What Matching Headings really tests

You match paragraph main ideas to short headings. A heading captures the overall message, not a single example or minor detail. One heading is used once. Some headings are not used.

The five step method

1. Skim first
   • Read the title, intro, and each paragraph’s first sentence.
2. Build a gist note
   • Write 3 to 6 words per paragraph that sum up the message.
3. Group headings
   • Mark types: cause, effect, contrast, solution, process, definition, example.
4. Match by meaning
   • Ignore repeated words. Choose the heading that fits the idea of the whole paragraph.
5. Eliminate actively
   • Cross out near matches that only fit a detail or one sentence.

What a good heading looks for

• Focus: the paragraph’s purpose, not its data points
• Scope: whole paragraph, not one statistic
• Relation: signposts like however, as a result, in contrast

High value signals inside paragraphs

• Definition: is, refers to, means
• Cause and effect: because, therefore, leads to
• Contrast: however, while, on the other hand
• Process or sequence: first, next, finally
• Problem and solution: challenge, to address this, we suggest

Mini passage and heading set

Headings
A. A simple fix for a common delay
B. Why early plans failed
C. The hidden cost of small errors
D. A new system that learns from users
E. How the service began

Passage
Para 1: The city bike program started in 2018 with a small fleet and paper forms. Early demand was high, but stations often ran out of bikes.
Para 2: Planners predicted peak hours wrongly, so bikes piled up in quiet areas and vanished in busy ones.
Para 3: Each late return forced staff to visit multiple stops, wasting fuel and time. Over a month, these small delays doubled labor costs.
Para 4: The team introduced an app that tracks flows and shifts bikes automatically at night using van routes suggested by rider activity.
Para 5: Placing two extra racks at a station near the market cut morning queues within a week.

Keys with reasons

• Para 1 → E (How the service began)
• Para 2 → B (Why early plans failed)
• Para 3 → C (Hidden cost of small errors)
• Para 4 → D (New system learns from users)
• Para 5 → A (Simple fix for a delay)

What to notice

• Matching uses paragraph purpose: origin, failure reason, cost, solution, quick fix.
• Repeated words like bikes appear everywhere and do not decide the match.

Common traps and fixes

• Trap: Matching a heading to a single sentence example.
  Fix: Ask what the paragraph tries to prove.
• Trap: Chasing repeated words in both the paragraph and a heading.
  Fix: Compare functions: contrast, cause, solution.
• Trap: Two headings feel close.
  Fix: Choose the one that fits all sentences, not just the first.
• Trap: Skipping unused headings.
  Fix: Use elimination. Leave confirmed ticks and cross outs visible.

Keyword ladders for meaning, not words

Create a quick ladder for each paragraph gist:

• Problem → cause → result
• Idea → example → limit
• Old method → issue → new method
  Then select the heading that names the top rung.

Timing plan (set of 5 to 7 paragraphs)

• 60 to 90 s skim title and topic sentences
• 4 to 5 min match headings with gist notes
• 60 s final check to confirm scope and remove word traps

Error tags for review

• WD = word trap decision
• DS = detail selected over summary
• SC = scope mismatch
• SP = signpost ignored
• UE = unused elimination

Rapid checklist before you move on

• Did I write a 3 to 6 word gist for each paragraph
• Does the heading match the whole paragraph
• Did I verify the function: cause, contrast, solution, process
• Did I eliminate near matches that fit only a detail
• Are any headings left unused and confirmed as such

Practice routine (10 minutes)

• 2 min: skim and write gist notes
• 6 min: match headings using elimination marks
• 2 min: review two hardest choices and state the function that decided them

Build your unique study system

1. Keep a function bank: list examples of contrast, cause, solution from past sets.
2. Make a gist notebook: practice writing one line per paragraph under 7 words.
3. Track error tags and write one fix rule per session.
4. Recycle headings: rewrite them as neutral phrases so you rely on meaning.
5. Weekly review: redo one old passage to see faster matches.

Final advice

Read for purpose, not for repeated words. Write tiny gist notes, sort headings by function, and eliminate actively. With steady practice, Matching Headings becomes quick, logical, and high scoring.