IELTS Reading: Matching Headings

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Practise IELTS reading matching headings by understanding how paraphrasing will help you find the right answer. You will see there are two paragraphs but 6 possible headings. Read the headings first and then read the article to decide which heading is the right one for each paragraph. Don’t forget this is a practice lesson. In the real test, the passage will be much longer 🙂 

Tips for Matching Headings

  • Pay attention to headings that are different or similar to each other.
  • Spend time paraphrasing keywords in the possible headings.
  • Read the paragraphs to find the main idea.
  • Distinguish between main ideas and extra information in the paragraph.
  • The heading should provide the main of the paragraph.
  • Do not try to match words – this is about paragraph aims.
  • Not all headings might be used.
  • Your answer will be a numeral (for example, i or vi) or a letter – do not write the words.
  • There can only ever be one possible heading for each paragraph.

Matching Headings Practice

Choose the correct heading (i-ix) for paragraphs A, B, C and D in the passage below.

  • i. Temperatures on Earth
  • ii. The Greenhouse
  • iii. Creating Global Warming
  • iv. Use of a Greenhouse
  • v. Our Choices
  • vi. Greenhouse Gases
  • vii. Earth’s Atmosphere
  • viii. Reversing the Damage
  • ix. Effects of Carbon Dioxide

You can download the options above here: Matching Headings to make it easier to match them with the passage below.

The Greenhouse Effect

A.   A greenhouse is a house made entirely of glass: both walls and roof are glass. One of the main purposes of a greenhouse is to grow tomatoes, flowers and other plants that might struggle to grow outside. A greenhouse stays warm inside, even during winter. Sunlight shines in and warms the plants and air inside. But the heat is trapped by the glass and cannot escape. So during the daylight hours, it gets warmer and warmer inside a greenhouse, and stays quite warm at night too.

B.   The Earth experiences a similar thing to a greenhouse. Gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide do what the roof of a greenhouse does. During the day, the Sun shines through the atmosphere. Earth’s surface warms up in the sunlight. At night, Earth’s surface cools, releasing the heat back into the air. But some of the heat is trapped by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. That is what keeps our Earth a warm and comfortable 59 degrees Fahrenheit, on average.

C. However, gas molecules, called greenhouse gases, that absorb thermal infrared radiation, and are in significant enough quantity, can force and alter the climate system. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases act like a blanket, absorbing IR radiation and preventing it from escaping into outer space. The greenhouse effect, combined with increasing levels of greenhouse gases, produces global warming, which is expected to have profound implications. 

D. Many scientists agree that the damage to the Earth’s atmosphere and climate is past the point of no return or that the damage is near the point of no return. In Josef Werne’s opinion, an associate professor at the department of geology & planetary science at the University of Pittsburgh told Live Science, we have three options. Firstly to do nothing and live with the consequences. Secondly, to adapt to the changing climate (which includes things like rising sea level and related flooding). Thirdly, mitigate the impact of climate change by aggressively enacting policies that actually reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.

The above article was taken from wiki and livescience.com

Answers

The answers for this lesson are available on the link below:

Click here: Answers for Matching Headings Reading

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IELTS Reading True False Not Given: Essential Tips

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IELTS True False Not Given Tips for Reading. These are the most challenging types of questions that appear in IELTS reading. You can find them in both the Academic and GT IELTS Reading tests. The more you understand about these questions, the easier they will be. Use the strategies and techniques below to help you boost your score for reading. 

This page contains a link to FREE IELTS TFNG question practice lessons, a FREE video lesson about TFNG and a summary of tips below the video. You’ll also find answers to the HOMEWORK question below the video.

Understanding IELTS Reading True False Not Given Questions

You will be given statements containing information. You must decide if the information in the statement is True, False or Not Given according to the information in the reading passage.

  1. True: You can find this information in the passage and it agrees with the statement.
  2. False: The passage and statement have different information. The passage shows that the statement is wrong – it contains a mistake which you know because the passage shows us what it should be.
  3. Not Given: This means you can’t find all the information in the passage or that the passage does not contain enough information to know if it is true or false.

IELTS TFNG Questions Practice

You need plenty of practice to understand the techniques for TFNG. You can find some practice TFNG exercises on this page: TFNG Reading Practice

Difficulties with True False & Not Given

  1. Paraphrasing. You must be prepared for the words in the statement to be paraphrased in the passage. This means you really need to know your vocabulary.
  2. You are looking for meaning. Many students just try to match words but you actually need to match meaning and check the content of the information given. Some times the same words are used but the meaning is not the same – this is one common difficulty with choosing the right answer.
  3. Not Given and False (No)
    1. Not Given means the entire statement is not given in the passage.  Maybe part of the statement is given but not the whole statement. Watch out for that!! Try to find the whole meaning in the passage.
    2. False means the passage contradicts the statement. Don’t forget you are not just looking for an opposite meaning, you are also looking for contradicting information.

IELTS Reading True False Not Given Tips 

This video lesson explains how to answer IELTS TFNG questions in the reading test.  It explains the difference between the answers: True, False and Not Given. It also explains if answers come in order and if you can write T or True on your answer sheet. The TFNG homework answer is below the video. 

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Homework Answer

Decide if the following statement is true, false or not given according to the passage?

  • Passage: By the second half of the 17th century, coffee had found its way to Europe.
  • Statement: Coffee arrived in Europe after the 17th century.

Answer
Click below to reveal the answer to the TFNG homework question:

Click here: Answer

The answer is false. “second half of the 17th century” means from the middle of the 17th century to the end of the 17th century – so this is still in the 17th century. That means it contradicts the statement which says coffee arrived after the 17th century.  We can say, “the passage says that coffee did not arrive in the 17th century or before the 17th century, it arrived after the 17th century.”

TFNG Reading Practice Exercises

You can find reading practice for TFNG questions:

Summary of IELTS Reading True False Not Given Tips

Below is a list of the main Tips for IELTS True False Not Given Reading Questions. However, you should watch the video to understand them clearly for maximum benefit.

  1. Spend time analysing the statement in the question before you try to find the answer
  2. Many words will be paraphrased so watch out for that (for example, work = employment / changing = altering)
  3. Don’t match just key words, you are aiming to match meaning. Some of the key words might be the same in the passage but it doesn’t mean the answer is true or yes.
  4. The meaning of false or no is that the statement contradicts the claims or information in the passage. This means the statement gives one meaning but the passage gives another meaning – therefore the statement is FALSE.
  5. Not Given means that the whole meaning of the statement is not in the passage. Some key words might be found but not the full meaning of the statement.
  6. You can write T instead of True on your answer sheet but make sure your handwriting is clear.
  7. The answers follow the order of information in the passage for these questions. Other types of reading questions might not have answers that come in order.
  8. Learn common challenges or problems that you have in reading. Make a list of paraphrases you have struggled with.

TFNG Reading Practice Exercises

You can find reading practice for TFNG quetions in IELTS reading:

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IELTS Reading Lesson: Death of the High Street

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A 2019 IELTS lesson 🙂 A reading exercise for matching headings practice about the “Death of the High Street”. This is an easy lesson to help you develop confidence. There are two exercises in this lesson.

  1. Exercise 1 = Matching Headings
  2. Exercise 2 = Synonyms (Vocabulary practice)

Death of the High Street: Reading for IELTS

Exercise 1: Matching Headings

Questions 1-5. Match the heading with the relevant paragraph below. Write a letter for each answer.

  1.  Changing Tastes
  2.  Rising Overheads
  3. Squeezed Incomes
  4. Too Much Debt
  5. E-commerce

A) A big factor has been a fall in discretionary spending, spurred by rising shop prices and weak wage growth. A near 15% fall in the pound since the Brexit vote has pushed inflation over 3% – way above the Bank of England’s 2% target. This has made imported goods more expensive, with those costs passed on to consumers. Couple that with the fact that wages have been rising at a slower pace than inflation – and shoppers have less disposable income to spend in stores and restaurants.

B) Online giants such as Amazon have had a huge impact on the high street as more consumers see online shopping as cheaper and easier than going to the shops. And while overall retail sales growth is weak, online sales continue to shoot up. If shops fail to do either “value, convenience, or experience” well, they will struggle, Mr Martin says.

C) Toy store “Toys R Us” fell short in all three areas, according to Simon Thomas of Moorfields Advisory, the toy chain’s administrators. He says it was “unlikely” the retailer can be saved because its business model “isn’t what consumers really want now”. “We’ve got very large stores which are fairly impersonal. People are looking now to have a better shopping experience, and we were unable to deliver that.”

D) Inflation is not the only cost pressure retailers face. The National Minimum Wage and new National Living Wage for over-25s go up each year, pushing up payroll costs. “Business rates are deterring investment in local communities, causing shop closures and job losses in hard-pressed communities and preventing retailers from delivering what their customers want in an efficient and cost-effective way.”

E) As a consequence of over expansion, many retailers are shouldering “high debt burdens”, says KPMG’s Mr Martin. Just before its collapse, Toys R Us UK faced a looming VAT debt payment deadline of ÂŁ15m. It would have been unable to pay it without a cash injection from an outside investor.

Source: Passage from BBC News Photo sourced online.

Exercise 2: Synonyms Practice

Questions 6-12. Find the following synonyms in the passage above. The answers will come in order in the passage. No more than two words for each answer. This question type does not come in the test. I have created it to give you essential practice with synonyms.

  • 6. triggered
  • 7. combine
  • 8. expendable
  • 9. soar
  • 10. discouraging
  • 11. imminent
  • 12. boost

Answers

Click below for Answers:

Answers

Please remember that in the real IELTS test, if you are asked to write a letter, you must write the letter and not the word. Always following instructions very carefully.

  1. A = 3
  2. B = 5
  3. C = 1
  4. D = 2
  5. E = 4
  6. triggered = spurred
  7. combine = couple that
  8. expendable = disposable
  9. soar = shoot up
  10. discouraging = deterring
  11. imminent = looming
  12. boost = injection

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Hope you find the lesson useful 🙂

All the best

Liz

Filed Under: IELTS Reading

Matching Headings Question: IELTS Reading Exercise

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In this question you must match the correct heading to the correct section of the passage. Matching headings questions are common in IELTS reading and are one of the longest to complete. This is a practice exercise for students, not an IELTS test.

Take time to read through the headings given. Spot which ones are similar or contain similar language – they are often traps. Also check the number of headings given, usually there are more headings available than are needed.

The heading usually relates to the general aim of a section.

Antimicrobial Resistance

A) While antibiotic resistance refers specifically to the resistance to antibiotics that occurs in common bacteria that cause infections, antimicrobial resistance is a broader term, encompassing resistance to drugs to treat infections caused by other microbes. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial drug that was originally effective for treatment of infections caused by it. Resistant microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites) are able to withstand attack by antimicrobial drugs, such as antibacterial drugs (e.g., antibiotics), antifungals, antivirals, and antimalarials, so that standard treatments become ineffective and infections persist, increasing the risk of spread to others. The evolution of resistant strains is a natural phenomenon that occurs when microorganisms replicate themselves erroneously or when resistant traits are exchanged between them. The use and misuse of antimicrobial drugs accelerates the emergence of drug-resistant strains. Poor infection control practices, inadequate sanitary conditions and inappropriate food-handling encourages the further spread of AMR.

B) New resistance mechanisms emerge and spread worldwide threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases, resulting in death and disability of individuals who until recently could continue a normal course of life. Without effective anti-infective treatment, many standard medical treatments will fail or turn into very high risk procedures. This would be a financially draining situation for wealthy countries but for the poorer ones, it could have catastrophic effects.

C) Infections caused by resistant microorganisms often fail to respond to the standard treatment, resulting in prolonged illness, higher health care expenditures, and a greater risk of death. As an example, the death rate for patients with serious infections caused by common bacteria treated in hospitals can be about twice that of patients with infections caused by the same non-resistant bacteria. For example, people with MRSA (another common source of severe infections in the community and in hospitals) are estimated to be 64% more likely to die than people with a non-resistant form of the infection.

D) WHO’s report on global surveillance of antimicrobial resistance reveals that antibiotic resistance is no longer a prediction for the future; it is happening right now, across the world, and is putting at risk the ability to treat common infections in the community and hospitals. Without urgent, coordinated action, the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries, which have been treatable for decades, can once again kill.

Questions 1-4

Choose the correct heading from the list below (i-x)

Choose the correct heading for sections A-D from the list of headings below.

i. A fatal threat

ii. A global concern.

iii. The evolution of resistance

iv. MRSA in hospitals

v. The present situation

vi. What is antimicrobial resistance?

vii. Protecting future generations

  1. Section A =
  2. Section B =
  3. Section C =
  4. Section D =

Answers

  1. vi
  2. ii
  3. i
  4. v

(passage adapted from WHO)

All reading exercises on ieltsliz.com have been written by myself to help you prepare for your IELTS test.   

Liz

Vocabulary

  • broader term = a more general term
  • encompassing = including
  • persist = continue
  • phenomenon = occurrence
  • replicate = copy / reproduce
  • erroneously = mistakenly
  • sanitary = hygienic  / clean
  • catastrophic = disastrous / terrible / devastating
  • prolonged = lengthy (prolonged illness = chronic illness)

Recommended

Matching Heading Practice: Medium Level

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True False Not Given: IELTS Reading Practice Lessons

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Free practice reading for IELTS True False Not Given questions. IELTS reading TFNG questions come in both the Academic reading test and the General Training reading test. Below are 4 FREE practice lessons for IELTS TFNG questions. They are practice lessons for IELTS candidates and are aimed at helping people develop awareness and skills to successfully tackle these types of reading questions. Before you do reading practice, watch this Free Video Lesson about how to successfully tackle these questions: TFNG Tips Video

Note: If you are confused about the answers to any questions below, please check the comments boxes where I have explained in detail.

TFNG Reading: Exercise 1

Passage: The Thames Tunnel

The Thames Tunnel was a tunnel built under the River Thames in London. It was the first subaqueous tunnel ever built and many people exaggeratedly claimed it was the Eighth Wonder of the World at the time it was opened. It was opened in 1843 to pedestrians only and people came from far and wide to see the marvel. The day it was first opened, it attracted five thousand people to enter the tunnel and walk its length of almost 400 metres. The Thames Tunnel was used by people from all classes. The working class used it for its functional use of crossing from one side of the river to another, while for the middle classes and upper classes, it was a tourist experience. In the age of sail and horse-drawn coaches, people travelled a long way to visit the tunnel, but this was not enough to make the tunnel a financial success. It had cost over ÂŁ500,000 to complete which in those days was a considerable amount of money. However, even though it attracted about 2 million people each year, each person only paid a penny to use it. The aim had been for the tunnel to be used by wheeled vehicles to transport cargo so that it could bring in a profit. But this failed and the tunnel eventually became nothing more than a tourist attraction selling souvenirs. In 1865, the tunnel became part of the London Underground railway system which continues to be its use today.

Questions 1-8

Are the following statements true, false or not given according to the information in the passage?

  • True = the statement matches the information in the passage.
  • False = the statement contradicts the information in the passage.
  • Not Given = the information is not found in the passage.
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  1. The Thames Tunnel was the first tunnel ever built under a river.
  2. The Thames Tunnel was the Eighth Wonder of the World.
  3. People were drawn from all over to see the Thames Tunnel.
  4. The tunnel was used more by the middle and upper classes.
  5. People were able to travel by sea or land in those days.
  6. The aim of the tunnel was to turn a profit as a tourist attraction.
  7. Statues of the tunnel could be bought as souvenirs.
  8. The tunnel is no longer used as a pedestrian walkway to cross the river.

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers.

Answers
  1. TRUE
    1. “It was the first subaqueous tunnel ever built… “
    2. You might not know the word “subaqueous” but I’m sure you are familiar with “subway” which means a way under the ground. You might also recognise the word “aqua” as being connected with water. Even if you don’t know words, you can make an educated guess about the answer.  
  2. FALSE
    1. The Wonders of the World are places in the world that have been agreed upon internationally as wonders. This means they are factually labelled as Wonders of the World. Such places are not believed to be wonders but are official recognised as wonders.
    2. The passage states: “…many believed it was the Eighth Wonder of the World at the time…… ” The word “believes” implies it is not factual information. Therefore this answer is FALSE. Remember, IELTS is about reading beyond for meaning rather than matching words.
  3. TRUE
    1. “…drew people from far and wide…”
    2. The word “draw” in this context means to attract.
    3. “from all over” is an expression which does not mean from every individual country in the world. It is a vague expression – from many places.
  4. NOT GIVEN
    1. The passage does not state how much each class used the tunnel.
    2. For this answer to be false, the passage would need to show which class used the tunnel more and which used it least, but this information isn’t given.
  5. TRUE
    1. “In the age of sail and horse-drawn coaches….”
    2. “sail” refers to boats (sea travel) which is a method of travelling on the sea
    3. “horse-drawn coaches” were a land method of travel
    4. in the age of = at this time in history”
    5. the meaning of this phrase is “at this time, people could travel by sea (boat) or by land (coaches)”
  6. FALSE
    1. “The aim had been for the tunnel to be used by wheeled vehicles to transport cargo so that it could bring in a profit.”
  7. NOT GIVEN
    1. There is no information about what types of souvenirs were sold.
  8. TRUE
    1. “In 1865, the tunnel became part of the London Underground system which continues to be its use today.” This means that it is used as a railway, not as a walkway. 

Note: This passage was created by IELTS Liz. Information for this passage was sourced from various websites: ikbrunel.org.uk, wiki, britcannica.com and other sources.

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TFNG Reading: Exercise 2

Passage: Pyramid Building

The most famous pyramid is the Great Pyramid of Giza which is actually only one of over a hundred surviving pyramids. There is a long-standing question about how the pyramids were built given the lack of technology over 4,000 years ago but scientists are piecing together the puzzle. The blocks which make up the pyramids were hewn from quarries and then transported to the pyramids for construction. This was an incredible feat considering the distance that the raw materials had to travel and their enormous weight. The transportation of the materials was either by river using a boat or by land using a wooden sledge. Given the softness of the ground, the wheel would have been of little use had it been invented at that time. It is believed that the sand in front of the sledge was wet with water in order to facilitate the movement of the sledge and reduce friction. These sledges were pulled manually or sometimes by using beasts of burden depending on the ease at which the sledges could move over the ground. Interestingly, two thousand years after the pyramid building era of the Ancient Egyptians, the Romans moved stones using similar techniques at Baalbek. Once the blocks arrived at the pyramid construction site, it is thought they were moved into place using a ramp and pulley system.

The Old Kingdom period in Ancient Egyptian history is also known as the pyramid building era. The Ancient Egyptians achieved the most remarkable feats of building work which have still not been surpassed, particularly given the primitive technology used to build them. There is nothing remotely mystical or magical about how the pyramids were built as is commonly thought. Further still, while popular belief is that the Great Pyramid was built using slave labour, this theory has since been debunked. The first building made in a pyramid shape is thought to be the Stepped Pyramid which consists of six steps placed on top of each other in a pyramid shape to create the world’s first superstructure. The credit to finally achieving a smooth sided pyramid goes to Imhotep, an architect commissioned by King Sneferu. The pyramids were not an instant achievement, but the achievement of trial and error.

Questions 1-9

Decide if the statements below are True, False or Not Given according to the information in the passage.

  1. The controversy over the method used in the construction of the pyramids has been solved by scientists.
  2. It is possible that Ancient Egyptians could have lubricated paths to aid transportation by sledge.
  3. Sleds were dragged by animals not humans.
  4. The Romans learned the techniques of moving huge stones from the Ancient Egyptians.
  5. The building work of the Ancient Egyptians is unrivalled.
  6. Many people believe that magic may have been used by the Ancient Egyptians to build the pyramids.
  7. The Great Pyramid was built using slave labour.
  8. It took more than one attempt to get the construction of the pyramids right.

Note: Photo by Les Anderson

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers:

Answers
  1. FALSE
    1. “…scientists are piecing together the puzzle.” = currently – a work in progress – not finished.
  2. TRUE
    1. “It is believed that the sand in front of the sledge was wet with water in order to facilitate the movement of the sledges and reduce friction.”
  3. FALSE
    1. “These sledges were pulled manually or sometimes by using beasts of burden …” 
    2. manually = by hand (people)
    3. beast of burden = animal
  4. Not Given
    1. The passage gives no information about who the Roman’s learned from.
    2. “…using similar techniques at Baalbek”. The preposition “at” means that “Baalbek” is a place, not a person.
  5.  TRUE
    1. “The Ancient Egyptians achieved the most remarkable feats of building work which have still not been surpassed ….”
  6.  TRUE
    1.  “There is nothing remotely mystical or magical about how the pyramids were built as is commonly thought. “
    2. Meaning: “There is nothing magical – as is commonly thought.
    3. Meaning: “There is nothing magical but many people think there is.”
    4. The term “as is commonly thought” changes the whole meaning of the sentence given and converts it to the meaning above. This is high level English. If you get this question wrong, it is due to language, not technique. 
    5. If you struggle to understand this one, you might need to ask an English language teacher to give you a lesson on the use of this expression.
  7. FALSE
    1. “…while popular belief is that the Great Pyramid was built using slave labour, this theory has since been debunked.”
    2. debunked = discredited
  8. TRUE
    1. “The pyramids were not an instant achievement, but the achievement of trial and error.”

Note: This passage was created by IELTS Liz. Information for this passage was sourced from various websites: catchpenny..org, wiki, bbc.co.uk and other sources

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TFNG Reading: Exercise 3

Passage: Beethoven

Composer Ludwig van Beethoven was born on or near December 16, 1770, in Bonn, Germany. He is widely considered the greatest composer of all time. Sometime between the births of his two younger brothers, Beethoven’s father began teaching him music with an extraordinary rigour and brutality that affected him for the rest of his life. On a near daily basis, Beethoven was flogged, locked in the cellar and deprived of sleep for extra hours of practice. He studied the violin and clavier with his father as well as taking additional lessons from organists around town. Beethoven was a prodigiously talented musician from his earliest days and displayed flashes of the creative imagination that would eventually reach farther than any composer’s before or since.

In 1804, only weeks after Napoleon proclaimed himself Emperor, Beethoven debuted his Symphony No. 3 in Napoleon’s honor. It was his grandest and most original work to date — so unlike anything heard before that through weeks of rehearsal, the musicians could not figure out how to play it. At the same time as he was composing these great and immortal works, Beethoven was struggling to come to terms with a shocking and terrible fact, one that he tried desperately to conceal. He was going deaf. At the turn of the century, Beethoven struggled to make out the words spoken to him in conversation.

Despite his extraordinary output of beautiful music, Beethoven was frequently miserable throughout his adult life. Beethoven died on March 26, 1827, at the age of 56.

Notice: The passage above is from biography.com. You can read the full article on this page: Ludwig Van Beethoven. There is also a great video to watch about this composer.

Questions 1 – 8

Are the following statements True, False or Not Given according to the information in the passage.

  1. It is not known exactly when Beethoven was born.
  2. Beethoven suffered cruelty at the hands of his father.
  3. Beethoven was denied hours of sleep as a punishment for poor performance.
  4. Beethoven’s father was also a talented musician.
  5. Beethoven’s  Symphony No. 3 was inspired by a famous man.
  6. In the early 1800’s Beethoven struggled to follow a conversation.

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers.

Answers
  1. True
  2. True
  3. False
    1. “deprived of sleep for extra hours of practice”
    2. This means he was not allowed to sleep because he had to practice. “for” gives us the reason.
  4. Not Given
    1. “He studied the violin and clavier with his father” this does not state whether his father was talented or not
  5. Not Given
    1. For a false answer, the passage would need to state what the inspiration was for his original work. But the passage doesn’t give any information about the inspiration.
    2. Problems people have with this answer:
      1. “original work” means it is work that has not been done before and has not copied other existing works. This is not connected to the concept of inspiration at all. It is unique work.
      2. People think that original work can’t have inspiration. This is wrong. It means you have misunderstood the meaning of the word inspiration. Most works of art that are original have been created from inspiration. The inspiration is an idea or feeling that the artists has inside which is then expressed in the work, such as the sound of water or a sad feeling. Inspiration for original work can also be from a person – it is the feeling of this person. 
      3. Some people get confused with this question because they think that “he debuted this music in Napoleon’s honor”. This is not about the inspiration behind the music or the reason why the music was written. It simply means Beethoven played this music for the first time specifically for that person.
      4. If you struggle with this question, you need to really review your understanding of “original work”, “inspiration for a work of part” and “to play music in someone’s honor”.
      5. However, this question is difficult and only band score 8 or 9 candidates are likely to get this right. So, if you are aiming for band 6 or 7, it’s normal to get some questions wrong. However, please use this as a chance to expand your vocabulary and develop more accuracy about the meaning of words.
  6. True
    1. “At the turn of the century, Beethoven struggled to make out the words spoken to him in conversation.”

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TFNG Reading Exercise 4

Passage: Spam Messaging 

SPAM, as every user of mobile phones in China is aware to their intense annoyance, is a roaring trade in China. Its delivery-men drive through residential neighbourhoods in “text-messaging cars”, with illegal but easy-to-buy gadgetry they use to hijack links between mobile-phone users and nearby communications masts. They then target the numbers they harvest, blasting them with spam text messages before driving away. Mobile-phone users usually see only the wearisome results: another sprinkling of spam messages offering deals on flats, investment advice and dodgy receipts for tax purposes.

Chinese mobile-users get more spam text messages than their counterparts anywhere else in the world. They received slightly more than 300 billion of them in 2013, or close to one a day for each person using a mobile phone. Users in bigger markets like Beijing and Shanghai receive two a day, or more than 700 annually, accounting for perhaps one-fifth to one-third of all texts. Americans, by comparison, received an estimated 4.5 billion junk messages in 2011, or fewer than 20 per mobile-user for the year—out of a total of more than two trillion text messages sent.

(Notice: Passage from The economist, November 2014)

Questions 1-7

Decide if the following questions are true, false or not given.

  1. In China, SPAM text messaging is a successful business.
  2. People’s phone numbers are collected through the use of technology which cannot be readily bought.
  3. In no other country do people receive more Spam texts than in China.
  4. In 2013, the number of SPAM texts increased considerably to reach at least 300 billion.
  5. The majority of all texts received in Shanghai and Beijing are SPAM.
  6. In 2011, Americans sent more texts than anywhere else in the world.

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers.

Answers
  1. True
    1. roaring trade
  2. False
    1. the gadgetry = technology
    2. easy to buy = readily bought
    3. This is false because the passage shows it is easy to buy which contradicts the statement.
  3. True
  4. Not Given
    1. The statement says – the number of texts increased. This means it was previously lower and increased to 300 billion or more. You need to find information in this passage as to whether this number increased, decreased or remained the same compared to the previous year. 
    2. If you only tried to match numbers, you failed to pay attention to the information in the statement. The keywords were “increased to reach” 
    3. over 300 billion means more than 300 billion
  5. False
    1. only one third are SPAM at the most
  6. Not Given
Vocabulary
  • intense = strong / extreme
  • roaring business = successful business / booming business
  • residential = suburban
  • gadget = device
  • harvest information = collect / gather
  • sprinkling = smattering
  • counterparts = equals / colleagues
  • spam messages = junk messages
  • digits = numbers / numerals

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Migrating Birds: IELTS Synonyms Practice

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Finding Synonyms: In IELTS reading, you need to develop the skill of spotting synonyms in the reading passage.

This lesson helps you develop this skill. There is no specific question like this in the IELTS reading test, but all question types require this skill. So, I have made this lesson to help you practice spotting paraphrases.

Bird Migration Synonyms Practice

Birds migrate to move from areas of low or decreasing resources to areas of high or increasing resources. The two primary resources being sought are food and nesting locations.

While short-distance migration probably developed from a fairly simple reason such as for food, the origins of long-distant migration patterns are much more complex. They’ve evolved over thousands of years and are controlled at least partially by the genetic makeup of the birds. They also incorporate responses to weather, geography, food sources, day length, and other factors.

Migrating birds can cover thousands of miles in their annual travels, often travelling the same course year after year with little deviation. First-year birds often make their very first migration independently. Somehow they can find their winter home despite never having seen it before, and return the following spring to where they were born.

The secrets of their amazing navigational skills aren’t fully understood, partly because birds combine several different types of senses when they navigate. Birds can get compass information from the sun, the stars, and by sensing the earth’s magnetic field. They also get information from the position of the setting sun and from landmarks seen during the day. There’s even evidence that sense of smell plays a role, at least for homing pigeons.

Notice: This article has been adapted from this page: The Basics of Bird Migration. It is always useful to read original articles.

Find the Synonyms

Find the word(s) in the reading passage above that have the same meaning as the words below. Answers will come in the order of the questions. This means you find the answer to question 1 first and the other answers will follow in order.

  1. breeding sites
  2. relatively
  3. developed gradually
  4. include
  5. departing from an established course
  6. on their own
  7. distinct feature noticeable from a distance

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers:

Answers

  1. breeding sites = nesting locations
  2. relatively = fairly
  3. developed gradually = evolved
  4. include = incorporate
  5. departed from an established course = deviation
  6. on their own = independently
  7. distinct feature noticeable from a distance = landmark

 

I hope you found this lesson useful 🙂

All the best

Liz

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IELTS Reading: Choosing a title

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A lesson on choosing a title for IELTS reading. Remember you need to think of the whole aim for the passage for this IELTS lesson. Useful for both GT and academic students – the level isn’t too hard.

Here are some tips to help you with how to choose the best title for the reading passage below.

Tips for Choosing a Title

  • This question type is usually the last question of the passage
  • By the time you come to this question, you will already have read skim read the passage
  • You should find the main aim of the passage
  • Analyse all the options for the title
  • Common trap – there will probably be information about all options in the passage – you need to find the main aim / message
  • Always look at the introduction sentence and concluding sentence to see if there is a similar message

Reading Passage:

Coffee is one of the most popular hot drinks in the world. Almost a third of the world’s population drinks coffee. People often meet at cafes or coffee shops for a coffee break during the middle of the morning or stop work in the afternoon to drink coffee.
About 7 million tons of coffee is produced every year. Brazil is, by far, the world’s largest coffee producer. About a third of the world’s production comes from this South American country. Other coffee producing countries include Vietnam, Indonesia and Colombia.
The United States is the biggest coffee consumer in the world. About 1.2 billion kilograms of coffee are consumed there every year. Drinking coffee is extremely popular in European countries, like Italy, France and Germany, as well as in Brazil.

Question

Choose the correct letter A – C

Which is the best title for the passage below?

A.  Coffee – a popular hot drink
B.  Coffee – the main consumers
C.  Coffee – the main producers

Answers

To see the answer, click below:

CLICK HERE: ANSWER FOR COFFEE READING LESSON

All the best,

Liz

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Desertification Reading Exercise & Useful Vocab

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Reading lesson on Desertification to develop ideas and vocabulary for IELTS.  This lesson will provide you with ideas and vocabulary for IELTS writing task 2, speaking part 3 and the reading test.

Desertification: IELTS Environmental Topic

Desertification is a type of land degradation in which a relatively dry land region becomes increasingly arid, typically losing its bodies of water as well as vegetation and wildlife. It is caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and human activities. Desertification is a significant global ecological and environmental problem.

Questions 1 – 8

Match each paragraph below to a title from the list. Not all letters will be used.

  • A) Overgrazing
  • B) Mass migration
  • C) Overpopulation
  • D) Polluted drinking water
  • E) Famine
  • F) Extinction of species
  • G) Deforestation
  • H) Poverty
  • I) Unsustainable agriculture techniques
  • J) Soil infertility

Reading Passage: Desertification Causes and Effects

Causes of Desertification

1) Trees are being cut down at much larger scale than ever before to be used as fuel, to provide products we use in our daily life, or to simply create more space for agriculture to sustain growing human population. Once the trees and other vegetation in an area are gone, there is nothing left to hold the soil in place.

2) Our planet’s ecosystems sustain life only when balanced. They can cope with incremental challenges and adapt but beyond a certain tipping point they collapse. A rapid increase in the number of people demands higher amounts of natural resources and expands more and more over the landscape, leading to increased desertification.

3) Improper irrigation methods used in arid areas, such as canal irrigation, lead to a buildup of salt in the soil and make it difficult for crops and other plants to grow, increasing desertification. Similarly harmful is cultivation of already deteriorated lands. Through inconsiderate farming methods, farmers only speed up the process of desertification in exchange for poor quality crops with low economic value.

4) In arid regions, grass and other vegetation is necessary to keep the soil in place. If such vegetation is used as feed for cattle without sustainable control, there is nothing that remains to prevent soil from blowing or washing away, and if this process occurs long enough, it can lead to desertification.

Effects of Desertification

5) As desertification occurs, the soil can be blown or washed away, and valuable soil nutrients are lost. As the soil dries out, it hardens and it becomes difficult for any rainfall that does occur to penetrate below the soil’s surface. And what remains left is a lifeless pile of dust instead of a life-giving medium.

6) Due to drought conditions and a loss of productive land, local people find themselves and their livestock experiencing starvation.

7) Desertification events have been a major driver behind the movement of large human populations throughout history. When soils are not able to support their civilisation, people set on the move to look for better locations.

8) Species that once lived in a fertile and productive climate may not survive in a newly desertified region.

Answers

The answers are now available for this reading lesson. Click below for Answers:

Answers

Please remember that in the real IELTS test, if you are asked to write a letter, you must write the letter and not the word. Always following instructions very carefully for IELTS.

  1. G
    1. Deforestation. Keywords: Trees are being cut down
  2. C
    1. Overpopulation. Keywords: A rapid increase in the number of people
  3. I
    1. Unsustainable agriculture techniques. Keywords: Improper irrigation methods / inconsiderate farming methods
  4. A
    1. Overgrazing. Keywords: feed for cattle without sustainable control
  5. J
    1. Soil infertility. Keywords: valuable soil nutrients are lost /  soil dries out / lifeless pile of dust
  6. E
    1. Famine. Keywords: people find themselves and their livestock experiencing starvation.
  7. B
    1. Mass migration. Keywords: movement of large human populations
  8. F
    1. Extinction of species. Keywords: Species …………………. may not survive …

All reading exercises on ieltsliz.com have been designed by myself to help you prepare for your IELTS test.   

Liz

All the best

Liz

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