Cambridge IELTS 16 · Academic · Test 3 · Passage 1
Roman Shipbuilding And Navigation — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Roman Shipbuilding And Navigation, Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Reading Test 3 Passage 1, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Roman Shipbuilding And Navigation answer key at a glance
Questions 1–13. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with True / False / Not Given (Q1–5), Summary Completion (Q6–13). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 1–5: True / False / Not Given
Strategy: Judge the whole statement against the text. FALSE contradicts the passage; NOT GIVEN means the passage never addresses that specific claim.
The Romans’ shipbuilding skills were passed on to the Greeks and the Egyptians.
“The Romans were not traditionally sailors but mostly land-based people, who learned to build ships from the people that they conquered, namely the Greeks and the Egyptians.”
The Romans 'learned to build ships from the people that they conquered, namely the Greeks and the Egyptians', so the skills passed to Rome, not from it, FALSE.
Skilled craftsmen were needed for the mortise and tenon method of fixing planks.
“Starting from the 6th century BCE, they were fixed using a method called mortise and tenon, whereby one plank locked into another without the need for stitching.”
The text explains the mortise and tenon method locking planks 'without the need for stitching' but never mentions skilled craftsmen, so NOT GIVEN.
The later practice used by Mediterranean shipbuilders involved building the hull before the frame.
“Then in the first centuries of the current era, Mediterranean shipbuilders shifted to another shipbuilding method, still in use today, which consisted of building the frame first and then proceeding with the hull and the other components of the ship.”
Mediterranean builders shifted to a method 'consisting of building the frame first and then proceeding with the hull', so the hull came second, FALSE.
The Romans called the Mediterranean Sea Mare Nostrum because they dominated its use.
“Eventually, Rome’s navy became the largest and most powerful in the Mediterranean, and the Romans had control over what they therefore called Mare Nostrum meaning ‘our sea’.”
Rome's navy became 'the largest and most powerful in the Mediterranean', and the Romans called it Mare Nostrum 'meaning our sea' because of that control, TRUE.
Most rowers on ships were people from the Roman army.
“It is worth noting that contrary to popular perception, rowers were not slaves but mostly Roman citizens enrolled in the military.”
Rowers 'were not slaves but mostly Roman citizens enrolled in the military', matching the claim about army personnel, TRUE.
Questions 6–13: Summary Completion
Strategy: Read the summary as a paragraph first to establish the logic, then locate the missing idea in the passage. With a lettered list, confirm the grammar fits.
“Warships were built to be lightweight and very speedy.”
The gap needs a description of warship construction; 'Warships were built to be lightweight and very speedy' supplies 'lightweight'.
“They had a bronze battering ram, which was used to pierce the timber hulls or break the oars of enemy vessels.”
The gap needs the metal of the battering ram; 'They had a bronze battering ram' gives 'bronze'.
“The ‘trireme’ was the dominant warship from the 7th to 4th century BCE. It had rowers in the top, middle and lower levels, and approximately 50 rowers in each bank.”
The gap needs where the trireme's rowers sat; 'rowers in the top, middle and lower levels' supplies 'levels'.
“Unlike warships, their V-shaped hull was deep underwater, meaning that they could not sail too close to the coast.”
The gap needs the part that was deep underwater; 'their V-shaped hull was deep underwater' gives 'hull'.
“They had from one to three masts with large square sails and a small triangular sail at the bow.”
The gap needs the shape of the small bow sail; 'a small triangular sail at the bow' supplies 'triangular'.
“In order to assist them, music would be played on an instrument, and oars would then keep time with this.”
The gap needs what kept the rowers in time; 'music would be played on an instrument, and oars would then keep time' gives 'music'.
“The cargo on merchant ships included raw materials (e.g. iron bars, copper, marble and granite), and agricultural products (e.g. grain from Egypt’s Nile valley).”
The gap needs an agricultural cargo from Egypt; 'grain from Egypt's Nile valley' supplies 'grain'.
“Large merchant ships would approach the destination port and, just like today, be intercepted by a number of towboats that would drag them to the quay.”
The gap needs the vessels that dragged ships to the quay; 'intercepted by a number of towboats that would drag them' gives 'towboats'.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Roman Shipbuilding And Navigation passage come from?
It is Passage 1 of Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Reading Test 3, and it covers Questions 1–13.
What question types appear in Roman Shipbuilding And Navigation?
The passage is tested with True / False / Not Given, Summary Completion. 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.