Reading Passage Content
This page contains IELTS reading practice materials with comprehensive questions and explanations.
IELTS Reading Practice Test: Insight or evolution?
Practice your IELTS reading skills with this comprehensive 14-question test. Time limit: 20 minutes.
Reading Passage Content Summary
## Insight or evolution? Two scientists consider the origins of discoveries and other innovative behavior Scientific discovery is popularly believed to result from the sheer genius of such intellectual stars as naturalist Charles Darwin and theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. Our view of such u...
Question Types Included
- multiple-choice (5 questions)
- yes-no-not-given (5 questions)
- summary-completion (4 questions)
Test Information
- Total Questions: 14
- Time Limit: 20 minutes
- Level: Intermediate to Advanced
- Format: IELTS Academic Reading
Reading Comprehension Questions
Questions 1–5: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
1. The purpose of the first paragraph is to
2. What are the writers doing in the second paragraph?
3. In the third paragraph, what do the writers suggest about Darwin and Einstein?
4. John Nicholson is an example of a person whose idea
5. What is the key point of interest about the ‘acey-deucy’ stirrup placement?
Questions 6–10: Yes/No/Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer?
Write YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
Write NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
Write NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
6. Acknowledging people such as Plato or da Vinci as geniuses will help us understand the process by which great minds create new ideas.
7. The Law of Effect was discovered at a time when psychologists were seeking a scientific reason why creativity occurs.
8. The Law of Effect states that no planning is involved in the behaviour of organisms.
9. The Law of Effect sets out clear explanations about the sources of new ideas and behaviours.
10. Many scientists are now turning away from the notion of intelligent design and genius.
Questions 11–14: Summary Completion
Complete the summary below.
Drag words from the box into the blanks.
Write your answers in boxes 11–14.
Word Box:
invention
goals
compromise
mistakes
luck
inspiration
experiments
The origins of creative behaviour
The traditional view of scientific discovery is that breakthroughs happen when a single great mind has sudden (11) . Although this can occur, it is not often the case. Advances are more likely to be the result of a longer process. In some cases, this process involves (12) , such as Nicholson’s theory about proto-elements. In others, simple necessity may provoke innovation, as with Westrope’s decision to modify the position of his riding stirrups. There is also often an element of (13) , for example, the coincidence of ideas that led to the invention of the Post-It note. With both the Law of Natural Selection and the Law of Effect, there may be no clear (14) involved, but merely a process of variation and selection.
Ready to Start?
Customize your exam settings and begin your reading test
Exam Duration:
min
Standard test • Range: 5-180 minutes
20 min
14 questions
Insight or evolution?
Reading Passage Content
This page contains IELTS reading practice materials with comprehensive questions and explanations.
Reading Comprehension Questions
Questions 1–5: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
1. The purpose of the first paragraph is to
2. What are the writers doing in the second paragraph?
3. In the third paragraph, what do the writers suggest about Darwin and Einstein?
4. John Nicholson is an example of a person whose idea
5. What is the key point of interest about the ‘acey-deucy’ stirrup placement?
Questions 6–10: Yes/No/Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer?
Write YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
Write NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
Write NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
6. Acknowledging people such as Plato or da Vinci as geniuses will help us understand the process by which great minds create new ideas.
7. The Law of Effect was discovered at a time when psychologists were seeking a scientific reason why creativity occurs.
8. The Law of Effect states that no planning is involved in the behaviour of organisms.
9. The Law of Effect sets out clear explanations about the sources of new ideas and behaviours.
10. Many scientists are now turning away from the notion of intelligent design and genius.
Questions 11–14: Summary Completion
Complete the summary below.
Drag words from the box into the blanks.
Write your answers in boxes 11–14.
Word Box:
invention
goals
compromise
mistakes
luck
inspiration
experiments
The origins of creative behaviour
The traditional view of scientific discovery is that breakthroughs happen when a single great mind has sudden (11) . Although this can occur, it is not often the case. Advances are more likely to be the result of a longer process. In some cases, this process involves (12) , such as Nicholson’s theory about proto-elements. In others, simple necessity may provoke innovation, as with Westrope’s decision to modify the position of his riding stirrups. There is also often an element of (13) , for example, the coincidence of ideas that led to the invention of the Post-It note. With both the Law of Natural Selection and the Law of Effect, there may be no clear (14) involved, but merely a process of variation and selection.
Ready to Start?
Customize your exam settings and begin your reading test
Exam Duration:
min
Standard test • Range: 5-180 minutes
20 min
14 questions