There are three different IELTS reading question categories in this article. Below is a list of them.
No, yes, or not given.
Summary of results.
questions with several options.
Video Game Research Reading Answers:
| 1. NOT GIVEN | 8. F |
| 2. YES | 9. A |
| 3. NOT GIVEN | 10. I |
| 4. NO | 11. B |
| 5. YES | 12. C |
| 6. C | 13. A |
| 7. E | 14. B |
IELTS Academic Reading Practice Test 1 – Video Game Research :
To make the most of your time, it's recommended that you allocate around 20 minutes to tackle Questions 1-14. These questions are directly related to the Reading Passage provided below. By setting aside this specific timeframe, you'll be able to effectively manage your time and focus on answering these questions thoroughly.
Video game research
A. Although video games were first developed for adults, they are no longer exclusively reserved for the grown-ups in the home. In 2006, Rideout and Hamel reported that as many as 29 percent of preschool children (children between two and six years old) in the United States had played console video games, and 18 percent had played hand-held ones. Given young children’s insatiable eagerness to learn, coupled with the fact that they are clearly surrounded by these media, we predict that preschoolers will both continue and increasingly begin to adopt video games for personal enjoyment. Although the majority of gaming equipment is still designed for a much older target audience, once a game system enters the household it is potentially available for all family members, including the youngest. Portable systems have done a particularly good job of penetrating the younger market.
B. Research in the video game market is typically done at two stages: some time close to the end of the product cycle, in order to get feedback from consumers, so that a marketing strategy can be developed; and at the very end of the product cycle to ‘fix bugs’ in the game. While both of those types of research are important, and may be appropriate for dealing with adult consumers, neither of them aids in designing better games, especially when it comes to designing for an audience that may have particular needs, such as preschoolers or senior citizens. Instead, exploratory and formative research has to be undertaken in order to truly understand those audiences, their abilities, their perspective, and their needs.
C. In the spring of 2007, our preschool-game production team at Nickelodeon had a hunch that the Nintendo DS – with its new features, such as the microphone, small size and portability, and its relatively low price point – was a ripe gaming platform for preschoolers. There were a few games on the market at the time which had characters that appealed to the younger set, but our game producers did not think that the game mechanics or design were appropriate for preschoolers. What exactly preschoolers could do with the system, however, was a bit of a mystery. So we set about doing a study to answer the query: What could we expect preschoolers to be capable of in the context of hand-held game play, and how might the child development literature inform us as we proceeded with the creation of a new outlet for this age group? Our context in this case was the United States, although the games that resulted were also released in other regions, due to the broad international reach of the characters. In order to design the best possible DS product for a preschool audience we were fully committed to the ideals of a ‘user-centered approach’, which assumes that users will be at least considered, but ideally consulted during the development process. After all, when it comes to introducing a new interactive product to the child market, and particularly such a young age group within it, we believe it is crucial to assess the range of physical and cognitive abilities associated with their specific developmental stage.
D. Revelle and Medoff (2002) review some of the basic reasons why home entertainment systems, computers, and other electronic gaming devices, are often difficult for preschoolers to use. In addition to their still developing motor skills (which make manipulating a controller with small buttons difficult), many of the major stumbling blocks are cognitive. Though preschoolers are learning to think symbolically, and understand that pictures can stand for real-life objects, the vast majority are still unable to read and write. Thus, using text-based menu selections is not viable. Mapping is yet another obstacle since preschoolers may be unable to understand that there is a direct link between how the controller is used and the activities that appear before them on screen. Though this aspect is changing, in traditional mapping systems real life movements do not usually translate into game-based activity.
E. Over the course of our study, we gained many insights into how preschoolers interact with various platforms, including the DS. For instance, all instructions for preschoolers need to be in voice-over, and include visual representations, and this has been one of the most difficult areas for us to negotiate with respect to game design on the DS. Because the game cartridges have very limited memory capacity, particularly in comparison to console or computer games, the ability to capture large amounts of voice-over data via sound files or visual representations of instructions becomes limited. Text instructions take up minimal memory, so they are preferable from a technological perspective. Figuring out ways to maximise sound and graphics files, while retaining the clear visual and verbal cues that we know are critical for our youngest players, is a constant give and take. Another of our findings indicated that preschoolers may use either a stylus, or their fingers, or both although they are not very accurate with either. One of the very interesting aspects of the DS is that the interface, which is designed to respond to stylus interactions, can also effectively be used with the tip of the finger. This is particularly noteworthy in the context of preschoolers for two reasons. Firstly, as they have trouble with fine motor skills and their hand-eye coordination is still in development, they are less exact with their stylus movements; and secondly, their fingers are so small that they mimic the stylus very effectively, and therefore by using their fingers they can often be more accurate in their game interactions.
Video Game Research Reading Questions:
Questions 1-5
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
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
1. Video game use amongst preschool children is higher in the US than in other countries.
2. The proportion of preschool children using video games is likely to rise.
3. Parents in the US who own gaming equipment generally allow their children to play with it.
4. The type of research which manufacturers usually do is aimed at improving game design.
5. Both old and young games consumers require research which is specifically targeted.
Questions 6-10
Complete the summary using the list of words/phrases, A-l, below:
Preschool children find many electronic games difficult, because neither their motor skills nor their 6 __________ are sufficiently developed.
Certain types of control are hard for these children to manipulate, for example, 7 __________ can be more effective than styluses.
Also, although they already have the ability to relate 8 __________ to real-world objects, preschool children are largely unable to understand the connection between their own 9 __________ and the movements they can see on the screen. Finally, very few preschool children can understand 10 __________
| A actions | B buttons | C cognitive skills |
| D concentration | E fingers | F pictures |
| G sounds | H spoken instructions | I written menus |
Questions 11-14
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D:
11. In 2007, what conclusion did games producers at Nickelodeon come to?
A. The preschool market was unlikely to be sufficiently profitable.
B. One of their hardware products would probably be suitable for preschoolers.
C. Games produced by rival companies were completely inappropriate for preschoolers.
D. They should put their ideas for new games for preschoolers into practice.
B. One of their hardware products would probably be suitable for preschoolers.
C. Games produced by rival companies were completely inappropriate for preschoolers.
D. They should put their ideas for new games for preschoolers into practice.
12. The study carried out by Nickelodeon
A. was based on children living in various parts of the world.
B. focused on the kinds of game content which interests preschoolers.
C. investigated the specific characteristics of the target market.
D. led to products which appealed mainly to the US consumers.
13. Which problem do the writers highlight concerning games instructions for young children?
A. Spoken instructions take up a lot of the available memory.
B. Written instructions have to be expressed very simply.
C. The children do not follow instructions consistently.
D. The video images distract attention from the instructions.
14. Which is the best title for Reading Passage 3?
A. An overview of video games software for the preschool market
B. Researching and designing video games for preschool children
C. The effects of video games on the behaviour of young children
D. Assessing the impact of video games on educational achievement
Video Game Research Reading Answers with Explanation:
You can fix mistakes and find the necessary details for your answer by reviewing answers to video game research questions with explanations.
Answers 1-5
1. The passage does not mention the comparison of video game use among preschool children in different countries. The answer is NOT GIVEN.
2. The passage states that preschoolers will continue and increasingly adopt video games for personal enjoyment. The answer is YES. (Found in Passage A)
3. The passage does not explicitly mention whether parents in the US generally allow their children to play with gaming equipment. The answer is NOT GIVEN.
4. The passage states that the type of research typically done by manufacturers is aimed at developing marketing strategies and fixing bugs, but it does not specifically mention improving game design. The answer is NO. (Found in Passage B)
5. The passage states that both exploratory and formative research are necessary to design better games, especially for specific audiences like preschoolers and senior citizens. The answer is YES. (Found in Passage B)
Answers 6-10:
6. The passage states that preschool children find many electronic games difficult due to their underdeveloped motor skills and cognitive skills. The answer is C. "cognitive skills". (Found in Passage D)
7. The passage mentions that preschoolers may use their fingers effectively in game interactions. The answer is E. "fingers". (Found in Passage E)
8. The passage mentions that preschoolers understand that pictures can stand for real-life objects. The answer is F. "pictures". (Found in Passage D)
9. The passage states that preschoolers may be unable to understand the direct link between their actions (controller use) and the movements on the screen. The answer is A. "actions". (Found in Passage D)
10. The passage mentions that preschoolers are largely unable to understand written menus. The answer is I. "Written menus". (Found in Passage D)
The complete summary is as follows:
Preschool children find many electronic games difficult, because neither their motor skills nor their cognitive skills are sufficiently developed. Certain types of control are hard for these children to manipulate, for example, fingers can be more effective than styluses. Also, although they already have the ability to relate pictures to real-world objects, preschool children are largely unable to understand the connection between their own actions and the movements they can see on the screen. Finally, very few preschool children can understand written menus.
Answers 11-13:
11. The passage mentions that the games producers at Nickelodeon concluded that the Nintendo DS would be a suitable gaming platform for preschoolers. The answer is B. "One of their hardware products would probably be suitable for preschoolers". (Found in Passage C)
12. The passage mentions that the study conducted by Nickelodeon aimed to understand what preschoolers were capable of in handheld game play and how child development literature could inform game creation. The answer is C. "investigated the specific characteristics of the target market". (Found in Passage C)
13. The passage mentions that spoken instructions take up limited memory capacity, making them challenging to include in games for preschoolers. The answer is A. "Spoken instructions take up a lot of the available memory". (Found in Passage E)
14. Based on the content of the passage, the most appropriate title would be B. "Researching and designing video games for preschool children".
Conclusion:
We hope our "Video Game Research Reading Answers" helped you evaluate your responses. Identifying the mistakes in your reading solutions for Video Game Research will help you become a better questioner.