IELTS Reading Sample (Academic) #15
Filling in a flowchart
Many IELTS candidates panic when they see flowchart questions, but these are not so difficult because the passages they accompany may have a lower reading level than other IELTS passages. That is: they do not have as many long sentences, nor as much complex vocabulary.
Furthermore, flowchart questions are logical. The process described has a beginning and an end, and certain vocabulary alerts a reader to the different stages. Look for 'first of all', 'during', 'then', and 'finally'. There are also nouns such as 'stage', 'part', or 'phase'. Do watch out for stages that may be written slightly out of sequence order. (There's one in the passage below.)
Sometimes a reader has to identify two possible options - shown by the flowchart split-ting in two. Finding sentences that contain 'if' or 'whether' will help here. 'If' may also signal some kind of failure in the process, meaning a part of it should be repeated. Arrows going back up to boxes show this repetition. Remember: with missing verbs in a flowchart, the passive may be needed.
Questions 1-5
Complete the flow chart below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Questions 6-10
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 6-10 on your answer sheet write
TRUEif the statement agrees with the information
FALSEif the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVENif there is no information on this
6William used the electricity he created for village transport.
7At first, William's achievement was ignored by local people.
8Journalists from other countries visited William's farm.
9William used money he received to improve water supplies in his village.
10The health of the villagers has improved since the windmill was built.
Questions 11-13
Answer the questions below.
Use NO MORE THAN ONE WORD and/or a NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
11How tall was the final tower that William built?
12What did the villagers use for fuel before the windmill was built?
13What school subject has become more popular in William's village?