Table of Contents
BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 491
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 491 – PASSAGE – 1
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST – 491
READING PASSAGE – 1
Graffiti: Historical evidence or vandalism?
A. Graffiti is the drawing of images or writing on walls or other public monuments and property without permission from the owners or the relevant authority. Most people might believe that graffiti is a relatively modern phenomenon, yet this practice has existed since ancient times, from the Romans to the Greeks, right up to the modern day. However, the ongoing controversy over whether graffiti is just irresponsible vandalism or art is still debated today; graffiti can reveal much to the observer about human history.
B. Looking at graffiti can unearth snippets of information about a society in any given time. For example, when graffiti is in the form of words, or verse, it can demonstrate the numbers of people who could read and write within a particular society. This can be discerned by analysing spelling patterns and even grammatical errors, as well as discovering how some words were pronounced.
In ancient examples, graffiti is often some of the most public writing available for the wider society to see. The Romans, for instance, tended to carve graffiti into monuments and walls, and even though the writing was simplistic, it still gives us an invaluable insight into life on the street. Historical texts may not be able to provide us with such information.
IELTS Academic Reading Test
C. In some cases, the presence of graffiti gives us the only example of a particular language that exists in the modern world. Take the Safaitic language, for example. Dating from the first century BCE, Safaitic is an ancient form of Arabic and can only be found on rocks in the deserts of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria. The inscriptions documented mainly show the authors’ basic thoughts about everyday life or their genealogy, and are sometimes accompanied by rock art. The discovery of a virtually lost language was exciting for researchers, as it allowed them to attempt to document linguistic changes over a period of time.
D. Like the Romans, the Mayans scratched their graffiti onto the surface of walls, leaving it almost impossible to erase. The graffiti of the ancient Mayans in Central America has not been studied extensively, but a closer analysis of it may help us gain a more in-depth understanding of their society. Those examples that have been studied depict scenes of everyday life as well as more ceremonial scenes. The examples include representations of humans and the prey they hunted which could indicate how the society functioned and what food they ate.
IELTS Academic Reading Test
There may also be instances of instructions of how to play games, as well as instructions of a more ceremonial nature. Indeed, at certain pivotal moments in history, perhaps the only way to record events was through graffiti, such as construction worker comments before the volcanic eruption at Pompeii or names of soldiers during battles like the Egyptian campaign by Napoleon in the 1790s.
E. These ancient examples of graffiti are just a snapshot of the wealth of graffiti to be found across the globe. These very public displays of communication are a key part of understanding some of the history of societies which may not have been recorded officially. But what about graffiti today? The method of creating graffiti may have changed from carving to using spray paints, but is it essentially the same thing? Graffiti artists of the modern era, like those before them, depict both political and social concerns with their art.
IELTS Academic Reading Test
Banksy, an anonymous British street artist, for example, comments on politics and social issues with his distinctive style of art and is now considered to be one of the most insightful artists of our time, with his work selling for millions. Lesser known than Banksy, but still as important, is Bambi, another British street artist. She uses her talent to portray female identity and injustices within the social and political spheres.
F. Bambi and Banksy contribute to a movement known as urban art, which first started as an underground artistic subculture, but which is now understood to be a popular art form, due to the wide recognition it has received. However, the very form of art they produce is still considered vandalism in many areas. Some people see it as a scourge on our landscape and in some countries, it is illegal to deface public property. In some countries, local governments and councils persist in erasing any graffiti they perceive to be destructive and may even look to prosecute the artists.
IELTS Academic Reading Test
What is clear, though, is that no matter your thoughts on graffiti and street art, it demonstrates public feelings and societal thoughts at the time of its creation. It can also give an indication to future generations of beliefs, lifestyles, and language which are often not recorded in official history books.
Questions 1-6
Reading Passage 1 has six paragraphs, A-F.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-F from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
i. One instance of a linguistic rarity
ii. The best example of a family history
iii. Levels of literacy in the public arena
iv. Similarities between ancient and modern
v. The graffiti debate continues
vi. What official records can tell us
vii. Under-studied graffiti examples
viii. From small beginnings to mixed reactions
IELTS Academic Reading Test
1. Paragraph A
2. Paragraph B
3. Paragraph C
4. Paragraph D
5. Paragraph E
6. Paragraph F
IELTS Academic Reading Test
Questions 7-10
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 7-10 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
7. The majority of people are wrong about the origins of graffiti.
8. Analysing graffiti is a complex and challenging task.
9. Graffiti is a useful source of information about how people once lived.
10. Graffiti about issues that affect women is less significant than other social commentary.
IELTS Academic Reading Test
Questions 11-13
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
11. Although the writing in Roman graffiti is simple,
A. it is difficult to interpret.
B. it remains relatively hidden.
C. it reveals important aspects of society.
D. it is still published in history books.
12. The writer suggests that during certain times in history, graffiti
A. was the sole method of documenting events.
B. was considered a public disgrace.
C. was erased from monuments.
D. did not incorporate the authors’ names.
IELTS Academic Reading Test
13. The writer concludes by suggesting that
A. graffiti artists will be revered throughout the world.
B. graffiti will continue to leave a lasting legacy.
C. some countries will make graffiti a legal art form.
D. the general public will come to see graffiti as art.
IELTS Academic Reading Test
ANSWERS
1. V
2. III
3. I
4. VII
5. IV
6. VIII
7. YES
8. NOT GIVEN
9. YES
10. NO
11. С
12. A
13. B
IELTS Academic Reading Test