IELTS Reading Practice Test 7: Enhance Your Skills with Authentic Exercises

The IELTS Reading section plays a crucial role in evaluating candidates' English proficiency and their ability to comprehend and analyze written information. This article explains the importance of IELTS Reading practice tests, emphasizing the need for effective preparation to understand complex passages. With a focus on the IELTS exam structure, it highlights the diverse challenges presented by the Reading section and the importance of strategic time management. In this expertly crafted article, the candidates can go through the various IELTS Reading Practice Test 7 questions and the IELTS Reading Practice Test 7 answers. This article contains answers to the IELTS academic reading practice test 7 that includes reading questions from topics such as William Gilbert And Magnetism, Seed Hunting and The Power of Nothing.

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This Story also Contains

1. READING
2. Passage - 1
3. Passage - 2
4. Passage - 3
5. QUESTIONS
6. SOLUTIONS
7. TIPS AND TRICKS FOR IELTS WRITING

During the IELTS Reading portion, candidates are tasked with reading three passages of varying difficulty levels, making a total of forty questions. The candidates must carefully read the sections and respond to the questions. Focussed attempts at IELTS examination. reading practice tests can aid in developing this skill.

To assist candidates in their preparation, this article provides a set of IELTS Reading practice tests that replicate the actual exam's structure and difficulty levels. Whether one is seeking IELTS general reading practice tests or specific exam-oriented guidance, these resources offer valuable insights for all needs. The detailed answers and explanations provided help candidates assess and enhance their performance, making this article a valuable tool for success in the IELTS Reading section and the broader IELTS exam reading practice.

READING

Passage - 1

William Gilbert And Magnetism

A. The 16th and 17th centuries saw two great pioneers of modem science: Galileo and

Gilbert. The impact of their findings is eminent. Gilbert was the first modem scientist,

the accredited father of the science of electricity and magnetism, an Englishman of

learning, and a physician at the court of Elizabeth. Prior to him, all that was known of

electricity and magnetism was what the ancients knew, nothing more than that the:

lodestone possessed magnetic properties and that amber and jet, when rubbed,

would attract bits of paper or other substances of small specific gravity. However, he

is less well-known than he deserves.

B. Gilbert’s birth predated Galileo's. Born in an eminent local family in Colchester

County in the UK, on May 24, 1544, he went to grammar school and then studied

medicine at St. John’s College, Cambridge, graduating in 1573. Later he traveled in

the continent and eventually settled down in London.

C. He was a very successful and eminent doctor. All this culminated in his election as

the president of the Royal Science Society. He was also appointed the personal

physician to the Queen (Elizabeth I) and later knighted by the Queen. He faithfully

served her until her death. However, he didn’t outlive the Queen for long and died on

December 10, 1603, only a few months after his appointment as a personal

physician to King James.

D. Gilbert was first interested in chemistry but later changed his focus due to the

large portion of the mysticism of alchemy involved (such as the transmutation of

metal). He gradually developed his interest in physics after the great minds of the

ancient, particularly about the knowledge the ancient Greeks had about lodestones,

strange minerals with the power to attract iron. In the meantime, Britain became a

major seafaring nation in 1588 when the Spanish Armada was defeated, opening the

way to the British settlement of America. British ships depended on the magnetic

compass, yet no one understood why it worked. Did the pole star attract it, as

Columbus once speculated, or was there a magnetic mountain at the pole, as

described in the Odyssey which ships would never approach because the sailors

thought its pull would yank out all their iron nails and fittings? For nearly 20 years,

William Gilbert conducted ingenious experiments to understand magnetism. His

works include On the Magnet and Magnetic Bodies, Great Magnet of the Earth.

E. Gilbert’s discovery was so important to modem physics. He investigated the

nature of magnetism and electricity. He even coined the word “electric”. The

early beliefs of magnetism were also largely entangled with superstitions such as

that rubbing garlic on lodestone can neutralize its magnetism, one example being

that sailors even believed the smell of garlic would interfere with the action of

the compass, which is why helmsmen were forbidden to eat it near a ship’s

compass. Gilbert also found that metals can be magnetized by rubbing materials

such as fur, plastic, or the like on them. He named the ends of a magnet “North Pole’

and “South Pole”. The magnetic poles can attract or repel, depending on polarity. In

addition, however, ordinary iron is always attracted to a magnet. Though he started

to study the relationship between magnetism and electricity, sadly, he didn’t complete

it. His research of static electricity using amber and jet only demonstrated that

objects with electrical charges can work like magnets attracting small pieces of paper

and stuff. It is a French guy named Du Fay who discovered that there are actually two

electrical charges, positive and negative.

F. He also questioned the traditional astronomical beliefs. Though a Copernican, he

didn’t express in his quintessential beliefs whether the earth is at the centre of the

universe or in orbit around the sun. However, he believed that stars are not

equidistant from the earth, but have their own Earth-like planets orbiting around

them. The earth is itself like a giant magnet, which is also why compasses always

point north. They spin on an axis that is aligned with the earth’s polarity. He even

likened the polarity of the magnet to the polarity of the earth and built an entire

magnetic philosophy on this analogy. In his explanation, magnetism was the soul of

the earth. Thus a perfectly spherical lodestone, when aligned with the earth’s poles,

would wobble all by itself in 24 hours. Further, he also believed that suns and other

stars wobble just like the earth does around a crystal core, and speculated that the

moon might also be a magnet caused to orbit by its magnetic attraction to the earth.

This was perhaps the first proposal that a force might cause a heavenly orbit.

G. His research method was revolutionary in that he used experiments rather than

pure logic and reasoning like the ancient Greek philosophers did. It was a new

attitude toward scientific investigation. Until then, scientific experiments were not in

fashion. It was because of this scientific attitude, together with his contribution to our

knowledge of magnetism, that a unit of magnetomotive force, also known as

magnetic potential, was named Gilbert in his honour. His approach of careful

observation and experimentation rather than the authoritative opinion or deductive

philosophy of others had laid the very foundation for modem science.

Extracted from - IELTS Reading Practice Sets. Copyright © 2017 by IDP education, British Council and Cambridge Assessment English

QUESTIONS

Questions 1-7

Reading passage 1 has seven paragraphs A-G Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number i-x in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

i. Early years of Gilbert

ii. What was new about his scientific research method

iii The development of chemistry

iv Questioning traditional astronomy

v Pioneers of the early science

vi Professional and social recognition

vii Becoming the president of the Royal Science Society

viii The great works of Gilbert

ix His discovery about magnetism

x His change of focus

1 Paragraph A

2 Paragraph B

3 Paragraph C

4 Paragraph D

5 Paragraph E

6 Paragraph F

7 Paragraph G

Questions 8-10

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1? In boxes 8-10 on your answer sheet write

TRUE if the statement is true

FALSE if the statement is false

NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

8 He is less famous than he should be.

9 He was famous as a doctor before he was employed by the Queen

10 He lost faith in the medical theories of his time.

Questions 11-13

Choose THREE letters A-F.Write your answers in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.

Which THREE of the following are parts of Gilbert’s discovery?

A Metal can be transformed into another.

B Garlic can remove magnetism.

C Metals can be magnetized.

D Stars are at different distances from the Earth.

E The earth wobbles on its axis.

F There are two charges for electricity.

SOLUTIONS

1. Answer: . v Pioneers of the early science

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit Paragraph A to identify key information about Gilbert's status as a pioneer of early science, mentioned in conjunction with Galileo.

Recognize his role as the accredited father of the science of electricity and magnetism.

2 Answer: i Early years of Gilbert

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit Paragraph B to gather information about Gilbert's early life, including his birth, education at grammar school, and studies at St. John’s College, Cambridge.

3. Answer: vi Professional and social recognition

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit Paragraph C to extract details about Gilbert's successful medical career, election as the president of the Royal Science Society, and his role as the personal physician to Queen Elizabeth I.

4. Answer: x Change of focus

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit Paragraph D to understand Gilbert's initial interest in chemistry and subsequent shift to physics due to concerns about alchemy and his growing fascination with ancient Greek knowledge.

5. Answer: .ix His discovery about magnetism

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit Paragraph E to identify Gilbert's contributions to the understanding of magnetism and electricity, including coining the term "electric" and naming the ends of a magnet.

6. Answer: iv Questioning traditional astronomy

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit Paragraph F to examine Gilbert's challenge to traditional astronomical beliefs, focusing on his Copernican views and unique perspectives on the earth's magnetism.

7. Answer: ii What was new about his scientific research method

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit Paragraph G to understand Gilbert's revolutionary research method, emphasizing the use of experiments over pure logic and its impact on the development of modern science.

8. Answer: TRUE

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit Paragraph A to identify the statement that Gilbert is "less well-known than he deserves."

Analyze this statement, understanding that it implies Gilbert should be more famous than he currently is, making the answer TRUE.

9. Answer: TRUE

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit Paragraph C, noting that Gilbert was a very successful and eminent doctor.

Analyze this information and understand that Gilbert's fame as a doctor existed before his appointment as the personal physician to Queen Elizabeth I, making the answer TRUE.

10. Answer: NOT GIVEN

Process to attempt the solution:

Examine the entire passage to find information about Gilbert's faith in medical theories.

Since the passage does not provide information about whether Gilbert lost faith in the medical theories of his time, conclude that the answer is NOT GIVEN.

11 - 13

Answer: C, D, E.

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit the relevant sections in the passage, focusing on Gilbert's discoveries.

Analyze the information to identify the parts of Gilbert's discovery.

Conclude that metals can be magnetized (C), stars are at different distances from the earth (D), and the earth wobbles on its axis (E) based on the information in the passage.

NOTE

The passage emphasizes William Gilbert's pivotal role in advancing scientific understanding, particularly in the fields of magnetism and electricity. The passage also sheds light on Gilbert's broader philosophical views, challenging traditional astronomical beliefs and proposing innovative ideas about the Earth, stars, and celestial bodies. The passage serves as a valuable resource for IELTS Reading practice, covering diverse topics like scientific history, experimental methodology, and the intersection of physics and philosophy. This variety in content aligns with the multifaceted nature of the IELTS reading exam, offering a well-rounded preparation strategy for test-takers with this IELTS reading preparation material.

Passage - 2

Seed Hunting

A. With a quarter of the world's plants set to vanish within the next 50 years, Dough

Alexander reports on the scientists working against the clock to preserve the Earth's

botanical heritage. They travel the four comers of the globe, scouring jungles,

forests, and savannas. But they're not looking for ancient artefacts, lost treasure, or

undiscovered tombs. Just pods. It may lack the romantic allure of archaeology or the

whiff of danger that accompanies going after a big game, but seed hunting is an

increasingly serious business. Some seek seeds for profit—hunters in the employ of

biotechnology firms, pharmaceutical companies, and private corporations on the

lookout for species that will yield the drugs or crops of the future. Others collect to

conserve, working to halt the sad slide into extinction, facing so many plant species.

B. Among the pioneers of this botanical treasure hunt was John Tradescant, an

English royal gardener who brought back plants and seeds from his journeys abroad

in the early 1600s. Later, the English botanist Sir Joseph Banks who was the first

director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and travelled with Captain James Cook

on his voyages near the end of the 18th century—was so driven to expand the

collections that he sent botanists around the world at his own expense.

C. Those heady days of exploration and discovery may be over, but they have been

replaced by a pressing need to preserve our natural history for the future. This

modem mission drives hunters such as Dr. Michiel van Slageren, a good-natured

Dutchman who often sports a wide-brimmed hat in the field—he could easily be

mistaken for the cinematic hero Indiana Jones. He and three other seed hunters

work at the Millennium Seed Bank, an 80 million [pounds sterling] international

conservation project that aims to protect the world's most endangered wild plant

species.

D. The group's headquarters are in a modem glass-and-concrete structure on a

200-hectare Estate at Wakehurst Place in the West Sussex countryside. Within its

underground vaults are 260 million dried seeds from 122 countries, all stored at -20

Celsius to survive for centuries. Among the 5100 species represented are virtually all

of Britain's 1,400 native seed-bearing plants, the most complete such collection of

any country’s flora.

E. Overseen by the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Millennium Seed Bank is the world's

largest wild-plant depository. It aims to collect 24,000 species by 2010. The reason is

simple: thanks to humanity's efforts, an estimated 25 per cent of the world's plants

are on the verge of extinction and may vanish within 50 years. We're currently

responsible for habitat destruction on an unprecedented scale, and during the past

400 years, plant species extinction rates have been about 70 times greater than

those indicated by the geological record as being ’normal’. Experts predict that

during the next 50 years, a further one billion hectares of wilderness will be converted

to farmland in developing countries alone.

F. The implications of this loss are enormous. Besides providing staple food crops,

plants are sources of many machines and the principal supply of fuel and building

materials in many parts of the world. They also protect the soil and help regulate the

climate. Yet, across the globe, plant species are being driven to extinction before

their potential benefits are discovered.

G. The World Conservation Union has listed 5,714 threatened species is sure to be

much higher. In the UK alone, 300 wild plant species are classified as endangered.

The Millennium Seed Bank aims to ensure that even if a plant becomes extinct in the

wild it won’t be lost forever.

H. Stored seeds can be used to help restore damaged or destroyed environments or

in scientific research to find new benefits for society- in medicine, agriculture, or local

industry- that would otherwise be lost.

I. Seed banks are an insurance policy to protect the world's plant heritage for the

future, explains Dr Paul Smith, another Kew seed hunter. "Seed conservation

techniques were originally developed by farmers," he says. “Storage is the basis

of what we do, conserving seeds until you can use them just as in farming," Smith says

there’s no reason why any plant species should become extinct, given today’s

technology. But he admits that the biggest challenge is finding, naming and

categorizing all the world's plants. And someone has to gather these seeds before

it's too late. "There aren't a lot of people out there doing this," he says” The key is to

know the flora from a particular area, and that knowledge takes years to acquire."

J. There are about 1,470 seedbanks scattered around the globe, with a combined

total of 5.4 million samples, of which perhaps two million are distinct non-duplicates.

Most preserve genetic material for agricultural use in order to ensure crop diversity;

others aim to conserve wild species, although only 15 per cent of all banked plants

are wild.

K. Imperial College, London, examined crop collections from 151 countries and

found that while the number of plant samples had increased in two-thirds of the

countries, the budget had been cut in a quarter and remained static in another 35

per cent. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and the Consultative Group on

International Agricultural Research have since set up the Global Conservation Trust,

which aims to raise US $260 million to protect seed banks in perpetuity.

Extracted from - IELTS Reading Practice Sets. Copyright © 2016 by IDP education, British Council and Cambridge Assessment English

QUESTIONS

Questions 14-19

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement is true

FALSE if the statement is false

NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

14 The purpose of collecting seeds now is different from the past

15 The millennium seed bank is the earliest seed bank.

16 One of the major threats to plant species extinction is farmland expansion into wildness.

17 The approach that scientists apply to store seeds is similar to that used by farmers.

18 Technological development is the only hope to save plant species.

19 The works of seed conservation are often limited by financial problems.

Questions 20-24

Summary

Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage 2, using no more than three words from the Reading Passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 20-24 on your answer sheet.

Some people collect seeds for the purpose of protecting certain species from ___________ 20_________ ; others collect seeds for their ability to produce _____________ 21_____________ . They are called seed hunters. The ___________________ 22_____________ of them included both gardeners and botanists，such as______________ 23_____________ ，who financially supported collectors out of his own pocket. The seeds collected are usually stored in seed banks, one of which is the famous millennium seed bank, where seeds are all stored in the __________ 24___________ at a low temperature.

Questions 25-26

Choose any two correct answers from the list of options given below. Write your answers in boxes 25, 26 on your answer sheet.

Which TWO of the following are provided by plants to the human?

A food

B fuels

C clothes

D energy

E commercial products

SOLUTIONS

14. Answer: TRUE

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit Paragraph A to identify the statement that seed hunting is an increasingly serious business.

Analyze this information, noting that some seek seeds for profit, while others collect to conserve, suggesting a change in the purpose of seed collection from the past.

15. Answer: NOT GIVEN

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit relevant sections in the passage to find information on whether the Millennium Seed Bank is the earliest seed bank.

Since the passage does not provide information on this specific aspect, conclude that the answer is NOT GIVEN.

16. Answer: TRUE

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit Paragraph E, which mentions the threat of converting wilderness into farmland.

Analyze this information, understanding that farmland expansion is presented as a significant threat to plant species extinction.

17. Answer: TRUE

Process to attempt the solution:

Refer to Paragraph I, which it explains that seed conservation techniques were originally developed by farmers.

Analyze this information, concluding that the approach scientists use to store seeds is similar to that used by farmers.

18. Answer: FALSE

Process to attempt the solution:

Refer to Paragraph I, which mentions technological development but also highlights challenges beyond technology.

Analyze this information, concluding that technological development is crucial but not the only hope, as there are additional challenges.

19. Answer: TRUE

Process to attempt the solution:

In the passage, it's mentioned that despite the increase in the number of plant samples in two-thirds of the countries, the budget had been cut in a quarter and remained static at another 35 per cent. This indicates that financial constraints are indeed a limiting factor in the works of seed conservation.

Therefore, the statement is true because financial problems hinder the efforts of seed conservation.

20. Answer: EXTINCTION

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit Paragraph A, where the purpose of collecting seeds is discussed.

Identify the term that represents what seeds are being protected from.

Choose the term "EXTINCTION" from the passage to fill in the blank.

21. Answer: drugs/crops

Process to attempt the solution:

Examine Paragraph A, specifically focusing on why some people collect seeds for profit.

Identify the terms that represent what these seeds can yield.

Choose the terms "drugs" and "crops" from the passage to fill in the blank.

22. Answer: pioneers

Process to attempt the solution:

Look for information in Paragraph B about the individuals mentioned who were both gardeners and botanists.

Identify the term that characterizes these individuals.

Choose the term "pioneers" from the passage to fill in the blank.

23. Answer: Sir Joseph Banks

Process to attempt the solution:

Refer to Paragraph B to find the botanist who financially supported collectors.

Identify the specific name mentioned in the passage.

Choose the name "Sir Joseph Banks" from the passage to fill in the blank.

24. Answer: underground vaults

Process to attempt the solution:

Focus on Paragraph D, where the storage location for seeds in the Millennium Seed Bank is discussed.

Identify the specific location mentioned.

Choose the term "vaults" from the passage to fill in the blank.

25 and 26 Answer: A, B

Process to attempt the solution:

Read the passage: Understand the information provided about what plants offer to humans in terms of benefits.

Identify relevant information: Look for details mentioning what plants provide to humans in the passage.

List the options: Note the options provided (A, B, C, D, E).

Match with the passage: Match the identified information with the options.

Select correct answers: Choose the options that are explicitly mentioned in the passage as benefits provided by plants.

NOTE

The passage discusses the concepts of seed hunting relevant to IELTS Reading practice. Success in this section requires consistent IELTS reading practice, through general and academic reading tests online.

Questions, including True/False/Not Given, sentence completion and choosing the right option questions require extensive IELTS reading practice. The passage explains the focus of IELTS reading practice on understanding key concepts. Understanding various question types is a key skill required in the IELTS reading exam practice online.

Passage - 3

The Power of Nothing

Geoff Watts, New Scientist (May 26th, 2001)

A. Want to devise a new form of alternative medicine? No problem. Here is the

recipe. Be warm, sympathetic, reassuring, and enthusiastic. Your treatment should

involve physical contact, and each session with your patients should last at least half

an hour of treatment and understand how their disorders relate to the rest of their

lives. Tell them that their own bodies possess the true power to heal. Make them pay

you out of their own pockets. Describe your treatment in familiar words, but

embroidered with a hint of mysticism: energy fields, energy flows, energy blocks,

meridians, forces, auras, rhythms, and the like. Refer to the K J knowledge of an

earlier age: wisdom carelessly swept aside by the rise and rise of blind, mechanistic

science. Oh, come off it, you are saying. Something invented off the top of your head

could not possibly work, could it?

B. Well yes, it could - and often well enough to earn you a living. A good living if you

are sufficiently convincing, or better still, really believe in your therapy. Many

illnesses get better on their own, so if you are lucky and administer your treatment at

just the right time you will get the credit. But that’s only part of it. Some of the

improvements really would be down to you. Your healing power would be the

outcome of a paradoxical force that conventional medicine recognizes but remains

oddly ambivalent about the placebo effect.

C. Placebos are treatments that have no direct effect on the body, yet still, work

because the patient has faith in their power to heal. Most often, the term refers to a

dummy pill, but it applies just as much to any device or procedure, from a sticking

plaster to a crystal to an operation. The existence of the placebo effect implies that

even quackery may confer real benefits, which is why any mention of placebo is a

touchy subject for many practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine,

who are likely to regard it as tantamount to a charge of charlatanism. In fact, the

placebo effect is a powerful part of all medical care, orthodox or otherwise, though its

role is often neglected or misunderstood.

D. One of the great strengths of CAM may be its practitioners’ skill in deploying the

placebo effect to accomplish real healing. "Complementary practitioners are miles

better at producing non-specific effects and good therapeutic relationships," says

Edzard Ernst, professor of CAM at Exeter University. The question is whether CAM

could be integrated into conventional medicine, as some would like, without losing

much of this power.

E. At one level, it should come as no surprise that our state of mind can influence our

physiology: anger opens the superficial blood vessels of the face; sadness pumps

the tear glands. But exactly how placebos work their medical magic is still largely

unknown. Most of the scant research done so far has focused on the control of pain

because it’s one of the most common complaints and lends itself to experimental study.

Here, attention has turned to the endorphins, morphine-like neurochemicals known

to help control pain.

F. But exactly how placebos work their medical magic is still largely unknown. Most

of the scant research to date has focused on the control of pain because it’s one of

the most common complaints and lends itself to experimental study. Here, attention has

turned to the endorphins, natural counterparts of morphine that are known to help

control pain. "Any of the neurochemicals involved in transmitting pain impulses or

modulating them might also be involved in generating the placebo response," says

Don Price, an oral surgeon at the University of Florida who studies the placebo effect

in dental pain.

G. "But endorphins are still out in front". That case has been strengthened by the

recent work of Fabrizio Benedetti of the University of Turin, who showed that the

placebo effect can be abolished by a drug, naloxone, which blocks the effects of

endorphins. Benedetti induced pain in human volunteers by inflating a

blood-pressure cuff on the forearm. He did this several times a day for several days,

using morphine each time to control the pain. On the final day, without saying

anything, he replaced the morphine with a saline solution. This still relieved the

subjects' pain: a placebo effect. But when he added naloxone to the saline the pain

relief disappeared. Here was direct proof that placebo analgesia is mediated, at least

in part, by these natural opiates.

H. Still, no one knows how belief triggers endorphin release, or why most people

can't achieve placebo pain relief simply by willing it. Though scientists don’t know

exactly how placebos work, they have accumulated a fair bit of knowledge about

how to trigger the effect. A London rheumatologist found, for example, that red

dummy capsules made more effective painkillers than blue, green or yellow ones.

Research on American students revealed that blue pills make better sedatives than

pink, a colour more suitable for stimulants. Even branding can make a difference: if

Aspro or Tylenol are what you like to take for a headache, their chemically identical

generic equivalents may be less effective.

I. It matters, too, how the treatment is delivered. Decades ago, when the major

tranquillizer chlorpromazine was being introduced, a doctor in Kansas categorized his

colleagues according to whether they were keen on it, openly sceptical of its benefits

or took a "let’s try and see,’ attitude. His conclusion: the more enthusiastic the

doctor, the better the drug performed. And this year Ernst surveyed published

studies that compared doctors' bedside manners. The studies turned up one

consistent finding: "Physicians who adopt a warm, friendly and reassuring manner,"

he reported, "are more effective than those whose consultations are formal and do

not offer reassurance”.

J. Warm, friendly, and reassuring are precisely CAM's strong suits, of course. Many

of the ingredients of that opening recipe — the physical contact, the generous

swathes of time, the strong hints of supernormal healing power are just the kind of

thing likely to impress patients. It’s hardly surprising, then, that complementary

practitioners are generally best at mobilizing the placebo effect, says Arthur

Kleinman, professor of social anthropology at Harvard University.

Extracted from - IELTS Reading Practice Sets. Copyright © 2017 by IDP education, British Council and Cambridge Assessment English

QUESTIONS

Questions 27-32

Use the information given below to match. Choose the appropriate letters A-H in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.

NB: You may use any letter more than once.

A Should easily be understood.

B Should improve by itself.

C Should not involve any mysticism.

D Ought to last a minimum length of time.

E Needs to be treated at the right time.

F Should give more recognition.

G Can earn valuable money.

H Do not rely on any specific treatment

27 Appointments with an alternative practitioner.

28 An alternative practitioners description of the treatment.

29 An alternative practitioner who has faith in what he does.

30 The illness of patients convinced of alternative practice.

31 Improvements of patients receiving alternative practice.

32 Conventional medical doctors (who is aware of placebo).

Questions 33- 35

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write your answers in boxes 24-26 on your answer sheet.,

33. In the fifth paragraph, the writer uses the example of anger and sadness to illustrate that:

A People’s feeling could affect their physical behaviour

B Scientists don’t understand how the mind influences the body.

C Research on the placebo effect is very limited

D How the placebo achieves its effect is yet to be understood.

34. Research on pain control attracts most of the attention because

A Scientists have discovered that endorphins can help to reduce pain.

B Only a limited number of researchers gain relevant experience

C Pain reducing agents might also be involved in the placebo effect.

D Patients often experience pain and like to complain about it

35. Fabrizio Benedetti's research on endorphins indicates that

A They are widely used to regulate pain.

B They can be produced by willM thoughts

C They can be neutralized by introducing naloxone.

D Their pain-relieving effects do not last long enough.

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3? In boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement is true

FALSE if the statement is false

NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in passage

36 There is enough information for scientists to fully understand the placebo effect.

37 A London-based researcher discovered that red pills should be taken off the market.

38 People’s preferences for brands would also have an effect on their healing.

39 Medical doctors have a range of views on the newly introduced drug.

40 Alternative practitioners are seldom known for applying the placebo effect.

SOLUTIONS

27 Answer: D

Process to attempt the solution: Look for information in the passage about the duration of appointments with alternative practitioners. The relevant information is in paragraph A, stating that each session with patients should last at least half an hour.

28 Answer: A

Process attempt the solution: Find information in the passage describing how alternative practitioners should present their treatment. Paragraph A mentions that the description should be in familiar words but with a hint of mysticism, referring to energy fields, energy flows, etc.

29 Answer: G

Process attempt the solution: Identify information in the passage regarding the benefits of alternative practitioners. Paragraph J discusses how warm, friendly, and reassuring approaches of complementary practitioners are generally best at mobilizing the placebo effect.

30 Answer: B

Process attempt the solution: Search for information about the conditions under which an alternative practitioner may get credit for improvements. Paragraph B suggests that many illnesses get better on their own, so if an alternative practitioner administers treatment at the right time, they may get credit.

31 Answer: H

Process attempt the solution: Look for information about the skills of CAM practitioners in deploying the placebo effect. Paragraph D mentions that practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) may be skilled at deploying the placebo effect to accomplish real healing, and they can earn valuable money.

32 Answer: F

Process attempt the solution: Find information in the passage about the recognition of the placebo effect in medical care. Paragraph C discusses how the placebo effect is a powerful part of all medical care, and some argue that conventional medicine should give more recognition to it.

33. Answer: A People’s feeling could affect their physical behavior

Process to attempt the solution:

Revisit the fifth paragraph where the writer discusses the influence of people's state of mind on physiology.

Identify the example used to illustrate this point.

Choose the answer that reflects the purpose of the example, which is that people's feelings can affect their physical behaviour

34. Answer: D Patients often experience pain and like to complain about it.

Process to attempt the solution:

Focus on the fifth paragraph where pain control and the placebo effect are discussed.

Identify the reason why research on pain control attracts attention.

Choose the answer that reflects the idea that patients often experience pain, which makes it a common complaint and thus attracts attention in research.

35. Answer: C They can be neutralized by introducing naloxone.

Process to attempt the solution:

Look into the paragraph where Fabrizio Benedetti's research on endorphins is discussed.

Identify the key finding from Benedetti's research.

Choose the answer that accurately represents the outcome of introducing naloxone to endorphins.

36 Answer: FALSE

Process to attempt the solution:

Carefully read the passage, specifically focusing on information related to scientists' understanding of the placebo effect.

Identify that the passage implies that scientists do not fully understand the placebo effect, making the statement false.

37. Answer: NOT GIVEN

Process to attempt the solution:

Examine the passage for any information about a London-based researcher discovering that red pills should be taken off the market.

Identify that the passage does not provide information on this matter, making the answer NOT GIVEN.

38. Answer: TRUE

Process to attempt the solution:

Review the passage, paying attention to any mention of people's preferences for brands and their effect on healing.

Recognize that the passage indicates that people’s preferences for brands can have an effect on their healing, making the statement true.

39. Answer: TRUE

Process to attempt the solution:

Look through the passage for information regarding medical doctors' views on a newly introduced drug.

Identify that the passage suggests that medical doctors have a range of views on the newly introduced drug, making the statement true.

40. Answer: FALSE

Process to attempt the solution:

Scan the passage for information about alternative practitioners and their application of the placebo effect.

Recognize that the passage implies that practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are generally effective at mobilizing the placebo effect, making the statement false.

NOTE

The passage discusses about the intriguing concept of the placebo effect in alternative medicine. This content is highly relevant for IELTS Reading practice, providing insights into the dynamics of healing through non-specific effects. True/False/Not Given questions require understanding, especially concerning the acknowledgement of the placebo effect in conventional medicine. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are crucial in IELTS reading exam practice, centring on the role of CAM practitioners in utilizing the placebo effect for real healing. Additionally, matching paragraph questions assess the comprehension of different sections within the passage. Overall, this content proves invaluable for IELTS reading preparation, offering a much-required exploration of the placebo effect in alternative medicine.

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