Reading 2026-01 Test 14 — IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test with Answers

基于考生回忆投稿及材料收集整理 — 非官方 IELTS 资料。

Reading Passage 1: The Slow Food Organization

Slow Food began when Carlo Petrini, an Italian journalist, was dismayed by the opening of a fast food restaurant on the famous Piazza di Spagna in Rome. He decided it was time to celebrate the fast-disappearing virtues of the slow production, preparation and eating of food. What he had in mind when he began the Slow Food organization were local foods which were prepared in their traditional manner and eaten at leisurely meals with family and friends. Slow Food is the antithesis of everything fast food stands for, and it is now a thriving international organization with members in 45 countries, a successful publishing operation and a biannual trade show. In addition, Slow Food has launched a project called the ‘Ark of Taste’ and a concept called ‘virtuous globalization’. The Ark of Taste is the catalog of endangered food plant and animal species that Slow Food has resolved to protect against the rising global tide of fast food. Some examples of the biodiversity promoted by the Ark of Taste include Iroquois white corn and the Narragansett turkey, both of which are old, or heritage, foods in North America. Biodiversity is a term commonly associated with discussions of threats to wild species, but according to Slow Food the biodiversity of the domesticated species people have depended on for centuries is no less important. For example, when the latest patented hybrid variety of plant proves unable to withstand fungal or bacterial disease, plant breeders will need the disease-resistant genes which can be obtained from heritage plant varieties. If Iroquois white corn had fallen out of production, as it very nearly did two decades ago due to the commercial launch of a new hybrid corn, irreplaceable and possibly crucial sets of corn genes would have been lost forever. For some time, plant-saver groups have been preserving heritage plant varieties, but Slow Food takes that project a step further. The movement understands that all the food and plant species in its Ark of Taste carry not only information about genetic traits but they also embody a set of social practices, and in some cases even a way of life of previous generations. Slow Food teaches that when a variety of food or breed of animal disappears, something greater also disappears: a specific, irreplaceable mode of life that a particular people have devised for living in a particular part of the Earth. An example of this is the Iroquois white corn. By working to find new markets for this ancient variety of corn, Slow Food is ensuring a source of income for the Native Americans who grow, roast, and grind this corn and, at the same time, helping to preserve the specific cookery and religious uses that the corn has been selected to support over hundreds of years.

Slow Food has moved away from the traditional locations for preserving rare animal and plant species. For example, instead of zoos for rare animals and botanic gardens for rare plants, Slow Food maintains that its plants and animals are best preserved on the dishes and plates of discerning customers. To this end, Slow Food has introduced the concept of virtuous globalization, which recognizes that the best way to ensure a safe future for distinctive local products and practices is to find a global market for them. In this way, local producers will be able to continue producing the food which for many years has been a defining factor of their cultural identity. The characteristics of the virtuous globalization of Slow Foods show how different the concept is from the globalization of fast foods. Whereas global fast food companies aim to sell food that has an unchanging taste wherever in the world it is eaten, the taste of a recognized Slow Food is unique to that food. Another aspect is the quantities sold of these two types of food. In the case of fast food, these are enormous, but the quantities of Slow Food products which are available for selling are limited, due to the rarity of the plants or animals. The customers of virtuous globalization Slow Foods are affluent people who value novelty and are undeterred by the costs, which are high when compared to fast food. Some years ago, a network of farmers in the USA volunteered to take part in a national Slow Food project. The project was for the farmers to raise a total of 5,000 turkeys from eggs which had been selected from four varieties of endangered turkey. The farmers had to begin by hatching the eggs they had been supplied with, then raising the young turkeys to adults. They were promised a guaranteed price per pound for the adult turkeys. The object of the enterprise was to raise heritage turkeys for the North American holiday of Thanksgiving. Although chefs in some restaurants where the turkeys were on the menu complained that the Slow Food turkeys were smaller than industrially produced turkeys, the distinctive flavors were very well received by consumers. By the following year, the world population of these turkeys had nearly doubled. It may seem strange that taking pleasure in eating could be a strategy for preserving biodiversity because pleasure is not normally associated with environmentalism. However, pleasure is part of what Slow Food aims to bring back, by demonstrating that, at least when it comes to the politics of food, the best choice is often the one that provides the most enjoyment.

1
The Ark of Taste lists food plant and animal species in danger of extinction.
2
Slow Food considers that the term ‘biodiversity’ should be restricted to wild species.
3
The genes of heritage plants may be of vital importance to modern plant breeders.
4
Countries can sell the genes of their heritage plant varieties internationally.
5
Slow Food maintains that food and culture exist independently of each other.
6
Some Native Americans are now giving cookery classes featuring Iroquois white corn.
7
Slow food: Taste
8
Slow food: Quantities sold
9
Fast food: Taste
10
What were farmers in the USA given so that they could raise endangered turkeys?
11
How many varieties of endangered turkey benefited from the project?
12
Who was not happy with the size of the turkeys?
13
Who liked the taste of the endangered turkeys?

Reading Passage 2: Insect Decision-Making

It has long been held that decisions made collectively by large groups of people are more likely to turn out to be accurate than decisions made by individuals. The idea goes back to the ‘jury theorem’ of Nicolas de Condorcet, an 18th-century French philosopher who was one of the first to apply mathematics to the social sciences. Condorcet’s theory describes collective decisions, outlining how democratic decisions tend to outperform dictatorial ones. If, for example, each member of a jury has only partial information, the majority decision is more likely to be correct than a decision arrived at by a single juror. Moreover, the probability of a correct decision increases with the size of the jury.

Now it is becoming clear that group decisions are also extremely valuable for the success of social animals, such as ants, bees, birds and dolphins. Bees make collective decisions, and they do it rather well, according to Christian List of the London School of Economics, who has studied group decision-making in humans and animals. Researchers led by Dr List looked at colonies once the original colony reached a certain size. The queen goes off with about two-thirds of the worker bees to live in a new home or nest, leaving a daughter queen in the old nest with the remaining workers. Among the bees that depart are some that have searched for and found some new nest sites, and reported back using a characteristic body movement known as a ‘waggle dance’ to indicate to the other bees the suitable places they have located. The longer the dance, the better the site. After a while, other bees start to visit the sites signalled by their companions to see for themselves and, on their return, also perform more waggle dances. The process eventually leads to a consensus on the best site and the breakaway swarm migrates. The decision is remarkably reliable, with the bees choosing the best site even when there are only small differences between alternative sites.

But exactly how do bees reach such a robust consensus? To find out, Dr List and his colleagues used a computer-generated model of the decision-making process. By experimenting with it, they found that, when bees in the model were very good at finding nesting sites but did not share their information, this dramatically slowed down the migration, leaving the swarm homeless and vulnerable. Conversely, bees in the model blindly followed the waggle dances of others without first checking. The researchers concluded that the ability of bees to identify successfully and quickly the best site depends on both the bees’ interdependence in communicating the whereabouts of the best site, and their independence in confirming this information for themselves.

Another situation in which collective decisions are taken occurs when animals are either isolated from crucial sources of information or dominated by other members of the group. Jose Halloy of the Free University of Brussels in Belgium used robotic cockroaches to subvert the behaviour of living cockroaches and control their decision-making process. In his experiment, the artificial bugs were introduced to the live ones and soon became sufficiently socially integrated that they were perceived by the real cockroaches as equals. By manipulating the robots, which were in the minority, Halloy was able to persuade the living cockroaches to choose an inappropriate shelter—even one which they had rejected before being infiltrated by the robots.

The way insects put into effect collective decisions can be complex and as important as the decisions themselves. At the University of Bristol, in the UK, Nigel Franks and his colleagues studied how a species of ant establishes a new nest. Franks and his associates reported how the insects reduce the problems associated with making a necessarily swift choice. If the ants’ existing nest becomes suddenly threatened, the insects choose certain ants to act as scouts to find a new nest. How quickly they accomplish the transfer to a new home depends not only on how soon the best available site is found, but also on how quickly the migration there can be achieved.

Once the suitable new nest is identified, the chosen ants begin to lead others, which have made it to the new site or which may simply be in the vicinity, back to the original threatened nest. In this way, those ants which are familiar with the route can help transport, for example, the queen and young ants to the new site, and simultaneously show the way to those ants which have been left behind to guard the old nest. In this way, moving processes are accomplished faster and more efficiently. Thus the dynamics of collective decision-making are closely related to the efficient implementation of those decisions. How this might apply to choices that humans make is, as yet, unclear. But it does suggest, even for humans, the importance of recruiting dynamic leaders to a cause, because the most important thing about collective decision-making, as shown by these insect experiments, is to get others to follow.

14
Paragraph A
- i. The effect of man-made imitations on insects
- ii. The need to instruct additional insect guides
- iii. Signals used by certain insects to indicate a discovery
- iv. How urgency can affect the process of finding a new home
- v. The use of trained insects in testing scientific theories
- vi. The use of virtual scenarios in the study of insect behaviour
- vii. How the number of decision-makers affects the decision
15
Paragraph B
16
Paragraph C
17
Paragraph D
18
Paragraph E
19
Paragraph F
20
Certain members can influence the rest of the group to alter a previous decision.
- A. Nicolas de Condorcet
- B. Christian List and colleagues
- C. José Halloy
- D. Nigel Franks and colleagues
21
Individual verification of a proposed choice is important for a successful decision outcome.
22
The more individuals taking part in a decision, the better the decision will be.
23
The decision-making process of certain insects produces excellent results even when fine distinctions are required.
24
A Bristol University study looked at how insects make decisions when their home has been _________.
25
The ants in the experiment relied on the use of individuals called _________ to find a new nest and efficiently direct the others to go there.
26
The study concluded that the effective implementation of the ants’ decision meant that the insects could change homes quickly. The study emphasized the necessity, for people as well as insects, of having active _________ in order to execute decisions successfully.

Reading Passage 3: A closer examination of a study on verbal and non-verbal messages

A study of non-verbal communication carried out in 1967 continues to be widely quoted today. David Lapakko looks at limitations in the original study.

Description of the Study

The findings of a study on verbal and non-verbal messages in communication by Albert Mehrabian and his colleagues at UCLA in 1967 have been quoted so frequently that they are now often regarded as a self-evident truth. In the first experiment, subjects were asked to listen to a recording of a female saying the word “maybe” in three tones of voice to convey liking, neutrality, and disliking. The subjects were then shown photos of female faces expressing the same three emotions and were asked to guess the emotions in the recorded voice and the photos. It was found that the photos received more accurate responses than the voices. In the second experiment, subjects listened to nine recorded words spoken in different tones of voice. Three words had positive meanings (e.g. honey), three were neutral (e.g. oh), and three were negative (e.g. terrible). Again, the subjects had to guess the speaker’s emotions. It was found that tone of voice carried more meaning than the individual words. From these experiments the researchers concluded that 7% of our feeling towards a speaker is based on the actual words they use, 38% on their tone of voice, and 55% on their body language (e.g. facial expression).

Methodological Issues

However, a closer look at the study reveals several limitations. The first is that the entire study involved only 62 subjects. Of these, 25 were used to select the word for the first experiment, while the key issue – comparing verbal and non-verbal communication – was determined by only the 37 remaining subjects. All were female undergraduates who participated as part of their introductory psychology course, and their ages and academic qualifications seem remarkably uniform. Thus, the findings may simply be a product of the nature of the sample. Critics have also pointed out that the 7–38–55 formula is flawed since it was pieced together from two different experiments, neither of which involved all three channels (verbal, vocal, and facial). In addition, in the first experiment the single word “maybe” was used throughout so it was impossible for the effects of changes in verbal input to be assessed. The researchers intentionally used a “neutral” word so naturally the subjects found little meaning there. Clearly, such a methodology lacks validity. In the real world, people communicate in a particular context and speak in phrases and full-blown sentences, making extensive use of the multi-faceted vehicle of language. My concern is that interpretations of this study have gained such prominence in our pedagogical literature. This 7–38–55 formula appears in many basic texts, used for training in public speaking, interpersonal communication, and organizational communication.

Lessons to consider

Clearly, one appealing aspect of the Mehrabian study is its numerical precision. Communication is a complex phenomenon, but it seems less so when we can rely on these three magical numbers. In contrast to the ambiguities of language, numbers seem to possess exactness. And the popular appeal of the study has given the 7–38–55 formula enormous credibility. There is a certain mystique about non-verbal communication, and the continued references to this research sustain it, encouraging people to believe in the overwhelming importance of the non-verbal message compared with the verbal one. Yet we know that even one ill-chosen word to a colleague or friend can make or break a communicative effort. Words do matter. Bradley (1991), one of the few textbook writers to criticize the Mehrabian study, makes the same point when he observes, “If we could communicate 93% of information and attitudes with vocal and facial cues, it would be wasteful to spend time learning a language.” Mehrabian himself believes his research should not be interpreted to devalue the role of language in communication, saying: “Please remember that all my findings… dealt with communications of feelings and attitudes… it is absurd to imply or suggest that the verbal portion of all communication constitutes only 7% of the message… anytime we communicate abstract relationships (e.g., x = y – the square of z) clearly 100% of the entire communication is verbal.” (Mehrabian, 1995)

To be fair, many textbook writers attempt to be faithful to the context of Mehrabian’s research. For example, Stewart and D’Angelo (1988) write: “Mehrabian argues that when we’re uncertain about what someone’s feeling, or about how much we like him or her, we rely… only 7% on the words that are spoken.” Others try to play down the specific percentages, saying that an understanding of the general importance of non-verbal cues is more important. Nonetheless, other textbook authors simply use the numbers without placing any limits on their meaning.

Conclusion

Since this relatively small study was first published it has achieved an influence far beyond its intended scope. We need to put it into its proper perspective and learn some important lessons from it regarding social science research, communication pedagogy, and the forces which have created widespread misunderstanding about communication.

27
Mehrabian’s 1967 study Albert Mehrabian and his colleagues carried out an influential study comparing the ________ of verbal and non-verbal communication.
- A. facial expressions
- B. purposes
- C. printed words
- D. effects
- E. words meanings
- F. gender differences
- G. feelings
- H. characteristics
28
In both experiments, subjects had to identify the ________ being communicated by other people.
29
The two main areas focused on in the first experiment were voice tones and ________,
30
while the second focused mainly on voice tones and ________.
31
One limitation of the study was that there were too few subjects involved.
32
The fact that the subjects in the study came from a similar background was an advantage.
33
The two experiments should have been carried out in a different order.
34
The researchers’ choice of a neutral word was helpful in the context of the study.
35
The study would have been more valid if it had included a range of languages.
36
What does the writer say about the “numerical precision” of Mehrabian’s study?
- A. It makes the claims more attractive.
- B. It is the strongest point of the study.
- C. It will appeal to superstitious people.
- D. It allows comparison between languages.
37
What does the writer say about the popularity of the 7–38–55 formula?
- A. It is unlikely to maintain its present status.
- B. It is leading to an undervaluing of words.
- C. It should be applied in a more practical way.
- D. It may help understanding of non-verbal messages.
38
What point is Bradley making about language learning?
- A. Language could be learned more efficiently than it is.
- B. More research is needed into attitudes to communication.
- C. More time should be spent looking at tone and body language.
- D. Language must be important since we make an effort to acquire it.
39
What does Mehrabian himself say about his findings?
- A. They are relevant to only one area of communication.
- B. It is only in maths that 100% of communication is verbal.
- C. Feelings are more difficult to communicate than numerical facts.
- D. Non-verbal communication is the main part of the message.
40
What is the writer’s purpose in the paragraph beginning “To be fair…”?
- A. To justify the strong points of Mehrabian’s study.
- B. To outline other research on non-verbal behaviour.
- C. To present varying interpretations of Mehrabian’s study.
- D. To show that textbooks tend to ignore non-verbal behaviour.

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1. TRUE
The answer is TRUE because the passage says the Ark of Taste 'lists food plant and animal species in danger of extinction.'
2. FALSE
The answer is FALSE because the passage explains that Slow Food includes both wild and cultivated species in 'biodiversity,' not just wild ones.
3. TRUE
The answer is TRUE because the passage mentions that the genes of heritage plants 'may be of vital importance to modern plant breeders.'
4. NOT GIVEN
The answer is NOT GIVEN because there is no information in the passage about countries selling the genes of their heritage plant varieties internationally.
5. FALSE
The answer is FALSE because the passage says Slow Food believes food and culture are closely linked, not independent.
6. NOT GIVEN
The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not mention Native Americans giving cookery classes with Iroquois white corn.
7. unique
The answer is 'unique' because the passage says slow food has a 'unique' taste, unlike fast food.
8. limited
The answer is 'limited' because the passage states that slow food is sold in 'limited' quantities.
9. unchanging
The answer is 'unchanging' because the passage says fast food has an 'unchanging' taste, while slow food is unique.
10. eggs
The answer is 'eggs' because the passage says farmers in the USA were given eggs to raise endangered turkeys.
11. four
The answer is 'four' because the passage states that four varieties of endangered turkey benefited from the project.
12. chefs
The answer is 'chefs' because the passage says chefs were not happy with the size of the turkeys, while consumers liked the taste.
13. consumers
The answer is 'consumers' because the passage says consumers liked the taste of the endangered turkeys, but chefs were unhappy with their size.
14. vii
The answer is 'vii' because Paragraph A discusses how the number of decision-makers affects the decision.
15. iii
The answer is 'iii' because Paragraph B is about signals used by certain insects to indicate a discovery.
16. vi
The answer is 'vi' because Paragraph C talks about the use of virtual scenarios in the study of insect behaviour.
17. i
The answer is 'i' because Paragraph D discusses the effect of man-made imitations on insects.
18. iv
The answer is 'iv' because Paragraph E is about how urgency can affect the process of finding a new home.
19. ii
The answer is 'ii' because Paragraph F discusses the need to instruct additional insect guides.
20. C
The answer is 'C' because José Halloy's work shows certain members can influence the rest of the group to change a previous decision. The tempting wrong option D (Nigel Franks) is about ants' decision-making, not changing decisions.
21. B
The answer is 'B' because Christian List and colleagues emphasized the importance of individual verification for a successful decision.
22. A
The answer is 'A' because Nicolas de Condorcet argued that more individuals taking part leads to better decisions.
23. B
The answer is 'B' because Christian List and colleagues found that insect decision-making works well even for fine distinctions.
24. threatened
The answer is 'threatened' because the study looked at how insects make decisions when their home has been threatened.
25. scouts
The answer is 'scouts' because the ants relied on scouts to find a new nest and direct others.
26. leaders
The answer is 'leaders' because the study emphasized the necessity of having active leaders to execute decisions successfully.
27. D
The answer is 'D' because Mehrabian's study compared the effects of verbal and non-verbal communication.
28. G
The answer is 'G' because subjects had to identify the feelings being communicated.
29. A
The answer is 'A' because the first experiment focused on voice tones and facial expressions.
30. E
The answer is 'E' because the second experiment focused on voice tones and words meanings.
31. YES
The answer is 'YES' because the passage says one limitation was that there were too few subjects.
32. NO
The answer is 'NO' because the passage says having subjects from a similar background was a disadvantage, not an advantage.
33. NOT GIVEN
The answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage does not mention if the experiments should have been done in a different order.
34. NO
The answer is 'NO' because the passage says the choice of a neutral word was not helpful.
35. NOT GIVEN
The answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage does not say if including more languages would make the study more valid.
36. A
The answer is 'A' because the writer says the numerical precision makes the claims more attractive.
37. B
The answer is 'B' because the writer says the popularity of the 7–38–55 formula is leading to an undervaluing of words. The tempting wrong option D suggests it helps understanding, but the passage focuses on the negative effect.
38. D
The answer is 'D' because Bradley says language must be important since people make an effort to learn it.
39. A
The answer is 'A' because Mehrabian himself says his findings are relevant to only one area of communication.
40. C
The answer is 'C' because the writer's purpose is to present varying interpretations of Mehrabian’s study.

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