Pre-IELTS 2 Adults- Unit 1: Places

Full name:.................................

Lesson 1 Topic: Places WID:

QR code:
Reading: Making Predictions - Reading for main
ideas - reading for detail- Scanning to find
information - Working out meaning- Scanning to
predict content - Making Inferences
...... pts/10
Skills Grammar focus: - Nouns, verbs & Adjectives -
Sentence structure 1: Subject + verb - There is/
There are

Academic Writing - Capital letters and full stops

- Writing about the positives and negatives of ...... pts/10
the place where you live

Exercise 1. [Grammar: Nouns, verbs & adjectives] Read the sentences about Dubai. Complete
them with the words in the box.

Nouns

visitors skyscrapers shops

year restaurants population
world

Adjectives

large official luxury

important delicious tall

1. Dubai is a ________ city in the United Arab Emirates with a ________ of about 2 million.

2. The ________ language is Arabic, but you can also see English everywhere.

3. Tourism is a very ________ industry: more than 7 million ________ come every ________

4. There are many ________ where you can buy ________ clothes or jewellery, and thousands
of ________ where you can eat ________ food from around the ________.

5. Also, Dubai is home to many ________, for example the Burj Khalifa, which is 829.8 metres

________.
Pre-IELTS 2 Adults- Unit 1: Places

Exercise 2. [Grammar: Nouns, verbs and adjectives] Read the text on the right. Use the word
given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the
same line.
Most people have heard the story of the lost island of Atlantis. But is any part of
the story true?

The Greek writer Plato wrote that Atlantis was an island in the Atlantis Ocean.
The island’s (1)________ people designed many great buildings and canals. At the
centre of the island, they built a (2)________ golden temple. But the Atlanteans WEALTH
became greedy- they had everything, but they still wanted more. The gods BEAUTY
became (3)________, and the island was hit by earthquakes and great waves.
Finally, the whole of Atlantis sank into the sea.

Throughout history, (4)________ have reported finding Atlantis. In 2004, the ANGER
explorer Robert Sarmast reported finding the island’s remains on an undersea
mountain near Cyprus. However, Sarmast and other scientists later
EXPLORE
(5)_______out these findings were natural, not man-made.

Many people think that Atlantis is simply a story. The purpose of the story was to
(6)________ people about the evils of greed. Richard Ellis published a book on
Atlantis in 1999. He says ‘there is not a piece of solid (7) ________’ for a real
FINDING
Atlantis.

So was the island real or not? Only one thing is certain: the (8)________ of
Atlantis will be with it for a long time. TEACHER

EVIDENT

MYSTERIOUS

Exercise 3. [Grammar: Sentence structure] Complete the passage below. Use the words in the
box. Three words are extra.
Pre-IELTS 2 Adults- Unit 1: Places

centre certain decided image published

real reported research simply made

Loch Ness is a lake in Scotland with a long and unusual history. Many people have (1)_________
seeing a monster swimming in its deep waters, but no one could be (2)_________. The
newspapers named the monster “Nessie”.

In 1934, a black and white (3)_________ showing Nessie’s head and neck in the water was
(4)_________ in a London newspaper. Nearly everyone thought it was (5)_________. But 60
years later, the truth finally came out.

A man named Duke Wetherall had lost his job when he could not get a photo of Nessie for a
newspaper. So he (6)_________ to build his own monster, using a toy submarine. He simply
(7)_________ up the ‘monster’ in Loch Ness and took a picture of it. Wetherall’s photo made
“Nessie'' famous around the world. But for many years, no one know the true story behind the
picture.

Exercise 4. [There is / There are] Read what Emre says about his hometown, Izmir. Choose
the correct words to complete the sentences.

My hometown is Izmir, a big city in Turkey, on the Mediterranean Sea. About 3 million people
live here.

Tourists come here, but it isn't crowded like Istanbul. It's a beautiful place to live and we have
lots of things to see and do. It's near the sea and the mountains.

We have lots of restaurants (the fish is excellent). If you like traditional things, then you can go
to the bazaar or to Kadifekale Castle.

If you only want to relax, there are beaches nearby and you can get there by public transport.

It's a modern city too. We have an airport and a big port, so it's very easy to get here. You can
get a boat to the islands very easily.

1. (There are/ There is) about 3 million people in Izmir.

2. (There isn’t/ There aren’t) too many tourists.

3. (There is/ There are) lots of things to see and do.

4. (There are/ There aren’t) mountains nearby

Pre-IELTS 2 Adults- Unit 1: Places

5. (There are/ There is) restaurants where you can eat fish.

6. (There is/ There isn’t) a traditional market.

7. (There are/ There is) a castle.

8. (There is/ There isn’t) a beach in the city centre.

9. (There aren’t/ There is) an airport.

10. (There are/ There is) boats to the islands.

Exercise 5. [There is/ There are] Add “is/ are/ a/ an/ some/ any” to complete the sentences.

E.g. There/pencil/ in/ the/ box. 🡪 There is a pencil in the box.

There/ bananas/ in/ the fridge. 🡪 There are some bananas in the fridge.
1. There/ book/ on/ the table. 5. There/ boy/ behind/ that tree.
_______________________________. _______________________________.
2. There/ shoes/ under/ the chair. 6. There/ girls/ in front of/ the house.
_______________________________. _______________________________.
3. There/ not/ TV/ in/ his room. 7. There/ not/ telephone/ in her office.
_______________________________. _______________________________.
4. There/ not/ pens/ on/ my desk. 8. There/ not/ chairs/ downstairs.
_______________________________. _______________________________.

Exercise 6. [Vocabulary – Grammar] Complete the passage with the suitable words from the
box

services friends advantages hurry means

neighbors polluted isolated which environment

The country and the city have (1) _____________ and disadvantages. People in the country live
in more beautiful (2) ____________. They enjoy peace and quiet and can do their work at the
own pace because no one is in a (3) ________________. They live in larger, more comfortable
houses, and their (4) __________________ are more friendly, and ready to help them when
they need it. Their life can be monotonous and they can be (5) _____________, a long way
Pre-IELTS 2 Adults- Unit 1: Places

from the nearest town, (6) _______________ is a serious problem if they are ill or have to take
children to school.

The city has all the (7) _____________ the country lacks, but it also has a lot of disadvantages.
Cities are often ugly and (8) ______________; they not only have bad air but are also noisy.
Everyone is always in a haste and this (9) ______________that people have no time to get to
know each other and make (10)_____________.
Pre-IELTS 3 Adults- Unit 1: Places

Exercise 7. [Reading] Read the email from a tutor to her students

Dear all,
In our class yesterday, someone asked which place in the world has the most languages. Here is
some information. At the end, there is a question for you.
There are probably more than 7,000 languages in the world today. 60% of all the world's languages
are in Asia and Africa. In Europe you can only find 4% of the world's languages.
Some languages are international. For example, almost 300 million people in different countries
can understand Arabic. There are more than one billion speakers of Chinese. That's over 15% of all
the people in the world.
There are under 200 countries in the world. Many countries have more than one language. In India,
for example, there are 23 official languages. This is more than any other country.
There are many cities where you can see different languages. There is only one official language in
places like Beirut or Dubai. However, you can hear lots of other languages, like English, French or
Hindi. In London or New York, you can hear more than 100 different languages every day.
The place with the most languages is Papua New Guinea. This
country has a population of approximately 6.3 million. Here,
there are over 840 languages. Many of these languages have a
very small number of speakers. For example, in 2011, the
number of people who spoke the Abaga language was below
150.
Here is a question for you. Think about a place you know well,
maybe your hometown. How many different languages can you
see or hear every day?
All the best,
Joanna.
Part 1. Reading for main idea: Choose the correct answers for the questions.
1. Which place has the most official B. Arabic
languages? 3. Which place has the most languages?
A. India A. London
B. Dubai B. Papua New Guinea
2. Which language has the most speakers?
A. Chinese
Pre-IELTS 3 Adults- Unit 1: Places

Part 2. Scanning to find information: Find the numbers in the text. Complete sentences 1-10. You
do not need all the numbers.
300 million 2011 300 3 million
23 15 200 two
one 7,000 4 840
60 150 6 100
one billion

1. There are over ………..languages in the world.

2. People in Asia and Africa speak …………. % of the world's languages.

3. People in Europe speak …………… % of the world's languages.

4. There are around …………… people who speak Arabic.

5. More than ………….. % of the world's population can speak Chinese.

6. There are fewer than …………countries in the world.

7. There is …………official language in Dubai.

8. There are around ………… people in Papua New Guinea.

9. There are more than ……………..languages in Papua New Guinea.

10. There are fewer than ……………..people who speak the Abaga language.

Part 3. Reading for detail: Decide if the following statements are True or false

Statements True False

1. The number of Arabic speakers is near, but not exactly, 300 million.

2. Less than 15% of the world's population speaks Chinese.

3. There are more than 200 countries in the world.

4. Exactly 6.3 million people live in Papua New Guinea.

5. There are more than 840 languages in Papua New Guinea.

6. There are more than 150 speakers of Abaga

Pre-IELTS 3 Adults- Unit 1: Places
Pre-IELTS 3 Adults- Unit 1: Places

Exercise 8. [Reading] Read the passage and answer the questions below
A new country, a new life and new challenges
I was a Chinese girl who lived in the countryside. I didn’t know much about foreign countries and I
never thought I would experience living abroad in my life. However, I made a special journey.
Actually, it was my new life: I moved to England. It was unbelievable for me. When I arrived at the
airport it was exciting. I had never seen an airport so elegant and great and my feelings were
complex - I was full of curiosity and my heart was like a rabbit’s. Outside it was raining so I travelled
by car. I was thinking; thinking of my new life.
The next day I got up and I couldn’t wait to go out, even though my English was not good. I looked
at my new surroundings. It was clean, quiet and beautiful. It was very different. Everything,
everywhere, everyone was new for me. I thought I couldn’t live there, and I was scared about that.
As time went on, I gradually learned many things. I remember the British people were especially
kind, and that they would help me to understand and be understood. I felt that I shouldn’t be
afraid because I had a lot of good friends and we could learn from each other. The important thing
was that I could be secure and happy to live in England, and start to feel like it was my sweet
home.
When starting my new life in a different country, I needed to know about the culture there and
how to take care of myself. This was a good chance to get my own independence. I am very happy
and glad that I came here. A new country, a new life and new challenges.
Part 1. Decide if the following statements are true or false:

Statements True False

1. When Xiao lived in China, she never dreamed of living in

another country.

2. When she arrived at the airport, she wanted to learn more

about her new surroundings.

3. When she arrived, the weather was fine.

4. At first, she wanted to stay at home because her English

was not good.

5. She learned many things very quickly.

6. She found British people to be rude and unhelpful.

7. Xiao thought that moving to England would give her a good

Pre-IELTS 3 Adults- Unit 1: Places

opportunity to learn how to take care of herself.

Part 2. Match the words and phrases from the story to similar meanings.

1. to live in a rural area that has a lot of open space with farms, fields, forests, etc.
2. stylish and attractive in appearance
3. situations which are difficult and test your ability to overcome them
4. to live in a foreign country
5. complicated; difficult to understand
6. to have a desire to learn more about something
7. the habits, beliefs and traditions of a society
8. to feel safe and confident about the situation you are in
9. the environment around you; what you can see, smell, feel or hear in a particular place
10. to be able the to look after myself

a. to live in the countryside

b. to live abroad
c. elegant
d. complex
e. to be full of curiosity
f. your surroundings
g. to be secure
h. the culture
i. to get my own independence
k. challenges

Exercise 9. [Reading] Read the passage, and answer the following questions.
The United Nations Headquarters* is in New York City. It was built in 1949. The land for the
building was donated by John D. Rockefeller, and the construction of the building was financed by
the United States government. Although the building is in New York City, the land that it occupies is
considered to be international territory.
Pre-IELTS 3 Adults- Unit 1: Places

Inside the U.N. Headquarters is the United Nations Organization. It was founded in 1945 and it's
made up of 192 member states. This organization is designed to help prevent the outbreak of
conflicts between nations; it also helps provide support for people around the world who are
affected by natural and human-made disasters.

United Nations offices are also located in Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi.

English and French are the two primary languages that are spoken inside the headquarters, but
because almost every country around the world is represented inside the building, it's not hard to
find people who speak other languages.
https://www.learnamericanenglishonline.com/Reading/Green_Level_Reading/1_United_Nations.html

1. When was the United Nations Headquarters built?

It was built in ________.
2. In what year was the United Nations Organization founded?
It was founded in____________.
3. What are the two primary languages spoken inside the building?
Two primary languages spoken inside the building are ____________.
4. How many member states are there in the U.N.?
There are _______ member states.

Exercise 10. [Capital letters and punctuation] Rewrite the following sentences correctly.

1. i met john at the post office

_______________________________________________

2. susan is an old friend of mine

_______________________________________________

3. chinese is difficult to learn

_______________________________________________

4. miss sophia is my teacher

_______________________________________________

5. who was the first woman to win the nobel prize for literature
Pre-IELTS 3 Adults- Unit 1: Places

_______________________________________________

6. he rules his family with a rod of iron

_______________________________________________

7. the flowers were like a carpet of gold

_______________________________________________

8. neither james nor virginia was at home

_______________________________________________

9. the film was neither well-made nor well-acted

_______________________________________________

10. i didn’t sing because pamela was there.

_______________________________________________

Exercise 11. [Capital letters and full stop] Use capital letters and full stops to correct the
paragraph below.

dalat is a city located on lang biang highlands – part of the central highlands region of vietnam.
Because of its history, special architecture, unique climate features and wide range of beautiful
spots, dalat is known as one of the most popular tourist destinations of vietnam. dalat looks like a
cross between vietnam and the french alps. Many of its hotels and houses were built in a french
style during the french colonization. There are many places for tourists interested in architecture to
visit, such as dalat railway station, designed by french architects moncet and reveron, or hang nga
guest house, a.k.a ‘crazy house’ which is also an interesting place to stay.

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Pre-IELTS 3 Adults- Unit 1: Places

WRITING PORTFOLIO 1 [Writing about a place]

1. Choose the place that you would like to know more about. Try to find out more about your
place on the Internet. Make notes in the space below of some positive and negative things about
your place.

Positive thing 1

Positive thing 2

Positive thing 3

Negative thing 1

Negative thing 2

Negative thing 3

2. Choose three positive and three negative things from your notes and write sentences about
them.
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