Academic journals ranging from educational research, psychology, language learning, psycholinguistics, and so on cite experiments which demonstrate how detrimental pictures are for beginner readers. Here is a brief selection:
The research results of the Canadian educationalist Dale Willows were clear and consistent: pictures affected speed and accuracy and the closer the pictures were to the words, the slower and more inaccurate the child's reading became. She claims that when children come to a word they already know, then the pictures are unnecessary and distracting. If they do not know a word and look to the picture for a clue to its meaning, they may well be misled by aspects of the pictures which are not closely related to the meaning of the word they are trying to understand.
Jay Samuels, an American psychologist, found that poor readers given no pictures learnt significantly more words than those learning to read with books with pictures. He examined the work of other researchers who had reported problems with the use of pictures and who found that a word without a picture was superior to a word plus a picture. When children were given words and pictures, those who seemed to ignore the pictures and pointed at the words learnt more words than the children who pointed at the pictures, but they still learnt fewer words than the children who had no illustrated stimuli at all.
Questions 1-4
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage? In boxes 1-4 write
YES if the statement agrees with the information given
NO if the statement contradicts the information given
NOT GIVEN if there is no information about this
1. It is traditionally accepted that children's books should contain few pictures.
2. Teachers aim to teach both word recognition and word meaning.
3. Older readers are having difficulty in adjusting to text without pictures.
4. Literacy has improved as a result of recent academic conferences.
In the above,the test takers are provided with the following four statements:
1. It is traditionally accepted that children's books should contain few pictures.
2. Teachers aim to teach both word recognition and word meaning.
3. Older readers are having difficulty in adjusting to text without pictures.
4. Literacy has improved as a result of recent academic conferences.
Let us first look at Question #1. While reading the text, we come across the following statement, "When teachers use picture books, they are simple continuing a long-established tradition that is accepted without question." We now know that the use of picture books is part of a long teaching tradition. This is a refutation of the first statement that claims that teachers do not like to use picture books, or would prefer to use books with few pictures. The answer to Question #1 is therefore clearly "False". This example is fairly straightforward. Let us look at some more.
Later in the same text, we read, "A teacher's main concern is to help young beginner readers to develop not only the ability to recognize words, but the skills necessary to understand what these words mean." Question #2 is simple a re-wording of this very sentence. The answers are indeed all right there in front of us. The answer is clearly "True".
Both of these examples seem very simple. In fact, like most of the IELTS tests, this section is indeed simple. There are, however, some tricks to keep in mind. Not only must we ignore our background knowledge, we should also note one other principle particular to this section: the definition of "Not Given" is very strict. What does this mean? Let us illustrate this principle by way of example.
In the reading passage we read that, "The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge recently held joint conferences to discuss the noticeably rapid decline in literacy among their undergraduates." We can assume from this statement that the two universities probably came up with some good solutions and found ways to improve literacy rates among their undergraduates. Question #4 states, "Literacy has improved as a result of recent academic conferences." Based upon our logic, the answer to this question should be "True". But if we chose this answer we will be wrong. Why?
Although we can assume that the conferences had a positive impact on literacy rates, this is not stated in the text. We cannot make assumptions when we answer True/False/Not Given (Yes/No/Not Given) questions. Remember, the definition of Not Given is very strict. Just like we cannot answer based upon our background knowledge, we cannot assume things about the reading passage. If the text does not explicitly state something in the positive or negative, the answer must be "Not Given". The answer to this question is indeed "Not Given".
In summation, while answering True/False/Not Given (Yes/No/Not Given) questions, make constant reference to the text. Use the basic principles you now know to do so quickly and efficiently. Do not answer these questions based upon your background knowledge. Also, do not make any assumptions based on the text for you will be wrong. The definition of "Not Given" is very strict. If it is not stated explicitly in the text, the answer must be "Not Given".
It should be noted that this section of the examination is perhaps the most time consuming. Since that is so, the test maker should fully utilize the principles we have introduced to rapidly find the answers. Please note all dates, numbers, and symbols. These will aid you immensely as you answer these questions.
E. Summary
This section is a little similar to the word sentence completion section, for you will also be asked to here to complete a sentence that is missing words. In this section, however, you will be provided with an entire paragraph, not just a single sentence. The paragraph will be missing several key words and will be followed by a list of words. The student chooses the appropriate words from this list to complete the paragraph. Since the format has slightly changed, our approach to these questions must change as well.
Unlike the sentence completion questions, the focus of the summary section is not on single words. The questions designed in the sentence completion section are all designed to test a particular word. In the summary section, however, you will be asked to examine a much larger sphere. Usually this will be indicated in the question. You might be asked a question about paragraphs four and five in particular. Also, these summary sections almost always concern the latter part of the reading passage. The section normally tests the second half to last third of the text.
So how does one approach this section?
First look for any hotspots you can find in the summary. Also look for grammar phrases or words that are themselves unchanging. Words, especially conjunctions, will stay the same and are easily found. Examples are like "and", "as well as", and "moreover". These words might also suggest a list, and thus we can start looking for a list as we hunt for the answers.
If there are these hotspots, use them. If there are none, look at the first and last sentences of the given paragraphs for an idea of its topic. This should help to indicate where the answer is found. You can possibly eliminate some paragraphs with this step. The look at examples, and finally, if needed, read the appropriate sections.
F. Table Completion
The IELTS examination will almost always include a table completion section. In this section, the test maker will be provided an incomplete graph. There may be several categories on this graph, including date, place name, etc. One or two pieces of this information will be missing for each item on the table. It is your job to fill that information in.
Let's study the following test item:
PRACTICE READING PASSAGE FIVE
The choice of design and materials for an artificial reef depends on where it is going to be placed. In areas of strong currents, for example, a solid concrete structure will be more appropriate than ballasted tyres. It also depends on what species are to be attracted. It is pointless creating high-rise structures for fish that prefer flat or low-relief habitat. But the most important consideration is the purpose of the reef.
In the US, where there is a national reef plan using cleaned up rigs and tanks, artificial reefs have mainly been used to attract fish for recreational fishing or sport-diving. But there are many other ways in which they can be used to manage the marine habitat. For as well as protecting existing habitat, providing purpose-built accommodation for commercial species (such as lobsters and octupi) and acting as sea defences, they can be an effective way of improving fish harvests.
Japan, for example, has created vast areas of artificial habitat—rather than isolated reefs—to increase its fish stocks. In fact, the cultural and historical importance of seafood in Japan is reflected by the fact that it is a world leader in reef technology; what's more, those who construct and deploy reefs have sole rights to the harvest.
In Europe, artificial reefs have been mainly employed to protect habitat. Particularly so in the Mediterranean where reefs have been sunk as physical obstacles to stop illegal trawling, which is destroying sea grass beds and the marine life that depends on them. "If you want to protect areas of the seabed, you need something that will stop trawlers dead in their tracks," says Dr. Antony Jensen of the Southampton Oceanography Center.
Italy boasts considerable artificial reef activity. It deployed its first scientifically planned reef using concrete cubes assembled in pyramid forms in 1974 to enhance fisheries and stop trawling. And Spain has built nearly 50 reefs in its waters, mainly to discourage trawling and enhance the productivity of fisheries. Meanwhile, Britain established its first quarried rock artificial reef in 1984 off the Scottish coast, to assess its potential for attracting commercial species.
Questions 1-5
Complete the table below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answer in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
AREA/COUNTRY TYPES OF REEF PURPOSE
U.S. Made using old 1 To attract fish for leisure activities
Japan Forms large area of artificial habitat To improve 2
Europe Lies deep down to form 3 To act as a sea defense
Italy Consists of pyramid shapes made of 4 To prevent travelling
Britain Made of rock To encourage 5 fish species
Here we are supplied with information about various artificial reefs around the globe. There are three categories: country, type of reef, and purpose. We must use the given information to find the ungiven information.
Primarily, rely on the unchanging categories to track down the answers. Proper nouns, in this case the given country names, are easily found when one scans a text. Use them, rather than specific information about certain reefs, to track down the other information. For example, if we are given dates, use that information to find the missing data from the other tables. After you have scanned the appropriate sections and located this unchanging word, read the section around it. The answer should be found here.
G. Matching
The matching section of the IELTS examination is the last of the question types we will discuss. Like the sentence completion and map labeling sections, the matching section is relatively straightforward. In this section you will be given a list of words. You will be asked to match the items on this list with either items on another provided list or a series of statements. The relationship between these items will be given in the reading passage. Again, like much of the IELTS test, the answers are all in front of you. There is no need for reasoning in this particular section of the test.
There are two good examples of this section that we should briefly discuss. The first such example is found in the following exercise.
PRACTICE READING PASSAGE SIX
WHAT IS A PORT CITY
The port city provides a fascinating and rich understanding of the movement of people and goods around the world. We understand a port as a centre of land-sea exchange, and as a major source of livelihood and a major force for cultural mixing. But do ports all produce a range of common urban characteristics which justify classifying port cities together under a single generic label? Do they have enough in common to warrant distinguishing them from other kinds of cities?
A port must be distinguished from a harbour. They are two very different things. Most ports have poor harbours, and many fine harbours see few ships. Harbour is a physical concept, a shelter for ships; port is an economic concept, a centre of land-sea exchange which requires good access to a hinterland even more than a sea-linked foreland. It is landward access, which is productive of goods for export and which demands imports, that is critical. Poor harbours can be improved with breakwaters and dredging if there is a demand for a port. Madras and Colombo are examples of harbours expensively improved by enlarging, dredging and building breakwaters.
Port cities become industrial, financial and service centres and political capitals because of their water connections and the urban concentration which arises there and later draws to it railways, highways and air routes. Water transport means cheap access, the chief basis of all port cities. Many of the world's biggest cities, for example, London, new York, Shanghai, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Jakarta, Calcutta, Philadelphia and San Francisco began as ports—that is, with land-sea exchange as their major function—but they have since grown disproportionately in other respects so that their port functions are no longer dominant. They remain different kinds of places from non-port cities and their port functions account for that difference.
Port functions, more than anything else, make a city. A port city is open to the world. In it races, cultures, and ideas, as well as goods from a variety of places, jostle, mix and enrich each other and the life of the city. The smell of the sea and the harbour, the sound of boat whistles or the moving tides are symbols of their multiple links with a wide world, samples of which are present in microcosm within their own urban areas.
Sea ports have been transformed by the advent of powered vessels, whose size and draught have increased. Many formerly important ports have become economically and physically a result. By-passed by most of their former enriching flow of exchange, they have become cultural and economic backwaters or have acquired the character of museums of the past. Examples of these are Charleston, Salem, Bristol, Plymouth, Surat, Galle, Melaka, Soochow, and a long list of earlier prominent port cities in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.
