When you get sentence completion questions you must fill in the miss word or words with an appropriate word(s) taken from the reading passage. The completed sentence must be grammatically correct. This is a common type of question in IELTS reading. Below is a reading exercise for these types of questions, it is not an IELTS test paper. The passage is a similar level to academic reading.
Skim read the passage below and then spend time reading through the sentences in each question. Preparing paraphrased for words and think about what type of word you need to find to fill in the gap. Remember that answers do come in order.
Water Pollution
Clean and plentiful water provides the foundation for prosperous communities. We rely on clean water to survive, yet right now we are heading towards a water crisis. Changing climate patterns are threatening lakes and rivers, and key sources that we tap for drinking water are being overdrawn or tainted with pollution. NRDC experts are helping to secure safe and sufficient water for people and the environment by:
Promoting water efficiency strategies to help decrease the amount of water wasted;
Protecting our water from pollution by defending the Clean Water Act and advocating for solutions like green infrastructure;
Helping prepare cities, counties and states for water-related challenges they will face as a result of climate change; and
Ensuring that waterways have enough water to support vibrant aquatic ecosystems. Qs
Complete the sentences below with the correct word(s) taken from the passage. Use no more than three words and/or a number.
The keystone to any thriving society is to have ………………. water.
It can be said that a ………………. is currently imminent.
One way to help keep water clean is by the construction of …………………..
Dirty water can be a ………………. as chemicals and other pollutants enter the water supply.
Due to a lack of ……………….., some of our water resources are at risk of pollution.
Dirty water is the world’s biggest health risk, and continues to threaten both quality of life and public health in the United States. When water from rain and melting snow runs off roofs and roads into our rivers, it picks up toxic chemicals, dirt, trash and disease-carrying organisms along the way. Many of our water resources also lack basic protection, making them vulnerable to pollution from factory farms, industrial plants, and activities like fracking. This can lead to drinking water contamination, habitat degradation and beach closures. NRDC is working to protect our water from pollution by:
Drawing on existing protections in the Clean Water Act, and working to ensure that the law’s pollution control programs apply to all important waterways, including headwater streams and wetlands, which provide drinking water for 117 million Americans;
Improving protections to reduce pollutants like bacteria and viruses, which threaten Americans’ health and well being; and
Establishing new pollution limits for top problem areas, such as sources of runoff and sewage overflows.
Questions 1-5
Complete the sentences below with the correct word(s) taken from the passage. Use no more than three words and/or a number.
The keystone to any thriving society is to have ………………. water.
With the increase in water pollution a ………………. is imminent.
One way to help keep water clean is by the construction of …………………..
Dirty water can be a ………………. as chemicals and other pollutants enter the water supply.
Due to a lack of ……………….., some of our water resources are at risk of pollution.
Click below to reveal the answers:
clean and plentiful
In this question, you require the word “and” because it is not given in the sentence. Always check whether it is required or not.
water crisis / crisis
green infrastructure
health risk
basic protection /protection
In answer keys, optional answers are usually written like this – (basic) protection. The use of brackets shows the option or options for extra words in the answer. You cannot do this in your test. You must choose one answer only.