General Reading Passage 18

How Babies Learn Language

During the first year of a child’s life, parents and carers are concerned with its physical development; during the second
year, they watch the baby’s language development very carefully. It is interesting just how easily children learn language.
Children who are just three or four years old, who cannot yet tie their shoelaces, are able to speak in full sentences
without any specific language training.

The current view of child language development is that it is an instinct - something as natural as eating or sleeping.
According to experts in this area, this language instinct is innate - something each of us is born with. But this prevailing
view has not always enjoyed widespread acceptance.

In the middle of last century, experts of the time, including a renowned professor at Harvard University in the United
States, regarded child language development as the process of learning through mere repetition. Language “habits”
developed as young children were rewarded for repeating language correctly and ignored or punished when they used
incorrect forms of language. Over time, a child, according to this theory, would learn language much like a dog might
learn to behave properly through training.

Yet even though the modern view holds that language is instinctive, experts like Assistant Professor Lise Eliot are
convinced that the interaction a child has with its parents and caregivers is crucial to its developments. The language of
the parents and caregivers act as models for the developing child. In fact, a baby’s day-to-day experience is so important
that the child will learn to speak in a manner very similar to the model speakers it hears.

Given that the models parents provide are so important, it is interesting to consider the role of "baby talk" in the child’s
language development. Baby talk is the language produced by an adult speaker who is trying to exaggerate certain
aspects of the language to capture the attention of a young baby.

Dr Roberta Golinkoff believes that babies benefit from baby talk. Experiments show that immediately after birth babies
respond more to infant-directed talk than they do to adult-directed talk. When using baby talk, people exaggerate their
facial expressions, which helps the baby to begin to understand what is being communicated. She also notes that the
exaggerated nature and repetition of baby talk helps infants to learn the difference between sounds. Since babies have
a great deal of information to process, baby talk helps. Although there is concern that baby talk may persist too long, Dr
Golinkoff says that it stops being used as the child gets older, that is, when the child is better able to communicate with
the parents.

Professor Jusczyk has made a particular study of babies’ ability to recognise sounds, and says they recognise the sound
of their own names as early as four and a half months. Babies know the meaning of Mummy and Daddy by about six
months, which is earlier than was previously believed. By about nine months, babies begin recognizing frequent patterns
in language. A baby will listen longer to the sounds that occur frequently, so it is good to frequently call the infant by its
name.

An experiment at Johns Hopkins University in USA, in which researchers went to the homes of 16 nine-month-olds,
confirms this view. The researchers arranged their visits for ten days out of a two week period. During each visit the
researcher played an audio tape that included the same three stories. The stories included odd words such as “python”
or “hornbill”, words that were unlikely to be encountered in the babies’ everyday experience. After a couple of weeks
during which nothing was done, the babies were brought to the research lab, where they listened to two recorded lists
of words. The first list included words heard in the story. The second included similar words, but not the exact ones that
were used in the stories.

Jusczyk found the babies listened longer to the words that had appeared in the stories, which indicated that the babies
had extracted individual words from the story. When a control group of 16 nine-month-olds, who had not heard the
stories, listened to the two groups of words, they showed no preference for either list.

This does not mean that the babies actually understand the meanings of the words, just the sound patterns. It supports
the idea that people are born to speak, and have the capacity to learn language from the day they are born. This ability
is enhanced if they are involved in conversation. And, significantly, Dr Eliot reminds parents that babies and toddlers
need to feel they are communicating. Clearly, sitting in front of the television is not enough; the baby must be having
an interaction with another speaker.
Questions 1-6

Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR NUMBERS for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

The study of (1) ....................................................... in very young children has changed considerably in the last 50 years. It has
been established that children can speak independently at age (2) ......................................................, and that this ability is
innate. The child will, in fact, follow the speech patterns and linguistic behaviour of its carers and parents who act as (3)
......................................................Babies actually benefit from “baby talk”, in which adults (4) ......................................... both
sounds and facial expressions. Babies' ability to (5) ............................................................... sound patterns rather than words
comes earlier than was previously thought. It is very important that babies are included in (6) ................................

Questions 7-12

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the Reading Passage? Write:
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer.

NO if the statement contradicts what the writer thinks.

NOT
if it is impossible to know what the writer's point of view is.
GIVEN

7) Children can learn their first language without being taught.

8) From the time of their birth, humans seem to have an ability to learn language.

9) According to experts in the 1950s and ‘60s, language learning is very similar to the training of animals.

10) Repetition in language learning is important, according to Dr Eliot.

11) Dr Golinkoff is concerned that “baby talk” is spoken too much by some parents.

12) The first word a child learns to recognise is usually “Mummy” or “Daddy”.

Answers: https://www.ielts-exam.net/ielts_reading/990/
Academic Reading Passage 36

A neuroscientist reveals how to think differently

In the last decade a revolution has occurred in the way that scientists think about the brain. We now know that the
decisions humans make can be traced to the firing patterns of neurons in specific parts of the brain. These
discoveries have led to the field known as neuroeconomics, which studies the brain's secrets to success in an
economic environment that demands innovation and being able to do things differently from competitors. A brain
that can do this is an iconoclastic one. Briefly, an iconoclast is a person who does something that others say can't
be done.
This definition implies that iconoclasts are different from other people, but more precisely, it is their brains that
are different in three distinct ways: perception, fear response, and social intelligence. Each of these three functions
utilizes a different circuit in the brain. Naysayers might suggest that the brain is irrelevant, that thinking in an
original, even revolutionary, way is more a matter of personality than brain function. But the field of
neuroeconomics was born out of the realization that the physical workings of the brain place limitations on the
way we make decisions. By understanding these constraints, we begin to understand why some people march to a
different drumbeat.
The first thing to realize is that the brain suffers from limited resources. It has a fixed energy budget, about the
same as a 40 watt light bulb, so it has evolved to work as efficiently as possible. This is where most people are
impeded from being an iconoclast. For example, when confronted with information streaming from the eyes, the
brain will interpret this information in the quickest way possible. Thus it will draw on both past experience and any
other source of information, such as what other people say, to make sense of what it is seeing. This happens all the
time. The brain takes shortcuts that work so well we are hardly ever aware of them. We think our perceptions of
the world are real, but they are only biological and electrical rumblings. Perception is not simply a product of what
your eyes or ears transmit to your brain. More than the physical reality of photons or sound waves, perception is
a product of the brain.
Perception is central to iconoclasm. Iconoclasts see things differently to other people. Their brains do not fall into
efficiency pitfalls as much as the average person's brain. Iconoclasts, either because they were born that way or
through learning, have found ways to work around the perceptual shortcuts that plague most people. Perception
is not something that is hardwired into the brain. It is a learned process, which is both a curse and an opportunity
for change. The brain faces the fundamental problem of interpreting physical stimuli from the senses. Everything
the brain sees, hears, or touches has multiple interpretations. The one that is ultimately chosen is simply the brain's
best theory. In technical terms, these conjectures have their basis in the statistical likelihood of one interpretation
over another and are heavily influenced by past experience and, importantly for potential iconoclasts, what other
people say.
The best way to see things differently to other people is to bombard the brain with things it has never encountered
before. Novelty releases the perceptual process from the chains of past experience and forces the brain to make
new judgments. Successful iconoclasts have an extraordinary willingness to be exposed to what is fresh and
different. Observation of iconoclasts shows that they embrace novelty while most people avoid things that are
different.
The problem with novelty, however, is that it tends to trigger the brain's fear system. Fear is a major impediment
to thinking like an iconoclast and stops the average person in his tracks. There are many types of fear, but the two
that inhibit iconoclastic thinking and people generally find difficult to deal with are fear of uncertainty and fear of
public ridicule. These may seem like trivial phobias. But fear of public speaking, which everyone must do from time
to time, afflicts one-third of the population. This makes it too common to be considered a mental disorder. It is
simply a common variant of human nature, one which iconoclasts do not let inhibit their reactions.
Finally, to be successful iconoclasts, individuals must sell their ideas to other people. This is where social intelligence
comes in. Social intelligence is the ability to understand and manage people in a business setting. In the last decade
there has been an explosion of knowledge about the social brain and how the brain works when groups coordinate
decision making. Neuroscience has revealed which brain circuits are responsible for functions like understanding
what other people think, empathy, fairness, and social identity. These brain regions play key roles in whether
people convince others of their ideas. Perception is important in social cognition too. The perception of someone's
enthusiasm, or reputation, can make or break a deal. Understanding how perception becomes intertwined with
social decision making shows why successful iconoclasts are so rare.
Iconoclasts create new opportunities in every area from artistic expression to technology to business. They supply
creativity and innovation not easily accomplished by committees. Rules aren't important to them. Iconoclasts face
alienation and failure, but can also be a major asset to any organization. It is crucial for success in any field to
understand how the iconoclastic mind works.
Questions 1-5
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
1) Neuroeconomics is a field of study which seeks to
A cause a change in how scientists understand brain chemistry.
B understand how good decisions are made in the brain.
C understand how the brain is linked to achievement in competitive fields.
D trace the specific firing patterns of neurons in different areas of the brain.
2) According to the writer, iconoclasts are distinctive because

A they create unusual brain circuits.

B their brains function differently.
C their personalities are distinctive.
D they make decisions easily.
3) According to the writer, the brain works efficiently because

A it uses the eyes quickly.

B it interprets data logically.
C it generates its own energy.
D it relies on previous events.

4) The writer says that perception is

A a combination of photons and sound waves.

B a reliable product of what your senses transmit.
C a result of brain processes.
D a process we are usually conscious of.

5) According to the writer, an iconoclastic thinker

A centralises perceptual thinking in one part of the brain.

B avoids cognitive traps.
C has a brain that is hardwired for learning.
D has more opportunities than the average person.
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Questions 6-11
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 6-11 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT
if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
GIVEN
6) Exposure to different events forces the brain to think differently.
7) Iconoclasts are unusually receptive to new experiences.
8) Most people are too shy to try different things.
9) If you think in an iconoclastic way, you can easily overcome fear.
10) When concern about embarrassment matters less, other fears become irrelevant.
11) Fear of public speaking is a psychological illness.
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Questions 12-14
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-E, below.
A requires both perceptual and social intelligence skills.
B focuses on how groups decide on an action.
C works in many fields, both artistic and scientific.
D leaves one open to criticism and rejection.
E involves understanding how organisations manage people.
12) Thinking like a successful iconoclast is demanding because it
13) The concept of the social brain is useful to iconoclasts because it
14) Iconoclasts are generally an asset because their way of thinking Answers: https://www.ielts-exam.net/ielts_reading/976/
General Reading Passage 17
The end of the silver screen?
Cinema technology has remained much the same for a century, so when will it go digital? Kevin
Hilton views the projections.
A. Cinema is full of contradictions. It is high-tech and old-fashioned at the same time. Today's films are
full of digital sound and computer-generated special effects. Yet they are still stored on celluloid film, the
basis of which is more than 100 years old. They are also displayed with projectors and screens that seem
to belong to our great grandparents' generation.
B. Now that we are in the second century of cinema, there are moves to bring the medium right up to
date. This will involve revolutionising not just how films are made but also how they are distributed and
presented. The aim is not only to produce and prepare films digitally, but to be able to send them to movie
theatres by digital, electronic means. High-resolution digital projectors would then show the film.
Supporters say this will make considerable savings at all stages of this chain, particularly for distribution.
C. With such a major technological revolution on the horizon, it seems strange that the industry is still
not sure what to call itself This may appear a minor point, but the choices, 'digital' cinema and 'electronic'
cinema (e-cinema), suggest different approaches to, and aspects of, the business. Digital cinema refers
to the physical capture of images; e-cinema covers the whole chain, from production through post-
production (editing, addition of special effects and construction of soundtrack) to distribution and
projection.
D. And what about the effects of the new medium? The main selling point of digital cinema is the high
resolution and sharpness of the final image. But those who support the old-fashioned approach to film
point to the celluloid medium's quality of warmth. A recurring criticism of video is that it may be too good:
uncomfortably real, rather like looking through an open window. In 1989, the director of the first full-length
American digital high-definition movie admitted that the picture had a 'stark, strange reality to it'.
E. Even the money-saving aspect of e-cinema is doubted. One expert says that existing cinemas will
have to show the new material and not all of them will readily or rapidly furnish themselves with the right
equipment. 'E-cinema is seen as a way of saving money, because print costs a lot,' he says. Tut for that
to work, cinemas have to be showing the films because cinemas are the engine that drives the film
industry.'
F. This view has prompted some pro-digital entrepreneurs to take a slightly different approach. HD
Thames is looking at reinventing the existing cinema market, moving towards e-theatre, which would use
digital video and projection to present plays, musicals and some sporting events to the public. This is not
that different from the large-screen TV system that was set up in New York in 1930, and John Logie Baird's
experiments with TV in the late 1920s and early 30s.
Questions 1-6
The Reading Passage has six paragraphs A–F.

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
List of Headings
i Indecision about a name
ii Current problems with distribution
iii Uncertainty about financial advantages
iv The contrasts of cinema today
v The history of cinema
vi Integrating other events into cinema
vii The plans for the future of films
viii An unexpected advantage
ix Too true to life?
1) Paragraph A

2) Paragraph B

3) Paragraph C

4) Paragraph D

5) Paragraph E

6) Paragraph F
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Questions 7-11
Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 7-11 on your answer sheet.

There are big changes ahead for cinema if digital production takes place and the industry no longer uses (7)
.............................................................. and gets rid of the old-fashioned (8) ............................................................. and used to show movies. The
main advantage is likely to be that the final image will be clearer. However, some people argue that the digital picture will lack (9)
.......................................................................................... In addition, digital production will only reduce costs if cinemas are willing to buy new
(10) ......................................................................... As a result, experiments with what is called (11) '..............................................................' may
mark a change in the whole entertainment industry.

Answers: https://www.ielts-exam.net/ielts_reading/970/
Academic Reading Passage 34
William Kamkwamba

In 2002, William Kamkwamba had to drop out of school, as his father, a maize and tobacco farmer,
could no longer afford his school fees. But despite this setback, William was determined to get his
education. He began visiting a local library that had just opened in his old primary school, where he
discovered a tattered science book. With only a rudimentary grasp of English, he taught himself basic
physics - mainly by studying photos and diagrams. Another book he found there featured windmills on
the cover and inspired him to try and build his own.

He started by constructing a small model. Then, with the help of a cousin and friend, he spent many
weeks searching scrap yards and found old tractor fans, shock absorbers, plastic pipe and bicycle parts,
which he used to build the real thing.

For windmill blades, William cut some bath pipe in two lengthwise, then heated the pieces over hot coals
to press the curled edges flat. To bore holes into the blades, he stuck a nail through half a corncob,
heated the metal red and twisted it through the blades. It took three hours to repeatedly heat the nail and
bore the holes. He attached the blades to a tractor fan using proper nuts and bolts and then to the back
axle of a bicycle. Electricity was generated through the bicycle dynamo. When the wind blew the blades,
the bike chain spun the bike wheel, which charged the dynamo and sent a current through wire to his
house.

What he had built was a crude machine that produced 12 volts and powered four lights. When it was all
done, the windmill's wingspan measured more than eight feet and sat on top of a rickety tower 15 feet
tall that swayed violently in strong gales. He eventually replaced the tower with a sturdier one that
stands 39 feet, and built a second machine that watered a family garden.

The windmill brought William Kamkwamba instant local fame, but despite his accomplishment, he was
still unable to return to school. However, news of his magetsi a mphepo - electric wind - spread beyond
Malawi, and eventually things began to change. An education official, who had heard news of the
windmill, came to visit his village and was amazed to learn that William had been out of school for five
years. He arranged for him to attend secondary school at the government's expense and brought
journalists to the farm to see the windmill. Then a story published in the Malawi Daily Mail caught the
attention of bloggers, which in turn caught the attention of organisers for the Technology Entertainment
and Design conference.

In 2007, William spoke at the TED Global conference in Tanzania and got a standing ovation.
Businessmen stepped forward with offers to fund his education and projects, and with money donated
by them, he was able to put his cousin and several friends back into school and pay for some medical
needs of his family. With the donation, he also drilled a borehole for a well and water pump in his village
and installed drip irrigation in his father's fields.

The water pump has allowed his family to expand its crops. They have abandoned tobacco and now
grow maize, beans, soybeans, potatoes and peanuts. The windmills have also brought big lifestyle and
health changes to the other villagers. 'The village has changed a lot,' William says. 'Now, the time that
they would have spent going to fetch water, they are using for doing other things. And also the water
they are drinking is clean water, so there is less disease.' The villagers have also stopped using
kerosene and can use the money previously spent on fuel to buy other things.

William Kamkwamba's example has inspired other children in the village to pursue science. William says
they now see that if they put their mind to something, they can achieve it. 'It has changed the way
people think,' he says.
Questions 1-5
Complete the flow chart below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Building the Windmill

William learned some (1) .................................................................. from a library book.

First, he built a (2) ................................................................................... of the windmill.

Then he collected materials from (3) ...................................................... with a relative.

He made the windmill blades from pieces of (4) ...................................................................

He fixed the blades to a (5) ............................................................. and then to part of a bicycle.

He raised the blades on a tower.

Questions 6-10
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage.
In boxes 6-10 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement is true according to the passage

FALSE if the statement is false according to the passage

NOT
if the information is not given in the passage
GIVEN

6) William used the electricity he created for village transport.

7) At first, William's achievement was ignored by local people.

8) Journalists from other countries visited William's farm.

9) William used money he received to improve water supplies in his village.

10) The health of the villagers has improved since the windmill was built.

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Questions 11-13

Answer the questions below.

Use NO MORE THAN ONE WORD and/or a NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

11) How tall was the final tower that William built?

12) What did the villagers use for fuel before the windmill was built?

13) What school subject has become more popular in William's village?

Answers: https://www.ielts-exam.net/ielts_reading/957/