The Spice of Life- IELTS Reading Answers
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The IELTS Reading Module offers a fantastic chance to achieve excellent scores. It assesses a candidate’s reading comprehension skills in English. You must comprehend the various question types in order to perform at your best in this area. Ideally, you should not spend more than 20 minutes on a passage.
The Academic passage, The Spice of Life reading answer appeared in an IELTS Test. Try to find the answers to get an idea of the difficulty level of the passages in the actual reading test. If you want more passages to solve, try taking one of our IELTS reading practice tests.
So, let’s see how easy this passage is for you and if you’re able to make it in 20 minutes.
The question types found in this passage are:
- Matching Headings (Q. 1-6)
- Sentence Completion (Q. 7-9)
- True/False/Not Given (Q. 10-13)
Do you want to revise the steps to solve the Matching Features questions for IELTS Academic Reading?
Check out IELTS Reading Matching Features Questions!
Reading Passage
The Spice of Life
A When thinking of the most popular restaurant dish in the UK, the answer ‘chicken tikka masala’ does not spring readily to mind. But it is indeed the answer, often now referred to as a true ‘British national dish’. It may even have been invented by Indian immigrants in Scotland, who roasted chicken chunks (tikka), mixed them with spices and yoghurt, and served this in a bowl of masala sauce. The exact ingredients of the sauce vary from restaurant to restaurant, but the dish usually includes purced tomatoes and cream, coloured orange by turmeric and paprika. British cuisine? Yes, spices have come a long way.
B Spices are dried seeds, fruit, roots, bark, or vegetative parts of plants, added to food in small amounts to enhance flavour or colour. Herbs, in contrast, are only from the leaves, and only used for flavouring. Looking at the sources of some common spices, mustard and black pepper arc from seeds, cinnamon from bark, cloves from dried flower buds, ginger and turmeric from roots, while mace and saffron are from seed covers and stigma tips, respectively. In the face of such variety, it is becoming increasingly common for spices to be offered in pre-made combinations. Chili powder is a blend of chili peppers with other spices, often cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Mixed spice, which is often used in baking, is a British blend of sweet spices, with cinnamon being the dominant flavour. The ever-popular masala, as noted, could be anything, depending on the chef.
C Although human communities were using spices tens of thousands of years ago, the trade of this commodity only began about 2000 BC, around the Middle Last. Farly uses were less connected with cooking, and more with such diverse functions as embalming, medicine, religion, and food preservation. Eventually, extensive overland trade routes, such as the Silk Road, were established, yet it was maritime advances into India and East Asia which led to the most dramatic growth in commercial activities. From then on, spices were the driving force of the world economy, commanding such high prices that it pitted nation against nation, and became the major impetus to exploration and conquest. It would be hard to underestimate the role spices have played in human history.
D Originally, Muslim traders dominated these routes, seeing spice-laden ships from the Orient crossing the Indian Ocean to Red Sea and Persian Gulf ports, from where camel caravans transported the goods overland. However, although slow to develop, European nations, using aggressive exploration and colonisation strategies, eventually came to rule the Far East and, consequently, control of the spice trade. At first, Portugal was the dominant power, but the British and Dutch eventually gained the upper hand, so that by the 19th century, the British controlled India, while the Dutch had the greater portion of the East Indies (Indonesia). Cloves, nutmeg, and pepper were some of the most valuable spices of the time.
E But why were spices always in such demand? There are many answers. In the early days, they were thought to have strong medicinal properties by balancing ‘humours’, or excesses of emotions in the blood. Other times they were thought to prevent maladies such as the plague, which often saw prices of recommended spices soar. But most obviously, spices flavoured the bland meat-based European cuisines. Pepper, historically, has always been in highest demand for this reason, and even today, peppercorns (dried black pepper kernels) remain, by monetary value, the most widely traded spice in the world. However, saffron, by being produced within the small saffron flower, has always been among the world’s most costly spice by weight, valued mostly for its vivid colour.
F Predictably, the majority of the world’s spices are produced in India, although specific spices are often produced in greater amounts in other countries. Vietnam is the largest producer and exporter of pepper, meeting nearly one third of the world’s demand. Indonesia holds a clear lead in nutmeg production, Iran in saffron, and Sri Lanka in cinnamon. However, exportation of such spices is not always simple. Most are dried as a whole product, or dried and ground into powder, both forms allowing bulk purchase, easier storage and shipping, and a longer shelf life. For example, the rhizomes (underground stems) of turmeric are boiled lor several hours, then dried in ovens, after which they are ground into the yellow powder popular in South-Asian and Middle-Eastern cuisines.
G However, there are disadvantages in grinding spices. It increases their surface area many fold, accelerating the rate of evaporation and oxidation of their flavour-bearing and aromatic compounds. In contrast, whole dried spices retain these for much longer. Thus, seed-based varieties (which can be packaged and stored well) are often purchased in this form. This allows grinding to be done at the moment of cooking or eating, maximising the flavour and effect, a fact which often results in pepper ‘grinders’, instead of ‘shakers’, gracing the tables of the better restaurants around the world.
Questions 1-6
The Reading Passage has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Choose the correct heading for Paragraphs B-G from the list of headings.
List of Headings
- Uses of spice
- Spices for cooking
- Changing leaders
- A strange choice
- Preserving flavours
- Famous spice routes
- The power of spice
- Some spices
- Medicinal spices
- Spice providers
Example | Answer |
Paragraph A | iv |
1 Paragraph B
2 Paragraph C
3 Paragraph D
4 Paragraph E
5 Paragraph F
6 Paragraph G
Questions 7-9
Complete the sentence.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Saffron, from the small 7………………. of flowers, has a
8……………… , and is
mostly grown in 9……………… .
Questions 10-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
Write –
TRUE if the statement is true according to the passage
FALSE if the statement contradicts the passage
NOT GIVEN if there is no information about this in the passage
10 The ingredients of masala are fairly standardised.
11 The demand for spices led to greater exploration.
12 Vietnam consumes a lot of pepper.
13 Seed-based spices can be easily stored.
The Spice of Life Reading Answers and Explanations
1 Answer: viii
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph B, line 3-line 4
Answer explanation: In the second paragraph, it is given that “Looking at the sources of some common spices, mustard and black pepper arc from seeds, cinnamon from bark, cloves from dried flower buds, ginger and turmeric from roots, while mace and saffron are from seed covers and stigma tips, respectively. In the face of such variety…”. The quoted lines point out that the second paragraph discusses some spices and details on them. Furthermore, the keywords ‘some spices’ and ‘such variety’ are also mentioned in the third and fourth sentences of the paragraph that strengthen the answer. Hence, the answer is viii (Some spices).
2 Answer: vii
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph C, line 4-line 5
Answer explanation: In the specified paragraph, it is given that “From then on, spices were the driving force of the world economy, commanding such high prices that it pitted nation against nation, and became the major impetus to exploration and conquest. It would be hard to underestimate the role spices have played in human history.”. Although in the initial lines, the importance of spices are not stressed upon, they help to highlight the rise of power of the spices as they became the ‘driving force of the world economy’ and a ‘major impetus to exploration and conquest’. Hence, the answer is vii (The power of spice).
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3 Answer: iii
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph D, line 1-line 2
Answer explanation: In the fourth paragraph, it is specified that “Originally, Muslim traders dominated these routes…However, although slow to develop, European nations, using aggressive exploration and colonisation strategies, eventually came to rule the Far East and, consequently, control of the spice trade.”. From this reference, it can be concluded that the fourth paragraph points out how initially the Muslims dominated the spice routes and the business. Gradually, the European nations, like Portugal, British and Dutch, took over the dominance. Here, the keywords are ‘originally’, ‘however’ and ‘control of the spice trade’. Hence, the answer is iii (Changing leaders).
4 Answer: i
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph E, line 3- line 5
Answer explanation: In the cited lines, it is stated that “…they were thought to have strong medicinal properties by balancing ‘humours’, or excesses of emotions in the blood. Other times they were thought to prevent maladies such as the plague, which often saw prices of recommended spices soar. But most obviously, spices flavoured the bland meat-based European cuisines.”. Based on these statements, it can be commented that some of the uses of spices that favoured its growth are the strong medicinal properties, ability to prevent maladies and the flavour it added to the European cuisines. Hence, the answer is i (Uses of spice).
5 Answer: x
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph F, line 1-line 2
Answer explanation: In the indicated lines, it is given that “Predictably, the majority of the world’s spices are produced in India, although specific spices are often produced in greater amounts in other countries. Vietnam is the largest producer and exporter of pepper, meeting nearly one third of the world’s demand.”. It can be concluded that the sixth paragraph provides information on the major spice providers, which are India and Vietnam. Hence, the answer is x (Spice providers).
6 Answer: v
Question type: Matching Headings
Answer location: Paragraph G, line 3-line 4
Answer explanation: In the concluding paragraph, it is noted that “…whole dried spices retain these for much longer. Thus, seed-based varieties (which can be packaged and stored well) are often purchased in this form.”. This points out that the seventh paragraph discusses how different spices are preserved to retain their flavours. While whole dried spices retain their properties longer, the seed varieties are packaged and stored. Hence, the answer is v (Preserving flavours).
7 Answer: stigma tips
Question type: Sentence Completion
Answer location: Paragraph B, line 3
Answer explanation: In the specified line, it is said that “…mace and saffron are from seed covers and stigma tips, respectively.”. In other words, while mace is produced from the seed covers of the plant, saffron is taken from the stigma tips of the flower of the saffron plant. Hence, the answer is ‘stigma tips’.
8 Answer: vivid colour/color
Question type: Sentence Completion
Answer location: Paragraph E, line 7
Answer explanation: In the fifth paragraph, it is noted that “However, saffron, by being produced within the small saffron flower, has always been among the world’s most costly spice by weight, valued mostly for its vivid colour.”. It can be pointed out that the saffron is considered to be one of the costliest spices due to its vivid colour. Hence, the answer is ‘vivid colour/color’.
9 Answer: Iran
Question type: Sentence Completion
Answer location: Paragraph F, line 3
Answer explanation: In the cited line, it is stated that “Indonesia holds a clear lead in nutmeg production, Iran in saffron, and Sri Lanka in cinnamon.”. Here, it is clear that saffron was mainly grown in Iran. Hence, the answer is ‘Iran’.
10 Answer: False
Question type: True/False/Not Given
Answer location: Paragraph B, line 7
Answer explanation: In the concluding line of Paragraph B, it is mentioned that “The ever-popular masala, as noted, could be anything, depending on the chef.”. It shows that the ingredients of the masala vary depending on the chef and therefore, is not standardised as mentioned in the statement. As the statement contradicts the passage, the answer is False.
11 Answer: True
Question type: True/False/Not Given
Answer location: Paragraph C, line 4
Answer explanation: In the quoted line, it is stated that “From then on, spices were the driving force of the world economy, commanding such high prices that it pitted nation against nation, and became the major impetus to exploration and conquest.”. From the given reference, it can be said that spices or the huge demand for spices in the market became one of the major reasons (major impetus) for exploration. As the statement is true according to the passage, the answer is True.
12 Answer: Not Given
Question type: True/False/Not Given
Answer location: N.A.
Answer explanation: Although in Paragraph F, it is given “Vietnam is the largest producer and exporter of pepper, meeting nearly one third of the world’s demand.”, there is no reference of the high consumption of pepper in Vietnam. Hence, the answer is Not Given.
13 Answer: True
Question type: True/False/Not Given
Answer location: Paragraph G, line 4
Answer explanation: In the mentioned portion, it is reported that “Thus, seed-based varieties (which can be packaged and stored well) are often purchased in this form. ”. It can be concluded that seed-based spices are easier to store (stored well), as they are only packed and still retain their properties. As the statement is true according to the passage, the answer is True.
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Tips for Answering the Question Types in The Spice of Life website Reading Passage
Let us check out some quick tips to answer the types of questions in the ‘The Spice of Life’ Reading Answers passage.
Matching Headings:
You must match the heading in this type of question to the appropriate paragraph or reading segment in the text. Your ability to figure out the paragraph’s key concept and its supporting ideas will be put to the test.
- Take your time to rephrase the potential headings’ keywords.
- Find the main idea by scanning and skimming the paragraphs. Sometimes the essential idea of the paragraph is expressed in the header.
- For clarification on the paragraph’s main idea, see the first and last sentences. Likewise, quickly scan the middle of the paragraph to make sure you comprehend it.
- Don’t try to match words. Your primary goal is to match a correct paragraph.
- Choose the heading that best fits the paragraph after reading it again if two seem to be appropriate.
- The number of headings will always be greater than the number of paragraphs or sections, therefore some headings will never be utilized.
Sentence Completion:
In the sentence completion of the IELTS Reading test, you will be asked to fill in the blanks in incomplete phrases with the relevant words or numbers.
- Read the instructions carefully. It will help you determine the word limit (no more than two, one word, etc.) and important terms like ‘using words from the text’ or ‘from the text’. You have to follow these strictly.
- Read the incomplete sentences first. Also, think about keywords and how they could be represented by synonyms or paraphrasing.
- Locate where the information is by scanning quickly. If you can’t, move on.
- Study the reading text by using the skimming and scanning techniques. It will help to establish the answer quickly. When scanning for your answer, make sure you are thinking about paraphrasing and synonyms.
- The answers appear in the same order as the questions.Also, check your spelling and remember that your answer should be grammatically correct.
True/False/Not Given
In IELTS Reading, ‘True, False, Not Given’ questions are based on facts. Several factual statements will be provided to you, and it is up to you to determine whether or not they are accurate by reading the text.
To answer this type of question, you can use the following strategies:
- Read the question and identify the keywords – Before reading the material, have a look at your list of True, False, and Not Given questions.
- Scan the passage for synonyms or paraphrased words of the keywords – When you have highlighted the keywords, swiftly read the text to look for paraphrases or synonyms.
- Match the highlighted words in the questions with their synonyms in the text – Once you find both sets of keywords, cross-check them to find the answer.
- Identify the answer – If the facts match, the answer is TRUE, and in case it doesn’t match, it is FALSE. If you are unable to find the answer or unsure of it, mark it NOT GIVEN.
Also, check:
Practice IELTS Reading based on question types
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