In or Out Reading Answers

Dec 5, 2022

In or Out Reading Answers has 14 questions that need to be answered in 20 minutes. In or Out Reading Answers comprises three types of questions, namely- write the appropriate letters, complete the sentences and choose the correct letter. Candidates must read the IELTS Reading reading passage to match the year with the key events by choosing the appropriate letter. For completing the sentences, candidates must read the IELTS reading passage, and use no more than three words to complete the sentences. Candidates should choose the correct letter from the multiple given options by the, identify keywords, and recognize synonyms to answer the question. Candidates can practise on more varied topics on IELTS Reading practice papers.

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

Reading Passage Question

In the 803, with an increased consciousness of equal opportunities, the focus of the further education college moved to widen participation, encouraging into colleges students from previously under-represented groups, particularly from ethnic minorities. This, in turn, led to a curriculum which was more representative of the new student body. For example, there were initiatives to ensure the incorporation of literature by black writers into A-level literature courses; history syllabuses were altered to move beyond a purely Eurocentric view of the world, and geography syllabuses began to look at the politics of maps.
British further education colleges did not traditionally have any concerns about student drop-out, because the origins of the sector were in vocational apprenticeship training for employers where the apprentice could not drop out without endangering their job. In the 703, this sector began to expand into more general education courses, which were seen both as an alternative to school for 16-18 year-olds and a second chance for adults. The philosophy was mainly liberal with students regarded as adults who should not be heavily monitored, but rather free to make their own decisions; it was not uncommon to hear academic staff argue that attendance at classes was purely voluntary.
A turning point came in 1991 with the publication of a report on completion rates by the government inspection body for education, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for England and Wales, (HMI 1991). However, this report was based on the academic staff’s explanations of why students had left. It suggested that the vast majority left either for personal reasons or because they had found employment and that only 10% left for reasons that could in any way be attributed to the college.
Meanwhile, Britain had been going through the Thatcherite revolution and, in parallel to the Reagan politics of the US, a key principle was the need to focus on radical taxation reduction. At this point (and to a large extent still), further and higher education colleges were almost entirely funded from the public purse. There had been many cuts in this funding through the 805, but no one had really looked at value for money. However in the early 9os, the Audit Commission with Office of Standards in Education (OF STED) (the new version of HMI) turned the spotlight onto further education and published a seminal report, Unfinished Business (Audit Commission and OFSTED 1993), which showed that drop-out was happening on a significant scale and, crucially given the politics of the time, attributed a cost to the state of £500 million, arguing that this was a waste of public (i.e. taxpayers’) money. To quote Yorke (1999), non-completion became political.
The Audit Commission report coincided with government moves to privatize the functions of the state as much as possible; and with the decision to remove further education from the control of the local government and give it a quasi-dependent status, where colleges were governed by independent boards of governors bidding to the state for funding to run educational provision. As part of this, a new series of principles for funding and bidding was developed (FEFC 1994) which incorporated severe financial penalties for student drop-out. In essence, the system is that almost all the state funding is attached to the individual student. There is funding for initial advice and guidance, on-course delivery and student achievement, but if the student drops out, the college loses that funding immediately, so that loss of students in the first term leads to an immediate loss of college finding for the other two terms.
Not surprisingly, this focused the concern of colleges immediately and sharply on the need to improve student retention rates. Recently, therefore, there has been considerable effort to improve retention but, as Martinez (1995) pointed out, there was nobody of research on which to base strategies. Additional complexity was that colleges had been slow to computerise their student data and most colleges were in the position of not knowing what their retention rates were or any patterns involved.
Where data did exist it was held separately by either administrative or academic staff with poor communication between these groups. Colleges, however, jumped into a number of strategies based largely on experience, instinct and common sense and publication of these began (Martinez 1996; Martinez 1997; Kenwright 1996; Kenwright 1997). The main strategies tried are outlined in the literature as summarised by Martinez (1996). These include sporting activities around entry to ensure ‘best fit’, supporting activities including child care, financial support and enrichment/learner support, connecting activities to strengthen the relationship between the college and the student, including mentoring and tutorials and activities to transform the student, including raising of expectations and study/career development support and tutoring.

Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-3:
Use the information in the text to match each of the years listed (1-3) with one of the key events in the development of further education (i-vii).
Write the appropriate letters in Boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet. Note that there are more items listed under the Key event than years, so you will not use all of them.

1991
1993
1994

Key events in the development of further education:

Severe penalties for drop-out are developed as part of college funding mechanisms.
Serious attempts are made to improve student support.
An influential report showing that non-completion rates are significantly high is published.
The lack of strategic basis is officially recognized.
The HMI is created.
Data on student completion rates for further education are published.
A minor report showing that non-completion rates are significantly high is published.

Question 1:

Answer 1: (vi) Data on student completion rates for further education are published.
Supporting Sentence: A turning point came in 1991 with the publication of a report on completion rates by the government inspection body for education, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for England and Wales, (HMI 1991).
Keyword: data, student completion rates, further education, published
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, Line 1
Explanation: Line 1 of paragraph 3 reads: "A turning point came in 1991 with the publication of a report on completion rates by the government inspection body for education, Her Majesty's Inspectorate for England and Wales. The rate of students completing their further education was the subject of a report published in 1991 by the government inspection body for education, Her Majesty's Inspectorate (HMI).

Question 2:

Answer 2: (iii) An influential report showing that non-completion rates are significantly high is published.
Supporting Sentence: In the early 90s, the Audit Commission with the Office of Standards in Education (OFSTED) turned the spotlight onto further education and published a seminal report, Unfinished Business (Audit Commission and OFSTED 1993), which showed that drop-out was happening on a significant scale.
Keyword: report, non-completion rates, high, published
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 3
Explanation: Line 3 of paragraph 4 reads, "In the early 1990s, the Audit Commission with the Office of Standards in Education (OFSTED) focused the emphasis onto further education and published a seminal study, Unfinished Business (Audit Commission and OFSTED 1993), which indicated that drop-out was happening on a substantial scale. Unfinished Business, a study from the Audit Commission and the Office of Standards in Education (OFSTED), was issued in 1993 to cast light on the high number of student drop-outs that were occurring at the time.

Question 3:

Answer 3: (i) Severe penalties for drop-out are developed as part of college funding mechanisms.
Supporting Sentence: A new series of principles for funding and bidding was developed (FEFC 1994) which incorporated severe financial penalties for student drop-out.
Keywords: penalties, drop-out, funding
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 6
Explanation: According to line 6 of paragraph 4, a new set of funding and bidding guidelines were released. These included harsh financial sanctions for student drop-outs (FEFC 1994). Therefore, a new set of guidelines for funding institutions for further education (FEFC) was created in 1994. It had harsh sanctions for students who dropped out.

Questions 4-8:
Complete the sentences below. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage to fill each blank space.
Write your answers in Boxes 4-8 on your answer sheet.

Further education colleges in Britain were originally not worried about student drop-out, because students did not leave college out of fear of .

Answer: endangering their job
Supporting Sentence: British further education colleges did not traditionally have any concerns about student drop-out, because the apprentice could not drop out without endangering their job.
Keywords: further education colleges, Britain, student drop-out, leave college
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, Line 1
Explanation: According to line 1 of paragraph 1, British further education institutions have never been concerned about student abandonment. Because an apprentice could not leave without jeopardising their employment. Due to the fact that these students could not afford to drop out of college without endangering their careers. Moreover, British colleges for further education were not initially concerned about student drop-outs.

According to the writer, the philosophy at further education colleges was.

Answer: liberal
Supporting Sentence: The philosophy was mainly liberal with students.
Keywords: philosophy, further education colleges
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, Line 3
Explanation: The philosophy was mostly liberal with pupils, as stated in line 3 of paragraph 1. The guiding principles of Britain's further education institutions were primarily liberal or unprejudiced.

As people became more aware of equal opportunities, colleges encouraged students from under-represented groups, as a move to.

Answer: widen participation
Supporting Sentence: With an increased consciousness of equal opportunities, the focus of the further education colleges moved to widen participation, encouraging the college students from previously under-represented groups.
Keywords: aware, equal opportunities, encourage, under-represented groups
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, Line 1
Explanation: Line 1 of paragraph 2 reads: With a greater awareness of equal chances, the further education colleges' focus shifted to encouraging college students from historically underrepresented groups to participate. Thus, increasing involvement is the answer.

The HMI’s report focused on completion rates, based on reasons for students’ departure from college.

Answer: academic staff’s explanations
Supporting Sentence: A turning point came in 1991 with the publication of a report on completion rates by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for England and Wales, (HMI 1991). However, this report was based on the academic staff’s explanations of why students had left.
Keywords: HMI, report, completion rates, reasons, students’ departure, college
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, Line 1-2
Explanation: On the basis of explanations given by the academic staff regarding student drop-outs. Thus, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate (HMI) published a report in 1991 which concentrated on the rate of completion of further education in colleges. So, the answer is the academic staff's explanation.

In the early 1990s, the political situation, both in Britain and the US, demanded a drastic.

Answer: tax reduction
Supporting Sentence: Britain had been going through the Thatcherite revolution, in parallel to the Reagan politics of the US, a key principle was the need to focus on radical taxation reduction.
Keywords: 1990s, political situation, Britain, US
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 1
Explanation: According to the first sentence of the fourth paragraph, a crucial Thatcherite principle was the necessity to concentrate on extreme tax reduction. While Britain underwent her Thatcherite revolution concurrently with Reagan's politics in the US. Therefore, a drastic cut in taxes was required given the political climate in the US and Britain in the 1990s.

QUESTIONS 9-14:

Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them on your answer sheet.

The report Unfinished Business

pointed out the politics of the time.
gave €500 million to the state
linked drop-out to wasting money
turned the spotlight

Answer: (c) linked drop-out to wasting money
Supporting Sentence: A seminal report, Unfinished Business, showed that drop-out was happening on a significant scale and argued that this was a waste of public money.
Keywords: report, Unfinished Business, drop-out, waste of public money
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 3
Explanation: In the fourth paragraph's third sentence, it is stated that "A seminal report, Unfinished Business, indicated that drop-out was occurring on a significant scale and contended that this was a waste of government funds." So, the answer is C- linked drop-out to wasting money.

The new series of principles developed in 1994 by the FEFC

gave money to each student
was quasi-independent
meant colleges had to turn their immediate attention to improving student retention rates
was aimed fit for improving teacher retention rates.

Answer: (c) meant colleges had to turn their immediate attention to improving student retention rates
Supporting Sentence: A new series of principles was developed (FEFC 1994) which focused the concern of colleges immediately and sharply on the need to improve student retention rates.
Keywords: principles, 1994, FEFC, immediate attention, student retention rates
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 6 and 9
Explanation: The sixth and ninth lines of the fourth paragraph state that a new set of principles was created (FEFC 1994). This quickly and sharply focused schools' attention on the need to raise student retention rates. So, the answer is C.

Attempts to reduce the student drop-out rate were hindered, because

there was a lack of research data upon which to base strategies
colleges did not know what to do
computers in colleges were slow
colleges had no patterns

Answer: (a) there was a lack of research data upon which to base strategies
Supporting Sentence: There has been considerable effort to improve retention but there was no research on which to base strategies.
Keywords: reduce, student drop-out, hindered, lack of research data, base strategies
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 1
Explanation: There have been significant efforts to increase retention, but there is no evidence to build policies on, according to the first sentence of the fifth paragraph. So, the answer is A.

Further hindrances in reducing the student drop-out rate were

colleges’ slowness in computerizing data and not knowing their retention rates, nor what patterns of retention existed.
college inertia and administrative incompetence
computer glitches and strikes, which occurred at most colleges
colleges’ strategies to deal with the problem of low retention.

Answer: (a) colleges’ slowness in computerizing data and not knowing their retention rates, nor what patterns of retention existed.
Supporting Sentence: Additional complexity was that colleges had been slow to computerize their student data and most colleges were in the position of not knowing what their retention rates were or any patterns involved.
Keywords: hindrances, reducing, student drop-out rate, slowness, computerizing data, retention rates, patterns of retention
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 2
Explanation: The fifth paragraph's second sentence states: "Another challenge was that institutions had been slow to digitise their student records, and most colleges were in the condition of not recognizing what their retention rates were or any trends involved." So, the answer is A.

Colleges’ strategies to deal with the problem of low retention

brought administrative and academic staff together
varied enormously
jumped
were based on something other than data

Answer: (d) was based on something other than data
Supporting Sentence: Colleges jumped into a number of strategies based largely on experience, instinct, and common sense.
Keywords: colleges’ strategies, low retention, experience, instinct, common sense
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 4
Explanation: According to the fourth sentence of the fifth paragraph, Colleges launched into a number of techniques largely based on experience, instinct, and common sense. So, the answer is D.

The main strategies to improve retention included

‘best fit’ supporting activities
activities to support and transform the students
the raising of college expectations
a summary of Martinez.

Answer: (b) activities to support and transform the students
Supporting Sentence: These include supporting activities including child care, financial support, and enrichment support, and activities to transform the student, including raising of expectations and study/career development support and tutoring.
Keywords: strategies, improve, retention, activities, support, transform, students
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, Line 2
Explanation: In the second sentence of the sixth paragraph, it is stated that these activities include those that help the student improve. These included aspects such as tutoring, strong potential, financial assistance, and support for enrichment and study/career development. So, the answer is B.

Read More IELTS Reading Related Samples