Henry James Reading Answers

Mar 20, 2025

Henry James Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Henry James Reading Answers has a total of 14 IELTS questions in total. In the question set you have to choose the correct heading for the paragraph using the list of headings provided. In the next question set you have to state whether the statement is true, false or not given.

The IELTS Reading section is an essential part of the test that evaluates a candidate's comprehension and analysis of various passage types. You will work through a number of IELTS reading practice problems in this section that resemble actual test situations. These questions are designed to help you improve your ability to recognize essential concepts, extract particular facts, and make inferences. Practicing these IELTS reading problems can help you get comfortable with the structure and increase your confidence for the exam, regardless of whether you are studying for the Academic or General Training module.

Check: Get 10 Free Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now

Section 1 HENRY JAMES

A. ‘Morality is a private and costly luxury’, wrote the author Henry James, in a statement that seems to condemn all the poor and mistreated to the rubbish heap. Indeed, while morality has been defined in the United Nations; 'human rights' declarations, upholding such values is neither cheap nor straightforward.

B. The declaration, formed and ratified after the Second World War, and in particular the dreadful treatment of those affected by the Holocaust, focused mainly on civil and political rights. Despite international support and the compelling nature of the statements it sought to uphold, the document proved too vague for use in court. Consequently, in the 1960s, two more covenants, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, were added so as to make the declaration more legally binding.

C During the years that followed, support for the two covenants split. Capitalist countries put more emphasis on upholding the political and civil rights enshrined in the former covenant. Communist countries favoured the social and economic rights of the latter. And while the West accused the Soviet Union of neglecting citizens' civil rights, the Soviet government's response was that it considered social and economic rights more important. Current communist governments make the same argument today.

D. Activist groups, at least those that were founded in the west such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have unsurprisingly focused on civil rights. By exposing the plight of torture victims and political prisoners, they have managed to put pressure on unjust regimes, and, with their not inconsiderable clout, have occasionally managed to shame leaders into improving conditions. Much less emphasis has been placed on the second covenant, meaning that socio-economic rights, such as housing, food, health care and fair wages, have gone unchecked. This is set to change, however, as human-rights groups seek to persuade

governments to give equal importance to the right to vote as to the right to a home and regular meals.

E. Considering the size of the population who are not currently benefiting from such provisions, this may seem like a fool’s errand. But human rights veterans have achieved the seemingly impossible before. Twenty five years ago, nobody believed that Amnesty International's letter-writing and lobbying tactics could bring down torturers and censors, yet they have succeeded on multiple occasions.

F. However, social and economic rights are new territory for these groups, and the goal that bit harder to achieve. Campaigners within these organizations are understandably apprehensive. Even so, Amnesty International spent several years drawing up provisional changes to its policy in order to explicitly incorporate economic and social rights into their mandate. These were discussed and adopted at a meeting of hundreds of delegates in Senegal in 2001.

G. Amnesty's new mission has enabled it to work on a much wider range of issues. In the Palestine territories, it campaigns against curfews and rights to work. In Kenya, it highlighted how lack of secure tenure leads to people living in slum conditions that lacked basic sanitation and policing.

H. Amnesty's workload has been alleviated by the fact that Economic, social and cultural rights are now widely recognized as enforceable in both national and international courts of law. Mechanisms have been developed at the UN and in African, American and European regional systems that enable victims of violations to enforce their economic, social and cultural rights. Policies have been put into place to ensure that aspects such as health, education, housing, food, poverty, cultural rights, sanitation and water are monitored.

l. Despite the advances, great challenges remain. Under the Obama government of the US, such ideals are still considered 'goals' and 'aspirations' rather than rights, and a number of influential states continue to be skeptical about the validity of individual claims to economic, social and cultural human rights. Meanwhile, those countries that accept the new rights do not always safeguard them in their national constitutions, or provide effective remedies for the victims of such violations.

J. And while some governments make excuses for failing to take action, claiming they lack the necessary resources, Amnesty International sees it as a lack of political will or purposeful discrimination. Now that economic, cultural and social rights are based on and are enforceable by international law, they say, 'they demand immediate respect and cannot be deferred to the future'.

Questions 14-23

Match each heading to the most suitable paragraph.

NB. You may use any heading more than once.

List of Headings

i. Initial efforts to support human rights

ii. A proposal to adopt a wider perspective

iii. Examples of recent campaigns

iv. The price of ethics

v. Where the law stands on socio-economic rights

vi. Opposing priorities

vii. Inactivity is inexcusable

viii. The motion is carried

ix. Something to hope for, or something to enforce?

x. Where there's a will, there's a way

xi. The pitfalls of a wider remit

14. Paragraph A

Answer: IV

Supporting statement: upholding such values is neither cheap nor straightforward.

Keywords: values, cheap

Keyword Location: Para A, Lines 3-4

Explanation: According to the passage morality has been defined as private and costly luxury author Henry James but the human rights declaration by the United States mentions that upholding it is neither cheap nor straightforward.

15. Paragraph B

Answer: I

Supporting statement: The declaration, formed and ratified after the Second World War, and in particular the dreadful treatment of those affected by the Holocaust, focused mainly on civil and political rights

Keywords: affected, Holocaust

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 2

Explanation: According to the passage; The declaration, which was created and approved following World War II and the horrific treatment of Holocaust victims, was primarily concerned with civil and political rights. To strengthen the declaration's legal force, however, two more covenants were added: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.

16. Paragraph C

Answer: VI

Supporting statement: During the years that followed, support for the two covenants split.

Keywords: support, split

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 1

Explanation: The passage states that the two covenants divided and took sides. Capitalist nations prioritize the protection of the civil and political rights guaranteed under the earlier covenant. Communist nations supported the latter's economic and social rights. When the Soviet government was accused by the West of disregarding the civil rights of its population, it responded that social and economic rights were more significant.

17. Paragraph D

Answer: II

Supporting statement: however, as human-rights groups seek to persuade governments to give equal importance to the right to vote as to the right to a home and regular meals.

Keywords: governments, right to

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 7-8

Explanation:As the passage states socioeconomic rights including food, health care, housing, and fair salaries have been overlooked since the second covenant was given less attention. Human rights organizations are working to convince governments to prioritize the right to vote just as much as the right to a home and consistent food, therefore this is about to change.

18. Paragraph E

Answer: X

Supporting statement: But human rights veterans have achieved the seemingly impossible before.

Keywords: human rights, impossible

Keyword Location: Para E, Lines 3-4

Explanation: According to the passage something that was never imagined to be achieved 25 years ago has now been achieved by human rights veterans.

19. Paragraph F

Answer: VIII

Supporting statement: These were discussed and adopted at a meeting of hundreds of delegates in Senegal in 2001.

Keywords: adopted, 2001

Keyword Location: Para F, Line 5

Explanation: According to the passage to specifically include economic and social rights in its mission, Amnesty International spent years drafting temporary policy modifications. It wasn‘t until the 2001 conference in Senegal, that hundreds of delegates debated and approved these rights.

20. Paragraph G

Answer: III

Supporting statement: Palestine territories, it campaigns against curfews and rights to work. In Kenya,

Keywords: campaigns, rights

Keyword Location: Para G, Line 2

Explanation: According to the passage Amnesty in its campaigns opposed the curfews and the right to work in the Palestinian territory. It demonstrated how people in Kenya live in impoverished areas with inadequate policing and sanitation due to a lack of permanent tenure.

21. Paragraph H

Answer: V

Supporting statement: Economic, social and cultural rights are now widely recognized as enforceable in both national and international courts of law.

Keywords: rights, courts

Keyword Location: Para H, Lines 1-2

Explanation: Since economic, social, and cultural rights are now generally acknowledged as enforceable in both domestic and international courts of law, Amnesty's burden has been lessened. To guarantee that issues like poverty, food, housing, health, education, cultural rights, sanitation, and water are tracked, policies have been implemented.

22. Paragraph I

Answer: IX

Supporting statement: such ideals are still considered 'goals' and 'aspirations' rather than rights, and a number of

Keywords: goals, rights

Keyword Location: Para I, Line 2

Explanation: According to the passage such principles are still viewed as "goals" and "aspirations" rather than rights under the Obama administration in the United States, and other powerful states remain doubtful of the legitimacy of individual claims to economic, social, and cultural human rights.

23. Paragraph J

Answer: VII

Supporting statement: Amnesty International sees it as a lack of political will or purposeful discrimination.

Keywords: lack, purposeful

Keyword Location: Para J, Line 2

Explanation: The passage states that; Amnesty International interprets certain governments' justifications for inaction regarding the working and implantation of the laws quoted by them that they lack the resources—as a sign of intentional bias or a lack of political commitment.

Questions 24-27

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer of the text?

In boxes 24 - 27 on your answer sheet write:

TRUE - if the statement agrees With the information

FALSE - if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN - if there is no information on this

24. Amnesty fights for both individuals and groups involved in human rights violations.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The passage has no mention of Amnesty fighting for both individuals and groups involved in human rights violations.

25. Amnesty workers are worried that, by they are taking on too big an objective.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: Considering the size of the population who are not currently benefiting from such provisions, this may seem like a fool’s errand.

Keywords: population, fool’s errand

Keyword Location: Para E, Lines 1-2

Explanation: According to the passage Amnesty activists were concerned that the task they have taken in their hand may appear like an overly ambitious goal given the number of people who are currently not benefiting from these kinds of laws.

26. Obama's government has neglected human social and economic rights.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The passage contains no information about Obama's government neglecting human social and economic rights.

27. The passage gives an example of a campaign to improve education in Kenya.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: In Kenya, it highlighted how lack of secure tenure leads to people living in slum conditions that lacked basic sanitation and policing.

Keywords: Kenya, slum

Keyword Location: Para G, Lines 2-3

Explanation: According to the passage the campaign in kenya focused on the plight of people living conditions in the slum as they lacked proper sanitation, secured housing, and basic human rights

Read More IELTS Reading Related Samples