Reading

Multiple Choice with One Answer

The Multiple Choice task tests your ability to read a passage carefully and understand detailed information and
arguments. It's often used to test your understanding of a passage in which the writer is presenting an argument
or where different ideas about a subject are compared and analysed. On the question paper, you see a set of
question stems with four possible answers. Your job is to read the passage and decide which of the four options
correctly answers the question.

There are two types of question:

1. A question which has four different answers (A, B, C or D).

2. An incomplete sentence that has four possible endings (A, B, C or D).

Here are the basic rules for the Multiple Choice task:

1. The questions follow the order of the information in the passage.

2. The wording of the options is not exactly the same as the wording in the passage.
3. When you read the question stems, you see some words and names that are also used in the passage.

These help you to find the relevant information and ideas.

1. You read the whole passage quickly to find the information and ideas you need to answer each question.
2. You then read this section carefully and compare the information and ideas with the four options.
3. You have to decide which option correctly answers the question or completes the sentence.
4. You write the correct letter on the answer sheet.

Tactics

1. Before you read the passage, read the question stems and underline the most important words and ideas.
Don't look at the options (A, B. C and D) yet.
2. Remember that the questions follow the order of the information in the passage.
3. When you read the passage, you may see some words or ideas from the question stems.

These help you to find the relevant sections.

1. Read the passage quickly and mark the relevant sections for each question. Write the question numbers
in the margin so that you can find the sections again easily.
2. Go through the questions one by one. Read the section of the passage you have marked carefully to make
sure you are in the correct place.
3. When you feel you have understood the passage completely, then read the four options (A. B. C and D).
Choose the option that answers the question or completes the sentence to match the meaning of the
text.
4. Remember, the correct answer reports the meaning of the passage, but doesn't use the same words and
expressions.
5. Don't use your own knowledge of the subject to help you choose an option. Remember, you are being
tested on your understanding of the reading passage.
6. When you have chosen your answer, read the other options again, and re-read the passage to be sure
that they are wrong.
7. Remember to write only one letter on the answer sheet.
8. Always answer all the questions, even if you're not entirely sure.
 Multiple Choice with More Than One Answer
The Multiple Choice (with more than one answer) task tests your ability to find information in a reading passage,
and then to read it carefully to understand the details. It's often used to test your understanding of a factual
passage about a specific subject. On the question paper, you see a question with a set of five statements that refer
to the information and ideas in the passage. Your job is to read the passage and decide which of the five
statements matches the information and ideas in the passage. For each question, there are two correct options
and three incorrect options.

Here are the basic rules for this type of Multiple Choice task:

1. There are two or three sets of statements (A-E).

2. Each set contains two correct answers and three wrong answers.
3. The statements in each set follow the order of information in the passage.
4. All five statements refer to information in the passage, but only two of them match the exact meaning of
the passage.
5. The wording of the correct statements is not exactly the same as the wording of the passage, but they
contain the same information.
6. When you read the statements, you see some words and ideas that are also used in the passage. These
help you to find the information.
7. You write the letters of the correct statements on the answer sheet.

Tactics

1. Before you read the passage, read the five statements in the questions and underline the main words and
ideas.
2. Use the words and ideas you've underlined to help you find the relevant sections of the passage.
3. Read the passage quickly and mark the relevant sections for each question. Write the question numbers
in the margin so that you can find the sections again easily.
4. The statements in each set follow the order of information in the passage. When you read the passage,
you may see some words or ideas from the statements. These help you to find the relevant sections.
5. Go through the statements one by one. Read the section of the passage you have marked carefully to
make sure you are in the correct place.
6. For each statement, decide if the wording of the statement expresses exactly the same ideas that are in
the passage or not.
7. There are two correct answers in each set. However, you should check all the statements carefully to
make sure you have the right ones. Find reasons why the incorrect statements are wrong.
8. Don't use your own knowledge of the subject to decide the answers. Use ONLY the information in the
passage.
9. Remember to write the correct letters on the answer sheet.
10. Always write two letters. If you're not sure, always give an answer
 Reading 1

IELTS PRACTICETASK
The Svalbard Seed Bank
Modern agriculture is primarily focused on maximising profit. This means that a small number of specially selected
plant varieties are grown throughout the world, and these have replaced the wide diversity of local varieties that once
existed. This approach guarantees consistently high yields under normal conditions, but it also harbours a
hidden danger. Essentially, every single commercially grown plant is a clone of one of only a few specially selected
pieces of genetic material. known as cultivars. This leads to a lack of genetic diversity, leaving crops more exposed
to any disease which attacks that single cultivar. With corn, wheat and rice being grown worldwide in this way, there
is a concern that a fungal infection could wipe out an entire world crop in a matter of months, causing massive food

-J shortages.

I
There are many types. or cultivars. of any given agricultural product, each one a special variety, developed to have
particular characteristics and given a special name. Various cultivars come in and out of favour over the years. For
example, almost all bananas in the world today are now of the Cavendish variety. But in the mid-20th century, the Gros
Michel was the dominant banana cultivar consumed in North America and Europe. Around 1 950, however, this variety
became virtually extinct due to the rapid spread of a fungal infection that attacked the roots of the banana plant, with the
result that the Gros Michel was replaced with the more resilient but notably less tasty Cavendish cultivar.
In order to preserve gene diversity of major food crops, international institutions have established a series of national
gene banks, which store samples of various strains of each plant species. On a remote island north of the Arctic
Circle, however. there is a sort of master gene bank for all the world's plants. The Svalbard seed bank serves as a
reserve of last resort and the popular press has emphasized the use of the seed bank as an insurance policy in case
of a major global catastrophe. To date, it has more frequently been accessed when national gene banks lose samples
due to accident. equipment failures. natural disasters and, all too often. mismanagement.
The bank is located in an old copper mine on the remote northern island of Spitsbergen in Norway. The facility
has a capacity to conserve 4.5 million seed samples. Under the current temperature conditions in the vault (similar
to those in a kitchen freezer) the seed samples for many fruits and vegetables can remain viable for hundreds of
years. Some seeds, including those of important grains, can survive far longer. anywhere from 2,000 to 20,000 years.
The bank functions like a safety deposit box in a commercial bank. While the bank owns the building, the individual
depositor owns the contents of his or her box, and the access to individual specimens is regulated by their respective
depositors. No depositor has access to any other depositor's seeds. The seed samples stored in the bank are copies
of samples stored in the depositing gene banks. Researchers, plant breeders. and other groups wishing to access
seed samples cannot do so through the seed bank; they must request samples from the depositing gene banks.
The main storage vault is dug into a sandstone mountain, on a seismically inactive island. The bank employs a number
of robust security and preservation systems: seeds are packaged in special packets and heat-sealed to exclude
moisture; a local coal mine and power plant supply the electricity for refrigeration control and crucially the remote
northern location also serves as a natural fridge. In the case of complete power failure, at least several weeks will
elapse before the temperature inside the vault rises to the temperature of the surrounding sandstone bedrock. By
locating the site 130 metres above sea level, the designers have even ensured that the site will remain dry if the polar
icecaps melt.

Questions 7-6

Choose the correct Jetter. A, 8, C or D.

1 The hidden danger referred to in line 4 is

A changing growing conditions.
B local variations reducing crop yields.
C crops being more at risk from disease.
D poor selection of original genetic material.
2 What does the Cavendish banana cultivar serve as an example of?
A a cultivar that is preferred by consumers
B a cultivar that is resistant to fungal infection
C a cultivar that was previously facing extinction
D a cultivar that offers good flavour but low yield
3 In the third paragraph, what is implied about the use of the Svalbard seed bank to date?
A It's mostly been used in response to situations which could have been avoided.
B It's generally been used in situations resulting from natural disasters.
C It hasn't been used as much as has been suggested in the media.
D It's been used more by some countries than by others.
4 According to the fourth paragraph, people requiring access to the seeds at Svalbard should
A apply directly to the seed bank itself.
B contact those who originally deposited the seeds.
C visit the building where the seeds are held in person.
D ask for samples to be transferred to them by secure means.
5 Which aspect of the Svalbard seed bank's security does the writer regard as most important?
A the absence of volcanic activity in the region
B the local availability of fossil fuel resources
C the prevailing temperature at the site
D the height of the site above sea level
6 The writer's main point in writing this passage is to
A trace several recent developments in agricultural science.
B discuss the dangers facing various national gene banks.
C show why reliance on one cultivar can be dangerous.
D explain the role of the master seed bank in Norway.
 Reading 2

IELTS PRACTICETASK
OurVanishing Night

I f humans were nocturnal creatures, the night-time world would be as visible to us as it is to the vast
number of nocturnal animals on this planet. The light of the stars and moon would supply all the light that
was needed. But humans are a diurnal species, with eyes adapted to the sunlight. In order to extend
human activity into the hours of darkness, humans have created artificial light.

As with all kinds of human intervention in the natural environment. there are environmental consequences
- what is often called light pollution. Ill-designed lighting lessens the darkness of night and radically alters
the light levels and rhythms to which various animal species, including nocturnal predators, have adapted.

For most of human history, the expression "light pollution" would have meant little to people. Today, nearly
all of night-time Europe is a nebula of light, as is most of the United States and all of Japan. In the south
Atlantic, the glow from a single fishing fleet - squid fishermen luring their prey with metal halide lamps -
can be seen by satellites in space, burning brighter than Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro. The sky as seen
from most cities looks as though it has been emptied of stars, leaving behind a haze known as " skyglow·:
People have grown so used to this pervasive orange haze that the original glory of a n unlit night is wholly
beyond their experience, and professional astronomers have been forced to set up observatories in the few
places beyond its reach, such as the Atacama Desert in South America.

Light is a powerful biological force and acts as a magnet to many species and triggers certain types of
behaviour. For example, birds are attracted by artificial light, causing them to sing at unnatural hours.
Scientists think that artificially long days and short nights may induce early breeding in birds, and while
a longer day allows for longer feeding, it can also affect migration schedules. Migration, like most other
aspects of bird behaviour. is a precisely timed biological process. Leaving early may mean arriving too soon
for the optimum nesting conditions, which may have an effect on breeding rates.

Light pollution doesn't just affect animals - it takes a biological toll on people as well: sleep deprivation,
increased incidence of headaches, fatigue, stress and anxiety have all been attributed to light pollution by
researchers. At least one recent study has suggested a correlation between higher rates of certain types of
cancer and the night-time brightness of residential areas.

Light pollution, however, is perhaps the most easily remedied of all the man-made pollutants that affect
the natural world. Simple changes in lighting design yield immediate changes in the amount of light spilt
into the atmosphere and often represent energy savings. What's more, this can be achieved by using
inexpensive technology which is already available. For example, wasteful mercury lamps can be replaced
with LED, sodium or halide lamps. Timers and sensors can turn off artificial lighting when it is not needed.
Illuminated outdoor advertising, for example, doesn't have to operate all night. Meanwhile, well-designed
streetlamps can encase bulbs from above and to the side, channeling light where it is needed. Known as
"cutting off light at the horizontal·; this ensures that light is used to illuminate the ground, not the sky.

In the end, humans are trapped by light. We have cut ourselves off from the light of the stars and the
rhythms of day and night. Light pollution causes us to lose sight of our place in the universe, to forget the
scale of our being, which is best measured against the dimensions of a deep night with the Milky Way
arching overhead.
Questions 1 and 2

The list below gives some effects of light pollution.

Which TWO of these are mentioned by the writer?
A Light pollution has a negative effect on fishing activities.
B Light pollution obscures people's view of man-made objects in the night sky.
c What is called 'skyglow' now affects all parts of the world to some extent.
D Light pollution has affected the reproductive success of certain bird species.
E There is growing evidence to suggest light pollution affects human health.
1
2
Questions 3 and 4

Which TWO of these points related to remedies for light pollution does the writer make?
A It takes time for the benefits of new types of lighting to be felt.
B New types of lighting can save money as well as reducing light pollution.
c New types of lighting can be expensive to install.
D Automated systems can be programmed to reduce light pollution.
E Street lighting can easily be redesigned to use less electricity.
3
4

Which statement best describes how you feel about these Multiple Choice tasks?

I feel confident about doing these Multiple Choice tasks.

I did OK, but I still need to do more work on these Multiple Choice tasks.
I need more practice with these Multiple Choice tasks. I need to focus on . . .

ACADEMIC READING 127

 General Training Reading

Read the text and answer questions 1-13

 1-5

5
 6-9

10-13

10
11
12
13
 Academic Reading

1-14

The reading passage

1
2
3
4
 5-10

10
 11-14

11
12
13
14
 Unusual Listening Sections

Listening 1
32
3-5
 6-10

1
 Listening 2
33

1-5
6-10

10
 Listening 3

34
1-6
 7-10

1
Key

Reading 1

1. C
2. B
3. A
4. B
5. C
6. D

Reading 2

1. D
2. E
3. B
4. D

General Training Reading

1. B
2. D
3. B
4. C
5. C
IN ANY ORDER 6-9
6. D
7. E
8. F
9. I
10. FALSE
11. TRUE
12. NOT GIVEN
13. FALSE

Academic Reading

1. ii
2. vi
3. i
4. iii
5. B
6. A
7. D
8. D
9. C
10. B
11. FALSE
12. NOT GIVEN
13. FALSE
14. TRUE
Listening 1

1. cigar
2. 13 (different) countries
3. activated
4. 50 km(s)
5. temperature
6. A
7. C
8. A
9. B
10. C

Listening 2

1. C
2. В
3. С
4. А
5. А
6. 2 directions
7. confident
8. vision
9. corrections
10. balance

Listening 3

1. B
2. B
3. А
4. А
5. С
6. С
7. В
8. F
9. D
10. С