Stepwells - IELTS Reading Sample with Explanation

The IELTS reading section examines a candidate’s comprehending skills within the stipulated amount of time. The IELTS reading section comprises passages followed with different kinds of questions to holistically judge a student’s grasping abilities while reading. This IELTS Reading sample- Collecting Ant Specimens - is an Academic topic, consisting of following question types.

• True/False/Not Given
• One word/ a number
• Label the diagram

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Stepwells IELTS Reading Sample

A millennium ago, stepwells were fundamental to life in the driest parts of India. Although many have been neglected, recent restoration has returned them to their former glory. Richard Cox travelled to north-western India to document these spectacular monuments from a bygone era.

During the sixth and seventh centuries, the inhabitants of the modern-day states of Gujarat and Rajasthan in North-western India developed a method of gaining access to clean, fresh groundwater during the dry season for drinking, bathing, watering animals and irrigation. However, the significance of this invention – the stepwell – goes beyond its utilitarian application.

Unique to the region, stepwells are often architecturally complex and vary widely in size and shape. During their heyday, they were places of gathering, of leisure, of relaxation and of worship for villagers of all but the lowest castes. Most stepwells are found dotted around the desert areas of Gujarat (where they are called vav) and Rajasthan (where they are known as baori), while a few also survive in Delhi. Some were located in or near villages as public spaces for the community; others were positioned beside roads as resting places for travellers.

As their name suggests, stepwells comprise a series of stone steps descending from ground level to the water source (normally an underground aquifer) as it recedes following the rains. When the water level was high, the user needed only to descend a few steps to reach it; when it was low, several levels would have to be negotiated.

Some wells are vast, open craters with hundreds of steps paving each sloping side, often in tiers. Others are more elaborate, with long stepped passages leading to the water via several storeys built from stone and supported by pillars, they also included pavilions that sheltered visitors from the relentless heat. But perhaps the most impressive features are the intricate decorative sculptures that embellish many stepwells, showing activities from fighting and dancing to everyday acts such as women combing their hair and churning butter.

Down the centuries, thousands of wells were constructed throughout northwestern India, but the majority have now fallen into disuse; many are derelict and dry, as groundwater has been diverted for industrial use and the wells no longer reach the water table. Their condition hasn’t been helped by recent dry spells: southern Rajasthan suffered an eight-year drought between 1996 and 2004.

However, some important sites in Gujarat have recently undergone major restoration, and the state government announced in June last year that it plans to restore the stepwells throughout the state.

In Patan, the state’s ancient capital, the stepwell of Rani Ki Vav (Queen’s Stepwell) is perhaps the finest current example. It was built by Queen Udayamati during the late 11th century, but became silted up following a flood during the 13th century. But the Archaeological Survey of India began restoring it in the 1960s, and today it’s in pristine condition. At 65 metres long, 20 metres wide and 27 metres deep, Rani Ki Vav features 500 distinct sculptures carved into niches throughout the monument, depicting gods such as Vishnu and Parvati in various incarnations. Incredibly, in January 2001, this ancient structure survived a devastating earthquake that measured 7.6 on the Richter scale.

Another example is the Surya Kund in Modhera, northern Gujarat, next to the Sun Temple, built by King Bhima I in 1026 to honour the sun god Surya. It’s actually a tank (kund means reservoir or pond) rather than a well, but displays the hallmarks of stepwell architecture, including four sides of steps that descend to the bottom in a stunning geometrical formation. The terraces house 108 small, intricately carved shrines between the sets of steps.

Rajasthan also has a wealth of wells. The ancient city of Bundi, 200 kilometres south of Jaipur, is reknowned for its architecture, including its stepwells. One of the larger examples is Raniji Ki Baori, which was built by the queen of the region, Nathavatji, in 1699. At 46 metres deep, 20 metres wide and 40 metres long, the intricately carved monument is one of 21 baoris commissioned in the Bundi area by Nathavatji.

In the old ruined town of Abhaneri, about 95 kilometres east of Jaipur, is Chand Baori, one of India’s oldest and deepest wells; aesthetically, it’s perhaps one of the most dramatic. Built in around 850 AD next to the temple of Harshat Mata, the baori comprises hundreds of zigzagging steps that run along three of its sides, steeply descending 11 storeys, resulting in a striking geometric pattern when seen from afar. On the fourth side, covered verandas supported by ornate pillars overlook the steps.

Still in public use is Neemrana Ki Baori, located just off the Jaipur–Dehli highway. Constructed in around 1700, it’s nine storeys deep, with the last two levels underwater. At ground level, there are 86 colonnaded openings from where the visitor descends 170 steps to the deepest water source.

Today, following years of neglect, many of these monuments to medieval engineering have been saved by the Archaeological Survey of India, which has recognised the importance of preserving them as part of the country’s rich history. Tourists flock to wells in far-flung corners of northwestern India to gaze in wonder at these architectural marvels from 1,000 years ago, which serve as a reminder of both the ingenuity and artistry of ancient civilisations and of the value of water to human existence.

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Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 1–5

Do the following statements agree with the information given in 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

Question 1: Examples of ancient step-wells can be found all over the world

Answer: False

Supporting Statement: “Unique to the region, step-wells are often architecturally complex and vary widely in size and shape.”

Keyword: Unique to the region

Keyword location: Para 3, line 1

Explanation: Stepwells are not found everywhere in the world but in unique places in the world. They are very in size and shape.

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Question 2: Stepwells had a range of functions, in addition to those related to water collection.

Answer: True

Supporting Statement: During their heyday, they were places of gathering, leisure, relaxation, and worship for villagers of all but the lowest castes.

Keywords: leisure, relaxation, worship

Keyword location: para 3, line 2

Explanation: The step-wells are places of not only collecting water but also gathering of leisure, of relaxation, and of worships for villagers.

Question 3: The few existing step wells in Delhi are more attractive than those found elsewhere

Answer: Not given

Question 4: It took workers many years to build the stone steps characteristic of step-wells.

Answer: Not given

Question 5: The number of steps above the water level in a stepwell altered during the course of a year.

Answer: True

Supporting Statement: “When the water level was high, the user needed only to descend a few steps to reach it; when it was low, several levels would have to be negotiated.”

Keyword: Water level, descend, few steps, several

Keyword location: para 4, line 2

Explanation: The number of steps above the stepwell varies during the course of a year. When the water level is high, then people need to go down fewer steps, and they have to go down several stairs when the level is low.

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Questions 6–8

Answer the questions below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 6–8 on your answer sheet.

Question 6: Which part of some stepwells provided shade for people?

Answer: Pavillions

Supporting Statement: “Others are more elaborate, with long stepped passages leading to the water via several stories built from stone and supported by pillars, they also included pavilions that sheltered visitors from the relentless heat”

Keyword: Pavillions, sheltered visitors

Keyword location: para 5, line 3

Explanation: The pavilions of the stepwell provide shelter to the people from the relentless heat.

Question 7: What type of serious climatic event, which took place in southern Rajasthan, is mentioned in the article?

Answer: Drought

Supporting Statement: “Their condition hasn’t been helped by recent dry spells: southern Rajasthan suffered an eight-year drought between 1996 and 2004.”

Keyword: Drought, Rajasthan

Keyword location: para 6, line 4

Explanation: Southern Rajasthan suffered from a serious climatic event that is drought for a long eight years. 1996-2004

Question 8: Who are frequent visitors to stepwells nowadays?

Answer: Tourists

Supporting Statement: Tourists flock to wells in far-flung corners of northwestern India to gaze in wonder at these architectural marvels from 1,000 years ago, which serve as a reminder of both the ingenuity and artistry of ancient civilizations and of the value of water to human existence.”

Keyword: Tourist

Keyword location: para 13, line 3

Explanation: There are flocks of tourists who visit northwestern India to gaze in the wonder of the step-wells. They get reminded of the ingenuity and artistry of ancient civilization and the importance of water in human life.

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Questions 9-13

Complete the table below
Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.

Question 9:

Answer: Earthquake

Supporting Statement: “in January 2001, this ancient structure survived a devastating earthquake that measured 7.6 on the Richter scale.”

Keyword: earthquake

Keyword location: para 8, line 6

Explanation: The monument called, Rani ki Vav, in the 11th century had almost 500 monuments sculptures carved into niches. This monument has survived an earthquake in 2001, which measured 7.6 on the Richter scale.

Question 10:

Answer: four-sided

Supporting Statement: “the Surya Kund in Modhera, northern Gujarat, next to the Sun Temple, built by King Bhima I in 1026 to honor the sun god Surya. It's actually a tank (kund means reservoir or pond) rather than a well but displays the hallmarks of stepwell architecture, including four sides of steps that descend to the bottom in a stunning geometrical formation. ”

Keyword: four-sided

Keyword location: para 8, line 3

Explanation: Surya Kund, which was built in 1026 in northern Gujarat, is a reservoir that has four-sided steps descend in a geometrical formation.

Question 11:

Answer: Tank

Supporting Statement: the Surya Kund in Modhera, northern Gujarat, next to the Sun Temple, was built by King Bhima I in 1026 to honor the sun god Surya. It's actually a tank (kund means reservoir or pond) rather than a well but displays the hallmarks of stepwell architecture, including four sides of steps that descend to the bottom in a stunning geometrical formation.

Keyword: Tank

Keyword location: para 8, line 2

Explanation: Surya Kund, which was built in 1026 in northern Gujarat, is a reservoir (tank), rather than a well.

Question 12:

Answer: Verandas

Supporting Statement: “the baori comprises hundreds of zigzagging steps that run along with three of its sides, steeply descending 11 stories, resulting in a striking geometric pattern when seen from afar. On the fourth side, covered verandas supported by ornate pillars overlook the steps.”

Keyword: Verandas

Keyword location: para 11, line 5

Explanation: Chand Baori, built-in 850 AD, next to the temple of Harshat Mata, is consists of hundreds of zigzagging steps that descends steeply 11 storeys. The verandas offer a view of the steps.

Question 13:

Answer: Underwater

Supporting Statement: “Neemrana Ki Baori, located just off the Jaipur–Dehli highway. Constructed in around 1700, it's nine stories deep, with the last two levels underwater.”

Keyword: Underwater

Keyword location: para 12, line 2

Explanation: The Neemrana ki Baori, which was built in 1700, located off the Jaipur- Delhi highway, is a nine storeys deep building, with the last two levels underwater.