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IELTSAcademic ReadingPagsasanay41

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This reading practice simulates one part of the IELTS General Reading test. You should spend about twenty minutes on it. Read the passage and answer questions 27-40.

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To catch a kingCharles Spencer's recent book, To Catch a King, recounts the pursuit of King Charles II during the six weeks that followed his decisive defeat at Worcester in September 1651. The background is dramatic. After Parliamentarians executed his father in 1649, the young Charles II abandoned...
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Questions 27-31
Complete the summary below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

The story behind the hunt for Charles II

Charles II's father was executed by the Parliamentarian forces in 1649. Charles II then formed a (27) with the Scots, and in order to become King of Scots, he abandoned an important (28) that was held by his father and had contributed to his father's death. The opposing sides then met outside Worcester in 1651. The battle led to a (29) for the Parliamentarians and Charles had to flee for his life. A (30) was offered for Charles's capture, but after six weeks spent in hiding, he eventually managed to reach the (31) of continental Europe.

A military innovation B large reward C widespread conspiracy D relative safety E new government F decisive victory G political debate H strategic alliance I popular solution J religious conviction

Use "H" because the passage says Charles made a strategic alliance with the Scots.

Associated Text:
After Parliamentarians executed his father in 1649, the young Charles II abandoned one of the religious convictions for which his father had died and made a strategic alliance with the Scots, accepting Presbyterianism as the national faith in exchange for being crowned King of Scots.

Use "J" because the passage says he abandoned one of his father's religious convictions.

Associated Text:
After Parliamentarians executed his father in 1649, the young Charles II abandoned one of the religious convictions for which his father had died and made a strategic alliance with the Scots, accepting Presbyterianism as the national faith in exchange for being crowned King of Scots.

Use "F" because the passage describes the Parliamentarians achieving a decisive victory at Worcester.

Associated Text:
Once the Parliamentarians had achieved a decisive victory on the meadows outside the city, the 21-year-old king became the target of a national manhunt, with a large reward offered for his capture.

Use "B" because the passage says a large reward was offered for Charles's capture.

Associated Text:
Once the Parliamentarians had achieved a decisive victory on the meadows outside the city, the 21-year-old king became the target of a national manhunt, with a large reward offered for his capture.

Use "D" because the passage says he eventually reached the relative safety of France.

Associated Text:
During the next six weeks, he escaped a series of terrifyingly close dangers and eventually reached the relative safety of France.

Questions 32-35
Choose YES if the statement reflects the claims of the writer, choose NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer, or choose NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this.

  • 32. Charles selected Pepys for the task because he considered him to be trustworthy.
  • 33. Charles's personal memory of the escape lacked sufficient detail.
  • 34. Charles told Pepys that he had planned his escape before the battle.
  • 35. Including Charles's account is a positive aspect of the book.

The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not give enough information to confirm the statement. The closest relevant evidence is: "By inviting Pepys to record the story, Charles wanted this extraordinary episode to be remembered.". This may discuss a related idea, but it does not prove the statement in the question.

Associated Text:
By inviting Pepys to record the story, Charles wanted this extraordinary episode to be remembered.

The answer is NO because the statement contradicts the passage. The key evidence is: "Across two sittings of three hours each, the king described in great detail his own memories of the six weeks he had spent as a fugitive.". This evidence gives a different meaning from the question statement, so the statement is not correct.

Associated Text:
Across two sittings of three hours each, the king described in great detail his own memories of the six weeks he had spent as a fugitive.

The answer is NO because the statement contradicts the passage. The key evidence is: "As king and secretary settled to the task, in a scene that would suit a future dramatist, Charles began by explaining that after the battle had been lost beyond hope, he started to consider the best way to save himself.". This evidence gives a different meaning from the question statement, so the statement is not correct.

Associated Text:
As king and secretary settled to the task, in a scene that would suit a future dramatist, Charles began by explaining that after the battle had been lost beyond hope, he started to consider the best way to save himself.

The answer is YES because the statement agrees with the passage. The key evidence is: "A major pleasure of Spencer's book is that, partly through its use of Charles II's own narrative as well as accounts by his supporters, it brings the reader very close to the action.". This directly identifies the inclusion of Charles's account as a strength of the book.

Associated Text:
A major pleasure of Spencer's book is that, partly through its use of Charles II's own narrative as well as accounts by his supporters, it brings the reader very close to the action.

Questions 36-40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

  • 36. What is the reviewer's main purpose in the first paragraph?
  • 37. Why does the reviewer include examples of the fugitives' behaviour in the third paragraph?
  • 38. What point does the reviewer make about Charles II in the fourth paragraph?
  • 39. What does the reviewer say about Charles Spencer in the fifth paragraph?
  • 40. When the reviewer says the book 'doesn't quite hit the mark', she is making the point that

(A) is incorrect. The battle itself is only one part of the background.

(B) is correct. The paragraph recounts the events that led from Charles's alliance with the Scots and defeat at Worcester to his flight: "During the next six weeks, he escaped a series of terrifyingly close dangers and eventually reached the relative safety of France."

(C) is incorrect. It does not explain Parliamentarian political views.

(D) is incorrect. The reference to the two kings' beliefs is supporting background, not the paragraph's main purpose.

Associated Text:
During the next six weeks, he escaped a series of terrifyingly close dangers and eventually reached the relative safety of France.

(A) is incorrect. The examples do more than show physical danger.

(B) is incorrect. They do not suggest poor preparation by supporters.

(C) is correct. The vivid day-by-day details bring the escape to life: "the king's long hair being cut with agricultural shears, walnut leaves used to darken his pale skin, and the day he lay on a branch of the great oak in Boscobel Wood while Parliamentary soldiers searched the forest floor beneath him."

(D) is incorrect. The reviewer is illustrating vivid narration, not arguing that the events are insufficiently known.

Associated Text:
The day-by-day account of the fugitives includes vivid details: the king's long hair being cut with agricultural shears, walnut leaves used to darken his pale skin, and the day he lay on a branch of the great oak in Boscobel Wood while Parliamentary soldiers searched the forest floor beneath him.

(A) is correct. Choice A matches the question because "He decided to celebrate what was essentially a defeat." is the idea supported by the passage evidence: "Few kings would celebrate the lowest point of their lives so enthusiastically, or manage such an escape in the first place.". The wording may be paraphrased, but it points to the same meaning.

(B) is incorrect. Choice B says "He misread the motives of his opponents.", but the passage evidence for the correct answer is "Few kings would celebrate the lowest point of their lives so enthusiastically, or manage such an escape in the first place.". Because Choice B does not express that same idea, it should not be chosen.

(C) is incorrect. Choice C says "He sought to restore people's faith in the monarchy.", but the passage evidence for the correct answer is "Few kings would celebrate the lowest point of their lives so enthusiastically, or manage such an escape in the first place.". Because Choice C does not express that same idea, it should not be chosen.

(D) is incorrect. Choice D says "He was motivated by a desire to be popular.", but the passage evidence for the correct answer is "Few kings would celebrate the lowest point of their lives so enthusiastically, or manage such an escape in the first place.". Because Choice D does not express that same idea, it should not be chosen.

Associated Text:
Few kings would celebrate the lowest point of their lives so enthusiastically, or manage such an escape in the first place.

(A) is incorrect. Choice A says "His choice to write the book comes as a surprise.", but the passage evidence for the correct answer is "He shows balanced sympathy for both the fugitive king and the determined republican government that pursued him, and he achieves his aim of giving much more background than earlier books on the subject.". Because Choice A does not express that same idea, it should not be chosen.

(B) is correct. Choice B matches the question because "He takes a balanced approach to the subject matter." is the idea supported by the passage evidence: "He shows balanced sympathy for both the fugitive king and the determined republican government that pursued him, and he achieves his aim of giving much more background than earlier books on the subject.". The wording may be paraphrased, but it points to the same meaning.

(C) is incorrect. Choice C says "His descriptions of events would improve if they included more detail.", but the passage evidence for the correct answer is "He shows balanced sympathy for both the fugitive king and the determined republican government that pursued him, and he achieves his aim of giving much more background than earlier books on the subject.". Because Choice C does not express that same idea, it should not be chosen.

(D) is incorrect. Choice D says "He uses language that is suitable for a twenty-first-century audience.", but the passage evidence for the correct answer is "He shows balanced sympathy for both the fugitive king and the determined republican government that pursued him, and he achieves his aim of giving much more background than earlier books on the subject.". Because Choice D does not express that same idea, it should not be chosen.

Associated Text:
He shows balanced sympathy for both the fugitive king and the determined republican government that pursued him, and he achieves his aim of giving much more background than earlier books on the subject.

(A) is incorrect. Choice A says "it ignores the impact of events on ordinary people.", but the passage evidence for the correct answer is "Did the disguises, the need to survive through wit and charm, and the use of trickery and secrecy shape his character?". Because Choice A does not express that same idea, it should not be chosen.

(B) is incorrect. Choice B says "it lacks an analysis of widespread views on monarchy.", but the passage evidence for the correct answer is "Did the disguises, the need to survive through wit and charm, and the use of trickery and secrecy shape his character?". Because Choice B does not express that same idea, it should not be chosen.

(C) is incorrect. Choice C says "it leaves out any references to the deceit practised by Charles II during his time in hiding.", but the passage evidence for the correct answer is "Did the disguises, the need to survive through wit and charm, and the use of trickery and secrecy shape his character?". Because Choice C does not express that same idea, it should not be chosen.

(D) is correct. Choice D matches the question because "it fails to consider whether Charles II's experiences had a lasting influence on him." is the idea supported by the passage evidence: "Did the disguises, the need to survive through wit and charm, and the use of trickery and secrecy shape his character?". The wording may be paraphrased, but it points to the same meaning.

Associated Text:
Did the disguises, the need to survive through wit and charm, and the use of trickery and secrecy shape his character?

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Buod ng Iskor
0 / 1
Multiple Choice
Matching Sentence Endings
Note Completion
Table Completion
Flow Chart Completion
Summary Completion
Multiple Selection
Short Answer
Matching Headings
Matching Features
Matching Information
Identifying Information
Identifying Viewer Claims
Sentence Completion
Diagram Labelling
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Tips to improve your reading speed
To get a high score on the IELTS reading section, you need to have a fast reading speed. To have a fast reading speed, you need to improve your vocabulary and practice dissecting sentences. One strategy to dissect a sentence is to look for the subject and verb of the sentence. Finding the subject and verb will help you better understand the main idea of said sentence. Keep in mind, a common feature of a IELTS reading passage is to join strings of ideas to form long compound sentences. This produces large chunks that students have a hard time absorbing. Do not get overwhelmed by its length, just look for the subject and verb, the rest of the ideas will flow.

Keep in mind, having a slow reading speed makes skimming or scanning a reading passage more difficult. The process of quickly skimming through a reading passage for specific keywords or main ideas is a requirement for you to employ successful reading strategies to improve your IELTS reading score. In other words, skimming and scanning are critical skills to ensure you complete all questions in the allotted time frame.
IELTS Reading Strategies
Once you can read and comprehend a passage with a rate of, at least, 220 words per minute, you'll be ready to start implementing our strategies. All too often, students spend too much time reading the passages and not enough time answering the questions. Here is a step by step guide for tackling the reading section.

  1. Step 1: Read questions first

    One of the most common mistakes that candidates make when approaching the reading exam is reading every single word of the passages. Although you can practice for the exam by reading for pleasure, "reading blindly" (reading without any sense of what the questions will ask) will not do you any favors in the exam. Instead, it will hurt your chances for effectively managing your time and getting the best score.

    The main reason to read the questions first is because the type of question may determine what you read in the passage or how you read it. For example, some question types will call for the "skimming" technique, while others may call for the "scanning" technique.

    It is important to answer a set of questions that are of the same question type. You'll need to determine which question type you want to tackle first. A good strategy would be to start with the easier question type and move on to more difficult question types later. The Easiest question types are the ones where you spend less time reading. For example, the Matching Heading question type is an easier one because you only need to find the heading that best describes the main idea of a paragraph. An example of a difficult question type would be Identifying Information. For this question type, you'll need to read each paragraph to find out if each statement is TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the passage.

    Here is a table that lists the difficulty levels for each question type. Use this table as a reference when choosing which question type you want to tackle first.

    Difficulty level Question Type
    Easy Sentence Completion
    Short answer
    Medium Matching Features
    Multiple choice
    Matching Headings
    Summary, Table, Flow-Chart Completion
    Difficult Matching Sentence Endings
    Matching Information
    Identifying Information (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN)
    Identifying Viewer's claims (YES/NO/NOT GIVEN)

  2. Step 2: Read for an objective

    After you've read the questions for the passage, you will be able to read for an objective. What does this mean? For example, if you come across a question that includes the year "1896", you can make a note of when this year comes up in the text, using it to answer the question later on. There are two reading techniques that will help you stay on track with reading for an objective. The first one, skimming, is best defined as reading fast in order to get the "gist", or general idea, or a passage. With this technique, you are not stopping for any unfamiliar words or looking for specific details. The second technique, scanning, is best defined as reading for specific information. With this technique, you are not reading for the overall gist, but rather, specific information. Notice how each of these techniques has a specific objective in mind. This will help you find information more quickly.

  3. Step 3: Take notes

    As you're reading for an objective, you should also be making notes on the margins of the passage, placing stars next to key information, or underlining things that you believe will help you answer the various questions. This will make it easier for you to check back when you are asked certain things in the questions. Choose whichever note-taking system is right for you - just make sure you do it!

  4. Step 4: Answer wisely

    After you've read the questions, read the passage, and have taken any appropriate notes, you you should have located the part of the text where you where you need to read carefully. Then just read carefully and think critically to determine the correct answer.

IELTS Reading Question Types
 
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