Cambridge IELTS 16 Test 4 Reading Answers

Cambridge Practice Series

Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Reading Test 4: Complete Explanations

⏱ 60 Minutes 🎯 40 Questions 📊 Target: Band 8.0+

Comprehensive walkthrough and verified solutions for Cambridge IELTS 16 Reading Test 4. Detailed analysis of Roman Tunnels (qanat and counter-excavation surveying), cognitive neuroscience on Changes in Reading Habits, and societal perceptions in Attitudes Towards Artificial Intelligence.

Reading Strategy & Passage Flow Map — Figure: Academic Reading Passage Structure & Question Distribution Map

Master Quick-Reference Answer Key (Questions 1–40)

Cross-check all 40 answers instantly with this verified master table.

Q#	Answer Key	Q#	Answer Key	Q#	Answer Key	Q#	Answer Key
1	posts	11	gold	21	B (isolated)	31	vii
2	canal	12	architect's name	22	C (emotional)	32	v
3	ventilation	13	harbour	23	YES	33	C
4	lid	14	A	24	NO	34	B
5	weight	15	B	25	NOT GIVEN	35	A
6	climbing	16	D	26	YES	36	NO
7	FALSE	17	B	27	iii	37	NOT GIVEN
8	NOT GIVEN	18	D (worrying)	28	vi	38	YES
9	FALSE	19	H (thorough)	29	ii	39	NO
10	TRUE	20	F (hard)	30	i	40	YES

Section 1

Reading Passage 1: Roman Tunnels

Topic: Classical Civil Engineering & Subterranean Aqueducts • Questions 1–13

Questions 1–6: Diagram & Shaft Labeling

Q#	Diagram Element	Correct Term	Engineering Function
1	Alignment markers along surface	posts	Wooden sighting posts aligned to chart straight subterranean trajectories
2	Surface waterway destination	canal	Channel supplying urban districts and communal public baths
3	Vertical shaft purpose	ventilation	Supplied fresh air to miners and evacuated hazardous subterranean gases
4	Shaft surface seal	lid	Removable stone lid preventing debris and animal contamination
5	Plumb-line component	weight	Lead weight suspended to verify absolute vertical orientation
6	Shaft wall foothold notches	climbing	Notches carved into shaft sides to permit climbing access for miners

Questions 7–10: True / False / Not Given

7. Counter-excavation replaced the qanat method completely in the 6th century BCE.FALSE

8. Only master guild builders were permitted on counter-excavation projects.NOT GIVEN

9. The Saldae aqueduct inscription was written by the emperor personally.FALSE

10. Saldae tunneling crews missed each other in the mountain and failed to meet.TRUE

Questions 11–13: Short Answer Words

Q11: gold

Dolaucothi mines in Wales were constructed by the Roman military to extract precious gold.

Q12: architect's name

Inscriptions frequently preserved the patron and the architect's name for posterity.

Q13: harbour

The massive Cevlik diversion tunnel in Turkey diverted floodwaters away from the city's vital harbour.

Section 2

Reading Passage 2: Changes in Reading Habits

Topic: Neuroplasticity, Bi-Literate Brains & Digital Skimming • Questions 14–26

Questions 14–17: Multiple Choice Overview

Q14: Writer's primary thesis in the opening paragraph:

Ans: A

Digital skimming accelerates information gathering but imperils contemplative deep-reading circuits developed over centuries.

Q15: Sherry Turkle's insight on technological innovation:

Ans: B

Society must proactively assess what cognitive capabilities are eroded when adopting new communication tools.

Q16: Neural plasticity in Paragraph 4:

Ans: D

The brain re-wires its circuits according to whichever medium (print vs digital screen) commands daily cognitive attention.

Q17: Mark Edmundson's observations on undergraduates:

Ans: B

Students increasingly avoid long 19th-century novels due to an acquired intolerance for dense syntactical complexity.

Questions 18–22: Summary Matching (Consequences of Skimming)

Q#	Cognitive Effect	Code	Description
18	Speed reading trend is	D	Deeply worrying for intellectual development
19	Print reading encourages	H	Thorough analytical comprehension
20	Sustained attention becomes	F	Hard to maintain for digital natives
21	Readers encounter ideas in	B	Isolated fragments rather than continuous narratives
22	Weakened capacity for deep	C	Emotional empathy with fictional characters

Questions 23–26: Yes / No / Not Given

23. The reading medium influences reader content selection.YES

24. Certain age cohorts are more vulnerable to cognitive skill decay.NO

25. Disinformation has expanded exponentially in the smartphone era.NOT GIVEN

26. Humanity retains agency to cultivate bi-literate reading habits.YES

Section 3

Reading Passage 3: Attitudes Towards Artificial Intelligence

Topic: Algorithm Aversion, Transparency & Human-Computer Interaction • Questions 27–40

Questions 27–32: Section Headings (Sections A–F)

Section	Heading	Theme
A	iii	The superiority of AI projections over human intuition
B	vi	Widespread distrust of an AI innovation
C	ii	Reasons why we have more faith in human judgment
D	i	An increasing divergence of attitudes towards AI
E	vii	Encouraging openness about how AI functions
F	v	The advantages of involving users in decision-making

Questions 33–35: Multiple Choice

Q33: Ans C

Author highlights the stubborn paradox of humans rejecting statistically superior machine models.

Q34: Ans B

Opaque black-box models cause users to feel alienated and stripped of personal agency.

Q35: Ans A

Sensationalist news headlines disproportionately amplify rare algorithmic glitches, stoking public dread.

Questions 36–40: Yes / No / Not Given

36. Dystopian sci-fi films reliably convert skeptics into enthusiastic AI advocates.NO

37. Hollywood depictions of artificial intelligence will turn decidedly positive soon.NOT GIVEN

38. Refusing AI integration in clinical diagnostics could lead to preventable patient harm.YES

39. Prior experience with automation has virtually no impact on consumer acceptance.NO

40. Allowing users to tweak algorithm outputs by even 2% substantially enhances user trust.YES

Band 8.5+ Strategy: Conquering Algorithm & Engineering Passages

Diagram Labeling (Questions 1–6): Notice the spatial progression. Scan the diagram labels in the direction of the water flow or vertical axis (surface to underground bedrock). Maintain strict noun forms without articles when word limits specify "NO MORE THAN ONE WORD".
Matching Headings Strategy (Questions 27–32): Focus on the transition and concluding sentences of each paragraph. Section F emphasizes user agency and tweaking algorithms (Heading v: involving users).

Cambridge IELTS 16 Test 4 Reading Answers & Step-by-Step Explanations