Paleolithic Cave Art Reading Answers

Mar 19, 2024

Paleolithic cave art Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Paleolithic cave art Reading Answers have a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. This topic has 7 questions in which you have to choose the correct choice among the given options. In the next 6 questions we have to fill up the black choosing appropriate words from 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 Paleolithic cave art Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Paleolithic Cave Art

Students of art history tend to be familiar with the image of horses and bison discovered in the famous cave art site in Lascaux, France, in 1940. Less well known but vitally important to understanding Ice Age art and culture is the art discovered by three cave explorers in the Chauvet Cave near Vallon-Pont-d'Arc in Southern France 1994.
The Cauvat cave hosts one of the largest group of Paleolithic drawings yet discovered on one site, as well as the fossilised remains of a number of now extinct animals. The art found in the Chauvet Cave differs from that found in the most other European cave differs from that found in the most other European cave art sites, which primarily feature prey animals such as horses, bison, wild cattle, and reindeer. The Chauvet paintings include many animals that humans would have feared: panthers, bears, lions, hyenas, and rhinoceroses. While, the Chauvet paintings also include many species that would have been hunted by the artists - horses, aurochs, bison, and extinct species of moose and deer - the presence of non-prey animals calls into question a common theory that the primary purpose of cave art was to magically ensure plentiful game. Perhaps the discovery of the Chauvet art points to a shift in emphasis from the hunters' predators to the hunters' prey over time, but more evidence is needed.
Carbon-14 dating has established three of the paintings (one bison and two rhinoceroses) as being 31,000 years old. This discovery pushes the common understanding of the date range for European cave art much further back than what had been assumed. It has also clearly disproved theories that earlier cave art was cruder and more primitive because these older images are equally sophisticated in execution.
In addition to the hundreds of animal paintings, the Chauvet cave also has an image of a being, referred to as the Sorcerer with the body of a human and the head of a bison. There is also part of an image of a woman. In addition, explorers found the skull of a cave bear placed on a squared-off altar like rock. The cave had been untouched for thousands of years due to a rock slide that had sealed off the cave; the floor of the cave contains the footprints of humans and cave bears, and fire pits, stone tools, remnants of torches, and bones from meals. After scientists collected data and recorded images, the site was placed off limits to prevent the damage that has occurred at many other caves known for their rock art.
Ice Age paintings in certain European caves have been externally well preserved and have reached iconic status because of their beauty and the artists' skill in execution. As a result, many people assume that the art of early hunters and gatherers was limited to cave paintings. While the artwork in the deep caves has been the best preserved, artwork was also done on the walls of rock shelters and on rock faces out in open light. Paleolithic artists not only painted with pigments but also created engravings by scratching designs into rock with pointed tools, as well as creating low-relief sculpture. Often the artists seemed to have seen a suggestion of an animal's shape in a rock, and then added detail through incising lines, incorporating clay, or applying pigment. In addition to animal images, most sites also have geometrical designs, including dots and quadrangles. Archeologists 1 have also discovered small sculpted figures from the same time period.
Images of hands, created either by wetting the palm of the hand with paint and pressing the hand onto rock or by applying paint around the hand, perhaps by spitting pigment from the mouth, are common. However, full images of humans are rare in the European caves. Images combining human and animal elements such as the Chauvet cave Sorcerer have been found in various sites as having partial images of women, but portrayals of a full human are few and far between, and they tend to be simple abstract depictions. Most of the animal images, on the other hand, are detailed, realistic portrayals of an individual animal species, not simolv an abstract sumbol meant to depict an animal such as a horse or bison.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 1-7 Write the correct letter A,B, or C.

As compared with the Chauvet Cave, the cave art site in Lascaux is

more well known.
less important.
more difficult to explore.

Answer: A
Supporting statement:“........discovered in the famous cave art site in Lascaux, France, in 1940. Less well known but vitally important to understanding Ice Age art and culture is the art discovered by three cave explorers in the Chauvet Cave
near Vallon-Pont-d'Arc in Southern France 1994...........”
Keywords: understanding, france
Keyword Location: para A, line 3
Explanation: As compared with the Chauvet Cave, the cave art site in Lascaux is more well known.

The art discovered in the Chauvet Cave differs from other European cave art because

it does not include images of horses and bison.
it shows images of now-extinct animals.
it includes images of predatory animals.

Answer: C
Supporting statement:“.......It has also clearly disproved theories that earlier cave art was cruder and more primitive because these older images are equally sophisticated in execution..........”
Keywords: cruder, execution
Keyword Location: para C, line 4
Explanation: The art discovered in the Chauvet Cave differs from other European cave art because it includes images of predatory animals.

According to the passage, a common belief about the function of cave art is that

it was meant to bring animals to be hunted.
it was intended to drive animals to be hunted.
it was used to warn others about the presence of fearsome animals.

Answer: A
Supporting statement:“......primarily feature prey animals such as horses, bison, wild cattle, and reindeer. The Chauvet paintings include many animals that humans would have feared: panthers, bears, lions, hyenas, and rhinocerose.........”
Keywords: feared, bears
Keyword Location: para B, line 5
Explanation: According to the passage, a common belief about the function of cave art is that it was meant to bring animals to be hunted.

As compared with other European cave art sites, the art in the Chauvet Cave is

cruder and more primitive.
significantly older.
more sophisticated in subject matter.

Answer: C
Supporting statement:“....... It has also clearly disproved theories that earlier cave art was cruder and more primitive because these older images are equally sophisticated in execution.........”
Keywords:cruder, execution
Keyword Location: para C, line 4
Explanation:As compared with other European cave art sites, the art in the Chauvet Cave is more complex in subject matter.

Images found in the Chauvet Cave include

a crude map.
a parthumen, port animal being.
a complete drawing of a women

Answer: B
Supporting statement:“....... In addition to the hundreds of animal paintings, the Chauvet cave also has an image of a being, referred to as the Sorcerer with the body of a human and the head of a bison. ........”
Keywords: human, bison
Keyword Location: para D, line 1
Explanation: Images found in the Chauvet Cave include a part human, part animal being.

In addition to art, other discoveries in the Chauvet Cave include

implements made of stone.
human bones.
bison pelts.

Answer: A
Supporting statement:“........After scientists collected data and recorded images, the site was placed off limits to prevent the damage that has occurred at many other caves known for their rock art..........”
Keywords: site, rock
Keyword Location: para D, line 8
Explanation:In addition to art, other discoveries in the Chauvet Cave include implements made of stone.

No humans had visited the Chauvet Cave for thousand years because

cave bears lived inside it.
it was declared off limits.
the entrance was blocked by rocks.

Answer: C
Supporting statement:“...... The cave had been untouched for thousands of years due to a rock slide that had sealed off the cave; the floor of the cave contains the footprints of humans and cave bears........”
Keywords: sealed, cave
Keyword Location: para D, line 4
Explanation:No humans had visited the Chauvet Cave for thousands of years because the entrance was blocked by rocks.

Questions 8-13

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

People often believe that Paleolithic art considered on rock of

Answer: CAVE
Supporting statement:“........While the artwork in the deep caves has been the best preserved, artwork was also done on the walls of rock shelters and on rock faces out in open light. .........”
Keywords: preserved, light
Keyword Location: para E, line 4
Explanation: People often believe that Paleolithic art is considered on cave rock.

Ice Age artists used pointed tools to make and sculptures on rocks.

Answer: ENGRAVINGS
Supporting statement:“.....Paleolithic artists not only painted with pigments but also created engravings by scratching designs into rock with pointed tools, as well as creating low-relief sculpture. .......”
Keywords: engravings, sculpture
Keyword Location: para E, line 6
Explanation:Ice Age artists used pointed tools to make engravings and sculptures on rocks.

As well as pictures of animals, are common inmost sites.

Answer: GEOMETRICAL DESIGNS
Supporting statement:“........In addition to animal images, most sites also have geometrical designs, including dots and quadrangles. Archeologists 1 have also discovered small sculpted figures from the same time period..........”
Keywords: designs, sculpted
Keyword Location: para E, line 10
Explanation:As well as pictures of animals, geometrical designs are common in most sites.

Pictures of. were sometimes made by wetting the palm with paint.

Answer: HANDS
Supporting statement:“........Images of hands, created either by wetting the palm of the hand with paint and pressing the hand onto rock or by applying paint around the hand, perhaps by spitting pigment from the mouth, are common.........”
Keywords: paint, spitting
Keyword Location: para F, line 1
Explanation: Pictures of hands were sometimes made by wetting the palm with paint.

It is unusual to see an image of a in European cave art.

Answer: HUMAN
Supporting statement:“......However, full images of humans are rare in the European caves. Images combining human and animal elements such as the Chauvet cave Sorcerer have been found.......”
Keywords: combining, found
Keyword Location: para F, line 3
Explanation:It is unusual to see an image of a human in European cave art.

Rather than being symbolic, paintings of animals are images.

Answer: DETAILED / REALISTIC
Supporting statement:“........Most of the animal images, on the other hand, are detailed, realistic portrayals of an individual animal species, not simolv an abstract symbol meant to depict an animal such as a horse or bison...........”
Keywords: detailed, symbol
Keyword Location: para F, line 7
Explanation:Rather than being symbolic, paintings of animals are detailed and realistic images.

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