Reading: Multiple Choice & Paraphrase Tricks
This chapter is built around six specific tricks for spotting paraphrase and answering Multiple Choice questions — the kind of technique you can't pick up just by doing lots of generic practice. Each trick gets its own instant example and a tiny check, before we test all six together on a full passage. Timing improves naturally with practice over the course, so we won't spend class time on it directly — the tricks are what actually move your score.
🔑 বাংলায়: এই অধ্যায়ে আপনি শিখবেন Multiple Choice ও paraphrase চেনা প্রশ্নের সেরা কৌশলগুলো — প্রতিটি কৌশল আলাদা করে বুঝিয়ে, উদাহরণসহ।
- know and apply six specific tricks for recognising paraphrase and eliminating wrong Multiple Choice options
- explain exactly why an answer is correct, using the passage's own wording as evidence
- apply all six tricks together under real Reading conditions
Reading — the 11 official task types
Reading has 3 passages, 40 questions, and 60 minutes total, drawn from 11 official task types. Here's the complete list, and where this course covers each one, so you always know the full picture before diving in:
| Task Type | Where it's covered |
|---|---|
| Multiple Choice | Chapter 1 (this chapter) |
| True/False/Not Given | Chapter 2 |
| Yes/No/Not Given | Chapter 2 |
| Matching Sentence Endings | Chapter 2 |
| Matching Information | Chapter 3 |
| Matching Headings | Chapter 3 |
| Matching Features | Chapter 3 |
| Sentence Completion | Chapter 4 |
| Summary Completion & Flow-Chart Completion | Chapter 4 |
| Table Completion & Diagram Labelling | Chapter 5 |
| Short-Answer Questions | Chapter 4 |
- Obey the word limit exactly. "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS" (or ONE, or THREE) is a hard rule and also a hint: your answer can be at most that many words, so you're hunting for a single word or a short phrase, never a clause. One word over the limit = zero, even if the meaning is right.
- Answers usually run in passage order. For most types (True/False/Not Given, Yes/No/Not Given, Multiple Choice, and all Completion + Short-Answer), question 2's answer comes after question 1's in the passage — so you move steadily forward, you don't restart each time. The exception is the Matching family (Matching Headings, Matching Information, Matching Features): these are deliberately scrambled and do NOT follow passage order, so you scan the whole passage for each one.
- Read the instruction line first — it tells you the task type, the word/letter limit, and how many answers are needed. Half of all "careless" errors start with skipping it.
- Never leave a blank. There is no negative marking, so always write your best guess — an empty answer can never score.
Flow: Budget roughly 4–5 minutes per trick (state + example + attempt + reveal + discuss) = ~28 minutes for all six, then the passage phase below tests them together.
One key word or phrase is swapped for a synonym, while the rest of the sentence keeps almost the same shape. This is the lightest kind of paraphrase — only the vocabulary changes, the grammar barely moves.
⚠️ But note: this clean, same-structure swap is actually the rarer case. Far more often, IELTS rewrites the whole sentence — that is Trick 2, and that is the frequent style. Learn this one first because it is the easiest to see, then expect Trick 2's fuller paraphrase far more often.
Whichever form it takes, if you match by meaning instead of hunting for the passage's exact words, you stop rejecting a correct answer just because it is worded differently — the single biggest cause of "careless" losses on easy questions.
Passage: "The city implemented the new policy despite strong public opposition." → Option: "The policy went ahead even though many people opposed it." Same idea: implemented...despite opposition = went ahead even though...opposed.
Line the two sentences up side by side. If the order of ideas matches and only the words differ, it is a synonym swap — trust the meaning and mark it. If the whole structure has moved, switch to Trick 2.
Passage: "The factory reduced its water usage significantly after the new equipment was installed." Which option means the same?
A) The factory used much less water once it got new equipment
B) The factory closed after installing new equipment
C) The new equipment increased water usage
Sometimes the whole sentence is rebuilt — active becomes passive, or the clause order flips — but the underlying facts stay identical. Watch out: sometimes a "restructured" option secretly changes the meaning too — that's a trap.
IELTS often rebuilds sentences specifically to test whether you understand meaning or just pattern-match words — this trick also protects you from options that LOOK rearranged but actually reverse the meaning.
Passage: "Although the company raised prices, sales did not fall." → Option: "Sales remained steady despite a price increase." Same meaning, fully rebuilt sentence.
Do not compare word-for-word. Ask one question: are the underlying facts the same, and does the meaning point the same way? If yes, it is a valid restructure. If the direction has flipped (as in the Try it below), it is the trap.
Passage: "The committee approved the plan only after months of debate." Statement: "The plan was approved quickly, without much discussion."
An option that copies the passage's exact words is often a distractor, not the answer — real correct answers are usually paraphrased, not copied. The same applies to numbers: when a figure like 75% or 1995 appears identically in both the passage and an option, that option is highly likely to be the trap — the test is checking whether you matched the number blindly instead of reading what the sentence around it actually claims.
Test-writers deliberately place exact-copy words and exact-copy numbers to catch students who scan for something familiar instead of reading for meaning — knowing this trap exists changes how you judge an "obvious-looking" answer.
Passage: "The bridge was closed for emergency repairs." Option A copies this exactly; Option B says "The bridge shut down because urgent fixing was needed" — B is the more typical "correct-answer style," even though A looks like a perfect match.
With a number: Passage: "In 2018, 60% of the city's electricity came from coal." A trap option keeps the same figure but changes the fact: "In 2018, 60% of the city's electricity came from renewables." The matching 60% pulls your eye, but coal → renewables flips the meaning — the repeated number is the bait, not proof.
When an option matches the passage word-for-word or number-for-number, treat it as a warning light, not a green light: check the other options first, and confirm the exact-match option still says the same thing the passage does before you trust it.
Passage: "The survey results surprised even the researchers themselves." Which option is more likely to be the correct answer in a real IELTS question?
A) The survey results surprised even the researchers themselves.
B) Even the people conducting the survey did not expect these results.
A single adverb — hardly, fully, often, always, sometimes, rarely, previously, nearly — can completely reverse a sentence's meaning, even when every other word is identical. Two sentences can read almost the same and mean opposite things, so an option that looks like a match is not automatically the answer.
IELTS uses this constantly: it changes just one adverb between the passage and an option to see whether you read the meaning or only matched the shape. Miss that one word and you will confidently choose the exact wrong answer, feeling sure it "matched."
Passage sentence: "The doctors hardly succeeded in implanting the organ." A trap option looks almost identical: "The doctors fully succeeded in implanting the organ." Every other word matches — but hardly (= almost did not) and fully (= completely) are opposites. Finding the "matching" sentence has NOT found you the answer.
Before you accept a look-alike option, put its adverbs against the passage's. If a degree, frequency, or time adverb has changed — hardly↔fully, rarely↔frequently, sometimes↔always, previously↔now — the meaning has changed with it. Same shape, opposite sense = trap.
Passage: "The scheme rarely benefits rural areas." Option: "The scheme frequently benefits rural areas."
Words like however, in contrast, therefore, despite, and as a result tell you what KIND of information is about to follow — this helps you scan faster instead of reading every word.
Predicting what's coming before you read it is exactly how you stay within the tight 20-minutes-per-passage budget, instead of reading every sentence at the same slow, careful pace.
"...however, critics argue..." signals an opposing view is about to appear.
A sentence ends "...the results were promising. As a result, ___." What kind of idea most likely comes next?
A) A contrasting, negative finding
B) A consequence that follows from the promising results
C) An unrelated new topic
In Multiple Choice, more than one option can be true according to the passage — but only ONE actually answers the exact question asked. Before choosing, don't ask "is this true?"; ask "does this answer this question?"
Test-writers deliberately include options that are perfectly true but irrelevant to the question. Students who match on "the passage says that" instead of "this answers what was asked" pick the trap and feel certain they were right.
Question: "Why did the shop's sales rise?" Option A: "The shop is located in the city centre" — this may be perfectly true in the passage, but it does not explain why sales rose. Option B: "It lowered its prices" — this actually answers the question. A true statement (A) is still the wrong answer.
Underline the exact focus of the question stem (why / when / who / what effect). Then test each option against that focus, not against the passage in general. Discard any option that is true but does not address the stem.
Passage: "The library, which opened in 1990, became popular after it began offering free evening classes." Question: "Why did the library become popular?"
A) It opened in 1990
B) It started offering free evening classes
Flow: Step 1 (5 min) → Step 2 (10 min) → Step 3 (20 min) → Extra Practice if time allows. As each answer comes up, ask the class which of the six tricks applies before you reveal your copy's Where/Why explanation — this is the whole point of the trick-tasks phase: seeing the same six tricks reappear in a real passage.
[Para 1] In many of the world's largest cities, an unusual solution to overheating streets and polluted air is taking root — literally. Rooftop gardens, once a rare luxury found only on the buildings of the wealthy, are becoming a standard feature of new construction in cities from Singapore to Toronto. Local governments are increasingly offering tax reductions to property developers who include green roofs in their plans, and in a handful of cities, planting vegetation on new commercial buildings is no longer optional but a legal requirement.
[Para 2] The appeal is not purely aesthetic. A layer of soil and plants insulates a building, cutting the energy needed for heating in winter and cooling in summer by a considerable margin. Researchers at one Canadian university found that widespread rooftop planting across a city could lower surrounding air temperatures by up to two degrees during summer heatwaves — a modest-sounding figure that can nonetheless make the difference between a manageable evening and a dangerous one for elderly residents. Green roofs also absorb rainfall that would otherwise rush into drains, reducing the risk of the flash floods that increasingly affect cities built on paved-over land.
[Para 3] Not everyone is convinced the trend deserves its popularity, however. Critics point out that a green roof costs considerably more to install than a conventional one, and that the environmental benefit to any single building is small; the effect only becomes meaningful at the scale of an entire city, which requires coordinated policy rather than individual goodwill. Some architects also warn that the additional weight of soil and water demands stronger, more expensive supporting structures, putting the option out of reach for older buildings entirely. Even so, as extreme summer temperatures become more frequent, more cities appear willing to accept the upfront cost for the long-term gain.
- Why are some cities now requiring green roofs by law?
A) To create more parks
B) Because rooftop gardens are becoming standard practice, not just encouraged
C) To reduce construction costs
D) Because wealthy residents demanded it✓ Answer: B Where: Para 1, final sentence — "...in a handful of cities, planting vegetation on new commercial buildings is no longer optional but a legal requirement." Why: The question's "requiring...by law" = the passage's "no longer optional but a legal requirement" — a direct paraphrase. Option B's "standard practice, not just encouraged" echoes exactly this shift from optional to compulsory. - What does the passage say about property developers?
A) They oppose green roofs
B) They receive financial incentives to include them
C) They only build them for wealthy clients
D) They are required to fund public gardens✓ Answer: B Where: Para 1 — "Local governments are increasingly offering tax reductions to property developers who include green roofs in their plans." Why: "tax reductions" is a specific example of a "financial incentive" — the question generalises what the passage states specifically. Scan for the words "developers," then read the full sentence around it.
- According to researchers, what is one effect of widespread rooftop planting?
A) It eliminates the need for air conditioning
B) It can measurably reduce surrounding air temperature in hot weather
C) It prevents all flooding
D) It only benefits the building it's planted on✓ Answer: B Where: Para 2 — "...widespread rooftop planting across a city could lower surrounding air temperatures by up to two degrees during summer heatwaves." Why: "lower...air temperatures...during summer heatwaves" = "reduce...air temperature in hot weather." Options A and C both use extreme words ("eliminates," "prevents all") that the passage never claims — a common distractor pattern: watch for absolute words when the passage is actually cautious. - Why does the passage mention elderly residents?
A) To show who installs green roofs
B) To illustrate why even a small temperature drop can matter in practice
C) To criticise city governments
D) To explain who pays the extra cost✓ Answer: B Where: Para 2 — "...a modest-sounding figure that can nonetheless make the difference between a manageable evening and a dangerous one for elderly residents." Why: This is a "purpose" question, not a fact-location question — it asks WHY an example is used. The passage calls 2 degrees "modest-sounding" then immediately shows it isn't trivial for one group. That's option B's "illustrate why even a small... drop can matter."
- What is one criticism of green roofs mentioned in the passage?
A) They attract insects
B) They are illegal in most cities
C) Their individual environmental benefit is limited unless adopted city-wide
D) They reduce a building's value✓ Answer: C Where: Para 3 — "...the environmental benefit to any single building is small; the effect only becomes meaningful at the scale of an entire city." Why: "benefit to any single building is small" but "meaningful at the scale of an entire city" = option C's "limited unless adopted city-wide." A and B are never mentioned anywhere — a reminder that invented-sounding options are usually just wrong, not "Not Given." - What does the passage suggest about older buildings?
A) They are being demolished to make way for green roofs
B) Their structure may not be strong enough to support a green roof affordably
C) They are exempt from all green roof laws
D) They already have gardens✓ Answer: B Where: Para 3 — "...the additional weight of soil and water demands stronger, more expensive supporting structures, putting the option out of reach for older buildings entirely." Why: "putting the option out of reach for older buildings" (because of the cost of stronger structures) = "structure may not be strong enough to support a green roof affordably." Notice "affordably" — the issue is cost, not physical impossibility. - What is the passage's overall attitude toward the future of green roofs?
A) They will likely disappear as costs rise
B) Cities will probably continue adopting them despite the cost, as heat becomes a bigger problem
C) They are purely a fashion trend
D) Only Canada will continue using them✓ Answer: B Where: Para 3, final sentence — "Even so, as extreme summer temperatures become more frequent, more cities appear willing to accept the upfront cost for the long-term gain." Why: "Even so" signals a turn back toward the positive after the criticisms — "more cities appear willing to accept the upfront cost" directly matches option B. This is a whole-passage "attitude" question — the answer sits in the passage's LAST sentence, which is where a writer's final overall stance usually lands.
- Which cities are given as examples of the rooftop garden trend?
A) Singapore and Toronto
B) London and Paris
C) Dhaka and Mumbai
D) New York only✓ Answer: A Where: Para 1 — "...a standard feature of new construction in cities from Singapore to Toronto." Why: A direct detail question — the two named cities are stated exactly, no paraphrase needed here. Not every question requires synonym-spotting; some just require careful reading. - In Paragraph 3, what does "individual goodwill" most likely mean?
A) Personal donations to charity
B) Voluntary action by single building owners, without organised policy
C) Government funding
D) A type of eco-friendly material✓ Answer: B Where: Para 3 — "...requires coordinated policy rather than individual goodwill." Why: This is a vocabulary-in-context question. The passage contrasts "coordinated policy" (organised, city-wide) with "individual goodwill" (single, voluntary) using "rather than" — so goodwill must mean the opposite of organised policy: one owner acting alone by choice.
- apply six specific tricks for recognising paraphrase and eliminating wrong Multiple Choice options, and explain precisely why each answer is correct using evidence from the passage
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1. According to the passage, one advantage of vertical farming is that
Answer: B. "Harvests no longer depend on the weather or the season" is reworded as "regardless of the season". A and D reverse the meaning; C is contradicted — a warehouse replaces "a field many times its size". 🔑 বাংলায়: “weather or the season”-এর উপর নির্ভর করে না = “season নির্বিশেষে” — তাই B সঠিক। A আর D অর্থ উল্টে দেয়; C ভুল, কারণ বিশাল মাঠ নয়, একটা warehouse-ই যথেষ্ট। -
2. Why does vertical farming use less water?
Answer: B. A paraphrase of "the same water is filtered and recirculated rather than draining away into the soil". D is Not Mentioned; A and C are never stated. 🔑 বাংলায়: “filtered and recirculated rather than draining away” = পানি আবার ব্যবহার করা হয় — B সঠিক। D passage-এ নেই (Not Mentioned); A আর C কোথাও বলা হয়নি। -
3. What is one criticism of vertical farming mentioned in the passage?
Answer: C. Directly matches "the high cost of the electricity … makes the vegetables more expensive". D reverses a supporter's point (vertical farming cuts transport emissions); A is Not Mentioned; B is contradicted. 🔑 বাংলায়: “high cost of the electricity … makes the vegetables more expensive”-এর সাথে সরাসরি মেলে — C সঠিক। D একটা সমর্থনের কথা উল্টে দেয় (vertical farming তো emission কমায়); A নেই, B ভুল।
1 Direct Synonym Swap 5 drills
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Passage: “The council postponed the festival because of the severe weather.”Which option means the same?
Answer: B. “postponed” = “delayed”, “severe weather” = “harsh conditions” — a clean synonym swap. A over-states (cancelled ≠ postponed); C reverses it. 🔑 বাংলায়: “postponed” = “delayed”, “severe” = “harsh” — সরাসরি synonym। A বাড়িয়ে বলে (cancel ≠ postpone), C উল্টো। তাই B। -
Passage: “Membership of the club grew rapidly after the fees were lowered.”Which option keeps the same meaning?
Answer: C. “grew rapidly” = “rose quickly”, “fees were lowered” = “cut its charges”. B is an exact copy (Trick 3 bait — a synonym version is the real answer style); A reverses the meaning. 🔑 বাংলায়: “grew rapidly” = “rose quickly”, “lowered fees” = “cut its charges”। B হুবহু কপি (Trick 3-এর টোপ), A উল্টো। তাই C। -
Passage: “The report highlighted the shortage of affordable housing.”Which option is a valid paraphrase?
Answer: A. “highlighted” = “drew attention to”, “shortage of affordable housing” = “lack of low-cost homes”. B and C add actions the sentence never states. 🔑 বাংলায়: “highlighted” = “drew attention to”, “shortage” = “lack”। B, C নতুন কথা যোগ করে। তাই A। -
Passage: “The medicine relieved the symptoms but did not cure the disease.”Which option means the same?
Answer: B. “relieved the symptoms” = “eased the symptoms”, “did not cure” = “without removing the illness”. A and C each flip one half. 🔑 বাংলায়: “relieved” = “eased”, “did not cure” = “without removing the illness”। A, C প্রতিটি অর্ধেক উল্টে দেয়। তাই B। -
Passage: “Local farmers welcomed the subsidy, which boosted their incomes.”Which option keeps the meaning?
Answer: C. “welcomed” = “were pleased with”, “boosted their incomes” = “raised their earnings”. A reverses the reaction; B reverses the effect. 🔑 বাংলায়: “welcomed” = “were pleased with”, “boosted incomes” = “raised earnings”। A প্রতিক্রিয়া, B ফলাফল উল্টায়। তাই C।
2 Restructured Sentence — same or different meaning? 5 drills
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Passage: “The bridge was built by engineers from three countries.” · Statement: “Engineers from three countries constructed the bridge.”Same meaning or different?
Answer: Same. Passive → active rebuild (“was built by X” = “X constructed”), facts unchanged. A valid restructure. 🔑 বাংলায়: passive → active, তথ্য এক। বৈধ restructure — তাই Same। -
Passage: “Sales rose only after the company redesigned its packaging.” · Statement: “Sales rose before the packaging was redesigned.”Same meaning or different?
Answer: Different. “only after … redesigned” vs “before … redesigned” flips the time order — the classic restructure trap. 🔑 বাংলায়: “only after redesigned” আর “before redesigned” — সময়ের ক্রম উল্টো। এটাই restructuring-এর ফাঁদ। তাই Different। -
Passage: “Because rainfall was low, farmers switched to drought-resistant crops.” · Statement: “The shortage of rain led farmers to adopt crops that tolerate dry conditions.”Same meaning or different?
Answer: Same. Cause→effect kept intact, only reworded (“low rainfall” = “shortage of rain”, “drought-resistant” = “tolerate dry conditions”). 🔑 বাংলায়: কারণ→ফল একই, শুধু শব্দ বদলেছে। তাই Same। -
Passage: “The museum is free for children but charges adults an entry fee.” · Statement: “The museum charges children and admits adults free of charge.”Same meaning or different?
Answer: Different. The two groups are swapped — free/paying is reversed. Rearranged words, opposite facts. 🔑 বাংলায়: শিশু ও বড়দের ফ্রি/টাকা উল্টে গেছে। শব্দ সাজানো হলেও তথ্য বিপরীত। তাই Different। -
Passage: “Despite receiving little funding, the project met all its goals.” · Statement: “The project achieved its aims even though it was poorly funded.”Same meaning or different?
Answer: Same. “Despite little funding … met all its goals” = “achieved its aims even though poorly funded”. Concession kept, direction unchanged. 🔑 বাংলায়: “Despite little funding” = “even though poorly funded”, লক্ষ্য পূরণ একই। তাই Same।
3 The Exact-Word Trap 5 drills
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Passage: “The scheme was abandoned after just two years.”Which option is more likely to be the correct answer in a real IELTS question?
Answer: B. Real answers paraphrase (“scheme” → “programme”, “abandoned” → “dropped”). A is an exact copy — usually the bait, so check the paraphrase first. 🔑 বাংলায়: আসল উত্তর ঘুরিয়ে লেখা থাকে (“scheme”→“programme”)। A হুবহু কপি — টোপ। তাই B। -
Passage: “In 2015, 40% of the region’s power came from coal.”Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?
Answer: B. “40%” = “two-fifths”, “power” = “electricity”, source (coal) unchanged. A repeats the exact figure 40% but swaps coal→renewables — the number is the bait, not proof. 🔑 বাংলায়: “40%” = “two-fifths”, উৎস (coal) একই। A সংখ্যা মিলিয়ে coal→renewables করে দেয় — টোপ। তাই B। -
Passage: “The theory was widely accepted until new evidence emerged.”Which option is more likely the correct answer?
Answer: A. Paraphrase of the whole sentence (“widely accepted” → “generally believed”, “new evidence emerged” → “fresh findings appeared”). B is the exact-copy distractor. 🔑 বাংলায়: পুরো বাক্য ঘুরিয়ে লেখা A সঠিক; B হুবহু কপি। তাই A। -
Passage: “The company employs 1,200 staff across five countries.”Which statement matches the passage?
Answer: B. Both figures kept correctly (“staff” = “workforce”, “countries” = “nations”). A reuses 1,200 but changes five→fifteen — a repeated-number trap. 🔑 বাংলায়: দুই সংখ্যাই ঠিক (“staff”=“workforce”)। A শুধু five→fifteen বদলায়। তাই B। -
Passage: “Attendance doubled between 2018 and 2020.”Which option is the safer correct-answer style?
Answer: A. “doubled” = “twice as high”, “attendance” = “number of visitors” — a genuine paraphrase. B is the exact copy that should make you double-check first. 🔑 বাংলায়: “doubled” = “twice as high” — আসল paraphrase A; B হুবহু কপি। তাই A।
4 Watch the Adverb — one word can flip the meaning 5 drills
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Passage: “The results were rarely accurate.” · Statement: “The results were usually accurate.”Same meaning or different?
Answer: Different. “rarely” (almost never) is the opposite of “usually”. One adverb flips the whole claim. 🔑 বাংলায়: “rarely” (প্রায় কখনো নয়) আর “usually” — উল্টো। একটি adverb-ই অর্থ বদলে দেয়। তাই Different। -
Passage: “The drug is generally safe for adults.” · Statement: “In most cases the drug is safe for adults.”Same meaning or different?
Answer: Same. “generally” = “in most cases” — same degree of certainty, no flip. 🔑 বাংলায়: “generally” = “in most cases” — একই মাত্রা। তাই Same। -
Passage: “The train is hardly ever late.” · Statement: “The train is frequently late.”Same meaning or different?
Answer: Different. “hardly ever” (almost never) contradicts “frequently”. Watch these frequency adverbs closely. 🔑 বাংলায়: “hardly ever” (প্রায় কখনো নয়) আর “frequently” — বিপরীত। তাই Different। -
Passage: “Prices rose slightly last year.” · Statement: “Prices rose sharply last year.”Same meaning or different?
Answer: Different. Both say prices rose, but “slightly” vs “sharply” changes the degree — IELTS counts that as a different claim. 🔑 বাংলায়: দুটোতেই দাম বেড়েছে, কিন্তু “slightly” আর “sharply” — মাত্রা আলাদা, তাই ভিন্ন দাবি। Different। -
Passage: “Applicants must almost always provide two references.” · Statement: “In nearly all cases, two references are required.”Same meaning or different?
Answer: Same. “almost always” = “in nearly all cases” — the adverb phrase is preserved, so the claim holds. 🔑 বাংলায়: “almost always” = “in nearly all cases” — মাত্রা একই। তাই Same।
5 Signal Words Predict What’s Coming 5 drills
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“The plan looked promising on paper. However, …”What is most likely to follow?
Answer: B. “However” signals contrast — expect the opposite of “promising”, i.e. a problem. 🔑 বাংলায়: “However” মানে বৈপরীত্য — “promising”-এর উল্টো, অর্থাৎ সমস্যা। তাই B। -
“Sales fell three years in a row. As a result, …”What is most likely to follow?
Answer: A. “As a result” signals a consequence — a falling-sales outcome, e.g. store closures. 🔑 বাংলায়: “As a result” মানে ফলাফল — বিক্রি কমার পরিণতি (দোকান বন্ধ)। তাই A। -
“The city expanded its bus network. Furthermore, …”What is most likely to follow?
Answer: C. “Furthermore” signals an addition in the same direction — another improvement, not a reversal. 🔑 বাংলায়: “Furthermore” মানে একই দিকে যোগ — আরেকটি উন্নতি। তাই C। -
“Many assume glass is quick to decay. In fact, …”What is most likely to follow?
Answer: B. “In fact” corrects a wrong assumption — expect the reality that contradicts “quick to decay”. 🔑 বাংলায়: “In fact” ভুল ধারণা শোধরায় — “quick to decay”-এর উল্টো বাস্তবতা। তাই B। -
“Solar panels are expensive to install. Nevertheless, …”What is most likely to follow?
Answer: A. “Nevertheless” signals a contrast that overrides the drawback — people fit them despite the cost. B simply agrees with the drawback (wrong signal). 🔑 বাংলায়: “Nevertheless” মানে অসুবিধা সত্ত্বেও উল্টো কিছু — খরচ সত্ত্বেও অনেকে লাগায়। তাই A।
6 A True Option Can Still Be the Wrong Answer 5 drills
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Passage: “Bamboo grows faster than most trees, which is why it is used for quick-growing furniture.”Q: Why is bamboo used for furniture, according to the passage?
Answer: B. A may be true in real life, but the passage gives the reason as its fast growth. Answer the exact question, not a true-but-unstated fact. C is Not Mentioned. 🔑 বাংলায়: A বাস্তবে সত্য হতে পারে, কিন্তু passage কারণ বলে দ্রুত বৃদ্ধি। প্রশ্নের সঠিক উত্তর দিন। তাই B। -
Passage: “The library, founded in 1890, was renovated last year to add a children’s wing.”Q: What change was made to the library last year?
Answer: C. A is true but happened in 1890, not last year — a correct fact answering the wrong time. Match the question’s exact detail. 🔑 বাংলায়: A সত্য কিন্তু ১৮৯০ সালের, “last year”-এর নয়। প্রশ্নের সময় মিলিয়ে উত্তর দিন। তাই C। -
Passage: “Although solar power is clean, its main limitation is that output drops on cloudy days.”Q: What does the passage give as solar power’s main limitation?
Answer: A. B is true but is a benefit, not the limitation the question asks for. Read what the question actually wants. 🔑 বাংলায়: B সত্য কিন্তু সুবিধা, প্রশ্ন চায় সীমাবদ্ধতা। প্রশ্ন যা চায় তা পড়ুন। তাই A। -
Passage: “The author, a trained biologist, argues that city parks improve mental health.”Q: What is the author’s main argument?
Answer: B. A is a true detail about the author but not the argument. The question asks for the claim, not the credential. 🔑 বাংলায়: A লেখক সম্পর্কে সত্য তথ্য, কিন্তু যুক্তি নয়। প্রশ্ন চায় দাবি। তাই B। -
Passage: “Electric cars cut street-level pollution, though the electricity they use may still come from coal plants.”Q: What point does the passage make about electric cars’ overall environmental effect?
Answer: C. B is true but only half the point; the question asks about the overall effect, which the “though … coal” clause qualifies. A overstates. 🔑 বাংলায়: B সত্য কিন্তু অর্ধেক কথা; প্রশ্ন চায় সামগ্রিক প্রভাব — “though coal” অংশটি শর্ত দেয়। তাই C।
Reading: Claim-Checking
True/False/Not Given, Yes/No/Not Given, and Matching Sentence Endings all test the same underlying skill: can you tell exactly what a text does and doesn't say — including the difference between a fact being false and a fact simply not being mentioned? This is historically the task-type family students lose the most marks on, so today is built around five tricks that target exactly where students go wrong.
🔑 বাংলায়: এই অধ্যায়ে আপনি শিখবেন True/False/Not Given, Yes/No/Not Given ও Matching Sentence Endings প্রশ্নের সেরা কৌশলগুলো — প্রতিটি কৌশল আলাদা করে বুঝিয়ে, উদাহরণসহ।
- correctly distinguish True/False/Not Given (facts) from Yes/No/Not Given (the writer's claims and opinions)
- avoid the single most common error: confusing "Not Given" with "False"
- complete Matching Sentence Endings by tracking logical and grammatical continuation, not just keyword-matching
🔑 বাংলায়: কিছু passage-এ (সাধারণত মতামত/যুক্তিনির্ভর লেখায়) TFNG-এর বদলে Yes/No/Not Given থাকে। নিয়ম হুবহু একই — শুধু পার্থক্য এটুকু: YNNG-তে লেখকের মত/দাবি যাচাই হয় (argue/believe/claim/according to খেয়াল করুন), আর TFNG-তে যাচাই হয় তথ্য। এই অধ্যায়ের প্রতিটি কৌশল দুটোতেই খাটে।
Engage: Before Trick 1, read a plain factual sentence aloud (e.g. "The library closes at 6pm"). Ask three students in turn: is "The library is open on Sundays" True, False, or Not Given, based only on that one sentence? (Answer: Not Given.) This one example does more than any explanation.
Flow: ~4–5 min per trick × 6 = ~28 min, then the passage phase tests all six together.
TRUE/YES = the passage clearly agrees. FALSE/NO = the passage clearly contradicts. NOT GIVEN = the passage never addresses it at all — it might be true in real life, but you cannot know that from this text. A quick way to name a wrong answer: it is either Not Given (the passage never says it) or False/Contradicted (the passage says the opposite) — telling those two apart is the whole skill.
This task-type family has the highest error rate on the whole test — almost every mistake traces back to not applying this three-way test cleanly before answering.
Passage: "The library closes at 6pm." Statement: "The library is open on Sundays." → Not Given — Sundays are simply never mentioned.
Passage: "The new policy takes effect on 1 March." Statement: "The policy was announced in February."
Every statement makes one core claim, carried by its main verb + noun. Pull that pair out, then hunt for it in the passage. Three outcomes decide the answer:
A) passage states the same claim → True
B) passage states the opposite claim → False
C) the verb + noun claim simply isn't in the passage → Not Given
"Not Given" does NOT mean "probably false" or "seems unlikely" — it means the claim is genuinely absent. The moment you start reasoning about what is likely true in real life, that itself is the signal for Not Given.
Marking a "Not Given" as "False" is the single most common reason students lose marks here — even strong readers. The verb+noun search replaces gut feeling with a physical check, which is exactly what stops the error.
Passage sentence: "The company was founded in 2005 by two engineers." Statement: "The founders had no business experience." The claim's verb+noun is had + experience — search the passage: it says nothing about their experience at all. Tempting to guess False ("just engineers"), but the claim is absent → Not Given.
Point at the statement's main verb and its noun. Physically look for that pair in the passage. Found & matching → True · found & reversed → False · not found → Not Given. No searching, no feeling — the pair is either there or it isn't.
Passage: "The bridge was built using steel imported from three different countries." Statement: "The bridge was expensive to build."
A statement using "all," "every," "always," or "never" is false the moment the passage describes even one exception — even if the general idea is otherwise correct.
Test-writers frequently build False statements this way — take a mostly-true idea and push it to an absolute the passage doesn't support — so this is a very common, very findable trap.
Passage: "Most participants reported improved sleep, though a small number saw no change." Statement: "All participants slept better." → False — "most," not "all," and the passage explicitly notes exceptions.
Circle the absolute word in the statement, then find the passage's matching word. If the passage says most / some / usually where the statement says all / always, that gap makes it False — do not soften it to Not Given.
Passage: "The majority of staff supported the new schedule." Statement: "Every staff member supported the new schedule."
A statement that gets most details right but changes just ONE — a number, a name, a date — is False, not True. Read every detail, not just the general shape of the sentence.
This is a deliberately sneaky trap — the statement reads so similarly to the passage that skimming students mark it True without checking the one changed detail.
Passage: "The survey included 1,200 respondents from four cities." Statement: "The survey included 1,200 respondents from five cities." → False — only the city count changed, but that's enough.
Passage: "The trial ran for six months across 100 companies." Statement: "The trial ran for six months across 120 companies."
In this task you are given the first half of several sentences (the stems) and a longer list of possible endings. The correct ending must pass two tests at once:
1) Meaning — it must say what the passage actually says.
2) Grammar — it must join onto the stem to make one correct sentence.
An ending can pass one test and fail the other — and there are always more endings than stems, so some endings are pure distractors that fit nothing.
Distractor endings are written to sound grammatically smooth, so grammar alone will not rule them out — and a factually-right idea in an awkward grammatical fit is a warning sign too. You must check both, every time.
Passage: "Sales rose despite the price increase." Stem: "Sales continued to grow even though…" The correct ending must mean prices went up AND fit the grammar after "even though" — so "…the company had raised its prices" works. An ending like "…prices were rising" fits the grammar but an ending like "…because prices fell" fails on meaning.
Read the stem, find the matching sentence in the passage, and decide what idea the ending must carry. Only then look at the endings list — first cross out any whose meaning is wrong, then, among what's left, pick the one that also joins grammatically onto the stem.
Passage: "The bridge remained closed for repairs longer than officials had originally predicted." Stem: "The repair work took longer than…"
a) the officials had expected
b) the bridge had been open
c) any other project that year
[Para 1] Since 2022, more than a hundred companies across several countries have taken part in formal trials of a four-day working week, in which staff work one fewer day but continue to receive their full five-day salary. The largest of these trials, coordinated by researchers in the United Kingdom, tracked around 2,900 employees over six months. At the end of the trial, the majority of participating companies chose to continue the shorter week permanently, reporting that staff resignations fell and self-reported stress levels dropped noticeably.
[Para 2] Supporters of the shorter week argue that it forces organisations to eliminate wasted time — unnecessary meetings, in particular — rather than simply asking employees to work faster. They claim that productivity per hour worked often rises enough to offset the lost day entirely, meaning companies get the same output for less time and lower long-term staff turnover costs. Some economists go further, suggesting that a shorter working week could become standard practice within a generation, much as the five-day week itself gradually replaced six-day working across the twentieth century.
[Para 3] Critics, however, remain unconvinced that the model suits every industry equally. In sectors such as healthcare and manufacturing, where output is tied directly to hours of physical presence rather than task completion, a four-day week is far harder to implement without hiring additional staff — an expense many smaller employers say they cannot absorb. Some business owners who took part in early trials have also quietly reverted to five-day schedules after finding that client demands did not shrink to match the shorter week, simply compressing the same workload into fewer days. Whether the model can scale beyond office-based, task-driven industries remains, for now, an open question.
- The UK trial involved fewer than 2,000 employees.
✓ Answer: False Where: Para 1 — "...tracked around 2,900 employees over six months." Why: Trick 5 in action — a specific number is given (2,900), and the statement changes it (fewer than 2,000), which contradicts directly.
- Employees in the trial had their pay reduced to match the shorter week.
✓ Answer: False Where: Para 1 — "...work one fewer day but continue to receive their full five-day salary." Why: The passage directly contradicts this — pay stayed the same ("full five-day salary"), it was never reduced.
- Supporters believe eliminating unnecessary meetings is part of why productivity can hold up.
✓ Answer: Yes Where: Para 2 — "Supporters...argue that it forces organisations to eliminate wasted time — unnecessary meetings, in particular." Why: This is Trick 3 (YNNG) — "supporters argue" signals a reported opinion, and the statement matches it directly.
- According to the passage, most economists agree the four-day week will become standard within ten years.
✓ Answer: Not Given Where: Para 2 — "Some economists go further, suggesting...within a generation." Why: A changed-detail case, not an absolute-claim contradiction: the passage says "some economists," not "most," and "a generation," not "ten years." Because those specifics were never actually stated, the claim is Not Given rather than False.
- The passage suggests the shift to a shorter week may follow a pattern similar to a past historical change.
✓ Answer: Yes Where: Para 2 — "...much as the five-day week itself gradually replaced six-day working across the twentieth century." Why: The passage draws this exact historical comparison itself — a direct match, not an inference.
- Healthcare is mentioned as an industry where the four-day model is simple to apply.
✓ Answer: False Where: Para 3 — "In sectors such as healthcare and manufacturing...a four-day week is far harder to implement." Why: The passage directly contradicts "simple" — it explicitly says "far harder to implement."
- Some employers believe a four-day week is only workable if they hire more staff.
✓ Answer: Yes Where: Para 3 — "...far harder to implement without hiring additional staff — an expense many smaller employers say they cannot absorb." Why: The passage says the model is "far harder to implement without hiring additional staff" — i.e. only workable with extra staff — which matches the statement. (The catch: that extra staffing is itself an expense smaller employers "cannot absorb" — a cost point, not the workability point being tested.)
- Every company that reverted to five-day schedules did so because of falling profits.
✓ Answer: Not Given Where: Para 3 — "...quietly reverted to five-day schedules after finding that client demands did not shrink." Why: A reason IS given (unchanged client demand), but profit is never mentioned at all — Trick 2 exactly: don't assume "probably about profit" just because it sounds plausible.
- Matching Sentence Ending: "Some business owners returned to five-day schedules after realising that…"
a) their staff requested it
b) the same amount of work simply had to fit into fewer days
c) the trial was too expensive to continue
d) clients preferred the old schedule✓ Answer: b Where: Para 3 — "...client demands did not shrink to match the shorter week, simply compressing the same workload into fewer days." Why: Trick 6 — (b) matches both the grammar AND the passage's actual meaning ("compressing...workload into fewer days"). (a), (c), (d) all read smoothly but aren't supported anywhere in the text.
- The trials described in the passage began before 2022.
✓ Answer: False Where: Para 1 — "Since 2022, more than a hundred companies...have taken part." Why: "Since 2022" directly contradicts "before 2022" — a clear reversal, not an absence of information.
- Some business owners changed their minds and went back to the old schedule.
✓ Answer: Yes Where: Para 3 — "Some business owners who took part in early trials have also quietly reverted to five-day schedules." Why: "Reverted" directly means "went back" — this is Trick 1's basic synonym-agreement case, not a trap.
- apply five specific tricks for True/False/Not Given, Yes/No/Not Given, and Matching Sentence Endings, and explain precisely why each answer is correct
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1. An octopus's arm can grip an object without the central brain directing it.
TRUE. The passage states an arm "can taste and grip an object even when the animal's central brain is occupied elsewhere" — a direct paraphrase of "without the central brain directing it." 🔑 বাংলায়: passage বলছে arm “can grip … even when the … central brain is occupied elsewhere” — অর্থাৎ কেন্দ্রীয় brain নির্দেশ না দিলেও arm ধরতে পারে, তাই TRUE। -
2. Octopuses can see the full range of colours.
FALSE. The passage says the opposite — "scientists believe it is colour-blind, detecting brightness and pattern rather than hue." This is a clear contradiction, not a gap, so it is False, not Not Given. 🔑 বাংলায়: passage ঠিক উল্টো বলছে — “colour-blind … brightness and pattern rather than hue.” এটি স্পষ্ট বিরোধ, তথ্যের অভাব নয় — তাই FALSE, Not Given নয়। -
3. Octopuses live longer in captivity than in the wild.
NOT GIVEN. The passage gives a lifespan ("one to two years") and separately describes behaviour in captivity, but it never compares how long they live in captivity versus the wild. A tempting real-world guess is not evidence — the comparison is simply absent. 🔑 বাংলায়: passage আয়ু (“one to two years”) আর captivity-তে আচরণ — দুটোই বলে, কিন্তু captivity বনাম wild-এ আয়ু তুলনা কখনও করে না। বাস্তব অনুমান প্রমাণ নয় — তুলনাটাই passage-এ নেই, তাই NOT GIVEN।
1 The Three-Way Test 5 drills
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Passage: “The museum opens at 9am on weekdays.”Statement: “The museum opens at 9am on Saturdays.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: Not Given. Only weekdays are mentioned; Saturday is never addressed, so we can’t say True or False. 🔑 বাংলায়: শুধু weekdays বলা আছে; Saturday নিয়ে কিছুই নেই — তাই Not Given। -
Passage: “The bridge took four years to build.”Statement: “The bridge was completed in four years.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: True. “took four years to build” = “completed in four years” — same fact, reworded. 🔑 বাংলায়: “took four years to build” = “completed in four years” — একই তথ্য। তাই True। -
Passage: “The company was founded in Paris and later moved to Lyon.”Statement: “The company has always been based in Paris.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: False. It moved to Lyon, so “always in Paris” is directly contradicted. 🔑 বাংলায়: Lyon-এ চলে গেছে, তাই “always in Paris” সরাসরি ভুল। False। -
Passage: “All staff must wear identity badges.”Statement: “Visitors must wear identity badges.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: Not Given. The rule is stated for staff only; visitors are never mentioned. 🔑 বাংলায়: নিয়মটা শুধু staff-এর জন্য বলা; visitor নিয়ে কিছু নেই। Not Given। -
Passage: “Tickets cost £10 for adults.”Statement: “Children pay £10.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: Not Given. Only the adult price is given; the children’s price is never stated. 🔑 বাংলায়: শুধু বড়দের দাম দেওয়া; শিশুদের দাম বলা হয়নি। Not Given।
2 Not Given vs. False — the #1 error 5 drills
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Passage: “The survey was conducted only in the capital.”Statement: “The survey included rural areas.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: False. “only in the capital” excludes rural areas — a contradiction, not a gap. That’s the difference: “only” makes it False, not Not Given. 🔑 বাংলায়: “only in the capital” মানে গ্রাম বাদ — এটা বিরোধ, ফাঁকা নয়। “only” থাকায় False, Not Given নয়। -
Passage: “The author has written three novels.”Statement: “The author’s novels have won awards.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: Not Given. Awards are never mentioned — no contradiction, just missing information. 🔑 বাংলায়: পুরস্কারের কথা নেই — বিরোধ নয়, তথ্য অনুপস্থিত। Not Given। -
Passage: “The factory runs 24 hours a day.”Statement: “The factory closes at night.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: False. “24 hours a day” directly contradicts “closes at night.” 🔑 বাংলায়: “24 hours a day” আর “closes at night” সরাসরি বিরোধী। False। -
Passage: “The report focuses on air pollution in cities.”Statement: “The report also discusses water pollution.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: Not Given. Water pollution isn’t mentioned; “focuses on air pollution” doesn’t rule it out. No contradiction → Not Given. 🔑 বাংলায়: পানি দূষণের কথা নেই; “air pollution-এ focus” মানে অন্যটা নেই তা নয়। বিরোধ নেই → Not Given। -
Passage: “The medicine must be taken twice a day.”Statement: “The medicine must be taken three times a day.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: False. “twice” contradicts “three times” — a specific number changed makes it False, not Not Given. 🔑 বাংলায়: “twice” আর “three times” বিরোধী — সংখ্যা বদলে যাওয়ায় False।
3 Absolute Claims in Statements 5 drills
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Passage: “Some students find the course difficult.”Statement: “All students find the course difficult.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: False. “Some” is not “all” — the absolute word over-states the passage. 🔑 বাংলায়: “some” মানে “all” নয় — absolute শব্দটা বাড়িয়ে বলে। False। -
Passage: “Without exception, every application must include two references.”Statement: “All applications require two references.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: True. Here the absolute claim IS supported — “without exception, every” = “all.” Don’t reject an absolute automatically; check the passage. 🔑 বাংলায়: এখানে absolute দাবিটা passage সমর্থন করে — “without exception, every” = “all”। absolute দেখলেই বাতিল নয়। True। -
Passage: “Electric cars produce fewer emissions than petrol cars.”Statement: “Electric cars produce no emissions.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: False. “Fewer” is not “none” — the statement pushes it to an absolute the passage never makes. 🔑 বাংলায়: “fewer” মানে “none” নয়। False। -
Passage: “The train is usually on time.”Statement: “The train is always on time.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: False. “Usually” admits exceptions; “always” allows none — they conflict. 🔑 বাংলায়: “usually” মানে ব্যতিক্রম আছে; “always” মানে নেই — বিরোধ। False। -
Passage: “The vaccine is effective in most cases.”Statement: “The vaccine never fails.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: False. “Most cases” implies it sometimes fails, so “never fails” is contradicted. 🔑 বাংলায়: “most cases” মানে মাঝেমধ্যে ব্যর্থ হয়, তাই “never fails” ভুল। False।
4 Partial Truth = False 5 drills
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Passage: “The library offers free wifi and printing for a small fee.”Statement: “The library offers free wifi and free printing.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: False. Half is right (free wifi) but printing costs a fee — one wrong half makes the whole statement False. 🔑 বাংলায়: অর্ধেক ঠিক (free wifi), কিন্তু printing-এ টাকা লাগে — এক অংশ ভুল হলেই পুরোটা False। -
Passage: “The tour includes lunch but not transport.”Statement: “The tour does not include transport.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: True. The statement only claims the transport part, which the passage confirms. A correctly limited claim can be True — don’t reject it as “partial.” 🔑 বাংলায়: statement শুধু transport-এর কথা বলে, যা passage সমর্থন করে। সঠিকভাবে সীমিত দাবি True হতে পারে। True। -
Passage: “The scheme helped small businesses in the north of the country.”Statement: “The scheme helped small businesses across the whole country.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: False. “The north” is not “the whole country” — the statement over-extends the true part. 🔑 বাংলায়: “the north” মানে “whole country” নয়। False। -
Passage: “The book was praised for its research but criticised for its style.”Statement: “The book was praised for both its research and its style.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: False. The style was criticised, not praised — so “praised for both” is half wrong = False. 🔑 বাংলায়: style-কে সমালোচনা করা হয়েছে, প্রশংসা নয় — “both praised” অর্ধেক ভুল = False। -
Passage: “The device works on phones and tablets but not laptops.”Statement: “The device works on phones, tablets and laptops.” — True, False or Not Given?
Answer: False. Two-thirds right, but “not laptops” is contradicted — the extra item makes it False. 🔑 বাংলায়: দুই-তৃতীয়াংশ ঠিক, কিন্তু “not laptops” বিরোধী — অতিরিক্ত item-এ False।
5 Matching Sentence Endings — logic AND grammar 5 drills
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Passage: “Because the roads were flooded, the market was cancelled.”Complete: “The market was cancelled because …”
Answer: A. The passage gives flooding as the cause; B and C are plausible but unsupported. 🔑 বাংলায়: passage কারণ বলে বন্যা; B, C যুক্তিসঙ্গত হলেও passage-এ নেই। A। -
Passage: “Solar panels were installed to cut electricity bills.”Complete: “The panels were installed in order to …”
Answer: B. “cut bills” = “reduce costs.” A reverses it; C over-states. 🔑 বাংলায়: “cut bills” = “reduce costs”। A উল্টো, C বাড়িয়ে বলে। B। -
Passage: “The species survives by storing water in its thick leaves.”Complete: “The plant survives dry periods by …”
Answer: C. Matches the passage exactly; A and B are never stated and B contradicts (leaves store water). 🔑 বাংলায়: passage-এর সাথে হুবহু মেলে; B উল্টো (পাতা পানি জমায়)। C। -
Passage: “Although the film was expensive to make, it earned little at the box office.”Complete: “Despite its high production cost, the film …”
Answer: B. “Despite” needs a contrast with the cost, and the passage says it earned little. A reverses; C is Not Given. 🔑 বাংলায়: “Despite” খরচের সাথে বৈপরীত্য চায়; passage বলে কম আয়। A উল্টো, C নেই। B। -
Passage: “The council introduced cycle lanes, which reduced traffic accidents.”Complete: “After cycle lanes were introduced, the number of accidents …”
Answer: B. “reduced … accidents” = accidents “fell.” The ending must fit both meaning and the singular verb. 🔑 বাংলায়: “reduced accidents” = দুর্ঘটনা “fell”। অর্থ ও grammar দুটোই মিলতে হবে। B।
Reading: Structure-Matching
Matching Headings, Matching Information, and Matching Features share one underlying skill: locating content by its function in the passage — what each paragraph is about, or which specific paragraph holds a particular fact, or which idea belongs to which named source. This is a different mental task from Chapter 2's claim-checking — here you are navigating structure, not judging truth.
🔑 বাংলায়: এই অধ্যায়ে আপনি শিখবেন Matching Headings, Information ও Features প্রশ্নের সেরা কৌশলগুলো — প্রতিটি কৌশল আলাদা করে বুঝিয়ে, উদাহরণসহ।
- choose the best heading for a paragraph based on its overall topic, not one small detail inside it
- scan efficiently across an entire passage to find which paragraph contains a specific piece of information
- match statements to the correct named source, organisation, or approach
Engage: Before Trick 1, cover the passage and ask the class to guess, from the heading options alone, what a 5-paragraph article on ocean plastic might discuss. This primes them to read for structure before detail.
Flow: ~4–5 min per trick × 6 = ~28 min, then the passage phase tests all six together.
Before matching a heading, ask what the paragraph is doing — introducing, explaining, comparing, criticising, concluding — not just what topic it's about.
Two paragraphs can share the same topic but do different jobs — matching by job, not just subject, is what separates two similar-sounding heading options.
A paragraph listing three examples is illustrating. A paragraph starting "However, critics argue…" is critiquing — same topic area, completely different job.
A paragraph usually announces its job in the first sentence or two. Read those, underline the signal words, and the job names itself. Three short samples — the underlined words are what give it away:
1. "For example, in Tokyo rooftop farms now supply local markets; similarly, Singapore has turned car parks into gardens." → Illustrating
2. "However, critics argue that the original study drew on too small a sample to trust." → Critiquing
3. "In short, the cities that added greenery stayed measurably cooler across the decade." → Concluding
Match the heading to that job — "Examples of the trend", "Doubts about the evidence", "The overall verdict" — not just to the shared topic (green cities).
IELTS reuses a recognisable set of signposting phrases. Learn to read the phrase and name the job:
| When you see… | the paragraph is probably… |
|---|---|
| however · but · nonetheless · yet · on the other hand · in contrast · whereas · despite | contrasting or challenging an earlier point |
| similarly · likewise · in the same way · moreover · furthermore · in addition | adding a further, agreeing point |
| for example · for instance · such as · to illustrate · a case in point | giving an example of a trend |
| therefore · as a result · consequently · thus · hence · owing to · leads to | explaining a cause or an effect |
| the main difficulty · a drawback · a limitation · critics argue · remains unresolved | pointing out a problem or criticism |
| to address this · one answer · a possible solution · can be tackled by | proposing a solution |
| the study found · results showed · researchers report · the data suggest · a trial revealed | reporting the findings of research |
| could · may · is likely to · has the potential to · in years to come | looking at future possibilities |
| in short · overall · in conclusion · to sum up · ultimately | concluding — giving the overall verdict |
Then match the heading to that job — a heading about "doubts" or "criticism" fits a contrast/problem paragraph; a heading about "findings" fits a research paragraph; a heading about "the way forward" fits a future/solution paragraph.
"Not everyone agrees this approach works. Some researchers point out significant flaws in the original study's methodology."
A) Introducing a new topic
B) Critiquing an idea
C) Giving a personal example
A heading that matches a small detail inside a paragraph is usually a distractor, not the answer — the correct heading always summarises the whole paragraph, not one sentence in it.
This is the single most common Matching Headings trap — test-writers deliberately include a heading that's technically true of one sentence to catch students who stop reading early.
A paragraph mostly about renewable energy policy that mentions solar panel costs in one sentence — "Solar panel prices" would be a detail-trap heading, not the real answer.
Paragraph: "City transport has changed dramatically in a decade. New cycle lanes span 200km, buses now run every five minutes, and a single electric tram line opened last year." Headings:
A) A new tram line
B) A decade of transport transformation
Switch from "understand the meaning" reading to "hunt for a keyword, number, or name" scanning — the answer could be in any paragraph, so re-reading for meaning wastes time.
Matching Information wastes more time than any other task type when students treat it like Matching Headings — you're hunting for one needle, not summarising a haystack.
Real Matching Information doesn't ask a question — it gives an instruction, "Which paragraph contains the following information?", then a list of statements to locate, e.g. "a specific sales figure for last year" or "the reason a method was abandoned". You scan every paragraph for the number/name/idea behind each statement, rather than reading for overall meaning.
Statement: "a specific proportion of residents". Two mini-paragraphs — P1: "The region has seen major change in recent years." P2: "Roughly 40% of residents now work remotely."
Quick method first: when you're short on time or unsure, reading the first one or two sentences plus the last sentence of a paragraph often reveals its main idea — a fast, reliable first pass for Matching Headings.
But the caution: don't rely on the first sentence alone — sometimes it's only a transition or a single example, and the real topic appears later. If the first and last sentences point in different directions, read the middle before you commit.
Students who only skim first sentences for Matching Headings get tricked whenever a paragraph doesn't follow simple topic-sentence-first structure — which is common in real academic writing.
"Take, for instance, the case of one small manufacturer. Across the whole industry, similar stories of automation replacing manual roles have become common." → The real topic (industry-wide automation) only appears in sentence 2.
"Consider one library that recently digitised its entire catalogue. Institutions everywhere are undergoing the same shift toward fully digital records."
When multiple named things share similar traits, look for language that ties a specific claim to a specific name — don't match by idea alone, match by exactly whose idea it is.
Test-writers often create features that could plausibly apply to more than one source — precision about WHO said or did something is what actually separates the options.
Two companies both mentioned reducing costs — but only one is described as doing it "by cutting staff," the other "by automating production." A statement about "job losses" belongs only to the first.
"Organisation X expanded rapidly through acquisitions. Organisation Y grew slowly but organically, avoiding debt entirely." Which organisation does "took on no debt" describe?
A heading using the passage's exact vocabulary can still be the wrong answer if it doesn't match the paragraph's overall topic — familiar words create false confidence.
This is the Matching Headings version of Chapter 1's exact-word trap — recognising it here stops you from picking a heading just because it "sounds right."
A paragraph mainly about funding challenges that happens to mention "new technology" once — a heading called "New Technology" reuses a real word but misses the actual topic.
Paragraph: "Despite promising early trials, the vaccine programme has struggled to secure long-term government funding." Headings:
A) A promising vaccine trial
B) Funding difficulties despite early success
Paragraph A — Plastic waste entering the ocean each year now exceeds eight million tonnes, and no single strategy has proven capable of solving the problem alone. Instead, three quite different approaches have emerged over the past decade, each targeting the issue at a different point — during production, during use, and after the waste has already reached the sea.
Paragraph B — The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch non-profit organisation, focuses on the third stage: removal. Its engineers have built large floating barriers designed to passively collect plastic already drifting in ocean currents, particularly in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The organisation reports that a single system can now collect several tonnes of debris per month, though critics note that removal alone does nothing to stop new plastic from entering the water in the first place.
Paragraph C — A number of city and national governments have instead targeted the use stage, banning single-use items such as plastic bags and straws outright. Rwanda, an early adopter of a nationwide plastic bag ban, has been cited by several environmental agencies as evidence that strict enforcement, not just legislation, is the deciding factor in whether such bans actually reduce waste. Simply passing a law, these agencies argue, changes little without genuine enforcement behind it.
Paragraph D — A third group of companies is working further upstream, at the production stage, by developing packaging materials that biodegrade fully within months rather than persisting for centuries. One such company, a Californian materials science start-up, has developed a seaweed-based film intended to replace thin plastic packaging. Its founders claim the material dissolves harmlessly in water, though independent, large-scale testing of this claim is still limited.
Paragraph E — Environmental researchers broadly agree that no single approach will be sufficient on its own, and that meaningful progress will likely require all three working together — reducing production, changing use habits, and cleaning up existing waste simultaneously.
- Government bans on plastic
- Removing plastic already in the ocean
- The scale of the plastic problem
- New biodegradable materials
- Why enforcement matters more than laws alone
- The need for a combined solution
- Paragraph B
✓ Paragraph B = ii Where: "The Ocean Cleanup...focuses on the third stage: removal...built large floating barriers designed to passively collect plastic already drifting in ocean currents." Why: Trick 1 (job) — the whole paragraph's job is describing a removal method, matching "ii" exactly, not just one detail.
- Paragraph A
✓ Answer: iii Where: "Plastic waste entering the ocean each year now exceeds eight million tonnes...three quite different approaches have emerged." Why: This paragraph's job is introducing the scale of the problem and previewing the structure — matches iii, not a specific approach.
- Paragraph C
✓ Answer: i Where: "A number of city and national governments...banning single-use items." Why: Trick 2 (detail trap) — "v" describes only the Rwanda-enforcement detail inside Paragraph C, not its overall topic (government bans generally).
- Paragraph D
✓ Answer: iv Where: "A third group of companies...developing packaging materials that biodegrade fully." Why: Whole-paragraph topic is new biodegradable materials — a direct, non-trap match.
- Paragraph E
✓ Answer: vi Where: "Environmental researchers broadly agree that no single approach will be sufficient...require all three working together." Why: This paragraph's job is concluding/synthesising — matches "the need for a combined solution" exactly.
- Matching Information — Which paragraph contains the following information? · "a specific country's policy cited as evidence by outside organisations"
✓ Answer: Paragraph C Where: "Rwanda...has been cited by several environmental agencies as evidence." Why: Trick 3 (scan mode) — scan for a named country, not paragraph meaning; Rwanda only appears in Paragraph C.
- Matching Information — Which paragraph contains the following information? · "a specific monthly amount of waste collected"
✓ Answer: Paragraph B Where: "...can now collect several tonnes of debris per month." Why: The only specific monthly figure in the passage — a pure scan-for-number task.
- Matching Features — Match each statement to The Ocean Cleanup (B), government bans (C), or the materials start-up (D):
a) "This approach does not prevent new waste from being created."
b) "Its central claim has not yet been widely independently verified."
c) "Success depends more on enforcement than on the law itself."✓ Answers: a) B b) D c) C Where: (a) "removal alone does nothing to stop new plastic from entering" (Para B); (b) "independent, large-scale testing...still limited" (Para D); (c) "strict enforcement, not just legislation, is the deciding factor" (Para C). Why: Trick 5 — each statement uses precise wording tied to exactly one source; don't match by general similarity across B/C/D.
- Which paragraph contains the following information? · "the specific ocean location of the floating barriers"
✓ Answer: Paragraph B Where: "...particularly in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch." Why: A named specific location, findable only by scanning, not by summarising.
- Which paragraph contains the following information? · "where the biodegradable-materials start-up is based"
✓ Answer: Paragraph D Where: "...a Californian materials science start-up." Why: Another named-detail scan — the location is one specific word ("Californian") easy to miss if reading for gist instead of scanning.
- apply six specific tricks for Matching Headings, Information, and Features, and explain precisely why each answer is correct
B. That confidence faded as congestion and air pollution worsened. Planners began to notice that the cities which had kept their trams enjoyed cleaner air and more reliable journey times, and a quiet reassessment of the technology started to take hold.
C. Today new tram lines are opening across Europe at a pace not seen in decades. Modern low-floor vehicles are quieter and easier to board than their predecessors, and cities report that a single line can remove thousands of car trips a day.
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1. Which heading best fits Paragraph A?
Heading i. The whole paragraph is about the tram being "seen as a relic" and torn up. Heading ii grabs the "buses" detail, but the paragraph never claims buses were permanently superior — that is the trap of matching a detail instead of the paragraph's overall point. 🔑 বাংলায়: পুরো paragraph-এর মূল কথা — tram-কে “relic” ভাবা হতো ও তুলে ফেলা হয়েছিল, তাই i। ii শুধু “buses” শব্দটা ধরে, কিন্তু paragraph কখনও বলেনি buses স্থায়ীভাবে ভালো — একটা detail ধরে ফাঁদে পড়া। -
2. Which heading best fits Paragraph B?
Heading iii. The paragraph describes a "reassessment" triggered by "congestion and air pollution" — exactly "second thoughts brought on by pollution." Heading v (cost) is never mentioned; iv belongs to Paragraph C. 🔑 বাংলায়: paragraph-এ “congestion and air pollution”-এর কারণে “reassessment” — অর্থাৎ পুনর্ভাবনা, তাই iii। v (খরচ) কোথাও নেই; iv আসলে Paragraph C-এর। -
3. Which heading best fits Paragraph C?
Heading iv. The paragraph reports new lines "opening … at a pace not seen in decades" plus the benefits of modern vehicles — a comeback and its advantages. Heading vi uses the topic word "tram" but the paragraph never explains how a tram is powered — familiar vocabulary creating false confidence. 🔑 বাংলায়: paragraph বলছে নতুন line “decades-এ দেখা যায়নি এমন গতিতে” চালু হচ্ছে + আধুনিক গাড়ির সুবিধা — প্রত্যাবর্তন ও সুবিধা, তাই iv। vi শুধু “tram” শব্দটা ব্যবহার করে, কিন্তু কীভাবে চালিত হয় তা বলা নেই — চেনা শব্দে মিথ্যা আত্মবিশ্বাস।
1 Find the Paragraph’s Job 5 drills
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“Early clocks relied on the sun and water, but these failed at night or in cold weather. The mechanical clock, appearing in medieval Europe, solved both problems.”Best heading?
Answer: A. The paragraph’s job is problem → solution. B is one detail; C is off-topic. 🔑 বাংলায়: অনুচ্ছেদের কাজ সমস্যা → সমাধান। B একটা detail, C বাইরের। A। -
“Bamboo absorbs more carbon dioxide than many trees and regrows within a few years, making it attractive to builders seeking greener materials.”Best heading?
Answer: B. The whole paragraph explains bamboo’s green appeal. A reverses the tone; C is unmentioned. 🔑 বাংলায়: পুরো অনুচ্ছেদ bamboo-র পরিবেশবান্ধব আকর্ষণ বলে। A উল্টো সুর, C নেই। B। -
“The report lists three causes of the decline — habitat loss, pollution and over-fishing — examining each in turn.”Best heading?
Answer: B. It surveys several causes — A says “single,” C says “solutions,” neither fits the job. 🔑 বাংলায়: কয়েকটি কারণ আলোচনা করে — A “single”, C “solutions” মেলে না। B। -
“While tourism brings income to the island, it also strains water supplies and damages coral reefs.”Best heading?
Answer: A. “While … also” = two sides, so benefits + drawbacks. B/C pick single words, not the job. 🔑 বাংলায়: “While … also” = দুই দিক, সুবিধা+অসুবিধা। A। -
“This section explains, step by step, how the vaccine is manufactured, from growing the virus to final packaging.”Best heading?
Answer: B. “step by step … manufactured” = the production stages. A and C are never discussed. 🔑 বাংলায়: “step by step manufactured” = উৎপাদনের ধাপ। B।
2 The Detail-Heading Trap 5 drills
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“Renewable energy is expanding worldwide. In Denmark, for example, wind now supplies nearly half the electricity.”Which heading fits the whole paragraph?
Answer: B. Denmark is just an example (“for example”); the topic is the worldwide rise. A is the detail trap. 🔑 বাংলায়: Denmark শুধু উদাহরণ; বিষয় বিশ্বব্যাপী বৃদ্ধি। A হলো detail-ফাঁদ। B। -
“The museum runs many programmes; its Saturday children’s workshop is especially popular.”Which heading fits the whole paragraph?
Answer: B. The main clause is “many programmes”; the workshop is one popular example. A is the detail trap. 🔑 বাংলায়: মূল কথা “many programmes”; workshop একটি উদাহরণ। B। -
“Several factors affect sleep. Caffeine, for instance, is one well-known example.”Which heading fits the whole paragraph?
Answer: A. “Several factors” is the topic; caffeine is just “for instance.” B is the detail trap. 🔑 বাংলায়: “Several factors” বিষয়; caffeine শুধু “for instance”। A। -
“Cities are trying to cut car use. Paris, for instance, has widened its pavements.”Which heading fits the whole paragraph?
Answer: B. Paris is one instance of a general effort. A is the detail trap; C is off-topic. 🔑 বাংলায়: Paris একটা উদাহরণ; বিষয় শহরগুলোর সাধারণ প্রচেষ্টা। B। -
“Many materials can be recycled. Glass, notably, can be melted and reused endlessly.”Which heading fits the whole paragraph?
Answer: B. The opening claim is “many materials”; glass is a “notably” example. A is the detail trap. 🔑 বাংলায়: শুরুর দাবি “many materials”; glass একটা উদাহরণ। B।
3 Scan Mode for Matching Information 5 drills
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A) “Coffee was first cultivated in Ethiopia.” B) “By the 1600s it had spread across Europe.” C) “Today Brazil is the world’s largest producer.”Which paragraph mentions the largest producer?
Answer: C. Scan for the specific idea “largest producer” — it appears only in C. 🔑 বাংলায়: “largest producer” শুধু C-তে। C। -
A) “The device was patented in 1921.” B) “It sold poorly at first.” C) “A redesign in 1935 made it a success.”Which paragraph mentions a redesign?
Answer: C. “Redesign” is named only in C. Don’t re-read A/B fully — scan for the keyword. 🔑 বাংলায়: “redesign” শুধু C-তে। শব্দটা scan করুন। C। -
A) “The park covers 200 hectares.” B) “It is home to rare orchids.” C) “Entry is free on Sundays.”Which paragraph mentions free entry?
Answer: C. “Free” appears only in C. 🔑 বাংলায়: “free” শুধু C-তে। C। -
A) “The author grew up in Wales.” B) “Her first novel appeared in 2004.” C) “It was translated into ten languages.”Which paragraph mentions where the author grew up?
Answer: A. The childhood location (“grew up in Wales”) is only in A. 🔑 বাংলায়: “grew up in Wales” শুধু A-তে। A। -
A) “The bridge is 2 km long.” B) “It was funded by three cities.” C) “Repairs began last year.”Which paragraph mentions how it was funded?
Answer: B. “Funded” appears only in B. 🔑 বাংলায়: “funded” শুধু B-তে। B।
4 First Sentence ≠ Whole Paragraph 5 drills
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“At first glance, the policy seems a failure. In fact, once the delayed benefits are counted, it has cut emissions substantially.”Best heading?
Answer: B. The first sentence says “failure,” but “In fact …” overturns it. Read to the end. A is the first-sentence trap. 🔑 বাংলায়: প্রথম বাক্য “failure”, কিন্তু “In fact” উল্টে দেয়। শেষ পর্যন্ত পড়ুন। B। -
“The factory looks old-fashioned. Inside, however, robots handle almost every stage of production.”Best heading?
Answer: B. “however” flips the opening impression to automation. A is the first-sentence trap. 🔑 বাংলায়: “however” প্রথম ধারণা উল্টে automation বোঝায়। B। -
“Everyone assumes the tortoise is slow. Yet in water some species swim surprisingly fast.”Best heading?
Answer: B. “Yet” signals the real point overrides the assumption of slowness. A is the trap. 🔑 বাংলায়: “Yet” আসল কথা — ধীর ধারণা উল্টে দেয়। B। -
“The town appears quiet. During festival week, though, its population triples.”Best heading?
Answer: B. “though” overturns “quiet.” A is the first-sentence trap; C is a detail not in the text. 🔑 বাংলায়: “though” “quiet” উল্টে দেয়। B। -
“Critics called the design ugly. Nonetheless, it has become the city’s most visited landmark.”Best heading?
Answer: B. “Nonetheless” overturns the critics — the paragraph’s point is its popularity. A is the trap. 🔑 বাংলায়: “Nonetheless” সমালোচনা উল্টে দেয় — মূল কথা জনপ্রিয়তা। B।
5 Matching Features — Track the Source 5 drills
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Dr Rao argues city parks improve health. Prof Lin warns they are costly to maintain. Ms Adeyemi says they raise nearby house prices.Who links parks to property values?
Answer: C. “house prices” = “property values,” attributed to Adeyemi. Track who says what. 🔑 বাংলায়: “house prices” = “property values” — Adeyemi। কে কী বলল মিলিয়ে নিন। C। -
Alvarez believes online learning widens access. Bhatt fears it weakens discipline. Chen notes it lowers costs.Who is concerned about student discipline?
Answer: B. “weakens discipline” is Bhatt’s worry. The others make positive points. 🔑 বাংলায়: “weakens discipline” Bhatt-এর দুশ্চিন্তা। B। -
The 1990 study found no effect. The 2005 study reported a small effect. The 2018 study confirmed a strong effect.Which study found a strong effect?
Answer: C. “strong effect” belongs to 2018. Don’t mix up the dates. 🔑 বাংলায়: “strong effect” = 2018। তারিখ মিলিয়ে নিন। C। -
Okonkwo praises the museum’s free entry. Silva criticises its short opening hours. Tan admires its collection.Who dislikes the opening hours?
Answer: B. “criticises … opening hours” = Silva. The others are positive. 🔑 বাংলায়: “criticises opening hours” = Silva। B। -
Firm X switched to solar power. Firm Y reduced its packaging. Firm Z planted trees.Which firm cut its packaging?
Answer: B. “reduced its packaging” = Firm Y. Match the action to the right firm. 🔑 বাংলায়: “reduced packaging” = Firm Y। B।
6 Distractor Headings Reuse Real Words 5 drills
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Paragraph topic: the reasons bees are declining — pesticides and habitat loss are discussed.Best heading?
Answer: B. A reuses the word “pesticides” but names the wrong topic. Match the idea, not the vocabulary. 🔑 বাংলায়: A শুধু “pesticides” শব্দটা নেয়, বিষয় ভুল। শব্দ নয়, ভাব মেলান। B। -
Paragraph topic: why reading aloud helps children develop language.Best heading?
Answer: B. A reuses “children/books” but misses the point (development). C reuses “books” only. 🔑 বাংলায়: A “children/books” শব্দ নেয়, ভাব হারায়। B। -
Paragraph topic: how the printing press spread knowledge across Europe.Best heading?
Answer: B. A and C borrow related printing words but aren’t the paragraph’s idea. 🔑 বাংলায়: A, C সম্পর্কিত শব্দ নেয়, ভাব নয়। B। -
Paragraph topic: the dangers of rapid, uncontrolled tourism growth.Best heading?
Answer: B. A reuses “grow/tourism” but reverses the message (it’s a warning, not a how-to). 🔑 বাংলায়: A “grow/tourism” নেয় কিন্তু বার্তা উল্টে দেয় (এটা সতর্কতা)। B। -
Paragraph topic: how climate change is causing water shortages.Best heading?
Answer: B. A and C just reuse “water”; only B captures the cause-and-effect idea. 🔑 বাংলায়: A, C শুধু “water” নেয়; B কারণ-ফল ধরে। B।
Reading: Precision Completion + Full Passage Practice
Sentence Completion, Summary Completion, Flow-chart Completion, and Short-Answer Questions share a skill that's the opposite of what you practised in Chapter 1: here, you must copy words exactly as they appear in the passage, within a strict word limit. The next chapter covers Table Completion and Diagram Labelling — two related formats that add their own extra skill on top of this one. Today closes with a full passage that mixes everything from Chapters 2–5.
🔑 বাংলায়: এই অধ্যায়ে আপনি শিখবেন Sentence/Summary/Flow-chart Completion ও Short-Answer প্রশ্নের সেরা কৌশলগুলো — প্রতিটি কৌশল আলাদা করে বুঝিয়ে, উদাহরণসহ।
- follow word-limit instructions exactly, and copy answers precisely from the passage
- complete sentences, summaries, and flow-charts using exact wording
- answer short-answer questions within the stated word limit
- work through a full passage combining every Reading task type covered so far
Engage: Before Trick 1, write a word-limit instruction on the board and a 4-word "answer" a careless student might write. Ask the class to spot why it's wrong before you explain.
Flow: ~4 min per trick × 6 = ~24 min, then Step 3's full mixed passage (20 min) tests every Block A skill together — this is the longest practice block in Block A, treat it like a mini mock.
Copy words exactly as they appear in the passage, and respect word limits strictly — "no more than two words" means exactly that; three words is wrong even with perfect spelling and correct meaning.
This is the opposite instinct from Chapters 2–4 — paraphrasing here actively hurts you, since the marking is mechanical: right words, right limit, or zero.
Passage: "...powered by a small onboard solar panel." Question: "The device is powered by a small onboard ___" (no more than two words). Correct: solar panel — copied exactly, within the limit.
Passage: "The device runs on a rechargeable lithium battery." Question: "The device is powered by a rechargeable ___" (no more than two words).
The blank's surrounding grammar tells you what KIND of word fits before you even find it — after "a/an" expect a noun, after "to" expect a verb, a plural verb needs a plural noun.
Knowing what you're looking for narrows the scan dramatically — you can rule out verbs and adjectives instantly if the blank needs a noun.
"...powered by a small onboard ___" — "a" signals a noun (phrase) must follow, not a verb.
Before you scan, read the words touching the blank and ask what form must fit:
• Word class — after a/an/the/this → a noun; after to → a base verb; after very/quite → an adjective; describing a verb → an adverb.
• Singular vs plural — a singular verb (is/has) needs a singular noun; a plural verb (are/have) needs a plural noun.
• Verb form — passive "was/were ___ by" → a past participle; "is ___ing" → an -ing form.
• Prepositions — the fixed preposition often locks the phrase: "a rise in ___", "interested in ___".
"The results were later ___ by an independent laboratory." (no more than one word)
Completion answers are very often numbers, dates, or named things — these are the hardest to paraphrase, so test-writers use them often. When scanning, prioritise anything that looks like a number or a proper noun.
This narrows your scanning target immediately — you're not reading for meaning, you're hunting for a specific category of word.
"The trial included ___ participants" — almost certainly a number.
Passage: "The facility processes up to 50,000 litres per day." Question: "The facility has a daily capacity of ___ litres."
If the passage uses "purify" (verb) but your blank grammatically needs a noun, look for whether the passage ALSO uses "purification" somewhere — don't invent a new word form yourself. If the exact form you need isn't in the passage, you've likely got the wrong location.
Answers are graded on exact spelling and form as they appear in the passage — a self-invented "corrected" form is marked wrong even if grammatically reasonable.
Passage: "...allows for easier navigation of the system." Blank needs a verb: "the system is easier to ___." → Correct: navigate (the passage's own verb form), not a self-invented alternative.
Passage: "Sales grew rapidly after the product launch." Blank: "After the launch, sales grew ___." (no more than one word)
For flow-chart completion, the blanks follow the passage's actual described order — use that sequence to narrow down WHERE in the passage to search, instead of scanning randomly. (A true labelled-picture diagram uses a different trick — Chapter 5 covers that separately.)
Process-description passages are usually written in the same order as the flow-chart — this alone can save minutes of searching.
Flow-chart: Step 1 → Step 2 → ___ → Step 4. If you've already found Steps 1, 2, and 4 in the passage, the missing label is described in the text between them.
Passage: "Raw material is sorted, then washed, then dried, before final packaging." Flow-chart: Sorting → ___ → Drying → Packaging.
Short-answer questions often ask for a specific count or list ("what TWO things...") — your answer must match that exact number and type, not just be "an" answer.
A common, entirely avoidable error is giving only one item when two are asked, or giving a description instead of the specific named things requested.
Question: "What two materials are mentioned?" — an answer naming only one material is incomplete, even if that one is correct.
Passage: "The bridge uses both steel cables and concrete supports." Question: "What two materials does the bridge use?" (no more than three words)
[Para 1] As freshwater shortages grow more common in coastal regions, desalination — the process of removing salt from seawater — has moved from an expensive last resort to a mainstream part of many countries' water supply. The process begins with intake, where seawater is drawn in through pipes fitted with mesh screens, designed to keep fish and larger debris out of the system entirely.
[Para 2] Once inside the plant, the water passes through a pre-treatment stage, where sand filters and fine mesh remove smaller particles and organic material that could otherwise clog the equipment used later in the process. The water then reaches the core of the operation: reverse osmosis. Here, high-pressure pumps force the water through membranes with pores so small that salt molecules, along with most bacteria and viruses, are physically unable to pass through, leaving purified water on the other side.
[Para 3] The water that emerges from reverse osmosis is technically drinkable but tastes flat, since the process strips out beneficial minerals along with the salt. A remineralisation stage adds calcium and magnesium back in, both to improve taste and because completely mineral-free water can, over time, corrode metal pipes in the distribution network. Only after this final stage is the water pumped into the general supply.
[Para 4] The main obstacle to wider adoption remains cost: reverse osmosis requires significant amounts of electricity to generate the necessary pressure, making desalinated water considerably more expensive to produce than water drawn from a river or reservoir. Some newer plants are addressing this by pairing their operations directly with solar or wind power, aiming to reduce the long-term cost gap between desalinated and conventionally sourced water.
- Seawater enters the plant through pipes fitted with ___ to keep out fish and debris.
✓ Answer: (mesh) screens Where: Para 1 — "...drawn in through pipes fitted with mesh screens, designed to keep fish and larger debris out." Why: Copy the exact noun the passage uses ("screens" / "mesh screens") — don't switch to a self-invented singular form. It sits within the 2-word limit.
- Desalination used to be considered an expensive ___.
✓ Answer: last resort Where: Para 1 — "...has moved from an expensive last resort to a mainstream part..." Why: Direct exact-words copy, two words, no rewording needed.
After pre-treatment, water enters the (1)___ stage, where high-pressure pumps push it through membranes that block salt and most (2)___. The resulting water tastes flat because the process removes natural (3)___, so a remineralisation stage adds these back in.
- (1)
✓ Answer: reverse osmosis Where: Para 2 — "The water then reaches the core of the operation: reverse osmosis." Why: Trick 3 — a named process, findable by scanning for the technical term itself.
- (2)
✓ Answer: bacteria (and viruses) Where: Para 2 — "...salt molecules, along with most bacteria and viruses, are physically unable to pass through." Why: Grammar signal (Trick 2) — "block salt and most ___" needs a plural noun matching what the membrane blocks.
- (3)
✓ Answer: minerals Where: Para 3 — "...the process strips out beneficial minerals along with the salt." Why: Copied exactly, matching the grammar slot after "natural ___."
Flow-Chart Completion — complete the process using words from the passage:
Intake → Pre-treatment (sand filters) → (1)___ → Remineralisation → Distribution
- (1)
✓ Answer: Reverse osmosis Why: Trick 5 — the flow-chart's sequence matches the passage's own paragraph order exactly (pre-treatment, then reverse osmosis, then remineralisation).
Short-Answer Questions (no more than three words each):
- What two things, besides salt, can the reverse osmosis membrane block?
✓ Answer: bacteria and viruses Where: Para 2 — "...along with most bacteria and viruses." Why: Trick 6 — the question asks for TWO things; both must be named, not just one.
- What is the main reason desalination remains costly?
✓ Answer: (significant) electricity (use/cost) Where: Para 4 — "...requires significant amounts of electricity to generate the necessary pressure." Why: Direct copy from the sentence naming the cost driver.
- What two power sources are mentioned as ways to lower future costs?
✓ Answer: solar or wind (power) Where: Para 4 — "...pairing their operations directly with solar or wind power." Why: Trick 6 again — two named sources required, both present here.
True/False/Not Given (Chapter 2 skill, applied here):
- All desalination plants currently use solar or wind power.
✓ Answer: False Where: Para 4 — "Some newer plants are addressing this..." Why: Chapter 2's Trick 4 (absolute claims) — "some," not "all," directly contradicts the statement.
Matching Headings (Chapter 3 skill, applied here) — choose the best heading for Paragraph 4:
i) The cost problem and a possible solution
ii) How reverse osmosis works
iii) Why water needs minerals
- Mineral-free water can, over time, ___ metal pipes. (no more than one word)
✓ Answer: corrode Where: Para 3 — "...completely mineral-free water can, over time, corrode metal pipes." Why: Trick 2 — the grammar slot ("can...___") needs a base-form verb, and "corrode" is copied exactly.
- Reverse osmosis works by forcing water through membranes using ___. (no more than three words)
✓ Answer: high-pressure pumps Where: Para 2 — "high-pressure pumps force the water through membranes." Why: Direct exact-words copy, three words, no rewording.
- apply six specific tricks for exact-wording completion tasks, and combine every Reading skill covered so far in one full passage
-
1. Seawater is directed into a set of shallow so it can evaporate.
ponds. Copy the exact plural noun the passage uses — "a series of shallow ponds." Writing "pond" changes the form the passage actually gives. 🔑 বাংলায়: passage-এর হুবহু শব্দ — “shallow ponds” (বহুবচন)। “pond” লিখলে passage-এর রূপ বদলে যায়। -
2. Evaporation is caused by the sun and the .
wind. "The sun and wind gradually cause the water to evaporate." The gap needs the second natural force named — one word, copied exactly. 🔑 বাংলায়: “the sun and wind … cause the water to evaporate.” দ্বিতীয় প্রাকৃতিক শক্তিটির নাম — এক শব্দ, হুবহু। -
3. The finest grade of salt is removed from the top layer by .
hand. "…skimmed from the very top layer by hand." After "by" the passage gives a single noun — the exact word to copy. 🔑 বাংলায়: “skimmed from the very top layer by hand.” “by”-এর পরে passage একটাই noun দেয় — সেটাই হুবহু বসান।
1 The Exact-Words Rule 5 drills
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Passage: “The seeds are dispersed by the wind.”Seeds are spread by the .
wind. Copy the exact word from the passage — “dispersed by the wind.” 🔑 বাংলায়: passage থেকে হুবহু শব্দ — “wind”। -
Passage: “The tower is built from local limestone.”The tower is made of .
limestone. “built from local limestone” → the material is limestone. 🔑 বাংলায়: উপাদান = “limestone”। -
Passage: “Workers wore leather gloves for protection.”For protection, workers wore leather .
gloves. Copy the noun exactly — “leather gloves.” 🔑 বাংলায়: হুবহু noun — “gloves”। -
Passage: “The river provides water for irrigation.”The river supplies water used for .
irrigation. “provides / supplies” are synonyms; the answer word is copied exactly. 🔑 বাংলায়: “provides”=“supplies”; উত্তর শব্দ হুবহু — “irrigation”। -
Passage: “Bats navigate using echolocation.”Bats find their way using .
echolocation. “navigate” = “find their way”; copy the technical term exactly. 🔑 বাংলায়: “navigate”=“find their way”; পারিভাষিক শব্দ হুবহু — “echolocation”।
2 Grammar Signals the Answer Type 5 drills
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Passage: “The new filter removes harmful bacteria from the water.”The filter removes harmful from the water. (the gap needs a noun)
bacteria. After “harmful” the slot needs a noun — “bacteria.” 🔑 বাংলায়: “harmful”-এর পরে noun দরকার — “bacteria”। -
Passage: “Volunteers carefully recorded every sighting.”Volunteers recorded every sighting. (the gap needs an adverb)
carefully. Before the verb “recorded,” the slot needs an adverb — “carefully.” 🔑 বাংলায়: verb-এর আগে adverb — “carefully”। -
Passage: “The bridge can support heavy vehicles.”The bridge can heavy vehicles. (the gap needs a verb)
support. After “can,” the slot needs a base verb — “support.” 🔑 বাংলায়: “can”-এর পরে base verb — “support”। -
Passage: “Rising temperatures threaten the coral reefs.” temperatures threaten the reefs. (the gap needs an adjective)
rising. Before the noun “temperatures,” the slot needs a describing word — “rising.” 🔑 বাংলায়: noun-এর আগে বিশেষণ — “rising”। -
Passage: “The scheme offers financial assistance to farmers.”The scheme offers financial to farmers. (the gap needs a noun)
assistance. After the adjective “financial,” a noun is required — “assistance.” 🔑 বাংলায়: “financial”-এর পরে noun — “assistance”।
3 Numbers and Named Things Are Prime Targets 5 drills
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Passage: “The marathon covers 42 kilometres.”The marathon is kilometres long.
42. Numbers are prime gap targets — copy the figure exactly. 🔑 বাংলায়: সংখ্যা হুবহু — “42”। -
Passage: “The library was founded in 1887.”The library was founded in .
1887. A year is a named/number target — copy it exactly. 🔑 বাংলায়: সাল হুবহু — “1887”। -
Passage: “The tallest tree reaches 90 metres.”The tallest tree is metres tall.
90. “reaches 90 metres” → 90. 🔑 বাংলায়: “90 metres” → “90”। -
Passage: “The festival is held in the city of Valencia.”The festival takes place in .
Valencia. A place name is a prime target — copy it exactly (capital not required for scoring). 🔑 বাংলায়: স্থান-নাম হুবহু — “Valencia”। -
Passage: “The survey questioned 1,200 people.” people were questioned.
1,200. Copy the number (with or without the comma). 🔑 বাংলায়: সংখ্যা হুবহু — “1,200” (কমা থাকুক বা না থাকুক)।
4 Don’t “Fix” the Word Form Yourself 5 drills
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Passage: “The machine operates continuously.”The machine works without stopping.
continuously. Copy the exact form; don’t change it to “continuous.” 🔑 বাংলায়: হুবহু রূপ — “continuously”, “continuous” নয়। -
Passage: “The results were surprisingly consistent.”The results were surprisingly .
consistent. Keep the adjective form as printed — not “consistency.” 🔑 বাংলায়: বিশেষণ রূপ হুবহু — “consistent”, “consistency” নয়। -
Passage: “The disease spreads rapidly in crowded areas.”In crowded areas the disease spreads .
rapidly. Copy the adverb exactly — not “rapid.” 🔑 বাংলায়: adverb হুবহু — “rapidly”, “rapid” নয়। -
Passage: “The committee’s decision was unanimous.”The committee’s decision was .
unanimous. Keep the exact adjective — not “unanimously.” 🔑 বাংলায়: হুবহু বিশেষণ — “unanimous”। -
Passage: “The paint dries quickly in warm conditions.”In warm conditions the paint dries .
quickly. Copy the adverb as-is — not “quick.” 🔑 বাংলায়: adverb হুবহু — “quickly”।
5 Flow-Chart Labels Follow the Passage’s Sequence 5 drills
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Passage: “First the beans are roasted, then they are ground, and finally hot water is added.”Roast → → add hot water
grind / ground. The middle step in the passage’s order is grinding. 🔑 বাংলায়: passage-এর ক্রমে মাঝের ধাপ — “grind/ground”। -
Passage: “The application is submitted, reviewed by a panel, and then approved.”Submit → review →
approve / approved. The final step in sequence is approval. 🔑 বাংলায়: শেষ ধাপ — “approve/approved”। -
Passage: “Glass is collected, crushed into small pieces, melted, and moulded into new bottles.”Collect → crush → → mould
melt / melted. Between crushing and moulding comes melting. 🔑 বাংলায়: crush ও mould-এর মাঝে — “melt/melted”। -
Passage: “Cotton is picked, cleaned, spun into thread, and woven into cloth.”Pick → clean → → weave
spin / spun. Follow the passage order: clean, then spin, then weave. 🔑 বাংলায়: ক্রম অনুসারে — “spin/spun”। -
Passage: “Water is pumped in, filtered, heated, and finally bottled.”Pump in → filter → → bottle
heat / heated. The step before bottling is heating. 🔑 বাংলায়: bottle-এর আগের ধাপ — “heat/heated”।
6 Answer the EXACT Question Asked 5 drills
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Passage: “Applicants must bring a passport and a recent photograph.”Besides a passport, name ONE thing applicants must bring:
photograph / photo. The question excludes the passport, so give the other item only. 🔑 বাংলায়: passport বাদে অন্যটি — “photograph/photo”। -
Passage: “The tour lasts three hours and costs £15.”How many hours does the tour last?
three / 3. The question asks the duration, not the price — answer only what is asked. 🔑 বাংলায়: প্রশ্ন সময় চায়, দাম নয় — “three/3”। -
Passage: “The device is powered by two AA batteries.”What powers the device?
batteries. The exact answer to “what powers it” is batteries. 🔑 বাংলায়: কী দিয়ে চলে — “batteries”। -
Passage: “The museum is closed on Mondays.”On which day is the museum closed?
Monday(s). Answer the exact detail requested — the closing day. 🔑 বাংলায়: বন্ধের দিন — “Monday(s)”। -
Passage: “Students should submit the essay by Friday.”By which day must the essay be submitted?
Friday. The question asks the deadline day — Friday. 🔑 বাংলায়: জমার শেষ দিন — “Friday”।
Reading: Table Completion & Diagram Labelling
Table Completion and Diagram Labelling both still follow Chapter 4's golden rule — copy exact words from the passage, respect the word limit — but each adds one extra skill on top. A table forces you to find the correct ROW and COLUMN at once, not just one blank in a line of text. A real labelled diagram (a picture, not a flow-chart) has no "first, then, next" — you must use position and connection language instead. Both are genuinely different from anything practised so far, so today gives each its own passage, its own tricks, and its own full practice.
🔑 বাংলায়: এই অধ্যায়ে আপনি শিখবেন Table Completion ও Diagram Labelling প্রশ্নের সেরা কৌশলগুলো — প্রতিটি কৌশল আলাদা করে বুঝিয়ে, উদাহরণসহ।
- complete a table accurately by checking both the row and the column before writing an answer
- use a table's own column headings to predict what kind of information belongs in every cell beneath them
- label a real illustrated diagram using the passage's position and connection language, not sequence logic
- recognise that diagram labels are almost always short noun phrases, copied exactly
Flow: Tricks 1–2 + Table passage + Steps 1–2 (~25 min) → Tricks 3–4 + Diagram passage + Step 3 (~25 min) → Extra practice/homework.
Part A — Table Completion
A table answer must fit the row you're told AND the column header's category — check both before writing. A completely true fact from the passage is still wrong if it belongs in a different cell.
This is the single most common table-completion error — copying a real, correctly-spelled fact from the passage into the wrong cell, because only one of the two coordinates (row or column) was actually checked.
Passage: "Bellview Farm grows apples, harvested in early autumn; Green Acres grows wheat, harvested in midsummer." For the row "Green Acres", column "Harvest Season" → midsummer, not "early autumn" (that fact is real, but it belongs to Bellview's row).
| Farm | Main Crop | Harvest Season |
|---|---|---|
| Bellview Farm | apples | early autumn |
| Green Acres | wheat | midsummer ✔ |
The trap answer "early autumn" sits in the wrong row — right fact, wrong cell.
Passage: "Lakeside Bakery specialises in sourdough and opens at 6am; Corner Bakery specialises in pastries and opens at 7am." Table row "Corner Bakery," column "Opening Time" → ___
Just like grammar signals the answer type in sentence completion (Chapter 4, Trick 2), a table's own column heading tells you what KIND of information belongs in every cell beneath it — a "Cost" column expects a price or cost-word, a "Duration" column expects a time expression, before you've even found the passage's exact wording.
Reading the column heading first narrows your search dramatically — you can immediately rule out any passage detail that isn't the right KIND of fact, even before locating the exact sentence.
Column heading "Main Maintenance Need" → the answer will be an activity/task word (a cleaning, a check, a service), never a price or a location.
| Cost | Duration | Main Maintenance Need |
|---|---|---|
| a price → £__ | a time → __ years | a task → a service |
Read the heading first and you already know the KIND of word to hunt for in each cell.
Column heading: "Best Suited To"
Homeowners choosing a renewable energy system usually compare three options: solar panels, small domestic wind turbines, and ground-source heat pumps. Solar panels are the cheapest of the three to install, and they perform best on south-facing roofs that receive little shade. Once fitted, they need only occasional cleaning to remove dust and fallen leaves.
Small wind turbines cost roughly twice as much to install as solar panels. They are only genuinely effective in open, exposed locations such as rural or coastal properties, since nearby buildings and trees block the wind they need to turn efficiently. Because they have moving mechanical parts, they require regular servicing.
Ground-source heat pumps are the most expensive of the three options upfront. They are best suited to larger properties, since installation requires enough outdoor land to bury a network of underground pipes. However, once installed, they are comparatively low-maintenance, typically needing nothing more than an inspection every few years.
| Option | Typical Upfront Cost | Best Suited To | Main Maintenance Need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar panels | Cheapest of the three | South-facing roofs, little shade | Occasional cleaning |
| Small wind turbines | (1) | Open, exposed locations | Regular servicing |
- (1)
✓ Answer: roughly twice as much Where: "Small wind turbines cost roughly twice as much to install as solar panels." Why: Trick 2 — the "Cost" column signals a price-type answer; this is the exact comparative phrase, within the 4-word limit.
| Option | Typical Upfront Cost | Best Suited To | Main Maintenance Need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground-source heat pumps | (2) | (3) | (4) |
- (2)
✓ Answer: the most expensive Where: "Ground-source heat pumps are the most expensive of the three options upfront." Why: Trick 1 — this row is specifically about heat pumps; don't confuse it with wind turbines' "twice as much."
- (3)
✓ Answer: larger properties Where: "They are best suited to larger properties, since installation requires enough outdoor land..." Why: Trick 2 — the "Best Suited To" column expects a property/place answer, exactly what's copied here.
- (4)
✓ Answer: an inspection Where: "...typically needing nothing more than an inspection every few years." Why: Trick 2 — the "Maintenance" column expects an activity word, and this is the exact phrase within the 3-word limit.
Part B — Diagram Labelling
A real labelled diagram (a picture of a device or system) usually has no "first...then...next" — instead, the passage uses position and connection language: above, beneath, attached to, fitted near, connects to, at the base of. Use those exact words as your map to each blank, not a sequence.
Treating a picture-based diagram like a flow-chart (hunting for step-order words) wastes time, since the passage is describing a fixed structure, not a process happening over time.
"The thermostat is mounted directly above the control panel." → wherever the diagram shows something ABOVE the control panel, that's the thermostat.
Label 1 sits above the control panel — the passage's "directly above" is your map, not any step order.
"A small fan is fitted at the base of the unit, just below the main compressor." Which position words tell you exactly where the fan sits?
Unlike sentence completion, a diagram label has no room for a full clause — it's almost always just the name of a component (a noun or short noun phrase), copied exactly from the passage. Scan for concrete object-names, not actions or descriptions.
Knowing the answer will be a short noun phrase stops you from writing an explanation or a full sentence where only a 1–3 word label is expected — a very common, entirely avoidable mark loss.
"Water is cooled as it passes through the radiator." → the diagram label is simply radiator, not "the part that cools the water."
"Air enters the system through a mesh screen designed to keep out insects." What should the diagram label say?
Rainwater harvesting systems collect and store water falling on a building's roof for later use around the home. Rain first lands on the sloped roof and flows down into a gutter, fitted along its lower edge, which channels the water into a vertical downpipe. Before the water reaches storage, it passes through a mesh filter that removes leaves and other debris, positioned just above the main storage tank. The tank itself is usually kept underground or in a shaded spot, to prevent the growth of algae inside it. Fitted near the top of the tank is an overflow pipe, which redirects any excess water safely away during periods of heavy rainfall, preventing the tank from bursting. At the base of the tank, a small electric pump draws the stored water upward through a pipe connected to an outdoor tap, from which it can be used around the garden.
Flow: Step 3 (8 min) → Extra Practice if time allows.
- Label 1
✓ Answer: gutter Where: "...flows down into a gutter, fitted along its lower edge..." Why: Trick 3 — "fitted along its lower edge" positions it directly at the roof's edge, exactly where label 1 points.
- Label 2
✓ Answer: (mesh) filter Where: "...it passes through a mesh filter...positioned just above the main storage tank." Why: Trick 3 — "positioned just above" the tank matches label 2's position exactly.
- Label 3
✓ Answer: (storage) tank Where: "The tank itself is usually kept underground or in a shaded spot..." Why: Trick 4 — a short noun phrase, copied exactly, naming the largest component in the diagram.
- Label 4
✓ Answer: overflow pipe Where: "Fitted near the top of the tank is an overflow pipe..." Why: Trick 3 — "near the top of the tank" positions this label above and beside the tank, not at its base.
- Label 5
✓ Answer: pump Where: "At the base of the tank, a small electric pump draws the stored water upward..." Why: Trick 3 — "at the base of the tank" places this label at the very bottom, connected onward to the tap.
- Table Completion — using the renewable energy passage above, what is the exact maintenance need listed for solar panels? (no more than two words)
✓ Answer: occasional cleaning Where: "Once fitted, they need only occasional cleaning to remove dust and fallen leaves." Why: Trick 2 — the "Maintenance" column expects an activity word; this is the exact 2-word phrase.
- Diagram Labelling — using the rainwater passage above, what does the pump connect to, on its way to being used in the garden? (no more than two words)
✓ Answer: (an outdoor) tap Where: "...draws the stored water upward through a pipe connected to an outdoor tap." Why: Trick 3 — "connected to" is the connection word linking the pump's pipe to the tap shown on the diagram's right-hand side.
Diagram: Search online for a simple labelled diagram of any device or system you're curious about (search "labelled diagram of a [topic]"). Write 3 sentences describing where its parts are positioned, using at least 3 different position/connection words from Trick 3 (above, beneath, attached to, connected to, fitted near, at the base of).
- complete a table by matching both row and column, and label a real illustrated diagram using position and connection language instead of sequence logic
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Papyrus — Made from: a river
plant. The "Made from" column needs the material. Passage: papyrus was "made … from a river plant." Not "Egypt" (that is where, not what from). 🔑 বাংলায়: “Made from” column-এ উপাদান লাগবে — “from a river plant।” “Egypt” নয় (সেটা কোথায়, কী দিয়ে নয়)। -
Parchment — Made from: animal
skin. "Parchment, prepared from animal skin." The same column, the correct row — one word, copied exactly. 🔑 বাংলায়: “prepared from animal skin।” একই column, সঠিক row — এক শব্দ, হুবহু। -
Wax tablets — Main drawback: could hold only a amount of text
small. This cell is in the "Main drawback" column, so pick the negative point for wax tablets — "could hold only a small amount of text." Their cheapness is a strength, so it belongs in a different column. 🔑 বাংলায়: এই ঘর “Main drawback” column-এ, তাই wax tablet-এর অসুবিধাটা নিন — “could hold only a small amount of text।” সস্তা হওয়া তো সুবিধা, সেটা অন্য column-এ যেত।
1 Match the Row AND the Column 5 drills
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Passage: “Copper conducts electricity well but corrodes over time. Aluminium is lighter but conducts less well.”Table — Aluminium, Advantage: it is .
lighter / light. Match the row (Aluminium) and the column (Advantage) — its plus point is being lighter. 🔑 বাংলায়: সারি (Aluminium) + column (Advantage) — সুবিধা “lighter/light”। -
Passage: “The paper map is cheap but tears easily. The digital map is durable but needs a battery.”Table — Digital map, Drawback: it needs a .
battery. The drawback column for the digital-map row is “needs a battery.” 🔑 বাংলায়: digital map-এর অসুবিধা — “battery”। -
Passage: “Bus travel is cheap but slow. Train travel is faster but more expensive.”Table — Train, Disadvantage: it is more .
expensive. The train row’s disadvantage is cost, not speed (speed is its advantage). 🔑 বাংলায়: train-এর অসুবিধা খরচ — “expensive” (গতি তো সুবিধা)। -
Passage: “Wooden frames are warm but need maintenance. Metal frames are strong but can feel cold.”Table — Metal frame, Advantage: it is .
strong. The advantage column for the metal-frame row is “strong.” 🔑 বাংলায়: metal frame-এর সুবিধা — “strong”। -
Passage: “Cotton is soft but creases easily; linen is cool but wrinkles more.”Table — Cotton, Drawback: it easily.
creases. Cotton’s drawback (not linen’s) is that it creases. 🔑 বাংলায়: cotton-এর অসুবিধা — “creases” (linen নয়)।
2 The Column Header Signals the Word Type 5 drills
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Passage: “The clinic treated 300 patients in its first year, rising to 500 in its second.”Table — Year 2, Number of patients:
500. The header “Number of patients” signals a figure; Year 2 = 500. 🔑 বাংলায়: header “Number” মানে সংখ্যা; Year 2 = “500”। -
Passage: “The Nile flows through Egypt; the Amazon flows through Brazil.”Table — Amazon, Country:
Brazil. The header “Country” signals a place name — Amazon → Brazil. 🔑 বাংলায়: header “Country” মানে দেশ — “Brazil”। -
Passage: “The report was written by Dr Hann in 2010.”Table — Author: Dr
Hann. The header “Author” signals a name — Dr Hann. 🔑 বাংলায়: header “Author” মানে নাম — “Hann”। -
Passage: “The building is 120 metres tall and has 30 floors.”Table — Height (metres):
120. The header asks for metres, not floors — 120. 🔑 বাংলায়: header মিটার চায়, তলা নয় — “120”। -
Passage: “The kit contains a rope, a torch and a whistle.”Table — Number of items in the kit:
three / 3. The header “Number of items” signals a count, not a name — three. 🔑 বাংলায়: header “Number” মানে গণনা — “three/3”।
3 Use Position & Connection Words, Not Sequence 5 drills
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Passage: “The kitchen is next to the dining room, which faces the garden.”The room that faces the garden is the room.
dining. Use the position clue “faces the garden,” not the order of mention. 🔑 বাংলায়: অবস্থান-সূত্র “faces the garden” — “dining” room। -
Passage: “The pump sits below the tank and above the filter.”Directly above the filter is the .
pump. “above the filter” points to the pump — follow position, not sequence. 🔑 বাংলায়: “above the filter” = “pump”। -
Passage: “The library is opposite the café, with the entrance between them.”The café is the library.
opposite. The connection word describing their relation is “opposite.” 🔑 বাংলায়: সম্পর্ক-শব্দ — “opposite”। -
Passage: “The reception is to the left of the stairs; the lift is to the right.”To the right of the stairs is the .
lift. Position clue “to the right” → the lift. 🔑 বাংলায়: “to the right” = “lift”। -
Passage: “The blade is attached to the handle by a short screw.”The blade connects to the handle using a .
screw. The connection word “by … a screw” answers how the parts join. 🔑 বাংলায়: সংযোগ-শব্দ “by a screw” — “screw”।
4 Diagram Labels Are Almost Always a Short Noun, Copied Exactly 5 drills
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Passage: “Air enters through the intake valve.”Label: the valve (where air enters).
intake. Copy the short noun exactly — “intake valve.” 🔑 বাংলায়: ছোট noun হুবহু — “intake”। -
Passage: “Heat escapes through the chimney.”Label (heat escapes here):
chimney. The single noun for the escape point is “chimney.” 🔑 বাংলায়: এক শব্দ noun — “chimney”। -
Passage: “The roots absorb water from the soil.”Label (absorb water):
roots. Copy the noun exactly — “roots.” 🔑 বাংলায়: হুবহু noun — “roots”। -
Passage: “The lens focuses light onto the sensor.”Label (focuses the light):
lens. The part that focuses light is the lens. 🔑 বাংলায়: আলো focus করে — “lens”। -
Passage: “The propeller pushes the boat forward.”Label (pushes the boat forward):
propeller. The short noun for the pushing part is “propeller.” 🔑 বাংলায়: নৌকা ঠেলে — “propeller”।
Reading — Full Section Tests
Once you have worked through the chapters, put it all together in a full exam-style test: 3 passages, 40 mixed-type questions, a 60-minute timer, instant auto-scoring with an estimated band, and a full explanation of every answer in English & Bangla. Each test is 100% original CILL material at real IELTS Academic difficulty.