The Braille System - IELTS Reading Answers

The Braille System - IELTS Reading Answers: The Braille system in the IELTS reading section is one of the reading model sections wherein students can practice like the actual IELTS reading sections and analyse the scores they acquire and their current position in the IELTS reading module. The Braille system should be treated like a sample reading section material and used to measure the progress made so far in the IELTS reading section and the kind of strategies that can be used to answer different types of questions.

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This Story also Contains

1. Reading Passage: The Braille System
2. Introduction to the Braille System
3. What is Braille?
4. Historical Background and Invention
5. Understanding the IELTS Reading Section
6. The Braille System in the IELTS Reading Passage
7. Tips to Tackle Questions on the Braille System
8. Enhancing Vocabulary for Braille-Related Topics
9. Practice Questions and Answers for the Braille System
10. Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
11. Resources for IELTS Reading Practice
12. Conclusion and Final Tips

Reading Passage: The Braille System

Paragraph 1:

The Braille system is a contact reading and writing device for the blind where the dots indicate the letters and numbers. It also has dots for punctuation marks and markers for showing letter groupings. They read using both hands, but mostly using their index fingers. They can read at a speed of about 125 words per minute on average. Some people can read up to 200 words per minute. Blind people will learn about the written word while using the braille alphabet. They will also learn things like pronunciation, punctuation, paragraph formatting, and footnotes.

Paragraph 2:

Most importantly, braille gives blind people access to a wide variety of items, including leisure and instructional reading, income reports, restaurant menus, and critical things in everyday adult life like contracts, laws, insurance plans, indexes, and cookbooks. Using materials such as musical scores, songbooks, card games, and chess, blind people will also enjoy activities and cultural stimulation through braille. Many other methods have been tried over the years to help blind people to read. Many of those were elevated copies of print letters. The braille scheme became a success because it is made of a logical series of signs intended for the fingertips instead of imitating signs designed for the eyes.

Paragraph 3:

Braille has a long tradition that dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. In Bonaparte’s French army, a man named Charles Barbier invented a unique technique known as “night printing” so soldiers could talk peacefully at night. Barbier, a veteran of the military, saw the deaths of several troops who used lights after dark to understand battle signals. Because of the light from the torches, enemy combatants realized where the French soldiers were, causing the death of several men. Barbier’s “night printing” technique is made on an elevated 12-dot cell that is 2 dots wide and 6 dots deep. Inside the cell, each dot or mixture of dots denoted a letter or phonetic sound. The issue with the legal regulations was that the normal fingertip did not recognize any of the dots with a single touch.

Paragraph 4:

Louis Braille was born in a French village called Coupvray on Jan 4, 1809. He went blind at a young age after accidentally stabbing himself in the eye with his father’s blade. Braille’s father was a leather maker who used a tool to punch holes in the leather goods he made. At the age of 11, Braille was inspired to change Charles Barbier’s “night printing” code to make an effective written correspondence device for all blind people. He had joined the National Institute of the Blind in Paris a year before. He spent the best part of the next 9 years designing and making a perfect pattern of raised dots that bears his signature, Braille.

Paragraph 5:

With all of Braille’s efforts, the coding was now directed at cells of just 6 dots rather than 12. This crucial advancement meant that a fingertip could cover the entire cell unit with a single impression and travel quickly from one cell to the next. Braille eventually gained acceptance around the world as the main mode of written communication for blind people. Even today, there is no difference in the braille system from what he invented. However, some small changes have been made to the braille system, most notably the addition of contractions describing groups of letters or entire words that occur regularly in a script. Contractions allow for easier braille reading. It also helped to reduce the scale of braille books, making them even lighter.

Paragraph 6:

In 1853 Braille passed away, at the age of 43, a year before his native France adopted braille as the official correspondence method for the blind. In 1860, Braille made its way “across the pond” to America, where it was used by The Missouri School for the Blind in St. Louis. The legacy of Louis Braille has enriched the lives of millions of people who are blind. As a consequence, blind people from around the world learn from Braille’s work regularly. Today, braille code has been transposed in a variety of languages all over the world. Braille will be proud to know that his work has helped many people get literacy over the years. The effect is largely inspiring and helps them to achieve success in their academics and their career paths.

Also Read:

• Common Mistakes in IELTS

• IELTS Writing Band Descriptors

Introduction to the Braille System

As an IELTS student, while you are practising the IELTS reading section, remember that you do not have to worry about the way the topic of the reading passage was introduced or completely dive into it and use your knowledge. The only important aspect is to answer the questions that follow the passage accurately. Also, while answering the questions related to the passage you should only focus on the information that is given in the passage and not bother about the knowledge you already may have about the topic.

What is Braille?

In the above passage, Braille is a literacy system for the blind enabling them to read and understand with a proper set speed and also be able to live up to daily life scenarios.

Historical Background and Invention

The passage states the reason for the development of the Braille system and its originality by a person named Braille. It explains how the system got simplified making it easier to understand and finally, it got adopted by France and the US and then got its acceptance worldwide facilitating literacy and career prospects for the blind.

Understanding the IELTS Reading Section

Understanding the reading passage is important to answer the questions and score high bands. Three sections in the IELTS reading module have to be attempted in one hour. Students need dedicated practice and strategies to follow while attempting the module to score high bands.

1. Types of Questions in the Reading Test

While attempting the reading section of your IELTS examination, you can expect to encounter question types that are as follows:

• True/False/Not given

• Completion type of questions: Sentence completion/ Summary/ Diagram/ table completion

• Matching type of questions: Matching headings/ information/ features

2. Importance of Skimming and Scanning

Reading the whole passage several times is not possible, you won't have enough time to do so, the best way to go through the passage is to scan and skim through it, to do this, all you need to do is to focus only on the important words and ignore the grammar for the most part, this will allow you to get through the passage in no time but remember you might miss a small detail that could change the meaning of the line or passage, so make sure you have at least read it once.

This technique is mostly for after you have read the passage and are answering the questions.

The Braille System in the IELTS Reading Passage

The Braille System in the IELTS reading passage is a sample passage and students should use it for practice purposes. This will help them track their preparation progress and further work on their weaknesses if any.

1. Common Themes Related to Braille

Some of the common themes discussed in the passage are as follows:

• Braille enabled blind people to become literate and access information.

• The braille system advanced with time and got accepted worldwide.

• It enables communication in a structured way for the blind.

2. How Braille is Represented in IELTS Questions

The braille System is represented in the IELTS reading modules, one of the sections and is followed by a certain number of questions. Students should follow different strategies to answer each type of question successfully.

Tips to Tackle Questions on the Braille System

Some of the tips to attempt the IELTS reading module are as follows:

• Skimming and scanning method

• Using Annotation technique

• Making gist of the paras

• Improve your vocabulary

1. Identifying Key Information in the Passage

Identifying key information given in the passage (making gist of the paras) will allow you to pinpoint where you can find certain answers like for the match the heading type of question or the fill-the-blanks question, here are the key points in this passage.

• Paragraph 1: The braille system is used by blind people for reading, they can develop a set speed and mostly use the index finger.

• Paragraph 2: Uses of braille in daily life and its success due to logical series of signs.

• Paragraph 3: Night Printing system for soldiers inspired by braille system however the issue of normal fingertip not being able to recognize the dots is highlighted.

• Paragraph 4: Highlights how the system got the name Braille, and also that raised dot code was an effective tool for all blind people.

• Paragraph 5: Acceptance of the Braille system for the blind people and the advancement it further made.

• Paragraph 6: The efforts of Braille were recognized by both France and America and after the death of Braille a year ago it was accepted in France.

2. Strategies for Matching Headings

Some of the best ways to answer these types of questions are:

• Make use of your skimming skills, and use the info pointers (gist) you have made. By skimming the passage, you will be able to identify its key points.

• Once you have the main idea of the paragraph, use the elimination method to select the right answer from the given choices.

The main idea of these types of questions is to test your identifying skills, if you use the above method, you can always tell which title is the best for the passage.

3. Approaching True/False/Not Given Questions

The best way to approach this type of question is:

• Read the instructions carefully. The information will state if you have to answer as Yes/No/Not given or True/false/Not given.

• Read the question statement carefully and break it into chunks for better understanding.

• Based on your understanding search for the right information using the pin-points you have made for each para or by skimming the information.

• Learn to identify synonyms.

Enhancing Vocabulary for Braille-Related Topics

Students preparing for the IELTS reading section must make sure that they have made their vocabulary journal to improve their English language. Vocabulary is an essential part of improving overall band score as it will help in bringing improvement in the writing, listening and speaking sections of the IELTS exam.

1. Key Terms Associated with the Braille System

Some of the key terms in the Braille system passage of IELTS are as follows. The same can also be included in the vocabulary journal for an overall improvement. Students may create their vocabulary journal in the given way.

1. Indicate

• Synonyms: show, demonstrate, point out

• Meaning: To make something clear or visible

• Example: The raised dots in Braille indicate different letters, numbers, and punctuation marks.

2. Pronunciation

• Synonyms: speech, articulation, way of saying

• Meaning: The way a word is spoken

• For example: with the help of Braille, blind individuals can learn the correct pronunciation of words.

3. Instructional

• Synonyms: educational, informative, teaching

• Meaning: Something designed to teach or guide

• Example: Braille opens up a world of instructional materials for blind readers.

4. Cultural

• Synonyms: artistic, social, traditional

• Meaning: Related to customs, arts, or shared experiences of a society

• Example: Blind people can enjoy cultural activities like reading songbooks and playing card games.

5. Imitating

• Synonyms: copying, mimicking, replicating

• Meaning: Trying to look or act like something else

• Example: Earlier reading methods for the blind focused on imitating printed letters, but they were not as effective as Braille.

2. Words and Phrases to Look Out for in IELTS Passages

Students preparing for the IELTS exam need to excel in vocabulary and reading different passages will help them acquire different words and synonyms. This way students will be able to excel in other modules of IELTS: Writing, listening, and speaking. While students are working to enhance their vocabulary, they should create a vocabulary journal personally for themselves making a note of all new words, their meanings, and synonyms, and making a sentence using those words for better retention.

Practice Questions and Answers for the Braille System

The questions in the IELTS reading passage The Braille System are given below. We recommend students follow the techniques given above and complete answering the questions. Also, note the time you take to complete all the questions. Target time should not exceed 20-25 minutes.

Example Questions and Step-by-Step Solutions

Type 1: Questions 1-5: Summary Completion

Complete the summary below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.

The Braille system is a (1) _______ reading and writing system for the blind, in this system, raised dots represent (2) _______, numbers, and punctuation. It enables blind people to access various types of content, including (3) _______ and entertainment material. The system was inspired by a technique called (4) _______, created by Charles Barbier for soldiers to communicate in the dark. However, the original design was not effective for blind people because a (5) _______ could not recognize the raised dots in a single touch.

Type 2: Questions 6-10: True/False/Not Given

Write:

• TRUE if the statement agrees with the information in the passage

• FALSE if the statement contradicts the information in the passage

• NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

6. Braille users typically read using only one hand.

7. The braille system has completely replaced all other reading methods for blind people.

8. Charles Barbier originally developed the braille system.

9. The Missouri School for the Blind was the first institution in America to adopt braille.

10. Braille's original system included contractions for commonly used words.

Answers with location:

1. contact - it is mentioned in the 1st line of the 1st paragraph

2. letters- it is mentioned in the 1st line of the 1st paragraph

3. menus- mentioned in the first sentence of paragraph 2

4. night printing- mentioned in the first sentence of the third paragraph

5. fingertip- last line of the third paragraph

6. False—The third line in the first paragraph mentions a contradictory statement: “They read using both hands, but mostly using their index fingers.”

7. False- the 3rd line in the second paragraph states contradictory information: “Many other methods have been tried over the years to help blind people to read.”

8. False- the 4th paragraph states contradictory information: Charles Barbier developed "night printing," but it was Louis Braille who modified it into the braille system.

9. True- it is given in the passage: “In 1860, Braille made its way 'across the pond' to America, where it was used by The Missouri School for the Blind.”

10. False- it is mentioned in the passage that contractions were added at a later stage.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

While preparing and practising for the IELTS reading module, students must take care of the following mistakes and must be careful in reading all the question statements carefully.

1. Misinterpreting the Passage

The best way to avoid misinterpretation is to read the question statement carefully, and then match the information with what is given in the passage. Focus on the synonyms and understand the relation with the passage.

2. Overlooking Key Details

Overlooking key details is another example of mistakes students often make, the best way to overcome this issue is to stay calm and focus on the answer you are searching with detailed attention. Focus on transitional words like however, such as, despite as these words can even change the entire meaning of the sentence.

Resources for IELTS Reading Practice

Students preparing for the IELTS exam should refer to authenticated material only as other material may leave them confused or dishearten them with the feeling of not achieving the desired band score.

1. Official IELTS Preparation Materials

Cambridge book series from 1 to 19

Burlington IELTS preparation

2. Online Tools and Practice Tests

Students planning to attempt the computer-based exam must practice via authenticated online portals. The same can be done by:

• E2 language

• British Council

Conclusion and Final Tips

The IELTS reading module will help candidates boost their overall IELTS scores and fulfil their dream of studying in the best and most renowned universities. The only way to score a high band score is to prepare well and use all the given strategies to be exam-ready.

1. Recap of Strategies for Braille System Passages

Some of the IELTS tips and strategies that you should always remember are as follows:

• Read the question statement thoroughly.

• Use annotation strategy.

• Understand the way to use the elimination method.

• Enhance your English vocabulary

2. Importance of Consistent Practice

Gaining high scores can be an easy task if the student preparing for the IELTS exam is serious and diligent in practice and preparation. Maintaining consistency in the preparation by working on the weaknesses and overcoming them is the key to scoring high scores.

Also Read:

• Simple Present Tense

• Present Perfect Tense

• Present Continuous Tense

About the Author:

Pooja Aggarwal is an experienced trainer with over 15 years of expertise in helping students achieve their educational goals. With a degree in Education, she focuses on clear, patient, and personalized instruction. Her approach has successfully guided students from diverse backgrounds, preparing them for both Academic and General Training modules of various exams in a supportive and engaging environment.