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Reading Lesson 1 - Matching Paragraph

Headings
Objective: to practice matching paragraph headings to paragraphs.

A common type of IELTS Reading question will ask you to select headings of paragraphs
and match them to the paragraphs from a text.

On this page there is a full reading text and some practice questions. At the end of the
page, there is a discussion of the answers and how you should have identified the
correct match.

Strategies to answer the questions

1. Quickly read through the paragraph headings so you can see what they say.
2. Then look at the first paragraph.
3. Often only the topic sentence needs to be read carefully because the main idea
and answer are there - you may be able to just skim the rest.
4. Sometimes, however, the answer is not in the topic sentence and the whole
paragraph needs to be read more carefully.
5. If a match is not immediately obvious, move on to the next one.
6. If you are unsure between two answers at first, put them both in. You may be
able to eliminate one answer later if it fits another paragraph better.
7. If at the end you are still stuck between two answers for a question, pick which
fits best.

Things to beware of
1. There are always more choices of paragraph headings on the list than
paragraphs, so be careful when matching them.
2. Watch out for synonyms - often words in the paragraphs and paragraph
headings will not be the same; they will be synonyms.
3. Having a noun from a heading that is in the paragraph does not guarantee they
match - you still need to read it carefully to check.

One Paragraph Practice Exercise

Before you do a full reading, we'll have a practice with one paragraph.
 This is the first paragraph from the full reading you will do. There are only five choices
of paragraph headings for this first one (less than on the full reading).

Follow the procedure shown above, and click on what you think is the correct answer.
The topic sentence is in red to remind you to focus on that.

Yoruba Towns
A. The Yoruba people of Nigeria classify their towns in
two ways. Permanent towns with their own governments are
called ilu, whereas temporary settlements, set up to support
work in the country are aba. Although ilu tend to be larger
than aba, the distinction is not one of size, some aba are
large, while declining ilu can be small, but of purpose. There
is no typical Yoruba town, but some features are common to
most towns.
1. Match the correct heading to the paragraph.

A. Town facilities

B. Oyos palace

C. Urban divisions

D. Architectural features

E. Types of settlements

Now you know some strategies and have practiced with one paragraph, you can now
practice matching paragraph headings with a full text.

Matching Paragraph Headings - Practice

Read and focus on the topic sentences in the text below and then match the paragraph
headings to their paragraphs. One has been done for you.

The reading passage has seven paragraphs: A G.

Choose the most suitable paragraph headings B G from the list of headings on the
right.

Write the appropriate numbers (i ix) in the text boxes below the headings. NB There
are more paragraph headings than paragraphs so you will not use them all.

Yoruba Towns
A. The Yoruba people of Nigeria classify their towns in two ways.
Permanent towns with their own governments are called ilu,
whereas temporary settlements, set up to support work in the
country are aba. Although ilu tend to be larger than aba, the
distinction is not one of size, some aba are large, while declining ilu
can be small, but of purpose. There is no typical Yoruba town, but
some features are common to most towns.

B. In the 19th century most towns were heavily fortified and the
foundations of these walls are sometimes visible. Collecting tolls to
enter and exit through the walls was a major source of revenue for
the old town rulers, as were market fees. The markets were
generally located centrally and in small towns, while in large towns
there were permanent stands made of corrugated iron or concrete.
The market was usually next to the local rulers palace.

C. The palaces were often very large. In the 1930s, the area of
Oyos palace covered 17 acres, and consisted of a series of
courtyards surrounded by private and public rooms. After
colonization, many of the palaces were completely or partially
demolished. Often the rulers built two storey houses for themselves
using some of the palace grounds for government buildings.

D. The town is divided into different sections. In some towns these

are regular, extending out from the center of the town like spokes on
a wheel, while in others, where space is limited, they are more
random. The different areas are further divided into compounds
called ile. These vary in size considerably from single dwellings to
up to thirty houses. They tend to be larger in the North. Large areas
are devoted to government administrative buildings. Newer
developments such as industrial or commercial areas or apartment
housing for civil servants tends to be build on the edge of the town.

E. Houses are rectangular and either have a courtyard in the center

or the rooms come off a central corridor. Most social life occurs in the
courtyard. They are usually built of hardened mud and have roofs of
corrugated iron or, in the countryside, thatch. Buildings of this
material are easy to alter, either by knocking down rooms or adding
new ones. And can be improved by coating the walls with cement.
Richer people often build their houses of concrete blocks and, if they
can afford to, build two storey houses. Within compounds there can
be quite a mixture of building types. Younger well-educated people
may have well furnished houses while their older relatives live in
mud walled buildings and sleep on mats on the floor.

F. The builder or the most senior man gets a room either near the
entrance or, in a two storied house, next to the balcony. He usually
has more than one room. Junior men get a room each and there are
separate rooms for teenage boys and girls to sleep in. Younger
children sleep with their mothers. Any empty room are used as
storage, let out or, if they face the street, used as shops.

G. Amenities vary. In some towns most of the population uses

communal water taps and only the rich have piped water, in others
piped water is more normal. Some areas have toilets, but bucket
toilets are common with waste being collected by a night soil man.
Access to water and electricity are key political issues.

569 words

Paragraph Headings Answer Discussion

Paragraph B

(vi) - Historical foundations

B. In the 19th century most towns were heavily fortified and the foundations of these
walls are sometimes visible. Collecting tolls to enter and exit through the walls was a
major source of revenue for the old town rulers, as were market fees. The markets
were generally located centrally and in small towns, while in large towns there were
permanent stands made of corrugated iron or concrete. The market was usually next to
the local rulers palace.

In this first question, the word 'foundation' is in the topic sentence. This does not
automatically make 'vi' the correct answer. However, it is a good reason to flag this up
as a possibility. The heading also refers to 'history', so the reference to '19th century' in
the topic sentence tells us the paragraph is about the history. A quick skim of the
paragraph confirms this.

Paragraph C

(ix) - Various changes

C. The palaces were often very large. In the 1930s, the area of Oyos palace covered
17 acres, and consisted of a series of courtyards surrounded by private and public
rooms. After colonization, many of the palaces were completely or partially demolished.
Often the rulers built two storey houses for themselves using some of the palace
grounds for government buildings.

The second part of the paragraph goes on to discuss changes that took place.

Paragraph D

(iii) - Urban divisions

D. The town is divided into different sections. In some towns these are regular,
extending out from the center of the town like spokes on a wheel, while in others,
where space is limited, they are more random. The different areas are further divided
into compounds called ile. These vary in size considerably from single dwellings to up
to thirty houses. They tend to be larger in the North. Large areas are devoted to
government administrative buildings. Newer developments such as industrial or
commercial areas or apartment housing for civil servants tends to be build on the edge
of the town.

The answer is first seen in the topic sentence. The word 'divided' should have flagged
this up to you as a possibility. Notice the use of the synonym 'urban' to replace 'town'.
It is common to see synonyms in paragraph headings questions and other IELTS
reading questions.

Paragraph E

(iv) - Architectural features

E. Houses are rectangular and either have a courtyard in the center or the rooms come
off a central corridor. Most social life occurs in the courtyard. They are usually built of
hardened mud and have roofs of corrugated iron or, in the countryside, thatch.
Buildings of this material are easy to alter, either by knocking down rooms or adding
new ones. And can be improved by coating the walls with cement. Richer people often
build their houses of concrete blocks and, if they can afford to, build two storey houses.
Within compounds there can be quite a mixture of building types. Younger well-
educated people may have well furnished houses while their older relatives live in mud
walled buildings and sleep on mats on the floor.

The topic sentence starts to give you a clue that 'iv' is the correct choice of the
paragraph headings as it discusses architectural styles, which are then discussed
further in the supporting sentences that follow.

Paragraph F

(vii) - Domestic arrangements

F. The builder or the most senior man gets a room either near the entrance or, in a two
storied house, next to the balcony. He usually has more than one room. Junior men get
a room each and there are separate rooms for teenage boys and girls to sleep in.
Younger children sleep with their mothers. Any empty room are used as storage, let out
or, if they face the street, used as shops.

In this context, 'domestic' means of or relating to the home, so the heading is referring
to the arrangements within the home. Again, just by reading the topic sentence you
can see that this paragraph is discussing home arrangements and skimming through
the rest of the paragraph confirms this.

Paragraph G
 (i) - Town facilities

G. Amenities vary. In some towns most of the population uses communal water taps
and only the rich have piped water, in others piped water is more normal. Some areas
have toilets, but bucket toilets are common with waste being collected by a night soil
man. Access to water and electricity are key political issues.

'Facilities' is a synonym of 'amenities' so this is the first clue that this could fit this
paragraph, but you need to read on to confirm that the paragraph is discussing the
facilities of the town, which it is.

List of paragraph headings

i. Town facilities
ii. Oyos palace
iii. Urban divisions
iv. Architectural features
iv. Types of settlements
v. Historical foundations
vi. Domestic arrangements
vii. City defenses
ix. Various changes
x. Government buildings

Answers

Example: Paragraph A__Answer: v

1. Paragraph B__
2. Paragraph C__
3. Paragraph D__
4. Paragraph E__
5. Paragraph F__
6. Paragraph G__

Lesson 2: IELTS Multiple Choice Practice

Objectives:
To practice IELTS multiple choice questions
To practice scanning techniques
To look at the use of synonyms in IELTS reading questions

Strategies to answer the questions

1. Look through the questions first
2. Underline key words from the question
3. Then scan the text for those key words that you have underlined
4. The answer should be found close to that word
5. The answers will be found in the text in the same order as the questions

Things to beware of
1. There will be synonyms used in the reading - the words in the IELTS multiple
choice questions may not be the same as in the text

One Paragraph Practice Exercise

Before looking at a longer reading, we'll have a practice with two paragraphs. It is the
first part of the full reading you will do.

Identify the key word in the question first of all. Then scan the text to find it. When you
have done this, read the sentences around this key word and see what information best
matches the three choices you have.

1. What is dry farming?

Preserving nitrates and moisture.

Ploughing the land again and again.

Cultivating fallow land.

Australian Agricultural Innovations:

1850 1900
During this period, there was a wide spread expansion of agriculture
in Australia. The selection system was begun, whereby small sections
of land were parceled out by lot. Particularly in New South Wales,
this led to conflicts between small holders and the emerging squatter
class, whose abuse of the system often allowed them to take vast
tracts of fertile land.

There were also many positive advances in farming technology as

the farmers adapted agricultural methods to the harsh Australian
conditions. One of the most important was dry farming. This was
the discovery that repeated ploughing of fallow, unproductive land
could preserve nitrates and moisture, allowing the land to eventually
be cultivated. This, along with the extension of the railways allowed
the development of what are now great inland wheat lands.
To answer this question you should have highlighted the word dry farming.

You should then have been able to scan the two paragraphs to quickly find this word.

Reading the information around it more carefully would the give you the answer:

Cultivating means to improve and prepare (land) by ploughing or fertilizing, for raising
crops.

So the answer was "the ploughing of fallow land...to eventually be cultivated."

___________________________________________________________

Full Practice - IELTS Multiple Choice

1. What is dry farming?

Preserving nitrates and moisture.
Ploughing the land again and again.
Cultivating fallow land.

2. What did H. V. McKay do?

Export the stripper.

Improve the stripper.
Cut, collect and sort wheat.

3. What was the stump jump ploughs innovation?

It could cut through tree stumps.

To put the plough shear on wheels.
It allowed farmers to cultivate land that hadnt been fully cleared.

4. What did John Custance recommend?

Improving wheat yields.

Revitalising the industry.
Fertilizing the soil.

5. Why was William Farrers wheat better?

It was drought resistant.
It wasnt from England or South Africa.
It was drier for Australian conditions.

Australian Agricultural Innovations:

1850 1900
During this period, there was a wide spread expansion of
agriculture in Australia. The selection system was begun,
whereby small sections of land were parceled out by lot.
Particularly in New South Wales, this led to conflicts between
small holders and the emerging squatter class, whose abuse
of the system often allowed them to take vast tracts of fertile
land.

There were also many positive advances in farming

technology as the farmers adapted agricultural methods to
the harsh Australian conditions. One of the most important
was dry farming. This was the discovery that repeated
ploughing of fallow, unproductive land could preserve nitrates
and moisture, allowing the land to eventually be cultivated.
This, along with the extension of the railways allowed the
development of what are now great inland wheat lands.

The inland areas of Australia are less fertile than most other
wheat producing countries and yields per acre are lower. This
slowed their development, but also led to the development of
several labour saving devices. In 1843 John Ridley, a South
Australian farmer, invented the stripper, a basic harvesting
machine. By the 1860s its use was widespread. H. V. McKay,
then only nineteen, modified the machine so that it was a
complete harvester: cutting, collecting and sorting. McKay
developed this early innovation into a large harvester
manufacturing industry centred near Melbourne and exporting
worldwide. Robert Bowyer Smith invented the stump jump
plough, which let a farmer plough land which still had tree
stumps on it. It did this by replacing the traditional plough
shear with a set of wheels that could go over stumps, if
necessary.

The developments in farm machinery were supported by

scientific research. During the late 19th century, South
Australian wheat yields were going down. An agricultural
scientist at the colonys agricultural college, John Custance,
found that this was due to a lack of phosphates and advised
the use of soluble superphosphate fertilizer. The
 implementation of this scheme revitalised the industry.

From early days it had been obvious that English and

European sheep breeds had to be adapted to Australian
conditions, but only near the end of the century was the same
applied to crops. Prior to this, English and South African
strains had been use, with varying degrees of success.
William Farrer, from Cambridge University, was the first to
develop new wheat varieties that were better able to
withstand dry Australian conditions. By 1914, Australia was
no longer thought of as a land suitable only for sheep, but as
a wheat growing nation.

422wds

Lesson 3:
IELTS True False Not Given
Objectives: to practice answering IELTS True False Not Given questions.

This lesson explains how to answer True and False questions for IELTS.

You also have a Not Given option with this type of task.

Firsly, you will be presented with a list of facts.

You then have to look at the text in order to decide if the facts are true, false, or not
given.

Below are some tips and strategies to help you answer this type of question.

Tips
If the fact you are given is clearly in the reading it is True
If the reading says the opposite of the fact you've been given it is False
If it is not true or false, it is Not Given

Strategies to answer the questions

 The questions follow the order of the text.
Read the question carefully to make sure you fully understand what it is
saying.
Scan the text to find where the answer is using key words from the question
When you find where the answer is, read the text carefully to identify if you
think it is T, F or NG.
The questions will probably use synonyms rather than the words in the text.
Look out for controlling words such as only, all, never etc. For example, if
the fact in the question says 'some' and the fact in the text says 'all', then it is F.
Do not spend a long time looking for the answer to one question; it is probably
NG, if you cannot find it.
Make sure you use the correct code; 'Yes', 'No', 'No Information' is sometimes
used (these question are slightly different and you look for opinions rather than
facts).

Example
Look at this statment, taken from the first sentence in the reading below:

Chiles originate in South America and have been eaten for at least 9,500 years.

Here are some example IELTS True False Not Given statements with answers:

1. Chiles come from South America - T

2. People began eating Chiles in the last few centuries - F
3. South Americans were the first people to start eating Chiles - NG

Number one is clearly true. Notice the use of the synonym 'come from' used instead
of 'originates'. It is common to use different words.

Two is clearly false as it was 9,500 years ago, not a few 100 years ago.

Three is not in the text. Be careful about making assumptions then thinking it is true.
It is quite probable the South Americans began eating Chiles first as they originated
there; however, you can't be sure of that and the text does not tell you that.

___________________________________________________

IELTS True False Not Given - Practice

Now, read the following text and answer the questions to the right of the reading using
the drop down menu to choose either True, False, or Not Given.

An explanation of the answers is provided below.

Do the following statements agree with the information in the text? Mark them:

T if the statement agrees with the text

F if the statement does not agree with the text
NG if there is no information about this in the text

Chilies
Chiles originate in South America and have been eaten for at least
9,500 years. Organised cultivation began around 5,400BC.
Christopher Columbus was the first European to encounter chilies,
when he landed on the island of Hispaniola in 1492. He thought it
was a type of pepper and called it the red pepper, a name still
used today. After their introduction to Europe they were an
immediate sensation and were quickly incorporated into the diet.
From there they spread to Africa, India and East Asia.

The reason for the chilis hotness lies in a chemical called

Capsaisin. Capsaisin causes temporary irritation to the trigeminal
cells, which are the pain receptors in the mouth, nose and throat.
After the pain messages are transmitted to the brain, endorphins,
natural pain killers, are released and these not only kill the pain
but give the chili eater a short lived natural high. Other side
effects include: an increased heart rate, a running nose and
increased salivation and sweating, which can have a cooling effect
in hot climates.

The reason for the presence of Capsaisin is thought to be to deter

animals from eating the fruit. Only mammals feel the burning
effects; birds feel nothing. As birds are a better method of
distributing the seeds, which pass intact through their guts,
Capsaisin would seem to be a result of natural selection.

The smaller chilies tend to be the hottest. This may reflect the
fact that they tend to grow closer to the ground and are therefore
more vulnerable to animals. The heat of a chili is measured on the
Scoville scale. The hottest types such as the Habenero and the
Scotch Bonnet rate between 100,000 and 300,000, the world
famous Tabasco sauce rates at 15,000 to 30,000, about the
same as the Thai prik khee nu, while the popular Jalapeno is
between 5,000 and 15,000. Powdered chili is 500 to 1,000 and
the mild capsicins and paprikas can range between 100 and 0.
 325 wds

___________________________________________________

IELTS True False Not Given - Answers Discussion

Question 1

Chilies became popular as soon as they were brought into Europe - T

After their introduction to Europe they were an immediate sensation and were quickly
incorporated into the diet.

There two statements are clearly saying the same thing. Notice the use of synomyms:

Became popular = sensation

As soon as = immediately

Brought into = introduced

___________________________________________________

Question 2

Capsaisin damages the mouth - F

Capsaisin causes temporary irritation the trigeminal cells.

This is false as the statement says 'damage'. This is not the same as a 'temprary
irritation'.

___________________________________________________

Question 3

Chilies can be part of a birds diet - T

Only mammals feel the burning effects; birds feel nothing. As birds are a better method
of distributing the seeds, which pass intact through their guts

This is true as this section in the reading clearly tells us birds feel nothing (when they
eat them) and they distribute them around when it leaves their body. So clearly chiles
are eaten by birds. In other words, they can be a part of a birds diet.

___________________________________________________
Question 4

All large chilies grow high off the ground - NG

The smaller chilies tend to be the hottest. This may reflect the fact that they tend to
grow closer to the ground and are therefore more vulnerable to animals.

We are told here that small chiles grow closer to the ground. It can be assumed then
that many of the large ones are higher off the ground.

However, it says 'all large chiles'. We are not given any information to say all of them
grow high off the ground. It's possible some don't, so we don't know which means it is
Not Given.

___________________________________________________

Question 5

People breed chilies for their heat - NG

The heat of a chili is measured on the Scoville scale.

Again, this is Not Given. We are given some information about heat in this sentence
and those that follow.

But these are just descriptions about how they are hot. We are not told specifically that
this is the reason they are breeing them.

Questions:

1. Chilies became popular as soon as they were brought into Europe.

choose one

2. Capsaisin damages the mouth.

choose one

3. Chilies can be part of a birds diet.

choose one
 4. All large chilies grow high off the ground.

choose one

5. People breed chilies for their heat.

choose one

Lesson 4:
IELTS Paragraph Headings
This lesson provides you with further practice on IELTS paragraph headings
matching type questions.

Imagine you are doing a reading task which involves choosing the correct headings
for paragraphs from a list of possible headings.

It may be very tempting to cross off the headings that you have used as you go.

For example, here is an example of a task that someone is halfway through after
choosing four IELTS paragraph headings.

1. A climate of fear
2. Fan violence returns
3. FIFA's response
4. Cancelling the cup
5. Legal action is taken
6. Not just the fans
7. Italy has a serious problem
8. Not to blame
9. Violence back in the news
10. A widespread problem

What is the possible problem with this way of doing things?

The problem with crossing off choices is that it means you no longer consider those
options for any of the remaining paragraphs.

Let's suppose that you have incorrectly chosen heading i for paragraph 1, when
heading i should in fact be used for paragraph 5. If you cross out the options as you
go, it means that when you come to do paragraph 5 you will choose a different
incorrect option.

In this way, making one mistake can lead to another. Making two mistakes early
on can easily lead to five or six wrong answers!

A much better idea is just to write down a paragraph number at the end of each
option as you go. For each paragraph consider all the possible headings, and at this
stage don't worry if you have more than 1 paragraph number after each heading.

So you may, for example, have something like this as you go through the exercise:

Paragraph 2 - viii / iv

When you get to the end of the passage you will probably have a single paragraph
number after most of the IELTS paragraph headings. You can now cross off those
options. For one or two perhaps you will have more than one. For each of these go
back to the passage and decide which of your choices is the best; the paragraph
you are left over with must need one of the other headings that you didn't choose.

Paragraph 2 - viii / iv

We are now going to try this method. You will be reading a short article about the
problem of soccer violence from the Guardian newspaper.

Use the boxes at the side to input your answers. You can put in more than one choice
as you go along if you are not sure, but remember to delete one of them at the end
before you submit your answers.

Don't look below the reading until you have finished as there is a discussion of the
answers.

Soccer Violence
1. Fiorentina's exclusion from the UEFA Cup after a match official was
injured by a firecracker thrown during their second-round match with
Grasshopper Zurich in Salerno brought hooliganism back in the
media.

2. The Florence club are appealing against the decision, arguing that
the object was thrown by rival Salernitana fans and the ban would
set a dangerous precedent. But UEFA will have borne in mind that
Fiorentina were playing so far away from home only because they
 had been banned from their own ground for crowd trouble in Europe
last season.

3. Whether Fiorentina have been hard done by or not, fan violence is

a problem in the Italian game. Fighting before Sunday's 1-1 draw
between Bologna and Roma left eight people in hospital, two with
stab wounds. After the game a Roma supporters' bus was stoned and
set on fire.

4. But Italy is not the only country suffering from what used to be
called "the English disease". At the weekend police in Bucharest fired
tear-gas and made 20 arrests after a pitch invasion at the Steaua-
Dinamo derby, reflecting a marked growth in hooliganism in
Romania. The Greek first division match between PAOK Thessaloniki
and Olympiakos Piraeus last week was abandoned after one of the
linesmen was left concussed by home fans furious at a disallowed
goal, a decision which brought 10,000 people on to the streets of
Salonika in protest. In neighbouring Albania, Skenderbeu Korce were
fined and docked three points last month after a brawl involving
players, fans and the referee.

5. Hooliganism is taking its toll on the South American game too. An

Argentinian judge suspended all second division matches this month
in an effort to combat rising violence. The same judge halted the first
division for two weeks in May for the same reason.

6. Football violence has claimed 37 lives in Argentina in the Nineties

and leading clubs routinely have to dole out free tickets and cash to
their gangsterish fans, known as barras bravas, whose activities
include extortion. This is leading to a frightening atmosphere. A
recent survey in Brazil found that 61 per cent of fans said they
stayed away from matches because they were too scared to attend..

7. FIFA is considering the postponement of the Confederations Cup,

scheduled for January, which may persuade the world champions
France to take part, a FIFA spokesman said yesterday.

IELTS Paragraph Headings - Answers Discussion

1. You might have chosen heading ii but this is wrong because we don't know that
violence ever disappeared (it may have been there all the time but just nobody was
talking about it). It has to be heading ix because it's back in the public eye - i.e. in
'the news' / 'the media' again
2. This should be viii because Fiorentina are claiming that it was not their fault i.e.
they are not to blame.
3. The paragraph describes the situation in Italy which is serious, so you should
choose heading vii.
4. This paragraph describes the situation in a number of European countries, so the
answer must be heading x.
5. You might have wanted to choose heading x here, as it does introduce the
problems in another part of the world. But, you need this heading for the previous
paragraph, and this paragraph talks about the actions of a judge. The answer should
be heading v.
6. This paragraph discusses how people are frightened and scared. so you should
choose i.
7. Paragraph 7 discusses what action FIFA is considering, in other words, its
response. So iii is the correct answer. You should not choose iv. The paragraph does
talk about postponing the cup, but not cancelling it.
List of Headings

i. A climate of fear

ii. Fan violence returns

iii. FIFA's response

iv. Cancelling the cup

v. Legal action is taken

vi. Not just the fans

vii. Italy has a serious problem

viii. Not to blame

ix. Violence in the news again

x. A widespread problem

Input your answers:

Don't use capitals.
1. Paragraph 1
2. Paragraph 2

3. Paragraph 3

4. Paragraph 4

5. Paragraph 5

6. Paragraph 6

7. Paragraph 7

Lesson 5:
IELTS Sentence Completion
Objectives: to practice how to answer IELTS sentence completion tasks and to
examine paraphrase and synonyms.

Often in the reading the test requires the candidate to complete a sentence.

In this type of task, you are given a sentences from the reading with a gap in it.

You have to fill it with words taken directly from the reading.

Check if the question tells you to use the exact words from the reading - some do not.

When doing this, various factors are important to keep in mind:

 make sure the answer does not exceed the stated word limit. Articles and
unneeded adjectives can sometimes be left out to achieve this.
make sure the answer fits into the statement grammatically.
be aware that the statement will not use the same words as the text.

As the statement you are given in IELTS sentence completion tasks will not be taken
exactly from the reading, you need to be aware of paraphrasing and synomyms.

These will both be used in the questions. This is what they mean:

Paraphrase: to repeat something written or spoken using different words

Synonym: a word or phrase which has the same or nearly the same meaning as
another word or phrase in the same language

So when you look at the question, you will need to find a paraphrase of that sentence
and probably some synomyms in the reading in order to find the right one, and then
work out the answer.

_________________________________________________

Practice
Let's have a short IELTS sentence completion practice before completing the task.

Firstly, see if you can find the sentence below in the reading. You will need to find
paraphrases / synomyms of the words in bold in order to identify it:

Britain decided to send people to live and govern Australia due to

_________________ factors.

You should have identified it as this first sentence in paragraph 2:

A number of reasons contributed to Britain's decision to colonise Australia.

And these were the paraphrases / synomyms:

reasons = factors

Colonise = send people to live and govern

So you should then be able to work out that the correct answer to put in the gap is "a
number of".
Now, using this technique and the tips at the top, read the full passage and do the
IELTS sentence completion exercise below (the reading is shorter than a real IELTS
reading).

IELTS Sentence Completion Practice Exercise

European Settlement of Australia

European settlement of Australia began in 1788 when a British penal
colony was established on the east coast. From this starting point
Australia grew rapidly and continually, expanding across the entire
continent.

A number of reasons contributed to Britain's decision to colonise

Australia. The most important factor was Britain's need to relieve its
overcrowded prisons. Several violent incidents at overcrowded prisons
convinced the British government of the need to separate unruly
elements from the rest of the prison populace.

Additionally, Australia was of strategic importance to Britain, and it

provided a base for the Royal Navy in the eastern sea. Also, Australia
could be used as an entry point to the economic opportunities of the
surrounding region. All these points figured in the decision by Lord
Sydney, secretary of state of home affairs, to authorise the
colonisation.

To this affect, on May 13, 1787, Captain Arthur Phillip, commanding

eleven ships full of convicts, left Britain for Australia. He successfully
landed a full fleet at Botany Bay on January 18, 1788. However, they
left the bay eight days later because of its openness and poor soil, and
settled instead at Port Jackson, a few kilometres north. The ships
landed 1,373 people, including 732 convicts, and the settlement
became Sydney. Australia Day is now celebrated on 26 January each
year, to commemorate this first fleet landing.

224 words

Complete the following statements using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.

(put your choice into the gaps - use small letters and don't put any spaces after your
last word)

1. Australia was originally founded as .

2. The major consideration in colonizing Australia was Britains .

3. It was thought that Australia could be utilised as to the neigbouring

region.

4. Lord Sydney took every factor into account when he gave official permission for

of Australia.

5. Botany Bay was abandoned by the settlers due to the lack of cover and

Clear

Score =
IELTS Sentence Completion - Correct answers:

These are the paraphrases and synomyms that you would have needed to identify in
order to successfully find the answers:

Original word from the Synomym / paraphrase from

reading the question
Question 1 began founded
Question 2 most important factor major consideration
used utilized
Question 3
surrounding neighbouring
all these points figured took every factor into account
Question 4
authorise official permission
left abandoned
Question 5
openess lack of cover
Lesson 6:
IELTS Reading Multiple Choice
Objective: IELTS reading multiple choice and skimming and scanning practice.

You won't have time in the reading test to carefully read the whole passage all of the
way through, so you need to find the answers in the text quickly.

This lesson shows you how skimming and scanning can help with this.

Identifying the question type

Before you start any reading pasage, you should firstly take a look at the question
stems to get an idea of what you may need to look out for.

So now look at the IELTS reading multiple choice questions below this reading.

If you look at the question stems, you will see that names are often mentioned
e.g.James Alan Fox, John J. DiIulio, Michael Tonry. So this immediately tells you it is a
good idea to underline 'names' as you read the text.

You will then be able to quickly scan the text later to find where the answers are.

Looking at the question stems first also gives you an idea of what the reading is about.

Underline / highlight key words

As you read the text, you should get into the habit of highlighting words that you
think may be important and will help you find answers later.

These are often nouns like names, dates, numbers or any other key words that
stand out as a key topic of that paragraph.

Looking at the IELTS reading multiple choice questions quickly first may help with this.

IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions

This type of question follows the order of the text. So when you have found one
answer, you know that the next one will be below, and probably not too far away.

When you start looking at the questions, you should underline key words in the
question stem to help you find the answers in the text.
Look at the IELTS reading multiple choice questions again - as you will see, key words
have been highlighted. You can use these to help you scan the text to find the answers
more quickly.

Reading in detail
When you read the text for the first time, you should focus on the topic sentences, and
skim the rest of the paragraph.

But once you start answering the IELTS reading multiple choice questions and you have
found where the answer is, you will need to read the text carefully in order to
identify the correct choice.

Tip: Do not think that just because you have found some words in the multiple choices
(a, b or c) that match the words in the text that this must be the right answer.

It's usually not that simple so you must read the section where you think the answer is
carefully.

IELTS Reading Multiple Choice - Practice

IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions

1. Young children are making criminologists nervous because

(a) they are committing too much crime.

(b) they are impulsive and immature.

(c) they may grow up to be criminals.

2. The general crime rate in the US is

(a) increasing

(b) decreasing

(c) not changing

3. The age group which commits the highest rate of crime is

(a) 14 - 17.

(b) 18 - 24.

(c) 24 +.
4. James Fox believes that the improvement in crime figures could

(a) make us complacent in the fight against crime.

(b) result in an increase in teenage violence.

(c) result in a decrease in teenage violence.

5. According to paragraph 3, the government

(a) is doing everything it can to solve the problem.

(b) is not interested in solving the problem.

(c) is not doing enough to solve the problem.

6. In comparison with James Fox, Michael Tonry is

(a) more pessimistic.

(b) less pessimistic.

(c) equally pessimistic.

7. Jonathan Kozol believes that

(a) there is no solution to the problem.

(b) employment and education are not the answer.

(c) employment and education can improve the situation.

8. Professor DiIulio thinks that spending on social programs

(a) should continue as it is

(b) should be decreased.

(c) is irrelevant to crime rates.

Lesson 7:
Guessing meaning from context
Guessing meaning from context in the IELTS exam is an important technique that will
improve your reading skills and the speed with which you can read.

Obviously you do not have a dictionary in the exam so there are likely to be a lot of
words from the reading text that you do not understand and you cannot check.

If you come across a word you do not understand, then you cannot spend a lot of time
working out its meaning because you only have 20 minutes for each reading.

Therefore, guessing meaning from context is necessary.

This means work out what it means (or have a good guess at least) from the words that
are around it and from the topic of the paragraph.

Take a look at this example:

It had been raining hard through the night so the ground was saturated.

What does 'saturated' mean?

You may already know, but if you do not, you should be able to have a good guess
from the rest of the sentence.

It had been raining which means the ground must be wet. It was raining 'hard' so this
means the ground is probably very wet.

saturated = completely wet

By doing this you are guessing meaning from context and you should try and use
this technique for words you do not know.

It may not always be clear from the actual sentence and you may have to look at other
sentences around the word.

However, only do this for words that seem important for an understanding of the
text. If it looks like they are not, then leave it and move on with the reading. You
probably won't have time to do it with every word, especially if you are at a lower
reading level.

_________________________________
Guessing meaning from context - Practice
Look at the reading below. Some of the words are in italics and bold. They are quite
difficult words so you may not know them.

Try to guess their meaning from the sentence it is in, or sentences around it, and from
the topic of the paragraph.
When you think you have guessed, choose from the words below the reading.

Thai Museum Catalogs Opium Dreams -- and

Nightmares
CHIANG SAEN, Thailand, Wednesday December 04 (Reuters).

First reactions to Thailand's giant new opium museum in the Golden

Triangle are confused: pleasant surprise at cool air after the intense
tropical heat, but then disorientation, shock, even fear. Visitors enter
the 100-acre complex through a long, dark, mist-filled tunnel, which
winds into the base of a hill past bas-reliefs of distorted human figures
before emerging suddenly into bright sunlight in front of a field of
poppies. "This is the mystery, the contradiction of opium," says
Charles Mehl, head of research for the Mae Fah Luang Foundation, which
has just completed the $10 million museum. "Opium is one of the very
best drugs we have for treating chronic pain and bringing relief from
suffering. But it can also be one of the worst, destroying lives if it is used
for recreation or exploited for commercial gain."

Built into a hillside by the Mekong River on the northern tip of Thailand,
the museum lies at the heart of the Golden Triangle. Chiang Saen town is
about 470 miles north of Bangkok, overlooking the junction of the
borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. The
Golden Triangle is a largely lawless region that last year produced more
opium and heroin than Afghanistan and more synthetic stimulant pills
than all the rest of the laboratories in Southeast Asia put together, drugs
agencies say.

Western backpackers and busloads of other day-trippers pour daily into

the picturesque Chiang Saen district, in Chiang Rai province, to buy
souvenirs on the Mekong's banks. Some try illicit puffs on opium pipes in
nearby villages. The museum, which will open officially early next year,
aims to exploit this tourist business, luring the curious with the promise
of entertainment and impressive audio-visual displays in English and
Thai. But as visitors progress down the labyrinthine corridors that stretch
across three floors, the warnings against narcotic abuse gradually
become more powerful. "People think at first they know what they will
see -- a quaint presentation about hill tribes growing opium. But that's
only a small part of the story," said Mehl.

Mae Fah Luang has fought a 15-year battle against drug-taking and
addiction in Chiang Rai province, establishing what the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says is probably the best anti-drugs
crop-substitution program in Asia. Lessons from that program, which has
succeeded in the nearby Thai mountains of Doi Tung in part by offering
farmers of opium poppies a better income from alternative crops such
as coffee and macadamia nuts, are built into the museum. But it also
offers a thorough lesson in the history of opium, its derivatives such as
heroin and laudanum, and explains how the drugs trade has helped
change the world for hundreds of years.

Tradgedy and Trauma

Thought to have been used first along the coast of the Mediterranean,
archaeologists say the earliest evidence of opium was found in
Switzerland dating from the Neolithic period. It was a popular sedative in
ancient Egypt and Greece before spreading to northern Europe and Asia
and becoming a key commodity that was exchanged for Chinese tea and
other spices by the British and Dutch. With 360-degree special effects,
the museum traces the 19th century opium wars between Britain and
China before looking at prohibition in the 20th century and official
efforts, often spectacularly unsuccessful, to stop the use of illegal drugs.

The museum asks visitors to themselves decide what could be the best
approach to narcotics -- prohibition, drug eradication schemes,
decriminalisation or legalisation -- but it pulls no punches on the tragedy
and trauma inflicted by drugs on abusers. A final, heart-wrenching
gallery recounts the powerful true stories of victims of drug abuse around
the world through intimate video testimonies by their families.

"The feelings which develop through a visit to the museum change

toward the very end when there is evidence of the death and suffering
that drug abuse produces," said Antonio Maria Costa, executive director
of the Vienna-based UNODC. "The end message is very strong, namely
that use of drugs should be fought. Society has to use all its instruments,
which means law enforcement for sure, but not only law enforcement.
Prevention and treatment are equally important."

By guessing meaning from context, choose the answer that has the closest
meaning to the word:

1. The word "disorientation" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:

choose one

2. The word "distorted" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:

choose one

3. The word "poppies" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:

 choose one

4. The word "contradiction" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:

choose one

5. The word "exploited" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:

choose one

6. The word "synthetic" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to:

choose one

7. The word "illicit" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:

choose one

8. The word "curious" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:

choose one

9. The word "narcotic" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:

choose one

10. The word "addiction" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to:

choose one

11. The word "alternative" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to:

choose one

12. The word "prohibition" in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to:

choose one

13. The word "eradication" in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to:

choose one

14. The word "tragedy" in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to:

 choose one

IELTS True False Not Given reading questions

This lesson provides further practice on IELTS true false not given reading questions.

Before looking at the questions for the reading, you should take a quick look at the
reading passage and get an idea of what it is about.

This will help you tackle the questions.

Look at the title - what is the reading about?

Look at the topic sentences - what topics does the reading discuss?

What is the difference between False and Not Given?

Follow this link for some general strategies on IELTS true false not given reading
questions.

A particular problem, though, for students is spotting the difference between something
that is 'False' and 'Not Given'.

Firstly see if the statement agrees with what is in the reading. If it does it is true. If not
it is obviously false or not given.

The important point is that if you can say 100% from what you are given in the text
that the statement you have been given is not true, then it is 'false'.

If the evidence is not there to say that it is false, that means that it could be true or
false but you don't know - you cannot know from the information you have been given.

IELTS true false not given reading questions: Practice

Using these strategies, look at this reading and answer the questions that follow.

UN warns over impact of rapidly ageing

populations
The world needs to do more to prepare for the impact of a rapidly ageing
population, the UN has warned - particularly in developing countries.
Within 10 years the number of people aged over 60 will pass one billion,
a report by the UN Population Fund said. The demographic shift will
present huge challenges to countries' welfare, pension and healthcare
systems. The UN agency also said more had to be done to tackle "abuse,
neglect and violence against older persons".

The number of older people worldwide is growing faster than any other
age group. The report, Ageing in the 21st Century: A Celebration and a
Challenge, estimates that one in nine people around the world are older
than 60. The elderly population is expected to swell by 200 million in the
next decade to surpass one billion, and reach two billion by 2050. This
rising proportion of older people is a consequence of success - improved
nutrition, sanitation, healthcare, education and economic well-being are
contributing factors, the report says.

But the UN and a charity that also contributed to the report, HelpAge
International, say the ageing population is being widely mismanaged. "In
many developing countries with large populations of young people, the
challenge is that governments have not put policies and practices in
place to support their current older populations or made enough
preparations for 2050," the agencies said in a joint statement.

The report warns that the skills and experience of older people are being
wasted, with many under-employed and vulnerable to discrimination.
HelpAge said more countries needed to introduce pension schemes to
ensure economic independence and reduce poverty in old age. It
stressed that it was not enough to simply pass legislation - the new
schemes needed to be funded properly.

The UN report used India as an example, saying it needed to take urgent

steps in this area. Almost two-thirds of India's population is under 30.
But it also has 100 million elderly people - a figure that is expected to
increase threefold by 2050. Traditionally, people in India live in large,
extended families and elderly people have been well looked after. But the
trend now is to have smaller, nuclear families and many of the country's
elderly are finding themselves cast out, says the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder
in Delhi.

There are more and more cases of physical and mental abuse, including
neglect, suffered by the elderly at the hands of their families. It is slowly
becoming a widespread social problem, particularly in urban areas, one
which India still has not got to grips with, our correspondent says.

By contrast, the UN report cited the case of Bolivia as an example of

good practice in the developing world. All Bolivians over the age of 60
get a pension that is the equivalent of about $30 (19) a month. Bolivia
suffers from frequent flooding and landslides, and older people there
have been organised into "Brigadas Blancas" - White Haired Brigades.
They help with preparations for emergencies, and accessing
humanitarian aid.

Source: BBC News Website

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading?

Mark:

TRUE - if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE - if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN - if there is no information on this

1. The growth of the elderly population is going to make it extremely difficult to provide
adequate social service provision
True
False
Not Given

2. Approximately thirty per cent of the population are over 60 years old

True
False
Not Given

3. Developed countries are much better prepared than developing countries for 2050

True
False
Not Given

4. More financing is necessary to ensure new pension schemes are successful

True
False
Not Given

5. Elderly people in India are not always being looked after as well as they were in the
past
 True
False
Not GIven

6. India is starting to deal with the neglect of its elderly population

True
False
Not Given

7. Bolivian Families tend to look after their elderly relatives better then many other
countries

True
False
Not Given

Clear

Score =
Correct answers:

IELTS true false not given reading questions: Answer

Discussion
1) The growth of the elderly population is going to make it extremely difficult to
provide adequate social service provision - TRUE
Social services are things such as welfare benefits, pensions and health, so this
statement is the same as this in the reading:

The demographic shift will present huge challenges to countries' welfare, pension and
healthcare systems.

_____________________________________________

2) Approximately thirty per cent of the population are over 60 years old - FALSE

30% is not the same as one in nine, so the text contradicts the statement:

A Celebration and a Challenge, estimates that one in nine people around the world are
older than 60.

_____________________________________________

3) Developed countries are much better prepared than developing countries for 2050
NOT GIVEN

In the reading, we are told that developing countries are not prepared. This does imply
that developed countries are better prepared. However, do you know if they are much
better prepared?

It is quite possible they are much better prepared compared to developing countries so
we cant say for sure it is false. We dont know as the information is not given.

"In many developing countries with large populations of young people, the challenge is
that governments have not put policies and practices in place to support their current
older populations or made enough preparations for 2050," the agencies said in a joint
statement.

_____________________________________________

4) More financing is necessary to ensure new pension schemes are successful TRUE

The above statement means the same as this sentence which was written in reference
to pension schemes:

It stressed that it was not enough to simply pass legislation - the new schemes needed
to be funded properly.

_____________________________________________

5) Elderly people in India are not always being looked after as well as they were in the
past TRUE

These parts tell us the same thing as above:

Traditionallypeople have been well looked after. Butmany of the country's elderly
are finding themselves cast out.

_____________________________________________

6) India is starting to deal with the neglect of its elderly population FALSE

You will often need to understand synonyms in the reading test. Deal with means the
same as get to grips with. This sentence tells us India is NOT dealing with its
problems, so the information in the text contradicts the statement:

one which India still has not got to grips with, our correspondent says.

_____________________________________________

7) Bolivian Families tend to look after their elderly relatives better than many other
countries NOT GIVEN

You may have chosen true here, but the paragraph does not tell you if Bolivian
families look after their elderly better. It explains that they get more pension and are
involved in some community activities:

All Bolivians over the age of 60 get a pension that is the equivalent of about $30 (19)
a month. Bolivia suffers from frequent flooding and landslides, and older people there
have been organised into "Brigadas Blancas" - White Haired Brigades. They help with
preparations for emergencies, and accessing humanitarian aid.

Is it possible that Bolivian families tend to look after their elderly relatives better than
many other countries? Its quite possible but we dont know. We cant disprove it from
the reading so it is not given.

IELTS Reading Strategies

The aim of this exercise is to develop your IELTS reading strategies in order to find
the answers to questions such as 'short answer' as quickly as possible.

The key to doing this quickly is to recognize the section of the text which relates to the
question.

However, it is usual to find that the question stem will include words that are
synonyms of the words rather than the words from the actual text, or if it is not
synonyms there will be phrases that have the same meaning as a phrase in the text.

If they did not do this it would be too easy to find the answers.
This text is shorter than the texts you will get in the test, but it is just an activity to
introduce you to the idea of using the question to help you find the answer and to
provide you with some IELTS reading strategies that you can put to use in the test.

IELTS Reading Strategies Exercise

Hong Kong takes steps to improve English

a) The Hong Kong government today published proposals to introduce basic

English language competency assessments for primary, secondary and
university students as well as some professionals. The goal is to bolster
written English and Chinese as well as spoken English and Mandarin in the
former British colony.

b) The government said it wanted to push students to improve their

English, but officials acknowledged Hong Kong had little chance of
competing with rival trading centre Singapore.

c) English is an official language in both Hong Kong and Singapore, but

many more Singaporeans are fluent in it because it is taught as a first
language in schools.

d) "People always compare Singapore's English with our English," said

Michael Tien, a businessman who also serves as chairman of Hong Kong's
standing committee on language education and research.

e) "Don't forget English in Singapore is their first language," he told

reporters. "I don't think it's a fair comparison. With reading and writing
Chinese, they are way behind us."

f) Hong Kong's dominant language is the Cantonese dialect of Chinese. Mr

Tien said the territory is also pushing ahead to lift standards of Mandarin,
the main dialect in mainland China. Although Hong Kong was a British
colony until 1997 and many residents speak impeccable English, many
more do not. Some critics believe this to be an economic hindrance
because English is the international language of business.

g) Many students in Hong Kong are taught in Cantonese because few

teachers are proficient enough in English. Mr Tien said raising the standard
would be a "tall order."

h) "English is challenging," he said. "I don't think we can expect 100% of

our people to be fluent in English, so I'm shooting for university graduates
to start with."

Tips
Look at question (1) and compare it with paragraph (a). Which words help you identify
the answer?

example:

(1) How does the Hong Kong government intend to measure the level of
spoken English?

The Hong Kong government indicates that we are looking at the correct paragraph but
we need to find how they intend to measure.

The word proposals is used as a noun in the text, but to propose is a verb that means
intend, so we can say that the Hong Kong government intends to introduce basic
English Language competency assessments.

To assess means to measure the level of something, and in this case we know that
they want to measure peoples Basic English Language, so we can answer:

Answer To introduce competency assessments.

Paragraph Indicator The Hong Kong Government.

Words that help to identify proposals and assessments.

So you can use these IELTS reading strategies to help you find answers to questions
quickly.

_________________________________________________

Practice
Now it is your turn to have a practice. It is important to note though that if you choose
a different paragrah indicator, this does not matter as long as it was correct in helping
you to find the right paragraph and answer.

Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN 4 WORDS

(1) How is English learnt in Singaporean schools?

Answer __________________________

Paragraph Indicator _____________________________

Words that help to identify ______________________________

(2) It what areas are the Hong Kong people ahead of those in Singapore?

Answer ___________________________

Paragraph Indicator ______________________________

Words that help to identify _______________________________

(3) What other areas of language does the chairman want to improve?

Answer ___________________________

Paragraph Indicator ______________________________

Words that help to identify ______________________________

(4) What do a number of people think the poor quality of English is?

Answer ___________________________

Paragraph Indicator ______________________________

Words that help to identify ______________________________

(5) What does the chairman consider to be very difficult due to the lack
skilled instructors?

Answer ___________________________

Paragraph Indicator ______________________________

Words that help to identify ______________________________

_________________________________________________

IELTS Reading Strategies - Answers

(1) How is English learnt in Singaporean schools?

Answer As a first language

Paragraph Indicator Singapore/schools

Words that help to identify taught

(2) It what areas are the Hong Kong people ahead of those in Singapore?

Answer Reading and writing Chinese

Paragraph Indicator compare Singapores English

Words that help to identify behind

(3) What other areas of language does the chairman want to improve?

Answer standards of Mandarin

Paragraph Indicator Mr. Tien/ dominant language is Cantonese

Words that help to identify pushing ahead to lift standards

(4) What do a number of people think the poor quality of English is?

Answer an economic hindrance

Paragraph Indicator many do not speak impeccable English

Words that help to identify some critics believe

(5) What does the chairman consider to be very difficult due to the lack
skilled instructors?

Answer raising the standard

Paragraph Indicator Mr. Tien/ lack of skilled instructors

Words that help to identify tall order/very difficult

IELTS Short Answer Questions

This lesson provides advice on IELTS short answer questions and further practice on
True, False, Not Given questions.

What can you predict from the title?

Skim read the first paragraph. What is the topic?

What are the aspects of the topic?

What type of language do you expect to be in this passage?

Does the writing include any examples? If so, what are they examples of?

Education Industry Revving Up

1. A recent newspaper investigation into the growing number of foreign
fee-paying students raises some issues for timely reflection. To be blunt,
we need to prepare ourselves for a sudden and major increase in
population. This new population may not be permanent but it will
continue to increase in numbers and make itself at home in New Zealand
for the main purpose of intellectual advancement. It will, in effect, be a
rotating population but one that produces an increase in the total
population at any one time.

2. If you think, as even some Asian students do, that Auckland is already
too Asian (one in eight Aucklanders is now Asian), be prepared for it
becoming too European or too South American. Our booming education
industry still catches some locals by surprise and, depending on your
point of view about racial diversity, it may or may not be of comfort to
know that it has only just begun.

3. The only limitations to its growth will be the decisions and behaviour of
organizations serving these students from overseas who want to study
here - whether it is English language or IT skills. And I do not mean just
the education function itself: it includes health, transport, property and
entertainment. The list increases into all aspects of society as more
students arrive from the major continents.

4. My own company has grown 500 per cent in the past four years and
our board is anticipating an even higher rate over the next five years. I
see no reason we should consider industry growth expectations below
this. Early next month we will open a new international language school
in Queen St designed to give students internationally accredited English
language skills so they can stay longer and study IT courses. Some will
go on to our universities.

5. This one new school alone will inject an extra $60 million-odd annually
into Auckland's economy. What does this industry growth mean? It could
mean a $10 billion (contribution to gross domestic product) industry by
the end of this decade, employing 100,000 New Zealanders directly and
many more indirectly.

6. The conditions which have created this opportunity are many, but
underlying them all are the standards which shape education in this
country. Some will argue that whimsical circumstances, such as a
favourable exchange rate or our distance from the troubled areas of the
world, have caused it all. But without the right internationally recognised
education standards we would have no such booming industry.

7. Make no mistake, this is our trump card. As long as we are known for
quality education we can develop what we have started regardless of
almost any other change of circumstance. Undoubtedly, there are
financial benefits for society. But we would be blind not to acknowledge
and address the many other implications which the newspaper article
began to identify.

8. The growth opportunity is so good that we must effectively evolve as

an industry and fast, too. We must eliminate the clumsy, experimental
mistake-ridden phase of youth. Fundamentally we must leap from
childhood to maturity.

9. But how? Experiences in my company lead me to suggest three main

areas to address - total service, performance regulation and long-term
planning. By total service I mean accepting some responsibility for
students inside and outside of campus. Within two years, my company
expects at least 1000 overseas students to be studying at all our six
campuses. We must take some responsibility for this size of customer
base, as any normal company would.

10. This means we must attract other suppliers as dedicated partners

with us - property, insurance, healthcare, transport, social support, the
list goes on. Education New Zealand has a valuable role here.

11. This type of care begins in the students' countries of origin, ensuring
they have correct information about our country and how different it will
be in many small and large ways. Our company, intent on achieving this,
is introducing marketing programmes in three continents. Performance
regulation will be vital in our leap to adulthood. We cannot leave it up to
the Government; it will mean a private sector-Government partnership.

12. I am also not surprised to hear calls for the Government to introduce
an industry levy - frankly, just another tax - to "protect" standards. We
should keep in mind that foreign students are happy to come here
because of our stable Government, virtually non-existent corruption, and
education standards. For the Government to come to our support with an
extra levy imposition reminds me of an old saying: When a sufficient
number of management layers are superimposed on top of each other, it
can be assured that disaster is not left to chance.

13. Long-term planning usually begins with a vision agreed by the

industry and I will support any immediate efforts in this area. We now
have an industry that is arguably our country's third largest export
earner. We need to know where we can take this industry, how it fits with
society and its place in an increasingly systemic world where people
move more freely and technology drives a global economy.

True (T) False (F) Not Given (NG)

Tips
Remember with True, False, Not Given questions, you should first see if the statement
given agrees with the information in the reading.

If it does it is true. Otherwise, it must be false or not given.

If the evidence is not there to say that it is false, that means that it could be true or
false but you don't know - you cannot know from the information you have been given.

_______________________________________________
 Section 1
1. The new residents will stay in New Zealand forever?
choose one

2. The main reason these people are in New Zealand is to progress academically.
choose one

3. There are many Vietnamese people living in New Zealand.

choose one

4. The success of the education industry has been happening for many years.
choose one

5. People from Auckland are surprised at the number of Asian students there are.
choose one

6. All students want to study English and IT.

choose one

7. The writers company has increased in size over the last few years.
choose one

8. The countrys financial situation will benefit from overseas students.

choose one

9. There will be less jobs for native speakers in the future.

choose one

10. According to the writer, New Zealand's exchange rate and location underpin the
opportunities available.
choose one

IELTS Short Answer Questions

Tips
Read the instructions carefully - these tell you how many words you can use (a
maximum of three in this case).
In IELTS short answer questions you should use words from the text rather than
your own, and don't change the words.
 Quickly read through all of the questions so you can get an idea of what
information you will have to find in the text.
Use key words from the question to help you skim the text quickly to find the
information. For example, in the first one, you need to look for "type of care".
Remember though that synomys will also be used in the text, so you must be
careful when you look for the information.
Read the section of the text where you know the answer is carefully to see which
words will answer the question.
Your answer must make sense grammatically to be correct.

Using the above tips and advice, try to answer the following IELTS short answer
questions.

You can write your answer in the text box below each question. You can the click at the
end to reveal the answers.

_______________________________________________

Section 2
Answer the following questions in no more than three words:

11 Where should the type of care the writer discusses initially come from?

12 What will be very important in the education sector's rise to maturity?

13 What does the government want to bring in?

14 Give one reason why students are content to study in New Zealand?

15 What does the ongoing preparation usually start with?

16 How big an export industry is English language teaching?

Show / hide answers

_______________________________________________

Answers Discussion for Section 1

1. The new residents will stay in New Zealand forever? F

This new population may not be permanent but...(para. 1)

2. The main reason these people are in New Zealand is to progress academically. T

...in New Zealand for the main purpose of intellectual advancement. (para. 1)

3. There are many Vietnamese people living in New Zealand. NG

Auckland is already too Asian (one in eight Aucklanders is now Asian), (para. 2) - we
are told Asians are in Auckland but we don't know what country they are from.

4. The success of the education industry has been happening for many years. F

Our booming education industry...to know that it has only just begun. (para. 2)

5. People from Auckland are surprised at the number of Asian students there are. NG

Our booming education industry still catches some locals by surprise.(para 2) - the
word 'surprise' is mentioned here but it is nothing to do with surprise at the number of
Asian students. People could be surprised but we don't know. This information is not
given in the text.

6. All students want to study English and IT. NG

...these students from overseas who want to study here - whether it is English
language or IT skills. (para. 3) - It is possible that ALL students want to study English
and IT, but we are not told whether this is true or not. There could be other subjects as
well.

7. The writers company has increased in size over the last few years. T

My own company has grown 500 per cent in the past four years. (para. 4)
 8. The countrys financial situation will benefit from overseas students. T

will inject an extra $60 million-odd annually into Auckland's economy. (para. 5)

9. There will be less jobs for native speakers in the future. F

employing 100,000 New Zealanders directly and many more indirectly. (para. 5)

10. According to the writer, New Zealand's exchange rate and location underpin the
opportunities available..F

...without the right internationally recognised education standards we would have no

such booming industry. (para. 6)

Lesson 11: Reading Gap Fill

A reading gap fill is one task you may get in the IELTS test.

You have to fill in the gaps of a summary of part of the text using words from a box.

There may be more words than you need to use so you need to find the part of the
reading that refers to the summary and make sure that you work out which word
will fit.

You also need to think about the grammar as the word you put in the reading gap fill
must fit grammatically as well. Here are some general strategies

Strategies for Reading Gap Fill Tasks

Looking at question 1, these are the strategies you can try following:

1. Read through the summary carefully to make sure you understand it.
2. Work out which section of the reading the summary comes from (in this
example, the whole of the text is summarized but in the real test you'll need to look
through the reading to find the right paragraphs).
3. Carefully read the sentence with the first gap and think about what form will fit
i.e. should it be an adjective, noun, infinitive, present participle etc? And what type
of word is needed i.e. is it an amount, a change, an action?
4. You should have worked out that for questions 1 you are looking for a noun
because 'an' comes before it.
5. Then look at the words that are in the box - which ones have the right form to fit
and the right type? There are several nouns.
6. Look at the correct part of the full reading that refers to the reading gap fill
section you are looking at and decide what happened for the first time to do with air
rage in the 1940s?
7. Use this information to help you choose the correct word for the reading gap fill..
___________________________________________

Reading Gap Fill Practice

Air Rage
The first recorded case of an airline passenger turning seriously violent
during a flight, a phenomenon now widely known as air rage,
happened in 1947 on a flight from Havana to Miami. A drunk man
assaulted another passenger and bit a flight attendant. However, the
man escaped punishment because it was not then clear under whose
legal control a crime committed on plane was, the country where the
plane was registered or the country where the crime was committed. In
1963, at the Tokyo convention, it was decided that the laws of the
country where the plane is registered take precedence.

The frequency of air rage has expanded out of proportion to the growth
of air travel. Until recently few statistic were gathered about air rage,
but those that have been indicate that passengers are increasingly likely
to cause trouble or engage in violent acts. For example, in 1998 there
were 266 air rage incidents out of approximately four million
passengers, a 400% increase from 1995. In the same period American
Airlines showed a 200% rise. Air travel is predicted to rise by 5%
internationally by 2010 leading to increased airport congestion. This,
coupled with the flying publics increased aggression, means that air
rage may become a major issue in coming years.

Aside from discomfort and disruption, air rage poses some very real
dangers to flying. The most extreme of these is when out of control
passengers enter the cockpit. This has actually happened on a number
of occasions, the worst of which have resulted in the death and injury of
pilots or the intruder taking control of the plane, almost resulting in
crashes. In addition, berserk passengers sometimes attempt to open the
emergency doors while in flight, putting the whole aircraft in danger.
These are extreme examples and cases of air rage more commonly
result in physical assaults on fellow passengers and crew such as
throwing objects, punching, stabbing or scalding with hot coffee.

Look at the words in the table and decide which word will fit in the reading gap fill
summary. Type the word into the gap (when you have completed it you can click below
to reveal and check your answers).
 passenge
predicted rose incident found assault
r
occurrin
established hoped increased injury passengers
g

Summary

The first time that an (1) of air rage was recorded was in the 1940s, but
the passenger was never actually charged for an offence because there were no clear

rules in place to specify where to prosecute. It was later (2) that it would

be the country where the plane is registered. Air rage has (3) significantly
since this time, growing by a staggering 400% from 1995 to 1998. Air rage is (4)

to be a major problem in the future as air travel increases, as do levels of

aggression. Angry (5) can put everyone in danger including the pilots, the

crew and the other passengers, with some form of (6) being the most
common consequence.

Reading Gap Fill Answers

Show / hide answers

The first time that an incident of air rage was recorded was in the 1940s, but the
passenger was never actually charged for an offence because there were no clear rules
in place to specify where to prosecute. It was later established that it would be the
country where the plane is registered. Air rage has increased significantly since this
time, growing by a staggering 400% from 1995 to 1998. Air rage is predicted to be a
major problem in the future as air travel increases, as do levels of aggression. Angry
passengers can put everyone in danger including the pilots, the crew and the other
passengers, with some form of assault being the most common consequence.

Reading Gap Fill Answer Discussion

(1) Incident
You should have worked out the this is a synonym for 'case'. The other nouns in the
box would not fit here.

(2) Established

'Establish' can mean to set up something up such as a system of rules. So this word fits
here. You may have thought it was 'found', but this means to discover something. The
new legislation wasn't 'discovered'.

(3) Increased

If you refer to the reading you can see that this is the trend referred to. 'Rose' does not
fit grammatically.

(4) Predicted

The reading and the summary show that the future is being discussed, so this word fits.

(5) Passengers

It must be the plural as it is being used as a general noun. For the singular, an article
would need to have been used.

(6) Assault

If you put 'injury' this is wrong as the reading does not say people are commonly
injured, but it does refer to assaults. You can get assaulted without getting injured.