brackets. Watch the video and check your answers. (Video 3.2)

UNIT 3 25
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 6: Read the information. Then read the answers to some IELTS Speaking Part 2 follow-
up questions. Match the questions in the box with the answers.

UNIT 3 26
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 7: Read the information. Then read the statements and listen to part of another response
to the IELTS Speaking Part 2 task card. Choose True or False. (Track 3.1)

Describe someone whose creative or artistic work

you like.
You should say:
what you know about the life of the person

UNIT 3 27
IELTS FIGHTER

what kind of creative work this person does /

did
why you like this person’s work
and describe the way this person’s work makes
you feel.

UNIT 3 28
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 8: Read the information. Then complete the sentences with the words in the box to form
collocations.

Exercise 9: Look at the useful phrases for IELTS Speaking Part 2 in the box. What are their
functions? Complete the table with the phrases.

UNIT 3 29
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 10: You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a pencil.

Describe an artist or entertainer who you admire.

You should say:
who the artist or entertainer is and what he / she does
how he / she became successful
how you found out about him / her
and explain why you admire that artist or entertainer.

D. LISTENING
Exercise 1: In this unit, you will practise the skills you need to answer map labelling, multiple-
choice and sentence completion questions in the IELTS Listening test. The topic of this unit is
architecture. Read the information. Then choose the correct synonyms for the words and phrases
in bold in the sentences.

UNIT 3 30
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 2: Read the information. Then complete the table with the correct word forms (verbs,
nouns or adjectives).

Exercise 3: Read the information. Then listen to a tour guide and a park officer. Choose the
correct answers.

1. (Track 3.2)

UNIT 3 31
IELTS FIGHTER

2. (Track 3.3)

Exercise 4: Listen and choose the correct answers.

1) (Track 3.4)

2) (Track 3.5)

Exercise 5: Read the information. Then listen and write the correct letters, A–H.(Track 3.6)

UNIT 3 32
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 6: Listen and choose the correct letter, A, B or C. (Track 3.7)

Exercise 7: Listen and complete the sentences. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each
answer. (Track 3.8)

E. GRAMMAR&VOCABULARY

Exercise 1: Put the words in the correct order to complete the sentences from an art gallery tour.

UNIT 3 33
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 2: Read the art gallery brochure. Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

The Montford Gallery is situated in / on / to Montford Park, between / opposite /

through the Royal Infirmary. It is from / into / near the university campus,
and above / close to / via the city centre, which is only 1 km away.
The best way to reach the gallery on foot is below / through / up the main park
gate in London Road. Then, take the path across / at / below the park between /
into / on the lake and the children’s playground. Walk across / on / through the
main entrance over / up / via the gift shop.

If you arrive by car, you can park for free in the small car park behind / between /
on the gallery. However, there are only 30 spaces available for visitors and they
cannot be reserved. There are other spaces available in one of the university car
parks across from / between / inside the gallery. Additionally, there is a drop-off
zone from / next to / up the entrance for visitors with disabilities.

Admission to the gallery is free! Please come and visit us. We will always make
you feel welcome. Enjoy a chat over coffee with friends in our café on the second
floor directly above / below / up the entrance.
Exercise 3: Look at the plan of the art gallery. Read the guide’s advice and complete the sentences.
Use the words and phrases in the box.

UNIT 3 34
IELTS FIGHTER

UNIT 3 35
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 4: Read the information. Then complete the sentences. Use the words in brackets in the
past simple, past continuous, present perfect simple or present perfect continuous.

Exercise 5: Choose the correct sentences.

UNIT 3 36
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 6: Choose the correct tenses to complete the sentences.

1 He has painted / painted / was painting hundreds of portraits between 1850 and 1856.
2 The workers have demolished / used to demolish / were demolishing the old factory wall when the
architect took the photo.
3 None of those builders have worked / were working / work on such an ambitious project before.
4 She got a job as an architect as soon as she had completed / has completed / was completing her
studies.
5 They had been renovating / have been renovating / were renovating that cathedral for 40 years and it’s
still not finished.
6 We have travelled / used to travel / were travelling to work by train but now we go by car.
7 When she first started painting, she has sat / was sitting / would sit alone for hours in the corner of the
garden.

UNIT 3 37
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 7: Read the information. Then match the verbs with the synonyms.

Exercise 8: Complete the table with the verbs in the box.

Exercise 9: Match the sentence halves from a builder’s report.

UNIT 3 38
IELTS FIGHTER

Exercise 10: Read the speech welcoming visitors to the opening of a Russian art and architecture
exhibition. Complete the sentences with the words and phrases in the box.

AUDIO SCRIPT

UNIT 3 39
IELTS FIGHTER

SPEAKING
Exercise 7.
I am going to tell you about David Mitchell. Have you heard of him? OK, I don’t know much about him,
but I know he is a British writer. He used to be an English teacher in Japan, and his son has autism.
That’s all I know. He is famous for being a novelist though. He’s won prizes for being a novelist. He’s
written seven novels, I think, and some short stories. Two of his novels are my favourites. One is Cloud
Atlas, which you must have heard of – they made a film of it with Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. It isn’t
as good as the book, though. I also like his book Bone Clocks. I read that in a few days. I like David
because all of his books are good, and the stories are interesting, and I like the characters, too. You
always want the characters to do well. That’s all. Any questions?

LISTENING
Exercise 3:

Tour guide: Thank you, everyone, for coming today. I want to remind you that we are now visiting the
museum after lunch on Tuesday. As you know, we’d planned to go on Monday morning – having
already visited the nearby park and castle at the weekend – but, due to the museum being closed for a
private event, we have had to change our schedule. Instead, we’re going to take advantage of late-night
shopping on Monday evening, followed by dinner and dancing into the early hours of Tuesday morning
at a restaurant on the waterfront.
Park officer: OK, everyone, let’s move on to the position of the new and, may I say, quite unique, work
of art that’s kindly been donated to the park by our local sculptor, David Waterman. We had thought it
would look great in front of the small artificial lake, as it would be the first thing visitors saw when they
entered the park, and children do like to feed the ducks there. However, it is quite close to the public
toilets, and so we’ve decided it would be better on the medieval hill just to the north of the swings in the
play area.

Exercise 4.:

Speaker 1: I just wanted to tell you about some recent changes we’ve made to the property. As you
know, the condition of the roof was terrible when we bought it, so we’ve gone ahead and had that
repaired. The living room is a little small, and we were hoping to make it bigger and lighter by knocking
down the wall and creating an open-plan space. However, we don’t have the funds for that right now. So
instead, we’re going to paint the outside walls of the property. We think this will make the house look
much more attractive without costing too much.
Speaker 2: Well, I think you’ll all agree that we had a wonderful day on Wednesday visiting the old
town. It was great to see all the remarkable buildings from the eighteenth century, which are still in such
great condition. Right, tomorrow, as planned, we’re going to the botanical garden, where you can spend
time walking around and smelling all the nice flowers. I’m told this spot was a particular favourite of
previous kings and queens. On Friday, just before our weekend boat trip, we’re going to the Grand
Palace, which served as the main home of the monarchy in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Although many of the castle walls are new, the stone circles located in the castle grounds date back to
ancient times and are well worth a visit.

Exercise 5:

UNIT 3 40
IELTS FIGHTER

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to our recently renovated university bookshop and library.
We’ve made many changes, and I just wanted to give you an idea of what you can find where. Right,
well, the reception desk is to the left as you enter, and directly to the left of that, in the corner, you’ll
find our little shop. You’ll remember that we used to have the accommodation office here, but that’s
been relocated to the main university building. Anyway, now you can buy a range of locally made items,
including birthday cards, notepads and pens. Behind the reception desk and in front of law and politics is
the used books table. This is also a new addition but something we think will be very popular with all
our students. Information about the region is directly at the back of the library, to the left of our business
section. Everything you want to know about the area can be found here, and you can also buy tickets for
public transport. On the other side of the business section, we had intended to put a tourist information
point. However, as there is one located just five minutes from the campus, we decided instead to make
this a relaxing space where you can buy snacks and hot drinks. Finally, I’m delighted to tell you that we
now have an area dedicated to the integration of audio and visual technologies. It’s located in the small
annexe behind and to the right of the reference area. You’ll find the toilets there, too.

Exercise 6:

OK, so I wanted to talk to you about the events we have coming up over the rest of the term. As you
know, planning for the graduation party has started and, even though it’s not until next year, we already
anticipate it’ll be a great success. I will keep you informed of any developments, but it’s not something
we need to talk about today. I do, however, want to take the opportunity to thank you all for your help
with last month’s summer fair. We raised over £2,000 and can now start the much-needed repairs to the
roof. The builders are arriving next week, so please be aware that there may be some disruption.
Right, as you know, this weekend we have over 500 potential new students and their families coming to
look around the university and find out what courses we have available. It’s going to be very busy, so
thank you to everyone who’s coming along to help. OK, so let’s go through some of the details for the
event. Last year, we opened our doors at half past ten and had intended to do the same this year, but now
the bus timetable has changed, it makes more sense to bring that forward slightly to ten fifteen. I realise
it will be almost eleven before the gardens are open, but I think there’s plenty to do beforehand, and we
want to make sure there’s enough time for lunch.
Now, there are a few things we need the volunteers to do. I had hoped the new tables would’ve arrived
by now, but unfortunately, they haven’t, so we’ve decided to use the existing ones that are in the
storeroom. Those are already built, so we don’t need to waste time putting them up on the day. Now,
with regards to the raffle, we’ve had some fantastic prizes donated by local businesses, and tickets will
be sold at the university office all weekend. There will be posters on display showing what people can
win, so please direct anyone who wants to buy a ticket to the office, where they can do just that. Food
and drink will be available from midday. As you know, we’d booked a local catering firm for this, but
I’m afraid they have let us down. Therefore, I am going to need you to take round sandwiches, snacks
and such like. OK. So, I think that just about covers everything I wanted to say about that.

Exercise 7:

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IELTS FIGHTER

The final thing I wanted to tell you about are some of the changes we’ve made to security. You’ll
remember that we had an unfortunate incident last year when someone broke into the admissions office.
We needed to call the police, and it’s something we want to avoid this weekend. So, this year, a pass
will be issued to all members of the public, and this must be stamped on arrival and shown to security
before they enter the dining room, gardens and lecture theatres. This doesn’t include the library, as it’s
only accessible through the dining room. Although volunteers don’t need a pass, you should wear your
identity card and make sure it’s displayed at all times. May I remind you that we still have a problem
with the wooden floor in the main hall, which was damaged by the storm last year when the roof leaked.
Unfortunately, this does mean that access to this room is going to be restricted and visitors won’t be able
to enter.
Moving on to another issue, namely smoking. Some people think it’s acceptable to smoke in the
gardens, and whilst this used to be the case, the changes to health and safety this year mean we can no
longer allow it anywhere. We need to make sure that people abide by this rule, otherwise we might face
a fine and possible closure. Signs will be displayed around the college, but if I could ask all volunteers
to be cautious and report any problems to the office.

UNIT 3 42