PRACTICE IELTS READING TEST 9 WITH ANSWERS
READING PASSAGE 1
You
should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 , which
are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
DEPRESSION
B. Clinical
depression, or ‘major depressive disorder’, a state of extreme sadness or
despair, is said to affect up to almost 20% of the population at some
point in their lives prior to the age of 40. Studies have shown that
this disorder is the leading cause of disability in North America; in the UK
almost 3 million people are said to be diagnosed with some form of depression
at any one time, and experts believe that as many as a further 9 million other
cases may go undiagnosed. World Health Organisation
projections indicate that clinical depression may become the second
most significant cause of disability’ on a global scale by
2020. However, such figures are not unanimously supported, as some experts
believe that the diagnostic criteria used to identify՛ the
condition are not precise enough, leading to other types of
depression being wrongly classified as ‘clinical’.
C. Many of
us may experience periods of low morale or mood and feelings of dejection, as a
natural human response to negative events in our lives such as bereavement,
redundancy or breakdown of a relationship. Some of us may even experience
periods of depression and low levels of motivation which have no tangible
reason or trigger. Clinical depression is classified as an on-going
state of negativity, with no tangible cause, where sufferers enter a spiral of
persistent negative thinking, often experiencing irritability, perpetual
tiredness and listlessness. Sufferers of clinical depression are said to be at
higher risk of resorting to drug abuse or even suicide attempts than the rest
of the population.
D. Clinical
depression is generally diagnosed when an individual is observed
to exhibit an excessively depressed mood and/or ‘anhedonia’
– an inability to experience pleasure from positive experiences such
as enjoying a meal or pleasurable social interaction – for
a period of two weeks or more, in conjunction with five or more
additional recognised symptoms. These additional symptoms may include
overwhelming feelings of sadness; inability to sleep, or conversely, excessive
sleeping; feelings of guilt, nervousness, abandonment or fear; inability
to concentrate; interference with memory capabilities; fixation with
death or extreme change in eating habits and associated weight gain or loss.
E . Clinical
depression was originally solely attributed to chemical imbalance in
the brain, and while anti-depressant drugs which work to optimise levels of
‘feel good’ chemicals – serotonin and norepinephrine – are still commonly
prescribed today, experts now believe that onset of depression may be caused by
a number, and often combination of, physiological and socio-psychological
factors. Treatment approaches vary quite dramatically from
place to place and are often tailored to an individual’s particular
situation; however, some variation of a combination of medication and
psychotherapy is most commonly used. The
more controversial electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may also be used
where initial approaches fail. In extreme cases, where
an individual exhibits behaviour which Indicates that they may
cause physical harm to themselves, psychiatric hospitalisation may be
necessary as a form of intensive therapy.
F. Some
recent studies, such as those published by the Archives of General Psychiatry,
hold that around a quarter of diagnosed clinical depression cases should
actually be considered as significant but none-the-less ordinary
sadness and maladjustment to coping with trials in life, indicating that in
such cases, psychotherapy rather than treatment through medication is required.
Recovery as a result of psychotherapy tends, in most cases, to be a
slower processthan improvements related to medication; however,
improvements as a result of psychological treatment, once achieved, have been
observed in some individuals to be more long term
and sustainable than those attained through prescription drugs.
Various counselling approaches exist, though all focus on enhancing
the subject’s ability to function on a personal and interpersonal
level. Sessions involve encouragement of an individual to
view themselves and their relationships in a more positive manner,
with the intention of helping patients to replace negative thoughts with a
more positive outlook.
G. It
is apparent that susceptibility to depression can run in families.
However, it remains unclear as to whether this is truly an inherited genetic
trait or whether biological and environmental factors common to family members
may be at the root of the problem. In some cases, sufferers of depression may
need to unlearn certain behaviours and attitudes they have established in life
and develop new coping strategies designed to help them deal with problems they
may encounter, undoing patterns of destructive behaviour they may
have observed in their role models and acquired for themselves.
Questions 1 – 5
Reading Passage 1 has seven
sections A-G.
Which paragraph contains the following
information?
Write the correct letters A-G in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
1 Details
of treatment alternatives for worst case scenario depression.
2 Information
regarding cases where drug treatment is inappropriate.
3 Details
of how those diagnosed with depression may be more vulnerable than other
members of society,
4 Information
about society’s attitudes to depression and similar illnesses.
5 Information
regarding why estimates of incidence of future growth in cases may be overly
exaggerated.
Questions 6 – 8
Choose THREE letters A-G.
Write your answers in boxes 6-8 on your answer sheet.
NB Your answers may be given in any
order
Which THREE of the following statements are true of
depression?
A
Governments have generally failed to take action to
educate the general public about the condition.
B
The highest reported number of cases are in the USA.
C
In Britain, it is likely that there are more individuals
who live with the condition without the help of a doctor than those being
officially treated.
D
Clinical depression may be triggered by divorce.
E
Lethargy may be one of the symptoms of depression.
F
Prescribed pharmaceuticals have radically changed
over recent years.
G
Approaches to treating depression are not universal.
Questions 9 – 13
Complete the summary of paragraphs F and G with the list of words A-L below.
Write the correct letter A-L in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.
Whilst recovery through counselling
rather than medicine may be more 9 ,
results once achieved may have more 10 with
some patients.
Counselling sessions are geared towards
improving the subject’s relationship with others and their own 11 ,
encouraging sufferers of depression to take on a more 12 outlook.
The extent to which genetic disposition
and sociological factors impact on state of mind is 13 .
Many people undergoing counselling therapy do so with the purpose of unlearning
negative behaviour and reactions.
A.
gratifying B.
longevity
C. ambition
D. optimistic
E. pessimistic
F. difficulty
G.
inconclusive H.
self-image
I. gradual
J.
unequivocal
K.
immediate L.
categorical
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 .minutes on Questions 14-27 , which are based on Reading Passage 2
below.
THE FACE OF MODERN MAN?
A. In response to the emergence of the ‘metro-sexual’ male,
In other words, an urban, sophisticated man who is fashionable, well-groomed
and unashamedly committed to ensuring his appearance is the best it can be, a
whole new industry has developed. According to research conducted
on behalf of a leading health and beauty
retailer in the UK, the market for male cosmetics and related products has
grown by 800% since the year 2000 and is expected to continue to increase significantly. The male grooming products
market has become the fastest growing sector within
the beauty and cosmetics industry, currently equivalent to
around 1.5 billion pounds per annum.
B. Over the last decade, a
large number of brands and companies catering for enhancementof the male image have
been successfully established, such operations ranging from male-only spas,
boutiques, personal hygiene products, hair and skin care ranges, and male magazines
with a strong leaning towards men’s fashion.
Jamie Cawley, proprietor of a successful chain of London-based male grooming
boutiques, holds that his company’s success in this highly competitive market can be attributed to the
‘exclusivity’ tactics they have employed, in that their products and services
are clearly defined as male- orientated and distinctly separate to feminine
products offered by other organisations. However, market analyst, Kim Sawyer,
believes that future growth in the market can also be achieved through sale of
unisex products marketed to both genders, this strategy becoming increasingly easy to implement as
men’s interest in appearance and grooming has become more of a social norm.
C. Traditionalists such as journalist Jim Howrard contend
that the turn-around in male attitudes which has led to the success of the
industry w’ould have been inconceivable a decade ago,
given the conventional male role, psyche and obligation to exude masculinity;
however, behavioural scientist Professor Ruth
Chesterton argues that the metro-sexual man of today is in fact a modern incarnation of the ‘dandy’ of the late eighteenth and
early nineteenth century. British dandies of that period, who
were often of middle class backgrounds but imitated aristocratic lifestyles,
were devoted to cultivation of their physical appearance,
development of a refined demeanour and hedonistic pursuits. In France, she
adds, dandyism, in contrast, was also
strongly linked to political ideology and
embraced by youths wishing to clearly define themselves
from members of the working class revolutionary social
groups of the period.
D. Over recent decades, according to sociologist Ben
Cameron, gender roles for both sexes have
become less defined. According to research, he
says, achievement of status and success have become less important in younger
generations of men, as has the need to repress emotions. Cameron defines the
traditional masculine role within western
societies – hegemonic masculinity – as an expectation that males demonstrate physical strength
and fitness, be decisive, self-assured, rational, successful
and in control. Meeting this list of criteriaand
avoiding situations of demonstrating weakness, being overly emotional or in any
way ’inferior’, he says, has placed a great deal of pressure on many members of
the male population. So restrictive can society’s pressure to behave in a
‘masculine’ fashion on males be, Professor Chesterton states that in many
situations men may respond in a way
they deemacceptable to society, given
their perceived gender role, rather than giving what they may actually consider
to be the best and most objective response.
E. Jim Howard says that learning and acquiring gender identity makes up a huge componentof
a child’s socialisation and that a child who exhibits non-standard behavioural characteristics often encounters social and
self image difficulties due to the adverse
reactions of their peers. According to Kim Sawyer, media images
and messages also add to pressures associated with the male image, stating that even in these modern and changing
times, hegemonic masculinity is often idolised and portrayed as the definitive
male persona.
F. Whilst male stereotypes and ideals vary from culture to culture, according
to Professor Chesterton, a universal trait in stereotypical male behaviour is
an increased likelihood to take risks than is
generally found in female behaviour patterns. For this reason, she attributes
such behaviour to the influence of genetic predisposition as opposed to
socially learned behaviour. Men, she says, are three times more likely to die due to accident than females, a strong
indication he says of their greater willingness to involve themselves
in precarious situations. Ben Cameron also says that an attitude of
invincibility is more dominant in males and
is a predominant factor in
the trend for fewer medical checkups
in males and late diagnosis of chronic and terminal illness than in their more
cautious and vigilant female counterparts.
G. Jamie Cawley, however, remains optimistic that the
metro-sexual culture will continue and that
what society accepts as the face of masculinity will continue to change. He
attributes this to a male revolt against the strict confines of gender roles, adding that such changes of attitudes have
led and will continue to lead to establishment of greater equality between the
sexes.
Questions 14 – 18
Reading Passage 2 has seven
paragraphs A-G.
Choose the correct heading for
paragraphs B-D and F-G from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number i to viii in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. Basis and
predictions
ii. Revolution
or recurrence?
iii. Servicing a
growing demand
iv. The
surfacing of a new phenomenon
v. A long-held
mindset and its downsides
vi. Influence on
minors
vii. Hereditary
predilection
viii. Effects of
external pressures
Example: Paragraph E; Answer:
viii
14 Paragraph
B
15 Paragraph
C
16 Paragraph
D
17 Paragraph
F
18 Paragraph
G
Questions 19 – 22
Do the following statements agree with
the information given in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 19-22 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
19 Sales
in the female health and beauty market have slightly declined over recent
years.
20 The
rise of ‘dandyism’ in England and France is attributed to similar factors.
21 Emotional
reaction is contradictory to hegemonic masculine behaviour.
22 There
is a correlation between men’s belief that they are indestructible and their
decreased likelihood to seek medical advice.
Questions 23 – 27
Look at the following list of statements
(Questions 23-27) based on changes in male image and behavior.
Match each statement with the correct
person A-E.
Write the correct letters A-E in boxes 23-27 on your answer sheet.
23 Male
behaviour patterns have changed in a way that would have been considered
implausible in the past.
24 Traditional
benchmarks of masculinity are often exacerbated by the press.
25 Metro-sexual
culture has developed as a response to modern men’s dissatisfaction with
traditional images.
26 The
need to conform to society’s expectations of male behaviour may impede men’s
decision-making and judgement.
27 There
is potential in a market which makes no differentiation between products for
males and females.
List of Contributors
A. Jamie Cawley
B. Kim Sawyer
C. Jim Howard
D. Professor Ruth Chesterton
E. Ben Cameron
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-40 , which are based on Reading Passage 3
below.
CLINICAL TRIALS
A. The benefits of vitamins to our well-being are now
familiar to most; however, when the link between diets lacking in citrus fruits
and the development of the affliction ‘scurvy’
in sailors was first discovered by James Lind in 1747, the concept of vitamins was yet to be discovered. Scurvy,
which causes softening of the gums, oral bleeding and, in extreme cases, tooth
loss, is now known to present as a result of lack of Vitamin C in the diet.
Additional symptoms include depression, liver spots on the skin – particularly
arms and legs – loss of colour in the face and partial immobility; high incidence of the ailment aboard
ships took an enormous toll on the crew’s
ability to complete essential tasks while at sea.
B. Suggestions that citrus fruit may lower the incidence or indeed prevent scurvy had been made as
early as 1600. It was Lind, however, who would conduct the
first clinical trial by studying the effect within scientific experimental parameters. However, while the correlation
between consuming citrus fruit and avoidance of
scurvy was established, the preventative properties were attributed to the
presence of acids in the fruit and not what would later be identified as
vitamin content.
C. Lind’s subjects for his trial consisted of twelve
sailors already exhibiting symptoms of scurvy. These individuals were split
into six groups; each pair common diet. Pair 1 were rationed a daily quart of
cider, pair 2 elixir of vitriol, pair 3 a given quantity of vinegar, pair 4
seawater, pair 5 oranges and a lemon and pair 6 barley water. Despite the trial having to be aborted after day five,
when supplies of fruit were depleted, the findings of the interventional study
showed that only the control group who were given fruit supplements showed
any significant improvement in their
condition (one had, in fact, recovered to the extent that he was fit enough to
return to work). The immediate impact on
sailors’ health and incidence of scurvy on
board ship was, however, limited as Lind and other physicians remained
convinced that the curative effect was acid based. Therefore, while consumption of citrus fruit was recommended, it was
often replaced by cheaper acid supplements. The preventative Qualities of
citrus fruit against scurvy were not truly recognised until 1800, though
throughout the latter part of the 1700s, lemon juice was increasingly administered
as a cure for sailors already afflicted.
D. Nowadays, the implementation of findings discovered in
clinical trials into mainstream medicine remains an arduous and lengthy process and the clinical trials themselves represent
only a small stage of the process of
developing a new drug from research stage to
launch in the marketplace. On average, for every thousand drugs conceived, only
one of the thousand actually makes it to the stage of clinical trial, other
projects being abandoned for a variety of
reasons. Stages which need to be fulfilled prior to
clinical trial – where the treatment is actually tested on human subjects
-include discovery, purification, characterisation and laboratory testing.
E. A new pharmaceutical for
treatment of a disease such as cancer typically takes a period of
6 years or more before reaching the stage of clinical trial. Since legislation
requires subjects participating in such trials to be monitored for a considerable period of time
so that side-effects and benefits can be assessed correctly, a further eight
years typically passes between the stage of a drug entering clinical trial and
being approved for general use. One of the greatest barriers to clinical trial
procedures is availability of subjects willing to participate. Criteria for
selection is rigorous and trials where subjects are required to be suffering
from the disease in question, experience tremendous recruitment difficulties as
individuals already vulnerable due to the
effects of their condition, are often reluctant to
potentially put their health at higher levels of risk.
F. Clinical trials are conducted in line with a strict protocol and the stages of a trial are generally defined
by five distinct phases. A drug that is
deemed safe and effective enough to reach the end of stage three is most often,
at that point, approved for use in mainstream medicine. Phase 0
involves a first-in-human trial (usually conducted using a small population
often to fifteen subjects) with the purpose of ascertaining that the drug’s
effect is, in fact, the same as predicted in pre-clinical studies. If no
concerns are raised, the drug then enters Phase 1
of trial where a modest selection (usually between twenty and eighty subjects)
of usually healthy volunteers, is exposed to
the drug. However, for HIV and cancer drugs, this stage is conducted using
patients suffering from the condition in question. There are two main
variations of Phase I testing, these being
SAD (single ascending dose) and MAD (multiple ascending dose). The former
involves a single administration of a drug at a pre-determined level to one
group of subjects, and the second involves administration of a
pre-determined sequence of dosages.
G. Phases 0 and 1 are geared towards establishing
the safety of a pharmaceutical and once this
has been confirmed, drugs pass into Phase II
testing where, while safety continues to be monitored, the drug’s effectiveness
is also assessed using a larger group of subjects, ranging from twenty up to
three hundred. In some trials, Phase II is
regarded as involving two sub-stages, in that Phase 11(a)
may be concerned with establishing optimum dosage
levels and Phase 11(b) to evaluate effectiveness. Phase III
is the most expensive, time-consuming and complex stage
of the trial process, often involving as many
as 3000 patients. At this stage, a new drug’s effectiveness is rigorously
tested and compared to that of the best of the existing alternatives already
approved and in common use. Where research indicates
that a pharmaceutical has passed all
requirements of Phases 0, I, II and III, submissions to relevantregulatory
and licensing bodies are then made.
H. The final phase of clinical testing, Phase IV,
is conducted over a lengthy period of time post-launch
for general usage. This stage is, in essence, a
safety net which involves continued monitoring of the drug, its properties and
side-effects through which any long term adverse reactions, which remained
undetected in the pre-launch clinical testing time frame can be discovered.
Identification of harmful effects at this stage, on occasion, has led to
withdrawal of a drug from the market; for example, as was the case with
cerivastin, a cholesterol-lowering drug, which was later found to have an adverse
effect on muscle reaction which, on occasion, had fatal consequences.
Questions 28 – 31
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage
for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 28-31 on your answer sheet.
In advanced cases of scurvy suffers may experience 28 along
with numerous other symptoms.
Fruit adds were mistakenly heralded as having 29 in
incidents of scurvy prior to the identification of vitamins.
Lind’s subjects for the first clinical trial were seamen who
were at the time of 30 the condition
in question.
All groups in Lind’s experiment were given a 31 along
with specific rations which were varied for each control group.
Questions 32 – 35
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D
Write your answers in boxes 32 – 35 on your
answer sheet
32.
The first clinical trial was conducted for only 5 days because
A .
that period of time was the planned protocol.
B .
the subjects in the relevant control group had already recovered.
C .
resources fundamental to the experiment were used up.
D .
those taking part in the trial were too sick to continue.
33. The
impact of findings from the trial were not used to full potential because
A .
Lind failed to recommend consumption of citrus fruit.
B .
ineffective substitutes were often made available.
C .
other physicians were unconvinced by his evidence.
D .
the trial was not conducted over a long enough period to be
valid.
34. One
of the greatest hindrances to clinical testing today is
A .
low volunteer rates.
B .
the poor success rate.
C .
the strict protocol.
D .
shortage of laboratory staff.
35. Clinical
testing for HIV and cancer drugs differs from usual procedures because
A .
the clinical trial phase is much longer.
B .
the MAD instead of the SAD approach is used during Phase I.
C .
subjects exhibiting no symptoms of the illness are not used.
D .
effectiveness is more rigorously tested than safety.
Questions 36 – 40
Complete the flowchart
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each
answer.
Write your answers in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.
Phases of Clinical Testing
|
|
|
Phase 0
10-15
subjects tested to confirm assumptions made in the 36 stages
were accurate.
|
|
|
|
Phase I
2 different
approaches may be used. One involving one-off exposure to the drug the other
involving a 37 .
|
|
|
|
Phase II
May involve
two sub-stages to establish 38 quantities
and usefulness.
|
|
|
|
Phase III
The
most 39 , protracted and costly of
all stages. Submissions made post-testing at this stage of all is agreeable.
|
|
|
|
Phase IV
Precautionary
monitoring continues post-launch. Any serious issues uncovered can, on occasion,
result in 40 .
|
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
ANSWERS
|
1. E
|
21. TRUE
|
|
2. F
|
22. TRUE
|
|
3. C
|
23. C
|
|
4. A
|
24. B
|
|
5. B
|
25. A
|
|
6. C E G
(IN ANY ORDER)
|
26. D
|
|
7. C E G
(IN ANY ORDER)
|
27. B
|
|
8. C E G
(IN ANY ORDER)
|
28. tooth
loss
|
|
9. I
|
29. preventative
properties
|
|
10. B
|
30. exhibiting
symptoms
|
|
11. H
|
31. common
diet
|
|
12. D
|
32. C
|
|
13. G
|
33. B
|
|
14. iii
|
34. A
|
|
15. ii
|
35. C
|
|
16. v
|
36. Pre-clinical
|
|
17. vii
|
37. Sequence
|
|
18. i
|
38. Optimum
|
|
19. NOT
GIVEN
|
39. Complex
|
|
20. FALSE
|
40. withdrawal
|
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