An Ideal City – IELTS Reading Answers
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An Ideal City – IELTS Reading Answers is a good resource for anyone who is preparing for IELTS Academic Reading. This passage will help you understand what kind of reading passages you will encounter and the questions that you will be asked to solve.
By taking the ‘An Ideal City’ IELTS Reading Answer, you can acquaint yourself with the types of questions that you will be asked and the level of difficulty that you can expect. For more IELTS Reading practice, take more IELTS reading practice tests.
The question types in this Reading Passage include:
- True/False/Not Given IELTS Reading (Q1-7)
- IELTS Reading Summary Completion (Q. 8-14)
Reading Passage
An Ideal City
Leonardo da Vinci’s ideal city was centuries ahead of its time
A The word ‘genius’ is universally associated with the name of Leonardo da Vinci. A true Renaissance man, he embodied scientific spirit, artistic talent, and humanist sensibilities. Five hundred years have passed since Leonardo died in his home at Chateau du Clos Luce, outside Tours, France. Yet far from fading into insignificance, his thinking has carried down the centuries and still surprises today.
B The Renaissance marked the transition from the 15th century to modernity and took place after the spread of the plague in the 14th century, which caused a global crisis resulting in some 200 million deaths across Europe and Asia. Today, the world is on the cusp of a climate crisis, which is predicted to cause widespread displacement, extinctions, and death, if left unaddressed. Then, as now, radical solutions were called for to revolutionize the way people lived and safeguard humanity against catastrophe.
C Around 1486 – after a pestilence that killed half the population in Milan, Italy – Leonardo turned his thoughts to urban planning problems. Following a typical Renaissance trend, he began to work on an ‘ideal city’ project, which – due to its excessive costs – would remain unfulfilled. Yet given that unsustainable urban models are a key cause of global climate change today, it’s only natural to wonder how Leonardo might have changed the shape of modern cities.
D Although the Renaissance is renowned as an era of incredible progress in art and architecture, it is rarely noted that the 15th century also marked the birth of urbanism as a true academic discipline. The rigor and method behind the conscious conception of a city had been largely missing in Western thought until the moment when prominent Renaissance men pushed forward large-scale urban projects in Italy, such as the reconfiguration of the town of Pienza and the expansion of the city of Ferrara. These works surely inspired Leonardo’s decision to rethink the design of medieval cities, with their winding and overcrowded streets and with houses piled against one another.
E It is not easy to identify a coordinated vision of Leonardo’s ideal city because of his disordered way of working with notes and sketches. But from the largest collection of Leonardo’s papers ever assembled, a series of innovative thoughts can be reconstructed regarding the foundation of a new city along the Ticino River, which runs from Switzerland into Italy and is 248 kilometers long. He designed the city for the easy transport of goods and clean urban spaces, and he wanted a comfortable and spacious city, with well-ordered streets and architecture. He recommended ‘high, strong walls’, with ‘towers and battlements of all necessary and pleasant beauty’.
F His plans for a modem and ‘rational’ city were consistent with Renaissance ideals. But, in keeping with his personality, Leonardo included several innovations in his urban design. Leonardo wanted the city to be built on several levels, linked with vertical outdoor staircases. This design can be seen in some of today’s high-rise buildings but was unconventional at the time. Indeed, this idea of taking full advantage of the interior spaces wasn’t implemented until the 1920s and 1930s, with the birth of the Modernist movement.
G While in the upper layers of the city, people could walk undisturbed between elegant palaces and streets, the lower layer was the place for services, trade, transport and industry. But the true originality of Leonardo’s vision was its fusion of architecture and engineering. Leonardo designed extensive hydraulic plants to create artificial canals throughout the city. The canals, regulated by clocks and basins, were supposed to make it easier for boats to navigate inland. Leonardo also thought that the width of the streets ought to match the average height of the adjacent houses: a rule still followed in many contemporary cities across Italy, to allow access to the sun and reduce the risk of damage from earthquakes.
H Although some of these features existed in Roman cities before Leonardo’s drawings there had never been a multi-level, compact modem city that was thoroughly technically conceived. Indeed, it wasn’t until the 19th century that some of his ideas were applied. For example, the subdivision of the city by function- with services and infrastructures located in the lower levels and wide and well-ventilated boulevards and walkways above for residents – is an idea that can be found in Georges-Eugene Haussmann’s renovation of Paris under Emperor Napoleon III between 1853 and 1870.
I Today, Leonardo’s ideas are not simply valid, they actually suggest a way forward for urban planning. Many scholars think that the compact city, built upwards instead of outwards, integrated with nature (especially water systems), with efficient transport infrastructure, could help modern cities become more efficient and sustainable. This is yet another reason why Leonardo was aligned so closely with modern urban planning and centuries ahead of his time.
Questions 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 1-7 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
1 People first referred to Leonardo da Vinci as a genius 500 years ago.
2 The current climate crisis is predicted to cause more deaths than the plague.
3 Some of the challenges we face today can be compared to those of earlier times.
4 Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘ideal city’ was constructed in the 15th century.
5 Poor town planning is a major contributor to climate change.
6 In Renaissance times, local people fought against the changes to Pienza and Ferrara.
7 Leonardo da Vinci kept a neat, organized record of his designs.
Questions 8-14
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 8-14 on your answer sheet.
Leonardo da Vinci’s ideal city
A collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s paperwork reveals his design of a new city beside the Ticino River. This was to provide better 8………………. for trade and a less polluted environment. Although Leonardo da Vinci’s city shared many of the ideals of his time, some of his innovations were considered unconventional in their design. They included features that can be seen in some tower blocks today, such as 9………………. on the exterior of a building.
Leonardo da Vinci wasn’t only an architect. His expertise in 10………………. was evident in his plans for artificial canals within his ideal city. He also believed that the height of houses should relate to the width of streets in case earthquakes occurred. The design of many cities in Italy today follows this 11………………..
While some cities from 12………………. times have aspects that can also be found in Leonardo’s designs, his ideas weren’t put into practice until long after his death. 13………………. is one example of a city that was redesigned in the 19th century in the way that Leonardo had envisaged. His ideas are also relevant to today’s world, where building 14………………. no longer seems to be the best approach.
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Answer For An Ideal City IELTS Reading Answers with Location and Explanations
Go through the answers and detailed explanations of each question in An Ideal City IELTS Reading passage and prepare to get a high IELTS Reading band score.
1 Answer: NOT GIVEN
Question Type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: NA
Answer Explanation: The word ‘genius’ is universally associated with the name of Leonardo da Vinci. The date is nowhere mentioned in Para A.
2 Answer: NOT GIVEN
Question Type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: NA
Answer Explanation: Today, the world is on the cusp of a climate crisis, which is predicted to cause widespread displacement, extinctions, and death, if left unaddressed. It isn’t mentioned that the climate crisis will cause more deaths than the plague.
3 Answer: True
Question Type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: Para B, Line 3
Answer Explanation: Radical solutions were called for to revolutionize the way people lived and safeguard humanity against catastrophe.
4 Answer: False
Question Type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: Para H, Line 2
Answer Explanation: Indeed, it wasn’t until the 19th century that some of his ideas were applied.
5 Answer: True
Question Type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: Para C, Line 3
Answer Explanation: Yet given that unsustainable urban models are a key cause of global climate change today, it’s only natural to wonder how Leonardo might have changed the shape of modern cities.
6 Answer: Not Given
Question Type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: NA
Answer Explanation: Such as the reconfiguration of the town of Pienza and the expansion of the city of Ferrara. These works surely inspired Leonardo’s decision to rethink the design of medieval cities, with their winding and overcrowded streets and with houses piled against one another. It is mentioned nowhere in Para D that locals fought for the towns.
7 Answer: False
Question Type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: Para E, Line 2
Answer Explanation: But from the largest collection of Leonardo’s papers ever assembled, a series of innovative thoughts can be reconstructed regarding the foundation of a new city along the Ticino River, which runs from Switzerland into Italy and is 248 kilometers long. That only tells he didn’t keep a track record of his works.
8 Answer: Transport
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Para E, Line 3
Answer Explanation: He designed the city for the easy transport of goods and clean urban spaces, and he wanted a comfortable and spacious city, with well-ordered streets and architecture.
9 Answer: Staircases
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Para F, Line 3
Answer Explanation: Leonardo wanted the city to be built on several levels, linked with vertical outdoor staircases.
10 Answer: Engineering
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Para G, Line 2
Answer Explanation: But the true originality of Leonardo’s vision was its fusion of architecture and engineering.
11 Answer: Rule
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Para G, Line 5
Answer Explanation: Leonardo also thought that the width of the streets ought to match the average height of the adjacent houses: a rule still followed in many contemporary cities across Italy, to allow access to the sun and reduce the risk of damage from earthquakes.
12 Answer: Roman
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Para H, Line 1
Answer Explanation: Although some of these features existed in Roman cities before Leonardo’s drawings there had never been a multi-level, compact modem city that was thoroughly technically conceived.
13 Answer: Paris
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Para H, Line 3
Answer Explanation: For example, the subdivision of the city by function- with services and infrastructures located in the lower levels and wide and well-ventilated boulevards and walkways above for residents – is an idea that can be found in Georges-Eugene Haussmann’s renovation of Paris under Emperor Napoleon III between 1853 and 1870.
14 Answer: Outwards
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Para I, Line 1
Answer Explanation: Today, Leonardo’s ideas are not simply valid, they actually suggest a way forward for urban planning. Many scholars think that the compact city is built upwards instead of outwards.
Tips for Answering the Question Types in An Ideal City Reading Answers
Now let’s get started with the IELTS exam preparation tips for each question type. It’ll help you understand how to approach the problem of each question type.
True/False/Not Given
The following tips about True/False/Not Given questions will help you get a proper understanding of how you should approach these questions and find the right answer. So read the points below to improve your IELTS band score:
- Read the instructions carefully: Understand the difference between “True,” “False,” and “Not Given.” “True” means the information is directly stated in the passage, “False” means it contradicts the information in the passage, and “Not Given” means the information isn’t mentioned in the passage.
- Refer to the passage: For each statement, go back to the passage and carefully locate the relevant information. Pay close attention to the wording of the statement and compare it to the information in the passage.
- Beware of paraphrasing: Sometimes, the statement is paraphrased in the passage, so be vigilant about synonyms and rephrase sentences.
- Focus on keywords: Identify the keywords in the statement and look for those exact words or synonyms in the passage.
- Watch out for distractors: The passage may contain information that seems related to the statement but isn’t directly addressing it. Don’t be tricked by these distractors; the answer should directly match the statement.
Summary Completion
Fill in the sentences with keywords hidden in the reading passages with the following tips as they’ll come in handy for your preparation.
- Read the sentence carefully: Begin by reading the sentence with the gap or blank. Try to understand the context and the type of word that should fit the gap (e.g., noun, verb, adjective).
- Look for clues: Scan the surrounding sentences for clues using the IELTS Reading keyword techniques that can help you determine the missing word. Sometimes, the sentence structure or the words nearby can provide hints.
- Identify grammatical clues: Pay attention to the grammar of the sentence. If the sentence requires a verb, make sure you choose a verb form that fits the context. The same goes for nouns, adjectives, and other parts of speech.
- Use your vocabulary: Draw on your IELTS Vocabulary to come up with a suitable word for the gap. Ensure that the word you choose makes sense in the context of the sentence.
- Check for coherence: After you’ve filled in the gap, read the entire sentence to ensure that it flows naturally and makes sense. The completed sentence should be grammatically correct and logically coherent.
Also, check:
Practice IELTS Reading based on question types
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