IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following text about "green taxes" in Britain.

According to a survey, most Britons believe “green” taxes on 4×4s, plastic bags and other consumer goods have been imposed to raise cash rather than change our behaviour, while two-thirds of Britons think the entire green agenda has been hijacked as a ploy to increase taxes.

The UK is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, a target that most experts believe will be difficult to reach. The results of the poll by Opinium, a leading research company, indicate that maintaining popular support for green policies may be a difficult act to pull off and attempts in the future to curb car use and publicly fund investment in renewable resources will prove deeply unpopular.

The findings were released as the Prince of Wales yesterday called on Britain’s business leaders to take “essential action” to make their firms more sustainable. Speaking in central London to some of the country’s leading chief executives, Prince Charles said: “What more can I do but urge you, this country’s business leaders, to take the essential action now to make your businesses more sustainable. I’m exhausted with repeating that there really is no time to lose.”

Are the following statements true, false, or not given in the text?

1. Most Britons think that the Government wants to change people’s behaviour.
2. By the year 2050 the Government will have imposed higher green taxes.
3. The survey predicts that it will be difficult to change people’s dependence on cars.
4. The Prince of Wales believes that most businesses are not sustainable.

(Text adapted from The Independent, 2nd May 2008)

Comments

[Felora]

Hi,
1. F (have been imposed to raise cash rather than change our behaviour)

2. NG

3. T (may be a difficult act to pull off and attempts in the future to curb car use)

4.T (called on Britain’s business leaders to take “essential action” to make their firms more sustainable)

[muhammad naseem khan]

1-F
2-NG
3-T
4-T
THANKS A LOT SIMON
dr naseem

[Wai]

1. F
2. NG
3. T
4. NG

[karimah]

1- F
2-NG
3- T
4-NG

[Sunny]

Hi,Simon.Here is my answer

1.F
2.NG
3.T
4.NG

[Ale]

1. F
2. NG
3. T
4. T

[Thuy]

1. F
2. NG
3. T
4. NG

[Emy]

1- NG

2= T

3- T

4- F

[Ali]

Hi Simon , Here is my answer

1 - F
2 - NG
3 - T
4 - F

[SImon]

CORRECT ANSWERS:

1. FALSE
(have been imposed to raise cash rather than change our behaviour)

2. NOT GIVEN
(2050 is mentioned, but there is no mention of imposing higher taxes)

3. TRUE
(attempts in the future to curb car use... will prove deeply unpopular)

4. NOT GIVEN
(Prince Charles wants businesses to be MORE sustainable, BUT he does not say that most businesses are UNsustainable)

[Ale]

It was so tricky the question number four! Because if you want more sustainability it means that businesses are unsustainable!!

[Simon]

Hi Ale,

I disagree. You can have a sustainable business that can become more sustainable, just like you can have a difficult exam that can be made more difficult. I know this seems like a trick, but that's typical of IELTS questions!

All the best,

Simon

[Ale]

Understood! Thanks Simon, really your comments are so helpful!
Ale

[Simon]

No problem Ale

[SID]

1.false
not given
True
No

[Simon]

Hi Sid,

You made one mistake. Look for my comment with the correct answers futher up this page.

Simon

[Fiona]

Hi Simon

I'm just wondering if I can write "Y, N, NG" or "T, F, NG" on the EXAM ANSWER SHEET instead of " Yes, No, Not Given" and "True, False Not Given".

Thank you.

[Simon]

Hi Fiona,

Yes, I think that's accepted, but I'd still recommend writing the full word because that's what the question asks you to do.

Regards

Simon

[Fiona]

Thank you Simon, really appreciate your help.

Cheers

Fiona

[Simon]

No problem Fiona.

[sharmeen]

hi simon,
my ans are:1NG
2.NG
3,T
4T
SHARMEEN

[Simon]

Hi Sharmeen,

CORRECT ANSWERS:

1. FALSE
(have been imposed to raise cash rather than change our behaviour)

2. NOT GIVEN
(2050 is mentioned, but there is no mention of imposing higher taxes)

3. TRUE
(attempts in the future to curb car use... will prove deeply unpopular)

4. NOT GIVEN
(Prince Charles wants businesses to be MORE sustainable, BUT he does not say that most businesses are UNsustainable)

[Abdo]

Hi Simon

if the Prince Charles said: “What more can I do but urge you, this country’s business leaders, to take the essential action now to make your businesses sustainable. I’m exhausted with repeating that there really is no time to lose.” is this change the answer or not.
thanks
Abdo

[Simon]

Hi Abdo,

No, I don't think it would change the answer because he still doesn't say that "MOST businesses are UNsustainable".

[AMAR]

Hi Simon for no question 4 according to passage Prince says the businesses are sustainable but this sustainability should be improved.So if businesses are sustainable obviously there are no unsustainable businesses.The answer should be false not not given.Please explain

[Simon]

Hi Amar,

He didn't say business were sustainable. He only says they should be "more sustainable" - so we don't know whether or not they are unsustainable.

[AMAR]

Hi Simon your time and help is much appreciated.My single most problem with academic reading is to know the difference between NO and Not given especially when the same word or idea is talked about both in question and paragraph with some trick involved.Please help to clear the basic concept of it.

[waqas]

hi simon
i want to know from you that can we write true false if in question we have to write yes or no.because in my ielts reading i wrote true false instead of yes or no.but in question need to write yes or no.tell me true false also correct or not.plz.here is my email [email protected]

[Piyush Patel]

Hi Simon,

I am new to your awesome website.... I just joined IELTS classes but I feel you are doing a great job... I am also confused about Q.4.

In that it is written to make businesses sustainable and not MORE sustainable. So, I still have doubt with FALSE or NOT GIVEN.

And one more question, Can we write YES or NO instead of TRUE or FALSE? Because I have this habit of making such silly mistake without reading the instructions. Will it be marked as right?

Thanks,
Piyush

[bharath]

I have written 'Y' instead of 'yes' for yes,no,not given questions. will it be considered..?

[Mahesh Inder Kumar]

can we write NG T F for not given true false in answer sheet

[Alka]

Hi simon!can we write true false instead of yes no?can you give me a reply on [email protected]

[Tony]

False
Not given
True
True

[Amir]

Hi Simon,

Today I had IELTS test. It went very well. I wrote YES and NO instead of TRUE and FALSE in the answer sheet of reading. Does it affect the scoring? I mean, are they going to nullify my answers? I appreciate your kind answer in this regard.

Many thanks, Amir

[Jill]

Hi I have recently sat ielts and realise that I wrote T. F and NG instead of the full word! Will this be discounted?? Also I sat academic for OZ immigration, is that right??? I am a professional and British.
Thank you,
Jill

[DILPREET KAUR]

Hi I gave my ielts exam today and write T,F and N.G instead of full and also same for yes no and not given .is this acceptable?? thank you Dilpreet

[md rashid]

hi jill did day accepted t,f and ng instead of true , false , not given . i gave my exam yesterday and i am very worried
plz answer me
my email address is [email protected]

[md rashid]

hi dilpreet kaur did they accepted tour answer
i made the same mistake today
i am very worried
plz answer me
my email address is [email protected]

[HOANG BAO TRAM NGUYEN]

Please add me Simon.
I want to study all your lesson, if I must pay for that,i will. Please help me! Please !!!
My email address : [email protected]

[HOANG BAO TRAM NGUYEN]

Here is my answer :
1 F
2 NG
3 T
4 NG
This is the frist time I use your website, so i don't know the rule and the way to receive the answer key. Will you send it to my email ? I saw there were a lot of comment, and i don't know which one is correct. :((

[SJ]

Hi HOANG BAO TRAM NGUYEN.
While you are going through the comments,you can see CORRECT ANSWERS posted by SIMON

[onat]

hi simon,
i want to ask 4th question. he wants more sustainable, according to this idea, he believes businesses are sustainable now, but he wants more. does not that comment valid?

[Asdaq Fareed]

Hi Simon,

Today I had IELTS test. It went very well. I wrote YES and NO instead of TRUE and FALSE in the answer sheet of reading. Does it affect the scoring? I mean, are they going to nullify my answers? I appreciate your kind answer. my email ID is [email protected]

Many thanks, Asdaq

[sakshi khosla]

Hi Simon,

Today I had IELTS test. I wrote YES and NO instead of T and F in the answer sheet of reading. Does it affect the scoring? I mean, are they going to nullify my answers? I appreciate your kind answer. my email ID is [email protected]

[Denny]

Hi Simon,

Yesterday, I took IELTS test. I wrote T/F instead of True/False in Reading answer sheet. Also, I wrote T/F instead of Yes/No. Is it a big mistake? also, does it affect the score? I am afraid of seeing the result. I am looking forward to hear your answer.
My email is [email protected]
Thank you so much...

[mag]

Hello simon,i recently started following your post.For the above passage ,though i agree thhat the answer is False,but the reason you gave is not satisfactory .There are two angles to that question,one is what the Britons believe according to the survey - most Britons believe Green taxes have been imposed to raise cash rather than change our behaviour (whicih is your answer)and the other is what two third Britons thinks- two-thirds of Britons think the entire green agenda has been hijacked as a ploy to increase taxes(a ploy to increase taxes). I dont know if there is anyother explanation to this. Thank

[Binita Pathak]

Hi simon,

i satisfy with 3 answer but i am getting confuse with last one.
he say more sustainable in the text so i think it will be false. how this is NG answer??? all the statement is given and i think here is only different in more sustainable and unsustainable.

Please suggest me.

[khaled]

what if i wrote (T) instead of true in ielts
and (F) instead of false
and (NG) instead of not given
please help

[Rubykaur Teja]

hi please help. in yesterday's exam i wrote T for True and F for false will i get marks for the same??

[Ali]

1-f
2-ng
3-ng
4-t

[wong]

Thank you for your explanation,Mr Simon.However,i disagree with your translation for question 4.In Cambridge 8 Test 3 Passage 2 question 20 the answer is TRUE and the text is "It was only with the growth of paediatrics ……more objective ,if still mot always very scientific,basis. I believe it contradicts your explanation

[Mich]

If i wrote F, T and NG instead of the whole word, is it right?

[Uma]

Hi, in exam i wrote T for True and F for false NG for not given will i get marks for the same??

[Uma]

F
NG
T
F

[Nga Nguyễn]

Here is my answer:
1. F
2. NG
3. T
4. F

[Behnam]

For those people who chose FALSE for the fourth question:

*He said that essential actions are needed to make their firms more sustainable

*the fourth question indicates that the Prince of Wales said that “ most businesses are not sustainable”.

And now you chose “F” because you thought that the question doesn’t say the same thing which was told by Prince of Wales, BUT THIS METHOD OF THINKING IS WRONG.

You should find “a clear contrast” if you want to choose “False”.

If you doubt between F and NG and you cannot find a clear contrast, then the right answer will be NG.

[Nazanin]

Thank you Behnam. your advice is very clear and pretty helpful for me

[preet]

Hlo i worte t f ng instead true false will examiner check it. Please reply me soon.

[Nguyen Ngoc Hiep]

Hi Simon. In my ielts exam at British Council I wrote T, F, NG and Y, N, NG instead of TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN and YES, NO, NOT GIVEN... Now that I'm running on fumes. Can you give me some ideas about this issue?

[Sky]

Why you choose True for the last sentence?

[Hana]

Hi, I took an Ielts exam today. and I wrote T, F, NG, insted of True, False, Mot given, Did I make mistakes?
Thanks

[Mohammad Khurram Mumtaz]

Hi, in exam i wrote T for True and F for false NG for not given will i get marks for the same??
Please reply at : [email protected]

[M.H.]

Hi Simon,
Today I had an IELTS exam (Academic) and because of the stress and tiredness, I made a bad mistake in the final passage of the reading section.
I wrote True/False instead of a Yes/No in the answer sheet.
I'm freaking out. Would you please let me know whether my answers will be considered incorrect or not!!
Please answer me on [email protected]
Regards