IELTS with Fiona: a comprehensive guide to IELTS

This Listening Part 2 about an archaeological dig will help you review maps 🗺️ and vocabulary related to the topic of Civilisation 🏺.
Get the full Listening Course on my website: https://ieltsetc.com/courses

🏮 To celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse, here's an Academic Passage 1 text all about The White Horse of Uffington - an ancient chalk figure cut into a hillside in England.
The text discusses how and when this 'geoglyph' was created, and my podcast walks you through a set of Gapfill Summary and True False Not Given (TFNG) questions.
It includes tips about:
⛳️ red flag clues in TFNG questions, especially comparisons and the use of 'most' (= the vast majority)
how to skip information that you don't need
how 'known as' and 'called' lead you quickly to the answer
At the end, we review vocabulary related to ancient customs and traditional celebrations that you can use in the Speaking Test.
👉 Join the Members Academy for the full lesson and lots more on a variety of IELTS topics. Go to my website for more information: ieltsetc.com.
Useful expressions
🎏 This festival is deeply rooted in history.
📆 This ceremony marks the start of the new year.
🎉 These traditions are passed down through generations.
💃🏽 There is a festive atmosphere in the streets.
👹 It is a communal celebration with music and dancing.
🎎 Many people wear traditional costumes.
🪦 Families pay respect to their ancestors during the festival.
🧧It is a public holiday, so everyone can celebrate.
🎎 Family celebrations give us a strong sense of belonging.
🏮 Traditional festivals are important for our cultural identity.

This Academic Reading Passage 1, which is about the life of a well-known artist, will help you review the huge topic of art and the arts in IELTS.
This topic covers writers (Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo in the Listening Test) and sculptors (Henry Moore in the Reading Test) as well as theatres, art galleries, pottery, photography and music.
In the Speaking Test, you might be asked to describe a favourite painting, or to talk about a time you visited an exhibition or museum.
This reading includes lots of vocabulary that will help you describe a painting with precise language.
Get the full notes, video, tapescript, vocabulary lists, quizzes and model answers on my website and join the Members Academy for my comprehensive guide to IELTS Test Preparation.

Describe a picture or painting you like. You should say: 
what the painting is about 

who painted it 

where you first saw it 
and explain why you like it. 

Some useful expressions
The painting that left a lasting impression on me is… 🖼️
The reason this piece means so much to me is… 💖
The painting depicts… 🖼️
To me, it represents… 🎭
Personally, I find it incredibly… 🌈
The use of colour really stands out… 🎨
It has a timeless quality… ⌛

In this podcast you'll learn tips about guessing True False and Not Given questions, reference words, and how to use conditional sentences in your Writing Task 2.
This text about polar bears explains how they are uniquely adapted to extreme Arctic conditions and possess genetic traits that may help scientists understand health problems in humans.

threatened – at risk of harm or extinction ❄️
adapted – changed to suit particular conditions 🐾
genetic – relating to genes or inherited characteristics 🧪
mutation – a change in a gene 🔬
conservation – the protection of animals and the environment 🌱
extinction – the complete disappearance of a species 🦣
a breakthrough – an important discovery or development 💡

This IELTS Listening Part 4 is about research into microscopic animals called tardigrades or ‘water bears’.
The speaker explains their extreme survival abilities - a topic that we covered in the previous Reading Podcast ('The secret of staying young').
This is an essential topic in IELTS, so don't miss this chance to review the vocabulary related to ageing and longevity.
You'll also pick up lots of tips related to gapfill questions.
Get the full lesson on my website:
https://ieltsetc.com/2026/01/ielts-vocabulary-topic-ageing/
#ielts #ieltslistening
Useful Vocabulary
conservation status 🌍 - the level of protection or risk faced by a species
decade 🗓️ - a period of ten years
endangered ⚠️ - at risk of disappearing completely
extinction ☄️ - the total disappearance of a species
habitat 🌿 - the natural place where an animal or plant lives
invertebrate 🦐 - an animal without a backbone
metabolism ⚙️ - the chemical processes that keep an organism alive
microscopic 🔬 - so small it can only be seen with a microscope
species 🧬 - a group of similar organisms that can reproduce
thriving 🌟 - growing well and surviving successfully