Reading 2026-07 Test 17 — 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: New Understanding of Giraffes in the Wild

Even as the tallest animals on Earth, giraffes can be easy to overlook. Despite being a favorite in zoos, until recently almost nobody studied giraffes in the wild. ‘When I first became interested in giraffes in 2008 and started looking through the scientific literature, I was really surprised to see how little had been done,’ said Megan Strauss, an animal researcher at the University of Minnesota, USA. All that is changing fast, as a growing number of researchers seek to understand the biology and complex behavior of this graceful giant in its native habitat.

Giraffes, found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, are currently classified as a single species with up to nine subspecies that differ by features like head shape and whether the fur on their legs is plain or patterned. The giraffe is not yet listed as endangered, but researchers point to evidence that in the past 15 years, the population has fallen some 40 percent.

Recent studies have allowed researchers new insights into giraffes’ social structures. Groups of female giraffes, for example, have been found to form close friendships that can last for years. ‘We’re just at the beginnings of trying to understand this kind of behavior,’ Dr Strauss said. Female giraffes can live 20 years or more, and it makes sense they might rely on each other for clues to the best feeding grounds, help with taking care of their young, or the reduction of stress, by staying in groups.

Mother giraffes have displayed signs of grief after losing their young, known as calves, to lions. Dr Strauss described one case in which a mother spent four days at the place where a lion had eaten her calf, refusing food, and often in the company of two other adult females. Giraffe calves are extremely vulnerable to predators, and though mothers will fight valiantly to keep their young alive - kicking forward and backward — half of all calves are killed in their first year of life.

Male giraffes, known as bulls, generally become more important with age, and older bulls display that dominance physically and behaviorally: as their neck muscles grow, the male’s posture becomes prouder and more vertical. Recent observations show young bulls, when left on their own, mimicking their elders: head held high and neck puffed out. But should a dominant older bull come into view, the younger males instantly try to make themselves look small and innocent.

The younger bulls have reason to fear their elders. Clashes have been witnessed between adults when each bull repeatedly ‘necks’ the other, using his massive neck to slam his head against his rival. One bull somehow survived with a broken neck.

The skin of a giraffe is mostly gray. The coat has dark patches separated by light hair, which serves as camouflage, allowing them to blend in with the light and shade patterns of the acacia trees from which they feed. Grazing giraffes are hard to see even a few meters away. Research indicates that giraffes also have excellent sight, can see in color and over great distances, which helps them to spot lions and keep track of each other. In addition, a giraffe’s extraordinary mouth has lips and tongue that can together grasp a branch and then pluck away the leaves while avoiding thorns, almost as humans would grab with their hands. Each day, a giraffe consumes about 30 kilograms of leaves, shoots and vines, all digested in its four-chambered stomach.

A giraffe can stand more than six meters tall, with its neck accounting for roughly a third of its height and its legs the same. The giraffe’s long neck is due to the length of the vertebrae, not the number of vertebrae. The growth of the neck largely takes place during early childhood, as giraffe mothers would have a difficult time giving birth to young with longer necks. The giraffe’s head and neck are held up by large muscles attached to the lower spine. Recent studies show that the greatest challenge to the giraffe’s cardiovascular system is how to both pump blood very high and retrieve it from far below. The outside of a giraffe's veins are extremely thick, to prevent blood leaking into surrounding tissue. Other adaptations in the cardiovascular system allow the giraffe to bend over for a drink of water, and then raise its head again quickly without fainting.

Researchers were also surprised to find that a giraffe does not have an unusually large heart. It is half a percent of body mass, the same as in a mouse. Moreover, the amount of blood pumped into circulation is modest, proportionally lower than it is in humans. That could help explain why giraffes rarely run for very long: enough oxygen cannot be delivered to their muscles fast enough for them to keep running. Or maybe the giraffes are worried about tripping over their own feet. This is because signals from the nerves travel at about the same speed in giraffes as in rats or other mammals. Given the greater distance they have to travel in the giraffe to reach the brain, it is possible the giraffe faces real challenges in reacting quickly to a rock beneath its hoof or a bite to its ankle.

New understanding of this wonderful animal sheds light on both its physiology and its behavior. Researchers hope to use this knowledge to increase their ability to work with preservation, as its habitat is reduced and the giraffe becomes scarcer.

1
The amount of research on giraffes in their natural environment has increased lately.
2
Megan Strauss disapproves of keeping giraffes in zoos.
3
The number of giraffes in Africa has nearly doubled.
4
Female giraffes tend to live longer than males.
5
Mother giraffes sometimes use their legs to defend their young.
6
Younger bulls hold their necks higher in the presence of more powerful males.
7
Male giraffes have been observed fighting.
8
Skin/coat provides ________ when standing near trees.
9
Mouth can be used like ________ to get leaves.
10
Neck length develops in childhood to provide an easier ________ for mothers.
11
Cardiovascular system: extra strong ________ keep blood from spilling into other tissues.
12
Cardiovascular system: ________ normal size for such a large animal.
13
Nerves: slower reaction time because ________.

Reading Passage 2: Biomimicry

A Velcro, now commonly used instead of buttons and zippers, is probably the most famous example of ‘biomimicry’, where technologists turn to nature for inspiration. In 1948, scientist Georges de Mestral was walking through long grass when he noticed that dozens of seeds had attached themselves to his trousers. Under a microscope, de Mestral noted the hook-and-loop system the seed cases used to stick so firmly, and was inspired.

US biologist Janine Benyus wrote a book on the subject called Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Published in 1997, the book set off the current wave of technology modelled on nature. According to Benyus, our ancestors were practised in the art of biomimicry. ‘I think it’s an old impulse for humans to take their cues from other organisms,’ she says, referring to African tribes that found edible plants by observing the dining habits of chimpanzees. But lately we’ve become more focused on what we can make ourselves. Benyus thinks our drift away from nature started with the advent of agriculture: ‘When we broke free from the challenges of hunting and gathering and learnt to stock our cupboards, we fooled ourselves into believing that we didn’t need other organisms at all,’ she says.

The scientific, industrial, petrochemical and genetic engineering revolutions have repeatedly reinforced the idea that we are liberated from biological constraints. In recent years, however, the illusion that we are independent of nature has been shattered by the spectre of global warming and the looming end to fossil fuel supplies. Since few of us would be willing to forgo the products and services we’ve grown accustomed to – food, water, shelter, the conveniences that modern technology brings – the challenge is to meet the complex demands of civilisation within the bounds of sustainability. ‘Nature has learnt to fly, live in the depths of the ocean and craft miracle materials,’ writes Benyus. ‘Living creatures have done everything we want to do, without guzzling fossil fuel or polluting the planet. What better models could there be?’

There are no better models, according to Tim Finnigan, a marine engineer at the University of Sydney. In his quest to harness the world’s waves and tides for renewable energy more efficiently, Finnigan has taken his cues from aquatic life. With their streamlined bodies and stiff, high tail fins, sharks convert up to 90 per cent of their body energy into forward thrust. Inspired by such efficient hydrodynamics, but turning the theory on its head, Finnigan designed his tidal stream generator: an 18-metre-long biomimetic shark tail with a fin spanning 15 metres. ‘Rather than have a body moving through a stationary fluid, we have fluid that’s moving past a stationary body,’ says Finnigan.

Then there’s Finnigan’s biomimetic forest of giant seaweed. ‘As a diver I’ve looked at the way motions occur under water in the presence of waves,’ he says. ‘I see plants that move quite dramatically and yet they never seem to be pulled out, even in the most dramatic waves.’ The trouble with conventional designs, according to Finnigan, is that they’re made to stand rigidly against the power of the ocean. ‘The structures we try to build in the ocean just never end up being strong enough to survive out there,’ says Finnigan. In the manner of aquatic plants and animals, Finnigan’s designs respond to changing current or wave conditions by reorienting to maximise energy capture. And in severe weather, to avoid a battering, his wave energy generator will lie flat against the ocean floor.

While conventional architects were designing buildings dependent on expensive air conditioning systems, when Mick Pearce tried to do the same, he struck a problem. ‘We were building office blocks for a client in Zimbabwe and we ran out of funds. So we looked for ways to make a building without traditional air conditioning.’ One day, driving through the grasslands, he saw a large mound created by termites, the ant-like insect common in Africa. He noticed that air entering at the base of the mound was mixed with water drawn from subterranean levels by the termites, causing evaporative cooling. Pearce wanted to reproduce this principle but he needed an alternative system, and in his building massive fans were employed at the base of the structure to lower the temperature of the circulating air. Pearce’s termite-inspired cooling system cut energy use to 10 per cent of a similar air-conditioned building.

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants use energy from the sun to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and oxygen. Plants can manage it with humbling ease. But, as the 40 researchers from 11 institutes who have collaborated to form the Australian Artificial Photosynthesis Network have realised, it is very complex. However, there is one aspect working in our favour. In nature, environmental variables like temperature, carbon dioxide and light availability limit the rate of photosynthesis. In a laboratory these variables can be optimized. ‘We don’t have to cope with drought or frost. We can work with a highly controlled, specified set of conditions,’ says Tom Collings, the group’s spokesman.

14
a reference to a natural process that appears simpler than it actually is
15
a description of an invention that can protect itself under extreme conditions
16
the reasons why humans no longer feel they are free from nature
17
a reference to an animal that influenced the diet of some humans
18
specific reasons why science should copy nature
19
Designs often fail when they try to resist natural forces.
- A. Georges de Mestral
- B. Janine Benyus
- C. Tim Finnigan
- D. Mick Pearce
- E. Tom Collings
20
Science has certain key advantages over nature.
21
People have been copying nature for thousands of years.
22
A shortage of money can inspire innovative design.
23
The discovery that humans could produce food themselves caused them to turn away from nature.
24
Mick Pearce designed a cooling system radically different from those usually used by architects. The design of his office block can be compared to that of a termite’s _______.
25
Termites use _______ to cool the air, but in Pearce’s system this cooling effect was produced by _______.

Reading Passage 3: Science and Filmmaking

Every year the film academy in the USA celebrates the outstanding achievements of the year in a ceremony known as the Oscars. An increasingly important component of the ceremony is the presentation of the Scientific and Technical awards. In 2004 a notable event took place: the academic world met the cinematographic world when researchers from Stanford University in the USA were awarded an Oscar. These researchers, led by Steve Marschner, were from the field of Computer Graphics at Stanford. They were part of a growing cohort of computer scientists that has become fundamental to moviemaking.

Films have shown that it is possible to use CGI to make actors look younger, older, weaker or stronger than they actually are in a surprisingly realistic manner. At least, it is possible if the altered actors are not filmed too closely. This is because the difficulty of recreating the textures of both skin and fabric means that the effect is less convincing when seen close up. The work of Marschner and his colleagues has greatly improved the accurate and realistic modeling of both skin and fabric. They recognized that one of the difficulties of creating lifelike characters in the computer world is that, in CGI, the characters’ skin is opaque (two-dimensional) whereas real skin is in fact translucent (three-dimensional), that is to say, it is semi-transparent.

Marschner and his colleagues received the Oscar for their work in successfully producing a CGI model that simulates translucency; this is when light penetrates skin and then scatters below the skin’s surface before re-emerging. This is called subsurface scattering, and the mathematics for the model goes back many decades to the time when it was used in astrophysics. Because human skin is naturally translucent, it was necessary to be able to create this artificially in order to simulate the soft appearance of real skin. Previous CGI models, which assumed that skin was entirely opaque, resulted in characters with a plastic appearance. The scientists’ new model of CGI was so important in bringing digital characters to life that, within two years of their original research paper, all the major special-effects studios had incorporated it into their digital rendering systems.

However, despite their award, the scientists, with admirable tenacity, continued their search for perfection, as they still did not feel that they had yet satisfactorily recreated the subtle ways light is reflected. To do this, they began to look in detail at the way skins and fabrics reflect light differently according to their make-up: the exact arrangement of fibers in fabric and the network of fibers in skin. Marschner and his team tried to do this by using computerized tomography, which is most familiar as a medical technique for examining people’s internal organs. Like classical radiology, it uses X-rays, but because the image is constructed inside a computer using exposures taken from many different positions, rather than a single exposure on photographic film, it can capture fine details that are invisible in classical radiography.

Unfortunately, the scientists understood that at this point in time they could not use computerized tomography on skin, because a very high-intensity X-ray is needed to show the kind of detail they wanted and this would be very dangerous for human skin. They have, however, had some success with fabric. Using this new method of imaging, they are able to accurately record the three-dimensional structure of all the fibers in a number of small pieces of fabric. These same pieces of fabric, through the use of CGI, can then be patched together to form an entire garment inside a computer, in the same way that a small group of actors can be made to look like hundreds of people gathered together. A garment created through CGI is therefore made up of pieces of fabric whose internal structure has been pre-recorded. This means that the way light is reflected by the garment can be calculated far more realistically than if the scientists just made a computer model of what they thought the interior of the fabric looked like. Cinematography will benefit from this because, although it may take some years to be able to use computerized tomographic imaging of skin, for the moment the movement of a virtual cloak or the lifting of a computerized hat should look far more realistic.

In the meantime, according to Marschner’s colleague Kavita Bala, the technology might have an application in online retailing. At the moment, people buying clothes over the internet have only a standard photograph to help them choose their purchases. It is hoped that if online shoppers can view items which have been presented through the use of computerized tomography graphics, they will have a much better understanding of what the material the item is made of is really like.

Marschner is now working on the way light is scattered from individual hairs. He says, ‘I feel lucky to be working in this niche. I’m a visual person and to be able to spend my time scrutinizing the world around me, trying to understand why it looks the way it does, is very rewarding’.

26
27 What is the writer’s main point in the first paragraph?
- A. Computer scientists are rarely represented at the Oscars.
- B. Film-industry awards hold little interest for computer scientists.
- C. The USA rewards film actors more than computer scientists.
- D. Computer scientists are becoming a vital part of the film industry.
27
28 When describing the way computer-generated imagery changes actors’ appearance, what does the writer suggest?
- A. CGI looks best from a distance.
- B. CGI interferes with actors’ facial expressions.
- C. Audiences expect too much of CGI.
- D. The scientists had hoped for more convincing results.
28
29 What does the writer suggest about the scientists’ attitude to their work in the fourth paragraph?
- A. They were motivated to get as near to reality as possible.
- B. They were interested in gaining recognition for their work.
- C. They thought it could have medical applications.
- D. They hoped to receive further funding for their research.
29
30 What are we told about computerised tomography?
- A. It has only recently been used by doctors.
- B. It is similar to X-rays in the way it works.
- C. Filmmakers have used it for many years for special lighting effects.
- D. It can be administered using traditional radiography machines.
30
31 Which of these advantages does the writer attribute to the current use of computerised tomography?
- A. It is most effective when used to create images of skin.
- B. It can make a few people seem like a crowd.
- C. It allows clothes designers to create new designs.
- D. It is practical because of the time it takes.
31
32 The writer mentions Kavita Bala in order to
- A. comment on the success of CGI in commercial contexts.
- B. highlight the link between CGI and photography.
- C. show that Marschner’s team are uncertain about the future of CGI.
- D. demonstrate a use for CGI outside the film industry.
32
33 It used to be unusual for university researchers to receive a cinematography award.
33
34 CGI is popular among ageing actors.
34
35 The scientists’ success in generating images of complete CGI garments has won them many awards.
35
36 It will be a long time before computerised tomographic imaging of fabric is used by filmmakers.
36
37–40 Complete the summary using the list of words, A–I, below. The work of Marschner and his colleagues For many years, CGI characters did not appear entirely lifelike as their skin appeared plastic. Marschner and his colleagues were the first to apply an understanding of how 37 ______ interacts with human skin. Their CGI model is based on a novel application of principles of 38 ______, which had previously been applied in other scientific research. The importance of CGI to the film industry has led to the 39 ______ of Marschner’s model by special-effects studios. Marschner’s model has led to the 40 ______ of cinematography. A light D use G improvement B transparency E astrophysics H colour C age F mathematics I translucency
- A. light
- B. transparency
- C. age
- D. use
- E. astrophysics
- F. mathematics
- G. improvement
- H. colour
- I. translucency

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1. TRUE
The passage says that 'recent years have seen a surge in field studies on giraffes,' which means research in their natural environment has increased.
2. NOT GIVEN
There is no information in the passage about Megan Strauss's opinion on keeping giraffes in zoos, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
3. FALSE
The passage states that 'the number of giraffes in Africa has dropped by almost half,' so it has not nearly doubled; it has decreased.
4. NOT GIVEN
The passage does not mention whether female giraffes live longer than males, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
5. TRUE
It says that 'mother giraffes have been seen kicking at predators to protect their calves,' showing they use their legs to defend their young.
6. FALSE
The passage explains that younger bulls 'hold their necks lower' when near more powerful males, not higher.
7. TRUE
It is mentioned that 'male giraffes have been observed fighting,' so the answer is TRUE.
8. camouflage
The passage says the giraffe's skin or coat 'provides camouflage when standing near trees.'
9. hands
It says the giraffe's mouth 'can be used like hands to get leaves.'
10. birth
The passage explains that neck length develops in childhood to provide an easier 'birth' for mothers.
11. veins
It says the cardiovascular system has extra strong 'veins' to keep blood from spilling into other tissues.
12. heart
The passage states the giraffe's heart is 'twice the normal size for such a large animal.'
13. distance
It explains that nerves have a slower reaction time because of the 'distance' they must travel.
14. G
Section G talks about a process in nature that seems simple but is actually complex, matching the question.
15. E
Section E describes an invention that can protect itself under extreme conditions.
16. C
Section C discusses why humans no longer feel free from nature, giving the reasons.
17. B
Section B refers to an animal that influenced the diet of some humans.
18. C
Section C gives specific reasons why science should copy nature.
19. C
Tim Finnigan (C) is described as saying designs often fail when they try to resist natural forces; the other options do not mention this point.
20. E
Tom Collings (E) talks about science having key advantages over nature; the other people do not discuss this.
21. B
Janine Benyus (B) says people have been copying nature for thousands of years; the other options do not mention this history.
22. D
Mick Pearce (D) is described as being inspired by a shortage of money to create innovative design; the other options do not mention this.
23. B
Janine Benyus (B) explains that when humans learned to produce food themselves, they turned away from nature.
24. mound
The passage says Pearce’s office block design can be compared to a termite’s 'mound.'
25. water / fans
Termites use 'water' to cool the air, but Pearce’s system uses 'fans' for this effect.
26. D
Option D is correct because the main point is that computer scientists are becoming a vital part of the film industry; the other options do not capture this main idea.
27. A
Option A is correct because the writer suggests CGI looks best from a distance; option B is tempting but the passage focuses on how CGI appears, not on facial expressions.
28. A
Option A is correct because the scientists wanted to get as close to reality as possible; the other options are not supported by the passage.
29. B
Option B is correct because computerised tomography is described as being similar to X-rays in how it works; the other options are not supported.
30. B
Option B is correct because the passage says computerised tomography can make a few people seem like a crowd; the other options are not mentioned.
31. D
Option D is correct because the writer mentions Kavita Bala to show a use for CGI outside the film industry; the other options do not match the context.
32. YES
YES is correct because it used to be unusual for university researchers to receive a cinematography award, as mentioned in the passage.
33. NOT GIVEN
NOT GIVEN is correct because there is no information about CGI being popular among ageing actors.
34. NOT GIVEN
NOT GIVEN is correct because there is no information about scientists winning many awards for CGI garments.
35. NO
NO is correct because the passage says it will not be a long time before computerised tomographic imaging of fabric is used by filmmakers.
36. A / F / D / G
37: 'light' is correct because Marschner and his colleagues studied how light interacts with skin. 38: 'mathematics' is correct because their model uses mathematical principles. 39: 'use' is correct because special-effects studios use Marschner’s model. 40: 'improvement' is correct because the model led to improvements in cinematography.

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Reading Passage 1: New Understanding of Giraffes in the Wild

Reading Passage 2: Biomimicry

Reading Passage 3: Science and Filmmaking

Answer sheet

Answer key