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BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 429
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 429 – PASSAGE – 1
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST – 429
READING PASSAGE – 1
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet
A. The popularity of shrub and species roses has recently surpassed that of hybrid tea and floribunda roses. There is little evidence that shrub and species roses offer a variety of cultural advantages, even though this movement has, in part, been influenced by modern trends in garden design combined with deft marketing. Of course, there are other aesthetic factors to take into account. For example, some gardeners love the diverse colour palette and high-centered flowers of hybrid teas, but others prefer shrub roses because they are easier to incorporate into a garden’s overall design. This is mostly a matter of personal preference and is outside the purview of the current article.
B. Before evaluating the cultural benefits of shrub roses, it is important to note their variety and age. The gallica, the albas, and the damasks are three separate rose races that date back to the Middle Ages. The Gallica rose was first mentioned in the 13th century, and the most well-known of all of them, Gallica Officinalis, is one of the flowers that the Flemish painter Jan Van Eyck included in his famous Ghent Altarpiece in the 14th century. Another gallica with distinctive red and white petals is Rosa Mundi, which has been grown for at least six centuries. Albas has a lengthy history as well.
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The oldest “working” rose in the world, Alba x semi plena, is still cultivated in Kazanluk, Bulgaria, for its fragrant petals, which are collected each June and used to manufacture the perfume attar of roses. Damasks were considered to have originated in Damascus, as their name suggests. Although their lineage is less clear, they are undoubtedly connected to the wild roses that are still present in regions of the Middle East and Iran. There are other recently imported rose cultivars in cultivation, including rugosas, hybrid musks, hybrid perennials, and Bourbons, which are Far Eastern in origin.
C. Due to their genetic diversity, shrub roses have two key cultural benefits for both professional and amateur gardeners: disease resistance and tolerance to a wide range of climates and soil types. While hybrid teas are quite prone to fungi-related illnesses like rust and black spots, many shrub roses exhibit tolerance to these conditions. Shrub roses with deep, robust root systems are more drought resistant and less susceptible to illnesses caused by nutritional deficiencies in poor soil conditions. This means that for horticulturists, fertilizer applications and disease spraying will require less time and money.
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D. However, there are other practical issues to consider where space is at a premium. The majority of shrub roses, which do not require regular severe pruning to encourage them to blossom, will eventually grow into big bushes across two meters high, with a spread of two to three meters. Hybrid teas, which rarely reach heights of more than one meter, are more useful for small gardens. Shrub roses’ size and density, however, may be advantageous in situations when a substantial permanent bush is needed. Some kinds are dense enough to be used as hedges.
E. The duration of the blossoming phase is another consideration. Numerous shrub roses have a brief yet magnificent blossoming season. For instance, the well-known ancient rose Cuisse de Nymphe blooms once in the middle of the summer for about a month and then goes dormant. Other rose kinds, including Madame Isaac Pereire, maybe the most highly fragrant of all the roses, are repeat or perennial bloomers. There are moreover, some types with lovely ferny foliage and a beautiful arching habit. In contrast, hybrid teas have an upright posture and rough, leathery leaves.
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In September and October, species of roses also develop beautiful red fruits (hips), and their leaves frequently take on lovely autumnal hues. When selecting a rose for a specific location, all these characteristics must be kept in mind. Compared to hybrid tea, shrub roses live longer, are simpler to propagate, and require less pruning and upkeep. A thorough variety catalog will include information on color, flowering duration, size, preferred soil types and aspects, best planting periods, and general cultural requirements.
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Questions 1-3
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
1. _________ is one of the gallica with white and red petals, and has been grown for six centuries.
2. Species of roses also create _________, also called hips, in the months of September and October.
3. Races of roses like gallica, the albas, and the damasks were traced back to the _________
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Questions 4-10
Complete the text below, which is a summary of paragraphs 3, 4, and 5.
Choose your answers from the Word List below the summary and write them in Boxes 4-10 on your answer sheet.
There are different types of shrub roses, some of which are able to resist disease and others which suit diverse climates and soils, features that are of 4.______ to both
horticulturalists and gardeners, as, in the long run, such adaptability saves both time and money. The 5._______ is another factor that needs to be taken into account when choosing a rose. 6._______ shrub roses 7._______ without having to be cut back regularly.
In fact, they can 8._______ grow to a height of nearly two meters and up to three meters 9._______. So for small gardens hybrid teas are more practical, because they rarely grow more than one meter tall. A thorough catalog 10_______the information about the shape of the plant as well as the shape of the plant.
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QUESTIONS 11 – 15
Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in Boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet.
11. Which of the statements below is true about Madame Isaac Pereire?
A. It is one of the most fragrant roses of all roses.
B. It is impossible to say whether the writer is talking about shrub roses or all roses when he says it is probably the most intensely fragrant rose of all.
C. It is probably the most intensely fragrant shrub rose.
D. It flowers only once per year
12. Which of these is NOT among the characteristics of shrub roses?
A. easy to propagate
B. drought resistant
C. disease resistant
D. produces more fruits than other species
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13. Which kind of roses are perennial bloomers?
A. Madame Isaac Pereire
B. Alba
C. Damasks
D. Gallica
14. What do gardeners NOT love to grow?
A. Hybrid teas
B. Flowers with diverse colour palettes
C. Shrub daisies
D. Shrub roses
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15. ______ is responsible for the cultural benefits that are held by shrub roses
A. History
B. Genetic diversity
C. Diameter
D. Fruits
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IELTS Academic Reading Test
ANSWERS
1. ROSA MUNDI
2. FRUITS/RED FRUITS
3. MIDDLE AGES
4. BENEFITS
5. AREA AVAILABLE/SPACE
6. MAJORITY
7. BLOSSOM
8. EVENTUALLY
9. ACROSS
10. INCLUDES
11. A
12. D
13. A
14. C
15. B
IELTS Academic Reading Test