Tattoo on Tikopia- IELTS Reading Answers

The IELTS Reading Section requires you to be able to read an essay and answer the different types of questions based on the essay at a brisk pace. To score well in the reading section, you must practice the various Reading question types. Below is a sample Reading Test for you to hone your Reading skills.

Tattoo on Tikopia

Reading Passage 1

Tattoo on Tikopia

Questions 1 – 4

1 Scientists like to do research in Tikopia because this tiny place is of great remoteness.

2 Firth was the first scholar to study Tikopia.

3 Firth studied the culture differences on Tikopia as well as on some other islands of the Pacific.

4 The English word ‘tattoo’ evolved from the local language of the island.

Questions 5 – 9

Questions 10 – 14

Tattoo on Tikopia Reading Passage Answers

1 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: Paragraph B illustrates how the small island of Tikopia is liked by everyone for its cultures, and people. The paragraph also states how pioneers like Peter Dillion, Dumont D’Urville and John Coleridge Patterson visited and wrote about Tikopia island in the 1800s. Thus, the statement agrees with the information, so, the answer is True.

2 Answer: False

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 9

Answer explanation: The 9th line of paragraph B states that Raymond Firth is one of those people captured by the alluring attraction of Tikopia. As a result of which, he had made a number of trips to the island since the 1920s and recorded his experience, observations, and reflections on Tikopia, its people and the changes that have occured. Paragraph B states how Tikopia is liked by everyone for its culture and people and that many scientists have already visited and wrote about the island in the 1800s. However, the above-mentioned lines indicate that during the 1920s, Raymond Firth was one of those people who was captivated by the beauty of Tikopia that he visited the island numerous times and recorded his observations and reflections. Thus, the statement contradicts the information, so, the answer is False.

3 Answer: Not Given

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph B, last line

Answer explanations: We can understand from the last line of paragraph B that Raymond Firth was one of those people who was fascinated by the alluring attraction of Tikopia. He made a number of trips to Tikopia island since the 1920s and recorded his experiences, observations, and reflections on Tikopia, its people, cultures, and the changes that have occurred. However, there’s no reference to the fact that Firth studied the culture differences on Tikopia and on some other islands of the Pacific. Thus, the answer is Not Given.

4 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/ Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 5

Answer explanation: We understand from the 5th line of paragraph C that the origin of the English word, tattoo, comes from the word, Tikopia word, ‘tatau’ . The word for tattoo marks in general, is tau, and the operation of tattooing is known as ta tau, ta being the generic term for the act of striking. Thus, these lines indicate that the word, ‘tattoo’ evolved from the local language of the island. So, the answer is True.

5 Answer: coconut shell

Question type: Diagram Completion

Answer location: Paragraph D , line 3

Answer explanation: We can deduce from the. 3rd line of paragraph D that initially, they burn the nut inside a bowl made of half a coconut shell. So, according to the picture, the bowl made of half of the coconut shell is burnt. Thus, the answer is coconut shell.

6 Answer: soot

Question type: Diagram Completion

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 4

Answer explanation: In the 4th line of paragraph D, it is mentioned that after burning the nut inside a bowl made of half a coconut shell, they scrape out the soot and use a pestle to mix it with liquid. So, it is evident that the soot is scraped out and a pestle is used to blend it with liquid. Thus, the answer is soot.

7 Answer: liquid

Question type: Diagram Completion

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 4

Answer explanation: We can understand from the 4th line of paragraph D that after burning the nut inside a bowl made of half a coconut shell, they scrape out the soot and use a pestle to mix it with liquid. These lines indicate that the soot is scraped out and a pestle is used to stir and blend it with liquid. Thus, the answer is liquid.

8 Answer: heartwood

Question type: Diagram Completion

Answer location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: We can deduce from the introductory line of paragraph E that for the instruments used when tattooing, specialists used a range of chisels made from albatross wing bone which were hafted onto a handle which was made from the heartwood of the bush and struck with a mallet. These lines suggest that the specialists used a range of chisels made from the wing bone of albatross, which was produced from heartwood of small trees. Thus, the answer is heartwood.

9 Answer: wing bone

Question type: Table Completion

Answer location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: The initial lines of paragraph E reveals that for the instruments used when tattooing, specialists used a range of chisels made from albatross wing bone which were hafted onto a handle which was made from the heartwood of the bush and struck with a mallet. These lines indicate that the range of chisels were made from the wingbone of albatross which is a seabird. So, the answer is wing bone.

10 Answer: (the) forehead

Question type: Table Completion

Answer location: Paragraph G

Answer explanation: We can understand from the initial lines of paragraph G that the male facial tattoo is generally divided into eight sections of the face and the center of the forehead designated a person’s general rank. So, the forehead of male face has a significance of general rank. Thus, the answer is (the) forehead.

11 Answer: chin (area)

Question type: Table Completion

Answer location: Paragraph G, line 7

Answer explanation: The 7th line of paragraph G reveals that the chin area showed the person’s mana. Here, mana means moral authority: prestige. Thus, the answer is chin (area).

12 Answer: mother’s ancestry

Question type: Table Completion

Answer location: Paragraph H

Answer explanation: The introductory lines of paragraph H illustrates that a person’s ancestry is indicated on each side of the face. The left side is generally the father’s and the right side is the mother’s. These lines suggest that the ancestry of an individual is designated on each side of the face, where the left side is the father’s and the right side is the mother’s. Thus, the female’s right side of the face is the mother’s ancestry, so, the answer is mother’s ancestry.

13  Answer: vertical lines

Question type: Table Completion

Answer location: Paragraph H

Answer explanation: Paragraph H states that the manutahi design is worked on men’s back, it consists of two vertical lines drawn down the spine, with short vertical lines between them. When a man has the manutahi on his back, he takes pride in himself. These lines indicate that a man who has manutahi design on his back considers it as pride. The geometric pattern is like the vertical lines. So, the answer is vertical lines.

14 Answer: triangle

Question type: Table Completion

Answer location: Paragraph H, last line

Answer explanation: We can understand from the last line of paragraph H that the rows of triangles designed on the men’s chest indicate his bravery. Thus, a triangle design on a men’s chest reflects his bravery. So, the answer is triangle.

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