‘The story of silk’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM- 11
Here are explanations of the Questions of passage named, ‘The story of silk’ which is from the Cambridge 11 book. The Questions that have been asked are ‘True/False/Not Given’ and ‘Blanks’. You will find the locations of the Reading Answers, Keywords(highlighted and underlined) and justifications.
READING PASSAGE 1: The story of silk
| Question | Answer |
| 1 | TEA |
| 2 | REEL |
| 3 | WOMEN |
| 4 | ROYALTY |
| 5 | CURRENCY |
| 6 | PAPER |
| 7 | WOOL |
| 8 | MONKS |
| 9 | NYLON |
| 10 | FALSE |
| 11 | TRUE |
| 12 | FALSE |
| 13 | NOT GIVEN |
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.
THE STORY OF SILK
Early silk production in China
- Around 3000 BC, according to legend:
– silkworm cocoon fell into emperor’s wife’s 1…………….
Location: 1st paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘3000 BC’ helps to locate an answer in the fifth line of the paragraph. ‘It just happened that while she was sipping some tea, one of the cocoons that she had collected landed in the hot tea…’ Here, ‘landed’ and ‘fell’ means the same. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: tea
‘The story of silk’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM- 11
-emperor’s wife invented a 2……..…..to pull out silk fibres
Location: 1st paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the second last line of the paragraph. ‘She also devised a special reel to draw the fibres from the cocoon into single thread…’ Here, ‘devised’ and ‘invented’ means the same. Moreover, ‘pull out…’ and ‘ to draw the…’ are synonyms. Hence, the answer is ‘reel’
Answer: Reel
- Only 3……………were allowed to produce silk,
Location: 2nd paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the first line of the paragraph. ‘Originally, silkworm farming was solely restricted to women…’Here, ‘allowed’ and ‘restricted’ are synonyms. In addition, ‘solely’ and ‘only’ means the same.
Answer: Women
‘The story of silk’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM- 11
- Only 4……….…… were allowed to wear silk
Location: 2nd paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the second line of the paragraph. ‘Only royalty were entitled to have clothes made of silk…’Here, this statement clarifies that only royalty have right to wear silk clothes. Thus, the answer is ‘royalty’
Answer: Royalty
- Silk used as a form of 5………..……
Location: 2nd paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the fourth line of the paragraph. ‘silk was so prized that it was also used as a unit of currency’ Here, ‘used as form of…’ has been written as ‘used as a unit of…’ in the paragraph. Hence, the answer is clear.
Answer: Currency
‘The story of silk’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM- 11
-e.g. farmers’ taxes consisted partly of silk
- Silk used for many purposes
-e.g. evidence found of 6…………….made from silk around 168 AD
Location: 2nd paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘168 AD’ helps to locate an answer in the last line of the paragraph. ‘The earliest indication of silk paper being used was discovered in the tomb…’Here, ‘evidence’ and ‘indication’ means the same. Discovered= Found
Answer: Paper
Silk reaches rest of world
Merchants use Silk Road to take silk westward and bring back 7……….……and precious metals
Location: 3rd paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘silk road’ helps to locate an answer in the beginning of the paragraph. ‘taking westward and bringing gold, silver, wool to the East…’Here, merchants bring back gold, silver and wool. Here, gold and silver are precious metals. Hence, the answer is ‘wool’
Answer: Wool
550 AD: 8………….hide silkworm eggs in canes and take them to Constantinople
Location: 4th paragraph
Explanation: The main keywords ‘550 AD’ and ‘Constantinople’ helps to locate an answer in the third line of the paragraph. ‘According to another legend, monks working for the Byzantine emperor…,concealed inside hollow bamboo walking canes’ Here, this statement makes an answer very clear as ‘concealed inside walking canes’ and ‘hide in canes’ means the same. Thus, the answer is ‘monks’.
Answer: Monks
‘The story of silk’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM- 11
- Silk production spreads across Middle East and Europe
- 20th century: 9……………and other manmade fibres cause decline in silk production
Location: 5th paragraph (Last paragraph)
Explanation: The main keyword ‘20th century’ helps to locate an answer in the third line of the paragraph. ‘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…’Here, this statement clarifies that nylon is a man-made fibre.
Answer: Nylon
Questions 10-13
Do the following statements agree with the information in Reading Passage 1.
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
10. Gold was the most valuable material transported along the Silk Road.
Location: 3rd paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the second line of the paragraph. ‘It was named the silk road after the most precious commodity, which was considered to be worth more than gold…’Here, this line means silk was the most precious commodity. Precious=valuable. Thus, the question statement contradicts the passage statement.
Answer: False
‘The story of silk’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM- 11
11. Most tradesmen only went along certain sections of the Silk Road.
Location: 3rd paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the third line of the paragraph. ‘The silk road stretched over 6000 kilometers from Eastern china to Mediterranean sea…Few merchants travelled the entire route; goods were handled mostly by series of middlemen…’ The writer says only few merchants travelled entire route that makes an answer very clear.
Answer: True
12. The Byzantines spread the practice of silk production across the West.
Location: 4th paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘Byzantines’ helps to locate an answer in the fifth line of the paragraph. ‘the Byzantines were as secretive as the Chinese, however, and for many centuries the waving and trading silk of fabric was a strict imperial monopoly. Then in the seventh century. The Arabs conquered Persia, capturing their magnificent skills in the process….’ Here, Silk production spread through Africa, Sicily and Spain as the Arabs swept through this lands. Thus, the question statement contradicts the passage statement.
Answer: False
‘The story of silk’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM- 11
13. Silk yarn makes up the majority of silk currently exported from China.
Location: Last paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword is ‘silk yarn’ and its reference is there in the last paragraph. But there is no information regarding which product makes up the majority of silk currently exported from china.
Answer: Not Given
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