IELTS Reading: Summary Exercise

This IELTS reading practice lesson focuses on completing a summary. It is a common question type in IELTS reading. First, read the passage below and then fill in the summary.

The Importance of Sleep

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.
The way you feel while you’re awake depends in part on what happens while you’re sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health. In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development.
The damage from sleep deficiency can occur in an instant (such as a car crash), or it can harm you over time. For example, ongoing sleep deficiency can raise your risk for some chronic health problems. It also can affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others.

Questions 1-4
Complete the summary below.
Choose no more than two words from the passage for each answer.

Why sleep is important

Physical and mental health is at risk without enough 1. ……………………….. sleep. Furthermore, for adolescents, sleep promotes 2. ………………………….. and 3. ……………………….. Lack of sleep can be the cause of 4. ………………. health problems which can also have an impact on important aspects of our lives.

Click to see: Answers and vocabulary

Passage taken and adapted from here.

Recommended Lessons

IELTS Reading Practice: Multiple Choice
IELTS Reading Practice: Sentence Completion
IELTS Reading Practice: Matching Paragraph Information

Comments

  1. Rophina says

    Thanks liz. Your site is helpful

  2. Esu ude says

    3/4 instead of chronic I wrote mental. Thanks for the lesson

  3. Gajendra says

    What about quality sleep on no.1

    • You asked me if the answer to number 1 could be “quality sleep”.
      If that was the answer, the completed sentence would be

      “Physical and mental health is at risk without enough quality sleep sleep.”

      As you see, it means you would have the word “sleep” twice in the sentence. Always remember your task is to fill the gaps – put in the missing words.

  4. ahmadreza says

    Dear Ms liz. Could you plz explain about the word adolescent. it can be referred to either teenagers or adults according to dictionary.
    thanks a lot for your helpful website.
    Ahmadreza

    • It means teenagers. That means between the ages of 13 (thirTEEN) and 19 (nineTEEN). As you can see, that covers both children and adults. A child becomes a legal adult at the age of 18.

  5. lujain says

    i dont have even enough words to thank you
    what you did on this website is wonderful
    you give me hope with every try to solve a question
    thank you ..

  6. Manikyam swapna says

    Hi liz, I would like to thank u first I had found lot of useful things in ur website even I suggested to my friends. I have exam on 4 and 5 that means tomorrow is my speaking section

  7. If a personal is attaining good marks in your practice reading questions, does it mean that he or she is ready for the reading test section of Ielts.

    • You need to do a full practice test from IELTS. There are free practice tests that you can find online (see the British Council website) and there are test books published by IELTS that contain real tests. Make sure you do them to assess your level. My lessons are only for extra practice.

  8. Prakash says

    Hi Liz,
    Thank you so much for helping a lot of students. I have a question. I know the reading test will be difficult as you progress, but can we start from the last section and move towards to section 1 in reading? I am thinking, when I start, I will have full 60 mins and I could spend some extra time to complete difficult section and move towards to section 1 which will be-be easier than the last section. What is your advice on this?
    Thanks,

    • You have three passages and 40 questions at the start of the reading test. It is your choice which questions and which passages to do in what order. It’s all your choice. You should get practice tests and do at least four at home in one hour. Try different methods and decide which works best for you.

  9. SaraOhj says

    2/2 in 2 minutes 🙂
    Thanks a lot Liz, your effort is really great!

  10. Thank you for this exercise.

  11. 4/4.

  12. This is so easy 4/4 whithin 8 minutes

  13. Razia says

    3/4. question b was wrong.

  14. you are amaizing

  15. Fernando says

    I would have like to find your blog a long time ago. I’m taking IELTS on November 21st and your site has helped me a lot in this short time that I have been practicing. Thanks for the material and everything.
    Hope you are having a good time.
    Best,
    Fernando from Ecuador! 😀

  16. Lena Plank says

    Hi, can I also say “cause of SOME chronic health problems”? Would that be wrong in the exam?
    Thanks
    Lena

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