What Is A Port City? - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 02 Academic Reading Test 2 · Part 3 · Questions 27–40
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27 - 40 which are based on Reading Passage 3 on the following pages.
What is a Port City?
The port city provides a fascinating and rich understanding of the movement of people and goods around the world. We understand a port as a centre of land-sea exchange, and as a major source of livelihood and a major force for cultural mixing. But do ports all produce a range of common urban characteristics which justify classifying port cities together under a single generic label? Do they have enough in common to warrant distinguishing them from other kinds of cities?
A A port must be distinguished from a harbour. They are two very different things. Most ports have poor harbours, and many fine harbours see few ships. Harbour is a physical concept, a shelter for ships; port is an economic concept, a centre of land-sea exchange which requires good access to a hinterland even more than a sea-linked foreland. it is landward access, which is productive of goods for export and which demands imports, that is critical. Poor harbours can be improved with breakwaters and dredging if there is a demand for a port. Madras and Colombo are examples of harbours expensively improved by enlarging, dredging and building breakwaters.
B Port cities become industrial, financial and service centres and political capitals because of their water connections and the urban concentration which arises there and later draws to it railways, highways and air routes. Water transport means cheap access, the chief basis of all port cities. Many of the world's biggest cities, for example, London, New York, Shanghai, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Jakarta, Calcutta, Philadelphia and San Francisco began as ports - that is, with land-sea exchange as their major function - but they have since grown disproportionately in other respects so that their port functions are no longer dominant. They remain different kinds of places from non-port cities and their port functions account for that difference.
C Port functions, more than anything else, make a city cosmopolitan. A port city is open to the world. In it races, cultures, and ideas, as well as goods from a variety of places, jostle, mix and enrich each other and the life of the city. The smell of the sea and the harbour, the sound of boat whistles or the moving tides are symbols of their multiple links with a wide world, samples of which are present in microcosm within their own urban areas.
D Sea ports have been transformed by the advent of powered vessels, whose size and draught have increased. Many formerly important ports have become economically and physically less accessible as a result. By-passed by most of their former enriching flow of exchange, they have become cultural and economic backwaters or have acquired the character of museums of the past. Examples of these are Charleston, Salem, Bristol, Plymouth, Surat, Galle, Melaka, Suzhou chow, and a long list of earlier prominent port cities in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.
E Much domestic port trade has not been recorded. What evidence we have suggests that domestic trade was greater at all periods than external trade. Shanghai, for example, did most of its trade with other Chinese ports and inland cities. Calcutta traded mainly with other parts of India and so on. Most of any city's population is engaged in providing goods and services for the city itself. Trade outside the city is its basic function. But each basic worker requires food, housing, clothing and other such services. Estimates of the ratio of basic to service workers range from 1:4 to 1:8.
F No city can be simply a port but must be involved in a variety of other activities. The port function of the city draws to it raw materials and distributes them in many other forms. Ports take advantage of the need for breaking up the bulk material where water and land transport meet and where loading and unloading costs can be minimised by refining raw materials or turning them into finished goods. The major examples here are oil refining and ore refining, which are commonly located at ports. It is not easy to draw a line around what is and is not a port function. All ports handle, unload, sort, alter, process, repack, and reship most of what they receive. A city may still be regarded as a port city when it becomes involved in a great range of functions not immediately involved with ships or docks.
G Cities which began as ports retain the chief commercial and administrative centre of the city close to the waterfront. The centre of New York is in lower Manhattan between two river mouths, the City of London is on the Thames, Shanghai along the Bund. This proximity to water is also true of Boston, Philadelphia, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Yokohama, where the commercial, financial, and administrative centres are still grouped around their harbours even though each city has expanded into a metropolis. Even a casual visitor cannot mistake them as anything but port cities.
Questions
Questions 27–30 Matching Headings
Reading Passage 3 has seven paragraphs A - G.
From the list of headings below choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs B - E.
NB There are more headings than paragraphs, so you will not use them all.
i. A truly international environment
ii. Once a port city, always a port city
iii. Good ports make huge profits
iv. How the port changes a city's infrastructure
v. Reasons for the decline of ports
vi. Relative significance of trade and service industry
vii. Ports and harbours
viii. The demands of the oil industry
Questions 31–34 Matching Features
Look at the following descriptions of some port cities mentioned in Reading Passage 3.
Match the pairs of cities (A - H) listed below, with the descriptions.
NB There are more pairs of port cities than descriptions. so you will not use them all.
A. Bombay and Buenos Aires
B. Hong Kong and Salem
C. Istanbul and Jakarta
D. Madras and Colombo
E. New York and Bristol
F. Plymouth and Melaka
G. Singapore and Yokohama
H. Surat and London
Questions 35–40 Yes / No / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?
YES if the statement agrees with the information
NO if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this in the passage
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q27 | ii | They remain different kinds of places from non-port cities and their port functions account for that difference | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that these cities stay unique and different from cities that do not have ports, and it is their port-related activities that cause this lasting difference. Answer Explanation: The answer means that even if a city grows very large and changes over time, its history and identity as a port city stay with it forever. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'ii' because Paragraph B explains that many major global cities like London and New York began as ports. While these cities have grown and now have many other functions that are more dominant than the port itself, they are still fundamentally different from cities that were never ports. The text emphasizes that their original function as a place of land-sea exchange is what makes them unique and continues to define them. |
| Q28 | i | Port functions, more than anything else, make a city cosmopolitan. A port city is open to the world. In it races, cultures, and ideas, as well as goods from a variety of places, jostle, mix and enrich each other and the life of the city | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that ports make a city a global place where many different people, cultures, and thoughts from across the world come together. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Paragraph C is most appropriately titled 'A truly international environment.' Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is chosen because Paragraph C describes port cities as 'cosmopolitan,' which refers to a place where people from many different countries live. It explains that these cities are 'open to the world' and that people of different races, cultures, and ideas come together and mix. This high level of global variety is exactly what defines an international environment. |
| Q29 | v | Sea ports have been transformed by the advent of powered vessels, whose size and draught have increased. Many formerly important ports have become economically and physically less accessible as a result. By-passed by most of their former enriching flow of exchange, they have become cultural and economic backwaters or have acquired the character of museums of the past | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that because ships became larger, old ports were hard to get into. Consequently, trade moved elsewhere, and these cities became quiet places that only show history rather than active business. Answer Explanation: The answer 'v' means that Paragraph D talks about why some port cities are no longer as powerful or busy as they used to be. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'v' because the paragraph explains why some ports have lost their importance. The text mentions that as ships got bigger and deeper, many old ports could no longer be reached or used easily. This led to these ports being 'by-passed' (ignored or skipped), causing them to become 'backwaters' or 'museums of the past' instead of active business centers. These are the specific causes and signs of their decline. |
| Q30 | vi | Most of any city's population is engaged in providing goods and services for the city itself. Trade outside the city is its basic function. But each basic worker requires food, housing, clothing and other such services. Estimates of the ratio of basic to service workers range from 1:4 to 1:8 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that while the main job of a port city is trade (sending goods out), most of the people who live there actually work in 'services' that help the city itself run. It uses numbers to show the relationship between the number of trade workers and the number of service workers. Answer Explanation: The answer 'vi' indicates that the paragraph compares the importance or amount of trade work versus service jobs within a city. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'vi' because Paragraph E discusses the different roles people have in a city. It compares trade (the 'basic function' of moving goods to and from other places) with the 'service' industry (providing daily needs like food and housing for the local people). By providing a 'ratio' (a comparison of numbers), the text shows the 'relative significance' or size of these two different sectors. |
| Q31 | D | Madras and Colombo are examples of harbours expensively improved by enlarging, dredging and building breakwaters | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the harbours in Madras and Colombo were made better by doing big and expensive projects like making them larger and cleaning the bottom of the water. Answer Explanation: The answer is the pair of cities named Madras and Colombo. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the passage names Madras and Colombo as cities that had to spend a lot of money to make their harbours better. The text uses the word 'improved' to show that 'development' happened, and it mentions specific work like 'enlarging' (making bigger) and 'dredging' (cleaning out the water bottom) to explain how these ports were changed. |
| Q32 | C | Many of the world's biggest cities, for example, London, New York, Shanghai, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Jakarta, Calcutta, Philadelphia and San Francisco began as ports - that is, with land-sea exchange as their major function - but they have since grown disproportionately in other respects so that their port functions are no longer dominant | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that many big cities, including Istanbul and Jakarta, began with the main job of being a port. But they have grown so much in other ways that their work as a port is not the most important activity anymore. Answer Explanation: The answer C means that Istanbul and Jakarta are cities that were ports when they first started, but now other parts of the city (like business or government) have become more important than the port. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because Paragraph B explains that many large cities, including Istanbul and Jakarta, started as ports where goods were traded between land and sea. However, as they grew, other types of work became much larger and more important. The text uses the phrase "no longer dominant" to show that being a port is not the main job of these cities anymore, which matches the description that other facilities later "dominated." |
| Q33 | F | Sea ports have been transformed by the advent of powered vessels, whose size and draught have increased. Many formerly important ports have become economically and physically less accessible as a result. By-passed by most of their former enriching flow of exchange, they have become cultural and economic backwaters or have acquired the character of museums of the past. Examples of these are Charleston, Salem, Bristol, Plymouth, Surat, Galle, Melaka, Suzhou chow, and a long list of earlier prominent port cities in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that as ships grew in size and depth, some ports were no longer easy for ships to visit. Consequently, cities like Plymouth and Melaka lost their importance in trade and became like quiet museums of history. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies Plymouth and Melaka as the two cities that became less important once ships became too large to enter their waters. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because Paragraph D explains that new, powerful ships became much bigger and needed deeper water (increased size and draught). Because of this, many cities that used to be important ports became 'less accessible' and lost their business. The passage explicitly lists Plymouth and Melaka as examples of cities that lost their leading status for this specific reason. |
| Q34 | G | This proximity to water is also true of Boston, Philadelphia, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Yokohama, where the commercial, financial, and administrative centres are still grouped around their harbours even though each city has expanded into a metropolis | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that in several cities, including Singapore and Yokohama, the main areas for business and government are still located very close to the water (the harbor), even though the cities have grown much larger. Answer Explanation: The answer means Singapore and Yokohama are cities that still keep their main business districts very close to the area where the water and port are located. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is G because Paragraph G specifically lists Singapore and Yokohama as cities where the 'commercial, financial, and administrative centres' (which are synonyms for business centres) are 'still grouped around their harbours' (meaning they stay near the waterfront). The text highlights that even as these cities grew into very large places, they kept these important buildings near the water. |
| Q35 | NO | Many of the world's biggest cities, for example, London, New York, Shanghai, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Jakarta, Calcutta, Philadelphia and San Francisco began as ports - that is, with land-sea exchange as their major function - but they have since grown disproportionately in other respects so that their port functions are no longer dominant. They remain different kinds of places from non-port cities and their port functions account for that difference | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that many famous large cities started as ports. Over time, they grew in other ways so that the port was not the main part of their business anymore. However, they are still considered different from cities that never had a port, and their past and present port activities are what make them special. Answer Explanation: The answer means that a city does not stop being called a port city just because it starts focusing on other types of business or activities more than its port. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the passage explains that even when cities grow so much that their port activities are 'no longer dominant' (meaning other businesses have become more important), they stay unique. The author notes that these cities 'remain' different from cities that never had ports. Essentially, they do not 'cease' (stop) being port cities; they simply evolve while keeping their port identity. Paragraph F also explicitly states that a city can still be 'regarded as a port city' even when it handles many other tasks not related to docks. |
| Q36 | YES | What evidence we have suggests that domestic trade was greater at all periods than external trade | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that based on what we know, trade within the same country was larger at all times in history than trade with other countries across the sea. Answer Explanation: The answer YES means that historical records show many cities traded more with other places inside their own country than they did with foreign countries. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because section E of the passage explains that while some records are missing, the available information shows that 'domestic trade' (buying and selling inside the same country) was actually bigger than 'external trade' (trading with other countries) throughout history. The passage uses Shanghai and Calcutta as specific examples of cities that focused mostly on trading within their own borders. |
| Q37 | NO | Most of any city's population is engaged in providing goods and services for the city itself. Trade outside the city is its basic function. But each basic worker requires food, housing, clothing and other such services. Estimates of the ratio of basic to service workers range from 1:4 to 1:8 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that most people in a city work on things the city needs internally, like food and clothes. It mentions that people working in trade with other places are the minority, as there are many more service workers (ratio of 4 or 8 to 1) than there are trade workers. Answer Explanation: The answer "NO" means that the statement—that most people in a port city work in international trade and finance—is incorrect according to the text. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the text says that the majority of people in a city have jobs that provide goods and services for the city itself, rather than working in trade with other places. It explains that 'basic' workers (those involved in trade outside the city) are actually a small group compared to 'service' workers (those who provide food, clothes, and houses for the city's inhabitants). The text even gives a ratio, showing that for every one trade worker, there are four to eight service workers, which proves that trade workers are not the majority. |
| Q38 | YES | Port cities become industrial, financial and service centres and political capitals because of their water connections and the urban concentration which arises there and later draws to it railways, highways and air routes | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that since these cities are near water, they naturally grow into important spots for factories, banks, and other businesses, which eventually leads to the building of roads and railways there as well. Answer Explanation: The answer YES means the text confirms that port cities bring in many different types of businesses and factories. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the author states that port cities grow into 'industrial, financial and service centres'. The text further explains that the port function 'draws' raw materials to the city to be changed into 'finished goods' like oil through refining. This confirms that many industries (factories and businesses) are attracted to and exist within port cities because of their water connections. |
| Q39 | NOT GIVEN | In it races, cultures, and ideas, as well as goods from a variety of places, jostle, mix and enrich each other and the life of the city | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that port cities are places where many different people and thoughts come together, but it does not talk about the language they use to speak to each other or do business. Answer Explanation: The answer NOT GIVEN means that the passage does not provide any information to confirm or deny whether people in ports must use one shared language for business. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because, although the text discusses how different types of people and ideas meet in port cities, it never mentions the specific language or communication methods used for trade. Since there is no mention of a "common language," we cannot say the statement is true or false based only on this reading. |
| Q40 | YES | The centre of New York is in lower Manhattan between two river mouths, the City of London is on the Thames, Shanghai along the Bund | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage describes the location of certain famous port cities. It explains that New York is found between river mouths and London is located on the Thames River, showing that these ports have connections to rivers. Answer Explanation: The answer YES means it is true that ports are often connected to rivers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the passage provides specific examples of major port cities that are situated on or near rivers. It points out that New York is located between two 'river mouths' and that London is on the 'Thames', which is a well-known river. By illustrating these connections in famous port cities, the text supports the idea that river links are common. |