A unique golden textile
Read A unique golden textile and check the IELTS Reading answers. A rare textile made from the silk of more than a million wild spiders has gone on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. To produce the golden cloth, 70 people spent four years collecting golden orb spide…
Passage preview
A rare textile made from the silk of more than a million wild spiders has gone on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. To produce the golden cloth, 70 people spent four years collecting golden orb spiders from telephone poles in Madagascar, while another dozen workers carefully extracted about 24 meters of thread from each of the arachnids. The resulting 11-foot by 4-foot textile is the only large piece of cloth made from natural spider silk existing in the world today.
Vocabulary from this passage
10 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- biomedical adjective
Relating to both biology and medicine; specifically concerning the application of biological principles to clinical medical practice
Researchers hope to use artificial spider silk in biomedical applications such as advanced surgical sutures.
- ductile adjective
Able to be deformed without losing toughness; pliable and capable of being drawn out into a thin wire or thread
Spider silk is remarkably ductile, allowing it to stretch significantly beyond its original length without snapping.
- extract verb
To remove or take out something from a source, often through a deliberate mechanical or chemical process
Workers used specialized machines to extract tiny amounts of thread from over a million wild spiders.
- in captivity noun
The condition of being imprisoned or confined; specifically refers to animals kept in controlled environments rather than the wild
While silkworms thrive in captivity, spiders are difficult to farm because of their aggressive and cannibalistic nature.
- regenerate verb
To regrow new tissue or replace lost parts; to restore a biological resource through natural processes
After being released, it takes approximately one week for a spider to regenerate its supply of silk.
- replicate verb
To make an exact copy of something or to reproduce an experimental result or physical property precisely
Scientists are currently struggling to replicate the complex molecular transformation that occurs when a spider spins silk.
- synthetic adjective
A substance or material made by chemical synthesis, especially to imitate a natural product or achieve specific industrial properties
Kevlar is a widely used synthetic fabric known for its durability in protective equipment like bullet-proof vests.
- temporarily restrained noun
Kept under control or within limits for a short duration to prevent movement or escape during a procedure
The spiders were temporarily restrained in the spinning machine while their silk was collected by the handlers.
- tensile strength noun
The maximum load that a material can support without fracture when being stretched; a measure of resistance to longitudinal stress
Engineers favor spider silk because its tensile strength surpasses that of high-grade steel and many synthetic fibers.
- yield verb
To produce or provide a natural, agricultural, or industrial product; the total amount of substance generated
Thousands of spiders are required to yield even a single ounce of high-quality golden silk.
Answers with explanations
- 14. vii
Paragraph A introduces the textile, highlighting its rarity and the intense human effort required to produce it. By stating it is the **only large piece of cloth** of its kind **existing in the world today**, the paragraph establishes it as **a unique work of art**. This makes heading **vii** the best match, summarizing the core focus of the introductory paragraph.
- 15. v
Paragraph B is entirely dedicated to describing the material's characteristics, such as its **elasticity**, **tensile strength**, ability to withstand extreme temperatures, and being **lightweight**. These are all scientific terms describing **physical properties**, making heading **v** (The physical properties of spider silk) the accurate and comprehensive match for this section.
- 16. ix
Paragraph C explains the barriers to producing spider silk on a large scale. It contrasts spiders with silkworms, explicitly stating that spiders are not **easy to raise in captivity** because they are cannibalistic and kill each other when **housed together**. This central challenge directly points to heading **ix** (Difficulties of raising spiders in captivity).
- 17. i
Paragraph D discusses how Peers based his modern project on an old method invented by a missionary in the 1890s. By building a **replica** of this historical machine and testing it **as an experiment**, they were directly **experimenting with an old idea**. Heading **i** perfectly encapsulates this historical connection and trial process.
- 18. iv
Paragraph E outlines the staggering numbers required for the project. The mention of **fourteen thousand spiders**, the resulting weight ratios, and the need for **dozens of spider handlers** underscore the massive **demands** of the project. Therefore, heading **iv** (Resources needed to meet the project's demands) is the only logical summary.
- 19. vi
Paragraph F shifts from the textile itself to an examination of the material at a microscopic level. It details how the **molecular structure** of liquid protein is rearranged into a solid. Because this paragraph focuses on the biological and lab-based mechanisms of silk production, heading **vi** (A scientific analysis of spider silk) is the most fitting match.
- 20. B
To match the statement to the researcher, look for the keyword **small amount of silk** and the sheer **number of spiders**. In Paragraph E, **Nicholas Godley** explicitly states that it takes **fourteen thousand spiders** (a tremendous number) to yield just **an ounce** of silk. This perfectly links the statement to researcher **B**.
- 21. A
Scan the text for mentions of **medical purposes**. In Paragraph C, **Simon Peers** discusses how research is aiming to replicate the silk's properties to apply it to **medicine and industries**. Because Peers is the one who brought up these specific applications, the correct match is researcher **A**.
- 22. C
Look for a statement about **making some progress** in manufacturing. At the end of Paragraph F, **Todd Blackledge** notes that scientists are **getting closer and closer** to mass-producing it. This observation of ongoing, incremental progress directly attributes the claim to researcher **C**.
- 23. A
The statement discusses how spider silk **compares favorably** to strong materials. In Paragraph B, **Simon Peers** is directly quoted noting that the silk is very elastic and strong **compared with steel or Kevlar**, which are materials notoriously known for their strength. Thus, this aligns with researcher **A**.
- 24. bacteria
The summary mentions introducing genetic material into **some animals** and a missing noun. The source passage states that researchers inserted genes into **bacteria** or even **cows and goats** (which represent the animals). Therefore, **bacteria** is the exact noun needed to complete the sentence accurately according to the text.
- 25. gland
The question requires identifying where the liquid protein is made **inside the spider’s body**. The passage specifies that the liquid protein is produced by a special **gland** located in the spider's **abdomen**. The word **gland** is the precise anatomical noun required to fill the blank.
- 26. force
The summary notes that spinning causes a blank that turns liquid into solid. The source text explains that spiders **apply force** to rearrange the structure and **transform it into solid silk**. While the phrasing in the summary is slightly adapted ('causes a force' rather than 'applies force'), **force** is the keyword that correctly completes the intended meaning of the biological mechanism.