Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 477
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 477 – PASSAGE – 3
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – 477
READING PASSAGE – 3
Millennials
A. Who are the Millennials? Depending on where you get your information, the members of Generation Y, also called Millennials, were born in the roughly twenty-year period from the early to mid-1980s to the early 2000s. They are currently the largest generational population on the planet (though in Africa, the next generation, Gen Z, has the highest population). They are also the largest segment of the workforce and currently moving into their prime earning years.
The three generations above them are Generation X who range from 1965 to the mid-eighties, the Baby Boomers born between 1945 and 1964 and those born before 1945, called the Silent Generation. Sociologists have defined numerous traits of the Millennials, and as a proportion of the generation is approaching middle age, these characteristics are starting to define our world and culture.
IELTS General Reading Test
B. Millennials are the first generation to be have been born into a technological world. They cannot remember a time before mobile phones and the Internet, and as technology has developed they have grown seamlessly along with it, intuitively adapting to any changes. They have difficulty understanding when older generations are slower to pick it up. They are in fact quite dependent upon it, spending vast amounts of time online even when they are outside. They communicate differently with their peers, preferring written messaging to voice communication and more time alone.
Consequently, they have developed less effective face-to-face communication skills and are often extremely frank in the way they express themselves. This lack of diplomacy can often be problematic. Yet they are great team players, preferring to share ideas and work together rather than going it alone. Perhaps the fact that they have always existed in the internet world of shared knowledge makes them more adapted to pooling information and activities to get the job done. They realise they do not have all the answers, but they know how to find them.
IELTS General Reading Test
They are also superior multi- taskers, being able to switch their attention back and forth with ease and able to come up with solutions to problems very quickly. In this way, they are industrious, but may also be prone to lapses in concentration if working on a single task or alone.
C. Millennials are the products of much smaller nuclear families than previous generations, with many of them being only children in the family. They are more confident in communicating with their superiors as many of them mainly interacted with adults for much of their childhoods. Millennials have generally been much more closely monitored, assisted and indulged by their parents than previous generations. They are often accused of being pampered, narcissistic and ‘entitled’, the latter meaning that they and have excessively high expectations for what they deserve.
IELTS General Reading Test
They tend to be ambitious, confident and aware of their rights, having spent their childhoods being told by their more prosperous Baby Boomer and Gen X parents that they could achieve anything they put their minds to. Unfortunately, many of them began their working lives in the midst of a world recession, and they have found it more difficult to find permanent positions and high paying jobs than previous generations.
As a result of having to spend many years in short contract jobs or working for minimum wage, they have become extremely flexible and adaptable and quite creative at finding alternative ways to supplement their incomes. As it was confronting stepping into a world of youth unemployment, a huge percentage of Millennials extended the period of their education, and they are the most highly educated and academically qualified generation the world has ever seen.
IELTS General Reading Test
D. As Millennials have begun to start their own families, parents of both genders have been keen to spend more time with their children, preferring to work less hours that are more flexible. The work-life balance is extremely important to them as they prioritise family over work. They are motivated by meaningful and creative work and are often dedicated to helping others and improving the state of the world. As consumers, they are often more interested in spending their money on lifestyle choices such as experiences and vacations, rather than investing in real estate or expensive purchases such as motor vehicles.
The combination of low incomes and being tech savvy, means that they are discriminating and demanding shoppers, comparing prices and tracking down the best deals on line. The teamwork-loving part of them searches for advice and opinion online and they are more sceptical of elaborate advertising campaigns. Remember, this generation has spent a great deal of time in tertiary education, where their critical thinking skills have been sharpened. They read labels, and the fine print on contracts. Millennials are discerning consumers and have an eye for quality as well as price.
IELTS General Reading Test
E. Millennials are extremely environmentally aware and disdainful of the way previous generations have treated the planet. In a way, Millennials have not had the training to exist in the world they have inherited. Having been brought up with the highest expectations placed on them, and then released into a world that has given them few opportunities, Millennials have had to learn to adapt, be creative and find new ways to give their lives meaning, survive and even thrive in a tough environment.
Questions 28-31
Look at the five paragraphs A-E in the text.
In which paragraph can the following information be found?
Write the correct letter, A-E.
You can use any letter more than once.
28. The spending habits of Millennials
29. A negative effect on Millennials of being reliant on technology
30. The upbringing of Millennials
31. How Millennials work with other people
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 32-36
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Millennials
The Millennials are the generation that currently have the world’s biggest 32……………..
The 33…………….. generation was born before the Second World War.
As Millennials entered an already existing world of 34…………….. they have developed with it.
Their heavy use of smartphones and the internet, means less 35…………….. person-to-person skills.
Millennials are good at multi-tasking but can easily lose 36……………..
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 37-40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
37. Why does the author believe Millennials communicate well with older people?
A. They have learnt the skill from the internet.
B. They come from very large families.
C. They were surrounded by them as children.
D. They have lived similar lives.
38. Millennials studied longer than other generations because they
A. found the job market uninviting.
B. were more intelligent.
C. had difficulty passing exams.
D. wanted to be more qualified than their elders.
IELTS General Reading Test
39. Which two factors have influenced the types of shoppers Millennials are?
A. Their creative work and need to help others.
B. Their experiences with holidays and families.
C. Their technological skills and low earnings.
D. Their desire for houses and personal possessions.
40. How does the final paragraph sum up Millennials?
A. They are always complaining.
B. They have managed despite disadvantages.
C. They are as relaxed as their childhoods were.
D. They have lost their way in the world.
IELTS General Reading Test
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
28. D
29. B
30. C
31. B
32. POPULATION
33. SILENT
34. TECHNOLOGY
35. EFFECTIVE
36. CONCENTRATION
37. C
38. A
39. C
40. B