Mystery on Easter Island – IELTS Reading Answer

Mystery on Easter Island Reading Answers, is a IELTS Academic Reading passage that consists of 14 questions.

With diligent practice, the Reading Module can be the top-scoring category for IELTS aspirants. To score well, you must understand how to approach and answer the different question types in the Reading Module.

By solving and reviewing Sample Reading questions from past IELTS papers, you can ensure that your Reading skills are up to the mark. The question types found in this IELTS Reading  passage are:

The question types found in this passage are:

• Matching Headings (Q. 1-4)
• True False Not Given (Q. 5 – 10)
• Summary Completion (Q. 11 – 13)

If your target is a band score of 9 in IELTS Reading, check out the video below for some exclusive tips!

Reading Passage

Mystery on Easter Island

A One of the world’s most famous yet least visited archaeological sites, Easter Island is a small, hilly, now treeless island of volcanic origin. Located in the Pacific Ocean at 27 degrees south of the equator and some 2200 miles (3600 kilometers) off the coast of Chile, it is considered to be the world’s most remote inhabited island. The island is, technically speaking, a single massive volcano rising over ten thousand feet from the Pacific Ocean floor. The island received its most well-known current name, Easter Island, from the Dutch sea captain Jacob Roggeveen who became the first European to visit Easter Sunday, April 5,1722.

B In the early 1950s, the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl popularized the idea that the island had been originally settled by advanced societies of Indians from the coast of South America. Extensive archaeological, ethnographic and linguistic research has conclusively shown this hypothesis to be inaccurate. It is now recognized that the original inhabitants of Easter Island are of Polynesian stock (DNA extracts from skeletons have confirmed this, that they most probably came from the Marquesas or Society islands, and that they arrived as early as 318 AD (carbon dating of reeds from a grave confirms this). At the time of their arrival, much of the island was forested, was teeming with land birds, and was perhaps the most productive breeding site for seabirds in the Polynesia region. Because of the plentiful bird, fish and plant ‘ food sources, the human population grew and gave rise to a rich religious and artistic culture.

C That culture’s most famous features are its enormous stone statues called moai, at least 288 of which once stood upon massive stone platforms called There are some 250 of these ahu platforms spaced approximately one half mile apart and creating an almost unbroken line around the perimeter of the island. Another 600 moai statues, in various stages of completion, are scattered around the island, either in quarries or along ancient roads between the quarries and the coastal areas where the statues were most often erected. Nearly all the moai are carved from the tough stone of the Rano Raraku volcano. The average statue is 14 feet and 6 inches tall and weighs 14 tons. Some moai were as large as 33 feet and weighed more than 80 tons. Depending upon the size of the statues, it has been estimated that between 50 and 150 people were needed to drag them across the countryside on sleds and rollers made from the island’s trees.

D Scholars are unable to definitively explain the function and use of the moai statues. It is assumed that their carving and erection derived from an idea rooted in similar practices found elsewhere in Polynesia but which evolved in a unique way on Easter Island. Archaeological and iconographic analysis indicates that the statue cult was based on an ideology of male, lineage- based authority incorporating anthropomorphic symbolism. The statues were thus symbols of authority and power, both religious and political. But they were not only symbols. To the people who erected and used them, they were actual repositories of sacred spirit. Carved stone and wooden objects in ancient Polynesian religions, when properly fashioned and ritually prepared, were believed to be charged by a magical spiritual essence called The ahu platforms of Easter Island were the sanctuaries of the people, and the moai statues were the ritually charged sacred objects of those sanctuaries.

E Besides its more well-known name, Easter Island is also known as Te-Pito-O- Te-Henua, meaning ‘The Navel of the World’, and as Mata-Ki-Te- Rani, meaning ‘ Eyes Looking at Heaven ‘. These ancient names and a host of mythological details ignored by mainstream archaeologists, point to the possibility that the remote island may once have been a geodetic marker and the site of an astronomical observatory of a long forgotten civilization. In his book. Heaven’s Mirror, Graham Hancock suggests that Easter Island may once have been a significant scientific outpost of this antediluvian civilization and that its location had extreme importance in a planet-spanning, mathematically precise grid of sacred sites. Two other alternative scholars, Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, have extensively studied the location and possible function of these geodetic markers. In their fascinating book, Uriel’s Machine, they suggest that one purpose of the geodetic markers was as part of a global network of sophisticated astronomical observatories dedicated to predicting and preparing for future commentary impacts and crystal displacement cataclysms.

F In the latter years of the 20th century and the first years of the 21st century various writers and scientists have advanced theories regarding the rapid decline of Easter Island’s magnificent civilization around the time of the first European contact. Principal among these theories, and now shown to be inaccurate, is that postulated by Jared Diamond in his book Collapse: How Societies Choose to or Survive. Basically these theories state that a few centuries after Easter Island’s initial colonization the resource needs of the growing population had begun to outpace the island’s capacity to renew itself ecologically. By the 1400s the forests had been entirely cut, the rich ground cover had eroded away, the springs had dried up, and the vast flocks of birds coming to roost on the island had disappeared. With no logs to build canoes for offshore fishing, with depleted bird and wildlife food sources, and with declining crop yields because of the erosion of good soil, the nutritional intake of the people plummeted. First famine, then cannibalism, set in. Because the island could no longer feed the chiefs, bureaucrats and priests who kept the complex society running, the resulting chaos triggered a social and cultural collapse. By 1700 the population dropped to between one-quarter and one-tenth of its former number, and many of the statues were toppled during supposed “clan wars ” of the 1600 and 1700s.

G The faulty notions presented in these theories began with the racist assumptions of Thor Heyerdahl and have been perpetuated by writers, such as Jared Diamond, who do not have sufficient archaeological and historical understanding of the actual events which occurred on Easter Island. The real truth regarding the tremendous social devastation which occurred on Easter Island is that it was a direct consequence of the inhumane behavior of many of the first European visitors, particularly the slavers who raped and murdered the islanders, introduced small pox and other diseases, and brutally removed the natives to mainland South America.

List of headings

i The famous moai

ii The status represented symbols of combined purposes

iii The ancient spots which indicate the scientific application

iv The story of the name

v Early immigrants, rise and prosperity

vi The geology of Easter Island

vii The begin of Thor Heyerdahl’s discovery

viii The countering explanation to the misconceptions politically manipulated

ix Symbols of authority and power

x The Navel of the World

xi The Norwegian Invaders’ legacy

Example: Paragraph A iv

1 Paragraph B

Example: Paragraph C i

2 Paragraph D

3 Paragraph E

4 Paragraph G

Questions 5-10

5 The first inhabitants of Easter Island are Polynesian, from the Marquesas or Society islands.

6 Construction of some moai statues on the island was not finished.

7 The Moai can be found not only on Easter Island but also elsewhere in Polynesia.

8 Most archaeologists recognised the religious and astronomical functions for an ancient society.

9 The structures of Easter Island work as an astronomical outpost for extraterrestrial visitors.

10 The theory that depleted natural resources leading to the failure of Easter Island actually has a distorted perspective.

Many theories speculated that Easter Island’s fall around the era of the initial European contact. Some say the resources are depleted by a 11 …………………….; The erroneous theories began with a root of the 12 …………………… advanced by some scholars. Early writers did not have adequate 13 …………………… understandings to comprehend the true nature of events on the island. The social devastation was, in fact, a direct result of 14 …………………… of the first European settlers.

Mystery on Easter Island IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

1 Answer: v
Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 4 – line 11

Answer explanation: The selected lines says that “It is now recognized that the original inhabitants of Easter Island are of Polynesian stock … gave rise to a rich religious and artistic culture.” This tells us that this paragraph elaborates on the early immigrants, who were of Polynesian stock and how they rose and became prosperous. Hence, the answer is v.

2 Answer: ii
Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 6

Answer explanation: In the quoted lines of Paragraph D, it is said that “The statues were thus symbols of authority and power, both religious and political.” This highlights the fact that the statues represented symbols of combined religious and political purposes. Hence the answer is ii.

3 Answer: iii
Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 4 – line 9

Answer explanation: In the quoted lines of Paragraph E, it is said that “…the remote island may once have been a geodetic marker and the site of an astronomical observatory of a long forgotten civilization. In his book, Heaven’s Mirror, Graham Hancock suggests that Easter Island may once have been a significant scientific outpost of this antediluvian civilization and that its location had extreme importance in a planet-spanning, mathematically precise grid of sacred sites.” These lines point out that the ancient spots on the island have been important for an astronomical observatory that indicate the scientific application which is mentioned in Graham Hancock’s Heaven’s Mirror. Hence the answer is iii.

4 Answer: viii
Question type: Matching Heading

Answer location: Paragraph G, line 1- line 4

Answer explanation: In the specified line of Paragraph G, it is stated that “The faulty notions presented in these theories began with the racist assumptions of Thor Heyerdahl and have been perpetuated by writers, such as Jared Diamond, who do not have sufficient archaeological and historical understanding of the actual events which occurred on Easter Island.”. In other words, there is a lack of evidence and understanding about the incidents on Easter Island and the countering explanation provided are also faulty as they began with politically manipulated theories of Thor Heyerdahl and spread by writers like Jared Diamond. Hence, the answer is viii.

5 Answer: Not Given
Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: N.A.

Answer explanation: Although it is mentioned that now the original inhabitants of Easter Island are recognized to be of Polynesian stock, it is not given if they are from the Marquesas or Society islands or not. Hence the answer is Not Given.

6 Answer: True
Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 4- line 6

Answer explanation: The mentioned line of Paragraph C says that “Another 600 moai statues, in various stages of completion, are scattered around the island, either in quarries or along ancient roads between the quarries and the coastal areas where the statues were most often erected.” As it is clear that the some of the moai statues were not finished (in various stages of completion), the answer is True.

7 Answer: False
Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 1- line 3

Answer explanation: The specified lines state that “It is assumed that their carving and erection derived from an idea rooted in similar practices found elsewhere in Polynesia but which evolved in a unique way on Easter Island.” So, it is clear that the carvings were unique to the Easter Island even though similar practices were found in Polynesia. Hence the answer is False.

8 Answer: False
Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 3 – line 5

Answer explanation: The lines from Paragraph E says that “These ancient names and a host of mythological details ignored by mainstream archaeologists, point to the possibility that the remote island may once have been a geodetic marker and the site of an astronomical observatory of a long forgotten civilization.” It states that archaeologists ignored the possibility that the religious and astronomical functions for an ancient society in Easter Island rather than recognizing it. Hence the answer is False.

9 Answer: Not Given
Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: N.A.

Answer explanation: As there is no information related to the structures of Easter Island working as an astronomical outpost for extraterrestrial visitors, the answer is Not Given.

10 Answer: True
Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 1 – line 5

Answer explanation: The provided lines says that “In the latter years of the 20th century and the first years of the 21st century various writers and scientists have advanced theories regarding the rapid decline of Easter Island’s magnificent civilization around the time of the first European contact. Principal among these theories, and now shown to be inaccurate, is that postulated by Jared…”. As it is clear from the statement that the theory by various writers and scientists stating that depleted natural resources leading to the failure of Easter Island actually has a distorted perspective, the answer is True.

11 Answer: growing population
Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 5 – line 7

Answer explanation: The given lines say that “Basically these theories state that a few centuries after Easter Island’s initial colonization the resource needs of the growing population had begun to outpace the island’s capacity to renew itself ecologically.” This statement points out that some scientists and writers theorize that the resources on Easter Island were depleted by a growing population. Hence the answer is ‘growing population’.

12 Answer: racist assumption
Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph G, line 1 – line 4

Answer explanation: The following lines from Paragraph G says that “The faulty notions presented in these theories began with the racist assumptions of Thor Heyerdahl and have been perpetuated by writers, such as Jared Diamond…” From this reference, we can conclude that the erroneous theories began with a root of the racist assumptions advanced by some scholars by Thor Heyerdahl and writers like Jared Diamond. Hence the answer is ‘racist assumption’.

13 Answer: archeological and historical
Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph G, line 1 – line 4

Answer explanation: The following lines from Paragraph G says that “The faulty notions presented in these theories began with the racist assumptions of Thor Heyerdahl and have been perpetuated by writers, such as Jared Diamond who do not have sufficient archaeological and historical understanding of the actual events which occurred on Easter Island.” From this reference, we can conclude that the erroneous theories advanced by some scholars by Thor Heyerdahl and writers like Jared Diamond did not have adequate archaeological and historical understandings to comprehend the true nature of events on the island. Hence the answer is ‘archeological and historical’.

14 Answer: inhuman behavior
Question type: Summary Completion

Answer location: Paragraph G, line 4 – line 6

Answer explanation: The following lines from Paragraph G says that “The real truth regarding the tremendous social devastation which occurred on Easter Island is that it was a direct consequence of the inhumane behavior of many of the first European visitors…” From this reference, we can conclude that the social devastation was a direct result of inhuman behaviour of the first European settlers as the slavers who raped and murdered the islanders, introduced small pox and other diseases, and brutally removed the natives to mainland South America. Hence the answer is ‘inhuman behavior’.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in the Mystery on Easter Island Reading Passage

Let us check out some quick tips to answer the types of questions in the ‘Mystery on Easter Island’ Reading passage.

Matching Heading

Matching Headings questions require you to match headings to the correct sections or paragraphs in a passage. This task tests your ability to understand the main idea of each section. Following are some tips for Matching Headings:

True/False/Not Given

In the True/False/Not Given task, you determine if statements align with the information in the passage:

• True: The statement accurately reflects the text.
• False: The statement contradicts the text.
• Not Given: The information is not mentioned in the text.

To answer these questions, you can use the following strategies:

• Read Instructions Carefully: Understand what each statement requires.
• Identify Keywords: Highlight key phrases in the statements for easy reference.
• Skim for Context: Get an overview of the passage to help locate relevant information.
• Analyze Details: Pay attention to wording and context to confirm accuracy.
• Avoid Assumptions: Base your answers solely on the passage, not on prior knowledge.

Summary Completion:

Summary Completion is a type of IELTS reading question that requires you to fill in a gap in a sentence with a word or phrase from the passage.

To answer these questions, you can use the following strategies:

• Read the sentence carefully, hence this will give you an idea of the type of word or phrase that is missing.
• Scan the passage for the keywords in the sentence as they can help you to identify the correct word or phrase.
• Read the sentence with the missing word or phrase, hence this will help you to see how the word or phrase fits into the sentence.
• Check your answer once you have filled in the gaps. Make sure that your answer makes sense in the context of the sentence.

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