PRACTICE IELTS READING TEST 12 WITH ANSWERS
READING PASSAGE 1
You
should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 , which
are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
THE EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGE
B. However,
expansion of our vocabulary is just one element involved in how and
why language evolves. Given the variation of dialects or regional accents
present in most language systems, it is clear that an individual’s interpretation of
what is actually correct and commonly used will vary quite dramatically, since
this perception is based upon a combination of factors including the age,
educational level and region of the country a person is from. As we
go about our daily lives and interact with others from different
backgrounds and experiences, the language we hear is often taken on board and
incorporated into the way in which we communicate ourselves. Many
phrases with American origins are now commonplace in British English for
example, due to the frequency with which they are heard on television and in
the movies.
C. Changes
in language are often driven by the young and many such changes are commonly
considered by older people to be a disintegration of standards rather than an
evolution and an improvement. Let’s consider an Americanism commonly used by
youngsters in all pans of the English speaking world. Used as an alternative to
“Tom said…” it is now commonplace to hear “Tom goes, the pay rise was
unacceptable.” or, “Tom was all, the pay rise was unacceptable.”; much to the
horror of many traditionalists. However, this modification could also be
considered to be adding to and not detracting from our ability to communicateeffectively.
To illustrate, let’s consider the original phrase “Tom said”; it is
used solely to show’ the listener that we are reporting the words of Tom, while
the modern variation, “Tom goes” has literally the same meaning. However, if
the speaker chooses instead to use the latter phrase, “Tom was all”, they are
also able to convey the message that Tom had an emotional reaction to
the situation they are reporting, therefore a much more
effective method of communicating information has been created, some
may say. However, should the now’ commonly used texting abbreviations such as
‘gr8t’ (great) and ‘l8r’ (later) become permanent replacements of the original
words, it is likely that even the most liberal amongst us
would be horrified.
D. Variations
on language are usually more readily accepted into informal language prior to
them being absorbed for use in formal writing. Examples of words that we now
commonly use, but were once considered incorrect, are ‘pea’ and ‘hopefully’.
Let’s take pea; it derived from the word ‘pease’, which being an uncountable
noun has the same form regardless of whether one or more pease were being spoken
about. However, this was commonly overlooked and misunderstood, and
through error the singular form of the vegetable became ‘pea’. More
recently ‘hopefully’ was considered by many to be an inappropriate alternative to
‘I hope’; at best only accepted in informal use. The word hopefully is now’
fully acceptable in both informal speech and formal writing.
E. Some
people believe that traditional usages of language are always more superior and
refined than modern variations even when the reasons behind the rule were
dubious in the first place. For example, it was once seriously frowned upon to
split an infinitive in a sentence and even today it is considered grammatically
incorrect to do so. To demonstrate, let’s consider the following
sentence: ‘The examiner asked me to quietly leave the room’; this was
considered incorrect as the word ‘quietly’ splits the infinitive of the verb
‘to leave’. The origins of this rule hail back to the 17th century when
scholars believed that the English language should be adapted to
follow the rules of Latin; then considered the perfect language. Since
splitting infinitives in Latin is impossible, it was decided that splitting
infinitives in English, even though possible, was not acceptable, Given
that initial motivations behind the rule were questionable and the
clarity of meaning of the sentence is not compromised in the ‘incorrect’ form,
it could be argued that this grammar rule is a prime example of an
unnecessary sanction which is likely to be abandoned in the future.
F. As language
evolves, changes in grammar structures which would result in confusion of the
actual meaning of the sentences are unlikely; however, the meanings
of words are often modified or altered beyond recognition by
different generations and can be easily misinterpreted by other social groups.
Take, for example, the modern version of the word ‘bad’ meaning ‘great’ when
used in contemporary slang. Many slang words remain dated in the era
in which they are developed, for example words like ‘to beef, meaning to
complain (introduced in the 1920’s) are not only dated but may not even be
understood in a modern context, while others such as ‘guy’ become
absorbed into mainstream language. Who knows what future generations will add
to the ever changing environment of communication?
Questions 1 – 4
Reading Passage 1 has six
paragraphs A-F.
Choose the correct heading for
paragraphs B, C, E and F from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number i-viii in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.
List
of Headings
i. Historical
acceptance of change
ii. The
Generation Gap
iii. Influences
on speech
iv. Ancient
writing in Asia
v. Cultural
evolution and its impact on language
vi. Slang
expected in the future
vii. Questioning
logic
viii. Lifespan
of vocabulary
Example: Paragraph A; Answer: v
1 Paragraph
B
2 Paragraph
C
Example: Paragraph D; Answer: i
3 Paragraph
E
4 Paragraph
F
Questions 5 – 10
Do the following statements reflect the
claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1? Write:
YES
if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO
if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN
if it is impossible to say what the
writer thinks about this
Write the correct answer YES, NO
or NOT GIVEN in boxes 5-10 on your answer sheet.
5 If
language were static, it would negatively affect our ability to incorporate
other cultures into our own way of life.
6 The
language we grow up knowing and that we adopt through new experiences have
equal effects on the way we speak.
7 English
used in Britain has changed more than American English over recent years.
8 Some
older variations of language are more expressive than more modern forms.
9 All
modern adaptations of language are suitable for mainstream use.
10 All
word usage has changed over time due to misunderstandings of meaning.
Questions 11 – 13
Complete the summary of paragraphs E and F with the list of words A-H below.
Write the correct letter A-H in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.
Some grammar rules such as
avoiding 11 are
deeply entrenched in history and were created by academics who wished to
perfect the English language.
It is likely, however, since they do not
impact on the 12 of
the sentence that such rules are likely to be 13 in
the future. In the same way, many contemporary words in common usage today are
likely to become defunct.
A. Slang
B. Split infinitives
C. Grammatically incorrect
D. Meaning
D. Recognition
F. Disregarded
G. Misinterpreted
H. Confusion
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26 , which are based on Reading Passage 2
below.
WATER HYACINTH: BEAUTIFUL YET DESTRUCTIVE
A. Despite possessing vibrant purple flowers and being
attractive to the eye, the water hyacinth has often been referred to as the
most problematic aquatic plant in the world’s waters. Due to its
aesthetic appeal, water hyacinth, which is
native to South America, has been distributed to many different regions and now
thrives in the southern states of the USA and many subtropical and tropical
locations. It has also been observed to be relatively tolerant
of cooler climates and is routinely sold as an ornamental plant for domestic use in a number of horticulture centres.
B. Though the hyacinth species is distinctive in
appearance, another aquatic floating plant – water lettuce – is sometimes
mistakenly identified as water hyacinth. Water lettuce, however, does not have
the same attractive flowers, has larger leaves and is less tolerant of cooler
climates. Water hyacinth has rounded waxy, green leaves which grow up to around
6 inches in width and floating leaf stems which grow up to 12 inches in length.
Flowers are typically between 2 to 3 inches in width and as many as 15 flowers,
each purple on the outside and containing a yellow centre, may grow from each
plant.
C. Many of the problems associated with the water hyacinth
are due to its incredible growth and reproduction capabilities,
which have made it difficult to control and allow it to quickly dominate the environment in
which it grows and spreads. Its growth patterns are characterised by a rapid
formation of an impenetrable vegetation mass; botanists say that one plant can
produce around 5000 seeds and in one study two plants were observed to produce
1200 plants in as little as 4 months. Following nature’s usual pattern, water
hyacinth seeds are distributed outside of the immediate area by birds, fauna,
wind and water currents, facilitating growth in surrounding areas previously
free of the plant.
D. Domination of environments by water hyacinth populations
has a number of negative implications. For humans, difficulties may be faced in
getting boats through areas of rivers and lakes where the plant is present and
fishing and swimming opportunities may be limited. However, the implications
for the ecosystem of the immediate environment may
be of even greater concern. The density of the mass of water hyacinth
populations can prevent adequateamounts of
sunlight and oxygen reaching the water: as a result, significant numbers
of fish may die, other species of plant growing below water level are
compromised and the ecosystem of the immediate area can therefore become
unbalanced. Furthermore, the conditions
created by the presence of water hyacinth, while detrimental to
most forms of life, are perfect for encouraging growth of deadly bacteria often
found in poorly oxygenated areas of water.
E. In the southern states of the USA, in Florida in
particular, water hyacinth is now under maintenance control. The plant
population can be limited in a number of ways: including use of herbicides, clearance equipment and bio-control insects.
However, efforts to minimise the population
of water hyacinth need to be continual and consistent; experts warning that
unless control methods are upheld, the problem can easily reoccur. Some say
inattention for as little as a twelve month period would
allow numbers to quickly return to infestation level; hardly surprising given
that the species is known to be able to double in as little as 12 days.
F. Water hyacinth is thought to have been introduced into
Africa in the 1800s; its presence at Lake Kyoga was first identified in 1988
and at Lake Victoria in 1989. In the mid 1990s, water hyacinth was estimated to dominate 10% of the latter lake’s waters. However, by
1998, the plant was almost completely eliminated from East African waters; this
being achieved predominantly by the use of
bio-control insects, in this case snout beetles, a type of weevil which feeds
only on the water hyacinth species of plant. Tens of thousands of the weevils
were distributed throughout the lake areas of East Africa, their habit of
feeding on the leaves and laying their eggs in the plants’ stalks eventually causing the plants to die and sink to the
bottom of the lake. In addition, the plant population was removed using
mechanical clearing equipment and by hand with the help of a machete.
G. Despite earlier success, however, negative repercussions
of human activity have caused the return of water hyacinth to East African
waters. Uganda’s Lake Kyoga, has recently once again experienced problems with
infestation. Sewage and agricultural waste making their way into the waterways
and thereby creating an excess of nutrients
in the water have been the main contributing factors to the re-emergence of
water hyacinth. In addition, high levels of nitrogen in rainfall, which enters
the water cycle from the smoke created by
wood burning cooking fires used in the region, also
serves as nutrition to the increasing plant population. Restriction of human
activity on lakes such as this, caused by the infestation of water hyacinth
has enormous implications; villages such as
Kayago, which is in close proximity to the lake, are often almost completely dependent
on fishing activity for their economy and
food source.
H. While the infestation of water hyacinth in Lake Victoria
at the time of writing stands at 0.5%, far below the 10% level experienced in
the middle of the 1990s, experts fear that growth could once again become out
of control. The main concern is that, as a result of changing weather
conditions, the activity of the snout beetle weevils may be less effective than
in the past. The region around Lake Victoria
has experienced an extended period of drought and while the water hyacinth is capable of living and reproducing both in lakes and
surrounding dry land, its predator, the snout beetle can only survive on water. Plant populations growing in lakeside
locations are therefore under limited threat from
the insect brought in to control them and are consequently able
to reproduce in relative freedom.
Questions 14 – 18
Reading Passage 2 has eight
sections A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following
information?
Write the correct answer A-H in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.
14 Why
the use of bio-control insects may be less successful than the first time.
15 The
implications of reducing commitment to control of plant populations.
16 The
problems water hyacinth causes other species of plants and animals.
17 How
human activity has contributed to the problem
18 Reasons
water hyacinth is found in many parts of the world
Questions 19 – 23
Classify the following features as
characteristics of
A. Water hyacinth
B. Water lettuce
C. Both water hyacinth and
water lettuce
D. Neither water hyacinth or
water lettuce
Write the correct letter A, B, C or D in boxes 19-23 on your answer sheet.
19 has
aesthetically pleasing purple flowers.
20 does
not thrive well in colder temperatures.
21 has
leaves which are on average 2-3 inches in diameter.
22 is
commonly found in water.
23 produces
flowers made up of more than one colour.
Questions 24 – 26
Do the following statements agree with
the information given in reading passage 2?
In boxes 24 – 26 on your answer sheet
write:
TRUE
if the
statement agrees with the information
FALSE
if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN
if there is no information on this
24 Presence
of dense water hyacinth populations can encourage the development of certain
harmful forms of life.
25 The
current problem of dominance of water hyacinth on Lake Kyoga is less serious
than in the 1980s and early 1990s.
26 Sewage
and waste created by farming have had more of an impact on the return of the
water hyacinth population in Uganda than nitrogen- rich air.
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 , which are based on Reading Passage 3
below.
PSYCHOMETRICS
A. Psychometrics involves psychological and educational
assessment of the subject by way of measuring attitudes, personality, abilities
and knowledge. The field has two primaryfocuses;
the creation of measurement instruments and procedures and development
and enhancement of existing methodology
employed.
B. The concept of
psychometric testing, introduced long before the establishment of IQ testing
and other current methodologies, was first explored by Francis Galton who
developed the first testing procedures supposedly related to intelligence;
however, his measurement tools were in fact based upon physical and
physiological benchmarks rather than testing of the mind itself. Measurements
included the physical power, height and weight
of subjects which were recorded and results used to estimate the
intelligence of subjects. While the approach was
not successful, the studies conducted by Galton were to influence the work of
future researchers. Approaches to measurement of intelligence, which is defined
as the mind’s relative ability to reason, think, conceptually plan, solve
problems, understand and learn, were later developed by pioneers such as
Charles Spearman. Significant contributions
to its early development were also made by Wilhelm Wundt, L.L. Thurstone, Ernst
Heinrich Weber and Gustav Fechner.
C. The most well-known traditional approach to
development of psychometric instruments to measure intelligence is the
Stanford-Binet IQ test, originally developed by French psychologist Alfred
Binet. Researchers define intelligence as
separate to other attributes such as personality, character, creativity and
even knowledge and wisdom for the purpose of their assessment. Intelligence
testing methods are not intended to determine a level of genetic intelligence
separate from and unaffected by the environment to
which the individual has been exposed to in life; rather to measure the intelligence
of an individual apparent as
a result of both nature and nurture. Psychometrics
is today a useful and widely used tool used for measurement of abilities in
academic areas such as reading, writing and mathematics.
D. IQ tests are commonly used to test intelligence, though
some believe that this testing is unfair and not truly representative of the
subject’s intellect as individuals may excel in different areas of reasoning.
Psychologist Howard Gardner, working on this assumption, introduced
the concept of an individual cognitive
profile in 1983 in his book Frames of Mind: The Theory of
Multiple Intelligences. He holds that one child may perform excellently in
one aspect, yet fail in another and that
their overall performance in a number
of intellectual areas should be considered.
Gardner first identified seven different types of intelligence, these being;
linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily- kinesthetic, musical,
interpersonal and intrapersonal. In 1999 after further research he
added an 8th element to the equation;
naturalistic intelligence, and at the time of writing is investigating the possibility
of a 9th; this being existential intelligence.
E. The first intelligence as defined by Gardner in the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, linguistic
intelligence, relates to an individual’s ability
to process and communicate written
and spoken words. Such people are said to excel at reading, writing,
story-telling, learning a foreign language and the memorising of words and
dates. The logical-mathematical category is
related to a person’s ability to reason logically, think scientifically, make
deductions and perform well in mathematic calculations. Spatial intelligence is
related to vision and spatial judgement; such
individuals have been observed to have a strong visual memory
and the potential to excel in artistic
subjects. Those exhibiting a leaning towards the
third classification, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, often learn best by
physically practising an action rather than by reading or seeing.
F. Musical intelligence, as the name suggests, relates to
ability in defining differences in rhythm and tones; individuals possessing
musical intelligence are often able to sing, play musical instruments and
compose music to a high standard. Since a high level of audio-related ability
exists, many in this category are said to
learn well in a lecture situation where they
are required to listen attentively to information. Interpersonal intelligence
relates to an individual’s ability to communicate and empathise with others; typically
extrovert, they learn well through discussion, debate and
interaction with others. The last of the 7 original categories identified by
Gardner, intrapersonal intelligence, fits the opposite description of
interpersonal intelligence; such individuals working best independently.
According to Gardner they are capable of high
levels of self reflection and are often perfectionists.
G. A number of psychometric experts, however, oppose
Gardner’s view’s and have reservations about the validity of his theories.
Firstly, some detractors disagree with the overalldefinition
of intelligence used in Gardner’s theory. They
hold that, in fact, some categories such as interpersonal or intrapersonal
intelligence relate more to personality that cognitive performance. The more
recently identified naturalistic intelligence, which relates to an affinity to
the natural world and an ability to nurture and
cultivate, has been dismissed completely by many as no more than a hobby.
Doubts have been raised that others, such as musical intelligence, are in
reality talents. A final criticism attached
to the theory is that some believe that the
intelligences cannot be treated as separate entities as some individuals may
perform equally well in what could be considered diverse areas;
linguistic and logical-mathematical for example. Gardner however maintains that
his theories are sound, since an identifiable and separate part of the brain
is responsible for controlling aspects
related to each of the different types of intelligence.
H. Despite the criticism received from some of his
contemporaries, Gardner’s theories are well respected and often applied in the
world of education as a tool for identifying children’s differing abilities
and potential career paths. For Instance, those showing linguistic capabilities are said
to be ideal in roles including writing, politics and teaching; logical
mathematical thinkers suited to careers in science, mathematics, law, medicine
and philosophy. Those exhibiting spatial
intelligence are said to be suited to a career such as art, engineering or
architecture; while individuals with a leaning towards bodily-
kinesthetic intelligence may excel in areas such as athletics, dancing or
craft-making. Strengths in the area of musical intelligence are said to often
lead to success as a singer, conductor or musician. Those displaying strong
interpersonal skills have been recognised as often making effective
politicians, managers, diplomats and social workers; while those showing
a dominantintrapersonal intelligence are said to
be better suited to professions involving more self reflection and lower levels
of interaction with the outside world such as writing, philosophy or
theology.
Questions 27 – 31
Reading Passage 3 has eight
paragraphs A-H. Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A-H in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.
NB. You may use any letter more than once.
27 .
Physiological evidence from Gardner that his intelligence theories are sound.
28 .
Aims of intelligence testing
29 .
Initial failure in successful measurement
30 .
How high level social skills are linked and classified as interpersonal
intelligence.
31 .
Differences in opinions on what constitutes talent or intelligence
Questions 32 – 37
Do the following statements agree with
the information given in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 32-37 on your answer sheet
write
TRUE
if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE
if the statement contradicts the
information
NOT
GIVEN if there is no information about this
32 Early
studies into intelligence were misguided and have had no impact on today’s
methods.
33 Research
into IQ is designed to determine the level of intelligence an individual is
born with.
34 Howard
Gardner has confirmed 9 different types of intelligence.
35 Spatial
intelligence has been linked to creativity.
36 An
individual may demonstrate high levels of intelligence in contradictory areas.
37 Those
demonstrating intrapersonal intelligence always make bad managers.
Questions 38 – 40
Choose the correct letter A, B, C, or D.
Write your answers in boxes 38-40 on
your answer sheet.
38. Some believe that IQ tests do not
correctly estimate an individual’s intelligence because
A .
the tests are based on physical and physiological benchmarks.
B .
some people may perform badly on the day of the test.
C .
while people may have weaknesses in one area they may have
strengths in others.
D .
the tests do not accurately assess the person’s ability to
reason, think and solve problems.
39. The intelligence, as classified by
Gardner, relating to an ability to memorise items seen is
A .
linguistic intelligence.
B .
logico-mathematica! intelligence.
C .
spatial intelligence.
D .
bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
40. The harshest criticism of Gardner’s
theory has been focussed towards
A .
interpersonal intelligence.
B .
intrapersonal intelligence.
C .
musical intelligence.
D .
naturalistic intelligence.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ANSWERS
|
1. iii
|
21. D
|
|
2. ii
|
22. C
|
|
3. vii
|
23. A
|
|
4. viii
|
24. TRUE
|
|
5. YES
|
25. NOT
GIVEN
|
|
6. NOT
GIVEN
|
26. TRUE
|
|
7. NOT
GIVEN
|
27. G
|
|
8. NOT
GIVEN
|
28. C
|
|
9. NO
|
29. B
|
|
10. NO
|
30. F
|
|
11. B
|
31. C
|
|
12. D
|
32. FALSE
|
|
13. F
|
33. FALSE
|
|
14. H
|
34. FALSE
|
|
15. E
|
35. TRUE
|
|
16. D
|
36. TRUE
|
|
17. C
|
37. NOT
GIVEN
|
|
18. A
|
38. C
|
|
19. A
|
39. C
|
|
20. B
|
40. D
|
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