Reading Passage 1

The headline of Passage 1: The Risks agriculture faces in developing countries

Question 1-3 (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. For this passage, first, answer question 4- 13. After finishing with these questions, come to question 1-3. 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.

Question 1: a reference to characteristics that only apply to food production.

Keywords for the answer: characteristics, only apply, food production

In Paragraph A, line 1, the writer says, “Two things distinguish food production form all other productive activities.” Here, the word distinguish is a verb and it refers to differentiate one thing from the other. The rest of the paragraph is about food only. So, by placing the word distinguish here, the writer means that these two things only apply to food production. Also, in the question, the word characteristics is in plural form, which means there is more than one characteristic = two things.

So, the answer is: A

Question 2: a reference to challenges faced only by farmers in certain parts of the world.

Keywords for the answer: challenges, only, farmers in certain parts of the world

In Paragraph B the very first line deals with the challenges the farmers have to face all round the world = “Farmers everywhere face major risks, including …. . .”. Now, many candidates will think it says farming problems of the whole world. Don’t let the line fool you. Go through the next lines. Here, line 3 says, “However, smallholder farmers in developing countries must in addition deal with adverse environments, both natural .. .. . ..”.

Developing countries = certain parts of the world.

So, the answer is: B

Question 3: a reference to difficulties in bringing about co-operation between farmers

Keywords for the answer: difficulties, co-operation between farmers.

*** This question will make you read all the paragraphs, but you will find the answer in paragraph H. That’s why I’ve instructed you not to touch this type of question at the beginning of your test.

In paragraph H, lines 7-8 has a reference to Giel Ton who warns, “…that collective action does not come as a free good. It takes time, effort …… .” This line is a clear match with the difficulties of Collective actions (co-operation between farmers).

So, the answer is: H

Question 4-9 (matching statements with list of people):

This question asks you to match the given statements with the list of people in the box below the question. Here, there are names of six agriculturists who have made different statements in the passage. First, find the main keyword of the question from the passage and then match other supporting keywords. Then, you can decide which person has made the selected statement. Read the instructions for the questions carefully. You may get confused sometimes if you don’t read the instructions.

Question 4: Financial assistance from the government does not always go to the farmers who most need it.

Keywords for the answer: financial assistance, does not always go to the farmers

If you skim the paragraphs A, B, C and D, you can’t find the main keyword financial assistance there. But, paragraph E, line 7 has a word ‘subsidies’ which is synonymous with financial assistance. It also says in lines 10 and 11, “In fact, studies show that sixty percent of beneficiaries of subsidies are not poor, but rich… .. . .” The underlined part of the sentence matches with “does not always go to the farmers”. Here, farmers are not rich.

The statement is made by Rokeya Kabir, Executive Director of Bangladesh Nari Progati Shangha.

So, the answer is: D

Question 5: Farmers can benefit from collaborating as a group.

Keywords for the answer: benefit, collaborate, as a group

The main keyword collaborating is synonymous to collective action and this phrase first appears in Paragraph H. So, it’s clear that the answer is in para H. Here lines 6 & 7 say, “collective action offers an important way for farmers to strengthen their political and economic bargaining power.” Here, the word strengthen can be replaced with benefit.

The statement is made by Sophia Murphy, senior advisor to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

So, the answer is: B

Question 6: Financial assistance from the government can improve the standard of living of farmers.

Keywords for the answer: financial assistance, standard of living, farmers.

The opening sentence of paragraph E, from where we found the answer of question 4, mentions the statement of Shennge Fan, who believes “…safety nets and public welfare programmes” are “…valuable ways to address poverty among farming families and reduce their vulnerability to agriculture shocks”. “Public welfare programmes” are actually those programmes which supply financial assistance. And “address poverty” and “reduce their vulnerability to agriculture shocks” means to “improve the standard of living”.

The statement is made by Shennge Fan, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute.

So, the answer is: C

Question 7: Farmers may be helped if there is financial input by the same individuals who buy from them.

Keywords for the answer: may be helped, financial input, same individuals, buy

Skim to Paragraph I and you find these synonyms or some synonymous phrases. In line 8, there is a phrase “worth more attention” which is synonymous to “farmers may be helped”. Also, the part of the sentence in line 7 “consumers invest in local farmers….”   matches with “financial input by the same individuals who buy from them”.

The statement is made by Sonali Bisht, founder and advisor of INHERE, India.

So, the answer is: G

Question 8: Governments can help to reduce variation in prices.

Keywords for the answer: governments, reduce, variation in prices

There is a statement in paragraph D which deals with the reduction of variation in prices. Just focus on the words and phrases in the last three lines of paragraph D.

  • There is a word ‘government’.
  • The word ‘Mitigate’ means ‘reduce’.
  • ‘Wild swings in food prices’ means ‘variation in prices’.

The statement is made by Sophia Murphy, senior advisor to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

So, the answer is: B

Question 9: Improvements to infrastructure can have a major impact on risk for farmers.

Keywords for the answer: improvements to infrastructure, major impact, risk for farmers

Skim to paragraph D where you’ve just found the previous answer to question 8. In lines 3, 4, 5 and 6, you find talks about improvements of infrastructures like roads, water, and food storage facilities etc. Also, here are other phrases which match with the question. Take a look:

  • Major impact on risk for farmers = governments can significantly reduce risk for farmers (line 4)

The statement is made by Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

So, the answer is: A

Question 10-13 (Multiple choice questions for two answers):

This set of questions asks you to find TWO answers to the same questions. So, the main keyword/keywords will be same.

Remember, you just need to find the two answers and put in boxes 10 and 11 of the answer sheet but you need not follow any sequence for that. Do the same for questions 12 and 13.

Question 10 and 11: Which TWO problems are mentioned which affect farmers with small farms in developing countries?

Keywords for the answer: problems, affect farmers with small farms, developing countries

In paragraph B line 3, you can find the mention of smallholder farmers which means farmers with small farms. There is also a clear mention of developing countries. Now, in line 3 and 4 you will find a phrase adverse environment which matches with answer D = the effects of changing weather patterns.

Also in the opening of paragraph G, the writer states, “… climate change and its consequences for small-scale agriculture”. Here, ‘Small-scale agriculture’ matches with ‘farmers with small farms’.

So, the identifiable first problem is climate change and its consequences, which are a match with “the effects of changing weather patterns”. Answer: D

Now, in paragraph I, the author talks about “the presence of intermediary purchasers” (line 2). “Purchasers” means “buyers”. Those people “… taking advantage of farmers’ vulnerability, dictate prices.” It’s the reason as farmers are bound to sell their goods to these intermediary buyers and these are the buyers who play with prices or dictate prices. Answer: E

So, the answers are: D & E (put answers in boxes 10 and 11 in any order)

Question 12 and 13: Which TWO actions are recommended for improving conditions for farmers?

 Keywords for the answer: recommended, improving, conditions for farmers

 In paragraph H, as we’ve already read that collective actions can be beneficial for farmers. So, this matches with answer C where organizing co-operation …. is mentioned.

In paragraph I, lines 7 and 8 there is a mention of “….community-supported agriculture, where consumers invest in local farmers by subscription and guarantee producers a fair price, ….” So, this matches with answer D where we find phrases like encouraging consumers and financial stakes.

So, the answers are: C & D (put answers in boxes 12 and 13 in any order)

The headline of Passage 2: The Lost City

Question 14-20 (List of headings/ Matching Headlines):

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 which will be done for the candidates for their understanding of the task.

TIPS: Read the first two lines, and occasionally, the last line of each heading. In most cases, the answers are found here. Do it for all the paragraphs. Do not read too much. If you still don’t find the answers, only then, read the remaining texts.

Question 14: Paragraph A

In paragraph A, the answer is found in line 4 and line 6, at the end of the paragraph. Line 4 states, “…… His goal was to locate…..”. Line 6 states, “….. and Bingham’s plan was to… …” Both these lines have words like goal and plan which indicates that there was an aim of the trip.

So, the answer is: iv            The aim of the trip

Question 15: Paragraph B

In paragraph B, you can find the answer in line 2 and 3, where the writer says, “ ….. a track had recently been blasted down….” Again, you read further and in line 4, the writer also says, “Almost all previous travelers had left the river at Ollantaytambo and taken a high pass across the mountains to rejoin the river………. … .. . but also therefore never passing through the area around Machu Picchu.” It means that before Bingham’s expedition using the recent track, previous travelers had no idea that the recent route has existed.

So, the answer is: vi            A new route

Question 16: Paragraph C

In paragraph C, the last lines contain the answer. In lines 5 and 6 the writer says, “……. And Bingham also seems to have been less than keen on …… “ It means for the time being Bingham also lost his interest in the expedition.

So, the answer is: viii          Bingham’s lack of enthusiasm

Question 17: Paragraph D

As for paragraph D, the answer can be gathered both from first and last lines. In line 1, the author says, “….. Bingham writes about the approach in vivid style.” Line 7 and 8 says, “… It seemed like unbelievable dream….” Both in vivid style and unbelievable dream suggest that the description of Bingham was dramatic.

So, the answer is: v              A dramatic description

Question 18: Paragraph E

The answer to paragraph E lies in line 2 and 3 where he says, “ ….. His journey entries of the time reveal a much more gradual appreciation of his achievement.” This means he wrote more than what he saw. Also in line 5 and 6, the writer says, “….. rejoined his companions, to whom he seems to have said little about his discovery.” So, Bingham writes in his notebook many things but doesn’t tell his companions much.

So, the answer is: i               Different accounts of the same journey

Question 19: Paragraph F

In paragraph F, line 2 and 3, it is written, “…. . . When he came to write the National Geographic magazine article that broke the story to the world in April 1913, …” These lines suggest that Bingham wrote an article on Machu Picchu.

So, the answer is: vii           Bingham publishes his theory

Question 20: Paragraph G

In paragraph G, line 5 says, “ … An idea which has gained wide acceptance over the past few years…..”. Here, wide acceptance means that the idea became a common belief.

 So, the answer is: iii            A common belief

Question 21-24 (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN):

In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:

The statement in the question matches with the account in the text- TRUE

The statement in the question contradicts with the account in the text- FALSE

The statement in the question has no clear connection with the account in the text- NOT GIVEN

Click here to learn more on how to tackle this type of question best.

Question 21: Bingham went to South America in search of an Inca City.

Keywords for the answer: went, South America, search, Inca city

In paragraph A line 1, the writer says, “…  . .. Hiram Bingham arrived in South America….”.

In line 3, the writer also says, “…. . .exploration of the remote hinterland to the west of Cusco, the old capital of the Inca .. ..”

So, the answer is: TRUE

Question 22: Bingham chose a particular route down the Urubamba valley because it was the most common route used by travelers.

Keywords for the answer: chose, particular route, down the Urubamba valley, the most common route

In paragraph B, you can find the answer in line 2 and 3, where the writer says, “ ….. a track had recently been blasted down….” Again, you read further and in line 4, the writers also says, “Almost all previous travelers had left the river at Ollantaytambo and taken a high pass across the mountains to rejoin the river………. … .. . but also therefore never passing through the area around Machu Picchu.”

It clearly means that before Bingham’s expedition using the recent track, previous travelers had no idea that the recent route have existed.

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question 23: Bingham understood the significance of Machu Picchu as soon as he saw it.

Keywords for the answer: understood, significance, Machu Picchu, as soon as, saw

In paragraph E, line 6 and 7, the writers says, “… . .. At this stage, Bingham didn’t realize the extent or the importance of the site….”

The text clearly contradicts/doesn’t match with the question.

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question 24: Bingham returned to Machu Picchu in order to find evidence to support this theory.

Keywords for the answer: returned, in order to, find, evidence

The previous answer was taken from paragraph E. So, you need not go back. Just skim the next paragraphs. You will find no information regarding Bingham’s return to Machu Picchu.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question 25-26 (Completing sentences with ONE WORD ONLY):

In this type of question, candidates are asked to write only one word to complete the sentence. For this type of question, first, skim the passage to find the keywords in the paragraph concerned with the answer, and then scan to find the exact word.

Question 25: The track that took Bingham down the Urubamba valley had been created for the transportation of ……………………  .

Keywords for the answer: the track, down the Urubamba valley, for transportation

The answer can be found in paragraph B. Here, you can find in line 2 and 3, “…. .. a track had recently been blasted down… .. .. to enable rubber to be brought up by mules from the jungle.”

It means that the recent route which Bingham used to reach Machu Picchu was made to transport rubber.

So, the answer is: rubber

Question 26: Bingham found out about the ruins of Machu Picchu from a ……………………  in the Urubamba valley.

Keywords for the answer: ruins of Machu Picchu, the Urubamba valley, from a

This answer can be found in paragraph C line 1 there is a mention of the word valley. In lines 3 and 4, the writer says,

“. . . .. . . up the nearby hill to see some ruins that a local farmer, Melchor Arteaga, had told them about … . .. . ”.

So, it was a local farmer who told Bingham’s team about the ruins.

So, the answer is: farmer

The headline of Passage 3: The Benefits of Being Bilingual

Question 27-31 (Matching tables; tests and findings)

In this type of question, the candidates are asked to fill in the blanks in two tables where some tests and their findings are mentioned. There is a condition of writing the answer which is NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS. As these questions have gaps to fill in, you need to focus the words before and after the gaps. This will help you find the answers easily. Synonyms are important because the answers cannot be found as it is in the questions.

Question 27: Observing the _________ of Russian-English bilingual people when asked to select certain objects.

Keywords for the answer:  Observing, Russian–English, when asked, select certain objects

In paragraph B, the keyword Russian-English is found in line 10. So, the answer should be somewhere around it. Line 9 mentions a word ‘studying’ which is synonymous to ‘Observing’. The rest of the paragraph indicates selecting certain words like ‘stamp’ or ‘marka’. So, the will be studying eye movements (found in line 9 and 10).

So, the answer is: eye movements

Question 28: Bilingual people engage both languages simultaneously: a mechanism known as __________.

Keywords for the answer: both languages, simultaneously, mechanism, known as

In paragraph B, where we found the previous question’s answer, there are few words which match with the keywords for this answer. Here, in line 6 and 7, it is said that word recognition is ‘… . . not limited to a single language; auditory input activates corresponding words regardless of the language to which they belong.’ This is synonymous to “Bilingual people engage both languages simultaneously”. Also, mechanism = phenomenon and known as = called.   

So, the answer is: language co-activation

Question 29: A test called the _______, focusing on naming colours.

Keywords for the answer: test, called, naming colours

In paragraph C, line 7 mentions the name of a test which is ‘Stroop Task’. The following line has a phrase ‘to name the colour’.

So, the answer is: Stroop Task

Question 30: Bilingual people are more able to handle tasks involving a skill called ________.

Keywords for the answer: more able to handle, a skill called

In paragraph C, line 6 and 7, the author states, “…. .. .. bilingual people often perform better on tasks that require conflict management.”

This means that bilingual people are better (more able) to perform (handle) those tasks which require (involving) a special skill and that is conflict management.

So, the answer is: conflict management

Question 30: When changing strategies, bilingual people have superior ________.

Keywords for the answer: changing strategies, have superior

 In paragraph C, line 14 and 15, the writer talks about switching between two tasks. This has a close relationship with the phrase changing strategies in the question. Then the writer says that when bilingual people do such tasks, they reflect better cognitive control (line 17).

So, the answer is: cognitive control

Question 32-36(YES/NO/NOT GIVEN):

In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:

The statement in the question matches with the account in the text- YES

The statement in the question contradicts with the account in the text- NO

The statement in the question has no clear connection with the account in the text- NOT GIVEN

Answers to these questions will follow a sequential order. So, if you find, for example, the answer to question 33, it means that the answer to question 32 is just before that.

Question 32: Attitudes towards bilingualism have changed in recent years.

Keywords for the answer: attitudes, have changed, recent years

Start reading from the very beginning of the passage. In paragraph 1, line 2 and 3, the writer talks about the negative attitudes towards speaking two languages (….. In the past, such children were considered ….. . .. .) Then, in line 4-7, the writer says that the advancement in technology have helped to show that children who speak in two or more languages have several clear benefits (last line). This means that the attitudes have changed.

So, the answer is: YES

Question 33: Bilingual people are better than monolingual people at guessing correctly what words are before they are finished.

Keywords for the answer: better than, at guessing correctly, what words, before, finished

Paragraph B talks about the use of words while paragraph C talks about guessing words. But none of them shows any comparison on who is better in guessing correctly a word. There is no clear indication about the statement in the question 33.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question 34: Bilingual people consistently name images faster than monolingual people.

Keywords for the answer: consistently, name images, faster

In paragraph C line, 2 and 3, the writer says a completely opposite thing. “…. .For instance, knowing more than one language can cause speakers to name pictures more slowly.” This line directly contradicts with the statement in question 34.

So, the answer is: NO

Question 35: Bilingual people’s brains process single sounds more efficiently than monolingual people in all situations.

Keywords for the answer: brains process single sounds, more efficiently, in all situations

In paragraph D, the author mentions “… When monolingual and bilingual adolescents listen to simple speech sounds without any intervening background noise, they show highly similar brain stem responses”. So, there is a proof of one situation, when there is no intervening background noise, at the time of the brain processing of both monolingual and bilingual people is “almost the same”. The given statement is only correct in the presence of background noise, but not in all situations.

So, the answer is: NO

Question 36: Fewer bilingual people than monolingual people suffer from brain disease in old age.

Keywords for the answer: Fewer, suffer, brain disease, old age

Paragraph F is the only place where the writer mentions the old age in terms of issues related to brain disease. But nowhere in the paragraph has the writer said anything about a comparison on who suffer from brain disease more- bilingual or monolingual.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question 37-40 (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. 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. You might as well find some answers quickly now, as you have already read the passage to find other questions and got a thorough idea about it.

Question 37: An example of how bilingual and monolingual people’s brains respond differently to a certain type of non-verbal auditory input

Keywords for the answer: example, brains, respond, differently, type of non-verbal auditory input

In paragraph D, we find some information about brain responses. Actually, we already found it when answering question 35. There is a mention of ‘simple sound’ which can be a close match to non-verbal auditory input.

So, the answer is: D

Question 38: A demonstration of how a bilingual upbringing has benefits even before we learn to speak

Keywords for the answer: demonstration, a bilingual upbringing, benefit, before we learn to speak

In paragraph G, lines 1 to 3, we find phrases like “very early” which matches with even before we learn to speak, “seven-month-old babies growing” which matches with upbringing. In the last lines, there is a phrase ‘imparts advantages’ which matches with benefits.

So, the answer is: G

Question 39: A description of the process by which people identify words that they hear

Keywords for the answer: description, process, identify words that they hear

We have already read paragraph B, where the writer talks about how bilinguals identify words (in lines 2 and 3). So, further reading may not be necessary. Just check again the lines.

So, the answer is: B

Question 40: Reference to some negative consequences of being bilingual

Keywords for the answer: negative consequences, being bilingual

This is also an easy answer to find out because we have already covered it while reading paragraph C, line 2 and 3. The writer says, “For instance, knowing more than one language can cause speakers to name pictures more slowly.”

So, the answer is: C