Family Names Reading Answers

Jan 7, 2023

Family Names Reading Answers contains sample answers about family names and various factors that affect it. Family Names Reading Answers has 13 different questions. IELTS Family Names Reading Answers contains three types of questions: answer the questions, write the appropriate letter and complete the sentence. Candidates are required to read the IELTS Reading passage to answer the questions using no more than three words. Candidates need to thoroughly go through each paragraph to answer the question using the correct option from the given list of words. Candidates are supposed to complete the sentences using no more than two words or a number. Candidates can gain proficiency on diverse topics by undertaking IELTS Reading practice papers.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Family Names Reading Answers

Any specialised study of words and language, including the study of people's names, nearly always has an esoteric name. This science is termed anthroponomastics (Anthropos is the word for man, and onoma is the word for name), but this word will not be useful to you in any way. Nonetheless, everyone has a name, and many have several. If one explores the origins of an odd family name back far enough, one will always find a formative logic that deserves attention. In the end, this is the name that people will carry throughout their lives (name changes excluded) and pass on to their offspring.

In early Britain, individuals lived in small agricultural hamlets, where they stayed for the whole of their lives, and had only one name. Being the only person in the hamlet with the name "John" enabled that single title to distinguish that individual from all others. If some other John existed, one might simply add some description to his name, such as 'John the carpenter' or 'John near the hill,' or 'John, Peter's son.' Such modifications were usually transient and not passed to descendants. Of course, life was not meant to be so straightforward.

As the population of townships grows, as people become more mobile, and as invading armies flow in both directions, issues arise. In England, the adoption of family names (or surnames or second names) did not occur at once, although 1379 is a suitable place to start. This was only when the government formed a poll tax, the management of which needed a list of all adult citizens of the kingdom. Suddenly, there was an overwhelming amount of Johns to handle. To address this issue, the subsequent Additions Statute (1413) required that all names be accompanied by the holder's profession and residence location. Eventually, fixed and heritable family names would be required as a result of this increasing bureaucracy.

There were numerous procedures used to determine these names. The most obvious option was to utilise the place of residence, even though people, for example, Wickham, could not all adopt the surname "Wickham" without generating obvious misunderstanding. This, however, did not stop Leonardo da Vinci (from Vinci) from becoming the town's most known export. In England, family names may also be based on personal beliefs (such as Mope, Christian, and Godley) or physical characteristics, such as Armstrong, Short, and Brown. These names are frequently masked by their Gaelic origin. Kennedy means "ugly head" whereas Guilfoyle means "follower of (Saint) Paul."

Names such as Smith, Butcher, and Carpenter were frequently taken from the profession or occupation of the bearers. Many of these refer to obsolete professions, including Fletcher (arrow maker), Cooper (barrel maker), and Heyward (fence maintainer). Sometimes, a person's name was derived from geographical elements around his or her place of residence. Similarly, there are Hill, Bush, Underwood (meaning "under the wood"), Eastlake, and Bridges, among others. Eventually, names frequently reflected family links, as the son of Peter became 'Peter's son' and then 'Peterson'. There are also Johnson, Harrison, and Robertson. Mac was utilised in Scots, resulting in MacDonald, MacPherson, and others.

Due to the mixing of populations from other nations (particularly in the United States), the original foreign names sometimes suffered. Names such as Pfoersching became Pershing as a result of mispronunciation or deliberate modifications to match English pronunciation and spelling. Consequently, Krankheit became Cronkite, while Wistinghausen became Westinghouse. Nevertheless, most English surnames often have undergone substantial spelling and pronunciation variations before settling into their ultimate form. Old English spellings, for instance, were frequently abandoned in favour of phonetic intelligibility, making it impossible to determine exact meaning.

All of the research on family names could lead one to conclude their use is universal. On the contrary, the technical term for a single name is a mononym. Numerous indigenous or aboriginal groups, as well as regions of Africa, India, Central Asia, and Indonesia, utilise only singular names. Such names are typically reserved for celebrities, artists, singers, and actors in the developed world. Mana, Ayaka, and Ichiro are prominent figures in the Japanese entertainment business, while Korea, China, and Hong Kong have followed suit. Moving to the West, some individuals invent names (Bono, Sting, Prince), utilise family names (Liberace, Morrissey), or use their given names (Shakira, Cher). In contrast, the musician Bjork adopts a mononym consistent with her culture. As is the case with all Icelanders, she has no surname.

In European and Western cultures, the family name is typically given after the given name (both in speech and in writing) — hence the words "first" and "last" name. In Asian cultures, however, it is the opposite way around, putting a stronger focus on family relationships. Because many of these civilizations use vertical writing, what is a "last name" in the West is an "upper name" in the East.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Question 1– 4
Answer the following questions.

Each answer should contain NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.

What aspect of family names should we consider more closely?

Answer: Formative logic
Supporting Sentence: the origins of an odd family name back far enough, one will always find a formative logic that deserves attention
Keyword: origins, odd family, attention
Keyword Location:paragraph 1, line 5
Explanation: According to paragraph 1, everyone has a name, and many people have more than one. A formative logic will always be discovered if one digs deep enough into the history of a peculiar family name. This is the name that individuals will ultimately use throughout their lives and impart to their progeny.

Traditionally, what was required to differentiate two identical first names?

Answer: description
Supporting Sentence: one might simply add some description to his name, such as 'John the carpenter' or 'John near the hill,' or 'John,
Keyword: add, name, some description
Keyword Location: paragraph 2, line 4
Explanation: According to paragraph 2, having the name "John" was all that separated the only person in the hamlet with that name from everyone else. If there was another John, he may easily be identified by a description, such as "John the carpenter" or "John near the hill" or "John, Peter's son." Such changes were typically momentary and weren't handed down to successors.

What legislation initiated the use of family names?

Answer: poll tax
Supporting Sentence: when the government formed a poll tax, the management of which needed a list of all adult citizens of the kingdom
Keyword: government, management, citizen
Keyword Location: paragraph 3, line 4
Explanation: As per paragraph 3, it wasn't until the government instituted a poll tax that its government demanded a list of all of the kingdom's adult residents. All of a sudden, there were too many Johns to handle.

Why did family names become necessary over time?

Answer: increasing bureaucracy
Supporting Sentence: Eventually, fixed and heritable family names would be required as a result of this increasing bureaucracy.
Keyword: fixed, names, increasing
Keyword Location: paragraph 3, last line
Explanation: As per paragraph 3, all names had to be linked by the holder's occupation and place of abode under the following Additions Statute. It was inevitable that this growing bureaucracy would lead to the need for fixed and heritable family names.

Question 5– 9

Write the appropriate letter, A - F, next to each question.

What strategy was applied to create the following names?

Personal belief
Place of residence
Mistake
Mononym
Profession
Geographic feature

Guilfoyle

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: In England, family names may also be based on personal beliefs. Guilfoyle means "follower of (Saint) Paul.
Keyword: england, family names, beliefs
Keyword Location: paragraph 4, last line
Explanation: According to paragraph 4, these names were determined using a variety of processes. Family names in England may also be influenced by religious convictions. Guilfoyle signifies (Saint) Paul's followers.

Heyward

Answer: E
Supporting Sentence: Many of these refer to obsolete professions, including Fletcher (arrow maker), Cooper (barrel maker), and Heyward (fence maintainer).
Keyword: obsolete, professions, heyward
Keyword Location: paragraph 5, line 2
Explanation: Many of these, according to paragraph 5, refer to extinct professions. Including Fletcher (arrow maker), Cooper (barrel maker), and Heyward (fence maintainer).

Pershing

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: Names such as Pfoersching became Pershing as a result of mispronunciation or deliberate modifications
Keyword: Pershing, mispronunciation, deliberate
Keyword Location: paragraph 6, line 2
Explanation: According to paragraph 6, the original foreign names occasionally suffered from the blending of populations from different countries. By accident or design, names like Pfoersching became Pershing in order to conform to English sound and spelling.

da Vinci

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: did not stop Leonardo da Vinci (from Vinci) from becoming the town's most known export
Keyword: Leonardo, export, vinci
Keyword Location: paragraph 4, line 4
Explanation: Utilising the home was the most obvious choice. Even so, not everyone could use the surname without creating clear misunderstandings. This did not prevent Leonardo da Vinci (from Vinci) from becoming the city's most famous export, though.

Bono

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: On the contrary, the technical term for a single name is a mononym
Keyword: technical term, single name, mononym
Keyword Location: paragraph 7, line 2
Explanation: According to paragraph 7, a mononym is the formal term for a single name. Many native or indigenous groups, as well as parts of Africa, India, Central Asia, and Indonesia, solely use singular names. Celebrities, artists, singers, and actors are often the only people in the developed world with such names.

Question 10– 13

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

Mac's meaning in Scottish is (10)……………

Answer: son
Supporting Sentence: There are also Johnson, Harrison, and Robertson. Mac was utilised in Scots, resulting in MacDonald, MacPherson, and others.
Keyword: Johnson, Harrison, Robertson
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, lines 7-8
Explanation: The given supporting sentence justifies the answer as mentioned.

To make them easier to write, foreign names frequently underwent (11)……………………

Answer: deliberate modification
Supporting Sentence: a result of mispronunciation or deliberate modifications to match English pronunciation and spelling.
Keyword: result, mispronunciation, spelling
Keyword Location paragraph 6, line 3
Explanation: As per paragraph 6, the original foreign names often deteriorated as a result of the blending of populations from different countries. By accident or design, names like Pfoersching became Pershing in order to conform to English sound and spelling.

The (12)……………….. of a name may be overshadowed by spelling different variants.

Answer: exact meaning
Supporting Sentence: most English surnames often have undergone substantial spelling and pronunciation variations before settling into their ultimate form.
Keyword: surnames, undergone, spelling, pronunciation
Keyword Location: paragraph 6, line 4 from the end
Explanation: According to paragraph 6, before taking on their final form, most English surnames frequently underwent significant spelling and pronunciation changes. It is impossible to identify the precise meaning of Old English spellings since they were frequently omitted in favour of phonetic clarity.

The term 'upper name' is used due to (13)…………………. in Asia.

Answer: vertical writing
Supporting Sentence: Because many of these civilizations use vertical writing, what is a "last name" in the West is an "upper name" in the East.
Keyword: civilization, vertical, upper
Keyword Location: last paragraph, last line
Explanation: According to the last sentence, this is not the case in Asian societies, which place a greater value on family ties. Because so many of these civilizations write vertically, what we refer to as a "last name" in the West is a "upper name" in the East.

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