The Story of Silk Reading Answers

Dec 27, 2022

The Story of Silk Reading Answers has 13 questions that need to be answered in 20 minutes. The Story of Silk Reading Answers is about the story of silk fabric’. The Story of Silk Reading Answers comprises two types of questions- choose one word and true/false/not given. Candidates are required to choose one word from the IELTS reading passage for each answer. Candidates are required to read the IELTS Reading passage carefully to answer whether the given statement is true, false or not given in the passage. Candidates can undertake IELTS Reading practice papers to practise more on different topics.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the following Questions

The Story of Silk Reading Answers

The history of the world’s most luxurious fabric, from ancient China to the present day.

Silk is a fine, smooth material produced from the cocoons - soft protective shells - that are made by mulberry silkworms (insect larvae). Legend has it that it was Lei Tzu, wife of the Yellow Emperor, ruler of China in about 3000 BC, who discovered silkworms. One account of the story goes that as she was taking a walk in her husband’s gardens, she discovered that silkworms were responsible for the destruction of several mulberry trees. She collected a number of cocoons and sat down to have a rest. It just so happened that while she was sipping some tea, one of the cocoons that she had collected landed in the hot tea and started to unravel into a fine thread. Lei Tzu found that she could wind this thread around her fingers. Subsequently, she persuaded her husband to allow her to rear silkworms on a grove of mulberry trees. She also devised a special reel to draw the fibres from the cocoon into a single thread so that they would be strong enough to be woven into fabric. While it is unknown just how much of this is true, it is certainly known that silk cultivation has existed in China for several millennia.

Originally, silkworm farming was solely restricted to women, and it was they who were responsible for the growing, harvesting and weaving. Silk quickly grew into a symbol of status, and originally, only royalty were entitled to have clothes made of silk. The rules were gradually relaxed over the years until finally during the Qing Dynasty (1644—1911 AD), even peasants, the lowest caste, were also entitled to wear silk. Sometime during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), silk was so prized that it was also used as a unit of currency. Government officials were paid their salary in silk, and farmers paid their taxes in grain and silk. Silk was also used as diplomatic gifts by the emperor. Fishing lines, bowstrings, musical instruments and paper were all made using silk. The earliest indication of silk paper being used was discovered in the tomb of a noble who is estimated to have died around 168 AD.

Demand for this exotic fabric eventually created the lucrative trade route now known as the Silk Road, taking silk westward and bringing gold, silver and wool to the East. It was named the Silk Road after its most precious commodity, which was considered to be worth more than gold. The Silk Road stretched over 6,000 kilometres from Eastern China to the Mediterranean Sea, following the Great Wall of China, climbing the Pamir mountain range, crossing modern-day Afghanistan and going on to the Middle East, with a major trading market in Damascus. From there, the merchandise was shipped across the Mediterranean Sea. Few merchants travelled the entire route; goods were handled mostly by a series of middlemen.

With the mulberry silkworm being native to China, the country was the world’s sole producer of silk for many hundreds of years. The secret of silk-making eventually reached the rest of the world via the Byzantine Empire, which ruled over the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East during the period 330—1453 AD. According to another legend, monks working for the Byzantine emperor Justinian smuggle silkworm eggs to Constantinople (Istanbul in modern-day Turkey) in 550 AD, concealed inside hollow bamboo walking canes. The Byzantines were as secretive as the Chinese, however, and for many centuries the weaving and trading of silk fabric was a strict imperial monopoly. Then in the seventh century, the Arabs conquered Persia, capturing their magnificent silks in the process.

Silk production thus spread through Africa, Sicily and Spain as the Arabs swept, through these lands. Andalusia in southern Spain was Europe’s main silk-producing centre in the tenth century. By the thirteenth century, however, Italy had become Europe’s leader in silk production and export. Venetian merchants traded extensively in silk and encouraged silk growers to settle in Italy. Even now, silk processed in the province of Como in northern Italy enjoys an esteemed reputation.

The nineteenth century and industrialisation saw the downfall of the European silk industry. Cheaper Japanese silk, trade in which was greatly facilitated by the opening of the Suez Canal, was one of the many factors driving the trend. Then in the twentieth century, new manmade fibres, such as nylon, started to be used in what had traditionally been silk products, such as stockings and parachutes. The two world wars, which interrupted the supply of raw material from Japan, also stifled the European silk industry. After the Second World War, Japan’s silk production was restored, with improved production and quality of raw silk. Japan was to remain the world’s biggest producer of raw silk, and practically the only major exporter of raw silk, until the 1970s. However, in more recent decades, China has gradually recaptured its position as the world’s biggest producer and exporter of raw silk and silk yarn. Today, around 125,000 metric tons of silk are produced in the world, and almost two thirds of that production takes place in China.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 1-9
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-9 on your answer sheet.

Early silk production in China

Around 3000 BC, according to legend:

Silkworm cocoon fell into emperor’s wife’s_______

Answer: Tea
Supporting Sentence: She collected a number of cocoons and sat down to have a rest. It just so happened that while she was sipping some tea, one of the cocoons that she had collected landed in the hot tea and started to unravel into a fine thread.
Keywords: Silkworm cocoon, emperor's wife
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, line 4.
Explanation: The first paragraph claims that Lei Tzu, the wife of the Yellow Emperor, invented silk, a fine fabric, in China. Even though the finding was unexpected, the silkworm cocoon that accidentally fell into her hot tea and started to untangle was a pleasant accident.

Emperor’s wife invented a_____________to pull out silk fibres

Answer: Reel
Supporting Sentence: She also devised a special reel to draw the fibers from the cocoon into a single thread so that they would be strong enough to be woven into fabric. While it is unknown just how much of this is true, it is certainly known that silk cultivation has existed in China for several millennia.
Keywords: Cocoon, fiber, single thread, woven, fabric
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, line 7
Explanation: Lei Tzu's got an idea after learning that the cocoon splits into a single thread and that she could spin it around her finger, as stated in the first paragraph. She created a unique reel that can separate the cocoon into a singular strand that can then be used to weave fabric.

Only_________were allowed to pull out silk fibers

Answer: Women
Supporting Sentence: Originally, silkworm farming was solely restricted to women, and it was they who were responsible for the growing, harvesting, and weaving.
Keywords: silkworm farming, women, growing, harvesting, weaving
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, line 1
Explanation: According to the second paragraph, when silkworm cultivation and weaving first began, only women could take part in the activity. From raising silkworms to using their cocoons to make silk, these women were in charge of the entire process.

Only_________were allowed to wear silk

Answer: Royalty
Supporting Sentence: Silk quickly grew into a symbol of status, and originally, only royalty were entitled to have clothes made of silk.
Keywords: symbol of status, royalty
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, line 2
Explanation: According to the second paragraph, the graceful cloth quickly gained notoriety and attracted the attention of royalty. Silk was once associated with prestige, riches, and success; as a result, only members of the royal family could wear it.

Silk used as a form of _________

Answer: Currency
Supporting Sentence: Sometime during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), silk was so prized that it was also used as a unit of currency. Government officials were paid their salary in silk, and farmers paid their taxes in grain and silk. Silk was also used as a diplomatic gift by the emperor.
Keywords: Silk, unit of currency, salary, taxes, diplomatic gift
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 4-6
Explanation: According to the second paragraph, silk rose to prominence and eventually became a valuable product. It was regarded as money in China during the period of the Han Dynasty. Examples illustrate that farmers paid their taxes in silk instead of cereals, or that government officials were compensated with silk.

Silk used for many purposes. E.g. evidence found of_______ made from silk around 168 AD

Answer: Paper
Supporting Sentence: Fishing lines, bowstrings, musical instruments, and paper were all made using silk. The earliest indication of silk paper being used was discovered in the tomb of a noble who is estimated to have died around 168 AD.
Keywords: Silk paper, the tomb of a noble, 168 AD
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 8
Explanation: According to the second paragraph, the usage of silk extended beyond fabric weaving. Over time, other items were created and additional applications for silk were discovered. These include things like fishing lines, paper, musical instruments, and bowstrings. In 168 AD, a prehistoric example of silk paper was discovered.

Silk reaches rest of world

Merchants use Silk Road to take silk westward and bring back ______ and precious metals

Answer: Wool
Supporting Sentence: Demand for this exotic fabric eventually created the lucrative trade route now known as the Silk Road, taking silk westward and bringing gold, silver, and wool to the East.
Keywords: Silk Road, gold, silver, wool
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, line 1
Explanation: According to the third paragraph, China's silk fame is no longer constrained. Its widespread demand in the Western world created a lucrative trading opportunity. Beginning with silk, traders began importing wool and other precious metals from the West and exporting silk to the East.

550 AD: _________ hide silkworm eggs in canes and take them to Constantinople

Answer: Monks
Supporting Sentence: According to another legend, monks working for the Byzantine emperor Justinian smuggle silkworm eggs to Constantinople (Istanbul in modern-day Turkey) in 550 AD, concealed inside hollow bamboo walking canes.
Keywords: Monks, Byzantine emperor, hollow bamboo walking canes
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, line 3
Explanation: According to the fifth paragraph, China's royal family once held a production monopoly on silk. However, the world first became aware of the magnificent technique of silk manufacture around 550 AD. At the period, power was held by the Byzantine Dynasty. It is thought that the monks who served this dynasty brought silkworm cocoons concealed in hollow walking canes to Constantinople.

20th century:_________ and other manmade fibres cause decline in silk production

Answer: Nylon
Supporting Sentence: Then in the twentieth century, new manmade fibers, such as nylon, started to be used in what had traditionally been silk products, such as stockings and parachutes.
Keywords: Twentieth century, manmade fibers, nylon
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, line 2
Explanation: According to the eighth paragraph, people began substituting man-made materials like nylon for silk as time went on. Silk was no longer utilised in parachutes or stockings; instead, nylon was employed. The European silk trade was impacted by both world wars. And World War 2 nearly destroyed the Japanese silk market, which had earlier supplanted the Chinese market.

Questions 10-13:

Do the following statements agree with the information in Reading Passage?
In boxes 10-13 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

(Instruction: Carefully identify the validity of the statements after you are done reading the passage.)

Gold was the most valuable material transported along the Silk Road.

Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: It was named the Silk Road after its most precious commodity, which was considered to be worth more than gold.
Keywords: Silk Road, the most precious commodity, gold
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, line 2
Explanation: According to the third paragraph, a successful trade route was created as a result of the need for silk in the Western region of the world. Beginning with the import of gold, silver, and wool, traders began to export silk. Gold was undoubtedly a costly commodity along this trade route. However, in terms of significance and worth, silk was superior to gold. The route's name was given to its most expensive goods. Thus, the correct answer is false.

Most tradesmen only went along certain sections of the Silk Road.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: The Silk Road stretched over 6,000 kilometers from Eastern China to the Mediterranean Sea, following the Great Wall of China, climbing the Pamir Mountain range, crossing modern-day Afghanistan, and going on to the Middle East, with a major trading market in Damascus. From there, the merchandise was shipped across the Mediterranean Sea. Few merchants traveled the entire route; goods were handled mostly by a series of middlemen.
Keywords: Silk Road
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 1
Explanation: According to the fourth paragraph, the Silk Road was a sizable route that stretched from Eastern China to the Mediterranean Sea. Only a few traders travelled the entire route, which was made up of several destinations. Others handled the commodity through middlemen. Hence, the right answer is true.

The Byzantines spread the practice of silk production across the West.

Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: According to another legend, monks working for the Byzantine emperor Justinian smuggle silkworm eggs to Constantinople (Istanbul in modern-day Turkey) in 550 AD, concealed inside hollow bamboo walking canes. The Byzantines were as secretive as the Chinese, however, and for many centuries the weaving and trading of silk fabric was a strict imperial monopoly.
Keywords: Monks, smuggle, hollow bamboo canes, imperial monopoly
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, line 3-4
Explanation: Although it was documented, the Byzantine Dynasty is when the world first learned about the methods used to produce silk, according to the fifth paragraph. The royal family refused to divulge the information. Silkworm cocoons were transported to Constantinople in hollow walking canes by monks serving the dynasty. As a result, the right answer is false.