This IELTS Reading post focuses on all the solutions for IELTS Cambridge 10 Reading Test 2 passage 3 which is entitled ‘Museums of fine art and their public’. This is an aimed post for candidates who have big difficulties in finding Reading Answers. This post can direct you to the best to comprehend every Reading answer easily. Finding IELTS Reading answers is a gradual process and I hope this post can help you in this respect.

IELTS Cambridge 10 Test 2: AC Reading Module

The headline of the passage: Museums of fine art and Their public

Questions 27-31 (Summary completion using a list of words)

(In this kind of question candidates are given a summary for one, two or three paragraphs with some fill-in-the-blanks questions. As these are Fill in blanks or gaps, there is a condition of writing the words from the given list of words for each answer. The words are given with letters and candidates must fill in the blanks with the correct letter, not the word/words. 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.)

Questions 27 and 28: People go to art museums because they accept the value of seeing an original work of art. But they do not go to museums to read original manuscripts of novels, perhaps because the availability of novels has depended on  27. __________ for so long, and also because with novels, the 28. _________are the most important thing.

Question 27:

Keywords for this question: museums, novels,

For this question, we have to find out the reason people do not go to museums to read original manuscripts of novels. Let’s have a look at the second paragraph because we find the word ‘novel’ in this paragraph. At the beginning of paragraph 2, the writer says in lines 5-10, “This might be explained by the fact that the novel has evolved precisely because of technological developments that made it possible to printout huge numbers of texts, whereas oil paintings have always been produced as unique objects.” This means people do not need to go to museums to read novel manuscripts because novels are now available as a huge production of printed documents.

Here, to printout huge numbers of texts = mass production

So, the answer is: B (mass production)

Question 28:

Keywords for this question: novels, most important,

To find the answer to this question, we need to move to lines 13-16 of paragraph 2. Here the writer makes another comment about novels. “With novels, the reader attends mainly to the meaning of words rather than the way they are printed on the page.” These lines clearly indicate that the reader finds the meaning of words most important.

Here, most important = mainly, the meaning of words = underlying ideas

So, the answer is: H (underlying ideas)

Questions 29-30: However, in historical times, artists such as Leonardo were happy to instruct 29. _________to produce copies of their work and these days new methods of reproduction allow excellent replication of surface relief features as well as colour and 30. __________.

Question 29:

Keywords for this question: artists, instruct, copies

Let’s take a look at paragraph 3 for this question. The author talks about artists here and says that “…in the 16th century, artists seemed perfectly content to assign the reproduction of their creations to their workshop apprentices as regular ‘bread and butter’ work.”

Here, content = happy, workshop apprentices = assistants, reproduction = copy

So, the answer is: L (assistants)

Question 30:

Keywords for this question: excellent replication, colour, surface relief

The last part of paragraph  3 says,  “And  today  the  task  of  reproducing  pictures  is  incomparably  more  simple  and reliable, with reprographic techniques that allow the production of high-quality prints made exactly to the original scale, with faithful colour values,  and even  with  duplication of the surface relief of the painting.” The lines mean that along with the surface relief features and faithful colour values, new methods allow the copies made exactly to the original scale or the original size.

Here, reproducing = replication, today = these days

So, the answer is: G (size)  

Question 31: It is regrettable that museums still promote the superiority of original works of art, since this may not be in the interests of the ____________.

Keywords for this question: promote, original works, not in the interests of

In paragraph 5, “Unfortunately, this seems to place severe limitations on the kind of experience offered to visitors.”

The line suggests that it is an unfortunate or regrettable matter that museums still highlight or promote the most superior types of arts because general visitors do not have a great interest in them.

Here, regrettable = unfortunately, severe limitations on the kind of experience offered = may not be in the interests of, visitors = the public

So, the answer is: D (public) 

Questions 32-35 (Multiple choice questions)

[‘Multiple choice questions’ is a common type of question set in the IELTS Reading test. It is also found in the Listening test.  Most of the time, they come with four options but sometimes there are three options. Candidates need to work hard for this type of question because this may confuse them easily in passage 2 or passage 3. There will be long answers for each question, so they may kill valuable time. So, quick reading or skimming techniques might come in handy here.  Remember that answers in 3 options out of 4 will be very close. So, vocabulary power will help a lot to choose the best answer.

TIPS: Skimming is the best reading technique. You need not understand every word here. Just try to gather the gist of the sentences. That’s all. Read quickly and don’t stop until you finish each sentence.]

Question 32: The writer mentions London’s National Gallery to illustrate —

Keywords for this question: London’s National Gallery  

To find the answer to this question, let’s find out the mention of London’s National Gallery. Take a look at paragraph 6. Here the author says, “In addition, a major collection like that of London’s National Gallery is housed in numerous rooms, each with dozens of works, any one of which is likely to be worth more than all the average visitor possesses. In a society that judges the personal status of the individual so much by their material worth, it is therefore difficult not to be impressed by one’s own relative ‘worthlessness’ in such an environment.”

These lines suggest the fact that London’s National Gallery is mentioned to demonstrate the adverse / negative effect a museum can have on visitors’ opinions of themselves.

Here, one’s own relative ‘worthlessness’ = negative

So, the answer is: C

Question 33: The writer says that today, viewers may be unwilling to criticise a work because —

Keywords for this question: unwilling, criticise a work

Read quickly paragraph 7,  “…since  these  works  were  originally  produced,  they  have  been  assigned  a  huge monetary value  by some  person  or  institution  more  powerful  than  themselves.” These lines talk about the strong power behind the artworks and their maintenance in the museum. Then read the following lines, “Evidently, nothing the viewer thinks about the work is going to alter the value, and so today’s viewer is deterred from trying to extend that spontaneous, immediate, self-reliant kind of reading which would originally have met work.” Now, these lines clearly show that the viewers or audiences in a museum feel that their opinion is of no importance or significance/nothing the viewer thinks about the work is going to alter the value and so they are deterred from trying to give any opinion.

So, the answer is: D

Question 34: According to the writer, the „displacement effect‟ on the visitor is caused by –

Keywords for this question: displacement effect, caused by

The answer is in paragraph 8. Here, the writer says at the very beginning, “The visitor may be struck by the strangeness of seeing such diverse paintings, drawings and sculptures brought together in an environment for which they were not originally created. This ‘displacement effect’ . …  .. . .. .. ” These lines describe what the displacement effect is. It means the variety of works placed and arranged somewhere they are not created for.

So, the answer is: A

Question 35: The writer says that unlike other forms of art, a painting does not –

Keywords for this question: unlike other forms of art, a painting does not

Take a close look at the first lines in paragraph 9 where the writer differentiates between paintings and other arts. “A fundamental difference between paintings and other forms is that there is no prescribed time over which a painting is viewed.” Then again in lines 11-13, “whereas a picture has no clear place at which to start viewing, or at which to finish.” So, the lines explain the fact that the difference between other forms of art and a painting is that a painting has no specific start or end.

So, the answer is: D

Questions 36-40 (YES/NO/NOT GIVEN):

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

The statement in the question matches with the account in the text- YES
The statement in the question contradicts the account in the text- NO
The statement in the question has no clear connection with the account in the text- 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 36: Art history should focus on discovering the meaning of art using a range of media.

Keywords for this question: art history, meaning of art, media

We find the mention of art history/historian in paragraph 10. “Consequently, the dominant critical approach becomes that of the art historian, a specialised academic approach devoted to ‘discovering the meaning’ of art within the cultural context of its time”. So, it means it has become common for art historians to devote themselves to discovering the meaning. But the lines do not tell us whether art history should focus on meaning or not.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question 37: The approach of art historians conflicts with that of art museums.

Keywords for this question: approach, art historians, conflicts, art museums.  

For the previous question, we found that art historians devote themselves on discovering the meaning of art forms. Now, look at lines 5-6 of paragraph 10, “This is in perfect harmony with the museum’s function, since . . . .. . . .” So, this line suggests that there is a ‘harmony’ between art historian’s approach and the function of art museum. The word ‘harmony’ is the exact antonym/ opposite of ‘conflict’.

So, the answer is: NO

Question 38: People should be encouraged to give their opinions openly on works of art.

Keywords for this question: should be encouraged, give, opinions openly,

Take a look at the last paragraph, lines 4-7, “The museum public, like any other audience, experience art more rewardingly when given the confidence to express their views.” The lines suggest that if people provide their opinions about works of art, the museums can benefit from this. So, this is an encouragement for people to provide opinions.

Here, express their views means to give their opinions.

So, the answer is: YES

Question 39: Reproductions of fine art should only be sold to the public if they are of high quality.

Keywords for this question: reproductions, should only be sold, high quality

We find the discussion about reproductions of fine art in the last paragraph. “If appropriate works of fine art could be rendered permanently accessible to the public by means of high-fidelity reproductions, as literature and music already are, the public may feel somewhat less in awe of them.”

There is no information about “selling fine art reproductions to the public”.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question 40: In the future, those with power are likely to encourage more people to enjoy art.

Keywords for this question: future, power, encourage, enjoy art

Take a look at the very last line of the last paragraph, “Unfortunately, that may be too much to ask from those who seek to maintain and control the art establishment.” The line means it is a very unfortunate matter that it is not a very good idea (too much to ask) to ask people with power to establish and maintain museums to encourage people to enjoy art.

So, the answer is: NO

Click here for all the solutions to Cambridge 10 Test 2 Passage 1

Click here for all the solutions to Cambridge 10 Test 2 Passage 2