Cambridge IELTS 5 · Academic · Test 2 · Passage 3
The Birth Of Scientific English — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for The Birth Of Scientific English, Cambridge IELTS 5 Academic Reading Test 2 Passage 3, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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The Birth Of Scientific English answer key at a glance
Questions 28–40. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with Summary Completion (Q28–34), True / False / Not Given (Q35–37), Table Completion (Q38–40). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 28–34: 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.
“There were several reasons why original science continued to be written in Latin”
The summary needs the language original science was written in; the passage says there were 'several reasons why original science continued to be written in Latin'.
“And in the mid-17th century it was common practice for mathematicians to keep their discoveries and proofs secret, by writing them in cipher, in obscure languages, or in private messages deposited in a sealed box with the Royal Society.”
The gap needs the professional group that clung most to Latin: 'Doctors clung the most keenly to Latin as an insider language'.
“First, it lacked the necessary technical vocabulary. Second, it lacked the grammatical resources required to represent the world in an objective and impersonal way, and to discuss the relations, such as cause and effect, that might hold between complex and hypothetical entities”
English first 'lacked the necessary technical vocabulary', so the gap requires the term for the specialist words science needed.
“First, it lacked the necessary technical vocabulary. Second, it lacked the grammatical resources required to represent the world in an objective and impersonal way, and to discuss the relations, such as cause and effect, that might hold between complex and hypothetical entities”
The second deficiency was 'the grammatical resources required to represent the world in an objective and impersonal way', naming the missing linguistic apparatus.
“Some of these scholars, including two with interests in language — John Wallis and John Wilkins — helped found the Royal Society in 1660 in order to promote empirical scientific research Fortunately,”
The gap needs the institution founded in 1660: Wallis and Wilkins 'helped found the Royal Society', whose members fostered publication of science in English.
“In the following century much of this momentum was lost as German established itself as the leading European language of science”
In the following century 'German established itself as the leading European language of science', so German displaced English.
“However, in the 19th century scientific English again enjoyed substantial lexical growth as the industrial revolution created the need for new technical vocabulary, and new, specialised, professional societies were instituted to promote and publish in the new disciplines”
The gap needs the historical development creating demand for new words: 'the industrial revolution created the need for new technical vocabulary'.
Questions 35–37: 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.
There was strong competition between scientists in Renaissance Europe.
“The European Renaissance (c. 14th–16th century) is sometimes called the 'revival of learning', a time of renewed interest in the 'lost knowledge' of classical times. At the same time, however, scholars also began to test and extend this knowledge.”
The passage mentions competitive nation states pursuing exploration and trade, but never says scientists themselves competed strongly with one another.
The most important scientific development of the Renaissance period was the discovery of magnetism.
“the discovery of magnetism (and hence the invention of the compass), improvements in cartography and — perhaps the most important scientific revolution of them all — the new theories of astronomy and the movement of the Earth in relation to the planets and stars, developed by Copernicus (1473–1543)”
The text calls the new astronomy theories of Copernicus 'perhaps the most important scientific revolution of them all', so magnetism was not the most important.
In 17th-century Britain, leading thinkers combined their interest in science with an interest in how to express ideas.
“Some of these scholars, including two with interests in language — John Wallis and John Wilkins — helped found the Royal Society in 1660 in order to promote empirical scientific research the society's members did a great deal to foster the publication of science in English and to encourage the development of a...”
Wallis and Wilkins, 'two with interests in language', helped found the Royal Society, whose members encouraged 'a suitable writing style' for science.
Questions 38–40: Table Completion
Strategy: Work row by row. The row label tells you where to look; the column heading tells you what kind of word you need.
“In the initial stages of the scientific revolution, most publications in the national languages were popular works, encyclopaedias, educational textbooks and translations”
The table needs the adjective describing early national-language publications: 'most publications in the national languages were popular works, encyclopaedias, educational textbooks and translations'.
“For example, Newton published his mathematical treatise, known as the Principia, in Latin, but published his later work on the properties of light — Opticks — in English”
The table needs Newton's Latin treatise: he published his 'mathematical treatise, known as the Principia, in Latin', while Opticks appeared in English.
“Latin was suitable for an international audience of scholars, whereas English reached a socially wider, but more local, audience”
The table contrasts audiences: Latin served international scholars, whereas English reached a 'socially wider, but more local, audience'.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the The Birth Of Scientific English passage come from?
It is Passage 3 of Cambridge IELTS 5 Academic Reading Test 2, and it covers Questions 28–40.
What question types appear in The Birth Of Scientific English?
The passage is tested with Summary Completion, True / False / Not Given, Table 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.