Graded Reading Passages for IELTS

Graded Reading Passages

for

IELTS

Intermediate Level

Abolfazl Khodamoradi (Ph.D.)

Abdolmajid Nazari (MA)

Mojtaba Maghsoudi (Ph.D.)

Graded Reading Passages for IELTS (Intermediate Level)

Abolfazl Khodamoradi (Ph.D.)& Abdolmajid Nazari & Mojtaba Maghsoudi (Ph.D.)

Authors:

Hasan Sepehri Layout & Design: Shiva VaezniaCover Design: 2014 Khate sefid PressFirst Published:3000Circulation:978-600-6311-96-8ISBN:75000RPrice:

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خدامرادی،‏ابوالفضل،‏‏‏سرشناسه

‏عنوان‏و‏نام‏پديدآور

Abolfazl Khodamoradi, Abdolmajid Nazari

خط‏سفید‏‏مشخصات‏نشر

‏شابک

زبان‏انگلیسی‏--‏کتاب‏های‏درسی‏برای‏خارجیان‏موضوع

آزمون‏بین‏المللی‏زبان‏انگلیسی‏--‏آزمون‏ها‏و‏تمرين‏ها‏موضوع

نظری،‏عبدالمجید،‏‏‏شناسه‏افزوده

Nazari ,AbdolMajid‏شناسه‏افزوده

مقصودی،‏مجتبی،‏‏‏شناسه‏افزوده

Maghsoudi,Mojtaba‏شناسه‏افزوده

‏رده‏بندی‏کنگره

‏رده‏بندی‏ديويی

‏شماره‏کتابشناسی‏ملی

۳۳۹۸۲۴۹

‏سرشناسه‏عنوان‏و‏نام‏پديدآور‏مشخصات‏نشر‏شابک‏موضوع‏موضوع‏شناسه‏افزوده‏شناسه‏افزوده‏شناسه‏افزوده‏شناسه‏افزوده‏رده‏بندی‏کنگره‏رده‏بندی‏ديويی‏شماره‏کتابشناسی‏ملی

Khodamoradi,‏Abolfazlخدامرادی،‏ابوالفضل،‏‏ ۱۳۵۵‏-‏ ‏ Graded‏reading‏passages‏for‏IELTS‏ / ‏Abolfazl‏Khodamoradi,‏Abdolmajid‏Nazari ,‏Mojtaba‏Maghsoudi‏

خط‏سفید‏ ‏ ‏978-600-6۳۱۱-96-8

زبان‏انگلیسی‏--‏کتاب‏های‏درسی‏برای‏خارجیانآزمون‏بین‏المللی‏زبان‏انگلیسی‏--‏آزمون‏ها‏و‏تمرين‏ها

نظری،‏عبدالمجید،‏‏ ۱۳۵۲‏-‏‏‏ Nazari‏,Abdolmajid

مقصودی،‏مجتبی،‏‏ ۱۳۵۳‏-‏‏‏ Maghsoudi,Mojtaba

PE۱۱۲8‏ ۱۳9۲‏خ‏4‏گ‏4/ ‏‏ 4۲8/۲4

۳۳98۲49

Graded Reading Passages for IELTS

3Intermediate Level

IELTS (The International English Language Testing System) reinforces its position as the world’s most popular high-stakes English proficiency test for higher education and global migration, with a record of two million tests taken around the world in 2013. You can choose from two versions of the test –IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training – depending on the organization you are applying to. Both versions of the test are made up of four parts – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.

The Reading component consists of 40 questions with a time limit of 60 minutes to answer. Band scores (from 1 to 9) are awarded to candidates on the basis of their raw scores. A variety of question types is used in order to test a wide range of reading skills. They include reading for gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming, understanding logical argument, and recognizing writers’ opinions, attitudes and purpose.

It is interesting to know that a variety of questions are used in IELTS. The most common types are: multiple choice, identifying information, identifying writer’s views/claims, matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion, short-answer questions. Definitely, such a variety requires practice through both intensive and extensive reading.

“Graded reading passages for IELTS” has been designed and published with the ultimate goal of developing the EFL learners’ reading skills for such a test. Since there is a strong correlation between language components –vocabulary and grammar– and reading skill, a great deal of effort has been made to cover these two components based on the latest approaches and techniques. Focusing on collocations instead of words in isolation, practicing the strategy of guessing the meaning of unknown words, and dealing with the grammatical points in meaningful contexts in a cyclical mode are the most innovative

Preface

4 Khate Sefid

techniques used in this reading book.

This book also satisfies an urgent need for a ladder-like reading book which moves the learners ahead from the lower intermediate to upper intermediate level due to it graded passages in terms of readability. A wide range of topics, mostly scientific, are supposed to pave the way for developing the learners’ reading skills through content-based instruction as one of the most prestigious communicative approaches.

The authors had the opportunity of teaching reading courses at different universities and institutes. Therefore, they got totally aware of the merits and demerits of similar materials available on the market. In the current book, the authors did their best to incorporate the best features of available reading books and include the requirements of the reading section of IELTS test. It should be noted that the quality of such integration was assessed by teaching the first draft to several groups of EFL learners before its publication.

No claim of perfection is made as far as time and knowledge are concerned. The authors hope that this book will be of great help to those who want to take a giant leap in reading skill.

Khodamoradi, Nazari, & Maqhsoudi

February, 2014


5Intermediate Level

●The number of unit ● The title of the passage ●The grammatical point under question in the footnote (italic)

●A new word whose meaning can be guessed (bold) ● The content of the passage

●A collocation (underlined)

Fractions as Parts of a Whole

When you cut a whole thing into equal parts so that everyone can have a fair share1, each of those parts is called a fraction. Fractions have special names that tell us how many pieces of that size would be needed to make the entire whole. The man in the drawing above looks like he is cutting up a pie for a party. He is being careful to make equal parts. When he finishes cutting, he will have eight slices that are all the same size. Each slice is called one eighth because a single slice is one out of the eight pieces needed to make the whole pie.

●A image for better comprehension of the passage

●A grammatical question based on the passage

1 What kind of adverb clause is it? ………………………………………….

Unit 31

Content: Math

Key to Reading Passages

Justify Your Answer

6 Khate Sefid

Justify Your Answer 4Using Arrays for Multiplication 6Extending Patterns 8Revise Your Writing 10Narrative or Expository 12Timeline 14Microscopes Magnify Things 16Using Land in Different Ways 18Shapes on a Plane 20Limitted Resources 22The Scientific Method 24Many Ways to Measure 26How Things Move 28Making Connections to Text 30Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing 32Summarize It! 34Solids, Liquidsand Gases 36Repeated Subtraction is Division 38Step by Step Instructions 40The Rock Cycle 42What is Gravity? 44Push and Pull 46Cause and Effect 48Have You Got the Time? 50The Pitch and Volume of sound 52color shows Mood 54Food is Our Fuel 56Adapting to Survive 58Money, Money, Everywhere! 60Geometric shape Names 62Fractions as Parts of a Whole 64United States Geography 66Community Connections 68

Contents


7Intermediate Level

Competing for Resources 70World climates 72What is Culture? 74Making Predictions 76Elements and Atoms 78The Tundra Biome 80In Danger of Extinction 82What is a Tribal Government 84Waves and Currents 86Storytelling and Folklore 88Three Levels of Government 90What’s the Forecast? 92Converting Energy to Motion 94Location, Location, Location 96Conducting an Experiment 98What Causes Reflections? 100Golileo and his Telescope 102Displaying Data 104Habitat Destruction 106Estimation 108Evaluating in Math 110National Symbols 112Traveling to the Distant West 114Classifying Triangles 116Measuring Temperature 118Sum Difference 120Why Does the Moon orbit Earth? 122Kinds of Angles 124An Independent Nation 126Using Prior Knowledge 128Phases of the Moon 130

Justify Your Answer

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Unit 1

Justify Your Answer

In every school subject, it is important to make sure that your answers are reasonable1. How do you know whether or not your answer makes sense? Follow these steps when you think you are done.

1. Read the question again2. Make sure you understood what was being asked. 2. Read your answer. Does it match the question? If the question asks you

how many, your answer should be a number. If the question asks how much money, the answer should be a money amount. If the question asks why, the answer should be a reason.

3. Think about the question. Is there more than one way to answer it? Can you justify, or prove your answer with information you read, by making a sketch3, or by solving a number problem in another way4?

4. Make sure your final answer is neat and easy to read.

I. Find a synonym for each of the following items in the passage.

1. logical:……………. 2. is correct:……………..…. 3. finished:…………………

4. fit:………………….. 5. explain:……………..……. 6. clear:……………….……..

1 How can this sentence be paraphrased without it?................................................................................... 2 Is it possible to use “a” instead of “the” here? Why?..................................................................................3 Why do we have “making” not “make”? ........................................................................................................ 4 What happens if we use “other” instead of “another”?...........................................................................

Content: Education


9Intermediate Level

II. Find the reference of the following pronouns in the passage.

1. it:……………… 2. it:……………. 3. it:……………..

III. Are the following sentences true or false?

1. Answering questions reasonably in every school subject is important.True False

2. Understanding the question is the first step in answering it correctly.True False

3. There is always just one way to answer a question. True False

4. The final answer should be clear and understandable. True False

IV. Complete the following sentences.

1. Making sure that your answers are logical is …………………….. .2. The answers should match the …………………… .3. The answer should be a reason when the question ………………………….. .4. When you prove your answer, you …………………. it.

V. Check the best answer.

1. A reasonable answer is an answer which is…………………… . a. sensible b. answerable c. understandable d. readable

2. If a question asks “how long”, the answer should be a ……………….a. time b. duration c. date d. frequency

3. You can prove your answer if you …………………………..a. read the answer again b. think you know the answerc. think about the question d. solve the problem in another way

4. By “making a sketch”, it means…………………………………a. solving b. answering c. designing d. proving

Justify Your Answer

10 Khate Sefid

Unit 2

When you build an array5, you put objects into equal rows. Every row must6 have the same number of objects in it. Sometimes looking at an array can help you understand the multiplication facts that you may have trouble remembering. In the given diagram, there is an array that shows three rows with six sqares in each row.

Mathematicians, even students, have some rules to follow whenever they do math. One of those rules is about what the order of the numbers means when you multiply. The number of groups, sets, or rows always comes first7. The number of things in each group, set, or row comes second. You can get the same answer if you do it the other way around.

It is important for math to have a common meaning so that people can understand it8. People all around the world agree that the array (3 6) shows three equal rows of six. Can you see it?


1. items:……….……..……. 2. problem:…………..……. 3. solve:……………………

4. differently:……………. 5. similar:…………………… 6. in order that: ………..

5 Why do we have “an array” not “array”?.......................................................................................................... 6 Is it correct to use “should” instead of “must”? Why?................................................................................. 7 What happens if “The number of” is replaced with “A number of”?................................................... 8 What happens if “is” is replaced with “was”?................................................................................................

Content: MathUsing Arrays for Multiplication


11Intermediate Level


1. it:……………. 2. they:……………. 3. it:…………… 4. it:……………


1. In an array, the number of items in each row is the same. True False

2. It is necessary to use arrays if you want to understand math problems. True False

3. The number of squares in each multiplication problem is the answer. True False

4. In (4 × 5 = 20), the number of rows is five. True False


1. According to the passage, you may have problem with ………………………. .

2. Some rules should be followed when you…………………………. .

3. The number of rows can be found if you divide the answer by ……………… . .

4. (12 30) means ……………equal………..…….. of ……………….. .


1. The number of things in each row shows the number of ………………… .

a. columns b. itemsc. arrays d. facts

2. In every multiplication problem, the number of…………….. comes first and the number of …………….. comes second.

a. column / rows b. rows / columnsc. columns / items d. items / rows

3. In every multiplication problem, the same answer can be got if ………………. .

a. you change the set and row b. you change the column and row c. you bring the row first d. you divide the row by the column

4. The math rules are universal because of the …………………….. .

a. importance of math b. multiplication factsc. order of numbers d. common meanings

Justify Your Answer

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Unit 3

There are many different kinds of patterns all around you. If you look for them, they will be easy to find9. Geometric shapes like circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles can be seen in the shapes of buildings and common objects. They can be used in a pattern to make the building or object beautiful or interesting. Look carefully around you and see if you can find any geometric patterns10.

If you create jewelry, you use patterns, too11. You choose the color of the bead that should12 come next as you string them on a thread. The most beautiful bracelets and necklaces are the ones that follow a regular pattern. The pattern can be simple, like one red, one blue, one red, one blue, until the string is done. It can also have more to it, like red, red, blue, red, red, blue, or any other color grouping that repeats.

Patterns can be extended and played with on paper. Patterns on paper can be shapes or drawings, but they can also be numbers. Skip-counting by 2’s (or any other number) is a pattern: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14... . Patterns are a fun and creative part of mathematics.

9 What kind of conditional sentence is it? What tenses have been used?............................................10 Is it a conditional sentence?.............................................................................................................................. 11 What kind of conditional sentence is it? What tenses have been used?..........................................12 Is it correct to use “must” instead of “should”? Why ..............................................................................

Content: GeometryExtending Patterns




1. forms:……….…………. 2. usual:…………….………. 3. whether:…………………

4. make :………………….. 5. piece:………………...…… 6. put:……………….………..

7. systematic:…………... 8. interesting:……………… 9. math:……………….……..II. Find the reference of the following pronouns in the passage.

1. them:…………… 2. ones:………….. 3. it:……….. 4. they:…………


1. Rectangle is a geometric shape. True False

2. If an object is common, it has no patterns.True False

3. Regular patterns make the jewelry more beautiful.True False


1. There may be some geometric shapes in common ………………. .

2. Two examples of pieces of jewelry are ……………….. and ……………… .

3. Skip-counting by 5s is…………………………….. .


1. Which of the following is not a geometric shape?

a. a circle b. a triangle c. a rectangle d. a shape

2. What keeps a string of beads together is a ……………….. .

a. bracelet b. necklace c. thread d. pattern

3. Geometric patterns and mathematical patterns are …………………….. .

a. different b. similar c. complementary d. interrelated

Justify Your Answer

14 Khate Sefid

unit 4

When your teacher says that it is time for writing, do you get happy, or worried13? Many children love to tell stories out loud, but have a hard time getting them down on paper14. Writing is one of those skills that take practice.

Even professional writers do not write everything perfectly the first time. They have to revise their work. When you revise your writing, you look for ways to change it and make it better. You check your spelling, and you make sure that you have used capitals, periods, and other punctuation marks in the best way. You look for words that can be taken out or traded for different and more exciting words. You make sure that your words help the reader get a picture 15in his mind when he reads them.

Revising your writing is important. The changes that you make can turn boring words into exciting words, and can make your ideas come alive16. Revising your writing is cleaning it up to make it ready for your readers to enjoy.


1. anxious:……….…… 2. difficult:…………………. 3. edit:…………………….

4. search:……………... 5. omitted:………………… 6. change:……………….

13 What part of speech is used after “get” when it means “become”? ……………………………..14 Why is the verb “get” used in ing-form? ……………………………………………………………………… 15 Is it possible to use “to get” instead of “get”? ……………………………………………………………..16 Is it possible to use “to come” instead of “come”? …………………………………………………………..

Revise your Writing

Content: Writing




1. their:…………… 2. it:…………. 3. them:…………. 4. it:………………


1. Writing is a more difficult skill than speaking for children.True False

2. If you are professional, your writing does not need revision. True False

3. In revision, usual words are replaced with more exciting ones. True False

4. Doing revision is a linear process. True False


1. If you want to be a skilful writer, you should ………………… .

2. Revising a piece of writing means ……………………………………………. .

3. Examples of punctuation marks are ……………………………………………. .

4. If your ideas in your writing come alive, your readers ……………………….. .


1. When you revise your writing, you ………………….. it.a. change b. check c. clean d. improve

2. Turning the boring words to exciting ones is improving the …...……. of writing.a. grammar b. mechanics c. diction d. style

3. Spellchecking happens in ……………… stage of writing. a. prewriting b. composing c. revising d. submitting

4. What to write should be decided on in ……………… stage of writing. a. prewriting b. composing c. revising d. submitting

Justify Your Answer

16 Khate Sefid

Unit 5

How can you tell if you are reading a narrative or an expository text17? There are things you can look for that will let you know18. Read about the differences between these two kinds of text.

A narrative is a story. It has characters, and things that happen in a certain time and place. It has a beginning, middle, and an end. There is usually19 a problem that gets solved during the story. Narratives can tell true stories, or they can tell stories that the writers have made up in their minds. The picture books and chapter books20 that you read in school and at home are narrative texts.

An expository text is written21 to give information about something. It usually has22 a main idea, and information that supports the main idea23. The text may be about people, or it may be about only things or events. Expository texts are true. They give facts, like dates, places, and other information. Newspapers, some magazines, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and your school textbooks are all expository texts.

17 Is it a conditional sentence? …………..........................…………….18 Is it possible to use “to know” instead of “know”? Why? ……………………………………………… …………………………………………………………… 19 Is it possible to use “usually” before “is? …………………………………….20 What parts of speech are “picture” and “chapter”? ………………………………………………………21 Analyze the verb in terms of tense and voice: ……………………………………………………………….22 Is it possible to use “usually” after “has? …………………………………….23 Why is “main idea” used with “the”? …………………………………………………………………………….

Narrative or Expository

Content: Writing



I. Find a synonym for each of the following items in the passage.1. descriptive: .…………. 2. informative: ……………. 3. actors:…………………

4. specific:……………….…. 5. opinion: ………………… 6. helps:…………………..

7. happenings: ……………. 8. times:……………………. 9. books: ………………….

II. Are the following sentences true or false?

1. A narrative text is different from an expository text. True False

2. All narratives are true stories. True False

3. Expository texts are both fiction and non-fiction texts. True False

4. Expository texts are information-based texts. True False

III. Complete the following sentences.

1. The people in a story are called ……………………. .2. The place where the events happen is called …………………… .3. An expository text is a(n)……………… text not a descriptive one. 4. The examples of facts in an expository text are ………………………………..

IV. Check the best answer.

1. The events that form the main story of a narrative text is called…………… .a. structure b. plotc. setting d. characters

2. Most information in an expository text is used to ……………………. . a. describe an event b. support a main idea c. narrate a story d. solve a problem

3. Which of the following is not classified as an expository text?a. an article b. a textbook c. a short story d. an encyclopedia

4. Expository texts are mostly used in ………………………. .a. the humanities b. the literature c. the basic sciences d. both a and c

Justify Your Answer

18 Khate Sefid

Unit 6

A timeline is a tool that we can use to help us understand24 history. It can tell us what happened at different times, and how much time there was between two events. It can give us a picture of dates25 that helps us see how they all fit together.

Timelines aren’t only for events from a very long time ago. People still use them to keep track of important dates in their lives. You can even make a timeline for yourself.

A timeline looks a lot like a number line26 when you begin. Draw a straight line across the page. Make little marks for the important events in your life. Your timeline might begin with your birth and include things like the first time you walked, and when you started school. It might show the year that you were in each grade. The year goes on one side of each mark, and the event on the other. Here is a sample timeline:

2004 2005 2010 2011 2012 2013

birth walked kindergarten preschool 1st grade 2nd grade

24 Is it possible to use “to understand” instead of “understand”?………………………………………25 Is it possible to use “picture” before “us”? How? ………………………………………………………..…… ………………………………………………………………………………………. 26 What part of speech is “number”? ………………………………………………………

Timeline Content: General

Graded Reading Passages for IELTS

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