The Most Googled City # Practice Reading

[PARA 1 ]

London has been named the most googled ( to type the words into the search engine Google in order to find information about somebody/something) city in the world for its art galleries (a room or building showing works of art, especially to the public), performing arts and innovative (introducing or new ideas new ideas, ways of doing something etc.) designs. The research (a careful study of a subject, especially in order to discover new facts or information about it), which was carried out by London and partners, found that the city’s museums make up the top three most googled museums in the world with science museum leading the results. It stated that the natural history museum was the second-most searched for and the British museum was third.

[PARA 2 ]

“London is without a doubt (a feeling of being uncertain about something or not believing something) the cultural (connected with arts, literature, music etc.) capital of the world. Tourists( a person who is travelling or visiting a place for pleasure) are flocking(to go and gather somewhere in large numbers) to our great city in ever-increasing numbers, drawn by our exceptional(unusually good) cultural attractions(an interesting and enjoyable place to go or thing to do) and landmarks(building or a place that is very important because of its history, and that should be preserved)”, says London Mayor Boris Johnson said.

[PARA 3 ]

“Our world famous museums, galleries, theatres and performance venues have done a terrific(excellent, wonderful) job creating and attracting the blockbuster(something very successful, especially something a very successful book or film) exhibitions(the act of showing something for example, works of art to the public) and events that form this spectacular(very impressive) autumn (the season of the year between summer and winter, when leaves change colour and the weather becomes colder) season of culture in London.

[PARA 4 ]

If you are planning to travel in months ahead, London is a city not to be missed”, he said.
Figures showed that London’s theatres also generate more searches than those in any other city and the British capital is the most searched for city in the world to visit. The New York metropolitan museum of art and the Smithsonian in Washington DC are ranked 4th and 5th respectively.
Source – The Hindu

QUESTION TIME

Match the words with their meanings

WORDS MEANINGS
1.Googled a.a feeling of being uncertain about something or not believing something
2.Innovative b.a room or building showing works of art, especially to the public
3.Cultural c.excellent, wonderful
4.Flocking d.the act of showing something, for example, works of art to the public
5.Attraction e.the season of the year between summer and winter, when leaves change color and the weather becomes colder
6.Terrific f.building or a place that is very important because of its history, and that should be preserved
7.Exhibition g.introducing or new ideas new ideas, ways of doing something etc.
8.Autumn h. to type the words into the search engine Google in order to find information about somebody/something
9.Spectacular i.connected with arts, literature, music etc.
10.Landmark j.a person who is travelling or visiting a place for pleasure
11.Exceptional k.to go and gather somewhere in large numbers
12.Blockbuster l.an interesting and enjoyable place to go or thing to do
13.Doubt m.unusually good
14.Gallery n.Very Impressive
15.Tourists o.Very Successful

ANSWERS
  1. h
  2. g
  3. i
  4. k
  5. l
  6. c
  7. d
  8. e
  9. n
  10. f
  11. m
  12. o
  13. a
  14. b
  15. j

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Understanding The Reading Passage

Now, first thing first. Read the instructions carefully and then read the questions properly. Make sure that you have understood what is being asked in the questions and what are the details that you need to focus on. You can even make a note of what are the questions related to it.write down the keywords asked in the question.

For better understanding, let us have a look at the keywords of the questions asked in the passage.

  1. Concern of the parents.
  2. Changes observed in the girl.
  3. Failure of genetic test
  4. Country which launched 10000 genomes project
  5. Aim of genomes project
  6. NHS owned company
  7. NHS health records
  8. issue with 1000 genome project
  9. Large-scale genomic analysis of its population.
  10. Precision Medicine Initiative
  11. For questions 11-13 look at the first line of the summary and match it with first line of different paragraphs. You will find out the paragraph from which the question has been put up. (note – it is also possible that the summary question is from the entire passage, but either ways, make sure you know the starting point of the question).

Now, once you have found out and written all the keywords, try to find out these keywords in the reading passage. Remember, you are not given marks on how well you understand the passage, you are marked on how many correct answers you have got. Make sure that you don’t waste your time on understanding the paragraph, line by line and word by word.

To develop that skill, read a lot of stuff and if you are having issues with that go to level 1.

Once you have found the keyword, the answer also lie nearby it. Also remember, there are often some traps for you, so make sure you understand the question carefully and read the line having the keyword, before answering the question.

ANSWERS TO THE PASSAGE

  1. A
  2. B
  3. B
  4. A
  5. C
  6. True
  7. False
  8. True
  9. False
  10. True
  11. Closest blood relatives
  12. twice
  13. Drug and procedures

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Genome Project # Practice Reading

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.

[A]Soon after the Californian twins were born, their parents grew concerned: the children were developing slowly and had floppy muscle tone. A brain scan indicated that the boy might have cerebral palsy, but doctors were puzzled over his sister’s tremor and seizures. Batteries of tests failed to confirm diagnoses in either child, or treatment when the children were five with the drug-dopa — used for people with Parkinson’s disease — helped only for a while.

[B]It was only in 2010, when the twins reached the age of 14, that whole-genome sequencing ended their diagnostic odyssey. It identified a pair of mutations in a gene that encodes the enzyme sepiapterin reductase, which is involved in production of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. Doctors modified the treatment to include serotonin; the boy’s mobility improved, and the girl was no longer plagued by sudden, breath-stealing spasms.

[C]Stories such as this one fuel ambitions to diagnose more quickly and accurately using genomic medicine. Indeed, tests that can probe certain disease-associated genes are increasingly becoming a diagnostic option. But such genetic tests often fail to give a diagnosis because they are too focused on a selection of known genes on one section of the genome. In cases like that of the twins, researchers or clinicians must go further and sample a person’s whole genetic sequence to find the disease-causing genes. Currently this is done only in rare cases — but a number of large-scale initiatives are poised to bring whole-genome analysis into routine medical care.

[D]The United Kingdom has taken a giant leap into genomic medicine with the 100,000 Genomes Project, which was launched in 2012 and has been personally backed by Prime Minister David Cameron. As part of the £300-million (US$467-million) initiative, 100,000 genomes from National Health Service (NHS) patients with cancer, rare disorders and infectious diseases will be sequenced by 2017. The project’s aims are to gain scientific insight by linking the disorders with precise genetic signatures; to obtain better diagnoses; to tailor treatments to individual patients; and, ultimately, to spur the development of a UK genomics industry.

“The goal is to make whole genomes part of regular NHS health records.”

[E]The state-funded, centralized UK health-care system is ideal for such population-based approaches in genomic medicine, says John Bell, who is a medical researcher at the University of Oxford, UK, and is also on the board of Genomics England, the NHS-owned company set up to run the project. The NHS already holds extensive clinical information on individuals, and pairing this with detailed genomic data will enable powerful insights into the links between medicine and genetics. Evidence that whole-genome interpretation can help in a wide range of disorders is mounting, and in the long term, Bell says, the goal is to make whole genomes part of regular NHS health records.

[F]But before that vision can be realized, there are several hurdles that the 100,000 Genomes Project must overcome. Aside from the logistical task of extracting and sequencing DNA from thousands of individuals, there is the problem of identifying which genome variations cause disease and which are harmless — a daunting, data-heavy and time-consuming process that will require a slew of specialized companies with dedicated software.

Considerable cohort

[G]Iceland was the first to launch a large-scale genomic analysis of its population. Many nations have followed suit with the explicit goal of linking health care and genomics. In the United States, the Precision Medicine Initiative plans to sequence the genomes of one million volunteers, and the Million Veteran Program is gearing up to do likewise with US military veterans. Similar projects are under way in Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Kuwait, Qatar, Israel, Belgium, Luxembourg and Estonia.

[H]But the 100,000 Genomes Project is the venture gaining the most steam: it has already enrolled 3,500 people with rare diseases and 2,000 individuals with cancer, and will involve roughly 75,000 people altogether (see ‘The clinical genome’). People with rare diseases and their relatives will make up 50,000 of the final figure; 80% of rare diseases are inherited, so the genome of the affected person (usually a child) will be sequenced along with the genomes of two of their closest blood relatives. The remaining group of 25,000 will be composed of people with cancer, who will have their genome sequenced twice (the tumour DNA will be compared with that from a patient’s normal cells), giving the grand total of 100,000 genome sequences.

[I]The hope is that participants will benefit from clinical insights into their condition. But their genomes will also contribute knowledge of value to the entire patient community. One person’s prostate-cancer genome, for example, might reveal specific genetic patterns that a physician can compare against the Genomics England database. The physician can then find other people with similar patterns and learn which drugs and procedures worked best for them.

Questions 1-5

Choose the correct letter A, B, or C.

  1. What was the concern of the parents of the two kids?

A. The children had floppy disc.

B.The children were suffering from cerebral palsy.

C.The children had Parkinson’s disease.

2.What changes were observed in the girl at the age of 14?

A. She was showing hormone changes.

B.The girl was not having any breath-stealing spasms.

C. Her mobility was improved.

3.The reason behind the failure of genetic tests is?

A. The technology has still not improved much.

B. They focus 100,000 Genomes Project on a selection of known genes.

C. The persons who genetic structure is not being checked.

4.The country which launched the 100,000 Genomes Project is

A. United Kingdom

B.Australia

C.United States of America.

5.The main aim of the genome’s project is

A. to obtain better diagnoses

B. to spur the development of a UK genomics industry.

C. Both A and B

Questions 6-9

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage 3?

In boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE             if the statement agrees with the information.

FALSE           if the statement contradicts with the information.

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

 

  1. Genomics England is a NHS owned company.
  2. With the data available with NHS, the genomes are part of regular NHS health records.
  3. The issue with 1000 genome project is identifying which genome variations cause disease and which are harmless.
  4. United Kingdom was the first country to launch a large-scale genomic analysis of its population.
  5. Precision Medicine Initiative is being carried out in United States.

 

Questions 11-13

Complete the summary below.

Write the answers in NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS in your answer sheet.

Genome project has already enrolled 3,500 people with rare diseases and 2,000 individuals with cancer, and will involve roughly 75,000 people altogether. Since the rare diseases are often inherited, genome of the affected person (usually a child) will be sequenced along with the genomes of two of their (11) _________________.  People suffering from cancer will have their genome sequenced (12) ___________. The hope is that participants will benefit from clinical insights into their condition. But their genomes will also contribute knowledge of value to the entire patient community. One person’s prostate-cancer genome might reveal a lot about the genetic patterns. This will in turn help in learning which (13) _____________ will work best for the person suffering from cancer.

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Topics For Speaking Part I

The first part of the speaking section, consist of general questions and lasts for 4-5 minutes. The questions asked are the ones that are usually related to the person, and are there, to  merely check, how well the person can express himself or herself in day to day situations. So, let us have a look at some of the topics asked in the first section of IELTS Speaking.

WORK

  • Where do you work?
  • Why did you choose that job?
  • Is it popular  in your country?
  • Do you like your job?
  • How well do you get along with your colleagues?
  • What was the first day at job like?
  • What responsibilities do you have at your job?
  • If given the chance, will you change your job? Why?

STUDY

  • What do you study?
  • Why did you choose that subject?
  • Is it a popular subject in your school?
  • Do you like that subject?
  • What kind of bond do you share with your subject mates?
  • How was the first day at your school like?
  • What are the main aspects of your subject?
  • Do you plan to getting a job in the same subject or you want to change your subject?

HOMETOWN

  • Where is your hometown?
  • Do you like your hometown?
  • How often do you visit your hometown?
  • What is your hometown like?
  • What are the places to visit in your hometown?
  • How can your home town be improved?
  • Has your home town changed with time?
  • How are the transportation facilities in your hometown?
  • Do you think your hometown is a good place for growing children?

HOME

  • Where is your home and of what kind?
  • Whom do you live with?
  • How many rooms are their in your home?
  • Do you have a single room or you share your room with someone?
  • How are the walls of your home decorated?
  • Is there anything you would like to change about your home?
  • Do you plan to live there in future?
  • What facilities are available near your home?
  • Do you plan to live there in the future?
  • What is your neighborhood like?
  • Do most people live in houses in your country?

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