Seeing the Future in with Video Conferencing Reading Answers

There are three sections in IELTS Reading and you will get 20 minutes for each passage. So, if you want to boost your confidence, begin by solving and reviewing passages like Seeing the Future in with Video Conferencing Reading Answers and similar passages.

The Academic passage, Seeing the Future in with Video Conferencing Reading Answers, is a reading passage that appeared in an IELTS Test. Try to find the answers to get an idea of the difficulty level of the passages in the actual reading test. If you want more passages to solve, try taking one of our IELTS reading practice tests.

There are 13 questions in Seeing the Future in with Video Conferencing Reading Answers, which showcase two different IELTS Reading question types. They are:

• Matching Headings (Q. 1-6)
• Multiple-Choice Questions (Q. 7-13)

Do you have a book with everything from tips, strategies to Practice Tests

for IELTS Academic Reading? 

If not, check out the IELTS Reading Academic Test Guide! 

Reading Passage 

Seeing the Future in with Video Conferencing

A Video-conferencing (or Video teleconferencing-VTC) as a means of communication intra- and inter-business has essentially been possible since the dawn of television. But the early systems, first demonstrated in 1968, were in fact so prohibitively expensive and of such poor picture quality that they were not viable applications for general public use.

B However, in the 1980s, digital telephone networks like ISDN began to proliferate, so that by the 1990s the decrease in cost brought the equipment necessary for video-conferencing within the reach of the masses. The I990s also saw the arrival of IP (Internet Protocol) based video-conferencing with more efficient video compression technologies being introduced, thus permitting desktop, or personal computer (PC)-based video conferencing. VTC had come on the scene in a big way as free services, web plugins and software, such as NetMeeting, and MSN Messenger, Skype, and others brought cheap, albeit low quality, VTC to the public at large.

C Video-conferencing has been disparaged for the lack of eye-contact that can affect the efficacy of the medium and for the fact that participants can be camera conscious. But these obstacles are not insurmountable. The size of modern televisions along with the vast improvement in picture quality as a result of the arrival of the digital age has enhanced the potential of the latest video-conferencing equipment, going somewhat towards solving the former problem. Early studies by Alphonse Chapanis found that the addition of video hindered rather than improved communication. However, as with video and sound recording of meetings, interviews etc, awareness of the presence of the technology diminishes with time to the point that its presence is not felt. A further drawback common to all technology is the ever-present possibility of technical hitches. But in the end, video-conferencing is no different from any electronic device like a PC or a telephone and so in time, any problems will be ironed out.

D Conferencing by video has enhanced the performance of different organizations through its efficiency and effectiveness, saving both time and money for businesses and, in this carbon-conscious age, by the reduction in the environmental cost of business travel from one corner of the world to another. These apart, video-conferencing has an immediacy that is difficult to challenge. It is now essential in any work situation where organizations with employees on different sites or in different parts of the globe can contact each other rapidly. Like a telephone line permanently connected it is easy to dial up a colleague in seconds anywhere in the world.

E And what about the equipment? The equipment for video-conferencing is relatively straightforward to use. It has, in fact, been commonplace in the news media for a number of years as corporations have broadcast live from the back of a truck or van in news hotspots around the world. Two ISDN lines are needed at each location: one for video output and the other for video input; a high-quality camera with omnidirectional microphones or microphones which can be hand-held, clipped on, or central is required; and for data transfer, a LAN is also needed. And, of course, a television screen at each end is essential.

F The potential use of video-conferencing in the educational field has yet to be fully exploited. In this day and age when academic institutions are supposed to be more revenue-conscious and much more flexible, video-conferencing could be employed to bring business into the educational field and vice versa. The system can also be used to take expertise anywhere in the world. It is no longer necessary for experts to travel vast distances for conferences or to teach. In certain areas, say remote islands like the Outer Hebrides in Scotland or the Cape Verde Islands off West Africa, where it may be difficult to find teachers in specialist subjects like languages, video conferencing is a perfect way to bring education within the reach of everyone. Video-conferencing is certainly not a panacea for every problem, not an end in itself, but a useful tool that can complement rather than supplant existing teaching methods.

G Like the electronic or smart whiteboard, whose introduction in the classroom has met with resistance, video-conferencing may take some time to become mainstream, if ever. But, perhaps with the mounting concern about our carbon footprint, the environment will ultimately be the biggest spur. A sobering thought is whether classrooms and offices of the future will consist solely of TV screens.

Check: Free IELTS Online Tests 2023 | Practice IELTS Mock Test Online

Questions 1-6

List of Headings

i. Some criticisms of video-conferencing

ii. The future of conferencing by video

iii. The transmission of education to remote areas

iv. The first stages of video-conferencing

v. The necessity of having two TVs

vi. How video-conferencing can benefit organizations

vii. How video-conferencing became more accessible to the general public

viii. The various pieces of equipment needed

ix. The lack of exploitation of video-conferencing in education

1 Paragraph A

2 Paragraph C

3 Paragraph D

4 Paragraph E

5 Paragraph F

6 Paragraph G

Questions 7-9

7 Video-conferencing was not common initially because of

A the cost and poor image quality.

B poor advertising and marketing.

C the lack of skilled technicians.

D constant electronic failures.

8 Video-conferencing became more practical on personal computers once

A the Internet became more widespread.

B the picture quality became perfect.

C the software became free for the general public.

D video compression technology worked better.

9 Video-conferencing has been attacked for

A several problems that cannot be solved.

B the lack of large TV screens.

C there not being direct eye contact.

D the failure of new digital technology.

Questions 10-12

Which THREE of the following statements is true of video-conferencing?

A It is cost-effective for businesses to use.

B Operating VC equipment is not complicated.

C It will solve many problems in the classroom.

D More people now have the necessary skills to use video-conferencing.

E Modern equipment rarely breaks down.

F People in remote areas can have expertise taken to them.

10 …………………………….

11 ……………………………..

12 ……………………………..

Questions 13

13 The writer concludes that the success of video-conferencing in the classroom

A is less likely than that of the whiteboard.

B will certainly be short-lived.

C may be linked to many unknown factors.

D may finally depend on the environment.

Want to discuss your IELTS queries with the best experts for FREE? 

All you have to do is book your session now! 

Seeing the Future in with Video Conferencing Reading Answers With Location and Explanation

1 Answer: iv

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph A

Answer explanation: In the first paragraph, it is stated that “Video-conferencing (or Video teleconferencing-VTC) as a means of communication intra and inter-business has essentially been possible since the dawn of television. But the early systems, first demonstrated in 1968, were in fact so prohibitively expensive and of such poor picture quality that they were not viable applications for general public use.”. From the keywords, ‘early systems’ and ‘since the dawn of television’ , it can be concluded that the first paragraph discusses the early stages of video-conferencing when it was expensive and the picture quality was not good. Hence, the answer is iv (The first stages of video-conferencing).

2 Answer: i

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 1, line 4 & line 6

Answer explanation: In the mentioned paragraph, it is given “Video-conferencing has been disparaged for the lack of eye-contact that can affect the efficacy of the medium and for the fact that participants can be camera conscious. But these obstacles are not insurmountable….Early studies by Alphonse Chapanis found that the addition of video hindered rather than improved communication….A further drawback common to all technology is the ever-present possibility of technical hitches.”. The above-mentioned sentences from Paragraph C lists the three criticisms of video-conferencing – the lack of eye contact affecting the efficacy of the medium, added feature of video hindered communication and technical glitches. Hence, the answer is i (Some criticisms of video-conferencing).

3 Answer: vi

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph D

Answer explanation: In the specified paragraph, it is given “Conferencing by video has enhanced the performance of different organizations through its efficiency and effectiveness, saving both time and money for businesses…employees on different sites or in different parts of the globe can contact each other rapidly. ”.  In other words, the fourth paragraph of this passage states the various ways in which video-conferencing has helped organization. It saves time and money, helps to prevent environmental pollution and increases efficiency and effectiveness. Hence, the answer is vi (How video-conferencing can benefit organizations). 

4 Answer: viii

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: The fifth paragraph begins with the question “And what about the equipment? ”. It points out that this particular paragraph deals with the various equipment required for video-conferencing, namely Two ISDN lines, a high-quality camera, a television screen at both ends and for data transfer, a LAN. Hence, the answer is viii (The various pieces of equipment needed).

5 Answer: ix

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph F

Answer explanation: Through a first sentence of the sixth paragraph, “The potential use of video-conferencing in the educational field has yet to be fully exploited.”, it can be concluded that this paragraph refers to the various ways in which video-conferencing is yet to be used to benefit everyone in the education sector like expanding its scope through business, allowing teachers to reach out to difficult parts of the world without traveling and connecting with experts all over the world. Hence, the answer is ix (The lack of exploitation of video-conferencing in education).

6 Answer: ii

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph G

Answer explanation: In the concluding paragraph, it is written “…video-conferencing may take some time to become mainstream, if ever…A sobering thought is whether classrooms and offices of the future will consist solely of TV screens.”. It points out the fact that the passage ends with a discussion on the future of video-conferencing, whether it will become mainstream and if it will benefit education and business. Hence, the answer is ii (The future of conferencing by video).

7 Answer: A

Question type: Multiple-Choice Question

Answer location: Paragraph A, line 2

Answer explanation: In Paragraph A, it is said that “But the early systems, first demonstrated in 1968, were in fact so prohibitively expensive and of such poor picture quality that they were not viable applications for general public use.”. This indicates that video-conferencing was not common (not viable applications) initially (early systems) because of the high cost (prohibitively expensive) and poor picture (image) quality. Hence, the answer is A (the cost and poor image quality).

8 Answer: D

Question type: Multiple-Choice Question

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 2

Answer explanation: The following line –The I990s also saw the arrival of IP (Internet Protocol) based video-conferencing with more efficient video compression technologies being introduced, thus permitting desktop, or personal computer (PC)-based video conferencing.– establishes the fact that the introduction of the efficient video compression technologies helped video-conferencing to become more practical on personal computers. Hence, the answer is D (video compression technology worked better).

Tips for Answering the Question Types in the Above Reading Passage

Now that you know the answers of Seeing The Future In With Video Conferencing Reading Answers with location, it is time to check out some quick tips to answer the types of questions in the  Seeing The Future In With Video Conferencing Reading Answers.

Matching Headings: 

You must match the heading in this type of question to the appropriate paragraph or reading segment in the text. Your ability to figure out the paragraph’s key concept and its supporting ideas will be put to the test.

• Take your time to rephrase the potential headings’ keywords.
• Find the main idea by scanning and skimming the paragraphs. Sometimes the essential idea of the paragraph is expressed in the header.
• For clarification on the paragraph’s main idea, see the first and last sentences. Likewise, quickly scan the middle of the paragraph to make sure you comprehend it.
• Don’t try to match words. Your primary goal is to match a correct paragraph.
• Choose the heading that best fits the paragraph after reading it again if two seem to be appropriate.
• The number of headings will always be greater than the number of paragraphs or sections, therefore some headings will never be utilized.

Check out: How to Finish 3 IELTS Reading Comprehension in Less Than 60 Mins?

Multiple-Choice Questions:

You will be given a reading passage followed by several questions based on the information in the paragraph in multiple-choice questions. Your task is to understand the question and compare it to the paragraph in order to select the best solution from the available possibilities.

• Before reading the passage, read the question and select the keywords. Check the keyword possibilities if the question statement is short on information.
• Then, using the keywords, read the passage to find the relevant information.
• To select the correct option, carefully read the relevant words and match them with each option.
• You will find several options with keywords that do not correspond to the information.
• Try opting for the elimination method mostly.
• Find the best option by matching the meaning rather than just the keywords.

To learn more, check How to solve Multiple Choice Question Types in IELTS Reading

Also check: 

• Reflecting On The Mirror, Effort And Science To Win, Fueling The Future – IELTS Reading Answers
• Working in the movies, Complementary and alternative medicine, The cloud messenger Reading Answers | IELTSMaterial.com
• Our Vanishing Night, Is there a psychologist in the building?, Have Teenagers Always Existed? Reading Answers
• Driverless Cars Reading Answer | IELTSMaterial.com
• The Concept of Intelligence Reading Answers || IELTSMaterial 2023
• Western Immigration of Canada – IELTS Reading Answers
• In the Future all Cars, Buses and Trucks will be Driverless- IELTS Writing Task 2 | IELTSMaterial.com