The Biggest Australian Budget Ever Reading Answers

Feb 16, 2023

The Biggest Australian Budget Ever Reading Answers has 12 questions that are to be answered in 40 minutes. IELTS topic- The Biggest Australian Budget Ever Reading Answers deals with some finance reports in Australia. The Biggest Australian Budget Ever IELTS reading question type has two kinds of questions. That is choosing the correct answer, identifying whether a statement can correspond to the passage. Candidates need to skim through the passage for the best answer. The Biggest Australian Budget Ever Reading Answers help students to prepare for IELTS exams.They can also refer to IELTS Reading practice papers.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

The Biggest Australian Budget Ever Reading Answers

The Australian government is set to announce some of the biggest ever spending increases in education, welfare, the foreign office and defence at lunchtime tomorrow. After a decade of strong industrial growth, record low unemployment and a booming economy, the government feels confident enough to reinvest some of the funds it has been hoarding since it came to power four years ago.

In accordance with the priorities which were stated when the Liberal party was elected, a very sizeable portion of this bounty will go to education and to schools in particular. Approximately A$1 billion is expected to go on educational building through the Neighbourhood Renewal Scheme. School buildings have suffered shameful neglect for over half a century. The population has grown and education has changed in that time but no new school buildings have been erected for 10 years. But this change should increase expenditure per child from some A$350 to over A$700. A further A$400 million will go on increasing teachers’ pay. There is national shortage of teachers, especially in areas such as science, mathematics and religion. The target to increase teachers in training to 5,600 last year was missed by a huge margin; only 2,533 actually enrolled. Increases both in basic pay and in incentive schemes, such as rewards for conspicuous achievement and cash payments for trainee teachers, will be made.

In contrast to last year, expenditure on health will rise by less than one per cent and the changes here will be in research funding. The most notable change is in funding to the Adelaide Epidemiology Centre which is nearing its goal of marketing a vaccination against AIDS. The Department of Health will inject A$5.8 million for the large-scale, double-blind trials it requires. This compares with A$575,000 invested by the government in this programme last year. A government spokesman explains that, “health will be taking a back seat this year because of the huge increases announced in this area over the previous two years.”

In other areas significant changes are also occurring. In the Department of Pensions and Welfare, state old age pensions, frozen at A$204 per month for the last three years are set to rise to A$255 per month. Unemployment benefit, likewise frozen for three years, is also set to rise but not until next year. Thereafter, rises of 10.5% over each of the remaining three years of this Parliament are scheduled. This is not as generous as it may seem, however, as certain categories of expenditure will be phased out. The Work Now Scheme to encourage single mothers back into the labour market will go, as will the infamous YTCs. The Youth Training Councils received a bad press over the Manning scandal which led to the resignation of the Minister, but there is evidence that these schemes placed in work only those people who would have found work anyway. More importantly, the period over which unemployment benefit is paid has been cut from a year to eight months and this might remove 20% of all claimants.

In Defence and the Foreign Office, there are increases in the funding of the Voice of Australia radio service. The A$128 million may seem a small investment but it checks the reduction in funds from A$2 billion to A$698 million over the last decade which threatened to end the service entirely. A$500 million is being made available for two new warships and a further A$250 million for an extension to the Rapid Reaction Force now seen as so much more important given recent political and civil unrest in Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

Section 2

Solutions and Explanations

Questions 15-21

For questions 15-21 match the statistical changes stated in the text with a numerical expression. Write your answers in boxes 15 – 21 on your answer sheet. There are more expressions than answers needed, so you will not use them all.

The decrease in financial support for the Voice of Australia over the previous 10 years.......................

Answer: about one in six
Supporting Sentence: The A$128 million may seem a small investment but it checks the reduction in funds from A$2 billion to A$698 million
Keywords: A$128 million, A$698 million
Keyword Location: Last paragraph, lines 2-3
Explanation: It is stated that the funding for the Voice of Australia radio service has increased in both the Defense and Foreign Offices. The A$128 million may seem like a small investment. But it prevents the service from being completely discontinued after funds dropped from A$2 billion to A$698 million over the previous ten years. The first value is about one-sixth of the final value. Therefore about one in six is the suitable answer.

The shortfall in the numbers who entered teacher training.......................

Answer: less than half
Supporting Sentence: The target to increase teachers in training to 5,600 last year was missed by a huge margin; only 2,533 actually enrolled.
Keywords: 5,600, 2,533
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 9-10
Explanation: The second paragraph states that last year, the goal of increasing the number of teachers in training to 5,600 was vastly missed; only 2,533 students actually enrolled. The second value is less than half the mentioned one. Therefore less than half is the suitable answer.

The long term increase in unemployment benefit..........................

Answer: about a third
Supporting Sentence: unemployment benefit is paid has been cut from a year to eight months and this might remove 20% of all claimants.
Keywords: a year to eight months
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, last two lines
Explanation: The fourth paragraph states that the duration of unemployment benefits has been reduced from a year to eight months, which could eliminate 20% of all claimants. Eight months is one-third of a year. Therefore about a third is the suitable answer.

The reduction in the numbers eligible for unemployment benefit.....................

Answer: one in five
Supporting Sentence: unemployment benefit is paid has been cut from a year to eight months and this might remove 20% of all claimants.
Keywords: remove 20%
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, last two lines
Explanation: The fourth paragraph states that the duration of unemployment benefits has been reduced from a year to eight months, which could eliminate 20% of all claimants. 20% is almost one-fifth in 100%. Therefore one in five is the suitable answer.

The increase in funding for AIDS research ...................

Answer: tenfold
Supporting Sentence: The Department of Health will inject A$5.8 million for the large-scale, double-blind trials it requires. This compares with A$575,000 invested by the government in this programme last year.
Keywords: A$5.8 million, A$575,000
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, lines 4-6
Explanation: The third paragraph states that the Adelaide Epidemiology Centre is getting close to its goal of marketing an AIDS vaccine. This has seen the biggest change in funding. The required large-scale, double-blind trials will cost $5.8 million Australian dollars, provided by the Department of Health. In contrast, the government last year invested A$575,000 in this programme. The first value is almost ten times bigger than the second mentioned value. Therefore tenfold is the suitable answer.

The increase in state pensions.....................

Answer: 25%
Supporting Sentence: state old age pensions, frozen at A$204 per month for the last three years are set to rise to A$255 per month.
Keywords: A$204, rise to A$255 per month.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 2-3
Explanation: The fourth paragraph states that significant changes are also taking place in other areas. State old age pensions, which have been frozen at A$204 per month for the past three years, will increase to A$255 per month. This information is said according to the Department of Pensions and Welfare. There is an increase of approximately 25%. Therefore 25% is the suitable answer.

The increase in per capita expenditure on schools....................

Answer: double
Supporting Sentence: But this change should increase expenditure per child from some A$350 to over A$700.
Keywords: A$350, to over A$700
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 6-7
Explanation: The second paragraph states that the expenditure regarding schools must reach from A$350 to over A$700 per child. The value is doubled. Therefore double is the suitable answer.

Questions 22-26

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 27 In boxes 22 – 26 on your answer sheet write

YES if the statement agrees with the information
NO if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this in the passage.

The Australian government has been increasing expenditure for four years.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: The given statement has information that was never disclosed in the passage.

School buildings have been neglected for 10 years.

Answer: NO
Supporting Sentence: School buildings have suffered shameful neglect for over half a century
Keywords: School buildings, neglect, half a century
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 4-5
Explanation: The second paragraph states that school buildings have been neglected for over 50 years, not just 10 years. Therefore the answer is no as the given statement has wrong information

The Work Now Scheme was unsuccessful.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: The given statement has information that was never disclosed in the passage.

The state pension did not increase for three years.

Answer: YES
Supporting Sentence: state old age pensions, frozen at A$204 per month for the last three years
Keywords: state old age pensions, frozen, last three years
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 2
Explanation: The fourth paragraph does state that the pension amount was frozen for three years meaning it did not change. The given statement can correspond to the information and therefore the answer is yes.

The government has decided to release some of its reserves to improve the lives of its citizens.

Answer: YES
Explanation: From the passage it is clear that the government uses its reserves to increase the overall welfare of the people. The given statement can correspond to the information and therefore the answer is yes.

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