Born to Trade
Read Born to Trade and check the IELTS Reading answers. Humans are born to trade and we don’t need shops or money to do it—the heart of commerce is an instinctive ability for what anthropologists call “reciprocity”. This is an ability to exchange goods of equal worth, and it evolved as the brains o…
Passage preview
Humans are born to trade and we don’t need shops or money to do it—the heart of commerce is an instinctive ability for what anthropologists call “reciprocity”. This is an ability to exchange goods of equal worth, and it evolved as the brains of our ancient ancestors and societies became more complex, allowing individuals to keep a running tally of their interactions with others. Evidence from modern hunter-gatherers leaves little doubt that the exchange of food and favours is innate, as is the ability to keep track of the credits and debits that accrue as a result. Combine this skill for mental book-keeping with even the most basic material culture, and trade inevitably follows.
Vocabulary from this passage
9 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- a far cry from noun phrase
Very different from something else you are comparing it with.
In the passage:
"Exchanging tools, food and other essentials of life in a barter economy is a far cry from the shopping mall".
Synonyms: very different from, nothing like
Opposites: similar to
- arguably adverb
Used to say that something can be supported by a reasonable argument.
In the passage:
"They are arguably the first step on the road to modern civilisation": the writer gives a view without claiming it is certain.
Synonyms: it could be argued, possibly
Opposites: undeniably
- get off the ground verb phrase
To start successfully, as a project or business does.
In the passage:
"Once trade gets off the ground, the economic benefits quickly make it irresistible": a phrase for describing how things begin.
Synonyms: get started, take off
Opposites: fall through
- hold in high esteem verb phrase
To respect or admire someone or something very much.
In the passage:
Heading Q15 asks about the "value" of goods; the passage asks when humans began "holding these goods in such high esteem".
Synonyms: value, think highly of
Opposites: look down on
- innate adjective
Natural and present from birth rather than learned.
In the passage:
Heading "A natural human talent" (Q14); the passage says the exchange of favours "is innate" and calls it "an instinctive ability".
Synonyms: inborn, natural
Opposites: acquired, learned
- intangible adjective
Existing but impossible to touch or measure physically.
In the passage:
"The worth of such goods is not inherent but resides in certain intangible qualities that we invest in them".
Synonyms: abstract, non-physical
Opposites: tangible
- paving the way for verb phrase
To create the conditions that make a later development possible.
In the passage:
Q25 says "provided a basis for organised farming"; the passage says prestige goods are "paving the way for agriculture and urbanisation".
Synonyms: provided a basis for, lay the foundations for
Opposites: stand in the way of
- spiral verb
To increase quickly and in a way that becomes hard to control.
In the passage:
"The value and variety of prestige goods would spiral": it means rising fast, not turning in a circle.
Synonyms: escalate, rocket
Opposites: plummet
- yield verb
To produce or provide something such as a result, crop or substance.
In the passage:
"Used to yield pigment for dyes": it means to produce pigment, not to give way or surrender.
Synonyms: produce, provide
Answers with explanations
- 14. iv
Paragraph A says humans are **born to trade** and have an **instinctive ability** for it; the evidence shows it is **innate**. That inborn skill is the heading about **a natural human talent**.
- 15. iii
Paragraph B compares basic bartering with modern shopping, then asks a question: **When did humans start holding these goods in such high esteem?** That is **querying** the **value** (worth) of traded goods. Status through ownership is only discussed in the last paragraph.
- 16. vi
Section C sets the old date, **40,000 years ago**, against **However, discoveries in Africa** that push consumerism **much further back**. New finds changing the date is the main idea. The ochre details in its second paragraph only support the new finds.
- 17. ii
Paragraph D lists **clues**: shells of similar size and colour, **consistently placed holes**, and **wear** from thread or other beads. They show the beads were made to be worn as decoration. It says nothing about wanting to make **expensive** jewellery.
- 18. v
Section E argues that skills bring **prestige**, and that people show it by **possession of material items**. Status (**prestige**) gained from owning goods is the heading's idea. The jewellery heading is about making objects, which E never discusses.
- 19. B
Match **monitor the balance between goods given and received** with **keep track of the credits and debits** from exchanging **food and favours**. Written records are wrong because the bookkeeping is **mental**, and no money is needed for it.
- 20. D
The researchers say the ochre is **predominantly red** although **any of the other colours** would have worked for curing, so the colour was chosen on purpose. 'Selected for its colour' is correct. It was imported, so it is not only found at Blombos.
- 21. D
**Holes and markings** are the **consistently placed holes** and the **pattern of wear**. Wear from **thread** or other beads suggests they were **joined together**. Being found in clusters only shows the shells were not natural deposits, and their size and colour are similar, not varied.
- 22. I
The summary compares people with **other** living things that show off their **attractive physical features**. That is **animal species** that signal fitness with **attention-grabbing adornment**, so the word is **species**.
- 23. F
**Successful people would have gained ___** matches **superior skills ... would have brought respect**. The passage explains the word with 'in other words, **prestige**', so the box word is **respect**.
- 24. A
Look for what an **increase in the worth of prestige goods** is linked to. The passage says the benefits of prestige would **lead to competition to acquire it**. The box word with the same idea is **competitiveness**.
- 25. J
**Provided a basis for** matches **paving the way for**, and organised farming matches **agriculture**. **Urbanisation** means the growth of cities, so **city** fits. Settlements is close in topic, but it does not give the idea of urban growth.
- 26. H
The summary says modern items bring the same status as beads did for people in the past. The passage says **among our ancestors** skills brought prestige, and modern equivalents have **the same fascination**. The word is **ancestors**.