Practice Tests
IELTS Reading (AC) Task 1 #81

A. Citizen science refers to research activities in which members of the public collect, classify, or interpret data alongside professional scientists. The approach broadens participation in inquiry and expands the scale of observation beyond what small academic teams can achieve. Through simple field protocols and digital platforms, volunteers monitor birds, sample water quality, photograph the night sky, and report seasonal changes in plants. The outcome is both scientific and educational, since contributors learn methods and gain a clearer understanding of local environments.|The idea is not new. Naturalists in the nineteenth century organized networks of weather observers who kept daily journals that later informed climatology. In 1900 a conservation advocate launched the Christmas Bird Count in North America, replacing holiday hunts with annual species tallies. A century later, online projects such as Galaxy Zoo invited participants to classify galaxies from telescope images, producing millions of labels that accelerated studies of galactic evolution.|Large volunteer datasets have distinct strengths. They provide wide spatial coverage and repeated measurements through many seasons, which helps researchers detect rare events and long term trends. At the same time, they present challenges. Data may be uneven in quality if participants differ in skill or if observations cluster in easily accessible parks and towns. Scientists address these issues with training materials, calibration exercises, statistical models that correct sampling bias, and by pairing volunteer records with professional surveys.|Recent technology has amplified the approach. Smartphones combine cameras, location services, and time stamps, which allow reliable documentation of where and when an observation occurred. Low cost sensors now measure air pollutants and soil moisture at a fine scale. Machine learning tools can suggest species names for photos or sounds, which lowers the barrier to entry for new participants while still allowing experts to verify records. These systems also raise questions about privacy, data ownership, and the need for inclusive access in communities with limited connectivity.|When designed with clear questions, transparent validation, and feedback to contributors, citizen science can inform policy and conserve resources. City planners can use heat and tree cover maps created by residents to target shade programs. Fisheries managers can combine catch diaries with satellite records to adjust quotas. Teachers can turn local surveys into lessons that connect curriculum with place. In this way, public participation strengthens both the evidence base and the civic culture that supports scientific decision making.