Roman Shipbuilding and Navigation Reading Answers

Jan 2, 2023

Roman Shipbuilding and Navigation Reading Answers contains a write up about Roman shipbuilding and navigation. Roman Shipbuilding and Navigation Reading Answers contains a total of 7 paragraphs. Related to the paragraphs are 13 questions. Candidates in this IELTS Section will be shown various question types with clear instructions. To answer the questions provided in the IELTS Reading passage,Applicants must attentively read each passage.

Roman Shipbuilding and Navigation Reading Answers comprises two types of questions: Complete the Summary and True/False and Not Given Candidates to complete the summary must grasp the concept and skim the passage for key terms.The statements from the paragraphs are the basis for the true/false and not given questions. The sentence completion answers must not exceed more than two words. The paragraphs must be fully interpreted and understood by candidates. To gain proficiency, candidates can practice from IELTS reading practice test.

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1–13, which are based on the reading passage below.

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Section 1

Roman Shipbuilding and Navigation Reading Answers

Shipbuilding today is based on science and ships are built using computers and sophisticated tools. Shipbuilding in ancient Rome, however, was more of an art relying on estimation, inherited techniques and personal experience. The Romans were not traditionally sailors but mostly land-based people, who learned to build ships from the people that they conquered, namely the Greeks and the Egyptians.
There are a few surviving written documents that give descriptions and representations of ancient Roman ships, including the sails and rigging. Excavated vessels also provide some clues about ancient shipbuilding techniques. Studies of these have taught us that ancient Roman shipbuilders built the outer hull first, then proceeded with the frame and the rest of the ship. Planks used to build the outer hull were initially sewn together. Starting from the 6th century BCE, they were fixed using a method called mortise and tenon, whereby one plank locked into another without the need for stitching. Then in the first centuries of the current era, Mediterranean shipbuilders shifted to another shipbuilding method, still in use today, which consisted of building the frame first and then proceeding with the hull and the other components of the ship. This method was more systematic and dramatically shortened ship construction times. The ancient Romans built large merchant ships and warships whose size and technology were unequaled until the 16th century CE.
Warships were built to be lightweight and very speedy. They had to be able to sail near the coast which is why they had no ballast or excess load and were built with a long, narrow hull. They did not sink when damaged and often would lie crippled on the sea’s surface following naval battles. They had a bronze battering ram, which was used to pierce the timber hulls or break the oars of enemy vessels. Warships used both wind (sails) and human power (oarsmen) and were therefore very fast. Eventually, Rome’s navy became the largest and most powerful in the Mediterranean, and the Romans had control over what they therefore called Mare Nostrum meaning ‘our sea’.
There were many kinds of warships. The ‘trireme’ was the dominant warship from the 7th to 4th century BCE. It had rowers in the top, middle and lower levels, and approximately 50 rowers in each bank. The rowers at the bottom had the most uncomfortable position as they were under the other rowers and were exposed to the water entering through the oar-holes. It is worth noting that contrary to popular perception, rowers were not slaves but mostly Roman citizens enrolled in the military. The trireme was superseded by larger ships with even more rowers.
Merchant ships were built to transport lots of cargo over long distances and at a reasonable cost. They had a wider hull, double planking and a solid interior for added stability. Unlike warships, their V-shaped hull was deep underwater, meaning that they could not sail too close to the coast. They usually had two huge side rudders located off the stern and controlled by a small tiller bar connected to a system of cables. They had from one to three masts with large square sails and a small triangular sail at the bow. Just like warships, merchant ships used oarsmen, but coordinating the hundreds of rowers in both types of ship was not an easy task. In order to assist them, music would be played on an instrument, and oars would then keep time with this.
The cargo on merchant ships included raw materials (e.g. iron bars, copper, marble and granite), and agricultural products (e.g. grain from Egypt’s Nile valley). During the Empire, Rome was a huge city by ancient standards of about one million inhabitants. Goods from all over the world would come to the city through the port of Pozzuoli situated west of the bay of Naples in Italy and through the gigantic port of Ostia situated at the mouth of the Tiber River. Large merchant ships would approach the destination port and, just like today, be intercepted by a number of towboats that would drag them to the quay.
The time of travel along the many sailing routes could vary widely. Navigation in ancient Rome did not rely on sophisticated instruments such as compasses but on experience, local knowledge and observation of natural phenomena. In conditions of good visibility, seamen in the Mediterranean often had the mainland or islands in sight, which greatly facilitated navigation. They sailed by noting their position relative to a succession of recognisable landmarks. When weather conditions were not good or where land was no longer visible, Roman mariners estimated directions from the pole star or, with less accuracy, from the Sun at noon. They also estimated directions relative to the wind and swell. Overall, shipping in ancient Roman times resembled shipping today with large vessels regularly crossing the seas and bringing supplies from their Empire.

Section 2

Questions 1 – 5

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

The Romans’ shipbuilding skills were passed on to the Greeks and the Egyptians.

Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: The Greeks and the Egyptians, who the Romans subjugated, taught them how to build ships because they were land-based people and were not typically sailors.
Keywords: Greeks and Egyptians,taught them
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1
Explanation: The statement of the question is contradictory to paragraph 1. The lines of paragraph 1 states that Romans learnt shipbuilding from Greeks and Egyptians. The reason is they were land based people and not sailors. So, the answer is False. The explanation for the same has been provided.

Skilled craftsmen were needed for the mortise and tenon method of fixing planks.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: There has been no relevant information given in the paragraphs related to the question statement. So, the answer is Not Given.

The later practice used by Mediterranean shipbuilders involved building the hull before the frame.

Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: Then, in the first centuries of the modern era, Mediterranean shipbuilders changed to a different way of building ships that is still in use today. This approach involved creating the frame of the ship first,
followed by the hull and other ship parts.
Keywords: Mediterranean, shipbuilders.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2
Explanation: The statement of the question is contradictory to the information provided in paragraph 2. The lines of paragraph 2 suggests that Mediterranean shipbuilders changed the practice of shipbuilding. They started making the frame of the ship first. The hull of the shi[ of constructed later followed by the remaining parts of the ship. So, the answer is False, based on the explanation given.

The Romans called the Mediterranean Sea Mare Nostrum because they dominated its use.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: Rome's navy grew to be the biggest and strongest in the Mediterranean, and because they controlled this area, the Romans referred to it as Mare Nostrum, or "our sea."
Keywords: Rome’s navy, romans
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3
Explanation: The paragraph 3 suggests that the statement of the question is tRue. As per the lines of paragraph 3, the Romans called the Mediterranean as Mare Nostrum also referred to as our sea. This was due to the domination of romans. So, the answer is True.

Most rowers on ships were people from the Roman army.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: Contrary to popular belief, rowers were mostly Roman citizens enlisted in the military rather than being slaves. Larger ships with more rowers eventually replaced the trireme.
Keywords: Romans, Rowers.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4
Explanation: As per the paragraph 4 the belief is a contradiction. Romans were not slaves rather they were rowers. The majority of the rowers were from Roman citizens. So, the answer is True. Explanation provided for the same.

Questions 6 – 13

Complete the summary below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 6-13 on your answer sheet.

Warships and merchant ships

Warships were designed so that they were 6 ......................... and moved quickly. They often remained afloat after battles and were able to sail close to land as they lacked any additional weight. A battering ram made of 7 ......................... was included in the design for attacking and damaging the timber and oars of enemy ships. Warships, such as the ‘trireme’, had rowers on three different 8 ..........................

Unlike warships, merchant ships had a broad 9 ......................... that lay far below the surface of the sea. Merchant ships were steered through the water with the help of large rudders and a tiller bar. They had both square and 10 ......................... sails. On merchant ships and warships, 11 ......................... was used to ensure rowers moved their oars in and out of the water at the same time.

Quantities of agricultural goods such as 12 ......................... were transported by merchant ships to two main ports in Italy. The ships were pulled to the shore by 13 .......................... When the weather was clear and they could see islands or land, sailors used landmarks that they knew to help them navigate their route.

Question 6)

Answer: Lightweight
Supporting Sentence: Warships were designed to be swift and light. They were designed with a long, narrow hull because they needed to be able to sail close to the coast and had no ballast or surplus load.
Keywords: warships, lightweight.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3
Explanation: This statement has been mentioned in paragraph 3. Warships were designed to be swift and light. The implication in this phrase is that the battleships were built to be swift and light (moved quickly). So, the correct answer is lightweight.

Question 7)

Answer: Bronze
Supporting Sentence: They had a bronze battering ram that they might use to puncture the wooden hulls of other ships or break their oars. Warships were extremely swift because they combined human and wind power
(sails and oarsmen).
Keywords: Bronze, warships.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3
Explanation: This statement has been mentioned in paragraph 3. This implies that the bronze battering ram was employed to assault and harm ('pierce' and 'break') the timber and oars of adversary ships. So, the correct answer is Bronze.

Question 8)

Answer: Levels
Supporting Sentence: Warships came in a variety of designs. From the seventh to the fourth centuries BCE, the "trireme" dominated the warship world. There were roughly 50 rowers in each bank, and there were rowers on
the upper, middle, and lower levels.
Keywords: Rowers, designs.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4
Explanation: As per the statement mentioned in Paragraph 4. There are rowers in the three different levels. So, the correct answer is levels. Explanation for the same is given.

Question 9)

Answer: Hull
Supporting Sentence: Their V-shaped hull was deep underwater, unlike warships, therefore they were unable to go too close to the coast. They typically had two enormous side rudders off the stern that were moved by a
small tiller bar attached to a network of cables.
Keywords: V-shape hull, side rubbers.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5
Explanation: This statement has been mentioned in paragraph 5. In the opening sentence of the previously mentioned paragraph, the writer mentions the commerce ships and claims that their hulls were submerged (below the surface of the sea). So, the correct answer is Hull.

Question 10)

Answer: Triangular
Supporting Sentence: They had from one to three masts with large square sails and a small triangular sail at the bow. Just like warships, merchant ships used oarsmen, but coordinating the hundreds of rowers in both types
of ship was not an easy task.
Keywords: triangular sail
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5
Explanation: Paragraph 5 mentions the shape of the sail. Paragraph 5 demonstrates that the commercial ships' masts carried both square and triangular sails. So, the correct answer is triangular as per the explanations provided.

Question 11)

Answer: Music
Supporting Sentence: A musical instrument would be used to help them, and the oars would beat rhythm to the song.
Keywords: musical instrument
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5
Explanation: The paragraph 5 states about the musical instrument. This demonstrates how music was once played on board ships to synchronize the simultaneous motion of the oars on both merchant and warships. So, the correct answer is music, as per the explanation given.

Question 12)

Answer: Grain
Supporting Sentence: Raw resources like iron bars, copper, marble, and granite, as well as agricultural goods like grain from Egypt's Nile Valley, were among the items carried by commercial ships. Rome during the Empire had a population of roughly a million people, making it a sizable city by ancient standards.
Keywords: grains, Egypt Nile Valley
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6
Explanation: The paragraph 6 mentions the commercial ships. This demonstrates that wheat and other agricultural products were shipped by merchant ships to Pozzuoli and Ostia, two significant ports in Italy. So, the correct answer is grain, as per the explanation provided.

Question 13)

Answer: Towboats
Supporting Sentence: Like nowadays, once massive commerce ships approached the port of destination, a number of towboats would intercept them and drag them to the quay.
Keywords: towboats, destination
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6
Explanation: The paragraph 6 mentions the towboats. According to these lines in paragraph 6, tow boats were utilized to drag (pull) the ship towards the land (quay). So, the correct answer is towboats, as per the explanation.

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