Australia Sporting Success Reading Answers
The IELTS Reading section is based on a given passage that is followed by questions for which the candidates need to respond to the questions in relevance to the passage. The IELTS exam is for analyzing the proficiency of the candidates in the English language in speaking, reading, writing and listening. IELTS Reading profusely requires candidates to be highly effective in their reading skills. IELTS Academic Reading consists of a passage with corresponding questions that candidates need to respond to by proving their reading skills. Candidates can consider following the IELTS exam pattern for actively preparing for the exam. Australia Sporting Success Reading Answers can be helpful for the candidates as it includes the following questions:
- Write the correct letter
- Choose no more than three words
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Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
Australia Sporting Success Reading Answers
- They play hard, they play often, and they play to win. Australian sports teams win more than their fair share of titles, demolishing rivals with seeming ease. How do they do it? A big part of the secret is an extensive and expensive network of sporting academies underpinned by science and medicine. At the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), hundreds of youngsters and pros live and train under the eyes of coaches. Another body, the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), finances programmes of excellence in a total of 96 sports for thousands of sportsmen and women. Both provide intensive coaching, training facilities and nutritional advice.
- Inside the academies, science takes centre stage. The AIS employs more than 100 sports scientists and doctors and collaborates with scores of others in universities and research centres. AIS scientists work across a number of sports, applying skills learned in one – such as building muscle strength in golfers – to others, such as swimming and squash. They are backed up by technicians who design instruments to collect data from athletes. They all focus on one aim: winning. ‘We can’t waste our time looking at ethereal scientific questions that don’t help the coach work with an athlete and improve performance,’ says Peter Pricker, chief of science at AIS.
- A lot of their work comes down to measurement – everything from the exact angle of a swimmer’s dive to the second-by-second power output of a cyclist . This data is used to wring improvements out of athletes. The focus is on individuals, tweaking performances to squeeze an extra hundredth of a second here, an extra millimetre there. No gain is too slight to bother with. It’s the tiny, gradual improvements that add up to world-beating results. To demonstrate how the system works, Bruce Mason at AIS shows off the prototype of a 3D analysis tool for studying swimmers. A wire-frame model of a champion swimmer slices through the water, her arms moving in slow motion. Looking side-on, Mason measures the distance between strokes. From above, he analyses how her spine swivels. When fully developed, this system will enable him to build a biomechanical profile for coaches to use to help budding swimmers. Mason’s contribution to sport also includes the development of the SWAN (SWimming ANalysis) system now used in Australian national competitions. It collects images from digital cameras running at 50 frames a second and breaks down each part of a swimmer’s performance into factors that can be analysed individually – stroke length, stroke frequency, average duration of each stroke, velocity, start, lap and finish times, and so on. At the end of each race, SWAN spits out data on each swimmer.
- Take a look,’ says Mason, pulling out a sheet of data. He points out the data on the swimmers in second and third place, which shows that the one who finished third actually swam faster. So why did he finish 35 hundredths of a second down? ‘His turn times were 44 hundredths of a second behind the other guy,’ says Mason. ‘If he can improve on his turns, he can do much better. ‘This is the kind of accuracy that AIS scientists’ research is bringing to a range of sports. With the Cooperative Research Centre for Micro Technology in Melbourne, they are developing unobtrusive sensors that will be embedded in an athlete’s clothes or running shoes to monitor heart rate, sweating, heat production or any other factor that might have an impact on an athlete’s ability to run. There’s more to it than simply measuring performance. Pricker gives the example of athletes who may be down with coughs and colds 11 or 12 times a year. After years of experimentation, AIS and the University of Newcastle in New South Wales developed a test that measures how much of the immune-system protein immunoglobulin A is present in athletes’ saliva . If lgA levels suddenly fall below a certain level, training is eased or dropped altogether. Soon, lgA levels start rising again, and the danger passes. Since the tests were introduced, AIS athletes in all sports have been remarkably successful at staying healthy.
- Using data is a complex business. Well before a championship, sports scientists and coaches start to prepare the athlete by developing a ‘competition model’, based on what they expect winning times. ‘You design the model to make that time,’ says Mason. ‘A start of this much, each free-swimming period has to be this fast, with a certain stroke frequency and stroke length, with turns done in these times. ‘All the training is then geared towards making the athlete hit those targets, both overall and for each segment of the race. Techniques like these have transformed Australia into arguably the world’s most successful sporting nation.
- Of course, there’s nothing to stop other countries copying – and many have tried. Some years ago, the AIS unveiled coolant-lined jackets for endurance athletes. At the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, these sliced as much as two per cent off cyclists’ and rowers’ times. Now everyone uses them. The same has happened to the ‘altitude tent’, developed by AIS to replicate the effect of altitude training at sea level. But Australia’s success story is about more than easily copied technological fixes, and up to now, no nation has replicated its all encompassing system.
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Section 2
Solution and Explanation
Reading Passage 1 has six paragraphs, A-F.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.
(1) a reference to the exchange of expertise between different sports
(2) an explanation of how visual imaging is employed in investigations
(3) a reason for narrowing the scope of research activity
(4) how some AIS ideas have been reproduced
(5) how obstacles to optimum achievement can be investigated
(6) an overview of the funded support of athletes
(7) how performance requirements are calculated before an event
Question 1. A term that refers to the sharing of skills between various sports
Answer: Passage B
Supporting sentence: AIS scientists work across a variety of sports, transferring skills acquired in one – such as strengthening golfers' muscles – to others, such as swimming and squash.
Keyword: AIS scientists, golfers’ muscles, swimming, squash
Keyword location: Passage B, line 2
Explanation: According to Passage B, the AIS interacts with numerous universities and research institutes. Golfers, for example, can benefit from AIS scientists improving muscle strength.
Question 2. A description of how visual imaging is used in research
Answer: Passage C
Supporting sentence: Bruce Mason of AIS demonstrates how the technology works by displaying a prototype of a 3D analysis tool for examining swimmers.
Keyword: Bruce Mason, 3D analysis tool, swimmers
Keyword location: Passage C, line 4
Explanation: According to Passage B, Bruce Mason at AIS shows off a prototype of a 3D analysis tool for swimmers to explain how the system works. A slow-motion wire-frame model of a world-class swimmer slashes through the water.
Question 3. A rationale for condensing the scope of research
Answer: Passage B
Supporting sentence: We cannot afford to squander time on ethereal scientific questions that do not directly benefit the coach's ability to engage with an athlete and increase performance.' According to Peter Pricker, AIS's chief of science.
Keyword: ethereal scientific questions, athlete, Peter Pricker
Keyword location: Passage B, line 5
Explanation: According to AIS's Chief Scientist, Peter Pricker, athletes need to work with their coaches to better their performance, not our time can be wasted on ethereal scientific questions.
Question 4. The way certain AIS concepts have been replicated
Answer: Passage F
Supporting sentence: Of course, nothing prevents other countries from copying – and many have attempted.
Keyword: countries copying, attempted
Keyword location: Passage F, line 1
Explanation: Techniques have made Australia the world's most successful sporting nation. Many countries have tried, and there is nothing to stop them. The AIS first introduced coolant-lined jackets for endurance racers a few years back.
Question 5. How to investigate barriers to optimal performance
Answer: Passage D
Supporting sentence: They are collaborating with Melbourne's Cooperative Research Centre for Micro Technology to develop unobtrusive sensors that will be embedded in an athlete's clothing or running shoes to monitor heart rate, sweat production, heat production, and any other factor that could affect an athlete's ability to run.
Keyword: Cooperative Research Center, unobtrusive sensors, heart rate
Keyword location: Passage D, line 5
Explanation: According to Passage D, as part of their research at Melbourne's Cooperative Research Center for Micro Technology, they are working to create sensors that can be worn by athletes or placed in their running shoes to track their heart rates, perspiration levels or body heat generation, amongst other things.
Question 6. A summary of the financial support provided to athletics
Answer: Passage A
Supporting sentence: Hundreds of amateurs and professionals live and train at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). Another entity, the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), funds elite programmes in 96 sports for thousands of athletes. Both offer comprehensive coaching, training, and dietary counseling.
Keyword: Australian Institute of Sport, 96 sports, Australian Sports Commission
Keyword location: Passage A, line 3
Explanation: According to Passage A, there are thousands of athletes at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) under the watchful eye of coaches. Thousands of Australian athletes benefit from programmes funded by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), another government agency. Both offer high-quality training, coaching, and dietary guidance.
Question 7. How performance needs are determined in advance of an event
Answer: Passage E
Supporting sentence: Utilizing data is a complicated process.
Keyword: Data, complex business
Keyword location: Passage E, line 1
Explanation: According to the passage, data analysis is a delicate matter. In the months leading up to a championship, sports scientists and coaches begin preparing the athletes by constructing a "competition model" based on the predicted winning times for the event.
Questions 8 - 11:
In order to categorize the following strategies, look at whether or not the author claims to have used them.
Write the correct letter, A, B or C. in boxes 8-11 on your answer sheet.
(8) cameras
(9) sensors
(10) protein tests
(11) altitude tents
A Currently, only Australians make use of it
B will be utilised by Australians in the future.
C is currently being employed by both Australians and their international adversaries.
Question 8. Cameras
Answers: A
Supporting sentence: It gathers photographs taken with digital cameras.
Keyword: images, digital camera
Keyword location: Passage C, line 10
Explanation: According to passage C, Australians gather photos from 50-frame-per-second digital cameras and break down every aspect of a swimmer's performance into distinct components.
Question 9. Sensors
Answer: B
Supporting sentence: They are developing inconspicuous sensors that will be installed in an athlete's clothing or running shoes to measure heart rate, perspiration generation, heat production, and any other factor that may affect an athlete's ability to run.
Keyword: inconspicuous sensors, measure heart rate, athlete's ability to run
Keyword location: Passage D, line 5
Explanation: According to passage D, Australian scientists are working on inventing sensors that can be hidden inside a runner's shoes or running gear to monitor everything from heart rate to sweat production to body temperature.
Question 10 Protien Tests
Answer: A
Supporting sentence: After years of research, AIS and the University of Newcastle in New South Wales developed a test to determine the concentration of the immune system protein immunoglobulin A in athletes' saliva.
Keyword: AIS, University of Newcastle, protein immunoglobulin A
Keyword location: Passage D, line 9
Explanation: According to Passage D, AIS and the University of Newcastle in New South Wales have developed a saliva test that analyses the amount of the immune system protein immunoglobulin A in athletes' saliva after years of trial and error. In the event that lgA levels fall below a specific threshold, training is either relaxed or discontinued.
Question 11. Altitude tents
Answer: C
Supporting sentence: They are now ubiquitous. The 'altitude tent' suffered the same fate.
Keyword: altitude tent
Keyword location: Passage F, line 3
Explanation: The 'altitude tent,' built by AIS to mimic the effects of altitude training at sea level, has also fallen victim to the same fate. However, the success of Australia goes well beyond simple technology improvements, and no other country has been able to duplicate its comprehensive system.
Questions 12-13:
Answer the following questions.
Only three words or a number from the passage should be used for each answer.
On your answer sheet, write your answers in boxes 12-13.
Question 12. What is generated to assist athletes in planning their performance during an event?
Answer: Competition Model
Supporting sentence: Long before a championship, sports scientists and coaches begin preparing athletes by building a 'competition model' based on anticipated victory times.
Keyword: championship, competition model, sports scientists
Keyword location: Passage E, line 1
Explanation: According to Passage E, in the months leading up to a championship, sports scientists and coaches begin preparing the athletes by constructing a "competition model" based on the predicted winning times for the event.
Question 13. How much did the performance of certain cyclists increase during the 1996 Olympic Games?
Answer: (by) 2 %
Supporting sentence: At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, these trimmed up to 2% off cyclists' and rowers' timings.
Keyword: 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, cyclists and rowers
Keyword location: Passage F, line 2
Explanation: According to Passage F, the AIS introduced coolant-lined jackets for endurance racers a few years back. During the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, these shaved as much as 2% off the timings of cyclists and rowers.
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