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.
Reading Text 1
This text is from Science Mag and written by Carrie Arnold
You should spend around 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on reading text 1.
Shhh, The Ants Are Talking
If you want to survive as an ant, you’d better get ready to make some noise. A new study shows that even ant pupae—a stage between larvae and adult—can communicate via sound and that this communication can be crucial to their survival.
“What’s very cool about this paper is that researchers have shown for the first time that pupae do, in fact, make some sort of a sound,” says Phil DeVries, an entomologist at the University of New Orleans in Louisiana who was not involved in the study. “This was a very clever piece of natural history and science.”
Scientists have known for decades that ants use a variety of small chemicals known as pheromones to communicate. Perhaps the most classic example is the trail of pheromones the insect’s place as they walk. Those behind them follow this trail, leading to long lines of ants marching one by one. However, the insects also use pheromones to identify which nest an ant is from and its social status in that nest. Because this chemical communication is so prevalent and complex, researchers long believed that this was the primary way ants shared information.
However, several years ago, researchers began to notice that adults in some ant genuses, such as Myrmica, which contains more than 200 diverse species found across Europe and Asia, made noise. These types of ants have a specialised spike along their abdomen that they stroke with one of their hind legs, similar to dragging the teeth of a comb along the edge of a table. Preliminary studies seemed to indicate that this noise served primarily as an emergency beacon, allowing the ants to shout for help when being threatened by a predator.
Larvae and young pupae have soft outer skeletons, which means their specialised spikes haven’t yet formed and they can’t make noise. However, as the pupae mature, their covering hardens into a tough exoskeleton like that found in adult ants. These older pupae do have fully functional spikes but were generally thought to be silent.
Karsten Schönrogge, an entomologist at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, in the United Kingdom, thought it odd that mature pupae would have the capability to produce sound but remain silent. So he and his colleagues listened in to a group of Myrmica scabrinodisants. These 4- to 5-millimeter-long, reddish-brown ants are commonly found in northern Europe, in low-lying areas like peat bogs.
Using an extra-sensitive microphone that would pick up on the faint acoustic signals, the researchers measured the sounds produced by 10 differentM. scabrinodis larvae, six immature pupae, and six mature pupae. Whereas the larvae and immature pupae were completely silent, the mature pupae produced brief pulses of sound, the team reports online today in Current Biology.
Further analysis of this noise showed that it was a simplified version of the more complex adult sound. It was as if the mature pupae were saying, “Help!” while the adults were saying “Hey, I’m over here! Please come help! It’s your friend!”
To test the function of these noises in the mature pupae, the researchers first played back the sounds made by either the mature pupae or adult M. scabrinodis. Adult worker ants responded the same way to both recordings, such as walking over to the speaker, rubbing their antennae against it, and guarding it. They didn’t show these responses when Schönrogge and colleagues played white noise. These behaviours, which represent a worker ant’s attempts to protect its nestmates, indicate that acoustic communication served to bring assistance in both mature pupae and adult ants.
To see how the ants used this acoustic communication, the team removed the abdominal spike from some of the mature pupae in a nest. The researchers then disturbed the nest, spilling out larvae, pupae, and adult workers into an experimental arena. Normally, the adult ants rescue their nestmates in a specific order: mature pupae, immature pupae, and, finally, the larvae. In the experiments by Schönrogge and colleagues, the adult workers indeed rescued the unmuted mature pupae first. However, the adult ants completely ignored the muted ants. It was as if the mute mature pupae simply didn’t exist.
“The sounds they make rescue them by signalling their social status,” Schönrogge says. “There is complex information in these signals,” that combine with chemical signals to provide an array of information about the individual. Researchers have yet to decode everything the ants are communicating by sound and how the ants interpret these signals. Acoustic communication may be especially important in mature pupae because they don’t yet produce the full array of adult pheromones, but they also don’t smell and behave like larvae, either.
DeVries cautions that the discovery doesn’t mean that chemical communication in ants is less important. “Ants live in these enormously sophisticated societies,” he says. “Acoustic signalling adds another gorgeous piece to what we know about how insect societies communicate.”
Questions 1-6
Do the following statements agree with the information in the text?
In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet, write
True – if the statement agrees with the information
False – if the statement contradicts the information
Not Given – if there is no information present
1. Adult ants have spiked legs
2. Mature ants and pupae can convey they need help by creating sounds
3. The larvae do no produce any signals
4. Quiet ants were not retrieved by the mature ants
5. The ants tested did not show any positions relating to hierarchy
6. Ants live in practical communities
Questions 7-9
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F below
Write the correct letter A-F, in boxes 7-9 on your answer sheet.
7. The ants can use their sense of smell
8. Some ants can create a sound
9. Some researchers
A. to detect other insects
B. to talk to each other and gain knowledge of their place in the hierarchy
C. from using their antennae
D. that is used to ask for help
E. documented the tone from various stages of ant formation
F. created a support network for the ants
Questions 10-13
Complete the flow chart below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.
If you need help to answer these questions with extra practice please read the posts below >>
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You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on reading text 2.
Questions 14-18
The text below has five paragraphs A-E.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. A new beginning
ii. A career like no other
iii. Integration and education
iv. The result of the overall benefits
v. Some drawbacks of working in the healthcare system
vi. From the initial process to the workplace
vii. The future of healthcare for refugees and migrants
viii. Examples of medical staff success
14. Paragraph A
15. Paragraph B
16. Paragraph C
17. Paragraph D
18. Paragraph E
World Refugee Day: WHO training enables Syrian doctors and nurses to provide health care in Turkey
A
“We and the Turkish doctors are working like brothers and sisters.” These are the words of Muhammed Hattab, 1 of more than 3 million Syrian refugees now living in Turkey – the country with the highest number of refugees in the world. A doctor who fled his home in Aleppo more than 2 years ago, Muhammed did not know whether by leaving northern Syria he was also abandoning his profession and the career he had built in his home country. However, thanks to a joint programme of the WHO Country Office in Turkey and the Turkish Ministry of Health, he has been able to begin a new chapter of his life and career, working in the Turkish national health system and providing care for his fellow Syrians in Turkey.
B
In 2016, the Turkish government enacted a law that allows Syrian health professionals to enter the workforce in the Turkish health system, with the aim of both integrating Syrian professionals into the health system and also ensuring that Syrian refugees can receive health care without encountering language or cultural barriers. In order to implement this law, the Public Health Institution of Turkey, associated with the Ministry of Health, and the WHO Country Office developed an adaptation training for Syrian health workers living Turkey – including doctors, nurses and midwives. The initiative is supported financially by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Operations (ECHO).The training provides classroom and practical coursework, resulting in a certificate that authorises Syrian health-care workers to practice in refugee health centres established in Turkey and to deliver health services to Syrian refugees.
C
Since the trainings began in November 2016, over 380 doctors and 360 nurses and midwives have received vocational competence certificates, allowing them to serve refugee populations in Turkey. Ultimately, they will staff the 260 refugee health centres and 600 refugee health units that the Ministry of Health has opened and will establish in the future. These centres and units provide primary health care, with services offered to Syrian refugees free of charge. “This project in Turkey was the salvation for Syrian doctors,” says Muhammed. “With this programme, we felt like doctors for the first time in 2 years.”
D
While the health-care profession has general underlying principles that are universal across different parts of the world, some important regulations and practices differ greatly from country to country. The adaptation training seeks to give Syrian health workers the knowledge and experience they need in order to be fully competent and skilled in the Turkish setting. They must first apply for the programme and go through a selection process. Once approved by the Ministry of Health, they undergo a 1-week classroom training with Turkish university professors and lecturers, followed by 6 weeks of on-the -job training in a Refugee Health Centre. By working under the mentorship of Turkish health professionals for several weeks, they are able to familiarise themselves with the Turkish health system and prepare to provide care within this system. They are also evaluated at each stage of the training process before becoming certified to work in Turkey, helping to ensure good results for Syrian patients in the country.
E
“These trainings are not only a way to address language barriers but a good example of the collaboration between national and international partners in Turkey to help the integration of Syrian medical doctors, nurses and midwives to serve the community of refugees. We appreciate that the Government of Turkey, the Ministry of Health and Turkish health staff ensure equitable access to health services. And we consider this a one-of-a-kind collaboration among WHO, academia and the Ministry of Health to set an example for other countries, accommodating high numbers of refugees and migrants,” comments Dr Pavel Ursu, WHO Representative to Turkey. WHO supports the classroom portion of the training, in collaboration with the Ministry, and is committed to making sure that Syrian health professionals are equipped with the essential theoretical background for their future career. In addition, WHO provides trainees with financial support for the duration of practical training to cover living expenses and travel costs.
Questions 19-22
Look at the following titles/names (Questions 19-22) and the list of statements below.
Match each title/name with the correct statement, A-F.
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 19-22 on your answer sheet.
19. Muhammed Hattab
20. The Turkish Government
21. The Ministry of Health
22. Dr Pavel Ursu
A. Moved to Turkey
B. Provides healthcare for Syrians in Turkey
C. Implemented a system allowing migrant and refugee medical workers to undergo training in similar practices
D. Are evaluating the Turkish health system
E. Has opened many places for people to receive free healthcare
F. Gives praise to the new collaboration amongst professionals and the government
Questions 23-26
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.
23. Muhammed Hattab refers to working with fellow Syrians like working with brothers ………………………………………….
24. The Turkish government is making it easier for Syrians to be treated medically by fellow ……………………………
25. Syrian medical professionals are entered into a …………………………. program that updates their knowledge of the Turkish healthcare system.
26. Everyone involved is trying to set an ………………………. to other places in the world.
If you need help to answer these questions with extra practice please read the posts below >>
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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.
In this post, see the top 5 reading tips that will help you to achieve a band score 7 or above.
In the IELTS Reading Test for both the General Training and the Academic, the skills needed are the same. The main difference of these tests is the type of texts the students will read. In the General Training Reading Test, the students will read both long and short texts taken from newspapers, flyers, timetables, etc. The Academic students will have 3 long texts that will progressively get more difficult. They will be taken from journals, newspapers, books etc.
You will have 40 questions to answer in 60 minutes, with no extra time to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.
Here is a list of the different types of IELTS reading questions:
Always make sure that you read the instructions before you start looking at the questions or text. The instructions for the reading test are very specific – meaning if you don’t follow them exactly you will lose marks.
For example, if the instructions say to only write one word – then look for one-word answers. If you write more than that your answer will be marked as incorrect. The same goes for two-word answers or three, look for the amount of words or numbers that you are allowed to write.
TIP 2: Be Aware Of Timing
Ideally, you should spend around 20 minutes or just under on each text as you have 60 minutes to complete the reading test. In that 20 minutes – look at one text, answer the questions, transfer them to the answer sheet and check them. It is important that you leave yourself enough time to transfer your answers onto the answer sheet and check them.
Practice as much as you can with sample tests, looking at those that challenge you as well as other texts that you find slightly easier. The more difficult texts can take more time, so be aware of how much time you spend on those, practising skimming and scanning skills to increase your reading speed.
TIP 3: Answer Every Question
Try to answer every question, even if you are not 100% sure of the answer. Many students report leaving gaps on their answer sheet because they did not know the answer or they ran out of time. You can try your best to answer each and every question.
TIP 4: Forget What You Know Already
The IELTS Reading Test is testing your ability to understand information in the texts you are given. So don’t think about your previous knowledge on the topic, only focus on the text in front of you.
TIP 5: Paraphrasing, Synonyms And Vocabulary
It is really important to study all forms of English when studying for the IELTS Test, looking at how a text is paraphrased, learning new words and using synonyms. Reading more will definitely help you to develop your vocabulary knowledge, as well as recognising synonyms.
When you are studying, use an online thesaurus to check for synonyms and meanings and if you are reading longer complex texts, keep a notebook of words you do not know and their meaning. You will also see how ideas are connected, which can help you in the writing tasks also.
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.
In this post, we will be looking at matching features.
In the IELTS Reading Test, you could be given questions that ask you to match features, often with texts that include theories or comments about people, places, years and things. To comprehend how to complete these questions, you need to be able to skim read.
The questions will not be ordered in the same way as the given text, the various options will be presented in a box and you will match them to the questions. There will be paraphrased information and more questions are given than needed to complete the task.
EXERCISE 1
The paragraphs for this practice exercise is from a text called “Giving blood in a time of crisis” from The World Health Organisation (WHO) website.
Read the questions, skim read the following text, and look for the important details;
Prakash Ghimire was just leaving his home in Kathmandu to travel to the airport when the shaking started.
Within a minute, a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake – the worst to strike the region in more than 80 years – had laid waste to large parts of the city, wreaking destruction that would leave about 9000 people dead and another 22 000 injured.
Half an hour later, Dr Ghimire, a national professional officer at WHO’s country office in Nepal, was at the Health Ministry to join the team assembled at the health emergency operation centre. He was put in charge of coordinating the blood transfusion services, including the availability of blood and blood products in earthquake response operations.
“Immediately after the earthquake, we assembled and started taking stock of what had happened,” he says.
An initial assessment revealed extensive damage to the nation’s blood supply infrastructure. Out of about 100 blood transfusion centres, 9 were completely destroyed and 21 were partially damaged. The Central Blood Transfusion Service building in Kathmandu had large cracks in its walls and was deemed structurally unsound.
There were also deaths and injuries at two of the sites carrying out blood collection activities that day. One Nepal Red Cross staff member, one volunteer and seven donors had died, and others remained trapped in a collapsed donation centre, awaiting rescue.
But Nepal had long feared a devastating earthquake and had made some preparations. The country’s first solar-powered emergency blood transfusion service centre had been inaugurated just five days before the earthquake struck. The designers had predicted that power would be a significant problem after a natural disaster; the rooftop solar panels meant that this was not an issue.
Match the features >>
Prakash Ghimire
Dr Ghimire
Nepal
A. A nurse
B. Place of the earthquake
C. a doctor
D. a blood donor
E. Earthquake victim
Answers are at the bottom of the page.
Exercise 2
The paragraphs for this practice exercise is from a text called “Forgetting to wash your hands can cost lives“ from The World Health Organisation (WHO) website.
Read the questions, skim read the following text, and look for the important details;
When Bandana Das, a midwife in India, washes her hands it is not simply routine, it is a critical step in reducing infection and saving the lives of mothers and newborns.
“I have seen mothers discharged from the health facility and then come back to the same facility with severe infections and high temperatures,” says Bandana, the president of the Society of Midwives in India. “Many of these mothers do not survive.”
Worldwide, 30 000 women and 400 000 babies die every year from infections, such as puerperal sepsis, often caused by lack of water, sanitation and poor hand-washing practices. In an era of antimicrobial resistance, it is crucial that all midwives wash their hands at key moments – before and after touching a patient, before medical procedures, and after being exposed to bodily fluids.
However, up to 70% of health workers do not adhere to recommended hand hygiene practices, according to WHO.
In India and many low- and middle-income countries, practising good hand hygiene is not easy. Bandana, like many midwives in India, often does not have access to water, a toilet, or soap.
“In some places, water has been so dirty it is unusable,” she says. “It is very difficult to practice good hygiene in these circumstances.”
According to a WHO and UNICEF report, more than 1 in 3 health facilities in low- and middle-income countries do not have any access to water at all. When the reliability, safety, and distance of the water supply is taken into account, that ratio increases to 1 in 2.
Lack of water is only one challenge. Nearly 1 in 5 of these facilities do not have toilets and more than 1 in 3 does not have soap for hand washing. Clean water, functioning toilets and soap are all essential to protecting the lives of mothers and newborns during the time of birth.
Match the features >>
WHO and UNICEF
Bandana Das
Health workers
A. leads the way in good hygiene practices in India
B. wrote a report about the shortage of midwives in India
C. communicated information about some places having no water
D. often do not clean their hands
E. Performed tests on the water in India
Answers are at the bottom of the page.
REVIEW AND STRATEGY
The matching features questions are common in the IELTS Reading Test, therefore you should practice and develop a strategy for answering.
TIP >> Read the instructions before you start reading the text. Make sure you understand what the question is asking you to do.
TIP >> Read the names/ places first and scan the text to find them. You can underline/highlight them – they may be mentioned more than once.
TIP >> Look for the connection between their name and what they have achieved etc, that relates to the options. Be wary of synonyms and paraphrasing.
TIP >> Choose your answers through an elimination process. Which ones do not fit? Which ones can you dismiss?
Answers >>
Exercise 1 Answers >>
1 – E
2 – C
3 – B
Exercise 2 Answers >>
1 – C
2 – A
3 – D
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
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.
The IELTS Reading Test lasts 60 minutes. It is made up of three parts, with a total of 40 questions. You are given no extra time to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. During the test, the texts become more difficult.
In the General Training test, the texts are not academic, they are about daily life, for example – advertisements, reviews or ‘how to’ articles. You may read something about preparing for a job interview or a review of places to visit when going abroad.
In the Academic test, all three texts are of an academic tone, for instance – scientific research or a historical article. The articles in the Academic reading test may include research about medical procedures or the future of medicine, the environment and climate change issues.
What do you need to do?
Find specific information in the texts. You will be looking for information, such as dates, names, places and costs.
Finding the purpose of a text, looking at the reasons behind the writing. Why did the author write this? What is the purpose of it? To share an opinion? Many people when they write are expressing their views, selling something, sharing news, suggesting, recommending something or reviewing something.
Separating the main idea of an article apart from other ideas. In a long text, there will be the main idea, that is supported by other ideas. It will be good practice for you to read articles and select the main idea, as well as the point of each paragraph.
Following an argument, looking for both sides, the for and against. When you are reading a text, think about – What is the key argument? What statement is the author making? Are they sharing their opinion?
Understand information in diagrams and tables. These are used to give specific information for a fast analysis. In the exam, you may have a table that you have to fill in, after finding the required information in an article.
Summaries and notes, a summary is a short review of something, you will often see this when looking for information about a book or movie, they will give you a short summary of what it is about. Notes can be in bullet form, with groups of words or single words, linked to a subject heading.
The main features of the text, knowing where the title is, the subheadings, the images and the main body of the text is important.
Text length, can in the Academic test go well over 1000 words. This is why it is important to learn how to skim read and locate specific information. In the General Training test, the texts are shorter, but you will also have to be able to skim read.
Being able to paraphrase and recognise paraphrasing is also very important. Many of the texts will paraphrase words – the questions may paraphrase using different words with the same meaning. Always read the questions before you start reading through the text.
How Can You Practice?
There are many websites and texts out there for you to practice with, but day to day you should try and read articles from news websites, science journals, history and of course general interest.
Here are some links to websites with articles you may find interesting;
For more help on each skill you should practice before the reading test, please take a look at the other posts in the reading section.
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
