The Reading Module AL READING STRATEGIES. ‘When you go to university or college you may be overwhelmed by the amount of reading you are expected to do. You will have to doa lot of this reading on your own and you will need to be able to readdiscriminatingly, This means you will have to be selective about what youread. You will need to have the skills required fo focus in on the information that is important to you and to skim through the information that isn't. ING The IELTS examination tests your ability to read between 1500 and 2500 words in a fairly short period oftime in order to find out certain information. In both the Academic and the General Training modules, ‘you are given 60 minutes to answer a total of 40 ‘questions. The texts and items are graded in terms of difficulty. If you can identify the reading skills being tested in each set of questions. and if you have some mastery of these skills, you will have a better chance ofcompleting the Reading test successfully.ES SS. Academic Reading Module The test has three reading passages and each of the passages is accompanied by a sct of questions. There may be more than one type of question in each set. For example, you may be asked to find detailed information in a text in orderto complete sentences: you may have to identify views and attitudes within a text: you may have to understand how something works and complete a diagram or chart. The passages may be written in a variety of different styles, such as argumentative. descriptive.narrative. discursive.ctc. General Training Reading Module ‘The test has three sections. Section 1 contains two or more texts which are based on social situations. Section 2 contains two texts based on conrse-related situations and Section 3 contains one text that tests general reading comprehension. The question types are similar to those in the Academic module. The texts in the first two sections are most likely to be descriptive and factual. The text in the third section may contain some argument.Reading UNIT 1 Orientating you'séii3 {isa In the IELTS test you are given texts to read which someone else has chosen for you. So it is important to skim through each text asking yourself tha sort of questions that will halp you understand it quickly. * Re-read the introduction to the Reading module on the previous page and answer the following questions: 1. What subject is the text about? 2 Why was the text written? 3 Who was it written for? 4 Why would somebody read this text? 5 What type of text is it? These are critical questions that help you to orientate yourself to the text.ea 8 TITLES AND Nearly all articles that you read in magazines and newspapers will have atitle (unless it has been removed fora particular reason). Many will also have a sub-heading. Read this title \d sub-headi = a whet ntomes "Lhe Dynamic Continent aniggaineatticle: The constantly changing landscape of Antarctica is a challenge to cartographers*. Adrian Fox and Janet Thomsonreport. What is this article about? “people who make maps What kind of person would be interested in this article? What do you expect to read about in the first paragraph? Now readthe first paragraph of the article: IN MOSTAREAS or THE WORLD, certainly in Europe, both the physical landscape and the maps of it are relatively stable. Map revision is usually concemed with manmade features, such as buildings and roads. This is not true o Antartica The Antaretic ice sheet is a dynamic entity and cartographers" ‘have to contend with big and rapid changes in the physical" 29Reading UNIT 1 * How useful were Secgriphy of the continent. For example, earlier this year the title and the they freed tbe Gems break-up oF the Larse sub-heading in ‘Gustny ice shelves in the Antirctic Peninsula region, wi i ing os egion, which orientatingyou is where the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) concen towards the tert? Aapping stctivity. Topographic ma Ips axe probably chang faster in Antarctica : a. than anywhere else in the world, 9 What is the writers' purpose in the first paragraph? 10 Is there a sentence that best summarises the main idea in this first paragraph? a (Gp + Resdthistiteand ; sub-heading and discuss + Questions 68 above with WHY WE MUST BE STEWARDS a pariner: OF OUR SOIL Managing this neglected resource is vital to ‘our future, says John Houghton 3 a person whe manages something (like a park or property)+ Now read the first two paragraphs of the article: Soil, air and water are the three essentials for life on land But environmental policies have often taken soil for granted. Soi is of vial importance because we use it to produce our food. It is also an integral part of the landscapes and habitats we value so highly in the countryside, ‘We published our report, Sustanable Use of Soil, this week, In it, ‘the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution set out to establish what the effecis would be if current human aciviies that affect sois, and present trends, contnued unchanged for the next 100 years. 11 What do you leam about the writer and his purpose in the second paragraph? 12 How do you expect the article to continue? 13 How do you think the style of this article may be different from 'The Dynamic Continent’? Le a eae ees eee ofthe ere text. oa ee ay oui tei met ih te textimmediately and you will be offto a: For more practice in reading titles and sub-headings, do Exercise A in the \ Supplementary activities on page 111. 30read through each paragrapl nding of what the waiter is t cle. you gradually build on your 14. How does paragraphing help you do this? 15 When you first read a text, what should you look for in each paragraph? * Read the title and sub-heading of the following article and discuss the content. * Then go on to read the whole article. |'The Undersea World of Sound | Snorts, dicks, | whistles, groans | - tune in to the long-distance language of | the oceanThe Undersea Vo Snorts, dicks, whistles, groans - tune in to the long-distance language of the ocean The vast oceans ofthe world are ah co are miagiinepcea | ‘where eyesight counts for litle as_| soon 26 you venture very far | beneath the surface. Forhumans, who ine in aworid ominaied by visual stimuli, to | existin such conditions would be Impossble But for whales and dolphins that ive in the ocean or, in the case of a few species, ‘muxidy rivers and estuaries, the darkness i unimportant. What is crucial to them is sound Sound 1 af efficient way to transmit and sense information, leapecah/ aa 0 bavels fwatnes | ‘aster through water than through air. I humans shout to someone, iRisuntkely thatthey willbe heard a Kiometre away. But ia whale ‘shouts' in an ocean channel, ‘communicate through a wide variety of high-frequency sounds pure tone whisles, pulsed ‘squeals, screams or barks - generally at frequencies of 5OOHz to 20kHz (where a rid of sound hertzisa eyele per second anda filonertz a thousand) But as well as using sounds to communicate, toothed whales and dolphins also rely on | echolocation to team about their immediate environment, Induaing prey that mght be lurking nearty. They produce intense short broad-band pulses of sound in the ultrasonic of beween 0.25 and 220 kHz. ‘These Gicks are bref - typically Jess than one millisecond long - but they are repeated. many times each second.Reading UNIT 1 + Usinga pencil, underline what you thinkis the key idea in each paragraph. * Write a short paragraph that summarises the article. 16 What is the writer trying to do in the article? A explain the function of whale and dolphin sounds B account for the development of underwater sounds, compare the sounds made by whales and dolphins D._ give the results of his studies on underwater sounds * Read the following opening to anarticle: THE DOMINANT FORMS of fictional marrative in our culture are the novel. the stage play and the motion picture (including television drama). Thave had some ‘experience of all three. Ihave been ‘Writing prose fiction for more than 30 years and think of myself primarily as a novelist, But some years ago I wrote a stage play which has had three professional productions: and over the sane period I have adapted novels for television. Drawing upon thet experience I want to explore what makes a writer tend towards one narrative medium rather than another, and ‘what draws people to cross over from one to another. 17 An appropriate title for this paragraph would be A Myllife asa novelist B Thedifficultiesofadaptation © Examining the choices writers make D Acultural perspective on entertainmentReading UNIT 2 Ifyou are asked to find @ particular detail or piece of information in an IELTS passage, you will need to stim through the text fairly quickly, scanning for clues as to where the information might be found. This means you will need to read faster then your normal pace. There are a vatiely of IELTS question types that test your ability to extract specific information or details from < text, In nearly all cases, the Information required Is factual In this type oftask, the questions test yout ability to locate the right information in an article or passage. When you meet a set of short-answer questions in IELTS. youshouldread them carefully, beforeyou gobackto the text. In this way. you will know what you are looking for.‘In this type of task, the questions test your ability to locate the right information ‘in an article or passage. When you meet a set of short-answer questions in TELTS, youshould read them carefully. eS ee Inthis way, ‘you will know what you are looking for. + Read through the following set of questions which are based on an article about sand. Underline the key words in each question. 1 What TWO substances made, byhumans are mentioned in the text? 2 Which part ofa grain of sand have scientists measured? 3 What TWO factors determine the shape ofa piece of sand? 4 How was the beach on Kamoama Island created? 5 Where, according to the text, can fine sandy beaches be found? 6 Who argues that sand is more efficient than coastal technology? * Discuss what you have underlined in class. 7 Which answer do you think will be quickest to find in the text? Why? 8 Which answer(s) do you think will be hardest to locatein the text? Why? + Read the article on the following page and underline the answers (0 Questions 1-6, Do this in ten minutes if you can.2 ues ‘Sand: as children we play on it and as adults we relax on it Siftin Pe ere ee and praise when ft's moulded inio castles. But we don't often Jook at f, If we did, we would discover an account of a Y a Co i geological past and a history of marine Ife that goes back fhrougn fae EI eae 5 Se Tet stan cca RSE and mouniains. it is one ofthe most common substances on the Sands earth, And it is a major element in man-made materials too - k “concrete is largely sand, while glass is mace of fiftie else ‘What exactly is sand? Wel, itis largerthan fine dust and : sinaller han shingle. In fact, according b Ne most generary 0 1 Mm e accepted scheme of measurement, devised by the g Massachusetts insttule of Technology, arains qualify # their diameter is greaier than 006 of a milimetre and less than. When you're on the oh gauencs Ts Depending on its age and origin, a particular sand can consist of tiny pebtles Or porous granules. its grains may beach, you're stepping have the shape of stars or spirals, ther edges lagged or smooh They fave come frem the erosion of rocks, or from ‘on ancient mountains, the skeletons of marine organisms, which accumulate on the bollom ofthe oceans, of even from volcanic eruptions. Colour is another cue to sand ongins. Ift is a dazzting skeletons ofmarine White, its grains may be derived from nearby coral outcrops, ‘ from crystalline quartz rocks or from gypsum, like the white animals, even tiny sands of New Mexico. On Pacific Istands jet black sands form ‘Tom volcanic minerals. Other black beaches are magnetc. Some sand Is very recent indeed, as is the case on the island diamonds. Sand provides of Kamoama in Hawaii, where a beach was created after a volcanic eruption in 1950, Motten lava spilled inio the sea and A Ine eeere ao exploded in glassy droplets,skeletons of marine. animals, even tiny diamonds. Sand provides a mineral treasure-trove, a record! of geology's earth-changing processes ; ore lose marks? ansier whan you are asked to qve to you Vill be peralised, 34 bottom ofthe oceans, or even from volcanic eruptions. Colour is another ctue fo sand's origns. Ifit sa dazzling ‘white, ts grains may be derived from nearby coral outcrops, from crystalline quaflz rocks or fom gypsum, ike the write sands ofNew Mexico. On Pacific Istands jet black sands form from volcanic minerals. Other black beaches are magnetic. ‘Some sand is very recent indeed, as is the case on the isiand, ‘of Kamoama in Hawaii, where a beach was created after a _Nolcanic eruption in 1980, Motten java spilied into ihe Sea and. ‘exploded in gassy droplets. Usually, the older the granules, the fner they are and the ‘smoother their edges. The fine, white beaches of northem Scotland, for instance, are recycled from sandstone several hundred millon years old. Perhaps they will be stone once more, in another Tew hundred mation. ‘Sand is an imeplaceable industrial ingredient whose uses are legion: but ft has one vial function you moght never even notice. Sand cushions our land from the sea's impact, and say it offen does a. better job of protecting our ‘shores than the most advanced coastal technology. >.» Discuss your answers to the six questions as a class, What sort of answers would * What other factual information could be tested in this passage?BELLIN This type of task often makes scanning easier because the information is located in one area of the text. * Read the task and look at the diagram of the lighthouse on the next page. + Scan the following article and circle the area of text that describes the lighthouse. Divers hunt for ruins of Pharos lighthouse A team of 30 divers ishurriedly searching the Mediterranean for the remains of the mighty Pharos lighthouse, built more than 2,200 years ago and regarded as one of the Seven ‘Wonders of the ancient world. In addition to Pharos, the joint French and Egyptian ‘expedition is searching for the remnants of Greek temples and statues. The aim of the £300,000 project is to map a 23,020 pi area off Egypt's second largest city, founded by Ak the Great. Under the water is a vast collection ofruins, some of which the 20 French and ten Egyptian divers hope to excavate and Underwater archaeologists search the waters for Egyptian relies, Christopher Walker writes device, could be seen over a radius of 34 miles, Within its square base were up to 300. rooms designed to house jechahics ‘and operators; above were an octagonal storey and a cirenlar storey. topped by a lantern with a beacon, the exact workings of which are still a mystery. Although the ante collapsed as eatly as the century, the lighthouse served for 1,400 years as the be as heavy as 70 tonnes, which may have been part of the lighthouse. "It is certainly possible that some of the pieces come from the lighthouse itself,” said Jean- Pierre Cortegiani, a member of the expedition, "In fact, it would be amazing if nothing came from the lighthouse, seeing as this is where it toppled into the sea" Also discovered were hundreds of smaller blocks, thought to be pieces of temples and statues dating back to the Ptolemaic period. Among them were pieces of ancient columns, many inscribed, and huge granite and marble statues ofA team of 30 divers is humiedly searching the Mediterranean for the remains of the mighty Pharos lighthouse, built more than 2.200 years ago and regarded as one of the Seven Wonders ofthe ancient world Tn addition to Pharos, the joint French and Egyptian ‘expedition is searching forthe remnants of Greek temples and statues. The aim of the £300,000 project is to map a 23,920 sq yard areaoffEgypt's second largest city, founded by Alexander the Great. Under the water is a vast collection of ruins, some of which the 20 French and ten Egyptian divers hope fo excavate and salvage. The team is hoping that among the remnants may be the lighthouse, built in 279BC during the reign of Prolemy IL The huge white marble building was the marvel of its day. It was more than 400m high in a colonnaded court and was equipped with a hiydraulic Lift to raise fuel to the roof. Its lantern, probably magnified by a reflecting Underwater archaeologists search the waters for Egyptian reltes, Christopher Walker wees device, could be seen over a radius of 34 miles. Within its square base were up to 300_ rooms designed to house mechanics and operators: above were an octagonal storey and a circular storey_ topped by a Tanfern with @ beacon, ihe exact workings of which are still a mystery. Although the lantern collapsed as carly as the eighth century, the lighthouse served for 1,400 years as the symbol of Alexandria and a beacon for ships, until devastating earthquakes in 1100 and 1307 brought it tumbling down, presumably much of the debris into the sea surrounding Pharos island on which it was built. The divers have made some fascmating discovenes, including at least three layers of blocks, some estimated to + Complete the following IELTS task in ten minutes be as heavy as 70 tonnes. which may have been part of the lighthouse. "It1s certainly possible that some of the pieces come from _ the lighthouse itself.” said Jean- Pierre Cortegiani, a member of the expedition "In fact, it ‘would be amazing if nothing came from the lighthouse, seeing as this is where it toppled into the sea” Also discovered were hundreds of smaller blocks, thought to be pieces of temples and statues dating back to the Ptolemaic period. Among them were pieces of ancient columns, many inscribed, and huge granite and marble statues of Sphunxes and Egyptian Gods some of which stood 15it high. “We are making an identification of the blocks, studying the inscriptions and chossing some to be taken out,” Cortegiani said. "We cannot take all the blocks out, but maybe we can have sometinng like an underwater archaeological park."TEL EET Questions 9-13 Label the diagram below which shows the parts of the lighthouse. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. ite ng epee to raise fuel to the roof an octagonal storey (13) (12) square base with to house mechanics + How easy did you find the task? * Which labels were harder to complete? Why?Cr ae 183 MPLETION Read the text below and answer Questions 14-19. Baby Love Why we want to take care of teddy bears At the turn of the century, the first teddy bears had low foreheads, long snouts and long limbs like real bears. But over time, they have developed more baby-like features. ‘A group of scientists was curious to know whether teddies evolved this way because children demand baby-faced bears or because adults did. They gathered together eight pairs of teddies, each comprising a baby-faced bear and an adultfeatured one These teddies were shown to children aged four, six and eight years old, When asked to choose their favourite bear from each pair, the older children (43 out of 54) preferred the baby-faced teddies. But the four-_ year-olds chose the baby-faced and adult featured bears of each pair equally. When asked which one ofall the bears they liked best, the older children chose more baby-faced bears but the four-year- olds preferred ones with adult features, The scientists also asked the chikiren what they would like to do with their favourite bear. The four-year-olds wanted to pay with it, but the older children said they would like to sleep with the bear. The scienists suggest that young children do not develop a specific desire to look after the young and helpless unl they are older.care ofteddy bears At the turn of the century, the first teddy bears had low foreheads, long snouts and long limbs like real bears. But over time, they have developed more baby-like features. AA group of scientists was curious to know whether teddies evolved this way because children demand baby-faced bears or because adults did. They gathered together eight pairs of teddies, each comprising.a baby faced bearand an adultfeatured one: These teddies were shown to children aged four, six and eight years old, Questions 14-19 | When asked to choose their favourite bear from each pair, the older children (43 out of 54) preferred the baby faced teddies. But the four_ year-olds chose the baby-faced and adutt-featured bears of each pair equally. When asked which one of all the bears they liked best, the older children chose more baby-faced bears but the four-year- olds preferred ones with adult features. “The scientists aso asked the children what they would like to do with their favourite bear The four-year-olds wanted to play with it, but the older children said they would like to sleep with the bear. The scientists suggest that young children do not develop a specific desire to look after the young and helpless until they are older. Complete the table below which shows the final results ofthe scientists! research. For Questions 14-17 use a tick (x) for preference or cross (x) for non-preference. For Questions 18-19 use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, Age of children, Baby-faced bears 4 years aa) as) Byears (16) a7 Adult-featured bears What they wanted to to do with bears (18 (ag)