In the IELTS exam, one of the most challenging parts is the reading section. There are a total of 14 different types of questions and it is essential to understand each kind properly. One of the most common and frequently asked types is the IELTS reading matching headings questions. With proper practice and strategies, one can ace this type of question. The blog covers everything about the different types of matching heading questions along with a few samples and examples. In addition to that, it also covers effective tips and strategies that will help you achieve 8+ bands.
Table of Contents
The IELTS reading matching headings questions appear in both IELTS Academic and IELTS General reading tests. In this type, you will be required to match the headings with the set of paragraphs. Besides, the headings will either have the main idea or the theme of a paragraph. Thus, your goal is to match each paragraph with the most appropriate heading.
The matching heading IELTS reading questions evaluate candidates’ ability to understand the main idea in the paragraphs and to distinguish main ideas from supporting ones. Moreover, this kind of question requires you to have time management, comprehension skills, paraphrasing skills, and attentiveness. However, to properly answer the question, you must first be able to understand the type of question.
The IELTS reading matching heading has mainly three types of questions that appear in the exam. These include matching headings to paragraphs, matching headings to sections of the passage, and matching headings to specific details. Understanding the type of question is essential before solving it.
1. Matching Headings to Paragraphs
In this type, you will be given a list of headings (usually 6-8 headings) and a list of paragraphs (usually 6-7 paragraphs). You will be required to match each paragraph with the correct heading that best summarizes the main idea or theme of that paragraph. To answer this kind of question, you must skim the passage, look at the headings, and then match the most relevant heading.
2. Matching Headings to Sections of the Passage
This question asks you to match headings to larger sections of the text, such as an introduction, main body, or conclusion. Thus, to answer this type of question, you must first try to understand the structure of the passage. This will help you know which part may fit with a heading.
3. Matching Headings to Specific Details
In this type, you must match the headings with specific details in the passage. It could involve details like events, causes, or effects mentioned in the text. To answer, this kind of question, you must pay close attention to specific facts in each paragraph. Further, read through the options carefully and understand specific information.
These were the types of IELTS reading matching headings questions. For better understanding, you must practice sample questions.
This section covers IELTS reading matching headings samples for your reference.
Here is a matching headings IELTS practice sample for your reference. This type of sample can help you achieve 8+ bands on the IELTS exam.
IELTS Reading Passage – Hydrogen Cars
A. Due to record-high gasoline prices, road trips are more expensive than ever. But what if your car ran on the most abundant element in the universe instead of gasoline? Hydrogen will eventually replace gasoline, diesel, and natural gas as the primary fuel for automobiles, buses, and trucks, according to numerous experts. Global automobile manufacturers have already invested billions of dollars in research and development.
B. The benefits of hydrogen are enormous: no smog-forming exhaust gases, no carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming, and no concerns regarding diminishing oil supplies and rising prices. Before mass-produced hydrogen vehicles can hit the road, however, a number of challenging questions must be answered. Where will the hydrogen supply originate? How will motorists fuel up? How will automobiles store fuel? There is also the question of how to optimally utilise the energy in the fuel for optimal performance on the road
C. Hydrogen can be used as a fuel in two types of engines: those with a converted internal combustion engine and those with a stack of fuel cells. Automobiles have been powered by internal combustion engines for more than a century when they replaced horse-drawn carriages. These engines are compatible with a variety of fuels, including hydrogen. However, the majority of automakers consider fuel cells powered by an electric motor to be the superior option. In contrast to heavy batteries that must be recharged frequently, fuel cells generate electricity as they move. Recent technological advancements have substantially increased a cell stack's power output. This has paved the way for electric vehicles with low emissions.
D. Fuel cell technology seems straightforward. This is the opposite of the well-known electrolysis process, which releases oxygen and hydrogen from water. Obviously, it is somewhat more difficult in practice. Efficiency is the primary advantage of a hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine over a fuel cell engine. Using the same quantity of hydrogen, a fuel cell vehicle can travel at least twice as far as an internal combustion engine vehicle.
E. Although hydrogen has numerous advantages as a vehicle fuel, it is difficult to store. This is due to the fact that hydrogen is a gas at normal temperatures. The obvious solution is to compress or liquidity the hydrogen. On the other hand, tanks designed to store hydrogen at extremely high pressures or temperatures close to absolute zero are cumbersome and expensive. Consequently, the primary disadvantages of refueling with liquid hydrogen are likely to be the high cost and the substantial amount of energy required to liquefy the fuel. Although compressed hydrogen gas refueling may reduce the distance between fill-ups, it is more practical. Hydrogen could be stored in automobiles in high-pressure tanks comparable to those used for compressed natural gas, or in carbon that has been specially treated.
F. Although there is no risk of Hydrogen depletion, it occurs naturally on Earth only as chemical compounds and not as Hydrogen gas. At central plants or filling stations, hydrogen gas for automobiles can be produced by steam reforming, a relatively simple technology. Alternatively, gasoline or methanol could be used in the tanks, with reformers onboard producing Hydrogen for the fuel cells. While research into hydrogen storage issues continues, this interim solution appears promising. Hydrogen's only potentially pollution-free source is water. Utilizing algae, bacteria, or photovoltaic cells to absorb sunlight and split water into Hydrogen and oxygen are a few of the new methods being investigated to produce Hydrogen from water. However, electrolysis, which uses an electric current to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen, is most likely to be adopted on a large scale.
G. 'Remember the Hindenburg.' - This is a common phrase when referring to Hydrogen. In May 1937, this German hydrogen-powered passenger airship crashed as it approached Lakehurst, New Jersey, United States. There were 35 fatalities. Helium, a noncombustible gas, is the fuel of choice for lighter-than-air aircraft at present. Despite the fact that hydrogen is extremely flammable, recent research suggests that the Hindenburg disaster was caused by the airship's fabric, not hydrogen. There is no reason to believe that hydrogen is a more hazardous fuel than gasoline, the explosive liquid currently stored safely in the tanks of countless millions of automobiles.
H. Recent technological advancements, particularly in fuel cell design, have made hydrogen-powered automobiles a viable option, with automakers expecting mass production to commence within the next decade or so. Their power and acceleration should be comparable to conventionally powered automobiles of today, but they may require more frequent refuelling. The optimal strategies for producing, distributing, and storing hydrogen are still under investigation. Short-term, fossil fuels may continue to be a popular source of hydrogen. However, it is no longer a pipe dream that in the not-too-distant future, the majority of us will be driving non-polluting cars powered by Hydrogen from a clean, renewable source.
Questions for Reading Passage: Hydrogen Cars
Questions 1-7
Reading Passage 1 has 8 paragraphs (A-H). From the list of headings below choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs B – H. Write the appropriate number (i – xi) in boxes 1–7 on your answer sheet. NB There are more headings than paragraphs, so you will not use them all.
Example: - Paragraph A - Answer iv
List of Headings
i. Storage of Hydrogen
ii. Traditional Production Methods
iii. The Potential Peril of Combustible Hydrogen
iv. A Wide Range of Options
v. Looking Ahead
vi. Good idea, but...
vii. Hydrogen Production Today
viii. How Does the Procedure Work?
ix. Hydrogen Production and Sources
x. The Internal Combustion Engine's Operation
xi. The Engine Problem
3. Paragraph B
4. Paragraph C
5. Paragraph D
6. Paragraph E
7. Paragraph F
8. Paragraph G
9. Paragraph H
Here are the answers along with their explanation for the above-mentioned IELTS reading matching headings questions.
Answer 1: vi - Good idea, but...
Explanation: In the second line of Paragraph B it is mentioned that before mass-produced hydrogen vehicles can hit the road several challenging questions must be answered. Thus, the heading that is best suited is vi.
Answer 2: xi - The Engine Problem
Explanation: As per the information provided in Paragraph C, Line 4 mentions that the majority of automakers consider fuel cells powered by an electric motor to be the superior option. Hence, from the list of headings the most appropriate is The Engine Problem.
Answer 3: viii - How Does the Procedure Work?
Explanation: In the second line of Paragraph D, the procedure is clearly stated that hydrogen fuel reacts with oxygen from the air to produce water and electricity, the reverse of the familiar electrolysis process that releases oxygen and hydrogen from water. Therefore, the heading that is best suited for the question is How Does the Procedure Work?
Answer 4: i - Storage of Hydrogen
Explanation: The initial line of paragraph E discusses hydrogen and its storage. It mentions that there are many advantages of hydrogen as a fuel for vehicles, but a big disadvantage is that it is difficult to store. Thus, from the list of headings the most appropriate is storage of hydrogen.
Answer 5: ix - Hydrogen Production and Sources
Explanation: As per the information provided in the first and second lines of paragraph F hydrogen occurs naturally on Earth. Thus, it can be inferred that the paragraph talks about hydrogen production and sources.
Answer 6: iii - The Potential Peril of Combustible Hydrogen
Explanation: According to the first line of paragraph G it can be understood that the potential peril of hydrogen is the best-suited heading. Hindenburg - This is a common phrase when referring to Hydrogen. Thus, the answer is iii.
Answer 7: v - Looking Ahead
Explanation: The last line of Paragraph H indicates looking ahead. However, it is no longer a pipe dream that in the not-too-distant future, the majority of us will be driving non-polluting cars powered by Hydrogen from a clean, renewable source. Thus, from the list of headings, the most appropriate is v.
Here is one of the IELTS reading questions sample for matching heading that will help you get a higher IELTS band score in the exam.
IELTS Reading Passage- The Story of Coffee
Paragraph A: Coffee was first discovered in Eastern Africa in an area we know today as Ethiopia. A popular legend refers to a goat herder by the name of Kaldi, who observed his goats acting unusually friskily after eating berries from a bush. Curious about this phenomenon, Kaldi tried eating the berries himself. He found that these berries gave him renewed energy.
Paragraph B: The news of this energy-laden fruit quickly moved throughout the region. Coffee berries were transported from Ethiopia to the Arabian Peninsula and were first cultivated in what today is the country of Yemen. Coffee remained a secret in Arabia before spreading to Turkey and then to the European continent by means of Venetian trade merchants.
Paragraph C: Coffee was first eaten as a food though later people in Arabia would make a drink out of boiling the beans for its narcotic effects and medicinal value. Coffee for a time was known as Arabian wine to Muslims who were banned from alcohol by Islam. It was not until after coffee had been eaten as a food product, a wine, and a medicine that it was discovered, probably by complete accident in Turkey, that by roasting the beans a delicious drink could be made. The roasted beans were first crushed and then boiled in water, creating a crude version of the beverage we enjoy today. The first coffee houses were opened in Europe in the 17th Century and in 1675, the Viennese established the habit of refining the brew by filtering out the grounds, sweetening it, and adding a dash of milk.
Paragraph D: If you were to explore the planet for coffee, you would find about 60 species of coffee plants growing wild in Africa, Malaysia, and other regions. But only about ten of them are actually cultivated. Of these ten, two species are responsible for almost all the coffee produced in the world: Coffea Arabica and Coffea Canephora (usually known as Robusta). Because of ecological differences existing among the various coffee-producing countries, both types have undergone many mutations and now exist in many sub-species.
Paragraph E: Although wild plants can reach 10 - 12 metres in height, the plantation one reaches a height of around four metres. This makes the harvest and flowering easier, and cultivation more economical. The flowers are white and sweet-scented like the Spanish jasmine. Flowers give way to a red, darkish berry. At first sight, the fruit is like a big cherry both in size and in colour. The berry is coated with a thin, red film (epicarp) containing a white, sugary mucilaginous flesh (mesocarp). Inside the pulp there are the seeds in the form of two beans coupled at their flat surface. Beans are in turn coated with a kind of resistant, golden yellow parchment, (called endocarp). When peeled, the real bean appears with another very thin silvery film. The bean is bluish green verging on bronze, and is at the most 11 millimetres long and 8 millimetres wide.
Paragraph F: Coffee plants need special conditions to give a satisfactory crop. The climate needs to be hot-wet or hot temperate, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, with frequent rains and temperatures varying from 15 to 25 Degrees C. The soil should be deep, hard, permeable, well irrigated, with well-drained subsoil. The best lands are the hilly ones or from just-tilled woods. The perfect altitude is between 600 and 1200 metres, though some varieties thrive at 2000-2200 metres. Cultivation aimed at protecting the plants at every stage of growth is needed. Sowing should be in sheltered nurseries from which, after about six months, the seedlings should be moved to plantations in the rainy season where they are usually alternated with other plants to shield them from wind and excessive sunlight. Only when the plant is five years old can it be counted upon to give a regular yield. This is between 400 grams and two kilos of arabica beans for each plant, and 600 grams and two kilos for robusta beans.
Paragraph G: Harvesting time depends on the geographic situation and it can vary greatly therefore according to the various producing countries. First, the ripe beans are picked from the branches. Pickers can selectively pick approximately 250 to 300 pounds of coffee cherry a day. At the end of the day, the pickers bring their heavy burlap bags to pulping mills where the cherry coffee can be pulped (or wet milled). The pulped beans then rest, covered in pure rainwater to ferment overnight. The next day the wet beans are hand-distributed upon the drying floor to be sun-dried. This drying process takes from one to two weeks depending on the amount of sunny days available. To make sure they dry evenly, the beans need to be raked many times during this drying time. Two weeks later the sun-dried beans, now called parchment, are scooped up, bagged, and taken to be milled. Huge milling machines then remove the parchment and silver skin, which renders a green bean suitable for roasting. The green beans are roasted according to the customers’ specifications and, after cooling, the beans are then packaged and mailed to customers.
Questions for Reading Passage- The Story of Coffee
Questions 1-6
The reading passage on The Story of Coffee has 7 paragraphs A – G.
From the list of headings below choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs B – G.
Write the appropriate number (i – xi) in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more headings than paragraphs, so you will not use them all.
I. Growing Coffee
ii. Problems with manufacturing
iii. Processing the Bean
iv. First Contact
v. Arabian Coffee
vi. Coffee Varieties
vii. Modern Coffee
viii. The Spread of Coffee
ix. Consuming Coffee
x. Climates for Coffee
xi. The Coffee Plant
Here are the answers along with their explanation for the above-mentioned matching headings task.
Answer 1: viii (The Spread of Coffee)
Explanation: In paragraph B, in lines 2-5, the writer mentions that the coffee berries were transported from Ethiopia to the Arabian Peninsula, and were first refined in the country Yemen. Further, the coffee remained a secret in Arabia before going to Turkey and then to the European continent be the means of trade merchants. This shows the fast spread of coffee. Hence, the answer is viii.
Answer 2: ix (Consuming Coffee)
Explanation: In paragraph C, in the starting line, the author mentions that coffee was first eaten as a food, but later in Arabia they would make a drink out of the boiling beans to form a drink for its narcotic effects. Further, in the ending lines, the writer explained that ‘The first coffee houses were opened in the 17th century and 1675, and the Viennese established the habit of refining by filtering out of the grounds and adding a dash of milk. Hence, the answer is ix.
Answer 3: vi (Coffee Varieties)
Explanation: In paragraph D, in lines 1-3, the writer mentions that if you explore the planet of Coffee, you will find 60 different species of coffee plants growing wild in Africa, Malaysia, and other regions. Hence, the answer is vi.
Answer 4: xi (The Coffee Plant)
Explanation: In paragraph E, in lines 1-3, the writer mentions plantation reaches a height of around 4 metres. This will make the harvest and flowering easier, and cultivation more economical. Hence, the answer is xi.
Answer 5: i (Growing Coffee)
Explanation: In paragraph F, in lines 1-4, the writer mentions that the coffee plants need special conditions to give a satisfactory crop. Further, the climate needs to be hot-wet or hot temperate, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, with frequent rains and temperatures ranging from 15 degrees to 25 degrees Celsius. Hence, the answer is i.
Answer 6: iii (Processing the Bean)
Explanation: In paragraph G, in lines 6-9, the writer mentions that the pulped beans then rest, covered in pure rainwater to ferment overnight. The next day the beans are hand-distributed upon the drying floor to be sun-dried. Hence, the answer is iii.
You can check out a list of examples below for the IELTS reading matching headings questions.
These are a few examples of the IELTS reading practice test for your reference. Besides, it is vital to strategies well before appearing for the IELTS exam. Thus, here are a few tips and strategies that will help you achieve 8+ bands.
Summing up, the blog covered everything about IELTS reading matching headings questions. It also covers two sample passages and a few other examples for your reference on the topic. You can practice them before appearing for the IELTS exam. In addition to that, the write-up also covers several tips and strategies to achieve a great score on the exam. With consistent practice and utilizing these tips and strategies, you can ace the test. Moreover, it will help you get familiar with all the question types that may appear in the exam. Further, you may even seek professional help from Gradding experts. They provide excellent IELTS coaching, study material, and practice tests.
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