IELTS Cambridge 15 Test 3: ACADEMIC Reading Module

Reading Passage 1:Henry Moore (1898-1986)

Questions 1-7: TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN

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

The statement in the question agrees with the information in the passage – TRUE
The statement in the question contradicts with the information in the passage – FALSE
If there is no information on this – NOT GIVEN

For this type of question, you can divide each statement into three independent pieces and make your way through with the answer.]

Question no. 1: On leaving school, Moore did what his father wanted him to do.

Keywords for the question: leaving school, Moore did, his father wanted,   

In paragraph no. 1, take a look at lines 4-5, “ .. . . After leaving school, Moore hoped to become a sculptor, but instead, he complied with his father’s wish that he train as a schoolteacher. . . .”

Here, After leaving school = On leaving school, he complied with his father’s wish = Moore did what his father wanted him to do,

So, the answer is: TRUE

Question no. 2: Moore began studying sculpture in his first term at the Leeds School of Art.

Keywords for the question: began studying sculpture, first term, the Leeds School of Art,

The answer is found in the first two lines of paragraph no. 2. The author says here, “After the war, Moore enrolled at the Leeds School of Art, where he studied for two years. In his first year, he spent most of his time drawing. . .”

This means Moore didn’t study sculpture in his first year at the Leeds School of Art; he studied drawing.

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question no. 3: When Moore started at the Royal College of Art, its reputation for teaching sculpture was excellent.  

Keywords for the question: Royal College of Art, its reputation, teaching sculpture, excellent,    

Paragraph no. 2 and 3 talk about the time Moore studied at the Royal College of Art. However, there is no mention of the College’s reputation for teaching sculpture.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question no. 4: Moore became aware of ancient sculpture as a result of visiting London museums.

Keywords for the question: became aware, ancient sculpture, visiting London museums,    

The answer is found in paragraph no. 3. The writer says in lines 1-3, “Alongside the instruction he received at the Royal College, Moore visited many of London museums, particularly the British Museum, which had a wide-ranging collection of ancient sculpture. During these visits, he discovered the power and beauty of ancient Egyptian and African sculpture. . . .”

Here, he discovered the power and beauty of ancient Egyptian and African sculpture = Moore became aware of ancient sculpture, 

So, the answer is: TRUE

Question no. 5: The Trocadero Museum’s Mayan sculpture attracted a lot of public interest. 

Keywords for the question: Trocadero Museum’s, Mayan sculpture, attracted, a lot of, public interest,  

Again, paragraph no. 4 talks about the Trocadero Museum’s Mayan sculpture, but it doesn’t mention anything about public interest.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question no. 6: Moore thought the Mayan sculpture was similar in certain respects to other stone sculpture.

Keywords for the question: Moore thought, Mayan sculpture, similar, certain respects, other stone sculpture,   

In paragraph no. 4, lines 4-5 say, “ .. . . Moore became fascinated with this stone sculpture, which he thought had a power and originality that no other stone sculpture possessed. . .. .”

Here, no other stone sculpture possessed = the Mayan sculpture was NOT similar in certain respects to other stone sculpture,

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question no. 7: The artists who belonged to Unit One wanted to make modern art and architecture more popular.

Keywords for the question: the artists, belonged to Unit One, wanted, make modern art, architecture, more popular,   

The answer to this question can be found in paragraph no. 5. Here, the writer says in lines 2-4, “ . .. he became a member of a group of young artists called Unit One. The aim of the group was to convince the English public of the merits of the emerging international movement in modern art and architecture.”

The lines suggest the aim of Unit One was to make modern art and architecture more popular.

So, the answer is: TRUE

Questions 8-13: Completing notes

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to complete different notes with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage. Keywords are important to find answers correctly. Generally, this type of question maintains a sequence. However, we should not be surprised if the sequence is not maintained. Find the keywords in the passage and you are most likely to find the answers.]

Title of the notes: Moore’s career as an artist 

Question no. 8: Moore is urged to offer his _________ and leave the Royal College

Keywords for the question: 1930s, Moore, urged to offer, leave, the Royal College,     

In paragraph no. 6, the author of the text says in lines 2-6, “.. .. . In 1931, he held an exhibition at the Leicester Galleries in London. His work was enthusiastically welcomed by fellow sculptors, but the reviews in the press were extremely negative and turned Moore into a notorious figure. There were calls for his resignation from the Royal College, and the following year, when his contract expired, he left to start a sculpture department at the Chelsea School of Art in London.”

Here, 1931 & the following year = 1930s, There were calls for = Moore is urged to offer, he left = leave the Royal College,

So, the answer is: resignation

Question no. 9: Moore turns to drawing because _________ for sculpting are not readily available

Keywords for the question: 1940s, Moore, turn to drawing, because, sculpting, not readily available,     

The answer can be found in paragraph no. 8, in lines 1-3. The writer says here, “In 1940, during the Second World War, Moore stopped teaching at the Chelsea School and moved to a farmhouse about 20 miles north of London. A shortage of materials forced him to focus on drawing. . . . .”

Here, 1940 = 1940s, shortage = not readily available, focus on drawing = turns to drawing,

So, the answer is: materials

Question no. 10: While visiting his hometown, Moore does some drawings of _________

Keywords for the question: 1940s, while visiting, hometown, Moore does, some drawings,     

The last lines of paragraph no. 8 say, “. . . . In 1942, he returned to Castleford to make a series of sketches of the miners who worked there.”

Here, 1942 = 1940s, returned to Castleford = visiting his hometown, a series of sketches = some drawings,

So, the answer is: miners

Question no. 11: Moore is employed to produce a sculpture of a _________

Keywords for the question: 1940s, employed, to produce, sculpture of,  

In the first lines of paragraph no. 9 the writer states, “In 1944, Harlow, a town near London, offered Moore a commission for a sculpture depicting a family. . .. .”

Here, 1944 = 1940s, offered Moore a commission = Moore is employed, for a sculpture depicting = to produce a sculpture of,

So, the answer is: family

Question no. 12: _______ start to buy Moore’s work    

Keywords for the question: 1940s, start to buy, Moor’s work,  

In line no. 5 of paragraph no. 9, the author of the text writes, “ . .. In this way, Moore’s work became available to collectors all over the world. .. .”

Here, became available to collectors = collectors start to buy,

So, the answer is: collectors

Question no. 13: Moore’s increased ________ makes it possible for him to do more ambitious sculptures

Keywords for the question: 1940s, Moore’s increased, make it possible for him, do more ambitious sculptures,

The last lines of paragraph no. 9 says, “ . . .. The boost to his income enabled him to take on ambitious projects and start working on the scale he felt his sculpture demanded.”

Here, boost = increased, enabled him = makes it possible for him, take on ambitious projects = do more ambitious sculptures, 

So, the answer is: income

Reading Passage 2: The title of the passage: The Desolenator: producing clean water

Questions 14-20: List of headings

[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: Don’t read the list of headings first. Go straight to the question. Skimming is the best reading technique. You need not understand every word here. Just try to gather the gist of the sentences. That’s all. Read quickly and don’t stop until you finish each sentence.]

Question no. 14: Section A

We have to skim this section to find the answer to this question.

At the beginning of Section A, the writer says, “Travelling around Thailand in the 1990s, William Janssen was impressed with the basic rooftop solar heating systems that were on many homes, . . . .”

This part of the text suggests that Janssen got his initial inspiration from Thailand in the 1990s.

Then, in the last few lines of the section, the writer says, “ . . .. Two decades later Janssen developed that basic idea he saw in Southeast Asia into a portable device that uses the power from the sun to purify water.”  

This part of the text suggests that Janssen was able to make a device (new product) to purify water from his inspiration earned in Thailand after twenty years.  

So, the answer is: iii (From initial inspiration to new product)

Question no. 15: Section B

The answer lies in the very first lines of section B. The writer says here, “The Desolenator operates as a mobile desalination unit that can take water from different places, such as the sea, rivers, boreholes and rain, and purify it for human consumption. . . .”

Here, different places, such as the sea, rivers, boreholes and rain = a range of sources, purify = cleaning water,

So, the answer is: vi (Cleaning water from a range of sources)

Question no. 16: Section C

In section C, take a close look at lines 2-3, as the author of the text writes here, “ . .. Its main selling point is that unlike standard desalination techniques, it doesn’t require a generated power supply: just sunlight. . ..”

Here, unlike standard desalination techniques = What makes the device different from alternatives,

So, the answer is: v (What makes the device different from alternatives)

Question no. 17: Section D

The first lines of the section give us the answer. The writer says, “A recent analysis found that at least two-thirds of the world’s population lives with severe water scarcity for at least a month every year. . . .”

Here, at least two-thirds of the world’s population = the number of people, severe water scarcity = water shortages,   

So, the answer is: x (The number of people affected by water shortages)

Question no. 18: Section E

Again, the first lines provide the answer to this question. In Section E, the writer says in the beginning, “The device is aimed at a wide variety of users – from homeowners in the developing world who do not have a constant supply of water to people living off grid in rural parts of the US. .. .. ..”  

Here, a wide variety of users = The range of potential customers,

So, the answer is: iv (The range of potential customers for the device)

Question no. 19: Section F

In this section, the answer is found in the comment made by Janssen, as he describes the mission (primary goal) of the project. In lines 3-6, the author writes, as Janssen says, “ . .. . said Janssen, ‘We are a venture with a social mission. We are aware that the product we have envisioned is mainly finding application in the developing world and humanitarian sector and that this is way we will proceed. . . ..”  

Here, a social mission = non-profit/voluntary/ charitable goal,

So, the answer is: viii (Profit not the primary goal)

Question no. 20: Section G

The second line of the text give the answer, as the writer says here, “ . .. .. It has raised £340,000 in funding so far. .. . ..”

Here, funding = finance,

So, the answer is: i (Getting the finance for production)

Questions 21-26: Summary completion

[In this kind of question candidates are given a summary for one, two, or three paragraphs with some fill in the blanks questions. Candidates need to find out the related paragraphs by correctly studying the keywords from the questions. Then, they should follow the steps of finding answers to fill in the gaps.]

The headline of the summary: How the Desolenator works

The headline indicates that all the answers can be found in section C.

Question no. 21: The energy required to operate the Desolenator comes from sunlight. The device can be used in different locations, as it has ________ .

Keywords for the question: energy, operate, the Desolenator, sunlight, device, can be used, different locations, as,

In section C, where the writer describes how this device works, let’s take a look at line no. 4, “ .. . It measures 120 cm by 90 cm, and is easy to transport, thanks to its two wheels. . . .”

Here, easy to transport = the device can be used in different locations,

So, the answer is: wheels

Question no. 22: Water is fed into a pipe, and a ________ of water flows over a solar panel.  

Keywords for the question: water, fed into, pipe, flows over, solar panel,

In lines 5-6 of section C, the writer explains, “. .  . Water enters through a pipe, and flows as a thin film, between a sheet of double glazing and the surface of a solar panel, where it is heated by the sun. .. ..”

Here, Water enters through a pipe = Water is fed into a pipe, the surface of a solar panel = over a solar panel,

So, the answer is: film   

Question no. 23: The water then enters a boiler, where it turns into steam. Any particles in the water are caught in a ________.

Keywords for the question: boiler, turns into, steam, any particles, in, water, caught in,  

In lines 6-9 of section C, the writer continues to explain, “. . . . The warm water flows into a small boiler (heated by a solar-powered battery) where it is converted to steam. When the steam cools, it becomes distilled water. The device has a very simple filter to trap particles, . .. .”

Here, The warm water flows into a small boiler = The water then enters a boiler, where it is converted to steam = where it turns into steam, trap = caught in,

So, the answer is: filter

Question no. 24: The purified water comes out through one tube, and all types of _______ come out through another.

Keywords for the question: purified water, comes out, through, one tube, all types of, come out, through, another,

The answer to this question can be found lines 9-11, “ . .. There are two tubes for liquid coming out: one for the waste – salt from seawater, fluoride, etc. – another for the distilled water. . ..”  

Here, the distilled water = the purified water, and, salt from seawater, fluoride, etc = all types of waste,

So, the answer is: waste

Questions no. 25: A screen displays the ________ of the device, . . . .. .

Keywords for the question: screen, displays, of the device,   

In lines 11-12, the author describes, “ . . .The performance of the unit is shown on an LCD screen . . …”

Here, an LCD screen = a screen, is shown = displays,

So, the answer is: performance

Questions no. 26: . .. . and transmits the information to the company so that they know when the Desolenator requires __________.

Keywords for the question: transmits, information, to the company, so that, know, when, the Desolenator, requires,   

The last line of section C says, “ . . . and transmitted to the company which provides servicing when necessary.”

Here, transmitted to the company = transmits the information to the company, when necessary = when the Desolenator requires,

So, the answer is: servicing

Reading Passage 3: The headline of the passage: Why fairy tales are really scary tales

Questions 27-31: Completing/Matching sentences with correct endings

[For this type of question, candidates need to match the beginning and end of sentences. Candidates need to look for keywords in the sentence-beginnings and find the relative paragraphs and then sentences in the passage. Skimming and scanning, both reading skills are essential for this question-type.]

Question no. 27: In fairy tales, details of the plot

Keywords for the question: fairy tales, details, plot,      

The answer lies in the first paragraph. You can read the whole paragraph for getting a clear view; however, the first lines provide the main idea. Here, the writer of the passage says, “People of every culture tell each other fairy tales but the same story often takes a variety of forms in different parts of the world. .. .. .”

Here, a variety of forms in different parts of the world = considerable global variation,  

So, the answer is: C (show considerable global variation.)

Question no. 28: Tehrani rejects the idea that the useful lessons for life in fairy tales

Keywords for the question: Tehrani, rejects, useful lessons, life, fairy tales,

The answer to this question can be traced in lines 3-6 of paragraph no. 2. The author explains what Tehrani thinks about the survival of the fairy tales, “ ‘It might be what we find interesting about this story is that it’s got this survival-relevant information in it,’ says anthropologist Jamie Tehrani at Durham University in the UK. But his research suggests otherwise. . . .. .”

Here, it’s got this survival-relevant information in it = useful lessons for life in fairy tales are the reason for their survival, But his research suggests otherwise = Tehrani rejects the idea,

So, the answer is: B (are the reason for their survival.)

Question no. 29: Various theories about the social significance of fairy tales

Keywords for the question: various theories, social significance, fairy tales,   

In paragraph no. 2, the last few lines say, “ . . . . ‘We have this huge gap in our knowledge about the history and prehistory of storytelling, despite the fact that we know the genre is an incredibly ancient one,’ he says. That hasn’t stopped anthropologists, folklorists* and other academics devising theories to explain the importance of fairy tales in human society. . .”

Here, We have this huge gap in our knowledge  .. .. .. despite the fact that we know the genre is an incredibly ancient one = without factual basis,

That hasn’t stopped anthropologists, folklorists* and other academics devising theories = Various theories about the social significance of fairy tales have been developed,

So, the answer is: F (have been developed without factual basis.)

Question no. 30: Insights into the development of fairy tales

Keywords for the question: insights into, development, fairy tales,

Paragraph no. 3 says, “To work out the evolutionary history, development and relationships among groups of organisms, biologists compare the characteristics of living species in a process called ‘phylogenetic analysis’. Tehrani has used the same approach to compare related versions of fairy tales to discover how they have evolved and which elements have survived the longest.”

Here, the main idea of the paragraph is that we can understand how fairy tales evolve or develop if we use methods used in biological research like ‘phylogenetic analysis’ as Tehrani has done in his research.

Here, how they have evolved = the development of fairy tales,

So, the answer is: A (may be provided through methods used in biological research.)

Question no. 31: All the fairy tales analysed by Tehrani

Keywords for the question: all the fairy tales, analyse, Tehrani,   

Take a close look at these lines from paragraph no. 4, “Tehrani’s analysis focused on Little Red Riding Hood in its many forms, which include another Western fairy tale known as The Wolf and the Kids. Checking for variants of these two tales and similar stories from Africa, East Asia, and other regions, he ended up with 58 stories recorded from oral traditions. . . .”

Here, he ended up with 58 stories = all the fairy tales analysed by Tehrani, recorded from oral traditions = were originally spoken rather than written,

So, the answer is: E (were originally spoken rather than written.)

Questions 32-37: Completing summary with list of words

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to complete a summary with list of words taken from the passage. Candidates must write the correct letter (not the words) as the answers. Keywords and synonyms are important to find answers correctly. Generally, this type of question maintains a sequence. Find the keywords in the passage and you are most likely to find the answers.]

The headline of the summary: Phylogenetic analysis of Little Red Riding Hood  

Question no. 32: Tehrani used techniques from evolutionary biology to find out if _______ existed among 58 stories from around the world.

Keywords for the question: Tehrani, used techniques, evolutionary biology, to find out, existed, 58 stories, around the world,

In paragraph no. 4, we find the research methods used by Tehrani in 58 stories from around the world. In the last lines of paragraph no. 4, the writer says, “ .. . Once his Phylogenetic analysis had established that they were indeed related, he used the same methods to explore how they have developed and altered over time.”

However, Phylogenetic analysis = techniques from evolutionary biology, related = linked,

So, the answer is: D (links)

Question no. 33: He also wanted to know which aspects of the stories had fewest _______, as he believed these aspects would be the most important ones.

Keywords for the question: wanted to know, aspects of the stories, had, fewest, believed, would be, most important ones,

At the beginning of paragraph no. 5, the author of the text writes, “First he tested some assumptions about which aspects of the story alter least as it evolves, indicating their importance. . . .”  

Here, alter = variations, least = fewest, their importance = most important ones,

So, the answer is: F (variations)

Question no. 34: Contrary to other beliefs, he found that some ______ that were included in a story tended to change over time, and that the middle of a story seemed no more important than the other parts.

Keywords for the question: contrary, other beliefs, included in a story, tended to change, over time, middle, seemed, no more important, than, other parts,      

To find the answer to this question, we have to read both paragraphs no. 5 and 6.

First, in paragraph no. 5, the writer says, “ . .. Folklorists believe that what happens in a story is more central to the story than characters in it – . .. ..”

Here, Folklorists believe = common or general beliefs, what happens in a story is more central to the story = events of a story is more important than the characters,

Then, at the beginning of paragraph no. 6 the writer says, “However, Tehrani found no significant difference in the rate of evolution of incidents compared with that of characters. . ..”

Here, Tehrani found no significant difference = no more important than, incidents = events,

So, the answer is: B (events)

Question no. 35: He was also surprised that parts of a story which seemed to provide some sort of ________ were unimportant.

Keywords for the question: surprised, parts of a story, seemed to provide, some sort of, unimportant,   

In paragraph no. 7, the findings of the ‘cautionary elements’ in fairy tales has been explained. The author writes here, “But the really big surprise came when he looked at the cautionary elements of the story. ‘Studies on hunter-gatherer folk tales suggest that these narratives include really important information about the environment and the possible dangers that may be faced there – stuff that’s relevant to survival,’ he says. Yet in his analysis such elements were just as flexible as seemingly trivial details. … ..”  

Here, the really big surprise came = He was also surprised, the possible dangers that may be faced there = parts of the story which seemed to provide some sort of warnings, seemingly trivial = unimportant,

So, the answer is: C (warnings)

Question no. 36: The aspect that he found most important in a story’s survival was _______.  

Keywords for the question: aspect, he found, most important, story’s survival, was,      

In the end of paragraph no. 7, the writer asks a question, “ . .. What, then, is important enough to be reproduced from generation to generation?”

This suggests that the next paragraph may have an answer to this question. Let’s have a look.

In the first lines of paragraph no. 8, the author of this passage describes, “The answer, it would appear, is fear – blood-thirsty and gruesome aspects of the story, such as the eating of the grandmother by the wolf, turned out to be the best preserved of all. . . .”

Here, fear = horror,the best preserved of all = the most important aspect in a story’s survival,

So, the answer is: G (horror)

Questions 37-40: Multiple choice questions

[This type of question asks you to choose a suitable answer from the options using the knowledge you gained from the passage. Generally, this question is set found as the last question set in most passages so you should not worry much about it. Finding all the answers to previous questions gives you a good idea about these questions.]

Question no. 37: What method did Jamie Tehrani use to test his ideas about fairy tales?  

Keywords for the question: method, Jamie Tehrani, use, test, ideas, fairy tales,    

To find the answer to this question, let’s go to paragraph no. 4, where the method used by Jamie Tehrani has been detailed, “Tehrani’s analysis focused on Little Red Riding Hood in its many forms, which include another Western fairy tale known as The Wolf and the Kids. ..”

Here, Tehrani’s analysis = the method that Tehrani used to test his ideas, its many forms = many different forms of the same basic story,

So, the answer is: B (He looked at many different forms of the same basic story.)

Question no. 38: When discussing Tehrani’s views, Jack Zipes suggests that   

Keywords for the question: discussing Tehrani’s views, Jack Zipes, suggests,       

We find the comments made by Jack Zipes in paragraph no. 9. Here, the writer says, “Jack Zipes at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, is unconvinced by Tehrani’s views on fairy tales. ‘Even if they’re gruesome, they won’t stick unless they matter,’ he says. He believes the perennial theme of women as victims in stories like Little Red Riding Hood explains why they continue to feel relevant. … .”

Here, perennial theme = permanent theme / deeper significance, continue to feel relevant = survive,

So, the answer is: D (features of stories only survive if they have a deeper significance.)

Question no. 39: Why does Tehrani refer to Chinese and Japanese fairy tales?  

Keywords for the question: Why, Tehrani, refer to, Chinese and Japanese fairy tales,        

In paragraph no. 9, take a look at the last half of the paragraph, where Tehrani challenges the theory given by Jack Zipes, “ . .. . But Tehrani points out that although this is often the case in Western versions, it is not always true elsewhere. In Chinese and Japanese versions, often known as The Tiger Grandmother, the villain is a woman, and in both Iran and Nigeria, the victim is a boy.”

Here, it is not always true elsewhere = Jack Zipes’ theory is incorrect,

So, the answer is: A (to indicate that Jack Zipes’ theory is incorrect.)

Question no. 40: What does Mathias Clasen believe about fairy tales?

Keywords for the question: Mathias Clasen, believe, about fairy tales,       

The answer can be found in lines 3-4 of the final paragraph; so let’s have a quick look, “Mathias Clasen at Aarhus University in Denmark isn’t surprised by Tehrani’s findings. “ . .. . . Clasen believes that scary stories teach us what it feels like to be afraid without having to experience real danger, … .”

Here, what it feels like to be afraid without having to experience real danger = a safe way of learning to deal with fear,

So, the answer is: A (They are a safe way of learning to deal with fear.)