An Ideal City — IELTS Reading Answers

People first referred to Leonardo da Vinci as a genius 500 years ago.

“The word ‘genius’ is universally associated with the name of Leonardo da Vinci. A true Renaissance man, he embodied scientific spirit, artistic talent and humanist sensibilities. Five hundred years have passed since Leonardo died in his home at Chateau du Clos Luce, outside Tours, France.”

The text says 'genius' is universally associated with Leonardo and that 500 years have passed since he died, but never says when people first used the label.

The current climate crisis is predicted to cause more deaths than the plague.

“the spread of the plague in the 14th century, which caused a global crisis resulting in some 200 million deaths across Europe and Asia. Today, the world is on the cusp of a climate crisis, which is predicted to cause widespread displacement, extinctions and death, if left unaddressed.”

It compares the plague's 200 million deaths with a climate crisis predicted to cause displacement, extinctions and death, but never says it will exceed the plague.

Some of the challenges we face today can be compared to those of earlier times.

“Then, as now, radical solutions were called for to revolutionise the way people lived and safeguard humanity against catastrophe.”

The phrase 'Then, as now, radical solutions were called for to revolutionise the way people lived' explicitly compares past and present challenges, so TRUE.

Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘ideal city’ was constructed in the 15th century.

“Around 1486 – after a pestilence that killed half the population in Milan, Italy – Leonardo turned his thoughts to urban planning problems. Following a typical Renaissance trend, he began to work on an ‘ideal city’ project, which – due to its excessive costs – would remain unfulfilled.”

The 'ideal city' project 'would remain unfulfilled' because of 'excessive costs', so it was never constructed in the 15th century.

Poor town planning is a major contributor to climate change.

“Yet given that unsustainable urban models are a key cause of global climate change today,”

'unsustainable urban models are a key cause of global climate change today' confirms that poor town planning contributes to climate change.

In Renaissance times, local people fought against the changes to Pienza and Ferrara.

“prominent Renaissance men pushed forward large-scale urban projects in Italy, such as the reconfiguration of the town of Pienza and the expansion of the city of Ferrara.”

The passage mentions the reconfiguration of Pienza and the expansion of Ferrara but never describes any local opposition to those changes.

Leonardo da Vinci kept a neat, organised record of his designs.

“It is not easy to identify a coordinated vision of Leonardo’s ideal city because of his disordered way of working with notes and sketches.”

Leonardo's 'disordered way of working with notes and sketches' makes a coordinated vision hard to identify, contradicting the claim of a neat, organised record.

“He designed the city for the easy transport of goods and clean urban spaces”

The gap needs what the city design made easy; 'the easy transport of goods and clean urban spaces' supplies 'transport'.

“Leonardo wanted the city to be built on several levels, linked with vertical outdoor staircases.”

The gap needs the vertical links between levels; 'linked with vertical outdoor staircases' gives the plural noun 'staircases'.

“But the true originality of Leonardo’s vision was its fusion of architecture and engineering.”

The gap needs the field fused with architecture; 'its fusion of architecture and engineering' answers it.

“a rule still followed in many contemporary cities across Italy”

The gap needs what Italian cities still follow; 'a rule still followed in many contemporary cities across Italy' supplies 'rule'.

“Although some of these features existed in Roman cities, before Leonardo’s drawings there had never been a multi-level”

The gap names the earlier cities with some of these features; 'some of these features existed in Roman cities' gives 'Roman'.

“is an idea that can be found in Georges-Eugene Haussmann’s renovation of Paris under Emperor Napoleon III between 1853 and 1870.”

The gap needs the city Haussmann renovated; 'Haussmann's renovation of Paris under Emperor Napoleon III' answers it.

“Many scholars think that the compact city, built upwards instead of outwards,”

The gap contrasts the compact city's direction with its opposite; 'built upwards instead of outwards' supplies 'outwards'.