IELTS Reading Texts: Essential Practice for High Band Scores by J.P. Williams / Onlearn Copyright © 2012 Onlearn Table of Contents Multiple Choice Reading 1. Penguins 2. Earthquakes 3. Higher Education 4. Whales 5. Pollen 6. Coral 7. A Famous Composer 8. Trams 9. A Famous Politician 10. Monkeys 11. Gunpowder 12. Hurricanes 13. Passports 14. Police 15. SARS 16. Communications 17. Cables 18. Tourism 19. A Famous Writer 20. Ozone Full IELTS Reading 1. Facts you should know about Global Warming 2. The Lands where the Kurds live 3. Downsizing: The Long Term Effects 4. Walking and Fat Loss 5. Traditional Ballad Verse in Australia 6. Dyslexia 7. Preventing Violence in the Workplace 8. Two Inventions 9. Team Building 10. Valentine's Day For More Help With Your IELTS Answers Multiple Choice Reading Answers Full IELTS Reading Answers Introduction How this book can help increase your score The IELTS Reading Texts book has been created for IELTS Exam candidates who want to achieve a high score in the Reading Paper. Many candidates find that the three texts in the Reading Paper are very demanding for many reasons. Firstly, the texts are drawn from different fields to which they might have had no exposure. In addition, the type of vocabulary that the texts use is of a wide range and, therefore, requires that the candidates have a very good passive vocabulary. Moreover, the variety of question types requires that candidates have already had experience in developing sound exam techniques to cope with such varied tasks. This book is divided into two sections: Multiple Choice Reading provides texts and questions with detailed feedback on why answers are right or wrong, offers advice on how to approach questions, details common mistakes and highlights essential vocabulary. Most IELTS Reading material fails to give detailed feedback on answers. This digital book from MyEnglishExam.com corrects this failing. Full IELTS Reading offers ten passages that include ALL the different types of questions, namely skimming exercises, multiple choice, true/false/not given, vocabulary, cloze exercise and inferencing. Once again detailed feedback is given. The texts are varied in their subject matter and focus on helping candidates tackle all the forms of questions they will meet in their exam. The level of vocabulary is high and the questions demanding, thus providing excellent preparation for those who are looking to achieve high bands in their IELTS. Using this book You should systematically work your way through the texts and attempt all the questions. Here are some sample questions taken from different texts. 1 2 3 At the end of questions, you have a link which will take you directly to the Answers page for that particular text. All answers are given with Notes. A link at the end of the answers for each exercise will return you to the reading exercise. Here is a sample Note, giving the answer, locating it in a paragraph and an explanation of why it is correct. Recording your answers You could record your answers using paper and pencil. However, the Kindle or Kindle Client you are using to read this ebook has an excellent way to make notes in a list. With this list open, you can then check your answers when you move to the Answers pages for each text. Make a NOTE at each question Insert your answer into the NOTE View all the answers you recorded in “My Notes and Marks” (by moving to the Answers page and checking your answers carefully) About the authors J.P. Williams is part of a highly qualified team with many years’ experience in IELTS Exam preparation instruction and resource development. All members of the Onlearn team have Master Degrees in English Language Teaching. Our popular IELTS and ESL websites include: “MyEnglishExam.com”, “esl4free.com, “youtube.com/esl4free” & “marktask.com”. Multiple Choice Reading Multiple Choice Reading: 1. Penguins P1: Penguins breed by producing eggs. Both parents take turns in incubating the eggs, which typically lasts for eight weeks, although larger eggs from larger birds might take a little longer. When the chick is fully developed, it carefully chisels its way out of the egg using a little notch at the end of its beak. Upon emerging, the chicks are dependent on their parents to protect them from the elements, from predators and for their daily supply of food. P2: As in the incubation stage, both parents take it in turn to care for their young by alternating between the roles of food gather and guardian of the nest. The young are always in close proximity to their parents, either sitting on their parents' feet or under their bellies. As days go by, a thick protective coat of downy feathers begins to grow which keeps the chicks warm and slowly allows them to seek independence from the nest within confined limits. P3: As the chicks rapidly put on weight, providing adequate quantities becomes a problem so both parents need to hunt for food. Since the chicks cannot be left unprotected, they are gathered together in groups, often tightly packed together for extra security and warmth. When the chicks reach a size approximating their parents, they begin to moult into juvenile plumage and are ready to take their first trips out to sea. P4: The time from birth to this stage can vary from about six weeks to double that time in most species but some penguin groups take many months. P5: The first few weeks at sea are critical. Juveniles need to quickly learn where the best places to catch their food are and how to avoid the predators that lurk in the sea. The research that has been done so far indicates that less than one half of the young penguins that go out to sea each year survive into adulthood. P6: At the one-year stage, moulting happens again at which point the young start to look very much like their parents. At age two, most species of penguin are biologically programmed to turn their attention to breeding. Breeding then takes place every year. Penguins in the wild probably live up to about 20 years of age, although research has yet to confirm this. 1. QUESTIONS Q1. What title best expresses the ideas in the passage? A. The breeding habits of penguins B. The life cycle of penguins C. The characteristics of penguins D. Penguins in danger Q2. Both parents need to gather food because A. many young are born at the same time. B. sea food is difficult to obtain. C. temperatures require penguins to eat heavily. D. growing penguins eat more and more