IELTS General Training Reading Practice Test 1 – Section 3
⚡ TL;DR
Essential strategies and practice techniques for this IELTS Reading question type. Learn how to manage time and improve accuracy.
Originally published June 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
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READING SECTION 3 – QUESTIONS 28-40
Questions 28-34
The text below has seven sections, A-G.
Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number i-x, in boxes 28-34 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. The development of the army
ii. A new religion is formed
iii. The rise to power
iv. A turbulent love life
v. The ultimate need for power
vi. The need for a successor
viii. Who is Henry VIII?
ix. The future of the sovereign
x. From the height of popularity to a fall from grace
28. Section A …………………………..
29. Section B …………………………..
30. Section C …………………………..
31. Section D …………………………..
32. Section E …………………………..
33. Section F ………………………….
34. Section G …………………………..
The following text is from BBC History.
Henry VIII
A
Henry, the second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, was born on 28 June 1491 at Greenwich Palace. After the death of his elder brother Arthur in 1502, Henry became heir to the English throne.
B
When Henry VII died in 1509, this popular eighteen-year-old Prince, known for his love of hunting and dancing, became King Henry VIII. Soon after he obtained the papal dispensation required to allow him to marry his brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon. In the first years of his reign Henry VIII effectively relied on Thomas Wolsey to rule for him, and by 1515 Henry had elevated him to the highest role in government: Lord Chancellor. In 1521 Pope Leo X conferred the title of Defender of the Faith on Henry for his book ‘Assertio Septem Sacramentorum’, which affirmed the supremacy of the Pope in the face of the reforming ideals of the German theologian, Martin Luther.
C
Henry VIII’s early military campaigns began when he joined Pope Julius II’s Holy League against France in 1511. Wolsey proved himself to be an outstanding minister in his organisation of the first French campaign and while the Scots saw this war as an opportunity to invade England, they were defeated at Flodden in 1513. However, war with France ultimately proved expensive and unsuccessful. Henry VIII is known as the ‘father of the Royal Navy.’ When he became king there were five royal warships. By his death, he had built up a navy of around 50 ships. He refitted several vessels with the latest guns including the Mary Rose, which sank in 1545. Henry also built the first naval dock in Britain at Portsmouth and in 1546 he established the Navy Board. This set up the administrative machinery for the control of the fleet.
D
Henry was acutely aware of the importance of securing a male heir during his reign. He was worried that he had only one surviving child, Mary, to show for his marriage to Catherine, who was now in her 40s. So the king asked Cardinal Wolsey to appeal to Pope Clement VII for an annulment and it soon became clear he wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, who had been a lady-in-waiting to his first wife. But, unwilling to anger Catherine of Aragon’s nephew – the most powerful ruler in Europe, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V – the Pope refused. Thomas Wolsey’s ascendancy was cut short by this failure. In 1533, Henry VIII broke with the church and married the now pregnant Anne Boleyn in a secret ceremony. Henry was excommunicated by the Pope. The English Reformation had begun.
E
After Wolsey’s downfall, Thomas Cromwell became Henry’s chief minister and earned the confidence of the King by helping him to break with Rome and establish Henry VIII as head of the Church of England. This act also brought him much needed wealth through the dissolution of the well-funded monasteries. Over four years Cromwell ordered that 800 monasteries be disbanded and their lands and treasures were taken for the crown. The cultural and social impact was significant, as much of the land was sold to the gentry and churches and monasteries were gutted and destroyed. Henry’s personal religious beliefs remained Catholic, despite the growing number of people at court and in the nation who had adopted Protestantism.
F
In September 1533 Anne gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth I). Henry had grown tired of her, and after two further pregnancies ended in miscarriages, she was arrested in 1536 on trumped up charges of adultery and publicly beheaded at the Tower of London. Henry’s third marriage, this time to the lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour, finally produced the son he so desperately desired with the birth of Edward in 1537. Jane Seymour died after childbirth and Henry ordered that she be granted a queen’s funeral. In an attempt to establish ties with the German Protestant alliance, Thomas Cromwell arranged a marriage between the king and German princess Anne of Cleves. The marriage was a disaster and Henry divorced Anne a few months later. Henry blamed Cromwell for this mismatch and soon afterwards had him executed for treason.
G
The final years of his reign witnessed Henry VIII’s physical decline and an increasing desire to appear all-powerful. Henry continued with fruitless and expensive campaigns against Scotland and France. In 1540, the ageing King married the teenage Catherine Howard. Their marriage was short-lived. It was alleged that she had a previous relationship with Henry’s courtier Francis Dereham and an affair with another courtier Thomas Culpeper. Catherine was executed for adultery and treason in 1542. Henry’s final marriage to Catherine Parr, who acted as a nurse, was more harmonious and she would go on to outlive him. Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547 and was succeeded by his son, Edward VI. He was buried next to Jane Seymour in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Questions 35 – 37
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 35-37 on your answer sheet.
Who was Henry VIII?
Henry VIII was one of the most notable and memorable monarch’s that England has seen. Much talked about throughout history, Henry VIII ascended to the throne when his father died and he was the only 35 ……………………………… He married his brother’s widow Catherine of Aragon and took counsel from one of the more well-known figures in history 36 …………………………………………. Throughout his reign, Henry VIII was known for his many relationships, foremost with his second wife 37 ……………………………………………. This relationship was the driving force behind Henry’s break with Rome and the Catholic faith.
Questions 38-40
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.
The Wives of Henry VIII
- Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of Henry VIII, originally married to his brother.
- His second wife was Anne Boleyn, mother of 38 …………………………………. He grew tired of her and had her beheaded.
- Moving on to Jane Seymour who gave Henry the son he so wanted, she died during childbirth.
- Next was Anne of Cleaves, who was thought to have disappointed Henry with her appearance, however, she survived the marriage as it ended in 39 ………………………………………
- After that, he married teenager Catherine Howard, who was much younger than him and was rumoured to have had many affairs.
- Lastly he married Catherine Parr, who went on to 40 ………………………………… him.
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Answers >
Questions 28-34
A – viii
B – iii
C – i
D – vi
E – ii
F – iv
G – v
Questions 35 – 37
35. heir
36. Thomas Wolsey
37. Anne Boleyn
Questions 38-40
38. Elizabeth
39. divorce
40. outlive
