IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test — May 2026 Test 206

Exam month: 2026-05

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: Children’s Literature Studies Today

Who studies children’s literature and what is it that they study? The answers to this question are complex and messy, because of the many confounding factors which exist in this field.
Firstly, unlike literature for adults, children’s literature is not generally written by its own readers. Adults write for children, and thus adult perceptions of what children are and of what they could and should be become woven into the literature.
Furthermore, some of those who study children’s literature (and those who write certain kinds of children’s books) are less interested in literary values than in the kinds of lessons it can teach—either in terms of creating better children or in terms of serving a particular curriculum. The issue of how a teacher can use a children’s book is often contentious, but even outside the classroom, much material for children is still didactic.
Thirdly, while almost all literature is currently promoted within a strong commercial matrix, children’s literature is often especially targeted for marketing initiatives. This fact means that readers are often recruited with a message that is negligibly literary and significantly oriented to ideas of consumption. Daniel Hade (2002) has raised useful questions about whether children’s experience of reading is altered when their books are part of a larger marketing framework involving the movie, the game, and the toy of a popular children’s book. How children perceive and respond to their stories in this new context is an important question.
It is also important to note that texts in an ever-increasing range of new media compete with print media for the attention of the child reader, and create definitional issues for scholars. Does the term ‘literature’ exclusively imply a verbal text? If not, where are the limits? Could a literary computer game ever be considered a work of literature? If not, what kind of attention should be paid to it, since children themselves undoubtedly perceive their print literature as part of a broader continuum? The internet provides one forum through which children now communicate with each other. (In 2003, the internet search engine Google listed 7,920,000 sites relating to the Harry Potter novels; even allowing for duplication and dead ends, that is a number with revolutionary implications.)
Finally, in the context of the higher education institutions where the formal study of children’s literature is often located, at least three disciplinary frameworks (English, education, and librarianship) fragment the focus of scholarly study of children’s literature.
How is the value of the imaginative encounter with the work of literature sustained and honored among such a welter of conflicting interests? One route through this maze is to ask the child readers for help. As David Lewis (2001) has perceptively noted, what children think of reading is not usually the same as what adults think, whether teachers or parents. As Lewis points out, children ‘sometimes see more and they often see differently’. If those who study reading can explore children’s perceptions as well as those of adults, their understanding of the nature of reading will be enhanced.
Lewis makes a further valid point when he adds that exploring children’s perceptions is usually justified for educational reasons: “It is true that a better understanding of how children read and how they learn to read, is a prerequisite to improved approaches to teaching. However, it can also be argued, as Lewis rightly does, that when children’s responses to literature are accessed and interpreted, they frequently lead to an understanding of how picture books appeal to children.”
Young people’s accounts of what and how they read also enable a more sophisticated description of many of the complex processes involved in reading. All descriptions of reading run the risk of solipsism: i.e. this is how I read so this is what reading is for everyone. Asking other readers how they read, however, reduces that risk. For example, if I am a strong visualizer as I read, I may consider that visualization is a key component of successful reading and I may judge books by their capacity to evoke a vivid visual response. Other readers, however, may help me to realize that not everyone reads with mental pictures. Some readers respond to the patterns of the words, ‘hearing’ them inaudibly like a subliminal radio program. Others respond to the patterns of feelings in the story, responding with an emotional connection. Talking to competent readers, of all ages, provides a better understanding of reading experiences.
Children’s insights are even more important when it comes to understanding the significance of print literature as one aspect of literary culture. Too often adults assume that reading any book at all is a more worthwhile experience than playing a digital game of any kind. A humbler approach would include asking why the game appeals to the player. Many adults will probably never develop the automatic skills to process a game as readily as they can read a book. This does not indicate that a book is better, but that a particular set of skills is absent. Non-players must acknowledge that some fictional universes are thus closed to them, and a logical response would be to find someone who can guide them to the pleasures and challenges of the gaming world. Games need to be judged individually just as books do, and any evaluative framework needs to take this into account.
  1. 1

    Which of the following best summarises the writer’s argument in the second paragraph?

    • A. Children are portrayed as adults see them.
    • B. Children are unable to write their own stories.
    • C. Adults fail to stimulate children’s imaginations.
    • D. Adult literature is too difficult for children.
  2. 2

    In the third paragraph, what does the writer say is the main interest of some people who study children’s literature?

    • A. the quality of the writing
    • B. the imaginative content of stories
    • C. the instructive nature of children’s books
    • D. the way children are written about in stories
  3. 3

    The main point of the writer’s argument in the fifth paragraph is to

    • A. demonstrate that academics consider computer games to be a logical extension of children’s literature.
    • B. explore the impact of computers on the boundaries of children’s literature.
    • C. illustrate that literature and computer games have from different origins.
    • D. prove that children are using computers more than they are reading literature.
  4. 4

    Children tend to make a clear distinction between print literature and electronic media.

  5. 5

    The study of children’s literature at higher education institutions is restricted to one subject area.

  6. 6

    Exploring children’s perceptions of reading will assist parents to choose suitable books for children.

  7. 7

    Adults may appreciate the appeal of illustrated stories better, if they have more information on how children read.

  8. 8

    Children should be asked what features they would like digital games to include.

  9. 9

    Young people’s accounts of how they read lead to ...

    • A. accepting that literature exists in a variety of forms today
    • B. verbalising the words in their heads
    • C. discovering the reading techniques used by others
    • D. the style of written stories changing over time
    • E. the lack of some specific abilities
    • F. a deeper knowledge of the intricacies of reading
    • G. children teaching adults to play computer games
    • H. creating a variety of images in their minds
  10. 10

    The risk of solipsism is reduced by ...

  11. 11

    Strong visualisers judge books on the basis that they are ...

  12. 12

    Children’s insights are important in ...

  13. 13

    When adults read a book more easily than they play a digital game it simply suggests ...

  14. 14

    What was the writer’s main purpose in writing this article?

    • A. to evaluate how the process of reading fits into children’s literature studies
    • B. to discuss the impact of the increasing commercial influence on children’s literature studies
    • C. to review the challenges in the field of children’s literature studies and suggest how to proceed
    • D. to provide arguments in favor of including computerized forms of children’s literature studies

Reading Passage 2: A Unique Golden Textile

A rare textile made from the silk of more than a million wild spiders has been on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. To produce this golden cloth, 70 people spent four years collecting golden-orb spiders from telephone poles in Madagascar, while another dozen workers carefully extracted about 80 feet of silk filament from each of the arachnids. The resulting 11-foot-by-4-foot textile is the only large piece of cloth made from natural spider silk in the world today.
Spider silk is very elastic and strong compared with steel or Kevlar, said textile expert Simon Peers, who co-led the project. Kevlar is a lightweight synthetic fabric, chemically related to nylon, that is used in bullet-proof vests. Kevlar is resistant to wear, tear and heat and has virtually no melting point. But the tensile strength of spider silk is even greater than Kevlar’s aramid filaments and higher than that of high-grade steel. Most importantly, spider silk is extremely lightweight: a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than 500 grams (18 oz). It is also especially ductile, able to stretch up to 140 percent of its length without breaking and to retain its strength below –40 °C, giving it toughness equal to that of leading commercial fibres.
Researchers have long been intrigued by the unique properties of spider silk. Unfortunately, spider silk is extremely hard to mass-produce. Unlike silkworms—easy to raise in captivity—spiders have a habit of biting off each other’s heads when housed together. According to Peers, there is intensive research worldwide aimed at replicating spider-silk tensile properties for use in medicine and industry, but no-one has yet reproduced all the qualities of natural silk.
Peers conceived the idea of weaving spider silk after reading about French missionary Jacob Paul Camboué, who worked with spiders in Madagascar during the 1880s and 1890s. Camboué built a small hand-driven machine to extract silk from up to 24 spiders at once, without harming them: the spiders were briefly restrained, their silk collected, then released. Peers built a replica of this 24-spider “silking” machine, said co-leader Nicholas Godley. As a test the pair collected about 20 spiders. “When we stuck them in the machine and started turning it, lo and behold, this beautiful gold-coloured silk started coming out,” Godley recalled.
To make a textile of any significant size, the scale had to increase dramatically. Fourteen thousand spiders yield about an ounce of silk, Godley said, and the finished textile weighs about 2.6 pounds. By the end, handlers had worked with more than one million female golden-orb spiders—abundant in Madagascar and famed for their golden thread. Because the spiders produce silk only in the rainy season, all were collected between October and June. An additional 12 workers used hand-powered machines to extract the silk and twist it into 96-filament yarn. After “silking”, the spiders were released; within a week they regenerate their silk, allowing the same individuals to be used again—“the gift that never stops giving,” said Godley.
Spending four years to produce a single piece of cloth is hardly practical for scientists or companies hoping to exploit spider silk in biomedicine or as a Kevlar alternative. Several groups have inserted spider genes into bacteria and even goats to make silk, but results have been only partly successful. One reason is that spider silk begins as a liquid protein produced in a special gland in the abdomen. Using the spinneret, the spider applies force that rearranges the protein’s molecular structure, transforming it into solid fibre. “When we talk about a spider spinning silk, we’re talking about how it applies forces to convert liquid to solid,” explained spider-silk expert Todd Blackledge of the University of Akron, who was not involved in the project. “Every year we get closer to mass production, but we’re not there yet.” For now, we must be content with one extraordinarily beautiful cloth—courtesy of more than a million spiders.
  1. 15

    Paragraph A

    • i. Experimenting with an old idea
    • ii. Life cycle of Madagascar spiders
    • iii. Advances in the textile industry
    • iv. Resources needed to meet the project’s demands
    • v. The physical properties of spider silk
    • vi. A scientific analysis of spider silk
    • vii. A unique work of art
    • viii. Importance of the silk-textile market
    • ix. Difficulties of raising spiders in captivity
  2. 16

    Paragraph B

  3. 17

    Paragraph C

  4. 18

    Paragraph D

  5. 19

    Paragraph E

  6. 20

    Paragraph F

  7. 21

    It takes a tremendous number of spiders to make a small amount of silk.

    • A. Simon Peers
    • B. Nicholas Godley
    • C. Todd Blackledge
  8. 22

    Scientists want to use the qualities of spider silk for medical purposes.

  9. 23

    Scientists are making some progress in their efforts to manufacture spider silk.

  10. 24

    Spider silk compares favourably to materials known for their strength.

  11. 25

    Some researchers have tried to grow silk by introducing genetic material into __________ and some animals.

  12. 26

    The silk comes from a liquid protein made in a __________ inside the spider’s body.

  13. 27

    When a spider spins silk, it applies __________ that turns this liquid into solid silk.

Reading Passage 3: Robert Louis Stevenson

It is more than 100 years since the death of the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson on the South Pacific island of Samoa, and it seems that time has not been kind to Stevenson’s memory. Immediately after his death, his family and friends set to work to fashion the legend of Robert Louis Stevenson, or R. L. S., as he became known, one of the few writers familiar from his initials alone. Subsequent works of biography then turned him into a writer of almost religious importance. One example was literary critic Balfour, who in 1901 portrayed Stevenson’s family as ministering angels to the dying genius during his final illness. Similarly, the biographer Crouch absurdly overstated Stevenson’s significance by placing him in the same company as those most revered names in English literature: Shakespeare and Keats. The reaction to this nonsense was a number of highly critical assessments of Stevenson’s legacy in the 1920s.
Normally, the critical pendulum can be relied on to swing back again, but there are several aspects of Stevenson’s work that have, until recently, acted against a more balanced appraisal. First is the allegation that Stevenson was a mere master of linguistic fireworks, who lacked moral depth. Some critics accused him of being a literary charlatan, of juggling words very prettily to strike effects which overawed an ignorant public, and served to distract from the inadequacy of his ideas.
Then there has long been a prejudice against the adventure story as the proper medium for deep moral seriousness, a prejudice which is still extremely influential today. It seems that we can accept that an adventure film can successfully express profound moral truths, but we reject the same idea for a book. The absurdity of this becomes apparent when we think of writers like Joseph Conrad and Graham Greene, but it is no use pretending that this bias against adventure stories is not part of our high culture. A further problem is that Stevenson has often not found favour in the land of his birth because his conservatism so often collides with the strong radical tradition in Scotland. His many escapist stories and preference for living abroad have led to accusations that he camouflaged Scotland’s problems. Lastly, the high adventure of Stevenson’s own lifestyle has sometimes obscured his output, his life a greater story than any he could devise. This was precisely what his friends feared would happen towards the end of his short life: his art might be overwhelmed by the drama of life in Samoa.
One consequence of this has been that Stevenson’s influence on other writers has too often been neglected. The writer and poet Oscar Wilde was deeply influenced by Stevenson, even though he declared that Stevenson would have produced better work if he had lived in London rather than Samoa. Stevenson tends to stick in the throat even of those writers who would like to spit him out, such as Shaw, who claimed to have learned from him that the romantic hero is always mocked by reality. Likewise, the writer Galsworthy, who began as a determined critic, later changed his mind and said that the superiority of Stevenson over the novelist Hardy was that Stevenson was all life and Hardy all death. The influence on the novelist Chesterton would also repay detailed study, for it was through him that Stevenson has managed to cross the ages, emerging as an influence on the modernist movement and our own contemporary Latin American school of “magical realism”.
When making an assessment of his life and work one question must inevitably be asked: was Robert Louis Stevenson Scotland’s greatest writer of English prose? For most commentators this honour falls to Sir Walter Scott, author of Ivanhoe among many other classic novels, and it is true that in terms of craftsmanship, precision and the ability to minutely regulate language to create the desired effect, Scott takes the prize. However, this is not the same thing at all as inherent talent; by way of comparison one may take the example of the two great Russian composers Shostakovich and Prokofiev, of whom the former had learned more precise skills of execution but the latter’s intrinsic genius was greater, and so it seems to be with Scott and Stevenson. Admittedly, Scott’s detailed style does permit his stories to explore levels of tragedy that are beyond Stevenson’s reach, but in this regard they have the musty smell of the museum, somehow artificial and removed from modern day reality. On the other hand, Stevenson’s skill with plotting and narrative gives his books a timeless quality, so that they still live today, and Stevenson was also the shrewder judge of behaviour and psychology. For example, his compelling descriptions of a man with a split personality in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have proved so accessible and accurate that the expression “Jekyll and Hyde” has entered common English usage. Even if we do not see a revival of critical interest in this great Scottish writer, it is to be hoped that readers go back to Robert Louis Stevenson’s magnificent stories and reassess this neglected genius.
  1. 28

    In the opinion of the writer, the biographers Balfour and Crouch

    • A. understated the role played by Stevenson’s family.
    • B. misunderstood Stevenson’s religious beliefs.
    • C. overestimated other writers’ influence on Stevenson.
    • D. elevated Stevenson above his true status as a writer.
  2. 29

    What is the writer’s main point about Stevenson in the second paragraph?

    • A. The public judged him more fairly than the critics.
    • B. Recent criticism of him has been justified.
    • C. Critics argued that his style covered up his faults.
    • D. The ethical nature of his stories was often criticized.
  3. 30

    According to the writer, the adventure story

    • A. is more appropriate for books than films.
    • B. can be used by writers to tell moral stories.
    • C. is more fashionable today than in the past.
    • D. has been used by other writers but not Stevenson.
  4. 31

    What point does the writer make about Stevenson and Scotland?

    • A. His ideas contrasted with those of many Scots.
    • B. He demonstrated great sympathy for Scotland’s problems.
    • C. He was not considered a true Scot as he was not born there.
    • D. His unflattering stories about Scotland angered many Scots.
  5. 32

    According to the writer, Stevenson’s own lifestyle

    • A. was envied by his friends.
    • B. was responsible for his early death.
    • C. attracted more attention than his books.
    • D. did not prepare him for living in Samoa.
  6. 33

    Although Oscar Wilde admired Stevenson’s work, he believed Stevenson could have written something better.

  7. 34

    Stevenson encouraged Oscar Wilde to start writing.

  8. 35

    Galsworthy had greater respect for Hardy than Stevenson.

  9. 36

    More research is needed regarding Stevenson’s influence on Chesterton.

  10. 37

    Scott had greater _____, but Stevenson had more _____, and the same distinction can be made between the two composers Shostakovich and Prokofiev. It is true that Scott’s books showed more _____ when it came to tragedy, though in an old-fashioned way, while Stevenson’s books are still popular because of his _____. And Stevenson’s understanding of _____ has resulted in the widespread use of an expression from one of his books. A natural ability B critical acclaim C humour D romance E colourful language F technical control G storytelling H depth I human nature

    • A. natural ability
    • B. critical acclaim
    • C. humour
    • D. romance
    • E. colourful language
    • F. technical control
    • G. storytelling
    • H. depth
    • I. human nature

Answer sheet

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

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.
  6. 6.
  7. 7.
  8. 8.
  9. 9.
  10. 10.
  11. 11.
  12. 12.
  13. 13.
  14. 14.
  15. 15.
  16. 16.
  17. 17.
  18. 18.
  19. 19.
  20. 20.
  21. 21.
  22. 22.
  23. 23.
  24. 24.
  25. 25.
  26. 26.
  27. 27.
  28. 28.
  29. 29.
  30. 30.
  31. 31.
  32. 32.
  33. 33.
  34. 34.
  35. 35.
  36. 36.
  37. 37.
Saved on this device — no account needed. Sign in on your progress page if you want it synced elsewhere.
Show answer key

Answer key

  1. 1. A

    A is correct because the paragraph explains that children in stories are shown as adults see them, not as children see themselves. B is wrong because it does not mention children's ability to write; C and D are not discussed.

  2. 2. C

    C is correct because the paragraph says some people focus on how children's books are used to teach or instruct, showing their main interest is the instructive nature.

  3. 3. B

    B is correct because the paragraph discusses how computers are changing the limits or boundaries of children's literature. A is wrong because it does not say academics see computer games as a logical extension.

  4. 4. NOT GIVEN

    NOT GIVEN is correct because there is no information about whether children make a clear distinction between print and electronic media.

  5. 5. NO

    NO is correct because the passage says children's literature is studied in different subject areas, not just one.

  6. 6. NOT GIVEN

    NOT GIVEN is correct because the passage does not mention parents choosing books based on children's perceptions.

  7. 7. YES

    YES is correct because the passage says adults can better understand illustrated stories if they know more about how children read.

  8. 8. NOT GIVEN

    NOT GIVEN is correct because there is no information about asking children what features they want in digital games.

  9. 9. F

    F is correct because the passage says listening to young people about how they read gives a deeper knowledge of the intricacies of reading.

  10. 10. C

    C is correct because learning about others' reading techniques helps avoid solipsism, which means being stuck in your own perspective.

  11. 11. H

    H is correct because strong visualisers judge books by the variety of images they create in their minds.

  12. 12. A

    A is correct because children's insights help adults accept that literature now exists in many forms.

  13. 13. E

    E is correct because if adults find books easier than games, it just shows they lack some specific abilities, not that one is better.

  14. 14. C

    C is correct because the article reviews challenges in children's literature studies and suggests ways to move forward. A is tempting but too narrow.

  15. 15. vii

    vii is correct because Paragraph A describes a unique work of art made from spider silk.

  16. 16. v

    v is correct because Paragraph B explains the physical properties of spider silk.

  17. 17. ix

    ix is correct because Paragraph C discusses the difficulties of raising spiders in captivity.

  18. 18. i

    i is correct because Paragraph D talks about experimenting with an old idea.

  19. 19. iv

    iv is correct because Paragraph E describes the resources needed for the project.

  20. 20. vi

    vi is correct because Paragraph F gives a scientific analysis of spider silk.

  21. 21. B

    B is correct because Nicholas Godley says it takes a huge number of spiders to make a small amount of silk.

  22. 22. A

    A is correct because Simon Peers mentions scientists want to use spider silk for medical purposes.

  23. 23. C

    C is correct because Todd Blackledge says scientists are making progress in making spider silk.

  24. 24. A

    A is correct because Simon Peers compares spider silk favorably to other strong materials.

  25. 25. bacteria

    "bacteria" is correct because the passage says researchers have tried to grow silk by putting genetic material into bacteria and some animals.

  26. 26. gland

    "gland" is correct because the silk comes from a liquid protein made in a gland inside the spider’s body.

  27. 27. force

    "force" is correct because the spider applies force to turn the liquid into solid silk.

  28. 28. D

    D is correct because the writer says Balfour and Crouch made Stevenson seem more important than he really was.

  29. 29. C

    C is correct because the main point is that critics said Stevenson’s style covered up his faults.

  30. 30. B

    B is correct because the passage says the adventure story can be used to tell moral stories.

  31. 31. A

    A is correct because the writer says Stevenson’s ideas were different from most Scots.

  32. 32. C

    C is correct because the passage says people paid more attention to Stevenson’s lifestyle than his books.

  33. 33. YES

    YES is correct because Oscar Wilde admired Stevenson but thought he could have written something better.

  34. 34. NOT GIVEN

    NOT GIVEN is correct because there is no information about Stevenson encouraging Wilde to write.

  35. 35. NO

    NO is correct because the passage says Galsworthy respected Stevenson more than Hardy.

  36. 36. YES

    YES is correct because the passage says more research is needed on Stevenson’s influence on Chesterton.

  37. 37. F / A / H / G / I

    F / A / H / G / I is correct because Scott had greater technical control, Stevenson had more natural ability, Scott’s books had more depth, Stevenson’s books are popular for storytelling, and Stevenson’s understanding of human nature is well known.

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

Start mock exam →