IELTS Academic Reading: Cambridge 15 Test 3 Reading passage 3; Why fairy tales are really scary tales; with best solutions and best explanations - IELTS Deal (2024)

This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions toIELTS Cambridge 15 Reading Test 3 Reading Passage 3 entitled ‘Why fairy tales are really scary tales’. This is an aimed post for IELTS candidates who have big problems finding out and understanding Reading Answers in the AC module. This post can guide you the best to understand every Reading answer without much trouble. Finding out IELTS Reading answers is a steady process, and this post will assist you in this respect.

IELTS Cambridge 15 Test 3: AC Reading Module

Reading Passage 3: Questions 27-40

The headline of the passage: Why fairy tales are really scary tales

Questions 27-31: Completing/Matching sentences with correct endings

[For this type of question, candidates need to match the beginning and end of sentences. Candidates need to look for keywords in the sentence-beginnings and find the relative paragraphs and then sentences in the passage. Skimming and scanning, both reading skills are essential for this question-type.]

Question no. 27: In fairy tales, details of the plot

Keywords for the question: fairy tales, details, plot,

The answer lies in the first paragraph. You can read the whole paragraph for getting a clear view; however, the first lines provide the main idea. Here, the writer of the passage says, “People of every culture tell each other fairy tales but the same story often takes a variety of forms in different parts of the world. .. .. .”

Here, a variety of forms in different parts of the world = considerable global variation,

So, the answer is: C (show considerable global variation.)

Question no. 28: Tehrani rejects the idea that the useful lessons for life in fairy tales

Keywords for the question: Tehrani, rejects, useful lessons, life, fairy tales,

The answer to this question can be traced in lines 3-6 of paragraph no. 2. The author explains what Tehrani thinks about the survival of the fairy tales, “ ‘It might be what we find interesting about this story is that it’s got this survival-relevant information in it,’ says anthropologist Jamie Tehrani at Durham University in the UK. But his research suggests otherwise. . . .. .”

Here, it’s got this survival-relevant information in it = useful lessons for life in fairy tales are the reason for their survival, But his research suggests otherwise = Tehrani rejects the idea,

So, the answer is: B (are the reason for their survival.)

Question no. 29: Various theories about the social significance of fairy tales

Keywords for the question: various theories, social significance, fairy tales,

In paragraph no. 2, the last few lines say, “ . . . . ‘We have this huge gap in our knowledge about the history and prehistory of storytelling, despite the fact that we know the genre is an incredibly ancient one,’ he says. That hasn’t stopped anthropologists, folklorists* and other academics devising theories to explain the importance of fairy tales in human society. . .”

Here, We have this huge gap in our knowledge .. .. .. despite the fact that we know the genre is an incredibly ancient one = without factual basis,

That hasn’t stopped anthropologists, folklorists* and other academics devising theories = Various theories about the social significance of fairy tales have been developed,

So, the answer is: F (have been developed without factual basis.)

Question no. 30: Insights into the development of fairy tales

Keywords for the question: insights into, development, fairy tales,

Paragraph no. 3 says, “To work out the evolutionary history, development and relationships among groups of organisms, biologists compare the characteristics of living species in a process called ‘phylogenetic analysis’. Tehrani has used the same approach to compare related versions of fairy tales to discover how they have evolved and which elements have survived the longest.”

Here, the main idea of the paragraph is that we can understand how fairy tales evolve or develop if we use methods used in biological research like ‘phylogenetic analysis’ as Tehrani has done in his research.

Here, how they have evolved = the development of fairy tales,

So, the answer is: A (may be provided through methods used in biological research.)

Question no. 31: All the fairy tales analysed by Tehrani

Keywords for the question: all the fairy tales, analyse, Tehrani,

Take a close look at these lines from paragraph no. 4, “Tehrani’s analysis focused on Little Red Riding Hood in its many forms, which include another Western fairy tale known as The Wolf and the Kids. Checking for variants of these two tales and similar stories from Africa, East Asia, and other regions, he ended up with 58 stories recorded from oral traditions. . . .”

Here, he ended up with 58 stories = all the fairy tales analysed by Tehrani, recorded from oral traditions = were originally spoken rather than written,

So, the answer is: E (were originally spoken rather than written.)

Questions 32-37: Completing summary with list of words

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to complete a summary with list of words taken from the passage. Candidates must write the correct letter (not the words) as the answers. Keywords and synonyms are important to find answers correctly. Generally, this type of question maintains a sequence. Find the keywords in the passage and you are most likely to find the answers.]

The headline of the summary: Phylogenetic analysis of Little Red Riding Hood

Question no. 32: Tehrani used techniques from evolutionary biology to find out if _______ existed among 58 stories from around the world.

Keywords for the question: Tehrani, used techniques, evolutionary biology, to find out, existed, 58 stories, around the world,

In paragraph no. 4, we find the research methods used by Tehrani in 58 stories from around the world. In the last lines of paragraph no. 4, the writer says, “ .. . Once his Phylogenetic analysis had established that they were indeed related, he used the same methods to explore how they have developed and altered over time.”

However, Phylogenetic analysis = techniques from evolutionary biology, related = linked,

So, the answer is: D (links)

Question no. 33: He also wanted to know which aspects of the stories had fewest _______, as he believed these aspects would be the most important ones.

Keywords for the question: wanted to know, aspects of the stories, had, fewest, believed, would be, most important ones,

At the beginning of paragraph no. 5, the author of the text writes, “First he tested some assumptions about which aspects of the story alter least as it evolves, indicating their importance. . . .”

Here, alter = variations, least = fewest, their importance = most important ones,

So, the answer is: F (variations)

Question no. 34: Contrary to other beliefs, he found that some ______ that were included in a story tended to change over time, and that the middle of a story seemed no more important than the other parts.

Keywords for the question: contrary, other beliefs, included in a story, tended to change, over time, middle, seemed, no more important, than, other parts,

To find the answer to this question, we have to read both paragraphs no. 5 and 6.

First, in paragraph no. 5, the writer says, “ . .. Folklorists believe that what happens in a story is more central to the story than characters in it – . .. ..”

Here, Folklorists believe = common or general beliefs, what happens in a story is more central to the story = events of a story is more important than the characters,

Then, at the beginning of paragraph no. 6 the writer says, “However, Tehrani found no significant difference in the rate of evolution of incidents compared with that of characters. . ..”

Here, Tehrani found no significant difference = no more important than, incidents = events,

So, the answer is: B (events)

Question no. 35: He was also surprised that parts of a story which seemed to provide some sort of ________ were unimportant.

Keywords for the question: surprised, parts of a story, seemed to provide, some sort of, unimportant,

In paragraph no. 7, the findings of the ‘cautionary elements’ in fairy tales has been explained. The author writes here, “But the really big surprise came when he looked at the cautionary elements of the story. ‘Studies on hunter-gatherer folk tales suggest that these narratives include really important information about the environment and the possible dangers that may be faced there – stuff that’s relevant to survival,’ he says. Yet in his analysis such elements were just as flexible as seemingly trivial details. … ..”

Here, the really big surprise came = He was also surprised, the possible dangers that may be faced there = parts of the story which seemed to provide some sort of warnings, seemingly trivial = unimportant,

So, the answer is: C (warnings)

Question no. 36: The aspect that he found most important in a story’s survival was _______.

Keywords for the question: aspect, he found, most important, story’s survival, was,

In the end of paragraph no. 7, the writer asks a question, “ . .. What, then, is important enough to be reproduced from generation to generation?”

This suggests that the next paragraph may have an answer to this question. Let’s have a look.

In the first lines of paragraph no. 8, the author of this passage describes, “The answer, it would appear, is fear – blood-thirsty and gruesome aspects of the story, such as the eating of the grandmother by the wolf, turned out to be the best preserved of all. . . .”

Here, fear = horror, the best preserved of all = the most important aspect in a story’s survival,

So, the answer is: G (horror)

Questions 37-40: Multiple choice questions

[This type of question asks you to choose a suitable answer from the options using the knowledge you gained from the passage. Generally, this question is set found as the last question set in most passages so you should not worry much about it. Finding all the answers to previous questions gives you a good idea about these questions.]

Question no. 37: What method did Jamie Tehrani use to test his ideas about fairy tales?

Keywords for the question: method, Jamie Tehrani, use, test, ideas, fairy tales,

To find the answer to this question, let’s go to paragraph no. 4, where the method used by Jamie Tehrani has been detailed, “Tehrani’s analysis focused on Little Red Riding Hood in its many forms, which include another Western fairy tale known as The Wolf and the Kids. ..”

Here, Tehrani’s analysis = the method that Tehrani used to test his ideas, its many forms = many different forms of the same basic story,

So, the answer is: B (He looked at many different forms of the same basic story.)

Question no. 38: When discussing Tehrani’s views, Jack Zipes suggests that

Keywords for the question: discussing Tehrani’s views, Jack Zipes, suggests,

We find the comments made by Jack Zipes in paragraph no. 9. Here, the writer says, “Jack Zipes at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, is unconvinced by Tehrani’s views on fairy tales. ‘Even if they’re gruesome, they won’t stick unless they matter,’ he says. He believes the perennial theme of women as victims in stories like Little Red Riding Hood explains why they continue to feel relevant. … .”

Here, perennial theme = permanent theme / deeper significance, continue to feel relevant = survive,

So, the answer is: D (features of stories only survive if they have a deeper significance.)

Question no. 39: Why does Tehrani refer to Chinese and Japanese fairy tales?

Keywords for the question: Why, Tehrani, refer to, Chinese and Japanese fairy tales,

In paragraph no. 9, take a look at the last half of the paragraph, where Tehrani challenges the theory given by Jack Zipes, “ . .. . But Tehrani points out that although this is often the case in Western versions, it is not always true elsewhere. In Chinese and Japanese versions, often known as The Tiger Grandmother, the villain is a woman, and in both Iran and Nigeria, the victim is a boy.”

Here, it is not always true elsewhere = Jack Zipes’ theory is incorrect,

So, the answer is: A (to indicate that Jack Zipes’ theory is incorrect.)

Question no. 40: What does Mathias Clasen believe about fairy tales?

Keywords for the question: Mathias Clasen, believe, about fairy tales,

The answer can be found in lines 3-4 of the final paragraph; so let’s have a quick look, “Mathias Clasen at Aarhus University in Denmark isn’t surprised by Tehrani’s findings. “ . .. . . Clasen believes that scary stories teach us what it feels like to be afraid without having to experience real danger, … .”

Here, what it feels like to be afraid without having to experience real danger = a safe way of learning to deal with fear,

So, the answer is: A (They are a safe way of learning to deal with fear.)

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 15 Academic Test 3 Reading Passage 1

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 15 Academic Test 3 Reading Passage 2