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Reading answers with explanations

IELTS · Part 3 · Cambridge IELTS 21 – Test 3

Rethinking the Past: Reading answers

Answers to questions 27–40 (14 in all), each with why it is right.

Sit it first, then check

Read the whole passage and answer in the exam interface, timed as on the day.

Practise this part

The passage opens

It is by now a truism that the story of human evolution is being rethought. Discoveries have come thick and fast over the last decade or so, and these have forced us to rethink many crucial points, such as how old our species is - about 300,000 years old as opposed to 200,000 - and what extinct hominins, such as our cousins the Neanderthals, were really like. But because there are so many species and eras involved, it's hard to discern the common threads linking them. However, I do think it's possible to draw out some overall messages from the blizzard of archaeological finds in recent years. Two things stand out to me. One is the growing evidence that many supposedly 'advanced' behaviours,…

Answers 27–40

  1. 27

    What is the writer doing in the second paragraph?

    A: pinpointing some key changes in our understanding of prehistory Multiple choice

  2. 28

    In the sixth paragraph, the writer mentions mobile phones to make the point that

    A: most developments happen in a gradual way. Multiple choice

  3. 29

    In the seventh paragraph, the phrase 'unpick this stuff' refers to the task of

    D: reevaluating research influenced by outdated beliefs about society. Multiple choice

  4. 30

    What does the writer suggest in the final paragraph?

    A: Studying past societies could help us create a fairer society today. Multiple choice

  5. 31

    The findings at Kalambo Falls revealed that

    E: Homo sapiens was probably not the only species capable of sophisticated workmanship. Matching sentence endings

  6. 32

    Evidence from high-altitude regions suggests that

    F: other species managed to survive in harsh environments before the arrival of Homo sapiens. Matching sentence endings

  7. 33

    An academic publication from June 2023 shows that

    D: experts may have been mistaken about who looked for food in early human communities. Matching sentence endings

  8. 34

    Analysis of a 4000-year-old Iberian leader indicates that

    B: previous assumptions about who had power in the prehistoric world were inaccurate. Matching sentence endings

  9. 35

    It seems likely that the Neanderthals' cave paintings were the first examples of artwork ever created.

    NO Yes / No / Not Given

  10. 36

    It is very rare to find prehistoric artwork carved onto shells.

    NOT GIVEN Yes / No / Not Given

  11. 37

    The methods which the researchers used to examine the Rising Star cave system were rather unconventional.

    NOT GIVEN Yes / No / Not Given

  12. 38

    It is unclear how old the etchings in the Rising Star cave system are.

    YES Yes / No / Not Given

  13. 39

    The means used to publicise the findings from the Rising Star cave system added to the controversy that surrounds them.

    YES Yes / No / Not Given

  14. 40

    The size of H. naledi brains is a key factor in the question of whether these hominins were able to produce art.

    NO Yes / No / Not Given

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