This lesson is about how to answer matching information questions in the Reading section of the test.
What does this type of question look like?
Questions 29-33
Reading Passage 3 has five sections labelled a-e. Which paragraph contains the information below? Write the correct letter in boxes 29-33 on your answer sheet.
- The irreversible melting of the permafrost, caused by global warming, is an example of a tipping point.
- Methane escaping from the Siberian permafrost will increase global warming.
- Action can and needs to be taken to halt the emission of greenhouse gasses.
- A vast area of permafrost is thawing.
- The projected increase in temperatures caused by global warming will have to be increased.
Activity
Discuss with your partner how you would approach this type of question
Each paragraph in the text has been given a letter, a - e. You have to identify which paragraph contains each piece of information.
What do I have to write in the answer sheet?
You will write the letter of the paragraph where you find the information, so ‘a’, or ‘b’, or ‘c’ etc. One paragraph may contain more than one piece of information, so you may write the same letter more than once.
What am I being tested on?
This type of question tests your ability to scan for specific information. This is a very important reading skill and one that we use a lot, especially in education.
How should I approach this question?
- In general, the best way to prepare for this type of question is to practice skimming through a text and scanning for information. You do not have time in the test to read every single word of the texts - you must be able to skim and scan quickly.
- Carefully read all the statements. Note the key words. Predict possible synonyms.
- For example, in question 29 there is the phrase ‘tipping point’. This is a phrase which has a specific meaning and is unlikely to be paraphrases, so scan through the text for this. However, another key word is ‘example’: ‘tipping point’ may appear more than once, so you need to find the paragraph that presents an example.
- This type of question might ask you to find a variety of different types of information in a text. The example above asks for specific details. Other things you may have to find are: an example, a reason, a description, a comparison, a summary, an explanation.