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Paper or Computer Reading Answers
Author
16-09-2025
Here, we have provided the Paper or computer reading answers in a table format (below). You can compare and analyse your answers by referring to here.
| 27. iv | 28. iii | 29. viii | 30. ii |
| 31. ix | 32. i | 33. collaborative and interative | 34. Tangible |
| 35. Tailorable | 36. Group of people | 37. A | 38. C |
| 39. D | 40. A |
This will help you rectify your errors and better understand the paragraph. By going through the Paper or computer reading answers, you will be able to increase your ability to score more.
To get a first hand idea of how to approach the answers, practise this paper or computer reading passage. A better score in IELTS reading will help you achieve a good overall score.
In this article of Paper or computer Reading Answers, you have to answer 3 types of IELTS reading questions types. The following are the 3 questions;
- IELTS Reading Matching Heading Features.
- IELTS Reading Summary Completion.
- IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions.
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8 thoughts on why the “ Paper or computer” topic is important
You can find below why the passage is important, what skills are assessed, and how you can write your solutions in your answer sheet. In addition to that, you can also check the Paper or computer IELTS reading answers in this article.
- This passage will help you to enhance your preparation for the final IELTS exams.
- Paper or computer reading answers with location help you to find the correct solutions in the reading passage.
- Practising the given passage will improve your skimming and grasping abilities too.
- Check your solutions for the Paper or computer reading answers with explanations instantly, and correct your mistakes right away.
- Each of the three sections will include a lengthy text that is up to 2,150–2,750 words in length.
- In all question types, keyword identification plays a significant role. Perfect keyword recognition demonstrates your intelligence.
- Since it is harder to identify the keywords in this paragraph, the majority of examiners chose it.
- The primary goal of giving this passage is to improve and level up your potential reading abilities, vocabulary, language, etc.
Check the IELTS reading tips before attempting to write the Paper or computer IELTS reading answers.
IELTS Reading Passage - Paper or Computer
Read the IELTS reading passage 3 about Paper or computer reading answers with the location below and respond to the questions (27-40). Verify your responses with the Paper or computer reading answers and explanations provided below.
Paper or computer
A. The intention was to replace paper with computer technology. But it has not occurred. Every Western nation currently uses more paper per capita than they did five years ago. Between 1995 and 2000, the use of uncoated free-sheet paper, the most popular type of office paper, climbed by almost 15% in the United States. This is generally regarded as evidence of how difficult it is to change ingrained, wasteful habits and how steadfastly we fight the efficiencies brought by computerization. Several ergonomics experts and cognitive psychologists, however, disagree. They argue that paper has lasted for good reason, as it has numerous advantages over computers when it comes to completing certain types of cognitive tasks. People are fundamentally confused about the role that paper plays in our lives, as seen by their shock at the sight of a cluttered workstation and their enjoyment at the sight of air traffic controllers tracking aircraft using handwritten notes on paper strips.
B. Written by two social scientists, Abigail Sellen and Richard Harper, The Myth of the Paperless Office presents a compelling argument for paper. At the beginning of their book, they discuss a research they did at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. Economists at the IMF spend the majority of their time generating studies on complex economic topics, an activity that seems ideally suited for computerization. Sellen and Harper were nonetheless curious as to why the IMF was overflowing with paper. At the I.M.F., drafting reports is a highly collaborative process involving the experience and input of multiple individuals. Economists bring draught reports into conference rooms, where they lay out the relevant pages and discuss adjustments. As they return to their workplaces and jot notes in the margin, they take advantage of the freedom given by the informality of the handwritten remark. They then show the amended draft to the author in person and lead him through the suggested page-by-page changes. The author then arranges all the papers with remarks on his desk and enters them into the computer, rearranging the pages as he goes, organising and reorganising, saving and rejecting.
C. Without paper, this method of collaborative and iterative production would be substantially more difficult. According to Sellen and Harper, paper offers a unique collection of "affordances," or features that enable specific uses. Paper is tangible; we can take up a piece of text, turn the pages, read excerpts, and immediately have a feeling of what it is. Paper is spatially adaptable, so we can lay it out and organise it as we see fit. In addition, it is tailorable; we can annotate and offer comments as we read without altering the original text. Naturally, digital documents have their own advantages. They are easy to find, share, save, access remotely, and link to other relevant information. However, they lack the features necessary for a group of people to collaborate on a report, according to Sellen and Harper.
D. Paper makes it possible to think in a certain way. Take the top of your desk as an example. You probably have a keyboard, a computer screen, and a clear 18-inch-square area in front of your chair. Most likely, the rest of the desk is filled with stacks of papers, journals, magazines, binders, postcards, videotapes, and other things from the knowledge economy. Even though the stacks look like they are a mess, they are not. Apple Computer did some research a few years ago that showed that even the most disorganised piles make sense to the person who made them. They also found that office workers could talk at length about where their piles came from and what they meant. For example, the pile closest to the newly freed 18-inch-square work area usually has the most important and urgent work, and the most important document is usually on top of that pile. The piles are working records. Over time, they get mixed up and rearranged, sometimes in a chronological order, sometimes by theme, and sometimes in both ways. Files can include physical clues about certain documents, like stacking a certain piece of paper in a certain way
E. Nevertheless, why do we stack documents instead of filing them? As a result of the fact that heaps represent continual, active cognition. Sellen and Harper rely heavily on the work of psychologist Alison Kidd to support their assertion that "knowledge workers" use the physical space of the desktop to store "ideas that they cannot yet categorise or even decide how they might use." A dirty desk is not necessarily a symptom of disorganisation. The inability to organise the papers on their desks because they have not yet organised the ideas in their heads may be a sign of complexity for persons who deal with a multitude of unresolved notions simultaneously. When they come to work on Monday or when a phone call interrupts their job, many of the individuals with whom Kidd spoke use the papers on their desks as contextual cues to retrieve a complicated collection of threads quickly and easily. The stacks of documents on our desks represent, in a sense, the contents of our minds.
F. This view that paper serves a highly specialised cognitive and social function is a radical departure from the conventional understanding of the material. Late in the nineteenth century, as part of the move to "systems administration," paper began to flourish in the workplace. To deal with the complexities of the industrial economy, managers created company-wide reporting standards and demanded monthly, weekly, or even daily reports from their staff. Consequently, a monthly sales report, an office manual, and a company newsletter were all prepared. The discovery of the typewriter in the 1880s, which allowed individuals to print papers in a fraction of the time previously necessary, was swiftly followed by the creation of carbon paper, which enabled typists to produce ten copies of a document simultaneously. Paper was essential as a means of control rather than as a catalyst for innovative collaboration and thought.
Paper or computer IELTS reading questions
Questions 1 - 6
The reading passage has seven paragraphs, A-F
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-F from the list below. Write the correct number, i-xi, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. Failure resulting from the absence of paper records.
ii. Stacks can be more motivating than disorganised.
iii. Overview of an unforeseen occurrence: paper survived
iv. The paperless workplace of the IMF appeared to be a waste of paper.
v. Paper continued as a need for sharing or managing
vi. There are benefits to using paper in offices.
vii. People's mental qualities are reflected in their piles.
viii. In a favourable circumstance, economists used paper pages.
ix. The delight of having the paper square before the computer
x. Comparison of the productivity of utilising paper against the computer
- Paragraph A
- Paragraph B
- Paragraph C
- Paragraph D
- Paragraph E
- Paragraph F
Click to know more about IELTS Reading Matching Heading Features.
Questions 7–10
Use No More Than Three Words from the Reading Passage for each response as you summarise the following paragraphs from the passage. Fill in the boxes 7 to 10 on your answer sheet with your responses.
Paper documents have a number of benefits over digital ones. Initially, it permits clerks to operate in a 7______ way among colleagues. Additionally, paper is not like virtual digital counterparts; instead, it's 8 ______. Finally, because it is 9 ______ Notes or remarks can be easily inserted as pertinent information. However, a deficiency occurs when there is no convenience on the task, which is for a 10 _______ .
Practise IELTS Reading summary completion for acquiring a better grip on this question type.
Questions 11-14
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write your answers in boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet.
11. The chapter makes reference to "Piles," but what does that mean?
A. They are operating under instructions
B. They are obviously chaotic.
C. They are all in chronological order.
D. The names are listed alphabetically
12. What do the IMF economists have to say about their style of document writing?
A. They make notes on their thoughts regarding the draughts' freedom
B. They each complete their own writing.
C. Before an electronic version was created, they exchange ideas
D. They entirely rely on the electronic version
13. The passage's conclusion states that paper will not be replaced by electronic vision; why?
A. Paper is a cheap purchase.
B. It aided Western countries' management theories.
C. It takes time for people to break old habits.
D. It facilitates collaboration and is practical for managing and implementing projects.
14. What about a sophisticated economy does the management believe in?
A. Management tool could be recorded paper
B. Using carbon paper should be required
C. The most crucial factor is teamwork
D. The best method is a monthly report
Click to know more about IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions.
Paper or Computer Reading answers with explanations
Find the Paper or Computer IELTS reading answers with explanations given below that guarantees a clear understanding.
(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in regular font style explains the answer in detail.)
1.iv
Explanation: line 8 of paragraph A states, “They argue that paper has lasted for good reason, as it has numerous advantages over computers”According to the passage, paper has endured and continued in the computer age. This resulted from certain tasks requiring paper. Compared to computers, papers have several advantages.
2. iii
Explanation: line 7 of paragraph B states, “ drafting reports is a highly collaborative process involving the experience and input of multiple individuals”.The economists bring paper drafts to the meeting room in accordance with the paragraph. They make written notes.
3. Viii
Explanation: line 3-4 of paragraph C states, “Paper is physical; we can take up a piece of text, turn the pages, read excerpts, and immediately have a feeling of what it is”. According to the paragraph, paper has benefits in the workplace. Anyone may choose a document, read it, and quickly understand it. These are the benefits of utilising paper at work.
4. ii
Explanation: line 6-7 of paragraph D states, “ Even though the stacks look like they are a mess, they are not. Apple Computer did some research a few years ago that showed that even the most disorganised piles make sense to the person who made them.”According to the paragraph, research has shown that the majority of disorganised piles make complete sense to the piler. The specific background and significance of one's piles could be discussed in considerable length by office workers. Therefore, rather than being disorganised, piles can be more motivating.
5. ix
Explanation: the line 6-8 of paragraph E states, “The inability to organise the papers on their desks because they have not yet organised the ideas in their heads may be a sign of complexity for persons who deal with a multitude of unresolved notions simultaneously.” The abovementioned claim demonstrates that a person's traits can be seen in a person's piled or jumbled files. This implies that they are not necessarily unorganised because a stack of files denotes a lot of open issues at once. Because they haven't yet organised and filed the thoughts in their heads, they are unable to sort and file the documents on their desks.
6. i
Explanation: line 6-7 of paragraph F states, “Consequently, a monthly sales report, an office manual, and a company newsletter were all prepared.”. According to the paragraphs, supervisors were having trouble overseeing their staff. As a result, they began issuing newsletters, sales reports, manuals, etc. These were all written down.
7. Collaborative and iterative
Explanation: 1st line of paragraph C states, “This kind of collaborative and iterative work approach would be considerably more challenging without paper”. Working without paper would be challenging, according to the passage. Paper facilitates collaborative work among people.
8. Tangible
Explanation: line 4 of paragraph C states, “Paper is tangible; we can pick up a piece of writing, turn the pages, read snippets here and there, and instantly have a sense of it”. According to the summary, paper is not digital; it is physical and portable. People can page through it and determine that tangible is the right response.
9. Tailorable
Explanation: line 6 of paragraph C states, “Additionally, it is tailorable; we can simply comment and make notes as we read without changing the original text”. According to the paragraph, we may easily scribble or add anything on paper as opposed to digital papers. Therefore, tailorable is the right response.
10. Group Of people
Explanation: line 11 of paragraph C states, “However, they lack the features necessary for a group of people to collaborate on a report.” When convenience is missing from a work that calls for a group of individuals, there is a shortcoming. When certain people are working together, this is quite important. Work together refers to a team of individuals. Consequently, it is the right response.
11. A
Explanation: line 6-9 of paragraph D states, “Apple Computer did some research a few years ago that showed that even the most disorganised piles make sense to the person who made them. They also found that office workers could talk at length about where their piles came from and what they meant.”As we read paragraphs D and E together, we recognize that every individual "pile" used here is a metaphor. It demonstrates their underlying order and the fact that it makes perfect sense to a piler.
12. C
Explanation: line 10-14 of paragraph B states, “As they return to their workplaces and jot notes in the margin, they take advantage of the freedom given by the informality of the handwritten remark. They then show the amended draft to the author in person and lead him through the suggested page-by-page changes.” Here, we can see and conclude that the economists negotiate and work together on a project. This demonstrates to us that they are exchanging concepts and goals for their research.
13. D
Explanation: line 2-4 of paragraph F states, “Late in the nineteenth century, as part of the move to "systems administration," paper began to flourish in the workplace.” By using the right search terms, such as paper, we might deduce that paper is a significant source of documentation records. They offer a very organised and effective means of controlling things.
14. A
Explanation: line 4-7 of paragraph F states, “Managers implemented company-wide standards and required monthly, weekly, or even daily reporting from their employees to deal with the complexity of the industrial economy. Thus, the monthly sales report, office manual, and corporate newsletter were all created.”Managers were implementing company-wide standards and requiring monthly, weekly, or even daily reporting from their staff in order to deal with the complexity of the industrial economy. We can see how the managers believed that the recorded paper might be and is a great management tool due to the many difficulties and sophistications.
Check the other reading passages
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Conclusion
We are confident that with this article as a guide, you will be able to take the IELTS Reading section with assurance. Please read the other reading passages after completing the "Paper Or Computer Reading Answers."
About Author Roshan Sunthar
Roshan Sunthar is a study abroad expert as well as a renowned writer and author in international education. His academic excellence and 5+ years of work experience give him in-depth knowledge of international standardised exams and test preparation in IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, PTE, SAT, etc. The study materials he prepares incorporate exam-like questions. He’s also an expert in writing Statement of Purposes (SOPs) and Letter of Recommendations (LORs) for college admissions. He usually spends his leisure time watching English classics and documentaries, travelling, etc.
Kanan.co is a trusted study abroad consultancy offering comprehensive services, resources, and solutions for students and education institutions. We support students at every stage of their global education journey, ensuring a smooth and guided experience. Along with test preparation for IELTS, GRE, TOEFL, and SAT, we provide expert services such as SOP writing, visa guidance, accommodation support, scholarship assistance, and education loan support. Our expertise and commitment to excellence make us a reliable partner for students pursuing international education.
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