Day 1 Reading Marathon 2.

Day 1 - Answer Keys and Explanations

Questions 1-5

Q.1 1992- the boat was discovered during the construction of a ……………

Answer: road

Part of the passage: [Par 1] It was 1992. In England, workmen were building a new
road through the heart of Dover, to connect the ancient port and the Channel Tunnel,
which, when it opened just two years later, was to be the first land link between Britain
and Europe for over 10,000 years.

Keywords: construction = building

Explanation: It is obvious that the boat was discovered during the construction of a road.
You were probably puzzled because the first part of the question – the boat was discovered
– is not mentioned or given in different words in the paragraph. However, one part of the
paragraph implies that the boat discovered at this time: was to be the first land link. What
can link two lands? Of course, a boat.

Q.2 2002- an international …………… was held to gather information

Answer: conference

Part of the passage: [Par 5] In 2002, on the tenth anniversary of the discovery, the Dover
Bronze-Age Boat Trust hosted a conference, where this meeting of different traditions
became apparent. Alongside technical papers about the boat, other speakers explored its
social and economic contexts, and the religious perceptions of boats in Bronze Age
societies. Many speakers came from overseas, and debate about cultural connections
was renewed.

Keywords: international = meeting of different traditions / overseas; was held = hosted;

gather information = explored its social and economic contexts, and the religious
perceptions…

Explanation: I think it is fairly clear why the answer is conference. I, however, chose
„meeting‟ because I skimmed past the word „conference‟ and „host‟. This conference is
international because there was a meeting of different traditions (=international). And
people in this conference were from overseas (=international). An international meeting
sounds lexically off to me as well.

Q.3 2004 – …………… for the reconstruction were produced

Answer: proposals

Part of the passage: [Par 7] Detailed proposals to reconstruct the boat were drawn up
in 2004.

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Keywords: reconstruction = reconstruct; produced = drawn up

Q.4 2007- the …………… of BOAT 1550BC took place

Answer: launch

Part of the passage: [Par 8] There was much enthusiasm and support, and an official
launch of the project was held at an international seminar in France in 2007. Financial
support was confirmed in 2008 and the project then named BOAT 1550BC got under way
in June 2011.

Keywords: took place = held; BOAT 1550BC = the project

Explanation: In 2007, the launch of “the project” was held, which is then named BOAT
1550BC later. Here “the project” is a reference, which is an essential skill in IELTS Reading.

Q.5 2012 - the Bronze-Age …………… featured the boat and other objects

Answer: exhibition

Part of the passage: [Par 10] Meanwhile, the exhibition was being prepared ready for
opening in July 2012 at the Castle Museum in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Entitled ‘Beyond the
Horizon: Societies of the Channel & North Sea 3,500 years ago’, it brought together for
the first time a remarkable collection of Bronze-Age objects, including many new
discoveries for commercial archaeology and some of the great treasure of the past.

Keywords: featured = brought together

Explanation: This is another question which requires referencing. In the second sentence,
“it” refers back to “the exhibition” and this exhibition is what brought together (=features) the
boat and other objects such new discoveries and treasure of the past.

Questions 6-9

Q.6 Archaeologists realised that the boat had been damaged on purpose

Meaning: Is it true that archaeologists realized that the boat had been damaged on
purpose? YES!

Answer: TRUE

Part of the passage: [Par 4] The boat was not a wreck, but had been deliberately
discarded, dismantled and broken. Perhaps it had been ‘ritually killed’ at the end of its
life, like other Bronze-Age objects.

Keywords: damaged on purpose = deliberately discarded, dismantled and broken

Explanation: The boat was not a wreck, meaning it did not get stuck between rocks and
damaged by natural means. Rather – and as the passage explains – it was discarded,

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dismantled and broken (= damaged) deliberately. Some of you may have choses „Not
given‟ thinking that there is no mention of archeologists. But they have been mentioned way
up in the passage, which means it is archeologists who realised that not anyone else.
Besides, who else would do this kind of work?

Q.7 Initially, only the technological aspects of the boat were examined.

Meaning: Is it true that at first ONLY the technological aspects of the boat were examined?
NO!

Answer: FALSE

Part of the passage: [Par 5] With hindsight, it was significant that the boat was found and
studied by mainstream archaeologists who naturally focused on its cultural context. At the
time, ancient boats were often considered only from a narrower technological
perspective, but news about the Dover boat reached a broad audience. In 2002, on the
tenth anniversary of the discovery, the Dover Bronze-Age Boat Trust hosted a conference,
where this meeting of different traditions became apparent. Alongside technical papers
about the boat, other speakers explored its social and economic contexts, and the
religious perceptions of boats in Bronze Age societies.

Explanation: The answer is FALSE because at that time (=initially) the default was that
they only studied the technological aspects of ancient boats. But The Dover Bronze-Age
boat was the exception, as it was examined from different perspectives NOT just
technological one: social, economic, and religious.

I chose TRUE because I didn‟t pay attention to the plurality of the phrase ancient boats, and
so I thought the Dover boat was being referred to as an ancient boat, hence it was
considered only from a narrower technical perspective at the time.

Q.8 Archaeologists went back to the site to try and find the missing northern
end of the boat.

Meaning: Is it true that archeologists went back to the site to try and find the missing
northern end of the boat? NO!

Answer: FALSE

Part of the passage: [Par 6] The possibility of returning to Dover to search for the
boat’s unexcavated northern end was explored, but practical and financial difficulties
were insurmountable- and there was no guarantee that the timbers had survived the
previous decade in the changed environment.

Explanation: As you can see, there was a possibility that archeologists might one day go
back to the site to find the northern end of the boat, but they never actually returned
because the difficulties were insurmountable (=so great that they could not be dealt with

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successfully). This means that they didn‟t go back to the site, and hence the answer
FALSE.

Q.9 Evidence found in 2004 suggested that the Bronze-Age Boat had been used for
trade.

Meaning: Is it true that evidence found in 2004 suggested that the Bronze-Age Boat had
been used for trade. WE DON’T KNOW!

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Part of the passage: [Par 7] Archaeological evidence was beginning to suggest a Bronze-
Age community straddling the Channel, brought together by the sea, rather than
separated by it. In a region today divided by languages and borders, archaeologists had a
duty to inform the general public about their common cultural heritage.

Explanation: It is true that the Bronze-Age Boat was used to bring people together by the
sea, but this does not in any way suggest (=mean) that it was used for trade (=buying and
selling). Maybe it was used for it, maybe not. WE DON’T KNOW.

Questions 10-13

Q.10 How far under the ground was the boat found?

Answer: six metres

Part of the passage: [Par 2] At the base of a deep shaft six metres below the modern
streets a wooden structure was revealed.

Keywords: how far under the ground = six metres; the boat = a wooden structure

Explanation: Later on in the passage, you will read that this wooden structure turns out to
be a boat.

Q.11 What natural material had been secured to the boat to prevent water entering?

Answer: (pads of) moss

Part of the passage: [Par 3] What survived consisted essentially of four intricately carved
oak planks: two on the bottom, joined along a central seam by a complicated system of
wedges and timbers, and two at the side, curved and stitched to the others. The seams
had been made watertight by pads of moss, fixed by wedges and yew stitches.

Keywords: natural material = moss; prevent water entering = watertight

Explanation: To better understand this answer, I recommend looking up the unfamiliar

words in a dictionary. Then I am sure it will make a lot more sense.

Q.12 What aspect of the boat was the focus of the 2012 reconstruction?

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Answer: (the) hull (shape)

Part of the passage: [Par 9] In 2012, however, the hull shape was at the centre of the
work, so modern power tools were used to carve the oak planks, before turning to
prehistoric tools for finishing.

Keywords: aspect of the boat = hull; the focus of the 2012 construction = at the centre of
the work

Q.13 Which two factors influenced the decision not to make a full-scale
reconstruction of the boat?

Answer: cost and time

Part of the passage: [Par 9] It was decided to make the replica half-scale for reasons
of cost and time, and synthetic materials were used for the stitching, owing to doubts
about the scaling and tight timetable.

Keywords: two factors = cost and time; not to make a full-scale reconstruction = make the
replica half-scale

TOP 3 QUESTIONS: Q4, Q7, and Q8.

If you got these questions right, give yourself a pat on the back.