IELTS Academic Reading
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“Here, you will find all information related to the Reading section of the Academic module of IELTS. Candidates will be allotted an hour to complete the task.“
Here, you will find all information related to the Reading section of the Academic module of IELTS. Candidates will be allotted an hour to complete the task. There will be 40 questions in total for the reading test. Every correct answer will fetch 1 mark. There is no negative marking. There are three long passages and the difficulty will increase progressively.
Texts are taken from books, journals, scientific magazines, newspapers. The texts are on academic topics of general interest.
Academic Grading scores – Reading
| Correct Answers | Band scores |
|---|---|
| 40-39 | 9 |
| 38-37 | 8.5 |
| 36-35 | 8 |
| 34-33 | 7.5 |
| 32-30 | 7 |
| 29-27 | 6.5 |
| 26-23 | 6 |
| 22-19 | 5.5 |
| 18-15 | 5 |
| 14-13 | 4.5 |
| 12-10 | 4 |
| 9-8 | 3.5 |
| 7-6 | 3 |
| 5-4 | 2.5 |
Practise IELTS Academic Reading
Here are our practice tests for IELTS Academic Reading. Some of the tests have appeared in real IELTS exams. Do try them to know where you stand. Answer keys are provided at the end of every test.
Types of questions in Academic Reading
- Multiple Choice Questions
- True/False/Not given Questions
- Yes/No/Not given Questions
- Matching questions
- Matching Headings
- Matching information
- Matching Features
- Matching sentence endings
- Sentence completion
- Short-answer Questions
- Note Completion
- Table Completion
- Diagram Completion
- Summary Completion Questions
Multiple choice questions:
Work item: Choosing the correct answer from options given.
Question Pattern: This might be in the form of a question & answer type or a choosing a correct ending to a sentence type.
Tips for finding answers: These answers appear in chronological order according to the passage
Skills assessed:
- Basic understanding of the passage given.
- Paraphrasing skills
| Example 1:
Choose the correct letter A-D According to the passage, Monalisa is :
Example 2: Choose the correct letter A-D The percentage of water available in the human body is …………..
|
TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN questions
Work item: Identify if the question statements are TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN from the information in the passage.
Question Pattern: Tricky statements will be given.
Tips for finding answers: These answers may not appear in chronological order.
- If the statement is present in the article as it is then you need to mark it as true.
- If the statement is found to be the opposite of the sentence which is there then it should be marked as false.
- If the statement given in the question is not at all present in the article then it should be marked as not given. Do not spend a lot of time finding the sentence which is not there.
Skills assessed:
- Ability to pick out specific information from the passage.
- Understanding whether the question statement matches or contradicts the information given in the passage.
| Example:
In boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet, write TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this 1. We can decide what to dream. 2. Not all day dreams come true. 3. Daydreaming helps in formation of new ideas. 4. Day dreams may become dreams. 5. Issac Newton said that imagination is more important than knowledge |
Yes/No/Not given Questions
Work item: Identify if the question statements are YES, NO or NOT GIVEN from the information in the passage.
Question Pattern: Tricky statements will be given.
Tips for finding answers: These answers may not appear in chronological order.
- If the information in the statement is correct and relevant to the given passage, write YES.
- If the information in the statement differs from that information in the passage, which is incorrect, write NO.
- If the sentence has a piece of information that is not mentioned anywhere in the passage, write NOT GIVEN.
Skills assessed:
- Ability to pick out specific information from the passage.
- Understanding whether the question statement matches or contradicts the information given in the passage.
| Example:
In boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet, write YES if the statement agrees with the information NO if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this 1. It is possible to live without consuming salt. 2. Sodium ions control body fluid levels. 3. Salt has only culinary uses. 4. Salt deficiency results in diseases. 5. Salt has been used as money. |
Matching questions
- Matching Headings:
Work item: You will be given a list of headings and asked to choose the right heading for paragraphs in a given passage.
Question Pattern: The paragraphs will be named as A,B,C,D and a list numbered in roman numerals will be given. The list will contain the gist about the paragraphs.
Tips for finding answers: To get the correct answer, you have to read the complete paragraph and not just stop with the first few lines of the paragraph. There will also be many other headings that are not related to any of the paragraphs given in the passage, in such cases, try to identify those types of headings too.
Skills assessed:
- Basic understanding of the content of each paragraph.
- Understanding of the central idea of the passage as well as the paragraphs.
| Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 16-18 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings i. A lack of consistent policy ii. Learning from experience iii. The greatest advantage iv. The role of research v. A unique material vi. An irrational anxiety vii. Avoiding the real challenges viii. A sign of things to come 14. Paragraph A 15. Paragraph B 16. Paragraph C 17. Paragraph D 18. Paragraph E |
- Matching Information:
Work item: Identifying which section of the passage contains the information given in the question statement.
Question Pattern: These questionshave a list which contains information taken from the paragraphs. You are asked to find out the paragraph from which the information is taken.
Tips for finding answers: Sometimes the question may be tricky because the information given might not be in exact words as given in the paragraph instead it will be paraphrased so you need to read the paragraph to understand the meaning/idea behind it to answer these questions.
Skills assessed:
- Paraphrasing abilities
- Ability to find information from the passage
| Answer the following questions by choosing the correct responses A–C.
Questions:
Information to match:
|
- Matching Features:
Work item: Matching the features with the information in the text.
Question Pattern: There will be a list of items in the box and you need to match these items by reading and understanding some sentences in the passages. The list may be of the name of people or cities. For example, If there is a name of a person in the box of items then the question may be to match the sentence with the person who said them.
Tips for finding answers: Like other types of match questions, some of the items mentioned may not be available in the passage. So, to save time read the passage before answering each question.
Skills assessed:
- Paraphrasing abilities
- Ability to find information from the passage
| Use the information in the text to match the People listed (1-3) with the Observations (i-vii).
People
Observationsi. Americans use their jaw more to enunciate ii. Immigrants acquire physiognomical features common among the Indigenous population iii. Facial expression and physical features arc hereditary iv. Lifestyle affects physiognomy v. Americans have a broadened jaw vi. The appearance of his friends had changed since they moved to the United States vii. The change of countenance was unremarkable |
- d) Matching Sentence Endings
Work item: Ability to complete the given sentences by choosing the correct endings from a given list.
Question Pattern: In this type of question, you need to connect two halves of the sentences. The first half of the sentence will be already given. You need to find out which is the appropriate ending for the sentence from the list given.
Tips for finding answers: While choosing from the list you need to keep the following things in mind:
- There should not be any grammatical errors in the sentence.
- The ending sentence chosen by you should make sense
- The sentence should have the same meaning as the sentence in the passage.
Skills assessed:
- Ability to predict endings by reading the sentences
- Grammar
| Complete each of the following statements with the best ending from the box below.
1. Linguists like Peter Austin believe that every language is unique. 2. Nick Evans suggests a community may resist attempts to save its language. 3. Many young researchers are interested in doing practical research 4. Chomsky supports work in descriptive linguistics
|
Sentence completion
Work item: Completing the sentences by filling in correct words from the passage.
Question Pattern: In sentence completion, you’ll be asked to fill in the blank spaces using the words given in the text.
Tips for finding answers: It is important to pay close attention to the instructions that are given in the question because in some instructions there will be a word limit mentioned and you may lose marks if you don’t follow it.
Skills assessed:
- Ability to locate specific information in the passage.
- Grammar
| Choose No More Than Two Words from the passage to complete the sentences.
1.The taste is a more extreme experience than the smell, and this is because of the strong pleasure relationship between ______and ______. 2. It is universally acknowledged that ___________ is the ultimate pleasurable sensation. 3. The famous french writer______________ is widely known for using this idea in his work. 4. The words sugar, honey, sweetie, are used by lovers as terms of ___________. 5. In spite of gaining attraction for its sugary taste, no one is sure what exactly makes a ________________ sweet. |
Short answer questions
Work item: Ability to answer the questions using information provided.
Question Pattern: In short answer questions, you’ll have to take words from the given text to write the short answers.
Tips for finding answers: It is important to pay close attention to the instructions that are given in the question because in some instructions there will be a word limit mentioned and you may lose marks if you don’t follow it.
Skills assessed:
- Ability to skim the passage for information
- Ability to answer questions with the correct number of words.
| Using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, answer the following questions.
Write your answers in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet. 1. Which body provides information on global tourist numbers? 2. Who often gains financially from tourism in rural environments? 3. What do city entrepreneurs own in country areas? |
Note completion
Work item: Completing the notes by choosing appropriate words from a given passage.
Question Pattern:You will be asked to complete a set of notes based on the information given in the text.
Tips for finding answers: Sometimes the question will be to write a short answer and sometimes you’ll have to choose from the list of answers given. Usually, these kinds of questions will only be based on one part of the passage, so you won’t have to read the whole passage to fill in the important information.
Skills assessed:
- Ability to skim the passage for information
- Ability to answer questions with the correct number of words.
Complete the notes below.Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
|
Table completion
Work item: Completing the table by choosing appropriate words from a given passage.
Question Pattern:You will be asked to complete a table based on the information given in the text.
Tips for finding answers: Sometimes the question will be to write a short answer and sometimes you’ll have to choose from the list of answers given. Usually, these kinds of questions will only be based on one part of the passage, so you won’t have to read the whole passage to fill in the important information.
Skills assessed:
- Ability to comprehend details from the passage.
- Ability to locate the right words
| Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in blank spaces next to 17-19 on your answer sheet. |
| Mode of Vibration | Description |
| 1……………………… | moving repeatedly to the left and right |
| 2……………………… | up and down motion; like a wave |
| Torsional | resembling motions of a 3………………. |
Diagram completion
Work item: Completing the diagram by choosing appropriate words from a given passage.
Question Pattern:You will be asked to complete a diagram based on the information given in the text.
Tips for finding answers: Sometimes the question will be to write a short answer and sometimes you’ll have to choose from the list of answers given. Usually, these kinds of questions will only be based on one part of the passage, so you won’t have to read the whole passage to fill in the important information.
Skills assessed:
- Ability to locate information in the passage
- Ability to choose the right words
| Label the diagram below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer |
Summary completion
Work item: Completing the summary by filling in correct words from the passage.
Question Pattern: You will be asked to complete a summary based on the information given in the text.
Tips for finding answers: Sometimes the question will be to write a short answer and sometimes you’ll have to choose from the list of answers given. Usually, these kinds of questions will only be based on one part of the passage, so you won’t have to read the whole passage to fill in the important information.
Skills assessed:
- Ability to scan the passage for right words.
- Ability to understand ideas.
| Sample 1: Filling blanks with words from the passage
Complete the following summary. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in blank spaces next to 1-6 on your answer sheet. Computers sit on every desk and are linked to one another, and in many cases to an 1.………. of other computers so that messages can be passed to and fro. Now correspondence between individuals goes from 2…... and cannot be accessed by colleagues. And yet it seems that, just as work is 3…... individuals more and more, organizations are recognizing the advantages of ‘team-work’. |
| Sample 2: Filling blanks with words from the box
Complete the following summary. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the box for each answer. Write your answers in blank spaces next to 1-6 on your answer sheet. The problem of physical access to buildings has now been 1………………………………by technology. Messages are 2………………………………with passwords not allowing 3…………………………to read someone else’s messages. But, while individuals are becoming increasingly 4……………………………..socially by the way, they do their job, at the same time more value is being put on 5 …………………………………. However, e-mail and voice-mail have led to 6…………………………………opportunities for person-to-person communication.
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Practice IELTS Academic Reading based on question types
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