Land of the Rising Sun Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test
International English Language Testing System ( IELTS )
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Practising IELTS Reading passages like "Land of the Rising Sun" is key to boosting your test performance. It helps you get comfortable with different question types and passage styles, making you quicker at spotting key details and understanding main ideas. By regularly working through practice passages, you improve your reading speed and comprehension and build the confidence needed to tackle the exam. It’s like training for a race— the more you practice, the more prepared and relaxed you'll feel on test day.
The below passage is inspired by Cambridge 8, Reading Test 4. You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-14, based on the reading passage 1 below.
Land of the Rising Sun Reading Passage 1
A. Japan has a significantly better record in terms of average mathematical attainment than England and Wales. Large sample international comparisons of pupils' attainments since the 1960s have established that not only did Japanese pupils at age 13 have better scores of average attainment, but there was also a larger proportion of 'low' attainers in England, where, incidentally, the variation in attainment scores was much greater. 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?
B. Lower secondary schools in Japan cover three school years, from the seventh grade (age 13) to the ninth grade (age 15). Virtually all pupils at this stage attend state schools: only 3 per cent are in the private sector. Schools are usually modem in design, set well back from the road and spacious inside. Classrooms are large and pupils sit at single desks in rows. Lessons last for a standardised 50 minutes and are always followed by a 10-minute break, which gives the pupils a chance to let off steam. Teachers begin with a formal address and mutual bowing, and then concentrate on whole-class teaching.
Classes are large - usually about 40 - and are unstreamed. Pupils stay in the same class for all lessons throughout the school and develop considerable class identity and loyalty. Pupils attend the school in their own neighbourhood, which in theory removes ranking by school. In practice in Tokyo, because of the relative concentration of schools, there is some competition to get into the 'better' school in a particular area.
C. Traditional ways of teaching form the basis of the lesson and the remarkably quiet classes take their own notes of the points made and the examples demonstrated. Everyone has their own copy of the textbook supplied by the central education authority, Monbusho, as part of the concept of free compulsory education up to the age of 15. These textbooks are, on the whole, small, presumably inexpensive to produce, but well set out and logically developed. (One teacher was particularly keen to introduce colour and pictures into maths textbooks: he felt this would make them more accessible to pupils brought up in a cartoon culture.) Besides approving textbooks, Monbusho also decides the highly centralised national curriculum and how it is to be delivered.
D. Lessons all follow the same pattern. At the beginning, the pupils put solutions to the homework on the board, then the teachers comment, correct or elaborate as necessary. Pupils mark their own homework: this is an important principle in Japanese schooling as it enables pupils to see where and why they made a mistake, so that these can be avoided in future. No one minds mistakes or ignorance as long as you are prepared to learn from them.
After the homework has been discussed, the teacher explains the topic of the lesson, slowly and with a lot of repetition and elaboration. Examples are demonstrated on the board; questions from the textbook are worked through first with the class, and then the class is set questions from the textbook to do individually. Only rarely are supplementary worksheets distributed in a maths class. The impression is that the logical nature of the textbooks and their comprehensive coverage of different types of examples, combined with the relative homogeneity of the class, renders work sheets unnecessary. At this point, the teacher would circulate and make sure that all the pupils were coping well.
E. It is remarkable that large, mixed-ability classes could be kept together for maths throughout all their compulsory schooling from 6 to 15. Teachers say that they give individual help at the end of a lesson or after school, setting extra work if necessary. In observed lessons, any strugglers would be assisted by the teacher or quietly seek help from their neighbour. Carefully fostered class identity makes pupils keen to help each other - anyway, it is in their interests since the class progresses together.
This scarcely seems adequate help to enable slow learners to keep up. However, the Japanese attitude towards education runs along the lines of 'if you work hard enough, you can do almost anything'. Parents are kept closely informed of their children's progress and will play a part in helping their children to keep up with class, sending them to 'Juku' (private evening tuition) if extra help is needed and encouraging them to work harder. It seems to work, at least for 95 per cent of the school population.
F. So what are the major contributing factors in the success of maths teaching? Clearly, attitudes are important. Education is valued greatly in Japanese culture; maths is recognised as an important compulsory subject throughout schooling; and the emphasis is on hard work coupled with a focus on accuracy.
Other relevant points relate to the supportive attitude of a class towards slower pupils, the lack of competition within a class, and the positive emphasis on learning for oneself and improving one's own standard. And the view of repetitively boring lessons and learning the facts by heart, which is sometimes quoted in relation to Japanese classes, may be unfair and unjustified. No poor maths lessons were observed. They were mainly good and one or two were inspirational.
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Land of the Rising Sun Reading Questions & Readings
Questions 1-7
The Reading Passage has SIX sections, A-F.
Which section contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.
1. Background to middle-years education in Japan.
Answer: B
Answer location: Paragraph B, Line 1
Explanation: "Lower secondary schools in Japan cover three school years, from the seventh grade (age 13) to the ninth grade (age 15). Virtually all pupils at this stage attend 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. Classrooms are large and pupils sit at single desks in rows. Lessons last for a standardised 50 minutes and are always followed by a 10-minute break, which gives the pupils a chance to let off steam. Teachers begin with a formal address and mutual bowing, and then concentrate on whole-class teaching." This paragraph provides a background to the structure and characteristics of lower secondary education in Japan, including school design, class structure, and teaching format.
2. The typical format of a maths lesson.
Answer: D
Answer location: Paragraph D, Line 1
Explanation: "Lessons all follow the same pattern. At the beginning, the pupils put solutions to the homework on the board, then the teachers comment, correct or elaborate as necessary. Pupils mark their own homework: this is an important principle in Japanese schooling as it enables pupils to see where and why they made a mistake, so that these can be avoided in future. No one minds mistakes or ignorance as long as you are prepared to learn from them." This paragraph describes the routine of a typical maths lesson in Japan, focusing on the process of homework review, marking, and the approach to mistakes.
3. Helping less successful students.
Answer: E
Answer location: Paragraph E, Line
Explanation: "It is remarkable that large, mixed-ability classes could be kept together for maths throughout all their compulsory schooling from 6 to 15. Teachers say that they give individual help at the end of a lesson or after school, setting extra work if necessary. In observed lessons, any strugglers would be assisted by the teacher or quietly seek help from their neighbour. Carefully fostered class identity makes pupils keen to help each other - anyway, it is in their interests since the class progresses together." This paragraph addresses how less successful students are supported in Japanese schools, including individual help from teachers and peer support within the class.
4. The influence of Monbusho.
Answer: C
Answer location: Paragraph C, Line 1
Explanation: "Traditional ways of teaching form the basis of the lesson and the remarkably quiet classes take their own notes of the points made and the examples demonstrated. Everyone has their own copy of the textbook supplied by the central education authority, Monbusho, as part of the concept of free compulsory education up to the age of 15. These textbooks are, on the whole, small, presumably inexpensive to produce, but well set out and logically developed." This paragraph highlights the role of Monbusho (the central education authority) in providing textbooks and setting the curriculum for Japanese schools.
5. Lower Secondary Education in Japan.
Answer: B
Answer location: Paragraph B, Line 1
Explanation: This refers to the background information provided in Paragraph B about Japan's lower secondary education system.
6. The key to Japanese successes in maths education.
Answer: F
Answer location: Paragraph F, Line 1
Explanation: "So what are the major contributing factors in the success of maths teaching? Clearly, attitudes are important. Education is valued greatly in Japanese culture; maths is recognised as an important compulsory subject throughout schooling; and the emphasis is on hard work coupled with a focus on accuracy. Other relevant points relate to the supportive attitude of a class towards slower pupils, the lack of competition within a class, and the positive emphasis on learning for oneself and improving one's own standard." This paragraph discusses the key factors contributing to the success of maths education in Japan, including cultural attitudes, emphasis on hard work, and class dynamics.
7. Research findings concerning achievements in maths.
Answer: A
Answer location: Paragraph A, Line 1
Explanation: "Japan has a significantly better record in terms of average mathematical attainment than England and Wales. Large sample international comparisons of pupils' attainments since the 1960s have established that not only did Japanese pupils at age 13 have better scores of average attainment, but there was also a larger proportion of 'low' attainers in England, where, incidentally, the variation in attainment scores was much greater." This paragraph summarizes research findings on the mathematical achievements of Japanese pupils compared to those in England and Wales.
Land of the Rising Sun Reading Practice Material
Questions 8-10
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 8-10 on your answer sheet.
8. There is a broader range of _________ amongst English pupils studying maths than amongst their Japanese counterparts.
Answer: ATTAINMENT
Answer Location: Paragraph A, Line 3
Explanation: "But there was also a larger proportion of 'low' attainers in England, where, incidentally, the variation in attainment scores was much greater." This is supported by the research findings in Paragraph 1, which mention more significant variation in attainment scores among English pupils than Japanese pupils.
9. Higher and more ________ math achievement is attained by reasons other than just financial investment, even if the amount of GDP allocated to education in the two countries is fairly comparable.
Answer: CONSISTENT
Answer Location: Paragraph A, Line 5
Explanation: "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?" This is implied in Paragraph 1, where it is noted that factors other than financial investment, such as cultural attitudes and educational practices, contribute to Japan’s higher and more consistent math achievement.
10. ________ mark homework in Japanese schools.
Answer: PUPILS
Answer Location: Paragraph D, Line 2
Explanation: "Pupils mark their own homework." Paragraph D confirms this, explaining that pupils mark their own homework as part of the educational process.
Land of the Rising Sun Reading Practice for IELTS
Questions 11-14
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-I, below.
Write the correct letter, A-I, in boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet.
A. cheap for pupils to buy.
B. well organised and adapted to the needs of the pupils
C. it is carefully and patiently explained to the students.
D. placing in mixed-ability classes.
E. it is usual for students to use extra worksheets.
F. appropriate supplementary tuition.
G. they are used to working without help from others
H. Much effort is made, and correct answers are emphasised.
I. There is a strong emphasis on repetitive learning.
11. Schools deal with students who experience difficulties with
Answer: F
Answer Location: Paragraph E, Line 6
Explanation: The paragraph mentions that Japanese students who struggle with their studies are often provided additional help through private evening tuition, known as 'Juku'. It states: "Parents are kept closely informed of their children's progress and will play a part in helping their children to keep up with class, sending them to 'Juku' (private evening tuition) if extra help is needed and encouraging them to work harder."
12. Maths textbooks in Japanese schools are
Answer: B
Answer Location: Paragraph C, Line 3
Explanation: The paragraph describes Japanese maths textbooks as well-set and logically developed, indicating they are well-organized and tailored for effective learning: "These textbooks are, on the whole, small, presumably inexpensive to produce, but well set out and logically developed."
13. When a new maths topic is introduced,
Answer: C
Answer Location: Paragraph D, Line 5
Explanation: The paragraph explains that new topics are introduced with much repetition and detailed explanation. This reflects the careful and patient approach: "After the homework has been discussed, the teacher explains the topic of the lesson, slowly and with a lot of repetition and elaboration."
14. Japanese students tend to achieve relatively high rates of success in maths as
Answer: H
Answer Location: Paragraph F, Line 1
Explanation: The paragraph highlights that Japanese students achieve high success due to the emphasis on hard work and accuracy, not just financial investment: "So what are the major contributing factors in the success of maths teaching? Clearly, attitudes are important. Education is valued greatly in Japanese culture; maths is recognised as an important compulsory subject throughout schooling; and the emphasis is on hard work coupled with a focus on accuracy."
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