Cambridge IELTS 17 · Academic · Test 2 · Passage 1
The Dead Sea Scrolls — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for The Dead Sea Scrolls, Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Reading Test 2 Passage 1, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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The Dead Sea Scrolls answer key at a glance
Questions 1–13. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with Note Completion (Q1–5), True / False / Not Given (Q6–13). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 1–5: 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.
“One of these young shepherds tossed a rock into an opening on the side of a cliff and was surprised to hear a shattering sound”
The gap needs what the shepherd threw; 'tossed a rock into an opening on the side of a cliff' supplies 'rock'.
“He and his companions later entered the cave”
The gap needs where the shepherds went next; 'He and his companions later entered the cave' gives 'cave'.
“and stumbled across a collection of large clay jars, seven of which contained scrolls with writing on them”
The gap needs the jar material; 'a collection of large clay jars' supplies 'clay'.
“The area was known as Judea at that time, and the people are thought to have belonged to a group called the Essenes, a devout Jewish sect”
The gap needs the name of the group; 'a group called the Essenes, a devout Jewish sect' gives 'Essenes'.
“The majority of the texts on the Dead Sea Scrolls are in Hebrew”
The gap needs the main language of the texts; 'The majority of the texts ... are in Hebrew' supplies 'Hebrew'.
Questions 6–13: 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 Bedouin teenagers who found the scrolls were disappointed by how little money they received for them.
“The teenagers took the seven scrolls to a nearby town where they were sold for a small sum to a local antiquities dealer.”
The scrolls were 'sold for a small sum', but the passage never says whether the teenagers were disappointed by the price, so NOT GIVEN.
There is agreement among academics about the origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
“The origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were written around 2,000 years ago between 150 BCE and 70 CE, is still the subject of scholarly debate even today.”
The origin 'is still the subject of scholarly debate even today', contradicting the claim of academic agreement, so FALSE.
Most of the books of the Bible written on the scrolls are incomplete.
“The Dead Sea Scrolls include fragments from every book of the Old Testament of the Bible except for the Book of Esther.”
The scrolls 'include fragments from every book of the Old Testament ... except for the Book of Esther', and fragments are incomplete, so TRUE.
The information on the Copper Scroll is written in an unusual way.
“Using an unconventional vocabulary and odd spelling, it describes 64 underground hiding places that supposedly contain riches buried for safekeeping.”
The Copper Scroll uses 'an unconventional vocabulary and odd spelling', which is indeed an unusual way of writing, so TRUE.
Mar Samuel was given some of the scrolls as a gift.
“In 1948, a Syrian Orthodox archbishop known as Mar Samuel acquired four of the original seven scrolls from a Jerusalem shoemaker and part-time antiquity dealer, paying less than $100 for them.”
Mar Samuel 'acquired four of the original seven scrolls ... paying less than $100 for them', so he bought them rather than receiving a gift, FALSE.
In the early 1950s, a number of educational establishments in the US were keen to buy scrolls from Mar Samuel.
“He then travelled to the United States and unsuccessfully offered them to a number of universities, including Yale.”
He 'unsuccessfully offered them to a number of universities, including Yale', so US institutions were not keen to buy, FALSE.
The scroll that was pieced together in 2017 contains information about annual occasions in the Qumran area 2,000 years ago.
“The scroll names celebrations that indicate shifts in seasons and details two yearly religious events known from another Dead Sea Scroll.”
The scroll 'names celebrations that indicate shifts in seasons and details two yearly religious events', annual occasions, so TRUE.
Academics at the University of Haifa are currently researching how to decipher the final scroll.
“Only one more known scroll remains untranslated.”
The text says 'only one more known scroll remains untranslated' but never mentions University of Haifa academics researching it, so NOT GIVEN.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the The Dead Sea Scrolls passage come from?
It is Passage 1 of Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Reading Test 2, and it covers Questions 1–13.
What question types appear in The Dead Sea Scrolls?
The passage is tested with Note Completion, True / False / Not Given. 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.