The History of the Chicken
Read The History of the Chicken and check the IELTS Reading answers. Chicken is the universal food of our era, crossing cultural boundaries with ease. With its mild taste and uniform texture, chicken presents a blank canvas for the national flavours of almost any cuisine. However, until the introdu…
Passage preview
Chicken is the universal food of our era, crossing cultural boundaries with ease. With its mild taste and uniform texture, chicken presents a blank canvas for the national flavours of almost any cuisine. However, until the introduction of large-scale industrial production in the 20th century, the economic and nutritional contribution of chickens was small. Chickens were considered as domestic birds that were useful to humanity, but unlike other animals such as the horse or the ox, they did little to change the course of history. Nonetheless, the chicken has inspired contributions to culture, art, cuisine, science and religion over the millennia. Chickens were, and still are, a sacred animal in some cultures. The hen is a worldwide symbol of nurturing and fertility. The rooster is a universal sign of masculinity.
Vocabulary from this passage
7 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- culinary adjective
Of or for cooking or the kitchen
Roman culinary innovations included the practice of stuffing birds for roasting.
- domesticate verb
To tame an animal and keep it as a pet or on a farm
Humans began to domesticate the red junglefowl over ten thousand years ago.
- evolutionary adjective
Relating to the gradual development of something over generations
The chicken is an epic story of evolutionary and agricultural success.
- heritage breed noun
A traditional variety of livestock no longer used in modern industrial farming
Many hobbyists now collect heritage breeds for their unique colors and traits.
- humidity noun
The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere or a confined space
Hatching requires stable humidity levels to prevent physical deformities in chicks.
- incubation noun
The process of keeping eggs warm so they can hatch into young
Artificial incubation allowed Egyptians to produce far more chickens than before.
- predator noun
An animal that naturally preys on others for food
Indoor farming protects vulnerable poultry from various natural predators.
Answers with explanations
- 1. TRUE
The answer is **TRUE**. The text explains that chicken's 'mild taste' makes it a **blank canvas** for the flavors of **almost any cuisine**. This matches the statement that it is popular due to its adaptability to different cooking styles globally.
- 2. NOT GIVEN
The answer is **NOT GIVEN**. While the text mentions the red junglefowl has a limited flying capacity, it does **not compare** this capacity to that of a modern chicken. We cannot determine from the text if modern chickens are better, worse, or equal flyers compared to their ancestors.
- 2-3: competitive
2: The answer is **NOT GIVEN**. While the text mentions the red junglefowl has a limited flying capacity, it does **not compare** this capacity to that of a modern chicken. We cannot determine from the text if modern chickens are better, worse, or equal flyers compared to their ancestors.
3: The answer is **TRUE**. The passage explicitly states that the red junglefowl is **not the sole ancestor** and that scientists have found **three other species** that likely contributed to the modern chicken's genetic makeup.
- 3. TRUE
The answer is **TRUE**. The passage explicitly states that the red junglefowl is **not the sole ancestor** and that scientists have found **three other species** that likely contributed to the modern chicken's genetic makeup.
- 3-4: F
3: The answer is **TRUE**. The passage explicitly states that the red junglefowl is **not the sole ancestor** and that scientists have found **three other species** that likely contributed to the modern chicken's genetic makeup.
4: The answer is **TRUE**. The text confirms a direct link between the **yellow skin** of modern chickens and the **grey junglefowl**, stating this specific trait was inherited from that ancestor.
- 4. TRUE
The answer is **TRUE**. The text confirms a direct link between the **yellow skin** of modern chickens and the **grey junglefowl**, stating this specific trait was inherited from that ancestor.
- 5. NOT GIVEN
The answer is **NOT GIVEN**. The text notes that chicken farms **vanished** and the size of the birds decreased, but it does not specifically state that people **consumed less** chicken. A decline in organized farming does not necessarily prove a decline in total consumption.
- 6. NOT GIVEN
The answer is **NOT GIVEN**. Paragraph 5 describes the methods of factory farming, such as using antibiotics and vitamins. However, there is no mention of **criticism** or public opinion regarding these industrial practices.
- 7. FALSE
The answer is **FALSE**. The statement says 'fewer people' are keeping chickens, but the text says the practice is becoming **more popular**. Furthermore, it mentions these breeds are sold for **considerable money**, contradicting the idea that interest is declining.
- 8. zoos
The answer is **zoos**. The note requires a location where chickens were seen in 1750 BC. The passage lists **fighting birds** and **zoos** as the primary contexts for their arrival in Egypt during that period.
- 9. tombs
The answer is **tombs**. The text mentions that **drawings** (pictures) of chickens were used to decorate the **royal tombs** of Egyptian royalty. This matches the note's description of where the images were located.
- 10. incubation
The answer is **incubation**. The note describes a method that didn't involve hens. The text explicitly mentions **artificial incubation**, a process that 'freed hens' from the task of hatching their own eggs.
- 11. humidity
The answer is **humidity**. For hatching to be successful, two factors are highlighted: **temperature** (heat) and **humidity**. The text stresses that the humidity must 'remain stable' for the eggs to hatch correctly.
- 12. ovens
The answer is **ovens**. The passage describes the physical structures used for incubation as 'large rooms' that functioned **essentially as ovens**. These were the specialized environments created to regulate heat for the eggs.
- 13. predators
The answer is **predators**. The question asks what chickens were kept safe from, alongside bad weather. The text lists 'cold temperatures', 'heavy rain', and **predators** as the threats they were protected from in indoor farming.