Cambridge IELTS 15 · Academic · Test 4 · Passage 2
Silbo Gomero – The Whistle ‘language’ Of The Canary Islands — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Silbo Gomero – The Whistle ‘language’ Of The Canary Islands, Cambridge IELTS 15 Academic Reading Test 4 Passage 2, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Silbo Gomero – The Whistle ‘language’ Of The Canary Islands answer key at a glance
Questions 14–26. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with True / False / Not Given (Q14–19), Note Completion (Q20–26). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 14–19: 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.
La Gomera is the most mountainous of all the Canary Islands.
“This small volcanic island is mountainous, with steep rocky slopes and deep, wooded ravines, rising to 1,487 metres at its highest peak”
NOT GIVEN: the island is described as mountainous, but it is never ranked against the other Canary Islands.
Silbo is only appropriate for short and simple messages.
“silbadores are able to pass a surprising amount of information via their whistles”
FALSE: silbadores 'are able to pass a surprising amount of information via their whistles', so Silbo is not limited to short simple messages.
In the brain-activity study, silbadores and non-whistlers produced different results.
“When the experiments were repeated with non-whistlers, however, activation was observed in all areas of the brain”
TRUE: with non-whistlers, 'activation was observed in all areas of the brain', a different result from the silbadores.
The Spanish introduced Silbo to the islands in the 15th century.
“that indigenous Canary Islanders, who were of North African origin, already had a whistled language when Spain conquered the volcanic islands in the 15th century”
FALSE: indigenous islanders 'already had a whistled language when Spain conquered the volcanic islands in the 15th century'.
There is precise data available regarding all of the whistle languages in existence today.
“There are thought to be as many as 70 whistled languages still in use, though only 12 have been described and studied scientifically”
FALSE: of perhaps 70 whistled languages, 'only 12 have been described and studied scientifically', so precise data is lacking.
The children of Gomera now learn Silbo.
“Since 1999, Silbo Gomero has been taught in all of the island’s elementary schools”
TRUE: 'since 1999, Silbo Gomero has been taught in all of the island's elementary schools', so children now learn it.
Questions 20–26: Note Completion
Strategy: Predict the word class from the note, find the paraphrase of the note's keyword in the passage, then copy the answer exactly within the word limit.
“Silbo is a substitute for Spanish, with individual words recoded into whistles which have high- and low-frequency tones”
Silbo recodes 'individual words' into whistles with high- and low-frequency tones, so words is the unit.
“A whistler – or silbador – puts a finger in his or her mouth to increase the whistle’s pitch”
A whistler 'puts a finger in his or her mouth to increase the whistle's pitch', so finger is the answer.
“while the other hand can be cupped to adjust the direction of the sound”
The other hand 'can be cupped to adjust the direction of the sound', so direction is what is controlled.
“In daily life they use whistles to communicate short commands”
In daily life islanders 'use whistles to communicate short commands', the message type required.
“Silbo has proved particularly useful when fires have occurred on the island and rapid communication across large areas has been vital”
Silbo proved useful 'when fires have occurred on the island', so fires is the emergency.
“But with modern communication technology now widely available, researchers say whistled languages like Silbo are threatened with extinction”
With 'modern communication technology now widely available', whistled languages are threatened, so technology is the cause.
“The local authorities are trying to get an award from the organisation”
The local authorities 'are trying to get an award from the organisation', so award is what they seek.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Silbo Gomero – The Whistle ‘language’ Of The Canary Islands passage come from?
It is Passage 2 of Cambridge IELTS 15 Academic Reading Test 4, and it covers Questions 14–26.
What question types appear in Silbo Gomero – The Whistle ‘language’ Of The Canary Islands?
The passage is tested with True / False / Not Given, Note 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.