Caral: an ancient South American city | Actual exam ielts reading pdfs |

READING PASSAGE 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1

on pages 2 and 3.

Caral: an ancient South American city

Huge earth and rock mounds rise out of the desert of the Supe Valley near the coast of Peru in
South America. These immense mounds appear simply to be part of the geographical landscape
in this arid region squeezed between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains. But looks
deceive. These are actually human-made pyramids. Strong evidence indicates they are the
remains of a city known as Caral that flourished nearly 5,000 years ago. If true, it would be the
oldest known urban center in the Americas and among the most ancient in the world.

Research undertaken by Peruvian archaeologist Ruth Shady suggests that the 150-acre complex
of pyramids, plazas and residential buildings was a thriving metropolis when Egypt's great
pyramids were still being built. Though discovered in 1905, for years Caral attracted little
attention, largely because archaeologists believed the structures were fairly recent. But the
monumental scale of the pyramids had long interested Shady, who began excavations at the
site in 1996, about 22 kilometers from the coast and 190 kilometers north of Peru's capital city
of Lima.

Shady and her crew searched for broken remains of the puts and containers that most such
sites contain. Not finding any only made her more excited; it meant Caral could be what
archaeologists term pre-ceramic, that is, existing before the advent in the area of pot-firing
techniques. Shady's team undertook the task of excavating Piramide Mayor, the largest of the
pyramids. After carefully clearing away many hundreds of years' worth of rubble and sand, they
identified staircases, walls covered with remnants of colored plaster, and brickwork. In the
foundations, they found the remains of grass-like reeds woven into bags. The original workers,
she surmised, must have filled these bags with stones from a nearby quarry and laid them atop
one another inside retaining walls, gradually giving rise to the pyramid's immense structure.
Shady had samples of the reeds subjected to radiocarbon dating and found that the reeds were
4,600 years old. This evidence indicated that Caral was, in fact, more than 1,000 years older
than what had previously been thought to be the oldest urban center in the Americas.

What amazed archaeologists was not just the age, but the complexity and scope of Caral.
Piramide Mayor alone covers an area nearly the size of four football fields and is 18 meters tall.
A nine-meter-wide staircase rises from a circular plaza at the foot of the pyramid, passing over
three terraced levels until it reaches the top. Thousands of manual laborers would have been
needed to build such a project, not counting the many architects, craftsmen, and managers.
Shady's team found the remains of a large amphitheater, containing almost 70 musical
instruments made of bird and deer bones. Clearly, music played an important role in Caral's
society. Around the perimeter of Caral are a series of smaller mounds and various buildings.
These indicate a hierarchy of living arrangements: large, well-kept rooms atop pyramids for the
elite, ground-level quarters for craftsmen, and shabbier outlying dwellings for workers.

But why had Caral been built in the first place? Her excavations convinced Shady that Caral
once served as a trade center for the region, which extends from the rainforests of the Amazon
to the high forests of the Andes. Shady found evidence of a rich trading environment, including
seeds of the cocoa bush and necklaces of shells, neither of which was native to the immediate
Caral area. This environment gave rise to people who did not take part in the production of
food, allowing them to become priests and planners, builders and designers. Thus occupational
specialization, elemental to an urban society, emerged.

But what sustained such a trading center and drew travelers to it? Was it food? Shady and her
team found the bones of small edible fish, which must have come from the Pacific coast to the
west, in the excavations. But they also found evidence of squash, sweet potatoes and beans
having been grown locally. Shady theorized that Caral's early farmers diverted the area's rivers
into canals, which still cross the Supe Valley today, to irrigate their fields. But because she
found no traces of maize, which can be traded or stored and used in times of crop failure, she
concluded that Caral's trade leverage was not based on stockpiling food supplies.


It was evidence of another crop in the excavations that gave Shady the best clue to Caral's
success. In nearly every excavated building, her team discovered evidence of cotton seeds,
fibers and textiles. Her theory fell into place when a large fishing net made of those fibers,
unearthed in an unrelated dig on Peru's coast, turned out to be as old as Caral. 'The farmers of
Caral grew the cotton that the fishermen needed to make their nets,' Shady speculates. 'And
the fishermen gave them shellfish and dried fish in exchange for these nets.' In essence, the
people of Caral enabled fishermen to work with larger and more effective nets, which made the
resources of the sea more readily available, and the fishermen probably used dried squash
grown by the Caral people as flotation devices for their nets.

Questions 1 - 6

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet, 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

1 Caral was built at the same time as the construction of the Egyptian pyramids.

2 The absence of pottery at the archaeological dig gave Shady a significant clue to the age

of the site.

3 The stones used to build Piramide Mayor came from a location far away.

4 The huge and complicated structures of Piramide Mayor suggest that its construction

required an organised team of builders.

5 Archaeological evidence shows that the residents of Caral were highly skilled musicians.

6 The remains of housing areas at Caral suggest that there were no class distinctions in

residential areas.

Questions 7 - 13

Complete the notes below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 7-13 on your answer sheet.

                                        Caral as a trading centre

Items discovered at Caral but not naturally occurring in the area

􀁸 the 7 ……………………. of a certain plant

􀁸 8 ……………………. used to make jewellery

􀁸 the remains of certain food such as 9 …………………….

Clues to farming around Caral

􀁸 10 ……………………. still in existence today indicate water diverted from rivers

􀁸 no evidence that 11 ……………………. was grown

Evidence of relationship with fishing communities

􀁸 the excavation findings and fishing nets found on the coast suggest Caral farmers

traded 12 …………………….

􀁸 dried squash may have been used to aid 13 ……………………. of fishing nets

Questions 1-6: True/False/Not Given

1. Caral was built at the same time as the construction of the Egyptian pyramids.

   Answer: False

   Explanation: The passage states that Caral "flourished nearly 5,000 years ago" and was "a thriving metropolis when Egypt's great pyramids were still being built." This indicates that Caral existed during the same period but not necessarily that it was built simultaneously with the Egyptian pyramids.

2. The absence of pottery at the archaeological dig gave Shady a significant clue to the age of the site.

   Answer: True

   Explanation: The text mentions that Shady and her team did not find broken remains of pots and containers, which made her more excited as it suggested Caral could be "pre-ceramic," existing before pot-firing techniques were developed in the area.

3. The stones used to build Piramide Mayor came from a location far away.

   Answer: False

   Explanation: The passage indicates that workers filled bags with stones "from a nearby quarry," implying the stones were sourced locally.

4. The huge and complicated structures of Piramide Mayor suggest that its construction required an organised team of builders.

   Answer: True

   Explanation: The text notes that "thousands of manual laborers would have been needed to build such a project, not counting the many architects, craftsmen, and managers," indicating organized teamwork was essential.

5. Archaeological evidence shows that the residents of Caral were highly skilled musicians.

   Answer: Not Given

   Explanation: While the passage mentions the discovery of musical instruments, it does not provide information about the skill level of the musicians.

6. The remains of housing areas at Caral suggest that there were no class distinctions in residential areas.

   Answer: False

   Explanation: The text describes a hierarchy in living arrangements, with "large, well-kept rooms atop pyramids for the elite," and "shabbier outlying dwellings for workers," indicating clear class distinctions.

Questions 7-13: Note Completion

Caral as a trading centre

Items discovered at Caral but not naturally occurring in the area:

7. the seeds of a certain plant

   Answer: seeds

   Explanation: The passage mentions "seeds of the cocoa bush" were found, which were not native to the immediate Caral area.

8. used to make jewellery

   Answer: shells

   Explanation: "Necklaces of shells" were discovered, indicating items used for jewelry.

9. the remains of certain food such as

   Answer: fish

   Explanation: The text notes the finding of "bones of small edible fish," suggesting the consumption of fish.

Clues to farming around Caral:

10. still in existence today indicate water diverted from rivers

    Answer: canals

    Explanation: Shady theorized that farmers diverted rivers into "canals, which still cross the Supe Valley today."

11. no evidence that was grown

    Answer: maize

    Explanation: The passage states, "she found no traces of maize," indicating it was not grown.

Evidence of relationship with fishing communities:

12. the excavation findings and fishing nets found on the coast suggest Caral farmers traded

    Answer: cotton

    Explanation: Evidence of "cotton seeds, fibers and textiles" suggests that Caral farmers grew cotton, which was likely traded with fishermen.

13. dried squash may have been used to aid of fishing nets

    Answer: flotation

    Explanation: The text mentions that "dried squash grown by the Caral people" was probably used as "flotation devices for their nets."

PAST EXAM IELTS READING ANSWERS | Making Copier | Researcher on the Tree Crown | Asian Space 2 Satellite Technology | IELTS READING ANSWERS

 PAST EXAM IELTS READING ANSWERS 


TEST 1 


Making Copier

ANSWER

1. FALSE

2. NOT GIVEN

3. NOT GIVEN

4. TRUE

5. FALSE

6. FALSE

7. (normal) inventor

8. corporations

9. turned him down

10. commercial triumph

11. wealthy

12. possessions

13. charities



Researcher on the Tree Crown

ANSWER

14. B

15. C

16. A

17. F

18. E

19. locals

20. balloons

21. raft/rafts

22. (static) crane/ cranes

23. D

24. B

25. F

26. E

27. B


Asian Space 2 Satellite Technology

ANSWER

28. iv

29. vii

30. iii

31. ii

32. ix

33. F

34. B

35. D

36. A

37. FALSE

38. NOT GIVEN

39. TRUE

40. TRUE




TEST 2 

8 FEBRUARY IELTS EXAM REVIEW | 08 February ielts reading and listening answers 08Feb 2025 ielts exam review ielts reading answers |08 February 2025 IELTS EXAM REVIEW WITH READING PASSAGE NAMES AND WRITING TASKS | IELTS | IDP & BC

 

8 FEBRUARY IELTS EXAM REVIEW


IELTS WRITING TASK 2

Everyday activities cause stress for many people in the modern world. Why is this the case? What can be done to solve this problem?

 

 

TASK 1

LINE GRAPH

 

 

IELTS GT WRITING TASK 2 GT

 

The best manager is one who is warm and friendly with their staff. Do you agree or disagree?

 

Writing task 1 GT

 

You are a part time student in a college. Due to some problem, you will miss your classes for next few weeks.

Write a letter rot your teacher

- explain why you will miss out

- say when you expect to return to the class

- suggest why you can do about the work you miss

 

 

Ielts reading answers

passage repeated in real exam 

what is the meaning 

1.       False

2.       True

3.       True

4.       Not given

5.       False

6.       True

7.       Camera

8.       –

9.       Familiar

10.   Images

11.   Brain

12.   Damage

13.   Response

14.   Nervousness

15.   Age, gender

16.   G

17.   F

18.   H

19.   E

20.   Breathe

21.   Backward

22.   Bird

23.   Propulsion

24.   Plankton

25.   B

26.   C

27.   A

28.   D

29.   C

30.   C

31.   A

32.   D

33.   Yes

34.   No

35.   Yes  

36.   No

37.   –

38.   E

39.   G

40.   d

 

 

LISTENING ANSWERS

 

1.       June

2.       12 year

3.       Donalson

4.       Ticket

5.       Thursday

6.       Light

7.       Nurse

8.       Sunscreen

9.       C

10.   A

 

31. portraits

32. castles

33. family

34.

35. prints

36. poet

37. focus

38. farming

39. quality

40.

 

 

Writing task 1 gt Canada  

Write a letter to the colleague to help you to arrange a farewell party for you as you are joining new company

- write about your new job

- what are the duties in new job and when you are joining

- suggest a farewell party theme

 

Writing task 2 gt

 

Some people believe that hospitals should spend money on equipment. Others think it would be better to spend money on hiring doctors and nurses. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

 

                           

Writing task 2 ac + computer based (Canada)

Nowadays, not enough students choose science subjects in university in many countries. What are the reasons for this problem? What are the effects on society?

 

 

Task 1

 

What is Meaning | Actual exam reading pdf | Past exam ielts reading pdf | 08 february ielts reading pdf for free | 08 February 2025 ielts reading pdf for free

 Passage 3 What is Meaning —Why do we respond to words and symbols in the waves we do?

1

SECTION 3

READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Question 27-40 which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

What is Meaning

—Why do we respond to words and symbols in the waves we do?

The end, product of education, yours and mine and everybody's, is the total pattern of reactions and possible reactions we have inside ourselves. If you did not have within you at this moment the pattern of reactions that we call "the ability to read.” you would see here only meaningless black marks on paper. Because of the trained patterns of response, you are (or are not) stirred to patriotism by martial music, your feelings of reverence are aroused by symbols of your religion, you listen more respectfully to the health advice of someone who has “MD" after his name than to that of someone who hasn’t. What I call here a “pattern of reactions”, then, is the sum total of the ways we act in response to events, to words, and to symbols.

Our reaction patterns or our semantic habits, are the internal and most important residue of whatever years of education or miseducation we may have received from our parents’ conduct toward us in childhood as well as their teachings, from the formal education we may have had, from all the lectures we have listened to, from the radio programs and the movies and television shows we have experienced, from all the books and newspapers and comic strips we have read, from the conversations we have had with friends and associates, and from all our experiences. If, as the result of all these influences that make us what we are, our semantic habits are reasonably similar to those of most people around us, we are regarded as "normal,” or perhaps “dull.” If our semantic habits are noticeably different from those of others, we are regarded as “individualistic" or “original.” or, if the differences are disapproved of or viewed with alarm, as “crazy.”

Semantics is sometimes defined in dictionaries as “the science of the meaning of words”— which would not be a bad definition if people didn’t assume that the search for the meanings of words begins and ends with looking them up in a dictionary. If one stops to think for a moment, it is clear that to define a word, as a dictionary does, is simply to explain the word with more words. To be thorough about defining, we should next have to define the words used in the definition, then define the words used in defining the words used in the definition and so on. Defining words with more words, in short, gets us at once into what mathematicians call an “infinite regress”. Alternatively, it can get us into the kind of run-around we sometimes encounter when we look up “impertinence” and find it defined as “impudence," so we look up “impudence” and find it defined as “impertinence." Yet—and here we come to another common reaction pattern—people often act as if words can be explained fully with more words. To a person who asked for a definition of jazz, Louis Armstrong is said to have replied, "Man. when you got to ask what it is, you’ll never get to know,” proving himself to be an intuitive semanticist as well as a great trumpet player.

Semantics, then, does not deal with the “meaning of words” as that expression is commonly understood. P. W. Bridgman, the Nobel Prize winner and physicist, once wrote, “The true meaning of a term is to be found by observing what a man does with it, not by what he says about it.” He made an enormous contribution to science by showing that the meaning of a scientific term lies in the operations, the things done, that establish its validity, rather than in verbal definitions.

Here is a simple, everyday kind of example of “operational” definition. If you say, “This table measures six feet in length,” you could prove it by taking a foot rule, performing the operation of laying it end to end while counting, “One...two...three...four...” But if you say—and revolutionists have started uprisings with just this statement “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains!”—what operations could you perform to demonstrate its accuracy or inaccuracy?

But let us carry this suggestion of “operationalism" outside the physical sciences where Bridgman applied it, and observe what “operations” people perform as the result of both the language they use and the language other people use in communicating to them. Here is a personnel manager studying an application blank. He comes to the words “Education: Harvard University,” and drops the application blank in the wastebasket (that’s the “operation”) because, as he would say if you asked him, “I don’t like Harvard men.” This is an instance of "meaning” at work—but it is not a meaning that can be found in dictionaries.

If I seem to be taking a long time to explain what semantics is about, it is because I am trying, in the course of explanation, to introduce the reader to a certain way of looking at human behavior. I say human responses because, so far as we know, human beings are the only creatures that have, over and above that biological equipment which we have in common with other creatures, the additional capacity for manufacturing symbols and systems of symbols. When we react to a flag, we are not reacting simply to a piece of cloth, but to the meaning with which it has been symbolically endowed. When we react to a word, we are not reacting to a set of sounds, but to the meaning with which that set of sounds has been symbolically endowed.

A basic idea in general semantics, therefore, is that the meaning of words (or other symbols) is not in the words, but in our own semantic reactions. If I were to tell a shockingly obscene story in Arabic or Hindustani or Swahili before an audience that understood only English, no one would blush or be angry; the story would be neither shocking nor obscene-induced, it would not even be a story. Likewise, the value of a dollar bill is not in the bill, but in our social agreement to accept it as a symbol of value. If that agreement were to break down through the collapse of our government, the dollar bill would become only a scrap of paper. We do not understand a dollar bill by staring at it long and hard. We understand it by observing how people act with respect to it. We understand it by understanding the social mechanisms and the loyalties that keep it meaningful. Semantics is therefore a social study, basic to all other social studies.

Questions 27-31

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write the correct letter in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.

27 What point is made in the first paragraph?

A The aim of education is to teach people to read

B Everybody has a different pattern of reactions.

C Print only carries meaning to those who have received appropriate ways to respond.

D The writers should make sure their works satisfy a variety of readers.

28 According to the second paragraph, people are judged by

A the level of education.

B the variety of experience.

C how conventional their responses are.

D complex situations.

29 What point is made in the third paragraph?

A Standard ways are incapable of defining words precisely.

B A dictionary is most scientific in defining words.

C A dictionary should define words in as few words as possible.

D Mathematicians could define words accurately.

30 What does the writer suggest by referring to Louis Armstrong?

A He is an expert of language.

B Music and language are similar.

C He provides insights to how words are defined.

D Playing trumpet is easier than defining words.

31 What does the writer intend to show about the example of “personnel manager”?

A Harvard men are not necessarily competitive in the job market.

B Meaning cannot always be shared by others.

C The idea of operationalism does not make much sense outside the physical science.

D Job applicants should take care when filling out application forms.

Questions 32-35

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?

In boxes 32-35 on you answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement is true

FALSE if the statement is false

NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

32 Some statements are incapable of being proved or disproved.

33 Meaning that is personal to individuals is less worthy to study than shared meanings.

34 Flags and words are eliciting responses of the same reason.

35 A story can be entertaining without being understood.

Questions 36-40

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-H, below.

Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.

36 A comic strip

37 A dictionary

38 Bridgman

39 A story in a language the audience cannot understand

40 A dollar bill

A is meaningless.

B has lasting effects on human behaviors.

C is a symbol that has lost its meaning.

D can be understood only in its social context.

E can provide inadequate explanation of meaning.

F reflects the variability of human behaviors.

G emphasizes the importance of analyzing how words were used.

H suggests that certain types of behaviors carry more meanings than others.

Multiple Choice Questions (27-31):

27. What point is made in the first paragraph?

Answer: C. Print only carries meaning to those who have received appropriate ways to respond.

Explanation: The first paragraph discusses how, without the learned ability to read, one would see only "meaningless black marks on paper." This indicates that printed words carry meaning only for those trained to interpret them.

28. According to the second paragraph, people are judged by

Answer: C. how conventional their responses are.

Explanation: The second paragraph states that if our semantic habits are similar to most people around us, we are regarded as "normal." If noticeably different, we might be seen as "individualistic" or "crazy." This suggests judgment based on the conventionality of our responses.

29. What point is made in the third paragraph?

Answer: A. Standard ways are incapable of defining words precisely.

Explanation: The third paragraph highlights the limitations of defining words with more words, leading to an "infinite regress." This underscores the inadequacy of standard definitions in capturing precise meanings.

30. What does the writer suggest by referring to Louis Armstrong?

Answer: C. He provides insights into how words are defined.

Explanation: Louis Armstrong's quote implies that some concepts can't be fully explained through definitions alone, suggesting that understanding comes from experience or intuition, offering insight into the limitations of verbal definitions.

31. What does the writer intend to show about the example of the "personnel manager"?

Answer: B. Meaning cannot always be shared by others.

Explanation: The personnel manager's reaction to "Harvard University" is based on personal bias, illustrating that meanings assigned to words or symbols can be subjective and not universally shared.

True/False/Not Given Questions (32-35):

32. Some statements are incapable of being proved or disproved.

Answer: True.

Explanation: The passage provides the example, "Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains!" and questions what operations could demonstrate its accuracy or inaccuracy, indicating that some statements can't be empirically proven or disproven.

33. Meaning that is personal to individuals is less worthy to study than shared meanings.

Answer: Not Given.

Explanation: The passage does not discuss the comparative worthiness of studying personal versus shared meanings.

34. Flags and words are eliciting responses for the same reason.

Answer: True.

Explanation: The passage states that when reacting to a flag or a word, we respond to the meaning with which they have been symbolically endowed, indicating a similar reason for the response.

35. A story can be entertaining without being understood.

Answer: False.

Explanation: The passage mentions that if a story is told in a language not understood by the audience, it would not even be a story to them, implying it wouldn't be entertaining without understanding.

Sentence Completion Questions (36-40):

36. A comic strip

Answer: F. reflects the variability of human behaviors.

Explanation: The passage mentions that our semantic habits result from various influences, including comic strips, which contribute to the diverse patterns of human behavior.

37. A dictionary

Answer: E. can provide inadequate explanations of meaning.

Explanation: The passage discusses the limitations of dictionaries, stating that defining words with more words can lead to an "infinite regress," indicating inadequacy in explanations.

38. Bridgman

Answer: G. emphasizes the importance of analyzing how words are used.

Explanation: Bridgman is noted for showing that the meaning of a term is found by observing what one does with it, not just by verbal definitions, highlighting the importance of usage analysis.

39. A story in a language the audience cannot understand

Answer: A. is meaningless.

Explanation: The passage states that if a story is told in an unfamiliar language, it would not even be a story to the audience, rendering it meaningless.

40. A dollar bill

Answer: D. can be understood only in its social context.

Explanation: The passage explains that the value of a dollar bill is not inherent but comes from social agreement, meaning it can only be understood within its social context.

The development of the silk industry | Actual exam reading pdf | Past exam ielts reading pdf | 08 february ielts reading pdf for free | 08 February 2025 ielts reading pdf for free

Reading Practice

The development of the silk industry

Silk, a natural fibre produced by a particular worm called a silkworm, has been used in

clothing for many centuries.

When silk was first discovered in China over 4,500 years ago, it was reserved exclusively

for the use of the emperor, his close relations and the very highest of his dignitaries. Within

the palace, the emperor is believed to have worn a robe of white silk; outside, he, his

principal wife, and the heir to the throne wore yellow, the colour of the earth.

Gradually silk came into more general use, and the various classes of Chinese society

began wearing tunics of silk. As well as being used for clothing and decoration, silk was

quite quickly put to industrial use, and rapidly became one of the principal elements of the

Chinese economy. It was used in the production of musical instruments, as string for

fishing, and even as the world’s first luxury paper. Eventually even the common people

were able to wear garments of silk.

During the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), silk ceased to be a mere fabric and became a

form of currency. Farmers paid their taxes in grain and silk, and silk was used to pay civil

servants and to reward subjects for outstanding services. Values were calculated in lengths

of silk as they had previously been calculated in weight of gold. Before long, silk became a

currency used in trade with foreign countries, which continued into the Tang dynasty (616-

907 AD). It is possible that this added importance was the result of a major increase in

production. Silk also found its way so thoroughly into the Chinese language that 230 of the

5,000 most common characters of Mandarin* have 'silk' as their key component. Silk

became a precious commodity, highly sought after by other countries from an early date,

and it is believed that the silk trade.

actually, existed before the Silk Road1" was officially opened in the second century BC. An

Egyptian mummy with a silk thread in her hair, dating from 1070 BC, has been discovered

in the village of Deir el Medina near the Valley of the Kings, and is probably the earliest

evidence of the silk trade. During the second century BC, the Chinese emperor Han Wu

Di’s ambassadors travelled as far west as Persia and Mesopotamia, bearing gifts including

silks. A range of important finds of Chinese silks have also been made along the Silk Road.

One of the most dramatic of these finds was some Tang silk discovered in 1900. It is

believed that around 1015 AD Buddhist monks, possibly alarmed by the threat of invasion

by Tibetan people, had sealed more than ten thousand manuscripts and silk paintings, silk

banners and textiles in caves near Dunhuang, a trading station on the Silk Road in northwest China.

 

Some historians believe the first Europeans to set eyes upon the fabulous fabric were the

Roman legions of Marcus Licinius Crassus, Governor of Syria. According to certain

accounts of the period, at an important battle near the Euphrates River in 53 BC, the

Roman soldiers were so startled by the bright silken banners of the enemy that they fled in

panic. Yet, within decades Chinese silks were widely worn by the rich and noble families of

Rome. The Roman Emperor Heliogabalus (218-222 AD) wore nothing but silk. By 380 AD,

the Roman historian Marcellinnus Ammianus reported that. The use of silk, which was

one confined to the nobility, has now spread to all classes without distinction - even to the

lowest. The desire for silk continued to increase over the centuries. Despite this demand,

the price of silk remained very high.

 

 

In spite of their secrecy about production methods, the Chinese eventually lost them

monopoly on silk production. Knowledge of silk production methods reached Korea around

200 BC, when waves of Chinese immigrants arrived there. Shortly after 300 AD, it travelled

westward, and the cultivation of the silkworm was established in India.

Around 550 AD silk production reached the Middle East. Records indicate that two monks

from Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), capital of the Byzantine Empire, appeared at

their emperor’s court with silkworm eggs which they had obtained secretly, and hidden in

their hollow bamboo walking sticks. Under their supervision the eggs hatched into worms,

and the worms spun silk threads. Byzantium was in the silk business at last. The Byzantine

church and state created imperial workshops, monopolising production and keeping the

secret to themselves. This allowed a silk industry to be established, undercutting the

market for ordinary-grade Chinese silk. However, high quality silk textiles, woven in China

especially for the Middle Eastern market, continued to achieve high prices in the West, and

trade along the Silk Road continued as before. By the sixth century the Persians, too, had

mastered the art of silk weaving, developing their own rich patterns and techniques. But it

wasn’t until the 13th century that Italy began silk production, with the introduction of 2,000

skilled silk weavers from Constantinople. Eventually, silk production became widespread

throughout Europe.

World silk production has approximately doubled during the last 30 years in spite of

manmade fibres replacing certain uses of silk. Before this period, China and Japan were

the two main producers, together manufacturing more than 50 per cent of world production

each year. After the late 1970s, however, China dramatically increased its silk production,

and once again became the world’s leading producer.

 

 

 

Questions 1-7

Complete the notes below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.

                                                   Chinese silk

Early Uses

Clothing

                -at first, silk only available to Chinese of high rank

                -emperor wore 1..................... silk indoors

In industry

               -silk items included parts of musical instruments, fishing strings and 2.....................

Currency

               -silk was used as payment of 3..................... as well as for wages and rewards

               -silk replaced 4..................... as a unit of value

                -silk soon used as payment in 5..................... trade

Evidence of silk trade

1070 BC, Egypt:

       -      hair of a 6..................... contained silk 2nd century BC, Persia and Mesopotamia: gifts of

             silk were presented by Chinese ambassadors1015 AD, north-west China: silk objects

             were hidden inside 7.....................

 

Questions 8-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1 ?

In boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet, 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

 

 

8..................... Their first sight of silk created fear among Roman soldiers.

9..................... The quality of Chinese silk imported by the early Romans varied widely.

10..................... The Byzantine emperor first acquired silkworm eggs from the Chinese

emperor.

11..................... The price of high-grade Chinese silk fell due to competition from Middle Access

Eastern producers.

12..................... Silk was produced in the Middle East several centuries before it was

produced in Europe.

13..................... Global silk production has declined in recent years.

 

 

 

Solution:

1. white            8. TRUE

2. paper            9. NOT GIVEN

3. taxes            10. FALSE

4. gold             11. FALSE

5. foreign        12. TRUE

6. mummy      13. FALSE

7. caves

 

Notes Completion (Questions 1-7)

1. white

• Reason: The passage states that the emperor wore a robe of white silk inside the palace.
• Location: “Within the palace, the emperor is believed to have worn a robe of white silk.”

2. paper

• Reason: The passage mentions that silk was used to make musical instruments, fishing strings, and luxury paper.
• Location: “It was used in the production of musical instruments, as string for fishing, and even as the world’s first luxury paper.”

3. taxes

• Reason: The passage states that farmers paid their taxes in silk.
• Location: “Farmers paid their taxes in grain and silk, and silk was used to pay civil servants and to reward subjects for outstanding services.”

4. gold

• Reason: The passage states that silk replaced gold as a unit of value.
• Location: “Values were calculated in lengths of silk as they had previously been calculated in weight of gold.”

5. foreign

• Reason: The passage mentions that silk became a currency used in foreign trade.
• Location: “Before long, silk became a currency used in trade with foreign countries.”

6. mummy

• Reason: The passage states that a silk thread was found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy from 1070 BC.
• Location: “An Egyptian mummy with a silk thread in her hair, dating from 1070 BC, has been discovered in the village of Deir el Medina near the Valley of the Kings.”

7. caves

• Reason: The passage states that Buddhist monks sealed silk objects inside caves in north-west China.
• Location: “Around 1015 AD Buddhist monks … had sealed more than ten thousand manuscripts and silk paintings, silk banners and textiles in caves near Dunhuang, a trading station on the Silk Road in north-west China.”

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True/False/Not Given (Questions 8-13)

8. TRUE

• Reason: The passage states that Roman soldiers were so startled by the bright silk banners that they fled in panic.
• Location: “At an important battle near the Euphrates River in 53 BC, the Roman soldiers were so startled by the bright silken banners of the enemy that they fled in panic.”

9. NOT GIVEN

• Reason: The passage mentions that Chinese silk was widely worn by Romans, but it does not mention whether the quality varied.
• Location: No direct reference to variations in quality of imported silk.

10. FALSE

• Reason: The passage states that two monks from Constantinople secretly obtained silkworm eggs and brought them to their emperor, not from the Chinese emperor.
• Location: “Records indicate that two monks from Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), capital of the Byzantine Empire, appeared at their emperor’s court with silkworm eggs which they had obtained secretly.”

11. FALSE

• Reason: The passage states that high-quality Chinese silk continued to achieve high prices despite Middle Eastern production.
• Location: “High-quality silk textiles, woven in China especially for the Middle Eastern market, continued to achieve high prices in the West.”

12. TRUE

• Reason: The passage states that silk production reached the Middle East around 550 AD, but Europe only started producing silk in the 13th century.
• Location: “Around 550 AD silk production reached the Middle East.” and “But it wasn’t until the 13th century that Italy began silk production.”

13. FALSE

• Reason: The passage states that world silk production has doubled in the last 30 years, meaning it has increased, not declined.
• Location: “World silk production has approximately doubled during the last 30 years.”

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