IELTS 5.
0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
Full name:.................................
Lesson 5 Topic: Leisure and Education WID: IELTS5.0_05_R
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Reading: - Questions asking for facts and writer’s opinion-
Skimming and scanning
.... pts/10
Skills
Grammar Focus: the past simple and past continuous
IELTS Reading skills: multiple choice questions, pick from
.... pts/10
a list
Exercise 1 [Skimming]: Read the paragraph.
A history of ice cream
Although many people might consider ice cream a recent invention, dependent on refrigeration
technology and the dairy industry, there have been certain people eating frozen desserts made by
mixing ice with fruit flavours for thousands of years. We don’t know when people started doing
this, but we do know that Roman and Chinese emperors used to eat fruit mixed with snow as far
back as 2,000 years ago. However, most fruit grows in the warmer months, and ice needed to be
transported from distant mountain tops, or collected in winter and stored in very expensive
underground chambers. This meant that it was available only to the people at the very top of
society, and only on special occasions.
1. Skim the paragraph. The main point of this paragraph is:
A. No one knows when ice cream was invented.
B. Long ago, only wealthy, powerful people ate fruit mixed with ice.
C. Storing and collecting ice is very difficult.
D. Ice can be mixed with fruit to create a dessert.
2. Which parts of the paragraph give this main idea? Choose the three correct options.
A. Although many people might consider ice cream a recent invention, dependent on refrigeration
technology and the dairy industry,
B. there have been certain people eating frozen desserts made by mixing ice with fruit flavours for
thousands of years.
C. We don’t know when people started doing this,
D. but we do know that Roman and Chinese emperors used to eat fruit mixed with snow as far
back as 2,000 years ago.
IELTS 5.0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
E. However, most fruit grows in the warmer months, and ice needed to be transported from
distant mountain tops, or collected in winter and stored in very expensive underground chambers.
F. This meant that it was available only to the people at the very top of society, and only on special
occasions.
Exercise 2. [Skimming] Read the paragraph below.
Not until relatively recently – the 1600s – did people begin mixing milk or cream with ice to create
what people today might recognize as ice cream. Ice cream desserts began to appear in expensive
cafés in Paris, and then in New York in the 1700s. In England, recipes for making your own ice
cream began to be published in the early 1700s. Indeed, the word ice cream appeared for the first
time in a dictionary in 1744. This all meant that ordinary people might have heard about ice
cream and understood what a frozen dessert was, even if they couldn’t afford to buy one
themselves.
Which idea best summarizes the writer’s main point in this paragraph?
A. Ordinary people couldn’t afford ice cream until relatively recently.
B. People have not been mixing ice with cream for long.
C. Only rich people consumed ice cream in the 1600s and 1700s.
D. The idea of ‘ice cream’ began to spread amongst ordinary people in the 1600s and 1700s.
Exercise 3. [Writer’s opinion] Read the information.
A. Circle the word which best shows the writer’s opinion.
In the 1700s, ice cream started to become popular in the USA. Adverts began to appear in
newspapers for a growing number of specialist ice-cream shops, which made and sold their own
frozen desserts. As before, however, ice cream was only affordable for society’s elite. The first
American president, George Washington, was known to enjoy ice cream. He spent an incredible
$200 on ice cream in just one year – the equivalent of at least $5,000 in today’s money.
B. Choose the best answer to the question below.
When the writer discusses the first ice-cream shops in the USA, he or she is surprised that
A. there were so many ice-cream shops.
B. anyone would spend so much on ice-cream.
C. ice-cream was so expensive in the 1700s.
D. the first American president liked ice-cream.
IELTS 5.0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
Exercise 4. [IELTS Reading: Multiple choice questions] Read the passage.
Fashion Victim
By 1830, wallpaper production had risen to over a million rolls in the UK and it continued to
increase to 30 million a year by 1870. Other synthetic alternatives had appeared by Scheele’s
green remained popular with designers, despite the many warning signs. At a formal meal held by
the military in London in the 1850s, the table decorations were leaves made from sugar paste and
coloured with Scheele’s green. Many of the guests took the attractive leaves home for their
children, and several deaths then followed. The event prompted The Times newspaper to start an
investigation in the 1860s. They ran a series of articles once they had gathered anecdotal evidence
that children sleeping in bedrooms painted with arsenic green had a tendency to get suck and
even die at rates far higher than the average child.
The famous designer, William Morris, used poisoned paint in his wallpaper. His patterns were
popular and are still influential today, which means that small pieces of his wallpaper have
survived and can be tested. One piece dating back to 1864 clearly contained the naturally
occurring poison, arsenic. Morris himself commented on the arguments against Scheele’s green at
the time, but Scheele’s green was made from natural minerals, and he disliked the new ‘synthetic
dyes’ that were being produced. The arguments that his paints were poisonous were, he said, not
worth wasting time on. Natural paints, made with mineral products, were more beautiful, and that
was all that mattered, in Morris’ view.
Although the majority of deaths from wallpaper poisoning went unnoticed, there was one very
famous victim, famous enough to leave evidence of the cause of his death centuries later.
Napoleon Bonaparte had been imprisoned on the island of St Helena, after losing the Battle of
Waterloo in 1815. He lived there just a few short years more before his mysterious death in 1821.
Although technically in a prison, he was kept in a comfortable room in luxury. He was said to have
died naturally of cancer, though few people believed that story. Many suggested that he had been
murdered by the British government, keen on prevent him from coming to power again.
The debate appeared to be resolved in 1955, when a diary was made public. The owner of the
diary, a servant who attended Napoleon for his six-year imprisonment, described the slow and
painful death the former leader went through. Modern scientists reading the description
immediately identified arsenic poisoning as the most likely cause, pointing to a strong case for
murder. The fact that Napoleon’s body was remarkably well preserved when it was eventually
moved in 1840 also confirmed their theory. But was it intentional? A third theory emerged, with
the sale of a piece of wallpaper from the emperor’s bedroom in the last few years. It had survived
IELTS 5.0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
because it had been used to wrap an important book, and was large enough to still contain the
evidence scientists needed to confirm where the poison was coming from. The tests proved
without doubt that the wallpaper, like many others of its day, contained arsenic in the design.
With the emperor having spent years locked up in a room with this wallpaper, it was a sign of his
strength that he survived so long. Fashion in home decoration has never had such a famous victim.
Choose the appropriate letters A, B or C.
1. The Time newspaper warned of the dangers when
A. the green was added to children’s sweets.
B. the colour was linked to unexplained deaths.
C. the guests invited to a special dinner were all poisoned.
D. the demand for sale wallpaper grew too great.
2. The designer William Morris ignored the problem because he
A. had commercial reasons to hide the truth.
B. refused to use artificial colours in his work.
C. preferred the latest paints to old-fashioned ones.
D. felt confident that his paint met safety standards.
3. Why does Napoleon Bonaparte’s death stand out from other deaths at the time?
A. It was the first time that wallpaper was linked to cancer.
B. It was caused by the unfair conditions he was kept in.
C. It was politically important to prove that his death was natural.
D. It was possible afterwards to connect his death to arsenic poisoning.
4. What evidence for Napoleon Bonaparte’s poisoning appeared most recently?
A. a recording of his state of health in the last days of his life
B. the account of the condition of his body months after his death
C. an object that was taken from his room and preserved
D. the description of the way he decorated the room
IELTS 5.0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
Exercise 5. [IELTS Reading: Multiple choice questions]
IELTS 5.0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
IELTS 5.0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
Choose the appropriate letters A, B or C.
1. What does the writer say about Hou Hsiao Hsien’s previous work?
A. His films are generally set in the past.
B. His main concern is the factual accuracy of his films.
C. He produces new films very regularly.
D. He focuses on the interaction between social classes.
2. When comparing ‘The Assassin’ to other martial-art films, what does the writer imply?
A. It is typical of the genre. C. It is a superior wuxia film.
B. It lacks originality. D. It lacks excitement.
3. What do we learn about the film’s main character?
A. She is unlike anyone in Chinese mythology.
B. She works for the Chinese emperor.
C. She is completely lacking in pity.
D. She had a conventional childhood.
4. What does Yinniang do in Weibo?
A. She hides her identity. C. She disobeys her olders.
B. She marries a former admirer. D. She fights with two people.
5. According to the writer, which aspect of The Assassin conveys most meaning?
A. the script B. the sound C. the images D. the actor’s expressions
6. What is the writer’s main reaction to The Assassin?
A. He admires the skill of the director.
B. He finds some aspects of the film confusing.
C. He feels it does not meet the director’s usual standards.
D. He appreciates the acting ability.
IELTS 5.0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
Exercise 6. [IELTS Reading: Multiple choice questions] Read the information. Then read the text
and answer the questions. Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
The history of chocolate
Why people first started eating chocolate and how it spread across the world
No one is certain which Mesoamerican* culture first farmed cacao trees. However, archaeologists
think the Olmec people of southern Mexico were one of the earliest to create a drink using cacao
beans. While the Olmecs left behind no written records, researchers have dug up pots from this
ancient civilisation that date back to 1500 BC. After the pots were taken to a laboratory and
analysed, it was discovered that they contained theobromine, a chemical found in cacao beans. A
small team of archaeologists has also been looking at a site in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Here,
they claim, is proof of another society making cacao drinks even earlier. Not everyone accepts
their evidence, so it seems further investigation is necessary.
Each fruit of the cacao tree is full of white flesh, and inside this are about 60 brown seeds,
or beans. Some researchers theorise that early Mesoamerican cultures boiled the flesh for stews,
before discovering that the seeds could also be used. This seems highly likely, as the flesh is sweet,
but the seeds are incredibly bitter. It’s remarkable, in fact, that anyone would have thought to dry
out the seeds and then roast them in the first place. Perhaps what happened is that someone was
eating the fruit and spitting seeds into a fire. They might have then noticed that the burnt seeds
were producing a rich smell, and decided to experiment, but we can never know for sure. More
certain is the fact that the Olmecs turned the roasted beans into a thick paste to make their drink,
and into this was added chilli and vanilla.
Unlike the Olmecs, the Mayan people left behind paintings showing their use of cacao beans. From
these pictures, we know that cacao beans and chocolate drinks had a special status in Mayan
society, and were often used in marriage ceremonies and other rituals. Later, when the Aztecs
ruled much of Mesoamerica, they wanted cacao beans for themselves, and would trade with the
Mayans to get them. Although other crops were important at the time, they were nowhere near
as valuable as cacao beans. This was partly because cacao trees could not survive in the dry
highlands of central Mexico, the centre of Aztec civilisation. Unusually for plants, cacao trees
depended on tiny swarms of flies for pollination, and these insects lived only in a humid climate.
In Mayan society, we know that cacao beans were very valuable, perhaps so valuable that it may
have been worth creating ‘fake beans’. Archaeologists have discovered beans made of clay in
many Mesoamerican sites, and suspect that they were used by Mayans when they had to pay a
form of tax to the Aztecs. But it wasn’t just their economic value that made them important in
society. Like today, the Mayan people liked to prepare traditional dishes to share with friends and
IELTS 5.0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
family. Extended families would have come together to collect cacao beans and slowly turn them
into a rich drink, using the occasion to strengthen their social ties.
In the 16th century, the Spanish arrived in Mexico and noticed the way in which cacao was central
to the local diet. We still have records of the letters they sent home to Spain. Expedition leader
Hernán Cortés wrote to King Carlos I of Spain about a strange drink called xocoatl, which he
mistakenly believed the Aztecs, including their ruler, Montezuma, used for medicinal purposes.
One of Cortés’s officers even claimed to have seen Montezuma drinking more than 50 cups of a
chocolate drink per day, and thought he was doing this to improve his health. That number is no
doubt inaccurate, but even if it were true, the officer missed the point. The Aztecs simply saw
cacao as part of their diet and did not attribute any special qualities to it. Nevertheless, the
Spanish were soon exporting cacao beans back to Spain and creating chocolate drinks for
themselves, adding sugar and honey to sweeten them. The demand for cacao soon spread across
the rest of Europe.
Until 1828, it was only the wealthy that could afford these new chocolate drinks. It was in this year
that Dutch chemist Coenraad Johannes van Houten invented the cocoa press, a machine that
could squeeze the natural oils from roasted cacao beans. The beans were then crushed into
powder, combined with alkaline salts, and sold as cheap blocks of cooking chocolate. Later, in
1847 the first edible chocolate was created by Fry and Sons in England. Unfortunately, its bitter
taste was unpopular with consumers. In 1874, Swiss chocolate maker Daniel Peter finally realised
that milk was perfect for improving the taste and texture of chocolate, and it has been a key
ingredient ever since.
* Mesoamerica A region stretching from Mexico to Costa Rica in which several advanced
civilizations existed before the 1600s.
1. What are we told about research into the origins of cacao-based drinks?
A. Researchers have used written documents as evidence.
B. Researchers have failed to agree about the findings.
C. It was carried out in laboratories outside Mexico.
2. When the writer discusses the early use of cacao beans, he is surprised that
A. they were first eaten raw
B. people preferred the flesh to the seeds.
C. people regarded them as something to throw away.
D. anyone had the idea that they could be eaten.
IELTS 5.0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
3. What problem did the Aztecs face in getting cacao beans?
A. The beans were destroyed by insect pests.
B. The Mayans asked increasingly high prices for the beans.
C. The local conditions were unsuitable for growing the cacao tree.
D. The Mayans were unwilling to trade with them for religious reasons.
4. Which of the following best summarizes the writer’s argument in the fourth paragraph?
A. The Aztecs mainly appreciated cacao beans for their economic benefit.
B. The sharing of food is not as important now as it used to be in earlier societies.
C. Cacao beans had a value which went beyond how much they were worth.
D. The use of artificial cacao beans meant that real ones lost their value.
5. The writer refers to the drinking of chocolate by the Aztec ruler Montezuma to show how
A. the Spanish misunderstood why Aztecs drank chocolate.
B. the history of chocolate has not always been a peaceful one.
C. the Aztecs pretended their chocolate drink had powerful qualities.
D. people tend to make untrue claims about food and drink.
6. What is the writer doing in the final paragraph?
A. Highlighting why modern chocolate is less healthy than its original form.
B. Questioning whether modern chocolate is superior to older types.
C. Outlining the steps that led to the kind of chocolate we have today.
D. Explaining why rich people were prepared to pay more for chocolate.
7. According to the writer, what led to chocolate becoming a successful mass product?
A. The price of manufacturing chocolate became cheaper.
B. New machines were invented which made it easier to create chocolate.
C. A lot of the fatty oils were taken out of cacao beans.
D. The recipe was altered to reflect what consumers wanted.
IELTS 5.0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
Exercise 7. [IELTS Reading: Pick from a list] Read the passage and answer the questions.
A Hearing impairment or other auditory function deficit in young children can have a major impact
on their development of speech and communication, resulting in a detrimental effect on
their ability to learn at school. This is likely to have major consequences for the individual and
the population as a whole. The New Zealand Ministry of Health has found from research carried
out over two decades that 6-10% of children in that country are affected by hearing loss.
B A preliminary study in New Zealand has shown that classroom noise presents a major concern
for teachers and pupils. Modern teaching practices, the organisation of desks in the classroom,
poor classroom acoustics, and mechanical means of ventilation such as air-conditioning units all
contribute to the number of children unable to comprehend the teacher's voice. Education
researchers Nelson and Soli have also suggested that recent trends in learning often involve
collaborative interaction of multiple minds and tools as much as individual possession of
information. This all amounts to heightened activity and noise levels, which have the potential to
be particularly serious for children experiencing auditory function deficit. Noise in classrooms can
only exacerbate their difficulty in comprehending and processing verbal communication with
other children and instructions from the teacher.
C Children with auditory function deficit are potentially failing to learn to their maximum potential
because of noise levels generated in classrooms. The effects of noise on the ability of children to
learn effectively in typical classroom environments are now the subject of increasing concern. The
International Institute of Noise Control Engineering (I-INCE), on the advice of the World Health
Organization, has established an international working party, which includes New Zealand, to
evaluate noise and reverberation control for school rooms.
Choose TWO letters, A-F. Which TWO are mentioned by the writer of the passage?
A current teaching methods
B echoing corridors
C cooling systems
D large class sizes
E loud-voiced teachers
F playground games
IELTS 5.0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
Exercise 8. [IELTS Reading: Pick from a list] Read the passage and answer the questions.
Antarctic penguins
Antarctic penguins spend about 75 percent of their lives in the water. A number of survival
adaptations allow them to swim through water as cold as -2 degrees Celsius. In order to stay warm
in these temperatures, penguins have to keep moving. Though penguins don't fly in the air, they
are often said to fly through water. Instead of stopping each time they come up for air, they use a
technique called "porpoising," in which they leap up for a quick breath while swiftly moving
forward: Unlike most birds that have hollow bones for flight, penguins have evolved hard solid
bones that keep them low in the water. Antarctic penguins also have unique feathers that work
similarly to a waterproof diving suit. Tufts of down trap a layer of air within the feathers,
preventing the water from penetrating the penguin's skin. The pressure of a deep dive releases
this air, and a penguin has to rearrange the feathers through a process called "preening." Penguins
also have an amazing circulatory system, which in extremely cold waters diverts blood from the
flippers and legs to the heart.
While the harsh climate of the Antarctic doesn't threaten the survival of Antarctic penguins,
overheating can be a concern, and therefore, global warming is a threat to them. Temperate
species have certain physical features such as fewer feathers and less blubber to keep them cool
on a hot day. African penguins have bald patches on their legs and face where excess heat can be
released. The blood vessels in the penguin's skin dilate when the body begins to overheat, and the
heat rises to the surface of the body. Penguins who are built for cold winters of the Antarctic have
other survival techniques for a warm day, such as moving to shaded areas or holding their fins out
away from their bodies.
Which four of the following features are things that enable them to survive in very cold water?
A. They move through the water very quickly.
B. They hold their flippers away from their bodies.
C. They choose shady areas.
D. When necessary, their blood moves away from the flippers and toward the heart.
E. They breathe while still moving.
F. The blood vessels in their skin dilate.
G. They waddle and slide.
IELTS 5.0- Unit 2: Leisure and education
H. Their feathers hold in a layer of air near the skin.
