BestMyLingo BestMyTest
keyboard_return Exit
keyboard_arrow_left

IELTS® Academic Reading Practice 9

settings  Settings
App Settings
close
close
BestMyTest IELTS courses are developed by certified instructors from around the world. If you have questions about your lessons or English, our team is happy to help you here.

Get 5 ask questions free today

 
schedule20:00

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 27-40.

Subscribe to take the test

lock_open Start free trial
A The customer experience. For more and more companies, this has become the new corporate mantra. Creating remarkable and delightful customer experiences, whether with a new product, when shopping online or in retail, or during business-to-business (B2B) interactions...
Subscribe to unlock all academic-reading content

lock_open Start free trial
Questions 27-32
Look at the following Descriptions (Questions 27-32) and The list of companies below.

Match each description with the correct company

Write the correct number A-E in boxes Questions 27-32 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.
The list of companies
  1. United Airlines
  2. IBM
  3. Nike
  4. British Rail
  5. Ford

27. Based their advertising on promoting individual endeavour

28. Created a campaign which was heavily criticised in the newspapers

29. Made claims about their product they were unable to substantiate

30. Initiated a promotion which eventually changed the public’s perception of the company

31. Used an advertising message to imply that it would start providing a better service

32. Took no notice of evidence which suggested their campaign would be unlikely to succeed

The answer is C. Paragraph H describes how Nike based their advertising on promoting individual endeavor, as shown in the section where senior executives act as "Corporate Storyteller" and focus on stories of innovation and "just doing it," which reflects and reinforces the company's ad campaigns centered around personal effort and achievement.

Associated Text:
At Nike, a number of senior executives now hold the additional title of "Corporate Storyteller." They deliberately avoid stories of financial successes and concentrate on parables of "just doing it," reflecting and reinforcing the company’s ad campaigns.

The answer is D. Paragraph I gives a clear example of British Rail creating a campaign that was heavily criticized in the newspapers. The campaign, under the banner "We're Getting There," was launched prematurely and as a result, it drew negative press coverage which affected both public perception and staff morale.

Associated Text:
When a beleaguered British Rail launched a campaign announcing service improvements under the banner "We're Getting There," it did so prematurely. By drawing attention to the gap between the promise and the reality, it prompted destructive press coverage.

The answer is E. In paragraph I, Ford made claims about their product they could not substantiate at the time. The slogan "Quality Is Job 1" was turned into a consumer message before the company could justify it, setting an external expectation that was not yet matched by internal reality.

Associated Text:
Ford turned "Quality Is Job 1" from an internal rallying cry into a consumer slogan in response to the threat from cheaper, more reliable Japanese cars. It did so before the claim was fully justified, but by placing it in the public arena, it gave employees an incentive to match the Japanese.

The answer is B. Paragraph E details how IBM's e-business campaign ultimately changed the public's perception of the company. The campaign changed employees' thinking, gave them direction and purpose, and helped restore confidence in IBM's leadership, resulting in a strong public association of IBM with the term "e-business."

Associated Text:
In 1997, when IBM launched its e-business campaign (which is widely credited for turning around the company's image) ... Today, research shows that people are four times more likely to associate the term "e-business" with IBM than with its nearest competitor.

The answer is A. Paragraph F recounts how United Airlines used the "Rising" campaign to imply improved service, acknowledging previous service issues and promising incremental improvements like better meals, thus using advertising to suggest a new commitment to quality.

Associated Text:
United launched a new campaign, "Rising," in which it sought to differentiate itself by acknowledging poor service and promising incremental improvements such as better meals.

The answer is B. Paragraph E explains that IBM ignored research suggesting the market wasn’t ready for its e-business campaign, yet pursued the campaign regardless, which demonstrates that it took no notice of evidence the campaign might be unlikely to succeed.

Associated Text:
IBM launched its e-business campaign (which is widely credited for turning around the company's image), it chose to ignore research that suggested consumers were unprepared to embrace IBM as a leader in e-business.

Questions 33-37
The reading passage has nine paragraphs labelled A-I.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-I in boxes 33-37 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

33. Discussions of how businesses often make incorrect assumptions about their staff

34. an account of a company achieving greater success by boasting it staff’s morale

35. Reference to the beneficial effects that internal advertising can have on a companies’ staff

36. An illustration of how timing can be an important factor into whether a campaign fails or not

37. A description of an advertising campaign which was aimed at both customers and staff

The answer is C. Paragraph C discusses how companies often incorrectly assume that employees understand and believe in the brand’s power, which shows how businesses often make incorrect assumptions about their staff.

Associated Text:
While executives recognize the need to keep people informed about the company's strategy and direction, few understand the need to convince employees of the brand's power; they take it as a given.

The answer is E. Paragraph E provides an account of how IBM achieved greater success by boosting staff morale through an internal campaign that gave employees a new sense of direction and confidence in the company’s leadership, which helped change both employee mindset and public perception.

Associated Text:
The internal campaign changed the way employees thought about everything they did, from how they named products to how they organized staff to how they approached selling. The campaign was successful largely because it gave employees a sense of direction and purpose, which in turn restored their confidence in IBM's ability to predict the future and lead the technology industry.

The answer is B. Paragraph B references the beneficial effects of internal advertising (internal marketing), stating that when employees care about and believe in the brand, they are motivated, work harder, and their loyalty increases.

Associated Text:
We've found that when people care about and believe in the brand, they're motivated to work harder and their loyalty to the company increases. Employees are united and inspired by a common sense of purpose and identity.

The answer is I. Paragraph I specifically illustrates how timing can be crucial to a campaign’s success or failure by discussing the negative impact of launching British Rail’s campaign too early, resulting in negative coverage and demoralized staff.

Associated Text:
When a beleaguered British Rail launched a campaign announcing service improvements under the banner "We're Getting There," it did so prematurely. By drawing attention to the gap between the promise and the reality, it prompted destructive press coverage. This, in turn, demoralized staff, who had been legitimately proud of the service advances they had made.

The answer is G. Paragraph G describes an advertising campaign by IBM that was aimed simultaneously at both customers and staff, with its eight-page ad in the Wall Street Journal declaring the new company vision for both audiences.

Associated Text:
When it comes to execution, the most common and effective way to link internal and external marketing campaigns is to create external advertising that targets both audiences. IBM used this tactic very effectively when it launched its e-business campaign, it took out an eight-page ad in the Wall Street Journal declaring its new vision, a message directed at both customers and internal stakeholders.

Questions 38-40
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? In boxes 38-40 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.

38. United Airlines’ failure in its branding campaign was due to the bad advice of an advertisement agency.

39. Nike employees claimed that they were inspired by their company tales.

40. A slight difference between internal and external promises can create a sense of purpose.

The answer is FALSE. Paragraph F makes it clear that United Airlines’ failure was due to employee resentment, not bad advice from an advertisement agency. The campaign failed because the staff opposed the messaging, making it impossible to deliver on its promises.

Associated Text:
Employee resentment ultimately made it impossible for United to deliver the improvements it was promising, which in turn undermined the "Rising" pledge. United decided employee opposition was undermining its success and pulled the campaign.

The answer is NOT GIVEN. Paragraph H discusses the efforts of Nike leaders to inspire staff through storytelling, but there is no information about employees claiming they were inspired by these company tales.

Associated Text:
At Nike, a number of senior executives now hold the additional title of "Corporate Storyteller." They deliberately avoid stories of financial successes and concentrate on parables of "just doing it," reflecting and reinforcing the company’s ad campaigns. One tale, for example, recalls how legendary coach and Nike cofounder Bill Bowerman... By talking about such inventive moves, the company hopes to keep the spirit of innovation that characterizes its ad campaigns alive and well within the company.

The answer is TRUE. Paragraph I explicitly states that keeping external promises a little ahead of internal realities gives employees something to live up to, thus creating a sense of purpose and providing motivation.

Associated Text:
But while their messages must be aligned, companies must also keep external promises a little ahead of internal realities. Such promises provide incentives for employees and give them something to live up to.

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
N/A
14
N/A
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
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
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
Hello!   :)

Submit your academic reading answers to auto generate this report.
Keywords In The Practice
Related Words
No Vocabulary Linked To Practice
IELTS reading LessonsCompleted: 0 / 73
play_circle_outlineWelcome to IELTS Tutor
play_circle_outlinePresent, Past, Future Simple, and Future in the Past Tense
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
 
star_border
close
close
Review Packages

Total: $160 USD
Package: Review Package Ultimate
Total: $80 USD
Package: Review Package Superior
Total: $40 USD
Package: Review Package Premium
Total: $20 USD
Package: Review Package Basic

Total: $96 USD
Package: Review Package Ultimate Speaking
Total: $48 USD
Package: Review Package Superior Speaking
Total: $24 USD
Package: Review Package Premium Speaking
Total: $12 USD
Package: Review Package Basic Speaking

Total: $72 USD
Package: Review Package Ultimate Writing
Total: $36 USD
Package: Review Package Superior Writing
Total: $18 USD
Package: Review Package Premium Writing
Total: $9 USD
Package: Review Package Basic Writing

Only premium members can use reviews.

Become premium member