Twist in the Tale - IELTS Reading Answers With Explanations

“Twist in the Tale” is an IELTS Reading test passage, which has appeared in a previous exam question paper. 

This particular passage will help you perfectly understand the type of reading texts you will come across in your final IELTS exam.

So why wait? Let us take this IELTS reading passage on the topic, “Twist in the Tale”, given below, now! 

Types of Questions in “Twist in the Tale” IELTS Reading Passage 

Familiarize yourself with the question types of the IELTS Reading test, so that it becomes easy for you to attempt the reading passages like the ‘Twist in the Tale.’ 

Remember to note down your strengths and weaknesses for each question type so that you can work on them and aim for a higher band score! 

The question types found in this IELTS Academic Reading “Twist in the Tale’ passage include:

• IELTS Reading Matching Features 
• IELTS Reading Short Answer Questions
• IELTS Matching Information

Matching Features 

• The matching feature type of questions in the IELTS reading test requires the test-taker to match a set of statements or information with the list of options. 
• The options will be displayed in a box, which will typically be someone’s name or features which have been specified in the reading passage. 
• The test-taker should be able to scan the text for names and features, recognise paraphrasing and synonyms and use context to figure out the meaning. 

Short Answer Questions 

• The short answer questions in the IELTS reading test require the test-taker to write relevant answers to the given questions. 
• The answers can be found in the reading text. 
• The short answer questions assess the test-taker’s ability to locate and understand precise information in the text. 

Matching Information 

• The matching information type of questions in the IELTS reading test are very common which assesses the test-taker’s ability to recognize the information/facts present in the reading passage. 
• In the matching information questions, the test-taker is required to match the statements to paragraphs in the text. 
• A test-taker must possess strong paraphrasing skills to attempt this type of question. 

“Twist in the Tale” - IELTS Reading Passage

You should spend 20 minutes on Questions 1-14, which are based on the Reading Passage below.

Fears that television and computers would kill children’s desire to read couldn’t have been more wrong. With sales roaring, a new generation of authors are publishing’s newest and unlikeliest literary stars.  

A. Less than three years ago, doom merchants were predicting that the growth in video games and the rise of the Internet would sound the death knell for children’s literature. But contrary to popular myth, children are reading more books than ever. A recent survey by Books Marketing found that children up to the age of 11 read on average for four hours a week, particularly girls.
B. Moreover, the children’s book market, which traditionally was seen as a poor cousin to the more lucrative and successful adult market, has come into its own. Publishing houses are now making considerable profits on the back of new children’s books and children’s authors can now command significant advances. ‘Children’s books are going through an incredibly fertile period,’ says Wendy Cooling, a children’s literature consultant. ‘There’s a real buzz around them. Book clubs are happening, sales are good, and people are much more willing to listen to children’s authors.’
C. The main growth area has been the market for eight to fourteen-year-olds, and there is little doubt that the boom has been fuelled by the bespectacled apprentice, Harry Potter. So influential has J. K. Rowling’s series of books been that they have helped to make reading fashionable for pre-teens. ‘Harry made it OK to be seen on a bus reading a book,’ says Cooling. ‘To a child, that is important.’ The current buzz around the publication of the fourth Harry Potter beats anything in the world of adult literature.
D. ‘People still tell me, “Children don’t read nowadays”,’ says David Almond, the award-winning author of children’s books such as Skellig. The truth is that they are skilled, creative readers. When I do classroom visits, they ask me very sophisticated questions about the use of language, story structure, chapters and dialogue.’ No one is denying that books are competing with other forms of entertainment for children’s attention but it seems as though children find a special kind of mental nourishment within the printed page.
E. ‘A few years ago, publishers lost confidence and wanted to make books more like television, the medium that frightened them most,’ says children’s book critic Julia Eccleshare. ‘But books aren’t TV, and you will find that children always say that the good thing about books is that you can see them in your head. Children are demanding readers,’ she says. ‘If they don’t get it in two pages, they’ll drop it.’
F. No more are children’s authors considered mere sentimentalists or failed adult writers. 'Some feted adult writers would kill for the sales,’ says Almond, who sold 42,392 copies of Skellig in 1999 alone. And advances seem to be growing too: UK publishing outfit Orion recently negotiated a six-figure sum from US company Scholastic for The Seeing Stone, a children's novel by Kevin Crossley-Holland, the majority of which will go to the author.
G. It helps that once smitten, children are loyal and even fanatical consumers. Author Jacqueline Wilson says that children spread news of her books like a bushfire. 'My average reader is a girl of ten,’ she explains. ‘They’re sociable and acquisitive. They collect. They have parties - where books are a good present. If they like something, they have to pass it on.’ After Rowling, Wilson is currently the best-selling children’s writer, and her sales have boomed over the past three years. She has sold more than three million books, but remains virtually invisible to adults, although most ten-year-old girls know about her.
H. Children’s books are surprisingly relevant to contemporary life. Provided they are handled with care, few topics are considered off-limits for children. One senses that children’s writers relish the chance to discuss the whole area of topics and language. But Anne Fine, author of many award­winning children’s books is concerned that the British literati still ignore children’s culture. ‘It’s considered worthy but boring,’ she says.
I. I think there’s still a way to go,’ says Almond, who wishes that children’s books were taken more seriously as literature. Nonetheless, he derives great satisfaction from his child readers. ‘They have a powerful literary culture,’ he says. ‘It feels as if you’re able to step into the store of mythology and ancient stories that run through all societies and encounter the great themes: love and loss and death and redemption.’
J. At the moment, the race is on to find the next Harry Potter. The bidding for new books at Bologna this year - the children’s equivalent of the Frankfurt Book Fair - was as fierce as anything anyone has ever seen. All of which bodes well for the long-term future of the market - and for children’s authors, who have traditionally suffered the lowest profile in literature, despite the responsibility of their role.

Questions

Questions 1-7
Look at the following list of people A-E and the list of statements (Questions 1-7).
Match each statement with one of the people listed.
Write the appropriate letters A-E in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.

1. Children take pleasure in giving books to each other.
2. Reading in public is an activity that children have not always felt comfortable about doing.
3. Some well-known writers of adult literature regret that they earn less than popular children’s writers.
4. Children are quick to decide whether they like or dislike a book.
5. Children will read many books by an author that they like.
6. The public do not realise how much children read today.
7. We are experiencing a rise in the popularity of children’s literature.

A.  Wendy Cooling
B.  David Almond
C.  Julia Eccleshare
D.  Jacqueline Wilson
E.  Anne Fine

Questions 8-10
Using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the reading passage, answer the following questions.
Write your answers in boxes 8-10 on your answer sheet.

8. For which age group have sales of books risen the most?
9. Which company has just invested heavily in an unpublished children’s book?
10. Who is currently the best-selling children’s writer? 

Questions 11-14

The Reading Passage has ten paragraphs A-J.
Which paragraph mentions the following (Questions 11-14)?
Write the appropriate letters (A-J) in boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet.

11. the fact that children are able to identify and discuss the important elements of fiction
12. the undervaluing of children’s society
13. the impact of a particular fictional character on the sales of children’s books
14. an inaccurate forecast regarding the reading habits of children

“Twist in the Tale” IELTS Reading Answers With Explanations and Location 

1 Answer: D 

Question type: Matching Features

Answer location: Paragraph G, line 2 – 4 

Answer explanation: We understand from paragraph G, that Author Jacqueline Wilson has said that children spread news of her books like bushfire. The average reader of her book was a girl of 10, who is sociable, and acquisitive. Also, the children collect, they have parties, where books are a good present. These lines illustrate that the J Wilson has opined that children enjoy gifting books to one another at parties. So, the answer is D. 

2 Answer: A

Question type: Matching Features 

Answer location: Paragraph C, Line 5

Answer explanation: The fifth line of paragraph C illustrates that ‘Harry made it OK to be seen on a bus reading a book, ‘ says Cooling. ‘To a child, that is important.‘ We understand from these lines that the popular character, Harry Potter, normalized the notion of reading on the bus for children, as they earlier felt uncomfortable to read on the bus amongst the public. Thus, the answer is A. 

3 Answer: B

Question type: Matching Features 

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 2 

Answer explanation:  We find reference in the 2nd line of paragraph F, where it is mentioned that some feted adult writers would kill for the sales, says Almond, who sold 42,392 copies of skelling in 1999 alone. These lines illustrate that children’s writer, Almond has said that adult writers long to earn as much as children’s writers. So, the answer is B. 

4 Answer: C 

Question type: Matching Features 

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 5

Answer explanation: Paragraph E illustrates the sayings by children’s book critic Julia Eccleshare, who states in the 5th line that children are tough readers, who will drop the book, if they don’t get it in two pages. We understand from these lines that despite having an interest in reading books, children are choosy. They’ll reject a book if they don’t find it interesting in the first two pages. Thus, the answer is C. 

5 Answer: D

Question type: Matching Features 

Answer location: Paragraph G 

Answer explanation: The introductory line of paragraph G states, it helps that once smitten, children are loyal and even fanatical customers. Author Jacqueline Wilson says that children spread news of her books like bushfire. We understand from these lines that when children like new books, they like to share it with others and that the author says that children are the loyal and fanatical customers who recommended her books to others. Thus, the answer is D. 

6 Answer: B

Question type: Matching Features 

Answer location: Paragraph D 

Answer explanation: We find reference in the introductory line of paragraph D, where David Almond says that people still tell him that children don’t read nowadays because the truth is that they are skilled and creative readers. Almond also states that whenever he visits the classroom, children ask him very sophisticated questions about use of language, story structure, chapters, and dialogue. These lines illustrate that many people think that children don’t read often. But they’re avid and skilled readers, and they ask sophisticated questions related to books, which means that the public doesn’t know how much children read and understand books. Thus, the answer is B. 

7 Answer: A

Question type: Matching Features 

Answer location: Paragraph B, Line 6

Answer explanation: We find reference in 6th line of paragraph B, which states that children’s books are going through an incredibly fertile period, says Wendy Cooling, a children’s literature consultant, there’s a real buzz around them. We understand from these lines that Wendy Cooling elucidated that the children’s books are gaining popularity and are high on rise as there’s a buzz around children. Thus, the answer is A. 

8 Answer: 8 – 14 years/ yrs/ (year-olds) 

Question type: Short Answer Questions 

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 1

Answer explanation: The introductory line of paragraph C states that the main growth area had been the market for eight to fourteen year-olds and there’s little doubt that the boom has been fueled by the bespectacled apprentice, Harry Potter. These lines clearly indicate that the popularity of children’s books in the market was because of 8 – 14 year-old children, who were intrigued by the story of Harry Potter. Thus, the answer is 8 – 14 years/ yrs/ (year-olds). 

9 Answer: Orion 

Question type: Short Answer Questions 

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 5

Answer explanation: We find reference in the 5th line of paragraph F, which illustrates that recently Orion negotiated a six figure sum from US company Scholastic for The Seeing Stone, a children’s novel by Kevin Crossley-Holland, the majority of which will go to the author. These lines indicate that a US based publishing company, Orion commissioned a six-figure sum for a children’s novel and the majority of the amount will go to the Author. Thus, the answer is Orion. 

10 Answer: J. K. Rowling 

Question type: Short Answer Questions 

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 3

Answer explanation: We find reference in the 3rd line of paragraph C, which states that So influential has J. K. Rowling’s series of books been that they have helped to make reading fashionable for pre-teens. These lines illustrate that JK Rowling’s series of books has gained stardom, glory and popularity amongst children. Besides, those books helped to make reading more fashionable for pre-teens. Thus, the answer is J. K. Rowling. 

11 Answer: D

Question type: Matching Information 

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 3 – 4

Answer explanation: We find reference in the 3rd line which states that when David Almond visits the classroom, children ask him very sophisticated questions about language use, story structure, chapters, and dialogue. These lines illustrate that children ask knowledgeable and sophisticated questions related to books, story, dialogues, story structure, and chapters which are basically an important element of a book. Thus, the answer is D. 

12 Answer: H

Question type: Matching Information 

Answer location: Paragraph H, line 4

Answer explanation: We find reference in 4th line of paragraph H, which mentions that Anne Fine, author of many award-winning children’s books, is concerned that the British literati still ignore children’s culture. She says that it’s considered worthy, but boring. These lines elucidate that Anne Fine saying that British literati are ignoring children’s culture, i.e, the British literature is undervaluing children’s literature. So, the answer is H. 

13 Answer: C

Question type: Matching Information 

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 1 

Answer explanation: The introductory line of paragraph C states that the main growth has been the market of eight to fourteen year-olds, and there’s little doubt that the boom has been fueled by the bespectacled apprentice, Harry Potter. These lines make it clear that there was a great rise in book sales amongst the 8-14 year-olds, and the boom was fueled by the fictional character, Harry Potter. Thus, the answer is C. 

14 Answer: A

Question type: Matching Information 

Answer location: Paragraph A, line 1 – 2 

Answer explanation: The introductory line of paragraph A illustrates that less than 3 years ago, doom merchants were predicting that the growth in video games and the rise of the internet would sound the death knell for children’s literature. But contrary to popular myth, children are reading more books than ever. These lines indicate that a couple of years back, doom merchants predicted that the rise in video games and internet would change children’s reading habits, which would result in its failure. However, children started reading more than ever. Thus, the answer is A. 

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