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Match a list of headings to paragraphs/sections.
You're given a list of headings (i–vii) and 5 paragraphs (A–E). For each paragraph, pick the best heading.
Paragraph C — Recent satellite imagery has changed what biologists thought they knew about the kakapo's habitat. Tracking individuals from above, researchers discovered that the birds traverse far larger ranges than the captive-population studies of the 1990s had suggested. Crucially, the data shows kakapos consistently avoid open grassland in favour of mid-altitude scrub even when food is more abundant in the lowlands — a preference that may reflect predator avoidance rather than diet.
Which heading best matches paragraph C?
Matching Headings tests your ability to identify the main idea or central theme of each paragraph, not specific details. Start by reading the list of headings carefully before touching the passage; underline keywords and notice which headings sound similar so you can disambiguate them later. Do not read the passage in full first. Instead, work paragraph by paragraph: read the first sentence (topic sentence), the last sentence, and skim the middle for repeated nouns and the controlling idea.
Ask yourself, 'What is this paragraph mainly about?' in your own words, then scan the heading list for the closest match. Cross out used headings as you go, since each heading is used only once. Tackle the easiest paragraphs first and leave ambiguous ones for a second pass; this prevents a single wrong choice from cascading. Watch for traps: a heading that simply repeats a word from the paragraph is often a distractor (keyword matching is rarely the right strategy here), and a heading describing only one example or detail rather than the overall point is wrong.
Beware of headings that are partially true but too narrow or too broad. If two headings seem to fit, decide which one covers every sentence in the paragraph rather than just one. Spend roughly 60-75 seconds per paragraph; budget around 8-10 minutes total for a typical set of 5-7 headings. Always write the Roman numeral (i, ii, iii) exactly as printed on the answer sheet, not the heading text.
If you genuinely cannot decide between two options after a second pass, pick the broader one and move on; never leave it blank because there is no penalty for wrong answers. Finally, re-check by re-reading only the first and last sentences of each paragraph against your chosen heading.
Each correctly matched heading is worth 1 mark, contributing to the 40-mark Academic Reading total. There is no partial credit and no penalty for wrong answers, so always guess. You must write the Roman numeral exactly as it appears (e.g., 'vii'); writing the heading text itself is marked wrong. Spelling is not an issue here because answers are numerals. Raw scores convert to band scores on a fixed scale: roughly 30/40 equates to Band 7, 35/40 to Band 7.5, and 23/40 to Band 6 in Academic Reading.
Tactical content is original synthesis based on these public IELTS prep resources.