Children with auditory function deficit: reading answers and analysis
A report on how classroom noise affects children with hearing impairment, autism and attention deficit disorders. It covers what makes classrooms noisy, why these children are especially vulnerable, New Zealand's disability strategy, and the need for international noise standards that consider them.
The section matching (1-6) jumps all over the nine sections and runs roughly backwards (H, C, B, I, D, A). The short answers (7-10) go in order: A, E, G, H. The choose-two (11-12) is in B, and the purpose question (13) covers the whole text.
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.
Q
Your answer
Answer
Questions 1-6 · Matching information (sections A-I)
How to attack this block: Read the type of information each item wants: a policy, a team, a hypothesis, a demand, a list, a figure. Then look for the signal word in the section ('strategy', 'working party', 'suggested', 'imperative', 'include', a percentage).
Question 1
Answer: HSection H
Which section describes a policy launched by a national government?
The New Zealand Government has developed a New Zealand Disability Strategy and has embarked on a wide-ranging consultation process.
Question says → Passage says
a national policya New Zealand Disability Strategy
initiativehas developed… has embarked on
Why: A strategy developed by the national government is a national policy, and H goes on to describe one of its objectives. 'Initiative' fits a new plan being launched.
The trap: Section I says New Zealand will probably follow other countries' standards, but that's a future possibility, not a policy that already exists.
Question 2
Answer: CSection C, last sentence
Which section describes an international group working together?
has established an international working party, which includes New Zealand, to evaluate noise and reverberation control for school rooms
Question says → Passage says
globalinternational
team effortworking party
Why: A 'working party' is a team set up to study something, and it's 'international'. That's a global team effort.
The trap: Section I also talks about 'international standards', but that's a demand for rules (Question 4), not a team doing work.
Question 3
Answer: BSection B, middle
Which section suggests why classrooms have become noisier?
Education researchers Nelson and Soli have also suggested that recent trends in learning often involve collaborative interaction of multiple minds and tools
Question says → Passage says
a hypothesishave also suggested
the growth in classroom noiseThis all amounts to heightened activity and noise levels
Why: 'Suggested' signals a hypothesis, and the idea is that group work ('collaborative interaction') raises activity and noise. That's one reason behind the growth in noise.
The trap: Section G lists where classroom noise comes from (outside, teaching, reverberation), but it describes sources, not a suggested reason for an increase.
Question 4
Answer: ISection I, last sentence
Which section calls for proper international rules?
It is imperative that the needs of these children are taken into account in the setting of appropriate international standards to be promulgated in future.
Question says → Passage says
a demandIt is imperative
suitable worldwide regulationsappropriate international standards
Why: 'Imperative' is a strong demand, 'appropriate' is 'suitable', and 'international standards' are worldwide regulations. The match is close throughout.
The trap: Section G says strategies 'are needed', which sounds like a demand, but it asks for better classroom construction and research, not worldwide rules.
Question 5
Answer: DSection D
Which section lists the conditions that make some children more vulnerable to noise?
those with a disability that affects their processing of speech and verbal communication could be extremely vulnerable. The auditory function deficits in question include hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD).
Question says → Passage says
place some children more at riskcould be extremely vulnerable
a list of medical conditionshearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit disorders
Why: D names three conditions in one sentence and says children with them are 'extremely vulnerable'. That's the list.
The trap: E and F describe autism and attention deficit disorders in detail, but each covers only one condition. The list itself is in D.
Question 6
Answer: ASection A, last sentence
Which section gives the share of New Zealand children with hearing problems?
6-10% of children in that country are affected by hearing loss
Question says → Passage says
the estimated proportion6-10%
auditory problemshearing loss
Why: A percentage is a proportion, and a range like 6-10% is an estimate. 'That country' is New Zealand.
The trap: Section G mentions 'many undiagnosed children', which is about numbers too, but it gives no figure.
Short answers (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER)
Questions 7-10
How to attack this block: Each question gives you something to remove: the machinery noise in Q8, the word 'undiagnosed' in Q9. What's left is the answer. Q10 wants the name of a part of the strategy, which includes a number.
Question 7
Answer: two decadesSection A, last sentence
How long has New Zealand been researching hearing loss in children?
The New Zealand Ministry of Health has found from research carried out over two decades
Question says → Passage says
For what period of timeover two decades
been studiedresearch carried out
Why: The research ran 'over two decades', which answers 'what period of time'. 'Two decades' is exactly two words.
The trap: '6-10%' is the number in the same sentence, but it's the result of the research, not its length.
Question 8
Answer: crowdSection E, second paragraph
Also accepted: crowd noise
Apart from machinery, what noise do autistic children find upsetting?
Those experiencing these disorders often find sounds such as crowd noise and the noise generated by machinery painful and distressing.
Question says → Passage says
upsetpainful and distressing
machinery noisethe noise generated by machinery
Why: The sentence pairs two kinds of sound; the question removes machinery, so the other one is 'crowd' (or 'crowd noise').
The trap: 'Background noise' is in Section F, but that's about attention deficit disorders, not autism.
Question 9
Answer: invisibleSection G, second-last sentence
Also accepted: invisible disabilities / invisible disability
What word describes undiagnosed children's disabilities?
It is probable that many undiagnosed children exist in the education system with 'invisible' disabilities.
Question says → Passage says
have not been diagnosedundiagnosed
What term is used'invisible'
Why: The writer puts 'invisible' in quotation marks, which tells you it's a special term. 'Invisible' or 'invisible disabilities' are both accepted.
The trap: 'Undiagnosed' is already in the question, so writing it gives back the question, not the term.
Question 10
Answer: Objective 3Section H, third sentence
Which part of the Disability Strategy aims at equal learning opportunities?
Objective 3 of the New Zealand Disability Strategy is to 'Provide the Best Education for Disabled People'
Question says → Passage says
What part of the New Zealand Disability StrategyObjective 3 of the New Zealand Disability Strategy
equal opportunitywill have equal opportunities to learn and develop
Why: 'What part' needs a section name, and the passage gives one: 'Objective 3'. The same sentence ends with 'equal opportunities', which confirms it.
The trap: 'Disability Strategy' is the whole plan, and the question already names it. You need the part within it, which is the objective's number.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 11-12
How to attack this block: All the answers are in one sentence in B that lists causes of classroom noise. Match each option to an item on that list; options that only sound plausible (corridors, games, loud teachers) aren't there.
Question 11-12
Answer: A and C (in either order)Section B, second sentence
Which two causes of classroom noise does the writer actually name?
Modern teaching practices… and mechanical means of ventilation such as air-conditioning units all contribute
Question says → Passage says
current teaching methodsModern teaching practices
cooling systemsmechanical means of ventilation such as air-conditioning units
Why: A: 'modern teaching practices' is current teaching methods. C: air-conditioning units cool rooms, so they're cooling systems. Both are in B's list of things that 'contribute' to the problem.
The trap: B (echoing corridors) is tempting because 'reverberation' is mentioned in C and G, but the passage only talks about echo in rooms, never corridors. 'Playground games' looks like 'outside activities' in G, but no games are named.
Multiple choice
Question 13
How to attack this block: Ask what the writer keeps coming back to: these children are vulnerable, overlooked and need attention. Options that mention solutions or New Zealand as a model go beyond what the writer does.
Question 13
Answer: CSections G and I
What is the writer mainly trying to do in the article?
the effects of noisy classrooms and activities on those experiencing disabilities in the form of auditory function deficit need thorough investigation
Question says → Passage says
increase awarenessneed thorough investigation / Only limited attention appears to have been given
children with auditory problemsthose experiencing disabilities in the form of auditory function deficit
Why: The article keeps returning to one point: noise hurts children with auditory deficits, these children get too little attention, and their needs must be considered. That's raising awareness, C.
The trap: B is the strongest distractor: the writer says strategies 'are needed' but never actually provides any. D fails because New Zealand is described as likely to follow other countries, not lead them.
'Hypothesis' is the clue: Nelson and Soli 'suggested' that group learning increases noise. G lists noise sources but doesn't explain a growth in noise.
The writer says strategies are needed but never provides any, so 'provide solutions' fails. The aim is to raise awareness.
Words from this passage worth keeping
detrimental(A)
causing harm or damage
preliminary(B)
early, done before a fuller study
exacerbate(B)
make a problem worse
reverberation(C)
sound echoing around a space
intrusive(E)
unwelcome and disturbing
screen out(F)
filter out and ignore
imperative(I)
absolutely necessary
promulgated(I)
officially announced and put into effect
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The full Cambridge 9 Test 2 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 9, Test 2, 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 9 Test 2
Passage 1 · Questions 1-13 · You're hereChildren with auditory function deficit
