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IELTS Reading Key Tips and How to Answer Reading Questions

High IELTS score with a few simple but practical tips

There are a number of important and often simple tips for success in anything that turn failure into success. All you have to do is learn these tips and apply them.

 In this article , we review the IELTS Reading Tips ; Tips for preparation and practice that will definitely improve your reading score. 

We will then provide you with strategies for answering IELTS reading questions to learn how to answer IELTS reading questions . So if you are applying to take the IELTS test, join us.

Many IELTS candidates believe that reading is the hardest part of the test. It will definitely not be easy to take the time to understand the questions in this section, especially when you are under stress.

As you know, the second skill that is tested in the IELTS test is reading . Three texts with a total of 2200 to 2750 words will be in front of you and you have 60 minutes to answer the 40 questions extracted from the texts.

Exercises to improve your reading skills:

1. Study in different fields

One of the barriers that most candidates cite as one of the reasons for losing their IELTS reading score is unfamiliarity with the subject matter. What should be done to solve this problem?

There is really no magic and instant way to solve this problem. You have to study different topics. Spend hours a day searching on various IELTS reading topics and raising your general knowledge.

Note that you should study in all fields so that your eyes become familiar with the words of different fields, including cultural, sports, historical, environmental, geological, and so on.

Magazines are the best resources for practicing reading because they cover a wide range of topics and can usually provide information on current world concerns.

2. Solve sample IELTS reading questions

One of the tips for reading IELTS for success is to answer and practice as many IELTS reading questions as you can. This will allow you to extract your weaknesses and then spend more time on them.

Try to find your bugs carefully. See where the problem comes from: Did you not know the meaning of the word? Were you unable to find the section in question? Did not know how to respond?

It is very important that you take the time to identify your problems after identifying them.

Be patient and determined in learning and improving your reading skills. No one has been able to achieve a high score in this area in a week or two.

IELTS Reading Tips

3. Find meaningful sentences and phrases

In Reading IELTS you will not find many of the sentences and phrases given to you in the text in the same way in the questions; Rather, their paraphrase is seen.

Paraphrasing is actually a different way of writing phrases or sentences: this difference can occur in words or structure. What they have in common is the meaning of two phrases and sentences that have the same meaning.

A very important strategy that comes in handy here is to compare the text with the questions and identify phrases and sentences that have parallel meanings. This way you can easily find the answer to each question.

Sample reading text to practice synonymous expressions:

Bringing Cinnamon to Europe

Cinnamon is sweet, fragrant spice produced from the inner bark of trees of the genus Cinnamomum, which is native to the Indian sub-continent. it was known in biblical times, and mentioned in several Bible books, both as an ingredient that was mixed with oils for anointing people’s bodies, and also as a token indicating friendship among lovers and friends. In ancient Rome, mourners attending funerals burnt cinnamon to create a pleasant scent . Most often, however, the spice found its primary use as an additive to food and drink.

In the Middle Ages, Europeans who could afford the spice used it to flavor food, particularly meat, and impress those around them with their ability to purchase an expensive condiment from the ‘exotic’ East. At a banquets, a host would offer guests a plate with various spices piled upon it as a sign of wealth at his or her disposal . Cinnamon was also reported to have health benefits , and was thought to cure various ailments , such as indigestion.

IELTS Reading Tips

Synonyms of the text:

Now, without looking at the answer, find all the meanings and words that have been bolded from the following group of words and phrases:

  • an indication of how wealthy an individual is
  • a sign of
  • which originates from
  • stated
  • a number of
  • added to
  • was believed to heal different illness
  • made from
  • participating in
  • a sweet smell
  • main
  • was also said to be beneficial to well being
  • leave mark on
  • especially
  • made from = produced from
  • which originated from = which is native to
  • stated = mentioned
  • added to = mixed with
  • a sign of = indicating
  • participating in = attending
  • a sweet smell = a pleasant scent
  • main = primary
  • especially = particularly
  • leave a mark on = impress
  • an indication of how wealthy an individual is = a sign of wealth at his or her disposal
  • was also said to beneficial to wellbeing = was also reported to have health benefits
  • was believed to heal different illnesses = was thought to cure various ailments

Examples such as the above exercise are frequently found on various websites. If you feel weak in paraphrasing and finding synonyms, be sure to set aside time on a daily basis to do these exercises.

4. Extract the idea of ​​the text through Skimming

One of the problems with Reading IELTS that almost all volunteers struggle with is lack of time. To help you overcome this, one of the IELTS Reading Tips that most instructors recommend is skimming.

In this type of reading, you do not need to read all the words carefully. First read the questions and then look at the text to find the answers to the questions and look for common keywords between the question and the text.

Attention:

As we said before, the phrases and words that appear in the text are not repeated exactly in the question. So look for all the meanings.

Skimming technique for reading IELTS

5. Do not try to mean individual words

It is very natural that you do not know the meaning of some words in a text. You can guess the meaning of the word based on the words next to that unfamiliar word.

In general, you want to get the general meaning of the text. Do not worry that some words are new to you and do not lose yourself. Go ahead with the idea that you will definitely come across new words, but also give yourself the assurance that you can answer questions by guessing new words.

6. Find the right technique for you

It may seem strange at first, but the truth is that there is no final advice on which method is best for you. You need to figure out for yourself how to look for the right answers and what to do first: read the text first and then the questions or vice versa.

There is no fixed version that can make everyone successful. Try different strategies to determine the right technique for you and choose the one that works for you.

We hope you find the IELTS Reading Tips helpful and that you learn how to answer the IELTS Reading Questions . You can share your comments with us in the comments section.