IELTS at ICSA School in Kuwait City

Trains and travel Trains and travel

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it has 3 complete listening skills and Ielts calculator. You can do some writing practice and there are tips for listening.

A: I can't take it anymore. The job is really (136) --------- me.
B: Hey, sounds like you could use a break.
A: Are you kidding? I'm (137) ----------- in paperwork.
B: When was the last time you took some time off?
A: (138) ----------, it's been over a year. I was supposed to take off a few weeks in January, but it just got too busy around here.
B: Then it sounds like a little rest would do you some good.
A: You're right. And anyway, I can always bring my laptop along and (139) --------- my work.
B: Listen, leave the laptop at home! You need to just (140) ------- for a while.

136-
1) getting to
2) counting on
3) sticking with
4) running into

137-
1) in the red
2) out of the blue
3) up to my ears
4) beyond my head

138-
1) If you ask me
2) On second thought
3) Come to think of it
4) You've got me there

139-
1) make up for
2) catch up on
3) put up with
4) come down with

140-
1) take it easy
2) go for it
3) take it for granted
4) keep an eye on it

Zulu Beadwork

The South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, more commonly referred to as the Zulu Kingdom, is named after the Zulu people who have inhabited the area since the late 1400s. KwaZulu translates to mean "Place of Heaven." "Natal" was the name the Portuguese explorers gave this region when they arrived in 1497. At that time, only a few Zulu clans occupied the area. By the late 1700s, the AmaZulu clan, meaning "People of Heaven," constituted a significant nation. Today the Zulu clan represents the largest ethnic group in South Africa, with at least 11 million people in the kingdom. The Zulu people are known around the world for their elaborate glass beadwork, which they wear not only in their traditional costumes but as part of their everyday apparel. It is possible to learn much about the culture of the Zulu clan through their beadwork.

The glass bead trade in the province of KwaZulu-Natal is believed to be a fairly recent industry. In 1824, an Englishman named Henry Francis Fynn brought glass beads to the region to sell to the African people. Though the British are not considered the first to introduce glass beads, they were a main source through which the Zulu people could access the merchandise they needed. Glass beads had already been manufactured by the Egyptians centuries earlier around the same time when glass was discovered. Some research points to the idea that Egyptians tried to fool South Africans with glass by passing it off as jewels similar in value to gold or ivory. Phoenician mariners brought cargoes of these beads to Africa along with other wares. Before the Europeans arrived, many Arab traders brought glass beads down to the southern countries via camelback. During colonization', the Europeans facilitated and monopolized the glass bead market, and the Zulu nation became even more closely tied to this art form.

The Zulu people were not fooled into believing that glass beads were precious stones but, rather, used the beads to establish certain codes and rituals in their society. In the African tradition, kings were known to wear beaded regalia so heavy that they required the help of attendants to get out of their thrones. Zulu beadwork is involved in every realm of society, from religion and politics to family and marriage. Among the Zulu women, the craft of beadwork is used as an educational tool as well as a source of recreation and fashion. Personal adornment items include jewelry, skirts, neckbands, and aprons. Besides clothing and accessories, there are many other beaded objects in the Zulu culture, such as bead-covered gourds, which are carried around by women who are having fertility problems. Most importantly, however, Zulu beadwork is a source of communication. In the Zulu tradition, beads are a part of the language with certain words and symbols that can be easily read. A finished product is considered by many artists and collectors to be extremely poetic.

The code behind Zulu beadwork is relatively basic and extremely resistant to change. A simple triangle is the geometric shape used in almost all beaded items. A triangle with the apex pointing downward signifies an unmarried man, while one with the tip pointing upward is worn by an unmarried woman. Married women wear items with two triangles that form a diamond shape, and married men signify their marital status with two triangles that form an hourglass shape. Colors are also significant, though slightly more complicated since each color can have a negative and a positive meaning. Educated by their older sisters, young Zulu girls quickly learn how to send the appropriate messages to a courting male. Similarly, males learn how to interpret the messages and how to wear certain beads that express their interest in marriage.

The codes of the beads are so strong that cultural analysts fear that the beadwork tradition could prevent the Zulu people from progressing technologically and economically. Socioeconomic data shows that the more a culture resists change the more risk there is in a value system falling apart. Though traditional beadwork still holds a serious place in Zulu culture, the decorative art form is often modified for tourists, with popular items such as the beaded fertility doll.

Questions 1-3: Matching

Match each definition with the term it defines.

Write the correct letter A - E in boxes 1 - 3 on your answer sheet. There are more terms than definitions, so you will not use them all.

A Phoenician B Natal C AmaZulu
D Explorer E KwaZulu
1) It means Place of Heaven.

2) It is the Portuguese name for southern Africa.

3) It means People of Heaven.

situated: a. having a site, situation, or location; being in a relative position; permanently fixed; placed; located
size up: v. look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
skeptical: a. marked by or given to doubt; questioning
skit: n. short, usually comic dramatic performance or work
skivvy: n. close-fitting, long-sleeved t-shirt with a rolled collar
slab: n. block consisting of a thick piece of something
slag: n. residue by smelting metal ore; dross; waste material from a coal mine; scum that forms on the surface of molten metal
slay: v. destroy; put an end to; quench; kill violently
slender: a. having little width in proportion to height or length; long and thin
slip away: v. leave a place, or a meeting, without being noticed; pass quickly, almost unnoticed; disappear or die
sluggish: a. lazy; with little movement; very slow
slum: n. a district of a city marked by poverty and inferior living conditions
slump: v. fall or sink heavily; collapse; decline suddenly; fall off
snap: v. make a brisk sharp cracking sound; break suddenly with a brisk, sharp, cracking sound
soar: v. fly aloft, as a bird; mount upward on wings; rise in thought, spirits, or imagination
sole: n. underside of the foot; underside of a shoe or boot, often excluding the heel; bottom surface of a plow
solidarity: n. union of interests, purposes, or sympathies among members of a group; accord
solidify: v. make solid, compact, or hard; make strong or united
solitude: n. state or quality of being alone or remote from others
soluble: a. able to be dissolved; able to be explained
solvent: a. able to pay all debts; capable of meeting financial obligations
soot: n. fine black particles, chiefly composed of carbon, produced by incomplete combustion of coal, oil, wood, or other fuels
soundtrack: n. narrow strip at one side of a movie film that carries the sound recording; music that accompanies a movie
sovereign: a. having supreme rank or power; self governing; excellent; independent
spacious: a. wide; generous or large in area or extent; sizable
spark: v. activate, set in motion
sparse: a. occurring, growing, or settled at widely spaced intervals; not thick or dense
spatial: a. relating to space; existing in or connected with space
speciality: n. a particular or peculiar case; a distinguishing mark or feature
specification: n. instruction; description; act of specifying, or making a detailed statement

segregate: v. isolate; separate; divide from the main body
seismic: a. caused by earthquake or earth vibration; earthshaking
seize: v. grasp suddenly and forcibly; take or grab; possess oneself of something
semblance: a. seeming; outward or token appearance; show; figure; form
seminar: n. meeting for an exchange of ideas; conference
sentiment: n. emotion or feeling; thought or view based mainly on emotions rather than reason
serviceman: n. man who is a member of the armed forces
severe: a. unsparing, harsh, or strict, as in treatment of others; causing great discomfort, damage, or distress
severely: ad. causing great damage or hardship; with sternness
shackle: n. a metal fastening, usually one of a pair, for encircling and confining the ankle or wrist of a prisoner or captive; a fetter or manacle
shamble: v. walk in an awkward, lazy, or unsteady manner, shuffling the feet
shanty: n. jaunty; showy
shatter: v. cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow
shear: v. cut or clip hair; strip of something; remove by cutting or clipping
shimmer: v. shine with a weak or fitful light; glimmer intermittently
shoal: n. shallow place in a body of water; sandy elevation of the bottom of a body of water, sandbank or sandbar
shrewd: a. disposed to artful and cunning practices; tricky; showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters
shroud: n. cloth used to wrap a body for burial; winding sheet; something that conceals, protects, or screens
shrub: n. bush
shrug: v. draw up or contract the shoulders, especially by way of expressing dislike, dread, doubt, or the like
shutter: n. a hinged blind for a window
sicken: v. make sick; disease; impair; weaken; become sick; fall into disease
sideline: v. place on the sidelines; to bench or to keep someone out of play
sieve: n. device to separate larger objects from smaller objects, or to separate solid objects from a liquid; utensil for separating; coarse basket
sightseeing: n. act or pastime of visiting sights of interest
signify: v. denote; mean; indicate
simplify: v. make simple; make less complex; make clear by giving the explanation for
simulate: v. make a pretence of; reproduce someone's behavior or looks
simultaneous: a. existing, happening, or done at the same time
singular: a. unique; extraordinary; being only one

roll out: v. straighten by unrolling; put into use or action
rotate: v. plant or grow in a fixed cyclic order of succession; swirl; revolve; turn on or around an axis or a center
rouse: v. become active; excite, as to anger or action; stir up; awaken
royalty: n. person of royal rank or lineage; share paid to a writer or composer out of the proceeds resulting from the sale or performance of his or her work
rub: n. application of friction and pressure; act or remark that annoys or hurts another; difficulty or obstacle
ruffle: v. make into a ruff; wrinkle; disturb surface of; make uneven by agitation or commotion; throw into disorder or confusion
ruinous: a. causing, or tending to cause ruin; destructive; baneful; pernicious
rupture: n. act of making a sudden noisy break
rural: a. country; relating to rural areas
safeguard: n. one who, or that which, defends or protects; defense; protection
salvage: v. save from loss or destruction; save discarded or damaged material for further use
sanction: v. give authorization or approval to something; penalize a state, especially for violating international law
saturate: v. soak, fill, or load to capacity; cause to unite with the greatest possible amount of another substance
scant: a. scarcely sufficient; less than is wanted for the purpose; not enough
scapegoat: n. someone who bears the blame for others
scarcely: ad. hardly; barely; only just
scene: n. something seen by a viewer; a view or prospect
scold: v. find fault or rail with rude clamor; utter harsh, rude, boisterous rebuke
scorch: v. burn superficially; parch, or shrivel, the surface of, by heat; affect painfully with heat; burn
scorn: n. extreme and lofty contempt; haughty disregard; expression of mockery, derision, contempt, or disdain
scrupulous: a. exactly and carefully conducted; by extreme care and great effort; cautious
scrutiny: n. close investigation or examination
seam: n. line of junction formed by sewing together two pieces; line across a surface, as a crack; scar
seclude: v. isolate; separate; keep away from others
secrecy: n. state of being secret or concealed
sectional: a. consisting of or divided into sections; separating into sections
secular: a. worldly rather than spiritual; not specifically relating to religion; lasting from century to century
security: n. a stock certificate or bond, a document indicating ownership or creditor-ship; safety
sediment: n. deposit; matter deposited by some natural process
seep: v. pass gradually or leak through, as if through small openings