You should spend around 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on reading text 1.
THE VIKINGS AS EXPLORERS AND SETTLERS
As impressive as the Vikings’ accomplishments as raiders and warriors were, their accomplishments as explorers and settlers were equally magnificent. The Vikings ventured far from their homelands in Scandinavia and became the first Europeans to discover Greenland and even North America (which they called “Vinland”) – roughly 500 years before Christopher Columbus. Along the way, they became the first people to establish sizable settlements in Iceland and other North Atlantic islands, and also colonised the territories their warriors conquered throughout northern Europe. These explorations and settlements have had a decisive impact on these places that persists even today.
The Vikings’ motivations for faring so far across the globe and founding new settlements in the lands they reached were as varied as the individuals who undertook these tremendous projects. But a few motives stand out as being especially strong and generally applicable. In places that the Vikings were the first sizable group to explore and/or settle, these were the quest for fame, prestige, and honor; the desire for the level of personal freedom that one can only find in a sparsely-populated area with no pre-established government; and the ability to take advantage of virgin natural resources.
In places where the Vikings conquered existing populations, they were driven by political ambitions, the desire for wealth through tribute and the control of trade, and, as in newly-inhabited lands, the ability to make a name for oneself.
The Vikings didn’t just explore and settle new territories. They also settled in the lands in Europe that they conquered through warfare. In such cases, it was sometimes just the warriors themselves who settled down, began working the land, and took wives from among the native population. At other times, whole families moved from Scandinavia to the newly-conquered territories. In the British Isles, for example, the Scandinavian genetic contribution to some areas is evenly split between men and women, whereas in other places it’s overwhelmingly male.
Viking rulers in conquered territories largely adapted to what was expected of a ruler in those lands rather than simply imposing Scandinavian customs on the populace. Viking rulers in non-Norse lands often maintained good relations with the Christian Church, used written documents in governance, and even minted coins. Their Viking followers did likewise, to the point that archaeologists often find it nearly impossible to distinguish the graves of Vikings from the graves of non-Vikings in Viking-controlled territories.
The Viking conquest with the deepest and longest impact was that of the British Isles. The Scandinavians who migrated to England, Scotland and Ireland forever changed the character of those countries. Perhaps this should be unsurprising given the sheer extent of Viking rule in these places. By the late ninth century, the Norse controlled virtually all of England besides Wessex, and large swaths of Scotland and Ireland as well.
Even after the English regained control of the country in the mid-tenth century, many Scandinavian settlers remained and had a large influence on England’s culture, as loanwords, place-names, law codes, and other lines of evidence indicate. The modern English language, for example, has no less than 600 loanwords from Old Norse, including such common words as “cast,” “knife,” “take,” “window,” “egg,” “ill,” and “die.”
The Vikings settled northern Scotland especially heavily, mostly due to the fact that it was both close to Norway and a convenient jumping-off point for raids in England and Ireland. The Norse found and conquered lots of already-thriving settlements there in the ninth century, subjugating the local populations. The level of Norse influence upon the people of Scotland and its islands was so great that today, Shetlanders have 44 percent Scandinavian DNA, the Orkneys’ inhabitants have 30 percent, and those who live in the Western Isles have 15 percent. The inhabitants of the Orkney and Shetland Islands spoke Norn, a dialect of Old Norse, until the nineteenth century. The influence didn’t just go one way, however. The Norse adapted to the local customs, including becoming Christians.
Over the course of the ninth century, as the Vikings settled in Ireland, they became more and more integrated into Irish society. They fought wars on behalf of Irish leaders, intermarried with the Irish, adopted Christianity, and so forth. The Irish had no particular tradition of trade with the outside world and relied on the enterprising and well-connected Vikings to perform this activity on their behalf so that they could enjoy the fruits of interaction with international markets. While Viking settlements in Ireland were confined to trade towns – the Irish made a point to keep them out of the rest of the country – those trade towns had a great impact on the contemporary and subsequent character of the country. One of them, Dublin, is now Ireland’s capital city.
Questions 1-8
Do the following statements agree with the information given in text 1 above?
In boxes 1-8 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 present
1. The Vikings were renowned for their ability to travel and discover new places.
2. The Vikings were happy to bow to the rule of the lands they found, with little initiative among them.
3. The Vikings claimed many new places through battles.
4. Viking elders were tough and often unkind to those that they ruled over.
5. In England, the Vikings contributed to the development of its personality
6. The impact of Old Norse on the English Language was nil.
7. The Vikings preferred to raid Scotland as there was a smaller population.
8. All of Ireland was commanded by the Norse culture.
Questions 9-13
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.
9 – When the Vikings left Scandinavia they
A. sailed around the world.
B. tried to impress rulers.
C. discovered and colonised new lands.
D. terrorised many populations.
10 – What are we told about the Vikings in the fifth paragraph?
A. Viking rulers enforced strict laws.
B. The Vikings adapted well to new customs.
C. They ignored the Christian Church.
D. They merged their own culture with that of the place they settled.
11. The Vikings who settled in England, Scotland and Ireland
A. helped to shape aspects of the culture of the nation.
B. raided the lands.
C. held many battles with the people of the lands.
D. decided to leave.
12. What is the writer doing in the seventh paragraph?
A. Criticising the Norse culture.
B. Explaining how Old Norse words have been integrated into the English language.
C. Describing how the English language has developed.
D. Rejecting the idea that the English language has an outside influence.
13. What is the writer’s main point in the final paragraph?
A. That the Vikings adopted Irish customs.
B. The Irish people disliked the Viking culture and all that was associated with it.
C. Explaining the wealth of influence the Vikings had in Ireland.
D. The Irish people allowed the Vikings to settle wherever they wished, with lands given to them as spoils of war.
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You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on reading text 2.
Robotics in Healthcare – Get ready!
While there are concerns about machines replacing people in the workforce, the benefits are tempting. Imagine how a machine that doesn’t need sleep or food, doesn’t have prejudices that we humans so often have could change the way we treat people who are sick and vulnerable. With some preparation and forethought, we can make sure the human touch stays relevant in medicine while taking advantage of our metallic allies. For this reason, here are some interesting examples of robotics in healthcare.
Surgery is an unpleasant experience at best. The waiting lists can be long depending on available manpower and resources. daVinci helps alleviate the problem. It has been used in a wide variety of fields from head and neck to urologic surgery. The surgeon is in complete control of the system at all times, however as the machine has greater reach and flexibility, smaller incisions made with more precision are enough to access the problem areas.
During a hospital stay, patients interact with nurses the most. They draw blood, check your vital signs, check on your condition and take care of your hygiene if needed. They are often overwhelmed by physically and mentally daunting tasks, and the result is often an unpleasant experience for everyone involved. Robotic nurses will help carry this burden in the future. They are designed to be able to carry out repetitive tasks. This way the staff has more energy to deal with issues that require human decision-making skills and empathy. Certain robots can even take your blood sample.
But robotics in healthcare is so much more than drawing blood. With a remote controlled robot, such as the ones developed by Anybots Inc caretakers can interact with their patients, check on their living conditions and the need for further appointments. This would help efficiency a great deal by eliminating the time-consuming home visits. Companies producing and the ones maintaining the system will have to make great efforts to alleviate privacy concerns. As with every such device, it must be near impossible to access for non-authorized personnel. With the proper safeguards in place, these robots can greatly improve the lives of caretakers and patients alike.
Chances are you have been in a situation before where, if an accident were to happen, medical professionals would not have been able to reach you in time. To some of us in the developed world, it’s a rare occurrence. But even in 2016 billion live outside of the reach of conventional emergency services. With InTouch Health, patients in remote areas have access to high-quality emergency consultations for stroke, cardiovascular, and burn services. On the patient’s side, it can be accessed on a tablet or personal computer, and clinicians can also use the same type of devices as best suits their needs.
You have seen them in movies, taken advantage of them in video games and now they are here for real: exoskeletons. With the help of these devices paralysed people can walk, rehabilitation of stroke or spinal cord injury patients. They can enhance strength in order to allow a nurse to lift an elderly patient. While they have many exciting uses, it’s important to remember that currently, they are costly to make and power, so at least at first they will not be available for everyone. Although, in some cases, insurance companies had to cover the costs. Because of this, it has the potential to deepen already existing social and economic inequalities. Decision makers have to lay the groundwork to regulate the use of such devices. They will have to stay up to date on their capabilities to prevent misuse.
The great thing about robots is that they can be built to be so durable that they can overtake tasks that for humans would be simply too dangerous. Take Petman for example: designed for testing chemical protection clothing. It moves freely and can even adjust suit temperature and simulate sweating to provide realistic conditions.
Such solutions not only minimise the risk to human testers, in the long run, mechanisation of the supply chain makes production cheaper as well. Robots don’t need vacations, to eat or sleep. With a new generation of them more sturdy, agile and flexible than ever they increase productivity in all kind of factories.
Hospital acquired infections (such as MRSA) are among the leading causes of death in the US. According to CDC statistics used by Xenex show that in the United States, 1 in every 25 patients will contract an HAI. Of those, 1 in 9 will die. In addition to the human cost, it takes its toll financially as well. These infections cost more than $30 billion dollars a year. Xenex, a Texas-based company produces a unique robot. It uses high-intensity ultraviolet light to disinfect any space in a health care facility quickly and efficiently. The Xenex Robot is more effective in causing cellular damage to microorganisms than other devices designed for disinfection. It reduces the number of hospital-acquired infections. It’s yet another example of how robotics in healthcare helps hospital staff to decrease workload and will lead to a much friendlier environment.
As with nurses, pharmacists are burdened with tasks that could be eliminated by utilising the advancing robotics in healthcare. Heavy lifting, as always, is a big help, but a robot could process information much faster and much more accurately than humans. This way it could make more precise recommendations after sifting through the patient’s available medical data. Pharma dispensers could work as an ATM does, so no matter time of day patients can get access to their prescriptions. If robots were used for such tasks, pharmacists would have the time and the incentive to participate in the social aspect of healing: educate people of preventive measures, give practical advice and therefore make sure that healthcare truly becomes caring.
Questions 14-17
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in text 2?
In boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet, write
YES – if the statement agrees with the views or claims
NO – if the statement contradicts the views or claims
NOT GIVEN – it is impossible to say what the writer’s views/claims are
14. Governments should do more to ensure that Robotics are readily available in the hospital systems.
15. Surgical procedures can be enhanced.
16. In the future, the healthcare system will increase its dependency on robots.
17. Hospitals in the United States reported that infections caught in hospital care cost the nation over 50 billion each year.
Questions 18-21
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 18-21 on your answer sheet.
18. In the future, medical robots will provide many ………………………… in the health care system.
19. Some machines or robotics will use data to increase …………………………………
20. With help from ………………………………… many people can walk.
21. Many robots can perform tasks that people cannot because they are too ………………………….
Questions 22-26
Look at the following names and list of statements below.
Match each name with the correct statement, A-H.
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 22-26 on your answer sheet.
22. daVinci
23. Anybots Inc
24. InTouch Health
25. Petman
26. Xenex
List of Findings
A. Can perform autonomous head and neck surgery.
B. Provide specialist equipment for surgical procedures that give accurate lacerations.
C. Develop robots that can take blood.
D. Make health care workers that can investigate on patients easily.
E. Can offer healthcare services to those who live in remote places.
F. Can assist in lifting patients with spinal cord injuries.
G. Can perform jobs that are too risky for humans.
H. Ensures that spaces are kept clean, safe from the spread of epidemic particles.
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You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on reading text 3.
What is the main theme in Jane Austen’s writings?
A
One of the most important themes in Jane Austen’s writings is society and a woman’s place in it. To deliver this theme she uses satire to get her female readers (and her male ones) to see themselves in the comical and small-minded antics of her characters and to relate to that and think how they can improve in the elements that apply to them – each reader as an individual. For example, are they like fluffy and empty-headed and short-sighted like Mrs Bennet? Or perhaps they are Lydia (impetuous, naive, impulsive and similarly short-sighted? perhaps they are a tad arrogant and full of themselves to the extent that they are thoughtlessly hurtful to others (‘badly done Emma, badly done!) For other readers, perhaps a female reader may recognize Mr Wickham as some irresponsible, self-serving youth as someone they know – a male reader may, of course, recognize himself! With gentle humour, Austen gets us to see society in a new way.
B
Austen was born in a rectory and died, unmarried, at the age of 41. She is buried in Winchester Cathedral, which she probably would have preferred to the Poets’ Corner in Westminster. Austen’s life is easily summarised because we don’t know much about it. We can assume, however, that nothing much happened in her life other than the writing of her novels. Unlike her contemporary Mary Wollstonecraft, Austen seems not to have held fierce views on the rights of women. She accepted the world into which she had been born and the status of women within it.
C
The heroine of her first novel, Northanger Abbey, Catherine Morland, is just 15, growing from a tomboyish adolescence into womanhood. The plot of Northanger Abbey revolves around the question: Who will Catherine marry, and how will she get to the altar? The theme, however, focuses on a different question: What is it to be grown up? What is it to be morally mature? How does one become the kind of person who can deal with the complicated issues of life? Austen intertwines that question with another question: What, in the process of growing up, is the function of the English novel? Austen believed that the novel could help readers mature; it could serve as a moral instructor, with a similar role as the weekly sermons the author would have heard in church. ion, which is romantic, addicting, light-headed, and corrupting. The point for Austen, though, is how fiction is used and, more importantly, the relationship of the novel to moral maturity and growth.
D
In another early novel, Sense and Sensibility, Austen pondered, in the characterization of the two Dashwood sisters, which was the road to maturity—sense and rationalism, as embodied in the elder sister, Eleanor, or sensibility and passion, as embodied in the younger sister, Marian? In typically English fashion, the answer lies in the middle road.
E
In a later novel, Mansfield Park, probably composed around 1810, Austen debates a central issue for her: Should a woman marry for love or for interest, prudently, that is, with an eye toward finances? The ironic opening of Mansfield Park recalls the decisions on this all-important question of three sisters of the Ward family. The novel tells us that there is no magic formula for happiness. This opening sets the stage for the novel proper, the story of Fanny Price, the namesake daughter of Frances, adopted from her impoverished house in Portsmouth to Mansfield Park, a grand estate, where she is never quite accepted. In the course of the novel, Fanny manages to resist pressures and make the right marriage choices. She becomes the mistress of Mansfield Park and a leading figure in society. These are the questions that Jane Austen asks: sense or sensibility, love in a cottage or love in a castle, marriage or independence? Time is an enemy here; a woman has only a few years in which to make these important choices.
F
In Austen’s last completed novel, Persuasion, the heroine, Anne Elliott, at age 28, has lost her bloom. Will she be able to marry at her age? In her novels, Austen asks the most important questions in a woman’s life. How does any woman determine the course that her life will take? Such decisions depend on the situation in which the woman finds herself. For Austen, novels, particularly great works of morality such as her own, can help women negotiate these paths.
Questions 27-32
Reading text 3 has six paragraphs, A-F.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
27. The author questioned how one should navigate their growth.
28. The author loved to write.
29. The author thought about the personality traits of the two main characters.
30. There is no alchemy that can create bliss.
31. The character of this book showed the immaturity of their youth.
32. Characters were created in a playful way.
Questions 33 and 34
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Write the correct letters in boxes 33 and 34 on your answer sheet.
Which TWO of these points are made by the writer of the text of the novel Mansfield Park by Jane Austen?
A. Crucial decisions must be made in good time in order to have a happy life.
B. Choosing to be secure over love is key.
C. A woman has the right to choose her own destiny.
D. Women should always be dependent.
E. Choosing marriage should always be the right choice.
Questions 35 and 36
Choose two letters, A-E.
Write the correct letters in boxes 35 and 36 on your answer sheet.
Which TWO of the following themes are regularly included in Jane Austen’s Novels?
A. Feminism.
B. Women and their place in the community.
C. Friendships.
D. Love, marriage and money.
E. The themes are all very similar.
Questions 37-40
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.
The Themes in Austen’s Work
The themes within Jane Austen’s novels were as relevant in the 1800’s as they are today. One of the most regular themes is that of 37. …………………………….. and their place in society. Austen liked to develop characters that her readers could identify with and perhaps recognise their characteristics within themselves. Many of the novel’s themes centre on love, finding a good match to 38. ………………………… and financial security. Many of the author’s heroines are faced with the dilemma of marrying or having 39. …………………………………… The novels look at how women make 40. …………………………… to shape their lives, by giving in to the pressures to marry and be with someone who can provide or to make it on their own, without anyone to depend on.
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Essential strategies and practice techniques for this IELTS Reading question type. Learn how to manage time and improve accuracy.
Originally published June 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
Reading Text 1
This text is from Science Mag and written by Carrie Arnold
You should spend around 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on reading text 1.
Shhh, The Ants Are Talking
If you want to survive as an ant, you’d better get ready to make some noise. A new study shows that even ant pupae—a stage between larvae and adult—can communicate via sound and that this communication can be crucial to their survival.
“What’s very cool about this paper is that researchers have shown for the first time that pupae do, in fact, make some sort of a sound,” says Phil DeVries, an entomologist at the University of New Orleans in Louisiana who was not involved in the study. “This was a very clever piece of natural history and science.”
Scientists have known for decades that ants use a variety of small chemicals known as pheromones to communicate. Perhaps the most classic example is the trail of pheromones the insect’s place as they walk. Those behind them follow this trail, leading to long lines of ants marching one by one. However, the insects also use pheromones to identify which nest an ant is from and its social status in that nest. Because this chemical communication is so prevalent and complex, researchers long believed that this was the primary way ants shared information.
However, several years ago, researchers began to notice that adults in some ant genuses, such as Myrmica, which contains more than 200 diverse species found across Europe and Asia, made noise. These types of ants have a specialised spike along their abdomen that they stroke with one of their hind legs, similar to dragging the teeth of a comb along the edge of a table. Preliminary studies seemed to indicate that this noise served primarily as an emergency beacon, allowing the ants to shout for help when being threatened by a predator.
Larvae and young pupae have soft outer skeletons, which means their specialised spikes haven’t yet formed and they can’t make noise. However, as the pupae mature, their covering hardens into a tough exoskeleton like that found in adult ants. These older pupae do have fully functional spikes but were generally thought to be silent.
Karsten Schönrogge, an entomologist at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, in the United Kingdom, thought it odd that mature pupae would have the capability to produce sound but remain silent. So he and his colleagues listened in to a group of Myrmica scabrinodisants. These 4- to 5-millimeter-long, reddish-brown ants are commonly found in northern Europe, in low-lying areas like peat bogs.
Using an extra-sensitive microphone that would pick up on the faint acoustic signals, the researchers measured the sounds produced by 10 differentM. scabrinodis larvae, six immature pupae, and six mature pupae. Whereas the larvae and immature pupae were completely silent, the mature pupae produced brief pulses of sound, the team reports online today in Current Biology.
Further analysis of this noise showed that it was a simplified version of the more complex adult sound. It was as if the mature pupae were saying, “Help!” while the adults were saying “Hey, I’m over here! Please come help! It’s your friend!”
To test the function of these noises in the mature pupae, the researchers first played back the sounds made by either the mature pupae or adult M. scabrinodis. Adult worker ants responded the same way to both recordings, such as walking over to the speaker, rubbing their antennae against it, and guarding it. They didn’t show these responses when Schönrogge and colleagues played white noise. These behaviours, which represent a worker ant’s attempts to protect its nestmates, indicate that acoustic communication served to bring assistance in both mature pupae and adult ants.
To see how the ants used this acoustic communication, the team removed the abdominal spike from some of the mature pupae in a nest. The researchers then disturbed the nest, spilling out larvae, pupae, and adult workers into an experimental arena. Normally, the adult ants rescue their nestmates in a specific order: mature pupae, immature pupae, and, finally, the larvae. In the experiments by Schönrogge and colleagues, the adult workers indeed rescued the unmuted mature pupae first. However, the adult ants completely ignored the muted ants. It was as if the mute mature pupae simply didn’t exist.
“The sounds they make rescue them by signalling their social status,” Schönrogge says. “There is complex information in these signals,” that combine with chemical signals to provide an array of information about the individual. Researchers have yet to decode everything the ants are communicating by sound and how the ants interpret these signals. Acoustic communication may be especially important in mature pupae because they don’t yet produce the full array of adult pheromones, but they also don’t smell and behave like larvae, either.
DeVries cautions that the discovery doesn’t mean that chemical communication in ants is less important. “Ants live in these enormously sophisticated societies,” he says. “Acoustic signalling adds another gorgeous piece to what we know about how insect societies communicate.”
Questions 1-6
Do the following statements agree with the information in the text?
In boxes 1-6 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 present
1. Adult ants have spiked legs
2. Mature ants and pupae can convey they need help by creating sounds
3. The larvae do no produce any signals
4. Quiet ants were not retrieved by the mature ants
5. The ants tested did not show any positions relating to hierarchy
6. Ants live in practical communities
Questions 7-9
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F below
Write the correct letter A-F, in boxes 7-9 on your answer sheet.
7. The ants can use their sense of smell
8. Some ants can create a sound
9. Some researchers
A. to detect other insects
B. to talk to each other and gain knowledge of their place in the hierarchy
C. from using their antennae
D. that is used to ask for help
E. documented the tone from various stages of ant formation
F. created a support network for the ants
Questions 10-13
Complete the flow chart below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.
If you need help to answer these questions with extra practice please read the posts below >>
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You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on reading text 2.
Questions 14-18
The text below has five paragraphs A-E.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. A new beginning
ii. A career like no other
iii. Integration and education
iv. The result of the overall benefits
v. Some drawbacks of working in the healthcare system
vi. From the initial process to the workplace
vii. The future of healthcare for refugees and migrants
viii. Examples of medical staff success
14. Paragraph A
15. Paragraph B
16. Paragraph C
17. Paragraph D
18. Paragraph E
World Refugee Day: WHO training enables Syrian doctors and nurses to provide health care in Turkey
A
“We and the Turkish doctors are working like brothers and sisters.” These are the words of Muhammed Hattab, 1 of more than 3 million Syrian refugees now living in Turkey – the country with the highest number of refugees in the world. A doctor who fled his home in Aleppo more than 2 years ago, Muhammed did not know whether by leaving northern Syria he was also abandoning his profession and the career he had built in his home country. However, thanks to a joint programme of the WHO Country Office in Turkey and the Turkish Ministry of Health, he has been able to begin a new chapter of his life and career, working in the Turkish national health system and providing care for his fellow Syrians in Turkey.
B
In 2016, the Turkish government enacted a law that allows Syrian health professionals to enter the workforce in the Turkish health system, with the aim of both integrating Syrian professionals into the health system and also ensuring that Syrian refugees can receive health care without encountering language or cultural barriers. In order to implement this law, the Public Health Institution of Turkey, associated with the Ministry of Health, and the WHO Country Office developed an adaptation training for Syrian health workers living Turkey – including doctors, nurses and midwives. The initiative is supported financially by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Operations (ECHO).The training provides classroom and practical coursework, resulting in a certificate that authorises Syrian health-care workers to practice in refugee health centres established in Turkey and to deliver health services to Syrian refugees.
C
Since the trainings began in November 2016, over 380 doctors and 360 nurses and midwives have received vocational competence certificates, allowing them to serve refugee populations in Turkey. Ultimately, they will staff the 260 refugee health centres and 600 refugee health units that the Ministry of Health has opened and will establish in the future. These centres and units provide primary health care, with services offered to Syrian refugees free of charge. “This project in Turkey was the salvation for Syrian doctors,” says Muhammed. “With this programme, we felt like doctors for the first time in 2 years.”
D
While the health-care profession has general underlying principles that are universal across different parts of the world, some important regulations and practices differ greatly from country to country. The adaptation training seeks to give Syrian health workers the knowledge and experience they need in order to be fully competent and skilled in the Turkish setting. They must first apply for the programme and go through a selection process. Once approved by the Ministry of Health, they undergo a 1-week classroom training with Turkish university professors and lecturers, followed by 6 weeks of on-the -job training in a Refugee Health Centre. By working under the mentorship of Turkish health professionals for several weeks, they are able to familiarise themselves with the Turkish health system and prepare to provide care within this system. They are also evaluated at each stage of the training process before becoming certified to work in Turkey, helping to ensure good results for Syrian patients in the country.
E
“These trainings are not only a way to address language barriers but a good example of the collaboration between national and international partners in Turkey to help the integration of Syrian medical doctors, nurses and midwives to serve the community of refugees. We appreciate that the Government of Turkey, the Ministry of Health and Turkish health staff ensure equitable access to health services. And we consider this a one-of-a-kind collaboration among WHO, academia and the Ministry of Health to set an example for other countries, accommodating high numbers of refugees and migrants,” comments Dr Pavel Ursu, WHO Representative to Turkey. WHO supports the classroom portion of the training, in collaboration with the Ministry, and is committed to making sure that Syrian health professionals are equipped with the essential theoretical background for their future career. In addition, WHO provides trainees with financial support for the duration of practical training to cover living expenses and travel costs.
Questions 19-22
Look at the following titles/names (Questions 19-22) and the list of statements below.
Match each title/name with the correct statement, A-F.
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 19-22 on your answer sheet.
19. Muhammed Hattab
20. The Turkish Government
21. The Ministry of Health
22. Dr Pavel Ursu
A. Moved to Turkey
B. Provides healthcare for Syrians in Turkey
C. Implemented a system allowing migrant and refugee medical workers to undergo training in similar practices
D. Are evaluating the Turkish health system
E. Has opened many places for people to receive free healthcare
F. Gives praise to the new collaboration amongst professionals and the government
Questions 23-26
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.
23. Muhammed Hattab refers to working with fellow Syrians like working with brothers ………………………………………….
24. The Turkish government is making it easier for Syrians to be treated medically by fellow ……………………………
25. Syrian medical professionals are entered into a …………………………. program that updates their knowledge of the Turkish healthcare system.
26. Everyone involved is trying to set an ………………………. to other places in the world.
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You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on reading text 3.
Mental Health and the Effects of Social Media
Is Facebook making you depressed? If so, you’re not alone. According to a recent study by UK disability charity Scope, of 1500 Facebook and Twitter users surveyed, 62 percent reported feeling inadequate and 60 percent reported feelings of jealousy from comparing themselves to other users.
I’ve heard similar complaints from friends and I’ve felt it myself on a bad day. Most frequently, I hear such statements from those who are struggling with depression. It makes sense that if you are already in a low mood or not feeling good about yourself, having pictures of happy couples and smiling babies pop up on your screen on a consistent basis may make you feel worse. The same is true if you tend to generally have a negative outlook on life.
If Facebook posts depress you, the solution is simple. Here are four things you can do today to help you cope:
Deactivate your Facebook account (you can always reactivate it later)
Unfollow your most (seemingly) happy and successful, friends
Remember that Facebook isn’t a representation of reality
Turn off the computer and go make your own annoyingly happy moments
Should you really take the four actions above?
In a 2015 study on the effects of Facebook use on mental health, researchers at the University of Missouri discovered that regular use could lead to symptoms of depression if the site triggered feelings of envy in the user.
“If it is used as a way to size up one’s own accomplishments against others, it can have a negative effect,” said Professor Margaret Duffy, one of the professors who co-authored the research. She explains that if it’s used “to see how well an acquaintance is doing financially or how happy an old friend is in his relationship – things that cause envy among users – use of the site can lead to feelings of depression.”
However, those who use the site primarily to feel connected do not experience the negative effects. In fact, when not triggering feelings of envy, the study shows, Facebook could be a good resource and have positive effects on well-being.
Further studies have shown that the majority of social media users tend to edit and post only their most attractive pictures, or ‘put a rose-tinted gloss over their lives’ in an effort to idealise themselves and, researchers believe, to improve others’ impressions of them.
To avoid Facebook-induced depression, users should be aware of the risks of using the site as a tool for comparison. Furthermore, users should be aware that most people are presenting a biased, positive version of reality on social media. Finally, if you’re still feeling down, angry, or generally disillusioned because of the positive news shared by your Facebook friends, on or offline, you should question why you feel that way.
Barring clinical depression or a recent life setback, is it really such a bad thing to see another human being enjoying life, especially if it’s a friend- or at least someone you tolerate enough to accept as a Facebook friend?
With all of the suffering and pain in the world, wouldn’t it be a tragedy if people stopped sharing joyful events for fear of making someone else jealous? Imagine if people only discussed all of the negative things that surrounded them. Especially over this past year, don’t we have enough tragic posts appearing in our newsfeeds 24/7?
Given that there will always be someone who’s taller, richer, better-looking, who has more friends, a better job, etc., we can either allow ourselves to fall into the dangerous trap of comparison, or we can choose to remember that regardless of what others around you appear to have, everyone is grappling with their own struggles. For every promotion, a book deal and Tony nomination, chances are, the recipient has experienced equally or more significant life setbacks.
Also important to remember is that for every person that seems to have more, there is another with less. For each individual whose qualities you covet, there’s someone out there who wishes they had what you have. If we can’t change our outer circumstances, at least we can try to change our perspective and learn to be grateful for what we have. We can also learn to celebrate other’s successes. Sharing in other people’s joy can often lift our spirits.
“Be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins” – Jim Stovall
These suggestions may be difficult, especially if you’re struggling with low self-worth or depression. If that is the case, seek help from a friend or a professional. Whether it’s reaching out for support, practising gratitude or simply surrounding yourself with more of the positive, you owe it to yourself to make the best out of this life.
Stop torturing yourself by comparing your life with everyone else’s positively biased representations of theirs. Seek to improve your own life in a realistic manner. Choose to look at the positives and to celebrate your wins… as well as theirs.
Questions 27-32
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the text?
In boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet write
YES – if the statement agrees with the views or claims
NO – if the statement contradicts the views or claims
NOT GIVEN – it is impossible to say what the writer’s views/claims are
27. Social media makes many people unhappy
28. When people see photographs of others having fun it makes them feel really happy
29. There are steps you can take to lessen the effects of social media on your wellbeing
30. Research shows how certain aspects can make you feel good about yourself
31. Ask for help on Facebook and Twitter
32. Seek positivity in your own life and stop comparing yourself to others
Questions 33-40
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 33-40 on your answer sheet.
Mental Health And Social Media
There is a desire among most people to check their social media accounts obsessively with many people feeling 33. ……………………….. when they compare their lives to others. This is often felt by those suffering from depression or who have simply had a bad day. When looking through your newsfeed and seeing photographs of people having a great time, could make you feel 34. …………………………… There are steps that can be taken to reduce these feelings, including removing yourself from Facebook or other social media accounts. Another step is to leave the computer alone and go and do something you enjoy. Research has shown that looking at Facebook obsessively can point your mental health into the direction of 35 ………………………………….. When comparing your life to those that you see on social media feeds it can have a 36………………………………. effect. When people start to envy others on social media, it can lead to a person thinking badly about their own lives and themselves. Those people who use Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family experience more 37…………………………………. effects. Research also shows that most people who post photographs, heavily edit in an attempt to make others see them how they want to be seen. It is important to think about how everyone has their own problems in the world, glamorous people on Facebook included. For each person you see who inspires you to crave what they have, there are others who want what 38 ……………………………………… We should be happy for others good fortune and learn to be grateful for our own successes. If you feel like you are having difficulties with depression or low 39 …………………………………. ask for help. Even if you talk through it all with a good friend or colleague or envelop yourself in a more positive environment, small changes can make sure that you get 40 ………………………………. out of your life.
If you need help to answer these questions with extra practice please read the posts below >>
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
