The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican Reading Answers

Kasturika Samanta

16 min read

Updated On Jun 10, 2025

This blog explores, "The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican – IELTS Reading Answers" with detailed explanations, question types, and expert tips to help you ace the IELTS Academic Reading section.

The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican IELTS Reading Passage
The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican IELTS Reading Question
The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican IELTS Reading Answer Key
The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation
Tips for Answering the Question Types in The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican IELTS Reading Passage

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The IELTS Academic Reading passage “The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican” challenges your ability to understand how reading trends have shifted over time. This passage features 13 questions to be completed within 20 minutes, a realistic simulation of the actual exam. To succeed, mastering strategies for each question type is essential. Regularly practising with passages from past IELTS tests sharpens your comprehension skills and familiarizes you with the exam format.

The question types found in this IELTS Academic Reading passage are:

Reading Multiple Choice Questions(Q. 14 – 21)
Summary Completion (Q. 22 – 26)

The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican IELTS Reading Passage

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

The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican

A Born in Kiskeam in his mother’s native North Cork, Hugh O’Flaherty was brought up in Killarney, where his father was the steward of a local golf club. He was the eldest of four children, and from an early age, appeared to have a vocation for the priesthood. His fondness for the church was formed in part during his education, which began at Presentation Brothers’ school in a local monastery in his hometown. He later attended Waterford College, but the priesthood was always going to be his calling, so he applied to Mungret College in Limerick and was accepted into the seminary there. He was posted to Rome as a young seminarian in 1922, the year in which Mussolini came to power. While studying in Rome, he earned a degree in theology and was ordained in 1925 before going on to study there for a further two years, earning his doctorates in divinity, canon law and philosophy.

B O’Flaherty posted at various times over the next few years in Egypt, Haiti, San Domingo and Czechoslovakia, as well as Palestine, soon proved himself a very able diplomat. His golfing skills were also noted, and he developed a number of high-profile connections in Italy through the world of golf, often playing with the likes of ex-king Alfonso of Spain, as well as Mussolini’s son-in-law, count Ciana. These people were no doubt impressed by the golfing talent of the man, which were, considering he had been playing the game since early childhood and was a natural, by them rather impressive, to say the least. O’Flaherty would come to rely on his high profile, as well as his ‘high’ connections in the coming years as war broke out in Europe and Italy aligned itself with Hitler’s Germany and its policy of discriminating against minority groups. His connections would give him the power and influence to make a difference to the lives of thousands of innocent people when the time came, whilst his high profile made the German and Italian authorities slow to move against him.

C In the autumn of 1942, the Germans and Italians started to crack down on prominent figures they viewed as being hostile to their goals. As their policies became even more extreme, many people started to become alarmed by fascist propaganda. The German and Italian governments were not interested in executing their policy of ethnically cleansing Italy of the so-called ‘unwanted’: Jews, blacks, gypsies and so on. O’Flaherty, on the other hand, having socialized with many prominent Jews throughout his time in Italy, did not adhere to the Nazi ideology and it was then that he started to act, protecting innocent Jews and other victims of injustice, and keeping them away from the claws of the Italian and German police, whose orders were to ship them to concentration camps.

D O’Flaherty used his old college and indeed his own official residence as hiding places for the people he was trying to protect. As the situation got more and more desperate, and the numbers of people threatened grew, he even turned to using monasteries and converts as hideouts, calling in favors from old friends in these places who, by agreeing to house the ‘unwanted’, were not just risking a reprimand endangering their own lives by being party to O’Flaherty’s campaign. In the summer of 1943, O’ Flaherty extended his efforts to include helping escaped British prisoners-of-war and shot-down allied airmen. Calling once again on his contacts, he developed a network of apartments in which to house them until their safe return to Britain could be arranged.

E By the end of the war, over 6,500 Jews and American and British soldiers had O’Flaherty to thank for their escape from the Germans and a nearly-certain death. His success in never being identified when on unauthorized rescue missions outside the Vatican city, and in smuggling Jews and allied airmen inside the city led to him being given the nickname the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican, an acknowledgement of how much the master of disguise. O’Flaherty continued to serve in Rome and received many accolades, including the US medal of freedom and the title Commanders of the British Empire. The fledging Jewish state of Israel also recognized O’Flaherty’s contribution by proclaiming him righteous among Nations.

F In 1960, O’Flaherty retired and went home to Ireland to a town called Cahirsheveen. There he lived for the remainder of his life until he died on the 30 October 1963. His death was mourned throughout the world and the prestigious New York Times carried a front-page tribute in his honour.

G Margaret Mead once said: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has’, O’Flaherty and his loyal group of helpers within the Vatican and without are exactly the king of people she was referring to. In life, he saved thousands of innocent Romans; in death, he is remembered as a man who bravely stood up to extremism and who was not prepared to turn a blind eye to injustice.

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The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican IELTS Reading Question

Question 14-16

Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.

14 O’Flaherty went to Rome

A voluntarily for personal reasons as he wanted to pursue his studies there.

B after completing his studies at Mungret college in Limerick and becoming a priest.

C at the same time as Mussolini went to study there.

D on the instructions of the religious organization of which he was a part.

15 O’Flaherty golfing talents

A were exploited by himself as a means by which to meet and influence important people.

B were the product of his extremely hard work and tireless practice from a young age.

C went unnoticed until he was posted in Italy where they impressed a number of high-profile individuals.

D were exaggerated by friends and connections in order to win him favor with German and Italian authorities.

16 When it came to Nazi ideology, O’Flaherty’s beliefs

A were similar to those Jews, blacks and gypsies, who viewed the German interference in Italy as unwanted.

B were influenced by the conclusions he had drawn from socializing with certain groups of people in the past.

C were in keeping with the stated views of the German and Italian governments.

D were similarly hostile and extreme as he was influenced by fascist propaganda.

Question 17-18

There are two correct answers.

Choose two letters from A, B, C, D and E.

Where did O’Flaherty conceal the people he had taken into his care?

A in the place at which he was then studying

B in a former college that had been converted into a network of apartments

C in the place where he officially lived at the time

D in the residence of certain religious groups

E in the houses of old friends of his

17 ……………..
18 ……………..

Question 19-21

Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.

19 What impressive aspects of the actions of O’Flaherty’s helpers does the writer highlight?

A how reluctant they were to help him

B how many of them were willing to volunteer

C their disregard for the possible consequences if they were caught

D their ability to coordinate and work together

20 Why was O’Flaherty nicknamed the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican?

A he resembled a Scarlet Pimpernel in the disguises he used to wear.

B he often disguised himself as a Vatican being identified.

C he had successfully used disguises to avoid being identified.

D he had earned a Master’s degree in the art of disguise.

21 What impression does the writer leave us with own personal feelings with respect to O’Flaherty’s life and achievements?

A he admires O’Flaherty’s bravery and determination to stop injustice.

B he admires O’Flaherty’s loyalty to the Vatican and his church.

C he feels that Margaret Mead was a superior speech-maker to O’Flaherty.

D he feels he didn’t get the recognition he deserves for his achievements.

Question 22-26

Complete the summary below.

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

A moral, determined and resourceful man

O’Flaherty’s personal beliefs were at loggerheads with fascist ideology, which he saw as mindless propaganda, so he took it upon himself to combat the injustices being perpetrated against Jews and other minority groups at the hands of the German and Italian police, who, acting on orders from above, were rounding said groups up to be sent to 22 ………………..

Initially, O’Flaherty used familiar places as hideouts for the people he was trying to conceal. However, as the situation started to deteriorate, and more and more people were in need of assistance, he was forced to call upon old friends and contacts for help. In helping O’Flaherty, these friends showed their own bravery as getting 23 ……………… might have cost them their lives.

Not only did O’Flaherty help the ‘unwanted’ he also extended his assistance to fallen 24 ………………as well as British soldiers who had been detained by the Germans. By the war’s end, the lives of 6,500 people had been spared thanks to O’Flaherty and his helpers.

So effective had been at 25 ……………… Jews and servicemen inside the city that he earned the nickname The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican. O’Flaherty received a huge number of 26………………….., from countries all around the world in acknowledgement of his war-time feats.

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The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican IELTS Reading Answer Key

Question No.	Answer	Question No.	Answer
14.	D	21.	A
15.	A	22.	concentration camps
16.	B	23.	caught
17.	C	24.	allied airmen
18.	D	25.	smuggling
19.	C	26.	accolades
20.	C

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The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

Let’s now review the answers to the questions from the passage in the reading section, The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican Reading Answers, and assess your improvement for a high IELTS Reading band score.

14 Answer: D

Question type: Multiple Choice Answer

Answer location: Paragraph A, line 5

Answer explanation: From the lines – He was posted to Rome as a young seminarian in 1922, the year in which Mussolini came to power. – it is evident that O’Flaherty went to Rome as a part of the religious organization (young seminarian). Hence, the answer is D.

15 Answer: A