Reading 2026-06 Test 17 — IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test with Answers

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Reading Passage 1: Liquorice

Liquorice is a type of sweet snack with a semi-firm consistency often black or red in colour, flavoured with the extract of the root of the liquorice plant. In recent years it has been marketed as a healthier snack food because it contains almost no fat per serving. It is one of the oldest forms of confectionery, and continues to be a popular product today.

Liquorice has a long history. In thirteenth century Europe, liquorice root extract was widely used to treat ailments such as coughs and sore throats. It seems likely that merchants who sold these remedies then combined it with honey to produce the first liquorice sweets. Later, in the fifteenth century, when sugar was more readily available, this was used instead of honey. Around this time, liquorice pastilles, which were made in rough moulds, were widely known. The kind of liquorice we eat today is understood to have originated in Holland at the start of the seventeenth century. It became one of the standard products when the confectionery industry developed in the mid-nineteenth century. Today, liquorice accounts for a significant portion of the global non-chocolate confectionery market.

In modern production, corn syrup (also known as glucose syrup) and sugar are the two primary sweeteners of liquorice. The sugar used is derived from beet and sugar cane. It is supplied as small, white crystals, which readily dissolve in water. Since the grade of the sugar is not critical to the consistency of the liquorice, a less refined type can be used, thereby reducing the cost of production. Corn syrup is a thick liquid made from maize (corn) starch. As well as providing sweetness, it keeps the product soft, inhibits sugar crystallisation, and prolongs the product's shelf life by limiting the growth of microbes.

The ingredients are bound together with wheat flour. Wheat flour is primarily composed of starch and protein which, when combined with water, create a paste that can be stretched without breaking. These properties allow the liquorice mixture to be moulded in various ways, creating, for example, straws, shoelaces, twists and ribbons.

Many other ingredients may be incorporated into a liquorice recipe to produce the familiar confectionery. To give the flavour and colour, liquid liquorice extract is used, although since this is quite expensive, it is often diluted with aniseed oils. Liquid caramel may also be used for a similar purpose. Other natural flavours obtained from fruits, berries, honey, molasses, and maple sugar can also be used in liquorice. The strength of the different tastes can be increased by the addition of artificial flavours.

A conventional method of mass-producing liquorice begins by making what is known as a 'slurry'. Batches of this are made by pouring the ingredients into stainless steel tanks, which are equipped with components for steam heating and water cooling. They also have mixers which sweep the sides of the tanks to stop the mixture burning as it is warmed. Once the slurry has passed quality tests, it can be pumped to the cooker.

The main objective of the cooking stage is to reduce the moisture content of the slurry. By using high-pressure cooking methods some manufacturers have cut the cooking time down to just a few minutes. Once the mixture has become a semi-solid paste, it goes through a device called an extruder. Here the paste is pushed out through a small hole as one long rope of liquorice onto a moving platform called a conveyor.

The liquorice then travels to the cutter. It is important that it travels slowly enough to cool to an appropriate temperature, thus allowing the product to harden. When the liquorice rope arrives at the cutter it is cut into pieces of the required length. From the cutter, the liquorice pieces are moved to the packaging equipment. As they go, they may be coated with a special glaze, giving the product an attractive shine. Once at the packaging stage, the liquorice pieces are stacked up. When enough pieces are in place, a plastic wrapper is placed around them, which is sealed at both ends. The package is moved to a stamping machine, which puts a code on it, and then multiple packages are put into individual boxes.

1
Liquorice sweets were developed from a substance used for its medicinal properties.
2
Liquorice sweets made with sugar proved more popular with the public than those containing honey.
3
Sales of liquorice are currently increasing faster than those of other non-chocolate confectionery products.
4
The texture of liquorice depends on the quality of the sugar used.
5
The addition of corn syrup helps maintain the freshness of the liquorice over time.
6
The use of wheat flour enables different shapes of liquorice to be created.
7
Aniseed oil is added to liquorice extract in order to improve its flavour.
8
Mixers prevent slurry from ________.
9
Cooking process removes ________.
10
Slow movement lets product cool and ________.
11
Product is coated in a ________ to improve appearance, cut into pieces.
12
Put in wrapper which is then ________.
13
A ________ printed onto each wrapper.

Reading Passage 2: Should we stop eating meat?

A The call for people to eat less meat to save the planet is growing louder, so if less is good, wouldn’t none be better? To find out, let’s imagine what would happen if the world eliminated meat, milk and eggs from its diet, then trace the effects. Last year the world consumed 289 million tonnes of meat, 700 million tonnes of milk and 1.2 billion eggs. Environmentally speaking, this came at an enormous cost.

B All agriculture damages the environment. Take for example the felled forests and the common use of irrigation systems. And it may surprise you to know that agriculture creates more greenhouse gases than all methods of transport put together. Livestock farming does the most damage. In part, that is because most livestock eat grain that could be used to feed human populations, and farmers are forced to grow more than we would otherwise need to meet the demand. Altogether, if we switched to a vegan diet, meaning no meat, dairy or eggs, the land currently required for crops would drop by an estimated 21 per cent, about 3.4 million hectares, roughly the size of India.

C One environmental impact that would also lessen through a reduction in animal farming would be that of the nitrogen emitted from agricultural processes, which spreads into both waterways and land. According to environmental scientist Allison Leach, if everyone eliminated dairy products and eggs, this kind of pollution would fall by 60%. Livestock production has another serious environmental impact. Global statistics are hard to come by, but in the US at least, livestock account for 55% of erosion, mostly from forests being cut down to make way for grazing land. On top of this, half of all antibiotics manufactured are fed to livestock as part of their normal diet, a practice that is leading to drug-resistant bacteria.

D A meat-free world, then would be greener in many ways. However, if everyone opted to give up meat there would be significant costs too. For most of human history, livestock grazed on land that wasn’t suitable for ploughing, and in doing so they converted inedible grass into edible meat and milk. Even today, a flock of sheep or goats can be the most efficient way to get food from marginal land. In a world in which over a billion people do not have enough to eat, using this land for crop production would contribute to food insecurity.

E In some parts of the world today, livestock like chickens, for instance, can subsist on leftovers and whatever they find. Tara Garnett, who heads the Food Climate Research Network at the University of Surrey, points out the usefulness of these animals. By giving them your leftovers, she says, they deal with your rubbish, and you get meat. Garnett admits, though, that if this kind of approach were generally adopted, it would require a major adjustment in food preferences; people would have to get used to chicken, for example, with less fat.

F Another downside to a meat-free world would be the disappearance of animal by-products. Such a world would have to replace the 11 million tonnes of leather and 2 million tonnes of wool that come annually from livestock farming and which are turned into clothing. Furthermore, even ardent vegetarians acknowledge that dairy products and meat may be a good thing in poorer countries. ‘Whilst there’s no doubt that considerable reduction of meat consumption would have an environmental benefit, we do have to be careful about saying it would be the best solution if the whole world went vegetarian,’ says Annette Pinner, chief executive of the UK Vegetarian Society. For many of the world’s poorest rural residents, an animal may represent their only realistic hope for a little extra income, and a little animal protein can make a big difference to a marginal diet.

G What if we decided on a no-meat vegetarian diet, rather than a vegan diet? After all, milk and eggs are very efficient ways of producing animal calories. ‘It’s difficult to switch to a no-meat-but-milk diet,’ says Helmut Haberl, a social ecologist. ‘Dairy cows must calve every year to keep producing milk, and only half their offspring will be female. While many vegetarians see moral reasons not to kill and eat the males, there is surely no practical reason to waste so much meat.’ Similar arguments apply to chickens kept for eggs.

H So even though a meat-free world sounds good on paper, it is likely that a utopian future will still have some animal products in it. The real questions, then, are how much meat do we want, and how will we produce it? The answers depend on how you approach these questions. The most straightforward approach is to assume that the world will continue to want evermore meat. The United Nations’ best guess is that by 2050, the world will need to more than double its production of meat, an increase that would be environmentally disastrous.

I Under this scenario the goal will have to be producing the most meat at the lowest environmental cost. According to Walter Falcon, an agricultural economist, this means fewer free range cattle and sheep in green fields. ‘If you’re going to keep some livestock systems, I think the ones you’ll want to keep are the intensive ones,’ he says. Of course this does not take into account animal welfare issues, as intensive farming usually means poor living conditions and the use of growth hormones.

14
the suggestion that people may need to adapt to a different quality of meat
15
a description of the way animals were fed in the past
16
a prediction in regard to human demand for meat
17
the potential consequences of a meat-free world for textile industries
18
Agriculture causes significant harm to the environment in a number of ways, including the frequent use of ________ in modern farming and the cutting down of trees.
19
It is also responsible for the production of many greenhouse gases, more so than ________ is.
20
A meat-free diet would mean that actually less ________ could be used for crops.
21
Far less chemical pollution, specifically in the form of ________, would also be released into the environment, especially if consumers cut out dairy and egg products as well as meat.
22
In the US, there is clear evidence that considerable ________ is caused by the demand for grazing land, although there is no information on this from other countries.
23
It is not possible to say that a vegetarian diet is right for everyone.
- A. Allison Leach
- B. Tara Garnett
- C. Annette Pinner
- D. Helmut Haberl
- E. Walter Falcon
24
It may be economically preferable to farm animals in limited space.
25
It does not make sense to give up meat without giving up dairy products too.
26
Some animals can be fed in a way that allows waste to be recycled.

Reading Passage 3: The Robbers Cave Study

Group self-centredness seems to occur the minute people are divided into groups. It doesn’t matter what the group is, or on what basis it was formed, we perceive the group we belong to as being superior to other groups and we develop an ‘in-group’ bias.

Probably one of the most famous pieces of research looking at group behaviour was a field study conducted by Sherif in 1956. This study involved 22 boys aged between 11 and 12, who were divided into two groups. The groups were roughly matched in terms of sporting ability, camping experience and general popularity among their peers. Their parents were told that they were going to a three-week summer camp to see how well they would work alongside other boys when put into different teams. The parents were also told that the boys would not be allowed to be visited during that time, but would be able to go home if they wanted to. It was intended that the data for the study would be collected by participant observers.

At first, neither set of boys knew of the existence of the other set. They were taken to their respective campsites, which were located on a 200-acre, densely wooded area in Robbers Cave State Park, Oklahoma. The first week was spent doing a variety of activities, such as pitching tents and cooking. During this week, the two groups seemed to develop different group norms, one group being more ‘tough’ than the other, from which two boys went home early, as they were homesick. The groups were given a set of caps and T-shirts, and gave themselves names: the ‘Eagles’ and the ‘Rattlers’ (the latter being the tougher group).

At the end of the first week, they became aware of each other’s existence by finding litter left by the other group or overhearing voices. Sherif noticed that already the groups had started to refer to the other group as ‘them’ and their group as ‘us’. This marked the beginning of phase two of the experiment.

The groups were told that they were going to take part in a ‘Grand Tournament’, which involved ten different sporting events, and they were shown the prizes for winning. The tournament was also to include in the final scores points which would be awarded for other activities, such as how tidy the cabins were kept. These scores were displayed on big scoreboards in what now became a joint hall where the two groups ate their meals together. This was necessary so the two groups would think they were on almost equal scores in the time leading up to the final event, which would increase the sense of competition. Needless to say, these scores were manipulated by the experimenters.

In order to check how high the levels of group self-centredness were in the groups at this time, a number of tasks were set up which involved the groups rating their own members and members of the other group. Each time, group members rated the boys in their own group much better at the tasks than the other boys, even though there was no real difference between them. They were also asked to rate all others in terms of how desirable they were as friends, and 93 per cent of friendship preferences were in-group preferences.

When the tournament started, the first game was basketball. The group that was thought to be less tough lost the game and claimed that they had lost only because the other group were bigger and older than they were. The Eagles won the next ball game and then were said to be cheating in the tug-of-war. This resulted in visits by both groups to each other’s cabins over the course of the next 24 hours, where they ripped the mosquito nets, turned over the beds and generally made a mess. The Eagles devised a new weapon in the conflict which consisted of ‘rocks in socks’ – and so it went on. Eventually, the Eagles won the tournament (with some help from the experimenters) and it was time for phase three to begin.

Research has suggested that the best way to reduce group conflict is by non-competitive contact. This required two conditions: that the groups had equal status and that they had a common goal to work towards. This was exactly what Sherif engineered. There were actually seven situations organised which gave the groups equal-status contact; these were things like having meals together or watching films together. The meals resulted in food fights; the films were enjoyed by both groups sitting totally apart from each other.

The other situations, where the groups had to work for common goals, had a much better outcome. These included raising money to go and see a film and solving problems, such as one with the water supply. The final common goal was a visit by truck to Cedar Lake to camp there before the end of the holiday. In this situation, although both groups travelled in separate trucks, another problem-solving situation arose when one of the trucks became stuck. All the boys joined in, using one of the tug-of-war ropes to help move it. At this point the group boundaries were beginning to disappear. On the final day, when they were due to return home, the boys themselves suggested that they travel in one bus and sat in friendship groups rather than as Eagles and Rattlers.

27
Which TWO of the following statements about the boys who took part in the study are made by the writer?
- A. They had approximately the same number of friends.
- B. Some of their parents helped to set up the camp.
- C. They selected the group that they wanted to be in.
- D. They were responsible for bringing their own tents.
- E. They received clothes that identified the group they belonged to.
- F. Some of them were criticised for dropping litter.
28
The Grand Tournament marked the second part of Sherif’s experiment. It included a range of ________ that each team would compete in, and the allocation of extra points for things like cleaning cabins.
29
To increase the competitive element of the tournament, the organisers used ________ in the dining hall.
30
They also made sure that the boys were under the impression that their scores were nearly ________ as the tournament neared its end.
31
The ________, who were thought to be the tougher group, won the first ball game and lost the second.
32
In other games there were accusations of ________.
33
Eventually, the tournament was won by the group that was considered to be ________ – the Eagles.
34
Phase 3: Non-competitive contact. Equal status eating ________
35
Phase 3: Non-competitive contact. ________ enjoyed them but were not sitting together
36
Phase 3: Non-competitive contact. A ________ raising money
37
Phase 3: Non-competitive contact. ________, e.g. stuck truck
38
Which TWO of the following statements are true of the experimenters who ran the study?
- A. They collected their data from secret observation posts.
- B. They encouraged the boys to use the terms ‘them’ and ‘us’.
- C. They used a rating exercise to assess the amount of in-group bias.
- D. They took steps to avoid personal injury among the boys.
- E. They secretly altered some of the results of the tournament.
- F. They joined in with the non-competitive activities.

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Hiện đáp án

1. TRUE
This is TRUE because the passage says liquorice was originally used for its medicinal properties before being made into sweets.
2. NOT GIVEN
This is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not compare the popularity of liquorice sweets made with sugar versus those with honey.
3. NOT GIVEN
This is NOT GIVEN because there is no information about current sales of liquorice compared to other non-chocolate sweets.
4. FALSE
This is FALSE because the passage says the texture of liquorice depends on the amount of wheat flour, not the quality of sugar.
5. TRUE
This is TRUE because the passage says adding corn syrup helps keep the liquorice fresh for longer.
6. TRUE
This is TRUE because the passage explains that wheat flour allows the liquorice to be made into different shapes.
7. FALSE
This is FALSE because aniseed oil is added to give a traditional flavour, not to improve the taste of liquorice extract.
8. burning
Mixers prevent slurry from burning, as stated in the passage.
9. moisture
The cooking process removes moisture, according to the passage.
10. harden
Slow movement lets the product cool and harden, as mentioned in the passage.
11. glaze
The product is coated in a glaze to improve appearance before being cut into pieces.
12. sealed
The product is put in a wrapper which is then sealed.
13. code
A code is printed onto each wrapper.
14. E
E is correct because Walter Falcon suggests people may need to adapt to a different quality of meat.
15. D
D is correct because Helmut Haberl describes how animals were fed in the past.
16. H
H is correct because this section predicts future human demand for meat.
17. F
F is correct because this part discusses what could happen to textile industries if there was no meat.
18. irrigation
The answer is irrigation, as the passage says modern farming uses frequent irrigation and cuts down trees.
19. transport
The answer is transport, because the passage says agriculture produces more greenhouse gases than transport.
20. land
The answer is land, because the passage says a meat-free diet would mean less land is needed for crops.
21. nitrogen
The answer is nitrogen, as the passage says less chemical pollution, especially nitrogen, would be released.
22. erosion
The answer is erosion, because the passage says there is clear evidence of erosion in the US due to grazing land.
23. C
C is correct because Annette Pinner says a vegetarian diet is not right for everyone.
24. E
E is correct because Walter Falcon says it may be better economically to farm animals in limited space.
25. D
D is correct because Helmut Haberl says it does not make sense to give up meat but keep eating dairy products.
26. B
B is correct because Tara Garnett says some animals can be fed in a way that recycles waste.
27. A / E
A is correct because the passage says the boys had about the same number of friends; E is correct because they received clothes to show which group they were in. Options like C (choosing groups) are wrong because the passage does not say the boys chose their groups.
28. sporting events
The answer is sporting events, as the passage says the Grand Tournament included a range of sporting events.
29. scoreboards
The answer is scoreboards, because the organisers used scoreboards in the dining hall to increase competition.
30. equal
The answer is equal, as the passage says the boys thought their scores were nearly equal near the end.
31. Rattlers
The answer is Rattlers, because the passage says the Rattlers were thought to be tougher and won the first ball game but lost the second.
32. cheating
The answer is cheating, as the passage says there were accusations of cheating in other games.
33. less tough
The answer is less tough, because the Eagles, considered less tough, won the tournament.
34. food fights
The answer is food fights, as the passage says equal status eating led to food fights.
35. watching films
The answer is watching films, because the passage says the boys enjoyed watching films but did not sit together.
36. common goal
The answer is common goal, as the passage says they had a common goal of raising money.
37. solving problems / problem-solving
The answer is solving problems / problem-solving, because the passage mentions solving problems like a stuck truck.
38. C / E
C is correct because the experimenters used a rating exercise to measure in-group bias; E is correct because they secretly changed some tournament results. A tempting wrong answer is B, but the passage does not say the experimenters encouraged the use of 'them' and 'us'.

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Reading Passage 1: Liquorice

Reading Passage 2: Should we stop eating meat?

Reading Passage 3: The Robbers Cave Study

Phiếu trả lời

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