This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to IELTS Reading Test 4 Reading Passage 2 which is titled ‘Changes in reading habits’. This is a targeted post for IELTS candidates who have big problems finding out and understanding Reading Answers in the AC module. This post can guide you to the best to understand every Reading answer without much trouble. Finding out IELTS Reading answers is a steady process, and this post will assist you in this respect.

IELTS: AC Reading Module

Reading Passage 2: Questions 14-26

The headline of the passage: Changes in reading habits

Questions 14-17: Multiple-choice questions

[This type of question asks you to choose a suitable answer from the options using the knowledge you gained from the passage. Generally, this question is set found as the last question set in most passages so you should not worry much about it. Finding all the answers for previous questions gives you a good idea about these questions.]

Question no. 14: What is the writer’s main point in the first paragraph?

Keywords for the question: writer’s main point, first paragraph,  

In the first paragraph, the author of the text gives some striking examples of the use of technology in our life in the beginning.

Then, in lines 4-5, the writer says, “ .. ..  Unbeknown to most of us, an invisible, game-changing transformation links everyone in this picture: . .. .. … .”

Here, Unbeknown to most of us, an invisible, game-changing transformation = a hidden effect,

So, the answer is: A (Our use of technology is having a hidden effect on us.)

Question no. 15: What main point does Sherry Turkle make about innovation?  

Keywords for the question: main point, Sherry Turkle, innovation,  

Reference to Sherry Turkle can be found in paragraph no. 3. Here, take a look at lines 3-5, “ . … . .. In this hinge moment between print and digital cultures, society needs to confront what is diminishing in the expert reading circuit, what our children and older students are not developing, and what we can do about it.”

Here, the final lines suggest that we should pay attention to what is diminishing or what might be lost when innovation occurs.

So, the answer is: B (We should pay attention to what might be lost when innovation occurs.)

Question no. 16: What point is the writer making in the fourth paragraph?  

 Keywords for the question: point, writer making, fourth paragraph,  

The answer can be found in the first lines of paragraph no. 4, as the writer mentions here, “We know from research that the reading circuit is not given to human beings through a genetic blueprint like vision or language; it needs an environment to develop. Further, it will adapt to that environment’s requirements – . . … ..”

Here, the reading circuit = some brain circuits,

it will adapt to that environment’s requirements = adjust to whatever is required of them,

So, the answer is: D (Some brain circuits adjust to whatever is required of them.)

Question no. 17: According to Mark Edmundson, the attitude of college students –

Keywords for the question: Mark Edmundson, attitude, college students,  

The answer can be found in paragraph no. 5. In lines 2-4, the writer says, “ .. …. .. . English literature and scholar and teacher Mark Edmundson describes how many college students actively avoid the classic literature of the 19th and 20th centuries in favour of something simpler as they no longer have the patience to read longer, denser, more difficult texts. .. . .”

Here, college students actively avoid the classic literature of the 19th and 20th centuries = the attitude of college students has influenced what they select to read,

So, the answer is: B (has influenced what they select to read.)

Questions 18-22: Completing summary with a list of words

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to complete a summary with a list of words taken from the passage. Candidates must write the correct letters (not the words) which are given in the box under the questions as the answers. Keywords and synonyms are important to find answers correctly. Generally, this type of question maintains a sequence. Find the keywords in the passage and you are most likely to find the answers.]

The title of the summary: Studies on digital screen use

Question no. 18: There have been many studies on digital screen use, showing some _______ trends.  

Keywords for the question: many studies, digital screen use, showing, some, trends,   

In paragraph no. 6, lines 1-2 say, “Multiple studies show that digital screen use may be causing a variety of troubling downstream effects on reading comprehension in older high school and college students. .. ..”

Here, Multiple studies = many studies, troubling downstream effects = worrying trends,

So, the answer is: D (worrying)

Question no. 19: Psychologist Anne Mangen gave high-school students a short story to read, half using digital and half using print mediums. Her team then used a question-and-answer technique to find out how _________ each group’s understanding of the plot was.   

Keywords for the question: Psychologist Anne Mangen, high-school students, short story, to read, half, digital, half, print mediums, her team, question-and-answer technique, find out, how, each group’s understanding, plot,

In paragraph no. 6, lines 3-6, the writer explains, “ . .. .  In Stavanger, Norway, psychologist Anne Mangen and her colleagues studied how high school students comprehend the same material in different mediums. Mangen’s group asked subjects questions about a short story whose plot had universal student appeal; half of the students read the story on a tablet, the other half in paperback. .. .. .. .”

Here, how high school students comprehend = how thorough each group’s understanding of the plot was,

half of the students read the story on a tablet = half using digital medium,

other half in paperback = half using print medium, asked subjects questions = used a question-and-answer technique,

So, the answer is: H (thorough)

Question no. 20: The findings showed a clear pattern in the responses, with those who read screens finding the order of information _________ to recall.

Keywords for the question: findings, showed, clear pattern, responses, who read screens, finding, order of information, to recall,  

The answer can be found in paragraph no. 6 in lines 6-8, “ . .. . .. Results indicated that students who read on print were superior in their comprehension to screen-reading peers, particularly in their ability to sequence detail and reconstruct the plot in chronological order.”

Here, students who read on print were superior in their comprehension to screen-reading peers = those who read screens finding the order of information hard to recall,

So, the answer is: F (hard)

Question no. 21: Studies by Ziming Liu show that students are tending to read _______ words and phrases in a text to save time.

Keywords for the question: Studies by Ziming Liu, students, tending to read, words and phrases, save time,

In paragraph no. 7, lines 1-5 say, “Ziming Liu from San Jose State University has conducted a series of studies which indicate that the ‘new norm’ in reading is skimming, involving word-spotting and browsing through the text. Many readers now use a pattern when reading in which they sample the first line and then word-spot through the rest of the text. When the reading brain skims like this, it reduces time allocated to deep reading processes. .. .. .. .”  

Here, word-spot through the rest of the text = read isolated words and phrases, it reduces time = save time,

So, the answer is: B (isolated)

Question no. 22: This approach, she says, gives the reader a superficial understanding of the _______ content of material, leaving no time for thought.

Keywords for the question: this approach, gives the reader, superficial understanding, content of material, leaving no time, for thought,

Again, in paragraph no. 7, lines 5-6 say, “.. . . In other words, we don’t have time to grasp complexity, to understand another’s feelings, to perceive beauty, and to create thoughts of the reader’s own.”

Here, we don’t have time to grasp complexity = superficial understanding, understand another’s feelings = understanding of the emotional content of material,

So, the answer is: C (emotional)

Questions 23-26: YES, NO, NOT GIVEN

In this type of question, candidates have to find out whether:

The statement in the question matches the claim of the writer in the text- YES
The statement in the question contradicts the claim of the writer in the text- NO
There is no clear connection of the statement with the account in the text- NOT GIVEN

[TIPS: For this type of question, you can divide each statement into three independent pieces and make your way through with the answer.]

Question no. 23: The medium we use to read can affect our choice of reading content.

Keywords for the question: medium, use, to read, can affect, choice, reading content,    

In paragraph no. 8, lines 3-4 say, “ . .. .. It is about how we all have begun to read on various mediums and how that changes not only what we read, but also the purposes for which we read. .. .. .”

Here, how that changes not only what we read = The medium we use to read can affect our choice of reading content,

So, the answer is: YES

Question no. 24: Some age groups are more likely to lose their complex reading skills than others.

Keywords for the question: some age groups, more likely, lose, complex reading skills, than others,   

The first line of the final paragraph (paragraph no. 9) gives us answer to this question. The writer says here, “There’s an old rule in neuroscience that does not alter with age: use it or lose it. . .. ..”

Here, does not alter with age = it is equal for all age groups, use it or lose it = use the reading skills or lose it,

So, the answer is: NO

Question no. 25: False information has become more widespread in today’s digital era.

Keywords for the question: False information, more widespread, today’s digital era,     

There’s NO such INFORMATION given in the final paragraph about false information becoming more or less widespread in today’s digital era.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN  

Question no. 26: We still have opportunities to rectify the problems that technology is presenting.

Keywords for the question: still have opportunities, rectify, problems, technology, presenting,  

In lines 3-4 of the final paragraph, the author of the passage says, “ … . The story of the changing reading brain is hardly finished. We possess both the science and the technology to identify and readdress the changes in how we read before they become entrenched. .. .. .”  

Here, hardly finished = still have opportunities, readdress the changes = rectify the problems,

So, the answer is: YES

Click here for solutions to Test 4 Passage 1: Roman Tunnels

Click here for solutions to Test 4 Passage 3: Attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence