The Phoenicians: An Almost Forgotten People - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS Academic Reading Test 8 · 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 Phoenicians: an almost forgotten people
The Phoenicians inhabited the region of modern Lebanon and Syria from about 3000 BC. They became the greatest traders of the pre-classical world, and were the first people to establish a large colonial network. Both of these activities were based on seafaring, an ability the Phoenicians developed from the example of their maritime predecessors, the Minoans of Crete.
An Egyptian narrative of about 1080 BC, the Story of Wen-Amen, provides an insight into the scale of their trading activity. One of the characters is Wereket-El, a Phoenician merchant living at Tanis in Egypt's Nile delta. As many as 50 ships carry out his business, plying back and forth between the Nile and the Phoenician port of Sidon.
The most prosperous period for Phoenicia was the 10th century BC, when the surrounding region was stable. Hiram, the king of the Phoenician city of Tyre, was an ally and business partner of Solomon, King of Israel. For Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, Hiram provided craftsmen with particular skills that were needed for this major construction project. He also supplied materials – particularly timber, including cedar from the forests of Lebanon. And the two kings went into trade in partnership. They sent out Phoenician vessels on long expeditions (of up to three years for the return trip) to bring back gold, sandalwood, ivory, monkeys and peacocks from Ophir. This is an unidentified place, probably on the east coast of Africa or the west coast of India.
Phoenicia was famous for its luxury goods. The cedar wood was not only exported as top-quality timber for architecture and shipbuilding. It was also carved by the Phoenicians, and the same skill was adapted to even more precious work in ivory. The rare and expensive dye for cloth, Tyrian purple, complemented another famous local product, fine linen. The metalworkers of the region, particularly those working in gold, were famous. Tyre and Sidon were also known for their glass.
These were the main products which the Phoenicians exported. In addition, as traders and middlemen, they took a commission on a much greater range of precious goods that they transported from elsewhere.
The extensive trade of Phoenicia required much book-keeping and correspondence, and it was in the field of writing that the Phoenicians made their most lasting contribution to world history. The scripts in use in the world up to the second millennium BC (in Egypt, Mesopotamia or China) all required the writer to learn a large number of separate characters – each of them expressing either a whole word or an element of its meaning. By contrast, the Phoenicians, in about 1500 BC, developed an entirely new approach to writing. The marks made (with a pointed tool called a stylus, on damp clay) now attempted to capture the sound of a word. This required an alphabet of individual letters.
The trading and seafaring skills of the Phoenicians resulted in a network of colonies, spreading westwards through the Mediterranean. The first was probably Citium, in Cyprus, established in the 9th century BC. But the main expansion came from the 8th century BC onwards, when pressure from Assyria to the east disrupted the patterns of trade on the Phoenician coast.
Trading colonies were developed on the string of islands in the centre of the Mediterranean – Crete, Sicily, Malta, Sardinia, Ibiza – and also on the coast of north Africa. The African colonies clustered in particular around the great promontory which, with Sicily opposite, forms the narrowest channel on the main Mediterranean sea route. This is the site of Carthage.
Carthage was the largest of the towns founded by the Phoenicians on the north African coast, and it rapidly assumed a leading position among the neighbouring colonies. The traditional date of its founding is 814 BC, but archaeological evidence suggests that it was probably settled a little over a century later.
The subsequent spread and growth of Phoenician colonies in the western Mediterranean, and even out to the Atlantic coasts of Africa and Spain, was as much the achievement of Carthage as of the original Phoenician trading cities such as Tyre and Sidon. But no doubt links were maintained with the homeland, and new colonists continued to travel west.
From the 8th century BC, many of the coastal cities of Phoenicia came under the control of a succession of imperial powers, each of them defeated and replaced in the region by the next: first the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, Persians and Macedonian Greeks.
In 64 BC, the area of Phoenicia became part of the Roman province of Syria. The Phoenicians as an identifiable people then faded from history, merging into the populations of modern Lebanon and northern Syria.
Questions
Questions 1–8 Note Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
The Phoenicians' trading activities
The Phoenicians' skill at 1 helped them to trade.
In an ancient story, a 2 from Phoenicia, who lived in Egypt, owned 50 ships.
A king of Israel built a 3 using supplies from Phoenicia.
Phoenicia supplied Solomon with skilled 4 .
The main material that Phoenicia sent to Israel was 5 .
The kings of Phoenicia and Israel formed a business 6 in order to carry out trade.
Phoenicians carved 7 , as well as cedar.
The Phoenicians also earned a 8 for shipping goods.
Questions 9–13 True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
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 | seafaring | Both of these activities were based on seafaring, an ability the Phoenicians developed from the example of their maritime predecessors, the Minoans of Crete | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the two main things the Phoenicians did (trading and creating colonies) happened because they were good at seafaring. This skill was something they learned from people who lived before them. Answer Explanation: The answer is seafaring, which refers to the skill of traveling or working on the sea. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is seafaring because the passage notes that the Phoenicians were famous traders and built a large network of colonies. It points out that these two activities were only possible because of their seafaring ability. Therefore, their skill in traveling across the ocean was the reason they were successful in trade. |
| Q2 | merchant | One of the characters is Wereket-El, a Phoenician merchant living at Tanis in Egypt's Nile delta. As many as 50 ships carry out his business, plying back and forth between the Nile and the Phoenician port of Sidon | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage describes a businessman from Phoenicia named Wereket-El who lived in Egypt and used 50 ships to transport goods. Answer Explanation: The answer means a person whose job is to buy and sell products to make money. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'merchant' because the text discusses an old Egyptian story. In this story, there is a person named Wereket-El who is a Phoenician merchant. He lived in a part of Egypt called Tanis and used 50 ships for his business trading between the Nile and Sidon. The word 'merchant' is the specific term used to describe this person in the passage. |
| Q3 | temple | For Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, Hiram provided craftsmen with particular skills that were needed for this major construction project | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that for the building project called a temple in Jerusalem, a Phoenician leader named Hiram gave Solomon the skilled workers he needed. Answer Explanation: The answer is the specific religious building that King Solomon of Israel constructed using resources provided by the Phoenicians. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is temple because the passage states that Solomon, the King of Israel, undertook a major construction project in Jerusalem. The text mentions that Hiram, the Phoenician king, provided the necessary craftsmen and materials specifically for Solomon's temple. Synonyms or related terms to look for include "king of Israel," "construction project," and "building." |
| Q4 | craftsmen | For Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, Hiram provided craftsmen with particular skills that were needed for this major construction project | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the Phoenician king gave Solomon workers with special skills to help him build a large temple in Jerusalem. Answer Explanation: The answer "craftsmen" means workers who are very good at making things using their hands and special tools. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "craftsmen" because the text explains that King Hiram of Phoenicia helped King Solomon of Israel with a building project. He sent workers who had "particular skills" (which is a synonym for "skilled") to help. In the passage, these workers are specifically called "craftsmen." |
| Q5 | timber / wood / cedar | He also supplied materials – particularly timber, including cedar from the forests of Lebanon | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the king of Phoenicia gave construction supplies to Israel, specifically mentioning wood from trees as a main contribution. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the material from trees (logs or wood used for building) that the Phoenicians provided to Israel. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'timber', 'wood', or 'cedar' because the text explains that King Hiram of Phoenicia gave building supplies to King Solomon of Israel for his temple. It highlights that the most important material provided was 'timber', specifically 'cedar' wood from the famous forests in Lebanon. |
| Q6 | partnership | And the two kings went into trade in partnership | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the two leaders (the kings of Phoenicia and Israel) decided to do business together by forming a group or team. Answer Explanation: The answer means a formal agreement where two or more people or groups work together to run a business. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the text which describes how King Hiram of Phoenicia and King Solomon of Israel worked together. The passage specifically states they 'went into trade in partnership.' This phrase confirms that they created a business arrangement to send ships on long trips to get valuable items from other places. |
| Q7 | ivory | It was also carved by the Phoenicians, and the same skill was adapted to even more precious work in ivory | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the Phoenicians performed carving work on wood and then used those same talents to make even more expensive items out of ivory. Answer Explanation: The answer ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks of animals like elephants, which the Phoenicians used to make beautiful carved objects. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is ivory because the passage explains that the Phoenicians were famous for making luxury goods. While they were known for exporting cedar wood, they also used their carving skills on a more expensive and rare material called ivory. The sentence in the task asks for a material they carved in addition to cedar, and the text explicitly links these two activities. |
| Q8 | commission | In addition, as traders and middlemen, they took a commission on a much greater range of precious goods that they transported from elsewhere | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the Phoenicians worked as people who helped buy and sell items for other people; for doing this service, they were paid a fee called a commission on the many items they moved from place to place. Answer Explanation: The answer is a fee or a percentage of money paid to someone for their work in selling or moving goods for others. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'commission' because the text explains that the Phoenicians did not only sell their own products. They also acted as 'middlemen' (people who help buy and sell things for others). For moving 'precious goods' that belonged to others, they were paid a 'commission'. This matches the sentence in the question which asks what they earned for 'shipping goods'. |
| Q9 | TRUE | But the main expansion came from the 8th century BC onwards, when pressure from Assyria to the east disrupted the patterns of trade on the Phoenician coast | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that most of the growth in building new towns (colonies) happened after the 8th century BC. This growth occurred because people from Assyria put pressure on the Phoenicians and messed up their trade patterns. Answer Explanation: The answer is TRUE because the text confirms that trouble caused by Assyria led to the creation of many more Phoenician settlements. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage explicitly connects the growth of Phoenician colonies to difficulties caused by Assyria. It describes "pressure from Assyria" as a factor that disturbed their normal trade habits, which then led to the "main expansion" of their colonial network starting in the 8th century BC. In this text, "pressure" is a synonym for the problems mentioned in the question, and "expansion" refers to the establishment of more colonies. |
| Q10 | FALSE | Carthage was the largest of the towns founded by the Phoenicians on the north African coast, and it rapidly assumed a leading position among the neighbouring colonies | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Carthage was a town started (founded) by the Phoenicians on the coast of North Africa and became very important compared to other nearby groups of people (colonies) that הם moved into the area. Answer Explanation: The answer is FALSE because the statement says the Phoenicians took Carthage from enemies in a war, but the text says they built the town themselves. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is FALSE because the passage states that Carthage was one of the towns "founded" by the Phoenicians. In this context, to found a town means to start building it where a town did not exist before. This contradicts the idea that it was an enemy town and that it was won in a battle. |
| Q11 | TRUE | The subsequent spread and growth of Phoenician colonies in the western Mediterranean, and even out to the Atlantic coasts of Africa and Spain, was as much the achievement of Carthage as of the original Phoenician trading cities such as Tyre and Sidon | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage tells us that the Phoenicians built towns (colonies) in many places, including the areas of Africa and Spain that are right next to the Atlantic ocean. Answer Explanation: The answer is TRUE because the text confirms that these people traveled to the Atlantic ocean. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage explicitly mentions that Phoenician settlements (colonies) extended to the Atlantic coasts of Africa and Spain. In this context, 'reached' means they arrived at or set up towns in those areas. |
| Q12 | TRUE | From the 8th century BC, many of the coastal cities of Phoenicia came under the control of a succession of imperial powers, each of them defeated and replaced in the region by the next: first the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, Persians and Macedonian Greeks | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that several powerful groups or empires ruled over many Phoenician cities one after the other, with each new empire replacing the previous one. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the statement correctly describes information found in the text. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "TRUE" because the passage explicitly states that beginning in the 8th century BC, many Phoenician cities were taken over by several different empires. The text uses the phrase "succession of imperial powers," where "succession" means a series or sequence, and "imperial powers" refers to empires. It lists these empires as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and Macedonian Greeks. |
| Q13 | NOT GIVEN | In 64 BC, the area of Phoenicia became part of the Roman province of Syria. The Phoenicians as an identifiable people then faded from history, merging into the populations of modern Lebanon and northern Syria | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the Roman Empire took over the region in 64 BC and that the Phoenician people eventually joined with other nearby groups of people. However, it does not explain how the Phoenicians felt about the Romans or if they wanted them to take over. Answer Explanation: The answer is NOT GIVEN because the text does not tell us if the Phoenicians were happy or unhappy about the Romans taking control of their land. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because while the passage confirms that the Phoenicians' land became a Roman province in 64 BC, it provides no information regarding their attitude toward this event. The text notes that the people eventually 'faded from history' by mixing with other populations, but it lacks any keywords or descriptions suggesting they 'welcomed' the Romans or felt positively about the takeover. |