Reading 2026-10 Test 13 — IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test with Answers

About this set: compiled and lightly cleaned up from real test material that test-takers recalled. IELTS draws from a global question pool, so this material circulates worldwide. To give you a complete, sittable test, material reported around the same period is assembled together — so a set may combine content from several exam dates, not one single sitting. Any audio is a recreation for practice. Organized for study convenience. Based on test-taker recalls — not official IELTS material.

Reading Passage 1: Songs of Stones

Vicenza is a pleasant, prosperous city in the Veneto, 60km west of Venice. Its grand families settled and farmed the area from the 16th century. But its principal claim to fame is Andrea Palladio, who is such an influential architect that a neoclassical style is known as Palladian. The city is a permanent exhibition of some of his finest buildings, and as he was born in Padua—to be precise—500 years ago, the International Centre for the Study of Palladio’s Architecture has an excellent excuse for mounting la grande mostra, the big show.

The exhibition has the special advantage of being held in one of Palladio’s buildings, Palazzo Barbaran da Porto. Its bold façade is a mixture of rustication and decoration set between two rows of elegant columns. On the second floor the pediments are alternately curved or pointed, a Palladian trademark. The harmonious proportions of the atrium at the entrance lead through to a dramatic interior of fine fireplaces and painted ceilings. Palladio’s design is simple, clear and not over-crowded. The show has been organised on the same principles, according to Howard Burns, the architectural historian who co-curated it.

Palladio’s father was a miller who settled in Vicenza, where the young Andrea was apprenticed to a skilled stonemason. How did a humble miller’s son become a world renowned architect? The answer in the exhibition is that, as a young man, Palladio excelled at carving decorative stonework on columns, doorways and fireplaces. He was plainly intelligent, and lucky enough to come across a rich patron, Gian Giorgio Trissino, a landowner and scholar, who organised his education, taking him to Rome in the 1540s, where he studied the masterpieces of classical Roman and Greek architecture and the work of other influential architects of the time, such as Donato Bramante and Raphael.

Mr Burns argues that social mobility was also important. Entrepreneurs, prosperous from agriculture in the Veneto, commissioned the promising local architect to design their country villas and their urban mansions. In Venice the aristocracy were anxious to co-opt talented artists, and Palladio was given the chance to design the buildings that have made him famous—the churches of San Giorgio Maggiore and the Redentore, both easy to admire because they can be seen from the city’s historical centre across a stretch of water.

He tried his hand at bridges—his unbuilt version of the Rialto Bridge was decorated with the large pediment and columns of a temple and, after a fire at the Ducal Palace, he offered an alternative design which bears an uncanny resemblance to the Banqueting House in Whitehall in London. Since it was designed by Inigo Jones, Palladio’s first foreign disciple, this is not as surprising as it sounds.

Jones, who visited Italy in 1614, bought a trunk full of the master’s architectural drawings; they passed through the hands of the Dukes of Burlington and Devonshire before settling at the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1894. Many are now on display at Palazzo Barbaran. What they show is how Palladio drew on the buildings of ancient Rome as models. The major theme of both his rural and urban building was temple architecture, with a strong pointed pediment supported by columns and approached by wide steps.

Palladio’s work for rich landowners alienates unreconstructed critics on the Italian left, but among the papers in the show are designs for cheap housing in Venice. In the wider world, Palladio’s reputation has been nurtured by a text he wrote and illustrated, "Quattro Libri dell’Architettura". His influence spread to St Petersburg and to Charlottesville in Virginia, where Thomas Jefferson commissioned a Palladian villa he called Monticello.

Vicenza’s show contains detailed models of the major buildings and is leavened by portraits of Palladio’s teachers and clients by Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto; the paintings of his Venetian buildings are all by Canaletto, no less. This is an uncompromising exhibition; many of the drawings are small and faint, and there are no sideshows for children, but the impact of harmonious lines and satisfying proportions is to impart in a viewer a feeling of benevolent calm. Palladio is history’s most therapeutic architect.

Questions 1–7

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 1–7 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1
The exhibition is held in a building which has been redecorated lately.
- A. TRUE
- B. FALSE
- C. NOT GIVEN
2
Palazzo Barbaran da Porto reflects Palladio’s design.
3
Palladio’s father was an architect worker.
4
Palladio’s family refused to pay his fee of studying architecture.
5
Palladio’s alternative design for the Ducal Palace is similar to the Banqueting House.
6
Palladio’s design is not only for rich people, but also the poor.
7
The show includes paintings done by famous artists.

Questions 8–13

Answer the questions below.

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

8
What did Palladio do in Vicenza before he became an architect?
9
Who covered the fee of Palladio’s architectural studies?
10
Who was the first non-domestic student influenced by Palladio?
11
What kind of ancient Roman buildings affected Palladio’s work deeply?
12
What text strengthened Palladio’s reputation?
13
According to the writer’s opinion, what will visitors feel about the exhibition?

Reading Passage 2: Internal Promotion Or External Hiring

A The difference between companies is people. With capital and technology in plentiful supply, the critical resource for companies in the knowledge era will be human talent. Companies full of 'star' achievers will, by definition, outperform organisations without them. So firms should compete for the most talented people, attract them from other companies, pay them very well, and get rid of second-raters. This in essence has been the recruitment of the ambitious companies of the past decade, given definitive form by the consultancy McKinsey in the book The War for Talent. Although the intensity of the warfare subsequently subsided, it has been warming up again as the economy tightens: labour shortages, for example, are the reason that many governments are welcoming workers from abroad.

B The diagnosis — people are important — is so obvious it scarcely needs saying, but the apparently logical prescription — hire the best — is, like so much in management, profoundly wrong. The point was illuminated by the collapse of the major American company Enron, whose leaders, as a New Yorker article called 'The Talent Myth' related, were so convinced of their own cleverness that they believed that collective intelligence is the sum of a lot of individual intelligences. In fact, in a profound sense the two are opposites. Enron believed in stars, noted author Malcolm Gladwell, because they didn't believe in systems. But companies don't just create: 'they execute and compete and co-ordinate the efforts of many people, and the organisations that are most successful at that task are the ones where the system is the star'.

C The truth is that a company can't win the talent war by hiring stars — only lose it. New light is thrown on why this should be so by a study of the careers of 1,000 top analysts, published in the Harvard Business Review. The researchers found that when a company recruited a star performer, three things happened.

D First, star quality didn't easily transfer from one organisation to another. In many cases, when star performers switched employers, their performance dropped sharply and in some instances never recovered. Few people realise how much success is due to the working environment — systems, processes, leadership, accumulated embedded learning, which are absent in and can't be transported to the new firm. Moreover, precisely because of their past success, stars were unwilling to learn new tricks and antagonised those (on whom they now unknowingly depended) who could teach them. So they left, increasing their salary as they did so — a surprisingly high 36 per cent moved on within three years.

E Secondly, the performance of their new team suffered as a result of the tensions and resentment created by their arrival. Hiring a star has been compared to an organ transplant. The new organ can damage others by taking most of the blood supply, other organs can start aching or threaten to stop working, or the body can reject the transplant altogether.

F Thirdly, the share price fell, as investors sold stock, evidently to punish the company for its extravagance in spending money on the expensive new appointee. This is ironic, since the motive for importing stars was often to improve the share price.

G Everyone accepts the cliché that people make the organisation — but, in fact, to a far greater extent, the organisation makes the people. This is as true in the world of football as in business. Some football clubs buy very good — and very expensive — players, but the team may be less than the sum of its parts. Others put much more emphasis on developing systems: a setting within which less good players can improve, and which helps everyone to form an effective team. These clubs are often more successful than those with the stars. Similarly, a study of the performance of fund managers showed that just 30 per cent of variation in fund performance was due to the individual, compared to 70 per cent to the company-specific setting.

H That will be no surprise to those familiar with systems thinking. Deming, the management thinker, used to say that there was no point in criticising people when 90 per cent of performance variation was down to the system within which they worked. Consistent improvement, he said, is a matter not of raising the level of individual intelligence, but of the learning of the organisation as a whole.

I So if not by hiring stars, how can a company compete in the war for talent? It should grow its own. Some companies are not only better at creating stars, but also at retaining them. Because they have a much more sophisticated view of the interdependent relationship between star and system, they keep them longer without needing to pay exorbitant salaries. The star system is glamorous — for the few. But companies that use it rarely benefit to the extent that they expect. Bringing in high-paid talent from outside is rarely worthwhile, and the impact can be dire.

Questions 14–18

Reading Passage 2 has nine paragraphs, A–I.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter, A–I, in boxes 14–18 on your answer sheet.

14
an example of the importance of systems in a non-business context
15
advice on how businesses can acquire the best people
16
a medical analogy to a star joining another company
17
a claim that stars may not make necessary adaptations when they change companies
18
an example of a company that suffered from a misplaced belief in the talents of its senior managers

Questions 19–22

Complete the summary below.

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

Research published in the Harvard Business Review

Research into the working lives of a large number of successful people working as (19) ________ revealed that hiring stars had three common effects. The stars often failed to maintain their performance, as much of their success came from the factors making up their old company’s (20) ________. In fact, many of them soon left their new company to join another firm at a higher (21) ________. Secondly, there was often a negative effect on co-workers in their (22) ________ at the new company. Thirdly, investors reduced their commitment to the company.

Questions 23–26

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 2?

In boxes 23–26 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

23
The War for Talent had a greater impact than its authors had expected.
- A. YES
- B. NO
- C. NOT GIVEN
24
The economic situation of certain countries is leading to growing demand for foreign staff.
25
Enron failed through misfortune rather than poor management.
26
Promoting internally is nearly always more effective than bringing in stars from outside.

Reading Passage 3: Practical Learning In The Classroom

A The way we think about architecture in schools has come a long way. Once, studying architecture in the art class meant learning to appreciate great buildings art-history style, through slide presentations. In recent years, though, the American Institute of Architects has fostered the idea that the process of architectural design, not just the appreciation of architecture, is a beneficial aspect of the art curriculum (Sadler, 1989).

B The value of architectural design is that it is the concrete training ground for a broadly applicable creative process. Architectural training can help people design structures to meet needs. It can help farmers design crop rotations to meet needs. Furthermore, it provides hands-on experiences that reinforce learning in various other subjects, from math to social studies.

C In the ongoing dialogue about architecture in the middle school art curriculum, many believe students should actually build the structures they design in their courses. Although the technology and expertise required of modern architecture can prohibit students from actually realizing their designs, traditional architectural materials and methods remain quite accessible to the art classroom. Traditional architectural materials, such as earth, clay and straw, are cheap, easy to work with and readily available. Further, when students participate in the construction or preservation of a traditional earthen structure in their local community, they engage in a form of experiential learning and they are motivated to invest in the project. This is evident in a case study of an adobe conservation project with middle school students in the town of Zuni, New Mexico, in the Southwestern United States.

D Traditional architecture reaches back to preindustrial America, when local resources and cultures produced structures in styles unique to each region. In New Mexico, examples of hand-built earthen structures still abound. The region has seen some decline in traditional architecture as industrialization has brought new building codes and materials; however, the traditional, non-industrial home, either preserved from earlier generations or newly built, remains in use. Traditional building materials and the land that supplies them are so accessible that handcrafting a house still remains feasible.

E Thus, with no technical expertise and little cost, middle school students can participate in the construction or preservation of a traditional earthen structure. During the project, a student will get to know the materials, understand the chemistry, solve problems, work with classmates, and exercise muscles. The student can apply knowledge of design principles and the creative process while participating in a cooperative effort. But most significantly, this type of project-based activity motivates students to invest intellectually and emotionally in the outcome.

F The town of Zuni, where I taught art, was surrounded by adobe construction, new and old. Behind our main high school building there was a one-room adobe structure which was once used for teaching. Now it served as a place where old furniture could be kept. I sent my class home with the oral history assignment to ask their family, friends and neighbors questions to find out about that building. From their research we compiled a sketchy history: it began as a kindergarten classroom; it later became an art classroom; now it was full of broken desks.

G The building's design kept it relatively warm in the winter, even without heating, due to its broad south face, and it stayed cool in the summer due to its spacious, ventilated attic and massive earthen walls. Because of this, my students agreed it was worth preserving and were enthusiastic about helping. Preservationist Shalie Gasper arrived in the fall to help with an assessment of the building's needs. She recommended replacing the stucco that encased the original adobe walls with a traditional mud plaster. She showed us where to find local supplies of sand and clay soil for the plaster mix. We began work on the stucco removal in late fall. The next spring the students were ready to replaster. To teach the traditional skills, Gasper and other local specialists joined us. They gave my class three full mornings of intensive workshops on history and preservation as well as mud-plastering technique, and the building got a new coat of traditional mud plaster.

H Small design-and-build projects such as this can be seen through to the finish when working with earth in the art curriculum. A simple landscape feature such as a wall, entryway, or arch can draw students into important aspects of design that involve the structure's interaction with people, the surrounding landscape, and natural elements. The same project may provide an opportunity to focus on the chemistry of soil or the structural dynamics of construction. Design goals might guide students to involve traditional forms, consider formal aspects, or integrate math skills of measuring and estimating.

I During our traditional architecture unit, the students realized that something old and almost forgotten is valuable and worth preserving. Many others in the community and around the country share this renewal of interest in traditional earthen technologies. It is the connection to a cultural heritage that interests some; the quality of living within massive, natural walls that attracts others; or for others, the sustainability of the process and the minimal energy spent in construction. The value of adobe in general is becoming more and more known, but little has been said about its value in the art curriculum until now. This experiment in adobe conservation with middle school students convinced me that traditional architecture deserves a place in the regular curriculum.

Questions 27–31

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

Write the correct letter in boxes 27–31 on your answer sheet.

27
What education initiative does the American Institute of Architects currently promote?
- A. multimedia presentation of information in classrooms
- B. the study of monumental buildings throughout history
- C. the practice of designing architectural structures
- D. processes to add more art classes in schools
28
In the third paragraph, what problem with teaching architecture on art courses does the writer note?
- A. Technology-based courses are unavailable.
- B. Students cannot always construct their designs.
- C. The curriculum is too traditional.
- D. Students lack motivation.
29
What is the greatest benefit for students that the writer sees in a traditional architecture project?
- A. personal connection to the end result
- B. participation in a cooperative project
- C. building of problem-solving skills
- D. conservation of a traditional building
30
What is the purpose of the eighth paragraph?
- A. to explain why it is important that projects be small
- B. to outline the multiple skills involved in one project
- C. to discuss strategies for connecting content areas
- D. to propose suggestions for traditional earth projects
31
What does the writer say about traditional building and the general population?
- A. Earthen architecture is becoming a profitable business.
- B. Earthen architecture is less feasible in some areas of the country.
- C. Interest in earthen architecture varies from region to region.
- D. People are attracted to earthen architecture for different reasons.

Questions 32–36

Complete the summary using the list of words, A–H, below.

Write the correct letter, A–H, in boxes 32–36 on your answer sheet.

The students in Zuni chose to renovate an old building which was being used for (32) ________. They came to an agreement that the building was worthy of rehabilitation based on its functional (33) ________. At the beginning of the project, students were given the task to discover the history of the building through interviews with local residents. Through the course of the project, they learned where to locate (34) ________ for the project. They also worked closely with a number of (35) ________ on each step of the project. During the project, students were also given (36) ________ to build useful skills.

A experts

B location

C design

D storage

E students

F resources

G training

H businesses

Questions 37–40

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?

In boxes 37–40 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

37
The price of materials is one drawback to using traditional architecture.
- A. YES
- B. NO
- C. NOT GIVEN
38
Earthen structures can easily be built in all regions of the U.S.
39
Working with a traditional earthen structure can have physical benefits.
40
A traditional architecture curriculum is best suited to middle school level students.

Answer sheet

Fill in as you go — checking is instant and local, and every miss lands in your mistake log with the lesson that fixes it.

Saved on this device — no account needed. Sign in on your progress page if you want it synced elsewhere.

Show answer key

1. C
The passage does not mention that the exhibition building has been redecorated lately, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
2. A
Palazzo Barbaran da Porto reflects Palladio’s design because its features, like the bold façade and harmonious proportions, are described as Palladian trademarks.
3. B
Palladio’s father was a miller, not an architect worker, as stated in the passage.
4. C
There is no information in the passage about Palladio’s family refusing to pay his fee for studying architecture, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
5. A
Palladio’s alternative design for the Ducal Palace is described as bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Banqueting House, so the answer is TRUE.
6. A
The passage says Palladio designed for rich landowners but also includes designs for cheap housing in Venice, so his design was not only for the rich.
7. A
The show includes portraits by famous artists like Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, and paintings by Canaletto, so the answer is TRUE.
8. carving decorative stonework
Before becoming an architect, Palladio excelled at carving decorative stonework on columns, doorways, and fireplaces.
9. Gian Giorgio Trissino
Gian Giorgio Trissino, a rich patron, organised Palladio’s education and took him to Rome.
10. Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones was Palladio’s first foreign disciple, making him the first non-domestic student influenced by Palladio.
11. temple architecture
Palladio’s work was deeply affected by temple architecture, as his major theme was using the style of ancient Roman temples.
12. Quattro Libri dell’Architettura / Quattro Libri dell'Architettura
Palladio’s reputation was strengthened by his text 'Quattro Libri dell’Architettura', which he wrote and illustrated.
13. benevolent calm
14. G
15. I
16. E
17. D
18. B
19. analysts
20. working environment
21. salary
22. new team
23. C
24. A
25. B
26. A
27. C
28. B
29. A
30. C
31. D
32. D
33. C
34. F
35. A
36. G
37. B
38. C
39. A
40. C

Want the full timed experience? Try the free full mock exam — real recalled questions, in the real exam interface.

Start mock exam →

Reading Passage 1: Songs of Stones

Reading Passage 2: Internal Promotion Or External Hiring

Reading Passage 3: Practical Learning In The Classroom

Answer sheet

Answer key