This is the documents of IELTS reading test and key, Exercises of English Language

Download This is the documents of IELTS reading test and key and more Exercises English Language in PDF only on Docsity! 1 READING IELTS TEST THE DAMS THAT CHANGED AUSTRALIA SECTION ONE Inland Australia has had a problem with drought from the time of white settlement in 1788 until today, and this is why the Snowy Mountains Scheme was conceived and founded. Before the Snowy Scheme a large proportion of the snowfields on Australia's highest mountains (the Snowy Mountains) melted into the Snowy River every year. Hence, Snowy River water flowed, ultimately, into the sea, not toward the dry interior of the country, where people needed it so desperately. This was first recognised by the Polish geologist and explorer Strezlecki in 1840, who commented that there could be no development of the inland without adequate water supply. The rivers would have to be diverted if irrigation were to succeed. Before Federation in 1901, Australia consisted of a group of colonies, all anxious to protect their own interests. After Federation the states retained rights to the water, and thus to what might happen to the rivers. Arguments between New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia led to a deadlocked Premiers' Conference in 1947. Despite this serious dispute, the Federal Parliament passed the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Power Act just two years later, on July 7. The project was officially commenced on October 17 that year, barely three months after the act had been passed. The scheme set out to harness water for electricity and to divert it back to the dry inland areas for irrigation. To do this, thousands of kilometres of tunnels had to be drilled through the mountains, and sixteen major dams and seven hydro-electric power stations built over a period of nineteen years. The first of these was Guthega Power Station, which was commissioned in 1954. and the last one to be finished was Tumut III. SECTION TWO The Snowy Mountains Scheme was to alter the face of Australia forever. One important change was the recruitment of people from outside Australia to work on the scheme. In 1949, while the world was still recovering from the effects of World War II (1939 to 1945), the Australian government needed immense numbers of people to work on the Snowy. It sought labour from overseas, and 60,000 of the 100,000 people who worked on the scheme came from outside the country. 2 They came from thirty different countries: from Italy, Yugoslavia, and Germany, from sophisticated cities like Budapest, Paris and Vienna, and from tiny hamlets. These European workers left countries which had fought against each other during the war, and which had vastly different cultures, and they found themselves in a country which was still defining itself. They were adventurous young men, some highly skilled, some not, and they came to a place which offered both enormous challenges and primitive conditions. Many were housed in tents in the early days of the scheme, although some fortunate men were placed in barracks. The food was basic, female company extremely scarce and entertainment lacking. SECTION THREE Many new arrivals spoke only limited English, and were offered English classes after work. The men needed primarily to understand safety instructions, and safety lectures were conducted in English and other languages. In fact, a great deal of communication underground was by sign language, especially when the conditions were noisy. The signs were peculiar to the business at hand: for instance, a thumb placed near the mouth meant water, but did not indicate whether the water was needed on the drill the man was using, or for a drink. The constant reference to the men who worked on the Snowy is appropriate because few women worked on the scheme, and those who were employed usually held office jobs. Women, however, were active in the community, and the members of the Country Women’s Association gave English lessons. Other English instruction was provided by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, which ran daily broadcasts to help the newcomers with the language. SECTION FOUR These circumstances could have caused great social trouble, but there were relatively few serious problems. The men worked long and hard, and many saved their money with a view to settling in Australia or returning home. At a reunion in 1999 many were happy to remember the hardships of those days, but it was all seen through a glow of achieve-ment. This satisfaction was felt not only by the men who worked directly on the project, but by the women, many of whom had been wives and mothers during the scheme, and indicated that they had felt very much part of it. The children of these couples went to school in Happy Jack, a town notable for having the highest school in Australia, and the highest birth rate. In one memorable year there 5 Write your answers in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet. Communicating using (11)…………………………. was necessary for the labourers because of the conditions. The workers reminisced about the (12)………………………………. endured in the early days at their reunion. The Snowy Mountains Scheme was considered an (13)…………………………… which altered Australian society thereafter. 6 KEY SECTION 1: QUESTIONS 1-13 Questions 1-5 1 Answer: vii Keywords in Questions Similar words in Passage Q1: Section One Inland Australia has had a problem with drought from the time of white settlement in 1788 until today, and this is why the Snowy Mountains Scheme was conceived and founded. Note: The main idea of section one lies in the first sentence. It explains why the Snowy Mountains Scheme was conceived and founded. From that, we can conclude the answer for Q1 is heading vii. 2 Answer: ix Keywords in Questions Similar words in Passage Q2: Section Two One important change was the recruitment of people from outside Australia to work on the scheme. Note: Section two is mainly about the recruitment of people from outside Australia to work on the scheme. Therefore, the answer for Q2 is heading ix. 3 Answer: viii Keywords in Questions Similar words in Passage Q3: Section Three Many new arrivals spoke only limited English, and were offered English classes after work. The men needed primarily to understand safety instructions, and safety lectures were conducted in English and other languages. In fact, a great deal of communication underground was by sign language, especially when the conditions were noisy. Note: It is mentioned in section three that “many new arrivals were offered English classes after work”; “a great deal of communication underground was by sign language”. We should notice “sign language” and English are new ways to communicate. Therefore, the answer for Q3 is heading viii. 7 4 Answer: ii Keywords in Questions Similar words in Passage Q4: Section Four The men worked long and hard, and many saved their money with a view to settling in Australia or returning home. The children of these couples went to school in Happy Jack, a town notable for having the highest school in Australia, and the highest birth rate. In one memorable year there were thirty babies born to the eighty families in Happy Jack. Older children went to school in Cooma, the nearest major town. Note: The first part of section four is mainly about the life of workers far from home. The second part mentions how their children, receive education. From that, we can conclude the answer for Q4 is heading ii. 5 Answer: v Keywords in Questions Similar words in Passage Q5: Section Five The Snowy Mountains Scheme is the only hydro-electric scheme in the world to be totally financed from the sale of its electricity. Note: It is mentioned in section five that “the Snowy Mountains Scheme is the only hydro-electric scheme in the world to be totally financed from the sale of its electricity”. We should notice “only” is equivalent to “unique”. Therefore, the answer for Q5 is heading v. Questions 6-10 6 Answer: inland Keywords in Questions Similar words in Passage Q6: Awareness that the ………. could not be developed without irrigation This was first recognised by the Polish geologist and explorer Strezlecki in 1840, who commented that there could be no development of the inland without adequate water supply. Note: From the question, we can assume that the answer must be a noun. The keywords concerned in this question are “1840”, “not be developed” and “without irrigation”. After skimming, we can locate the relevant information in the end of paragraph one. It is mentioned that “there could be no development of the inland without adequate water supply”. We should notice “development” is the noun form of “develop”; “without adequate water supply” is similar to “without irrigation”. Therefore, the answer for Q6 is inland.