Murder and Mystery Reading Answers

Sep 7, 2024

Murder and Mystery Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Murder and Mystery Reading Answers has a total of 14 IELTS questions in total. Questions 27-30 Choose the correct letter.Questions 31-34 Match each statement with the opinion of the people, A, B, C, D or E. Write the correct letter, A, B, C, D or E. From 35-40 questions you have to fill in the blanks with appropriate words from the paragraphs.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers, which feature topics such as The Murder and Mystery Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

READING PASSAGE - 3

ETERNAL APPEAL OF AGATHA CHRISTIE

MURDER AND MYSTERY

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is the bestselling novelist of all time. The British author produced detective novels and short stories, translated into 103 languages, most notably those that featured the fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Agatha Christie was not really interested in murder as such. She wanted to write about 'English murder', which is more about human dynamics than a focus on the act of violence. Her work has been criticized for showing a reluctance to reveal the blood and gore of the crimes committed in her books and any grief the characters might feel for the dead. The methods she describes for murder have also been accused of being far-fetched and even ridiculous. In reality, it is hardly likely that someone would kill by dropping a millstone through, a window onto their victim's head; or give themselves an alibi by pretending to be a dead body, nor would they plan a murder by shooting themselves in the leg to put the suspicion on another person. Frankly, they are almost silly. But Agatha Christie probably thought they were too, she was known to have a good sense of humour. Why should we assume that she thought these events were credible?

Raymond Chandler, who was an author contemporary to Christie, criticized her book And Then There Were None with some justification, 'It is as complete and shameless a bamboozling of the reader as ever was perpetrated. And I won't go into the mechanism of the crimes, most of which were predicated on pure chance, and some actually impossible. Though none of this can be denied, it is irrelevant. And Then There Were None is Christie's best-selling novel, with 100 million sales to date, so the improbability of her crimes has hardly inhibited people from reading the book. The fact that a murder might be a physical near-impossibility does not affect readership, nor is the murder of much importance to the novel. It is basically there to be solved, not viewed as a mirror of real possibilities. For Agatha Christie, solving the mystery does not necessarily come from her detectives examining the crime, but by their observation of the human suspects, how they react and how they relate to one another.

This idea of the human dynamic is not typically touched on in-criticism of Christie's writing, which normally goes along the lines of that she writes brilliant mysteries that have little insight into either character or emotion. It is claimed that people read her books merely to solve the puzzle; and once that is done, they never pick up the book again. I really do not think this is the case. How can these books continue to sell the same time as her have in their millions when books from other clever detective writers published disappeared? John Dickson Carr, who created 'impossible crime' mysteries, Margery Allingham who wrote brilliant prose, and the witty Dorothy Sayers, all wrote detective fiction that is no longer commonly read. Ifcan hardly be because of Christie's construction of the puzzle. We all know either the narrator did it, the policeman did it or they all did it. It must be due to something else, something not necessarily within the puzzle, not obvious, but sensed all the same. It is something I just can't put my finger on.

It is not the murder itself that is important, but the reason why it was done. And that is found by observing the characters. Perhaps it is this quality of Christie's characters that populate the tight but predictable plots that makes her work pass the test of time. Author P.D. James,

whose book A Certain Justice is based on the plot of Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, commented that the reader gets the sense that there is more in her stories than is evident. Both books revolve around legality versus justice, a question which is unanswerable. Usually, detective books demand answers to all their queIn Orient Express the entire story is based on the solution and the crime, and the theme of legality versus justice is not overtly apparent, yet it is the very bones of the book. stions. If a child murderer has escaped prosecution, is it right for family and friends to exact justice? In A Certain Justice, James has expanded this idea into an excellent, realistic novel wherein the solution of the crime plays a minor part. The Orient Express solution is that "they all did it', and no other solution could be possible as she brilliantly spreads the blame over almost every character in the story. The final pages that contain the solution of an Agatha Christie mystery are intensely satisfying for the reader, possibly because they not only solve the crime, but resolve the relationships of the characters themselves. Christie once said, 'Very few of us are what we seem, and the kind of character revelation she has at the end of her books so well illustrates this. Five Little Pigs is about a painter who pretends to fall in love with his model so he is able to finish the painting. The plot of this book is almost completely character based, and though Poirot does solve the mystery, as he is in possession of only circumstantial evidence he is unable to do more than point the finger at Elsa, the artist's model. She leaves in a'car without confessing to the crime. The ending though, is somehow

still satisfying. Though the characterization may seem simplistic, it is surprisingly revealing. Christie's critics might even call it stereotyping. This may be the case, but she uses character stereotypes to mislead, not to reveal, because she knows that people believe in them.

Questions 27-30 Choose the correct letter.

In the first paragraph the writer believes that Christie
A. knew her plots were improbable.
B. was obsessed with murder.
C. showed pity for the dead.
D. wanted to write realistic storylines.

Answer: A

Supporting statement:But Agatha Christie probably thought they were too, she was known to have a good sense of humour.

Keywords: humour, probably

Keyword Location:

Explanation: But Agatha Christie probably thought they were too, she was known to have a good sense of humour.She was well aware of what she is writing.

The writer asserts that Christie's detectives solved mysteries through
A. examining the scene of the crime.
B. balancing probabilities.
C. finding clues from the murder weapon.
D. paying attention to people.

Answer: D

Keyword: respect,react,crime

Keyword location: 2nd paragraph, 4th line

Explanation: Agatha Christie gives more importance to observation of the characters than to the detective's methods. Solving the mystery does not necessarily come from her detectives examining the crime, but by their observation of the human suspects, how they react and how they relate to one.

The writer does not agree with the common idea that Christie's books
A. are often about human interaction.
B. are excellent crime stories.
C. are lacking in realistic portrayals of people.
D. are full of feeling

Answer: C

Supporting statement:The plot of this book is almost completely character based, and though Poirot does solve the mystery, as he is in possession of only circumstantial evidence he is unable to do more than point the finger at Elsa, the artist's model.

Keywords: plot,character based

Keyword location: last paragraph,8 th line

Explanation: The plot of this book is almost completely character based,she writes to portray realistic characters in her detective fictions.

The writer mentions other authors from the time Christie was writing to
A. illustrate that they were better writers.
B. observe that their books no longer sell.
C. compare them with Christie's style
D. show that they were never popular.

Answer: B

Supporting statement:How can these books continue to sell the same time as her have in their millions when books from other clever detective writers published disappeared? John Dickson Carr, who created 'impossible crime' mysteries, Margery Allingham who wrote brilliant prose, and the witty Dorothy Sayers, all wrote detective fiction that is no longer commonly read

Keywords: detective writers,sell, fiction

Keyword location: 2nd paragraph,11th linr

Explanation: The writer mentions other authors from the time Christie was writing to observe that their books no longer sell.John Dickson Carr, who created 'impossible crime' mysteries, Margery Allingham who wrote brilliant prose, and the witty Dorothy Sayers, all wrote detective fiction that is no longer commonly read.

Questions 31-32

Match each statement with the opinion of the people, A, B, C, D or E. Write the correct letter, A, B, C, D or E.

The books offer something extra than what is first seen.

Answer: D

Supporting statement:Author P.D. James, whose book A Certain Justice is based on the plot of Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, commented that the reader gets the sense that there is more in her stories than is evident.

Keyword: sense,evident,plot

Keyword location: 3rd paragraph,3rd line

Explanation: Author P.D. James, whose book A Certain Justice is based on the plot of Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, commented that the reader gets the sense that there is more in her stories than is evident.

The plot of the book is misleading and unconvincing.

Answer: E

Supporting statement:This may be the case, but she uses character stereotypes to mislead, not to reveal, because she knows that people believe in them

Keyword: mislead, reveal

Keyword location: last paragraph 8 th line

Explanation: This may be the case, but she uses character stereotypes to mislead, not to reveal, because she knows that people believe in them. Christie once said, 'Very few of us are what we seem, and the kind of character revelation she has at the end of her books so well illustrates this

LIST OF PEOPLE

A. Raymond Chandler

B. The writer

C. John Dickson Carr

D. P.D. James

E. Agatha Christie

Questions 33-34

Match each statement with the opinion of the people, A, B, C, D or E. Write the correct letter, A, B, C, D or E.

Not many people really are how they appear.

Answer: A

Supporting statement:Raymond Chandler, who was an author contemporary to Christie, criticized her book And Then There Were None with some justification, 'It is as complete and shameless a bamboozling of the reader as ever was perpetrated.

Keywords:

Keyword location: 2nd paragraph, 1st line

Explanation: Raymond Chandler said that

Not many people really are how they appear in Christie's novel.

The feeling. you get from the way the plot is revealed is difficult to put into words.

Answer: B

Supporting statement:This idea of the human dynamic is not typically touched on in-criticism of Christie's writing, which normally goes along the lines of that she writes brilliant mysteries that have little insight into either character or emotion.

Keywords: mystery, character

Keyword Location:

Explanation: This idea of the human dynamic is not typically touched on in-criticism of Christie's writing, which normally goes along the lines of that she writes brilliant mysteries that have little insight into either character or emotion.

LIST OF PEOPLE

Raymond Chandler
The writer
John Dickson Carr
P.D. James
Agatha Christie

Questions 35-40

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD for each answer.

In Christie's books the motive for the crime can be uncovered through studying the …………

Answer: characters

Supporting statement:For Agatha Christie, solving the mystery does not necessarily come from her detectives examining the crime, but by their observation of the human suspects, how they react and how they relate to one another. This idea of the human dynamic is not typically touched on in-criticism of Christie's writing, which normally goes along the lines of that she writes brilliant mysteries that have little insight into either character or emotion.

Keyword: mystery, human suspect,

Keyword Location:

Explanation: For Agatha Christie, solving the mystery does not necessarily come from her detectives examining the crime, but by their observation of the human suspects, how they react and how they relate to one another. Thus the correct answer is character.

P.D. James and Christie both wrote a book with a similar …………

Answer: plot

Supporting statement:Perhaps it is this quality of Christie's characters that populate the tight but predictable plots that makes her work pass the test of time. Author P.D. James, whose book A Certain Justice is based on the plot of Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, commented that the reader gets the sense that there is more in her stories than is evident.

Keyword: plots,stories,evident

Keyword location: 4th paragraph, 2nd line

Explanation: Christie's characters that populate the tight but predictable plots that makes her work pass the test of time. Author P.D. James, whose book A Certain Justice is based on the plot of Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, commented that the reader gets the sense that there is more in her stories than is evident.

Thus the correct answer is plot.

In P.D. James A Certain Justice the explanation of the murder is of ... ..... Importance.

Answer:minor

Supporting statement:In A Certain Justice, James has expanded this idea into an excellent, realistic novel wherein the solution of the crime plays a minor part.

Keyword: realistic, crime,minor

Keyword location: 4th paragraph,4th line

Explanation: TIn A Certain Justice, James has expanded this idea into an excellent, realistic novel wherein the solution of the crime plays a minor part. Thus the correct answer is minor.

The …….…………to the crime in Murder on the Orient Express is that all the characters were guilty.

Answer: solution

Supporting statement:The Orient Express solution is that "they all did it', and no other solution could be possible as she brilliantly spreads the blame over almost every character in the story.

Keywords: solution,blame, character

Keyword Location:

Explanation: The Orient Express solution is that "they all did it', and no other solution could be possible as she brilliantly spreads the blame over almost every character in the story.Thus the correct answer is solution.

In Five Little Pigs Inspector Poirot does not have enough……….to charge his suspect with murder.

Answer: evidence

Supporting statement:Five Little Pigs is about a painter who pretends to fall in love with his model so he is able to finish the painting. The plot of this book is almost completely character based, and though Poirot does solve the mystery, as he is in possession of only circumstantial evidence he is unable to do more than point the finger at Elsa, the artist's model.

Keywords: evidence ,Poirot,plot

Keyword location: last paragraph,12 th line

Explanation: Five Little Pigs is about a painter who pretends to fall in love with his model so he is able to finish the painting. The plot of this book is almost completely character based, and though Poirot does solve the mystery, as he is in possession of only circumstantial evidence he is unable to do more than point the finger at Elsa, the artist's model. Thus the correct answer is

By adopting ……….Christie is able to trick the reader into misunderstanding the characters.

Answer: stereotypes

Supporting statement:Christie's critics might even call it stereotyping. This may be the case, but she uses character stereotypes to mislead, not to reveal, because she knows that people believe in them.

Keyword: stereotypes, mislead, believe

Keyword Location:

Explanation: Christie's critics might even call it stereotyping. This may be the case, but she uses character stereotypes to mislead, not to reveal, because she knows that people believe in them. Thus the correct answer is stereotypes.

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