Book 16 IELTS Academic Reading Test 1 |

READING PASSAGE 1 : Questions 1-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 1-7 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

1. Polar bears suffer from various health problems due to the build-up of fat under their skin.

True False NG

2. The study done by Liu and his colleagues compared different groups of polar bears.

True False NG

3. Liu and colleagues were the first researchers to compare polar bears and brown bears genetically.

True False NG

4. Polar bears are able to control their levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol by genetic means.

True False NG

5. Female polar bears are able to survive for about six months without food.

True False NG

6. It was found that the bones of female polar bears were very weak when they came out of their dens in spring.

True False NG

7. The polar bear’s mechanism for increasing bone density could also be used by people one day.

True False NG

Questions 8-13

Complete the table below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet.

Reasons why polar bears should be protected

– People think of bears as unintelligent and 8.

However, this may not be correct. For example:

– In Tennoji Zoo, a bear has been seen using a branch as a 9. This allowed him to knock down some 10.

– A wild polar bear worked out a method of reaching a platform where a 11. was located.

– Polar bears have displayed behaviour such as conscious manipulation of objects and activity similar to a 12.

Bears may also display emotions. For example:

– They may make movements suggesting 13. if disappointed when hunting.

– They may form relationships with other species.

READING PASSAGE 2 : Questions 14-26

Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs, A-G.

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number, i-ix, in boxes 14-20 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

1. The areas and artefacts within the pyramid itself

2. A difficult task for those involved

3. A king who saved his people

4. A single certainty among other less definite facts

5. An overview of the external buildings and areas

6. A pyramid design that others copied

7. An idea for changing the design of burial structures

8. An incredible experience despite the few remains

9. The answers to some unexpected questions

14. Paragraph A

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

15. Paragraph B

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

16. Paragraph C

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

17. Paragraph D

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

18. Paragraph E

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

19. Paragraph F

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

20. Paragraph G

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Questions 21-24

Complete the notes below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 21-24 on your answer sheet.

The Step Pyramid of Djoser

The complex that includes the Step Pyramid and its surroundings is considered to be as big as an Egyptian 21. of the past. The area outside the pyramid included accommodation that was occupied by 22. , along with many other buildings and features. A wall ran around the outside of the complex and a number of false entrances were built into this. In addition, a long 23. encircled the wall. As a result, any visitors who had not been invited were cleverly prevented from entering the pyramid grounds unless they knew the 24. of the real entrance.

Questions 25-26

Choose TWO letters, A-E.

Write the correct letters in boxes 25 and 26 on your answer sheet.

Which TWO of the following points does the writer make about King Djoser?

A. Initially he had to be persuaded to build in stone rather than clay.

B. There is disagreement concerning the length of his reign.

C. He failed to appreciate Imhotep’s part in the design of the Step Pyramid.

D. A few of his possessions were still in his tomb when archaeologists found it.

E. He criticised the design and construction of other pyramids in Egypt.

READING PASSAGE 3 : Questions 27-40

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

Write the correct letter in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet.

27. The first paragraph tells us about

A. the kinds of jobs that will be most affected by the growth of AI.

B. the extent to which AI will alter the nature of the work that people do.

C. the proportion of the world’s labour force who will have jobs in AI in the future.

D. the difference between ways that embodied and disembodied AI with impact on workers.

28. According to the second paragraph, what is Stella Pachidi’s view of the ‘knowledge economy’?

A It is having an influence on the number of jobs available.

B. It is changing people’s attitudes towards their occupations.

C. It is the main reason why the production sector is declining.

D. It is a key factor driving current developments in the workplace.

29. What did Pachidi observe at the telecommunications company?

A. staff disagreeing with the recommendations of AI

B. staff feeling resentful about the intrusion of AI in their work

C. staff making sure that AI produces the results that they want

D. staff allowing AI to carry out tasks they ought to do themselves

30. In his recently published research, Ewan McGaughey

A. challenges the idea that redundancy is a negative thing.

B. shows the profound effect of mass unemployment on society.

C. highlights some differences between past and future job losses.

D. illustrates how changes in the job market can be successfully handled.

Questions 31-34

Complete the summary using the list of words, A-G, below.

Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 31-34 on your answer sheet.

The ‘algorithmication’ of jobs

Stella Pachidi of Cambridge Judge Business School has been focusing on the ‘algorithmication’ of jobs which rely not on production but on 31. While monitoring a telecommunications company, Pachidi observed a growing 32 on the recommendations made by AI, as workers begin to learn through the ‘algorithm’s eyes’. Meanwhile, staff are deterred from experimenting and using their own 33, and are therefore prevented from achieving innovation. To avoid the kind of situations which Pachidi observed, researchers are trying to make AI’s decision-making process easier to comprehend, and to increase users’ 34 with regard to the technology.

A. pressure B. satisfaction C. intuition D. promotion E. reliance F. confidence G. information

Questions 35-40

Look at the following statements (Questions 35-40) and the list of people below.

Match each statement with the correct person, A, B or C.

Write the correct letter, A, B or C, in boxes 35-40 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once

List of people

A Stella Pachidi

B Hamish Low

C Ewan McGaughey

35. Greater levels of automation will not result in lower employment.