# Is the era of artificial speech translation upon us?: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 19, Test 3, Reading Passage 3

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 19, Test 3, Reading Passage 3. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 27 | D | I'm struggling to follow him in English, on a scratchy line ... that distance is still an obstacle to communication even if you're speaking the same language, as we are |
| 28 | A | and say much the same thing each year |
| 29 | C | It came to represent one of those devices that technology enthusiasts dream of long before they become practically realisable |
| 30 | B | That can't have been totally unexpected. |
| 31 | C | voice translation has really taken off in countries such as Japan with a range of systems. There is still a long way to go, though. |
| 32 | E | A translation system needs to be simultaneous, like the translator's voice speaking over the foreign politician being interviewed on the TV |
| 33 | F | they will also need to be socially aware by addressing people in the right way |
| 34 | B | they might help to preserve local customs, slowing the spread of habits associated with international English |
| 35 | NO | Professors and other professionals will not outsource language awareness to software, though. |
| 36 | YES | Whether it will help people conduct their family lives or relationships is open to question |
| 37 | NO | it could overcome the language barriers that often arise between generations after migration |
| 38 | NOT GIVEN | Even if voice-morphing technology simulates the speaker's voice, their lip movements won't match |
| 39 | NOT GIVEN | the international scientists who use English as a lingua franca, where their predecessors used Latin |
| 40 | YES | Though the practical need for a common language will diminish, the social value of sharing one will persist. |

## Why these answers are right

**27. D.** The writer struggles to follow Waibel on a scratchy line, Waibel is speaking in a noisy station and not in his native German, and distance is 'still an obstacle'. Both people face difficulties with the conversation, which makes D the answer.

**28. A.** Paragraph B lists what helps the system: lecturers speak clearly, there is no background chatter, and they 'say much the same thing each year'. Saying the same thing every year means the content of the lectures is repeated, so A is correct.

**29. C.** The writer says the Babel fish represented a device technology fans 'dream of long before they become practically realisable', comparing it to flat TVs that are now commonplace. Since such inventions were long expected, speech translation arriving is not surprising, so C fits.

The why and the trap for questions 30 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/is-the-era-of-artificial-speech-translation-upon-us/answers).

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