IELTS Reading Practice Test 92 With Answers: Brunel: The Practical Prophet'

7/21/22, 10:52 AM IELTS Reading Practice Test 92 with Answers | IELTS Training Online
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IELTS Reading Practice Test 92 with

Answers
IELTS Reading Practice Tests with Answers
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READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which
are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
Brunel: ‘The Practical Prophet’

A
In the frontispiece of his book on Brunel, Peter Hay quotes from
Nicholson’s British Encyclopaedia of 1909 as follows: ‘Engineers are
extremely necessary for these purposes; wherefore it is requisite that,
besides being ingenious, they should be brave in proportion.’ His
father, Sir Marc Isambard Brunel (1769-1849), was himself a famous
engineer, of French parents. He eventually settled in Britain and
married the Sophia Kingdom, an English woman whom he had known
in France in earlier days. Their only son Isambard was born on 9 April
1806. He was sent to France at the age of 14 to study mathematics
and science and was 16 when he returned to England to work with his
father. Sir Marc was then building his famous tunnel under the River
https://ieltstrainingonline.com/ielts-reading-practice-test-92-with-answers/ 1/22
Thames. Isambard was recuperating near Bristol from injuries

received in a tunnel cave-in when he became involved with his own
first major project.
–The Suspension Bridge ion the Avon Gorge
B
The span of Brunel’s bridge was over 700ft, longer than any existing
when it was designed, and the height above water about 245ft. The
technical challenges of this engineering project were immense, and
Brunel dealt with them with his usual, thoroughness and ingenuity.
Two design competitions were held, and the great bridge designer
Thomas Telford was the committee’s expert. Brunel presented four
designs. He went beyond technicalities to include arguments based
on, among other things, the grace of his tower design. Unfortunately,
he only got so far as to put up the end piers in his lifetime. The Clifton
Suspension Bridge was completed in his honor by his engineering
friends in1864 and is still in use.
The Great Western Railway
C
While Brunel was still in Bristol, and with the Avon Bridge project
stopped or going slowly, he became aware that the civic authorities
saw the need for a railway link to London. Railway location was
controversial since private landowners and towns had to be dealt with.
Mainly, the landed gentry did not want a messy, noisy railway
anywhere near them. The Duke of Wellington (of Waterloo fame) was
certainly against it. Again Brunel showed great skill in presenting his
arguments to the various committees and individuals. BruneI built his
railway with a broad gauge (7ft) instead of the standard 4ft 8½in,
which had been used for lines already installed. There is no doubt that
the broad gauge gave superior ride and stability, but it was fighting a
standard.
Atmospheric railway:
D
Brunel’s ready acceptance of new ideas overpowered good
engineering judgment (at least in hindsight) when he advocated the
installation of an atmospheric railway in South Devon. It had the great
attraction of doing away with the locomotive and potentially could
deal with steeper gradients. Since this connecting arm had to run
along the slit, it had to be opened through a flap as the train
progressed, but closed airtight behind it. Materials were not up to it,
and this arrangement was troublesome and expensive to keep in
repair. After a year of frustration, the system was abandoned. Brunel
admitted his failure and took responsibility. He also took no fee for his
work, setting a good professional example.
Brunel’s ships:
E
The idea of using steam to power ships to cross the ocean appealed to
Brunel. When his GWR company directors complained about the great
length of their railway (it was only about 100 miles), Isambard jokingly
suggested that they could even make it longer—why not go all the way
to New York and call the link the Great Western. The “Great Western”
was the first steamship to engage in transatlantic service. Brunel
formed the Great Western Steamship Company and construction
started on the ship in Bristol in 1836. Built of wood and 236ft long, the
Great Western was launched in 1837 and powered by sail and
paddlewheels. The first trip to New York took just 15 days, and 14 days
to return. This was a great success, a one way trip under sail would
take more than a month. The Great Western was the firsts steamship
to engage in transatlantic service and made 74 crossings to New York.
F
Having done so well with the Great Western, Brunel immediately got
to work on an even bigger ship. Great Britain was made of iron and
also built-in Bristol, 322ft in length. The initial design was for the ship
to be driven by paddle wheels, but Brunel had seen one of the first
propeller-driven ships to arrive in Britain, and he abandoned his plans
for paddlewheel propulsion. The ship was launched in 1843 and was
the first screw-driven iron ship to cross the Atlantic. Great Britain ran
aground early in its career but was repaired, sold, and sailed for years
to Australia, and other parts of the world, setting the standard for
ocean travel. In the early 1970s, the old ship was rescued from the
Falklands and is now under restoration in Bristol.
G
Conventional wisdom in Brunel’s day was that steamships could not
carry enough coal to make long ocean voyages. But he correctly
figured out that this was a case where size mattered. He set out to
design the biggest ship ever, five times larger than any ship built up to
that time. Big enough to carry fuel to get to Australia without refueling,
in addition, it would carry 4,000 passengers.
The Great Eastern was 692ft long, with a displacement of about 32,000
tons. Construction began in 1854 on the Thames at Millwall. Brunel
had chosen John Scott Russell to build the ship. He was a well-
established engineer and naval architect, but the contract did not go
well. Among other things, Scott Russell was very low in his estimates
and money was soon a problem. Construction came to a standstill in
1856 and Brunel himself had to take over the work. But Brunel was
nothing if not determined and by September 1859, after a delayed and
problem -ridden launch, the Great Eastern was ready for the maiden
voyage, Brunei was too sick to go, but it was just as well because only
a few hours out there was an explosion in the engine room which
would have destroyed a lesser ship. Brunel died within a week or so of
the accident. The great ship never carried 4,000 passengers (among
other things, the Suez Canal came along) and although it made several
transatlantic crossings, it was not a financial success. Shortly after the
Great Eastern began working life, the American entrepreneur Cyrus
Field and his backers were looking for a ship big enough to carry 5,000
tons of telegraphic cable, which was to be laid on the ocean floor from
Ireland to Newfoundland. Although Brunel did not have it in mind, the
Great Eastern was an excellent vessel for this work on July 27, 1866. It
successfully completed the connection and a hundred years of
transatlantic communication by cable began. The ship continued this
career for several years, used for laying cables in many parts of the
world.
Questions 1-6
Use the information in the passage to match the project Brunel did
(listed A-G) with opinions or deeds below.
Write the appropriate letters A-G, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
A River Thames Tunnel
B Clifton Suspension Bridge
C Atmospheric Railway
D Great Britain
E The Great Western
F Great Western Railway

G The Great Eastern
1 The project of construction that I.K.Brunel was not responsible for.
2 The project had stopped due to inconvenience and high

maintaining cost.
3 The project was honored to yet not completed by Brunel himself.
4 The project had a budget problem although built by a famous

engineer.
5 Serious problem happened and delayed repeatedly.
6 The first one to cross the Atlantic Ocean in mankind history.
Questions 7-9
The reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-G.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A-G, in boxes 7-9 on your answer sheet
NB You may use any letter more than once.
7 There was a great ship setting the criteria for the journey of the
ocean.
8 An ambitious project which seemed to be applied in an unplanned

service later.
9 Brunel showed his talent of inter-personal skills with landlords and

finally, the project had been gone through.
Questions 10-13
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading

Passage
Using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the Reading Passage for
each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.
The Great Eastern was specially designed with a 10……………….. for

carrying more fuels and was to take a long voyage to 11………………..;
However due to physical condition, Brunel couldn’t be able to go with
the maiden voyage. Actually, the Great Eastern was unprofitable and
the great ship never crossed 12……………….. But soon after there was
an ironic opportunity for the Great Eastern which was used to carry
and to lay huge 13……………….. in Atlantic Ocean floor.
Dow
eb
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26 which are
based on Reading Passage 2 below.
The Farmers! parade of history

A
History of Fanner trading company: In 1909 Robert Laidlaw establishes

mail-order company Laidlaw Leeds in Fort Street, Auckland. Then,
Branch expansion: purchase of Green and Colebrook chain store;
further provincial stores in Auckland and Waikato to follow. Opening
of first furniture and boot factory. In 1920, Company now has 29
branches; Whangarei store purchased. Doors open at Hobson Street
for direct selling to public. The firm establishes London and New York
buying offices. With permission from the Harbour Board, the large
FARMERS electric sign on the Wyndham Street frontage is erected.
B
In 1935, if the merchandise has changed, the language of the
catalogues hasn’t Robert Laidlaw, the Scottish immigrant who
established die century-old business, might have been scripting a
modern-day television commercial when he told his earliest
customers: Satisfaction, or your money back. “It was the first money
back guarantee ever offered in New Zealand by any firm,” says Ian
Hunter, business historian. “And his mission statement was,
potentially, only the second one ever found in the world.” Laidlaw’s
stated aims were simple to build the greatest business in New
Zealand, to simplify every transaction, to eliminate all delays, to only
sell goods it would pay the customer to buy.
C
This year, the company that began as a mail-order business and now
employs 3500 staff across 58 stores turns 100. Its centenary will be
celebrated with the release of a book and major community
fundraising projects, to be announced next week. Hunter, who is
writing the centenary history, says “coming to a Fanners store once a
week was a part of the New Zealand way of life”. By 1960, one in every
10 people had an account with die company. It was the place where
teenage girls shopped for their first bra, where newlyweds purchased
their first dinner sets, where first pay cheques were used to pay off
hire purchase furniture, where Santa paraded every Christmas.
D
Gary Blumenthal’s mother shopped there, and so does he. The
fondest memory for the Rotorua resident? “We were on holiday in
Auckland… I decided that upon the lookout tower on top of the
Farmers building would be a unique place to fit the ring on my new
fiancee’s finger.” The lovebirds, who had to wait for “an annoying
youth” to leave the tower before they could enjoy their engagement
kiss, celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in June.
E
Farmers, says Hunter, has always had a heart. This, from a 1993 North
& South interview with a former board chairman, Rawdon Busfield:
“One day I was in the Hobson Street shop and I saw a woman with two
small children. They were clean and tidily dressed, but poor, you could
tell. That week we had a special on a big bar of chocolate for one
shilling. I heard the woman say to her boy, ‘no, your penny won’t buy
that’. He wasn’t wearing shoes. So I went up to the boy said,’ Son, have
you got your penny? ‘He handed it to me. It was hot he’d had it in his
hand for hours. I took the penny and gave him the chocolate.”
F
Farmers was once the home of genteel tearooms, children’s
playgrounds and an annual sale of celebration for birthday of Hector
the Parrot (the store mascot died, aged 131, in the 1970s his stuffed
remains still occupy pride of place at the company’s head office). You
could buy houses from Farmers. Its saddle factory supplied the armed
forces, and its upright grand overstrung pianos offered “the acme of
value” according to those early catalogues hand-drawn by Robert
Laidlaw himself. Walk through a Farmers store today and get hit by
bright lights and big brands. Its Albany branch houses 16 international
cosmetics companies. It buys from approximately 500 suppliers, and
about 30% of those are locally owned.
G
“Eight, 10 years ago,” says current chief executive Rod McDermott,
“lots of brands wouldn’t partner with us. The stores were quite
distressed. We were first price point focused, we weren’t fashion
focused. “Remove the rose-tinted nostalgia, and Farmers is, quite
simply, a business, doing business in hard times. Dancing with the
Stars presenter Candy Lane launches a clothing line? “We put a trial
on, and we thought it was really lovely, but the uptake wasn’t what we
thought it would be. It’s got to be what the customer wants,” says
McDermott.
H
He acknowledges retailers suffer in a recession: “We’re celebrating 100
years because we can and because we should.” Farmers almost didn’t
pull through one economic crisis. By the mid 1980s, it had stores
across the country. It had acquired the South Island’s Calder Mackay
chain of stores and bought out Haywrights. Then, with sales topping
$375 million, it was taken over by Chase Corporation. Lincoln Laidlaw,
now aged 88, and the son of the company’s founder, remembers the
dark days following the stock market crash and the collapse of Chase.
“I think, once, Farmers was like a big family and all of the people who
worked for it felt they were building something which would ultimately
be to their benefit and to the benefit of New Zealand… then the
business was being divided up and so that kind of family situation was
dispelled and it hasn’t been recovered.” For a turbulent few years, the
stores were controlled, first by a consortium of Australian banks and
later Deka, the Maori Development Corporation and Foodland
Associated Ltd. In 2003, it went back to “family” ownership, with the
purchase by the James Pascoe Group, owned by David and Anne

Norman the latter being the great-granddaughter of James Pascoe,
whose first business interest was jewellery.
I
“Sheer power of the brand,” says McDermott, “pulled Farmers through
and now we’re becoming the brand it used to be again.” Farmers was
the company that, during World War n, topped up the wages of any
staff member disadvantaged by overseas service. Robert Laidlaw a
committed Christian who came to his faith at a 1902 evangelistic
service in Dunedin concluded his original mission statement with the
words, “all at it, always at it, wins success”. Next week, 58 Farmers
stores across the country will announce the local charities they will
raise funds for in their centenary celebration everything from guide
dog services to hospices to volunteer fire brigades will benefit. Every
dollar raised by the community will be matched by the company. “It’s
like the rebirth of an icon,” says McDermott.
Questions 14-18
The reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-I
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A-I, in boxes 15-18 on your answer sheet.
14 Generosity offered in an occasion.
15 Innovation of offer made by the head of company.
16 Fashion was not its strong point.
17 A romantic event on the roof of farmers.

18 Farmers were sold to a private owned company.
Questions 19-23
Complete the sentence below.

Passage
each answer.
19 Farmers was first founded as a……………………… in Auckland by Mr

Laidlaw.
20 Farmers developed fast and bought one……………………… then.
21 During oversea expansion, Farmers set up……………………… in cities

such as London.
22 Farmers held a……………………… once a year for the well-known

parrot.
23 In the opinion of Lincoln Laidlaw, Farmers is like a ______for

employees, not just for themselves but for the whole country.
Questions 24-26
Use the information in the passage to match the people (listed A-C)
with opinions or deeds below.
Write the appropriate letters A-C in boxes 24-26 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
A Lincoln Laidlaw
B Rod McDermott
C Ian Hunter
24 Product became worse as wrong aspect focused.
25 An unprecedented statement made by Farmers in New Zealand.
26 Character of the company was changed.
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READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are
based on Reading Passage 3 below.
Nature works for Nature WorksTM

PLA
A
A dozen years ago, scientists at Cargill got the idea of converting lactic
acid made from corn into plastic while examining possible new uses
for materials produced from corn wet milling processes. In the past,
several efforts had been made to develop plastics from lactic acid, but
with limited success. Achieving this technological breakthrough didn’t
come easily, but in time the efforts did succeed. A fermentation and
distillation process using com was designed to create a polymer
suitable for a broad variety of applications.
B
As an agricultural based firm, Cargill had taken this product as far as it

could by 1997. The company needed a partner with access to plastics
markets and polymerization capabilities, and began discussions with
The Dow Chemical Company. The next step was the formation of the
joint venture that created Cargill Dow LLC. Cargill Dow’s product is the
world’s first commercially available plastic made from annually
renewable resources such as com:
Nature Works™ PLA is a family of packaging polymers (carbon-based
molecules) made from non-petroleum based resources.
Ingeo is a family of polymers for fibers made in a similar manner.
C
By applying their unique technology to the processing of natural plant
sugars, Cargill Dow has created a more environmentally friendly
material that reaches the consumer in clothes, cups, packaging and
other products. While Cargill Dow is a stand-alone business, it
continues to leverage the agricultural processing, manufacturing and
polymer expertise of the two parent companies in order to bring the
best possible products to market.
D
The basic raw materials for PLA are carbon dioxide and water.
Growing plants, like com, take these building blocks from the
atmosphere and the soil. They are combined in the plant to make
carbohydrates (sucrose and starch) through a process driven by
photosynthesis. The process for making Nature Works PLA begins
when a renewable resource such as corn is milled, separating starch
from the raw material. Unrefined dextrose, in turn, is processed from
the starch.
Cargill Dow turns the unrefined dextrose into lactic acid using a
fermentation process similar to that used by beer and wine producers.
This is the same lactic acid that is used as a food additive and is found
in muscle tissue in the human body. Through a special condensation
process, a lactide is formed. This lactide is purified through vacuum
distillation and becomes a polymer (the base for NatureWorks PLA)
that is ready for use through a solvent-free melt process.
Development of this new technology allows the company to “harvest”
the carbon that living plants remove from the air through
photosynthesis. Carbon is stored in plant starches, which can be
broken down into natural plant sugars. The carbon and other
elements in these natural sugars are then used to make NatureWorks
PLA.
F
Nature Works PLA fits all disposal systems and is fully compostable in
commercial composting facilities. With the proper infrastructure,
products made from this polymer can be recycled back to a monomer
and re-used as a polymer. Thus, at the end of its life cycle, a product
made from Nature Works PLA can be broken down into its simplest
parts so that no sign of it remains.
G
PLA is now actively competing with traditional materials in packaging
and fiber applications throughout the world; based on the
technology’s success and promise, Cargill Dow is quickly becoming a
premier player in the polymers market. This new polymer now
competes head-on with petroleum-based materials like polyester. A
wide range of products that vary in molecular weight and crystallinity
can be produced, and the blend of physical properties of PLA makes it
suited for a broad range of fiber and packaging applications. Fiber and
non-woven applications include clothing, fiberfill, blankets and wipes.
Packaging applications include packaging films and food and beverage

containers.
H
As Nature Works PLA polymers are more oil- and grease-resistant and
provide a better flavor and aroma barrier than existing petroleum-
based polymers, grocery retailers are increasingly using this packaging
for their fresh foods. As companies begin to explore this family of
polymers, more potential applications are being identified. For
example, PLA possess two properties that are particularly useful for
drape fabrics and window furnishings. Their resistance to ultraviolet
light is particularly appealing as this reduces the amount of fading in
such fabrics, and their refractive index is low, which means fabrics
constructed from these polymers can be made with deep colors
without requiring large amounts of dye. In addition, sportswear
makers have been drawn to the product as it has an inherent ability to
take moisture away from the skin and when blended with cotton and
wool, the result is garments that are lighter and better at absorbing
moisture.
I
PLA combines inexpensive large-scale fermentation with chemical
processing to produce a value-added polymer product that improves
the environment as well. The source material for PLA is a natural sugar
found in plants such as com and using such renewable feedstock
presents several environmental benefits. As an alternative to
traditional petroleum-based polymers, the production of PLA uses
20%-50% less fossil fuel and releases a lower amount of greenhouse
gasses than comparable petroleum-based plastic; carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere is removed when the feedstock is grown and is
returned to the earth when the polymer is degraded. Because the
company is using raw materials that can be regenerated year after

year, it is both cost-competitive and environmentally responsible.
Questions 27-30
Write the letters A-F in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet.
27 scientists manage to
28 Cargill needs to have contacts with
29 Nature work is used for
30 Ingeo is used to
A make things like clothes
B produce plastic from plant
C selling plastic in market
D fermentation process
E drape fabrics
F wrapping products
Questions 31-34
Passage.
each answer.
Process: the production of PLA
Questions 35-40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
35 Why did choose the PLA as material for food packaging?
A It smells good
B It can save food freshness
C It can be used on other materials
D Some other things need to be revised about it.

36 What is PLA packaging is used for?
A absorbing moisture
B composting facilities
C Packaging fresh food
D manufacturing
37-38 Which two features of PLA are correct?
A It takes in moisture of skin
B It is waterproof
C comfortable sportswear
D It’s fading under the sun
E It is only made in deep color
39-40 Which two features of PLA are correct?
A It is made of renewable raw materials
B It involves the removal of carbon dioxide
C It is no use of fossil fuel product
D It uses renewable raw resources
E It is sustenance which can absorb the CO2 in the atmosphere
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7/21/22, 10:52 AM IELTS Reading Practice Test 92 with Answers | IELTS Training Online

IELTS Reading Practice Test 92 with

Brunel: ‘The Practical Prophet’

Thames. Isambard was recuperating near Bristol from injuries

–The Suspension Bridge ion the Avon Gorge

The Great Western Railway

A River Thames Tunnel

B Clifton Suspension Bridge

E The Great Western

F Great Western Railway

G The Great Eastern

1 The project of construction that I.K.Brunel was not responsible for.

2 The project had stopped due to inconvenience and high

3 The project was honored to yet not completed by Brunel himself.

4 The project had a budget problem although built by a famous

5 Serious problem happened and delayed repeatedly.

6 The first one to cross the Atlantic Ocean in mankind history.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

NB You may use any letter more than once.

8 An ambitious project which seemed to be applied in an unplanned

9 Brunel showed his talent of inter-personal skills with landlords and

Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading

Write your answers in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.

The Great Eastern was specially designed with a 10……………….. for

The Farmers! parade of history

History of Fanner trading company: In 1909 Robert Laidlaw establishes

purchase by the James Pascoe Group, owned by David and Anne

Which paragraph contains the following information?

14 Generosity offered in an occasion.

15 Innovation of offer made by the head of company.

16 Fashion was not its strong point.

17 A romantic event on the roof of farmers.

18 Farmers were sold to a private owned company.

Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading

Write your answers in boxes 19-23 on your answer sheet.

19 Farmers was first founded as a……………………… in Auckland by Mr

20 Farmers developed fast and bought one……………………… then.

21 During oversea expansion, Farmers set up……………………… in cities

22 Farmers held a……………………… once a year for the well-known

23 In the opinion of Lincoln Laidlaw, Farmers is like a ______for

NB You may use any letter more than once.

24 Product became worse as wrong aspect focused.

25 An unprecedented statement made by Farmers in New Zealand.

26 Character of the company was changed.

Nature works for Nature WorksTM

As an agricultural based firm, Cargill had taken this product as far as it

Packaging applications include packaging films and food and beverage

company is using raw materials that can be regenerated year after

27 scientists manage to

28 Cargill needs to have contacts with

29 Nature work is used for

30 Ingeo is used to

A make things like clothes

B produce plastic from plant

C selling plastic in market

D fermentation process

E drape fabrics

F wrapping products

Write your answers in boxes 31-34 on your answer sheet.

Process: the production of PLA

Write your answers in boxes 35-40 on your answer sheet.

A It smells good

B It can save food freshness