IELTS Essentials @IELTSUzNav

READING PASSAGE-1 Exam Practice Test 3

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

The History of Modern American Dance

The birth of modern American dance occurred in the first years of the twentieth dancer Hanya Holm embraced the changing times by including modern dance in
century. And, perhaps unusually for academics, dance historians hold mainstream musicals on the Broadway stage. Among Holm’s many other
remarkably similar views when it comes to identifying early 1900s, we can see innovations was bringing her own humour to these performances – audiences
that dancers quite deliberately moved away from previous approaches. This adored it.
included rejecting both the formal moves of ballet dancing and the Modern American dance has seldom stood still. Each new generation of dancers
entertainment of vaudeville dancing. As a result, dancers began the new century either developed the techniques of their teachers or rejected them outright. So
with a fresh start. One important figure at this time was Loie Fuller, who by the 1950s the techniques of traditional European ballet dancing were again
performed largely with her arms, perhaps because she had limited dance influential. This was certainly true of Erick Hawkins, who also incorporated
training. Fuller emphasized visual effects rather than storytelling, and pioneered Native American and Asian styles. Similarly, Merce Cunningham emphasized the
the use of artificial lighting to create shadows while dancing. leg actions and flexibility of the spine associated with ballet moves. Paul Taylor
Perhaps most influential in the early years was Isadora Duncan, who was well preferred his dance to reflect the experiences and interactions of ordinary
known in both America and Europe. Duncan refused to wear elaborate people going about their everyday lives. Taylor’s career was the subject of a
costumes, preferring to dance in plain dresses and bare feet. She is also notable documentary that provided valuable insights into this period of dance.
for preferring music written by classical composers such as Chopin and The middle decades of the 20th century were certainly a dynamic time.
Beethoven, rather than contemporary compositions. At a similar time, Ruth St Increasingly, the modern dance movement recognized and reflected the fact
Denis was bringing the dance training academy with her husband with the that America was a multi-racial, multi-cultural society. Katherine Dunham, an
intention of passing on her approach and style to the next generation of anthropology graduate, used movements from Pacific, African and Caribbean
American dancers. dance to create her unique style. Pearl Primus was another champion of African
By the 1920s, the modern dance movement in America was well established. dance, which she passed on through her dance school in New York. After
Audiences were enthusiastic and dancers were increasingly prepared to retirement she travelled widely to universities throughout America lecturing on
experiment with new ideas. Martha Graham was one of an important group ethnic dance, which became her main priority.
who emerged in New York. Graham looked within herself to find her dance Modern dance since the 1980s has become a mix of multiple forms of dance, as
style, examining how her body moved as she breathed, but also observing the well as art more generally. For example, Mark Morris’s hugely popular work The
patterns made by her limbs when walking in order to find a new, naturalistic Hard Nut includes sensational costumes and a stage design inspired by the
approach to dance. Doris Humphrey wanted her dance to reflect her personal comics he’d always enjoyed. Another innovator has been Ohad Naharin, who
experience of American life. She explored the concept of gravity, allowing her studied in New York and has worked internationally. Naharin’s ‘Gaga’ style is
body to fall, only to recover at the last moment. Her book The Art of Making characterized by highly flexible limbs and backbones, while in rehearsal his
Dances, which detailed her approach to dance composition, was highly dancers have no mirrors, feeling their movements from within themselves, a
influential with later generations of dancers. break from traditional dance custom. In many ways it was a fitting end to a 100-
By the 1930s, modern dance was becoming an accepted, respectable art form. year period that had witnessed a transformation in dance. The emergence of
Universities such as Bennington College included modern dance in their modern American dance was very much a 20th-century phenomenon. The style
performing arts programmes for the first time. In the 1940s, German-born drew on influences from home and abroad and in turn went on to influence
global dance culture.

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READING PASSAGE-1 Questions
IELTS Essentials @IELTSUzNav
Exam Practice Test 3

Questions 1-6 Developments in Modern American Dance

Do the following statements agree with the information given 1920s-1940s
in Reading Passage 1?  Martha Graham based her dance on human actions such
as breathing and 7 ……………….. .
In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet, write  Doris Humphrey wrote an important 8 ………………..
about her ideas.
TRUE If the statement agrees with the information  Dance became a respectable subject to study at
FALSE If the statement contradicts the information university.
NOT GIVEN If there is no information on this  Hanya Holm introduced 9 ……………….. into dance
and musicals.
1 Dance historians agree about the development of 1950s-1970s
modern American dance.  Eric Hawkins and Merce Cunningham reintroduced some
2 Dancers in the early 1900s tended to copy the styles of ballet techniques.
earlier dancers.  An influential 10 ……………….. outlined the working
3 Loie Fuller preferred to dance alone on stage. life of Paul Taylor.
4 Isadora Duncan wore complicated clothing when
dancing.
5 Some dancers criticized Isadora Duncan for her choice
of music. Questions 11-13
6 Ruth St Denis wished to educate others in her style of Answer the questions below.
dancing. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

11 When Pearl Primus gave up dancing, what did she focus

on doing?
12 What was an important influence for Mark Morris’s The
Hard Nut?
Questions 7-10 13 Dancers working with Ohad Naharin practise without
using what?
Complete the notes below.
Choos ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

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READING PASSAGE-2 IELTS Essentials @IELTSUzNav Exam Practice Test 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.

The Science of Human Laughter

A Human beings love to laugh. It’s such an obvious fact that it’s easy to everyone can find amusement in some form or other. There is a rare neurological
overlook. Laughter, like music and language, is a fundamental human trait. Common disorder named aphonogelia that prevents some people from laughing out loud.
sense tells us that laughter is associated with happiness. However, there is also a However, they may still be amused or entertained, but just express it in different
body of scientific evidence proving that laughter is good for us. Studies show that ways.
laughter strengthens relationships in both personal and professional life. It has also
D Much more common is contagious laughter: laughter that spreads
been established that laughter improves cardiovascular function, boosts the
uncontrollably between people, sometimes referred to as ‘getting the giggles’.
immune system and releases beneficial hormones into the bloodstream. However,
Many people will have experienced this themselves, particularly as children, though
according to psychologist Dr Peter Shrimpton, humans might all laugh, but they
it also occurs in adults. On one infamous occasion, a group of BBC cricket
often don’t remember doing it. ‘All the studies show that we laugh more frequently
commentators got the giggles while broadcasting live on radio. And in January 1962
than we realise,’ says Dr Shrimpton. ‘Perhaps because it is such a basic part of
in Tanzania contagious laughter spread through a group of students. Ninety-five
human nature, we tend not to notice when we are laughing.’
pupils were affected and one girl laughed continuously for 16 days. Eventually the
situation became so bad that the authorities at the school felt obliged to close it
B Infants typically give their first laugh around three to four months of age,
temporarily. In general, however, it is possible for most people to suppress laughter
long before they can talk. But according to biologists, this isn’t because they find
in circumstances where it would be inappropriate. Scientists believe this is possible
something amusing; it is rather a form of non-verbal communication. They laugh to
because in the brain’s cerebral cortex there appears to be a laughter switch over
form a closer connection to the people they are with, and adults are little different.
which humans have some conscious control.
‘There is a widespread belief outside the scientific community that we laugh
because something is humorous,’ says sociologist Jocelyn Barnes. ‘While this is true, E What is becoming clear to scientists is that laughter is highly complex. It
just as commonly the real purpose of laughter is to promote bonding with other appears, for example, that laughter has the power to override other emotions, at
individuals or groups.’ This may be partly because it is almost impossible to imitate least temporarily. Neurologist Nikki Sokolov is studying the network of brain circuits
laughter; even trained actors struggle to mimic a laugh convincingly. So if someone and neurotransmitters that regulate laughter and other emotions. She hopes her
is laughing, the chances are they are being genuine. There’s even difference work may provide further insights to explain the processes involved when laughter
between a real and a fake smile. In the 19th century, the French neurologist occurs simultaneously with other, seemingly contradict emotions, such as crying, for
Guillaume Duchenne found that a genuine smile activates the zygomaticus major example. Another aspect of humoir’s complexity is that it is so subjective. What
and orbicularis muscles, and this in turn causes line to develop called ‘crow’s feet’ at makes one person laugh will be met with stony silence by another. Writer David
the outside corners of the eyes. No crow’s feet appear if the smile is put on. Mackenzie recognized this from the reactions his own jokes received. Intrigued,
Mackenzie conducted an international online survey to establish exactly what
C There is certainly nothing new about joking and laughter. Attempts to be makes people and what doesn’t, and was surprised by the diverse and often
humorous have been found from ancient Egypt, dating from 2600 BC. And a long contradictory variety of topics and scenarios that were listed in each category.
and detailed joke book called The Laughter Lover, which was written in ancient Understanding humour is still as much an art as science, according to theatre critic
Rome, still exists today. While of considerable historical value, it may not be all that Jake Gottlieb. ‘Stand-up comedians are a remarkable type’, says Gottlieb. ‘Making
amusing any more. A professor of classics, Heinrich Ahrends, has studied many such jokes for a living is a serious business. You need to be a psychologist and social
ancient sources and concluded that tastes in jokes have evolved markedly with the commentator, be empathetic, self-aware, observant, stubborn and have great
passing of the centuries and that the jokes of our forebears would not get much of a timing. Not many of us are so multi-talented. ‘ Perhaps not, but we can still enjoy
laugh today – and vice versa, no doubt. Nonetheless, studies show that almost the instinctive humour of our family and friends, and perhaps sometimes but a
ticket for a show.

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READING PASSAGE-2 Questions IELTS Essentials @IELTSUzNav Exam Practice Test 3

Questions 14-18 Questions 23-26

Reading Passage 2 has five paragraphs, A-E.
Which paragraph contains the following information? Complete the sentences below.
Write the correct letter A-E in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
NB You may use any letter more than once. Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.
14 the claim that it is very hard for people to pretend to laugh
15 a reference to research showing that people do not know how
23 The French neurologist Guillaume Duchenne showed that
often they laugh if a smile is fake, the skin around a person’s
16 the reason why people can sometimes stop themselves ……………… does not change shape.
laughing 24 A ....................... that was produced in ancient Rome
17 an outline of the health benefits experienced by people when contains early examples of attempts to be funny.
laughing 25 In January 1962, an outbreak of mass laughter caused
18 a reference to a medical condition that stops some people problems in a ...................... in Tanzania.
making a noise when laughing 26 Neurologist Nikki Sokolov is investigating why
……………… is possible even when a person finds
Questions 19-22 something funny.
Look at the following statements (Questions 19-22) and the list of
people A-E.
Match each statement with the correct person, A-E.
Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 19-22 on your answer sheet.

19 Research has confirmed personal experience by identifying

the wide range of subjects and situations that people find
funny.
20 Ideas about what is amusing have changed considerably over
time.
21 To intentionally make other people laugh requires an unusual
combination of skills and characteristics.
22 The reasons why we laugh are sometimes misunderstood by
ordinary people.

List of People

A Dr Peter Shrimpton
B Jocelyn Barnes
C Heinrich Ahrends
D David Mackenzie
E Jake Gottlieb

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READING PASSAGE-3 IELTS Essentials @IELTSUzNav Exam Practice Test 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

Socially Responsible Businesses

Increasingly, businesses are working to improve their communities, says analyst Pierre Drucker.

Many economies today are witnessing the rise of socially responsible businesses, or make coffee capsules and takeaway cups that will break down and decay naturally. In
SRBs. These are profit-making companies which have the additional goal of improving the longer term, Jensen hopes to work on other kinds of packaging for the food and
society in some way. Business commentators usually describe SRBs as a hospitality industries. Meanwhile, Greener Good is now in its second decade of
fundamentally 21st-century phenomenon. However, this common generalization running a farm-to-table vegetable and fruit delivery box service to inner city residents.
overlooks the significant contribution of Muhammad Yunus, among a number of other Recent years have seen a significant increase in demand for this type of direct service,
entrepreneurs. Yunus established a highly successful bank in Bangladesh in the 1980s bypassing traditional retailers.
lending money to small village business projects that could not attract conventional The increase in the number of such SRBs is associated with the rise of
loans. ‘conscious consumers’, who want to know exactly how products they buy have been
There are also those such as CEO Dan Rathbourne who dismiss SRBs as a produced. What was the environmental impact? Were workers treated ethically? So the
passing fad which have had little impact on the real world of business. This cynical arguments is sometimes put forward that SRBs are a response to new consumer values.
view is disproved by the evidence: in the UK alone, there are an estimated 80,000 But equally, many SRBs that I have studied were established by entrepreneurs who
SRBs, turning over £25 billion a year. What is more, research by the Quorate Group wanted to make a difference and have taken consumers along with them. In reality,
based on interviews with over 5,000 respondents in twelve nations found that not only both sides of the relationship have contributed to the fresh approach.
were consumers prepared to support SRBs but that employees preferred to work for Consumers, of course, are not always members of the public. Recently I spoke to
them. Lucinda Mitchell, procurement officer for my local council here in London, who told
Ten years ago Christine Dubois used her experience in corporate finance to me that her organisation frequently purchases from SRBs because of shared values.
establish the Concern Consultancy, which coordinates advice and funding for SRB Local, state and national authorities huge purchasing power for both goods and
start-ups. As professional investors increasingly recognise the potential of SRBs, the services. And Mitchell’s position is becoming commonplace internationally as these
number of niche firms such as Dubois’s will almost inevitably multiply. Professor of bodies are increasingly prepared to work with SRBs, provided they are competitive on
business studies Joel Drew claims that this is partly a consequence of the digital price and quality.
revolution. In his persuasive analysis, digital networks have allowed consumers to In terms of goals, there are numerous types of social benefits that SRBs can
identify socially responsible products and services in ways never possible before. hope to achieve. Many concern employment, whether creating opportunities in
So what are some examples of SRBs? Many that have come to my attention deprived areas, promoting gender equality in employment or providing jobs for
recently are small-scale local companies, such as Renew, which searches demolition disabled people. Others focus on fair and ethical treatment of employees and trading
sites for old materials – wooden floorboards and other construction timber, for partners. Some SRBs add additional goals as they develop, which has worked well.
example. Rather than allow these resources to be wasted, the team at Renew have Undoubtedly the most common goal, though, is environmental protection. While this is
fashioned them into a range of tables, chairs and similar items that are sold at relatively commendable and reflection of deep concern in contemporary society, it would be
low cost. Other SRBs have rather different goals. The first Indulge cafè was established good to see greater diversity as the SRB concept evolves.
by owner Derek Jardine in an area with few local amenities. The idea for the cafè was As with any business, of course, there are issues to be faced. SRBs are set up
to provide a meeting place for local residents – community hub – not only by serving with considerable energy and dedication, but with little knowledge or experience of
food and drink but also by running workshops, film evenings and art exhibitions. There business, and find it difficult to compete. Some find it a challenge to promote their
are now six Indulge cafès around the country with more planned. Of course, large values successfully and so never gain support from consumers or investors. Others lack
corporations may not be in a position to change their products or services quickly. But an internal ogranisational structure, which leads to inefficiencies. However, few of
one international telecommunications corporation, for example, enables its employees these problems relate specifically to SRBs but are witnessed in many start-ups. Greater
to take part in the Green Scheme, whereby staff give short periods of their time unpaid professionalism and business school education can solve all of these issues, ensuring
plant trees in conservation areas, and numerous other large companies have similar the sector has a bright future.
initiatives.
Another small SRB that caught my eye is Bright Sparks, where engineer
Johann Jensen is investigating the use of things such as bamboo and soya beans to

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READING PASSAGE-3 Questions IELTS Essentials @IELTSUzNav Exam Practice Test 3

Questions 27-31 A biodegradable materials

B recycled clothing
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading C fresh produce
Passage 3? D closer neighbourhoods
In boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet, write E secure accommodation
F affordable furniture
YES If the statement agrees with the claims of the writer G permanent employment
NO If the statement contradicts the claims of the writer H volunteer work
NOT GIVEN If it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about
this
Questions 37-40
27 Many business commentators forget the examples of Muhammad Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Yunus. Write the correct letter in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.
28 Dan Rathbourne provides an accurate assessment of Socially
Responsible Businesses (SRBs). 37 When discussing ‘conscious consumers’ the writer concludes that
29 The Quorate Group is a good example of an influential SRB. A businesses are slow to respond to consumer demand.
30 Few other businesses will wish to follow the example of the Concern B consumers and businesses have different interests.
Consultancy. C businesses and consumers are influencing each other.
31 Professor Drew has correctly identified one reason for the D consumers should put more pressure on businesses.
emergence of SRBs.
38 The writer refers to Lucinda Mitchell in order to
Questions 32-36 A explain why SRBs lose out to other businesses.
B exemplify the way governments often support SRBs.
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-H, below. C contrast the approach of different governments to SRBs.
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 32-36 on your answer sheet. D compare the role of SRBs in different regions.

Examples of SRBs 39 What does the writer suggest about the goals of SRBs?
A SRBs should have a wider range of goals
Renew has made a successful business out of designing 32 .......................On B It is a mistake for an SRB to change goal.
the other hand, Indulge wishes to promote 33 ..................... and is expanding C Some goals may make an SRB unprofitable.
to new sites. Large corporations cannot always make quick changes but D An SRB should not have more than one goal.
many make provisions for 34.................... , such as the Green Scheme.
One a smaller scale, Johann Jensen is experimenting with types of 35 40 Which of the following best summerises the writer’s argument in the
…………… and is planning other ventures. In contrast, an example of a final paragraph?
well-established business is Greener Good, which provides 36 …………… A A minority of businesses will inevitably fail.
to a growing market. B SRBs are more successful than other businesses
C Universities should do more research into SRBs.
D The problem faced by SRBs can be overcome.
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