READING PASSAGE 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-14 which are based on Reading Passage 1.

THE CREATIVITY MYTH

A. It is a myth that creative people are born with their talents: gifts from God or nature. Creative
genius is, in fact, latent within many of us, without our realising. But how far do we need to travel
to find the path to creativity? For many people, a long way. In our everyday lives, we have to
perform many acts out of habit to survive, like opening the door, shaving, getting dressed, walking
to work, and so on. If this were not the case, we would, in all probability, become mentally
unhinged. So strongly ingrained are our habits, though this varies from person to person, that
sometimes, when a conscious effort is made to be creative, automatic response takes over. We
may try, for example, to walk to work following a different route, but end up on our usual path. By
then it is too late to go back and change our minds. Another day, perhaps. The same applies to all
other areas of our lives. When we are solving problems, for example, we may seek different
answers, but, often as not. Find ourselves walking along the same well-trodden paths.

B. So, for many people, their actions and behaviour are set in immovable blocks, their minds
clogged with the cholesterol of habitual actions, preventing them from operating freely, and
thereby stifling creation. Unfortunately, mankinds very struggle for survival has become a
tyranny the obsessive desire to give order to the world is a case in point. Witness peoples
attitude to time, social customs and the panoply of rules and regulations by which the human
mind is now circumscribed.

C. The groundwork for keeping creative ability in check begins at school. School, later university
and then work, teach us to regulate our lives, imposing a continuous process of restrictions which
is increasing exponentially with the advancement of technology. Is it surprising then that creative
ability appears to be so rare? It is trapped in the prison that we have erected. Yet, even here in this
hostile environment, the foundations for creativity are being laid; because setting off on the
creative path is also partly about using rules and regulations. Such limitations are needed so that
once they are learnt, they can be broken.

D. The truly creative mind is often seen as totally free and unfettered. But a better image is of a
mind, which can be free when it wants, and one that recognises that rules and regulations are
parameters, or barriers, to be raised and dropped again at will. An example of how the human
mind can be trained to be creative might help here. People s minds are just like tense muscles that
need to be freed up and the potential unlocked. One strategy is to erect artificial barriers or
hurdles in solving a problem. As a form of stimulation, the participants in the task can be
forbidden to use particular solutions or to follow certain lines of thought to solve a problem. In
this way they are obliged to explore unfamiliar territory, which may lead to some startling
discoveries. Unfortunately, the difficulty in this exercise, and with creation itself, is convincing
people that creation is possible, shrouded as it is in so much myth and legend. There is also an
element of fear involved, however subliminal, as deviating from the safety of ones own thought
patterns is very much akin to madness. But, open Pandoras box, and a whole new world unfolds
before your very eyes.

E. Lifting barriers into place also plays a major part in helping the mind to control ideas rather
than letting them collide at random. Parameters act as containers for ideas, and thus help the
mind to fix on them. When the mind is thinking laterally, and two ideas from different areas of
the brain come or are brought together, they form a new idea, just like atoms floating around and
then forming a molecule. Once the idea has been formed, it needs to be contained or it will fly
away, so fleeting is its passage. The mind needs to hold it in place for a time so that it can
recognise it or call on it again. And then the parameters can act as channels along which the ideas
can flow, developing and expanding. When the mind has brought the idea to fruition by thinking
it through to its final conclusion, the parameters can be brought down and the idea allowed to
float off and come in contact with other ideas.

Questions 1-5

Reading Passage 1 has five paragraphs, A-E.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-E in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

1. the way parameters in the mind help people to be creative

2. the need to learn rules in order to break them

3. how habits restrict us and limit creativity

4. how to train the mind to be creative

5. how the mind is trapped by the desire for order

Questions 6-10

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write your answers in boxes 6-10 on your answer sheet.

6. According to the writer, creative people

A. are usually born with their talents.

B. are born with their talents.

C. are not born with their talents.

D. are geniuses.

7. According to the writer, creativity is

A. a gift from Cod or nature.

B. an automatic response.

C. difficult for many people to achieve.

D. a well-trodden path.
 8. According to the writer

A. the human races fight to live is becoming a tyranny.

B. the human brain is blocked with cholesterol.

C. the human race is now circumscribed by talents.

D. the human races fight to survive stifles creative ability.

9. Advancing technology

A. holds creativity in check.

B. improves creativity.

C. enhances creativity.

D. is a tyranny.

10. According to the author, creativity

A. is common.

B. is increasingly common.

C. is becoming rarer and rarer.

D. is a rare commodity.

Questions 11 14

Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer?

In boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet write

YES if the statement agrees with the information in the passage

NO if the statement contradicts the information in the passage

NOT GIVEN if there is no information about the statement in the passage

11. Rules and regulations are examples of parameters.

12. The truly creative mind is associated with the need for free speech and a totally free
society.

13. One problem with creativity is that people think it is impossible.

14. The act of creation is linked to madness.

READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15-27 which are based on Reading Passage 2.

LOCKED DOORS, OPEN ACCESS

The word, security, has both positive and negative connotations. Most of us would say that we
crave security for all its positive virtues, both physical and psychological its evocation of the
safety of home, of undying love, or of freedom from need. More negatively, the word nowadays
conjures up images of that huge industry which has developed to protect individuals and property
from invasion by outsiders, ostensibly malicious and intent on theft or wilful damage.

Increasingly, because they are situated in urban areas of escalating crime, those buildings which
used to allow free access to employees and other users (buildings such as offices, schools, colleges
or hospitals) now do not. Entry areas which in another age were called Reception are now
manned by security staff. Receptionists, whose task it was to receive visitors and to make them
welcome before passing them on to the person they had come to see, have been replaced by those
whose task it is to bar entry to the unauthorized, the unwanted or the plain unappealing.

Inside, these buildings are divided into secure zones which often have all the trappings of
combination locks and burglar alarms. These devices bar entry to the uninitiated, hinder
circulation, and create parameters of time and space for user access. Within the spaces created by
these zones, individual rooms are themselves under lock and key, which is a particular problem
when it means that working space becomes compartmentalized.

To combat the consequent difficulty of access to people at a physical level, we have now developed
technological access. Computers sit on every desk and are linked to one another, and in many
cases to an external universe of other computers, so that messages can be passed to and fro. Here
too security plays a part, since we must not be allowed access to messages destined for others.
And so the password was invented. Now correspondence between individuals goes from desk to
desk and cannot be accessed by colleagues. Library catalogues can be searched from ones desk.
Papers can be delivered to, and received from, other people at the press of a button.

And yet it seems that, just as work is isolating individuals more and more, organizations are
recognizing the advantages of team-work; perhaps in order to encourage employees to talk to one
another again. Yet, how can groups work in teams if the possibilities for communication are
reduced? How can they work together if e-mail provides a convenient electronic shield behind
which the blurring of public and private can be exploited by the less scrupulous? If voice-mail
walls up messages behind a password? If I cant leave a message on my colleagues desk because
his office is locked?

Team-work conceals the fact that another kind of security, job security, is almost always not on
offer. Just as organizations now recognize three kinds of physical resources: those they buy, those
they lease long-term and those they rent short-term so it is with their human resources. Some
employees have permanent contracts, some have short-term contracts, and some are regarded
simply as casual labour.

Telecommunication systems offer us the direct line, which means that individuals can be
contacted without the caller having to talk to anyone else. Voice-mail and the answer-phone mean
that individuals can communicate without ever actually talking to one another. If we are
unfortunate enough to contact organizations with sophisticated touch-tone systems, we can buy
things and pay for them without ever speaking to a human being.
To combat this closing in on ourselves we have the Internet, which opens out communication
channels more widely than anyone could possibly want or need. An individuals electronic
presence on the Internet is known as a Home Page suggesting the safety and security of an
electronic hearth. An elaborate system of 3-dimensional graphics distinguishes this very 2-
dimensional medium of web sites. The nomenclature itself creates the illusion of a geographical
entity, that the person sitting before the computer is travelling, when in fact the site is coming to
him. Addresses of one kind or another move to the individual, rather than the individual moving
between them, now that location is no longer geographical.

An example of this is the mobile phone. I am now not available either at home or at work, but
wherever I take my mobile phone. Yet, even now, we cannot escape the security of wanting to
locate the person at the other end. It is no coincidence that almost everyone we see answering or
initiating a mobile phone-call in public begins by saying where he or she is.

Questions 15 18

Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.

Write your answers in boxes 15-18 on your answer sheet.

15. According to the author, one thing we long for is

A. the safety of the home.

B. security.

C. open access.

D. positive virtues.

16. Access to many buildings

A. is unauthorised.

B. is becoming more difficult.

C. is a cause of crime in many urban areas.

D. used to be called Reception.

17. Buildings used to permit access to any users

A. but now they do not.

B. and still do now.

C. especially offices and schools.

D. especially in urban areas.

18. Secure zones

A. do not allow access to the user.

B. compartmentalise the user.

C. are often like traps.

D. are not accessible to everybody.

Questions 19-24

Complete the summary below using words from the box.

Write your answers in boxes 19-24 on your answer sheet.

The problem of physical access to buildings has now been 19..by technology.
Messages are sent between 20..with passwords not allowing 21....to
read someone elses messages. But, while individuals are becoming increasingly 22..
socially by the way they do their job, at the same time more value is being put
on 23.. However, e-mail and voice-mail have led to a 24 .
..opportunities for person-to-person communication.

reducing of decrease in team-work similar

no different from solved overcame physical

computer computers combat developed

other people cut-off isolating

Questions 25 27

Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage 2.

Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 25-27 on your answer sheet.

25. The writer does not like ..

26. An individuals Home Page indicates their.on the Internet.

27. Devices like mobile phones mean that location is

READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-40 which are based on Reading Passage 3.

A. Between the Inishowen peninsula, north west of Derry, and the Glens of Antrim, in the east
beyond the Sperrin Mountains, is found some of Western Europes most captivating and alluring
landscape.
B. The Roe Valley Park, some 15 miles east of Derry is a prime example. The Park, like so many
Celtic places, is steeped in history and legend. As the Roc trickles down through heather bogs in
the Sperrin Mountains to the South, it is a river by the time it cuts through what was once called
the garden of the soul in Celtic Gortenanima.

C. The castle of OCahan once stood here and a number of houses which made up the town of
Limavady. The town takes its name from the legend of a dog leaping into the river Roe carrying a
message, or perhaps chasing a stag. This is a wonderful place, where the water traces its way
through rock and woodland; at times, lingering in brooding pools of dark cool water under the
shade of summer trees, and, at others, forming weirs and leads for water mills now long gone.

D. The Roe, like all rivers, is witness to history and change. To Mullagh Hill, on the west bank of
the River Roe just outside the present day town of Limavady, St Columba came in 575 AD for the
Convention of Drumceatt. The world is probably unaware that it knows something of Limavady;
but the town is, in fact, renowned for Jane Rosss song Danny Roy, written to a tune once played
by a tramp in the street. Limavady tow n itself and many of the surrounding villages have Celtic
roots but no one knows for sure just how old the original settlement of Limavady is.

E. Some 30 miles along the coast road from Limavady, one comes upon the forlorn, but imposing
ruin of Dunluce Castle, which stands on a soft basalt outcrop, in defiance of the turbulent Atlantic
lashing it on all sides. The jagged-toothed ruins sit proud on their rock top commanding the
coastline to east and west. The only connection to the mainland is by a narrow bridge. Until the
kitchen court fell into the sea in 1639 killing several servants, the castle was fully inhabited. In the
next hundred years or so, the structure gradually fell into its present dramatic state of disrepair,
stripped of its roofs by wind and weather and robbed by man of its caned stonework. Ruined and
forlorn its aspect maybe yet, in the haunting Celtic twilight of the long summer evenings, it is
redolent of another age, another dream.

F. A mile or so to the east of the castle lies Port na Spaniagh, where the Neapolitan Galleas,
Girona, from the Spanish Armada went down one dark October night in 1588 on its way to
Scotland, of the 1500-odd men on board, nine survived.

G. Even further to the east, is the Giants Causeway stunning coastline with strangely symmetrical
columns of dark basalt a beautiful geological wonder. Someone once said of the Causeway that
it was worth seeing, but not worth going to see. That was in th days of horses and carriages,
when travelling was difficult. But it is certainly well worth a visit. The last lingering moments of
the twilight hours are the best lime to savour the full power of the coastline s magic; the time
when the place comes into its own. The tourists are gone and if you are very lucky you will be
alone. A fine circular walk will take you down to the Grand Causeway, past amphitheatres of stone
columns and formations. It is not frightening, but there is a power in the place tangible, yet
inexplicable. The blackness of some nights conjure up feelings of eeriness and unease. The visitor
realises his place in the scheme of the magnificent spectacle. Once experienced, it is impossible to
forget the grandeur of the landscape.

H. Beyond the Causeway, connecting the mainland with an outcrop of rock jutting out of the
turbulent Atlantic, is the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, when first constructed, the bridge was a
simple rope handrail with widely spaced slats which was used mainly by salmon fishermen
needing to travel from the island to the mainland. In time, the single handrail was replaced with a
more sturdy caged bridge, however, it is still not a crossing for the faint- hearted. The Bridge
swings above a chasm of rushing, foaming water that seems to drag the unwary- down, and away.
Many visitors who make the walk one way are unable to return resulting in them being taken off
the island by boat.

Questions 28 32
Looking at the following list of places (Questions 28 32) from the paragraphs A-E of reading
passage 3 and their locations on the map.

Match each place with its location on the map

Write your answers m boxes 28-32 on your answer sheet.

28. The Sperrin Mountains

29. Dunluce Castle

30. Inishowen

31. The Glens of Antrim

32. Limavady

Questions 33 38

Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 33-38 on your answer sheet write

YES if the statement agrees with the information in the passage

NO if the statement contradicts the information in the passage

NOT GIVEN if there is no information about the statement in the passage

33. After 1639, the castle of Dunluce was not completely uninhabited.

34. For the author, Dunluce Castle evokes another period of history.

35. There were more than 1500 men on die Girona when it went down.

36. The writer believes that the Giants Causeway is worth going to visit.

37. The author recommends twilight as the best time to visit the Giants Causeway.

38. The more study cage added to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge has helped to increase
the number of visitors to the area.

Questions 39 40

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write your answers in boxes 39-40 on your answer sheet.

39. The writer feels that the Giants Causeway is

A. an unsettling place.

B. a relaxing place.

C. a boring place.

D. an exciting place.

40. Which of the following would be a good title for the passage?

A. The Roe Valley Park.

B. The Giants Causeway.

C. Going East to West.

D. A leap into history.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Topic:
The pie charts show figures for the use of public libraries in 1990 and 2000 in
Britain.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Sample Answers
The pie charts provide information about the purposes of people who visited public libraries in
Britain in two years.
It is obvious that the most popular use of people going to the libraries was to borrow or return
books, and there was a new librarys function in 2000.

In 1991, there were 290 million visits to public libraries. In particular, the percentage of people
visiting public library to borrow and return books was 65%, followed by that of those who read
newspaper or magazine with 15%. Also, 10% was the proportion of people obtained information
and studied in libraries.

In 2000, although the number of library visits increased by 60 million, Britain experienced a
considerable decline in the percentage of visits to borrow and return books. In addition, the
proportion of people going to library to obtain information doubled to 20% while those of
studying and reading newspaper and magazine fell sharply to 2% and 5% respectively. Lastly, the
new use of library (borrow and return videos) constituted 18% of total visits.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic:

The world natural resources are consumed at an ever-increased rate. What are the causes of
this situation? What are the solutions?

Sample Essay:

The overconsumption of natural resources has evolved as a major topic of concern in recent years.
This alarming trend is caused by a few factors, and it must be addressed by a number of definite
actions.

The increasingly high level of exploitation of natural resources could be ascribed to a

number of reasons. The most obvious reason is the tremendous demand for resources in
developing countries, such as China and Brazil. The citizens of these countries are becoming
increasingly wealthy, and they may now afford a living standard that is associated with a
higher level of resource consumption. A clear example of this is the widespread use of cars
among tens of millions of middle-income Chinese nationals, which may have contributed
substantially to the burning of oil on a global scale. Besides, the over-dependence on natural
resources, such as fossil fuels, is another significant reason to consider. In Aus, for example, the
majority of electricity is generated in thermal power stations, in which a vast amount of coal is the
burnt on a daily basis.

Some measures can be taken to mitigate the problem of over-consuming Earths resources.
The most practical measure at the moment is to reduce the demand for resources in developing
countries. This can be done by mass-producing energy-efficient products, such as hybrid
cars, and selling these items at a low price to citizens of these nations. If such a measure is
implemented, these people may still benefit from the modern living standard without over-
consuming natural resources. Besides, the most sustainable solution is to lower the
reliance on natural resources by taking advantage of alternative sources. For instance, wind
and tidal power in the Netherlands, nuclear power in Japan and solar power in the United
States have all proven their efficiency in energy production. These forms of energy should be used
in other parts of the world as well, to minimise the global dependence on fossil fuels.
All the existing data provides a concrete foundation that the overexploitation of natural
resources derives from the strong demand in developing countries and the over-reliance
on these types of resources. Strong measures, such as reducing the aforementioned demand and
making use of alternative energy sources, must be implemented to tackle this situation.

Describe a piece of work you did quickly.

You should say:
what work it was
why you did it quickly
how easy or difficult it was
and explain what the result was.

Sample Answer:
I would like to talk about a piece of work that I had to do quickly, which was the preparation for a
two-minute talk in the IELTS Speaking test, the one that I am taking at the moment.

I just finished this preparation a few seconds ago. When the second part of the Speaking test
began, I was given a topic which required me to describe something I had done quickly.
Personally I think that was a really difficult topic, and it was even more challenging since I had
only one minute to prepare for the talk. I had to think really fast. The first thing I needed to do
was to choose a piece of work to talk about, and this was the hardest part. At first I thought about
a university project that I had to finish in five days, but then I wasnt sure whether five days is
considered quick enough for this topic. And then an idea came to my mind. Why not talk about
the very difficult work I was doing at that moment, which was to think of an appropriate topic?
Then I quickly decided to choose it and made a plan for a talk about it. I had to do everything
quickly because I was given only one minute for the preparation. So, I needed to think very fast
and to write down all the ideas very quickly. In my opinion, preparing for a talk in just one minute
is really challenging, and its partly because I had to think in English, which isnt my first
language. Luckily I managed to finish the preparation on time, and I finally had enough ideas to
talk about this topic.

The result of this, um, I dont know yet because I will have to wait 13 days to see the result of this
Speaking test. However, I think I have already done everything I could, and lets hope that I will
get a satisfying result.