Roman Tunnels IELTS Reading Answers

The Reading Module of the IELTS can be the top scoring category, with diligent practice. To achieve the best results in this section, 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 Academic passage ‘Roman Tunnels’ is a reading passage that appeared in an IELTS Test. Since questions get repeated in the IELTS exam, these passages are ideal for practice. If you want more practice, try taking an IELTS reading practice test.

The types of questions found in this passage are:

Diagram Completion question

In the Diagram Completion question, you will be asked to complete the notes related to a diagram as per the information given in the text. It would be entirely based on the context of the passage. Usually, these questions will only be based on one part of the passage, so you won’t have to read the whole passage to fill in the important information.

True/False/Not Given

In the True/False/Not Given question, you need to provide an answer using ‘True’, ‘False’ or ‘Not Given’ with respect to the statements made. If you believe that the given statement is mentioned in the text and is correct, write ‘True’. If you think the statement is wrong, write ‘False’. And, in case you do not find any piece of information regarding the given statement, write ‘Not Given’.

Short Answer Questions

In Short Answer types, you’ll have to take words from the given passage to write the short answers. In response to the questions, make sure that you take the exact words mentioned in the passage and that you do not exceed the word limit of the answers as instructed.

Roman tunnels

Answers

1 Answer: posts

Question type: Diagram Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 2, Lines 3-7

Answer explanation: “In the early first millennium BCE, they introduced the qanat method of tunnel construction, which consisted of placing posts over a hill in a straight line, to ensure that the tunnel kept to its route, and then digging vertical shafts down into the ground at regular intervals.” This explains the diagram how the posts were placed in a straight line on the hill to direct the tunnelling so that it kept to its route.

2 Answer: canal

Question type: Diagram Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 2, Lines 10-11

Answer explanation: “Once the tunnel was completed, it allowed water to flow from the top of a hillside down towards a canal, which supplied water for human use.” The quoted sentence suggests that when the tunnel would be complete, it will allow the water to be used for human consumption by supplying it from the top of the hills and directing it towards a canal as shown in the picture.

3 Answer: ventilation

Question type: Diagram Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 2, Lines 8-9

Answer explanation: “The excavated soil was taken up to the surface using the shafts, which also provided ventilation during the work.” This suggests that the vertical shafts were used to remove the soil and this helped ventilation too as the soil was lifted up to the surface.

4 Answer: lid

Question type: Diagram Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 3, Lines 4-6

Answer explanation: “The shafts were equipped with handholds and footholds to help those climbing in and out of them and were covered with a wooden or stone lid.” This suggests that the lid, shown in the picture, that was used as a covering for the shafts was made up of woods or stones.

5 Answer:  weight

Question type: Diagram Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 3, Lines 6-8

Answer explanation: “To ensure that the shafts were vertical, Romans hung a plumb line from a rod placed across the top of each shaft and made sure that the weight at the end of it hung in the centre of the shaft.” This suggests that the weight was hung from the plumbline that was attached to the rod placed across the top of the shaft in order to keep the shafts vertical.

6 Answer: climbing

Question type: Diagram Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 3, Lines 4-6

Answer explanation: “The shafts were equipped with handholds and footholds to help those climbing in and out of them and were covered with a wooden or stone lid.” This suggests that handholds and foot holds helped in climbing through the shafts.

7 Answer:  False

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 4, Lines 1-4

Answer explanation: “By the 6th century BCE, a second method of tunnel construction appeared called the counter-excavation method, in which the tunnel was constructed from both ends. It was used to cut through high mountains when the qanat method was not a practical alternative.” This shows that the counter-excavation method was used whenever the qanat method was not practical and hence, it wouldn’t be right to say that it completely extirpated the qanat method.

8 Answer: Not Given

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: N/A

Answer explanation: Although there is a mention of this method requiring  greater planning and advanced knowledge of surveying, mathematics and geometry, there is no reference in the passage where it is stated that only experienced builders were employed to construct a tunnel using the counter-excavation method.

9 Answer: False

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 4, Lines 12-17

Answer explanation: “An inscription written on the side of a 428-metre tunnel, built by the Romans as part of the Saldae aqueduct system in modern-day Algeria, describes how the two teams of builders missed each other in the mountain and how the later construction of a lateral link between both corridors corrected the initial error.” This suggests that the information was written on an inscription on the side of the tunnel and not the book.

10 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 4, Lines 12-17

Answer explanation: “An inscription written on the side of a 428-metre tunnel, built by the Romans as part of the Saldae aqueduct system in modern-day Algeria, describes how the two teams of builders missed each other in the mountain and how the later construction of a lateral link between both corridors corrected the initial error.” This sentence suggests that initially the two parts of the tunnel didn’t have any link and failed to meet in the mountain.

11 Answer: gold

Question type: Short Answer question

Answer location: Paragraph 5, Lines 7-8

Answer explanation: “Traces of such tunnels used to mine gold can still be found at the Dolaucothi mines in Wales.” This shows that the mineral that was mined using such tunnels like the Dolaucothi mines in Wales was gold.

12 Answer: architect’s name

Question type: Short Answer question

Answer location: Paragraph 6, Lines 15-16

Answer explanation: “Most tunnels had inscriptions showing the names of patrons who ordered construction and sometimes the name of the architect.” This shows that besides the name of the patrons, the tunnels had the architect’s name inscripted on them.

13 Answer: the harbour/ harbour

Question type: Short Answer question

Answer location: Paragraph 6, Lines 16-20

Answer explanation: “For example, the 1.4-kilometer Çevlik tunnel in Turkey, built to divert the floodwater threatening the harbor of the ancient city of Seleuceia Pieria, had inscriptions on the entrance, still visible today, that also indicate that the tunnel was started in 69 CE and was completed in 81 CE.” This suggests that the Cevlik tunnel was built to protect the harbor of the city of Seleuceia Pieria.

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