This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to IELTS Cambridge Official Guide to IELTS Test 1 Reading Passage 1 which is titled ‘The Dover Bronze-Age Boat’. 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.

Cambridge Official Guide to IELTS, Test 1: AC Reading Module

Reading Passage 1: Questions 1-13

The headline of the passage: The Dover Bronze-Age Boat

Questions 1-5: Completing FLOW-CHART with ONE WORD ONLY

In this type of question, candidates are asked to write ONE WORD ONLY to complete some notes on the given flow-chart. For this type of question, first, skim the passage to find the keywords in the paragraph concerned with the answer, and then scan to find the exact word.

[TIPS: Here, scanning technique will come in handy. Target the keywords of the questions to find the answers. Remember to focus on Proper nouns, random Capital letters, numbers, special characters of text etc.]

Question no. 1:
Key events: 1992- the boat was discovered during the construction of a __________

Keywords for the question: 1992, boat, discovered, construction,  

The answer can be found in lines 1-2 of paragraph no. 1, “It was 1992. In England, workmen were building a new road through the heart of Dover, to connect the ancient port and the Channel Tunnel, . …”

And then in the next paragraph, the author of the text writes, “ . .. . They had found a prehistoric boat, preserved by the type of sediment in which it was buried. It was then named by Dover Bronze- Age Boat.”

Here, building = construction, found = discovered,

So, the answer is: road

Question no. 2: 2002- an international __________ was held to gather information

Keywords for the question: 2002, international, held, gather information,  

Let’s go quickly to paragraph no. 5 where the author mentions, “ . . . In 2002, on the tenth anniversary of the discovery, the Dover Bronze-Age Boat Trust hosted a conference, where this meeting of different traditions became apparent. .. .. . . Many speakers came from overseas, and debate about cultural connections was renewed.”

Here, Many speakers came from overseas = international,

So, the answer is: conference

Question no. 3: 2004- __________ for the reconstruction were produced

Keywords for the question: 2004, reconstruction, produced,    

At the beginning of paragraph no. 7, the author says, “Detailed proposals to reconstruct the boat were drawn up in 2004. .. .. .”

Here, reconstruct = reconstruction, were drawn up = were produced,  

So, the answer is: proposals  

Question no. 4: 2007- the __________ of BOAT 1550BC took place

Keywords for the question: 2007, BOAT 1550BC, took place,    

Paragraph no. 8 gives us the answer to this question, as the writer mentions in the last few lines, “ . . . There was much enthusiasm and support, and an official launch of the project was held at an international seminar in France in 2007. Financial support was confirmed in 2008 and the project then named BOAT 1550BC got under way in June 2011.”

Here, was held = took place,

So, the answer is: launch

Question no. 5: 2012- the Bronze-Age __________ featured the boat and other objects

Keywords for the question: 2012, Bronze-Age, featured, boat and other objects,  

In paragraph no. 10 (the final paragraph), the author of the passage says, “Meanwhile, the exhibition was being prepared ready for opening in July 2012  .. . .. . .. . it brought together for the first time a remarkable collection of Bronze- Age objects, including many new discoveries for commercial archaeology and some of the great treasure of the past. The reconstructed boat, . .. .  was the centrepiece.”

Here, it brought together = featured, a remarkable collection of Bronze- Age objects = the boat and other objects,

So, the answer is: exhibition  

TIPS for questions with dates:

Dates are easy to find in any passage. It’s because they stand out. You can use them to quickly find the correct location in the text for every question. You should skim for the DATES first, and then scan the information.

Questions 6-9: 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 with 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 no. 6: Archaeologists realised that the boat had been damaged on purpose.

Keywords for the question: Archaeologists, realised, the boat, been damaged, on purpose,

In paragraph no. 4, the writer says in the end, “ .. . .. The boat was not a wreck, but had been deliberately discarded, dismantled and broken. Perhaps it had been “ritually killed” at the end of its life, like other Bronze-Age objects.

Here, had been deliberately discarded = had been damaged on purpose,  

So, the answer is: TRUE

Question no. 7: Initially, only the technological aspects of the boat were examined.

Keywords for the question: initially, only, technological aspects, boat, examined,  

At the beginning of paragraph no. 5, the writer says, “With hindsight, it was significant that the boat was found and studied by mainstream archaeologists who naturally focused on its cultural context. . . .”

So, the cultural aspects of the boat were first examined, NOT the technological aspects.

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question no. 8: Archaeologists went back to the site to try and find the missing northern end of the boat.

Keywords for the question: Archaeologists, went back, the site, try and find, missing, northern end,

Take a close look at the last few lines of paragraph no. 6, “ . . .. . The possibility of returning to Dover to search for a boat’s unexcavated northern end was explored, but practical and financial difficulties were insurmountable– and there was no guarantee that the timbers had survived the previous decade in the changed environment.”

So, archaeologists thought about returning to the boat site, but there were practical and financial difficulties, and as there was no guarantee that the timbers survived for such a long time. So, they DID NOT go back.

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question no. 9: Evidence found in 2004 suggested that the Bronze-Age Boat had been used for trade.

Keywords for the question: evidence, 2004, Bronze-Age Boat, used, for trade, 

In paragraph no. 7 the writer says, “ . . . Archaeological evidence was beginning to suggest a Bronze- Age community straddling the Channel, brought together by the sea, rather than separated by it. .. .. .”

These lines may confuse many candidates to write the answer ‘YES’. However, the text here implies that trade existed at that time across the Channel. However, there is no information in the text to say what the particular boat was used for.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN  

Questions 10-13: 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 no. 10: How far under the ground was the boat found?

Keywords for the question: how far, under the ground, boat, found,

In paragraph no. 2, the writer says in the beginning, “At the base of the deep shaft six meters below the modern streets, a wooden structure was revealed. .. .”

Here, below = under the ground, was revealed = was. .. . found,

So, the answer is: six/6 meters/metres/m  

Question no. 11: What natural material had been secured to the boat to prevent water entering?

Keywords for the question: natural material, secured, boat, prevent, water entering,

The last lines of paragraph no. 3 say, “ . ..  The seams had been made watertight by pads of moss, fixed by wedges and yew stitches.”

Here, watertight = prevent water entering,

So, the answer is: (pads of) moss

Question no. 12: What aspect of the boat was the focus of the 2012 reconstruction?   

Keywords for the question: what aspect, focus, 2012 reconstruction,

For this question, we need to go straight to paragraph no. 9. The writer says here, “In 2012, however, the hull shape was at the centre of the work,  .. .. .”

Here, the centre of the work = the focus,

So, the answer is: (the) hull (shape)

Question no. 13: Which two factors influenced the decision not to make a full-scale reconstruction of the boat?

Keywords for the question: two factors, influenced, decision, not to make, full-scale reconstruction,  

In paragraph no. 9, the writer also says, “ . .. . It was decided to make the replica halt-scale for reasons of cost and time, .. . ..”

Here, the replica = the reconstruction of the boat, half-scale = not … a full-scale,

So, the answer is: cost and time / cost, time

Click here for solutions to Cambridge Official Guide to IELTS AC Test 1 Passage 2

Click here for solutions to Cambridge Official Guide to IELTS AC Test 1 Passage 3