IELTS reading

Cambridge 16 · Academic Reading Test 1

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Section 1

Reading Passage 1

Why We Need To Protect Polar Bears

Polar bears are being increasingly threatened by the effects of climate change, but their disappearance could have far-reaching consequences. They are uniquely adapted to the extreme conditions of the Arctic Circle, where temperatures can reach —40°C. One reason for this is that they have up to 11 centimetres of fat underneath their skin. Humans with comparative levels of adipose tissue would be considered obese and would be likely to suffer from diabetes and heart disease. Yet the polar bear experiences no such consequences. A 2014 study by Shi Ping Liu and colleagues sheds light on this mystery. They compared the genetic structure of polar bears with that of their closest relatives from a warmer climate, the brown bears. This allowed them to determine the genes that have allowed polar bears to survive in one of the toughest environments on Earth. Liu and his colleagues found the polar bears had a gene known as APoB, which reduces levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) – a form of ‘bad’ cholesterol. In humans, mutations of this gene are associated with increased risk of heart disease. Polar bears may therefore be an important study model to understand heart disease in humans. The genome of the polar bear may also provide the solution for another condition, one that particularly affects our older generation: osteoporosis. This is a disease where bones show reduced density, usually caused by insufficient exercise, reduced calcium intake or food starvation. Bone tissue is constantly being remodelled, meaning that bone is added or removed, depending on nutrient…

Questions 1–7

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

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

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

Section 2

Reading Passage 2

The Step Pyramid Of Djoser

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The pyramids are the most famous monuments of ancient Egypt and still hold enormous interest for people in the present day. These grand, impressive tributes to the memory of the Egyptian kings have become linked with the country even though other cultures, such as the Chinese and Mayan, also built pyramids. The evolution of the pyramid form has been written and argued about for centuries. However, there is no question that, as far as Egypt is concerned, it began with one monument to one king designed by one brilliant architect: the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara. Djoser was the first king of the Third Dynasty of Egypt and the first to build in stone. Prior to Djoser’s reign, tombs were rectangular monuments made of dried clay brick, which covered underground passages where the deceased person was buried. For reasons which remain unclear, Djoser’s main official, whose name was Imhotep, conceived of building a taller, more impressive tomb for his king by stacking stone slabs on top of one another, progressively making them smaller, to form the shape now known as the Step Pyramid. Djoser is thought to have reigned for 19 years, but some historians and scholars attribute a much longer time for his rule, owing to the number and size of the monuments he built. The Step Pyramid has been thoroughly examined and investigated over the last century, and it is now known that the building process went through many different stages. Historian Marc Van de Mieroop comments on this, writing ‘Much experimentation was involved, which is especially clear in the construction of the pyramid…

Questions 14–20

The Reading Passage has seven paragraphs, A-G.

14.Paragraph A

Section 3

Reading Passage 3

The Future Of Work

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According to a leading business consultancy, 3—14% of the global workforce will need to switch to a different occupation within the next 10—15 years, and all workers will need to adapt as their occupations evolve alongside increasingly capable machines. Automation — or ‘embodied artificial intelligence (AI) — is one aspect of the disruptive effects of technology on the labour market. ‘Disembodied AI’, like the algorithms running in our smartphones, is another. Dr Stella Pachidi from Cambridge Judge Business School believes that some of the most fundamental changes are happening as a result of the ‘algorithmication’ of jobs that are dependent on data rather than on production — the so-called knowledge economy. Algorithms are capable of learning from data to undertake tasks that previously needed human judgement, such as reading legal contracts, analysing medical scans and gathering market intelligence. ‘In many cases, they can outperform humans,’ says Pachidi. ‘Organisations are attracted to using algorithms because they want to make choices based on what they consider is “perfect information”, as well as to reduce costs and enhance productivity.’ ‘But these enhancements are not without consequences,’ says Pachidi. ‘If routine cognitive tasks are taken over by AI, how do professions develop their future experts?’ she asks. ‘One way of learning about a job is “legitimate peripheral participation”— a novice stands next to experts and learns by observation. If this isn’t happening, then you need to find new ways to learn.’ Another issue is the extent to which the technology…

Questions 27–30

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

27.The first paragraph tells us about

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Answers & explanations

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40 answers3 explanations open

1
FALSE
The correct answer is FALSE because the passage clearly states that polar bears do not suffer from obesity-related issues like diabetes and heart disease despite having a significant amount of fat under their skin. Therefore, the information given in the passage contradicts the statement about polar bears suffering from health problems due to fat accumulation.
2
FALSE
The correct answer is FALSE because the study mentioned in the passage actually compared the genetic structure of polar bears with brown bears, not different groups of polar bears. The comparison was between polar bears and their closest relatives from a warmer climate, the brown bears, not within different groups of polar bears.
3
NOT GIVEN
The correct answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage does not mention whether Liu and colleagues were the first researchers to compare polar bears and brown bears genetically. The information provided is focused on the comparison they conducted but does not mention their status as the first researchers to do so.
4
TRUE
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5
TRUE
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6
FALSE
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7
TRUE
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8
violent
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9
tool
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10
meat
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11
photographer
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12
game
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13
frustration
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14
iv
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15
vii
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16
ii
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17
v
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18
i
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19
viii
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20
vi
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21
city
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22
priests
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23
trench
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24
location
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25
B
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26
D
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27
B
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28
D
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29
C
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30
D
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31
G
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32
E
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33
C
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34
F
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35
B
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36
A
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37
C
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38
A
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39
B
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40
C
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