What is an Unfair Advantage in Sports Reading Answers

Jul 1, 2025

What is an Unfair Advantage in Sports Reading Answers consists of 13 questions to be answered within 10 minutes. It is an IELTS reading answer topic. The topic: What is an Unfair Advantage in Sports Reading Answers is the first part of the reading section. It contains questions such as to choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-ix, choose two letters, A-E. Which of the two following statements about Ran Clarke is made in the passage? And choose ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

The candidates must examine the IELTS reading passage for keywords. The candidates must analyse each line of the passage attentively to give answers to the questions. The topic: What is an Unfair Advantage in Sports Reading Answers tests the reading and analysis skills of the candidates. It can help candidates get accustomed to different question formats in reading tasks, improve their vocabulary, and enhance their critical reading abilities. The candidates must go through IELTS reading practice papers to become familiar with similar topics.

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Section 1 WHAT IS AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IN SPORT?

Olympic athletes increasingly depend on technology to help them win but is that fair?

A. What happened to the Australian athlete Ron Clarke in the 10,000 meters at the Mexico City Olympics of 1968 is now virtually forgotten, though at the time it was headline news. Clarke was the greatest distance runner in history, he'd broken more world records than anybody else. But in front of 55,000 horrified spectators, the event went disastrously wrong. In the third lap, one runner keeled over and with six laps to go, two more were carried away. Yet the race was being conducted at a relatively leisurely speed: the halfway time was the slowest since the Paris Olympics of 1924. With two laps to go, Clarke was in the leading pack. 'I'd never felt better in a race,' he says. But suddenly he began to struggle, and as the front runners moved up a gear, a gap opened up. Clarke remembers nothing of his last lap which he ran in 90 seconds. 'Normally I would run it in 64,' he explains. He stumbled across the line in sixth place and collapsed, he was administered oxygen and stretchered off the track.

B. Mexico City is surrounded by mountains and is over 2,240 meters above sea level. That the altitude would have an impact on the games was predicted. Clarke had raised the issue himself but had been told by the Australian sports authorities that complaining was regarded as bad sportsmanship. As it turned out, he had good reason to do so. Clearly, the link between athletic performance and altitude needed further investigation.

C. Although there were few standout performances in distance running at the Mexico Games, they marked a turning point: the start of an astonishing record of success by East Africans. While Clarke lay crumpled in a heap, runners from Kenya and Ethiopia were celebrating

their gold and silver medals. The record books confirm how entrenched this pattern has become. The names of the seven fastest men in history over 5,000 metres are Bekele, Gebrselassie, Komen, Kipchoge, Sihine, Songkok, and Chereno. They are all from either Kenya or Ethiopia. Between 1997 and 2011, the 10,000 metres men's world record was smashed five times, dropping from 26:31.32 to 26:17.53. Each time, the record was broken by a Kenyan or an Ethiopian. While there is a complex mix of economic, political, social, and cultural explanations for the pre-eminence of East Africans, one factor is surely that many of these athletes have lived most of their lives in thin air.

D. At high altitudes, a number of physiological alterations occur, most importantly, more red blood cells and haemoglobin are produced. This, in turn, increases the capacity of the blood to carry oxygen, which feeds the muscles and gives an advantage to the athletes when

they return to sea level. However, it is impossible to train with the same level of intensity in the mountains-aerobic capacity and cardio-respiratory function both suffer at altitude. As a result, the consensus is that the optimum approach to athletic preparation is: Live High, Train Low (LHTL). Yet that has obvious practical drawbacks. Not many people live in the mountains, and those who do would prefer not to spend several hours each day driving up and down winding, treacherous roads.

E. That's where the altitude tent-sometimes called the hypoxic tent-comes in around two decades ago. Two different scientists had the same exciting thought. If they could artificially control the atmosphere within a confined space, they could simulate the effects of high

altitude and save an athlete at sea level from the time and expense of travelling to higher ground. Altitude tents have improved over the years: they're not as hot or as noisy as the early prototypes, and are much cheaper too. They are also perfectly lawful. Five years ago, when

the tents were investigated by Wada (the World Anti-Doping Agency), it was ruled that they did not violate the spirit of distance running. It is now routine for athletes to sleep in them in preparation for an event.

F. However, it is not the case that all new technologies gain approval. In 2008, a staggering 105 world records were broken in swimming. The vast majority was achieved by competitors wearing the new Speedo LZR Racer suit. These suits use a high-tech fabric tested in NASA's

wind tunnels, which reduces drag and improves buoyancy. The LZR was initially sanctioned by Fina, the international swimming body. But as better suits were produced by Speedo and other manufacturers, and more records were broken, they became increasingly controversial. In a 2009 ruling, Fina changed its mind, banning all suits made with this high-tech fabric.

G. Going faster, higher, and stronger is integral to the logic of athletics in general, and the Olympics in particular. Athletes believe they need records all the time. And the only way is minute changes of 0.0001 of a second. But when a new technology is invented, the relevant sports authority has to consider whether to embrace or reject it. In some cases, athletes are granted permission to use the technology; in others, it is banned. But whatever the outcome, rulings should not appear arbitrary: arguments have to be examined and weighed, and the rules of logic ought to apply in every case.

Questions 14-20

Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs, A-G. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-ix.

LIST OF HEADINGS

i. Early research into athletes' physiology

ii. A convenient method of acclimatization

iii. The need for a rational approach

iv. Changes in the body

v. The athletes who break the rules

vi. Well-founded concerns

vii. The surprising outcome of a race

viii. The reversal of a decision

ix. The runners who dominate

14. Paragraph A

Answer: VII

Supporting statement: He stumbled across the line in sixth place and collapsed, he was administered oxygen and stretchered off the track.

Keywords: sixth place, collapsed

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 10

Explanation: Paragraph A States the surprising outcome of a race in the Olympics held in Mexico City in the year 1968, when Ron Clark came in sixth place in the 10,000 meters race and suddenly collapsed despite his history of being the greatest distance Runner.

15. Paragraph B

Answer: VI

Supporting statement: As it turned out, he had good reason to do so. Clearly, the link between athletic performance and altitude needed further investigation.

Keywords: athletic, altitude

Keyword Location: Para B, Lines 4-5

Explanation: Paragraph B mentions Clark's concern about the attitude of the place, as the city of Mexico is 2,240 meters above sea level. He had informed the concerned authority about the impact of the altitude on the athlete's performance.

16. Paragraph C

Answer: IX

Supporting statement: The names of the seven fastest men in history over 5,000 metres are Bekele, Gebrselassie, Komen, Kipchoge, Sihine, Songkok, and Chereno.

Keywords: fastest, 5,000, metres

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 5

Explanation: Paragraph C mentions that Runners from Kenya and Ethiopia dominated the Mexican Olympics, as they had the physical advantage of breathing in the thin air. The passage also contains the names of the seven fastest men in history, belonging to the same Countries.

Kenya and Ethiopia

17. Paragraph D

Answer: IV

Supporting statement: At high altitudes, a number of physiological alterations occur, most importantly, more red blood cells and haemoglobin are produced.

Keywords: physiological, haemoglobin

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 1-2

Explanation: Paragraph D states the physical changes that occur in one's body due to higher altitude, one being the production of more red blood cells and haemoglobin

18. Paragraph E

Answer: II

Supporting statement: That's where the altitude tent-sometimes called the hypoxic tent-comes in around two decades ago.

Keywords: tent, hypoxic

Keyword Location: Para E, Line 1

Explanation: Paragraph E mentions a convenient way that was proposed by the scientist, which could help the athlete to adapt to higher altitudes without going to higher places, by using the altitude tent, also called the hypoxic tent

19. Paragraph F

Answer: VIII

Supporting statement: In a 2009 ruling, Fina changed its mind, banning all suits made with this high-tech fabric.

Keywords: 2009, high-tech

Keyword Location: Para F, Line 7

Explanation: Paragraph F states the reversal of a decision made by FINA against its ruling of 2009, which originally allowed swimmers to use Hi-Tech fabric that increases their buoyancy in the water.

20. Paragraph G

Answer: III

Supporting statement: rulings should not appear arbitrary: arguments have to be examined and weighed, and the rules of logic ought to apply in every case.

Keywords: arbitrary, logic

Keyword Location: Para G, Lines 6-7

Explanation: Paragraph G highlight that any ruling regarding the athletes must not be taken abruptly but after a thorough examination and consideration.

Questions 21-22

Choose TWO letters, A-E.

Which TWO of the following statements about Ran Clarke are made in the passage?

A. Clarke was not performing well immediately prior to the Mexico Games.

B. The worries Clarke had before the Mexico Games were not taken into account.

C. Clarke's experiences at the Mexico Games are widely talked about today.

D. At one stage of the Mexico Games 10,000 metres, Clarke was near the front.

E. Clarke was the only runner at the Mexico Games who appeared to be affected by the altitude.

21………..

Answer: B

Supporting statement: Clarke had raised the issue himself but had been told by the Australian sports authorities

Keywords: Clarke, Australian

Keyword Location: Para B, Lines 2-3

Explanation: According to the text, Ron Clark was not able to perform well in the Mexican games due to the prior worries he had about the place's altitude not being taken into account by the Australian sports authority.

22………….

Answer: D

Supporting statement: With two laps to go, Clarke was in the leading pack.

Keywords: laps, leading

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 7

Explanation: According to the text, Clarke was leading the pack, with only two laps to go at one point of the race, but then he suddenly slowed down and collapsed and came in sixth place.

Questions 23-26

Choose ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

DO ALL NEW TECHNOLOGIES GAIN APPROVAL?

Some people may be puzzled by attitudes towards performance-enhancing technologies in sports. For example, why is the altitude tent considered acceptable, but not the LZR Racer

suit? For distance running, Wada concluded that the altitude tent was not contrary to the

23…………..of the sport. However, the LZR swimsuit, which is made from a special fabric that aids buoyancy and cuts down 24……….. was banned. Athletes think they have to continually set fresh 25........... However, when sports authorities have to decide whether to give permission for a new performance-enhancing 26…………… to be used, it is important that their decisions are not seen as arbitrary.

23……….

Answer: SPIRIT

Supporting statement: investigated by Wada (the World Anti-Doping Agency), it was ruled that they did not violate the spirit of distance running.

Keywords: Wada, spirit

Keyword Location: Para E, Lines 7-8

Explanation: As per the WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency), the altitude tents did not violate any rules of distance running.

24…………

Answer: DRAG

Supporting statement: These suits use a high-tech fabric tested in NASA's wind tunnels, which reduces drag and improves buoyancy.

Keywords: drag, buoyancy

Keyword Location: Para F, Line 4

Explanation: According to the text, once allowed to use in swimming races, the LZR swimsuit, made of a high-tech fabric tested in NASA's wind tunnels, which added buoyancy and reduced drag was eventually banned by the Fida.

25…………

Answer: RECORDS

Supporting statement: Athletes believe they need records all the time.

Keywords: Athletes, records

Keyword Location: Para G, Line 2

Explanation: According to the text, every athlete thinks that we need to have a new record added to their athletic career.

26………..

Answer: TECHNOLOGY

Supporting statement: But when a new technology is invented, the relevant sports authority has to consider whether to embrace or reject it.

Keywords: technology, sports

Keyword Location: Para G, Lines 3-4

Explanation: According to the passage, when a new technology is developed, the relevant sports authority must allow or reject its use in the related sports.

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