This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to IELTS Cambridge 4 Reading Test 4 Reading Passage 2 which is titled ‘THE NATURE AND AIMS OF ARCHAEOLOGY’. 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 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 Cambridge 4 Test 4: AC Reading Module

Reading Passage 2: Questions 14-26

The headline of the passage: THE NATURE AND AIMS OF ARCHAEOLOGY

Questions 14-19: YES, NO, NOT GIVEN:

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

The statement in the question matches with the claim of the writer in the text- YES
The statement in the question contradicts with the claim of the writer in the text- NO
The statement in the question has no clear connection with the account in the text- NOT GIVEN

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

Question no. 14: Archaeology involves creativity as well as careful investigative work.

Keywords for the question: Archaeology, involves, creativity, careful investigative work,

Take a look at the very first lines of the first paragraph. The writer says here, “Archaeology is partly the discovery of the treasures of the past, partly the careful work of the scientific analyst, partly the exercise of the creative imagination. .. .. .” 

Here, careful work of the scientific analyst = careful investigative work, exercise of the creative imagination = creativity,

So, the answer is: YES

Question no. 15: Archaeologists must be able to translate texts from ancient languages.

Keywords for the question: Archaeologists, must be able, translate, texts, ancient languages,

This passage doesn’t contain any information about the ability of archaeologists to translate texts from ancient languages.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question no. 16: Movies give a realistic picture of the work of archaeologists.

Keywords for the question: Movies, give, realistic picture, work of archaeologists,

In lines 2-6 of paragraph no. 2, the author of the passage says, “ .. . . The rich mixture of danger and detective work has also made it the perfect vehicle for fiction writers and film-makers, from Agatha Christie with Murder in Mesopotamia to Stephen Spielberg with Indiana Jones. However, far from reality such portrayals are, they capture the essential truth that archaeology is an exciting quest – the quest for knowledge about ourselves and our past.”

Here, Stephen Spielberg with Indiana Jones = movies, far from reality = unrealistic picture,

So, the answer is: NO

Question no. 17: Anthropologists define culture in more than one way.

Keywords for the question: Anthropologists, define, culture, more than one way,

Lines 2-4 in paragraph no. 4 say, “. . . . Culture in this sense includes what the anthropologist, Edward Tylor, summarised in 1871 as ‘knowledge, belief, art, morals, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society’. .. . .”

Here, summarised = defined,

knowledge, belief, art, morals, custom and any other capabilities and habits = definition of culture in more than one way,

So, the answer is: YES

Question no. 18: Archaeology is a more demanding field of study than anthropology.

Keywords for the question: Archaeology, more demanding field of study, than, anthropology,  

This passage talks in details about both archaeology and anthropology. However, we do not find any information about the comparison of importance to study the subjects.   

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question no. 19: The history of Europe has been documented since 3,000 BC.

Keywords for the question: history of Europe, documented, since, 3,000 BC,  

Paragraph no. 8 has the answer to this question. The writer says here, in lines 5-7, “ . .. . Conventional historical sources begin only with the introduction of written records around 3,000 BC in western Asia, and much later in most other parts of the world.”

Here, introduction of written records = documented since 3000 BC, western Asia = NOT Europe,

So, the answer is: NO

Questions 20-23: Choosing TWO options from 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 20-21: The list below gives some statements about anthropology.

Which TWO statements are mentioned by the writer of the text?

Keywords for the question: anthropology,   

First, read these lines from paragraph no. 4, “ . . . . Anthropology is thus a broad discipline – so broad that it is generally broken down into three smaller disciplines: physical anthropology, cultural anthropology and archaeology.”

Here, generally broken down into three smaller disciplines = subdivided for study purposes,

And then, take a look at the first few lines of paragraph no. 5, “Physical anthropology, or biological anthropology as it is also called, concerns the study of human biological or physical characteristics and how they evolved. . .. .” 

Here, human biological or physical characteristics and how they evolved = human evolutionary patterns,  

So, the answers are: (in any order)

D (It is subdivided for study purposes),

E (It studies human evolutionary patterns),

Questions 22-23: The list below gives some of the tasks of an archaeologist.

Which TWO of these tasks are mentioned by the writer of the text?

Keywords for the question: some of the tasks of an archaeologist,    

The answers can be found in lines 5-7 of paragraph no. 7. The writer of the passage says here, “. .. ..  but with the specific purpose of learning how such societies use material culture – how they make their tools and weapons, why they build their settlements where they do, and so on. .. . .”

Here, how they make their tools and weapons, why they build their settlements where they do = deducing reasons for the shape of domestic buildings,

And, purpose of learning how such societies use material culture  = deducing reasons for the shape of domestic buildings,

So, the answers are: (in any order)

C (deducing reasons for the shape of domestic buildings),  

D (investigating the way different cultures make and use objects),

Questions 24-27: Summary completion

[In this kind of questions 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.]

 Question no. 24: Much of the work of archaeologists can be done using written records but they find __________ equally valuable.

Keywords for the question: much of the work, archaeologists, can be done, using, written records, but, find, equally valuable,   

The answer can be traced in lines 4-5 of paragraph no. 9, as the writer explains, “. ..  . the distinction between history and pre-history is a convenient dividing line that recognises the importance of the written word, but in no way lessens the importance of the useful information contained in oral histories.”

Here, recognises the importance of the written word = Much of the work of archaeologists can be done using written records, in no way lessens the importance = equally valuable,

So, the answer is: oral histories  

Questions no. 25 & 26: The writer describes archaeology as both a 25. _________ and a 26. _________.

Keywords for the question: writer, describes, archaeology, as, both,    

In the first few lines of the final paragraph (paragraph no. 10), the author of the text says, “Since the aim of archaeology is the understanding of humankind, it is a humanistic study, and since it deals with the human past, it is a historical discipline. .. .”

Here, the aim of archaeology = the writer describes archaeology,

So, the answers are: (in any order)

humanistic study,

historical discipline,

Question no. 27: However, as archaeologists do not try to influence human behaviour, the writer compares their style of working to that of a _________.

Keywords for the question: However, as, archaeology, do not try to influence, human behaviour, writer, compares, their style of working, to, 

In lines 4-6 of the final paragraph (paragraph no. 10), the writer explains, “ . .. . The objects the archaeologists discover, on the other hand, tell us nothing directly in themselves. In this respect, the practice of the archaeologist is rather like that of the scientist, who collects data, conducts experiments, formulates a hypothesis, tests the hypothesis against more data, . .. ..”

Here, The objects the archaeologists discover . . .. . tell us nothing directly in themselves = archaeologists do not try to influence human behaviour, rather like = the writer compares,

So, the answer is: scientist

Click here for the solutions to Cambridge 4 Test 4 Reading Passage 1 

Click here for the solutions to Cambridge 4 Test 4 Reading Passage 3