IELTS

Reading Webinar

By Marcus Campbell, Windsor School of English, Moscow

What have you read today?

What have you read today?

• For pleasure

What have you read today?

• For pleasure

• For work

What have you read today?

• For pleasure

• For work

• For need

What have you read today?

• For pleasure

• For work

• For need

• We use different reading skills for different situations. The IELTS exam tests your ability to use all of these skills

The different reading skills

The different reading skills

• Skimming – Reading quickly to understand the general idea of the article.

The different reading skills

• Skimming – Reading quickly to understand the general idea of the article.

• Scanning – Looking for specific information. A name, a place or a number.

The different reading skills

• Skimming – Reading quickly to understand the general idea of the article.

• Scanning – Looking for specific information. A name, a place or a number.

• Reading for detail – looking ‘between the lines’, understanding the writer’s opinion

The different reading skills

• Skimming – Reading quickly to understand the general idea of the article.

• Scanning – Looking for specific information. A name, a place or a number.

• Reading for detail – looking ‘between the lines’, understanding the writer’s opinion

What type of reading do you need to do for each question?

Lets look at skimming!

Lets look at skimming!

• What is the general topic of the passage? Look for keywords that relate to the meaning of the subject

Lets look at skimming!

“Police had no difficulty apprehending a gang of thieves who stole £100,000 from a football club.

The robbers made their escape on a pitch-marking machine, but forgot to switch off the line painting mechanism. Officers simply followed the

white line to find them.”

Lets look at skimming!

“Police had no difficulty apprehending a gang of thieves who stole £100,000 from a football club.

The robbers made their escape on a pitch-marking machine, but forgot to switch off the line

painting mechanism. Officers simply followed the white line to find them.”

Lets look at skimming!

“Police had no difficulty apprehending a gang of thieves who stole £100,000 from a football club.

The robbers made their escape on a pitch-marking machine, but forgot to switch off the line

painting mechanism. Officers simply followed the white line to find them.”

Crime

What, where, when, how much?

“Police had no difficulty apprehending a gang of thieves who stole £100,000 from a football club.

The robbers made their escape on a pitch-marking machine, but forgot to switch off the line painting mechanism. Officers simply followed the

white line to find them.”

What, where, when, how much?

“Police had no difficulty apprehending a gang of thieves who stole £100,000 from a football club.

The robbers made their escape on a pitch-marking machine, but forgot to switch off the line painting mechanism. Officers simply followed the

white line to find them.”

How much money did thieves try to steal?

What, where, when, how much?

“Police had no difficulty apprehending a gang of thieves who stole £100,000 from a football club.

The robbers made their escape on a pitch-marking machine, but forgot to switch off the line painting mechanism. Officers simply followed the

white line to find them.”

How much money did thieves try to steal?

Look in more detail…

“Police had no difficulty apprehending a gang of thieves who stole £100,000 from a football club.

The robbers made their escape on a pitch-marking machine, but forgot to switch off the line painting mechanism. Officers simply followed the

white line to find them.”

Look in more detail…

“Police had no difficulty apprehending a gang of thieves who stole £100,000 from a football club.

The robbers made their escape on a pitch-marking machine, but forgot to switch off the line painting mechanism. Officers simply followed the

white line to find them.”

The robbers used an unusual vehicle to get away in

Look in more detail…

“Police had no difficulty apprehending a gang of thieves who stole £100,000 from a football club. The robbers made their escape on a pitch-marking machine, but forgot to switch off the

line painting mechanism. Officers simply followed the white line to find them.”

The robbers used an unusual vehicle to get away in

Look in more detail…

“Police had no difficulty apprehending a gang of thieves who stole £100,000 from a football club. The robbers made their escape on a pitch-marking machine, but forgot to switch off the

line painting mechanism. Officers simply followed the white line to find them.”

The robbers used an unusual vehicle to get away in

True

Remember the time!

Remember the time!

• 60 Minutes – no extra time!

Remember the time!

• 60 Minutes – no extra time!

• Between 2000 and 2500 words!

Remember the time!

• 60 Minutes – no extra time!

• Between 2000 and 2500 words!

• You do not need to understand every word

Remember the time!

• 60 Minutes – no extra time!

• Between 2000 and 2500 words!

• You do not need to understand every word

• Use your time carefully!

In the exam

• Step 1 – look at the title

In the exam

• Step 1 – look at the title

“Sleep better than midnight oil on eve of exams”

In the exam

• Step 1 – look at the title

“Sleep better than midnight oil on eve of exams”

In the exam

• Step 1 – look at the title

“Sleep better than midnight oil on eve of exams”

In the exam

• Step 1 – look at the title

“Sleep better than midnight oil on eve of exams”

It’s better to go to sleep early on the evening before your exams than to stay up late studying

In the exam

• Step 1 – look at the title

• Step 2 – Is there a picture?

In the exam

• Step 1 – look at the title

• Step 2 – Is there a picture?

• Step 3 - Skim the first paragraph

In the exam

• Step 1 – look at the title

• Step 2 – Is there a picture?

• Step 3 - Skim the first paragraph

Now go to the questions!

Questions Questions

Questions Questions

• 40 questions

Questions Questions

• 40 questions

• 3 sections

Questions Questions

• 40 questions

• 3 sections

• Each question worth the same mark

• Do not spend too long on each question

Questions Questions

• 40 questions

• 3 sections

• Each question worth the same mark

• Do not spend too long on each question

• If you still don’t know the answer – guess!

Questions Questions

• Heading matching

Questions Questions

• Heading matching

In academic writing, the central topic of each paragraph is usually (but not always) presented in the first sentence

Questions Questions

• Heading matching

• “Perhaps the advantage of the walking school bus is the health benefits of regular physical exercise. With the rise of childhood obesity, this is a significant factor. Studies show that approximately 14% of young people are not physically active, while almost 10% children aged 2 to 6 are considered overweight in the United States”

Questions Questions

• Heading matching

• “Perhaps the advantage of the walking school bus is the health benefits of regular physical exercise. With the rise of childhood obesity, this is a significant factor. Studies show that approximately 14% of young people are not physically active, while almost 10% children aged 2 to 6 are considered overweight in the United States”

1 - Benefiting the local environment 2 – Providing Healthy daily Exercise 3 – The aim of the walking school bus4 – The development of the walking bus

Questions Questions

• Heading matching

• “Perhaps the advantage of the walking school bus is the health benefits of regular physical exercise. With the rise of childhood obesity, this is a significant factor. Studies show that approximately 14% of young people are not physically active, while almost 10% children aged 2 to 6 are considered overweight in the United States”

1 - Benefiting the local environment 2 – Providing Healthy daily Exercise 3 – The aim of the walking school bus4 – The development of the walking bus

Questions Questions

• Heading matching

• “Perhaps the advantage of the walking school bus is the health benefits of regular physical exercise. With the rise of childhood obesity, this is a significant factor. Studies show that approximately 14% of young people are not physically active, while almost 10% children aged 2 to 6 are considered overweight in the United States”

1 - Benefiting the local environment 2 – Providing Healthy daily Exercise 3 – The aim of the walking school bus4 – The development of the walking bus

Questions Questions

• Heading matching• “The walking school bus concept originated in 1998 in St Albans,

England, as a result of parental concerns over speeding vehicles and children’s safety. The idea spread quickly through Britain and was adopted quickly in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Because of the social and physical benefits of the walking bus, the number of programs in such locations has continued to grow. In the United States, however, the waling bus programs have not caught on as quickly. Hopefully the number of such programs there will multiply as people recognize their numerous advantages.”

Questions Questions

• Heading matching• “The walking school bus concept originated in 1998 in St Albans, England,

as a result of parental concerns over speeding vehicles and children’s safety. The idea spread quickly through Britain and was adopted quickly in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Because of the social and physical benefits of the walking bus, the number of programs in such locations has continued to grow. In the United States, however, the walking bus programs have not caught on as quickly. Hopefully the number of such programs there will multiply as people recognize their numerous advantages.”

1 - Benefiting the local environment

2 – Providing Healthy daily Exercise

3 – The aim of the walking school bus

4 – The development of the walking bus

Questions Questions

• Heading matching• “The walking school bus concept originated in 1998 in St Albans, England,

as a result of parental concerns over speeding vehicles and children’s safety. The idea spread quickly through Britain and was adopted quickly in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Because of the social and physical benefits of the walking bus, the number of programs in such locations has continued to grow. In the United States, however, the walking bus programs have not caught on as quickly. Hopefully the number of such programs there will multiply as people recognize their numerous advantages.”

1 - Benefiting the local environment

2 – Providing Healthy daily Exercise

3 – The aim of the walking school bus

4 – The development of the walking bus

Questions Questions

• Heading matching• “The walking school bus concept originated in 1998 in St Albans, England,

as a result of parental concerns over speeding vehicles and children’s safety. The idea spread quickly through Britain and was adopted quickly in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Because of the social and physical benefits of the walking bus, the number of programs in such locations has continued to grow. In the United States, however, the walking bus programs have not caught on as quickly. Hopefully the number of such programs there will multiply as people recognize their numerous advantages.”

1 - Benefiting the local environment

2 – Providing Healthy daily Exercise

3 – The aim of the walking school bus

4 – The development of the walking bus

Questions Questions

• Expect to be tested on a range of questions, such as gap filling, sentence completion, true/false/not given.

Questions Questions

• Expect to be tested on a range of questions, such as gap filling, sentence completion, true/false/not given.

• Always answer every question – you don’t loose marks for a wrong answer!

Questions Questions

• Expect to be tested on a range of questions, such as gap filling, sentence completion, true/false/not given.

• Always answer every question – you don’t loose marks for a wrong answer!

• Check the word limit

Questions Questions

• Expect to be tested on a range of questions, such as gap filling, sentence completion, true/false/not given.

• Always answer every question – you don’t loose marks for a wrong answer!

• Check the word limit

• Remember, spelling is vital!

Reading overview

• Lasts for 60 minutes

Reading overview

• Lasts for 60 minutes

• Consists of 3 parts

Reading overview

• Lasts for 60 minutes

• Consists of 3 parts

• 40 questions

Reading overview

• Lasts for 60 minutes

• Consists of 3 parts

• 40 questions

• Is the second part of the test

Reading overview

• Lasts for 60 minutes

• Consists of 3 parts

• 40 questions

• Is the second part of the test

• No extra time for answers

Reading overview

• Lasts for 60 minutes

• Consists of 3 parts

• 40 questions

• Is the second part of the test

• No extra time for answers

• Word limit includes articles and prepositions