Are We Managing to Destroy Science? - IELTS Reading Answers

Practicing with single passages before full-length IELTS Reading tests helps build confidence. Completing a passage successfully reinforces your strategies, which makes it easier and less intimidating to transition to complete tests.

So, to improve your performance in the IELTS Academic Reading module, complete the questions for the Are We Managing to Destroy Science? reading passage and then compare your responses to the given answer key. 

Passage for Are We Managing to Destroy Science? IELTS Reading Answers

Now go through the passage for ‘Are We Managing to Destroy Science?’ Reading Answers given below, and be prepared to solve similar IELTS Reading topics for General and Academic.

Are We Managing to Destroy Science?

The government in the UK was concerned about the efficiency of research institutions and set up a Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) to consider what was being done in each university. The article which follows is a response to the imposition of the RAE.

Academic institutions are already preparing for the RAE with some anxiety—understandably so, for the financial consequences of failure are severe. Departments with a current rating of four or five (research is rated on a five-point scale, with five the highest) must maintain their score or face a considerable loss of funding. Meanwhile, those with ratings of two or three are fighting for their survival.

The pressures are forcing research management onto the defensive. Common strategies for increasing academic output include grading individual researchers every year according to RAE criteria, pressurising them to publish anything regardless of quality, diverting funds from key and expensive laboratory science into areas of study such as management, and even threatening to close departments. Another strategy being readily adopted is to remove scientists who appear to be less active in research and replace them with new, probably younger, staff.

Although such measures may deliver results in the RAE, they are putting unsustainable pressure on academic staff. Particularly insidious is the pressure to publish. Put simply, RAE committees in the laboratory sciences must produce four excellent peer-reviewed publications per member of staff to meet the assessment criteria. Hence, this is becoming a minimum requirement for existing members of staff and a benchmark against which to measure new recruits.

But prolific publication does not necessarily add up to good science. Indeed, one young researcher was told in an interview for a lectureship that, although their publications are excellent, unfortunately, there are not enough of them. You should not worry so much about the quality of your publications.'

In a recent letter to Nature, the publication records of ten senior academics in the area of molecular microbiology were analysed. Each of these academics is now in a very senior position in universities or research institutes, with careers spanning a total of 262 years. All have achieved considerable status and respect within the UK and worldwide. However, their early publication records would preclude them from academic posts if the present criteria were applied.

Although the quality of their work was clearly outstanding—they initiated novel and perhaps risky projects early in their careers, which have since been recognised as research of international importance— they generally produced few papers over the first ten years after completing their PhDs. Indeed, over this period, they have an average gap of 3-8 years without the publication or production of a cited paper. In one case there was a five-year gap. Although these enquiries were limited to a specific area of research, it seems that this model of career progression is widespread in all of the chemical and biological sciences.

It seems that the atmosphere surrounding the RAE may be stifling talented young researchers or driving them out of science altogether. There urgently needs to be a more considered and careful nurturing of our young scientific talent. A new member of academic staff in the chemical or biological laboratory sciences surely needs a commitment to resources over a five- to ten-year period to establish their research. Senior academics managing this situation might be well advised to demand a long-term view from the government.

Unfortunately, management seems to be pulling in the opposite direction. Academics have to deal with more students than ever and the paperwork associated with the assessment of the quality of teaching is increasing. On top of that, the salary for university lecturers starts at only £32,665 (rising to £58,048). Tenure is rare, and most contracts are offered on a temporary contract basis. With the mean starting salary for new graduates now close to £36,000, it is surprising that anybody still wants a job in academia.

It need not be like this. Dealings with the many senior research managers in the chemical and water industries at the QUESTOR Centre (Queen's University Environmental Science and Technology Research Centre) provided some insight. The overall impression is that the private sector has a much more sensible and enlightened long-term view of research priorities. Why can the universities not develop the same attitude?

All organisations need managers, yet these managers will make sure they survive even when those they manage are lost. Research management in UK universities is in danger of evolving into such an overly controlled state that it will allow little time for careful thinking and teaching, and will undermine the development of imaginative young scientists.

Questions for Are We Managing to Destroy Science? Reading Answers

The passage, Are We Managing to Destroy Science? Reading Answers consists of 14 questions, which showcase three different IELTS Reading question types. They are:

• IELTS Reading Summary Completion (Q. 27-34)
• IELTS Reading True False Not Given (Q. 35-38)
• IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions (Q. 39-40)

Questions 27-34

In the UK, every five years, the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) inspects research institutions to determine their rate of 27……. This tends to cause 28……. . in academic institutions because any failure would lead to 29……. - financial consequences. RAE’s purpose, however, is to increase the academic output within research institutions. In response to the 30……. of RAE, the research institutions are changing the way they do things. Some are forcing their research staff to 31……. almost anything, while others are moving 32……. from a laboratory focus to that of management. Another common approach utilised by management is to remove and 33……. underperforming research staff. The authors of this paper feel that the pressure on UK research institutions is 34……. 

Questions 35-38

35 Good researchers are usually prolific publishers.

36 People in industry seem to understand the long-term nature of research.

37 The private sector has produced more in the way of quality research than universities.

38 Management may be the only winners under the new system.

Questions 39-40

39 The early publishing records of senior researchers would

A prevent institutions from employing them.

B rule out their chances of achieving any status using the current standards.

C support their application for an academic posting under the present criteria.

D hinder their academic prospects under the current criteria.

40 Gifted new scientists need to be

A managed over a decade by senior academics.

B guided over a ten-year period to develop their research.

C supported with resources over a decade to establish their research.

D advised of the government's long-term view on research.

Answers and Explanations of Are We Managing to Destroy Science? IELTS Reading Passage

In this section, you can go through the provided answers for the ‘Are We Managing to Destroy Science?’ passage, along with their precise locations within the given passage, which will help you find the answers and assess your improvement for a high IELTS band score.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in Are We Managing to Destroy Science? Reading Passage

Given below are some IELTS exam preparation tips for band score of 8+ by helping you answer the types of questions in the ‘Are We Managing to Destroy Science?’ Reading Answers.

Summary Completion

• Read the summary to understand the overall topic: Before looking for answers, read the entire summary carefully to understand what it is about. In this case, the summary discusses the UK’s Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) and its impact on research institutions. Understanding the context helps you predict the type of words that may appear in the blanks, such as research outcomes, institutional reactions, or management strategies.
• Identify the keywords in each sentence: Focus on important words in the sentence to locate the relevant paragraph in the passage. For example, in Question 27, the phrase ‘every five years’ and ‘Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)’ are strong keywords that help you find the correct paragraph. These keywords guide you to the section explaining the goal of the RAE inspections, which reveals the missing word.
• Predict the word type before searching: Look at the grammar of the sentence and decide whether the answer should be a noun, verb, or adjective. For example, in Question 28, the phrase “This tends to cause … in academic institutions” clearly requires a noun describing a feeling or reaction. 
• Locate the matching idea, not the exact sentence: IELTS summaries usually paraphrase the passage rather than copy it directly. For instance, Question 29 refers to ‘financial consequences’, which corresponds to the passage saying the consequences of failure are ‘severe’. Always search for similar meaning rather than identical wording.
• Pay attention to instructions “ONE WORD ONLY”: You must select only one word exactly as it appears in the passage. If the passage says “increase productivity”, then the correct answer for Question 27 is simply ‘productivity’. Adding extra words like ‘research productivity’ would make the answer incorrect.
• Follow the logical flow of the summary: Summary completion questions normally follow the same order as the passage. For example, Questions 27–29 relate to the purpose and consequences of RAE, while later questions 30–33 describe institutional responses. Using this order helps you move through the passage efficiently instead of searching randomly.
• Check grammar after filling the blank: Once you find the answer, read the sentence again to ensure it fits grammatically and logically. For example, Question 31 reads “forcing their research staff to ___ almost anything”, which requires a verb. The word ‘publish’ fits both grammatically and contextually.
• Confirm the final idea in the last sentence: The final summary sentence often reflects the writer’s conclusion or opinion. In Question 34, the sentence refers to the pressure on UK research institutions, which the passage describes as ‘unsustainable’. Always double-check the final sentence carefully because it summarises the main argument of the text.

True/False/Not Given

• Identify the exact claim in the statement: Read the statement carefully and determine what specific claim is being made. For example, Question 35 claims “Good researchers are usually prolific publishers”. You must decide whether the passage supports, contradicts, or does not mention this claim.
• Locate the relevant section using keywords: Look for keywords such as ‘researchers’, ‘publish’, or ‘papers’. In Question 35, the passage discusses senior researchers producing few papers in their first ten years, which directly contradicts the statement. This means the correct answer is FALSE.
• Compare meaning carefully: TRUE/FALSE questions often test your ability to compare similar but not identical ideas. For instance, Question 36 refers to people in industry understanding long-term research, which matches the passage saying the private sector takes a sensible long-term view of research priorities. Because the meanings align, the answer is TRUE.
• Watch for contradictions: If the passage expresses the opposite idea, the answer is FALSE. In Question 35, the statement suggests that researchers publish frequently, but the passage states that successful researchers initially produced few papers, creating a contradiction. Recognising this opposite meaning is essential.
• Recognise when information is missing: If the passage does not discuss the claim at all, the correct answer is NOT GIVEN. For example, Question 37 asks whether the private sector has produced more quality research than universities, but the passage only discusses attitudes toward research priorities, not comparative output. Because the comparison is absent, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
• Focus on the writer’s viewpoint: These questions often reflect the writer’s argument or opinion. In Question 38, the statement claims management may be the only winners under the new system, which aligns with the passage suggesting managers may survive while researchers suffer. This agreement indicates the answer is TRUE.

Multiple-Choice Questions

• Read the question stem carefully: Before looking at the options, understand what the question is asking. Question 39 asks about the early publishing records of senior researchers, while Question 40 asks what gifted new scientists need in order to succeed. 
• Identify the keywords to find the location: Look for keywords like ‘early publishing records’, ‘senior researchers’, and ‘present criteria’. These words guide you to the paragraph discussing how current evaluation standards would judge senior academics differently today.
• Read the passage before the options: Always read the relevant sentence or paragraph in the passage first. For Question 39, the passage explains that early publication records would preclude them from academic posts under present criteria. This meaning matches option D: hinder their academic prospects.
• Eliminate clearly incorrect options: Remove answer choices that do not match the passage's meaning. For example, in Question 39, option A (prevent institutions from employing them) is too strong and not stated directly. Eliminating wrong answers increases the chance of choosing the correct one.
• Look for paraphrased language: IELTS frequently replaces words with synonyms. In Question 40, the passage mentions a commitment to resources over five to ten years, which corresponds to ‘supported with resources over a decade’. Recognising this paraphrase leads to option C.
• Confirm the final choice matches the whole idea: After selecting an option, read the sentence again and check that it fully represents the passage's meaning. Partial matches or exaggerated statements are usually incorrect. Ensuring the meaning aligns completely helps avoid traps in multiple-choice questions.

In summary, we have examined the topic ‘Are We Managing to Destroy Science?’ along with the answer key that highlights specific locations and keywords to assist you in confidently tackling challenging questions. Therefore, it is advisable to practice a variety of IELTS Reading practice tests to strengthen any weak areas in your preparation for the IELTS Reading exam.

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