IELTS Reading Yes No Not Given questions work in exactly the same way as True False Not Given questions.
The only difference is that they refer to the writer’s opinion or other people’s opinions.
For both Yes No Not Given, and True False Not Given, my advice is the same:
- Turn the statement into a question.
- Look for the answer to that question in the text.
- If you cannot find the answer to the question in the text, it is NOT GIVEN.
- Success depends on your ability to understand the vocabulary and synonyms/antonyms in both the statement and the text.
In the text below, the Yes No Not Given questions are the 3rd set of questions (after Multiple Choice and Gapfill Summary).
I recommend that you do the full set of questions in order, so that you get a real experience of what the test asks you to do in 20 minutes.
Reading time management tips:
- 99.9% of IELTS Reading questions go in the same order as the text (apart from Matching activities)
- Use the structure of the text to help you find the set of questions in the text (texts are either factual/chronological or discursive/research-based – see the video for more details).
Multiple Choice Questions (tips for the first set of questions below)
- Try to understand the question and answer it without looking at the options.
- Examine the text to find the answer.
- Then look at the options.
- Cross out the 2 that are obviously wrong.
- This leaves you with 2 that look correct. One of them will be a trick.
- Learn to identify tricks (I talk about them a lot on my podcasts).
- Learn to distinguish between FACT and OPINION (see Q33).
If you read a lot, build your vocabulary and practise a lot, the answers will become much easier to spot.
There are no quick fixes – the questions are designed to test your reading comprehension skills.
Get more Multiple Choice Question practice.
Question set 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Beyond the blue horizon
Ancient voyagers who settled the far-flung islands of the Pacific Ocean
(1) An important archaeological discovery on the island of Efate in the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu has revealed traces of an ancient seafaring people, the distant ancestors of today’s Polynesians. The site came to light only by chance. An agricultural worker, digging in the grounds of a derelict plantation, scraped open a grave – the first of dozens in a burial ground some 3,000 years old. It is the oldest cemetery ever found in the Pacific islands, and it harbors the remains of an ancient people archaeologists call the Lapita.
(2) They were daring blue-water adventurers who used basic canoes to rove across the ocean. But they were not just explorers. They were also pioneers who carried with them everything they would need to build new lives – their livestock, taro seedlings and stone tools. Within the span of several centuries, the Lapita stretched the boundaries of their world from the jungle-clad volcanoes of Papua New Guinea to the loneliest coral outliers of Tonga.
(3) The Lapita left precious few clues about themselves, but Efate expands the volume of data available to researchers dramatically. The remains of 62 individuals have been uncovered so far, and archaeologists were also thrilled to find six complete Lapita pots. Other items included a Lapita burial urn with modeled birds arranged on the rim as though peering down at the human remains sealed inside. ‘It’s an important discovery,’ says Matthew Spriggs, professor of archaeology at the Australian National University and head of the international team digging up the site, ‘for it conclusively identifies the remains as Lapita.’
(4) DNA teased from these human remains may help answer one of the most puzzling questions in Pacific anthropology: did all Pacific islanders spring from one source or many? Was there only one outward migration from a single point in Asia, or several from different points? ‘This represents the best opportunity we’ve had yet,’ says Spriggs, ‘to find out who the Lapita actually were, where they came from, and who their closest descendants are today.’
(5) There is one stubborn question for which archaeology has yet to provide any answers: how did the Lapita accomplish the ancient equivalent of a moon landing, many times over? No-one has found one of their canoes or any rigging, which could reveal how the canoes were sailed. Nor do the oral histories and traditions of later Polynesians offer any insights, for they turn into myths long before they reach as far back in time as the Lapita.
32 According to the writer, there are difficulties explaining how the Lapita accomplished their journeys because
A the canoes that have been discovered offer relatively few clues.
B archaeologists have shown limited interest in this area of research.
C little information relating to this period can be relied upon for accuracy.
D technological advances have altered the way such achievements are viewed.
Ask yourself: why are there difficulties explaining how the Lapita accomplished their journeys?
A the canoes that have been discovered offer relatively few clues.
WRONG: ‘No-one has found one of their canoes’
B archaeologists have shown limited interest in this area of research.
WRONG: There are numerous examples of researchers being very interested in the Lapita.
C little information relating to this period can be relied upon for accuracy.
Correct – Nor do the oral histories and traditions of later Polynesians offer any insights, for they turn into myths long before they reach as far back in time as the Lapita.
Key word ‘myths’ = not facts, so they cannot be relied upon for accuracy.
D technological advances have altered the way such achievements are viewed.
WRONG: There is no mention of this.
(6) ‘All we can say for certain is that the Lapita had canoes that were capable of ocean voyages, and they had the ability to sail them,’ says Geoff Irwin, a professor of archaeology at the University of Auckland. Those sailing skills, he says, were developed and passed down over thousands of years by earlier mariners who worked their way through the archipelagoes of the western Pacific, making short crossings to nearby islands. The real adventure didn’t begin, however, until their Lapita descendants sailed out of sight of land, with empty horizons on every side. This must have been as difficult for them as landing on the moon is for us today. Certainly it distinguished them from their ancestors, but what gave them the courage to launch out on such risky voyages?
33 According to the sixth paragraph, what was extraordinary about the Lapita?
A They sailed beyond the point where land was visible.
B Their cultural heritage discouraged the expression of fear.
C They were able to build canoes that withstood ocean voyages.
D Their navigational skills were passed on from one generation to the next.
You need to find SOMETHING that the writer thinks is extraordinary. You need to see what the writer is thinking. This is not obvious. You need to be able to distinguish between fact and opinion.
The key is in the comparison: This must have been as difficult for them as landing on the moon is for us today.
A They sailed beyond the point where land was visible.
CORRECT: ‘this’ must have been like landing on the moon (an extraordinary event)
B Their cultural heritage discouraged the expression of fear.
WRONG: there is no mention of fear
C They were able to build canoes that withstood ocean voyages.
WRONG: there is no suggestions that this is extraordinary.
D Their navigational skills were passed on from one generation to the next
WRONG: there is no suggestions that this is extraordinary. ‘Those sailing skills, he says, were developed and passed down over thousands of years’ – this is simple FACT, not opinion.
(7) The Lapitas thrust into the Pacific was eastward, against the prevailing trade winds, Irwin notes. Those nagging headwinds, he argues, may have been the key to their success. ‘They could sail out for days into the unknown and assess the area, secure in the knowledge that if they didn’t find anything, they could turn about and catch a swift ride back on the trade winds. This is what would have made the whole thing work.’ Once out there, skilled seafarers would have detected abundant leads to follow to land: seabirds, coconuts and twigs carried out to sea by the tides, and the afternoon pile-up of clouds on the horizon which often indicates an island in the distance.
34 What does ‘This’ refer to in the seventh paragraph?
A the Lapita’s seafaring talent
B the Lapita’s ability to detect signs of land
C the Lapita’s extensive knowledge of the region
D the Lapita’s belief they would be able to return home
34 What does ‘This’ refer to in the seventh paragraph?
All of the options are TRUE, but ‘THIS’ refers back to the feeling of security they had – they knew they could easily get back home. Which option gives this idea?
‘They could sail out for days into the unknown and assess the area, secure in the knowledge that if they didn’t find anything, they could turn about and catch a swift ride back on the trade winds. This...made the whole thing work’.
A the Lapita’s seafaring talent
(A true fact but not the thing which made the whole thing work.)
B the Lapita’s ability to detect signs of land
(A true fact but not the thing which made the whole thing work.)
C the Lapita’s extensive knowledge of the region
(A true fact but not the thing which made the whole thing work).
D the Lapita’s belief they would be able to return home
CORRECT
(8) For returning explorers, successful or not, the geography of their own archipelagoes would have provided a safety net. Without this to go by, overshooting their home ports, getting lost and sailing off into eternity would have been all too easy. Vanuatu, for example, stretches more than 500 miles in a northwest-southeast trend, its scores of irrervisible islands forming a backstop for mariners riding the trade winds home.
35 According to the eighth paragraph, how was the geography of the region significant?
A It played an important role in Lapita culture.
B It meant there were relatively few storms at sea.
C It provided a navigational aid for the Lapita.
D It made a large number of islands habitable.
How was the geography of the region significant?
A It played an important role in Lapita culture.
There’s no mention of the role of geography in Lapita culture in this paragraph.
B It meant there were relatively few storms at sea.
There’s no mention of the number of storms at sea in this paragraph.
C It provided a navigational aid for the Lapita.
CORRECT: Without this to go by, overshooting their home ports, getting lost and sailing off into eternity would have been all too easy.
D It made a large number of islands habitable.
Maybe true but not mentioned in this paragraph.
Question Set 2: gap-fill summary with answers
The Efate burial site
Complete the summary using the list of words and phrases, A-J, below.
A proof
B plantation
C harbour
D bones
E data
F archaeological discovery
G burial urn
H source
I animals
J maps
27. An agricultural worker, digging in the grounds of a derelict plantation, scraped open a grave – the first of dozens in a burial ground some 3,000 years old. It is the oldest cemetery ever found in the Pacific islands, and it harbors the remains of an ancient people archaeologists call the Lapita.
A 3,000-year-old burial ground of a seafaring people called the Lapita has been found on an abandoned 27 __________on the Pacific island of Efate.
28. An important archaeological discovery on the island of Efate in the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu has revealed traces of an ancient seafaring people, the distant ancestors of today’s Polynesians.
The cemetery, which is a significant 28 ___________, was uncovered accidentally by an agricultural worker.
29. They were daring blue-water adventurers who used basic canoes to rove across the ocean. But they were not just explorers. They were also pioneers who carried with them everything they would need to build new lives – their livestock, taro seedlings and stone tools.
The Lapita explored and colonised many Pacific islands over several centuries. They took many things with them on their voyages including 29 __________ and tools.
30/31 The remains of 62 individuals have been uncovered so far, and archaeologists were also thrilled to find six complete Lapita pots. Other items included a Lapita burial urn with modeled birds arranged on the rim as though peering down at the human remains sealed inside.
The burial ground increases the amount of information about the Lapita available to scientists. A team of researchers, led by Matthew Spriggs from the Australian National University, are helping with the excavation of the site. Spriggs believes the 30 ________ which was found at the site is very important since it confirms that the 31 __________ found inside are Lapita.
A 3,000-year-old burial ground of a seafaring people called the Lapita has been found on an abandoned 27 B plantation on the Pacific island of Efate
The cemetery, which is a significant 28 F archaeological discovery, was uncovered accidentally by an agricultural worker.
The Lapita explored and colonised many Pacific islands over several centuries. They took many things with them on their voyages including 29 I animals and tools.
The burial ground increases the amount of information about the Lapita available to scientists. A team of researchers, led by Matthew Spriggs from the Australian National University, are helping with the excavation of the site. Spriggs believes the 30 G burial urn which was found at the site is very important since it confirms that the 31 D bones found inside are Lapita.
3. How to do IELTS Reading Yes No Not Given questions
Watch the 10-minute YouTube tutorial or try the questions yourself first.
Questions 36-40
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
- YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
- NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
- NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
36 It is now clear that the Lapita could sail into a prevailing wind.
[Question: is it clear?]
All this presupposes one essential detail, says Atholl Anderson, professor of prehistory at the Australian National University: the Lapita had mastered the advanced art of sailing against the wind. ‘And there’s no proof they could do any such thing,’ Anderson says. ‘There has been this assumption they did, and people have built canoes to re-create those early voyages based on that assumption. But nobody has any idea what their canoes looked like or how they were rigged.’
37 Extreme climate conditions may have played a role in Lapita migration.
[Question: Did climate change play a role in Lapita migration?]
38 The Lapita learnt to predict the duration of El Ninos.
[Question: Did the Lapita learn to predict the duration of El Ninos?]
Rather than give all the credit to human skill, Anderson invokes the winds of chance. El Nino, the same climate disruption that affects the Pacific today, may have helped scatter the Lapita, Anderson suggests. He points out that climate data obtained from slow-growing corals around the Pacific indicate a series of unusually frequent El Ninos around the time of the Lapita expansion. By reversing the regular east-to-west flow of the trade winds for weeks at a time, these super El Ninos might have taken the Lapita on long unplanned voyages.
39 It remains unclear why the Lapita halted their expansion across the Pacific.
[Question: do we know why the Lapita stopped their expansion across the Pacific?]
However they did it, the Lapita spread themselves a third of the way across the Pacific, then called it quits for reasons known only to them.
40 It is likely that the majority of Lapita settled on Fiji.
[Question: Did the majority of Lapita settle on Fiji?]
They probably never numbered more than a few thousand in total, and in their rapid migration eastward they encountered hundreds of islands – more than 300 in Fiji alone.
36 It is now clear that the Lapita could sail into a prevailing wind. NO
All this presupposes one essential detail… the Lapita had mastered the advanced art of sailing against the wind. ‘And there’s no proof they could do any such thing,’ Anderson says. ‘There has been this assumption they did, and people have built canoes to re-create those early voyages based on that assumption. But nobody has any idea what their canoes looked like or how they were rigged.’
Is it clear? No – there’s no proof.
37 Extreme climate conditions may have played a role in Lapita migration. YES
Rather than give all the credit to human skill, Anderson invokes the winds of chance. El Nino, the same climate disruption that affects the Pacific today, may have helped scatter the Lapita, Anderson suggests. He points out that climate data obtained from slow-growing corals around the Pacific indicate a series of unusually frequent El Ninos around the time of the Lapita expansion. By reversing the regular east-to-west flow of the trade winds for weeks at a time, these super El Ninos might have taken the Lapita on long unplanned voyages.
Did extreme limat conditions play a role? Yes, ‘climate disruption’ may have helped scatter the Lapita.
38 The Lapita learnt to predict the duration of El Ninos. NOT GIVEN
39 It remains unclear why the Lapita halted their expansion across the Pacific. YES
However they did it, the Lapita spread themselves a third of the way across the Pacific, then called it quits for reasons known only to them.
Is it clear why they stopped? No – only they know.
40 It is likely that the majority of Lapita settled on Fiji. NOT GIVEN
They probably never numbered more than a few thousand in total, and in their rapid migration eastward they encountered hundreds of islands – more than 300 in Fiji alone.
Listen to the podcast explanations here:
A closer look at True False Not Given (IDP official site).
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This video was very useful. Thank you Fiona
Thanks for your comment Akua!
Best wishes
Fiona
Thanks for your comment Akua!
Best wishes
Fiona