IELTS Reading Full Masterclass
Koalas + Sustainable Urban Evolution

Shahida Noreen – Smart English IELTS | Rahim Yar Khan | March 2026
Target Band 7.5+ | 60-minute practice

🚀 Key Strategies for Band 7.5+

Scan for signpost words: however, consequently, moreover, nevertheless
Watch qualifiers: only, completely, mainly, high, all → often change TRUE to FALSE
No exact information = NOT GIVEN. Never use outside knowledge!
Focus on meaning → synonyms & paraphrasing are very common

📅 Day 12 – True/False/Not Given: Koalas

The koala is native to Australia. While often called a koala bear, it is not a bear. Their diet consists almost exclusively of eucalyptus leaves, which are low in nutrients. They sleep up to 20 hours a day to conserve energy.

1. Koalas are native only to Australia. (T/F/NG)

2. Koalas belong to the bear family. (T/F/NG)

3. They get high nutrition from eucalyptus leaves. (T/F/NG)

4. Koalas in Victoria sleep less than in other regions. (T/F/NG)

1. TRUE – "native to Australia" (exclusivity implied, no other places mentioned).

2. FALSE – "it is not a bear" (direct contradiction).

3. FALSE – leaves are "low in nutrients" ("high" contradicts text).

4. NOT GIVEN – no information about regional sleep differences.

🌿 Passage 1: Green Roofs – Urban Sustainability

Rooftops covered with grass, vegetable gardens and lush foliage are now common in cities. Benefits include saving on energy costs through insulation, mitigating flood risk by absorbing rainwater, wildlife habitats, air pollution reduction, and urban food growing. However, challenges include high costs, maintenance, and limited research. London has doubled its green roof area through policies like the London Plan. Newer buildings offer greater potential due to flat roofs and stronger load-bearing capacity.

5. Green roofs lower energy bills through insulation. (T/F/NG)

6. Flood risks are completely eliminated by green roofs. (T/F/NG)

7. London leads Europe in green roof coverage. (T/F/NG)

5. TRUE – "saving on energy costs" via insulation (paraphrase).

6. FALSE – "mitigating" = reduce, not "completely eliminate".

7. NOT GIVEN – growth/doubling mentioned, no comparison or ranking with other cities.

🪵 Passage 2: Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) – Beyond Concrete

Concrete production emits approximately 8% of global CO₂ emissions, mainly from the cement manufacturing process. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is an engineered wood product with layers glued crosswise. It is as strong as concrete or steel, lighter, sequesters carbon, allows faster and quieter construction, and produces less waste. Limitations include fire resistance (improving with treatments) and scalability for very tall buildings (hybrids with concrete often used).

8. Concrete's CO₂ emissions come mainly from cement. (Yes/No/NG)

9. CLT fully replaces concrete in all tall buildings. (Yes/No/NG)

10. Fire resistance remains a concern for CLT. (Yes/No/NG)

8. YES – "mainly from the cement manufacturing process".

9. NO – limitations mean hybrids are common, not full replacement.

10. YES – "fire resistance (improving with treatments)" is still a concern.

🧠 Passage 3: The Myth of Creative Genius

Creativity is often viewed as an innate gift possessed by rare lone geniuses. However, research shows it is latent in most people and develops through collaboration, breaking routines, deliberate practice, and environmental factors. The idea of the lone genius is largely overstated or a myth; true innovation usually comes from teams and shared effort.

11. Creativity is an __________ gift. (one word from text)

12. The __________ genius is a myth. (one word from text)

11. innate – "innate gift" (exact match).

12. lone – "lone genius … myth".

Koalas | Green Roofs | CLT Timber | Creative Genius