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| IELTS Reading Practice Test-10 With Answers |
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes
on Questions 1-13 which are based on Reading Passage 1
below.
Natural
Pesticide in India
A
A dramatic story about cotton farmers
in India shows how destructive pesticides can be for people and the
environment; and why today’s agriculture is so dependent on pesticides. This
story also shows that it’s possible to stop using chemical pesticides without
losing a crop to ravaging insects, and it explains how to do it.
B
The story began about 30 years ago, a
handful of families migrated from the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh,
southeast India, into Punukula, a community of around 900 people farming plots
of between two and 10 acres. The outsiders from Guntur brought cotton-culture
with them. Cotton wooed farmers by promising to bring in more hard cash than
the mixed crops they were already growing to eat and sell: millet, sorghum,
groundnuts, pigeon peas, mung beans, chili and rice. But raising cotton meant
using pesticides and fertilizers – until then a mystery to the mostly
illiterate farmers of the community. When cotton production started spreading
through Andhra Pradesh state. The high value of cotton made it an exceptionally
attractive crop, but growing cotton required chemical fertilizers and
pesticides. As most of the farmers were poor, illiterate, and without previous
experience using agricultural chemicals, they were forced to rely on local, small-scale
agricultural dealers for advice. The dealers sold them seeds, fertilizers, and
pesticides on credit and also guaranteed the purchase of their crop. The
dealers themselves had little technical knowledge about pesticides. They merely
passed on promotional information from multinational chemical companies that
supplied their products.
C
At first, cotton yields were high, and
expenses for pesticides were low because cotton pests had not yet moved in. The
farmers had never earned so much! But within a few years, cotton pests like
bollworms and aphids plagued the fields, and the farmers saw how rapid insect
evolution can be. Repeated spraying killed off the weaker pests, but left the
ones most resistant to pesticides to multiply. As pesticide resistance mounted,
the farmers had to apply more and more of the pesticides to get the same
results. At the same time, the pesticides killed off birds, wasps, beetles,
spiders, and other predators that had once provided natural control of pest
insects. Without these predators, the pests could destroy the entire crop if
pesticides were not used. Eventually, farmers were mixing sometimes having to
spray their cotton as frequently as two times a week. They were really hooked!
D
The villagers were hesitant, but one of
Punukula’s village elders decided to risk trying the natural methods instead of
pesticides. His son had collapsed with acute pesticide poisoning and survived
but the hospital bill was staggering. SECURE’s staff coached this villager on
how to protect his cotton crop by using a toolkit of natural methods chat
India’s Center for Sustainable Agriculture put together in collaboration with
scientists at Andhra Pradesh’s state university. They called the toolkit
“Non-Pesticide Management” – or “NPM.”
E
The most important resource in the NPM
toolkit was the neem tree (Azadirachta indica) which is common throughout much
of India. Neem tree is a broad-leaved evergreen tree related to mahogany. It
protects itself against insects by producing a multitude of natural pesticides
that work in a variety of ways: with an arsenal of chemical defenses that repel
egg-laying, interfere with insect growth, and most important, disrupt the
ability of crop-eating insects to sense their food.
F
In fact, neem has been used
traditionally in India to protect stored grains from insects and to produce
soaps, skin lotions, and other health products. To protect crops from insects,
neem seeds are simply ground into a powder that is soaked overnight in water.
The solution is then sprayed onto the crop. Another preparation, neem cake, can
be mixed into the soil to kill pests and diseases in the soil, and it doubles
as an organic fertilizer high in nitrogen. Neem trees grow locally, so the only
“cost” is the labor to prepare neem for application to fields.
G
The first farmer’s trial with NPM was a
complete success! His harvest was as good as the harvests of farmers that were
using pesticides, and he earned much more because he did not spend a single
rupee on pesticides. Inspired by this success, 20 farmers tried NPM the next
year. SECURE posted two well-trained staff in Punukula to teach and help
everyone in the village, and the village women put pressure on their husbands
to stop using toxic chemicals. Families that were no longer exposing themselves
to pesticides began to feel much better, and the rapid improvement in income,
health, and general wellbeing quickly sold everyone on the value of NPM. By
2000, all the farmers in Punukula were using NPM, not only for cotton but for
their other crops as well.
H
The suicide epidemic came to an end.
And with the cash, health, and energy that returned when they stopped poisoning
themselves with pesticides, the villagers were inspired to start more community
and business projects. The women of Punukula created a new source of income by
collecting, grinding, and selling neem seeds for NPM in other villages. The
villagers rescued their indentured children and gave them special six-month
“catch-up,” courses to return to school.
I
Fighting against pesticides, and
winning, increased village solidarity, self-confidence, and optimism about the
future. When dealers tried to punish NPM users by paying less for NPM cotton,
the farmers united to form a marketing cooperative that found fairer prices
elsewhere. The leadership and collaboration skills that the citizens of
Punukula developed in the NPM struggle have helped them to take on other
challenges, like water purification, building a cotton gin to add value to the
cotton before they sell it, and convincing the state government to support NPM
over the objection of multi-national pesticide corporations.
Questions 1-4
Do the following statements agree with
the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 1-4 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 Cotton in Andhra
Pradesh state could really bring more income to the local farmers than
traditional farming.
2 The majority of
farmers had used agricultural pesticides before 30 years ago.
3 The yield of cotton
is relatively lower than that of other agricultural crops.
4 The farmers didn’t
realize the spread of the pests was so fast.
Questions 5-11
Complete the summary below
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer
Write your answers in boxes 5-11 on your answer sheet.
The Making of pesticide protecting
crops against insects
The broad-leaved neem tree was chosen.
It is a fast-growing and 5……………………….. tree and produces an amount of 6………………………
for itself that can be effective like insects repellent. Firstly, neem seeds
need to be crushed into 7…………………….. form, which is left behind 8……………………..
in water. Then we need to spray the solution onto the crop. A special 9………………………
is used when mixing with soil in order to eliminate bugs and bacteria, and its
effect 10……………………… when it adds the level of 11……………………… in this
organic fertilizer meanwhile.
Questions 12-13
Answer the questions below
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for
each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 12-13 on
your answer sheet.
12 In which year did
all the farmers use NPM for their crops in Punukala?
13 What gave the women
of Punukula a business opportunity to NPMs?
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes
on Questions 14-27 which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
Is
Graffiti Art or Crime?
A
The term graffiti derives from the
Italian graffito meaning ‘scratching’ and can be defined as
uninvited marking or writing scratched or applied to objects, built structures
and natural features. It is not a new phenomenon: examples can be found on
ancient structures around the world, in some cases predating the Greeks and
Romans. In such circumstances it has acquired invaluable historical and
archaeological significance, providing a social history of life and events at
that time. Graffiti is now a problem that has become pervasive, as a result of
the availability of cheap and quick means of mark-making.
B
It is usually considered a priority to
remove graffiti as quickly as possible after it appears. This is for several
reasons. The first is to prevent ‘copy-cat’ emulation which can occur rapidly
once a clean surface is defaced. It may also be of a racist or otherwise
offensive nature and many companies and councils have a policy of removing this
type of graffiti within an hour or two of it being reported. Also, as paints,
glues and inks dry out over time they can become increasingly difficult to
remove and are usually best dealt with as soon as possible after the incident.
Graffiti can also lead to move serious forms of vandalism and, ultimately, the
deterioration of an area, contributing to social decline.
C
Although graffiti may be regarded as an
eyesore, any proposal to remove it from sensitive historic surfaces should be
carefully considered: techniques designed for more robust or utilitarian
surfaces may result in considerable damage. In the event of graffiti incidents,
it is important that the owners of buildings or other structures and their
consultants are aware of the approach they should take in dealing with the
problem. The police should be informed as there may be other related attacks
occurring locally. An incidence pattern can identify possible culprits, as can
stylised signatures or nicknames, known as ‘tags’, which may already be
familiar to local police. Photographs are useful to record graffiti incidents
and may assist the police in bringing a prosecution. Such images are also
required for insurance claims and can be helpful in cleaning operatives,
allowing them to see the problem area before arriving on site.
D
There are a variety of methods that are
used to remove graffiti. Broadly these divide between chemical and mechanical
systems. Chemical preparations are based on dissolving the media; these
solvents can range from water to potentially hazardous chemical ‘cocktails’.
Mechanical systems such as wire-brushing and grit-blasting attempt to abrade or
chip the media from the surface. Care should be taken to comply with health and
safety legislation with regard to the protection of both passers-by and any
person carrying out the cleaning. Operatives should follow product guidelines
in terms of application and removal, and wear the appropriate protective
equipment. Measures must be taken to ensure that run-off, aerial mists, drips
and splashes do not threaten unprotected members of the public. When examining
a graffiti incident it is important to assess the ability of the substrate to
withstand the prescribed treatment. If there is any doubt regarding this, then
small trial areas should be undertaken to assess the impact of more extensive
treatment.
E
A variety of preventive strategies can
be adopted to combat a recurring problem of graffiti at a given site. As no two
sites are the same, no one set of protection measures will be suitable for all
situations. Each site must be looked at individually. Surveillance systems such
as closed-circuit television may also help. In cities and towns around the
country, prominently placed cameras have been shown to reduce anti-social
behavior of all types including graffiti. Security patrols will also act as a
deterrent to prevent recurring attacks. However, the cost of this may be too
high for most situations. A physical barriers such as a wall, railings, doors
or gates can be introduced to discourage unauthorized access to a vulnerable
site. However, consideration has to be given to the impact measures have on the
structure being protected. In the worst cases, they can be almost as damaging
to the quality of the environment as the graffiti they prevent. In others, they
might simply provide a new surface for graffiti.
F
One of the most significant problems
associated with graffiti removal is the need to remove it from surfaces that
are repeatedly attacked. Under these circumstances, the repeated removal of
graffiti using even the most gentle methods will ultimately cause damage to the
surface material. There may be situations where the preventive strategies
mentioned above do not work or are not a viable proposition at a given site.
Anti-graffiti coatings are usually applied by brush or spray leaving a thin
veneer that essentially serves to isolate the graffiti from the surface.
G
Removal of graffiti from a surface that
has been treated in this way is much easier, usually using low-pressure water
which reduces the possibility of damage. Depending on the type of barrier
selected it may be necessary to reapply the coating after each graffiti removal
exercise.
Questions 14-19
Reading passage 2 has seven
paragraphs, A-G.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 14-19 on your answer
sheet.
NB You may use any letter
more than once.
14 why chemically
cleaning graffiti may cause damage
15 the benefit of a
precautionary strategy on the gentle removal
16 the damaging and
accumulative impact of graffiti on the community
17 the need for different
preventive measures being taken to cope with graffiti
18 a legal proposal
made to the owner of building against graffiti
19 the reasons for
removing graffiti as soon as possible.
Questions 20-21
Choose TWO letters, A-E
Write your answers in boxes 20-21 on your answer sheet.
Which two statements are true concerning the removal of graffiti
A cocktail removal can be
safer than water treatment
B small patch trial before
applying large scale of removing
C Chemical treatments are
the most expensive way of removing
D there are risks for both
Chemical and medication method
E mechanical removals are
much more applicable than Chemical treatments
Questions 22-23
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Write your answers in boxes 22-23 on your answer sheet.
Which TWO of the following
preventive measures against graffiti are mentioned effectively in the passage?
A organise more anti-graffiti
movement in the city communities
B increase the police patrols on
the street
C Build a new building with
material repelling to water
D installing more visible
security cameras
E Provide a whole new surface
with a chemical coat
Questions 24-27
Complete the Summary of the paragraphs
of Reading Passage 2.
Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 24-27 on your answer sheet.
Ancient graffiti is of significance and
records the 24……………………… of details life for that period.
The police can recognize newly
committed incidents of graffiti by the signature which is called 25………………………..
that they are familiar with
Operatives ought to comply with
relevant rules during the operation, and put on the suitable 26…………………………
Removal of graffiti from a new type of
coating surface can be much convenient of using 27…………………………
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes
on Questions 28-40 which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.
The
concept of childhood
in
the western countries
The history of childhood has been a
topic of interest in social history since the highly influential 1960 book
Centuries of Childhood, written by French historian Philippe Ariès. He argued
that “childhood” is a concept created by modern society.
A
One of the most hotly debated issues in
the history of childhood has been whether childhood is itself a recent
invention. The historian Philippe Aries argued that in Western Europe during
the Middle Ages (up to about the end of the fifteenth century) children were
regarded as miniature adults, with all the intellect and personality that this
implies. He scrutinized medieval pictures and diaries and found no distinction
between children and adults as they shared similar leisure activities and often
the same type of work. Aries, however, pointed out that this is not to suggest
that children were neglected, forsaken or despised. The idea of childhood is
not to be confused with affection for children; it corresponds to an awareness
of the particular nature of childhood, that particular nature which
distinguishes the child from the adult, even the young adult.
B
There is a long tradition of the
children of the poor playing a functional role in contributing to the family
income by working either inside or outside the home. In this sense, children
are seen as ‘useful’. Back in the Middle Ages, children as young as 5 or 6 did
important chores for their parents and, from the sixteenth century, were often
encouraged (or forced) to leave the family by the age of 9 or 10 to work as
servants for wealthier families or to be apprenticed to a trade.
C
With industrialization in the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a new demand for child labour was created,
and many children were forced to work for long hours, in mines, workshops and
factories. Social reformers began to question whether labouring long hours from
an early age would harm children’s growing bodies. They began to recognize the
potential of carrying out systematic studies to monitor how far these early
deprivations might be affecting children’s development.
D
Gradually, the concerns of the reformers
began to impact on the working conditions of children. In Britain, the Factory
Act of 1833 signified the beginning of legal protection of children from
exploitation and was linked to the rise of schools for factory children. The
worst forms of child exploitation were gradually eliminated, partly through
factory reform but also through the influence of trade unions and economic
changes during the nineteenth century which made some forms of child labour
redundant. Childhood was increasingly seen as a time for play and education for
all children, not just for a privileged minority. As the age for starting
full-time work was delayed, so childhood was increasingly understood as a more
extended phase of dependency, development and learning. Even so, work continued
to play a significant, if the less central role in children’s lives throughout
the later nineteenth and twentieth century. And the ‘useful child’ has become a
controversial image during the first decade of the twenty-first century
especially in the context of global concern about large numbers of the world’s
children engaged in child labour.
E
The Factory Act of 1833 established
half-time schools which allowed children to work and attend school. But in the
1840s, a large proportion of children never went to school, and if they did,
they left by the age of 10 or 11. The situation was very different by the end
of the nineteenth century in Britain. The school became central to images of ‘a
normal’ childhood.
F
Attending school was no longer a
privilege and all children were expected to spend a significant part of their
day in a classroom. By going to school, children’s lives were now separated
from domestic life at home and from the adult world of work. The school became
an institution dedicated to shaping the minds, behavior and morals of the
young. Education dominated the management of children’s waking hours, not just
through the hours spent in classrooms but through ‘home’ work, the growth of
‘after school’ activities and the importance attached to ‘parental
involvement.’
G
Industrialization, urbanization and
mass schooling also set new challenges for those responsible for protecting
children’s welfare and promoting their learning. Increasingly, children were
being treated as a group with distinctive needs and they were organized into
groups according to their age. For example, teachers needed to know what to
expect of children in their classrooms, what kinds of instruction were
appropriate for different age groups and how best to assess children’s
progress. They also wanted tools that could enable them to sort and select
children according to their abilities and potential.
Questions 28-34
Do the following statements agree with
the information given in Reading Passage 3?
Write your answers in boxes 28-34 on your answer sheet.
TRUE
if the statement is true
FALSE
if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the
information is not given in the passage
28 Aries pointed out
that children did different types of works as adults during the Middle Age.
29 during the Middle
Age, going to work necessarily means children were unloved indicated Aries.
30 Scientists think
that overworked labour damages the health of young children
31 the rise of trade
union majorly contributed to the protection of children from exploitation in
the 19th century.
32 By the aid of
half-time schools, most children went to school in the mid of 19 century.
33 In 20 century
almost all children need to go to school in a full-time schedule.
34 Nowadays,
children’s needs were much differentiated and categorised based on how old they
are
Questions 35-40
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 35-40 on your answer sheet.
35 what is the
controversial topic arises with the French historian Philippe Ariès’s concept.
36 what image for
children did Aries believed to be like in Western Europe during the Middle
Ages.
37 what historical
event generated the need for great amount child labour to work a long time in
18 and 19 century
38 what legal format
initiated the protection of children from exploitation in 19th centenary
39 what the activities
were more and more regarded as being preferable for almost all children time in
19th centenary
40 where has been the
central area for children to spend largely of their day as people’s expectation
in modern society
ANSWERS
1. NOT GIVEN
2.
FALSE
3.
NOT GIVEN
4.
TRUE
5.
evergreen
6.
natural pesticides
7.
powder
8.
overnight
9.
neem cake
10.
doubles
11.
nitrogen
12.
In 2000
13.
Neem seeds
14. D
15.
G
16.
B
17.
E
18.
C
19.
B
20.
B/D
21.
B/D
22.
B/D
23.
D/B
24.
social history
25.
tag
26.
protective equipment
27.
(low pressure) water
28. FALSE
29.
FALSE
30.
TRUE
31.
NOT GIVEN
32.
FALSE
33.
NOT GIVEN
34.
TRUE
35.
history of childhood
36.
(as) miniature adults
37.
(with the) industrialization
38.
The factory
39.
play and education
40.
classroom
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