IELTS Reading: Summary Type Questions Tips and Strategies

Are you getting ready for the IELTS Reading test and finding summary completion questions a little tricky? You're not alone! These questions, often seen in the IELTS Reading section, need a special set of skills and a smart approach. In this guide, we will look into understanding these questions and give you useful strategies to handle them well.

The Summary Question Type

What is it?

In the IELTS Reading test, summary completion questions give you a short and clear description that summarizes the main facts or ideas from a reading text. But, there's a twist - there are gaps in the summary that you need to fill in.

The Two Tasks

1. Filling Gaps with Words from a Provided List: Here, you pick suitable words from a given list to complete the summary.
2. Filling Gaps with Words from the Text: This task needs you to find the right words directly from the reading passage to fill the gaps.

Skills Needed

Doing well in summary completion questions needs several important skills:

1. Skimming: Quickly getting the main meaning of the text.
2. Scanning: Searching for specific information in the text.
3. Identifying Key Words: Finding important words that lead you to the answers.
4. Recognizing Synonyms and Paraphrasing: Understanding different ways of saying the same idea.
5. Using Context for Predictions: Guessing the type of word that fits in each gap based on the text around it.

Key Tips

1. Vocabulary Focus: Improve your ability to recognize different synonyms and paraphrasing.
2. Answer Order: Answers usually follow the order in the text. Key words help in finding any changes.
3. Words from Text: Stick to the word limit (e.g., NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS).
4. List of Words: If more words are given than gaps, remove the clearly wrong ones.
5. Prediction: Guess the type of word needed for each gap.
6. Using Clues: Look for words of the guessed type near key words in the text.
7. Time Management: If you're stuck, guess and move on to focus on easier questions.
8. Grammar Check: Make sure your answer fits grammatically into the gap.
9. Selective Reading: Focus only on the part of the text that is summarized.

The Strategy

1. Read Instructions Carefully: Know the source of words for the gaps and the word limit.
2. Skim the Summary: Understand the main topic.
3. Detailed Summary Reading: Guess the type of word for each gap.
4. List of Words (if provided): Think of possible answers, removing the wrong choices.
5. Identify Relevant Text Section: Use key words from the summary to find the right part in the text.
6. Detailed Gap Analysis: Figure out the word form and possible synonyms for each gap.
7. Key Word Scanning in the Text: Look for key words, noting synonyms and paraphrases.
8. Text Reading for Answer: Read the relevant part of the text carefully to find the answer.
9. Answer Check: Make sure your answer is grammatically correct.
10. Repeat for All Gaps: Use this process consistently for all gaps.

Exercise Guide for IELTS Reading Summary Completion Questions

Exercise 1: Nutmeg Tree and Fruit

The passage talks about the nutmeg tree, where it comes from, what it looks like, and how its parts are used to make spices.

This is a book about the life and scientific work of Alfred Wegener, whose reputation today is linked to his theory of continental movements, better known as ‘continental drift’. Wegener suggested this theory in 1912 and worked on it for nearly 20 years. His book on the topic, The Origin of Continents and  Oceans, had four editions and was the center of a global debate during his life and for some years after he died.

Wegener’s main idea was that many questions about the Earth’s history could be answered if we think that the continents moved sideways, instead of thinking that they stayed fixed in place. Wegener showed in detail how such continental movements were possible and how they worked, using evidence from many sciences including geology, geophysics, paleontology, and climatology. Wegener’s idea – that the continents move – is at the center of the theory that guides Earth sciences today: called plate tectonics. Plate tectonics is in many ways quite different from Wegener’s idea, like how modern evolution theory is very different from the ideas Charles Darwin proposed in the 1850s about biological evolution. Yet plate tectonics is a result of Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift, in the same way that modern evolution theory is a result of Darwin’s theory of natural selection.

When I started writing about Wegener’s life and work, one of the most interesting things about him for me was that, even though he came up with a theory on continental drift, he was not a geologist. He trained as an astronomer and had a career in atmospheric physics. When he suggested the theory of continental movements in 1912, he was a teacher in physics and astronomy at the University of Marburg, in southern Germany. However, he was not an ‘unknown’. In 1906 he had set a world record (with his brother Kurt) for time spent in a hot-air balloon: 52 hours. Between 1906 and 1908 he took part in a famous and very dangerous trip to the coast of northeast Greenland. He had also built a name for himself among a small group of meteorologists and atmospheric physicists in Germany as the author of a textbook, Thermodynamics of the Atmosphere (1911), and of several interesting scientific papers.

Questions 1-4

Complete the notes below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.

The nutmeg tree and fruit

●   the leaves of the tree are 1……………………. in shape

●   the 2……………………. surrounds the fruit and breaks open when the fruit is ready

●   the 3……………………. is used to produce the spice nutmeg

●   the covering known as the aril is used to produce 4……………………..

●   the tree has yellow flowers and fruit

Strategy Applied

1. Skim the Summary: The summary is about the nutmeg tree’s features and uses.
2. Predict Word Type: Each gap seems to need a descriptive word, especially an adjective or noun.
3. Identify Key Words: Look for words in the passage describing leaves, fruit cover, spice sources, etc.
4. Detailed Reading for Answers:
   • Gap 1: Descriptive word for leaves. Find "leaves" in the passage.
   • Gap 2: What surrounds the fruit? Look for descriptions near "fruit".
   • Gap 3: Which part is used for nutmeg? Scan near "nutmeg".
   • Gap 4: What is used to make mace? Search around "mace".

Answers

1. Oval - "tough, dark green oval leaves"
2. Husk - "The fruit is enclosed in a flesh husk"
3. Seed - "the former being produced from the dried seed"
4. Mace - "the latter from the aril"

Exercise 2: Alfred Wegener’s Life and Work

Passage

This is a book about the life and scientific work of Alfred Wegener, whose reputation today is linked to his theory of continental movements, better known as ‘continental drift’. Wegener suggested this theory in 1912 and worked on it for nearly 20 years. His book on the topic, The Origin of Continents and  Oceans, had four editions and was the center of a global debate during his life and for some years after he died.

Wegener’s main idea was that many questions about the Earth’s history could be answered if we think that the continents moved sideways, instead of thinking that they stayed fixed in place. Wegener showed in detail how such continental movements were possible and how they worked, using evidence from many sciences including geology, geophysics, paleontology, and climatology. Wegener’s idea – that the continents move – is at the center of the theory that guides Earth sciences today: called plate tectonics. Plate tectonics is in many ways quite different from Wegener’s idea, like how modern evolution theory is very different from the ideas Charles Darwin proposed in the 1850s about biological evolution. Yet plate tectonics is a result of Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift, in the same way that modern evolution theory is a result of Darwin’s theory of natural selection.

When I started writing about Wegener’s life and work, one of the most interesting things about him for me was that, even though he came up with a theory on continental drift, he was not a geologist. He trained as an astronomer and had a career in atmospheric physics. When he suggested the theory of continental movements in 1912, he was a teacher in physics and astronomy at the University of Marburg, in southern Germany. However, he was not an ‘unknown’. In 1906 he had set a world record (with his brother Kurt) for time spent in a hot-air balloon: 52 hours. Between 1906 and 1908 he took part in a famous and very dangerous trip to the coast of northeast Greenland. He had also built a name for himself among a small group of meteorologists and atmospheric physicists in Germany as the author of a textbook, Thermodynamics of the Atmosphere (1911), and of several interesting scientific papers.

Questions 31-36

Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A-J, below.

Write the correct letter, A-J, in boxes 31-36 on your answer sheet.

Wegener’s life and work

One of the special things about Wegener from a 31………………… is that although he proposed a theory of continental drift, he was not a geologist. His  32………………… were limited to atmospheric physics. However, at the time he proposed his theory of continental drift in 1912, he was already a person of  33………………… . Six years before, there had been his  34………………… of 52 hours in a hot-air balloon, followed by his famous but  35………………… of Greenland’s coast. With the publication of his textbook on thermodynamics, he had also come to the attention of a 36………………… of German scientists.

A   modest fame      B   wide range

C   record-breaking achievement

D   research methods      E   small group

F   professional interests      G   scientific debate

H   dangerous exploration      I    biographer’s view

J    narrow investigation

Strategy Applied

1. Skim Summary: Understand the main points about Wegener’s background and achievements.
2. List of Phrases: Look at the provided phrases (A-J) and understand their possible relevance.
3. Identify Relevant Text Sections: Use key words from the summary to find answers in the text.
4. Detailed Reading for Answers:
   • For each gap, find the matching section in the passage.
   • Look for phrases or ideas that match the options (A-J).

Answers

1. I Biographer's view - "When I started writing about Wegener’s life..."
2. F Professional interests - "...trained as an astronomer and had a career in atmospheric physics."
3. A Modest fame - "...he was already a person of modest fame."
4. C Record-breaking achievement - "In 1906 he had set a world record... for time spent in a hot-air balloon: 52 hours."
5. H Dangerous exploration - "...very dangerous trip to the coast of northeast Greenland."
6. E Small group - "...built a name for himself among a small group of meteorologists and atmospheric physicists in Germany."

Conclusion

Summary completion questions in the IELTS Reading test can be hard, but with the right skills and strategies, they become much easier. Focus on building a strong vocabulary, practice skimming and scanning, and approach each question carefully. Remember, regular practice is key to success. Happy studying!