Cambridge IELTS 16 · Academic · Test 2 · Passage 1
The White Horse Of Uffington — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for The White Horse Of Uffington, Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Reading Test 2 Passage 1, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
← All Cambridge 16 Test 2 answers
The White Horse Of Uffington answer key at a glance
Questions 1–13. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with True / False / Not Given (Q1–8), Summary Completion (Q9–13). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 1–8: 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.
Most geoglyphs in England are located in a particular area of the country.
“There are 56 hill figures scattered around England, with the vast majority on the chalk downlands of the country’s southern counties.”
'the vast majority on the chalk downlands of the country's southern counties' confirms that geoglyphs cluster in one particular area.
There are more geoglyphs in the shape of a horse than any other creature.
“Although the majority of these geoglyphs date within the last 300 years or so, there are one or two that are much older.”
The passage gives numbers of hill figures and their dates but never compares how many depict horses rather than other creatures.
A recent dating of the Uffington White Horse indicates that people were mistaken about its age.
“The White Horse has recently been re-dated and shown to be even older than its previously assigned ancient pre-Roman Iron Age date.”
The horse was 're-dated and shown to be even older than its previously assigned ancient pre-Roman Iron Age date', so earlier assumptions were wrong, TRUE.
Historians have come to an agreement about the origins of the Long Man of Wilmington.
“More controversial is the date of the enigmatic Long Man of Wilmington in Sussex. While many historians are convinced the figure is prehistoric, others believe that it was the work of an artistic monk from a nearby priory and was created between the 11th and 15th centuries.”
Some historians think the Long Man is prehistoric while 'others believe' it was an 11th-15th-century monk's work, so there is no agreement, FALSE.
Geoglyphs were created by people placing white chalk on the hillside.
“The method of cutting these huge figures was simply to remove the overlying grass to reveal the gleaming white chalk below.”
The figures were made by 'remov[ing] the overlying grass to reveal the gleaming white chalk below', not by placing chalk on the hillside, so FALSE.
Many geoglyphs in England are no longer visible.
“One reason that the vast majority of hill figures have disappeared is that when the traditions associated with the figures faded, people no longer bothered or remembered to clear away the grass to expose the chalk outline.”
'the vast majority of hill figures have disappeared' because people stopped clearing the grass away, confirming that many are no longer visible.
The shape of some geoglyphs has been altered over time.
“over hundreds of years the outlines would sometimes change due to people not always cutting in exactly the same place, thus creating a different shape to the original geoglyph.”
Outlines 'would sometimes change' because people did not cut in exactly the same place, 'creating a different shape to the original geoglyph', so TRUE.
The fame of the Uffington White Horse is due to its size.
“The Uffington White Horse is a unique, stylised representation of a horse consisting of a long, sleek back, thin disjointed legs, a streaming tail, and a bird-like beaked head.”
The horse's distinctive stylised shape is described, but the passage never attributes its fame to its size, so NOT GIVEN.
Questions 9–13: 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.
“The horse is situated 2.5 km from Uffington village on a steep slope close to the Late Bronze Age (c. 7th century BCE) hillfort of Uffington Castle and below the Ridgeway, a long-distance Neolithic track.”
The gap needs the ancient track below the horse; 'below the Ridgeway, a long-distance Neolithic track' answers it.
“The earliest evidence of a horse at Uffington is from the 1070s CE when ‘White Horse Hill’ is mentioned in documents from the nearby Abbey of Abingdon, and the first reference to the horse itself is soon after, in 1190 CE.”
The gap needs where 'White Horse Hill' is first mentioned; 'mentioned in documents from the nearby Abbey of Abingdon' gives 'documents'.
“in 1995 Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) testing was carried out by the Oxford Archaeological Unit on soil from two of the lower layers of the horse’s body, and from another cut near the base.”
The gap needs what OSL testing examined; 'OSL testing ... on soil from two of the lower layers' supplies 'soil'.
“Some researchers see the horse as representing the Celtic horse goddess Epona, who was worshipped as a protector of horses, and for her associations with fertility.”
The gap needs what the goddess Epona was associated with; 'her associations with fertility' gives 'fertility'.
“It is possible that the carving represents a goddess in native mythology, such as Rhiannon, described in later Welsh mythology as a beautiful woman dressed in gold and riding a white horse.”
The gap needs the named goddess of Welsh myth; 'such as Rhiannon ... riding a white horse' supplies 'Rhiannon'.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the The White Horse Of Uffington passage come from?
It is Passage 1 of Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Reading Test 2, and it covers Questions 1–13.
What question types appear in The White Horse Of Uffington?
The passage is tested with True / False / Not Given, Summary 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.