The Lost City - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 12 Academic Reading Test 2 · Part 2 · Questions 14–26
Reading Passage
The Lost City
An explorer’s encounter with the ruined city of Machu Picchu, the most famous icon of the Inca civilisation
A
When the US explorer and academic Hiram Bingham arrived in South America in 1911, he was ready for what was to be the greatest achievement of his life: the exploration of the remote hinterland to the west of Cusco, the old capital of the Inca empire in the Andes mountains of Peru. His goal was to locate the remains of a city called Vitcos, the last capital of the Inca civilisation. Cusco lies on a high plateau at an elevation of more than 3,000 metres, and Bingham’s plan was to descend from this plateau along the valley of the Urubamba river, which takes a circuitous route down to the Amazon and passes through an area of dramatic canyons and mountain ranges.
B
When Bingham and his team set off down the Urubamba in late July, they had an advantage over travelers who had preceded them: a track had recently been blasted down the valley canyon to enable rubber to be brought up by mules from the jungle. Almost all previous travelers had left the river at Ollantaytambo and taken a high pass across the mountains to rejoin the river lower down, thereby cutting a substantial corner, but also therefore never passing through the area around Machu Picchu.
C
On 24 July they were a few days into their descent of the valley. The day began slowly, with Bingham trying to arrange sufficient mules for the next stage of the trek. His companions showed no interest in accompanying him up the nearby hill to see some ruins that a local farmer, Melchor Arteaga, had told them about the night before. The morning was dull and damp, and Bingham also seems to have been less than keen on the prospect of climbing the hill. In his book Lost City of the Incas, he relates that he made the ascent without having the least expectation that he would find anything at the top.
D
Bingham writes about the approach in vivid style in his book. First, as he climbs up the hill, he describes the ever-present possibility of deadly snakes, ‘capable of making considerable springs when in pursuit of their prey’; not that he sees any. Then there’s a sense of mounting discovery as he comes across great sweeps of terraces, then a mausoleum, followed by monumental staircases and, finally, the grand ceremonial buildings of Machu Picchu. ‘It seemed like an unbelievable dream … the sight held me spellbound …’ he wrote.
E
We should remember, however, that Lost City of the Incas is a work of hindsight, not written until 1948, many years after his journey. His journal entries of the time reveal a much more gradual appreciation of his achievement. He spent the afternoon at the ruins noting down the dimensions of some of the buildings, then descended and rejoined his companions, to whom he seems to have said little about his discovery. At this stage, Bingham didn’t realise the extent or the importance of the site, nor did he realise what use he could make of the discovery.
F
However, soon after returning it occurred to him that he could make a name for himself from this discovery. When he came to write the National Geographic magazine article that broke the story to the world in April 1913, he knew he had to produce a big idea. He wondered whether it could have been the birthplace of the very first Inca, Manco the Great, and whether it could also have been what chroniclers described as ‘the last city of the Incas’. This term refers to Vilcabamba, the settlement where the Incas had fled from Spanish invaders in the 1530s. Bingham made desperate attempts to prove this belief for nearly 40 years. Sadly, his vision of the site as both the beginning and end of the Inca civilisation, while a magnificent one, is inaccurate. We now know that Vilcabamba actually lies 65 kilometres away in the depths of the jungle.
G
One question that has perplexed visitors, historians and archaeologists alike ever since Bingham, is why the site seems to have been abandoned before the Spanish Conquest. There are no references to it by any of the Spanish chroniclers – and if they had known of its existence so close to Cusco they would certainly have come in search of gold. An idea which has gained wide acceptance over the past few years is that Machu Picchu was a moya, a country estate built by an Inca emperor to escape the cold winters of Cusco, where the elite could enjoy monumental architecture and spectacular views. Furthermore, the particular architecture of Machu Picchu suggests that it was constructed at the time of the greatest of all the Incas, the emperor Pachacuti (c. 1438-71). By custom, Pachacuti’s descendants built other similar estates for their own use, and so Machu Picchu would have been abandoned after his death, some 50 years before the Spanish Conquest.
Questions
Questions 14–20 Matching Headings
The Reading Passage has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes on your answer sheet.
List of headings
i Different accounts of the same journey
ii Bingham gains support
iii A common belief
iv The aim of the trip
v A dramatic description
vi A new route
vii Bingham publishes his theory
viii Bingham’s lack of enthusiasm
Questions 21–24 True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In boxes on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
Questions 25–26 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes on your answer sheet.
- The track that took Bingham down the Urubamba valley had been created for the transportation of 25
- Bingham found out about the ruins of Machu Picchu from a 26 it the Urubamba valley.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q14 | iv | His goal was to locate the remains of a city called Vitcos, the last capital of the Inca civilisation | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about a man's goal to find the remains of a city named Vitcos, which was the final capital of the Inca civilization. Answer Explanation: The answer 'iv' means 'The aim of the trip.' This heading fits the excerpt because it directly relates to the man's purpose of locating the city of Vitcos. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'iv' because it perfectly matches the main objective of the man's journey, which was to find the remains of the city called Vitcos. |
| Q15 | vi | a track had recently been blasted down the valley canyon to enable rubber to be brought up by mules from the jungle | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about a new path that was created in the valley, which allows mules to carry rubber from the jungle. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the paragraph discussing a new route being established, suggesting a different path being utilized for transportation. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'vi' because the paragraph describes the creation of a new transportation route in the valley for bringing rubber from the jungle. This aligns with the heading 'A new route,' as it signifies the introduction of a different path for travel and goods transportation. |
| Q16 | viii | Bingham also seems to have been less than keen on the prospect of climbing the hill. In his book Lost City of the Incas, he relates that he made the ascent without having the least expectation that he would find anything at the top. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage mentions that Bingham was not very excited about climbing the hill. He did not expect to find anything at the top. Answer Explanation: The answer indicates that this paragraph is about Bingham not being enthusiastic about the trip. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'viii' because the excerpt clearly shows Bingham's lack of enthusiasm for climbing the hill and his low expectations of finding anything important at the top. |
| Q17 | v | First, as he climbs up the hill, he describes the ever-present possibility of deadly snakes, ‘capable of making considerable springs when in pursuit of their prey’ | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about someone going up a hill and being aware of the dangerous snakes that could jump at them while hunting for food. Answer Explanation: The answer gives the idea that the paragraph likely contains a dramatic description. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'v - a dramatic description' because the excerpt describes a tense and exciting moment with the mention of deadly snakes capable of making considerable springs. This emphasizes the dramatic and intense nature of the scene being described. |
| Q18 | i | Lost City of the Incas is a work of hindsight, not written until 1948, many years after his journey. His journal entries of the time reveal a much more gradual appreciation of his achievement. | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about a book called 'Lost City of the Incas,' which was written many years after the journey the author took. The author, Bingham, did not fully understand the importance of his achievement until later when he looked back on it. Answer Explanation: The answer 'i' suggests that the paragraph likely discusses different accounts of the same journey, indicating that Bingham's views evolved over time. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer indicates that the paragraph is indeed about contrasting perspectives or accounts of Bingham's journey, as it highlights the change in his appreciation of his achievement over time, from the time of his journey to when he wrote the book. |
| Q19 | vii | When he came to write the National Geographic magazine article that broke the story to the world in April 1913, he knew he had to produce a big idea | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about how the writer, Bingham, felt the need to come up with a significant idea when writing an article for National Geographic magazine in April 1913. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to Bingham publishing his theory about his discoveries in Machu Picchu. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'vii' because paragraph F discusses Bingham publishing his theory to the world through a National Geographic magazine article, which aligns with the heading 'Bingham publishes his theory'. |
| Q20 | iii | An idea which has gained wide acceptance over the past few years | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about an idea that many people have come to believe in recent years. Answer Explanation: The answer suggests that paragraph G discusses a common belief. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'iii' because the excerpt indicates that the content of paragraph G is likely centered around a widely accepted idea, which aligns with the heading 'A common belief.' |
| Q21 | TRUE | His goal was to locate the remains of a city called Vitcos, the last capital of the Inca civilisation | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about a man named Bingham who wanted to find the remains of a city called Vitcos, which was the last capital of the Inca civilization. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Bingham did go to South America in search of an Inca city, specifically the city of Vitcos. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the excerpt clearly states that Bingham's goal was to locate the remains of a city called Vitcos, which was part of the Inca civilization. This aligns with the statement that he went to South America in search of an Inca city. |
| Q22 | FALSE | Almost all previous travelers had left the river at Ollantaytambo and taken a high pass across the mountains to rejoin the river lower down, thereby cutting a substantial corner, but also therefore never passing through the area around Machu Picchu | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that most travelers did not go through the area around Machu Picchu because they took a different route that cut a corner. Answer Explanation: The answer 'FALSE' means that Bingham did not choose the most common route used by travelers down the Urubamba valley. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'FALSE' because the excerpt clearly states that the route Bingham chose was not the most common one. Most previous travelers took a different path that didn't pass through the area around Machu Picchu, which indicates that Bingham's route was different from the usual route taken by travelers. |
| Q23 | FALSE | At this stage, Bingham didn’t realise the extent or the importance of the site, nor did he realise what use he could make of the discovery | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that when Bingham first saw Machu Picchu, he did not fully understand how significant or important it was, and he did not know how he could benefit from finding it. Answer Explanation: The answer states that Bingham did not immediately understand the importance of Machu Picchu when he first saw it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is FALSE because the passage clearly indicates that Bingham did not grasp the significance of Machu Picchu right away. He only came to understand its importance and potential later on. |
| Q24 | NOT GIVEN | Bingham made desperate attempts to prove this belief for nearly 40 years | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about Bingham spending a long time trying to prove his belief. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the passage does not say whether Bingham returned to Machu Picchu to find evidence for his theory. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer 'NOT GIVEN' is accurate because the passage does not provide information about Bingham's specific reason for returning to Machu Picchu. |
| Q25 | rubber | a track had recently been blasted down the valley canyon to enable rubber to be brought up by mules from the jungle | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about a newly created track in the valley canyon designed for the transportation of rubber using mules from the jungle. Answer Explanation: The answer 'rubber' refers to a material harvested from trees found in the jungle, which was being transported via the newly constructed track. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer 'rubber' matches with the context provided in the excerpt where the track was specifically created for the transportation of rubber from the jungle. This word directly relates to the purpose of the track mentioned in the passage. |
| Q26 | farmer | His companions showed no interest in accompanying him up the nearby hill to see some ruins that a local farmer, Melchor Arteaga, had told them about the night before | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage talks about how Bingham's companions were not interested in visiting some ruins on a nearby hill. These ruins were mentioned to them by a local farmer named Melchor Arteaga the night before. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the person who informed Bingham and his companions about the ruins of Machu Picchu - it was a farmer. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'farmer' because the excerpt specifically mentions that a local farmer named Melchor Arteaga told them about the ruins. The word 'farmer' is directly stated in the passage as the individual who shared the information with them. |