The Future Of Work Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test with Answers

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Updated on Mar 12, 2025, 15:08

The IELTS Reading section tests your ability to understand and interpret various types of texts within a 60-minute time limit. You will encounter three passages with increasing difficulty, covering topics from factual reports to analytical discussions. The questions assess skills such as identifying main ideas, recognising opinions, and understanding specific details.
 

The Future of Work Reading passage explores how technological advancements, remote working trends, and automation are reshaping job markets worldwide. This passage examines the challenges and opportunities that come with these changes, highlighting their impact on employees and industries.
 

Let’s look at the The Future Of Work Reading Answers passage, questions, and answers with explanations.

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1. The Future Of Work Reading Answers Passage

You should spend approximately 20 minutes answering Questions 1 – 14 based on The Future Of Work Reading Answers Passage below. 

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2. The Future Of Work Reading Answers with Sample Questions

Please read the The Future Of Work Reading Answers passage carefully and answer the following questions.

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1.

The Future Of Work Reading Answers Passage

General Information

  • Read Instructions: Understand each question before answering.
  • Manage Time: Spend about 20 minutes per passage.
  • Skim and Scan: Quickly get the main idea and find specific information.
  • Highlight Key Info: Underline essential words or phrases.
  • Answer All Questions: Attempt every question; no penalty for wrong answers.
  • Stay Focused: Avoid distractions and keep your attention on the task.
  • Check Spelling: Ensure correct spelling and grammar.
  • Transfer Answers Clearly: Write answers neatly on the answer sheet.
  • Don’t Dwell: Move on if stuck and return later.
  • Review: If time allows, review your answers.

 

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The Future Of Work Reading Answers Passage

                                             

Paragraph A. According to a leading business consultancy, 3-14% of the global workforce will need to switch to a different occupation within the next 10-15 years, and all workers will need to adapt as their occupations evolve alongside increasingly capable machines. Automation – or ‘embodied artificial intelligence’ (Al) – is one aspect of the disruptive effects of technology on the labour market. ‘Disembodied Al’, like the algorithms running in our smartphones, is another.

 

Paragraph B. Dr Stella Pachidi from Cambridge Judge Business School believes that some of the most fundamental changes are happening as a result of the ‘algorithmisation’ of jobs that are dependent on data rather than on production – the so-called knowledge economy. Algorithms are capable of learning from data to undertake tasks that previously needed human judgment, such as reading legal contracts, analysing medical scans and gathering market intelligence.

 

Paragraph C. ‘In many cases, they can outperform humans, 'says Pachidi. ‘Organizations are attracted to using algorithms because they want to make choices based on what they consider is “perfect information”, as well as to reduce costs and enhance productivity.
 

Paragraph D. ‘But these enhancements are not without consequences, says Pachidi. ‘If routine cognitive tasks are taken over by Al, how do professions develop their future experts? she asks. ‘One way of learning about a job is “legitimate peripheral participation” – a novice stands next to experts and learns by observation. If this isn’t happening, then you need to find new ways to learn’.
 

Paragraph E. Pachidi and colleagues even observed people developing strategies to make the algorithm work to their own advantage. ‘We are seeing cases where workers feed the algorithm with false data to reach their targets, she reports.

 

Paragraph F. It’s scenarios like these that many researchers are working to avoid. Their objective is to make Al technologies more trustworthy and transparent, so that organisations and individuals understand how Al decisions are made. In the meantime, says Pachidi, ‘We need to make sure we fully understand the dilemmas that this new world raises regarding expertise, occupational boundaries and control!
 

Paragraph G. Economist Professor Hamish Low believes that the future of work will involve major transitions across the whole life course for everyone: ‘The traditional trajectory of full-time education followed by full-time work followed by a pensioned retirement is a thing of the past. says Low. Instead, he envisages a multistage employment life: one where retraining happens across the life course, and where multiple jobs and no job happen by choice at different stages.

 

Paragraph H. On the subject of job losses, Low believes the predictions are founded on a fallacy: ‘It assumes that the number of jobs is fixed. If in 30 years, half of 100 jobs are being carried out by robots, that doesn’t mean we are left with just 50 jobs for humans. The number of jobs will increase: we would expect there to be 150 jobs.
 

Paragraph I. Dr Ewan McGaughey, at Cambridge’s Centre for Business Research and King’s College London, agrees that ‘apocalyptic’ views about the future of work are misguided. ‘It’s the laws that restrict the supply of capital to the job market, not the advent of new technologies that causes unemployment. His recently published research answers the question of whether automation, Al and robotics will mean a ‘jobless future’ by looking at the causes of unemployment. ‘History is clear that change can mean redundancies. But social policies can tackle this through retraining and redeployment.

 

Paragraph J. He adds: ‘If there is going to be change to jobs as a result of Al and robotics then I’d like to see governments seizing the opportunity to improve policy to enforce good job security. We can “reprogramme” the law to prepare for a fairer future of work and leisure!” McGaughey’s findings are a call to arms to leaders of organisations, governments and banks to pre-empt the coming changes with bold new policies that guarantee full employment, fair incomes and a thriving economic democracy.
 

Paragraph K. ‘The promises of these new technologies are astounding. They deliver humankind the capacity to live in a way that nobody could have once imagined, he adds. ‘Just as the industrial revolution brought people past subsistence agriculture, and the corporate revolution enabled mass production, a third revolution has been pronounced. But it will not only be one of technology. The next revolution will be social.

 

Check IELTS Reading PDFs here: IELTS Reading Practice Test 2025

 

Let’s explore the questions and answers of The Future of Work  Reading passage.

2.

The Future Of Work Reading Answers with Sample Questions

Please read the The Future Of Work Reading Answers passage carefully and answer the following questions. We’ve included answers below to help you out. Give it your best shot!

Questions and Answers 1-4
  • Choose the correct letter: A,B, C or D.
  • Write the correct letter in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.

 

1. The first paragraph tells us about

A. the kinds of jobs that will be most affected by the growth of Al.

B. the extent to which Al will alter the nature of the work that people do.

C. the proportion of the world’s labour force who will have jobs in Al in the future.

D. the difference between ways that embodied and disembodied Al with impact on workers.
 

2. According to the second paragraph, what is Stella Pachidi’s view of the ‘knowledge economy’?

A. It is having an influence on the number of jobs available.

B. It is changing people’s attitudes towards their occupations.

C. It is the main reason why the production sector is declining.

D. It is a key factor driving current developments in the workplace.
 

3. What did Pachidi observe at the telecommunications company?

A. staff disagreeing with the recommendations of Al

B. staff feeling resentful about the intrusion of Al in their work

C. staff making sure that Al produces the results that they want

D. staff allowing Al to carry out tasks they ought to do themselves
 

4. In his recently published research, Ewan McGaughey

A. challenges the idea that redundancy is a negative thing.

B. shows the profound effect of mass unemployment on society.

C. highlights some differences between past and future job losses.

D. illustrates how changes in the job market can be successfully handled.
 

The Future Of Work  Reading Answers with Explanations (1-4)
 

Type of question: Multiple choice questions

In this question type, you are asked to answer the question followed by several options, typically lettered A, B, C, or D. The task is to select the correct answer from the given choices based on the information provided in the reading passage.

 

How to best answer: 
 

  • Read the question carefully and understand what it asks.
  • Pay attention to the keywords in the question.
  • Skim the passage quickly to locate relevant information.
  • Eliminate the clearly incorrect options.
  • Select the answer that best fits the information in the passage.
     
1. B - the extent to which Al will alter the nature of the work that people do.

 

Reference: From paragraph A: “According to a leading business consultancy, 3-14% of the global workforce will need to switch to a different occupation within the next 10-15 years, and all workers will need to adapt as their occupations evolve alongside increasingly capable machines. Automation – or ‘embodied artificial intelligence’ (Al) – is one aspect of the disruptive effects of technology on the labour market.”

 

Explanation:  This line highlights that AI will significantly alter the nature of work, requiring workers to adapt to changes in their occupations. It does not focus on specific job types but rather on the overall impact of AI, making "the extent to which AI will alter the nature of the work that people do" the correct answer.

 

2. D - It is a key factor driving current developments in the workplace.

 

Reference: From paragraph B: “Dr Stella Pachidi from Cambridge Judge Business School believes that some of the most fundamental changes are happening as a result of the ‘algorithmization’ of jobs that are dependent on data rather than on production – the so-called knowledge economy.”

 

Explanation:  This line explains that AI is fundamentally reshaping jobs based on data processing, which is central to the knowledge economy. It suggests that the knowledge economy is a major driving force behind workplace changes, making "a key factor driving current developments in the workplace" the correct answer.
 

3. C - staff making sure that Al produces the results that they want

 

Reference: From paragraph E: “Pachidi and colleagues even observed people developing strategies to make the algorithm work to their own advantage.”

 

Explanation:  This line states that employees manipulated AI systems to achieve their preferred outcomes, rather than relying on the algorithm’s natural operation. It suggests that staff ensured AI produced the results they wanted, making "staff making sure that AI produces the results that they want" the correct answer.

 

4. D - illustrates how changes in the job market can be successfully handled.

 

From paragraph J: ‘If there is going to be change to jobs as a result of Al and robotics then I’d like to see governments seizing the opportunity to improve policy to enforce good job security. We can “reprogramme” the law to prepare for a fairer future of work and leisure!””

 

Explanation:  This line indicates that job market changes due to AI and robotics can be effectively managed through government policies. It highlights the importance of proactive reforms to ensure job security, making "how changes in the job market can be successfully handled" the correct answer.


Check Reading Answers PDFs IELTS Reading Practice Test 2025

Questions and Answers 5-8
  • Complete the summary using the list of words, A-G, below.
  • Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 5-8 on your answer sheet.

 

The ‘algorithmization’ of jobs

Stella Pachidi of Cambridge Judge Business School has been focusing on the ‘algorithmization’ of jobs, which rely not on production but on 5.…………… .

While monitoring a telecommunications company, Pachidi observed a growing 6.…………. on the recommendations made by Al, as workers begin to learn through the ‘algorithm’s eyes’.

Meanwhile, staff are deterred from experimenting and using their own 7.………………, and are therefore prevented from achieving innovation.

To avoid the kind of situations which Pachidi observed, researchers are trying to make Al’s decision-making process easier to comprehend and to increase users’ 8. ………………… with regard to the technology.
 

A. pressure  

B. satisfaction  

C. intuition

D. promotion 

E. reliance 

F. confidence

G. information
 

The Future Of Work  Reading Answers With Explanations (5-8)
 

Type of question: Summary completion

 

Under this task, you will be given a summary with incomplete sentences. However, you will not be given any list of words/phrases to choose the missing information. You must refer to the main passage to fill in the missing information. 

 

How to best answer: 

 

  • Read the summary to understand what information it’s missing.
  • Identify keywords and locate them in the main passage to find missing words. 
  • Review the context of the words you’ve chosen to match the summary.
  • Finalise your answers. 
     
5. G

 

From Paragraph B: “Dr Stella Pachidi from Cambridge Judge Business School believes that some of the most fundamental changes are happening as a result of the ‘algorithmication’ of jobs that are dependent on data rather than on production – the so-called knowledge economy.''

 

Explanation: This line highlights that the transformation of jobs is happening due to reliance on data rather than production. Since data refers to collected facts and figures, it aligns with the concept of "information," making it the correct answer.

 

6. E

 

Reference: From paragraph C: “‘In many cases, they can outperform humans, 'says Pachidi. ‘Organizations are attracted to using algorithms because they want to make choices based on what they consider is “perfect information”, as well as to reduce costs and enhance productivity.”

 

Explanation: This line suggests that companies increasingly depend on AI to make decisions efficiently. The phrase "perfect information" and the emphasis on automation indicate a growing dependence on AI, which supports "reliance" as the correct answer.

 

7. C

 

Reference: From paragraph D: “‘One way of learning about a job is “legitimate peripheral participation” – a novice stands next to experts and learns by observation. If this isn’t happening, then you need to find new ways to learn.’”

 

Explanation: This line suggests that traditional learning through direct experience is being replaced, limiting workers’ ability to develop instinctive decision-making skills. Since "intuition" refers to natural judgment without external input, it correctly fits the context.

 

8. F

 

From paragraph F: “It’s scenarios like these that many researchers are working to avoid. Their objective is to make Al technologies more trustworthy and transparent, so that organisations and individuals understand how Al decisions are made.”

 

Explanation: This line indicates that researchers aim to improve trust and clarity in AI processes. By making AI more transparent, users can better understand its decision-making, increasing their trust, which aligns with "confidence" as the correct answer.

 

Read more about IELTS Reading Vocabulary 2025

Questions and Answers 9-14
  • Look at the following statements (Questions 9-14) and the list of people below.
  • Match each statement with the correct person, A, B or C.
    • Note: You may use any letter more than once.

 

List of people

A. Stella Pachidi 

B. Hamish Low

C. Ewan McGaughey
 

9. Greater levels of automation will not result in lower employment.

10. There are several reasons why Al is appealing to businesses.

11. Al’s potential to transform people’s lives has parallels with major cultural shifts which occurred in previous eras.

12. It is important to be aware of the range of problems that Al causes.

13. People are going to follow a less conventional career path than in the past.

14. Authorities should take measures to ensure that there will be adequately paid work for everyone.
 

The Future Of Work  Reading Answers With Explanations (9-14)
 

Type of question: Matching Features

 

In this task, you are required to match a list of opinions or deeds with the correct individuals from a provided list. This type of question tests your ability to identify relationships and connections between people and their contributions or viewpoints, as mentioned in the text.

 

How to best answer: 

 

  • Carefully read the instructions to know what criteria or basis you're using for matching.
  • Identify the key features or attributes of each item on the list.
  • Use the elimination process to narrow down the options for the remaining matches.
  • Review all matches to ensure they are coherent and aligned with the given criteria.
  • Look for patterns or relationships between items to improve the efficiency of making correct matches.
  • Finalise your answers.
     
9. B

 

Reference: From paragraph H: “On the subject of job losses, Low believes the predictions are founded on a fallacy: ‘It assumes that the number of jobs is fixed. If in 30 years, half of 100 jobs are being carried out by robots, that doesn’t mean we are left with just 50 jobs for humans. The number of jobs will increase: we would expect there to be 150 jobs.”

 

Explanation:  This statement suggests that automation will not lead to fewer jobs, as the number of available jobs will grow rather than shrink. Low argues against the belief that automation reduces employment opportunities, making this the correct answer.

 

10. A

 

Reference: From paragraph I:  “‘In many cases, they can outperform humans, says Pachidi. ‘Organisations are attracted to using algorithms because they want to make choices based on what they consider is “perfect information”, as well as to reduce costs and enhance productivity.”


Explanation:  This line highlights why businesses find AI appealing, as it improves decision-making, reduces expenses, and increases efficiency. Since it directly explains AI's advantages for businesses, this is the correct answer.
 

11. C

 

Reference: From paragraph I: “His recently published research answers the question of whether automation, Al and robotics will mean a ‘jobless future’ by looking at the causes of unemployment. ‘History is clear that change can mean redundancies. But social policies can tackle this through retraining and redeployment.”

 

Explanation: This statement draws a comparison between AI advancements and historical revolutions, such as the industrial and corporate revolutions. It suggests that AI will transform human life just as past cultural shifts did, making this the correct answer.
 

12. A

 

Reference: From paragraph F: “‘We need to make sure we fully understand the dilemmas that this new world raises regarding expertise, occupational boundaries and control!”

 

Explanation: This statement stresses the importance of recognising the various challenges AI introduces, including its impact on expertise and job roles. Since it focuses on the range of issues AI presents, this is the correct answer.

 

13. B

 

Reference: From paragraph G: “The traditional trajectory of full-time education followed by full-time work followed by a pensioned retirement is a thing of the past.” says Low. Instead, he envisages a multistage employment life…”

 

Explanation:  This line describes how career paths are changing, with people experiencing multiple jobs and periods of retraining throughout their lives. It suggests a shift away from traditional career structures, making this the correct answer.

 

14. C

 

Reference: From paragraph J: “McGaughey’s findings are a call to arms to leaders of organisations, governments and banks to pre-empt the coming changes with bold new policies that guarantee full employment, fair incomes and a thriving economic democracy.”

 

Explanation:  This statement urges authorities to take action to ensure fair wages and job security in response to AI’s impact. It highlights the need for policies that provide stable employment, making this the correct answer.
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FAQs

Q. What are common keywords in The Future of Work reading passage?

Ans. Common keywords in The Future of Work reading answers passage include automation, artificial intelligence (AI), workforce adaptation, technological disruption, and labour market evolution.

Q. How to answer matching headings questions in the The Future of Work reading passage?

Ans. To tackle matching headings questions, first, read the passage to grasp the main ideas of each paragraph. Then, review the list of headings, and identify keywords. Match each heading to the paragraph that best encapsulates its main idea, ensuring careful consideration of synonyms and paraphrasing.

Q. What is a challenging aspect of The Future of Work reading passage?

Ans. A challenging aspect of 'The Future of Work' passage is understanding the complex interplay between automation, AI, and workforce dynamics, requiring readers to comprehend nuanced discussions on technological impacts and labour market shifts.

Q. Are 'The Future of Work' passages part of the IELTS Academic or General Reading?

Ans. 'The Future of Work' passages are typically found in the IELTS Academic Reading section, focusing on topics relevant to academic and professional contexts.

Q. How can I improve my reading speed for the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. Enhance your reading speed by practising skimming and scanning techniques, expanding your vocabulary, and regularly timing yourself on practice passages to build speed and comprehension.

Q. Can I use a dictionary during the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. No, dictionaries are not permitted during the IELTS Reading test; it's essential to practice understanding context and deducing meanings of unfamiliar words.

Q. What strategies can help me answer True/False/Not Given questions?

Ans. For True/False/Not Given questions, carefully read the statements, locate corresponding information in the passage, and determine if the information confirms, contradicts, or is absent regarding the statement.

Q. How can I handle unknown words in the reading passages?

Ans. When encountering unknown words, infer their meanings from context, focus on the overall sentence or paragraph meaning, and don't let unfamiliar terms hinder your overall comprehension.

Q. Is it necessary to answer the questions in order?

Ans. It's not mandatory to answer questions in order; prioritise easier questions first to secure marks and return to more challenging ones later, managing your time effectively.

Q. What should I do if I run out of time?

Ans. If time is running out, make educated guesses on remaining questions, ensuring all are answered, as unanswered questions receive no marks.

Q. How can I practice effectively for the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. Effective practice involves regularly completing practice tests, analysing mistakes to understand areas needing improvement, and developing strategies for different question types.