IELTS Reading Practice Test 3

Answer Keys and Scores

Section 1 – Rainforests

1. False. In the third sentence of Paragraph One the opposite is said – the media gives ‘frequent and often vivid’ coverage of deforestation.
2. False. Third sentence of Paragraph one mentions children probably having formed their own opinion on the problem of deforestation ‘independent of any formal tuition’, i. e. the information that influenced their opinions didn’t come from their classrooms, so the opposite is true.
3. True. First sentence of the second paragraph uses a rather difficult phrasing that contains the answer: children ‘harbour misconceptions’ about the pure science taught at school. To harbour misconceptions about something is to have wrong ideas about it.
4. True. Sentence two of Paragraph Two phrases the idea in a complicated way. The ideas about ‘pure’ science are not isolated, but are a part of some bigger system of knowledge. This facts makes it easier to change these ideas, they are ‘accessible to modification’.
5. False. Paragraph Four, second sentence mentions ‘open-form questions’, which is the direct opposite of yes/no questions. Therefore, False should be used for the answer. Remember that when the opposite statement is true, then the answer should be ‘False’.
6. Not given. Paragraph Six focuses on the differences in responses between boys and girls. However, it does not make a comparison of how likely boys or girls are to have mistaken views.
7. True. Paragraph Six, second sentence confirms that this study follows the series of studies focused on the importance of rainforests and how school pupils understand it.
8. Not given. No such or similar information can be found in the text.
9. M. Last sentence of Paragraph Four mentions Africa as the most prevalent answer.
10. E. Paragraph Four, the second sentence points out the popular opinion of children about rainforests providing habitats for animals.
11. G. Paragraph Seven, sentence two says that number one reason of rainforests destruction according to pupils is human activity.
12. P. Paragraph Nine focuses on the popular misconception about potential volume of oxygen which wouldn’t be produced were the rainforests completely destroyed. Hence the idea of why it is so important to protect the rainforests. First sentence of Paragraph Ten can also be used to answer the question.
13. J. Second sentence of Paragraph Ten has the author of the text surprised by how few of the pupils are aware of the possible threat of global warming associated with deforestation.
14. B. The first part of the title is self-explanatory and fits the passage perfectly – most of it reviews and analyzes children’s opinions on rainforests and their importance. However, the second part of the title is a bit more difficult. What it means is that the last paragraph is devoted to processing the data received in the previous studies and using it to improve the course.
    Title A is too general and doesn’t fully reflect the content of the passage. Titles C and D are too specific and do not cover the major ideas expressed. Title E is a popular second choice, however it shouldn’t be chosen as there is no mention of school children, who play a crucial role in the passage.
    

    Section 2 – Whales and Dolphins

15. Taste buds. Last sentence of Paragraph One: ‘some cetaceans have taste buds, the nerves serving these have degenerated or are rudimentary’ (underdeveloped).
16. (The) baleen (whales). Paragraph Three, last sentence points out that baleens have their vision restricted by the position of their eyes.
17. Forward and downward. Paragraph Four, sentence one. Note that both gaps have to be filled correctly to get a point. There are no half-points in IELTS Reading.
18. (The) freshwater dolphin(s). Second sentence of Paragraph Four. The keywords here remain unchanged in the text.
19. (The) water. Thirds sentence of Paragraph Four. Exceptional is paraphrased as ‘extremely keen’ in the text.
20. (The) lower frequencies. Last paragraph, sentence three. ‘Limited repertoire’ keyword here is unchanged and helps to find the answer in the text.
21. Bowhead, humpback. Third sentence in the last paragraph. Make sure to fill both gaps to get the point for this answer.
22. Touch / sense of touch. Paragraph Two, thirds sentence mentions touching being a part of ‘courtship ritual’, or simply put, wooing their mating partners.
23. (The) freshwater dolphin(s). Paragraph Four, second sentence has the answer to this one. Another example when key words remain unchanged, which makes answering easier.
24. Airborne flying fish. Paragraph Four, sentence four talks about bottlenose dolphins’ keen vision both in and out of water as well as the evolutionary purpose of such feat, namely to be able to track and catch flying fish.
25. Clear (open) water(s). Paragraph Five, second sentence. Note that you can (but you’re not necessarily required to) use up to three words.
26. (The) acoustic sense. First sentence of Paragraph Six mentions cetacean’s weak sense of taste, which are well compensated by their great acoustic sense.
    

    Section 3 – Blind People

27. C. The point is introduced in the very first sentence of the paragraph: ‘it has become clear that blind people can appreciate the use of outlines and perspectives to describe the arrangement of objects and other surfaces in space’
28. C. Sentences four and five of Paragraph One. The author was surprised, or ‘taken aback’ by the lines that represent motion, a fairly recent development intended to show movement in a still picture.
29. A. First sentence of Paragraph three illustrates the consistency of answers among the group of blind people who shows their understanding of movement symbolically displayed in a picture.
30. E. Paragraph Three, sentence two: lines extending beyond circle’s perimeter signify braking.
31. C. Last sentence of paragraph two: dashed spokes signify rapid movement of the wheel.
32. A. Paragraph Three, second sentence: curved spokes are an indicator of steadily spinning wheel.
33. Pairs. Second Paragraph of Part 2 contains mentions twenty pairs of words used in the experiment.
34. Shapes. Last sentence of the First Paragraph mentions abstract shapes as the main object of the experiment. 
35. Sighted. ‘Sighted individuals’ are mentioned in the Second Paragraph.
36. Sighted. The percentages are written in numbers which makes it very easy to find them as they stand out in the text.
37. Deep. Paragraph Three of Part 2 contains all the comparison pairs and it’s pretty easy to find them.
38. Blind. Part 2, Paragraph Three, sentence four. Blind people showed preference for same choices made by the sighted people.
39. Similar. See previous answer.
40. B. Last sentence of the text gives raw data showcasing similarities between sighted and blind people’s perception of shapes. Note the very last sentence where the authors give a brief summary of their conclusion.