TASK TYPE 1 Identifying Information (True/False/Not Given)

LESSON OVERVIEW

This lesson looks at the Identifying Information (True/False/Not Given) reading task. This task type tests the
ability to identify views expressed or claimed by the author of a factual text. Students are required to read a
passage and decide if a number of statements either agree or disagree with the information in the passage,
or whether the information in the statement is not given in the text at all.
• Part A checks understanding of key points about the True/False/Not Given reading task.
• Part B gives learners a short IELTS practice task and they can assess how they did.
• Part C gives useful tips and tactics for the task.
• Part D provides further practice of True/False/Not Given reading tasks and finishes with a realistic IELTS practice task.

A About the task Allow about six or seven minutes for this task.
Before checking the answers as a class, encourage
1 You can ask students to read this section for students to compare answers and show each other
homework before the class or ask them to read it in the words and sentences in the passage that gave
class. them the answers.
Quickly brainstorm the names of reading tasks
types students know. Write T/F/NG on the board
and elicit from students the name of the task type Answers
to be studied in this lesson (True/False/Not Given). 1 TRUE the National Center for Atmospheric
Ask students what they already know about this task Research (NCAR) in the USA is experimenting
type and what they would like to find out. with new ways of achieving a greater level of
Ask students to read the information about the task accuracy in snowfall figures.
type in Section A and then read the Notes from a 2 NOT GIVEN Guttman’s colleagues have been
student at the bottom of the page. Explain there are testing a number of new snow-measuring
two mistakes and ask them to correct them based devices, including ultrasonic snow depth
on the information in Section A. Give students about sensors, which send out a pulse of noise
two minutes to read the information and find the and measure how long it takes to bounce
two errors. Ask them to work in pairs and check their back from the surface below the snow, and
answers. Conduct feedback with the whole class. laser sensors which work on the same basic
principle but use light instead of sound. (It
wwAlternative idea does not tell you if the ultrasonic sensors are
Ask students to read the Notes at the bottom of more reliable than laser sensors.)
page 82 and predict what the two mistakes might 3 FALSE Another device for measuring
be, then read Notes on Section A and check their snowfall is a type of open container with
answers. motor-vehicle antifreeze inside it. The anti-
freeze melts the snow as it falls and sensors
Answers measure the weight of the resulting liquid.
1 Yes 4 FALSE Not only would this method be more
2 Yes cost effective than other methods …
3 Yes 5 TRUE it might also be particularly useful for
4 No – the information in the passage is measuring the snow in remote locations such
correct, but the information in the statements as inaccessible upland areas and the highest
may not match it word for word. mountain peaks and ranges.
5 No – you have to write TRUE, FALSE or NOT 6 NOT GIVEN Basically, this is just a flat
GIVEN in the box. piece of white-painted wood on which
snow can accumulate. Windshields placed
around these can also add to the accuracy
B Sample questions of measurements. (It does not say whether
the snow board is effective in areas with high
2 Tell students they are going to practise applying the winds or not.)
rules they have just learned about True/False/Not
Given in a short passage about measuring snowfall.
Ask students for their ideas on how snowfall might C Tips and tactics
be measured and what might be difficult about
3 You can ask students to read this section for
measuring snowfall. Then ask them to complete the
homework before the class or ask them to read it in
IELTS Practice Task.
class.
Look at questions 1–6 with students so they know
Ask students to work in pairs and choose the three
what information they have to find. At this stage you
most useful tips in their opinion and compare their
don’t need to suggest any strategies to them (the next
answers. Alternatively, ask them to divide the tips
section focuses on strategies), just let them have a go.
into three categories: I already knew this, I didn’t

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 TASK TYPE 1 Identifying Information (True/False/Not Given)

TASK TYPE 1 Sentence Completion

know this, I want more information about this, and By scanning for these words they can quickly
then compare their categories with their partner. locate the information and underline the sentences.
Ask students to work in pairs and discuss questions Students don’t need to say if the information is true
a, b and c. Give them five minutes to read the or false at this stage, they just need to locate the
thirteen statements and answer the questions. Get information and underline the sentences, so keep
a few students to give their answers in open class this exercise brief.
briefly.
6 Tell students they now have a few minutes to read
The class could also decide as a group on the best
the text in more detail and decide whether each
three tips. If you set Part C as homework, you can
statement A or B is true or false. Tell them to refer
briefly review the tips and tactics at the beginning of
to the sentences they underlined in the passage in
the next class. For example, ask students to share
Exercise 5 that give them the answer. Ask students
what they think are the three most important tips
to work in pairs and compare their answers.
and tactics with a partner in the following lesson.
wwAlternative idea Answers
Put students in A/B pairs. Ask Student A to read
Tips and Tactics 1–6 and Student B to read 7–13. 1 A TRUE B FALSE The recipes were collected
Tell them they should highlight key words in the into a book 1,500 years ago, but they were in
statements and use these key words to help existence several centuries before that.
them to explain each point to their partner. Allow 2 A FALSE B TRUE Not much is known about
students a few minutes to read and highlight. Tell this man other than the fact that he loved
students they have to share their Tips and Tactics good food and enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle.
by explaining each one they read about, using 3 A TRUE B FALSE This book was once
the key words to help them (they shouldn’t just famous but, unfortunately, it has since been
be reading them out). To give them a reason for lost.
listening, tell them they will have to choose the top 4 A FALSE B TRUE Few scholars today think
three tips from all thirteen. Allow 10 or 15 minutes Apicius was the actual author of the recipes
for this activity and then invite a few pairs to share in the book that bears his name.
their top three. 5 A FALSE B TRUE Some of the recipes,
such as the one for Isicia Omentata (a kind
D Skills-building exercises of ancient Roman burger), would not seem
strange to us today.
4 Encourage students to look at the title of the text, 6 A TRUE B FALSE ... for ingredients that
The First Cookbook, on page 79 to help orientate would have been rare and hard to come by
themselves to the topic they will read about. Ask even in Ancient Rome, such as flamingo
them briefly to suggest who may have written the tongues, roast ostrich and camel heels.
first cookbook, where and when. This indicates that the book was written for
Tell students they are going to just focus on wealthy Romans, as only they could have
identifying true/false in this exercise. Ask them afforded such exotic ingredients.
to underline or circle the key words or numbers
in the statements 1–6, for example, 1A recipes /
Apicus / older than book / 1B 1,500 years old and 7 Read through the three questions and put students
remind them that doing this helps them to read into pairs to discuss their answers. Monitor their
more efficiently. Monitor to check that students are discussion and help where necessary if students
underling or circling key words, then briefly check the disagree about the answer or misunderstand the
key words with the whole class. text. After a few minutes check the answers with the
whole class.
Note: Often the words in the question and text
are different (paraphrased), but sometimes the 8 Tell students they are now going to focus on
key words in the question are proper nouns e.g. deciding if the information is given or not given in
Marcus Gavius Apicius or words that are unlikely to a new passage. Generate interest in the topic of
be paraphrased for example, recipe. These are the the passage by briefly asking the students some
best words to scan for in the passage as they will be general questions that may also help to activate
easier to find. some of the vocabulary in the passage. For example,
Can anyone play chess? Have you ever had a really
5 Tell them to read the passage quickly and underline good opponent? Do you know the names of any
the sentences that contain the information relevant grand masters? What do you think the title of the
to the statements they looked at in Exercise 4. text means? Then tell them they are going to
Encourage them to find a key word in the read through the statements and decide if there is
statements to scan for (or one like it) in the passage. enough information in the passage to know if they
In statement 1B, the number 1,500 is in paragraph 1. are true or false. Explain that if there is not enough
In statements 2A and B the name Marcus Gavius information, then the answer to choose in this task
Apicus is in paragraph 1. In statements 3A and B the type is NOT GIVEN.
name Apion is in paragraph 1. In statements 4A and B Read through questions a, b and c with the whole
the word wrote relates to the word author in the last class. These ask students to read the statements,
sentence of paragraph 1. In statements 5A and B find where the answers are in the passage (remind
the word today is in paragraph 2. In statements 6A students to use a key word to scan for, these are
and B the word ingredients is in paragraph 2. shown in the answers on page 67), and whether

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 TASK TYPE 1 Identifying Information (True/False/Not Given)

the information in the statements is given or not

given. Explain any difficult words, for example hoax 7 FOCUS ON THE PASSIVE
in statement 3 means something fake or done to uThere is a photocopiable worksheet of this
trick people. Give students five minutes to do this activity on page 231.
exercise.
1 Write the following sentences on the board or
hand out Worksheet 7.
Answers 1 The Chess Turk was revealed to be a hoax.
1 GIVEN (TRUE) Around 1769, an Austrian 2 An opponent revealed the Chess Turk was a
inventor constructed one called the Chess hoax.
Turk. Ask students to:
2 NOT GIVEN (Franklin was fascinated by the a underline the subject and object in each
machine and said it was the most interesting sentence.
game of chess he had ever played. (But we b underline the main verb in each sentence. What
don’t know who won.) is the verb form?
3 GIVEN (FALSE) The writer Edgar Allan Poe c In sentence 1, do we know who revealed the
wrote an essay explaining how he thought Chess Turk to be a hoax? Why? / Why not?
the Chess Turk worked, though his theories 2 Ask students to read the second paragraph from
proved to be incorrect. the reading passage Machines that play chess on
4 GIVEN (TRUE) It was discovered that a living page 80 of the Student’s Book. Ask them to find
chess master was concealed within the examples of the passive and answer the question:
machine, plotting the moves and operating Why is the passive used in these sentences?.
the machinery.
5 NOT GIVEN (The computer was developed in 3 Ask students to read the last paragraph of the
the 1950s, but we don’t know when the first passage. Are there any examples of the passive
chess game was played on one.) voice? Why not?
6 GIVEN (FALSE) In 1997, a chess-playing
supercomputer called Deep Blue played Answers
the reigning world chess champion Garry 1 Subject Verb Object
Kasparov in two six-game matches. Kasparov a The Chess Turk was revealed to be a hoax.
won one of these matches and the computer Subject Verb Object
won the other. b An opponent revealed the Chess Turk was
7 NOT GIVEN (We know that grand masters a hoax.
find them challenging, but we don’t know c We do not know who revealed the Chess
who designed the first ones.) Turk to be a hoax because this person is not
the main focus of the sentence, is unknown
9 Ask students to check their answers to Exercise 8 or the writer may want to hide their identity.
briefly with their partner and discuss any that are 2 Examples of the passive: it was discovered
different. Monitor closely, then conduct feedback as ..., was concealed, ... was neglected, … could
a whole class. be played. The passive is used because the
agents of these actions (researchers, gamers,
10 Ask students to go back to the GIVEN answers (1, the inventor etc) might be known by the
3, 4, and 6) and read the parts of the text that they writer and reader, but they are not made the
underlined to find out if the given answer is true focus here. The discovery, the chess master,
or false. After a few minutes check with the whole the field of mechanical chess research, the
group. This exercise could be also done as part of first game are instead chosen by the writer as
Exercise 8 with a strong group. the focus and the subjects in the sentences.
3 There are no examples of the passive voice in
Answers this paragraph because the writer uses some
1 TRUE Around 1769, an Austrian inventor well-known names and puts the focus on
constructed one called the Chess Turk. them instead of the computer.
3 FALSE The writer Edgar Allan Poe wrote an
essay explaining how he thought the Chess uFor more information and practice of the passive,
Turk worked, but he didn’t realise it was a see Units 17 and 18 in the Grammar Resource Bank,
hoax. Student’s Book pages 319–321.
4 TRUE It was discovered that a living chess
master was concealed within the machine,
plotting the moves and operating the
machinery.
6 FALSE In 1997, a chess-playing
supercomputer called Deep Blue played
the reigning world chess champion Garry
Kasparov in two six-game matches. Kasparov
won one of these matches and the computer
won the other.

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 TASK TYPE 1 Identifying Information (True/False/Not Given)

11 Tell students they are now going to focus on IELTS PRACTICE TASK
deciding if the information is false or not given in a
new passage. Generate interest in the passage by This task allows students to put into practice the
talking about the photo, describing what the dolphin strategies they have learned in this unit in the form of a
looks like, asking students if they know any different realistic practice task. Remind students of the steps they
species of dolphin and they think scientists might can go through: highlight key words in the statements,
tell them apart. Ask students to quickly read and locate the key word or its synonym in the passage, read
underline key words in the statements. in detail to find out if the information is the same (True),
different (False) or not there (Not Given). Allow about
12 Tell students to read the passage quickly (give them ten minutes for this exercise and either go through the
three or four minutes) and find and underline where answers with the whole class, or get students to check
information related to the statements might be. their answers in pairs.
13 Tell students that none of the statements are true.
Give them five minutes to read the sections of the Answers
passage they have underlined more carefully. This 1 TRUE In recent years, however, as labour
time they need to find out if the information is there and production costs have soared
but contradicts the statement (false), or whether 2 NOT GIVEN (We know about the number
there is no information directly related to the employed in Kenya, but there is no
statement (not given). information about the number employed in
Europe.)
Answers 3 FALSE It is the country’s largest agricultural
1 NOT GIVEN (We read that the name comes foreign exchange earner after tea
from their language, but we don’t know 4 TRUE the UK cut-flower industry now
whether Aborigines themselves named the supplies just about ten per cent of the
dolphin.) country’s needs. Twenty years ago it was
2 FALSE around a hundred ... another fifty are more like half.
known to frequent the saltwater coastal lakes 5 FALSE Cranfield University in the UK showed
of the rural Gippsland region. that the production of Kenyan flowers,
3 NOT GIVEN (We know that these species including delivery by air freight and truck,
have different DNA from the Burranans – but resulted in ...
nothing about how similar they are to each 6 NOT GIVEN (We know that roses are
other.) produced there, but there is no information
4 FALSE The results were so surprising that about other flowers.)
the team initially thought there was a mistake 7 TRUE with water levels dropping by three
and reran the tests. metres, fish catches falling, and …
5 FALSE (Burrunan’s more curved dorsal fin, 8 FALSE Roses, for example, have to be
stubbier beak, and unique colouring that shipped by air rather than by sea because
includes dark gray, mid-grey and white.) they require constant refrigeration and wilt
6 FALSE After reviewing the female dolphin’s quickly. Transporting other types of flowers by
skeleton recently, though, Charlton-Robb’s sea can also be tricky compared to air freight.
team determined she was a Burrunan. (We
know that the female dolphin’s skeleton was
wwSelf-evaluation
recently re-examined, but we know nothing
Ask students how they feel about the Identifying
about what became of the other one.)
information (True/False/Not Given) task. Ask them
7 NOT GIVEN (The research team has
to complete the checklist. Further practice is
petitioned the Australian government to list
available on the DVD-ROM.
the animals as endangered, but we know
nothing about the government’s intentions.)

14 Encourage students to check their answers with a

partner and then join up with a second pair. This can
help peer teaching to take place, as well as prove an
opportunity for speaking.

68 ACADEMIC READING