Introduction
In the IELTS Reading multiple choice question you will be given a text to read and based on the information provided in the text you will need to select the correct option from the given choices. To select the correct answer you will need to eliminate the incorrect ones.
IELTS Reading Multiple choice sample task
Downloadable link to the sample question
IELTS Reading multiple choice Strategy
Read the questions and identify keywords
Read and understand the given questions and identify the keywords. This is an important step as it helps you focus on the relevant information, saving time when searching for the correct answers. Make a mental note of what information you need to check for to answer the given questions.
1. In paragraph one, the writer suggests that companies could consider
A abolishing pay schemes that are based on age.
B avoiding pay that is based on piece-rates.
C increasing pay for older workers.
D equipping older workers with new skills.
We have tried to highlight the keywords to focus on when finding answers to this question. In the first paragraph, you need to find what the writer suggests the companies could consider doing. Does he suggest they should abolish pay schemes? , should they avoid pay that is based on piece rates (at first glance it seems piece rates refer to rates to be given on a per-piece basis)? or does he suggest they should increase the pay for older workers? or quip the older workers with new skills?
Understand the difference between the answer options
Once you have identified the keywords (abolishing, avoiding, increasing and equipping) you can easily understand the difference between the various answer options.
Skim through the text
Skim through the given text to understand the topic at a higher level. The purpose is to read quickly and get a gist of the given text.
Predict the answer
Once you have skimmed through the text you are in a position to predict the answer.
Re-read the text
Reread the text only this time scan it for the keywords you identified in the answer options.
Correct answers
1 A – abolishing pay schemes that are based on age.
2 C – allows the expertise of older workers to be put to use.
3 D – appeal to distinct groups of older workers
4 B – older people are good at running their own businesses
Work out the answers
1. In paragraph one, the writer suggests that companies could consider
A abolishing pay schemes that are based on age.
B avoiding pay that is based on piece-rates.
C increasing pay for older workers.
D equipping older workers with new skills.
Extract from the first paragraph
The general assumption is that older workers are paid more in spite of, rather than because of,
their productivity. That might partly explain why, when employers are under pressure to cut costs,
they persuade a 55-year-old to take early retirement. Take away seniority-based pay scales, and
older workers may become a much more attractive employment proposition. But most employers
and many workers are uncomfortable with the idea of reducing someone’s pay in later life –
although manual workers on piece-rates often earn less as they get older. So retaining the
services of older workers may mean employing them in different ways
The first answer is in the first paragraph as already mentioned in question. After reading the question and identifying the keywords, we need to determine what the writer suggests the companies should do.
Review of each answer choice in detail
A. The writer suggests “Take away seniority-based pay scales, and older workers may become a much more attractive employment proposition”. here he is suggesting abolishing the pay schemes that are based on age which is in fact the correct answer.
B. About piece-rates the writer says “although manual workers on piece-rates often earn less as they get older.” The writer is not suggesting avoiding pay based on piece-rates.
C. In the first paragraph the writer doesn’t suggest increasing the pay for older workers, in fact, he says “That might partly explain why, when employers are under pressure to cut costs,they persuade a 55-year-old to take early retirement.” so option C cannot be the correct answer.
D. The writer mentions “So retaining the services of older workers may mean employing them in different ways” but this is not the same as option D. Equipping the older workers with new skills as there is no mention of skills in the first paragraph.
2. Skill Team is an example of a company which
A offers older workers increases in salary.
B allows people to continue working for as long as they want.
C allows the expertise of older workers to be put to use.
D treats older and younger workers equally
Extract from the second paragraph
One innovation was devised by IBM Belgium. Faced with the need to cut staff costs, and having decided to concentrate cuts on 55 to 60-year olds, IBM set up a separate company called Skill Team, which re-employed any of the early retired who wanted to go on working up to the age of 60. An employee who joined Skill Team at the age of 55 on a five-year contract would work for 58% of his time, over the full period, for 88% of his last IBM salary. The company offered services to IBM, thus allowing it to retain access to some of the intellectual capital it would otherwise have lost.
The answer to the second question is in the second paragraph. After reading the question and identifying the keywords we need to understand the concept of skill team.
Review of each answer choice in detail
A. The writer mentions “One innovation was devised by IBM Belgium. Faced with the need to cut staff costs” and later on mentions “An employee who joined Skill Team at the age of 55 on a five-year contract would work for 58% of his time, over the full period, for 88% of his last IBM salary.” These statements clearly show that the Skill team has been created to reduce costs and the employees get 88% of their last salary which is a reduction and not a salary increase so option A is not the correct option.
B. The writer says “IBM set up a separate company called Skill Team, which re-employed any of the early retired who wanted to go on working up to the age of 60.” As per this statement, the people employed in the Skill team can work till the age of 60 years and not as long as they want, so option B is not the correct option.
C. The writer mentions “IBM set up a separate company called Skill Team, which re-employed any of the early retired who wanted to go on working up to the age of 60.” and “The company offered services to IBM, thus allowing it to retain access to some of the intellectual capital it would otherwise have lost.” These statements clearly show that the Skill team allows the expertise of the older workers to be put to use so this is the correct option.
D. The writer says “Faced with the need to cut staff costs, and having decided to concentrate cuts on 55 to 60-year olds” and “An employee who joined Skill Team at the age of 55.” These statements clearly show that the starting age for joining the Skill team is 55 years which means it’s not for young employees, hence this option is not the correct option.
3. According to the writer, ‘bridge’ jobs
A tend to attract people in middle-salary ranges.
B are better paid than some full-time jobs.
C originated in the United States.
D appeal to distinct groups of older workers.
Extract from the third paragraph
The best way to tempt the old to go on working may be to build on such ‘bridge’ jobs: part- time or
temporary employment that creates a more gradual transition from full-time work to retirement.
Studies have found that, in the United States, nearly half of all men and women who had been in
full-time jobs in middle age moved into such ‘bridge’ jobs at the end of their working lives. In
general, it is the best-paid and worst-paid who carry on working. There seem to be two very
different types of bridge job-holder – those who continue working because they have to and those
who continue working because they want to, even though they could afford to retire.
The answer to the third question is in the third paragraph. After reading the question and identifying the keywords we need to understand the concept of skill team.
Review of each answer choice in detail
A. The writer says “In general, it is the best-paid and worst-paid who carry on working.” This means that the people in the middle salary ranges are not attracted to the bridge jobs, so this option is not correct.
B. this option is incorrect as the paragraph does not mention that bridge jobs are better paid than some full-time jobs.
C. The paragraph does not mention that the Bridge jobs originated in the United States, so this option is incorrect.
D. The Writer says “In general, it is the best-paid and worst-paid who carry on working. There seem to be two very different types of bridge job-holder – those who continue working because they have to and those who continue working because they want to, even though they could afford to retire.” This means that the Bridge jobs are opted for by the worst-paid and the best-paid people. which are the distinct groups of people referred to in this option, so this is the correct answer.
4 David Storey’s study found that
A people demand more from their work as they get older.
B older people are good at running their own businesses.
C an increasing number of old people are self-employed.
D few young people have their own businesses.
Extract from the fourth paragraph
If the job market grows more flexible, the old may find more jobs that suit them. Often, they will be
self-employed. Sometimes, they may start their own businesses: a study by David Storey of
Warwick University found that in Britain 70% of businesses started by people over 55 survived,
compared with an overall national average of only 19%. But whatever pattern of employment they
choose, in the coming years the skills of these ‘grey workers’ will have to be increasingly
acknowledged and rewarded.
The answer to the fourth question is in the fourth paragraph. After reading the question and identifying the keywords we need to identify what David Storey’s study found.
Review of each answer choice in detail
A. In the fourth paragraph there is no mention that people demand more from their work as they get older, so this option is incorrect.
B. Writer says “a study by David Storey of Warwick University found that in Britain 70% of businesses started by people over 55 survived, compared with an overall national average of only 19%.” where he clearly states that older people are good at running their businesses as 70% of the businesses started by old people survive, so this is the correct option.
C. This option is incorrect as there is no mention that an increasing number of people are self-employed.
D. This option is incorrect, as it is not mentioned in the paragraph that many young people have their own businesses.