Yoruba Town Reading Answers

Jul 22, 2025

Yoruba Town Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Yoruba Town Reading Answers has a total of 6 IELTS questions in total. In the question set, choose the most suitable heading for each section from the list of headings below. There are more headings than paragraphs so you won't use them all.

The IELTS Reading section is an essential part of the test that evaluates a candidate's comprehension and analysis of various passage types. You will work through a number of IELTS reading practice problems in this section that resemble actual test situations. These questions are designed to help you improve your ability to recognise essential concepts, extract particular facts, and make inferences. Practising these IELTS reading problems can help you get comfortable with the structure and increase your confidence for the exam, regardless of whether you are studying for the Academic or General Training module.

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Section 1

YORUBA TOWN

A. The Yoruba people of Nigeria classify their towns in two ways. Permanent towns with their own governments are called "ilu", whereas temporary settlements, set up to support work in the country are "aba". Although ilu tend to be larger than aba, the distinction is not one of size, some aba are large, while declining ilu can be small, but of purpose. There is no "typical" Yoruba town, but some features are common to most towns.

B. In the 19th century, most towns were heavily fortified and the foundations of these walls are sometimes visible. Collecting tolls to enter and exit through the walls was a major source of revenue for the old town rulers, as were market fees. The markets were generally located centrally and in small towns, while in large towns there were permanent stands made of corrugated iron or concrete. The market was usually next to the local ruler's palace.

C. The palaces were often very large. In the 1930s, the area of Oyo's palace covered 17 acres, and consisted of a series of courtyards surrounded by private and public rooms. After colonisation, many of the palaces were completely or partially demolished. Often, the rulers built two-storey houses for themselves using some of the palace grounds for government buildings.

D. The town is divided into different sections. In some towns, these are regular, extending out from the center of the town like spokes on a wheel, while in others, where space is limited, they are more random. The different areas are further divided into compounds called "ile". These vary in size considerably from single dwellings to up to thirty houses. They tend to be larger in the North. Large areas are devoted to government administrative buildings. Newer developments such as industrial or commercial areas or apartment housing for civil servants

tends to be build on the edge of the town.

E. Houses are rectangular and either have a courtyard in the center or the rooms come off a central corridor. Most social life occurs in the courtyard. They are usually built of hardened mud and have roofs of corrugated iron or, in the countryside, thatch. Buildings of this material are easy to alter, either by knocking down rooms or adding new ones. And can be improved by coating the walls with cement. Richer people often build their houses of concrete blocks and, if they can afford to, build two-storey houses. Within compounds, there can be quite a mixture of building types. Younger, well-educated people may have well-furnished houses while their older relatives live in mud-walled buildings and sleep on mats on the floor.

F. The builder or the most senior man gets a room either near the entrance or, in a two storied house, next to the balcony. He usually has more than one room. Junior men get a room each and there are separate rooms for teenage boys and girls to sleep in. Younger children sleep with their mothers. Any empty room are used as storage, let out or, if they face the street, used as shops.

G. Amenities vary. In some towns, most of the population uses communal water taps, and only the rich have piped water, in others, piped water is more normal. Some areas have toilets, but bucket toilets are common with waste being collected by a "night soil man". Access to water and electricity are key political issues.

Questions 1-6

Choose the most suitable heading for each section from the list of headings below.

There are more headings than paragraphs so you won't use them all.

i. Town facilities

ii. Colonisation

iii. Urban divisions

iv. Architectural home styles

v. Historical foundations

vi. Domestic arrangements

vii. City defences

viii. The residences of the rulers

ix. Government buildings

1. Paragraph B

Answer: V

Supporting statement: “In the 19th century, most towns were heavily fortified and the foundations of these walls are sometimes visible.”

Keywords: 19th century, foundations

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 1

Explanation: This paragraph discusses the historical fortification of Yoruba towns and the old revenue systems, linking directly to their foundations and history.

2. Paragraph C

Answer: VIII

Supporting statement: “The palaces were often very large. In the 1930s, the area of Oyo's palace covered 17 acres…”

Keywords: palaces, 1930s,17 acres

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 1

Explanation: The paragraph is focused entirely on the palaces of Yoruba rulers — their size, structure, and changes after colonisation.

3. Paragraph D

Answer: III

Supporting statement: “The town is divided into different sections… The different areas are further divided into compounds called ‘ile’…”

Keywords: town, divided, ile

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 1-3

Explanation: The paragraph talks about the layout and division of the town into areas and compounds, which fits urban divisions.

4. Paragraph E

Answer: IV

Supporting statement: “Houses are rectangular… built of hardened mud… Richer people often build their houses of concrete blocks…”

Keywords: rectangular, hardened mud, Richer, concrete

Keyword Location: Para E, Lines 1-5

Explanation: This paragraph focuses on the styles, materials, and structures of residential buildings, specifically about architectural homes.

5. Paragraph F

Answer: VI

Supporting statement: “The builder or the most senior man gets a room... Junior men get a room each... Younger children sleep with their mothers…”

Keywords: room, children

Keyword Location: Para F, Lines 1-3

Explanation: It discusses who sleeps where and room assignments, detailing the domestic living arrangements in Yoruba households.

6. Paragraph G

Answer: I

Supporting statement: “In some towns, most of the population uses communal water taps… Some areas have toilets… Access to water and electricity are key political issues.”

Keywords: population, toilets, electricity

Keyword Location: Para G, Lines 1-3

Explanation: The paragraph talks about amenities like water, toilets, and electricity, which are town-level facilities.

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