IELTS 2019 More Practice Tests
Question Paper
Questions 21–30
Complete the notes below. Write no more than three words for each answer.
Novel: 21 …………………
Protagonists: Mary Lennox; Colin Craven
Time period: Early in 22 …………………
Plot: Mary → UK – meets Colin who thinks he’ll never be able to 23 ………………… . They become friends.
Point of view: “Omniscient” – narrator knows all about characters’ feelings, opinions and 24 …………………
Audience: Good for children – story simple to follow
Symbols (physical items that represent 25 …..…):
• the robin redbreast
26 …………………
• the portrait of Mistress Craven
Motifs (patterns in the story):
• the Garden of Eden
• secrecy – metaphorical and literal transition from 27 …………………
Themes: Connections between
28 ………………… and outlook
29 ………………… and well-being
• individuals and the need for 30 …………………
  • Tutor
    Hello Lorna, Ian. Glad you could make it. You’re the only two who put your names down for this literature tutorial so let’s get started, shall we? I want to run over some aspects of the novel, The Secret Garden Q21, with you before the test next week. Be sure to take some notes and ask questions if you need to.
    Ian
    Hey Lorna, have you got a spare pen?
    Lorna
    Sure, here you are.
    Tutor
    Okay, so, the story follows two key characters – you should refer to them as protagonists – who go by the names of Mary Lennox and Colin Craven. The story is set shortly after the turn of the twentieth century Q22, and the narrative tracks the development of the protagonists as they learn to overcome their own personal troubles together.
    Lorna
    That’s quite a common storyline, isn’t it?
    Tutor
    Yes, you’re right, Lorna. So, what can you tell me about the character of Mary?
    Lorna
    Well, in the beginning she is an angry, rude child who is orphaned after a cholera outbreak and forced to leave India and move to the United Kingdom to her uncle’s house in Yorkshire.
    Tutor
    That’s right – and there she meets Colin who spends his days in an isolated room, believing himself to be permanently crippled with no hope of ever gaining the ability to walk.23 The two strike up a friendship and gradually learn – by encouraging each other – that they can both become healthy, happy and fulfilled in life.
    Ian
    Will we need to remember a lot of these details for the exam?
    Tutor
    Just the basic outline. Examiners don’t want to read a plot summary – they know what the book is about. Focus on narrative techniques instead, such as point of view.
    Lorna
    What’s that mean?
    Tutor
    It’s all about how we see the story. This story, for example, is written from the perspective of what is called an “omniscient narrator”. Omniscient means all-knowing. So, as readers we get to see how all the characters feel about things, what they like and don’t like, and what their motivations Q24 are in the story.

    Narrator: Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 25 to 30.
    [20 seconds]
    Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.

    Ian
    Won’t it be hard to write a technical analysis? After all, it’s a kids’ book.
    Tutor
    Well, it was initially pitched at adults you know, but over the years it has become seen as a more youth-orientated work. And you’re right in a sense – the simple vocabulary and absence of foreshadowing make the story very easy to follow and ideally suited for children. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t much to analyse. Look at the symbolism, for instance.
    Lorna
    Symbols are things, right? Material things – like objects – that stand for abstract ideas.Q25

    Tutor
    Absolutely, yes. And the author uses many of them. There’s the robin redbreast, for example, which symbolises the wise and gentle nature that Mary will soon adopt – note that the robin is described as “not at all like the birds in India”. Roses Q26
    are used as well – as a personal symbol for Mistress Craven – you’ll see they’re always mentioned alongside her name. And Mistress Craven’s portrait can also be interpreted as a symbol of her spirit.
    Ian
    Are symbols just another name for motifs?
    Tutor
    No, motifs are a bit different. They don’t have as direct a connection with something the way that a symbol does. Motifs are simply recurring elements of the story that support the mood.
    Lorna
    Are there any in this novel?
    Tutor
    Yes, two very important ones. The Garden of Eden is a motif. It comes up a few times in connection with the garden of the story. And then you’ve got the role that secrets play in the story. In the beginning, everything is steeped in secrecy, and slowly the characters share their secrets and in the process move from darkness to lightness,Q27 metaphorically, but also in the case of Colin, quite literally. His room in the beginning has the curtains drawn, and he appears at the end in the brightness of the garden.
    Ian
    Anything else we need to know about?
    Tutor
    Yes. Nearly all novels explore universal concepts that everyone has experienced – things like love, family, loneliness, friendship. These are called themes. The Secret Garden has a few themes that all centre on the idea of connections. The novel explores, for example, the way that health Q28 can determine and be determined by our outlook on life. As Colin’s health improves, so too do his perceptions of his strength and possibility. The author also examines the link between our environment Q29 and our physical and emotional prosperity. The dark, cramped rooms of the manor house stifle the development of our protagonists; the garden and natural environments allow them to blossom, just as the flowers do. Finally, this book looks at connections between individuals, namely Mary and Colin. This necessity of human companionship Q30 is the novel’s most significant theme – because none of their development as individuals would have occurred without their knowing each other. Well, that about sums it up, I think.
    Lorna
    That’s a great help, thanks.
    Ian
    Yes, thanks very much.
  • Questions 21–30
    Complete the notes below. Write no more than three words for each answer.
    Novel: 21 ………The Secret Garden…………
    Protagonists: Mary Lennox; Colin Craven
    Time period: Early in 22 ………(the) 20th/twentieth century…………
    Plot: Mary → UK – meets Colin who thinks he’ll never be able to
              23 ………walk………… . They become friends.
    Point of view: “Omniscient” – narrator knows all about characters’ feelings,
    opinions and 24 ………motivations/motivation…………
    Audience: Good for children – story simple to follow
    Symbols (physical items that represent 25 ………abstract ideas…………):
    • the robin redbreast
    26 ……roses……………
    • the portrait of Mistress Craven
    Motifs (patterns in the story):
    • the Garden of Eden
    • secrecy – metaphorical and literal transition from 27 ………dark(ness) to light(ness)…………
    Themes: Connections between
    28 ………health………… and outlook
    29 ……environment…………… and well-being
    • individuals and the need for 30 ………human companionship…………

You will hear a conversation between a tutor and two students who are preparing for
an English literature test.

First you have some time to look at questions 21 to 24.

Then after ,

Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions
25 to 30. [20 seconds]
Now listen and answer questions 25 to 30.