Cambridge IELTS 12 - AC Reading Test 1

60:00⏰

READING PASSAGE 1

Questions 1-13

Cork

Cork – the thick bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber) – is a remarkable material. It is tough, elastic, buoyant, and fire-resistant, and suitable for a wide range of purposes. It has also been used for millennia: the ancient Egyptians sealed their sarcophagi (stone coffins) with cork, while the ancient Greeks and Romans used it for anything from beehives to sandals.
And the cork oak itself is an extraordinary tree. Its bark grows up to 20 cm in thickness, insulating the tree like a coat wrapped around the trunk and branches and keeping the inside at a constant 20°c all year round. Developed most probably as a defence against forest fires, the bark of the cork oak has a particular cellular structure – with about 40 million cells per cubic centimetre – that technology has never succeeded in replicating. The cells are filled with air, which is why cork is so buoyant. It also has an elasticity that means you can squash it and watch it spring back to its original size and shape when you release the pressure.
Cork oaks grow in a number of Mediterranean countries, including Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Morocco. They flourish in warm, sunny climates where there is a minimum of 400 millimetres of rain per year, and not more than 800 millimetres. Like grape vines, the trees thrive in poor soil, putting down deep roots in search of moisture and nutrients. Southern Portugal's Alentejo region meets all of these requirements, which explains why, by the early 20th century, this region had become the world's largest producer of cork, and why today it accounts for roughly half of all cork production around the world.
Most cork forests are family-owned. Many of these family businesses, and indeed many of the trees themselves, are around 200 years old. Cork production is, above all, an exercise in patience. From the planting of a cork sapling to the first harvest takes 25 years, and a gap of approximately a decade must separate harvests from an individual tree. And for top-quality cork, it's necessary to wait a further 15 or 20 years. You even have to wait for the right kind of summer's day to harvest cork. If the bark is stripped on a day when it's too cold – or when the air is damp – the tree will be damaged.
Cork harvesting is a very specialised profession. No mechanical means of stripping cork bark has been invented, so the job is done by teams of highly skilled workers. First, they make vertical cuts down the bark using small sharp axes, then lever it away in pieces as large as they can manage. The most skilful corkstrippers prise away a semi-circular husk that runs the length of the trunk from just above ground level to the first branches. It is then dried on the ground for about four months, before being taken to factories, where it is boiled to kill any insects that might remain in the cork. Over 60% of cork then goes on to be made into traditional bottle stoppers, with most of the remainder being used in the construction trade. Corkboard and cork tiles are ideal for thermal and acoustic insulation, while granules of cork are used in the manufacture of concrete.
Recent years have seen the end of the virtual monopoly of cork as the material for bottle stoppers, due to concerns about the effect it may have on the contents of the bottle. This is caused by a chemical compound called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), which forms through the interaction of plant phenols, chlorine and mould. The tiniest concentrations – as little as three or four parts to a trillion – can spoil the taste of the product contained in the bottle. The result has been a gradual yet steady move first towards plastic stoppers and, more recently, to aluminium screw caps. These substitutes are cheaper to manufacture and, in the case of screw caps, more convenient for the user.
The classic cork stopper does have several advantages, however. Firstly, its traditional image is more in keeping with that of the type of high quality goods with which it has long been associated. Secondly – and very importantly – cork is a sustainable product that can be recycled without difficulty. Moreover, cork forests are a resource which support local biodiversity, and prevent desertification in the regions where they are planted. So, given the current concerns about environmental issues, the future of this ancient material once again looks promising.

Questions 1 – 5

Choose TRUE if the statement agrees with the information given in the text, choose FALSE if the statement contradicts the information given in the text, or choose NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

The cork oak has the thickest bark of any living tree.
x Keyword(s): thickest bark

In paragraph 1 and paragraph 2, the author mentioned the thick bark of the cork oak tree as “a remarkable material” and “its bark grows up to 20 cm in thickness”. This information does not mean that it is “the thickest bark of any living tree”.

In addition, in True/False/Not given tasks, the questions follow the order of the text, so if you are not sure about your answer, you can find the answer to question 2. It is in the second sentence of paragraph 2. Therefore, you just need to pay attention to the previous parts. There is no statement showing any comparison between the cork oak’s bark with that of other living trees. We have no information about this statement. So the answer is Not Given.
Scientists have developed a synthetic cork with the same cellular structure as natural cork.
x Keyword(s): a synthetic cork, the same cellular structure, natural cork

In paragraph 2, the writer mentioned the cellular structure of the bark of the coak oak. The technology can refer to the scientists here. The fact that they “never succeeded in replicating” means that they have not been able to make a copy of the natural cork, with all of the same qualities. So the answer is False.
Individual cork oak trees must be left for 25 years between the first and second harvest.
x Keyword(s): individual, 25 years, the first and second harvest

In paragraph 4, the author mentioned the harvesting of an individual cork oak tree. Therefore, the period of 25 years is the period from the planting to the first harvest, while the gap between the first and the second harvest is about 10 years (approximately a decade).So the answer is False
Cork bark should be stripped in dry atmospheric conditions.
x Keyword(s): stripped, dry atmospheric conditions

We need to find information about the cork bark being stripped. Following the order of the text in paragraph 4, we can see that the bark should not be stripped in damp atmospheric conditions; however, in contrast, it should be stripped in dry atmospheric conditions. So the answer is True.
The only way to remove the bark from cork oak trees is by hand.
x Keyword(s): only way, remove, by hand

In paragraph 5, “stripping cork bark” means “remove the bark”. Since the author stated that “no mechanical means has been invented”, we can understand that they do not use any machines in removing the bark, so it has to be done by hand (the hands of highly skilled workers). So the answer is True.

Questions 6 – 13

Complete the notes below. Write ONE WORD ONLY from the passage in each gap.

Comparison of aluminium screw caps and cork bottle stoppers

Advantages of aluminium screw caps
do not affect the of the bottle contents
x Keyword(s): affect, bottle contents

In paragraph 6, aluminium screw caps overcame one disadvantage of cork bottle stoppers, which is that they “spoil the taste of the product contained in the bottle”. Therefore, aluminim screw caps do not affect the taste of the product inside the bottle. So the answer is taste.
are to produce
x Keyword(s): produce

In the last sentence of paragraph 6, “These substitutes” refer to “aluminium screw caps”, and “manufacture” refers to “produce”. So the answer is cheaper.
are to use
x Keyword(s): use

In the last sentence of paragraph 6, “in the case of screw caps” and “for the user” means “to use”. So they are more convenient for the user. But the question requires “one word only”, so the answer is convenient.

Advantages of cork bottle stoppers
suit the of quality products
x Keyword(s): suit, quality products

We find information about quality products in the highlighted text, in paragraph 7. “in keeping with” means “suit”. So the blank has to be “traditional image”, but the answer allows one word only, so the answer is image.
made from a material
x Keyword(s): made from, material

In the next sentence, the writer mentioned “Secondly – and very importantly – cork is a sustainable product, so the answer is sustainable.
easily
x Keyword(s): easily

In the next sentence, recycling is often associated with the material. So the author is referring to its material here, so the answer is recycled.
cork forests aid
x Keyword(s): cork forests, aid

“Support” means “aid”, so the answer is biodiversity.
cork forests stop happening
x Keyword(s): cork forests, stop

“prevent” is equal to “stop”, so the answer is desertification.

READING PASSAGE 2

Questions 14-26

COLLECTING AS A HOBBY

Collecting must be one of the most varied of human activities, and it's one that many of us psychologists find fascinating. Many forms of collecting have been dignified with a technical name: an archtophilist collects teddy bears, a philatelist collects postage stamps, and a deltiologist collects postcards. Amassing hundreds or even thousands of postcards, chocolate wrappers or whatever, takes time, energy and money that could surely be put to much more productive use. And yet there are millions of collectors around the world. Why do they do it?
There are the people who collect because they want to make money – this could be called an instrumental reason for collecting; that is, collecting as a means to an end. They'll look for, say, antiques that they can buy cheaply and expect to be able to sell at a profit. But there may well be a psychological element, too – buying cheap and selling dear can give the collector a sense of triumph. And as selling online is so easy, more and more people are joining in.
Many collectors collect to develop their social life, attending meetings of a group of collectors and exchanging information on items. This is a variant on joining a bridge club or a gym, and similarly brings them into contact with like-minded people.
Another motive for collecting is the desire to find something special, or a particular example of the collected item, such as a rare early recording by a particular singer. Some may spend their whole lives in a hunt for this. Psychologically, this can give a purpose to a life that otherwise feels aimless. There is a danger, though, that if the individual is ever lucky enough to find what they're looking for, rather than celebrating their success, they may feel empty, now that the goal that drove them on has gone.
If you think about collecting postage stamps, another potential reason for it – or, perhaps, a result of collecting – is its educational value. Stamp collecting opens a window to other countries, and to the plants, animals, or famous people shown on their stamps. Similarly, in the 19th century, many collectors amassed fossils, animals and plants from around the globe, and their collections provided a vast amount of information about the natural world. Without those collections, our understanding would be greatly inferior to what it is.
In the past – and nowadays, too, though to a lesser extent-a popular form of collecting, particularly among boys and men, was trainspotting. This might involve trying to see every locomotive of a particular type, using published data that identifies each one, and ticking off each engine as it is seen. Trainspotters exchange information, these days often by mobile phone, so they can work out where to go to, to see a particular engine. As a byproduct, many practitioners of the hobby become very knowledgeable about railway operations, or the technical specifications of different engine types.
Similarly, people who collect dolls may go beyond simply enlarging their collection, and develop an interest in the way that dolls are made, or the materials that are used. These have changed over the centuries from the wood that was standard in 16th century Europe, through the wax and porcelain of later centuries, to the plastics of today's dolls. Or collectors might be inspired to study how dolls reflect notions of what children like, or ought to like.
Not all collectors are interested in learning from their hobby, though, so what we might call a psychological reason for collecting is the need for a sense of control, perhaps as a way of dealing with insecurity. Stamp collectors, for instance, arrange their stamps in albums, usually very neatly, organising their collection according to certain commonplace principles – perhaps by country in alphabetical order, or grouping stamps by what they depict – people, birds, maps, and so on.
One reason, conscious or not, for what someone chooses to collect is to show the collector's individualism. Someone who decides to collect something as unexpected as dog collars, for instance, may be conveying their belief that they must be interesting themselves. And believe it or not, there is at least one dog collar museum in existence, and it grew out of a personal collection.
Of course, all hobbies give pleasure, but the common factor in collecting is usually passion: pleasure is putting it far too mildly. More than most other hobbies, collecting can be totally engrossing, and can give a strong sense of personal fulfilment. To non-collectors it may appear an eccentric, if harmless, way of spending· time, but potentially, collecting has a lot going for it.

Questions 14 – 20

Complete the sentences below. Write ONE WORD ONLY from the passage in each gap.

The writer mentions collecting as an example of collecting in order to make money.
x Keyword(s): collecting, make money

In the first sentence of paragraph 2, the author refered to one purpose of collecting, that is making money. We will look for the next sentence to find out its example. He/she used antiques as an example of one object that is able to be collected to make money. Therefore, the answer is antiques .
Collectors may get a feeling of from buying and selling items.
x Keyword(s): collectors, feeling, buying and selling

In paragraph 2, there is a sentence mentioning buying and selling items. “A sense of” means “a feeling of”. So the answer is triumph .
Collectors' clubs provide opportunities to share .
x Keyword(s): collectors’ clubs, share

In the first sentence of paragraph 3, we can consider these groups as “collectors’ clubs”. While attending those clubs, they can exchange information on items. But the question requires one word only, so we choose the most important word – information .
Collectors' clubs offer with people who have similar interests.
x Keyword(s): Collectors’ clubs, similar interests

This question still mentions “collectors’ clubs” as in the question above, so we still pay attention to paragraph 3. In the second sentence, we see the phrase “like-minded people”. This phrase has the same meaning as “people who have similar interests”. And those clubs bring them into “contact” with other collectors, so the answer is contact. “Attending meetings” in clubs is one way in which collectors come into contact socially, so meetings is also a correct answer.
Collecting sometimes involves a life-long for a special item.
x Keyword(s): collecting, life–long, special item

Since the questions in IELTS Reading often follow the text’s order, we just need to look at the highlighted sentences and find the similar words to the question we are doing. In the first sentence of paragraph 4, we can see another purpose of collecting – it is “the desire to find something special” (=special item). But the author does not mention something like “life-long”, so we have to continue reading to find the accurate answer. Fortunately, in the next sentence, the author writes (“the whole lives = life–long”). We can understand that the writer wants to say “Collectors sometimes have a life-long desire / spend their whole lives in a hunt for a special item.” So the answer can be desire or hunt.
Searching for something particular may prevent people from feeling their life is completely .
x Keyword(s): searching, prevent, their life

In paragraph 4, “a hunt” = “searching for”. The author claims if they are not searching for a special item, they will feel “aimless”. Then, we are told, if the collector finds that special item, they may then “feel empty”, because the search has ended. Therefore, the answer is either aimless or empty.
Stamp collecting may be because it provides facts about different countries.
x Keyword(s): stamp collecting, facts, different countries

This question mentions “stamp collecting” as the main subject, so we have to find part of the passage which contains information about this type of collecting – paragraph 5. In this paragraph, the author mentions the educational value of stamp collecting as it “opens a window to other countries” with things shown on their stamps. Therefore, the answer is educational.
tends to be mostly a male hobby.
x Keyword(s): male hobby

We have to find the paragraph mentioning something related to “male”. In paragraph 6, the author mentions “trainspotting” as “a popular form of collecting, particularly among boys and men”. So, the answer is trainspotting.

Questions 22 – 26

The number of people buying dolls has grown over the centuries.
x Keyword(s): the number of, buying dolls, grown

We have to find every part of the text about “dolls”. The whole of paragraph 7 is about this topic. But it is about the things which interest doll collectors, but there is no information about the number of people buying dolls. Therefore, the answer is NOT GIVEN.

NB: If you are not sure enough, you can try doing the next question. Since the questions are in order, if you find out the sentence for the answer of next question, then the following sentences will not have the answer for this question.
Sixteenth century European dolls were normally made of wax and porcelain.
x Keyword(s): the number of, buying dolls, grown

In the same paragraph about dolls, we will find that in 16th century, European dolls were often made of wood. And the wax and porcelain dolls were popular in later centuries, which means the 17th century and the ones after. Therefore, the answer is FALSE.
Arranging a stamp collection by the size of the stamps is less common than other methods.
x Keyword(s): arranging, by the size, less common

We have to pay attention to paragraph 8, which contains information about arranging a stamp collection. In this paragraph, the author only mentions the reason why some collectors like to arrange their collection and the types of arrangement. There is no reference to what kind of arrangement is more or less popular. Therefore, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
Someone who collects unusual objects may want others to think he or she is also unusual.
x Keyword(s): unusual objects, think

In paragraph 9, the author gives an example when someone collects something unexpected (which means unsual objects), they may be conveying their belief (which means they want others to think) that they are interesting as well. Therefore, the answer is TRUE.
Collecting gives a feeling that other hobbies are unlikely to inspire.
x Keyword(s): other hobbies, inspire

In the last paragraph, the author mentions that collecting needs all your attention and makes you completely satisfied, while most other hobbies could not do the same (more than most other hobbies). Therefore, the answer is TRUE.

READING PASSAGE 3

Questions 27-40

What's the purpose of gaining knowledge?

A'I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any subject.' That was the founder's motto for Cornell University, and it seems an apt characterization of the different university, also in the USA, where I currently teach philosophy. A student can prepare for a career in resort management, engineering, interior design, accounting, music, law enforcement, you name it. But what would the founders of these two institutions have thought of a course called 'Arson for Profit'? I kid you not: we have it on the books. Any undergraduates who have met the academic requirements can sign up for the course in our program in 'fire science'.
BNaturally, the course is intended for prospective arson investigators, who can learn all the tricks of the trade for detecting whether a fire was deliberately set, discovering who did it, and establishing a chain of evidence for effective prosecution in a court of law. But wouldn't this also be the perfect course for prospective arsonists to sign up for? My point is not to criticize academic programs in fire science: they are highly welcome as part of the increasing professionalization of this and many other occupations. However, it's not unknown for a firefighter to torch a building. This example suggests how dishonest and illegal behavior, with the help of higher education, can creep into every aspect of public and business life.
CI realized this anew when I was invited to speak before a class in marketing, which is another of our degree programs. The regular instructor is a colleague who appreciates the kind of ethical perspective I can bring as a philosopher. There are endless ways I could have approached this assignment, but I took my cue from the title of the course: 'Principles of Marketing'. It made me think to ask the students, 'Is marketing principled?' After all, a subject matter can have principles in the sense of being codified, having rules, as with football or chess, without being principled in the sense of being ethical. Many of the students immediately assumed that the answer to my question about marketing principles was obvious: no. Just look at the ways in which everything under the sun has been marketed; obviously it need not be done in a principled (=ethical) fashion.
Dls that obvious? I made the suggestion, which may sound downright crazy in light of the evidence, that perhaps marketing is by definition principled. My inspiration for this judgement is the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who argued that any body of knowledge consists of an end (or purpose) and a means.
ELet us apply both the terms 'means' and 'end' to marketing. The students have signed up for a course in order to learn how to market effectively. But to what end? There seem to be two main attitudes toward that question. One is that the answer is obvious: the purpose of marketing is to sell things and to make money. The other attitude is that the purpose of marketing is irrelevant: Each person comes to the program and course with his or her own plans, and these need not even concern the acquisition of marketing expertise as such. My proposal, which I believe would also be Kant's, is that neither of these attitudes captures the significance of the end to the means for marketing. A field of knowledge or a professional endeavor is defined by both the means and the end; hence both deserve scrutiny. Students need to study both how to achieve X, and also what X is.
FIt is at this point that 'Arson for Profit' becomes supremely relevant. That course is presumably all about means: how to detect and prosecute criminal activity. It is therefore assumed that the end is good in an ethical sense. When I ask fire science students to articulate the end, or purpose, of their field, they eventually generalize to something like, 'The safety and welfare of society,' which seems right. As we have seen, someone could use the very same knowledge of means to achieve a much less noble end, such as personal profit via destructive, dangerous, reckless activity. But we would not call that firefighting. We have a separate word for it: arson. Similarly, if you employed the 'principles of marketing' in an unprincipled way, you would not be doing marketing. We have another term for it: fraud. Kant gives the example of a doctor and a poisoner, who use the identical knowledge to achieve their divergent ends. We would say that one is practicing medicine, the other, murder.

Questions 27 – 32

Choose the correct number, i–viii, of heading for paragraphs A–F from the list of headings below.

List of Headings

iCourses that require a high level of commitment
iiA course title with two meanings
iiiThe equal importance of two key issues
ivApplying a theory in an unexpected context
vThe financial benefits of studying
viA surprising course title
viiDifferent names for different outcomes
viiiThe possibility of attracting the wrong kind of student

Section A
x In section A, the author mentions the idea of the founding of a special institution, its possible majors and possible titles for a wide variety of courses. Therefore, we should pay attention to headings related to those contents – they are ii, vi and vii (headings about the title, there is no heading about the other contents). In section A, the author explains that this course title is not a joke. We might not expect this course to exist, but it does exist. This is only one unexpected title, so it cannot be “vii” (different names) and the author does not mention anything related to its meanings, so it cannot be ii (with two meanings). Therefore, the answer is vi.
Section B
x Section B is about targeting students of the course because of the opening: “the course is intended for prospective arson investigators”. Then the author asks a question: “But wouldn’t this also be the perfect course for prospective arsonists to sign up for?” in order to point out the possibility of attracting the wrong kind of student. The course might attract students interested in starting fires, not fighting fires. Therefore, the answer is viii.
Section C
x Section C tells us about the author and his story about the title of the course. There are 2 remaining headings that could be related to a title – ii and vii. Since, in this section, the author only mentions one confusing title that could be understood by his students in two different ways, because of the the two meanings of ‘principles’, therefore the answer has to be “a course title with two meanings”. Therefore, the answer is ii.
Section D
x Section D is a very short paragraph. You can look at all the headings and cross out the ones you know are wrong for sure. For example, in section D the author does not mention any course or commitment, so the heading cannot be i – “Courses that require a high level of commitment”. Do the same with other headings, you can find out that only heading iv – “Applying a theory in an unexpected context” still remains. The theory referred to is the idea of the philospher Kant that any body of knowledge is principled. The author writes that this sounds “downright crazy in the light of the evidence”, which has the same meaning as “an unexpected context” when applied to an unethical practice like marketing. Therefore, the answer is iv.
Section E
x In section E, the author mentions two terms in marketing, means and end, in conclusion, he supposes that “A field of knowledge or a professional endeavor is defined by both the means and the end; hence both deserve scrutiny”, which means that both terms are equally important. Therefore, the answer is “the equal importance of two key issues” (iii) “how to achieve X and what X is”.
Section F
x In section F, the author gives the example of a doctor and a murderer. Both may learn the same body of knowledge, but they apply that knowledge for different purposes/ends. We give different names: we say that the doctor is practicing medicine and we say that the other is practicing murder. The author does not mention anything related to “a high level of commitment” (heading i) and “financial benefits” (heading v). Therefore, the most accurate heading for this section is “Different names for different outcomes” (vii). The doctor and the murderer use “identical knowledge to achieve their divergent ends”.

Questions 33 – 36

Complete the summary. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text in each gap.

The 'Arson for Profit' course

This is a university course intended for students who are undergraduates and who are studying
x In the last sentence of the first section, the author mentions that students who can sign up for the course are undergraduates and ones who are studying “fire science”. The answer is fire science (the question requires no more than two words so this is acceptable).
. The expectation is that they will become
x In the first sentence of the second section, we can see expectation = prospective, which means they are studying to be arson investigators in the future (arson as an adjective = specialising in arson – who specialize in arson). So the answer is investigators
specialising in arson. The course will help them to detect cases of arson and find
x The course will help them” means students can learn from the course, so we pay attention to this reference in section B. “A fire was deliberately set” can be considered as an example of criminal intent – the arsonist deliberately intended to start a fire. Then the course can help them to detect whether it is deliberate or not, who did it and find a chain of evidence. So the answer is evidence
of criminal intent, leading to successful
x The word required is right after an adjective and in front of an adverb of place, so it has to a noun. In section B, the author mentions the court in the highlighted phrase. We can consider “effective” as “successful”, and “in a court of law” as “in the courts”. So the answer is prosecution
in the courts.

Questions 37 – 40

Choose YES if the statement agrees with the writer's claims, choose NO if the statement contradicts the writer's claims, or choose NOT GIVEN if there is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this.

It is difficult to attract students onto courses that do not focus on a career.
x If this statement is true, you have to find a sentence in the text expressing the same idea. If this statement is false, you have to point out what is wrong with it and find a sentence in the passage given to correct it. However, we cannot find any reference like that. In the passage, there is no sentence telling us about difficulties in attracting students onto such courses. So the answer is NOT GIVEN
The 'Arson for Profit' course would be useful for people intending to set fire to buildings.
x In section F, the author once again mentions the “Arson for Profit” course. Hence, “use the very same knowledge” means they can use what they have learned from this course (= this course would be useful for them). And “destructive, dangerous, reckless activity” can include “set fire to buildings.” So the answer is YES
Fire science courses are too academic to help people to be good at the job of firefighting.
x In section B, the author relates the knowledge learned on the course to its usefulness for students who want to become firefighters. They will be qualified to do the job in a professional and expert way. The courses will help students. So the answer is NO
The writer's fire science students provided a detailed definition of the purpose of their studies.
x In section F, the author asks the students about purpose of the course. They only “generalize”, which means “to make a general statement or form a general opinion”. Their opinion is only general, not detailed or particularly clear. So the answer is NO