Vote for Women Reading Answers

Dec 29, 2022

Vote for Women Reading Answers contains a write up about the suffragette movement and the right to vote for women. Vote for Women Reading Answers comprising 14 different types of questions. This Reading passage has been taken from Cambridge IELTS 3. Candidates in this IELTS Section will be shown various question types with clear instructions. Vote for Women Reading Answers comprises two types of questions: sentence completion, and Choose the correct option. For choosing the correct option in IELTS Reading passage, candidates need to thoroughly go through each passage.Candidates for sentence completion must examine the paragraph for essential words and comprehend the idea. Candidates must interpret the offered statement and the IELTS Reading passage in order to select the appropriate response. To gain proficiency, candidates can practice from IELTS reading practice test.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Vote for Women Reading Answers

The suffragette movement, which campaigned for votes for women in the early twentieth century, is most commonly associated with the Pankhurst family and militant acts of varying degrees of violence. The Museum of London has drawn on its archive collection to convey a fresh picture with its exhibition.

The Purple, White and Green: Suffragettes in London 1906-14.

The name is a reference to the colour scheme that the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) created to give the movement a uniform, nationwide image. By doing so, it became one of the first groups to project a corporate identity, and it is this advanced marketing strategy, along with the other organisational and commercial achievements of the WSPU, to which the exhibition is devoted.

Formed in 1903 by the political campaigner Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia, the WSPU began an educated campaign to put women’s suffrage on the political agenda. New , Australia and parts of the United States had already enfranchised women, and growing numbers of their British counterparts wanted the same opportunity.

With their slogan ‘Deeds not words’, and the introduction of the colour scheme, the WSPU soon brought the movement the cohesion and focus it had previously lacked.

Membership grew rapidly as women deserted the many other, less directed, groups and joined it. By 1906 the WSPU headquarters, called the Women’s Press Shop, had been established in Charing Cross Road and in spite of limited communications (no radio or television, and minimal use of the telephone) the message had spread around the country, with members and branch officers stretching to as far away as Scotland.

The newspapers produced by the WSPU, first Votes for Women and later The Suffragette, played a vital role in this communication. Both were sold throughout the country and proved an invaluable way of informing members of meetings, marches, fund-raising events and the latest news and views on the movement.

Equally importantly for a rising political group, the newspaper returned a profit. This was partly because advertising space was bought in the paper by large department stores such as Selfridges, and jewellers such as Mappin & Webb. These two, together with other like- minded commercial enterprises sympathetic to the cause, had quickly identified a direct way to reach a huge market of women, many with money to spend.

The creation of the colour scheme provided another money-making opportunity which the WSPU was quick to exploit. The group began to sell playing cards, board games, Christmas and greeting cards, and countless other goods, all in the purple, white and green colours. In 1906 such merchandising of a corporate identity was a new marketing concept.

But the paper and merchandising activities alone did not provide sufficient funds for the WSPU to meet organisational costs, so numerous other fund-raising activities combined to fill the coffers of the ‘war chest’. The most notable of these was the Woman’s Exhibition, which took place in 1909 in a Knightsbridge ice-skating rink, and in 10 days raised the equivalent of £250,000 today.

The Museum of London’s exhibition is largely visual, with a huge number of items on show. Against a quiet background hum of street sounds, copies of The Suffragette, campaign banners and photographs are all on display, together with one of Mrs shoes and a number of purple, white and green trinkets.

Photographs depict vivid scenes of a suffragette’s life: WSPU members on a self- proclaimed ‘monster’ march, wearing their official uniforms of a white frock decorated with purple, white and green accessories; women selling The Suffragette at street corners, or chalking up pavements with details of a forthcoming meeting.

Windows display postcards and greeting cards designed by women artists for the movement, and the quality of the artwork indicates the wealth of resources the WSPU could call on from its talented members.

Visitors can watch a short film made up of old newsreels and cinema material which clearly reveals the political mood of the day towards the suffragettes. The programme begins with a short film devised by the ‘antis’ - those opposed to women having the vote -depicting a suffragette as a fierce harridan bullying her poor, abused husband.

Original newsreel footage shows the suffragette Emily Wilding Davison throwing herself under King George V’s horse at a famous race-

Although the exhibition officially charts the years 1906 to 1914, graphic display boards outlining the bills of enfranchisement of 1918 and 1928, which gave the adult female populace of Britain the vote, show what was achieved. It demonstrates how advanced the suffragettes were in their thinking, in the marketing of their campaign, and in their work as shrewd and skilful image-builders. It also conveys a sense of the energy and ability the suffragettes brought to their fight for freedom and equality. And it illustrates the intelligence employed by women who were at that time deemed by several politicians to have ‘brains too small to know how to vote’.

Section 2

Solution With Explanation

Questions 1-2:

Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 1-2 on your answer sheet.

What is the main aspect of the suffragette movement’s work to which the exhibition at the Museum of London is devoted?

the role of the Pankhurst family in the suffrage movement
the violence of the movement’s political campaign
the success of the movement’s corporate image
the movement’s co-operation with suffrage groups overseas

Answer: C
Supporting sentence: By doing so, it became one of the first groups to project a corporate identity, and it is this advanced marketing strategy, along with the other organisational and commercial achievements of the WSPU, to which the exhibition is devoted.
Keywords: suffragette movement, exhibition, museum of london
Key Location: 2nd paragraph, 2nd line
Explanation: This is the right answer since the sentence makes it apparent that the exhibition's main focus was the project, the group's corporate brand, and how they achieved commercial success using diverse tactics.

Why was the WSPU more successful than other suffrage groups?

Its leaders were much better educated.
It received funding from movements abroad.
It had access to new technology.
It had a clear purpose and direction.

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: The name is a reference to the colour scheme that the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) created to give the movement a uniform, nationwide image…….With their slogan ‘Deeds not words’, and the introduction of the colour scheme, the WSPU soon brought the movement the cohesion and focus it had previously lacked.
Keywords: other groups, WSPU, more successful
Key Location: 3rd line
Explanation: This is the best option because the WSPU was standardized and well-known across the country. It was simple to follow them because they were so dedicated and had signs with their logos and colors.

Question 3:
Choose TWO letters A-E and write them in box 3 on your answer sheet.

In which TWO of the following years were laws passed allowing British women to vote?

1906
1909
1914
1918
1928

Answer: D&E
Supporting sentence: Although the exhibition officially charts the years 1906 to 1914, graphic display boards outlining the bills of enfranchisement of 1918 and 1928, which gave the adult female populace of Britain the vote, show what was achieved.
Keywords: law passed, british women, allow to vote
Key Location: last paragraph, first line
Explanation: Bills allowing women to vote in Britain were passed in 1918 and 1928, as was noted in the previous sentence.

Questions 4-6:

Complete the notes below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Reading Passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 4-6 on your answer sheet.

Three ways in which the WSPU raised money:

the newspapers: mainly through selling 4. -----------------.
merchandising activities: selling a large variety of goods produced in their 5. ------------------.
additional fund-raising activities: for example, 6. -----------------.

Question 4:

Answer: selling advertising space
Supporting sentence: This was partly because advertising space was bought in the paper by large department stores such as Selfridges, and jewellers such as Mappin & Webb.
Keywords: raised money, WSPU, newspapers
Key Location: 7th paragraph, 2nd line
Explanation: This is the right response because the publication was making money that might be utilized to further the group's political objective. By allowing businesses to advertise about their stores in the newspaper to reach a larger female population, some of whom had good spending power, the newspaper was judged profitable in this way.

Question 5:

Answer: colour scheme
Supporting sentence: The creation of the colour scheme provided another money-making opportunity which the WSPU was quick to exploit. The group began to sell playing cards, board games, Christmas and greeting cards, and countless other goods, all in the purple, white and green colours.
Keywords: merchandising, raise money, WSPU
Key Location: 8th paragraph
Explanation: The color palette made the organization more recognizable and uniform, making it simple for them to merchandise the same color pattern to demonstrate strong representation. This is the right response. Every item produced on the same plan served as a symbol of the WSP, and those who purchased it were deemed supporters of the cause.

Question 6:

Answer: The woman’s exhibition
Supporting sentence: But the paper and merchandising activities alone did not provide sufficient funds for the WSPU to meet organisational costs, so numerous other fund-raising activities combined to fill the coffers of the ‘war chest’.
Keywords: WSPU, raise money, additional funds, activities
Key Location: 9th paragraph
Explanation: This is the right response because WSPU needed money to keep the organization running and they made use of a variety of resources to do so. The woman's exhibition, which served as a fundraising event and raised a significant amount of money, was one way they were able to generate a lot of money.

Questions 7-13:

Do the following statements reflect the situation as described by the writer in Reading Passage?

Write:

YES- if the statement reflects the situation as described by the writer
NO- if the statement contradicts the writer
NOT GIVEN- if it is impossible to know what the situation is from the passage

In 1903 women in Australia were still not allowed to vote.

Answer: No
Supporting sentence: Australia and parts of the United States had already enfranchised women, and growing numbers of their British counterparts wanted the same opportunity.
Keywords: Australia, not allowed, vote, women, 1903
Key Location: 3rd paragraph, 2nd line
Explanation: In order to campaign for women's voting rights in Britain, like those in America and Australia, which had previously granted them the privilege, WSPU was established in 1903. The stated statement is untrue because it conflicts with the available data.

The main organs of communication for the WSPU were its two newspapers.

Answer: Yes
Supporting sentence: The newspapers produced by the WSPU, first Votes for Women and later The Suffragette, played a vital role in this communication.
Keywords: main organs, communication, newspaper
Key Location: 6th paragraph, 1st line
Explanation: This is the right response since they communicated with the general public through the newspapers that WSPU issued. Supporters learned about the group's many activities, events, and rallies through the newspaper, which also covered all the most recent national happenings and developments.

The work of the WSPU was mainly confined to London and the south.

Answer: No
Supporting sentence: By 1906 the WSPU headquarters, called the Women’s Press Shop, had been established in Charing Cross Road and in spite of limited communications (no radio or television, and minimal use of the telephone) the message had spread around the country, with members and branch officers stretching to as far away as Scotland.
Keywords: confined, London, the south
Key Location: 5th paragraph, 2nd line
Explanation: The paragraph makes it clear that the group was well-known not just locally but also abroad, with its members and activity being present as far away as Scotland. Consequently, the assertion at hand is false.

The WSPU’s newspapers were mainly devoted to society news and gossip.

Answer: No
Supporting sentence: Both were sold throughout the country and proved an invaluable way of informing members of meetings, marches, fund-raising events and the latest news and views on the movement.
Keywords: newspapers, devoted, society news, gossip
Key Location: 6th paragraph, 2nd line
Explanation: The publication put a lot of effort into serving as the medium via which the group's members could learn about group events and marches. It concentrated on informing women about how the newspaper was perceived and its significance in light of current events in the nation. Women were thought to educate themselves through the newspaper, which did not publish any gossip. Consequently, the claim is untrue.

The Woman’s Exhibition in 1909 met with great opposition from Parliament.

Answer: Not Given
Supporting sentence: Against a quiet background hum of street sounds, copies of The Suffragette, campaign banners and photographs are all on display, together with one of Mrs's shoes and a number of purple, white and green trinkets.
Keywords: woman’s exhibition
Key Location: 2nd last paragraph, 2nd line
Explanation: People opposed to the movement are named, however the Parliament's opposition to the WSPU's exhibition is not mentioned anywhere.

The Museum of London exhibition includes some of the goods sold by the movement.

Answer: Yes
Supporting sentence: Against a quiet background hum of street sounds, copies of The Suffragette, campaign banners and photographs are all on display, together with one of Mrs's shoes and a number of purple, white and green trinkets.
Keywords: museum of London, goods sold, movement
Key Location: 10th paragraph
Explanation: This is the right response because the London Museum had shown merchandised items offered for sale by the WSPU along with other items on display as proof of a fiery and strong depiction of the movement.

The opponents of the suffragettes made films opposing the movement.

Answer: Yes
Supporting sentence: The programme begins with a short film devised by the ‘antis’ - those opposed to women having the vote -depicting a suffragette as a fierce harridan bullying her poor, abused husband.The programme begins with a short film devised by the ‘antis’ - those opposed to women having the vote -depicting a suffragette as a fierce harridan bullying her poor, abused husband.
Keywords: opponents, suffragettes, films, movement.
Key Location: 2nd last paragraph, 2nd line
Explanation: The reason this is the right response is because those who opposed women's suffrage expressed their disagreement through short films.

Question 14:

Choose the appropriate letter A-D and write it in box 14 on your answer sheet.

The writer of the article finds the exhibition to be

misleading
exceptional
disappointing
informative

Answer: informative
Supporting sentence: And it illustrates the intelligence employed by women who were at that time deemed by several politicians to have ‘brains too small to know how to vote’.
Keywords: writer, exhibition
Key Location: Last paragraph, last line
Explanation: This is the best answer given that the exhibition is replete with details about the movement, what it stood for, and how it organized marches as well as rallies with banners and signs. The display showed the viewer how the group generated money in various ways and provided evidence in the form of duplicates of the things sold. We can conclude that the show was genuinely informative based on its display.

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