A Silent Force IELTS Academic Reading Sample with Explanation
To assess a broad range of reading abilities, the IELTS Reading portion includes 40 questions. Reading for gist, major ideas, details, skimming, understanding logical argument, and recognising writers' viewpoints, attitudes and intent are all examples of this skill set. This IELTS test examines students regarding their knowledge in English writing and reading skills. They need to read the passage and analyze it to answer the questions that follow. This particular IELTS reading passage contains two different types of questions:
- Select Yes, No, Not Given
- Choose the most appropriate header
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Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
A Silent Force IELTS Academic Reading Sample
Section 2
Solution and Explanation
Question 16-22:
Eight paragraphs are labelled A-H in this Reading Passage.
Choose the most appropriate header for every paragraph from the list.
NOTE: Due to the fact that there are more headlines than paragraphs, you will not use them all.
List of Headings:
- Reading: The defining characteristic of civilisation
- Reading in the time of St. Augustine.
- A vast Indian pool of educated workers.
- People's attitudes have contributed to the drop in literacy rates in wealthy countries.
- Getting others to read for fun.
- The level of literacy in a country has a significant impact on its economy today.
- Reading contributes billions of pounds to the economy.
- Reading habits of the younger generation.
- Reading becomes a major source of income.
- What the author thinks about declining readership.
- Paragraph A
Answer: 3) Reading: The defining characteristic of civilisation
Supporting Sentence: There was a time when it was a menial job of scribes and priests, not the mark of civilisation it became in Europe during the Renaissance when it was seen as one of the attributes of the civilised individual.
Keyword: mark of civilisation, civilised individual, menial job
Keyword Location: Paragraph A, line 4
Explanation: According to paragraph A, ever since Augustine's day, reading has progressed tremendously. It wasn't always considered as a sign of civility in Europe during the Renaissance when scribes and priests performed the laborious task of writing books.
Read More IELTS Reading Related Samples
- Paragraph B
Answer: 8) The level of literacy in a country has a significant impact on its economy today.
Supporting Sentence: Modern nations are now seriously affected by their levels of literacy.
Keyword: Modern nations, affected, levels of literacy
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, line 1
Explanation: According to paragraph B, the level of literacy in modern societies has become a significant factor in the development of those societies.
- Paragraph C
Answer: 11) Reading becomes a major source of economic growth.
Supporting Sentence: Reading as a skill is the key to an educated workforce, which in turn is the bedrock of economic advancement, particularly in the present technological age.
Keyword: reading, major source, economic force
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, line 2
Explanation: According to paragraph C, without the ability to read, a person cannot perform much beyond the bare necessities of their profession. An educated workforce, in turn, is the foundation of economic growth, particularly in the current technology age. Reading as a talent is essential.
- Paragraph D
Answer: 6) People's attitudes have contributed to the drop in literacy rates in wealthy countries.
Supporting Sentence: Part of the problem with reading is that it is a skill that is not appreciated in most developed societies. This is an attitude that has condemned a large part of the population in most Western nations to illiteracy.
Keyword: Literacy rates, developed countries, people's attitude
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, line 1-3
Explanation: According to paragraph D, reading is an ability that isn't widely acknowledged in most modern societies. As a result, many people in Western countries have been left unable to read or write.
- Paragraph E
Answer: 10) Reading habits of the younger generation.
Supporting Sentence: Peer pressure among young people is so powerful that it often kills any attempts to change attitudes to habits like reading.
Keyword: peer pressure, young people, change attitudes, habits like reading
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, line 8
Explanation: According to paragraph E, some young people find the solace of reading to be a turn-off. The term "bookworm" is used to describe college students who read a lot. When it comes to changing habits like reading, youngsters' peer pressure is so strong that it almost always defeats any efforts made.
- Paragraph F
Answer: 12) What the author thinks about declining readership.
Supporting Sentence: But the negative connotations apart, is modern western society strongly opposing an uncontrollable spiral of decline? I think not
Keyword: negative connotations, spiral of decline, strongly opposing
Keyword Location: Paragraph F, line 1
Explanation: According to paragraph F, the writer believes modern Western civilization firmly does not oppose an unstoppable declining trend.
- Paragraph G
Answer: 7) Encouraging others to read for fun.
Supporting Sentence: How should people be encouraged to read more? It can easily be done by increasing basic reading skills at an early age and encouraging young people to borrow books from schools.
Keyword: Persuading, people, to read
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, Line 1
Explanation: According to paragraph G, children and teenagers can be encouraged to read more by teaching them fundamental reading skills early on and providing them with access to books from their schools.
Question 23-27:
Does the information provided in the Reading Passage match with the following statements? Select:
YES If the claims are supported by the statement.
NO If the claim of the author is contradicted by the statement, then it is not true.
NOT GIVEN If it is still known yet.
- For far too long, European nations have rested on their accomplishments and allowed other nations to leapfrog them in various fields.
Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: So, European countries can no longer rest on their laurels as they have done for far too long: otherwise, they are in danger of falling even further behind economically.
Keyword: European countries, laurels, behind economically
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, line 4
Explanation: According to paragraph B, the Europeans cannot afford to rest on their glories any longer, as they have done for far too long, because it might risk further economic decline.
- Reading contributes to the economy.
Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: The skill of reading is now no more just an intellectual or leisure activity, but rather a fully-fledged economic force.
Keyword: skill of reading, leisure activity, economic force.
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, line 6
Explanation: According to paragraph C, reading is no longer considered merely an intellectual or recreational pursuit, but instead a comprehensively economic force in its own right.
- There is a huge disparity between the literacy rates of industrialized and developing countries across Europe.
Answer: Not Given
- The unfavorable attitude toward reading that develops in some subcultures can be avoided if children are encouraged to read when they are young.
Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: How should people be encouraged to read more? It can easily be done by increasing basic reading skills at an early age and encouraging young people to borrow books from schools.
Keyword: young people, encouraged, borrow books
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, line 1
Explanation: According to paragraph G, It is easier to encourage individuals to read more by improving their fundamental reading skills at a young age and encouraging teenagers to borrow books from their local libraries.
- Comic books and magazines should be discouraged from being read by people.
Answer: No
Supporting Sentence: Reading comics, magazines, and low-brow publications like Mills & Boon is frowned upon. Somebody who enjoys comic books may have the confidence to devote more time to something more important in the future.
Keyword: reading comics, magazines, low-brow publications
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, line 5
Explanation: According to paragraph G, taking part in low-brow activities such as reading comic books, magazines, and publications such as Mills & Boon is discouraged. If a person appreciates comic books, it is possible that they will have the confidence to commit more time to something more significant in the future.
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