Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons - IELTS Reading Answers

Prity Mallick

10 min read

Updated On Feb 26, 2026

Improve your IELTS reading score by using the ‘Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons’ IELTS reading passage and its answer key. Learn how to approach a variety of IELTS reading questions that will assist you in improving your reading strategy for band 7+.

Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons IELTS Reading Answers

Passage for Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons IELTS Reading Answers
Questions for Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons Reading Answers
Answers and Explanations of Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons IELTS Reading Passage

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Passage for Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons IELTS Reading Answers

The following passage, 'Literacy in Freedonia's Prisons,' is good preparation for the IELTS reading test. Practicing this passage and focusing on similar IELTS Reading topics for General and Academic will greatly improve your ability to handle a variety of reading passages.

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 11-25, which are based on the Reading Passage below.

Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons

In 1993, the Government of Freedonia's National Prisons Directorate (ND) carried out a research project to investigate the extent of literacy in Freedonia's prison population.

The notion that prisoners are poor readers and writers seems to be questioned very little by the public despite the lack of hard evidence to support such a view. The media, in particular, continue to portray prisoners as illiterate and generally poorly educated. Freedonia's leading daily newspaper, The Freedonian, for example, frequently makes such statements as 'Freedonia's jails are full of people who can't read!' (4 May, 1992). But the media are not the only ones who are critical. Research into attitudes of prison officials shows that they, too, hold that prisoners are poor readers (McDonnell, 1989). Overseas studies have also been influential in strengthening this view. For example, a survey of Canadian prisoners by Kohl in 1987 revealed a literacy rate ranging from 15% to 55%, while an Australian study of the same year showed similar results.

To add to the general criticism, Freedonia's criminologists are beginning to suggest that crime is a product of illiteracy (Bass, 1988; Katz & Wallport, 1989). The NPD commissioned its study to compare prisoner literacy with that of the general public to see how Freedonian prisoners actually conform to these perceptions.

The study, carried out by the Literacy Institute of the Freedonian National University, took as samples 200 male prisoners from Yaxchilan Men's Correctional Institute and 150 female prisoners from Monambak Women's Prison. The prisoners were each made to work through a series of activities designed to assess performance in three separate literacy areas. The three areas included what the study termed 'X-literacy', which is the ability to correctly fill out forms or follow written directions; 'Y-literacy', the comprehension of reading passages; and 'Z-literacy', which calls for correct interpretation of text that is primarily number-based. This latter skill often includes some calculation. All activities were identical to those used in a national adult literacy survey carried out in 1990.

It was found that the prison population did, in fact, have a lower rate of X-literacy than the general population, but that the overall difference was slight. In an activity which had the prisoners complete mock job applications, for example, just 62% of female and 60% of male prisoners could correctly fill out the applications compared with 66% in the national adult sample (see figure 1). Similar differences were found between general and prison populations in completing insurance applications, although it should be mentioned that individual differences in this task were great.

There were activities in which prisoners did more noticeably worse, however. In one activity, the proportion of male prisoners who could correctly identify the main and secondary points of newspaper articles was 54%, compared with 64% of the general public. Interestingly, female prisoners, with 61%, were much closer to the national average for this activity. Prisoners, again more noticeably males, also did significantly worse in keeping a running total of a bank account, a quantitative task of relative complexity. But, importantly, both male and female prisoners outperformed the national adult sample in other activities; in one, far fewer general adults than prisoners could correctly interpret train timetables, while in identifying directions on medical prescriptions, both male and female prisoners were marginally better than their counterparts on the other side of the prison fence.

The results show that prisoners and the general adult population, seen from an overall perspective, are on an equivalent literacy level. Certainly, prisoners appear to display weaknesses in particular literacy areas, but if the results accurately reflect the prison population as a whole, it would be inaccurate and hence inappropriate to conclude that prisoners are the worse readers and writers. The study should not be taken to suggest that there are no literacy problems among prisoners, however, because while prisoners may be no worse off than the general adult public, the general adult public cannot be said to perform very well in any of the literacy tasks. Indeed, in commenting on the results of the NPD study, Wallport (1994) wrote, 'It seems our initial assessment of literacy among prisoners was not incorrect. Where we were mistaken was in how we viewed the skill levels of the general public.'

Questions for Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons Reading Answers

The IELTS Academic Reading passage, ‘Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons’, comes with 15 questions. The question types in this reading passage include:

IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions (Q. 11-13) & (Q. 24-25)
IELTS Reading Note Completion (Q. 14 -18)
IELTS Reading Summary Completion (Q.19 - Q.21)
IELTS Reading Short Answer Questions (Q.22 - Q.23)

Questions 11-13

The writer mentions several influences on how prisoner literacy is generally viewed. One of these influences is 'Freedonia's criminologists'.

Identify THREE other influences. Using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer, write the three influences separately in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.

11 ………

12 ………

13 ………

Questions 14-18

Below is a list of the materials used in assessing the three literacy areas in the NPD study. Complete the list.

Choose ONE or TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.

MATERIALS USED IN:

X-literacy activities

14 .....
15 .....

Example: medical prescriptions

Y-literacy activities

16 .....

Z-literacy activities

17.....
18 .....

Questions 19-21

Complete the partial summary below.

Choose your answers A-F from the list below the summary and write them in boxes 19-21 on your answer sheet.

NB: There are more phrases than spaces so you will not use them all. You may use any of the phrases more than once.

In comparing the NPD study's findings with that of a similar study of the general adult population in 1990, it was shown that the general adult population was most proficient at correctly... E... (Example).

The largest percentage-point difference between female prisoners and male prisoners was found in 19...... Male prisoners scored higher than their female counterparts in 20...... and ranked between female prisoners and the general public in 21......

A completing an employment application

B completing an insurance application

C following medical prescription directions

D comprehending newspaper articles

E balancing bank accounts

F using train timetables

Questions 22-23

In analysing the results of the study, the Literacy Institute determined that, due to the sample sizes, differences in scores of 3 percentage points or lower could not be considered significant.

Write the correct numbers in boxes 22 and 23 on your answer sheet.

22 How many of the literacy activities in the NPD study showed a difference between male and female prisoners that was significant?

23 How many of the literacy activities showed a difference between female prisoners in the NPD study and the general adult public in the national adult study that was NOT significant?

Questions 24-25

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

24 In setting up its study, the NPD wished to...

A see if prisoner illiteracy matched public perceptions.

B show that prisoner literacy levels are not lower than those of the general adult public.

C identify areas in which prisoners need literacy training.

D show that popular perceptions of prisoner literacy are not correct.

25 The NPD study suggests that...

A it is inaccurate to say prisoners have a low literacy level.

B prisoners compare favorably with the general adult population.

C neither prisoner literacy nor general adult literacy is very satisfactory.

D prisoners are worse readers and writers than general adults.

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Answers and Explanations of Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons IELTS Reading Passage

It's time to cross-check your answers to the Literacy in Freedonia’s Prisons IELTS Reading passage using the answer key provided below. Do not forget to create strategies based on the feedback from this practice, and master IELTS Reading question types with examples.

Question number	Answer	Explanation
11	media	The initial lines of paragraph 2 clearly mention that “the notion that prisoners are poor readers and writers seems to be questioned very little by the public despite the lack of hard evidence to support such a view. The media, in particular, continue to portray prisoners as illiterate and generally poorly educated.” Therefore, media is one of three influences on how prisoner literacy is viewed. Hence, the correct answer is ‘media.’
12	Prison Officials	There’s a sentence in paragraph 2 that says, “The media aren’t the only ones that are critical.” According to research, jail administrators believe that convicts are poor readers (McDonnell, 1989).” As a result, the attitude of prison officials is another manner in which prisoner literacy is assessed. Hence, the right response is “prison officials.”
13	Overseas studies	Paragraph 2 also conveys that “overseas studies have been influential in strengthening this view.” Thus, overseas studies is the third type of influence that affects how prisoner literacy is viewed. Hence, the correct answer is ‘overseas studies.’
14	Job application	As per paragraph 4, “it is found that the prison population did, in fact, have a lower rate of X-literacy than the general population, but that the overall difference was slight. In an activity which had the prisoners complete mock job applications.” We can infer that job application is one of the materials used to assert the X-literacy activities from these lines. Hence, the correct answer is ‘job application.’
15	Insurance applications	Paragraph 4 talks about the “similar differences were found between general and prison populations in completing insurance applications.” Therefore, we can deduce that insurance application is another way materials assert the X-literacy activities from these lines. Hence, the correct answer is ‘insurance applications.’
16	Newspaper articles	Paragraph 5 states that “the proportion of male prisoners who could correctly identify the main and secondary points of newspaper articles was 54%, compared with 64% of the general public.” Since prisoners performed better than the general public thus, we can postulate that newspaper articles contribute to material assertion of Y-literacy activities. Hence, the correct answer is ‘newspaper articles.’
17	Train timetables	Paragraph 6 discusses that “in one, far fewer general adults than prisoners could correctly interpret train timetables, while in identifying directions on medical prescriptions” since, according to the reports, prisoners performed better than general adults by comprehending the train timetable in Z-literacy activities. Hence, the correct answer is ‘train timetables.’
18	Bank account	Paragraph 5 provides that information that “prisoners, again more noticeably males, also did significantly worse in keeping a running total of a bank account.” From this information, we deduce that a bank account is used as material to assess the Z-literacy activities. Hence, the correct answer is ‘bank account.’
19	E	Paragraph 6 diagram shows the highest difference between calculating bank balances. Hence, the correct answer is ‘E’.
20	F	In Paragraph 6, the diagram illustrates male prison scores higher than their female counterparts using train timetables. Hence, the correct answer is ‘F’.
21	C	Paragraph 6 diagram shows that ranked between female prisoners and the general public in following medical prescription directions. Hence, the correct answer is ‘C’.
22	2	The diagram in paragraph 6 depicts that male and female prisoners showed a significant difference in “calculating bank balances” and “using newspaper articles”. Hence, the correct answer is ‘2’.
23	1	As per Paragraph 6. the literary activities showed a difference between female prisoners in the NPD study and the general adult public in the national adult study was not significant in “understanding newspaper articles.”. Since there is only 1 literacy activity hence, the correct answer is ‘1’.
24	A	The last lines of Paragraph 2 put forward the idea that “ NPD commissioned its study to compare prisoner literacy with that of the general public to see how Freedonian prisoners actually confirm these perceptions.” From these lines, we can postulate that NPD wants to study if prisoner illiteracy matches public perceptions. Hence, the correct answer is ‘A.’
25	C	Line 6 of Paragraph 7 states that “the study should not be taken to suggest that there are no literacy problems among prisoners, however, because while prisoners may be no worse off than the general adult public, the general adult public cannot be said to perform very well in any of the literacy.” The lines mentioned earlier confirm that NPD’s study according to which neither prisoner nor general adult literacy is very satisfactory. Hence, the correct answer is ‘C.’

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