IELTS Reading - Target #1

Using the First Paragraph to Make Predictions

The first paragraphs of a passage can help you make predictions about the context of a passage.

The first paragraph often contains:

• the topic sentence (a summary of the main idea of the passage)
• a definition of the topic
• the author's opinion
• clues to the organization of the passage

If you understand the first paragraph, you will understand the topic, the author's opinion (if any), and where to look for information within the passage.

Read this first paragraph of a passage on the illness, obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCR) is clinically diagnosed as an anxiety disorder. This disorder affects up to 4 percent of adults and children. People who suffer from this debilitat¬ing disorder have distressing and obsessive thoughts, which usually cause them to perform repetitive behaviors' such as counting silently or washing their hands. Though OCR suffer¬ers understand that their obsessions are unrealistic, they find it stressful to put these intru¬sive thoughts out of their minds. Those who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder develop strict behavioral' patterns that become extremely time-consuming and begin to interfere with daily routines. Many people with OCR delay seeking treatment because they are ashamed of their own thoughts and behavior.

Topic Sentence:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is clinically diagnosed as an anxiety disorder.

Definition of Topic:

People who suffer from this debilitating disorder have distressing and obsessive thoughts, which usually cause them to perform repetitive behaviors.

Author's Opinion:

None given.

Organizational Clues:

The author may discuss

• Obsessive behavior,

• Stress of sufferers, and/or

• Treatment

PRACTICE 1

Read these introductory paragraphs to other passages. Make predictions about the topics using these first paragraphs.

1. The spread of wildfire is a natural phenomenon that occurs throughout the world and is especially common in forested areas of North America, Australia, and Europe. Locations that receive plenty of rainfall but also experience periods of intense heat or drought are particularly susceptible to wildfires. As plant matter dries out, it becomes brittle and highly flammable. In this way, many wildfires are seasonal, ignited by natural causes, most specifically lightning. However, human carelessness and vandalism also account for thousands of wildfires around the globe each year. To gain a clear understanding of how wildfires spread, it is necessary to analyze what it takes to both create and control these fires.

2. The term "bird brain" has long been a common means of expressing doubts about a person's intelligence. In reality, birds may actually be a great deal more intelligent than humans have given them credit for. For a long time, scientists considered birds to be of lesser intelligence because the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that humans and other animals use for intelligence, is relatively small in size. Now scientists understand that birds actually use a different part of their brain, the hyperstriatum, for intelligence. Observations of different species of birds, both in the wild and in captivity, have shown a great deal of evidence of high levels of avian intelligence.

3. In 1834, a little girl was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts. She would grow up to become one of the richest women in the world. Per name was Petty Green, but she was known to many as the Witch of Wall Street.

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