IELTS Reading Workshop

3 reading texts40 minutes

1 hour

How many of you…

• Read the texts first? Read the questions first?

• First skim the text for general meaning?

• Scan the text to find specific pieces of information?

READ FOR A PURPOSE

Step 1:• Predict what is in the textStep 2: (optional)Read the questionsStep 3:Skim for main ideas and paraphrase t he paragraphsStep 4: Scan for answers

You need to get the information to answer the questionsTime is your enemy.

Predict – what does an IELTS reading look like?

Topics Structure

Types of information

Brainstorm words – have a general idea of how it might be ordered

Making time for science

• Chronobiology might a bit futuristic – liked something out of a science fiction novel – but it …

Skimming

This can take many forms. Marine life, for example, is influenced by tidal patterns. Animals tend to be active or inactive depending on the position of the sun or moon. Numerous creatures, humans included, are largely diurnal – that is, they like to come out during the hours of sunlight. Nocturnal animals, such as bats and possums, prefer to forage by night. A third group are known as crepuscular: they thrive in the lowlight of dawn and dusk and remain inactive at other hours. When it comes to humans, chronobiologists are interested in what is known as

TOPIC SENTENCES AND KEYWORDS WILL HELP YOU GUESS WHAT THE PARAGRAPH IS ABOUT

Scanning

• Go to a point and look around that point to see if you can find the information

• Proper Nouns• Unique words• Key phrases (that cannot be changed)

• They are usually in order

Question Types

• IELTS has a total of 11 different types of questions. You need to be familiar with them all, but MOST IMPORTANTLY• Is it asking for…• Main Ideas SKIM• Details• Writer’s Opinions• Inferences SCAN

Tips

• Give 20 minutes for each article. If you can’t answer them all move on• You need get as many correct as possible (30 for a seven

• Don’t go back. Keep moving forward• Some of the questions are really tough. If it seems too hard, skip it• Fill in all the answers• Know the different question types• www.ielts.org/test_takers_information/question_types/question_types_-_

ac_reading.aspx• http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information/test_sample/

academic_reading_sample.aspx

Practice on your own

• Use newspapers

• Look at the headline and write down as many ideas about what might be in the article as you can in 30 seconds• Then read it and compare

• Read what you love. Read everyday