Nushu: A Secret Language, Prom Indigenous Myths and Growth Model – IELTS Reading Answers

Prity Mallick

14 min read

Updated On Dec 20, 2023

Reading Passage 1
Reading Passage 2
Reading Passage 3
Nushu – A Secret Language, Prom Indigenous Myths and Growth Model Reading Answer With Explanations

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The IELTS Reading passage, Nushu – A Secret Language, along with the other two Academic passages – Prom Indigenous Myths to John Wyndham’s Day and Growth Model makes this a complete Reading practice test.

You will have 60 minutes to complete the whole test, which consists of 40 questions in total.

Here are the question types in this reading test:

Reading Passage 1 (Nushu – A Secret Language)

Reading Passage 2 (Prom Indigenous Myths to John Wyndham’s Day)

Matching Information
Sentence Completion

Reading Passage 3 (Growth Model)

Table Completion
True/False/Not Given
Matching Information

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Not sure how to answer Table Completion questions? Take a look at IELTS Reading Table Completion – Lessons and Tips for some help!

Check the answer key with explanations of Nushu – A Secret Language and unlock the answers to other passages by signing up.

Reading Passage 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1 -13 which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.

Find the reading passage with the Nushu— A Secret Language PDF here.

Nushu — A Secret Language

Questions 1-5

Reading Passage 1 has five sections, A-E.

Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number i-viii in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

Section A
Section B
Section C
Section D
Section E

Financial costs
Decline and disuse
iii. Birth and development
Political uses of Nushu
The social role of Nushu
Last of the Nushu speakers
vii. Characteristics of written Nushu
viii. Revival and contemporary interest

Questions 6 and 7

Choose TWO letters, A-E. Write your answers in boxes 6 and 7 on your answer sheet.

Why was there a need for Nushu? Which TWO reasons are given in the text?

It provided new artistic opportunities for female artisans.
It was a way for uneducated women to read and write.
Not enough women were taking an interest in literature.
It was a way for women to correspond without men knowing.
It helped women believe in themselves and their abilities.

6………………..

7………………..

Questions 8-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1? In boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE, if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE, if the statement contradicts with the information

NOT GIVEN, if there is no information on this

The post-Revolution government did not want women to read or write in any language.
At first, the Red Guard thought Nushu might be a tool for spies.
Women could be punished with the death penalty for using Nushu.
The customary way of learning Nu Shu has died out
There is a lot of money to be made out of public interest in Nushu.
Nushu is now being openly taught.

Reading Passage 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.

Find the reading passage with the Prom Indigenous Myths to John Wyndham’s Day PDF here.

Prom Indigenous Myths to John Wyndham’s Day

Questions 14-19

Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs, A-F.

Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

An overview of how the Flytrap eats its prey
A comparison between human and plant behavior
A measure designed to preserve Flytraps in their native environment
An example of a cultural and artistic portrayal of meat-eating plants
A characteristic of the Venus Flytrap that is exceptional in the botanical world
A reference to an aspect of the Venus Flytrap’s biology that is not fully
understood

Questions 20-22

Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage 2.

Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Write your answers in blank spaces 20-22 on your answer sheet.

If they are too small to provide …………………., the closing pod allows insects to get out.
Only the …………………. is left after the Flytrap has finished digesting an insect.
Many plants cannot survive in bogs and wetlands owing to the lack of ……………………

Questions 23-26

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 23—26 on your answer sheet write:

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts with the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

The Venus Flytrap can withstand some exposure to fire.
Many botanists would like the Venus Flytrap to be officially recognized as an endangered plant species.
Only 35,800 Venus Flytraps now survive in their natural habitats.
Human interference is a major factor in the decline of wild Venus Flytraps.

Reading Passage 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

Find the reading passage with the Growth Model PDF here.

Growth Model

Questions 27-33

Complete the table below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in blank spaces next to 27-33 on your answer sheet.

Growth Model	Basic Needs Approach	SustainableLivelihoods Approach
27…………………….. was the main	Typified by small-scale aid such	Tries to encourage ways of living
Goal 28………………………	as health and 29………………….	that is more self-sufficient projects
Poverty described as living	Poverty is seen as an inability to	Poor people identify their own
On less than a dollar a day…	reach 30………………	32………………….
It was discovered that poverty	Projects costly and 31……………..	The problem of 33………………. not
could increase in step with	requiring ongoing involvement	adequately addressed; ignores issues
28………………….		of social dominance and authority

Questions 34-38

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3? In boxes 34-38 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts with the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

The most favored method of development is the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach.
While institutions often follow development trends, academic disputes are more timeless.
The Growth Model is more popular with Third World scholars than Western scholars.
It is not possible to reduce poverty without an explicit development policy.
The Growth Model takes some authority away from local forms of
organization.

Questions 39 and 40

Choose TWO letters, A—E.

Write your answers in boxes 39 and 40 on your answer sheet.

Which TWO of the following statements form part of the author’s conclusion?

Economic growth is the primary development goal, but there are other factors to consider.
It is preferable not to think about development in rigid, structured terms.
Development projects are likely to fail in the absence of highly educated experts.
The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach is more effective than the Growth Model.
Economic growth should only be considered as a means for development, not an endpoint.

39………………………..

40………………………..

Nushu – A Secret Language, Prom Indigenous Myths and Growth Model Reading Answer With Explanations

1. Answer: iii- birth and development
Question Type: Matching Headings
Answer Location: Paragraph A, 3rd sentence
Answer Explanation: As per the passage, we see that Nushu was able to flourish and spread without drawing too much suspicion. It was done by forming informal networks of sworn sisters’ who pledged to teach the language solely to other women. They utilized it creatively in ways that could be passed off as artwork (such as painting characters on a beautiful fan). These all refer to birth and development.

2. Answer: vii-Characteristics of written Nushu
Question Type: Matching Headings
Answer Location: Paragraph B, 1st sentence.
Answer Explanation: The first line of the paragraph starts by differentiating Nushu and Chinese script. The passage also says that Nushu is entirely phonetic, with each letter representing a sound, and the meaning must be deduced from the context. The author also mentions that many of Nushu’s secrets have been lost. These are characteristics of Nushu.

3. Answer: v-The social role of Nushu
Question Type: Matching Headings
Answer Location: Paragraph C, 1st sentence.
Answer Explanation: The author states that Nushu was created as a method for women to connect with one another in a secure environment. Connecting with one another means being social. Hence, it was the social role of Nushu.

4. Answer: ii- Decline and disuse
Question Type: Matching Headings
Answer Location: Paragraph D, 2nd sentence
Answer Explanation: The passage states that linguistic transmission lines were broken. The language was also no longer passed on by sworn sisters. Yang Huanyi, the last fluent practitioner of the language, died on September 20, 2004, in her late 90s, leaving no one living who has learned Nushu in this traditional method. Hence, it was stopped and not used. Decline has the same meaning, making it the correct answer.

5. Answer: viii- Revival and contemporary interest
Question Type: Matching Headings
Answer Location: Paragraph E
Answer Explanation: In recent years, there has been a surge in public and intellectual interest in Nushu. The Ford Foundation provided funding for the construction of a Nu Shu Museum, which holds artifacts such as audio recordings, manuscripts, and publications, some of which are over 100 years old.

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6. Answer: B- It was a way for uneducated women to read and write.
Question Type: Matching Information
Answer Location: Paragraph C, 3rd sentence
Answer Explanation: As per the passage, the author states that Nushu provided an easy way to learn procedures. Women rejected the patriarchal traditions of the time, which banned females from reading or writing. They invented Nu shu, a clandestine script, and language of their own, somewhere between 400 and 1,000 years ago. Hence, it was a way for uneducated women to read and write.

7. Answer: D- It was a way for women to correspond without men knowing.
Question Type: Matching Information
Answer Location: Paragraph C, 5th sentence.
Answer Explanation: As per the author, Nushu was able to flourish and spread without drawing too much suspicion. It formed informal networks of sworn sisters’ who pledged to teach the language solely to other women. This means that they did not allow the men to know about this.

8. Answer: False
Question Type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: Paragraph D, 1st sentence
Answer Explanation: Following the Chinese Revolution, more women were encouraged to become educated in the regular Chinese script, which reduced the necessity for a unique form of female communication.

9. Answer: True
Question Type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: Paragraph D
Answer Explanation: The author mentions that when the Red Guard first found the writing in the 1960s, they mistook it for an espionage code. They thought spies might be using this. However, they were shocked to find it was a women’s language. This makes the statement true.

10. Answer: Not Given

Question Type: True/False/Not Given

Answer Location: N.A
Answer Explanation: There is no such information provided in the passage. Hence, Not Given is the correct answer.

11. Answer: True
Question Type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: Paragraph D
Answer Explanation: Women were banned from practicing Nushu traditions, and several letters, weavings, embroideries, and other artifacts were burned. As a result, the language’s generational transmission lines were broken, and the language was no longer passed down through sworn sisters. Yang Huanyi, the last fluent practitioner of the language, died on September 20, 2004, in her late 90s, leaving no one living who has learned Nushu in this traditional method.

12. Answer: Not Given

Question Type: True/False/Not Given

Answer Location: N.A
Answer Explanation: There is no such information provided in the passage. Hence, Not Given is the correct answer.

13. Answer: True
Question Type: True/False/Not Given

Answer Location: Paragraph E
Answer Explanation: The author states that some schools have begun instructions in the Nushu language. There has been a surge in public and intellectual interest in Nushu. The Ford Foundation provided funding for the construction of a Nu shu Museum, which holds artifacts such as audio recordings, manuscripts, and publications, some of which are over 100 years old. Hence, the statement is True.

14. Answer: D

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer Location: Para D

Answer Explanation: For somewhere between five and twelve days, the trap secretes acidic digestive juices that dissolve the soft tissue and cell membranes of the insect. These juices also kill any bacteria that have entered with the food, ensuring the plant maintains its hygiene so that it does not begin to rot. Enzymes in the acid help with the digestion of DNA, amino acids, and cell molecules so that every fleshy part of the animal can be consumed. Once the plant has reabsorbed the digestive fluid – this time with the added nourishment, the trap reopens and the exoskeleton blows away in the wind.

15. Answer: B

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer Location: Para B

Answer Explanation: Botanists are believed to have seen a parallel between the behavior of the plant in luring and devouring insects and the imagined behavior of women in luring and ‘trapping’ witless men.

16. Answer: F

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer Location: Para F

Answer Explanation: Its existence, as well as people removing the planes from their natural habitat. Punitive measures have been introduced to prevent people from doing this.

17. Answer: A

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer Location: Para A

Answer Explanation: From indigenous myths to John Wyndham’s Day of the Triffids and the off-Broadway musical Little Shop of Honors, the idea of cerebral, carnivorous flora has spooked audiences and readers for centuries.

18. Answer: E

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer Location: Para E

Answer Explanation: Another flora, but the Flytrap overcomes this nutritional poverty by sourcing protein from its insect prey. One of the plant’s curious features is resilience to a flame. It is speculated that the Flytrap evolved this to endure

19. Answer: C

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer Location: Para C

Answer Explanation: The plant has no nervous system, and researchers can only hypothesize as to how the rapid shutting movement works. This uncertainty adds to the Venus Flytrap’s allure.

20. Answer: Useful nourishment

Question Type: Sentence Completion

Answer Location: Para D, Line 1

Answer Explanation: The pod shuts quickly but does not seal entirely at first; scientists have found that this mechanism allows minuscule insects to escape, as they will not be a source of useful nourishment for the plant.

21. Answer: exoskeleton

Question Type: Sentence Completion

Answer Location: Para D, Line 7

Answer Explanation: Once the plant has reabsorbed the digestive fluid – this time with the added nourishment, the trap reopens and the exoskeleton blows away in the wind.

22. Answer: nitrogen

Question Type: Sentence Completion

Answer Location: Para E, Line 2

Answer Explanation: grows in wet sand and peaty soils. Because these environments are so depleted in nitrogen, they asphyxiate other flora, but the Flytrap overcomes this nutritional poverty by sourcing protein from its insect prey.

23. Answer: TRUE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given

Answer Location: Para E, Line 4

Answer Explanation: The plant’s curious feature are resilience to a flame. It is speculated that the Flytrap evolved this to endure flames.

24. Answer: NOT GIVEN

Question Type: True/False/Not Given

Answer Location: N.A

Answer Explanation: in the wild, and some prominent conservationists have suggested the plant be given the status of ‘vulnerable’.

25. Answer: FALSE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given

Answer Location: Para F, Line 1

Answer Explanation: In cultivation, its natural existence is uncertain. In the last survey, only 35,800 Flytraps were found remaining.

26. Answer: TRUE

Question Type: True/False/Not Given

Answer Location: Table Completion

Answer Explanation: The draining and destruction of natural wetlands where the Flytrap lives are considered to be the biggest threat to its existence, as well as people removing the plants from their natural habitat…

27. Answer: industrial development