IELTS Academic Reading Sample 1

Air Rage
(A) The first recorded case of an airline passenger turning seriously violent during a flight, a
phenomenon now widely known as “air rage”, happened in 1947 on a flight from Havana to
Miami. A drunk man assaulted another passenger and bit a flight attendant. However, the man
escaped punishment because it was not then clear under whose legal control a crime
committed on plane was, the country where the plane was registered or the country where the
crime was committed. In 1963, at the Tokyo convention, it was decided that the laws of the
country where the plane is registered take precedence.
(B) The frequency of air rage has expanded out of proportion to the growth of air travel. Until
recently few statistics were gathered about air rage, but those that have been indicate that
passengers are increasingly likely to cause trouble or engage in violent acts. For example, in
1998 there were 266 air rage incidents out of approximately four million passengers, a 400%
increase from 1995. In the same period American Airlines showed a 200% rise. Air travel is
predicted to rise by 5% internationally by 2010 leading to increased airport congestion. This,
coupled with the flying public’s increased aggression, means that air rage may become a major
issue in coming years.
(C) Aside from discomfort and disruption, air rage poses some very real dangers to flying. The
most extreme of these is when out of control passengers enter the cockpit. This has actually
happened on a number of occasions, the worst of which have resulted in the death and injury
of pilots or the intruder taking control of the plane, almost resulting in crashes. In addition,
berserk passengers sometimes attempt to open the emergency doors while in flight, putting the
whole aircraft in danger. These are extreme examples and cases of air rage more commonly
result in physical assaults on fellow passengers and crew such as throwing objects, punching,
stabbing or scalding with hot coffee.
(D) The causes of air rage are not known for certain, but it is generally thought that factors
include: passenger behavior and personality, the physical environment and changes in society.
A recent study has identified the issues that start the incidents to be as follows.
Alcohol 25%
Seating 16%
Smoking 10%
Carry on luggage 9%
Flight attendants 8%
Food 5%
(E) One of the major causes seems to be the passenger’s behavior or their personality. Fear of
flying and the feeling of powerlessness associated with flying can lead to irritable or aggressive
passengers. Also, alcohol consumed on a plane pressurized to 8000ft affects the drinker more
quickly and the effects are stronger. Many people do not take account of this and drinking may
increase any negative reaction to the flying environment they have, which, combined with the
lowering of their inhibitions, may cause air rage. Smoking withdrawal, which some liken in
severity to opiate withdrawal, is another major cause of air rage incidents. Passengers caught
smoking in the toilets occasionally assault flight attendants and have been known to start fires.
When conflicts occur in these conditions, they can escalate into major incidents if the passenger
has a violent personality or a fear of flying and because of the enclosed nature of a plane offers
no option of retreat as would be natural in a “fight or flight” reaction.
(F) Some people feel that the physical environment of a plane can lead to air rage. Seats on
most airlines have become smaller in recent years as airlines try to increase profits. This leads
to uncomfortable and irritated passengers. Also, space for carry on luggage is often very small.
Because up to 8% of checked in luggage is lost, misdirected or stolen, passengers have been
trying to fit larger carry on items into these small storage areas and this can lead to disputes
that can escalate into air rage. Airlines could also be to blame by raising passengers’
expectations too high with their marketing and advertising. Many air rage incidents start when
disappointed passengers demand to be reseated. Finally, there is some evidence to show that
low oxygen levels can raise aggression level and make people feel more desperate. Airlines
have lowered oxygen levels to save money. Now the level of oxygen in the air that the pilots
breathe is ten times higher than in cabin class.
(G) Another reason that has been suggested is that society is getting ruder and less patient. The
increased congestion at airports, longer queues and increased delays have only added to this. In
addition, some air rage incidents have been linked to the demanding nature of high achieving
business people, who do not like people telling them what to do and resent the power that the
cabin staff have over them. For them, a flight attendant is a waiter or waitress who should do
what the passenger wants.
(H) The strongest calls for action to control air rage have come from pilots and aircrew. The
International Transport Workers’ Federation argues that there are too many loopholes that let
people escape punishment and that the penalties are too light. They want to notify all
passengers of the penalties for air rage before taking off, rather than after the passenger begins
to cause serious problems, when it may be too late. The Civil Aviation Organisation has been
organizing international cooperation and penalties have increased in recent years. The most
severe punishment so far has been a 51 month jail sentence, a fine to pay for the jet fuel used
and 200 hours community service for a man who attempted to enter the cockpit and to open
the emergency door of a domestic US flight.
(I) Various other measures are being used to control air rage. Air crew are getting training on
how to calm passengers and how to predict where incidents might result in air rage and take
action to prevent this. Other measures include, strengthening doors to stop people entering the
cockpit, training crew in the use of plastic restraints to tie down unruly passengers and having
pilots divert their planes if passengers cause problems. Banning passengers who are guilty of air
rage from flying has also been tried to a lesser extent

IELTS Reading Sample: Questions 1 – 8

The IELTS reading sample passage has nine paragraphs A – I.
From the list below choose the most suitable headings for B – I.
Write the appropriate number (i – xiv) beside in boxes 1 – 8 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more headings than paragraphs, so you do not have to use them all.
List of headings
 i. A decline in the tolerance of passengers.
ii. Disproportionate growth.
iii. Pilots and aircrew cooperate.
iv. Additional action.
v. Smaller seats are the norm.
vi. Laying the blame with the airlines
vii. Origins.
viii. A major threat to travel.
ix. Demands for change.
x. Business people fly more.
xi. New research pinpoints the causes.
xii. The pace of life.
xiii. Passenger at the root of the problems.
xiv. Personal experience.
Example:
Paragraph A Answer: vii
1. Paragraph B
2. Paragraph C
3. Paragraph D
4. Paragraph E
5. Paragraph F
6. Paragraph G
7. Paragraph H
8. Paragraph I

IELTS Reading Sample: Questions 9 – 14

Do the following statements agree with the information in the IELTS reading sample text? Mark
them as follows.
TRUE - if the statement agrees with the information in the text.
FALSE - if the statement does not agree with the information in the text.
NOT GIVEN - if there is no information on this in the text.

9. In the first case of air rage, one of the reasons the man was not punished was because
the plane was not registered.

10. The statistics on air rage were collected by private monitoring groups.

11. The second most common catalyst for incidents is problems with seating.
 12. The environment in a plane makes disagreements more likely to become serious
problems.

13. Airlines have been encouraging passengers to bring more items onboard as carry-on
luggage.

14. There have been no attempts to ban passengers with a history of air rage.

IELTS Sample Reading 2

Wind Power
The power of the wind has been used for centuries to directly drive various machines to
perform such tasks as grinding wheat or pumping water. Recently, however, the wind has
joined other natural forces such as water and steam as a viable method of generating
electricity.
Traditional means of electricity generation using coal or oil-fueled plants have two major
drawbacks; they pollute the environment and the fuels they use are inefficient and non-
renewable. In response to growing environmental awareness there have been calls for a
greener alternative. Nuclear power, while more efficient and less polluting, is seen by many
people as unacceptable, because of the danger of accidents such as those that happened at
Chernobyl or Three Mile Island. Wind power, however, is clean, renewable and, with modern
advances, surprisingly efficient.
In the 1970s Britain was in the forefront of research into wind power. The interest in wind
diminished in the 1980s due to cheap North Sea oil, a strong pro-nuclear lobby and pricing
structures that made it uneconomical to set up wind farms. Britain, the windiest country in
Europe, had to wait until 1991 for its first wind farm. Located at Delabole in Cornwall, the farm
was originally the idea of locals who opposed the construction of a nuclear power plant nearby
and decided to set up a private company to generate power for the area using the wind. They
had to fight opposition from local government and other local residents, who thought the
turbines would be noisy and might interfere with television signals, but eventually, after
showing local officials working wind farms in Denmark, they won and now there are 10 huge
white wind turbines on the Delabole hills.
It is in Germany and Denmark that the greatest advances in wind power have come. Germany
alone produces half of the wind generated electricity in Europe. Every year Germany adds 400
Megawatts (Mw) of capacity. In 2000 alone capacity expanded by 1669 Mw. Denmark now
produces 30% of its electricity from wind power and this is predicted to rise to 50% by 2010.
Both countries have encouraged this growth by “fixed feed tariffs” which guarantee a good
price for private wind power operators.
Britain is catching up and the government has set a target 10% of all electricity to come from
renewable sources by 2010, half of this to be from wind power. The 900 wind turbines in
operation generate 400Mw of electricity and to meet the target roughly 400Mw will need to be
added each year. With the advances in technology this is technically possible. Each turbine can
now produce 400 Kilowatts (KW) compared to only 70 KW at the start of the 1980s. It will,
however, need help from the government. This is being done by offering financial support and
giving private power companies targets to meet.
Because many people feel wind farms spoil the view and, also, because the wind is stronger at
sea, many wind farms are now being built offshore. They are usually built a few kilometres off
the coast in shallow water. The construction and maintenance costs are higher, but electricity
output is higher. The first in Britain was built in 2000 at Blyth, north of Newcastle, and was the
largest in the world until May 2001, when a 20 turbine farm was opened at Middelgruden off
Copenhagen. There are plans to construct up to 18 more in the UK by 2010. Together they will
produce 800 Mw of electricity annually.
The use of wind power is far less advanced in the USA. Only 5% of America’s power comes from
the wind, although it is estimated that this could be increased to as high as 12% with no
changes to the power grid. However, there is an increased interest in wind power. There are
plans to build a huge offshore wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod on the North East seaboard.
The farm will take up over 25 square miles, have 170 turbines and produce 420Mw at a cost of
$600m. If constructed, it will be the world’s second biggest wind farm, after the 520Mw farm
planned in Ireland.

IELTS Sample Reading: Questions 1 – 2

Choose the best answer to the questions below.
1. People do not like coal and oil powered power production because …
A. it damages the environment.
B. it is wasteful.
C. they cannot be replaced once consumed.
D. all of the above.
2. Wind power …
A. has only been used recently.
B. promotes environmental awareness.
C. cleans the environment.
D. is not wasteful.

IELTS Sample Reading: Questions 3 – 7

Complete the following summary of the third paragraph from the IELTS sample reading
using ONE OR TWO WORDS from the reading texts.
British Wind Power
While there was a great deal of interest in wind power in the 1970s, it (3) _______________ in
the 1980s. This was mainly due to intense support for (4) _______________ power and little
help in making wind power affordable. So, even though Britain has some of the best winds in
Europe, the first wind farm was only built in 1991. The farm at Delabole came out of opposition
by (5) _______________ to a nuclear power plant. Initially, they were opposed by local officials
due to fears about noise and possible obstruction to (6) ________________ . This opposition
was eventually overcome only after they were shown successful examples
from (7) _______________.

IELTS Sample Reading: Questions 8 – 13

Match the country below or mark none to the statements taken from the IELTS sample reading.
Note: Some countries may not be used and countries can be used more than once.
BR_____ Britain
G______ Germany
D______ Denmark
US_____The United States
IRE_____Ireland
N______ None of the countries

8. Plans to produce 5% of its power using wind power.

9. Produces 50% of its power from wind.
10. Produces very little of its power using wind.
11. Will have the world’s largest wind farm.
12. Used to have the world's biggest off-shore wind farm.
13. Is the biggest producer of wind power in Europe

IELTS Reading Example 3

The Container Trade

The shipping container is one of the mainstays of international trade. The globalised modern
economy depends on the rapid and efficient movement of goods that containerisation allows.
In many ways it was the advent of the container that allowed this globalised economy to
develop.

Invented during World War two as an efficient method of moving equipment to the front lines,
there are now at any one time up to 15 million containers being used to transport goods on
land and sea or waiting to be filled at factories and ports. They are vital in the supply chain and
have allowed the added efficiency of "just in time" inventory management, where companies
no longer keep large warehouses of stock or parts, but rely on the ability to quickly order what
they want from their suppliers. It is estimated that since the 1980s the ratio of inventory to GDP
in American business' has fallen from 25% to 15%. Altogether total business inventory in the US
is estimated at $1.5 trillion, without "just in time" management methods this might be as much
as $2.5 trillion.

This means that companies rely more and more on the prompt delivery of parts from their
suppliers to fulfill orders. This is particularly true of industries such as computer manufacture,
which no longer make all the parts of the products that bear their names, but instead out
source, often to suppliers half way around the world. American computer manufacturers are,
for example, increasingly dependent on Asian microchip manufacturers in countries such as
Taiwan and Thailand. An example of the kind of problems any disruption to the supply chain
causes came after the September 11 attacks in the US when the Canadian border was shut for
just two days causing chaos in the Detroit car industry, which relies on a regular flow of parts
from Canada.

There are three main flows of sea borne cargo: trans-Pacific, trans-Atlantic and Europe-Far East.
The trans-Pacific route is by far the largest flow. At 11 million TEU ("twenty foot equivalent
units") a year, it is almost twice the volume of Europe-Far East trade and three times the size of
trans-Atlantic traffic. During the 1990s, during America's boom years, the trade of all the routes
grew enormously and this led to more and larger ships being built. The container fleet grew by
12% in 2001. Until then, a container ship commonly carried 600 TEU, during the 1990s ships
were being build that could carry up to 8000 TEU. However after the 1990s there was a
dramatic fall off in trade. Trans-Pacific trade, for example, fell to 50% of its 1990s high.

This down turn is being handled by the shipping alliances which manage the global trade. These
large organizations are responsible for maintaining the fleets and seeing that the flow of goods
is uninterrupted. This is a job that governments feel that the regular and reliable flow of trade is
so important that in many cases the shipping alliances are exempt from anti-trust and
monopoly laws. Their response has been to cut services, rest some of the older ships and share
the burden amongst themselves.

At first, containers reduced theft as it was more difficult for casual thieves to get into the
containers. However, criminal gangs soon saw the potential for taking whole containers. This
became a profitable crime as the average value of a container grew to $500,000 by the 1980s.
Criminals also benefited from the convenience of containers when using them to transport
drugs, illegal immigrants or other illegal goods. Measures to combat this, including stronger
locks and preference schemes for shippers who have anti-theft programmes, have had some
success, but crime is a constant menace to the container trade.

Increasingly, the huge number of containers and their self-contained and enclosed nature has
been raising worries about their possible use by terrorists. In fact, possible terrorists have
already been found hiding in containers. This is particularly worrying considering that only 2%
of containers are inspected. Containers are also extremely difficult to track and monitor. This is
because they pass through so many countries and jurisdictions and because they can travel on
both land and sea. Each transaction involving a container can involve as many as 25 different
parties and generate between 30 and 40 documents. For a ship carrying 600 TEU this would
result in approximately 4000 documents. The sheer scale of the information involved makes
tracking containers a daunting task. Screening them to determine the contents is another
solution that would take a great deal of effort because of the large numbers of containers.
Additionally, it might cause delays in delivery that would disrupt international trade and
industry out of proportion to the good the searches do.
For the foreseeable future, there would seem to be no alternative to containers and their use is
bound to grow. They are one of the cornerstones of global trade, but many yet cause problems
their inventors never envisaged.

840 words

IELTS Reading Example: Questions 1 – 6

Choose the best TWO alternatives to complete the sentences.
Questions 1 and 2
Circle TWO letters A – E.
The invention of containers…
A resulted from the efficient movement of goods.
B led to more global trade.
C was initially for military purposes.
D came just in time for many managers.
E relied on the ability to receive orders quickly.
Questions 3 and 4
Circle TWO letters A – E.
Containers are important because they…
A prevent the need for companies to hold large amounts of stock.
B increase the amount of business inventory.
C make trade between countries on different sides of the world easier.
D regularly supply manufactures in Canada.
E reduce the amount of out sourcing needed by companies.
Questions 5 and 6
Circle TWO letters A – E.
The Trans-Pacific trade route…
A has nearly double the amount of trade as that of the Europe-Far East trade route.
B had its container fleet increase by 12%.
C sparked the boom years of the 1990s.
D usually carried around 600 TEU.
E has witnessed a substantial decrease in container trade.
IELTS Reading Example: Questions 7 – 10
Complete the table below.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the reading passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.
CAUSE EFFECT
a sharp fall in container trade shipping alliances…(7) …old ships
originally difficult to get into containers A drop in… (8) …
vast numbers of containers, which are Concerns over… (9) …
relatively secure
Containers must pass through many countries Containers are… (10) …
and involve a vast amount of paperwork.

IELTS Reading Example: Questions 11 – 12

Complete the sentences below using words taken from the reading passage.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS fore each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 11 – 12 on your answer sheet.
11. The benefits of searching containers would be outweighed by the negative impacts on
worldwide trade and industry due to the …………………………
12. The inventors must never have imagined that containers would

IELTS Reading Passages - Sample 4

Australia and the Great War, 1914 – 1918
Australia’s role in the First World War, or the Great War as it was known until 1939, is central to
the development of modern Australia’s vision of itself in the world. In many ways it has served
to create what is in some ways a second founding of the nation in the Gallipoli campaign and on
the battlefields of France and Belgium. The influence of the war experience in the First, and
Second, World War is evident in the way in which ANZAC day is, perhaps even more than
Australia day, the country’s national day.
When the war broke out in 1914, it was a certainty that, because of longstanding economic,
family and defense ties, Australia, along with New Zealand, would stand alongside Britain. The
then Prime Minister Andrew Fisher was quick to pledge the country’s support to “the last man,
the last shilling”. This was no idle promise and Australia paid a high price for their loyalty to
their colonizers. From a pre-war population of 5m, 417,000 enlisted in the armed forces, of
which 324,000 served abroad. By the end of the war, Australia had lost 60,000 dead and
155,000 men had been wounded. The economic price was also high. The national debt, which
had stood at ₤6m in 1914, was £325m by the end of the war.
It is possible that the first shot of the war was fired in Australia, when a shot was fired across
the bow of the German merchant ship Pfalz as it tried to escape from Port Arthur only a few
hour after the declaration of war. In late 1914 the light cruiser HMAS Sydney sank the German
warship Emden off the west coast of the country. Also early in the war, Australian troops
captured the German radio transmitters in Rabaul and Nauru and conquered all of German New
Guinea.
At first the Australian forces were intended only to defend Australia, but in 1915 the Australia
New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) departed for Europe. Their first stop was Egypt and it was
because they were so close that they were chosen to take part in the campaign to capture the
Gallipoli peninsula, the key to shipping into the Black Sea, from the Turks. The plan was for
British, French and Anzac forces to land on the peninsular at night at weak points in the Turkish
defense. However, strong winds blew the troops off course to better defended spots and in the
advantage was lost. What followed was months of bitter fighting in which 20,000 British and
7,000 ANZAC soldiers were killed and which ended in a successful withdrawal, but no gain for
the Allies. It was at this moment of history that Australia was propelled on to the world stage.
From this moment onward Australia began to think of itself as a country in its own right; as
being separate to Britain and no longer a colony.
Most of the ANZAC force was sent to Europe, but the Australian Light Horse remained to fight
Turkish forces in Palestine and Syria. They defended the Suez Canal and advanced through
Palestine and Syria. They also took part in what was one of the world’s last great cavalry
charges at Beersheba.
The main ANZAC force arrived in Europe in 1916. The ANZAC experience was similar to that of
the other participants in the war; a high death toll and little gain to be shown for it. Australian
forces were present at all the major battles of the war and sustained some terrible casualties.
For example, in 24 hours near Pozieres the 5th Division suffered 5,000 casualties. At the battle
of Bullecort, of the 3,000 men who advanced, 2339 were killed, wounded or captured.
By 1917 most of the officers were not professional soldiers. The most prominent example was
General Sir John Monash, who was an engineer by training. He commanded the allied forces at
the battle of Hamel so well that the general staff published the battle reports as a model. In
August 1918, he commanded 200,000 troops on what way called “Ludendorff’s black day”, a
turning point in the war. Monash was probably Australia’s greatest military figure.
Unlike in other armies in the war, the Australian soldiers were all volunteers. They were also
more individualistic and showed less respect for the rulebook than other soldiers. The
relationship between ranks was more democratic and officer had to win the respect of their
troops. All in all, they paid a high price for fighting in the war. Of the 324,000 soldiers who
served overseas in the war 215,000 were killed or wounded. This was the highest proportion of
any of the countries in the war and was probably due to the Australians fighting qualities, which
meant that they were often used on the frontline of the fighting.
At home, the war had a significant effect on the economy. Negative effects included the end of
British investment, the closure of many shipping lanes and the stockpiling of Australia’s main
export, wool. However, the isolation that resulted from the war meant that Australia had to
make some things that had previously been imported. This led to the development of new
industries. In addition, the BHP smelting company, which is now a major Australian company,
saw a great increase in demand for iron and steel. The needs of the war were stimulus for the
beginning of full industrialization in Australia.
At the signing of the treaty of Versailles, which marked the end of the war, Australia signed as a
separate country. This reflected the fact that, at the cost of 60,000 dead, Australia had finally
emerged from the shadow of Britain. The Great War was, perhaps, the beginning of modern
Australian history.
961 words

IELTS Reading Passages: Questions 1 – 7

Complete the sentences below (1 – 7) with words taken from the passage.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Write your numbers in boxes 1 – 7 on your answer sheet.
1. According to the passage Australia’s view of itself is directly related to its involvement in
the ………………………………………
2. Soon after the war had begun, Australia’s Prime Minister offered the
……………………………………….
 3. Australia had an early involvement in the war and it is even possible that they were
responsible for the …………………………………..
4. When combating the Turkish defense, the British, French and Anzac forces ended up
attacking stronger points than they had originally intended because
of…………………………………
5. The outcome of the bitter fight with the Turks was significant for Australia because it
enabled them to take their place on the …………………………………
6. John Monash commanded the battle of Hamel so well that reports of the battle were
published in order to be used ……………………………………
7. The Great War marked the beginning of modern Australia. They had emerged as a
separate country and would no longer have to live under
the……………………………………………

IELTS Reading Passages: Questions 8 – 12

Classify the following statements as representing

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 know what the writer thinks
about this
Write the appropriate letters in boxes 8 – 12 on your answer sheet.
8. Australia’s national debt increased greatly as a result of the Great War.
9. Australia made a great contribution to the successful outcome of the First World War.
10. The British forces suffered a greater number of casualties than the Anzac forces during
the months of fighting with the Turkish.
11. Overall, the British had a higher proportion of soldiers killed or injured than Australia.
12. Australian soldiers were never disrespectful to their superiors.
IELTS Reading Sample Answers:
1. Paragraph B______ii
2. Paragraph C______viii
3. Paragraph D______xi
4. Paragraph E______xiii
5. Paragraph F______vi
6. Paragraph G______i
7. Paragraph H______ix
8. Paragraph I______iv

9. In the first case of air rage, one of the reasons the man was not punished was because
the plane was not registered. F (Para. A: The plane was registered, but it was not clear
where is was registered)
10. The statistics on air rage were collected by private monitoring groups. NG (Para. B: It
doesn't say who collected them)
11. The second most common catalyst for incidents is problems with seating. T (Para. D:
This is given in the table)
12. The environment in a plane makes disagreements more likely to become serious
problems.T (Para F: The 'physical environment' makes things worse)
13. Airlines have been encouraging passengers to bring more items onboard as carry-on
luggage. NG (It doesn't mention this)
14. There have been no attempts to ban passengers with a history of air rage. F (Para. I:
They have tried to ban passengers who have been involved in air rage before)

IELTS Sample Reading Answers:

1. D
2. D
3. diminished
4. nuclear
5. locals
6. television signals
7. Danish Farm / Denmark
8. BR
(Para. 5: It has a target of 10%, of which half - 5% - will be wind power)
9. N
(Para. 4: Although Denmark is predicted to produce 50% wind power, none of the countries
currently do. Don't put "G" - Germany produces 50% of the wind power in Europe, but we are
not given the percentage in Germany itself)
10. US
(Para. 7: It is much less advanced in the USA, with only 5% from wind)
11. IRE
(Para. 7: Ireland will have the largest, then the US)
12. BR
(Para. 6: It had the largest until the one at Middelgruden surpassed it)
13. G
(Para. 3: "Germany alone produces half of the wind generated electricity in Europe")

IELTS Reading Example - ANSWERS

1. B - led to more global trade.

The globalised modern economy depends on the rapid and efficient movement of goods that
containerisation allows. In many ways it was the advent of the container that allowed this
globalised economy to develop.
2. C - was initially for military purposes.
Invented during World War two as an efficient method ofmoving equipment to the front lines
"front lines" = a military line formed by the most advanced tactical combat units
3. A - prevent the need for companies to hold large amounts of stock.
companies no longer keep large warehouses of stock or parts
4. C - make trade between countries on different sides of the world easier.
This means that companies rely more and more on the prompt delivery of parts from their
suppliers to fulfill orders. This is particularly true of industries such as computer manufacture,
which no longer make all the parts of the products that bear their names, but instead out
source, often to suppliers half way around the world.
5. A - has nearly double the amount of trade as that of the Europe-Far East trade route..
At 11 million TEU...a year, it is almost twice the volume of Europe-Far East trade and three
times the size of trans-Atlantic traffic..
6. E - has witnessed a substantial decrease in container trade.
However after the 1990s there was a dramatic fall off in trade. Trans-Pacific trade, for
example, fell to 50% of its 1990s high.
(It's not B, C or D, as they refer to all the routes, not just the Trans-Pacific)
7. rest some
Their response has been to cut services, rest some of the older ships and share the burden
amongst themselves.
8. theft
At first, containers reduced theft as it was more difficult for casual thieves to get into the
containers.
9. use by terrorists
Increasingly, the huge number of containers and their self-contained and enclosed nature has
been raising worries about their possible use by terrorists.
10. difficult to track
Containers are also extremely difficult to track and monitor. This is because they pass through
so many countries and jurisdictions and because they can travel on both land and sea.
11. delays in delivery
Additionally, it might cause delays in delivery that would disrupt international trade and
industry out of proportion to the good the searches do.
12. cause problems
They are one of the cornerstones of global trade, but many yet cause problems their inventors
never envisaged.

IELTS Reading Passages - ANSWERS

1. First World War / Great War
2. country’s support
3. first shot
4. strong winds
5. world stage
6. as a model
7. shadow of Britain
8. Yes
9. Not Given
10. Yes
11. No
12. No

IELTS Reading Passages: In-Text Answers

Australia and the Great War, 1914 – 1918

Australia’s role in the (1) First World War , or the (1) Great War as it was known until 1939, is
central to the development of modern Australia’s vision of itself in the world. In many ways it
has served to create what is in some ways a second founding of the nation in the Gallipoli
campaign and on the battlefields of France and Belgium. The influence of the war experience in
the First, and Second, World War is evident in the way in which ANZAC day is, perhaps even
more than Australia day, the country’s national day.
When the war broke out in 1914, it was a certainty that, because of longstanding economic,
family and defense ties, Australia, along with New Zealand, would stand alongside Britain. The
then Prime Minister Andrew Fisher was quick to pledge the (2) country’s support to “the last
man, the last shilling”. This was no idle promise and Australia paid a high price for their loyalty
to their colonizers. From a pre-war population of 5m, 417,000 enlisted in the armed forces, of
which 324,000 served abroad. By the end of the war, Australia had lost 60,000 dead and
155,000 men had been wounded. The economic price was also high. (8) The national debt,
which had stood at ₤6m in 1914, was ₤325m by the end of the war.
It is possible that the (3) first shot of the war was fired in Australia, when a shot was fired
across the bow of the German merchant ship Pfalz as it tried to escape from Port Arthur only a
few hour after the declaration of war. In late 1914 the light cruiser HMAS Sydney sank the
German warship Emden off the west coast of the country. Also early in the war, Australian
troops captured the German radio transmitters in Rabaul and Nauru and conquered all of
German New Guinea.
At first the Australian forces were intended only to defend Australia, but in 1915 the Australia
New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) departed for Europe. Their first stop was Egypt and it was
because they were so close that they were chosen to take part in the campaign to capture the
Gallipoli peninsula, the key to shipping into the Black Sea, from the Turks. The plan was for
British, French and Anzac forces to land on the peninsular at night at weak points in the Turkish
defense. However, (4) strong winds blew the troops off course to better defended spots and in
the advantage was lost. What followed was months (10) of bitter fighting in which 20,000
British and 7,000 ANZAC soldiers were killed and which ended in a successful withdrawal, but
no gain for the Allies. It was at this moment of history that Australia was propelled on to
the (5) world stage. From this moment onward Australia began to think of itself as a country in
its own right; as being separate to Britain and no longer a colony.
Most of the ANZAC force was sent to Europe, but the Australian Light Horse remained to fight
Turkish forces in Palestine and Syria. They defended the Suez Canal and advanced through
Palestine and Syria. They also took part in what was one of the world’s last great cavalry
charges at Beersheba.
The main ANZAC force arrived in Europe in 1916. The ANZAC experience was similar to that of
the other participants in the war; a high death toll and little gain to be shown for it. Australian
forces were present at all the major battles of the war and sustained some terrible casualties.
For example, in 24 hours near Pozieres the 5th Division suffered 5,000 casualties. At the battle
of Bullecort, of the 3,000 men who advanced, 2339 were killed, wounded or captured.
By 1917 most of the officers were not professional soldiers. The most prominent example was
General Sir John Monash, who was an engineer by training. He commanded the allied forces at
the battle of Hamel so well that the general staff published the battle reports (6) as a model. In
August 1918, he commanded 200,000 troops on what way called “Ludendorff’s black day”, a
turning point in the war. Monash was probably Australia’s greatest military figure.
Unlike in other armies in the war, the Australian soldiers were all volunteers. (12) They were
also more individualistic and showed less respect for the rulebook than other soldiers. The
relationship between ranks was more democratic and officer had to win the respect of their
troops. All in all, they paid a high price for fighting in the war. (11) Of the 324,000 soldiers who
served overseas in the war 215,000 were killed or wounded. This was the highest proportion
of any of the countries in the war and was probably due to the Australians fighting
qualities, which meant that they were often used on the frontline of the fighting.
At home, the war had a significant effect on the economy. Negative effects included the end of
British investment, the closure of many shipping lanes and the stockpiling of Australia’s main
export, wool. However, the isolation that resulted from the war meant that Australia had to
make some things that had previously been imported. This led to the development of new
industries. In addition, the BHP smelting company, which is now a major Australian company,
saw a great increase in demand for iron and steel. The needs of the war were stimulus for the
beginning of full industrialization in Australia.
At the signing of the treaty of Versailles, which marked the end of the war, Australia signed as a
separate country. This reflected the fact that, at the cost of 60,000 dead, Australia had finally
emerged from the (7) shadow of Britain. The Great War was, perhaps, the beginning of modern
Australian history.