Choose the right reading speed for the job
Skimming and scanning solve different problems. Skimming builds a rough map of what a text discusses. Scanning searches for a particular anchor, such as a name, number or distinctive phrase. Close reading then checks the meaning around that anchor. A quick scan that finds the word “free” does not tell you whether every service is free, one service is free or a former free service now has a charge.
Use the three passes in this lesson separately. First, skim the passage without answering detailed questions. Notice its opening, paragraph changes and contrasts; write a one-sentence prediction of its purpose. Second, scan for the location clues requested below. Third, read the relevant sentences closely and answer the meaning questions. Comparing your first prediction with the evidence is more useful than merely timing yourself.
If you know most of the vocabulary but keep searching the same paragraph, make a brief paragraph map. It is a navigation aid, not a perfect summary and not a matching-headings task. A useful note can be as short as “A: why changed; B: booking”. Spend enough time to locate the topic boundaries, then stop polishing your notes.
Original passage: The revised workshop programme
A. The Riverside Makers’ Centre changed its workshop programme after a survey of residents. Many respondents wanted to try practical skills but were unwilling to commit to a long course before meeting the tutor. The centre therefore introduced single-session tasters alongside its existing six-week courses. The longer courses continued because experienced learners still valued time for a substantial project.
B. Taster bookings open on 12 March. The first sessions take place in April, and places must be reserved at least two days before a session begins. Residents can book online or ask staff at the reception desk for help. There is no booking fee, although each workshop has a materials charge listed separately in its description.
C. On Tuesdays, tutor Elena Ward leads a session on repairing wooden objects. Participants may bring a small item, but powered equipment is demonstrated only by staff. Thursday sessions, led by Karim Shah, focus on simple fabric repairs. The fabric group has a supply of practice pieces, so bringing a damaged garment is optional.
D. At the end of each taster, learners receive a card describing related longer courses. This is an invitation to continue rather than an obligation to enrol. The centre plans to compare attendance with the earlier survey results at the end of June. Staff will also ask people who booked but did not attend what prevented their visit, because registration totals alone cannot explain whether the new programme is meeting residents’ needs.
Original fictional learning text. The passage and questions were created for this lesson, not copied from an IELTS test.
A three-pass diagnostic
Pass 1: skim for purpose
Use your own timer if helpful; no fixed reading speed is required. Choose the best overview, then leave it unchanged until review.
Pass 2: scan for an anchor
For Questions 2–3, write a paragraph letter, A–D. Locate the detail; do not copy the answer itself.
Pass 3: read closely
For Questions 4–6, choose TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN.
Answers and the evidence behind them
Compare your reason as well as your answer. Each explanation identifies the decisive detail and the tempting mistake.
1. Reveal answer and explanation
A. The text introduces the revised programme, gives practical details and ends with a plan to evaluate it. B conflicts with the continuation of longer courses. C mistakes one safety-related detail for the purpose of the whole passage.
2. Reveal answer and explanation
B. The date 12 March appears in paragraph B. This is a locating task, so the requested answer is the paragraph letter rather than the date. A scan should take you to the evidence without changing the response format.
3. Reveal answer and explanation
C. Karim Shah and fabric repairs appear in paragraph C. The name is a strong visual anchor, but you still need the nearby phrase to connect the right tutor with the right session.
4. Reveal answer and explanation
FALSE. Paragraph B distinguishes no booking fee from a separate materials charge for each workshop. Finding “no booking fee” alone could produce an incorrect TRUE; the complete sentence settles the claim.
5. Reveal answer and explanation
FALSE. Paragraph C says bringing a damaged garment is optional because practice pieces are supplied. “Have to” contradicts optional. This is an explicit difference in requirement, not missing information.
6. Reveal answer and explanation
TRUE. Paragraph D plans to ask booked non-attenders what prevented their visit. The statement accurately captures that follow-up without inventing a particular communication method.
Turn the result into a reading decision
If your overview was wrong but your details were right, spend your next session distinguishing purpose from example. In this passage, woodwork and fabric repairs illustrate the revised programme; they do not turn the text into a repair manual. Write a seven-word description of what each paragraph does, then combine those functions into one sentence.
If you found the right paragraphs but missed Questions 4 or 5, searching faster is unlikely to solve the main problem. You located the evidence successfully. The next step is to read the contrasting clause and identify the scope of a rule or charge. Underline “although”, “only” and “optional” and explain what each one limits.
If locating paragraphs was slow, create a map before attempting paragraph-information questions. If close reading was the difficulty, try True, False, Not Given practice. Use the Reading preparation plan to turn your observed difficulty into a specific next session instead of repeating the same exercise indefinitely.
Question-format reference: official IELTS Academic Reading guidance, checked 15 October 2026. All teaching examples and practice material on this page are original.