ENSpeak the language you have been studying.
DESprich die Sprache, die du gelernt hast.
ESHabla el idioma que has estudiado.
ARتكلم اللغة التي درستها.
HIजो भाषा पढ़ी है, उसे बोलो।
URوہ زبان بولو جو سیکھی ہے۔
ZH说出你学过的那门语言。
PTFale o idioma que você estudou.
FRParle la langue que tu as étudiée.
JA勉強してきた言語を話そう。
ENSpeak the language you have been studying.
DESprich die Sprache, die du gelernt hast.
ESHabla el idioma que has estudiado.
ARتكلم اللغة التي درستها.
HIजो भाषा पढ़ी है, उसे बोलो।
URوہ زبان بولو جو سیکھی ہے۔
ZH说出你学过的那门语言。
PTFale o idioma que você estudou.
FRParle la langue que tu as étudiée.
JA勉強してきた言語を話そう。

IELTS Reading: technology passages

How machines, materials, computers and engineering systems work, often with a process or diagram to follow.

119 passages mainly about technology · 257 more that touch on it · from 215 full tests

Passages mainly about technology

Each passage opens as a timed 20-minute practice with its 13–14 questions. Submit to see your band estimate and the sentence that proves every answer.

Show 71 more technology passages

Other passages that cover technology

These passages have a different main subject but deal with technology along the way.

257 passages

Key technology vocabulary

Words worth knowing before you read about technology, each with the sentence it appears in.

WordMeaningExample from a passage
accountable
adjective
required to explain and take responsibility for what one does“Both approaches accept that the technology will be used, and try to make its use accountable.” Test 445
vigorously
adverb
in a strong, energetic way that shows firm belief in something“Firms that sell recruitment software defend their products vigorously.” Test 445
intuition
noun
a feeling about what is right, based on experience rather than conscious reasoning“that candidates cannot easily fake, and that the alternative is a manager's intuition” Test 445
predictor
noun
something that can be used to say in advance how a situation will turn out“the traditional interview is a poor predictor of how someone will do the job” Test 445
resilience
noun
the ability to recover quickly from difficulty or to keep going under pressure“problem-solving, attention to detail, resilience — that are relevant to the job” Test 445
quadcopter
noun
a small aircraft lifted by four rotating blades“A small quadcopter uses electricity rather than petrol” Test 456
redundancy
noun
extra parts or systems kept so that failure of one is not fatal“aviation authorities generally require redundancy, and some operators fit parachutes” Test 456
intermittent
adjective
stopping and starting, so that it is never continuous“intermittent sounds which cannot be predicted are among the most irritating of all” Test 456
unsettled
adjective
not yet decided or agreed, and therefore open to dispute“The legal position is unsettled: in most countries the airspace above a house is not owned outright” Test 456
forgoes
verb
gives up something valuable that could have been had“A city that refuses every licence forgoes benefits that are already within reach” Test 456
convection
noun
the movement of heat through air or liquid as it circulates“so that convection, which would otherwise carry heat out of the top, is largely suppressed” Test 476
suppressed
verb
stopped or prevented from continuing to happen“convection, which would otherwise carry heat out of the top, is largely suppressed” Test 476
fragile
adjective
easily broken or damaged by handling“folds flat for transport, but it is fragile and usually slower than a box.” Test 476
unfamiliar
adjective
not known or experienced before; strange to a person“the taste and texture of food cooked slowly in a box are unfamiliar” Test 476
caution
noun
great care taken in order to avoid mistakes or danger“so claims made by manufacturers and by aid projects should be treated with caution.” Test 476
buffer
noun
something that reduces the effect of sudden changes or pressure“In ordinary operation a water tower is a buffer between supply and demand” Test 486
supplementing
verb
adding to something so that there is more of it“during the peak the tank empties, supplementing what the pumps can deliver” Test 486
surplus
noun
an amount that is more than what is needed“and carries surplus water safely to the ground if a valve sticks” Test 486
composite
adjective
made by combining two or more different materials“In the composite design common in North America, a concrete shaft carries a steel tank” Test 486
lingering
verb
remaining somewhere for longer than expected“water lingering in the outer parts of the tank loses its chlorine” Test 486
galvanised
adjective
coated with a thin layer of zinc to prevent rusting“It is made from hundreds of steel wires, each galvanised to resist corrosion” Test 496
corrosion
noun
the gradual damage or weakening of metal through chemical action“hundreds of steel wires, each galvanised to resist corrosion, twisted into strands” Test 496
detachable
adjective
able to be released and separated from the main structure“In a detachable system the grip is opened by a mechanism as the cabin enters the station” Test 496
hydraulic
adjective
operated by the pressure of liquid forced through pipes or cylinders“held open by hydraulic pressure and closed by heavy springs” Test 496

Question types in these passages

  • Multiple choice (choose more than one) · 135 passages
  • Matching information · 127 passages
  • Summary completion · 120 passages
  • Multiple choice · 118 passages
  • True / False / Not Given · 109 passages
  • Yes / No / Not Given · 106 passages
  • Summary completion (word list) · 91 passages
  • Note completion · 50 passages
  • Sentence completion · 29 passages
  • Diagram label completion · 26 passages
  • Flow-chart completion · 25 passages
  • Matching features · 24 passages
  • Matching headings · 22 passages
  • Table completion · 21 passages
  • Matching sentence endings · 15 passages
  • Short-answer questions · 15 passages

Practise one question type at a time →

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