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IELTS® Academic Reading Practice 26

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This reading practice simulates one part of the IELTS General Reading test. You should spend about twenty minutes on it. Read the passage and answer questions 14-26.

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Silbo GomeroLa Gomera, one of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic off northwest Africa, is a small volcanic island of steep rocky slopes, wooded ravines and mountains rising to 1,487 metres. Its terrain has helped preserve Silbo Gomero, the best-known whistled language in the world and a system desig...
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Questions 14-19
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? In boxes 14-19 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.

14. La Gomera is the the majority of mountainous of all the Canary Islands.

15. Silbo is only suitable for short and simple messages.

16. In the brain-activity study, silbadores and non-whistlers made different results.

17. The Spanish brought Silbo to the islands in the 15th century.

18. There is exact data available regarding all of the whistle languages in existence today.

19. The children of Gomera currently learn Silbo.

The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not give enough information to confirm the statement. The closest relevant evidence is: "La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic off northwest Africa, is a small volcanic island of steep rocky slopes, wooded ravines and mountains rising to 1,487 metres.". This may discuss a related idea, but it does not prove the statement in the question.

Associated Text:
La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic off northwest Africa, is a small volcanic island of steep rocky slopes, wooded ravines and mountains rising to 1,487 metres.

The answer is FALSE because the statement contradicts the passage. The key evidence is: "In daily life they use whistles for short commands, but any Spanish sentence could be whistled.". This evidence gives a different meaning from the question statement, so the statement is not correct.

Associated Text:
In daily life they use whistles for short commands, but any Spanish sentence could be whistled.

The answer is TRUE because the statement agrees with the passage. The key evidence is: "When the experiments were repeated with non-whistlers, activation appeared across many brain areas rather than in the language network used by silbadores.". This evidence says the same thing as the question statement, so the statement is supported.

Associated Text:
When the experiments were repeated with non-whistlers, activation appeared across many brain areas rather than in the language network used by silbadores.

The answer is FALSE because the statement contradicts the passage. The key evidence is: "Indigenous Canary Islanders of North African origin already had a whistled language when Spain conquered the islands in the 15th century.". This evidence gives a different meaning from the question statement, so the statement is not correct.

Associated Text:
Indigenous Canary Islanders of North African origin already had a whistled language when Spain conquered the islands in the 15th century.

The answer is FALSE because the statement contradicts the passage. The key evidence is: "There may be as many as 70 whistled languages still in use, although only 12 have been scientifically described and studied.". This evidence gives a different meaning from the question statement, so the statement is not correct.

Associated Text:
There may be as many as 70 whistled languages still in use, although only 12 have been scientifically described and studied.

The answer is TRUE because the statement agrees with the passage. The key evidence is: "Since 1999, Silbo Gomero has been taught in all of the island's elementary schools.". This evidence says the same thing as the question statement, so the statement is supported.

Associated Text:
Since 1999, Silbo Gomero has been taught in all of the island's elementary schools.

Questions 20-26
Complete the notes below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in 20-26 on your answer sheet.

Silbo Gomero

How Silbo is made

In Spanish (20), different pitches stand for different sounds.

Pitch is controlled by a silbador using a (21).

A curved hand alters the sound's (22).

How Silbo is used

Traditionally used by shepherds and people in isolated places.

Used to exchange short (23) in ordinary communication.

Can quickly spread urgent warnings, for example about (24).

The future of Silbo

Threatened by newer (25).

Canary authorities hope that a UNESCO (26) will support preservation.

The answer is Words because the passage states: Silbo is a substitute for Spanish, with individual words recoded into whistles using high- and low-frequency tones.

Associated Text:
Silbo provides evidence that the range is wider than previously assumed.

The answer is Finger because the passage states: A silbador places a finger in the mouth to raise the whistle's pitch, while a cupped hand can adjust the direction of the sound.

Associated Text:
A silbador places a finger in the mouth to raise the whistle's pitch, while a cupped hand can adjust the direction of the sound.

The answer is Direction because the passage states: A silbador places a finger in the mouth to raise the whistle's pitch, while a cupped hand can adjust the direction of the sound.

Associated Text:
A silbador places a finger in the mouth to raise the whistle's pitch, while a cupped hand can adjust the direction of the sound.

The answer is Commands because the passage states: In daily life they use whistles for short commands, but any Spanish sentence could be whistled.

Associated Text:
In daily life they use whistles for short commands, but any Spanish sentence could be whistled.

The answer is Fires because the passage states: Silbo has been especially valuable during fires, when rapid communication across wide areas is essential.

Associated Text:
Silbo has been especially valuable during fires, when rapid communication across wide areas is essential. The research team used neuroimaging to compare how silbadores responded to whistled and spoken Spanish.

The answer is Technology because the passage states: With modern communication technology now widely available, researchers say whistled languages such as Silbo are at risk of extinction.

Associated Text:
Julien Meyer explains that such systems usually develop in mountains or dense forests where communities are separated from one another.

The answer is Award because the passage states: Local authorities hope to obtain a UNESCO award declaring Silbo Gomero something that should be preserved for humanity.

Associated Text:
Local authorities hope to obtain a UNESCO award declaring Silbo Gomero something that should be preserved for humanity.

Answer Sheet
1
N/A
2
N/A
3
N/A
4
N/A
5
N/A
6
N/A
7
N/A
8
N/A
9
N/A
10
N/A
11
N/A
12
N/A
13
N/A
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
N/A
28
N/A
29
N/A
30
N/A
31
N/A
32
N/A
33
N/A
34
N/A
35
N/A
36
N/A
37
N/A
38
N/A
39
N/A
40
N/A
Score Summary
0 / 1
Multiple Choice
Matching Sentence Endings
Note Completion
Table Completion
Flow Chart Completion
Summary Completion
Multiple Selection
Short Answer
Matching Headings
Matching Features
Matching Information
Identifying Information
Identifying Viewer Claims
Sentence Completion
Diagram Labelling
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Tips to improve your reading speed
To get a high score on the IELTS reading section, you need to have a fast reading speed. To have a fast reading speed, you need to improve your vocabulary and practice dissecting sentences. One strategy to dissect a sentence is to look for the subject and verb of the sentence. Finding the subject and verb will help you better understand the main idea of said sentence. Keep in mind, a common feature of a IELTS reading passage is to join strings of ideas to form long compound sentences. This produces large chunks that students have a hard time absorbing. Do not get overwhelmed by its length, just look for the subject and verb, the rest of the ideas will flow.

Keep in mind, having a slow reading speed makes skimming or scanning a reading passage more difficult. The process of quickly skimming through a reading passage for specific keywords or main ideas is a requirement for you to employ successful reading strategies to improve your IELTS reading score. In other words, skimming and scanning are critical skills to ensure you complete all questions in the allotted time frame.
IELTS Reading Strategies
Once you can read and comprehend a passage with a rate of, at least, 220 words per minute, you'll be ready to start implementing our strategies. All too often, students spend too much time reading the passages and not enough time answering the questions. Here is a step by step guide for tackling the reading section.

  1. Step 1: Read questions first

    One of the most common mistakes that candidates make when approaching the reading exam is reading every single word of the passages. Although you can practice for the exam by reading for pleasure, "reading blindly" (reading without any sense of what the questions will ask) will not do you any favors in the exam. Instead, it will hurt your chances for effectively managing your time and getting the best score.

    The main reason to read the questions first is because the type of question may determine what you read in the passage or how you read it. For example, some question types will call for the "skimming" technique, while others may call for the "scanning" technique.

    It is important to answer a set of questions that are of the same question type. You'll need to determine which question type you want to tackle first. A good strategy would be to start with the easier question type and move on to more difficult question types later. The Easiest question types are the ones where you spend less time reading. For example, the Matching Heading question type is an easier one because you only need to find the heading that best describes the main idea of a paragraph. An example of a difficult question type would be Identifying Information. For this question type, you'll need to read each paragraph to find out if each statement is TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the passage.

    Here is a table that lists the difficulty levels for each question type. Use this table as a reference when choosing which question type you want to tackle first.

    Difficulty level Question Type
    Easy Sentence Completion
    Short answer
    Medium Matching Features
    Multiple choice
    Matching Headings
    Summary, Table, Flow-Chart Completion
    Difficult Matching Sentence Endings
    Matching Information
    Identifying Information (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN)
    Identifying Viewer's claims (YES/NO/NOT GIVEN)

  2. Step 2: Read for an objective

    After you've read the questions for the passage, you will be able to read for an objective. What does this mean? For example, if you come across a question that includes the year "1896", you can make a note of when this year comes up in the text, using it to answer the question later on. There are two reading techniques that will help you stay on track with reading for an objective. The first one, skimming, is best defined as reading fast in order to get the "gist", or general idea, or a passage. With this technique, you are not stopping for any unfamiliar words or looking for specific details. The second technique, scanning, is best defined as reading for specific information. With this technique, you are not reading for the overall gist, but rather, specific information. Notice how each of these techniques has a specific objective in mind. This will help you find information more quickly.

  3. Step 3: Take notes

    As you're reading for an objective, you should also be making notes on the margins of the passage, placing stars next to key information, or underlining things that you believe will help you answer the various questions. This will make it easier for you to check back when you are asked certain things in the questions. Choose whichever note-taking system is right for you - just make sure you do it!

  4. Step 4: Answer wisely

    After you've read the questions, read the passage, and have taken any appropriate notes, you you should have located the part of the text where you where you need to read carefully. Then just read carefully and think critically to determine the correct answer.

IELTS Reading Question Types

The IELTS reading test contains many different question types:

Matching HeadingsIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Headings
Matching InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Information
Matching FeaturesIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Features
Summary CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Summary Completion
Identifying InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Information
Identifying Writer's claimsIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Writer's claims
Multiple ChoiceIELTS Reading Lesson: Multiple Choice
Short AnswerIELTS Reading Lesson: Short Answer
Match Sentence EndingIELTS Reading Lesson: Match Sentence Ending
Sentence CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Sentence Completion
Table CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Table Completion
 
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