Reading Passage Content
This page contains IELTS reading practice materials with comprehensive questions and explanations.
IELTS Reading Practice Test: The Unselfish Gene
Practice your IELTS reading skills with this comprehensive 14-question test. Time limit: 20 minutes.
Reading Passage Content Summary
## The Unselfish Gene **A psychologist gives his view on how humans became self-centred ** There has long been a general assumption that human beings are essentially selfish. We’re apparently ruthless, with strong impulses to compete against each other for resources and to accumulate power and pos...
Question Types Included
- multiple-choice (4 questions)
- summary-completion (5 questions)
- yes-no-not-given (5 questions)
Test Information
- Total Questions: 14
- Time Limit: 20 minutes
- Level: Intermediate to Advanced
- Format: IELTS Academic Reading
Reading Comprehension Questions
Questions 1–4: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
1. What is the writer doing in the first paragraph?
2. What point is made about Richard Dawkins’ book The Selfish Gene?
3. What does the writer suggest about the prehistoric era in the fourth paragraph?
4. The writer refers to Bruce Knauft’s work as support for the idea that
Questions 5–9: Summary Completion
Complete the summary below.
Write the answer in ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 5–9.
Contemporary hunter-gatherer societies
Bruce Knauft’s research shows that contemporary hunter-gatherer societies tend to exhibit a high level of 5. in all areas of life. In these cultures, distributing resources fairly among all members is a moral obligation. These societies also employ strategies to prevent differences in 6. occurring: for example, the !Kung follow a custom whereby the credit for one person’s success at 7. is given to another member of the group. Individuals who behave in a 8. manner are punished by being excluded from the group, and women have a considerable amount of 9. in choices regarding work and marriage.
Questions 10–14: 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
10. Some anthropologists are mistaken about the point when the number of societies such as the !Kung began to decline.
11. Humans who developed warlike traits in prehistory would have had an advantage over those who did not.
12. Being peaceful and cooperative is a natural way for people to behave.
13. Negative traits are more apparent in some modern cultures than in others.
14. Animal research has failed to reveal a link between changes in the environment and the emergence of aggressive tendencies.
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
The Unselfish Gene
Reading Passage Content
This page contains IELTS reading practice materials with comprehensive questions and explanations.
Reading Comprehension Questions
Questions 1–4: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
1. What is the writer doing in the first paragraph?
2. What point is made about Richard Dawkins’ book The Selfish Gene?
3. What does the writer suggest about the prehistoric era in the fourth paragraph?
4. The writer refers to Bruce Knauft’s work as support for the idea that
Questions 5–9: Summary Completion
Complete the summary below.
Write the answer in ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 5–9.
Contemporary hunter-gatherer societies
Bruce Knauft’s research shows that contemporary hunter-gatherer societies tend to exhibit a high level of 5. in all areas of life. In these cultures, distributing resources fairly among all members is a moral obligation. These societies also employ strategies to prevent differences in 6. occurring: for example, the !Kung follow a custom whereby the credit for one person’s success at 7. is given to another member of the group. Individuals who behave in a 8. manner are punished by being excluded from the group, and women have a considerable amount of 9. in choices regarding work and marriage.
Questions 10–14: 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
10. Some anthropologists are mistaken about the point when the number of societies such as the !Kung began to decline.
11. Humans who developed warlike traits in prehistory would have had an advantage over those who did not.
12. Being peaceful and cooperative is a natural way for people to behave.
13. Negative traits are more apparent in some modern cultures than in others.
14. Animal research has failed to reveal a link between changes in the environment and the emergence of aggressive tendencies.
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