IELTS READING MODULE 59

Short Answer
DIRECTIONS Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.

STRATEGY Scan the passage looking for key words found in the question and read for the
answer to who, what, when, where, or how long.

TIP Do not write more than the suggested numbers of words. If the directions say
"NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS" write ONLY three words or less. DO NOT
WRITE FOUR WORDS. You will be penalized.

The Wh- word at the beginning of the question tells you what type of specific detail to look for. If you see the
question word who, you will look for a name or an occupation. You will look for something that refers to a
person. Study the following lists to learn what to look for.
First word Look for ...
Who person
What place, object,. emotion
When time
Where location
Why reason
Which place, person, object
How many quantity
How long time, distance

PRACTICE (answers on page 228)

Read the paragraphs and answer the questions.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

Paragraph 1
A marathon is a type of running race. Its name comes from a legend about the Persian-Greek war. According
to the story, a soldier named Phidippides ran from the battlefield in Marathon to Athens, a distance of approxi­
mately 26 miles, to carry news about victory. When the first modern Olympics were held in Athens in 1896, the
idea of the marathon running race was brought up as a means of popularizing the event. At those games, the
marathon was just under 25 miles. In 1908 at the London Olympics, the length of the marathon was changed
to 26 miles. At the Paris Olympics in 1924 the official length of the marathon was finally established at 26.2
miles, and that is as it remains to this day.

1 How long is a marathon race now? ........................ .

2 What two places did Phidippides run between? .........................
3 Where were the Olympics held in 1908? ........................ .
60 IELTS STRATEGIES AND TIPS

Paragraph 2
The answer to the question, "Which was the first novel written in English?" depends on how one defines
the term "novel." There are a number of works that have tried to claim this honor. Probably the earliest
is Le Morte d'A.rthur, written by Thomas Malory, published in 1485. However, many do not count this as
a novel since it is not an original story but a retelling of legends. John Bunyan's 1678 work Pilgrim's
Progress is another claimant to the title, but because it is allegorical in nature, it also doesn't fit most
definitions of "novel." Pamela, written by Samuel Richardson in 1740, is widely considered to be the
first English language novel. It is written in the form of letters between the characters, as many early
novels were.

4 Who wrote Le Morte d'Arthur? .........................

5 Why isn't Pilgrim's Progress considered to be a novel? .........................
6 Which novel is generally accepted to be the first English novel? .........................

Paragraph 3
The word penguin often brings to mind playful black and white animals sliding on the ice. However, not all
of the seventeen species of penguin live in icy parts of the world. In fact, some live in areas where it is quite
warm. The Galapagos penguin, .for example, lives near the equator. Four penguin species live in the region of
Antarctica. The rest are distributed around different areas of the world, in cold, temperate, or tropical zones,
but all in the southern hemisphere. There are no native penguins in the northern hemisphere. Penguins live
off seafood-shrimp, krill, squid, and different kinds of fish, depending on the species of penguin.

7 How many species of penguin are there in the world? ........................ .

8 Where do all penguins live? .........................
9 What do penguins eat? .........................