Each section contains only one task, so there are five tasks in total.
Section 1 Reading Task: Text Cohesion
You have to put seven sentences in the correct order to form a short text. The first sentence is done for you as an example. You have to click and drag the other six. There’s only one correct way to organize the sentences. In the text, you’ll find clues to help you with the activity.
Tips: These clues could be:
Sequencing words: next, after, then, before, finally, meanwhile, soon, etc.
Numerical information: times, dates, ages, the first, the second, etc.
Logical structure: you go to bed, then you wake up, etc.
The texts are sometimes about everyday activities. For example, taking a bus journey. So using your common sense can help (you need to buy the ticket, put your luggage in a luggage compartment, get on the bus, show your ticket to the driver, sit in your seat, etc).
Section 2 Reading Task: Gap-fill
You will read a text that contains four gaps. You have to drag and drop words from the list into the appropriate spaces in the text. In the actual exam there are twelve words to choose from (so there will be eight words you do not use). In our practice test there are seven words for seven gaps.
Tips
Look and study the title of the text. This will help you a lot to get some idea what the text is about.
Quickly read through the whole text, while doing so you might even know what words fit into the gap without looking at the missing words.
Look at the list of missing words, re-read the text and see what words fit in. Remember to use your knowledge of grammar to help you. eg ‘I ___ there 3 weeks ago.’ ‘Ago’ tells you that you’re looking for a verb in the past. Or in the case of ‘In order to live ___ you have to..’ In this case, you’re looking for an adverb to describe the verb ‘to live’ and we know that often adverbs end in. -ly. So even if you’re not 100% sure of the missing word, you can have an educated guess.
Now, have a try yourself!
Section 3 Reading Task: Reading Comprehension
In this task you read a text and then answer eight multiple-choice questions about it.
Tips
Read the text as quickly as you can to get the main gist (the general meaning).
Then read the questions, and finally re-read the text again more carefully, with the questions in mind. Remember, as always, if you’re not 100% sure of the answer you can always take an educated guess.
Section 4 Reading Task: Matching Exercise
You have to read a text of seven paragraphs and then match headings to the paragraphs. In the exam the paragraph headings can be found just below the text. In our practice test, we’ve used a drop-down menu.
There is one more heading than is required, so you have to read them all carefully.
Tips
1. Read all of it quickly: look through the whole passage. Then read the headings in order to know what to look for.
2. Get the main idea: try to understand what each paragraph is mainly about. What’s the big idea?
3. Find important words: look for important words in both the headings and paragraphs. These words tell you what each part is about.
4. On a piece of paper, eliminate the wrong answers: after reading each paragraph, get rid of headings that don’t match. This will help you choose the right one.
5. Watch out for similar words: sometimes words are a bit different in the headings. Look for synonyms (words that mean more or less the same thing).
6. Think about the word order: pay attention to the order of the paragraphs. Sometimes the first or last words of the paragraph will help you. For example, If one paragraph starts ‘On one hand….’, then it’s highly probable the next paragraph will start ‘One the other hand…’
7. Check if It makes sense: Make sure the heading makes sense with the paragraph. It should fit the main point.
8. Don’t miss small details: little details in the paragraph are important. Don’t forget to notice them.
9. Practise a lot: do practice exercises with past papers of other exams such as Cambridge FCE. This will help you get used to the questions.
10. Manage your time: don’t spend too much time on one question. If you’re not sure, make your best guess and move on – you want to have time to complete the test.
Remember, the more you practise, the better you’ll get!
Section 5 Reading Task: Re-ordering Statements
First you have to read a text, and then read some summary statements. You have to re-order the statements so that you that summarise each paragraph of the text. The first summary statement is done for you. This task is really very similar to matching the headings. In the real exam there are always eight statements (two more than you will need). In our practice test there is one for each paragraph.
Tips
These are the same as for the matching exercise in section 4 above.
Read the text, and then put the statements in order to make a summary of the text.
The Changing Face of Mankind
The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period that started approximately 3 million years ago and ended sometime around 3000 BC. Stone Age people can be characterised by their ability to harness tools crafted from stone, bone, and wood, demonstrating remarkable adaptability in the face of a challenging environment. Through cave paintings and artefacts, we catch glimpses of their daily lives, offering a window into the resilience and resourcefulness of early humans.
The lifestyle of Stone Age communities revolved around hunting and gathering. They lived in small groups, relying on communal cooperation for survival. The mastery of fire transformed their existence, providing warmth, protection, and a means to cook food. This period laid the foundation for essential social structures, fostering the bonds that would shape human societies in the millennia to come.
Cave paintings illuminate the beliefs of Stone Age culture. These intricate depictions capture the essence of their spiritual beliefs and rituals, as well as giving us an idea of the diverse wildlife that shared their landscape. The art serves as a testament to their cognitive abilities and the significance they placed on the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature.
As time progressed, the Stone Age witnessed technological advancements. The transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic era marked the development of agriculture and settled communities. The cultivation of plants and domestication of animals revolutionized the way of life, leading to the birth of agriculture-based civilizations.
In retrospect, Stone Age people laid the groundwork for human progress. Their innovations, from tools to artistic expressions, shaped the trajectory of civilization. While their existence may seem distant, the echoes of their resilience resonate in our modern societies, a testament to the enduring legacy of those who crafted survival strategies in the crucible of the ancient world.
If you want to more free online Password Skills Plus reading practice, then click on this link.