Mystery Of The Megaliths Reading Answers

Dec 22, 2023

Mystery Of The Megaliths Reading Answers is an academic topic taken from IELTS: Reading Practice Materials (2018 EDITION). It contains 13 questions and answers about the Triangular-shaped Easter Island. Mystery Of The Megaliths Reading Answers contains choosing the most suitable headings, agreeing with the views of the writer, and choosing the appropriate letter type of questions. Candidates are required to read the IELTS Reading passage and answer by choosing which paragraph contains choose the correct letter, and classify the following ideas type of questions. Answers for each type of question in the passage are based on their understanding. Candidates can gain proficiency on diverse topics by undertaking IELTS Reading practice papers to get more topics like Mystery Of The Megaliths Reading Answers.

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Section 1

Read the following passage to answer the questions given below.

Mystery Of The Megaliths Reading Answers

Mystery Of The Megaliths

Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, is a triangular-shaped island belonging to Chile. It is located in the South Pacific Ocean, about 3700 km west of the Chilean coast. The island is formed by three extinct volcanoes. Swept by strong trade winds, the area is warm throughout the year. Indigenous vegetation consists mainly of grasses. Potatoes, sugarcane, taro roots, tobacco, and tropical fruits are grown in the fertile soil. The prime source of fresh water is the rain that gathers in the crater lakes.
The Island was named by a Dutch explorer who landed there on Easter Day in 1722. At the time, several thousand Polynesians inhabited the island. However, disease and raids by slave traders reduced the number to fewer than 200 by the late 19th century. The Chilean government annexed the island in 1888. An area on the western coast is reserved by the government for the indigenous population; the remainder is used as grazing land for sheep and cattle. Some intermarriage has taken place between the Polynesians and the Chileans.
Easter Island is of considerable archaeological importance. It is the richest site of the megaliths (giant stone monuments) of the Pacific island groups and the only source of evidence of a form of writing in Polynesia. Very little is known about the people who made the megaliths and carved the wooden tablets. One belief is that settlement of Easter Island took place about 18 centuries ago, al- though some scholars contend that the settlement occurred more recently.
Archaeological and botanical evidence suggests that the island's original inhabitants were of South American origin.
The ancestors of the present Polynesian population are thought to have travelled in canoes from the Marquesas Islands, massacred the inhabitants, and made the island their home. Many archaeologists believe that at the time of the invasion, the megaliths, including about 600 statues, were standing throughout the island and that many were destroyed by the Polynesians during a period of violence on Easter Island.
Largest of the existing stone monuments are the great burial platforms, called ahus, which were used to support rows of statues. The ahus were situated on bluffs and in other positions commanding a view of the sea, each ahu was constructed of neatly fitted stone blocks set without mortar. The burial platform usually supported 4 to 6 statues, although one ahu, known as Tongariki, carried 15 statues. Within many of the ahus, vaults house individual or group burials,
About 100 statues still stand on the island; they vary in height from 3 to 12 m (10 to 40 ft). Carved from tuff, a soft volcanic rock, they consist of huge heads with elongated ears and noses. Material for the statues was quarried from the crater called Rano Raraku, where modern explorers found an immense unfinished statue, 21 m (68 ft) long. Many of the statues on the burial platforms bore cylindrical, brimmed crowns of red tuff; the largest crown weighs approximately 27 metric tons.
Excavations have also disclosed hidden caves containing decayed remains of tablets and wooden images, and numerous small wooden sculptures. The tablets are covered with finely carved and stylized figures, which seem to be a form of picture writing.

Section 2

Answers and Explanation

Questions 13-15

Reading Passage 2 has six sections, A-F.

Choose the most suitable headings for sections B-C and E. from the list of headings below.

Write the appropriate number, i-vii, in boxes 13-15 on your answer sheet.

NB There are more headings than paragraphs so you will not use them all.

Paragraph B
Paragraph C
Paragraph E

List of Headings

Massive heads, carved out of rock
Present day demographics
The island's archaeological importance
Massacre and destruction by the Polynesians
Geographic profile
How to carve a 27-ton statue
18th century inhabitants

Question 13

Answer: VII
Supporting statement: Several thousand Polynesians inhabited the island.
Keywords: Inhabited.
Keyword Location: 2nd line, paragraph B.
Explanation: Paragraph B clearly states that at the time, several thousand Polynesians inhabited the island. However, disease and raids by slave traders reduced the number to fewer than 200 by the late 19th century.

Question 14

Answer: III
Supporting statement: Easter Island is of considerable archaeological importance.
Keywords: Archaeological
Keyword Location: 1st line, paragraph C.
Explanation: Paragraph C talks about Easter Island being of considerable archaeological importance, and it is the richest site of the megaliths (giant stone monuments) of the Pacific island groups and the only source of evidence of a form of writing in Polynesia.

Question 15

Answer: I
Supporting statement: Carved from tuff, a soft volcanic rock, they consist of huge heads with elongated ears and noses.
Keywords: Carved, Rock.
Keyword Location: 2nd line, paragraph E.
Explanation: Paragraph E talks about 100 statues still stand on the island; they vary in height from 3 to 12 m (10 to 40 ft). Carved from tuff, a soft volcanic rock, they consist of huge heads with elongated ears and noses.

Questions 16-21

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 2?

In boxes 16-21 on your answer sheet, write

YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Easter Island is a significant source of artefacts.
The settlement of Easter Island took place about 18 centuries ago.
A few archaeologists believe that the Polynesians destroyed many of the megaliths.
Disease and raids by slave traders decimated the island's population.
Evidence confirms that the island's first inhabitants came from South America.
Not much is known about the makers of the megaliths and the wooden tablets.

Question 16

Answer: YES
Supporting statement: About 100 statues still stand on the island
Keywords: Statues, Island
Keyword Location: 1st line, paragraph E.
Explanation: In paragraph E, it clearly states that About 100 statues still stand on the island; they vary in height from 3 to 12 m (10 to 40 ft). Many of the statues on the burial platforms bore cylindrical, brimmed crowns of red tuff; the largest crown weighs approximately 27 metric tons.

Question 17

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Supporting statement: One belief is that settlement of Easter Island took place about 18 centuries ago, al- though some scholars contend that the settlement occurred more recently
Keywords: 18 centuries
Keyword Location: 4th and 5th line, paragraph C.
Explanation: In the 4th and 5th lines of paragraph C, it mentions that one belief is that settlement of Easter Island took place about 18 centuries ago, al- though some scholars contend that the settlement occurred more recently.

Question 18

Answer: NO
Supporting statement: many were destroyed by the Polynesians during a period of violence on Easter Island.
Keywords: Polynesians, destroyed.
Keyword Location: last 2 lines, paragraph C.
Explanation: In the last 2 lines of paragraph C it mentioned that many archaeologists believe that at the time of the invasion, the megaliths, including about 600 statues, were standing throughout the island and that many were destroyed by the Polynesians during a period of violence on Easter Island.

Question 19

Answer: YES
Supporting statement: disease and raids by slave traders reduced the number to fewer than 200 by the late 19th century
Keywords: disease and raids, slave traders.
Keyword Location: 3rd line, paragraph B.
Explanation: In the 3rd line of paragraph B, it clearly states that disease and raids by slave traders reduced the number to fewer than 200 by the late 19th century.

Question 20

Answer: NO
Supporting statement: Archaeological and botanical evidence suggests that the island's original inhabitants were of South American origin.
Keywords: South American, Inhabitants.
Keyword Location: 6th line, paragraph C.
Explanation: In the 6th line of paragraph C it clearly states that archaeological and botanical evidence suggests that the island's original inhabitants were of South American origin.

Question 21

Answer: YES
Supporting statement: Very little is known about the people who made the megaliths and carved the wooden tablets
Keywords: wooden tablets
Keyword Location: 3rd line, section C.
Explanation: In the 3rd line of section C it clearly states that very little is known about the people who made the megaliths and carved the wooden tablets

Questions 22-25

Choose the appropriate letter A-D and write them in boxes 22-25 on your answer sheet.

The primary source of fresh water on Easter Island comes from,

natural underground springs.
Chile.
rain that gathers in the crater lakes.
tropical vegetation.

The ancestors of the present-day Polynesian population

are thought to have built some of the megaliths.
are believed to have come from the Mariana islands.
used some form of picture writing on wooden tablets.
may have destroyed many of the megaliths.

the island

each weigh more than 27 metric tons.
were made from soft volcanic rock.
are the largest stone monuments on the island.
were only worn around the necks of statues on burial platforms.

The giant stone burial platforms

typically supported fewer than 7 stone statues.
were only used for the burial of tribal chiefs,
contained numerous chambers where wooden tablets were found.
weighed as much as 27 metric tons.

Question 22

Answer: C
Supporting statement: The prime source of fresh water is the rain that gathers in the crater lakes.
Keywords: Fresh water
Keyword Location: Last line, paragraph A.
Explanation: In the last line of paragraph A, it clearly states that the prime source of fresh water is the rain that gathers in the crater lakes.

Question 23

Answer: D
Supporting statement: were standing throughout the island and that many were destroyed by the Polynesians during a period of violence on Easter Island
Keywords: Polynesians
Keyword Location: Last line, paragraph C
Explanation: In the last line of paragraph C it clearly states that many were standing throughout the island and that many were destroyed by the Polynesians during a period of violence on Easter Island

Question 24

Answer: B
Supporting statement: Carved from tuff, a soft volcanic rock, they consist of huge heads with elongated ears and noses.
Keywords: Soft volcanic rock
Keyword Location: First 2 lines, section E.
Explanation: In the first 2 lines of section E it clearly states that about 100 statues still stand on the island; they vary in height from 3 to 12 m (10 to 40 ft). Carved from tuff, a soft volcanic rock, they consist of huge heads with elongated ears and noses.

Question 25

Answer: A
Supporting statement: The burial platform usually supported 4 to 6 statues, although one ahu, known as Tongariki, carried 15 statues.
Keywords: Burial platform, supported.
Keyword Location: Last line, paragraph D.
Explanation: In the last line of paragraph D it clearly states that The burial platform usually supported 4 to 6 statues, although one ahu, known as Tongariki, carried 15 statues.

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