IELTS Academic Reading Matching Headings & Features: Tips & Strategies

In this question type, you are required to match the list of headings (i, ii, iii,) to the appropriate paragraphs (A, B, C,).These can be tricky to solve because there are more options than the questions. Chosen heading must convey the appropriate theme to the particular paragraph. 

• Management of time
• Comprehension skills
• Finding synonyms & paraphrasing skills
• High level of concentration

Follow the IELTS Reading tips below to brush up and enhance your bands in Matching the Heading questions in the IELTS Reading test.

1.Read the instructions carefully.

2.Read the first two and last two sentences of the paragraph and skim read the rest of the paragraph.

3.Do not try to understand the meaning of each and every word and phrase given. That will just waste your time.

4.Briefly sum up the main idea of the paragraph in your own words as if you were writing your own heading.

5.Read the list of the headings and try to match it with the titles written by you earlier in the tip mentioned above. Do not match the headings very quickly just by reading the first one or two.

6.Do not write your answer very quickly as there might be confusion between 2-3 headings for the answer to one particular question. Choose the one closest to the paragraph theme.

7.Try to write each chosen heading below that particular question to see which one fits the most.

8.Eliminate used headings to avoid confusion.

9.Repeat the above steps for all the other questions.

Money

1. In China, the issue of paper money became common from about 960 but there had been occasional issues long before that. A motive for one such early issue, in the reign of Emperor Hien Tsung 806-821, was a shortage of copper for making coins. A drain of currency from China, partly to buy off potential invaders from the north greater reliance on paper money with the result that by 1020 the quantity issued was excessive, causing inflation. In subsequent centuries there were several episodes of hyperinflation, and after about 1455, after well over 500 years of using paper money, China abandoned it.
2. With the revival of banking in western Europe, stimulated by the Crusades, written instructions in the form of bills of exchange came to be used as a means of transferring large sums of money, and the Knights Templar and Hospitallers functioned as bankers. It is possible that the Arabs may have used bills of exchange at a much earlier date, perhaps as early as the eighth century. The use of paper as currency came much later.
3. During the English Civil War, 1642-1651, goldsmiths' safes were secure places for the deposit of jewels, bullion and coins. Instructions to goldsmiths to pay money to another customer subsequently developed into the cheque. Similarly, goldsmiths’ receipts were used not only for withdrawing deposits but also as evidence of ability to pay and by about 1660 these had developed into banknotes.
4. In England's American colonies a chronic shortage of official coins led to various substitutes being used as money, including, in Virginia, tobacco, leading to the development of paper money by a different route. Tobacco leaves have drawback as currency, and consequently, certificates attesting to the quality and quantity of tobacco deposited in public warehouses came to be used as money and in 1727 were made legal tender.
5. Although paper money obviously had no intrinsic value, its acceptability originally depended on its being backed by some commodity, normally precious metals. During the Napoleonic Wars convertibility of Bank of England notes was suspended and there was some inflation which, although quite mild compared to that which had occurred in other wars, was worrying to contemporary observers who were used to stable prices and, in accordance with the recommendations of an official enquiry, Britain adopted the gold standard for the pound in 1816.
6. The break with precious metals helped to make money a more elusive entity. Another trend in the same direction was the growing interest in forms of electronic money from the 1990s onwards. In some ways, e-money is a logical evolution from the wire transfers that came about with the widespread adoption of the telegraph in the 19th century, but such transfers had relatively little impact on the everyday shopper.

Questions 1 - 6

The reading passage has six paragraphs, A-F.

Choose the correct heading for paragraphs, A-F, from the list below.

Write the correct number, i-ix, as your answer to each question.

List of Headings

• i Bills of exchange precede paper money
• ii The English Civil War
• iii Advent of the Gold standard
• iv The Knights Templar
• v Recurrence of paper currency
• vi Goldsmiths in the role of bankers
• vii Scarcity of copper coins
• viii Virginian money
• ix ‘Intangible’ money

1. Paragraph A
2. Paragraph B
3. Paragraph C
4. Paragraph D
5. Paragraph E
6. Paragraph F

Answers:

Paragraph A = v

Explanation: Paragraph A mentions A motive for one such early issue, in the reign of Emperor Hien Tsung 806-821, was a shortage of copper for making coins. A drain of currency from China, partly to buy off potential invaders from the north greater reliance on paper money with the result that by 1020 the quantity issued was excessive, causing inflation.

Paragraph B= i

Explanation: Paragraph B: …written instructions in the form of bills of exchange, came to be used as a means of transferring large sums of money… It is possible that the Arabs may have used bills of exchange at a much earlier date, perhaps as early as the eighth century. The use of paper as currency came much later.

Paragraph C = vi

Explanation: Paragraph C states that goldsmiths provided services that are usually given by banks, i.e. depositing valuables in safe vaults and issuing cheques and banknotes. So they played the role of bankers.

Paragraph D = viii

Explanation: Paragraph D mentions substitutes for money and quotes an example of Virginia where tobacco was once used as a form of money.

Paragraph E = iii

Explanation: Paragraph E states how Gold, a precious metal, became a standard for evaluating the pound, the British currency.

Paragraph F = ix

Explanation: Paragraph F states about the rise of electronic money in the 1990s. As no physical money is being exchanged during e-money transfers, it can be called intangible.

In IELTS Reading match the features questions are an important type of questions in the reading test. These can be found in the IELTS exam regularly. It is a question where the candidates are required to match the list of options to the relevant set of statements.

Matching features are the questions which require the candidates to test their comprehension and paraphrasing skills. Here you will have to answer the question by selecting from the list of options with the questions given. The questions can be tricky to solve hence following the best strategies is an important factor in getting good bands in such question types.

• Scanning the paragraph for details like names & features
• To identify the synonyms & paraphrase
• Look out for the meaning from a given text.
• Noting the crucial information
• Managing the time

Here are few IELTS Reading Tips to solve Match the Features question to help you gain more bands.

1.You should be able to scan the passage for the essential information given in the paragraph.

2.Enhacing your vocabulary is a must, as you will encounter many difficult words in the reading passage.

3.First read the questions and then go to the passage to find the answers to avoid wasting time.

4.Skim the areas of the passage where you can find keywords or features.

5.The answers will not be in a particular order so do not waste your time finding the sequence.

6.Increase your reading speed as the IELTS Reading paper is time restrictive.

7.The words and phrases from the question will never be the same so expect some synonyms instead of the same word from the question.

8.If the keyword comes multiple times in the passage, you have to read the surrounding information.