The Cacao: A Sweet History - IELTS Reading Sample with Explanation
The IELTS reading section tests a candidate’s understanding skills through passages and forty questions. This IELTS reading topic -The Cacao: A Sweet History is an academic topic. Candidates will need to read the passage thoroughly to answer different types of questions. This IELTS reading passage has question types like:
- True/False/Not Given
- No more than 3 words
Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now
Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
The Cacao: A Sweet History IELTS Reading Sample
A Chapter 1
Most people today think of chocolate as something sweet to eat or drink that can be easily found in stores around the world. It might surprise you that chocolate was once highly treasured. The tasty secret of the cacao (Kah Kow) tree was discovered 2,000 years ago in the tropical rainforests of the Americas. The story of how chocolate grew from a local Mesoamerican beverage into a global sweet encompasses many cultures and continents.
B Chapter 2
Historians believe the Maya people of Central America first learned to farm cacao plants around two thousand years ago. The Maya took cacao trees from the rainforests and grew them in their gardens. They cooked cacao seeds, the crushed them into a soft paste. They mixed the paste with water and flavorful spices to make an unsweetened chocolate drink. The Maya poured the chocolate drink back and forth between two containers so that the liquid would have a layer of bubbles or foam.
Cacao and chocolate were an important part of Maya culture. There are often images of cacao plants on Maya buildings and art objects. Ruling families drank chocolate at special ceremonies. And, even poorer members of society could enjoy the drink once in a while. Historians believe that cacao seeds were also used in marriage ceremonies as a sign of the union between a husband and a wife.
The Aztec culture in current-day Mexico also prized chocolate. But, cacao plants could not grow in the area where the Aztecs lived. So, they traded to get cacao. They even used cacao seeds as a form of money to pay taxes. Chocolate also played a special role in both Maya and Aztec royal and religious events. Priests presented cacao seeds and offerings to the gods and served chocolate drinks during sacred ceremonies. Only the very wealthy in Aztec societies could afford to drink chocolate because cacao was so valuable. The Aztec ruler Montezuma was believed to drink fifty cups of chocolate every day. Some experts believe the word for chocolate came from the Aztec word “xocolatl” which in the Nahuatl language means “bitter water.” Others believe the word “chocolate” was created by combining Mayan and Nahuatl words.
C Chapter 3
The explorer Christopher Columbus brought cacao seeds to Spain after his trip to Central America in 1502. But it was the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes who understood that chocolate could be a valuable investment. In 1519, Cortes arrived in current-day Mexico. He believed the chocolate drink would become popular with Spaniards. After the Spanish soldiers defeated the Aztec empire, they were able to seize the supplies of cacao and send them home. Spain later began planting cacao in its colonies in the Americans in order to satisfy the large demand for chocolate. The wealthy people of Spain first enjoyed a sweetened version of chocolate drink. Later, the popularity of the drink spread throughout Europe. The English, Dutch and French began to plant cacao trees in their own colonies. Chocolate remained a drink that only wealthy people could afford to drink until the eighteenth century. During the period known as the Industrial Revolution, new technologies helped make chocolate less costly to produce.
D Chapter 4
Farmers grow cacao trees in many countries in Africa, Central and South America. The trees grow in the shady areas of the rainforests near the Earth’s equator. But these trees can be difficult to grow. They require an exact amount of water, warmth, soil and protection. After about five years, cacao trees start producing large fruits called pods, which grow near the trunk of the tree. The seeds inside the pods are harvested to make chocolate. There are several kinds of cacao trees. Most of the world’s chocolate is made from the seed of the forastero tree. But farmers can also grow criollo or trinitario cacao plants. Cacao trees grown on farms are much more easily threatened by diseases and insects than wild trees. Growing cacao is very hard work for farmers. They sell their harvest on a futures market. This means that economic conditions beyond their control can affect the amount of money they will earn. Today, chocolate industry officials, activists, and scientists are working with farmers. They are trying to make sure that cacao can be grown in a way that is fair to the timers and safe for the environment.
E Chapter 5
To become chocolate, cacao seeds go through a long production process in a factory. Workers must sort, clean and cook the seeds. Then they break off the covering of the seeds so that only the inside fruit, or nibs, remain. Workers crush the nibs into a soft substance called chocolate liquor. This gets separated into cocoa solids and fat called cocoa butter. Chocolate makers have their own special recipes in which they combine chocolate liquor with exact amounts of sugar, milk and cocoa fat. They finely crush this “crumb” mixture in order to make it smooth. The mixture then goes through two more processes before it is shaped into a mold form.
Chocolate making is big business. The market value of the yearly cacao crop around the world is more than five billion dollars. Chocolate is especially popular in Europe and the United States. For example, in 2005, the United States bought 1.4 billion dollars worth of cocoa products. Each year, Americans eat an average of more than five kilograms of chocolate per person. Speciality shops that sell costly chocolates are also very popular. Many offer chocolate lovers the chance to taste chocolates grown in different areas of the world.
Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now
Section 2
Solution with Explanations
Questions 1-5
Reading passage 1 has 5 chapters. Which chapter contains the following information? Write your answers in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet
Q.1 the part of cacao trees used to produce chocolate
Answer – D
Supporting Sentence- After about five years, cacao trees start producing large fruits called pods, which grow near the trunk of the tree. The seeds inside the pods are harvested to make chocolate.
Keyword- harvested, make, producing,
Keyword Location- D Chapter 4, 4th and 5th line
Explanation- This is the correct answer because it is mentioned in this part that cacao trees produce pods, and the seeds inside the pods are harvested to make chocolate. This means that the part called ‘pods’ of the cacao trees is used to produce chocolate.
Read More IELTS Reading Related Articles
Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now
Q.2 average chocolate consumption by people in the US per person per year
Answer- E
Supporting Sentence-Each year, Americans eat an average of more than five kilograms of chocolate per person.
Keyword- eat, average of, per person.
Keyword Location- E Chapter 5, 2nd paragraph, 4th line
Explanation- it is clearly stated in part E chapter 5, that an American consumes an average of around 5 kilograms of chocolate every year. Hence, E is the right answer.
Q3. risk faced by farmers in the cacao business
Answer - D
Supporting Sentence- Cacao trees grown on farms are much more easily threatened by diseases and insects than wild trees. Growing cacao is very hard work for farmers. They sell their harvest on a futures market. This means that economic conditions beyond their control can affect the amount of money they will earn.
Keyword- threatened, diseases, beyond their control, affect
Keyword Location- D Chapter 4, Lines 7-10
Explanation- As mentioned in D chapter 4, farmers face risks like, their farms being infested with diseases and insects. This may destroy all their crops. They also have no control over the economic conditions, and hence the money they earn is uncertain. Therefore, D is the right answer.
Q4. Where the first sweetened chocolate drink appeared
Answer - C
Supporting Sentence- The wealthy people of Spain first enjoyed a sweetened version of chocolate drink.
Keyword- first, sweetened version
Keyword Location- C Chapter 3, 7th Line
Explanation- The paragraph says that the rich people of Spain were the first ones to relish a sweetened version of the chocolate drink. So obviously, it appeared there first. Thus, C is the correct answer.
Q5.how ancient American civilizations obtained cacao
Answer - B
Supporting Sentence- Historians believe that the Maya people of Central America first learned to farm cacao plants around two thousand years ago. The Maya took cacao trees from the rainforests and grew them in their gardens.
Keyword- learned, farm, grew, thousands of years ago
Keyword Location- B Chapter 2, 1st line
Explanation- The Maya people were the citizens of Central America. They learnt how to farm cacao plants two thousand years ago by taking cacao trees from rainforests and growing them in their gardens. Ancient means very old in terms of time. This means that ancient Americans, such as the Maya people, obtained cacao from rainforests and grew them on their own. Thus, option B is the correct answer.
Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now
Questions 6-10
Do the following statements agree with the information given in reading passage 1?
In boxes 6-10 on your answer sheet, write
True - If the statement is true
False – If the statement is false
Not Given- If the information is not given in the passage
Q6. Use of cacao and chocolate in ceremonies were restricted to Maya royal families
Answer- False
Supporting Sentence- And, even poorer members of society could enjoy the drink once in a while. Historians believe that cacao seeds were also used in marriage ceremonies as a sign of union between a husband and a wife.
Keyword- poorer members, enjoy the drink, marriage ceremonies
Keyword Location- B Chapter 2, 2nd paragraph, 3rd line
Explanation- it has been mentioned clearly in the respective paragraph that though ruling families drank chocolate at special ceremonies, the poorer people also had access to these drinks and people at marriage ceremonies also used cacao seeds. Nowhere it has been written about cacao and chocolate being restricted only to royal families. Therefore, answer is False.
Q7. The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes invested in chocolate and chocolate drinks.
Answer - Not Given
Q8. The forastero tree produces the best chocolate.
Answer - Not Given
Q9. Some parts in cacao seed are got rid of during the chocolate process.
Answer - True
Supporting Sentence- To become chocolate, cacao seeds go through a long production process in a factory. Workers must sort, clean and cook the seeds. Then they break of the covering of the seeds so that only the inside fruit, or nibs, remain.
Keyword- become chocolate, production process, break the covering, nibs, remain
Keyword Location- E Chapter 5, Lines 1-3
Explanation- It is clearly stated in the passage that the covering of the seeds is broken and only the inside part is used in making chocolate. Therefore, some parts of the seeds are removed or gotten rid of. Hence, the statement is True.
Q10. Chocolate is welcomed more in some countries or continents than other parts around the world.
Answer - True
Supporting Sentence- Chocolate is especially popular in Europe and the United States.
Keyword- especially popular, Europe and the United States
Keyword Location- E Chapter 5, 2nd line
Explanation- Especially popular in Europe and the United States means that in those parts of the world chocolate is liked by people more than other parts of the world. Therefore, the statement is true.
Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now
Questions 11-14
The flow chart below shows the steps in chocolate making. Complete the flow chart using NO MORE THAN 3 WORDS from the passage for each blank.
Q11. Sorting, cleaning and cooking ridding seeds of their___________
Answer - Covering
Supporting Sentence- Workers must sort, clean and cook the seeds. Then they break of the covering of the seeds so that only the inside fruit, or nibs, remain.
Keyword- sort, clean, cook, break of the covering
Keyword Location- E Chapter 5, Lines 1-3
Explanation- ridding and breaking of are synonyms. The other words like sorting, cleaning and cooking have already been mentioned in the passage. Therefore, covering is the right answer.
Q12. Nibs- crushing-____________
Answer - Chocolate liquor
Supporting Sentence- Workers crush the nibs into a soft substance called chocolate liquor.
Keyword- crush, nibs, soft substance, chocolate liquor
Keyword Location- E Chapter 5, 3rd line
Explanation- The nibs are crushed into a soft substance. That soft substance is chocolate liquor. The order is followed as per the passage. Hence, chocolate liquor is the right answer.
Q 13. Add sugar, milk and ____________
Answer - Cocoa fat
Supporting Sentence- Chocolate makers have their own special recipes in which they combine chocolate liquor with exact amounts of sugar, milk and cocoa fat.
Keyword- combine, exact amounts of sugar, milk and cocoa fat.
Keyword Location- E Chapter 5, 5th line
Explanation- Following the flow chart, we can clearly see in the passage that with the words sugar and milk, the word cocoa fat is added. These ingredients are combined in chocolate liquor. Therefore, cocoa fat is the correct answer.
Q 14. Crush finely then come into a shape in a ____________chocolate.
Answer - Mold(form)
Supporting Sentence- The mixture then goes through two more processes before it is shaped into a mold form.
Keyword- goes through, processes, shaped, mold form
Keyword Location- E Chapter 5 7th line
Explanation- the chocolate liquor, after being combined sugar and other ingredients, is crushed to make it smooth and then it goes through two more procedures before being shaped in a mold form. The last chapter clearly states this procedure. Hence, mold(form) is the right answer.
Comments