Academic/General Training Module by Adam Smith First Published in 2015

 
Similar Words in the Text 
 
a.
systematic 
b.
evolution of speech 
c.
left-right asymmetry exists 
d.
in a world designed to suit right-
handed people 
e.
the left hemisphere 
f.
there are more left-handed males 
than females 
g.
if a person is brain damaged
 
 
Note: 
Try finding the keywords in the table above if you have a copy of the book 
Cambridge IELTS 1, page 40, to see whether they help you to get the right answer 
more easily. 
 
 

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 IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
30 
Exercise 17: Match the keywords on the left with the similar words or phrases on the 
right. 
Tip:
 
To find answers in the reading test, look for words or phrases in the passage that 
are similar to words in the questions. In the test mentioned below, you need to know 
that 'exaggerate' is similar to 'overstate', or that 'urgent' is similar to 'pressing'. The 
table below shows similar words/phrases for the test on page 24 of Cambridge IELTS 
book 5. 
Keywords in Questions 
1.
more urgent health problem … 
2.
long-term … 
3.
meet readers' expectations … 
4.
exaggerate their claims … 
5.
the selection of areas to research 
… 
6.
slow down … 
7.
linked to … 
8.
pessimistic view of the world … 
Similar Words in the Text 
a.
associated with 
b.
funding goes mainly to areas 
c.
provide what the public wants 
d.
most pressing health problem 
e.
extend well into future 
f.
overstate their arguments 
g.
accelerating (opposite of 'slow 
down') 
h.
the world seems to be getting 
worse