The process of how IELTS Reading questions are created involves examiners taking a reading passage, reading through it, and stopping when they come across something interesting. They then craft a question about that specific part of the passage, often by paraphrasing the original text.

For example, if the phrase “way of life” appears in the passage, the question writer might create a question using the words “lifestyle.”

In essence, IELTS examiners utilize the “keyword technique” to compose the questions, which is why candidates should also use this technique to find the answers.

So, what exactly is the ‘keyword’ technique?

The ‘keyword’ technique involves identifying words in the text that have a similar meaning to words in the questions. These key words help locate the relevant information in the text and pinpoint exactly which part of the passage contains the correct answer.

(Source: Simon IELTS)

Now, it’s time to put this technique into practice!

Complete the table in the link below using the ‘keyword’ technique:

Here’s how to approach this practice test:

Simply use the ‘keyword’ technique by finding words in the text that have a similar meaning to words in the questions.

Keyword table for this practice test:

Keywords in Questions

Similar words in Passage

Rio de Janeiro: more 1____ lifestyle

The study concludes that people are more helpful in cities with a more relaxed way of life such as Rio.

People don’t have so much 2____

The results show that cities where people have less money generally have friendlier populations.

Explanation:

Question 1: (Rio de Janeiro: more 1____ lifestyle)

In this question, you need to find the keywords: Rio and lifestyle.

Find the synonyms of these keywords in the reading passage: lifestyle = way of life

The answer to Q1 is an adjective, so the correct answer is “relaxed.”

Question 2: (People don’t have so much 2____)

In this question, you need to find the keywords: People, don’t have so much.

Find the synonyms of these keywords in the reading passage: People = populations; don’t have so much = have less

The answer to Q2 is a noun, so the correct answer is “money.”

Keep applying this technique to other questions as well. Initially, it may seem like a lot of effort, and it might take some time in the beginning. However, with practice, you will become much faster and more accurate in finding answers, ultimately leading to an improvement in your reading score.