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B1–C2 · IELTS Academic

IELTS Academic Practice Test 24

AI-generated practice paper in the style of IELTS Academic — original material, not a reproduction of any real exam paper, following the real exam format (3 passages / 40 questions, Task 1 + Task 2 Writing with AI band scoring).

Reading Passage 1

The Decline of Coral Reefs and the Race to Save Them

Coral reefs, often described as the rainforests of the sea, occupy less than one percent of the ocean floor yet support an estimated quarter of all marine species, making them among the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. Over the past few decades, however, reefs worldwide have experienced dramatic declines, with some regions losing more than half their coral cover, prompting increasingly urgent scientific and conservation efforts. The primary threat to coral reefs stems from rising ocean temperatures, which cause a phenomenon known as coral bleaching. Corals maintain a symbiotic relationship with microscopic algae living within their tissues, which provide the coral with the majority of its energy through photosynthesis while giving reefs their characteristic vivid colours. When water temperatures rise even slightly above normal seasonal maximums for a sustained period, corals expel these algae as a stress response, leaving the coral skeleton visible through transparent tissue and depriving the coral of its primary energy source. Prolonged bleaching frequently results in coral death, particularly when high temperatures persist for weeks rather than days. Ocean acidification compounds this threat. As the ocean absorbs a substantial proportion of atmospheric carbon dioxide, seawater chemistry gradually shifts towards greater acidity, reducing the availability of the calcium carbonate that corals require to build their skeletons. This makes reef structures more fragile and slows the rate at which damaged reefs can recover, even when temperature stress subsides. In response, researchers have pursued several intervention strategies, ranging from conventional conservation approaches, such as establishing marine protected areas that limit fishing and pollution, to more experimental techniques including selective breeding of heat-resistant coral strains and, more controversially, assisted gene flow between reef populations to accelerate the spread of naturally occurring heat tolerance. Some scientists have even begun exploring the cryopreservation of coral genetic material, effectively creating a biological safeguard against the possibility that certain coral species might otherwise be lost entirely. While these interventions show promise at a local scale, most researchers agree that none can substitute for addressing the underlying cause: rising global temperatures driven by greenhouse gas emissions. Restoration projects, however successful, remain vulnerable to future bleaching events unless broader climate trends are addressed, leading many in the field to describe current efforts as buying time for reefs rather than securing their long-term survival.

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

1. What proportion of marine species do coral reefs support, according to the passage?

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

2. Coral reefs occupy more than one percent of the ocean floor.

Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

3. Corals maintain a symbiotic relationship with microscopic algae that provide energy through __________.

Answer •••

Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.

4. What do corals expel as a stress response when water temperatures rise for a sustained period?

Answer •••

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

5. Bleaching is more likely to result in coral death when high temperatures persist for weeks rather than days.

Do the following statements agree with the writer's claims? Write YES if the statement agrees with the writer's claims, NO if the statement contradicts the writer's claims, or NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks.

6. Ocean acidification makes it harder for damaged reefs to recover even after temperature stress subsides.

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

7. Which of the following is described as a more controversial intervention strategy?

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

8. Some scientists are exploring cryopreservation of coral genetic material.

Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.

9. What do most researchers agree is the underlying cause that must be addressed?

Answer •••

Do the following statements agree with the writer's claims? Write YES if the statement agrees with the writer's claims, NO if the statement contradicts the writer's claims, or NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks.

10. Restoration projects alone can guarantee the long-term survival of coral reefs.

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

11. How do many researchers in the field describe current restoration efforts?

Reading Passage 2

The Rise of the Gig Economy

Over the past fifteen years, digital platforms connecting individuals offering services, from ride-hailing to food delivery to freelance professional work, with consumers seeking those services have grown from a marginal novelty into a substantial segment of many national economies. This model, commonly termed the gig economy, has fundamentally altered the relationship between millions of workers and the organisations that provide them with income. Proponents of the gig economy emphasise the flexibility it affords workers, who can typically choose when and how much they work without the constraints of a traditional employment contract. Surveys of gig workers frequently find that flexibility ranks among the most valued aspects of this work arrangement, particularly among individuals balancing paid work with caregiving responsibilities, further education, or health limitations that make conventional fixed schedules impractical. Critics, however, point to substantial trade-offs accompanying this flexibility. Gig workers are typically classified as independent contractors rather than employees, a distinction that in most jurisdictions exempts platform companies from providing benefits routinely available to conventional employees, including minimum wage guarantees, paid sick leave, employer contributions to retirement savings, and protection against arbitrary termination. This classification has become the subject of extensive legal disputes in numerous countries, with courts and regulators reaching inconsistent conclusions about whether gig workers should be reclassified as employees given the degree of control platforms often exercise over how work is performed. Economic research into gig work outcomes presents a mixed picture. For some workers, particularly those using gig platforms to supplement other income sources, the arrangement appears to function largely as intended, providing valuable supplementary earnings with minimal downside. For others, particularly those relying on gig work as their primary or sole source of income, research suggests considerably greater financial precarity, with earnings fluctuating substantially based on factors entirely outside individual control, including platform algorithm changes, fluctuating demand, and increasing competition as more workers join popular platforms. Some jurisdictions have begun experimenting with intermediate regulatory frameworks, attempting to preserve flexibility while extending certain worker protections, such as minimum earnings guarantees or portable benefits systems not tied to any single employer. Whether such compromises can adequately address the concerns raised by critics while preserving the flexibility valued by many workers remains an active area of policy debate, with no clear consensus yet emerging internationally.

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

12. What do proponents of the gig economy emphasise most?

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

13. Gig workers are typically classified as employees rather than independent contractors.

Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

14. In most jurisdictions, classifying gig workers as independent contractors exempts platform companies from providing __________ available to conventional employees.

Answer •••

Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.

15. What has the classification of gig workers become the subject of in numerous countries?

Answer •••

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

16. Courts and regulators have reached consistent conclusions worldwide about gig worker classification.

Do the following statements agree with the writer's claims? Write YES if the statement agrees with the writer's claims, NO if the statement contradicts the writer's claims, or NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks.

17. Workers relying on gig work as their sole income tend to experience greater financial precarity.

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

18. What factor is NOT mentioned as affecting gig worker earnings?

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

19. Some jurisdictions have introduced minimum earnings guarantees for gig workers.

Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.

20. What kind of benefits system, not tied to a single employer, is mentioned as an example of regulatory experimentation?

Answer •••

Do the following statements agree with the writer's claims? Write YES if the statement agrees with the writer's claims, NO if the statement contradicts the writer's claims, or NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks.

21. There is currently a clear international consensus on how to regulate gig work.

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

22. For which group does gig work appear to function largely as intended, according to research?

Reading Passage 3

Silent Spring and the Birth of Modern Environmentalism

Published in 1962, Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring is widely credited with catalysing the modern environmental movement in the United States and, subsequently, much of the world. The book presented a meticulously researched argument that widespread use of synthetic pesticides, particularly DDT, was causing severe and largely unrecognised damage to ecosystems, wildlife, and potentially human health. Prior to the book's publication, pesticides such as DDT were widely regarded, both by the agricultural industry and the general public, as an unambiguous triumph of modern science, credited with dramatically reducing crop losses and controlling disease-carrying insects. Carson did not dispute pesticides' effectiveness at their intended purpose; rather, she argued that their widespread, often indiscriminate application caused substantial unintended harm that had gone largely unexamined, including the decline of bird populations, contamination of water supplies, and the emergence of pesticide-resistant insect populations that ultimately undermined the very pest control the chemicals were meant to achieve. The book's title referenced a hypothetical future spring in which birdsong had fallen silent due to pesticide-driven population collapse, a vivid and deliberately unsettling image that resonated powerfully with readers largely unaccustomed to considering the ecological consequences of agricultural chemicals. Unsurprisingly, the chemical industry mounted a substantial public relations campaign against the book, questioning Carson's scientific credentials and accusing her of alarmism; subsequent scientific review, however, largely vindicated her central claims. The book's influence extended well beyond public opinion. Within a decade of its publication, the United States established the Environmental Protection Agency, and DDT was banned for agricultural use in the country, followed eventually by similar restrictions in numerous other nations. More broadly, Silent Spring is credited with popularising the very concept of ecological interconnectedness among a general audience, the idea that human actions in one domain, such as agriculture, could produce unforeseen consequences in seemingly unrelated domains, such as bird populations or water quality. Sixty years after its publication, Silent Spring remains a touchstone in environmental writing, frequently cited as a model for how rigorous scientific research, communicated accessibly to a general audience, can meaningfully shift public policy. Some historians of science further argue that the book's legacy extends to establishing an enduring template for environmental advocacy more broadly: grounding urgent moral arguments in careful, verifiable evidence rather than appeals to emotion alone.

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

23. In what year was Silent Spring published?

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

24. Carson disputed that pesticides such as DDT were effective at their intended purpose.

Complete the sentence below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

25. The book's title referenced a hypothetical future spring in which __________ had fallen silent.

Answer •••

Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.

26. What did the chemical industry accuse Carson of?

Answer •••

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

27. Subsequent scientific review largely vindicated Carson's central claims.

Do the following statements agree with the writer's claims? Write YES if the statement agrees with the writer's claims, NO if the statement contradicts the writer's claims, or NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks.

28. The Environmental Protection Agency was established within a decade of the book's publication.

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

29. What happened to DDT for agricultural use in the United States after the book's influence?

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

30. Other nations later introduced restrictions on DDT similar to those in the United States.

Answer the question below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.

31. What concept is Silent Spring credited with popularising among a general audience?

Answer •••

Do the following statements agree with the writer's claims? Write YES if the statement agrees with the writer's claims, NO if the statement contradicts the writer's claims, or NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks.

32. Silent Spring is still referenced today as a model for environmental writing.

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

33. According to the passage, what did Carson argue caused unintended harm?

Writing Task 1

020395978 19801990200020102020
Avg. Sea Surface Temp. Anomaly (°C)Healthy Coral Reefs (%)
The graphs below show global average sea surface temperature and the percentage of coral reefs classified as healthy between 1980 and 2020. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. | Year | Avg. Sea Surface Temp. Anomaly (°C) | Healthy Coral Reefs (%) | | --- | --- | --- | | 1980 | 0.1 | 78 | | 1990 | 0.2 | 68 | | 2000 | 0.3 | 55 | | 2010 | 0.5 | 42 | | 2020 | 0.8 | 30 |

Writing Task 2

Some people believe that workers who provide services through digital platforms, such as delivery drivers or ride-hailing drivers, should have the same rights and protections as traditional employees. Others argue that this would remove the flexibility that makes such work attractive in the first place. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words.
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