IELTS academic reading yes/no/not given

Table of contents

1. IELTS academic reading yes/no/not given 
2. IELTS academic reading yes/no/not given - Strategies & tips to solve
3. Skills required to solve yes/no/not given question
4. Common challenges faced while answering note completion question
5. Yes/no/not given Practice exercise 1
6. Yes/no/not given Practice exercise 2
7. Yes/no/not given Practice exercise 3
8. Yes/no/not given Practice exercise 4
9. Yes/no/not given Practice exercise 5
10. Answers for Practice exercises
11. Conclusion

IELTS academic reading yes/no/not given question type is quite similar to the true/false/not given question type and also tough enough. First, read the given tips and instructions carefully. Yes/no/not given question type presented with one or more passages followed by sets of statements or sentences to analyze the writer’s point of view. Your job is to read the passage and question clearly to understand the main idea. Then compare the question with the passage whether it matches the writer’s opinion or not. 

Your answer for the IELTS academic reading yes/no/not given question will be based on the following conditions,

If the information matches the writer’s opinion - YES
If the information doesn’t match the writer’s opinion - NO
If the information is not found in the given passage - NOT GIVEN

Yes/no/not given question type is one of the most essential IELTS academic reading question types. Scoring high in this question type will increase your band score on the IELTS academic reading section. So, we have covered everything about the IELTS academic reading yes/no/not given question type on this page. 

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IELTS academic reading yes/no/not given - Strategies & tips to solve

Please find some proven IELTS academic reading yes/no/no given tips and strategies to solve this question type with minimal effort. Also, our tips and strategies will make you more confident in attempting the IELTS academic reading test.

1. Read the given passage and try to understand the main idea of the passage. Then, read the first statement of the question set.
2. Don’t read the passage quickly. Also, do not waste the time by reading the whole passage.
3. Identify the keywords that will help you to locate the relevant information. Also, read the statement carefully to understand the meaning.
4. Go to the passage and try to find the correct location with the help of keywords.
5. Remember, in most cases, you will not get the exact keyword. So, Look for different words with similar meanings.
6. You should be extra careful on the writer’s opinion about the information. Also, remember that the opinions are not mentioned directly in the passage.
7. Read this portion of the text carefully and get the meaning. If the text agrees with what is said in the question statement, the answer is Yes. If it contradicts, the answer is No. If the information is not sufficient to decide, the answer is Not Given.
8. Remember, to increase the difficulty level, the question statements will be paraphrased, i.e. the sentences will be written differently.
9. Repeat the same procedure for other statements.
10. Y/ N/ NG question statements follow the order of the passage. So the answer to the second question of the set will come after the answer to the first question and so.
11. Do not apply your own knowledge about the topic to decide the answers. They must be based on the information provided in the passage.
12. Try to understand the writer's opinion and point of view. This helps you to find the answers quickly.
13. Remember that there will be at least one in each answer category “ YES, NO, and NOT GIVEN”. If you miss a single one of them, you're wrong.

You can utilize the IELTS academic reading yes/no/not given tips and strategies listed above to effectively answer this question type. Take all our key ideas with you to score high on your IELTS academic reading test.

Also, read the IELTS academic reading tips

Skills required to solve yes/no/not given question

IELTS academic reading yes/no/not given question will show your reading skill and your basic understanding about the given passage. These are some important skills that you should have in order to solve yes/no/not given questions. They are as follows,

• Paying attention to each and every instruction given
• A good vocabulary will really be useful here
• Skimming, scanning, and grasping the main idea of the passage
• Constant practicing
• Time-management
• Being focus 

Common challenges faced while answering note completion question

In general, many of you will face some common difficulties during your exam times. Even silly mistakes will make a big difference in your score. So, try to avoid the following mistakes to score high on your IELTS academic reading test.

• Taking too much time in reading the passage
• Directly searching for the answers without identifying the keywords
• Not understanding the question properly
• Searching for the missed information in the passage for a long time
• Not sure about the question type
• Not aware of synonyms and paraphrasing
• Lack of focus

Yes/no/not given Practice exercise 1

Answer questions 1-6 which are based on the reading passage below.

Dependence On Technology Reading Passage

Reaching the moon, multiplying two 12 digit numbers instantly, searching trillions of gigabytes of information at one go has all been made possible due to technology. It has realized possibilities that would have otherwise been considered a mammoth task to complete. Imagining a life without technological devices in the vicinity is an unpleasant thought for most people. But is the dependence desirable or does it have its downside too? 

In a survey conducted in the US, people were asked if society has become dependent on technology. Out of the total responses, 77% of people believed that dependence on technology has increased at an alarming rate. According to a study, 6% of school-going teenagers in China are addicted to the internet. In South Korea, the figures are likely to reach 10%. These results are not surprising. Today, if teenagers are asked the meaning of a particular word or to state their opinion on a given issue, they will instantly reach for their mobile and the internet instead of referring to a physical dictionary or a book for information. Turning pages of physical books are relatively time-consuming, but it does not necessarily mean that the much-trusted technology will always be able to deliver better.

We have improved with technology, but we have not thought of an alternative if technology does not work. The most recent examples are the outages at the New York Stock Exchange when a break-down in the system took three-and-half hours to resolve and resume trading, halting the overall pace of Wall Street. Another such example is a minor router issue at United Airlines which grounded its planes for two hours leading to 800 flight delays. These are just a couple of the many incidents of a technical outage. While the technology in use may be state-of-the-art, having a reliable backup is equally important. 

Sophisticated systems in various areas such as airlines, military, or electric grids add to the convenience. However, there are inherent risks. For example, even upgraded security systems may be vulnerable to the slightest malfunction. A minor change in readings, codes, or chips with malicious intent may harm innocent people and society at large. 

Online networking, a gift of advanced technology, has become a part of our daily lives and its advantages are undeniable. However, it has changed our daily interactions and can change our social structure too. Face-to-face meetings have been replaced by chats and text messages on social media. Reduced face-to-face interaction has kept smartphone users away from real-life situations. The virtual world cannot replace real-life situations that demand communication skills, problem-solving skills, tolerance, and receptivity to coexist in society. "They don't know how to handle conflict face to face because so many things happen through some sort of technology," said Melissa Ortega, a child psychologist at New York's Child Mind Institute.

Technology has improved our way of life, but it should be used only as a tool. Relying on it to an extent where a technological detox becomes next to impossible is worrying. We must be technologically advanced and not technology dependent.

Questions 1-6

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?

Write

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO, if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

1. People do not like the idea of living without technology.
2. Teenagers must prefer books over the internet for information.
3. We are not yet prepared for technology failures.
4. An alternative setup is always reliable.
5. Improved systems have rare security breaches.
6. People are losing social skills due to virtual communication.

Yes/no/not given Practice exercise 2

Answer questions 1-7 which are based on the reading passage below.

Vancouver Reading Passage 

Vancouver is quite different from virtually any other city in North America. Despite the fact that it is a large modern cosmopolitan city, it seems to have a relaxed small-town, close-to-nature feel about it. There is little comparison with other large Canadian cities such as Toronto or Montreal, which are more akin to the large eastern US centers like New York and Chicago. Vancouver, like all large North American cities, is a conglomerate of high-rise cubic

office towers, although urban planners have kept the heights down. There are, however some notable exceptions such as the Marine Building at the north foot of Burrard Street once the tallest structure in the British Empire, the courthouse at Howe & Robson, and the library at Georgia & Hamilton.

Vancouver offers a wide range of attractions catering to all tastes but those with only a day to spare cannot be better advised than to take one of the many organized excursions recommended by the Vancouver Tourist Office.

Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre nature preserve, is Vancouver's best-known landmark and a muy for any visitor. It was established in 1887 and, in the opinion of many, is the most beautiful urban park in the world. Contrary to popular belief, this park was not established through the foresight of the city council of the day, but at the urging of a real estate developer called Oppenheimer. He is now considered the father of Stanley Park. All areas of the park are accessible to the public except for Dead Man's Island, which has a small naval base.

The Eco Walk is a fun and informative way to see the park. The guide gives information on the trees, plants, birds, and animals as well as on the rich aboriginal culture and legends of the park. The walking is medium paced, taking 3 hours to complete and covering 5 miles of relatively flat paved and graveled trails over the selected seawall and forest paths. This walk is suitable for families, including active seniors.

There is also a world-class aquarium in the park and was the first to have killer whales in captivity and probably the first one to stop making them into a side-show. The aquarium feels the purpose of keeping the whales, namely re-educating the public and stopping the hunting of them, has been accomplished. In 2000, the last remaining killer whale at the aquarium was sold to Sealand in California, where it died shortly after arriving. The main threat to the park is the sheer volume of people who want to be in it. Efforts are being made to restrict the amount of automobile traffic passing through One of the ultimate goals is to eliminate the causeway leading to Lions Gate Bridge, but this will not likely occur until well into the 21st century.

Beaches are also a big attraction and temperatures are usually high enough to tempt most people to have a swim. However, one of the biggest days on these beaches is on New Year's Day when the annual “Polar Bear Swim” attracts several hundred die-hard individuals out to prove that Vancouver is a year-round swimming destination.

Chinatown is North America's third-largest, in terms of area, after San Francisco and New York. It is steeped in history and is well worth walking around. It is most active on Sundays when people head to any of the wide selection of restaurants that offer dim sum. Chinatown also contains the world's thinnest building at only 1.8 meters wide.

Questions 1-7

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the reading passage?

Write

YES              -     if the statement agrees with the views of the writer 
NO                -    if the statement contradicts the views of the writer 
NOT GIVEN  -   if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about thi

NOT GIVEN

1. When compared with Toronto, Vancouver has some similarities.
2. If time is limited, it is inadvisable to go on any of the official day trips available.
3. Oppenheimer built Stanley Park with the help of the city council.
4. Fit elderly people can take the eco-walk comfortably due to the leveled paths.
5. The aquarium's decision to sell its last killer whale was wrong.
6. The main problem in the park is that the people are too loud.
7. The warm weather makes Vancouver beaches a popular destination for swimming.

Yes/no/not given Practice exercise 3

Answer questions 1-5 which are based on the reading passage below.

Hey Joy Reading Passage

If you ask 100 people what would make them happy, the majority of them will respond "winning the lotto." Even if they received a large sum of money, they would return to their prior level of happiness within a year. Money serves various purposes, but more money does not equal more happiness. Leading psychologists and sociologists have conducted surveys in recent years that have all concluded that while people's tangible wealth can improve with time, it has no influence on their happiness. And what is true for individuals may be extended to the global population on a greater scale.

Statistics show that affluent countries do not score higher on the happiness scale than emerging or poor countries. Increased wealth plays no significant influence after the basic needs of appropriate housing and nutrition are met. So, what's the big deal about getting rich? According to researchers, the answer is straightforward. Whether it's jealousy, competitiveness, or simply keeping up with the Joneses, no matter how great we're doing, somebody else is always doing better. Just as we buy a new $25,000 car, our next-door neighbor parks his brand-new $40,000 vehicle in his driveway, causing us considerable distress but also fueling new ambitions. As a result, the cycle repeats itself. Money, or material wealth, is a powerful motivator, but it is not the source of our happiness.

What is the key to happiness if money isn't the answer? Family life offered the highest source of satisfaction in all 44 countries surveyed by a reputable research institute. Unmarried people and, surprise, couples in a cohabitation relationship live three years longer and have better physical and psychological health than married people. Having a family improves one's well-being, and spending more time with one's family improves one's well-being even further. Subjective well-being is closely correlated with the social connection among families, neighborhoods, workplaces, communities, and religious groups. In fact, the extent to which people are socially connected is the best indicator of their pleasure.

Another important component is friendship. Returning to the dollar-equals-happiness equation, having a companion was shown to be worth $50,000 in one study, confirming the well-known occurrence that loneliness can contribute to sadness. Work is another important aspect of pleasure, and certain characteristics are strongly linked to it. These include autonomy over how, where, and when work is completed, employer-employee trust, fair treatment, and active participation in decision-making. Professionals and managers, who are in charge of their work rather than obedient to their employers, are more likely to be happy at work. Inequality means that individuals in a lower position have less power, while those in a stronger position have a greater danger of losing their privileges.

Questions 1- 5

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?

Write

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO, if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

1. Money serves more purposes and more happiness to people
2. Even rich countries can’t overtake the poor countries in happiness
3. Money and material wealth is powerful motivators and sources of the happiness
4. If you work hard, you will not have time for your personal relationships
5. Work is another element of happiness, right?

Yes/no/not given Practice exercise 4

Answer questions 1-7 which are based on the reading passage below.

Most research of animal navigation

Most research on animal navigation has been carried out with homing pigeons, and this research over many decades has served only to deepen the problem of understanding their direction-finding ability. Navigation is goal-directed and implies that the animals know where their home is even when they are in an unfamiliar place, and have to cross unfamiliar terrain.

Homing pigeons can find their way back to their loft over hundreds of miles of unfamiliar terrain. Migrating European swallows travel thousands of miles to their feeding grounds in Africa, and in the spring return to their native place. Some dogs, cats, horses and other domesticated animals also have a good sense of direction and can make their way home from unfamiliar places many miles away.

Pigeons do not know their way home by remembering the twists and turns of the outward journey. Birds taken in closed vans by devious routes find their way home perfectly well. Similarly, birds that have been anaesthetized on the outward journey, or transported in rotating drums can also find their way home. Furthermore, they do not navigate by the sun, because pigeons can fly home on cloudy days and can even be trained to navigate at night. However, they may use the sun as a simple compass to keep their bearings. Although they use landmarks in familiar terrain, they can fly home from unfamiliar places hundreds of kilometres from their home, with no familiar landmarks. The sense of smell also does not aid navigation from a long distance, particularly when the wind is downward; but, it does play a part in their homing ability when they are near the familiar territory. 

Some biologists hope that the homing of pigeons might turn out to be explicable in terms of a magnetic sense. But even if pigeons have a compass-sense (which is not proven), this could not explain their ability to navigate. If you were taken blindfolded to an unknown destination and given a compass, you would know where north was, but not the direction of your home.

Questions 1- 5

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?

Write

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

1.Research on navigation has enriched our understanding of animals' ability to find directions.
2.When in a foreign land, animals manage remarkable feats of travel to find their home. 
3.Pigeons rely more on their sense of smell than on familiar landmarks for navigation. 
4.Experts have successfully explained the navigational skills of pigeons with the help of magnetic theory.
5.It is easy to determine the directions with the help of a compass.

Yes/no/not given Practice exercise 5

Answer questions 1-7 which are based on the reading passage below.

A. The Lumière Brothers opened their Cinématographe, at 14 Boulevard des Capucines in Paris, to 100 paying customers over 100 years ago, on December 8, 1895. Before the eyes of the stunned, thrilled audience, photographs came to life and moved across a flat screen.

B. So ordinary and routine has this become to us that it takes a determined leap of the imagination to grasp the impact of those first moving images. But it is worth trying, for to understand the initial shock of those images is to understand the extraordinary power and magic of cinema, the unique, hypnotic quality that has made film the most dynamic, effective art form of the 20th century.

C. One of the Lumière Brothers' earliest films was a 30-second piece which showed a section of a railway platform flooded with sunshine. A train appears and heads straight for the camera. And that is all that happens. Yet the Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky, one of the greatest of all film artists, described the film as a 'work of genius'. 'As the train approached,' wrote Tarkovsky, 'panic started in the theater: people jumped and ran away. That was the moment when cinema was born. The frightened audience could not accept that they were watching a mere picture. Pictures were still, only reality moved; this must, therefore, be reality. In their confusion, they feared that a real train was about to crush them.'

D. Early cinema audiences often experienced the same confusion. In time, the idea of film became familiar, the magic was accepted -but it never stopped being magic. Film has never lost its unique power to embrace its audiences and transport them to a different world. For Tarkovsky, the key to that magic was the way in which cinema created a dynamic image of the real flow of events. A still picture could only imply the existence of time, while time in a novel passed at the whim of the reader. But in cinema, the real, objective flow of time was captured.

E. One effect of this realism was to educate the world about itself. Cinema makes the world smaller. Long before people traveled to America or anywhere else, they knew what other places looked like; they knew how other people worked and lived. Overwhelmingly, the lives recorded - at least in film fiction — have been American. From the earliest days of the industry, Hollywood has dominated the world film market. American imagery - the cars, the cities, the cowboys - became the primary imagery of film. Film carried American life and values around the globe.

F. And, thanks to film, future generations will know the 20th century more intimately than any other period. We can only imagine what life was like in the 14lh century or in classical Greece. But the life of the modern world has been recorded on film in massive, encyclopedic detail. We shall be known better than any preceding generations.

G. The 'star' was another natural consequence of cinema. The cinema star was effectively born in 1910. Film personalities have such an immediate presence that, inevitably, they become super-real. Because we watch them so closely and because everybody in the world seems to know who they are, they appear more real to us than we do ourselves. The star as a magnified human self is one of cinema's most strange and enduring legacies.

H. Cinema has also given a new lease of life to the idea of the story. When the Lumière Brothers and other pioneers began showing off this new invention, it was by no means obvious how it would be used. All that mattered at first was the wonder of movement. Indeed, some said that, once this novelty had worn off, cinema would fade away. It was no more than a passing gimmick, a fairground attraction.

I. Cinema might, for example, have become primarily a documentary form. Or it might have developed like television - as a strange, noisy transfer of music, information and narrative. But what happened was that it became, overwhelmingly, a medium for telling stories. Originally these were conceived as short stories - early producers doubted the ability of audiences to concentrate for more than the length of a reel. Then, in 1912, an Italian 2-hour film was hugely successful, and Hollywood settled upon the novel-length narrative that remains the dominant cinematic convention of today.

J. And it has all happened so quickly. Almost unbelievably, it is a mere 100 years since that train arrived and the audience screamed and fled, convinced by the dangerous reality of what they saw, and, perhaps, suddenly aware that the world could never be the same again - that, maybe, it could be better, brighter, more astonishing, more real than reality.

Questions 1-4

• Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 1 ?
• In boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet, write
• YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
• NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
• NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

1. It is important to understand how the first audiences reacted to the cinema.
2. The Lumiere Brothers’ film about the train was one of the greatest films ever made.
3. Cinema presents a biased view of other countries.
4. Storylines were important in very early cinema.

Answers for Practice exercises

1. Yes

Explanation: Paragraph 1 -  Imagining a life without technological devices in the vicinity is an unpleasant thought for most people.

2. Not Given

Explanation: Paragraph 2 mentions that nowadays, teenagers prefer the internet over books for any information, but the writer’s view regarding what must be the teenagers’ preference is not clear.

3. Yes

Explanation: Paragraph 3 - We have improved with technology, but we have not thought of an alternative if technology does not work.

4. Not Given

Explanation: Paragraph 3 states the importance of an alternative setup. While the technology in use may be state-of-the-art, having a reliable backup is equally important. However, it is not clear whether an alternative setup is always reliable.

5. No 

Explanation: Paragraph 4 - Sophisticated systems ... However, there are inherent risks. For example, even upgraded security systems may be vulnerable to the slightest malfunction. A minor change in readings, codes, or chips with malicious intent may harm innocent people and society at large. 

6. Yes 

Explanation: Paragraph 5 - Face-to-face meetings have been replaced by chats and text messages on social media. Reduced face-to-face interaction has kept smartphone users away from real-life situations. The virtual world cannot replace real-life situations that demand communication skills, problem-solving skills, tolerance, and receptivity to coexist in society. 

Vancouver Reading Answers

1. No

Explanation: Paragraph 1 - There is little comparison with other large Canadian cities such as Toronto or Montreal, which are more akin to the large eastern US centers like New York and Chicago.

Little comparison means there is hardly any comparison.

2. No

Explanation: Paragraph 2 - Vancouver offers a wide range of attractions catering to all tastes but those with only a day to spare cannot be better advised than to take one of the many organized excursions recommended by the Vancouver Tourist Office.

3. Not Given

Explanation: Paragraph 2 - states ...this park was not established through the foresight of the city council of the day but at the urging of a real estate developer called Oppenheimer.

But, it does not mention any help from the city council.

4. Yes

Explanation: Paragraph 4 - The Eco Walk is a fun and informative way to see the park...relatively flat paved and graveled trails over the selected seawall and forest paths. This walk is suitable for families, including active seniors.

5. Not Given

Explanation: Paragraph 5 - mentions that, In 2000, the last remaining killer whale at the aquarium was sold to Sealand in California, where it died shortly after arriving. But, there is no mention of what the writer thinks about this decision.

6. No

Explanation: Paragraph 5 - The main threat to the park is the sheer volume of people who want to be in it.

The question statement means that visitors to the park make a lot of noise. The word 'volume' in the passage indicates a large number of people, not the intensity of sound. 

7. Yes

Explanation: Paragraph 6 - Beaches are also a big attraction and temperatures are usually high enough to tempt most people to have a swim.

Hey Joy Reading Answers

1. No

Explanation: Paragraph 1 - Money serves various purposes, but more money does not equal more happiness.

Money serves more purposes but it doesn’t equate to happiness. So, money can’t bring you happiness.

2. Yes

Explanation: Paragraph 2 - Statistics show that affluent countries do not score higher on the happiness scale than emerging or poor countries. 

3. No

Explanation: Paragraph 3 - As a result, the cycle repeats itself. Money, or material wealth, is a powerful motivator, but it is not the source of our happiness.

Money and material wealth can be a motivator but it is not a source of happiness.

4. Not given

Explanation: Paragraph 4 - The particular information is not found in the passage.

5. Yes 

Explanation: Paragraph 5 - Work is another important aspect of pleasure, and certain characteristics are strongly linked to it.

Also, check the IELTS academic reading table completion

Most research of animal navigation Reading Answers

1. Answer: False

Explanation: Paragraph 1- This research over many decades has served only to deepen the problem of understanding their direction-finding ability. According to the passage, the research on animal navigation has merely complicated the understanding of animals’ ability to fly using directions. 

2. Answer: True

Explanation: Paragraph 1- The animals know where their home is even when they are in an unfamiliar place and have to cross unfamiliar terrain. 
Paragraph 2 mentions some examples of animals coming back to their homes after crossing vast unknown areas.

3. Answer: Not Given

Explanation: Paragraph 3 mentions pigeons using familiar landmarks and their sense of smell in flying back home from nearby areas, but there is no comparison stated between the two.

4. Answer: False

Explanation: Paragraph 4- Some biologists hope that the homing of pigeons might turn out to be explicable in terms of a magnetic sense. Biologists are still hoping that pigeons' ability to return home can be explained because of their magnetic sense.

5. Answer: True

Explanation: Paragraph 4- If you were taken blindfolded to an unknown destination and given a compass, you would know where north was. The above sentence mentions that one can know the north direction with the help of a compass and it can be generalised for all the directions.

The Lumiere Brothers Reading Answers

6. Yes

Explanation:  But it is worth trying, for to understand the initial shock of those images is to understand the extraordinary power and magic of cinema, the unique, hypnotic quality that has made film the most dynamic, effective art form of the 20th century. The given answer is located in paragraph B in the 2- 4 lines.

7. Not given

8. Not given

9. No

Explanation: All that mattered at first was the wonder of movement. The given answer is located in paragraph H in 3 lines.

Conclusion

The tips, strategies, and exercises presented on this page will be useful for you to expand your knowledge , skill Building and confidence level in attempting the IELTS academic reading yes/no/not given question. We trust this blog will be helpful for mock test and you to attain your expected score in the IELTS academic reading task to practice.