This General Training IELTS Reading post deals with a solution package for IELTS Cambridge 7 Reading Test A Section 3 that has a passage entitled ‘A Very Special Dog‘. This is an aimed post for candidates who have major problems searching for and understanding Reading Answers. This post can guide you the best to understand every Reading answer easily and without much difficulty. Finding IELTS Reading answers is a step-by-step process, and I can confidently say that this post will help you in this respect.

IELTS Cambridge 7 Test A: GT Reading Module

Section 3: A Very Special Dog

Questions 28-32:  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 found as the last question so you should not worry much about it. Finding all the answers to previous questions gives you a good idea about the title.]

Question 28: The drugs in the suitcase –    

Keywords for this question: drugs, suitcase,

The answer can be found in paragraph no. 2 in lines 2-4, “ . . .. . is a nondescript hardback suitcase. Inside the case, within styrofoam casing, packed in loose pepper and coffee, wrapped in freezer paper and heat-sealed in plastic, are 18 kilograms of hashish.”

Here, packed in = around, hashish = drugs,

So, the answer is: B (had pepper and coffee around them.)

Question 29: Most dogs are not good at finding drugs because –    

Keywords for this question: Most dogs, not good, finding drugs, 

In paragraph no. 3 the writer says, “ . .. Ordinary dogs have a 0.1% chance of making it in drug detection. The new breeding programme, run by the Australian Customs . . .. . . .”

Here, breeding programme = breeding dogs in a special way to improve their genetic qualities, 0.1% chance = not good at finding drugs, Ordinary dogs = most dogs, 

So, the answer is: D (they lack certain genetic qualities.)

Question 30: Florence is a good drug detector because she –    

Keywords for this question: Florence, good drug detector, because, 

In paragraph no. 4 take a look at lines 3-5, “. .. . It turns out that it’s not Florence’s nose that makes her a top drug dog, but her unswerving concentration, plus a few other essential traits.”

Here, unswerving concentration = not easily distracted,

So, the answer is: B (is not easily distracted.)

Question 31: Dogs like Florence may help scientists understand  –    

Keywords for this question: Dogs, like Florence, may help, scientists understand, 

The answer lies in paragraph no. 4 in lines 5-8, “…  .. . Florence could help neurobiologists to understand both what they call ‘attention processing’, the brain mechanisms that determine what a person pays attention to and for how long, and its flip side, problems such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).”

Here, help neurobiologists = help scientists, Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder = difficulty paying attention,

So, the answer is: C (why some people have difficulty paying attention.)

Question 32: In 1993, the Australian Customs –    

Keywords for this question: 1993, Australian Customs,

For this question, we should have a look at paragraph no. 5 which talks about the change in obtaining dogs.

Here, the author says in the first few lines, “The Australian Customs has used dogs to find drugs since 1969. Traditionally, the animals came from pounds and private breeders.” This means that the Australian Customs previously used dogs from private breeders and pounds.

Then, the next few lines say, “ . .. . But, in 1993, fed up with the poor success rate of finding good dogs this way, . . .. . . ., and set up a breeding programme.” So, the Australian Customs changed the way it obtained dogs.  

So, the answer is: C (changed the way it obtained dogs.)

Questions 33-36 (Choosing options)

[In this type of question candidates are asked to choose some options (mostly FOUR or FIVE) for a question from a given list. The answer-finding process is similar to other questions – find the keywords in the text and look around it. This question doesn’t necessarily maintain any sequence.]

Let’s have a look at the question:

The writer mentions a number of important qualities that detector dogs must have.

Which FOUR of the following qualities are mentioned by the writer of the text?

Keywords for this question: important qualities, detector dogs must have,

Take a look at paragraph no. 6 first, where the author talks about six essential traits (important qualities). “Champness began by defining six essential traits that make a detector dog. First, every good detector dog must love praise because this is the only tool trainers have at their disposal, but the dog must still be able to work for long periods without it.” This is a match with option I (a desire for people’s approval) and option F (a willingness to work without constant encouragement).

Then, in lines 5-6 the writer says, “.. . The ideal detector is also fearless enough to deal with jam-packed airport crowds and the roaring engine rooms of cargo ships.” This is a match with option D (an ability to work in noisy conditions).

Again, in lines 4-5 of paragraph no. 7, the writer says, “.. . . And finally, with potentially tens of thousands of hiding places for drugs, the dog must persevere and maintain focus for hours at a time.” This is a match with option E (an ability to maintain concentration).

So the answers are: (in any order)

D

E

F

I

Questions 37-40 (TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN)

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:

The statement in the question agrees with the information in the passage – TRUE
The statement in the question contradicts the information in the passage – FALSE
If there is no information on this  – NOT GIVEN

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

Question 37: Methods of determining if a child had ADHD are now widely accepted.

Keywords for this answer: Methods, determining, child, ADHD, now, widely, accepted,  

To find the answer to this question, we should have a look at the end of paragraph no. 4, at the very end, “. . .. problems such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). As many as 3 to 5% of children are thought to suffer from the condition in the US, where the incidence is highest, although diagnosis is often controversial.

Here, controversial = not widely accepted, rather it is criticised,

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question 38: After about five minutes of a vigilance test, some subjects will still notice some tips.

Keywords for this answer: after, five minutes, vigilance test, some subjects, will notice, tips,   

We find the reference of ‘vigilance test’ in line no. 5. So, we need to scan this paragraph. In this paragraph, the last lines say, “ . . . Five minutes into the test, one in ten subjects will start to miss the majority of the blips, one in ten will still be able to spot nearly all of them and the rest will come somewhere in between.”

Therefore, the last lines are a clear match with the question.

So, the answer is: TRUE

Question 39: Vigilance tests help improve concentration.

Keywords for this answer: Vigilance tests help, improve concentration,   

The passage talks about the use of a vigilance test. However, there is no information regarding the improvement of concentration through the vigilance test.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question 40: If a few grams of a drug are well concealed, even the best dogs will miss them.

Keywords for this answer: a few grams, drug, well concealed, best dogs, will miss,

Let’s have a look at lines 3-5, where the writer says, “.. .. .. During a routine mail screen that can take hours, the dogs stay so focused that not even a postcard lined with 0.5 grams of heroin and hidden in a bulging sack of letters escapes detection.”

Here, 0.5 grams of heroin = a few grams of a drug, hidden in a bulging sack of letters = well concealed,

This means the dogs are so well-trained that they do not miss a few grams of well-concealed drugs.

So, the answer is: FALSE

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 7 GT Reading Test A Section 1

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 7 GT Reading Test A Section 2