MIKA/IELTS 7.
5 SEP
IELTS FORECAST QUÝ 1 (JAN – APR) 2024
READING – TEST 3
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Question 1-13 which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
The Evolution of the Bicycle
The bicycle, a marvel of engineering simplicity and efficiency, has undergone a remarkable evolution
since its inception over two centuries ago. Its journey from a basic mode of transportation to a sophisticated
symbol of sustainability and fitness mirrors the technological and social advancements of human society.
The earliest known prototype of the bicycle was the 'running machine' or 'dandy horse', conceived in
1817 by Karl Drais, a German baron. This rudimentary invention featured a wooden frame and two inline
wheels, but no pedals. Riders would propel themselves by pushing off the ground with their feet. Though basic,
this design introduced the principle of balance and steering on two wheels, laying the groundwork for all future
bicycles.
The 1860s witnessed the arrival of the 'velocipede', also known as the 'boneshaker', due to its jarring
ride. Constructed primarily of iron and wood, it was the first to integrate pedals attached directly to the front
wheel. This innovation marked a significant step forward, as it allowed riders to travel faster and with less effort
than walking. However, its heavy materials and stiff structure limited its popularity.
The 'penny-farthing', named for its disparate wheel sizes resembling the British penny and farthing
coins, dominated the 1870s. Its design, featuring a large front wheel and a smaller rear wheel, capitalized on the
larger wheel's efficiency in covering greater distances with each pedal stroke. Despite its speed advantage, the
penny- farthing's high center of gravity made it dangerous, especially when dismounting.
Responding to the safety concerns of the penny-farthing, the 'safety bicycle' emerged in the late 19th
century. This revolutionary design, with its chain-driven rear wheel and similar-sized wheels, closely resembles
today's bicycle. It offered greater stability and safety, paving the way for widespread adoption. The introduction
of pneumatic tires by John Boyd Dunlop in 1888 further enhanced the bicycle's comfort and efficiency, making
cycling a more appealing option for transportation and leisure.
The 20th century witnessed significant advancements in bicycle technology. The use of new materials
like aluminum and carbon fiber drastically reduced weight, while improving strength and durability. Gears and
derailleurs were introduced, allowing cyclists to navigate varied terrains with ease. The mountain bike,
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developed
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in the late 20th century, with its sturdy frame and wide, knobby tires, opened up new possibilities for off-road
cycling, further expanding the bicycle's versatility.
Today, bicycles are more than just a means of transportation; they are a statement of environmental
consciousness, a tool for fitness, and a symbol of urban mobility. The rise of electric bicycles, or e-bikes, with
their battery-powered assistance, is making cycling accessible to a broader range of people, including those with
physical limitations or those living in hilly areas. The bicycle's evolution is also intertwined with societal
changes. It played a significant role in the women's liberation movement by providing freedom of movement. In
urban centers, bicycles have influenced city planning and infrastructure, leading to the development of bike
lanes and bike-sharing programs. They offer a sustainable alternative to motor vehicles, helping to reduce traffic
congestion and lower carbon emissions.
The bicycle's journey from a simple contraption to a sophisticated means of transportation and recreation
is a testament to human ingenuity and adaptability. Its evolution reflects not just changes in technology, but also
shifts in societal values towards health, sustainability, and efficiency. The bicycle remains a timeless invention,
continually adapting to meet the changing needs of society while retaining its fundamental simplicity and
elegance.
Questions 1 - 4
Complete the summary below
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in Boxes 1 - 4 on your answer sheet.
Bicycle's evolution
1. The first known prototype of the bicycle, invented by Karl Drais in 1817, was known as the or
“dandy horse”.
2. The 'velocipede', which emerged in the 1860s and was also known as the , was notable for its
rigid iron frame and wooden wheels.
3. The , popular in the 1870s, was characterized by a large front wheel and a smaller rear wheel.
4. The safety bicycle, which closely resembles today's bicycle, emerged in the late19th century and was
revolutionary for its and similar-sized wheels.
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5. John Boyd Dunlop enhanced the comfort and efficiency of bicycles in 1888 by introducing .
6. The development of the the late 20th century, with its sturdy frame and wide tires, expanded
the possibilities for off-road cycling.
7. Electric bicycles, or , have made cycling accessible to a broader range of people by
providing battery-powered assistance.
Questions 8 - 13
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet write
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage
8. The first bicycle prototype created by Karl Drais was equipped with pedals.
9. The 'velocipede' was also commonly known as the 'smooth rider' due to its comfortable design.
10. The penny-farthing was safer than its predecessors due to its lower centre of gravity.
11. John Boyd Dunlop was responsible for the introduction of pneumatic tires on bicycles.
12. The mountain bike was designed specifically for urban commuting.
13. The original design of the bicycle included a braking system.
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READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14 - 26 which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
WATER TREATMENT 2: REED BED
A Nowadays subsurface flow wetlands are a common alternative in Europe for the treatment of
wastewater in rural areas. mainly in the last 10 to 12 years, there has been significant growth in the number and
size of the systems in use. Compared to common treatment facilities, wetlands lower in cost investment, lesser
to maintain, and are ideal for densely populated rural or suburban areas rather than urban areas.
B The Common Read has the ability to transfer oxygen from its leaves, down through its stem and
rhizomes and out via its root system. As a result of this action, a very high population of micro-organisms
occurs in the root system, with zones of aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic conditions. Therefore with the waste
water moving very slowly and carefully through the mass of Reed roots, this liquid can be successfully treated.
C A straightforward definition of a reed bed is if you have dirty water in your pool or water, which is
heavily polluted, Read Beds will be planted to make the water clean again. This is good for ecology and living
organisms and fish in the water. Reed Beds have a wide range of qualities and are acceptable for cleaning
everything from secondary to tertiary treatment of mild domestic effluent, to rural waste and even heavy
industrial contaminants. The reason why they're so effective is often that within the bed's root sector, natural
biological, physical and chemical processes interact with one another to degrade or remove a good range of
pollutants. Reed beds can be built in a number of variants, but mainly they are of the horizontal flow or vertical
(down) flow configuration where water flows through the beds horizontally or vertically.
HORIZONTAL FLOW REED BED SYSTEMS
D Horizontal-flow wetlands may be of two types: free-water surface-flow (FWF) or subsurface water-flow
(SSF). In the former, the effluent flows freely above the sand/gravel bed in which the reeds etc. are planted; in
the latter effluent passes through the sand/ gravel bed. In FWF-type wetlands, the effluent is treated by plant
stems, leaves and rhizomes. Such FWF wetlands are densely planted and typically have water depths of less
than 0.4m. However, dense planting can limit oxygen diffusion into the water. These systems work particularly
well for low-strength effluents or effluents that have undergone some form of pretreatment and play an
invaluable role in tertiary treatment and the polishing of effluents. The horizontal reed flow system uses a long
reed bed, Where the liquid slowly flows horizontally through. The length of the reed bed is about 100 meters.
The downside of the
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horizontal reed beds is that they use up lots of land space and they do take quite a long time to produce clean
water.
VERTICAL FLOW REED BED SYSTEMS
E A vertical flow reed bed is a sealed, gravel-filled trench with reeds growing in it. The common reed
oxygenates the water, which helps to create the right environment for colonies of bacteria to break down
unwanted organic matter and pollutants. The reeds also make the bed attractive to wildlife.
How does a vertical flow reed bed work?
F In vertical flow (Downflow) reed beds, the wastewater is applied on top of the reed bed, flows down
through a rhizome zone with sludge as substrate, then the root zone with sand as substrate and followed by a
layer of gravel for drainage, and is collected in an under drainage system of large stones. The effluent flows on
to the surface of the bed and percolates slowly through the different layers into an outlet pipe, which leads to a
horizontal flow bed and is cleaned by millions of bacteria, algae, fungi, and microorganisms that digest the
waste, including sewage. There is no standing water so there should be no unpleasant smells.
G Vertical flow reed bed systems are much more effective than horizontal flow reed- beds not only in
reducing biochemical oxygen demanded (BOD) and suspended solids (SS) levels but also in reducing ammonia
levels and eliminating smells. Usually considerably smaller than horizontal flow beds, but they are capable of
handling much stronger effluents which contain heavily polluted matters and have longer lifetime value. A
vertical reed bed system works more efficiently than a horizontal reed bed system, but it requires more
management, and its reed beds are often operated for a few days then rested, so several beds and a distribution
system are needed. H There are several advantages of Reed Bed systems over traditional forms of water
treatment: first, they have low construction and running costs; second, they are easy management; third they
have an excellent reduction of biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids; last, they have a potential for
efficient removal of a wide range of pollutants.
I Reed beds are natural habitats found in floodplains waterlogged depressions and estuaries. The natural
bed systems are a biologically proved, and an environmentally friendly and visually unobtrusive way of treating
wastewater and have the extra virtue of frequently been better than mechanical wastewater treatment systems.
In the medium to long term reed bed systems are, in most cases, more cost-effective in installment than any
other wastewater treatment. They are robust and require little maintenance. They are naturally environmentally
sound protecting groundwater, dams, creeks, rivers, and estuaries.
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Questions 14-20
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 14-16 on your answer sheet write:
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN If the information is not given in the passage
14. The Reed bed system is a conventional method for water treatment in the urban area.
15. In the reed roots, there's a series of process that helps breakdown the pollutants.
16. Escherichia coli is the most difficult bacteria to be dismissed.
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Questions 20 - 24
Use the information in the passage to match the advantages and disadvantages of the two systems: horizontal
flow system and downflow system (listed A-H) below. Write the appropriate letters A-H in boxes 20-24 on
your answer sheet.
(20) , which is the advantage of the down-flow system. However, (21) and (22)
are the disadvantages of down-flow system.
(23) and (24) are the two benefits of the horizontal flow system. However, it's
less effective and efficient.
A It can deal with a more seriously polluted effluent.
B It requires more beds than one compared to the other.
C It needs less control and doesn't need to be taken care of all the time.
D It requires a lot of guidance.
E It can't work all the time because the pool needs time to rest and recover after a certain period.
F It's a lot more complicated to build the system.
G The system is easy to be built which does not need an auxiliary system.
H It consumes less water.
Questions 25 - 26
Choose two correct letters from the following A, B, C, D, or E.
Write your answers in boxes 25-26 on your answer sheet.
What are the TWO benefits of natural bed systems when compared to conventional systems?
A Operation does not require electricity or fuel supply.
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B They're visually good and environmentally friendly.
C No mechanical systems are involved.
D They're to be set up and used in less cost.
E They do not break down.
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.
THE BOOMING BUSINESS OF NATION-BRANDING BUSINESS OF NAVO
The term “nation brand” first appeared in articles by Simon Anholt at the end of the twentieth century.
Anholt had worked in advertising, and he observed that most successful commercial brands came from
countries that had positive images, having created successful brands as a nation.
Through the 2000s, the nation-branding industry grew quickly. A handful of companies focused
specifically on nation- branding, while many others- PR firms, marketing agencies, and management
consultancies - offered this as an addition to their other services. Many nations were immediately attracted by
these branding services. Keen to be seen as stable and prosperous, the former Soviet republic of Georgia ran ad
campaigns in which it measured itself against France or Australia on the basis of things like its success in grape
cultivation or its smooth bureaucracy. Each campaign concluded, And the winner is ... GEORGIA!' Around the
same time, Germany decided it was 'The Land of Ideas, while Jamaica called out to potential entrepreneurs who
were looking for a bold and creative home.
One nation-branding, agency is Bloom Consulting, based in Madrid. Often, countries come to Bloom
with specific ideas of what they desire. Some governments are after more tourists, while others want so appeal
to talented workers or students. Recently, Paraguay's government hired Bloom to renovate its image in order to
lift its exports and attract more investment. Flows of foreign direct investment worldwide rose from $865
billion to
$1.52 trillion over a period of 17 years. Even a small slice of such a substantial pie is well worth seeking.
As well as a nation, a place such as a town or city can also develop a brand. In 1945, the city of The
Hague in the Netherlands was picked to be the home of the International Court of Justice. Since then. the city
has worked hard to confirm its status as a city of peace and justice. As a result, anyone planning a convention or
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event around the theme of justice or security is more than likely to choose The Hague as a destination. Last
year, this
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city of half a million hosted 135 international conferences. On average, a conference lasted four days and drew
279 visitors, each of whom spent € 1,200 during their visit, showing that even the more abstract aims of place-
branding may have material benefits. Commercial motives aside, the frenzy for nation-branding or place-
branding also reflects deeper issues. Every country, region and city now finds that it has to be a competitor in
the vast marketplace that is the world's economy. Some places have never properly played this role before;
others have played it so long that they're unused to being challenged. To be noticed, a place must be distinctive,
most appear unique. But this is tricky to achieve when a single, bland culture the culture of the same global
market is everywhere.
Although Anholt was one of the first in the field of national branding, he now has a new approach
towards it. In the late 1990s, he used to create national brands in the way an advertiser or a corporate marketer
would. Now, though, he scorns marketing. His later work focuses very little on communication and branding,
and much more on the abstract business of a country's beneficial effect on the world.
A well-regarded country, Anholt thinks, does as much for humanity at large as for its own people,
although countries need to ensure they are properly run if their reputation is to improve. This thought prompted
him to launch the Good Country Index, which ranks states by the good they do for the world. Anholt sounds as
if he regrets ever introducing the idea of 'nation brand', saying he feels the only people who benefit from it are
corrupt PR agencies who encourage poor countries to spend money they can't afford on relatively useless
propaganda programmes.
The direction in which nation-branding work tends to flow is not ideal either. Nation-branding agencies
in New York, Madrid, London and Paris dispense advice to governments in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and
Latin America on how best to present themselves - an arrangement that can easily lead to cultural imperialism.
This imbalance is potentially dangerous for practitioners and clients alike.
The very notion of a national or regional character - that the people of Georgia or Jamaica, or Germany
or Holland, are somehow different, although the borders separating them from neighbouring countries may only
have been created relatively recently - is problematic. But the impulse of authorities such as churches, kings or
governments to define and manipulate such a character is hardly new. However, the way that national identity is
communicated is changing. This once happened through newspapers and books. Now it happens, at a much
more frantic pace, on the banner ads of web pages, at global summits, at investment roadshows, and even as
product placements in the movies. Behind these concerns about national identity is the political fear that the
nation is being displaced from its position as the most vital unit in world affairs. So many points to this.
Governments struggle to cope with the borderless nature of things that might once have been within
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their jurisdiction:
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corporations, taxes, the internet and the media, crime, and political influence. Even the eagerness to hire brand
experts is, in a way, a reaction to this perceived threat of irrelevance once - an – an attempt by nations and
regions to regroup, to define themselves anew. An attempt to insist that they still matter.
Questions 27 - 30
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet.
27. When discussing nation-branding in the first paragraph, the writer's purpose is to
A. explain some of its positive results.
B. outline the early development of the concept.
C. describe the main countries that benefited from it.
D. present some of its advantages and disadvantages.
28. The phrase “such a substantial pie” in the third paragraph refers to
A. Bloom Consulting.
B. Paraguay's government
C. foreign direct investment.
D. tourists, workers and students.
29. The information given by the writer shows there is a contrast between Paraguay and The Hague in terms of
A. what focus they want for their brand
B. how successful their brand has become.
C. why their brand has become widely known.
D. whether their brand has a financial element.
30. In the fourth paragraph, the writer suggests that nation-branding and place-branding
A. are not possible in all parts of the world.
B. may lead to unexpected economic problems.
C. may be in conflict with the effects of globalisation.
D. are likely to encourage international disagreements.
Questions 31 - 35
Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A-H, below
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Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 31-35 on your answer sheet
ANHOLT'S NEW APPROACH TO NATION BRANDS
In the late 1990s, Anholt created nation brands using marketing techniques like those used for (31)
. Now, he has a new approach: he concentrates on the (32) that a country can have. He
believes that a country's good reputation depends on a well-run government. He also feels that the idea of a
nation brand has been a (33) and that poor countries are being encouraged by (34) to spend
money on programmes which have extremely (35) .
A limited benefits B useful change C dishonest companies
D Negative development E commercial products F ethical behaviour
G positive influence H effective government
Questions 36 - 39
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 36-39 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the clams of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
36. Those in authority have tended to discourage the idea of a national character.
37. The most effective way to establish a national identity is regular attendance at global summits.
38. There is very little evidence that the power of individual nations is declining.
39. Recent social, economic and technological developments have brought new challenges to governments.
Question 40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in box 40 on your answer sheet.
40. What would be the best subtitle for this text?
A. Should marketing techniques be used to promote nations?
B. How have advertisers developed a more global approach?
C. Are modern communications dangerous for governments?
D. Will commercial developments improve the world we I've in?
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