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The History and Construction of Pagodas Reading Answers

Bhaskar Das

Sep 30, 2025

The History and Construction of Pagodas Reading Answers contains 7 questions and belongs to the assessment system of the IELTS General Reading test. The History and Construction of Pagodas Reading Answers must be answered within 10 minutes. In this IELTS reading section, question types include: Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR NUMBERS for each answer.

The History and Construction of Pagodas Reading Answers offers a comprehensive overview of the pagoda, originating from the 3rd-century BCE stupa, which evolved through Buddhist influence, blending Chinese, Japanese, and Southeast Asian architecture, symbolising both spirituality and cultural artistry. To practice similar reading tests, candidates can refer to the IELTS Reading Practice Test section.

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The History and Construction of Pagodas Reading Answers

Topic:

The origin of the pagoda can be traced to the stupa of 3rd century BCE. The stupa, a dome shaped monument, was used as a commemorative monument to house sacred relics and writings. In East Asia, the architecture of Chinese towers and Chinese pavilions blended into pagoda architecture, eventually also spreading to Southeast Asia. Their construction was popularized by the efforts of Buddhist missionaries, pilgrims, rulers, and ordinary devotees to honour Buddhist relics. Japan has a total of 22 five-storied timber pagodas constructed before 1850.

The earliest styles of Chinese pagodas were square-base and circular-base, with octagonal-base towers emerging in the 5th–10th centuries. The highest Chinese pagoda from the pre-modern age is the Liaodi Pagoda of Kaiyuan Monastery, Dingxian, Hebei province, completed in the year 1055 AD under Emperor Renzong of Song and standing at a total height of 84 m (275 ft). Although it no longer stands, the tallest pre-modern pagoda in Chinese history was the 100-metre-tall wooden pagoda (330 ft) of Chang’an, built by Emperor Yang of Sui. The tallest pre-modern pagoda still standing is the Liaodi Pagoda. In April 2007, a new wooden pagoda Tianning Temple of Changzhou was opened to the public, the tallest in China, standing 154 m (505 ft).

Chinese iconography is noticeable in East Asian pagoda architectures. Also prominent is Buddhist iconography such as the image of the Shakyamuni and Gautama Buddha in the abhaya mudra. In an article on Buddhist elements in Han dynasty art, Wu Hung suggests that in these temples, Buddhist symbolism was fused with native Chinese traditions into a unique system of symbolism.

Some believed reverence at pagodas could bring luck to apprentices taking the Chinese civil service examinations. When a pagoda of Yihuang County in Fuzhou collapsed in 1210, local inhabitants believed the disaster correlated with the recent failure of many exam candidates in prefectural examinations. The pagoda was rebuilt in 1223 and had a list inscribed on it of the recently successful examination candidates, in hopes that it would reverse the trend and win the county supernatural favour. Pagodas come in many different sizes, with taller ones often attracting lightning strikes, inspiring a tradition that the final decoration of the top of the structure can keep the demons away. Today many pagodas have been fitted with rods that make the final into a lightning rod.

Wooden pagodas possess certain characteristics to resist Earthquake damage. These include the friction damping and sliding effect of the complex wooden joints, the structural isolation of floors, the effects of wide eaves analogous to a balancing toy, and the Shinbashira. The Shinbashira is the centre column is bolted to the rest of the superstructure. Shinbashira is responsible for the pagoda not falling too far at the time of an Earthquake.

Pagodas traditionally have an odd number of storeys, a notable exception being the eighteenth-century orientalist pagoda designed by Sir William Chambers at Kew. Pagodas in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia are derived from Dravidian architecture, very different from Chinese and Japanese styles.

Questions 14-20

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR NUMBERS for each answer.

14. The stupa was used as an honouring memorial for …………….. and literature.

Answer: sacred relics and writings

Supporting statement: "…The stupa, a dome shaped monument, was used as a commemorative monument to house sacred relics and writings."

Keywords: stupa, commemorative, sacred relics, writings

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, lines 1–2

Explanation: The passage states that the stupa functioned as a commemorative structure housing sacred relics and writings. Thus, the correct answer is "sacred relics and writings."

15. The style of Chinese fortifications intermingled into .....................

Answer: pagoda architecture

Supporting statement: "…the architecture of Chinese towers and Chinese pavilions blended into pagoda architecture…"

Keywords: Chinese towers, pavilions, blended, pagoda architecture

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, lines 3–4

Explanation: The text clarifies that Chinese towers and pavilion styles merged into pagoda architecture. Hence, this is the correct answer.

16. The Chinese illustrations are conspicuous in .................... architectures.

Answer: East Asian pagoda

Supporting statement: "Chinese iconography is noticeable in East Asian pagoda architectures."

Keywords: Chinese iconography, East Asian, pagoda architectures

Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, line 1

Explanation: The passage mentions that Chinese iconography stands out in East Asian pagoda architectures, making this the accurate response.

17. In one writing, the writer advocates that in Pagodas, Buddhist representation was merged with ……………………..

Answer: Chinese traditions

Supporting statement: "…Buddhist symbolism was fused with native Chinese traditions into a unique system of symbolism."

Keywords: Buddhist symbolism, fused, Chinese traditions

Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, lines 3–4

Explanation: The author suggests that Buddhist symbolism merged with Chinese traditions in pagoda art, making it the correct answer.

18. Some thought that worshiping at pagodas would fetch ………………….. for students.

Answer: good luck

Supporting statement: "Some believed reverence at pagodas could bring luck to apprentices taking the Chinese civil service examinations."

Keywords: believed, pagodas, luck, apprentices, examinations

Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 1–2

Explanation: The belief was that worship at pagodas could bring good luck to students attempting civil service exams.

19. It is believed that the upper erection of pagoda can avert …………………..

Answer: demons

Supporting statement: "…inspiring a tradition that the final decoration of the top of the structure can keep the demons away."

Keywords: decoration, top, demons, away

Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 6–7

Explanation: The upper decoration of pagodas was believed to keep demons away, which is the correct answer.

20. The ……………….. prevents the base of the pagoda from sliding in extreme conditions.

Answer: Shinbashira

Supporting statement: "The Shinbashira is the centre column… responsible for the pagoda not falling too far at the time of an Earthquake."

Keywords: Shinbashira, centre column, Earthquake, resist damage

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, lines 4–6

Explanation: The Shinbashira is the central pillar that prevents sliding or collapse during extreme conditions like earthquakes.

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*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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