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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 27-40.

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A One aspect of globalization that has important implications for educators is the increasing movement of people from one country to another. Population mobility is caused by many factors: a desire for better economic conditions, the need for labour in many countries that are experiencing low birthr...
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Questions 27-30
The reading passage has seven paragraphs labelled A-G.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

27. The fact that bilingual children acquire the ability to converse in the majority language remarkable quickly

28. The relationship between children’s mother tongue and their second language development

29. A reference to positive effects of bilingualism on children’s linguistic development

30. Reasons why learning a mother tongue language does not negatively affect children’s development in the majority language.

The answer is G. Paragraph G discusses how quickly bilingual children acquire conversational skills in the majority language: "A number of people marvel at how quickly bilingual students master the majority language at school, although it takes them quite some time to catch up with native speakers." This directly addresses the remarkable speed at which bilingual children converse in the majority language.

Associated Text:
A number of people marvel at how quickly bilingual students master the majority language at school, although it takes them quite some time to catch up with native speakers.

The answer is D. Paragraph D covers the relationship between children's mother tongue and their second language development by stating, "The level at which kids understand their native language is a basis of development for a second language. Kids who fully understand their native language, and thereafter attend school find it easier to learn the school language." This shows a clear link between native and additional language acquisition.

Associated Text:
The level at which kids understand their native language is a basis of development for a second language. Kids who fully understand their native language, and thereafter attend school find it easier to learn the school language.

The answer is C. Paragraph C references positive effects of bilingualism on linguistic development: "It is clearly stated in research, that when children develop their abilities in at least two languages they gain a more profound knowledge of the language and how to use it. They become sharper in processing language, especially when they are experts in both languages." This highlights benefits for linguistic development due to bilingualism.

Associated Text:
It is clearly stated in research, that when children develop their abilities in at least two languages they gain a more profound knowledge of the language and how to use it. They become sharper in processing language, especially when they are experts in both languages.

The answer is F. Paragraph F explains why learning a mother tongue does not negatively affect majority language development: "It is a simple process to know that when kids are learning a native language, they also learn concepts and skills with it. Students who know how to tell the time in their native language understand the concept behind it. So, learning how to read time in a different language will be easier since they don't need to re-learn the concept." This demonstrates the transfer of skills from mother tongue to other languages, showing no negative impact.

Associated Text:
It is a simple process to know that when kids are learning a native language, they also learn concepts and skills with it. Students who know how to tell the time in their native language understand the concept behind it. So, learning how to read time in a different language will be easier since they don't need to re-learn the concept.

Questions 31-36
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? In boxes 31-36 on your answer sheet, write

YES   if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO   if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN   if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

31. Some present studies on children’s mother tongues are misleading.

32. Monolingual children often develop more flexibility than bilingual children in their thought patterns.

33. Bilingual children are more likely to develop into multi-lingual adults.

34. Monolingual children are taught to tell the time later than Bilingual children.

35. The Foyer program in Belgium develops children’s literacy abilities in three languages.

36. Children's mother tongues are fragile and easily lost in the early years of school.

The answer is NOT GIVEN. The passage does not discuss whether some present studies on children’s mother tongues are misleading. There is no information supporting or contradicting this statement in any of the paragraphs.

Associated Text:

The answer is NO. Paragraph C says, "Research also states that bilingual kids are likely to develop more flexibility in their thinking because they process information in two languages." This implies that bilingual, not monolingual, children are more likely to develop mental flexibility, which directly contradicts the statement in the question.

Associated Text:
Research also states that bilingual kids are likely to develop more flexibility in their thinking because they process information in two languages.

The answer is NOT GIVEN. The passage does not provide any information about whether bilingual children are more likely to develop into multi-lingual adults. There is no mention or claim about the future language acquisition of bilingual children.

Associated Text:

The answer is NOT GIVEN. The passage mentions that concepts such as telling the time transfer across languages, but it does not compare the timing of when monolingual and bilingual children are taught this concept. The statement is not addressed by the text.

Associated Text:
So, learning how to read time in a different language will be easier since they don't need to re-learn the concept.

The answer is YES. Paragraph E says, "The Foyer program within Europe is a great example for developing children in different languages as it's planned to develop children in their native language, Dutch and French." This shows that the program aims to develop literacy abilities in three languages, which matches the statement about Belgium, as Belgium has Dutch and French as official languages, in addition to children’s native languages.

Associated Text:
The Foyer program within Europe is a great example for developing children in different languages as it's planned to develop children in their native language, Dutch and French.

The answer is YES. Paragraph G explains, "education leaders are unaware of how fast children can lose their ability to speak the native language, even at home... Children who find themselves in areas that are not largely concentrated with the same language group will lose the ability to speak the language within 2-3 years of starting school." This directly supports the claim that children's mother tongues are fragile and easily lost in early school years.

Associated Text:
education leaders are unaware of how fast children can lose their ability to speak the native language, even at home... Children who find themselves in areas that are not largely concentrated with the same language group will lose the ability to speak the language within 2-3 years of starting school.

Questions 37-40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

37. What information does the author convey in the first paragraph?

38. A unique challenge within the evolution of national identity in a diverse population is

39. Research indicates children who learn in two or more languages in primary school

40. Why are some teachers and parents doubtful of mother tongue-based teaching programs?

The answer is B. (A)(B)(C)(D) In paragraph A, the author discusses the implications of increased diversity within schools as a result of globalization, stating, "A consequence of population mobility is linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity within schools." The paragraph further explores how educational policies and practices vary and the challenges political groups face in relation to this diversity. The focus is on issues linked with diversity within schools, supporting option (B).

Associated Text:
A consequence of population mobility is linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity within schools. To explain, in the city of Toronto in Canada, 58% of kindergarten students come from homes where English isn't the first language of communication. European and North American schools have experienced this for years and educational policies and practices vary among nations and even within nations. Even political parties and groups find ways to solve the issue of vast communities with relation in schools and society.

The answer is D. (A)(B)(C)(D) Paragraph B states, "A challenging aspect for education leaders and policymakers in promoting national identity is the protection of the rights of every citizen including younger ones. Cultural-linguistic and financial assets of the country are also mandatory to be expanded." Option (D) matches best, as it is about paying respect to all different cultures represented, which includes protecting rights and expanding cultural and linguistic assets.

Associated Text:
A challenging aspect for education leaders and policymakers in promoting national identity is the protection of the rights of every citizen including younger ones. Cultural-linguistic and financial assets of the country are also mandatory to be expanded.

The answer is C. (A)(B)(C)(D) Paragraph C notes: "when children develop their abilities in at least two languages they gain a more profound knowledge of the language and how to use it." This indicates greater comprehension and depth in language abilities for children who learn in two or more languages, matching option (C).

Associated Text:
when children develop their abilities in at least two languages they gain a more profound knowledge of the language and how to use it.

The answer is B. (A)(B)(C)(D) Paragraph E states: "Education leaders and parents are scared about the fact that some native language teaching programs take too much time at the expense of the mainstream language." This explains that the doubt is because of a fear that it will take valuable time away from the majority language, matching option (B).

Associated Text:
Education leaders and parents are scared about the fact that some native language teaching programs take too much time at the expense of the mainstream language.

Answer Sheet
1
N/A
2
N/A
3
N/A
4
N/A
5
N/A
6
N/A
7
N/A
8
N/A
9
N/A
10
N/A
11
N/A
12
N/A
13
N/A
14
N/A
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
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
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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