Iceman Reading Answers
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Iceman Reading Answers comprises a total of 14 questions. This IELTS reading passage has been referenced from the book Cambridge 13, Test 2. The IELTS reading topic Iceman Reading Answers requires candidates to answer the mentioned number of questions within a time limit of 20 minutes. This IELTS reading topic: Iceman Reading Answers requires candidates to read the passage carefully and understand the scenarios presented. To practice more such reading passage candidates can refer to the IELTS reading practice papers. This topic contains three types of questions. They are: select the correct paragraph, true false not given and select no more than two words.
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Section 1
Read the passage to answer the following questions
Iceman Reading Answers
- It was late spring or early summer. The man hurried through a forest he knew well, wincing from the pain in his injured right hand and pausing occasionally to listen for sounds that he was being pursued. As he fled up the slope, the yellow pollen of the hornbeam blossoms fell like an invisible rain, salting the water and food he consumed when he stopped to rest. Five thousand years later, the Neolithic hunter we call the Iceman would still bear traces of this ancient dusting inside his body-a microscopic record of the time of year it was when he passed through this forest and into the nearby mountains, where fate would finally catch up with him.
- Since hikers discovered his mummified corpse in 1991 in a rocky hollow high in the Otztal Alps on Italy's border with Austria, scientists have used ever more sophisticated tools and intellectual cunning to reconstruct the life and times of the Iceman, the oldest intact member of the human family. We know that he was a small, sinewy, and, for his times, rather elderly man in his mid-40s. Judging from the precious, copper-bladed ax found with him, we suspect that he was a person of considerable social significance. He set off on his journey wearing three layers of garments and sturdy shoes with bearskin soles. He was well equipped with a flint- tipped dagger, a little fire-starting kit, and a birchbark container holding embers wrapped in maple leaves. Yet he also headed into a harsh wilderness curiously under-armed: The arrows in his deerskin quiver were only half finished, as if he had recently fired all his munitions and was in the process of hastily replenishing them. And he was traveling with a long, roughly shaped stalk of yew-an unfinished longbow, yet to be notched and strung. Why?
- When it comes to the Iceman, there has never been a shortage of questions, or theories to answer them. During the 16 years that scientists have poked, prodded, incised, and x-rayed his body, they have dressed him up in speculations that have not worn nearly as well as his rustic garments. At one time or another, he has been mistakenly described as a lost shepherd, a shaman, a victim of ritual sacrifice, and even a vegan. But all these theories fade in the face of the most startling new fact scientists have learned about the Iceman. Although we still don't know exactly what happened up there on that alpine ridge, we now know that he was murdered, and died very quickly, in the rocky hollow where his body was found.
- "Even five years ago, the story was that he fled up there and walked around in the snow and probably died of exposure," said Klaus Oeggl, an archaeobotanist at the University of Innsbruck. "Now it's all changed. It's more like a paleo crime scene."
- The object of all this intense scientific attention is a freeze-dried slab of human jerky, which since 1998 has resided in a refrigerated, high-tech chamber in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy. The temptation to conduct fresh experiments on the body rises with every new twist of technology, each revealing uncannily precise details about his life. Using a sophisticated analysis of isotopes in one of the Iceman's teeth, for example, scientists led by Wolfgang Muller (now at the Royal Holloway, University of London) have shown that he probably grew up in the Valle Isarco, an extensive north-south valley that includes the modern- day town of Bressanone. Isotope levels in his bones, meanwhile, match those in the soil and water of two alpine valleys farther west, the Vai Senales and the Vai Venosta. Muller's team has also analyzed microscopic chips of mica recovered from the Iceman's intestines, which were probably ingested accidentally in food made from stone-ground grain; geologic ages of the mica best match a small area limited to the lower Vai Venosta. The Iceman probably set off on his final journey from this very area, near where the modern-day Adige and Senales Rivers meet.
- We also know that he was not in good health when he headed up into the mountains. The one surviving fingernail recovered from his remains suggests that he suffered three episodes of significant disease during the last six months of life, the last bout only two months prior to his death. Doctors inspecting the contents of his intestines have found eggs of the whipworm parasite, so he may well have suffered from stomach distress. But he was not too sick to eat. In 2002, Franco Rollo and colleagues at the University of Camerino in Italy analyzed tiny amounts of food residue from the mummy's intestines. A day or two before his death, the Iceman had eaten a piece of wild goat and some plant food.
- Archaeobotanists have used equally clever analyses of pollen and plant fragments to plot the Iceman's last movements. James Dickson of the University of Glasgow has identified no less than 80 distinct species of mosses and liverworts in, on, or near the Iceman's body. The most prominent moss, Neckera complanata, still grows at several sites in the valleys to the south, in some cases quite near known prehistoric sites. According to Dickson, a clot of stems found in the Iceman's possession suggests he was probably using the moss to wrap food, although other ancient peoples used similar mosses as toilet paper.
- Taken together, the evidence strongly indicates that the Iceman’s last journey began in the low-altitude deciduous forests to the south, in the springtime when the hop hornbeams were in bloom. But it may not have been a straight hike into the mountains. Oeggl has also found traces of pine pollen in the Iceman's digestive tract, both above and below the hornbeam pollen. This suggests that he may have climbed to a higher altitude where pine trees grow in mixed coniferous forests, then descended to the lower altitude of the hop hornbeams, and finally ascended again into the pine forests in his last day or two. Why? No one knows. But perhaps he wanted to avoid the steep, thickly wooded gorge of the lower Vai Senales-especially if he was in a hurry.
Section 2
Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-5:
The reading passage has eight paragraphs A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A-H, in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
NB: you may use any letter more than once
- the last area in which the iceman might live and stay.
Answer: E
Supporting Sentence: The Iceman probably set off on his final journey from this very area, near where the modern-day Adige and Senales Rivers meet.
Keyword: final journey
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, last line
Explanation: The author in the paragraph says that the Iceman set off his final journey. The last sentence of the paragraph proves the fact. Hence, E is the correct answer.
- a mass of special plant was discovered and used to analyze the iceman's movements.
Answer: G
Supporting Sentence: Archaeobotanists have used equally clever analyses of pollen and plant fragments to plot the Iceman's last movements.
Keyword: pollen and plant, last movements
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, 1st sentence
Explanation: As per the paragraph G, the Archaeobotanists have analyzed pollen and plants to plot the last movements of the Iceman. Hence, G is the correct answer as per the question.
- a scientist analyzes the iceman's last hike depending on pollen.
Answer: H
Supporting Sentence: This suggests that he may have climbed to a higher altitude where pine trees grow in mixed coniferous forests, then descended to the lower altitude of the hop hornbeams, and finally ascended again into the pine forests in his last day or two.
Keyword: Higher altitude, ascended, pine
Keyword Location: Paragraph H
Explanation: The passage tells us that traces of pollen were found in the iceman’s digestive tract. This means that he climbed (hiked) to higher altitude where pine trees are present. Oeggl, who was a scientist, found this. Hence, H is the correct answer.
- the time and area the iceman was found.
Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: Since hikers discovered his mummified corpse in 1991 in a rocky hollow high in the Otztal Alps on Italy's border with Austria, scientists have used ever more sophisticated tools and intellectual cunning to reconstruct the life and times of the Iceman, the oldest intact member of the human family.
Keyword: rocky hollow high, 1991
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, 1st sentence
Explanation: From the supporting sentence, we can easily find out the time and place or area of mummified corpses. This was the time and area where Iceman was found. Hence, B is the correct answer.
- The iceman's body had been out of condition for months before his death.
Answer: F
Supporting Sentence: We also know that he was not in good health when he headed up into the mountains.
Keyword: good health, headed up, mountains
Keyword Location: Paragraph F, 1st sentence
Explanation: As per the first line, the Iceman was not in good health while climbing the mountain. This was proved when the scientist found one of his fingernails. Hence, the correct answer is F.
Questions 6-9:
Do the following statements agree with the information in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet write
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage
- According to the author, there must be another complete human corpse older than the iceman
Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: Since hikers discovered his mummified corpse in 1991 in a rocky hollow high in the Otztal Alps on Italy's border with Austria, scientists have used ever more sophisticated tools and intellectual cunning to reconstruct the life and times of the Iceman, the oldest intact member of the human family.
Keyword: Iceman, oldest, human
Keyword Location: paragraph B, 1st sentence
Explanation: The supporting sentence clearly states that the oldest intact member of the human family was the Iceman. Hence, there cannot be another corpse older than the iceman. The sentence is not true.
- The iceman might be the leader of his society, and he was very rich.
Answer: Not Given
Explanation: There was no relevant information found in the passage.
- Scientists guessed the iceman's Information perfectly, and finally got the real cause of his death.
Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: Doctors inspecting the contents of his intestines have found eggs of the whipworm parasite, so he may well have suffered from stomach distress.
Keyword: parasite, suffered
Keyword Location: Paragraph F, 3rd sentence
Explanation: The passage says that though there was illness, Iceman was not too sick to eat. The author also mentions that a day or two before his death, the Iceman had eaten a piece of wild goat and some plant food. Hence, the real reason for death is not known.
- By testing the iceman's body, we know where he came from
Answer: Not Given
Explanation: The passage does not provide any relevant information of Iceman’s origin..
Question 10-13:
Complete the sentences below
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.
- The iceman has been placed in a ________ room since 1998.
Answer: refrigerated high-tech
Supporting Sentence: The object of all this intense scientific attention is a freeze-dried slab of human jerky, which since 1998 has resided in a refrigerated, high-tech chamber in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy.
Keyword: refrigerated, human jerky
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, 1st sentence
Explanation: The author states that the human remains have been stored in a refrigerated high-tech chamber.Chamber also means roon. Hence, the answer is refrigerated high-tech.
- The iceman might get ________ for eggs of the whipworm parasite were found in his gut.
Answer: stomach distress
Supporting Sentence: Doctors inspecting the contents of his intestines have found eggs of the whipworm parasite, so he may well have suffered from stomach distress.
Keyword: whipworm, parasite
Keyword Location: paragraph F, 3rd sentence
Explanation: The author mentions that Doctors found eggs of whipworm parasite. This means he suffered a stomach upset. Hence, stomach distress is the correct answer.
- There are a variety of mosses and liverworts found around the iceman such as ________
Answer: neckera complanata
Supporting Sentence: The most prominent moss, Neckera complanata, still grows at several sites in the valleys to the south, in some cases quite near known prehistoric sites.
Keyword: moss, prehistoric
Keyword Location: paragraph G, 3rd sentence
Explanation: The passage mentions that Neckera complanata still grows at several pre historic sites. They are found in valleys to the south. These sites resembled iceman. Hence, they are found around the iceman.
- The route of the iceman’s last movement might not be ________
Answer: straight
Supporting Sentence: But it may not have been a straight hike into the mountains.
Keyword: route, last journey
Keyword Location: Paragraph H, 2nd sentence
Explanation: The second line of paragraph H states that the journey might not be a straight hike into the mountains. It was an up and down journey. Hence, straight is the correct answer.
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