Effective strategies on improving reading comprehension

TABLE OF CONTENT
Page
I. INTRODUCTION

1

II. CONTENT
1. Multiple choice
1.1. Question types

3

1.2. Some some tips to do multiple choice questions better
1.3. Example

4
4

2. Gapped text

8

2.1. Gapfill of words/ pharses

8

2.2. Missing sentences

14

3. Headline matching

15

3.1. How to prepare for this task:

15

3.2. How to do this task

16

3.3. A model reading text

17

4. True/ False/ Not given

21

4. 1. The question types

21

4.2. Some tips to get the highest

22

4.3. Some examples of how the questions work
III. CONCLUSION

25
30

IV. REFERENCE

31

I. INTRODUCTION
1


“So it is with children who learn to read fluently and well: They begin
to take flight into whole new worlds as effortlessly as young birds take to the
sky.”
—William James
This saying has stated the vital role of reading in teaching and
learning English as a foreign language. In fact, there has been a lot of recent
research that suggests that students will benefit greatly from a strong focus
on reading because it not only helps develop the language skills but also has
a contribution on cognitive development. Without the ability to read, which
is highly valued for personal, social, and economic well-being, students are
placed at a disadvantage in almost every educational and “real world”
setting.
In recognition of its significance, educators have given priority to this
skill not only in the process of designing teaching and learning materials but
also in assessment tests and in all important exams. Noticeably, reading skill
always occupies 38% of the total mark in university entrance exams and 25
% in national examinations to choose the most advanced students.
However, this skill is also the most challenging to all learners,
especially the ones in majored classes because the tasks assigned require

both extensive and intensive knowledge about a variety of different topics as
well as the excellent master of words and structures in corresponding
contexts. Thus, it has even been claimed that the key to success in tests and
exams lies much in reading well and that knowledgeable teachers who
provide quality instruction are crucial to helping students become successful
readers. Duffy-Hester (1999) perhaps stated it best when she noted the role
the teacher played in helping learners to read: “I am convinced that the
teacher is more important and has a greater impact than any single, fixed
reading program, method, or approach” (p. 492).
As teachers of English in a gifted high school, we are always trying to
develop new teaching methods to motivate my students and facilitate their
reading process. Our purpose in this paper, therefore, is to attempt to answer
the questions “What teaching comprehension strategies must teachers of

2


reading be able to perform and how are these strategies effectively applied in
gifted classes?”
Within the limited scope of one paper, we focus mainly on four main
types of reading comprehension tasks that are often included in exams for
advanced students namely multiple choice, gap-text, headline matching and
True/False/Not given. Typical models and really useful tips will
correspondingly be covered so that teachers will have a specific and
comprehensive view of how to conduct them successfully. To achieve this
purpose, we have carefully studied language teaching approaches as well as
relating materials. Especially, the knowledge, experience, and cooperation of
all teachers in our group have helped to fulfill this paper.
The study is divided into 3 main parts. Part one consists of the general
introduction of the study. Part two deals with the four main types of reading

comprehension tasks with samples and strategies. Part three is the
conclusion with the summary of the study ending with suggestion for further
research. Hopefully, our paper will be a useful reference for teachers of
English to have highly productive reading periods.

3


II. CONTENT
1. MULTIPLE CHOICE
1.1. Question types
1.11. Detail/Fact
• According to the passage...
• According to paragraph 1, why/what/which...
• The author's description of ...mentions which of the following...
1.1.2. Negative Fact
• All of the following are mentioned in the passage EXCEPT:
• According to the passage which of the following is NOT...
Factual and Negative Factual questions ask about specific details and facts
that are often provided in a single line of text. Sometimes you will be
directed to the paragraph that contains the answer.
1.1.3. Inference/Implication
• Which of the following can be inferred about ...
• In paragraph 3, the author implies...
You will have to make connections and assumptions to answer this style of
question. Unlike factual questions, answers will not often be found in a
single line of text.
1.1.4. Vocabulary
• The word...in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to...
• When the author says ... is....she means...

The meaning of the term is often understood by reading the surrounding
text. You will not be asked to define vocabulary that is uncommon, subject
related, or cannot be understood in context.
1.1.5. Author purpose
• In paragraph 5, why does the author discuss...
• The author mentions...as an example of...
These questions ask you to do things such as figure out reasons why certain
topics are discussed or certain examples are provided. Again you will be
asked to make assumptions.
1.1.6. Reference questions
• The word ... in paragraph 3 refers to...
These questions generally ask you to identify a noun or phrase that a
pronoun is referring to.
1.1.7. Insert sentence to the reading
• Look at the four squares that indicate where this sentence can be
added to the passage. Where would the sentence fit best?
4


These questions require that you look for transitional phrases or other hints
to figure out where the additional sentence belongs. Make sure that the
position you choose for the new sentence makes sense by reading the
sentence before and after. After you have made your choice, read all three
sentences to yourself to check if the paragraph flows well.
1.1.8. Simplify the sentence
Which of the following best provides the important information in the
highlighted sentence from the passage. Incorrect answer choices leave
out essential information or change the meaning of it.
When answering this question make sure that you do not choose a sentence
that is slightly incorrect. All of the important information from the sentence

must be in the simplified sentence.
1.2. Some some tips to do multiple choice questions better
Read the question before you look at the answer.
Come up with the answer in your head before looking at the possible
answers, this way the choices given on the test won't throw you off or trick
you.
Eliminate answers you know aren't right.
Read all the choices before choosing your answer.
If there is no guessing penalty, always take an educated guess and select
an answer.
Don't keep on changing your answer, usually your first choice is the right
one, unless you misread the question.
In "All of the above" and "None of the above" choices, if you are certain
one of the statements is true don't choose "None of the above" or one of the
statements are false don't choose "All of the above".
In a question with an "All of the above" choice, if you see that at least two
correct statements, then "All of the above" is probably the answer.
A positive choice is more likely to be true than a negative one.
Usually the correct answer is the choice with the most information.
Take the time to check your work before you hand in the answer sheet.
1.3. Example
Read the following passage. Answer the questions and check your answers.
Most people can remember a phone number for up to thirty seconds.
When this short amount of time elapses, however, the numbers are erased
from the memory. How did the information get there in the first place?
Information that makes its way to the short term memory (STM) does so via
the sensory storage area. The brain has a filter which only allows stimuli that
is of immediate interest to pass on to the STM, also known as the working
memory.
5

There is much debate about the capacity and duration of the short term
memory. The most accepted theory comes from George A. Miller, a
cognitive psychologist who suggested that humans can remember
approximately seven chunks of information. A chunk is defined as a
meaningful unit of information, such as a word or name rather than just a
letter or number. Modern theorists suggest that one can increase the capacity
of the short term memory by chunking, or classifying similar information
together. By organizing information, one can optimize the STM, and
improve the chances of a memory being passed on to long term storage.
When making a conscious effort to memorize something, such as
information for an exam, many people engage in "rote rehearsal". By
repeating something over and over again, one is able to keep a memory
alive. Unfortunately, this type of memory maintenance only succeeds if
there are no interruptions. As soon as a person stops rehearsing the
information, it has the tendency to disappear. When a pen and paper are not
handy, people often attempt to remember a phone number by repeating it
aloud. If the doorbell rings or the dog barks to come in before a person has
the opportunity to make a phone call, he will likely forget the number
instantly.* Therefore, rote rehearsal is not an efficient way to pass
information from the short term to long term memory.* A better way is to
practice "elaborate rehearsal". *This involves assigning semantic meaning
to a piece of information so that it can be filed along with other pre-existing
long term memories.
*Encoding information semantically also makes it more retrievable.
Retrieving information can be done by recognition or recall. Humans can
easily recall memories that are stored in the long term memory and
used often; however, if a memory seems to be forgotten, it may
eventually be retrieved by prompting. The more cues a person is given

(such as pictures), the more likely a memory can be retrieved. This is why
multiple choice tests are often used for subjects that require a lot of
memorization.
1. According to the passage, how do memories get transferred to the STM?
A) They revert from the long term memory.
B) They are filtered from the sensory storage area.
C) They get chunked when they enter the brain.
D) They enter via the nervous system.
Explanation:
• Choice A is the opposite of what happens.
• Choice C is what a person should try to do when memorizing
something.
6


Choice D is not mentioned.
The correct answer is B. This is a factual question.
2. The word elapses in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:
A) passes
B) adds up
C) appears
D) continues
The correct answer is A.This is a vocabulary question.
3. All of the following are mentioned as places in which memories are stored
EXCEPT the:
A) STM
B) long term memory
C) sensory storage area
D) maintenance area
Explanation:

• Choice A is mentioned in the first paragraph.
• Choice B is mentioned in the second paragraph.
• Choice C is mentioned in the first paragraph.
The correct answer is D. This is a negative factual question.
4. Why does the author mention a dog's bark?
A) To give an example of a type of memory
B) To provide a type of interruption
C) To prove that dogs have better memories than humans
D) To compare another sound that is loud like a doorbell
Explanation:
• Choice A is incorrect because it is not the "reason" the author
mentions it.
• Choice C is not mentioned.
• Choice D distracts you because both are mentioned as examples.
The correct answer is B. This is an author purpose question.
5. How do theorists believe a person can remember more information in a
short time?
A) By organizing it
B) By repeating it
C) By giving it a name
D) By drawing it
Explanation:
• Choice B is what regular people think is true.
• Choice C is not mentioned.
• Choice D is a type of cue for retrieval.
The correct answer is A. This is a factual question.
6. The author believes that rote rotation is:
A) the best way to remember something
B) more efficient than chunking
C) ineffective in the long run

D) an unnecessary interruption
Explanation:
• Choice A is contradicted by "not an efficient way".
• Choice B is incorrect because these two terms are not compared.
•

7


Choice D is illogical.
The correct answer is C. This is a factual question.
7. The word it in the last paragraph refers to:
A) encoding
B) STM
C) semantics
D) information
The correct answer is D. This is a reference question.
8. The word elaborate in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:
A) complex
B) efficient
C) pretty
D) regular
9. Which of the following is NOT supported by the passage?
A) The working memory is the same as the short term memory.
B) A memory is kept alive through constant repetition.
C) Cues help people to recognize information.
D) Multiple choice exams are the most difficult.
Explanation:
• Choice A is mentioned in paragraph one.
• Choice B is mentioned in paragraph three (though an interruption will

destroy it).
• Choice C is mentioned in the last paragraph.
The correct answer is D. This is a negative factual question
10. Which of the following best provides the important informaton in the
highlighted sentence from the passage. Incorrect answer choices leave out
essential information or change the meaning of it
A) Prompting is the easiest way to retrieve short term memory after an
extended period of time.
B) A memory can be retrieved by prompting, in a case where it has been
rarely used.
C) It's easier to remember short term memories than long term memories due
to regular prompts.
D) Recalling a long term memory that is often used is easy, while forgotten
memories often require prompting.
Explanation:
• Choice A changes the meaning of the information.
• Choice B leaves out essential information about the long term
memories that are used often.
• Choice C changes the meaning of the information.
The correct answer is D. This is a sentence simplification question.
•

8


2. GAPPED TEXT
The gap filling is a challenging exercise for any level students.
A reading gap fill is one task students may get in a large numbers of test, not
only at school exams but also at international ones.
There are two common types gap filling in reading tests, inclusing filling

words or phrases in the and putting missing sentences into the text. The
following discussion will deal with each type seperately.
2. 1. Gapfill of words/ pharses
In regard to this type, there are two smaller ones:
Type 1 - those with a given list of words or pharses to choose from to fill in
the gap
Type 2 - those where you fill the gaps with words or pharses from the
reading passage
Gapfill tasks Type 2 are, naturally, more difficult than gapfill tasks
Type 1. The text of a gapfill task Type 2 is always a summary of part or the
whole of a reading passage. On the other hand, a gapfill task Type 1 may or
may not be a summary of part or the whole of a reading passage.
Reading Gapfill Method – for Type 1
Step 1. First, read the instructions. You need to know if the gapfill is a
summary of part or of the whole of the reading passage; if so, you will need
to refer to the passage. You also need to know if you can use a word from
the list of words more than once.
Step 2. Next, read the example and cross the answer to the example off the
list, but only if you cannot use a word from the list more than once.
Step 3. Then, scan or skim the gapfill text quickly for a general
understanding of the text.
Step 4. Now work out the parts of speech for each of the words in the given
list. Place a letter standing for the part of speech next to each word in the
list. If the item in the list is a phrase, you should determine the kind of

9


phrase (noun, adjectival, adverbial, prepositional etc.). If a word can
function as two parts of speech, e.g. as a noun and a verb, write down both.

n – noun
p – preposition

v – verb
pp – past participle

a – adjective
‘-ing’ words

adv – adverb
c - conjunction

By distinguishing the words or phrases according to their function as
parts of speech, you need only search through similar functioning words
when considering a word or phrase for a gap. In this way, you considerably
shorten the time required to find the words or phrases that are possible
correct answers.
Remember, if the word either side of the gap:
…is a noun, the answer could be an adjective (usually before the gap)
… is a verb, the answer could be an adverb
… is an adjective, the answer could be a noun (or an adverb if after the gap)
Do not forget this structure: (pro)noun + (be) + adjective.
E.g. She is happy.
Note that an adverb may precede the adjective in the above structure.
Step 5. Now turn to the first gap in the task, and try to work out the full
meaning of the sentence it is within. You may need to read the sentence
before and after, too.
Step 6. Next, work out the part of speech for the gap. Do so, by closely
examining the words that come both before and after the gap.
Step 7. Then search only through the words in the list that can function as

the same part of speech as the missing gap word. Look for all the possible
answers that you think could fit in the gap. Make no final choice just yet.
There are usually two or three similar words that could be correct. Write
them all above the gap.
Step 8. Refer to the reading passage to help you choose possible answers for
the gap if the gapfill text is a summary of part or all of the passage.
Step 9. Complete steps 5 to 8 for each gap in the task.

10


Step 10. Choose a final answer from the words chosen for each gap. Cross
off the incorrect answers, do not write them on the Answer Sheet, for you
will not be correct if you give more than one answer.
Reading Gapfill Method – for Type 2
Step 1. First, read the instructions. You need to know if the gapfill text is a
summary of part or of the whole of the reading passage..
Step 2. Next, read the example for information about the topic of the
summary.
Step 3. Then, scan or skim the gapfill text quickly for a general
understanding of the text
Step 4. Now locate the answer to the example in the reading passage.
Step 5. Place the summary across the passage to find out where the answers
to questions may be found. It is often possible to divide the summary into
parts that correspond to various paragraphs or sections of the passage. In this
way, it is possible to shorten the area of the passage in which to look for
particular answers.
Step 6. Now turn to the first gap in the task, and try to work out the full
meaning of the sentence it is within. You may need to read the sentence
before and after, too.

Step 7. Next, work out the part of speech for that gap. Do so, by closely
examining the words that come both before and after the gap.
Step 8. Then, examine the keywords/phrases to look for in the passage, and
locate them in the passage.
Step 9. Choose the word that best suits the gap, remembering that the words
you find in the passage may not be in the words form you require. You may
need a noun, but the word given in the passage might be an adjective. In
which case, you must change the form of the word to the word form required
in the gapfill text.
Step 10. Complete steps 6 to 9 for each gap in the task.
Example
Reading Passage
11


AIR RAGE
The first recorded case of an airline passenger turning seriously violent
during a flight, a phenomenon now widely known as “air rage”, happened in
1947 on a flight from Havana to Miami. A drunk man assaulted another
passenger and bit a flight attendant. However, the man escaped punishment
because it was not then clear under whose legal control a crime committed
on plane was, the country where the plane was registered or the country
where the crime was committed. In 1963, at the Tokyo convention, it was
decided that the laws of the country where the plane is registered take
precedence.
The frequency of air rage has expanded out of proportion to the growth of
air travel. Until recently few statistic were gathered about air rage, but those
that have been indicate that passengers are increasingly likely to cause
trouble or engage in violent acts. For example, in 1998 there were 266 air
rage incidents out of approximately four million passengers, a 400%

increase from 1995. In the same period American Airlines showed a 200%
rise. Air travel is predicted to rise by 5% internationally by 2010 leading to
increased airport congestion. This, coupled with the flying public’s increased
aggression, means that air rage may become a major issue in coming years.
Aside from discomfort and disruption, air rage poses some very real dangers
to flying. The most extreme of these is when out of control passengers enter
the cockpit. This has actually happened on a number of occasions, the worst
of which have resulted in the death and injury of pilots or the intruder taking
control of the plane, almost resulting in crashes. In addition, berserk
passengers sometimes attempt to open the emergency doors while in flight,
putting the whole aircraft in danger. These are extreme examples and cases
of air rage more commonly result in physical assaults on fellow passengers

12


and crew such as throwing objects, punching, stabbing or scalding with hot
coffee.
Look at the words in the table and decide which word will fit in the
reading gap fill summary. Type the word into the gap (when you have
completed it you can click below to reveal and check your answers).
predicted
rose
incident
passenger found
assault
established occurring hoped
increased injury
passengers
Summary

The first time that an (1) _____________of air rage was recorded was
in the 1940’s, but the passenger was never actually charged for an offence
because there were no clear rules in place to specify where to prosecute. It
was later (2) _____________that it would be the country where the plane is
registered. Air rage has (3)__________significantly since this time, growing
by a staggering 400% from 1995 to 1998. Air rage is (4) ____________to be
a major problem in the future as air travel increases, as do levels of
aggression. Angry (5) _____________can put everyone in danger including
the pilots, the crew and the other passengers, with some form
of (6) ____________being the most common consequence.
Reading Gap Fill Answers
The first time that an incident of air rage was recorded was in the
1940’s, but the passenger was never actually charged for an offence because
there were no clear rules in place to specify where to prosecute. It was
later established that it would be the country where the plane is registered.
Air rage has increased significantly since this time, growing by a staggering
400% from 1995 to 1998. Air rage is predicted to be a major problem in the
future

as

air

travel

increases,

as

do

levels

of

aggression.

Angry passengers can put everyone in danger including the pilots, the crew
and the other passengers, with some form of assault being the most common
consequence.
13


Reading Gap Fill Answer Discussion
(1) Incident
You should have worked out the this is a synonym for 'case'. The other
nouns in the box would not fit here.
(2) Established
'Establish' can mean to set up something up such as a system of rules. So this
word fits here. You may have thought it was 'found', but this means to
discover something. The new legislation wasn't 'discovered'.
(3) Increased
If you refer to the reading you can see that this is the trend referred to. 'Rose'
does not fit grammatically.
(4) Predicted
The reading and the summary show that the future is being discussed, so this
word fits.
(5) Passengers
It must be the plural as it is being used as a general noun. For the singular,
an article would need to have been used.

(6) Assault
If you put 'injury' this is wrong as the reading does not say people are
commonly injured, but it does refer to assaults. You can get assaulted
without getting injured.
2.2. Missing sentences
Like ordering paragraphs, to put missing sentences into a text students
have to work like a detective and look for clues. This example, and the tips
that follow show students how.
Example
Usually these streets were full of busy people. (Missing sentence)
It was completely quiet on the streets outside. Guy thought it was
strange. _________ Now they were completely empty. The snow that
had fallen looked like a carpet. Outside looked like inside.
Discussion
The missing sentence refers back to a previous sentence as there is a
reference to streets (these streets). The missing sentence refers to the
14


next sentence too. In the missing sentence we know that usually the
streets were full. This links to the following sentence as now they (the
streets) are empty. They refers back to a plural noun (the streets).
Suggested strategies:
 Read all the sentences taken out of the text.
 Read the text and match the sentences with the gaps you are sure about.
 Read the sentences before and after the gap carefully. There will always
be a link between these sentences and the missing sentence.
 Look for reference words. What do they refer to? Typical reference
words include:
 personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)

 possessive pronouns (my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, its, our,
ours, their, theirs)
 demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those)
 Look for discourse markers such as in addition, however, as a result,
then, etc.
 If you are not sure which sentence goes in the gap, leave it and move on
to the next.
 If you think there are two possible sentences for one gap, write down
both answers and check again later.
 Write down all the possibilities for each gap. If you make the wrong
choice at the beginning, this may affect the rest of your answers.
 You don’t have to read the text in order. You can move backwards and
forwards to different paragraphs.
 There may be extra sentences you don’t need. But remember, there will
always be a link between the correct missing sentence and the text.
3. HEADLINE MATCHING
In this exercise, students are presented with s series of short texts from
which the tittles or headlines have been removed. These are given in a separate list
and students have to match the headlines and texts. Here are some strategies that
can help you to answer the questions:
3.1. How to prepare for this task:
15


As this task tests your ability to read a text quickly and get a general
understanding of it, you will need to practice reading newspapers etc. quickly and
naturally without a dictionary. Most native speakers do not read every newspaper
article through to the end, as all the important and new information is usually given
at the beginning of the article. Reading a newspaper or magazine this natural way
can help with this task and save you time and effort too!

Every time you do this task in your textbook or as part of a real exam
reading, make sure you time yourself and keep to the time limit. After you have
finished all the tasks for the text you can then go back and read more slowly and
use your dictionary if you like.
3.2. How to do this task
- If you have several task to do including this one for the same reading text, it is
usually best to do this one first (even if it is written after the other tasks) as it is
fairly easy and will give you a good idea of where information is in the text so you
can find things easily when you try the other tasks.
- Familiarize yourself with the list of paragraph headings by skimming through
them quickly. Don't worry if there are words in the paragraphs headings you don't
understand- they might be in the paragraph headings you don't need, or you might
find exactly the same word in the text and so be able to match them without
understanding the word
- Read through the first paragraph for which you have to find a heading.
Remember that you are reading to find out the main idea of the paragraph.
Concentrate on the main idea or focus of the paragraph and try not to be distracted
by details or by unfamiliar vocabulary. Often only the topic sentence needs to be
read carefully because the main idea and answer are there - you may be able to just
skim the rest. Don't stop for words and sentences you don't understand- again, they
might not be necessary to do the task.
- You might find it useful to underline the most important information in the
paragraph as you are reading, especially things that seem to match one of the
paragraph headings. However, if you are a slow reader you might find this slows
you down more.
- Choose the heading from the list which best sums up the main point of the
paragraph you have just read. As soon as you have an answer you are sure about,
stop reading that paragraph and write your answer on the question sheet. As the
topic sentence of a paragraph is usually near the beginning of the paragraph you
should almost never need to read the whole paragraph to understand its topic.

- Be careful not to match paragraph headings just because they have the same word
as is written several times in a particular paragraph, as some of the paragraph
headings you do not need might also use the same words as the text. You need to
16


match the meaning of the paragraph to the meaning of the whole paragraph
heading.
- If you can’t choose between two headings, go on to the next paragraph – you can
come back to that question later. But don’t forget to make a choice before the end
of the test because if you leave a blank or you have marked two answers on your
answer sheet, you will be graded as incorrect for that question.
- When you have read through the whole text in this way you will probably have
some paragraphs you are sure about the headings for and some you still have some
doubts about. Don't spend more than a minute thinking about the ones you are not
sure about now, as the more careful reading you do for the other tasks (e.g. True
False questions) with this text might help you decide the answers for this task type
too.
- If you are unsure between two answers at first, put them both in. You may be able
to eliminate one answer later if it fits another paragraph better. If at the end you are
still stuck between two answers for a question, pick which fits best.
- If you have time to come back and try this task again at the end of the test, check
that the paragraph headings you haven't used really don't match any of the
paragraphs. If you are absolutely sure that one of them actually does match better
than the one you had decided before, change your answer on the answer sheet. If
you have any doubts, it is usually best to leave your original answer as it is.
3.3. Model reading text
The
reading
passage

has
seven
paragraphs:
A
–
G.
Choose the most suitable paragraph headings B – G from the list of headings.
Write the appropriate numbers (i –ix) in the text boxes beside the headings. There
are more paragraph headings than paragraphs so you will not use them all.
List of paragraph headings
1. Town facilities
3. Urban divisions
5. Types of settlements
7. Domestic arrangements
9. Various changes

2. Oyo’s palace
4. Architectural features
6. Historical foundations
8. City defenses
10. Government buildings

Yoruba Towns
A.
The Yoruba people of Nigeria classify their towns in two ways. Permanent towns
with their own governments are called “ilu”, whereas temporary settlements, set up
to support work in the country are “aba”. Although ilu tend to be larger than aba,
17

the distinction is not one of size, some aba are large, while declining ilu can be
small, but of purpose. There is no “typical” Yoruba town, but some features are
common to most towns.
B.
In the 19th century most towns were heavily fortified and the foundations of these
walls are sometimes visible. Collecting tolls to enter and exit through the walls was
a major source of revenue for the old town rulers, as were market fees. The
markets were generally located centrally and in small towns, while in large towns
there were permanent stands made of corrugated iron or concrete. The market was
usually next to the local ruler’s palace.
C.
The palaces were often very large. In the 1930’s, the area of Oyo’s palace covered
17 acres, and consisted of a series of courtyards surrounded by private and public
rooms. After colonization, many of the palaces were completely or partially
demolished. Often the rulers built two storey houses for themselves using some of
the palace grounds for government buildings.
D.
The town is divided into different sections. In some towns these are regular,
extending out from the center of the town like spokes on a wheel, while in others,
where space is limited, they are more random. The different areas are further
divided into compounds called “ile”. These vary in size considerably from single
dwellings to up to thirty houses. They tend to be larger in the North. Large areas
are devoted to government administrative buildings. Newer developments such as
industrial or commercial areas or apartment housing for civil servants tends to be
build on the edge of the town.
E.
Houses are rectangular and either have a courtyard in the center or the rooms come
off a central corridor. Most social life occurs in the courtyard. They are usually
built of hardened mud and have roofs of corrugated iron or, in the countryside,
thatch. Buildings of this material are easy to alter, either by knocking down rooms

or adding new ones. And can be improved by coating the walls with cement.
Richer people often build their houses of concrete blocks and, if they can afford to,
build two storey houses. Within compounds there can be quite a mixture of
building types. Younger well-educated people may have well furnished houses
while their older relatives live in mud walled buildings and sleep on mats on the
floor.
18


F.
The builder or the most senior man gets a room either near the entrance or, in a two
storied house, next to the balcony. He usually has more than one room. Junior men
get a room each and there are separate rooms for teenage boys and girls to sleep in.
Younger children sleep with their mothers. Any empty room are used as storage,
let out or, if they face the street, used as shops.
G.
Amenities vary. In some towns most of the population uses communal water taps
and only the rich have piped water, in others piped water is more normal. Some
areas have toilets, but bucket toilets are common with waste being collected by a
“night soil man”. Access to water and electricity are key political issues.
Paragraph Headings Answer Discussion
Paragraph B
(6) - Historical foundations
B. In the 19th century most towns were heavily fortified and the foundations of
these walls are sometimes visible. Collecting tolls to enter and exit through the
walls was a major source of revenue for the old town rulers, as were market fees.
The markets were generally located centrally and in small towns, while in large
towns there were permanent stands made of corrugated iron or concrete. The
market was usually next to the local ruler’s palace.
In this first question, the word 'foundation' is in the topic sentence. This does not

automatically make 'vi' the correct answer. However, it is a good reason to flag
this up as a possibility. The heading also refers to 'history', so the reference to
'19th century' in the topic sentence tells us the paragraph is about the history. A
quick skim of the paragraph confirms this.
Paragraph C
(9) - Various changes
C. The palaces were often very large. In the 1930’s, the area of Oyo’s palace
covered 17 acres, and consisted of a series of courtyards surrounded by private and
public rooms. After colonization, many of the palaces were completely or partially
demolished. Often the rulers built two storey houses for themselves using some of
the palace grounds for government buildings.
The second part of the paragraph goes on to discuss changes that took place.
Paragraph D
(3) - Urban divisions
D. The town is divided into different sections. In some towns these are regular,
extending out from the center of the town like spokes on a wheel, while in others,
19


where space is limited, they are more random. The different areas are further
divided into compounds called “ile”. These vary in size considerably from single
dwellings to up to thirty houses. They tend to be larger in the North. Large areas
are devoted to government administrative buildings. Newer developments such as
industrial or commercial areas or apartment housing for civil servants tends to be
build on the edge of the town.
The answer is first seen in the topic sentence. The word 'divided' should have
flagged this up to you as a possibility. Notice the use of the synonym 'urban' to
replace 'town'. It is common to see synonyms in paragraph headings questions and
other IELTS reading questions.
Paragraph E

(4) - Architectural features
E. Houses are rectangular and either have a courtyard in the center or the rooms
come off a central corridor. Most social life occurs in the courtyard. They are
usually built of hardened mud and have roofs of corrugated iron or, in the
countryside, thatch. Buildings of this material are easy to alter, either by knocking
down rooms or adding new ones. And can be improved by coating the walls with
cement. Richer people often build their houses of concrete blocks and, if they can
afford to, build two storey houses. Within compounds there can be quite a mixture
of building types. Younger well-educated people may have well furnished houses
while their older relatives live in mud walled buildings and sleep on mats on the
floor.
The topic sentence starts to give you a clue that 'iv' is the correct choice of the
paragraph headings as it discusses architectural styles, which are then discussed
further in the supporting sentences that follow.
Paragraph F
(7) - Domestic arrangements
F. The builder or the most senior man gets a room either near the entrance or, in a
two storied house, next to the balcony. He usually has more than one room. Junior
men get a room each and there are separate rooms for teenage boys and girls to
sleep in. Younger children sleep with their mothers. Any empty room are used as
storage, let out or, if they face the street, used as shops.
In this context, 'domestic' means of or relating to the home, so the heading is
referring to the arrangements within the home. Again, just by reading the topic
sentence you can see that this paragraph is discussing home arrangements and
skimming through the rest of the paragraph confirms this.
Paragraph G
(1) - Town facilities
G. Amenities vary. In some towns most of the population uses communal water
taps and only the rich have piped water, in others piped water is more normal.
20

Some areas have toilets, but bucket toilets are common with waste being collected
by a “night soil man”. Access to water and electricity are key political issues.
'Facilities' is a synonym of 'amenities' so this is the first clue that this could fit this
paragraph, but you need to read on to confirm that the paragraph is discussing the
facilities of the town, which it is.
IV. TRUE/ FALSE/ NOT GIVEN
Perhaps the question type that gives most pain to most students is the
True/False/Not given question type. Here are some pointers to help you improve
the students’ score with a link to some specific practice on this type of question.
There are two main points to focus on when answering the question: firstly, to
think about meaning and not just words, and secondly to focus on the question as
much as the text itself
4. 1. The question types
In fact there are two question types here:
1. True/False/Not given: fact based
2. Yes/No/Not given: opinion based
In each case you need to decide if the information in the text agrees with the
information in the question. You should note that in the “Yes/No/Not given”
questions, you are normally asked to look for the writer’s opinions rather than
facts.
Note the key skill
The key skill here is to understand that you are interpreting the text and the
question. This means that you need to read very closely and pay attention to what
the writer means. Don’t think of it as a skimming question, rather a question where
you need to read the text and the question closely and decide what the writer
means.
How to get the answers right
True/Yes

21


There is information in the text that agrees exactly with the statement in the
question. Note that you will almost certainly need to look for synonyms here and
match meaning and not words.
False/No
There is information in the text that is directly opposite to or contradicts the
statement in the question. Again note that you will also need to think about
meaning here. You should pay careful attention to “little” words that qualify or
change meaning such as: some , all, often, occasionally
Not Given
This is the one that normally causes the most problems. Something is not given if
there is no information about it in the text. Do not spend ages looking for Not
Given answers because you will waste time.
Guessing intelligently
This is probably the hardest question type. Don’t despair though you have a good
chance of guessing correctly. In fact the questions are hard because you have a one
in three chance of guessing! Here is my suggestion
1. If you find information in the text about the statement in the question:

guess True or False but remember to read the whole question and not just match
words in it
2. If you find no information in the text about the statement guess Not Given -

don’t waste time. Typically, answer are Not Given when they match just one or
two words in the question
3. if you have no idea, then guess Not Given. You have a one in three chance of
being right and you may have no idea because it isn’t there!
4.2. Some tips to get the highest scores:

4.2.1. General tips:

22


Tip one – Underline the part of the text that shows the answer
A forgotten reading skill is to learning how to read intensively when you are
looking for the answer itself. Forget “key words” – they only show where to find
the answer. Once you have found the right part of the text, read very carefully –
you want to find something that says:
1. This agrees with the information in the question – True
2. This contradicts the information in the question – False
Do NOT read generally at this point. You want to find something you can
underline. If you cannot find anything specific that you can underline, then the
answer is likely to be Not Given.
Tip two – refer back to the whole question and think about its meaning
If the reading text is designed how well you understand reading passages. This
means you always want to focus on meaning when you are looking for the answer.
Once you have found the right part of the text, forget key words. It’s quite possible
to find words in the text that match words in the question, but the overall meaning
is quite different.
4.2.2. Practical tips
1. Read the whole question. Do NOT focus on key words. Think about the
meaning of the question.
2. Be especially careful with words such as “often” and “some”. They can change
the meaning of the question dramatically.
3. Be careful with questions beginning “The writer says”: here you need to think
about the writer’s opinions and not about facts.
4. The questions will follow the order of the text: if you can’t find answer 12, you
know it must be somewhere between 11 and 13.

5. Do not spend too long on any one question. If the answer is “Not Given”, there
may be nothing for you to find.
23


6. One possibility is to mark all the “True” answers and all the “False” answers
and then guess “Not Given” for the others.
A suggested procedure
Here is my suggested procedure:
1. Read the instructions carefully and note whether you are being asked to look for
facts or opinions.
2. Look at all the questions and see what topics they ask about. You may note key
words here, but only to identify the correct part of the text to read.
3. Skim the text to identify which paragraphs you need to read more closely. Note
that the questions will follow the order of the text and so the answer to question 10
will follow the answer to question 11
4. Mark on the question paper which paragraphs relate to which question: eg.,
write 11 against paragraph E
5. Refocus on the question and read the whole question: be careful with tricky
words like “usually”
6. Underline the words in the text that give you the answer. This helps you
concentrate and also allows you to change your mind, if you find a better answer
later.
A variation is to mark the “True” answers first as they tend to be the easiest and
then go back to the “False” and “Not given” later.
A difficulty – Not Given
The “Not Given” variation is probably what makes this type of question so
difficult. How can you deal with this problem? You need to understand that:
•

“Not given” does not mean no words in the question are used in the text.

Typically, you will find some of words from the question in the text – they simply
don’t answer the whole question

24


•

You cannot add information that is probably true: you can only use the

information given in the text
4.3. Some examples of how the questions work
4.3.1. Example 1:
Macallan is one of the four top selling brands of malt whisky in the world. It is
made in barrels made of Spanish oak that have previously been used for sherry
because this adds sweetness to its flavour.
True
Macallan is globally successful.
This

is

true

because top

selling

brands

of

malt

whisky

in

the

world matches globally successful.
False
Macallan is made in metal containers.
This is false because the text says it us made in barrels of Spanish oak. Because
oak is a wood this contradicts the words in the question metal containers. Note that
you need to think about meaning
Not Given
Macallan is made in Spain.
There is no information about where it is made. Be careful of the trap of seeing the
words Spanish and made in the text. Usually with Not Given answers you will
find some words in the text that match words in the question without matching the
meaning of the whole question.
4.3.2. Example 2:
Reading passage:
SPELLING SYSTEM REFORM
Our children are being beaten up by a crazy spelling system that appears to
be loved by millions. They are being beaten up because they are constantly
25