IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test — April 2026 Test 287

Exam month: 2026-04

In this test

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 History of the Bar Code

The first step toward today’s bar codes came in 1948, when Bernard Silver, a graduate student in the USA, overheard a conversation in the halls of Philadelphia’s Drexel Institute of Technology. The president of a food chain was pleading with a professor to undertake research on a method of capturing product information automatically at store checkouts. The professor turned down the request, but Bernard Silver mentioned the conversation to his friend Norman Woodland, a twenty-seven-year-old teacher at Drexel. The problem fascinated the two friends, and they set about thinking of a solution. Their first idea was to use patterns printed with an ink that would glow under ultraviolet light, and they built a device to test the concept. It worked, but the printing costs were high and the patterns faded over time. Nonetheless, they were convinced they had a workable idea.
After several months of work they came up with the linear bar code, using elements from two established technologies: Morse code, in which letters and numbers are coded into a system of dots and dashes, and the method used to record soundtracks in movies. Silver and Woodland patented the idea in 1952, describing their invention as ‘article classification… through the medium of identifying patterns’. But the cost, together with the fact that their scanning equipment was rather unreliable, made the idea a non-starter at that time.
Scanning systems made little progress until the 1970s, when lasers became affordable. Following this, various systems came into use around the world in stores, libraries, factories, and the like, each with its own proprietary code, but there was no standardization. A consortium of grocery manufacturers and retailers therefore set up a committee to look into bar codes, and to standardize what became known formally as the Universal Product Code (UPC). At the heart of the committee’s guidelines were a few basic principles. To make life easier for the cashier, bar codes would have to be readable from almost any angle and at a range of distances. Because they would be reproduced by the million, the labels would have to be cheap and easy to print. And to be affordable, automated checkout systems would have to pay for themselves in two and a half years.
The committee considered more than a dozen versions of bar codes, including one based on multi-colored dots and another using a circular bull’s-eye design with lines radiating from a central point. On April 1, 1973, they unanimously agreed on a standardized UPC, a combination of black and white lines and numbers, based on Woodland and Silver’s idea but developed by George Laurer at IBM. Alan Haberman, who headed the subcommittee as president of First National Stores, described the bar code as a kind of world language that worked for everyone. He recalls proudly, ‘We showed that it could be done on a massive scale, that cooperation… was possible for the common good, and that business didn’t need the government to shove them in the right direction.’
The investment involved in the bar-code revolution was huge. Each of the tens of thousands of grocery outlets in the US had to spend at least $200,000 on new scanning equipment. Chains had to install new data processing centers and retrain their employees. Printers had to develop the new types of ink, plates, and other technology to reproduce the code with the exact tolerances it requires, and manufacturers had to spend millions of dollars a year on the labels.
On June 26, 1974, all the tests were done, all the proposals were complete, all the standards were set, and at a supermarket in Ohio, a single pack of Juicy Fruit chewing gum became the first retail product sold with the help of a bar code scanner. Decades of schemes and billions of dollars in investment now became a practical reality. The bar code on any product could be read and understood in every suitably equipped store.
The advantages of the system were not clear immediately, as wholesalers, retailers and customers remained suspicious. Some customers believed bar codes were a form of surveillance. During the early weeks, Business Week magazine ran the headline ‘The Supermarket Scanner That Failed’. However, the benefits eventually became apparent. ‘It turns out there were massive savings in labor and other areas,’ Haberman says. These included checking out items at twice the speed compared to using traditional equipment, which meant shorter lines. And it did not take supermarkets too long to see that, as well as vastly improving customer service, the bar code could hugely reduce the amount of time spent checking inventory.
Now, every day more than 5 billion bar codes are scanned in retail outlets throughout the world. Passengers’ luggage is tagged with bar codes by airlines. Staff attach them to babies to ensure the right babies go home from hospitals with the right mothers. Runners in major marathons set off with bar codes on their vests, and librarians rely on them. Tiny bar codes have even been mounted on bees by researchers to track their movements.
As for that original pack of Juicy Fruit, it is now, unchewed and unopened, in the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History in Washington.
  1. 1

    1st system: • used ultraviolet light and a special type of ________

  2. 2

    2nd system: • based on technology used in Morse code and also for the ________ of films

  3. 3

    2nd system: • problems: ________ and expensive

  4. 4

    1970s: • Availability of cheaper ________ meant scanning technology spread more widely

  5. 5

    1970s: • Problem: lack of ________ in code systems

  6. 6

    Advantages of bar code system: • the ________ of checkouts increased

  7. 7

    Present day: Users of bar codes include: • participants in ________

  8. 8

    Present day: Users of bar codes include: • scientists studying ________

  9. 9

    Bernard Silver was invited to develop a system for capturing product information by the president of a food chain.

    • A. TRUE
    • B. FALSE
    • C. NOT GIVEN
  10. 10

    A committee set up in the 1970s said bar codes should be easy to use and not too expensive.

  11. 11

    Alan Haberman disagreed with government policies on business matters.

  12. 12

    Many grocery outlets were unable to afford the necessary scanning equipment.

  13. 13

    The advantages of the new bar code scanner took some time to be accepted by users.

Reading Passage 2: Insomnia: the Enemy of Sleep

A
It is not unusual to have sleep troubles from time to time. But, if you feel you do not get enough sleep or satisfying sleep, you may have insomnia, a sleep disorder. People with insomnia have one or more of the following: difficulty falling asleep, waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep, waking up too early in the morning and unrefreshing sleep. Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours you sleep every night. The amount of sleep a person needs varies. While most people need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night, some people do well with less, and some need more.
B
Insomnia occurs most frequently in people over age 60, in people with a history of depression, and in women, especially after menopause. Severe emotional trauma can also cause insomnia with divorced, widowed and separated people being the most likely to suffer from this sleep disorder. Stress, anxiety, illness, and other sleep disorders such as restless legs syndrome are the most common causes of insomnia. An irregular work schedule, jet lag or brain damage from a stroke or Alzheimer's disease can also cause insomnia as well as excessive use of alcohol or illicit drugs. It can also accompany a variety of mental illnesses.
C
The mechanism that induces sleep is not known. When it becomes dark, the pineal gland in the brain secretes a hormone called melatonin, which is thought to induce sleep. Exactly why sleep is necessary for good health and efficient mental functioning is unknown. We do know that sleep consists of two very different states: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep. In REM sleep, dreams occur, the eyes move under the closed lids and there is an increase in oxygen consumption, blood flow, and neural activity. REM sleep occurs four or five times during a night. Beginning periods last about ten to fifteen minutes but the periods get longer as the night goes on. The periods of REM sleep alternate with longer periods of non-REM sleep, when the body functions slowly. Non-REM sleep has four stages. During the deepest stages (3 and 4) it is hard to rouse a sleeper. As the night goes on, the periods of non-REM sleep become progressively lighter. Sleep in stages 1 and 2 are felt to be restorative as during this time the body repairs itself utilizing a hormone called somatostatin. Lack of stage 4 sleep is believed to be important in chronically painful conditions such as fibromyalgia.
D
Healthcare providers diagnose insomnia in several ways. One way is to categorize insomnia by how often it occurs. Another way is to identify insomnia by what is causing sleep deprivation. The two main types of insomnia have been described as Primary Insomnia and Secondary Insomnia. Primary Insomnia is a chronic condition with little apparent association with stress or a medical problem. The most common form of primary insomnia is psychophysiological insomnia. Secondary insomnia is caused by symptoms that accompany a medical condition such as anxiety, depression, or pain.
E
Improving one's sleep hygiene helps improve insomnia in all patients. Relaxing during the hour before you go to sleep and creating a comfortable environment suited for sleep can be helpful. Older people who wake up earlier than normal or have trouble falling asleep may need less sleep than they used to. Changing one's sleep pattern, either by going to bed later or waking up earlier, can be effective in dealing with insomnia in older people. Therapy also depends on the cause and severity of insomnia. Transient and intermittent insomnia may not require any direct action since these conditions last only a few days at a time. However, if insomnia interferes with a person's daily activities, something should be done. Usually, the best method of dealing with insomnia is by attacking the underlying cause. For example, people who are depressed often have insomnia, and looking at this problem may eliminate it.
F
Not getting enough sleep can make you less productive, irritable, and unable to concentrate. Lack of sleep can make it seem as if you "got up out of the wrong side of the bed." Early morning headaches and waking up feeling as if you never went to sleep can result in frustration. Stress can cause insomnia but insomnia also increases stress. Insomnia can make driving unsafe as well. Insomnia can result in missed work, which can cause you to become less productive and miss promotions. It can leave you feeling as if you just can't get enough done. Insomnia can also mask serious mental disorders. People with insomnia may think that not getting enough sleep is their only problem, but insomnia may actually be one symptom of a larger disorder, such as depression. Studies show that people with insomnia are four times more likely to be depressed than people with a healthy sleeping pattern. In addition, lack of sleep can tax the heart and lead to serious conditions like heart disease. All of these are important problems that can affect every part of your life.
G
Establishing certain set routines can help insomniacs get better sleep. Examples of these routines include: going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, avoiding napping, avoiding caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and eating heavily late in the day, exercising regularly and making your bedroom comfortable in terms of the bed, noise and temperature. Insomniacs should also only use their bedroom for sleep so that their bodies associate the room with sleep. Finally, if you can't get to sleep, don't toss and turn all night. Get up and read or do something that is not overly stimulating until you feel really sleepy again.
  1. 14

    Paragraph B

    • i. The Role of Sleep
    • ii. Insomnia Medication
    • iii. Habits to Promote a Good Night's Sleep
    • iv. What is Insomnia
    • v. Complications for Insomniacs
    • vi. Government Action
    • vii. Available Treatment for Insomnia
    • viii. The Causes of Insomnia
    • ix. Therapy Solutions
    • x. Types of Insomnia
    • xi. Current Research
  2. 15

    Paragraph C

  3. 16

    Paragraph D

  4. 17

    Paragraph E

  5. 18

    Paragraph F

  6. 19

    Paragraph G

  7. 20

    Someone who only gets four hours of sleep a night must be suffering from insomnia.

  8. 21

    Traveling can cause insomnia.

  9. 22

    REM sleep is felt to be the most important for the body's rest.

  10. 23

    Secondary insomnia is far more common than primary insomnia.

  11. 24

    Sufferers of insomnia can attend specialist sleep clinics.

  12. 25

    Many people suffering from insomnia don't realize that they suffer from it.

  13. 26

    There is no actual correlation linking insomnia and depression.

  14. 27

    Sleeping during the day can make insomnia worse.

Reading Passage 3: Book Review: Architecture in the United States

As its title suggests, Architecture in the United States is an ambitious work, and there are few scholars as qualified to undertake such a project as Dell Upton, a distinguished scholar of American architectural history who, having a background in American studies, is as knowledgeable in vernacular architecture as high style. The book is structured into five themes: Community, Nature, Technology, Money, and Art. The usefulness of this technique becomes apparent as one progresses through the book and realizes that Upton discusses not only houses and farm and commercial buildings but also landscape architecture, gardens, bridges, public sculpture, and whole cities. His thematic structure is also well coordinated with his intention to examine architecture not primarily as a form of art but as an integral part of social and economic history.
The first chapter, "An American Icon," is devoted to the house. Upton's discussion of this elemental unit of architecture and its importance to the primary social structure of the family is an effective introduction to the broad topic of architecture in relationship to society. While much of the chapter focuses on examples of elite houses, in particular Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, Upton incorporates much essential information about folk houses into his interpretations. This chapter, like the succeeding four, follows a loose chronological orientation in its analysis of several examples of homes from the seventeenth to twentieth centuries, while integrating discussion of form and style with social and economic processes.
The subsequent chapters expand the scope. "Community" explores how architectural forms—from New England meeting houses to suburban subdivisions—reflect and shape social organization and collective identity. "Nature" examines the complex relationship between the built environment and the natural world, tracing attitudes from colonial land use to the modern environmental movement. "Technology" details how innovations in materials and construction methods, from balloon framing to steel skeletons, enabled new architectural possibilities and reflected broader industrial changes. "Money" analyzes architecture as a product of economic forces, discussing everything from slave-built plantations to speculative real estate development and corporate skyscrapers.
Upton’s great strength is his ability to weave together diverse elements into a coherent narrative. He avoids the traditional, style-centric survey that often prioritizes famous architects and landmark buildings. Instead, he presents a more democratic view of the American built environment, giving equal weight to the ordinary and the extraordinary. A farmhouse, a highway, a shopping mall, and a national monument are all treated as significant texts that reveal cultural values, power dynamics, and historical change. This approach makes the book particularly valuable for students and general readers seeking to understand how the spaces Americans have created and inhabited tell the story of the nation itself.
Some critics might argue that the thematic organization sacrifices a clear linear timeline, making it occasionally challenging to trace precise historical developments. However, Upton’s method ultimately provides a richer, more interconnected understanding of architectural history. Architecture in the United States succeeds not as a mere catalog of buildings, but as a compelling analysis of how architecture functions within American life. It is an essential volume for anyone interested in the intersection of design, history, and culture.
  1. 28

    Dell Upton's book is ambitious and structured around five 27 ________: Community, Nature, Technology, Money, and Art. His approach examines architecture as part of ________ and economic history, rather than just as art. The first chapter focuses on the 29 ________ as a key architectural and social unit, using examples from elite to 30 ________ houses. Upton's strength is weaving diverse elements into a coherent narrative, offering a 31 ________ view of the American built environment that values both ordinary and extraordinary structures.

  2. 29

    32. Dell Upton has a professional background solely in architectural design.

  3. 30

    33. The book discusses a wide variety of structures beyond just buildings.

  4. 31

    34. The chapter "An American Icon" only analyzes houses from the 20th century.

  5. 32

    35. Some critics believe the book's thematic structure makes the historical timeline less clear.

  6. 33

    36. What is the main purpose of the book's thematic structure, according to the reviewer?

    • A. To list famous architects in chronological order.
    • B. To examine architecture's role in social and economic history.
    • C. To focus only on high-style, artistic buildings.
    • D. To provide a technical manual on construction.
  7. 34

    37. The reviewer states that Upton’s discussion of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello is an example of:

    • A. A folk house.
    • B. An elite house.
    • C. A commercial building.
    • D. A work of landscape architecture.
  8. 35

    38. According to the review, what does Upton treat as "significant texts"?

    • A. Only national monuments and famous buildings.
    • B. All aspects of the American built environment, from farmhouses to highways.
    • C. Exclusively buildings designed by renowned architects.
    • D. Written documents about architectural theory.
  9. 36

    39. What potential weakness of the book's structure does the reviewer acknowledge?

    • A. It is too expensive for general readers.
    • B. It overlooks the importance of technology.
    • C. It may obscure a clear chronological progression.
    • D. It ignores economic factors completely.
  10. 37

    40. Who would find this book particularly valuable, according to the final paragraph?

    • A. Only professional architects.
    • B. Critics of American culture.
    • C. Students and general readers interested in architecture's cultural role.
    • D. People looking for a simple timeline of architectural styles.

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Answer key

  1. 1. ink

    The answer is 'ink' because the first system used ultraviolet light and a special type of ink to capture information.

  2. 2. soundtracks

    The answer is 'soundtracks' because the second system was based on technology used in Morse code and also for the soundtracks of films.

  3. 3. unreliable

    The answer is 'unreliable' because the second system had problems; it was unreliable and expensive.

  4. 4. lasers

    The answer is 'lasers' because in the 1970s, the availability of cheaper lasers meant scanning technology spread more widely.

  5. 5. standardization

    The answer is 'standardization' because the problem in the 1970s was a lack of standardization in code systems.

  6. 6. speed

    The answer is 'speed' because one advantage of the bar code system is that the speed of checkouts increased.

  7. 7. marathons

    The answer is 'marathons' because present-day users of bar codes include participants in marathons.

  8. 8. bees

    The answer is 'bees' because scientists studying bees use bar codes.

  9. 9. FALSE

    The answer is FALSE because Bernard Silver was not invited by the president of a food chain; the passage does not say this happened.

  10. 10. TRUE

    The answer is TRUE because a committee in the 1970s said bar codes should be easy to use and not too expensive.

  11. 11. NOT GIVEN

    The answer is NOT GIVEN because there is no information about Alan Haberman disagreeing with government policies.

  12. 12. NOT GIVEN

    The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not say if many grocery outlets could not afford the scanning equipment.

  13. 13. TRUE

    The answer is TRUE because it took some time for users to accept the advantages of the new bar code scanner.

  14. 14. viii

    The answer is viii (The Causes of Insomnia) because Paragraph B discusses what causes insomnia.

  15. 15. i

    The answer is i (The Role of Sleep) because Paragraph C explains why sleep is important.

  16. 16. x

    The answer is x (Types of Insomnia) because Paragraph D describes different types of insomnia.

  17. 17. ix

    The answer is ix (Therapy Solutions) because Paragraph E talks about therapy and solutions for insomnia.

  18. 18. v

    The answer is v (Complications for Insomniacs) because Paragraph F discusses problems and complications for people with insomnia.

  19. 19. iii

    The answer is iii (Habits to Promote a Good Night's Sleep) because Paragraph G gives advice on good habits for better sleep.

  20. 20. NO

    The answer is NO because the passage says some people need less sleep and do not suffer from insomnia even if they only get four hours.

  21. 21. YES

    The answer is YES because the passage mentions that traveling can cause insomnia.

  22. 22. NO

    The answer is NO because the passage says REM sleep is important for the brain, not for the body's rest.

  23. 23. NOT GIVEN

    The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not compare how common secondary insomnia is to primary insomnia.

  24. 24. NOT GIVEN

    The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not mention specialist sleep clinics for insomnia sufferers.

  25. 25. NOT GIVEN

    The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not say if many people with insomnia do not realize they have it.

  26. 26. NO

    The answer is NO because the passage says there is a link between insomnia and depression.

  27. 27. YES

    The answer is YES because the passage says sleeping during the day can make insomnia worse.

  28. 28. themes / social history / house / folk / democratic

    The answers are: themes / social history / house / folk / democratic. These words fit the gaps because the book is structured around five themes, looks at social history, focuses on the house, includes folk houses, and offers a democratic view.

  29. 29. NO

    The answer is NO because Upton's background is not only in architectural design; he also works in history and theory.

  30. 30. YES

    The answer is YES because the book discusses many types of structures, not just buildings.

  31. 31. NO

    The answer is NO because the chapter looks at houses from different times, not only the 20th century.

  32. 32. YES

    The answer is YES because some critics say the thematic structure makes the timeline less clear.

  33. 33. B

    The answer is B because the reviewer says the main purpose is to examine architecture's role in social and economic history. Option A is wrong because the book is not just a list of architects.

  34. 34. B

    The answer is B because Monticello is described as an elite house. Option A is wrong because Monticello is not a folk house.

  35. 35. B

    The answer is B because Upton treats all aspects of the built environment, from farmhouses to highways, as significant texts. Option A is wrong because he does not focus only on famous buildings.

  36. 36. C

    The answer is C because the reviewer says the book's structure may make the chronological order less clear. Option B is wrong because technology is not ignored.

  37. 37. C

    The answer is C because the final paragraph says the book is valuable for students and general readers interested in architecture's cultural role. Option D is wrong because the book is not just a simple timeline.

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