Reading 2026-05 Test 26 — 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: Lever Brothers' Sunlight Soap: A Revolution in Hygiene and Industry

A 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.

B 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.

C 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.

D 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.

E 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.

F 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: Animal Minds: Parrot Alex

In 1977 Irene Pepperberg, a recent graduate of Harvard University, did something very bold. At a time when animals still were considered automatons, she set out to find what was on another creature’s mind by talking to it. She brought a one-year-old African gray parrot she named Alex into her lab to teach him to reproduce the sounds of the English language. “I thought if he learned to communicate, I could ask him questions about how he sees the world.”

When Pepperberg began her dialogue with Alex, who died last September at the age of 31, many scientists believed animals were incapable of any thought. They were simply machines, robots programmed to react to stimuli but lacking the ability to think or feel. Any pet owner would disagree. We see the love in our dogs’ eyes and know that, of course, they have thoughts and emotions. But such claims remain highly controversial. Gut instinct is not science, and it is all too easy to project human thoughts and feelings onto another creature. How, then, does a scientist prove that an animal is capable of thinking – that it is able to acquire information about the world and act on it? “That’s why I started my studies with Alex,” Pepperberg said. They were seated – she at her desk, he on top of his cage – in her lab, a windowless room about the size of a boxcar, at Brandeis University. Newspapers lined the floor; baskets of bright toys were stacked on the shelves. They were clearly a team – and because of their work, the notion that animals can think is no longer so fanciful.

Certain skills are considered key signs of higher mental abilities: good memory, a grasp of grammar and symbols, self-awareness, understanding others’ motives, imitating others, and being creative. Bit by bit, in ingenious experiments, researchers have documented these talents in other species, gradually chipping away at what we thought made human beings distinctive while offering a glimpse of where our own abilities came from. Scrub jays know that other jays are thieves and that stashed food can spoil; sheep can recognize faces; chimpanzees use a variety of tools to probe termite mounds and even use weapons to hunt small mammals; dolphins can imitate human postures; the archerfish, which stuns insects with a sudden blast of water, can learn how to aim its squirt simply by watching an experienced fish perform the task. And Alex the parrot turned out to be a surprisingly good talker.

Thirty years after the Alex studies began, Pepperberg and a changing collection of assistants were still giving him English lessons. The humans, along with two younger parrots, also served as Alex’s flock, providing the social input all parrots crave. Like any flock, this one – as small as it was – had its share of drama. Alex dominated his fellow parrots, acted huffy at times around Pepperberg, tolerated the other female humans, and fell to pieces over a male assistant who dropped by for a visit. Pepperberg bought Alex in a Chicago pet store where she let the store’s assistant pick him out because she didn’t want other scientists saying later that she’d particularly chosen an especially smart bird for her work. Given that Alex’s brain was the size of a shelled walnut, most researchers thought Pepperberg’s interspecies communication study would be futile.

“Some people actually called me crazy for trying this,” she said. “Scientists thought that chimpanzees were better subjects, although, of course, chimps can’t speak.” Chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas have been taught to use sign language and symbols to communicate with us, often with impressive results. The bonobo Kanzi, for instance, carries his symbol-communication board with him so he can “talk” to his human researchers, and he has invented combinations of symbols to express his thoughts. Nevertheless, this is not the same thing as having an animal look up at you, open his mouth, and speak. Under Pepperberg’s patient tutelage, Alex learned how to use his vocal tract to imitate almost one hundred English words, including the sounds for various foods, although he calls an apple a “beanery.” “Apples taste a little bit like bananas to him, and they look a little bit like cherries, Alex made up that word for them,” Pepperberg said.

It sounded a bit mad, the idea of a bird having lessons to practice, and willingly doing it. But after listening to and observing Alex, it was difficult to argue with Pepperberg’s explanation for his behaviors. She wasn’t handing him treats for the repetitious work or rapping him on the claws to make him say the sounds. “He has to hear the words over and over before he can correctly imitate them,” Pepperberg said, after pronouncing “seven” for Alex a good dozen times in a row. “I’m not trying to see if Alex can learn a human language,” she added. “That’s never been the point. My plan always was to use his imitative skills to get a better understanding of avian cognition.”

In other words, because Alex was able to produce a close approximation of the sounds of some English words, Pepperberg could ask him questions about a bird’s basic understanding of the world. She couldn’t ask him what he was thinking about, but she could ask him about his knowledge of numbers, shapes, and colors. To demonstrate, Pepperberg carried Alex on her arm to a tall wooden perch in the middle of the room. She then retrieved a green key and a small green cup from a basket on a shelf. She held up the two items to Alex’s eye. “What’s same?” she asked. Without hesitation, Alex’s beak opened: “Color.” “What’s different?” Pepperberg asked. “Shape,” Alex said. His voice had the digitized sound of a cartoon character. Since parrots lack lips (another reason it was difficult for Alex to pronounce some sounds, such as ba), the words seemed to come from the air around him, as if a ventriloquist were speaking. But the words – and what can only be called the thoughts – were entirely his.

For the next 20 minutes, Alex ran through his tests, distinguishing colors, shapes, sizes, and materials (wool versus wood versus metal). He did some simple arithmetic, such as counting the yellow toy blocks among a pile of mixed hues. And, then, as if to offer final proof of the mind inside his bird’s brain, Alex spoke up. “Talk clearly!” he commanded, when one of the younger birds Pepperberg was also teaching talked with wrong pronunciation. “Talk clearly!” “Don’t be a smart aleck,” Pepperberg said, shaking her head at him. “He knows all this, and he gets bored, so he interrupts the others, or he gives the wrong answer just to be obstinate. At this stage, he’s like a teenager; he’s moody, and I’m never sure what he’ll do.”

14
Firstly, Alex has grasped quite a lot of vocabulary.
15
At the beginning of study, Alex felt frightened in the presence of humans.
16
Previously, many scientists realized that animals possess the ability of thinking.
17
It has taken a long time before people get to know cognition existing in animals.
18
As Alex could approximately imitate the sounds of English words, he was capable of roughly answering Irene's questions regarding the world.
19
By breaking in other parrots as well as producing the incorrect answers, he tried to be focused.
20
After the training of Irene, Parrot Alex can use his vocal tract to pronounce more than ________.
21
While other scientists believe that animals have no this advanced ability of thinking, they would rather teach ________.
22
Pepperberg clarified that she wanted to conduct a study concerning ________ but not to teach him to talk.
23
The store's assistant picked out a bird at random for her for the sake of avoiding other scientists saying that the bird is ________ afterwards.
24
What did Alex reply regarding the similarity of the subjects showed to him?
25
What is the problem of the young parrots except Alex?
26
To some extent, through the way he behaved what we can call him?

Reading Passage 3: The Origin of Mass Production

A Despite its obvious connection, mass production was not a corollary to the modern Industrial Revolution. Various mass production techniques had been practiced in ancient times, from ceramic production in the Orient to manufacturing in ancient Greece. The British were most likely the first modern economy to adapt water-powered, then steam-powered, machinery to industrial production methods, most notably in the textiles industry. Yet it is generally agreed that modern mass production techniques came into widespread use through the innovation of an assortment of Americans who substantially improved the ancient techniques. Indeed, this modern mass production was called the American System and its early successes are often attributed to Eli Whitney, who adapted mass production techniques and the interchangeability of parts to the manufacture of muskets for the U.S. government in the late 1790s.

B In the late 18th century, French General Jean-Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval, promoted standardized weapons, which became known as the Systeme Gribeauval after it was issued as a royal order in 1765. (Its focus at the time was artillery more than muskets or handguns.) The crucial step toward interchangeability in metal parts was taken by Simeon North, working only a few miles from Eli Terry. North created one of the world's first true milling machines to do metal shaping that previously was done by hand with a file. Diana Muir believes that North's milling machine was online around 1816. While Whitney was certainly an innovator of the American System, others maintain that Whitney's parts were not truly interchangeable and that credit should more appropriately go to John Hall, the New England gunsmith who built Muskets with flintlock for the United States government at the Harper's Ferry armory. Flintlock, as it was implied meant people used it to trigger the gun. Hall, born in Maine in 1769, built many of the machine tools needed for precision manufacturing and instituted a system that employed accurate gauges for measuring every aspect and piece of work his factory produced. Consequently, he achieved a much higher level of interchangeability and precision than did Whitney.

C Still others maintain that the credit for these modern innovations should go to a French gunsmith whose methods and results predated those of Whitney and Hall by at least a decade. In Britain, and somewhat simultaneously with Whitney, the Frenchman Marc Isambard Brunei adapted steam-driven machinery and assembly-line techniques to the production of 130,000 pulleys for the marine industry in just one year. Brunei's achievements were made possible by the design and manufacture of several machine tools by the noted British inventor, Henry Maudslay.

D Maudslay's contribution to modern mass production was the invention of precision machine tools capable of producing the identical parts necessary for mass production techniques which made producing guns cheaper. It is generally conceded that the British machine tool industry was far more advanced than that of the Americans in these early stages of mass production development. Simultaneous with Whitney's innovations in the United States were those of Oliver Evans, whose many inventions in the flour milling process led to an automated mill that could be run by a singer miller.

E Samuel Colt and Elisha King Root were also very successful innovators in the development of industrial processes that could mass produce interchangeable parts for the assembly-line production of firearms. Colt and Root wished to advance the machining of parts so that even the most minute of tasks could be performed with the precision that they believed only machines could achieve. In these endeavors, Colt and Root were largely successful.

F Eli Terry also adapted mass production methods to clockmaking in the early 1800s, and George Eastman made innovations to assembly-line techniques in the manufacture and the developing of photographic film later in the century. Credit for the development of large scale, assembly-line, mass production techniques is usually given to Henry Ford and his innovative Model T production methods. Henry Ford had his workers standing in one place while parts were brought by on conveyor belts, and the car itself moved past the workers on another conveyor belt. Bodies were built on one line and the chassis and drive train were built on another. When both were essentially complete, the body was lowered onto the chassis for final assembly. Around the same time, production of guns also entered into the assembly line.

G Despite the fact that he was not the first, Ford can certainly be viewed as the most successful of these early innovators due to one simple fact — Ford envisioned and fostered mass consumption as a corollary to mass production. Ford's techniques lessened the time needed to build a Model T from about twelve and a half hours to an hour and a half; the price was reduced as well — from $850 for the first Model T in 1908, to only $290 in 1927 after assembly-line techniques were introduced in 1913. The automobile was no longer a luxury for the rich, the Model T fast became a necessity for nearly everyone. Indeed, Ford sold almost half of all of the automobiles bought worldwide from 1908 to 1927 — the years of Model T production. Apart from this, people showed different views over whether guns should be involved in mass production. The expense opposition to ammunition was the first one to trigger the debate. Other equipment involved in war or preparation for war was also against. Let alone all these required a lot of workforce to accomplish.

H Assembly-line techniques also required that the manual skills necessary to build a product be altered. Previous to mass production techniques, as seen in the early manufacture of firearms, each workman was responsible for the complete manufacture and assembly of all of the component parts needed to build any single product. Mass production and parts interchangeability demanded that all parts be identical and the individual worker no longer be allowed the luxury of building a complete product based on his personal skills and inclinations. Machines came to dictate the production process, and each part — once created individually by hand— was now duplicated by a machine process that was merely guided by human control. The craft tradition, dominant in human endeavor for centuries, was abandoned in favor of a process that created parts by machine. Furthermore, assembly of these machine-made parts was divided into a series of small repetitive steps that required much less skill than traditional craftsmanship. Consequently, modern mass production techniques, while certainly increasing the efficiency of the manufacturing process and bringing industrial products within the reach of virtually all of humanity, apart from manufacturing ballpoint pens, making of gun is also part of it. But safety is also a factor to consider. People succeeded in restrain the production of guns resulting only 4 manufactures were permitted to produce guns in mass production.

27
Paragraph C
- i. The appearance of precision machine tools
- ii. Different techniques applied to mass production
- iii. Prominent researchers' work dedicated to mass production of firearm making
- iv. The disagreement on the first person who invented real interchangeable parts instead of Whitney
- v. Successful elements for imposing restrictions on the production of guns
- vi. Controversy on the permission of guns production
- vii. The use of mass production to manufacture guns
- viii. The significant role of interchangeable parts
28
Paragraph D
29
Paragraph E
30
Paragraph F
31
Paragraph G
32
Paragraph H
33
Why was John Hall’s production more precise than Whitney’s?
- A. He used a new type of milling machine
- B. He employed accurate measuring gauges
- C. He focused on muskets instead of handguns
- D. He predated the French gunsmith’s methods
34
What is the function of flintlock as mentioned in the passage?
- A. Grind the gun
- B. Decorate the gun
- C. Fire the gun
- D. Maintain the gun
35
Why does the author quote an example concerning Ford?
- A. To demonstrate that mass production needed detailed techniques
- B. To show that every object could be detached into several parts
- C. To emphasize that Ford was a successful enterprise
- D. To stress that cars were popular at that time in the U.S.
36
What is the main contribution of Maudslay?
- A. Introduced assembly line for producing interchangeable parts of guns
- B. Created useful tools for manufacture of guns with economic feasibility
- C. Lessened the time for making guns
- D. Set a standard of making guns and the standard of interchangeable parts
37
Which might be the best subtitle for the passage?
- A. The origin of auto assembly line
- B. A marvelous advancement in firearm production
- C. The origin of mass production
- D. The significance of producing interchangeable parts
38
People mainly expressed ______ to buying ammunition after the success of applying assembly line to the production of automobiles which led to the same practice for guns followed by a heated debate over this application. Besides, other ______ were needed in the war which demanded a big ______ to support.

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1. C
Answer C is correct because it describes the advertising methods used, such as focusing on purity and fighting germs, which helped promote the soap.
2. D
Answer D is correct because it explains that a particular location, Port Sunlight, was built for workers to improve their welfare.
3. F
Answer F is correct as it shows that the success of the soap product led to the creation of a major corporation, Unilever.
4. B
Answer B is correct because it 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 as it lists the health benefits for society, such as improved hygiene and reduced disease, from using the soap.
6. B
Answer B is correct because the Lever brothers' original business goal was to create a soap that was more consistent, superior, and ethical than existing soaps.
7. James Darcy Lever
James Darcy Lever is correct because he was the co-founder along with William Hesketh Lever.
8. 1884
1884 is correct as it is the year the company was established.
9. vegetable oils
Vegetable oils is correct because the key innovation was using vegetable oils and alkali instead of animal fats and wood ash.
10. ethical
Ethical is correct as the product was described as more consistent, superior, and ethical.
11. germs
Germs is correct because advertisements focused on purity and fighting germs.
12. Port Sunlight
Port Sunlight is correct as it was the model village built for worker welfare.
13. prosperity sharing
Prosperity sharing is correct because the village was based on this philosophy.
14. NOT GIVEN
NOT GIVEN is correct because there is no information about Alex's vocabulary grasp.
15. NOT GIVEN
NOT GIVEN is correct because there is no information about Alex feeling frightened at the beginning.
16. FALSE
FALSE is correct because previously, many scientists did not realize animals could think.
17. TRUE
TRUE is correct because it took a long time for people to recognize animal cognition.
18. TRUE
TRUE is correct because Alex could imitate English words and answer questions about the world.
19. FALSE
FALSE is correct because Alex did not try to focus by breaking in other parrots or giving wrong answers.
20. 100 English words
100 English words is correct because after training, Alex could pronounce more than 100 English words.
21. chimpanzees
Chimpanzees is correct because other scientists preferred to teach chimpanzees, not parrots.
22. avian cognition
Avian cognition is correct because Pepperberg wanted to study bird thinking, not just teach talking.
23. particularly chosen
Particularly chosen is correct because the assistant picked a bird at random to avoid claims it was specially selected.
24. color
Color is correct because Alex replied 'color' when asked about the similarity of the subjects.
25. wrong pronunciation
Wrong pronunciation is correct because the problem with young parrots, except Alex, was incorrect pronunciation.
26. teenager
Teenager is correct because Alex's behavior was described as similar to a teenager.
27. iv
iv is correct because Paragraph C discusses the disagreement about who invented real interchangeable parts, not just Whitney.
28. i
i is correct because Paragraph D talks about the appearance of precision machine tools.
29. iii
iii is correct because Paragraph E focuses on researchers' work for mass production of firearms.
30. vii
vii is correct because Paragraph F is about using mass production to make guns.
31. vi
vi is correct because Paragraph G discusses the controversy over allowing gun production.
32. v
v is correct because Paragraph H covers successful elements for restricting gun production.
33. B
B is correct because John Hall's production was more precise due to his use of accurate measuring gauges. Option A is tempting but the passage highlights measuring gauges, not a new milling machine.
34. C
C is correct because the flintlock's function is to fire the gun.
35. B
B is correct because the Ford example shows that every object could be broken into parts, not just that mass production needed techniques.
36. B
B is correct because Maudslay created useful tools for making guns economically, not just setting standards or introducing assembly lines.
37. C
C is correct because the passage is mainly about the origin of mass production.
38. opposition / equipment / workforce
Opposition / equipment / workforce is correct because people mainly opposed buying ammunition, other equipment was needed for war, and a large workforce was required.

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