The Pearl - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Recent Actual Test 6 Academic Reading Test 5 · Part 1 · Questions 1–13
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
The Pearl
A The pearl has always had a special status in the rich and powerful all through the history. For instance, women from ancient Rome went to bed with pearls on them, so that they could remind themselves how wealthy they were after waking up. Pearls used to have more commercial value than diamonds until jewellers learnt to cut gems. In the eastern countries like Persia, ground pearl powders could be used as a medicine to cure anything including heart diseases and epilepsy.
B Pearls can generally be divided into three categories: natural, cultured and imitation. When an irritant (such as a grain of sand) gets inside a certain type of oyster, mussel, or clam, the mollusc will secrete a fluid as a means of defence to coat the irritant. Gradually, layers are accumulated around the irritant until a lustrous natural pearl is formed.
C A cultured pearl undergoes the same process. There is only one difference between cultured pearls and natural ones: in cultured pearls, the irritant is a bead called 'mother of pearl' and is placed in the oyster through surgical implantation. This results in much larger cores in cultivated pearls than those in natural pearls. As long as there are enough layers of nacre (the secreted fluid covering the irritant) to create a gorgeous, gem-quality pearl, the size of the nucleus wouldn't make a difference to beauty or durability.
D Pearls can come from both salt and freshwater sources. Typically, pearls from salt water usually have high quality, although several freshwater pearls are considered high in quality, too. In addition, freshwater pearls often have irregular shapes, with a puffed rice appearance. Nevertheless, it is the individual merits that determine the pearl's value more than the sources of pearls. Saltwater pearl oysters are usually cultivated in protected lagoons or volcanic atolls, while most freshwater cultured pearls sold today come from China. There are a number of options for producing cultured pearls: use fresh water or sea water shells, transplant the graft into the mantle or into the gonad, add a spherical bead or do it nonbeaded.
E No matter which method is used to get pearls, the process usually takes several years. Mussels must reach a mature age, which may take up almost three years, and then be transplanted an irritant. When the irritant is put in place, it takes approximately another three years for a pearl to reach its full size. Sometimes, the irritant may be rejected. As a result, the pearl may be seriously deformed, or the oyster may directly die from such numerous complications as diseases. At the end of a 5- to 10-year circle, only half of the oysters may have made it through. Among the pearls that are actually produced in the end, only about 5% of them will be high-quality enough for the jewellery makers.
F Imitation pearls are of another different story. The Island of Mallorca in Spain is renowned for its imitation pearl industry. In most cases, a bead is dipped into a solution made from fish scales. But this coating is quite thin and often wears off. One way to distinguish the imitation pearls is to have a bite on it. Fake pearls glide through your teeth, while the layers of nacre on the real pearls feel gritty.
G Several factors are taken into account to evaluate a pearl: size, shape, colour, the quality of surface and lustre. Generally, the three types of pearls come in such order (with the value decreasing): natural pearls, cultured pearls and imitation pearls (which basically are worthless). For jewellers, one way to tell whether a pearl is natural or cultured is to send it to a gem lab and perform an X-ray on it. High-quality natural pearls are extremely rare. Japan's Akoya pearls are one of the glossiest pearls out there, while the south sea water of Australia is a cradle to bigger pearls.
H Historically, the pearls with the highest quality around the globe are found in the Persian Gulf, particularly around Bahrain. These pearls have to be hand-harvested by divers with no advanced equipment. Unfortunately, when the large reserve of oil was discovered in the early 1930s, Persian Gulf's natural pearl industry came to a sudden end because the contaminated water destroyed the once pristine pearls. In the present days, India probably has the largest stock of natural pearls. However, it is quite an irony that a large part of India's stock of natural pearls are originally from Bahrain.
Questions
Questions 1–4 Matching Information
Reading Passage 1 has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Questions 5–10 Summary Completion
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
In history, pearls have had great importance within the men of wealth and power, which were treated as gems for women in 5. Also, pearls were even used as a medicine for people in 6. There are essentially three types of pearls: natural, cultured and imitation. Most freshwater cultured pearls sold today come from China while 7 Island is famous for its imitation pearl industry. Good-quality natural pearls are exceedingly unusual. 8 often manufactures some of the glitteriest pearls while 9 produces larger size ones due to the favourable environment along the coastline. In the past, 10 in Persian Gulf produced the world's best pearls. Nowadays, the major remaining suppliers of natural pearls belong to India.
Questions 11–13 True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
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
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | A | For instance, women from ancient Rome went to bed with pearls on them, so that they could remind themselves how wealthy they were after waking up. Pearls used to have more commercial value than diamonds until jewellers learnt to cut gems. In the eastern countries like Persia, ground pearl powders could be used as a medicine to cure anything including heart diseases and epilepsy | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that women in old Rome wore pearls to bed to remember they were rich. Also, in old eastern lands like Persia, people used crushed pearls as medicine for different sicknesses. This shows old traditions and what different people did with pearls. Answer Explanation: The answer is paragraph A. This means that paragraph A of the passage talks about old stories and the people who used to buy or own pearls a long time ago. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because this paragraph provides examples of how pearls were used and valued in very old times and by certain groups of people. It mentions 'ancient Rome' and 'eastern countries like Persia,' describing who used pearls and for what purpose, like women wearing them to show wealth or people using them as medicine. These are like 'ancient stories' about the 'customers' of pearls. |
| Q2 | E | Sometimes, the irritant may be rejected. As a result, the pearl may be seriously deformed, or the oyster may directly die from such numerous complications as diseases. At the end of a 5- to 10-year circle, only half of the oysters may have made it through. Among the pearls that are actually produced in the end, only about 5% of them will be high-quality enough for the jewellery makers | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that sometimes the small piece put inside the oyster to start a pearl ('irritant') can be pushed out. If this happens, the pearl might not be shaped correctly ('deformed') or the oyster itself might die from sickness ('diseases'). It also states that after many years, only half of the oysters will still be alive, and from all the pearls created, only a very small part (5%) will be good enough for making jewelry. Answer Explanation: The answer is E. This means that paragraph E in the passage talks about the problems and challenges that happen when people try to grow pearls. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because paragraph E explains many problems that can happen when workers try to grow pearls. It describes 'difficulties' like the long time it takes ('several years'), how the 'irritant may be rejected', how pearls can become 'seriously deformed', and that oysters 'may directly die'. It also mentions that only a small number of oysters survive the process and only a small percentage of pearls are high-quality. These are all 'difficulties in cultivating process'. |
| Q3 | G | Several factors are taken into account to evaluate a pearl: size, shape, colour, the quality of surface and lustre | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage means that many different things are looked at to decide if a pearl is good and how much money it is worth. These things include how big it is, what shape it has, what color it is, how nice its outside feels, and how bright or shiny it looks. Answer Explanation: The answer is paragraph G. This is the seventh part of the story about pearls. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is paragraph G because it clearly lists the 'factors' that are important for deciding 'the value' of pearls. It says that things like how big the pearl is, its shape, its color, how good its surface looks, and how shiny it is, all help to determine how much a pearl is worth. |
| Q4 | C | There is only one difference between cultured pearls and natural ones: in cultured pearls, the irritant is a bead called 'mother of pearl' and is placed in the oyster through surgical implantation. This results in much larger cores in cultivated pearls than those in natural pearls | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that cultured pearls and natural pearls are mostly made in the same way. But there is one big difference: in cultured pearls, a tiny ball called 'mother of pearl' is put inside the oyster by a doctor's operation. This makes the center of cultured pearls bigger than natural pearls. Answer Explanation: The answer is paragraph C. This paragraph explains how cultured pearls are made differently from natural pearls. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is paragraph C because it describes the specific way cultured pearls are formed, which is different from natural pearls. It says that for cultured pearls, a special 'irritant' (a small bead) is put inside the oyster by people, while natural pearls form when an irritant gets in by chance. This 'difference' is the 'growth mechanism' that helps us 'distinguish' (tell apart) the two types of pearls. |
| Q5 | ancient Rome | For instance, women from ancient Rome went to bed with pearls on them, so that they could remind themselves how wealthy they were after waking up | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that women in a very old city called ancient Rome would sleep with pearls. This was their way to remember their wealth when they woke up. Answer Explanation: The answer 'ancient Rome' means a very old city and empire where women used to wear pearls. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'ancient Rome' because the passage says that women from this old place wore pearls to show they were rich. The summary asks where pearls were treated as gems for women, and the passage specifically mentions 'women from ancient Rome' doing this. |
| Q6 | Persia | In the eastern countries like Persia, ground pearl powders could be used as a medicine to cure anything including heart diseases and epilepsy | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that in countries such as Persia, people used crushed pearls as a 'medicine' to make sick people better, even for serious problems like heart issues or epilepsy. Answer Explanation: The answer, 'Persia,' refers to an old country, a place where people lived a long time ago. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Persia' because the passage states that in countries like Persia, crushed pearls were used as a type of medicine. This shows that pearls had a special use as a 'medicine' for people in that region. |
| Q7 | Mallorca | The Island of Mallorca in Spain is renowned for its imitation pearl industry | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that an island named Mallorca, which is in Spain, is very famous because it makes many imitation pearls, meaning pearls that are not real. Answer Explanation: The answer, Mallorca, is the name of an island that is well-known for making fake pearls. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Mallorca' because the passage clearly states that this island is famous for its 'imitation pearl industry'. The question asks for the island famous for this industry, and the passage provides 'Mallorca' as the specific location. |
| Q8 | Japan | Japan's Akoya pearls are one of the glossiest pearls out there, while the south sea water of Australia is a cradle to bigger pearls | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that pearls from Japan, called Akoya pearls, are very shiny. It also mentions that Australia's southern seas are where larger pearls come from. Answer Explanation: The answer, Japan, is the name of a country. The text says this country makes some of the most shiny pearls. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Japan' because the passage indicates that Japan is known for producing very shiny pearls. It specifically mentions 'Japan's Akoya pearls' as being 'glossiest', which means very shiny or glittery. |
| Q9 | Australia | Japan's Akoya pearls are one of the glossiest pearls out there, while the south sea water of Australia is a cradle to bigger pearls | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Japan's pearls are very shiny. It then adds that Australia's southern oceans are like a birthplace for pearls that are bigger in size. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'Australia'. This means that Australia is known for making bigger pearls. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Australia' because the passage states that the 'south sea water of Australia is a cradle to bigger pearls'. This directly tells us that Australia is the place where larger size pearls are produced, matching the information required by the question. |
| Q10 | Bahrain | Historically, the pearls with the highest quality around the globe are found in the Persian Gulf, particularly around Bahrain | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that, in the past, the best pearls in the world were found in a place called the Persian Gulf, and especially in the area near a country named Bahrain. Answer Explanation: The answer is Bahrain, which is a country. It is called 'Bahrain' in the passage. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Bahrain' because the passage states that the best quality pearls in history came from the Persian Gulf, and specifically mentions Bahrain as the place where these pearls were found. The question asks what place in the Persian Gulf produced the world's best pearls in the past, and Bahrain fits this description. |
| Q11 | TRUE | This results in much larger cores in cultivated pearls than those in natural pearls | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that cultured pearls have middle parts, called 'cores,' that are much bigger than the middle parts of natural pearls. Answer Explanation: The answer is TRUE. This means the statement is correct: the middle part (center) of a cultured pearl is usually much bigger than the middle part of a natural pearl. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage explicitly states that cultured pearls have larger cores compared to natural pearls. It mentions that the way cultured pearls are made, by placing a 'mother of pearl' bead inside, leads to this difference in size for their center parts. Keywords to notice are 'much larger cores' and 'cultivated pearls' (which are the same as cultured pearls). |
| Q12 | NOT GIVEN | Generally, the three types of pearls come in such order (with the value decreasing): natural pearls, cultured pearls and imitation pearls (which basically are worthless) | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that natural pearls are the most valuable, followed by cultured pearls. It then says that imitation pearls, which are fake, have almost no value at all. Answer Explanation: The answer 'NOT GIVEN' means that the information in the passage does not tell us if the statement is true or false. We cannot find enough details in the text to agree or disagree with it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'NOT GIVEN' because the passage states that 'imitation pearls (which basically are worthless)' when discussing their value. This means fake pearls generally have very little or no value. However, the passage does not provide any information or examples to suggest that a fake pearl could sometimes be sold for more money (be 'more expensive') than a real pearl. Since the passage does not discuss specific pricing scenarios or exceptions to the general value ranking, we cannot confirm or deny the statement. |
| Q13 | TRUE | Japan's Akoya pearls are one of the glossiest pearls out there, while the south sea water of Australia is a cradle to bigger pearls | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that pearls from Japan, called Akoya pearls, are very shiny. It then says that the waters south of Australia are where "bigger pearls" are found, meaning pearls from Australia are larger. Answer Explanation: The answer means that pearls from Japan are typically smaller than pearls from Australia. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage tells us that Australia is known for producing "bigger pearls." This directly suggests that pearls from other places, like Japan, would be comparatively smaller in size when measured against Australian pearls, as stated in the question. |