Jargon IELTS Reading Answers

You can find the question types such as matching headings, summary completion, and multiple choice questions in this academic reading practice test. Refer to the below table to know the jargon reading answers.

Answer

1. vi	8. L
2. ii	9. D
3. ix	10. C
4. viii	11. I
5. iv	12. G
6. v	13. C
7. F

Jargon

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You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.

Reading Passage 1

A. Jargon is a loaded word. One dictionary defines it, neatly and neutrally, as ‘the technical vocabulary or idiom of a special activity or group’, but this sense is almost completely overshadowed by another: ‘obscure and often pretentious language marked by a roundabout way of expression and use of long words’. For most people, it is this second sense which is at the front of their minds when they think about jargon. Jargon is said to be a bad use of language, something to be avoided at all costs. No one ever describes it in positive terms (‘that was a delightful piece of rousing jargon’). Nor does one usually admit to using it oneself; the myth is that jargon is something only other people employed.

B. The reality, however, is that everyone uses jargon. It is an essential part of the network of occupations and pursuits that make up society. All jobs present an element of jargon, which workers learn as they develop their expertise. All hobbies require mastery of a jargon. Each society grouping has its jargon. The phenomenon turns out to be universal – and valuable. It is the jargon element which, in a job, can promote economy and precision of expression and thus help make life easier for the worker. It is also the chief linguistic element that shows professional awareness (‘know-how’) and social togetherness (‘shop-talk’).

C. When we have learned to command it, jargon is something we readily take pleasure in, whether the subject area is motorcycles, knitting, cricket, baseball or computers. It can add pace, variety and humour to speech – as when, with an important event approaching, we might slip into NASA-speak, and talk about the countdown, all systems go, and lift-off. We enjoy the mutual showing-off which stems from a fluent use of terminology, and we enjoy the in-jokes which shared linguistic experience permits. Moreover, we are jealous of this knowledge. We are quick to demean anyone who tries to be part of our group without being prepared to take on its jargon.

D. If Jargon is so essential a part of our lives, why then has it had such a bad press? The most important reason stems from the way jargon can exclude as well as include. We may not be too concerned if we find ourselves faced with an impenetrable wall of jargon when the subject matter has little-perceived relevance to our everyday lives, as in the case of hydrology say, or linguistics. But when the subject matter is one where we feel implicated and think we have a right to know, and the speaker uses words which make it hard for us to understand, then we start to complain, and if we suspect that the obfuscation is deliberate policy, we unreservedly condemn, labelling it gobbledegook and calling down public derision upon it.

E. No area is exempt, but the fields of advertising, politics and defence have been especially criticized in recent years by the various campaigns for Plain English. In these domains, the extent to which people are prepared to use jargon to hide realities is a ready source of amusement, disbelief and horror. A lie is a lie, which can be only temporarily hidden by calling it an ‘inoperative statement’ or ‘an instance of plausible deniability’. Nor can a nuclear plant explosion be suppressed for long behind such phrases as ‘energetic disassembly’, ‘abnormal evolution’ or, ‘plant transient’.

F. While condemning unnecessary or obscuring jargon in others, we should not forget to look out for it in ourselves. It is so easy to ‘slip into’ jargon, without realising that our own listeners/readers do not understand. It is also temptingly easy to slip some jargon into our expression, to ensure that others do not understand. And it is just as easy to begin using jargon which we ourselves do not understand. The motivation to do such apparently perverse things is not difficult to grasp. People like to be ‘in’, to be part of an intellectual or technical elite; and the use of jargon, whether understood or not, is a badge of membership. Jargon, also, can provide a lazy way into a group or an easy way of hiding uncertainties and inadequacies: when terminology slips plausibly from the tongue, it is not essential for the brain to keep up. Indeed some people have developed this skill to professional levels. And certainly, faced with a telling or awkward question, and the need to say something acceptable in public, slipping into jargon becomes a simple way out, and can soon become a bad habit.

Questions

Questions 1-6

Reading Passage 1 has six paragraphs, A – F. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number i – ix in boxes 1 – 6 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

i. The benefits of simple language

ii. A necessary tool

iii. A lasting way of concealing disasters

iv. The worst offenders

v. A deceptively attractive option

vi. Differing interpretations

vii. Publicizing new word

viii. Feeling shut out

ix. Playing with words

1. Paragraph A
2. Paragraph B
3. Paragraph C
4. Paragraph D
5. Paragraph E
6. Paragraph F

Questions 7-12

Complete the summary using the list of words A-L below. Write the correct letter A- L in boxes 7 – 12 on your answer sheet.

The Up Side of Jargon

Jargon plays a useful part in many aspects of life including leisure. For example, when people take up pastimes they need to develop a good 7……………………………of the relevant jargon. During the discussion of these or other areas of interest, the conversation can become more exciting and an element of 8……………………….can be introduced by the use of shared jargon. Jargon is particularly helpful in the workplace. It leads to more 9……………………….in the way colleagues communicate during work hours. Taking part in 10……………………….during moments of relaxation can also help them to bond better. It is interesting that members of a group, whether social or professional, often demonstrate a certain 11……………………….. towards the particular linguistic characteristics of their subject area and tend to regard new people who do not wish to learn the jargon with 12…………………..

Questions 13

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter in box 13 on your answer sheet.

13. Which of the following statements would the writer agree with?

14. Jargon thoroughly deserves the bad reputation it has gained.

15. Jargon should not be encouraged except in the workplace.

16. Jargon should not be used if the intention is to exclude others.

17. Everyday life would be very much better without jargon.

Answers with Explanation

1 . vi

Explanation: Paragraph A explains the various meanings associated with the word "jargon." It begins by stating that “Jargon is a loaded word. One dictionary defines it, neatly and neutrally, as ‘the technical vocabulary or idiom of a special activity or group’, but this sense is almost completely overshadowed by another: ‘obscure and often pretentious language marked by a roundabout way of expression and use of long words.’ is a word with different connotations. The passage suggests that jargon is generally seen as a bad use of language, something to be avoided. In the end, the paragraph indicates that different meanings or interpretations of jargon are presented in the paragraph. Hence the answer is "vi,".

2 . ii

Explanation: Paragraph B states that everyone uses the word "jargon" in their daily lives. It emphasizes that jargon is a crucial aspect of various professions, hobbies, and social groups. The passage explains that all jobs involve a specific jargon that workers learn as they gain expertise, and the same applies to hobbies and societal groups. This phenomenon is described as universal and valuable. The use of jargon in a job is noted for promoting efficiency and precision in communication, making life easier for workers. Additionally, jargon is identified as a key linguistic element that demonstrates professional awareness (‘know-how’) and social togetherness (‘shop-talk’). The suggested heading for this paragraph is "A necessary tool," indicating that jargon is an essential and useful component in various aspects of life. Thus, the answer is ii .

3 . ix

Explanation: In Paragraph C, it is mentioned that “When we have learned to command it, jargon is something we readily take pleasure in, whether the subject area is motorcycles, knitting, cricket, baseball, or computers. It can add pace, variety, and humor to speech – as when, with an important event approaching, we might slip into NASA-speak, and talk about the countdown, all systems go, and lift-off.” These lines show that jargon can be applied to any subject that engages with various topics. In simple terms, paragraph C indicates that playing with words, no matter the subject. Therefore, the suggested answer is "ix."

4 . viii

Explanation: The author questions in paragraph D “If jargon is so essential a part of our lives, why then has it had such a bad press? The most important reason stems from the way jargon can exclude as well as included. We may not be too concerned if we find ourselves faced with an impenetrable wall of jargon when the subject matter has little perceived relevance to our everyday lives, as in the case of hydrology, say, or linguistics. But when the subject matter is one where we feel implicated, and think we have a right to know, and the speaker uses words that make it hard for us to understand, then we start to complain; and if we suspect that the obfuscation is a deliberate policy, we unreservedly condemn, labeling it gobbledegook and calling down public derision upon it.” In simpler terms, the lines indicate that jargon has a bad reputation, and when it's about something we care about, we want to understand but struggle to do so. Thus the suggested heading is "viii."

5 . iv

Explanation: In Paragraph E it is stated that no area is exempt, but the fields of advertising, politics, and defense have been especially criticized in recent years by the various campaigns for Plain English. In these domains, the extent to which people are prepared to use jargon to hide realities is a ready source of amusement, disbelief, and horror. A lie is a lie, which can be only temporarily hidden by calling it an ‘inoperative statement’ or ‘an instance of plausible deniability.’ Nor can a nuclear plant explosion be suppressed for long behind such phrases as ‘energetic disassembly’, ‘abnormal evolution’, or ‘plant transient’. The writer clearly talks about the individuals or groups who use jargon excessively or in a way that is particularly annoying. Therefore, the suggested answer is "iv."

6 . v

Explanation: In Paragraph F, you can find that writer says, “While condemning unnecessary or obscuring jargon in others, we should not forget to look out for it in ourselves. It is so easy to ‘slip into’ jargon, without realizing that our own listeners/readers do not understand. It is also temptingly easy to slip some jargon into our expression, to ensure that others do not understand. And it is just as easy to begin using jargon that we ourselves do not understand. The motivation to do such apparently perverse things is not difficult to grasp. People like to be ‘in’, to be part of an intellectual or technical elite; and the use of jargon, whether understood or not, is a badge of membership. Jargon, also, can provide a lazy way into a group or an easy way of hiding uncertainties and inadequacies: when terminology slips plausibly from the tongue, it is not essential for the brain to keep up. Indeed some people have developed this skill to professional levels. And certainly, faced with a telling or awkward question, and the need to say something acceptable in public, slipping into jargon becomes a simple way out, and can soon become a bad habit. In these lines, the writer emphasizes the importance of self-reflection. We have the tendency to use jargon without realizing that our audience may struggle to comprehend it. The conclusion highlights that while using jargon might seem like an easy way to express oneself in public, it can ultimately have a negative impact. The writer views it as a tempting but misleading choice. Hence, the suitable heading is "v."

7 . F

Explanation: This answer is located in paragraph C in the first 2 lines it is given as, when we have learned to command it, jargon is something we readily take pleasure in, whether the subject area is motorcycles, knitting, cricket, baseball, or computers. These lines suggest that once we become skilled at using jargon, we tend to enjoy it, regardless of the topic. It's evident that jargon serves a valuable role in various aspects of life, including leisure activities. Thus, the suitable answer is "F."

8 . L

Explanation: In the 2nd line of paragraph C, it states that Jargon plays a vital role in different aspects of life including leisure, where It can add pace, variety, and humor to speech – as when, with an important event approaching, we might slip into NASA-speak, and talk about the countdown, all systems go, and lift-off. These lines indicate that when people talk about specific topics they are interested in, the conversation can become more enjoyable, and humor can be added through the use of shared jargon. Hence, the appropriate answer is "L. Humour."

9 . D

Explanation: Paragraph B states that It is the jargon element which, in a job, can promote economy and precision of expression, and thus help make life easier for the worker. These lines suggest that jargon is particularly useful at work because it helps save time and ensures clear communication, making things easier for employees. In simpler terms, using jargon in the workplace promotes efficiency by streamlining communication among colleagues. The suitable answer is "D. Efficiency."

10 . C

Explanation: This answer is located in paragraph B in the last 2 lines as, Jargon is also the chief linguistic element that shows professional awareness (‘know-how’) and social togetherness (‘shop-talk’). These lines imply that jargon is the main language element that demonstrates professional awareness (‘know-how’) and social togetherness, often referred to as "shop-talk." Engaging in shop-talk, especially during leisure moments, can enhance bonding among individuals. Thus the answer is "C. Shop-talk."

11 . I

Explanation: In the last lines of paragraph C, the writer states that he and his group enjoys the mutual showing-off which stems from a fluent use of terminology, and enjoys the in-jokes which shared linguistic experience permits. Moreover, they’re jealous of this knowledge. They’re quick to demean anyone who tries to be part of their group without being prepared to take on its jargon. From these lines, it's evident that the writer's group is possessive of each other, and they criticize someone attempting to join their circle. This indicates a strong attachment to the specific language used in their field. The appropriate answer is "I. Possessiveness."

12 . G

Explanation: In the last lines of paragraph C the writer and his group enjoy the mutual showing-off which stems from a fluent use of terminology, and enjoys the in-jokes which shared linguistic experience permits. Moreover, they’re jealous of this knowledge. They’re quick to demean anyone who tries to be part of their group without being prepared to take on its jargon. These lines suggest that when someone wants to join the writer's group but is unwilling to learn their jargon, the group looks down on that person. In simpler terms, the writer's group views newcomers who don't want to learn their specific language with contempt. Thus the suitable answer is "G. Contempt."

13 . C

Explanation: In paragraph D, the writer questions that If jargon is so essential a part of our lives, why then has it had such a bad press? The most important reason stems from the way jargon can exclude as well as included. These lines imply that the significant factor lies in how jargon can either bring people in or push them away. The writer concurs that jargon should not be used with the purpose of excluding others. Thus the answer is "C."

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