Information Theory – The Big Idea IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

“Information Theory – The Big Idea” is Passage 3 of Cambridge IELTS 9 Academic Reading Test 3. This page gives the answers for Questions 27–40 with a short explanation of why each answer is right, so you can check your work and learn from every mistake. The question types are: Matching Information, Note Completion, True / False / Not Given.

Quick answers: Questions 27–40

Question	Answer
27	D
28	F
29	B
30	E
31	A
32	C
33	Jupiter
34	Solar System
35	circuits
36	spares
37	radio dish
38	TRUE
39	TRUE
40	FALSE

Questions 27–32: Matching Information

Q	Question	Answer	Why
27	an explanation of the factors affecting the transmission of information	D	This information is found in paragraph D.
28	an example of how unnecessary information can be omitted	F	This information is found in paragraph F.
29	a reference to Shannon’s attitude to fame	B	This information is found in paragraph B.
30	details of a machine capable of interpreting incomplete information	E	This information is found in paragraph E.
31	a detailed account of an incident involving information theory	A	This information is found in paragraph A.
32	a reference to what Shannon initially intended to achieve in his research	C	This information is found in paragraph C.

Questions 33–37: Note Completion

Q	Question	Answer	Why
33	—	Jupiter	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
34	—	Solar System	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
35	—	circuits	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
36	—	spares	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
37	—	radio dish	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.

Questions 38–40: True / False / Not Given

Q	Question	Answer	Why
38	The concept of describing something as true or false was the starting point for Shannon in his attempts to send messages over distances.	TRUE	The passage agrees with this statement.
39	The amount of information that can be sent in a given time period is determined with reference to the signal strength and noise level.	TRUE	The passage agrees with this statement.
40	Products have now been developed which can convey more information than Shannon had anticipated as possible.	FALSE	The passage contradicts this statement.

Tips for these question types

• Matching information: find the paragraph that contains the idea, not the same words. The same letter can be used more than once.
• Completion tasks: check the word limit and the grammar of the gap before you write the answer exactly as it appears in the passage.
• True / False / Not Given: TRUE means the passage says the same thing, FALSE means it says the opposite, and NOT GIVEN means it does not say. Never use your own knowledge.
• Review every mistake. Find the exact sentence in the passage that proves the answer so you can spot the same trap next time.

FAQ

How many questions does this passage have? Information Theory – The Big Idea covers Questions 27–40, which is 14 questions.

Where is this passage from? It is Reading Passage 3 in Cambridge IELTS 9, Academic Test 3.

How should I use these answers? Attempt the passage under timed conditions first, then check your answers here and read the reason for every mistake.

Cambridge IELTS 9 Reading Test 3: all passages
Part 1: Attitudes to Language  |  Part 2: Tidal Power  |  Part 3: Information Theory – The Big Idea (you are here)

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