Travel Books - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From IELTS Recent Actual Test 1 Academic Reading Test 8 · Part 3 · Questions 27–40
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.
Travel Books
There are many reasons why individuals have travelled beyond their own societies. Some travellers may have simply desired to satisfy curiosity about the larger world. Until recent times, however, travellers did start their journey for reasons other than mere curiosity. While the travellers' accounts give much valuable information on these foreign lands and provide a window for the understanding of the local cultures and histories, they are also a mirror to the travellers themselves, for these accounts help them to have a better understanding of themselves.
Records of foreign travel appeared soon after the invention of writing, and fragmentary travel accounts appeared in both Mesopotamia and Egypt in ancient times. After the formation of large, imperial states in the classical world, travel accounts emerged as a prominent literary genre in many lands, and they held especially strong appeal for rulers desiring useful knowledge about their realms. The Greek historian Herodotus reported on his travels in Egypt and Anatolia in researching the history of the Persian wars. The Chinese envoy Zhang Qian described much of central Asia as far west as Bactria (modern-day Afghanistan) on the basis of travels undertaken in the first century BCE while searching for allies for the Han dynasty. Hellenistic and Roman geographers such as Ptolemy, Strabo, and Pliny the Elder relied on their own travels through much of the Mediterranean world as well as reports of other travellers to compile vast compendia of geographical knowledge.
During the post-classical era (about 500 to 1500 CE), trade and pilgrimage emerged as major incentives for travel to foreign lands. Muslim merchants sought trading opportunities throughout much of the eastern hemisphere. They described lands, peoples, and commercial products of the Indian Ocean basin from East Africa to Indonesia, and they supplied the first written accounts of societies in sub-Saharan West Africa. While merchants set out in search of trade and profit, devout Muslims travelled as pilgrims to Mecca to make their hajj and visit the holy sites of Islam. Since the prophet Muhammad's original pilgrimage to Mecca, untold millions of Muslims have followed his example, and thousands of hajj accounts have related their experiences. East Asian travellers were not quite so prominent as Muslims during the post-classical era, but they too followed many of the highways and sea lanes of the eastern hemisphere. Chinese merchants frequently visited South-East Asia and India, occasionally venturing even to East Africa, and devout East Asian Buddhists undertook distant pilgrimages. Between the 5th and 9th centuries CE, hundreds and possibly even thousands of Chinese Buddhists travelled to India to study with Buddhist teachers, collect sacred texts, and visit holy sites. Written accounts recorded the experiences of many pilgrims, such as Faxian, Xuanzang, and Yijing. Though not so numerous as the Chinese pilgrims, Buddhists from Japan, Korea, and other lands also ventured abroad in the interests of spiritual enlightenment.
Medieval Europeans did not hit the roads in such large numbers as their Muslim and East Asian counterparts during the early part of the post-classical era, although gradually increasing crowds of Christian pilgrims flowed to Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de Compostela (in northern Spain), and other sites. After the 12th century, however, merchants, pilgrims, and missionaries from medieval Europe travelled widely and left numerous travel accounts, of which Marco Polo's description of his travels and sojourn in China is the best known. As they became familiar with the larger world of the eastern hemisphere – and the profitable commercial opportunities that it offered - European peoples worked to find new and more direct routes to Asian and African markets. Their efforts took them not only to all parts of the eastern hemisphere, but eventually to the Americas and Oceania as well.
If Muslim and Chinese peoples dominated travel and travel writing in post-classical times, European explorers, conquerors, merchants, and missionaries took centre stage during the early modern era (about 1500 to 1800 CE). By no means did Muslim and Chinese travel come to a halt in early modern times. But European peoples ventured to the distant corners of the globe, and European printing presses churned out thousands of travel accounts that described foreign lands and peoples for a reading public with an apparently insatiable appetite for news about the larger world. The volume of travel literature was so great that several editors, including Giambattista Ramusio, Richard Hakluyt, Theodore de Bry, and Samuel Purchas, assembled numerous travel accounts and made them available in enormous published collections.
During the 19th century, European travellers made their way to the interior regions of Africa and the Americas, generating a fresh round of travel writing as they did so. Meanwhile, European colonial administrators devoted numerous writings to the societies of their colonial subjects, particularly in Asian and African colonies they established. By mid-century, attention was flowing also in the other direction. Painfully aware of the military and technological prowess of European and Euro-American societies, Asian travellers in particular visited Europe and the United States in hopes of discovering principles useful for the organisation of their own societies. Among the most prominent of these travellers who made extensive use of their overseas observations and experiences in their own writings were the Japanese reformer Fukuzawa Yukichi and the Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen.
With the development of inexpensive and reliable means of mass transport, the 20th century witnessed explosions both in the frequency of long-distance travel and in the volume of travel writing. While a great deal of travel took place for reasons of business, administration, diplomacy, pilgrimage, and missionary work, as in ages past, increasingly effective modes of mass transport made it possible for new kinds of travel to flourish. The most distinctive of them was mass tourism, which emerged as a major form of consumption for individuals living in the world's wealthy societies. Tourism enabled consumers to get away from home to see the sights in Rome, take a cruise through the Caribbean, walk the Great Wall of China, visit some wineries in Bordeaux, or go on safari in Kenya. A peculiar variant of the travel account arose to meet the needs of these tourists: the guidebook, which offered advice on food, lodging, shopping, local customs, and all the sights that visitors should not miss seeing. Tourism has had a massive economic impact throughout the world, but other new forms of travel have also had considerable influence in contemporary times.
Questions
Questions 27–28 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
Questions 29–36 Table Completion
Complete the table.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from Reading Passage 3 for each answer.
| TIME | TRAVELLER | DESTINATION | PURPOSE OF TRAVEL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical Greece | Herodotus | Egypt and Anatolia | To gather information for the study of 29 |
| Han Dynasty | Zhang Qian | Central Asia | To seek 30 |
| Roman Empire | Ptolemy, Strabo, Pliny the Elder | The Mediterranean | To acquire 31 |
| Post-classical era (about 500 to 1500 CE) | Muslims | From East Africa to Indonesia, Mecca | For trading and 32 |
| 5th to 9th centuries CE | Chinese Buddhists | 33 | To collect Buddhist texts and for spiritual enlightenment |
| Early modern era (about 1500 to 1800 CE) | European explorers | The New World | To satisfy public curiosity for the New World |
| During 19th century | Colonial administrators | Asia, Africa | To provide information for the 34 they set up |
| By mid-century of the 1800s | Sun Yat-sen, Fukuzawa Yukichi | Europe and the United States | To study the 35 of their societies |
| 20th century | People from 36 countries | Mass tourism | For entertainment and pleasure |
Questions 37–40 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q27 | C | Some travellers may have simply desired to satisfy curiosity about the larger world | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that some people who traveled just wanted to fulfill their interest in learning about the rest of the world. The word 'curiosity' means a strong wish to know or learn something. Answer Explanation: The answer means that in early times, many people traveled because they wanted to learn about new places and the people who lived in them. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the first paragraph of the passage states a reason for travel was to 'satisfy curiosity about the larger world'. Being curious about the world means you want to know more about other people and places. While the passage mentions other reasons like business in later parts, 'curiosity' is presented as a primary, early motivation for traveling. |
| Q28 | B | While the travellers' accounts give much valuable information on these foreign lands and provide a window for the understanding of the local cultures and histories, they are also a mirror to the travellers themselves, for these accounts help them to have a better understanding of themselves | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that travel stories do two things. First, they teach us about other countries and cultures. Second, they are like a 'mirror' for the traveler because they help the traveler understand their own self better. Answer Explanation: The answer means that when travelers write about their trips, they also think about their own home, country, and life. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the passage says that travel books are like a "mirror to the travellers themselves". It then explains that this is because writing these books helps the travelers "to have a better understanding of themselves". When people understand themselves better, it means they are thinking about or reflecting on their own life and society. |
| Q29 | Persian wars | The Greek historian Herodotus reported on his travels in Egypt and Anatolia in researching the history of the Persian wars | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Herodotus, a writer of history from Greece, wrote about his trips to Egypt and Anatolia. The reason for his travels was to study and learn about the history of the 'Persian wars'. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'Persian wars'. This means the wars that happened in ancient Persia. Herodotus traveled to study the history of these wars. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'Persian wars'. The table asks what Herodotus was studying during his travels. The passage states that Herodotus, a Greek historian, traveled to Egypt and Anatolia. The purpose of his travel was to do research for 'the history of the Persian wars'. |
| Q30 | allies | The Chinese envoy Zhang Qian described much of central Asia as far west as Bactria (modern-day Afghanistan) on the basis of travels undertaken in the first century BCE while searching for allies for the Han dynasty | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that a representative from China named Zhang Qian traveled a long way to Central Asia. The reason for his journey was that he was 'searching for allies', which means he was looking for other countries or groups to be partners with the Han dynasty. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'allies'. 'Allies' are friends or partners, especially countries that promise to help one another. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'allies' because the table asks for the purpose of Zhang Qian's travel during the Han Dynasty. The passage states that Zhang Qian, who was a 'Chinese envoy' (a representative from China), went on his travels because he was 'searching for allies for the Han dynasty'. The question in the table asks what he was seeking, and the passage provides the direct answer. |
| Q31 | geographical knowledge | Hellenistic and Roman geographers such as Ptolemy, Strabo, and Pliny the Elder relied on their own travels through much of the Mediterranean world as well as reports of other travellers to compile vast compendia of geographical knowledge | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that writers who studied the Earth, like Ptolemy, Strabo, and Pliny the Elder, traveled in the Mediterranean area. They used their trips and stories from other travelers to put together large collections of information about the Earth's geography. Answer Explanation: The answer means information and facts about the Earth's places, like countries, cities, mountains, and rivers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'geographical knowledge' because the passage explicitly mentions that Roman geographers like Ptolemy, Strabo, and Pliny the Elder traveled around the Mediterranean to collect and organize information about different places. The text uses the exact phrase 'geographical knowledge' to describe the purpose of their work. |
| Q32 | pilgrimage | During the post-classical era (about 500 to 1500 CE), trade and pilgrimage emerged as major incentives for travel to foreign lands | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that in the time between the years 500 and 1500, people traveled to other countries for two important reasons: to buy and sell things ('trade') and to go on a religious journey ('pilgrimage'). Answer Explanation: The answer is 'pilgrimage'. This means a special trip to a holy or religious place. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'pilgrimage' because the passage states that during the post-classical era, the two main reasons, or 'incentives,' for travel were 'trade and pilgrimage'. The table already mentions trading, so the other reason is pilgrimage. The passage also gives the example of 'devout Muslims' traveling as 'pilgrims to Mecca'. |
| Q33 | India | Between the 5th and 9th centuries CE, hundreds and possibly even thousands of Chinese Buddhists travelled to India to study with Buddhist teachers, collect sacred texts, and visit holy sites | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that from the 5th to the 9th century, many Chinese people who followed Buddhism went on a trip to India. Their reasons were to learn from teachers, get religious books, and visit special religious places. Answer Explanation: The answer is the country where Chinese Buddhists traveled. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'India' because the table asks for the destination of Chinese Buddhists between the 5th and 9th centuries. The passage clearly says that during this time, 'Chinese Buddhists travelled to India' to study and collect holy books, which matches the information in the table. |
| Q34 | colonies | Meanwhile, European colonial administrators devoted numerous writings to the societies of their colonial subjects, particularly in Asian and African colonies they established | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that European managers, who were called 'colonial administrators', wrote a lot about the people living in the places they controlled. These places were the 'colonies' in Asia and Africa that they had created or 'established'. Answer Explanation: The answer 'colonies' means areas or countries that are controlled by another, more powerful country. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'colonies' because the passage talks about the 19th century. It states that 'European colonial administrators' wrote about the societies in the 'Asian and African colonies they established'. The question asks what they 'set up', and the passage uses the word 'established', which means the same thing. They set up 'colonies'. |
| Q35 | organisation | Painfully aware of the military and technological prowess of European and Euro-American societies, Asian travellers in particular visited Europe and the United States in hopes of discovering principles useful for the organisation of their own societies. Among the most prominent of these travellers who made extensive use of their overseas observations and experiences in their own writings were the Japanese reformer Fukuzawa Yukichi and the Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Asian travelers, including Fukuzawa Yukichi and Sun Yat-sen, went to Europe and the United States. They hoped to find ideas that could help them with the 'organisation', or the way of structuring, their own countries ('their own societies'). Answer Explanation: The answer 'organisation' means the way something, like a country, is structured or arranged. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'organisation' because the passage explains that Asian travellers, such as Sun Yat-sen and Fukuzawa Yukichi, visited Europe and the United States. They did this to find 'principles' or ideas that would be 'useful for the organisation of their own societies'. This means they wanted to learn how to better structure their home countries. |
| Q36 | wealthy | The most distinctive of them was mass tourism, which emerged as a major form of consumption for individuals living in the world's wealthy societies | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that a special new type of travel was mass tourism. This became a common thing for people from rich ('wealthy') societies to spend their money on. Answer Explanation: The answer 'wealthy' means having a lot of money or being rich. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'wealthy' because the passage explains that in the 20th century, a new type of travel called 'mass tourism' became popular. This was mainly for people who lived in rich or 'wealthy' societies and could afford it. The passage uses the exact phrase 'wealthy societies' to describe where these tourists came from. |
| Q37 | D | After the formation of large, imperial states in the classical world, travel accounts emerged as a prominent literary genre in many lands, and they held especially strong appeal for rulers desiring useful knowledge about their realms | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that when big empires ('imperial states') were created, travel stories became very interesting ('held especially strong appeal') to leaders ('rulers'). The reason was that these rulers wanted to learn helpful information ('useful knowledge') about the lands they controlled ('their realms'). Answer Explanation: The answer is D. This means that kings and emperors were very interested in travel stories because they wanted to get important information about the lands they ruled. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because the passage clearly states that travel stories had a 'strong appeal' for 'rulers' who wanted 'useful knowledge about their realms'. The word 'realms' means the same as 'empire' or the lands that a ruler controls. This shows that their primary interest was gaining knowledge about their territory. |
| Q38 | B | Since the prophet Muhammad's original pilgrimage to Mecca, untold millions of Muslims have followed his example, and thousands of hajj accounts have related their experiences. East Asian travellers were not quite so prominent as Muslims during the post-classical era, but they too followed many of the highways and sea lanes of the eastern hemisphere | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that a very large number of Muslims, "untold millions," have made a religious journey, or pilgrimage. It also says that "thousands" of them wrote about their experiences. The passage then says that East Asian travellers were "not quite so prominent," which means there were fewer of them compared to the Muslims. This tells us that Muslim pilgrims were the largest group. Answer Explanation: The answer is "Muslim pilgrims". This means that people who were Muslim and travelled for religious reasons were the biggest group to write about their journeys during the post-classical time (from about 500 to 1500 CE). Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "Muslim pilgrims" because the passage states that "untold millions" of Muslims went on pilgrimages and that "thousands of hajj accounts" were written about these trips. It then directly compares this group to another group, the East Asian travellers (which includes Chinese Buddhists), by saying they were "not quite so prominent as Muslims". This comparison shows that Muslim pilgrims were the largest and most recorded group of spiritual travellers in that era. |
| Q39 | A | But European peoples ventured to the distant corners of the globe, and European printing presses churned out thousands of travel accounts that described foreign lands and peoples for a reading public with an apparently insatiable appetite for news about the larger world | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that Europeans traveled to many far places. Special machines called printing presses made thousands of books about these travels. These books were for the people who liked to read and who had a very strong and endless desire ('insatiable appetite') to get information ('news') about other parts of the world. Answer Explanation: The answer means that a lot of travel books were created because many people were very interested in reading about far-away places and wanted to learn more. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the passage states that during the early modern era, printing presses produced thousands of travel books. These books were made for the 'reading public', who had an 'insatiable appetite' for news about the world. 'Insatiable appetite' means a very strong interest that cannot be satisfied, which directly supports the idea that the books were published to meet the public's interest. |
| Q40 | D | Records of foreign travel appeared soon after the invention of writing, and fragmentary travel accounts appeared in both Mesopotamia and Egypt in ancient times With the development of inexpensive and reliable means of mass transport, the 20th century witnessed explosions both in the frequency of long-distance travel and in the volume of travel writing |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage begins by talking about the first, simple travel stories from 'ancient times', which were written just after writing was invented. Then, it explains how in the '20th century', much more travel and travel writing happened because of new, cheap transportation. These two examples show the beginning and a later stage, highlighting how much travel books have changed, or 'developed', over history. Answer Explanation: The answer means the passage describes how travel books have changed and evolved throughout history. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'The development of travel books' because the passage is structured chronologically. It starts by describing the earliest travel records in 'ancient times' and progresses through different historical periods: the 'post-classical era', the 'early modern era', the '19th century', and finally the '20th century'. In each section, it explains how the reasons for travel and the nature of travel writing changed, which shows a clear 'development' over time. |