Bridget aucoin consulting editor: wendy sahanaya

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iv 
INTRODUCTION 
How to Use This Book 
T here are two main sections to this book: the General Training Reading and the General 
Training Writing. T he units and the activities have been numbered separately in each section. 
Answers for the activities and the practice tests are in the Answer Key at the end of the book. 
Part 1: Reading 
Part 1 gives you: 
•
an overview of the test, which describes the General Training Reading, the types of texts,
and the question types.
•
a chapter on the skills you will need for success in the IELTS exam.
•
the sections of the test, and the text and question types in detail. For each section there
is an explanation of appropriate reading skills for the text and question types common to
that section. T he purpose of this explanation is to help you understand the purpose of the
question type and of the appropriate skill for answering the question. After the explanation,
there is a guided practice. Here useful skills and strategies will be explained in detail, and
there are exercises for you to practise the skills. T hen there is an exam practice, which
provides readings and questions for you to work through as you would for the actual IELTS
exam. Follow the instructions for each activity and, when you have finished, check your
answers in the Answer Key in Appendix 1 at the back of the book.
•
three practice reading tests and a reading answer sheet, which you may copy.
Part 2: Writing 
Part 2 gives you: 
•
an overview of the General Training Writing
•
the two writing tasks described and practised in detail
•
discussion and explanation of the criteria on which the tasks are marked.
You can do the sections in any sequence you wish, but you will gain the greatest benefit by
working through the units before you do any practice tests. 

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In the General Training Reading Module of the IELTS exam you will be given 60 minutes to 
read a range of written texts in English, and answer about 40 related questions. 
T he reading texts are taken from general everyday sources such as magazines, newspapers, 
workplac;:e and training information, signs, advertisements and many more. T he questions are 
designed to assess your ability to obtain and interpret meaning from the texts. 
T he main features of the General Training Reading Test are: 
• sections: 3 sections
• total reading texts: 5-6 various
• total time: 60 minutes
• total questions: 40 questions
• marks: 1 mark per question.
Each of the three parts of the test contains texts and questions of different types, so it is
important that you become familiar with all three parts of the test. 

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2 
IELTS Preparation and Practice Reading & Writing - General Training