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IELTS® General Reading Practice 36

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This reading practice simulates one part of the IELTS Academic Reading test. You should spend about twenty minutes on it. Read the passage and answer questions 30-40.

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Section AThe well-known American multinational energy corporation, Chevron Corporation, has played arguably the largest role in global oil acquisition and management. Chevron was established in September 1879 as the “Pacific Coast Oil Company” with the discovery of oil in California in Pico Can...
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Questions 30-35
The reading passage has six sections, A-F.

Choose the correct heading for sections A-F from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number i-x in boxes 30-35 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings
  1. Economic Forecast
  2. Global Supply of Energy
  3. Interim Programs
  4. Influence of Financial Policy
  5. Long-Term Outlook
  6. Importance of Short-Term Oil Price Forecasts
  7. History and Background
  8. Advantages and Disadvantages
  9. Asking for Assistance
  10. Alternative Energy Consumption

30. Section A

31. Section B

32. Section C

33. Section D

34. Section E

35. Section F

The answer is vii. Section A provides the history and founding information about Chevron, mentioning its original name and early operations. This is evident from the lines: “Chevron was established in September 1879 as the 'Pacific Coast Oil Company' with the discovery of oil in California in Pico Canyon. They were initially a San Francisco based company with a five-state market in the Western area of the United States.” These details are all about the company's background, matching the heading 'History and Background.' (Paragraph: Section A)

Associated Text:
Chevron was established in September 1879 as the “Pacific Coast Oil Company” with the discovery of oil in California in Pico Canyon. They were initially a San Francisco based company with a five-state market in the Western area of the United States.

The answer is i. Section B discusses the future economic demand for oil, especially considering the growth in countries like India and China, and how alternative fuel sources could affect oil demand and prices. The heading 'Economic Forecast' fits best because the section projects future market and economic trends. (Paragraph: Section B)

Associated Text:
If sufficient alternative fuel sources are developed, the demand for oil would most likely decrease and the price of oil would drop in order to reduce excess supply. This will result in more elastic demand, but only in the case that the substitutes for oil are sufficient to satisfy consumers.

The answer is x. Section C is about Chevron's involvement with alternative fuels, specifically biofuels, and their efforts to address challenges in biofuel production. The heading 'Alternative Energy Consumption' is appropriate as the paragraph centers on Chevron’s activities in the alternative energy sector. (Paragraph: Section C)

Associated Text:
Like their competitors, they are seeking ways to address the issues of land use to grow biofuels as well as the need to reduce costs of growing, transporting and harvesting to create this alternative fuel source.

The answer is vi. Section D emphasizes how short-term oil price forecasts are indicators for the direction of the economy, specifically referencing oil prices and the economic outlook for the next 12-15 months. Thus, 'Importance of Short-Term Oil Price Forecasts' is the best fit. (Paragraph: Section D)

Associated Text:
As a result, short-term oil price forecasts are also considered a leading indicator of which direction the economy is expected to go in the next 12-15 months.

The answer is ii. Section E discusses global energy supply and production rates around the world, including statistics about production growth in various regions. The focus is on energy supply at a global scale, aligning with the heading 'Global Supply of Energy.' (Paragraph: Section E)

Associated Text:
According to Enerdata (The Global Energy Statistical Yearbook), the world's primary energy production for 2012 grew at a 2.1% rate.This is lower than the average annual growth rate of 2.4%, which remained somewhat consistent throughout the past decade.

The answer is iv. Section F discusses the effects of the Federal Funds Rate on inflation and fuel prices, and the debate over monetary policy effects, making 'Influence of Financial Policy' the most suitable heading. (Paragraph: Section F)

Associated Text:
However, not everyone agrees on this concept of U.S. monetary policy affecting oil prices. Most believe that monetary policy must always be set in terms of meeting the Federal Reserve mandate of maximum employment and price stability.

Questions 36-40
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? In boxes 36-40 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

36. Car manufacturing companies should use biofuels because of their compatibility with fuel lines.

37. Inflation and the price of oil are not as interchangeable as one would think.

38. Oil prices and production costs are related in that they increase at the same time.

39. The Chained Consumer Price Index is not viewed as an important factor by economists.

40. The Federal Funds Rate does not affect inflation.

The answer is YES. The writer claims that biofuels should be used in most cars since they do not require major changes in existing fuel lines. This is clearly stated in Section C: “Leading experts argue that they should be used in most cars made today as they do not require major changes in existing fuel lines in order to be utilized.”

Associated Text:
Leading experts argue that they should be used in most cars made today as they do not require major changes in existing fuel lines in order to be utilized.

The answer is NO. The passage explicitly states that oil prices and inflation are often seen as being interchangeable, not less interchangeable: “Rightly so, the price of oil and inflation are often seen as being interchangeable. When the price of oil is up, for example, inflation follows suit.” (Section D)

Associated Text:
Rightly so, the price of oil and inflation are often seen as being interchangeable. When the price of oil is up, for example, inflation follows suit.

The answer is YES. The passage confirms that oil prices and production costs are related, as stated: “Oil is a key input into many items used by consumers. Thus, when oil prices rise, the costs of producing end products also increase.” (Section D)

Associated Text:
Oil is a key input into many items used by consumers. Thus, when oil prices rise, the costs of producing end products also increase.

The answer is NOT GIVEN. The passage does not provide any information about how economists view the importance of the Chained Consumer Price Index. There is no mention of economists’ opinions on this Index in the text.

Associated Text:

The answer is NO. The passage states that the federal funds rate has a direct effect on inflation: “This activity has a direct effect on monetary and financial conditions and ultimately inflation.” (Section F)

Associated Text:
This activity has a direct effect on monetary and financial conditions and ultimately inflation.

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
N/A
28
N/A
29
N/A
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
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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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