Atlantis - True Story or Cautionary Tale? Reading Answer

May 23, 2025

Atlantis - True Story or Cautionary Tale? is an IELTS Reading Answer that contains 13 questions and needs to be completed within 20 minutes. This reading answer also helps you to prepare for your IELTS exam. Atlantis - True Story or Cautionary Tale? Consists of questions like: Write no more than three words or numbers and Does the statement agree with the passage? Participants should go through the IELTS Reading passage to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions. Also, Atlantis - True Story or Cautionary Tale? Reading Answers gives all the information about Plato’s legendary tale revealing deeper truths about human nature and lost civilizations. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

Check: Get 10 Free Sample Papers

Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now

Topic:

Atlantis - True Story or Cautionary Tale?

If the writing of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato had not contained so much truth about the human condition, his name would have been forgotten centuries ago. But one of his most famous stories - the cataclysmic destruction of the ancient civilization of Atlantis - is almost certainly false. So why is this story still repeated more than 2,300 years after Plato's death?

"It's a story that captures the imagination," says James Romm, a professor of classics at Bard College in Annandale, New York.

"It's a great myth. It has a lot of elements that people love to fantasise about."

Plato told the story of Atlantis around 360 B.C. The founders of Atlantis, he said, were half god and half human. They created a utopian civilization and became a great naval power. Their home was made up of concentric islands separated by wide moats and linked by a canal that penetrated to the centre. The lush islands contained gold, silver, and other precious metals and supported an abundance of rare, exotic wildlife. There was a great capital city on the central island.

There are many theories about where Atlantis was - in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Spain, even under what is now Antarctica. "Pick a spot on the map, and someone has said that Atlantis was there," says Charles Orser, curator of history at the New York State Museum in Albany. "Every place you can imagine."

Plato said Atlantis existed about 9,000 years before his own time, and that its story had been passed down by poets, priests, and others. But Plato's writings about Atlantis are the only known records of its existence.

Possibly Based on Real Events?

Few, if any, scientists think Atlantis actually existed. Ocean explorer Robert Ballard, the National explorer-in-residence who discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985, notes that "no Nobel laureates" have said that what Plato wrote about Atlantis is true. Still, Ballard says, the legend of Atlantis is a "logical" one since cataclysmic floods and volcanic explosions have happened throughout history, including one event that had some similarities to the story of the destruction of Atlantis. About 3,600 years ago, a massive volcanic eruption devastated the island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea near Greece. At the time, a highly advanced society of Minoans lived on Santorini. The Minoan civilization disappeared suddenly at about the same time as the volcanic eruption.

But Ballard doesn't think Santorini was Atlantis, because the time of the eruption on that island doesn't coincide with when Plato said Atlantis was destroyed.

Romm believes Plato created the story of Atlantis to convey some of his philosophical theories. "He was dealing with a number of issues, themes that run throughout his work," he says. "His ideas about divine versus human nature, ideal societies, the gradual corruption of human society - these ideas are all found in many of his works. Atlantis was a different vehicle to get at some of his favourite themes."

The legend of Atlantis is a story about a moral, spiritual people who lived in a highly advanced, utopian civilization. But they became greedy, petty, and "morally bankrupt"

", and the gods "became angry because the people had lost their way and turned

to immoral pursuits," Orser says.

As punishment, he says, the gods sent "one terrible night of fire and earthquakes" that caused Atlantis to sink into the sea.

And all of these plots satisfy Plato's desires to express his perspectives about the way humans should deal with important ethical issues and the consequences of living decaying lives.

Questions 1-6

Do the following statements agree with the

information given in READING PASSAGE?

In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet, write

YES if the statement agrees with the information

NO if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1. Plato's works were considered of great significance to recording the true human condition.

Answer: YES

Supporting statement: "If the writing of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato had not contained so much truth about the human condition, his name would have been forgotten centuries ago."

Keywords: Plato, truth, human condition

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, Line 1

Explanation: The passage confirms that Plato’s writings are valued for revealing truths about the human condition, which supports the statement.

2. Plato's description of the ancient Atlantis was quite believable.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement: "But one of his most famous stories - the cataclysmic destruction of the ancient civilization of Atlantis - is almost certainly false."

Keywords: Atlantis, false

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, Line 2

Explanation: The passage directly contradicts the statement by calling Plato’s story of Atlantis “almost certainly false,” so it was not considered believable.

3. Most people are still enthusiastic about exploring the presence of Atlantis.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: While the passage mentions interest and fascination with the myth, it does not specifically state that “most people” are still enthusiastic about exploring Atlantis.

4. The myth is quite popular among many astronomy experts and professors.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement: "Few, if any, scientists think Atlantis actually existed. Ocean explorer Robert Ballard... notes that 'no Nobel laureates' have said that what Plato wrote about Atlantis is true."

Keywords: scientists, Atlantis, Nobel

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Lines 1–2

Explanation: The passage refers to scepticism from scientists, not popularity among astronomy experts. Astronomy is not mentioned, so the statement is incorrect.

5. Modern people are quite sure about the exact site of Atlantis.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement: "Pick a spot on the map, and someone has said that Atlantis was there."

Keywords: spot on the map, Atlantis

Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, Line 2

Explanation: The passage emphasizes uncertainty and the wide range of theories about Atlantis’ location, contradicting the idea that people are “sure” about where it was.

6. Information about whether Atlantis ever existed in human history is rather abundant.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement: "Plato's writings about Atlantis are the only known records of its existence."

Keywords: only known records, Atlantis

Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 2

Explanation: The passage says there is only one source (Plato) about Atlantis, proving that information is scarce rather than abundant.

Questions 7-11

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.

Almost nobody believed in the truth of Atlantis, and many scientists such as 7 ……………….

Answer: Robert Ballard

Supporting statement: "Ocean explorer Robert Ballard... notes that 'no Nobel laureates' have said that what Plato wrote about Atlantis is true."

Keywords: Robert Ballard, Atlantis, scepticism

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Lines 1–2

Explanation: Robert Ballard is cited as an example of a modern expert who expresses doubt about the truth of Atlantis, showing scientific scepticism.

Express lot of scepticism about it. However, while 8 ……………..

Answer: cataclysmic floods

Supporting statement: "...cataclysmic floods and volcanic explosions have happened throughout history, including one event that had some similarities to the story..."

Keywords: cataclysmic floods, history

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 3

Explanation: The passage mentions that floods are one of the real events that are somewhat similar to Plato’s Atlantis story.

and 9 ……………

Answer: volcanic explosions

Supporting statement: "...cataclysmic floods and volcanic explosions have happened throughout history..."

Keywords: volcanic explosions, Atlantis

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 3

Explanation: Alongside floods, volcanic eruptions are another real natural disaster that supports the plausibility of events similar to Atlantis’ destruction.

in the history seem to provide some positive evidence for the existence of Atlantis, it is still not true, because the time of 10 ……………….

Question: …because the time of … and Plato's are not compatible.

Answer: the eruption

Supporting statement: "But Ballard doesn't think Santorini was Atlantis, because the time of the eruption on that island doesn't coincide with when Plato said Atlantis was destroyed."

Keywords: eruption, time, Plato

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, Line 2

Explanation: The volcanic eruption in Santorini doesn’t align with Plato’s timeline for Atlantis, making it an unlikely match.

and Plato's are not compatible. One expert, Romm believes Plato made the story of Atlantis to express his 11 ……………..

Answer: philosophical theories

Supporting statement: "Romm believes Plato created the story of Atlantis to convey some of his philosophical theories."

Keywords: Romm, Plato, philosophical theories

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, Line 1

Explanation: Romm interprets the Atlantis story as a metaphorical tool to express Plato’s views on society, ethics, and human nature.

such as the good virtues,ideologies, etc.

Questions 12 and 13

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE

WORDS OR A NUMBER for each.

12. According to Plato, how long has the story about Atlantis been documented in human

History?

Answer: 9,000 years

Supporting statement: "Plato said Atlantis existed about 9,000 years before his own time…"

Keywords: 9,000 years, Atlantis

Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 1

Explanation: Plato mentioned that the tale of Atlantis was passed down over a span of 9,000 years before his era, indicating a long mythological history.

13. Who discovered the wreck of the Titanic?

Answer: Robert Ballard

Supporting statement: "Ocean explorer Robert Ballard... discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985..."

Keywords: Robert Ballard, Titanic

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 1

Explanation: The passage directly attributes the discovery of the Titanic wreck to Robert Ballard, a key figure also mentioned regarding Atlantis.

Check IELTS reading samples: