The Forgotten Role Of Women In Medieval Arts — IELTS Reading Answers

In Paragraph A, what does the writer say about the archaeology team’s work?

1. AIt confirmed what they had assumed when they started it.
2. BIt was hard to persuade other historians about their findings.
3. CIt could reveal the importance of various women in history.correct
4. DIt could help identify the number of books written in the Middle Ages.

“The findings are the first of their kind and strongly suggest it will be possible to increase the profile of ancient female artists in the historical and archaeological record by analysing their dirty teeth”

Option C fits the claim that analysing dirty teeth makes it 'possible to increase the profile of ancient female artists', revealing their importance.

What point does the writer make about dental tartar in Paragraph C?

1. AArchaeologists could make more use of it than they do at present.correct
2. BSome particles are more easily trapped in it than others.
3. CThe environment can cause it to break down.
4. DChanges in people’s diet have influenced its composition.

“Despite such promising evidence, the value of tartar as environmental evidence has not, so far, been much exploited”

Option A matches the statement that 'the value of tartar as environmental evidence has not, so far, been much exploited'.

What did the skeleton of B78 suggest about her?

1. AShe had not been very old when she died.
2. BHer life had not been very physically demanding.correct
3. CHer teeth had more tartar than most skeletons of that age.
4. DShe had been given a grander burial than other women of her time.

“Her skeletal remains had not indicated anything particular about her life, besides a general indication that she probably did not do any hard labour”

Option B fits the skeleton's indication that 'she probably did not do any hard labour', so her life was not physically demanding.

What is the writer doing in Paragraph F?

1. Asupporting the team’s view that the blue pigment was importedcorrect
2. Bexplaining why artists in Europe liked to use the blue pigment
3. Ccomparing artistic designs using the blue pigment in different parts of the world
4. Dcriticising arguments put forward by other scientists about the blue pigment

“And creating a vivid blue pigment from lapis lazuli required an Arabic method of oil flotation that did not appear in European artists' manuals until after the 15th century. This all suggests that it's more likely that this ultramarine pigment was brought into the region as a finished product for use by artists”

Option A fits Paragraph F's conclusion that the pigment 'was brought into the region as a finished product', supporting the import view.

What problem does the writer highlight about medieval artists in Paragraph G?

1. Athe poor facilities available to females in the profession
2. Bthe small number of projects available to them
3. Cthe difficulties locating their skeletal remains for study
4. Dthe lack of evidence for their contribution to bookscorrect

“Additionally, artists are largely invisible in both the historic and archaeological records as they rarely signed their work before the 15th century and, until now, there have been no known skeletal markers directly associated with producing art”

Option D matches the problem that artists 'are largely invisible in both the historic and archaeological records', leaving little evidence of their book work.

reference to the possible length of time that tartar can preserve particles from the air

“When dental plaque hardens and becomes tartar, it can entomb these particles and molecules for hundreds or thousands of years - potentially even millions”

Section B states tartar can entomb particles 'for hundreds or thousands of years - potentially even millions', the preservation period.

two reasons why the particles that the team found in teeth were unique

“The blue particles were unlike any other discovery - firstly because of their colour, and secondly because of their sheer number”

Section D calls the particles 'unlike any other discovery - firstly because of their colour, and secondly because of their sheer number', two reasons.

various examples of the types of particle that can be discovered in old teeth

“Tree and grass pollen, spores, cotton fibres, medicinal plants and micro-charcoal have all been reported among the finds from this type of dental analysis”

Section C lists 'Tree and grass pollen, spores, cotton fibres, medicinal plants and micro-charcoal' as examples of particles found in old teeth.

a suggestion that the blue pigment might have been used in medieval times to cure illness

“A variety of reasons were possible, from painting to accidental ingestion during pigment preparation, or even the consumption of the powder as a medicine”

Section F raises 'the consumption of the powder as a medicine' as a possible reason for the pigment's presence.

“the blue portion of the lapis lazuli stone, a substance more precious than gold in Medieval Europe”

Lapis lazuli was 'a substance more precious than gold in Medieval Europe', the comparison the summary needs.

“Afghanistan was the only source of the stone at the time, and the preparation of the pigment took great skill”

Making the pigment 'took great skill', so the gap needs that noun for expertise.

“The most likely explanation, then, is that this was an artist who repeatedly used her lips to make a fine point on the end of her brush in order to paint intricate detail on manuscripts”

The artist used her lips 'to make a fine point on the end of her brush', the noun needed.

“The most likely explanation, then, is that this was an artist who repeatedly used her lips to make a fine point on the end of her brush in order to paint intricate detail on manuscripts”

She painted 'intricate detail on manuscripts', the plural noun the summary needs.