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IELTS® Academic Reading Practice 77

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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 13-26.

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A little over a century ago, an expedition led by Scott, Shackleton and Mawson bravely battled against Antarctica’s blizzards, cold and deprivation. In the name of Empire and in an age of heroic deeds they created an image of Antarctica that was to last well into the 20th century—an image of re...
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Questions 13-21
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? In boxes 13-21 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE   if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE   if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN   if there is no information on this.

13. The early public perception of Antarctica was of a place with little underlying worth.

14. Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), the longest current in the world, circulated under contributory force from wind blowing from the east.

15. The extreme environment of Antarctica influences weather patterns throughout the southern hemisphere.

16. Farmers in Australia use research carried out in the Antarctic to plan their business.

17. When sea ice in the Antarctic is less widespread, there is more food available for other marine animals.

18. Whales and seabird spend an equal amount of time feeding in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

19. The decrease of salt and density of the water causes Antarctic water to move beyond the continental shelf

20. Sea ice tends to remain static for long periods of time.

21. The positive effects of cold water from Antarctica is crucial to other oceans.

The answer is TRUE. The passage in the first paragraph states, "they created an image of Antarctica that was to last well into the 20th century—an image of remoteness, hardship, bleakness and isolation that was the province of only the most courageous of men. The image was one of a place removed from everyday reality, of a place with no apparent value to anyone." This means that the early public perception of Antarctica was indeed that it was a place with little underlying worth.

Associated Text:
The image was one of a place removed from everyday reality, of a place with no apparent value to anyone.

The answer is FALSE. In the third paragraph, the passage specifies, "the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), that flowed from west to east under the influence of the prevailing westerly winds." This means the ACC flows due to winds blowing from the west, not from the east.

Associated Text:
Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), that flowed from west to east under the influence of the prevailing westerly winds.

The answer is NOT GIVEN. While the passage discusses the influence of Antarctica on specific weather events and ocean circulation, it does not directly state that the extreme environment of Antarctica influences weather patterns throughout the entire southern hemisphere.

Associated Text:

The answer is TRUE. The fourth paragraph says, "By receiving more accurate predictions, graziers in northern Queensland are able to avoid overstocking in years when rainfall will be poor. Not only does this limit their losses but it prevents serious pasture degradation that may take decades to repair." This shows that farmers in Australia use Antarctic research to guide their business practices.

Associated Text:
By receiving more accurate predictions, graziers in northern Queensland are able to avoid overstocking in years when rainfall will be poor. Not only does this limit their losses but it prevents serious pasture degradation that may take decades to repair.

The answer is FALSE. In paragraph five, it states, "Antarctic krill ... breed well in years when sea ice is extensive and poorly when it is not. Many species of baleen whales and flighted sea birds migrate between the hemispheres and when the krill are less abundant they are less able to thrive." Therefore, when sea ice is less widespread, there is less food available for marine animals, not more.

Associated Text:
Antarctic krill—the small shrimp-like crustaceans that are the staple diet for baleen whales, penguins, some seals, flighted sea birds and many fish—breed well in years when sea ice is extensive and poorly when it is not. Many species of baleen whales and flighted sea birds migrate between the hemispheres and when the krill are less abundant they are less able to thrive.

The answer is NOT GIVEN. The passage mentions that 'many species of baleen whales and flighted sea birds migrate between the hemispheres and when the krill are less abundant they are less able to thrive,' but it does not state that they spend an equal amount of time feeding in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Associated Text:
Many species of baleen whales and flighted sea birds migrate between the hemispheres and when the krill are less abundant they are less able to thrive.

The answer is FALSE. Paragraph six states, "Since only fresh water freezes into ice, the water that remains becomes increasingly salty and dense, sinking until it spills over the continental shelf." This means that an increase, not decrease, of salt and density causes Antarctic water to move beyond the continental shelf.

Associated Text:
Since only fresh water freezes into ice, the water that remains becomes increasingly salty and dense, sinking until it spills over the continental shelf.

The answer is FALSE. The sixth paragraph states, "as fresh sea ice forms, it is continuously stripped away by the wind and may be blown up to 90km in a single day." This shows that sea ice does not remain static, but moves considerably due to the wind.

Associated Text:
as fresh sea ice forms, it is continuously stripped away by the wind and may be blown up to 90km in a single day.

The answer is TRUE. In paragraph six, it states, "The state of the northern oceans, and their biological productivity, owe much to what happens in the Antarctic." This indicates that cold water from Antarctica is crucial to other oceans.

Associated Text:
The state of the northern oceans, and their biological productivity, owe much to what happens in the Antarctic.

Questions 22-25
Complete the summary below.

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

Write your answers in 22-25 on your answer sheet.

Arctic krill is part of the of many other marine creatures.

The flow of water, around the world’s oceans, is similar to a moving from one hemisphere to another

Extreme winds cause ice to be blown off the surface of the sea leaving large .

The condition of the northern oceans owe their to what is going on in Antarctica.

The answer is staple diet. In paragraph five it says, "Antarctic krill—the small shrimp-like crustaceans that are the staple diet for baleen whales, penguins, some seals, flighted sea birds and many fish." This tells us that krill are a staple diet of many marine creatures.

Associated Text:
Antarctic krill—the small shrimp-like crustaceans that are the staple diet for baleen whales, penguins, some seals, flighted sea birds and many fish—

The answer is huge conveyor belt. Paragraph six says, "The circulatory system of the world’s oceans is like a huge conveyor belt, moving water and dissolved minerals and nutrients from one hemisphere to the other..." This is a direct match for the summary question.

Associated Text:
The circulatory system of the world’s oceans is like a huge conveyor belt, moving water and dissolved minerals and nutrients from one hemisphere to the other

The answer is ice-locked lagoons. In paragraph six, "During Winter, the howling katabatics sometimes scour the ice off patches of the sea's surface leaving large ice-locked lagoons, or 'polynyas'." The phrase corresponds directly to the summary question.

Associated Text:
During Winter, the howling katabatics sometimes scour the ice off patches of the sea's surface leaving large ice-locked lagoons, or ’polynyas'.

The answer is biological productivity. Paragraph six states, "The state of the northern oceans, and their biological productivity, owe much to what happens in the Antarctic." 'Biological productivity' is exactly what is being referred to here.

Associated Text:
The state of the northern oceans, and their biological productivity, owe much to what happens in the Antarctic.

Question 26
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write your answers in box 26 on your answer sheet.

26. The decrease in the number of Whales and seabirds is due to

The answer is D. The passage in paragraph five explains that "Antarctic krill... breed well in years when sea ice is extensive and poorly when it is not. Many species of baleen whales and flighted sea birds migrate between the hemispheres and when the krill are less abundant they are less able to thrive." This means that less sea ice reduces the productivity of the main food source (krill), thereby causing a decrease in the number of whales and seabirds. Option (D) directly reflects this fact.

Associated Text:
Antarctic krill—the small shrimp-like crustaceans that are the staple diet for baleen whales, penguins, some seals, flighted sea birds and many fish—breed well in years when sea ice is extensive and poorly when it is not. Many species of baleen whales and flighted sea birds migrate between the hemispheres and when the krill are less abundant they are less able to thrive.

Answer Sheet
1
N/A
2
N/A
3
N/A
4
N/A
5
N/A
6
N/A
7
N/A
8
N/A
9
N/A
10
N/A
11
N/A
12
N/A
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
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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