Land of the Rising Sum: reading answers and analysis
A study of why Japanese pupils do better in maths than pupils in England and Wales, despite similar spending. It describes Japanese lower secondary schools, the role of the education ministry Monbusho, the fixed pattern of maths lessons, how slower pupils are helped, and the attitudes behind the results.
The headings (1-5) cover B to F in order. The YES / NO / NOT GIVEN statements (6-9) run from A to D. The multiple choice (10-13) follows C, D, E and F in order.
Answer key and self-check
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the passage yet. Every question number jumps to its explanation.
How to attack this block: Each section has one clear focus, but several headings borrow a detail. D starts with homework, but it describes the whole lesson. E ends by saying the support works, but it isn't about overall success. Read to the end of each section before choosing.
Question 1
Answer: viiSection B
Which heading fits Section B?
Lower secondary schools in Japan cover three school years, from the seventh grade (age 13) to the ninth grade (age 15).
Question says → Passage says
middle-years educationLower secondary schools… from the seventh grade (age 13) to the ninth grade (age 15)
backgroundSchools are usually modern in design / Classes are large / Pupils attend the school in their own neighbourhood
Why: B sets the scene: what lower secondary school is, who attends it, what the buildings, classrooms, timetable and classes are like. 'Lower secondary' is the middle years, and all this general description is background. vii.
The trap: v, 'The typical format of a maths lesson', is tempting because B mentions the 50-minute lessons and bowing. Those are school-wide routines, not the maths lesson. The lesson format is D.
Question 2
Answer: iSection C
Which heading matches Section C?
Everyone has their own copy of the textbook supplied by the central education authority, Monbusho… Besides approving textbooks, Monbusho also decides the highly centralised national curriculum
Question says → Passage says
the influence of Monbushosupplied by the central education authority, Monbusho / Monbusho also decides the highly centralised national curriculum
Why: C keeps coming back to Monbusho: it supplies and approves the textbooks and decides the curriculum and how it's taught. That's its influence, heading i.
The trap: iii, 'The success of compulsory education', picks up 'free compulsory education up to the age of 15'. That's one phrase explaining why textbooks are free, not the topic of C.
Question 3
Answer: vSection D, first sentence
Which heading suits Section D?
Lessons all follow the same pattern.
Question says → Passage says
typical formatall follow the same pattern
of a maths lessonOnly rarely are supplementary worksheets distributed in a maths class
Why: D walks through a lesson from start to finish: homework on the board, the teacher's explanation, examples, then individual work. 'The same pattern' is the typical format. v.
The trap: ix, 'The role of homework correction', is the big trap. Homework marking is only the first stage of the lesson, and D goes on to cover the rest. The heading must fit the whole section.
Question 4
Answer: iiSection E
Which heading goes with Section E?
Teachers say that they give individual help at the end of a lesson or after school, setting extra work if necessary.
Question says → Passage says
helpinggive individual help / assisted by the teacher / keen to help each other
less successful studentsany strugglers / slow learners
Why: E is about what happens to pupils who fall behind in mixed-ability classes: teachers help after lessons, classmates help, and parents send them to Juku. ii.
The trap: viii, 'The key to Japanese successes', is tempting because E ends with 'It seems to work'. That's a comment on the support system, not on maths success overall, which is F.
Question 5
Answer: viiiSection F, first two sentences
Which heading fits Section F?
So what are the major contributing factors in the success of maths teaching? Clearly, attitudes are important.
Question says → Passage says
the key to Japanese successes in mathsthe major contributing factors in the success of maths teaching
Why: F opens with a direct question about why maths teaching succeeds and then answers it: attitudes, hard work, accuracy, a supportive class. It's the conclusion that pulls the reasons together. viii.
The trap: iii, 'The success of compulsory education', uses the word 'success' too, but F is only about maths, not compulsory education in general.
YES / NO / NOT GIVEN
Questions 6-9
How to attack this block: All four are in the first half of the passage. Q7 needs you to see the logic: equal spending, unequal results. Q8 mixes two facts that are next to each other but never compared, and Q9 turns on who marks the homework.
Question 6
Answer: YESSection A, second sentence
Is achievement in maths more spread out among English pupils than Japanese ones?
there was also a larger proportion of 'low' attainers in England, where, incidentally, the variation in attainment scores was much greater
Question says → Passage says
a wider range of achievementthe variation in attainment scores was much greater
English pupilsin England
Why: 'Variation… much greater' in England means the scores there were more spread out. A wider range of achievement is the same idea. YES.
The trap: 'Incidentally' makes it look like a side comment, so some people skip it. It's still a clear claim.
Question 7
Answer: NOSection A, last sentence
Does spending on education as a share of GNP reflect maths results?
The percentage of Gross National Product spent on education is reasonably similar in the two countries, so how is this higher and more consistent attainment in maths achieved?
Question says → Passage says
percentage of Gross National Product spent on educationThe percentage of Gross National Product spent on education
reflects the level of attainmentreasonably similar… so how is this higher and more consistent attainment in maths achieved
Why: The two countries spend about the same share, yet Japan's results are much better. If spending reflected attainment, the results would be similar too. The writer's question shows spending doesn't explain the gap. NO.
The trap: Some choose NOT GIVEN because the writer never says 'spending doesn't reflect attainment' directly. The example of equal spending and unequal results contradicts the statement.
Question 8
Answer: NOT GIVENSection B, second and third sentences
Are private schools in Japan more modern and spacious than state schools?
only 3 per cent are in the private sector. Schools are usually modern in design, set well back from the road and spacious inside.
Question says → Passage says
private schoolsthe private sector
more modern and spaciousmodern in design… spacious inside
Why: The description 'modern' and 'spacious' is about schools in general, mostly the state schools almost everyone attends. Private schools are mentioned only for their 3 per cent share. There's no comparison. NOT GIVEN.
The trap: 'Modern' and 'spacious' sit right after 'private sector', so it's easy to think they describe private schools. They don't, and nothing compares the two types.
Question 9
Answer: NOSection D, second and third sentences
Do teachers mark the homework?
Pupils mark their own homework: this is an important principle in Japanese schooling
Question says → Passage says
teachers mark homeworkPupils mark their own homework
Why: The passage says pupils mark their own homework, and calls it 'an important principle'. That contradicts teachers doing the marking. NO.
The trap: The sentence before says 'the teachers comment, correct or elaborate'. Correcting the solutions on the board is not the same as marking each pupil's homework.
Multiple choice
Questions 10-13
How to attack this block: The distractors often take a real detail and use it in the wrong place: board work happens at the start of the lesson, not when the new topic comes in, and mixed-ability classes apply to everyone. Check that your option answers the exact question.
Question 10
Answer: BSection C, third sentence
What are Japanese maths textbooks like?
These textbooks are, on the whole, small, presumably inexpensive to produce, but well set out and logically developed.
Question says → Passage says
well organisedwell set out and logically developed
adapted to the needs of the pupilsthe logical nature of the textbooks and their comprehensive coverage of different types of examples
Why: 'Well set out and logically developed' is well organised. D adds that the books are so logical and complete that worksheets aren't needed, so they serve the pupils' needs. B.
The trap: A, 'cheap for pupils to buy', mixes two details. The books are 'inexpensive to produce', and pupils don't buy them at all: they're supplied free.
Question 11
Answer: CSection D, second paragraph, first sentence
How is a new maths topic introduced?
the teacher explains the topic of the lesson, slowly and with a lot of repetition and elaboration
Question says → Passage says
carefully and patiently explainedexplains… slowly and with a lot of repetition and elaboration
Why: 'Slowly' and 'a lot of repetition and elaboration' describe patient, careful teaching. C.
The trap: A is the strongest distractor: pupils do put answers on the board, but that's the homework at the start, before the new topic. D is the opposite of the passage: worksheets are used 'only rarely'.
Question 12
Answer: ASection E, second sentence and second half
How do schools help pupils who struggle?
Teachers say that they give individual help at the end of a lesson or after school, setting extra work if necessary.
Question says → Passage says
appropriate supplementary tuitionindividual help at the end of a lesson or after school / setting extra work if necessary / 'Juku' (private evening tuition)
Why: Struggling pupils get extra help outside normal teaching: from the teacher after lessons, extra work, and sometimes Juku evening classes. That's supplementary tuition. A.
The trap: D is true but doesn't answer the question. Pupils are in mixed-ability classes whether they struggle or not, so it isn't a way of dealing with difficulties. B twists 'seek help from their neighbour' into copying.
Question 13
Answer: CSection F, third sentence
Why do Japanese students do well in maths?
the emphasis is on hard work coupled with a focus on accuracy
Question says → Passage says
much effort is madehard work
correct answers are emphasiseda focus on accuracy
Why: 'Hard work' is effort and 'accuracy' is getting answers right. Both appear in F's list of success factors, so C.
The trap: A is tempting: F does say maths is compulsory throughout schooling. But that's just one fact in the list, and C sums up the attitude F stresses most: effort and accuracy. D is the view F calls 'unfair and unjustified'.
Mixed-ability classes (D) are true for every pupil. The way struggling pupils are helped is extra tuition after lessons and at Juku (A).
Words from this passage worth keeping
attainment(A)
the level a student reaches or achieves
unstreamed(B)
not divided by ability
let off steam(B)
release energy or tension
elaborate(D)
explain in more detail
homogeneity(D)
being all of a similar kind or level
renders(D)
makes (something become)
fostered(E)
encouraged to develop
inspirational(F)
giving people enthusiasm and new ideas
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The full Cambridge 8 Test 4 reading paper: all three passages, 60 minutes, marked the second you finish with a review of every answer. Already done it? Take it again and see if the same traps still get you.
Cambridge IELTS 8, Test 4, Reading Passage 1. The passage and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. We quote short extracts only as evidence for our own commentary, and the answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full text, or sit the test on Langujet.
The rest of Cambridge 8 Test 4
Passage 1 · Questions 1-13 · You're hereLand of the Rising Sum
