This week's sessions
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- Warm up with a short storyRead this week's lesson. Then read the story once quickly for the main idea, and a second time slowly. Do the quiz at the end.
- True, False or Not Given?Read the True/False/Not Given guide. Try every example before you look at the answer.
- Practice: the community gardenDo the practice set below. For each answer, find the sentence in the passage that shows it.
- Everyday reading textsDo the General Training reading practice, even if you take Academic. Everyday texts are good for practising skimming and scanning.
- Reading practice test 1Do one passage. Use the routine from this week's lesson, and guess if a question takes more than 2 minutes.
This week's lesson: find the answer, don't read every word
IELTS Reading has 40 questions in 60 minutes. For band 5, you need about 15 correct answers in Academic Reading, or about 23 in General Training Reading. (General Training uses more everyday texts, so you need more correct answers for the same band.) Most learners at this level don't run out of English. They run out of time, because they read every word slowly.
Two ways of reading
- Skimming means reading quickly to get the main idea. Read the title and the first sentence of each paragraph. Take about two minutes.
- Scanning means looking for one thing, like a name, a number or a date. Move your eyes down the page fast until you see it. Then stop and read that part slowly.
Question: When did the garden start? Scan for a year, like 2015. You don't need to read the paragraphs about vegetables.
The answers are usually in order
For most question types, the answer to question 2 comes after the answer to question 1 in the text. If you can't find an answer, look between the answers before and after it.
True, False or Not Given
This question type is common. You read a sentence and decide:
- True: the text says the same thing, maybe with different words.
- False: the text says the opposite.
- Not Given: the text doesn't say. There is no information.
Text: Children from the school visit the garden once a week. 1. Children visit the garden. → True 2. Children visit the garden every day. → False (once a week is not every day) 3. The children enjoy their visits. → Not Given (the text doesn't say if they enjoy it)
Answer only from the text, not from what you know about the world.
Same meaning, different words
The question often uses different words from the text. These are called synonyms: words with the same or a similar meaning.
at first = at the start · a fee = money you pay · buy = purchase
So don't only look for the same word. Look for the same idea.
Small words, big changes
Words like all, some, most, never and always change the meaning:
Text: Some members are older people. Statement: All members are older people. → False
Try it
Text: Members pay a small fee each year. 1. Members pay money every year. → True (fee = money you pay) 2. Members pay nothing. → False 3. The fee is $50. → Not Given (the amount isn't in the text)
A simple routine
- Skim the text (2 minutes).
- Read one question and underline the key words.
- Scan for the place in the text, then read that part carefully.
- If you can't find it in about 2 minutes, guess and move on.
Never leave a blank
You don't lose marks for a wrong answer. If you don't know, guess.
Practice for this week
Practice: the community garden
Loading questions…
Weekly check: Academic Reading full test 1
Three passages in 60 minutes. Aim for about 15 out of 40. Taking General Training? Do the General Training Reading full test instead.
When you finish, come back to your plan home: your dashboard updates with the new score.
Answers, explanations and transcripts
Finish the test first, then open each section to check your answers. Every answer has an explanation.
Practice: the community garden
Passage text
The community garden
A In many towns, people who live in flats do not have their own garden. A community garden is a piece of land where local people grow vegetables, fruit and flowers together. Each person or family usually looks after one small area, called a plot.
B The garden in this story started in 2015 on an empty piece of land next to a primary school. At first, there were only eight plots. Now there are forty, and there is a waiting list of people who want to join.
C Members pay a small fee each year. The money is used to buy tools, seeds and water. Members must also help for two hours a month with shared jobs, such as cutting the grass and cleaning the paths.
D Many members say the garden is good for their health. They spend time outside, they get exercise, and they eat more fresh vegetables. Some older members say they feel less lonely, because they meet people of different ages.
E Children from the school next door visit the garden once a week. They learn how plants grow, and in summer they cook some of the vegetables in the school kitchen.
Answer key (9 answers)
| # | Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Most people who live in flats have their own garden. | False | Paragraph A says people in flats 'do not have their own garden'. The statement says the opposite, so it is False. |
| 2 | The garden started with eight plots. | True | Paragraph B: 'At first, there were only eight plots.' At first = at the start. |
| 3 | Everyone on the waiting list lives near the school. | Not Given | Paragraph B says there is a waiting list, but it doesn't say where these people live. The passage doesn't tell us, so it is Not Given. |
| 4 | Members do not pay any money. | False | Paragraph C: 'Members pay a small fee each year.' A fee is money, so the statement is False. |
| 5 | Some older members feel less lonely because of the garden. | True | Paragraph D: 'Some older members say they feel less lonely, because they meet people of different ages.' |
| 6 | The children visit the garden every day. | False | Paragraph E: 'once a week'. Once a week is not every day. |
| 7 | Each small area of the garden is called a ___ | plot | Paragraph A: 'one small area, called a plot'. Paragraph C: 'help for two hours a month'. Copy the words from the passage and check your spelling. |
| 8 | Members must help with shared jobs for ___ | two hours (also accepted: 2 hours) | Paragraph A: 'one small area, called a plot'. Paragraph C: 'help for two hours a month'. Copy the words from the passage and check your spelling. |
| 9 | What is the money from members used for? | B. Tools, seeds and water | Paragraph C: 'The money is used to buy tools, seeds and water.' |
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