Hearing Impairment or Other Auditory - IELTS Reading Sample with Explanation
The IELTS reading section examines a candidate’s comprehending skills within the stipulated amount of time. The IELTS reading section comprises passages followed with different kinds of questions to holistically judge a student’s grasping abilities while reading. This particular IELTS Reading Practice Test has a passage on- “Hearing Impairment or Other Auditory” which consists of the following types of questions:
- Match the list of headings
- No more than 2 words / a number
- Choose the correct answer
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Section 1
Read the passage below to answer the following questions
Hearing Impairment or Other Auditory IELTS Reading Sample
A
Hearing impairment or other auditory function deficit in young children can have a major impact on their development of speech and communication, resulting in a detrimental effect on their ability to learn at school. This is likely to have major consequences for the individual and the population as a whole. The New Zealand Ministry of Health has found from research carried out over two decades that 6-10% of children in that country are affected by hearing loss.
B
A preliminary study in New Zealand has shown that classroom noise presents a major concern for teachers and pupils. Modern teaching practices, the organisation of desks in the classroom, poor classroom acoustics, and mechanical means of ventilation such as air-conditioning units all contribute to the number of children unable to comprehend the teacher's voice. Education researchers Nelson and Soli have also suggested that recent trends in learning often involve collaborative interaction of multiple minds and tools as much as individual possession of information. This all amounts to heightened activity and noise levels, which have the potential to be particularly serious for children experiencing auditory function deficit. Noise in classrooms can only exacerbate their difficulty in comprehending and processing verbal communication with other children and instructions from the teacher.
C
Children with auditory function deficit are potentially failing to learn to their maximum potential because of noise levels generated in classrooms. The effects of noise on the ability of children to learn effectively in typical classroom environments are now the subject of increasing concern. The International Institute of Noise Control Engineering (I-INCE), on the advice of the World Health Organization, has established an international working party, which includes New Zealand, to evaluate noise and reverberation control for school rooms.
D
While the detrimental effects of noise in classroom situations are not limited to children experiencing disability, those with a disability that affects their processing of speech and verbal communication could be extremely vulnerable. The auditory function deficits in question include hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD).
E
Autism is considered a neurological and genetic life-long disorder that causes discrepancies in the way information is processed. This disorder is characterised by interlinking problems with social imagination, social communication and social interaction. According to Janzen, this affects the ability to understand and relate in typical ways to people, understand events and objects in the environment, and understand or respond to sensory stimuli. Autism does not allow learning or thinking in the same ways as in children who are developing normally.
Autistic spectrum disorders often result in major difficulties in comprehending verbal information and speech processing. Those experiencing these disorders often find sounds such as crowd noise and the noise generated by machinery painful and distressing. This is difficult to scientifically quantify as such extra-sensory stimuli vary greatly from one autistic individual to another. But a child who finds any type of noise in their classroom or learning space intrusive is likely to be adversely affected in their ability to process information.
F
The attention deficit disorders are indicative of neurological and genetic disorders and are characterised by difficulties with sustaining attention, effort and persistence, organisation skills and disinhibition. Children experiencing these disorders find it difficult to screen out unimportant information, and focus on everything in the environment rather than attending to a single activity. Background noise in the classroom becomes a major distraction, which can affect their ability to concentrate.
G
Children experiencing an auditory function deficit can often find speech and communication very difficult to isolate and process when set against high levels of background noise.
These levels come from outside activities that penetrate the classroom structure, from teaching activities, and other noise generated inside, which can be exacerbated by room reverberation. Strategies are needed to obtain the optimum classroom construction and perhaps a change in classroom culture and methods of teaching. In particular, the effects of noisy classrooms and activities on those experiencing disabilities in the form of auditory function deficit need thorough investigation. It is probable that many undiagnosed children exist in the education system with 'invisible' disabilities. Their needs are less likely to be met than those of children with known disabilities.
H
The New Zealand Government has developed a New Zealand Disability Strategy and has embarked on a wide-ranging consultation process. The strategy recognises that people experiencing disability face significant barriers in achieving a full quality of life in areas such as attitude, education, employment and access to services. Objective 3 of the New Zealand Disability Strategy is to 'Provide the Best Education for Disabled People' by improving education so that all children, youth learners and adult learners will have equal opportunities to learn and develop within their already existing local school. For a successful education, the learning environment is vitally significant, so any effort to improve this is likely to be of great benefit to all children, but especially to those with auditory function disabilities.
I
A number of countries are already in the process of formulating their own standards for the control and reduction of classroom noise. New Zealand will probably follow their example. The literature to date on noise in school rooms appears to focus on the effects on schoolchildren in general, their teachers and the hearing impaired. Only limited attention appears to have been given to those students experiencing the other disabilities involving auditory function deficit. It is imperative that the needs of these children are taken into account in the setting of appropriate international standards to be promulgated in future.
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Section 2
Solution with Explanations
Questions 1-6
Reading Passage has nine sections, A-I.
Which section contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-I, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
- an account of a national policy initiative
Answer: H
Supporting Sentence: The New Zealand Government has developed a New Zealand Disability Strategy and has embarked on a wide-ranging consultation process.
Keyword: strategy
Keyword Location: section H, 2nd line
Explanation: The government of New Zealand has worked on a policy strategy to give the best quality and standard of life to disabled people by preparing a Disability Strategy. The strategy is meant to provide the best quality of education to disabled people. Hence the account of a national policy initiative has been mentioned in section H.
- a description of a global team effort
Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: The International Institute of Noise Control Engineering (I-INCE), on the advice of the World Health Organization, has established an international working party, which includes New Zealand, to evaluate noise and reverberation control for school rooms.
Keyword: noise
Keyword Location: section C, 6th line
Explanation: to keep a check on the increasing noise problem in the schoolroom, The International Institute of Noise Control Engineering (I-INCE), on the recommendation of the World Health Organization has established a globally functioning International working party including New Zealand to evaluate and keep a check on the increasing noise and controlling reverberation in the classrooms. Hence, the description of the global team effort has been mentioned in section C.
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Read More IELTS Reading Related Articles
- a hypothesis as to one reason behind the growth in classroom noise
Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: Education researchers Nelson and Soli have also suggested that recent trends in learning often involve collaborative interaction of multiple minds and tools as much as individual possession of information. This all amounts to heightened activity and noise levels, which have the potential to be particularly serious for children experiencing auditory function deficits.
Keyword: collaborative interactions
Keyword Location: section B, 6th line
Explanation: according to the researcher Nelson and Soli, the main reason behind the growing noise in the classroom is the collaborative interactions of modern techniques and mechanical means. This collaboration results in the increasing noise levels in the classrooms posing serious impairments to the school children. Hence, the hypothesis as to on reason behind the growth of classroom noise has been mentioned in section B.
- a demand for suitable worldwide regulations
Answer: I
Supporting Sentence: The needs of these children must be taken into account in the setting of appropriate international standards to be promulgated in the future.
Keyword: international standards
Keyword Location: section I, 6th line
Explanation: looking at the serious threats caused by the increasing noise level, especially in the classrooms, the majority of the countries started formulating policy standards to regulate it. The setting of some definite standards globally for the betterment of the future has become the need of the hour. Hence, a demand for suitable worldwide regulations has been mentioned in section I.
- a list of medical conditions which place some children more at risk from noise than others
Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: The auditory function deficits in question include hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), and attention deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD).
Keyword: auditory function deficit
Keyword Location: section D, 3rd line
Explanation: the increasing noise levels have created serious auditory deficit problems amongst most of the children. The auditory function deficit includes a lot of physical problems like hearing impairment, attention deficit disorders, and autistic spectrum disorders. Hence, a list of medical conditions has been mentioned in section D.
- the estimated proportion of children in New Zealand with auditory problems
Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: The New Zealand Ministry of Health has found from research carried out over two decades that 6-10% of children in that country are affected by hearing loss.
Keyword: hearing loss
Keyword Location: section A, 5th line
Explanation: research has been carried out in New Zealand, where the researchers have found out that for two decades, some 6 to 10% of children have been affected with hearing impairment or total loss of hearing. Hence, the estimated proportion for children with auditory problems has been mentioned in section A.
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Questions 7-10
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.
- For what period of time has hearing loss in schoolchildren been studied in New Zealand?
Answer: two decades
Supporting Sentence: The New Zealand Ministry of Health has found from research carried out over two decades that 6-10% of children in that country are affected by hearing loss.
Keyword: two decades
Keyword Location: section A, 4th line
Explanation: according to the research conducted by the researchers of New Zealand on account of the children with hearing impairment or total loss of hearing some 6 to 10% of school-going children have been estimated over two decades. Hence two decades is the appropriate answer.
- In addition to machinery noise, what other type of noise can upset children with autism?
Answer: crowd (noise)
Supporting Sentence: Autistic spectrum disorders often result in major difficulties in comprehending verbal information and speech processing. Those experiencing these disorders often find sounds such as crowd noise and the noise generated by machinery painful and distressing.
Keyword: crowd noise
Keyword Location: section E, 2nd paragraph, 2nd line
Explanation: some of the children experience autistic spectrum disorder where they find it difficult to comprehend speech and verbal information. Such affected students are more prone to machinery noise and the crowd as such experiences are harmful to them. hence crowd is the appropriate answer.
- What term is used to describe the hearing problems of schoolchildren who have not been diagnosed?
Answer: invisible (disabilities/disability)
Supporting Sentence: It is probable that many undiagnosed children exist in the education system with 'invisible' disabilities. Their needs are less likely to be met than those of children with known disabilities.
Keyword: invisible
Keyword Location: section G, 2nd para, 6th line
Explanation: a lot of times it happens that the children experiencing hearing problems get unnoticed. Such unnoticed problems have been termed as invisible disabilities where the children with invisible disabilities face a severe drawback because their problems are not being addressed. Hence invisible is the appropriate answer.
- What part of the New Zealand Disability Strategy aims to give schoolchildren equal opportunity?
Answer: Objective 3
Supporting Sentence: Objective 3 of the New Zealand Disability Strategy is to 'Provide the Best Education for Disabled People' by improving education so that all children, youth learners, and adult learners will have equal opportunities to learn and develop within their already existing local school.
Keyword: objective
Keyword Location: section H, 4th line
Explanation: the New Zealand Disability Strategy has been defined to provide disabled children with the best quality of education to enhance their quality of life. Among the different objectives mentioned in the strategy, objective 3 contains the aim to provide equal opportunities to disabled children. Hence, objective 3 is the appropriate answer.
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Questions 11-12
Choose TWO letters, A-F.
Write the correct letters in boxes 11-12 on your answer sheet.
The list below includes factors contributing to classroom noise.
Which TWO are mentioned by the writer of the passage?
- current teaching methods
- echoing corridors
- cooling systems
- large class sizes
- loud-voiced teachers
- playground games
- Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: Modern teaching practices, the organization of desks in the classroom, poor classroom acoustics, and mechanical means of ventilation such as air-conditioning units all contribute to the number of children unable to comprehend the teacher's voice.
Keyword: modern teaching practices
Keyword Location: section B, 2nd line
Explanation: the writer has highlighted a lot of reasons behind the increasing classroom noises which make it difficult for the students to comprehend the verbal information being passed in the classrooms. Among the reasons include machinery noise created by the air conditioners in the classrooms and second is the correct teaching techniques using modern technologies. Hence A and C is the right answer.
- Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: Modern teaching practices, the organization of desks in the classroom, poor classroom acoustics, and mechanical means of ventilation such as air-conditioning units all contribute to the number of children unable to comprehend the teacher's voice.
Keyword: mechanical
Keyword Location: section B, 3rd line
Explanation: according to the writer, the main reason behind the increasing noise in the classrooms is the correct teaching methods of the modern world and mechanical noise created by the air conditioners in the classrooms. Hence, A and C is the right answer.
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Questions 13
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
Write the correct letter in box 13 on your answer sheet.
- What is the writer’s overall purpose in writing this article?
- to compare different methods of dealing with auditory problems
- to provide solutions for overly noisy learning environments
- to increase awareness of the situation of children with auditory problems
- to promote New Zealand as a model for other countries to follow
Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: Hearing impairment or other auditory function deficit in young children can have a major impact on their development of speech and communication, resulting in a detrimental effect on their ability to learn at school.
Keyword: hearing impairment
Keyword Location: section A, 1st line
Explanation: hearing disorder has become the most common problem among school-going children. But such problems are not being addressed correctly. The motive of the author behind writing this article is to make people aware of the types of problems being faced by these children and how they can be addressed uniformly. Hence C is the right answer.
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