IE1 Mock Reading Test

Answer Key
READING TEST SECTION 1 Questions 1–5
Read about Istanbul. Then put the statements below in order from A to E.
With a population of nearly 14 million people, Istanbul is Turkey’s biggest city. It has played
an important role in history since its creation in 657 BCE. Its first name was Byzantium, but
its name changed to Constantinople in 330 CE, after the Roman Emperor Constantine
decided to make it his capital. In 1453, a Turkish sultan, Mehmed II, captured the city and
made it the capital of his own empire. The Turks gave the city its third name, Istanbul. One
of Istanbul’s best-known places is the Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s oldest and largest
covered markets. Visitors can also visit the Hagia Sophia, the city’s most famous building.
It was the world’s largest church for more than 1000 years, and is now an important
museum. The city also has many beautiful mosques, including the famous Blue Mosque.
Istanbul stands on the Bosphorus, a 3 kilometre-wide river which connects the Black Sea
with the Mediterranean. It is also the border between Europe and Asia. About two thirds of
the city is on the European side, and one third on the Asian side. Only two bridges connect
the two parts of the city, with 400,000 vehicles trying to cross every day, so traffic jams are
terrible. But there are plans to build a new bridge, and even a tunnel beneath the
Bosphorus. If you want to get away from the noise of the city, go to the Princes’ Islands, 15
kilometres from the city centre. The islands have wonderful restaurants, beautiful buildings
and quiet streets – and no cars!
1. Getting from one side to the other Letter D
2. A city with three names Letter A
3. A quiet part of the city Letter E
4. A city between Europe and Asia Letter C
5. Places to visit in Istanbul Letter B
SECTION 1 Questions 6–10
Read about Istanbul. Then answer the yes, no, not given questions.
With a population of nearly 14 million people, Istanbul is Turkey’s biggest city. It has played
an important role in history since its creation in 657 BCE. Its first name was Byzantium, but
its name changed to Constantinople in 330 CE, after the Roman Emperor Constantine
decided to make it his capital. In 1453, a Turkish sultan, Mehmed II, captured the city and
made it the capital of his own empire. The Turks gave the city its third name, Istanbul. One
of Istanbul’s best-known places is the Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s oldest and largest
covered markets. Visitors can also visit the Hagia Sophia, the city’s most famous building.
It was the world’s largest church for more than 1000 years, and is now an important
museum. The city also has many beautiful mosques, including the famous Blue Mosque.
Istanbul stands on the Bosphorus, a 3 kilometre-wide river which connects the Black Sea
with the Mediterranean. It is also the border between Europe and Asia. About two thirds of
the city is on the European side, and one third on the Asian side. Only two bridges connect
the two parts of the city, with 400,000 vehicles trying to cross every day, so traffic jams are
terrible. But there are plans to build a new bridge, and even a tunnel beneath the
Bosphorus. If you want to get away from the noise of the city, go to the Princes’ Islands, 15
kilometres from the city centre. The islands have wonderful restaurants, beautiful buildings
and quiet streets – and no cars!
6. Istanbul is the second biggest city in Turkey. No
7. Constantine and Mehmed II both made the city their capital. Yes
8. The Grand Bazaar is made from wood. Not Given
9. There are four bridges over the Bosphorus. No
10. You can’t wear hats on Princes’ Islands. Not Given
SECTION 2 Questions 11–15

Read about the Open World Project.

Can a group of teenagers change the lives of children on the other side of the world? In
December 2010, Ben Honeycutt, a teenager in Kansas, USA, met Govinda Prasad
Panthy, a school director in Nepal. Ben was shocked to learn about the problems in
Govinda’s school. Govinda’s dream was to bring the Internet to his school, so Ben and
his friends Kevin and Jake agreed to help. They decided to raise $2,000 for the school,
so that Govinda could buy laptops and an internet connection. They created a website
called Open World Cause and used websites like Facebook and Twitter to tell the world
about their project. Soon their story was in the newspapers, and people and companies
started sending money. They reached their goal and sent the first laptops in March 2011.
With their new internet connection, learners and teachers at Govinda’s school could
make contact with other schools around the world, including schools in Pakistan and
Cameroon. This was fantastic, but the teenagers in Kansas knew that it wasn’t enough.
Govinda’s school still needed a library and books, so the project continued.

11. The people in the Open World team are...A. schoolchildren

12. Ben Honeycutt is from… B. the U.S.
13. Ben, Kevin and Jake raised money for… B. computers
14. The team were sent money from… A. businesses and people
15. The first equipment was sent in… B. 2011
SECTION 2 Questions 16–20

Continue to read about the Open World Project. Answer the true or false
questions.

In June 2011, they had $5000 for the school, enough to build a library, but then some
bad news came. The school had to close half of its buildings, so many of its learners had
to stop school. So in December 2011, the Open World team decided to build a whole
new school in Govinda’s village with a playground and 14 new classrooms. They haven’t
finished yet, but they’re sure they will reach their goal. For them, the project isn’t about
laptops and libraries, but about making children’s lives better. In the future, they hope to
connect lots more schools around the world connected to the Internet, and to each other,
so that the children have a better understanding of life in different countries.
So, can a group of teenagers change the world? Absolutely!

16. The team raised $5000 to build a library for the school. TRUE
17. In June 2011 all of the students had to stop attending the school. FALSE
18. The Open World team decided to start a new school in the village. TRUE
19. The project has now finished building a school with 14 new classrooms. FALSE
20. The group hope to work with more schools around the world in the future. TRUE
SECTION 3 Questions 21–25 Read the text and answer the true or false questions.
Sign languages are used by deaf people, who can’t hear, and mute people, who can’t
speak. Their family, friends and colleagues also use sign languages to communicate with
them. People who use sign languages are called signers. They use their hands, their
arms, their faces and sometimes their whole bodies to communicate. Sign languages
have grammar and vocabulary like spoken languages. Most sign languages aren’t
related to local spoken languages. For example, British Sign Language (BSL), which is
used in the UK, has no connection with English. BSL is also not connected with
American Sign Language (ASL), which is used in the USA. Finger-spelling alphabets,
where each sign shows a letter of the alphabet, aren’t used much in sign languages.
Signers only use them when they have to; for example, when they have to spell out their
name. There are four main ways of using sign languages. Most words in sign languages
are made from the shape of the signer’s hand. It’s also important to look at the hand’s
direction. For example, is it pointing up or down? Thirdly, look at the hand’s position – is
it high or low? Finally, signers speak through movement, by moving their hands and
arms. We can also add a fifth way of communicating: signers use their faces to express
emotions. If you want to say thank you in BSL, first make your hand flat and hold it in
front of your chin, so that the other person can see the back of your hand. Then move
your hand away from your face and down. Just don’t forget to smile!
21. Sign languages are only used by deaf people. FALSE
22. Signers can use their bodies to communicate. TRUE
23. Signers in the UK and USA use the same language. FALSE
24. Finger-spelling is an important part of sign languages. FALSE
25. Signers do not move their hands when they communicate. FALSE
SECTION 3 Questions 26–30

Read the last part of the text again. Match the ways of using sign language with
the instructions.

If you want to say thank you in BSL, first make your hand flat and hold it in front of your
chin, so that the other person can see the back of your hand. Then move your hand
away from your face and down. Just don’t forget to smile!

26. Position b. hold it in front of your chin

27. Movement d. move your hand away from your face and down
28. Face e. don’t forget to smile
29. Shape a. make your hand flat
30. Direction c. so that the other person can see the back of your hand
SECTION 4 Questions 31–40 Read the text and answer the true or false questions.
The Taj Mahal is a famous mausoleum next to the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. A
mausoleum is a building where people bury the dead. The name Taj Mahal means 'the crown
of palaces'. The most famous part of the Taj Mahal is the large white dome in the centre. It is
35 metres high and is surrounded by four smaller domes. The rooms inside the building are
decorated with beautiful archways and precious stones in the walls. The buildings are
surrounded by gardens with pathways, pools, fountains and green gardens. The construction
of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and finished in 1653. It was built with materials from all over
India and Asia, but the main material is white marble. Historians believe that the materials
were transported by over 1000 elephants for the construction. The emperor Shah Jahan built
the Taj Mahal as a burial place for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. According to legend, he wanted to
build another Taj Mahal in black on the other side of the river, but this never happened. During
the Indian Rebellion of 1857, many parts of the Taj Mahal were damaged by British soldiers,
who took some of the precious stones from its walls. Over the years, the Taj Mahal has
suffered from environmental damage, and there have been many government attempts to
conserve its beauty. The Taj Mahal is one of India's most famous landmarks. There are
millions of visitors every year. The Taj Mahal is almost always included in lists of famous
buildings to visit and is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

31. The Taj Mahal is in the countryside. F 32. The Taj Mahal is near a river. T
33. It’s name means the palace of crowns. F 34. It is famous for the four domes around it. F
35. The Taj Mahal was completed in 1653. T 36. 1000 elephants moved the white marble. F
37. Shah Jahan later built a black Taj Mahal. F 38. The building was damaged in 1875. F
39. Thousands of people visit each year. F 40. Pollution has impacted the building. F