IELTS READING PRACTICE

Question type: Matching heading

Reading 1:
Traffic jams-no end in sight
There are no easy answers to the problems of traffic congestion.
A Traffic congestion affects people throughout the world. Traffic jams cause smog in
dozens of cities across both the developed and developing world. In the US, commuters
spend an average of a full working week each year sitting in traffic jams, according to the
Texas Transportation Institute. While alternative ways of getting around are available, most
people still choose their cars because they are looking for convenience, comfort and privacy.
B The most promising technique for reducing city traffic is called congestion pricing,
whereby cities charge a toll to enter certain parts of town at certain times of day. In theory, if
the toll IS high enough, some drivers will cancel their trips or go by bus or train. And in
practice it seems to work: Singapore, London and Stockholm have reduced traffic and
pollution in city centers thanks to congestion pricing.
C Another way to reduce rush-hour traffic is for employers to implement flexitime, which
lets employees travel to and from work at off-peak traffic times to avoid the rush hour. Those
who have to travel during busy times can do their part by sharing cars. Employers can also
allow more staff to telecommute [work from home] so as to keep more cars off the road
altogether.
D Some urban planners still believe that the best way to ease traffic congestion is to
build more roads, especially roads that can take drivers around or over crowded city streets.
But such techniques do not really keep cars off the road; they only accommodate more of
them.
E Other, more forward-thinking, planners know that more and more drivers and cars
are taking to the roads every day, and they are unwilling to encourage more private
automobiles when public transport is so much better both for people and the environment.
For this reason, the American government has decided to spend some $7 billion on helping
to increase capacity on public transport systems and upgrade them with more efficient
technologies. But environmentalists complain that such funding is tiny compared to the $50
billion being spent on roads and bridges.
adapted from The Environmental Magazine, Earthtalk
List of Headings
i A solution which is no solution
ii Changing working practices
iii Closing city centers to traffic
iv Making cars more environmentally friendly
v Not doing enough
vi Paying to get in
vii A global problem
Question 1-5
Choose the most suitable heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the
appropriate letter (i-vii).
1 Paragraph A………….
2 Paragraph B………….
3 Paragraph C………….
4 Paragraph D………….
5 Paragraph E………….

Reading 2:
Our Diet Matters
Section I
The average person swallows about half a ton of food a year - not counting drink - and
though the body is remarkably efficient at extracting just what it needs from this huge
mixture, it can only cope up to a point.
If you go on eating too much of some things and not enough others, you'll eventually get out
of condition and your health will suffer.
So think before you start eating. It may look good. It may taste good. Fine! But how much
good is it really doing you?
Section Il
What you eat and the way it affects your body depend very much on the kind of person you
are. For one thing, the genes you inherit from your parents can determine how your body
chemistry (metabolism) copes with particular foods. The tendency to put on weight rather
easily, for example, often runs in families - which means that they have to take particular
care.
And your parents may shape your future in another way. Your upbringing shapes some
basic attitudes to food - like whether you have a sweet tooth, nibble between meals, take big
mouthfuls or eat chips with everything.
And there is your lifestyle. How much you spend on food (time as well as money), how much
on exercise you get - these can alter the balance between food and fitness.
And finally, both your age and your sex may affect this balance. For example, you are more
likely to put on weight as you get older, especially if you are a woman.
So, everybody's different and the important thing is to know yourself.
Section III
If you are eating a fairly varied diet, it is just about impossible to go short of proteins,
vitamins or minerals. It is likely, too, that you have more than enough fats and
carbohydrates.
Take proteins for instance. On average, we eat about twice as much protein as we need.
Vitamin pills are not likely to help either. A varied diet with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables
and cereals along with some fish, eggs, meat and dairy products will contain more than
enough vitamins. Unless you have some special medical reason, it is a waste of time and
money to take vitamin pills.
As for minerals, there is no shortage in the average dict and it is useless to have more than
you need.
Section IV
Just about everything you eat contains energy - measured as calories; the higher the
number of calories, the more energy. But don't make the mistake of thinking that eating extra
energy-rich foods will make you more energetic. The amount of energy your daily diet should
exactly balance the energy your body-machine burns up. If you eat more than you use, the
extra energy is stored as body fat. And this is the big problem.
Section V
Over hundreds of thousands of years, man's food came mainly from plants. He ate cereals
(like wheat), pulses (like beans and peas), vegetables, fruit and nuts. So our ancestors were
used to eating the sort of food that contains a lot of fiber.
In comparison with our ancestors, the sort of food we eat today contains very little fiber. Our
main foods are meat, eggs and dairy products, which contain no fiber at all.
Lack of fiber seems to be connected with various disorders of the digestive system. Some
experts also believe that lack of fiber may even lead to heart disease.
If you are worried about your weight, eating more fiber may actually help you to slim! Food
with plenty of fiber like potatoes or bread can be satisfying without giving you too many
calories.
List of Headings
A. Extra energy makes us fat.
B. Eating more fiber is important
C. It is better to change the bad eating habits.
D. A bad dict is harmful.
E. People differ from each other.
F. Enough proteins, vitamins and minerals are provided in a good diet.
G. We do not need vitamin pills.
Question 1-5
Choose the most suitable heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the
appropriate letter (A-G).
1 Section I ………….
2 Section II ………….
3 Section III ………….
4 Section IV ………….
5 Section V ………….

Reading 3:
How New York Became America's Largest City
Section 1
In the 18th century New York was smaller than Philadelphia and Boston. Today it is the
largest city in America. How can the change in its size and importance be explained? To
answer this question we must consider certain facts about geography, history, and
economics. Together these three will explain the huge growth of America's most famous city.
Section 2
The map of the Northeast shows that four of the most heavily populated areas in this region
are around seaports. At these points materials from across the sea enter the United States,
and the products of the land are sent there for export across the sea.
Section 3
Economists know that places where transportation lines meet are good places for making
raw materials into finished goods. That is why seaports often have cities nearby. But cities
like New York needed more than their geographical location in order to become great
industrial centers. Their development did not happen simply by chance.
Section 4
About 1815, when many Americans from the east coast had already moved toward the west,
trade routes from the ports to the central regions of the country began to be a serious
problem. The slow wagons of that time, drawn by horses or oxen, were too expensive for
moving heavy freight very far. Americans had long admired Europe's canals. In New York
State, a canal seemed the best solution to the transportation problem. From the eastern end
of Lake Erie all the way across the state to the Hudson River, there is a long strip of low
land. Here the Erie Canal was constructed. After several years of work, it was completed in
1825.
Section 5
The canal produced an immediate effect. Freight costs were cut to about one tenth of what
they had been. New York City, which had been smaller than Philadelphia and Boston,
quickly became the leading city of the coast. In the years that followed, transportation routes
on the Great Lakes were joined to routes on the Mississippi River. Then New York City
became the end point of a great inland shipping system that extended from the Atlantic
Ocean far up the western branches of the Mississippi.
Section 6
The coming of the railroads made canal shipping less important, but it tied New York even
more closely to the central regions of the country. It was easier for people in the central
states to ship their goods to New York for export overseas.
Section 7
Exports from New York were greater than imports. Consequently, shipping companies were
eager to fill their ships with passengers on the return trip from Europe. Passengers could
come from Europe very cheaply as a result.
Section 8
Thus New York became the greatest port for receiving people from European countries.
Many of these people remained in the city. Others stayed in New York for a few weeks,
months, or years, and then moved to other parts of the United States. For these great
numbers of new Americans, New York had to provide homes, goods, and services. Their
labor helped the city become great.
List of Headings
i Then came the train
ii Cheap fares from Europe
iii Seaport
iv Three factors
v Not just because of where it is
vi Most popular place to arrive
vii Beginning of canal shipping
viii Further development of water transport
Question 1-8
Choose the most suitable heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the
appropriate letter (i-viii).
1 Section 1 ………….
2 Section 2 ………….
3 Section 3 ………….
4 Example Section 4 - viii
5 Section 5 ………….
6 Section 6 ………….
7 Section 7 ………….
8 Section 8 ………….

Reading 4:
Public Libraries
Paragraph A
The word public comes from the Latin word, publicus, meaning people. A public library is for
all the people in a community to use. It charges no fee for its services. The public library will
have available, within the limits of its budget, a wide variety of books and other materials.
These books or other materials may be borrowed, or taken out for a specific time, by anyone
in the community. The library loans its materials.
Paragraph B
Public libraries are usually tax-supported. There are a few that are instead supported from
money that has been donated. And there are some that receive part of their money from
taxes and part from gifts.
Paragraph C
Few public libraries are exactly alike. Not only are the shapes and sizes of the buildings
different, but so are the number of books and other materials in each. Your nearest library
may be like the Los Angeles Public Library, which has over 4,538,458 books and bound
periodicals (magazines and journals) in its collection. Or it may be like the Cherokee County
Public Library, which has only about 3,800 books in its collection.
Paragraph D
Libraries vary in other ways, too, for instance, in the number of hours (or days) they are open
or in the number of people who work there. Most public libraries, however, arrange their
books and other materials in similar ways. They divide their collections into two basic age
groups, children and adults. Adult books are in one place: children’s books are in another.
Then the books are further separated by the kind of book. Storybooks - works of fiction - are
separated from information, or fact books - nonfiction.
Paragraph E
People often want to refer to, that is, look something up in a certain basic information book.
Thus reference books, which are rarely read cover to cover, are put in a special place in the
library, a reference section or perhaps a reference room. Reference books are never to be
taken out of the library building.
Paragraph F
Each library decides for itself how it should further arrange its books and other materials. In
a large city library, certain nonfiction materials may be put into a special area or separate
room. For instance, there may be a separate room just for all the materials a library has on
music. In another large city, the music materials might not be kept so separate. It would
depend on what the people in that city had indicated they found useful.
Paragraph G
A library’s holdings are everything the library has in its collection. These holdings almost
always reflect the community’s special interests. Suppose, for example, there was a town
where Morgan horses were widely raised and trained. That town’s library would most likely
have a great deal of material about Morgan horses. Since the people who were interested in
Morgan horses would probably be less interested in other breeds of horses, the library might
have only a small amount of material on Mustangs or Appaloosas.
Question 1-7
Choose the most suitable heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the
appropriate letter (i-ix).
List of Headings
i Financial support
ii Local decisions
iii Influence of people’s interests
iv Materials about Morgan horses
v History of public libraries
vi Certain books stay in the library
vii Free services for everyone
viii A wide variety
ix Similar ways to arrange books
1 Paragraph A………….
2 Paragraph B………….
3 Paragraph C………….
4 Paragraph D………….
5 Paragraph E………….
6 Paragraph F ………….
7 Paragraph G………….

Reading 5:
Our Exploding Population: Problems and Solutions
Section I
Almost everyone thinks about the future. We try to imagine life in thirty, forty, or fifty years.
What will life on the earth be like? According to many people, it will not be very pleasant.
These people are very worried about the future. One of the main problems which worries
them is overpopulation. In 1975 there were about four billion people in the world, and the
population was increasing by about 2% every year. At the end of the twentieth century, the
population of the world reached six six billion people.

Section II
Why is this increase in population a problem? First, a large part of the growth is taking place
in countries that do not always have enough food for their present population. Without a
great deal of money, food, and medical assistance from other nations, these countries will
not be able to support their growing population. Many of their people, people, perhaps
millions of them, will die of starvation or disease. But overpopulation is not only a problem for
developing countries. It is also a serious problem for the countries of the world which do not
usually have food problems. In wealthy, industrial nations, large increases in the population
will have negative effects on life. We will have to heat and cool more houses, apartment
buildings, schools, and hospitals. We will have to transport more people to and from work.
For all this, we have to use more of the world’s natural resources. Perhaps the world will not
have enough oil, water, coal, and wood for all our needs.

Section III
One solution which many people suggest is to limit the number of children who are born.
There are now a number of safe, modern methods of birth control. A married couple who use
birth control can choose the size of their family. A number of countries with large populations
have government programmes for birth control. India, for example, advertises birth control
on the radio and television. Teams of workers go out into the countryside and teach the
people about the benefits of family planning. In China, couples who only have one child or
no child get apartments before couples with three children or more. In many other countries,
birth control is a subject that school students study in special classes.

Section IV
But how successful are these birth control programmes? Some are very successful. In
countries like Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland and Great Britain, families are quite
small, and the population is increasing very slowly; in some of these countries, it is not
growing at all. But these are wealthy, developed countries, which can feed their people
without difficulty. In developing countries, many of the birth control programmes are not
successful.
Section V
There are a number of possible reasons for the failure of birth control programmes in
developing countries. One reason is religion. Many people belong to religions which do not
accept modern methods of birth control. For them, birth control is wrong, and they naturally
refuse to listen to family planning workers. Another reason for the failure of birth control
programmes is economics. Often a large number of children are necessary for very poor
families in developing countries. Children can work and help support the family. Also, without
a welfare system, people have to depend on their children for food, clothing, and shelter in
their old age. In these countries, people just cannot see any reason for small families.

Section VI
For other people, birth control is definitely not the solution the world needs for the problem of
overpopulation. In their opinion, the government should not decide family size. It is not right.
The solution which these people suggest is to increase world food production. They draw our
attention to the progress that agricultural scientists are making. With irrigation, for example,
we can now produce food in many parts of the world which did not produce anything fifteen
or twenty years ago. We can even grow plants in water without soil. Scientists are also doing
research into plants which grow quickly and into new farming techniques. The governments
of rich countries will have to help the poor countries. Without economic assistance from the
wealthy nations, poor countries will not be able to use the new products and farming
techniques that scientists are developing.

Section VII
Birth control and an increase in food production are two possible solutions to the problem of
overpopulation. Perhaps there are other solutions. Almost certainly there is no one easy
answer to the problem: we will have to use a number of solutions. Then perhaps we will be
able to solve the problem of the population explosion.

Question 1-6
Choose the most suitable heading from the list of headings below for each section. There
are more headings than sections, so you will not use them all. The heading of Section V has
been given as an example. Write the appropriate letter (A-I).

List of headings
A. Another solution to the problem of overpopulation
B. The rapid increase of the world's population
C. Success and failure of birth control programmes
D. Disagreement about different solutions
E. Reasons for the failure of birth control programmes
F. Birth control as one possible solution
G. Link between poverty and overpopulation
H. The problems of overpopulation
I. More solutions needed to solve the problem

1 Section I ………….
2 Section II ………….
3 Section III ………….
4 Section IV ………….
Example Section V - E
5 Section VI ………….
6 Section VII ………….

Reading 6:
U.S. Public Schools: What's Wrong with Them
Paragraph 1
There are many people in the U.S. today who are not satisfied with the education that their
children are receiving in the public schools. They are very worried about a number of
developments that are taking place in the schools. However, not all of these people are
worried about the same things. In fact, they often do not agree about the problem in public
education.
Paragraph 2
One group of people is concerned about the quality of the education which young people are
receiving. According to these parents, their children are not learning enough in school, and
some researchers agree with them. For example, according to recent studies, the number of
high school students who cannot read is increasing, not decreasing. Also the number of high
school students who have difficulty with simple mathematics is increasing. Even students
who graduate from high school and go to college show a depressing lack of knowledge. In a
geography class at a large university, 40% of the students could not find London on a map
and almost 9% could not find the city where they were attending college.
Paragraph 3
There are a number of possible reasons for the increase in the number of students who are
not receiving a good basic education. First, classes are sometimes too large. In some city
schools, for example, there are often between forty and fifty students in a class. Second,
there are many teachers who do not know enough about the subjects that they are teaching.
'The college programmes which train future teachers are not always good and do not always
attract the top students. But the problems are not always the fault of the teachers or the
education system. Often students who do not want to learn behave badly and disturb
classes. Finally, according to some people, television is also to blame for the lack of success
of the public schools. Young people do not take time for their homework. They grow to
depend on television for entertainment and information, and therefore, they cannot see any
reason for reading in this modern world.
Paragraph 4
Clearly there are a number of different reasons for the poor quality of education that some
students are receiving in U.S. public schools. Any solutions to this problem will have to
answer at least four questions. How can we bring down the number of students in a class?
How can we improve the quality of teachers and teacher training? How can we solve the
problem of students who disturb classes? How can we fight against the negative influence of
television? However, We do not have a great deal of time to find the answers to these
questions. Already, as a result of their dissatisfaction with the schools, some concerned
parents are taking their children out of public schools.
Paragraph 5
A second group of people is dissatisfied with the public schools for very different reasons.
These people usually have very conservative beliefs about life. They do not like the changes
which they see every day in American society, and they disagree with many of the ideas
which their children hear and read about in school. For example, they object to the sex
education classes that some schools give. For them, sex education is not a suitable subject
for schools. They also object to school books that describe the lives of mothers who work
outside the home or of parents who are divorced. They do not like history books which
criticize the U.S. for mistakes which the U.S. made in the past.
Paragraph 6
These people have a solution to the problems of unsuitable books and classes. Their
solution is not to take their children out of the public schools. They put pressure on the
people on the local school boards. They also elect to the school boards people who share
their ideas. Then the school boards will stop sex education and the use of school books that
do not agree with their ideas about life.
Paragraph 7
There are, however, many other people who completely disagree with the actions of these
conservatives. Thus, in the U.S. today there is a lot of discussion about very important
questions in education. Who will decide school programmes and books? Does the
government have the right to decide? Can teachers decide? Do only parents have the right
to decide the things that their children learn in school? Watch the television and read news
magazines; you will hear a lot of different answers to these questions.
Question 1-7
Choose the most suitable heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the
appropriate letter (A-H).
List of headings
A. Why not learning enough in schools
B. General dissatisfaction of parents
C. Not learning enough in schools
D. A number of problems we need to solve
E. Trying to change school programmes
F. Discussion and disagreement about education
G. Better solutions to the same problem
H. Dissatisfaction of some conservatives

1 Paragraph 1 ………….
2 Paragraph 2 ………….
3 Paragraph 3 ………….
4 Paragraph 4 ………….
5 Paragraph 5 ………….
6 Paragraph 6 ………….
7 Paragraph 7………….

Reading 7:
Closing the Gender Gap
Section A
The benefits of educating girls are enormous. By empowering women within their families
and communities, education enables women to contribute more fully to the social and
economic development of their societies. A girl's education is also an investment in future
generations; the more educated a mother is, the more likely are her children to be educated.
Section B
The educational level achieved by women has the most powerful influence on size. The
impact of education on family size is strongest and most consistent for women who have
completed some secondary education. Educating girls is three times more likely than
educating boys to lower family size. Education appears to affect family size in many ways.
More educated women not only want fewer children than less educated ones, they are also
more likely to marry and have children later, contributing to smaller family size.
Section C
Unfortunately, in many low-income countries, investment in education has not kept up with
the rapidly increasing school-age population. Many developing countries cut social spending
during the 1980s, putting more responsibility on families for financing education. Direct costs
such as school fees, transportation, uniforms and books make it more difficult for poor
families to educate all their children and parents in many countries give priority to sons.
Section D
Parents may see limited economic benefits in educating daughters. In many countries, girls
are more likely than their brothers to be kept home to perform household chores, including
caring for younger children. For these and other reasons, including early marriage and
pregnancy, dropout rates for girls also tend to be higher than those for boys. In some
cultures, parents are reluctant to allow their daughters to travel long distances to school, to
be taught by male teachers and to enroll in schools without separate activities for girls.
Section E
Efforts to increase female enrolment levels must recognise the complex factors limiting
educational opportunities for girls, as well as their continued enrolment once within the
school system. Building more schools is often important to expand educational opportunities
for girls. But especially in poor countries, more efficient use of existing resources for
education could make the enrollment of more girls possible.
Section F
Hiring more female teachers and providing separate facilities for girls can help to overcome
cultural barriers. In some countries, financial assistance such as scholarships for girls has
also proved successful in encouraging parents to keep their daughters in school. Flexible
school schedules can help to accommodate girls who have to work at home.
Section G
Providing access to good quality family planning service remains the most effective way to
lower population growth rates in developing countries. Average family size and child death
rates are lowest, however, in countries that combine strong family planning and health
programmes with high levels of education for women.
Question 1-7
Choose the most suitable heading from the list of headings below for each section. There
are more headings than sections, so you will not use them all. Write the appropriate letter (I-
VIII).

List of headings
I How to get more girls into school
II Responsibility for educating parents
III Educational problems of girls
IV Now parents must pay
V Solving some other problems
VI Family planning plus schooling
VII Importance of female education
VIII Educating girls means smaller families

1 Section A ………….
2 Section B ………….
3 Section C ………….
4 Section D ………….
5 Section E ………….
6 Section F ………….
7 Section G ………….

Reading 8:
Hire Me!
Section I
Many of the leads on new jobs will come from people that know you the best. To increase
referrals from this group, make sure they know the types of jobs you are seeking. You also
need to be looking out for them, so know their interests. Remember, networking is a two-way
street
Section II
You name it and there is an association or group for it. Associations are groups of people
that have at least one thing in common. You can start by using the yellow pages under
associations to find one that may appeal to you. They usually meet once a month to network
and share ideas that are related to their interests. This is a great way to build your
networking contacts with people that share some of your goals.
Section III
We use it every day to find a doctor, dentist, plumber or anything else in town. Why not use
the yellow pages to find a job? Before you open the yellow pages, write down what you want
to find out so that you won't waste either your time or the employer's time. The best times to
call most businesses are from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. All you are
asking is, ‘How do I obtain employment with your company?’. Some companies now have
voicemail called ‘job lines’ to tell you of the procedures. Be ready to write down the
information. I recommend that you purchase a street map book of the city. The book will help
you pinpoint the location of the business. The book will also prevent you from asking the
question, ‘Can you give directions?’ Always thank them for their time. Remember - you
interrupt their day.
Section IV
Every Sunday thousands of employers place job openings in the major papers and smaller
local community papers throughout the city to attract needed personnel to service their
customers. Before you seek the information, you will need to ask the following three
questions: 1) Where do I want to work? 2) Which fields interest me? 3) Do I have the
required skills to apply for this position? For the best results, respond to the ad within 48
hours printing. Many ads only want you to fax or apply in person - so follow the rules.
Section V
Hidden behind all those voicemail boxes is a real person. Job fairs enable you to meet them
face to face. Plan on attending at least four job fairs per year. At each job fair, meet at least
6 to 10 people. Follow up with the people you meet with a thank-you card or letter. Job fairs
can be a great opportunity to find out what skills you need to learn to get into a specific field.
Job fairs are like a wedding reception line. Shake talk for one or two minutes and move on
hands, to the next in line. Your goal is to get a contact inside the company.
Section VI
Every working day we get in our cars and line up like cattle to move down the roadways,
each of us alone in our cars. Try taking the bus and use this time to network. Think of the
bus as a small informational meeting of 40 people. Start your approach with a friendly ‘hello’.
Some people may not say it back to you. In time you may meet: some contacts through
taking the bus. If networking on the bus doesn't work for you, at least you can take
advantage of the other benefits of riding the bus - using the time to organize your day, read
the paper or a good book, saving over 200 gallons of gas per year, paying no parking fees -
and you can wave at your friends are stuck in the slow lane.
Section VIl
Coaches come in many forms and sizes. The one thing they have in common is that they
come in many have been down the path before you. They know some of the pitfalls ahead
and want to help you avoid them. They teach you the rules of the game and help you learn
to work as a team player. You need to learn all you can from them. It is your duty to take
what you have learned and pass it on to someone else. So, find a coach and be a coach to
someone else.
Question 1-6
Choose the most suitable heading from the list of headings below for each section. There
are more headings than sections, so you will not use them all. The heading of Section V has
been given as an example. Write the appropriate letter (A-I).
A. Learning from the experienced
B. Networking on the bus
C. Finding out about your interests
D. Meeting more people
E. Talking to friends and family
F. Checking help wanted ads
G. Attending job fairs
H. Using telephone directory

1 Section I ………….
2 Section II ………….
3 Section III ………….
4 Section IV ………….
Example Section V - G
5 Section VI ………….
6 Section VII ………….

Reading 9:
A Even the Greeks couldn't agree about it. Was music a source of order and proportion
in society, regulating its innate chaos in ways similar to the disciplines of its geometry and
architecture? Or did its ability to express passionate emotions beyond the reach of words
create the potential for disorder and anarchy? Compare the behavior of an audience
listening to classical string quartets with headbangers at a rave, and the age-old conflict
between Apollo and Dionysus is made manifest all over again in our own time.
B Shakespeare, though, came clean. For him, 'the man who hath no music in himself,
Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night ... Throughout his plays, Shakespeare perceives
music as a healing force, an art whose practice makes man whole.
C Yet, despite the growth of the science of music therapy within the last two centuries,
and despite the huge weight of books published on the miraculous 'Mozart effect', our
schools and colleges have fallen strangely silent, The so-called 'Mozart effect presents
anecdotal and statistical evidence for advances in both social and academic skills in thóe
children exposed in their formative years to the music of Mozart. But, in an age obsessed by
pragmatism and by short-term vocational learning, music has been marginalized in both
primary and secondary education. Compared with the holy trinity of reading, writing, and
arithmetic, music is regarded as an unimportant pastime. As a result, children are leaving
school not only totally ignorant of their own musical heritage, but lacking in social, physical
and mental skills which musical performance can uniquely promote.
D Playing an instrument requires a degree of concentration and coordination which
brings into play a plethora of mental and physical skills which are being eroded in our push-
button world. Socialization and teamwork are also involved. Schools with wind bands, string
ensembles, jazz groups and orchestras are right up there at the top of the league tables. In
excelling in musical activity, the students' performance in many other fields of learning is
refocused and radically improved.
E There are medical aspects too. Long before British primary schools discovered the
recorder-that most basic of all modern woodwind instruments - Australian Aborigines had
developed the didgeridoo. Like the clarinet and the flute, this haunting and beautiful
instrument helped to overcome both upper and lower respiratory tract problems and
encouraged better sleep. In playing a wind instrument, abdominal muscles are used to
support the breathing system. And these are the very muscles which come into play when
an asthmatic is experiencing an attack.
F But what of those individuals and schools which simply cannot afford a musical
instrument? What of those institutions where not a single member of staff can read music?
This is where the human being's most primitive form of music-making comes into its own.
Singing is free. Everyone possesses a voice. And, with it, the body expresses itself in the
most fundamental and organic way.
G The Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly knew this, and developed his own system of
training ear and voice within a simple yet comprehensive system of body language. Today,
an organization called The Voices Foundation adapts and applies Kodaly's methods, aiming
to give children back their singing voices, and to make our schools ring with music-making
once again. Their advisors and teachers have already achieved extraordinary turn-around
effects in the length and breadth of Britain and in schools in the troubled areas of South
Africa.
H Important work is currently being done in Finland, Israel and the United States on
pre-school. even pre-birth, musical education. Music in the womb is very much part of the life
of the unborn future citizens of Finland. And one has only to look at the educational
Standards, health records and professional musical activity in this small nation to see what
dividends music in education pays from the earliest days of human life.
I Mozart has been celebrated in his anniversary years of 1991 and again in 2006. By
the time of the next Mozart-Year, sShall we have allowed music to conjure a better society
for us all? Or, relegated to the ranks of mere entertainment, will music be eroded of its
unique power to heal and to make whole?
Questions 1-7
The reading passage has nine paragraphs, A-I. Choose the best headings for paragraphs B-
H from the list of headings
List of headings
i The effect of emphasis on short-term educational goals
ii The limited effects of music
iii The future of music
iv Benefits for health
v The effects of early exposure to music
vi The skills involved in musical activity
vii A playwright's perception of music
viii Early exposure to music in the USA
ix Music without instruments
x The 'Mozart effect
xi Order or chaos
xii The creation of The Voices Foundation
xiii A Method for training singers
xiv The use of music in Shakespeare's plays
Example Paragraph A - xi
1 Paragraph B …………
2 Paragraph C …………
3 Paragraph D …………
4 Paragraph E …………
5 Paragraph F …………
6 Paragraph G …………
7 Paragraph H …………
Example Paragraph I - ii

Reading 10:
Section a
The family has often been regarded as the cornerstone of society. In premodern and modern
societies alike it has been seen as the most basic unit of social organization and one which
carries out vital tasks, such as socializing children.
Section b
Until the 1960s few sociologists questioned the importance or the benefits of family life. Most
sociologists assumed that family life was evolving as modernity progressed, and that the
changes involved made the family better suited to meeting the needs of society and of family
members. A particular type of family, the nuclear family (based around a two-generation
household of parents and their children), was seen as well adapted to the demands of
modern societies.
Section c
From the 1960s, an increasing number of critical thinkers began to question the assumption
that the family was necessarily a beneficial institution. Feminists, Marxists and critical
psychologists began to highlight what they saw as some of the negative effects and the dark
side of family life. In the following decades the family was not just under attack from
academic writers. Social changes also seemed to be undermining traditional families. Rising
divorce rates, cohabitation before marriage, increasing numbers of single-parent families
and single-person households, and other trends all suggested that individuals were basing
their lives less and less around conventional families
Section d
Some have seen these changes as a symptom of greater individualism within modern
societies. They have welcomed what appears to be an increasing range of choice for
individuals. People no longer have to base their lives around what may be outmoded and, for
many, unsuitable conventional family structures. Others, however, have complained about
the changes and worried about their effect on society. Such changes are seen as both a
symptom and a cause of instability and insecurity in people's lives and in society as a whole.
This view has been held by traditionalists who want a return to the ideal of the nuclear
family. For them, many of society's problems are a result of increased family instability.
Section e
Alongside these developments in society and sociology, family life has become a topic of
political debate. Politicians have become somewhat more willing to comment on families.
Sometimes they have devised policies to try to deal with perceived problems surrounding the
family. In short, the family has come to be seen as more problematic than it was in the past.
The controversies that have come to surround families and households are the subject of
this chapter.
Question 1-5
Choose the most suitable heading from the list of headings below for each section. There
are more headings than sections, so you will not use them all. Write the appropriate letter (i-
ix).
List of headings
i New families: beneficial or harmful?
ii The government reaction
iii The typical western family
iv Political families
v The disappearance of the traditional model
vi Families: then and now
vii The first criticisms of ‘family’
viii The happy family model
ix The function of families

1 Section A ………….
2 Section B ………….
3 Section C ………….
4 Section D ………….
5 Section E ………….

Reading 11:
This reading passage below has 5 sections, A-E. Choose the correct heading for sections A-
E from the list of numbered headings below. Write the correct number i-vii next to sections
A-E.
List of Headings
i The science of marriage
ii The importance of honest communication
iii The power of thought
iv The likelihood of marrying again
v Technological advances
vi The benefits of avoiding arguments
vii The real predictor for a lasting marriage
viii The consequences of early dissatisfaction
1 Section A …………
2 Section B …………
3 Section C …………
4 Section D …………
5 Section E …………

Section A
Marriage is a much-researched topic, and the way married couples communicate in
particular has been the subject of many studies. These days, research into marriage often
involves hours of recordings, followed by a thorough analysis of data with the help of modern
software applications.
Section B
One such study analyzed five years worth of data, obtained from 750 participating couples.
At the start of the study, participants who felt they were in a harmonious relationship
reported having happy marriages. In other words, low levels of conflict corresponded to a
perceived higher degree of happiness. At the end of the five-year period, however, many of
these couples had separated or had started divorce proceedings. The outcome of this study
suggests that keeping the peace rather than talking about problems and working through
them can have harmful effects on a relationship.
Section C
In a more recent, larger scale study, people were observed over a fifteen-year period. The
researchers recorded the timings of marriages, divorces and remarriages and discovered
patterns that helped them estimate how likely divorce was. If participants admitted the
possibility of divorce to themselves during the first year of the study, the probability of it
actually happening was ten times greater than for those couples who had not thought about
it at all. Clearly, once the idea of divorce is is in somebody's S mind, they are more likely to
act on it.
Section D
Yet another piece of research confirms that the way men and women feel at the beginning of
their marriage makes a difference to its eventual outcome. Those who feel disappointed,
perhaps because marriage itself is different from their expectations, or because their lifestyle
is not what they had envisaged, are more likely to divorce.
Section E
Having said that, relationships are complex and their development is the result of many
different influences. The end of a marriage is unlikely to be brought about by one particular
factor, and is more probably the result of a combination of small incidents that add up over
time. It is also worth bearing in mind that in most countries it is the minority of marriages that
fail. No one can truthfully claim their marriage is happy or perfect all the time, but the fact
remains that most married people stay together for life. The secret of a happy marriage, it
seems, lies where most people have always thought it does: in the effort made on a daily
basis by both partners to treat each other with consideration and courtesy, and to cheerfully
accept each other's faults as well as their good qualities.