Word Lists Reading Answers

Feb 4, 2023

Word Lists Reading Answers is a academic topic in the IELTS Reading section. This has been taken from the book: Cambridge IELTS. The IELTS reading section helps candidates increase their reading skills with the help of passages. Candidates need to read the passage and then answer the questions. There are 14 questions in this topic: Word Lists Reading Answers. The IELTS reading questions are divided into two sections: no more than two words, choose the appropriate option, and true/false/not given. There are more topics like In search of the Word Lists Reading Answers available online. Candidates can practice from IELTS Reading practice papers to help them excel in the IE:LTS exam.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Word Lists Reading Answers

As any language learner knows, the acquisition of vocabulary is of critical importance. Grammar is useful, yet communication occurs without it. Consider the utterance: Me station: Certainly, I’d like to go to the station' is preferable, but a taxi driver will probably head to the right place with 'Me station. If the passenger uses the word 'airport' instead of 'station', however, the journey may wel1 be fraught.

Similarly, What time train Glasgow?' signals to a station clerk that a timetable is needed even though 'What time does the train go to Glasgow?' is correct. In both of these requests, nouns - 'station', "time', 'train', and 'Glasgow carry most of the meaning; and, generally speaking, foreign-language learners, like infants in their mother tongue, acquire nouns first. Verbs also contain unequivocal meaning, for instance, 'go' indicates departure, not the arrival. Furthermore, 'Go' is a common word, appearing in both requests above, while the and to' are the other frequent items. Thus, for a language learner, there may be two necessities: to acquire both useful and frequent words, including some that function grammatically. It is a daunting fact that English contains around half a million words, of which a graduate knows 25,000. So how does a language learner decide which ones to learn?

The General Service List (GSL), devised by the American, Michael West, in 1953, was one renowned lexical aid. Consisting of 2,000 headwords, each representing a word family, GSL words were listed alphabetically, with definitions and example sentences, while a number alongside each word showed its number of occurrences per five million words, and a percentage beside each meaning indicated how often that meaning occurred. For 50 years, particularly in the US, the GSL wielded great influence: graded readers and other materials for primary schools were written with reference to it, and American teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) relying heavily upon it.
Understandably, Wests 1953 GSL has been updated several times because firstly, his list contained archaisms such as 'shilling, while lacking words that existed in 1953 but which were popularized later, like 'drug, OK, television, and victim'. Naturally, his list did not contain neologisms such as 'email'. However, around 80% of West's original inclusions were still considered valid, according to researchers Billuroğlu and Neufeld (2005). Secondly, what constituted a headword and a word family in the West's GSL Was not entirely logical, and rules for this were formulated by Bauer and Nation (1995).

Thirdly, technological advance has meant that billions of words can now be analysed by computer for frequency, context, and regional variation. West's frequency data was based on a 2.5-million-word corpus drawn from research by Thorndlike and Lorge (1944), and some of it was unreliable. A 2013 incarnation of the GSL, called the New General Service List (NGSL), used a 273-million-word subsection of the Cambridge English Corpus (CEC), and research indicates this list provides a higher degree of coverage than West's.

A parther to the NGSL is the 2013 New Academic Word List (NAL) with 2,818 headwords -a modification of Averill Coxhead's 2000 AWL. The NAWL excludes NGSL Words, focusing on academic language, but, nevertheless, items in it are generally serviceable - they are merely not used often enough to appear in the NGSL. An indication of the diference between the two lists can be seen in just four words: the NGSL begins with a and ends with zonings, whereas 'abdominal ana yeasts open and close the NAWL

Over time, linguistics and EF have become more dependent upon computerized statistical analysis, and large bodies of words have been collected to aid academics, teachers, and learners. one such body, known by the Latin Word for body, 'corpus, is the CEC, Created at Cambridge University in the UK. This wel-known collection has two blion words of written and spoken, formal and informal, British, American, and other Englishes. Continually updated, its sources are very wide indeed far wider than West's. Although the CEC is one of many English-language corpora, it is not the largest, but it was the one used by the creators of the NGSL and the NAWL.

Still, a learner cannot easily access corpora, and even though the NGSL and NAL are free online, a learner may not know how best to use them. Linguists have demonstrated that words should be learnt in a context (not singly, not alphabetically); that items in the same lexical set should be learnt together, that it takes at least six different sightings or hearings to lea one item, that written language differs significantly from spoken; and, that concrete language is easier to acquire than abstract.

Admittedly, a list of a few thousand words is not so hard to learn, but language learning is not only about frequency and utility, but also about passion and poetry. Who cares if a word you like isn't in the top 5,000? If you like it or the way it sounds, you're likely to lea it. And, if you use it correctly, at least your IELTS examiner will be impressed.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
Questions 14-19
Passage has six paragraphs: A-F.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-F from the list of headings below.

List of Headings

English vocabulary is hard to lea
Comparison of the NGSL and the NAWL
Description of the GsL
Utility and frequency should guide the choice of new lexis
Reservations about lists and corpora
Learning the NAWL raises an IELTS candidate's score
Reasons for overhauling the GSL
Benefits of the NAWL
Advent of corpora
Reading IELTS Academic Test

Paragraph A

Answer: iv
Supporting Sentence: As any language learner knows, the acquisition of vocabulary is of critical importance. Grammar is useful, yet communication occurs without it.
Keywords: language, vocabulary
Keyword Location: Paragraph A, lines 1-2
Explanation: Language learners are aware that acquiring vocabulary is crucial to their progress. Grammar is helpful, but communication can occur even without it.

Paragraph B

Answer: iii
Supporting Sentence: The General Service List (GSL), devised by the American, Michael West, in 1953, was one renowned lexical aid. Consisting of 2,000 headwords, each representing a word family, GSL words were listed alphabetically, with definitions and example sentences
Keywords: General Service List (GSL), American, 2,000 headwords
Keyword Location: paragraph B, lines 1-3
Explanation: The General Service List (GSL), created by American Michael West in 1953, is a well-known vocabulary tool. It contains 2,000 headwords that represent word families, listed in alphabetical order with definitions and example sentences provided.

Paragraph C

Answer: vii
Supporting Sentence: Naturally, his list did not contain neologisms such as 'email'. However, around 80% of West's original inclusions were still considered valid, according to researchers Billuroğlu and Neufeld (2005)
Keywords: neologisms, Billuroğlu and Neufeld (2005)
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, lines 3-5
Explanation: West's list did not include modern words such as 'email'. However, according to researchers Billuroğlu and Neufeld (2005), about 80% of West's original selections remained relevant.

Paragraph D

Answer: ii
Supporting Sentence: A parther to the NGSL is the 2013 New Academic Word List (NAL) with 2,818 headwords -a modification of Averill Coxhead's 2000 AWL.
Keywords: NGSL, NAL
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, lines 1-2
Explanation: The New Academic Word List (NAL) of 2013, with 2,818 headwords, is a complement to the NGSL. It is a revision of Averill Coxhead's 2000 AWL.

Paragraph E

Answer: ix
Supporting Sentence: Over time, linguistics and EF have become more dependent upon computerized statistical analysis, and large bodies of words have been collected to aid academics, teachers, and learners.
Keywords: time, linguistics, EF, statistical analysis
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, lines 1-3
Explanation: As time has passed, linguistics and English as a foreign language (EF) have grown increasingly reliant on computerized statistical analysis. Thus, leading to the collection of large vocabulary databases to support academics, teachers, and learners.

Paragraph F

Answer: v
Supporting Sentence: Still, a learner cannot easily access corpora, and even though the NGSL and NAL are free online, a learner may not know how best to use them.
Keywords: learner, NGSL, NAL
Keyword Location: Paragraph F, lines 1-2
Explanation: However, accessing corpora can be challenging for a language learner. And even though the NGSL and NAL are available online for free, they may not be familiar with the best way to utilize them.

Questions 20-24:
Look at the following statements and the list of people on the following page.
Match each statement with the correct person or people: A-E.

He/She/ They created the GSL

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: The General Service List (GSL), devised by the American, Michael West, in 1953, was one renowned lexical aid. Consisting of 2,000 headwords, each representing a word family, GSL words were listed alphabetically, with definitions and example sentences
Keywords: General Service List (GSL), American, 2,000 headwords
Keyword Location: paragraph B, lines 1-3
Explanation: The General Service List (GSL), created by American Michael West in 1953, is a well-known vocabulary tool. It contains 2,000 headwords that represent word families, listed in alphabetical order with definitions and example sentences provided.

He/She/ They created the AWL

Answer: E
Supporting Sentence: A parther to the NGSL is the 2013 New Academic Word List (NAL) with 2,818 headwords -a modification of Averill Coxhead's 2000 AWL
Keywords: NGSL, AWL
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, lines 1-2
Explanation: The 2013 New Academic Word List (NAL) with 2,818 headwords is a companion to the NGSL. It is a revision of Averill Coxhead's 2000 AWL.

He/She/ They standardised headwords and word families.

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: The General Service List (GSL), devised by the American, Michael West, in 1953, was one renowned lexical aid. Consisting of 2,000 headwords, each representing a word family, GSL words were listed alphabetically, with definitions and example sentences
Keywords: General Service List (GSL), American, 2,000 headwords
Keyword Location: paragraph B, lines 1-3
Explanation: The General Service List (GSL), created by American Michael West in 1953, is a well-known vocabulary tool. It contains 2,000 headwords that represent word families, listed in alphabetical order with definitions and example sentences provided.

He/She/ They reviewed the GSL for content validity.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: Naturally, his list did not contain neologisms such as 'email'. However, around 80% of West's original inclusions were still considered valid, according to researchers Billuroğlu and Neufeld (2005)
Keywords: neologisms, Billuroğlu and Neufeld (2005)
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, lines 3-5
Explanation: West's list did not include modern words such as 'email'. However, according to researchers Billuroğlu and Neufeld (2005), about 80% of West's original selections remained relevant.

His/ Her/ Their early research was narrow.

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: Naturally, his list did not contain neologisms such as 'email'. However, around 80% of West's original inclusions were still considered valid, according to researchers Billuroğlu and Neufeld (2005)
Keywords: neologisms, Billuroğlu and Neufeld (2005)
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, lines 3-5
Explanation: West's list did not include modern words such as 'email'. However, according to researchers Billuroğlu and Neufeld (2005), about 80% of West's original selections remained relevant.

Reading IELTS Academic Test
List of people

West
Billuroğlu and Neufeld
Bauer and Nation
Thorndike and Lorge
Coxhead

Questions 25-27:
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/ OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

How many words are there in the complete Cambridge English Corpus?

Answer: 2 billion
Supporting Sentence: Thirdly, technological advance has meant that billions of words can now be analysed by computer for frequency, context, and regional variation.
Keywords: technological, billions
Keyword Location: Paragraph F, lines 8-9
Explanation: Thirdly, technological advancements have made it possible for computers to analyze billions of words in terms of frequency, context, and regional differences.

At least how many times must a learner see or hear a new word before it can be learnt?

Answer: six
Supporting Sentence: that items in the same lexical set should be learnt together, that it takes at least six different sightings or hearings to lea one item, that written language differs significantly from spoken; and, that concrete language is easier to acquire than abstract.
Keywords: lexical, six
Keyword Location: Paragraph F, lines 3-6
Explanation: It is recommended to learn items from the same lexical set together, as it takes at least six exposures to learn a single item. Additionally, written language is significantly different from spoken language and concrete language is easier to acquire than abstract language.

According to the writer, what else must there be a sense of for a person to learn a new word?

Answer: passion and poetry
Supporting Sentence: Admittedly, a list of a few thousand words is not so hard to learn, but language learning is not only about frequency and utility, but also about passion and poetry.
Keywords: passion, poetry
Keyword Location: Paragraph F, lines 7-8
Explanation: While it is true that learning a few thousand words from a list may not be very difficult, language learning goes beyond just frequency and practicality. It also involves a passion for the language and its creative expression, such as poetry.

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