Reading 2025-11 Test 3 — IELTS Reading Actual Test with Answers

受験者の記憶をもとに再現されたもので、公式IELTS教材ではありません。音声やパッセージは練習用の再現です。

Reading Passage 1 — 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 programs, 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.

Questions 1–2: Choose the best TWO alternatives to complete the sentences.

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.

1
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.
2
The invention of containers…

Questions 3–4: Containers are important because they…

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 manufacturers in Canada. E. reduce the amount of outsourcing needed by companies.

3
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 manufacturers in Canada.
- E. reduce the amount of outsourcing needed by companies.
4
Containers are important because they…

Questions 5–6: The Trans-Pacific trade route…

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.

5
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.
6
The Trans-Pacific trade route…

Questions 7–10: Note Completion

Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the reading passage for each answer.

CAUSE EFFECT shipping alliances 7 _________ . old a sharp fall in container trade ships A drop in 8 _________ originally difficult to get into containers vast numbers of containers that are relatively secure Concerns over 9 _________ Containers must pass through many countries and involve a vast amount of paperwork. Containers are 10 _________

7
shipping alliances 7 _________ . old a sharp fall in container trade ships
8
A drop in 8 _________ originally difficult to get into containers
9
Concerns over 9 _________
10
Containers are 10 _________

Questions 11–13: Sentence Completion

Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

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 __________
13
What did the tongue specifically evolve to identify to protect the body?

Reading Passage 2 — Locked Doors Open Access

A. The word, ‘security’, has both positive and negative connotations. Most of us would say that we crave security for all its positive virtues, both physical and psychological – its evocation of the safety of home, of undying love, or of freedom from need. More negatively, the word nowadays conjures up images of that huge industry that has developed to protect individuals and property from invasion by ‘outsiders’, ostensibly malicious and intent on theft or wilful damage. B. Increasingly, because they are situated in urban areas of escalating crime, those buildings which used to allow free access to employees and other users (buildings such as offices, schools, colleges, or hospitals) now do not. Entry areas which in another age were called ‘Reception’ are now manned by security staff. Receptionists, whose task it was to receive visitors and to make them welcome before passing them on to the person they had come to see, have been replaced by those whose task it is to bar entry to the unauthorized, the unwanted or the plain unappealing. C. Inside, these buildings are divided into ‘secure zones’ which often have all the trappings of combination locks and burglar alarms. These devices bar entry to the uninitiated, hinder circulation and create parameters of time and space for user access. Within the spaces created by these zones, individual rooms are themselves under lock and key, which is a particular problem when it means that working space becomes compartmentalized. D. To combat the consequent difficulty of access to people at a physical level, we have now developed technological access. Computers sit on every desk and are linked to one another, and in many cases to an external universe of other computers so that messages can be passed to and fro. Here too, security plays a part, since we must not be allowed access to messages destined for others. And so the password was invented. Now correspondence between individuals goes from desk to desk and cannot be accessed by colleagues. Library catalogues can be searched from one’s desk. E. Papers can be delivered to, and received from, other people at the press of a button. And yet it seems that, just as work is isolating individuals more and more, organizations are recognizing the advantages of ‘team-work’; perhaps in order to encourage employees to talk to one another again. Yet, how can groups work in teams if the possibilities for communication are reduced? How can they work together if e-mail provides a convenient electronic shield behind which the blurring of public and private can be exploited by the less scrupulous? If voice-mail walls up messages behind a password? If I can’t leave a message on my colleague’s desk because his office is locked? F. Team-work conceals the fact that another kind of security, ‘job security’, is almost always not on offer. Just as organizations now recognize three kinds of physical resources: those they buy, those they lease long-term, and those they rent short-term – so it is with their human resources. Some employees have permanent contracts, some have short-term contracts, and some are regarded simply as casual labour. G. Telecommunication systems offer us the direct line, which means that individuals can be contacted without the caller having to talk to anyone else. Voice-mail and the answer-phone mean that individuals can communicate without ever actually talking to one another. If we are unfortunate enough to contact organizations with sophisticated touch-tone systems, we can buy things and pay for them without ever speaking to a human being. H. To combat this closing in on ourselves we have the Internet, which opens out communication channels more widely than anyone could possibly want or need. An individual’s electronic presence on the Internet is known as a ‘Home Page’ – suggesting the safety and security of an electronic hearth. An elaborate system of 3-dimensional graphics distinguishes this very 2-dimensional the medium of ‘web sites’. The nomenclature itself creates the illusion of a geographical entity, that the person sitting before the computer is travelling, when in fact the ‘site’ is coming to him. ‘Addresses’ of one kind or another move to the individual, rather than the individual moving between them, now that location is no longer geographical. I. An example of this is the mobile phone. I am now not available either at home or at work, but wherever I take my mobile phone. Yet, even now, we cannot escape the security of wanting to ‘locate’ the person at the other end. It is no coincidence that almost everyone we see answering or initiating a mobile phone-call in public begins by saying where he or she is.

Questions 14–17: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter A, B, C, or D.

14. According to the author, one thing we long for is A. the safety of the home B. security C. open access D. positive virtues 15. Access to many buildings A. is unauthorized B. is becoming more difficult C. is a cause of crime in many urban areas D. used to be called ‘Reception’ 16. Buildings used to permit access to any users A. but now they do not B. and still do now C. especially offices and schools D. especially in urban areas 17. Secure zones A. do not allow access to the user B. compartmentalize the user C. are often like traps D. are not accessible to everybody

14
According to the author, one thing we long for is
- A. the safety of the home
- B. security
- C. open access
- D. positive virtues
15
Access to many buildings
- A. is unauthorized
- B. is becoming more difficult
- C. is a cause of crime in many urban areas
- D. used to be called ‘Reception’
16
Buildings used to permit access to any users
- A. but now they do not
- B. and still do now
- C. especially offices and schools
- D. especially in urban areas
17
Secure zones
- A. do not allow access to the user
- B. compartmentalize the user
- C. are often like traps
- D. are not accessible to everybody

Questions 18–23: Summary Completion

Complete the summary below using words from the box.

The problem of physical access to buildings has now been 18 _________ by technology. Messages are 19 _________ with passwords not allowing 20 _________ to read someone else’s messages. But, while individuals are becoming increasingly 21 _________ socially by the way, they do their job, at the same time more value is being put on 22 _________. However, e-mail and voice-mail have led to a 23 _________ opportunities for person-to-person communication.

18
The problem of physical access to buildings has now been 18 _________ by technology.
19
Messages are 19 _________ with passwords not allowing 20 _________ to read someone else’s messages.
20
Messages are computers with passwords not allowing 20 _________ to read someone else’s messages.
21
But, while individuals are becoming increasingly 21 _________ socially by the way, they do their job,
22
at the same time more value is being put on 22 _________.
23
However, e-mail and voice-mail have led to a 23 _________ opportunities for person-to-person communication.

Questions 24–26: Sentence Completion

Complete the sentences below, with words taken from Reading Passage 2. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

24
The writer does not like __________.
25
An individual’s Home Page indicates their __________ on the Internet.
26
Devices like mobile phones mean that location is __________.

Reading Passage 3 — Good Parenting

Raising a baby may, at first, appear to be a highly personal, intimate affair between child and caregiver. In fact, there are often very public battles over every facet of child care, however: Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding? Breastfeeding in public? Toilet training — when and how? Nothing escapes judgment or scrutiny. Restlessness and crying at bedtime are no different, and three different schools of thought have emerged around how parents should respond to this problem. These have been called extinction, attachment parenting, and graduated extinction. Attachment parenting, a term coined by pediatrician William Sears, suggests that children form powerful emotional bonds with caregivers during early childhood that have implications for their development through life. The basis for this theory was generated within the field of developmental psychology during the 1950s when researcher John Bowlby proposed that maternal deprivation during infancy could decrease a person's ability to form healthy adult relationships years later. Attachment parenting seeks to avoid this tendency by placing great importance on childhood bonding through the caregiver's holding and cuddling of her baby when he is upset. Attachment parenting also suggests that babies’ ability to communicate their requirements is limited to crying and that parents need to learn to understand different types of crying signals. No crying is considered superfluous — even if the baby merely wants to be comforted rather than fall asleep — caregivers are encouraged to affirm these desires. The extinction method proposes that, so long as a baby has had adequate calorie intake during the day, he or she can reasonably be expected to maintain nocturnal somnolence. The core postulates of this approach were laid down by Emmett Holt but they have been extrapolated upon by authors such as Warwick Reilly and further adapted recently by Melinda Collins to form the extinction method of today. Caregivers are encouraged to develop a gentle evening routine that involves feeding 45 minutes before bed, bathing, dressing and laying the baby in his sleeping sack, walking out and closing the door, and remaining out of the child's presence until dawn even if he cries for extended periods of time. It is expected that sooner or later children will realize that crying is ineffective and that they must learn to comfort themselves into slumber. Graduated extinction is a modulated version of the extinction method. It postulates that a process of learning needs to be undertaken in order for children to sleep through the night. Richard Ferber, the doctor who popularized this method in the 1980s, emphasized the progressive withdrawal of the caregiver's company with the child in bed as a way to solve infant sleep problems. At first, for example, the caregiver is encouraged to hold and caress the baby until he or she is asleep. Once this routine is established, the caregiver should lie down next to the baby but touch it less and less until the baby can sleep without contact. Eventually, the caregiver can sit on a chair nearby, and finally, it is hoped that he or she can retreat from the room altogether. The key to this approach is that the caregiver must never capitulate to a child's demands for comfort if he starts to become restless or vocal as the method unfolds over time. Doing so is said to let the baby know that he does not need to learn to sleep through the night without comfort or interaction, and also to lessen the chances that the caregiver will complete the program, knowing that a ‘quick fix' is available. Ferber has since altered his stance to acknowledge the acceptability of co-sleeping and suggests that there is no single method or golden rule for overcoming sleep difficulties.

Questions 27–30: Sentence Completion

Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage. Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

27
The phrase ‘attachment parenting’ was invented by a __________.
28
The principles of attachment parenting are derived from the discipline of __________.
29
The key points of the ‘extinction’ school of thought originated from the work of __________.
30
Dr. Ferber initially thought the parent should not spend the night with the child but now thinks __________ is all right.

Questions 31–35: Matching

Look at the following statements (Questions 31–35) and the methods in the box below. Match each statement with the correct parenting method A–C. NB You may use any letter more than once.

List of Parenting Methods A attachment parenting B extinction C graduated extinction

31
After a strict bedtime schedule, the child is unattended till morning.
- A. attachment parenting
- B. extinction
- C. graduated extinction
32
All crying is a vocalization of important needs.
- A. attachment parenting
- B. extinction
- C. graduated extinction
33
Caregiver presence as the child drifts to sleep should decrease over time.
- A. attachment parenting
- B. extinction
- C. graduated extinction
34
The emphasis is on the physical closeness between baby and caregiver at any time.
- A. attachment parenting
- B. extinction
- C. graduated extinction
35
Well-fed babies should sleep through the night.
- A. attachment parenting
- B. extinction
- C. graduated extinction

Questions 36–40: Note Completion

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Attachment Parenting very stressful as parents have to give in to 36 _________ of the baby but not yet any 37 _________ to show that it works Extinction Method a good night’s sleep is attained by family members because the baby is 38 _________ and but can lead to 39 _________ such as despair & unhappiness later in life Graduated Extinction a central position so 40 _________ have been avoided

36
very stressful as parents have to give in to 36 _________ of the baby
37
but not yet any 37 _________ to show that it works
38
a good night’s sleep is attained by family members because the baby is 38 _________
39
but can lead to 39 _________ such as despair & unhappiness later in life
40
a central position so 40 _________ have been avoided

解答キーを表示

1. B / C
B is correct because the passage says the container "allowed this globalised economy to develop," meaning it led to more global trade. C is also correct as it states containers were "invented during World War two as an efficient method of moving equipment to the front lines," showing their military origin.
2. B / C
B is correct because the passage explains that containerisation enabled the global economy to grow. C is correct because it says containers were first invented for military use during World War Two.
3. A / C
A is correct because the passage says containers allowed 'just in time' inventory management, so companies "no longer keep large warehouses of stock or parts." C is correct because containers make it easier to trade between countries far apart, as shown by the example of American computer manufacturers relying on Asian suppliers.
4. A / C
A is correct as containers reduce the need for companies to store large amounts of stock, thanks to 'just in time' management. C is correct because containers make international trade easier, helping companies get parts from suppliers in other countries.
5. A / E
A is correct because the passage says the trans-Pacific route is "almost twice the volume of Europe-Far East trade." E is correct as it mentions that trans-Pacific trade "fell to 50% of its 1990s high," showing a substantial decrease. Option B is tempting but refers to the container fleet, not specifically the trans-Pacific route.
6. A / E
A is correct since the trans-Pacific route handles almost double the trade of the Europe-Far East route. E is correct because there was a dramatic fall in trade, with trans-Pacific trade dropping to half its 1990s level.
7. rest some
The answer is 'rest some' because the passage says shipping alliances "cut services, rest some of the older ships and share the burden amongst themselves" to handle the fall in trade.
8. theft
The answer is 'theft' because the passage states, "At first, containers reduced theft as it was more difficult for casual thieves to get into the containers."
9. use by terrorists
The answer is 'use by terrorists' because the passage mentions worries about containers being used by terrorists and that possible terrorists have already been found hiding in containers.
10. difficult to track
The answer is 'difficult to track' because the passage says containers are "extremely difficult to track and monitor" due to their movement through many countries and parties.
11. delays in delivery
The answer is 'delays in delivery' because the passage says screening containers would cause delays that "would disrupt international trade and industry out of proportion to the good the searches do."
12. cause problems
The answer is 'cause problems' because the passage concludes that containers "may yet cause problems their inventors never envisaged."
13. toxins
The answer is 'toxins' because the tongue evolved to identify toxins to protect the body.
14. B
B is correct because the passage says, "Most of us would say that we crave security for all its positive virtues."
15. B
B is correct as the passage explains that access to buildings is becoming more difficult, with security staff now controlling entry.
16. A
A is correct because the passage says buildings "which used to allow free access... now do not."
17. D
D is correct since secure zones "bar entry to the uninitiated," meaning not everyone can access them.
18. solved
The answer is 'solved' because the passage says technological access (like computers and networks) has solved the problem of physical access to people.
19. computers
The answer is 'computers' because the passage describes how computers and passwords prevent others from reading someone else's messages.
20. other people
The answer is 'other people' because passwords stop others from accessing messages not meant for them.
21. cut-off
The answer is 'cut-off' because the passage says work is "isolating individuals more and more," meaning people are becoming socially cut-off.
22. team-work
The answer is 'team-work' because the passage says organizations are "recognizing the advantages of 'team-work.'"
23. decrease in
The answer is 'decrease in' because the passage discusses how e-mail and voice-mail have reduced opportunities for direct communication.
24. touch-tone systems
The answer is 'touch-tone systems' because the writer describes them negatively, saying they allow transactions without speaking to a human being.
25. electronic presence
The answer is 'electronic presence' because the passage says an individual's presence on the Internet is known as a 'Home Page.'
26. no longer geographical
The answer is 'no longer geographical' because the passage explains that with mobile phones, location is "no longer geographical."
27. paediatrician
The answer is 'paediatrician' because the passage says 'attachment parenting, a term coined by pediatrician William Sears.'
28. development psychology
The answer is 'development psychology' because the passage says the basis for attachment parenting was generated within developmental psychology.
29. (emmett) holt
The answer is '(emmett) holt' because the passage says the core postulates of the extinction method were laid down by Emmett Holt.
30. co-sleeping
The answer is 'co-sleeping' because the passage says Ferber now acknowledges the acceptability of co-sleeping.
31. B
B is correct because the extinction method involves leaving the child unattended until morning after a bedtime routine.
32. A
A is correct because attachment parenting believes all crying is meaningful and should be responded to.
33. C
C is correct because graduated extinction involves the caregiver gradually reducing their presence as the child falls asleep.
34. A
A is correct because attachment parenting emphasizes physical closeness between the baby and caregiver at all times.
35. B
B is correct because the extinction method expects well-fed babies to sleep through the night without comfort.
36. every demand
The answer is 'every demand' because the passage says caregivers are encouraged to affirm all desires, making it stressful as parents have to give in to every demand.
37. conclusive research
The answer is 'conclusive research' because the passage suggests there is not yet any conclusive research to show that the method works.
38. detached / apathetic
The answer is 'detached / apathetic' because the passage implies that a baby becomes detached or apathetic, allowing family members to sleep well.
39. emotional problems
The answer is 'emotional problems' because the passage says maternal deprivation could decrease a person's ability to form healthy relationships, leading to emotional problems.
40. vociferous attacks
The answer is 'vociferous attacks' because the passage says Ferber's acceptance of co-sleeping has avoided strong criticism.