IELTS Cambridge 12 Test 2 : ACADEMIC READING ANSWERS

Reading Passage 1:The Risks agriculture faces in developing countries

Question 1-3 (identifying information):

This question asks you to find information from the passage and write the number of the paragraph (A, B, C or D … .. ) in the answer sheet. Now, if the question is given in the very first part of the question set, I’d request you not to answer them. It’s mainly because this question will not follow any sequence, and so it will surely kill your time. Rather, you should answer all the other questions first. For this passage, first, answer question 4- 13. After finishing with these questions, come to question 1-3. And just like List of Headings, only read the first two lines or last two lines of the expected paragraph initially. If you find the answers, you need not read the middle part. If you don’t find answers yet, you can skim the middle part of the paragraph.

Question 1: a reference to characteristics that only apply to food production.

Keywords for the answer: characteristics, only apply, food production

In Paragraph A, line 1, the writer says, “Two things distinguish food production form all other productive activities.”

Here, the word distinguish is a verb and it refers to differentiate one thing from the other. The rest of the paragraph is about food only. So, by placing the word distinguish here, the writer means that these two things only apply to food production.

Also, in the question, the word ‘characteristics’ is in plural form, which means there is more than one characteristic = two things.

So, the answer is: A

Question 2: a reference to challenges faced only by farmers in certain parts of the world.

Keywords for the answer: challenges, only, farmers in certain parts of the world

In Paragraph B, the very first line deals with the challenges the farmers have to face all round the world = “Farmers everywhere face major risks, including …. . .”.

Now, many candidates will think it says farming problems of the whole world. Don’t let the line fool you. Go through the next lines. Here, line 3 says, “However, smallholder farmers in developing countries must, in addition, deal with adverse environments, both natural .. .. . ..”.

Here, Developing countries = certain parts of the world.

So, the answer is: B

Question 3: a reference to difficulties in bringing about co-operation between farmers

Keywords for the answer: difficulties, co-operation between farmers.

*** This question will make you read all the paragraphs, but you will find the answer in paragraph H. That’s why I’ve instructed you not to touch this type of question at the beginning of your test.

In paragraph H, lines 7-8 have a reference to Giel Ton who warns, “…that collective action does not come as a free good. It takes time, effort …… .” This line is a clear match with the difficulties of Collective actions (co-operation between farmers).

So, the answer is: H

Questions 4-9 (matching statements with list of people):

This question asks you to match the given statements with the list of people in the box below the question. Here, there are names of six agriculturists who have made different statements in the passage. First, find the main keyword of the question from the passage and then match other supporting keywords. Then, you can decide which person has made the selected statement. Read the instructions for the questions carefully. You may get confused sometimes if you don’t read the instructions.

Question 4: Financial assistance from the government does not always go to the farmers who most need it.

Keywords for the answer: financial assistance, does not always go to the farmers

If you skim paragraphs A, B, C, and D, you can’t find the main keyword financial assistance there. But, paragraph E, line 7 has a word ‘subsidies’ which is synonymous with financial assistance. It also says in lines 10 and 11, “In fact, studies show that sixty percent of beneficiaries of subsidies are not poor, but rich… .. . .” The underlined part of the sentence matches with “does not always go to the farmers”. Here, farmers are not rich.

The statement is made by Rokeya Kabir, Executive Director of Bangladesh Nari Progati Shangha.

So, the answer is: D

Question 5: Farmers can benefit from collaborating as a group.

Keywords for the answer: benefit, collaborate, as a group

The main keyword collaborating is synonymous to collective action and this phrase first appears in Paragraph H. So, it’s clear that the answer is in para H. Here lines 6 & 7 say, “collective action offers an important way for farmers to strengthen their political and economic bargaining power.” Here, the word strengthen can be replaced with benefit.

The statement is made by Sophia Murphy, senior advisor to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

So, the answer is: B

Question 6: Financial assistance from the government can improve the standard of living of farmers.

Keywords for the answer: financial assistance, standard of living, farmers.

The opening sentence of paragraph E, from where we found the answer of question 4, mentions the statement of Shennge Fan, who believes “…safety nets and public welfare programmes” are “…valuable ways to address poverty among farming families and reduce their vulnerability to agriculture shocks”. “Public welfare programmes” are actually those programmes which supply financial assistance. And “address poverty” and “reduce their vulnerability to agriculture shocks” means to “improve the standard of living”.

The statement is made by Shennge Fan, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute.

So, the answer is: C

Question 7: Farmers may be helped if there is financial input by the same individuals who buy from them.

Keywords for the answer: may be helped, financial input, same individuals, buy

Skim to Paragraph I and you find these synonyms or some synonymous phrases. In line 8, there is a phrase “worth more attention” which is synonymous with “farmers may be helped”. Also, the part of the sentence in line 7 “consumers invest in local farmers….”   matches with “financial input by the same individuals who buy from them”.

The statement is made by Sonali Bisht, founder, and advisor of INHERE, India.

So, the answer is: G

Question 8: Governments can help to reduce variation in prices.

Keywords for the answer: governments, reduce, variation in prices

There is a statement in paragraph D that deals with the reduction of variation in prices. Just focus on the words and phrases in the last three lines of paragraph D.

• There is a word ‘government’.
• The word ‘Mitigate’ means ‘reduce’.
• ‘Wild swings in food prices’ means ‘variation in prices’.

The statement is made by Sophia Murphy, senior advisor to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

So, the answer is: B

Question 9: Improvements to infrastructure can have a major impact on risk for farmers.

Keywords for the answer: improvements to infrastructure, major impact, risk for farmers

Skim to paragraph D where you’ve just found the previous answer to question 8. In lines 3, 4, 5 and 6, you find talks about improvements of infrastructures like roads, water, and food storage facilities, etc. Also, here are other phrases that match the question. Take a look:

• Major impact on risk for farmers = governments can significantly reduce risk for farmers (line 4),

The statement is made by Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

So, the answer is: A

Questions 10-13 (Multiple choice questions for two answers):

This set of questions asks you to find TWO answers to the same question. So, the main keyword/keywords will be the same.

Remember, you just need to find the two answers and put them in boxes 10 and 11 of the answer sheet but you need not follow any sequence for that. Do the same for questions 12 and 13.

Questions 10 and 11: Which TWO problems are mentioned which affect farmers with small farms in developing countries?

Keywords for the answer: problems, affect farmers with small farms, developing countries

In paragraph B line 3, you can find the mention of smallholder farmers which means farmers with small farms. There is also a clear mention of developing countries.

Now, in lines 3 and 4 you will find the phrase ‘adverse environment’ which matches with answer D = the effects of changing weather patterns.

Also in the opening of paragraph G, the writer states, “… climate change and its consequences for small-scale agriculture”. Here, ‘Small-scale agriculture’ matches with ‘farmers with small farms’.

So, the identifiable first problem is climate change and its consequences, which are a match with “the effects of changing weather patterns”. Answer: D

Now, in paragraph I, the author talks about “the presence of intermediary purchasers” (line 2). “Purchasers” means “buyers”. Those people “… taking advantage of farmers’ vulnerability, dictate prices.” It’s the reason as farmers are bound to sell their goods to these intermediary buyers and these are the buyers who play with prices or dictate prices. Answer: E

So, the answers are: D & E (put answers in boxes 10 and 11 in any order)

Questions 12 and 13: Which TWO actions are recommended for improving conditions for farmers?

Keywords for the answer: recommended, improving, conditions for farmers

In paragraph H, as we’ve already read that collective actions can be beneficial for farmers. So, this matches with answer C where organizing co-operation …. is mentioned.

In paragraph I, lines 7 and 8 there is a mention of “….community-supported agriculture, where consumers invest in local farmers by subscription and guarantee producers a fair price, ….” So, this matches with answer D where we find phrases like encouraging consumers and financial stakes.

So, the answers are: C & D (put answers in boxes 12 and 13 in any order)

The headline of Passage 2: The Lost City

Question 14-20 (List of headings/ Matching Headlines):

In this question type, IELTS candidates are provided with a list of headings, usually identified with lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc,). A heading will refer to the main idea of the paragraph or section of the text. Candidates must find out the equivalent heading to the correct paragraphs or sections, which are marked with alphabets A, B, C, and so forth. Candidates need to write the appropriate Roman numerals in the boxes on their answer sheets. There will always be two or three more headings than there are paragraphs or sections. So, some of the headings will not be used. It is also likely that some paragraphs or sections may not be included in the task. Generally, the first paragraph is an example paragraph that will be done for the candidates for their understanding of the task.

TIPS: Read the first two lines, and occasionally, the last line of each heading. In most cases, the answers are found here. Do it for all the paragraphs. Do not read too much. If you still don’t find the answers, only then, read the remaining texts.

Question 14: Paragraph A

In paragraph A, the answer is found in line 4 and line 6, at the end of the paragraph. Line 4 states, “…… His goal was to locate…..”. Line 6 states, “….. and Bingham’s plan was to… …” Both these lines have words like goal and plan which indicates that there was an aim of the trip.

So, the answer is: iv            The aim of the trip

Question 15: Paragraph B

In paragraph B, you can find the answer in line 2 and 3, where the writer says, “ ….. a track had recently been blasted down….” Again, you read further and in line 4, the writer also says, “Almost all previous travelers had left the river at Ollantaytambo and taken a high pass across the mountains to rejoin the river………. … .. . but also therefore never passing through the area around Machu Picchu.”

It means that before Bingham’s expedition using the recent track, previous travelers had no idea that the recent route existed.

So, the answer is: vi            A new route

Question 16: Paragraph C

In paragraph C, the last lines contain the answer. In lines 5 and 6 the writer says, “……. And Bingham also seems to have been less than keen on …… “ It means for the time being Bingham also lost his interest in the expedition.

So, the answer is: viii          Bingham’s lack of enthusiasm

Question 17: Paragraph D

As for paragraph D, the answer can be gathered both from the first and last lines. In line 1, the author says, “….. Bingham writes about the approach in vivid style.” Line 7 and 8 says, “… It seemed like unbelievable dream….” Both in vivid style and unbelievable dream suggest that the description of Bingham was dramatic.

So, the answer is: v              A dramatic description

Question 18: Paragraph E

The answer to paragraph E lies in lines 2 and 3 where he says, “ ….. His journey entries of the time reveal a much more gradual appreciation of his achievement.” This means he wrote more than what he saw. Also in line 5 and 6, the writer says, “….. rejoined his companions, to whom he seems to have said little about his discovery.” So, Bingham writes in his notebook many things but doesn’t tell his companions much.

So, the answer is: i               Different accounts of the same journey

Question 19: Paragraph F

In paragraph F, lines 2 and 3, it is written, “…. . . When he came to write the National Geographic magazine article that broke the story to the world in April 1913, …” These lines suggest that Bingham wrote an article on Machu Picchu.

So, the answer is: vii           Bingham publishes his theory

Question 20: Paragraph G

In paragraph G, line 5 says, “ … An idea which has gained wide acceptance over the past few years…..”. Here, wide acceptance means that the idea became a common belief.

 So, the answer is: iii            A common belief

Question 21-24 (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN):

In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:

The statement in the question matches with the account in the text- TRUE
The statement in the question contradicts the account in the text- FALSE
The statement in the question has no clear connection with the account in the text- NOT GIVEN

Question 21: Bingham went to South America in search of an Inca City.

Keywords for the answer: went, South America, search, Inca city

In paragraph A line 1, the writer says, “…  . .. Hiram Bingham arrived in South America….”.

In line 3, the writer also says, “…. . .exploration of the remote hinterland to the west of Cusco, the old capital of the Inca .. ..”

So, the answer is: TRUE

Question 22: Bingham chose a particular route down the Urubamba valley because it was the most common route used by travelers.

Keywords for the answer: chose, particular route, down the Urubamba valley, the most common route

In paragraph B, you can find the answer in lines 2 and 3, where the writer says, “ ….. a track had recently been blasted down….” Again, you read further and in line 4, the writer also says, “Almost all previous travelers had left the river at Ollantaytambo and taken a high pass across the mountains to rejoin the river………. … .. . but also therefore never passing through the area around Machu Picchu.”

It clearly means that before Bingham’s expedition using the recent track, previous travelers had no idea that the recent route existed.

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question 23: Bingham understood the significance of Machu Picchu as soon as he saw it.

Keywords for the answer: understood, significance, Machu Picchu, as soon as, saw

In paragraph E, lines 6 and 7, the writer says, “… . .. At this stage, Bingham didn’t realize the extent or the importance of the site….”

The text clearly contradicts/doesn’t match the question.

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question 24: Bingham returned to Machu Picchu in order to find evidence to support this theory.

Keywords for the answer: returned, in order to, find, evidence

The previous answer was from paragraph E. So, you need not go back. Just skim the next paragraphs. You will find no information regarding Bingham’s return to Machu Picchu.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question 25-26: (Completing sentences with ONE WORD ONLY)

In this type of question, candidates are asked to write only one word to complete the sentence. For this type of question, first, skim the passage to find the keywords in the paragraph concerned with the answer, and then scan to find the exact word.

Question 25: The track that took Bingham down the Urubamba valley had been created for the transportation of ……………………  .

Keywords for the answer: the track, down the Urubamba valley, for transportation

The answer is in paragraph B. Here, you can find in line 2 and 3, “…. .. a track had recently been blasted down… .. .. to enable rubber to be brought up by mules from the jungle.”

It means that the recent route which Bingham used to reach Machu Picchu was made to transport rubber.

So, the answer is: rubber

Question 26: Bingham found out about the ruins of Machu Picchu from a ……………………  in the Urubamba valley.

Keywords for the answer: ruins of Machu Picchu, the Urubamba valley, from a

This answer lies in paragraph C line 1 there is a mention of the word valley. In lines 3 and 4, the writer says,

“. . . .. . . up the nearby hill to see some ruins that a local farmer, Melchor Arteaga, had told them about … . .. . ”.

So, it was a local farmer who told Bingham’s team about the ruins.

So, the answer is: farmer

The headline of Passage 3: The Benefits of Being Bilingual

Question 27-31 (Matching tables; tests and findings)

In this type of question, the candidates have to fill in the blanks in two tables where some tests and their findings are mentioned. There is a condition of writing the answer which is NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS. As these questions have gaps to fill in, you need to focus the words before and after the gaps. This will help you find the answers easily. Synonyms are important because the answers cannot be found as it is in the questions.

Question 27: Observing the _________ of Russian-English bilingual people when asked to select certain objects.

Keywords for the answer:  Observing, Russian–English, when asked, select certain objects

In paragraph B, the keyword Russian-English is in line 10. So, the answer should be somewhere around it. Line 9 mentions a word ‘studying’ which is synonymous to ‘Observing’. The rest of the paragraph indicates selecting certain words like ‘stamp’ or ‘marka’. So, they will be studying eye movements (found in lines 9 and 10).

So, the answer is: eye movements

Question 28: Bilingual people engage both languages simultaneously: a mechanism known as __________.

Keywords for the answer: both languages, simultaneously, mechanism, known as

In paragraph B, where we found the previous question’s answer, there are a few words that match the keywords for this answer. Here, in lines 6 and 7, it says that the word ‘recognition’ is ‘… . . not limited to a single language; auditory input activates corresponding words regardless of the language to which they belong.’ This is synonymous to “Bilingual people engage both languages simultaneously”. Also, mechanism = phenomenon and known as = called.  

So, the answer is: language co-activation

Question 29: A test called the _______, focusing on naming colours.

Keywords for the answer: test, called, naming colours

In paragraph C, line 7 mentions the name of a test which is ‘Stroop Task’. The following line has a phrase ‘to name the colour’.

So, the answer is: Stroop Task

Question 30: Bilingual people are more able to handle tasks involving a skill called ________.

Keywords for the answer: more able to handle, a skill called

In paragraph C, lines 6 and 7, the author states, “…. .. .. bilingual people often perform better on tasks that require conflict management.”

This means that bilingual people are better (more able) to perform (handle) those tasks which require (involving) a special skill and that is conflict management.

So, the answer is: conflict management

Question 30: When changing strategies, bilingual people have superior ________.

Keywords for the answer: changing strategies, have superior

In paragraph C, lines 14 and 15, the writer talks about switching between two tasks. This has a close relationship with the phrase-‘changing strategies’ in question. Then the writer says that when bilingual people do such tasks, they reflect better cognitive control (line 17).

So, the answer is: cognitive control

Question 32-36(YES/NO/NOT GIVEN):

In this type of question, candidates have to find out whether:

The statement in the question matches with the account in the text- YES
The statement in the question contradicts the account in the text- NO
The statement in the question has no clear connection with the account in the text- NOT GIVEN

Answers to these questions will follow a sequential order. So, if you find, for example, the answer to question 33, it means that the answer to question 32 is just before that.

Question 32: Attitudes towards bilingualism have changed in recent years.

Keywords for the answer: attitudes, have changed, recent years

Start reading from the very beginning of the passage. In paragraph 1, lines 2 and 3, the writer talks about the negative attitudes towards speaking two languages (….. In the past, such children were considered ….. . .. .) Then, in lines 4-7, the writer says that the advancement in technology has helped to show that children who speak two or more languages have several clear benefits (last line). This means that the attitudes have changed.

So, the answer is: YES

Question 33: Bilingual people are better than monolingual people at guessing correctly what words are before they are finished.

Keywords for the answer: better than, at guessing correctly, what words, before, finished

Paragraph B talks about the use of words while paragraph C talks about guessing words. But none of them shows any comparison on who is better at guessing correctly a word. There is no clear indication of the statement in question 33.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question 34: Bilingual people consistently name images faster than monolingual people.

Keywords for the answer: consistently, name images, faster

In paragraph C, lines 2 and 3, the writer says a completely opposite thing. “…. .For instance, knowing more than one language can cause speakers to name pictures more slowly.” This line directly contradicts the statement in question 34.

So, the answer is: NO

Question 35: Bilingual people’s brains process single sounds more efficiently than monolingual people in all situations.

Keywords for the answer: brains process single sounds, more efficiently, in all situations

In paragraph D, the author mentions “… When monolingual and bilingual adolescents listen to simple speech sounds without any intervening background noise, they show highly similar brain stem responses”. So, there is a proof of one situation, when there is no intervening background noise, at the time of the brain processing of both monolingual and bilingual people is “almost the same”. The given statement is only correct in the presence of background noise, but not in all situations.

So, the answer is: NO

Question 36: Fewer bilingual people than monolingual people suffer from brain disease in old age.

Keywords for the answer: Fewer, suffer, brain disease, old age

Paragraph F is the only place where the writer mentions old age in terms of issues related to brain disease. But nowhere in the paragraph has the writer said anything about a comparison on who suffers from brain disease more- bilingual or monolingual.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Questions 37-40 (identifying information):

This question asks you to find information from the passage and write the number of the paragraph (A, B, C or D … .. ) in the answer sheet. Just like List of Headings, only read the first two lines or last two lines of the expected paragraph initially. If you find the answers, you need not read the middle part. If you don’t find answers yet, you can skim the middle part of the paragraph. You might as well find some answers quickly now, as you have already read the passage to find other questions and got a thorough idea about it.

Question 37: An example of how bilingual and monolingual people’s brains respond differently to a certain type of non-verbal auditory input

Keywords for the answer: example, brains, respond, differently, type of non-verbal auditory input

In paragraph D, we find some information about brain responses. Actually, we already found it when answering question 35. There is a mention of ‘simple sound’ which can be a close match to non-verbal auditory input.

So, the answer is: D

Question 38: A demonstration of how a bilingual upbringing has benefits even before we learn to speak

Keywords for the answer: demonstration, a bilingual upbringing, benefit, before we learn to speak

In paragraph G, lines 1 to 3, we find phrases like “very early” which matches with even before we learn to speak, “seven-month-old babies growing” which matches with upbringing. In the last lines, there is a phrase ‘imparts advantages’ which matches with benefits.

So, the answer is: G

Question 39: A description of the process by which people identify words that they hear

Keywords for the answer: description, process, identify words that they hear

We have already read paragraph B, where the writer talks about how bilinguals identify words (in lines 2 and 3). So, further reading may not be necessary. Just check again the lines.

So, the answer is: B

Question 40: Reference to some negative consequences of being bilingual

Keywords for the answer: negative consequences, being bilingual

This is also an easy answer to find out because we have already covered it while reading paragraph C, line 2 and 3. The writer says, “For instance, knowing more than one language can cause speakers to name pictures more slowly.”

So, the answer is: C

Reading Passage 2:Collecting as a hobby

This passage mainly deals with the different forms of collecting as a hobby and its psychological aspects. It secondarily deals with the purpose of collecting as a hobby. 

Question 14 – 21: Fill in the blanks in a sentence. (Choose ONE WORD ONLY)

1. The writer mentions collecting _____ as an example of collecting in order to make
   money.

Key words for the question: collecting, make money

The question asks to find which things are collected for making money.

If you scan first sentence of paragraph 2, you will see that the author mentioning- “There are the people who collect because they want to make money – this could be called an instrumental reason for collecting; that is, collecting as a means to an end.”

Here, Because = in order to

So, that’s our first clue matching with the question.

Now, you will look for the next sentence to find out the example – “They’ll look for, say, antiques that they can buy cheaply and expect to be able to sell at a profit.”

Here, the word “,say,” has something special. When you find the word “SAY” in the middle of a sentence with two commas, you can be sure that this particular word is indicating an example or instance.

So, the answer is: antiques.

1. Collectors may get a feeling of _________ from buying and selling items.

Key words for the question: collectors, feeling, buying and sellingIn paragraph 2, you will find a sentence stating buying and selling items, that is: “But there may well be a psychological element, too – buying cheap and selling dear can give the collector a sense of triumph”.

Here, a sense of = a feeling of.

So, the answer is: triumph.

You can watch a video on YouTube on how to find the answers for the two questions above. Follow this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwI28glBvVo&feature=youtu.be

1. Collectors’ clubs provide opportunities to share ____________

Key words for the question: collectors’ clubs, share

In the opening sentence of paragraph 3, the author states “a group of collectors” – “attending meetings of a group of collectors and exchanging information on items.”

We can understand from the lines that these groups as “collectors’ clubs”. It’s saying that they can exchange information on items while attending those clubs. But the question requires one word only, so we choose the most important word from the sentence – “information”.
Here,  a group of = a club and exchange = share

So, the answer is: information.

1. Collectors’ clubs offer _______ with people who have similar interests.

Key words for the question: Collectors’ clubs, similar interests.

Again, in this question we find “collectors’ clubs” as in the question above. Therefore, we must stay at paragraph 3 to find the answer. In the second sentence, we see a phrase “like–minded people”.

The phrase like-minded means “people who have the same/similar interests”. And those clubs bring them into “contact” with other collectors, so the answer simply is “contact”. “Attending meetings” in clubs is one
way in which collectors come into contact socially.

Here, in the sentence, bring means offer and people who have similar interests means like – minded people.

So, the answer is: contact/meetings.

1. Collecting sometimes involves a life-long ______ for a special item.
   Key words for the question: collecting, life – long, special item.​

The first clue of the question is given in paragraph 3.

As the questions in IELTS Reading frequently follow the text’s order, you should look at the following sentences and find the similar words to the question you are practicing. The final sentence of paragraph 3 states   another purpose of collecting – which is “the desire to find something special” (Here, the word special means special item). But there is no mention of anything similar to “life-long”. Therefore you must continue reading to find the accurate answer. Interestingly, in the very next sentence, the author says “Some may spend their whole lives in a hunt for this” (“the whole lives = life – long”). Now, we can understand that the writer means to say “Collectors sometimes have a life-long desire/ spend their whole lives in a hunt for a special item.” So, the answer can be both “desire” or “hunt”.
Here, the phrase ‘whole lives’ means life- long

So, the answer is: hunt / desire.

1. Searching for something particular may prevent people from feeling their life is completely ______.

Key words for the question: searching, prevent, their life.

Have a look at paragraph 4. Here, the author states, “Some may spend their whole lives in a hunt for this. Psychologically, this can give a purpose to a life that otherwise feels aimless.”

Scanning the sentence two times, you will understand that “This” means “spend their whole lives in a hunt for a special item”. We can also understand that “a hunt” means “searching for”.

So, the author is claiming that if they are not looking for a special item, they will feel “aimless”. Then, in the following lines, we are again told (in paragraph 4 line 7-8), if the collector finds that special item, they may then “feel empty”, because the search has ended with the finding of the special item.

So, the answer is: aimless / empty.

• Stamp collecting may be _____ because it provides facts about different countries.

Key words for the question: stamp collecting, facts, different countries.

The main or primary key word for this question is “stamp collecting”, so we have to find that part of the passage which contains information about such type of collecting – which is paragraph 5. In this paragraph, the author mentions, “If you think about collecting postage stamps another potential reason for it – or, perhaps, a result of collecting – is its educational value. Stamp collecting opens a window to other countries, and to the plants, animals, or famous people shown on their stamps.”

The writer is clearly of the opinion that stamp collecting has some educational value as it “opens a window to other countries” with things described or shown on their stamps.

So, the answer is: educational.

• _______ tends to be mostly a male hobby.

Key words for the question: male hobby.

This question has a gender related word, which is “male”. This is our keyword.  In paragraph 7, the author talks about “trainspotting” as “a popular form of collecting, particularly among boys and men”. The opening lines say, “In the past – and nowadays, too, though to a lesser extent – a popular form of collecting, particularly among boys and men, was trainspotting.”

Here, boys and men means male.

So, the answer is: trainspotting.

Question 22-26           TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN

Note: This type of questions maintains a sequence. For instance, if you find answer to question 2 in the first few lines of Paragraph 2, look for answer to question 1 in paragraph 1.

• The number of people buying dolls has grown over the centuries.

Key words for the question: the number of, buying dolls, grown.

As, in this question, the primary or main keyword is doll, we have to find every part of the text about “dolls”. Paragraph 8 talks about this topic. But it is about the things which interest doll collectors, but there is no information about the number of people buying dolls. No numeric data is given here.

So, the answer is: Not given.

NB: Sometimes, it can be difficult for you to be sure about this answer (NOT GIVEN). If you are not sure enough, you can skip this question and go to the next one. As you know, these questions are arranged in order, if you find out clues for the answer of next question, then you can be sure that the following sentences has no information about the answer for this question.)

• Sixteenth century European dolls were normally made of wax and porcelain.

Key words for the question: 16th century, made of, wax and porcelain.

In the same paragraph (paragraph 8) about dolls, the writer also says in the second sentence: “These have changed over the centuries from the wood that was standard in 16th century Europe, through the wax and porcelain of later centuries, to the plastics of today’s dolls.” So, it can be gathered from the lines, in 16th century, European dolls were often made of wood. And the wax and porcelain dolls were popular in later centuries, which indicates the 17th century and the ones after.

Here, materials that are used means made of

So, the answer is: False.

• Arranging a stamp collection by the size of the stamps is less common than other methods.

Key words for the question: arranging, by the size, less common.

Paragraph 9 should be focused, which contains information about arranging a stamp collection. In this paragraph, the author only states the reason behind some collectors’ liking to arrange their collection and the types of arrangement. But, you can find no reference to what kind of arrangement is more or less common.

So, the answer is: Not given.

• Someone who collects unusual objects may want others to think he or she is also unusual.

Key words for the question: unusual objects, think.

In paragraph 10, the author says “One reason, conscious or not, for what someone chooses to collect is to show the collector’s individualism”, and gives an example by stating, “Someone who decides to collect something unexpected as dog collars,” (which means unusual objects), they may be passing on their belief (which means they want others to think) that they are interesting as well.

Here, unusual means unexpected

So, the answer is: True.

• Collecting gives a feeling that other hobbies are unlikely to inspire.

Key words for the question: other hobbies, inspire

In the final paragraph, the writer says, “More than most other hobbies, collecting can be totally engrossing, and can give a strong sense of personal fulfillment.” This means collecting needs all your attention and makes you completely satisfied, while most other hobbies could not do the same (more than most other hobbies).

Here, give a sense means give a feeling and inspire means fulfill.

So, the answer is: True.

Reading Passage 3:What’s the Purpose of Gaining Knowledge?

Question 27-32           List of Headings/ Matching Headlines

In this kind of question, time is a crucial matter. It will take a lot of your important time. You must not waste too much time in other easy question. This will help you to save some extra time which may come beneficial to you. As questions like these target the whole paragraph, we may need some time to get used to at first. You need not panic. Practicing them regularly will surely upgrade your skills. Skills like skimming and scanning will come handy here. Speculating some answers may also help. Most importantly, you need to apply some techniques like avoiding reading the whole paragraph and focusing on key sentences. Read the first lines and, in some cases, the last line. Don’t read the whole paragraph!

• Section A

This section discusses the university founders’ passion to a wide variety of courses and majors. So, we must focus on headings related to those contents – they are ii, vi and vii (headings about the title, there is no heading about the other contents). In section A, the author writes “But what would the founders of these two institutions have thought of a course called Arson for Profit’?”. The author also says: “I kid you not…” to make clear that this course title is not a mere joke. We may have doubts about the existence of the course, but the writer confirms that it does exist. Since this is only one unexpected title, it cannot match with vii (different names) and the author states nothing related to its meanings, so it cannot be ii (with two meanings). The answer is vi because it says A surprising course title.

So, the answer is: vi

• Section B

Section B deals with targeting students of the course because the first sentence says: “the course is intended for prospective arson investigators”. After that the author throws a question: “But wouldn’t this also be the perfect course for prospective arsonists to sign up for?” The author asks this question to show the possibility of attracting the wrong kind of students. The course might attract those students who might be interested in starting fires, not fighting fires.

So, the answer is: viii

• Section C

Section C talks about the author and his life-story about the title of the course. There are only two outstanding headings that could be related to a title – ii and vii. We have already a confirmed answer-vi for Section A. As in this section, the author only states one confusing title that could be recognized by his students in two different ways, as it deals with the two meanings of ‘principles’. So, the answer has to be “a course title with two meanings”.

So, the answer is: ii

• Section D

Section D is a very small paragraph and you can cross out some answers straightaway because you know they are wrong for sure. As an example, in this section, the author does not talk about any commitment, so the answer heading ‘i’ is wrong– “Courses that require a high level of commitment”. Continue to do the same for other answers. Thus, only heading iv – “Applying a theory in an unexpected context” will remain. Here, the writer provides a reference to the idea of the philosopher Kant that any body of knowledge is principled. The author states in the first line that this idea sounds “downright crazy in the light of the evidence”, which is a clear match with “an unexpected context” in the heading when applied to an immoral practice like marketing.

So, the answer is: iv

• Section E

In this section, the writer states two important terms in marketing, means and end, in the very first line. So, there are two important matters which are discussed in this section. In the last lines, he supposes that “A field of knowledge or a professional endeavor is defined by both the means and the end; hence both deserve scrutiny”, which means that both terms are equally important. Therefore, the answer is “the equal importance of two key issues”.

So, the answer is: iii

• Section F

In the last lines final section, the author gives the example of a doctor and a poisoner/murderer. Both may gather the same body of knowledge, but they use that knowledge for completely different purposes/ends, and so we give different names: we say that the doctor is practicing medicine and we say that the other is practicing murder. The author does not talk about anything related to “financial benefits” (heading v) and “a high level of commitment” (heading i). Therefore, the most suitable heading for this section is “Different names for different outcomes” (vii).

So, the answer is: vii

Question 33-36           Summary Completion (using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS)

In this question type, you are given a short text with some blank spaces. You have to fill in the blanks with one or two words taken directly from the passage. To practice this question type effectively, look at the words or phrases just before and after the blank spaces carefully. This may give you some idea about where to look for the answers in the passage.

• […] undergraduates and who are studying ____

In the final sentence of the first section, the author mentions: “Any undergraduates who have met the academic requirements can sign up for the course in our program in ‘fire science’.” So, it can be said that students who can sign up for the course are undergraduates and those who are studying ‘fire science’. (in this question you can write no more than two words).

So, the answer is: fire science.

• […] that they will become ____

The opening lines of the second section says: “Naturally, the course is intended for prospective arson investigators”. We can see here that expectation means prospective, which means they are studying to be arson investigators in the future. The answer is investigators.

Here, expectation = prospective and will be = in the future

So, the answer is: investigators.

• […] cases of arson and find ____ of criminal intent

In this question, the clause “The course will help them” means students can learn something from the course, so we need to look at this reference in section B, lines 1-3: “…. who can learn all the tricks of the trade for detecting whether a fire was deliberately set, discovering who did it, and establishing a chain of evidence for effective prosecution in a court of law.” Here, “A fire was deliberately set” can be taken as an example of criminal intent, that is: the arsonist deliberately intended to start a fire. Then the course can help them to detect whether it is done deliberately or not, who did it, and find a chain of evidence. So, the answer has to be “evidence”.

Here, find means to detect or establish

So, the answer is: evidence.

• […] leading to successful ____ in the courts.

The answer required for this question is just after an adjective (successful) and in front of an adverb of place (in the courts). Therefore, we can understand that the answer has to be a noun. In section B, the author states the court in this phrase in lines 3-4: “establishing a chain of evidence for effective prosecution in a court of law”. Here, “effective” means “successful”, and “in a court of law” means “in the courts”. So, the answer is “prosecution”.

So, the answer is: prosecution.

Question 37-40           TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN

Note: This type of question maintains a sequence. For instance, if you find answer to question 2 in the first few lines of Paragraph 2, look for answer to question 1 in paragraph 1.

• It is difficult to attract students onto courses that do not focus on a career.

If this statement is true, you must find a sentence in the text conveying the same idea. If this statement is false, you need to point out what is wrong with it and find a sentence in the passage given to correct it. However, there is no reference like that in the passage. In the passage, we can’t find any sentence telling us about difficulties in attracting students onto such courses.

So, the answer is: Not given.

• The ‘Arson for Profit’ course would be useful for people intending to set fire to buildings.

Hence, we have already learned from our previous reading of the passage that “use the very same knowledge” means they can use what they have learned from this course (= this course would be useful for them). Moreover, “destructive, dangerous, reckless activity” can include “set fire to buildings.” Therefore, the answer is Yes. Further in section F, the author once again states the “Arson for Profit” course and mentions: “As we have seen, someone could use the very same knowledge of means to achieve a much less noble end, such as personal profit via destructive, dangerous, reckless activity”.

So, the answer is: Yes.

• Fire science courses are too academic to help people to be good at the job of firefighting.

Look at section B where the author speaks about the knowledge learned on the course to its usefulness for students who want to become firefighters. They will be capable of doing the job in a professional and expert way: “…. programs in fire science: they are highly welcome as part of the increasing professionalization of this and many other occupations”. The course surely helps the students. Here, To be good at the job of means professionalization.

So, the answer is: No.

• The writer’s fire science students provided a detailed definition of the purpose of their studies.

Take a look at section F where the author asks the students about the purpose of the course, “When I ask fire science students to articulate the end, or purpose, of their field, they eventually generalize to something like, ‘The safety and welfare of society,’ which seems right.” Here, they only “generalize”, which means “to make a flat/general statement or form a general opinion”. Their opinion is only general or flat, not detailed or particularly clear. Here, provide a detailed definition of means to articulate.

So, the answer is: No.