William Gilbert and Magnetism, Seed Hunting, The Power of Nothing Reading Answers

This reading test contains 3 IELTS Academic passages – The Power of Nothing, Seed Hunting and William Gilbert and Magnetism. There are a total of 40 questions, which you have to complete in 60 minutes.

There are five types of questions in these sections that commonly occur in the IELTS Reading exam. They are:

• IELTS Reading Matching Headings to Paragraphs
• True/False/Not Given IELTS Reading
• IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions
• IELTS Reading Summary Completion
• Matching Information IELTS Reading

Now set your timer and start practising!

Reading Passage 1 – William Gilbert and Magnetism

William Gilbert And Magnetism

Questions 1-7

List of Headings

i. Early years of Gilbert

ii. What was new about his scientific research method

iii. The development of chemistry

iv. Questioning traditional astronomy

v. Pioneers of the early science

vi. Professional and social recognition

vii. Becoming the president of the Royal Science Society

viii. The great works of Gilbert

ix. His discovery about magnetism

x. His change of focus

1 Paragraph A

2 Paragraph B

3 Paragraph C

4 Paragraph D

5 Paragraph E

6 Paragraph F

7 Paragraph G

Questions 8-10

8 He is less famous than he should be.

9 He was famous as a doctor before he was employed by the Queen

10 He lost faith in the medical theories of his time.

Questions 11-13

Which THREE of the following are parts of Gilbert’s discovery?

A Metal can be transformed into another.

B Garlic can remove magnetism.

C Metals can be magnetized.

D Stars are at different distances from the earth.

E The earth wobbles on its axis.

F There are two charges of electricity.

Reading Passage 2 – Seed Hunting

Seed Hunting

Questions 14-19

14 The purpose of collecting seeds now is different from the past

15 The millennium seed bank is the earliest seed bank.

16 One of the major threats for plant species extinction is farmland expansion into wildness.

17 The approach that scientists apply to store seeds is similar to that used by farmers.

18 technological development is the only hope to save plant species.

19 The works of seed conservation are often limited by financial problems.

Questions 20-24

Some people collect seeds for the purpose of protecting certain species from ___________ 20_________ ; others collect seeds for their ability to produce _____________ 21_____________ . They are called seed hunters. The ___________________ 22_____________ of them included both gardeners and botanists，such as______________ 23_____________ ，who financially supported collectors out of his own pocket. The seeds collected are usually stored in seed banks, one of which is the famous millennium seed bank, where seeds are all stored in the __________ 24___________ at a low temperature.

Questions 25-26

Which TWO of the followings are provided by plants to the human?

A food

B fuels

C clothes

D energy

E commercial products

Reading Passage 3 – The Power of Hunting

The Power of Nothing

Questions 27-32

NB: You may use any letter more than once.

A Should easily be understood.

B Should improve by itself.

C Should not involve any mysticism.

D Ought to last a minimum length of time.

E Needs to be treated at the right time.

F Should give more recognition.

G Can earn valuable money.

H Do not rely on any specific treatment

27 Appointments with an alternative practitioner.

28 An alternative practitioners description of the treatment.

29 An alternative practitioner who has faith in what he does.

30 The illness of patients convinced of alternative practice.

31 Improvements of patients receiving alternative practice.

32 Conventional medical doctors (who is aware of placebo).

Questions 33-35

33 In the fifth paragraph, the writer uses the example of anger and sadness to illustrate that:

A People’s feeling could affect their physical behavior<

B Scientists don’t understand how the mind influences the body.

C Research on the placebo effect is very limited

D How the placebo achieves its effect is yet to be understood.

34 Research on pain control attracts most of the attention because

A Scientists have discovered that endorphins can help to reduce pain.

B Only a limited number of researchers gain relevant experience

C Pain reducing agents might also be involved in the placebo effect.

D Patients often experience pain and like to complain about it

35 Fabrizio Benedettfs research on endorphins indicates that

A They are widely used to regulate pain.

B They can be produced by willM thoughts

C They can be neutralized by introducing naloxone.

D Their pain-relieving effects do not last long enough.

Questions 36-40

36 There is enough information for scientists to fully understand the placebo effect.

37 A London based researcher discovered that red pills should be taken off the market.

38 People’s preferences for brands would also have an effect on their healing.

39 Medical doctors have a range of views that newly introduced drug.

40 Alternative practitioners are seldom known for applying the placebo effect.

Answer Key

Read further for the explanations and location of the IELTS Reading answers.

Reading Passage 1

1 Answer: v

Question Type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph A, line 1

Answer explanation: The opening line of paragraph A suggests that the “16th and 17th centuries saw two great pioneers of modem science: Galileo and Gilbert. The impact of their findings is eminent.” From this line, we can deduce that the appropriate title for paragraph A should be pioneers of modem science, as it seems to introduce Galileo and Gilbert as two great pioneers of modem science.

2 Answer: i

Question Type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 1

Answer explanation: If you observe clearly, it is mentioned that “Gilbert’s birth predated Galileo. Born in an eminent local family in Colchester county in the UK, on May 24，1544，he went to grammar school, and then studied medicine at St. John’s College, Cambridge, graduating in 1573.” Hence, the appropriate title for this paragraph would be the early years of Gilbert because this paragraph discusses Gilbert’s birth and highlights his graduation days.

3 Answer: vi

Question Type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 3

Answer explanation: The answer is clearly mentioned in the said paragraph and line. In the passage, it is said that “he was also appointed the personal physician to the Queen (Elizabeth I), and later knighted by the Queen. He faithfully served her until her death. However, he didn’t outlive the Queen for long and died on December 10, 1603, only a few months after his appointment as a personal physician to King James.” This paragraph mentions that he was a personal physician to Queen, knighted by the Queen, and was also appointed as a personal physician to King James. We can infer that the appropriate title for this paragraph would be professional and social recognisition.

4 Answer: x

Question Type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 1

Answer explanation: If you observe, this paragraph has been dedicated to the change of interest of Gilbert. The answer is clearly mentioned in the said paragraph and line “Gilbert was first interested in chemistry but later changed his focus due to the large portion of the mysticism of alchemy involved (such as the transmutation of metal). He gradually developed his interest in physics after the great minds of the ancient, particularly about the knowledge the ancient Greeks had about lodestones, strange minerals with the power to attract iron.” Hence, we can infer that the appropriate title would be the change of focus.

5 Answer: ix

Question Type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 4

Answer explanation: In the said paragraph, you can refer to, “Gilbert also found that metals can be magnetized by rubbing materials such as fur, plastic, or the like on them. He named the ends of a magnet “north pole’ and “south pole”. The magnetic poles can attract or repel, depending on polarity.” From this information, we can conclude that Gilbert worked on the discovery of magnetism. Hence, the most suitable title for this paragraph would be his discovery about magnetism.

6 Answer: iv

Question Type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 1

Answer explanation: Paragraph F puts forward the information that “he also questioned the traditional astronomical beliefs.” Here, he seems to have questioned whether the earth is at the center of the universe or in orbit around the sun. Therefore, the appropriate title for this paragraph would be questioning traditional astronomy.

7 Answer: ii

Question Type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph G, last line

Answer explanation: The last line of paragraph G suggests that “his approach of careful observation and experimentation rather than the authoritative opinion or deductive philosophy of others had laid the very foundation for modem science.” Since this paragraph suggests that his approach was different from the traditional approach, we can infer that this paragraph discusses what was new about his scientific research method in depth.

8 Answer: TRUE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph A, last line

Answer explanation: The answer is clearly mentioned in the said paragraph and line. You must note the paraphrasing here. In the passage, it is said that “however, he is less well-known than he deserves.” The term well-known has been paraphrased to famous in the question. Hence, he was less famous than he deserves.

9 Answer: TRUE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 1

Answer explanation: In the said paragraph, you can refer to, “he was a very successful and eminent doctor. All this culminated in his election to the president of the Royal Science Society. He was also appointed the personal physician to the Queen (Elizabeth I), and later knighted by the Queen.” The term eminent signifies famous. Hence, we can conclude that he was a famous and successful doctor even before he was employed by the Queen.

10 Answer: NOT GIVEN

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 1

Answer explanation: Paragraph D puts forward the information that “Gilbert was first interested in chemistry but later changed his focus due to the large portion of the mysticism of alchemy involved (such as the transmutation of metal).” It is mentioned that he changed his focus but it is not mentioned whether he lost faith in the medical theories of his time or not.

11 Answer: C (C, D, E: in any order)

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph 6, line 5

Answer explanation: The answer is clearly mentioned in the said paragraph and line. You must note the paraphrasing here. In the passage, it is said that “Gilbert also found that metals can be magnetized by rubbing materials such as fur, plastic, or the like on them.” Hence, oneof Gilbert’s discovery was that metals can be magnetized.

12 Answer: D (C, D, E: in any order)

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 3

Answer explanation: The answer is clearly mentioned in the said paragraph and line. You must note the paraphrasing here. In the passage, it is said that “However, he believed that stars are not equidistant from the earth, but have their own earth-like planets orbiting around them.” The term equidistant means equal distance. And here it is given that stars are not equidistant (different distances) from the earth.

13 Answer: E (C, D, E: in any order)

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 7

Answer explanation: Few lines in the said paragraph convey that “thus a perfectly spherical lodestone, when aligned with the earth’s poles, would wobble all by itself in 24 hours. Further, he also believed that suns and other stars wobble just like the earth does around a crystal core, and speculated that the moon might also be a magnet caused to orbit by its magnetic attraction to the earth.” Hence, one of Gilbert’s discovery was that when the earth is aligned with poles it would wobble on its axis.

Reading Passage 2

14 Answer: TRUE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 1

Answer explanation: In the reference paragraph, it is mentioned that “those heady days of exploration and discovery may be over, but they have been replaced by a pressing need to preserve our natural history for the future.” From the line, we can infer that now people are collecting selecting seeds to preserve natural history. In the past, the purpose was exploratory. Hence, the purpose of seed collecting is now said to be different from the past.

15 Answer: NOT GIVEN

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 1

Answer explanation: If you read through, it is given that “overseen by the Royal botanic gardens, the Millennium Seed Bank is the world’s largest wild-plant depository.” However, it is not given that the millennium seed bank is the earliest seed bank.

16 Answer: TRUE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 4; Pararaph F, First and Last line

Answer explanation: In the said paragraph, you can point out that “We’re currently responsible for habitat destruction on an unprecedented scale, and during the past 400 years, plant species extinction rates have been about 70 times greater than those indicated by the geological record as being ’normal’. Experts predict that during the next 50 years, further one billion hectares of wilderness will be converted to farmland in developing countries alone.” “The implications of this loss are enormous. Plant species are being driven to extinction before their potential benefits are discovered.” Since in the next 50 years wilderness areas will get converted to farmland, we can comprehend that majority of the plants species will get extinct with this change.

17 Answer: TRUE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph I, line 1

Answer explanation: In paragraph I, the author mentions that “seed banks are an insurance policy to protect the world’s plant heritage for the future, explains Dr. Paul Smith, another Kew seed hunter. “Seed conservation techniques were originally developed by farmers,” he says.” Here, since the author suggests that seed conservation techniques were originally developed by farmers, we can say that the approach that is developed by scientists today is similar to what was developed by farmers earlier.

18 Answer: FALSE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 3

Answer explanation: If you read thoroughly, there’s a line that claims, “the reason is simple: thanks to humanity’s efforts, an estimated 25 percent of the world’s plants are on the verge of extinction and may vanish within 50 years. We’re currently responsible for habitat destruction on an unprecedented scale, and during the past 400 years, plant species extinction rates have been about 70 times greater than those indicated by the geological record as being ‘normal’.” Here, it indicates that the author is trying to say that human efforts (actions) towards technological development have caused plants to go on the verge of extinction. Hence, this development cannot be considered to save plant species.

19 Answer: FALSE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph K, last line

Answer explanation: The last of paragraph K implies that “the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research has since set up the Global Conservation Trust, which aims to raise the US $260 million to protect seed banks in perpetuity.” If the UN Food and Agriculture Organization is raising funds for protection seeds, it means that seed conservation cannot be limited by financial problems.

20 Answer: Extinction

Question Type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph A, last line

Answer explanation: If you read thoroughly, a line in the passage specifies that “others collect to conserve, working to halt the sad slide into extinction, facing so many plant species.” From the given information we can learn that some people collect plant seeds to make a profit, whereas others do it to save or pause (halt) them from becoming extinct.

21 Answer: drugs, crops

Question Type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph A, 2nd last line

Answer explanation: In the reference paragraph it is given that “some seek seeds for profit—hunters in the employ of biotechnology firms, pharmaceutical companies, and private corporations on the lookout for species that will yield the drugs or crops of the future.” If some people are collecting seeds to protect them from it getting extinct, others (such as private corporates) are collecting them to produce drugs or crops of the future.

22 Answer: pioneers

Question Type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 1

Answer explanation: If you read through, it is clearly mentioned that “among the pioneers of this botanical treasure hunt was John Tradescant, an English royal gardener who brought back plants and seeds from his journeys abroad in the early 1600s. Later, the English botanist Sir Joseph Banks who was the first director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and traveled with Captain James Cook on his voyages near the end of the 18th century.” We can infer that the pioneers of them include both English botanist Sir Joseph Banks, and John Tradescant, an English royal gardener.

23 Answer: Sir Joseph banks

Question Type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 2

Answer explanation: Few lines in the given paragraph indicates that “the English botanist Sir Joseph Banks who was the first director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and traveled with Captain James Cook on his voyages near the end of the 18th century—was so driven to expand his collections that he sent botanists around the world at his own expense.” The line sent botanists around the world at his own expense suggests that it was Sir Joseph Banks who financially supported collectors out of his own pocket.

24 Answer: underground vaults

Question Type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 2

Answer explanation: The answer is clearly mentioned in the said paragraph and line. In the passage, it is said that “the collected seeds were used to store in underground vaults. ‘Within its underground vaults are 260 million dried seeds from 122 countries, all stored at -20 Celsius to survive for centuries.”

25 Answer: A

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 2

Answer explanation: In the said paragraph, you can refer to, “besides providing staple food crops, plants are sources of many machines and the principal supply of fuel and building materials in many parts of the world.” From this line, we can confirm that plants provide food.

26 Answer: B

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 2

Answer explanation: If you read thoroughly, there’s a line in the said paragraph that describes“besides providing staple food crops, plants are sources of many machines and the principal supply of fuel and building materials in many parts of the world.” From this line, we can confirm that plants provide food and are a main supply of fuel.

Reading Passage 3

27 Answer: D

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph A, line 5

Answer explanation: Paragraph A puts forward the information that “your treatment should involve physical contact, and each session with your patients should last at least half an hour.” Hence, it confirms that each appointment with an alternative practitioner should last for at least half an hour (ought to last a minimum length of time).

28 Answer: A

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph A, line 7

Answer explanation: A line in the paragraph denotes that “describe your treatment in familiar words, but embroidered with a hint of mysticism: energy fields, energy flows, energy blocks, meridians, forces, auras, rhythms, and the like. Refer to the knowledge of an earlier age: wisdom carelessly swept aside by the rise and rise of blind, mechanistic science.” Here, the author suggests that treatment should be explained in familiar words so that patients undergoing the treatment can easily understand it.

29 Answer: G

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 2

Answer explanation: A line in the passage mentions that “well yes, it could – and often well enough to earn you a living. A good living if you are sufficiently convincing, or better still, really believe in your therapy.” This line suggests that an alternative practitioner should have faith in what he does and believe in his/her therapy in order for it to work. It is only through this way practitioners would be able to earn enough for a living.

30 Answer: B

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph B, last line

Answer explanation: The last line of the said paragraph states that “your healing power would be the outcome of a paradoxical force that conventional medicine recognizes but remains oddly ambivalent about: the placebo effect.” The placebo effect suggests that the power of self-healing has helped patients improve their illness ( if they believe in themselves).

31 Answer: H

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph B, lines 2 to end

Answer explanation: In the said paragraph, you can point out that “Many illnesses get better on their own, so if you are lucky and administer your treatment at just the right time you will get the credit. But that’s only part of it. Some of the improvements really would be down to you. Your healing power would be the outcome of a paradoxical force that conventional medicine recognizes but remains oddly ambivalent about: the placebo effect.” The author suggests part of the improvement lies with the patient and his healing power.

32 Answer: F

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 3

Answer explanation: The end of paragraph C claims that “the existence of the placebo effect implies that even quackery may confer real benefits, which is why any mention of placebo is a touchy subject for many practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine, who are likely to regard it as tantamount to a charge of charlatanism. In fact, the placebo effect is a powerful part of all medical care, orthodox or otherwise, though its role is often neglected or misunderstood.” Conventional medical doctors consider placebo a touch subject, but given placebo’s potential to heal, it should be given more recognition.

33 Answer: A

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 1

Answer explanation: The answer is clearly mentioned in the said paragraph and line. In the passage, it is said that “at one level, it should come as no surprise that our state of mind can influence our physiology: anger opens the superficial blood vessels of the face; sadness pumps the tear glands.” From this line, we can confirm that author uses the example of anger and sadness to illustrate that our state of mind can influence our physiology (physical behavior).

34 Answer: D

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 1

Answer explanation: In the reference paragraph, the author mentions “but exactly how placebos work their medical magic is still largely unknown. Most of the scant research done so far has focused on the control of pain because it’s one of the commonest complaints and lends itself to experimental study. Here, attention has turned to the endorphins, morphine-like neurochemicals known to help control pain.” Here the term commonest complaints have been paraphrased to “often experience pain and like to complain about it”. Hence, most of the research is done on how to control pain because people often complain about pain.

35 Answer: C

Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions

Answer location: Paragraph G, line 1

Answer explanation: Few lines in the said paragraph discuss that “But endorphins are still out in front.” That case has been strengthened by the recent work of Fabrizio Benedetti of the University of Turin, who showed that the placebo effect can be abolished by a drug, naloxone, which blocks the effects of endorphins.” Fabrizio Benedetti conducted a study on human volunteers suffering from pain induced by a blood pressure cuff. He first relied on morphine to treat his pain, but one day he decided to switch to saline instead. The discomfort was also eased by the saline solution, which was a placebo effect. But when he added naloxone to the saline solution, the agony returned.

36 Answer: FALSE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph H, line 2

Answer explanation: According to a line in the said paragraph, “scientists don’t know exactly how placebos work, they have accumulated a fair bit of knowledge about how to trigger the effect.” Since scientists don’t know exactly how placebos work, that implies that there is not enough information for scientists to fully understand the placebo effect.

37 Answer: NOT GIVEN

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph H, line 3

Answer explanation: In the said paragraph, you can find out that “a London rheumatologist found, for example, that red dummy capsules made more effective painkillers than blue, green, or yellow ones.” It is mentioned that he found that blue, green, or yellow capsules have more effect on pain. However, it is not given that a London-based researcher discovered that red pills should be taken off the market.

38 Answer: TRUE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph H, last line

Answer explanation: If you read thoroughly, a line in the said paragraph discusses that “even branding can make a difference: if Aspirin or Tylenol is what you like to take for a headache, their chemically identical generic equivalents may be less effective.” Hence, people frequently place their trust in a single brand, which they have used on a regular basis for years and healed successfully.

39 Answer: TRUE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph I, line 2

Answer explanation: Medical doctors have a range of views of the newly introduced drug as “decades ago when the major tranquilizer chlorpromazine was being introduced, a doctor in Kansas categorized his colleagues according to whether they were keen on it, openly skeptical of its benefits, or took a “let’s try and see’ attitude.” Some were keen, some were skeptical and other had a “try and see” attitude. So they had different views.

40 Answer: FALSE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 3 & last line

Answer explanation: Paragraph C puts forward the information that “the existence of the placebo effect implies that even quackery may confer real benefits, which is why any mention of placebo is a touchy subject for many practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine. In fact, the placebo effect is a powerful part of all medical care, orthodox or otherwise, though its role is often neglected or misunderstood.” Here, it is mentioned that placebo effects are an integral part of medical care, however, its role is neglected. Since it is misunderstood and considered a touchy subject, we can infer that alternative practitioners give the least or absolutely no preference to the placebo effect.

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