Conquer That Clutter / Comprehension For IELTS - 2

For Reading Comprehension For IELTS - 1, Click here

Conquer That Clutter

(Reference: Reader’s Digest September 2014 )

Overwhelmed by the mess? We asked  some professional house organizers for tips to bring order into our lives.

When you are organizing, you should sort everything into five piles: move to another room, donate, give to a specific person, throw away, and , finally, the “marinating” pile. Pack up the marinating items, and label the box with a date that’s six months to a year later. If you never open the box before that date, you can safely discard those items.

Don’t rush. It will always take us at least five times longer to sort through a box of personal papers than we think it will.

Create rules about what you are keeping and what you are discarding. For example, you can decide to give away any clothing that’s not between size X and size Y, that’s stained, or that needs to be repaired.

Avoid lids … on laundry baskets, bins and other containers. They just make it harder to put things away.

Remove the clutter, don’t try and create more storage place. When we think we’re disorganized we often run out and buy containers or hooks. We come home and try to use them, and they are not the right type or size.
Golden rule: sort your stuff first.

Too much paper. Some of us are seriously scared to get rid of it. Remember, 80% of the paper we get we don’t need to keep. So it’s imperative to keep weeding out every single day, whether that’s megazines, brochures, mail or receipts.


Don’t postpone things that only take a few minutes. Put things away as soon as you are done with them.

Reading Comprehension

Q1. How many piles of stiff should you sort while organizing?
a. 8.
b. 9.
c. 5.
d. 2.

Q2. What if you never open the box before that labeled date?
a. You can safely discard those items.
b. Label again.
c. Reuse them.
d. Take off the label.

Q3. It will always take us at least _______ times longer to sort through.
a. 5.
b. 4.
c. 3.
d. None of the above.

Q4. Which one is the golden rule?
a. Buy hooks and containers first.
b. Never put the garbage away.
c. Sort your stuff first.
d. None of the above.

Q5. Which of the following is not a part of the given passage?
a. 80% of the papers we don’t need to keep.
b. Put things away as soon as you are done.
c. Don’t decide to give away anything.
d. None of the above.

Q6. Which item(s) can you safely discard?
a. Box you never open.
b. Things you use in your bathroom.
c. All marinating items.
d. None of the above.

Q7. What are the suitable synonyms for rush?

Q8. Why should you avoid lids on laundry baskets and bins?
a. Makes life easier.
b. Makes it harder to put things away.
c. It causes bedbugs.
d. None of the above.

Q9. What do we usually do when we think we are disorganized?
a. Buy containers and hooks.
b. We throw everything away.
c. Play with clutter.
d. Spread the mess.

Q10. What shouldn’t we postpone?
a. That takes more space.
b. That only takes a few minutes.
c. Sleeping hours.
d. Work life balance.

Editable Worksheet for Teachers:
Click here to download above Reading Passage, MCQs and Answer Sheet;
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u85GUAoiMb0RTYo0UtbYR5edbxXpRrsb/view?usp=sharing

(MCQs prepared by Mahrukh Fatima)

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