Cambridge IELTS 3 · Academic · Test 3 · Passage 1
The Department of Ethnography — IELTS Reading Answers
All 12 answers for The Department of Ethnography, Cambridge IELTS 3 Academic Reading Test 3 Passage 1, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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The Department of Ethnography answer key at a glance
Questions 1–12. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with True / False / Not Given (Q1–6), Matching Features (Q7–12). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 1–6: 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 twentieth-century collections come mainly from mainstream societies such as the US and Europe.
“While this includes complex kingdoms, as in Africa, and ancient empires, such as those of the Americas, the primary focus of attention in the twentieth century has been on small-scale societies”
The twentieth-century focus has been on small-scale societies, not mainstream societies such as the US and Europe, so the statement is contradicted.
The Department of Ethnography focuses mainly on modern societies.
“the primary focus of attention in the twentieth century has been on small-scale societies”
The department's primary focus of attention in the twentieth century has been small-scale societies, not modern societies.
The Department concentrates on collecting single unrelated objects of great value.
“the collecting emphasis has often been less on individual objects than on groups of material which allow the display of a broad range of a society’s cultural expressions”
Collecting emphasised groups of material showing a broad range of cultural expressions rather than individual objects of great value.
The textile collection of the Department of Ethnography is the largest in the world.
“The material collected includes great technical series - for instance, of textiles from Bolivia, Guatemala, Indonesia and areas of West Africa - or of artefact types such as boats”
The text mentions textiles from Bolivia, Guatemala, Indonesia and West Africa but never claims the collection is the world's largest.
Traditional societies are highly inventive in terms of technology.
“In fact, traditional practices draw on a continuing wealth of technological ingenuity”
The passage states traditional practices draw on a continuing wealth of technological ingenuity, supporting the claim of inventiveness.
Many small-scale societies have survived and adapted in spite of predictions to the contrary.
“it was assumed that economic progress would rapidly lead to the disappearance or assimilation of many small-scale societies. Therefore, it was felt that the Museum should acquire materials representing people whose art or material culture, ritual or political structures were on the point of irrevocable change.”
The text says the assumption that small-scale societies would disappear altered with the realisation that marginal communities can survive and adapt.
Questions 7–12: Matching Features
Strategy: Match the statement to the named person or thing. Names can repeat, so check each option against what that person actually says.
Bolivian textiles
“The material collected includes great technical series - for instance, of textiles from Bolivia, Guatemala, Indonesia and areas of West Africa - or of artefact types such as boats”
Bolivian textiles are cited as part of great technical series of textiles, the category matching option TS.
Indian coracles
“The material collected includes great technical series - for instance, of textiles from Bolivia, Guatemala, Indonesia and areas of West Africa - or of artefact types such as boats.”
Indian coracles appear in the list of artefact types such as boats, matching option AT.
airport art
“The field assemblages, such as those from the Sudan, Madagascar and Yemen, include a whole range of material culture representative of one people. This might cover the necessities of life of an African herdsman or an Arabian farmer, ritual objects, or even on occasion airport art”
Airport art is listed among field assemblages, which include a whole range of material culture representative of one people.
Arctic kayaks
“The material collected includes great technical series - for instance, of textiles from Bolivia, Guatemala, Indonesia and areas of West Africa - or of artefact types such as boats.”
Arctic kayaks are named among the working examples of boats, the artefact types category.
necessities of life of an Arabian farmer
“The field assemblages, such as those from the Sudan, Madagascar and Yemen, include a whole range of material culture representative of one people. This might cover the necessities of life of an African herdsman or an Arabian farmer, ritual objects, or even on occasion airport art”
The necessities of life of an Arabian farmer are given as an example of what field assemblages cover.
tents from the Middle East
“Again, a series of acquisitions might represent a decade’s fieldwork documenting social experience as expressed in the varieties of clothing and jewellery styles, tents and camel trappings from various Middle Eastern countries”
Tents from various Middle Eastern countries are cited as part of a series of acquisitions documenting social experience.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the The Department of Ethnography passage come from?
It is Passage 1 of Cambridge IELTS 3 Academic Reading Test 3, and it covers Questions 1–12.
What question types appear in The Department of Ethnography?
The passage is tested with True / False / Not Given, Matching Features. 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.