quantitative research in education ielts reading answers with explanation

Quantitative Research in Education – IELTS Academic Reading Passage

Many education researchers used to work on the assumption that children experience different phases of development, and that they cannot execute the most advanced level of cognitive operation until they have reached the most advanced forms of cognitive process. For example, one researcher Piaget had a well-known experiment in which he asked the children to compare the amount of liquid in containers with different shapes. Those containers had the same capacity, but even when the young children were demonstrated that the same amount of fluid could be poured between the containers, many of them still believed one was larger than the other. Piaget concluded that the children were incapable of performing the logical task in figuring out that the two containers were the same size even though they had different shapes, because their cognitive development had not reached the necessary phase. Critics on his work, such as Donaldson, have questioned this interpretation. They point out the possibility that the children were just unwilling to play the experimenter’s game, or that they did not quite understand the question asked by the experimenter. These criticisms surely do state the facts, but more importantly, it suggests that experiments are social situations where interpersonal interactions take place. The implication here is that Piaget’s investigation and his attempts to replicate it are not solely about measuring the children’s capabilities of logical thinking, but also the degree to which they could understand the directions for them, their willingness to comply with these requirements, how well the experimenters did in communicating the requirements and in motivating those children, etc.

The same kinds of criticisms have been targeted to psychological and educational tests. For instance, Mehan argues that the subjects might interpret the test questions in a way different from that meant by the experimenter. In a language development test, researchers show children a picture of a medieval fortress, complete with moat, drawbridge, parapets and three initial consonants in it: D, C, and G. The children are required to circle the correct initial consonant for ‘castle’. The answer is C, but many kids choose D. When asked what the name of the building was, the children responded ‘Disneyland’. They adopted the reasoning line expected by the experimenter but got to the wrong substantive answer. The score sheet with the wrong answers does not include in it a child’s lack of reasoning capacity; it only records that the children gave a different answer rather than the one the tester expected.

Here we are constantly getting questions about how valid the measures are where the findings of the quantitative research are usually based. Some scholars such as Donaldson consider these as technical issues, which can be resolved through more rigorous experimentation. In contrast, others like Mehan reckon that the problems are not merely with particular experiments or tests, but they might legitimately jeopardise the validity of all researches of this type.

Meanwhile, there are also questions regarding the assumption in the logic of quantitative educational research that causes can be identified through physical and/or statistical manipulation of the variables. Critics argue that this does not take into consideration the nature of human social life by assuming it to be made up of static, mechanical causal relationships, while in reality, it includes complicated procedures of interpretation and negotiation, which do not come with determinate results. From this perspective, it is not clear that we can understand the pattern and mechanism behind people’s behaviours simply in terms of the casual relationships, which are the focuses of quantitative research. It is implied that social life is much more contextually variable and complex.

Such criticisms of quantitative educational research have also inspired more and more educational researchers to adopt qualitative methodologies during the last three or four decades. These researchers have steered away from measuring and manipulating variables experimentally or statistically. There are many forms of qualitative research, which is loosely illustrated by terms like ‘ethnography’, ‘case study’, ‘participant observation’, ‘life history’, ‘unstructured interviewing’, ‘discourse analysis’ and so on. Generally speaking, though, it has characteristics as follows:

Qualitative researches have an intensive focus on exploring the nature of certain phenomena in the field of education, instead of setting out to test hypotheses about them. It also inclines to deal with ‘unstructured data’, which refers to the kind of data that have not been coded during the collection process regarding a closed set of analytical categories. As a result, when engaging in observation, qualitative researchers use audio or video devices to record what happens or write in detail open-ended field-notes, instead of coding behaviour concerning a pre-determined set of categories, which is what quantitative researchers typically would do when conducting ‘systematic observation’. Similarly, in an interview, interviewers will ask open-ended questions instead of ones that require specific predefined answers of the kind typical, like in a postal questionnaire. Actually, qualitative interviews are often designed to resemble casual conversations.

The primary forms of data analysis include verbal description and explanations and involve explicit interpretations of both the meanings and functions of human behaviours. At most, quantification and statistical analysis only play a subordinate role. The sociology of education and evaluation studies were the two areas of educational research where-criticism of quantitative research and the development of qualitative methodologies initially emerged in the most intense way. A series of studies conducted by Lacey, Hargreaves and Lambert in a boys’ grammar school, a boys’ secondary modem school, and a girls’ grammar school in Britain in the 1960s marked the beginning of the trend towards qualitative research in the sociology of education. Researchers employed an ethnographic or participant observation approach, although they did also collect some quantitative data, for instance on friendship patterns among the students. These researchers observed lessons, interviewed both the teachers and the students, and made the most of school records. They studied the schools for a considerable amount of time and spent plenty of months gathering data and tracking changes over all these years.

Questions 28-32 Look at the following statements or descriptions (Questions 28-32) and the list of people below. Match each statement or description with the correct person or people, A, B, C or D. NB You may use any letter more than once.

Lists of People A Piaget B Mehan C Donaldson D Lacey, Hargreaves and Lambert

28. A wrong answer indicates more of a child’s different perspective than incompetence in reasoning. 29. Logical reasoning involving in the experiment is beyond children’s cognitive development. 30. Children’s reluctance to comply with the game rules or miscommunication may be another explanation. 31. There is evidence of a scientific observation approach to research. 32. There is a flawed detail in experiments on children’s language development.

Questions 33-36 Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

In Piaget’s experiment, he asked the children to distinguish the amount of (33)………………..in different containers.

In response to Mehan’s question, subjects are more inclined to answer with the wrong answer ‘‘(34)…………………..’’ instead of the correct answer C.

Some people criticised the result of Piaget experiment, but Donaldson thought the flaw could be rectified by (35)…………………………….

Most qualitative research conducted by Lacey, Hargreaves and Lambert was done in a (36)…………………………

Questions 37-39 Choose THREE letters, A-F.

The list below includes characteristics of the ‘qualitative research’.

Which THREE are mentioned by the writer of the passage?

A Coding behaviour in terms of a predefined set of categories B Designing an interview as an essay conversation C Working with well organised data in a closed set of analytical categories D Full of details instead of loads of data in questionnaires E Asking to give open ended answers in questionnaires F Recording the researching situation and applying note taking

Question 40 Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter in box 40 on your answer sheet.

40. What is the main idea of the passage? A to prove that quantitative research is most applicable to children’s education B to illustrate the society lacks of deep comprehension of educational approach C to explain the ideas of quantitative research and the characteristics of the related criticisms D to imply qualitative research is a flawless method compared with quantitative one

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Giải đề IELTS Reading Actual Test Vol 6 Test 2: Quantitative Research in Education

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giai de ielts reading actual test vol 6 test 2 quantitative research in education

Giải thích đáp án đề IELTS Reading Recent Actual Tests, Reading Test 2, Passage 3: Quantitive Research in Education

Question 28-32: quantitive research in education, question 28.

Vị trí thông tin: For instance, Mehan … by the experimenter.

Giải thích: Bài đọc cho biết Mehan tranh luận rằng học sinh (subjects - người tham gia thí nghiệm = học sinh) có thể diễn giải câu hỏi kiểm tra theo cách khác với cách mà người thử nghiệm nghĩ (“interpret the test questions in a way different from that meant by the experimenter” khớp với “a child's different perspective” ở đề bài). Vì vậy đáp án là B. Mehan.

Question 29

Vị trí thông tin: For example, one researcher Piaget .. the necessary phase.

Giải thích: Bài đọc cho biết Piaget kết luận rằng trẻ không có khả năng thực hiện nhiệm vụ có tính logic (“logical task” khớp với “logical reasoning”) bởi vì sự phát triển nhận thức của chúng chưa đạt đến giai đoạn đó (“their cognitive development had not reached the necessary phase” khớp với “beyond children's cognitive development” ở đề bài). Vì vậy đáp án là A. Piaget.

Question 30

Vị trí thông tin: Critics on his work, … by the experimenter.

Giải thích: Bài đọc cho biết những nghiên cứu như Donaldson chỉ ra rằng có khả năng là bọn trẻ không muốn chơi trò chơi của người thí nghiệm hoặc chúng không hiểu rõ câu hỏi mà người thí nghiệm đưa ra (“unwilling to play the experimenter's game” khớp với “children's reluctance to comply with the game rules”, “did not quite understand the question asked by the experimenter” khớp với “miscommunication” ở đề bài. Vì vậy đáp án là C. Donaldson.

Question 31

Vị trí thông tin: A series of studies … among the students.

Giải thích: Bài đọc cho biết trong chuỗi nghiên cứu của Lacey, Hargreaves and Lambert, họ áp dụng một cách tiếp cận dân tộc học hoặc quan sát người tham gia (“participant observation approach” khớp với “scientific observation approach” ở đề bài). Vì vậy đáp án là D. Lacey, Hargreaves and Lambert.

Question 32

Vị trí thông tin: In a language development test, … all researches of this type.

Giải thích: Bài đọc cho biết nhà nghiên cứu Mehan cho rằng kiểu thí nghiệm về mức độ phát triển ngôn ngữ của trẻ có vấn đề (“problems” khớp với “a detail of flaw” ở đề bài. Vì vậy đáp án là B. Mehan

Question 33-36: Quantitive Research in Education

Question 33.

Đáp án: liquid

Vị trí thông tin: For example, one researcher … with different shapes.

Giải thích:

Từ loại cần điền: danh từ

Nội dung: Một thứ được đựng trong các chai lọ khác nhau

Giải thích: Trong thí nghiệm của Piaget, anh ấy yêu cầu học sinh so sánh lượng dung dịch trong các lọ có hình dáng khác nhau (“compare” khớp với “distinguish”, “containers with different shapes” khớp với “different containers” ở đề bài). Vì vậy đáp án là “liquid”.

Question 34

Đáp án: Disneyland

Vị trí thông tin: The children are required … responded 'Disneyland'.

Nội dung: Câu trả lời của đối tượng nghiên cứu trả lời sai

Giải thích: Khi được yêu cầu khoanh tròn phụ âm đầu tiên chính xác của từ 'lâu đài', nhiều em chọn D thay vì câu trả lời đúng là C. Khi được hỏi tên của tòa nhà là gì, các em trả lời 'Disneyland' (“The answer is C, many kids choose D” khớp với “subjects with the wrong answer”, “responded" khớp với “answer” ở đề bài). Vì vậy đáp án là “Disneyland”.

Question 35

Đáp án: rigourous experimentation

Vị trí thông tin: Critics on his work, … rigorous experimentation.

Nội dung: Thứ có thể khắc phụ lỗi trong nghiên cứu của Piaget

Giải thích: Bài đọc cho biết một số học giả như Donaldson coi đây là những vấn đề kỹ thuật có thể được giải quyết thông qua những thử nghiệm chặt chẽ hơn (“technical issues” khớp với “flaw”, “resolved” khớp với “rectified”). Vì vậy đáp án là “rigourous experimentation”.

Question 36

Đáp án: grammar school

Vị trí thông tin: A series of studies conducted … sociology of education.

Từ loại: danh từ

Nội dung: Điạ điểm mà Lacey, Hargreaves and Lambert thực hiện các nghiên cứu định tính của họ.

Giải thích: Bài đọc cho biết một loạt nghiên cứu được thực hiện bởi Lacey, Hargreaves và Lambert tại một trường ngữ pháp dành cho nam sinh, một trường trung học hiện đại dành cho nam sinh và một trường ngữ pháp dành cho nữ sinh ở Anh vào những năm 1960 (“a series of studies” khớp với “most qualitative researches” ở đề bài). Vì vậy đáp án là “grammar school”.

Question 37-39: Quantitive Research in Education

Câu hỏi: Xác định 3 đặc điểm của nghiên cứu định tính.

Đáp án: B, D, E

Đáp án A: Bài đọc cho biết mã hóa hành vi liên quan đến một tập hợp các danh mục được xác định trước là đặc điểm của nghiên cứu định lượng. As a result, when engaging in observation, qualitative researchers use audio or video devices to record what happens or write in detail open-ended field-notes, instead of coding behaviour concerning a pre-determined set of categories, which is what quantitative researchers typically I would do when conducting 'systematic observation' => Không chọn

Đáp án B: Bài đọc cho biết các cuộc phỏng vấn định tính thường được thiết kế giống với những cuộc trò chuyện thông thường (qualitative interviews are often designed to resemble casual conversations: “casual conversations” khớp với “easy conversation”). => Chọn B

Đáp án C: Xử lý 'dữ liệu phi cấu trúc' - loại dữ liệu chưa được mã hóa trong quá trình thu thập liên quan đến một tập hợp các danh mục phân tích khép kín là đặc điểm của nghiên cứu định lượng (Qualitative researches…. also inclines to deal with 'unstructured data', which refers to the kind of data that have not been coded during the collection process regarding a closed set of analytical categories.) => Không chọn.

Đáp án D: các nhà nghiên cứu định tính sử dụng thiết bị âm thanh hoặc video để ghi lại những gì xảy ra hoặc viết chi tiết các ghi chú cho câu trả lời của câu hỏi mở (As a result, when engaging in observation, qualitative researchers use audio or video devices to record what happens or write in detail open-ended field-notes: “detail open-ended field-notes” khớp với “full of details”) => Chọn D

Đáp án E: Bài đọc cho biết trong một cuộc phỏng vấn của nghiên cứu định tính, người phỏng vấn sẽ hỏi những câu hỏi mở thay vì những câu hỏi yêu cầu những câu trả lời cụ thể được xác định trước theo kiểu điển hình (Similarly, in an interview, interview- ers will ask open-ended questions instead of ones that require specific predefined answers of the kind typical: “ask open-ended questions” khớp với “asking to give open-ended answers”) => Chọn E

Đáp án F: Các nhà nghiên cứu ghi âm và ghi chép quá trình quan sát chứ không phải quá trình nghiên cứu (As a result, when engaging in observation, qualitative researchers use audio or video devices to record what happens or write in detail open-ended field-notes) => Không chọn

Question 40

Phương án A: Bài viết không có dữ liệu về số lượng hay chi tiết cho thấy nghiên cứu định tính thường được áp dụng cho giáo dục trẻ em. => Không chọn.

Phương án B: Không nhắc đến xã hội thiếu hiểu biết sâu sắc về phương pháp giáo dục. => Không chọn.

Phương án C: Bài viết đề cập đến một số nghiên cứu định tính và các chỉ trích về nó (Here we are constantly getting questions about how valid the measures are where the findings of the quantitative research are usually based… Such criticisms of quantitative educational research have also inspired more and more educational researchers to adopt qualitative methodologies during the last three or four decades.) => Chọn C

Phương án D: Nửa sau của bài giới thiệu nghiên cứu định tính và cho biết nhiều nhà nghiên cứu đã áp dụng phương pháp này, đồng thời lấy ví dụ, không ám chỉ nó là là phương pháp hoàn hảo => Không chọn.

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Table of Contents

The first area of criticism concerns the extent to which the results of ‘scientific’ educational research are valid. It has often been argued that, although the numerical evidence produced by such research has the appearance of being ‘ hard data’ of the kind used in the natural sciences, there are, in fact, fundamental doubts about its validity; about whether it represents accurately what it claims to represent. We can get a sense of these criticisms by looking briefly at the work of Piaget, mentioned earlier. Interestingly, this was not strongly quantitative in character, and it has been criticized by some for being insufficiently rigorous from an experimental point of view; reflecting, at least in part, a difference between Piaget and commentators on his work about the requirements of scientific research. This highlights the point we made earlier: that although it is convenient to refer to the ‘scientific method’, there is, in fact, a variety of interpretations of what is involved in a scientific approach to research and of how it should be applied to the study of human beings and their behaviours.

A Piaget carried out a number of experiments on the basis of which he developed the idea that children go through different stages of development, and that only when they have reached the necessary stage of development can they carry out the most advanced forms of cognitive operation. A famous experiment of his requiring children to compare the amount of liquid held by different shaped containers. The containers had the same capacity, and even when young children were shown that the same amount of liquid could be poured between the two containers, many claimed that one was larger than the other. Piaget’s interpretation of this was that the children were unable to perform the logical task involved in recognizing that the two containers, while different in shape, were the same in capacity; this being because their cognitive development had not reached the necessary stage. Critics of his work have questioned this conclusion, for instance, Donaldson. They raise the possibility that the children were simply unwilling to play the experimenter’s game, or that the children misunderstood what the experimenter was asking. These criticisms point to the fact, obvious enough, but important in its implications that experiments are social situations in which interpersonal interactions take place. The implication is that Piaget’s work and attempts to replicate it are not only measuring the children’s capacities for logical thinking, but also the extent to which they have understood what was required , their willingness to comply with these requirements, the experimenters’ success in communicating what was required, in motivating the children, etc.

B Similar criticisms have been applied to psychological and educational tests. For example, Mehan points out how test questions may be interpreted in ways different from those intended by the researcher. In all language development test, children are presented with a picture of a medieval fortress, complete with moat, drawbridge, and parapets and three initial consonants: D, C, and G. The child is supposed to circle the correct initial consonant C for ‘castle’ is correct, but many children choose D. After the test, when I asked those children what the name of the building was, they responded ‘Disneyland’. These children used the same line of reasoning intended by the tester, but they arrived at the wrong substantive answer. The score sheet showing a wrong answer does not document a child’s lack of reasoning ability; it only documents that the child indicated an answer different from the one the tester expected.

C Here we have questions being raised about the validity of the sort of measurements on which the findings of quantitative research are typically based. Some, including for example Donaldson, regard these as technical problems that can be overcome by more rigorous experimentation. Others, however, including Mehan, believe them to be not simply problems with particular experiments or tests, but serious threats to validity that potentially affect all research of this kind.

D At the same time, questions have also been raised about the assumption built into the logic of quantitative educational research that causes can be identified by physical and/or statistical manipulation of variables. Critics suggest that this fails to take account of the very nature of human social life, assuming it to consist of fixed, mechanical causal relationships, whereas in fact it involves complex processes of interpretation and negotiation that do not have determinate outcomes. From this point of view, it is not clear that we can understand why people do what they do in terms of the simple sorts of causal relationships on which quantitative research focuses. Social life, it is suggested, is much more contextually variable and complex.

E Such criticisms of quantitative educational research have been the stimulus for an increasing number of educational researchers, over the past thirty or forty years, to adopt more qualitative approaches. These researchers have generally rejected attempts to measure and control variables experimentally or statistically. Qualitative research can take many forms; loosely indicated by such terms as ‘ethnography’, ‘case study’, ‘participant observation’, ‘life history’, ‘unstructured interviewing’, ‘discourse analysis’, etc. In general, though, it has the following characteristics:

F A strong emphasis on exploring the nature of particular educational phenomena, rather than setting out to test hypotheses about them. A tendency to work with ‘unstructured data’: that is, data that have not been coded at the point of collection in terms of a closed set of analytical categories. When engaging in observation, qualitative researchers therefore audio-or video-record what happens or write detailed open-ended field-notes, rather than coding behaviour in terms of a predefined set of categories, as would a quantitative researcher employing ‘systematic observation’. Similarly when interviewing, open-ended questions will be asked rather than questions requiring predefined answers of the kind typical, for example, of postal questionnaires. In fact, qualitative interviews are often designed to be close in character to casual conversations.

G Typically, a small number of cases will be investigated in detail, rather than any attempt being made to cover a large number, as would be the case in most quantitative research, such as systematic observational studies or social surveys. The analysis of the data involves explicit interpretations of the meanings and functions of human actions, and mainly takes the form of verbal descriptions and explanations. Quantification and statistical analysis play a subordinate role at most. The two areas of educational research where criticism of quantitative research and the development of qualitative approaches initially emerged most strongly were the sociology of education and evaluation studies. The trend towards qualitative research in the sociology of education began in the UK in the l960s with studies of a boys’ grammar school, a boys’ secondary modern school, and a girls’ grammar school by Lacey, Hargreaves and Lambart. They employed an ethnographic or participant observation approach, though they also collected some quantitative data on, for example, friendship patterns among the pupils. These researchers observed lessons, interviewed teachers and pupils, and drew on school records. They studied the schools for relatively long periods, spending many months collecting data and tracing changes over time.

Questions 14-17 Use the information in the passage to match the people(listed A-C) with experiment or explanation below. Write the appropriate letters A-C in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.

C Donaldson

14 a wrong answer indicate more of a child’s different perspective than incompetence in reasoning.

15 logical reasoning involving in the experiments is beyond children’s cognitive development.

16 Children’s reluctance to comply with game rules or miscommunication may be another explanation.

17 Kinds of experiments or tests are flawed essentially and will not justify by a more rigorous approach.

Questions 18-21 Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using no more than two words from the Reading Passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 18-21 on your answer sheet.

Quantitative research in education has sparked debate that whether it is 18 ………………. in scientific area. Piaget’s experiment involved on children’s steps on development, which used equal amount of 19 ………………. in a couple of containers, to test if student would be able to judge their size. Another quantitative research was carried out by Mehan, he showed children a 20 ………………. , and requested children to make answers, but ultimately most of them failed. In 1960s, another method emerged along with quantitative research, 21 ………………. in the UK were taken as experiment sites in application of the combined approach.

Questions 22-24 Choose the correct letter, A to F. Write your answers in boxes 22-24 on your answer sheet. Choose THREE correct statements of “qualitative research” features below:

A work with well-organised data in a closed set of analytical categories

B record researching situations and apply note taking

C design the interview to be in an atmosphere like easy conversation

D questionnaires full with details instead of loads of data

E questionnaires full of requiring open-ended answers

F code behaviour in terms of a predefined set of categories

Question25 Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write your answers in boxes 25 on your answer sheet.

What is the main idea of this passage?

A to educate children that quantitative research are most applicable

B to illustrate the society lack of deep comprehension of educational approach

C to explain that quantitative research ideas, characteristics from related criticisms

D to imply that qualitative research is a flawless method compared with quantitative one

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Quantitative research in education Ielts Answers and Questions

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IELTS Reading Passage: Quiet Roads Ahead

Quiet Roads Ahead

Road noise is becoming increasingly problematic. Automobile engineers have made great strides in reducing engine noise, but they have had less luck in other areas. More than half of the noise that automobiles make comes from the tires rolling over the road, and as road construction and vehicle sales continue to rise, especially in Asia and the United States, this is becoming a worldwide problem.

The World Health Organization warns that prolonged exposure to road traffic noise might cause health issues related to stress. In addition, road builders must shell out cash to establish sound barriers and install double glazing in residences where traffic noise is excessive. It’s more challenging to sell a home in a neighborhood with a lot of traffic and construction noise, and workers in those settings are less effective and productive overall.

The Netherlands, one of the most populous countries in the world, is home to scientists who are already at work on methods for making roadways quieter. The Dutch government has set a five-year goal of reducing traffic noise by an average of six decibels across the country. The idea, which was developed by Dutch mechanical engineer Ard Kuijpers, is both revolutionary and extremely promising. He set out to improve the material’s texture, hardness, and sound absorption.

A tire is more prone to vibrate and make noise over a rough surface. Heavy rollers are used by road crews to smooth down freshly laid asphalt, but Kuijpers has come up with a technique that he believes can result in the quietest road possible. It all comes down to a unique mould that’s 3 meters broad and 50 meters long, which is his little secret. Rolling over the asphalt with a heavy roller, rail-mounted equipment spreads the hot asphalt mixture into the mould. As it cures, the 10-millimeter-thick sheet will have a surface smoother than anything that can be made using more traditional techniques.

Then, he puts another layer beneath the asphalt to improve the road’s performance by making it hardwearing while still being soft enough to dampen vibrations. A layer of rubber 30 millimeters thick, along with stones slightly larger than those in the preceding layer, makes up this. Kuijpers compares it to a “big mouse mat,” which softens the pavement.

Since the pores in the road surface are a specified size, the size of the stones used in the two layers is crucial. The upper layers are just around 4 or 5 millimeters across, whereas the lower layers are roughly 9 millimeters across. According to Kuijpers, the tread (the indentations or ridges on the surface of a tire) can act as a sponge, soaking up any air that passes through it and therefore dampening any vibrations that might otherwise cause noise. Moreover, they facilitate water drainage, which can improve the road’s safety in wet conditions.

Despite the complexity of the production process, placing the surface is rather easy. It is rolled onto a drum that is 1.5 meters in diameter like a carpet as it leaves the mill. They unroll it and use bitumen to adhere it to the base on location. The white lines are added at the manufacturer as well.

The actual building of the structure employs a far more advanced method of noise reduction. It’s a concrete base with flask-shaped slots up to 10 mm wide and 30 mm deep, which are open at the top and sealed at the bottom to absorb noise. Similar to Helmholtz resonators, when sound waves of a certain frequency enter the top of a flask, they create resonances within, releasing their kinetic energy as heat in the surrounding concrete. Another crucial function served by the cavities is the removal of water that seeps through the upper surface. Waste will be flushed out, and the pores on the surface will remain clear, thanks to this circulation.

By adjusting the diameters of his resonators, Kuijpers has complete command over the acoustic signals they absorb. Given that various automobiles emit noise at various frequencies, this could be extremely helpful. Noise from car tires, for example, peaks at roughly 1000 Hz, whereas that from trucks drops to around 600 Hz. The frequencies absorbed by the concrete can be adjusted by altering the size of the Kuijpers resonators. The inside lane of a major highway is typically used by trucks, thus resonators installed there could be adjusted to absorb sounds at roughly 600 hertz, while those installed in other lanes could handle noise at higher frequencies caused by cars.

Kuijpers thinks he can reduce road noise by five decibels compared to the quietest roads available today. A one-hundred-meter stretch of his road has been tested on a highway near Apeldoorn, and the Dutch construction firm Heijmans is currently in talks with the Dutch government about selecting the site of the next roll-out road. The ultimate price tag will determine whether or not Kuijpers’ design is a financial success. Those who are disturbed by road noise, however, can look forward to quieter times in the future.

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IELTS Reading Questions: Quiet Roads Ahead

Questions 1-6

Reading Passage has ten paragraphs labelled A-J

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-J in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

factors that should be taken into account when examining Kuijpers’ proposal.
here we compile the various factors that contribute to road noise and try to explain them.
a presentation of how Kuijpers’ road network material is transported.
a broad statement regarding how people typically use their cars on key roadways.
there are a number of monetary benefits to lowering road noise.
demonstrating Kuijpers’ road-making process.

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Questions 7-9

Label the diagram below.

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 7-9 on your answer sheet.

Cross section of Kuijpers’ proposed noise-reducing road.

7. 33- ______________ 8. 34- ______________ 9. 35- ______________

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Questions 10-14

Complete the table below using the list of words (A-K) from the box below.

Write the correct letters in boxes 10-14 on your answer sheet.

Kujipers’ noise-reducing road: components and function

frequencies
dissipation
sound energy

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Quiet Roads Ahead Reading Answers

1. J 2. C 3. G 4. I 5. B 6. D 7. Asphalt 8. 9 9. Concrete 10. C 11. B 12. I 13. E 14. D

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You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 , which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.

The Innovation of Grocery Stores

A. At the very beginning of the 20th century, the American grocery stores offered comprehensive services: the customers would ask help from the people behind the counters (called clerks) for the items they liked, and then the clerks would wrap the items up. For the purpose of saving time, customers had to ask delivery boys or go in person to send the lists of what they intended to buy to the stores in advance and then went to pay for the goods later. Generally speaking, these grocery stores sold only one brand for each item. Such early chain stores as A&P stores, although containing full services, were very time-consuming and inefficient for the purchase.

B. Born in Virginia, Clarence Saunders left school at the age of 14 in 1895 to work first as a clerk in a grocery store. During his working in the store, he found that it was very inefficient for people to buy things there. Without the assistance of computers at that time, shopping was performed in a quite backward way. Having noticed that this inconvenient shopping mode could lead to tremendous consumption of time and money, Saunders, with great enthusiasm and innovation, proposed an unprecedented solution—let the consumers do self-service in the process of shopping—which might bring a thorough revolution to the whole industry.

C. In 1902, Saunders moved to Memphis to put his perspective into practice, that is, to establish a grocery wholesale cooperative. In his newly designed grocery store, he divided the store into three different areas: A 'front lobby’ served as an entrance, an exit, and included checkouts at the front. ‘A sales department’ was deliberately designed to allow customers to wander around the aisle and select their needed groceries. In this way, the clerks would not do the unnecessary work but arrange more delicate aisle and shelves to display the goods and enable the customers to browse through all the items. In the gallery above the sales department, supervisors can monitor the customers without disturbing them. ‘Stockroom’, where large fridges were placed to maintain fresh products, is another section of his grocery store only for the staff to enter. Also, this new shopping design and layout could accommodate more customers to go shopping simultaneously and even lead to some unimaginable phenomena: impulse buying and later supermarket.

D. On September 6, 1916, Saunders performed the self-service revolution in the USA by opening the first Piggly Wiggly featured by the turnstile at the entrance store at 79 Jefferson Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Quite distinct from those in other grocery stores, customers in Piggly Wiggly chose the goods on the shelves and paid the items all by themselves. Inside the Piggly Wiggly, shoppers were not at the mercy of staff. They were free to roam the store, check out the products and get what they needed by their own hands. There, the items were clearly priced, and no one forced customers to buy the things they did not need. As a matter of fact, the biggest benefit that the Piggly Wiggly brought to customers was the money-saving effect. Self-service was optimistic for the improvement. ‘It is good for both the consumer and retailer because it cuts costs,’ noted George T. Haley, a professor at the University of New Haven and director of the Centre for International Industry Competitiveness, ‘if you look at the way in which grocery stores (previous to Piggly Wiggly and Alpha Beta) were operated, what you can find is that there are a great number of workers involved, and labour is a major expense.’ Fortunately, the chain stores such as Piggly Wiggly cut the fat.

E. Piggly Wiggly and this kind of self-service stores soared at that time. In the first year, Saunders opened nine branches in Memphis. Meanwhile, Saunders immediately applied a patent for the self-service concept and began franchising Piggly Wiggly stores. Thanks to the employment of self-service and franchising, the number of Piggly Wiggly had increased to nearly 1,300 by 1923. Piggly Wiggly sold $100 million (worth $1.3 billion today) in groceries, which made it the third-biggest grocery retailer in the nation. After that, this chain store experienced company listing on the New York Stock Exchange, with the stocks doubling from late 1922 to March 1923. Saunders contributed significantly to the perfect design and layout of grocery stores. In order to keep the flow rate smooth, Saunders even invented the turnstile to replace the common entrance mode.

F. Clarence Saunders died in 1953, leaving abundant legacies mainly symbolised by Piggly Wiggly, the pattern of which spread extensively and lasted permanently.

READING PASSAGE 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-27 , which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.

The Study of Chimpanzee Culture

A After studying the similarities between chimpanzees and humans for years, researchers have recognised these resemblances run much deeper than anyone first thought in the latest decade. For instance, the nut cracking observed in the Tai Forest is not a simple chimpanzee behaviour, but a separate adaptation found only in that particular part of Africa, as well as a trait which is considered to be an expression of chimpanzee culture by biologists. These researchers frequently quote the word ‘culture’ to describe elementary animal behaviours, like the regional dialects of different species of songbirds, but it turns out that the rich and varied cultural traditions chimpanzees enjoyed rank secondly in complexity only to human traditions.

B During the past two years, the major research group which studies chimpanzees collaborated unprecedentedly and documented some distinct cultural patterns, ranging from animals’ use of tools to their forms of communication and social customs. This emerging picture of chimpanzees affects how human beings ponder upon these amazing creatures. Also, it alters our conception of human uniqueness and shows us the extraordinary ability of our ancient ancestors to create cultures.

C Although we know that Homo sapiens and Pan Troglodytes have coexisted for hundreds of millennia and their genetic similarities surpass 98 per cent, we still knew next to nothing about chimpanzee behaviour in the wild until 40 years ago. All this began to change in the 1960s when Toshisada Nishida of Kyoto University in Japan and renowned British primatologist Jane Goodall launched their studies of wild chimpanzees at two field sites in Tanzania. (Goodall’s research station at Gombe—the first of its kind—is more famous, but Nishida’s site at Mahale is the second oldest chimpanzee research site in the world.)

D During these primary studies, as the chimpanzees became more and more accustomed to close observation, the remarkable discoveries emerged. Researchers witnessed a variety of unexpected behaviours, ranging from fashioning and using tools, hunting, meat eating, food sharing to lethal fights between members of neighbouring communities.

E In 1973, 13 forms of tool use and 8 social activities which appeared to differ between the Gombe chimpanzees and chimpanzee species elsewhere were recorded by Goodall. She speculated that some variations shared what she referred to as a ‘cultural origin’. But what exactly did Goodall mean by ‘culture’? According to the Oxford Encyclopedic English Dictionary, culture is defined as ‘the customs. . .and achievements of a particular time or people.’ The diversity of human cultures extends from technological variations to marriage rituals, from culinary habits to myths and legends. Of course, animals do not have myths and legends, but they do share the capacity to pass on behavioural traits from one generation to another, not through their genes but via learning. From biologists’ view, this is the fundamental criterion for a cultural trait—something can be learnt by observing the established skills of others and then passed on to following generations.

F What are the implications for chimpanzees themselves? We must place a high value upon the tragic loss of chimpanzees, who are decimated just when finally we are coming to appreciate these astonishing animals more completely. The population of chimpanzees has plummeted and continued to fall due to illegal trapping, logging and, most recently, the bushmeat trade within the past century. The latter is particularly alarming because logging has driven roadways, which are now used to ship wild animal meat—including chimpanzee meat to consumers as far afield as Europe, into forests. Such destruction threatens not only the animals themselves but also a host of fascinatingly different ape cultures.

G However, the cultural richness of the ape may contribute to its salvation. For example, the conservation efforts have already altered the attitudes of some local people. After several organisations showed videotapes illustrating the cognitive prowess of chimpanzees, one Zairian viewer was heard to exclaim, ‘Ah, this ape is so like me, I can no longer eat him.’

H How did an international team of chimpanzee experts perform the most comprehensive survey of the animals ever attempted? Although scientists have been delving into chimpanzee culture for several decades, sometimes their studies contained a fatal defect. So far, most attempts to document cultural diversity among chimpanzees have solely relied upon officially published accounts of the behaviours reported at each research site. But this approach probably neglects a good deal of cultural variation for three reasons.

I First, scientists normally don’t publish an extensive list of all the activities they do not see at a particular location. Yet this is the very information we need to know—which behaviours were and were not observed at each site. Second, there are many reports describing chimpanzee behaviours without expressing how common they are; without this information, we can’t determine whether a particular action was a transient phenomenon or a routine event that should be considered part of its culture. Finally, researchers’ description of potentially significant chimpanzee behaviours often lacks sufficient detail, which makes it difficult for scientists from other spots to report the presence or absence of the activities.

J To tackle these problems, my colleague and I determined to take a new approach. We asked field researchers at each site to list all the behaviours which they suspected were local traditions. With this information, we assembled a comprehensive list of 65 candidates for cultural behaviours.

K Then we distributed our list to team leaders at each site. They consulted with their colleagues and classified each behaviour regarding its occurrence or absence in the chimpanzee community. The major brackets contained customary behaviour (occurs in most or all of the able-bodied members of at least one age or sex class, such as all adult males), habitual (less common than customary but occurs repeatedly in several individuals), present (observed at the site but not habitual), absent (never seen), and unknown.

READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-40 , which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

Quantitative Research in Education

Questions 1-5

Reading Passage 1 has six paragraphs, A-F.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter, A-F , in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

1. A B C D E F layout of Clarence Saunders’ store

2. A B C D E F a reference to a reduction by chain stores in labour costs

3. A B C D E F how Clarence Saunders’ idea had been carried out

4. A B C D E F how people used to shop before Clarence Saunders’ stores opened

5. A B C D E F a description of economic success brought by Clarence Saunders’s stores

Questions 6-10

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 6-10 on your answer sheet.

Clarence Saunders’ first job was as in a grocery store.

In Clarence Saunders’ store, people should pay for goods in the

Customers would be under surveillance when shopping in the

Another area in his store was called ' ’, which was only accessible to the internal staff.

In Clarence Saunders’ shopping design, much work was done by the .

Questions 11-13

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

Write the correct letter in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.

Questions 14-18

Reading Passage 2 has eleven paragraphs, A-K.

Write the correct letter, A-K , in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.

14. A B C D E F G H I J K an approach to research on chimpanzees' culture that is only based on official sources

15. A B C D E F G H I J K mention of a new system designed by two scientists who aim to solve the problem

16. A B C D E F G H I J K reasons why previous research on ape culture is problematic

17. A B C D E F G H I J K new classification of data observed or collected

18. A B C D E F G H I J K an example showing that the cultural traits of chimpanzees can lead to a change in local people’s attitude towards their preservation

Questions 19-23

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?

In boxes 19-23 on your answer sheet, write

19. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN The research found that scientists can make chimpanzees possess the same complex culture as human beings.

20. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN Humans and apes lived together long time ago and shared most of their genetic substance.

21. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN Even Toshisada Nishida and Jane Goodall’s beginning studies observed many surprising features of civilised behaviours among chimpanzees.

22. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN Chimpanzees, like humans, have the ability to deliver cultural behaviours mostly from genetic inheritance.

23. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN For decades, researchers have investigated chimpanzees by data obtained from both unobserved and observed approaches.

Questions 24-27

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 24-27 on your answer sheet.

When did the unexpected discoveries of chimpanzee behaviour start?

Which country is the researching site of Toshisada Nishida and Jane Goodall?

What did the chimpanzee have to get used to in the initial study?

What term did Jane Goodall suggest to describe chimpanzees in different regions using different tools in 1973?

Questions 28-32

Look at the following statements or descriptions (Questions 28-32 ) and the list of people below.

Match each statement or description with the correct person or people, A, B, C or D

Write the correct letter, A, B, C or D , in boxes 28-32 on your answer sheet.

28. A B C D A wrong answer indicates more of a child’s different perspective than incompetence in reasoning.

29. A B C D Logical reasoning involving in the experiment is beyond children’s cognitive development.

30. A B C D Children’s reluctance to comply with the game rules or miscommunication may be another explanation.

31. A B C D There is evidence of a scientific observation approach to research.

32. A B C D There is a flawed detail in experiments on children's language development.

Questions 33-36

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.

In Piaget’s experiment, he asked the children to distinguish the amount of in different containers.

In response to Mehan’s question, subjects are more inclined to answer with the wrong answer '‘ ’' instead of the correct answer C.

Some people criticised the result of Piaget experiment, but Donaldson thought the flaw could be rectified by

Most qualitative research conducted by Lacey, Hargreaves and Lambert was done in a

Questions 37-39

Choose THREE letters, A-F.

Write the correct letters in boxes 37-39 on your answer sheet.

The list below includes characteristics of the ‘qualitative research’.

Which THREE are mentioned by the writer of the passage?

Question 40

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

Write the correct letter in box 40 on your answer sheet.

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Academic Reading - section 3 practice test

This is the third section of your IELTS Academic Reading test. You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28–40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

Time Travel

Time travel took a small step away from science fiction and toward science recently when physicists discovered that sub-atomic particles known as neutrinos – progeny of the sun’s radioactive debris – can exceed the speed of light. The unassuming particle – it is electrically neutral, small but with a “non-zero mass” and able to penetrate the human form undetected – is on its way to becoming a rock star of the scientific world.

Researchers from the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva sent the neutrinos hurtling through an underground corridor toward their colleagues at the Oscillation Project with Emulsion-Tracing Apparatus (OPERA) team 730 kilometres away in Gran Sasso, Italy. The neutrinos arrived promptly – so promptly, in fact, that they triggered what scientists are calling the unthinkable – that everything they have learnt, known or taught stemming from the last one hundred years of the physics discipline may need to be reconsidered.

The issue at stake is a tiny segment of time – precisely sixty nanoseconds (which is sixty billionths of a second). This is how much faster than the speed of light the neutrinos managed to go in their underground travels and at a consistent rate (15,000 neutrinos were sent over three years). Even allowing for a margin of error of ten billionths of a second, this stands as proof that it is possible to race against light and win. The duration of the experiment also accounted for and ruled out any possible lunar effects or tidal bulges in the earth’s crust.

Nevertheless, there’s plenty of reason to remain sceptical. According to Harvard University science historian Peter Galison, Einstein’s relativity theory has been “pushed harder than any theory in the history of the physical sciences”. Yet each prior challenge has come to no avail, and relativity has so far refused to buckle.

So is time travel just around the corner? The prospect has certainly been wrenched much closer to the realm of possibility now that a major physical hurdle – the speed of light – has been cleared. If particles can travel faster than light, in theory travelling back in time is possible. How anyone harnesses that to some kind of helpful end is far beyond the scope of any modern technologies, however, and will be left to future generations to explore.

Certainly, any prospective time travellers may have to overcome more physical and logical hurdles than merely overtaking the speed of light. One such problem, posited by René Barjavel in his 1943 text Le Voyageur Imprudent is the so-called grandfather paradox. Barjavel theorised that, if it were possible to go back in time, a time traveller could potentially kill his own grandfather. If this were to happen, however, the time traveller himself would not be born, which is already known to be true. In other words, there is a paradox in circumventing an already known future; time travel is able to facilitate past actions that mean time travel itself cannot occur.

Other possible routes have been offered, though. For Igor Novikov, astrophysicist behind the 1980s’ theorem known as the self-consistency principle, time travel is possible within certain boundaries. Novikov argued that any event causing a paradox would have zero probability. It would be possible, however, to “affect” rather than “change” historical outcomes if travellers avoided all inconsistencies. Averting the sinking of the Titanic, for example, would revoke any future imperative to stop it from sinking – it would be impossible. Saving selected passengers from the water and replacing them with realistic corpses would not be impossible, however, as the historical record would not be altered in any way.

A further possibility is that of parallel universes. Popularised by Bryce Seligman DeWitt in the 1960s (from the seminal formulation of Hugh Everett), the many-worlds interpretation holds that an alternative pathway for every conceivable occurrence actually exists. If we were to send someone back in time, we might therefore expect never to see him again – any alterations would divert that person down a new historical trajectory.

A final hypothesis, one of unidentified provenance, reroutes itself quite efficiently around the grandfather paradox. Non-existence theory suggests exactly that – a person would quite simply never exist if they altered their ancestry in ways that obstructed their own birth. They would still exist in person upon returning to the present, but any chain reactions associated with their actions would not be registered. Their “historical identity” would be gone.

So, will humans one day step across the same boundary that the neutrinos have? World-renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking believes that once spaceships can exceed the speed of light, humans could feasibly travel millions of years into the future in order to repopulate earth in the event of a forthcoming apocalypse. This is because, as the spaceships accelerate into the future, time would slow down around them (Hawking concedes that bygone eras are off limits – this would violate the fundamental rule that cause comes before effect).

Hawking is therefore reserved yet optimistic. “Time travel was once considered scientific heresy, and I used to avoid talking about it for fear of being labelled a crank. These days I’m not so cautious.”

Questions 28–33

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?

In boxes 28–33 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

28. It is unclear where neutrinos come from.

29. Neutrinos can pass through a person’s body without causing harm.

30. It took scientists between 50-70 nanoseconds to send the neutrinos from Geneva to Italy.

31. Researchers accounted for effects the moon might have had on the experiment.

32. The theory of relativity has often been called into question unsuccessfully.

33. This experiment could soon lead to some practical uses for time travel

Questions 34–39

Complete the table below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 34–39 on your answer sheet.

Question 40

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

Write the correct letter in box 40 on your answer sheet.

Stephen Hawking has stated that

A. Human time travel is theoretically possible, but is unlikely to ever actually occur.

B. Human time travel might be possible, but only moving backward in time.

C. Human time travel might be possible, but only moving forward in time.

D. All time travel is impossible.

Remember, you have 60 minutes to complete the Reading test! You should spend about 20 minutes on each of the three sections.

You have now reached the end of your Reading test; download the answers and see how well you have done.

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雅思阅读模拟题：Quantitative Research in Education

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Quantitative Research in Education

Many education researchers used to work on the assumption that children experience different phases of development, and that they cannot execute the most advanced level of cognitive operation until they have reached the most advanced forms of cognitive process. For example, one researcher Piaget had a well-known experiment in which he asked the children to compare the amount of liquid in containers with different shapes. Those containers had the same capacity, but even when the young children were demonstrated that the same amount of fluid could be poured between the containers, many of them still believed one was larger than the other. Piaget concluded that the children were incapable of performing the logical task in figuring out that the two containers were the same size even though they had different shapes, because their cognitive development had not reached the necessary phase. Critics on his work, such as Donaldson, have questioned this interpretation. They point out the possibility that the children were just unwilling to play the experimenter's game, or that they did not quite understand the question asked by the experimenter. These criticisms surely do state the facts, but more importantly, it suggests that experiments are social situations where interpersonal interactions take place. The implication here is that Piaget's investigation and his attempts to replicate it are not solely about measuring the children's capabilities of logical thinking, but also the degree to which they could understand the directions for them, their willingness to comply with these requirements, how well the experimenters did in communicating the requirements and in motivating those children, etc.

The same kinds of criticisms have been targeted to psychological and educational tests. For instance, Mehan argues that the subjects might interpret the test questions in a way different from that meant by the experimenter. In a language development test, researchers show children a picture of a medieval fortress, complete with moat, drawbridge, para pets and three initial consonants in it: D, C, and G. The children are required to circle the correct initial consonant for 'castle'. The answer is C, but many kids choose D. When asked what the name of the building was, the children responded 'Disneyland'. They adopted the reasoning line expected by the experimenter but got to the wrong substantive answer. The score sheet with the wrong answers does not include in it a child's lack of reasoning capacity; it only records that the children gave a different answer rather than the one the tester expected.

Meanwhile, there are also questions regarding the assumption in the logic of quantitative educational research that causes can be identified through physical and/or statistical manipulation of the variables. Critics argue that this does not take into consideration the nature of human social life by assuming it to be made up of static, mechanical causal relationships, while in reality, it includes complicated procedures of interpretation and negotiation, which do not come with determinate results. From this perspective, it is not clear that we can understand the pattern and mechanism behind people's behaviours simply in terms of the casual relationships, which are the focuses of quantitative research. It is implied that social life is much more contextually variable and complex.

Such criticisms of quantitative educational research have also inspired more and more educational researchers to adopt qualitative methodologies during the last three or four decades. These researchers have steered away from measuring and manipulating variables experimentally or statistically. There are many forms of qualitative research, which is loosely illustrated by terms like 'ethnography', 'case study', 'participant observation', 'life history', 'unstructured interviewing', 'discourse analysis' and so on. Generally speaking, though, it has characteristics as follows:

Qualitative researches have an intensive focus on exploring the nature of certain phenomena in the field of education, instead of setting out to test hypotheses about them. It also inclines to deal with 'unstructured data', which refers to the kind of data that have not been coded during the collection process regarding a closed set of analytical categories. As a result, when engaging in observation, qualitative researchers use audio or video devices to record what happens or write in detail open-ended field-notes, instead of coding behaviour concerning a pre-determined set of categories, which is what quantitative researchers typically would do when conducting 'systematic observation'. Similarly, in an interview, interviewers will ask open-ended questions instead of ones that require specific predefined answers of the kind typical, like in a postal questionnaire. Actually, qualitative interviews are often designed to resemble casual conversations.

The primary forms of data analysis include verbal description and explanations and involve explicit interpretations of both the meanings and functions of human behaviours. At most, quantification and statistical analysis only play a subordinate role. The sociology of education and evaluation studies were the two areas of educational research where-criticism of quantitative research and the development of qualitative methodologies initially emerged in the most intense way. A series of studies conducted by Lacey, Hargreaves and Lambert in a boys' grammar school, a boys' secondary modem school, and a girls' grammar school in Britain in the 1960s marked the beginning of the trend towards qualitative research in the sociology of education. Researchers employed an ethnographic or participant observation approach, although they did also collect some quantitative data, for instance on friendship patterns among the students. These researchers observed lessons, interviewed both the teachers and the students, and made the most of school records. They studied the schools for a considerable amount of time and spent plenty of months gathering data and tracking changes over all these years.

Questions 28-32

Look at the following statements or descriptions (Questions 28-32) and the list of people below. Match each statement or description with the correct person or people, A, B, C or D

Write the correct letter, A, B, C or D, in boxes 28-32 on your answer sheet. NB You may use any letter more than once.

Lists of People

C Donaldson

D Lacey, Hargreaves and Lambert

28 ________ A wrong answer indicates more of a child's different perspective than incompetence in reasoning.

29 ________ Logical reasoning involving in the experiment is beyond children's cognitive development. 30 Children's reluctance to comply with the game rules or miscommunication may be another explanation.

31 ________ There is evidence of a scientific observation approach to research.

32 ________ There is a flawed detail in experiments on children's language development.

Questions 33-36

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.

33 In Piaget's experiment, he asked the children to distinguish the amount ________ of in different containers.

34 In response to Mehan's question, subjects are more inclined to answer with the wrong answer '' ________ '' instead of the correct answer C.

35 Some people criticised the result of Piaget experiment, but Donaldson thought the flaw could be rectified by ________

36 Most qualitative research conducted by Lacey, Hargreaves and Lambert was done in a ________

Questions 37-39

Choose THREE letters, A-F .

Write the correct letters in boxes 37-39 on your answer sheet. The list below includes characteristics of the 'qualitative research'. Which THREE are mentioned by the writer of the passage?

A Coding behaviour in terms of a predefined set of categories

B Designing an interview as an easy conversation

C Working with well-organised data in a closed set of analytical categories

D Full of details instead of loads of data in questionnaires

E Asking to give open-ended answers in questionnaires

F Recording the researching situation and applying note-taking

Question 40

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

Write the correct letter in box 40 on your answer sheet.

40 What is the main idea of the passage?

A to prove that quantitative research is most applicable to children's education B to illustrate the society lacks of deep comprehension of educational approach

C to explain the ideas of quantitative research and the characteristics of the related criticisms D to imply qualitative research is a flawless method compared with quantitative one

Answer keys

34 Disneyland

35 rigorous experimentation

36 grammar school

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Education Philosophy IELTS Reading Passage with Answers

Reading Passage 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.

Education Philosophy

A Although we lack accurate statistics about child mortality in the pre-industrial period, we do have evidence that in the 1660s, the mortality rate for children who died within 14 days of birth was as much as 30 per cent. Nearly all families suffered some premature death. Since all parents expected to bury some of their children, they found it difficult to invest in their newborn children. Moreover, to protect themselves from the emotional consequences of children’s death, parents avoided making any emotional commitment to an infant. It is no wonder that we find mothers leave their babies in gutters or refer to the death in the same paragraph with reference to pickles.

B The 18th century witnessed the transformation from an agrarian economy to an industrial one, one of the vital social changes taking place in the Western world. An increasing number of people moved from their villages and small towns to big cities where life was quite different. Social supports which had previously existed in smaller communities were replaced by ruthless problems such as poverty, crime, substandard housing and disease. Due to the need for additional income to support the family, young children from the poorest families were forced into early employment and thus their childhood became painfully short. Children as young as 7 might be required to work full-time, subjected to unpleasant and unhealthy circumstances, from factories to prostitution. Although such a role has disappeared in most wealthy countries, the practice of childhood employment still remains a staple in underdeveloped countries and rarely disappeared entirely.

C The lives of children underwent a drastic change during the 1800s in the United States. Previously, children from both rural and urban families were expected to participate in everyday labour due to the bulk of manual hard working. Nevertheless, thanks to the technological advances of the mid-1800s, coupled with the rise of the middle class and redefinition of roles of family members, work and home became less synonymous over time. People began to purchase toys and books for their children. When the country depended more upon machines, children in rural and urban areas, were less likely to be required to work at home. Beginning from the Industrial Revolution and rising slowly over the course of the 19th century, this trend increased exponentially after civil war. John Locke, one of the most influential writers of his period, created the first clear and comprehensive statement of the ‘environmental position’ that family education determines a child’s life, and via this, he became the father of modem learning theory. During the colonial period, his teachings about child care gained a lot of recognition in America.

D According to Jean Jacques Rousseau, who lived in an era of the American and French Revolution, people were ‘noble savages’ in the original state of nature, meaning they are innocent, free and uncorrupted. In 1762, Rousseau wrote a famous novel Emile to convey his educational philosophy through a story of a boy’s education from infancy to adult-hood. This work was based on his extensive observation of children and adolescents, their individuality, his developmental theory and on the memories of his own childhood. He contrasts children with adults and describes their age-specific characteristics in terms of historical perspective and developmental psychology. Johan Heinrich Pestalozzi, living during the early stages of the Industrial Revolution, sought to develop schools to nurture children’s all-round development. He agreed with Rousseau that humans are naturally good but were spoiled by a corrupt society. His approach to teaching consists of the general and special methods, and his theory was based upon establishing an emotionally healthy homelike learning environment, which had to be in place before more specific instructions occurred.

E One of the best-documented cases of Pestalozzi’s theory concerned a so-called feral child named Victor, who was captured in a small town in the south of France in 1800. Prepubescent, mute, naked, and perhaps 11 or 12 years old, Victor had been seen foraging for food in the gardens of the locals in the area and sometimes accepted people’s direct offers of food before his final capture. Eventually, he was brought to Paris and expected to answer some profound questions about the nature of human, but that goal was quashed very soon. A young physician Jean Marc Gaspard Itard was optimistic about the future of Victor and initiated a five-year education plan to civilise him and teach him to speak. With a subsidy from the government, Itard recruited a local woman Madame Guerin to assist him to provide a semblance of a home for Victor, and he spent an enormous amount of time and effort working with Victor. Itard’s goal to teach Victor the basics of speech could never be fully achieved, but Victor had learnt some elementary forms of communication.

F Although other educators were beginning to recognise the simple truth embedded in Rousseau’s philosophy, it is not enough to identify+ the stages of children’s development alone. There must be certain education which had to be geared towards those stages. One of the early examples was the invention of kindergarten, which was a word and a movement created by a German-born educator, Friedrich Froebel in 1840. Froebel placed a high value on the importance of play in children’s learning. His invention would spread around the world eventually in a verity of forms. Froebel’s ideas were inspired through his cooperation with Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Froebel didn’t introduce the notion of kindergarten until 58 years old, and he had been a teacher for four decades. The notion was a haven and a preparation for children who were about to enter the regimented educational system. The use of guided or structured play was a cornerstone of his kindergarten education because he believed that play was the most significant aspect of development at this time of life. Play served as a mechanism for a child to grow emotionally and to achieve a sense of self-worth. Meanwhile, teachers served to organise materials and a structured environment in which each child, as an individual, could achieve these goals. When Froebel died in 1852, dozens of kindergartens had been created in Germany. Kindergartens began to increase in Europe, and the movement eventually reached and flourished in the United States in the 20th century.

Questions 1-4 Reading Passage 1 has six paragraphs, A-F. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A and C-E from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-vii, in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

i The inheritance and development of educational concepts of different thinkers ii Why children had to work to alleviate the burden on family iii Why children are not highly valued iv The explanation for children dying in hospital at their early age v The first appearance of modem educational philosophy vi The application of a creative learning method on a wild kid vii The emergence and spread of the notion of kindergarten

1 Paragraph A

Example Answer Paragraph B ii

2 Paragraph C 3 Paragraph D 4 Paragraph E

Questions 5-8 Look at the following events (Questions 5-8) and the list of dates below. Match each event with the correct date, A, B or C. Write the correct letter, A, B or C, in boxes 5-8 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

List of Dates

A the 18th century (1700-1799) B the 19th century (1800-1899) C the 20th century (1900-1999)

5 the need for children to work 6 the rise of the middle class 7 the emergence of a kindergarten 8 the spread of kindergartens around the U.S.

Questions 9-13 Look at the following opinions or deeds (Questions 9-13) and the list of people below. Match each opinion or deed with the correct person, A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter, A, B, C or D, in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.

List of People

A Jean Jacques Rousseau B Johan Heinrich Pestalozzi C Jean Marc Gaspard Itard D Friedrich Froebel

9 was not successful to prove the theory 10 observed a child’s record 11 requested a study setting with emotional comfort firstly 12 proposed that corruption was not a characteristic in people’s nature 13 was responsible for an increase in the number of a type of school

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Why Are Finland’s Schools Successful? Reading Answers

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Updated On Dec 20, 2023

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Recent IELTS Reading Test with Answers - Free PDF

The Academic passage, Why Are Finland’s Schools Successful? Reading Answers , is a reading passage that consists of 13 questions.

With diligent practice, the Reading Module can be the top-scoring category for IELTS aspirants. To score well, you must understand how to approach and answer the different question types in the Reading Module.

By solving and reviewing Sample Reading Questions from past IELTS papers, you can ensure that your Reading skills are up to the mark. Take the practice test: Why Are Finland’s Schools Successful? below and try more IELTS reading practice tests from IELTSMaterial.com.

The question types found in this passage are:

Matching Headings (Q. 1-6)
Note Completion (Q. 7-13)

Reading Passage 1

Why are finland’s schools successful .

A At Kirkkojarvi Comprehensive School in Espoo, a suburb west of Helsinki, Kari Louhivuori, the school’s principal, decided to try something extreme by Finnish standards. One of his sixth-grade students, a recent immigrant, was falling behind, resisting his teacher’s best efforts. So he decided to hold the boy back a year. Standards in the country have vastly improved in reading, math and science literacy over the past decade, in large part because its teachers are trusted to do whatever it takes to turn young lives around. ‘I took Besart on that year as my private student’, explains Louhivuori. When he was not studying science, geography and math, Besart was seated next to Louhivuori’s desk, taking books from a tall stack, slowly reading one, then another, then devouring them by the dozens. By the end of the year, he had conquered his adopted country’s vowel-rich language and arrived at the realization that he could, in fact, learn.

B This tale of a single rescued child hints at some of the reasons for Finland’s amazing record of education success. The transformation of its education system began some 40 years ago but teachers had little idea it had been so successful until 2000. In this year, the first results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a standardized test given to 15-year-olds in more than 40 global venues, revealed Finnish youth to be the best at reading in the world. Three years later, they led in math. By 2006, Finland was first out of the 57 nations that participate in science. In the latest PISA scores, the nation came second in science, third in reading and sixth in math among nearly half a million students worldwide.

C In the United States, government officials have attempted to improve standards by introducing marketplace competition into public schools. In recent years, a group of Wall Street financiers and philanthropists such as Bill Gates have put money behind private-sector ideas, such as charter schools, which have doubled in number in the past decade. President Obama, too, apparently thought competition was the answer. One policy invited states to compete for federal dollars using tests and other methods to measure teachers, a philosophy that would not be welcome in Finland. ‘I think, in fact, teachers would tear off their shirts ‘, said Timo Heikkinen, a Helsinki principal with 24 years of teaching experience. If you only measure the statistics, you miss the human aspect.’

D There are no compulsory standardized tests in Finland, apart from one exam at the end of students’ senior year in high school. There is no competition between students, schools or regions. Finland’s schools are publicly funded. The people in the government agencies running them, from national officials to local authorities, are educators rather than business people or politicians. Every school has the same national goals and draws from the same pool of university-trained educators. The result is that a Finnish child has a good chance of getting the same quality education no matter whether he or she lives in a rural village or a university town.

E It’s almost unheard of for a child to show up hungry to school. Finland provides three years of maternity leave and subsidized day care to parents, and preschool for all five-year-olds, where the emphasis is on socializing. In addition, the state subsidizes parents, paying them around 150 euros per month for every child until he or she turns 17. Schools provide food, counseling and taxi service if needed. Health care is even free for students taking degree courses.

F Finland’s schools were not always a wonder. For the first half of the twentieth century, only the privileged got a quality education. But In 1963, the Finnish Parliament made the bold decision to choose public education as the best means of driving the economy forward and out of recession. Public schools were organized into one system of comprehensive schools for ages 7 through 16. Teachers from all over the nation contributed to a national curriculum that provided guidelines, not prescriptions, for them to refer to. Besides Finnish and Swedish (the country’s second official language), children started learning a third language (English is a favorite) usually beginning at age nine.

The equal distribution of equipment was next, meaning that all teachers had their fair share of teaching resources to aid learning. As the comprehensive schools improved, so did the upper secondary schools (grades 10 through 12). The second critical decision came in 1979, when it was required that every teacher gain a fifth-year Master’s degree in theory and practice, paid for by the state. From then on, teachers were effectively granted equal status with doctors and lawyers. Applicants began flooding teaching programs, not because the salaries were so high but because autonomous decision making and respect made the job desirable. And as Louhivuori explains, ‘We have our own motivation to succeed because we love the work.

Questions 1-6

Reading Passage has six paragraphs, A-F.

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-ix, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

i A business-model approach to education

ii The reforms that improved education in Finland

iii Educational challenges of the future

iv Ways in which equality is maintained in the Finnish education system

v The benefits of the introduction of testing

vi An approach that helped a young learner

vii Statistical proof of education success

viii Support for families working and living in Finland

ix The impact of the education system on Finland’s economy

1 Paragraph A

2 Paragraph B

3 Paragraph C

4 Paragraph D

5 Paragraph E

6 Paragraph F

Questions 7-13

Complete the notes below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

The school system in Finland

+ In the most recent tests, Finland’s top subject was 7 ………………………….

+ A new school system was needed to improve Finland’s 8 ………………………….

+ Schools followed 9 ………………………….that were created partly by teachers.

+ Young pupils had to study an additional 10 ………………………….

+ All teachers were given the same 11 …………………………. to use.

+ Teachers had to get a 12 …………………………. but they did not have to pay for this.

+ Applicants were attracted to the 13 ………………………….that teaching received.

Explanation

1 Answer: vi

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph A, line 3 & line 4

Answer explanation: The selected lines say that “One of his sixth-grade students, a recent immigrant, was falling behind, resisting his teacher’s best efforts.” . Later, it is added that “ By the end of the year, he had conquered his adopted country’s vowel-rich language and arrived at the realization that he could, in fact, learn. ” This tells us that the first paragraph discusses how an approach (by individual focus on the student unwilling to learn otherwise) helped a young learner to enrich his vocabulary as well as learn new things. Hence, the answer is vi (An approach that helped a young learner).

2 Answer: vii

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 3 – line 9

Answer explanation: In the quoted lines of Paragraph B, it is said that “In this year, the first results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a standardized test given to 15-year-olds in more than 40 global venues, revealed Finnish youth to be the best at reading in the world. Three years later, they led in math…..” This points to the fact that the second paragraph provides statistical proof of education success in Finland as they take an important standing globally. Hence, the answer is vii (Statistical proof of education success).

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3 Answer: i

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 6 – line 7

Answer explanation: In the highlighted line of Paragraph C, it is said that “One policy invited states to compete for federal dollars using tests and other methods to measure teachers, a philosophy that would not be welcome in Finland.” This proves the fact Paragraph C explains the business-model approach to education which was not welcomed in Finland. Hence, the answer is i (A business-model approach to education).

4 Answer: iv

Answer location: Paragraph D

Answer explanation: Paragraph D explains that “There are no compulsory standardized tests in Finland, …There is no competition between students, schools or regions. …The people in the government agencies running them, from national officials to local authorities, are educators rather than business people or politicians. Every school has the same national goals and draws from the same pool of university-trained educators.” It is clear from Paragraph D that it explains different ways in which equality is maintained in the Finnish education system, like no compulsory tests, no competition, public funding, etc. Hence, the answer is iv (Ways in which equality is maintained in the Finnish education system).

5 Answer: viii

Answer location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: In Paragraph E, it is said that “Finland provides three years of maternity leave and subsidized day care to parents, and preschool for all five-year-olds, where the emphasis is on socializing. In addition, the state subsidizes parents, paying them around 150 euros per month for every child until he or she turns 17. Schools provide food, counseling and taxi service if needed. Health care is even free for students taking degree courses.”. In this way, it is shown that Paragraph E mentions various support that is provided to families working and living in Finland. Hence, the answer is viii (support for families working and living in Finland).

6 Answer: ii

Answer location: Paragraph F

Answer explanation: Paragraph F says that “…the Finnish Parliament made the bold decision to choose public education as the best means of driving the economy forward and out of recession. Public schools were organized into one system of comprehensive schools for ages 7 through 16. Teachers from all over the nation contributed to a national curriculum … autonomous decision making and respect made the job desirable… ”. As it is clear that Paragraph F refers to bold steps and reforms that improved education in Finland, the answer is ii (The reforms that improved education in Finland).

7 Answer: science

Question type: Note Completion

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 7 – line 9

Answer explanation: The given lines of Paragraph B say that “In the latest PISA scores, the nation came second in science, third in reading and sixth in math among nearly half a million students worldwide.”. It is clear that Paragraph G mentions in the most recent PISA tests, Finland’s top subject was science as it won the second position globally, while came third in reading and sixth in math. Hence, the answer is ‘science’.

8 Answer: economy

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 2 – line 4

Answer explanation: The quoted lines of Paragraph F claim that “But In 1963, the Finnish Parliament made the bold decision to choose public education as the best means of driving the economy forward and out of recession.”. It is clear that in 1963, the bold decision by the Finnish government to choose public education (a new school system) also helped them to revive their economy. Hence, the answer is ‘economy’.

9 Answer: guidelines

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 5 – line 6

Answer explanation: The given line of Paragraph F says that “Teachers from all over the nation contributed to a national curriculum that provided guidelines, not prescriptions, for them to refer to.”. As it is clear that schools followed guidelines that were created partly by teachers as a part of the national curriculum, the answer is ‘guidelines’.

10 Answer: language

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 7 – line 8

Answer explanation: The following lines of Paragraph B say that “Besides Finnish and Swedish (the country’s second official language), children started learning a third language (English is a favorite) usually beginning at age nine.”. This clears the fact that, besides learning the native languages (Finnish and Swedish), students have to learn an additional language (English). Hence, the answer is ‘language’.

11 Answer: equipment

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 9- line 10

Answer explanation: The specified lines of Paragraph F say that “The equal distribution of equipment was next, meaning that all teachers had their fair share of teaching resources to aid learning.” In light of the fact that there was an equal distribution of teaching equipment to use, the answer is ‘equipment’.

12 Answer: master’s degree

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 11 -line 13

Answer explanation: These suggested lines of Paragraph F say that “The second critical decision came in 1979, when it was required that every teacher gain a fifth-year Master’s degree in theory and practice, paid for by the state.” . From this reference, we can conclude that teachers had to get a master’s degree, but they did not have to pay for this as the state would pay for it. Hence, the answer is ‘master’s degree’.

13 Answer: respect/status

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 14- line 16

Answer explanation: The referred line of Paragraph F says that “Applicants began flooding teaching programs, not because the salaries were so high but because autonomous decision making and respect made the job desirable. ”.Based on these references, we can conclude that applicants were attracted to the respect or status .that teaching received and not the high salary. Hence, the answer is ‘respect/status’.

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Soon after graduating with a Master’s in Literature from Southern Arkansas University, she joined an institute as an English language trainer. She has had innumerous student interactions and has produced a couple of research papers on English language teaching. She soon found that non-native speakers struggled to meet the English language requirements set by foreign universities. It was when she decided to jump ship into IELTS training. From then on, she has been mentoring IELTS aspirants. She joined IELTSMaterial about a year ago, and her contributions have been exceptional. Her essay ideas and vocabulary have taken many students to a band 9.

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The value of research into mite harvestmen

Few people have heard of the mite harvestman, and fewer still would recognize it at close range. The insect is a relative of the far more familiar daddy longlegs. But its legs are stubby rather than long, and its body is only as big as a sesame seed. To find mite harvestmen, scientists go to dark, humid forests and sift through the leaf litter. The animals respond by turning motionless, making them impossible for even a trained eye to pick out.’ They look like grains of dirt.’ said Gonzalo Giribet, an invertebrate biologist at Harvard University.

Dr Giribet and his colleagues have spent six years searching for mite harvestmen on five continents. The animals have an extraordinary story to tell they carry a record of hundreds of millions of years of geological history, chronicling the journeys that continents have made around the Earth. The Earth’s landmasses have slowly collided and broken apart again several times, carrying animals and plants with them. These species have provided clues to the continents’ paths.

The notion of continental drift originally came from such clues. In 1911, the German scientist Alfred Wegener was struck by the fact that fossils of similar animals and plants could be found on either side of the Atlantic. The ocean was too big for the species to have traveled across it on their own. Wegener speculated correctly, as it turned out that the surrounding continents had originally been welded together in a single landmass, which he called Pangea.

Continental drift, or plate tectonics as it is scientifically known, helped move species around the world. Armadillos and their relatives are found in South America and Africa today because their ancestors evolved when the continents were joined. When South America and North America connected a few million years ago, armadillos spread north, too.

Biogeographers can learn clues about continental drift by comparing related species. However, they must also recognize cases where species have spread for other reasons, such as by crossing great stretches of water. The island of Hawaii, for example, was home to a giant flightless goose that has become extinct. Studies on DNA extracted from its bones show that it evolved from the Canada goose. Having colonized Hawaii, it branched off from that species, losing its ability to fly. This evolution occurred half a million years ago, when geologists estimate that Hawaii emerged from the Pacific.

When species jump around the planet, their histories blur. It is difficult to say much about where cockroaches evolved, for example, because they can move quickly from continent to continent. This process, known as dispersal, limits many studies. ‘Most of them tend to concentrate on particular parts of the world.' Dr Giribet said. I wanted to find a new system for studying biogeography on a global scale.

Dr Giribet realized that mite harvestmen might be that system. The 5,000 or so mite harvestmen species can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Unlike creatures found around the world like cockroaches, mite harvestmen cannot disperse well. The typical harvestman species has a range of fewer than 50 miles. Harvestmen are not found on young islands like Hawaii, as these types of islands emerged long after the break-up of Pangea.

According to Assistant Professor Sarah Boyer, a former student of Dr Giribet. ‘It’s really hard to find a group of species that is distributed all over the world but that also doesn’t disperse very far.'

What mite harvestmen lack in mobility, they make up in age. Their ancestors were among the first land animals, and fossils of daddy longlegs have been found in 400 million-year-ago rocks. Mite harvestmen evolved long before Pangea broke up and have been carried along by continental drift ever since they’ve managed to get themselves around the world only because they’ve been around for hundreds of millions of years, Dr Boyer said. Dr Boyer, Dr Giribet and their colleagues have gathered thousands of mite harvestmen from around the world, from which they extracted DNA. Variations in the genes helped the scientists build an evolutionary tree. By calculating how quickly the DNA mutated, the scientists could estimate when lineages branched off. They then compared the harvestmen's evolution to the movements of the continents. ‘The patterns are remarkably clear.’ Dr Boyer said.

The scientists found that they could trace mite harvestmen from their ancestors on Pangea. One lineage includes species in Chile South Africa, Sri Lanka and other places separated by thousands of miles of ocean. But 150 million years ago, all those sites were in Gondwana which was a region of Pangea.

The harvestmen preserve smaller patterns of continental drift, as well as bigger ones. After analyzing the DNA of a Florida harvestman, Metasiro americanus, the scientists were surprised to find that it was not related to other North American species. Its closet relatives live in West Africa. Dr Boyer then began investigating the geological history of Florida and found recent research to explain the mystery. Florida started out welded to West Africa near Segenal. North America than collied into them Pangea was forming. About 170 million years ago, North America ripped away from West Africa, taking Florida with it. The African ancestors of Florida’s harvestmen came along the ride.

Dr Giribet now hopes to study dozens or even hundreds of species, to find clues about plate tectonics that a single animal could not show.

QUESTIONS 1-6

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

Write the correct letter in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

27. Why is it difficult to find mite harvestmen?

A they are too small to see with naked eye.

B they can easily be confused with daddy longlegs.

27##qi they do not exist in large numbers in any one place.

28. Why are mile harvestmen of interest to Dr Giribet and his colleagues?

A they have been studied far less than most other species.

B they show the effects of climate on the evolution of animals.

C they have an unusual relationship with plants and other animals.

29. What factor contributed to Wegener’s idea that present-day continents used to form a single landmass?

A changes in the level of the ocean

C the lack of certain fossils on one side of the Atlantic

D similarities in living conditions on both sides of the Atlantic

30. What point is made by the reference to armadillos?

B certain animals could travel longer distances than others.

C the oldest species of animals are likely to be found in Africa.

D there is a tendency for animals to spread in a particular direction.

31. Which of the following is stated in the fifth paragraph?

A Hawaii is a habitat that cannot support large birds.

B Hawaii is an attractive habitat for certain species of birds.

C flightless birds are more likely to become extinct than others.

32. Why is evidence from cockroached of limited value?

B they multiply too quickly.

C they are found in too few places.

D they have divided into too many species.

QUESTIONS 7-10

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage?

In boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet, write

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

7 YES NO NOT GIVEN The colonization of Hawaii by geese provides evidence of continental drift.

8 YES NO NOT GIVEN The reason why mite harvestmen don’t exist on Hawaii can be explained.

9 YES NO NOT GIVEN The DNA of certain species has evolved more quickly than that of others.

10 YES NO NOT GIVEN Dr Boyer’s theory concerning the origins of Florida is widely accepted.

QUESTIONS 11-14

Complete the summary using the list of words A-I below.

Write the correct letter A-I in boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet.

List of words

A branches

B fossils

C drift

D DNA

E evolution

F Pangea

G dispersal

H ancestors

I continents

The age and evolution of mite harvestmen

Some of the first creatures to live on land were the 11 A B C D E F G H I of mite harvestmen. Boyer, Giribet and others study differences in the 12 A B C D E F G H I of these insects, and trace the development of a number of 13 A B C D E F G H I of the species.

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Research Using Twins: IELTS Reading Passage with Questions & Answers

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Updated on 09 February, 2024

Akansha Semwal

Study abroad expert.

Introduction:

Twin studies have long fascinated researchers, offering a unique lens through which to understand the complex interplay between genetics and environment. This IELTS reading passage delves into how twins have contributed to scientific knowledge, enabling learners to practice their comprehension skills through a series of questions.

Questions & answers:, tips for cracking the ielts reading exam:, download e-books for ielts preparation.

Research utilizing twins has been instrumental in unraveling the mysteries of human genetics and behavior. Identical twins, or monozygotic twins, are natural clones, having split from the same fertilized egg. They share nearly all their DNA. Fraternal twins, or dizygotic twins, are no more genetically similar than regular siblings, sharing only about 50% of their DNA. This genetic distinction is pivotal for studies aiming to dissect the contributions of heredity and environment.

Twins provide a unique opportunity to explore the effects of different environments on individuals with the same genetic makeup. For instance, if one identical twin develops a condition that the other does not, researchers can reasonably infer that the condition may be influenced more by environmental factors than genetics.

In the realm of behavioral science, twin studies have shed light on the 'nature versus nurture' debate. By comparing the similarities and differences of identical twins raised apart with those raised together, scientists gain insights into how much a trait is influenced by genetics versus environment.

The Minnesota Twin Study is one of the most notable twin studies, which followed a cohort of separated twins over 20 years. The findings revealed striking similarities in personality, interests, and habits between twins, even when they had been raised in completely different family settings.

However, twin studies are not without limitations. Critics argue that the environments of twins, even when raised apart, are not entirely dissimilar, as they often share similar socio-economic statuses or cultural backgrounds. Furthermore, the unique bond between twins may lead to shared experiences that can skew results.

Despite these challenges, twin research continues to be a valuable asset in understanding human development. It paves the way for questions about the balance of predetermined genetics and the shaping hand of our environments.

Q1: What are identical twins also known as?

A. Fraternal twins

B. Monozygotic twins

C. Dizygotic twins

D. Non-identical twins

A1: B. Monozygotic twins

Explanation: Identical twins are referred to as monozygotic because they originate from a single (mono) fertilized egg that splits (zygote).

Q2: Fill in the blank: Fraternal twins share about ______% of their DNA.

Explanation: Fraternal twins are dizygotic, meaning they come from two separate eggs and sperm, making them genetically similar to regular siblings with a 50% DNA overlap.

Q3: True or False: The Minnesota Twin Study lasted for 10 years.

A3: B. False

Explanation: The Minnesota Twin Study lasted over 20 years, not 10, making it one of the most extensive and informative twin studies in the realm of behavioral science.

Q4: What can be inferred if one identical twin develops a condition that the other does not?

A. The condition is entirely genetic.

B. The condition is due to the environment.

C. Twins do not share any similarities.

D. The condition is neither genetic nor environmental.

A4: B. The condition is due to the environment.

Explanation: Since identical twins share almost all their DNA, differences in conditions suggest environmental rather than genetic influences.

Q5: Fill in the blank: Twin studies have helped in understanding the '________ versus nurture' debate.

D. Structure

A5: A. Nature

Explanation: Twin studies are essential for dissecting the 'nature versus nurture' debate, which looks into the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and environmental factors to human development.

Q6: How much DNA do identical twins share?

A. About 25%

B. About 50%

C. Nearly 100%

D. None of the above

A6: C. Nearly 100%

Explanation: Identical twins, or monozygotic twins, originate from a single fertilized egg that splits, meaning they share nearly all of their DNA, which is as close to 100% as possible for any two individuals.

Q7: Fill in the blank: Critics of twin studies argue that the environments of twins are not entirely dissimilar due to often shared _______ statuses or cultural backgrounds.

A. Socio-economic

C. Educational

D. Environmental

A7: A. Socio-economic

Explanation: Critics point out that even when raised apart, twins may still experience similar environments in terms of socio-economic status and cultural backgrounds, which can influence the outcomes of the studies.

Q8: True or False: Twin studies have conclusively resolved the nature versus nurture debate.

A8: B. False

Explanation: While twin studies have provided significant insights into the nature versus nurture debate, they have not conclusively resolved it. This debate remains ongoing as both elements play complex and interactive roles in human development.

Q9: What does the 'unique bond' between twins potentially affect in twin studies?

A. The genetic makeup

B. The accuracy of the studies

C. The environmental impact

D. The development of twins

A9: B. The accuracy of the studies

Explanation: The unique bond between twins may lead to shared experiences and interactions that can influence the results of the studies, potentially affecting their accuracy.

Q10: Multiple-choice: The Minnesota Twin Study contributed to our understanding of which of the following?

A. Genetic similarities in twins

B. Personality and habits

C. Only physical characteristics

D. Only intellectual abilities

A10: B. Personality and habits

Explanation: The Minnesota Twin Study followed separated twins over 20 years and found striking similarities in personality, interests, and habits between twins, even when raised apart, thereby contributing significantly to our understanding of these aspects beyond just physical or intellectual traits.

Tip 1: Always read the passage thoroughly before attempting the questions. This ensures you understand the context and can identify where the answers may be located.

Tip 2: For multiple-choice questions, eliminate options that you are certain are incorrect to improve your chances of choosing the right answer.

Tip 3: Pay attention to details that may seem minor but could be crucial for fill-in-the-blank questions.

Tip 4: Understand the difference between 'true', 'false', and 'not given' in the IELTS reading context. 'True' means the statement agrees with the information, 'false' means it contradicts the information, and 'not given' means there is no information on this.

Tip 5: Practice skimming and scanning techniques to locate information quickly and manage your time effectively during the exam.

Akansha Semwal is a content marketer at upGrad and has also worked as a social media marketer & sub-editor. Experienced in creating impressive Statement of Purpose, Essays, and LOR, she knows how to captivate the attention of Admissions Committee. Her research-driven;study-abroad articles helps aspirants to make the prudent decision. She holds a bachelor's & master's degree in Literature from the University of Delhi.

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Research Using Twins: Reading Answers & PDF

IELTS Academic Test – Passage 10: Research using twins reading with answers explanation, location and pdf summary. This reading paragraph has been taken from our huge collection of Academic & General Training (GT) Reading practice test PDFs.

Research using twins

To biomedical researchers all over the world, twins offer a precious opportunity to untangle the influence of genes and the environment – of nature and nurture. Because identical twins come from a single fertilized egg that splits into two, they share virtually the same genetic code. Any differences between them -one twin having younger looking skin, for example – must be due to environmental factors such as less time spent in the sun. Alternatively, by comparing the experiences of identical twins with those of fraternal twins, who come from separate eggs and share on average half their DNA, researchers can quantify the extent to which our genes affect our lives. If identical twins are more similar to each other with respect to an ailment than fraternal twins are, then vulnerability to the disease must be rooted at least in part in heredity. These two lines of research – studying the differences between identical twins to pinpoint the influence of environment, and comparing identical twins with fraternal ones to measure the role of inheritance – have been crucial to understanding the interplay of nature and nurture in determining our personalities, behavior, and vulnerability to disease. The idea of using twins to measure the influence of heredity dates back to 1875, when the English scientist Francis Galton first suggested the approach (and coined the phrase ‘nature and nurture’). But twin studies took a surprising twist in the 1980s, with the arrival of studies into identical twins who had been separated at birth and reunited as adults. Over two decades 137 sets of twins eventually visited Thomas Bouchard’s lab in what became known as the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart. Numerous tests were carried out on the twins, and they were each asked more than 15,000 questions. Bouchard and his colleagues used this mountain of data to identify how far twins were affected by their genetic makeup. The key to their approach was a statistical concept called heritability. in broad terms, the heritability of a trait measures the extent to which differences among members of a population can be explained by differences in their genetics. And wherever Bouchard and other scientists looked, it seemed, they found the invisible hand of genetic influence helping to shape our lives. Lately, however, twin studies have helped lead scientists to a radical new conclusion: that nature and nurture are not the only elemental forces at work. According to a recent field called epigenetics, there is a third factor also in play, one that in some cases serves as a bridge between the environment and our genes, and in others operates on its own to shape who we are. Epigenetic processes are chemical reactions tied to neither nature nor nurture but representing what researchers have called a ‘third component’. These reactions influence how our genetic code is expressed: how each gene is strengthened or weakened, even turned on or off, to build our bones, brains and all the other parts of our bodies. If you think of our DNA as an immense piano keyboard and our genes as the keys – each key symbolizing a segment of DNA responsible for a particular note, or trait, and all the keys combining to make us who we are – then epigenetic processes determine when and how each key can be struck, changing the tune being played. One way the study of epigenetics is revolutionizing our understanding of biology is by revealing a mechanism by which the environment directly impacts on genes. Studies of animals, for example, have shown that when a rat experiences stress during pregnancy, it can cause epigenetic changes in a fetus that lead to behavioral problems as the rodent grows up. Other epigenetic processes appear to occur randomly, while others are normal, such as those that guide embryonic cells as they become heart, brain, or liver cells, for example. Geneticist Danielle Reed has worked with many twins over the years and thought deeply about what twin studies have taught us. ‘It’s very clear when you look at twins that much of what they share is hardwired,’ she says. ‘Many things about them are absolutely the same and unalterable. But it’s also clear, when you get to know them, that other things about them are different. Epigenetics is the origin of a lot of those differences, in my view.’ Reed credits Thomas Bouchard’s work for today’s surge in twin studies. ‘He was the trailblazer,’ she says. ‘We forget that 50 years ago things like heart disease were thought to be caused entirely by lifestyle. Schizophrenia was thought to be due to poor mothering. Twin studies have allowed us to be more reflective about what people are actually born with and what’s caused by experience.’ Having said that, Reed adds, the latest work in epigenetics promises to take our understanding even further. ‘What I like to say is that nature writes some things in pencil and some things in pen,’ she says. ‘Things written in pen you can’t change. That’s DNA. But things written in pencil you can. That’s epigenetics. Now that we’re actually able to look at the DNA and see where the pencil writings are, it’s sort of a whole new world.’

Questions 1-4

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 10? 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. There may be genetic causes for the differences in how young the skin of identical twins looks. 2. Twins are at greater risk of developing certain illnesses than non-twins. 3. Bouchard advertised in newspapers for twins who had been separated at birth. 4. Epigenetic processes are different from both genetic and environmental processes.

________________

1) IELTS 11 READING PASSAGE – HOW THE OTHER HALF THINKS ↗

2) IELTS 11 READING PASSAGE – GREAT MIGRATIONS ↗

3) IELTS 11 READING PASSAGE – THE STORY OF SILK ↗

Questions 5-9

Look at the following statements ( Questions 5-9 ) and the list of researchers below. Match each statement with the correct researcher, A, B or C. Write the correct letter, A, B or C, in boxes 5-9 on your answer sheet. NB You may use any letter more than once.

List of Researchers A. Francis Galton B. Thomas Bouchard C. Danielie Reed

5. invented a term used to distinguish two factors affecting human characteristics 6. expressed the view that the study of epigenetics will increase our knowledge 7. developed a mathematical method of measuring genetic influences 8. pioneered research into genetics using twins 9. carried out research into twins who had lived apart

Questions 10-13

Complete the summary using the list of words, A-F , below. Write the correct letter, A-F , in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.

Epigenetic processes

In epigenetic processes, 10 ……………….. influence the activity of our genes, for example in creating our internal 11 ……………….. . The study of epigenetic processes is uncovering a way in which our genes can be affected by our 12 ……………….. . One example is that if a pregnant rat suffers stress, the new-born rat may later show problems in its 13 ……………….. .

A. nurture B. organs C. code D. chemicals E. environment F. behaviour

Check out Research using twins reading answers below with explanations and locations given in the text.

1. FALSE 2. NOT GIVEN 3. NOT GIVEN 4. TRUE 5. A 6. C 7. B 8. A 9. B 10. D 11. B 12. E 13. F

If you want the pdf summary of Research using twins reading passage and answers, please write your email in the comment section below. We’ll send it across at the speed of light.

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