Reading 2026-04 Test 9 — IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test with Answers

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Reading Passage 1: Koalas

A Koalas are just too nice for their own good. And except for the occasional baby taken by birds of prey, koalas have no natural enemies. In an ideal world, the life of an arboreal couch potato would be perfectly safe and acceptable.

B Just two hundred years ago, koalas flourished across Australia. Now they seem to be in decline, but exact numbers are not available as the species would not seem to be 'under threat'. Their problem, however, has been man, more specifically, the white man. Koala and aborigine had co-existed peacefully for centuries.

C Today koalas are found only in scattered pockets of southeast Australia where they seem to be at risk on several fronts. The koala's only food source, the eucalyptus tree, has declined. In the past 200 years, a third of Australia's eucalyptus forests have disappeared. Koalas have been killed by parasites, chlamydia epidemics and a tumour-causing retro-virus. And every year 11,000 are killed by cars, ironically most of them in wildlife sanctuaries, and thousands are killed by poachers. Some are also taken illegally as pets. The animals usually soon die, but they are easily replaced.

D Bush fires pose another threat. The horrific ones that raged in New South Wales recently killed between 100 and 1,000 koalas. Many that were taken into sanctuaries and shelters were found to have burnt their paws on the glowing embers. But zoologists say that the species should recover. The koalas will be aided by the eucalyptus, which grows quickly and is already burgeoning forth after the fires. So the main problem to their survival is their slow reproductive rate - they produce only one baby a year over a reproductive lifespan of about nine years.

E The latest problem for the species is perhaps more insidious. With plush, grey fur, dark amber eyes and button nose, koalas are cuddliness incarnate. Australian zoos and wildlife parks have taken advantage of their uncomplaining attitudes, and charge visitors to be photographed hugging the furry bundles. But people may not realise how cruel this is, but because of the koala's delicate disposition, constant handling can push an already precariously balanced physiology over the edge.

F Koalas only eat the foliage of certain species of eucalyptus trees, between 600 and 1250 grams a day. The tough leaves are packed with cellulose, tannins, aromatic oils and precursors of toxic cyanides. To handle this cocktail, koalas have a specialised digestive system. Cellulose-digesting bacteria in the caecum break down fibre, while a specially adapted gut and liver process the toxins. To digest their food properly, koalas must sit still for 21 hours every day.

G Koalas are the epitome of innocence and inoffensiveness. Although they are capable of ripping open a man's arm with their needle-sharp claws, or giving a nasty nip, they simply wouldn't. If you upset a koala, it may blink or swallow, or hiccup. But attack? No way! Koalas are just not aggressive. They use their claws to grip the hard smooth bark of eucalyptus trees.

H They are also very sensitive, and the slightest upset can prevent them from breeding, cause them to go off their food, and succumb to gut infections. Koalas are stoic creatures and put on a brave face until they are at death's door. One day they may appear healthy, the next they could be dead. Captive koalas have to be weighed daily to check that they are feeding properly. A sudden loss of weight is usually the only warning keepers have that their charge is ill. Only two keepers plus a vet were allowed to handle London Zoo's koalas, as these creatures are only comfortable with people they know. A request for the koala to be taken to meet the Queen was refused because of the distress this would have caused the marsupial. Sadly, London's Zoo no longer has a koala. Two years ago the female koala died of a cancer caused by a retrovirus. When they come into heat, female koalas become more active, and start losing weight, but after about sixteen days, heat ends and the weight piles back on. London's koala did not. Surgery revealed hundreds of pea-sized tumours.

I Almost every zoo in Australia has koalas - the marsupial has become the Animal Ambassador of the nation, but nowhere outside Australia would handling by the public be allowed. Koala cuddling screams in the face of every rule of good care. First, some zoos allow koalas to be passed from stranger to stranger, many children who love to squeeze. Secondly, most people have no idea of how to handle the animals: they like to cling on to their handler, all in their own good time and use his or her arm as a tree. For such reasons, the Association of Fauna and Marine Parks, an Australian conservation society, is campaigning to ban koala cuddling. Policy on koala handling is determined by state government authorities. And the largest of the numbers in the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, with the aim of instituting national guidelines. Following a wave of publicity, some zoos and wildlife parks have stopped turning their koalas into photo props.

1
The main reason why koala declined is that they are killed EXCEPT for
- A. by poachers
- B. by diseases they got
- C. giving too many birth yet survived little
- D. accidents on the road
2
What can help koalas fully digest their food?
- A. toxic substance in the leaves
- B. organs that dissolve the fibres
- C. remaining inactive for a period to digest
- D. eating eucalyptus trees
3
What would koalas do when facing the dangerous situation?
- A. show signs of being offended
- B. counter attack furiously
- C. use sharp claws to rip the man
- D. use claws to grip the bark of trees.
4
In what ways Australian zoos exploit koalas?
- A. encourage people to breed koalas as pets
- B. allow tourists to hug the koalas
- C. put them on the trees as a symbol
- D. establish a koala campaign
5
What would the government do to protect koalas from being endangered?
- A. introduce koala protection guidelines
- B. close some of the zoos
- C. encourage people to resist visiting the zoos
- D. persuade the public to learn more knowledge
6
New coming human settlers caused danger to koalas.
7
Koalas can still be seen in most of the places in Australia.
8
It takes decade for the eucalyptus trees to recover after the fire.
9
Koalas will fight each other when food becomes scarce.
10
It is not easy to notice that koalas are ill.
11
Koalas are easily infected with human contagious disease via cuddling.
12
Koalas like to hold a person's arm when they are embraced.
13
From your opinion this article written by
- A. a journalist who write for magazine
- B. a zoo keeper in London Zoo.
- C. a tourist who traveling back from Australia
- D. a government official who studies koalas to establish a law

Reading Passage 2: How to be Happy: Some recent developments in the science of happiness

A psychiatrist Tony Fernando was walking down the street when he saw a group of young homeless men sitting on the footpath. As Fernando handed out gifts of food, he tried to video the men’s reactions in his mind, recording how their gratitude lifted him in return. ‘I felt warm, content, meaningful,’ he says. Fernando believes the brain can be trained to make us happy and that his ‘video method’ is one way to achieve this. In fact, a growing body of scientific research internationally is showing how we can learn happiness in the same way we can learn to play the piano. In the soft tissue that forms the brain, there are approximately ten trillion synapses connecting roughly a hundred billion neurons. Active synapses become more sensitive; less active synapses die, but new ones grow quickly. This is relatively new thinking – just 30 years ago, neuroscientists believed that adult brain cells couldn’t regenerate. One of the pioneers in this field is University of Wisconsin professor Richard Davidson. He studied Buddhist monks using brain scans in his research facility, and found that those trained in meditation had higher levels of activity in the left prefrontal cortex – the area associated with happiness. Davidson believes that the trained brain is physically different from the untrained one.

The idea that we can train our brains to find more happiness has been called ‘mindfulness’ by neuropsychologist Rick Hanson, author of Hardwiring Happiness. It was in college that Hanson, quite unintentionally, first recognised the importance of something that would become his life’s work. As an unconfident teenager, he discovered he could turn a small event, ‘a young woman smiling at me’, into a good feeling he could hold on to. To do this, Hanson employs exactly the same imaginary ‘video method’ as psychiatrist Tony Fernando. ‘The brain takes its shape from what the mind rests upon,’ says Hanson. If you keep resting your mind on self-criticism and worries, he argues, your brain will be shaped by that. Hanson explains that resting it on pleasant feelings and the things you have accomplished means that over time your brain will take on a different shape, with strength and optimism hard-wired into it.

In New Zealand, the Mental Health Foundation runs mindfulness programmes in 14 schools. Foundation CEO Judi Clements says, ‘It’s a valuable approach because children are told to pay attention, but aren’t told how to pay attention.’ Preliminary results on the outcomes found that children had sustained increases in well-being. The Foundation recognises five pathways to happiness – being active, connecting with others, taking notice, learning and giving. And, says Clements, ‘We’re detecting a hunger for it from different organisations and professions as well, so the Foundation is soon going to pilot an online “well-being game” in several workplaces.’ The project leader is psychologist Carsten Grimm, who is interested in whether some pathways to happiness are more effective than others. In a study, Grimm recorded the activities and corresponding happiness scores of 173 people. What he found was that people who used several pathways to happiness achieved the best results, suggesting it’s better to have a balance than concentrate on the single pathway you most identify with.

However, Associate Professor of Psychological Medicine Nathan Consedine greets our relentless search for the secrets to happiness with a tired sigh. ‘The more you chase it, the less you get it,’ he says, quoting studies showing those who value contentment and well-being are, in fact, less happy. The big question, he says, is whether there’s any benefit in actively seeking happiness. He cites a study, for example, which showed that people who were happier were less inclined to show sympathy. Consedine says that’s probably because happy people are strongly motivated to stay happy, but engaging sympathetically with others typically involves engaging with their distress, and that’s going to reduce their own happiness. Consedine’s not disagreeing with the theory of mindfulness, but believes there’s more work to be done.

Some of that work is being conducted at Auckland University’s Centre for Brain Research. Associate Professor Johanna Montgomery has been studying Hanson’s theory – that altering our brain activity at a synaptic level affects our behaviour. She accepts that it’s a logical explanation based on studies from animals, but we haven’t yet got the technology to prove it scientifically in humans. It’s true that MRI scans certainly do indicate an increased flow of blood to different areas of the brain which are experiencing positive stimuli. However, she warns that this is a long way from confirming that the brain itself is developing or strengthening.

Nonetheless, Montgomery believes she is making progress. In the laboratory, when scientists want to experiment with synaptic connections, they stimulate the brain with electricity, as this copies the high-frequency firings that happen normally in the brain every second. Using this technique, Montgomery has made a number of findings. For example, the hormones that are released routinely in response to good or bad situations – such as adrenaline – act to regulate the brain, in the same way that weather has a regulating effect on human activity more generally. But scientists understand some of these stimuli better than others. More is known about the impact on brain activity of prolonged periods of fear than the effects of ‘happiness’ hormones that are released by positive events in life. This is one potentially important area that she hopes to investigate further in future.

14
a reference to a fact that two scientists use the same technique to promote their own happiness
15
the suggestion that scientific opinion about an aspect of brain function has changed over a given time period
16
an estimate of how numerous some brain components are
17
the reason why some educational courses were set up
18
It’s better to look for a variety of ways to increase happiness than focus on just one.
- A. Tony Fernando
- B. Richard Davidson
- C. Rick Hanson
- D. Judi Clements
- E. Carsten Grimm
- F. Nathan Consedine
19
Focusing on personal achievements rather than negative experiences will make people happier.
20
Happy people might have a reason not to display one favourable characteristic.
21
A range of groups are becoming more interested in learning techniques to improve happiness.
22
Auckland University’s Centre for Brain Research: Associate Professor Johanna Montgomery says that current research into brain activity and behaviour only relates to ________, so Hanson’s theories have not been proved correct. While scans do show that positive stimuli result in more ________ reaching parts of the brain, this isn’t proof that the brain is getting stronger. But Montgomery is making progress. In laboratory experiments, scientists use ________ to initiate brain activity, because it’s similar to natural processes. One finding is that hormones can be compared to the ________, because both can change human behaviour. But scientists understand some stimuli, such as ________, better than they understand more positive stimuli.

Reading Passage 3: The Rise of Big Data

Big Data marks one of the most remarkable intellectual and technological shifts of the modern era. It does not simply refer to an enormous quantity of information, but rather to a completely new way of thinking about knowledge itself. Unlike the Internet, which connects people and enables communication, Big Data connects data to other data. It transforms scattered fragments of digital information into meaningful patterns, predictions, and insights. Today, nearly every human activity leaves a digital trace: text messages, online purchases, GPS movements, photos, voice commands, and even biometric signals. All of these pieces of information are stored, analyzed, and often combined with other data sources to create a detailed and dynamic picture of the world. Through this process, aspects of life that were once invisible, such as emotions, preferences, or social relationships, have become "datafied," meaning that they can now be measured and studied quantitatively.

This transformation has profound implications for how we understand society. In the past, researchers relied on small samples, surveys, and questionnaires to draw conclusions about human behavior. These methods were slow, expensive, and often inaccurate. With Big Data, it is possible to analyze entire populations in real time. For example, Google can track the spread of influenza by monitoring search terms related to flu symptoms, providing results that are faster and sometimes more accurate than those collected by public health agencies. Similarly, credit card companies can detect fraud within seconds by comparing a transaction against millions of others to identify patterns that deviate from the norm. In the realm of urban planning, data from mobile phones and GPS devices can reveal how people move through cities, helping planners design more efficient transport systems.

However, the rise of Big Data also raises significant ethical and philosophical questions. One of the most pressing concerns is privacy. In a world where every action is recorded and stored, the concept of personal privacy becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. Data that seems anonymous can often be re-identified when combined with other datasets. Researchers have demonstrated that it is possible to identify individuals from anonymized data using just a few data points, such as their age, gender, and zip code. This has led to fears of surveillance, manipulation, and discrimination. Companies and governments now possess more information about individuals than at any other time in history, and the potential for misuse is enormous.

Another concern is the issue of bias. Big Data is often assumed to be objective because it is based on numbers rather than human judgment. However, the data itself is shaped by human choices: what to collect, how to categorize it, and which questions to ask. If these choices reflect existing prejudices, the resulting analysis will simply reproduce those prejudices at a larger scale. For example, predictive policing algorithms that analyze crime data may reinforce racial profiling if the original data reflects biased policing practices. Similarly, hiring algorithms trained on historical data may discriminate against women or minorities if past hiring decisions were biased. The idea that data speaks for itself is a myth; data always speaks through the lens of those who collect and interpret it.

The rise of Big Data also challenges traditional notions of causality. For centuries, science has sought to understand the world by identifying cause-and-effect relationships. Big Data, by contrast, often focuses on correlation. It can tell us that two things are related, but not why. This shift from "why" to "what" has practical benefits. Businesses can use correlations to predict consumer behavior without understanding the underlying reasons. However, it also has limitations. Correlations can be spurious, leading to false conclusions. Without an understanding of causation, interventions based on correlations may fail or even backfire. The challenge for the future is to combine the power of Big Data with the rigor of traditional scientific methods.

Despite these challenges, the potential benefits of Big Data are immense. In medicine, researchers are using data from electronic health records, genetic sequencing, and wearable devices to develop personalized treatments tailored to individual patients. In education, data from online learning platforms can help identify which teaching methods are most effective for different types of students. In environmental science, satellite data and sensor networks are improving our ability to monitor deforestation, track wildlife populations, and predict natural disasters. The list of applications grows longer every day.

Ultimately, the rise of Big Data represents a fundamental shift in how we understand and interact with the world. It offers unprecedented opportunities to solve complex problems, but it also demands that we think carefully about the values we want to preserve. Privacy, fairness, transparency, and accountability are not technical issues; they are social and political ones. As Big Data becomes ever more pervasive, the decisions we make today about how to collect, analyze, and use data will shape the world for generations to come. The future will belong not just to those who can harness the power of data, but to those who can do so wisely and ethically.

23
What does the passage suggest is the main difference between the Internet and Big Data?
- A. The Internet is older and more established than Big Data.
- B. The Internet connects people, while Big Data connects data to other data.
- C. The Internet is used for communication, while Big Data is used for storage.
- D. The Internet is global, while Big Data is limited to specific applications.
24
According to the passage, what makes it possible to track the spread of influenza using Google?
- A. Surveys collected by public health agencies
- B. Monitoring search terms related to flu symptoms
- C. Analyzing GPS movements of infected individuals
- D. Combining data from credit card transactions
25
What concern about privacy is raised in the passage?
- A. Data that seems anonymous can often be re-identified.
- B. Governments have stopped collecting personal information.
- C. Companies no longer store data about individuals.
- D. Privacy laws have made data analysis impossible.
26
Why does the passage argue that Big Data is not necessarily objective?
- A. Because numbers are always unreliable.
- B. Because human choices shape what data is collected and how it is interpreted.
- C. Because computers make frequent errors in analysis.
- D. Because statistical methods are inherently biased.
27
What limitation of focusing on correlation rather than causation is mentioned?
- A. Correlations are always accurate and reliable.
- B. Correlations can be spurious and lead to false conclusions.
- C. Correlations are too difficult for computers to calculate.
- D. Correlations require understanding of underlying reasons.
28
Big Data has transformed how we understand society by allowing researchers to analyze entire ________ in real time, rather than relying on small samples.
29
Credit card companies use Big Data to detect ________ within seconds by comparing transactions against millions of others.
30
In urban planning, data from mobile phones and GPS devices helps planners design more efficient ________ systems.
31
However, concerns about privacy arise because data that seems anonymous can often be ________ when combined with other datasets.
32
Another issue is that algorithms trained on historical data may reproduce existing ________, such as racial profiling in policing or discrimination in hiring.
33
Predictive policing algorithms are always fair and unbiased.
- YES. YES
- NO. NO
- NOT GIVEN. NOT GIVEN
34
Understanding causation is less important than identifying correlations.
35
In medicine, Big Data is helping to develop treatments tailored to individual patients.
36
The decisions made today about data use will have long-term consequences for future generations.

Phiếu trả lời

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Hiện đáp án

1. C
C is correct because the passage does not mention koalas declining due to giving birth to many babies but few surviving; the other options (A, B, D) are all mentioned as reasons for their decline.
2. C
C is correct because the passage says koalas remain inactive for a period to digest their food, which helps them fully digest it; the other options do not directly help digestion.
3. A
A is correct because when facing danger, koalas show signs of being offended rather than attacking or using their claws aggressively; D is tempting but refers to climbing, not defense.
4. B
B is correct because the passage says zoos allow tourists to hug koalas, which is a way of exploiting them; the other options are not mentioned as ways zoos exploit koalas.
5. A
A is correct because the passage says the government would introduce koala protection guidelines to help protect them; the other options are not mentioned as government actions.
6. YES
YES is correct because the passage says new human settlers caused danger to koalas.
7. NO
NO is correct because the passage says koalas cannot be seen in most places in Australia anymore.
8. NO
NO is correct because the passage says eucalyptus trees recover more quickly after fire, not taking decades.
9. NOT GIVEN
NOT GIVEN is correct because the passage does not mention whether koalas fight each other when food is scarce.
10. YES
YES is correct because the passage says it is not easy to notice when koalas are ill.
11. NOT GIVEN
NOT GIVEN is correct because the passage does not say if koalas can be infected with human diseases by cuddling.
12. YES
YES is correct because the passage says koalas like to hold a person's arm when embraced.
13. A
A is correct because the article is written in a style typical of a journalist writing for a magazine, not a zookeeper, tourist, or government official.
14. B
B is correct because the passage refers to two scientists using the same technique to promote their own happiness.
15. A
A is correct because the passage mentions that scientific opinion about brain function has changed over time.
16. A
A is correct because the passage gives an estimate of how many brain components there are.
17. C
C is correct because the passage explains that some educational courses were set up for a specific reason.
18. E
E is correct because Carsten Grimm suggests it is better to look for a variety of ways to increase happiness than to focus on just one.
19. C
C is correct because Rick Hanson says focusing on personal achievements rather than negative experiences makes people happier.
20. F
F is correct because Nathan Consedine says happy people might have a reason not to display one favorable characteristic.
21. D
D is correct because Judi Clements says a range of groups are becoming more interested in learning happiness techniques.
22. animals / blood / electricity / weather / fear
The answers are: animals (current research relates to animals), blood (positive stimuli result in more blood reaching the brain), electricity (used in lab experiments), weather (hormones compared to weather), and fear (scientists understand fear better than positive stimuli).
23. B
B is correct because the passage says the Internet connects people, while Big Data connects data to other data; A is tempting but does not capture the main difference.
24. B
B is correct because the passage says Google tracks the spread of influenza by monitoring search terms related to flu symptoms.
25. A
A is correct because the passage says data that seems anonymous can often be re-identified, raising privacy concerns.
26. B
B is correct because the passage says Big Data is not necessarily objective since human choices shape what data is collected and how it is interpreted.
27. B
B is correct because the passage says correlations can be spurious and lead to false conclusions, which is a limitation.
28. populations
The answer is populations because the passage says Big Data allows researchers to analyze entire populations in real time.
29. fraud
The answer is fraud because the passage says credit card companies use Big Data to detect fraud within seconds.
30. transport
The answer is transport because the passage says data from phones and GPS helps planners design more efficient transport systems.
31. re-identified
The answer is re-identified because the passage says data that seems anonymous can often be re-identified when combined with other datasets.
32. prejudices
The answer is prejudices because the passage says algorithms trained on historical data may reproduce existing prejudices.
33. NO
NO is correct because the passage says predictive policing algorithms are not always fair and unbiased.
34. NO
NO is correct because the passage says understanding causation is still important, not less important than correlations.
35. YES
YES is correct because the passage says Big Data is helping to develop treatments tailored to individual patients in medicine.
36. YES
YES is correct because the passage says decisions made today about data use will have long-term consequences for future generations.

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Reading Passage 1: Koalas

Reading Passage 2: How to be Happy: Some recent developments in the science of happiness

Reading Passage 3: The Rise of Big Data

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