IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test — November 2025 Test 4

Exam month: 2025-11

In this test

Rebuilt from test-taker recalls — not official IELTS material. Audio and passages are recreations for practice.

Reading Passage 1 — Density and Crowding

A. Of the great myriad of problems which man and the world face today, there are three significant trends which stand above all others in importance: the unprecedented population growth throughout the world – a net increase of 1,400,000 people per week – and all of its associations and consequences; the increasing urbanization of these people, so that more and more of them are rushing into cities and urban areas of the world; and the tremendous explosion of communication and social contact throughout the world, so that every part of the world is now aware of every other part. All of these trends are producing increased crowding and the perception of crowding.
B. It is important to emphasize at the outset that crowding and density are not necessarily the same. Density is the number of individuals per unit area or unit space. It is a simple physical measurement. Crowding is a product of density, communication, contact, and activity. It implies a pressure, a force, and a psychological reaction. It may occur at widely different densities. The frontiersman may have felt crowded when someone built a homestead a mile away. The suburbanite may feel relatively uncrowded in a small house on a half-acre lot if it is surrounded by trees, bushes, and a hedgerow, even though he lives under much higher physical density than did the frontiersman. Hence, crowding is very much a psychological and ecological phenomenon and not just a physical condition.
C. A classic crowding study was done by Calhoun (1962), who put rats into a physical environment designed to accommodate 50 rats and provided enough food, water, and nesting materials for the number of rats in the environment. The rat population peaked at 80, providing a look at cramped living conditions. Although the rats experienced no resource limitations other than space restriction, a number of negative conditions developed: the two most dominant males took harems of several female rats and occupied more than their share of space, leaving other rats even more crowded; many females stopped building nests and abandoned their infant rats; the pregnancy rate declined; infant and adult mortality rates increased; more aggressive and physical attacks occurred; sexual variation increased, including hyper sexuality, inhibited sexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality.
D. Calhoun’s results have led to other research on crowding’s effect on human beings, and these research findings have suggested that high density is not the single cause of negative effects on humans. When crowding is defined only in terms of spatial density (the amount of space per person), the effects of crowding are variable. However, if crowding is defined in terms of social density, or the number of people who must interact, then crowding better predicts negative psychological and physical effects.
E. There are several reasons why crowding makes us feel uncomfortable. One reason is related to stimulus overload – there are just too many stimuli competing for our attention. We cannot notice or respond to all of them. This feeling is typical of the harried mother, who has several children competing for her attention, while she is on the phone and the doorbell is ringing. This leaves her feeling confused, fatigued and yearning to withdraw from the situation. There are strong feelings of a lack of privacy – being unable to pay attention to what you want without being repeatedly interrupted or observed by others.
F. Field studies done in a variety of settings illustrate that social density is associated with negative effects on human beings. In prison studies, males generally became more aggressive with increases in density. In male prison, inmates living in conditions of higher densities were more likely to suffer from the fight. Males rated themselves as more aggressive in small rooms (a situation of high spatial density), whilst the females rated themselves as more aggressive in large rooms (Stokols et al., 1973). These differences relate to the different personal space requirements of the genders. Besides, Baum and Greenberg found that high density leads to decreased attraction, both physical attraction and liking towards others and it appears to have gender differences in the impact that density has on attraction levels, with males experiencing a more extreme reaction. Also, the greater the density is, the less the helping behavior. One reason why the level of helping behavior may be reduced in crowded situations links to the concept of diffusion of responsibility. The more people that are present in a situation that requires help, the less often help is given. This may be due to the fact that people diffuse responsibility among themselves with no-one feeling that they ought to be the one to help.
G. Facing all these problems, what are we going to do with them? The more control a person has over the crowded environment the less negatively they experience it, thus the perceived crowding is less (Schmidt and Keating). The ability to cope with crowding is also influenced by the relationship the individual has with the other people in the situation. The high density will be interpreted less negatively if the individual experiences it with people he likes. One of the main coping strategies employed to limit the impact of high density is social withdrawal. This includes behaviors such as averting the gaze and using negative body language to attempt to block any potential intrusions.

Questions 1–7: Matching headings

Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs, A–G. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A–G from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i–x, in boxes 1–7 on your answer sheet. List of headings i. Other experiments following Calhoun’s experiment offering a clearer indication ii. The effects of crowding on people in the social scope iii. Psychological reaction to crowding iv. Problems that result in crowding v. Responsibility does not work vi. What causes the upset feel of crowding vii. Definitions of crowding and density viii. Advice for the crowded work environment ix. Difference between male and females’ attractiveness in a crowd x. Nature and results of Calhoun’s experiment

  1. 1

    Paragraph A

  2. 2

    Paragraph B

  3. 3

    Paragraph C

  4. 4

    Paragraph D

  5. 5

    Paragraph E

  6. 6

    Paragraph F

  7. 7

    Paragraph G

Questions 8–13: Note completion

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

8. Being disturbed repeatedly, the harried mother feels frustrated for the lack of ____________.
9. Inmates in high-density settings were more aggressive in ____________.
10. The different result between male and female is associated with the varying need of ____________.
11. Especially for male, Baum and Greenberg found that ____________ declined with high density.
12. The idea of responsibility diffusion may explain a person’s reluctant to ____________.
13. Schmidt and Keating suggest that if more ____________ was present there would be a reduction in crowding stress.

Reading Passage 2 — The Reconstruction of Community in Talbot Park, Auckland

The Talbot Park in Auckland, New Zealand was once described as a state housing ghetto, rife with crimes, vandalism and other social problems. But today it has undergone an urban renewal makeover.
A The buildings in Talbot Park are eye-catching now and quite different from other state-built ones. “There is no reason why public housing should look cheap in view,” says Design Group architect Neil. The bricks and wood-built houses and apartments are tidy.
B Talbot Park is a triangle of government-owned land bounded by Apirana Ave, Pilkington Ed and Point England Rd. In the early 1960s it was developed for state housing build around a linear park that ran through the middle. Initially, there was a strong sense of a family-friendly community. Former residents recall how the Talbot Park reserve played a big part in their childhoods - a place where the kids in the block came together to play softball, cricket, leapfrog and bulrush. “It was all just good fun”, says George Thompson. “We had respect for our neighbors and addressed them by the title Mr. and Mrs. so and so,” she recalls.
C Quite what went wrong with Talbot Park is not clear. The community began to change in the late 1970s as more immigrants such as Pacific Islanders and Europeans moved in. The new arrivals didn’t integrate with the community, a “them and us” mentality developed, and residents interacted with their neighbors less. What was clear was that the buildings were deteriorating and shabbier. The rate of crime was on the rise and the reserve-focus of fond childhoods memories-had become a wasteland and was considered unsafe. But it wasn’t until 2002 that Housing New Zealand decided the properties needed upgrading.
D Some controversial views arose when the program started and actually, the program made the density of the people greater. As the building in the park included free-standing houses, semi-detached or low-level apartments, the state took the mix and match strategy which involved different architects and prevented the buildings from being the same. And the interiors such as the kitchen and bathroom were made comfortable and not over the budget. The walls in the community were cancelled and showed the people with see-through openness.
E The community is comprised of different races: Pacific islanders, Maoris, New Zealand Europeans. The tenants also include other races from Asia, Ukraine and Iran. The design of buildings should be accommodated to the ethic cultures.
F People who lived in the park are in low socio-economic level. Of the 5000 households there, 55 percent are state houses, 28 percent privately owned (compared to about 65 percent nationally) and 17 percent are private rental. The area has a high concentration of an income in the $5000 to $15000 and very few with an income over $70000. That’s in sharp contrast to the more affluent suburbs like Kohumarama and St. John’s that surround the area.
G There’s no doubt that good urban design and good architecture play a significant part in the scheme. But probably more important is a new standard of social control. Housing New Zealand calls it “intensive tenancy management.” Others view it as social engineering. “It is a model that we are looking at going forward,” according to Housing New Zealand’s central Auckland regional manager Graham Bodman. “The focus is on frequent inspections, helping tenants to get to know each other. That includes some strict rules- no loud parties after 10 pm, no dogs, no cats in the apartment, no washing hung over balcony rails and a requirement to mow lawns and keep the property tidy. Housing New Zealand has also been active in organizing morning teas and street barbecues for resident to meet their neighbors. “It’s all based in the intensification,” says Community Renewal project manager Stuart Bracey. “We acknowledge if you are going to put more people living closer together you have to actually help them to live together because it creates tension-especially for people that aren’t used to it.”

Questions 14–20: Matching headings

List of Headings Some problems arose about the community i. where the residents have lived when the buildings were under makeover ii. financial hardship of the residents in the park iii. unexpected high standards of the design of the buildings iv. a makeup of various ethnic origins should be considered v. experiences of the a family living in the park nowadays vi. how to coordinate and assist the tenants who lived in the community vii. The need to raise money to fund the makeover viii. close relationship among neighbors in the original site ix. the details of the style of the buildings in the park x. the details of the style of the buildings in the park

  1. 14

    Paragraph A

  2. 15

    Paragraph B

  3. 16

    Paragraph C

  4. 17

    Paragraph D

  5. 18

    Paragraph E

  6. 19

    Paragraph F

  7. 20

    Paragraph G

Questions 21–23: Matching

Match persons with the correct ideas

A Tenant management involves supervision and regulation
B Building the houses should be within minimal budget
C Social activities are organized to help people close to each other
D Buildings should be adaptive and responsive to racial cultures
E Complains about the high standards of the building design
F Opponents hold that regulation may cause resentment of the tenants
  1. 21

    James Lundy

    • A. Tenant management involves supervision and regulation
    • B. Building the houses should be within minimal budget
    • C. Social activities are organized to help people close to each other
    • D. Buildings should be adaptive and responsive to racial cultures
    • E. Complains about the high standards of the building design
    • F. Opponents hold that regulation may cause resentment of the tenants
  2. 22

    Graham Bodman

  3. 23

    Stuart Bracey

Questions 24–26: Note completion

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

The Mix and Match Strategy
Some critics hold that the 24. ____________ of the population may cause the area to return its old situation. To prevent this, a variety of 25. ____________ are gathered to avoid the case that the buildings are uniform. In addition, to the interiors make the houses comfortable within the 26. ____________. And the absence of the wall makes the residents characterized by openness.
  1. 24

    Some critics hold that the 24. ____________ of the population may cause the area to return its old situation.

  2. 25

    To prevent this, a variety of 25. ____________ are gathered to avoid the case that the buildings are uniform.

  3. 26

    In addition, to the interiors make the houses comfortable within the 26. ____________.

Reading Passage 3 — The New Zealand Writer Margaret Mahy

In a career spanning some fifty years, Margaret Mahy has come to occupy a unique place in New Zealand writing with innovative fiction and original characterisation. In our solidly realist tradition, the linguistic fireworks of Mahy's children's fiction and the explorations of human behaviour at the heart of her supernatural teenage fiction stand gloriously alone. Mahy's clearest heir, I have always thought, is Elizabeth Knox— and maybe the true inheritance there is sheer singularity. Just as there is no one else like Knox in New Zealand writing, Mahy, too, has ventured into imaginative territory unknown to other local writers. So it was with great pleasure that I visited Mahy recently at her Governor's Bay home to talk about her new book. As with all journalists, she is generous to a fault with her time and attention; and, as always—despite her careful consideration of questions and thoughtful answers— I'm reminded she isn't truly comfortable making herself or her life the heart of any conversation.
Certainly, any consideration of the style of Mahy's novels and picture books throws up some irresistible theories. As a writer committed to supporting herself through her art, she has seldom had the time for formal research. Rather, it has been a matter of going out and finding inspiration from her immediate environment: the writing on the side of a bus; a spelling mistake in a note to herself, the similarity between a cat and a fur hat. But despite these sometimes mundane origins, the settings for her stories are delightfully varied, as these books celebrate the dramatic plot twists and unpredictability of adventures on the high seas or in Antarctica, and also in quite unassuming places like the library or even down the back of a chair at home.
Mahy has a lifelong affection for characters who are agents of upheaval and disturbance. Her junior and picture books are peppered with pirates, robbers and lions, though they appear alongside librarians, mothers and children, working against comfortable stereotype. Her fictions often have at their heart a young adult burdened with special powers, such as the ability to cast spells in order to transform their world in supernatural and fantastical ways. Another common feature is that, while the conclusions of her tales are usually predictable, they leave the reader feeling absolutely complete, the moral questions resulting from our hero's powers having been resolved.
Many of these themes can be found in her new novel, The Magician of Hoad. The book was begun more than 15 years ago and envisioned as an 'entire' fantasy— one set in a fully imagined world with detailed history and complex tribal inter-relationships, a classical hero quest at its heart. The story ballooned at one point to 800 pages and has been through at least two substantial rewrites. Now half its original size, it is a fascinating read— an adventure, a romance, and a gold mine of Mahy literary preoccupations.
The other splendid Mahy publication this year is a re-issue of Bubble Trouble in a newly illustrated edition. This tongue-twister tale first appeared in 1991, was included in 100 New Zealand Poems (1993) and has been recited by Mahy at countless private and public functions. Perhaps more than any other work, Bubble Trouble is the Mahy that New Zealand children and their parents know so well, the rollicking story of a clown who serves up a joyous torrent of word play and unexpected rhyme.
Those connections are four or five deep now. I read The Lion in the Meadow in the School Journal in the late 1960s; my stepdaughter listened to The Boy Who Was Followed Home over and over in the 1970s; my own children sat very still mouthing The Great White Man-Eating Shark in the 80s and 90s; now in the 21st century, my grandchildren have heard Down the Dragon's Tongue, A Summery Saturday Morning and Dashing Dog many times. Of course, readers are important to any working writer, but Mahy's espousal of the act of reading goes beyond that: a book is not properly finished, she has often said, until it has been read, because a reader brings something important to the book. So, doubtless out of need to build a market— she's not ignorant of her popularity— but also out of genuine care for that other dynamic part of the author-reader relationship, Mahy has, until recently, kept up a punishing schedule of public appearances.
Private conversation with Mahy has always been a wild ride— marvellous, in the true sense of the word, the product of a hungry head and an infinite capacity to be astonished. She races away at one stage to consult an encyclopaedia for L.M. Montgomery's date of death, and speculates about the 'real' Montgomery, creator of the ever-popular Anne of Green Gables. Although I'd come to talk about her new book, I couldn't help but be captivated by her infectious curiosity.
A few years ago, the writer David Hill told a funny story. Though his writing was, he often conceded, very different from Mahy's, he had been affected by her peculiarly alert way of looking at the world, particularly the mad, slippery life of language. Once, Hill said, in a motel room, a sign on a door caught his eye: "This door is alarmed." Mahy would like that, thought Hill. She would enjoy the comedy just below the surface of the formal warning; she would leap immediately to the possibilities for story and language play: "Yes, and this window is concerned, this light fitting is intimidated." His story was a wonderful comment on Mahy's vision.

Questions 27–31: Yes/No/Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage? In boxes 27–31 on your answer sheet, write YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer, NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer, NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this.

  1. 27

    Mahy and Knox have sometimes criticised each other's work.

  2. 28

    Mahy explores the traditional themes of New Zealand literature.

  3. 29

    Mahy's children's books have been more popular than her teenage books.

  4. 30

    Mahy is welcoming to interviewers.

  5. 31

    Mahy is at ease speaking about her experiences.

Questions 32–35: Summary completion

Complete the summary using the list of words and phrases, A–I, below. Write the correct letter, A–I, in boxes 32–35 on your answer sheet. A disruptive and unpredictable B everyday C loveable D controversial E exotic and ordinary F isolated G unconfident H unsurprising but satisfying I magical

  1. 32

    Mahy's determination to earn a living from writing has encouraged her to find the ideas for her work in ________ places.

    • A. disruptive and unpredictable
    • B. everyday
    • C. loveable
    • D. controversial
    • E. exotic and ordinary
    • F. isolated
    • G. unconfident
    • H. unsurprising but satisfying
    • I. magical
  2. 33

    The stories themselves are set in locations that are ________.

  3. 34

    In terms of characterisation, almost all of her books feature unruly people, and very often an adolescent who possesses ________ abilities.

  4. 35

    Finally, the endings of the stories tend to be ________.

Questions 36–40: Multiple choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter in boxes 36–40 on your answer sheet.

  1. 36

    What does the writer say about The Magician of Hoad?

    • A. It is partly based on true history.
    • B. It was restructured in the writing process.
    • C. It is quite different from conventional fantasy.
    • D. It does not reflect the usual themes in Mahy’s work.
  2. 37

    According to the writer, Bubble Trouble

    • A. was first illustrated in 1991.
    • B. is written in plain language.
    • C. is an old favourite for many families.
    • D. has not been read aloud by Mahy.
  3. 38

    The writer's purpose in the fifth paragraph is to

    • A. show how Mahy's style has changed.
    • B. criticise Mahy's children's stories.
    • C. describe how new media have changed reading.
    • D. illustrate Mahy's popularity with different generations.
  4. 39

    According to the sixth paragraph, which of the following is true?

    • A. Readers sometimes do not finish Mahy’s books.
    • B. Mahy actively encourages feedback from readers.
    • C. Readers are necessary in order to complete a book.
    • D. Mahy does not realise how important readers are.
  5. 40

    What is the writer doing in the final paragraph?

    • A. comparing Mahy’s writing to David Hill’s
    • B. giving an example of Mahy’s influence
    • C. explaining why Mahy’s language is humorous
    • D. criticising the way Mahy plays with words

Answer sheet

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Answer key

  1. 1. iv

    The answer is iv because Paragraph A discusses the three major trends (population growth, urbanization, and communication) that lead to increased crowding, which matches the idea of 'major causes of crowding'.

  2. 2. vii

    The answer is vii because Paragraph B explains the difference between density (a physical measure) and crowding (a psychological reaction), showing they are not the same.

  3. 3. x

    The answer is x because Paragraph C describes Calhoun's rat experiment, which is a classic study about crowding and its effects.

  4. 4. i

    The answer is i because Paragraph D talks about how research on humans shows that high density alone does not always cause negative effects, but social density does.

  5. 5. vi

    The answer is vi because Paragraph E explains why crowding makes people uncomfortable, focusing on stimulus overload and lack of privacy.

  6. 6. ii

    The answer is ii because Paragraph F gives examples from field studies showing negative effects of social density, such as aggression and less helping behavior.

  7. 7. viii

    The answer is viii because Paragraph G discusses ways to cope with crowding, such as having control over the environment and social withdrawal.

  8. 8. PRIVACY

    The answer is PRIVACY because Paragraph E says the harried mother feels 'a lack of privacy' when she is disturbed by too many things at once.

  9. 9. MALE PRISON

    The answer is MALE PRISON because Paragraph F states that in male prisons, inmates became more aggressive with higher density.

  10. 10. PERSONAL SPACE

    The answer is PERSONAL SPACE because Paragraph F explains that differences in aggression between males and females are related to their different personal space needs.

  11. 11. ATTRACTION / ATTRACTION LEVELS

    The answer is ATTRACTION / ATTRACTION LEVELS because Baum and Greenberg found that high density leads to decreased attraction, especially for males.

  12. 12. HELP

    The answer is HELP because Paragraph F says that in crowded situations, people are less likely to help due to diffusion of responsibility.

  13. 13. CONTROL

    The answer is CONTROL because Paragraph G states that more control over the environment reduces negative feelings of crowding.

  14. 14. x

    The answer is x because Paragraph A of Passage 2 describes the transformation of Talbot Park, which matches the idea of 'urban renewal' or 'transformation'.

  15. 15. ix

    The answer is ix because Paragraph B describes the early days of Talbot Park, focusing on the strong sense of community and childhood memories.

  16. 16. i

    The answer is i because Paragraph C discusses the decline of the community and the rise of problems, which matches the idea of 'deterioration' or 'decline'.

  17. 17. iv

    The answer is iv because Paragraph D explains the controversial increase in density and the mix-and-match strategy for buildings.

  18. 18. iii

    The answer is iii because Paragraph E describes the ethnic diversity in the community and the need for building designs to suit different cultures.

  19. 19. v

    The answer is v because Paragraph F gives statistics about the low socio-economic status of the residents in Talbot Park.

  20. 20. vii

    The answer is vii because Paragraph G discusses the new system of 'intensive tenancy management' and social control to help people live together.

  21. 21. D

    The answer is D because James Lundy is mentioned in Paragraph E, which talks about the need for buildings to be adapted to different ethnic cultures.

  22. 22. A

    The answer is A because Graham Bodman describes 'intensive tenancy management,' which involves supervision and regulation of tenants.

  23. 23. C

    The answer is C because Stuart Bracey mentions organizing social activities like morning teas and barbecues to help residents get to know each other.

  24. 24. density

    The answer is density because critics worry that increasing the population density could cause the area to return to its previous problems.

  25. 25. architects

    The answer is architects because different architects were used to avoid making all the buildings look the same.

  26. 26. budget

    The answer is budget because the interiors were made comfortable without going over the budget.

  27. 27. NG

    The answer is NG (Not Given) because there is no information in the passage about Mahy and Knox criticizing each other's work.

  28. 28. No

    The answer is No because the passage says Mahy's work is unique and not part of the traditional New Zealand literary themes.

  29. 29. NG

    The answer is NG (Not Given) because the passage does not compare the popularity of Mahy's children's books and teenage books.

  30. 30. Yes

    The answer is Yes because the passage says Mahy is 'generous to a fault with her time and attention' to journalists.

  31. 31. No

    The answer is No because the passage says Mahy 'isn't truly comfortable making herself or her life the heart of any conversation.'

  32. 32. B

    The answer is B (everyday) because Mahy finds inspiration in ordinary things like 'the writing on the side of a bus' or 'a spelling mistake in a note to herself.'

  33. 33. E

    The answer is E (exotic and ordinary) because her stories are set in both adventurous places and 'quite unassuming places like the library or even down the back of a chair at home.'

  34. 34. I

    The answer is I (magical) because her books often feature young people with 'special powers' to transform their world in supernatural ways.

  35. 35. H

    The answer is H (unsurprising but satisfying) because the endings are 'usually predictable' but leave the reader feeling 'absolutely complete.'

  36. 36. B

    The answer is B because the passage says The Magician of Hoad 'has been through at least two substantial rewrites,' showing it was restructured.

  37. 37. C

    The answer is C because Bubble Trouble is described as a story that many New Zealand children and their parents know well, making it an old favorite.

  38. 38. D

    The answer is D because the writer lists how Mahy's books have been enjoyed by different generations in their family, showing her popularity across ages.

  39. 39. C

    The answer is C because Mahy believes 'a book is not properly finished... until it has been read,' meaning readers are needed to complete a book.

  40. 40. B

    The answer is B because the writer gives an example of how Mahy's playful way with language has influenced another writer, David Hill.

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Reading 2025-11 Test 4 — IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test with Answers | Ieltsa