Cambridge IELTS Academic 9 Reading Test 3 Answers with Explanation / IELTS Academic Reading: Cambridge 9 Test 3 Answer / Cambridge IELTS 9 Reading Test 3 Answers with Explanation

READING PASSAGE 1

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

Attitudes of language

Question Number	Answer	Keywords	Location	Text/Explanation
1	YES	understandable reasons, arguments	First paragraph, lines 2-4	"Language belongs to everyone, so most people feel they have a right to hold an opinion about it. And when opinions differ, emotions can run high. Arguments can start . . .. . . ."
2	NO	more strongly, language education	First paragraph, last lines	"Arguments can start as easily over minor points of usage as over major policies of linguistic education."
3	YES	assessment, intelligence	Second paragraph, lines 2-4	".. .. . . linguistic factors influence how we judge personality, intelligence, social status, educational standards, job aptitude, and many other areas of identity and social survival."
4	NOT GIVEN	prescriptive grammar books, cost	Not mentioned	-
5	YES	prescriptivism, exists	Fourth and fifth paragraphs	"All the main languages have been studied prescriptively, especially in the 18 century approach to the writing of grammars and dictionaries…. . .. . Some usages are “prescribed”, to be learnt and followed accurately;. …. . ." and "These attitudes are still with us…"
6	YES	pointless, stop language change	Fifth paragraph, lines 4-6	"… .. . it is the task of the grammarian to describe, not prescribe – to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and not to attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or halting language change."
7	NO	Descriptivism, after	Fifth paragraph	"This approach is summarised in the statement that it is the task of the grammarian to describe, not prescribe – to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and not to attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or halting language change. In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley..."
8	YES	descriptivists, prescriptivists	Last paragraph	"In our own time, the opposition between descriptivists and prescriptivists has often become extreme, with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other."
9	H	prescriptivists	Third paragraph	"prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community."
10	F	rules	Fourth paragraph	"The authoritarian nature of the approach is best characterised by its reliance on ‘rules’ of grammar."
11	A	descriptivists	Fifth paragraph	"Nevertheless, there is an alternative point of view that is concerned less with standards than the facts of linguistic usage."
12	C	popular speech	Fifth paragraph	"Joseph Priestley, whose Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that ‘the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language’.”
13	B	present a historical account	Throughout the passage, especially last paragraph	The passage presents a historical account of differing

 

 

READING PASSAGE 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14–26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 .

Tidal Power

TIDAL POWER
ANSWERS	KEYWORDS	LOCATION	EXPLANATION
14.C	first test site	paragraph C, line 3	The first station is expected ………….. and the European Union.
15.E	power, Britain	paragraph E, line 1	Dr Bahaj has done most work ……………….under the Channel. “import= bring back”
16.A	Britain, an alternative source of energy	paragraph A, line 8	Unlike wind power, which Britain originally ………….. island nations such as Japan and New Zealand. “originally developed and abandoned for 20 years= previous attempt”
17.C	applying technology, another industry	paragraph C, line 8	The technology for dealing with the hostile saline environment under the sea has been developed in the North Sea oil industry….
18.A		Paragraph A, line 3	Unlike wind, the tides are predictable and the power input is constant. “than wind power= unlike wind, predictable= reliable”
19.D		Paragraph A, line 5	This technology raises the prospect of Britain becoming self-sufficient in renewable energy and drastically reducing its carbon dioxide emissions “reduce= cut down”
20.E		Paragraph A, line 6	If tides, wind and wave power are all developed, Britain would be able to close gas, coal and nuclear power plants
21.F		paragraph A , line 6	If tides, wind and wave power are all developed, Britain would be able to close gas, coal and nuclear power plants [Option E] and export renewable power to other parts of Europe
22.J		paragraph C, line last	The best sites are between islands or around heavily indented coasts where there are strong tidal currents “vicinity of coastlines= around heavily indented coasts “
23.maintenance	tower, seaweeds	paragraph D, line 9	The towers will stick out of the water …………..seaweed from the blades. “Purpose = maintenance and cleaning sea weeds”
24. slow (turning)	sea life, blades	paragraph D, line 5	Fish and other creatures are thought unlikely to be at risk from the relatively slow-turning blades. “sea life =fish and other creatures, comparatively=relatively”
25.low pressure and 26. cavitation	air bubbles, known as	last paragraph, line 1	One technical difficulty is cavitation, where low pressure behind a turning blade causes air bubbles.

READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27–40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 .

Information theory- the big idea

Question	Answer	Keywords	Location	Text
27	D	information theory, noise, rate, information, error-free	Para D, Line 2-5	"Information theory generalises this idea via theorems that capture the effects of noise with mathematical precision. In particular, Shannon showed that noise sets a limit on the rate at which information can pass along communication channels while remaining error-free."
28	F	information, data, meaning, error correction	Para F, Line 3-4	"As mobile phone text messages like 'I CN C U' show, it is often possible to leave out a lot of data without losing much meaning. As with error correction"
29	B	computer technology, student, Bell Laboratories, information theory	Para B, Line 6-7	"While at Bell Laboratories, Shannon developed information theory"
30	E	technological feats, Voyager spacecraft, error rate, clear pictures	Para E, Line 2-5	"The Voyager spacecraft transmitted data using codes which added one extra bit for every single bit of information; the result was an error rate of just one bit in 10,000 — and stunningly clear pictures of the planets."
31	A	information theory, Voyager I, spectacular images, contact	Para A, Line 2-7	"The space probe, Voyager I, launched in 1977, had sent back spectacular images of Jupiter and Saturn and then soared out of the Solar System on a one-way mission to the stars...Sensors and circuits were on the brink of failing and NASA experts realised that they had to do something or lose contact with their probe forever."
32	C	information, binary unit, bit	Para C, Line 5-7	"The most basic form of information, Shannon argued, is whether something is true or false — which can be captured in the binary unit, or 'bit', of the form 1 or 0."
33	Jupiter & Saturn	Voyager I, spectacular images	Para A, Line 2-3	"The space probe, Voyager I, launched in 1977, had sent back spectacular images of Jupiter and Saturn"
34	Solar system	Voyager I	Para A, Line 3	"and then soared out of the Solar System"
35	Sensors & circuits	probe, failing	Para A, Line 4-6	"After 25 years of exposure to the freezing temperatures of deep space, the probe was beginning to show its age. Sensors and circuits were on the brink of failing"
36	Spares	message, Voyager I, failing parts	Para A, Line 7-8	"The solution was to get a message to Voyager I to instruct it to use spares to change the failing parts."
37	Radio dish	NASA's Deep Space Network, message	Para A, Line 9-10	"By means of a radio dish belonging to NASA's Deep Space Network, the message was sent out into the depths of space"
38	TRUE	information, binary unit, bit	Para C, Line 5-7	"The most basic form of information, Shannon argued, is whether something is true or false — which can be captured in the binary unit, or 'bit', of the form 1 or 0."
39	TRUE	information theory, noise, rate, signal, bandwidth	Para D, Line

Question	Answer	Keywords	Location	Text
39	TRUE	information theory, noise, rate, signal, bandwidth	Para D, Line 2-6	"Information theory generalises this idea via theorems that capture the effects of noise with mathematical precision. In particular, Shannon showed that noise sets a limit on the rate at which information can pass along communication channels while remaining error-free. This rate depends on the relative strengths of the signal and noise travelling down the communication channel, and on its capacity (its 'bandwidth')."