IELTS EXAM PREPARATION TOPIC 7.

FAMILY READING
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1 – 13, which are based on Reading Passage
1 below.
NURTURING TALENT WITHIN THE FAMILY
What do we mean by being ‘talented’ or ‘gifted’? The most obvious way is to look at the work
someone does and if they are capable of significant success, label them as talented. The purely
quantitative route - ‘percentage definition’ - looks not at individuals, but at simple percentages, such
as the top five per cent of the population, and labels them - by definition - as gifted. This definition
has fallen from favour, eclipsed by the advent of IQ tests, favoured by luminaries such as Professor
Hans Eysenck, where a series of written or verbal tests of general intelligence leads to a score of
intelligence.

The IQ test has been eclipsed in turn. Most people studying intelligence and creativity in the new
millennium now prefer a broader definition, using a multifaceted approach where talents in many
areas are recognised rather than purely concentrating on academic achievement. If we are therefore
assuming that talented, creative or gifted individuals may need to be assessed across a range of
abilities, does this mean intelligence can run in families as a genetic or inherited tendency? Mental
dysfunction - such as schizophrenia - can, so is an efficient mental capacity passed on from parent
to child?

Animal experiments throw some light on this question, and on the whole area of whether it is
genetics, the environment or a combination of the two that allows for intelligence and creative ability.
Different strains of rats show great differences in intelligence or ‘rat reasoning’. If these are brought
up in normal conditions and then mn through a maze to reach a food goal, the ‘bright’ strain make
far fewer wrong turns that the ‘dull’ ones. But if the environment is made dull and boring the number
of errors becomes equal. Return the rats to an exciting maze and the discrepancy returns as before
- but is much smaller. In other words, a dull rat in a stimulating environment will almost do as well
as a bright rat who is bored in a normal one. This principle applies to humans too - someone may
be born with innate intelligence, but their environment probably has the final say over whether they
become creative or even a genius.

Evidence now exists that most young children, if given enough opportunities and encouragement,
are able to achieve significant and sustainable levels of academic or sporting prowess. Bright or
creative children are often physically very active at the same time, and so may receive more parental
attention as a result - almost by default - in order to ensure their safety. They may also talk earlier,
and this, in turn, breeds parental interest. This can sometimes cause problems with other siblings
who may feel jealous even though they themselves may be bright. Their creative talents may be
undervalued and so never come to fruition. Two themes seem to run through famously creative
families as a result. The first is that the parents were able to identify the talents of each child, and
nurture and encourage these accordingly but in an even-handed manner. Individual differences were
encouraged, and friendly sibling rivalry was not seen as a particular problem. If the father is, say, a
famous actor, there is no undue pressure for his children to follow him onto the boards, but instead
their chosen interests are encouraged. There need not even by any obvious talent in such a family
since there always needs to be someone who sets the family career in motion, as in the case of the
Sheen acting dynasty.

Martin Sheen was the seventh of ten children born to a Spanish immigrant father and an Irish mother.
Despite intense parental disapproval he turned his back on entrance exams to university and
borrowed cash from a local priest to start a fledgling acting career. His acting successes in films
such as Badlands and Apocalypse Now made him one of the most highly-regarded actors of the
1970s. Three sons - Emilio Estevez, Ramon Estevez and Charlie Sheen - have followed him into
the profession as a consequence of being inspired by his motivation and enthusiasm.
A stream seems to run through creative families. Such children are not necessarily smothered with
love by their parents. They feel loved and wanted, and are secure in their home, but are often more
surrounded by an atmosphere of work and where following a calling appears to be important. They

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may see from their parents that it takes time and dedication to be master of a craft, and so are in
less of a hurry to achieve for themselves once they start to work.

The generation of creativity is complex: it is a mixture of genetics, the environment, parental teaching
and luck that determines how successful or talented family members are. This last point - luck - is
often not mentioned where talent is concerned but plays an undoubted part. Mozart, considered by
many to be the finest composer of all time, was lucky to be living in an age that encouraged the
writing of music. He was brought up surrounded by it, his father was a musician who encouraged
him to the point of giving up his job to promote his child genius, and he learnt musical composition
with frightening speed - the speed of a genius. Mozart himself simply wanted to create the finest
music ever written but did not necessarily view himself as a genius - he could write sublime music
at will, and so often preferred to lead a hedonistic lifestyle that he found more exciting than writing
music to order.

Albert Einstein and Bill Gates are two more examples of people whose talents have blossomed by
virtue of the times they were living in. Einstein was a solitary, somewhat slow child who had affection
at home but whose phenomenal intelligence emerged without any obvious parental input. This may
have been partly due to the fact that at the start of the 20th Century a lot of the Newtonian laws of
physics were being questioned, leaving a fertile ground for ideas such as his to be developed. Bill
Gates may have had the creative vision to develop Microsoft, but without the new computer age
dawning at the same time he may never have achieved the position on the world stage he now
occupies.

Questions 1 – 2
Complete the notes, which show how the approaches to defining 'talent’ have changed.
Choose ONE or TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer
Write your answers in boxes 1 – 2 on your answer sheet.
“Percentage definition”
1 ___________
2 ___________
Questions 3 – 5
Which THREE of the following does the writer regard as a feature of creative families?
Write the appropriate letters A – F in boxes 3 – 5 on your answer sheet.
A a higher-than-average level of parental affection
B competition between brothers and sisters
C parents who demonstrate vocational commitment
D strong motivation to take exams and attend university
E a patient approach to achieving success
F the identification of the most talented child in the family

Questions 6 – 7
Choose the appropriate letters A – D.
Write your answers in boxes 6 – 7 on your answer sheet.
6 The rat experiment was conducted to show that
A certain species of rat are more intelligent than others.
B intelligent rats are more motivated than ‘dull’ rats.
C a rat’s surroundings can influence its behaviour.
D a boring environment has little impact on a ‘bright’ rat.
7 The writer cites the story of Martin Sheen to show that
A he was the first in a creative line.
B his parents did not have his creative flair.
C he became an actor without proper training.
D his sons were able to benefit from his talents.
Questions 8 – 12
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 8 – 12 on your answer sheet, write

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 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
8 Intelligence tests have now been proved to be unreliable.
9 The brother or sister of a gifted older child may fail to fulfil their own potential.
10 The importance of luck in the genius equation tends to be ignored.
11 Mozart was acutely aware of his own remarkable talent.
12 Einstein and Gates would have achieved success in any era.
Questions 13
From the list below choose the most suitable title for the whole of Reading Passage 1.
Write your answer in box 13 on your answer sheet.
A Geniuses in their time C Revising the definition of intelligence
B Education for the gifted D Nurturing talent within the family
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14 – 27 which are based on Reading Passage
2 below.
ALL THE WAYS WOMEN ARE STILL PRESSURED TO PUT FAMILY BEFORE CAREER
A There’s no denying that women around the world have made great strides toward equality in
the past century. One hundred years ago, women in the United States still didn’t have the
right to vote, and very few were allowed to pursue higher education or a meaningful career
outside of their household duties. Fast forward to today, and more than 70 percent of women
between the ages of 20 and 54 are active members of the national workforce. On top of this,
2015 marked the first year when women were, on average, more likely to have a bachelor’s
degree than men, and this trend is on the rise.
B But despite all this newfound opportunity, the prevailing societal attitudes about what women
are historically supposed to value still have a long way to go. That’s why we’ve partnered with
SK-II to learn more about all of the ways women are still pressured to stick to outdated gender
norms. “Women have won unprecedented rights thanks to the feminist movement, but as a
society, we still expect women to prioritize family over career, or even over their own needs,”
says Silvia Dutchevici, president and founder of the Critical Therapy Center in New York City.
Dutchevici says many women feel pressure to “have it all,” meaning both a thriving career
and the perfect family, but that can be very difficult to achieve.
C “Most women try to balance work and family,” Dutchevici says, “but that balance is seldom
equal.” In fact, she says working mothers – even those with partners – often find themselves
essentially working two full-time jobs: keeping their career together while doing the brunt of
housework, cooking and child-rearing. This happens for a variety of reasons, but societal
expectations about the roles of women and men at home are still very much to blame, says
Tamra Lashchyk, a Wall Street executive, business coach and author of the book “Lose the
Gum: A Survival Guide to Women on Wall Street.”
D “No matter how successful she is, the burden of running a household still falls on the woman’s
shoulders,” Lashchyk says. “Men get more of a pass when it comes to these duties, especially
those that involve children.” Lashchyk says much of this pressure on women to conform to a
more domestic lifestyle comes from friends and family.
E “In many people’s minds, a woman’s career success pales in comparison to having a family,”
she says. “Especially if the woman is single, no matter how great her professional
achievements, almost every single one of her conversations with her family will include
questions about her romantic life or lack thereof. I could literally tell my family I’d cured cancer
and the conversation would still end with, ‘But are you dating anyone?’” While covert societal
expectations might contribute to some of this inequality, workplace policies on maternity and
paternity leave can hold a lot of the blame.
F “Unfortunately, many workplace policies regarding taking time off to care for family do not the
changing times,” Dutchevici says. “Both men and women suffer in their careers when they
prioritize family, but women carry far harsher punishments. Their choice to take time off and
start a family can result in lower pay, and fewer promotions in the future. The right to family
leave is not a woman’s issue, it is a society’s issue, a family’s issue.” Lashchyk agrees with
this sentiment. “There should be more flexibility and benefits [in the workplace], like longer

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 periods of time for paternity leave…” If paternity leave was extended, men could share a
greater responsibility in child care, and they could also spend more time bonding with their
infant children, which is beneficial for the entire family.
G Another less visible way the modern workplace forces women to choose family over career
has to do with the fact that women are pushing back pregnancy, says Jeni Mayorskaya, a
fertility expert and CEO of Stork Club, an online community for women dedicated to fertility
issues. “Compared to our parents, our generation is having children a decade later,”
Mayorskaya says. “Unfortunately, when we hit our mid-30s and we’re finally ready for that
managing position or that title of a partner at a firm we fought so hard for, we have to think
about putting our career on pause and becoming a mom.”
H So what can women do to combat these societal pressures? Finding workplaces that offer
flexible schedules, work-at-home opportunities and ample maternity and paternity leave is a
good first step, but Dr. Neeta Bhushan, an emotional intelligence advocate and author, says
women should also learn to put themselves first. “The first step is being mindful of your
emotional health in your relationships with others and the relationship you have with yourself,”
Bhushan says. “When you put yourself first, you are able to make a bigger impact on your
community. This is different than being selfish – think beyond you. You want to make sure
that you are being taken care of so that you can take care of others.”
Questions 14 – 21
Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs, A – H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A – H, in boxes 14 – 21 on your answer sheet.
14 Two "jobs" that women essentially do
15 Question about dating
16 Delaying pregnancy
17 The first year, when women are more likely to have bachelor's a degree
18 The reasons to put yourself first
19 The source of conformation to domestic lifestyle
20 Our expectancy over women's prioritization
21 Pros of extended paternity
Questions 22 – 27
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write your answer in boxes 22 – 27 on your answer sheet.
22 One hundred years ago, women in USA
A had no rights.
B were not allowed to pursue higher education.
C couldn't vote.
D were members of the national workforce.
23 According to Silvia Dutchevici
A feminist movement has more disadvantages than advantages.
B now we expect women to prioritize career over family.
C now we expect women to prioritize their own needs over family.
D women rarely achieve equal balance between family and work.
24 Tamra Lashchyk, a Wall Street executive, says that
A most women are still responsible for the house duties.
B men don't really need to do any housework.
C it's more important for a woman to have a career than a family.
D both A and B.
25 Lashchyk agrees with Dutchevici on
A women's rights and feminism.
B the fact that he right to family leave is a society’s issue.
C the state of women's rights in America.
D the reason why women want to pursue their careers.
26 Jeni Mayorskaya says that
A nowadays women give birth later than they used to.
B now women don't push pregnancy back.

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 C when women are in their 30s, they have to think about putting career on pause to become
a mother.
D Both A and C.
27 According to the last paragraph, how can women deal with societal pressure?
A They should be selfish. C They should put themselves first.
B They shouldn't work at home. D They should avoid marriage at all.

READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28 – 40 which are based on Reading Passage
3 below.
THE GENERATIONAL POWER BALANCE
Throughout history, the clash between the old and the young has been a defining feature of both
reality and literature. Parents have power over their children… but as those juveniles approach
adolescence, they begin to put pressure on their parents’ power. They test the rules; they rebel; they
create their own rules. The parents are puzzled, frustrated and resentful about the shift in the balance
of power. They fight back; try to exert their leadership in an attempt to maintain their power. But as
they grow towards old age, they are forced to relinquish it, while the world changes into a place they
cease to recognize from their youth.

The friction between old and young is set to become a feature of the twenty first century, as we
approach a period where the balance of power reaches virgin territory. This is not to say that
relationships between the generations are expected to worsen; rather that the unprecedented
demographic changes to come will have knock-on effects that we cannot yet imagine.

How can we be so sure that trials lie ahead? Demographic trends are incredibly easy to predict.
Decades pass between the birth of children and their growth into adulthood, while rises in life
expectancy due to affluence and better medical care are gradual. Consequently, it is possible to
predict accurately what proportion of the population will be economically active, and what proportion
will be dependant, for a considerable time in the future. Hence, we know that rising as people are
living longer and having fewer children – and having them later in life - population structure will skew
much more towards the aged.

Statistical prediction is one thing. Predicting the implications of such trends on society is another
thing entirely. In the 1900s, demographers could – or at least should – have predicted that trend
toward city-living as opposed to country-living was likely to continue, as indeed it did, becoming one
of the most defining features of the twentieth century. The political, economic, social and
environmental implications of this shift were much harder to predict, however.

Many economically developed countries already fear that by 2025, there will be too few young tax-
payers in the working population to support those in old age. This is the generation that requires
pensions, medical care, local services and other benefits. Governments are already putting in steps,
such as compulsory work pensions and increases in the retirement age in an attempt to mitigate the
problem. How effective these measures prove to be remains to be seen. Moreover, this isn’t just a
predicament for richer countries. All less economically developed countries outside the AIDS
stricken regions of Sub-Saharan African are experiencing the same demographic trends, and, unless
their economies develop extremely quickly, their populations will suffer much more.

Economically, therefore, adults will be at the mercy of the elderly. Governments will be obliged to
put money and efforts into the provision for the elderly and working adults will have to forego their
share. But perhaps such a conclusion is too glib. The scenario could pan out in differently. After all,
rising elderly populations also bring opportunities for the young, such as in employment in products
and services geared towards the older generation. Moreover, the shift comes at a time when
seniority is beginning to count for less in the workplace than in the past. Youthful traits, such as
innovation, creativity and familiarity with new technology are being recognized more and more.
Perhaps power will not shift towards the elderly as much as demographic data suggests.

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Add another twist, and we realize that the older generation are not the old-fashioned bedridden
fuddy-duddies that they perhaps were perceived to be in the past. The over-seventies look younger
and are fitter than ever. Moreover, their tastes are less divergent from those of younger generations
than they used to be. They listen to rock music, study at university, embrace new hobbies, travel
and socialize. The lines between youth and age, culturally at least, have blurred.

This may mean that a standard retirement age may become a thing of the past, as vigorous people
in their seventies and eighties choose to carry on working. Such a trend would greatly ease the tax
burden on the younger generations, as well as giving the older generation more choice. However, it
comes as a two-edged coin, as young, inexperienced workers would be forced to compete for jobs
with the seasoned workers, while those in employment may never get the promotion they desire if
the old guy at the top refuses to quit.

Of course, the predictions envisaged in this scenario will only come to pass if the world develops in
a relatively benign way. In the twentieth century population shifts were irrevocably altered by world
war and economic depression, and similar events could afflict coming generations too. Until we
know for sure, we can rest easy in the knowledge that the problems which arise now are the
problems of success – problems that arise through economic growth, better medication, reduced
inequality and by maintaining peace.

Questions 28 – 33
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 28 – 33 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
28 The population patterns predicted for the 21st century have never happened before.
29 Predictions about the size of the human population can be made quite successfully.
30 In 1900 it was difficult to see that many people would move to urban areas.
31 Many rich countries are concerned about a significant imbalance in old and young people by
2025.
32 The consequences of an imbalance between the old and the young would be worse in
developed countries than in developing countries.
33 In most developed countries today the elderly are respected less than in the past.

Questions 34 – 36
Complete the sentences below. Write ONE WORD for each answer.
Write your answer in boxes 34 – 40 on your answer sheet.
34 In future, working age adults will probably have to __________ their allocation of government
funds, as they are used to provide for the elderly.
35 Nowadays, in the workplace hierarchy, less status is given to people with __________.
36 The difference between the definition of an old person and a young one is more __________
than in the past.

Questions 37 – 40
Complete the summary with ONE OR TWO WORDS from the text.
Write your answer in boxes 37 – 40 on your answer sheet.
In future, governments may abolish the fixed 37 __________, meaning that fitter elderly could help
to contribute towards relieving the 38 __________ on the working population. However, there are
negative implications of this, as experienced workers may be considered more employable, and
there would be fewer opportunities for 39 __________ among younger workers. However, it is worth
remembering that all these difficulties come as a result of 40 __________.
.

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