IELTS READING PRACTICE #1 UNIVERSITIES IN BRITAIN A) Today in Britain there are 124 state universities, but only one private university - the University of Buckingham Before the 19th century there were only six universities: Oxford Cambridge, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews Universities were usually linked to the Church and were established between the 13th and 15th centuries They often have good reputations, beautiful old buildings, traditions and usually offer a wide range of courses B) A number of universities were established in the 19th and early 20th centuries as a result of the industrial revolution and they began training highly skilled people for industry These universities were generally established in major industrial centres such as Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and other big cities Sometimes called modern or civic universities, these universities have the advantage of well-established libraries, academic specialities and accommodation that is close to campus These universities are often able to provide accommodation for all first year students C) A number of new universities were established in the 1960s when children born after World War entered the higher education system The government decided to expand higher education to educate these students The advantage of these universities is that they are well planned and most of the living and teaching facilities are on campus D) Before 1992, higher education in the UK was split into polytechnics and universities The polytechnics provided skilled people for the industries situated in their region - they focused on vocational and professional subjects For many years, polytechnics didn't have the same influence as universities However, by 1992, educational standards in polytechnics were as good as universities and many became universities Many of these universities also offer diploma courses E) These universities are made of several smaller colleges which come together to form a single university under a senate committee There are only seven of these institutions in the UK - London University, Oxford and Cambridge are examples Specialist colleges offer a range of courses in one discipline - for example agriculture, music, design or medicine Some of these colleges may only offer- postgraduate programmes These colleges are usually small, with a limited number of students F) Universities have different locations The older universities often have teaching facilities and student accommodation situated close together Students in these usually socialise in a particular part of the city and there is a strong sense of community despite being in a large city Some city campuses are situated on the outskirts of the city These very often have the space to provide sports facilities and accommodation They are also close enough to the city for students to enjoy city life Some universities, notably Oxford and Cambridge, have a collegiate structure - that is, students are members of colleges within the university These colleges are the centre of social life and academic life Academic staff usually live at the college, and students and staff enjoy easy relationships Questions 1-6 The Reading Passage has six paragraphs A–F Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below List of Phrases i Campus types ii Old universities iii Universities during the industrial revolution iv University colleges v Rising standards in higher education vi The second expansion vii Former polytechnics 1) Section A 2) Section B 3) Section C 4) Section D 5) Section E 6) Section F Questions 7-12 Answer the questions below with words taken from the Reading Passage Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer 7) Why were several universities established during the 19th and 20th centuries? 8) What did the government decide to in the 1960s? 9) What qualification many former polytechnics provide? 10) What are colleges the centre of? Questions 11-16 Classify the following descriptions as referring to OU (old universities) CU (civic universities) NU (new universities) FP (former polytechnics) UC (university colleges) NB You may use any answer more than once 11) have accommodation and educational facilities on campus 12) provide various courses on a single subject 13) have lecturers and students living in the same place 14) were linked to religious institutions 15) were built in growing cities 16) offer diploma courses • 1-ii • 9-vocational and professional • 2-iii • 10-social life/academic life • 3-vi • 11-NU • 4-vii • 12-UC • 5-iv • 13-OU • 6-i • 14-OU • 7-the industrial revolution • 15-CU • 8-expand higher education • 16-FP • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • IELTS READING PRACTICE #2 You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1–14, which are based on Reading Passage below • • THE STUDENTS’ PROBLEM (A) The college and university accommodation crisis in Ireland has become ‘so chronic’ that students • are being forced to sleep rough, share a bed with strangers – or give up on studying altogether (B) The deputy president of the Union of Students in Ireland, Kevin Donoghue, said the problem has become particularly acute in Dublin He told the Irish Mirror: “Students are so desperate, they’re not just paying through the nose to share rooms – they’re paying to share a bed with complete strangers It reached crisis point last year and it’s only getting worse “We’ve heard of students sleeping rough; on sofas, floors and in their cars and I have to stress there’s no student in the country that hasn’t been touched by this crisis “Commutes – which would once have been considered ridiculous – are now normal, whether that’s by bus, train or car and those who drive often end up sleeping in their car if • they’ve an early start the next morning.” (C) Worry is increasing over the problems facing Ireland's 200,000 students as the number increases over the next 15 years With 165,000 full-time students in Ireland – and that figure expected to increase to around 200,000 within the next 15 years –fears remain that there aren’t enough properties • to accommodate current numbers (D) Mr Donoghue added: “The lack of places to live is actually forcing school-leavers out of college altogether Either they don’t go in the first place or end up having to drop out because they can’t get a • room and commuting is just too expensive, stressful and difficult.” (E) Claims have emerged from the country that some students have been forced to sleep in cars, or out on the streets, because of the enormous increases to rent in the capital Those who have been lucky enough to find a place to live have had to so ‘blind’ by paying for accommodation, months in • advance, they haven’t even seen just so they will have a roof over their head over the coming year (F) According to the Irish Independent, it’s the ‘Google effect’ which is to blame As Google and other blue-chip companies open offices in and around Dublin’s docklands area, which are ‘on the doorstep of the city’, international professionals have been flocking to the area which will boast 2,600 more • apartments, on 50 acres of undeveloped land, over the next three to 10 years (G) Rent in the area soared by 15 per cent last year and a two-bedroom apartment overlooking the Grand Canal costs €2,100 (£1,500) per month to rent Another two-bedroom apartment at Hanover Dock costs €2,350 (almost £1,700) with a three-bedroom penthouse – measuring some 136 square • metres – sits at €4,500 (£3,200) per month in rent (H) Ireland’s Higher Education Authority admitted this was the first time they had seen circumstances ‘so extreme’ and the Fianna Fáil party leader, Michael Martin, urged on the Government to intervene He said: “It is very worrying that all of the progress in opening up access to higher education in the last decade – particularly for the working poor – is being derailed because of an entirely foreseeable accommodation crisis • Questions 1-8 • Reading Passage has eight paragraphs, A–H • Choose the most suitable paragraph headings from the list of headings and write the correct letter, A– H, in boxes 1–8 on your answer sheet • Cons of the commuting • Thing that students have to go through • Commutes have become common in Ireland nowadays • Danger of the overflow • Cause of the problems • Pricing data • Regression • Eyeless choice • Questions 9–14 • Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1? • In boxes 9–14 on your answer sheet, write • TRUE if the statement agrees with the information • FALSE if the statement contradicts the information • NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this • The accommodation problem in Ireland is especially bad in Dublin • 10 Commutes are considered ridiculous • 11 The number of students in Ireland is not likely to increase in the future = • 12 Due to the opening of the new offices around Dublin, the number of local restaurants will go up significantly over the next to 10 years • 13 The rent price went up by 15% last year • 14 Michael Martin stated that crisis could have been omitted if the government reacted properly • D E A True B 10 False C 11 False F 12 Not Given G 13 True H 14 Not Given 16  ... education • 16-FP • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • IELTS READING PRACTICE #2 You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1–14, which are based on Reading Passage below • • THE STUDENTS’ PROBLEM... D 5) Section E 6) Section F Questions 7-12 Answer the questions below with words taken from the Reading Passage Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer 7) Why were several universities established... poor – is being derailed because of an entirely foreseeable accommodation crisis • Questions 1-8 • Reading Passage has eight paragraphs, A–H • Choose the most suitable paragraph headings from the