TĂNG từ VỰNG sử DỤNG CAM 7 BY NGOCBACH

TĂNG TỪ VỰNG IELTS READING SỬ DỤNG
CAMBRIDGE IELTS 7 BY NGOCBACH
TEST 1
Reading passage 1

Let’s go bats
A. Bats have a problem: how to find their way around
in the dark. They hunt at night and cannot use light to
help them find prey and avoid obstacles. You might
say that this is a problem of their own making, one
that they could avoid simply by changing their
habits and hunting by day. But the daytime economy
is already heavily exploited by other creatures such as
birds. Given that there is a living to be made at
night, and given that alternative daytime trades are
thoroughly
occupied,
natural
selection has favoured bats that make a go of the
night-hunting trade. It is probable that the nocturnal
trades go way back in the ancestry of all mammals. In
the time when the dinosaurs dominated the daytime
economy, our mammalian ancestors probably only
managed to survive at all because they found ways
of scraping a living at night. Only after the
mysterious mass extinction of the dinosaurs about 65
million years ago were our ancestors able to emerge
into the daylight in any substantial numbers.
B. Bats have an engineering problem: how to find
their way and find their prey in the absence
of light. Obviously, the night-flying insects that they

prey on must find their way about somehow. Deep-sea
fish and whales have little or no light by day or by
night. Fish and dolphins that live in
extremely muddy water cannot see because, although
there is light, it is
obstructed and scattered by the dirt in the water.
Plenty of other modern animals make their living in
conditions where seeing is difficult or impossible.
C. Given the questions of how to manoeuvre in
the dark what solutions might an engineer consider?
The first one that might occur to him is
to manufacture light, to use a lantern or a
searchlight. Fireflies and some fish (usually with the

obstacle (n): something that
blocks one’s way.
of one’s own making: the mistake
of someone.
change one’s habit: to switch
something that is done regularly to
another activity
the daytime economy: food
availability and hunting activity
given that…: provided that
to make a living: to do gather
enough resources in order to
sustain daily life
favour something (v): to prioritize
something
make a go of something: to be

successful in something
it is probable that: having high
chances to happen
dominate (v): to rule over
something
scrap a living: to barely provide
oneself with necessities
mass extinction: the
disappearance of species on a very
large scale
emerge (v): to appear
substantial numbers: to be
considerable in figures
an engineering problem: a
technical issue
in the absence of something: to
lack of something
face this difficulty: to deal with
challenge
obstruct something (v): to block
something
scatter something (v): to drop
things over a wide area with no
specific arrangement

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help of bacteria) have the power to manufacture their
own light, but the process seems to consume a large
amount of energy. Fireflies use their light for
attracting mates. This doesn't require a prohibitive
amount of energy: a male’s tiny pinprick of
light can be seen by a female from some distance on a
dark night, since her eyes are exposed directly to the
light source itself. However, using light to find one's
own way around requires vastly more energy, since
the eyes have to detect the tiny fraction of the light
that bounces off each part of the scene. The light
source must therefore be immensely brighter if it is to
be used as a headlight to illuminate the path, than if
it is to be used as a signal to others. In any event,
whether or not the reason is the energy expense, it
seems to be the case that, with the possible exception
of some weird deep-sea fish, no animal apart
from man uses manufactured light to find its way
about.
D. What else might the engineer think of? Well, blind
humans sometimes seem to have an uncanny sense
of obstacles in their path. It has been given the name
'facial vision’, because blind people have reported that
it feels a bit like the sense of touch, on the face. One
report tells of a totally blind boy who could ride
his tricycle at good speed round the block near his
home, using facial vision. Experiments showed that,
in fact, facial vision is nothing to do with touch or the
front of the face, although the sensation may be
referred to the front of the face, like the referred pain

in a phantom limb. The sensation of facial vision,
it turns out, really goes in through the ears. Blind
people, without even being aware of the fact, are
actually using echoes of their own footsteps and of
other sounds, to sense the presence of obstacles.
Before this was discovered, engineers had already
built instruments to exploit the principle,
for example to measure the depth of the sea under a
ship. After this technique had been invented, it was
only a matter of time before weapons designers
adapted it for the detection of submarines. Both sides
in the Second World War relied heavily on these
devices, under such codenames as Asdic (British) and
Sonar (American), as well as Radar (American) or
RDF (British), which uses radio echoes rather than
sound echoes.

manoeuvre (v): to move
occur to someone (v): to happen
to somebody
manufacture light: to create a
source of light
a lantern (n): a type of light
source put inside a transparent
container, usually with handle at
the top
a searchlight (n): light with high
intensity, can point at different
directions
with the help of: having the

assistance of
a prohibitive amount of energy:
a great deal of power
a tiny pinprick of light: a small
amount of light
be exposed to something: to come
in contact with something
vastly (adv): very much
detect (v): to discover something
bounce off: to reflect
immensely (adv): extremely
illuminate (v): to lighten, brighten
with the exception of something:
excluding something
apart from: except for
an uncanny sense of something: a
strange feeling about something
uncanny (adj): bizarre, strange
tricycle (n): a vehicle similar to a
bicycle but with two wheels at the
back and one at the front
nothing to do with something: to
have no connection with something
sensation (n): feeling
phantom: describing something
that is part of one’s imagination
but is not real
(phantom limb (n): referring to a
medical condition, when pain can
still be felt in amputated, missing

limbs)
turn out: to happen

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E. The Sonar and Radar pioneers didn't know it
then, but all the world now knows that bats, or rather
natural selection working on bats, had perfected the
system tens of millions of years earlier; and their
'radar' achieves feats of detection and navigation that
would strike an engineer dumb with admiration. It is
technically incorrect to talk about bat 'radar', since
they do not use radio waves. It is sonar. But the
underlying mathematical theories of radar and
sonar are very similar and much of our scientific
understanding of the details of what bats are doing
has come from applying radar theory to them. The
American zoologist Donald Griffin, who was
largely responsible for the discovery of sonar in
bats, coined the term 'echolocation' to cover both
sonar and radar, whether used by animals or by human
instruments.

to be aware of something: to
acknowledge something
echo (n): sounds reflected after
hitting a surface

exploit the principle: to put a
basic idea into use for one’s own
good
it was a matter of time: time was
the only concern
rely on something: to depend on
something
sonar (n): a technique using
sounds for underwater navigation
and communication
radar (n): a system applying radio
waves in detecting objects
pioneer (n): the first person to do
something
perfect the system: to make the
system flawless
achieve a feat: to make an
achievement
navigation (n): the act of planning
which way to go
strike someone dumb: to silence
someone
the underlying … theory: the
basic theory
responsible for something: to
have the duty of taking care of
something
coin the term: to create new
words or expressions
echolocation: a technique which

uses echo to locate things

Reading passage 2

Making every drop count
A. The history of human civilisation is entwined
with the history of the ways we have learned
to manipulate water resources. As towns gradually
expanded, water was brought from increasingly
remote
sources,
leading

human civilisation: the most
advanced stage of society
be entwined with something: to
be twisted together or around
something
manipulate (v): control, regulate
sophisticated efforts: action that
is complicated

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to sophisticated engineering efforts such as dams
and aqueducts. At the height of the Roman Empire,
nine major systems, with an innovative layout of

pipes and well-built sewers, supplied the occupants of
Rome with as much water per person as is provided in
many parts of the industrial world today.
B. During the industrial revolution and population
explosion of the 19th and 20th centuries, the demand
for water
rose
dramatically. Unprecedented construction of tens of
thousands
of monumental
engineering
projects designed to control floods, protect clean
water
supplies,
and
provide
water
for irrigation and hydropower
brought
great
benefits to hundreds of millions of people. Food
production has kept
pace
with soaring
populations mainly because of the expansion
of artificial irrigation systems that make possible the
growth of 40% of the world’s food. Nearly one fifth of
all the electricity generated worldwide is produced
by turbines spun by the power of falling water.
C. Yet there is a dark side to this picture: despite

our progress, half of the world’s population still
suffers,
with water
services inferior
to those available to the ancient Greeks and
Romans. As the United Nations report on access to
water reiterated in November 2001, more than one
billion people lack access to clean drinking water;
some two and a half billion do not have
adequate sanitation services. Preventable waterrelated diseases kill an estimated 10,000 to 20,000
children every day, and the latest evidence suggests
that we are falling behind in efforts to solve these
problems.

dam (n): a wall built perpendicular
to a river, to control its flow
aqueduct (n): a system which
directs the flow of water
at the height of something: at the
pinnacle of something
innovative layout: a new, more
modern way of arrangement
supply someone with
something: to purvey something to
somebody
industrial world: society focusing
on developing industries
industrial revolution: a
significant change, leading to the
development of industries

population explosion: a rapid,
sudden increase in the number of
people living in a specific place
the demand for something: a
need for something
unprecedented (adj): have never
happened before
monumental projects: a large
plan
irrigation (n): the act of watering
for the growth of plants
hydropower (n): energy generated
through the movement of turbines,
which are accelerated by the flow
of water
to bring great benefits to: to have
significant advantages
food production: the process of
transforming raw ingredients into
edible products
keep pace with: to catch up with
soaring populations: a
skyrocketing population
artificial irrigation
systems: systems made by men,
which supply water to crops
artificial (adj): man-made
to generate (v): to create, produce

D. The consequences of our water policies extend

beyond jeopardising human health. Tens of millions
of people have been forced to move from their homes
- often with little warning or compensation - to make
way for the reservoirs behind dams. More than 20 %
of all freshwater fish species are now threatened or
endangered
because
dams
and water
withdrawals have destroyed the free-flowing river
ecosystems where they thrive. Certain irrigation
practices degrade soil
quality
and there is a dark side to this
reduce agricultural
productivity. Groundwater picture: the unfavourable aspect of
aquifers are being pumped down faster than they are a situation

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naturally replenished in parts of India, China, the
USA and elsewhere. And disputes over shared water
resources have led to violence and continue to raise
local, national and even international tensions.
E. At the outset of the new millennium, however, the
way resource planners think about water is beginning
to change. The focus is slowly shifting back to the

provision
of basic
human
and environmental needs as top priority - ensurin
g ‘some for all,’ instead of ‘more for some’. Some
water
experts
are
now
demanding
that
existing infrastructure be used in smarter ways
rather than building new facilities, which is
increasingly considered the option of last, not
first, resort. This shift in philosophy has not
been universally accepted, and it comes with
strong opposition
from some
established
water organisations. Nevertheless, it may be the only
way to address successfully the pressing
problems of providing everyone with clean water to
drink, adequate water to grow food and a life free
from preventable water-related illness.
F. Fortunately - and unexpectedly - the demand for
water is not rising as rapidly as some predicted. As a
result, the pressure to build new water infrastructures
has diminished over the past two decades. Although
population, industrial
output and economic

productivity have continued to soar in developed
nations, the rate at which people withdraw water
from aquifers, rivers and lakes has slowed. And in a
few parts of the world, demand has actually fallen.
G. What explains this remarkable turn of events?
Two factors: people have figured out how to use water
more efficiently, and communities are rethinking their
priorities for water use. Throughout the first threequarters of the 20th century, the quantity
of freshwater consumed per person doubled on
average; in the USA, water withdrawals
increased tenfold while the population quadrupled.
But since 1980, the amount of water consumed per
person has actually decreased, thanks to a range of
new technologies that help to conserve water in
homes and industry. In 1965, for instance, Japan used
approximately 13 million gallons of water to produce
$1 million of commercial output; by 1989 this had
dropped to 3.5 million gallons (even accounting

water services: services
dedicating to the provision of
water
inferior to: lesser
available to someone: accessible
to someone
reiterate (v): to repeat what was
said before
lack access to: have no availability
of water
sanitation services: hygienic

services
falling behind in something:
unable to do something on time
jeopardise (v): to put something in
danger
compensation (n): the act of
making up for something
make way for something: to
create an opportunity for
something to happen
reservoir (n): a place for storing
liquid
water withdrawals: the act of
removing water from its source
free-flowing: flow that is not
interfered
thrive (v): to develop
degrade (v): decrease in quality
agricultural productivity: the rate
of producing goods in agriculture
groundwater aquifers: layers of
rocks that contain water
pump down: directing liquid
downwards
replenish (v): to fill something
disputes over something: to have
a disagreement about something
raise tensions: to increase the
feeling of anger between groups
at the outset of something: at the

beginning of something
millennium (n): an interval of a
thousand years
shifting back to
something: changing back to
basic human needs: fundamental
demands of men

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for inflation) - almost a quadrupling of water as top priority: treated as the most
productivity. In the USA, water withdrawals have important thing
fallen by more than 20 % from their peak in 1980.
ensure something (v): to make
sure that
H. On the other hand, dams, aqueducts and other kinds infrastructure (n): the basic
of infrastructure will still have to be built, particularly systems and services
in developing countries where basic human needs the option of last = resort: the
have not been met. But such projects must be built to final method of solving a problem
higher specifications and with more accountability universally (adv): widely
to local people and their environment than in the comes with something: to lead to
past. And even in regions where new projects something
seem warranted, we must find ways to meet strong opposition
demands
with fewer
resources, respecting from someone: disagree
ecological criteria and to a smaller budget.

vehemently
address the pressing
problems: to tackle issues that
need immediate attention
free from something: to get away
from something
the pressure to do
something: strong influence on
something to make it do a specific
task
diminish (v): to decrease
industrial output: products of
industries
economic productivity: the ratio
of what is produced to what is
required to produce it
withdraw water from
aquifers: to take water from
aquifers
remarkable turn
of something: significant change
of something
efficiently (adv): effectively
the quantity of something: the
amount of something
on average: mean
double (v): two-fold
tenfold (adv): ten times
quadrupled (v): to increase
something four times

conserve water: to cut down the
consumption of water
commercial output: items created
through the manufacture own by
business

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to account for something: to form
a part of something
inflation: increase in prices
specifications (n): detailed
instructions
accountability to someone: to
have responsibility
warranted (adj): guaranteed
meet demands with: to satisfy the
needs of someone
respecting ecological criteria: to
seriously follow ecological
standards with recognition of their
importance
a smaller budget: a fund that is
lesser in size

Reading passage 3

Educating psyche
Lozanov's instructional technique is based on the
evidence that the connections made in the brain
through unconscious processing (which he calls nonspecific mental reactivity) are more durable than
those
made
through
conscious
processing. Besides the laboratory evidence for this,
we know from our experience that we often remember
what we have perceived peripherally, long after we
have forgotten what we set out to learn. If we think
of a book we studied months or years ago, we will find
it easier to recall peripheral details the- colour, the
binding, the typeface, the table at the library where we
sat while studying it - than the content on which we
were concentrating. If we think of a lecture we listened
to with great concentration, we will recall the
lecturer's appearance and mannerisms, our place in
the auditorium, the failure of the air-conditioning,
much more easily than the ideas we went to learn.
Even if these peripheral details are a bit elusive, they
come back readily in hypnosis or when we relive the
event imaginatively, as in psychodrama. Thedetails
of the content of the lecture, on the other hand, seem
to have gone forever.
This phenomenon can be partly attributed to the
common counter-productive

instructional technique: method

of training and teaching
(un)conscious processing: the act
of dealing with something without
or with the awareness of the person
doing that task
durable (adj): can last for a long
time
the laboratory evidence: proof
gathered from the laboratory
perceive (v): to be aware of
set out to do something: start to
do something
recall peripheral details: to
remember less important details
with great concentration: having
strong focus
recall (v): to remember, recollect
mannerism (n): the way of
moving and speaking that is a habit
of a person
auditorium (n): a part of a theatre,
providing seats for audiences and
spectators
elusive (v): hard to remember
in hypnosis: to be mesmerized
relive the event imaginatively: to
remember vividly something that
happened in the past

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approach to study (making
extreme
efforts to memorise,
tensing
muscles, inducing fatigue), but it also simply reflects
the way the brain functions. Lozanov therefore made
indirect instruction (suggestion) central to his teaching
system. In suggestopedia, as he called his method,
consciousness is shifted away from the curriculum to
focus on something peripheral. The curriculum then
becomes peripheral and is dealt with by the reserve
capacity of the brain.
The suggestopedic approach to foreign language
learning provides a good illustration. In its most
recent variant (1980), it consists of the reading of
vocabulary and text while the class is listening to
music. The first session is in two parts. In the first part,
the music is classical (Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms)
and the teacher reads the text slowly and solemnly,
with attention to the dynamics of the music. The
students follow the text in their books. This
is followed by several minutes of silence. In the
second part, they listen to baroque music (Bach,
Corelli, Handel) while the teacher reads the text in a
normal speaking voice. During this time they have
their books closed. During the whole of this session,

their attention is passive; they listen to the
music but make no attempt to learn the material.
Beforehand, the students have been carefully
prepared
for
the
language
learning
experience. Through meeting with the staff and
satisfied students they develop the expectation that
learning will be easy and pleasant and that they will
successfully learn several hundred words of the
foreign language during the class. In a preliminary
talk, the teacher introduces them to the material to
be covered, but does not 'teach' it. Likewise, the
students are instructed not to try to learn it during
this introduction.
Some hours after the two-part session, there is a
follow-up class at which the students are stimulated
to recall the material presented. Once again the
approach is indirect. The students do not focus their
attention on trying to remember the vocabulary, but
focus on using the language to communicate (e.g.
through games or improvised dramatisations). Such
methods are not unusual in language teaching.

psychodrama (n): a therapeutic
method, which helps people to gain
insight into their life
phenomenon (n): something that

can be experienced, is usually
special or extraordinary
attribute something
to something: to say that an event
is caused by something
counter-productive (adj): having
opposite, usually unwanted effect
make efforts to do something: to
try to do something
memorise (v): to remember
induce (v): to make something
happen
shift something away from
something: move something away
from something else
curriculum (n): all the subjects
learned at school
reserve capacity: total amount of
something that can be stored
something provides a good
illustration (n): to give a great
look of something
variant (n): different version
solemnly (adv): seriously
followed by: to happen after
something
passive (adj): not active, allowing
influences from external factors
make (no) attempt to do
something: (not) to try to do

something
beforehand (adv): earlier
develop the expectation: to build
up the belief that something will
occur
in a preliminary talk: a
discussion that introduces to
something else
likewise (adv): similarly
instruct someone to do
something: to teach something to
someone
follow-up (adj): coming after a
related event

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What is distinctive in the suggestopedic method is be stimulated to do something: to
encourage to do something
that they are devoted entirely to assisting recall. The improvised (adj): be able to adapt
'learning' of the material is assumed to be automatic to current situation
and effortless, accomplished while listening to dramatisations (n): the act of
music. The teacher's task is to assist the students to making a book or an event into a
play or a film
apply what they have learned paraconsciously, and distinctive (adj): different
in doing so to make it easily accessible to devoted entirely to doing
consciousness. Another

difference something: to put all effort into
from conventional teaching is the evidence that doing something
assume something (v): to think
students can regularly learn 1000 new words of a something is true, despite the lack
foreign language during a suggestopedic session, as of proof
well as grammar and idiom.
effortless (adj): to be able to do
something without putting any
Lozanov experimented with teaching by direct effort into it
suggestion during sleep, hypnosis and trance states, accomplish something (v): to
but found such procedures unnecessary. Hypnosis, achieve something
yoga, Silva
mind-control,
religious paraconsciously (adv): without
ceremonies, faith healing are all associated with and the influence of consciousness
successful in insisting that the suggestopedic conventional teaching: traditional
session calls on suggestion, but none of their method of delivering the lessons
techniques seem to be essential to it. Such rituals may experiment with something: to
be seen as placebos. Lozanov acknowledges that the try out something
ritual surrounding suggestion in his own system is also hypnosis (n): a state when one’s
a placebo, but maintains that without such a placebo entire attention is captured by
people are unable or afraid to tap the reserve capacity something
of their brains. Like any placebo, it must be dispensed trance states: when a person is
with authority to be effective. Just as a doctor calls on awake but is not aware of
the full power of autocratic suggestion by insisting everything around that person
that the patient take precisely this white capsule associated with: to have
precisely three times a day before meals, Lozanov connection to something
is categoric in insisting that the suggestopedic Silva mind-control: a specific
session be conducted exactly in the manner method of mind manipulation
designated, by trained and accredited suggestopedic religious ceremony: a set of

teachers.
formal acts, dedicated for religious
purposes
While
suggestopedia
has gained
some faith healing: an act of treating
notoriety through success in the teaching of modern oneself with the belief in a specific
languages, few teachers are able to emulate the religion
spectacular results of Lozanov and his associates. call on something: to use
We can, perhaps, attribute mediocre results to an something in order to achieve
inadequate placebo effect. The students have something
not developed the appropriate results to an placebo (n): a type of drugs which
inadequate placebo effect. The students have does not consist of any substance
not mediocre. We can, perhaps, attribute results of with value for actual treatment
Lozanov
and
his
associates
the acknowledge something (v): to be
spectacular emulate While suggestopedia has gained aware of something

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9


some notoriety through success in the teaching of
modern languages, few teachers are able to mind
set. They are often not motivated to learn through this

method. They do not have enough 'faith'. They do not
see it as 'real teaching', especially as it does not seem
to involve the 'work' they have learned to believe is
essential to learning.

dispense with something: to do
without something
autocratic
suggestion: suggestions that
people have to obey to completely
categoric (adj): absolute
conduct something (v): to carry
out something
accredited (adj): to be recognized
gain some notoriety: to achieve
fame
emulate (v): to imitate
Lozanov and his
associates: Lozanov and his
partners
mediocre (adj): ordinary, is not
special
developed the mind set: to
enhance logic

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10

CAMBRIDGE IELTS 7
TEST 2
Reading passage 1

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Why pagoda don’t fall down
In a land swept by typhoons and shaken by
earthquakes, how have Japan's tallest and seemingly
flimsiest old buildings - 500 or so wooden pagodas remained standing for centuries? Records show
that only two have collapsed during the past 1400
years. Those that have disappeared were destroyed by
fire as a result of lightning or civil war. The disastrous
Hanshin earthquake in 1995 killed 6,400
people, toppled elevated highways, flattened office
blocks and devastated the port area of Kobe. Yet
it left magnificent the five-storey pagoda at the Toij
temple in nearbly Kyoto unscathed, though
it levelled a number of buildings in the
neighbourhood.

records show that: what is
indicated in documents
collapse (v): to fall down
civil war: a conflict happening
between two or more sides, all of
which are parts of a country or a

group
topple (v): to fall down due to
imbalance
elevated highways: raised
highway
devastate (v): to destroy
leave something unscathed: to be
remained the same as before
magnificent (adj): beautiful,
impressive
level (v): to flatten

Japanese scholars have been mystified for ages about
why these tall, slender buildings are so stable. It was
only thirty years ago that the building industry felt
confident enough to erect office blocks of steel
and reinforced concrete that had more than a dozen
floors. With its special shock absorbers to dampen
the effect of sudden sideways movements from an
earthquake, the thirty-six-storey Kasumigaseki
building in central Tokyo - Japan's first skyscraper was considered
a
masterpiece
of modern
engineering when it was built in 1968.

mystify (v): to confuse
slender (adj): slim
erect (v): to build something
reinforce (v): to strengthen

something
shock absorbers: something that
takes in shock
skyscraper (n): a very tall
building
consider a masterpiece of
something: to be regarded as an
Yet in 826, with only pegs and wedges to keep his impressive work of art
wooden structure upright, the master builder
Kobodaishi had no hesitation in sending his majestic peg (n): a piece of wood or other
Toij pagoda soaring fifty-five metres into the sky- construction materials, used to
nearly half as high as the Kasumigaseki skyscraper hang other things
built some eleven centuries later. Clearly, wedge (n): an object which makes
Japanese carpenters of the day knew a few tricks other things stay fixed
about allowing a building to sway and settle itself the master builder: a builder who
rather than fight nature's forces. But what sort of has reached a high level of
competence, therefore is able to
tricks?
plan and supervise the construction
The multi-storey local conditions- they were built of a building
less high, typically five rather than nine freely have (no) hesitation in
adapted to. When the pagoda reached Japan, doing something: to (not)
however, its architecture was watchtowers important procrastinate
temples. The Chinese built their pagodas in brick or soar into the sky: to increase
stone, with inner staircases, and used them in later one’s height a lot
centuries mainly as attached to pagoda came to carpenter (n): someone who
Japan from China in the sixth century. As in China, repairs and crafts wooden items for
they were first introduced with Buddhism and a living

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12


were storeys, made mainly of wood and the staircase
was dispensed with because the Japanese pagoda did
not have any practical use but became more of an
art object. Because of the typhoons that batter Japan
in the summer, Japanese builders learned to extend the
eaves of buildings further beyond the walls. This
prevents rainwater gushing down the walls. Pagodas
in
China
and
Korea have
nothing
like the overhang that is found on pagodas in Japan.
The roof of a Japanese temple building can be made to
overhang the sides of the structure by fifty per cent or
more of the building's overall width. For the same
reason, the builders of Japanese pagodas seem to have
further increased their weight by choosing to cover
these extended eaves not with the porcelain tiles of
many Chinese
pagodas
but
with
much
heavier earthenware tiles.
But this does not totally explain the great resilience of

Japanese pagodas. Is the answer that, like a tall pine
tree, the Japanese pagoda - with its massive trunklike central pillar known as shinbashira and sways
during a typhoon or earthquake? For centuries, many
thought so. But the answer is not so simple flexes simply because the startling thing
is
that the shinbashira at all. In fact, in some pagoda
designs, it does not even rest on the carries no
load actually ground, but is suspended from the top
of the pagoda - hanging loosely down through the
middle of the building. The weight of the building is
supported entirely by twelve outer and four inner
columns.
And what is the role of the shinbashira, the central
pillar? The
best
way
to
understand
the shinbashira's role is to watch a video made by
Shuzo Ishida, a structural engineer at Kyoto Institute
of Technology. Mr Ishida, known to his students as
'Professor Pagoda' because of his passion
to understand the pagoda, has built a series of models
and tested them on a 'shake- table' in his laboratory. In
short, the shinbashira was acting like an enormous
stationary pendulum. The ancient craftsmen,
apparently without the assistance of very advanced
mathematics, seemed to grasp the principles that
were, more than a thousand years later, applied
in the construction of Japan's first skyscraper. What

those early craftsmen had found by trial and

know a few tricks about
something: to know ways to
perform a task effectively
fight nature’s forces: to oppose
natural phenomena, such as
earthquake or typhoon
multi-storey pagoda: a pagoda
with an array of levels
be attached to: to be connected to
something
watchtower (n): a tower built to
provide visual advantages for
guarding or seeing anyone coming
close
adapt something to something: to
change to be suitable for
something
local conditions: the current states
of the local areas
to dispense with something: to
get rid of something
have practical use: to have actual
application
become more of something: to
resemble other things more than
itself
batter (v): to hit something with
force countless times

gush down: to pour down rapidly
have nothing like something: to
have nothing in common
overhang (n): a roof that hangs
over something else
for the same reason: having the
same cause
porcelain tiles: thin pieces of
processed clay, used to cover
various parts of a building
earthenware tiles: tiles made from
baked clay
resilience (n): the ability to
maintain one’s original shape after
being applied a force onto
trunk-like: to resemble the main
stem of a tree

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13


error was that under pressure a pagoda's loose stack
of floors could be made to slither to and
fro independent of one another. Viewed from the
side, the pagoda seemed to be doing a snake dance with each consecutive floor moving in the opposite
direction to its neighbours above and below.
The shinbashira, running up through a hole in
the centre of

the
building, constrained individual storeys
banged from moving too far because, after moving a
certain
distance,
they into it, transmitting
energy away along the column.
Another strange feature of the Japanese pagoda is
that,
because
the
building
tapers,
with
each successive floor plan being smaller than the one
below, pillar above. In corresponding that carry the
weight of the building is connected to its vertical
pillars none of the other
words, a five- storey pagoda contains not even one
pillar that travels right up through the building to carry
the structural loads from the top to the bottom. More
surprising is the fact that the individual storeys of a
Japanese
pagoda,
unlike
their counterparts elsewhere, are not actually
connected to each other. They are simply stacked one
on top of another like a pile of hats. Interestingly, such
a design would not be permitted under current
Japanese building regulations.

And the extra-wide eaves? Think of them as a
tightrope walker's balancing pole. The bigger the mass
at each end of the pole, the easier it is for the tightrope
walker to maintain his or her balance. The same
holds true for a pagoda. 'With the eaves extending
out on all sides like balancing poles,' says Mr Ishida,
'the
building responds
to even
the
most
powerful jolt of an earthquake with a graceful
swaying, never an abrupt shaking.' Here again,
Japanese master builders of a thousand years
ago anticipated concepts of modern structural
engineering.

central pillar: pillar situated
exactly in the middle
flex (v): to bend something
startling (adj): surprising
carry (no) load: to (not) have
something with
to suspend something: to hang
something
one’s passion to do something: a
strong interest in doing something
to act like something: to work
like something
a stationary pendulum: a device

which swings back and forth
periodically, and is currently not
moving
with(out) the assistance of
something: to (not) receive help
to grasp the principles: to be able
to understand the basic rules of
something
apply in something: to be used in
something
trial and error: heuristic
under pressure: being applied a
force
slither (v): to slide
to and fro: to move back and forth
be independent of: to be free from
the influence of something
consecutive (adj): to be able to
follow one after the other without
any interruption
constrain (n): to limit something
bang into something: to hit into
something
transmit energy: to give energy
away
another feature of something: a
different property of something
successive (adj): to be able to
happen one after the other
vertical pillar: a column that is

perpendicular to the ground
corresponding (adj): to have
connection with something
in other words: to express an idea
differently

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14


counterpart (n): something which
has the same function as others in
different places
to stack something: to put
something on something
permit something: to allow
something
to maintain one’s balance: to
keep something from toppling
the same holds true for
something: could be applied for
something
respond to something: to react to
something
jolt (n): a sudden shock
abrupt (adj): sudden
anticipate (v): to project, predict

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15


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16


Reading passage 2

The True Cost of Food
A. For more than forty years the cost of food has been
rising. It has now reached a point where a growing
number of people believe that it is far too high, and
that bringing it down will be one of the great
challenges of the twenty first century. That cost,
however, is not in immediate cash. In the West at
least, most food is now far cheaper to buy in relative
terms than it was in 1960. The cost is in the collateral
damage of the very methods of food production that
have made the food cheaper: in the pollution of water,
the enervation of soil, the destruction of wildlife, the
harm to animal welfare and the threat to human health
caused by modern industrial agriculture.
B. First
mechanisation,
then mass
use
of chemical fertilisers and pesticides,

then monocultures, then battery rearing of
livestock, and now genetic engineering - the
onward
march
of intensive
farming has
seemed unstoppable in the last half-century, as the
yields of produce have soared. But the damage it has
caused has been colossal. In Britain, for example,
many of our best-loved farmland birds, such as the
skylark, the grey partridge, the lapwing and the corn
bunting, have vanished from huge stretches of
countryside, as have even more wild flowers and
insects. This is a direct result of the way we have
producted our food in the last four decades.
Thousands of miles of hedgerows, thousands of
ponds, have disappeared from the landscape.
The faecal filth of salmon farming has driven wild
salmon from many of the sea lochs and rivers of
Scotland. Natural soil fertility is dropping in many
areas because of continuous industrial fertiliser and
pesticide use, while the growth of algae is increasing
in lakes because og the fertiliser run-off.
C.Put it all together and it looks like a battlefield, but
consumers rarely make the connection at the dinner
table. That is mainly because the costs of all this
damage
are
what
economists refer

to as externalities:
they
are
outside
the
main transaction, which is for example producing
and selling a field of wheat, and are borne directly by

reached a point where: to get to a
level
bring something down: to
decrease something
immediate cash: to prompt cash in
exchange for goods
in relative terms: to hold truth to
a certain extent when compared
with other things
the collateral damage:
unintentional damage
food production: the manufacture
of food products
enervation of soil: the decrease in
quality of lands
modern industrial agriculture:
agricultural sector which focus on
the modern industrialization
mechanization (n): the process of
replacing manual work with
machine
mass use of something: the use of

something on a large scale
chemical fertilizer: substances
that boost the growth of plants
pesticide (n): chemicals which kill
off insects that are harmful to
plants
monoculture (n): the practice of
focusing on one type of plant or
animal
battery rearing: a farming
technique where animals are kept
in small places
livestock (n): animals kept on a
farm
genetic engineering: the process
of modifying genes
the onward march of
something: the arrival of
something
intensive farming: an innovative
method in farming, which aims to
increase productivity
colossal (adj): enormous

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17


neither producers nor consumers. To many, the costs

may not even appear to be financial at all, but
merely aesthetic-a terrible shame, but nothing to do
with money. And anyway they, as consumers of food,
certainly aren’t paying for it, are they?
D. But the costs to society can actually
be quantified and, when added up, can amount to
staggering sums. A remarkable exercise in doing this
has
been carried
out by
one
of
the
world’s leading thinkers on the future of
agriculture, Professor Jules Pretty, Director of the
Centre for Environment and Society at the University
of Essex. Professor Pretty and his colleagues
calculated the externalities of British agriculture for
one particular year. They added up the costs of
repairing the damage it caused, and came up with a
total figure of £2,343m. This is equivalent to £208
for every hectare of arable land and permanent
pasture,
almost as much again as the total government and EU
spend on British farming in that year. And according
to Professor Pretty, it was a conservative estimate.
E. The costs included: £120m for removal of
pesticides; £16m for removal of nitrates; £55m for
removal of phosphates and soil; £23m for the
removal of the bug Cryptosporidium from drinking

water by water companies; £125m for damage
to wildlife habitats. hedgerows and dry stone
walls; £1,113m from emissions of gases likely to
contribute to climate change; £106m from soil
erosion and organic
carbon
losses;
£169m
from food poisoning; and £607m from cattle disease.
Professor Pretty draws a simple but memorable
conclusion from all this: our food bills are actually
threefold. We are paying for our supposedly cheaper
food in three separate ways: once over the counter,
secondly through our taxes, which provide the
enormous subsidies propping up modern intensive
farming, and thirdly to clean up the mess that modern
farming leaves behind.
F. So can the true cost of food be brought
down? Breaking away from industrial agriculture as
the solution to hunger may be very hard for some
countries, but in Britain, where the immediate need
to supply food is less urgent, and the costs and the
damage of intensive farming have been clearly seen, it

vanish from something: to
disappear
a direct result of something: the
consequences of something
hedgerow (n): a line of closely
grown bushes

faecal filth: excrement
drive something from
somewhere: to force something to
go somewhere
sea loch: part of the ocean partly
enclosed by land in Scotland
natural soil fertility: the quality
of natural land
industrial fertilizer: fertilizer
produced through industrial
process
run-off (n): to become scarce
make the connection: to form a
relation
refer to: to mention to something
externality (n): something that
does not have a direct connection
to economic activity but still
affects it
transaction (n): the process of
buying or selling something
aesthetic (adj): related to beauty
nothing to do with something: to
have no connection
quantify something: to measure
the amount of something
add up: to accumulate
to amount to: up to
staggering sums: significant
amount of money

carry out: to conduct
leading thinkers on
something: top people with great
ideas about something
be equivalent to: having the same
value
arable (adj): suitable for growing
crops
conservative estimate: a guess
which is intentionally lower than
the actual fact

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18


may be more feasible. The government needs to
create sustainable, competitive and diverse farming
and food sectors, which will contribute to a thriving
and sustainable rural economy, and advance
environmental, economic, health, and animal
welfare goals.

nitrate (n): substances containing
nitrate
phosphate (n): phosphorous-based
compound
wildlife habitat: living
environment for wild animals

soil erosion: the process of soil
being washed away by rapid flow
of water
organic carbon losses: the amount
of carbon lost from plants
food poisoning: to suffer negative
effect through the consumption of
poisonous or bad quality food
draw a conclusion from
something: to conclude something
subsidy (n): fund
prop up something: to give
support to something
bring down: to decrease

G. But if industrial agriculture is to be replaced, what
is a viable alternative? Professor Pretty feels
that organic farming would be too big a jump in
thinking
and
in
practices
for
many
farmers. Furthermore, the
price premium
put
the would produce out of reach of many poorer
consumers. He is recommending the immediate
introduction of a 'Greener Food Standard', which

would push the market towards more sustainable
environmental practices than the current norm, while
not requiring the full commitment to organic
production. Such a standard would comprise agreed
practices for different kinds of farming,
covering agrochemical use, soil health, land
management, water and energy use, food safety and
animal health. It could go a long way, he says, breaking away from
to shifting consumers as well as farmers towards a something: to be free from
more sustainable system of agriculture.
something
immediate need to do
something: to need urgent
assistance to do something
feasible (adj): possible
contribute to something: to add
to the development of something
thriving (adj): to be successful
sustainable (adj): be able to
continue in the long run
rural economy: the economy of
the countryside areas
animal welfare: the well-being of
animals
a viable alternative: a different
method that can work as intended
organic farming: a farming
method involving no synthetic
chemicals
too big a jump: too much for a

change
the price premium: relative price

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19


put something out of reach of
someone: to make something
unachievable to someone
push the market towards
something: to guide people who
are interested in particular products
to something else
current norm: accepted standards
in present days
require the commitment to
something:
soil health: quality of land
such a standard would comprise
agrochemical use: to use
agriculture chemicals
shift someone towards
something: to guide something to
something

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20

Reading passage 3

Makete Integrated Rural Transport
Project

integrated (adj): combined
conventional (adj): ordinary
to tackle problems: to solve
issues
a request for help in doing
something: to ask for assistance
present the opportunity to do
something: to give the chance to
do something

Section A. The
disappointing
results
of
many conventional road transport projects in Africa
led some experts to rethink the strategy by which rural
transport problems were to be tackled at the
beginning of the 1980s. A request for help
in improving the availability of transport within the
remote
Makete
District
of

southwestern adopt something in something: to
Tanzania presented the opportunity to try a new apply something new
approach.
objective (n): goal
obtain access to something: to be
The concept of
'integrated rural transport' able to use something
was adopted in the task of examining the transport essential (adj): important
needs of the rural households in the district. the underlying assumption: the
The objective was to reduce the time and fundamental speculation
effort needed to obtain access to essential goods and coordinate (v): to organize
services through an improved rural transport activities so that people can work
system. The underlying assumption was that the together
time saved would be used instead for activities that
would improve the social and economic development virtually totally: almost
of the communities.
isolate something: to separate
The Makete Integrated Rural Transport Project something from everything else
(MIRTP) started in 1985 with financial support from alternative means of
the
Swiss
Development
Corporation
and something: different approach
was coordinated with the help of the Tanzanian restrict to something: to limit to
government.
something
rely primarily on something: to
Section B. When the project began, Makete District mainly depend on something
was virtually totally isolated during the rainy slippery (adj): referring to

season.The regional road was in such bad shape that something with smooth surface
access to the main towns was impossible for about that could be slid on easily
three months of the year Road traffic was extremely propose solutions: to suggest a
rare within the district, and alternative means method
of transportrelied donkeys in the north of the the socio-economic survey: a set
district. People restricted to were primarily on the of questions that are asked to gain
paths, which were slippery and dangerous during the information about the difference
rains. Before solutions could be proposed, the between groups of people due to
problems had to be understood. Little was known their financial status
about the transport demands of the rural households, regarding something: about
so Phase I, between December 1985 and December something
1987, focused on research. The socio-economic on foot: to walk
survey of more than 400 households in the district grinding mills: a building where
indicated that a household in Makete spent, on seeds are crushed
average, seven hours a day on transporting themselves

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21


and their goods, a figure which seemed extreme but
which has also been obtained in surveys in other rural
areas in Africa. Interesting facts regarding transport
were found: 95% was on foot; 80% was within the
locality; and 70% was related to the collection of water
and firewood and travelling to grinding mills.
Section C. Having determined the main transport
needs, possible solutions were identified which
might reduce the time and burden. During Phase II,

from January to February 1991, a number
of approaches were implemented in an effort
to improve mobility and access to transport. An
improvement of the road network was considered
necessary to ensure the import and export of
goods to the district. These improvements were
carried out using methods that were heavily dependent
on labour. In addition to the improvement of roads,
these methods provided training in the operation of a
mechanical
workshop and bus
and
truck
services. However the
difference
from
the
conventional approach was that this time
consideration was given to local transport needs
outside the road network.
Most goods were transported along the paths that
provide short-cuts up and down the hillsides, but the
paths were a real safety risk and made the journey on
foot even more arduous. It made sense to improve
the
paths
by
building
steps, handrails and footbridges. It was uncommon
to find means of transport that we were

more efficient than walking but less technologically
advanced than motor vehicles. The use of bicycles
was constrained by their high cost and the lack of
available spare parts. Oxen were not used at all but
donkeys were used by a few households in the
northern part of the district. MIRTP focused on what
would be most appropriate for the inhabitants of
Makete in terms of what was available, how much
they could afford and what they were willing to
accept. After careful consideration, the project chose
the promotion of donkeys - a donkey costs less than a
bicycle
and
the
introduction
of
a
locally manufacturable wheelbarrow.
Section D. At the end of Phase II, it was clear that the
selected approaches to Makete's transport problems
had had different degrees of success. Phase III, from
March 1991 to March 1993, focused on

determine the needs: to identify
the demands
identify possible solutions: to be
aware of viable measures
reduce the time and burden: to
lessen the amount the time doing a
task as well as its related problems

implement approaches: to
starting using specific methods
in an effort to do something: to
try to do something
mobility (n): the ability to move
easily
the import and export of
goods: the act of buying and
selling products between countries
in addition to
something: furthermore
a mechanical workshop: a place
where machines are made or
repaired
bus and truck services: transport
infrastructure, specifically for bus
and trucks
short-cuts (n): shorter route, easy
to travel
arduous (adj): difficult
make sense to do something: to
be reasonable to do something
handrail (n): a long, narrow bar of
wood or metal set up along the
stairs, allowing people to hold on
to while going up
footbridge (n): a bridge dedicated
to pedestrians
it was uncommon to do
something: something that was

unusual to do
efficient (adj): effective
constrain something: to limit
something
in terms of: to emphasise on some
a particular area that is being
discussed
careful consideration: to evaluate
something thoroughly
wheelbarrow: a small cart with
one wheel at the front and two

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22


the refinement and institutionalisation of
these
activities. The road improvements and accompanying
maintenance system had helped make the district
centre
accessible throughout the year. Essential goods from
outside the district had become more readily available
at the market, and prices did not fluctuate as much as
they
had
done
before.
Paths and secondary roads were improved only at

the request of communities who were willing
to participate in construction and maintenance.
However the improved paths impressed the
inhabitants, and requests for assistance greatly
increased soon after only a few improvements had
been completed.
The efforts to improve the efficiency of the existing
transport services were not very successful because
most of the motorised vehicles in the district broke
down and there were no resources to repair them. Even
the introduction of low-cost means of transport was
difficult because of the general poverty of the district.
The locally manufactured wheelbarrows were still too
expensive for all but a few of the
households. Modifications to the original design by
local carpenters cut production time and costs. Other
local carpenters have been trained in the new design
so that they can respond to requests. Nevertheless, a
locally produced wooden wheelbarrow which costs
around 5000 Tanzanian shillings (less than US$20) in
Makete, and is about one quarter the cost of a metal
wheelbarrow, is still too expensive for most
people. Donkeys, which were imported to the district,
have become more common and contribute, in
particular, to the transportation of crops and goods to
market.
Those who have bought donkeys are mainly from
richer households but, with an increased supply
through local breeding, donkeys should become
more affordable. Meanwhile, local initiatives are

promoting the renting out of the existing donkeys.
It should be noted, however, that a donkey, which at
20,000 Tanzanian shillings costs less than a bicycle, is
still an investment equal to an average household's
income over half a year. This clearly illustrates the
need for supplementary measures if one wants to assist
the
rural
poor.

handles at the back, used to carry
things
manufacturable: can be created
have different degrees of
something: to have difference
refinement: small changes for
improvement
institutionalization: the process of
turning someone into a permanent
part of a group or society
fluctuate (v): to change constantly
secondary road: dual-carriage
road
at the request of
someone: according to the demand
of somebody
be willing to do something: to be
consensual
low-cost means of
transport: inexpensive modes of

transportation
modification to something: an
alteration of something
respond to something: to reply to
something
local breeding: the local business
of allowing animals to reproduce
affordable (adj): can be bought at
a reasonable price
local initiatives: new ideas of
local people
it should be noted that: it is
important to be reminded about
something
criticize (v): to give opinions
about something, usually in a
disapproving way
a ‘top-down’ approach: a method
in which the most important people
make decisions, rather than by
those who will be affected by them
hand down to someone: to make a
legal decision known to the public
by making an official statement

Section E. It would have been easy to criticise the dedicated work: work that great
MIRTP for using in the early phases a 'top-down' effort was put into

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approach, in which decisions were made by experts
and
officials
before
being handed
down
to communities, but it was necessary to start the
process from the level of the governmental authorities
of the district. It would have been difficult to respond
to the requests of villagers and other rural inhabitants
without the support and understanding of district
authorities.
Section F. Today, nobody in the district argues about
the importance of improved paths and inexpensive
means of transport. But this is the result of dedicated
work over a long period, particularly from the officers
in charge of community development. They played
an essential role in raising awareness and interest
among the rural communities. The concept of
integrated rural transport is now well established in
Tanzania, where a major program of rural transport is
just about to start. The experiences from Makete will
help in this initiative, and Makete District will act as
a reference for future work.

play an essential role in
something: to be crucial in

something
raise awareness and interest
among: to have knowledge about
interest in the existence of
something
well established: referring to
something that was set up in a
good way
act as a reference for
something: can provide
information to something

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CAMBRIDGE IELTS 7
TEST 3
Reading passage 1

Ant Intelligence
When we think of intelligent members of the animal
kingdom, the creatures that spring immediately to
mind are apes and monkeys. But in fact, the social
lives of some members of the insect kingdom are
sufficiently complex to suggest more than a hint of
intelligence. Among these, the world of the ant
has come in for considerable scrutiny lately, and the
idea that ants demonstrate sparks of cognition has

certainly not been rejected by those involved in these
investigations.

to spring/come to mind: to think
of something immediately
to come in for something: to
receive blame or criticism
scrutiny (n): careful inspection of
something
cognition (n): the process of
learning, knowing something

Ants store food, repel attackers and use chemical
signals to contact one another in
case of attack. Such chemical communication can be
compared to the human use of visual and auditory
channels (as in religious chants, advertising images
and jingles, political slogans and martial music)
to arouse and propagate moods and attitudes. The
biologist Lewis Thomas wrote Ants are so much like
human beings as to be an embarrassment. They farm
fungi, raise aphids as livestock, launch armies to
war, use chemical sprays to alarm and confuse
enemies, capture slaves, engage in child labour,
exchange
information ceaselessly.
They
do
everything but watch television.

to repel something (v): to prevent
something from attacking
something else
to arouse (v): to cause something
to have a specific feeling
to propagate something (v): to
send opinions or ideas among
many people
to launch armies to war: to
deploy soldiers to war
ceaselessly (adv): constantly

However, in ants there is no cultural transmission everything must be encoded in the genes - whereas in
humans the opposite is true. Only basic instincts are
carried in the genes of a newborn baby, other skills
being learned from others in the community as the
child grows up. It may seem that this cultural
continuity gives us a huge advantage over
ants. They have never mastered fire nor progressed.
Their fungus farming and aphid herding crafts
are sophisticated when
compared
to
the
agricultural skills of humans five thousand years ago
but have been totally overtaken by modem
human agribusiness.

transmission (n): the process of
passing something from one to

another
encode (v): to represent something
using code
instinct (n): the basic behaviours
of something
an advantage over
something/somebody: to have the
condition giving better chance of
success
sophisticated (adj): complex
to overtake something (v): to
surpass something

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