IELTS READING

MATHCHING NAMES WITH STATEMENTS

1. Common Problems

1.1. Example

How to find the answers

Notice how they are found in the synonyms and in the way the person’s idea is
paraphrased in the statements.

So…

 invented a term = coined a phrase

 two factors affecting human characteristics = nature and nurture (i.e. your
genes and the way you were brought up)
 expressed the view = adds
 study = work
 increase our knowledge = take our understanding even further
 a mathematical method = a statistical (approach)
 pioneered = first suggested the approach
 twins who had lived apart = twins reared apart (reared = brought up)

Yet again, the answers will be clear if you know the vocabulary or are able to
guess from context. Doing short exercises like this regularly will help you prepare
yourself and know what to look for in the real test.
The answers are: 1.a 2.c 3.b 4.a 5.b
1.2. Common problem

Some names will appear only once in the text and some will appear several times.
The names that occur several times will be harder to match than the names that
appear only once because you will have to look at several different parts of the
text. Some students focus on the hardest questions first. This is a problem for two
reasons. First, you waste time looking at most of the text and second, you are more
likely to get the easier questions correct so they deserve more of your attention.

Some of the difficult questions are there to separate band 8 from band 9 students.
The vast majority of people will not get a band 9 and you should not waste too
much time on these very difficult questions. If you were picking apples, would you
pick the ones you can easily reach from the ground or take time to climb up the
tree and pick the ones at the top?

A common mistake is to read the whole text and try to find the names that way.
You won’t have time to do this and it is much better to find the names quickly by
scanning for them.
Some students see the name, read that part of the reading text very quickly and
then match the name with the statement. When you find the name in the text you
should spend time reading it in more detail to really understand what it means
before answering the question.

The most common error is trying to find words in the text that match exactly with
words in the statement. Instead it is more likely that you will find synonyms
(words with the same or very similar meanings).

2. Tips

1. Focus on the easy questions first. If you can’t find the answer to a question,
move on and come back to it later.
2. Find the names in the text quickly by scanning for them and then underline
them.
3. The names might be shortened to just a first or last name. For example, ‘John
Jones’ might appear as only ‘Jones’ in the text.
4. Think of synonyms that might appear in the reading text. For example, the
phrase ‘intense burst of energy‘ could look like ‘explosive release of energy‘
in the text.
5. Some of the names might be used more than once. Check the question for
instructions on this.
6. The questions do not follow the order of the text. You might have to go
backwards and forwards to find the correct answer. This is a very unnatural
way to read and requires you to use your scanning skills.
7. If you like to categorise things by colour, use different coloured pens to
underline the different names.

3. Strategy

This is my suggested strategy. There are many different strategies and you should
use the one you feel comfortable with. You can also adapt this strategy to what
suits you.

1. Read the question carefully.

2. Focus on the names first. Read them and then scan for the names in the
reading text and underline them. Remember that some names will appear
more than once and you should underline them all.
 3. Focus on the names that appear only once first because these are the easiest.
4. Read around the name to see if their findings or research come before or after
their name.
5. Read their research or findings and then go back to the statements in the
question and match. Be aware of synonyms.
6. When you find a statement that matches a name, delete the statement. Each
statement can only be used once.
7. Repeat for the rest of the names.

3. Exercise

- Find all of the names in the passage first. Scan the whole passage quickly (this
is probably the only type of exercise for which scanning works well) and
underline all the names that the question asks you about.
- Remember that academic articles often only use surnames. For example, if one
of the names is Robert Smith, you might not see the first name 'Robert' in the
passage. Just look for the surname 'Smith'.
- Do difficult questions last. If one name is mentioned 3 times in 3 different
paragraphs, it will be more difficult to match with a statement than a name that is
only mentioned once. Start with the name that is only mentioned once.
- When you find a match, put a cross next to the statement; you will only use each
statement once.
- As usual, look for "keywords" - words in the passage that are similar to words in
the question statements.
3.1. EXERCISES 1.

Read the following passage about the history of the computer. (dbea)
The history of the computer can be traced back around 2000 years to the birth of
the abacus. However, construction of the first digital computer is usually attributed
to the French inventor Blaise Pascal. In 1642, Pascal built a mechanical calculating
machine which added numbers entered with dials. In the early 19th century,
Charles Babbage, an English mechanical engineer, originated the concept of a
programmable computer. His ‘Analytical Engine’ incorporated an arithmetic logic
unit, control flow in the form of conditional branching and loops, and integrated
memory, making it the first design for a general-purpose computer that could be
described in modern terms.
The era of modern computing began with a flurry of development before and
during World War II. The ‘Z2’ was one of the earliest examples of an electro-
mechanical relay computer, and was created by German engineer Konrad Zuse in
1939. In the same year, electro-mechanical devices called bombes were built by
British cryptologists to help decipher secret wartime messages. The initial design
of the bombe was produced by Alan Turing, who was the first scientist to describe
the principle of the modern computer. He proved that a machine would be capable
of performing any conceivable mathematical computation if it were representable
as an algorithm.
The Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine, nicknamed ‘Baby’, was the
world's first stored-program computer. It was invented by Frederic Williams and
Tom Kilburn, and ran its first program in 1948. Although the computer was
considered "small and primitive" by the standards of its time, it was the first
working machine to contain all of the elements essential to a modern electronic
computer.
Which scientist or inventor...
1.designed a computer to aid military intelligence gathering?
2.introduced the concept of the computer as a programmable machine?
3.built the first electronic computer that had all the basic features of the
computers we use today?
4.built the first mechanical computer?
Choose your answers from the following list:
A - Blaise Pascal
B - Charles Babbage
C - Konrad Zuse
D - Alan Turing
E - Frederic Williams and Tom Kilburn
3.2. Exercise 2

Read the following passage and try the matching exercise below.

London Bridge 1. acbab

Many historical bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames in
central London. The current crossing, which was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in
1973, was built using concrete and steel. This replaced a 19th-century stone-arched
bridge, which in turn superseded a 600-year-old medieval structure. This was
preceded by a succession of timber bridges, the first built by the Roman founders
of London.

“Old” London Bridge was built between 1176 and 1209, during the reign of King
John. The bridge was around 8 metres wide and 250 metres long, and it had a
drawbridge for the passage of tall ships up-river, and defensive gatehouses at both
ends. By the fifteenth century there were some 200 buildings on the bridge. Some
stood up to seven stories high, some overhung the river by seven feet, and some
overhung the road, to form a dark tunnel through which all traffic had to pass. By
the end of the 18th century, it was apparent that “Old” London Bridge, which was
by then over 600 years old, needed to be replaced.

The “New” London Bridge was designed by John Rennie and opened in 1831. It
was 283 metres long and 15 metres wide, and in 1896 it was the busiest point in
London, with 8,000 pedestrians and 900 vehicles crossing it every hour. By 1962,
“New” London Bridge was not sound enough to support the increased load of
modern traffic, and it was sold by the City of London. The purchaser, an American
entrepreneur called Robert P. McCulloch, bought the bridge as a tourist attraction
for Lake Havasu in Arizona, USA. The bridge was taken apart, each piece was
meticulously numbered, and the blocks were then shipped to Arizona, where the
bridge was reconstructed.

Which bridge is described in each statement below? Choose A, B or C.

Many buildings were constructed on it.

It has a royal connection.

It was taken to a new location.

It had fortified entrances.

It could not cope with increasing congestion.

A - Old London Bridge

B - New London Bridge

C - The current London Bridge

Some people are concerned about the influence the computer has, and will
continue to have, on our daily communications. Dire pictures have been drawn of
pale, overweight adolescents gazing myopically at a monitor and gnawing at cold
potato chips, while the rest of the world plays in the sunshine outside. The
pessimists see these young people retreating into isolation, unable to communicate
with people, their total lack of social skills the direct results of their mastery of the
computer, which they use for games, but not for communication.

There is another very different picture. Although there will undoubtedly be some
people who cannot bear to leave the screen, the vast majority of people use the
computer as a means of communication with others. People e-mails friends in
faraway countries, and the reply is swift and, usually succinct. In fact, the very
nature of communication by e-mail is somehow casual. Writer A sends a message
of, say, four paragraphs. Writer B responds paragraph by paragraph, picking out
the points which seem to be important, and responds. Writer A can quickly ensure
that Writer B has understood the message. Swift, accurate communication has
occurred, with a great saving of paper. There is no checking back into old letters to
see what was said in the first place, and there is little to forget.

If email communication is quick, convenient, and casual, the chat room is quicker
and wilder. This is conducted in real time, which means that people can contact
each other and type messages, frequently misspelt in their hurry, exchanging views
around the world. The language used is brief and to the point, communication of
the idea being the supreme goal. There was a time when jokes traveled around the
world when international telephone operators shared them during the long, boring
night shifts. These old jokes took about twelve hours to become current elsewhere.
Today a joke can be in cyberspace as soon as it has been invented.

The benefits of communication through cyberspace are immense, and for some
people it will break their isolation rather than increase it. Consider a frail older
person who finds the idea of an international flight daunting, but who has friends in
another country. This person can quickly establish contact through the email, and
can be fully aware of her friend’s daily doings. This can be made easier as screens
are enlarged and keyboards modified, but the breaking down of isolation of the old
and disable is well worth the effort to improve the machinery. We should also
think of the immense value of email and Internet communication to people living
in remote or isolated areas.
There is a negative side to all of this. Whilst most people use their computers
honestly, there are some who use the innate anonymity of cyberspace cruelly.
These people may represent themselves as something they are not; it can be
innocent as pretending to be one’s own sister, or as vicious as gaining the
confidence of correspondents with a view to robbing them. Confidence tricksters
use computers too.

Communication through the Internet is here to stay. If we are to thrive as a society

we must make sure that this tool is available to as many people as possible, so that
we do not develop pockets of our community who are cut off from the knowledge
of the Net***.

Match the social effects (1-7) with the cause (A-E). There may be more than one
cause for a social effect.

1. Adolescents become isolated

2. Young people lack social skills
3. People contact each other quickly and accurately
4. Swift transmission of ideas, information
5. Isolation is broken for old people
6. Isolation of people in remote areas is reduced
7. Computer users may be misled

A. Anonymity of cyberspace
B. Use of computers for games
C. Keyboards are modified, screens enlarged
D. Use of email
E. Use of chat line

ANSWERS (MATCHING LISTS and PHRASES)

1&2: B

3, 4 & 6: D + E

5: C + D –

7: A –
Exercise 3.

Geography

The northern third of Luxembourg is known as the 'Oesling', and forms part of the
Ardennes. It is dominated by hills and low mountains, including the Kneiff, which
is the highest point, at 560 metres (1,837 ft). The region is sparsely populated, with
only one town (Wiltz) with a population of more than 2,000 people.

The southern two-thirds of the country is called the 'Gutland', and is more densely
populated than the Oesling. It is also more diverse, and can be divided into five
geographic sub-regions. The Luxembourg plateau, in south-central Luxembourg, is
a large, flat, sandstone formation, and the site of Luxembourg City. Little
Switzerland, in the east of Luxembourg, has craggy terrain and thick forests. The
Moselle valley is the lowest-lying region, running along the south-eastern border.
The Red Lands, in the far south and southwest, are Luxembourg's industrial
heartland and home to many of Luxembourg's largest towns.

Language

The linguistic situation in Luxembourg is characterised by the practice and the

recognition of three official languages: French, German, and Luxembourgish, a
Franconian language of the Moselle region similar to German. Apart from being
one of the three official languages, Luxembourgish is also considered the national
language of the Grand Duchy.

None of the three languages predominates generally, and each is used as the
primary language in certain spheres. Luxembourgish is generally preferred for
spoken use, but is superseded by both French and German for written purposes.
French is the language in which most government business is carried out. German
is the language of most media and of the church.

In addition to the three native languages, English is taught from a young age
(mostly 2nd grade, i.e. at the age of 13 to 14 years), and most of the population of
Luxembourg is proficient in English. Portuguese and Italian, the languages of the
two largest immigrant communities, are also spoken by large parts of the
population, but by relatively few from outside their respective communities.
Write the correct letter A-E in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
Area or Language
_____ 1 Oesling
_____ 2 Luxembourg Plateau
_____ 3 German
____ 4 Little Switzerland
____ 5 Luxembourgish

List of Characteristics
A most media
B thick forests
C widely spoken
D northern third
E sandstone formation

1 D, 2 E, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C

Exercise 4