The skill of Reading IELTS Reading Answers

Sep 3, 2023

The skill of Reading IELTS Reading Answers is a topic of the IELTS academic reading topic which includes 12 questions. The specified IELTS topic generates 2 types of questions: choosing appropriate headings for paragraphs, and true/ false/ not given types of questions. Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly in order to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. Candidates can further enhance their reading skills by going through IELTS reading practice papers available on the website. Candidates can use IELTS reading topics like The skill of Reading IELTS Reading Answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

The Skill of Reading IELTS Reading Answers

There is a legend that St Augustine in the fourth century AD was the first individual to be seen reading silently rather than aloud, or semi-aloud, as had been the practice hitherto. Reading has come a long way since Augustine's day. There was a time when it was a menial job of scribes and priests, not the mark of civilization it became in Europe during the Renaissance when it was seen as one of the attributes of the civilized individual.
Modern nations are now seriously affected by their levels of literacy. While the Western world has seen a noticeable decline in these areas, other less developed countries have advanced and, in some cases, overtaken the West. India, for example, now has a large pool of educated workers. So European countries can no longer rest on their laurels as they have done for far too long; otherwise, they are in danger of falling even further behind economically.
It is difficult in the modern world to do anything other than a basic job without being able to read. Reading as a skill is the key to an educated workforce, which in turn is the bedrock of economic advancement, particularly in the present technological age. Studies have shown that by increasing the literacy and numeracy skills of primary school children in the UK, the benefit to the economy generally is in the billions of pounds. The skill of reading is now no more just an intellectual or leisure activity, but rather a fully-fledged economic force.
Part of the problem with reading is that it is a skill which is not appreciated in most developed societies. This is an attitude that has condemned a large part of the population in most Western nations to illiteracy. It might surprise people in countries outside the West to learn that in the United Kingdom, and indeed in some other European countries, the literacy rate has fallen to below that of so-called less developed countries.
There are also forces conspiring against reading in our modern society. It is not seen as cool among a younger generation more at home with computer screens or a Walkman. The solitude of reading is not very appealing. Students at school, college or university who read a lot are called bookworms. The term indicates the contempt in which reading and learning are held in certain circles or subcultures.

It is a criticism, like all such attacks, driven by the insecurity of those who are not literate or are semi-literate. Criticism is also a means, like all bullying, of keeping peers in place so that they do not step out of line. Peer pressure among young people is so powerful that it often kills any attempts to change attitudes to habits like reading.

But the negative connotations apart, is modern Western society strongly opposing an uncontrollable spiral of decline? I think not.
How should people be encouraged to read more? It can easily be done by increasing basic reading skills at an early age and encouraging young people to borrow books from schools. Some schools have classroom libraries as well as school libraries. It is no good waiting until pupils are in their secondary school to encourage an interest in books; it needs to be pushed at an early age.

Reading comics, magazines and low brow publications like Mills and Boon is frowned upon. But surely what people, whether they be adults or children, read is of little import. What is significant is the fact that they are reading. Someone who reads a comic today may have the courage to pick up a more substantial time later on.

But perhaps the best idea would be to stop the negative attitudes to reading from forming in the first place. Taking children to local libraries brings them into contact with an environment where they can become relaxed among books. If primary school children were also taken in groups into bookshops, this might also entice them to want their own books.

A local bookshop, like some local libraries, could perhaps arrange book readings for children which, being away from the classroom, would make the reading activity more of an adventure. On a more general note, most countries have writers of national importance. By increasing the standing of national writers in the eyes of the public, through local and national writing competitions, people would be drawn more to the printed word. Catch them young and, perhaps, they just might then all become bookworms.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 15 - 21
Reading passage 2 has eight paragraphs labeled A-H.
Choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below:

List of Headings:

Reading not taken for granted
Taking children to libraries
Reading: the mark of civilisation
Reading in St. Augustine’s day
A large pool of educated workers in India
Literacy rates in developed countries have declined because of people’s attitude
Persuading people to read
Literacy influences the economies of countries in today’s world
Reading benefits the economy by billions of pounds
The attitude to reading amongst the young
Reading becomes an economic force
The writer’s attitude to decline in reading

Question 15: Paragraph A

Answer: III
Supporting statement: “...There is a legend that St Augustine in the fourth century AD was the first individual to be seen reading silently rather than aloud, or semi-aloud…”
Keywords: St Augustine, fourth century AD, reading silently
Keyword Location: para 1, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, there is a legend that St Augustine in the fourth century AD was the first individual to be seen reading silently rather than aloud, or semi-aloud, as had been the practice hitherto. There was a time when it was a menial job of scribes and priests, not the mark of civilization it became in Europe during the Renaissance when it was seen as one of the attributes of the civilized individual.

Question 16: Paragraph B

Answer: VIII
Supporting statement: “...Modern nations are now seriously affected by their levels of literacy…”
Keywords: Modern nations, levels of literacy
Keyword Location: para 2, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, modern nations are now seriously affected by their levels of literacy. While the Western world has seen a noticeable decline in these areas, other less developed countries have advanced and, in some cases, overtaken the West.

Question 17: Paragraph C

Answer: XI
Supporting statement: “...increasing the literacy and numeracy skills of primary school children in the UK, the benefit to the economy generally is in the billions of pounds.…”
Keywords: increasing, literacy, numeracy, primary school children, UK, economy, billions of pounds
Keyword Location: para 3, line 3
Explanation: According to the writer, studies have shown that by increasing the literacy and numeracy skills of primary school children in the UK, the benefit to the economy generally is in the billions of pounds. The skill of reading is now no more just an intellectual or leisure activity, but rather a fully-fledged economic force.

Question 18: Paragraph D

Answer: VI
Supporting statement: “...This is an attitude that has condemned a large part of the population in most Western nations to illiteracy…”
Keywords: attitude, large part, population, western nations, illiteracy
Keyword Location: para 4, line 2
Explanation: According to the writer, part of the problem with reading is that it is a skill which is not appreciated in most developed societies. This is an attitude that has condemned a large part of the population in most Western nations to illiteracy.

Question 19: Paragraph E

Answer: X
Supporting statement: “...It is not seen as cool among a younger generation more at home with computer screens or a Walkman…”
Keywords: younger, generation, computer screens, Walkman
Keyword Location: para 5, line 2
Explanation: According to the writer, there are forces conspiring against reading in our modern society. It is not seen as cool among a younger generation more at home with computer screens or a Walkman. Students at school, college or university who read a lot are called bookworms.

Question 20: Paragraph F

Answer: XII
Supporting statement: “...is modern Western society strongly opposing an uncontrollable spiral of decline…”
Keywords: modern, western, society, opposing, uncontrollable, spiral of decline
Keyword Location: para 6, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, he thinks that the Western society is strongly not opposing an uncontrollable spiral of decline.

Question 21: Paragraph G

Answer: VII
Supporting statement: “...How should people be encouraged to read more? It can easily be done by increasing basic reading skills at an early age and encouraging young people…”
Keywords: encouraged to read, basic reading skills, early age, encouraging, young people
Keyword Location: para 7, line 1 and 2
Explanation: According to the writer, people can be encouraged to read more by increasing basic reading skills at an early age and encouraging young people to borrow books from schools. Some schools have classroom libraries as well as school libraries. It is no good waiting until pupils are in their secondary school to encourage an interest in books; it needs to be pushed at an early age.

Questions 22 - 26

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage 2?
TRUE: if the statement is true
FALSE: if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

Question 22: European countries have been satisfied with their past achievements for too long and have allowed other countries to overtake them in certain areas.

Answer: Yes
Supporting statement: “...Western world has seen a noticeable decline in these areas, other less developed countries have advanced…”
Keywords: western world, noticeable, decline, less developed countries, advanced
Keyword Location: para 2, line 2
Explanation: According to the writer, modern nations are now seriously affected by their levels of literacy. While the Western world has seen a noticeable decline in these areas, other less developed countries have advanced and, in some cases, overtaken the West.

Question 23: Reading in an economic force.

Answer: Yes
Supporting statement: “...rather a fully-fledged economic force…”
Keywords: fully-fledged, economic force
Keyword Location: para 3, last line
Explanation: According to the writer, the skill of reading is now no more just an intellectual or leisure activity, but rather a fully-fledged economic force.

Question 24: The literacy rate in less developed nations is considerably higher than in all European countries.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: No relevant information has been provided in the passage in order to support the said statement. Therefore, we can clearly conclude the statement as an invalid one.

Question 25: If you encourage children to read when they are young the negative attitude to reading that grows in some subcultures will be eliminated.

Answer: Yes
Explanation: According to the writer, students at school, college or university who read a lot are called bookworms. The term indicates the contempt in which reading and learning are held in certain circles or subcultures. This can be eliminated by encouraging children to read.

Question 26: People should be discouraged from reading comics and magazines.

Answer: No
Supporting statement: “...Reading comics, magazines and low brow publications like Mills and Boon is frowned upon…”
Keywords: reading, comics, magazines, low brow publications, frowned
Keyword Location: para 7, line 5
Explanation: According to the writer, reading comics, magazines, etc is frowned upon. But surely what people, whether they be adults or children, read is of little import. What is significant is the fact that they are reading. Someone who reads a comic today may have the courage to pick up a more substantial time later on.

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