The Benefits For Children Of Working With Archaeologists - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 20 General Training Reading Test 1 · Part 3 · Questions 28–40
Reading Passage
Read the text on pages 24 and 25 and answer Questions 28–40.
A A group of excited children are instructing community archaeologist Colin Shepherd when to drop a china mug on the floor so that they can see how it breaks on impact. They will use the results of this experiment to better understand an archaeological find: the broken pieces of an old marmalade jar, last used for breakfast around 100 years ago. The children had recently excavated the jar from woodland as part of an archaeological investigation.
B When schoolchildren are invited to visit archaeological excavations, they rarely have much specific knowledge about the site's history. They are normally given straightforward tasks like washing and sorting finds, that is, any discoveries that are of archaeological interest. What is less common is to find primary school pupils working as partners with an archaeologist. Our project lets primary school children take a joint role in an archaeological investigation, working actively alongside an expert in the field.
C The children's archaeological investigations were part of a larger project initiated by a community group which works to study and preserve the landscape of the Bennachie hills region in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The main project was developed with a team from the University of Aberdeen and funded by a Community Heritage fund and the National Lottery. It focused on the history and archaeology of an abandoned mid-19th-century settlement, located on common ground on the lower slopes of the Bennachie hills. Colin Shepherd set up two additional archaeological projects with local primary school children and their teachers. Each project investigated the history of the place in which the pupils live and go to school.
D At one of the schools, the excavation took place in woodland where pupils usually take part in outdoor learning. Before the archaeology project began, the children viewed the woodland as existing only in the present. Through their work, they became aware of its history and the people who lived and worked on the land near their school in the past. Taking on the role of historians and working with primary source materials, such as maps, census returns and tax payments, the children were able to develop their own lines of enquiry. Their research suggested that there had been a water mill in the area, so their excavations set out to find it. The children, working with the community archaeologist, found evidence for this. They also discovered the remains of a 19th- or 20th-century midden, or rubbish dump, containing many pieces of broken pottery.
E My role as a teacher educator specialising in history education was to work alongside pupils and staff to create an exhibition for their families and the general public. Following a visit to the university to see the museum there, the children produced a timeline of everything they had found to show the period in history to which each item belonged. They went on to invent a 'guess the object' game to engage visitors in their discoveries. The children were given the use of the museum's replica of a 17th-century collector's cabinet for their exhibition. During the identification of the pottery pieces, one was identified as coming from the distinctive Seaton workshop in Aberdeen, so a complete example was borrowed from the museum and included in the cabinet alongside it. Because it used a high-quality display cabinet, the children's exhibition gained a similar status to that of a real museum for the parents and community members who came to see it.
F The project meant the children could lead their own historical investigations and expand their understanding of the places in which they live and the heritage of their family and community. This is a key principle in the Social Studies section of Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence, the national framework for learning for children between the ages of three and 18. Not only did the children learn the history of the place, they learned to understand the process of creating historical knowledge. Through their museum visit, they learned how to select items for display and to think about how to talk to other people about the history they had created.
G Setting up the exhibition and showing it to people aided conversations between children and their community. One of the children discovered that their great-grandfather had once owned the Seaton workshop. The grandmother of another child recounted her memories of making oatmeal porridge in a small bowl decorated with the same floral design as a pottery piece on display. The archaeological investigations carried out by the children created a real-life context for them to play an active part in learning – educating not just themselves but their community too.
Questions
Questions 28–32 Matching Information
The text has seven paragraphs, A–G.
Which paragraph mentions the following?
Write the correct letter, A–G.
Questions 33–36 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter on your answer sheet.
Questions 37–39 Summary Completion
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
Write your answers on your answer sheet.
The children's exhibition
The writer helped the children to exhibit what they had found. First the children went to look at the exhibits on display at the 37 museum. After that, they placed their discoveries on a timeline to show the age of the objects. Then they created a 38 for visitors to test their knowledge of the items.
The children were allowed to use a cabinet that belonged to the museum to display all the things they had found. One piece of pottery was recognised as being made at a particular 39. It was placed next to an unbroken example of the pottery.
The quality of the display area raised the status of the children's exhibition for everyone who went to see it.
Questions 40–40 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter on your answer sheet.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q28 | B | What is less common is to find primary school pupils working as partners with an archaeologist. Our project lets primary school children take a joint role in an archaeological investigation, working actively alongside an expert in the field | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that it is not common for young students to work like partners with an archaeologist. In 'Our project,' young children get to work together with an expert in archaeology, sharing important jobs. Answer Explanation: The answer is Paragraph B. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Paragraph B because it clearly states that children usually do simple tasks during archaeological digs, but in this specific project, primary school children worked like partners with an archaeologist. This 'joint role' is highlighted as a less common or unusual situation, which directly addresses the question about how unusual it is for children and archaeologists to have equal responsibilities. |
| Q29 | F | This is a key principle in the Social Studies section of Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence, the national framework for learning for children between the ages of three and 18 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that what the children learned is a very important idea in Scotland's school plan for history. This plan guides what children from 3 to 18 years old learn in their country. Answer Explanation: The answer is F. This means that paragraph F talks about how important what the children learned was for their country's school rules. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because this paragraph clearly states how the children's learning experience connects to Scotland's national school plan. It mentions that the project's goals, like understanding local history and family heritage, are a 'key principle' in the country's 'national framework for learning' called 'Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence'. This shows the 'relevance of the children's achievements' to the 'country's educational requirements'. |
| Q30 | C | The main project was developed with a team from the University of Aberdeen and funded by a Community Heritage fund and the National Lottery. It focused on the history and archaeology of an abandoned mid-19th-century settlement, located on common ground on the lower slopes of the Bennachie hills | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the most important project studied an old village from the mid-1800s. This village was found in the Bennachie hills in Scotland, which tells us the main location of the archeology work. Answer Explanation: The answer, C, means that paragraph C talks about where the main archaeology project was happening. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because this paragraph clearly states where the main part of the archaeological study took place. It mentions the 'main project' and then describes its specific location in Scotland, in the Bennachie hills region. |
| Q31 | D | They also discovered the remains of a 19th- or 20th-century midden, or rubbish dump, containing many pieces of broken pottery | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the children found an old place where garbage was thrown away, from the 1800s or 1900s. This old garbage spot had a lot of broken plates, cups, and other pottery inside. Answer Explanation: The answer is D. This means paragraph D talks about a place where many old things were found by people who dig for ancient objects. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because paragraph D describes how the children found a 'midden', which is an old rubbish dump. This midden was full of 'many pieces of broken pottery', indicating a large collection of old items found in one spot during their archaeological search. The words 'midden' and 'many pieces of broken pottery' are key to understanding that a significant amount of historical material was discovered there. |
| Q32 | G | One of the children discovered that their great-grandfather had once owned the Seaton workshop | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that a child found out that their great-grandfather used to own the Seaton workshop, which was a local business that made pottery. Answer Explanation: The answer is G. This paragraph talks about how a child learned about their family's connection to a local pottery place. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is G because this paragraph explicitly mentions a family member (a great-grandfather) who owned a local business (the Seaton workshop). The question asks about 'a relative's connection to a local business,' and paragraph G directly provides this information by stating that 'One of the children discovered that their great-grandfather had once owned the Seaton workshop.' |
| Q33 | C | A group of excited children are instructing community archaeologist Colin Shepherd when to drop a china mug on the floor so that they can see how it breaks on impact | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that children are telling an archaeologist to drop a ceramic cup onto the floor. They want to watch how the cup breaks when it hits the ground. Answer Explanation: The answer C means that the experiment is set up to find out what happens when something that can break falls and hits the floor. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the passage clearly states that the children are dropping a mug 'to see how it breaks on impact'. This action directly shows 'what happens to a breakable object when it hits the ground'. The aim of this experiment is to help them understand how an old, broken marmalade jar might have broken in the past. |
| Q34 | D | They are normally given straightforward tasks like washing and sorting finds, that is, any discoveries that are of archaeological interest | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that children usually do easy jobs, such as cleaning and putting in order the things they find, which are items important to history. Answer Explanation: The answer means that most children who visit old digging sites are given easy jobs to do there. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because paragraph B says that schoolchildren are 'normally given straightforward tasks' when they visit archaeological sites. 'Straightforward tasks' means easy activities, which matches 'simple activities' in the answer choice. Examples of these tasks are 'washing and sorting finds'. |
| Q35 | B | Taking on the role of historians and working with primary source materials, such as maps, census returns and tax payments, the children were able to develop their own lines of enquiry. Their research suggested that there had been a water mill in the area, so their excavations set out to find it | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says the children acted like history experts. They used old papers like maps, lists of people, and tax records, which are 'primary source materials,' to ask questions. Their study using these papers made them think there was a 'water mill' nearby. Because of this, they decided to dig in that area to find it. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the children learned about the water mill by looking at old papers and documents. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the passage explains in paragraph D how the children found out about the water mill. It states that they worked with 'primary source materials,' which are like old written documents, such as 'maps, census returns and tax payments.' By doing this research, their study showed that there might have been a water mill. This means they 'discovered' or found out about the water mill using these 'written documents' before they even started digging. |
| Q36 | A | The grandmother of another child recounted her memories of making oatmeal porridge in a small bowl decorated with the same floral design as a pottery piece on display | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that one child's grandmother remembered cooking food in a little bowl that had the same flower design as a broken pot shown in the display. Answer Explanation: The answer says that the grandmother knew the design on some old pots. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the passage clearly states that one child's grandmother remembered making food in a bowl that had the same design as a piece of pottery that was shown. This means she 'recognised' the 'pattern' on the pottery. |
| Q37 | university | Following a visit to the university to see the museum there, the children produced a timeline of everything they had found to show the period in history to which each item belonged | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that after the children went to a big school called a 'university' to look at its 'museum', they made a special list called a 'timeline'. This timeline showed when each old thing they found was from. Answer Explanation: The answer, 'university', means a big school where people go to study after high school. It often has a museum. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'university' because the passage states that the children visited a university to see its museum before they made their timeline of discoveries. The summary asks where the children went to see exhibits *before* placing their discoveries on a timeline. The word 'university' fits perfectly here, connecting the visit to the museum and the creation of the timeline. |
| Q38 | game | They went on to invent a 'guess the object' game to engage visitors in their discoveries | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that after making a timeline, the children created a 'guess the object' game. This game was a way to get people who came to see the exhibition interested in the things the children had found. Answer Explanation: The answer 'game' means the children made a fun activity for people to play. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'game' because the passage says the children created a 'guess the object' game for visitors. This game was made 'to engage visitors in their discoveries', which means it helped visitors learn and test their knowledge about the items the children found. |
| Q39 | workshop | During the identification of the pottery pieces, one was identified as coming from the distinctive Seaton workshop in Aberdeen, so a complete example was borrowed from the museum and included in the cabinet alongside it | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that when the children looked closely at the broken pieces of pottery, they realized one piece came from a special 'Seaton workshop' in a city named Aberdeen. Because of this, they got a whole, unbroken pot from that same workshop from the museum to put in their display next to the broken one. Answer Explanation: The answer 'workshop' means a place where things are made by hand or with tools, like pottery. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'workshop' because the passage states that one piece of pottery was recognized as coming from a specific 'workshop'. The children's exhibition included this pottery, and the passage explains that a complete example from this 'workshop' was borrowed to be displayed next to the broken piece they found. This indicates it was a place where the pottery was produced. |
| Q40 | C | The archaeological investigations carried out by the children created a real-life context for them to play an active part in learning – educating not just themselves but their community too | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that when the children did their archaeology projects, it gave them a real opportunity to learn by doing. They learned a lot themselves, and they also taught people in their community. Answer Explanation: The answer is option C. This means the article is mostly about the good things that happen to children when they work with archaeologists, who are people who study old things and places. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the whole article describes the many good results, or 'benefits,' that children experience when they work closely with archaeologists. For example, the children learn about history (Paragraph D), understand how historical knowledge is made (Paragraph F), and even teach their community (Paragraph G). The passage consistently shows how the children's learning, understanding, skills, and connection to their heritage grow because of this project. The title 'The benefits for children of working with archaeologists' best summarizes all these positive outcomes for the children mentioned throughout the text. |