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Passage 1 | Making
Time for Science
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Passage 1 | Making Time for Science

In this lesson we study the text Making Time for

Science and analyse the answers.

This is the =rst section of the IELTS reading test

(taken from takeielts.britishcouncil.org). It includes
the question types:

True/False/Not Given
Multiple Choice

First you will see the passage, then the questions

and tips to answer the questions. Follow the tips
and see if you can answer the questions for
yourself. Then compare your answers with ours.

Speed reading note

If you want to learn how to read a text quickly, use
skimming and scanning to help you. Here are the
important things to know:

First skim to get an overall meaning of the text:

1. Read the =rst and last paragraph.
2. Read the =rst and last sentence of each
paragraph.
3. Look out for any key names, dates and other
nouns.

Scan for the answer to each question:

1. Look at the question and identify key words.
2. Use what you remember about the text from
your skimming to =nd the paragraph which has
the answer.
3. Match the meaning of the question with the
meaning of the text to =nd your answer.

You should take no more that 4 minutes to skim a

complete passage, and no more than 20 minutes
to =nish all the questions for each passage.

Making time for science

Chronobiology might sound a little

futuristic – like something from a science
=ction novel, perhaps – but it’s actually a
=eld of study that concerns one of the
oldest processes life on this planet has
ever known: short-term rhythms of time
and their eWect on Xora and fauna.

This can take many forms. Marine life, for

example, is inXuenced by tidal patterns.
Animals tend to be active or inactive
depending on the position of the sun or
moon. Numerous creatures, humans
included, are largely diurnal – that is, they
like to come out during the hours of
sunlight. Nocturnal animals, such as bats
and possums, prefer to forage by night. A
third group are known as crepuscular:
they thrive in the low-light of dawn and
dusk and remain inactive at other hours.

When it comes to humans,

chronobiologists are interested in what is
known as the circadian rhythm. This is the
complete cycle our bodies are naturally
geared to undergo within the passage of a
twenty-four hour day. Aside from sleeping
at night and waking during the day, each
cycle involves many other factors such as
changes in blood pressure and body
temperature. Not everyone has an
identical circadian rhythm. ‘Night people’,
for example, often describe how they =nd
it very hard to operate during the morning,
but become alert and focused by evening.
This is a benign variation within circadian
rhythms known as a chronotype.

Scientists have limited abilities to create

durable modi=cations of chronobiological
demands. Recent therapeutic
developments for humans such as arti=cial
light machines and melatonin
administration can reset our circadian
rhythms, for example, but our bodies can
tell the diWerence and health suWers when
we breach these natural rhythms for
extended periods of time. Plants appear
no more malleable in this respect; studies
demonstrate that vegetables grown in
season and ripened on the tree are far
higher in essential nutrients than those
grown in greenhouses and ripened by
laser.
Knowledge of chronobiological patterns
can have many pragmatic implications for
our day-to-day lives. While contemporary
living can sometimes appear to subjugate
biology – after all, who needs circadian
rhythms when we have caWeine pills,
energy drinks, shift work and cities that
never sleep? – keeping in synch with our
body clock is important.

The average urban resident, for example,

rouses at the eye-blearing time of 6.04
a.m., which researchers believe to be far
too early. One study found that even rising
at 7.00 a.m. has deleterious eWects on
health unless exercise is performed for 30
minutes afterward. The optimum moment
has been whittled down to 7.22 a.m.;
muscle aches, headaches and moodiness
were reported to be lowest by participants
in the study who awoke then.

Once you’re up and ready to go, what

then? If you’re trying to shed some extra
pounds, dieticians are adamant: never skip
breakfast. This disorients your circadian
rhythm and puts your body in starvation
mode. The recommended course of action
is to follow an intense workout with a
carbohydrate-rich breakfast; the other way
round and weight loss results are not as
pronounced.

Morning is also great for breaking out the

vitamins. Supplement absorption by the
body is not temporal-dependent, but
naturopath Pam Stone notes that the
extra boost at breakfast helps us get
energised for the day ahead. For improved
absorption, Stone suggests pairing
supplements with a food in which they are
soluble and steering clear of caWeinated
beverages. Finally, Stone warns to take
care with storage; high potency is best for
absorption, and warmth and humidity are
known to deplete the potency of a
supplement.

After-dinner espressos are becoming more

of a tradition – we have the Italians to
thank for that – but to prepare for a good
night’s sleep we are better oW putting the
brakes on caWeine consumption as early
as 3 p.m. With a seven hour half-life, a cup
of coWee containing 90 mg of caWeine
taken at this hour could still leave 45 mg of
caWeine in your nervous system at ten
o’clock that evening. It is essential that, by
the time you are ready to sleep, your body
is rid of all traces.

Evenings are important for winding down

before sleep; however, dietician Geraldine
Georgeou warns that an after-=ve
carbohydrate-fast is more cultural myth
than chronobiological demand. This will
deprive your body of vital energy needs.
Overloading your gut could lead to
indigestion, though. Our digestive tracts
do not shut down for the night entirely,
but their work slows to a crawl as our
bodies prepare for sleep. Consuming a
modest snack should be entirely sugcient.
btxt

Identifying information
(True/False/Not given)
There will be a number of statements. The
statements follow the same order as the
information in the passage. You must decide if
these statements agree with the information given
in the passage.

Sometimes the information in the passage is

stated directly, sometimes indirectly.

Step 1: Read the instructions carefully.

Step 2: Skim through all the statements to get an

idea of the topics you will need to look for.

Step 3: Read the =rst statement again carefully.

Underline the key words.

Step 4: Skim the passage to =nd the part which

refers to the information in the statement.

Step 5: Read this part very carefully. Compare it

with the statement. Decide if the information in
the statement is…

True: means exactly the same as the information

in the passage.

False: contradicts (is the opposite of) the

information in the passage.

Not given: is not mentioned in the passage.

 View the reading passage

Questions 1 - 7

Do the following statements agree with

the information given in Reading Passage
1?
In boxes 1–7 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. btxt

1. Chronobiology is the study of how living

things have evolved over time.

True

 False
C o r r e c t
a n s w e r .
Not given

Great job!

1/1
You got 1 out of 1 points

2. The rise and fall of sea levels aWects how sea

creatures behave.

 True
C o r r e c t
a n s w e r .
False

Not given

Great job!

1/1
You got 1 out of 1 points

3. Most animals are active during the daytime.

True

False

 Not
C given
o r r e c t
a n s w e r .
Great job!

1/1
You got 1 out of 1 points

4. Circadian rhythms identify how we do

diWerent things on diWerent days.

 True

 False

 Not given

 Check

5. A ‘night person’ can still have a healthy

circadian rhythm.

 True

 False

 Not given

 Check

6. New therapies can permanently change

circadian rhythms without causing harm.

 True

 False

 Not given

 Check

7. Naturally-produced vegetables have more

nutritional value.

 True

 False

 Not given

 Check

For questions you got wrong, check the answer

explanations below. Only look at these answers
after you have tried the questions yourself.

 View the reading passage

 1. Chronobiology is the study of

how living things have evolved o
ver time.

 2. The rise and fall of sea levels a

\ects how sea creatures behave.

 3. Most animals are active durin

g the daytime.

 4. Circadian rhythms identify ho

w we do di\erent things on di\e
rent days.

 5. A 'night person' can still have

a healthy circadian rhythm.

 6. New therapies can permanent

ly change circadian rhythms wit
hout causing harm.

 7. Naturally-produced vegetable
s have more nutritional value.

Multiple choice
There is an incomplete sentence or a question
followed by three or four options. Only one will be
correct. Others may seem possible but are
incorrect in some way and are intended to distract
you. When you do this type of question it is very
important to read the stem carefully. The
questions may require you to

have an overall understanding of the main points of

the passage

have a detailed understanding of particular points.

identify facts or opinions in the passage.

Step 1: Read the instructions carefully.

Step 2: Skim all the questions brieXy to get an idea

of the topics which you will need to look for.

Step 3: Read the =rst question again

carefully. Underline the key words. Is the question
asking you for a particular detail that you need to
=nd in the passage? If so, is it a
name/place/number/etc.? Is the question asking
for an answer which requires a more complete
understanding of the text? Which part/parts of the
text is it asking about.

Step 4: Find details by scanning the passage to =nd

the information. Get a more complete idea of the
text by skimming over it. Do not worry too much
about individual words, but rather the overall
meaning.

Try these tips out on the questions below, then

check you answers at the bottom.

 View the reading passage

Questions 8 - 13

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

8. What did researchers identify as the ideal

time to wake up in the morning?

 A) 6.04

 B) 7.00

 C) 7.22

 D) 7.30

 Check

9. In order to lose weight, we should

 A) avoid eating breakfast

 B) eat a low carbohydrate breakfast

 C) exercise before breakfast

 D) exercise after breakfast

 Check

10. Which is NOT mentioned as a way to

improve supplement absorption?

 A) avoiding drinks containing caWeine while taking

supplements

 B) taking supplements at breakfast

 C) taking supplements with foods that can

dissolve them

 D) storing supplements in a cool, dry environment

 Check

11. The best time to stop drinking coWee is

 A) mid-afternoon

 B) 10 p.m

 C) only when feeling anxious

 D) after dinner

 Check

12. In the evening, we should

 A) stay away from carbohydrates

 B) stop exercising

 C) eat as much as possible

 D) eat a light meal

 Check

13. Which of the following phrases best

describes the main aim of Reading Passage 1?

 A) to suggest healthier ways of eating, sleeping

and exercising

 B) to describe how modern life has made

chronobiology largely irrelevant

 C) to introduce chronobiology and describe some

practical applications

 D) to plan a daily schedule that can alter our

natural chronobiological rhythms

 Check

Check the answer explanations below, but only

after you have tried the questions yourself.

 View the reading passage

 8. What did researchers identify

as the ideal time to wake up in t
he morning?

 9. In order to lose weight, we sh

ould

 10. Which is NOT mentioned as a

way to improve supplement abs
orption?

 11. The best time to stop drinkin

g co\ee is

 12. In the evening, we should

 13. Which of the following phras

es best describes the main aim o
f Reading Passage 1?

Well done. If you found this lesson digcult, we

suggest two things to help you:

1. Grow your vocabulary.

2. Get more practice reading.

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