Caral: an ancient South American city
Read Caral: an ancient South American city and check the IELTS Reading answers. Huge earth and rock mounds rise out of the desert of the Supe Valley near the coast of Peru in South America. These immense mounds appear simply to be part of the geographical landscape in this arid region squeezed betw…
Passage preview
Huge earth and rock mounds rise out of the desert of the Supe Valley near the coast of Peru in South America. These immense mounds appear simply to be part of the geographical landscape in this arid region squeezed between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains. But looks deceive. These are actually human-made pyramids; strong evidence indicates they are the remains of a city known as Caral that flourished nearly 5,000 years ago. If true, it would be the oldest known urban center in the Americas and among the most ancient in the world.
Vocabulary from this passage
4 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- arid adjective
Having little or no rain; too dry or barren to support vegetation
The city flourished despite being located in one of the most arid regions.
- hierarchy noun
A system in which members of a society are ranked according to status
The different housing styles clearly indicated a social hierarchy within the ancient city.
- metropolis noun
The capital or chief city of a country or region; a very large city
Ancient Caral was a thriving metropolis thousands of years before modern urbanization.
- surmise verb
Suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it
Archaeologists surmise that the building was used for religious ceremonies based on its design.
Answers with explanations
- 1. FALSE
The answer is FALSE. While the text says Caral was thriving **when** Egypt's pyramids were 'still being built,' the question's phrasing 'built at the same time' is interpreted in some contexts as synonymous, but here the distinction lies in the overall age. Caral is described as the **oldest** known urban center, flourishing 'nearly 5,000 years ago,' whereas previous thought placed it much later. The specific contradiction is that it was older than previously assumed.
- 2. TRUE
The answer is TRUE. The text explicitly states that not finding pots (the **absence of pottery**) suggested the site was **pre-ceramic**. This was a 'significant clue' because it indicated the site existed before **pot-firing techniques** were developed in that area, thus confirming its great age.
- 2-3: A
2: The answer is TRUE. The text explicitly states that not finding pots (the **absence of pottery**) suggested the site was **pre-ceramic**. This was a 'significant clue' because it indicated the site existed before **pot-firing techniques** were developed in that area, thus confirming its great age.
3: The answer is FALSE. The question states the stones came from a location 'far away,' but the passage confirms the original workers used stones from a **nearby quarry**. The word 'nearby' directly contradicts the idea that the materials were sourced from a distance.
- 3. FALSE
The answer is FALSE. The question states the stones came from a location 'far away,' but the passage confirms the original workers used stones from a **nearby quarry**. The word 'nearby' directly contradicts the idea that the materials were sourced from a distance.
- 3-4: I
3: The answer is FALSE. The question states the stones came from a location 'far away,' but the passage confirms the original workers used stones from a **nearby quarry**. The word 'nearby' directly contradicts the idea that the materials were sourced from a distance.
4: The answer is TRUE. The monumental scale of the **Mayor's Palace** (Piramide Mayor) required a massive workforce. The text mentions the need for **laborers**, **architects**, and **managers**, which clearly implies a highly **organized team** was responsible for the complex construction.
- 4. TRUE
The answer is TRUE. The monumental scale of the **Mayor's Palace** (Piramide Mayor) required a massive workforce. The text mentions the need for **laborers**, **architects**, and **managers**, which clearly implies a highly **organized team** was responsible for the complex construction.
- 5. NOT GIVEN
The answer is NOT GIVEN. While the text confirms the presence of **musical instruments** and states that music was **important**, it never provides information regarding the **skill level** of the musicians. We know they had instruments, but not whether they were 'highly skilled'.
- 6. FALSE
The answer is FALSE. The statement claims there were no class distinctions. However, the text describes a clear **hierarchy** with superior rooms for the **elite** and shabbier quarters for **workers**. This spatial division is evidence of distinct social classes, contradicting the question.
- 7. seeds
The answer is **seeds**. The prompt asks for the name of a plant part discovered at Caral that was not native. The text mentions the **seeds** of the cocoa bush as evidence of trade from other regions like the Amazon rainforest. Grammatically, 'the seeds of a certain plant' fits the note.
- 8. shells
The answer is **shells**. The text refers to 'necklaces of shells' as items not native to the local area. Since these shells were used for **jewellery** (necklaces), 'shells' is the correct one-word completion for the note.
- 9. fish
The answer is **fish**. Archaeologists found the **bones** of small edible fish during the excavation. These were brought from the **coast**, as they were not naturally occurring in the desert valley of Caral, proving they were a traded food item.
- 10. canals
The answer is **canals**. To farm in an arid region, the people built a system to **irrigate** their fields. The text states they diverted river water into **canals**, and crucially, these structures 'still cross the Supe Valley today,' matching the 'still in existence' clue.
- 11. maize
The answer is **maize**. Ruth Shady looked for evidence of crops that could be stockpiled. The text explicitly says she found 'no traces of **maize**,' which led her to believe that Caral's trade power was not based on storing food.
- 12. cotton
The answer is **cotton**. The trade relationship between Caral and the coast was centered on **cotton**. The farmers grew it so that fishermen could make **nets**, establishing a mutually beneficial trade loop between the inland city and coastal communities.
- 13. flotation
The answer is **flotation**. The text speculates that the fishermen used **dried squash** provided by Caral farmers. Specifically, they were used as '**flotation** devices' to help keep their fishing nets buoyant in the sea.