Reading

Employing Strategies for Locating Information

Tips and Strategies: 

The following is an example of question that requires you to locate information within an IELTS reading:

(Example of question)

Questions 1-5: The passage has ten paragraphs labelled A-J

Which paragraph contains the following information? 

Write the appropriate letters A-J in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet

NB you may use any letters more than once. 

1.  Concern that recycling is not profitable. 

2. Explanation of why fees for dumping waste should be increased. 

3. The best way to deal with garbage

4. The problem of decaying organic waste 

5. Recycling of automobiles

When your faced with this kind of question you need to use the following tips and strategies:

  • Read the instructions carefully 
  • Quickly read the statements to get an idea of what the text is about. 
  • Take the statements one by one. Underline the key words. 
  • Next search the text to find where the information is mentioned. 
  • Remember to look for synonyms and parallel expressions because it is likely that the statements express the ideas differently to the way they are expressed in the text.

Please read the following text and answer the guided exercises

Polar Bear Reading

Polar Bear Locating Information

Try completing the following independent task: 

Independent Exercise for locating information

Independent Reading Locating Information

 

Polar Bears (Matching Headings to Paragraphs)

Review through the following tips for matching headings to paragraphs 

Tips for Paragraph heading matching

Pre-Reading Task 

Use the following links according to your class and mind map as many ideas about polar bears as you can

11. 4 

11.5 Polar Bears

11.6 Polar Bears

Reading Task: 

Silently read through the following passage and complete the reading task

Polar Bear Reading

Independent Reading Task:

Using the strategies that have been introduced complete the following independent reading task:

Independent Exercise for matching headings to paragraphs

Independent Reading For Headings to Paragraphs

Linking Expressions (Coral Reefs)

Reading Article: 

Coral Reefs

 

In the text above there are  many examples of words and phrases which connect ideas between different sentences or paragraphs. These are sometimes called linking expressions. Different linking expressions for different types of connection help you to understand texts more easily.

Highlight  the following linking expressions in the Coral reef text:

  • for example (line 17) 
  • In addition (line 18)
  • on the other hand (line 26)
  • In fact (line 28)

Now answer the following questions: 

  • Which of these linking expressions means the same as but?
  • Which one means the same as also?
  • Which one is used to signal that the writer is going to emphasise something?
  • Which one means the same as e.g.?

Complete the summary by choosing the correct linking expressions: 

Coral Reefs Linking Expressions

Coral Reefs (Reading)

Pre-Reading Task: 

Todays reading will be about Coral reefs using the pad let brainstorm as many things as you know about “Coral Reefs”

Brainstorming session

Reading Task 

Read the following article about coral reefs

Coral Reefs

 

1. Decide which answer A-D best expresses the main idea of the text best

A. The structure and location of coral reefs

B. Fish exports from Papua New Guinea

C. The economic importance of coral reefs

D. Female unemployment in costal villages

What is wrong with the other options ?

2. Complete the exam task below: 

Answer the questions. 

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer. 

1. According to the writer, what do coral reefs look like?

2. How many countries have a coral reef close to their coastline?

3. What proportion of workers in the Maldives fish for a living?

4. Which activity is more than half of the Maldives’ based on?

5. How can people usually get to reef fisheries?

6. What do Indian women often help to make?

7. What is usually exchanged for wood by women on Ulithi Atoll?

3. Complete the True and False Questions below: 

1. The majority of coral reefs are in shallow waters.

2. Many people make a living from coral reefs.

3. The only way to make money from coral reefs is to sell the products.

4. Women do not normally go fishing on boats.

5. In india, women often help to wash and prepare fish before it is sold.

6. Women cannot borrow money in Papua New Guinea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Branson (Reading Task)

Pre Reading task 

You are going to read a short passage about the career of Richard Branson. Do you know anything about Richard Branson? Using the internet create a web quest finding out as much information as you can be Richard Branson, share  your ideas with the class. 

Grade 11.5 (Mind Map)

Grade 11.6 Mind Map

Reading Task

Read the following article

Richard Branson Reading

 

Respond to the questions:

Richard Branson MCQ

Closing Task 

1. Look through the Richard Branson reading and underline all the past simple verbs

2. Complete this summary by putting the verbs in brackets into the correct form: Richard Branson Gap Fill

Extra Material 

Focus on Grammar Past Simple Exercises

 

 

Skimming and Scanning (Grade 11.7)

Skimming: 

Skimming is looking quickly through a text to get the general idea of a subject. For example some people will skim through a newspaper to see which articles interests them or to find out the general idea of a reading. In an exam situation you may skim through a reading to find the parts that you need to study carefully

Skimming helps you to save time

Scanning: 

Scanning is when you quickly look through an article looking for specific information e.g. names, facts or figures. For example you may scan through a phone directory looking for a specific telephone number.

Scanning helps you to quickly locate information without having to read through everything

Now try out the exercises

Independent Exercise for Skimming and Scanning Maker of Animated GIFs Waits for Offbeat Moments Skimming and Scanning Reading Skimming and Scanning ex 1

Summary Completion

Format of the Question: 

In this kind of question you are asked to complete a summary of the reading passage by using words that you can select from a box, it is important to note that:

  1. There are more words in the box than questions.
  2. The words in box are usually not the same as in the reading passage.
  3. The summary may relate to the whole passage or only part of it.
  4. The text of the summary will generally follow the order of the text of the passage.

 

Suggested Procedure

  1. Read through the summary carefully and make sure you understand what you have read.
  2. Work out which section of the reading the summary comes from.
  3. Think about what forms will fit the sentence i.e. if there is an article there should be a noun.
  4. Look for words in the word box that fit grammatically
  5. Identify key words in the summary and see if you can find synonyms in the text
  6. Use the information you have found to help you work out the answer

 

 

Now use the above procedures and strategies on the attached reading task

Summary Completion ex 1 Summary Completion Ex 2