A wide range of IELTS Reading Questions!

Collected By- Sabbir Ahmed

Credit- simon-ielts

1. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following text about "green taxes" in Britain.
According to a survey, most Britons believe “green” taxes on 4×4s, plastic bags and other consumer
goods have been imposed to raise cash rather than change our behavior, while two-thirds of Britons think
the entire green agenda has been hijacked as a ploy to increase taxes.
The UK is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, a target that most experts
believe will be difficult to reach. The results of the poll by Opinium, a leading research company, indicate
that maintaining popular support for green policies may be a difficult act to pull off and attempts in the
future to curb car use and publicly fund investment in renewable resources will prove deeply unpopular.
The findings were released as the Prince of Wales yesterday called on Britain’s business leaders to take
“essential action” to make their firms more sustainable. Speaking in central London to some of the
country’s leading chief executives, Prince Charles said: “What more can I do but urge you, this country’s
business leaders, to take the essential action now to make your businesses more sustainable. I’m
exhausted with repeating that there really is no time to lose.”
Are the following statements true, false, or not given in the text?
1. Most Britons think that the Government wants to change people’s behavior.
2. By the year 2050 the Government will have imposed higher green taxes.
3. The survey predicts that it will be difficult to change people’s dependence on cars.
4. The Prince of Wales believes that most businesses are not sustainable.

2. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Look at the following extract from a text about a psychology experiment:
In the year 1971, Zimbardo accepted a tenured position as professor of psychology at Stanford University.
There he conducted the Stanford prison study, in which 21 normal college students were randomly
assigned to be "prisoners" or "guards" in a mock prison located in the basement of the psychology
building at Stanford. The two week planned study into the psychological impact of prison life ended only
after 6 days due to emotional trauma being experienced by the participants.
Are the following statements true, false or not given?
1. The participants in the study were all psychology students.
2. They were given the choice of playing the role of prisoner or guard.
3. A real prison was used in the experiment.
4. The study aimed to investigate the mental and behavioral effects of life in prison.
 3. IELTS Reading: Gap-Fill
Read the following text about universities.
Religion was central to the curriculum of early European universities. However, its role became less
significant during the 19th century, and by the end of the 1800s, the German university model, based on
more liberal values, had spread around the world. Universities concentrated on science in the 19th and
20th centuries, and became increasingly accessible to the masses. In Britain, the move from industrial
revolution to modernity saw the arrival of new civic universities with an emphasis on science and
engineering.
The funding and organization of universities vary widely between different countries around the world.
In some countries, universities are predominantly funded by the state, while in others, funding may come
from donors or from fees which students attending the university must pay.
Complete the sentences below with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.
1. The German university model, which became popular in the 19th century, promoted .
2. Over the last 200 years, a university education has become the general public.
3. Depending on the country, universities may be funded by the state, by donors, or by fee-paying
.

4. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the text below about Issac Newton.
Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist,
and theologian. His Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Latin for "Mathematical Principles
of Natural Philosophy"; usually called the Principia), published in 1687, is one of the most important
scientific books ever written. It lays the groundwork for most of classical mechanics.
Newton is considered by many scholars and members of the general public to be one of the most
influential people in human history. French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange often said that
Newton was the greatest genius who ever lived. Newton himself had been rather more modest of his own
achievements, famously writing in a letter to Robert Hooke in February 1676: “If I have seen further, it
is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
Are the following statements TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN?
1. Newton's Principia is recognized as a groundbreaking text in its field.
2. Many experts regard Newton as the greatest genius the world has seen.
3. Newton wrote that he had achieved everything without the help of others.
5. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given
Read the following text about photosynthesis in plants.
Although some of the steps in photosynthesis are still not completely understood, the overall
photosynthetic equation has been known since the 1800s.
Jan van Helmont began the research of the process in the mid-1600s when he carefully measured the
mass of the soil used by a plant and the mass of the plant as it grew. After noticing that the soil mass
changed very little, he hypothesised that the mass of the growing plant must come from the water, the
only substance he added to the potted plant. His hypothesis was partially accurate—much of the gained
mass also comes from carbon dioxide as well as water.
In 1796, Jean Senebier, a Swiss pastor, botanist, and naturalist, demonstrated that green plants consume
carbon dioxide and release oxygen under the influence of light. Soon afterwards, Nicolas-Théodore de
Saussure showed that the increase in mass of the plant as it grows could not be due only to uptake of
CO2, but also to the incorporation of water.
According to the text, are the following statements true, false or not given?
1. We now fully understand the process of photosynthesis.
2. Van Helmont's hypothesis did not take into account that plants consume carbon dioxide.
3. De Saussure demonstrated that both carbon dioxide and water contribute to an increase in
mass in plants as they grow.

6. IELTS Reading: don't 'over-think' the answer

I've noticed that many students get the wrong answer because they think too much! They worry about
small differences in meaning. For example, look at the following part of a reading passage:
The two week planned study into the psychological impact of prison life...
Now decide whether the following statement is true, false or not given:
The study aimed to investigate the mental and behavioural effects of life in prison.
The statement is true, but many students put not given because they "over-think" the meaning of
'psychological'. They think that the definition of psychological must be more complex than 'mental and
behavioral'.
Don't think too hard about small differences in meanings. 'Mental and behavioral' might not be a perfect
definition of 'psychological', but the overall meaning is the same (a simple definition of psychology is
the study of the mind and behavior).

7. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the text below about the Stanford marshmallow experiment.
The Stanford marshmallow experiment was a study on deferred gratification. The experiment was
conducted in 1972 by psychologist Walter Mischel of Stanford University. It has been repeated many
times since, and the original study at Stanford is regarded as one of the most successful experiments in
the study of human behaviour. In the study, a marshmallow was offered to each child. If the child could
resist eating the marshmallow, he was promised two instead of one. The scientists analysed how long
each child resisted the temptation of eating the marshmallow, and whether or not doing so had an effect
on their future success. The results provided researchers with great insight on the psychology of self-
control.
Are the following statements true, false or not given?
1. When repeated by other researchers, the experiment was less successful.
2. Children were offered a second marshmallow if they managed not to eat the first one.
3. Scientists found a correlation between resisting temptation and future success.
 8. IELTS Reading: difficult paragraph headings
Sometimes it's difficult to decide between two paragraph headings. Look at this example from
Cambridge IELTS 6.
Paragraph:
It was once assumed that improvements in telecommunications would lead to more dispersal in the
population as people were no longer forced into cities. However, the ISTP team's research demonstrates
that the population and job density of cities rose or remained constant in the 1980s after decades of
decline. The explanation for this seems to be that it is valuable to place people working in related fields
together. 'The new world will largely depend on human creativity, and creativity flourishes where people
come together face-to-face.'
Which paragraph heading would you choose and why?
1. The impact of telecommunications on population distribution
2. The benefits of working together in cities

9. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following passage from a text about linguistics Before the twentieth century, the term
"philology" was commonly used to refer to the science of language, which was then predominantly
historical in focus. However, this focus has shifted and the term "philology" is now generally used for
the "study of a language's grammar, history and literary tradition", especially in the United States. The
term "linguistics" is now the usual academic term in English for the scientific study of language.
Linguistics concerns itself with describing and explaining the nature of human language. Relevant to this
are the questions of what is universal to language, how language can vary, and how human beings come
to know languages. Humans achieve competence in whatever language is spoken around them when
growing up, with apparently little need for explicit conscious instruction.
Linguists assume that the ability to acquire and use language is an innate, biologically-based potential of
human beings, similar to the ability to walk. It is generally agreed that there are no strong genetic
differences underlying the differences between languages: an individual will acquire whatever
language(s) he or she is exposed to as a child, regardless of parentage or ethnic origin.
According to the text, are the following statements true, false or not given?
1. Up until the 1900s, the science of language was usually referred to as 'philology'.
2. In order to learn a language, children need a significant amount of instruction.
3. Research has shown that humans have an inbuilt capacity for language learning.

10. IELTS Reading: similar paragraph headings

Sometimes two paragraph headings are very similar, making it difficult to decide which one is correct.
Look at this example from Cambridge IELTS 1.
Paragraph:
For the first time, dictionary publishers are incorporating real, spoken English into their data. It gives
lexicographers (people who write dictionaries) access to a more vibrant, up-to-date vernacular language
which has never really been studied before. In one project, 150 volunteers each agreed to discreetly tie a
Walkman recorder to their waist and leave it running for anything up to two weeks. Every conversation
they had was recorded. When the data was collected, the length of tapes was 35 times the depth of the
Atlantic Ocean. Teams of audio typists transcribed the tapes to produce a computerised database of ten
million words.
Which paragraph heading would you chose, and why?
1. New method of research
2. The first study of spoken language

11. IELTS Reading: paragraph headings

Read the following paragraphs, taken from The Guardian newspaper.
A) The hunt for intelligent species outside Earth may be a staple of literature and film – but it is happening
in real life, too. Nasa probes are on the lookout for planets outside our solar system, and astronomers are
carefully listening for any messages being beamed through space. How awe-inspiring it would be to get
confirmation that we are not alone in the universe, to finally speak to an alien race. Wouldn't it?
B) Well no, according to the eminent physicist Stephen Hawking. "If aliens visit us, the outcome would
be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans,"
Hawking has said in a forthcoming documentary made for the Discovery Channel. He argues that, instead
of trying to find and communicate with life in the cosmos, humans would be better off doing everything
they can to avoid contact.
C) Hawking believes that, based on the sheer number of planets that scientists know must exist, we are
not the only life-form in the universe. There are, after all, billions and billions of stars in our galaxy alone,
with, it is reasonable to expect, an even greater number of planets orbiting them. And it is not
unreasonable to expect some of that alien life to be intelligent, and capable of interstellar communication.
Match each paragraph with one of the headings below.
1. A pessimistic prediction.
2. The probability of life existing on other planets.
3. Astronomers send messages through space.
4. How to avoid contact with aliens.
5. The search for alien life-forms.
6. Life-forms exist on other planets.

12. IELTS Reading: similar words

IELTS Reading is basically a test of your vocabulary knowledge. You need to be able to find words in
the text that are similar to words in the questions.
Read the following text about single-sex education (educating boys and girls separately).
You might have thought that boys brought up in a single-sex environment would find relationships with
girls difficult to handle. Now research due to be published tomorrow proves it. It shows that boys taught
in single-sex schools are more likely to be divorced or separated from their partner than those who
attended a mixed school by their early 40s.
The findings, taken from studying a cohort of all those born in a single week of 1958, will be presented
by Professor Diana Leonard, from London University's Institute of Education. The research covered
17,000 adults who had been taught in a range of institutions from private boarding schools to state
comprehensives. The majority had been brought up in day schools.
Dr Leonard's findings have fuelled claims from teachers' leaders and education psychologists that boys
brought up in a single-sex environment are less able to relate to the opposite sex than those taught in a
co-educational school.
Find words in the text that are similar to the words/phrases below.
- Raised
- to cope with
- co-educational
- a group
- a variety of
- high schools
- added weight to

13. IELTS Reading: choose the best title

Read the following article and choose the best title from the list below.
A new survey reveals that a family sit-down at dinnertime may reduce a teenager’s risk of trying or using
alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. The study surveyed more than 1,000 teens and found that those who dined
with their families five to seven times a week were four times less likely to use alcohol, tobacco or
marijuana than those who ate with their families fewer than three times a week.
A recent UK survey also found that dining together as a family is a key ingredient in ensuring a child's
happiness. Children in the survey reported higher levels of happiness when they dined together with their
families at least three times a week. "Contrary to the popular belief that children only want to spend time
playing video games or watching TV," said researcher Dr. Maris Iacovou of the University of Essex, "we
found that they were most happy when interacting with their parents or siblings."
A) Children's happiness
B) why teenagers use alcohol, cigarettes and drugs
C) What teenagers really want
D) why families should dine together
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is making Americans think more about a clean energy future – but not
yet to the extent of having to pay for it, or to tackle climate change, one of the leading US thinkers on
global warming policy said yesterday.
US citizens are "horrified" by the pollution in the Gulf of Mexico, and are starting to think more about
cleaner energy sources such as wind and wave power, said Eileen Clausen, president of America's
foremost climate think-tank, the Washington-based Pew Center on Global Climate Change.
However, she said, when consumers are asked by pollsters if they would be willing to pay more for such
a future, they say no, and say the government should pay. Furthermore, Ms Clausen said, the Gulf disaster
was giving US energy policy "a nudge rather than a shift" in the direction of clean energy, but it would
probably not be enough to bring forward legislation to curb carbon emissions, at least for the present.
(The Independent, 21.6.10)
Are the following statements true, false or not given according to the text?
1. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was the result of a human error.
2. US citizens accept that they will need to pay for a clean energy future.
3. In spite of the disaster, the government is unlikely to introduce laws to reduce carbon emissions.

15. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following text and answer true, false or not given.
The killer whale, commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly
as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin
family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and
Antarctic regions to tropical seas. As a species they have a diverse diet,
although individual populations often specialize in particular types of
prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals
such as sea lions, seals, walruses and even large whales. Killer whales
are regarded as apex predators, lacking natural predators and preying
on even large sharks.

Killer whales are highly social; some populations are composed of family groups which are the most
stable of any animal species. Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal behaviors, which are often
specific to a particular group and passed across generations, have been described as manifestations of
culture.
1. Killer whales are predominantly found in cold water areas.
2. Some killer whale groups only eat fish.
3. They may even eat large sharks.
4. Killer whales are able to pass on skills to their young.

. IELTS Reading: paragraph headings

Match two of the following headings with the paragraphs below. I'll reveal the correct answers tomorrow.
1. Rapid sales of printing presses.
2. The revolutionary impact of the printing press.
3. New information and ideas.
4. The printing boom.
From a single point of origin, Mainz, Germany, printing spread within several decades to over two
hundred cities in a dozen European countries. By 1500, printing presses in operation throughout Western
Europe had already produced more than twenty million volumes. In the 16th century, with presses
spreading further afield, their output rose tenfold to an estimated 150 to 200 million copies. The operation
of a press became so synonymous with the enterprise of printing that it lent its name to an entire new
branch of media, the press.
In Renaissance Europe, the arrival of mechanical movable type printing introduced the era of mass
communication which permanently altered the structure of society. The relatively unrestricted circulation
of information and ideas transcended borders and threatened the power of political and religious
authorities. The sharp increase in literacy broke the monopoly of the literate elite on education and
learning and bolstered the emerging middle class.

17. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Today's questions are about the passage that I used last week. This time you need to decide whether the
statements below are true, false or not given.
Read the following text about the printing press:
From a single point of origin, Mainz, Germany, printing spread within several
decades to over two hundred cities in a dozen European countries. By 1500,
printing presses in operation throughout Western Europe had already produced
more than twenty million volumes. In the 16th century, with presses spreading
further afield, their output rose tenfold to an estimated 150 to 200 million copies.
The operation of a press became so synonymous with the enterprise of printing that
it lent its name to an entire new branch of media, the press.

In Renaissance Europe, the arrival of mechanical movable type printing introduced the era of mass
communication which permanently altered the structure of society. The relatively unrestricted circulation
of information and ideas transcended borders and threatened the power of political and religious
authorities. The sharp increase in literacy broke the monopoly of the literate elite on education and
learning and bolstered the emerging middle class.
Answer TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN:
1. By the beginning of the 16th century, the printing press was in use in several different
countries.
2. The printing press was popular because it was so easy to operate.
3. Movable type printing can be linked to a rise in the number of people who could read and
write.
4. Printing had a negative effect on the middle classes.

18. IELTS Reading: paragraph headings

Read the following paragraph and choose the best heading.
‘Phonics’ refers to a method for teaching speakers of English to read and write that language. Young
learners are taught to associate the sounds of spoken English with letters or groups of letters. For
example, they might be taught that the sound /k/ can be represented by the spellings c, k, ck, ch, or q.
Using phonics, the teacher shows the learners how to blend the sounds of letters together to produce
approximate pronunciations of unknown words. Phonics is a widely used
method of teaching children to read and decode words. Children begin
learning to read using phonics usually around the age of 5 or 6.
 A) new method for language learning
B) How phonics benefits children in the UK
C) Children learn to link sounds with spellings
D) Children learn the rules of spelling

In the IELTS Reading test, you need to be able to match words in the questions with words in the passage.
Read the following text, and then try the exercise below.
What is an 'elevator pitch'?

An “elevator pitch” is an overview of a product, service, person, group, organization or project, and is
often part of a fund-raising, marketing, brand or public relations program. The name "elevator pitch"
reflects the idea that it should be possible to deliver a short but effective presentation in the time span of
an elevator ride from the ground floor to the directors’ boardroom on the top floor of a building.
An elevator pitch is often used by an entrepreneur pitching an idea to an investor to receive funding.
Venture capitalists often ask entrepreneurs to give an elevator pitch in order to quickly weed out bad
ideas and weak teams. Other uses include job interviewing, dating and professional services. Proposals
for books, screenplays, blogs and other forms of publishing are often delivered via an elevator pitch,
which may be presented in oral, written or video formats.
Which words or phrases in the passage are similar to those below?
1. a summary
2. succinct
3. gain financial backing
4. eliminate
5. spoken

20. IELTS Reading: multiple choice

Read the following text and answer the multiple choice questions below.
In linguistics, a corpus (plural corpora) is a large and structured set of texts (now usually electronically
stored and processed). A corpus may be used to help linguists to analyse a language, or for the purpose
of dictionary writing or language teaching. The British National Corpus (BNC) is a 100-million-word
text corpus of samples of written and spoken English from a wide range of sources. The corpus covers
British English of the late twentieth century from a wide variety of genres with the intention that it be a
representative sample of spoken and written British English of that time.
1. What is a corpus?
A) A type of large dictionary.
B) A single written text.
C) A tool for language analysis.
2. Why was the BNC compiled?
A) For the purpose of language teaching.
B) To document written and spoken English from a particular period in time.
C)To document the history of the English language.
 21. IELTS Reading: paragraph heading
Choose the correct heading for the paragraph from the list below.
A) The environmental impact of estuaries
B) The human impact on certain coastal areas
C) Why estuaries will disappear
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it,
and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries are amongst the most heavily populated areas
throughout the world, with about 60% of the world’s population living along estuaries and the coast. As
a result, estuaries are suffering degradation by many factors, including overgrazing and other poor
farming practices; overfishing; drainage and filling of wetlands; pollutants from sewage inputs; and
diking or damming for flood control or water diversion.

22. IELTS Reading: multiple choice exercise

Read the following passage about 'learning styles'.
The term ‘learning styles’ refers to a variety of ways of learning. The ‘learning styles’ theory is based on
the observation that most people prefer an identifiable method of interacting with, taking in, and
processing stimuli or information. The idea of individualized ‘learning styles’ originated in the 1970s,
and acquired enormous popularity. Proponents say that teachers should assess the learning styles of their
students and adapt their classroom methods to best fit each student's preference.
The basis and efficacy of these proposals are extensively criticized. Although children and adults express
personal preferences, there is no evidence that identifying a student's learning style produces better
outcomes, and there is significant evidence that the hypothesis (that a student will learn best if taught in
a method deemed appropriate for his or her learning style) may be invalid.
Choose the best answer (A, B, or C) for questions 1 and 2 below.
1. The idea that people should learn according to their preferred learning style
2. There is no evidence that

A) Has influenced all teachers.

B) became popular around 40 years ago.
C) Has never been disputed.
A) People have learning preferences.
B) The hypothesis might be wrong.
C) It is beneficial to identify students’ preferred learning styles.

23. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Look at the following extract from a text about diaries:
Many diaries of notable figures have been published and form an important element of autobiographical
literature. Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) is the earliest diarist who is well-known today; his diaries,
preserved in Magdalene College, Cambridge, were first transcribed and published in 1825. Pepys was
amongst the first who took the diary beyond mere business transaction notation, into the realm of the
personal.
According to the text, are the following statements true, false, or not given?
1. Samuel Pepys is more famous today than he was during his own lifetime.
2. Pepys kept a diary for purely business reasons.

24. IELTS Reading: choose the best summary

Yesterday I recommended reading descriptions and reviews on amazon.com. Here's an example
description, with a quick exercise below.
Description of the book what are Universities for?
Across the world, universities are more numerous than they have ever been, yet at the same time there is
unprecedented confusion about their purpose and scepticism about their value. What Are Universities
For? offers a spirited and compelling argument for completely rethinking the way we see our universities,
and why we need them.
Stefan Collini challenges the common claim that universities need to show that they help to make money
in order to justify getting more money. Instead, he argues that we must reflect on the different types of
institution and the distinctive roles they play. In particular we must recognise that attempting to extend
human understanding, which is at the heart of disciplined intellectual enquiry, can never be wholly
harnessed to immediate social purposes - particularly in the case of the humanities, which both attract
and puzzle many people and are therefore the most difficult subjects to justify.
At a time when the future of higher education lies in the balance, What Are Universities For? offers all
of us a better, deeper and more enlightened understanding of why universities matter, to everyone.
Which statement best summarizes the book's message?
A) We do not necessarily need universities nowadays
B) Universities should be harnessed for social purposes
C) Universities must justify the money they are given
D) We need to change our understanding of the role of universities

25. ELTS Reading: yes, no, not given

Read the following passage about 'habits'.
“All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits,” William James wrote in 1892. Most
of the choices we make each day may feel like the products of well-considered decision making, but
they’re not. They’re habits. And though each habit means relatively little on its own, over time, the meals
we order, what we say to our kids each night, whether we save or spend, how often we exercise, and the
way we organize our thoughts and work routines have enormous impacts on our health, productivity,
financial security, and happiness. One paper published by a Duke University researcher in 2006 found
that 40 percent or more of the actions people performed each day weren’t actual decisions, but habits.
Do the statements below agree with the ideas expressed by the author? Write YES, NO or NOT GIVEN.
1. The majority of choices we make on a daily basis are conscious decisions.
 2. Saving money is the key to financial security.
3. Habits account for at least 40 percent of the things we do each day.

26. IELTS Reading: paragraph headings

Match the correct headings with the paragraphs below.
1. The causes of stress among employers and employees
2. The increase in work-related stress.
3. The increase in visits to physicians.
4. Stress has wide-ranging effects on the body and on behavior
A) The number of stress-related disability claims by American employees has doubled according to the
Employee Assistance Professionals Association in Arlington, Virginia. Seventy-five to ninety percent of
physician visits are related to stress and, according to the American Institute of Stress, the cost to industry
has been estimated at $200 billion-$300 billion a year.
B) It is clear that problems caused by stress have become a major concern to both employers and
employees. Symptoms of stress are manifested both physiologically and psychologically. Persistent stress
can result in cardiovascular disease, a weaker immune system and frequent headaches, stiff muscles, or
backache. It can also result in poor coping skills, irritability, jumpiness, insecurity, exhaustion, and
difficulty concentrating. Stress may also perpetuate or lead to binge eating, smoking, and alcohol
consumption.

27. IELTS Reading: paragraph heading

Read the following paragraph about the inventor Thomas Edison.
Thomas Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly
influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-
lasting, practical electric light bulb. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass
production and large-scale teamwork to the process of invention, and because of that, he is often credited
with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory. Edison is the fourth most prolific inventor in
history, holding 1,093 US patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France,
and Germany. He is credited with numerous inventions that contributed to mass communication and, in
particular, telecommunications.
Choose the best heading for the paragraph from the list below.
A) The creator of the first industrial research laboratory.
B) A pioneering and prolific inventor.
C) Edison’s contribution to mass communication.

28. IELTS Reading: multiple choice

Read the following short text, and answer the question below.
The Eiger is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in
Switzerland. Since 1935, at least sixty-four climbers have
died attempting the Eiger’s north face, earning it the
German nickname Mordwand, literally "murder wall" - a
pun on its correct title of Nordwand (North Wall). Before
it was successfully climbed, in 1938, most of the attempts
on the face ended tragically and the Bernese authorities
even banned climbing it and threatened to fine any party
that should attempt it again.
Since the first successful attempt, the north face has been
climbed many times, but even today it is regarded as a formidable challenge.
Which TWO of the following statements are true according to the text?
A) The Eiger is the most dangerous mountain in the Bernese Alps.
B) The north face of the mountain has an infamous history.
C) The Nordwand was finally conquered in 1938.
D) The Bernese authorities fined climbers who attempted the north face.
E) Climbers consider the north face to be the world’s most challenging climb.
29. IELTS Reading: gap-fill
Read the following passage about creative writing.
New research, prompted by the relatively high number of literary families, shows that there may be an
inherited element to writing good fiction. Researchers from Yale in the US and Moscow State University
in Russia launched the study to see whether there was a scientific reason why well-known writers have
produced other writers.
The study analysed the creative writing of 511 children aged eight to 17 and 489 of their mothers and
326 fathers. All the participants wrote stories on particular themes. The stories were then scored and rated
for originality and novelty, plot development and quality, and sophistication and creative use of prior
knowledge. The researchers also carried out detailed intelligence tests and analysed how families
functioned in the Russian households.
Taking into account intelligence and family background, the researchers then calculated the inherited and
the environmental elements of creative writing. They found what they describe as a modest heritability
element to creative writing.
Fill each gap in the summary below using a maximum of 2 words.
Creative writing ability may be from parents, according to a new study. Researchers compared
written by children and their parents, looking at elements such as originality and use of .
After conducting intelligence tests and allowing for , they concluded that there is a link
between genetics and creative writing.

30. IELTS Reading: multiple choice

Read the following text and choose the best answer for each question.
The term "IQ" comes from German "Intelligenz-Quotient", coined by the German psychologist William
Stern in 1912, who proposed a method of scoring children's intelligence tests. Since the early 20th
century, scores on IQ tests have increased in most parts of the world. The phenomenon of rising score
performance means that if test-takers are scored by a constant standard scoring rule, IQ test scores have
been rising at an average rate of around three IQ points per decade. This phenomenon was named the
Flynn effect in the book The Bell Curve after James R. Flynn, the author who did the most to bring this
phenomenon to the attention of psychologists.
1. “IQ” refers to
A) a type of intelligence test for children
B) a means of rating intelligence tests
C) an area of psychology
2. Flynn noticed that
A) IQ scores were constant around the world
B) IQ was a global phenomenon
C) intelligence scores had gradually risen over several decades
IELTS Reading: multiple choice
Read the passage and choose the correct answers to the questions below.
A new ‘super-Earth’ has been discovered that could have a life-supporting climate and water. The planet,
given the catchy name HD 40307g, was discovered in a multi-world solar system 42 light years from the
Sun and lies at exactly the right distance from its star to allow liquid surface water. It orbits well within
the star's “habitable” or “Goldilocks” zone - the region where temperatures are neither too hot nor too
cold to sustain life.
Professor Hugh Jones, from the University of Hertfordshire said: “The longer orbit of the new planet
means that its climate and atmosphere may be just right to support life. Just as Goldilocks liked her
porridge to be neither too hot nor too cold but just right, this planet or indeed any moons that is has lie in
an orbit comparable to Earth, increasing the probability of it being habitable.” The ‘super earth’ is one of
six planets believed to circle the dwarf star HD 40307 in the constellation Pictor. All the others are located
outside the habitable zone, too close to their parent star to support liquid water.
(Taken from this article in The Independent)
1. Why is it thought that the planet may be able to support life?
A) It has been shown to have water.
B) It is 42 light years from the Sun.
C) It orbits its own star at the perfect distance.
D) It has several moons.
2. Which statement is true of the “Goldilocks” zone?
A) It is the region of a planet which has a habitable climate.
B) It refers to a zone which is too close to the parent star.
C) It refers to a planet with several moons and a long orbit.
D) It is an orbit region which is comparable to the Earth’s.

32. IELTS Reading: gap-fill summary

Read the following passage about the discovery of penicillin.
The discovery of penicillin is attributed to Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming. Fleming recounted that
the date of his breakthrough was on the morning of September 28, 1928. It was a lucky accident: in his
laboratory in the basement of St. Mary's Hospital in London, Fleming noticed a petri dish containing
Staphylococcus culture that he had mistakenly left open. The culture had become contaminated by blue-
green mould, and there was a halo of inhibited bacterial growth around the mould. Fleming concluded
that the mould was releasing a substance that was repressing the growth of the bacteria. He grew a pure
culture and discovered that it was a Penicillium mould, now known to be Penicillium notatum. Fleming
coined the term "penicillin" to describe the filtrate of a broth culture of the Penicillium mould.

Fill the gaps in the summary below using words from the passage.
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by on September 28, 1928. He found that the growth
of bacteria on a petri dish was by a blue-green mould that had contaminated the culture. He
realised that the mould was producing a substance that was responsible for bacterial growth.

32. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following passage about the scientist Michael Faraday.
Michael Faraday, (1791 - 1867) was an English scientist who contributed to the fields of
electromagnetism and electrochemistry. Although Faraday received little formal education he was one of
the most influential scientists in history, and historians of science refer to him as having been the best
experimentalist in the history of science.
The young Michael Faraday, who was the third of four children, having only the most basic school
education, had to educate himself. At fourteen he became the apprentice to George Riebau, a local
bookbinder and bookseller. During his seven-year apprenticeship he read many books, including Isaac
Watts' The Improvement of the Mind, and he enthusiastically implemented the principles and suggestions
contained therein.
In 1812, at the age of twenty, and at the end of his apprenticeship, Faraday attended lectures by the
eminent English chemist Humphry Davy. Faraday subsequently sent Davy a three-hundred-page book
based on notes that he had taken during these lectures. Davy's reply was immediate, kind, and favourable.
When one of the Royal Institution's assistants was sacked, Davy was asked to find a replacement, and
appointed Faraday as Chemical Assistant at the Royal Institution.
Are the following statements true, false or not given?
1. Many experts regard Faraday as the foremost experimentalist of all time.
2. Faraday educated himself by reading books that were recommended to him by George Riebau.
3. Faraday came to the attention of a famous chemist after he wrote a book based on the
chemist's lectures.

32. IELTS Reading: fill the gaps

The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, were two American brothers,
inventors, and aviation pioneers who were credited with inventing and
building the world's first successful airplane and making the first
controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on
December 17, 1903. In the two years afterward, the brothers developed
their flying machine into the first practical fixed-wing aircraft.

The brothers' fundamental breakthrough was their invention of three- axis

control, which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to
maintain its equilibrium. This method became standard and remains
standard on fixed-wing aircraft of all kinds. From the beginning of their
aeronautical work, the Wright brothers focused on developing a reliable
method of pilot control as the key to solving "the flying problem". This approach differed significantly
from other experimenters of the time who put more emphasis on developing powerful engines. Using a
small homebuilt wind tunnel, the Wrights also collected more accurate data than anyone had before,
enabling them to design and build wings and propellers that were more efficient than rival models.
They gained the mechanical skills essential for their success by working for years in their shop with
printing presses, bicycles, motors, and other machinery. Their work with bicycles in particular influenced
their belief that an unstable vehicle like a flying machine could be controlled and balanced with practice.
Fill each gap in the summary below with a maximum of 2 words.
In 1903, the Wright brothers completed development of the first airplane that was capable of sustaining
controlled . The key to their success was a system that gave the pilot the means to control and
the airplane. This set them apart from other inventors who had focused on building .
The brothers had previous experience with a wide variety of , but it was their work with
that had the greatest influence on their ideas.

33. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following passage about a method for music teaching.
The Suzuki method is a method of teaching music conceived and executed by Japanese violinist Shin'ichi
Suzuki (born 1898, died 1998), dating from the mid-20th century. The central belief of Suzuki is that all
people are capable of learning from their environment. The essential components of his method spring
from the desire to create the "right environment" for learning music. He also believed that this positive
environment would also help to foster character in students.
As a skilled violinist but a beginner at the German language who struggled to learn it, Suzuki noticed that
children pick up their native language quickly, and even dialects adults consider "difficult" to learn are
spoken with ease by 5-year-olds. He reasoned that if children have the skill to acquire their mother tongue,
then they have the necessary ability to become proficient on a musical instrument. He pioneered the idea
that pre-school age children could learn to play the violin if learning steps were small enough and if the
instrument was scaled down to fit their body.
Decide whether the following statements are true, false or not given.
4. Suzuki believed that environment is crucial for anyone learning a musical instrument.
5. His method helped him to learn German.
6. Suzuki compared language learning with learning to play an instrument.
7. He introduced new ideas about teaching music to infants.

33. IELTS Reading: paragraph headings

Read the following passage about a chess-playing computer.
A) On February 10, 1996, Deep Blue became the first machine to win a chess game against a reigning
world champion (Garry Kasparov) under regular time controls. However, Kasparov won three and drew
two of the following five games, beating Deep Blue by a score of 4–2. Deep Blue was then heavily
upgraded and played Kasparov again in May 1997, winning the six-game rematch 3½–2½. Deep Blue
won the deciding game six, becoming the first computer system to defeat a reigning world champion in
a match under standard chess tournament time controls.
B) After the loss, Kasparov said that he sometimes saw deep intelligence and creativity in the machine's
moves, suggesting that during the second game, human chess players had intervened on behalf of the
machine, which would be a violation of the rules. IBM denied that it cheated, saying the only human
intervention occurred between games. The rules provided for the developers to modify the program
between games, an opportunity they said they used to shore up weaknesses in the computer's play that
were revealed during the course of the match. This allowed the computer to avoid a trap in the final game
that it had fallen for twice before. Kasparov demanded a rematch, but IBM refused and dismantled Deep
Blue.
Choose the best heading for paragraphs A and B from the list below.
1. The first chess-playing computer
2. Developers’ intervention is questioned
3. Chess champion accepts defeat
4. Program developers caught cheating
5. A victory for artificial intelligence

37. IELTS Reading: gap-fill

Read the following text about pedestrian zones in cities.
A large number of European towns and cities have made part of their centres car-free since the early
1960s. These are often accompanied by car parks on the edge of the pedestrianised zone, and, in the larger
cases, park and ride schemes. Central Copenhagen is one of the largest and oldest examples: the auto-
free zone is centred on Strøget, a pedestrian shopping street, which is in fact not a single street but a series
of interconnected avenues which create a very large auto-free zone, although it is crossed in places by
streets with vehicular traffic. Most of these zones allow delivery trucks to service the businesses located
there during the early morning, and street-cleaning vehicles will usually go through these streets after
most shops have closed for the night.
In North America, where a more commonly used term is pedestrian mall, such areas are still in their
infancy. Few cities have pedestrian zones, but some have pedestrianised single streets. Many pedestrian
streets are surfaced with cobblestones, or pavement bricks, which discourage any kind of wheeled traffic,
including wheelchairs. They are rarely completely free of motor vehicles.
Fill the gaps below with NO MORE THAN 3 WORDS from the text.
1. In some cases, people are encouraged to park of the town or city centre.
2. The only vehicles permitted in most pedestrian zones are those used for or
cleaning.
3. Certain types of road surface can be used to traffic.
 38. IELTS Reading: choose the title
Read the following passage and choose the best title from the list below.
Future Shock is a book written by the futurist Alvin Toffler in 1970. In the book, Toffler defines the term
"future shock" as a certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies. His shortest definition
for the term is a personal perception of "too much change in too short a period of time". The book became
an international bestseller, selling over 6 million copies, and has been widely translated.
Toffler argued that society is undergoing an enormous structural change, a revolution from an industrial
society to a "super-industrial society". This change overwhelms people, he believed, the accelerated rate
of technological and social change leaving people disconnected and suffering from "shattering stress and
disorientation" - future shocked. Toffler stated that the majority of social problems are symptoms of
future shock. In his discussion of the components of such shock he popularized the term "information
overload."
A) A shocking vision of the future.
B) What is “future shock”?
C) The career of the futurist Alvin Toffler.
D) A changing society.

39. IELTS Reading: multiple choice

Read the following text and answer the questions below.
The ethos of the aristocracy, as exemplified in the English public schools, greatly influenced Pierre de
Coubertin. The public schools subscribed to the belief that sport formed an important part of education,
an attitude summed up in the saying 'mens sana in corpore sano', a sound mind in a sound body. In this
ethos, a gentleman was one who became an all-rounder, not the best at one specific thing. There was also
a prevailing concept of fairness, in which practising or training was considered tantamount to cheating.
1. De Coubertin agreed with the idea that:
A) sport is an activity for gentlemen.
B) schooling should promote both physical and mental health.
C) sport is the most important part of a child's education.
2. In De Coubertin's view:
A) It is easier to be good at many sports, rather than the best at one sport.
B) Training is necessary if you want to be an all-rounder.
C) Training gives the athlete an unfair advantage.

40. IELTS Reading: choose the heading

Choose the best heading for the following paragraph from the list below.
“Big data” is a term being used more and more by politicians. It refers to the concept that any problem
– from underperforming pupils to failing hospitals – can be solved by collecting some tightly focused
data, crunching it and making tweaks, such as moving pupils or changing nurses’ shifts, rather than
dealing with bigger issues, such as poverty or spending cuts. This is an approach that focuses narrowly
on “what works” without ever troubling to ask: “works for whom?” Its watchword is “smart”, which can
easily be appreciated, rather than “right”, which can’t. Putting trust in highly educated technocrats, it is
naturally less interested in public debate.
A) How data can be used to improve society.
B) Big data: a smart approach to politics that works for everyone.
C) A sceptical perspective on “big data”.
D) Why the public trusts technocrats more than politicians.
41. IELTS Reading: multiple choice
Read the following text, and chose the best answer to the questions below.
The Placebo Effect
A placebo is a sham or simulated medical intervention. Sometimes patients given a placebo treatment
will have a perceived or actual improvement in a medical condition, a phenomenon commonly called the
placebo effect.
A study of Danish general practitioners found that 48% had prescribed a placebo at least 10 times in the
past year. The most frequently prescribed placebos were antibiotics for viral infections, and vitamins for
fatigue. Specialists and hospital-based physicians reported much lower rates of placebo use.
1. The placebo effect refers to
A) a simulated medical treatment
B) an improvement in a patient’s health as a result of a simulated medical treatment
C) a common medical phenomenon
2. According to a study, placebos were prescribed in Denmark
A) Mainly by doctors working in hospitals
B) instead of antibiotics
C) for fatigued patients or those suffering with viruses

42. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following text about sharks, and then answer the questions below.
Contrary to the common wisdom that sharks are instinct-driven "eating machines", recent studies have
indicated that many species possess powerful problem-solving skills, social skills and curiosity. The
brain- to body-mass ratios of sharks are similar to those of mammals and birds, and migration patterns in
sharks may be even more complex than in birds, with many sharks covering entire ocean basins.
However, shark behavior has only begun to be formally studied, so there is much more to learn.
A popular myth is that sharks are immune to disease and cancer; however, this remains to be proven. The
evidence that sharks are at least resistant to cancer and disease is mostly anecdotal and there have been
few, if any, scientific or statistical studies that show sharks to have heightened immunity to disease.
According to the text, are the following statements true, false or not given?
1. Research shows that sharks are more intelligent than most people think.
2. Relative to their body size, sharks have bigger brains than birds.
3. There is no real evidence proving that sharks are resistant to diseases.
43. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given
Read the following passage and answer the questions below.
A Stradivarius is one of the violins, cellos, and other stringed instruments built by members of the
Stradivari (Stradivarius) family, particularly Antonio Stradivari, during the 17th and 18th centuries.
According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or equal it, though
this belief is disputed. The name "Stradivarius" has become a superlative often associated with
excellence, and the fame of Stradivarius instruments is widespread, appearing in numerous works of
fiction.
Depending on condition, instruments made during Stradivari's "golden period" from 1700 to about 1725
can be worth millions of dollars. In 2011, his "Lady Blunt" violin from 1721, which is in pristine
condition, was sold at Tarisio auctions for £9.8 million.
These instruments are famous for the quality of sound they produce. However, the many blind tests from
1817 to the present have never found any difference in sound between Stradivari's violins and high-
quality violins in comparable style of other makers and periods, nor has acoustic analysis. In a particularly
famous test on a BBC Radio programme in 1977, the violinists Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman and
the violin expert and dealer Charles Beare tried to distinguish between the "Chaconne" Stradivarius and
three other violins, including one made in 1976, played behind a screen by a professional soloist. None
of the listeners identified more than two of the four instruments. Two of the listeners identified the 20th-
century violin as the Stradivarius.
Are the following statements true, false or not given?
1. The superior reputation of Stradivarius instruments has never been questioned.
2. The “Lady Blunt” Stradivarius is the most expensive violin every sold.
3. Tests have shown that experts are able to distinguish the famous Stradivarius sound.

44. IELTS Reading: paragraph heading

Read the following paragraph and choose the best heading.
Melbourne has topped the list of the best cities in the world to live in, according to a new report by The
Economist Intelligence Unit. Vienna in Austria and Vancouver in Canada came in second and third place
respectively on the Global Livability Ranking. Cities across the world are awarded scores depending on
lifestyle challenges faced by the people living there. Each city is scored on its stability, healthcare, culture
and environment, education and infrastructure. This is the third time that the Australian city has topped
the list. Unfortunately, UK cities fared worse on the list with London coming 55 out of 140 cities while
Manchester was ranked 51. The report also shows that livability across the world has fallen by 0.6 per
cent.
A) Livability survey produces some surprising results.
B) How cities are ranked.
C) Results of the latest “Most Livable Cities Index”.
D) Melbourne is top city for tourists.

45. IELTS Reading: environment gap-fill

Fill the gaps in the text using the 10 words below.
A report says scientists are 95% certain that humans are the "dominant " of global warming
since the 1950s. The report by the UN's climate panel details the physical behind climate change.
On the ground, in the air, in the oceans, global warming is " ", it explained. The panel warns that
continued of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes in all aspects of the climate
system. To contain these changes will require "substantial and sustained of greenhouse gas
emissions".
After a week of intense negotiations in the Swedish capital, the summary for policymakers on the physical
science of global warming has finally been released. For the future, the report states that warming is to
continue under all . Prof Sir Brian Hoskins, from Imperial College London, told BBC News: "We
are performing a very dangerous with our planet, and I don't want my grandchildren to suffer the ."
Emissions, experiment, cause, unequivocal, landmark, consequences, reductions, scenarios,
projected, evidence

46. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

The Paper Clip
According to the Early Office Museum, the first patent for a bent wire
paper clip was awarded in the United States to Samuel B. Fay, in
1867. This clip was originally intended primarily for attaching tickets
to fabric, although the patent recognized that it could be used to attach
papers together. Although functional and practical, Fay's design along
with the 50 other designs patented prior to 1899 are not considered
reminiscent of the modern paper clip design known today.

The most common type of wire paper clip still in use, the Gem paper clip, was never patented, but it was
most likely in production in Britain in the early 1870s by "The Gem Manufacturing Company", according
to the American expert on technological innovations, Professor Henry J. Petroski.
Are the following statements true, false, or not given in the text?
1. Samuel B. Fay’s paper clip was only patented for one specific use.
2. Fay’s paper clip was not as practical as those we use today.
3. Nobody has a patent on the paper clip that most people use today.

47. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following text about volcanoes in Iceland.
Iceland has a high concentration of active volcanoes due to unique geological conditions. The island has
about 130 volcanic mountains, of which 18 have erupted since the settlement of Iceland, circa 900 CE.
Over the past 500 years, Iceland's volcanoes have erupted a third of the total global lava output.
Geologists explain this high concentration of volcanic activity as being due to a combination of the
island's position on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and a volcanic hotspot underneath the island. The island sits
astride the boundary between the Eurasian and North American Plates, and most volcanic activity is
concentrated along the plate boundary, which runs across the island from the south-west to the north-
east of the island. Some volcanic activity occurs offshore, especially off the southern coast. This includes
wholly submerged submarine volcanoes and even newly formed volcanic islands such as Surtsey and
Jólnir.
The most recent volcanic eruption in Iceland was that of Eyjafjallajökull, which started on April 14, 2010.
The Eyjafjallajökull eruption closely followed an eruption in Fimmvörðuháls, which had erupted on
March 20.
Are the statements below true, false or not given?
1. People first settled in Iceland around the beginning of the 10th century.
2. The island is situated at the point where two of the earth's plates meet.
3. Volcanic activity also takes place in the ocean near Iceland.

48. IELTS Reading: multiple choice

Read the following passage about a tunnel in London.
The Thames Tunnel is an underwater tunnel that was built beneath the River Thames in London between
1825 and 1843. It is 396 metres long, and runs at a depth of 23 metres below the river surface. It was the
first tunnel known to have been constructed successfully underneath a navigable river.
Although it was a triumph of civil engineering, the Thames Tunnel was not a financial success, with
building costs far exceeding initial estimates. Proposals to extend the entrance to accommodate wheeled
vehicles failed, and it was used only by pedestrians. However, the tunnel did become a major tourist
destination, attracting about two million people a year, each of whom paid a penny to pass under the
river.
The construction of the Thames Tunnel showed that it was indeed possible to build underwater tunnels,
despite the previous scepticism of many engineers. Its historic importance was recognised on 24th March
1995, when the structure was listed Grade II* in recognition of its architectural importance.
Which THREE of the following statements are correct?
A) The Thames Tunnel was the world’s first ever tunnel.
B) Construction of the tunnel was more expensive than predicted.
C) There were plans to allow vehicles to use the tunnel.
D) Tourism eventually made the tunnel profitable.
E) Many engineers had already tried to build underwater tunnels.
F) The Thames Tunnel is now considered to be a significant work of architecture.

49. IELTS Reading: paragraph headings

Read the following passage about cognitive behavioural therapy:
A) Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapeutic approach: a talking therapy. CBT aims
to solve problems concerning dysfunctional emotions, behaviours and cognitions through a goal-
oriented, systematic procedure in the present.
B) The particular therapeutic techniques vary, but commonly may include keeping a diary of significant
events and associated feelings, thoughts and behaviours; questioning and testing cognitions, assumptions,
evaluations and beliefs that might be unhelpful and unrealistic; gradually facing activities which may
have been avoided; and trying out new ways of behaving and reacting. Relaxation, mindfulness and
distraction techniques are also commonly included.
C) Going through cognitive behavioural therapy is not an overnight process for clients; a typical course
consists of 12-16 hour-long sessions. Even after clients have learned to recognise when and where their
mental processes go awry, it can in some cases take considerable time or effort to replace a dysfunctional
process or habit with a more reasonable and adaptive one. CBT is problem-focused and structured
towards the client. It requires honesty and openness between the client and therapist, as a therapist
develops strategies for managing problems and guiding the client to a better life.
Choose the best headings for paragraphs A, B and C from this list:
1. A slow process
2. A new type of therapeutic approach
3. The benefits and drawbacks of CBT
4. A goal-oriented therapeutic approach
5. CBT therapists are always honest with their clients
6. The range of CBT interventions

50. IELTS Reading: choose the title

Read the following passage.
The cinematograph is a motion picture film camera which also serves as a film projector and developer.
It was invented in the 1890s, but there is much dispute as to the identity of its
inventor.
Some argue that the device was first invented and patented as "Cinématographe
Léon Bouly" by French inventor Léon Bouly on February 12, 1892. Bouly coined
the term “cinematograph”, which translates in Greek to “writing in movement”. It
is said that Bouly was not able to pay the rent for his patent the following year, and
that the brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière bought the licence.
A more popular version of events is that Louis Lumière was the first to conceptualise
the idea. The Lumière brothers shared the patent, and they made their first film,
Sortie de l'usine Lumière de Lyon, in 1894.
Choose the best title for the whole passage from the list below.
A) How the cinematograph was invented
B) The first film projector
C) Who invented the cinematograph?
D) What is a cinematograph?

51. IELTS Reading: paragraph heading

Read the paragraph below and choose the best heading from the list.
Reading underwent serious changes in the 18th century. Until 1750, reading was done “intensively”:
people tended to own a small number of books and read them repeatedly, often to a small audience. After
1750, people began to read “extensively”, finding as many books as they could, and increasingly reading
them alone. Libraries that lent out their material for a small price started to appear, and occasionally
bookstores would offer a small lending library to their patrons. Coffee houses commonly offered books,
journals and sometimes even popular novels to their customers.
1. The appearance of the first public libraries.
2. Intensive and extensive reading habits.
3. The reading revolution.

52. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following excerpt from a book review:
What constitutes the good life? What is the true value of money? Why do we work such long hours
merely to acquire greater wealth? These are some of the questions that many asked themselves when the
financial system crashed in 2008. This book tackles such questions head-on. The authors begin with the
great economist John Maynard Keynes. In 1930, Keynes predicted that within a century people’s basic
needs would be met, and no one would have to work more than fifteen hours a week.
Clearly, he was wrong: though income has increased as he envisioned, our wants have seemingly gone
unsatisfied, and we continue to work long hours. The authors explain why Keynes was mistaken. Then,
arguing from the premise that economics is a moral science, they trace the concept of the good life from
Aristotle to the present and show how our lives over the last half century have strayed from that ideal.
Finally, they issue a call to think anew about what really matters in our lives and how to attain it.
Are the following statements true, false or not given?
1. Before 2008, people were less concerned about economics.
2. Keynes’ prediction about working hours was wide of the mark.
3. The book asks us to consider what is important in life.

53. IELTS Reading: choose the title

Read the following passage, and choose the best title from the list.
Using a laser scan of Bourges cathedral in France, teams led by John Ochsendorf of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology have 3D-printed thousands of bricks and are building an exact 1:50 replica. The
researchers hope to use the mock-up to devise a way to gauge the stability, and thus safety, of historical
buildings built of brick and stone.
Building the replica is painstaking work, but Ochsendorf thinks the process itself may be as valuable as
the mechanics uncovered. For students of architecture and structural engineering, hands-on experience
has largely given way to computer modelling. Techniques like 3D printing could be a way of reconnecting
them with the craft behind the science, he says.
(New Scientist, 14.2 14.)
A) 3D printing a historical structure.
B) The benefits of 3D printing.
C) Computer modelling or hands-on experience?
D) A damaged cathedral is rebuilt.
 54. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given
Read the following text and answer true, false or not given.
Coffee consumption has been shown to have minimal or no impact,
positive or negative, on cancer development. However, researchers
involved in an ongoing 22-year study by the Harvard School of Public
Health state that "the overall balance of risks and benefits [of coffee
consumption] are on the side of benefits."
Other studies suggest coffee consumption reduces the risk of being
affected by Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, cirrhosis of
the liver, and gout. A longitudinal study in 2009 showed that those who consumed a moderate amount of
coffee or tea (3–5 cups per day) at midlife were less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease
in late-life compared with those who drank little coffee or avoided it altogether.
1. Scientists have linked coffee consumption to accelerated cancer development.
2. Some scientists believe that the benefits of drinking coffee outweigh the drawbacks.
3. Recent research links coffee consumption with a reduced risk of some illnesses.

55. IELTS Reading: gap-fill from a useful website

The articles used in the IELTS reading test often come from magazines like The Economist or The New
Scientist. Why not practise for the exam by reading articles from these magazines?
Here are a few paragraphs from an article about the use of wireless communications to improve health
care. I've made it into a gap-fill exercise.
Fill the gaps with one of the following words: cutting, advances, track, coming, empower, chief,
developing
Pundits have long predicted that in genetics will usher in a golden age of individually tailored
therapies. But in fact it is much lower-tech wireless devices and internet-based health software that are
precipitating the mass customization of health care, and creating entirely new business models in the
process.
The hope is that nimble new technologies, from smart-phones to health-monitoring devices, will
patients and doctors, and thus improves outcomes while costs. The near ubiquity of
mobile phones is the reason to think this optimistic scenario may come true. Patients with
smart-phones can certainly benefit from interactive “wellness” applications that track diet, exercise and
vital signs.
Many companies are up with “home health” devices embedded with wireless technology. Some
are overtly clinical in nature: Medtronic, a devices giant, is a bedside monitor that wirelessly
tracks the blood sugar levels in diabetic children sleeping nearby. GE has come up with “body sensor
networks”, tiny wireless devices that the vital signs of those who wear them.
 56. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given
Read the following article about the effects of television on young children.

Watching television makes toddlers fatter and stupider at primary school, according to new research.
Scientists who tracked the progress of pre-school children found that the more television they watched
the worse they were at mathematics, the more junk food they ate, and the more they were bullied by other
pupils.
The findings, which support earlier evidence indicating television harms cognitive development,
prompted calls for the Government to set limits on how much children should watch. American
pediatricians advise that under-twos should not watch any television and that older children should view
one to two hours a day at most. France has banned shows aimed at under-threes, and Australia
recommends that three to five year-olds watch no more than an hour a day. Britain has no official advice.
Researchers said that pre-school is a critical time for brain development and that TV watching displaced
time that could be spent engaging in "developmentally enriching tasks". Even incremental exposure to
TV delayed development, said the lead author Dr Linda Pagani, of Montreal University. (The
Independent)
According to the article, are these statements TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN?
1. Scientists believe that there is a link between the amount of television young children watch
and their mental ability.
2. Shows aimed at under-twos are banned in the USA.
3. Children’s television programming is more strictly controlled in France than in Britain.

57. IELTS Reading: topic research

The exercise below serves as both IELTS reading practice and topic research for this week's writing
lesson (about 'telework').
Fill the gaps in the passage with the following words:
commute, mobility, instant, efficient, remote, smartphones, locations
Telecommuting, work, or telework is a work arrangement in which employees do not
to a central place of work. A person who telecommutes is known as a "telecommuter", "teleworker", and
sometimes as a "home-sourced," or "work-at-home" employee. Many telecommuters work from home,
while others, sometimes called "nomad workers", use mobile telecommunications technology to work
from coffee shops or other .
Telework is facilitated by tools such as groupware, virtual private networks, conference calling and
videoconferencing. It can be and useful for companies since it allows workers to communicate
over long distances, saving travel time and cost. Furthermore, with their improving technology and
increasing popularity, are becoming widely used in telework. They substantially increase the
of the worker and the degree of coordination with their organization. The technology of mobile
phones allows communication through text messages, camera photos, and video clips from
anywhere and at any time.
 58. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given
Read the following passage about the performer Houdini.

Harry Houdini (1874 to 1926) was a Hungarian-American illusionist and stunt performer, noted for his
sensational escape acts. He first attracted attention as "Harry Handcuff Houdini" on a tour of Europe,
where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up. Soon he extended his repertoire to include
chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to hold his breath inside a
sealed milk can.
In 1904, thousands watched as Houdini tried to escape from special handcuffs commissioned by London's
Daily Mirror newspaper. Another stunt saw him buried alive and only just able to claw himself to the
surface. While many suspected that these escapes were faked, Houdini presented himself as the scourge
of fake magicians and spiritualists. As President of the Society of American Magicians, he was keen to
uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent artists. He was also quick to sue anyone who pirated
his stunts.
Are the following statements true, false, or not given in the text?

1. Houdini was more successful in Europe than in America.

2. Many people were skeptical about Houdini’s escape acts.
3. He took legal action against those who tried to copy him.

59. IELTS Reading: choose the heading

Read the following passage and choose the best heading.

The environmental challenges posed by agriculture are huge, and they’ll only become more pressing as
we try to meet the growing need for food worldwide. We’ll likely have two billion more mouths to feed
by mid-century - more than nine billion people. But sheer population growth isn’t the only reason we’ll
need more food. The spread of prosperity across the world, especially in India and China, is driving an
increased demand for meat, eggs and dairy, boosting pressure to grow more corn and soybeans to feed
more cattle, pigs and chickens. If these trends continue, the double whammy of population growth and
richer diets will require us to roughly double the amount of crops we grow by 2050.
(Source: National Geographic, May 2014)
A) Two key trends driving the demand for food worldwide.
B) The impact of agriculture on the natural world.
C) Growing populations and their need for food.

60. IELTS Reading: vocabulary exercise

Read the following text about bad behavior in schools.

The misbehavior of children is common in all schools, although most schools manage to maintain
tolerable standards of discipline. Low levels of indiscipline can result in a detrimental working
environment for children, while poor disciplinary management within a school can cause a more general
breakdown in order.
Problems with school discipline have also led to a reduction in the number of people willing to become
teachers, especially in schools regarded as difficult. Student misbehavior and rudeness is the leading
cause of teacher resignations. In some areas and countries, this has led to a severe teacher shortage, with
classes either not taught, or taught by an unqualified person. In some schools, a class may have up to a
dozen different teachers in a single year, as the replacements decide to leave rather than deal with student
behavior. Many countries are now trying to offer incentives to new teachers to remain in such schools,
but with very limited success.
Find words or phrases in the text that are similar to those in the list below.
1. Sufficient levels
2. Negative
3. Resulted in
4. Main reason for
5. Serious
6. As many as twelve

61. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following paragraph about 'minority languages'.
Minority languages are occasionally marginalized within nations for a number of reasons. These include
the small number of speakers, the decline in the number of speakers, and their occasional consideration
as uncultured, primitive, or simple dialects when compared to the dominant language. Support for
minority languages is sometimes viewed as supporting separatism. Immigrant minority languages are
often also seen as a threat and as indicative of the non-integration of these communities. Both of these
perceived threats are based on the notion of the exclusion of the majority language speakers. Often this
is added to by political systems which do not provide support (such as education and policing) in these
languages.
Are the following statements true, false or not given?
1. Minority languages sometimes disappear.
2. Minority languages are simpler to learn than majority languages.
3. Minority languages are sometimes considered to be harmful.

62. IELTS Reading: match the names

Read the following passage about the meaning of 'genius'.
A genius is a person who displays exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a
degree that is associated with the achievement of an unprecedented leap of insight. Various philosophers
have proposed definitions of what genius is.
In the philosophy of David Hume, a genius is seen by others as a person disconnected from society, who
works remotely, away from the rest of the world. For Immanuel Kant, genius is the ability to
independently arrive at and understand concepts that would normally have to be taught by another person.
Arthur Schopenhauer defined a genius as someone in whom intellect predominates over "will".
According to Bertrand Russell, a genius possesses unique qualities and talents that make him or her
especially valuable to society.
Match each of the following statements to one of the philosophers below.
1. A genius is someone who does not require instruction.
2. We tend to regard geniuses as solitary figures.
3. A genius has the ability to make an exceptional contribution to society.
A) Hume
B) Kant
C) Schopenhauer
D) Russell

63. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following passage about a study into 'sitting'.
The ease of our modern workday could come at the expense of our longevity. A new study of older
women in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that sitting for long stretches of time
increases the odds of an untimely death. The more hours women in the study spent sitting at work, driving,
lying on the couch watching TV, or engaged in other leisurely pursuits, the greater their odds of dying
early from all causes, including heart disease and cancer.
Even women who exercised regularly risked shortening their lifespan if most of their daily hours were
sedentary ones. “Even if you are doing the recommended amount of moderate to vigorous exercise, you
will still have a higher risk of mortality if you’re spending too many hours sitting,” says Dr. JoAnn
Manson, one of the study’s authors.
How much sitting can you safely do in a day? In the study, women who were inactive for 11 or more
hours a day fared the worst, facing a 12% increase in premature death, but even lesser amounts of inactive
time can cause problems. “Once you’re sitting for more than 6 to 8 hours a day, that’s not likely to be
good for you,” Dr. Manson says. You want to avoid prolonged sitting and increase the amount of
moderate or vigorous exercise you do each day, she adds.
Are the following statements true, false or not given?

1. The study looked at the effects of sitting on elderly women only.

2. A link was found between hours spent sitting and serious health problems.
3. The warnings about sitting do not apply to people who exercise regularly.
4. Less than 6 hours a day is a safe amount of sitting.

64. IELTS Reading: choose the title

Read the following passage and choose the best title from the list below.
The attitude of the scientific community towards the unconscious mind has shifted dramatically in recent
years. While once viewed as a lazy reservoir of memories and non-task oriented behaviour, the
unconscious is now regarded as an active and essential component in the processes of decision making.
Historically, the unconscious mind was considered to be the source of dreams and implicit memory
(which allows people to walk or ride a bicycle without consciously thinking about the activity), as well
as the storing place for memories of past experiences. But recent research reveals that the unconscious
brain might also be an active player in decision making, problem solving, creativity and critical thinking.
One familiar example of the operation of the unconscious in problem solving is the well- known
phenomenon of the "eureka moment", when a solution to a problem presents itself without the
involvement of active thinking.
A) Scientists present new findings about the unconscious mind
B) our growing understanding of the role of the unconscious
C) How humans solve problems
D) What is a “eureka moment”?

65. IELTS Reading: multiple choice

Read the passage and choose the best answers to the questions below.
Ecotourism is a form of tourism where tourists visit fragile, pristine, and relatively undisturbed natural
areas. Its purpose may be to educate the traveller, to provide funds for ecological conservation, to directly
benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, or to foster respect
for different cultures and for human rights.
However, ecotourism operations occasionally fail to live up to conservation ideals. Even a modest
increase in population puts extra pressure on the local environment and necessitates the development of
additional infrastructure. The construction of water treatment plants, sanitation facilities, and lodges
come with the exploitation of non-renewable energy sources and the utilisation of already limited local
resources. The environment may suffer because local communities are unable to meet these infrastructure
demands.
1. One aim of ecotourism is to

A) allow people to visit areas that were previously restricted.

B) educate local communities in fragile areas.
C) raise money for environmental projects in natural areas.
2. However, ecotourism can cause problems when
A) the local population does not welcome visitors.
B) extra facilities and amenities are required to cope with a population increase.
C) communities do not have the funds to improve local facilities.

66. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following passage about the extinction of species.
There are a variety of factors that can contribute directly or indirectly to the extinction of a species.
Extinction may come suddenly when an otherwise healthy species is wiped out completely, such as when
toxic pollution renders its entire habitat unlivable, or it may occur gradually over thousands or millions
of years, such as when a species gradually loses out in competition for food to better adapted competitors.
Extinction may occur a long time after the events that set it in motion, a phenomenon known as extinction
debt.
Currently, environmental groups and some governments are concerned with the extinction of species
caused by humanity, and they try to prevent further extinctions through a variety of conservation
programmes. Humans can cause extinction of a species through over-harvesting, pollution, habitat
destruction, introduction of invasive species (such as new predators and food competitors), and over-
hunting.
Are the following statements true, false, or not given?
1. In most cases of extinction, the species slowly dies out over a period of many years.
2. 'Extinction debt' refers to cases of species dying out long after the initial event that triggered
the extinction took place.
3. Human activity is the principal cause of the extinction of species.

67. IELTS Reading: multiple choice

Read the following passage about 'mindsets' and success.
According to Carol Dweck, individuals can be placed on a continuum according to their implicit views
of where ability comes from. Some believe their success is based on innate ability; these are said to have
a "fixed" theory of intelligence (fixed mindset). Others, who believe their success is based on having
opposite mindset, which involves hard work, learning, training and doggedness are said to have a
"growth" or an "incremental" theory of intelligence (growth mindset).

Individuals may not necessarily be aware of their own mindset, but their mindset can still be discerned
based on their behaviour. It is especially evident in their reaction to failure. Fixed-mindset individuals
dread failure because it is a negative statement on their basic abilities, while growth mindset individuals
do not mind or fear failure as much because they realise their performance can be improved and learning
comes from failure. These two mindsets play an important role in all aspects of a person's life. Dweck
argues that the growth mindset will allow a person to live a less stressful and more successful life.
Which TWO of the following statements agree with the ideas of the writer?
A) Dweck believes that success depends on inherited intelligence.
B) Dweck classifies people according to their beliefs about ability and success.
C) We do not always realise which mindset we have.
D) Fixed-mindset individuals fail more often than those who have a growth mindset.

68. IELTS Reading: match the headings

The space agency NASA proposes six "lunar exploration themes" to answer the question, "Why should
we return to the Moon?"
.....
Match each heading from the following list with one of the themes described below.
A) Economic Expansion
B) Scientific Knowledge
C) Global Partnerships
D) Human Civilisation
E) Public Engagement
F) Exploration Preparation
.....
1. Extend human presence to the Moon to enable eventual settlement.
2. Pursue scientific activities that address fundamental questions about the history of Earth, the solar
system and the universe; and therefore, about our place in them.
3. Test technologies, systems, flight operations and exploration techniques to reduce the risks and
increase the productivity of future missions to Mars and beyond.
4. Provide a challenging, shared and peaceful activity that unites nations in pursuit of common
objectives.
5. Expand Earth's economic sphere, and conduct lunar activities with benefits to life on the home
planet.
6. Use a lively space exploration program to engage the public, encourage students and help develop
the high-technology workforce that will be required to address the challenges of tomorrow.

69. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following passage about the daily life of a philosopher.
For 27 years the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer followed an identical routine. He rose every morning
at seven and had a bath but no breakfast; he drank a cup of strong coffee before sitting down at his desk
and writing until noon. At noon he ceased work for the day and spent half an hour practicing the flute,
on which he became quite a skilled performer. Then he went out for lunch at his favourite restaurant.
After lunch he returned home and read until four, when he left for his daily walk; he walked for two hours
no matter what the weather. At six o’clock he visited the reading room of the library and read The Times.
In the evening he attended the theatre or a concert, after which he had dinner at a hotel or restaurant. He
got back home between nine and ten and went early to bed. He was willing to deviate from this routine
in order to receive visitors.
Are the following statements true, false or not given in the passage?
1. Schopenhauer got up at the same time every day.
2. He dedicated the whole day to his work.
3. He ate the same meal every evening.
4. Schopenhauer allowed nothing to interrupt his daily routine.

70. IELTS Reading: choose the title

Choose the best title for the passage below.
A) The story of a visionary cycling coach.
B) Cycling’s ‘marginal gains’ theory and its application in schools.
C) The man behind Britain’s Olympic cycling success.
D) How cyclists implement the ‘marginal gains’ concept.
E) Schools have improved since the Olympic Games.
One simple, but highly effective, lesson from the Olympics comes from the visionary British cycling
coach, Dave Brailsford. Brailsford believes that by breaking down and identifying every tiny aspect of
an athlete's performance and then making just a 1% improvement in each area, the athlete's overall
performance can be significantly enhanced. His concept of 'the aggregation of marginal gains' has been
making transformative ripples in classrooms and schools ever since the cycling team came to prominence
a few years ago.
What is so brilliant about Brailsford's marginal gains concept is that it is so flexible. It provides an
accessible, precise and useful language for achieving success in a school context in various ways: from
students improving their learning, to teachers looking to enhance their pedagogy, and, more broadly,
school leaders looking to make small, but highly significant improvements.

71. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following passage and answer the questions below.
‘Biometrics’ refers to the identification of humans by their characteristics or traits. Biometric identifiers
are often categorised as physiological versus behavioural characteristics. Physiological characteristics
are related to the shape of the body. Examples include fingerprint, face recognition, DNA, Palm print,
hand geometry and iris recognition. Behavioural characteristics are related to the behaviour of a person,
including typing rhythm, gait, and voice.
More traditional means of identification include token-based systems, such as a driver's license or
passport, and knowledge-based systems, such as a password or personal identification number. Since
biometric identifiers are unique to individuals, they are more reliable in verifying identity than token and
knowledge-based methods; however, the collection of biometric identifiers raises privacy concerns about
the ultimate use of this information.
Are the following statements true, false or not given?
1. There are two main types of biometric identifier.
2. Fingerprinting is the best known biometric identification system.
3. The use of a password is another example of biometric identification.
4. Some people may worry about how biometric data is used.

72. IELTS Reading: which paragraph contains...?

Read the following passage about the tutorial method of teaching, which is used in some universities.
A) The tutorial method of teaching, where students are taught individually or in very small groups of two
or three, developed as the collegiate system in Oxford and Cambridge Universities established itself.
Teaching has existed in Oxford since the 11th century, and the role of tutors was documented in the 15th
century, when Oxford tutors were described as ‘having responsibility for the conduct and instruction of
their younger colleagues’ (Moore, 1968). Thus, the early role of the tutor was both pastoral as well as
academic.
B) One of the foundations of Oxford’s academic excellence is the dialectic of the individual, discussion-
based tutorial which is reputed to have reached its unique status in the middle of the 19th century.
Professor Benjamin Jowett, classicist and Master of Balliol College, Oxford, is traditionally credited with
having been the guiding influence behind the establishment of the tutorial system based on the Socratic
Method. His students said of Jowett, ‘his great skill consisted, like Socrates, in helping us to learn and
think for ourselves’ (Markham, 1967). When Jowett took up the mantle of Vice- Chancellor of Oxford
University in 1882, his teaching method of Socratic dialogue became established as a ‘pattern for the
whole university’ (Markham, 1967).
 C) In the last decade, multiple studies have been conducted exploring the unique learning benefits of the
tutorial method. 130 years after it was formally established as the cornerstone of Oxford education, the
tutorial method retains its prestige and effectiveness. As the present university website states, it is
through the tutorial system that ‘students develop powers of independent and critical thought, analytical
and problem-solving abilities, and skills in both written and oral communication and argument'.
(Source: http://www.greenes.org.uk/our-history/the-history-of-the-tutorial/)

Which paragraph contains the information in the statements below?

1. The tutorial is still a key part of the Oxford education system.
2. The tutorial method encourages students to learn independently.
3. The tutorial method features in Oxford University marketing.
4. Traditionally, Oxford tutors had more than just an academic role.

73. IELTS Reading: yes, no, not given

Read the following passage about 'uni-tasking' and 'multi-tasking'.

The human brain evolved to focus on one thing at a time. This enabled our ancestors to hunt animals, to
create tools, and to protect their clan from predators or invading neighbours. In parallel, an attentional
filter evolved to help us to stay on task, letting through only information that was important enough to
deserve disrupting our train of thought.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the twenty-first century: The plethora of information and the
technologies that serve our brain changed the way we use it. Increasingly, we demand that our attentional
system try to focus on several things at once. Uni-tasking is getting harder and harder to do. The
information age now buries us in data coming at us from every which way. We are bombarded with more
information than at any time in history - the equivalent of 175 newspapers a day, five times as much
information as we took in thirty years ago.
If we want to be more productive and creative, and to have more energy, the science suggests that we
should tame the multi-tasking and immerse ourselves in a single task for sustained periods, say 30 to 50
minutes.
According to the author, are the following statements correct? Answer YES, NO or NOT
GIVEN.

1) The human brain is set up to perform many tasks at once.

2) The information age is characterized by our exposure to an abundance of data.
3) Multi-tasking may reduce human performance.

74. IELTS Reading: collocations

Read the following text about 'collocation':
Collocation is defined as a sequence of words or terms which co-occur more often than would be expected
by chance. Collocation comprises the restrictions on how words can be used together, for example which
prepositions are used with particular verbs, or which verbs and nouns are used together. An example of
this (from Michael Halliday) is the collocation strong tea. While the same meaning could be conveyed
through the roughly equivalent powerful tea, the fact is that English prefers to speak of tea in terms of
being strong rather than in terms of being powerful. A similar observation holds for powerful
 computers which is preferred over strong computers.
If the expression is heard often, the words become 'glued' together in our minds. 'Crystal clear', 'middle
management', 'nuclear family', and 'cosmetic surgery' are examples of collocated pairs of words. Some
words are often found together because they make up a compound noun, for example 'text message' or
'motor cyclist'.
Are the statements below true, false or not given in the text?
1. It is possible, but not normal, to say 'powerful tea'.
2. It is equally acceptable in English to say 'powerful computers' or 'strong computers'.
3. Our brains remember some pairs of words better than others.
75. IELTS Reading: true, false, not given
Read the following passage about the 'Beaufort scale'.
The Beaufort scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on
land. Its full name is the Beaufort wind forces scale, although it is a measure of wind speed and not of
force in the scientific sense.
The scale was devised in 1805 by Francis Beaufort, an Irish Royal Navy officer. In the early 19th century,
naval officers made regular weather observations, but there was no standard scale and so they could be
very subjective. The initial scale of thirteen classes (zero to twelve) did not reference wind speed numbers
but related qualitative wind conditions to effects on the sails of a frigate, then the main ship of the Royal
Navy.
In 1916, to accommodate the growth of steam power, the descriptions were changed to how the sea, not
the sails, behaved. The Beaufort scale was extended in 1946, when forces 13 to 17 were added. Today,
hurricane force winds are sometimes described as Beaufort scale 12 to 16.
Are the following statements true, false or not given?
1. The Beaufort scale is a scientific measure of wind force.
2. In the early 1800s, naval officers demanded a more accurate way to measure weather
conditions.
3. The original scale measured the effect of wind on a ship’s sails.
4. Today, the Beaufort scale is still the predominant scale for wind description.

76. IELTS Reading: gap-fill from words in the box

Read the passage and complete the summary using words from the box below it.
NB You will not need to use all of the words.
Bilinguals and Personality

Many people believe that bilinguals have two different personalities, one for each of the languages they
speak, and that switching between languages makes bilinguals act differently. Although this may seem
unbelievable to some, research actually supports this idea.
According to various studies, bilinguals who are also bicultural and are actively involved in both of their
cultures, interpret situations differently depending on which language they speak in. Although everyone,
monolinguals and bilinguals alike, is able to change the way they feel and interpret events (a phenomenon
 known as frame-shifting), bicultural do this without realizing when switching between languages.
The changes are not only linguistic. As an English-Spanish bicultural myself I do find I act differently
depending on which culture I'm immersed in at the time. I'm often aware of the fact that when I speak to
other Spanish speakers my voice is slightly louder and I gesticulate more than when I talk to English
speakers. Could we then say that bilinguals have two different personalities? (Source:
bilingualbicultural.com)
Summary

There is some to show that people who are bilingual exhibit a different depending on which
language they are speaking. Some bilinguals also have two cultural identities, meaning that they
are able to their behaviour effortlessly according to their cultural . This may involve changes
in _ of speech or in the use of language.