9

IELTS

ACADEMIC READING

READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on questions 1-13, which are based on Reading
Passage 1 below.

A Disaster of Titanic Proportions

At 11: 39 p.m. on the evening of Sunday, 14 April 1912, lookouts Frederick Fleet and
Reginald Lee on the forward mast of the Titanic sighted an eerie, black mass coming into
view directly in front of the ship. Fleet picked up the phone to the helm, waited for Sixth
Officer Moody to answer, and yelled "Iceberg, right ahead!" The greatest disaster in
maritime history was about to be set in motion.

Thirty-seven seconds later, despite the efforts of officers in the bridge and engine room to
steer around the iceberg, the Titanic struck a piece of submerged ice, bursting rivets in the
ship's hull and flooding the first five watertight compartments. The ship's designer,
Thomas Andrews, carried out a visual inspection of the ship's damage and informed
Captain Smith at midnight that the ship would sink in less than two hours. By 12:30 a.m.,
the lifeboats were being filled with women and children, after Smith had given the
command for them to be uncovered and swung out 15 minutes earlier. The first lifeboat
was successfully lowered 15 minutes later, with only 28 of its 65 seats occupied. By 1: 15
a.m., the waterline was beginning to reach the Titanic's name on the ship's bow, and over
the next hour, every lifeboat would be released as officers struggled to maintain order
amongst the growing panic on board.

The closing moments of the Titanic's sinking began shortly after 2 a.m., as the last lifeboat
was lowered and the ship's propellers lifted out of the water, leaving the 1,500 passengers
still on board to surge towards the stern. At 2:17 a.m., Harold Bride and Jack Philips tapped
out their last wireless message after being relieved of duty as the ship's wireless operators,
and the ship's band stopped playing. Less than a minute later, occupants of the lifeboats
witnessed the ship's lights flash once, then go black, and a huge roar signalled the Titanic's
contents plunging towards the bow, causing the front half of the ship to break off and go
under. The Titanic's stern bobbed up momentarily, and at 2:20 a.m., the ship finally
disappeared beneath the frigid waters.

What or who was responsible for the scale of this catastrophe? Explanations abound, some
that focus on very small details. Due to a last-minute change in the ship's officer line-up,
iceberg lookouts Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee were making do without a pair of
binoculars that an officer transferred off the ship in Southampton had left in a cupboard
onboard, unbeknownst to any of the ship's crew. Fleet, who survived the sinking, insisted at
a subsequent inquiry that he could have identified the iceberg in time to avert disaster if he
had been in possession of the binoculars.
 9
IELTS

Less than an hour before the Titanic struck the iceberg, wireless operator Cyril Evans on
the Californian, located just 20 miles to the north, tried to contact operator Jack Philips on
the Titanic to warn him of pack ice in the area. "Shut up, shut up, you're jamming my
signal," Philips replied. "I'm busy." The Titanic's wireless system had broken down for
several hours earlier that day, and Philips was clearing a backlog of personal messages that
passengers had requested to be sent to family and friends in the USA. Nevertheless, Captain
Smith had maintained the ship's speed of 22 knots despite multiple earlier warnings of ice
ahead. It has been suggested that Smith was under pressure to make headlines by arriving·
early in New York, but maritime historians such as Richard Howell have countered this
perception, noting that Smith was simply following common procedure at the time, and not
behaving recklessly.

One of the strongest explanations for the severe loss of life has been the fact that the Titanic
did not carry enough lifeboats for everyone on board. Maritime regulations at the time tied
lifeboat capacity to the ship size, not to the number of passengers on board. This meant that
the Titanic, with room for 1,178 of its 2,222 passengers, actually surpassed the Board of
Trade's requirement that it carry lifeboats for 1,060 of its passengers. Nevertheless, with
lifeboats being lowered less than half full in many cases, and only 712 passengers surviving
despite a two-and-a-half-hour window of opportunity, more lifeboats would not have
guaranteed more survivors in the absence of better training and preparation. Many
passengers were confused about where to go after the order to launch lifeboats was given;
a lifeboat drill scheduled for earlier on the same day that the Titanic struck the iceberg was
cancelled by Captain Smith in order to allow passengers to attend church.

Questions 1-6
Complete the table below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

Time Person(s) Position Action

11:39 p.m. 1……………………. 2……………………… Reported sighting of iceberg
3…………………. Andrew Ships designer Reported how long the Titanic
could stay afloat
12:15 a.m. Smith Captain Ordered 4……………... to be
released
2.17 a.m. Bride & Phillips 5………………………. Relayed final 6………………….
 9
IELTS

Questions 7-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 7-13 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

7 The binoculars for the men on watch had been left in a crew locker in Southampton.
8 The missing binoculars were the major factor leading to the collision with the iceberg.
9 Philips missed notification about the ice from Evans because the Titanic's wireless
system was not functioning at the time.
10 Captain Smith knew there was ice in the area.
11 Howell believed the captain's failure to reduce speed was an irresponsible action.
12 The Titanic was able to seat more passengers in lifeboats than the Board of Trade
required.
13 A lifeboat drill would have saved more lives.

READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on questions 14-26, which are based on Reading
Passage 2 below.

Questions 14-19
Reading Passage 2 has six sections, A-F.
Choose the correct headings for sections A-F from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-x, in boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

i Construction of special cinemas for 3-D

ii Good returns forecast for immediate future
iii The greatest 3-D film of all time
iv End of traditional movies for children
v Early developments
vi New technology diminishes the art
vii The golden age of movies
viii In defence of 3-D
ix 3-D is here to stay
x Undesirable visual effects

14 Section A 17 Section D
15 Section B 18 Section E
16 Section C 19 Section F
 9
IELTS

THREE – DIMENSIONAL FILMS

A In the theatre of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, on the evening of 27

September 1922, a new form of film-making made its commercial debut: 3-D. The film, The
Power of Love, was then shown in New York City to exhibitors and press, but was
subsequently not picked up for distribution and is now believed to be lost. The following
three decades were a period of quiet experimentation for 3-D pioneers, as they adapted to
new technologies and steadily improved the viewing experience. In 1952, the "golden era"
of 3-D is considered to have begun with the release of Bwana Devil, and over the next
several years, audiences met with a string of films that used the technology. Over the
following decades, it waxed and waned within filmmaking circles, peaking in the 1970s and
again in the 1990s when IMAX gained traction, but it is only in the last few years that 3-D
appears to have firmly entered mainstream production.

B Released worldwide in December 2009, the fantasy film Avatar quickly became the
highest-grossing film ever made, knocking Titanic from the top slot. Avatar, set in 2154 on
a planet in a distant solar system, went on to become the only film to have earned US$2
billion worldwide, and is now approaching the $3 billion mark. The main reason for its
runaway popularity appears to be its visual splendour; though most critics praised the film,
it was mostly on account of its ground-breaking special effects. Kenneth Turan of the Los
Angeles Times praised Avatar's "powerful" visual accomplishments, but suggested the
dialogue was "flat" and the characterisations "obvious". A film analyst at Exhibitor
Relations has agreed, noting that Avatar has cemented the use of 3-D as a production and
promotional tool for blockbuster films, rather than as a mere niche or novelty experiment.
"This is why all these 3-D venues were built," he said. "This is the one. The behemoth ... The
holy grail of 3-D has finally arrived."

C Those who embrace 3-D note that it spices up a trip to the cinema by adding a more
active "embodied" layer of experience instead of the viewer passively receiving the film
through eyes and ears only. A blogger on Animation Ideas writes, " ... when 3-D is done well,
like in the flying scenes in Up, How to Train Your Dragon, and Avatar, there is an added
feeling of vertigo. If you have any fear of heights, the 3-D really adds to this element ... "
Kevin Carr argues that the backlash against 3-D is similar to that which occurred against
CGI several years ago, and points out that CGI is now widely regarded as part of the film-
maker's artistic toolkit. He also notes that new technology is frequently seen to be a
"gimmick" in its early days, pointing out that many commentators slapped the first "talkie"
films of the early 1920s with this same label.
 9
IELTS

D But not everyone greets the rise of 3-D with open arms. Some ophthalmologists
point out that 3-D can have unsettling physical effects for many viewers. Dr. Michael
Rosenberg, a professor at Northwestern University, has pointed out that many people go
through life with minor eye disturbances - a slight muscular imbalance, for example - that
does not interrupt day-to-day activities. In the experience of a 3-D movie, however, this
problem can be exacerbated through the viewer trying to concentrate on unusual visual
phenomena. Dr. Deborah Friedman, from the University of Rochester Medical Center, notes
that the perception of depth conjured through three dimensions does not complement the
angles from which we take in the world. Eyestrains, headaches and nausea are, therefore, a
problem for around 15% of a 3-D film audience.

E Film critic Roger Ebert warns that 3-D is detrimental to good film-making. Firstly, he
argues, the technology is simply unnecessary; 2-D movies are "already" 3-D, as far as our
minds are concerned. Adding the extra dimension with technology, instead of letting our
minds do the work, can actually be counter-purposeful and make the overall effect seem
clumsy and contrived. Ebert also points out that the special glasses dim the effect by
soaking up light from the screen, making 3-D films a slightly duller experience than they
might otherwise be. Finally, Ebert suggests that 3-D encourages film-makers to undercut
drama and narrative in favour of simply piling on more gimmicks and special effects.
"Hollywood is racing headlong toward the kiddie market," he says, pointing to Disney's
announcement that it will no longer make traditional films in favour of animation,
franchises, and superheroes.

F Whether or not 3-D becomes a powerful force for the film-maker's vision and the
film-going experience, or goes down in history as an over-hyped, expensive novelty, the
technology certainly shows no signs of fading in the popularity stakes at the moment. Clash
of the Titans, Alice in Wonderland, and How to Train Your Dragon have all recently benefited
at the box office due to the added sales that 3-D provides, and with Avatar's record set to
last some time as a totem of 3-D's commercial possibilities, studios are not prepared to
back down.

Questions 20-26
Look at the following statements (Questions 20-26) and the list of people below.
Match each statement with the correct person, A-G.
Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 20-26 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
NB Some options may not be used.

20 3-D conflicts with our mental construct of our surroundings.

21 3-D encourages an over-emphasis on quick visual thrills.
22 Effective use of 3-D technology may increase our sensation of elevation.
23 3-D viewing can worsen an existing visual disorder.
24 Avatar is the most powerful example of 3-D yet to arrive in cinemas.
25 Avatars strength is found in its visual splendour, not in aspects of story.
26 People already have the mental capacity to see ordinary movies in three dimensions.
 9
IELTS

List of People

A Kenneth Turan
B Exhibitor Relations' analyst
C Animation Ideas’ blogger
D Kevin Carr
E Dr. Michael Rosenberg
F Dr. Deborah Friedman
G Roger Ebert

READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on questions 27-40, which are based on Reading
Passage 3 below.

So you think humans are unique

There was a time when we thought humans were special in so many ways. Now we know
better. We are not the only species that feels emotions, empathises with others or abides by
a moral code. Neither are we the only ones with personalities, cultures and the ability to
design and use tools. Yet we have steadfastly clung to the notion that one attribute, at least,
makes us unique: we alone have the capacity for language.

Alas, it turns out we are not so special in this respect either. Key to the revolutionary
reassessment of our talent for communication is the way we think about language itself.
Where once it was seen as a monolith, a discrete and singular entity, today scientists find it
is more productive to think of language as a suite of abilities. Viewed this way, it becomes
apparent that the component parts of language are not as unique as the whole.

Take gesture, arguably the starting point for language. Until recently, it was considered
uniquely human - but not any more. Mike Tomasello of the Max Planck Institute for
Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and others have compiled a list of gestures
observed in monkeys, gibbons, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans, which
reveals that gesticulation plays a large role in their communication. Ape gestures can
involve touch, vocalising or eye movement, and individuals wait until they have another
ape's attention before making visual or auditory gestures. If their gestures go
unacknowledged, they will often repeat them or touch the recipient.

In an experiment carried out in 2006 by Erica Cartmill and Richard Byrne from the
University of St Andrews in the UK, they got a person to sit on a chair with some highly
desirable food such as banana to one side of them and some bland food such as celery to
the other. The orangutans, who could see the person and the food from their enclosures,
gestured at their human partners to encourage them to push the desirable food their way.
If the person feigned incomprehension and offered the bland food, the animals would
change their gestures- just as humans would in a similar situation. If the human seemed to
 9
IELTS

understand while being somewhat confused, giving only half the preferred food, the apes
would repeat and exaggerate their gestures -again in exactly the same way a human would.
Such findings highlight the fact that the gestures of nonhuman primates are not merely
innate reflexes but are learned, flexible and under voluntary control –all characteristics
that are considered prerequisites for human-like communication.

As well as gesturing, pre-linguistic infants babble. At about five months, babies start to
make their first speech sounds, which some researchers believe contain a random selection
of all the phonemes humans can produce. But as children learn the language of their
parents, they narrow their sound repertoire to fit the model to which they are exposed,
producing just the sounds of their native language as well as its classic intonation patterns.
Indeed, they lose their polymath talents so effectively that they are ultimately unable to
produce some sounds - think about the difficulty some speakers have producing the
English th.

Dolphin calves also pass through a babbling phase. Laurance Doyle from the SETI Institute
in Mountain View, California, Brenda McCowan from the University of California at Davis
and their colleagues analysed the complexity of baby dolphin sounds and found it looked
remarkably like that of babbling infants, in that the young dolphins had a much wider
repertoire of sound than adults. This suggests that they practise the sounds of their species,
much as human babies do, before they begin to put them together in the way characteristic
of mature dolphins of their species.

Of course, language is more than mere sound -it also has meaning. While the traditional,
cartoonish version of animal communication renders it unclear, unpredictable and
involuntary, it has become clear that various species are able to give meaning to particular
sounds by connecting them with specific ideas. Dolphins use 'signature whistles', so called
because it appears that they name themselves. Each develops a unique moniker within the
first year of life and uses it whenever it meets another dolphin.

One of the clearest examples of animals making connections between specific sounds and
meanings was demonstrated by Klaus Zuberbuhler and Katie Slocombe of the University of
St Andrews in the UK. They noticed that chimps at Edinburgh Zoo appeared to make
rudimentary references to objects by using distinct cries when they came across different
kinds of food. Highly valued foods such as bread would elicit high-pitched grunts, less
appealing ones, such as an apple, got low-pitched grunts. Zuberbuhler and Slocombe
showed not only that chimps could make distinctions in the way they vocalised about food,
but that other chimps understood what they meant. When played recordings of grunts that
were produced for a specific food, the chimps looked in the place where that food was
usually found. They also searched longer if the cry had signalled a prized type of food.

Clearly animals do have greater talents for communication than we realised. Humans are
still special, but it is a far more graded, qualified kind of special than it used to be.
 9
IELTS

Questions 27-31
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

27 What point does the writer make in the first paragraph?

A We know more about language now than we used to.
B We recognise the importance of talking about emotions.
C We like to believe that language is a strictly human skill.
D We have used tools for longer than some other species.
28 According to the writer, what has changed our view of communication?
A analysing different world languages
B understanding that language involves a range of skills
C studying the different purposes of language
D realising that we can communicate without language
29 The writer quotes the Cartmill and Byrne experiment because it shows
A the similarities in the way humans and apes use gesture.
B the abilities of apes to use gesture in different environments.
C how food can be used to encourage ape gestures.
D how hard humans find it to interpret ape gestures.
30 In paragraph 7, the writer says that one type of dolphin sound is
A used only when dolphins are in danger.
B heard only at a particular time of day.
C heard at a range of pitch levels.
D used as a form of personal identification.
31 Experiments at Edinburgh Zoo showed that chimps were able to
A use grunts to ask humans for food.
B use pitch changes to express meaning.
C recognise human voices on a recording.
D tell the difference between a false grunt and a real one.

Questions 32-36
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
Write

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

32 It could be said that language begins with gesture.

33 Ape gestures always consist of head or limb movements.
34 Apes ensure that other apes are aware of their gesturing.
35 Primate and human gestures share some key features.
36 Cartoons present an amusing picture of animal communication.
 9
IELTS

Questions 37-40
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-H, below.

Babbling
It seems that humans are not the only species that babble. Before young infants speak,
some experts think that they produce the 37 .................. mixture of human sounds. Over
time, however, they copy the language of their parents, and this affects their ability to
pronounce 38 .................. sounds from other languages.
A 39 .............. pattern has been found among dolphins. They produce a range of
individual sounds when they are babies, and then combine some of these to produce the
sounds of 40 .................. dolphins later on.

A adult B rare

C similar D full

E restricted F sociable

G different H random