14 QUESTION TYPES IN IELTS ACADEMIC

READING

1. Matching headings
2. Locating information
3. True false not given
4. Multiple choice questions
5. Summary completion
6. Diagram labelling
7. Matching sentence endings
8. Matching features
9. Sentence completion
10. Short answer questions
11. Flow chart Completion
12. Note completion
13. Yes no not given
14. Table completion

Summary Completion

Tips for answering summary completion questions

1. Locate the keywords first.

2. Look for a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc., suitable for the question.
3. The answers may not come in the same order as in the text, so watch out!

Example for summary completion

Answer questions 1- 6 which are based on the reading passages below.

Education

Knowledge, proper behaviour, and technical competency are all taught and learned
through education. It thus emphasises the development of skills, trades, or professions,
as well as mental, moral, and aesthetic growth. Professional instructors provide
systematic instruction, teaching, and training in formal education. This entails the use of
teaching as well as the creation of curricula. A fundamental human right is a right to
education. Since 1952, all signing parties to the European Convention on Human Rights
have been required to guarantee the right to education under Article 2 of the First
Protocol. This right is guaranteed at the international level by Article 13 of the United
Nations' International Covenant of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights of 1966.

Educational systems are set up to give education and training to children and young
people. A curriculum lays out what students should learn, comprehend, and be able to
accomplish as a result of their education. A teaching profession provides instruction that
allows students to learn, and a system of policies, regulations, examinations, procedures,
and funding allows teachers to teach to their full potential. Social engineering is the
practise of using educational systems to promote ideas or values as well as skills. This
can lead to systemic political abuse, especially in authoritarian states and governments.

The initial years of formal, structured instruction are known as primary education.
Primary education, in general, consists of six or seven years of instruction beginning at
the age of five or six, however, this differs between and within nations. Around 70% of
primary-age children worldwide are enrolled in primary school, and this number is
growing. The second year of formal schooling, which occurs throughout puberty, is
known as secondary education. Higher education, also known as tertiary education,
third-stage education, or post-secondary education, is a non-compulsory educational
level that follows the completion of a secondary school, such as a high school or
secondary school.

Undergraduate and postgraduate education, and also vocational education and training,
are usually considered to be part of tertiary education. The main institutions that provide
tertiary education are colleges and universities. These are referred to as tertiary
institutions collectively. Certificates, diplomas, and academic degrees are common
outcomes of tertiary education.

Questions 1- 6
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for
each answer.

Since 1 __________, all signing parties to the European Convention on Human Rights
have been required to guarantee the right to education under Article 2 of the First
Protocol. Knowledge, proper behaviour, and 2 _________________ are all taught and
learned through education. Around 3 __________ of primary-age children worldwide are
enrolled in primary school, and this number is growing. A teaching profession provides
instruction that allows students to learn, and a system of policies, 4 _____________,
examinations, procedures, and funding allows teachers to teach to their full potential.
The main institutions that provide 5 ___________ education are colleges and
universities. Higher education, also known as tertiary education, 6 ________________
education, or post-secondary education, is a non-compulsory educational level that
follows the completion of a secondary school, such as a high school or secondary
school.

Answers
(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from
where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in the regular font explains the
answer in detail.)

1. 1952
Explanation: Paragraph 1 - Since 1952, all signing parties to the European Convention
on Human Rights have been required to guarantee the right to education under Article 2
of the First Protocol.

2. Technical competency
Explanation: Paragraph 1 - Knowledge, proper behaviour, and technical competency
are all taught and learned through education.

3. 70%
Explanation: Paragraph 3 - Around 70% of primary-age children worldwide are enrolled
in primary school, and this number is growing.
4. Regulations
Explanation: Paragraph 2 - A teaching profession provides instruction that allows
students to learn, and a system of policies, regulations, examinations, procedures, and
funding allows teachers to teach to their full potential.

5. Tertiary
Explanation: Paragraph 4 - The main institutions that provide tertiary education are
colleges and universities.

6. Third-stage
Explanation: Paragraph 3 - Higher education, also known as tertiary education, third-
stage education, or post-secondary education,…

Summary Completion Practice Exercise 1

Evolution Of Museums Reading Passage
Part A

The very first museums of the world were private collections of objects by wealthy people
and institutions. The objects in these museums were displayed in Cabinets of Curiosities,
also called Cabinets of Wonder or Wonder Rooms. The word “cabinet” was then used to
describe a room and not a piece of furniture. The oldest recorded example of such was
the Ennigaldi Nanna’s museum that was located in Mesopotamia. It was founded in 530
BC.

Before the 18th century, only elite or respectable members of society, by the standards
of that era, could visit museums with permission from the owner and the staff. The first
museums to be opened for the general public were the British Museum in London in
1759 and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in 1765. However, even though they were no
longer exclusive places, only people from the middle and upper class were privileged
with a written permission request. Also, the visitations were often limited to a few hours.
The first public museum in its true sense was the Louvre in Paris which was opened in
1793 to people of any status and age, emerging as an agent of nationalistic fervor.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, societies began to regard museums
as centers of the production of new knowledge. Historical museums shifted focus to
display scientific discoveries and artistic developments with collections that could be
useful for research also. Over the twentieth century, as cities increased in size, wealth,
and population, more museums developed. These were shaped by the public response
to education and entertainment. Greater funding was directed towards the development
of modern museums. Study programs dedicated to the field of art and culture were
created to promote the growth of museums, and activities such as the collection and
preservation of artifacts such as paintings or sculptures had consequently become more
organized. Even wealthy industrialists such as Henry Ford and Henry Mercer contributed
their collections leading to the development of more privately run museums.

Part B

A breeze of change was once again felt in the early 21st century. Museums were no
longer anchored to the national ideal and today’s new museums attract intellectuals as
well as tourists and students. Attitudes toward museums have become more favorable
as people no longer view them as boring, cold places that drag you to the past.

One of the main factors that have contributed to this is technology. Modern museums
have embraced technology with considerable use of multimedia, digital displays, touch
screens as well as other interactive technologies. Some museums, such as the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, use technology that allows visitors to see the
objects, hear or read about the collection on their smartphones by scanning the artwork.
Other national museums have also followed suit by embracing mobile interactivity. The
Smithsonian Institution, which is the world’s largest museum and research complex
containing 19 museums and galleries, provides cell phone tours, interactive games like
Pheon, which is a multimedia scavenger hunt game, multilingual slideshows, and even
augmented reality apps such as one from the postal museum showing Owney, the
mascot of the Railway Mail Service.

Additionally, there are some museums such as the National Museum of African Art that
have the Artists in Dialogue 2 app, which allows for visual calls and responses that cut
across physical and political borders. The app facilitates a guided tour of the museum
with the curator virtually, and also allows the user to experiment with the artistic
technique in a virtual art-development game. The user can even communicate with
active groups of the museum on social media.

So far, technology has provided modern-day museums with the opportunity to share
images and works of art with more people than ever before. However, the conclusion is
that technology is enhancing and not replacing the brick and mortar museums since
technology cannot replace a live experience for the viewer such as live interaction with
the experts, emotional reactions, and the physicality of artworks.

Questions 1 - 5
Complete the summary below.

Write ONE WORD ONLY from Part A of the passage for each answer.

The earliest museums displayed personal 1______ belonging to rich people, and until
the eighteenth century, only the elite class could visit these places. In the latter half of the
century, the British Museum and the Uffizi Gallery opened their doors for the 2 _______,
but not without restrictions. Finally, in 1793, the Louvre in Paris allowed access
irrespective of class and 3 _______ and became a key factor in promoting nationalistic
emotions.

By the early twentieth century, museums had started gaining recognition as centers of
knowledge. The 4 ______ had moved from history to art and science. During this
century, with urbanization and more funds coming in, museums were modified to provide
learning as well as 5 _______.

Questions 6 - 9
Complete the summary based on Part B of the passage using the list of words, A- G,
below.

Museums of 21st century

Modern museums have become 6 ________ places to visit with the adoption of various
interactive technologies. In the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, visitors can get
7________ about any artwork by scanning it through their smartphones. The National
Museum of African Art provides the opportunity for a virtual 8 ________ with the curator,
artists, and social media groups through an app. Thus, the latest technology is 9
_______ the existing museums by giving an enriched experience to the visitors.

A - dull
B - communication
C - information
D - tour
E - interesting
F - complementing
G - replacing

Check answer for this exercise

Summary Completion Practice Exercise 2

The Origin Of The Earth And The Universe - Different

Theories Reading Passage
When we talk of evolution, we generally refer to the biological evolution of living beings.
However, evolution also refers to the processes by which galaxies, stars, planets, and
the universe come into existence and change. Though these processes are quite
different, the common fact is the change over time. But for centuries scientists held the
belief that the universe always remained the same.

In 1929, Edwin Hubble, an American astronomer, made an interesting observation that

distant galaxies and stars are moving away from the Earth in all directions. This led to
Hubble’s hypothesis that the universe is not static but is expanding. He also discovered
that the speeds with which galaxies are racing away from each other increase with the
increasing distances between them and this has been proved now by various repeated
measurements.
Certain deductions can be made from Hubble’s hypothesis of an expanding universe.
One of them is that in a previous era the universe was more condensed. This suggests
that all the matter and energy in the universe were earlier condensed in a tiny and
extremely hot mass. A massive explosion, called the Big Bang, occurred around 13.8
billion years ago and it sent energy and matter expanding in every direction at a very
high speed.

As the universe continued to expand, matter gathered into clouds that started to
condense and then rotate, forming the predecessors of the galaxies. Due to the changes
in pressure inside galaxies, including our own Milky Way, dust and gas formed distinct
clouds. Further, some of these clouds collapsed due to the gravitational attraction as
there was enough mass, and the correct forces were at play. When the cloud material
mass was adequately compressed, nuclear reactions took place leading to the birth of a
star. Our sun, for example, formed in the center of a flattened spinning disk of matter.

After the formation of the sun, the remaining dust and gas present in this disk collided
and clumped into grains which further combined to form very small planets called
planetesimals. Some of these were several hundred kilometers in diameter. These
planetesimals then coalesced into nine planets with many satellites. The rocky planets
like Earth were formed near the sun, while gaseous planets were located in distant
orbits.

According to another theory, which is propounded by some religions as well as scientists,

the universe was created by God. This theory also termed ‘theistic evolution, claims that
God is the driving force behind the physical and biological evolution that created the
solar system and life on Earth. The proponents of this creationist theory have various
viewpoints. Some feel that the Earth and universe are comparatively young - around
6,000 to 10,000 years old. These people also believe that the existing form of Earth is
due to ‘catastrophism’ which included a worldwide flood, and there was miraculous
creation of humans and all living things as they are today.

There are other advocates of creationist theory who accept the fact that the Earth, the
stars, and the planets could have been in existence a million years ago. However, they
argue that the presence of living organisms, especially humans, is due to the intervention
of supernatural powers as creation shows ‘intelligent design.’ Even though such theories
abound, there is no valid scientific information that suggests that Earth came into being
only a few thousand years ago.

It is not surprising that there are so many theories trying to explain the origins of the
Earth and the universe, as the vastness of space has always fascinated mankind.
However, one has to ask, will researchers ever be able to prove what led to the creation
of the universe and our wonderful planet or will we have to satisfy ourselves with various
theories and conjectures? Only time will tell.

Questions 1 - 7
Complete the summary below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

The belief regarding the permanence of the universe was contradicted when in 1929,
Edwin Hubble discovered that the various celestial bodies are receding from 1 _______
in every direction and the speeds of recession are directly related to growing 2 _______.
It gave the theory of a 3 _________ universe. It can be inferred from Hubble’s hypothesis
that initially, the universe was extremely hot and highly 4________ and a huge explosion
resulted in its continuing expansion. Gradually, the matter combined to form clouds that
started rotating, resulting in galaxies. In the presence of the right forces, physical and
chemical interactions took place within the galaxies. Consequently, stars and other
celestial bodies evolved from the gas and 5 ______.

On the other hand, according to ‘theistic evolution’ theory, God has created the universe.
Though the supporters of this view are divided over the age of the Earth, and a group
believes that the Earth evolved in its present form due to 6 _______, they all agree that
all life forms especially humans are the creation of God due to their 7 ________.

Check answer for this exercise

Summary Completion Practice Exercise 3

An Era of Abundance Reading Passage
Our Knowledge of the complex pathways underlying digestive processes is rapidly
expanding, although there is still a great deal we do not fully understand. On the one
hand, digestion, like any other major human biological system, is astonishing in its
intricacy and cleverness. Our bodies manage to extract the complex resources needed
to survive, despite sharply varying conditions, while at the same time, filtering out a
multiplicity of toxins.

On the other hand, our bodies evolved in a very different era. Our digestive processes, in
particular, are optimized for a situation that is dramatically dissimilar to the one we find
ourselves in. For most of our biological heritage, there was a high likelihood that the next
foraging or hunting season (and for a brief, relatively recent period, the next planting
season) might be catastrophically lean. So, it made sense for our bodies to hold on to
every possible calorie. Today, this biological strategy is extremely counterproductive. Our
outdated metabolic programming underlies our contemporary epidemic of obesity and
fuels pathological processes of degenerative diseases such as coronary artery disease,
and type ll diabetes.

Up until recently (on an evolutionary timescale), it was not in the interest of the species
for old people like myself (I was born in 1948) to use up the limited resources of the clan.
Evolution favored a short lifespan-life expectancy was 37 years only two centuries ago-
so these restricted reserves could be devoted to the young, those caring for them, and
laborers strong enough to perform intense physical work. We now live in an era of great
material abundance. Most work requires mental effort rather than physical exertion. A
century ago, 30 percent of the U.S. workforce worked on farms, with another 30 percent
deployed in factories. Both of these figures are now under 3 percent. The significant
majority of today's job categories, ranging from airline flight attendants to web designers,
simply didn't exist a century ago.

Our species has already augmented the “natural” order of our life cycle through our
technology: drugs, supplements, replacement parts for virtually all bodily systems, and
many other interventions. We already have devices to replace our hips, knees,
shoulders, elbows, wrists, jaws, teeth, skin, arteries, veins, heart valves, arms, legs, feet,
fingers, and toes. Systems to replace more complex organs (for example, our hearts) are
beginning to work. As we're learning the principles of operation of the human body and
the brain, we will soon be in a position to design vastly superior systems that will be more
enjoyable, last longer, and perform better, without susceptibility to breakdown, disease,
and aging.

In a famous scene from the movie, The Graduate, Benjamin's mentor gives him career
advice in a single word: "plastics." Today, that word might be "software," or
"biotechnology”. but in another couple of decades, the word is likely to be "nanobots."
Nanobots-blood-cell-sized robots will provide the means to radically redesign our
digestive systems, and incidentally, just about everything else.

Questions 1-8
Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer

In the past it was essential to hoard our calories for as long as possible because our food
source was mainly restricted to 1 __________or 2 __________which brought in irregular
supplies. However, these reserves were intended for the young or 3. _________
Because they had the power and energy to work hard. Nowadays, the focus has moved
away from jobs on 4. __________and in 5. ___________to jobs that were not
available 6. ____________. Through technology, it has now become possible to replace
body 7. ____________and as techniques improve we will be able to develop better 8.
__________to improve the quality of life.

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Answer for practice exercises

You will discover the answers for practice exercises 1,2 and 3 here.

Evolution of Musems Reading Answers

(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from
where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in the regular font explains the
answer in detail.)

1. Collection/objects
Explanation: The very first museums of the world were
private collections of objects by wealthy people and institutions.

2. Public
Explanation: The first museums to be opened for the general public were the British
Museum in London in 1759 and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in 1765.

3. Age
Explanation: The first public museum in its true sense was the Louvre in Paris which
was opened in 1793 to people of any status and age, emerging as an agent of
nationalistic fervor.

4. Focus
Explanation: In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, societies began to
regard museums as centers of production of new knowledge. Historical museums shifted
focus to display of scientific discoveries and artistic developments

5. Entertainment
Explanation: Over the twentieth century, as cities increased in size, wealth, and
population, more museums developed. These were shaped by the public response to
education and entertainment. Greater funding was directed towards the development of
modern museums.

6. E - Interesting
Explanation: Attitudes toward museums have become more favorable as people no
longer view them as boring, cold places.

7. C - Information
Explanation: the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, use technology that allows
visitors to see the objects, hear or read about the collection on their smartphones by
scanning the artwork.
8. B - Communication
Explanation: the National Museum of African Art has the Artists in Dialogue 2 app,
which allows for visual calls and responses that cut across physical and political borders.
The app facilitates a guided tour of the museum with the curator virtually, ... the user can
even communicate with active groups of the museum on social media.

9. F - Complementing
Explanation: …technology is enhancing and not replacing the brick and mortar
museums ...

The Origin Of The Earth And The Universe - Different

Theories Reading Answers
(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from
where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in the regular font explains the
answer in detail.)

1. (the) Earth
Explanation: In 1929, Edwin Hubble, an American astronomer, made an interesting
observation that distant galaxies and stars are moving away from the Earth in all
directions.

2. distances
Explanation: ... speeds with which galaxies are racing away from each other increase
with the increasing distances between them ...

3. expanding
Explanation: This led to Hubble’s hypothesis that the universe is not static but
is expanding.

Paragraph 3 - Certain deductions can be made from Hubble’s hypothesis of

an expanding universe.
4. condensed
Explanation: Paragraph 3 - ... the universe, in a previous era, was more condensed.
This suggests that all the matter and energy in the universe were earlier condensed in a
minute extremely hot mass.

5. (remaining) dust
Explanation: Paragraph 4 - Due to the changes in pressure inside
galaxies, ... dust and gas formed distinct clouds. Further, some of these clouds
collapsed due to the gravitational attraction as there was enough mass, and the correct
forces were at play. When the cloud material mass was adequately compressed, nuclear
reactions resulted and led to the birth of a star.

Paragraph 5 - After the formation of the sun, the remaining dust and gas ... combined
to form very small planets called planetesimals. ... These planetesimals then coalesced
into nine planets with many satellites.

6. catastrophism
Explanation: Paragraph 6 - The proponents of the creationist theory have various
viewpoints ... These people also believe that the existing form of Earth is due to
‘catastrophism’...

7. intelligent design
Explanation: Paragraph 7 - However, they argue that the presence of living organisms,
especially humans, is due to the intervention of supernatural power as creation shows
‘intelligent design.’

An Era of Abundance Reading Answers

1. Foraging

2. Hunting
Explanation: Paragraph 2- For most of our biological heritage, there was a high
likelihood
that the next foraging or hunting season (and for a brief relatively recent period, the next
planting season) might be catastrophically lean. So, it made sense for our bodies to hold
on
to every possible calorie.

3. Labourers
Explanation: Paragraph 3- Evolution favored a short lifespan -life expectancy years
only two centuries ago- so these restricted reserves could be devoted to the young,
those caring for them, and laborers strong enough to perform intense physical work.

4. Farms

5. Factories

6. A century ago
Explanation: Paragraph 4 - A century ago, 30 percent of the U.S. worked on farms, with
another 30 percent deployed in factories. Both of these figures are now under 3 percent.
The significant majority of today's job categories, ranging from airline flight attendants to
web designers, simply didn't exist a century ago.

7. Parts/organs

8. Systems
Explanation: Paragraph 5 - Our species has already augmented the “natural” order of
our life cycle through our technology: drugs, supplements, replacement parts for virtually
all bodily systems, … systems to replace more complex organs … As we’re learning the
principles of operation of the human body and the brain, we will soon be in a position to
design vastly superior systems that will be more enjoyable, last longer, and perform
better, without susceptibility to breakdown, disease, and aging.

Also, check IELTS academic reading diagram labeling

Conclusion
Our tips, strategies, and exercises explained in this blog will help to enhance your
understanding, skills building and confidence in attempting the IELTS academic reading
summary completion question. We hope that this blog will be more helpful for you to
attain a good band score in mock tests in the IELTS academic reading task and you find
it useful to practice.