Reading 2026-04 Test 15 — IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test with Answers

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Reading Passage 1: The Extraordinary Watkin Tench

A At the end of 18th century, life for the average British citizen was changing. The population grew as health and industrialisation took hold of the country. However, land and resources were limited. Families could not guarantee jobs for all of their children. People who were poor or destitute had little option. To make things worse, the rate of people who turned to crime to make a living increased. In Britain, the prisons were no longer large enough to hold the convicted people of this growing criminal class. Many towns and governments were at a loss as to what to do. However, another phenomenon that was happening in the 18th century was exploration of other continents. There were many ships looking for crew members who would risk a month-long voyage across a vast ocean. This job was risky and dangerous, so few would willingly choose it. However, with so many citizens without jobs or with criminal convictions, they had little choice. One such member of this new lower class of British citizens was Watkin Tench. Between 1788 and 1868, approximately 161,700 convicts were transported to the Australian colonies of New South Wales, Van Diemen’s land and Western Australia. Tench was one of these unlucky convicts to sign onto a dangerous journey. When his ship set out in 1788, he signed a three years’ service to the First Fleet.

B Apart from his years in Australia, people knew little about his life back in Britain. It was said he was born on 6 October 1758 at Chester in the county of Cheshire in England. He came from a decent background. Tench was a son of Fisher Tench, a dancing master who ran a boarding school in the town and Margaritta Tarleton of the Liverpool Tarletons. He grew up around a finer class of British citizens, and his family helped instruct the children of the wealthy in formal dance lessons. Though we don’t know for sure how Tench was educated in this small British town, we do know that he was well educated. His diaries from his travels to Australia are written in excellent English, a skill that not everyone was lucky to possess in the 18th century. Aside from this, we know little of Tench’s beginnings. We don’t know how he ended up convicted of a crime. But after he started his voyage, his life changed dramatically.

C During the voyage, which was harsh and took many months, Tench described landscape of different places. While sailing to Australia, Tench saw landscapes that were unfamiliar and new to him. Arriving in Australia, the entire crew was uncertain of what was to come in their new life. When they arrived in Australia, they established a British colony. Governor Philip was vested with complete authority over the inhabitants of the colony. Though still a young man, Philip was enlightened for his age. From stories of other British colonies, Philip learnt that conflict with the original peoples of the land was often a source of strife and difficulties. To avoid this, Philip’s personal intent was to establish harmonious relations with local Aboriginal people. But Philip’s job was even more difficult considering his crew. Other colonies were established with middle-class merchants and craftsmen. His crew were convicts, who had few other skills outside of their criminal histories. Along with making peace with the Aboriginal people, Philip also had to try to reform as well as discipline the convicts of the colony.

D From the beginning, Tench stood out as different from the other convicts. During his initial time in Australia, he quickly rose in his rank, and was given extra power and responsibility over the convicted crew members. However, he was also still very different from the upper-class rulers who came to rule over the crew. He showed humanity towards the convicted workers. He didn’t want to treat them as common criminals, but as trained military men. Under Tench’s authority, he released the convicts’ chains which were used to control them during the voyage. Tench also showed mercy towards the Aboriginal people. Governor Philip often pursued violent solutions to conflicts with the Aboriginal peoples. Tench disagreed strongly with this method. At one point, he was unable to follow the order given by the Governor Philip to punish the ten Aboriginals.

E When they first arrived, Tench was fearful and contemptuous towards the Aboriginals, because the two cultures did not understand each other. However, gradually he got to know them individually and became close friends with them. Tench knew that the Aboriginal people would not cause them conflict if they looked for a peaceful solution. Though there continued to be conflict and violence, Tench’s efforts helped establish a more peaceful negotiation between the two groups when they settled territory and land-use issues.

F Meanwhile, many changes were made to the new colony. The Hawkesbury River was named by Governor Philip in June 1789. Many native bird species to the river were hunted by travelling colonists. The colonists were having a great impact on the land and natural resources. Though the colonists had made a lot of progress in the untamed lands of Australia, there were still limits. The convicts were notoriously ill-informed about Australian geography, as was evident in the attempt by twenty absconders to walk from Sydney to China in 1791, believing: “China might be easily reached, being not more than a hundred miles distant, and separated only by a river.” In reality, miles of ocean separated the two.

G Much of Australia was unexplored by the convicts. Even Tench had little understanding of what existed beyond the established lines of their colony. Slowly, but surely, the colonists expanded into the surrounding area. A few days after arrival at Botany Bay, their original location, the fleet moved to the more suitable Port Jackson where a settlement was established at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. This second location was strange and unfamiliar, and the fleet was on alert for any kind of suspicious behaviors. Though Tench had made friends in Botany Bay with Aboriginal peoples, he could not be sure this new land would be uninhabited. He recalled the first time he stepped into this unfamiliar ground with a boy who helped Tench navigate. In these new lands, he met an old Aboriginal.

1
There was a great deal of information available about the life of Tench before he arrived in Australia.
2
Tench drew pictures to illustrate different places during the voyage.
3
Other military personnel in New South Wales did not treat convicts in the same way as Tench did.
4
Tench’s view towards the Aboriginals remained unchanged during his time in Australia.
5
An Aboriginal gave him gifts of food at the first time they met.
6
The convicts had a good knowledge of Australian geography.
7
What could be a concrete proof of Tench’s good education?
8
How many years did Tench sign the contract to the First Fleet?
9
What was used to control convicts during the voyage?
10
Who gave the order to punish the Aboriginals?
11
When did the name of Hawkesbury River come into being?
12
Where did the escaped convicts plan to go?
13
In which place did Tench feel unaccustomed?

Reading Passage 2: The Beginning of The Consumer Age

By 1900 all major industrialised countries had become aware of the importance not only of production, but also of the consumption of goods by their citizens. As a result, a culture of consumption emerged, and this played an important role in the shaping of a country's social and economic identity. One feature of this new culture was a heightened awareness of social status and a strong desire at all levels to show off newly acquired wealth. New social aspirations were expressed most visibly through the acquisition of consumer goods, and the concept of style became increasingly significant as a measure of social status.

One of the ways in which manufacturers tried to encourage consumption was by identifying a particular market and deliberately making their goods look attractive to potential customers. However, the dissemination of goods to a mass market depended on more than the efforts of manufacturers and designers to inject style into products. It also required a whole network of activities and institutions. These included changes in production methods so that more goods could be manufactured; the development of new kinds of retail outlets; and the expansion of advertising to promote sales. The introduction of a credit system of buying, initiated by the Singer Sewing Machine Company in the US in the 1860s and later adopted elsewhere by furniture and electrical appliance manufacturers, also went a long way towards making more goods available to more people.

There were also changes to the selling environment. The department stores established in the second half of the 19th century—Bon Marche in Paris, Macy's in New York, Harvey Nichols in London—were joined, about the turn of the century, by multi-branch retailers appealing to the lower end of the market, such as John Jacobs' furniture stores in England. In US department stores, interior areas expanded and large shop windows were introduced to show off new products to their best advantage. Electric lighting increased their visual appeal. This idea was pioneered in 1877 by the US store-owner John Wanamaker, who persuaded inventor Thomas Edison to install electricity in his Philadelphia department store.

In the United States, where there were large distances between urban centres, mail order became a vital means whereby the rural population could acquire goods that they would not otherwise have been able to buy. Chicago entrepreneur Montgomery Ward launched the concept, producing a single-sheet mail-order catalogue in 1872. Three years later, his catalogue had nearly four thousand items listed on it. Businessman Richard Sears followed suit in 1891, and together with partner Alvah C. Roebuck, moved on to develop the largest mail-order company of the 20th century.

By the end of the 19th century, consumer culture had taken root in industrialized countries and was changing the way people lived and perceived their own status. People were becoming increasingly conscious of their own social status, which was expressed through the acquisition of consumer goods and the concept of style. In response, manufacturers began to create goods that were more appealing to the public and retailers expanded their advertising and sales efforts.

Retail stores adapted to meet the demands of consumers, with large department stores opening in major cities and multi-branch retailers appealing to the lower end of the market. The selling environment was changed with large shop windows, electric lighting, and the expansion of interior areas to showcase goods. Additionally, mail-order catalogs became popular in the United States as a way for rural populations to access goods they wouldn't otherwise have access to. These developments helped to drive the growth of consumer culture and the associated economy.

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Paragraph A
- i. The emergence of consumer culture and its impact on social and economic identity
- ii. The strategies adopted by manufacturers to promote consumption
- iii. The expansion of retail networks to meet market demands
- iv. The innovations in the selling environment to enhance product presentation
- v. The significance of mail order in bridging the rural-urban divide
- vi. The interplay of social aspirations, consumer goods, and style in shaping consumer culture
- vii. The proliferation of credit systems and its impact on widespread availability of goods
- viii. The development of large department stores and multi-branch retailers to cater to a wider market
- ix. The underlying drivers behind the growth of consumer culture and its economy.
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Paragraph B
16
Paragraph C
17
Paragraph D
18
Paragraph E
19
Paragraph F
20
By 1900, all industrialized countries were aware of the importance of both ________ and consumption.
21
The culture of consumption played a crucial role in shaping a country's ________ and economic identity.
22
People expressed their newly acquired wealth through the acquisition of ________ goods.
23
The dissemination of goods to a mass market required a network of activities and ________.
24
John Wanamaker was the first to use ________ in his department store to increase the visual appeal of goods.
25
Which of the following played a role in the development of consumer culture in industrialized countries? (Choose TWO letters A-E)
- A. The Singer Sewing Machine Company
- B. The department stores established in the second half of the 19th century
- C. The large distances between urban centers
- D. The expansion of interior areas in retail stores
- E. The four thousand items listed in a mail-order catalog

Reading Passage 3: Innovation in Business

Innovation describes the way that we develop new ideas, products and approaches, and it is one of the most vital human endeavours. Over the history of humanity, innovation has made life better in so many different ways. It is part of human nature to recognise the benefits of innovation; however, the majority of us have little comprehension of the processes that actually lead to innovation occurring. It is a frequent topic for discussion in journals and university lecture theatres. However, in company boardrooms across New Zealand, the term is heard far too frequently and more caution should be applied. Certainly, a recent international survey showed that the idea of innovation is so broad as to appear almost meaningless, with different sectors of the business world – or different divisions inside the same business – often defining innovation in their own way.

While there is an obvious attraction to the new, innovation is not always about large-scale research and development projects or revolutionary business models; it can be on a small, highly localised scale and involve a step-by-step approach. The famous case study of the drinks company Lucozade shows it can be as simple as adding a screw top to a bottle. This carefully managed change in packaging shifted the public perception of the product from a medicine to a sports drink and Lucozade profited handsomely, clearly showing their approach was successful. So what steps can businesses take to keep ahead in the innovation game?

There seems to be a widespread belief that the world’s best ideas are sudden and intuitive. Thomas Edison supposedly invented the light bulb with a sudden moment of clarity, but in fact the book Edison: His Life and Inventions shows that Edison’s own inspiration usually resulted from laborious experimentation, rather than a moment of genius. Thus, business managers are at risk of overestimating the pace of development while underestimating the amount of perseverance needed. This is why we must reject the false assumption that innovation is just a moment of brilliance waiting to strike.

No exploration of innovation is complete without mention of Steve Jobs, the late chief executive officer (CEO) of Apple. No-one encapsulated the creative essence of Silicon Valley, the home of many global tech companies, better than Jobs, but he has also been accused of arrogance. Jobs’ managerial approach often irritated his co-workers but, in part, it was the fuel for his visionary innovations. He felt it his duty to make society a better place, but his egotistical behaviour could have undesirable consequences, too. Jobs’ former employees have suggested this type of demanding behaviour affects sickness rates and group morale, which in turn may squash creativity and innovation.

In his 2011 TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Talk, economist Tim Harford made this statement: ‘Show me a successful complex system, and I will show you a system that has evolved through trial and error.’ It sounds like common sense, and some commentators have claimed Harford’s TED Talk was not persuasive, because it was stating the obvious. But he responds that a trial and error approach is not all that obvious, because society expects all problems to have a quick and simple solution. Harford is right to point out that both consumers and investors expect consistent and clear breakthroughs. But the value of step-by-step innovation is often underrated and failure may in fact be crucial to eventual success.

Former chief solutions officer at Yahoo, Tim Sanders, believes that innovation is only ‘little ideas that combine with other little ideas that improve themselves into game-changing ideas’. This snowballing effect has similarities to the phenomenon that author and broadcaster Steven Johnson calls the ‘hummingbird effect’ of innovation. This points out that progress in one area or discipline can end up triggering small but significant developments elsewhere entirely. A good case to cite in support of this universal truth would be Gutenberg’s printing press, which was revolutionary in itself for making books accessible to the masses. However, the press also affected an unrelated industry by causing a rise in demand for reading glasses. This highlights the wider idea of connectivity, which is an essential component of innovation.

When Kode Biotech won a recent innovation award, CEO Steve Henry had this to say: ‘Most people think innovation is invention, but they don’t understand that innovation is the conversion of invention into something useful.’ This is particularly true when it comes to Kode’s highly specialised use of nano-technology. Henry says that Kode cannot chase all the opportunities it has created. Instead, Kode’s approach is to collaborate with similar nano-technology businesses, which take its innovations and develop them into commodities that can be sold in the marketplace.

Innovation can be hectic and disorganised, but that is the way that radical new ideas sometimes come about. But, for established businesses, the disorderly nature of innovation can seem discouraging. Previously Unavailable, a specialist innovation consultancy, says that while 84% of businesses consider innovation critical to their future, only 6% are satisfied with their innovation efforts. Previously Unavailable uses a process called Black Box, which was developed following a study at Harvard Business School. Black Box was formed to overcome the barriers that prevent innovation in larger organisations. Using this unique system, Previously Unavailable will lease a team of innovation experts on a short-term basis to client organisations to assist with conceiving, developing and launching new products and business innovation. It seems probable that this sort of innovation consultancy will become increasingly common, just as businesses already employ specialist consultants for legal, financial or marketing services.

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27 Most people naturally understand how innovation happens.
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28 The word ‘innovation’ is overused in business in New Zealand.
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29 There are many interpretations of what innovation means in business, according to one global study.
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30 Research and development projects have a higher priority today than in the past.
30
31 What is the writer doing in the third paragraph?
- A. criticising the conclusions of one publication
- B. praising the contribution of a famous inventor
- C. dismissing one common idea about innovation
- D. suggesting that innovation changes over time
31
32 What is the writer’s main point in the fourth paragraph?
- A. Each industry will innovate in its own way.
- B. There are pros and cons to strong leaders.
- C. Some individuals are more innovative than others.
- D. Leadership requires building teams that work together.
32
33 The writer refers to Gutenberg’s printing press in order to
- A. compare how two different innovations developed.
- B. illustrate an exception to his point about innovation.
- C. show why one approach to innovation was controversial.
- D. give an example of a general rule about innovation.
33
34 What is the writer’s main point in the seventh paragraph?
- A. Companies should cooperate to turn ideas into products.
- B. A company tends to make profits from its own innovations.
- C. Science and business can often have common goals.
- D. Competition between businesses produces innovation.
34
35 According to the writer, companies like Previously Unavailable
- A. have published valuable research about innovation.
- B. help companies recruit people with skills in innovation.
- C. run university courses teaching innovation skills.
- D. can be hired to give businesses advice about innovation.
35
36 A book about the life and work of Thomas Edison suggests that
- A. innovators do not get enough credit for their own ideas.
- B. innovation may influence a completely different field.
- C. expressing what everyone already knows is pointless.
- D. innovation can be enhanced through collaboration with similar companies.
- E. innovation requires a great deal of hard work.
- F. copying ideas that already exist is not true innovation.
- G. certain personality types can limit innovation.
36
37 People who have worked for CEOs like Steve Jobs claim that
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38 Critics of Tim Harford’s 2011 TED Talk say that
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39 Steven Johnson’s ‘hummingbird effect’ proposes that
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40 Kode Biotech CEO Steve Henry believes that

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1. FALSE
The answer is FALSE because the passage says there was little information about Tench's life before he came to Australia.
2. NOT GIVEN
The answer is NOT GIVEN because there is no information in the passage about Tench drawing pictures during the voyage.
3. TRUE
The answer is TRUE because the passage explains that Tench treated convicts differently from other military personnel in New South Wales.
4. FALSE
The answer is FALSE because the passage states that Tench's view towards the Aboriginals changed during his time in Australia.
5. NOT GIVEN
The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not mention if an Aboriginal gave Tench gifts of food when they first met.
6. FALSE
The answer is FALSE because the passage says the convicts did not have a good knowledge of Australian geography.
7. (his) diaries
The answer is (his) diaries because the passage mentions Tench's diaries as evidence of his good education.
8. 3 / three years
The answer is 3 / three years because the passage states Tench signed a contract for three years with the First Fleet.
9. (convict's) chains
The answer is (convict's) chains because the passage says chains were used to control convicts during the voyage.
10. Governor Philip
The answer is Governor Philip because the passage says Governor Philip gave the order to punish the Aboriginals.
11. June 1789
The answer is June 1789 because the passage states that the name Hawkesbury River came into being in June 1789.
12. China
The answer is China because the passage says the escaped convicts planned to go to China.
13. Sydney Cove
The answer is Sydney Cove because the passage mentions Tench felt unaccustomed in Sydney Cove.
14. i
The answer is i because Paragraph A discusses the emergence of consumer culture and its impact on social and economic identity.
15. ii
The answer is ii because Paragraph B describes the strategies manufacturers used to promote consumption.
16. iv
The answer is iv because Paragraph C talks about innovations in the selling environment to make products look better.
17. v
The answer is v because Paragraph D explains how mail order helped connect rural and urban areas.
18. vi
The answer is vi because Paragraph E discusses how social aspirations, consumer goods, and style shaped consumer culture.
19. ix
The answer is ix because Paragraph F describes the main reasons behind the growth of consumer culture and its economy.
20. production
The answer is production because the passage says by 1900, all industrialized countries understood the importance of both production and consumption.
21. social
The answer is social because the passage states that the culture of consumption shaped a country's social and economic identity.
22. consumer
The answer is consumer because the passage says people showed their new wealth by buying consumer goods.
23. institutions
The answer is institutions because the passage mentions that spreading goods to many people needed a network of activities and institutions.
24. electricity
The answer is electricity because the passage says John Wanamaker was the first to use electricity in his department store to make goods look better.
25. B / D
The answers are B and D because the passage says department stores and the expansion of interior areas in retail stores helped develop consumer culture. Option A is tempting but the Singer Sewing Machine Company is not mentioned as a main factor.
26. NO
The answer is NO because the passage says most people do not naturally understand how innovation happens.
27. YES
The answer is YES because the passage says the word 'innovation' is used too much in New Zealand business.
28. YES
The answer is YES because the passage says a global study found many different meanings for innovation in business.
29. NOT GIVEN
The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not say if research and development projects are more important now than before.
30. C
The answer is C because in the third paragraph, the writer rejects a common idea about innovation.
31. B
The answer is B because the fourth paragraph discusses the good and bad sides of strong leaders.
32. D
The answer is D because the writer uses Gutenberg’s printing press as an example of a general rule about innovation.
33. A
The answer is A because the seventh paragraph says companies should work together to turn ideas into products.
34. D
The answer is D because the passage says companies like Previously Unavailable can be hired to give advice about innovation.
35. E
The answer is E because the book about Edison says innovation needs a lot of hard work.
36. G
The answer is G because people who worked for CEOs like Steve Jobs say certain personality types can limit innovation.
37. C
The answer is C because critics of Tim Harford’s TED Talk say just saying what everyone knows is pointless.
38. B
The answer is B because Steven Johnson’s 'hummingbird effect' means innovation can affect a very different field.
39. D
The answer is D because Steve Henry believes innovation can be improved by working with similar companies.

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Reading Passage 1: The Extraordinary Watkin Tench

Reading Passage 2: The Beginning of The Consumer Age

Reading Passage 3: Innovation in Business

Answer sheet

Answer key