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This reading practice simulates one part of the IELTS General Reading test. You should spend about twenty minutes on it. Read the passage and answer questions 1-14.

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Parrots are an enormously diverse group of birds with over 330 species in total, and just 56 in Australia alone. Portuguese sailing expeditions once reported such a large quantity of birds that when mapmakers of the 14th century described the southern coast of Australia, they called it  Psi...
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Questions 1-9
Look at the following Descriptions (Questions 1-9) and List of categories below.

Match each category with the correct description

Write the correct number A-J in boxes Questions 1-9 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.
List of categories
  1. Cockatoos
  2. Cacatuidae
  3. Psittacidae
  4. Loriinae
  5. Ground Parrots
  6. Rock Parrots
  7. Mulga Parrots
  8. Galahs
  9. Lorikeets
  10. Cockatiels

1. endemic to arid shrublands

2. communicate with members of their species

3. specialize in eating flower nectar

4. migrate from place to place

5. dune areas are the preferred habitats

6. have a special structure located on their tongue

7. one of the most popular birds to keep as pets

8. do not have a specific habitat

9. one of three families of true parrots

The answer is G. The description is 'endemic to arid shrublands,' which matches the Mulga Parrot. The passage states, 'the Mulga Parrot likes to live in arid and semi-arid woodlands or shrublands.' This is found in the fourth paragraph, making Mulga Parrots (G) the correct answer.

Associated Text:
the Mulga Parrot likes to live in arid and semi-arid woodlands or shrublands.

The answer is A. The description is 'communicate with members of their species.' The passage notes, 'A flock’s social structure is especially advantageous for the cockatoos, who use a “watch bird” stationed in a nearby tree to keep an eye on the other birds as they feed, and signal them about any potential danger.' This refers to Cockatoos (A) from the third paragraph.

Associated Text:
A flock’s social structure is especially advantageous for the cockatoos, who use a “watch bird” stationed in a nearby tree to keep an eye on the other birds as they feed, and signal them about any potential danger.

The answer is I. The description is 'specialize in eating flower nectar.' The passage says, 'some species, especially lorikeets, also feed on nectar and pollen,' and 'the lorikeet’s tongue structure has evolved to have a long papillae forming a brush-like texture in order to absorb as much of it as possible.' Therefore, Lorikeets (I) fit the description—see paragraph three.

Associated Text:
some species, especially lorikeets, also feed on nectar and pollen. The lorikeet’s tongue structure has evolved to have a long papillae forming a brush-like texture in order to absorb as much of it as possible.

The answer is H. The description is 'migrate from place to place.' In the passage: 'Parrots do not often migrate, yet there are a few which will seek out specific flowering plants that they also help pollinate. For instance, the Galah, which can be found across the entire mainland as well as the island of Tasmania, is likely the most widespread type.' This is from paragraph four. Galahs (H) are the correct match.

Associated Text:
Parrots do not often migrate, yet there are a few which will seek out specific flowering plants that they also help pollinate. For instance, the Galah, which can be found across the entire mainland as well as the island of Tasmania, is likely the most widespread type.

The answer is F. The description is 'dune areas are the preferred habitats.' In the reading: 'The Rock Parrot particularly likes the harsh saline dunes.' From paragraph four, this means Rock Parrots (F) are the correct answer.

Associated Text:
The Rock Parrot particularly likes the harsh saline dunes.

The answer is I. The description is 'have a special structure located on their tongue.' The passage states, 'the lorikeet’s tongue structure has evolved to have a long papillae forming a brush-like texture in order to absorb as much of it as possible,' referring to Lorikeets (I). Found in paragraph three.

Associated Text:
the lorikeet’s tongue structure has evolved to have a long papillae forming a brush-like texture in order to absorb as much of it as possible.

The answer is J. The description is 'one of the most popular birds to keep as pets.' The passage states, 'Cockatiels and Budgerigars are both native to Australia and are some of the most popular birds to keep as pets.' Therefore, Cockatiels (J) is the answer, supported by the sixth paragraph.

Associated Text:
Cockatiels and Budgerigars are both native to Australia and are some of the most popular birds to keep as pets.

The answer is E. The description is 'do not have a specific habitat.' The passage states: 'The Ground Parrot and the Night Parrot are the only two species who evolved to live anywhere on land.' This supports Ground Parrots (E) as the correct answer, from paragraph four.

Associated Text:
The Ground Parrot and the Night Parrot are the only two species who evolved to live anywhere on land.

The answer is C. The description is 'one of three families of true parrots.' The passage states: 'most parrots native to Australia (up to 60% of Australia’s species) are part of the Psittacidae family, or “true parrot” family.' This indicates Psittacidae (C) is the correct answer, from the first paragraph.

Associated Text:
most parrots native to Australia (up to 60% of Australia’s species) are part of the Psittacidae family, or “true parrot” family.

Questions 10-12
Choose three letters A-F.

Write your answers in boxes 10-12 on your answer sheet.

Which THREE of the following are stated about Australian parrots?
  1. Most of them are non-nocturnal
  2. A few types of them exhibit camouflage.
  3. They mostly feed on seeds
  4. They often need to compete for food
  5. Most of them are solitary eaters
  6. Some of them are carnivores

10

11

12

The answer is A/C/F. (A) Most of them are non-nocturnal is correct as 'Parrots are diurnal, meaning that they are only active during daytime hours.' (C) They mostly feed on seeds is correct because 'The majority of parrots eat by tearing seed pods, pine cones and nuts apart, as they are specialized seed-eaters.' (F) Some of them are carnivores is correct since 'Even though parrots are mostly herbivores, some also snack on insects and their larvae found under tree bark.' These statements are all found in paragraph three (for eating habits) and paragraph five (for activity period).

Associated Text:
Parrots are diurnal, meaning that they are only active during daytime hours. The majority of parrots eat by tearing seed pods, pine cones and nuts apart, as they are specialized seed-eaters. Even though parrots are mostly herbivores, some also snack on insects and their larvae found under tree bark.

The answer is A/C/F. As explained above, (A) States they are non-nocturnal, (C) States they mostly feed on seeds, and (F) Some of them are carnivores as some 'snack on insects and their larvae.' These are stated in the text in the third and fifth paragraphs.

Associated Text:
Parrots are diurnal, meaning that they are only active during daytime hours. The majority of parrots eat by tearing seed pods, pine cones and nuts apart, as they are specialized seed-eaters. Even though parrots are mostly herbivores, some also snack on insects and their larvae found under tree bark.

The answer is A/C/F. The passage confirms all three: (A) 'Parrots are diurnal, meaning that they are only active during daytime hours.' (C) 'The majority of parrots eat by tearing seed pods, pine cones and nuts apart, as they are specialized seed-eaters.' (F) 'Even though parrots are mostly herbivores, some also snack on insects and their larvae found under tree bark.'

Associated Text:
Parrots are diurnal, meaning that they are only active during daytime hours. The majority of parrots eat by tearing seed pods, pine cones and nuts apart, as they are specialized seed-eaters. Even though parrots are mostly herbivores, some also snack on insects and their larvae found under tree bark.

Questions 13-14
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write your answers in boxes 13-14 on your answer sheet.

13. How have most parrots adapted especially to eat seeds?

14. What do parrots usually do after they eat their first “meal” of the day?

The answer is A. The question asks how most parrots have adapted to eat seeds. (A) 'to have a curved bill with separately controlled upper and lower mandibles' is correct because the passage in paragraph three states: 'Strong bills with a deep curve are a feature which define parrots as a bird species. Their upper mandible moves around, as the lower mandible sits almost unmoving inside the closed bill, which allows parrots to open seeds in their mouths with the help of their claws and tongues.' Options (B), (C), and (D) do not fit the adaptation described for opening and eating seeds.

Associated Text:
Strong bills with a deep curve are a feature which define parrots as a bird species. Their upper mandible moves around, as the lower mandible sits almost unmoving inside the closed bill, which allows parrots to open seeds in their mouths with the help of their claws and tongues.

The answer is C. After their first meal, parrots 'break around mid-morning to sit in the trees as they wait for hottest part of the day to pass.' This means they return to the trees to rest until the weather cools down. (A) refers to their early morning routine, (B) is not mentioned, and (D) is incorrect as they feed again in the afternoon before evening.

Associated Text:
After that, the flock will eat “breakfast,” moving a few kilometres away from watering places to feed. Most species look for food twice a day. The birds break around mid-morning to sit in the trees as they wait for hottest part of the day to pass, and finally they feed once more in the cool of the afternoon.

Answer Sheet
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
N/A
16
N/A
17
N/A
18
N/A
19
N/A
20
N/A
21
N/A
22
N/A
23
N/A
24
N/A
25
N/A
26
N/A
27
N/A
28
N/A
29
N/A
30
N/A
31
N/A
32
N/A
33
N/A
34
N/A
35
N/A
36
N/A
37
N/A
38
N/A
39
N/A
40
N/A
Score Summary
0 / 1
Multiple Choice
Matching Sentence Endings
Note Completion
Table Completion
Flow Chart Completion
Summary Completion
Multiple Selection
Short Answer
Matching Headings
Matching Features
Matching Information
Identifying Information
Identifying Viewer Claims
Sentence Completion
Diagram Labelling
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Tips to improve your reading speed
To get a high score on the IELTS reading section, you need to have a fast reading speed. To have a fast reading speed, you need to improve your vocabulary and practice dissecting sentences. One strategy to dissect a sentence is to look for the subject and verb of the sentence. Finding the subject and verb will help you better understand the main idea of said sentence. Keep in mind, a common feature of a IELTS reading passage is to join strings of ideas to form long compound sentences. This produces large chunks that students have a hard time absorbing. Do not get overwhelmed by its length, just look for the subject and verb, the rest of the ideas will flow.

Keep in mind, having a slow reading speed makes skimming or scanning a reading passage more difficult. The process of quickly skimming through a reading passage for specific keywords or main ideas is a requirement for you to employ successful reading strategies to improve your IELTS reading score. In other words, skimming and scanning are critical skills to ensure you complete all questions in the allotted time frame.
IELTS Reading Strategies
Once you can read and comprehend a passage with a rate of, at least, 220 words per minute, you'll be ready to start implementing our strategies. All too often, students spend too much time reading the passages and not enough time answering the questions. Here is a step by step guide for tackling the reading section.

  1. Step 1: Read questions first

    One of the most common mistakes that candidates make when approaching the reading exam is reading every single word of the passages. Although you can practice for the exam by reading for pleasure, "reading blindly" (reading without any sense of what the questions will ask) will not do you any favors in the exam. Instead, it will hurt your chances for effectively managing your time and getting the best score.

    The main reason to read the questions first is because the type of question may determine what you read in the passage or how you read it. For example, some question types will call for the "skimming" technique, while others may call for the "scanning" technique.

    It is important to answer a set of questions that are of the same question type. You'll need to determine which question type you want to tackle first. A good strategy would be to start with the easier question type and move on to more difficult question types later. The Easiest question types are the ones where you spend less time reading. For example, the Matching Heading question type is an easier one because you only need to find the heading that best describes the main idea of a paragraph. An example of a difficult question type would be Identifying Information. For this question type, you'll need to read each paragraph to find out if each statement is TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the passage.

    Here is a table that lists the difficulty levels for each question type. Use this table as a reference when choosing which question type you want to tackle first.

    Difficulty level Question Type
    Easy Sentence Completion
    Short answer
    Medium Matching Features
    Multiple choice
    Matching Headings
    Summary, Table, Flow-Chart Completion
    Difficult Matching Sentence Endings
    Matching Information
    Identifying Information (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN)
    Identifying Viewer's claims (YES/NO/NOT GIVEN)

  2. Step 2: Read for an objective

    After you've read the questions for the passage, you will be able to read for an objective. What does this mean? For example, if you come across a question that includes the year "1896", you can make a note of when this year comes up in the text, using it to answer the question later on. There are two reading techniques that will help you stay on track with reading for an objective. The first one, skimming, is best defined as reading fast in order to get the "gist", or general idea, or a passage. With this technique, you are not stopping for any unfamiliar words or looking for specific details. The second technique, scanning, is best defined as reading for specific information. With this technique, you are not reading for the overall gist, but rather, specific information. Notice how each of these techniques has a specific objective in mind. This will help you find information more quickly.

  3. Step 3: Take notes

    As you're reading for an objective, you should also be making notes on the margins of the passage, placing stars next to key information, or underlining things that you believe will help you answer the various questions. This will make it easier for you to check back when you are asked certain things in the questions. Choose whichever note-taking system is right for you - just make sure you do it!

  4. Step 4: Answer wisely

    After you've read the questions, read the passage, and have taken any appropriate notes, you you should have located the part of the text where you where you need to read carefully. Then just read carefully and think critically to determine the correct answer.

IELTS Reading Question Types

The IELTS reading test contains many different question types:

Matching HeadingsIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Headings
Matching InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Information
Matching FeaturesIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Features
Summary CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Summary Completion
Identifying InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Information
Identifying Writer's claimsIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Writer's claims
Multiple ChoiceIELTS Reading Lesson: Multiple Choice
Short AnswerIELTS Reading Lesson: Short Answer
Match Sentence EndingIELTS Reading Lesson: Match Sentence Ending
Sentence CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Sentence Completion
Table CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Table Completion
 
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