If IELTS Reading True False Not Given questions are new to you, check out my introduction to TFNG here.
In this text (“The Lost City”) we’ll also look at:
- Matching Headings
- Gapfill
This is an example of a text that goes in chronological order (in order of time).
This can help you work out the logic of the paragraphs e.g. goals/aims usually come at the start of the text so look for synonyms.
I have broken up the text to help you read it more easily.
Look at each question and read the blue text taken from the original passage. Write down your answer, then check the answers below.
Matching Headings Practice
i Different accounts of the same journey
ii Bingham gains support
iii A common belief
iv The aim of the trip
v A dramatic description
vi A new route
vii Bingham publishes his theory
vii Bingham’s lack of enthusiasm
Paragraph extracts
A. When Hirma Bingham arrived in South America in 1911…his goal was to locate the remains of a city called Vitcos, the last capital of the Inca civilisation.
B. When he set off with his team, they had an advantage over travellers who had preceded them: a track had recently been blasted to enable rubber to be brought from the jungle.
C. The morning was dull and damp, and Bingham also seems to have been less than keen on the prospect of climbing the hill.
D. Bingham writes about the approach in vivid style in his book.
E. We should remember, however, that the Lost City of the Incas was not written until 1948, many years after his journey. His journal entries of the time reveal a much more gradual appreciation of his achievement.
F When he came to write the National Geographic magazine article that broke the story to the world in April 1913, he knew he had to produce a big idea.
G An idea which has gained wide acceptance over the past few years is that Machu Picchu was a moya, a country estate built by an Inca emperor.
1 Para A iv The aim of the trip
A His goal was to locate the remains of a city called Vitcos, the last capital of the Inca civilisation.
2 Para B vi A new route
B. a track had recently been blasted
3 Para C viii Bingham’s lack of enthusiasm
C. Bingham also seems to have been less than keen on the prospect of climbing the hill.
4 Para D v A dramatic description
D. Bingham writes about the approach in vivid style in his book.
5 Para E i Different accounts of the same journey
E. His journal entries of the time reveal a much more gradual appreciation of his achievement.
6 ParaF vii Bingham publishes his theory
F. When he came to write the National Geographic magazine article that broke the story to the world in April 1913, he knew he had to produce a big idea.
7 Para G iii A common belief
Para G. An idea which has gained wide acceptance over the past few years is that Machu Picchu was a moya,…
Listen to the full podcast explanations here:
True False Not Given Practice
TIP: For FALSE answers, look for opposite information e.g. ‘he understood’ vs ‘he didn’t realise.’
Questions 8 – 11
8 Bingham went to South America in search of an Inca city.
Para A His goal was to locate the remains of a city called Vitcos, the last capital of the Inca civilisation.
9 Bingham chose a particular route down the Urubamba valley because it was the most common route used by travellers.
Para B When Bingham and his team set off down the Urubamba in late July, they had an advantage over travellers who had preceded them…Almost all previous travellers had left the river at Ollantaytambo and taken a high pass across the mountains to rejoin the river lower down,…
10 Bingham understood the significance of Machu Picchu as soon as he saw it
Para F At this stage, Bingham didn’t realise the extent or the importance of the site, nor did he realise what use he could make of the discovery.
11 Bingham returned to Machu Picchu in order to find evidence to support his theory.
Sadly, his vision of the site as both the beginning and end of the Inca civilisation, while a magnificent one, is inaccurate. We now know that Vilcabamba actually lies 65 kilometres away in the depths of the jungle.
8 Bingham went to South America in search of an Inca city. TRUE
Para A His goal was to locate the remains of a city called Vitcos, the last capital of the Inca civilisation.
9 Bingham chose a particular route down the Urubamba valley because it was the most common route used by travellers. FALSE
Para B When Bingham and his team set off down the Urubamba in late July, they had an advantage over travellers who had preceded them…Almost all previous travellers had left the river at Ollantaytambo and taken a high pass across the mountains to rejoin the river lower down,…
10 Bingham understood the significance of Machu Picchu as soon as he saw it. FALSE
Para F At this stage, Bingham didn’t realise the extent or the importance of the site, nor did he realise what use he could make of the discovery.
11 Bingham returned to Machu Picchu in order to find evidence to support his theory. NOT GIVEN
IELTS Sentence Completion Practice
Questions 12-13
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 12-13 on your answer sheet.
12 The track that took Bingham down the Urubamba valley had been created for the transportation of ___________________.
a track had recently been blasted down the valley canyon to enable rubber to be brought up by mules from the jungle.
13 Bingham found out about the ruins of Machu Picchu from a _________________ in the Urubamba valley.
His companions showed no interest in accompanying him up the nearby hill to see some ruins that a local farmer, Melchor Arteaga, had told them about the night before.
12. rubber
13. farmer
Get more IELTS Reading tips and practice:
Learn more about the question types on the ielts.org official website.
Get more Reading tips here.
- How to manage your time in the IELTS Reading Test.
- How to answer True/False/Not Given questions
FAQs about IELTS Reading TFNG Questions
- How do I know my IELTS is not given?
Turn the statement into a question. Can you answer the question using only evidence from the text? If not, it’s NOT GIVEN.
- Can I write T for true in IELTS?
Yes, you absolutely can. You can even write ‘Y’ (for ‘YES’) and you will still get a point.
- Can I write true instead of yes in IELTS?
Yes you can (please see the point above).
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I got the whole answers (13) correctly.
Well done Oluwole! That’s brilliant!
Hello, Fiona! Many thanks for the video, explanation and tasks to practice! However I don’t quite understand the question 5, which I made mistake?! That’s completely difficult for me!
Hi Riza. There were two ‘accounts’ (written versions) of his journey. 1) His book 2) His journal (diary). These accounts were different. The book was more ‘dramatic’ and ‘vivd’. But the journal shows ‘a more gradual appreciation’. The comparison in the last line shows that there are 2 accounts. I hope that helps and thanks for your question.