Robots At Work – IELTS General Reading Sample With Explanation

Most IELTS general reading topics are based on general interest passages that candidates will encounter every day. IELTS reading practice papers contain a huge range of topics and questions. This passage contains two types of questions:

IELTS Reading section consists of three passages and forty questions in total. Candidates will get one hour to solve all the questions. This IELTS reading sample – Robots at Work is an IELTS General Training topic.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 28-33
Reading Passage has seven paragraphs.
Choose the correct heading for each para from the list of headings below.
Write the accurate number on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

  1. Robots working together
  2. Preparing LGVs for take-over
  3. Looking ahead
  4. The LGVs’ main functions
  5. Split location for newspaper production
  6. Newspapers superseded by technology
  7. Transferring the newspaper to the printing center
  8. Controlling the robots
  9. Beware of robots!

(Guide: Candidates need to answer the questions by selecting the correct options)

  1. Section A

Answer: v

Supporting Sentence: These times the editor, assistants, and journalists who put the paper collected are probable to find themselves in a completely different building or maybe in a different city.

Keyword: Split Location, Different building, Different City

Keyword Location: First Paragraph, 2nd Line

Explanation: The newspaper production process has changed vastly in this modern era. In older times, the newspaper used to be written, edited, typed, and printed in one place itself whereas now the newspaper is written at one place and printed at another. The Heading ‘Split location for newspaper production is appropriate.

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  1. Section B

Answer: vii

Supporting Sentence: When the finished newspaper has been generated for the afterward morning’s edition, entirely the pages are transmitted electronically from the prepress center to the printing center.

Keyword: Transmitted, Printing Centre

Keyword Location: Second Paragraph, 1st Line

Explanation: Every day when the task of creating the newspaper has been finished for the morning edition, it is then sent to the printing center to be printed. Every page takes less than a minute to be produced along with the pages being then transmitted into photographic negatives and then on aluminum plates to be pressed. The Heading ‘Getting the newspaper to the printing center’ is appropriate.

  1. Section D

Answer: iv

Supporting Sentence: The robots can detect unauthorized personnel and alert security staff immediately if they find an “intruder”; not surprisingly, tall tales are already being told about the machines starting to take on personalities of their own.

Keyword: Jobs, laser-guided vehicles, robots, detect

Keyword Location: Fourth Paragraph, 2nd Line, and 3rd Line

Explanation: The robots being called LGV’s or Laser guided vehicles have lights flashing and horns honking. They usually follow their own random paths to perform their jobs or duties thoroughly. They detect illegal personnel and alert the security. The Heading ‘The LGVs’ main functions’ is appropriate.

  1. Section E

Answer: i

Supporting Sentence: The LGVs gather the suitable size paper reels and take them where they have to go. When the press wants another reel its computer alerts the LGV method. The Sydney LGVs move busily around the press room achieving their two key functions to collect reels of newsprint either from the reel stripping stations or from the racked materials in the newsprint storage area.

Keywords: LGV’s, robots

Keyword Location: Fifth Paragraph, 1st Line and 2nd Line

Explanation: Whenever the press needs any work to be done, the press alerts the LGVs or robots. The LGV’s together move busily around the press fulfilling their key functions. The Heading ‘Robots working together’ is appropriate.

  1. Section F

Answer: viii

Supporting Sentence: The company has chosen a laser guide function system for the vehicles because, as the project development manager says “The beauty of it is that if you want to change the ways, you can work out a fresh route on your computer and lay it down for them to follow”.

Keywords: Functions, batteries, reduced risk of injury to people

Keyword Location: Sixth Paragraph, 1st Line and 2nd Line

Explanation: The robots move at walking speed and stop if anyone gets too close. Whenever the LGV’s batteries run low they automatically turn offline and replace batteries. It leads to minimum human input and gives reduced the risks of injury to people working. The Heading ‘Controlling the robots’ is appropriate.

  1. Section G

Answer: iii

Supporting Sentence: The question newspaper workers must now ask is, however how long will it take before the robots are writing the newspapers as well as running the printing center or churning out the latest edition every morning?

Keyword: question, ask

Keyword Location: Seventh Paragraph, 1st line

Explanation: Now that the robots have been doing around so much, the only question to be asked or to be concerned about is how long it must take for them to run the printing center. The Heading ‘Looking Ahead’ is appropriate.

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Question 34-41
Complete the table below.
Choose ONE WORD from Reading Passage for every answer.
Write your answers on your answer sheet.

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  1. The final version of the text is ____________ to the print centre.

Answer: Transmitted

Supporting Sentence: Once the finished newspaper has been created for the next morning’s edition, all the pages are transmitted electronically from the prepress centre to the printing centre.

Keyword: transmitted

Keyword location: Para B

Explanation: The supporting sentence states that the moment the completed newspaper has been created for the upcoming morning’s edition, all the pages are ‘transmitted electronically’ from the ‘prepress center to the printing centre’. Therefore, the selected answer ‘transmitted’ is right.

  1. The pages are converted into ____________.

Answer: Photographic

Supporting Sentence: The pages are then processed into photographic negatives and the film is used to produce aluminium printing plates ready for the presses.

Keyword: photographic negatives

Keyword location: Para B

Explanation: The question asked what are the pages converted into. The supporting sentence tells that the pages are converted into photographic negatives. The film is utilized to produce aluminum printing plates which are then ready for the presses. The answer selected is ‘photographic’ which is correct.

  1. ___________ are made for use in the printing presses.

Answer: Printing plates

Supporting Sentence: The pages are then processed into photographic negatives and the film is used to produce aluminium printing plates ready for the presses.

Keyword: printing plates

Keyword location: Para B

Explanation: The question asks what is made for use in the printing presses. The supporting sentence provides information about how the pages are converted into photographic negatives, and the film is also utilized in producing aluminum printing plates which are finalized for the presses.

  1. The LGVs are ___________ by computer.

Answer: Programmed

Supporting Sentence: Once the size of the day’s paper and the publishing order are determined at the head office, the information is purchased into the computer and the LGVs are programmed to go about their work.

Keyword: LGVs, programmed

Keyword location: Para D

Explanation: The question asks about LGVs and their relation to the computer. The answer is ‘programmed’ and that is justified by the supporting sentence. The supporting sentence states that the moment the information and the publishing order are finalized by the head office, the computers are made to function the information and the LGVs are programmed to go about their work.

  1. The LGVs remove the __________ from the reel.

Answer: Damaged paper

Supporting Sentence: At the stripping station, the tough wrapping that helps to protect a reel of paper from rough handling is removed. Any damaged paper is peeled off and the reel is then weighed.

Keyword: protect, damaged paper

Keyword location: Para D

Explanation: The question asks what the LGVs remove from the reel. The answer is damaged paper. The supporting sentence states that while at the stripping station, the tough wrapping at the outer surface which is provided to protect the reel of paper from ‘rough handling’ is removed. If there is any damaged paper it is ‘peeled off’ and ‘the reel is then weighed’.

  1. The reel is _________.

Answer: Weighed

Supporting Sentence: Any damaged paper is peeled off and the reel is then weighed.

Keyword: weighed

Keyword location: Para D

Explanation: The supporting sentence justifies the answer ‘weighed’. It is told that after any damaged paper is removed from the reel, it is ultimately weighed for further processing.

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  1. The reel is cropped and prepared by the _____________.

Answer: Pastor Robots

Supporting Sentence: Then one of the four pastor-robots moves in. Specially designed for the job, it trims the paper neatly and prepares the reel for the press.

Keyword: pastor-robots

Keyword location: Para E

Explanation: It is the pastor robots who crops and prepares the reel. One of the four pastor robots functions to do the work they are assigned. Their work is to properly trim the paper, and then prepare the reel for the press.

  1. The reel is taken to the ___________.

Answer: Storage Area

Supporting Sentence: The Sydney LGVs move busily around the press room fulfilling their true key functions to collect reels of newsprint either from the reel stripping stations or from the racked supplies in the newsprint storage area.

Keyword: storage area

Keyword location: Para D

Explanation: The work of the Sydney LGVs are to constantly move around the press room and collect the reels of newsprint ‘either from the reel stripping stations or from the racked supplies in the newsprint storage areas’.