Reading Passage 1:William Henry Perkin
Questions 1-7: 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 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 1: Michael Faraday was the first person to recognise Perkin’s ability as a student of chemistry.
Keywords for the question: Michael Faraday, first person, recognise, Perkin’s ability, student of chemistry,
Take a look at paragraph no. 2 where the writer mentions, “His talent and devotion to the subject were perceived by his teacher (at the City of London school) Thomas Hall….”.
This line suggests the fact that it was Thomas Hall, and not Michael Faraday, who first recognised the talent of Perkin in Chemistry. He also advised Perkin to attend the lectures given by Faraday.
So, the answer is: FALSE
Question 2: Michael Faraday suggested Perkin should enroll in the Royal College of Chemistry.
Keywords for the question: Michael Faraday, should enroll, Royal College of Chemistry
At the end of paragraph no. 2, we find the information that Perkin was able to enroll in the Royal College of Chemistry, but there is no mention of the person who suggested Perkin to admit in the college.
So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN
Question 3: Perkin employed August Wilhelm Hofmann as his assistant.
Keywords for the question: employed, Hofmann, assistant,
In paragraph no. 3, in lines 1-7, the writer mentions, ““At the time of Perkin’s enrolment, the Royal College of Chemistry was headed by the noted German chemist August Wilhelm Hofmann. Perkin’s scientific gifts soon caught Hofmann’s attention and, within two years, he became Hofmann’s youngest assistant.”
This means Perkin did not employ Hofmann, rather Hofmann employed Perkin as his assistant.
So, the answer is: FALSE
Question 4: Perkin was still young when he made the discovery that made him rich and famous.
Keywords for the question: still young, discovery, made him rich and famous,
Take a look at the end of paragraph no. 3. The writer says here, “Perkin’s scientific gifts soon caught Hofmann’s attention and, within two years, he became Hofmann’s youngest assistant. Not long after that, Perkin made the scientific breakthrough that would bring him both fame and fortune.”
Here, fame = famous, fortune = rich, scientific breakthrough = discovery,
So, these lines suggest that Perkin was still young when he made the discovery.
So, the answer is: TRUE
Question 5: The trees from which quinine is derived grow only in South America.
Keywords for the question: quinine, derived, grow, only in South America
Paragraph no. 4 talks about the medicine quinine and its tree which is ‘cinchona tree’ which originates in South America. But, there is no information which suggest that this tree only grows in this part of the world only.
So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN
Question 6: Perkin hoped to manufacture a drug from a coal tar waste product.
Keywords for the question: hoped, manufacture, drug, coal tar waste,
In paragraph no. 5, in lines 4-7, the author says, “.. . .. He (Perkin) was attempting to manufacture quinine from aniline, an inexpensive and readily available coal tar waste product.”
Here, attempted = hoped, quinine = a drug for the treatment of malaria.
So, the answer is: TRUE
Question 7: Perkin was inspired by the discoveries of the famous scientist Louis Pasteur.
Keywords for the question: inspired by, Louis Pasteur
At the end of paragraph no. 5 we find a quote from the world-famous scientist Louis Pasteur. But there is no mention of any inspiration received by Perkin from the discoveries of Louis Pasteur.
So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN
Questions 8-13: Short answer to open questions (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS)
[In this kind of question candidates have to answer some questions, only with some conditions like NO MORE THAN THREE/TWO WORDS and/or A NUMBER or, ONE WORD ONLY. Each question has keywords that will lead to the answer. This question type generally follows a sequence.]
Question 8: Before Perkin’s discovery, with what group in society was the colour purple associated?
Keywords for the question: before, Perkin’s discovery, what group, purple associated,
In paragraph no. 6, the writer argues in lines 6-9, “Indeed, the purple colour extracted from a snail was once so costly that in society at the time, only the rich could afford it.”
The lines suggest that before the discovery made by Perkin, the colour purple was associated with the rich.
So, the answer is: the rich
Question 9: What potential did Perkin immediately understand that his new dye had?
Keywords for the question: potential, new dye, immediately understand,
At the end of paragraph no. 7, the writer states, “ .. . . But perhaps the most fascinating of all Perkin’s reactions to his find was his nearly instant recognition that the new dye had commercial possibilities.”
This means that Perkin immediately understood that his new dye had the potential of being sold commercially.
So, the answer is: commercial (possibilities)
Question 10: What was the name finally used to refer to the first colour Perkin invented?
Keywords for the question: finally, name, first colour
If we closely look at paragraph no. 7, we can find that the purple colour that Perkin discovered became the world’s first synthetic dye. Later, in the very beginning of paragraph no. 8, the writer mentions, “Perkin originally named his dye Tyrian Purple, but it later became commonly known as mauve.”
So, the final name of the purple colour was mauve.
So, the answer is: mauve
Question 11: What was the name of the person Perkin consulted before setting up his own dye works?
Keywords for the question: name, person, Perkin consulted,
In paragraph no. 8, we can find the name of the person with whom Perkin consulted about setting up his own dye works. “He (Perkin) asked advice of Scottish dye works owner Robert Pullar, who assured him that manufacturing the dye would be well worth it if the colour remained fast and the cost was relatively low.”
So, the answer is: Robert Pullar
Question 12: In what country did Perkin’s newly invented colour first become fashionable?
Keywords for the question: country, fashionable,
Take a close look at paragraph no. 9 where the writer says, “The company received a commercial boost from the Empress Eugénie of France, when she decided the new colour flattered her. Very soon, mauve was the necessary shade for all the fashionable ladies in that country.”
So, the answer is: France
Question 13: According to the passage, which disease is now being targeted by researchers using synthetic dyes?
Keywords for the question: disease, researchers, using synthetic dyes,
Take a look at the end of paragraph no. 10. “And, in what would have been particularly pleasing to Perkin, their current use is in the research for a vaccine against malaria.”
So, the answer is: malaria
Reading Passage 2: Is there anybody out there?
Questions 14-17 (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: 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 14: Paragraph B
Here, in line no. 1 of Paragraph B, we find the mention of two ‘ground rules’ that SETI scientists adopt.
In the first ground rule, we can see the writer mentions in line no. 4-5, “.. . .(although it is also important to keep an open mind in case any really convincing evidence emerges in the future.)”. This line suggests that there is no real evidence of extra-terrestrial intelligence so far, which indicates that these are only assumptions.
Again, in line no. 5, the author mentions, “. . .Second, we make a very conservative assumption that . . ..”
So, the answer is: iv (Assumptions underlying the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence)
Question 15: Paragraph C
In lines 4-6, the writer says, “. . . However, when we look at the 100 billion stars in our galaxy (the Milky Way), and 100 billion galaxies in the observable Universe, it seems inconceivable that at least one of these planets does not have a life form on it; in fact, the best educated guess we can make, . .. . . that perhaps one in 100,000 stars might have a life-bearing planet orbiting it.”
Here, it seems inconceivable, best-educated guess, perhaps, might have, all these phrases indicate to the word ‘likelihood’ or possibility.
So, the answer is: vii (Likelihood of life on other planets)
Question 16: Paragraph D
Here, the first lines directly indicate the fact that SETI scientists and organizations like NASA are seeking the transmission of radio signals from other planets. “An alien civilisation could choose many different ways of sending information across the galaxy, . .. .” Then, in the next lines, we see discussion on radio signals, “. . . .. radio waves in the frequency range 1000 to 3000 MHz travel the greatest distance.” After that, in lines 11-12, we can learn about NASA getting a large fund from the government which is dedicated to locate or seek radio signals from other planets, “.. .Much of the money in this project is being spent on developing the special hardware needed to search many frequencies at once.”
So, the answer is: i (Seeking the transmission of radio signals from planets)
Question 17: Paragraph E
The answer is in the first lines of paragraph E. “There is considerable debate over how we should react if we detect a signal from an alien civilisation. Everybody agrees that we should not reply immediately.”
Here, Everybody agrees that we should not reply immediately means it is most appropriate that we should not response to the signals straight away.
So, the answer is: ii (Appropriate responses to signals from other civilisations)
Questions 18-20: Short answer to open questions (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER)
[In this kind of question candidates have to answer some questions, only with some conditions like NO MORE THAN THREE/TWO WORDS and/or A NUMBER or, ONE WORD ONLY. Each question has keywords that will lead to the answer. This question type generally follows a sequence.]
Question 18: What is the life expectancy of Earth?.
Keywords for this question: likely to, live longer, zoo, than in the wild,
The answer for this question lies in line no. 12, “…Since the lifetime of a planet like ours is several billion years, .. ..”
Here, lifetime = life expectancy, a planet like ours = Earth,
So, the answer is: several billion years
Question 19: What kind of signals from other intelligent civilisations are SETI scientists searching for?
Keywords for this question: some species, zoos, no longer be found, wild,
From our reading of paragraph D for question no. 16, we came to know that SETI scientists are seeking radio signals from other planets. In this paragraph, line no. 5-6 says, “….and so all searches to date have concentrated on looking for radio waves in this frequency.”
So, the answer is: radio (waves/signals)
Question 20: How many stars are the world’s most powerful radio telescopes searching?
Keywords for this question: improvements, quality of TV wildlife documentaries, insulted, increased, zoo visitors,
In lines 13-15 of paragraph D the author says, “ . .. One part is a targeted search using the world’s largest radio telescopes, the American-operated telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico and the French telescope in Nancy in France. This part of the project is searching the nearest 1000 likely stars . . ..”
Here, the world’s largest radio telescopes = the world’s most powerful radio telescopes
So, the answer is: 1000 (stars)
Questions 21-26 (YES, NO, NOT GIVEN)
[In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:
The statement in the question matches the claim of the writer in the text- YESThe statement in the question contradicts the claim of the writer in the text- NOThe statement in the question has no clear connection with the account in the text- NOT GIVEN
[TIPS: For this type of question, you can divide each statement into three independent pieces and make your way through with the answer.]
Question 21: Alien civilisations may be able to help the human race to overcome serious problems.
Keywords for this question: alien, help overcome problems,
In the end of paragraph A, the author says in lines 16-18, “It it even possible that the older civilisation may pass on the benefits of their experience in dealing with threats to survival such as nuclear war and global pollution, and other threats that we haven’t yet discovered.”
The lines suggest that alien civilisation may be able to assist us to deal with threats to survival.
Here, may pass on the benefits of their experience = may be able to help
So, the answer is: YES
Question 22: SETI scientists are trying to find a life form that resembles humans in many ways.
Keywords for this question: trying to find, life form, resemble humans
In paragraph B, the author states in lines 5-6, “. .. .Second, we make a very conservative assumption that we are looking for a life form that is pretty well like us, since if it differs radically from us we may well not recognise it as a form….. .”
Here, try to find = looking for, like = resembles, pretty well = in many ways,
So, the answer is: YES
Question 23: The Americans and Australians have co-operated on joint research projects.
Keywords for this question: Americans and Australians, co-operated, joint research projects,
We can find talks about ‘the Americans’ and ‘the Australians’ in paragraph D. However, there is no mention of any co-operation in research projects between the two.
So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN
Question 24: So far SETI scientists have picked up radio signals from several stars.
Keywords for this question: picked up signals, several stars,
In paragraph D, the writer states in lines 8-9, “Until now, there have not been any detections from the few hundred stars which have been searched.”
The information in the passage contradicts with the question.
So, the answer is: NO
Question 25: The NASA project attracted criticism from some members of Congress.
Keywords for this question: NASA projects, criticism, Congress,
Again, we can see the mention of ‘members of Congress’ in paragraph D. But there is no mention of criticism by the members of Congress about the NASA project.
So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN
Question 26: If a signal from outer space is received, it will be important to respond promptly.
Keywords for this question: signal, outer space, respond promptly,
In line 2 of paragraph E, the author mentions, “Everybody agrees that we should not reply immediately.” The previous line talks about what to do in case of receiving a signal from the aliens.
So, the lines suggest that we should not respond promptly or immediately if we receive a signal form the outer space.
So, the answer is: NO
Reading Passage 3 : The history of the tortoise
Questions 27-30 (Short answer to open questions with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS)
[In this kind of questions candidates have to answer some questions, only with some conditions like NO MORE THAN THREE/TWO WORDS and/or A NUMBER or, ONE WORD ONLY. Each question has keywords which will lead to the answer. This question type generally follows a sequence.]
Question 27: What had to transfer from sea to land before any animals could migrate?
Keywords for this question: transfer, from sea to land, before, animals, migrate
The last lines of paragraph no. 1 give us the answer, “… And we mustn’t forget the plants, without whose prior invasion of the land none of the other migrations could have happened.”
Here, transfer from sea to land before any animals = prior invasion of the land
So, the answer is: plants
Question 28: Which TWO processes are mentioned as those in which animals had to make big changes as they moved onto land?
Keywords for this question: TWO processes, animals, had to make, big changes, moved onto land,
The first lines of paragraph no. 2 indicate the answer for this question. “Moving from water to land involved a major redesign of every aspect of life, including breathing and reproduction.”
Here, major redesign = big changes
So, the answers are: breathing, reproduction (in any order)
Question 29: Which physical feature, possessed by their ancestors, do whales, lack?
Keywords for this question: physical feature, ancestors, whales, lack,
In paragraph no. 2 we can find the mention of whales. Here, in lines 12-21, the author of the passage states, “Whales (including the small whales we call dolphins) and dugongs, with their close cousins the manatees, ceased to be land creatures altogether and reverted to the full marine habits of their remote ancestors. They don’t even come ashore to breed. They do, however, still breathe air, having never developed anything equivalent to the gills of their earlier marine incarnation.”
Here, having never developed = lack, their earlier marine incarnation = their ancestors,
So, the answer is: gills
Question 30: Which animals might ichthyosaurs have resembled?
Keywords for this question: ichthyosaurs, resembled,
In paragraph no. 3 we can find the answer. In lines 13-17, the writer says, “Ichthyosaurs were reptilian contemporaries of the dinosaurs, with fins and streamlined bodies. The fossils look like dolphins and they surely lived like dolphins, in the water.”
Here, look like = resemble
So, the answer is: dolphins
Questions 31-33: In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:
The statement in the question agrees with the information in the passage – TRUEThe statement in the question contradicts the information in the passage – FALSEIf 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 31: Turtles were among the first group of animals to migrate back to the sea.
Keywords for this question: turtles, first group, migrate, back to the sea,
In paragraph no. 2 we find the writer saying, “Nevertheless, a good number of thoroughgoing land animals later turned around, abandoned their hard-earned terrestrial re-tooling, and returned to the water again.”
This line doesn’t indicate whether turtles were the first group of animals to migrate back to the sea. IN this paragraph there is only the information about the turtles that they “went back to the sea a very long time age.. .”
So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN
Question 32: It is always difficult to determine where an animal lived when its fossilised remains are incomplete.
Keywords for this question: difficult, determine, where, lived, fossilised remains, incomplete,
In paragraph no. 3, take a look at lines 9-13, “You might wonder how we can tell whether fossil animals lived on land or in water, especially if only fragments are found. Sometimes it’s obvious.”
So, the lines mean that even though fossilised remains are in fragments (incomplete), it is not always difficult to (Sometimes it’s obvious) determine whether an animal lived on land or water. Here, the question statement contradicts the information.
Here, obvious = clear, apparent
So, the answer is: FALSE
Question 33: The habitat of ichthyosaurs can be determined by the appearance of their fossilised remains.
Keywords for this question: habitat, ichthyosaurs, determined, appearance, fossilised remains,
In paragraph no. 3, look at lines 13-17, “Ichthyosaurs were reptilian contemporaries of the dinosaurs, with fins and streamlined bodies. The fossils look like dolphins and they surely lived like dolphins, in the water.”
Therefore, it is true that the habitat of ichthyosaurs can be determined by taking a close look at their fossils.
So, the answer is: TRUE
Questions 34-39: (Completing flow chart with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER)
[In this type of question, candidates are asked to write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER to complete a flow chart on the given topic. 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.]
Title: Method of determining where the ancestors of turtles and tortoises come from
Step 1:
Question 34: 71 species of living turtles and tortoises were examined and a total of ____________ were taken from the bones of their forelimbs.
Keywords for this question: 71 species, living turtles and tortoises, examined, bones, forelimbs,
In paragraph no. 4 we find the mention of ‘71 species of living turtles and tortoises’. So, we should read attentively to find our answer here. The writer says in the beginning of paragraph no. 4, “Walter Joyce Jacques Gauthier, at Yale University, obtained three measurements in these particular bones (of their forelimbs as mentioned at the end of paragraph no. 3) of 71 species of living turtles and tortoises.”
So, the answer is: 3/three measurements
Step 2:
Question 35: The data was recorded on a _________(necessary for comparing the information).
Keywords for this question: data, recorded on, necessary, comparing information,
In lines 5-7 of paragraph no. 4 the writer says, “. . . They used a kind of triangular graph paper to plot the three measurements against one another.”
Here, to plot … . . .. against one another = necessary for comparing the information
So, the answer is: (triangular) graph
Question 36: Outcome: Land tortoises were represented by a dense _________ of points towards the top.
Sea turtles were grouped together in the bottom part.
Keywords for this question: outcome, land tortoises, dense, points, towards the top,
The answer can be found in lines 7-11, “. . . All the land tortoise species formed a tight cluster of points in the upper part of the triangle; all the water turtles cluster in the lower part of the triangular graph.”
Here, tight = dense, lower part = bottom part,
So, the answer is: cluster
Step 3:
Question 37: The same data was collected from some living _________ species and added to the other results.
Keywords for this question: same data, collected, some living, species, added to, other results,
In lines 11-14 of paragraph no. 4, the author says, “.. . .. . . There was no overlap, except when they added some species that spend time both in water and on land. Sure enough, these amphibious species show up . ..”. So, the data was added to the graph was from some amphibious species.
So, the answer is: amphibious
Question 38: Outcome: The points for these species turned out to be positioned about _________ up the triangle between the land tortoises and the sea turtles.
Keywords for this question: outcome, points, species, turned out to be, positioned, triangle, between, land tortoises, sea turtles,
The answer lies in lines 13-17, the author says, “. .. Sure enough, these amphibious species show up on the triangular graph approximately half way between the ‘wet cluster’ of sea turtles and the ‘dry cluster’ of land tortoises.
Here, show up = positioned, approximately = about,
So, the answer is: half way
Step 4:
Bones of P. quenstedti and P. talampayensis were examined in a similar way and the results added.
Question 39: Outcome: The position of the points indicated that both these ancient creatures were ________.
Keywords for this question: bones, P. quenstedti and P. talampayensis, examined, similar way, position, points, indicated, ancient creatures,
We can see the mention of ‘the bones of P. quenstedti and P. talampayensis’ at the end of paragraph no. 4. Here, in lines 19-23, the author says, “. . .. The bones of P. quenstedti and P. talampayensis leave us no doubt. Their points on the graph are right in the thick of the dry cluster. Both these fossils were dry-land tortoises.”
Here, fossils = ancient creatures,
So, the answer is: dry-land tortoises
Question 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 found as the last question so you should not worry much about it. Finding all the answers for previous questions gives you a good idea about the title.]
According to the writer, the most significant thing about tortoises is that –
A. they are able to adapt to life in extremely dry environments.
B. their original life form was a kind of primeval bacteria.
C. they have so much in common with sea turtles.
D. they have made the transition from sea to land more than once.
As the question asks us to identify the most significant thing about tortoises, we need to look closely at the final paragraph, as this paragraph will give us the summary of the whole passage. Take a look at this paragraph where the author says, “Tortoises therefore represent a remarkable double return. In common with all mammals, reptiles and birds, their remote ancestors were marine fish and before that various more or less worm-like creatures stretching back, still in the sea, to the primeval bacteria. Later ancestors lived on land and stayed there for a very large number of generations. Later ancestors still evolved back into the water and become sea turtles. And finally they returned yet again to the land as tortoises, some of which now live in the driest of deserts.”
This paragraph suggests to the fact that the tortoises have changed their habitat from sea to land a number of times.
So, the answer is: D
