Collecting As a Hobby - IELTS Reading Answers and Explanations
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IELTS Reading Passage - Collecting As a Hobby
You should spend about 20 minutes on the given questions 1 - 13.
Collecting must be one of the most varied of human activities, and it's one that many of us psychologists find fascinating.
Many forms of collecting have been dignified with a technical name: an archtophilist collects teddy bears, a philatelist collects postage stamps, and a deltiologist collects postcards. Amassing hundreds or even thousands of postcards, chocolate wrappers or whatever, takes time, energy and money that could surely to much more productive use. And yet thereare millions of collectors around the world. Why do they do it?
There are the people who collect because they want to make money - this could be called an instrumental reason for collecting; that is, collecting as a means to an end. They'll look for, say, antiques that they can buy cheaply and expect to be able to sell at a profit. But there may well be a psychological element, too - buying cheap and selling dear can give the collector a sense of triumph. And as selling online is so easy, more and more people are joining in.
Many collectors collect to develop their social life, attending meetings of a group of collectors and exchanging information on items.
This is a variant on joining a bridge club or a gym, and similarly brings them into contact with like-minded people. Another motive for collecting is the desire to find something special, or a particular example of the collected item, such as a rare early recording by a particular singer.
Some may spend their whole lives in a hunt for this. Psychologically, this can give a purpose to a life that otherwise feels aimless.
There is a danger, though, that if the individual is ever lucky enough to find what they're looking for, rather than celebrating their success, they may feel empty, now that the goal that drove them on has gone.
If you think about collecting postage stamps another potential reason for it - Or, perhaps, a result of collecting is its educational value. Stamp collecting opens a window to other countries, and to the plants, animals, or famous people shown on their stamps.
Similarly, in the 19th century, many collectors amassed fossils, animals and plants from around the globe, and their collections provided a vast amount of information about the natural world. Without those collections, our understanding would be greatly inferior to what it is.
In the past - and nowadays, too, though to a lesser extent - a popular form of collecting, particularly among boys and men, was trainspotting. This might involve trying to see every locomotive of a particular type, using published data that identifies each one, and ticking off each engine as it is seen. Trainspotters exchange information, these days often by mobile phone, so they can work out where to go to, to see a particular engine. As a by-product, many practitioners of the hobby become very knowledgeable about railway operations, or the technical specifications of different engine types.
Similarly, people who collect dolls may go beyond simply enlarging their collection, and develop an interest in the way that dolls are made, or the materials that are used. These have changed over the centuries from the wood that was standard in 16th century Europe, through the wax and porcelain of later centuries, to the plastics of today's dolls. Or collectors might be inspired to study how dolls reflect notions of what children like, or ought to like.
Not all collectors are interested in learning from their hobby, though, so what we might call a psychological reason for collecting is the need for a sense of control, perhaps as a way of dealing with insecurity. Stamp collectors, for instance, arrange their stamps in albums, usually very neatly, organising their collection according to certain commonplace principles-perhaps by country in alphabetical order, or grouping stamps by what they depict -people, birds, maps, and so on.
One reason, conscious or not, for what someone chooses to collect is to show the collector's individualism. Someone who decides to collect something as unexpected as dog collars, for instance, may be conveying their belief that they must be interesting themselves. And believe it or not, there is at least one dog collar museum in existence, and it grew out of a personal collection.
Of course, all hobbies give pleasure, but the common factor in collecting is usually passion: pleasure is putting it far too mildly. More than most other hobbies, collecting can be totally engrossing, and can give a strong sense of personal fulfilment. To non-collectors it may appear an eccentric, if harmless, way of spending time, but potentially, collecting has a lot going for it.
Questions
Questions 1-8
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.
1 The writer mentions collecting as an example of collecting in order to make money.
2 Collectors may get a feeling of from buying and selling items.
3 Collectors’ clubs provide opportunities to share
4 Collectors’ clubs offer with people who have similar interests.
5 Collecting sometimes involves a life-long for a special item.
6 Searching for something particular may prevent people from feeling their life is completely
7 Stamp collecting may be because it provides facts about different countries.
8 tends to be mostly a male hobby.
Questions 9-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?
In boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet, write
- TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
- FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
- NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
9 The number of people buying dolls has grown over the centuries.
10 Sixteenth century European dolls were normally made of wax and porcelain.
11 Arranging a stamp collection by the size of the stamps is less common than other methods.
12 Someone who collects unusual objects may want others to think he or she is also unusual.
13 Collecting gives a feeling that other hobbies are unlikely to inspire.
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Collecting as a Hobby IELTS Reading Answers with Location and Explanation
|
Questions |
Answers |
Explanation |
|
1 |
Antiques |
The answer can be found in paragraph B, where it is mentioned that there are some people who collect because they want to make money. This could be called an instrument reason for collecting, collecting as a means to an end. They’ll look for, say, antiques that they can buy cheaply and expect to be able to sell at a profit. From the lines above, we understand that some people make money by collecting antiques. Thus, the answer is antique. |
|
2 |
Triumph |
We can find references to the answer in paragraph B, where the writer says that “but there may well be a psychological element, too, buying cheap and selling dear can give the Collector a sense of triumph. Here, sense means feeling. So, we understand that buying and selling items gives the collector a feeling of triumph. So, the answer is a triumph. |
|
3 |
Information |
The answer can be traced in the first line in paragraph C, where the writer narrates that many collectors collect to develop their social life, attending meetings of a group of collectors and exchanging information on items. Here, we understand that group of collectors means collector’s club and exchange means to share. So, according to the sentence, we come to know that when people attend club meetings, they exchange information on items. Thus, the answer is information. |
|
4 |
Contact |
In paragraph C, we can find the answer where it is mentioned that this is a variant on joining a bridge club or a gym and similarly brings them into contact with like-minded people. We understand that “like-minded people” refers to people who have the same/similar interests, and brings them into contact with other collectors. Here, brings means offer. Thus, the answer is Contact. |
|
5 |
Hunt/desire |
We can trace the answer in paragraph C, where it is mentioned that another motive for collecting is the desire to find something unique or a particular example of the collected item, such as a rare early recording by a particular singer. We understand that another purpose of collecting is a desire to find something special, and “special” means a special item and purpose means motive. Further, in paragraph, D, it is mentioned that some may spend their whole lives in a hunt for this. The writer indicates that sometimes the collectors have a lifelong desire/hunt for a special item. Thus, the answer is hunt/desire. |
|
6 |
Aimless/empty |
We can find references to the answer in paragraph D, where it is mentioned that some may spend their whole lives in a hunt for this. Psychologically, this can give a purpose to a life that otherwise feels aimless. There’s a danger, though, that if the individual is ever lucky enough to find what they’re looking for, rather than celebrating their success, they may feel empty, now that the goal that drove them on has gone. Here, this means they spend their entire life hunting for a special item, and hunting refers to searching. We understand that the writer says that they may feel aimless if they don’t look for a special item. At the end of the above lines, we come to know that if the collector successfully finds the special item, they may feel empty again as something that drove them on has ended. Thus, the answer can be either aimless or empty. |
|
7 |
Educational |
We can locate the answer in paragraph E, where the writer states that if you think about collecting postage stamps, another potential reason for it, or, perhaps, a result of collecting, is its educational value. Stamp collecting opens a window to other countries and the plants, animals, or famous people shown on their stamps. The writer indicates that stamp collecting has some educational value as it provides facts about other countries. Here, “opens a window” means providing facts. So, the answer is educational. |
|
8 |
Trainspotting |
The answer can be located in the first line in paragraph G, where the writer mentions that in the past and nowadays, too, though to a lesser extent, a popular form of collecting, particularly among boys and men, was trainspotting. Hence we understand that trainspotting was a male hobby. Here, boys and men refer to males. Thus, the answer is Trainspotting. |
|
9 |
NOT GIVEN |
The keyword in the question is ‘doll,’ which can be traced in paragraph H. But the paragraph talks about the doll collectors’ interest, and there’s no information related to how many people are buying dolls. So, the answer is NOT GIVEN. |
|
10 |
FALSE |
The answer can be located in Paragraph H, where the writer mentions that these have changed over the centuries from the wood that was standard in 16th century Europe, through the wax and porcelain of later centuries, to the plastics of today’s dolls. We understand that the European dolls in the 16th century were made up of wood and wax and porcelain was popular after the 16th century. So, the answer is FALSE. |
|
11 |
NOT GIVEN |
We can track the answer in paragraph I, where the writer mentions that stamp collectors arrange their stamps in albums, usually very neatly, organizing their collection. We come to know that the writer has just described stamp collectors and their liking to arrange their collection. We don’t find any reference to comparison between stamp arrangements. Thus, the answer is NOT GIVEN. |
|
12 |
TRUE |
We can find reference to the answer in paragraph J, where it is mentioned that one reason, conscious or not, for what someone chooses to collect is to show the Collector’s individualism. Someone who decides to collect something as unexpected as dog collars. We understand that a person is collecting unusual objects such as dog collars, because they want to show or want others to think they’re as unique as their collections. Thus, the answer is TRUE. |
|
13 |
TRUE |
The answer can be located in Paragraph K, where the writer has mentioned that collecting can be totally engrossing more than most other hobbies and can give a strong sense of personal fulfillment. We can understand that collecting gives a very good feeling that other hobbies are unlikely to inspire. Here, “Give a strong sense” means a strong feeling. As the information agrees with the statement, the answer is TRUE. |
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