A Man of Principle or Needless Martyr Reading Answers

Feb 9, 2023

A Man of Principle or Needless Martyr Reading Answers is an academic reading topic discussing in detail study about Thomas More. The given IELTS topic has originated from the book named “IELTS - The Complete Guide to General Reading”. The topic named A Man of Principle or Needless Martyr Reading Answers has a total of 14 wide range of questions included. The topic consists of two different sorts of questions, like, choose the correct letter, and choose the correct answer. The candidates should thoroughly read the IELTS reading passage to recognize the synonyms and identify the keywords and answer the questions below. IELTS reading practice papers can be taken into consideration by the candidates in order to score a good score in the reading section in which similar topics like A Man of Principle or Needless Martyr Reading Answers has been included.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

A Man of Principle or Needless Martyr Reading Answers

Sir Thomas More was the most brilliant Englishman of his age in an age, the early Renaissance, which is thought to be particularly brilliant. He scaled the heights in law, in philosophy and literature, and attained high political rank as Chancellor. But the most challenging thing about this man is nothing that he achieved in life but the nature of his death. The facts are well known. He was executed by King Henry VIII in 1534 for refusing to accept Henry as head of the church in England. What is unclear is why he chose to refuse, and to die in this way.

Clouding the issue are the political and religious arguments which were at the root of his refusal and his death. It will be remembered that King Henry VIII was, for most of his life, an ardent Catholic who was awarded the title of Defender of the Faith for his resistance to the Protestant reformation. But his desperation for a male heir led Henry to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in favor of the younger Ann Boleyn who offered the promise of a son. High politics among the crowned heads of Europe meant that this could only be achieved by a break with Rome and the acceptance of Protestantism in England. In a time when religion was taken very seriously by whole populations there was bound to be resistance.

Traditional Catholic writers, such as Friar Anthony Foley, have cast "More as a martyr who stood up for the cause of Catholicism and perished for the true religion. "More was a beacon of light in those dark times," says Friar Foley, "whose actions have shown the path of righteousness for true believers even down to the present day." This interpretation was convenient for the Catholic church, then as now, and resulted in More being made a saint. It ignores, however, the fact that More took every step to stop his ideas being made a political issue. Whatever reason he had it was not support of the Catholic church. It also does not explain why More chose to take a stand, and effectively commit suicide, on this issue. Even under the teachings of the Catholic church he could have sworn the necessary oath to Henry because he was under duress. The church in his day did not expect or require him to refuse. More's personal beliefs were his own but refusal to take the oath is what condemned him.

A more recent biography, by Paul Hardy, views More as a medieval man and not the renaissance man he is often seen as. As such, Hardy argues, he would have been deeply conservative. The changes which Henry was embracing, with the acceptance of Protestantism, would have been highly offensive. "As a lawyer and Chancellor, More had spent his life defending the status quo and now, at the stroke of a pen, it was turned round," he writes. This rather ignores the deliberate modernity which imbued every other aspect of More's life from legal reform to the rewriting of school textbooks.

Other writers, such as the psychotherapist Bill Blake, see More's demise as an example of depressive illness. Melancholy was widely known at the time but not seen as an illness. It is not implausible that under the strain of work and the profile of his position as Chancellor, he succumbed to depression and, desperate and indecisive, let death sweep over him. But contemporary reports are at odds with this. He made every effort to comfort and cheer up his own relatives and never appeared lost or undecided.

Since More himself left no explanation we will probably never really know what his motivation was. However, Hardy's observations are very true in some respects in that More lived in a very different world and one that is hard for us to understand. Life could be very cheap 500 years ago especially if one held high political office or intellectual views at odds with the establishment. There is no better way of appreciating this than to consider the fate of the poets in the Oxford Book of Sixteenth Century Verse. Two thirds of these poets died violent deaths, almost all at the hands of an executioner. With the possibility of death ever present it seems to have been regarded then with something less than the dread it evokes today. Perhaps this is what happened with More. After a lifetime of good fortune, considerable luxury and achievement, the wheel of fortune had turned, and he accepted his fate with good grace in the hope of an even better life in the hereafter.

Section 2

Questions 27-34

Classify the following statement as referring to Writers

Foley

Hardy

Blake

The writer of the article

Contemporary writers

Example: More took a religious stand against Protestantism.

Answer A

Write the appropriate letters in boxes 27 - 34 on your answer sheet. You may use any answer more than once

Question 27. More was suffering from depression when he died.

Answer: C
Supporting sentence: see More's demise as an example of depressive illness.
Keyword : More's, demise, depressive, illness
Keyword location: parahgraph 5, lines 1-2
Explanation: The first two lines of paragraph 5 states that More's passing is used as an example of depressive illness by numerous authors. It includes the psychologist Bill Blake. While depression was well-known at the time, it was not considered a disease.

Question 28. More was a traditionalist in his views.

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: However, Hardy's observations are very true in some respects in that More lived in a very different world
Keyword : Hardy's, observations, true, More
Keyword location: paragraph 6, lines 2-3
Explanation: Lines 2-3 pf paragraph 6 explains that Hardy was right in some ways, though, in that More lived in a world that is difficult for us to comprehend now. In the past 500 years, life might have been quite inexpensive. Especially if one held high political office or intellectual opinions that were opposed to the status quo.

Question 29. More could have taken the oath and remained a Catholic.

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: Even under the teachings of the Catholic church he could have sworn the necessary oath to Henry because he was under duress.
Keyword : teachings, Catholic church, oath, Henry
Keyword location: paragraph 3, lines 8-9
Explanation: The eighth to ninth lines of paragraph 3 implies that Friar Foley was under pressure. Hence, even under Catholic doctrine he may have signed the required pledge to Henry. He was not required or expected to refuse by the church of his day.

Question 30. More had a positive attitude to life and helped others.

Answer: E
Supporting sentence: But contemporary reports are at odds with this
Keyword : contemporary, reports, odds, this
Keyword location: paragraph 5, lines 4-5
Explanation: Lines 4-5 of paragraph 5 says that it is is hardly inconceivable to believe a fact. Under the burden of work and the spotlight of his position as Chancellor, he succumbed to sadness and, desperate and uncertain, let death to roll over him. However, recent reports contradicted with this.

Question 31. More was defending the true faith.

Answer: A
Supporting sentence: Traditional Catholic writers, such as Friar Anthony Foley, have cast "More as a martyr who stood up for the cause of Catholicism
Keyword : Traditional, Catholic, Friar Anthony Foley, Catholicism
Keyword location: paragraph 3, lines 1-2
Explanation: The first two lines of paragraph 3 says that More has been depicted as a martyr by traditional Catholic writers like Friar Anthony Foley. He is who stood up for Catholicism and died for the true religion. According to Friar Foley, More was a beacon of light in those dark times.

Question 32. More resigned himself to the fact that his good luck had changed.

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: Whatever reason he had it was not support of the Catholic church.
Keyword : reason, support, Catholic, church
Keyword location: paragraph 3, lines 6-7
Explanation: Lines 6-7 of paragraph 3 says that hatever his motivation was, he did not support the Catholic Church. It also doesn't explain why More decided to stand up for this cause and essentially kill himself.

Question 33. More had a lifestyle which is difficult for modern man to comprehend.

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: After a lifetime of good fortune, considerable luxury and achievement, the wheel of fortune had turned
Keyword : lifetime, good fortune, luxury, turned
Keyword location: paragraph 6, lines 9-11
Explanation: The wheel of fortune had spun after a lifetime of good fortune, tremendous affluence, and accomplishment. He accepted his fate amicably in the hope of an even better existence in the afterlife.

Question 34. More showed he was a modern man in his restructuring of the law and education.

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: As a lawyer and Chancellor, More had spent his life defending the status
Keyword : lawyer, Chancellor, life, status
Keyword location: paragraph 4, lines 4-5
Explanation: More had spent his life as a lawyer and Chancellor protecting the status quo, and now, with the stroke of a pen, it had been turned around, writes Paul Hardy. This mostly ignores the modernism that More intentionally infused into every other element of his existence, from legal reform to the revision of textbooks.

Questions 35-40

For questions 35 - 40, choose the best answers. A, B, C or D, according to the information in the text. Write your answers on the answer sheet.

Question 35. Henry VIII executed More because

A Henry VIII wanted a son

B More believed in Protestantism

C More was a Chancellor

D More refused to take an oath

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: He was executed by King Henry VIII in 1534 for refusing to accept Henry as head of the church in England.
Keyword : King Henry VIII, 1534, refusing, accept
Keyword location: pargraph 1, lines 5-6
Explanation: Lines 5-6 pf first paragraph says that the information is widely known. Because More was refused to recognise Henry VIII as the head of the English church, he was put to death by the king in 1534. Uncertainty surrounds his decision to refuse and pass away in this manner.

Question 36. More's death is a mystery because

A he chose to be executed

B he left no written explanation

C the facts of his death are not known

D it is bound up in religious controversy

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: he succumbed to depression and, desperate and indecisive, let death sweep over him.
Keyword : succumbed, death, reports, odds
Keyword location: paragraph 5, lines 3-5
Explanation: Lines 3-5 of paragraph 5 implies that More were hopeless and unsure as he gave in to depression. This caused death to overtake him. However, recent reports contradict this.

Question 37. Which of the following was More NOT expert in?

A literature

B religion

C philosophy

D law

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: More as a martyr who stood up for the cause of Catholicism and perished for the true religion
Keyword : More, martyr, perished, true religion
Keyword location: paragraph 3, lines 1-2
Explanation: The first two lines of paragraph 3 says that the traditional Catholic writers like Friar Anthony Foley have portrayed More as a martyr. He is the one who defended Catholicism and gave his life for the real faith. Friar Foley claimed that More was a ray of hope during those difficult times.

Question 38. The writer disbelieves traditional views of More's death because

A More committed suicide

B More didn't follow Catholic teaching in refusing the oath

C theories of depression are more persuasive

D little is really understood of the time More lived in

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: political and religious arguments which were at the root of his refusal and his death.
Keyword : arguments, root, refusal, death
Keyword location: paragraph 2, lines 1-2
Explanation: Lines 1-2 of paragraph 2 says that the political and religious debates that led to his rejection and death cast doubt on the situation. The fact that King Henry VIII spent the majority of his life as an ardent Catholic. He was given the title of Defender of the Faith for his opposition to the Protestant Reformation will be remembered.

Question 39. According to the writer, the life of an intellectual 500 years ago could be dangerous

A because the standard of living was cheap

B because they held high political office

C if they held dissident views

D if they suffered from depression

Answer: C
Supporting sentence: Life could be very cheap 500 years ago
Keyword : Life, cheap, 500, ago
Keyword location: paragraph 6, lines 3-4
Explanation: Lines 3-4 of paragraph 6 says about a fact. If one held high political office or intellectual beliefs that were opposed to the establishment, life may be very inexpensive 500 years ago. There is no better way to understand this than to think about what happened to the poets.

Question 40. Henry VIII broke from Rome because

A he believed Protestantism was the true faith

B Rome refused him a divorce

C he wanted to ensure the succession

D he wanted to marry Ann Boleyn

Answer: C
Supporting sentence: this could only be achieved by a break with Rome
Keyword : could, achieved, break, Rome
Keyword location: paragraph 2, lines 5-7
Explanation: The fifth to seventh lines of paragraph 2 says that high politics among Europe's crowned heads meant that this could only be accomplished by doing few things. It is by breaking with Rome and accepting Protestantism in England. Resistance was inevitable at a time when religion was taken very seriously by entire people.