Cambridge IELTS 19 Academic Test 2 Reading Answers and Explanations

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All answers on this page include the question number, correct answer and a brief explanation of where to find it in the passage or audio. Use these alongside the original Cambridge IELTS books for the best practice experience.

Cambridge IELTS 19 | Academic Reading

Academic Test 2 answers with clear explanations

These Cambridge IELTS 19 Academic Test 2 Reading answers explain all 40 questions. Review The Industrial Revolution in Britain, Athletes and stress, An inquiry into the existence of the gifted child.

40answers explained
3reading passages
60 minofficial practice time
AcademicAcademic Reading
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Cambridge IELTS 19 Academic Test 2 Reading answer key

Use these cards for quick marking. Read the detailed explanations when an answer needs more review.

1. The Industrial Revolution in Britain

Questions 1 to 13
1piston
2coal
3workshops
4labourAlso: labor
5quality
6railways
7sanitation
8NOT GIVEN
9FALSE
10NOT GIVEN
11TRUE
12TRUE
13NOT GIVEN

2. Athletes and stress

Questions 14 to 26
14D
15F
16A
17C
18F
19injury
20serves
21excitement
22visualisationAlso: visualization
23BAlso: D
24DAlso: B
25AAlso: E
26EAlso: A

3. An inquiry into the existence of the gifted child

Questions 27 to 40
27H
28A
29C
30B
31J
32I
33YES
34NOT GIVEN
35YES
36NOT GIVEN
37NO
38C
39B
40D

Passage 1: The Industrial Revolution in Britain

This passage reviews the Industrial Revolution in Britain. It explains how labour, transport, energy and manufacturing changed economic life.

Question typesnote completion, True / False / Not Given.
1In Watt and Boulton's steam engine, the movement of the ____ was linked to a gear system.piston

Why: The answer is piston. It completes the detail and follows the stated word limit.

2A greater supply of ____ was required to power steam engines.coal

Why: The answer is coal. It completes the detail and follows the stated word limit.

3Before the Industrial Revolution, spinners and weavers worked at home and in ____.workshops

Why: The answer is workshops. It completes the detail and follows the stated word limit.

4Not as much ____ was needed to produce cloth once the spinning jenny and power loom were invented.labour

Why: The answer is labour. It completes the detail and follows the stated word limit.

Accepted alternative: labor.

5Smelting iron ore with coke resulted in material that was better ____.quality

Why: The answer is quality. It completes the detail and follows the stated word limit.

6Demand for iron increased with the growth of the ____.railways

Why: The answer is railways. It completes the detail and follows the stated word limit.

7The new cities were dirty, crowded and lacked sufficient ____.sanitation

Why: The answer is sanitation. It completes the detail and follows the stated word limit.

8Britain's canal network grew rapidly so that more goods could be transported around the country.NOT GIVEN

Why: The passage does not give enough information to confirm or contradict this statement.

9Costs in the iron industry rose when the technique of smelting iron ore with coke was introduced.FALSE

Why: The passage gives information that contradicts this statement.

10Samuel Morse's communication system was more reliable than that developed by William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone.NOT GIVEN

Why: The passage does not give enough information to confirm or contradict this statement.

11The economic benefits of industrialisation were limited to certain sectors of society.TRUE

Why: The passage gives information that supports this statement.

12Some skilled weavers believed that the introduction of the new textile machines would lead to job losses.TRUE

Why: The passage gives information that supports this statement.

13There was some sympathy among local people for the Luddites who were arrested near Huddersfield.NOT GIVEN

Why: The passage does not give enough information to confirm or contradict this statement.

Passage 2: Athletes and stress

This passage explores the pressures experienced by athletes. It compares organisational stress, performance stress and ways competitors manage demanding situations.

Question typesmatching information, sentence completion, multiple selection.
14reference to two chemical compounds which impact on performanceD

Why: The detail belongs with Paragraph D.

15examples of strategies for minimising the effects of stressF

Why: The detail belongs with Paragraph F.

16how a sportsperson accounted for their own experience of stressA

Why: The detail belongs with Paragraph A.

17study results indicating links between stress responses and performanceC

Why: The detail belongs with Paragraph C.

18mention of people who can influence how athletes perceive their stress responsesF

Why: The detail belongs with Paragraph F.

19Performance stress involves many demands on the athlete, for example coping with the possible risk of ____.injury

Why: The answer is injury. It completes the detail and follows the stated word limit.

20Cortisol can cause tennis players to produce fewer good ____.serves

Why: The answer is serves. It completes the detail and follows the stated word limit.

21Psychologists can help athletes to view their physiological responses as the effect of a positive feeling such as ____.excitement

Why: The answer is excitement. It completes the detail and follows the stated word limit.

22____ is an example of a psychological technique which can reduce an athlete's stress responses.visualisation

Why: The answer is visualisation. It completes the detail and follows the stated word limit.

Accepted alternative: visualization.

23Which TWO facts about Emma Raducanu's withdrawal from the Wimbledon tournament are mentioned in the text?B

Why: The passage supports option B: symptoms of her performance stress at the tournament.

Accepted alternative: D.

24Which TWO facts about Emma Raducanu's withdrawal from the Wimbledon tournament are mentioned in the text?D

Why: The passage supports option D: aspects of the Wimbledon tournament which increased her stress levels.

Accepted alternative: B.

25Which TWO facts about anxiety are mentioned in Paragraph E of the text?A

Why: The passage supports option A: the factors which determine how severe it may be.

Accepted alternative: E.

26Which TWO facts about anxiety are mentioned in Paragraph E of the text?E

Why: The passage supports option E: the harm that can result if athletes experience it too often.

Accepted alternative: A.

Passage 3: An inquiry into the existence of the gifted child

This passage examines how researchers define gifted children. It considers intelligence, creativity, education and the limits of traditional testing.

Question typesmatching information, Yes / No / Not Given, multiple choice.
27Maryam Mirzakhani is regarded as ____ in the field of mathematics because she was the only female holder of the prestigious Fields Medal.H

Why: The detail belongs with unique.

28However, maths held little ____ for her as a child.A

Why: The detail belongs with appeal.

29In fact, her performance was below average until she was ____ by a difficult puzzle that one of her siblings showed her.C

Why: The detail belongs with intrigued.

30Later, as a professional mathematician, she had an inquiring mind and proved herself to be ____ when things did not go smoothly.B

Why: The detail belongs with determined.

31She said she got the greatest ____ from making ground-breaking discoveries.J

Why: The detail belongs with satisfaction.

32She was responsible for some extremely ____ mathematical studies.I

Why: The detail belongs with innovative.

33Many people who ended up winning prestigious intellectual prizes only reached an average standard when young.YES

Why: The writer clearly agrees with the idea in this statement.

34Einstein's failures as a young man were due to his lack of confidence.NOT GIVEN

Why: The writer does not express a clear view on this point.

35It is difficult to reach agreement on whether some children are actually born gifted.YES

Why: The writer clearly agrees with the idea in this statement.

36Einstein was upset by the public's view of his life's work.NOT GIVEN

Why: The writer does not express a clear view on this point.

37Einstein put his success down to the speed at which he dealt with scientific questions.NO

Why: The writer presents a view that disagrees with this statement.

38What does Eyre believe is needed for children to equal 'gifted' standards?C

Why: Option C is supported by the passage: the development of a spirit of inquiry towards their studies.

39What is the result of Ericsson's research?B

Why: Option B is supported by the passage: Being born with a special gift is not the key factor in becoming expert..

40In the penultimate paragraph, it is stated the key to some deprived children's success isD

Why: Option D is supported by the passage: the guidance of someone who recognises the benefits of learning..

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