Cambridge IELTS 15, Test 3, Reading Passage 1

    Henry Moore (1898-1986): reading answers and analysis

    The sculptor Henry Moore trained as a teacher to please his father, fought in the First World War, then studied at Leeds and the Royal College of Art, where ancient Egyptian, African and Mayan sculpture shaped him. Abstract work in the 1930s drew press hostility. Wartime drawings, a family sculpture for Harlow and bronze editions for collectors made him internationally famous.

    Questions 1-13 · 13 marks · 2 question blocks

    Answer key and self-check

    Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the passage yet. Every question number jumps to its explanation.

    QYour answerAnswer
    Questions 1-7 · TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
    1
    TRUE
    2
    FALSE
    3
    NOT GIVEN
    4
    TRUE
    5
    NOT GIVEN
    6
    FALSE
    7
    TRUE
    Questions 8-13 · Note completion (ONE WORD ONLY)
    8
    resignation
    9
    materials
    10
    miners
    11
    family
    12
    collectors
    13
    income

    Where the answers sit

    TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN (1-7) runs from his schooldays to Unit One in 1933. The notes (8-13) continue from the 1931 exhibition through the 1940s, in order.

    TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN

    Questions 1-7

    How to attack this block: The FALSEs contradict clear facts: no sculpture teacher was appointed until his second year at Leeds, and Moore thought the Mayan figure had a power no other stone sculpture had. The NOT GIVENs ask about the Royal College's reputation and how popular the Trocadero sculpture was, and neither is discussed.

    Question 1

    Answer: TRUEParagraph 1, fourth sentence

    After school, did Moore follow his father's wishes?

    After leaving school, Moore hoped to become a sculptor, but instead he complied with his father's wish that he train as a schoolteacher.

    Question says → Passage says

    • On leaving schoolAfter leaving school
    • did what his father wanted him to docomplied with his father's wish

    Why: 'Complied with' means did what was asked. He wanted to be a sculptor but trained as a teacher because his father wanted it. TRUE.

    The trap: 'Hoped to become a sculptor' can pull you towards FALSE. But the sentence turns on 'but instead': his hope came second, his father's wish won.

    Question 2

    Answer: FALSEParagraph 2, second and third sentences

    Did Moore start studying sculpture right away at Leeds?

    In his first year, he spent most of his time drawing. Although he wanted to study sculpture, no teacher was appointed until his second year.

    Question says → Passage says

    • in his first termIn his first year
    • began studying sculptureno teacher was appointed until his second year

    Why: In year one he mostly drew, because there was no sculpture teacher until year two. So he couldn't have begun sculpture in his first term. FALSE.

    The trap: 'He wanted to study sculpture' is about his wish, not what happened. Don't confuse what someone wanted with what they did.

    Question 3

    Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph 2, last two sentences

    Was the Royal College of Art known for excellent sculpture teaching when Moore arrived?

    he passed the sculpture examination and was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London

    Question says → Passage says

    • When Moore started at the Royal College of ArtIn September 1921, he moved to London and began three years of advanced study in sculpture

    Why: The passage tells you he won a scholarship and did three years of advanced sculpture there. It never says what anyone thought of the college's teaching. Its reputation is missing, so NOT GIVEN.

    The trap: Winning a scholarship to a London college sounds impressive, so you might assume the college was highly rated. That's your own inference, not the passage.

    Question 4

    Answer: TRUEParagraph 3, first two sentences

    Did London museum visits make Moore aware of ancient sculpture?

    the British Museum, which had a wide-ranging collection of ancient sculpture. During these visits, he discovered the power and beauty of ancient Egyptian and African sculpture.

    Question says → Passage says

    • visiting London museumsMoore visited many of the London museums / During these visits
    • became aware of ancient sculpturehe discovered the power and beauty of ancient Egyptian and African sculpture

    Why: 'During these visits, he discovered' links the museum trips directly to finding ancient sculpture. 'As a result of' = 'during these visits'. TRUE.

    The trap: Some students hesitate because 'discovered the power and beauty' sounds like more than 'became aware of'. But discovering it is becoming aware of it. You don't need an exact match of strength.

    Question 5

    Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph 4, second sentence

    Did the Mayan sculpture at the Trocadero attract a lot of public attention?

    When he visited the Trocadero Museum in Paris, he was impressed by a cast of a Mayan sculpture of the rain spirit.

    Question says → Passage says

    • The Trocadero Museum's Mayan sculpturea cast of a Mayan sculpture of the rain spirit
    • attracted a lot of public interesthe was impressed / Moore became fascinated

    Why: The paragraph only tells you how Moore reacted: impressed, then fascinated. Nothing is said about other visitors or the public. NOT GIVEN.

    The trap: Moore's strong reaction tempts you to say TRUE. But one man's fascination isn't 'a lot of public interest'.

    Question 6

    Answer: FALSEParagraph 4, fourth sentence

    Did Moore see the Mayan sculpture as similar to other stone sculptures?

    Moore became fascinated with this stone sculpture, which he thought had a power and originality that no other stone sculpture possessed.

    Question says → Passage says

    • Moore thoughthe thought
    • similar… to other stone sculpturesa power and originality that no other stone sculpture possessed

    Why: 'No other stone sculpture possessed' its power and originality means he saw it as unique. Originality is the opposite of being similar to others. FALSE.

    The trap: 'In certain respects' makes the statement sound modest, and you could argue all stone sculptures share something. But you must judge it against what Moore thought, and he stressed how different it was.

    Question 7

    Answer: TRUEParagraph 5, last sentence

    Did Unit One want to make modern art and architecture more popular?

    The aim of the group was to convince the English public of the merits of the emerging international movement in modern art and architecture.

    Question says → Passage says

    • wanted toThe aim of the group was
    • make… more popularconvince the English public of the merits

    Why: Convincing the public that something has merits is making it more popular with them. 'The aim' matches 'wanted'. TRUE.

    The trap: Moore's own 1931 show was hated by the press, which might make you think the group failed. The statement is about what they wanted, not whether it worked.

    Note completion (ONE WORD ONLY)

    Questions 8-13

    How to attack this block: The notes go decade by decade. Each answer is a noun close to its paraphrase: what critics called for, what was in short supply in the war, who he drew in Castleford, the subject of the Harlow commission, who bought the bronze editions, and what rose as a result.

    Question 8

    Answer: resignationParagraph 6, last sentence

    What was Moore pressed to offer before leaving the Royal College?

    There were calls for his resignation from the Royal College

    Question says → Passage says

    • Moore is urged toThere were calls for
    • offer his ___ and leave the Royal Collegehis resignation from the Royal College

    Why: 'Calls for his resignation' becomes 'urged to offer his ___'. After 'his' you need a noun, and you offer your resignation.

    The trap: 'Resign' is the verb and doesn't fit after 'his'. 'Contract' is in the same sentence, but it simply expired. Nobody offered it.

    Question 9

    Answer: materialsParagraph 8, second sentence

    What wasn't readily available, so Moore turned to drawing?

    A shortage of materials forced him to focus on drawing.

    Question says → Passage says

    • not readily availableA shortage of
    • turns to drawingforced him to focus on drawing

    Why: 'Shortage' means not enough, which the notes turn into 'not readily available'. The note's verb is 'are', so the gap needs a plural noun: 'materials'.

    The trap: Don't write 'shortage'. That's the idea the note has already paraphrased, and 'shortage are not available' makes no sense.

    Question 10

    Answer: minersParagraph 8, last sentence

    Who did Moore draw when he went back to his hometown?

    In 1942, he returned to Castleford to make a series of sketches of the miners who worked there.

    Question says → Passage says

    • visiting his hometownreturned to Castleford
    • does some drawings ofmake a series of sketches of

    Why: Paragraph 1 told you Moore was born in Castleford, so 'returned to Castleford' is visiting his hometown. The sketches there were of the 'miners'.

    The trap: 'Londoners' is in the sentence before, but he drew them from the farmhouse near London. That isn't his hometown.

    Question 11

    Answer: familyParagraph 9, first sentence

    What was Moore commissioned to make a sculpture of?

    Harlow, a town near London, offered Moore a commission for a sculpture depicting a family.

    Question says → Passage says

    • is employed to produceoffered Moore a commission for
    • a sculpture of aa sculpture depicting a family

    Why: A commission is paid work, so 'is employed'. 'Depicting' = 'of', and the subject is 'a family'.

    The trap: Earlier he carved 'mother-and-child groups', which is a similar idea, but that's in the 1920s and wasn't a commission. The 1940s note points to Harlow.

    Question 12

    Answer: collectorsParagraph 9, middle

    Who started buying Moore's work?

    these were cast in bronze and issued in editions of seven to nine copies each. In this way, Moore's work became available to collectors all over the world.

    Question says → Passage says

    • start to buy Moore's workMoore's work became available to

    Why: Bronze copies made the work 'available to collectors', and the next sentence mentions a boost to his income, which confirms they were buying. The gap needs a plural noun for people.

    The trap: 'Critics' appear in the 1950s paragraph, but they judged his work. They didn't buy it.

    Question 13

    Answer: incomeParagraph 9, last sentence

    What increase let Moore take on more ambitious sculptures?

    The boost to his income enabled him to take on ambitious projects

    Question says → Passage says

    • increasedThe boost to
    • makes it possible for himenabled him
    • do more ambitious sculpturestake on ambitious projects

    Why: 'Boost' is an increase, and 'enabled' is 'makes it possible'. After 'Moore's increased' you need a noun: 'income'.

    The trap: 'Boost' is the increase itself, and the notes already say 'increased'. 'Scale' comes later in the sentence, but it's the size of the work, not what grew.

    Questions worth a second look

    Question 6

    FALSE. Moore felt the Mayan figure had a power and originality that no other stone sculpture possessed, so he saw it as unlike the others.

    Question 8

    The note needs the noun: there were calls for his 'resignation'. 'Resign' doesn't fit 'offer his ___'.

    Question 12

    Bronze editions of seven to nine copies made his work available to collectors worldwide, so 'collectors' start to buy it.

    Words from this passage worth keeping

    complied with(Paragraph 1)
    did what someone asked or wanted
    scholarship(Paragraph 2)
    money given to a student to pay for study
    reclining(Paragraph 4)
    lying back or leaning back
    merits(Paragraph 5)
    good qualities
    notorious(Paragraph 6)
    famous for something bad
    inclination(Paragraph 7)
    a wish or tendency to do something
    commission(Paragraph 9)
    a formal request, with payment, to produce a piece of art
    acclaim(Paragraph 11)
    public praise

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