Cambridge IELTS 16 academic reading test 1 answers with explanation

Reading Passage 1

Why we need to protect polar bears

TRUE/ FALSE/ NOT GIVEN

1. Polar bears suffer from various health problems due to the build -up of fat under their skin.

FALSE – First paragraph, third line. Start reading from “One reason for this is that they have up to 11 centimetres of fat underneath their skin. Humans with comparative levels of adipose tissue would be considered obese and would likely to suffer from diabetes and heart disease. Yet the polar bear experiences no such consequences.” Here, the writer said that polar bears have 11 centimeters of fat under their skin. Humans with the same amount of fat are considered obese and suffer from health issues, but polar bears have no issues. The statement in the question contradicts the information given in the passage. Hence, the answer is false.

2. The study done by Liu and his colleagues compared different groups of polar bears.

FALSE – In the second paragraph, the writer discussed the study done by Liu and colleagues. In the first line, it is given that they compared the genes (genetic structure) of polar bears with brown bears (closest relative). However, the question says that they compared different groups of polar bears. Further explanation: They compared polar bears with bears from a warmer climate. Thus, there is a contradiction, and the answer is false.

3. Liu and colleagues were the first researchers to compare polar bears and brown bears genetically.

NOT GIVEN – There is no such information given in the passage whether Liu and his colleagues were the first researchers to compare polar bears and brown bears or not. Hence, the answer is not given. Some information about Liu and his colleague’s research and their comparison between polar bears and brown bears is given in the second paragraph, but it is not given whether they were the first to compare these categories of bears or not.

4. Polar bears are able to control their levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol by genetic means.

TRUE – Second paragraph, fourth line. It is found by Liu and his colleagues that polar bears had a certain kind of gene (APoB) that reduced levels of bad cholesterol. Hence, the answer is true.

5. Female polar bears are able to survive for about six months without food.

TRUE – Third paragraph, sixth line. The writer said that female polar bears remain in their dens for about six months for the birth of their cubs. Lines from passage – “Once autumn comes around, these females will dig maternity dens in the snow and will remain there throughout the winter, both before and after the birth of their cubs. This process results in about six months of fasting (without food), where the female bears have to keep themselves and their cubs alive, depleting (reducing) their own calcium and calorie reserves.”

6. It was found that the bones of female polar bears were very weak when they came out of their dens in spring.

FALSE – You will find the answer to this question in two sentences. Read the last line of the third paragraph. It is given that despite the loss of calcium and calorie, the bones of female polar bears remain strong and dense. Continue reading, and in the third line of the fourth paragraph. It is given that when they came out, there was no significant bone density loss.

7. The polar bear’s mechanism for increasing bone density could also be used by people one day.

TRUE – Fourth paragraph, last line. It is said that many bedridden (bedridden:- unable to walk or move/ confined to bed) humans can get benefit from polar bears’ bone remodeling mechanism. “Could potentially benefit”- there are chances that it can be used for human in the future. So the answer is true.

Complete the table
Reasons why polar bears should be protected

8. People think of bears as unintelligent and ……….

violent – Fifth paragraph, fourth line. “Bears, on the other hand, seem to be perceived as stupid and in many cases violent.” Unintelligent and stupid are synonyms. So, the answer is violent.

9. In Tennoji Zoo, a bear has been seen using a branch as a ……….

tool – Fifth paragraph, sixth line. “A male bear called GoGo in Tennoji Zoo, Osaka, has even been observed making use of a tool to manipulate his environment. The bear used a tree branch on multiple occasions to dislodge a piece of meat hung out of his reach.” The bear used a tree branch as a tool to change his environment. So, the answer is tool.

10. This allowed him to knock down some ……….

meat – Fifth paragraph, seventh line. “The bear used a tree branch on multiple occasions to dislodge (dislodge:- knock down) a piece of meat hung out of his reach.” The bear knocks down some meat.

11. A wild polar bear worked out a method of reaching a platform where a ………. was located.

photographer – Fifth paragraph, last line. “A calculated move by a male bear involved running and jumping onto barrels in an attempt to get to a photographer standing on a platform four metres high.” There was a photographer on a platform.

12. Polar bears have displayed behaviour such as conscious manipulation of objects and activity similar to a ……….

game – Sixth paragraph, second line. “For example, Ames observed bears putting objects in piles and then knocking them over in what appeared to be a game.” Read the first line of this paragraph also, the writer said about deliberate and focused manipulation, which is similar to conscious manipulation. In the second line, the writer said that bears do something which looks like a game. So, game is the answer.

13. They may make movements suggesting ………. if disappointed when hunting.

frustration – Seventh paragraph, first line. “As for emotions, while the evidence is once again anecdotal, many bears have been seen to hit out at ice and snow – seemingly out of frustration – when they have just missed out on a kill.” The writer said that when bears miss a kill, they hit ice because of frustration. They feel disappointed when they cannot hunt.

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Reading Passage 2

The Step Pyramid of Djoser

List of Headings

14. Paragraph A

iv – “A single certainty among other less definite facts”. ‘A’ paragraph, fourth line. “The evolution of the pyramid form has been written and argued about for centuries. However, there is no question that, as far as Egypt is concerned, it began with one monument to one king designed by one brilliant architect: the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara.”

15. Paragraph B

vii – An idea for changing the design of burial structures. ‘B’ paragraph, read from first line. “Djoser was the first king of the Third Dynasty of Egypt and the first to build in stone. Prior to Djoser’s reign, tombs were rectangular monuments made of dried clay brick.” (In these lines, the writer talks about previous designs.)

Now read from 4th line onwards. “For reasons which remain unclear, Djoser’s main official, whose name was Imhotep, conceived of building a taller, more impressive tomb for his king by stacking stone slabs on top of one another, progressively making them smaller, to form the shape now known as the Step Pyramid.”

16. Paragraph C

ii – A difficult task for those involved. ‘C’ paragraph, sixth line. “The weight of the enormous mass was a challenge for the builders, who placed the stones at an inward incline in order to prevent the monument breaking up.”

17. Paragraph D

v – An overview of the external buildings and areas. ‘D’ paragraph, second line. “The complex in which it was built was the size of a city in ancient Egypt and included a temple, courtyards, shrines, and living quarters for the priests. It covered a region of 16 hectares and was surrounded by a wall 10.5 meters high.”

18. Paragraph E

i – The areas and artefacts within the pyramid itself. ‘E’ paragraph, first line. “The burial chamber of the tomb, where the king’s body was laid to rest, was dug beneath the base of the pyramid, surrounded by a vast maze of long tunnels that had rooms off them to discourage robbers. One of the most mysterious discoveries found inside the pyramid was a large number of stone vessels. Over 40,000 of these vessels, of various form and shapes, were discovered in storerooms off the pyramid’s underground passage.”

19. Paragraph F

viii – An incredible experience despite the few remains. ‘F’ paragraph, second line. “Djoser’s grave goods, and even his body, were stolen at some point in the past and all archaeologists found were a small number of his valuables overlooked by the thieves. There was enough left throughout the pyramid and its complex, however, to astonish and amaze the archaeologists who excavated it.”

20. Paragraph G

vi – A pyramid design that others copied. ‘G’ paragraph, fifth line. “The Step Pyramid was a revolutionary advance in architecture and became the archetype (archetype:- an original which has been imitated) which all other great pyramid builders of Egypt would follow.”

Complete the notes below
The Step Pyramid of Djoser

21. The complex that includes the Step Pyramid and its surroundings is considered to be as big as an Egyptian ………. of the past.

city – ‘D’ paragraph, second line. “The complex in which it was built was the size of a city in ancient Egypt ….” It means that the complex consisting of the Step Pyramid and its surroundings was as big as an Egyptian city.

22. The area outside the pyramid included accommodation that was occupied by ………. along with many other buildings and features.

priests – ‘D’ paragraph, second line. Continue reading where you found the answer to the 21st question. “….and living quarters for the priests.” Living quarters means there was accommodation for priests.

23. A wall ran around the outside of the complex and a number of false entrances were built into this. In addition, a long ………. encircled the wall.

trench – ‘D’ paragraph, 6th line. “the entire wall was then ringed(encircled) by trench ….” Hence, a trench encircled the wall.

24. As a result, any visitors who had not been invited were cleverly prevented from entering the pyramid grounds unless they knew the ………. of the real entrance.

location – ‘D’ paragraph, eighth line. “If someone wished to enter, he or she would have needed to know in advance how to find the location of the true opening in the wall.” Here, the true opening is similar to the real entrance. Hence, they need to know the location of the real entrance.

Questions 25-26: Choose TWO letters, A-E

Which TWO points does the writer make about King Djoser?

B – There is disagreement concerning the length of his reign. ‘B’ paragraph, last three line. “Djoser is thought to have reigned for 19 years, but some historians and scholars attribute a much longer time for his rule, owing to the number and size of the monuments he built.”

D – A few of his possessions were still in his tomb when archaeologists found it. ‘F’ paragraph, third line from end. “all archaeologists found were a small number of his valuables overlooked by thieves .”

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Reading Passage 3

The future of work

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

27. The first paragraph tells us about

B – First paragraph, first line. “3-14% of the global workforce will need to switch to a different occupation within the next 10-15 years, and all workers will need to adapt as their occupations evolve alongside increasingly capable machines.” Proportion = 3-14%

28. According to the second paragraph, what is Stella Pachidi’s view of the ‘knowledge economy’?

D – Second paragraph, first line. “Dr Stella Pachidi from Cambridge Judge Business School believes that some of the most fundamental changes are happening as a result of the ‘algorithmication’ of jobs that are dependent on data rather than on production – the so-called knowledge economy.”

29. What did Pachidi observe at the telecommunications company?

C – Seventh paragraph. Read full paragraph. It is said that workers feed algorithms with incorrect data to achieve their targets. Hence, they are making sure that algorithms (AI) produce the results that they want.

30. In his recently published research, Ewan McGaughey

D – Twelfth paragraph. Read the complete 12th paragraph and continue to read the 13th paragraph until its 3rd line “….work and leisure.” Here, the writer discussed McGaughey’s recent research in which he gives methods to handle changes in the job market.

Complete the Summary using the list of words, A-G
The 'algorithmication' of jobs

31. Stella Pachidi of Cambridge Judge Business School has been focusing on the ‘algorithmication’ of jobs which rely not on production but on ……….

G – Second paragraph, first line. “Dr Stella Pachidi from Cambridge Judge Business School believes that some of the most fundamental changes are happening as a result of the ‘algorithmication’ of jobs that are dependent on data rather than on production – the so-called knowledge economy.” Information is similar to word data given in the passage.

32. While monitoring a telecommunications company, Pachidi observed a growing ………. on the recommendations made by AI, as workers begin to learn through the ‘algorithm’s eyes’.

E – Sixth paragraph, second line. In the fifth paragraph, the writer discussed Pachidi’s monitoring of telecommunications company in the second line. After this, the writer told about Pachidi’s observations in a telecommunication company. Then start reading from the sixth paragraph’s second line. “In cases like this, Pachidi believes, a short-sighted view begins to creep into working practices whereby workers learn through the ‘ algorithm eyes’ and become dependent on its instructions.” Here, dependent means reliance, and recommendations mean instructions.

33. Meanwhile, staff are deterred from experimenting and using their own ………., and are therefore prevented from achieving innovation.

C – Sixth paragraph, fourth line. “Alternative explorations – where experimentation and human instinct lead to progress and new ideas – are effectively discouraged.” Instinct means intuition. Staff is discouraged from experimenting and using their instinct. Hence, the answer is intuition.

34. To avoid the kind of situations which Pachidi observed, researchers are trying to make AI’s decision-making process easier to comprehend, and to increase users’ ………. with regard to the technology.

F – Eighth paragraph, first line. “It’s scenarios like these that many researchers are working to avoid. Their objective is to make AI technologies more trustworthy and transparent, so that organisations and individuals understand how AI decisions are made.” Comprehend means understand. Making technologies more trustworthy and transparent will increase the confidence of users in AI. Hence, confidence is the answer.

Match each statement with the correct person, A, B, or C.

35. Greater levels of automation will not result in lower employment.

B – Tenth paragraph. Read full paragraph. The meaning of this paragraph is that taking 50 out of 100 jobs by robots does not mean we are left with 50 jobs. The number of jobs will increase.

36. There are several reasons why AI is appealing to businesses.

A – Third paragraph, first line. “In many cases, they can outperform humans, says Pachidi. Organisations are attracted to using algorithms because they want to make choices based on why they consider is “perfect information”, as well as to reduce costs and enhance productivity.” So, there are multiple reasons.

37. AI’s potential to transform people’s lives has parallels with major cultural shifts which occurred in previous eras.

C – Twelfth paragraph. Read full paragraph. From the perspective of the question, the meaning of this paragraph is that in the past, change could cause redundancy (unemployment because of no work). So AI, automation and robotics can cause unemployment corresponding (parallel) to the past (history).

38. It is important to be aware of the range of problems that AI causes.

A – Eighth paragraph, third line. “We need to make sure we fully understand the dilemmas that this new world raises regarding expertise, occupational boundaries and control.”

39. People are going to follow a less conventional career path than in the past.

B – Ninth paragraph, second line. “’The traditional trajectory of full-time education followed by full-time work followed by a pensioned retirement is a thing of the past,’ says Low. Instead, he envisages a multistage employment life; one where retraining happens across the life course, and where multiple jobs and no job happen by choice at different stages.”

40. Authorities should take measures to ensure that there will be adequately paid work for everyone.

C – Second last paragraph, third line. “McGaughey’s findings are a call to arms to leaders of organisations, governments and banks to pre-empt the coming changes with bold new policies that guarantee full employment, fair incomes (adequately paid work) and a thriving economic democracy.”

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38 thoughts on “Cambridge 16 reading test 1 answers with explanation”

    1. IELTS EXTREMES ADMIN

      In the first paragraph, the writer gives a percentage(3-14%) of the workforce who will need to change jobs in the coming years. This information matches with the ‘b’ option. B option means the amount to which the nature of the work will change.

      Reply
  7. Abrakham

    Everything is good, except for MCQ, I think u should have explained all the choices with the regard to whether they are correct or incorrect

    Reply
  11. Andisheh Navab

    Would you plz explain In question No 35_40 passage 3 ,which kind of matching is it? Is it matching feature or matching info?thanks 🙏

    Reply
  20. Shahrzad

    For question 35 I think C is true too , because in paragraph 11 it has mentioned that : it’s the laws that restrict the supply of capital to the job market , not the advent of new technologies that causes unemployment

    Reply
    1. Admin

      Hi Shahrzad, You can further connect the meaning of 11 paragraph to the 35th question. But the actual meaning of this paragraph is that laws restrict the supply of capital(money) to the job market, which means it causes lowering of jobs. But the question says “Greater level of automation will not result in lower employment”. 10th paragraph says jobs will increase, so there will be no reduction in employment even robots take some jobs. I hope it will help.

      Reply

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