Cambridge IELTS 13 · General Training · Test 3 · Section 3
Vanilla – The Most Wonderful Flavor In The World — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Vanilla – The Most Wonderful Flavor In The World, Cambridge IELTS 13 General Training Reading Test 3 Section 3, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Vanilla – The Most Wonderful Flavor In The World answer key at a glance
Questions 28–40. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this section tests
This section is tested with Matching Features (Q28–31), One Choice (Q32–34), Summary Completion (Q35–40). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 28–31: 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.
The vanilla that is grown here was created from more than one type of vanilla plant.
“Tahiti differs in the species of vanilla that is most common: Vanilla tahitensis Moore. This is the hybrid of two vanilla species introduced in the 1800s”
C: Tahiti's Vanilla tahitensis 'is the hybrid of two vanilla species', so it was created from more than one type.
This vanilla is often mixed with other types of vanilla.
“Indonesian vanilla works well when blended with vanillas from other regions”
D: 'Indonesian vanilla works well when blended with vanillas from other regions', so it is often mixed.
Some people claim that this country produces the finest vanilla.
“Eventually, the plants arrived on the nearby island of Madagascar, where hand pollination proved its worth. Assisted by the climate and rich soil, hand pollination by the country's skilled farmers has enabled Madagascar to become the world's top vanilla producer in quantity and, many would argue, quality.”
B: Madagascar is the 'world's top vanilla producer in quantity and, many would argue, quality'.
This vanilla goes well with both sweet and savoury ingredients.
“Vanilla from Mexico has a flavor that combines creamy tones with a deep, spicy character, making it a delicious complement to chocolate, cinnamon and other warm spices. It also works wonderfully in tomato sauces”
A: Mexican vanilla complements 'chocolate, cinnamon and other warm spices' and 'also works wonderfully in tomato sauces'.
Questions 32–34: One Choice
Strategy: Read the question stem and predict the answer before looking at the options. Wrong options often repeat passage words while the correct one paraphrases them.
What prevented countries, apart from Mexico, from growing vanilla in the 17th and 18th centuries?
- Athe Aztecs’ refusal to let the pods be exported
- Bthe lack of the most suitable pollinating insectcorrect
- Cthe widespread ignorance of the existence of the plant
- Dthe poor condition of the vanilla pods that Cortez collected
“Without the Melipone bee, the flowers weren't being fertilized beyond occasional pollination by other insects”
B: 'Without the Melipone bee, the flowers weren't being fertilized', because that insect was missing outside Mexico.
What does the writer suggest was the main reason for the success of vanilla cultivation on Madagascar?
- Athe adoption of a particular agricultural techniquecorrect
- Bthe type of vanilla orchid that was selected
- Cthe unique quality of the soil on the island
- Dthe rapidly increasing number of growers
“Assisted by the climate and rich soil, hand pollination by the country's skilled farmers has enabled Madagascar to become the world's top vanilla producer in quantity and, many would argue, quality.”
A: 'hand pollination by the country's skilled farmers' made Madagascar successful, a particular agricultural technique.
The writer believes that Madagascan vanilla is so popular because
- Ait works well in a variety of main courses and puddings.
- Bits pod is less likely than others to break up when it is cooked.
- Cits taste is widely considered to be the standard taste of vanilla.correct
- Dit is the one that is used in a number of commercial frozen desserts.
“The sweet, creamy and mellow flavor is the one most people identify with vanilla”
C: 'The sweet, creamy and mellow flavor is the one most people identify with vanilla', so it sets the standard taste.
Questions 35–40: 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.
“Mature pods are first stacked in a cool place until they are completely brown (five to ten days) and then rinsed briefly in clear water”
Mature pods are stacked until 'completely brown', so the colour adjective brown fits the summary.
“For the next month, growers expose the pods to the gentle morning sunlight”
Growers expose the pods to 'the gentle morning sunlight', so sunlight is the noun required.
“to promote transpiration”
The pods are turned or aired 'to promote transpiration', so the noun transpiration fits.
“Little by little, the vanilla pods lose weight and shrink”
The pods 'lose weight and shrink' during curing, so the noun weight fills the gap.
“Throughout this phase, the workers carefully smooth and even out the pods with their fingers”
Workers 'smooth and even out the pods with their fingers', so the plural noun fingers fits.
“the final step is to leave the pods in a shaded and well-ventilated spot for 40 days to lower their moisture content”
The final stage lowers 'their moisture content', so the noun moisture completes the summary.
Learn the question types in this section
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Vanilla – The Most Wonderful Flavor In The World passage come from?
It is Section 3 of Cambridge IELTS 13 General Training Reading Test 3, and it covers Questions 28–40.
What question types appear in Vanilla – The Most Wonderful Flavor In The World?
The section is tested with Matching Features, One Choice, 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.