The Vikings’ Wayfaring Ways Reading Answers

Jan 28, 2023

The Vikings’ Wayfaring Ways Reading Answers contains sample answers about the warriors, the vikings. The Vikings’ Wayfaring Ways Reading Answers comprising 13 different types of questions. IELTS The Vikings’ Wayfaring Ways Reading Answers contains two types of questions, namely- answer the questions and complete the summary. Candidates are required to read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly and answer the given questions by choosing only one word from the passage for each answer. To complete the summary, candidates are required to choose the correct words as answers for each question from the given list of words. To gain proficiency, candidates can practise from the IELTS Reading practice papers

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

The Vikings’ Wayfaring Ways Reading Answers

Perhaps best known as fierce warriors, the Vikings were also the most far-ranging of peoples. In fact, the term Viking, in Old Norse, means "to go on an expe-dition." From the late 700s until the eleventh century, Viking explorers journeyed from their native Norway, Denmark, and Sweden to many distant lands. They travelled as far west as Newfoundland in present-day Canada, and as far east as Baghdad.
Those from Norway sailed west to the British Isles, and eventually across the Atlantic Ocean. During their first expedition, in 793, a force of Viking warriors sacked the famed abbey at Lindisfarne, on England's northeast coast. In the 800s, groups of raiders went on to occupy the Shetland Islands, north of the British Isles and west of Norway, and the Orkney Islands off northern Scotland.
By 870, the Vikings were settling Iceland. In 980, an Icelandic assembly found a man named Eric "the Red" Ericson guilty of murder and sent him into exile. Eric the Red responded by sailing to a large island to the west, which he called "Greenland." An Icelandic saga mentions that people would be attracted to go to Greenland if it had a favourable name. Around 998, Eric the Red's son, Leif "the Lucky" Ericson, and a small Viking fleet sailed west to North America. There they established the first European settlement in the New World, called "Vinland."
Vikings from Denmark, meanwhile, ravaged large swaths of England and France. In 866, a Viking "Great Army" landed in England, occupying much of the country's north and east. They forced the English king to acknowledge their control of much of England under the so-called Danelaw. To the west, they con-quered coastal portions of Ireland, and in 841 founded Dublin, today a major Irish city, but originally a Viking fort. The Vikings remained a major power in Ireland until the early eleventh century.
To the south, the Vikings conquered France, moving swiftly up rivers in longboats, powered by oar and sail. From 845 to 886, they surged up the Seine to attack Paris three times. To stop the raids, French King Charles III the Simple in 911 offered the Viking chief Rollo territories in northwest France, called Normandy, after the Normans or "Northmen." There they set up a powerful kingdom and, in 1066, under William, Duke of Normandy defeated King Harold at the battle of Hastings in England.
Farther south, in 844, the Vikings had raided Portugal and Spain, then largely controlled by Arab Moors. A fleet of 100 Viking ships seized Lisbon and boldly sailed up the Guadalquivir River to occupy Seville. However, the Moors dealt them a rare defeat. The Moors catapulted flaming projectiles onto the Viking vessels, forcing a retreat.
Still other Vikings sailed much farther, to raid Morocco, then to the eastern Mediterranean and beyond. Many of these Vikings enlisted with the military forces of the Byzantine Empire, the Greek speaking successors to the Roman Empire. Vikings made up the Byzantine Emperor's elite Varangian Guard. In 902, hundreds of Varangians served as marines during a Byzantine naval assault on the island of Crete. Varangians battled Arab forces in Syria in 955, and even fought in Jerusalem. So many men left Scandinavia for the Byzantine Empire that, to stem the outflow, Sweden passed a law denying inherited property to anyone serving under the Byzantines.
The Vikings of Sweden, meanwhile, were moving out of Scandinavia to the east and south. They journeyed through the Baltic Sea, then built inland trading posts in Germany and Poland. In time, they struck out across Central and Eastern Europe, down the Vistula River in Poland, and the Dnieper, Volga, and Don Rivers in Russia. Their vessel of choice was the "knar," a cargo ship with a deep draft and wide hull. Viking merchants on horseback penetrated far into the Asian heartland, trading with towns on the Caspian and Black seas.
The most significant settlements were in Russia and Ukraine. In 862, Vikings settled in the town of Novgorod, in northwestern Russia. It became the capital of a country called Rus, after the Finnish name for the Swedes. Rus came from the word Rutosi, meaning "rowers." Rus formed the foundation of Russia, as the Russian and Viking leaders of Rus intermarried, converted to Christianity, and steadily expanded their territory. And after lucrative trade relations were estab-lished with the Byzantines and with Muslim lands, the Rus moved their capital southward to Kiev, later the capital of Ukraine.
Another important Viking market town was Bulgar, on the Volga River. There, merchants peddled honey, wax, amber, and steel swords. The Viking's most common commodity may have been skins: they dealt in horse, beaver, rab-bit, mink, ermine, and sable skins. They also traded hazelnuts, fish, cattle, and falcons. Another commodity was slaves, many of them Slavs from Eastern Europe.

The merchants eagerly exchanged their goods for Arab silver coins. In Sweden, archeologists have excavated about 100,000 such coins, minted in such distant cities as Cairo and Tashkent.

Like their Danish and Norwegian relatives, the Swedish Vikings travelled to the most exotic realms. They took part in the Silk Road trade with India and China. Archeological evidence shows that Viking traders even travelled by camel caravan to Baghdad.
Given the wide-ranging travel of the Vikings, it is fitting that the Anglo Saxons gave them the nickname "Faergenga"- "Far Going."

Section 2

Solution with Explanation
Questions 1-5:
Answer the questions below. Choose ONE NUMBER ONLY from the text for each answer. Write your answers on lines 1-5 ton your answer sheet.

When did Viking warriors raid an abbey on the coast of England?

Answer: 793
Supporting Sentence: During their first expedition, in 793, a force of Viking warriors sacked the famed abbey at Lindisfarne, on England's northeast coast.
Keywords: first expedition, viking, famed abbey
Keywords Location: Paragraph B, 2nd line
Explanation: As per paragraph B, on their first trip in 793, a group of Viking warriors sacked the renowned abbey at Lindisfarne. It is located on the northeast coast of England. Thus, in 793, Viking troops raided an abbey on the English coast.

When was Eric the Red convicted of a crime?

Answer: 980
Supporting Sentence: In 980, an Icelandic assembly found a man named Eric "the Red" Ericson guilty of murder and sent him into exile.
Keywords: Icelandic assembly, Eric, guilty
Keywords Location: Paragraph C, 2nd line
Explanation: A man by the name of Eric "the Red" Ericson was exiled by the Icelandic assembly in 980, according to paragraph C. He had been found guilty of murder at that point. In 980, Eric the Red was thus found guilty of a crime.

When did Vikings establish a fort in Ireland?

Answer: 841
Supporting Sentence: To the west, they con-quered coastal portions of Ireland, and in 841 founded Dublin, today a major Irish city, but originally a Viking fort.
Keywords: conquered, coastal portions, dublin, viking fort
Keywords Location: Paragraph D, 2nd last line
Explanation: According to paragraph D, they conquered coastal regions of Ireland and built Dublin in 841. Originally a Viking fort, it is now a significant Irish city. Thus, in 841, Vikings built a fort in Ireland.

When was a Viking chief granted lands by a king of France?

Answer: 911
Supporting Sentence: To stop the raids, French King Charles III the Simple in 911 offered the Viking chief Rollo territories in northwest France, called Normandy, after the Normans or "Northmen."
Keywords: French King, territories, Normandy
Keywords Location: Paragraph E, 3rd line
Explanation: According to paragraph E, the provinces in northwest France were offered to the Viking chief Rollo by French King Charles III the Simple. The Normans, sometimes known as "Northmen," from 911 gave it the name Normandy. It was carried out in an effort to stop the raids. In 911, a French monarch granted land to a Viking chief.

When did Viking warriors defeat an English king?

Answer: 1066
Supporting Sentence: There they set up a powerful kingdom and, in 1066, under William, Duke of Normandy defeated King Harold at the battle of Hastings in England.
Keywords: defeat, powerful kingdom, King Harold, England
Keywords Location: Paragraph E, last line
Explanation: King Harold of England was deposed by William, Duke of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings after the Vikings built a powerful realm, as per paragraph E. It took place in 1066. In 1066, a king of England was defeated by Viking soldiers.

Questions 6-13:
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-O, below. Write the correct letter, A-O, on lines 6-13 on your answer sheet.

A. warriors B. an attack C. capital D. explorers E. trade with F. conquered G. burning objects H. settled in I. ship oars K. market L. a parade M. archeologists N. silver coins O. horse

The people known as Vikings were given this name because 6_______ Groups of Vikings from Norway travelled west to Britain, Iceland, and beyond. They were the first Europeans who 7________ North America. Groups from Denmark cover large areas of England and France. Other 8________ groups of Vikings raided areas of Portugal and Spain. The people of Seville, Spain, drove the Vikings away by throwing 9_________ at them. Large numbers of Vikings left Scandinavia for the Byzantine Empire, and many of these joined the Byzantine military. At one point, they took part in 10_________ on the Greek island of Crete. Groups of Swedish Vikings crossed the Baltic Sea to explore the lands beyond. They travelled down Russian rivers, then journeyed deep into Asia by 11_________ . After settling in northwest Russia, they expanded their territories toward the south. Kiev, Ukraine, eventually became the Vikings' territorial 12___________ important 13__________ The Vikings also had an in the town of Bulgar on the Volga River.

Questions 6:

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: From the late 700s until the eleventh century, Viking explorers journeyed from their native Norway, Denmark, and Sweden to many distant lands.
Keywords: Vikings, journeyed, distant lands
Keywords Location: Paragraph A, 3rd line
Explanation: According to paragraph A, Viking explorers visited a variety of distant locales. They migrated from their native Norway, Denmark, and Sweden between the late seventh and the eleventh centuries. Hence, the answer is D

Questions 7:

Answer: H
Supporting Sentence: Around 998, Eric the Red's son, Leif "the Lucky" Ericson, and a small Viking fleet sailed west to North America.
Keywords: 998, Ericson, Viking fleet, sailed west
Keywords Location: Paragraph C, 2nd last line
Explanation: According to paragraph C, Leif "the Lucky" Ericson, the son of Eric the Red, travelled to North America in the year 998 with a small Viking fleet. Hence, the answer is option H.

Questions 8:

Answer: F
Supporting Sentence: In 866, a Viking "Great Army" landed in England, occupying much of the country's north and east.
Keywords: occupying, north, east
Keywords Location: Paragraph D, 2nd line
Explanation: According to paragraph D, a Viking "Great Army" invaded England in 866 and seized most of the country's north and east. Therefore, the answer is option F.

Questions 9:

Answer: G
Supporting Sentence: The Moors catapulted flaming projectiles onto the Viking vessels, forcing a retreat.
Keywords: Moors, projectiles, Vikings, flaming
Keywords Location: Paragraph F, last line
Explanation: According to paragraph F, the Viking ships were forced to flee after the Moors fired burning projectiles at them. Hence, the answer is option G.

Questions 10:

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: In 902, hundreds of Varangians served as marines during a Byzantine naval assault on the island of Crete.
Keywords: Varangians, marines, Byzantine, naval assault, Crete
Keywords Location: Paragraph G, 4th line
Explanation: Several hundred Varangians served as marines in a Byzantine naval assault on the island of Crete in 902, according to paragraph G. Thus, the answer is option B.

Questions 11:

Answer: O
Supporting Sentence: Viking merchants on horseback penetrated far into the Asian heartland, trading with towns on the Caspian and Black seas
Keywords: horseback, trading towns, Caspian, Black seas
Keywords Location: Paragraph H, last line
Explanation: As per paragraph H, Viking traders on horseback travelled far into Asia and conducted business with towns around the Caspian and Black seas. Therefore, the answer is option O.

Questions 12:

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: And after lucrative trade relations were established with the Byzantines and with Muslim lands, the Rus moved their capital southward to Kiev, later the capital of Ukraine.
Keywords: Muslims, Ukraine, Byzantines, Kiev
Keywords Location: Paragraph I, last line
Explanation: The Rus moved their capital to Kiev, in the south, according to paragraph I. After developing successful trade ties with the Byzantines and Muslim nations, it would eventually become the capital of Ukraine. Hence, the answer is option C.

Questions 13:

Answer: K
Supporting Sentence: Another important Viking market town was Bulgar, on the Volga River.
Keywords: Bulgar, Volga River, Viking
Keywords Location: Paragraph J, first line
Explanation: According to paragraph J, another important Viking market town was Bulgar, which is situated on the Volga River. So, the right option is K.

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