The Braille System IELTS Reading Answers

Reading test in the IELTS Academic Exam is a fourth part of the complete IELTS test that consists of three sections of authentic long texts from scholastic sources like books, magazines, journals, and newspapers about a wide variety of topics that an average undergraduate student can comprehend.

This blog will delve into finding answers to the IELTS academic reading passages about the braille system. 

IELTS Preparation Tips for Reading Test

Candidates should check the frequency of the IELTS exam in a year and accordingly prepare for the test. It is important to give a designated time period for the preparation of each module. Following are some of the tips to follow for reading test prep.

• Reading, when enjoyed, can result in the ability to concentrate and gain an understanding of the text, pursuing the author’s key ideas. 

• One can always try to summarize what they have read and rephrase in their own words. This helps in ameliorating the process of vocabulary building and strengthening of grammar. 

• One of the most critical skills for IELTS test-takers is time management. One should take some time to note down some relevant keywords and the main point before outlining what one reads. 

• While answering the reading questions, make sure to use the right spelling from the passage. 

• It’s always helpful to get familiarized with the type of questions asked to test the comprehension of the passage. 

• Always highlight keywords while reading and make note of important dates. It becomes easier to identify them when questions are asked about them. 

IELTS Reading Passage - The Braille System

This braille system reading passage has extensive knowledge about the importance and functioning of the braille system for the blind. In this, 3 different question types are given along with answers and their explanations. The question types included are sentence completion, yes/no/not given, and summary completion. The thing is to believe in the IELTS skills but to never stop improving. 

One should spend about 20 minutes on questions 1-13, which are based on the given passage. 

Reading Passage

The braille is a tactile reading and writing system for people with acute visual impairment.  It uses embossed dots in different combinations indicating letters, numbers, punctuation marks and markers for letter groupings.  It is read using both hands, with the index finger having maximum use. People who use it can read it at a speed of about 125 words per minute on average. Some people can read up to 200 words in a minute. Individuals who are blind learn about the written word in the Braille alphabet including things like punctuation, paragraph formatting, and footnotes. The braille is equivalent to a new script of widely spoken languages. 

Braille opens access to a huge range of texts for blind individuals. With a tactile script in place, they can now read and write textbooks, instructional texts, leisure reading texts, income reports, restaurant menus and everyday critical texts like contracts, laws, insurance plans, indexes, and cookbooks. Materials with braille, such as musical scores, songbooks, card games, and chess, enable blind individuals to enjoy activities and make the cultural settings more inclusive.  

Braille has a long tradition that dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. In Bonaparte’s French army, a man named Charles Barbier invented a unique technique known as “night printing” so soldiers could talk peacefully at night. Barbier, a veteran of the military, saw the deaths of several troops who used lights after dark to understand battle signals. Because of the light from the torches, enemy combatants realized where the French soldiers were, causing the death of several men. Barbier’s “night printing” technique is made on an elevated 12-dot cell that is 2 dots wide and 6 dots deep. Inside the cell, each dot or mixture of dots denoted a letter or phonetic sound. The issue with the legal regulations was that the normal fingertip did not recognise any of the dots with a single touch.

Louis Braille was born in a French village called Coupvray on Jan 4, 1809. He went blind at a young age after accidentally stabbing himself in the eye with his father’s blade. Braille’s father was a leather maker who used a tool to punch holes in the leather goods he made. At the age of 11, Braille was inspired to change Charles Barbier’s “night printing” code to make an effective written correspondence device for all blind people. He had joined the National Institute of the Blind in Paris a year before. He spent the best part of the next 9 years designing and making a perfect pattern of raised dots that bears his signature, Braille.

With all of Braille’s efforts, the coding was now directed at cells of just 6 dots rather than 12. This crucial advancement meant that a fingertip could cover the entire cell unit with a single impression and travel quickly from one cell to the next. Braille eventually gained acceptance around the world as the main mode of written communication for blind people. Even today, there is no difference in the braille system from what he invented. However, some small changes have been made to the braille system, most notably the addition of contractions describing groups of letters or entire words that occur regularly in a script. Contractions allow for easier braille reading. It also helped to reduce the scale of braille books, making them even lighter.

In 1853, Braille passed away at the age of 43, a year before his native France adopted braille as the official correspondence method for the blind. In 1860, Braille made its way “across the pond” to America, where The Missouri School used it for the Blind in St. Louis. The legacy of Louis Braille has enriched the lives of millions of people who are blind. As a consequence, blind people from around the world learn from Braille’s work on a regular basis. Today, braille code has been transposed in a variety of languages all over the world. Braille will be proud to know that his work has helped many people get literacy over the years. The effect is largely inspiring and helps them to achieve success in their academics and their career paths. 

Questions 1-5

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/ OR NUMBERS from the passage for each answer.

Reading passages differ slightly in the content in terms of difficulty in IELTS general training vs academic tests. However, the types of questions are of the same format and pattern. Below are the questions from the passage. 

• The Braille system is a contact reading and writing device for the blind where the _______ indicates the letters and numbers. 

• The braille scheme became a success because it is made on a logical series of signs intended for the ________ instead of imitating signs designed for the eyes. 

• Braille eventually gained acceptance around the world as the main mode of ________for blind people. 

• Braille code has been transposed in a variety of ________ all over the world. 

• The issue with the _______ was that the normal fingertip did not recognise any of the dots with a single touch. 

Questions 6-10

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?

Write-

YES, if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO, if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this 

• The average speed of reading using Braille is 125 words per minute. 

• Braille cannot be used for reading contracts, laws, insurance plans, indexes, and cookbooks. 

• Braille died in 1835 at the age of 43.

• Braille’s father was a leather maker.

• Contractions allow for easier braille reading and help to reduce the scale of braille books, making them even lighter. 

Questions 11-15

Complete the summary below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Louis Braille was born in a French village called 11_____ on Jan 4, 1809. With Braille’s efforts, the coding was directed at cells of just 12______ rather than 12. Blind people from around the world learn from Braille’s work on a regular basis. It gave access to a wide variety of everyday items, including leisure and 13______ reading, income reports, restaurant menus and critical things. Today, 14_______ has been transposed in a variety of languages all over the world. In 1853, Braille 15________, at the age of 43. 

Answers with Explanations

For more detailed information on the IELTS Reading Test, contact Canamprep, the leading IELTS trainer who brings expertise in language skills. 

Conclusion

The complete reading section, though, includes 40 questions on the whole. Here, we have given the first passage related to an important topic of the braille system of reading and writing. Most questions check the reading skills, ability to understand, and vocabulary of the students. To efficiently perform these tests, practice is inevitable. It is best to highlight important data, dates, and keywords to manage time when writing the IELTS exam. Candidates by now must be clear about how reading can improve their English and enhance their skills.