Healthy buildings, productive people
Read Healthy buildings, productive people and check the IELTS Reading answers. Have you felt tired at your desk lately? According to new research, some often overlooked environmental factors within buildings - the degree or type of ventilation, airborne contaminants, lighting and noise levels, for…
Passage preview
Have you felt tired at your desk lately? According to new research, some often overlooked environmental factors within buildings - the degree or type of ventilation, airborne contaminants, lighting and noise levels, for example - can play a surprisingly large role in how good or bad you feel, and even how well you think. It is estimated that we spend more than 90 percent of our time inside, but builders in general have paid little attention to the health aspects of indoor spaces, instead focusing on superficial design features and on meeting minimum environmental standards to keep costs down.
Vocabulary from this passage
10 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- airborne contaminants noun
Particles or gases in the air that can have harmful effects on human health and cognitive function
The research identified that airborne contaminants within a building can significantly influence how well employees think.
- cognitive performance noun
The efficiency of mental processes such as memory, attention, and decision-making during specific tasks
Poor air quality has been shown to significantly lower the cognitive performance of workers in traditional offices.
- collegial adjective
Relating to or involving shared responsibility, as among a group of colleagues; characterized by friendly cooperation
The new building was designed with multi-use spaces to foster a more collegial work environment for staff.
- minuscule adjective
Extremely small or tiny, especially when compared to something else of much greater value
The cost of improving air quality is minuscule compared to the massive increase in employee productivity.
- multidisciplinary adjective
Combining or involving several academic disciplines or professional specializations in an approach to a topic
The project’s success relied on multidisciplinary collaboration between architects, health faculty, and university administrators.
- replicate verb
To make an exact copy of; to reproduce or repeat a scientific experiment to verify results
If these findings are replicated in other labs, they could lead to a revolution in building design.
- spontaneous adjective
Performed or occurring as a result of a sudden inner impulse or inclination and without premeditation
The open-plan design encouraged spontaneous collaborations between researchers that did not occur in the old building.
- superficial adjective
Appearing to be true or real only until examined more closely; concerned only with what is obvious
Builders often focus on superficial design features rather than the underlying health aspects of indoor spaces.
- ventilation noun
The provision of fresh air to a room or building to ensure healthy indoor air quality
Inadequate ventilation in modern office buildings can lead to increased levels of airborne contaminants and fatigue.
- volatile organic compounds noun
Chemicals that easily become vapors or gases, often released from common office supplies and materials
The ventilation system in the laboratory was used to control the levels of volatile organic compounds.
Answers with explanations
- 14. iv
The correct heading is **iv** (The low priority given to making buildings healthy for users). The paragraph explains that while people spend over 90 percent of their time indoors, '**builders in general have paid little attention to the health aspects of indoor spaces**.' Instead, they focus on superficial designs and minimizing costs. This lack of attention directly corresponds to the concept of a 'low priority' for health.
- 15. viii
The correct heading is **viii** (The financial benefits of efficient workplaces). The paragraph centers on the financial analysis conducted by Joseph Allen's team, showing that the cost of improving air quality ($40 per person annually) is minuscule compared to the massive **increase in employee productivity** ($6,500). This comparison highlights the substantial **financial benefits** and return on investment gained from optimized workspaces.
- 16. vi
The correct heading is **vi** (Workers were assessed outside of their usual workplace). The paragraph details a laboratory study conducted at the **Syracuse Center of Excellence**, where 24 office workers 'came to the lab and performed their regular work' under monitored conditions. Moving employees from their typical offices to a simulated environment matches the concept of being **assessed outside of their usual workplace**.
- 17. iii
The correct heading is **iii** (The assessment of workplaces in several locations). The paragraph discusses a real-world study where the research team 'compared test scores of 109 people working in **10 buildings**' across '**five cities**.' Evaluating multiple offices across different geographical regions directly aligns with the heading's description of assessing workplaces in **several locations**.
- 18. i
The correct heading is **i** (The effects of a new environmentally friendly building on the people who work there). The paragraph examines Hillman Hall, a recently constructed structure built to the highest **environmental and energy standards**. It details how the design affected behavior, showing that 'results showed that people were **more likely to take part in spontaneous collaborations**... and to be **physically active**,' which demonstrates the direct impact on users.
- 19. v
The correct heading is **v** (Achieving design efficiency by involving a range of specialists). The paragraph emphasizes that 'multidisciplinary collaboration' is vital, explaining how 'administrators, public health faculty and architects **worked together to create a building**.' This explicit mention of diverse teams with varied expertise collaborating on a design matches the concept of involving a **range of specialists**.
- 20. B
The correct option is **B** (Craig Zimring). The statement relates further investigations to improved health and efficiency. In the text, Craig Zimring states that if the current laboratory findings are '**replicated in other labs and in real-world work environments**' (further investigations), they could lead to enhanced mechanical ventilation designs, which will in turn promote '**better health and performance**' (wellbeing and efficiency).
- 21. C
The correct option is **C** (Piers MacNaughton). The statement focuses on how a worker's opinion or feeling about their environment affects performance. The text notes that cognitive scores were not entirely explained by physical factors alone, leading researchers to believe that 'how **someone feels about their working environment**' (opinion of their workspace) plays a significant role, a point specifically attributed to **Piers MacNaughton**.
- 22. D
The correct option is **D** (Amy Eyler). The statement connects workplace design with staff collaboration. In the passage, **Amy Eyler** explains that Hillman Hall incorporated specific elements '**intended to foster more collaboration**.' Her subsequent data confirmed that people in the new layout were 'more likely to take part in **spontaneous collaborations**,' proving that design directly impacts peer interaction.
- 23. B
The correct option is **B** (Craig Zimring). The statement asserts that working environments can significantly reduce a worker's mental capacity. The text explicitly quotes **Craig Zimring** noting that the study's findings are remarkable because they demonstrate that '**indoor air quality can significantly lower cognitive performance**' even in structures that satisfy normal building standards. Cognitive performance corresponds directly to mental capacity.
- 24. sustainability
The answer requires a **noun** to complete the object of research. The passage states that the Syracuse Center of Excellence is a 'research organization devoted to **studying and developing sustainability**.' The summary refers to the center's core focus, and the noun '**sustainability**' fits grammatically and factually to complete the statement.
- 25. supervision
The answer requires a **noun** indicating a state or condition of management. The text notes that the 24 office workers came to the laboratory and 'performed their regular work **under minimal supervision**.' The summary expresses this as working 'without much' of a specific element. Thus, the noun '**supervision**' fits both the syntax and the factual context perfectly.
- 26. mayor
The answer requires a **singular noun** representing a professional role or title. The text explains that the cognitive tasks required participants to respond to online scenarios that mimic real-life situations, 'such as **running a city as a mayor**.' The summary paraphrases this as tasks requiring them to 'play a role, for example acting as' a leader. The noun '**mayor**' accurately satisfies the prompt.