IELTS Reading Practice: A Comprehensive Guide to Sport Science in Australia

From a post-WWII physical education training programme, Sport Science has evolved into a billion-dollar industry and a cornerstone of public health. The IELTS reading passage “Sport Science in Australia” traces this fascinating journey, exploring the history and two primary career paths of the field.

This is a typical Passage 2/3, requiring reading comprehension skills and the ability to track the development of an idea. This ECE article provides a summary of the passage, key vocabulary, and detailed explanations for each answer to help you master this academic topic.

Reading Passage

Sport Science in Australia

[PARAGRAPH 1] The professional career paths available to graduates from courses relating to human movement and sport science are as diverse as the graduate’s imagination. However, undergraduate courses with this type of content, in Australia as well as in most other Western countries, were originally designed as preparation programmes for Physical Education (PE) teachers.

[PARAGRAPH 2] The initial programmes commenced soon after the conclusion of World War II in the mid-1940s. One of the primary motives for these initiatives was the fact that, during the war effort, so many of the men who were assessed for military duty had been declared unfit. The government saw the solution in the providing of Physical Education programmes in schools, delivered by better prepared and specifically educated PE teachers.

[PARAGRAPH 3] Later, in the 1970s and early 1980s, the surplus of Australians graduating with a PE degree obliged institutions delivering this qualification to identify new employment opportunities for their graduates, resulting in the first appearance of degrees catering for recreation professionals. In many instances, this diversity of programme delivery merely led to degrees, delivered by physical educators, as a side­line activity to the production of PE teachers.

[PARAGRAPH 4] Whilst the need to produce Physical Education teachers remains a significant social need, and most developed societies demand the availability of quality leisure programmes for their citizens, the career options of graduates within this domain are still developing. The two most evident growth domains are in the area of the professional delivery of sport, and the role of a physical lifestyle for community health.

[PARAGRAPH 5] The sports industry is developing at an unprecedented rate of growth. From a business perspective, sport is now seen as an area with the potential for high returns. It is quite significant that the businessman Rupert Murdoch broadened his business base from media to sport, having purchased an American baseball team and an Australian Rugby League competition, as well as seeking opportunities to invest in an English football club. No business person of such international stature would see fit to invest in sport unless he was satisfied that this was a sound business venture with ideal revenue-generating opportunities.

[PARAGRAPH 6] These developments have confirmed sport as a business with professional management structures, marketing processes, and development strategies in place. They have indicated new and developing career paths for graduates of human movement science, sport science, exercise science and related degrees. Graduates can now visualise career paths extending into such diverse domains as sport management, sport marketing, event and facility management, government policy development pertaining to sport, sport journalism, sport psychology, and sport or athletic coaching.

[PARAGRAPH 7] Business leaders will only continue their enthusiasm for sport if they receive returns for their money. Such returns will only be forthcoming if astute, enthusiastic and properly educated professionals are delivering the programs that earn appropriate financial returns. The successful universities of the 21st century will be those that have responded to this challenge by delivering such degrees.

[PARAGRAPH 8] A second professional growth area for this group of graduates is associated with community health. The increasing demand for government expenditure within health budgets is reaching the stage where most governments are simply unable to function in a manner that is satisfying their constituents. One of the primary reasons for this problem is the unhelpful emphasis on treatment in medical care programmes. Governments have traditionally given their senior health official the title of ‘Minister for Health’, when in fact this officer has functioned as ‘Minister for Sickness and the Construction of Hospitals’. Government focus simply has to change. If the change is not brought about for philosophical reasons, it will occur naturally, because insufficient funding will be available to address the ever-increasing costs of medical support.

[PARAGRAPH 9] Graduates of human movement, exercise science and sport science have the potential to become major players in this shift in policy focus. It is these graduates who already have the skills, knowledge and understanding to initiate community health education programmes to reduce cardio-vascular disease, to reduce medical dependency upon diabetes, to improve workplace health leading to increased productivity, to initiate and promote programmes of activity for the elderly that reduce medical dependency, and to maintain an active lifestyle for the unemployed and disadvantaged groups in society. This is the graduate that governments will be calling upon to shift the community focus from medical dependency to healthy lifestyles in the decades ahead.

[PARAGRAPH 10] The career paths of these graduates are developing at a pace that is not evident in other professions. The contribution that these graduates can make to society, and the recognition of this contribution is at an unprecedented high, and all indications are that it will continue to grow.

Questions 1 – 5 (Flowchart Completion)

Complete the flow chart below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

The history of sports and physical science in Australia

A lot of people identified as being 1……………….

Introduction of PE to 2……………….

Special training programmes for 3……………….

4………………. of PE graduates

Identification of alternative 5……………….

Diversification of course delivery

Questions 6 – 13 (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN)

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage? Write:

• TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
• FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
• NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

6. Sport is generally regarded as a profitable area for investment.

7. Rupert Murdoch has a personal as well as a business interest in sport.

8. The range of career opportunities available to sport graduates is increasing.

9. The interests of business and the interests of universities are linked.

10. Governments have been focusing too much attention on preventative medicine.

11. It is inevitable that government priorities for health spending will change.

12. Existing degree courses are unsuitable for careers in community health.

13. Funding for sport science and related degrees has been increased considerably.

Summary of the Reading Passage

This passage describes the evolution of sport science in Australia, from its humble origins to its vital role in modern society.

1. Origins (Paragraphs 1 – 2): Initially, these courses were designed solely to train Physical Education (PE) teachers. The motivation stemmed from the post-WWII era, when the government realized that many men were “unfit” for military service, necessitating physical education in schools.
2. Turning Point (Paragraph 3): In the 1970s and 80s, a “surplus” of PE graduates forced institutions to identify new “employment opportunities” for them.
3. Growth Area 1 (Paragraphs 4 – 7): “Professional sport.” Sport is now viewed as a “high return” business, attracting major investors like Rupert Murdoch. This has created numerous new career paths (sport management, marketing, journalism, etc.) and requires universities to provide professional training programmes.
4. Growth Area 2 (Paragraphs 8 – 9): “Community health.” The passage criticizes governments for focusing too heavily on “treatment” rather than prevention. Sport science graduates possess the skills to shift this focus, helping to reduce the burden on the healthcare system.
5. Conclusion (Paragraph 10): The career paths for these graduates are developing at an unprecedented pace, and their contribution to society is increasingly recognized.

Key Vocabulary

1. diverse (adj) (Paragraph 1): showing a great deal of variety.
2. motives (n) (Paragraph 2): reasons for doing something.
3. surplus (n) (Paragraph 3): an amount that is more than what is needed.
   • Example: “…the surplus of Australians graduating with a PE degree…”
4. unprecedented rate (n.p) (Paragraph 5): a speed of development never seen before.
5. stature (n) (Paragraph 5): importance or reputation gained by ability or achievement.
   • Example: “No business person of such international stature…”
6. astute (adj) (Paragraph 7): having the ability to accurately assess situations or people.
7. forthcoming (adj) (Paragraph 7): about to happen or be made available.
   • Example: “Such returns will only be forthcoming if…”
8. constituents (n) (Paragraph 8): the people represented by an elected official.
9. philosophical (adj) (Paragraph 8): relating to the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, or existence.
10. initiate (v) (Paragraph 9): to cause a process or action to begin.
    • Example: “…initiate community health education programmes…”

Answers and Detailed Explanations

Questions 1 – 5 (Flowchart Completion)

1. Answer: unfit

• Location: Paragraph 2
• Evidence: “…so many of the men who were assessed for military duty had been declared unfit.”
• Explanation: The flowchart begins with many people being identified as… Paragraph 2 states that many men were declared “unfit.”

2. Answer: schools

• Location: Paragraph 2
• Evidence: “The government saw the solution in the providing of Physical Education programmes in schools…”
• Explanation: The next step is the introduction of PE to… Paragraph 2 specifies “in schools.”

3. Answer: PE teachers

• Location: Paragraph 2
• Evidence: “…delivered by better prepared and specifically educated PE teachers.”
• Explanation: The programme required special training for… Paragraph 2 mentions “PE teachers.”

4. Answer: surplus

• Location: Paragraph 3
• Evidence: “Later, in the 1970s and early 1980s, the surplus of Australians graduating with a PE degree…”
• Explanation: The next step in the flowchart is the… of PE graduates. Paragraph 3 refers to the “surplus.”

5. Answer: employment opportunities

• Location: Paragraph 3
• Evidence: “…obliged institutions… to identify new employment opportunities for their graduates…”
• Explanation: Due to the surplus (step 4), institutions had to identify alternative… Paragraph 3 mentions “new employment opportunities.”

Questions 6 – 13 (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN)

6. TRUE

• Question: Sport is generally regarded as a profitable area for investment.
• Evidence (Paragraph 5): “…sport is now seen as an area with the potential for high returns.”
• Explanation: “Profitable” is synonymous with “potential for high returns.”

7. NOT GIVEN

• Question: Rupert Murdoch has a personal as well as a business interest in sport.
• Evidence (Paragraph 5): Paragraph 5 describes him as a “businessman” who sees sport as a “sound business venture.”
• Explanation: The passage confirms his “business interest” but provides no information regarding his “personal interest.”

8. TRUE

• Question: The range of career opportunities available to sport graduates is increasing.
• Evidence (Paragraph 6): “They have indicated new and developing career paths… Graduates can now visualise career paths extending into such diverse domains…”
• Explanation: “Range of career opportunities” increasing is synonymous with “new and developing career paths” and “diverse domains.”

9. TRUE

• Question: The interests of business and the interests of universities are linked.
• Evidence (Paragraph 7): “Business leaders will only continue their enthusiasm… if they receive returns… Such returns will only be forthcoming if astute… professionals are delivering… The successful universities… will be those that have responded to this challenge by delivering such degrees.”
• Explanation: Paragraph 7 establishes a conditional relationship: businesses invest if they get returns, and returns depend on universities training skilled professionals.

10. FALSE

• Question: Governments have been focusing too much attention on preventative medicine.
• Evidence (Paragraph 8): “…the unhelpful emphasis on treatment in medical care programmes.”
• Explanation: The passage states that governments emphasize “treatment,” not “preventative medicine.”

11. TRUE

• Question: It is inevitable that government priorities for health spending will change.
• Evidence (Paragraph 8): “Government focus simply has to change. If the change is not brought about for philosophical reasons, it will occur naturally…”
• Explanation: “Will occur naturally” is synonymous with “inevitable.”

12. FALSE

• Question: Existing degree courses are unsuitable for careers in community health.
• Evidence (Paragraph 9): “It is these graduates [from existing degree courses] who already have the skills, knowledge and understanding to initiate community health education programmes…”
• Explanation: The passage states these graduates already have the skills, meaning the courses are “suitable,” contradicting the statement.

13. NOT GIVEN

• Question: Funding for sport science and related degrees has been increased considerably.
• Evidence (Paragraph 10): “The contribution… and the recognition of this contribution is at an unprecedented high…”
• Explanation: The passage mentions the “recognition” of the contribution is high, but says nothing about “funding” for the degrees being increased.

Conclusion

Wrapping up our analysis of “Sport Science in Australia,” what remains is more than just the answers. We have witnessed the evolution of a field: from a post-war stopgap measure to a dual pillar of modern society—a billion-dollar industry and a key solution for public health. Hopefully, diving into these arguments has helped you understand the passage and boosted your confidence.