A: Practise task types which you looked at in Unit 2

In this group of exercises you will do further practice of matching headings to paragraphs and of summary completion tasks.

TIP:

When matching headings to paragraphs, make sure that you read all the headings carefully before you read the paragraphs.

 

1. Matching headings to paragraphs.

You are going to read a text about dreams. From the list of headings below choose the most suitable for each paragraph.

Compensating for what we don't have
Early theories about the significance of dreams
Dreaming as problem-solving
What is dreaming?
The body's way of communicating problems
Keeping the eyes healthy
Dreams and the unconscious
What to remember and what to forget

2. Summary completion.

Put the words from the box below in the gaps to complete the summary. (There are more words than spaces, so you will not need to use them all.)

B: Look at tasks which focus on matching opinions to specific people

In this group of exercises you will practise matching opinions to specific people.

TIP:

In the IELTS exam it is important to be able to distinguish two types of information:
Fact: information which is known to be true
Opinion: information based on personal beliefs or ideas.

 

1. Distinguishing facts and opinions.

Read the "Dream time" text again. Look at the following statements. Which are fact and which are opinion?

2. Language of facts and opinions.

Look at the phrases below. Which are more commonly used to introduce facts and which are used to introduce opinions?

3. Matching ideas or opinions to specific people.

To complete this type of task in the reading test you will need to follow the following steps:

  1. Find the correct paragraph.
  2. Read the paragraph carefully.
  3. Choose the statement which best matches the ideas mentioned in the paragraph.

Now read the example matching task in the box and answer the question below.

The reading passage contains a number of different ideas. Match the ideas with the people in the box below. There are two ideas which you do not need to use.

1. Dreaming provides the brain with time to understand the world and organise information we receive during the day.
2. When we work hard at something new, we dream more at night.
3. The activity which occurs while we dream has an important biological function.
4. Dreaming provides the brain with an opportunity to discard useless information.
5. Our dreams are a key to understanding deeper levels of the mind.
6. Dreaming can provide advance warning about illness.
7. Dreaming is less significant and important than people think.

A   Aristotle

B   Sigmund Freud

C   Christopher Evans

D   David Maurice

E   Colin Shapiro


Find the correct paragraph.

The first person listed in the question is Aristotle. Look at the complete text. Which paragraph mentions Aristotle?

4. Read the paragraph carefully.

Here is the complete second paragraph:

Early theories about the significance of dreams
For the ancient Greeks, dreams were messages from the gods. Aristotle, however, disagreed. He was perhaps the first person to offer a more pragmatic interpretation of dreams, arguing that dreams were actually representations of images which people had thought about or seen during the day.

Which of the following ideas does Aristotle suggest?

5. Choose the best statement.

Now look again at the list of statements included in the question:

  1. Dreaming provides the brain with time to understand the world and organise information we receive during the day.
  2. When we work hard at something new, we dream more at night.
  3. The activity which occurs while we dream has an important biological function.
  4. Dreaming provides the brain with an opportunity to discard useless information.
  5. Our dreams are a key to understanding deeper levels of the mind.
  6. Dreaming can provide advance warning about illness.
  7. Dreaming is less significant and important than people think.

Which statement best matches the ideas included in the second paragraph of the text? (Remember that the statement written in the question does not have to be exactly the same as the ideas mentioned in the original paragraph.)

6. Practice.

Now answer the complete question.

Read the "Dream time" text.

Question:

The reading passage contains a number of different ideas. Match each idea with the people in the box below. There are two ideas which you do not need to use.

  1. Dreaming provides the brain with time to understand the world and organise information we receive during the day.
  2. When we work hard at something new, we dream more at night.
  3. The activity which occurs while we dream has an important biological function.
  4. Dreaming provides the brain with an opportunity to discard useless information.
  5. Our dreams are a key to understanding deeper levels of the mind.
  6. Dreaming can provide advance warning about illness.
  7. Dreaming is less significant and important than people think.

A  Aristotle

B   Sigmund Freud

C   Christopher Evans

D   David Maurice

E   Colin Shapiro



Summary

With this type of matching task:

  • First, read the question. Make sure you read all the ideas included and look at information related to people who are included in the question.
  • Find the paragraph which mentions the first person listed in the question (for example, Aristotle).
  • Read the paragraph about this person and the ideas he or she suggests.
  • Look again at the list of ideas included in the question. Find the idea that best matches the original paragraph.
  • Remember that you do not need to read the complete text for this type of question - only the paragraphs that talk about the people listed in the question.