Cambridge IELTS 13, Test 4, Reading Passage 1: Cutty Sark The Fastest Sailing Ship of All Time, Solution With Answer Key

Cutty Sark The Fastest Sailing Ship of All Time Passage Solution with Answer Key – Cambridge IELTS 13, Test 4: Reading Passage 1. Here we will discuss detailed explanation of all the questions of the passage. Here is step by step Solution with Tips and Strategies. This post is for educational purpose only. If you find difficulties in reading passage to find the right answer in the exam, just read the post carefully. Tips and strategies will help you find the right answer.

 

Cutty Sark The Fastest Sailing Ship of All Time

IELTS Reading Passage Solution

 

IELTS Cambridge 13, Test 4, Academic Reading Module, Reading Passage 1

 

PASSAGE 1: Cutty Sark The Fastest Sailing Ship of All Time

Questions 1-8. True, False, Not Given.

** Tips (link details): How To Solve True, False, Not Given in IELTS Reading Module?

Question 1. CLIPPERS WERE ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE USED AS PASSENGER SHIPS

Keywords: clippers, originally, passenger
Now, at the beginning of paragraph 2, we find the statement: “The fastest commercial sailing vessels of all time were clippers, three-masted ships built to transport goods around the world, although some also took passengers”.
So, clippers were built/used originally to transport goods, not to carry passengers.

Here, ships = vessels.

Answer: FALSE.

Question 2. CUTTY SARK WAS GIVEN THE NAME OF A CHARACTER IN A POEM

Keywords: name, character, poem
Now, in paragraph 3, the writer explains how the ship was given its name: “Cutty Sark’s unusual name comes from the poem Tam O’Shanter by the Scottish poet, Robert Burns. Tam, a farmer, is chased by a witch called Nannie, who is wearing a ‘cutty sark’ – an old Scottish name for a short nightdress”.
A cutty sark, therefore, is a short nightdress, not the name of a character in the poem. It was a piece of clothing worn by the witch in the poem.
Answer: FALSE.

Question 3. THE CONTRACT BETWEEN JOHN WILLIS AND SCOTT & LINTON FAVOURED WILLIS

Keywords: contract, Willis, Scott & Linton
Now, in paragraph 4, we find the key words: “To carry out construction, Willis chose a new shipbuilding firm, Scott & Linton, and ensured that the contract with them put him in a very strong position. In the end, the firm was forced out of business…”
To be ‘in a strong position’ means that the contract gave Willis an advantage in the business deal. In other words, the contract favoured Willis so much, that the shipbuilding company had to close before the ship was finished.

Here, favoured = put in a very strong position

Answer:  TRUE.

Question 4. JOHN WILLIS WANTED CUTTY SARK TO BE THE FASTEST TEA CLIPPER TRAVELLING BETWEEN THE UK AND CHINA

Keywords: Willis, fastest, UK, China
Now, at the beginning of paragraph 5, we find some of the key words: Willis, Britain (the UK) and China. “Willis’s company was active in the tea trade between China and Britain, where speed could bring ship owners both profits and prestige, so Cutty Sark was designed to make the journey more quickly than any other ship”.
So the idea of Willis was that Cutty Sark would transport the tea between China and the UK faster than any other ship.

Here, the fastest tea clipper > more quickly than any other ship.

Answer:  TRUE.

Question 5. DESPITE STORM DAMAGE, CUTTY SARK BEAT THERMOPYLAE BACK TO LONDON 

Keywords: storm damage, beat Thermopylae, London

Now, we need to find information on the race from China to London between these tea clippers. At the end of paragraph 5, we learn that: “…in 1872, the ship and a rival clipper, Thermopylae, left port in China on the same day…”
Although Cutty Sark gained a lead, she was damaged: “…but then her rudder was severely damaged in stormy seas…Cutty Sark reached London a week after Thermopylae”.

Cutty Sark was damaged by a storm, so she only reached London after Thermopylae.

Answer: FALSE.

Question 6.THE OPENING OF THE SUEZ CANAL MEANT THAT STEAM SHIPS COULD TRAVEL BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA FASTER THAN CLIPPERS

Keywords: Suez Canal, steam ships, faster
The key words are found at the beginning of paragraph 6: “Steam ships posed a growing threat to clippers, as their speed and cargo capacity increased. In addition, the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869…had a serious impact”.
The writer then explains why only steam ships could make use of the Suez Canal, and this meant that the steam ships could make the journey faster than clippers, using this short route: “Steam ships reduced the journey time between Britain and China by approximately two months”.

Here, travel faster >> reduced the journey time

Answer: TRUE.

Question 7. STEAM SHIPS SOMETIMES USED THE OCEAN ROUTE TO TRAVEL BETWEEN LONDON AND CHINA

Keywords: ocean route, London and China
Now, although the writer says in paragraph 6 that only steam ships were able to use the Suez Canal, there is no information whether steam ships sometimes chose to make the journey between London and China using the longer ocean route.
Answer: NOT GIVEN.

Question 8. CAPTAIN WOODGET PUT CUTTY SARK AT RISK OF HITTING AN ICEBERG

Keywords: Captain Woodget, risk, iceberg
Now, Captain Woodget is mentioned in paragraph 8. An excellent navigator, he took Cutty Sark on a route travelling a long way south to take advantage of the winds: “…Woodget took her further south than any previous captain, bringing her dangerously close to icebergs off the southern tip of South America. His gamble paid off, though, and the ship was the fastest vessel in the wool trade for ten years”.
So, Woodget took a risk by travelling this southern route, close to icebergs. However, he was successful.

Here,  risk = gamble; put Cutty Sark at risk of hitting an iceberg = bringing her dangerously close to icebergs.

Answer: TRUE.

QUESTIONS 9-13: COMPLETE THE SENTENCES BELOW.

** Tips(link details): How to Solve Sentence Completion Questions in IELTS Reading Module?

Question 9. AFTER 1880, CUTTY SARK CARRIED ………….. AS ITS MAIN CARGO DURING ITS MOST SUCCESSFUL TIME

Keywords: 1880, cargo, most successful
Now, looking for the key words, we find these in paragraph 7. In 1880, two captains of the ship lost their jobs. Then, a new captain was appointed: “This marked a turnaround and the beginning of the most successful period in Cutty Sark’s working life, transporting wool from Australia to Britain”.
Thus, after 1880 the ship had its most successful period, carrying wool.

Here, carry = transport; time ~ period.

Answer: wool.

Question 10. AS A CAPTAIN AND ……………… , WOODGET WAS VERY SKILLED

Keywords: captain, Woodget, skilled
Now, the key words are in paragraph 8: “The ship’s next captain, Richard Woodget, was an excellent navigator, who got the best out of both his ship and his crew”.
The writer, therefore, tells us that Woodget was a good captain and a skilled navigator.
Answer: navigator.

Question 11. FERREIRA WENT TO FALMOUTH TO REPAIR DAMAGE THAT A ………… HAD CAUSED

Keywords: Ferreira, Falmouth, repair
Now, in paragraph 9, we find a reference to the Ferreira. The Cutty Sark “…was sold to a Portuguese firm, which renamed her Ferreira”.
In paragraph 10, we learn what caused the damage: “Badly damaged in a gale in 1922, she was put into Falmouth harbour, in southwest England, for repairs”.
A gale (= a strong, stormy wind) damaged the ship.
Answer:  gale.

Question 12. BETWEEN 1923 AND 1954, CUTTY SARK WAS USED FOR …………….

Keywords: 1923, 1954, used
Now, in paragraph 10, we learn that the ship returned to Falmouth one year after it was repaired: “…the ship returned to Falmouth the following year (= 1923) and had her original name restored”.
Then in paragraph 11, we learn what happened between 1923 and 1954. The new owner, a man named Dowman: “…used Cutty Sark as a training ship, and she continued in this role after his death. When she was no longer required, in 1954, she was transferred to dry dock at Greenwich to go on public display”.
So, between these years, the ship was used for training.
Answer: training.

Question 13. CUTTY SARK HAS TWICE BEEN DAMAGED BY ……………. IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Keywords: twice, damaged, 21st century

Now, in the final paragraph, we find the most recent information about the ship in the 21st century: “The ship suffered from fire in 2007, and again, less seriously, in 2014….”

Here, damaged by ~ suffered from.

Answer: fire.

 

 

Answer Key – Cutty Sark The Fastest Sailing Ship of All Time

Cambridge IELTS 13 Test 4 Answer Key, Reading Passage 1

 

Cutty Sark The Fastest Sailing Ship of All Time Reading Answers

Passage 1

 

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