IELTS Reading: Heading Type Questions Tips and Strategies

Introduction

Starting the IELTS Reading test, especially the 'Matching Headings' section, can be hard but important for your exam journey. This part checks your ability to find the main idea of each paragraph in a given text.

Generally, there are two main strategies to answer these questions: reading the text first and then the headings, or doing it the other way around. It's important to try both methods to see which one works best for your reading style. These methods will be explained in detail later.

For now, let’s focus on the problems with the heading question type.

Key Challenges

The 'Matching Headings' task has its own set of difficulties:

• The number of headings is greater than the number of paragraphs, making it hard to find the correct ones.
• Some headings may look similar in meaning, which can add to the confusion.
• Telling the difference between specific details and the main idea is often difficult.
• The use of similar words and rephrasing in the text makes things harder.
• These questions can take a lot of time.

Strategy Insights

Strategy 1: Text First, Then Headings

1. Understand the Task: Start by reading the instructions carefully, putting the headings aside for now.
2. Look at the First Paragraph: Try to identify the main idea, paying close attention to the first and last sentences.
3. Summarize the Idea: Write a short summary in your own words.
4. Check the Headings: Match your summary with one of the headings given.
5. Do This for Each Section: Repeat these steps for each part of the text.
6. Handle Similar Headings: Group similar headings to compare them.
7. Cross Out Used Headings: Mark headings as you match them to avoid confusion.

Strategy 2: Headings First, Then Text

1. Look at the Headings: Start by understanding each heading, knowing that some will be extra.
2. Focus on Key Words: Underline important words like names, numbers, dates, and important nouns.
3. Identify Similar Titles: Write down headings that seem to have similar meanings.
4. Read the First Paragraph: Try to find the main idea.
5. Choose a Matching Heading: Pick the heading that best matches the main idea of the paragraph.
6. Skip if Unsure: Move on and come back later if a match isn’t clear.
7. Repeat for Each Section: Use these steps for each part of the text.

Practical Application

To effectively use the strategies for 'Matching Headings' questions in the IELTS Reading test, let's do a short exercise using a part of the passage "The Steam Car" about the Doble brothers. This shorter exercise includes three paragraphs (A-C) and three headings (i-iii).

The Steam Car: Exercise

The successes and failures of the Doble brothers and their steam cars

A When early cars first appeared in the 1800s, their engines were based on steam power. Steam had already been used successfully in railways, so it was natural that the technology changed into a smaller version that was separate from trains. But these early cars also had steam's problems along with its benefits. The boilers had to be lit by hand, and they took about twenty minutes to build up pressure before they could move. Also, their water tanks lasted for about thirty miles before needing more water. Despite these issues, these new self-driving carriages provided fast travel, and by the early 1900s, it was common to see such cars carrying rich people around town.

B But the good times for steam cars were short. A new technology called the Internal Combustion Engine soon came along, which allowed cars to drive down the road just moments after starting. At first, these noisy gasoline cars were not liked because they were harder to use and had difficult hand-crank starters, which could hurt people when the engines backfired. But in 1912, General Motors introduced the electric starter, and over the next few years, steam power was slowly replaced.

C Even as the market was falling, four brothers made one last attempt to bring back the technology. Between 1906 and 1909, while still in high school, Abner Doble and his three brothers built their first steam car in their parents’ basement. It used parts from a broken early steam car but changed to drive an engine of their own design. Although it did not run well, the Doble brothers went on to build a second and third model in the following years. The Doble boys’ third model, called the Model B, still did not have the ease of an internal combustion engine, but it caught the attention of car magazines due to its many improvements over previous steam cars. The Model B was better than gasoline cars in many ways. Its high-pressure steam moved the engine without noise, unlike noisy gas engines which smelled of burnt fuel. Most impressively, the Model B was very fast. It could go from zero to sixty miles per hour in just fifteen seconds, a feat called ‘remarkable acceleration’ by Automobile magazine in 1914.

Headings:

i: Positive publicity at last for this quiet, clean, fast vehicle.

ii: A better option than the steam car arises.

iii: Good and bad aspects of steam technology are passed on.

Try these before you read the answers.

Sample Answers

• Paragraph A (14): iii. Good and bad aspects of steam technology are passed on.

  Justification: This paragraph talks about the early days of steam-powered cars, mentioning both their good and bad sides.

  keywords: early steam-powered cars', 'operational process', 'advantages and disadvantages

• Paragraph B (15): ii. A better option than the steam car arises.

  Justification: This focuses on the arrival of the Internal Combustion Engine, which eventually led to the end of steam cars.

  keywords: emergence of the Internal Combustion Engine', 'impact', 'decline of steam cars

• Paragraph C (16): i. Positive publicity at last for this quiet, clean, fast vehicle.

  Justification: Talks about the Doble brothers' steam car, especially the Model B, getting attention and praise for its improvements over earlier steam cars.

  keywords: Doble brothers', 'Model B', 'attention and praise', 'improvements over previous steam cars

This exercise shows how to match the headings to the paragraphs, using the strategies discussed earlier. Remember, the key to getting good at these questions is to practice finding the main idea of each paragraph and then matching it with the best heading.