Recalling it - IELTS Reading Sample with Explanation
In the IELTS Reading sample a student must understand, learn and then answer test questions with great efficiency. The IELTS Reading test helps students in improving their skills which includes reading, understanding, accessing and analyzing. In this IELTS Reading Section - Recalling It, there are a few questions divided into sets, each demanding the performance of a different type of task.
- Select the correct option from the paragraph given below
- Select True, False, Not Given
- Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D
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Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
Recalling it IELTS Reading Sample
- Memory and recollection vary from person to person. Take three average citizens with a similar degree of honesty and integrity and ask them to make a statement concerning a bank raid that they all witnessed. Whilst the three statements will contain a fair degree of concurrence, there will also be areas of dissimilarity. When a person observes an event, not only are cognitive (or thinking) powers involved but also emotions are involved, especially when the incident observed is of an unpleasant nature.
- In our primitive ancestors, emotional stress had a survival value. It prepared us to face or flee a danger (‘flight or fight’ syndrome). Today’s stressors are more likely to be perceived threats to an individual’s well-being and self-esteem rather than actual threats to survival. However, any stressful situation, real or apparent, can trigger many of the same effects, for example, increased blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety.
- ‘Pre-exam nerves’ is an anxiety state experienced by candidates prior to an examination. It is perfectly natural to feel apprehensive about an important test. Negative thoughts disappear quickly when the candidate makes a promising start. On the other hand, a poor start increases the stress felt by the individual who can then experience a ‘retrieval failure’. In this circumstance the information is held in the memory but cannot be accessed. The knowledge has been forgotten temporarily to remain on the ‘tip-of-the-tongue’. In intensely stressful situations, panic sets in and the relevant knowledge becomes blocked out completely by thoughts of failure.
- The ability to cope with stress is influenced by personality (way of thinking and behaving) and social circumstances, so what one person finds stressful another may find stimulating. Managing your own stress depends in part upon becoming aware of what your own particular stressors are. You can then confront each situation and try to change it and/or change your thoughts and emotional reactions to the stressor, so as to lessen its impact. Emotional support from family, friends and work colleagues leads to an improvement in coping with long-term stress. When confronted with a potentially stressful examination, one solution is to sit back, take a few deep breaths and relax to steady the nerves. Relaxation techniques will improve the memory but they cannot help a candidate to retrieve knowledge that they have yet to acquire. In this respect, short-term memory improves if you repeat new information to yourself several times, learning by rote.
- Clear and precise information is required when giving instructions. How often, in an unfamiliar district, has the reader stopped a passing stranger for simple and clear directions? How often also have the replies been unclear, rambling accompanied by wild gesticulations? The route may be clear in the eye of the director but the message is lost if salient points are either omitted or out of sequence. Accurate recall of past events is facilitated by note-taking and in particular by placing information under the headings: who, what, where, when and how. When information is classified under these headings it acts as a cue that enables the reader to construct partial images of previous events or to recall details that might otherwise be overlooked. It is important not to confuse facts with opinions and to clearly preface opinions with ‘I believe’, ‘I think’, ‘In my view’ or similar words. Memories can be triggered from several sources and it is useful to include both visual and verbal aids when revising for an examination. Revision tools include spider diagrams that expand on a central idea, coloured highlighting of related topics, flashcards with questions and answers, as well as mnemonic devices (small rhymes), such as ‘I before e except after c’, that aid spelling, for example.
- Nerves play a big part in public speaking. Despite this, an impromptu speech can be delivered effectively if the speaker is knowledgeable in the subject matter and sounds enthusiastic. Slide presentations are a popular means of delivering a speech. Typically, a 15-minute talk can be linked to a sequence of 30 slides, lasting 30 seconds on average. Each slide contains a few key elements that serve to cue the memory towards the necessary detail. It is essential to make a solid start, in which case it is advisable to memorize the opening lines of the speech by practicing it out loud several times. The slides should link naturally so that the talk never sounds stilted. It is not necessary to memorize the speech word for word. All that is necessary is for the speaker to be familiar with the content of the slide and to develop the speech from the key words. It is advisable to record the speech on a Dictaphone and then to play it back to check the continuity and duration.
Section 2
Solution and Explanation
Questions 1 to 5
Reading Passage has six paragraphs, A to F.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
- How early man benefited from stress.
- How a person can reduce the effects of stress.
- How candidates fear examinations.
- How a speaker can make a confident start.
- How communication fails if important facts are out of order.
1.
Answer: Paragraph B
Supporting Sentence: In our primitive ancestors, emotional stress had a survival value
Keyword: stress
Keyword location: Paragraph B, 1st line
Explanation: Paragraph B talks about how mental stress helped the ancestors to face and fight danger. According to them, the stress helped them to find a way of surviving.
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2.
Answer: Paragraph D
Supporting Sentence: You can then confront each situation and try to change it and/or change your thoughts and emotional reactions to the stressor, so as to lessen its impact.
Keyword: stress
Keyword location: paragraph D, 2nd line
Explanation: the answer to this question lies in paragraph D middle lines. According to these lines, one can cure one’s stress by diverting your thoughts and attention. Spending quality time with family, friends and colleagues can help to lessen the stress.
3.
Answer: Paragraph C
Supporting Sentence: ‘Pre-exam nerves’ is an anxiety state experienced by candidates prior to an examination.
Keyword: Examination
Keyword location: Paragraph C, 1st line
Explanation: According to these lines, students generally experience ‘Pre-exam nerves’ before exams. It is very natural to experience such anxiety before exams.
4.
Answer: Paragraph F
Supporting Sentence: Despite this, an impromptu speech can be delivered effectively if the speaker is knowledgeable in the subject matter and sounds enthusiastic.
Keyword: speech, effective
Keyword location: Paragraph F, 2nd line
Explanation: The lines state that one can make a confident start while imparting a speech by memorizing starting lines of the speech several times.
5.
Answer: Paragraph E
Supporting Sentence: The route may be clear in the eye of the director but the message is lost if salient points are either omitted or out of sequence.
Keyword: lost, omitted
Keyword location: Paragraph E, 4th line
Explanation: the answer to this question lies in paragraph E MIDDLE LINES. These lines state that the aim or the purpose of communication or speech gets destroyed if the salient features are omitted or not mentioned.
Questions 6 to 10
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
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.
- Our primitive ancestors experienced higher levels of stress.
Answer: Not given
- A ‘retrieval failure’ is a permanent loss of knowledge.
Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: On the other hand, a poor start increases the stress felt by the individual who can then experience a ‘retrieval failure’. In this circumstance the information is held in the memory but cannot be accessed.
Keyword: memory
Keyword location: Paragraph C, line 5
Explanation: the answer to this question lies in paragraph C middle lines. According to these lines ‘retrieval failure’ leads to temporary loss of knowledge, not a permanent loss.
- Learning by rote is memorizing by repetition
Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: In this respect, short-term memory improves if you repeat new information to yourself several times, learning by rote.
Keyword: rote, memory
Keyword location: Paragraph D, last line.
Explanation: According to these lines to improve short-term memory, one has to repeat that information several times. This way can help to increase the efficiency of one’s memory eloquently.
- Relaxation techniques can help a candidate gain new knowledge.
Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: Relaxation techniques will improve the memory but they cannot help a candidate to retrieve knowledge that they have yet to acquire.
Keyword: Relaxation techniques
Keyword location: Paragraph D, 2nd last line
Explanation: Relaxation technique helps an individual to boost one's memory, it does not benefit in gaining new knowledge. Thus, the above-mentioned statement is incorrect.
- Headings enable a complete image of an event to be recalled.
Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: Accurate recall of past events is facilitated by note-taking and in particular by placing information under the headings: who, what, where, when and how. When information is classified under these headings it acts as a cue that enables the reader to construct partial images of previous events or to recall details that might otherwise be overlooked.
Keyword: event, recall
Keyword location: Paragraph E, line 5-6
Explanation: The information is classified under headings so that an individual gets a cue so that they can create partial images of previous events.
Questions 11 to 14
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D for the questions based on Reading Passage 1.
- To recall past events from notes it is helpful
- to place important points in sequence.
- to group information under headings.
- to construct partial images.
- to include a range of revision tools.
Answer: Option B
Supporting Sentence: Accurate recall of past events is facilitated by note-taking and in particular by placing information under the headings: who, what, where, when and how. When information is classified under these headings it acts as a cue that enables the reader to construct partial images of previous events or to recall details that might otherwise be overlooked.
Keyword: event, recall
Keyword location: Paragraph E, line 5-6
Explanation: According to these lines to recall previous events, one can classify notes under different headings to carve a partial image of the previous event.
- When revising for an examination it is helpful
- to use a range of memory aids.
- not to confuse facts with opinions.
- to include a slide presentation.
- to employ relaxation techniques.
Answer: Option A
Supporting Sentence: Memories can be triggered from several sources and it is useful to include both visual and verbal aids when revising for an examination.
Keyword: memory
Keyword location: Paragraph E, 7th line
Explanation: According to the passage, one can trigger memory by using both visual and verbal aids. Both these aids can boost one's memory eloquently.
- A mnemonic is
- a verbal revision aid.
- an aural revision aid.
- a visual revision aid.
- a spelling revision aid.
Answer: Option D
Supporting Sentence: as well as mnemonic devices (small rhymes), such as ‘I before e except after c’, that aid spelling, for example.
Keyword: Mnemonic
Keyword location: Paragraph E, last line
Explanation: According to these lines, a mnemonic is a spelling revision aid.
- A slide can help a speaker
- to make a confident start.
- to memorize a talk word for word.
- to recall essential information.
- to check the length of the speech.
Answer: option D
Supporting Sentence: Each slide contains a few key elements that serve to cue the memory towards the necessary detail. It is essential to make a solid start, in which case it is advisable to memorize the opening lines of the speech by practising it out loud several times.
Keyword: slide
Keyword location: Paragraph F, line 4-5
Explanation: According to these lines, each slide contains certain elements which can help to recall necessary details.
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