Part II.         How to approach summary completion questions

Step 1: Read the instructions carefully. Note that in this case you have to choose your answers from the words provided. Also note that in this case you can use any word more than once.  Remember though that every IELTS test is different. So make sure that you read the instructions carefully even if you have practised the type of question before.

Step 2: Skim through the summary to get an idea of the topic. In this case the summary refers generally to peoples’ views about the Titanic in terms of safety.

Step 3: Decide which section of the text the summary covers – in this case mainly paragraphs A and C. In some cases the summary may cover the whole text.

Step 4: Read through the summary, referring to the list of words each time you reach a gap. Select one or more possible words from the list to fill each gap. Reject any words that do not fit grammatically, even if the meaning seems correct.  Confirm your choice by referring to the relevant sections of the text.

Step 5: Quickly read through your completed summary to check that it makes sense.

Reading task type two: matching headings to paragraphs

Task description

In this type of question, you will be given a list of headings. The instructions will also indicate around 4 to 6 paragraphs from the reading text. The task is to find the most suitable heading for each of the paragraphs. There will be more headings than paragraphs, and you shouldn’t use any heading more than once unless the instructions tell you that you can.

To complete this task well, you will need to be able to identify each paragraph’s main focus. The correct heading will sum up the main idea of the paragraph.

What is being tested is your ability to:

 Identify the main idea of a paragraph

Sample task

Choose the heading which best sums up the primary cause of the problem described in paragraphs D, E, G, H and I of the text. Write the appropriate numbers (i – x) in the boxes on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

Answer key

How to approach matching headings to paragraphs

Step 1: Read the instructions carefully. Note that the heading you choose should sum up the main idea of the paragraph. Also note which paragraphs you need to look at, as you are often not required to do them all.

Step 2: Familiarise yourself with the list of paragraph headings by skimming through them quickly.

Step 3: Read through the first paragraph for which you have to find a heading. Remember that you are reading to find out the main idea of the paragraph. Concentrate on the main idea or focus of the paragraph and try not to be distracted by details or by unfamiliar vocabulary.

Step 4: Choose the heading from the list which best sums up the main point of the paragraph you have just read. If you can’t choose between two headings, go on to the next paragraph -you can come back to that question later. But don’t forget to make a choice before the end of the test because if you leave a blank or you have marked two answers on your answer sheet, you will be graded as incorrect for that question.

Reading task type three: identifying the writer’s views

Task description

In this task type you will be given a number of statements. You will have to decide if these statements agree with the writer’s views.  To complete this task well you will often need to be able to recognise the writer’s views not only from what is said directly, but also from what is implied. For example, we do not need the writer to state directly that he/she disapproves of zoos. We can infer this disapproval if the writer states his/her disapproval of the following: animals being taken from the wild, animals being caged, people paying money to see animals, animals not having any privacy. However, if the writer simply describes the problems with zoos this does not necessarily imply disapproval.  Also, we should not try to guess the writer’s views. In statement 5 of the sample task on the following page, we should not assume that because we think that the lifeboats should have rescued more people, or because ‘everybody’ thinks that the lifeboats should have returned to rescue more people, that this is the writer’s view. In this case the writer does not express any view on this issue; she simply states the fact that the lifeboats were not full and so the answer must be Not Given.

What is being tested is your ability to:

·        identify opinion and attitude

·        skim for detailed information

·         make inferences

Sample task

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the reading passage? In boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet write:

Yes                 If the statement agrees with the writer

No                   If the statement contradicts the writer

Not Given     If it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

1.   The enormous loss of life on the Titanic was primarily caused by inadequate equipment, training and procedures.

2.   Nobody had thought of installing enough lifeboats to accommodate all the passengers and crew in the event of an emergency.

3.   Captain Smith didn’t inform his officers of the true situation because he didn’t want to cause a panic.

4.   The lifeboats would have buckled if they had been fully loaded.

5.   After the Titanic sank the lifeboats which were not full should have returned to rescue as many people from the water as they could.

6.   The Captain of the Californian could have brought his ship to the rescue if he had realised that the Titanic was sinking.

7.   The sinking of the Titanic prompted an overhaul of standard operating procedures which made ocean travel much safer.

Answer 2    Part 3