Duolingo English Test
Duolingo Training Test 1
Learn new words and improve your English with our word archive specifically for the Duolingo test.
- Uriel Benitez
- IELTS
- More stories
Exercise A - Vocabulary for the cue cards
You should choose the language relevant to the question and subject in your certification test. Many students confuse having a diverse vocabulary with using the largest words to demonstrate their mastery of the material. But it’s appropriateness that’s important here.
In this test, these are the types of cue cards that you can find, practice the examples with your teacher.
Emotions
E.g. A song that has special meaning to you
Time-based:
E.g. A stage in your life you enjoyed most
Object
E.g. Describe a piece of electronic gadget that you find useful
Person
E.g. Describe someone you believe is a good leader
Occasions
E.g. An event when you got up very early in the morning
Place
E.g. Describe a polluted place near your city
Work/Study
E.g. Describe your Dream/ideal/Perfect Job
Emotions
E.g. Describe the best and thrilling experience in your life
Idioms for exercise A
| Idiom | Meaning | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Give someone the benefit of the doubt | You should believe what someone says. | as a sentence component |
| No pain, no gain | You must persevere to achieve your goals. | on its own |
| Break a leg | Wish for success | on its own |
| Time flies when you’re having fun | When you’re having fun, you don’t notice how long anything lasts. | on its own |
| Pull someone’s leg | to make a joke on someone | as a sentence component |
| Bite the bullet | To finish something because it is inevitable | as a sentence component |
| Under the weather | to become ill | as a sentence component |
| Let someone off the hook | to absolve someone of responsibility for a wrong doing | as a sentence component |
| Speak of the devil | The man we were just discussing arrived! | on its own |
| You can say that again | That is correct, and I agree. | on its own |
| Get something out of your system | So you can go on, do the thing you’ve been yearning to do. | as a sentence component |
| So far, so good | So far, everything is going nicely. | on its own |
| That’s the last straw | Running out of patience | on its own |
| Call it a day | Put down something you’re working on. | as a sentence component |
| Cutting corners | Performing a task in a substandard manner in order to save time or money | as a sentence component |
| Cross the bridge when we get there | Let’s not discuss that issue right now. | on its own |
| It’s not rocket science | It’s not difficult. | on its own |
| Miss the boat | It’s already too late. | as a sentence component |
| Your guess is as good as mine | I’m not sure. | on its own |
| Hit the sack | Go to bed; have some sleep | as a sentence component |
| Beat around the bush | Fail to express yourself because it is unpleasant. | as a sentence component |
| To make matters worse | exacerbate an issue | as a sentence component |
| Hang in there | Don’t quit | on its own |
| Wrap your head around something | Comprehend something difficult | as a sentence component |
| Pull yourself together | Calm down | on its own |
| To make a long story short | Briefly describe things | as a sentence component |
| Get out of hand | Become uncontrollable | as a sentence component |
| Better late than never | Arrive late rather than not at all | on its own |
| A blessing in disguise | an excellent thing that at first seemed to be a terrible one | as a sentence component |
| The best of both worlds | A perfect scenario | as a sentence component |
PRACTICE
You must talk for two minutes for each one.
Talk about an occasion when you couldn’t use your mobile phone
– when it happened
– what happened to your phone
– how it made you feel
– what happened to your phone
– how it made you feel
Talk about a place that is full of color. Please say
– What place this is
– Where it is located
– What do people do there
– How you learned about this place
– Where it is located
– What do people do there
– How you learned about this place
EXAMPLES
EXAMPLE A
Discuss a time when the weather forced you to change your plans.
- When did this happen?
- What kind of weather was it?
- Explain why you had to change your plans
I recall canceling a visit to a friend’s home due to unpleasant weather. On a Saturday, I was at home and planned to visit one of my high school pals who lives an hour away. Unfortunately, I think it was not a well-planned visit, as I saw the sky was gloomy with clouds as soon as I began getting ready. There might be some scattered showers, but thick clouds quickly formed. There was a severe hailstorm that was accompanied by high winds.
You won’t believe how dejected I felt when I saw the rain continue to pour nonstop. Also, I felt compelled to closely monitor the weather report on that particular day before planning an excursion. I kept waiting for the rain to cease, but it didn’t until much later in the day.
Finally, I had to reschedule my visit to my buddy since there was no way I could start after half the day had passed. As a result, I told my buddy about the change of plans. She was also disappointed, but she understood why I couldn’t make it. That was how the day ended, and I told myself that I would always check the weather forecast before making any plans.
EXAMPLE B
Talk about a birthday party that you attended
- Where was it celebrated?
- To whom did you go there?
- Why did you like it so much?
To be honest, I’ve had many chances during my life to attend a large number of birthday parties. Today, though, I’d like to discuss a really unique and unforgettable birthday celebration that took place in a well-known community center in my city.
There are a growing number of reasons why I enjoyed this gathering. At the beginning of my talking, I’d like to state that I was very fortunate that day since I got the chance to see all of my family. Another essential aspect is that we prepared a broad selection of delectable meals that were really delectable.
Another thing valuable to note is that we also adorned the area with a range of bright lights and natural flowers, which drew the attention of everyone. Finally, since we seemed to have a good sense of humor, we organized a dance and singing celebration in which we all took part.
EXAMPLE C
Discuss a time when the weather forced you to change your plans.
- Who was the person you helped?
- When and where was it?
- What kind of help did you offer?
It happened not long ago while I was assisting one of my coworkers. Anna, one of my coworkers, arrived late for work on a chilly January day. She said that she had been walking from home since she couldn’t locate public transportation. It was probably not smart for her to walk from home since it was a bad day for walking with all the cold and snow. She was knocked out and collapsed on the floor a few minutes later.
I quickly provided assistance since I was trained in First Aid and CPR. I wrapped a warm blanket over her and turned her on one side as soon as I could. Second, I requested an ambulance. I also took her pulse and examined her respiration. Her blood pressure was also very low. I massaged her hands lightly at the same time. She finally opened her eyes after a time. One of our coworkers gave her a cup of steaming coffee. She improved with time. The ambulance finally came. The paramedics assessed her condition. She was well now, although she was a little weak. A day off was granted to her. I drove her home in my vehicle at that moment. I’ll add that there was one instance in which I was able to put my First Aid training to good use.
Phrasal verbs you must use
Phrasal verbs you must use
| Phrases | Meaning |
|---|---|
| blow up | burst |
| bring up | bring up a subject or topic |
| call-off | withdraw; revoke |
| do-over | re-do a task or project |
| fill out | sign or complete a form |
| fill up | fill to the top |
| find out | explore |
| give back | return an object or a favor |
| hand in | turn in or submit an assignment |
| hang up | end the call |
| hold up | postpone or prolong |
| leave out | omit |
| look over | inspect, verify |
| lookup | scan the list |
| makeup | make up a narrative or tell a lie |
| pick out | decide or select |
| pick up | lift something off something else |
| put away | preserve or conserve |
| put off | withhold |
| put on | wear some clothing |
| read over | browse or explore |
| set up | to start, to organize |
Homework
Choose one of the next cue cards and send a video of yourself talking for 2 minutes.
Describe someone you’d want to meet from the news.
- Who is he or she?
- Why did this guy appear on television?
- How did you figure out who this guy is?
- What is it that you wish to meet him for?
Describe a busy location you’ve visited.
- Can you tell me where it is?
- When did you go there?
- Who were you with when you got there?
- Could you also describe how you felt about being there?
SEND YOUR VIDEO TO : hola@chidolingo.com
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