IELTS Mock Test 2021 September
- Published on: 25 Sep 2021
- Tests taken: 295,272
Answer Keys:
Part 1: Question 1 - 13
- 1 NOT GIVEN
- 2 NOT GIVEN
- 3 FALSE
- 4 TRUE
- 5 TRUE
- 6 FALSE
- 7 100 English words
- 8 chimpanzees
- 9 avian cognition
- 10 particularly chosen
- 11 color/colour
- 12 wrong pronunciation
- 13 teenager
Part 2: Question 14 - 26
- 14 A
- 15 D
- 16 C
- 17 B
- 18 A
- 19 C
- 20 D
- 21 A
- 22 B
- 23 adventure
- 24 sustainable
- 25 tropical forest
- 26 illegal hunting
Part 3: Question 27 - 40
- 27 iv
- 28 xii
- 29 ii
- 30 x
- 31 i
- 32 ix
- 33 v
- 34 vii
- 35 C
- 36 B
- 37 A
- 38 Yuri Larin
- 39 Colour-coding
- 40 family
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Review & Explanations:
Questions 1-6
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 1-6 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 |
1 Firstly, Alex has grasped quite a lot of vocabulary.
2 At the beginning of study, Alex felt frightened in the presence of humans.
3 Previously, many scientists realized that animals possess the ability of thinking.
4 It has taken a long time before people get to know cognition existing in animals.
5 As Alex could approximately imitate the sounds of English words, he was capable of roughly answering Irene’s questions regarding the world.
6 By breaking in other parrots as well as producing the incorrect answers, he tried to be focused.
- 1 Answer: NOT GIVEN
Keywords in Questions
1. Firstly, Alex has grasped quite a lot of vocabulary.
+ As we reading the whole paragraph, we may find that after the study, Alex can imitate almost one hundred English words, but in the beginning, no sign of vocabulary or word related to Alex is mentioned
+ The answer here should be NOT GIVEN
- 2 Answer: NOT GIVEN
Keywords in Questions
2. At the beginning of study, Alex felt frightened in the presence of humans.
+ The beginning of the study is mentioned in paragraph B, yet we can’t find any word/sentence that describe the feeling of Alex toward humans
+ Therefore, the answer here should be NOT GIVEN.
- 3 Answer: FALSE
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
3. Previously, many scientists realized that animals possess the ability of thinking.
When Pepperberg began her dialogue with Alex, who died last September at the age of 31, many scientists believed animals were incapable of any thought.
+ Take a look at the first sentence of paragraph B, “When Pepperberg began her dialogue with Alex” mean “Previously” “many scientists believed” animals were incapable of any thought, which means being unable to think, this is contradicted with the question: “animals possess the ability of thinking”
+ Understanding the idea in the question, the answer should be FALSE.
- 4 Answer: TRUE
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
4. It has taken a long time before people get to know cognition existing in animals.
They were clearly a team – and because of their work, the notion that animals can think is no longer so fanciful
+ “Cognition” can also be understood as thinking, take a look at the last sentence of paragraph B
+ According to the sentence, the notion that “animals can think”/”cognition existing in animals” is “get to know”/“no longer so fanciful”
+ Therefore, the answer here should be TRUE.
- 5 Answer: TRUE
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
5. As Alex could approximately imitate the sounds of English words, he was capable of roughly answering Irene’s questions regarding the world.
In other words, because Alex was able to produce a close approximation of the sounds of some English words, Pepperberg could ask him questions about a bird’s basic understanding of the world.
+ Take a look at the first sentence of paragraph G, the idea is: because Alex can “produce a close approximation”/“approximately imitate” the sounds of English words, Pepperberg/Irene can ask him questions about the world and he can answer them
+ The answer here should be TRUE.
- 6 Answer: FALSE
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
6. By breaking in other parrots as well as producing the incorrect answers, he tried to be focused.
Alex spoke up. “Talk clearly!” he commanded, when one of the younger birds Pepperberg was also teaching talked with wrong pronunciation.
“Talk clearly!” “Don’t be a smart aleck,” Pepperberg said, shaking her head at him.
“He knows all this, and he gets bored, so he interrupts the others, or he gives the wrong answer just to be obstinate
+ The interruption the others/breaking in other parrots and producing the incorrect answers /giving the wrong answer is mentioned in the last few sentences of the last paragraph, but Alex did it to be obstinate, not tried to be focused.
+ Understanding the idea in the question, the answer here should be FALSE.
Questions 7-10
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.
|
After the training of Irene, Parrot Alex can use his vocal tract to pronounce more than 7 , while other scientists believe that animals have no this advanced ability of thinking, they would rather teach 8 Pepperberg clarified that she wanted to conduct a study concerning 9 but not to teach him to talk. The store’s assistant picked out a bird at random for her for the sake of avoiding other scientists saying that the bird is 10 afterwards. |
- 7 Answer: 100 English words
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
7. After the training of Irene, Parrot Alex can use his vocal tract to pronounce more than _________ , […]
Under Pepperberg’s patient tutelage, Alex learned how to use his vocal tract to imitate almost one hundred English words, including the sounds for various foods
+ A number that followed by a noun/noun phrase is required here
+ According to the fourth sentence of paragraph E, “Under Pepperberg’s patient tutelage”/“After the training of Irene”, Alex can use his vocal tract to pronounce/ imitate more than one hundred English words
+ No more than 3 words is allowed, so the answer here should be 100 English words
- 8 Answer: chimpanzees
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
8. […] while other scientists believe that animals have no this advanced ability of thinking, they would rather teach ________
“Some people actually called me crazy for trying this,” she said. “Scientists thought that chimpanzees were better subjects, although, of course, chimps can’t speak.”
Chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas have been taught to use sign language and symbols to communicate with us, often with impressive results.
+ A noun is needed here, and it’s an animal’s name
+ Take a look at the first sentence of paragraph E, Irene said that “Scientists thought that chimpanzees were better subjects”, this can be understand as “scientists believe that they would rather teach chimpanzees about the ability of thinking”
+ The answer here should be chimpanzees
- 9 Answer: avian cognition
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
9. Pepperberg clarified that she wanted to conduct a study concerning _______ but not to teach him to talk.
“I’m not trying to see if Alex can learn a human language,” she added. “That’s never been the point. My plan always was to use his imitative skills to get a better understanding of avian cognition.
+ A noun/noun phrase is needed here
+ According to the last sentence of paragraph F, Pepperberg was “not trying to see if Alex can learn a human language”/“not to teach him to talk” but her plan was to “conduct a study concerning”/“use his imitative skills to get a better understanding of” avian cognition
+ The answer here should be avian cognition
- 10 Answer: particularly chosen
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
10. The store’s assistant picked out a bird at random for her for the sake of avoiding other scientists saying that the bird is ______ afterwards
Pepperberg bought Alex in a Chicago pet store where she let the store’s assistant pick him out because she didn’t want other scientists saying later that she’d particularly chosen an especially smart bird for her work.
+ The word needed here is a verb
+ According to the last 2 sentences of paragraph D, Pepperberg “let the store’s assistant pick him out”/“The store’s assistant picked out a bird at random for her”, so the other scientists can’t say that she had particularly chosen an especially smart bird
+ The verb should be chosen, but the detail won’t be enough, therefore, the answer should be particularly chosen
Questions 11-13
Answer the questions 11-13 below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
What did Alex reply regarding the similarity of the subjects showed to him?
11
What is the problem of the young parrots except Alex?
12
To some extent, through the way he behaved what we can call him
13
- 11 Answer: color/colour
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
11. What did Alex reply regarding the similarity of the subjects showed to him?
She held up the two items to Alex’s eye. “What’s same?” she asked. Without hesitation, Alex’s beak opened: “Co-lor.”
“What’s different?” Pepperberg asked. “Shape,” Alex said
+ Take a look at the middle sentences of paragraph G, where we has Alex discuss 2 object
+ We can see the idea that between the two items, the shape is different and the color is the same, means the similarity is color
+ Therefore, the answer should be color
- 12 Answer: wrong pronunciation
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
12. What is the problem of the young parrots except Alex?
Alex spoke up. “Talk clearly!” he commanded, when one of the younger birds Pepperberg was also teaching talked with wrong pronunciation
+ The word needed here is a noun/noun phrase
+ Take a look at the few middle sentences of paragraph H, the idea is that the younger birds Pepperberg was also teaching talked with wrong pronunciation, and then Alex spoke up: “Talk clearly!”
+ Therefore, the answer should be wrong pronunciation
- 13 Answer: teenager
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
13. To some extent, through the way he behaved what we can call him ________
Pepperberg said, shaking her head at him. “He knows all this, and he gets bored, so he interrupts the others, or he gives the wrong answer just to be obstinate. At this stage, he’s like a teenager; he’s moody, and I’m never sure what he’ll do.”
+ The word needed here is a noun
+ Take a look at the last sentence of paragraph H, it’s about how Alex “gets bored, so he interrupts the others, or he gives the wrong answer just to be obstinate”/“behaved”, and he’s like a teenager, it’s what we can call him
+ Therefore, the answer should be teenager
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 , which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
Animal Minds: Parrot Alex
A In 1977 Irene Pepperberg, a recent graduate of Harvard University, did something very bold. At a time when animals still were considered automatons, she set out to find what was on another creature’s mind by talking to it. She brought a one-year-old African gray parrot she named Alex into her lab to teach him to reproduce the sounds of the English language. “I thought if he learned to communicate, I could ask him questions about how he sees the world.”
B When Pepperberg began her dialogue with Alex, who died last September at the age of 31, many scientists believed animals were incapable of any thought. They were simply machines, robots programmed to react to stimuli but lacking the ability to think or feel.Any pet owner would disagree. We see the love in our dogs’ eyes and know that, of course, they has thoughts and emotions. But such claims remain highly controversial. Gut instinct is not science, and it is all too easy to project human thoughts and feelings onto another creature. How, then, does a scientist prove that an animal is capable of thinking – that it is able to acquire information about the world and act on it? “That’s why I started my studies withAlex,” Pepperberg said. They were seated – she at her desk, he on top of his cage – in her lab, a windowless room about the size of a boxcar, at Brandeis University. Newspapers lined the floor; baskets of bright toys were stacked on the shelves. They were clearly a team – and because of their work, the notion that animals can think is no longer so fanciful.
C Certain skills are considered key signs of higher mental abilities: good memory, a grasp of grammar and symbols, self-awareness, understanding others’ motives, imitating others, and being creative. Bit by bit, in ingenious experiments, researchers have documented these talents in other species, gradually chipping away at what we thought made human beings distinctive while offering a glimpse of where our own abilities came from. Scrub jays know that other jays are thieves and that stashed food can spoil; sheep can recognize faces; chimpanzees use a variety of tools to probe termite mounds and even use weapons to hunt small mammals; dolphins can imitate human postures; the archerfish, which stuns insects with a sudden blast of water, can learn how to aim its squirt simply by watching an experienced fish perform the task.AndAlex the parrot turned out to be a surprisingly good talker.
D Thirty years after the Alex studies began; Pepperberg and a changing collection of assistants were still giving him English lessons. The humans, along with two younger parrots, also served as Alex’s flock, providing the social input all parrots crave. Like any flock, this one – as small as it was – had its share of drama. Alex dominated his fellow parrots, acted huffy at times around Pepperberg, tolerated the other female humans, and fell to pieces over a male assistant who dropped by for a visit. Pepperberg bought Alex in a Chicago pet store where she let the store’s assistant pick him out because she didn’t want other scientists saying later that she’d particularly chosen an especially smart bird for her work. Given that Alex’s brain was the size of a shelled walnut, most researchers thought Pepperberg’s interspecies communication study would be futile.
E “Some people actually called me crazy for trying this,” she said. “Scientists thought that chimpanzees were better subjects, although, of course, chimps can’t speak.” Chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas have been taught to use sign language and symbols to communicate with us, often with impressive results. The bonobo Kanzi, for instance, carries his symbol-communication board with him so he can “talk” to his human researchers, and he has invented combinations of symbols to express his thoughts. Nevertheless, this is not the same thing as having an animal look up at you, open his mouth, and speak. Under Pepperberg’s patient tutelage, Alex learned how to use his vocal tract to imitate almost one hundred English words, including the sounds for various foods, although he calls an apple a “beanery.” “Apples taste a little bit like bananas to him, and they look a little bit like cherries, Alex made up that word for them,” Pepperberg said.
F It sounded a bit mad, the idea of a bird having lessons to practice, and willingly doing it. But after listening to and observing Alex, it was difficult to argue with Pepperberg’s explanation for his behaviors. She wasn’t handing him treats for the repetitious work or rapping him on the claws to make him say the sounds. “He has to hear the words over and over before he can correctly imitate them,” Pepperberg said, after pronouncing “seven” for Alex a good dozen times in a row. “I’m not trying to see if Alex can learn a human language,” she added. “That’s never been the point. My plan always was to use his imitative skills to get a better understanding of avian cognition.”
G In other words, because Alex was able to produce a close approximation of the sounds of some English words, Pepperberg could ask him questions about a bird’s basic understanding of the world. She couldn’t ask him what he was thinking about, but she could ask him about his knowledge of numbers, shapes, and colors. To demonstrate, Pepperberg carried Alex on her arm to a tall wooden perch in the middle of the room. She then retrieved a green key and a small green cup from a basket on a shelf. She held up the two items to Alex’s eye. “What’s same?” she asked. Without hesitation, Alex’s beak opened: “Co-lor.” “What’s different?” Pepperberg asked. “Shape,” Alex said. His voice had the digitized sound of a cartoon character. Since parrots lack lips (another reason it was difficult for Alex to pronounce some sounds, such as ba), the words seemed to come from the air around him, as if a ventriloquist were speaking. But the words – and what can only be called the thoughts – were entirely his.
H For the next 20 minutes, Alex ran through his tests, distinguishing colors, shapes, sizes, and materials (wool versus wood versus metal). He did some simple arithmetic, such as counting the yellow toy blocks among a pile of mixed hues. And, then, as if to offer final proof of the mind inside his bird’s brain, Alex spoke up. “Talk clearly!” he commanded, when one of the younger birds Pepperberg was also teaching talked with wrong pronunciation. “Talk clearly!” “Don’t be a smart aleck,” Pepperberg said, shaking her head at him. “He knows all this, and he gets bored, so he interrupts the others, or he gives the wrong answer just to be obstinate. At this stage, he’s like a teenager; he’s moody, and I’m never sure what he’ll do.”
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Great thanks to volunteer Phạm Hoà who has contributed these explanations and markings.
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