This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to IELTS Cambridge Official Guide to IELTS Test 1 Reading Passage 3 which is titled ‘Is Photography Art?’. 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 3: Questions 27-40

The headline of the passage: IS PHOTOGRAPHY ART?

Questions 27-30: 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: What is the writer’s main point in the first paragraph?

Keywords for the question: writer’s main point, first paragraph,

The first paragraph of this passage conveys the point that photography hasn’t always been accepted as a form of art. Look at these lines first, “Surrounded as we are by thousands of photographs, most of us take for granted that, in addition to supplying information and seducing customers, camera images also serve as decoration, afford spiritual enrichment, and provide significant insights into the passing scene. .. ..”

Here, take for granted = fail to appreciate,

serve as decoration, afford spiritual enrichment, and provide significant insights into the passing scene = serve as art form,

So, the answer is: C (Photography has not always been a readily accepted art form.)

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Question no. 28: What public view about artists was shared by the French and the English?

Keywords for the question: public view, artists, shared, the French and the English,

The last half of paragraph no. 2 gives us the answer to this question. The writer says here, “ . . . Discussion of the role of photography in art was especially spirited in France, where the internal policies of the time had created a large pool of artists, but it was also taken up by important voices in England. In both countries, public interest in this topic was a reflection of the belief that national stature and achievement in the arts were related.”

Here, national stature and achievement in the arts were related = success in art plays an important role to raise the international profile of a country,  

So, the answer is: D (that artist success raised a country’s international profile)

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Question no. 29: What does the writer mean by ‘the handwriting on the wall’ in the second line of paragraph 4?

Keywords for the question: ‘the handwriting on the wall’, second line of paragraph 4,

The writer says in paragraph no. 4, “ . .. Many portrait painters – miniaturists in particular – who realized that photography represented the ‘handwriting on the wall’ became involved with daguerreotyping or paper photography in an effort to save their careers; .. . ..”

Here, to save their careers = a signal that something bad will happen with their artistic careers,

So, the answer is: D (a signal that something bad will happen)

Question no. 30: What was the result of the widespread availability of photographs to the middle classes?

Keywords for the question: result, widespread availability of photographs, middle classes,

The final paragraph gives us the answer as the author writes here, “These writers reflected the opposition of a section of the cultural elite in England and France to the ‘cheapening of art’ which the growing acceptance and purchase of camera pictures by the middle class represented. . . .. . .   . . . .   . . . This appeal to the middle class convinced the elite that photographs would foster a desire for realism instead of idealism, even though some critics recognized that the work of individual photographers might display an uplifting style and substance that was consistent with the defining characteristics of art.”

So, the elite (most educated) were concerned that this appeal to photographs by the middle class might encourage them (the middle class) to desire for realism, not idealism.  

So, the answer is: A (The most educated worried about its impact on public taste.)

Questions 31-34: Completing summary with list of words

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to complete a summary with a list of words taken from the passage. Candidates must write the correct letter (not the words) as the answers. Keywords and synonyms are important to find answers correctly. Generally, this type of question maintains a sequence. Find the keywords in the passage and you are most likely to find the answers.]

Title of the summary: Camera art

Question no. 31: In the early days of photography, opinions on its future were _________, but three clear views emerged.

Keywords for the question: early days of photography, opinions, future, three clear views,

The answer can be found in the opening lines of paragraph no. 3, “From the maze of conflicting statements and heated articles on the subject, three main positions about the potential of camera art emerged. . .. .. .”

Here, the maze of conflicting statements and heated articles = mixed views, three main positions = three clear views,

So, the answer is: E (mixed)

Question no. 32: A large number of artists and ordinary people saw photographs as ________ to paintings because of the way they were produced.

Keywords for the question: a large number of artists, ordinary people, photographs, paintings, because, the way, produced,

Lines 4-10 of paragraph no. 3, say, “. .. . . The simplest, entertained by many painters and a section of the public, was that photographs should not be considered ‘art’ because they were made with a mechanical device and by physical and chemical phenomena instead of by human hand and spirit;.  .. .. .”

Here, many painters and a section of the public = A large number of artists and ordinary people, photographs should not be considered ‘art’ = photographs are inferior to paintings,

So, the answer is: G (inferior)

Question no. 33: Another popular view was that photographs could have a role to play in the art world, despite the photographer being less ________.

Keywords for the question: another popular view, photographs, role to play, art world, despite, photographer, being less,   

The answer can be found in paragraph no. 3 lines 14-18, “ . .. . The second widely held view, shared by painters, some photographers, and some critics, was that photographs would be useful to art but should not be considered equal in creativeness to drawing and painting. .. . .”

Here, The second widely held view = Another popular view, should not be considered equal in creativeness = less inventive,

So, the answer is: A (inventive)

Question no. 34: Finally, a smaller number of people suspected that the impact of photography on art and society could be _________.

Keywords for the question: a smaller number of people, suspected, impact of photography on art and society,

The writer says in paragraph no. 3 lines 19-26, “ . .. .  Lastly, by assuming that the process was comparable to other techniques such as etching and lithography, a fair number of individuals realized that camera images were or could be as significant as handmade works of art and that they might have a positive influence on the arts and on culture in general.”

Here, Lastly = Finally, a fair number of individuals = a smaller number of people, realized = suspected, could be as significant / positive influence = could be beneficial,

So, the answer is: C (beneficial)

Questions 35-40: 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.]

Question no. 35: He claimed that photography would make paintings more realistic.

Keywords for the question: photography, would make, paintings, more realistic,  

The writer says in paragraph no. 5, “.The view that photographs might be worthwhile to artists was enunciated in considerable detail by Lacan and Francis Wey. The latter, an art and literary critic, who eventually recognised that camera images could be inspired as well as informative, suggested that they would lead to greater naturalness in the graphic depiction of anatomy, clothing, likeness, expression, and landscape. .”

Here, The latter = Francis Wey, lead to greater naturalness in the graphic depiction = make paintings more realistic,

So, the answer is: B (Francis Wey)

Question no. 36: He highlighted the limitations and deceptions of the camera.

Keywords for the question: limitations, deceptions, camera,

Take a close look at the last few lines of paragraph no. 8, “ .. . a more stringent viewpoint led critic Philip Gilbert Hamerton to dismiss camera images as ‘narrow in range, emphatic in assertion, telling one truth for ten falsehoods’.”

Here, narrow in range = limitations, falsehoods = deceptions,

So, the answer is: E (Philip Gilbert Hamerton)

Question no. 37: He documented his production of artwork by photographing his works.

Keywords for the question: documented, his production of artwork, by photographing,    

The answer is found in paragraph no. 4 as the author mentions in lines 9-13, “ . . .. . Still other painters, the most prominent among them the French painter, Jean- Auguste-Dominique Ingres, began almost immediately to use photography to make a record of their own output and . .. . .”

Here, use photography to make a record = documented his production of artwork by photographing,

So, the answer is: A (Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres)

Question no. 38: He noted the potential for photography to enrich artistic talent.

Keywords for the question: noted, potential for photography, enrich artistic talent,     

In paragraph no. 7, the author of this passage says, “Eugene Delacroix was the most prominent of the French artists who welcomed photography as help-mate . . .. . . ..  Delacroix’s enthusiasm for the medium can be sensed in a journal entry noting that if photographs were used as they should be, an artist might ‘raise himself to heights that we do not yet know’.”

Here, an artist might ‘raise himself to heights that we do not yet know’ = enrich artistic talent,

So, the answer is: D (Eugene Delacroix)

Question no. 39: He based some of the scenes in his paintings on photographs.

Keywords for the question: based, scenes, paintings, on photographs,    

The answer is found in paragraph no. 4, “ . . .. . Still other painters, the most prominent among them the French painter, Jean- Auguste-Dominique Ingres, began almost immediately to use photography to make a record of their own output and also to provide themselves with source material for poses and backgrounds, . .. . .”

Here, to provide themselves with source material for poses and backgrounds = based some of the scenes in his paintings on photographs,  

So, the answer is: A (Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres)

Question no. 40: He felt photography was part of the trend towards greater mechanisation.

Keywords for the question: felt, photography, part of the trend, towards, greater mechanisation,   

In paragraph no. 6 the author says, “ . .. . according to the influential French critic and poet Charles Baudelaire, writing in response to an exhibition of photography in 1859, . . .. .. Baudelaire regarded photography as ‘a very humble servant of art and science’; a medium largely unable to transcend ‘external reality’. For this critic, photography was linked with ‘the great industrial madness’ of the time,.”

Here, linked with ‘the great industrial madness’ = part of the trend towards greater mechanisation,

So, the answer is: C (Charles Baudelaire)

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

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