We can use Keywords Technique for all the types of question in the IELTS Reading Test.
How IELTS Reading questions are made?
The examiner who write the questions for IELTS Reading do something like this:
- They take a reading passage.
- They read through the passage and stop when they find something interesting.
- They make a question about that part of the passage, usually by paraphrasing it.
In other words, IELTS examiners use the "keyword technique" to write the questions so this is why we should use it to find the answers.
What is the 'keyword' technique?
- This technique is finding words in the text that have a similar meaning to words in the questions.
- Key words help you to locate the place in the text where the answer lies and to pick out EXACTLY which part of this group of sentences is the one that you need for the correct answer.
(Source: Simon IELTS)
It's time to practice!
Complete the table in the link below:
How to solve this test?
Just using the 'keyword' technique. That means you have to find words in the text that have a similar meaning to words in the questions.
Keyword table for this practice test:
Keywords in Questions | Similar words in Passage |
Rio de Janeiro: more 1____ lifestyle | The study concludes that people are more helpful in cities with a more relaxed way of life such as Rio. |
People don’t have so much 2____ | The results show that cities where people have less money generally have friendlier populations. |
Explanation:
Question 1: (Rio de Janeiro: more 1____ lifestyle)
- In this question, you have to find the keywords: Rio and lifestyle.
- Find the synonyms of these keywords in the reading passage: lifestyle = way of life
- The Q1 form is adjective so the correct answer is relaxed.
Question 2: (People don’t have so much 2____ )
- In this question, you have to find the keywords: People, don’t have so much.
- Find the synonyms of these keywords in the reading passage: People =populations ; don’t have so much = have less
- The Q2 form is noun so the correct answer is money.
Now continue this technique with another questions. This may seem like a lot of work and in the beginning it will take a little time. But once you have practised this many times, you will be able to find your answers really fast and with much better accuracy and that will improve your reading score.
Comments:
Hello Lilian,
just to clarify your doubt, "Pasteur is famous for pasteurization,a process to make milk and wine safe for consumption" that is what you have suggested.
To this my answer is "Pasteur is not famous for pasteurization, rather its famous for inventing a process which was known as pasteurization.
If the question would have been "Pasteur invented a process, .................... which is famous for making milk and wine safe for consumption" then pasteurization would be the recommended answer because the blank is focusing more on the name.
Hope i helped!!!
I have read many <a href=”http:// w.w.w.englishrajib.com/”> IELTS Reading tips and tricks </a> but your one is the most relevant and elaborate. Thank you very much for your efforts. Please provide more and more tips like this. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for this useful passage.
nice
thank you.
Thank you for your informative and invaluable tips.I am using this method and found it really helpful.
PLEASE,GIVES DETAILS ON IELTS READING ACADEMIC
Hello sir, thank you for the lecture, i learned something from it and i am grateful but i have a question though, please why was 'pasteurization' not the answer but 'inventing'? Immediately i read the question i went straight for pasteurization but when you said inventing was the answer i became confused. The question asked " Pasteur is famous for ----- a process to make milk and wine safe for consumption."
I thought the answer would be pasteurization which is actually the process.
please i don't know if you understand me sir, could you clarify more please. Thanks
Hello Lilian,
just to clarify your doubt, "Pasteur is famous for pasteurization,a process to make milk and wine safe for consumption" that is what you have suggested.
To this my answer is "Pasteur is not famous for pasteurization, rather its famous for inventing a process which was known as pasteurization.
If the question would have been "Pasteur invented a process, .................... which is famous for making milk and wine safe for consumption" then pasteurization would be the recommended answer because the blank is focusing more on the name.
Hope i helped!!!