This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to IELTS Reading Test 3 Reading Passage 2 titled ‘Climate change reveals ancient artefacts in Norway’s glaciers’. This is a targeted post for IELTS candidates who have big problems finding out and understanding Reading Answers in the AC module. This post can guide you to the best to understand every Reading answer without much trouble. Finding out IELTS Reading answers is a steady process, and this post will assist you in this respect.

IELTS Test 3: AC Reading Module

Reading Passage 2: Questions 14-26

The title of the passage: Climate change reveals ancient artefacts in Norway’s glaciers

Questions 14-19: 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 the List of Headings, only read the first two lines or the 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 no. 14: an explanation for weapons being left behind in the mountains

Keywords for the question: weapons, left behind, mountains,

In Section D, the writer says in lines 3-5, “ . … Many of the artefacts are associated with hunting. Hunters would have easily misplaced arrows and they often discarded broken bows rather than take them all the way home. . …”

Here, arrows = weapons,

often discarded broken bows rather than take them all the way home = explanation for weapons being left behind in the mountains,

So, the answer is: D

Question no. 15: a reference to the physical difficulties involved in an archaeological expedition

Keywords for the question: physical difficulties, archaeological expedition,

Section C contains three paragraphs.

Here, in the third paragraph, the writer says, “‘Fieldwork is hard work – hiking with all our equipment, often camping on permafrost – but very rewarding. . …. ..”

Here, Fieldwork is hard work & often camping on permafrost = physical difficulties involved in an archaeological expedition,

So, the answer is: C

Question no. 16: an explanation of why less food may have been available

Keywords for the question: why, less food, may have been available,

Section F contains two paragraphs. In the second paragraph, have a close look at the final lines, “ . . . A colder turn in the Scandinavian climate would likely have meant widespread crop failures, so more people would have depended on hunting to make up for those losses.”

Here, A colder turn = why,

would likely have meant widespread crop failures = less food may have been available,

So, the answer is: F

Question no. 17: a reference to the possibility of future archaeological discoveries

Keywords for the question: possibility, future archaeological discoveries,

The final lines of section H give us the answer. The writer says, “ . .. . That means archaeologists could be extracting some of those artefacts from retreating ice in years to come.”

Here, at archaeologists could be extracting some of those artefacts . .. . . in years to come = possibility of future archaeological discoveries, 

So, the answer is: H

Question no. 18: examples of items that would have been traded

Keywords for the question: items, would have been traded, 

In section G, lines 5-7 say, “ . .. .. And growing Norwegian towns, along with export markets, would have created a booming demand for hides to fight off the cold, as well as antlers to make useful things like combs. .. .. .”

Here, hides to fight off the cold & antlers to make useful things like combs = items that would have been traded,

So, the answer is: G

Question no. 19: a reference to the pressure archaeologists are under to work quickly  

Keywords for the question: pressure, archaeologists, under, work quickly,  

Section B contains two paragraphs. Here, in the second paragraph, take a look at the first lines, “With climate change shrinking ice cover around the world, glacial archaeologists need to race the clock to find newly revealed artefacts, preserve them, and study them. .. … .”

Here, glacial archaeologists need to race the clock = the pressure archaeologists are under to work quickly,

So, the answer is: B

Questions 20-22: Summary completion

[In this kind of question candidates are given a summary for one, two or three paragraphs with some fill-in-the-blanks questions. Candidates need to find out the related paragraphs by correctly studying the keywords from the questions. Then, they should follow the steps of finding answers to fill in the gaps.]

The headline of the summary: Interesting finds at an archaeological site  

Question no. 20: Organic materials such as animal skins and textiles are not discovered very often at archaeological sites. They have little protection against ________, which means that they decay relatively quickly.

Keywords for the question: organic materials, animal skins and textiles, not discovered, very often, archaeological sites, little protection, against, decay, relatively quickly,

The answer can be found in lines 1-3 of paragraph no. 1 in section B. Here, the writer says, “Organic materials like textiles and hides are relatively rare finds at archaeological sites. This is because unless they’re protected from the microorganisms that cause decay, they tend not to last long. .. ..”

Here, unless they’re protected from = they have little protection against, they tend not to last long = they decay relatively quickly,

So, the answer is: microorganisms/micro-organisms

Questions no. 21 & 22: A team of archaeologists have been working in the mountains in Oppland in Norway to recover artefacts revealed by shrinking ice cover. In the past, there were trade routes through these mountains and ________ gathered there in the summer months to avoid being attacked by ________ on lower ground.

Keywords for the question: A team of archaeologists, working, mountains, Oppland in Norway, recover, artefacts, revealed by, shrinking ice cover, past, trade routes, through these mountains, gathered there, summer months, avoid, being attacked by, lower ground,

In section C, in the very first paragraph, the writer says in lines 1-5, “Over a nine-year period, a team of archaeologists, which included Lars Pilo of Oppland County Council, Norway, and James Barrett of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, surveyed patches of ice in Oppland, an area of south-central Norway that is home to some of the country’s highest mountains. Reindeer once congregated on these icy patches in the later summer mouths to escape biting insects, and from the late Stone Age, hunters followed. .. ..”  

Here, congregated on these icy patches = gathered there, escape biting= avoid being attacked by,

So, the answers are:

21. reindeer
22. insects

Questions 23-26: Choosing TWO options from the given list

[In this kind of question candidates have to choose two or three answers for each question from five or six options. The answers will not follow any sequential order as they are randomly spread in the text, so this question will be time-consuming. Skimming will come in handy and previous reading of the text can come in use. Therefore, other questions should be done first before answering this question.]

Questions no. 23 & 24: Which TWO of the following statements does the writer make about the discoveries of Barrett’s team?  

Keywords for the question: TWO, writer make about, discoveries of Barrett’s team,  

In section E, the final few lines say about the discovery of Barrett’s team, “ . .. . . They found that some periods had produced lots of artefacts, which indicates that people had been pretty active in the mountains during those times. But there were few or no signs of activity during other periods.”

Here, there were few or no signs of activity during other periods = The number of artefacts from certain time periods was relatively low,

Then, in section F, the first few lines and final few lines say, “What was surprising, according to Barrett, was the timing of these periods. Oppland’s mountains present daunting terrain and in periods of extreme cold, glaciers could block the higher mountain passes and make travel in the upper reaches of the mountains extremely difficult. .. . . . .. . . . . . But it turned out that hunters kept regularly venturing into the mountains even when the climate turned cold,  .. .. .. .” 

Here, hunters kept regularly venturing into the mountains even when the climate turned cold = Hunters went into the mountains even during periods of extreme cold,

So, the answers are: (in any order)

B (Hunters went into the mountains even during periods of extreme cold.)

C (The number of artefacts from certain time periods was relatively low.)

Questions no. 25 & 26: Which TWO of the following statements does the writer make about the Viking age?  

Keywords for the question: TWO, writer make about, the Viking age, 

The answer can be found in section G. First, take a look at lines 3-5, “ . . .. Although we usually think of ships when we think of Scandinavian expansion, these recent discoveries show that plenty of goods travelled on overland routes, like the mountain passes of Oppland. . .. ..”

Here, Although we usually think of ships, . .. .. . plenty of goods travelled on overland routes, = Vikings did not rely on ships alone to transport goods,

Then, take a close look at lines 5-7, “ .. .. . And growing Norwegian towns, along with export markets, would have created a booming demand for hides to fight off the cold, as well as antlers to make useful things like combs. Business must have been good for hunters.”

Here, Business must have been good for hunters = Hunters at this time benefited from an increase demand for goods,

So, the answers are: (in any order)

A (Hunters at this time benefited from an increase demand for goods.)

C (Vikings did not rely on ships alone to transport goods.)

Click here for solutions to Test 3 Passage 1: Roman shipbuilding and navigation

Click here for solutions to Test 3 Passage 3: Plant ‘thermometer’ triggers springtime growth by measuring night-time heat