Matching Sentence Endings: IELTS Reading Practice & Tips

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IEILTS Reading Matching Sentence Endings Questions can seem challenging when you first see them. However, there are easy techniques to conquer them which are listed below with a great practice reading lesson. In this type of question you need to choose the correct ending for each sentence by selecting the ending from a list given.

IELTS Reading Matching Sentence Endings – Tips

Read this list of tips and the tackle the reading practice lesson below.

  1. You will be given a list of sentences that are incomplete.
  2. You will also be given a list of possible endings for those sentences.
  3. Your task is to match the beginning of the sentence with the right ending.
  4. There will often be more endings than you need.
  5. The endings will be listed as letters, for example A-F.
    • This means your answer will be a letter.
  6. Start with the sentence (the incomplete sentence)
    • Notice keywords that will help you find that information in the passage.
    • Keywords are often paraphrased.
    • Paraphrasing might be in the form of a synonyms (which means one word is similar to the other) or the paraphrasing might be a complete re-writing that appears in a different way.
    • Paraphrased information might be found in more than one sentence. This is the common mistake people make with IELTS reading – they think one sentence in the question might be one sentence in the passage – this is not always the case in IELTS reading.
  7. When you have located the information for the incomplete sentence given in the question, it is time to look at the possible endings.
  8. The passage will tell you which ending is right.
  9. Luckily the answers come in order in the passage. This means that the incomplete sentence that is given as a question will come in order in the passage. This will help you save time and also guide you to the right answer.
  10. Also note that when you match the incomplete sentence to the right ending, the whole sentence must be grammatically correct. This is a useful tip to remember.

IELTS Reading Matching Sentence Endings Practice Lesson

Reading Passage: NASA’s Orion ‘Mars Ship’ set for test flight

IELTS Space Topic

A US space capsule that could help get humans to Mars is about to make its maiden flight. Orion will be launched on a Delta rocket out of Cape Canaveral in Florida on a short journey above the Earth to test key technologies. The conical vessel is reminiscent of the Apollo command ships that took men to the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, but bigger and with cutting-edge systems. Given that this is a first outing, there will be no people aboard.

Nonetheless, the US space agency describes the demonstration as a major event. Nasa has a window in which to launch Orion of about two-and-a-half hours, which began at 07:05 local time (12:05 GMT). The launch preparations had to be stopped shortly before the opening of the window because a boat strayed into the eastern part of the launch range. After that, the countdown had to be held because of strong winds and a technical issue.

Orion is being developed alongside a powerful new rocket that will have its own debut in the near future. Together, they will form the core capabilities needed to send humans beyond the International Space Station to destinations such as the Red Planet. For Thursday’s flight, the Delta IV-Heavy rocket – currently the beefiest launcher in the world – is being used as a stand-in. It will send Orion twice around the globe, throwing the ship up to an altitude of almost 6,000km (3,600 miles). This will set up a fast fall back to Earth, with a re-entry speed into the atmosphere close to 30,000km/h (20,000mph) – near what would be expected of a capsule coming back from the Moon. It should give engineers the opportunity to check the performance of Orion’s critical heat shield, which is likely to experience temperatures in excess of 2,000C (4,000F). They will also watch how the parachutes deploy as they gently lower the capsule into Pacific waters off Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula.

(Passage from BBC News)

Questions 1-5

Complete the sentences by selecting the correct ending, A-G (not all letters will be used).

  1.  The first ever flight of Orion is aimed to ……
  2. Although the shape of Orion is similar to previous ships, it ………..
  3. A new rocket is also being developed whose …………
  4. The rocket which will be used as a replacement will ………….
  5. As temperatures reach extreme levels on re-entry, this maiden flight will ……….
  • a. send Orion twice around the world.
  • b. has state of the art technology.
  • c. test the critical heat shield.
  • d. check Orion’s performance.
  • e. test the most important technology.
  • f. first voyage is within sight.
  • g. help humans get to Mars

Answers

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Answers
  1. e
    • ……..its maiden flight.Orion will be launched on a Delta rocket out of Cape Canaveral in Florida on a short journey above the Earth to test key technologies.
  2. b
    • The conical vessel is reminiscent of the Apollo command ships that took men to the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, but bigger and with cutting-edge systems.
  3. f
    • Orion is being developed alongside a powerful new rocket that will have its own debut in the near future.
  4. a
    • ……….the Delta IV-Heavy rocket – currently the beefiest launcher in the world – is being used as a stand-in. It will send Orion twice around the globe
  5. c
    • It [the maiden voyage] should give engineers the opportunity to check the performance of Orion’s critical heat shield, [this is about the performance of the shield, not about Orion itself with all its features] which is likely to experience temperatures in excess of 2,000C (4,000F).
Vocab Builder
  • reminiscent = similar to / reminding you of (something / someone)
  • maiden flight / maiden voyage = first ever flight / first journey
  • conical = shaped narrowing to a point
  • similar to something in the past
  • cutting-edge = front-line / pioneering / brand-new
  • strayed = drifted
  • debut = first appearance
  • in excess of = more than
  • (parachute) deploys = opens
.

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IELTS Multiple Choice Reading Practice

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This multiple choice reading practice has lots of academic language similar to the academic paper in IELTS reading.

First Test to Predict Alzheimer’s

The world’s first blood test to predict Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms occur has been developed. The test identifies 10 chemicals in the blood associated with the disease two to three years before symptoms start, but it might be able to predict Alzheimer’s decades earlier.

Globally, 35 million people are living with Alzheimer’s. It is characterised by a toxic build up of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain, which destroys the neurons. Several blood tests can diagnose the disease, but until now, none have had the sensitivity to predict its onset.

But with no treatments available, would anyone want to take these tests? Mapstone says “In my experience, the majority of people are very interested to know whether they will get Alzheimer’s. They believe that knowledge is power – particularly when it comes to your own health. We may not have any therapy yet but there are things we can do – we can get our financial and legal affairs in order, plan for future care, and inform family members.”

Passage from New Scientist, 09/03/14

Questions 1 – 3: Choose the correct letter A-C

  1. The test can predict Alzheimer’s…….

a) two or three years before signs of the illness begin.

b) two or three years from the start of the symptoms.

c) a decade before.

 2. This test is the first blood test which can …….

a) indicate possible treatments of Alzheimer’s.

b) estimate the start of the disease.

c) offer insight into the disease.

3. Mapstone believes that ….

a) this test will help people understand Alzheimer’s.

b) people want to know about their health.

c) people want power.

Answers

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Answers

1 = a   Before symptoms start = before signs of the illness begin (2nd sentence)

2 = b   Estimate the start = predict its onset (2nd paragraph, last sentence)

3 = b

Vocab Builder
  • symptoms = signs of an illness
  • characterise = describe the nature of
  • predict = foresee / forecast / foretell
  • occur = happen / came about
  • associated with = connected to
  • characterise = typify / exemplify
  • symptoms = signs (of an illness)
  • onset = start / inception
  • get financial affairs in order = sort out one’s finances

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

Liz

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IELTS Summary Completion Reading Practice

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Summary Completion Question in IELTS reading. You should skim read the passage and then spend time reading through the summary to predict answers and prepare paraphrases.

IELTS Reading Summary Completion Questions

Below you will find some useful tips and techniques for tackling Summary Completion questions in IELTS Reading. You’ll also find a great practice lesson to test out your skills.

IELTS Reading Summary Completion Tips

This type of question is similar to sentence completion questions that are very common in IELTS Reading. However, the difference is that sentence completion questions give you a list of separate sentences relating to different parts of the passage with missing words. But for Summary Completion questions, you are given a short paragraph (not separate sentences) with missing words.

There are two kinds of summary completion questions in IELTS Reading.

  1. Type 1: With a Word List
    • This means you are given a summary paragraph with missing words and below that summary is a box with a collection of words. Each word is represented by a letter.
    • You will use the given words in the box to fill in the gaps.
    • There might be more words that you need in the box.
    • Your answer will be a letter, not a word.
    • For this practice summary reading, see the practice reading lesson below.
  2. Type 2: Without a Word List
    • This means you are given a summary paragraph with missing words and you must find the missing words in the passage. The word should be written precisely as it is shown in the passage.
    • You will be given instructions about how many words can be used to fill the gaps. Pay close attention and don’t go over the word limit.
    • There is a link to a reading exercise for Type 2 at the bottom of the page.

Below you will find a practice reading summary completion lesson Type 1.

How to Tackle Summary Completion Questions

  1. The answers will almost always come in order. But do be ready for the occasional time when they don’t.
  2. Start with the first gap and then progress step by step to the other gaps.
  3. Although this is a paragraph, you can tackle each sentence separately.
  4. Pay attention to keywords in the sentence you are tackling.
    • One type of keyword is a name or technical word that will be the same in the question and the passage.
    • Another type of keyword is one that will most likely be paraphrased. Not all paraphrases mean the use of synonyms. Sometimes it just means the meaning is rewritten in a different way and you can’t match it word for word.
  5. If you are asked for choose a word from a list, your answer will be a letter (not a word). Your answer would be marked wrong if you wrote the word.
  6. If you are asked for take the word from the passage, you must spell it correctly or your answer will be marked wrong.

IELTS Reading Summary Completion Practice Lesson

Reading Passage: Fermented Foods

Fermentation is a process in which an agent [typically bacteria and yeast] cause an organic substance to break down into simpler substances; especially, the anaerobic [no oxygen] breakdown of sugar into alcohol, i.e. the making of beer or wine. Fermentation in food processing is the conversion of carbohydrates (plant foods) to alcohols and carbon dioxide, or organic acids, using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic (no oxygen) conditions. Fermentation usually implies that the action of microorganisms is desirable, and the process is used to produce alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, and cider. Fermentation is also employed in the leavening of bread, and for preservation techniques to create lactic acid in sour foods such as sauerkraut, dry sausages, kimchi and yogurt, or vinegar (acetic acid) for use in pickling foods.

Nobel Prize winner Dr. Elie Metchnikoff was one of the first scientists to recognize the benefits of eating fermented foods. His research in the early 1900’s focused on the Bulgarians. He believed the daily ingestion of yogurt was a major contribution to their superior health and longevity.

Bulgarians perfected the art of detoxifying and preserving milk (removing the lactose and predigesting the proteins) and transforming it into yogurt and cheese. For centuries, Europeans used wine as a source of clean, durable water. The Caucasians used Kefir grains for the same purpose: detoxify milk products to make Kefir. A range of vegetables were also fermented to preserve them from spoilage in many countries by individual households, such as kimchi in Korea and sauerkraut in Germany, both being predominantly made from cabbage. However, the fermentation process was too lengthy and not uniform so for wide scale food production manufacturers turned to pickling instead. Most of the pickled products found on our supermarket shelves today were at one time a fermented product, including kimchi, sauerkraut, catsup (Chinese  word for pickled fish brine) and English pickles made from either vegetables or fruit.

Questions 1-6

Complete the summary below by selecting the right word from the list (A-J) below. Write the correct letter for your answer.

 International Uses for Fermentation

At the start of the 20th century, Dr. Elie Metchnikoff put forward his belief that the  1 ……………… and good health of Bulgarians could be attributed to eating fermented food each day. By  2……………. and preserving milk, they were able to convert it into  3……………… and  4…………………. In other parts of Europe, fermented  5……………… was consumed as a replacement for clean water. People used to ferment  6……………….. which gave them a longer lifespan but nowadays mass production favours pickling.

IELTS Reading Summary Completion

ANSWERS

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Answers
  1. C
  2. I
  3. B (any order)
  4. H (any order)
  5. E
  6. J

Passage from healing naturally by bee.com

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

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Origins of Bread: IELTS T F NG Reading Practice

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A reading practice for the IELTS T F NG questions  (true / false / not given). I’ve put some difficult questions in and also one easy question. I’m sure you can all spot the easy question 🙂 Good luck with the difficult questions 🙂

Here is a quick review of what each one means:

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

Origins of Bread

Bread is the most widely consumed food in the world. Not only is it an important source of carbohydrates, it’s also small and easy to carry, which helps to explain why it has been part of our diet for thousands of years. In fact, recent scholarship suggests humans started baking bread around 30,000 years ago.

Prehistoric man had already been making gruel from water and grains, so it was a small jump to starting cooking this mixture into a solid bread form by frying it on stones. A 2010 study by the National Academy of Sciences discovered traces of starch (likely from the roots of cattails and ferns) in prehistoric mortar and pestle-like rocks. The roots would have been peeled and dried before they were ground into flour and mixed with water. Finally, the paste would be cooked on heated rocks.

Question 1-4

Which of the following statements are true, false or not given?

  1. Bread is eaten in all countries in the world.
  2. Bread contains carbohydrates.
  3. The first bread was made about 30,000 years ago.
  4. Bread was first made from gruel cooked in clay pots.

Answers

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Answers
  1. Not Given (It states in the text that bread is widely eaten in the world but we are not given information that shows it is eaten in all countries. If bread is widely eaten, we still don’t know which countries eat it – possibly only 90% of countries eat it. All countries is not confirmed in the passage)
  2. True (did you spot the easy question?)
  3. True (This is a direct paraphrase of the statement in the passage)
  4. False (The passage says that bread was made from gruel and fried on stones)
Vocab Builder
  • consume food = eat food
  • carbohydrates = foods with sugars and starch (potatoes, bread, pasta etc)
  • gruel = porridge
  • traces = small amounts
  • peeled = had their skins removed
  • ground = crushed / pounded

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

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IELTS Reading Practice: Multiple Choice Exercise

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Before answering the IELTS multiple choice reading exercise questions, read through the passage and then prepare paraphrases for the multiple choice options.

Having an Ear for Music

It brings new meaning to having an ear for music. Musical aptitude may be partly down to genes that determine the architecture of the inner ear.
We perceive sound after vibrations in the inner ear are detected by “hair cells” and transmitted to the brain as electrical signals. There, the inferior colliculus integrates the signals with other sensory information before passing it on to other parts of the brain for processing.

Questions 1 – 2. Choose the correct letter, A-C.

1. What does ‘having an ear for music’ mean according to the passage?

a) a person enjoys listening to music
b) a person has an ability and predisposition for music
c) a person has special hearing

2. Sound is perceived when vibrations are sent to the brain in the form of ……………..

a) hair cells
b) electrical signals
c) sensations

 

Answers

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Answers
1 = b (aptitude means an ability or predisposition for something)

2 = b (this answer is testing your grammar as well as vocab – to be transmitted as = sent in the form of)

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

Liz

Vocab Builder
  • aptitude = skill / ability / capacity
  • to determine = decide / conclude / establish
  • perceive = notice / observe
  • vibrations = sensations
  • integrate = combine / amalgamate / put together

 

Recommended Lessons

IELTS Reading Practice: Summary Completion
IELTS Reading Practice: Sentence Completion
IELTS Reading Practice: Matching Paragraph Information

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IELTS Reading Practice: Sentence Completion

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An exercise for IELTS Reading Sentence Completion. Read the passage below and then answer the questions.

The War on Smoking

Make no mistake, the move to introduce plain packaging is just the latest front in the war against smoking. Over the past decade, there has been a ban on smoking in public places and moves to restrict displays in shops. But one of the issues that has been concerning health experts and ministers is the number of people who continue to take up smoking, particularly young people.
More than 200,000 under-16’s start in the UK each year – helping ensure a viable market remains for manufacturers once the number of people quitting and dying is taken into account. In countries like the UK where there is a ban on advertising, the pack remains the last major vehicle for promotion. Hence the detail and care taken in the design of the packets with their laminated and special print effects, foil decorations and slide openings and bevelled edges. It should come as no surprise therefore to learn that they have become known as the “silent salesman” and “mobile billboard” within the industry. They are that important. (Passage from here)

Questions 1-4

Complete the sentences. Choose no more than two words and / or a number from the passage for each answer.

  1. …………………… is the most recent strategy to tackle the problem of smoking.
  2. The large number of new smokers, particularly under 16’s, makes certain that cigarette companies will always have a ……………………………….. .
  3. In some countries, packaging is the only method that cigarette companies have for ………………….
  4. Packets are seen as being the ………………………………….. in the cigarette industry.

Answers

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Answers
1. plain packaging
2. (viable) market
3. promotion
4. silent salesman / mobile billboard (you should choose one answer. If you put both, it is an incorrect answer

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

Liz

VocabBuilder
  • the latest front = the most recent development
  • to establish = to introduce
  • makes certain = helps ensure
  • only method of = the last vehicle for
  • edge = side
  • are seen as being = have become known as
  • come as no surprise = be expected

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Answers for Summary Reading

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Answer for yesterday’s IELTS reading lesson for the summary “The Importance of Sleep”. Before you check the answers, here is some useful vocabulary to help you:

  • adolescents = teens(not academic) = teenagers
  • promotes = helps support
  • chronic = long term – continual – unending
  • lack of sleep = sleep deficiency
  • have an impact on = can affect
  • important aspects of our lives = think, react, work, learn & get along with others

Answers

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Answers
1. quality
2. growth (any order)
3. development (any order)
4. (some) chronic

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

Liz

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IELTS Reading: Summary Exercise

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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 sufficient  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 FOR YOU

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

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