IELTS test in Poland – April 2012 (General Training)

The IELTS exam topics youre about to read were shared by our kind friend K from Poland (thank you!)

Listening test

Section 1. A lady was calling a gym to ask about membership options.

Section 2. A discussion about studying tourism.

Section 3. Dont remember.

Section 4. A story about swimming pools and swimming techniques.

Reading test

Passage 1. Kindergarten offers.

Passage 2. Doctors appointment.

Passage 3. Dont remember.

Passage 4. About the movie industry.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You have attended a course in college. The teacher was very helpful, however you are not satisfied with the college facilities. Write a letter to explain about the problems you have faced and provide suggestions for improvement.

Writing Task 2 (an essay)

Some people think that spending a lot on holding wedding parties, birthday parties and other celebrations is just a waste of money. Others, however, think that these are necessary for individuals and the society. Discuss both views and give you opinion.

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name? – Tell me about your home. – What would your dream home look like? – Do you like having guests? – What do you prefer: being a host or a guest? – Do you like walking? – Where are you walking? – Will you continue walking in the future?

Cue Card

Talk about a letter you received recently. Please say

- Who was it from? – What did it say? – How did you feel about it?

Discussion

What are the advantages and disadvantages of emails and letters?

Meet Your Elected ALSC Officers/Award Committees

Starr LaTronica was recently elected ALSC President for 2013-2014

Starr LaTronica, youth services/outreach manager, Four County Library System, Vestal, N.Y., has been elected vice president/president-elect of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

I am honored and delighted to work with the dynamic and dedicated membership and staff of ALSC. Their collective talent, passion and commitment to the profession and the public provide the strength of this organization, LaTronica said. I look forward to carrying on the work of ALSC in supporting and inspiring its members as they meet the challenges and opportunities in ‘creating a better future for children through libraries.

LaTronica received her MLS in 1980 from University of California, Berkeley, and has been an ALSC member for 26 years. She currently serves on the ALSC Advocacy and Legislation Committee and has served on numerous other committees, including Intellectual Freedom, Newbery, School-Age Programs and Services and Membership. She also was priority group consultant for child advocacy, 2008-2010, and served on the ALSC Board of Directors, 2005-2008.

Outside of ALA, LaTronica has been an active member of the New York Library Association (NYLA), serving as president of the Youth Services Section in 2001-2002. She received NYLA’s Dewey Fellowship Award in 2011. Among her accomplishments, LaTronica has collaborated with agencies and organizations on numerous initiatives such as the annual Kids’ Bookfest and the Story Garden at The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier in Binghamton, N.Y.

Three members were elected to serve on the ALSC Board of Directors: Rita Auerbach, N. Y.; Jamie Campbell Naidoo, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; and Michael Santangelo, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Public Library. In addition, Megan Schliesman, Cooperative Childrens Book Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, was elected to a one-year term to fill a Board vacancy. Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, was elected as division councilor.

The newly elected vice president, board members and councilor will be seated to the ALSC Board of Directors in June 2012, at the close of the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif.

Individuals elected to serve on the 2014 Newbery, Caldecott, Sibert and Wilder Committees are:

2014 Newbery: John Schumacher, Brook Forest Elementary School, Oak Brook, Ill.; Marilyn Ackerman, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Public Library; Amy Sears, Teaneck (N.J.) Public Library; Debra McLeod, Lenexa, Kan.; Kathy Jarombek, Perrot Memorial Library, Old Greenwich, Conn.; Meg E. Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Hope Mills, N.C.; Laura Jenkins, Chicago Public Library; and Andrea Erickson, Prince Georges County Memorial Library System, Laurel, Md.

2014 Caldecott: Judy Freeman, Highland Park, N.J.; Carla Kozak, San Francisco Public Library; Travis Jonker, Wayland Union Schools, Dorr, Mich.; Dennis Leloup, Avon (Ind.) Intermediate School East; Leslie Molnar, North Royalton, Ohio; Natasha Forrester, Multnomah County Library, Portland, Ore.; Deborah Burns, Chicago Public Library; and Kathy Short, University of Arizona, Tucson.

2014 Sibert: Barbara Genco, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Tish Wilson, Dayton (Ohio) Metro Library; Victor Schill, Fairbanks Branch Library, Houston; Sally Miculek, Austin (Texas) Public Library; and Allison Kaplan, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

2015 Wilder: Kathleen T. Horning, Cooperative Childrens Book Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Jane Marino, Great Neck (N.Y.) Library; and Ellen Ruffin, McCain Library and Archives, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg.

Mary Fellows, current ALSC president, has appointed the following award committee chairs: Elizabeth Orsburn, Free Library of Philadelphia, 2014 Newbery Award Committee chair; Marion Rutsch, Chevy Chase, Md., 2014 Caldecott Award Committee chair; Cecilia McGowan, King County Library System, Issaquah, Wash., 2014 Sibert Award Committee chair; and Karen Nelson Hoyle, St. Paul, Minn., 2015 Wilder Award Committee chair. Carolyn Brodie, current ALSC vice president/president-elect, will appoint the remaining members of these four committees, as well as members of ALSC’s other prestigious award committees this fall.

Want to know more about Starr LaTronica? You can read about ALSC President-elect in the March 12, 2012 interview with Blog Manager Mary Voors.

Autism in Your Library

Many of us working in public libraries dont have a background in special education.  So, it can be challenging for us to know how best to approach and communicate with a child who has autism.  Thats where a partnership with your local school district can be extremely valuable.  Special education teachers in our district have been a huge resource for me in this area.  They have shared reading materials with me. Theyve given me tips.  They even had me into their schools to observe where I could see children with special needs and their teachers interact together in a classroom setting.  Adapted from a handout created by The Joint Library and just in time for Autism Awareness Month beginning April 1st, here are some customer service tips Ive picked up along the way for interacting with a child with autism.

Speaking to a child with autism

• Address the child first, rather than considering the caregiver an intermediary
• Make eye contact, but know that the child may not make eye contact back with you
• Speak directly, slowly, and at a normal tone of voice
• Avoid broad open-ended questions, worrdy instructions, or figurative language
• Give choices when asking a question; ex. Would you like to read a book, play on the computer, or find a CD?
• Be patient and give time for language and information to be processed
• Provide a non-verbal way to communicate (pen and paper, picture communication board, or sign language interpreter)

Addressing behaviors

• Rocking, quiet humming, fidgeting, pacing, wiggling are behaviors that are not intrusive to other patrons and usually can be ignored
• Destructive activities, violent tantrums, loud or inappropriate interactions with other patrons are behaviors that should not be ignored
• Redirect attention away from the situation; ex. a quiet study room can help a child calm down if he is having a hard time
• Offer reassurance to other patrons who may be near the situation; ex. Johnny is upset and is having a difficult day today.  All of us have hard days sometimes.

Relationship building tips

• Be empathetic and offer assistance to the caregiver
• Avoid standing too close or touching the individual they may have sensitivity to sensory input, like touch
• Give positive reinforcement; ex. I like how you are putting away the books, Johnny.  Good job!
• Find out what the child likes and see if there is a way to use this to help him enjoy his visits to the library; ex. finding books on a particular subject or helping pass out materials during a program
• Remember that a person with autism is just another person in your library help them find what theyre looking for as you would anybody else

 

Did you know that autism now affects on average 1 in every 88 children?  April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day.  Celebrate this global initiative and Light It Up Blue to help bring awareness to autism.  Check out this video to see how the world is coming together to #lightitupblue.  What are you doing at your library to recognize Autism Awareness Month?

Ankush Abat (Band 8) shares practical IELTS tips

Ankush Abat is a 33 year old IELTS test taker, whose first language is Hindi. When Ankush won our monthly IELTS results competition, we asked if he had any advice for the other candidates. Here is what he said:

I am a working professional. I am sure that most people such as myself are generally out of touch with their English skills (in IELTS perspective) for a long time before they decide to appear for IELTS.

Therefore, I was not getting good scores when I initially started my preparation. Also, for various reasons I had to get a high score in IELTS in less than two months which added to the pressure.

So here is my advice to aspirants and also what I did when I prepared for the exam:

Speaking and Writing Try to speak in English as much as you can. Sometimes in non English speaking countries it is not always possible to find people all the time who can speak in English with you.

So, do NOT just speak. Force yourself to start thinking in English as well. For instance, If I am traveling and I see an accident on a street, I would try to think in English about it in my subconscience instead of thinking in my native language. This will do good to both writing and speaking tests scores as you may get confidence in expressing yourself.

Listening Listen to English music or watch English channels on TV. It will also be good to watch debates in English over a particular topic which are usually shown on News channels.

Reading Read good English newspaper editorials and magazines (The Economist / Harvard Business Review, etc) for at least an hour daily. While reading, do NOT just read. Read critically and try to appreciate how the writer has come up with ideas so brilliantly in a short article. Read as if you can make use of the same words or ideas in your own essays.

The most important thing is that after each test, give yourself ample time to analyze why you got an answer wrong. For example, in writing, it will be good to get your essay/letter evaluated and get feedback by an English teacher or a friend or anyone who you think is good in English. Then try to rephrase and analyze what would be a better way to write the same sentence or an idea. Then, re-write the essay using better words and presenting the same idea in a concise manner.

In Reading, re-read the paragraph and see why you made a mistake when an answer was actually right in front of you in a paragraph. Also, be very sure of FALSE and NOT GIVEN questions. If you are getting confused in those then, take some time looking at the correct answer and paragraph again and try hard to figure out the rules of when an answer will be FALSE and when NOT GIVEN.

Although regular test practice matters a lot, I feel that the most important thing is to evaluate and re-evaluate each test you give and force yourself in NOT repeat the same errors again.

Retail Intelligence Company eyeQ Wins Texas Venture Labs Investment Competition

As Big Data continues to make headlines in the business world, perhaps it’s no surprise that a duo hoping to capitalize on the trend took home top honors at the 2012 Texas Venture Labs Investment Competition (VLIC) finals Feb. 15.

Jayakumar and Garel celebrate their win. Photo by Thao Nguyen.Class of 2012 Texas Executive MBA students Harish Jayakumar and Michael Garel‘s business plan for their company, eyeQ, beat out 15 other teams. The win earns them a spot in the Global VLIC, held May 2-5 on the UT campus.

“eyeQ provides retailers the ability to monitor consumer purchasing behavior, generate retail business intelligence, and influence consumer purchasing at the shelf,” explains the team’s bio. “Our solution utilizes algorithms based on video analytics to create consumer data for the retailer and provide the customer with a content rich buying experience.”   

VLIC simulates the process of raising venture capital. Judges function as an investment group seeking to reach consensus on the business venture they would most likely fund. The judges base their decision on the quality of the idea, the strength of the management team, and the clarity and persuasiveness of the written plan and oral presentation.

Judges for the finals were Texas VLIC alumni who have gone on to pursue their ventures after graduation: Jeff Harbach, Central Texas Angel Network; Hassan Johnson, ThaTrunk; Sangram Kadam, Ordoro; Aaron Lyons, Urban Dish; Jay Manickam, uShip; Brett Newswanger, Xeris Pharmaceuticals; and Robert Reeves, Austin Technology Incubator.

 

IELTS test in the UAE – February 2012 (General Training)

Our kind friend H has shared the following topics and questions from his recent IELTS exam:

Listening test

Section 1. Related to tourism, about a group of people traveling to a city.

Section 2. A conversation between an insurance agent and a lady who wanted home and contents insurance.

Section 3 and 4. Dont remember.

Reading test

Passage 1. The invention of ancient clock and its improvements over time.

Passage 2 4. Dont remember.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You have bought clothes from a shop in a different city, and one garment turned out to be defective. Write a letter to the manager of the store and explain

- What did you buy there? – What defect did you find? – How would you like to solve this issue?

Writing Task 2 (an essay)

Due to the new technologies and the internet, radio is going to disappear in a few years. Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Give you own opinion.

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name please? – Where are you from? – Do you live in a city or a village? – Can you describe the city for me? – How does it accommodate new people? – Is there an etiquette to follow when visiting public places?

Cue Card

Describe a public place of your choice. Please say

- What is this pace? – Where is it situated? – Why would you recommend others to visit it?

Discussion

- What do you do on the weekends? – Where do you think young people spend most of their time with family or friends?