Exercise 2: Multiple Matching

British & IGCSE › Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language (0510)

What Exercise 2 is

Exercise 2 is the second reading exercise in Paper 1 (Reading and Writing). It is a multiple-matching task. You read one text of about 600–650 words. The text is either one continuous text divided into up to five sections, or up to five short texts on the same topic, for example four young people (A–D) each describing a hobby. Under the text there is one question, Question 7, with nine parts, (a) to (i). Each part is a statement, and you decide which section or person the statement is true for. You answer with a letter only.

Nine marks is a lot: it is almost a third of the reading marks. Strong students treat Exercise 2 as the place to earn marks, not lose them. The good news is that the answer is always in the text. You never need your own opinion. The difficulty is that the statements never use the same words as the text. Exercise 2 is really a test of paraphrase: can you recognise the same idea when it is written in different words?

The golden rules of Exercise 2

• One statement, one letter. Each of (a)–(i) has exactly one correct answer.
• A letter can be used more than once. With nine statements and only four or five sections, some letters must be used two or three times. Do not cross a person off after you use them once.
• Not every section has to be used the same number of times. One person might be the answer three times and another only once. Never 'balance' your answers.
• The statement must match the WHOLE idea, not just one word. 'Spent more than they intended' is not the same as 'spent a lot'.
• Words that appear in the statement are often NOT where the answer is. If the statement says 'calm' and the word 'calm' appears in Section B, be suspicious. The question writers rarely use the same words as the text.
• Never leave a blank. There is no penalty for a wrong letter, so if you are truly stuck at the end, choose the most likely letter.

The method, step by step

This method combines two things: reading the statements first so you know what you are hunting for, and then reading the text one section at a time, very carefully. Reading all four people quickly in one go is the most common reason students mix up who said what.

1. Read all nine statements first (about 2 minutes). Underline the key idea in each one: usually a verb or adjective, such as *regrets*, *was surprised*, *spent more than intended*, *disagrees*.
2. Paraphrase each statement in your head. Ask: 'How might a teenager say this in real life?' 'Spent more than intended' might appear as 'it was far more expensive than I expected' or 'it cost a fortune, way over my budget'. Write a tiny note of 1–3 words next to each statement if it helps you, e.g. '(b) over budget'.
3. Read Section A only, slowly and carefully. Understand what this person did, felt and thinks. Do not look at Section B yet.
4. Go back to the statements and match Section A. Which statements are clearly about Section A? Write the letter A next to them. Underline the evidence in the text and write the statement letter in the margin, e.g. '(e)'.
5. Repeat for Section B, then C, then D (and E if there is one). Each time, check ALL the statements, including ones you have already answered. If a second section seems to match the same statement, compare the two pieces of evidence word by word and keep the one that matches the whole statement.
6. Deal with what is left. Any statements without a letter now: re-read the statement, re-paraphrase it, and scan every section again for that idea only. Usually the answer is in a section you read too fast.
7. Check every answer has evidence. Before you move on, run down (a)–(i): for each letter you must be able to point to a phrase in the text. 'I just feel it is A' is not evidence.

How paraphrase works in Exercise 2: worked examples

Here is the most important skill on this page. In each example, read the short extract, then see how the statement says the same thing in different words. Notice that no key word is repeated.

The biggest trap: the same word in several sections

Writers of this exercise know that weak students hunt for matching words. So they put the topic word of a statement in two or three sections, but the full idea in only one. Look at this mini-example.

A: 'Equipment is expensive, everyone knows that, so I saved up for a year before I started.'

B: 'My parents paid for the equipment, which was very generous of them.'

C: 'I had a budget of 500 pounds, but by the time I had bought everything, I'd spent nearly double.'

1. Which person found the equipment more expensive than they had expected?

   Show answer

   C. 'A budget of 500… spent nearly double' = more than expected. A uses the word *expensive*, but A knew it would be expensive, so it was not more than expected. B mentions *equipment* and money, but says nothing about the price being a surprise. The section with the word 'expensive' (A) is the trap.

The lesson: a shared word is a warning sign, not a clue. Always ask: 'Does this section match every part of the statement?'

Timing

The exam does not give a time for each exercise. Paper 1 lasts 2 hours for 60 marks. The time plan on the exam overview page gives about 55 minutes to the four reading exercises, 55 minutes to the two writing exercises and 10 minutes to a final check. Exercise 2 carries 9 marks and has the longest text, so give it about 15 minutes.

A short worked walkthrough

Read these three short sections. Then see how each statement is matched step by step.

A (Hana): 'I joined the drama club because my best friend did. I was sure I'd hate it, but by the end of the first term I was asking for bigger parts.'

B (Ziad): 'I've always loved acting. What I didn't realise was how much time it takes. I've had to stop going to the gym because rehearsals are every evening.'

C (Mona): 'Acting has given me confidence. Last year I couldn't speak in front of the class, but this year I gave a speech at the school prize-giving.'

1. (1) Which person changed their attitude towards the activity?

   Show answer

   A. 'I was sure I'd hate it, but… I was asking for bigger parts' = negative attitude at first, positive later. B 'always loved acting' – no change of attitude. C changed in confidence, not in attitude to drama.

2. (2) Which person had to give up something else?

   Show answer

   B. 'I've had to stop going to the gym' = gave up another activity. The word 'time' might also make you think of A ('first term'), but A gave nothing up.

3. (3) Which person says the activity helped them in another area of school life?

   Show answer

   C. 'gave a speech at the school prize-giving' = another area of school life. A mentions the term and B mentions rehearsals, but neither talks about an effect outside drama.

Full practice: Growing our own food

Now try a complete Exercise 2. Give yourself 15 minutes. Use the method above: statements first, then one person at a time. Write a letter for each statement. The answers, the evidence and the explanation of each trap are below.

A – Karim, 16

It all started when my grandmother came to stay with us for the summer. She grew up on a farm near Fayoum, and she couldn't believe that we bought every single tomato from the supermarket. Before she went home, she helped me fill six old paint buckets with soil on our balcony, and I planted tomatoes, mint and peppers. I'll be honest: the first month was a disaster. I watered everything twice a day because I thought more water meant faster growth, and half the plants rotted. Now I check the soil with my finger first, and the balcony is so full of green that people across the street have started asking me for advice. My biggest reward isn't the vegetables, though. My younger brother used to refuse to eat anything green, but since he started helping me pick the peppers, he eats them straight off the plant. Mum says that's worth more than anything we save on shopping.

B – Sara, 15

Our school has a small garden behind the sports hall, and last year nobody was looking after it. I asked the head teacher if our class could take it over, and to my surprise she agreed immediately. We grow lettuce, beans and strawberries, and we sell what we harvest at the school gate every Thursday. The money goes towards new seeds and tools, so the garden pays for itself. In May we even sold enough strawberries to buy a small water tank. What I didn't expect was how much I would learn about people. Some classmates who hardly ever spoke in lessons turned out to be brilliant organisers, and one boy who was always in trouble now keeps all our accounts. The hardest part is the long summer holiday, when the school is closed. This year we made a rota so that two students come in each week to water, and it worked perfectly.

C – Daniel, 17

I live in a flat with no balcony at all, so I thought gardening was impossible for me. Then I watched a video about growing herbs indoors under special lamps, and I decided to try. I built a three-shelf system in my bedroom from an old bookcase. It cost more than I had planned, because the lamps alone took two months of pocket money, but I now grow basil, coriander and lettuce all year round, whatever the weather outside. The lamps are on a timer, so they switch on at six every morning and off at eight at night. Some of my friends laugh and say my room looks like a science laboratory. I don't mind. I'm hoping to study plant science at university, so I keep a notebook recording how fast each plant grows under different lights. My teacher says it could become a school project one day.

D – Yusuf, 16

My family moved from a village to the city three years ago, and I really missed being around plants. My uncle suggested the roof of our building, which was just being used to store broken furniture. At first, some neighbours complained that the weight of the soil would damage the roof, so we invited them up to see what we were doing and showed them the light plastic containers we use. Now five families share the space, and each one has its own section. Last month we held our first harvest dinner, and every family brought a dish made from something grown on the roof. I'm in charge of the compost: I collect fruit and vegetable peelings from every flat and turn them into rich soil. It smells terrible on hot days, I admit! Growing food hasn't saved us much money, because seeds and pots are not cheap. But the roof is the one place in the city where I feel calm.

Question 7. Which person…

• (a) says that a relative's eating habits have changed? ……
• (b) spent more money than they had intended? ……
• (c) dealt with objections from people who were worried about the project? ……
• (d) discovered that some people had abilities they had not shown before? ……
• (e) made an early mistake because they believed something that was not true? ……
• (f) is able to grow food in every season? ……
• (g) says that the garden has a positive effect on their mood? ……
• (h) made arrangements so that the garden was looked after during a break? ……
• (i) is collecting information that might help with their future studies? ……

[Total: 9 marks]

1. (a) says that a relative's eating habits have changed?

   Show answer

   Answer: A. Evidence: 'My younger brother used to refuse to eat anything green, but… he eats them straight off the plant.' Why: *a relative* = *my younger brother* · *eating habits have changed* = *used to refuse… now eats*. Trap: D mentions a relative (*my uncle*) and food (*harvest dinner*), but nothing about anyone's eating habits changing.

2. (b) spent more money than they had intended?

   Show answer

   Answer: C. Evidence: 'It cost more than I had planned, because the lamps alone took two months of pocket money.' Why: *more than they had intended* = *more than I had planned*. Trap: D says *seeds and pots are not cheap* and the garden *hasn't saved us much money*. That shows cost, but NOT spending more than planned. This is the half-match trap.

3. (c) dealt with objections from people who were worried about the project?

   Show answer

   Answer: D. Evidence: 'Some neighbours complained that the weight of the soil would damage the roof, so we invited them up… and showed them the light plastic containers.' Why: *objections* = *complained* · *worried about the project* = *would damage the roof* · *dealt with* = *invited them up… showed them*. Trap: C's friends *laugh*, but that is teasing, not a worry, and Daniel does nothing about it. B's head teacher *agreed immediately*, so there was no objection.

4. (d) discovered that some people had abilities they had not shown before?

   Show answer

   Answer: B. Evidence: 'Some classmates who hardly ever spoke in lessons turned out to be brilliant organisers, and one boy who was always in trouble now keeps all our accounts.' Why: *discovered* = *turned out to be* · *abilities they had not shown before* = *hardly ever spoke… brilliant organisers*. Trap: A's grandmother has farming skills, but everyone already knew she grew up on a farm, so nothing was discovered. C's teacher praises his notebook, but that is about Daniel himself, not other people.

5. (e) made an early mistake because they believed something that was not true?

   Show answer

   Answer: A. Evidence: 'I watered everything twice a day because I thought more water meant faster growth, and half the plants rotted.' Why: *believed something that was not true* = *I thought more water meant faster growth* · *early mistake* = *the first month was a disaster*. Trap: C says *it cost more than I had planned*, which is an unwelcome surprise, but not a mistake caused by a false belief.

6. (f) is able to grow food in every season?

   Show answer

   Answer: C. Evidence: 'I now grow basil, coriander and lettuce all year round, whatever the weather outside.' Why: *in every season* = *all year round, whatever the weather outside*. The indoor lamps make this possible. Trap: B mentions *the long summer holiday* and D mentions *hot days*, but these are problems with heat or closure, not growing food in every season.

7. (g) says that the garden has a positive effect on their mood?

   Show answer

   Answer: D. Evidence: 'The roof is the one place in the city where I feel calm.' Why: *a positive effect on their mood* = *where I feel calm*. Trap: A says *my biggest reward isn't the vegetables*, which looks like a feelings answer, but his reward is his brother's new habit, not his own mood.

8. (h) made arrangements so that the garden was looked after during a break?

   Show answer

   Answer: B. Evidence: 'The hardest part is the long summer holiday, when the school is closed. This year we made a rota so that two students come in each week to water.' Why: *a break* = *the long summer holiday* · *made arrangements* = *made a rota* · *looked after* = *come in each week to water*. Trap: A's grandmother stayed *for the summer*, but she was a visitor, and no arrangement was made to look after the garden.

9. (i) is collecting information that might help with their future studies?

   Show answer

   Answer: C. Evidence: 'I'm hoping to study plant science at university, so I keep a notebook recording how fast each plant grows.' Why: *collecting information* = *keep a notebook recording* · *future studies* = *study plant science at university*. Trap: B says *how much I would learn about people*, but that is learning now, not collecting information for future studies.

Notice: A is used twice, B twice, C three times and D twice. Letters were used more than once, and not equally. That is normal.

Final checklist

• I read all the statements first and paraphrased each one.
• I read one section at a time and matched it before moving on.
• I used letters more than once where the evidence showed it.
• Every answer has evidence underlined in the text.
• I checked that the evidence matches the WHOLE statement, not just one word.
• I checked time words (at first, now) and negatives (never, didn't).
• No statement is left blank.