PRACTICE IELTS READING TEST 7 WITH ANSWERS
READING PASSAGE 1
You
should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-11 , which
are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
HOT AIR
BALLOONING
· The birth of the hot air balloon is largely contributed to the efforts of two French brothers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, who employed the fact that hot air was lighter than cool air and using this, managed to lift a small silk balloon 32 metres into the air. The brothers went on to elevate a balloon into the air ten thousand metres before it started to descend and then exploded. Arguably limited success, but their work came to the eye of the French Science Academy as the discovery of the properties of hot air balloons helped scientists to study weather patterns and the atmosphere.
·
It was not until some considerable time later that a
balloon was launched that was capable of carrying passengers. Initial flights
were trialled by animals, but after the success of these voyages, two
passengers, Jean Francois Pilatre and Francois Laurent d’Arlendes, were sent up
in a balloon which travelled across Paris for 29 minutes. The men fuelled the
fire in the centre of their wicker basket to keep the balloon elevated and the
trip across Paris was a great success.
·
The discovery of hydrogen-fuelled flights led to the death in
1785 of Pilatre, a tragedy which caused a downfall in the popularity of
hot air ballooning but an increase in the popularity of
hydrogen. Hot air ballooning lost further ground when alternate modes of air
travel were introduced» but in the 1950s, ballooning experienced something of a
revival as a leisure activity and sport. Today there are balloons of all shapes
and sizes, with many unique designs.
·
In 1987, British entrepreneur Richard Branson crossed the
Atlantic in a balloon named Virgin Atlantic Flyer. At the time, this balloon
was the largest ever constructed at 65 thousand cubic metres, but four years
later, he and Per Lindstrand from Sweden flew nearly 8000 kilometres from Japan
to Northern Canada in their balloon the Virgin Pacific Flyer, which was nearly 10
thousand cubic metres bigger and was the longest flight in a hot air balloon
ever made. The Pacific Flyer was designed to fly in the trans-oceanic jet
streams and recorded the highest ground speed for a manned balloon at 394
kilometres per hour.
·
There are now a wide variety of designs and
equipment available, from baskets with room for two people right up
to 35 or more, separated compartments and specially designed flame resistant
fabrics, but the basic parts of the balloon have remained relatively unchanged.
There is a basket, commonly made of wicker, inside which are stored the propane
fuel tanks. Immediately above the basket and partly wrapped around by the skirt
are the burners, attached on suspension wires. The balloon itself is made of
strips of fabric called gores which run from the skirt to the top of the
balloon; they are further broken into individual panels. This section
of the craft is referred to as the envelope. At the top of the envelope is a
self closing flap that allows hot air to escape at a controlled rate to slow
ascents or cause the balloon to descend descents. This is named the parachute
valve, and is controlled by the vent line – the cable that runs the length of
the envelope and hangs just above the basket so the pilot can open and close
the parachute valve.
·
At the mercy of prevailing wind currents, piloting a balloon
takes a huge amount of skill but the controls used are fairly straight forward.
To lift a balloon the pilot moves the control which releases propane. The pilot
can control the speed of the balloon by increasing or decreasing the flow of
propane gas, but they cannot control horizontal direction. As a result,
balloons are often followed by ground crew, who may have to pick up the pilot,
passengers and balloon from any number of landing sites. A pilot who wants to
fly a hot air balloon must have his commercial pilot’s license to fly and must
have at least 35 hours of flight instruction. There are no official safety
requirements for passengers onboard, but they should know whom they’re flying
with and what qualifications they may have. For safety reasons, hot air
balloons don’t fly in the rain because the heat in the balloon can cause water
to boil on top of the balloon and destroy the fabric.
·
One of the largest hot air balloon organisations is the Balloon
Federation of America. Founded in 1961, membership in the BFA attracts those
with a fascination with ballooning (or ‘Lighter Than Air’ flight). With an
active discussion forum, meetings and displays all around the USA and beyond,
the BFA runs on a number of guiding principles, primarily that the future of
ballooning is directly related to the safety of enthusiasts. They run a number
of training courses, from a novice who is interested in getting a basic licence to
pilot achievement courses. They even boast of a balloon simulator, which
although will not directly lead to a pilot’s license, it can give participants
a degree of the sensation enjoyed by professional balloon pilots.
Questions 1 – 4
Do the following statements agree with the given in the reading
passage?
In boxes 1-4 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
1 The
Montgolfier brothers were the first people to fly in a hot air balloon.
2 Hot
air ballooning became less popular in the late eighteenth century.
3 The
largest hot air balloon had a capacity of over 75000 cubic metres.
4 Membership
of the BFA is only open to people in America.
Questions 5 – 7
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE
WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 5- 7 on your answer sheet.
5. Who accompanied the entrepreneur on the longest balloon
flight?
6. Who follows a hot air balloon’s flight to retrieve the
craft when it lands?
7. What can give newcomers to the sport some idea of the
feeling of flying a balloon?
Questions 8 – 11
Label the diagram below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from
the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 8- 11 on your
answer sheet.
8. A=
9. B=
10. C=
11.D=
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 12-23 , which are based on Reading Passage 2
below.
ILLEGAL DOWNLOADS
A. Downloading music from the internet has become a simple,
fast and easy thing to do. The correct or legal way
of going about it seems to be ignored by those who find it too costly. Illegal
music downloads have reached an all time high, and a recent survey of high school students revealed an
estimated 3.6 billion songs being downloaded per month. There are now endless
possibilities available to the public where
music can be downloaded for free and people are choosing to take this route even though it is illegal. iTunes is one of
the most well known sites where music can be bought legally for just over 51
per track. So when it is this cheap why are people still going to alternative unauthorized sites? Or is the legal route still
considered a costly way to go about it?
B. If you think that copying music results in simply a slap
on the wrist, think twice. Under government law, record companies are entitled
to $750 to $30,000 per infringement but the
law allows the jury to increase that to as
much as $150,000 per song if it finds the infringements were deliberate. The
music industry has threatened about 35,000 people with charges of
copyright Infringement over the past decade. In recent months there have been more cases of
music piracy heading to the courts. The industry estimates that more than a
hundred of these cases remain unsettled in court, with fewer than 10 offenders
actively arguing the case against them. The penalties for breaching the
copyright act differ slightlydepending upon
whether the infringing is for commercial or private financial gain, with the
latter punishment being far milder.
C. Nonetheless, the potential gain
from illegal downloading versus the punitive measures that can be taken are, in
many cases, poles apart. Recently, an
American woman shared 27 illegally downloaded songs with her friends and was
ordered to pay $1.92 million to the record company for deliberate infringement of the companies’ copyrights. More recently
in America a 12 year old girl was sued for downloading music illegally and
could face a penalty of $1150per song. The order of payment from the courts to
the American woman who shared the 27 tracks with her friends has spurred controversy as the public disagree with the ordered Infringement.The woman shared 27 songs at $1.99 per song, so
should she be liable to pay such a large and impossible amount?
D. It has also been noted that of all measures that can be
taken, fining is actually the least likely method of preventing further abuse. With driving, for
example, statistics have shown that those that repeatedly drive over the speed
limit are not discouraged by the loss of a sum of money, but this attitude quickly changed when the penalty was possibly
losing their driving licence or even spending
time in prison.
E. Being a difficult thing to police, the music industry has
decided that it would be much easier to go after the internet service provider
than to try and track down each individual case.
The music industry feels internet piracy has decreased their artists’
sales dramatically and is a danger to their
business, although on the other hand, online music sales promote individualtracks to be sold rather than albums, therefore increasing the amount spent by the purchaser.
F. If there are so many issues around the downloading of
music, you might wonder why sales of MP3 players and CD burners are increasing
rapidly The answer is simple – these devices do have a legitimate purpose
defined as ‘fair use’. You can choose to make your personal back-up copy to use
in a MP3 player, or you may visit one of many web sites, like iTunes, which
offers music that you pay for as you download. While some may wonder why you
would pay for something that can be had for free, those who do prefer to obey
the copyright protection laws have purchased over 150 million songs from the
iTunes site alone.
G. Online music sales are a business just like any other and
music companies are fighting to salvage their
industry. Cary Sherman, the President of RIAA (Recording Industry Association
of America), stated that when your product is being regularly stolen,
there comes a time when you have to take appropriate action.
At the same time, the RIAA has offered amnesty to the illegal downloader who
decide to come forward and agree to stop illegally downloading music over the
Internet. People who have already been sued are obviously not
eligible for amnesty.
H. When high school students were asked how they felt about
the business of downloading illegally from the net, they appeared to be divided
on the issue. Some seemed to think there was
absolutely nothing wrong with it, others felt that it should be thought of as a
serious crime like any other form of theft.
Questions 12 – 16
The reading passage has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Type the correct letter A-H in boxes 12-16.
12 The
disparity between fines and costs
13 The
potential costs of piracy to the defendant
14 The
number of songs illegally obtained from the internet
15 Ambivalence
towards the problem
16 A
reprieve for illegal downloaders
Questions 17 – 20
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE
WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 17 – 20 on your answer sheet.
The maximum fine that a record company can impose is 17 .
The penalty for breaking copyright laws is harsher when
undertaken for 18 benefit.
The music industry targets each 19 rather
than each specific person downloading illegally.
Appliances used in connection with illegal downloads are sold
under the term 20 .
Questions 21 – 23
Do the following statements agree with the information given in
the reading passage?
In boxes 21-23 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
21 Most
people sued for illegal downloading actively fight back against the record
company.
22 Illegal
downloading can be difficult to monitor and control.
23 High
school students are responsible for illegally downloading the most music.
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 24 – 40 , which are based on Reading Passage 3
below.
A. The natural world is dominated by cycles that are constant and repeated – the moon’s rotation around the
earth, the changing of the seasons, the changes between night and day. It is
these cycles or rhythms that in part control changes in our metabolism, mood and behaviour, and even the patterns of
our sleep.
B. The circadian rhythm is the cycle that
indicates when to be awake and when to be asleep. This is a daily cycle that is controlled by changes in amplitude (highs
and lows) of light and temperature. As day turns to night, the sun sets and it
becomes cooler. The triggers of less light and lower temperatures signal to the
body that it is time to slow and begin the pattern of sleep. Of course, there
may be many hours between sunset and the time people actually go to bed, but it
is from this time that we generally become increasingly less
alert and reaction times can be noticeably slower.
C. There are a number of factors that can affect our circadian rhythm. Working night shifts, which
requires people to act in contradiction to the body’s natural rhythm, is
perhaps the most damaging. Despite getting a
good 8 hours sleep during the day, night shift workers
still tend to feel drowsy for at least some of the night. This is the
main factor for the increase in
workplace accidents on this shift when
compared to the day shift. The seasons can
also affect our natural rhythm, with people
having less energy during winter months when
there is less sunlight and warmth to stimulate the
brain. International travel, notably when travelling in excess of 4 hours, can
also have a significant effect; in extreme
cases, it can take up to 7 days for your rhythm to reset due to this, a phenomenon referred to as jet lag. A similar,although milder, effect can be felt in countries with
daylight savings time, when the clocks are moved forward and backward depending
on the season.
D. There are some tips for helping your body work with your
circadian rhythm. First thing in the morning take a short walk outside or open
all the curtains to get as much light as possible through the eyes and into the
brain. Lighting levels that affect circadian
rhythm in humans are higher than the levels usually used in artificial lighting
in homes. In addition to the strength of the light, wavelength (or colour) of
light is a factor, the best being that
present in sunlight. Plan your work and other activities around the highs and
lows of your temperature rhythm. For example, plan easier activities for first
thing in the morning when you’re not operating at your physical best.
Late morning is better for challenging tasks. After lunch you may feel like
nodding off. Take scheduled breaks. The best time to exercise is in the late
afternoon – your body temperature reaches its daily high, it is warmed up and
stretched from spending your day at work. Avoid driving during sleep times.
Sleepy drivers should stop for a nap – playing loud music or leaving windows
open is an overrated misconception. At night, close the blinds and curtains and
sleep in a dark room. If you work the night shift, use
bright lights and music in the workplace to keep your brain alert. Wear an eye
mask to block out the light when you want to go to sleep.
E. Every human – in fact, most non-nocturnal animals – follow
the basic rules of the circadian rhythm. However, we also have our own unique body clocks which control the daily changes in
how we think and feel, and oversee a number of our personal characteristics
such as sleep patterns. Your body clock dictates whether you are a night owl,
happy to work late into the night, an early bird who prefers the morning or a
humming bird, happy to work both ends of the day. Your body clock determines
not only your personal sleep patterns, but also whether or not you are grumpy
before you have your morning coffee, when and what you need to eat throughout
the day, whether you work better In the morning or the afternoon and the best
time for you to do exercise. It also affects physical performance,
such as temperature, blood pressure, digestion, hormone levels and brain
activity (such as mood, behaviour, and alertness). Your body clock is what
causes you to gain a few kilograms in autumn and winter time and to make it
easier to lose weight in spring and summer.
F. Being aware of a few
issues can help us maintain the best rhythms
for our body docks, but there are some tips and tools for that can help.
Keeping to the same bedtime routine and
wake-up schedule, even on your days off, is
particularly important – there should be no more than a few hours difference in
the time you go to bed. Avoiding interruptions to your sleep is also very
important. If there is intermittent, irregular noise, use a fan or any white
noise devicethat generates calming sounds. This is
particularly important for night shift workers,
for whom daytime noises are generally louder; soft, background noise can help
drown out daytime activity noises. Eat small frequent meals
to help stoke your metabolism. This is not
only helpful in weight maintenance, but reinforces the “day” phase of your circadian clock. Eat most of your energy foods earlier in the day and avoid eating a heavy
meal near bedtime. Avoid all-nighters, like studying all night before an
assessment. Cutting back on sleep the night before may mean that you perform
less well. Reduce changes to your work shift, such
as changing from night shift to day shift. Avoid alcohol and cigarettes before sleep time.
If you feel sleepy during the day, take a short nap. Set an alarm so you sleep
for no more than about 20 minutes. Anything more than just a ‘catnap’ and you
will enter into Stage 3 (deep sleep) and find it harder to wake up from.
Questions 24 – 30
Do the following statements agree with the information given in
the reading passage?
In boxes 24-30 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 Our
reactions are at their slowest at sunset.
25 There
are more accidents on the night shift because workers tend to get less sleep.
26 Limited
air travel has minimal effect on the body’s circadian rhythm.
27 The
circadian rhythm starts when light reaches the brain.
28 If
a driver is tired, taking a short sleep, listening to music or
winding down the window are all equally effective measures for keeping awake.
29 Humans
share the same trends with regards their body clocks.
30 Many
people take a short rest just after eating lunch.
Questions 31 – 36
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE
WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 31 – 36 on your answer sheet
As well as the intensity, what else is important in sunlight for
our circadian rhythm? 31
What specific part of the day is the body at its warmest? 32
What should night shift workers use to help them sleep? 33
What type of person works equally well in the morning and the
evening? 34
What does our body clock make it easier to do after the
winter? 35
What should you avoid before bed to help you get a good night’s
sleep? 36
Questions 37 – 40
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from Reading
Passage 3 for each answer.
Keep a good 37 by
following routines. Try to sleep and wake at roughly the same times when
working and on days off.
Use 38 noise to help
you sleep if there are external distractions.
Small and regular meals keep your 39 operating
at its best. Limit changes to your work shift, and if necessary take a
short 40 during the day.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ANSWERS
1. FALSE
|
21. FALSE
|
2. TRUE
|
22. TRUE
|
3. FALSE
|
23. NOT
GIVEN
|
4. NOT
GIVEN
|
24. FALSE
|
5. Per
Lindstrand
|
25. FALSE
|
6. The
ground crew
|
26. TRUE
|
7. Balloon
simulator
|
27. FALSE
|
8. Parachute
valve
|
28. FALSE
|
9. Envelope
|
29. FALSE
|
10. Panels
|
30. NOT
GIVEN
|
11. Gores
|
31. Wavelength
/ colour
|
12. C
|
32. Late
afternoon
|
13. B
|
33. An eye
mask
|
14. A
|
34. A
humming bird
|
15. H
|
35. Lose
weight
|
16. G
|
36. Alcohol
and cigarettes
|
17. $30,000
|
37. Rhythm
|
18. Commercial
|
38. White
|
19. Internet
service provider
|
39. Metabolism
|
20. Fair
use
|
40. Nap /
sleep
|
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