Practice Paper for IELTS Reading Test with Answer Key 2025

Reading section of IELTS needs too much practice to make sure almost accuracy while answering the test. The more you practice, more accurate you become in understanding the passage. Try to understand the passage first and then attempt the questions.

You get 60 minutes to attend your reading test. And you have to answer 40 questions in this 60 minutes time. Here managing time is the key to score well. You get 3 passages, spend maximum 20 minutes on each passage. 

You need to strengthen your understanding of the passage, to be able to answer the questions correctly. Try to solve as many practice paper as you can.

Here is 1 practice paper for you, to help you practice for your exams. Answer key is available in the end.

Practice paper for IELTS

Reading passage 1

Machine tool industry

Today, the import duty on a complete machine is 35% for all practical purposes, whereas the import duty on raw material and its components varies from 40% to 85%. The story does not end here. Even after paying such high import duty on components, when a machine is made, excise duty of 5% to 10% is imposed on it (excise duty is paid on the total amount, including the import duty already paid). This creates tax on tax situation. At the time of sale, the machine tools further suffer taxation which varies from 4% to 16%. That’s it from the tax angle. 

Another factor which raises the cost of manufacture of machine tools is very high rate of interest payable to banks, costing upto 22%, as against 4% to 7% prevailing in advanced countries.

Since the production of machine tools in India is not being done on the same scale as it is being done in other countries, the prices which India’s machine tools manufacturers have to pay for components is based on the high pricing applicable on the price of spare parts. This represents only a few of the extraneous reasons for the high cost of Indian machines.  

Indian machine tool manufacturing industry has an admirable record of very quick technological absorption and development. There are various success stories about how machine tools manufacturers were helping the economy in the critical times. It will be a pity, in fact shameful, if we let this industry die and disappear from the scene.  

It is to be noted that India is too much far from any dependable source of supply for machine tools. The Government of India has always given great importance to small scale and medium scale industries. This industry has also performed pretty good in the past. Today, it is to be noticed that how the needs of this industry would be met being far away from the sources of supply. Since, India is surrounded by water bodies on 3 sides, it makes it even more difficult. 

Today small scale and medium scale industries are in need of help from India’s machine tool industry to help them produce quality components at minimum costs.

Then, what does this machine tool manufacturing industry wants from the Government? It wants a fair playing field. In fact, deep down all of must have a deep introspection and acknowledge the fact that development of the machine tool industry has a pivotal place in the country from the strategic point of view and interest of the nation. Most importantly, this industry wants the Government’s consideration and understanding.

Questions 1-5

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-E, below.

Write the correct letter, A-E in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

1. If the banks rate of interest in India is made on par with advanced countries, the cost of manufacturing machine tools
2. Assembling imported components to form machine proves to be
3. The difference in quantity of machine production in India and in other countries lead to
4.  The availability of Indian machine tool industries help small and medium scale industries is most likely to result in
5. Inference that can be drawn from the passage is

1. India should focus on assembling the    component and not on production of machine tools
2.      May decrease to about 4% to 7%.
3. Enhancement in the quality of their   production at cheaper rate.
4. Cheaper than importing complete machine
5. A need to pay higher for components and spare parts.

Questions 6-14

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage above.

In the boxes 6-14 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE- If the statement agrees the     information

FALSE- If statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN- If there is no information on this

6. Small scale and medium scale industries performance can be improved with the help of machine tool industry.
7. India’s machine tool industry has a praise worthy record of performance.
8. In case of machines, excise duty is only levied on the cost price of machine.
9. India’s quantum of production of machine tools is more than other advanced countries.
10. Import duty on complete machine is 35%
11. Small and medium scale industries don’t need to pay taxes.
12. Indian machine tool industry has very quick technological absorption.
13. High profit margin of manufacturers are responsible for high cost of Indian machines.
14. Government does not pays importance to small and medium scale industries.

Practice paper for IELTS Reading passage 2

Smoking: A reason of heart attack

It is heartwarming to know that if one had not had any heart attack in past and he stops smoking, his chances of getting a heart attack in comparison to a non-smoker drops in about six months time. Stopping of smoking is also the most effective means of secondary prevention in heart patients.

Smoking leads to pain and stiffening of the legs while walking. No amount of medicines can help in this condition. The only remedy is to give up on smoking.

If women smokes during pregnancy, there is risk of death of the baby in the womb itself or soon after the birth. Even if baby survives, it is likely of delayed physical and intellectual development of baby till it reaches 11 years of age.

Even worse fact about smoking is that passive smoking is equally dangerous. Passive smokers are those who do not smoke, but by being in the company of smokers they inhale smoke exhaled by the smokers. They are equally prone to heart diseases, lung cancer and bronchitis, without having any fault. It is seen that the chances of these diseases is greater among women whose husbands are chain smokers. 

Every non-smoker has a fundamental right to safeguard their life against the danger of passive smoking. “Your smoking is injurious to my health and I have right to stop you from smoking” can be the slogan against passive smoking. It is big threat to the health of the individual, the family and the society. One has to choose between living healthy life and smoking including passive smoking. One cannot have both.

 Another point of grave concern about smoking is the long time interval between the start of smoking habit and the development of symptoms of deadly diseases like cancer, chronic bronchitis and heart attack. People are generally not aware of the link between smoking and the problems they have to undergo years later and younger people often fall victim to the bad habit under the wrong thinking that they are immune to its disastrous effects, not realizing that they are heading towards catastrophe. The prolonged growth period of many tobacco related diseases has prevented recognition of the intensity of threat and the disastrous picture of chronic and life threatening diseases. 

Questions 15-19

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-E, below.

Write the correct letter, A-E in boxes 15-19 on your answer sheet.

15. What is passive smoking?
16. Youth feel they are immune to the dangerous effects of smoking because
17. One cannot have both
18. Effects of passive smoking is most commonly observed among
19. Smoking by women during pregnancy can led to

1. Wives of chain smokers
2. Unintended intake of smoke exhaled by smokers.
3. Living healthy life and smoking both at the same time.
4. Death of the baby in womb itself or after birth. 
5. Effects of smoking are not visible in short time span.

Questions 20-22

Fill in the blanks from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in the boxes 20-22 in your answer sheets.

20. Smoking leads to __________ of legs while walking.
21. Passive smokers are equally prone to ____________.
22. Stopping of smoking is effective means of _________ in heart patients.

Questions 23-27

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage above.

In the boxes 23-27 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE- If the statement agrees the     information

FALSE- If statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN- If there is no information on this

23. Passive smokers are free from the risk of heart diseases.
24. Stopping smoking has no effect on heart disease.
25. Lung cancer can be caused due to drinking also.
26. Intake of any type of medicine cannot reduce the pain and stiffening of the legs.
27. Smoking during pregnancy is likely to delay delayed physical and intellectual development of baby till it reaches 11 years of age.

Reading passage 3

Control of mind over body

Today researches are being conducted to study the effect of mind over body. A few years ago, when the following incident occurred, I would have ignored it as a mere coincidence but not today. 

Shri Singh was a 70 year old man who lived in my neighborhood. He was very sociable and a frequent visitor at our home. Both his sons were abroad and his married daughter was in Assam. One day, he had a serious heart trouble and was admitted to the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU) in my hospital. Over a period of 3-4 days, he showed improvement and was declared stable and out of danger. In the meantime, a message was sent to his daughter and she was to arrive in 3-4 days.

Every evening before I went home, I would pay him a courtesy visit. One day, I suddenly had an urge to visit him in the morning. At about 11:30 a.m. when I visited him, he was looking a lot better and started asking me when doctors would take him out from the ICCU. He again reminded me to call his daughter back, to come to Mumbai as soon as possible as he had an intense desire to see his little grandchildren. 

While talking to him, I noticed a team of doctors trying very hard to revive a young man who was of 35 years, who had a massive heart attack and was almost dead by then. Out of curiosity, I looked at the cardiac monitor of Shri Singh and to my surprise, I saw a flat line. Shri Singh suddenly collapsed and was pulse less. I raised an alarm and the team who had just given up on reviving the young man’s heart rushed to Shri Singh and was immediately revived. He was now critical though conscious. There was yet another request to call-back his daughter. He lived for about six more days till his daughter and his grandchildren arrived to pay a visit to him and then he passed away peacefully. 

Human nature and intuition are inexplicable.

Questions 28-30

Fill in the blanks from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in the boxes 28-30 in your answer sheets.

28. Shri Singh was admitted in _______.
29. Shri Singh’s son lived _______ and his daughter lived in _______.
30. Author paid visit to Shri Singh everyday in ________.

Questions 31-35

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage above.

In the boxes 31-35 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE- If the statement agrees the     information

FALSE- If statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN- If there is no information on this

31. The condition of Shri Singh worsened after hospitalization
32. The incident mentioned in the passage took place at Mumbai.
33. The doctors were attending Shri Singh when the author reached the ICCU.
34. Shri Singh’s son paid him visit after he died.
35. Shri Singh was not fond of mixing with people around him.

Questions 36-40

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-E, below.

Write the correct letter, A-E in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.

36. The death of Shri Singh was peaceful because
37. The efforts of the team of doctors attending other patient in the ICCU were
38. The flat line on the cardiac monitor was an indication that
39. The author of the passage wants to convey that
40. An unusual thing done by the author was

1.   His desire of seeing his daughter and grand children was fulfilled.
2. The patient was almost on the verge of death
3. He paid courtesy call to Shri Singh in the morning
4. Intense desire and will power can postpone death.
5. Fruitless since the patient died in spite of their efforts.

Answer key

Reading passage 1

Question 1-5

1. B – May decrease to about 4% to 7%.
2. D – Cheaper than importing complete machine.
3. E – A need to pay higher for components and spare parts.
4. C – Enhancement in the quality of their   production at cheaper rate.
5. A – India should focus on assembling the    component and not on production of machine tools

Question 6-14

6. TRUE
7. TRUE
8. FALSE
9. FALSE
10. TRUE
11. NOT GIVEN
12. TRUE
13. NOT GIVEN
14. FALSE

Reading passage 2

Question 15-19

15. B – Unintended intake of smoke exhaled by smokers.
16. E – Effects of smoking are not visible in short time span
17. C – Living healthy life and smoking both at the same time.
18. A – Wives of chain smokers
19. D – Death of the baby in womb itself or after birth.

Question 20-22

20. Pain and stiffening
21. Heart disease, lungs cancer and bronchitis
22. Secondary prevention

Question 23-27

23. FALSE
24. FALSE
25. NOT GIVEN
26. TRUE
27. TRUE

Reading passage 3

Question 28-30

28. ICCU (Intensive Cardiac Care Unit)
29. Abroad

Assam

30. Evening

Question 31-35

31. FALSE
32. TRUE
33. FALSE
34. NOT GIVEN
35. FALSE

Question 36-40

36. A – His desire of seeing his daughter and   grand children was fulfilled.
37. E – Fruitless since the patient died in spite of their efforts
38. B – The patient was almost on the verge of death
39. D – Intense desire and will power can postpone death.
40. C – He paid courtesy call to Shri Singh in the morning

That’s it for the practice paper, hope you will enjoy doing this paper. Practice hard and you will be able to achieve your aim.

Success doesn’t comes from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently.

All the best!