Review all 40 Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Test 3 Reading answers with explanations. The texts cover Roman shipbuilding and navigation, Climate change reveals ancient artefacts in Norway’s… and Plant “thermometer” triggers springtime growth by…, with True/False/Not Given, summary completion and matching among the principal question types.
Test 3 Academic Reading Answers with Clear Explanations
Review all 40 Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Reading Test 3 answers. Find the supporting passage evidence, understand misleading options and check the word limits before your next timed attempt.
Cambridge IELTS 16 Test 3 Academic Reading Answer Key
Use the key for quick marking, then read the explanations below. A slash separates accepted alternative forms. Where two letters are required, enter both letters across the two question numbers, in either order.
Passage 1: Roman shipbuilding and navigation
Questions 1 to 13Passage 2: Climate change reveals ancient artefacts in Norway’s glaciers
Questions 14 to 26Passage 3: Plant “thermometer” triggers springtime growth by measuring night-time heat
Questions 27 to 40Passage 1: Roman shipbuilding and navigation
Questions 1-13. Use the evidence locations below to return to the relevant text and review each answer.
1The Romans’ shipbuilding skills were passed on to the Greeks and the Egyptians.FALSE
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: The Romans learned shipbuilding from the Greeks and Egyptians after conquering them. The statement reverses the direction in which this knowledge was passed.
2Skilled craftsmen were needed for the mortise and tenon method of fixing planks.NOT GIVEN
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: The passage explains that mortise and tenon joints locked planks together without sewing. It does not describe the level of skill needed by the people making those joints.
3The later practice used by Mediterranean shipbuilders involved building the hull before the frame.FALSE
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: The later Mediterranean method built the frame first and added the hull afterwards. Building the hull first was the earlier method, so the statement gives the wrong order for the later practice.
4The Romans called the Mediterranean Sea Mare Nostrum because they dominated its use.TRUE
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: Rome's navy became the largest and strongest in the Mediterranean, giving the Romans control of the sea. This explains why they called it Mare Nostrum, meaning their own sea.
5Most rowers on ships were people from the Roman army.TRUE
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: The writer corrects the idea that rowers were slaves and says most were Roman citizens serving in the military. This agrees with the statement that most came from the Roman army.
6Warships were designed so that they were ____ and moved quickly.lightweight
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: Warships had no ballast or extra load and used long, narrow hulls so they could move quickly near the coast. Lightweight describes this low weight, which was part of their design.
7A battering ram made of ____ was included in the design.bronze
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: The warship's ram was used to pierce enemy hulls or break their oars. The passage identifies bronze as its material, so bronze fills the gap after made of.
8Warships, such as the trireme, had rowers on three different ____.levels
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: A trireme carried rowers at the top, middle and bottom of the ship. The passage calls these three positions levels, which is the plural noun needed here.
9Merchant ships had a broad ____ that lay far below the surface of the sea.hull
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: Merchant ships had a wider main body for carrying cargo, and this V-shaped part extended deep underwater. That part is the hull, rather than the sails or steering equipment.
10They had both square and ____ sails.triangular
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: The merchant ship carried large square sails and a smaller sail at the bow with a different shape. Triangular names that second shape and works as an adjective before sails.
11On merchant ships and warships, ____ was used to ensure rowers moved their oars in and out of the water at the same time.music
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: Coordinating many rowers was difficult, so they followed the rhythm of an instrument. Music gave them a shared timing for moving their oars together.
12Quantities of agricultural goods such as ____ were transported by merchant ships to two main ports in Italy.grain
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: The cargo included grain from Egypt's Nile valley as well as materials such as stone and metal. Grain is the example of an agricultural product, rather than a raw building material.
13The ships were pulled to the shore by ____.towboats
Where to Look: Passage 1.
Why: Smaller boats met large merchant ships near their destination and dragged them to the quay. These were towboats, so the gap asks for the boats doing the pulling.
Passage 2: Climate change reveals ancient artefacts in Norway’s glaciers
Questions 14-26. Use the evidence locations below to return to the relevant text and review each answer.
14an explanation for weapons being left behind in the mountainsD
Where to Look: Passage 2, section D.
Why: Section D explains that hunters could lose arrows and often left broken bows rather than carry them home. These are the reasons weapons remained in the mountains.
15a reference to the physical difficulties involved in an archaeological expeditionC
Where to Look: Passage 2, section C.
Why: In section C, Barrett describes walking with heavy equipment and camping on permanently frozen ground. These details explain the physical demands of the expedition.
16an explanation of why less food may have been availableF
Where to Look: Passage 2, section F.
Why: Section F links colder conditions with crop failures and poor harvests. This explains why people might have had less farmed food and needed more mountain hunting.
17a reference to the possibility of future archaeological discoveriesH
Where to Look: Passage 2, section H.
Why: Section H says some missing artefacts may still be frozen in remote ice patches. As that ice retreats, archaeologists may uncover them in the coming years.
18examples of items that would have been tradedG
Where to Look: Passage 2, section G.
Why: Section G names hides used against the cold and antlers used to make items such as combs. These are examples of goods in demand through the expanding trade networks.
19a reference to the pressure archaeologists are under to work quicklyB
Where to Look: Passage 2, section B.
Why: Section B explains that objects can decay quickly once they emerge from the ice. Archaeologists must therefore find and preserve them promptly before valuable evidence is lost.
20Organic materials such as animal skins and textiles have little protection against ____, which means that they decay relatively quickly.microorganisms / micro-organisms
Where to Look: Passage 2.
Why: Textiles and animal hides survive poorly when they are not protected from the tiny organisms that break them down. The passage names these causes of decay microorganisms, which completes the summary.
21In the past, there were trade routes through these mountains and ____ gathered there in the summer months.reindeer
Where to Look: Passage 2.
Why: Reindeer gathered on the ice patches in late summer, and hunters followed them there. The gap asks for the animals gathering, not the people travelling along trade routes.
22They gathered there to avoid being attacked by ____ on lower ground.insects
Where to Look: Passage 2.
Why: The reindeer moved onto the ice to escape biting insects. Insects names the creatures they were avoiding, so it explains the purpose of their summer movement.
23Which TWO of the following statements does the writer make about the discoveries of Barrett’s team?B + C (Either Order)
Where to Look: Passage 2, sections E, F and H.
Why: Section F shows that hunters continued visiting the mountains during severe cold, which supports B. Sections E and H describe periods with few or almost no artefacts, which supports C; these are the two stated discoveries.
24Which TWO of the following statements does the writer make about the discoveries of Barrett’s team?B + C (Either Order)
Where to Look: Passage 2, sections E, F and H.
Why: Section F shows that hunters continued visiting the mountains during severe cold, which supports B. Sections E and H describe periods with few or almost no artefacts, which supports C; these are the two stated discoveries.
25Which TWO of the following statements does the writer make about the Viking Age?A + C (Either Order)
Where to Look: Passage 2, section G.
Why: Section G links growing towns and export markets with increased demand for hides and antlers, benefiting hunters: A. It also says goods used land routes through the mountains as well as ships, which supports C.
26Which TWO of the following statements does the writer make about the Viking Age?A + C (Either Order)
Where to Look: Passage 2, section G.
Why: Section G links growing towns and export markets with increased demand for hides and antlers, benefiting hunters: A. It also says goods used land routes through the mountains as well as ships, which supports C.
Passage 3: Plant “thermometer” triggers springtime growth by measuring night-time heat
Questions 27-40. Use the evidence locations below to return to the relevant text and review each answer.
27The Cambridge scientists’ discovery of the “thermometer molecule” caused surprise among other scientists.NOT GIVEN
Where to Look: Passage 3.
Why: The passage explains the discovery and its possible uses, but does not report other scientists' reactions to it. There is no evidence that they were surprised.
28The target for agricultural production by 2050 could be missed.TRUE
Where to Look: Passage 3.
Why: The target is to double agricultural yields by 2050, but the researcher says climate change threatens that aim. This means the target may not be reached.
29Wheat and rice suffer from a rise in temperatures.TRUE
Where to Look: Passage 3.
Why: Wheat and rice are named as important crops that are sensitive to high temperatures. The passage links heat stress with lower yields, confirming that rising temperatures harm them.
30It may be possible to develop crops that require less water.NOT GIVEN
Where to Look: Passage 3.
Why: The possible crop improvement described here concerns resistance to heat and changing temperatures. The passage does not say these crops would need less water, so reduced water use cannot be confirmed.
31Plants grow faster in sunlight than in shade.FALSE
Where to Look: Passage 3.
Why: Sunlight activates phytochromes, which restrict growth, while shade quickly makes them inactive and allows faster growth. The statement reverses this comparison between sunlight and shade.
32Phytochromes change their state at the same speed day and night.FALSE
Where to Look: Passage 3.
Why: Light can change phytochrome activity in less than a second, but the change after sunset happens gradually. The passage therefore gives different speeds for daytime and night-time changes.
33mention of specialists who can make use of the research findingsH
Where to Look: Passage 3, section H.
Why: Section H mentions nearby scientists working on practical plant biology who can help transfer the discovery into field use. These collaborators are the specialists who may apply the findings.
34a reference to a potential benefit of the research findingsD
Where to Look: Passage 3, section D.
Why: Section D explains that understanding temperature sensing could speed up the breeding of crops that cope better with heat. This is a possible practical benefit of the discovery.
35scientific support for a traditional sayingG
Where to Look: Passage 3, section G.
Why: Section G connects the different responses of oak and ash trees with an old rhyme about the coming weather. The new explanation of temperature sensing gives scientific support to that traditional saying.
36a reference to people traditionally making plans based on plant behaviourC
Where to Look: Passage 3, section C.
Why: Section C says farmers and gardeners have long used early plant growth to predict weather and harvest times. This links plant behaviour with people's traditional planning.
37a reference to where the research has been reportedA
Where to Look: Passage 3, section A.
Why: Section A states that the new findings were published in the journal Science. This identifies where the research was reported, rather than where the experiments took place.
38Daffodils are likely to flower early in response to ____ weather.warm winter / warm
Where to Look: Passage 3.
Why: Daffodils are especially sensitive to temperature and may flower months early when winter is warm. Warm winter identifies the weather conditions behind this early flowering and stays within the two-word limit.
39If ash trees come into leaf before oak trees, the weather in ____ will probably be wet.summer
Where to Look: Passage 3.
Why: Ash coming into leaf first indicates a cold spring, which the passage links with a colder, wetter summer. The gap asks for the later season likely to be wet, so use summer.
40The research was carried out using a particular species of ____.mustard plant / mustard plants / mustard
Where to Look: Passage 3.
Why: The experiments used Arabidopsis, which the passage identifies as a mustard plant. Mustard plant gives the type of plant requested and uses no more than two words.
Using This Reading Answer Key
Is This the Academic or General Training Test?
This page covers Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Reading Test 3. Academic and GT Reading use different texts and answer keys, so check the track before marking.
How Should I Review a Wrong Answer?
Return to the evidence location and compare the exact meaning, not just matching words. Check spelling and word limits. For NOT GIVEN, identify the information the text does not supply.
How Do I Estimate My Band?
Count one mark for each correct answer, then consult the Reading Band Score Guide. Academic and GT use different raw-score conversions, and an estimate is not an official IELTS result.
What to Do After Marking
Group your errors by misunderstanding, distractors, spelling and instructions. Review the difficult section, then try another complete test to check whether your accuracy improves.