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IELTS® Academic Reading Practice 28

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This reading practice simulates one part of the IELTS General Reading test. You should spend about twenty minutes on it. Read the passage and answer questions 1-14.

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The term plastic comes from the Greek word plassein, meaning “to mold or shape.” Some plastics are derived from natural sources, some are semi-synthetic (the result of chemical action on a natural substance), and some are entirely synthetic, that is, chemically engineered from the constituent...
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Questions 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? In boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet, write

YES   if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO   if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN   if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

1. Baekeland's invention is a cheaper alternative to other types of plastics.

2. Baekeland's main scientific contribution was his discovery of the Bakelite material.

3. Modern-day plastic preparation is based on the same principles as that patented in 1907.

4. Designers of objects made with Bakelite had to work within the limitations of the material.

5. The facility with which the object could be removed from the mould does not influence the design of Bakelite objects.

6. The style which became popular in the 1930’s was related to the process of making Bakelite.

7. Retailers advertised Bakelite kitchen goods as being clean and less likely to make people sick.

The answer is NOT GIVEN. The passage does not provide any information about whether Baekeland's invention is a cheaper alternative to other types of plastics. There is no mention of cost comparison or affordability with respect to other plastics, so it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this issue based on the text.

Associated Text:

The answer is NO. In paragraph 3, it is stated, "In purely scientific terms, Baekeland's major contribution to the field is not so much the actual discovery of the material to which he gave his name, but rather the method by which a reaction between phenol and formaldehyde could be controlled, thus making plastic production possible on a commercial basis." This demonstrates that Baekeland's main contribution was the process, not the material discovery itself.

Associated Text:
In purely scientific terms, Baekeland's major contribution to the field is not so much the actual discovery of the material to which he gave his name, but rather the method by which a reaction between phenol and formaldehyde could be controlled, thus making plastic production possible on a commercial basis.

The answer is YES. The passage states in paragraph 3, "On July 13 1907, Baekeland took out his famous patent describing the preparation of synthetic thermosetting plastic, the basic principles of which are still in use today." This confirms modern-day plastic preparation is based on the same principles as that patented in 1907.

Associated Text:
On July 13 1907, Baekeland took out his famous patent describing the preparation of synthetic thermosetting plastic, the basic principles of which are still in use today.

The answer is YES. Paragraph 5, line 1 says, "The design of Bakelite objects... was governed to a large extent by the technical requirements of the molding process." This shows that designers had to take into account the limitations and requirements associated with the material and process when designing Bakelite objects.

Associated Text:
The design of Bakelite objects, everything from earrings to television sets, was governed to a large extent by the technical requirements of the molding process.

The answer is NO. It is stated in paragraph 5, "The design of Bakelite objects... was governed to a large extent by the technical requirements of the molding process. The object could not be designed so that it was locked into the mold and therefore difficult to extract." This means that the ease of removing the object from the mold did influence Bakelite object design, so the statement contradicts the passage.

Associated Text:
The design of Bakelite objects, everything from earrings to television sets, was governed to a large extent by the technical requirements of the molding process. The object could not be designed so that it was locked into the mold and therefore difficult to extract.

The answer is NO. It is mentioned in paragraph 5, "Sharp corners proved impractical and were thus avoided, giving rise to the smooth, 'streamlined' style popular in the 1930s." This sentence establishes that the popular 1930s style was the result of production limitations, not independent of them.

Associated Text:
Sharp corners proved impractical and were thus avoided, giving rise to the smooth, “streamlined” style popular in the 1930s.

The answer is YES. In paragraph 6, it says, "Being both non-porous and heat-resistant, Bakelite kitchen goods were promoted as being germ-free and sterilizable." This indicates that Bakelite goods were advertised as clean and less likely to make people sick, reflecting the claims of the writer.

Associated Text:
Being both non-porous and heat-resistant, Bakelite kitchen goods were promoted as being germ-free and sterilizable.

Questions 8-11
Complete the short answers below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in 8-11 on your answer sheet.

8. What does “plassein” mean in Greek?

9. Which of his inventions originally made Baekeland wealthy?

10. What are the two substances combined initially in the process of making Bakelite?

11. What technical requirements of making Bakelite should designers of Bakelite objects consider?

The answer is to mold or shape. At the beginning of the passage, it states, "The term plastic comes from the Greek word plassein, meaning 'to mold or shape.'" This is a direct definition provided in the text.

Associated Text:
The term plastic comes from the Greek word plassein, meaning 'to mold or shape.'

The answer is new photographic paper. According to paragraph 4, "By 1905 he was a wealthy New Yorker, having recently made his fortune with the invention of a new photographic paper." This identifies the invention that initially made Baekeland wealthy.

Associated Text:
By 1905 he was a wealthy New Yorker, having recently made his fortune with the invention of a new photographic paper.

The answer is phenol and formaldehyde. Paragraph 5 states, "The original patent outlined a three-stage process, in which phenol and formaldehyde (from wood or coal) were initially combined in a vacuum inside a large egg-shaped kettle." Thus, these are the two substances combined at the start of the Bakelite process.

Associated Text:
The original patent outlined a three-stage process, in which phenol and formaldehyde (from wood or coal) were initially combined in a vacuum inside a large egg-shaped kettle.

The answer is the molding process. Paragraph 5 clearly notes, "The design of Bakelite objects... was governed to a large extent by the technical requirements of the molding process." Hence, designers had to consider the molding process requirements.

Associated Text:
The design of Bakelite objects, everything from earrings to television sets, was governed to a large extent by the technical requirements of the molding process.

Questions 12-14
Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in 12-14 on your answer sheet.

Behaving in a similar way to candlewax, some plastics are , meaning they melt under heat and can be moulded into new forms. Bakelite was unique because it was the first material to be both entirely  in origin, and thermosetting. There were several factors contributing to the development of early plastics in the nineteenth century, among them the great advances that had been made in the field of and the search for alternatives to diminishing supplies of natural resources like ivory.

The answer is thermoplastic. At the beginning of the passage, it says, "Some are 'thermoplastic,' which means that, like candle wax, they melt when heated and can then be reshaped." This matches the summary's description.

Associated Text:
Some are 'thermoplastic,' which means that, like candle wax, they melt when heated and can then be reshaped.

The answer is synthetic. In paragraph 2, it is stated, "Bakelite had the distinction of being the first totally synthetic thermosetting plastic." This confirms it was the first material to be both entirely synthetic and thermosetting.

Associated Text:
Bakelite had the distinction of being the first totally synthetic thermosetting plastic.

The answer is chemistry. In paragraph 3, it states, "The driving force behind the development of these early plastics was generated by a number of factors, those being immense technological progress in the domain of chemistry, coupled with wider cultural changes, and finally the pragmatic need to find acceptable substitutes for dwindling supplies of luxury materials such as tortoiseshell and ivory." This emphasizes chemistry as a significant contributory factor.

Associated Text:
The driving force behind the development of these early plastics was generated by a number of factors, those being immense technological progress in the domain of chemistry, coupled with wider cultural changes, and finally the pragmatic need to find acceptable substitutes for dwindling supplies of luxury materials such as tortoiseshell and ivory.

Answer Sheet
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
N/A
16
N/A
17
N/A
18
N/A
19
N/A
20
N/A
21
N/A
22
N/A
23
N/A
24
N/A
25
N/A
26
N/A
27
N/A
28
N/A
29
N/A
30
N/A
31
N/A
32
N/A
33
N/A
34
N/A
35
N/A
36
N/A
37
N/A
38
N/A
39
N/A
40
N/A
Score Summary
0 / 1
Multiple Choice
Matching Sentence Endings
Note Completion
Table Completion
Flow Chart Completion
Summary Completion
Multiple Selection
Short Answer
Matching Headings
Matching Features
Matching Information
Identifying Information
Identifying Viewer Claims
Sentence Completion
Diagram Labelling
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Tips to improve your reading speed
To get a high score on the IELTS reading section, you need to have a fast reading speed. To have a fast reading speed, you need to improve your vocabulary and practice dissecting sentences. One strategy to dissect a sentence is to look for the subject and verb of the sentence. Finding the subject and verb will help you better understand the main idea of said sentence. Keep in mind, a common feature of a IELTS reading passage is to join strings of ideas to form long compound sentences. This produces large chunks that students have a hard time absorbing. Do not get overwhelmed by its length, just look for the subject and verb, the rest of the ideas will flow.

Keep in mind, having a slow reading speed makes skimming or scanning a reading passage more difficult. The process of quickly skimming through a reading passage for specific keywords or main ideas is a requirement for you to employ successful reading strategies to improve your IELTS reading score. In other words, skimming and scanning are critical skills to ensure you complete all questions in the allotted time frame.
IELTS Reading Strategies
Once you can read and comprehend a passage with a rate of, at least, 220 words per minute, you'll be ready to start implementing our strategies. All too often, students spend too much time reading the passages and not enough time answering the questions. Here is a step by step guide for tackling the reading section.

  1. Step 1: Read questions first

    One of the most common mistakes that candidates make when approaching the reading exam is reading every single word of the passages. Although you can practice for the exam by reading for pleasure, "reading blindly" (reading without any sense of what the questions will ask) will not do you any favors in the exam. Instead, it will hurt your chances for effectively managing your time and getting the best score.

    The main reason to read the questions first is because the type of question may determine what you read in the passage or how you read it. For example, some question types will call for the "skimming" technique, while others may call for the "scanning" technique.

    It is important to answer a set of questions that are of the same question type. You'll need to determine which question type you want to tackle first. A good strategy would be to start with the easier question type and move on to more difficult question types later. The Easiest question types are the ones where you spend less time reading. For example, the Matching Heading question type is an easier one because you only need to find the heading that best describes the main idea of a paragraph. An example of a difficult question type would be Identifying Information. For this question type, you'll need to read each paragraph to find out if each statement is TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the passage.

    Here is a table that lists the difficulty levels for each question type. Use this table as a reference when choosing which question type you want to tackle first.

    Difficulty level Question Type
    Easy Sentence Completion
    Short answer
    Medium Matching Features
    Multiple choice
    Matching Headings
    Summary, Table, Flow-Chart Completion
    Difficult Matching Sentence Endings
    Matching Information
    Identifying Information (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN)
    Identifying Viewer's claims (YES/NO/NOT GIVEN)

  2. Step 2: Read for an objective

    After you've read the questions for the passage, you will be able to read for an objective. What does this mean? For example, if you come across a question that includes the year "1896", you can make a note of when this year comes up in the text, using it to answer the question later on. There are two reading techniques that will help you stay on track with reading for an objective. The first one, skimming, is best defined as reading fast in order to get the "gist", or general idea, or a passage. With this technique, you are not stopping for any unfamiliar words or looking for specific details. The second technique, scanning, is best defined as reading for specific information. With this technique, you are not reading for the overall gist, but rather, specific information. Notice how each of these techniques has a specific objective in mind. This will help you find information more quickly.

  3. Step 3: Take notes

    As you're reading for an objective, you should also be making notes on the margins of the passage, placing stars next to key information, or underlining things that you believe will help you answer the various questions. This will make it easier for you to check back when you are asked certain things in the questions. Choose whichever note-taking system is right for you - just make sure you do it!

  4. Step 4: Answer wisely

    After you've read the questions, read the passage, and have taken any appropriate notes, you you should have located the part of the text where you where you need to read carefully. Then just read carefully and think critically to determine the correct answer.

IELTS Reading Question Types

The IELTS reading test contains many different question types:

Matching HeadingsIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Headings
Matching InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Information
Matching FeaturesIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Features
Summary CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Summary Completion
Identifying InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Information
Identifying Writer's claimsIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Writer's claims
Multiple ChoiceIELTS Reading Lesson: Multiple Choice
Short AnswerIELTS Reading Lesson: Short Answer
Match Sentence EndingIELTS Reading Lesson: Match Sentence Ending
Sentence CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Sentence Completion
Table CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Table Completion
 
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