In the Academic Reading practice passage, “Jargon”, there are various question types. Each of these question types are asked in the IELTS Reading exam. So, the passage given in this practice test will help you enhance your reading and understanding capabilities.

Reading Passage

Jargon

Questions 1-6

List of Headings

1. The benefits of simple language
2. A necessary tool

iii. A lasting way of concealing disasters

1. The worst offenders
2. A deceptively attractive option
3. Differing interpretations

vii. Publicising new words

viii. Feeling shut out

1. Playing with words
2. Paragraph A
3. Paragraph B
4. Paragraph C
5. Paragraph D
6. Paragraph E
7. Paragraph F

Questions 7-12

The Up Side of Jargon

Jargon plays a useful part in many aspects of life including leisure. For example, when people take up pastimes they need to develop a good 7……………………………of the relevant jargon. During the discussion of these or other areas of interest, the conversation can become more exciting and an element of 8……………………….can be introduced by the use of shared jargon. Jargon is particularly helpful in the workplace. It leads to more 9……………………….in the way colleagues communicate during work hours. Taking part in 10……………………….during moments of relaxation can also help them to bond better. It is interesting that members of a group, whether social or professional, often demonstrate a certain 11……………………….. towards the particular linguistic characteristics of their subject area and tend to regard new people who do not wish to learn the jargon with 12…………………..

Questions 13

13 Which of the following statements would the writer agree with?

14 Jargon thoroughly deserves the bad reputation it has gained.

15 Jargon should not be encouraged except in the workplace.

16 Jargon should not be used if the intention is to exclude others.

17 Everyday life would be very much better without jargon.

Reading Answer 

1 Answer: vi

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph A

Answer explanation: When we read Paragraph A, we find different meanings for the word Jargon. The introductory lines of paragraph A state, “Jargon is a loaded word. One dictionary defines it, neatly and neutrally, as ‘the technical vocabulary or idiom of a special activity or group’, but this sense is almost completely overshadowed by another: ‘obscure and often pretentious language marked by a roundabout way of expression and use of long words.’ For most people, it is this second sense which is at the front of their minds when they think about jargon. Jargon is said to be a bad use of language, something to be avoided at all costs. No one ever describes it in positive terms (‘that was a delightful piece of rousing jargon’). Nor does one usually admit to using it oneself: the myth is that jargon is something only other people employ. We can deduce from paragraph A that there are different interpretations of Jargon. So, the answer is vi.

2 Answer: ii

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: Paragraph B states the fact that in reality, everyone uses the word, Jargon. It is an essential part of the network of occupations and pursuits that make up society. All jobs present an element of jargon, which workers learn as they develop their expertise. All hobbies require mastery of jargon. Each society grouping has its jargon. The phenomenon turns out to be universal – and valuable. It is the jargon element which, in a job, can promote economy and precision of expression, and thus help make life easier for the workers. It is also the chief linguistic element that shows professional awareness (‘know-how’) and social togetherness (‘shop-talk’). These lines reveal that everyone uses Jargon in their life as it is an essential part of the network. Jargon as an element is present everywhere. Here, element refers to a tool. As a result, the suitable heading to this paragraph is A necessary tool. Thus, the answer is A.

3 Answer: ix

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: Paragraph C states,

“When we have learned to command it, jargon is something we readily take pleasure in, whether the subject area is motorcycles, knitting, cricket, baseball, or computers. It can add pace, variety, and humor to speech – as when, with an important event approaching, we might slip into NASA-speak, and talk about the countdown, all systems go, and lift-off.” These lines illustrate that Jargon is something that readily takes pleasure in any topic irrespective of the subject. Thus, paragraph C illustrates playing with words, be it any topic. Hence, the answer is ix.

4 Answer: viii

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph D

Answer explanation: In paragraph D, the writer questions, “If jargon is so essential a part of our lives, why then has it had such a bad press? The most important reason stems from the way jargon can exclude as well as included. We may not be too concerned if we find ourselves faced with an impenetrable wall of jargon when the subject matter has little perceived relevance to our everyday lives, as in the case of hydrology, say, or linguistics. But when the subject matter is one where we feel implicated, and think we have a right to know, and the speaker uses words that make it hard for us to understand, then we start to complain; and if we suspect that the obfuscation is a deliberate policy, we unreservedly condemn, labeling it gobbledegook and calling down public derision upon it. We can understand from these lines that Jargon had a bad press and that we might not be too concerned if we find ourselves facing the wall of jargon when the subject is irrelevant. But when the subject is where we feel implicated, we think we have a right to know. However, it becomes difficult to understand. We feel shut down within ourselves. Therefore, the appropriate heading for Paragraph D is viii.

5 Answer: iv

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: Paragraph E states that no area is exempt, but the fields of advertising, politics, and defense have been especially criticized in recent years by the various campaigns for Plain English. In these domains, the extent to which people are prepared to use jargon to hide realities is a ready source of amusement, disbelief, and horror. A lie is a lie, which can be only temporarily hidden by calling it an ‘inoperative statement’ or ‘an instance of plausible deniability.’ Nor can a nuclear plant explosion be suppressed for long behind such phrases as ‘energetic disassembly’, ‘abnormal evolution’, or ‘plant transient’. It is evident that the writer describes the worst offenders of Jargon. So, the answer is iv.

6 Answer: v

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph F

Answer explanation: Paragraph F illustrates, “While condemning unnecessary or obscuring jargon in others, we should not forget to look out for it in ourselves. It is so easy to ‘slip into’ jargon, without realizing that our own listeners/readers do not understand. It is also temptingly easy to slip some jargon into our expression, to ensure that others do not understand. And it is just as easy to begin using jargon that we ourselves do not understand. The motivation to do such apparently perverse things is not difficult to grasp. People like to be ‘in’, to be part of an intellectual or technical elite; and the use of jargon, whether understood or not, is a badge of membership. Jargon, also, can provide a lazy way into a group or an easy way of hiding uncertainties and inadequacies: when terminology slips plausibly from the tongue, it is not essential for the brain to keep up. Indeed some people have developed this skill to professional levels. And certainly, faced with a telling or awkward question, and the need to say something acceptable in public, slipping into jargon becomes a simple way out, and can soon become a bad habit. The writer reveals in these lines that we shouldn’t forget to look into ourselves. It’s so easy to slip into jargon, without knowing that sometimes our own listeners and readers fail to understand. In the conclusion of the paragraph, it is mentioned that although the requirement to say something acceptable in public and slipping into jargon becomes easier, it can soon become a negative influence. So, the writer considers it a deceptively attractive option. Therefore, the appropriate heading for the paragraph is v.

7 Answer: F

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: The initial lines of paragraph C states that when we have learned to command it, jargon is something we readily take pleasure in, whether the subject area is motorcycles, knitting, cricket, baseball, or computers. These lines indicate that when we’ve learned to command it, Jargon is something that we readily consider to take pleasure in, irrespective of the subject. So, it is clear that Jargon plays a useful part in many aspects of life including leisure. For instance, when people take up pastimes they need to develop a good command of the relevant jargon. Thus, the answer is F. Command.

8 Answer: L

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 2

Answer explanation: The 2nd line of paragraph C reveals that Jargon plays a vital role in different aspects of life including leisure, where It can add pace, variety, and humor to speech – as when, with an important event approaching, we might slip into NASA-speak, and talk about the countdown, all systems go, and lift-off. These lines suggest that during discussion of these or other areas of interest, the conversation can become more exciting and an element of humor can be introduced by the use of shared jargon. So, the answer is L. Humour.

9 Answer: D

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: Paragraph B states the fact that It is the jargon element which, in a job, can promote economy and precision of expression, and thus help make life easier for the worker. These lines indicate that Jargon is specifically helpful in the workplace as it promotes economy and accurate expression, making life easier for the workers, i.e, it leads to more efficiency in the way colleagues communicate during work hours. Thus, the answer is D. Efficiency.

10 Answer: C

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph B, last line

Answer explanation: The last line of paragraph B illustrates that Jargon is also the chief linguistic element that shows professional awareness (‘know-how’) and social togetherness (‘shop-talk’). These lines suggest that Jargon is the primary linguistic element showing professional awareness and social togetherness (shop-talk). Therefore, taking part in shop-talk during moments of relaxation can also help them to bond better. Thus, the answer is C. Shop-talk.

11 Answer: I

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: In the last lines of paragraph C, the writer states that he and his group enjoys the mutual showing-off which stems from a fluent use of terminology, and enjoys the in-jokes which shared linguistic experience permits. Moreover, they’re jealous of this knowledge. They’re quick to demean anyone who tries to be part of their group without being prepared to take on its jargon. We can deduce from these lines that the writer’s group is possessive of each other, they demean another person who tries to be a part of the writer’s group. Thus, it is clear that they demonstrate a certain level of obsession with the particular linguistic characteristics of their subject area. So, the answer is I. Possessiveness.

12 Answer: G

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph C, last line

Answer explanation: We understand from the last lines of paragraph C that the writer and his group enjoy the mutual showing-off which stems from a fluent use of terminology, and enjoys the in-jokes which shared linguistic experience permits. Moreover, they’re jealous of this knowledge. They’re quick to demean anyone who tries to be part of their group without being prepared to take on its jargon. These lines indicate that the writer’s group demeans a person who’s willing to be a part of their group without being prepared to take on its Jargon. Thus, it is clear that the writer’s group tends to regard newcomers who do not wish to learn Jargon with contempt. Thus, the answer is G. Contempt.

13 Answer: C

Question type: Multiple Choice Question

Answer location: Paragraph D

Answer explanation: We find reference in paragraph D, where the writer questions that If jargon is so essential a part of our lives, why then has it had such a bad press? The most important reason stems from the way jargon can exclude as well as included. These lines suggest that the important reason stems from the way jargon can be either excluded or included. Thus, the writer agrees that Jargon shouldn’t be used if the intention is to exclude others too. So, the answer is C.