PRE-INT IELTS – MODULE A TEST

Part I: READING TEST

READING PASSAGE 1

The Boeing 787

The Boeing 787 ‘Dreamliner’ has been described as the airliner of the future. We look at the technology that
makes it different.

Until now, airliner fuselages have been made of aluminium sheets. Large aircraft can have 1,500 of these sheets
with between 40,000 and 50,000 metal fasteners. The 787 is the first airliner to be built with a one-piece fuselage made
from a special material called ‘composite’. Not only does this make the airliner quicker and easier to build, but it also
makes it a lot lighter.

The advantage of this weight reduction is that the 787 uses 20 percent less fuel than other airliners of a similar
size, which makes it much more environmentally friendly. The reduced weight also means that the Boeing 787 can fly
further than many other airliners of a similar size, carrying 210 passengers or more up to 15,200 kilometres before
refuelling.

Sometimes an airliner needs to change from one type of engine to another. This is a difficult and time-consuming
process. The 787 has a revolutionary engine attachment on the wing which means that the engines can be changed in a
much shorter time.

The case containing the engine is also different from those on other airliners. It has been designed to cut down
the noise from the engine, making it less noisy for passengers in the cabin as well as for people on the ground.

In addition to a quieter cabin, passengers will also benefit from windows which are 65 percent larger than those
on other airliners, giving them a much better view of the world passing by below them. The windows also have a unique
facility which allows passengers or cabin crew to control the amount of light that enters them. This is thanks to a liquid in
the window which reacts to an electric current. When a passenger or cabin crew member presses a button, the current
causes a chemical reaction in the window which darkens the liquid.

Questions 1-7

Complete labels (1-7) on

the diagram. Choose NO
MORE THAN TWO
WORDS AND/OR A
NUMBER from the
passage for each answer.
READING PASSAGE 2

MAKING A CHANGE

How easy is it for us to change our lives — and why?

In 1990, a young American named Christopher McCandless gave up his career plans, left behind everyone he
knew, including his family, and went off on an adventure. He was 22 at the time. In an act of kindness, he donated all his
savings to the famous charity, Oxfam International, and hitchhiked his way through America to Alaska. His decisions were
so unusual for his age that Jon Krakauer wrote a book about them called Into the Wild, and Sean Penn directed a film
that had the same title.

Of course, this is an unusual story. Most college graduates would not do quite the same thing. However, studies
do show that in teenage years, people are more likely to try out new experiences. Instead of following the family career
path, for example, and working his way up the same organisation like his grandfather did, a 15-year-old may dream about
becoming a traveller — only to find in his early 20s that this fascination with new places is declining and change is less
attractive. This age-related trend can be observed in all cultures.

The reason why people all over the world become less keen to change as they get older may be because people’s
lives generally follow similar patterns and involve similar demands. Most people, wherever they are, aim to find a job
and a partner. As they get older, they may have young children to look after and possibly elderly family members. These
responsibilities cannot be achieved without some degree of consistency, which means that new experiences and ideas
may not have a place in the person’s life. New experiences may bring excitement but also insecurity, and so most people
prefer to stay with the familiar.

However, not every individual is the same. One toddler may want to play a different game every day and get fed
up if nothing changes at the nursery. Another may seek out and play with the same children and toys on every visit.
Young children who avoid new experiences will grow up to be more conventional than others. Psychologists argue that
those who have more open personalities as children are more open than others might be when they are older. They also
suggest that young men have a greater interest in novelty than women, although, as they age, this desire for new
experiences fades more quickly than it does in women.

The truth is that, as we get older, we prefer the things we know. We tend to order the same meals in restaurants,
sit on the same side of the train when we commute to work, go on holiday to the same places and construct our day in
the same way. If you are older than 20, remember that your openness to new experiences is slowly declining. So you are
better off making that change or trying something new now rather than postponing it until later.
Questions 8–13

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the reading passage?

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

8. Teenagers are more ready to have new experiences than young adults.

9. Grandparents usually encourage their grandchildren to get a well-paid job.

10. Life demands are different depending on which country you live in.

11. Some toddlers find repetitive activities boring.

12. Children who dislike new experiences become more adventurous than others as adults.

13. If you want to change something in your life, you should avoid delay.
PART II: LISTENING
Questions 1-5

Listen and label the diagram. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

Questions 6-10

Listen and choose the correct answer A, B or C.

6. How long will it take to get to Paris? C. 8.15 p.m.

A. about one hour

B. about three hours
C. about four hours
9. What will the passengers do when the train gets to
7. What should passengers do with their passports?
the Italian border?
A. leave them with their steward
A. change trains
B. lock them away
B. go on a tour
C. carry them at all times
C. have lunch in a local café
8. When should passengers be in the restaurant car for
10. What should passengers not do?
dinner?
A. eat their own food on the train
A. 7.45 p.m.
B. open their cabin window
B. 8.00 p.m.
C. leave the train before it gets to Italy

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