IELTS Academic Reading 11

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-14, which are based on following
reading passage:

THE ROCKET - FROM EAST TO WEST

A The concept of the rocket, or rather the mechanism behind the idea of propelling an object
into the air, has been around for well over two thousand years. However, it wasn’t until the
discovery of the reaction principle, which was the key to space travel (5) and so represents
one of the great milestones in the history of scientific thought, that rocket technology was
able to develop. Not only did it solve a problem that had intrigued man for ages, but, more
importantly, it literally opened the door to exploration of the universe.

B An intellectual breakthrough, brilliant though it may be, does not automatically ensure that
the transition is made from theory to practice. Despite the fact that rockets had been used
sporadically for several hundred years, they remained a relatively minor arte-fact of
civilization until the twentieth century (1). Prodigious efforts, accelerated during two world
wars, were required before the technology of primitive rocketry could be translated into the
reality of sophisticated astronauts. It is strange that the rocket was generally ignored by
writers of fiction to transport their heroes to mysterious realms beyond the Earth, even
though it had been commonly used in fireworks displays in China since the thirteenth
century. The reason is that nobody associated the reaction principle with the idea of traveling
through space to a neighbouring world.

C A simple analogy can help us to understand how a rocket operates (2). It is much like a
machine gun mounted on the rear of a boat. In reaction to the backward discharge of bullets,
the gun, and hence the boat, move forwards. A rocket motor’s ‘bullets’ are minute, high-
speed particles produced by burning propellants in a suitable chamber. The reaction to the
ejection of these small particles causes the rocket to move forwards. There is evidence that
the reaction principle was applied practically well before the rocket was invented. In his
Noctes Atticae or Greek Nights, Aulus Gellius describes ‘the pigeon of Archytas’, an
invention dating back to about 360 BC. Cylindrical in shape, made of wood, and hanging
from string, it was moved to and fro by steam blowing out from small exhaust ports at either
end. The reaction to the discharging steam provided the bird with motive power.

D (3) The invention of rockets is linked inextricably with the invention of ‘black powder’ (7)
. Most historians of technology credit the Chinese with its discovery. They base their belief
on studies of Chinese writings or on the notebooks of early Europeans who settled in or
made long visits to China to study its history and civilisation. It is probable that, sometime in
the tenth century, black powder was first compounded from its basic ingredients of saltpetre,
charcoal and sulphur. But this does not mean that it was immediately used to propel rockets.
By the thirteenth century, powder propelled fire arrows (8) had become rather common.
The Chinese relied on this type of technological development to produce incendiary
projectiles of many sorts, explosive grenades and possibly cannons to repel their enemies.
One such weapon was the ‘basket of fire’ (11) or, as directly translated from Chinese, the
‘arrows like flying leopards’. The 0.7 metre-long arrows, each with a long tube of gunpowder
attached near the point of each arrow, could be fired from a long, octagonal-shaped basket
at the same time and had a range of 400 paces. Another weapon was the ‘arrow as am
flying sabre’, which could be fired from crossbows. The rocket, placed in a similar position to
other rocket-propelled arrows, was designed to increase the range. A small iron weight was
attached to the 1.5m bamboo shaft, just below the feathers, to increase the arrow’s stability
by moving the centre of gravity to a position below the rocket. At a similar time, the Arabs
had developed the ‘egg which moves and burns’ (12). This ‘egg’ was apparently full of
gunpowder and stabilised by a 1.5m tail. It was fired using two rockets attached to either
side of this tail.

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E It was not until the eighteenth century that Europe became seriously interested in the
possibilities of using the rocket itself as a weapon of war (4) and not just to propel other
weapons. Prior to this, rockets were used only in pyrotechnic displays. The incentive for the
more aggressive use of rockets came not from within the European continent but from far-
away India, whose leaders had built up a corps of rocketeers and used rockets successfully
against the British in the late eighteenth century. The Indian rockets used against the
British (9) were described by a British Captain serving in India as ‘an iron envelope about
200 millimetres long and 40 millimetres in diameter with sharp points at the top and a
3m-long bamboo guiding stick’ (13). In the early nineteenth century the British began to
experiment with incendiary barrage rockets. The British rocket differed from the Indian
version in that it was completely encased in a stout, iron cylinder, terminating in a conical
head, measuring one metre in diameter and having a stick almost five metres long and
constructed in such a way that it could be firmly attached to the body of the rocket. The
Americans developed a rocket, complete with its own launcher (10) , to use against the
Mexicans in the mid-nineteenth century. A long cylindrical tube was propped up by two
sticks and fastened to the top of the launcher, thereby allowing the rockets to be inserted
and lit from the other end. However, the results were sometimes not that impressive as the
behaviour of the rockets in flight was less than predictable. Since then, there has been
huge developments in rocket technology (6), often with devastating results in the forum
of war. Nevertheless, the modern day space programs owe their success to the humble
beginnings of those in previous centuries who developed the foundations of the reaction
principle. Who knows what it will be like in the future?

Questions 1-4

Reading passage 11 has six paragraphs labelled A-F.

Choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs B-E from the list of headings below.
Write the appropriate numbers (i-ix) in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings 

 i   How the reaction principle works

ii   The impact of the reaction principle
iii  Writer's theories of the reaction principle
iv  Undeveloped for centuries
 v  The first rockets
vi  The first use of steam
vii  Rockets for military use
viii Developments of fire
ix   What's next?

Example      Paragraph A          Answer ii

1.  Paragraph B iv
2.  Paragraph C i
3.  Paragraph D v
4.  Paragraph E vii

Questions 5 and 6
Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 5 and 6 on your answer sheet.

5 The greatest outcome of the discovery of the reaction principle was that
    A         rockets could be propelled into the air.
    B         space travel became a reality.
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    C        a major problem had been solved.
    D        bigger rockets were able to be built.
 
6 According to the text, the greatest progress in rocket technology was made
    A       from the tenth to the thirteenth centuries.
    B       from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries.
    C       from the early nineteenth to the late nineteenth century.
    D       from the late nineteenth century to the present day.

Questions 7-10
From the information in the text, indicate who FIRST invented or used the items in the list
below.
Write the appropriate letters A-E in boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
 

Example                                                                          Answer
rockets for displays                                                           A

7. black powder A
8. rocket-propelled arrows for fighting A
9. rockets as war weapons B
10. the rocket launcher E

FIRST invented or used by

A  the Chinese
B  the Indians
C  the British
D  the Arabs
E  the Americans

Questions 11-14
Look at the drawings of different projectiles below, A-H, and the names of types of projectiles
given
in the passage, Questions 11-14. Match each name with one drawing.
Write the appropriate letters A-H in boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet.

Example                                                      Answer
The Greek ‘pigeon of Archytas’                      C

11     The Chinese ‘basket of fire’ B

12     The Arab ‘egg which moves and burns’ E
13     The Indian rocket F
14     The British barrage rocket G
 

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IELTS Academic Reading 12 

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 29-40 which are bused on Reading

Passage below.

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

A ‘Hypotheses,’ said Medawar in 1964,‘are imaginative and inspirational in character’; they
are ‘adventures of the mind’. He was arguing in favour of the position taken by Karl Popper
in The Logic of Scientific Discovery (1972, 3rd edition) that the nature of scientific
method is hypothetico-deductive (36) and not, as is generally believed, inductive.

B It is essential that you, as an intending researcher, understand the difference between
these two interpretations of the research process so that you do not become discouraged or
begin to suffer from a feeling of ‘cheating’ or not going about it the right way.

C The myth of scientific method is that it is inductive: that the formulation of scientific theory
starts with the basic, raw evidence of the senses - simple, unbiased, unprejudiced
observation. Out of these sensory data - commonly referred to as ‘facts’ — generalisations
will form. The myth is that from a disorderly array of factual information an orderly, relevant
theory will somehow emerge. However, the starting point of induction is an impossible one.

D  There is no such thing as an unbiased observation. Every act of observation we make is a

function of what we have seen or otherwise experienced in the past. All scientific work of an
experimental or exploratory nature starts with some expectation about the outcome. This
expectation is a hypothesis. Hypotheses provide the initiative and incentive for the inquiry
and influence the method. It is in the light of an expectation that some observations are held
to be relevant and some irrelevant, that one methodology is chosen and others discarded,
that some experiments are conducted and others are not. Where is, your naive, pure and
objective researcher now?

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E Hypotheses arise by guesswork, or by inspiration, but having been formulated they can
and must be tested rigorously, using the appropriate methodology. If the predictions you
make as a result of deducing certain consequences from your hypothesis are not shown to
be correct then you discard or modify your hypothesis.If the predictions turn out to be
correct then your hypothesis has been supported and may be retained until such time
as some further test shows it not to be correct(37). Once you have arrived at your
hypothesis, which is a product of your imagination, you then proceed to a strictly logical and
rigorous process, based upon deductive argument — hence the term ‘hypothetico-
deductive’.

F So don’t worry if you have some idea of what your results will tell you before you even
begin to collect data; there are no scientists in existence who really wait until they have all
the evidence in front of them before they try to work out what it might possibly mean. The
closest we ever get to this situation is when something happens by accident; but even then
the researcher has to formulate a hypothesis to be tested before being sure that, for
example, a mould might prove to be a successful antidote to bacterial infection.

G The myth of scientific method is not only that it is inductive (which we have seen is
incorrect) but also that the hypothetico-deductive method proceeds in a step-by-step,
inevitable fashion. The hypothetico-deductive method describes the logical approach
to much research work, but it does not describe the psychological behaviour that
brings it about (39) . This is much more holistic — involving guesses, reworkings,
corrections, blind alleys and above all inspiration, in the deductive as well as the hypothetic
component -than is immediately apparent from reading the final thesis or published papers.
These have been, quite properly, organised into a more serial, logical order so that the worth
of the output may be evaluated independently of the behavioural processes by which it was
obtained. It is the difference, for example between the academic papers with which Crick
and Watson demonstrated the structure of the DNA molecule and the fascinating book The
Double Helix in which Watson (1968) described how they did it. From this point of view,

Questions 29-30
Reading Passage 12 has seven paragraphs A-G.
Choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs C-G from the list of headings below.
Write the appropriate numbers i-x in boxes 29-33 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

i The Crick and Watson approach to research

ii Antidotes to bacterial infection

iii The testing of hypotheses

iv Explaining the inductive method

v Anticipating results before data is collected

vi How research is done and how it is reported

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 vii The role of hypotheses in scientific research

viii Deducing the consequences of hypotheses

ix Karl Popper’s claim that the scientific method is

hypothetico-deductive

x The unbiased researcher

Example     Paragraph A            Answer: ix

29 Paragraph C  IV

30 Paragraph D  VII

31 Paragraph E  III

32 Paragraph F  V

33 Paragraph G  V

Questions 34 and 35
In which TWO paragraphs in Reading Passage does the writer give advice directly to the
reader? B, F
Write the TWO appropriate letters (A—G) in boxes 34 and 35 on your answer sheet.

Questions 36-39
Do the following statements reflect the opinions of the writer in Reading Passage 12?
In boxes 36-39 on your answer sheet write

YES if the statement reflects the opinion of the writer.

NO  if the statement contradicts the opinion of the writer.
NOT GIVEN  if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Y 36 Popper says that the scientific method is hypothetico-deductive.

N 37 If a prediction based on a hypothesis is fulfilled, then the hypothesis is confirmed
as true.
NG 38 Many people carry out research in a mistaken way.
Y 39 The ‘scientific method’ is more a way of describing research than a way of doing
it.

Question 40
Choose the appropriate letter A-D and write it in box 40 on your answer sheet.

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Which of the following statements best describes the writer’s main purpose in Reading
Passage 3?

A  to advise Ph.D students not to cheat while carrying out research.

B  to encourage Ph.D students to work by guesswork and inspiration.
C  to explain to Ph.D students the logic which the scientific research paper follows.
D  to help Ph.D students by explaining different conceptions of the research process.

IELTS Academic Reading 13

You are advised to spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27 - 40.

A.D.D. - Missing Out on Learning

Study requires a student's undivided attention. It is impossible to acquire a complex skill or
absorb information about a subject in class unless one learns to concentrate without undue
stress for long periods of time

Students with Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.) are particularly deficient in this respect for
reasons which are now known to be microbiological and not behavioral, as was once
believed. Of course, being unable to concentrate, and incapable of pleasing the teacher and
oneself in the process, quickly leads to despondence and low self-esteem. This will
naturally induce behavioral problems (27) . It is estimated that 3 - 5 % of all children
suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder. There are three main types of Attention Deficit
Disorder: A.D.D. without Hyperactivity (31), A.D.D. with Hyperactivity (A.D.H.D.), and
Undifferentiated A.D.D.

The characteristics of a person with A.D.D. are as follows:

• has difficulty paying attention
• does not appear to listen
• is unable to carry out given instructions
• avoids or dislikes tasks which require sustained mental effort
• has difficulty with organization (30)
• is easily distracted
• often loses things
• is forgetful in daily activities

Children with A.D.H.D. also exhibit excessive and inappropriate physical activity, such as
constant fidgeting and running about the room. This boisterousness often interferes with the
educational development of others. Undifferentiated A.D.D. sufferers exhibit some, but not
all, of the symptoms of each category.

It is important to base remedial action on an accurate diagnosis. Since A.D.D. is a

physiological disorder caused by some structural or chemically-based neurotransmitter
problem in the nervous system, it responds especially well to certain psycho stimulant drugs,
such as Ritalin. In use since 1953, the drug enhances the ability to structure and complete
(32) a thought without being overwhelmed by non-related and distracting thought processes.

Psycho stimulants are the most widely used medications for persons with A.D.D. and
A.D.H.D. (28) Recent findings have validated the use of stimulant medications, which work in
about 70 - 80% of A.H.D.D. children and adults (Wilens and Biederman, 1997). In fact, up to
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90% of destructibility in A.D.D. sufferers can be removed by medication (34) . The specific
dose of medicine varies for each child, but such drugs are not without side effects (33) ,
which include reduction in appetite, loss of weight, and problems with falling asleep.

Not all students who are inattentive in class have Attention Deficit Disorder. Many are simply
unwilling to commit themselves to the task at hand. Others might have a specific learning
disability (S.L.D.). However, those with A.D.D. have difficulty performing in school not usually
because they have trouble learning 1 , but because of poor organization, inattention,
compulsion and impulsiveness. This is brought about by an incompletely understood
phenomenon, in which the individual is, perhaps, best described as 'tuning out' (35) for short
to long periods of time. The effect is analogous to the switching of channels on a television
set. The difference is that an A.D.D. sufferer is not 'in charge of the remote control'. The child
with A.D.D. is unavailable to learn - something else has involuntarily captured his or her
whole attention.

It is commonly thought that A.D.D. only affects children, and that they grow out of the
condition once they reach adolescence. It is now known that this is often not the case. Left
undiagnosed or untreated, children (36) with all forms of A.D.D. risk a lifetime of failure to
relate effectively to others at home, school, college and at work. This brings significant
emotional disturbances into play, and is very likely to negatively affect self-esteem.
Fortunately, early identification of the problem, together with appropriate treatment, makes it
possible for many victims to overcome the substantial obstacles that A.D.D. places in the
way of successful (37) learning.

1 approximately 15% of A.D.H.D. children do, however, have learning disabilities

Alternative Treatments for A.D.D. Evaluation

  expensive

EEG Biofeedback trials flawed - (sample groups small,

no  control groups)
Dietary intervention (removal of food
additives -preservatives, colorings etc.) ineffective

Sugar reduction (in A.D.H.D.) (29) numerous studies disprove link

Correction of (supposed) inner-ear slightly effective (but only for small

disturbance percentage of children)

Correction of (supposed) yeast infection  undocumented, unscientific studies

(Candida albicans)
 inconsistent with current theory
Vitamin/mineral regimen for (supposed)
genetic abnormality  lack of evidence

Body manipulations for (supposed)  inconsistent with current theory

misalignment of two bones in the skull
 lack of evidence

 theory disproved in the 1970s

 lack of evidence

 inconsistent with current theory

Figure 1. Evaluations of Controversial Treatments for A.D.D.

Questions 27-29
You are advised to spend about 5 minutes on Questions 27-29.

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Refer to Reading Passage 13 "A.D.D. - Missing Out On Learning", and decide which of the 
answers best completes the following sentences. Write your answers in boxes 27 - 29 on
your Answer Sheet. The first one has been done for you as an example.

Example: The number of main types of A.D.D. is:

a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4

Q. 27. Attention Deficit Disorder:

a)  is a cause of behavioural problems

b)  is very common in children
c)  has difficulty paying attention
d)  none of the above

Q. 28. Wilens and Biederman have shown that:

a) stimulant medications are useful

b) psychostimulants do not always work
c) hyperactive persons respond well to psychostimulants
d) all of the above

Q. 29. Children with A.D.D.:

a) have a specific learning disability

b) should not be given medication as a treatment
c) may be slightly affected by sugar intake
d) usually improve once they become teenagers

Questions 30-37
You are advised to spend about 10 minutes on Questions 30 - 37.
The following is a summary of Reading Passage 13.

Complete each gap in the text by choosing 30 - 37 on your Answer Sheet.
Write your answers in boxes. Note that there are more choices in the box than gaps.

You will not need to use all the choices given, but you may use a word, or phrase more than
once.

Attention Deficit Disorder is a neurobiological problem that affects 3 - 5% of all .....(Ex:). ......
Symptoms include inattentiveness and having difficulty getting (30) organised  , as well as
easily becoming distracted. Sometimes, A.D.D. is accompanied by (31) hyperactivity . In
these cases, the sufferer exhibits excessive physical activity. Psychostimulant drugs can be
given to A.D.D. sufferers to assist them with the (32) completion   of desired thought
processes, although they might cause (33) side effects  . Current theory states that
medication is the only (34) remedial action    that has a sound scientific basis. This action
should only be taken after an accurate diagnosis is made. Children with A.D.D. do not
necessarily have trouble learning; their problem is that they involuntarily (35) switch   their
attention elsewhere. It is not only (36) children  that are affected by this condition. Failure to
treat A.D.D. can lead to lifelong emotional and behavioral problems. Early diagnosis and
treatment, however, are the key to (37) successfully  overcoming learning difficulties
associated with A.D.D.
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side effects              successfully           completion             adults

medicine                 switch                     drug                      Ritalin

hyperactivity            organized                losing weight          A.D.H.D.

children                   attention                 remedial action        paying

Questions 38 - 40
You are advised to spend about 5 minutes on Questions 38 - 40.
Refer to Reading Passage 13, and decide which of the following pieces of advice is best
suited for child listed in the table below.

Write your answers in boxes 38 - 40 on your Answer Sheet.

ADVICE:
40. A     current treatment ineffective - suggest increased dosage of Ritalin.
B     supplement diet with large amounts of vitamins and minerals.
39. C     probably not suffering from A.D.D. - suggest behavioral counseling.
D     bone manipulation to realign bones in the skull.
E     EEG Biofeedback to self-regulate the child's behavior.
38. F     daily dose of Ritalin in place of expensive unproven treatment.

CHILD 1 (A.D.D) CHILD 2 (NOT A.D.D) CHILD 3(A.D.H.D.)

Problems does not listen to given often forgets to do excessively active

instructions homework
unable to pay attention
loses interest easily sleeps in class
dislikes mental effort
cannot complete tasks disturbs other
students disturbs other students
quiet and withdrawn

Current EEG Feedback none diet contains no food

Treatment additives

low dose of Ritalin

Best Advice    (38)……F……….    (39)………C………    (40)………A……..

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