Raising the Mary Rose Reading Answers
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Raising the Mary Rose Reading Answers topic consists of 13 questions. The candidates can get only 20 minutes to solve these questions. It is an IELTS reading answers topic. This topic has been taken from the book: “Cambridge IELTS 11 Academic Student's Book with Answers”. The topic: Raising the Mary Rose Reading Answers is the first part of the reading section. The candidates must read the IELTS reading passage attentively to give answers to all the questions within the time limit. There are numerous similar topics in IELTS Reading practice papers like this Raising the Mary Rose Reading Answers topic. The candidates can practice those topics from the practice papers to enhance their knowledge in the reading section.
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Section 1
Read the passage to answer the following questions
Raising the Mary Rose Reading Answers
On 19 July 1545, English and French fleets were engaged in a sea battle off the coast of southern England in the area of water called the Solent, between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. Among the English vessels was a warship by the name of Mary Rose. Built in Portsmouth some 35 years earlier, she had had a long and successful fighting career, and was a favourite of King Henry VIII. Accounts of what happened to the ship vary: while witnesses agree that she was not hit by the French, some maintain that she was outdated, overladen and sailing too low in the water, others that she was mishandled by undisciplined crew. What is undisputed, however, is that the Mary Rose sank into the Solent that day, taking at least 500 men with her. After the battle, attempts were made to recover the ship, but these failed.
The Mary Rose came to rest on the seabed, lying on her starboard (right) side at an angle of approximately 60 degrees. The hull (the body of the ship) acted as a trap for the sand and mud carried by Solent currents. As a result, the starboard side filled rapidly, leaving the exposed port (left) side to be eroded by marine organisms and mechanical degradation. Because of the way the ship sank, nearly all of the starboard half survived intact. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the entire site became covered with a layer of hard grey clay, which minimised further erosion.
Then, on 16 June 1836, some fishermen in the Solent found that their equipment was caught on an underwater obstruction, which turned out to be the Mary Rose. Diver John Deane happened to be exploring another sunken ship nearby, and the fishermen approached him, asking him to free their gear. Deane dived down, and found the equipment caught on a timber protruding slightly from the seabed. Exploring further, he uncovered several other timbers and a bronze gun. Deane continued diving on the site intermittently until 1840, recovering several more guns, two bows, various timbers, part of a pump and various other small finds.
The Mary Rose then faded into obscurity for another hundred years. But in 1965, military historian and amateur diver Alexander McKee, in conjunction with the British Sub-Aqua Club, initiated a project called ‘Solent Ships’. While on paper this was a plan to examine a number of known wrecks in the Solent, what McKee really hoped for was to find the Mary Rose. Ordinary search techniques proved unsatisfactory, so McKee entered into collaboration with Harold E. Edgerton, professor of electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1967, Edgerton’s side-scan sonar systems revealed a large, unusually shaped object, which McKee believed was the Mary Rose.
Further excavations revealed stray pieces of timber and an iron gun. But the climax to the operation came when, on 5 May 1971, part of the ship’s frame was uncovered. McKee and his team now knew for certain that they had found the wreck, but were as yet unaware that it also housed a treasure trove of beautifully preserved artefacts. Interest ^ in the project grew, and in 1979, The Mary Rose Trust was formed, with Prince Charles as its President and Dr Margaret Rule its Archaeological Director. The decision whether or not to salvage the wreck was not an easy one, although an excavation in 1978 had shown that it might be possible to raise the hull. While the original aim was to raise the hull if at all feasible, the operation was not given the go-ahead until January 1982, when all the necessary information was available.
An important factor in trying to salvage the Mary Rose was that the remaining hull was an open shell. This led to an important decision being taken: namely to carry out the lifting operation in three very distinct stages. The hull was attached to a lifting frame via a network of bolts and lifting wires. The problem of the hull being sucked back downwards into the mud was overcome by using 12 hydraulic jacks. These raised it a few centimetres over a period of several days, as the lifting frame rose slowly up its four legs. It was only when the hull was hanging freely from the lifting frame, clear of the seabed and the suction effect of the surrounding mud, that the salvage operation progressed to the second stage. In this stage, the lifting frame was fixed to a hook attached to a crane, and the hull was lifted completely clear of the seabed and transferred underwater into the lifting cradle. This required precise positioning to locate the legs into the stabbing guides’ of the lifting cradle. The lifting cradle was designed to fit the hull using archaeological survey drawings, and was fitted with air bags to provide additional cushioning for the hull’s delicate timber framework. The third and final stage was to lift the entire structure into the air, by which time the hull was also supported from below. Finally, on 11 October 1982, millions of people around the world held their breath as the timber skeleton of the Mary Rose was lifted clear of the water, ready to be returned home to Portsmouth.
Section 2
Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-4:
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
- There is some doubt about what caused the Mary Rose to sink
Answer: TRUE
Supporting Sentence: Accounts of what happened to the ship vary: while witnesses agree that she was not hit by the French, some maintain that she was outdated, overladen and sailing too low in the water, others that she was mishandled by undisciplined crew.
Keyword: Accounts of what happened, vary, not hit, was outdated, sailing too low, mishandled, undisciplined crew.
Keyword Location: 1st paragraph, 3rd sentence.
Explanation: The 1st paragraph depicts the doubts regarding the sink of Mary Rose. The witness claimed that she was not struck by the French. Some people acknowledged that she was overladen, outdated and floating too low in the water. On the other hand, some people argued that she was not handled properly by the undisciplined crew. Therefore, it is true that there are doubts about what happened to Mary Rose since people had diversified opinions.
- The Mary Rose was the only ship to sink in the battle of 19 July 1545
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: The passage does not depict anything about whether Mary Rose was the only ship to sink in the battle. The first paragraph have stated that the Mary Rose was sunk in the sea. However, there was nowhere mention of the sank of other ships as well. Therefore, the statement is not given and hence it holds irrelevant information.
- Most of one side of the Mary Rose lay undamaged under the sea.
Answer: TRUE
Supporting Sentence: Because of the way the ship sank, nearly all of the starboard half survived intact.
Keyword: ship sank, all of the starboard, half survived intact.
Keyword Location: 2nd paragraph, 4th sentence.
Explanation: The passage clearly states the way the ship sank. The second paragraph clearly states that most of the parts of the ship lay undamaged because of the way the ship sank in the sea. Therefore, the statement is true as it satisfies the argument of the passage.
- Alexander McKee Knew that the wreck would contain many valuable historical objects.
Answer: FALSE
Supporting Sentence: McKee and his team now knew for certain that they had found the wreck, but were as yet unaware that it also housed a treasure trove of beautifully preserved artefacts.
Keyword: yet unaware, housed a treasure, beautifully preserved artefacts.
Keyword Location: 5th paragraph, 2nd sentence.
Explanation: The fifth paragraph clearly states the fact that McKee and his team were not aware that the wreck contains a treasure of beautifully maintained artefacts. Thus it can be said Alexander McKee does not know whether the wreck has any valuable historical objects. Therefore, the statement is false since it does not support the argument described in the passage.
Questions 5-8:
Look at the following statement (Questions 5-8) and the list of dates below.
Match each statement with the correct date, A-G.
- A search for the Mary Rose was launched.
- One person’s exploration of the Mary Rose site stopped
- It was agreed that the hull of the Mary Rose should be raised.
- The site of the Mary Rose was found by chance.
List of Dates
A 1836
B 1840
C 1965
D 1967
E 1971
F 1979
G 1982
Question 5:
Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: But in 1965, military historian and amateur diver Alexander McKee, in conjunction with the British Sub-Aqua Club, initiated a project called ‘Solent Ships’.
Keyword: initiated a project, Solent Ships.
Keyword Location: 4th paragraph, 2nd sentence.
Explanation: The passage depicts that in the year 1965, a project was launched named ‘Solent Ships’. The military historian and amateur diver Alexander McKee with the British Sub-Aqua Club had thereby initiated this project to find the ship, Mary Rose. Hence 1965 is the correct answer as it is clearly mentioned in the passage.
Question 6:
Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: Deane continued diving on the site intermittently until 1840, recovering several more guns, two bows, various timbers, part of a pump and various other small finds.
Keyword: continued diving, intermittently until 1840.
Keyword Location: 3rd paragraph, last sentence.
Explanation: In the passage, the author depicts the way Deane has started diving on the site of the sunken ship. Mary Rose. He dived until the year 1840 and recovered many things like guns, two bows, a part of a pump, various timbers and other small finds. Therefore, the line indicates that Deane ceased his exploration on the ship Mary Rose in 1840.
Question 7:
Answer: G
Supporting Sentence: While the original aim was to raise the hull if at all feasible, the operation was not given the go-ahead until January 1982, when all the necessary information was available.
Keyword: original aim, to raise the hull, until January 1982.
Keyword Location: 5th paragraph, last sentence.
Explanation: The fifth paragraph of the passage depicts the judgment about raising the hull of Mary Rose. The lines talk about the aim to raise the hull and about the operation undertaken until January 1982. Therefore, it was decided that the hull of the Mary Rose must be raised in 1982.
Question 8:
Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: Then, on 16 June 1836, some fishermen in the Solent found that their equipment was caught on an underwater obstruction, which turned out to be the Mary Rose.
Keyword: on 16 June 1836, some fishermen, found that, equipment was caught, underwater obstruction, turned out to be the Mary Rose.
Keyword Location: 3rd paragraph, 1st sentence.
Explanation: The third paragraph clearly states that the fishermen in the Solent have discovered their equipment underwater. Therefore, the site where the Mary Rose sink was uncovered by chance on 16th June 1836. Hence, A is the correct answer as it supports the argument of the given passage.
Questions 9-13:
Label the diagram below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.
Raising the hull of the Mary Rose: Stages one and two
Question 9:
Answer: (lifting) frame
Supporting Sentence: The hull was attached to a lifting frame via a network of bolts and lifting wires.
Keyword: attached to a lifting frame, network of bolts, lifting wires.
Keyword Location: last paragraph, 3rd sentence.
Explanation: The third paragraph of the passage defines the way the hull was attached to a lifting frame. The hull was tied to the lifting frame through the lifting wires and network of bolts. Therefore, “lifting frame” is the correct answer as it satisfies the argument given in the passage.
Question 10:
Answer: hydraulic jacks
Supporting Sentence: The problem of the hull being sucked back downwards into the mud was overcome by using 12 hydraulic jacks.
Keyword: hull being sucked, was overcome, using 12 hydraulic jacks.
Keyword Location: last paragraph, 4th sentence.
Explanation: The last paragraph clearly tells about the problems of the hull that has been sucked into the mud. It states that the problems can be overcome with the application of 12 hydraulic jacks. Therefore, “hydraulic jacks” is the correct answer as it goes perfectly to fill in the blank.
Question 11:
Answer: stabbing guides
Supporting Sentence: This required precise positioning to locate the legs into the stabbing guides’ of the lifting cradle.
Keyword: to locate the legs, stabbing guides’, lifting cradle.
Keyword Location: last paragraph, 8th sentence.
Explanation: The last paragraph states the position required for locating the legs of Mary Rose. It has been discussed that the legs are located precisely into the stabbing guides of the lifting cradle. Hence, “stabbing guides” is the correct answer as it suits perfectly to fill in the blank.
Question 12:
Answer: (lifting) cradle
Supporting Sentence: In this stage, the lifting frame was fixed to a hook attached to a crane, and the hull was lifted completely clear of the seabed and transferred underwater into the lifting cradle.
Keyword: lifted completely clear, transferred underwater, lifting cradle.
Keyword Location: last paragraph, 7th sentence.
Explanation: The paragraph depicts the way the lifting frame attached to the hook of the crane lifted the hull completely from the seabed. The paragraph also states that the hull was lowered into the lifting cradle. Therefore, “lifting cradle” is the correct answer as it goes perfectly well in the blank.
Question 13:
Answer: air bags
Supporting Sentence: The lifting cradle was designed to fit the hull using archaeological survey drawings, and was fitted with air bags to provide additional cushioning for the hull’s delicate timber framework.
Keyword: fitted with air bags, provide additional cushioning, delicate timber framework.
Keyword Location: last paragraph, 9th sentence.
Explanation: The paragraph states that the lifting cradle was created to fit the hull with the application of archaeological survey drawings. It was served with air bags that offer additional support for the delicate timber framework of the hull. Therefore, “air bags” is the correct answer as it goes perfectly to fill in the blank.
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