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READING MASTERWORK
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Reading Test is a critical
assessment that requires a well-thought-out strategy for successful completion. Here is a detailed
explanation of a recommended approach to tackle this test.
Reading the Questions First: Instead of diving directly into the passage, it's advisable to begin by
reading the questions. This strategy provides an understanding of what information to look for in
the passage and helps to focus your reading.
Identifying Keywords: After comprehending the questions, your attention should move towards
identifying the keywords. Keywords are significant words in the question that guide you to the
answer. They could be names, numbers, places, or any specific terms related to the question's
context. By doing this, you are essentially creating a mental roadmap that will direct your
reading and answer search in the passage.
Reading the Passage: Equipped with a clear understanding of the questions and keywords, you
can now start reading the passage. You should read with the intention to find the answers to the
questions using the keywords as anchors.
Locating and Answering the Questions: With the roadmap in mind, you can either identify the
location of the answer and note it down to come back to it later, or answer the question instantly
after reading the relevant part in the passage. This part of the strategy depends on your personal
preference and what works best for you in terms of recall and understanding.

Explanation of the True/False/Not Given Strategy for IELTS Reading Test

For the 'True/False/Not Given' type of questions in the IELTS Reading Test, a distinct approach
is required. This strategy involves the following steps:
Assume the Statement as True: Start with an assumption that the statement provided is true. For
instance, "The late night congressional meeting on 17th June 1986 had yielded very heated
conversations among many participants."
Attempt to Falsify the Statement: Try to make the statement false by altering a crucial word or
phrase - the 'pivotal point' of the statement. In the given example, changing "very heated" to a
contrasting term could potentially render the statement false.

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READING MASTERWORK
Find Corresponding Information in the Passage: Look for information in the passage that
corresponds to the statement and compare it with the pivotal point. Also, be attentive to the
keywords around it. Keywords are typically nouns or specific terms. If you cannot find
corresponding information or keywords (e.g., the passage does not mention the date, time, or
nature of the meeting), the answer would be 'Not Given'.
This strategy needs to be applied cautiously to avoid common logical errors. One such mistake is
to infer that two events happening at the same time are unrelated, leading to a 'Not Given'
answer. However, the strategy requires us to choose the most probable and logical answer, not an
absolutely correct one.
The diagram to illustrate this strategy would look like this:

Matching headings to paragraphs is a common task in the IELTS Reading test. Here's a
detailed explanation on how to approach this type of question:
Understanding the Task
In "Matching Headings" questions, you are given a list of headings, and you need to match each
heading to a paragraph in the reading passage. The heading should summarize the main idea or
theme of the respective paragraph.
Remember that there may be more headings than paragraphs, meaning some headings will not be
used at all. Additionally, a heading can only be used once.
Strategy
Read the Headings: Before you start reading the passage, read through all the headings. This
gives you an idea of the main themes in the text. This step is crucial as it helps you gain an
understanding of what to expect and what to look for in the passage.
Identify the Main Question Implied by Each Heading: Each heading implies a certain question or
theme. For instance, a heading that reads "The Impacts of Climate Change" implies questions
such as "What are the effects of climate change?" or "How does climate change impact the
environment or society?" Identifying the implied questions helps you understand what
information to look for in the passage.
Identify Keywords: Look for specific nouns, verbs, or phrases in the headings that stand out.
These keywords can help guide your search for the corresponding paragraph. For example, if the
heading is "The Dangers of Deforestation", words like "dangers" and "deforestation" are your
keywords.

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READING MASTERWORK
Skim the Passage: Skim through each paragraph of the passage, looking for the main idea or
theme. Your goal is not to understand every detail, but to get a general sense of what each
paragraph is about.
Match the Headings: Try to match each heading with a paragraph. Look for paragraphs that
answer the implied question in the heading and contain the keywords.
Check Your Answers: After you've matched all the headings, go back and read the paragraphs
and headings again to make sure they fit together well. The heading should accurately
summarize the main idea of the paragraph.

Gap-filling questions, also known as "summary completion" or "sentence completion"

questions, are common in the IELTS Reading test. In this task, you are given a summary of a
part of the text, and you need to complete it with information from the reading passage.
Understanding the Task
In "Gap-Filling" questions, you are given a series of sentences or a paragraph with missing
words (gaps). Your task is to fill each gap with a word or short phrase from the passage that fits
both in terms of meaning and grammatical structure. The missing information could be a key
idea, detail, or example from the text.
Strategy
Identify Keywords for Each Gap: Start by identifying at least two keywords for each gap. These
keywords should help you locate the part of the passage where the missing information is likely
to be found. Keywords could be related words, synonyms, or antonyms.
Read Around the Gap Carefully: Next, read the sentence or paragraph containing the gap
carefully. This should give you an idea of what type of word or phrase is missing - it could be a
noun, verb, adjective, adverb, or even a phrase. The context around the gap will guide you
towards the correct answer.
Choose a Word or Phrase from the Passage: Look for a word or phrase in the passage that fits the
gap in terms of both meaning and grammatical structure. Be mindful of word forms and tenses -
the word you choose must fit grammatically into the sentence.
Check Your Answer: Finally, reread the sentence or paragraph with your chosen word or phrase
to ensure it makes sense both grammatically and contextually.

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READING MASTERWORK

"Name Matching" is another common type of question in the IELTS Reading test. In this task,
you are given a list of names and a set of statements. Your task is to match each name to the
correct statement based on the information given in the reading passage.
Understanding the Task
In "Name Matching" questions, you will usually be given a list of names of individuals (e.g.,
authors, scientists, researchers) and a series of statements. Each statement corresponds to a
certain individual's viewpoint, findings, or contribution as described in the passage. Your task is
to match each name to the correct statement.
Not all names provided will be used, and some may be used more than once. The names can
appear in any order in the passage.
Strategy
Identify Keywords in Each Statement: Start by identifying two keywords in each statement.
These keywords will guide you in your search for the correct part of the passage that contains the
relevant information.
Read the List of Names: Next, read the list of names to get a sense of who is mentioned in the
passage. This will give you an idea of the individuals you need to focus on as you read the
passage.
Read the Passage and Match the Names: As you read the passage, circle or underline the names
and note their proximity to the keywords that you identified from their statements. This will
assist you in making the correct matches. Be aware that synonyms or paraphrasing may be used
in the passage.
Check Your Answers: Finally, review your answers to ensure that they make sense in the context
of the passage. Each name should correctly match the statement that accurately summarizes their
viewpoint, findings, or contribution as described in the passage.

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unauthorized copy or misuse by law.