Ancient Chinese Chariots - IELTS Reading Sample with Explanation
IELTS Reading section contains three passages and forty questions. There are different types of questions found in each IELTS reading passage. This IELTS reading sample - Ancient Chinese Chariots is an IELTS Academic topic.
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The IELTS reading passage contains the following question types from IELTS Reading Question Types:
- True or False.
- Choose one word from the passage.
- Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on the Reading Passage below.
Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
Ancient Chinese Chariots IELTS Reading Sample
- The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty, according to traditional historiography, ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium. Archaeological work at the Ruins of Yin (near modern-day Anyang), which has been identified as the last Shang capital, uncovered eleven major Yin royal tombs and the foundations of palaces and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices.
- The Tomb of Fu Hao is an archaeological site at Yinxu, the ruins of the ancient Shang Dynasty capital Yin, within the modem city of Anyang in Henan Province, China. Discovered in 1976，it was identified as the final resting place of the queen and military general Fu Hao. The artifacts unearthed within the grave included jade objects, bone objects, bronze objects etc. These grave goods are confirmed by the oracle texts, which constitute almost all of the first hand written record we possess of the Shang Dynasty. Below the corpse was a small pit holding the remains of six sacrificial dogs and along the edge lay the skeletons of human slaves, evidence of human sacrifice.
- The Terracotta Army was discovered on 29 March 1974 to the east of Xian in Shaanxi. The terracotta soldiers were accidentally discovered when a group of local farmers was digging a well during a drought around 1.6 km (1 mile) east of the Qin Emperors tomb around at Mount Li (Lishan), a region riddled with underground springs and watercourses. Experts currently place the entire number of soldiers at 8,000 — with 130 chariots (130 cm long), 530 horses and 150 cavalry horses helping to ward of any dangers in the afterlife. In contrast, the burial of Tutank Hamun yielded six complete but dismantled chariots of unparalleled richness and sophistication. Each was designed for two people (90 cm long) and had its axle sawn through to enable it to be brought along the narrow corridor into the tomb.
- Excavation of ancient Chinese chariots has confirmed the descriptions of them in the earliest texts. Wheels were constructed from a variety of woods: elm provided the hub, rose-wood the spokes and oak the felloes.
The hub was drilled through to form an empty space into which the tampering axle was fitted，the whole being covered with leather to retain lubricating oil. Though the number of spokes varied, a wheel by the fourth century BC usually had eighteen to thirty-two of them.
Records show how elaborate was the testing of each completed wheel: flotation and weighing were regarded as the best measures of balance, but even the empty spaces in the assembly were checked with millet grains. One outstanding constructional asset of the ancient Chinese wheel was dishing. Dishing refers to the dishlike shape of an advanced wooden wheel, which looks rather like a flat cone.
On occasion they chose to strengthen a dished wheel with a pair of struts running from rim to rim on each of the hub. As these extra supports were inserted separately into the felloes, they would have added even greater strength to the wheel. Leather wrapped up the edge of the wheel aimed to retain bronze. - Within a millennium, however, Chinese chariot-makers had developed a vehicle with shafts, the precursor of the true carriage or cart. This design did not make its appearance in Europe until the end of the Roman Empire. Because the shafts curved upwards, and the harness pressed against a horse’s shoulders, not his neck, the shaft chariot was incredibly efficient.
The halberd was also part of chariot standard weaponry. This halberd usually measured well over 3 metres in length, which meant that a chariot warrior wielding it sideways could strike down the charioteer in a passing chariot. The speed of chariot which was tested on the sand was quite fast. At speed these passes were very dangerous for the crews of both chariots. - The advantages offered by the new chariots were not entirely missed. They could see how there were literally the warring states, whose conflicts lasted down the Qin unification of China. Qin Shi Huang was buried in the most opulent tomb complex ever constructed in China, a sprawling, city-size collection of underground caverns containing everything the emperor would need for the afterlife. Even a collection of terracotta armies called Terra- Cotta Warriors was buried in it. The ancient Chinese, along with many cultures including ancient Egyptians, believed that items and even people buried with a person could be taken with him to the afterlife.
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Section 2
Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-4
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet, write
True: If the statement is true
False: If the statement is false
Not Given: If the information is not given in the passage
Q1- When discovered, the written records of the grave goods proved to be accurate.
Answer: True
Key Word: Grave goods, Shang Dynasty
Supporting Sentences: These graves' goods are confirmed by the oracle texts which constitute almost all of the first handwritten records we possess of the Shang Dynasty.
Location: Section B, 3rd line
Explanation: The given statement is true. After reading the paragraph it is clear that the grave good records are confirmed by oracle text. Oracle text is nothing but the first handwritten records of the Shang Dynasty.
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Q2- Human skeletons in Anyang's tomb were identified as soldiers who were killed in the war.
Answer: False
Key Word: Anyang Tomb, Slaves
Supporting Sentences: The skeletons of human slaves, evidence of human sacrifice
Location: Section B, 6th line
Explanation: The given statement is false as from the paragraph it is nowhere written that the human skeleton found in Anyang Tomb were soldiers who killed in war but skeleton found are evidence of human sacrifice.
Q3- The Terracotta Army was discovered by people who lived nearby by chance.
Answer: True
Key Word: Terracotta, Farmers
Supporting Sentences: The terracotta soldiers were accidentally discovered when a group of local farmers was digging a well.
Location: Section C, 1st line.
Explanation: The given statement is true. The terracotta army was discovered by the farmers who were digging a well during drought.
Q4- The size of King Tutankhamen’s tomb is bigger than that of in Qin Emperors’ tomb.
Answer: Not Given
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Questions 5-10 :
Complete the notes below.
Choose One Word from the passage for each answer.
Write your answer in boxes 5-10 on your answer sheet.
- The hub is made of wood from the tree of _____.
Answer: elm
Key Word: hub, elm
Supporting Sentences: Elm provided the hub
Location: Section D, 2nd line
Explanation: The hub is the main part of the wheel and is made up of elm tree wood.
- The room through the hub was to put tempering axle in which is wrapped up by leather aiming to retain_____.
Answer: oil
Key Word: hub, oil
Supporting Sentences: The whole being is covered with leather to retain lubricating oil.
Location: Section D, 3rd line
Explanation: The wheel was wrapped up in leather to retain oil.
- The number of spokes varies from_____.
Answer: 18 to 32
Key Word: spokes
Supporting Sentences: The number of spokes varied, a wheel by the fourth century BC usually had eighteen to thirty-two of them.
Location: Section D, 5th line
Explanation: The spokes in the wheel in the fourth century BC varied but still usually they are eighteen to thirty-two in number.
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- The shape of the wheel resembles a _____.
Answer: dish
Key Word: dish like wooden wheel
Supporting Sentences: Dishing refers to the dish-like shape of an advanced wooden wheel, which looks rather like a flat cone.
Location: Section D, 9th line.
Explanation: The shape of the wheel looks like a flat cone which is also known as dish-like.
- Two _____ were used to strengthen the wheel.
Answer: struts
Key Word: Wheel, struts
Supporting Sentences: On occasion, they choose to strengthen a dished wheel with a pair of struts.
Location: Section D, 11th line
Explanation: The pair of struts are used to strengthen the wheel.
- Leather-wrapped up the edge of the wheel aimed to retain _____.
Answer: bronze
Key Word: Leather
Supporting Sentences: Leather-wrapped up the edge of the wheel aimed to retain bronze.
Location: Section D, 14th line
Explanation: The leather is wrapped up to the edge of the wheel to retain the bronze. They provide extra support and greater strength to the wheel.
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Questions 11-13
Answer the following:
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
- What body part of the horse has released the pressure from to the shoulder?
Answer: Neck
Key Word: shoulder
Supporting Sentences: Because the shafts curved upwards, and the harness pressed against a horse,s shoulders, not his neck
Location: Section E, 3rd line
Explanation: The pressure of the shoulder was released by the neck. This is due to the curved surface of the shaft that is upward in direction.
- What kind of road surface did the researchers measure the speed of the chariot?
Answer: Sand
Key Word: Chariots
Supporting Sentences: The speed of the chariot which was tested on the sand was quite fast.
Location: Section E, 7th line
Explanation: The speed of the chariot was measured on the sand surface where the speed is measured as very fast.
- What part of his afterlife palace was the emperor Qin Shi Huang buried?
Answer: Tomb Complex
Key Word: Tomb
Supporting Sentences: Qin Shi Huang was buried in the most opulent tomb complex ever constructed in China.
Location: Section F, 2nd line
Explanation: The Qin Shi Huang was buried in a most opulent complex tomb that is a city-size collection of underground corners having everything for the afterlife. This is the most complex tomb ever constructed.
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