‘What destroyed the civilization of Easter Island?’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM 11
Here are explanations of the Questions of passage named, ‘What destroyed the civilization of Easter Island?’ which is from the Cambridge 11 book. The Questions that have been asked are ‘List of Headings, ‘Blanks and MCQs’. You will find the locations of the Reading Answers, Keywords(highlighted and underlined) and justifications.
READING PASSAGE 2: What destroyed the civilization of Easter Island
| Question | Answer |
| 14 | II |
| 15 | IX |
| 16 | VIII |
| 17 | I |
| 18 | IV |
| 19 | VII |
| 20 | VI |
| 21 | FARMING |
| 22 | CANOES |
| 23 | BIRDS |
| 24 | WOOD |
| 25 | B |
| 26 | C |
Questions 14-26
Reading Passage has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-ix, in boxes 14-20on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i Evidence of innovative environment management practices
ii An undisputed answer to a question about the moai
iii The future of the moai statues
iv A theory which supports a local belief
v The future of Easter Island
vi Two opposing views about the Rapanui people
vii Destruction outside the inhabitants’ control
viii How the statues made a situation worse
ix Diminishing food resources
14. Paragraph A
Location: Second last line of 1st paragraph
Explanation: The writer says, ‘Modern science – linguistic, archaeological and genetic evidence – has definitively proved the moai builders were Polynesians, but not how they moved their creations…’Here, ‘definitively proved’ means ‘an undisputed answer to a question’.
Answer: ii
‘What destroyed the civilization of Easter Island?’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM 11
15. Paragraph B
Location: B paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the fifth and sixth line of the paragraph. ‘When the islanders cleared the forests for firewood and farming, the forests didn’t grow back. As trees became scarce and they could no longer construct wooden canoes for fishing, they ate birds…’ Here, clearing of forests and no longer construction of wooden canoes for fishing makes it clear that food resources were diminishing. Thus, the answer is ix.
Answer: ix
16. Paragraph C
Location: C paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the first line of the paragraph. ‘The moai, he thinks, accelerated the self-destruction. Diamond interprets them as power displays by rival…’Here, ‘self-destruction’ means ‘made a situation worse’. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: viii
‘What destroyed the civilization of Easter Island?’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM 11
17. Paragraph D
Location: D paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the last line of the paragraph. ‘They built thousands of circular stone windbreaks and gardened inside them, and used broken volcanic rocks to keep the soil moist. In short, Hunt and Lipo argue, the prehistoric Rapanui were pioneers of sustainable farming…’Here, ‘pioneers of sustainable farming’ is a evidence of innovative environmental management practices. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: i
18.Paragraph E
Location: E paragraph ( first two lines)
Explanation: The writer states, ‘On that issue, Hunt and Lipo say, archaeological evidence backs up Rapanui folklore…’Here, ‘folklore’ refers to the local belief. Moreover, ‘back up’ and ‘support’ means the same. Thus, the answer is iv.
Answer: iv
‘What destroyed the civilization of Easter Island?’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM 11
19 Paragraph F
Location: F paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the third line of the paragraph. ‘The rats arrived along with the settlers, and in just a few years, Hunt and Lipo calculate, they would ahave overrun the island…’Also, writer talks about deadly disease in second last line of the paragraph. ‘who introduced deadly diseases to which islanders had no immunity…’Thus, this statements clarify the answer.
Answer: vii
20 Paragraph G
Location: G paragraph (first two lines)
Explanation: The author says, ‘Hunt and Lipo’s vision, therefore, is one of an island populated by peaceful and ingenious moai builders and careful stewards… rather than by reckless destroyers ruining their own environment and society…’Here, ‘peaceful and ingenious’ is opposite to ‘destroyers ruining…’.Hence, the correct answer is vi.
Answer: vi
Questions 21-26
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 21-26 on your answer sheet.
Jared Diamond’s View
Diamond believes that the Polynesian settlers on Rapa Nui destroyed its forests, cutting down its trees for fuel and clearing land for 21……………..
Location: B paragraph
Explanation: The main keywords ‘Diamond’ and ‘Rapa Nui’ helps to locate an answer in the middle line of the paragraph. ‘When the islanders cleared the forests for firewood and farming, the forests didn’t grow back…’Here, ‘firewood’ refers to ‘fuel’. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: Farming
‘What destroyed the civilization of Easter Island?’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM 11
Twentieth-century discoveries of pollen prove that Rapu Nui had once been covered in palm forests, which had turned into grassland by the time the Europeans arrived on the island.
When the islanders were no longer able to build the 22…………….. they needed to go fishing, they began using the island’s 23…………….. as a food source, according to Diamond.
Location: B paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘fishing’ is there in the last third line of the paragraph. ‘As trees became scarce and they could no longer construct wooden canoes for fishing, they ate birds…’Here, ‘construct’ and ‘build’ are synonyms. Moreover, ‘they ate birds’ means birds act as a food source.
Answer: (22) Canoes
(23) Birds
‘What destroyed the civilization of Easter Island?’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM 11
Diamond also claims that the moai were built to show the power of the island’s chieftains, and that the methods of transporting the statues needed not only a great number of people, but also a great deal of 24……………
Location: C paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘chieftains’ helps to find an answer in the third line of the paragraph. ‘Diamond thinks they laid the moai on wooden sledges, hauled over log rails, but that required both a lot of wood and a lot of people…’Here, ‘required’ and ‘needed’ are synonyms. Moreover, ‘ a great number of’ and ‘ a lot of’ means the same.
Answer: Wood
Questions 25-26
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Write the correct letters in boxes 25-26on your answer sheet.
On what points do Hunt and Lipo disagree with Diamond?
A the period when the moai were created
B how the moai were transported
C the impact of the moai on Rapanui society
D how the moai were carved
E the origins of the people who made the moai
25.(B)
Location: C and E paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the third line of the C paragraph. Diamond thinks they laid the moai on wooden sledges, hauled over log rails but that required both a lot of wood and a lot of people. …’Hunt and Lipo opines in the E paragraph. ‘They also believe that moving the moai required few people and no wood,..’Thus, these views on transportation were opposite.
26 (C)
Location: C and F paragraph
Explanation: In first line of paragraph C, ‘moai, he thinks, accelerated the self-destruction. Diamond interprets them as power displays by rival chieftains…’However, in paragraph F, ‘Moreover, Hunt and Lipo are convinced that the settlers were not wholly responsible for the loss of the island’s trees…’
Answer: B or C (in any order)
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