Reading the Screen Reading Answers

Dec 16, 2022

Reading the Screen Reading Answers is assigned with a total of 13 questions. Reading the Screen Reading Answers discusses and contrasts the modern and traditional methods of reading. This IELTS reading passage can also be found in the book IELTS Practice Test Volume 7. This IELTS reading passage highlights the traditional books and modern screens that are being utilised for reading. This IELTS Reading passage comprises question types such as; choose the correct letter, yes/no/not given, and no more than three words. To solve choose the correct letter in Reading the Screen Reading Answers, candidates must go through the reading passage thoroughly and remember each of the keywords. Attempting the yes/no/not given question in this reading passage requires candidates to undertake an effective understanding of the case represented in the reading passage. Moreover, a collective approach is necessary for answering the third type of question as mentioned along with ensuring that candidates abide by the word limits mentioned. Candidates must undertake effective practice from IELTS Practice Papers.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Reading the Screen Reading Answers

Are the electronic media exacerbating illiteracy and making our children stupid? On the contrary, says Colin McCabe, they have the potential to make us truly literate.

The debate surrounding literacy is one of the most charged in education. On the one hand there is an army of people convinced that traditional skills of reading and writing are declining. On the other hand, a host of progressives protest that literacy is much more complicated than a simple technical mastery of reading and writing. This second position is supported by most of the relevant academic work over the past 20 years. These studies argue that literacy can only be understood in its social and technical context. In Renaissance England, for example, many more people could read than could write, and within reading there was a distinction between those who could read print and those who could manage the more difficult task of reading manuscript. An understanding of these earlier periods helps us understand today’s ‘crisis in literacy’ debate.

There does seem to be evidence that there has been an overall decline in some aspects of reading and writing - you only need to compare the tabloid newspapers of today with those of 50 years ago to see a clear decrease in vocabulary and simplification of syntax. But the picture is not uniform and doesn’t readily demonstrate the simple distinction between literate and illiterate which had been considered adequate since the middle of the 19th century.

While reading a certain amount of writing is as crucial as it has ever been in industrial societies, it is doubtful whether a fully extended grasp of either is as necessary as it was 30 or 40 years ago. While print retains much of its authority as a source of topical information, television has increasingly usurped this role. The ability to write fluent letters has been undermined by the telephone and research suggests that for many people the only use for writing, outside formal education, is the compilation of shopping lists.

The decision of some car manufacturers to issue their instructions to mechanics as a video pack rather than as a handbook might be taken to spell the end of any automatic link between industrialisation and literacy. On the other hand, it is also the case that ever-increasing numbers of people make their living out of writing, which is better rewarded than ever before. Schools are generally seen as institutions where the book rules - film, television and recorded sound have almost no place; but it is not clear that this opposition is appropriate. While you may not need to read and write to watch television, you certainly need to be able to read and write in order to make programmes. --> The first two sentences present the two contrasting views. The rest of the paragraph expands on these.

Those who work in the new media are anything but illiterate. The traditional oppositions between old and new media are inadequate for understanding the world which a young child now encounters. The computer has re-established a central place for the written word on the screen, which used to be entirely devoted to the image. There is even anecdotal evidence that children are mastering reading and writing in order to get on to the Internet. There is no reason why the new and old media cannot be integrated in schools to provide the skills to become economically productive and politically enfranchised.

Nevertheless, there is a crisis in literacy and it would be foolish to ignore it. To understand that literacy may be declining because it is less central to some aspects of everyday life is not the same as acquiescing in this state of affairs. The production of school work with the new technologies could be a significant stimulus to literacy. How should these new technologies be introduced into the schools? It isn’t enough to call for computers, camcorders and edit suites in every classroom; unless they are properly integrated into the educational culture, they will stand unused. Evidence suggests that this is the fate of most information technology used in the classroom. Similarly, although media studies are now part of the national curriculum, and more and more students are now clamoring to take these courses, teachers remain uncertain about both methods and aims in this area. --> The rest of the paragraph supports option B (the main problem that schools face today is how best to incorporate technology into classroom teaching) as does the following paragraph.

This is not the fault of the teachers. The entertainment and information industries must be drawn into a debate with the educational institutions to determine how best to blend these new technologies into the classroom.

Many people in our era are drawn to the pessimistic view that the new media are destroying old skills and eroding critical judgment. It may be true that past generations were more literate but - taking the pre-19th century meaning of the term - this was true of only a small section of the population. The word literacy is a 19th-century coinage to describe the divorce of reading and writing from a full knowledge of literature. The education reforms of the 19th century produced reading and writing as skills separable from full participation in the cultural heritage.

The new media now point not only to a futuristic cyber-economy, they also make our cultural past available to the whole nation. Most children’s access to these treasures is initially through television. It is doubtful whether our literary heritage has ever been available to or sought out by more than about 5 percent of the population; it has certainly not been available to more than 10 per cent. But the new media joined to the old, through the public service tradition of British broadcasting, now makes our literary tradition available to all. --> A global view expressed in the final paragraph but particularly in first and last sentences

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 14-17
Choose the appropriate letters A-D for questions 14 to 17.
Write A-D in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.

When discussing the debate on literacy in education, the writer notes that

children cannot read and write as well as they used to.
academic work has improved over the last 20 years.
There is evidence that literacy is related to external factors.
There are opposing arguments that are equally convincing.

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: This second position is supported by most of the relevant academic work over the past 20 years. These studies argue that literacy can only be understood in its social and technical context.
Keywords: Literacy, social and technical context, Renaissance, academic work, past 20 years.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1 lines 4-5
Explanation: According to the author, literacy is not just a function of an individual's internal circumstances. Literacy can only be completely understood in the context of external variables like social and technological causes that also have an influence.

In the 4th paragraph, the writer’s main point is that

the printed word is both gaining and losing power.
all inventions bring disadvantages as well as benefits.
Those who work in manual jobs no longer need to read.
the media offers the best careers for those who like writing.

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: The decision of some car manufacturers to issue their instructions to mechanics as a video pack rather than as a handbook might be taken to spell the end of any automatic link between industrialisation and literacy. On the other hand, it is also the case that ever-increasing numbers of people make their living out of writing, which is better rewarded than ever before
Keywords: Spell the end, video pack, link, industrialization and literacy
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4 lines 1-2
Explanation: The author discusses two conflicting circumstances. It appears that there is no longer any connection between industrialisation and literacy because more individuals are choosing videos over textual material. On the other side, a lot of individuals have looked at writing as a lucrative career.

According to the writer, the main problem that schools face today is

how best to teach the skills of reading and writing.
how best to incorporate technology into classroom teaching.
finding the means to purchase technological equipment.
managing the widely differing levels of literacy amongst pupils.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: It isn’t enough to call for computers, camcorders, and edit suites in every classroom; unless they are properly integrated into the educational culture, they will stand unused.
Keywords: unless, properly integrated, educational culture, stand unused
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6 line 5
Explanation: Even though technology advancements are quickly integrating into the contemporary educational system, schools still find it difficult to do so. The main justification would be the uncertainty around its intended use in classrooms.

At the end of the article, the writer is suggesting that

literature and culture cannot be divorced.
the term ‘literacy’ has not been very useful.
10 percent of the population never read literature.
Our exposure to cultural information is likely to increase.

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: The new media now point not only to a futuristic cyber-economy, they also make our cultural past available to the whole nation.
Keywords: New media, futuristic cyber-economy, cultural past
Keyword Location: Paragraph 9 line 5
Explanation: In his conclusion, the author notes that by making information widely available, television and other forms of access to "screens" have widened the scope of cultural knowledge. This growth was not made possible by literary sources.

Questions 18-23
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage?
In boxes 18-23 on your answer sheet write

YES if the statement agrees with the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

It is not as easy to analyze literacy levels as it used to be.

Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: But the picture is not uniform and doesn’t readily demonstrate the simple distinction between literate and illiterate which had been considered adequate since the middle of the 19th century.
Keywords: distinction, literate, illiterate, adequate, 19th century
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2 lines 2-4
Explanation: Literacy was defined as the ability to read and write well starting in the middle of the 19th century. Today, nevertheless, it is difficult to tell the learned from the uneducated by just simplifying the syntax or terminology.

Our literacy skills need to be as highly developed as they were in the past.

Answer: No
Supporting Sentence: While reading a certain amount of writing is as crucial as it has ever been in industrial societies, it is doubtful whether a fully extended grasp of either is as necessary as it was 30 or 40 years ago.
Keywords: Doubtful, fully extended grasp, necessary
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3 line 1
Explanation: Previously, it was thought that reading and writing had to be excellent overall. However, as the demands have evolved through time, mastery of these abilities is no longer necessary.

Illiteracy is on the increase.

Answer: Not given
Explanation:The given questions was not addressed in the reading passage mentioned above. Thus, the answer is not given.

Professional writers earn relatively more than they used to.

Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: On the other hand, it is also the case that ever-increasing numbers of people make their living out of writing, which is better rewarded than ever before.
Keywords: Ever-increasing, numbers of people, living out of writing, better rewarded
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4 lines 2-4
Explanation: The author mentions the reduction in reading and writing while also pointing out that more individuals are now relying on writing as a source of income because it is a fulfilling profession.

A good literacy level is important for those who work in television.

Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: While you may not need to read and write to watch television, you certainly need to be able to read and write in order to make programmes.
Keywords: Watch television, make programmes
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4 line 4
Explanation: Although viewing movies or television does not involve reading or writing, the author makes the argument that those skills are crucial when creating television programmes.

Computers are having a negative impact on literacy in schools.

Answer: No
Supporting Sentence: The computer has re-established a central place for the written word on the screen, which used to be entirely devoted to the image. There is even anecdotal evidence that children are mastering reading and writing to get on to the Internet.
Keywords: Central place, written word on the screen, anecdotal evidence, mastering reading, writing
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5 line 3
Explanation: Children are learning to read and write on computers so they can access the internet, which is helping to promote literacy among young people.

Questions 24-26
Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage.
Write your answers in boxes 24-26 on your answer sheet.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

In Renaissance England, the best readers were those able to read ___________

Answer: manuscript
Supporting Sentence: In Renaissance England, for example, many more people could read than could write, and within reading, there was a distinction between those who could read print and those who could manage the more difficult task of reading manuscript.
Keywords: Renaissance England, print, manuscripts
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1 line 5
Explanation: More individuals in England could read than write in the past. There was also a disparity in the population between those who could read print and those who could read manuscripts. These illustrations demonstrate that literacy transcends the limitations of reading and writing.

The writer uses the example of ___________ to illustrate the general fall in certain areas of literacy.

Answer: (tabloid) newspapers
Supporting Sentence: There does seem to be evidence that there has been an overall decline in some aspects of reading and writing - you only need to compare the tabloid newspapers of today with those of 50 years ago to see a clear decrease in vocabulary and simplification of syntax.
Keywords: Overall decline, tabloid newspapers, simplification of syntax
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2 line 1
Explanation: The complexity of reading and writing, including vocabulary, grammar, and other areas, has decreased somewhat when compared to tabloid publications from five decades ago, for example.

It has been shown that after leaving school, the only things that a lot of people write are __________

Answer: shopping lists
Supporting Sentence: The ability to write fluent letters has been undermined by the telephone and research suggests that for many people the only use for writing, outside formal education, is the compilation of shopping lists.
Keywords: Fluent letters, telephone, formal education, shopping lists.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3 line 3
Explanation: In the past, letters served as the main form of communication. However, since the invention of the telephone, the art of writing elegant letters has been obsolete. Nowadays, aside from formal schooling, people simply write down their grocery lists.

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