This General Training IELTS Reading post deals with a solution package for IELTS Cambridge 7 Reading Test B Section 3 that has a passage entitled ‘THE IRON BRIDGE‘. This is an aimed post for candidates who have major problems searching for and understanding Reading Answers. This post can guide you the best to understand every Reading answer easily and without much difficulty. Finding IELTS Reading answers is a step-by-step process, and I can confidently say that this post will help you in this respect.

IELTS Cambridge 7 Test B: GT Reading Module

Section 3: Questions 28-40

Title of the passage: THE IRON BRIDGE

Questions 28-31: [Short answer to open questions (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS)

[In this kind of question candidates have to answer some questions, only with some conditions like NO MORE THAN THREE/TWO WORDS and/or A NUMBER or, ONE WORD ONLY. Each question has keywords that will lead to the answer. This question type generally follows a sequence.]

Question 28: When was the furnace bought by Darby originally constructed?

Keywords for this question: when, furnace, bought by Darby, originally, constructed,  

The answer to this question is found in lines 1-3 of paragraph C, “In 1638, Basil Brooke patented a steel-making process and built a furnace at Coalbrookdale. This later became the property of Abraham Darby (referred to as Abraham Darby I to distinguish him from his son and grandson of the same name).”

Here, built = constructed, became the property of Abraham Darby = bought by Darby,

So, the answer is: 1638

Question 29: When were the roads leading to the bridge completed?

Keywords for this question: when, roads, leading to… bridge, completed,  

In paragraph E have a close look at lines 4-6, “ . .. Work on the approach roads continued for another two years, and the bridge was opened to traffic in 1781.”

Here, opened to traffic = work on roads leading to the bridge was completed,

So, the answer is: 1781

Question 30: When was the bridge closed to traffic?

Keywords for this question: when, bridge, closed to traffic,  

Again in paragraph E, the writer mentions in line no. 10, “ . .. Since 1934 the bridge has been open only to pedestrians.”

Here, has been open only to pedestrians = people can cross the bridge on foot; this means the bridge was closed to traffic/transports/vehicles,

So, the answer is: 1934

Question 31: When was a model of the bridge built?

Keywords for this question: when, model of the bridge, built,  

The answer can be found in paragraph G in lines 6-7, “ .. . . So in 2001, a half-scale model of the bridge was built, in order to see if it could have been constructed in the way depicted in the water-colour.”

Here, half-scale model = model of the bridge,

So, the answer is: 2001

Questions 32-36: TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:

The statement in the question agrees with the information in the passage – TRUE
The statement in the question contradicts the information in the passage – FALSE
If there is no information on this  – NOT GIVEN

For this type of question, you can divide each statement into three independent pieces and make your way through with the answer.]

Question 32: There is no written evidence of how the original bridge was constructed.

Keywords for this question: no written evidence, how, original bridge, constructed,  

The answer lies in paragraph F, in the very beginning, “It has always been a mystery how the bridge was built. Despite its pioneering technology, no eye-witness accounts are known which describe the iron bridge being erected – and certainly, no plans have survived.” 

Here, no eye-witness accounts are known = no written evidence, built = constructed,

So, the statement in the question is a clear match to the text.

So, the answer is: TRUE

Question 33: The painting by Elias Martin is the only one of the bridge when it was new.

Keywords for this question: painting, Elias Martin, only one, bridge, when, was new,  

The answer for this question is in paragraph F. At the end of the paragraph the writer says, “In 1997 a small water-colour sketch by Elias Martin came to light in the Swedish capital, Stockholm. Although there is a wealth of early views of the bridge by numerous artists, this is the only one which actually shows it under construction.”

This means the painting by Elias Martin is the only of the bridge when it was under construction; not when it was new.

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question 34: The painting shows that the bridge was constructed from the two banks.

Keywords for this question: painting, shows, bridge, constructed, from, two banks,  

The answer is in paragraph G at the beginning where the author says, “Up until recently, it had been assumed that the bridge had been built from both banks, with the inner supports tilted across the river. This would have allowed river traffic to continue unimpeded during construction. But the picture clearly shows sections of the bridge being raised from a barge in the river. It contradicted everything historians had assumed about the bridge . .. .”

Here, the picture clearly shows sections of the bridge being raised from a barge in the river = the painting shows that the bridge was not constructed from the two banks.  

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question 35: The original bridge and the model took equally long to construct.

Keywords for this question: original bridge, model, took equally long, construct,   

We cannot find any information that gives us an idea about the time it took to construct the model and the bridge.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question 36: Elias Martin is thought to have made other paintings of the bridge.

Keywords for this question: Elias Martin, thought to have made, other paintings, bridge,    

The answer lies in paragraph I in lines 1-3, “Now only one mystery remains in the Iron Bridge story. The Swedish water-colour sketch had apparently been torn from a book which would have contained similar sketches.”

Here, the Swedish water-colour sketch = the painting by Elias Martin, a book which would have contained similar sketches = Elias Martin might have made some other paintings of the bridge on the book,

So, the answer is: TRUE

Questions 37-40: Identifying information:

[This question asks you to find information from the passage and write the number of the paragraph (A, B, C or D … .. ) in the answer sheet. Now, if the question is given in the very first part of the question set, I’d request you not to answer them. It’s mainly because this question will not follow any sequence, and so it will surely kill your time. Rather, you should answer all the other questions first. And just like List of Headings, only read the first two lines or last two lines of the expected paragraph initially. If you find the answers, you need not read the middle part. If you don’t find answers yet, you can skim the middle part of the paragraph. Keywords will be a useful matter here.]

Question 37: why a bridge was required across the River Severn.

Keywords for this question: why, bridge, required, River Severn,    

Take a look at paragraph D in lines 1-4, “. . .. had the idea of building a bridge over the Severn, as ferrying stores of all kinds across the river, particularly the large quantities of fuel for the furnaces at Coalbrookdale and other surrounding ironworks, involved considerable expense and delay……”

So, it was the considerable expense and delay for ferrying stores for which a bridge was required across the River Severn.

So, the answer is: D

Question 38: a method used to raise money for the bridge

Keywords for this question: method used, raise money, for, bridge,   

In paragraph E the writer says in lines 6-7, “ . .. .. Abraham Darby III funded the bridge by commissioning paintings and engravings,. .. . .”

Here, funded the bridge = raised money for the bridge,

So, the answer is: E

Question 39: why Coalbrookdale became attractive to iron makers

Keywords for this question: why, Coalbrookdale, became attractive, iron makers,

In paragraph C the last few lines say, “ . . . coke derived from coal could provide a more economical alternative to charcoal as a fuel for iron-making. This led to cheaper, more efficient iron-making from the abundant supplies of coal, iron and limestone in the area.”

This means coke from coal became a great alternative to charcoal as a fuel in the iron-making process in Coalrookdale. This inspired cheaper and more efficient iron-making which made it attractive to iron makers.

So, the answer is: C

Question 40: how the sections of the bridge were connected to each other

Keywords for this question: how, the sections, bridge, connected to, each other,    

In paragraph H we find the description of how the sections of the bridge were connected to each other in lines 2-5, “ . . .. . The bridge wasn’t welded or bolted together as metal bridges are these days. Instead, it was fitted together using a complex system of joints normally used for wood – but this was the traditional way in which iron structures were joined at the time.”

Here, fitted together = connected,   

So, the answer is: H

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 7 Test B GT Reading Section 1

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 7 Test B GT Reading Section 2