Is the Era of Artificial Speech Translation Upon Us? IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

“Is the Era of Artificial Speech Translation Upon Us?” is Passage 3 of Cambridge IELTS 19 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: Multiple Choice, Matching Sentence Endings, Yes / No / Not Given.

Quick answers: Questions 27–40

Question	Answer
27	D
28	A
29	C
30	B
31	C
32	E
33	F
34	B
35	NO
36	YES
37	NO
38	NOT GIVEN
39	NOT GIVEN
40	YES

Questions 27–30: Multiple Choice

Q	Question	Answer	Why
27	What does the reader learn about the first conversation?	D	Option D is the one the passage supports.
28	What helps the electronic translator in the Karlsruhe lectures?	A	Option A is the one the passage supports.
29	Why does the writer mention The Hitchhiker's Guide?	C	Option C is the one the passage supports.
30	What is the writer's view of sharing earpieces?	B	Option B is the one the passage supports.

Questions 31–34: Matching Sentence Endings

Q	Question	Answer	Why
31	Speech translation is developing fast in Japan	C	The passage links this point to: C.
32	TV interviews with a translation voiceover succeed	E	The passage links this point to: E.
33	Future systems should address people appropriately	F	The passage links this point to: F.
34	Users may maintain local customs	B	The passage links this point to: B.

Questions 35–40: Yes / No / Not Given

Q	Question	Answer	Why
35	Translation will be seen as very useful across the academic and professional worlds	NO	The passage contradicts this statement.
36	The overall value of automated translation to family life is yet to be shown	YES	The passage agrees with this statement.
37	Automated translation could make life harder for immigrant families	NO	The passage contradicts this statement.
38	Scientists are considering visual aspects of translation	NOT GIVEN	The passage gives no clear information to confirm or reject this statement.
39	English is easier to translate into other languages than Latin	NOT GIVEN	The passage gives no clear information to confirm or reject this statement.
40	There is a difference between social and practical language needs	YES	The passage agrees with this statement.

Tips for these question types

• Multiple choice: eliminate options that are only partly right, and watch for words like only, always and never.
• Matching features: underline the names or terms first, then scan for them in the passage.
• Yes / No / Not Given: these test the writer's opinion or claim. YES agrees with the writer, NO contradicts the writer, NOT GIVEN means the writer does not say.
• 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? Is the Era of Artificial Speech Translation Upon Us? covers Questions 27–40, which is 14 questions.

Where is this passage from? It is Reading Passage 3 in Cambridge IELTS 19, 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 19 Reading Test 3: all passages
Part 1: Archaeologists Discover Evidence of Prehistoric Island Settlers  |  Part 2: The Global Importance of Wetlands  |  Part 3: Is the Era of Artificial Speech Translation Upon Us? (you are here)

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