Cambridge IELTS 13 · Academic · Test 3 · Passage 3
Whatever Happened To The Harappan Civilisation? — IELTS Reading Answers
All 14 answers for Whatever Happened To The Harappan Civilisation?, Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Reading Test 3 Passage 3, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Whatever Happened To The Harappan Civilisation? answer key at a glance
Questions 27–40. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with Matching Information (Q27–31), Summary Completion (Q32–36), Matching Features (Q37–40). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 27–31: Matching Information
Strategy: Scan for the idea, not the exact words. The answer is a paragraph letter, and one paragraph may be used more than once unless the instructions say otherwise.
proposed explanations for the decline of the Harappan Civilisation
“Some have claimed that major glacier-fed rivers changed their course, dramatically affecting the water supply and agriculture; or that the cities could not cope with an increasing population, they exhausted their resource base, the trading economy broke down or they succumbed to invasion and conflict;”
C: paragraph C lists rival explanations — rivers changing course, population pressure, trade collapse, invasion and climate change — for the civilisation's decline.
reference to a present-day application of some archaeological research findings
“By investigating responses to environmental pressures and threats, we can learn from the past to engage with the public, and the relevant governmental and administrative bodies, to be more proactive in issues such as the management and administration of water supply, the balance of urban and rural development,”
H: paragraph H urges learning from the past to advise government bodies on water supply and cultural heritage, a present-day use of the findings.
a difference between the Harappan Civilisation and another culture of the same period
“But their lack of self-imagery – at a time when the Egyptians were carving and painting representations of themselves all over their temples – is only part of the mystery”
A: paragraph A contrasts the Harappans' 'lack of self-imagery' with Egyptians carving and painting representations of themselves all over their temples.
a description of some features of Harappan urban design
“cities were built that had great baths, craft workshops, palaces and halls laid out in distinct sectors. Houses were arranged in blocks, with wide main streets and narrow alleyways, and many had their own wells and drainage systems.”
B: paragraph B describes great baths, craft workshops, houses in blocks, wide main streets, narrow alleyways, wells and drainage systems.
reference to the discovery of errors made by previous archaeologists
“A research team led by Petrie, together with Dr Ravindanath Singh of Banaras Hindu University in India, found early in their investigations that many of the archaeological sites were not where they were supposed to be”
D: Petrie's team 'found early in their investigations that many of the archaeological sites were not where they were supposed to be', exposing earlier errors.
Questions 32–36: 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 researchers gathered shells of Melanoides tuberculata snails from the sediments of an ancient lake and used geochemical analysis as a means of tracing the climate history of the region”
Researchers 'gathered shells of Melanoides tuberculata snails from the sediments of an ancient lake' to trace the region's climate history.
“we have observed that there was an abrupt change about 4,100 years ago, when the amount of evaporation from the lake”
The evidence mentions 'the amount of evaporation from the lake', so lake is the water body the summary needs.
“exceeded the rainfall – indicative of a drought”
Evaporation 'exceeded the rainfall', indicating drought, so rainfall is what the evaporation is compared with.
“They are analysing grains cultivated at the time, and trying to work out whether they were grown under extreme conditions of water stress, and whether they were adjusting the combinations of crops they were growing for different weather systems”
The team is 'analysing grains cultivated at the time' to test growing conditions, matching the summary's subject.
“They are also looking at whether the types of pottery used, and other aspects of their material culture, were distinctive to specific regions or were more similar across larger areas”
They examine 'the types of pottery used' to see whether styles were region-specific, so pottery fills the gap.
Questions 37–40: 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.
Finding further information about changes to environmental conditions in the region is vital.
“‘Considering the vast area of the Harappan Civilisation with its variable weather systems,’ explains Singh, ‘it is essential that we obtain more climate data from areas close to the two great cities at Mohenjodaro and Harappa and also from the Indian Punjab.’”
B: Singh says 'it is essential that we obtain more climate data', supporting the need for further environmental information.
Examining previous patterns of behaviour may have long-term benefits.
“Petrie believes that archaeologists are in a unique position to investigate how past societies responded to environmental and climatic change”
A: Petrie believes archaeologists can investigate 'how past societies responded to environmental and climatic change', implying long-term benefits from studying past behaviour.
Rough calculations indicate the approximate length of a period of water shortage.
“Hodell adds: ‘We estimate that the weakening of the Indian summer monsoon climate lasted about 200 years before recovering to the previous conditions, which we still see today.’”
D: Hodell estimates the weakened monsoon 'lasted about 200 years', a rough calculation of how long the water shortage persisted.
Information about the decline of the Harappan Civilisation has been lacking.
“‘There is plenty of archaeological evidence to tell us about the rise of the Harappan Civilisation, but relatively little about its fall,’ explains archaeologist Dr Cameron Petrie of the University of Cambridge”
A: Petrie states there is 'relatively little about its fall', confirming that information about the Harappan decline has been lacking.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Whatever Happened To The Harappan Civilisation? passage come from?
It is Passage 3 of Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Reading Test 3, and it covers Questions 27–40.
What question types appear in Whatever Happened To The Harappan Civilisation??
The passage is tested with Matching Information, Summary Completion, Matching Features. 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.