Although we can assume that the conferences had a positive impact on literacy rates, this is not stated in the text. We cannot make assumptions when we answer True/False/Not Given (Yes/No/Not Given) questions. Remember, the definition of Not Given is very strict. Just like we cannot answer based upon our background knowledge, we cannot assume things about the reading passage. If the text does not explicitly state something in the positive or negative, the answer must be "Not Given". The answer to this question is indeed "Not Given".
In summation. while answering True/False/Not Given (Yes/No/Not Given) questions, make constant reference to the text. Use the basic principles you now know to do so quickly and efficiently. Do not answer these questions based upon your background knowledge. Also, do not make any assumptions based on the text for you will be wrong. The definition of "Not Given" is very strict. If it is not stated explicitly in the text, the answer must be "Not Given".
It should be noted that this section of the examination is perhaps the most time consuming. Since that is so, the test maker should fully utilize the principles we have introduced to rapidly find the answers. Please note all dates, numbers, and symbols. These will aid you immensely as you answer these questions.
E. Summary
This section is a little similar to the word sentence completion section, for you will also be asked to here to complete a sentence that is missing words. In this section, however, you will be provided with an entire paragraph, not just a single sentence. The paragraph will be missing several key words and will be followed by a list of words. The student chooses the appropriate words from this list to complete the paragraph. Since the format has slightly changed, our approach to these questions must change as well.
Unlike the sentence completion questions, the focus of the summary section is not on single words. The questions designed in the sentience completion section are all designed to test a particular word. In the summary section, however, you will be asked to examine a much larger sphere. Usually this will be indicated in the question. You might be asked a question about paragraphs four and five in particular. Also, these summary sections almost always concern the latter part of the reading passage. The section normally tests the second half to last third of the text.
So how does one approach this section?
First look for any hotspots you can find in the summary. Also look for grammar phrases or words that are themselves unchanging. Words, especially conjunctions, will stay the same and are easily found. Examples are like "and", "as wells as", and "moreover". These words might also suggest a list, and thus we can start looking for a list as we hunt for the answers.
If there are these hotspots, use them. If there are none, look at the first and last sentences of the given paragraphs for an idea of its topic. This should help to indicate where the answer is found. You can possibly eliminate some paragraphs with this step. The look at examples, and finally, if needed, read the appropriate sections.
F. Table Completion
The IELTS examination will almost always include a table completion section. In this section, the test maker will be provided an incomplete graph. There may be several categories on this graph, including date, place name, etc. One or two pieces of this information will be missing for each item on the table. It is your job to fill that information in.
Let's study the following test item:
第八课时
练习一
It is almost impossible to write of the Arts in Australia without mentioning the building that first put Australia firmly on the world cultural map-the Sydney Opera House. Completed in 1973 after 14 years of much heated discussion and at a cost of over $85 million, it is not only the most well-known Australian building in the world but perhaps the most famous design of any modern building anywhere.
Its distinctive and highly original shape has been likened to everything from the sails of a sailing ship to broken eggshells, but few would argue with the claim that the Opera House is a major contribution to world architecture. Set amidst the graceful splendour of Sydney Harbour, presiding like a queen over the bustle and brashness of a modern city striving to forge a financial reputation in a tough commercial world, it is a reminder to all Australians of their deep and abiding love of all things cultural.
The Opera House was designed not by an Australian but by a celebrated Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, whose design won an international competition in the late 1950s. However, it was not, in fact, completed to his original specifications. Plans for much of the intended interior design of the building have only recently been discovered. Sadly, the State Government of the day interfered with Utzon's plans because of concerns about the escalating cost, though this was hardly surprising—the building was originally expected to cost only $8 million. Utzon left the country before completing the project and in a fit of anger vowed never to return. The project was eventually paid for by a State-run lottery.
The size of the interior of the building was scaled down appreciably by a team of architects whose job was to finish construction within a restricted budget. Rehearsal rooms and other facilities for the various theatres within the complex were either made considerably smaller or cut out altogether, and some artists have complained bitterly about them ever since. But despite the controversy that surrounded its birth, the Opera House has risen above the petty squabbling and is now rightfully hailed as a modern architectural masterpiece. The Queen officially opened the building in 1975 and since then, within its curved and twisted walls, audiences of all nationalities have been quick to acclaim the many world-class performances of stars from the Australian opera, ballet and theatre.
TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN
a. The building is possibly the most famous of its type in the world. T F NG
b. The Opera House drew world attention to the Arts in Australia. T F NG
c. Utzon designed the roof to look like the sails of a sailing ship. T F NG
d. A few people claim that it is a major architectural work. T F NG
e. According to the author, Sydney is a quiet and graceful city. T F NG
f. The cost of construction went more than $75 million over budget. T F NG
g. Utzon never returned to Australia to see the completed building. T F NG
h. There is only one theare within the complex. T F NG
i. The Government was concerned about some artists complaints. T F NG
j. Australian artists give better performances in the Opera House. T F NG
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 13 - 27 which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
Doctors Divided Over Heart Pills
A group of drugs now being marketed in the United States under a variety of brand names have been proved to reduce deaths among heart-attack survivors by more than 40% over five years. The drugs are collectively known as statins, and are currently being taken by over 10 million Americans. Doctors are currently wondering if statins will be just as effective in preventing heart attacks in people who do not necessarily fit the profile of a "high-risk" patient.
The people the doctors are targeting for possible prescription of statins are those whose LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, is somewhat high, or their HDL, or "good" cholesterol is a little low. Again, maybe they have diabetes, which commonly leads to cardiovascular disease, but do not yet show symptoms of the latter. A study report in the British Medical Journal concluded that statins could reduce by 30% the risk of dying from a heart attack, even among people with normal cholesterol levels and no signs of cardiovascular disease.
Leading pharmaceutical companies have gone so far as to petition the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow consumers to buy some low-dose statins without having to first obtain a physician's prescription, or "over the counter".
Statins work by partly blocking an enzyme, known as HMG, found in the liver that turns some of the food that you eat into cholesterol. The body, in fact, needs some cholesterol to produce hormones and Vitamin D. Excess cholesterol builds up in the arteries, reducing the blood flow and increasing the danger of heart disease. By slowing down the function of the HMG enzyme, statins reduce the amount of cholesterol entering the blood stream, and force the body to draw on the cholesterol already in the arteries to make up the shortfall in its needs. Thus, there is a regular clearing out of cholesterol from the arteries. Doctors emphasize that statins work best when a person adopts a low-fat diet.
There are, however, certain drawbacks to statins. Apart from the fact that they are expensive—about $3 per pill, and you would presumably have to take them for the rest of your life—they can cause liver damage or a breakdown of muscle tissue. Anyone taking statins needs to undergo periodic blood tests to check for signs of liver trouble. Most people on the pills report no complaints; those who do commonly list fatigue as the major side-effect.
Companies manufacturing dietary supplements became interested in statins when it was discovered that Chinese red yeast fermented on rice contains small amount of the same active ingredient found in statins. They then made a dietary supplement containing this ingredient and publicized it as a wonder drug for preventing heart attacks. The FDA banned its sale over the counter, and the two sides are still locked in a lengthy court case.
In the meantime, another intriguing possibility has convinced doctors that making statins more freely available may be a good thing. Research has shown that taking an aspirin a day can reduce a heart patient's risk of suffering a heart attack. Would combining aspirin with a statin have a powerful effect in preventing heart disease? Similarly, many cardiologists are impressed by the ability of a group of drugs called ACE inhibitors to normalize high blood pressure and reduce the strain on the heart. Do they work better alone, or would a combination of ACE inhibitors and statins enhance their efficacy?
Questions 13 - 19
The flow chart below outlines how statins work, as described in Reading Passage 2. Complete the flow chart. Choose your answers from the box at the bottom of page and write your answers in boxes 13 - 19 on your answer sheet.
How Statins Work
Example Answer
An enzyme in the liver turns some of the food you eat into cholesterol
The body uses cholesterol to produce 13 and 14 .
Excess cholesterol builds up in the 15 , posing a risk of 16 disease.
Statins slow the action of 17 .
The body 18 cholesterol from the blood to make up for the 19 .
List of Words
FDA hormones "high-risk" cardiovascular LDL diet dying Vitamin D arteries fatigue heart HMG pills draw on doctors physicians shortfall HDL
Questions 20 - 23
Choose one phrase (A - H) from the list of phrases to complete each key point below. Write the appropriate letters (A - H) in boxes 20 - 23 on your answer sheet. The information in the completed sentences should be an accurate summary of points made by the writer.
NB there are more phrases A - H than sentences, so you will not use them all. You may use any phrase more than once.
20. Doctors are unsure whether statins can benefit ...
21. Big pharmaceuticals companies want the US government to ...
22. Chinese red yeast fermented on rice contains ...
23. It is important for people using statins to ...
List of Phrases
A. a variety of brand names
B. people with low levels of cholesterol
C. breakdown of muscle tissue
D. reduce the amount of cholesterol entering the blood stream
E. a statin ingredient
F. allow statins to be sold over the counter
G. normalize high blood pressure
H. receive regular blood tests to check for signs of liver trouble.
Questions 24 - 27
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 24 - 27 write
YES if the statement agrees with the information given
NO if the statement contradicts the information given
NOT GIVEN if there is no information about this
24. Statins have no side effects.
25. A low-fat diet optimizes the function of statins.
26. Statins work better in combination with other drugs.
27. Statins are available in the US without a doctor's prescription.
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28 - 41 which are based on the Reading Passage 3 below.
Volunteer Vacationers
A A growing number of Americans are using their holiday time not to laze on the beach or to frequent casinos but to restore old railways, snorkel for science and band rare birds. They are a group of individuals known as "volunteer vacationers," and many of them are professional people. "We've seen a huge increase in interest from professionals as well as others who want short-term meaningful vacations," said Christine Victorino of the International Volunteer Programs Association. Her group was formed to organize the non-profit bodies which arrange working vacations.
B And these organizations want money as well as time: volunteers' contributions typically top US$1,500 for one week, and the air fare is extra. Altruism doesn't come cheap, but these vacations are partially tax-deductible, provided the volunteers put in five eight-hour days.
C "If someone had told me a few years ago that I'd pay to pick weeds on a tropical island, I would have told them they were crazy," said Leonard Stone, a retired dentist from Chicago. Yet Stone and his wife each paid to go on a week-long Oceanic Society expedition to Midway Island in the Pacific Ocean. They worked on a tiny island helping ornithologists look after albatross nesting areas and counting chicks. Like most sites where volunteers work, the conditions were spartan; the volunteers lived in an army barracks dating from World War II. But Stone, who is an enthusiastic bird watcher, found it a worthwhile experience. He thoroughly enjoyed his daily access to the rare birds, and the lectures and films about wildlife arranged by the Society.
D Some volunteers are motivated by a desire to lend a helping hand to the developing world. In the 16 years it's been in business, Global Volunteers has sent thousands of people all over the world on projects ranging from constructing a children's home in India to looking after orphans in Romania. Like other such organizations, Global Volunteers has trimmed the longer trips to accommodate professionals' busy schedules, and added less-strenuous options for retirees, who now make up one-third of its clients. Steve Rosenthal of Cross-cultural Solutions places vacationers on 21-day projects. Volunteers help women in India start small businesses or teach English to children in Ghana.
