Reading 2026-05 Test 21 — 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: Lever Brothers' Sunlight Soap: A Revolution in Hygiene and Industry

Sunlight Soap, produced by the Lever Brothers in the late 19th century, was a groundbreaking innovation in the world of consumer goods. At a time when hygiene and cleanliness were not universally prioritised, Sunlight Soap not only introduced a revolutionary product but also played a crucial role in transforming industrial production, marketing strategies and public health. The success of Sunlight Soap laid the foundation for what would later become Unilever, one of the world's largest multinational corporations.

The story of Sunlight Soap begins in 1884, when William Hesketh Lever and his brother James Darcy Lever established the Lever Brothers company in England. They sought to create a high-quality soap that was both affordable and effective in promoting hygiene. Traditional soaps at the time were often harsh on the skin and required extensive preparation. The Lever Brothers aimed to change this by producing a soap that was easy to use and gentle while maintaining strong cleansing properties.

The innovation behind Sunlight Soap lay in its production process. Unlike the traditional method of soap-making, which relied on animal fats and wood ash, Sunlight Soap was manufactured using a blend of vegetable oils and alkali, resulting in a more consistent and superior-quality product. This not only improved the soap's effectiveness but also made it a more ethical and sustainable option compared with its contemporaries.

Beyond the product itself, the Lever Brothers were pioneers in marketing and branding. They understood the power of advertising and created memorable, persuasive campaigns for Sunlight Soap. These advertisements emphasised the soap's purity, its ability to fight germs, and its role in maintaining a happy and healthy home. The company used a variety of media, from newspapers and magazines to colourful posters and collectable cards, to reach a wide audience. This aggressive and innovative marketing strategy helped create a strong brand identity and fostered customer loyalty.

The company also revolutionised industrial relations and worker welfare. In 1888, Lever Brothers built a purpose-built factory and village called Port Sunlight on the Wirral Peninsula. This model village was designed to provide high-quality housing, amenities, and social benefits for its employees. It featured gardens, schools, a hospital, and recreational facilities, which were considered revolutionary for the time. This approach was part of William Lever's philosophy of "prosperity sharing," where he believed that a healthy and content workforce would lead to greater productivity and company success. Port Sunlight became a landmark in industrial planning and set a new standard for employee welfare.

The impact of Sunlight Soap on public health was significant. By promoting the importance of cleanliness with an effective and accessible product, it contributed to improved hygiene practices among the general public. This was particularly important in an era before the widespread understanding of germ theory. The widespread use of soap like Sunlight played a role in reducing the incidence of infectious diseases, thereby improving overall public health standards in Britain and beyond.

The phenomenal success of Sunlight Soap provided the capital and brand recognition for the Lever Brothers to expand their operations globally. They began acquiring other soap and food companies, steadily growing their portfolio. This expansion culminated in 1930 with a merger with the Dutch margarine company, Margarine Unie. This merger formed Unilever, a dual-headed company structure that remains unique to this day. The creation of Unilever marked the beginning of a new era, transforming a single soap product into a global consumer goods empire.

1
A description of the advertising methods used to promote the soap
2
The reason why a particular location was constructed for workers
3
The way the success of one product led to the creation of a major corporation
4
A comparison between the new product and the types of soap that existed previously
5
The various health benefits for society resulting from the use of the soap
6
The original business goal of the Lever brothers
7
Founders: William Hesketh Lever and ________
8
Year company established: ________
9
Key Product Innovation: Used ________ and alkali instead of animal fats and wood ash.
10
Resulted in a product that was more consistent, superior, and ________
11
Marketing & Branding: Advertisements focused on purity and fighting ________
12
Worker Welfare: Built a model village called ________
13
Based on the philosophy of "________"

Reading Passage 2: Is Graffiti Art or Crime

A The term graffiti derives from the Italian graffito meaning ‘scratching’ and can be defined as uninvited marking or writing scratched or applied to objects, built structures and natural features. It is not a new phenomenon: examples can be found on ancient structures around the world, in some cases predating the Greeks and Romans. In such circumstances it has acquired invaluable historical and archaeological significance, providing a social history of life and events at that time. Graffiti is now a problem that has become pervasive, as a result of the availability of cheap and quick means of mark-making.

B It is usually considered a priority to remove graffiti as quickly as possible after it appears. This is for several reasons. The first is to prevent ‘copy-cat’ emulation which can occur rapidly once a clean surface is defaced. It may also be of a racist or otherwise offensive nature and many companies and councils have a policy of removing this type of graffiti within an hour or two of it being reported. Also, as paints, glues and inks dry out over time they can become increasingly difficult to remove and are usually best dealt with as soon as possible after the incident. Graffiti can also lead to more serious forms of vandalism and, ultimately, the deterioration of an area, contributing to social decline.

C Although graffiti may be regarded as an eyesore, any proposal to remove it from sensitive historic surfaces should be carefully considered: techniques designed for more robust or utilitarian surfaces may result in considerable damage. In the event of graffiti incidents, it is important that the owners of buildings or other structures and their consultants are aware of the approach they should take in dealing with the problem. The police should be informed as there may be other related attacks occurring locally. An incidence pattern can identify possible culprits, as can stylised signatures or nicknames, known as ‘tags’, which may already be familiar to local police. Photographs are useful to record graffiti incidents and may assist the police in bringing a prosecution. Such images are also required for insurance claims and can be helpful in cleaning operatives, allowing them to see the problem area before arriving on site.

D There are a variety of methods that are used to remove graffiti. Broadly these divide between chemical and mechanical systems. Chemical preparations are based on dissolving the media; these solvents can range from water to potentially hazardous chemical ‘cocktails’. Mechanical systems such as wire-brushing and grit-blasting attempt to abrade or chip the media from the surface. Care should be taken to comply with health and safety legislation with regard to the protection of both passers-by and any person carrying out the cleaning. Operatives should follow product guidelines in terms of application and removal, and wear the appropriate protective equipment. Measures must be taken to ensure that run-off, aerial mists, drips and splashes do not threaten unprotected members of the public. When examining a graffiti incident it is important to assess the ability of the substrate to withstand the prescribed treatment. If there is any doubt regarding this, then small trial areas should be undertaken to assess the impact of more extensive treatment.

E A variety of preventive strategies can be adopted to combat a recurring problem of graffiti at a given site. As no two sites are the same, no one set of protection measures will be suitable for all situations. Each site must be looked at individually. Surveillance systems such as closed-circuit television may also help. In cities and towns around the country, prominently placed cameras have been shown to reduce anti-social behavior of all types including graffiti. Security patrols will also act as a deterrent to prevent recurring attacks. However, the cost of this may be too high for most situations. A physical barrier such as a wall, railings, doors or gates can be introduced to discourage unauthorized access to a vulnerable site. However, consideration has to be given to the impact measures have on the structure being protected. In the worst cases, they can be almost as damaging to the quality of the environment as the graffiti they prevent. In others, they might simply provide a new surface for graffiti.

F One of the most significant problems associated with graffiti removal is the need to remove it from surfaces that are repeatedly attacked. Under these circumstances, the repeated removal of graffiti using even the most gentle methods will ultimately cause damage to the surface material. There may be situations where the preventive strategies mentioned above do not work or are not a viable proposition at a given site. Anti-graffiti coatings are usually applied by brush or spray leaving a thin veneer that essentially serves to isolate the graffiti from the surface.

G Removal of graffiti from a surface that has been treated in this way is much easier, usually using low-pressure water which reduces the possibility of damage. Depending on the type of barrier selected it may be necessary to reapply the coating after each graffiti removal exercise.

14
why chemically cleaning graffiti may cause damage
15
the benefit of a precautionary strategy on the gentle removal
16
the damaging and accumulative impact of graffiti on the community
17
the need for different preventive measures to be taken to cope with graffiti
18
a legal proposal made to the owner of the building against graffiti
19
the reasons for removing graffiti as soon as possible.
20
Which TWO statements are true concerning the removal of graffiti?
- A. cocktail removal can be safer than water treatment
- B. small patch trial before applying a large scale of removing
- C. Chemical treatments are the most expensive way of removing
- D. there are risks for both Chemical and medication method
- E. mechanical removals are much more applicable than Chemical treatments
21
Which TWO of the following preventive measures against graffiti are mentioned effectively in the passage?
- A. organize more anti-graffiti movements in the city communities
- B. increase the police patrols on the street
- C. Build a new building with material repelling water
- D. installing more visible security cameras
- E. Provide a whole new surface with a chemical coat
22
Ancient graffiti is of significance and records the ______ of details life for that period.
23
The police can recognize newly committed incidents of graffiti by the signature which is called ______ that they are familiar with.
24
Operatives ought to comply with relevant rules during the operation, and put on the suitable ______.
25
Removal of graffiti from a new type of coating surface can be much more convenient than using ______.

Reading Passage 3: The Geography of Taste Buds

Scientists have long known that the surface of the tongue is covered with taste buds: onion-shaped bundles of cells that stand guard for the digestive system. Long before our modern world of supermarkets and restaurants, taste buds served as a crucial tool to maintain the daily existence of our ancestors. The bitter flavour of a wild almond told a prehistoric human foraging in African forests that the nut was poisonous, and they should spit it out. A sweet fruit, though, was safe to consume, and full of energy from carbohydrates. The presence of lions and other man-eating predators also added urgency to meal choices. 'If the thing didn't taste good, you might decide it's not worth it to be out in the open and at risk,' says Steve Miller, a taste researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Much of what we 'taste' in everyday life is actually the work of our nose. The tongue can distinguish only five basic flavour sensations – sweet, sour, bitter, salt and umami, the 'savoury' taste of meat and cheese which indicates protein. Sour taste comes from acidic compounds, and, like bitter taste, it can be a sign to leave decomposing meat or vegetables. Unpleasant tartness in unripe fruits comes from too much citric acid. This is how a tree or shrub keeps hungry diners at bay until its seeds are mature enough to travel – via the diner's digestive system – to a new home.

Unlike animals, humans have acquired a taste for tartness. In the case of the Japanese pickle called ‘umeboshi’, the plums are harvested when still green and sour, before the tree fills them with sugar and turns them into a tantalising snack for birds and animals. Sour cream, yoghurt, lemonade, gorgonzola cheese, the German fermented cabbage ‘sauerkraut’ and other tart treats are eaten every day by millions of people.

Only a decade ago, popular myth held that separate areas of the tongue were responsible for each taste. Referred to as the ‘mouth map’, the concept probably originated with a German text mistranslated into English at the beginning of the 20th century. As recently as 1996, ‘mouth map’ diagrams still appeared in university neuroscience textbooks.

By the late 1990s, however, scientists had learned enough about molecular biology to turn their attention seriously to taste. They had discovered that thousands of taste buds cover the tongue, each containing 50 to 100 taste cells. Each cell has two poles: one end covered with taste receptors projecting from the tongue's surface, and one end inside the tongue that connects to the brain via nerves. When a person bites into a lemon, acidic molecules from the food bump into acid-sensitive taste receptors, activating a taste cell, which sends a ‘sour’ message to the brain.

The details of this process were long a matter of debate. In line with the ‘mouth map’ concept, some scientists believed that the taste buds in different areas of the tongue were filled with cells of only one type: the tip with sweet-sensing cells, the back with bitter-sensing cells, and so on. Others were not convinced and further suggested the location of cells was not an issue because each cell could sense all five tastes. However, no one had identified any of the taste receptors, so which cells responded to which tastes was unknown.

Charles Zanker, professor of biology at the University of California, San Diego, and others set out to solve this problem with a variety of biological techniques, including engineering mutant mice that lacked certain receptors and could not taste certain tastes. They eventually isolated the first taste receptors – those for bitter and sweet. Each taste cell, they found, is covered with receptors for only one taste. A sweet cell, for example, is only turned on by sweet molecules because it only has sweet receptors. This dispelled the notion that all cells could sense all tastes.

The scientists also assembled more evidence against the 'mouth map' myth when they found that each taste bud contains a full complement of taste cells. 'There are areas of emphasis,' Miller says, 'but there are not these absolutely divided areas.' Over time, the researchers identified the receptors for sweet, bitter and umami. But until recently, salt and sour receptors remained elusive. After eight years of this new wave of research into taste, a team led by Hideki Matsunami from Duke University in North Carolina, and Zanker's separate group of Californian scientists, simultaneously published that they had finally found the tongue's tart sensors. This breakthrough has answered some long-standing questions about the tongue's geography.

One surprising finding was that the sour-taste receptors on the tongue are also found in the spinal cord, where they probably monitor the acidity of cerebrospinal fluid. Similarly, sweet and bitter taste receptors have been found in the intestinal tract. Taken as a whole, the identification of various key taste receptors illuminates a link between the mouth and the brain. It also provides new targets for research. In the past, artificial flavourings were often chance discoveries, made when chemists accidentally tasted a substance, but now experts hope that knowing the identities of taste receptors will allow a more methodical approach to be taken towards developing these additives. New molecules might even be developed to cling to sour taste receptors and block the unpalatable taste of medicines. The finding may also explain how tongues, like fingerprints, are unique, making some people sensitive and others numb to certain tastes.

26
For many years it has been understood that the human tongue is covered with taste buds. These first evolved as an aid to ............ . They acted as a warning that a food was dangerous, or a confirmation that it was good for ............ . For early humans, the gathering of food was made difficult by ............ . Because our tongues can only taste five different flavours, a lot of what we think we 'taste' is in fact conveyed by ......... Sour and bitter tastes signal that food is in However, over the centuries, people have come to like the process of ............... sour taste, and in this ............ we are different from animals.
- A. cooking
- B. sense
- C. pests
- D. consumption
- E. predators
- F. digestion
- G. enemie
- H. planting
- I. decay
- J. sight
- K. smell
- L. survival
27
33. It is likely that the 'mouth map' myth began from an error of interpretation.
28
34. Scientists were in agreement on the location of bitter-sensing cells.
29
35. The experiment with mice proved that bitter-sensing cells have more receptors than sweet-sensing cells do.
30
36. After a lengthy period of study, two different research teams reported the same finding about taste senses at the same time.
31
37. Scientists failed to find taste receptors in other parts of the body.
32
38. What does the writer suggest about the 'mouth map' myth?
- A. It followed the discovery of taste buds.
- B. It located taste in one part of the tongue.
- C. It used to be taught and believed in academic circles.
- D. It was an idea that originated in England.
33
39. The writer refers to Zanker's experiment in order to
- A. compare several different methodologies.
- B. highlight the connection between taste and the brain.
- C. suggest that the use of animals in research can be misleading.
- D. show how a popular idea was proved wrong.
34
40. What is the main purpose of the writer of Reading Passage 3?
- A. to describe a scientific experiment
- B. to inform readers of a recent scientific discovery
- C. to narrate how taste affected the lives of ancient humans
- D. to predict how taste research will develop in the future

Answer sheet

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1. C
Answer C is correct because the passage describes how advertisements focused on purity and fighting germs to promote the soap.
2. D
Answer D is correct because the passage explains that a model village was built for workers to improve their welfare.
3. F
Answer F is correct because the passage states that the success of the soap led to the creation of a major corporation.
4. B
Answer B is correct because the passage compares the new soap, made with vegetable oils and alkali, to older soaps made from animal fats and wood ash.
5. E
Answer E is correct because the passage mentions various health benefits for society, such as fighting germs and promoting cleanliness.
6. B
Answer B is correct because the passage says the Lever brothers' original business goal was to make a better soap than what existed before.
7. James Darcy Lever
The answer is James Darcy Lever because the passage lists him as the co-founder with William Hesketh Lever.
8. 1884
The answer is 1884 because the passage states this is the year the company was established.
9. vegetable oils
The answer is vegetable oils because the passage says the key innovation was using vegetable oils and alkali instead of animal fats and wood ash.
10. ethical
The answer is ethical because the passage says the product was more consistent, superior, and ethical.
11. germs
The answer is germs because the passage says advertisements focused on purity and fighting germs.
12. Port Sunlight
The answer is Port Sunlight because the passage says they built a model village called Port Sunlight for workers.
13. prosperity sharing
The answer is prosperity sharing because the passage says the village was based on the philosophy of 'prosperity sharing.'
14. D
Answer D is correct because the passage explains that chemical cleaning can damage surfaces, especially delicate ones, by removing more than just the graffiti.
15. G
Answer G is correct because the passage says a gentle, precautionary strategy helps avoid unnecessary damage during graffiti removal.
16. B
Answer B is correct because the passage describes how graffiti can have a damaging and accumulative impact on the community, making areas look neglected.
17. E
Answer E is correct because the passage mentions the need for different preventive measures to cope with graffiti in various situations.
18. C
Answer C is correct because the passage describes a legal proposal made to building owners to prevent graffiti.
19. B
Answer B is correct because the passage says removing graffiti quickly prevents it from encouraging more graffiti and reduces its negative impact.
20. B / D
B is correct because the passage says a small patch trial is important before large-scale removal; D is correct because both chemical and mechanical methods have risks. Option A is tempting but fails because the passage does not say cocktail removal is safer than water treatment.
21. B / D
B is correct because the passage mentions increasing police patrols; D is correct because installing more visible security cameras is mentioned as an effective preventive measure. Option C is tempting but fails because building with water-repellent material is not discussed as a main measure.
22. the social history
The answer is the social history because the passage says ancient graffiti records the social history of daily life in that period.
23. tags
The answer is tags because the passage says police recognize new graffiti incidents by the signature called 'tags.'
24. protective equipment
The answer is protective equipment because the passage says operatives must wear suitable protective equipment during graffiti removal.
25. (low pressure) water
The answer is (low pressure) water because the passage says removing graffiti from new coating surfaces is easier than using low pressure water.
26. L / D / E / K / I / B
L (survival) is correct because taste buds first evolved as an aid to survival; D (consumption) is correct because they confirmed food was good for consumption; E (predators) is correct because early humans had trouble gathering food due to predators; K (smell) is correct because much of what we taste is actually smell; I (decay) is correct because sour and bitter tastes signal food is in decay; B (sense) is correct because people have come to like the sense of sour taste.
27. YES
YES is correct because the passage says the 'mouth map' myth likely began from a misinterpretation.
28. NO
NO is correct because the passage says scientists disagreed about where bitter-sensing cells are located.
29. NOT GIVEN
NOT GIVEN is correct because the passage does not mention an experiment with mice comparing the number of receptors in bitter- and sweet-sensing cells.
30. YES
YES is correct because the passage says two research teams reported the same finding about taste senses at the same time after a long study.
31. NO
NO is correct because the passage says scientists found taste receptors in other parts of the body, not just the tongue.
32. C
C is correct because the passage says the 'mouth map' myth used to be taught and believed in academic circles.
33. D
D is correct because the passage mentions Zanker's experiment to show how a popular idea (the mouth map) was proved wrong. Option B is tempting but fails because the main point is about disproving the myth, not the brain connection.
34. B
B is correct because the main purpose is to inform readers about a recent scientific discovery about taste.

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Reading Passage 1: Lever Brothers' Sunlight Soap: A Revolution in Hygiene and Industry

Reading Passage 2: Is Graffiti Art or Crime

Reading Passage 3: The Geography of Taste Buds

Answer sheet

Answer key