A Cure for the Common Cold- IELTS Reading Answers

The Reading Module can be the top-scoring category for IELTS aspirants, with diligent practice. To score well, you must understand how to approach and answer the different question types like the ones in A Cure for the Common Cold Reading Answers. Also, understanding the IELTS Reading band will help you evaluate better.

The complete A Cure for the Common Cold Reading Answers comprises two passages, A Cure for the Common Cold? and Car Theft and is a part of an IELTS General reading test. Ideally, you should not spend more than 20 minutes on both these passages.

There are 14 questions in total in A Cure for the Common Cold Reading Answers. You must scan the IELTS Reading passages for important terms, comprehend the subject, and then respond in accordance with the instructions.

The question types found in this passage are:

• Summary Completion (Q. 1-7)
• Note Completion (Q. 8-14)

Section 1

A Cure for the Common Cold

The average person comes down with three colds a year, each lasting for about nine days. There is still no cure but the following advice may help.

Take time off work, because your body will fight off the cold virus better if it is well rested. However, if you have to work, avoid close contact with your co-workers as the virus is contagious. Wash your hands frequently or use an alcohol-based disinfectant gel. Non-sedating allergy medications, which you can buy from a chemist, can decrease drowsiness and also alleviate the problems of a runny nose, watery eyes and blocked sinuses.

As soon as you feel a cold coming on, boost your fluid intake. Water or juice is ideal but hot herbal teas with lemon will help thin mucus and expel it from the body. A warm gargle with salt water will relieve a scratchy throat by reducing inflammation and clearing mucus and irritants. It also flushes out bacteria and viruses so it can be used as a preventative measure as well.

The warm moisture generated by a hot shower or bath will soothe and clear nasal passages. Inhaling steam over a bowl of hot water relieves congested sinuses, too. For a tickly cough, the latest research suggests that honey, either straight from the jar or dissolved in a hot drink, works as well if not better than costly lozenges and sprays.

A good diet is essential for a quick recovery, so start the day with a healthy breakfast including vitamin C in the form of fresh fruit or berries. For lunch, chicken soup is good, but be sure to add chunks of lean chicken meat, for protein helps build immune cells. Not only is this the perfect comfort food but it has been proven to be medicinally beneficial. For dinner, a spicy curry makes a good decongestant and some ingredients (ginger, garlic, chilli) are recognised as being anti-viral and anti-bacterial.

A little light exercise is beneficial, as this will enhance your emotional wellbeing, but don’t attempt anything too strenuous. Finally, to recharge your body and regain your strength, you need a full eight hours’ sleep.

Questions 1-7

People usually get three colds every year. When sick, it is good to stay away from work because you need rest and you could spread the illness to 1 …………………. . Reduce 2 …………………. and cold symptoms by using medicines that you can buy from a pharmacy.

Drink a lot and gargle with salt water to help clear your throat. Gargling with salt water is a good 3 …………………. to keep you safe from future illness, too. Steam helps clear the nose and 4 …………………., instead of expensive medicine, is good for a cough.

Take lots of vitamin C. Chicken soup is healthy and it is ideal 5 …………………., as well as having curative properties. In the evening, a meal of hot curry will clear the airways. This also has 6 …………………. that can neutralise harmful bacteria and viruses. Some kind of 7 …………………. is a good idea to improve your mood and sleep will help you to get better.

Car Theft

Car theft is a constant problem, but if you own a newer model of car, there is less likelihood of it being stolen. Newer models incorporate security systems that help prevent theft. However, thieves often steal car keys to access newer vehicles so it is a good policy to know where your keys are at all times. Never leave them in your car, even if it is parked in your garage at home. You make life easy for the burglar if you leave keys in a receptacle just inside the door or hanging from a hook. Think of a less obvious place, hidden from view. Once a thief has access to your keys, everything you own is at risk, including your personal safety.

While older cars are a potential target, there are some simple precautions you should take. Definitely, lock your car before you leave it, even for the shortest time, even in the driveway of your house. Think of installing an alarm or a steering lock or consider a mechanical immobilizer that fits across the steering wheel. This is a relatively inexpensive item but it is a good deterrent for thieves. They generally go for the easiest and fastest option.

Obviously, it is in your own interest to make your vehicle as difficult to steal as possible – not only to avoid stress and inconvenience, but also because your insurance premiums will soar if you make a claim. If you are unfortunate enough to have your vehicle stolen, phone the police immediately. You will need to provide information relating to your vehicle including make, model, year, colour, registration number and VIN (vehicle identification number). You need all of this when you file a stolen vehicle report. Police will also log any personal items that were in the vehicle. If these items include identifying documents such as a registration certificate, this will make the illegal resale of the vehicle simpler for the thieves, so keep these documents in a separate place.

Next, contact your insurance company. If your wallet was in the car and it contained credit cards, you will need to notify your bank. If your house keys were in the car, call a locksmith and have your locks changed, and if you are still making payments on the car, you will need to inform the finance company. Both your insurance company and the finance company will ask you for copies of the police report so it is best to obtain one in the first instance.

Questions 8-14

Car theft

• Modern cars are more difficult to steal because of their 8 ………………….
• If they have your keys, burglars could steal your car or even threaten your 9 ………………….
• older models are easier to steal, so get an alarm or steering lock or use an immobilizer (cheap but effective 10 ………………….)
• The loss of your car is stressful and also makes your 11 …………………. more expensive
• If your car is taken:

– Call the police

– Supply all identifying information for vehicle – fill out a 12 ………………….

– NB: the 13 …………………. of the vehicle will be easier for the thieves if you leave official papers inside

– Call the insurance company, bank (if necessary), and the 14 …………………. if you owe money on the car.

A Cure for the Common Cold IELTS Reading Answers with Location 

1 Answer: (your) co-workers

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 2, line 1-line 2

Answer explanation: In the given location, it is given that “Take time off work, because your body will fight off the cold virus better if it is well rested. However, if you have to work, avoid close contact with your co-workers as the virus is contagious.”. This means that once you have caught a cold, you should not avoid going to work to take rest and make sure you don’t spread the virus to the co-workers. Hence, the answer is ‘(your) co-workers’.

2 Answer: drowsiness

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 2, line 4

Answer explanation: In the mentioned line, it is given that “Non-sedating allergy medications, which you can buy from a chemist, can decrease drowsiness and also alleviate the problems of a runny nose, watery eyes and blocked sinuses.”. In other words, you should buy medicines from a pharmacy that will not cause drowsiness and reduce other cold symptoms (runny nose, watery eyes and blocked sinuses). Hence, the answer is ‘drowsiness’.

3 Answer: preventative measure

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 3, line 3-line 4

Answer explanation: In the cited location, it is stated that “A warm gargle with salt water will relieve a scratchy throat by reducing inflammation and clearing mucus and irritants. It also flushes out bacteria and viruses so it can be used as a preventative measure as well.”. It can be concluded that gargling with salt water is a preventative measure as it flushes out bacteria and viruses and dismisses further illness. Hence, the answer is ‘preventative measure’.

4 Answer: honey

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 4, line 3

Answer explanation: In the fourth paragraph, it is stated that “For a tickly cough, the latest research suggests that honey, either straight from the jar or dissolved in a hot drink, works as well if not better than costly lozenges and sprays.”. Here, it is clear that instead of expensive medicines (costly lozenges and sprays), honey can be used to treat a cough. Hence, the answer is ‘honey’.

5 Answer: comfort food

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 5, line 2-line 3

Answer explanation: In the referenced lines, it is stated that “For lunch, chicken soup is good, but be sure to add chunks of lean chicken meat, for protein helps build immune cells. Not only is this the perfect comfort food but it has been proven to be medicinally beneficial.”. Here, it is clear that chicken soup is not only an ideal comfort food but it also has medicinal benefits. Hence, the answer is ‘comfort food’.

6 Answer: (some) ingredients

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 5, line 4

Answer explanation: From the specified line, “For dinner, a spicy curry makes a good decongestant and some ingredients (ginger, garlic, chilli) are recognised as being anti-viral and anti-bacterial.”, it can be concluded that a meal of hot (spicy) curry clears the airways (makes a good decongestant) and some ingredients like ginger, garlic, chilli neutralize harmful bacteria and viruses (antiviral and antibacterial). Hence, the answer is ‘(some) ingredients’.

7 Answer: (light) exercise

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 6

Answer explanation: In the concluding paragraph, it is stated that “A little light exercise is beneficial, as this will enhance your emotional wellbeing, but don’t attempt anything too strenuous. Finally, to recharge your body and regain your strength, you need a full eight hours’ sleep.”. Based on this reference, it can be said that light exercise is a good idea to improve your mood (emotional wellbeing) and sleep will help you to get better by recharging your body and help you regain your strength. Hence, the answer is ‘(light) exercise’.

8 Answer: security systems

Question type: Note Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 1, line 2

Answer explanation: In the quoted line, it is stated that “Newer models incorporate security systems that help prevent theft.”. This statement indicates that modern cars (newer models) are more difficult to steal because of their security systems. Hence, the answer is ‘security systems’.

Check Out: IELTS Reading Practice Tests 2023 – Reading Passages and Samples

Tips for Answering the Question Types in the Above Reading Passage

Since now you know the answers of ‘A Cure for the Common Cold Reading Answers’ with location, let us check out some quick IELTS exam preparation tips to answer the types of questions in the ‘A Cure for the Common Cold? Reading Answers’ passage.

Summary Completion: 

Summary Completion is a type of IELTS reading question that requires you to fill in a gap in a paragraph with a word or phrase from the passage.

To answer summary completion questions, you can use the following strategies:

• Read the sentences carefully: This will give you an idea of the type of word or phrase that is missing.
• Scan the passage for the keywords: The keywords in the sentence can help you to identify the correct word or phrase.
• Read the sentence with the missing word or phrase: This will help you to see how the word or phrase fits into the sentence.
• Check your answer: Once you have filled in the gap, make sure that your answer makes sense in the context of the sentence.

Note Completion:

The way to solve the note completion questions of the IELTS Reading is similar to Summary Completion. You will be asked to fill in the blanks in a small passage given in the form of a note with the relevant words or numbers. So, let us revise the strategies.

• Read the instructions carefully. It will help you determine the word limit (no more than two, one word, etc) and important terms like ‘using words from the text’ or ‘from the text’. You have to follow these strictly.
• Read the incomplete sentences first. Also, think about keywords and how they could be represented by synonyms or paraphrasing.
• Locate where the information is by scanning quickly. If you can’t, move on.
• Study the reading text by using the skimming and scanning techniques. It will help to establish the answer quickly. When scanning for your answer, make sure you are thinking about paraphrasing and synonyms.
• The answers appear in the same order as the questions.Also, check your spelling and remember that your answer should be grammatically correct.

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