BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 477

Table of Contents

IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 477 – PASSAGE – 3

IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST – 477

READING PASSAGE – 3

Breaking all the Rules

A in most countries, rules are an integral part of everyday life. They’re everywhere you look, from the traffic signs that tell you to stop, give way or drive below a certain speed, to the notices that forbid us to smoke in public places. Most of us are exposed to rules from the moment we start taking an interest in the world around us, with our parents telling us not to touch things, or not to go here or there.

It is understandable then that rules play a big part in the lives of the majority of primary school students. In many schools, students have to wear a uniform, they are not allowed to wear jewellery and if they have long hair, they must tie it back. The classroom teacher sets his or her own rules, which often involve not talking and putting your hand up if you want to ask a question. In fact, rules are the only way many teachers have of controlling their students; and when rules are not followed, the punishments may be a spell in detention or a trip to see the headteacher.

IELTS Academic Reading Test

B So, with such a reliance on rules, what would happen if you tore up the rule book? This interesting question appears to have been answered by School Principal Bruce McLachlan in Swanson Primary School, Auckland, New Zealand. He banned all rules in the school playground. Instead, children were allowed to ride skateboards, climb trees and play with old tyres and bits of wood in a ‘loose parts pit’. The experiment was part of a larger study by Auckland University of Technology and Otago University into ways of encouraging active play.

C Initially, there was some parental opposition to the experiment, as some were worried that the children would hurt themselves. However, the study went ahead and there were interesting results. The children were occupied and interested in the playground so, not surprisingly, there were fewer problems there than before. The change also had an impact on lessons, as many teachers reported that the children could concentrate better in the classroom.

IELTS Academic Reading Test

D The theory behind this study is that it is important for children to deal with risk. When they are allowed to do whatever they want, they then develop the ability to carry out a risk assessment of situations, calculating the potential consequences of their actions. This is an important part of their mental development and they can only learn it practically, not by watching people do it on TV.

However, in many modern cultures, adults are afraid to let children take risks and they stop them from doing so. This wasn’t the case in the Auckland study, and in fact, Bruce McLachlan was so pleased with the results in his school that he has decided to make the playground changes permanent.

IELTS Academic Reading Test

E So, what does this mean for the rest of the world’s schools? Are they doing the wrong thing by having playground rules and teachers to monitor behaviour? English headteacher Molly Simpson doesn’t think so: ‘The New Zealand study is interesting, but I don’t think it can work in every school. I understand that it’s important for children to experiment and take risks, but they also need to have rules and boundaries.

Children are used to them and in a way, it makes them feel secure.’ Ms Simpson is not the only one to think that the New Zealand experiment is in fact very brave in today’s world. That’s because in most schools these days everything is risk assessed. The last thing schools want is for children to hurt themselves, as there is a fear that schools may face legal proceedings. However, alternatives are springing up.

IELTS Academic Reading Test

F In Bristol, in the UK, an organisation called the Scrapstore offers an opportunity for schools to improve their playground with a playpod. The playpod is similar to the ‘loose parts pit’ used in the New Zealand experiment. It’s a portable storage facility that can be located in a playground and it’s full of unwanted scrap – material that companies are getting rid of, such as fishing nets, broken furniture, sticks and toys with missing parts.

The pod is opened during lunchtimes and children are allowed to use the material they find there in any way they choose. Schools that have used a playpod report similar results to the schools in the New Zealand study, including fewer problems in the playground and the children showing improved teamwork skills and problem-solving abilities. Schools that use playpods tend to keep the school rules in place, but there’s less need to enforce them as the children are so absorbed in their games. In fact, this may lead us to the conclusion that it’s not the rules but the environment that needs to change.

IELTS Academic Reading Test

Questions 27-32

Reading Passage 3 has six sections, A-F.

Choose the correct heading for sections A-F from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number i-vii in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

i. The findings of a study

ii. Why children and schools need to have rules in place

iii. A health and safety assessment included in the study

iv. Rules are all around us

v. Further evidence of the value of greater freedom

vi. Valuable lessons that today’s societies are preventing children from learning

vii The reasons why children like having rules to follow

viii A school gets rid of some rules

IELTS Academic Reading Test

27 Section A

28 Section B

29 Section C

30 Section D

31 Section E

32 Section F

IELTS Academic Reading Test

Questions 33-36

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3?

In boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet write

YES – if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO – if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

NOT GIVEN – if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

33 Driving would be problematic without rules.

34 Babies are exempt from following rules.

35 Punishments should match the seriousness of the behaviour being punished.

36 Keeping children occupied reduces the need for rules.

IELTS Academic Reading Test

Questions 37-40

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

The Playpod

The playpod is a portable storage facility for use in a school 37……………. . It is filled with scrap material, such as fishing nets and 38……………. that are incomplete. During lunchtimes, the playpod is 39……………. and children can use any of its contents.

Schools that use playpods have found that they reduce the number of 40……………. in the playground, because children are concentrating on their games and playing more effectively in groups.

IELTS Academic Reading Test

SEE MORE POSTS>>