IELTS 10 Test 2, Reading Passage 3

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Before you begin

You should read through the entire text once before attempting any of the questions. Pay attention to the way in which each sentence follows on from the previous one. This will help you grasp the thread of logical coherence running through the article and the way in which evidence is presented to support the writer’s points. In addition, when it comes to answering the questions, you should be able to quickly locate the relevant parts of the text where the answers can be found.

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People go to art museums because they accept the value of seeing an original work of art. But they do not go to museums to read original manuscripts of novels, perhaps because the availability of novels has depended on 27.......... for so long, and also because with novels, the 28 .......... are the most important thing.

 

27. B

Thinking process

To answer this question, you need to find out what the availability of novels has depended on. From your first reading, you should realize that novels are only mentioned in the second paragraph, so that is where you find the answer. Rereading this paragraph, you should quickly realize that is about why few people would bother going to a museum to view the original manuscript of a novel and that two explanations are given (separated by the words, “in addition”). The first explanation is about how novels are produced and the second is about how they are read or interpreted. Since we are want to know what the availability of novels depends on, we should look more closely at the first explanation regarding their production. There it says:

 

“This might be explained by the fact that the novel has evolved precisely because of technological developments that made it possible to print out huge numbers of texts, whereas oil paintings have always been produced as unique objects.”

 

Which options on the list would give us the same meaning if they were inserted into the blank space?

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Three seem possible: B. mass production, C. mechanical processes, I. basic technology

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To choose the right answer, we need to widen our focus a little and recognize that the writer is contrasting novels (which are printed in huge numbers) with oil paintings (which are unique objects). In this way, we should recognize that B is the most appropriate answer.

 

28. H

Thinking process

We should recognize that this question still relates to novels. In particular, what the most important thing about them is. Since the first explanation in paragraph two has provided the answer for Q. 27, we should look closely at the explanation (beginning with “in addition”) for the answer to Q. 28. The word ‘mainly’ looks useful, as we are interested in what the ‘most important thing’ about them is. The whole sentence says:

 

“With novels, the reader attends mainly to the meaning of words rather than the way they are printed on the page.”

 

Thus ‘meaning of words’ would appear to be the answer. Now look at the list of options, where you should recognize H, ‘underlying ideas’ as the option that most closely corresponds to ‘meaning of words’.

 

 

However, in historical times, artists such as Leonardo were happy to instruct 29 .......... to produce copies of their work and these days new methods of reproduction allow excellent replication of surface relief features as well as colour and 30 ..........

 

29. L

Thinking process

Unfortunately, there are few obvious keywords to direct us to the third paragraph, where the answer is to be found. (‘Reproduction’ is somewhat useful, but it is also mentioned in the fourth paragraph.) You mainly have to rely on your memory that Leonardo was the artist who painted the Mona Lisa and that the third paragraph talks about ‘the seven surviving versions’ of this painting.

 

Reading this paragraph again, we can see that it points out a contrast between the 16th century and today, which suggests that the answer to 29 occurs in the first part and the answer to 30 in the second part.

 

In the first part it says,

 

“in the 16th century, artists seemed perfectly content to assign the reproduction of their creations to their workshop apprentices”.

 

A big clue is the word ‘content’. If you are content to do something, it means you are happy to do it. What were 16th century artists happy to do? “Assign the reproduction of their creations to their workshop apprentices”. This tells us the answer, but we need to know that an apprentice is a kind of trainee who both learns from and assists the master artist.

 

Thus, the answer must be L (assistants).

 

It is also helpful here to know that ‘instruct’ is a verb whose object is a person (unlike ‘teach’ whose object can be a person or a subject). This means that anything other than F, J, and L would be incorrect.

 

 

30. G

Thinking process

In the second half of the paragraph we are looking for the third on a list of features that new methods of art reproduction can allow. The writer says:

 

“And today the task of reproducing pictures is incomparably more simple and reliable, with reprographic techniques that allow the production of high-quality prints made exactly to the original scale, with faithful colour values, and even with duplication of the surface relief of the painting.”

 

The one not mentioned in question is ‘original scale’, so we must search the options for a word that corresponds to this. As long as we know that the scale of something means its size, we can quickly identify G as the correct answer.

 

It is regrettable that museums still promote the superiority of original works of art, since this may not be in the interests of the 31 ..........

 

31. D

Thinking process

When something is ‘not in the interests of’ somebody or something, they are disadvantaged on not benefited by it. So, to answer this question, we need to find out who or what is not benefited when museums promote the superiority of original works of art.

 

We should recognize by now that questions 27 – 31 relate to just the first part of the article, rather than the whole article. Thus, we would expect to find the answer to 31 in paragraphs 4 and 5 (which aren’t real paragraphs – just single sentences).  There, it says:

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“But despite an implicit recognition that the spread of good reproductions can be culturally valuable, museums continue to promote the special status of original work. Unfortunately, this seems to place severe limitations on the kind of experience offered to visitors.”

 

From this we can understand that visitors are disadvantaged (i.e., their experience is severely limited).

 

Which word on the list most closely corresponds to ‘visitors’? Answer: D, the public.

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32. C

The writer mentions London’s National Gallery to illustrate the negative effect a museum can have on visitors’ opinions of themselves.

 

Thinking process

Ask yourself, what does the example of London’s National Gallery illustrate?

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Quickly locate London’s National Gallery, and read the paragraph closely. It says:

 

“In addition, a major collection like that of London’s National Gallery is housed in numerous rooms, each with dozens of works, any one of which is likely to be worth more than all the average visitor possesses. In a society that judges the personal status of the individual so much by their material worth, it is therefore difficult not to be impressed by one’s own relative ‘worthlessness’ in such an environment.”

 

Read the options

1. No. While the writer talks about the high value of the works of art, there is no mention of the cost of maintaining the collection or any implication that it is an undesirable cost.

2. No. There is no mention or suggestion of artistic values

3. Yes. The pronoun ‘one’ in the second sentence refers to the average visitor in the first sentence. The fact that visitors may feel worthless when they see the many valuable works of art in London’s National Gallery is a negative effect.

4. No. While the importance of individual well being is implied, there is no mention or suggestion of large-scale artistic schemes.

 

 33. D

The writer says that today, viewers may be unwilling to criticise a work because they feel their reaction is of no significance.

 

Thinking process

Identify the specific information that you need. You want to find why the writer thinks viewers art are unwilling to criticize it.

 

Begin by looking in the paragraph that comes after the one about the London National Gallery. Does it talk about viewers and art criticism? It does mention ‘viewer’ three times, but the words ‘criticise’ or ‘criticism’ do not appear. However, we should understand that a ‘self-reliant kind of reading’ refers to the a viewer’s independent judgment. In other words, criticism. Moreover, to be ‘deterred’ from something means to be reluctant or unwilling to do it.

 

The reason for this unwillingness is given in the first part of the sentence. That is the viewer feels his/her opinion about the work of art cannot alter its value. That value has already been determined by powerful people and institutions. The viewer’s opinion is insignificant and has no power to change anything. This is the answer.

 

Now check the options for one that corresponds to this answer.

 A, B, and C may all be true, but the writer does not mention any of them.

The answer must be D. Viewers do not form critical judgments of works of art because they feel their personal opinions or reactions are not significant.

 

34. A

According to the writer, the ‘displacement effect’ on the visitor is caused by the variety of works on display and the way they are arranged.

 

Thinking process

We need to find out what causes the ‘displacement effect’.

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Find the word ‘displacement effect’ in the next paragraph and read the whole paragraph carefully to identify what the ‘displacement effect’ is and what causes it.

 

The writer says:

 

“The visitor may be struck by the strangeness of seeing such diverse paintings, drawings and sculptures brought together in an environment for which they were not originally created. This ‘displacement effect’ is further heightened by the sheer volume of exhibits”.

 

Thus, visitors to a museum will experience the ‘displacement effect’ when the view many different types of art in an environment that is not the same as the one in which they were created. In other words, it is the museum environment that produces a displacement effect.

 

Now read the options.

1. Looks right. Here the cause is said to be the variety and arrangement of art in the museum.

2. No. It doesn’t mention that it is impossible for visitors to view the art for a long period (even though that might be difficult)

3. Obviously not. The writer emphasizes the diversity of the art, not its similarity.

4. Seems possible initially. But actually, it is the environment or setting that is inappropriate, not the nature of individual exhibits.

 

Confirm A as the correct answer.

 

35.D

The writer says that unlike other forms of art, a painting does not have a specific beginning or end.

 

Thinking process

We want to find out how paintings differ from other forms of art.

 

Read the next paragraph, paying particular attention to the part that begins “A fundamental difference between paintings and other forms of art . . .”

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The writer says:

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“novels and poems are read in a prescribed temporal sequence, whereas a picture has no clear place at which to start viewing, or at which to finish”

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In other words novels, poems and operas have a clear beginning and end that every audience experiences in the same sequence. But paintings are not like this.

 

Now check the options.

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D is clearly the answer and there is little need to read the other options. The example of opera might suggest B, but D is clearly a better choice.

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36. Art history should focus on discovering the meaning of art using a range of media. NOT GIVEN

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Thinking process

Find the relevant part of the text and search for information that agrees with or contradicts the statement.

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 The key expression is ‘discovering the meaning of art’, which occurs in the second-last paragraph.

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In that paragraph, we learn that the job of the art historian is to discover the meaning of art within the cultural context of its time, but there is no mention of using a range of media here or in the rest of the paragraph. Choose NOT GIVEN and move on.

 

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37. The approach of art historians conflicts with that of art museums. NO

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Thinking process

Find the relevant part of the text and search for information that agrees with or contradicts the statement. 

In the second-last paragraph the writer says, “This is in perfect harmony with the museum’s function”

Identify ‘this’ as referring to the approach of art historians.

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Understand that this sentence means that there are no conflicts between the approach of art historians and that of art museums.

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This contradicts the statement, so we must choose NO.

 

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38. People should be encouraged to give their opinions openly on works of art. YES

Thinking process

Realise that the answer is going to be found somewhere below the sentence containing the answer to the previous questions.

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Look for evidence that confirms or contradicts the statement that the writer thinks that people should be encouraged to give their opinions openly on works or art.

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Recognise that in the last paragraph, the words ‘express their views’ means ‘give their opinions’.  The words ‘experience art more rewardingly’ suggests that expressing their views is a good thing for the museum public to do. Thus, this sentence agrees with the statement, and we should choose YES.

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In the last paragraph, the author indicates that "The museum public, like any other audience, experience art more rewardingly when given the confidence to express their views.

 

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39. Reproductions of fine art should only be sold to the public if they are of high quality. NOT GIVEN

Thinking process

Read the second half of the last paragraph carefully. If evidence to confirm or contradict the statement exists, this is where it will be found.

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The words ‘rendered permanently accessible to the public’ suggest that they could be sold to the public, and it is clear that the writer is talking about high quality (i.e., ‘high fidelity’) reproductions. But it is also possible the low quality reproductions could also be made available (or sold) to the public. Both are possible and there is therefore no information that confirms or contradicts the statement. Choose NOT GIVEN.

 

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40. In the future, those with power are likely to encourage more people to enjoy art. NO

Thinking process

Read the last sentence of the last paragraph carefully. The answer should be there.

 

The writer says: “Unfortunately, that may be too much to ask from those who seek to maintain and control the art establishment.”

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If something is ‘too much to ask’ we should not expect it to happen. Thus, it is unlikely people will get access to high quality reproductions of art, and it is therefore unlikely than more people will be encouraged to enjoy art.

This information contradicts the statement, and we should choose NO.