Ielts Diagnostic Test

IELTS DIAGNOSTIC TEST
Grammar and Vocabulary Section

Grammar
1. Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentence:
o She ______ (go) to the market every Saturday.
2. Rewrite the following sentence in the past perfect tense:

o They finish their homework before going out.
3. Combine the following sentences using a relative clause:

o The book is on the table. The book is mine.
Vocabulary
1. Match the words to their definitions:
o Prolific: (a) Producing much fruit or foliage, (b) Producing many
works
o Ambiguous: (a) Clear and easy to understand, (b) Open to more
than one interpretation
2. Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
o The scientist provided a ______ (comprehensive/incomplete) analysis
of the data.
3. Use the following words in sentences:
o Unforeseen, disadvantage, upward trend
Reading
You should spend about 10 minutes on Questions which are based on

Reading Passage 1 below.
The megafires of California
Drought, housing expansion, and oversupply of tinder make for bigger, hotter
fires in the western United States
Wildfires are becoming an increasing menace in the western United States, with
Southern California being the hardest hit area. There’s a reason fire squads
battling more frequent blazes in Southern California are having such difficulty
containing the flames, despite better preparedness than ever and decades of
pg. 1
experience fighting fires fanned by the ‘Santa Ana Winds’. The wildfires
themselves, experts say, are generally hotter, faster, and spread more erratically
than in the past.
Megafires, also called ‘siege fires’, are the increasingly frequent blazes that burn
500,000 acres or more – 10 times the size of the average forest fire of 20 years
ago. Some recent wildfires are among the biggest ever in California in terms of
acreage burned, according to state figures and news reports.
One explanation for the trend to more superhot fires is that the region, which
usually has dry summers, has had significantly below normal precipitation in
many recent years. Another reason, experts say, is related to the century- long
policy of the US Forest Service to stop wildfires as quickly as possible.
The unintentional consequence has been to halt the natural eradication of
underbrush, now the primary fuel for megafires.
Three other factors contribute to the trend, they add. First is climate change,
marked by a 1-degree Fahrenheit rise in average yearly temperature across the
western states. Second is fire seasons that on average are 78 days longer than
they were 20 years ago. Third is increased construction of homes in wooded
areas.
‘We are increasingly building our homes in fire-prone ecosystems,’ says Dominik
Kulakowski, adjunct professor of biology at Clark University Graduate School of
Geography in Worcester, Massachusetts. ‘Doing that in many of the forests of the
western US is like building homes on the side of an active volcano.’
In California, where population growth has averaged more than 600,000 a year
for at least a decade, more residential housing is being built. ‘What once was
open space is now residential homes providing fuel to make fires burn with
greater intensity,’ says Terry McHale of the California Department of Forestry
firefighters’ union. ‘With so much dryness, so many communities to catch fire, so
many fronts to fight, it becomes an almost incredible job.’
That said, many experts give California high marks for making progress on
preparedness in recent years, after some of the largest fires in state history
scorched thousands of acres, burned thousands of homes, and killed numerous
people. Stung in the past by criticism of bungling that allowed fires to spread
when they might have been contained, personnel are meeting the peculiar
challenges of neighborhood – and canyon- hopping fires better than previously,
observers say.
State promises to provide more up-to-date engines, planes, and helicopters to
fight fires have been fulfilled. Firefighters’ unions that in the past complained of
dilapidated equipment, old fire engines, and insufficient blueprints for fire safety
are now praising the state’s commitment, noting that funding for firefighting has
increased, despite huge cuts in many other programs. ‘We are pleased that the
current state administration has been very proactive in its support of us, and
[has] come through with budgetary support of the infrastructure needs we have
long sought,’ says Mr. McHale of the firefighters’ union.
Besides providing money to upgrade the fire engines that must traverse the
mammoth state and wind along serpentine canyon roads, the state has invested
pg. 2
in better command-and-control facilities as well as in the strategies to run them.
‘In the fire sieges of earlier years, we found that other jurisdictions and states
were willing to offer mutual-aid help, but we were not able to communicate
adequately with them,’ says Kim Zagaris, chief of the state’s Office of Emergency
Services Fire and Rescue Branch.
After a commission examined and revamped communications procedures, the
statewide response ‘has become far more professional and responsive,’ he says.
There is a sense among both government officials and residents that the speed,
dedication, and coordination of firefighters from several states and jurisdictions
are resulting in greater efficiency than in past ‘siege fire’ situations.
In recent years, the Southern California region has improved building codes,
evacuation procedures, and procurement of new technology. ‘I am extraordinarily
impressed by the improvements we have witnessed,’ says Randy Jacobs, a
Southern California- based lawyer who has had to evacuate both his home and
business to escape wildfires. ‘Notwithstanding all the damage that will continue
to be caused by wildfires, we will no longer suffer the loss of life endured in the
past because of the fire prevention and firefighting measures that have been put
in place,’ he says.
Questions 7-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in
Reading Passage?
In boxes 7-13 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
7 The amount of open space in California has diminished over the last
ten years.
8 Many experts believe California has made little progress in readying
itself to fight fires.
9 Personnel in the past have been criticised for mishandling fire
containment.
10 California has replaced a range of firefighting tools.
11 More firefighters have been hired to improve fire-fighting capacity.
12 Citizens and government groups disapprove of the efforts of
different states and agencies working together.
13 Randy Jacobs believes that loss of life from fires will continue at the
same levels, despite changes made.
pg. 3
Task 2: Essay Writing Write an essay on the following topic: "Some people
believe that advancements in technology have improved our lives, while others
think that technology has increased stress and reduced the quality of life.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion." (Write only 100 words, spend just
15-20 minutes)
Speaking Section
Part 1: Introduction and Interview Answer the following questions:
1. What is your name?
2. Where are you from?
3. What do you do, study or work?
Part 2: Long Turn Describe a book you recently read. You should say:
 What the book is about
 Why you chose to read it
 What you learned from it
 How it influenced you
Listening
Mock test – Only Q3
TOTAL TIME ALLOCATED -1 hour
pg. 4

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IELTS DIAGNOSTIC TEST

Grammar and Vocabulary Section

2. Rewrite the following sentence in the past perfect tense:

3. Combine the following sentences using a relative clause:

You should spend about 10 minutes on Questions which are based on

TOTAL TIME ALLOCATED -1 hour

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