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IELTS Foundation Unit 7 Exercises

This document provides exercises to practice English grammar and vocabulary related to jobs, work experience, and employment. It includes matching activities, filling in blanks, and identifying pictures related to common jobs. The exercises focus on practicing verbs, prepositions, synonyms, and conversational English related to discussing occupations and work.

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Quoc Tan Huynh
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
4K views22 pages

IELTS Foundation Unit 7 Exercises

This document provides exercises to practice English grammar and vocabulary related to jobs, work experience, and employment. It includes matching activities, filling in blanks, and identifying pictures related to common jobs. The exercises focus on practicing verbs, prepositions, synonyms, and conversational English related to discussing occupations and work.

Uploaded by

Quoc Tan Huynh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

IELTS FOUNDATION 1

UNIT 7

A. Grammar & Vocabulary


Exercise 1: Match the sentence halves.
can finish early on Fridays.
can just do very well in exams.
can’t read maps very well.
can’t understand maths very easily.
could already speak two other languages.
couldn’t even talk to new people easily a few months ago.
couldn’t even write very well.
he play sport well when he was a child, too?
you remember a lot of information?

1 John works a lot of hours, but he doesn’t ________________________________


mind because he

2 Julia learnt Spanish very quickly this year. ________________________________


I think it’s because she

3 I’ve improved a lot. I got top marks for ________________________________


my essay, but just a year ago, I

4 Jim’s results are already impressive and ________________________________


he didn’t even study that much. He

5 In the job interview, it’s important that ________________________________


you don’t forget anything. Can

6 Sandra is very popular and has so many ________________________________


friends. It’s difficult to believe that she

________________________________

UNIT 7 1
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

7 I know it’s simple but I need to use my


calculator because I
________________________________
8 Joseph is really good at football, tennis
and basketball. Could
________________________________
9 Lucy’s late. I think she’s lost. She
Exercise 2: Complete the sentences with the verbs in the box.

failed finishes get learn learn passed


started starting studying take take taught

1 I ___________ my driving test last month. Now, I drive to school every day.
2 My older sister is ___________ law. When she ___________university, she wants to be a family
lawyer.
3 I think that it is difficult for young people to ___________ a good job without experience.
4 My father ___________ me how to cook when I was a child.
5 I didn’t ___________ how to play a musical instrument when I was younger. I would like to
___________ piano lessons, but they are very expensive.
6 Many students ___________ the exam. They will ___________ it again next month.
7 I ___________ my computer course last week. I want to ___________how to design my own
website.
8 My friend is ___________ her new job tomorrow. She feels a bit nervous.

Exercise 3: Match the jobs with the pictures.

UNIT 7 2
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

chef cleaner doctor lifeguard receptionist shop


assistant teacher waiter

1 _________ 2 _________ 3 _________ 4 _________

1 _________ 2 _________ 3 _________ 4 _________

Exercise 4: Complete the job advertisements with the words and phrases in the box.
energy experience friendly hard-working long hours
speak another language sports, art or music weekend

___________________ for popular Italian restaurant. You do not need to have


___________________ of working in a restaurant, but you should be ___________________and
happy to work in a team. You will work ___________________especially at the weekends when we
are very busy.

___________________ for busy city hotel, who can ___________________ (French, German or
Spanish).
You should be ___________________ to guests and give them any information that they need about
tourist attractions, local restaurants and transport in the city.

Summer Camp leaders to teach children ___________________at a mummer camp. You should
have a lot of ___________________ because you will spend all day with the children. You will need
to work weekdays and at the ___________________ but you will have one day off each week.

Exercise 5: Complete the sentences with the preposition in, on or at.

UNIT 7 3
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

at in on

1 My brother is working as a lifeguard __________ the swimming pool.


2 My cousin is studying history __________ a university __________ France.
3 I wouldn’t like to work __________ a restaurant. I think it would be too stressful.
4 I’m not working __________ Monday. It is my day off.
5 My friend will be __________ television tonight talking about her job.
6 I was __________ work yesterday, so I didn’t watch the football match on TV.
7 I usually finish work __________ 5 pm.

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


clothes waiter rooms guests shop assistant chef
receptionist tables meal changing rooms cash desk lift

Restaurant Hotel Shop

_____________ _____________ _____________


_____________ _____________ _____________
_____________ _____________ _____________
_____________ _____________ _____________

Exercise 7: Read the conversation and choose the correct answers.


A:  You can/ You can’t/ Can you play sport?
B:  Yes, I can/ I can’t/ can I play basketball. Are you good at sport?
A:  Not really, I can/ I can’t/ can I play many sports, but I like watching them on TV.
B:  How many languages you can/ you can’t/ can you speak?
A:  Four. I can/ I can’t/ Can I speak English, Russian, Chinese and Thai.

Exercise 8: Complete the sentences with can, can’t, could or couldn’t.


can can’t could couldn’t

1 I’m doing well at school. I got top marks for my English essay. I think it’s because I can write
really well.
2 I got a bad mark in my exams. My problem is that I can’t remember facts.
3 I was so nervous last year in my science exam that I couldn’t remember a thing.

UNIT 7 4
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

4 I studied French at school so I could communicate quite well with people when I visited France last
month.

Exercise 9: Read the email. Correct the use of can/can’t and could/couldn’t.


Dear  Simon,

I’m  interested in the lifeguard job this summer.
I could swim very well. I can’t swim when I  was a child but I learnt when I was  12.
I can’t also remember  lots  of  information like instructions and  what  I need to do to help peopl
e  in  the  swimming pool.
I have some questions about the lifeguards you had last year. They
could  talk to new people easily? I  can’t, so I think I am a good choice for this job.

Thanks,
Pablo

B. Language Builder

Exercise 1. Match the words with the pictures. Use the words in the box.

answer the phone build a wall clean the floor cut hair
make drinks wash dishes

1 _________ 2 _________ 3 _________

UNIT 7 5
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

4 _________ 5 _________ 6 _________


Exercise 2. Complete the table with the opposites. Use the words in the box.

clean easy great high interesting light short

1 dirty
2 low
3 boring
4 long
5 terrible
6 hard
7 heavy

Exercise 3. Match the sentences.

I work long hours. The company was a long way from my home.
The factory was very noisy. The job was boring. The job was well paid.
The pay was very low.

1 I started work at seven and didn’t finish until six. _______________________

2 The machinery was so loud that you couldn’t hear anybody talk. _______________________

3 I only earned £2 an hour. _______________________

4 I got £20 an hour. _______________________

5 I had to do the same things every day. _______________________

6. It took me nearly two hours to get to work every day. _______________________

UNIT 7 6
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

Exercise 4. Complete the sentences with the verbs in the box.

did did learn didn’t earned got left liked


stopped were worked

Jacky: What _________ you do in the summer? Did you get a job?
Mark: Yes, I worked as a waiter for a bit. I _________doing that after a week, though. They pay was so
low. I only _________ £5 an hour and it was quite hard work.
Jacky: And so what did you do after that?
Mark: I _________ a job at a hairdresser’s .
Jacky: Oh no, I can’t believe that!
Mark: What are you thinking? I _________ cut people’s hair!
Jacky: so what did you do, then?
Mark: I _________ as a cleaner. I had to clean the floor! There was always hair everywhere. It was a bit
boring, but people _________ nice.
Jacky: Did you earn much?
Mark: No, just £4 an hour.
Jacky: That’s terrible!
Mark: That’s why I _________ and got another job.
Jacky: Another job? That’s too much!
Mark: I got a job with a builder for the last few weeks of the holiday. The hour were long, but they
money was very good.
Jacky: Was it hard work?
Mark: Yes, I had to carry lots of heavy things around, but I __________ to build walls, so it was OK.
And I liked being outdoors in the fresh air. It was healthy and I’m quite fit now.
Jacky: Yes, I can see.
Exercise 5. Put the words in the correct order to complete the sentences.

1I a restaurant got in a job .

2 Pounds earned I an six hour .

3I very hours worked long .

4 Very nice manager wasn’t the .

UNIT 7 7
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

5 Most was work quite of interesting the .

6 Were some about things there good job the .

7 Well really the job was paid .

Exercise 6. Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

1 I learnt/ went/ worked in an office last year.


2 My made/ was/ went job interesting.
3 He bought/ earned/ worked a lot of money last week.
4 I didn’t like/ didn’t make/ didn’t want working outdoors.
5 She liked/ made/ went drinks for people.
6 There didn’t/ wasn’t/ weren’t many good things about the job.
7 They didn’t/ wasn’t/ weren’t want to work in a shop.
8 She learnt/ made/ wrote emails and answered/ replied/ talked the phone.

Exercise 7. Read the online posts by students. Correct the mistakes by changing
the underlined verbs into the past simple.

Diane
Last summer, I get a job in a shop. I work every day from nine to five. I don’t like it much, but the
money is OK.

George
Last weekend, I help my mum and dad in the family business. I don’t have to work hard and it is a
bit boring, but I earn a lot.

Carlo
Last year, I have a Saturday job as a sales assistant in a clothes shop. I love talking to the customers,
but I don’t like working long hours.

Clare
During the last holidays, I start an office job, I enjoy answering the phone and working with other
people. The office manager doesn’t speak to me, but that isn’t a problem.

C. Reading & Writing


UNIT 7 8
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

Exercise 1. Match the sentence halves.

1 I use ● ● maths when I was at school.

2 I have to write ● ● two new languages this year!

3 My brother wants to learn ● ● a job in a bank.

4 I have to take ● ● to people on my course.

5 My sister has just got ● ● a lot of my time studying.

6 I enjoy talking ● ● a computer to do my home work.

7 I spend ● ● a lot of essays this week.

8 I was good at doing ● ● a test before I start college.

Exercise 2. Read the blog posts by people with different jobs. Choose the correct words to
complete the blog posts.

James, 23. The best part of my job is the children. They say so many busy/ clever/ easy things and
know so much already. I often feel like I can see them learning. It is important to be very boring/
difficult/ kind to do this job and not to get angry. And, of course, you need to be able to talk in a way
that young people can understand. I work very clever/ easy/ hard and I often have to take work home
at the weekends and in the holidays. But it is worth it at the end of the school term, when the children
tell me how much they enjoyed being in my class.

Isabelle, 34. The part of my job that I enjoy the most is meeting new people and finding out about
their health. Speaking to people is very awful/ busy/ important in my job, because I need to be able to
explain things clearly to sick people and their families. This can be a clever/ difficult/ friendly job.
When I first started working in the hospital, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to take care of
everyone, especially when the hospital was very busy/ interesting/ kind, but the other staff were very
helpful, and I really enjoy working there now.

Gary, 28. The best part of my job is that I can spend so much time doing a sport I enjoy and get paid
for it. I also have the chance to travel around the world and it’s great that I can get to meet so many
easy/ favorite/ interesting people. I love talking to fans and taking photographs with them. Of course,
the job is not always fun. It makes me very tired and it can be very difficult, especially on the days
when I don’t play well. I have to play the best I can at all times and that isn’t always easy/ kind/
popular.

Sarah, 19. My favorite part of the job is talking to people and helping them to decide what to buy. I
prefer my job when the shop is busy and there are a lot of people to help. It can be a bit boring/ busy/
interesting when the shop is really quiet. I like making the clothes look nice so that customers will
want to buy them. I also enjoy seeing the new clothes before anyone else and wearing the latest
fashions. Of course, there are some difficult people, but most of them are really nice and awful/

UNIT 7 9
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

favorite/ friendly.

Exercise 3. Read the blog posts in Exercise 2 again and choose the correct answers

James Isabell Gary Sarah


e
1 Who is happiest when busy?
○ ○ ○ ○
2 Who needs to be kind to do the job?
○ ○ ○ ○
3 Who doesn’t always do the job well?
○ ○ ○ ○
4 Who had help from other people when starting the
job? ○ ○ ○ ○
5 Who often does work at home?
○ ○ ○ ○
6 Who often talks to families?
○ ○ ○ ○
7 Who is the person that sees new things?
○ ○ ○ ○
8 Who travel to different countries?
○ ○ ○ ○
Exercise 4. Read about subjects that are taught in schools

Most students learn subjects like English, Maths, Science and Geography at school. However, some
people don’t think that these subjects are so useful for students. They think that these subjects will not
help students to get a job later, after they leave school. So, some schools have started to teach new
subjects to their students, which they think will be more useful to them in the future.

Some schools want their students to study subjects which they think will be more helpful for them to
get a job in the future. One school in the United States has decided to teach their students how to do
different things using computers. Their students are learning how to write computer programs and
how to design mobile phone apps. Their students enjoy these new subjects, and would like to have
more lessons to improve their computer skills.

Other schools want their students to learn more daily life skills. A school in the UK is teaching their
students about what they should eat to stay healthy and how to cook healthy meals. In the past, most
children learnt how to cook at school, but today, many schools have stopped teaching cooking, so that
they can spend more time on subjects like Science and Maths. However, this UK school teaches
cooking as well as other skills such as how to save money.

Finally, learning how to speak and write well is very important for both work and family life. Some
people think that children do not learn these skills properly in school, because they spend so much

UNIT 7 10
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

time studying for tests. Therefore, a school in Singapore has started teaching their students how to
speak and write well, and how to speak in a good way to young people and adults.

Complete the summary with words from the box. Read about subjects that are taught in schools
again to help you.

future job money practice skills subjects work

Some schools are now teaching new things to their students which will be more useful to them in the
_________. Some of the new _________, such as Computer Programming, can help students get a
_________ when they leave school. Others help them to learn important _________ in the home, for
example, how to cook healthy meals and how to save _________. Finally, more _________ in speaking
and writing can also help young people get on well with other people when they leave school, both at
_________ and at home.

Exercise 5. Read the essay about tests in school. Label the paragraphs with the correct phrases
from the box.

Agree with the title Disagree with the title


Introduction of the topic Summary of the main points

These days, children do too many tests at school


_____________________
Every year, many students do tests at school. These tests are important because they show that children
understand their school subjects, but some people think that it is not good for children to take too many
tests. I think there are advantages and disadvantages to talking tests.
_____________________
Some people think that children do too much tests at school. They think that children spend too much
time studying for tests and this makes children bored of the subject. For example, if students spend a lot
of time studying for English tests, this might make them think that learning English is boring. Children
may also feel worried about taking tests. If they fail the test they might think that they are not good at
learning.
_____________________
However, other people think that it is important for children to take a lot of test. They think that tests can
help teachers see if children understand the subjects. They also think that teachers can make tests fun for

UNIT 7 11
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

their students by playing games to help them prepare. These people think that if children have a test they
will pay more attention to their lessons and they will do more work at home and at a school.
_____________________
It is important for children to do tests in school because teachers need to know that their students
understand the subject. Doing tests also helps children to pay attention in class and spend their time
well. However, schools should not give too many tests to their students, because this will make children
feel bored.

Exercise 6. Put the words in the correct order to complete the sentences.

1 Taking to there are advantages and tests disadvantages .

2 Think some people that do many too tests


students .

3 For spend firstly, students a lot of time studying tests


.

4 Worried secondly, taking feel students about may


tests .

5 For won’t other have time activities students


also, .

6 However, think it’s good other people that tests


to take .

7 For work hard students to important it’s .

8 Much give too work shouldn’t schools students .

Exercise 7. Put the sentences in the correct order to complete the paragraph.

UNIT 7 12
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

However, other say that school school does not help many young people to get a job in the future.

Also, they can learn other important life skills, such as how to make friends and get on well with
other people.

They think that children need to learn more pactical skills for work.

Secondly, they can learn usefull skills in school, like how to learn another language and write essays.

Many people think that school is very important for young people.

For example, how to write computer programs or make things with their hands.

Firstly, they can learn about many different subjects from Maths to Music.

Exercise 8. Complete the paragraph. Use the words and phrases from the box. One word or
phrase is used twice.

Firstly For example However I think Many students Secondly

_______________ use computers to help them with their school work. _______________ there are
advantages and disadvantages with using computers at school. _______________, using computers can
be helpful for finding information about different school subjects. _______________, students can find
websites and fames to help them learn a different language. _______________, young people enjoy
using new technology and they often work better when they use computers. _______________, using
computers can also stop young people from studying because there are so many other things they can do.
_______________, they might check their mail, play games or watch videos instead of working.

Exercise 9. Read the sentences from the paragraph. Then match the sentences with the
information.

UNIT 7 13
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

A Many students use computers to help them with their school work.
B I think there are advantages and disadvantages with using computer at school.
C Firstly, using computers can be helpful for finding infromation about different school sunjects.
D For example, students can find websites and games to help them learn a different language.
E Secondly, young people enjoy using new technology and they often work better when they use
computers.
F However, using computers can also stop young people from studying because there are so many other
things they can do.
G For example, they might check their email, play games or watch videos instead of working.

1A ● ● Another advantage

2B ● ● Introduction of the topic

3C ● ● The writer’s opinion

4D ● ● First advantage

5E ● ● A disadvantage

6F ● ● An example of a disadvantage

7G ● ● An example of an advantage
Exercise 10. Write a paragraph on the following topic:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing homework?
Use the notes to help you.
Notes
In your paragraph, remember to include:
1 an introduction to the topic.
2 your opinion.
3 some information that agrees with the topic.
4 some information that disagrees with the topic.
5 examples of advantages and disadvantages.

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

UNIT 7 14
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Exercise 11. Read the paragraph. Choose which ways man is destroying the Earth.
a. Eating too much meat.
b. Having too many holidays.
c. Using too much energy.
d. Driving too much.
e. Working too much.

Today, people are destroying the Earth by using resources too quickly and causing pollution. The
situation needs to change quickly. We need to do three things to stop this situation. First, we need to
reduce the amount of energy people use. Finally, we can help to protect our world.

Exercise 12. Put the functions in the correct order.


1 Why the problem exists
2 Conclusion
3 Three ways to solve the problem

UNIT 7 15
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

4 The problem

Exercise 13. Put the sentences in the correct order.


1 Firstly, we need to produce less meat and more crops. Secondly, we need to eat more local and
seasonal food. Finally, better farming methods are needed.
2 More and more land is becoming poor quality and in danger of becoming a desert.
3 Making these changes will help people to protect the land.
4 This is happening because humans are farming the land too much. To solve this problem we need
to take three steps.

D. Listening & Speaking


Exercise 1. Listen and match the jobs with the speakers.
chef lifeguard receptionist
shop assistant teacher video game designer
Speaker 1. (Track 7.1)________________
Speaker 2. (Track 7.2)________________
Speaker 3. (Track 7.3)________________
Speaker 4. (Track 7.4)________________
Speaker 5. (Track 7.5)________________
Speaker 6. (Track 7.6)________________
Exercise 2. Listen to the conversations and match the people with their skills.
(Tracks 7.7 –> 7.12)

1 Tracks 7.7 ● ● can talk about things that are interesting for tourists

2 Tracks 7.8 ● ● knows a lot about sport

3 Tracks 7.9 ● ● speaks several languages

4 Tracks 7.10 ● ● is friendly and helpful

5 Tracks 7.11 ● ● likes working with children

6 Tracks 7.12 ● ● cooks many types of food


Exercise 3. Listen to John talking about what he could do when he was a boy and what he can do
now. Complete the paragraphs with the words from the box. (Track 7.13)

IT classes languages play races


read run speak won wrote

UNIT 7 16
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

When I was a young child, I wasn’t very good at sports. I couldn’t ___________ football and I couldn’t
swim, but I could ___________ very fast – faster than most of other children of my age. I remember we
had lots of ___________ at school and I always ___________. I learnt to read early and by the age of
six or seven I could read all the books for children in the school library. I also ___________ my own
stories.

I am studying ___________ at university now. My main language is English and I can also
___________ French and Spanish quite well and I can ___________ Italian new online. I still enjoy
writing and I write lots of articles for university magazines. I also work on the magazine, because
students can help others to write better. I am also good at speaking and enjoy giving my opinion in
___________. I always use my laptop to write presentations which have photos, drawings or video and
so I have good ___________ skills as well. I am still interested in running and I take part in lots of
university races.
Exercise 4. Read the text about what John wants to do after university and the skills he needs.
Choose the correct answers. Then listen and check your answers. (Track 7.14)

I’m not exactly sure what I want/ wanted/ will to do when I leave university, but I think I want to
work as a journalist. Maybe I could/ couldn’t/ won’t work for a newspaper or even for radio or
television as a reporter. I think that would be great. I am/ are/ can very interested in lots of sports
now. I love/ loved/ loving going to football and rugby matches and like/ liked/ liking watching tennis
on TV. When we have a quiz night at university, I’m the one who can/ could/ does answer all the
questions about sport. I think my dream job will/ won’t/ would be a TV sports reporter.
I already have some of the skills you need/ needed/ needing for that job, but I think I still need to
learn/ learning/ learnt a lot. How to interview people in a TV studio, for example, and maybe how to
sat/ sit/ sitting in front of a camera.

Exercise 5. Choose the correct prepositions to complete the sentences.


1 My mother usually starts work at/ in/ on nine o’clock.
2 I work at/ in/ on a shop; it’s very hard work.
3 We’re not working at/ in/ on Friday, it’s our day off.
4 My brother is a doctor; he works at/ in/ on a big hospital.
5 When my sister finishes her studies she wants to work at/ in/ on fashion.

UNIT 7 17
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

6 I’m studying at/ in/ on university to be a teacher.

Exercise 6. Match the words to make skills.

1 ride ● ● the internet

2 drive ● ● people

3 run ● ● a car

4 speak ● ● a marathon

5 interview ● ● a bicycle

6 surf ● ● English

Exercise 7. Put the words in the correct order to make sentences. Practice saying the sentences.

1 Young, when I couldn’t was swim I .

2 Read I could years six old when I was .

3 And I can read Italian speak French quite well, I can .

4 On his laptop he can stories write .

5 She can run in 11 seconds 100 meters .

6 University I think a journalist after I want to work as .

7 Would be sports reporter a TV I think my dream job .

8 You need for that job I already of the skills have many .

UNIT 7 18
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

9 I can speak languages different .

10 To interview people need to I think I learn how .

Exercise 8. Listen to two students, Mark and Jacky, talking about the jobs they had during the
summer holidays. Choose the correct answers. (Track 7.15)

1 Jacky worked in a busy

○café. ○office. ○restaurant.


2 She worked for

○a week. ○two weeks. ○three weeks.


3 The manager was very

○nice. ○pleasant. ○loud.


4 Mark worked as a waiter for

○a week. ○two weeks. ○five weeks.


5 At the hairdresser’s, Mark

○cut people’s hair. ○cleaned the floor. ○washed people’s hair.


6 Mark liked working

○indoors. ○outdoors. ○ long hours.


Exercise 9. Listen again to Jacky talking about her job. Match the questions with the answers.
(Track 7.16)

He wasn’t very nice.


No, she got a job in an office.
She wrote emails, answered the phone and made drinks for people.
Yes, it was OK.
Yes, she earned quite a lot of money.

1 Did she work in a restaurant?


________________________________________________________________________

UNIT 7 19
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

2 Did she like her job?


________________________________________________________________________

3 What was the manager like?


________________________________________________________________________

4 Was the job well paid?


________________________________________________________________________

5 What work did she do?


________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 10. Talk about your skills. Use these questions to help you. Spend a few minutes thinking
about what to say.

Questions:
•  What skills did or didn't you have when you were younger?
•  What skills do you have or are you learning now?
•  What job do you want to do in the future?
•  What skills do you need to learn to do the job?

Exercise 11. You are going to talk about a job you had during the holidays or last year. Use the
ideas below to help you.

Ideas
 •   Say what the job was.
 •   Say if you think it was a good job or not.
 •   Say what you liked or didn’t like.
 •   Say what you did.
 •   Say what you earned.

RECORDING SCRIPTS
Exercise 8.

UNIT 7 20
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

Mark: Did you work in a café or in a restaurant again, Jacky?


Jacky: No, I wanted to do something different this summer. I got a job for a couple of weeks in a
busy office.
Mark: Only two weeks?
Jacky: It was three weeks, actually.
Mark: And did you like it?
Jacky: Yes, it was OK, but the problem was I was the only person under 30 working there. There
weren’t any young people, so it wasn’t much fun. The manager wasn’t very nice either. He shouted
all the time. He was so loud and he was never happy.
Mark: Was there anything good about the job?
Jacky: Yes, of course! It wasn’t completely negative. There were some good things about the job. It
was very well paid. I earned quite a lot of money, and most of the work was quite interesting. I wrote
emails and answered the phone, for example. That was OK. Oh, I nearly forgot. I also made drinks
for everybody. If they wanted tea or coffee, I made it and brought it to them. So what did you do in
the summer, Mark? Did you get a job?
Mark: Yes, I worked as a waiter for a bit. I stopped doing that after a week, though. The pay was so
low. I only earned £5 an hour and it was quite hard work.
Jacky: And so what did you do after that?
Mark: I got a job at a hairdresser’s.
Jacky: Oh no, I can’t believe that!
Mark: What are you thinking? I didn’t cut people’s hair!
Jacky: So what did you do, then?
Mark: I worked as a cleaner. I had to clean the floor! There was always hair everywhere. It was a bit
boring, but the people were nice.
Jacky: Did you earn much?
Mark: No, just £4 an hour.
Jacky: That’s terrible!
Mark: Yes. That’s why I left and got another job.
Jacky: Another job? That’s too much!
Mark: I got a job with a builder for the last few weeks of the holiday. The hours were long, but the
money was very good.

UNIT 7 21
IELTS FOUNDATION 1

Jacky: Was it hard work?


Mark: Yes, I had to carry lots of heavy things around, but I did learn to build walls, so it was OK.
And I liked being outdoors in the fresh air. It was healthy and I’m quite fit now.
Jacky: Yes, I can see.

Exercise 9.
Mark: Did you work in a café or in a restaurant again, Jacky?
Jacky: No, I wanted to do something different this summer. I got a job for a couple of weeks in a
busy office.
Mark: Only two weeks?
Jacky: It was three weeks actually.
Mark: And did you like it?
Jacky: Yes, it was OK, but the problem was I was the only person under 30 working there. There
weren’t any young people, so it wasn’t much fun. The manager wasn’t very nice either. He shouted
all the time. He was so loud and he was never happy.
Mark: Was there anything good about the job?
Jacky: Yes, of course! It wasn’t completely negative. There were some good things about the job. It
was very well paid. I earned quite a lot of money, and most of the work was quite interesting. I wrote
emails and answered the phone, for example. That was OK. Oh, I nearly forgot. I also made drinks
for everybody. If they wanted tea or coffee, I made it and brought it to them.

UNIT 7 22

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