This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to IELTS Cambridge 15 Reading Test 1 Reading Passage 3 entitled ‘What is exploration?’. This is an aimed post for IELTS candidates who have great problems finding out and understanding Reading Answers in the AC module. This post can guide you the best to understand every Reading answer quite easily. Finding out IELTS Reading answers is a gradual process, and this post will assist you in this respect.

IELTS Cambridge 15 Test 1: AC Reading Module

Reading Passage 3: Questions 27-40

The headline of the passage: What is exploration?

Questions 27-32: Multiple choice questions

[This type of question asks you to choose a suitable answer from the options using the knowledge you gained from the passage. Generally, this question is found as the last question so you should not worry much about it. Finding all the answers to previous questions gives you a good idea about the title.]

Question no. 27: The writer refers to visitors to New York to illustrate the point that –

Keywords for the question: visitors to New York

Take a look at the first lines of paragraph no. 1. The writer says, “ . .. Our desire to discover, and then share that new-found knowledge, is part of what makes us human – . .. ..” And, that’s the main idea of the first paragraph.

Here, desire to discover = desire for exploration, part of what makes us human = intrinsic element of being human,

Then, the writer provides reference to visitors of New York to illustrate the point in the last line of the paragraph, “ . .. and a visitor negotiate the subways of New York.”

So, the answer is: A (exploration is an intrinsic element of being human.)

Question no. 28: According to the second paragraph, what is the writer’s view of explorers?

Keywords for the question: second paragraph, writer’s view of explorers,

In the second paragraph, the writer says in the beginning, “Over the years, we’ve come to think of explorers as a peculiar breed – different from the rest of us, different from those of us who are merely ‘well travelled’, . . .. . a type of caveman more inclined to risk venturing out. .. .”

These lines suggest that we, the general public, have had considered explorers are a different type of human beings, who want to take the risk to go on dangerous adventures.

Then, in the next lines, the writer explains that this outlook about explorers is wrong and we all have the same urge. The writer says, “ . . . That, however, doesn’t take away from the fact that we all have this enquiring instinct, even today. . … ..”

Here, we all have this enquiring instinct = an urge that is common to everyone,

So, the answer is: C (They act on an urge that is common to everyone.)

Question no. 29: The writer refers to a description of Egdon Heath to suggest that –

Keywords for the question: Egdon Heath,

We find the reference of Egdon Heath in paragraph no. 3. In the first few lines, the writer says, “Thomas Hardy set some of his novels in Egdon Heath, a fictional area of uncultivated land, and used the landscape to suggest the desires and fears of his characters. . . .”

Here, desires and fears of his characters = people’s emotional states,

This means it was Hardy’s aim to study the emotional states of the characters of his novels, setting a fictional area.  

So, the answer is: C (Hardy’s aim was to investigate people’s emotional states.)

Question no. 30: In the fourth paragraph, the writer refers to ‘a golden age’ to suggest that –

Keywords for the question: fourth paragraph, a golden age,

Lines 2-5 of paragraph no. 4 say, “ . .. . . But that still left me with another problem: the word ‘explorer’ has become associated with a past era. We think back to a golden age, as if exploration peaked somehow in the 19th Century – as if the process of discovery is now on the decline, . . .. ..”

Here, the phrase ‘as if’ has been used to signify that our thought about exploration (the process of discovery) being in decline is a wrong idea.   

So, the answer is: D (we are wrong to think that exploration is no longer necessary.)

Question no. 31: In the sixth paragraph, when discussing the definition of exploration, the writer argues that –

Keywords for the question: sixth paragraph, definition of exploration, writer argues,

In the first few lines of paragraph no. 6, the writer says, “Each definition is slightly different – and tends to reflect the field of endeavour of each pioneer. It was the same whoever I asked: the prominent historian would say exploration was thing of the past, the cutting-edge scientist would say it was of present. And so on. They each set their own particular criteria;  . . ..”

Here, reflect the field of endeavour of each pioneer & set their own particular criteria = relate exploration to their own professional interests,

So, the answer is: A (people tend to relate exploration to their own professional interests.)

Question no. 32: In the last paragraph, the writer explains that he is interested in –

Keywords for the question: last paragraph, interested in,  

The writer expresses his interest in the last lines, “. . .. However, this is to disregard the role the human mind has in conveying remote places; and this is what interests me: how a fresh interpretation, even of a well-travelled route, can give its readers new insights.”   

Here, well-travelled route = places that may be familiar,

So, the answer is: B (the human ability to cast new light on places that may be familiar.)

Questions 33-37: Matching statements with list of people:

[In this type of question, candidates need to relate statements that are given by or link to people in the passage. The rules for finding answers to this sort of question are simple. Just find the name of the person and read around it carefully. Then, give a quick look to check whether there is another statement or idea provided by the same person in the text. If there is, check the reference carefully and decide your answer. Remember, the questions may not follow any sequential order.]

All the answers in this question set can be found in paragraph no. 2 and 5, as the names of explorers, have been included in this paragraph only.

Question no. 33: He referred to the relevance of the form of transportation used.

Keywords for the question: relevance, form of transportation used,   

The answer can be found in paragraph 5, in lines 7-9, “. . .. Wilfred Thesiger, who crossed Arabia’s empty quarters in 1946, and belongs to an era of unmechanised travel now lost to the rest of us, told me, “If I’d gone across by camel when I could have gone by car, it would have been a stunt.’. . .. .”

Here, the explorer provides a reference to camel which was the form of transportation used.   

So, the answer is: E (Wilfred Thesiger)

Question no. 34: He described feelings on coming back home after a long journey.  

Keywords for the question: feelings, coming back home, after, long journey,     

In paragraph no. 2, the writer says in lines 4-8, “ . .. . Explorer and travel writer Peter Fleming talks of the moment when the explorer returns to the existence he has left behind with his loved ones. The traveller ‘who has for weeks or months seen himself only as a puny and irrelevant alien crawling laboriously over a country in which he has no roots and no background, suddenly encounters his other self, a relatively solid figure, with a place in the minds of certain people.”

Here, returns to the existence he has left behind with his loved ones = coming back home, for weeks or months = long journey,

This means Peter Fleming refers to the feelings of an explorer coming back home after a long time.  

So, the answer is: A (Peter Fleming)

Question no. 35: He worked for the benefit of specific groups of people.

Keywords for the question: worked, benefit of specific group,

In paragraph no. 5, read the lines 5-6, “ . … Then Robin Handbury-Tenison, a campaigner on behalf of remote so-called ‘tribal’ peoples, said, . . .. .”

Here, on behalf of ….. ‘tribal people’ = done for another person’s benefit or support of ‘tribal’ people, 

So, the answer is: D (Robin Handbury-Tenison)

Question no. 36: He did not consider learning about oneself an essential part of exploration.  

Keywords for the question: did not consider, learning about oneself, essential part of exploration,    

Lines 7-10 of paragraph no. 5 state, “ . . . Wilfred Thesiger, who crossed Arabia’s empty quarters in 1946, and belongs to an era of unmechanised travel now lost to the rest of us, told me, “If I’d gone across by camel when I could have gone by car, it would have been a stunt.’ To him, exploration meant bringing back information from a remote place regardless of any great self-discovery.”

Here, regardless of any great self-discovery = did not consider learning about oneself,

So, the answer is: E (Wilfred Thesiger)

Question no. 37: He defined exploration as being both unique and of value to others.

Keywords for the question: defined exploration, both, unique, of value to others,     

The answer lies in the first lines of paragraph no. 5. The writer states here, “ . .. . Ran Fiennes, dubbed the ‘greatest living explorer’, said, ‘An explorer is someone who has done something that no human has done before – and also done something scientifically useful. . . .”

Here, something that no human has done before = unique, something scientifically useful = of value to others,   

So, the answer is: B (Ran Fiennes)

Questions 38-40: 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 form the questions. Then, they should follow the steps of finding answers for fill in the gaps.]

Title of the summary: The writer’s own bias

Question no. 38: The writer has experience of a large number of ______, .. . . . .

Keywords for the question: the writer, experience, large number of,     

The final paragraph of this passage starts with this statement, “I’d best declare my own bias. . ..” So, the answers for questions 38-40 should be here.

The writer says in lines 1-2, “ . .. . I’ve done a great many expeditions and each one was unique. .. ..”

Here, a great many = a large number of,

So, the answer is:  (unique) expeditions

Question no. 39: . .. . . and was the first stranger that certain previously ______ people had encountered.

Keywords for the question: was, first stranger, certain, previously, people had encountered,    

In the final paragraph, look at lines 2-3, “ . .. I’ve lived for months alone with isolated groups of people all around the world, even two ‘uncontacted tribes’. . …”

Here, the word ‘uncontacted’ gives us the hint that the writer was the first person ever contact with people of two tribes who remain isolated from the world.

So, the answer is: uncontacted / isolated

Question no. 40: He believes there is no need for further exploration of Earth’s ______, except to answer specific questions such as how buffalo eat.

Keywords for the question: believes, no need, further exploration, Earth’s,    

Lines 7-8 of the final paragraph says, “ . .. .We know how the land surface of our planet lies; exploration of it is now down to the details – the habits of microbes, say, or the grazing behaviour of buffalo. . .”

Here, We know how = there is no need for further exploration,

So, the answer is: (land) surface

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 15 AC Test 1 Reading Passage 1

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 15 AC Test 1 Reading Passage 2