Cambridge IELTS 16 · General Training · Test 3 · Section 3
Feathers As Decoration In European History — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Feathers As Decoration In European History, Cambridge IELTS 16 General Training Reading Test 3 Section 3, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Feathers As Decoration In European History answer key at a glance
Questions 28–40. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this section tests
This section is tested with Matching Headings (Q28–33), One Choice (Q34–36), Matching Sentence Endings (Q37–40). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 28–33: Matching Headings
Strategy: Read the paragraph first and summarise its main idea in five words. Choose the heading that matches the whole paragraph, not a repeated keyword.
Section A
“'Historically, feathers were an incredibly expressive accessory for men”
Heading vii fits Section A, which calls feathers 'an incredibly expressive accessory for men', stressing what they communicated.
Section B
“In 1500, they were barely worn at all in Europe; 100 years later they had become an indispensable accessory for the fashionable European man”
Heading iii matches Section B's contrast: rare in 1500 yet 'indispensable' a century later, a dramatic change in use.
Section C
“One crucial driver, however, was exploration – the discovery of new lands, especially in South America”
Heading i fits Section C, where 'exploration – the discovery of new lands' is named the crucial driver of feather fashion.
Section D
“Gradually, feathers came to indicate that the wearer was healthy and civilised. Artists and musicians took to wearing them as a mark of subtlety and style.”
Heading vi suits Section D: feathers signified a wearer who was 'healthy and civilised' and conveyed 'subtlety and style'.
Section E
“Within the armies of Europe feathers remained an essential part of military costume”
Heading viii fits Section E, which says feathers 'remained an essential part of military costume' in European armies.
Section F
“All this shows a sea-change in methodologies: historians now chart the ways in which our identities are shaped through deep connections with 'stuff' – the material objects that are parts of our lives”
Heading v fits Section F, which describes a 'sea-change in methodologies' and historians studying identity through material objects.
Questions 34–36: One Choice
Strategy: Read the question stem and predict the answer before looking at the options. Wrong options often repeat passage words while the correct one paraphrases them.
In Section B, what information is given about the use of feathers in the 16th century?
- ASome were not real feathers, but imitations.
- BThey were sometimes coloured artificially.correct
- CBirds were specially bred for their feathers.
- DThere was some disapproval of their use for decoration.
“Impressive efforts went into dyeing them”
Option B: 'impressive efforts went into dyeing them', so feathers were sometimes artificially coloured rather than left natural.
Rublack suggests the feather costume worn by Duke Frederick in 1599 represented
- Aa lack of sensitivity to American traditions.
- Ba rejection of the beliefs held by those around him.
- Ca positive attitude towards the culture of the Americas.correct
- Da wish to follow a fashion of the time.
“Duke Frederick of Wurttemberg held a display at his court at which he personally appeared wearing a costume covered in exotic feathers and representing the Americas. This was not just a symbol of power, but of cultural connectedness”
Option C: the costume 'representing the Americas' showed 'cultural connectedness', reflecting a positive attitude to American culture.
According to Rublack, one reason why feathers survived in European military costume was because
- Abirds were seen as having religious significance.
- Bfeathers suggested certain qualities about military activities.correct
- Cthe power of feathers was feared by other cultures.
- Dsoldiers came to associate particular birds with warlike qualities.
“Rublack believes that just as some of these cultures considered the feathers of certain birds to be highly significant, and sometimes sacred, European soldiers saw the feathers as imparting noble passions, bravery and courage”
Option B: soldiers saw feathers as 'imparting noble passions, bravery and courage', qualities linked to military activity.
Questions 37–40: Matching Sentence Endings
Strategy: Complete the grammar first, then check the meaning. The ending must follow logically from the stem as well as appear in the passage.
Hats decorated with long black feathers
“The Bersaglieri of the Italian Army, for example, still wear a bunch of long black feathers in their hats hanging down to one side”
Option C matches the Bersaglieri, who 'still wear a bunch of long black feathers' hanging to one side of their hats.
Feathers from cranes and swallows
“In prosperous trading centres, the citizens started wearing hats bedecked with feathers from cranes and swallows”
Option G fits the prosperous trading centres, where 'citizens started wearing hats bedecked with feathers from cranes and swallows'.
Feathers from exotic birds
“Given the link with new territories and conquest, ruling elites wore feathers partly to express their power and reach”
Option E matches ruling elites, who 'wore feathers partly to express their power and reach' after conquests in new territories.
Peacock feathers
“During the 1550s, Eleanor of Toledo had hats made from peacock feathers to keep her dry in the rain”
Option B fits Eleanor of Toledo, whose peacock-feather hats were made 'to keep her dry in the rain' — a practical use.
Learn the question types in this section
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Feathers As Decoration In European History passage come from?
It is Section 3 of Cambridge IELTS 16 General Training Reading Test 3, and it covers Questions 28–40.
What question types appear in Feathers As Decoration In European History?
The section is tested with Matching Headings, One Choice, Matching Sentence Endings. Each type is explained on this page, alongside the answers.
Are these reading answers reliable?
Every answer is paired with the sentence that proves it, so you can check each one against the passage yourself. Use the page after a timed attempt, not instead of one.
Cambridge IELTS is published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Band9Prep is not affiliated with Cambridge. This page is an independent study aid: it gives the answer key, the passage evidence and an explanation so you can review an attempt you have already made.