I. REVIEW

Out of all the types of questions in the IELTS Reading test, which one do you like the most? Particularly for IELTS-Fighter, I love Completing Diagrams the most, because having pictures will be very vivid, right ^^ Today we will study together how to do the test and solve a sample passage of this type of exercise.

As you work, keep the following points in mind:

– Check the number of words allowed to write;

– Study the chart and try to understand the main idea. Don’t spend too much time on this step;

– Underline keywords;

– Determine the type of word to fill in and try to guess the answer;

– Scan the text and identify the information in which paragraph;

– Read carefully to find the answer;

II. MINI PASSAGE

Now let’s solve a sample problem together:

Conditions are different at Chek Lap Kok. There was some land there to begin with, the original little island of Chek Lap Kok and a smaller outcrop called Lam Chau. Between them, these two outcrops of hard, weathered granite make up a quarter of the new island’s surface area. Unfortunately, between the islands there was a layer of soft mud, 27 meters thick in places.

According to Frans Uiterwijk, a Dutchman who is the project’s reclamation director, it would have been possible to leave this mud below the land, and to deal with the resulting settlement by the Kansai method. But the consortium that won the contract for the island optional for a more aggressive approach. It assembled the worlds largest fleet of dredgers, which sucked up l50m cubic meters of clay and mud and dumped it in deeper waters. At the same time, sand was dredged from the waters and piled on top of the layer of stiff clay that the massive dredging had laid bare.

Nor was the sand the only thing used. The original granite island which had hills up to 120 meters high was drilled and blasted into boulders no bigger than two meters in diameter. This provided 70m cubic meters of granite to add to the island’s foundations. Because the heap of boulders does not fill the space perfectly, this represents the equivalent of 105m cubic meters of landfill. Most of the rock will become the foundations for the airport’s runways and its taxiways. The sand dredged from the waters will also be used to provide a two-meter capping layer over the granite platform. This makes it easier for utilities to dig trenches –granite is unyielding stuff. Most of the terminal buildings will be placed above the site of the existing island. Only a limited amount of pile-driving is needed to support building foundations above softer areas.

Questions 6–9

Complete the labels on Diagram REMOVE below.
Choose your answers from the box below the diagram and write them in boxes 6–9 on your answer sheet.

NB There are more words/phrases than spaces, so you will not use them all.

DIAGRAM A

Cross-section of the original area around Chek Lap Kok before work began

REMOVAL DIAGRAM

Cross-section of the same area at the time the article was written

III. DISCUSSION

How did you deduce and the real answer, now let’s study with IELTS Fighter.

The answers are selected nouns from the box provided.

The assignment provides 2 diagrams of the same location before construction begins and when the article is written. So, when choosing the word to fill in the blank, you have to compare to see what that position on chart A is.

According to the structure of the reading passage, we begin to fill in position (9) in reverse (6)

(9) Find the answer close to the word mud, since the current position of number (9) is of mud in diagram A

–>> At the same time, sand was dredged from the waters and piled on top of the layer of stiff clay that the massive dredging had laid bare.

–>> Answer: The bottom will be stiff clay

(8) Find where the answer (8) is above the answer (9)

–>> At the same time, sand was dredged from the waters and piled on top of the layer of stiff clay that the massive dredging had laid bare.

–>> Answer: The class above will be sand

(7) Most of the rock will become the foundations for the airport’s runways and its taxiways.

–>> Answer: Runways and taxiways

(6) The sand dredged from the waters will also be used to provide a two-meter capping layer over the granite platform. This makes it easier for utilities to dig trenches –granite is unyielding stuff. Most of the terminal buildings will be placed above the site of the existing island.

–>> Answer: Terminal buildings

This is a difficult read. Many of you will be confused as to why there are two diagrams and how to find information. So we need to determine the position of the words to be filled in on the diagram (Top, bottom, front and back). Determining a fixed milestone, the remaining positions will be easier for you. And most importantly, don’t panic J

Wish everyone good study <3