This post on IELTS Reading deals with the in depth analysis of Cambridge 12 Test 5 Reading Passage 2. The passage is entitled as ‘Collecting as a hobby’. I’ve provided all the solutions here with some detailed explanations. Please, get the book Cambridge IELTS series 12 when you read the post. It will surely help you to find out the answers from the passage.

CAMBRIDGE IELTS 12 – TEST 5 – PASSAGE 2

Title of passage 2: Collecting as a hobby

This passage mainly deals with the different forms of collecting as a hobby and its psychological aspects. It secondarily deals with the purpose of collecting as a hobby. 

Question 14 – 21: Fill in the blanks in a sentence. (Choose ONE WORD ONLY)

14. The writer mentions collecting _____ as an example of collecting in order to make
    money.

Key words for the question: collecting, make money

The question asks to find which things are collected for making money.

If you scan first sentence of paragraph 2, you will see that the author mentioning- “There are the people who collect because they want to make money – this could be called an instrumental reason for collecting; that is, collecting as a means to an end.”

Here, Because = in order to

So, that’s our first clue matching with the question.

Now, you will look for the next sentence to find out the example – “They’ll look for, say, antiques that they can buy cheaply and expect to be able to sell at a profit.”

Here, the word “,say,” has something special. When you find the word “SAY” in the middle of a sentence with two commas, you can be sure that this particular word is indicating an example or instance.

So, the answer is: antiques.

15. Collectors may get a feeling of _________ from buying and selling items.

Key words for the question: collectors, feeling, buying and sellingIn paragraph 2, you will find a sentence stating buying and selling items, that is: “But there may well be a psychological element, too – buying cheap and selling dear can give the collector a sense of triumph”.

Here, a sense of = a feeling of.

So, the answer is: triumph.

You can watch a video on YouTube on how to find the answers for the two questions above. Follow this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwI28glBvVo&feature=youtu.be

16. Collectors’ clubs provide opportunities to share ____________

Key words for the question: collectors’ clubs, share

In the opening sentence of paragraph 3, the author states “a group of collectors” – “attending meetings of a group of collectors and exchanging information on items.”

We can understand from the lines that these groups as “collectors’ clubs”. It’s saying that they can exchange information on items while attending those clubs. But the question requires one word only, so we choose the most important word from the sentence – “information”.
Here,  a group of = a club and exchange = share

So, the answer is: information.

17. Collectors’ clubs offer _______ with people who have similar interests.

Key words for the question: Collectors’ clubs, similar interests.

Again, in this question we find “collectors’ clubs” as in the question above. Therefore, we must stay at paragraph 3 to find the answer. In the second sentence, we see a phrase “like–minded people”.

The phrase like-minded means “people who have the same/similar interests”. And those clubs bring them into “contact” with other collectors, so the answer simply is “contact”. “Attending meetings” in clubs is one
way in which collectors come into contact socially.

Here, in the sentence, bring means offer and people who have similar interests means like – minded people.

So, the answer is: contact/meetings.

18. Collecting sometimes involves a life-long ______ for a special item.
    Key words for the question: collecting, life – long, special item.​

The first clue of the question is given in paragraph 3.

As the questions in IELTS Reading frequently follow the text’s order, you should look at the following sentences and find the similar words to the question you are practicing. The final sentence of paragraph 3 states   another purpose of collecting – which is “the desire to find something special” (Here, the word special means special item). But there is no mention of anything similar to “life-long”. Therefore you must continue reading to find the accurate answer. Interestingly, in the very next sentence, the author says “Some may spend their whole lives in a hunt for this” (“the whole lives = life – long”). Now, we can understand that the writer means to say “Collectors sometimes have a life-long desire/ spend their whole lives in a hunt for a special item.” So, the answer can be both “desire” or “hunt”.
Here, the phrase ‘whole lives’ means life- long

So, the answer is: hunt / desire.

19. Searching for something particular may prevent people from feeling their life is completely ______.

Key words for the question: searching, prevent, their life.

Have a look at paragraph 4. Here, the author states, “Some may spend their whole lives in a hunt for this. Psychologically, this can give a purpose to a life that otherwise feels aimless.”

Scanning the sentence two times, you will understand that “This” means “spend their whole lives in a hunt for a special item”. We can also understand that “a hunt” means “searching for”.

So, the author is claiming that if they are not looking for a special item, they will feel “aimless”. Then, in the following lines, we are again told (in paragraph 4 line 7-8), if the collector finds that special item, they may then “feel empty”, because the search has ended with the finding of the special item.

So, the answer is: aimless / empty.

20. Stamp collecting may be _____ because it provides facts about different countries.

Key words for the question: stamp collecting, facts, different countries.

The main or primary key word for this question is “stamp collecting”, so we have to find that part of the passage which contains information about such type of collecting – which is paragraph 5. In this paragraph, the author mentions, “If you think about collecting postage stamps another potential reason for it – or, perhaps, a result of collecting – is its educational value. Stamp collecting opens a window to other countries, and to the plants, animals, or famous people shown on their stamps.”

The writer is clearly of the opinion that stamp collecting has some educational value as it “opens a window to other countries” with things described or shown on their stamps.

So, the answer is: educational.

21. _______ tends to be mostly a male hobby.

Key words for the question: male hobby.

This question has a gender related word, which is “male”. This is our keyword.  In paragraph 7, the author talks about “trainspotting” as “a popular form of collecting, particularly among boys and men”. The opening lines say, “In the past – and nowadays, too, though to a lesser extent – a popular form of collecting, particularly among boys and men, was trainspotting.”

Here, boys and men means male.

So, the answer is: trainspotting.

Question 22-26           TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN

Note: This type of questions maintains a sequence. For instance, if you find answer to question 2 in the first few lines of Paragraph 2, look for answer to question 1 in paragraph 1.

22. The number of people buying dolls has grown over the centuries.

Key words for the question: the number of, buying dolls, grown.

As, in this question, the primary or main keyword is doll, we have to find every part of the text about “dolls”. Paragraph 8 talks about this topic. But it is about the things which interest doll collectors, but there is no information about the number of people buying dolls. No numeric data is given here.

So, the answer is: Not given.

NB: Sometimes, it can be difficult for you to be sure about this answer (NOT GIVEN). If you are not sure enough, you can skip this question and go to the next one. As you know, these questions are arranged in order, if you find out clues for the answer of next question, then you can be sure that the following sentences has no information about the answer for this question.)

23. Sixteenth century European dolls were normally made of wax and porcelain.

Key words for the question: 16th century, made of, wax and porcelain.

In the same paragraph (paragraph 8) about dolls, the writer also says in the second sentence: “These have changed over the centuries from the wood that was standard in 16th century Europe, through the wax and porcelain of later centuries, to the plastics of today’s dolls.” So, it can be gathered from the lines, in 16th century, European dolls were often made of wood. And the wax and porcelain dolls were popular in later centuries, which indicates the 17th century and the ones after.

Here, materials that are used means made of

So, the answer is: False.

24. Arranging a stamp collection by the size of the stamps is less common than other methods.

Key words for the question: arranging, by the size, less common.

Paragraph 9 should be focused, which contains information about arranging a stamp collection. In this paragraph, the author only states the reason behind some collectors’ liking to arrange their collection and the types of arrangement. But, you can find no reference to what kind of arrangement is more or less common.

So, the answer is: Not given.

25. Someone who collects unusual objects may want others to think he or she is also unusual.

Key words for the question: unusual objects, think.

In paragraph 10, the author says “One reason, conscious or not, for what someone chooses to collect is to show the collector’s individualism”, and gives an example by stating, “Someone who decides to collect something unexpected as dog collars,” (which means unusual objects), they may be passing on their belief (which means they want others to think) that they are interesting as well.

Here, unusual means unexpected

So, the answer is: True.

26. Collecting gives a feeling that other hobbies are unlikely to inspire.

Key words for the question: other hobbies, inspire

In the final paragraph, the writer says, “More than most other hobbies, collecting can be totally engrossing, and can give a strong sense of personal fulfillment.” This means collecting needs all your attention and makes you completely satisfied, while most other hobbies could not do the same (more than most other hobbies).

Here, give a sense means give a feeling and inspire means fulfill.

So, the answer is: True.

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 12 Test 5 Reading Passage 1

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 12 Test 5 Reading Passage 3