Griffith and American Films IELTS Reading Answers

The IELTS Reading Module assesses your ability to understand, interpret, and analyse a variety of texts under time pressure. With consistent practice, it can become your highest-scoring section by improving skills such as skimming, scanning, and understanding paraphrased information. The passage “Griffith and American Films IELTS Reading Answers” is a real IELTS Academic Reading test passage, providing an excellent opportunity to practise under exam conditions. There are two types of questions in this passage. They are:

• Matching Information

• Matching Headings

By solving and reviewing sample Reading questions from past IELTS papers, you can ensure that your Reading skills are on point. Take the practice test below and check your score with the answers for Griffith and American Films!

Griffith and American Films IELTS Reading Passage

Movies are key cultural artifacts that offer a window into American cultural and social history. A mixture of art, business, and popular entertainment, the movies provide a host of insights into Americans’ shifting ideals, fantasies, and preoccupations

A Many films of the early silent era dealt with gender relations. Before 1905, as Kathy Peiss has argued, movie screens were filled with salacious sexual imagery and risque humor, drawn from burlesque halls and vaudeville theaters. Early films offered many glimpses of women disrobing or of passionate kisses. As the movies’ female audience grew, sexual titillation and voyeurism persisted. But an ever increasing number of film dealt with the changing work and sexual roles of women in a more sophisticated manner. While D.w. Griffith’s films presented an idealized picture of the frail Victorian child-woman, and showed an almost obsessive preoccupation with female honor and chastity, other silent movies presented quite different images of femininity. These ranged from the exotic, sexually aggressive vamp to the athletic, energetic “serial queen”; the street smart urban working gal, who repels the sexual advances of her lascivious boss; and cigarette-smoking, alcohol drinking chorus girls or burlesque queens.

B In early 1910, director D.w. Griffith was sent by the Biograph Company to the west coast with his acting troupe, consisting of actors Blanche Sweet, Lillian Gish, Mary Pickford, Lionel Barrymore, and others. While there, the company decided to explore new territories, traveling several miles north to Hollywood, a little village that was friendly and enjoyed the movie company filming there. By focusing the camera on particular actors and actresses, Griffith inadvertently encouraged the development of the star system. As early as 1910, newspapers were deluged with requests for actors’ names. But most studios refused to divulge their identities, fearing the salary demands of popular performers. As one industry observer put it, “In the ‘star’ your producer gets not only a ‘production’ value…but a ‘trademark’ value, and an ‘insurance’ value which are…very potent in guaranteeing the sale of this product.” As the star system emerged, salaries soared. In the course of just two years, the salary of actress Mary Pickford rose from less than $400 a week in 1914 to $10,000 a week in 1916. This action made Griffith believe in the big potential in the movie industry. Thus many competitors completely copy the same system as Griffith used, for the considerable profits. Additionally, they also study the theory and methods which Griffith suggested.

C From the moment America entered the war, Hollywood feared that the industry would be subject to heavy-handed government censorship. But the government itself wanted no repeat of World War I, when the Committee on Public Information had whipped up anti-German hysteria and oversold the war as “a Crusade not merely to re-win the tomb of Christ, but to bring back to earth the rule of right, the peace, goodwill to men and gentleness he taught.”

D The formation of the movie trust ushered in a period of rationalization within the film industry. Camera and projecting equipment was standardized; film rental fees were fixed; theaters were upgraded; which improved the quality of movies by removing damaged prints from circulation. This was also a period of intense artistic and technical innovation, as pioneering directors like David Wark Griffith and others created a new language of film and revolutionized screen narrative.

E With just six months of film experience, Griffith, a former stage actor, was hired as a director by the Biograph Company and promised $50 a week and one-twentieth of a cent for every foot of film sold to a rental exchange. Each week, Griffith turned out two or three one-reelers. While earlier directors had used such cinematic devices as close ups, slow motion, fade-ins and fade-outs, lighting effects, and editing before, Griffith’s great contribution to the movie industry was to show how these techniques could be used to create a wholly new style of storytelling, distinct from the theater. Griffith’s approach to movie storytelling has been aptly called “photographic realism. “This is not to say that he merely wished to record a story accurately; rather he sought to convey the illusion of realism. He demanded that his performers act less in a more lifelike manner, avoiding the broad, exaggerated gestures and pantomiming of emotions that characterized the nineteenth century stage. He wanted his performers to take on a role rather than directly addressing the camera. Above all, he used close-ups, lighting, editing, and other cinematic techniques to convey suspense and other emotions and to focus the audience’s attention on individual performers.

F During the 1920s and 1930s, a small group of film companies consolidated their control. Known as the “Big Five” – Paramount, Warner Brothers, RKO, 20th Century-Fox, and Lowe’s (MGM) and the “Little Three” – Universal, Columbia, and United Artists, they formed fully integrated companies. The old film company’s opposition was shocked by new tycoons. The confusion of tongues in the foreign version of American films deepened when American directors themselves embarked on the shooting of the new version. They did not usually speak Spanish (or the given target language) and, at that time, there were only a few translators at the studio’s disposal. For this reason, it was more general to contract Spanish directors, actors, and screenwriters to produce American films in Spanish for Latin American audiences and for the public in the Iberian Peninsula. Hollywood had depended on overseas markets for as much as 40 percent of its revenue. But in an effort to nurture their own film industries and prevent an excessive outflow of dollars, Britain, France, and Italy imposed stiff import tariffs and restrictive quotas on imported American movies.

G A basic problem facing today’s Hollywood is the rapidly rising cost of making and marketing a movie: an average of $40 million today. The immense cost of producing movies has led the studios to seek guaranteed hits: blockbusters loaded with high-tech special effects, sequels, and remakes of earlier movies, foreign films, and even old TV shows. Hollywood has also sought to cope with rising costs by focusing ever more intently on its core audiences. Since the mid-1980s, the movie going audience has continued to decrease in size. Ticket sales fell from 1.2 billion in 1983 to 950 million in 1992, with the biggest drop occurring among adults. And since over half of Hollywood’s profits are earned overseas, the target market has to be changed due to the increasing costs and salary of making a film. The industry has concentrated much of its energy on crude action films easily understood by an international audience, featuring stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.

Griffith and American Films IELTS Reading Questions

List of Headings

i. Detailed description for film system

ii. Griffith’s contribution to American films

iii. The gender in development of American film

iv. Change the view of the American movie

v. People’s reaction to making movies in the war period

vi. The increasing market of film in society

vii. Griffith improved the gender recognition in society

1  Paragraph A

2  Paragraph B

3  Paragraph C

4  Paragraph D

5  Paragraph E

6 Paragraph F

B huge drop happens among adults

C the pressure to change its market

D completely copy his system

7 Griffith’s successful in 1910s, led his rivals

8 The growing costs and salary in Hollywood which shows it has

9 The increasing new movie industries have a big impact on

10 In 1992, ticket sales declined dramatically, due to

11 Why does Griffith believe in the potential in making movies?

A The gender development in American films

B He used the star system successfully

C He prefer the advanced movie techniques

D He earns lots of money

12 What are other competitors’ reactions to Griffith?

A Adopt Griffith’s theory and methods in making films

B Completely copy his theory and methods

C Try to catch up their innovations

D Find a new system to against Griffith

13 What is the great change in film industries during the 1920s and 1930s?

A Try to seek the high-tech special efforts

B Dismiss the needs of overseas audiences

C Changed its goal market

D Improved the foreign version of American movies

Griffith and American Films IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

Let’s now review the answers to the questions from the passage in the reading section, Griffith and American Films IELTS Reading Answers, and assess your improvement for a high IELTS Reading band score.

1 Answer: iii

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph A, line 5 – line 6

Answer explanation: The selected lines say that “…an ever increasing number of film dealt with the changing work and sexual roles of women in a more sophisticated manner.” This tells us that the first paragraph of this passage deals with the gender in the development of the American films as they changed with the age and the audience. Hence, the answer is iii (The gender in development of American film).

2 Answer: i

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 12-line 14

Answer explanation: In the quoted lines of Paragraph B, it is said that “This action made Griffith believe in the big potential in the movie industry. Thus many competitors completely copy the same system as Griffith used, for the considerable profits. ” This highlights the fact that the second paragraph deals with the detailed description of the film system followed by Griffith. Hence the answer is i (Detailed description for film system).

3 Answer: v

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 1-line 2

Answer explanation: In the quoted lines of Paragraph C, it is said that “From the moment America entered the war, Hollywood feared that the industry would be subject to heavy-handed government censorship.” This clears the fact that the third paragraph deals with the reaction of the people, especially in Hollywood, to making films during the first World War. Hence the answer is v (People’s reaction to making movies in the war period).

4 Answer: iv

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 4 – line 5

Answer explanation: In the specified line of Paragraph D, it is stated that “This was also a period of intense artistic and technical innovation, as pioneering directors like David Wark Griffith and others created a new language of film and revolutionized screen narrative.”. In other words, the changes in the American movies or its production is discussed in this paragraph. Hence, the answer is iv (Change the view of the American movie).

5 Answer: ii

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 5- line 6

Answer explanation: In the specified line of the fifth paragraph, it is stated that “Griffith’s great contribution to the movie industry was to show how these techniques could be used to create a wholly new style of storytelling, distinct from the theater.”. As this paragraph discusses the various ways in which Griffith changed the American movie and introduced different improvements, the answer is ii (Griffith’s contribution to American films).

6 Answer: vi

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 10- line 11

Answer explanation: The mentioned line of Paragraph F says that “Hollywood had depended on overseas markets for as much as 40 percent of its revenue.” As it is clear that the market of film increased in society and overseas due to language issues, the answer is vi (The increasing market of film in society).

7 Answer: D

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 12-line 14

Answer explanation: In the quoted lines of Paragraph B, it is said that “This action made Griffith believe in the big potential in the movie industry. Thus many competitors completely copy the same system as Griffith used, for the considerable profits.” It clearly points out that Griffith’s success in the 1910s led his rivals (competitors) to completely copy his system. Hence, the answer is D (completely copy his system).

8 Answer: C

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph G, line 4 – line 5

Answer explanation: The lines from Paragraph G says that “Hollywood has also sought to cope with rising costs by focusing ever more intently on its core audiences.” It states that the growing costs and salary in Hollywood shows it has the pressure to change its market. Hence the answer is C (the pressure to change its market).

9 Answer: A

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 4

Answer explanation: The mentioned line of Paragraph F says that “The old film company’s opposition was shocked by new tycoons.” As it is clear that the increasing number of new movie industries (new tycoons) have a big impact on the old company’s opposition, the answer is A (old company’s opposition).

10 Answer: B

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph G, line 6 – line 7

Answer explanation: The provided lines says that “Ticket sales fell from 1.2 billion in 1983 to 950 million in 1992, with the biggest drop occurring among adults.”. It is clear from the statement that in 1992, ticket sales declined dramatically due to a huge drop among adults compared to 1983. Hence, the answer is B (huge drop happens among adults).

11 Answer: B

Question type: Multiple Choice Question

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 6 & line 12

Answer explanation: The given lines say that “Griffith inadvertently encouraged the development of the star system.” & “This action made Griffith believe in the big potential in the movie industry.” These statements point out that Griffith believed in the potential in making movies as he used the star system successfully. Hence the answer is B (He used the star system successfully).

12 Answer: A

Question type: Multiple Choice Question

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 13 – line 15

Answer explanation: The following lines from Paragraph B says that “This action made Griffith believe in the big potential in the movie industry. Thus many competitors completely copy the same system as Griffith used, for the considerable profits. Additionally, they also study the theory and methods which Griffith suggested.” From this reference, we can conclude that Griffith’s other competitors adopted his theory and methods in making films. Hence the answer is A (Adopt Griffith’s theory and methods in making films).

13 Answer: D

Question type: Multiple Choice Question

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 5 – line 6

Answer explanation: The following lines from Paragraph F says that “The confusion of tongues in the foreign version of American films deepened when American directors themselves embarked on the shooting of the new version.” From this reference, we can conclude that the great change in film industries during the 1920s and 1930s is improvement in the foreign version of American movies. Hence the answer is D (Improved the foreign version of American movies).

Tips to Ace Different Types of Questions in "Griffith and American Films IELTS Reading Answers"

Let us check out some quick IELTS Exam Preparation Tips for Band Score of 8+ to answer the types of questions in the Reading Answers. 

Matching Information

• Scan for keywords: Look for words or phrases in the question and passage.
• Check synonyms: The passage may use different words with the same meaning.
• Read around the keyword: Context often helps identify the correct information.
• Be careful with dates/names: Numbers, dates, and names are often answers.
• Don’t overthink: Stick to what the passage explicitly states; avoid assumptions.

Matching Headings

• Understand the main idea: Read the first and last sentences of each paragraph.
• Avoid minor details: Headings summarize the whole paragraph, not small points.
• Look for synonyms: The heading may use different words than the paragraph.
• Eliminate options: Cross out headings that clearly don’t fit.
• Check paragraph structure: Sometimes the topic sentence clearly hints at the heading.

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