Reading Test 2 (Academic) – Passage 1

Computer-based IELTS practice · free

  • •Passage 1: questions 1–13. Time allowed: 20 minutes.
  • •The passage is on the left and the questions are on the right. Each side scrolls separately.
  • •Select words in the passage to highlight them; click a highlight to remove it.
  • •There is no extra time to transfer answers. The test is submitted automatically when time runs out.
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Passage 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1–13, which are based on the reading passage below.

The Bicycle: Two Centuries of Change

Questions 1–6

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? Choose TRUE if the statement agrees with the information, FALSE if the statement contradicts the information, NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

1Drais’s machine was moved forward by the rider’s feet on the ground.

2Drais was a professional engineer.

3Boneshakers were mainly sold in England.

4On a boneshaker, a larger front wheel meant a higher speed.

5The penny-farthing was popular with people of all ages.

6Dunlop first designed his tyre for a racing bicycle.

Questions 7–13

Complete the notes below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Key stages in bicycle history

1817: Drais may have been influenced by a shortage of
1860s: boneshakers had tyres and were uncomfortable
1870s: the penny-farthing used solid tyres
1885: the safety bicycle used a to drive the rear wheel
1890s: cycling helped the campaign for women’s rights and led to more practical
Today: cities with separate have more cyclists
bicycles make hilly routes easier