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1 IELTS Topic Articles that feature in the IELTS test for Vocabulary and Topic Awareness

IELTS Topic Articles that feature in the IELTS test for Vocabulary and Topic Awareness

Without topic awareness, you can’t fully answer the question

Without vocabulary, the question can’t be fully answered

I’ve prepared a selection of good articles to read according to their topic area. I am adding to this list all the time.

Daily chart - The stark relationship between income inequality and crime | Graphic detail | The Economist

Both theory and data suggest that if you’ve got it, don’t flaunt it

This is one of the many articles I’ve listened to or read this week which, from experience, I know feature heavily in the Reading and Writing IELTS test.

Why should I invest time in reading for IELTS

Having an awareness of IELTS topic areas indicates in your writing and speaking that your opinions can be relevant. Being prepared means that you are better positioned to give an opinion on any number of popular topic areas. This is especially the case in writing; the ability to generate ideas under the pressure of the exam is usually down to a lack of knowledge around the key topic areas.

Common IELTS Topics

So, I’ve created a page for IELTS worthy reading and listening articles. These will be featured around the most common topic areas I have seen in IELTS reading, writing and listening. Using some of these resources is not only good for increasing vocabulary levels, reading comprehension and speed, but will help provide a foundation of ideas important for topic awareness and idea generation.

If you want a list of the main topic areas and the subheadings, you can find out more here but this is the new link I am creating.

I recommend you identify areas you’re not familiar with and flick through some of the topics postings below. Choose a few to read or listen to if they’re podcasts.

If your vocabulary is a weak spot, note down words and phrases you can reuse in the future.

Crime and Punishment

I’ve noticed that this topic area can be divided into the following sub-topics

I’ve collected a selection of recent articles for IELTS topic development and ideas.

The pervasive problem of ‘linguistic racism’

Not everyone who speaks English is treated the same way. What happens when accent discrimination creeps in to our conscious and unconscious – and what do we do about our biases?

Can political violence be justified?

Is political violence ever justifiable?

A political philosopher on why denying the right to resistance poses a far greater threat to a society than embracing it.

Why resilience isn’t always the answer to coping with challenging times

Hope may be a better option.

The EU is on a collision course with Poland over hate crime

The EU is on a collision course with Poland over hate crime

In her first state of the union speech, Commission president Ursula von der Leyen took a confrontational stance over discrimination, singling out Poland in particular.

Organised crime: the UK shouldn’t focus on it as a national security threat

Organised crime: the UK shouldn’t focus on it as a national security threat

The Home Office’s new strategy to tackle organised crime is more reactive than proactive.

How organised crime in the UK has evolved beyond the mafia model

How organised crime in the UK has evolved beyond the mafia model

Gangs of career criminals in Britain look very different to the stories told by Scorcese or Coppola. They are fluid, multi-cultural and recent research sheds new light on how they use the dirty money.

‘High risk’ cyber-crime is really a mixed bag of threats

‘High risk’ cyber-crime is really a mixed bag of threats

If cyber-crime is the tier one (most serious) threat that we are told it is, and we are experiencing upwards of 2-3 million cyber-threats each year, then why have we only had 350 or so prosecutions under…

Why disability hate crimes are under-reported

Why disability hate crimes are woefully under-reported

Victimisation, fear of reprisal and the need for more police support mean thousands of hate crimes against disabled people go unreported

Is there a link between youth poverty and crime?

Is there a link between youth poverty and crime? The answers may surprise you

Despite economic hardships, young people haven’t been pushed into crime. But can we trust the data?

When crooks get rich, the entire ‘crime-organised economy’ benefits

When crooks get rich, the entire ‘crime-organised economy’ benefits

Gangsta rappers are experts in micro-economics. Their particular specialism being the micro-economics of crime, an expertise gained, apparently, through a thorough knowledge of street corners. Such experience…

Immigration and crime.

Immigration and crime, is there a link?

Does immigration lead to more crime? Here’s what the research says.

Fighting organised crime.

Fighting organised crime: lessons to learn from how Italy tackles the mafia

Police should take a wider view to join the dots that link the networks behind slavery and drugs.

Knife crime and gangs.

Knife crime and gangs: how a decade of bad policy left deprived young people without real choice

View from an expert in criminal justice – who also lives in one of the UK’s most deprived areas.

This new fingerprint technique could revolutionise the way we solve gun crime

This new fingerprint technique could revolutionise the way we solve gun crime

It could even help crack long-forgotten cold cases.

Violent crime: decades of research shows punishing ‘risky’ young people does not work – here’s what does

Violent crime: decades of research shows punishing ‘risky’ young people does not work – here’s what does

Nations like Scotland and New Zealand have pioneered community-centred strategies to tackle knife crime – it’s time for the rest of the UK to follow suit.

Treating young people like criminals actually makes violent crime worse

Treating young people like criminals actually makes violent crime worse

Efforts to regulate social media and censor drill music are wasted. Instead, teachers and police need to give young people opportunities to grow.

Modern slave trade: how to count a ‘hidden’ population of 46 million

Modern slave trade: how to count a ‘hidden’ population of 46 million

The number of people in slavery across the world is on the rise, or maybe researchers are just getting better at counting.

How do you judge a crook who uses a laptop instead of a gun?

How do you judge a crook who uses a laptop instead of a gun?

Some recent high-profile crimes have got people thinking about how we should handle those who break the law using digital technologies. Criminal sentencing is decided by the type of crime and a range of…

Why young people commit crime and how moral education could help – new research

Why young people commit crime and how moral education could help – new research

Having poor morals doesn’t mean that a young person is inherently bad.

There’s no evidence that death penalty is a deterrent against crime

Not only does capital punishment not deter crime but it’s more expensive than keeping a convicted murderer in prison for life.

Street drinking, fly-tipping and nuisance neighbours: who experiences anti-social behaviour?

Street drinking, fly-tipping and nuisance neighbours: who experiences anti-social behaviour?

New analysis reveals the most common types of anti-social behaviour, and who the victims are.

Air pollution increases crime in cities – here’s how

Air pollution increases crime in cities – here’s how

Pollutants can increase stress levels, which in turn affects judgment and makes some people more likely to commit crime.

Why rehabilitation – not harsher prison sentences – makes economic sense

Why rehabilitation – not harsher prison sentences – makes economic sense

The effective response to crime has always been a matter of debate. But evidence is mounting in favour of treatment and support, rather than punishment.

Crime and conmen in the black out: the violent side of the World War I home front

Crime and conmen in the black out: the violent side of the World War I home front

From serial killers to attacks on prostitutes and soldiers, not everyone back in Britain during the war was heroic.

Is capital punishment morally justified?

Death penalty: is capital punishment morally justified?

What are the arguments for and against the death penalty and do they stand up to examination?

The war on wildlife crime

Chopping off the rhino’s horn and the war on wildlife crime

As the electric saw cuts into the base of the horn of the live rhino lying at my feet, I feel an uncomfortable guilt. The rhino shakes and judders and there is an unpleasant smell reminiscent of burning…

Why Singapore’s claim that the death penalty works for drug offences is fake news

Trump take note – why Singapore’s claim that the death penalty works for drug offences is fake news

Singapore claims to have nearly eliminated drug use and crime thanks to capital punishment - but the data tells a very different story.

Shopping mall design could nudge shoplifters into doing the right thing

Shopping mall design could nudge shoplifters into doing the right thing – here’s how

Architects should experiment with cues that encourage potential thieves to make unconscious decisions not to steal.

Should all victims of crime have the right to meet the perpetrator?

Should all victims of crime have the right to meet the perpetrator?

MPs have proposed that restorative justice should eventually become a right in the UK.

The science of street lights: what makes people feel safe at night

The science of street lights: what makes people feel safe at night

Street lighting may not actually reduce crime – but it can make people feel safer at night.

Does gun control work?

Hard Evidence: does gun control work?

This week brought news of yet another gun massacre in the United States at Washington Navy Yard. It is the latest in a string of 146 mass shootings, with more than 900 victims since 2006. The tragedy gives…

Illegal wildlife trade is one of the biggest threats to endangered species

Illegal wildlife trade is one of the biggest threats to endangered species – and the UK is a key player

This multi-billion pound industry increasingly involves organised crime groups, who see wildlife as a low risk route to profit.

Could your contactless bank card be vulnerable to a new type of crime?

Could your contactless bank card be vulnerable to virtual pickpocketing?

There’s a simple way to protect your contactless card being swiped in your pocket.

Crime and nourishment – the link between food and offending behaviour

The link between food and offending behaviour

If the UK is to break the cycle of reoffending, it needs to meet the basic needs of young people in prison and respect the basic human right of adequate nutrition.

How organised crime affects everyday life in the city

Mafia in Naples is still going strong – and we must not forget how it affects everyday life in the city

Suggestions that the Camorra has been usurped are exaggerated.

Are teenagers are misrepresented in society

Three ways teenagers are misrepresented in society

Dangerous, vulnerable or just plain stupid – these are some of the stereotypes which young people face when they come in contact with the law.

Should a nation apologise for the crimes of its past?

Should a nation apologise for the crimes of its past?

Why saying sorry should be just a starting point.

The real causes of conflict

Climate change is not a key cause of conflict, finds new study

We looked at ten countries in East Africa and found poverty and politics were much more important drivers of conflict and displacement than climate change.

Other IELTS reading Sections