{ "version": 1, "note": "Original texts and questions written for Slova in the style of the IELTS Reading test. Not official IELTS material.", "modules": { "academic": { "name": "Academic", "passages": [ { "id": "a1", "title": "Gardens above the street", "intro": "You should spend about 10 minutes on Questions 1–8, which are based on Reading Passage 1.", "paragraphs": [ { "label": "A", "text": "A green roof is a roof that is partly or completely covered with growing plants, laid over a waterproof membrane, a drainage layer and a thin bed of soil or other growing material. Specialists usually divide them into two broad kinds. Intensive roofs have deep soil and can support shrubs, small trees and even vegetable beds; they are, in effect, gardens in the sky, and they need regular watering, feeding and pruning. Extensive roofs, by contrast, have only a few centimetres of growing medium planted with tough, low-growing species. They are lighter, cheaper to install and, once established, require little more than an occasional inspection." }, { "label": "B", "text": "Covering a roof with living plants is far from a modern invention. In the cold northern parts of Europe, farmers built houses topped with thick layers of turf for centuries. Their purpose was practical rather than decorative: the heavy blanket of earth and grass held warmth inside during long winters and kept interiors cool in summer, while the grass roots bound the soil together. As cheaper industrial materials became available, the practice gradually faded. It was revived in the second half of the twentieth century, when engineers and planners in parts of central Europe began testing lightweight systems that could be fitted to ordinary flat roofs in towns and cities." }, { "label": "C", "text": "Much of the recent interest in green roofs comes from concern about urban heat. Dark roofs and roads absorb sunlight during the day and release it slowly at night, so city centres often stay noticeably warmer than the surrounding countryside. Plants help in two ways. Their leaves shade the surface beneath them, and as water evaporates from leaves and soil it carries heat away with it. The building below benefits too: rooms under a planted roof tend to need less air conditioning in summer. In addition, because the waterproof membrane is shielded from strong sunlight and sharp changes in temperature, it may last considerably longer than an exposed one." }, { "label": "D", "text": "A second advantage concerns rainfall. On a conventional roof, rain runs straight into gutters and drains, and during a heavy storm the sudden volume of water can overwhelm a city's sewer system. A green roof behaves more like a sponge. The soil and plants hold back a share of the rain, some of which later evaporates, and the rest is released gradually over several hours. This effect has limits, however. Once the growing layer is fully saturated, any further rain flows off almost as quickly as it would from bare tiles, so the benefit is greatest during short, intense showers rather than days of continuous rain." }, { "label": "E", "text": "Ecologists have also pointed out that roofs can provide habitat in places where little natural ground remains. Bees, butterflies and beetles visit flowering roofs, and some ground-nesting birds have been observed using them. Early extensive roofs, though, were often planted with a single type of succulent because it survives drought well, and such uniform planting offers limited food and shelter. Many designers now prefer to vary the depth of the soil across a roof, add patches of sand, stones or dead wood, and sow a mixture of local wild flowers so that a wider range of creatures can find what they need." }, { "label": "F", "text": "Despite these benefits, green roofs remain the exception rather than the rule. Wet soil is heavy, so older buildings may need a structural survey, and sometimes reinforcement, before a roof can be planted. Installation costs more than a standard roof, and owners may worry about leaks or about who will look after the plants. To overcome such doubts, a number of city authorities now offer grants, reduce local charges for buildings with planted roofs, or require green roofs on certain new developments. Supporters argue that, as more examples are built and maintenance becomes routine, the remaining uncertainties will gradually disappear." } ], "groups": [ { "type": "headings", "instructions": "The reading passage has six paragraphs, A–F. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B–E from the list of headings below.", "headings": [ { "id": "i", "text": "Why the idea has not spread faster" }, { "id": "ii", "text": "Keeping buildings and streets cooler" }, { "id": "iii", "text": "The best plants for a shallow roof" }, { "id": "iv", "text": "An old building method returns" }, { "id": "v", "text": "Savings for the owner's budget" }, { "id": "vi", "text": "A refuge for wildlife" }, { "id": "vii", "text": "Slowing the flow of rainwater" } ], "items": [ { "n": 1, "paragraph": "B", "answer": "iv", "why": "Paragraph B describes traditional turf roofs and says the practice 'was revived in the second half of the twentieth century'." }, { "n": 2, "paragraph": "C", "answer": "ii", "why": "Paragraph C is about urban heat and how plants shade surfaces and carry 'heat away with it'." }, { "n": 3, "paragraph": "D", "answer": "vii", "why": "Paragraph D explains that rain 'is released gradually over several hours' instead of rushing into drains." }, { "n": 4, "paragraph": "E", "answer": "vi", "why": "Paragraph E says roofs 'can provide habitat in places where little natural ground remains'." } ] }, { "type": "tfng", "instructions": "Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? Write TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN.", "items": [ { "n": 5, "text": "Extensive green roofs need less looking after than intensive ones.", "answer": "TRUE", "why": "Paragraph A: intensive roofs need regular care, while extensive ones 'require little more than an occasional inspection'." }, { "n": 6, "text": "Traditional turf roofs were built mainly to make houses look attractive.", "answer": "FALSE", "why": "Paragraph B says their purpose 'was practical rather than decorative'." }, { "n": 7, "text": "A green roof absorbs rain equally well during several days of continuous rain.", "answer": "FALSE", "why": "Paragraph D: once saturated, 'further rain flows off almost as quickly' as from bare tiles." }, { "n": 8, "text": "Grants for green roofs are more common in large cities than in small towns.", "answer": "NOT GIVEN", "why": "Paragraph F mentions that 'a number of city authorities now offer grants' but makes no comparison with towns." } ] } ] }, { "id": "a2", "title": "Should schools still teach handwriting?", "intro": "You should spend about 10 minutes on Questions 9–15, which are based on Reading Passage 2.", "paragraphs": [ { "label": "A", "text": "In classrooms across many countries, tablets and laptops have become as familiar as exercise books. Pupils research, draft and submit their work on screens, and some education commentators have concluded that the long hours once spent teaching children to form letters with a pen could now be put to better use. Why, they ask, should a skill that adults use mainly for shopping lists and birthday cards occupy a place in a busy curriculum? It is a reasonable question, but in my view the answer that is increasingly being given to it is premature." }, { "label": "B", "text": "Let me be clear about what I am not arguing. For most adults, typing is faster than writing by hand, and typed work is easier to read, correct and share. A young person who leaves school unable to use a keyboard confidently is at a genuine disadvantage, and I see no reason why typing should not be introduced alongside handwriting from the first years of school. The question is not whether pupils should learn to type, but whether learning to type makes learning to write by hand unnecessary." }, { "label": "C", "text": "Those who say that it does tend to treat handwriting simply as a way of getting words onto a page, and on that narrow measure the keyboard wins easily. Yet forming a letter by hand requires a child to attend closely to its shape, to the order of its strokes and to how it differs from similar letters. Researchers in several countries have suggested that this physical effort helps young children to recognise letters and, in turn, to read them. I would not claim that the evidence is conclusive; studies of this kind are difficult to design well. But it is strong enough, I believe, to make us cautious about abandoning a practice whose benefits we may not yet fully understand." }, { "label": "D", "text": "A similar point can be made about older students. Anyone who has watched a lecture hall full of laptops will have noticed how quickly fast typists can record a speaker's words almost exactly. Writing by hand is slower, and that slowness forces the writer to decide what matters, to compress and to rephrase. Typed notes are, of course, easier to search and share afterwards. My argument is therefore not that laptops should be banned from lectures, which would be both unrealistic and unfair, but that students should understand what each method does well and choose accordingly." }, { "label": "E", "text": "Critics also raise a practical objection: the timetable is already full, and every hour given to handwriting is an hour taken from something else. This objection would carry more weight if handwriting required the lengthy daily drills that some adults remember from their own schooldays. It does not. Short, regular sessions in the early years appear to be enough for most children to develop a comfortable style. Nor should the goal be beautiful joined-up script. What matters is that a pupil can write legibly and fluently enough for the pen to keep up with their thoughts; elegance is a pleasant extra, not a requirement." }, { "label": "F", "text": "The real risk, as I see it, is not the keyboard itself but the habit of framing the debate as a contest that one tool must win. Pens and keyboards do different jobs, and a well-educated person should be able to use both without thinking twice. Schools that quietly drop handwriting in the name of modernisation may find, in a decade or so, that they have given up something valuable in exchange for saving very little time." } ], "groups": [ { "type": "ynng", "instructions": "Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer? Write YES, NO or NOT GIVEN.", "items": [ { "n": 9, "text": "Children should not be taught to type until their handwriting is secure.", "answer": "NO", "why": "Paragraph B: typing should be 'introduced alongside handwriting from the first years of school'." }, { "n": 10, "text": "Most teachers would prefer to spend less time teaching handwriting.", "answer": "NOT GIVEN", "why": "The writer reports the views of 'education commentators' and critics, but never says what teachers prefer." } ] }, { "type": "mcq", "instructions": "Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.", "items": [ { "n": 11, "text": "What does the writer say about research into handwriting and letter recognition?", "options": [ { "id": "A", "text": "It has proved that handwriting is essential for learning to read." }, { "id": "B", "text": "It is too unreliable to influence decisions about teaching." }, { "id": "C", "text": "It is not final, but it justifies a careful approach." }, { "id": "D", "text": "It mainly concerns older students rather than young children." } ], "answer": "C", "why": "Paragraph C: the evidence is not 'conclusive' but is 'strong enough... to make us cautious'." }, { "n": 12, "text": "What is the writer's main point about note-taking in paragraph D?", "options": [ { "id": "A", "text": "Students should match the method to what it does best." }, { "id": "B", "text": "Handwritten notes record more of what a speaker says." }, { "id": "C", "text": "Laptops should not be allowed in lecture halls." }, { "id": "D", "text": "Typed notes are more difficult to use after a lecture." } ], "answer": "A", "why": "Paragraph D: students 'should understand what each method does well and choose accordingly'." } ] }, { "type": "summary", "instructions": "Complete the summary using the list of words, A–G, below.", "title": "The practical objection to teaching handwriting", "options": [ { "id": "A", "text": "crowded" }, { "id": "B", "text": "regular" }, { "id": "C", "text": "elegant" }, { "id": "D", "text": "expensive" }, { "id": "E", "text": "difficult" }, { "id": "F", "text": "occasional" }, { "id": "G", "text": "modern" } ], "text": "Some critics argue that the school timetable is already too {13} to make room for handwriting. The writer replies that long daily drills are unnecessary, since short but {14} practice in the early years seems to be enough for most children. Pupils should be able to write clearly and quickly enough to keep up with their thoughts; producing {15} script is pleasant but not essential.", "items": [ { "n": 13, "answer": "A", "why": "Paragraph E: critics say 'the timetable is already full'." }, { "n": 14, "answer": "B", "why": "Paragraph E: 'Short, regular sessions in the early years appear to be enough'." }, { "n": 15, "answer": "C", "why": "Paragraph E: 'elegance is a pleasant extra, not a requirement'." } ] } ] } ] }, "general": { "name": "General Training", "passages": [ { "id": "g1", "title": "Riverside leisure centre: a guide for new staff", "intro": "You should spend about 9 minutes on Questions 1–9, which are based on the text below.", "paragraphs": [ { "label": "A", "text": "Arriving at work. Staff should use the side entrance on Mill Lane, not the main reception, when starting a shift. Your staff pass opens this door between 6 am and 11 pm; outside these hours, ring the bell and the duty manager will let you in. A small staff car park is available behind the building, but spaces cannot be reserved and are often full by mid-morning. Cyclists can leave bikes in the covered shelter next to the delivery bay. Please sign in on the tablet by the staff room door as soon as you arrive." }, { "label": "B", "text": "Uniform and lockers. You will receive three polo shirts and a fleece during your first week. Dark trousers or shorts are your own responsibility, and trainers must be clean and non-marking. Lost or damaged uniform can be replaced free of charge once a year; further replacements are deducted from your pay. Each member of staff is given a locker in the changing area. Lockers must be emptied at the end of every shift, as they are cleaned overnight, and anything left inside will be taken to lost property." }, { "label": "C", "text": "Breaks and meals. Anyone working more than six hours is entitled to a paid 30-minute break, which should be agreed with your supervisor at the start of the shift so that the pool and gym are never left without cover. Staff may buy food from the centre café at half price, but this discount does not apply to drinks from the vending machines. A fridge and microwave are provided in the staff room. Please label any food you store there and remove it by Friday afternoon." }, { "label": "D", "text": "Absence and sickness. If you are unable to attend a shift, telephone the duty manager at least two hours before it is due to start. Text messages and emails are not accepted, because they may not be seen in time. For absences of more than three days, you will need to fill in a self-certification form on your return; longer absences require a note from a doctor. Holiday requests should be submitted through the staff app at least four weeks in advance." }, { "label": "E", "text": "Training and development. All new staff complete a two-day induction, which includes a fire safety session and a tour of the plant room. Lifeguards must also attend a monthly practical session in the pool; these sessions are paid and count as part of your working hours. The centre is happy to support staff who wish to gain further qualifications, such as a fitness instructor certificate. Speak to the training coordinator, who can advise on suitable courses and may be able to arrange help with fees." } ], "groups": [ { "type": "matching", "instructions": "The text has five sections, A–E. Which section contains the following information? You may use any letter more than once.", "items": [ { "n": 1, "text": "how to get into the building late at night", "answer": "A", "why": "Section A: outside opening hours 'ring the bell and the duty manager will let you in'." }, { "n": 2, "text": "something that must be arranged with a supervisor", "answer": "C", "why": "Section C: the break 'should be agreed with your supervisor at the start of the shift'." }, { "n": 3, "text": "a situation in which money may be taken from staff wages", "answer": "B", "why": "Section B: 'further replacements are deducted from your pay'." }, { "n": 4, "text": "a way of contacting the centre that is not acceptable", "answer": "D", "why": "Section D: 'Text messages and emails are not accepted'." } ] }, { "type": "tfng", "instructions": "Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? Write TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN.", "items": [ { "n": 5, "text": "Staff can book a space in the car park in advance.", "answer": "FALSE", "why": "Section A: 'spaces cannot be reserved and are often full by mid-morning'." }, { "n": 6, "text": "The centre café is also open to members of the public.", "answer": "NOT GIVEN", "why": "Section C only says 'Staff may buy food from the centre café at half price'." }, { "n": 7, "text": "Lifeguards are paid for the time they spend at the monthly pool session.", "answer": "TRUE", "why": "Section E: 'these sessions are paid and count as part of your working hours'." } ] }, { "type": "short", "instructions": "Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer.", "wordLimit": 3, "items": [ { "n": 8, "text": "What must staff fill in after an absence of more than three days?", "answer": "self-certification form", "accept": [ "a self-certification form" ], "why": "Section D: 'you will need to fill in a self-certification form on your return'." }, { "n": 9, "text": "Apart from a tour of the plant room, what does the induction include?", "answer": "fire safety session", "accept": [ "fire safety" ], "why": "Section E: the induction 'includes a fire safety session and a tour of the plant room'." } ] } ] }, { "id": "g2", "title": "Repair cafés: fixing things together", "intro": "You should spend about 11 minutes on Questions 10–14, which are based on the passage below.", "paragraphs": [ { "label": "A", "text": "On a Saturday morning in a community hall, the tables are covered with an unusual collection of objects: a toaster that no longer pops up, a lamp with a faulty switch, a child's bicycle with a buckled wheel, a winter coat missing its zip. Around them, volunteers with screwdrivers, sewing kits and soldering irons are hard at work. This is a repair café, a free event at which people bring broken household items and get help to fix them. The idea first appeared in Europe and has since spread to towns and cities in many parts of the world." }, { "label": "B", "text": "The format is simple. Visitors register at the door, describe what is wrong with their item and then wait, often with a cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake, until a suitable volunteer is free. When their turn comes, the owner sits down with the repairer and the two of them examine the problem together. Items are not left behind to be collected later, and this is not simply because most venues have no storage space. The main hope is that owners will learn enough to deal with a similar fault themselves next time. There is no charge, although most events have a donation box to cover the cost of the hall and refreshments." }, { "label": "C", "text": "The volunteers come from all walks of life. Some are retired electricians or engineers; others are tailors, keen cyclists or students who have taught themselves to mend phones. Few of them describe the work as a chore. Many say they enjoy the conversation as much as the repairs themselves, and for some older volunteers the events are a welcome chance to pass on skills that might otherwise be forgotten." }, { "label": "D", "text": "The most common requests involve small electrical appliances, clothing and bicycles. A surprising number of faults turn out to be minor: a loose wire, a blown fuse, a torn seam or a worn brake pad. Organisers say that a good proportion of items leave the hall in working order. Others cannot be saved, usually because spare parts are no longer made or because the casing has been glued shut, making it impossible to open the item without breaking it." }, { "label": "E", "text": "For many of those involved, repair cafés are about more than fixing a kettle. They see them as a practical response to the large quantity of goods that are thrown away while they are still almost usable. By showing how much can be mended with a little knowledge and the right tools, they hope to encourage people to buy fewer replacements. Some campaigners go further and argue that manufacturers should be required to design products that are easier to open and to supply spare parts for longer." }, { "label": "F", "text": "Anyone thinking of starting a repair café needs surprisingly little. A free or low-cost venue, basic insurance and a handful of volunteers with different skills are enough to begin. Experienced organisers advise newcomers to start small, perhaps with one event a month, and to grow only when they are sure there is enough demand. Most also ask visitors to sign a short form at registration confirming that the volunteers cannot be held responsible if an item cannot be repaired." } ], "groups": [ { "type": "sentence", "instructions": "Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.", "wordLimit": 2, "items": [ { "n": 10, "text": "When visitors arrive, they ____ at the door and explain what is wrong with their item.", "answer": "register", "accept": [], "why": "Paragraph B: 'Visitors register at the door, describe what is wrong with their item'." }, { "n": 11, "text": "Many volunteers say they enjoy ____ as much as doing the repairs.", "answer": "the conversation", "accept": [ "conversation" ], "why": "Paragraph C: 'Many say they enjoy the conversation as much as the repairs'." }, { "n": 12, "text": "Some items cannot be opened safely because the casing has been ____ .", "answer": "glued shut", "accept": [], "why": "Paragraph D: 'the casing has been glued shut, making it impossible to open'." } ] }, { "type": "mcq", "instructions": "Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.", "items": [ { "n": 13, "text": "What is the main reason owners stay with their item while it is being repaired?", "options": [ { "id": "A", "text": "Most venues have nowhere to store items." }, { "id": "B", "text": "Owners can learn how to fix similar problems." }, { "id": "C", "text": "Volunteers need owners to help with heavy items." }, { "id": "D", "text": "Owners can decide how much to put in the donation box." } ], "answer": "B", "why": "Paragraph B: 'The main hope is that owners will learn enough' to fix similar faults." }, { "n": 14, "text": "What advice do experienced organisers give to people starting a repair café?", "options": [ { "id": "A", "text": "Hold events every week so that people remember them." }, { "id": "B", "text": "Recruit a large team of volunteers before the first event." }, { "id": "C", "text": "Begin on a modest scale and expand only if there is demand." }, { "id": "D", "text": "Ask a manufacturer to supply spare parts in advance." } ], "answer": "C", "why": "Paragraph F: organisers 'advise newcomers to start small' and grow only with 'enough demand'." } ] } ] } ] } } }