THE IELTS READING BIG BOOK

T e j a s w y N a l a m S a h i t h y A m b a

THE COMPLETE MANUAL FOR READING

WITH COMPLETE READING TESTS FOR THE ACADEMIC AND GENERAL VERSIONS OF THE IELTS TEST.

QUESTIONS 6 - 10

Reed Boats2

VOCABULARY RESOURCE

� PHARAOH

� EXPEDITION

� ACCOUNT FOR

� NEW WORLD

� PAPYRUS

As answers to these questions, write YES, NO or NOT GIVEN.

6. The boat, Ra, belonged to the Sun God of the Pharaohs.

7. The balsa-wood raft sank in the Pacific.

8. The experts predicted that the balsa-wood raft would sink.

9. Ancient Egyptians sailed to America to help build the pyramids in

Columbia.

10. The experts predict the boat would sink because of its weight.

Year:1969. Intrepid Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl and a seven-man crew from all over the world set sail to cross the Atlantic in his reed boat named Ra after the Sun God of the Pharaohs. Heyerdahl, famed for his Kon-Tiki expedition across the Pacific in a balsa-wood raft the experts said would sink, now aims to prove that the ancient Egyptians sailed to America, which would account for the New World’s pre-Columbian pyramids. His new craft was built by traditional boat-builders from Chad, using 12 tons of papyrus reeds. Ra sailed from the old Moroccan port of Safi. Once again, the experts are predicting that the reed boat will sink.

© Andrew Montgomery

3

QUESTIONS 39 - 46

Reclamation8

As answers to these questions, write YES, NO or NOT GIVEN.

39. The State Council wants to curb the reclamation projects along

the coastline.

40. Arable land developments face many problems.

41. Arable land development is technologically easier than reclama-

tion from the sea.

42. Reclaimed land is man-made land.

43. Reclaiming land from sea does not pose problems.

44. Reclaiming land from sea is easier than developing arable land.

45. Reclaiming land from the sea can harm the environment.

46. According to statistics, the area of land taken back from the sea

has been steady in the recent years.

VOCABULARY RESOURCE

� INVESTIGATE

� RECLAMATION

� PROVINCE

� ARABLE

� COMPENSATION

� INCUR

� ECOSYSTEM

On August 22, the State Council dispatched inspection teams to investigate excessive land rec-lamation at sea in the coastal provinces of China. However, reclamation projects along the country’s coastline are unlikely to be curbed as a result of this move.

In addition to a strict land use quota, arable land develop-ment usually involves huge compensation and other com-plicated issues. Comparatively, reclaiming land from the sea costs much less and incurs few-er problems. Such man-made lands bring huge profits to de-velopers as they are usually lo-cated in densely populated re-

gions on the seaside and have developed transportation net-works. Even land prices of their neighbouring areas will inflate. High economic returns thus lead to more and more land rec-lamation projects.

More importantly, these pro-jects tend to be big, which help grow the local economy and in-crease tax revenues, beneficial for both local governments and businesses. But their damage to the coastal ecosystem should not be underestimated. Statis-tics from the State Oceanic Ad-ministration (SOA) reveal that the average area of annual land reclamation stands at about 10,000 hectares in recent years.

Tomasz Bazylinski

9

VOCABULARY RESOURCE

� THE ALLIES

� ENORMOUS

� DECEPTION

� ALLIED NATIONS

� AXIS POWERS

� PLOY

� ARTILLERY

� DISTRACTION

� SIEGE

� HOMING (PIGEON)

Towards the end of WWII, everyone knew that something big was on

its way. While the precise (78)_________ of the D-day landings were

closely guarded; for both sides, an invasion was (79)_________ . For

the Allies however, the entire operation (80)_________ entirely on

the element of surprise.

Several months before, a plan of deception (81)_________ Operation

Fortitude was launched by the Allies with the hope of (82)_________

the Axis powers into thinking the (83)_________ would take place in

Norway.

The incorrect intelligence and the fake planes at Kent had

(84) __________ the Nazis into thinking the attack on Normandy was

merely a (85) __________ and that a larger one would come in at Cal-

ais. By the time the Nazis realised their mistake, it was too late.

Gustav, a homing pigeon delivered the information about the inva-

sion to the army, government and the press. But that was not the

(86) __________ of the war. It was only a year later that Hitler was

finally defeated.

Complete the following using the words from the box below

locations

calling

expected

anticipations

attacked

rested

fooled

invasion

direction

deceiving

ended

diversion

landed

close

titled

19

Of the reptiles that dominated life on land during the Mesozoic era, about 250 to 66 million years ago, the dinosaurs, whose Greek-derived name means “monstrous lizards”, were the most successful.

There were two dinosaur orders, distinguished by differences in pelvic structure. The saurischi-an was the first order to evolve. These were among the most gigantic creatures ever to exist. A reconstructed skeleton of the longest, Diplodocus, is over 87 feet long including a tail that was 50 feet long; yet it weighed relatively little. Its hollow bone structure combined strength with lightness. The heaviest dinosaur was Brachiosaurus, which may have weighed some 50 tonnes. While both were large creatures, the distinction was not just in terms of weight. The Diplodocus was less vertical standing than the heavier Brachiosaurus.

Many dinosaurs were bipedal – they walked on two legs. The Coelophysis had a modified pelvic girdle, which enabled it run fast, and well-developed arms and hands to catch prey.

Most Saurischians had a full set of pointed teeth. Tyrannosaurus, one of the last to appear and the largest terrestrial carnivore ever known, must have used its teeth to attack its prey since its tiny forelimbs could be of little use.

The second order of dinosaurs, the Ornithischia, were not as large. Most of them lacked front teeth and browsed on plants; Camptosaurus was typical of these. But the helmet headed and duck-billed Hadrosaurus, was one of the exceptions with 2,000 side teeth for grinding conifer needles and twigs. It was a powerful swimmer and is thought to have taken to water whenever it was startled. Ankylosaururs, a quadruped, was armoured with a mosaic of bony plates fringed with spikes, and a tail that could be used as a club.

Stegosaurus had triangular bony plates along its neck and back, and a spiked tail. In common with many giant dinosaurs, Stegosaurus had an extra “brain”, an enlarged area of the spinal cord located at the hip, which may have played a part in controlling the dinosaur’s limbs and tail.

Climate changes and consequent alterations in vegetation may have been responsible for the disappearance of the dinosaurs. Yet they are aptly named Archosauria, or “ruling lizards”, for they reigned for more than 100 million years before they became extinct.

QUESTIONS 112 - 119Complete the summary with words from the passage.

The Ruling Reptiles of Prehistory17

28

QUESTIONS 214 - 220

Shade-loving perennials31

Astrantia ‘Buckland’

Can take sun or part shade and makes a great cut flower. Blooms June-Aug and likes a rich soil, so add organic mat-ter.

Dicentra formosa bacchanal

A compact bleed-ing heart cultivar with deep crimson flowers appearing April-May. Prefers a moist soil.

Primula denticu-lata

Drumstick primula produces purple pompom heads April-June above bright green leaves. Prefers a moist soil.

Polygonatum hybri-dum

Solomon’s seal has arching stems strung with clusters of white flowers May-June. It is a useful foliage plant for arrangements.

Geranium phaeum samobor

Purple-patterned leaves complement deep purple-black flowers May-June. Will take dry shade.

Astilbe chinensis ‘Vision in White’

Spires of white flowers bloom July-August. Needs a moist soil and must be watered well until established.

Digitalis purpurea

Classic pink or purple foxgloves produce their beloved flowers June-July. Let them self-sow for a natural woodland look.

Hesperis matronalis albiflora

Biennial sweet-rocket self-sows freely into border gaps. Scented white flowers May-June and dark green leaves.

Polemonium caeruleum

Jacob’s ladder is a short-lived peren-nial that self-seeds freely. Cut back its lavender-blue flowers in June for a second flush.

Viola cornuta ‘Alba group’

Horned violets have spreading, evergreen foliage and scented white flowers May-August. Deadhead regularly.

58

QUESTIONS 238 - 244

Navigating a Magazine 34

64

Many Indians seem to be proud of their ability to deal with inefficiency - but how long can a country that projects itself as a global powerhouse continue to put up with a

situation where anything that can go wrong, usually does?

It has been two years since my family and I moved to India full-time and, when I look around the boxy, expensive flat we rent and reflect on how I have spent my time here, inevitably I feel a bit tired. On the bright side, I have managed to produce a second child, work and have some amazing adventures - but I also see many lost hours spent endlessly repairing things.

I have lost count of how many electrical sockets have melted. For the past month, strange electrical fluctuations in our sitting room have turned it into a discotheque. We have even had light bulbs explode above our heads. No wonder my electrician has become my best friend, visiting us on average twice a week. All too often, while we are all getting ready for school and work, the water supply to the bathroom suddenly disappears, leaving everyone in mid-wash or with a mouth full of toothpaste. It is yet another one of those maddening Delhi dilemmas. Why is there water cascading off the roof from an overflowing storage tank but no water in the taps? Our landlord, as unflappable as ever, had a novel suggestion this time. He recommended we thump the taps.

India is an emerging power and a poor one at that. A few issues do not matter. But chronic inefficiency has a profound social and economic effect. There are now malls and fancy cars here but the people in them - India’s upper classes - routinely fall ill from unclean food, dirty water and mosquito-borne diseases. But curiously, like my landlord, many Indians seem al-most proud of being able to deal with constant inefficiency. Some have even suggested that this is an asset, and encourages creative problem-solving. But increasingly that suggestion is laughed at, especially by entrepreneurs in this burgeoning economy who are trying to create jobs while fighting death by a thousand cuts.

The most unique story of how India can confound however came from a French contractor. He described how the site of a new multi-million-dollar construction project was suddenly overrun by a low-caste tribe claiming rights to the land. After panicked consultations, he was

Reading Passage 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15 - 25, which are based on Reading Passage 2

162

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