Secret of Thailand's Success Reading Answers

Mar 13, 2024

Secret of Thailand's Success Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Secret of Thailand's Success Reading Answers have a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. This topic has the first 4 questions in which we have to fill up the black choosing appropriate passages on which the text is given. The next 5 questions are TRUE or FALSE. The last 5 questions are fill in the blanks.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers, which feature topics such as Secret of Thailand's Success Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the text below and answer Questions

Secret of Thailand's Success?

It is a question officials here in Asia are being posed more and more: Why are your economies so vibrant? Answers include young and swelling populations, decreased debt, growing cities, emerging middle-class consumer sectors, evolving markets and, of course, (China's rise. Add this to that list: Women and their increasing role in Asia's economies. The idea is that the more opportunities women have, the more vibrant economies are and, consequently, the less need there is to amass a huge public debt to boost growth. It is an idea bolstered by a new survey by MasterCard International Inc., which compares the socio-economic level of women with men in Asia
-Pacific nations. The gauge uses four key indicators: participation in the labour force, college education, managerial positions, and above-median income.
Which Asian nation is doing host when it comes to women's advancement? Thailand. It scored 92.3 of a possible 100, and according to MasterCard's index, 100 equals gender equality. The survey was based on interviews with 300 to 350 women in thirteen nations and national statistics. Malaysia came in second with a score of 86.2, while China came in third with 68.4. The average score in Asia was 67.7.
At the bottom of the list is South Korea (45.5), followed by Indonesia (52.5), and Japan (54.5). Perhaps it is a bizarre coincidence, yet MasterCard's findings fit quite neatly with two important issues in Asia: economic leadership and debt. Thailand, Malaysia, and China are three economies widely seen as the future of Asia. Thailand's economic boom in recent years has prompted many leaders in the region to look at its growth strategy. Malaysia, which has a female central bank governor, is one of Asia's rising economic powers. China, of course, is the world's hottest economy, and one that is shaking up trade patterns and business decisions everywhere.
Something all three economies have in common is an above-average level of female participation. What the three worst ranked economies share are severe long-term economic challenges of high levels of debt and a female workforce that is being neglected. Research in economic history is very conclusive on the role of women in economic growth and development, says Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, an economic adviser to MasterCard. The more extensive women's participation at all areas of economic activities, the higher the probability for stronger economic growth. That, Hedrick-Wong says, means societies and economies that consistently fail to fully incorporate women's ability and talent in businesses, and the workplace will suffer the consequences. Take Korea, which has been walking in place economically in recent years. Immediately following the 1997— 1998 Asian financial crisis, Korea became a regional role model as growth boomed and unemployment fell. Yet a massive increase in household debt left consumers overexposed and growth slowed.
Maybe it is a just coincidence that Korea also ranks low on measures of gender equality published by the United Nations. As of 2003, for example, it ranked below Honduras, Paraguay, Mauritius, and Ukraine in terms of women's economic and political empowerment. Utilising more of its female workforce would deepen Korea's labour pool and increase potential growth rates in the economy. The same goes for Japan. The reluctance of Asia's biggest economy to increase female participation and let more women into the executive suite exacerbates its biggest long-term challenge: a declining birth rate. In 2003, the number of children per Japanese woman fell to a record low of 1.29 versus about. 2 in the early 1970s. Preliminary government statistics suggest the rate declined further in 2004. The trend is nothing short of a crisis for a highly indebted nation of 126 million that has yet to figure out how to fund the national pension system down the road. Yet Japan has been slow to realise that for many women, the decision to delay childbirth is a form of rebellion against societal expectations to have children and become housewives,
It may be 2005, yet having children is a career-ending decision for millions of bright, ambitious, and well-educated Japanese, Until corrected, Japan's birth rate will drop and economic growth will lag, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was absolutely right earlier this month when he said no other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity than the empowerment of women. Here, in Thailand, the government is getting some decent marks in this regard, and the economy's 6 per cent-plus growth rate may be a direct result. Thailand still has a long way to go. Yet the Bank of Thailand's deputy governor, Tarisa Watanagase, is a woman, as are seven of nine assistant governors. Then there's Jada Wattanasiritham, who runs Siam Commercial Bank PIc, Thailand's fourth-biggest lender. How many female chief executives can you name in Japan or Korea? Looked at broadly in Asia, MasterCard's survey is on to something. It is that giving women more opportunities to contribute to an economy is not just about fairness, but dollars and sense, too.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 1-4

The text has 5 paragraphs (A - E). Which paragraph contains each of the following pieces of information?

The fact that a woman runs one of Thailand's biggest banks

Answer: E
Supporting statement: “.......this month when he said no other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity than the empowerment of women........”
Keywords: raise, economic
Keyword Location: para E, line 6
Explanation: It is given that a woman is running Thailand's biggest bank. It led to rising economic productivity and women empowerment.

The number of countries included in the survey

Answer: B
Supporting statement: “........At the bottom of the list is South Korea (45.5), followed by Indonesia (52.5), and Japan (54.5). Perhaps it is a bizarre coincidence.......”
Keywords: bottom, bizarre
Keyword Location: para B, line 6
Explanation: It is given that the passage B mentions about the list of countries that are included in the survey.

The fact that Japan's birth rate is falling quickly

Answer: D
Supporting statement: “........women into the executive suite exacerbates its biggest long-term challenge: a declining birth rate. In 2003, the number of children per Japanese woman fell to a record low of 1.29 versus about. .......”
Keywords: challenge, record
Keyword Location: para D, line 6
Explanation: It is given that the women in the executive suite faced the biggest long term challenge. It was the declining birth rate. In 2003 the birth rate fell low to 1.29

The criteria used to get a score for each country

Answer: A
Supporting statement: “........The idea is that the more opportunities women have, the more vibrant economies are and, consequently, the less need there is to amass a huge public debt to boost growth........”
Keywords: vibrant, boost
Keyword Location: para A, line 5
Explanation: It is given that the passage A mentions the idea that more opportunities women have, then it will have more vibrant economies. There is a need to clear the public debt.

Questions 5-8

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap.

Higher consumption in the (5)...... sector of the market is one reason that Asia's

Answer: MIDDLE CLASS
Supporting statement: “........Answers include young and swelling populations, decreased debt, growing cities, emerging middle-class consumer sectors, evolving markets and, of course,.......”
Keywords: decreased, markets
Keyword Location: para A, line 2
Explanation: It is given that the middle class people were the highest consumers in the market.

economies are doing well. The scores were decided through a combination of interviews and (6)....... Higher (7)....... Has problem for Korea. Japanese politicians nave

Answer: NATIONAL STATISTICS
Supporting statement: “.......The survey was based on interviews with 300 to 350 women in thirteen nations and national statistics. Malaysia came in second with a score of 86.2, while China came in third with 68.4........”
Keywords: national, score
Keyword Location: para B, line 3
Explanation: It is given that the scores for national statistics were decided by the survey. The surveys were done on the interviews.

Ques 7:

Answer: HOUSEHOLD DEBT
Supporting statement: “......Korea became a regional role model as growth boomed and unemployment fell. Yet a massive increase in household debt left consumers overexposed and growth slowed........”
Keywords: unemployment, growth
Keyword Location: para C, line 12
Explanation: It is given that the massive household debt for the country has risen. It led to slow down in the market and growth.

not yet decided how to get money for the 8)__________

Answer: NATIONAL PENSION SYSTEM
Supporting statement: “........The trend is nothing short of a crisis for a highly indebted nation of 126 million that has yet to figure out how to fund the national pension system down the road.......”
Keywords: figure, road
Keyword Location: para D, line 11
Explanation: It is given that the crisis moment is that it has indebted the 126 million. It led to a shortage in the funds of the national pension system.

Questions 9-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 9 - 13 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

Other countries are looking at the example of Thailand to see if its policies can help their economies.

Answer: TRUE
Supporting statement: “........UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was absolutely right earlier this month when he said no other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity than the empowerment of women........”
Keywords: month, economic
Keyword Location: para E, line 3
Explanation: It is given that other countries were looking at the economic productivity and empowerment of women. They feel that it is the reason behind their growth.

Higher female participation in an economy always leads to greater economic growth.

Answer: FALSE
Supporting statement: “......It is that giving women more opportunities to contribute to an economy is not just about fairness, but dollars and sense, too..........”
Keywords: economy, dollars
Keyword Location: para E, line 12
Explanation: It is given that the case of female participation has helped Thailand to improve productivity. But it is not always the case.

Female participation in the economy is lower in Japan than in most other developed economies.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: There has been no instance in the passage that says that female participation in the economy is lower in Japan or not.

Most of the Bank of Thailand's assistant governors are female.

Answer: TRUE
Supporting statement: “.......Yet the Bank of Thailand's deputy governor, Tarisa Watanagase, is a woman, as are seven of nine assistant governors. Then there's Jada Wattanasiritham, who runs Siam Commercial Bank PIc,........”
Keywords: woman, runs
Keyword Location: para E, line 7
Explanation: It is given that the bank of Thailand's deputy governor was a woman. Also it is given that most of the assistant governors are also women.

The writer considers 'fairness' to be a bad reason for giving women top jobs.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: There has been no instance in the passage that says that the ‘fairness’ is a bad reason for giving women top jobs.

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