To match statements with the names of the experts/researchers in the text, you need to develop the reading skills of:
- scanning to find the relevant names
- understanding expressions of opinion (‘reporting verbs’ like claims, argues, believes, agrees, doubts, adds etc)
- recognising synonyms
- guessing vocabulary from context
Strategies to help you match statements to people
- Use the capital letters of the people’s names to help you find them quickly.
- Circle the names of the people you have to match.
- Ignore any other names that appear.
- The names of the people do not appear in the same order as the statements.
- Remember that you can use any of the names more than once.
Simplified Example
Look at this example taken from ‘Research Using Twins‘.
Do the exercise in the box below, then check your answers.
How to find the answers
The answers are: 1.a 2.c 3.b 4.a 5.b
The answers are in the synonyms and in the way the person’s idea is paraphrased in the statements.
- Galton invented a term (coined a phrase) to distinguish two factors affecting human characteristics (‘nature and nurture’)
- Reed expressed the view (adds) that the study of epigentics (that the latest work in epigenetics) will increase our knowledge (promises to take our understanding further)
- Bouchard developed a mathematical method (used this mountain of data) of measuring genetic influences (to identify how far twins were affected by their genetic makeup).
- Galton pioneered (first suggested) the approach
- Bouchard carried out research into twins who had lived apart (Study of Twins Reared Apart)
The answers are clear if you know the vocabulary or are able to guess from context.
Doing intensive analysis exercises like this regularly will help you build your vocabulary and know what to look for in the real test.
For more examples of matching statements with names, click here.
For more advice on different parts of the Reading Test, click on the links below: