Farming in Ancient Ireland - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 06 Academic Listening Test 3 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–34 One Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 35–40 Note Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
STONE TOOLS
- Ploughs could either have been pulled by 35 or by cattle.
- The farmers needed homes which were permanent dwellings.
- In the final stages of axe-making, water and 36 were necessary for grinding and polishing.
- Irish axes were exported from Ireland to 37 and England.
POTTERY MAKING
- The colonisers used clay to make pots.
- The 38 of the pots was often polished to make them watertight.
- Clay from 39 areas was generally used.
- Decoration was only put around the 40 of the earliest pots.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | C | Now, there are several hypotheses about the origins of the first Neolithic settlers in Ireland, but most of these contain problems | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that there are many theories about the starting place (origins) of the first people who moved there to farm, but most of those theories have mistakes or are hard to prove. Answer Explanation: The answer means that we do not know for sure where the first farmers in Ireland lived before they arrived there. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the speaker discusses several theories (hypotheses) about the 'origins' of the Neolithic settlers, but notes that these theories have 'problems' and 'difficulties.' For instance, the speaker mentions that evidence for them coming from England 'doesn't really add up' and there are practical issues with them coming from continental Europe. This indicates that their starting location (where they came from) remains uncertain. |
| Q32 | A | So we must assume that from the beginnings of Neolithic farming the number of breeding sheep would have considerably exceeded three hundred, and the national cattle herd must have been of a similar size | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that because of how farming works, the early Irish farmers likely started with more than 300 female sheep and about the same number of cows. Answer Explanation: The answer means that there needed to be more than a specific count of mother animals for the group to survive. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the speaker mentions that a minimum number of 'breeding stock' (animals used to produce offspring) is necessary to keep a species from being 'at risk' or dying out. The speaker calculates that since early farmers were successful, they must have had more than 300 female sheep and a similar amount of cattle. In this context, 'exceeded' means to be more than, and 'three hundred' is the 'certain level' mentioned in the answer choice. |
| Q33 | A | It's usually suggested that the Neolithic settlers used skin-covered boats to transport livestock. But this method would have severely restricted the range of the colonising fleets | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that people think early farmers used boats made of skin to carry their animals. However, this way of traveling meant the groups of boats could not travel very far. Answer Explanation: The answer means that carrying farm animals on boats made it difficult for the early farmers to travel long distances across the sea. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the speaker explains that using skin-covered boats to carry animals "severely restricted the range" of the trips. This means the weight and nature of the animals limited how far the boats could go. Because of this, the speaker concludes it is unlikely the animals came from anywhere further than England, as the "distance" was a major challenge. |
| Q34 | B | The main evidence for their presence consists of impressions on pottery, where a cereal grain accidentally became embedded in the surface of a pot before it was fired. The grain itself was destroyed by the firing, but it left an impression on the pot which could be studied and identified by botanists | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the primary proof is the shapes left on the clay. Grain seeds got stuck in the pot's surface while it was still soft. When the pot was heated, the grain was gone, but the shape it made stayed there so experts could see it. Answer Explanation: The answer is option B, which states that marks on old clay pots are the main proof that people grew grain during that time. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the speaker explains that the strongest proof of farming crops comes from 'impressions' on clay pots. An 'impression' is a mark or shape left behind when something is pressed into a surface. In this case, seeds from cereal crops accidentally got stuck in the wet clay. Even though the grains were burned away later, the 'marks' or shapes remained in the hardened pot for scientists to find. Option A is wrong because the grain was 'destroyed,' not left as burnt remains, and option C refers to art, not evidence of food. |
| Q35 | people | The body of the plough would have been of wood and could have been drawn by people, but it's also likely that cattle were used | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the main parts of these early farming tools were made of wood. It explains that they were pulled by humans, although it is probable that cows were also used to do this work. Answer Explanation: The answer means that humans were used to pull the heavy farming tools called ploughs. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'people' because the speaker mentions that the main part of the plough was moved ('drawn') by human beings. The transcript offers two possibilities for what pulled the plough: humans or animals like cows (cattle). The speaker uses the word 'drawn' as a synonym for 'pulled' in this context. |
| Q36 | sand | However, after the axe had been chipped into shape, they needed water and sand for grinding and polishing, so a high mountainside wouldn't have been an appropriate place for this | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that after the axe was shaped, the makers needed water and sand to smooth it out and make it look finished. Because of this, they could not finish the axes on high mountainsides where these materials might not have been available together. Answer Explanation: The answer 'water and sand' identifies the two things used to rub the stone axes to make them smooth and clean during the last part of their creation. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'water and sand' because the speaker mentions that once a stone axe was cut into the right shape, these two materials were required for 'grinding and polishing.' The transcript also labels this part of the job as the 'final stage' of making the tool. Keywords to notice are 'needed,' which means something was 'necessary,' and 'grinding and polishing,' which are the specific actions mentioned in the sentence. |
| Q37 | Scotland | Now it's clear that these Neolithic axes were transported all over Ireland, as well as to Scotland and the south of England | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the axes were not just kept in Ireland; they were moved to different parts of Ireland and also sent across the sea to Scotland and southern England. Answer Explanation: The answer is Scotland, which is a country where people in Neolithic Ireland sent their stone axes. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Scotland because the lecture explains that stone tools (axes) were moved from Ireland to other places. The speaker mentions two specific locations outside of Ireland where these axes were found: Scotland and the south of England. These axes were made in local 'axe factories' and then shared or traded with these neighboring regions. |
| Q38 | outside | After firing, the outside was often polished. This would have helped the pots to retain water, as they weren't glazed | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript describes the process of making pots. It says that the outer part of the pot was rubbed to make it smooth (polished) so that it could keep water inside without it leaking through the clay. Answer Explanation: The answer 'outside' refers to the outer part or the surface of the clay pots. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'outside' because the text explains that after the pottery was heated (fired), people polished the outer surface. This step was important because it helped the pots hold water and prevented leaking, since the farmers did not have glaze to seal them. In the question, 'watertight' is a synonym for 'retain water'. |
| Q39 | local | Now we know that the clay used usually came from local sources, which suggests that manufacture was on a fairly small scale, even though thousands of fragments are usually found at Neolithic sites | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that the clay used by the people usually came from places close to their own homes or neighborhoods. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the material used to make pottery (clay) was found nearby or in the same area where the people lived. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'local' because the transcript specifically mentions that the clay used for making pottery typically came from 'local sources.' This suggests that instead of traveling long distances or trading for materials, the people used what was available in the areas where they lived. |
| Q40 | tops | In the course of time decoration began to appear. At first this looked like a series of stitches and was just around the tops of the pots | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that when people started adding patterns, the very first designs were placed only on the upper parts of the pots. Answer Explanation: The answer "tops" means the upper edges or the very highest part of the clay containers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the speaker describes the history of pottery design. According to the text, when people first began to add patterns to their pots, they did not decorate the whole item. Instead, they only placed these designs around the upper section. The word 'first' used in the transcript matches the meaning of 'earliest' in the question, and 'around' points to the specific location being discussed. |
Transcript
Good morning everyone. Last week we were looking at the hunter-gatherers in Ireland, across the Irish Sea from England. Today, we're going to move on to the period between four and six thousand years ago, known as the Neolithic period, which is when a total farming economy was introduced in Ireland.
Now, there are several hypotheses about the origins of the first Neolithic settlers in Ireland, but most of these contain problems. For instance, there are considerable archaeological difficulties about the theory that they came from England. The evidence doesn't really add up. But there are even greater practical problems about the theory that they came directly from continental Europe. For one thing, it's not clear just how sufficient numbers of men and women could have been transported to Ireland to establish a viable population. As you know, the hunter-gatherer economy which existed beforehand was based on small scattered groups. The farming economy would almost certainly have required much larger communities to do all the work needed to plant and tend sufficient crops to sustain them through the year.
The early farmers kept various animals, including cattle and sheep. There's also evidence of pigs, but it is possible that these could have been descended from the native wild species. Now, we know from modern farming that if the level of breeding stock falls below about three hundred females, the future of the species locally is at risk. So we must assume that from the beginnings of Neolithic farming the number of breeding sheep would have considerably exceeded three hundred, and the national cattle herd must have been of a similar size. The question is how these were brought to the area and where they came from.
It's usually suggested that the Neolithic settlers used skin-covered boats to transport livestock. But this method would have severely restricted the range of the colonising fleets. The sheer volume of animal transport necessary means it's unlikely that this livestock could have been brought from anywhere further than England.
What about crops? Well, two main cereal crops were introduced to Ireland during this time: wheat and barley, both in several varieties. The main evidence for their presence consists of impressions on pottery, where a cereal grain accidentally became embedded in the surface of a pot before it was fired. The grain itself was destroyed by the firing, but it left an impression on the pot which could be studied and identified by botanists.
Let's turn our attention now to the farming technology available at that time. Before the cereal crops could be planted, it would have been necessary to clear the forest and to break the ground by ploughing. The stone blade of a plough has been discovered during excavation in County Mayo in western Ireland. The body of the plough would have been of wood and could have been drawn by people, but it's also likely that cattle were used.
Now, the cultivation of crops and the husbandry of livestock brought about changes in people's lifestyle such as the type of shelters they made. For one thing, instead of moving from place to place they needed permanent dwellings. The stone axes used to chop down trees to make these dwellings were far superior to any that the Stone Age hunter-gatherers used.
To make the axes, sources of suitable stone had to be found and systematically exploited. These so-called 'axe factories' were really quarries rather than factories, as the manufacture of the axes wasn't regularly performed on the quarry site. However, after the axe had been chipped into shape, they needed water and sand for grinding and polishing, so a high mountainside wouldn't have been an appropriate place for this. So this final stage of the manufacture must have been carried out close to water and sure enough, there's ample evidence of this at coastal sites.
Now it's clear that these Neolithic axes were transported all over Ireland, as well as to Scotland and the south of England. It's not really surprising that axes from 'axe factories' in England have also been found in Ireland. At the very least, this indicates that there was a link between the two islands during that period.
One of the most useful innovations of the colonisers was pottery making, which was quite unknown to Irish hunter-gatherers. The pottery was probably made by shaping clay into a ball with the hand, and then hollowing it until the walls were the right thickness. After firing, the outside was often polished. This would have helped the pots to retain water, as they weren't glazed. Now we know that the clay used usually came from local sources, which suggests that manufacture was on a fairly small scale, even though thousands of fragments are usually found at Neolithic sites.
In the course of time decoration began to appear. At first this looked like a series of stitches and was just around the tops of the pots. This could have been an imitation of earlier vessels which were made of leather sewn onto wood. Then eventually pots with decoration all over ...