Reading 2026-02 Test 35 — 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: The Whale Goes to Court

In 1818 a whale became the subject of a controversial court case in New York City. The case involved an old law requiring those who sold fish oil to pay a fee in order to have their barrels inspected by city officials, and certified. However, an oil merchant named Samuel Judd refused to pay the inspection fee on three barrels of oil, claiming that no inspection was necessary because it was whale oil, and whales were not fish. The state disagreed, and so a date was set for a court to decide not a point of law, but the answer to a more fundamental question: is a whale a fish?

As simple as that question may appear today, the answer was far from obvious in the early nineteenth century. Indeed, the public debate in New York sparked off by the trial was sensational. At stake was nothing less than what most regarded as the order of nature. According to the commonly accepted scheme of things, if an animal was not a beast or a bird, it was a fish, regardless of whether it breathed air or suckled its young. For as long as anyone could remember, all non-human creatures had been organised according to the categories of birds, beasts and fish. For the average person the answer seemed perfectly obvious: whales swam in the sea and therefore they were fish.

Against this traditional framework stood the new Linnaean system of classification, which sought to introduce more scientific values into the classification of living things. Barely half a century old in 1818, the Linnaean system controversially classified whales as mammals because they shared two mammalian characteristics: they were warm-blooded and breathed air.

So the trial began in December 1818. Judd's defence lawyers chose as their star witness one of New York's most prominent figures, the congressman Samuel Mitchill. Referred to as a 'living encyclopaedia' and a 'walking library', Mitchill was a renowned natural history lecturer at the college of Physicians and Surgeons who liked to dare his students to test his knowledge of the natural world. 'Show me the fin, and I will name the fish,' he boasted. Scientifically, it was an open-and-shut case, and Judd's defence lawyers believed they only had to do one simple thing to win the trial: insist that it be decided by biology alone. Mitchill seemed fully qualified for this role.

But this is where the case becomes interesting, and is the reason why the trial of the whale is not some dusty nineteenth-century obscurity. For rather than debate Mitchill on his area of expertise, lawyers for the New York City fish-oil inspectors chose a different tack. Lead counsel William Sampson turned the trial into a contest between scientific learning and common sense, by asking plain-spoken whalers to make their case before the jury.

The crux of Sampson's case was the trial's implication with regard to humans, should Judd be found not guilty. Sampson told jury members that if they accepted Mitchill's testimony on whales, they were obliged to accept a lower place for their own kind in the natural order. As a result, Mitchill's day in court did not go smoothly, not least because he was forced to acknowledge serious disputes among his peers regarding exactly how to classify biological organisms. Sampson then took aim at Mitchill himself and what he represented: privileged aristocrats from the scientific community who had lost touch with reality. The smooth-talking Sampson then claimed Mitchill's beliefs had their origin in Europe – something he rightly judged would infuriate the citizens of always-independent New York. This revolutionary new thinking Sampson claimed, was something that honest working New Yorkers could do without. No longer was this a case about barrels of oil but the proper place of scientific knowledge in the U.S.A.

Ultimately, what won the case for Samuel Judd were not Mitchill's scientific arguments, but testimony from a different sphere altogether. In New York's markets, the merchants implicitly understood that whale oil and fish oil were not the same: whale oil could be used as a fuel for lamps because it could be burned without giving off smoke; fish oil, on the other hand, was nasty, impure stuff used primarily in tanning leather. In the end it was this testimony that led to Judd's victory. The trial of the whale still has relevance today, when the court of public opinion remains easily swayed by sceptics. The 1818 trial was really about this question: who gets to decide on the place of the natural world in the human world – scientific experts or public opinion? Whether the issue today is the effects of human activity on the climate of this planet, or one of many other contemporary topics, the legacy of Judd's case continues to be of relevance.

1
An inspection fee on fish oil was introduced in New York in 1818.
2
Samuel Judd argued that the inspection fee should exclude whale oil.
3
Judd had been in trouble with city officials before the inspection fee disagreement.
4
Many New Yorkers were interested in the court case at the time.
5
Traditionally, non-human creatures had been classified in one of three groups.
6
Generally speaking ordinary people thought fish were the lowest form of life.
7
Whales were excluded from the Linnaean system in 1818.
8
Samuel Mitchill worked as a congressman and a ________
9
The defence wanted Mitchill to present the biology of the case. William Sampson called ________ as witnesses in order to appeal to the common sense of the jury.
10
New Yorkers disliked Mitchill because his ideas came from ________
11
In the end it was statements from local ________ not Mitchill's testimony which helped Judd win.
12
Whale oil made a good ________ because it was clean.
13
Judd's case is relevant today, e.g. in the debate about Earth's ________

Reading Passage 2: From Princes to Paupers: How Goya's Portraits Tell the Story of Spain

A There are, according to current scholarship, 160 existing portraits by Francisco de Goya—about a third of his painted output. The real number, though, is much greater since there are no pure landscapes in Goya's work, in that everything he ever painted deals with people. In the work of no other great portraitist are a nation's people, history, traumas, folk traditions, and superstitions so comprehensively and relentlessly captured. His subject was a good one since Goya lived in interesting times: his lifetime was a period that saw Spain pass through the effects of the French Revolution, the Napoleonic wars, and the restoration of the monarchy; it was ruled by a succession of authoritarian and liberal governments; and was simultaneously marked by the Enlightenment. Put his work together—the public and private paintings, the personal drawings and sketches, and the unsettling and sinister etching series—and what you have is a portrait in the round of Spain itself.

B His work as a portraitist has its origins in the 45 tapestry cartoons he painted after he moved to Madrid in 1775. Although his designs don't show portraits, they do show types—the majos and majas who gave Madrid its street swagger, peasants and rich men, courting couples, singers, hunters, children, and young men and women playing blind man's buff or tossing a mannequin into the air. The pictures have a light, rococo palette and the faces are individualised without being those of individuals. But in them, Goya practised poses and groupings and a way of handling light on and around figures that was to be invaluable.

C The tapestry designs also show social roles rather than the people inhabiting them, but when it came to painting portraits proper, Goya would turn this on its head. His greatest strength as a portraitist is that regardless of the status of the sitter, be they a king and queen, the Duke of Wellington, or a doctor or writer, it was the person he showed first and their position second. It was this trait, most apparent in his royal portraiture, that has led him to be seen as satirising the Bourbon monarchy rather than as a painter who depicted what he saw without showing obeisance to the usual flattering conventions. In Robert Hughes's phrase, he did not 'pay reflexive homage to authority' but instead walked a fine line between respect and truth.

D Goya's success was rapid; in 1785 he was made deputy director of painting at the Royal Academy (his main message to his students was subversive—'there are no rules in painting') and in 1786 became pintor de cámara, required to paint 'works required for royal service'. He immediately spent some of his 15,000-reales salary on a two-wheeled gig (one of only three in Madrid) which he promptly crashed on his first outing. His amour propre untouched, he wrote to his childhood friend Martín Zapater: 'I have now established an enviable way of living: I do not wait on anyone in antechambers, and if anyone wants anything from me they must come to me; I have made myself more in demand and unless it is a person of rank or at the request of a friend I would do nothing for anyone...'

E Part of the reason for his success was that, unlike Gainsborough, for example, he did not resent portraiture as an economically necessary chore that ate away at the time he could devote to higher art. He embraced the genre as a means of exploring human character. This genuine interest allowed him to penetrate the facade of his sitters, capturing not just their likeness but their psychological state. His portraits from the 1790s, particularly of the royal family, are masterclasses in this approach. He presented them with a stark realism that was unprecedented, grouping them in a way that highlighted their familial dynamics and individual personalities, however flawed or ordinary they might appear.

F This commitment to psychological truth became even more pronounced following his near-fatal illness in 1793, which left him deaf. Isolated from the world of sound, Goya’s focus turned inwards, and his work grew darker and more introspective. The light rococo tones of his tapestry cartoons gave way to a richer, somber palette and a dramatic use of chiaroscuro. His portraits from this period, such as those of the Duchess of Alba, are charged with a complex mixture of intimacy, mystery, and power. The line between observer and subject seemed to dissolve, as Goya used the portrait not for public glorification but as a form of private, almost philosophical, inquiry.

G Ultimately, Goya’s career traces the arc of Spain’s tumultuous age. The enlightened optimism of his early court paintings gradually soured into a profound disillusionment, vividly recorded in his later, so-called 'Black Paintings'. These murals, painted directly onto the walls of his country house, are a far cry from the formal portraits of princes and dukes. They depict haunting, mythological scenes and grotesque figures, reflecting the despair and chaos of a nation ravaged by war and repression. In this final phase, the portrait of Spain was no longer found in the faces of individuals, but in the tormented soul of its people.

14
A description of a personal purchase that ended in an accident.
15
The reason why Goya’s body of work provides such a complete representation of his country.
16
A contrast between Goya's early work and his later, more mature style.
17
An explanation of why Goya was able to be so successful as a portrait painter.
18
Reference to a specific artistic technique that Goya developed in his early career.
19
The claim that Goya’s final works moved away from depicting specific people.
20
Goya's Tapestry Cartoons: Before becoming a renowned portraitist, Goya created designs for tapestries after moving to Madrid. These cartoons did not feature true _________, but instead depicted various social _________. The artistic style of these works was light and rococo, and while the faces were distinctive, they were not of specific, identifiable people. However, these early projects were crucial as they allowed Goya to practise arranging figures and mastering the effect of _________ on his subjects.
21
23 Goya believed that his teaching role at the Royal Academy was more important than his work for the royal family.
- TRUE. TRUE
- FALSE. FALSE
- NOT GIVEN. NOT GIVEN
22
24 Robert Hughes believed that Goya balanced respect and truth in his portraits of authority figures.
23
25 Goya's illness directly caused him to change his subject matter from portraits to landscapes.
24
26 The 'Black Paintings' were originally intended for public display.

Reading Passage 3: What Are the 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die?

When was the last time you sat down to a meal of harnam meshwi, a.k.a. grilled pigeon, which is most likely found on a menu in Egypt? Or traveled to Oslo, Norway, for a breakfast of freshly caught shrimp? Chances are probably never. However, thanks to former New York Times restaurant critic, Smithsonian contributor and author Mimi Sheraton's latest book, 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die, your foodie life is about to get a whole lot more interesting.

Inspired by Patricia Schultz's best-selling 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (also published by Workman Publishing), Sheraton has rounded up 1,000 must-try dishes, restaurants, markets, cultural feasts, and even some relatively universal foods (such as bananas, olive oil, and whipped cream) that transcend regional categorization. Curated from cuisines around the globe, Sheraton has put them together in one large volume, along with details on historic and cultural context, tips on how to prepare or where to try a particular dish, and even several dozen recipes. It's a project that's been 10 years in the making—one that's as much a wonderful display of Sheraton's vast food knowledge (she's been writing about food for 60 years) as it is an ode to the world's sheer culinary diversity.

The ultimate gift for the food lover. In the same way that 1,000 Places to See Before You Die reinvented the travel book, 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die is a joyous, informative, dazzling, mouthwatering life list of the world's best food.

The book is organized not by country or type of food, but rather by the experience of eating itself. Sections guide the reader through "Street Food & Snacks," "Comfort Food," and "Sweets & Treats," among others. This structure encourages serendipitous discovery, where a reader looking for a classic French pastry might stumble upon a traditional Indonesian dessert and become captivated. Sheraton’s entries are more than just lists; they are miniature stories. She explains why a specific cheese from a remote village in Greece is worth seeking out, or how a particular noodle dish embodies the history of trade routes in Southeast Asia. This narrative approach transforms the book from a mere checklist into a compelling read about culture, history, and human connection through food.

Of course, a list of 1,000 items is bound to include some controversies. Some critics question the inclusion of ubiquitous items like the banana, arguing that it diminishes the exclusivity of the list. Others have noted a possible bias towards European and North American cuisines, though Sheraton defends her selections by pointing to the extensive research and personal travels that informed her choices. She emphasizes that the book is a personal, albeit expert, guide rather than a definitive, objective ranking. The goal, she states, is to inspire curiosity and appreciation, not to end debate.

Ultimately, 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die serves as a passport to gastronomic adventure. It challenges the reader to look beyond their culinary comfort zone, whether that means seeking out a rare ingredient, attempting a complex recipe at home, or simply ordering something unfamiliar at a local restaurant. For Sheraton, the book is a culmination of a lifetime's passion for food, an invitation to savor the incredible diversity of flavors the world has to offer, one unforgettable bite at a time.

25
27 Mimi Sheraton is currently working as a restaurant critic for the New York Times.
26
28 The book 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die was directly inspired by a popular travel guide.
27
29 Sheraton's book includes recipes for every one of the 1,000 foods mentioned.
28
30 The book is organized according to the geographic origin of the foods.
29
31 Sheraton has been a food writer for six decades.
30
32 The main purpose of the first paragraph is to
- A. criticize people's boring eating habits.
- B. provide specific examples of exotic foods.
- C. explain the health benefits of a global diet.
- D. introduce the book by highlighting its adventurous nature.
31
33 According to the passage, the book includes all of the following EXCEPT
- A. historical background for certain dishes.
- B. recommendations on where to find specific foods.
- C. nutritional information for each food item.
- D. a small number of full recipes.
32
34 How is the book's structure described?
- A. It is organized by country to make it easy for travelers.
- B. It categorizes foods by their main ingredient.
- C. It groups foods by the type of eating experience.
- D. It is presented in a simple alphabetical list.
33
35 What is the author's stated goal for the book?
- A. To create an objective and definitive ranking of world foods.
- B. To settle debates about the best cuisines.
- C. To inspire curiosity and appreciation for diverse foods.
- D. To promote European and North American restaurants.
34
Mimi Sheraton's book has been described as a ________ for anyone who loves food. It is noted for its narrative approach, where each entry is like a mini ________, explaining the cultural significance of a dish. While the book has faced some ________, particularly over the inclusion of common items and a potential regional bias, Sheraton clarifies that the selections are based on her own ________ and expert opinion. The ultimate aim of the book is to encourage readers to expand their ________ and embark on a gastronomic adventure.

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1. NOT GIVEN
NOT GIVEN is correct because there is no information in the passage about an inspection fee on fish oil being introduced in New York in 1818.
2. TRUE
TRUE is correct because the passage says Samuel Judd argued that whale oil should not be included in the inspection fee.
3. NOT GIVEN
NOT GIVEN is correct because there is no information about Judd having previous trouble with city officials.
4. TRUE
TRUE is correct because the passage states that many New Yorkers were interested in the court case at the time.
5. TRUE
TRUE is correct because the passage explains that non-human creatures were traditionally classified into three groups.
6. NOT GIVEN
NOT GIVEN is correct because the passage does not say what ordinary people thought about fish being the lowest form of life.
7. FALSE
FALSE is correct because the passage says whales were included in the Linnaean system in 1818, not excluded.
8. lecturer
The answer is 'lecturer' because the passage says Samuel Mitchill worked as a congressman and a lecturer.
9. whalers
The answer is 'whalers' because William Sampson called whalers as witnesses to appeal to the jury's common sense.
10. Europe
The answer is 'Europe' because New Yorkers disliked Mitchill since his ideas came from Europe.
11. merchants
The answer is 'merchants' because it was statements from local merchants, not Mitchill's testimony, that helped Judd win.
12. fuel
The answer is 'fuel' because whale oil made a good fuel as it was clean.
13. climate
The answer is 'climate' because Judd's case is mentioned as relevant today in debates about Earth's climate.
14. D
D is correct because this section describes a personal purchase that ended in an accident. Other options do not mention an accident after a purchase.
15. A
A is correct because it explains that Goya’s body of work is a complete representation of his country. Other options do not discuss the completeness of his work.
16. F
F is correct because it contrasts Goya's early work with his later, more mature style. Other options do not make this comparison.
17. E
E is correct because it explains why Goya was successful as a portrait painter. Other options do not discuss his success as a portraitist.
18. B
B is correct because it refers to a specific artistic technique Goya developed early in his career. Other options do not mention a technique.
19. G
G is correct because it claims Goya’s final works moved away from depicting specific people. Other options do not mention this shift.
20. portraits / roles / light
The answers are 'portraits', 'roles', and 'light' because the passage says the cartoons did not feature true portraits but showed social roles, and Goya mastered the effect of light.
21. FALSE
FALSE is correct because the passage does not say Goya believed his teaching role was more important than his royal work; it may even suggest the opposite.
22. TRUE
TRUE is correct because Robert Hughes believed Goya balanced respect and truth in his portraits of authority figures.
23. FALSE
FALSE is correct because the passage does not say Goya's illness directly caused him to change from portraits to landscapes.
24. FALSE
FALSE is correct because the 'Black Paintings' were not originally intended for public display.
25. FALSE
FALSE is correct because Mimi Sheraton is not currently working as a restaurant critic for the New York Times.
26. TRUE
TRUE is correct because the book was directly inspired by a popular travel guide.
27. FALSE
FALSE is correct because the book does not include recipes for every one of the 1,000 foods.
28. FALSE
FALSE is correct because the book is not organized by the geographic origin of the foods.
29. TRUE
TRUE is correct because Sheraton has been a food writer for six decades.
30. D
D is correct because the first paragraph introduces the book by highlighting its adventurous nature. The other options do not match the main purpose.
31. C
C is correct because the book does not include nutritional information for each food item, while the other options are included.
32. C
C is correct because the book groups foods by the type of eating experience. The other options do not match the structure described.
33. C
C is correct because the author’s goal is to inspire curiosity and appreciation for diverse foods. The other options are not stated as the goal.
34. passport / stories / controversies / personal travels / culinary comfort zone
The answers are 'passport', 'stories', 'controversies', 'personal travels', and 'culinary comfort zone' because the passage describes the book as a passport for food lovers, each entry as a story, mentions controversies, says selections are based on her travels, and aims to expand readers’ culinary comfort zone.

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Reading Passage 1: The Whale Goes to Court

Reading Passage 2: From Princes to Paupers: How Goya's Portraits Tell the Story of Spain

Reading Passage 3: What Are the 1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die?

Answer sheet

Answer key