IELTS GT Reading Section 2 usually consists of 2 short texts with set of questions for each text.
The topics are related to WORK, for example:
- Advice for employees and employers
How to … be a good leader, be more organised, enjoy work, have a better work-life balance, write a CV, start a new job, resign, deal with redundancy.
How to … get a scholarship, deal with customer complaints, be safe on the computer, work for a small company, complain to your boss, run a meeting.
- Safety Advice
Safety tips for protective equipment, kitchen staff, working with cows, tree-cutting, using ladders, working on roofs and farms.
- Information guides
The skills you need to … drive a taxi, be a plumber, be a barista.
A day in the life of a …care worker.
- Company policies
Maternity allowance, flexible working, dress regulations, parking policies
- Advertisements
Job adverts, Business partnerships, Work Experience, Courses.
[Examples taken from the most recent Cambridge Books, 14 – 19)
📒 GT 28-Day Planner: Day 15
Question types
From my analysis of the most recent tests, the question types for Section 2 are mostly GAPFILL tasks of various types.
- Summaries
- Sentence completion
- Workflows
- Tables
- Short answers
The strategies are the same for all gapfill types.
Summary of gapfill tips
- Always check how many words you are allowed. In General Training Reading Section 2, you are usually allowed 1 or 2 words (3 words for Short Answer questions).
- Make guesses about the gap, for example what kind of word do you need? (usually a NOUN).
- Look for clues around the gap, for example ‘an ________‘ tells you that the word is singular and begins with a vowel.
- The gaps come in the same order as they appear in the text, so don’t waste time looking for answers in different places.
- Use headings to help you find the information quickly (see 3 headings in the example below)
- Use bullet points and cross off any of the points they give you (see the bullet points for ‘flexible‘ and ‘document holder‘ before Gap 15 below).
- Check your SPELLING when you copy the word from the text, and use CAPITAL LETTERS on the answer sheet so that your handwriting is clear.
Gap-fill summary example
Look at the gapfill questions below before you read this text about computer safety advice.
Make some guesses, for example:
15. What might change when someone is sitting at a desk for a long time?
16. What can you use to separate noise equipment from workers?
17. What causes ‘glare’? (Why do you need blinds?)
You may not be able to guess the EXACT word, but guessing will give you an idea of what to look for.
Questions 15-20
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Furniture
Desk size should facilitate
- the flexible arrangement of computer items
- the easy use of a holder for documents
- change in the user’s 15 ……………….
Environment
Employers should
- move, soundproof, or separate noisy equipment using 16 ……………
- reduce glare from nearby 17………………. e.g. using adjustable blinds
- provide suitable lighting
- ensure a comfortable temperature
– check 18 ………………… from equipment
– check air flow and quality in working area
Tasks and breaks
Employees should have
- a variety of tasks to choose from
- a fair workload
- an input into task achievement and 19 …………..
- regular, short breaks, at times of their own 20 …………..
- breaks not located at their workstation
Making a safe environment for employees working on computers
Under health and safety law, you must ensure that the working environment meets certain minimum requirements
Workstation furniture
The work desk or work surface should be big enough to allow the user to arrange the screen, keyboard and documents, etc. in a flexible way. It should be stable and positioned so that it’s comfortable when an employee uses a document holder, but also big enough to let the user work comfortably and to alter their position.
The working environment
You need to assess noise levels. The equipment shouldn’t be so noisy that it distracts the user. If you can’t use quieter equipment, consider soundproofing or moving the equipment. You could use partitions between noisy equipment and the rest of the workstation as an alternative.
Lighting is also an important consideration. Surrounding windows must have curtains or blinds which users can adjust to prevent reflected glare. If needed, provide users with lighting appropriate to their tasks and particular workstation. Users should have control over their lighting to prevent reflected glare.
Temperature-wise, the equipment should not give out so much heat that the user becomes uncomfortable, so monitor this. It’s also important that you maintain ventilation, and you control humidity so that it is at a level which keeps the user comfortable.
Task design and rest breaks
Good design of the task can be as important as the right choice of furniture and equipment. Whenever possible you should design jobs so that employees have a mix of activities and some control over which tasks they perform and when. You should match staffing levels to workload so that individuals are neither overworked nor underworked and give employees some say in the way work is carried out and the planning that goes into it.
An employee’s need for rest breaks will vary depending on the type of work they are doing and how intensely they are working. As a general rule, however, short, frequent breaks are better than longer, less frequent ones. A 5-10-minute break after 50-60 minutes’ work is better than a 15-20-minute break after two hours. The employee should, at times, have a choice over when to take breaks and they should be encouraged to do non-work activities during their break, ideally away from the workstation.
Workstation furniture
The work desk or work surface should be big enough to allow the user to arrange the screen, keyboard and documents, etc. in a flexible way. It should be stable and positioned so that it’s comfortable when an employee uses a document holder, but also big enough to let the user work comfortably and to alter their position.
Furniture
Desk size should facilitate
- the flexible arrangement of computer items
- the easy use of a holder for documents
- change in the user’s 15………….
The working environment
You need to assess noise levels. The equipment shouldn’t be so noisy that it distracts the user. If you can’t use quieter equipment, consider soundproofing or moving the equipment. You could use partitions between noisy equipment and the rest of the workstation as an alternative.
Lighting is also an important consideration. Surrounding windows must have curtains or blinds which users can adjust to prevent reflected glare. If needed, provide users with lighting appropriate to their tasks and particular workstation. Users should have control over their lighting to prevent reflected glare.
Temperature-wise, the equipment should not give out so much heat that the user becomes uncomfortable, so monitor this. It’s also important that you maintain ventilation, and you control humidity so that it is at a level which keeps the user comfortable.
Environment
Employers should
- move, soundproof, or separate noisy equipment using 16 ……………
- reduce glare from nearby 17………………. e.g., using adjustable blinds
- provide suitable lighting
- ensure a comfortable temperature
– check 18 ………………… from equipment
– check air flow and quality in working area
Task design and rest breaks
Good design of the task can be as important as the right choice of furniture and equipment. Whenever possible you should design jobs so that employees have a mix of activities and some control over which tasks they perform and when. You should match staffing levels to workload so that individuals are neither overworked nor underworked and give employees some say in the way work is carried out and the planning that goes into it.
An employee’s need for rest breaks will vary depending on the type of work they are doing and how intensely they are working. As a general rule, however, short, frequent breaks are better than longer, less frequent ones. A 5-10-minute break after 50-60 minutes’ work is better than a 15-20-minute break after two hours. The employee should, at times, have a choice over when to take breaks and they should be encouraged to do non-work activities during their break, ideally away from the workstation.
Tasks and breaks
Employees should have
- a variety of tasks to choose from
- a fair workload
- an input into task achievement and 19 …………..
- regular, short breaks, at times of their own 20 …………..
- breaks not located at their workstation
Furniture
Desk size should facilitate
- the flexible arrangement of computer items
- the easy use of a holder for documents
- change in the user’s 15 position
Environment
Employers should
- move, soundproof, or separate noisy equipment using 16 partitions
- reduce glare from nearby 17 windows e.g., using adjustable blinds
- provide suitable lighting
- ensure a comfortable temperature
– check 18 heat from equipment
– check air flow and quality in working area
Tasks and breaks
Employees should have
- a variety of tasks to choose from
- a fair workload
- An input into task achievement and 19 planning
- regular, short breaks, at times of their own 20 choice
- breaks not located at their workstation
Section 2 Tips
How to guess gaps quickly
Cross out the words or synonyms that you already have in the summary as you go through the text.
This will lead you to the word you need, even if you don’t know what it means.
See how this works in the image below.
Section 2 is clearly more difficult than Section 1.
It uses some high-level work-related vocabulary that you need to learn.
Read as many Section 2 texts as possible, and read them in detail.
Make a note of all work-related vocabulary.
For example from this text:
- to facilitate: to make something easier or more likely to happen
- to ensure: to make sure something happens
- to monitor (heat): to regularly check the temperature
- to maintain (ventilation): to keep air flowing properly
- to control (humidity): to keep moisture levels stable
- to meet minimum requirements: to fulfill the basic standards
- workstation: the area where someone works
- an employee: a person who works for a company
- equipment: tools or machines used for a job
- lighting: lights in a room or workplace
- to prevent glare: to stop bright light that makes it hard to see
- staffing levels: the number of employees working
- workload: the amount of work someone has
- overworked/underworked: having too much work / having too little work
- frequent rest breaks: taking short breaks often
- to take a break: to stop working for a short time to rest
Get more help with GT Reading
FREE LESSONS
- General Training Reading (Overview)
- General Training Reading Section 1 (TFNG, Matching Information)
- General Training Reading Section 2 (Gapfill Summaries)
- General Training Reading Section 3 (Matching Headings)
- Young Person’s Railcard (Sentence Completion)
- Negotiating a pay rise (TFNG)
- The Iron Bridge (Short Answer Questions)
Resource Library
Section 1:
- Q1 – 7: Passports (True False Not Given)
- Q8 – 14: Airport Services (Matching Headings)
- Q1 – 8: Emergency Evacuation (Sentence Completion)
- Q8 – 14: Short Courses (True False Not Given)
Section 2:
- Q15 – 21: Formal Dress Code (Gapfill summaries)
- Q15 – 20: Professional Credentials (Sentence Completion)
Section 3
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