Votes for Women — IELTS Reading Answers

What is the main aspect of the suffragette movement’s work to which the exhibition at the Museum of London is devoted?

1. Athe role of the Pankhurst family in the suffrage movement
2. Bthe violence of the movement’s political campaign
3. Cthe success of the movement’s corporate imagecorrect
4. Dthe movement’s co-operation with suffrage groups overseas

“By doing so, it became one of the first groups to project a corporate identity, and it is this advanced marketing strategy, along with the other organisational and commercial achievements of the WSPU, to which the exhibition is devoted”

The exhibition is devoted to the WSPU's advanced marketing strategy and its other organisational and commercial achievements, i.e. a corporate image.

Why was the WSPU more successful than other suffrage groups?

1. AIts leaders were much better educated.
2. BIt received funding from movements abroad.
3. CIt had access to new technology.
4. DIt had a clear purpose and direction.correct

“With their slogan ‘Deeds not words’, and the introduction of the colour scheme, the WSPU soon brought the movement the cohesion and focus it had previously lacked. Membership grew rapidly as women deserted the many other, less directed, groups and joined it”

The WSPU brought the cohesion and focus the movement previously lacked, and membership grew as women left less directed groups, so clear purpose explains success.

“graphic display boards outlining the bills of enfranchisement of 1918 and 1928, which gave the adult female populace of Britain the vote, show what was achieved”

D and E are correct: the exhibition's display boards outline the 1918 and 1928 bills of enfranchisement, the legislation giving British women the vote.

“This was partly because advertising space was bought in the paper by large department stores such as Selfridges, and jewellers such as Mappin & Webb”

The note needs what department stores bought in the paper; the text says advertising space was bought by large stores such as Selfridges.

“The creation of the colour scheme provided another money-making opportunity which the WSPU was quick to exploit. The group began to sell playing cards, board games, Christmas and greeting cards, and countless other goods, all in the purple, white and green colours”

The note needs what the WSPU created as a money-making opportunity; the colour scheme was exploited to sell goods in purple, white and green.

“But the paper and merchandising activities alone did not provide sufficient funds for the WSPU to meet organisational costs, so numerous other fund-raising activities combined to fill the coffers of the ‘war chest’.”

The note needs the most notable fund-raising event; the Woman's Exhibition in 1909 raised the equivalent of 250,000 pounds in ten days.

In 1903 women in Australia were still not allowed to vote.

“Formed in 1903 by the political campaigner Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia, the WSPU began an educated campaign to put women’s suffrage on the political agenda.”

The text says New Zealand, Australia and parts of the United States had already enfranchised women, contradicting the claim Australian women could not vote in 1903.

The main organs of communication for the WSPU were its two newspapers.

“The newspapers produced by the WSPU, first Votes for Women and later The Suffragette, played a vital role in this communication”

The WSPU's newspapers, first Votes for Women and later The Suffragette, played a vital role in the group's communication.

The work of the WSPU was mainly confined to London and the south.

“the message had spread around the country, with members and branch officers stretching to as far away as Scotland”

The message spread around the country, with members and branch officers stretching as far away as Scotland, so the work was not confined to London and the south.

The WSPU’s newspapers were mainly devoted to society news and gossip.

“Both were sold throughout the country and proved an invaluable way of informing members of meetings, marches, fund-raising events and the latest news and views on the movement”

Both papers informed members of meetings, marches, fund-raising events and the latest news and views on the movement, not society gossip.

The Woman’s Exhibition in 1909 met with great opposition from Parliament.

“The most notable of these was the Woman’s Exhibition, which took place in 1909 in a Knightsbridge ice-skating rink, and in 10 days raised the equivalent of £250,000 today”

The exhibition's success in raising 250,000 pounds is reported, but the passage never mentions any opposition from Parliament.

The Museum of London exhibition includes some of the goods sold by the movement.

“The group began to sell playing cards, board games, Christmas and greeting cards, and countless other goods, all in the purple, white and green colours Against a quiet background hum of street sounds, copies of The Suffragette, campaign banners and photographs are all on display,”

Among the items on display are purple, white and green trinkets, part of the goods the movement sold.

The opponents of the suffragettes made films opposing the movement.

“The programme begins with a short film devised by the ‘antis’ - those opposed to women having the vote -depicting a suffragette as a fierce harridan bullying her poor, abused husband”

The programme begins with a short film devised by the antis, those opposed to women having the vote, so opponents did make films.

The writer of the article finds the exhibition to be

1. Amisleading.
2. Bexceptional.
3. Cdisappointing.
4. Dinformative.correct

“It demonstrates how advanced the suffragettes were in their thinking, in the marketing of their campaign, and in their work as shrewd and skilful image-builders. It also conveys a sense of the energy and ability the suffragettes brought to their fight for freedom and equality.”

The writer says the exhibition demonstrates how advanced the suffragettes were in their thinking and marketing, so it is informative.