To Catch A King — IELTS Reading Answers

“did a deal with the Scots”

The gap needs what Charles did with the Scots; 'did a deal with the Scots' supplies the past-tense verb phrase, so H.

“the young Charles II sacrificed one of the very principles his father had died for”

The gap needs what Charles sacrificed; 'the young Charles II sacrificed one of the very principles his father had died for' fits J.

“After being comprehensively defeated on the meadows outside the city by the Parliamentarian army”

The gap needs the defeat outside Worcester; 'After being comprehensively defeated ... by the Parliamentarian army' supplies it, so F.

“the 21-year-old king found himself the subject of a national manhunt, with a huge sum offered for his capture”

The gap needs the consequence of the defeat; he became 'the subject of a national manhunt, with a huge sum offered for his capture', so B.

“through a series of heart-poundingly close escapes, to evade the Parliamentarians before seeking refuge in France.”

The gap needs how he escaped; 'through a series of heart-poundingly close escapes, to evade the Parliamentarians' fits D.

Charles chose Pepys for the task because he considered him to be trustworthy.

“His intention when asking Pepys to commit his story to paper was to ensure that this most extraordinary episode was never forgotten.”

The text says Charles asked Pepys to write the story so it was 'never forgotten', but never explains why he chose Pepys, so NOT GIVEN.

Charles’s personal recollection of the escape lacked sufficient detail.

“Over two three-hour sittings, the king related to him in great detail his personal recollections of the six weeks he had spent as a fugitive.”

Charles related his recollections 'in great detail' over 'two three-hour sittings', contradicting the claim that detail was lacking, so NO.

Charles indicated to Pepys that he had planned his escape before the battle.

“Charles commenced his story: ‘After the battle was so absolutely lost as to be beyond hope of recovery, I began to think of the best way of saving myself.’”

Charles said 'After the battle was so absolutely lost ... I began to think of the best way of saving myself', so planning began after, not before, NO.

The inclusion of Charles’s account is a positive aspect of the book.

“One of the joys of Spencer’s book, a result not least of its use of Charles II’s own narrative as well as those of his supporters, is just how close the reader gets to the action.”

'One of the joys of Spencer's book ... is just how close the reader gets to the action' praises including Charles's narrative, so YES.

What is the reviewer’s main purpose in the first paragraph?

1. Ato describe what happened during the Battle of Worcester
2. Bto give an account of the circumstances leading to Charles II’s escapecorrect
3. Cto provide details of the Parliamentarians’ political views
4. Dto compare Charles II’s beliefs with those of his father

“For the next nine years, the penniless and defeated Charles wandered around Europe with only a small group of loyal supporters.”

The first paragraph sets out how Charles was defeated at Worcester and forced to flee, the circumstances leading to his escape, so B.

Why does the reviewer include examples of the fugitives’ behaviour in the third paragraph?

1. Ato explain how close Charles II came to losing his life
2. Bto suggest that Charles II’s supporters were badly prepared
3. Cto illustrate how the events of the six weeks are brought to lifecorrect
4. Dto argue that certain aspects are not as well known as they should be

“The day-by-day retelling of the fugitives’ doings provides delicious details: the cutting of the king’s long hair with agricultural shears, the use of walnut leaves to dye his pale skin,”

The 'delicious details' - hair cut with shears, skin dyed with walnut leaves, hiding in an oak - show how vividly the six weeks are brought to life, so C.

What point does the reviewer make about Charles II in the fourth paragraph?

1. AHe chose to celebrate what was essentially a defeat.correct
2. BHe misunderstood the motives of his opponents.
3. CHe aimed to restore people’s faith in the monarchy.
4. DHe was driven by a desire to be popular.

“This makes it all the more interesting that Charles II himself loved the story so much ever after.”

The reviewer finds it 'all the more interesting that Charles II himself loved the story so much', celebrating an episode that was really a defeat, so A.

What does the reviewer say about Charles Spencer in the fifth paragraph?

1. AHis decision to write the book comes as a surprise.
2. BHe takes an unbiased approach to the subject matter.correct
3. CHis descriptions of events would be better if they included more detail.
4. DHe chooses language that is suitable for a twenty-first-century audience.

“He has even-handed sympathy for both the fugitive king and the fierce republican regime that hunted him, and he succeeds in his desire to explore far more of the background of the story than previous books on the subject have done.”

Spencer shows 'even-handed sympathy for both the fugitive king and the fierce republican regime that hunted him', an unbiased approach, so B.

When the reviewer says the book ‘doesn’t quite hit the mark’, she is making the point that

1. Ait overlooks the impact of events on ordinary people.
2. Bit lacks an analysis of prevalent views on monarchy.
3. Cit omits any references to the deceit practised by Charles II during his time in hiding.
4. Dit fails to address whether Charles II’s experiences had a lasting influence on him.correct

“Did the need to assume disguises, to survive on wit and charm alone, to use trickery and subterfuge to escape from tight corners help form him? This is the one area where the book doesn’t quite hit the mark.”

The reviewer asks whether the experiences 'help form him', then calls this 'the one area where the book doesn't quite hit the mark', so D.