This General Training IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to IELTS Cambridge 4 Reading Test A Section 3 that has a passage entitled ‘The History of Early Cinema’. This is a targeted post for GT IELTS candidates who have big problems finding out and understanding Reading Answers in the GT 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 A: General Training Reading Module

Section 3: Question 28-40

The headline of the passage: The History of Early Cinema    

Questions 28-30:  Choosing from list of factors

[In this question type, IELTS candidates are provided with a list of factors with a question. Candidates must find out three/four or five factors that match the questions. Most of the time, the answers can be found in one or two paragraphs.

TIPS: Both skimming and scanning are needed for this kind of question. You need to skim the passage to find out the paragraph where the answers can be found. Then you can scan it to find all the answers. The answers can be written in any order.]

Which THREE possible reasons for American dominance of the film industry are given in the text?

Keywords for this question: possible reasons, American dominance, film industry,  

All the answers to the questions can be found in paragraph no. 4, where the dominance of Hollywood has been stated. Here, the writer says, “Hollywood took the lead artistically as well as industrially. Hollywood films appealed because they had better-constructed narratives, their special effects were more impressive, and the star system added a new dimension to screen acting. If Hollywood did not have enough of its own resources, it had a great deal of money to buy up artists and technical innovations from Europe to ensure its continued dominance over present or future competition.

Here,

Hollywood = American Film Industry,

took the lead = dominance,

better-constructed narratives = well-written narratives (D),

special effects were more impressive = excellent special effects (F),

it had a great deal of money to buy up artists and technical innovations = plenty of capital to purchase what it didn’t have (A),

So, the answers are:

A (plenty of capital to purchase what it didn’t have),

D (well-written narratives),

F (excellent special effects),

Questions 31- 33: Short answer to open questions (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS)

[In this kind of questions 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 which will lead to the answer. This question type generally follows a sequence.]

Question 31:  Which TWO types of film were not generally made in major studios?  

Keywords for this question: two types of films, not generally made, major studios,  

The last few lines of paragraph no. 6 say, “ . .. .  The making of cartoons became a separate branch of film-making, generally practised outside the major studios, and the same was true of serials. Together with newsreels, they tended to be shown as short items in a programme which led to the feature.”

Here, generally practised outside the major studios = not generally made in major studios, the same was true of serials = serials were not also generally made n major studios,

So, the answers are (in any order):

cartoons, serials,  

Question 32: Which type of film did America develop in both short and feature films?

Keywords for this question: type of film, America, develop, both, short and feature film,   

In the beginning of paragraph no. 7, the writer of the passage says, “From early cinema, it was only American slapstick comedy that successfully developed in both short and feature format. .. .. .”

Here, successfully developed in both short and feature format = develop in both short and feature films,

So, the answer is: (slapstick) comedy / slapstick 

Question 33: Which type of film started to become profitable in the ‘silent’ period?

Keywords for this question: type of film, started to become profitable, ‘silent’ period,  

Again, in paragraph no. 6, the writer says, “However, during this ‘Silent Film’ era, animation, comedy, serials and dramatic features continued to thrive, along with factual films or documentaries, which acquired an increasing distinctiveness as the period progressed. It was also at this time that the avant-garde film first achieved commercial success, this time thanks almost exclusively to the French and the occasional German film.”

Here, It was also at this time = the ‘silent’ period, achieved commercial success = become profitable,

So, the answer is: (the) avant-garde/ avant-garde (film)/ (films)

Questions 34-40: Classifying statements

[This type of question asks candidates to classify information from the given reading text. Candidates are given some statements from the text, and a list of options, which are listed as A, B, C, etc. They must match the correct statements with the correct options.

N.B.: This question doesn’t follow any sequence. So, they should be answered after all other questions in the passage.]

Question 34: It helped other countries develop their own film industry.

Keywords for this question: helped, other countries, develop, own film industry,  

In paragraph no. 2, take a close look at these lines, “ . ..  . . It was above all the French, followed closely by the Americans, who were the most passionate exporters of the new invention, helping to start cinema in China, Japan, Latin America and Russia. .. ..”

Here, helping to start cinema in China, Japan, Latin America and Russia = helped other countries develop their own film industry,

So, the answer is: A (France)

Question 35: It was the biggest producer of films. 

Keywords for this answer: biggest producer of films,  

In paragraph no. 3, the first lines say, “In the end, it was the United States that was to become, and remain, the largest single market for films. .. .. .”

Here, was to become, and remain, the largest single market for films = was the biggest producer of films,

So, the answer is: C (USA)

Question 36: It was first to develop the ‘feature’ film.  

Keywords for this question: first, to develop, ‘feature’ film,  

In paragraph no. 3, take a look at the middle, “ . ..  . The Italian industry, which had pioneered the feature film with spectacular films like Quo vadis? (1913) and Cabiria (1914), almost collapsed. .. . .”

Here, pioneered = was first to develop,

So, the answer is: H (Italy)

Question 37: It was responsible for creating stars.

Keywords for this question: responsible, creating stars,    

In paragraph no. 3, the first few lines say, “Hollywood took the lead artistically as well as industrially. Hollywood films appealed because they had better-constructed narratives, their special effects were more impressive, and the star system added a new dimension to screen acting. .. .”

Here, added a new dimension to screen acting = was responsible for creating stars,

So, the answer is: C (USA)  

Question 38: It made the most money from ‘avant-garde’ films.

Keywords for this question: made the most money, ‘avant-garde’ films,      

In paragraph no. 7, have a close look at the last few lines, “ .. .  . It was also at this time that the avant-garde film first achieved commercial success, this time thanks almost exclusively to the French and the occasional German film.”

Here, achieved commercial success = made the most money,

So, the answer is: A (France)

Question 39: It made movies based more on its own culture than outside influences.

Keywords for this question: made movies, more on its own culture, than, outside influences,     

In the final paragraph, the writer says in the last few lines, “ . ..  . and Japan, where a cinema developed based primarily on traditional theatrical and, to a lesser extent, other art forms and only gradually adapted to western influence.

Here, based primarily on traditional theatrical = based more on its own culture than outside influences,

So, the answer is: F (Japan)

Question 40: It had a great influence on silent movies, despite its size.

Keywords for this question: great influence, silent movies, despite, size,

In the middle of the final paragraph, the writer says, “ .. . .  the Scandinavian countries, particularly Denmark, which played a role in the development of silent cinema quite out of proportion to their small population;  . . .”

Here, silent cinema = silent movies, out of proportion to their small population = despite its size,     

So, the answer is: D (Denmark)

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 4 GT Test A Section 1

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 4 GT Test A Section 2