Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
How teens hangout and stay in touch with their closest friends: a study of the attitudes of US teenagers aged 13 to 17
A. The way young people are making friends around the world is changing. A US survey asked teens to focus on all of the ways in which they spend time and interact — both digitally and in person — with the friend who is closest to them. Many teens say they 'hang out’ with their closest friend in online settings, such as social media sites or through gaming websites. More than half of teens hang out with their closest friend online on a regular basis, which is similar to the share of teens who spend time with close friends at someone's house. Teenage boys are especially likely to spend time online with close friends, as 62 % do so regularly, compared with 48% of teen girls.
B. Many of those who have met a friend online say they spend time with their closest friend on a regular basis online, which is somewhat higher than the 41 % of teens who have not met a friend online. While this does not necessarily mean that a teen's best friend is an online friend, it does suggest a certain comfort with interacting with friends and peers in an online space for this group of teens.
C. Neighborhoods also are a popular place for teens to connect with one another —42% of teens spend time around a neighborhood with their closest friend. Boys are more likely than girls to spend time with their closest friend in a neighborhood. Nearly half of teenage boys say this is where they regularly spend time with their closest friend, compared with 36% of girls.
D. About a third of teen girls spend time with their closest friend at a coffee shop or shopping centre. Roughly one-quarter of teens regularly spend time with their best friend at these places. Girls are twice as likely as boys to hang out in these locations: 30% of teen girls regularly spend time with their closest friend there, compared with only 16% of boys.
E. Frequent contact with closest friends is facilitated by mobile devices and social media. Teens today have more ways to stay in touch with friends than ever before. Beyond daily interactions at school, teens are increasingly connected by smartphones, social media, gaming, and the internet.These new avenues of communication broaden what it even means to be 'friends', changing how teens connect and how they share with one another.
F. Mobile devices help facilitate frequent connections between dose friends. Teens who have mobile internet access — whether through a phone, tablet or other mobile device — are significantly more likely than those without this kind of access to be in frequent touch with their dosest friend. A full 60% of these teen mobile internet users are in touch daily with their dosest friend (induding 42% who make contact many times a day). This compares with 47% of those without mobile internet access who communicate daily with their closest friend, including 27% who do so many times a day. Focusing in on smartphone users, teens who have access to a smartphone also are likely to be in daily touch with their closest friend. Some 62% of teens with smartphone access are in touch with their closest friend daily, and 45% are in touch multiple times a day.
G. Phone-based methods are overall the most popular ways that teens communicate with their closest friends. Looking at the overall picture, texting comes out on top. Some 80% of teens say they use this as one of the three most common ways they get in touch. But phone calls — a technology from the analogue era — are the second most popular method overall, with 69% of teens citing it as one of their choices. This is followed closely by the 66% of teens who say social media is| in their top three preferences, while just 21 % of teens noted gaming in any of their choices. Other communication methods, such as video sharing, blogging and discussion sites were cited by 10% of teens or less. Some 21 % of teens, however, said 'something else' to any of the three most common ways they get in touch with their closest friend. Write- in answers reveal that some teens use video chatting, such as the popular iPhone service FaceTime, to get in touch with one another, as well as email.
The majority of teenagers spend time with their closest online friend on a .
The best friend of a teenager is someone online.
Almost of male teenagers spend time with their best friend in a neighbourhood.
New communication devices the meaning of what a friend is.
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Synonym match - the summary talks about how often teens hang out, and the passage uses a specific frequency phrase
Correct Answer: regular basis
Why this is correct: In paragraph A, the passage clearly says that teens hang out online on a regular basis. The summary paraphrases this idea of frequency, so you must copy the exact phrase from the passage.
Passage Reference: Many teens say they 'hang out' with their closest friend in online settings, such as social media sites or through gaming websites. More than half of teens hang out with their closest friend online on a regular basis
Common Mistake: Students often write often or frequently, but those words are not in the passage. You must copy the exact wording. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'on a regular basis' = Summary: 'how often they hang out'
Tips: When a summary mentions frequency, scan for phrases like "on a ... basis" in the passage.
Key Vocabulary:
- regular = happening again and again
- basis = way or pattern
Question Focus: Qualification - the passage weakens a conclusion instead of stating it strongly
Correct Answer: not necessarily
Passage Reference: While this does not necessarily mean that a teen's best friend is an online frien
Why this is correct: In paragraph B, the writer says it does not necessarily mean a teen's best friend is an online friend. The summary shortens this idea, so not necessarily fits perfectly.
Common Mistake: Some students write never or is not, which is too strong. The passage is careful and qualified. This is an extreme language trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'does not necessarily mean' = Summary: 'not always the case'
Tips: Watch for soft language like "not necessarily" or "does not always". IELTS often tests this.
Key Vocabulary:
- necessarily = in every case
- mean = show or indicate
Question Focus: Number paraphrase - the summary simplifies a percentage
Correct Answer: half
Passage Reference: D. About a third of teen girls spend time with their closest friend at a coffee shop or shopping centre. Roughly one-quarter of teens regularly spend time with their best friend at these places.
Why this is correct: Across paragraphs C and D, the passage repeatedly uses fractions and percentages. When the summary refers to around 50%, the simplest matching word from the passage is half.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes write 50%, but numbers are often paraphrased into words in summaries. Writing a number can break the style. This is a paraphrase trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'nearly half' = Summary: 'about half'
Tips: If the passage uses percentages, check if the summary wants the idea, not the exact number.
Key Vocabulary:
- roughly = approximately
- nearly = almost
Question Focus: Synonym match - the summary uses a verb describing effect or change
Correct Answer: broaden
Passage Reference: net.These new avenues of communication broaden what it even means to be 'friends', changing how teens connect and how they share with one another.
Why this is correct: Paragraph E explains that new communication methods broaden what it means to be friends. The summary shortens this sentence but keeps the same key verb.
Common Mistake: Students may write change or expand, but those words are not in the passage. You must copy the exact word. This is a synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'broaden what it even means to be friends' = Summary: 'make the meaning wider'
Tips: When a summary gap needs a verb, look for a strong action word in the passage.
Key Vocabulary:
- broaden = make wider
- avenues = ways or methods
General Tips:
- Summary completion questions follow passage order. Use the location of the last answer to find the next one faster.
- Always copy the exact word or words from the passage. Do not use your own synonyms.
- Check the grammar around the gap. Articles, verbs, and prepositions give strong clues.
- If the passage uses careful language like "not necessarily", your answer should also be careful.
- Manage your time. You have about 90 seconds per question in the Reading test.
The rest of this explanation is for members. Sign in free to read why the other options are wrong, key words and tips.
Sign in to read the full explanation