Exercise 23
IELTS Reading: choose the best summary
Read the following description of a book called 'What are Universities for?'.
Across the world, universities are more numerous than they have ever been, yet at the
same time there is unprecedented confusion about their purpose and scepticism about their
value. What Are Universities For? offers a spirited and compelling argument for completely
rethinking the way we see our universities, and why we need them.
Stefan Collini challenges the common claim that universities need to show that they help to
make money in order to justify getting more money. Instead, he argues that we must reflect
on the different types of institution and the distinctive roles they play. In particular we must
recognise that attempting to extend human understanding, which is at the heart of
disciplined intellectual enquiry, can never be wholly harnessed to immediate social
purposes - particularly in the case of the humanities, which both attract and puzzle many
people and are therefore the most difficult subjects to justify.
At a time when the future of higher education lies in the balance, What Are Universities
For? offers all of us a better, deeper and more enlightened understanding of why
universities matter, to everyone.
Which statement best summarises the book's message?
A) We do not necessarily need universities nowadays
B) Universities should be harnessed for social purposes
C) Universities must justify the money they are given
D) We need to change our understanding of the role of universities
Exercise 24
IELTS Reading: fill the gaps
Read the following passage about nocturnal animals.
Nocturnality is an animal behaviour characterised by activity during the night and sleep
during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus its opposit
e “diurnal”.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed senses of hearing and smell, and
specially adapted eyesight. Such traits can help animals such as the Helicoverpa zea moth
to avoid predators. Some animals, such as cats and ferrets, have eyes that can adapt to
both low-level and bright day levels of illumination. Others, such as bushbabies and some
bats, can function only at night. Many nocturnal creatures, including most owls, have large
eyes in comparison with their body size to compensate for the lower light levels at night.
Simon
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