IELTS Practice Tests Plus Volume 2
- Published on: 15 Dec 2017
- Tests taken: 263,837
Answer Keys:
Part 1: Question 1 - 13
- 1 vi
- 2 ix
- 3 iii
- 4 viii
- 5 i
- 6 iv
- 7 D
- 8 B
- 9 D
- 10 A
- 11 managers and sportsmen
- 12 driving
- 13 Pharmaceutical (companies)
Part 2: Question 14 - 26
- 14 TRUE
- 15 FALSE
- 16 NOT GIVEN
- 17 TRUE
- 18 FALSE
- 19 D
- 20 F
- 21 B
- 22 H
- 23 E
- 24 A
- 25 G
- 26 B
Part 3: Question 27 - 40
- 27 G
- 28 D
- 29 J
- 30 B
- 31 I
- 32 C
- 33 asphalt
- 34 9/nine
- 35 concrete
- 36 E
- 37 J
- 38 G
- 39 C
- 40 A
Leaderboard:
| # | User | Score | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| uyen nguyen |
|
9.0 | 15:14 | |
| Aditya kumar |
|
9.0 | 15:28 | |
| Nguyễn Khánh |
|
9.0 | 17:04 | |
| 4 | OSMAN IBNAUF Saddique |
|
9.0 | 19:27 |
| 5 | KABUGO HASHIM |
|
9.0 | 19:29 |
| 6 | Kiệt Trần |
|
9.0 | 19:53 |
| 7 | sure rai |
|
9.0 | 21:52 |
| 8 | shesiela putri |
|
9.0 | 23:55 |
| 9 | Đoan Nguyễn |
|
9.0 | 24:42 |
| 10 | Ekaterina Soboleva |
|
9.0 | 25:09 |
Share your score
Tips for improving your ielts score
Review & Explanations:
Questions 1-6
Reading Passage 1 has nine paragraphs A-I.
Choose the correct heading for Paragraphs B and D-H from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number (i-xi) in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
1 Paragraph B
2 Paragraph D
3 Paragraph E
4 Paragraph F
5 Paragraph G
6 Paragraph H
| List of headings | |
| i | Not identifying the correct priorities |
| ii | A solution for the long term |
| iii | The difficulty of changing your mind |
| iv | Why looking back is unhelpful |
| v | Strengthening inner resources |
| vi | A successful approach to the study of decision-making |
| vii | The danger of trusting a global market |
| viii | Reluctance to go beyond the familiar |
| ix | The power of the first number |
| x | The need for more effective risk assessment |
| xi | Underestimating the difficulties ahead |
- 1 Answer: vi
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
Q1: A successful approach to the study of decision-making
Paragraph B
When Kahneman and his colleagues first started work, the idea of applying psychological insights to economics and business decisions was seen as rather bizarre . But in the past decade the fields of behavioural finance and behavioural economics have blossomed, and in 2002 Kahneman shared a Nobel prize in economics for his work
Note:
In this paragraph, the author writes about Daniel Kahneman’s new approach to the study of decision-making is applying psychological understanding to decisions relating to economic and business and it has proven successful when he achieved a Nobel prize in economics for his hard work in 2002. So, the right heading for paragraph B is vi.
- 2 Answer: ix
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
Q2: The power of the first number
Paragraph D
Another source of wrong decisions is related to the decisive effect of the initial meeting, particularly in negotiations over money. This is referred to as the 'anchor effect'. Once a figure has been mentioned, it takes a stranglehold over the human mind.
Note:
-
The “anchor effect” describes the common human tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered. In this paragraph, the author indicates that this effect has an impact on negotiations over money. He explains once a figure (number) has given out, it takes a control (stranglehold) over the human mind. So the right heading for paragraph D is ix.
-
- 3 Answer: iii
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
Q3: The difficulty of changing your mind
Paragraph E
In addition, mistakes may arise due to stubbornness. No one likes to abandon a cherished belief, and the earlier a decision has been taken, the harder it is to abandon it.
Note:
In this paragraph, the author emphasizes that mistakes may arise due to unwillingness or difficulty to change the mind (stubbornness) and it is far too hard (difficult) for people to leave (abandon) their cherished belief. So, the right heading for paragraph E is iii.
- 4 Answer: viii
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
Q4:
Reluctance to go beyond the familiar
Paragraph F
People also tend to put a lot of emphasis on things they have seen and experienced themselves, which may not be the best guide to decision-making . For example, somebody may buy an overvalued share because a relative has made thousands on it, only to get his fingers burned. In finance, too much emphasis on information close at hand helps to explain the tendency by most investors to invest only within the country they live in . Even though they know that diversification is good for their portfolio, a large majority of both Americans and Europeans invest far too heavily in the shares of their home countries.
Note:
-
“Reluctance to go beyond the familiar” means that lack of eagerness or willingness to do something outside the comfort zone.
-
In this paragraph, the author indicates that people tend to pay significant attention (put a lot of emphasis) to things they have seen or experienced. It means that they are reluctant to do something that they are not familiar with. To support this idea, the writer gives a range of examples, such as “somebody may buy an overvalued share because a relative has made thousands on it”, “most investors to invest only within the country they live in”, a large majority of both Americans and Europeans invest far too heavily in the shares of their home countries”. So, the correct heading of this paragraph F is viii.
-
- 5 Answer: i
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
Q5: Not identifying the correct priorities
Paragraph G
More information is helpful in making any decision but, says Kahneman, people spend proportionally too much time on small decisions and not enough on big ones . They need to adjust the balance. During the boom years, some companies put as much effort into planning their office party as into considering strategic mergers.
Note:
-
In this paragraph, Kahneman says “people spend proportionally too much time on small decisions and not enough on big ones”, “some companies put as much effort into planning their office party as into considering strategic mergers”. This means some people and companies are unable to define which decisions or scheme they should make effort on or they don’t give priority properly to what they do. So, the correct heading of paragraph G is i.
-
- 6 Answer: iv
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
Q6: Why looking back is unhelpful
Paragraph H
crying over spilled milk is not just a waste of time; it also often colours people's perceptions of the future .
Note:
-
crying over spilled milk means to be upset over or looking back something that already happened and can not be fixed.
-
In this paragraph, the writer claims that looking back is not only unhelpful (waste of time) but also often affects (colours) people’s perceptions of the future. So, the correct heading of paragraph H is iv.
-
Questions 7-10
Choose the correct answer A, B, C or D
Write your answers in boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.
People initially found Kahneman's work unusual because he
- A
- B
- C
- D
|
Keywords in Questions |
Similar words in Passage |
|
Q7: People initially found Kahneman's work unusual because he A. saw mistakes as following predictable pa.tterns. B. was unaware of behavioural approaches. C. dealt with irrational types of practice. D. applied psychology to finance and economics. |
When Kahneman and his colleagues first started work, the idea of applying psychological insights to economics and business decisions was seen as rather bizarre. |
|
Note:
|
|
The writer mentions house-owners attitudes towards the value of their homes to illustrate that
- A
- B
- C
- D
|
Keywords in Questions |
Similar words in Passage |
|
Q8: The writer mentions house-owners attitudes towards the value of their homes to illustrate that: A. past failures may destroy an optimistic attitude. B. people tend to exaggerate their chances of success. C. optimism may be justified in certain circumstances. D. people are influenced by the success of others. |
One common cause of problems in decision-making is over-optimism. Ask most people about the future, and they will see too much blue sky ahead, even if past experience suggests otherwise . Surveys have shown that people's forecasts of future stock market movements are far more optimistic than past long-term returns would justify. The same goes for their hopes of ever-rising prices for their homes or doing well in games of chance |
|
Note:
|
|
Stubbornness and inflexibility can cause problems when people
- A
- B
- C
- D
|
Keywords in Questions |
Similar words in Passage |
|
Q9: Stubbornness and inflexibility can cause problems when people: A. think their financial difficulties are just due to bad luck. B. avoid seeking advice from experts and analysts. C. refuse to invest in the early stages of a project. D. are unwilling to give up unsuccessful activities or beliefs. |
In addition, mistakes may arise due to stubbornness. No one likes to abandon a cherished belief, and the earlier a decision has been taken, the harder it is to abandon it . Drug companies must decide early to cancel a failing research project to avoid wasting money, but may find it difficult to admit they have made a mistake. In the same way, analysts may have become wedded early to a single explanation that coloured their perception. A fresh eye always helps . |
|
Note:
|
|
Why do many Americans and Europeans fail to spread their financial risks when investing?
- A
- B
- C
- D
|
Keywords in Questions |
Similar words in Passage |
|
Q10: Why do many Americans and Europeans fail to spread their financial risks when investing? A They feel safer dealing in a context which is close to home. B They do not understand the benefits of diversification. C They are over-influenced by the successes of their relatives. D They do not have sufficient knowledge of one another’s countries. |
In finance, too much emphasis on information close at hand helps to explain the tendency by most investors to invest only within the country they live in . Even though they know that diversification is good for their portfolio,a large majority of both Americans and Europeans invest far too heavily in the shares of their home countries. They would be much better off spreading their risks more widely. |
|
Note
|
|
Questions 11-13
Answer the questions below, using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.
Which two occupations may benefit from being over-optimistic? 11
Which practical skill are many people over-confident about? 12
Which type of business has a generally good attitude to dealing with uncertainty? 13
- 11 Answer: managers and sportsmen
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
Q11:
Which two occupations may benefit from being over-optimistic?
Surveys have shown that people's forecasts of future stock market movements are far more optimistic than past long-term returns would justify. The same goes for their hopes of ever-rising prices for their homes or doing well in games of chance. Such optimism can be useful for managers or sportsmen
Note:
-
The keyword in question is two occupations.
-
Based on the question, we need to find out 2 jobs that can take advantage of being over-optimistic. In the middle of paragraph C, the author writes “Such optimism can be useful for managers or sportsmen”. So, the answer is “managers or sportsmen”
-
- 12 Answer: driving
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
Q12: Which practical skill are many people over-confident about?
Kahneman's work points to three types of over-confident. First, people tend to exaggerate their own skill and prowess; in polls, far fewer than half the respondents admit to having below-average skills in, say, driving.
Note:
Based on the question, we need to find out a particular practical skill that people are very confident about. In paragraph C, the author writes “far fewer than half the respondents admit to having below-average skills in, say, driving”. This means most of the respondents are over-confident about their driving skill. So, the answer is “ driving”.
- 13 Answer: Pharmaceutical (companies)
Keywords in Questions
Similar words in Passage
Q13
Which type of business has a generally good attitude to dealing with uncertainty?
Kahneman reckons that some types of businesses are much better than others at dealing with risk. Pharmaceutical companies , which are accustomed to many failures and a few big successes in their drug-discovery programmes, are fairly rational about their risk-taking
Note:
Based on the question, we need to find out a particular type of business that mostly succeed in dealing with unpredictable situations. In paragraph I, the writer mentions “Pharmaceutical companies, which are accustomed to many failures and a few big successes in their drug-discovery programmes, are fairly rational about their risk-taking” This means that Pharmaceutical companies are used to many failures so they can face failure with a good attitude. So, the answer is “Pharmaceutical companies”
Reading Passage 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
Why Risks Can Go Wrong
Human intuition is a bad guide to handling risk
A. People make terrible decisions about the future. The evidence is all around, from their investments in the stock markets to the way they run their businesses. In fact, people are consistently bad at dealing with uncertainty, underestimating some kinds of risk and overestimating others. Surely there must be a better way than using intuition?
B. In the 1960s a young American research psychologist, Daniel Kahneman, became interested in people's inability to make logical decisions. That launched him on a career to show just how irrationally people behave in practice. When Kahneman and his colleagues first started work, the idea of applying psychological insights to economics and business decisions was seen as rather bizarre. But in the past decade the fields of behavioural finance and behavioural economics have blossomed, and in 2002 Kahneman shared a Nobel prize in economics for his work. Today he is in demand by business organizations and international banking companies. But, he says, there are plenty of institutions that still fail to understand the roots of their poor decisions. He claims that, far from being random, these mistakes are systematic and predictable.
C. One common cause of problems in decision-making is over-optimism. Ask most people about the future, and they will see too much blue sky ahead, even if past experience suggests otherwise. Surveys have shown that people's forecasts of future stock market movements are far more optimistic than past long-term returns would justify. The same goes for their hopes of ever-rising prices for their homes or doing well in games of chance. Such optimism can be useful for managers or sportsmen, and sometimes turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy. But most of the time it results in wasted effort and dashed hopes. Kahneman's work points to three types of over-confidence. First, people tend to exaggerate their own skill and prowess; in polls, far fewer than half the respondents admit to having below-average skills in, say, driving. Second, they overestimate the amount of control they have over the future, forgetting about luck and chalking up success solely to skill. And third, in competitive pursuits such as dealing on shares, they forget that they have to judge their skills against those of the competition.
D. Another source of wrong decisions is related to the decisive effect of the initial meeting, particularly in negotiations over money. This is referred to as the 'anchor effect'. Once a figure has been mentioned, it takes a strange hold over the human mind. The asking price quoted in a house sale, for example, tends to become accepted by all parties as the 'anchor' around which negotiations take place. Much the same goes for salary negotiations or mergers and acquisitions. If nobody has much information to go on, a figure can provide comfort - even though it may lead to a terrible mistake.
E. In addition, mistakes may arise due to stubbornness. No one likes to abandon a cherished belief, and the earlier a decision has been taken, the harder it is to abandon it. Drug companies must decide early to cancel a failing research project to avoid wasting money, but may find it difficult to admit they have made a mistake. In the same way, analysts may have become wedded early to a single explanation that coloured their perception. A fresh eye always helps.
F. People also tend to put a lot of emphasis on things they have seen and experienced themselves, which may not be the best guide to decision-making. For example, somebody may buy an overvalued share because a relative has made thousands on it, only to get his fingers burned. In finance, too much emphasis on information close at hand helps to explain the tendency by most investors to invest only within the country they live in. Even though they know that diversification is good for their portfolio, a large majority of both Americans and Europeans invest far too heavily in the shares of their home countries. They would be much better off spreading their risks more widely.
G. More information is helpful in making any decision but, says Kahneman, people spend proportionally too much time on small decisions and not enough on big ones. They need to adjust the balance. During the boom years, some companies put as much effort into planning their office party as into considering strategic mergers.
H. Finally, crying over spilled milk is not just a waste of time; it also often colours people's perceptions of the future. Some stock market investors trade far too frequently because they are chasing the returns on shares they wish they had bought earlier.
I. Kahneman reckons that some types of businesses are much better than others at dealing with risk. Pharmaceutical companies, which are accustomed to many failures and a few big successes in their drug-discovery programmes, are fairly rational about their risk-taking. But banks, he says, have a long way to go. They may take big risks on a few huge loans, but are extremely cautious about their much more numerous loans to small businesses, many of which may be less risky than the big ones. And the research has implications for governments too. They face a whole range of sometimes conflicting political pressures, which means they are even more likely to take irrational decisions.
Comments: