IELTS
PRACTICE READING TEST 5
Time allowed: 60 minutes
Number of questions: 41
Instructions
WRITE ALL YOUR ANSWERS ON THE ANSWER SHEET
The test is in 3 sections:
- Reading Passage 1 Qu estions 1 13
- Reading Passage 2 Qu estions 14 28
- Reading Passage 3 Qu estions 29 41
Remember to answer all the questions. If you are having trouble with a question,
skip it and return to it later.
READING PASSAGE 1
You are advised to spend about 15 minutes on Questions 1 13 which are based on
Reading Passage 1.
Building houses out of earth
On every continent, one can find houses or other buildings made of the clay-bearing
soils dug up from the ground. In some places, earth building technologies have been
around for a very long time. In the southwestern United States, for example,
American Indian tribes such as the Pueblo people have been building earth houses and
other earth structures for thousands of years. And in China s Xinjiang Province,
archaeologists have found entire earth villages dating back over 2500 years. While
building houses out of earth is certainly not new, it has never been very common
because of the preference for other materials.
In some parts of the world, however, there has been renewed growth in the popularity
of earth building. Two such places are Australia and New Zealand, where the practice
did not exist until the relatively recent arrival of European settlers. It is estimated that
there are now over 2100 houses made of earth in Australia, and 35% of them were
built within the past decade. An equal proportion of the 550 earthen structures in New
Zealand were built in the last five years. This trend appears to reflect growing earth
construction in North America and Western Europe.
Why the renewed interest in earth building? The building material itself is probably
the reason. Earth is available virtually anywhere, literally under out feet. And unlike
many other building materials that typically require treatment with chemical
preservatives, earth is non-toxic. This cannot be said for commercially sold timber
and brick products.
Another well-known characteristic of earth houses is their passive solar capacity
their ability to retain warmth in the winter and keep cool in the summer without the
need for dedicated solar panels, plumbing or fossil fuel energy sources. This comes
entirely from the effective way in which the earthen walls act to store hear.
Some people claim that earth buildings are cheaper to build than conventional brick or
wooden houses, the two most common types in Australia and New Zealand. This
appears to be true, according to data from the New Zealand Construction Quarterly.
Assuming walls make up 15% of the cost of building a house, then the use of earthen
walls would bring a total saving of 10% over timber frame construction and 38% over
brick.
But perhaps most attractive of all is the unique atmosphere provided by earth houses,
with their natural colours, their acoustic properties and thick, solid walls.
Not all earth building is done the same way. The technologies used vary from region
to region, depending on the types of earth available and local building traditions. They
are also undergoing constant study and improvement, with a view to bettering
resistance to earthquakes and weather.
In New Zealand, stabilisers such as cement, sand, straw, even cow dung, have been
found to make a stronger and longer-lasting material when added to earth. The
downside of using particularly effective stablilisers like cement is that they can be
expensive and their manufacture may create much pollution. Thus their use should be
kept to a minimum.
Those who choose to build with earth should also be careful about using paints or
other coatings on the surface of the earth walls. Some coatings have the effect of
preventing the walls from breathing. When this happens any water that gets
absorbed into the walls may not have a way of escaping and so gets trapped. This may
lead to cracks or other signs of early deterioration of the earthen material.
Question 1
Choose the appropriate letter (A D) and write it in box 1 on your answer sheet.
1. In Building houses out of earth , the writer s main aim is to &
A provide an overview of earth building.
B promote the building of earth houses.
C review the history of earth building.
D examine the variety of earth buildings.
Question 2 and 3
2. Name TWO places where earth building practices have existed for a long time.
Write the names of the places in box 2 on your answer sheet.
3. Name THREE places where earth building is becoming more popular.
Write the names of the places in box 3 on your answer sheet.
Questions 4 7
In Building houses out of earth , the writer mentions several reasons why some
people prefer earth houses. Read the list of reasons below and choose FOUR that are
referred to in the passage.
Write your answers in boxes 4 7 on your answer sheet.
A cost of construction
B resistance to earthquakes
C stability of earth
D heat storage capacity
E availability of materials
F construction technology
G appearance and character
Question 8 11
Using a NUMBER or NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, answer the following
questions. Write your answers in boxes 8 11 on your answer sheet.
8. What percentage of earth buildings in New Zealand were constructed in the past 5
years?
9. Name ONE building material that contains chemical preservatives.
10. Name the feature of earth houses that enables them to keep temperatures low in
summer.
11. Name TWO substances that can lengthen the life of earth as a building material.
Question 12 and 13
Complete the flow chart below. Choose ONE or TWO words from the passage for
each answer. Write your answers in boxes 12 13 on your answer sheet.
rain
put on walls
water absorbed water cannot
into earth walls escape
& (13) &
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 25 minutes on Questions 14 28 which are based on Reading
Passage 2.
Book-carrying behaviour
Psychologists have long observed that women and men perform certain physical
actions in different ways. One such action is the carrying of books. Howard and White
(1966) maintain that there is a masculine style and a feminine style of book-
carrying and that one s sex determines which of these styles one will use.
In observations of over 3600 university students in North and South America, Howard
and White recorded five styles of book-carrying. These styles, labelled A , B , C ,
D , and E , were then categorised into two main types: Type I and Type II. Howard
and White s categorisations are given in detail in the box on the next page.
Type I
A. The books cover part of the front of the body. The books short edges are parallel
to the ground and rest against the body. One arm is wrapped around the books,
with the elbow bent and the fingers wrapped around the books long edges.
B. The same as A above, except both arms are wrapped around the books, which are
usually more centred in front of the body.
Type II
C. The books are held at the side of the body and so do not cover any part of the
front. The arms are kept straight and the books are held, in one hand, from above.
The books long edges are parallel to the ground.
D. As C above, but the books are held from below, with the fingers wrapped around
the lower edges.
E. As D above, except the elbows are bent and the books are raised along the side of
the body.
Other
Positions characteristic of neither Type I nor Type II.
Howard and White s findings were that men and women differ markedly in the way
they carry books. They reported that some 82% of females use Type I methods, while
16% use Type II. For men, Type II methods were used by 96% whereas only 3% used
the feminine style.
A smaller study in the UK by Haldern and Matthews (1969) confirmed the distinction
in book-carrying styles, and went on to explain this difference in terms of male and
female body shape and strength. The researchers claimed morpho-anatomical features,
such as hip and shoulder width, as well as the strength of the fingers and hands, were
the main determinants of carrying styles for males and females.
Subsequent research into the relationship of age to carrying behaviour (Namimitsu &
Matthews, 1971) found that there was little or no difference between the sexes among
kindergarten children, and that a large majority of children of either sex carried books
in the manner of Type II. Wilson (1972) found that by primary school, differences
began to emerge along the lines of Howard and White s feminine and masculine
styles that is, girls carrying positions began to diverge from boys . Children in the
14 16 ago group were found to display the greatest difference in book-carrying
behaviour, with some 91% of girls using Type I methods (Agfitz, 1972a). In his
review of the research done up to that time, Wilson (1976) stressed that in all the
studies into developmental aspects of the behaviour, male carrying behaviour
remained broadly consistent throughout the age groups, including the university
students who were the subjects of Howard and White s (1966) study. Studies of older
adult age groups showed a decreasing, yet enduring, gap in styles as people aged.
With increasing age, increasing numbers of women were shown to abandon Type I in
favour of Type II (Agfitz, 1972b).
Looking at other possible explanations for these differences, Agfitz (1973) offered the
notion of social pressure on children to conform to behaviours typical of their sex.
This is especially the case in the context of secondary school, where children are
pressured by their fellow students to conform to behavours that society considers
normal.
In the early 1990s, this notion of book-carrying behaviour as gender-specific came
under review. Vilberberg and Zhou (1991), in making the first large-scale
observational study since Howard and White (1966), found that women of university
age and older were as likely to use Type II methods as Type I. Observing some 3750
university students and adult public-library users in Holland and Belgium, the
researchers found that while 92% of males exhibited Type II behaviour, only 52% of
females used Type I methods. Some 47% carried books in the manner of Type II.
Most interestingly, of this latter proportion, more than three-quarters used style E .
The notion of feminine and masculine book-carrying styles was suddenly thrown
into doubt, as Chadamitsky (1993) and others argued that carrying behaviour could
not be claimed to be gender-specific if females were not consistent in the styles they
displayed. Male carrying behaviour, even in the Vilberberg and Zhou study, remained
a virtual constant, and so could be labelled typical for males. But because this style
was well shared by females, it could not be called masculine . Chadamitsky went on
to argue that the original interpretation of Howard and White s (1966) study that
there were clear feminine and masculine styles set the course of subsequent
research in that direction. Future research, he argued, should look not at why females
and males display different book-carrying behaviours, but why males are uniform and
females are more apt to vary.
gender-specific: particular to either males or females
Question 14 17
Classify the following book-carrying styles as:
A Style A
B Style B
C Style C
D Style D
E Style E
OR
O Other
Write the appropriate letters A O in boxes 14 17 on your answer sheet.
Question 18 24
Below is a list of research conclusions mentioned in Reading Passage 2. Indicate
which researcher(s) was/were responsible for each research conclusion by writing
their NAMES AND PUBLICATION YEARS in boxes 18 24 on your answer
sheet.
Research conclusions
Example
Types I and II can reasonably be labelled feminine and masculine behaviours,
respectively.
Answer: Howard and White (1966)
18. The influence on children to fit into socially accepted roles may contribute to
differences in carrying behaviour.
19. Young teenage girls were most likely to use Type I methods.
20. Feminine and masculine carrying styles may be accounted for by anatomical
differences in female and male bodies.
21. There is no consistent male-female difference in book-carrying behaviour in early
childhood.
22. Males of all ages appear to be consistent in their carrying behaviour.
23. Close to half of women carry in such a way that books cover no part of the front
of their body.
24. Older women are less likely than younger women to display Type I methods.
Questions 25 28
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 2? In
boxes 25 28 write:
YES if the statement reflects the writer s claims
NO if the statement contradicts the writer
NOT GIVEN if there is no information about this in the passage
25. Researchers in the 1990s suggested the notion that social, rather than physical,
factors better explain differences in book-carrying style.
26. In the Vilberberg and Zhou (1991) study, the majority of women using Type II
methods used style E
27. Vilberberg and Zhou s (1991) findings weaken Howard and White s (1966)
conclusions about gender-specific book-carrying behaviour.
28. Chadamitsky (1993) suggested that, in the future, research ought to be directed at
why both male and female book-carrying behaviours vary.
READING PASSAGE 3
You are advised to spend about 20 minutes on Question 29 41 which are based on
Reading Passage 3.
Television News
Critics of television news often complain that news programs do not make enough of
an effort to inform the viewer, that the explanations they give of events are too short,
too simple, lacking depth, or misleading. Critics say that when a person wants to get a
comprehensive report of an event, he or she must turn to a newspaper; television news
offers only simplified stories rather than denser and more detailed accounts.
Television news, argue the critics, concentrates mostly on stories of visual interest
such as transport disasters or wars, leaving important but visually uninteresting stories
such as government budget and legislation stories with little or no coverage. This
leads to the claim that the selection of stories to be presented on television news tends
less toward information and more toward entertainment. Thus, television news,
according to this view, presents an image of the world that is quite subjective.
The reporting of political stories on television, in particular, is often criticised for
failing to be either comprehensive or fair to the viewer. The main complaint is not that
the news is politically biased, but that the limitations of the medium cause even
important stories to be covered in as little as 60 seconds of broadcasting time. A
politician is seen on the news to speak for between 10 and 30 seconds, for example,
when in fact he or she may have been speaking for many times longer. Critics
complain that viewers get used to seeing such abbreviated stories and thus become
less inclined to watch longer, more thorough discussions of issues. Indeed, politicians,
now long accustomed to speaking to television cameras, adjust their words to suit
short news stories, because making long, elaborate arguments no longer works. Thus
television not only reports on politics, but has become a major influence on it.
Such views stand in contrast to those of US political scientist Ronald Butcher, who
believes that television news is too complex and that is provides too much
information. According to Butcher, the complexity of the presentation of television
news programs prevents half of the audience from truly understanding many news
stories. Moreover, it is assumed by news broadcasters that the viewer already knows
much of the information that underlies particular stories. But this assumption, says
Butcher, is inaccurate. The same can be said about how well viewers are able to
interpret the importance of events.
Shoemaker and Lvov (1986) carried out research that showed that the ordinary
television viewer fails to understand the main points in two-thirds of all major TV
news stories . Accounts of political events appear to offer the most difficulty for
viewers because they make references to connected events and use terminology that
only some people could readily comprehend. The researchers recommend that news
programs make a greater effort to aid the viewer in understanding the events, no
matter how many times the stories have been told before.
Regardless of how one feels about television news, research has left no doubt that it is
the primary source of information for the vast majority of people in societies where
television sets are widely available. In Australia, studies have shown that not only do
most people get their news from television (see figure 1), but an increasing number of
people regard television news as accurate and reliable.
By what criteria, then, does the viewing public determine its level of confidence in
television news?
In Australia, Johnson and Davis (1989) surveyed people s feelings about television
news, as compared to newspapers and radio news. Although radio was believed by
most people to be fastest in the delivery of the latest news, television news was rated
first for such criteria as comprehensiveness of reporting and clarity of explanation.
Similar research dating from 1966 put trust in newspapers ahead of television news
for most of the same criteria.
The growing acceptance of television news as an information source that is reliable
and trustworthy is reflected in the declining sales of newspapers in most modern
societies. In Australia, newspaper circulation had dropped to 400 per thousand of
population by 1992 from 576 per thousand some 26 years earlier, when the first
television broadcasts were made in that country. Similar effects have been felt in the
United States, where marketing surveys have revealed that working women an
important demographic group have overwhelmingly embraced television news and
rarely seek information from newspaper.
Questions 29 34
Complete the partial summary of Television News below. Choose NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS from Reading Passage 3 for each answer. Write you r
answers in boxes 29 34 on your answer sheet.
Critics of television news believe that newspapers are superior because they offer &
(29) & versions of events. Indeed, news stories that cannot be presented in a &
(30) & way are largely ignored by television news, which focuses primarily on events
that have & (31) & However, research clearly shows that the public is turning
increasingly to television as an information source, and that more people believe it
offers better coverage of events in terms of such factors as & (32) & and & (33) &
Indeed, one significant segment of the population moving away from printed news
and toward televised news is & (34) &
Questions 35 38
Television News discusses several ways in which the TV viewer relates to news
broadcasts. Decide which of the people (A, B or C) hold the views expressed below.
A Ronald Butcher
B Shoemaker and Lvov
C television news critics
Write your answers in boxes 35 38 on your answer sheet.
Example
The viewer is presented with too much information.
Answer: A
35. The viewer is unlikely to seek comprehensive political coverage.
36. The viewer is often unfamiliar with the background of certain news stories.
37. The viewer may not understand stories because of unfamiliar political vocabulary.
38. A story about a motor vehicle accident is more likely to be shown on television
news than a story about the passing of a nes law.
Questions 39 41
Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage 3. Use NO
MORE THAN ONE WORD for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 39 41 on
your answer sheet.
39. The influence of television news has changed the way express
themselves.
40. Au stralians rely on for the most u p-to-date news.
41. The proportion of Australians who considered their main source of news
dropped by more than half from 1966 to 1992.
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