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IELTS reading test

Part 2

Aims:

 to help learners develop previewing and predicting skills

 to help learners read for main ideas (skimming)

 to introduce learners to the Matching headings task

Scanning for specific information

One problem that some learners have when approaching reading texts is that they try to understand
every word. As you only have 60 minutes in the IELTS Reading test to read over 2,000 words, you
won’t be able to do this.

You looked at how using skimming skills enables the reader to read a text very quickly for the main
ideas. Now you are going to look at another way of reading the text quickly, which involves
using scanning skills (reading quickly through a text for specific information). Success in many of
the IELTS Reading questions will depend on the candidates’ ability to do this.
You also saw that the way we read a text will often depend on the type of text and our reason for
reading it. For instance, imagine that you wanted to go horse riding and you had never ridden a
horse before. If you were looking at an advertisement for a riding school, you would particularly want
to see if there were lessons for people with no riding experience. So you would read the text quickly
to find this specific information – that is, you would use scanning skills.

Matching features: Approaching the task

One of the task types which involves scanning the text for specific information in both the Academic
and the General Training Reading tests is the Matching features task. In this task type, candidates
are required to match a set of statements or pieces of information to a list of options. The options are

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a group of features from the text and are identified by letters. There are more options than
statements.

Let’s have a look at an example of a question from the Academic test. In this example, the following
maps are the options to match to the set of statements:

 maps of Utopia

 Charles Booth’s maps of London

 map commissioned by Nicholas Philpot Leader

 map of Bath area

 early modern Chinese maps

 map of the Antarctic

 plan of Ostia harbour

 Hereford World Map

The best strategy for approaching this task type is to start by skimming the whole text very quickly to
get an idea of the content and then to scan the text for the things in the list of options.

First, scan the text below. In which paragraph is each map mentioned? Allow yourself two-
three minutes for this task.

The Purpose of Maps

A Maps vary enormously, from imposing images of the

world and its parts to private jottings intended to give
an approximate idea of the twentieth-century
Antarctic. The materials on which maps are to be
found, similarly range from scraps of paper to plaster
walls, by way of parchment, copper coins, mosaics,
marble, woollen tapestries, silk, gold and more.
Attitudes towards maps also vary greatly, and are
subject to modification over time.

B. In recent decades, the view that maps should be assessed primarily in terms of their
geometrical accuracy has radically changed. At the same time, they have become available to a

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range of disciplines. This development has been encouraged by the growing popularity of
interdisciplinary studies and by the increasing awareness and appreciation of the importance of
the visual – which may be a consequence of the spread of television and the internet, and the
ease with which images can be created and manipulated in a digital environment. Academic
historians of all types – social, political, diplomatic and fine art, literature specialists, and family
historians take an interest in maps and find that they sometimes offer perspectives on their
subjects that are not possible from other sources.
C. All have contributed to a re-evaluation of the subject. It is accepted that for some purposes,
such as administration and terrestrial and maritime navigation, mathematical accuracy still plays
a major and sometimes even a paramount role in cartography. In other contexts, such as maps of
underground railway systems, or maps used for propaganda purposes, such accuracy is
irrelevant, and at times even undesirable. Conversely, the very aspects that tended traditionally
to be condemned or disregarded, such as distortions and decoration, become of enormous
significance. They can give particularly precious insights into the mentalities of past ages, and
the views and lives of their creators, as well as being packed with more general cultural
information such as the receptiveness to artistic fashions.
D. For many map enthusiasts the fascination of maps ironically stems from their necessary lack
of truth. They can be regarded as the most successful pieces of fiction ever to be created because
most users instinctively suspend disbelief until they find that the map they are using does not
give truthful information. Yet it has to be that way. Given the impossibility of representing the
total reality, with all its complexity, on a flat surface, hard decisions have to be taken as to what
features to select for accurate representation, or indeed for representation at all. For most of the
time this process of selection is almost instinctive. The mapmaker knows the purpose he intends
for his map, and beyond that he is unwittingly guided by the values and assumptions of the time
in which he lives – unless these are in conflict with his own value systems, as was the case with
Nicholas Philpot Leader in 1827. The map of Ireland (then part of the UK) that Leader
commissioned was intended as a strong attack on the then British government.
E. In order to meet the map’s purpose, the information that is represented will be prioritized
according to importance as perceived by the mapmaker – and not necessarily in accordance with
actual geographical size. Even on modern national topographic mapping, such features as
motorways will be shown far larger than they actually are because they are important to drivers
and users will expect to see them without difficulty. Conversely, large features that are
considered unimportant might be completely ignored or reduced in size, like parks and other
public spaces in some town maps. Often maps will show things that are invisible in the real
world, such as relative financial affluence, as in Charles Booth’s maps of London in the
nineteenth century, or the geology far below the surface of the planet, as in an 1823 map of the
land around Bath.
F. Sometimes the purpose of the map is even simpler and has nothing to do with geography.
The Hereford World Map proclaims the insignificance of man in the face of the divine and the
eternal. The plan of Ostia harbour of AD 64 primarily serves as a demonstration of the Emperor
Nero’s benevolence. Sometimes, as in depictions of the imaginary land of Utopia, physical
reality is totally absent or so distorted as to be geographically meaningless. Instead the map
serves as a commentary on the gap between the aspirations and the feeble achievements of
mankind. The quality of a map must be judged by its ability to serve its purpose, and not simply
by its scientific precision, and in that context aesthetic and design considerations are every bit as
important as the mathematical, and often more so.

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G. Plainly, to interpret maps as having followed a path of ever-increasing scientific perfection

over time is to miss the main point. In fact they have responded to the mentalities, and met the
requirements of the societies in which they have been created. In ancient Greece and Babylon,
and in eighteenth- and twentieth-century Europe, the preoccupation with precision and the
scientific indeed predominated. In early modern China and nineteenth-century Europe the
administrative use of mapping came to the fore. By contrast, for long periods of time and in
many civilizations, the major preoccupation was to define and to depict man’s place in
relationship to a religious view of the universe. This was particularly evident in medieval
Europe and Aztec Mexico. Clearly, maps can only be fully understood in their social context.

Answers

maps of Utopia: Paragraph F

Charles Booth’s maps of London: Paragraph E
map commissioned by Nicholas Philpot Leader: Paragraph D
map of Bath area: Paragraph E
early modern Chinese maps: Paragraph G
map of the Antarctic: Paragraph A
plan of Ostia harbour: Paragraph F
Hereford World Map: Paragraph F

Questions 32–39
Look at the following maps (Questions 32–39) and the list of purposes below. Match each map with
the correct purpose, A–I.
32 maps of Utopia
33 Charles Booth’s maps of London
34 map commissioned by Nicholas Philpot Leader
35 map of Bath area
36 early modern Chinese maps
37 map of the Antarctic
38 plan of Ostia harbour
39 Hereford World Map

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Purposes
A to portray an area very roughly
B to create a decorative work
C to express political criticism
D to show variations in wealth
E to show differences below ground level
F to show the unimportance of human beings
G to glorify the ruler of the country
H to contrast ideal and actual human development
I to assist in the management of the country

Use your intensive reading skill to try and find the answers.

Answers

32 H
33 D
34 C
35 E
36 I
37 A
38 G
39 F

Matching information task: Paragraphs and sections

Another task type which involves scanning the text for specific information in both the
Academic and the General Training Reading test is the Matching information task. In this task
type, candidates are required to locate specific information in the lettered paragraphs or sections
of a text. There can be more than one piece of information to match to any particular paragraph,
and there may be no pieces of information to match to some of them.

Try this example task, which uses the same text on maps as the previous screen:

Questions 27 – 31

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Which paragraph contains the following information?

27 examples of maps showing features that cannot be seen on the ground

28 a list of media that have been used in the creation of maps

29 examples of the main function of maps in various periods and places

30 a contrast between different types of maps with regard to a requirement for accuracy

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speculation about reasons for a change in attitudes towards maps

Answers:

27 E
28 A
29 G
30 C
31 B

Answer

Strategies for dealing with Matching information tasks

Reflect: Think about the method that you used to approach the question above. What did you read
first, the questions or the text? How many times did you read each paragraph?

One effective approach is to look through the question information and try to identify the key
words. Then scan each paragraph and see whether you can find any reference to these key
words. If you can, read the paragraph more carefully to see if it matches the question. For instance,
Question 30 contains the word accuracy, which is also used in Paragraph C.
Very often the key words in the question will be replaced with synonyms (similar words) or
paraphrasing (saying something in a different way) in the text. For instance, question 31 uses the
word attitudes, but in Paragraph B the related word is view. This is an example of a synonym.
Question 29 refers to various periods, but in Paragraph G we find the phrase eighteenth- and
twentieth-century. This is an example of paraphrasing.

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Look again at all of the questions and try to identify the key information in each one and where and
how it is referred to in the answer paragraph.

Sentence completion: Approaching the task

Overview:
For this task type, candidates have to complete sentences using words from the text. You will need
to use your scanning skills to locate the right place in the text and then use intensive reading skills to
decide exactly which word or words to use to complete the sentence.

Task 1
Read the text below and complete the sentences:

1 Many people have received a training contract with a ………… newspaper.

2 Pre-entry training courses are held at approved ………… .
3 Send a letter or email to the editors of newspapers to ask about becoming a temporary …………
*(answers are listed below the text).

A career in journalism
How do I get into journalism?

Trainees come into the industry by a variety of routes. Some are recruited directly by a newspaper in
their local area and carry out their basic training under the terms of a training contract. This is known
as direct entry.

However, the majority of trainees are recruited after attending vocational education and training
courses. These are normally for graduates. Such courses are generally run by colleges accredited
by the National Council for the Training of Journalists. This route is known as pre-entry.

Some colleges will grant places to people on pre-entry courses only if they have already had a work
experience placement at a newspaper. Therefore it would be sensible for you to write to a number of
local newspaper editors to ask if they will allow you to join their team of reporters as an observer for
a few days. Explain why you think you would make a good reporter and try to pick a time other than
July, when pressure on work experience places is at its greatest. You should try to be the applicant

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who stands out as the most committed to newspaper journalism, and the most able. But do not be
put off if you receive rejection letters, as there is strong competition for places. Editors appreciate
and respect determination and persistence.

Many people ask about becoming freelance journalists. To begin with, you must know the paper
you’re hoping to write for; the article should be approximately the same number of words normally
employed by the editorial column in that paper, and on one of the topics that are most likely to be
used. Approach the editor in writing. Send a written synopsis of your article, enclosing some
information about yourself and, if possible, some other articles you have had printed, whether in your
local paper or in your student magazine.

Answers:

1 local
2 college
3 observer

Note that the words that you use to complete the sentence must be from the text, and
must not be changed in any way. So in this example if you wrote journalist instead of observer, the
answer would be incorrect. Spelling is also important, so make sure you copy the correct words
carefully.

Now look carefully at the language in the questions. The questions do not always contain exactly the
same grammatical structures and vocabulary as the relevant sentences in the text. For instance,
look again at question 1. The related sentence in the text reads Some are recruited directly by a
newspaper in their local area and carry out their basic training under the terms of a training contract.
Here, the text uses the Present simple, but the question uses the present perfect.
In question 3, there is an example of paraphrasing. The question includes the phrase send a letter or
email, while the text says write.
Just as synonyms and paraphrasing are used in the Matching information task, they are also
important in the Sentence completion task. In fact, the ability to recognise synonyms and

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paraphrasing is very important in the IELTS Reading test as it is necessary for most of the
questions.

Note completion and strategies

Overview

Instead of completing sentences, the candidates could be asked to complete notes. For example,
candidates might find they have to use the information in a text to complete notes about the text.

When completing gaps – for example, in a table, a flowchart, a summary, sentences, notes or
diagram labels – it is important to read the question very carefully in order to work out which type of
word is missing and understand the exact meaning. Knowing this information will help you to find the
correct word in the text. The word you write must be in exactly the same form as it appears in the
text.

Look at the following Note completion question for the text you read about journalism:

Direct entry training

 Training contract with a 1 ………… newspaper.

Here, we can predict that the missing word is probably an adjective describing the newspaper.

Task 2

Read the example note completion questions and choose the correct answers to the
questions below (‘A Career in journalism’).

Editors look for someone who can 1 ………….

Ask to become a temporary 2 ………….
Writers should have 3 ………… spelling.

The missing word in gap (1) is probably a verb .

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The missing word in gap (2) is probably a noun .

The missing word is gap (3) is probably an adjective .

Dealing with completion tasks

When completing gaps in a table, a flowchart, a summary, sentences, notes or diagram labels the
strategy is similar.

 read the questions very carefully.

 think about which type of word is missing (a noun, a verb, an adjective etc).

 think about the meaning of the question.

Then:

 scan the text for key words.

 read the relevant section intensively.

 look for paraphrasing and synonyms.

 make sure that the word they write is in the same form as in the text and is spelled correctly.

With Flowchart and Table completion, it is also important to look at how the information is organised
in the questions. The headings of a table and the stages of the flow chart will help learners to predict
what type of information is missing.

Looking carefully at the table headings and the flowchart stages will help you understand the text
more easily, as will the completed parts of the table or chart.

Below is an example of part of a table completion task similar to that which might appear in the
Reading test.

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Before you look at the short text below, guess what the missing word(s) in Question 1 might
be. Think about the type of word(s) that is needed.

Species Start of active period

African early spring
Indian 1 ............

Now read the text and find the answer to Question 1:

In the cooler regions the smaller Asian is slower to recover from the winter cold and does not
produce any offspring until summer. The African, which warms faster, reproduces in early spring.

Answer

The answer is 'summer'.

You may not have guessed the correct word but thinking about possibilities helps candidates locate
the answers in the text as they will have a better idea of the kind of word they are looking for.

General Training Reading test overview

The types of texts used in the Academic and General Training Reading tests are different. In the
Academic Reading test, each section contains one long text, but Section 1 of the General Training
Reading test contains two or three short factual texts and Section 2 contains two short factual texts.

In Section 1 of the General Training Reading test, you might find a text like the advertisement for the
riding school. In this section, texts are relevant to basic social survival – the type of texts you would

encounter in everyday life. There are two or three texts, which are not usually connected, but one of
these could consist of a number of short texts with a common theme, e.g. a set of advertisements
related to the same theme. Other examples of text types you might find in this section include

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extracts from leaflets, brochures, manuals, travel guides and websites. The questions mainly
involve finding general factual information.

General Training Reading test: Sections 2 and 3

In Section 2 of the General Training Reading test, there are two texts that are not related. These are
the kind of texts you would encounter in a work-related situation. They might contain, for instance,
information on applying for jobs, company policies, pay and conditions, workplace facilities or staff
development.

The type of texts you might find in this section include contracts, job advertisements, terms and
conditions, and health and safety leaflets. Again, the questions involve finding factual information.

In Section 3 of the General Training Reading test, there is one long text on a topic of general
interest, such as nature, history or lifestyles. Texts can come, for instance, from a newspaper or
magazine and are generally descriptive. As we saw in Unit 1, different text types have different
structures and features of style, so it is important that you give learners practice in reading lots of
different types of texts, as well as giving them practice in reading about different topics.

Section 1
tourist information
restaurant reviews
advertisements for flats
Section 2
health and safety notice
job advertisements
contract of employment Section 3
historical account
article

Matching information task

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One task type candidates might find in the General Training Reading test is Matching information. In
this task type, candidates are required to locate specific information in lettered paragraphs or
sections of a text. You may be asked to find specific details, an example, a reason, a description, a
comparison, a summary or an explanation.

This task type can appear with any text and tests a wide range of reading skills, e.g. locating detail
or recognising a summary or definition. It tests a candidate’s ability to scan for specific information.

Look at the following example of a Matching information question. What is the correct
answer? Why?

Which advertisement is the following statement true for? Choose A, B or C.

1 You can only have a lesson if you have done this sport before.

A Improve your windsurfing skills – one day courses for intermediate and advanced levels.
B Riding lessons for every age and standard.
C Ride that bike – driving lessons with qualified instructors. Suitable for those with no or little
experience.

Answers

Advertisement B contains the phrase every standard and advertisement C says suitable for those
with no or little experience. In comparison, advertisement A mentions courses only for intermediate
and advanced learners. So A is the correct answer.

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Dealing with an IELTS Academic Matching features task in class

Aims:

 to help learners to develop predicting, skimming, scanning and intensive reading skills.

 to introduce learners to the Matching features task.

1. Read the title and predict the content.

2. Skim the text to get a general idea of the content.

3. Identify key phrases.

4. Scan the text to find paragraphs containing those phrases.

5. Read intensively to match them to the statements in the question.

Task 3
Read the text and answer the questions that follow:

Staff Training and Development: Scheme of Assistance

The Company encourages the professional development of its staff and will provide assistance
under this scheme to enable them to obtain approved qualifications, to undertake approved
courses of study or to attend approved conferences.

Assistance will normally be given where:

a) the qualification, course or conference is relevant to the role currently being carried out by
the individual; and
b) the company’s operational requirements permit such assistance to be given.
Some or all of the following forms of assistance may be given at the discretion of the Head of
Department:

Time off
 where it is not possible for an employee to undertake training outside working hours, release
from work for up to two days per week.

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 paid time off during normal working hours to sit examinations or attend short courses or
conferences.

 paid individual study leave to be taken at agreed times, and not normally to exceed 5 days per
annum.

Financial assistance
 toward the cost of tuition and examination fees.

 a contribution toward the cost of learning materials of up to £150 or 50% of the actual cost
(whichever is the lesser amount).

 any relevant travel or accommodation costs up to a maximum of £150 p.a.

Requests for assistance should be made on the relevant application form, which can be obtained
from the Personnel Administrator, and once completed and signed by your Head of Department,
should be forwarded for consideration by the Finance Committee.

Assistance will be given on the condition that:

a) individuals shall reimburse the Company 50% of any financial assistance given under the
scheme if they leave the Company within one year of obtaining a qualification or completing a
course of study, and 25% if they leave the Company within two years.
b) individuals shall reimburse the full cost of any financial assistance given under this scheme
if they fail to complete the course of study, or fail to attend a conference for reasons that are not
acceptable.
c) individuals shall notify the Personnel Administrator promptly if they drop out of a course of
study, or fail to attend a conference. They should also provide information concerning the results
of any examination taken.

Questions

Complete the notes below. Write no more than three words and/or a number for each answer.

Help with staff training/development

…….. with training can only be given if the scheme of the company (1)……… it.

Employees are usually allowed (2)……….. with pay for no more than 5 study days each year.

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The (3) ………… assesses formal applications for financial assistance.

Employees who leave the company less than a year after finishing their course have to repay (4)
………… of any money they received.

Employees have to (5)……… withdrawals ……… or exam results to the Personnel

Administrator.

Answers

1 help, allows
2 time off
3 The Financial Committee
4 50%
5 report, and absences

Stages of the reading process

Try repeating the reading process without looking at the information below.

 Candidates look at headings, pictures and subheadings of the text.

 Candidates consider what they know about the topic.
 Candidates look at the questions and think about what type of word could be missing.
 Having looked at the questions, candidates scan the text looking for key words, synonyms and
paraphrases.
 Candidates read the relevant part of the text very carefully.

 Candidates complete the gaps with words from the text.

√ Now move on to Part 3 of this Unit.

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