IELTS Reading multiple choice questions are a common component of the exam, requiring you to

identify specific information within a passage and select the correct answer from a list of options.
These questions come in two primary formats:
1. Question-Based Format: You are presented with a direct question followed by three possible
answers (A, B, or C). Your task is to locate the relevant information in the passage and choose
the correct option. It's important to note that your answer must be the corresponding letter
(e.g., A); writing out the full answer will be marked incorrect.
2. Sentence Completion Format: You are given an incomplete sentence and must select the
option that best completes it. Similar to the question-based format, you should identify the
correct answer in the passage and respond with the appropriate letter.
To effectively tackle these questions, consider the following strategies:
 Sequential Order: Answers typically appear in the same order as the questions within the
passage.
 Comprehensive Reading: All options may be mentioned in the passage, but only one is
correct. Avoid selecting an answer based solely on keyword matching; instead, focus on
understanding the context and meaning.
 Thorough Analysis: Before searching the passage, carefully analyze the question and answer
choices. This helps in identifying synonyms and paraphrased information.
 Keyword Identification: Highlight keywords in both the question and answer options to
guide your search in the passage.
 Attention to Detail: Be aware of subtle differences between answer choices, as these can
significantly impact the correct answer.
 Contextual Reading: Read the sentences surrounding the potential answer in the passage to
ensure a comprehensive understanding
 Australian Agricultural Innovations:
1850 – 1900
 During this period, there was a wide spread expansion of agriculture in Australia. The
selection system was begun, whereby small sections of land were parceled out by lot.
Particularly in New South Wales, this led to conflicts between small holders and the emerging
squatter class, whose abuse of the system often allowed them to take vast tracts of fertile land.
 There were also many positive advances in farming technology as the farmers adapted
agricultural methods to the harsh Australian conditions. One of the most important was “dry
farming”. This was the discovery that repeated ploughing of fallow, unproductive land could
preserve nitrates and moisture, allowing the land to eventually be cultivated. This, along with
the extension of the railways allowed the development of what are now great inland wheat
lands.
 The inland areas of Australia are less fertile than most other wheat producing countries and
yields per acre are lower. This slowed their development, but also led to the development of
several labour saving devices. In 1843 John Ridley, a South Australian farmer, invented “the
stripper”, a basic harvesting machine. By the 1860s its use was widespread. H. V. McKay,
then only nineteen, modified the machine so that it was a complete harvester: cutting,
collecting and sorting. McKay developed this early innovation into a large harvester
manufacturing industry centred near Melbourne and exporting worldwide. Robert Bowyer
Smith invented the “stump jump plough”, which let a farmer plough land which still had tree
stumps on it. It did this by replacing the traditional plough shear with a set of wheels that
could go over stumps, if necessary.
 The developments in farm machinery were supported by scientific research. During the late
19th century, South Australian wheat yields were going down. An agricultural scientist at the
colony’s agricultural college, John Custance, found that this was due to a lack of phosphates
and advised the use of soluble superphosphate fertilizer. The implementation of this scheme
revitalised the industry.
 From early days it had been obvious that English and European sheep breeds had to be
adapted to Australian conditions, but only near the end of the century was the same applied to
crops. Prior to this, English and South African strains had been use, with varying degrees of
success. William Farrer, from Cambridge University, was the first to develop new wheat
varieties that were better able to withstand dry Australian conditions. By 1914, Australia was
no longer thought of as a land suitable only for sheep, but as a wheat growing nation.

1. What is dry farming?

a) Preserving nitrates and moisture.
b) Ploughing the land again and again.
c) Cultivating fallow land.
 2. What did H. V. McKay do?
a) Export the stripper.
b) Improve the stripper.
c) Cut, collect and sort wheat.
 3. What did the 'stump jump plough’ innovation allow farmers to do?
a) Cut through tree stumps.
b) Change the wheels for a traditional plough.
c) Allow farmers to cultivate land that hadn’t been fully cleared.
 4. What did John Custance recommend?
a) Improving wheat yields.
b) Revitalising the industry.
c) Fertilising the soil.
 5. Why was William Farrer’s wheat better?
a) It was drought resistant
b) It wasn’t from England or South Africa
c) It was drier for Australian conditions.
 Questions 1-4 (YES / NO / NOT GIVEN):
1. People are extremely amused when they see a baby talk like an adult.
→ YES
(The first paragraph mentions that few things are as funny as a baby talking like an adult.)
2. Behaviourists of the early 20th century argued that children learn to speak by copying
adults.
→ YES
(The passage states that behaviourism argued that children learn language by copying.)
3. Children have more conversations with adults than with other children.
→ NOT GIVEN
(The passage does not mention whether children talk more to adults or other children.)
4. Scientists have found it easy to work out why babies use one-word sentences.
→ NO
(The passage states that it is hard for scientists to explain babies’ first words.)

Questions 5-9 (Summary Completion):

Two theories about babytalk
5. According to the writer, there are two main theories related to babytalk. One states that a
young child's brain needs
→ C time
to master language, in the same way that it does to master other abilities such as
6. → B physical movement
(like learning to walk).
The second theory states that a child's
7. → G learning
(stages of learning)
is the key factor. According to this theory, some key steps have to occur in a logical sequence
before
8. → F sentence formation
occurs. Children's
9. → E mathematical knowledge
develops in the same way.
(Example: learning to add before multiplying.)

Questions 10-14 (Multiple Choice):

10. What is the writer's main purpose in the seventh paragraph?
→ A to give reasons why adopted children were used in the study
(It explains why international adoptees are ideal for testing the hypotheses.)
11. Snedeker, Geren and Shafto based their study on children who
→ C were learning English at a later age than US children.
12. What aspect of the adopted children's language development differed from that of US-
born children?
→ C the rate at which they acquired language
(They went through the same stages but faster.)
13. What did the Harvard finding show?
→ B Language learning takes place in ordered steps.
(Regardless of brain maturity, stages must be completed in order.)
14. When the writer says 'critical period', he means a period when
→ D language learning takes place effectively.
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on Reading Passage
3 below.
MAKING THE MOST OF TRENDS
Experts from Harvard Business School give advice to managers
Most managers can identify the major trends of the day. But it the course of conducting
research in a number of industries and working directly with companies, we have discovered
that managers often fail to recognize the less obvious but profound ways these trends are
influencing consumers’ aspirations, attitudes, and behaviors. This is especially true of trends
that managers view as peripheral to their core markets.
Many ignore trends in their innovation strategies or adopt a wait-and-see approach and let
competitors take the lead. At a minimum, such responses mean missed profit opportunities. At
the extreme, they can jeopardize a company by ceding to rivals the opportunity to transform
the industry. The purpose of this article is twofold: to spur managers to think more
expansively about how trends could engender new value propositions in their core markets,
and to provide some high-level advice on how to make market research and product
development personnel more adept at analyzing and exploiting trends.
One strategy, known as ‘infuse and augment’, is to design a product or service that retains
most of the attributes and functions of existing products in the category but adds others that
address the needs and desires unleashed by a major trend. A case in point in the Poppy range
of handbags, which the firm Coach created in response to the economic downturn of 2008.
The Coach brand had been a symbol of opulence and luxury for nearly 70 years, and the most
obvious reaction to the downturn would have been to lower prices. However, that would have
risked cheapening the brand’s image. Instead, they initiated a consumer-research project
which revealed that customers were eager to lift themselves and the country out of tough
times. Using these insights, Coach launched the lower-priced Poppy handbags, which were in
vibrant colors, and looked more youthful and playful than conventional Coach products.
Creating the sub-brand allowed Coach to avert an across-the-board price cut. In contrast to the
many companies that responded to the recession by cutting prices, Coach saw the new
consumer mindset as an opportunity for innovation and renewal.
A further example of this strategy was supermarket Tesco’s response to consumers’ growing
concerns about the environment. With that in mind, Tesco, one of the world’s top five
retailers, introduced its Greener Living program, which demonstrates the company’s
commitment to protecting the environment by involving consumers in ways that produce
tangible results. For example, Tesco customers can accumulate points for such activities as
reusing bags, recycling cans and printer cartridges, and buying home-insulation materials.
Like points earned on regular purchases, these green points can be redeemed for cash. Tesco
has not abandoned its traditional retail offering but augmented its business with these
innovations, thereby infusing its value proposition with a green streak.
A more radical strategy is ‘combine and transcend’. This entails combining aspects of the
product’s existing value proposition with attributes addressing changes arising from a trend,
to create a novel experience – one that may land the company in an entirely new market
space. At first glance, spending resources to incorporate elements of a seemingly irrelevant
trend into one’s core offerings sounds like it’s hardly worthwhile. But consider Nike’s move
to integrate the digital revolution into its reputation for high-performance athletic footwear. In
2006, they teamed up with technology company Apple to launch Nike+, a digital sports kit
comprising a sensor that attaches to the running shoe and a wireless receiver that connects to
the user’s iPod. By combining Nike’s original value proposition for amateur athletes with one
for digital consumers, the Nike+ sports kit and web interface moved the company from a
focus on athletic apparel to a new plane of engagement with its customers.
A third approach, known as ‘counteract and reaffirm’, involves developing products or
services that stress the values traditionally associated with the category in ways that allow
consumers to oppose – or at least temporarily escape from – the aspects of trends they view as
undesirable. A product that accomplished this is the ME2, a video game created by Canada’s
iToys. By reaffirming the toy category’s association with physical play, the ME2 counteracted
some of the widely perceived negative impacts of digital gaming devices. Like other handheld
games, the device featured a host of exciting interactive games, a full-color LCD screen, and
advanced 3D graphics. What set it apart was that it incorporated the traditional physical
component of children’s play: it contained a pedometer, which tracked and awarded points for
physical activity (walking, running, biking, skateboarding, climbing stairs). The child could
use the points to enhance various virtual skills needed for the video game. The ME2,
introduced in mid-2008, catered to kids’ huge desire to play video games while countering the
negatives, such as associations with lack of exercise and obesity.
Once you have gained perspective on how trend-related changes in consumer opinions and
behaviors impact on your category, you can determine which of our three innovation
strategies to pursue. When your category’s basic value proposition continues to be meaningful
for consumers influenced by the trend, the infuse-and-augment strategy will allow you to
reinvigorate the category. If analysis reveals an increasing disparity between your category
and consumers’ new focus, your innovations need to transcend the category to integrate the
two worlds. Finally, if aspects of the category clash with undesired outcomes of a trend, such
as associations with unhealthy lifestyles, there is an opportunity to counteract those changes
by reaffirming the core values of your category.
Trends – technological, economic, environmental, social, or political – that affect how people
perceive the world around them and shape what they expect from products and services
present firms with unique opportunities for growth.

Questions 27-31
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.
27 In the first paragraph, the writer says that most managers
A fail to spot the key consumer trends of the moment.
B make the mistake of focusing only on the principal consumer trends.
C misinterpret market research data relating to current consumer trends.
28 According to the third paragraph, Coach was anxious to
A follow what some of its competitors were doing.
B maintain its prices throughout its range.
C safeguard its reputation as a manufacturer of luxury goods.
D modify the entire look of its brand to suit the economic climate.
29 What point is made about Tesco’s Greener Living programme?
A It did not require Tesco to modify its core business activities.
B It succeeded in attracting a more eco-conscious slientele.
C Its main aim was to raise consumers’ awareness of environmental issues.
D It was not the first time that Tesco had implemented such an initiative.
30 What does the writer suggest about Nike’s strategy?
A It was an extremely risky strategy at the time.
B It was a strategy that only a major company could afford to follow.
C It was the type of strategy that would not have been possible in the past.
D It was the kind of strategy which might appear to have few obvious benefits.
31 What was original about the ME2?
A It contained technology that had been developed for the sports industry.
B It appealed to young people who were keen to improve their physical fitness.
C It took advantage of a current trend for video games with colourful 3D graphic.
D It was a handheld game that addressed people’s concerns about unhealthy lifestyles.
Cambridge IELTS 19 listening test 4
Questions 1–6
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

First day at work

● Name of supervisor: 1…………………

● Where to leave coat and bag: use 2………………… in staffroom

to give 3………………… number

● See Tiffany in HR:
to collect 4…………………

● Location of HR office: on 5………………… floor

● Supervisor’s mobile number: 6…………………

Questions 7–10
Complete the table below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

Responsibilities

Task 1 Task 2 Notes

Bak
ery Check sell-by Change price Use 7……………
sect dates labels …… labels
ion

Sus
hi Re-stock
take with 8……… Wipe preparation
Do not clean any
awa ………… area and clean
knives
y boxes if the sink
cou needed
nter

Me
at Clean the
Collect 9………
and serving area, Must wear
………… for the
fish including the special 10………
fish from the
cou weighing …………
cold-room
nter scales
s
Questions 11 and 12
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Which TWO problems with some training programmes for new runners does Liz mention?
A There is a risk of serious injury.
B They are unsuitable for certain age groups.
C They are unsuitable for people with health issues.
D It is difficult to stay motivated.
E There is a lack of individual support.
Questions 13 and 14
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Which TWO tips does Liz recommend for new runners?
A doing two runs a week
B running in the evening
C going on runs with a friend
D listening to music during runs
E running very slowly
Questions 15–18
What reason prevented each of the following members of the Compton Park Runners Club
from joining until recently?
Write the correct answer, A, B, or C next to Questions 15–18.
Reasons
A a lack of confidence
B a dislike of running
C a lack of time
Club members
15 Ceri ……………
16 James ……………
17 Leo ……………
18 Mark ……………
Questions 19 and 20
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
19 What does Liz say about running her first marathon?
A It had always been her ambition.
B Her husband persuaded her to do it.
C She nearly gave up before the end.
20 Liz says new runners should sign up for a race
A every six months.
B within a few weeks of taking up running.
C after completing several practice runs.

PART 3

Questions 21–25
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
21 Kieran thinks the packing advice given by Jane’s grandfather is
A common sense.
B hard to follow.
C over-protective.
22 How does Jane feel about the books her grandfather has given her?
A They are not worth keeping.
B They should go to a collector.
C They have sentimental value for her.
23 Jane and Kieran agree that hardback books should be
A put out on display.
B given as gifts to visitors.
C more attractively designed.
24 While talking about taking a book from a shelf, Jane
A describes the mistakes other people make doing it.
B reflects on a significant childhood experience.
C explains why some books are easier to remove than others.
25 What do Jane and Kieran suggest about new books?
A Their parents liked buying them as presents.
B They would like to buy more of them.
C Not everyone can afford them.
Questions 26–30
Where does Jane’s grandfather keep each of the following types of books in his shop?
Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–G, next to Questions 26–
30.
Location of books
A near the entrance
B in the attic
C at the back of the shop
D on a high shelf
E near the stairs
F in a specially designed space
G within the café
Types of books
26 rare books …………
27 children’s books …………
28 unwanted books …………
29 requested books …………
30 coursebooks …………

PART 4

Questions 31–40
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Tree planting
Reforestation projects should:
● include a range of tree species
● not include invasive species because of possible 31………………. with native
species.
● aim to capture carbon, protect the environment and provide sustainable sources
of 32………………. for local people
● use tree seeds with a high genetic diversity to increase resistance
to 33………………. and climate change
● plant trees on previously forested land which is in a bad condition, not select land
which is being used for 34……………….
Large-scale reforestation projects
● Base planning decisions on information from accurate 35………………. .
● Drones are useful for identifying areas in Brazil which are endangered by
keeping 36………………. and illegal logging.
Lampang Province, Northern Thailand
● A forest was restored in an area damaged by mining.
● A variety of native fig trees were planted, which are important for
– supporting many wildlife species
– increasing the 37………………. of recovery by attracting animals and birds,
e.g., 38………………. were soon attracted to the area.
Involving local communities
● Destruction of mangrove forests in Madagascar made it difficult for people to
make a living from 39………………. .
● The mangrove reforestation project:
– provided employment for local people
– restored a healthy ecosystem
– protects against the higher risk of 40……………….