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Find all my tips on my website ieltsetc.com and join the Members Academy for all the downloads, step-by-step online courses, and support to get you a Band 7+ in the #ielts test.
Copyright: © Fiona Wattam
This lesson focuses on the topic of Happiness as it appears in the IELTS test.
We'll go through vocabulary related to the topic, and I walk you through a difficult Academic Passage 3 text about the science of happiness.
Keywords
mental health – a person’s emotional and psychological wellbeing.
well-being – the state of being healthy, happy, and comfortable.
wealth – a large amount of money or valuable possessions.
the rat race – a busy and stressful way of life where people compete for success, money, or status.
basic survival needs – the essential things people need to live, such as food, water, shelter, and healthcare.
possessions – , the things that a person owns.
optimistic – expecting good things to happen in the future.
pessimistic – expecting bad things to happen or focusing on negative outcomes.
materialistic – believing that owning money and possessions is very important.
to suffer from depression – to experience a serious mental health condition that causes persistent sadness and loss of interest.
to have a positive mindset – to think in a hopeful and confident way, even when facing difficulties.
What is this text about?
This book review is about a book called The Happiness Industry by William Davies.
The book says that many governments, businesses, and psychologists believe that their goal should be to make people happier.
These ideas came from a philosopher called Jeremy Bentham, who said that happiness means having pleasure and avoiding pain. He also believed that happiness could be measured.
Today, some governments and companies try to measure happiness and change people's behaviour. They use psychology, advertising, and research to encourage people to act in certain ways.
William Davies thinks this is a problem. He argues that treating happiness like a science can be a way to control people. He believes governments should be careful because trying to make people happy can reduce people's freedom.
Get the full set of notes with Speaking and Writing models plus Listening and Reading videos in the Resource Library on my website, and in the Members Academy Vocabulary and Reading Courses.
In this podcast, you'll learn key words and concepts that will help you understand and discuss the topic of nature and nurture.
🧬 nature = the traits we are born with (genetics)
🏠 nurture = the experiences we go through in life (environment)
The lesson is based around a reading text called 'The Unselfish Gene'.
Find the full lesson notes with audio, video and model answers for Speaking and Writing on my website https://ieltsetc.com.
In this episode, we explore the topic of language(s) in IELTS.
From bilingualism and language learning to language loss and global communication, you’ll learn the key vocabulary and ideas you need for Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking.
Perfect for boosting both your confidence and your band score.
This podcast focuses on a reading about Silbo Gomero, a whistling language in the Canary Islands.
⛳️ Learn 3 common keywords in True, False, Not Given questions.
Get the full lesson in the Bronze Members Academy.
https://ieltsetc.com/2026/04/ielts-vocab-topic-languages-learning/
In this episode, we use the story of the Céide Fields (an archaeological site in Ireland) to help you improve the skills you need for IELTS Listening.
You’ll practise following a real lecture-style talk, identifying key information, making educated guesses, and dealing with common challenges such as recognising paraphrasing, understanding fast speech, and listening for common gap fill answers and spelling patterns for uncountable nouns and plurals.
We also focus on useful topic vocabulary for IELTS, especially words related to archaeology and farming, and show you how these ideas can appear in different sections of the test.
By the end of the episode, you’ll feel more confident handling Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test while building the vocabulary and strategies you need for a higher band score.
bog 🌧️🌿
a very wet area of land where the ground is soft and full of water, often with thick layers of peat that can preserve plants and objects for a long time.
excavation 🏺digging in the ground to find old objects or structures
Neolithic 🪨relating to the late Stone Age, when people first farmed and lived in settlements
settlement 🏠a place where people live, often long-term
grazing 🐄 animals eating grass in a field
paddocks 🚜small fields where animals are kept
soil fertility 🌱 how good the soil is for growing plants
crop rotation 🌾🔁 growing different crops in the same field over time
livestock 🐑 farm animals such as cows and sheep
settlement farming 🏡🌾 farming done by people living permanently in one place
food storage 🫙keeping food to use later
🧑🎨 In this podcast you'll learn ideas and vocabulary related to the theme of GENDER, specifically the forgotten role of women in medieval art.
GET THE FULL LESSON ON MY WEBSITE:
https://ieltsetc.com/ielts-tips-and-tricks/
Text Summary
A recent archaeological discovery shows that women may have played a more important role in medieval art than people once thought. Scientists found tiny bits of lapis lazuli in the teeth of a medieval woman buried in Germany. This suggests she may have been an artist who painted manuscripts. The discovery shows that studying dental tartar can reveal surprising information about people’s work and daily lives in the past.
Key vocab
plaque /plak/ is a colorless film of bacteria, food particles, and saliva that constantly forms on teeth.
tartar /tɑːtə/ is plaque that has hardened, usually yellow or brown, and requires professional dental cleaning to remove
Gender comes up in all parts of the IELTS test - here are some of the podcasts I've already made:
📚 Reading - Marie Curie, Georgia O'Keeffe, and The History of Women's Football
🎧 Listening - Women's attitudes to finance
🗣️ Speaking Part 3 - Gender stereotypes and inequality
✍️ Writing - Men and Women in Bar Charts
USEFUL VOCABULARY
gender stereotypes 🧩
fixed ideas about what men or women can or should do
behind the times ⏳
old-fashioned attitudes that hold back progress
role models
people who set an example and inspire others 👩🏻🔬
to break down barriers
to remove obstacles that stop people from progressing 🔨
the pay gap 💰📉
the difference between men’s and women’s salaries for the same work
equality ⚖️
equal treatment and opportunities for everyone
a patriarchal society🏛️
a society where men hold the main power
a male-dominated field 👨💼
a profession where most people are men 👨💼
#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:
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
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