Cambridge IELTS 4 · Academic · Test 2 · Passage 2
Alternative Medicine in Australia — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Alternative Medicine in Australia, Cambridge IELTS 4 Academic Reading Test 2 Passage 2, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Alternative Medicine in Australia answer key at a glance
Questions 14–26. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with One Choice (Q14–15), Yes / No / Not Given (Q16–23), Diagram Labeling (Q24–26). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 14–15: One Choice
Strategy: Read the question stem and predict the answer before looking at the options. Wrong options often repeat passage words while the correct one paraphrases them.
Traditionally, how have Australian doctors differed from doctors in many Western countries?
- AThey have worked closely with pharmaceutical companies.
- BThey have often worked alongside other therapists.
- CThey have been reluctant to accept alternative therapists.correct
- DThey have regularly prescribed alternative remedies.
“Australia has been unusual in the Western world in having a very conservative attitude to natural or alternative therapies, according to Dr Paul Laver, a lecturer in Public Health at the University of Sydney.”
Australian doctors had a 'very conservative attitude' and were 'loath to allow any pretenders' in, unlike elsewhere where the two worked 'hand in glove' — option C.
In 1990, Americans
- Awere prescribed more herbal medicines than in previous years.
- Bconsulted alternative therapists more often than doctors.correct
- Cspent more on natural therapies than orthodox medicines.
- Dmade more complaints about doctors than in previous years.
“Americans made more visits to alternative therapists than to orthodox doctors in 1990”
In 1990 'Americans made more visits to alternative therapists than to orthodox doctors', matching option B.
Questions 16–23: Yes / No / Not Given
Strategy: These test the writer's opinions, not facts. Look for evaluative language, and treat 'may' or 'could' as weaker than the question's claim.
Australians have been turning to alternative therapies in increasing numbers over the past 20 years.
“Disenchantment with orthodox medicine has seen the popularity of alternative therapies in Australia climb steadily during the past 20 years”
Alternative therapies' popularity in Australia 'climb steadily during the past 20 years', confirming increasing numbers.
Between 1983 and 1990 the numbers of patients visiting alternative therapists rose to include a further 8% of the population.
“In a 1983 national health survey, 1.9% of people said they had contacted a chiropractor, naturopath, osteopath, acupuncturist or herbalist in the two weeks prior to the survey. By 1990, this figure had risen to 2.6% of the population”
The figure rose from 1.9% to 2.6%, a rise of 0.7 percentage points, not a further 8% of the population.
The 1990 survey related to 550,000 consultations with alternative therapists.
“The 550,000 consultations with alternative therapists reported in the 1990 survey represented about an eighth of the total number of consultations with medically qualified personnel covered by the survey, according to Dr Laver and colleagues writing in the Australian Journal of Public Health in 1993”
'The 550,000 consultations with alternative therapists reported in the 1990 survey' directly matches the figure in the question.
In the past, Australians had a higher opinion of doctors than they do today.
“'A better educated and less accepting public has become disillusioned with the experts in general, and increasingly sceptical about science and empirically based knowledge,' they said. 'The high standing of professionals, including doctors, has been eroded as a consequence.'”
'The high standing of professionals, including doctors, has been eroded', meaning Australians once rated doctors more highly.
Some Australian doctors are retraining in alternative therapies.
“Rather than resisting or criticising this trend, increasing numbers of Australian doctors, particularly younger ones, are forming group practices with alternative therapists or taking courses themselves, particularly in acupuncture and herbalism”
Increasing numbers of Australian doctors are 'taking courses themselves, particularly in acupuncture and herbalism', so some are retraining.
Alternative therapists earn higher salaries than doctors.
“Part of the incentive was financial, Dr Laver said. 'The bottom line is that most general practitioners are business people. If they see potential clientele going elsewhere, they might want to be able to offer a similar service.'”
Financial incentive is mentioned for doctors offering similar services, but no comparison of therapists' and doctors' salaries appears.
The 1993 Sydney survey involved 289 patients who visited alternative therapists for acupuncture treatment.
“In 1993, Dr Laver and his colleagues published a survey of 289 Sydney people who attended eight alternative therapists' practices in Sydney. These practices offered a wide range of alternative therapies from 25 therapists”
The survey covered '289 Sydney people who attended eight alternative therapists' practices', not 289 acupuncture patients.
All the patients in the 1993 Sydney survey had long-term medical complaints.
“Those surveyed had experienced chronic illnesses, for which orthodox medicine had been able to provide little relief”
Those surveyed 'had experienced chronic illnesses, for which orthodox medicine had been able to provide little relief', so all had long-term complaints.
Questions 24–26: Diagram Labeling
Strategy: Locate the labelled part on the diagram, then find the matching description in the passage. Answers are usually concrete nouns.
“12% suffer from digestive problems, which is only 1% more than those suffering from emotional problems”
The diagram needs the category at 11%: 12% had digestive problems, 'only 1% more than those suffering from emotional problems'.
“Headache sufferers and those complaining of general ill health represent 6% and 5% of patients respectively, and a further 4% see therapists for general health maintenance”
The diagram needs the 6% category: 'headache sufferers and those complaining of general ill health represent 6% and 5% ... respectively'.
“Headache sufferers and those complaining of general ill health represent 6% and 5% of patients respectively, and a further 4% see therapists for general health maintenance”
The diagram needs the 5% category: those 'complaining of general ill health represent ... 5% of patients'.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Alternative Medicine in Australia passage come from?
It is Passage 2 of Cambridge IELTS 4 Academic Reading Test 2, and it covers Questions 14–26.
What question types appear in Alternative Medicine in Australia?
The passage is tested with One Choice, Yes / No / Not Given, Diagram Labeling. Each type is explained on this page, alongside the answers.
Are these reading answers reliable?
Every answer is paired with the sentence that proves it, so you can check each one against the passage yourself. Use the page after a timed attempt, not instead of one.
Cambridge IELTS is published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Band9Prep is not affiliated with Cambridge. This page is an independent study aid: it gives the answer key, the passage evidence and an explanation so you can review an attempt you have already made.