IELTS Academic Reading Test Sample Questions & Answers
ielts academic reading
The IELTS Reading Test is the second part of the IELTS Test. It takes 60 minutes to complete. The test usually consists of 3 reading passages with increasing difficulty. The candidate will have to answer 40 questions in total. The Academic Reading Test is different from the General Training Reading Test and is tougher in compared to the GT Reading Test. A candidate must not spare more than 20 minutes for each part of the test, as there are 3 parts & the time limit is 60 minutes. Important to know that no extra time is given under any circumstances unless it is a fault of the test conducting authority. Now see below, here is given a passage with questions and answers.
Self Help is the Best Help
A “Heaven helps those who help themselves” – runs a famous proverb that reflects the experience of the successful people of all ages. Samuel Smiles in his book Self-Help has given us hundreds of examples of self-made men in different walks of life. Successful men are usually strong individuals who carve out their own careers by sheer will-power and individual effort. In reality, they master their fate and they are the captains of their souls. That fairly sums up the attitude to life which was markedly evident in those strong, heroic, adventurous souls.
B Everybody wants success. It may sound crude but at bottom of the heart, even an idealist wants that his ideas should be achieved, which means his efforts should be successful. Success in life includes success in the business, industry, sports or any branch of human activities. So far in life, we all have seen, self-help is the most powerful single factor for success, we should cultivate it both as a nation and as an individual.
C Let’s takes the cases of a few countries. Long years of political subjugations have, to a large extent dampened the spirit of enterprise of the people of India. So, after independence, in the year 1947, it was found that the average people were reluctant to work hard; instead, they just want somebody to provide food, shelters, and jobs for them to make life easy and comfortable. They didn’t want to work hard or struggle for achieving a goal, as they have no goal in their mind. They just wanted, that rest of their life would pass smoothly without any hassles. This utter lack of initiative, a general spirit of defeatism and despair, a pathetically observed belief in ‘Law of Karma’ or ‘Fate’ had been the main cause of India’s economic backwardness and extreme stagnation of the life of average people.
D On the contrary, if we consider the progress of Japan, it’s’ simply be dazing. Within a single decade, turning around from destruction, Japan, became world’s fourth best producer of steel, one of world leaders in ship building and has presented themselves as world’s one of the most advanced country in research & development in the field of electronic equipment. The war-shattered economy of Japan bounced back on a sound footing within almost a blink of an eye. The only thing that could make the change happen so quickly, was a cult of self-help.
E There is perhaps always an element of luck in life. Opportunities come to everybody but only one who is sufficiently vigorous and alert to make use of that opportunity get ahead in life. A famous Sanskrit proverb says, “Preys do not enter into the mouth of a sleeping lion”. The ‘Lion’ has to open its mouth at least. Like the lion, in real life, man has to be energetic and extremely active in order to achieve success. Dependence on others or on fate is least desired. One should completely depend on his own shelf, his own ability, and his own vigor to achieve success in the path of life.
F Self-help efforts and strong determination can create a happy life. A person who never depends on others and possesses a do-it-yourself attitude, is sure to achieve his target, his goal, sooner or later. On the other hand, persons who are lazy, depend on others for help to get their job done, they can never be successful in life. To become a person, who believes that, self-help is the best help, one has to grow from the childhood with that belief and faith, embossed in his brain by his parents or his teachers.
G Examples of numerous great people are there, who made their way to success against heavy odds depending solely on their own ability, hard work, and undaunted spirit. So many great people have found to preach self-help. Also they have found to practice in real life what they used to preach. We can see great examples as, the great patriot ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ of India, another great patriot, ‘Nelson Mandela’ from South Africa the great soul ‘Swami Vivekananda’ also from India and so many others.
H The history has seen the birth of thousands of luminaries who became a posture of ‘Self- Reliant’ person in life. It hardly mattered whether they came from a rich family or a poor one but one thing was common in all of them that, each of them was self-reliant people, they have a tremendous undaunted spirit within themselves. Their works, the fight against all odds and their victorious smiles, proves and affirms the power of self-help attitude. These unforgettable heroes lives were not beds of roses, all of them had to face tremendous negative forces, they had to cross mountains of obstacles to become victors, whatever they achieved they achieve by self-help.
You should not spend more than 20 minutes for Questions 1 to 13, which is based on IELTS Reading Passage 1. First, read the paragraph minutely, then answer the given questions.
Questions 1-5
The IELTS Test Reading Passage 1 has eight sections, A-H. Choose the correct paragraphs for each sentence from the list below. Write the correct number i-v, as applicable, in the boxes 1- 5 given on your answer sheet.
Note: More sentences are given in the list than required, you don’t need to answer all of them.
List of Sentences
i thousands of luminaries who became a posture of ‘Self- Reliant’ person in life
ii Success in life includes success in the business, industry, sports or any branch of human activity
iii We can see great examples as the great patriot ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ of India
iv Samuel Smiles in his book Self-Help has given us hundreds of examples of self-made men
v The only thing that could make the change happen so quickly was a cult of self-help
vi A person who never depends on others and possesses a do it yourself attitude
vii it was found that the average people were reluctant to work hard, instead
viii Preys do not enter into the mouth of a sleeping lion
1. Paragraph A iv
2. Paragraph B ii
3. Paragraph C vii
4. Paragraph D v
5. Paragraph E viii
Questions 6-10
Write as instructed below: In boxes 6-10 on your answer sheet, write
If the statement is true, according to the Reading Passage > TRUE
If the statement is false, according to the Reading Passage > FALSE
If the information is not given in the Reading Passage > NOT GIVEN
6. Successful men are usually strong individuals who carve out their own careers by sheer will-power. TRUE
7. This has been the main reason for the failure of India in Nuclear Research. NOT GIVEN
8. The reformers began soliciting that all lands should be used for cultivating Not Given
9. Japan, became world’s fourth best producer of steel, one of world leaders in ship building True
10. The war-shattered economy of Japan could not bounce back on a sound footing FALSE
Using not more than two words fill the blanks with right words from the passage
11. Samuel _______ in his book Self-Help has given us hundreds of examples of ______ men….. (Smiles, self-made)
12. belief in ‘Law of _____’ or ‘Fate’ had been the main cause of India’s economic _____________ (Karma, backwardness)
13. the birth of thousands of _________who became a posture of ‘ _______ ‘ person in life. (luminaries, Self- Reliant )
In this part there are 13 questions in total, so you will get 13 marks if all your answers are right. You should not spend more than 13 minutes as instructed, because in any case there will be 40 questions in total, carrying 1 marks each. So, you have to hurry through the paper without wasting a minute. The sample provided here is one of the easiest types. As you have already told that you will face questions with increasing difficulties as the test progresses.
Originally posted 2017-08-04 11:03:19.