IELTS STEP UP READING 1

LESSON 3
IELTS READING SKILL 1 - GUESSING WORD MEANING: CONTEXT
IELTS WRITING: COMPLEX SENTENCES IN TASK 1 & 2

PART A - READING: GUESSING WORD MEANING USING CONTEXT

Guessing from context refers to the ability to infer the meaning of an expression using contextual clues.
These mean the words/ sentences around (before/ after) the difficult word. Actually, there are always
contextual clues for difficult words in IELTS Reading. They can be in different forms below.

1. Synonyms
The young girl was very aloof. She always seemed unsociable and uninterested.
A cat may look big to a mouse. In the same way, a mouse probably looks monstrous to an insect.
2. Antonyms
David was very outgoing, but his sister is coy.
co lai = tighten dan ra
When the light brightens, the pupils of the eyes contract; however, when it grows darker, they dilate.
3. Details the eyes of the pupils contract

The three brothers began to altercate over the game. Their mother complained that this was not the
tranh chap
first time that they had dispute over it.
am thuc
She wanted to impress all her dinner guests, so she carefully studied the necessary culinary arts.
4. Examples (for example, for instance, such as, like, include…)
The field was planted with citrus trees such as lemons, oranges.
giau vitamin c
5. Rewording (in other words, or, that is, which means…)
He wanted to become a geriatrician. That is he hoped to become a doctor for elderly people.
Boys brag; in other words, they say good things about themselves.
6. Defining
Density is the number of people in every square mile.
7. Relative clauses
Salination is a type of land destruction that involves an increase in the salt amount of the soil.
8. Punctuations (dấu câu) – dash (-) comma (,) colon (:) parenthese (): cung cấp sự giải thích
Acre Design implement a “Sleep-on-It” program: they’ll help finance a home if the owner plans to rent
it out at least 50 days per year.

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CONTEXT CLUE PRACTICE

Guess the meanings of the underlined words and tell the type of the clues.
1. The people in this picture aren’t slender; they are overweight. khong beo
2. Many of the vegetables are raw. They are not cooked because cooking takes away some vitamins. song
3. Most domestic dogs are smart. They can be trained to be watchdogs or guide-dogs for blind people. thuan chung
4. The earliest people who lived in North America were the ancestors of the Indian groups today. to tien
5. Father was very ecstatic because Joe decided to go the university that he wanted him to. vui
6. The day seemed to be very torrid. Before the sun had even risen, it was already hot outside. rat nong
7. She did not meet the selection criterion, and therefore, was not selected. tieu chuan
8. Celestial bodies, including the sun, moon, and stars, have fascinated man through the centuries. thien the
truong giai
9. Young criminals go to reform schools. These schools teach these young people to be better people. duong
10. They think they are over the hill to enjoy such childish things. very old
11. I am just browsing Facebook, not really looking for anything. = looking through

12. All of them are experts in their fields. linh vuc

13. She moved from her dilapidated house, which was old and run-down, into a brand-new house. =old
14. Studies show that experts have less brain activity than novices when performing tasks. nguoi moi
15. The brain does have a limit and when we exceed it there's always a price. limit = gioi han , exceed = lam qua
16. The duration of the course doesn't change much – but the content changes thoroughly. triet de/ hap thu lon
17. Insomnia, not being able to sleep at night, can be linked to an excessive intake of caffeine during the day.
18. Joan loves to buy exotic foods: herbs from China, spices from India, and cheeses from France. ngoai lai
thuong
19. Mundane activities like doing the dishes, going food shopping or reading the newspaper help me relax. ngay
20. Today I had to deal with one mishap after another. I couldn’t find my car keys, I dropped a bowl of soup at
cope with / tackle / address
lunchtime, and my computer crashed twice. dieu khong may / unfortunate
21. You need to put it in a plastic bag (túi ni lông) to make it water repellent.
22. There is no universal standard for right and wrong. Your opinions may be different from your parents'. chung
23. He's sitting in the airport, ready to board. cat canh
24. doing something which engages you completely can help you forget about your worries. thu hut

25. We received this secret information from the US Central Intelligence Agency. tinh bao

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CONTEXT CLUE HOMEWORK

I. Choose the correct answers
1. Constellations, such as The Little Dipper and The Big Dipper, can be seen in the night sky.
A. clouds B. group of stars C. moons
2. Nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables, help our bodies grow.
disgusting
A. Yucky B. Boring C. Healthy
3. In the museum, we saw many artifacts. It had pottery, art, and statues from many old places.
A. objects B. points C. goals
4. Fish, whales, and dolphins are aquatic animals.
A. land B. water C. desert
5. Candles, flashlights, and lamps illuminate the room.
A. lower B. weaken C. light up
6. Biomes include plants and animals in grasslands, those in deserts, and those in rain forests.
A. small areas B. disasters C. communities
7. Vicissitudes, such as circumstances, developments, or journeys in life, can change a person forever.
A. families B. life experiences C. vacations
8. The army attempted to thwart the enemy with a new plan of attack.
A. allow B. prevent C. permit
9. Thespians, such as Tom Cruise, George Lopez, and Hilary Duff, star in movies and television shows.
A. fans B. actor or performer C. audience
10. Sunlight can't shine through opaque objects like brick walls and wooden doors.
A. thin B. transparent C. thick
11. She walks briskly to class so that she wouldn't be late.
a. slowly b. quickly c. fortunately d. comfortably
12. During the winter, having to take a cold shower makes me shiver all over.
a. sleep b. shake c. cry d. warm
13. We offered our condolence to the unhappy woman when her husband died.
a. congratulation b. happiness c. gladness d. sympathy
14. He is such a mournful person that just being around him makes me sad, too.
a. happy b. big c. sad d. glad
15. Many ships have vanished during hurricanes. All crews have disappeared and have never been found.
a. disappeared b. broke c. threw d. appeared

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16. Students! Please stop chattering and listen to me. Class has begun so you cannot enjoy talking.
a. clapping b. playing c. talking d. going
17. One plate of rice usually suffices for me, but one plate isn't enough for my husband.
a. much b. a few c. a little d. enough
18. My library at home is quite sparse; the central library, however, has a lot of books.
sparsely populated area
a. large b. full c. few in number d. interesting
19. While Drew is popular and sociable, Ben would rather stay at home alone, enjoying a good book.
a. noisy b. uneducated c. outgoing d. quiet
20. The street is crowded with conveyances of all descriptions, such as buses, bicycles and cars.
a. transportation b. bus terminal c. convenience d. comfort

II. Guess the meanings of the underlined words loi khuyen / goi y
1. Think of what you liked and dreams you had when you were a child will offer clues to your life purpose.
2. It's a paradox that one can feel lonely despite a life full of activities, destinations and tasks. nghich ly / trai nguoc
qua mang / ao
3. Talking face to face even virtually (e.g. via Skype or FaceTime) helps you feel close to each other.
4. A recent article published in the Bangkok Post has warned young people to stop being addicted to the "selfie"
bai bao
trend. It warned that posting photographs of themselves online to seek attention may be harmful.
5. These materials are yours, you can do anything with them. You can use them at will. theo y muon
6. Doctors should alleviate the pain of terminally ill patients so that their final days are comfortable.
giam benh nan y
7. She prefers spending time with family while her husband gives priority to work. uu tien
8. Industries that generate wastes are finding ways to get rid of them. eliminate / eradicate
san sinh
9. Education is open-ended and includes everything. It can take place anywhere. It has no bounds. gioi han
10. Advocates - people supporting this product - says that it is safer and better than other products.
nguoi ung ho
III. Choose the correct answers punctuation
Parasitic plants are plants that survive by using food produced by host plants rather than by producing their
own food from the Sun's energy. Because they do not need sunlight to survive, parasitic plants are generally
found in umbrageous areas rather than in areas exposed to direct sunlight. Parasitic plants attach themselves
to host plants, often to the stems or roots, by means of haustoria, which the parasite uses to make its way into
the food channels of the host plant and absorb the nutrients that it needs to survive from the host plant. The
world's heaviest flower, a species of rafflesia, is a parasite that flourishes among, and lives off of, the roots of
jungle vines. Each of these ponderous blooms can weigh up to 15 pounds (7kg) and can measure up to 3 feet
(1m) across.

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1. The word umbrageous is closest in meaning to

A. moist B. well lit C. shaded D.buried
2. Haustoria are most likely
A. offshoots from the parasite B. seeds of the host plant
C. fruits from the host plant D. food for the parasite
3. The word ponderous is closest in meaning to
A. smelly B. hidden C. beautiful D. heavy