Reading UNIT4: Improving global reading skills Writers make use of paragraphing to divide a text into manageable sections for the reader. A new paragraph usually introduces a new point, theme or angle to the text and as a reader you should be able to recognise what this is. Making a mental note of the main idea(s) in each paragraph is an important reading skill. IELTS tests you on your ability to do this through paragraph heading tasks.
PARAGRAPH HEADINGS Some texts, particularly newspaper articles or reports, have headings so that the reader can quickly skim through and get a good idea of the content. The following newspaper article has five paragraphs (A-E) but the headings have been removed. Read it and write your own title for each of the paragraphs. Do this in 20 minutes.
Follow-up Compare your heading for each paragraph with the headings that other students in your class have written. Discuss the main ideas in each paragraph and decide if some headings are better than others. Were any of the paragraphs more difficult to write headings for? Why? Look back at your headings. Where you didn't use your own words, try doing so now.
The IELTS Reading component often tests candidates on their ability to select a heading for each paragraph in a text, from a list of headings.
IELTS Reading How to approach the task Take 10 minutes to read the passage on the following pages, underlining what you think are the main ideas and key vocabulary in each paragraph.
Read through the list of headings to familiarise yourself with them.
Look carefully at the example - in this case, paragraph A.
Re-read paragraph В and select the heading that best fits this paragraph. Continue this procedure with paragraphs C-H. Take about 15 minutes to do this.
Questions 1-7 The Reading Passage on the following pages has eight paragraphs (A-H). Choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the appropriate numbers (i-x) in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings i - Benefiting from an earlier model
ii - Important operative conditions
iii - Examining the public confusion
iv - Where to go from here?
v - How it's all linked up
vi - Finding a suitable location
vii - Comparing wind speeds in Australian cities
viii - Matching operational requirements with considerations of appearance
ix - What makes Esperance different?
x - What is a wind farm?
♦ TEST TIP You will always get an example paragraph in IELTS but it may not be the first paragraph.
Example - Paragraph A Answer - x
(1) Paragraph В
