Reading Passage 1: Questions 1-13
Title of the passage: Early Childhood Education
Questions 1-4: Identifying information
[This question asks you to find information from the passage and write the number of the paragraph (A, B, C or D … .. ) in the answer sheet. Now, if the question is given in the very first part of the question set, I’d request you not to answer them. It’s mainly because this question will not follow any sequence, and so it will surely kill your time. Rather, you should answer all the other questions first. And just like List of Headings, only read the first two lines or last two lines of the expected paragraph initially. If you find the answers, you need not read the middle part. If you don’t find answers yet, you can skim the middle part of the paragraph. Keywords will be a useful matter here.]
Question no. 1: details of the range of family types involved in an education programme
Keywords for the question: range of family types, involved in, education programme,
In section D, we find two paragraphs. At the end of the first paragraph, in lines 11-17, the author says, “ .. . . The four-year pilot study included 380 families who were about to have their first child and who represented a cross-section of socio-economic status, age and family configurations. They included single-parent and two-parent families, families in which both parents worked, and families with either the mother or father at home.”
Here, single-parent and two-parent families, families in which both parents worked, and families with either the mother or father at home = details of the range of family types,
So, the answer is: D
Question no. 2: reasons why a child’s early years are so important
Keywords for the question: reason, why, child’s early years, so important,
Both the paragraphs in section B provide details about the importance of the early years of a child. In the first paragraph, the writer says, “ … .. by the age of three, most children have the potential to understand about 1000 words .. .. .”
Then, in the second paragraph, the writer says again, “. .. . research has shown that while every child is born with a natural curiosity, it can be suppressed dramatically during the second and third years of life. Researchers claim that the human personality is formed during the first two years of life, and during the first three years children learn the basic skills they will use in all their later learning both at home and at school.”
So, the answer is: B
Question no. 3: reasons why an education programme failed
Keywords for the question: reasons, why, education programme, failed,
Section C contains two paragraphs. In the first paragraph, the writer talks about the ‘Headstart’ education programme.
Then, in the second paragraph, the writer says at the beginning, “Despite substantial funding, results have been disappointing.”
Here, results have been disappointing = the education programme failed,
So, the answer is: C
Question no. 4: a description of the positive outcomes of an education programme
Keywords for the question: description, positive outcomes, education programme,
In section E, the author of the passage says in the beginning, in lines 1-7, “At the age of three, the children who had been involved in the ‘Missouri’ programme were evaluated alongside a cross-section of children selected from the same range of socio-economic backgrounds and family situations, and also a random sample of children that age. The results were phenomenal.”
Here, the results were phenomenal = positive outcomes,
Then, in the following lines, the writer provides a detailed description of the positive outcomes.
So, the answer is: E
Question 6-9: Classifying groups
[This type of question asks candidates to classify information from the given reading text. Candidates are given some groups from the text, and a list of options, which are listed as A, B, C etc. They must match the correct groups with the correct options.
N.B.: This question doesn’t follow any sequence. So, they should be answered after all other questions in the passage.]
Question no. 5: was administered to a variety of poor and wealthy families
Keywords for the question: administered to, variety of, poor and wealthy families,
In section E, the author says about the ‘Missouri’ programme in lines 4-5 of the first paragraph, “ .. .. a cross-section of children selected from the same range of socio-economic backgrounds and family situations .. .”
Then, in the second paragraph, the writer says in the last lines, “ .. . . That interaction was not necessarily bad in poorer families.”
Moreover, in section D, take a look at these lines in the first paragraph, “ . .. . The ‘Missouri’ programme was predicated on research showing that .. … . The four-year pilot study included 380 families who were about to have their first child and who represented a cross-section of socio-economic status, age and family configurations. . .. . ”
Here, a cross-section of socio-economic status = both poor and wealthy families,
This means the ‘Missouri’ programme was administered to a variety of poor and wealthy families.
So, the answer is: B (the ‘Missouri’ programme)
Question no. 6: continued with follow-up assistance in elementary schools
Keywords for the question: continued with, follow-up assistance, elementary schools,
We can learn from the passage that both the ‘Headstart’ and ‘Missouri’ programmes aimed at children’s early education before the age of three. So, logically, neither the ‘Headstart’ nor the ‘Missouri’ programme continued with further assistance in elementary schools.
So, the answer is: D (neither the ‘Missouri’ nor the ‘Headstart’ programme)
Question no. 7: did not succeed in its aim
Keywords for the question: did not succeed, its aim,
Section C contains two paragraphs. In the first paragraph, the writer talks about the ‘Headstart’ programme.
Then, in the second paragraph, the writer says at the beginning, “Despite substantial funding, results have been disappointing.”
Here, results have been disappointing = the education programme failed or did not succeed in its aim,
So, the answer is: A (the ‘Headstart’ programme)
Question no. 8: supplied many forms of support and training to parents
Keywords for the question: supplied, many forms of, support and training, parents,
The writer gives details about the ‘Missouri’ programme in section D, “ . . . a pilot programme was launched in Missouri in the US that focused on parents as the child’s first teachers… .. The programme involved trained parent-educators visiting the parent’s home and working with the parent, or parents, and the child. Information on child development, and guidance on things to look for and expect as the child grows were provided, plus guidance in fostering the child’s intellectual, language, social and motor-skill development.”
Here, Information on child development, and guidance on things to look for and expect as the child grows were provided, plus guidance in fostering the child’s intellectual, language, social and motor-skill development = the many forms of support and training supplied to parents,
So, the answer is: B (the ‘Missouri’ programme)
Question no. 9: received insufficient funding
Keywords for the question: received, insufficient funding,
In section C, we find about the sufficient funding for the ‘Headstart’ programme, “Despite substantial funding, results have been disappointing. . ..” So, the ‘Headstart’ programme received substantial or sufficient funding.
Then, in section D, in the second paragraph, the writer provides a detailed description of guidance and support provided to parents and children by the ‘Missouri’ programme. This means the programme received more than sufficient funding.
So, the answer is: D (neither the ‘Missouri’ nor the ‘Headstart’ programme)
Question no. 10: was designed to improve pre-schoolers’ educational development
Keywords for the question: was designed, improve, pre-schoolers’ educational development,
In section D, the author of the passage says that the ‘Missouri’ programme “ .. . . included 380 families who were about to have their first child . .. .”. Moreover, this programme lasted
in 4 years. In these 4 years, the programme provided training and support to the parents and medical check-ups for the children. So, this is understood that this programme was designed to improve the pre-schooler’s (first child) educational development.
Moreover, in section C, the writer says that ‘Headstart’ programme “ . .. . took children into pre-school institutions at the age of three and was supposed to help the children of poorer families succeed in school.”
Therefore, we can realize that both the programmes were designed to improve pre-scholers’ educational development.
So, the answer is: C (both the ‘Missouri’ and the ‘Headstart’ programme)
Questions 11-13: TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN
[In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:
The statement in the question agrees with the information in the passage – TRUE
The statement in the question contradicts with the information in the passage – FALSE
If there is no information on this – NOT GIVEN
For this type of question, you can divide each statement into three independent pieces and make your way through with the answer.]
Question no. 11: Most ‘Missouri’ programme three-year-olds scored highly in areas such as listening, speaking, reasoning and interacting with others.
Keywords for the question: most ‘Missouri’ programme, three-year-old, scored, highly, areas, such as, listening, speaking, reasoning, interacting with others,
The first paragraph in section E provides us with the answer to this question. The writer presents the phenomenal results of the ‘Missouri’ programme here, “ . . . The results were phenomenal. By the age of three, the children in the programme were significantly more advanced in language development than their peers, had made greater strides in problem solving and other intellectual skills, and were further along in social development, in fact, the average child on the programme was performing at the level of the top 15 to 20 per cent of their peers in such things as auditory comprehension, verbal ability and language ability.”
Here, auditory comprehension = listening, verbal ability = speaking, problem solving = reasoning, social development = interacting with others,
So, the answer is: TRUE
Question no. 12: ‘Missouri’ programme children of young, uneducated, single parents scored less highly on the tests.
Keywords for the question: ‘Missouri’ programme children, young, uneducated, single parents, scored, less highly, tests,
In the second paragraph of section E, the writer says, “ . . .. Most important of all, the traditional measures of ‘risk’, such as parents’ age and education, or whether they were a single parent, bore little or no relationship to the measures of achievement and language development. Children in the programme performed equally well regardless of socio-economic disadvantages. . ..”
Here, performed equally well regardless of socio-economic disadvantages = scored equal, not less highly,
So, the answer is: FALSE
Question no. 13: The richer families in the ‘Missouri’ programme had higher stress levels.
Keywords for the question: richer families, ‘Missouri’ programme, had, higher stress levels,
The explanation regarding the ‘Missouri’ programme was given in section D and E. However, there was no mention of stress levels in the richer families here.
So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN
Reading Passage 2: Questions 14-26
The headline of the passage: Disappearing Delta
Questions 14-17: List of headings
[In this question type, IELTS candidates are provided with a list of headings, usually identified with lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc,). A heading will refer to the main idea of the paragraph or section of the text. Candidates must find out the equivalent heading to the correct paragraphs or sections, which are marked with alphabets A, B, C and so forth. Candidates need to write the appropriate Roman numerals in the boxes on their answer sheets. There will always be two or three more headings than there are paragraphs or sections. So, some of the headings will not be used. It is also likely that some paragraphs or sections may not be included in the task. Generally, the first paragraph is an example paragraph that will be done for the candidates for their understanding of the task.
TIPS: Skimming is the best reading technique. You need not understand every word here. Just try to gather the gist of the sentences. That’s all. Read quickly and don’t stop until you finish each sentence.]
Question no. 14: Paragraph B
The first part of paragraph B guides us to the answer to this question. The writer says here, “Up to now, people have blamed this loss of delta land on the two large dams at Aswan in the south of Egypt, which hold back virtually all of the sediment that used to flow down the river. Before the dams were built, the Nile flowed freely, . .. . .”
Here, the highlighted points suggest that the two large dams built in Aswan have interrupted the natural flow of sediment in the river Nile.
So, the answer is: iv (Interrupting a natural process)
Question no. 15: Paragraph D
Paragraph D explains the effects of irrigation in the river Nile on sedimentation as the writer says here, “Once north of Cairo, most of the Nile water is diverted into more than 10,000 kilometres of irrigation canals . . .. . The water in the irrigation canals is still or very slow-moving and thus cannot carry sediment’, Stanley explains. The sediment sinks to the bottom of the canals and then is added to fields by farmers or pumped with the water into the four large freshwater lagoons that are located near the outer edges of the delta. .. ..”
So, the answer is: i (Effects of irrigation on sedimentation)
Question no. 16: Paragraph E
Paragraph E explains how pollutants found in the river water are becoming a threat to food production. The writer says here, “ .. . . by the time the sediment has come to rest in the fields and lagoons, it is laden with municipal, industrial and agricultural waste from the Cairo region, which is home to more than 40 million people. ‘Pollutants are building up faster and faster,’ says Stanley.”
Again, take a look at these lines from the same paragraph, “ . .. . Since that time the concentration of mercury has increased significantly. Lead from engines that use leaded fuels and from other industrial sources has also increased dramatically. These poisons can easily enter the food chain, affecting the productivity of fishing and farming. .. .”
Here, productivity of fishing and farming = food production,
So, the answer is: v (The threat of food production)
Question no. 17: Paragraph F
The last few lines of paragraph F indicate the answer. The writer says here, “ .. . .. He says, however, that in the long term an alternative process such as desalination may have to be used to increase the amount of water available. ‘In my view, Egypt must devise a way to have more water running through the river and the delta,’ says Stanley. Easier said than done in a desert region with a rapidly growing population.”
Here, Easier said than done = the solutions may take quite a long time and efforts,
So, the answer is: viii (Looking at the long-term impact)
Questions 19-24: YES, NO, NOT GIVEN:
[In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:
The statement in the question matches with the claim of the writer in the text- YES
The statement in the question contradicts with the claim of the writer in the text- NO
The statement in the question has no clear connection with the account in the text- NOT GIVEN
TIPS: For this type of question, you can divide each statement into three independent pieces and make your way through with the answer.]
Question no. 18: Coastal erosion occurred along Egypt’s Mediterranean coast before the building of the Aswan dams.
Keywords for the question: coastal erosion, occurred, Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, before, building, Aswan dams,
The answer can is found in the last few lines of paragraph A, “ . .. In the past, land scoured away from the coastline by the currents of the Mediterranean Sea used to be replaced by sediment brought down to the delta by the River Nile, but this is no longer happening.”
Here, land scoured away from the coastline = coastal erosion occurred,
So, the answer is: YES
Question no. 19: Some people predicted that the Aswan dams would cause land loss before they were built.
Keywords for the question: some people, predicted, Aswan dams, would cause, land loss, before, built,
The first lines of paragraph B may confuse you here, as the writer says here, “Up to now, people have blamed this loss of delta land on the two large dams at Aswan in the south of Egypt, .. ..”
We should understand here, the lines suggest that people now blame the Aswan dams for the land loss. However, the question asks us whether people predicted it before the construction of Aswan dams. We don’t find any such information here.
So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN
Question no. 20: The Aswan dams were built to increase the fertility of the Nile delta.
Keywords for the question: Aswan dams, built, to increase, fertility, Nile delta,
The reasons for building Aswan dams are provided in lines 15-19 of paragraph B, “ . .. . . the Aswan dams were constructed in the 20th century to provide electricity and irrigation, and to protect the huge population centre of Cairo and its surrounding areas from annual flooding and drought, . .. .”
These lines suggest that the Aswan dams were not built to improve the fertility of the Nile delta.
So, the answer is: NO
Question no. 21: Stanley found that the levels of sediment in the river water in Cairo were relatively high.
Keywords for the question: Stanley, found, levels of sediments, river water, Cairo, relatively high,
Take a close look at the last few lines of paragraph C where Stanley compares the level of sediment in the Nile delta in Cairo and the Mediterranean, “ . .. ‘There is still a lot of sediment coming into the delta, but virtually no sediment comes out into the Mediterranean to replenish the coastline. So this sediment must be trapped on the delta itself.”
Here, the delta = the Nile delta in Cairo, a lot of sediment = relatively high level of sediment,
So, the answer is: YES
Question no. 22: Sediment in the irrigation canals on the Nile delta causes flooding.
Keywords for the question: sediment, irrigation canals, Nile delta, causes, flooding,
Paragraph D talks about the impact of irrigation on sedimentation in the delta and paragraph E deals with the threats of pollutants in food production. No cause of flooding is found here.
So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN
Question no. 23: Water is pumped from the irrigation canals into the lagoons.
Keywords for the question: water, pumped, irrigation canals, into, lagoons,
The answer can be found in paragraph D, in lines 7-11, “ . .. . The sediment sinks to the bottom of the canals and then is added to fields by farmers or pumped with the water into the four large freshwater lagoons that are located near the outer edges of the delta. .. .. .”
The lines suggest that water is pumped from the irrigation canals into the four lagoons.
So, the answer is: YES
Questions 24-26: Completing summary with a list of words
[In this type of question, candidates are asked to complete a summary with a list of words taken from the passage. Candidates must write the correct letter (not the words) as the answers. Keywords and synonyms are important to find answers correctly. Generally, this type of question maintains a sequence. Find the keywords in the passage and you are most likely to find the answers.]
Question no. 24: In addition to the problem of coastal erosion, there has been a marked increase in the level of _________ contained in the silt deposited in the Nile delta.
Keywords for the question: in addition to, problem, coastal erosion, marked increase, level of, silt, deposited, Nile delta,
The point of coastal erosion is discussed in paragraph A and B. Then, paragraph C and D mainly discusses the point of sedimentation process. After that, in paragraph E, the writer talks in details about the problem created by waste and pollutants, “ . . . But by the time the sediment has come to rest in the fields and lagoons it is laden with municipal, industrial and agricultural waste from the Cairo region, which is home to more than 40 million people. ‘Pollutants are building up faster and faster,’ says Stanley.
Here, building up faster and faster = marked increase,
So, the answer is: F (pollutants)
Questions no. 25 & 26: To deal with this, Stanley suggests the use of 25. _________ in the short term, and increasing the amount of water available through 26. ________ in the longer term.
Keywords for the question: deal with, Stanley suggests, use of, short term, increasing, amount of water, available through, longer term,
In paragraph F, we find the short-term and long-term solutions to the problem. In lines 9-11, the writer states, “ . .. . In the immediate future, Stanley believes that one solution would be to make artificial floods to flush out the delta waterways, in the same way that natural floods did before the construction of the dams. .. ..”
Here, In the immediate future = short-term solution,
Then, right after that, the writer says again, “ . .. He says, however, that in the long term an alternative process such as desalination may have to be used to increase the amount of water available. .. ..”
Here, in the long term = long-term solution,
So, the answers are:
- A (artificial floods)
- B (desalination)
-
Reading Passage 3: Questions 27-40
The headline of the passage: The Return of Artificial Intelligence
Questions 27-31: Identifying information:
[This question asks you to find information from the passage and write the number of the paragraph (A, B, C or D … .. ) in the answer sheet. Now, if the question is given in the very first part of the question set, I’d request you not to answer them. It’s mainly because this question will not follow any sequence, and so it will surely kill your time. Rather, you should answer all the other questions first. And just like List of Headings, only read the first two lines or last two lines of the expected paragraph initially. If you find the answers, you need not read the middle part. If you don’t find answers yet, you can skim the middle part of the paragraph. Keywords will be a useful matter here. Please, do not read the questions first.]
Question no. 27: how AI might have a military impact
Keywords for the question: AI, military impact,
The answer lies in the middle of paragraph E, in lines 3-4, “ . .. HNC claim that their system, based on a cluster of 30 processors, could be used to spot camouflaged vehicles on a battlefield . . ..”
Here, spot camouflaged vehicles on a battlefield = might have a military impact,
So, the answer is: E
Question no. 28: the fact that AI brings together a range of separate research areas
Keywords for the question: AI, brings together, a range of, separate, research areas,
Lines 3-5 in paragraph B gives us the answer to this question, “ . .. . The expression provided an attractive but informative name for a research programme that encompassed such previously disparate fields as operations research, cybernetics, logic and computer science. …”
Here,
encompassed = linked/included,
operations research, cybernetics, logic and computer science = a range of separate research areas,
So, the answer is: B
Question no. 29: the reason why AI has become a common topic of conversation again
Keywords for the question: reason, why, AI, become, common topic of conversation, again,
In paragraph a, take a look at the first few lines, “After years in the wilderness, the term ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI) seems poised to make a comeback. AI was big in the 1980s but vanished in the 1990s. It re-entered public consciousness with the release of AI, a movie about a robot boy. This has ignited public debate about AI, . .. .”
Here, make a comeback = has become . .. . . again, re-entered public consciousness = has become a common topic of conversation again,
So, the answer is: A
Question no. 30: how AI could help deal with difficulties related to the amount of information available electronically
Keywords for the question: how, AI, could help, deal with, difficulties, amount of information, available, electronically,
Paragraph F talks about new companies who may deal with humongous amount of information using AI in the coming future, “Another factor that may boost the prospects for AI in the near future is that investors are now looking for firms using clever technology, rather than just a clever business model, to differentiate themselves. In particular, the problem of information overload, exacerbated by the growth of e-mail and the explosion in the number of web pages, means there are plenty of opportunities for new technologies to help filter and categorise information – classic AI problems. . .. .”
Here, the problem of information overload = difficulties related to the amount of information available electronically,
So, the answer is: F
Question no. 31: where the expression AI was first used
Keywords for the question: where, expression AI, first used,
Take a close look at the first lines of paragraph B, “The field was launched, and the term ‘artificial intelligence’ coined at a conference in 1956 by a group of researchers that included Marvin Minsky, John McCarthy, Herbert Simon and Alan Newell, all of whom went on to become leading figures in the field.. . .”
Here, the term ‘artificial intelligence’ coined = expression AI was first used,
So, the answer is: B
Questions 32-37: TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN
[In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:
The statement in the question agrees with the information in the passage – TRUE
The statement in the question contradicts with the information in the passage – FALSE
If there is no information on this – NOT GIVENFor this type of question, you can divide each statement into three independent pieces and make your way through with the answer.]
Question no. 32: The researchers who launched the field of AI had worked together on other projects in the past.
Keywords for the question: researchers, launched, field of AI, worked together, other projects, in the past,
In paragraph B, the first lines talk about the researchers who launched the field of AI, “The field was launched, and the term ‘artificial intelligence’ coined at a conference in 1956 by a group of researchers that included Marvin Minsky, John McCarthy, Herbert Simon and Alan Newell, all of whom went on to become leading figures in the field. . .. .”
However, whether they worked together in any other projects in the past was not mentioned.
So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN
Question no. 33: In 1985, AI was at its lowest point.
Keywords for the question: 1985, AI, lowest point,
In paragraph C, the first line says, “ . .. . Most researchers agree that AI peaked around 1985. ..”
Here, peaked around 1985 = was at its highest point,
So, the answer is: FALSE
Question no. 34: Research into agent technology was more costly than research into neural networks.
Keywords for the question: research, agent technology, more costly, research, neural networks,
We find the mention of agent technology and neural networks in the last lines of paragraph C, “ . .. By the late 1980s, the term AI was being avoided by many researchers, who opted instead to align themselves with specific sub-disciplines such as neural networks, agent technology, case-based reasoning, and so on.”
However, no comparison has been made here between neural networks and agent technology.
So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN
Question no. 35: Applications of AI have already had a degree of success.
Keywords for the question: applications of AI, already had, a degree of success,
In paragraph D, the first indicates the answer, “Ironically, in some ways AI was a victim of its own success. .. ..”
The sentence suggests that AI has been successful in some cases and its own success led to some problems.
Here, in some ways = a degree of,
So, the answer is: TRUE
Question no. 36: The problems waiting to be solved by AI have not changed since 1967.
Keywords for the question: the problems, waiting to be solved, AI, not changed, since 1967,
For this question, we have to look at both paragraphs C and D.
First, in paragraph C, the author of the passage says in lines 3-5, “ .. .. Marvin Minsky said in 1967 that within a generation the problem of creating ‘artificial intelligence’ would be substantially solved. . .. .”
Then, in line no. 6, the author says, “ . .. It proved to be a false dawn. .. .” This means AI could not solve the problem and as a result, “ . .. . By the late 1980, the term AI was being avoided by many researchers, who opted instead to align themselves with specific sub-disciplines such as neural networks, agent technology, case-based reasoning, and so on.”
After that, in paragraph D, the author says in lines 6-8, “ . .. Meanwhile, the technologies that made it onto the market, such as speech recognition, language translation and decision-support software, were no longer regarded as AI. Yet all three once fell well within the umbrella of AI research.”
So, the problems (that AI was meant to solve) were no longer considered as AI problems.
Therefore, the problems waiting to be solved by AI have changed since 1967.
So, the answer is: FALSE
Question no. 37: The film 2001: A Space Odyssey reflected contemporary ideas about the potential of AI computers.
Keywords for the question: film 2001: A Space Odyssey, reflected, contemporary ideas, potential of AI computers,
To find the answer to this question, let’s go to paragraph G, where the author mentions the name of the movie, “The 1969 film, 2001: A space Odyssey, featured an intelligent computer called HAL 9000. As well as understanding and speaking English, HAL could play chess and even learned to lipread. HAL thus encapsulated the optimism of the 1960s that intelligent computers would be widespread by 2001. . .. ”
Here, encapsulated the optimism of the 1960s = reflected contemporary ideas,
So, the answer is: TRUE
Questions 38-40: Multiple choice questions
[This type of question asks you to choose a suitable answer from the options using the knowledge you gained from the passage. Generally, this question is found as the last question so you should not worry much about it. Finding all the answers to previous questions gives you a good idea about the title.]
Question no. 38: According to researchers, in the late 1980s there was a feeling that –
Keywords for the question: according to researchers, late 1980s, a feeling,
The answer can be found in paragraph C in lines 7-11. The author says here, “. . .. ‘There was undue optimism in the early 1980s.’ says David Leake, a researcher at Indiana University. ‘Then when people realised there were hard problems, there was retrenchment. By the late 1980s, the term AI was being avoided by many researchers, who opted instead to align themselves with specific sub-disciplines such as neural networks, agent technology, case-based reasoning, and so on.’”
Here, undue = overstressed/ too much (so the expectation was too much), people realised there were hard problems, there was retrenchment = original expectations of AI may not have been justified, (and so, the funding for AI research became poor),
So, the answer is: B (original expectations of AI may not have been justified)
Question no. 39: In Dr Leake’s opinion, the reputation of AI suffered as a result of –
Keywords for the question: Dr. Leake’s opinion, reputation, suffered, as a result of,
Again, take a look at lines 8-11 in paragraph C, where we find the opinion of Dr. Leake, “‘Then when people realised there were hard problems, there was retrenchment. By the late 1980s, the term AI was being avoided by many researchers, who opted instead to align themselves with specific sub-disciplines such as neural networks, agent technology, case-based reasoning, and so on.’”
Here, people realised there were hard problems, = people’s perception about AI changed, retrenchment / AI was being avoided= the reputation of AI suffered,
So, the answer is: A (changing perceptions)
Question no. 40: The prospects for AI may benefit from–
Keywords for the question: prospects for AI, may, benefit from,
The answer can be found in paragraph F, in lines 1-3, “Another factor that may boost prospects for AI in the near future is that investors are looking for firms using clever technology, rather than just a clever business model, to differentiate themselves. … .”
Here, may boost prospects for AI = The prospects for AI may benefit from,
investors are looking for firms using clever technology, rather than just a clever business model, to differentiate themselves = new investment priorities,
So, the answer is: D (new investment priorities)