ielts reading – lesson 1

600 Minutes 8 分 IELTS 特訓課程Reading Lesson 1

作者 | Jeffrey Lau

出版 | Lab Edu Limited

版權為 Lab Edu Limited 所擁有

I ELTS Reading – Lesson 1

01

AFTER-CLASS EXERCISE

LESSON FLOW

Overview

Warm-up Practice

Important Concepts and Skills of Different Reading Question Types

Type (1) : Clozing

Type (2) : True / False / Not Given

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

To familiarize yourself with two reading question types - Cloze and True / False / Not Given

To learn and implement some reading strategies

To learn general skills and reading techniques for IELTS reading

02

CONTENT

P.03-06OVERVIEW

Question Type (2) : True, False, Not Given

Warm-up Practice

After-class Exercise : Clozing

After-class Exercise : True / False / Not Given

Question Type (1) : Clozing

P.15-18

P.07

P.19-23

P.24-30

P.08-14

03

OVERVIEWI. What is IELTS?

IELTS (the International English Language Testing System), the world’s most popular

English language test, was first introduced in 1989. The IELTS test is designed to

assess the English language ability of non-native English speakers, accepted by more

than 10,000 organisations in over 140 countries including governments, academic

institutions and employers.

Depending on each person’s individual plan, a candidate can select to sit either the

Academic IELTS test or the General Training IELTS test. This choice must be made

when applying to sit the test. The IELTS Academic module is the preferred test of

English for students intending to study in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK,

and increasingly, the USA. The General Training module is suitable for candidates who

are migrating to English-speaking countries or looking to complete their secondary

education or undertake training programmes in English-speaking countries.

04

II. IELTS Test Format

Both the Academic and General Training modules cover all four language skills:

Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The table below helps you understand more

clearly about the format and timing of the two IELTS modules:

Academic Module

Duration (mins) Parts No. of Questions Pace

Listening 30 4 sections 40 45 sec

Reading 603 sections

(3 texts)40 90 sec

Writing 60 2 tasks 2

Speaking 11-14 3 parts 3

28-40

You are likely to get an acceptable score under examination conditions

but remember that different institutions will find different scores

acceptable

13-27

You may get an acceptable score under examination conditions but

we recommend that you think about having more practice or lessons

before you take IELTS

0-12

You are highly unlikely to get an acceptable score under examination

conditions and we recommend you spend a lot of time improving your

English before you take the IELTS

05

III. IELTS Academic Reading

This test consists of three sections with 40 questions. There are three texts, which are

taken from journals, books, magazines and newspapers. The texts are on topics of

general interest. At least one text contains a detailed logical argument. A few examples

of various authentic academic texts are given below for your reference.

Examples of texts used in academic reading:

1. Analytical texts

These texts discuss the reasons why something happened, make recommendations

or explain a concept.

2. Descriptive texts

These texts describe a situation, explain how something is done or categorise

something.

3. Discursive texts

These are texts in which different opinions are expressed about an issue.

4. Narrative texts

These are texts that explain a chronological sequence of events.

IV. Tackling Different Question Types

Among 40 questions, they can be classified as follows:

• Cloze (sentence, summary, note, table, flow-chart & diagram)• True / False / Not Given• Multiple Choice(s)• Matching: (Heading Matching / Classification / Sentence / Features)• Short Answers

06

V. Essential Reading Skills

Scanning

Eye-catching words likes:

Skimming

Read the first and last sentence to get the basic ideas of the given paragraph(s).

Decoding pronouns / referencing words• Position of pronouns – both pronouns and original nouns should appear on the

same position • Original nouns are always with more details → noun phrases (a group of two or

more words headed by a noun that includes modifiers)

How can I find the noun phrases?

a. Capital Letter

Person Organization

Place / City / Country Names

b. Numbers

Amount Time / Year

Age Size / Lengths

c. Special Words

Hyphenated words URL

Email addressTransition words such as “but”,

“however”

Dash words / phrases (—) Quoted words / phrases (“”)

After the prepositionsAfter the verbs

Before or after the punctuationsAfter the conjunctions

07

Warm-up Practice

Skimming and Scanning

Scan the poster and answer the following questions.

Note taken:

“The Green School of the Future”Competition

In order to help promote the greening of Hong Kong,the Environment Bureau and the Education Bureau are

jointly organizing ‘The Green School of the Future’ competition.

We are looking for creative and well-written proposals that focus on

What BUILDERS can do to build green schools of the future

We are now inviting all full-time secondary school students to submit a proposal to develop “The Green School of the Future”.

The list of winners will be published on the Environmental Bureau’sWebsite on 5th July 2010.

For enquiries, please call 2881 8881

Closing Date for Submission: 10th June 2010

The Environment Bureau14th Floor, Murray House, 10 Garden Road, Hong Kong

1. Who organise(s) ‘The Green School of the Future’ competition?

Answer: ________________________________________________________________

2. Who can join “The Green School of the Future’ competition?

Answer: ________________________________________________________________

3. When is the last date for submitting the proposals?

Answer: ________________________________________________________________

08

Question Type (1) : ClozingYou are required to complete the cloze passage in the forms of: • Summary• Notes• Sentences• Diagrams• Tables• Flow charts

For this question type, direct copying takes up the most suggested answers.

What you will see on the paper:• Complete the sentences below with words taken from the reading passage. Use

NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

• Complete the summary below using words from the box.

• Complete the notes below. Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage

for each answer.

09

IMPORTANT CONCEPTS

Steps

1. Ensure the Parts of Speech (POS) of the blanks

2. Lock sentences by scanning in passage and highlight

3. Answers should appear without any color / highlight

4. Watch out for number of words and potential changes in parts of speech

Necessary Skills• Ensure the POS of the blanks

- Identify the sentence patterns and noun formations

- Identify the required parts of speech

a. Sentence Patterns

- Noun Verb Noun

- N Lv adj / n.

□Lv = ‘be’ , ‘become’ , ‘seem’, ‘feel’, ‘make sb’, ‘smell’, ‘look’, ‘sound’, ‘taste’,‘act’, ‘appear’, ‘get’, ‘grow’, ‘prove’, ‘remain’, ‘stay’, ‘turn’

□Cj. SVO.

b. Find out the (key) nouns

- Preposition

- Verb / Lv

- Cj

- Punctuations

c. Noun formation and secret code

- dt. + adv + adj + n + V-ing / V-en / prep / to-bi + n

- with dt. +1

- without dt. +1

10

• Scan (words, synonyms, pronouns, sentence patterns) and highlight the following

whenever appropriate:

a. Capital Letter

b. Figures / Numbers

c. Years

d. Dates

e. Hyphenated words

f. Prepositions

g. Passive voice

h. Pronouns / Referencing

- Position: subject / object

- Singular / Plural

i. Transition words such as but, yet, however

11

In-class Practice 1

Reading Passage

Is the speaker lying?

As noted, when a speaker uses sarcasm, they say something different from, and

often opposite to, what they really mean. Commonly, they say something that

sounds positive but is meant to be negative, as in “nice going,” or “oh, great.”

In saying the opposite of what they mean, the sarcastic speaker risks being

misunderstood — but they do it for potential payoffs.

Sarcasm can be used to criticize while using humour, in order for the negative

comment to appear less harsh. Speakers may use it to comment on the fact that

things haven’t gone as expected or to strengthen social bonds.

When children do begin to understand that the speaker doesn’t actually mean

what they said, they may think the speaker is lying — perhaps saying “nice going”

to make someone feel better — rather than criticizing sarcastically.

Children may hear sarcasm from a young age, but they will probably not begin to

understand it until five or six years of age. Before that age, children tend to interpret

sarcasm literally: for instance, if a child hears “nice going” spoken in what adults

may recognize as a sarcastic tone, the child might respond with a positive “thanks!”

(Passage adapted and modified from The Conversation, “Why it’s difficult for children to understand sarcasm”)

12

Questions 1 - 10

Complete the paragraphs below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1-10 on your answer sheet.

As previously stated, when 1 .............................. was utilized, their words will be

different from what they really mean, and 2 .............................. contradicts. The

sarcastic speakers frequently say something that appears optimistic but in deeper

meaning it is 3 .............................. indeed, such as "nice going" or "oh, great." He or she

4 .............................. being misinterpreted by stating the reverse of what they mean, yet

they do it for the 5 .............................. payoffs.

To make a bad comment sound 6 .............................. , sarcasm can be used to criticize

while using humour. It can be used by speakers to comment on how things haven't

gone as 7 .............................. or to intensify 8 .............................. relationships.

Rather than 9 .............................. , children may believe the speaker is lying when they

realize that the speaker isn't saying what they mean, such as "nice going" just for

encouraging someone else because they do not have the chance to understand what

words can mean until they are 10 .............................. years old.

13

In-class Practice 2

Reading Passage

How to respond to the ‘moral distress’ of the COVID-19 pandemic

The stories we hear and tell help us make meaning of our lives in the world. We

communicate our thoughts and feelings, share knowledge and begin dialogue

about things that matter.

Moral distress occurs when our core values are threatened or compromised, when

we know what ethical action is called for and feel powerless to take it. As a nurse

and an ethicist and spiritual care provider, we have witnessed the symptoms of

moral distress in our clinical, administrative and academic work.

In health care, moral distress can be caused by external pressures such as policy

guidelines or limited resources or internal factors such as self-doubt or fear

of conflict. When we compromise our core values, we may feel shame, guilt

or isolation. And when moral distress is unresolved, health-care workers can

experience depression and other mental and spiritual health struggles.

(Passage adapted and modified from The Conversation, “How to respond to the ‘moral distress’ of the COVID-19 pandemic”)

14

Questions 1-7

Complete the flowchart below using the information from the reading passage.

Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 1-7

on your answer sheet.

Create meaning of lives:

1. Share our ..................................................

2. .................................................. knowledge

3. Start coversation of ..................................................

Core values:

4. .................................

.......................................

Internal factors:

5. .................................

.......................................

6. we feel ..................................................

7. ..............................................................

External pressures:

Policy guidelines

Limited resources

Moral distress

15

Question Type (2) : True, False, Not GivenWhat you will see on the paper:

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer? Write

YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

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

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

IMPORTANT CONCEPTS

TrueIf the text agrees with or confirms the information in the

statement, the answer is TRUE

FalseIf the text contradicts ( 文本內容與陳述有衝突 ) or is the opposite

to the information in the statement, the answer is FALSE

Not Given

If there is no information or it is impossible to know, the answer

is NOT GIVEN. If some information has been found, but you can’t

find their relations, we may consider it NOT GIVEN.

Steps

1. Identify nouns and remain verbs, adjectives and adverbs untouched

2. Match the nouns on the question with the original nouns in the passage

3. Compare the adjectives / adverbs / verbs

4. T when both match

5. F when there is a difference, True after adding “not” / “un”/ “dis”…

6. NG when the above is not fulfilled

16

Necessary Skills• Lock targets in between passage and statement

a. LOCK: noun / verb / factual statement

b. Beware of PRONOUNS

c. Tone of verb, adj., adv. (+ / - / neu.)

• Compare the parts other than the locked targets

d. COMPARE: adj. / adv.(time / place / reason / amount / extent) / verb / noun

e. Beware of the VOICES

f. Beware of the EXTREME case: ONLY / NONE / ALL / TOTALLY

• End the test with the following sequence

g. T: match either by exact or similar words

h. F: difference between statement and passage

i. NG: neither True or False

17

In-class Practice 1

Reading Passage

Current applications of nanotechnology

Starpharma, a pharmaceutical company, got into this game a few years ago, when

it set up a division to apply its nanotechnological innovations to the agriculture

sector. The company has since sold its agrochemical business.

Psigryph is another innovative nanotech company in agriculture. Its technology

uses biodegradable nanostructures derived from a special species of sour cherries

extract originated in Canada to deliver bioactive molecules across cell membranes

in plants, animals and humans.

“My lab has spent years working in nanoscience, and I am proud to see our

fundamental understanding of manipulating polymer encapsulation at the

nanoscale make its way to applications in agriculture,” A former student, Darren

Anderson, is the CEO of Vive Crop Protection, named one of Canada’s top

growing firms: they take chemical and biological pesticides and suspend them in

“nanopackets” - which act as incredibly small polymer shuttles - to make them

easily reach their target. The ingredients can be controlled and precisely directed

when applied on crops.

(Passage adapted and modified from The Conversation, “Tiny nanotechnologies are poised to have a huge impact on agriculture”)

18

Questions 1-5

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

In boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet, write




1. Starpharma, Psigryph and Vive Crop Protection are companies that believe in

nanotechnology.

Answer: ..............................

2. Psigryph products can boost the amount of produce.

Answer: ..............................

3. Most cherries are good sources of biodegradable molecules.

Answer: ..............................

4. Darren is still a student when he is running Canada’s top growing companies.

Answer: ..............................

5. “Nanopackets” can enhance the effectiveness of pesticides.

Answer: ..............................

19

After-class Exercise: Clozing

Exercise 1

Reading Passage

We are all living in a society of consumerism. However, a recent research found

that people with higher-earning neighbors had lower levels of self-reported

happiness compared with those living alongside lower-earning neighbors. Or, put

more succinctly by John Stuart Mill, the founder of liberal social theory, in the late

nineteenth century, “Men do not desire to be rich, but to be richer than other men.”

This idea is by no means novel. The American satirist H.L. Mencken once said that

wealth was “any income that is at least one hundred dollars more a year than

the income of one’s wife’s sister’s husband.” It comes as no surprise that we are

secretly jealous of other’s success. But this feeling, a part of human nature, can be

beneficial as it drives the rest of us to work harder.

The main concern is how to make this feeling of jealousy become a motivation

for better purposes. In the west, consumerism is the answer. Through production

and consumption, we use material possessions to improve their quality of life.

Possession is a symbol for your status and success.

Questions 1-8

Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.

1 .............................. people tend not to be happier than the grassroots. It is

human nature to desire to become richer than their 2 .............................. and

counterparts. People feel 3 .............................. about the success of other people.

If we channel this feeling properly, we can make it become 4 ..............................

to our world as it makes us 5 .............................. . 6 .............................. may be the

solution to the world as 7 .............................. have risen a lot. People will use their

8 .............................. to show their status and success.

20

Exercise 2

Reading Passage

How can I use vegetables in sweet bakes?

We’ve all heard of carrot cake, but you’ll be surprised at how many other vegetables will work in a sweet bake, from beetroot and sweet potato to parsnips and even sweetcorn.

Tamal Ray’s courgette and carrot cake is a case in point. Courgettes mean you don’t have to rely on the likes of oil and dairy for a moist end result, explains pastry chef Nicola Lamb, founder of pop-up bakery Lark! “As the courgette bakes, it releases a lot of water, so, as a conduit to add hydration, it makes total sense.” Just be sure to squeeze out any excess liquid from those courgettes, says Jones, who adds carrots and hazelnuts to her own courgette cake. “Water content varies, and any excess will leave you with a soggy end result.”

Vegetables also bring an “unusual complexity to sweetness”, says Thalia Ho, author of Wild Sweetness. “Carrots, when met with brown sugar, develop an even sweeter, caramelised taste.” While carrots may be the obvious vegetable choice, they are the classic choice for a reason, sitting happily in cakes, cupcakes, muffins, cookies and pancakes. “One of my first recipes was a spin on carrot cake using beetroot, parsnips, carrot and sweet potato,” Ho says. “I still love making it today.” Or turn them into decorations: “Candied carrots look impressive, are easy to make and a great way to use them up,”. Simply peel, simmer in sugar syrup and leave to dry. People should not stop eating vegetables such as carrots as they add a wonderful and unexpected depth of flavour, are a great source of moisture and yield a lovely texture. Plus, it’s never a bad thing to up your veg quota.

Sweetcorn is another good shout (when the time comes). It goes really well with raspberries. People love to mix a handful of kernels (“chop a few up, leaving some chunky bits”) into scone batters, crumble cakes, muffins and even cookies. “The earthiness of the corn pairs really well with sweet berries.” The batter isn’t much of a looker, she admits, but you’ll end up with a nice texture and something that’s “so yum”.

(Passage adapted and modified from The Guardian, “How can I use vegetables in sweet bakes?”)

21

Question 1-5


Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your

answers in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

Eating carrots brings complexity to sweetness because they can develop a sweeter,

1 .............................. taste when mixed with brown sugar. As Thaila Ho, the author of

Wild Sweetness, continued his favourite recipe was a 2 .............................. on carrot

cake with sweet potatoes and parsnips. They can be made into adornments, for

example,

3 .............................. can be pleased to look at. Another open secret is that sweetcorn

can go well with 4 .............................. by mixing 5 .............................. into batters,

crumble cakes, muffins and cookies.

22

Exercise 3

Reading Passage

The hippie counterculture, which emerged in the late 1960s and grew to include hundreds of thousands of young Americans across the country, reached its height during this period of escalation of American involvement in the Vietnam War, and subsided as that conflict drew to a close. But hippies’ rejection of mainstream American culture, and their distinctive brand of rebellion – including their long hair and beards, colorful style, psychedelic drug use, love of rock music and eco-conscious lifestyle – would leave a lasting impact on the nation in the decades to come. Counterculture Prior to the Vietnam WarIn many ways, the hippies of the 1960s descended from an earlier American counterculture: the Beat Generation. This group of young bohemians, most famously including Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs, made a name for themselves in the 1940s and ‘50s with their rejection of prevailing social norms, including capitalism, consumerism and materialism. Centered in bohemian havens like San Francisco and the East Village of New York City, Beats embraced Eastern religions, experimented with drugs and a looser form of sexuality; their followers became known by the diminutive term “beatniks.”

“What’s significant about [the Beats] is that the movement had a claustrophobic quality about itself” explains William Rorabaugh, professor of history at the University of Washington and author of American Hippies (2015). “You weren't allowed to be in the group unless you were either a friend of or a poet.” Both folk and rock music were an integral part of hippie culture. Singers such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez and groups such as the Beatles, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Rolling Stones were among those most closely identified with the movement. The musical Hair, a celebration of the hippie lifestyle, opened on Broadway in 1968, and the film Easy Rider, which reflected hippie values and aesthetics, appeared in 1969. The novelist Ken Kesey was one of the best-known literary spokesmen for the movement, but he became equally famous for the bus tours he made with a group called the Merry Pranksters.

(Passage adapted and modified from History Stories, “How the Vietnam War Empowered the Hippie Movement”)

23

Questions 1 - 8


Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your

answers in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.

During the 50s-60s, hippies are an American 1 .............................. that rejected the

mores of 2 .............................. such as capitalism 3 .............................. . Hippies culture

is said to experiment with 4 .............................. . Their followers are known as “beatniks”.

William Rotabaugph, professor of history at the University of Washington, described

the hippie movement as 5 .............................. .

6 .............................. . and 7 .............................. had played an important role in hippie

culture. In celebration of the hippie lifestyle, 8 .............................. was opened to

the public in the late 60s with the film Easy Rider, which indicated the values and

aesthetics upheld by the hippie supporters.

24

After-class Exercise: True / False / Not Given

Exercise 1

Reading Passage

Delivering the Goods

A. At the flip of the 20th century, agriculture and manufacturing have been the two most necessary sectors nearly everywhere, amounting up to 70% of total output in Germany, Italy and France, and nearly half in America, Britain and Japan. International commerce was once consequently dominated by raw materials, such as wheat, wood and iron ore, or processed commodities, such as meat and steel. But these varieties of merchandise are heavy and cumbersome and the courier cost is rather high.

B. International trade is expanding astonishingly fast while the global economy has been growing at little more than 3% annually, the trade volume has been increasing at almost double that rate. International items, ranging from livestock to machinery, are becoming increasingly significant in nearly every economy across the world, and foreign markets are now enticing firms who were never concerned with sales beyond.

C. What are the reasons behind the explosion in global commerce? The general international decline in trade embargoes and barriers, such as customs duties and import quotas, is certainly one explanation. Another reason is the economic openness of nations that have historically been some minor participants. However, one driving force leading to the import-export boom has gone mostly unnoticed: the dramatically dropping cost of marketing products online. Shipping expenses do not, in theory, matter in the realm of commerce. Once manufactured, goods are supposed to move immediately and at lower cost from one location to another. On the other hand, the actual world is fraught with conflict. Cheap labour may make Chinese apparel competitive in the United States, but if shipment delays tie up working capital and cause winter jackets to arrive in the spring, trade may lose its advantages.

(Passage adapted and modified from IELTS Cambridge 6 Reading Test 1, “Delivering the Goods”)

25

Questions 1-5






1. France exports more meat and steel than Japan.

Answer: ..............................

2. The growth rate of international trade has a weaker magnitude than that of the

world economy.

Answer: ..............................

3. One of the reasons for the global commerce explosion is the keen price competition

from e-Commerce.

Answer: ..............................

4. Trade tariffs have made no difference in commerce.

Answer: ..............................

5. Cheap labour guarantees effective trade conditions.

Answer: ..............................

26

Exercise 2

Reading Passage

The Baudrillardian Symbolic

From Princess Diana to 9/11, Jean Baudrillard, French sociologist, philosopher and cultural theorist, has been the prophet of the postmodern media spectacle, the hyperreal event. In the 1970s and 80s, our collective fascination with things like car crashes, dead celebrities, terrorists and hostages was a major theme in Baudrillard’s work on the symbolic and symbolic exchange, and in his post-9/11 "L'Esprit du Terrorisme," he has taken it upon himself to decipher terrorism's symbolic message. He does so in the wake of such scathing critiques as Douglas Kellner's Jean Baudrillard: From Marxism to Postmodernism and Beyond (1989), which attacked Baudrillard's theory as "an imaginary construct which tries to seduce the world to become as theory wants it to be, to follow the scenario scripted in the theory" (178). Some questions arise: Did Baudrillard seduce 9/11 into being—is he terrorism's theoretical guru?—or did he merely anticipate and describe in advance the event's profound seductiveness?

As in Symbolic Exchange and Death (1976) and Simulacra and Simulations (1981), Baudrillard again suggests that terrorism is one such force, and that it functions according to the rule of symbolic exchange. Terrorism can be carried out in theoretical/aesthetic terms, the terms Baudrillard would obviously prefer, or in real terms, that is, involving the real deaths of real people, a misfortune Baudrillard warns against. Though he states clearly “I am a terrorist and nihilist in theory as the others are with their weapons,” he is characteristically ambivalent in relation to "real" terrorism, since the real is always in question, and perhaps also because ambivalence is Baudrillard’s own brand of theoretical terrorism (Simulacra 163). One moment of his thought is the utopian dream of radicalism and reversal, a revolution of symbolic exchange against the system, and the other moment is one of profound pessimism: "The system...has the power to pour everything, including what denies it, into indifference."

(Passage adapted and modified from “The Baudrillardian Symbolic, 9/11, and the War of Good and Evil”)

27

Question 1-5





NOT GIVEN information if there is no information on this

1. Jean Baudrillard predicted an era of postmodern spectacles and hyperreality.

Answer: ..............................

2. Jean Baudrillard’s research interest does not hinge on terrorists and hostages.

Answer: ..............................

3. Jean Baudrillard was a terrorist in real life.

Answer: ..............................

4. Theoretical terrorism contains a utopian and pessimistic vision.

Answer: ..............................

5. There is hardly any space for opposition or resistance because of the supreme

hegemony of the controlling system.

Answer: ..............................

28

Exercise 3

Reading Passage

Cosplay is the art of dressing up like a fictional character. This can include anime

characters like Goku from Dragon Ball Z or Ochako Uraraka from My Hero Academia.

It can also include characters from video games, comic books, TV shows, movies, and

even works of literature. Any kind of media is fair game for cosplay, as long as the

character has a representable physical appearance. It’s common to try to resemble

the chosen character as much as possible, but some cosplayers get creative and use

their unique traits to bring a new twist to an established fictional personality.

Some cosplayers sew and design their own outfits, while others purchase ready-

made outfits. These outfits are displayed at conventions, in competitions, and in

other cosplay-themed events. At these events, cosplayers might enter contests,

participate in photo shoots, or act in skits or other performances.

Cosplay Dates Back To The 1930s

Cosplay is a far older activity than most people assume it is. The practice of

cosplaying began in the late 1930s, when an American man named Forrest J.

Ackerman turned up to a sci-fi convention in futuristic attire.

He wasn’t dressed as a specific character, though. Instead, he tried to channel

the vibe of the genre to which the convention was dedicated. His idea caught on,

and soon conventions were filled with people in costume. Those with particularly

fantastic costumes won awards for their efforts.

The First Manga Cosplay Appeared In America In 1979

American cosplay based on Japanese manga actually predated the practice’s

introduction to Japan. At the 1979 San Diego Comic-Con International, Karen

Schaubelt and a group of fellow cosplayers showed up dressed as Captain Harlock

and other characters from Star Blazers.

29

While Schaubelt and her friends were the first known fans to introduce manga-

based cosplay to the West, it did not truly catch on until after Nobuyuki Takahashi’s

1984 trip to WorldCon.

Cosplay Is Not Widely Accepted In Japan

Although Japan’s cosplay scene is thriving, it’s not a socially acceptable practice.

This may be because Japanese culture emphasizes community and does not

encourage standing out. It may also be because otaku – a Japanese term for anime

fans that is considered derogatory – are looked down on by mainstream Japan. At

best, they are thought to be anti-social and strange; at worst, they are considered

potentially dangerous.

For this reason, cosplay is limited to specific venues. While in America you might

see people in Akatsuki cloaks and Naruto headbands riding the train to a nearby

convention, in Japan most conventions prohibit cosplayers from wearing their

costumes outside of the venue. Two districts in Tokyo, Harajuku and Akihabara,

are known for hosting cosplay events outside of conventions and for their cosplay-

themed restaurants and cafes. In these venues, cosplay is socially acceptable.

(Passage adapted from Ranker, “A Brief History of Cosplay”)

30

Questions 1-6





NOT GIVEN information if there is no information on this

1. Characters from Dragon Ball and My Hero Academia are popular choices among

cosplayers.

Answer: ..............................

2. It is a must for cosplays to resemble the original characters in as many details as

possible.

Answer: ..............................

3. Cosplayers can either sew or buy ready-made outfits.

Answer: ..............................

4. Forrest J. Ackerman was the first man to cosplay a character.

Answer: ..............................

5. Karen Schaubelt had a greater influence on promoting cosplay culture than

Nobuyuki Takahashi.

Answer: ..............................

6. Cosplay is considered to be a derogatory term because of its association with

Otaku culture.

Answer: ..............................

31

After-class Exercise: Clozing Answer

Exercise 1

1 Richer

2 neighbours

3 jealous

4 beneficial

5 work harder

6 Consumerism

7 consumption

8 material possessions

Exercise 2

1 caramelised

2 spin

3 candied carrots

4 raspberries / sweet berries

5 kernels

Exercise 3

1 counterculture

2 prevailing social norms / mainstream

American culture

3 consumerism and materialism

4 drugs and sexuality

5 claustrophobic

6 Folk

7 rock music

8 Broadway

32

After-class Exercise: True / False / Not Given Answer

Exercise 1

1 TRUE

2 FALSE

3 FALSE

4 NOT GIVEN

5 FALSE

Exercise 1

1 TRUE

2 FALSE

3 FALSE

4 TRUE

5 NOT GIVEN

Exercise 3

1 NOT GIVEN

2 FALSE

3 TRUE

4 FALSE

5 FALSE

6 TRUE

ielts reading – lesson 1

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