This Week's Featured Topic - IELTS.

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IELTS TIP - Time management
In IELTS you need to be very aware of time management. You only have 1 hour and have a number of texts to read and 40 questions to answer.
If you spend one minute on each question that gives you 20 minutes to read 3 texts; you may run out of time.

Questions in the reading test get more difficult as the test progresses; the beginning of the test is easier than the last part. You will probably need more time for the questions toward the end than at the beginning.

To manage how long you spend on each section, we recommend the following guide:
Approximately 15 minutes on section 1, 20 minutes on section 2 and 25 minutes on section 3. Our online exercises are timed to help you learn to manage your time in the most effective way possible.

You must be careful not to spend too long on a difficult question and to also keep an eye on the time. If you are not sure of the answer to a question, or can not find the answer, WRITE SOMETHING and move on to the next question.

Reading Techniques - Skimming and Scanning
Skimming and scanning are the two main techniques you need for IELTS reading tests.
Skimming involves reading quickly to get the "gist" or the main idea of a text. The important key to skimming is speed - reading everything quickly to get the general meaning. If you are a slow reader in English you really need to practise to improve. You don't need IELTS specific texts for this, news articles are perfect. Read as many articles as possible every day and your speed will quickly improve.
Scanning is what we do when reading a telephone book or a dictionary; search for some specific information (a word or name etc.). This is an important technique in IELTS reading as you are often required to search for specific information. You need to read the question and then search for key words or ideas associated with that question. Long news articles are ideal for improving your "scanning".

If you want to improve, there's no secret. Practice. Practice. Practice. Remember, reading not only helps your vocabulary increase, but will also help with your writing. Practise as much as you can! Selfaccess.com makes learning easy and convenient.

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