The women scientists of Bologna
Read The women scientists of Bologna and check the IELTS Reading answers. The 18th century was a time of logic and experimentation and many of the sciences had their beginnings at that time. But throughout most of Europe, these studies were reserved exclusively for men. Few options were available t…
Passage preview
The 18th century was a time of logic and experimentation and many of the sciences had their beginnings at that time. But throughout most of Europe, these studies were reserved exclusively for men. Few options were available to European women with an inclination to study. A university education was off limits to women almost everywhere in Europe, with one notable exception: Italy. In Italian universities, women competed equally with men, and among those liberal Italian universities, one in particular stands apart.
Vocabulary from this passage
12 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- accord privileges verb
To officially grant special rights, advantages, or immunities to a specific individual or group
The university decided to accord privileges to researchers working on high-impact environmental studies.
- emphatic adjective
Expressing a view or intention forcefully and clearly, leaving no doubt about its importance
The minister was emphatic that funding for rural schools would not be reduced next year.
- financially deprived adjective
Lacking enough money to afford the basic opportunities or resources that others in society can easily obtain
Scholarships were created to give financially deprived students the same chance of university entry as wealthier peers.
- flourish verb
To grow, develop, or prosper vigorously in a favorable environment; to achieve success and influence
Under the mentorship of senior professors, the young researchers began to flourish.
- hydraulics noun
The branch of science and technology concerned with the mechanical properties of liquids and their practical applications
Civil engineers must master hydraulics to design effective flood prevention systems for coastal cities.
- inclination noun
A person's natural tendency, urge, or disposition to act, feel, or think in a particular way
Her strong inclination toward mathematics led her to pursue a career in astrophysics.
- modest background noun
An upbringing or family history characterized by low social status, simple living, or limited financial resources
Despite rising from a modest background, he became a highly respected supreme court judge.
- pathology noun
The scientific study of the causes, nature, and effects of diseases on the human body
The medical students attended lectures in pathology to understand how viruses damage human tissues.
- pioneer noun
A person who is among the first to explore, develop, or settle a new area of knowledge or activity
She was a pioneer in pediatric medicine, developing new treatments for rare childhood diseases.
- practitioner noun
A person actively engaged in an art, discipline, or profession, especially medicine or law
As a skilled medical practitioner, she dedicated her life to treating patients in rural areas.
- synthesis noun
The combination of diverse ideas, forces, or substances into a coherent, unified whole
The textbook provides a brilliant synthesis of classical physics and modern quantum mechanics.
- vanguard noun
A position of greatest advancement or leadership in a particular field, movement, or scientific discipline
The university's research team is at the vanguard of renewable energy technology development.
Answers with explanations
- 14. D
The prompt asks for a **teaching aid** used in the **18th century**. Scan the paragraphs for a physical object or tool rather than a person. The paragraph on anatomy says that in **1742** Ercole Lelli made a detailed reconstruction of the skeleton and muscles in **wax**, and these **models were used to familiarize students** with the human body. That is a teaching aid. Other paragraphs describe lectures and tutorials, which are teaching activities, not an aid. Answer: D.
- 15. E
The prompt asks for a **promotion** that came from the **misfortune of a close family member**. In the paragraph on Anna Morandi, her **husband fell ill** and could no longer teach, so she was officially charged with delivering his lectures; after **he died** she was elected to a professorship. Illness and death are the misfortune, and the husband is the close relative. The later promotion of Dalle Donne is not linked to any family misfortune. Answer: E.
- 16. G
The prompt asks how a **handicap** may have led to a girl being given the chance to **study**. The paragraph on Dalle Donne says she was born with a **physical deformity**, which **may have led** her family to think she would never marry, so the family **might have felt more inclined to educate** her. The hedged wording matches the prompt's "may have". Her modest origins alone would normally have meant no encouragement to study. Answer: G.
- 17. C
The prompt asks for a **restriction on where** a woman could teach. In the paragraph on Laura Bassi, the university was **not so liberal as to allow her to give lectures there**, a right **reserved solely for men**, so she was **obliged to conduct** her lectures in her **home**. The opening paragraph mentions barriers to women studying at university, but it does not limit the place where a woman could teach. Answer: C.
- 18. F
The prompt asks for a reference to an **important academic text**. Scan the biographies for a **book** and its influence. The paragraph on Agnesi says she **compiled the book** that made her famous, which for the first time gave a **synthesis** of many branches of mathematics. It adds that its terminology became a **basis** for later scientific works, dictionaries and encyclopedias, showing its importance. No other biography names a specific book, so this paragraph is the only match. Answer: F.
- 19. law
The summary says the university was **originally intended to teach** a subject, so the gap needs a noun naming a subject. The passage says Bologna was **founded** in 1088 as a **law school**, so originally intended matches founded as, and teach the subject matches school. Scan the paragraph that introduces the university. "Law" is copied from the text and fits the two-word limit. Answer: law.
- 20. science
The summary says many of the most famous women students **worked in the field of** a subject, so the gap needs a **noun**. The passage states that most of these women **flourished in various areas of science**; **worked in the field** paraphrases **flourished**. Scan the paragraph that introduces the short biographies. "Science" is copied from the text and fits the limit. "Various" is an adjective, so it cannot fill the gap. Answer: science.
- 21. experimental physics
The summary says Bassi **at times addressed people outside the university** on a subject. The passage says that for over thirty years she offered an **annual public lecture on experimental physics**; a **public lecture** is one given to people beyond her own students. The answer must be the subject of that lecture, and the two-word limit allows both words. "Physics" alone would leave out "experimental", which the text attaches to the lecture. Answer: experimental physics.
- 22. literature
The summary asks which subject Bassi gave the **least importance** to. The passage says she continued her studies in **literature as well as science**, but **considered only science as truly valuable**, focusing on mechanics, hydraulics and anatomy. If only science was valued, the other subject she studied, **literature**, was given least importance. The word is copied from the text and fits the two-word limit. Answer: literature.
- 23. D
The statement describes someone who **offered tuition** to people **who could not afford the normal fee**. The paragraph on Dalle Donne's later career says she accepted girls into her program **without regard for their ability to pay** and assisted financially deprived girls. Ability to pay paraphrases afford the fee. No other scholar is described as helping poorer students with fees. Answer: D.
- 24. A
The statement describes a woman whose **example helped others to obtain a right she did not have herself**. Laura Bassi was **not allowed to give lectures at the university**, a right **reserved solely for men**. Yet her scholarship **made it easier for other women to obtain university appointments**, and her successors received **full professorial privileges**. She did not enjoy the right, but her example secured it for others. Answer: A.
- 25. C
The statement describes someone who **devoted a long period of her life to charitable work**. The paragraph on Agnesi says that after her father's death in **1752** she **abandoned mathematics** to **care for the elderly, the poor and the sick** until her death in **1799**. Caring for those groups is charity, and the dates show almost fifty years. No other scholar is described as giving up her work for the needy. Answer: C.
- 26. B
The statement says she was **put in charge of creating teaching materials**. Anna Morandi was named the anatomy department's **chief model maker**, and the earlier paragraph says such **models were used to familiarize students**, so they are teaching materials. **Chief** matches **in charge**. Laura Bassi and Agnesi are described as teaching or writing, not as heading the production of materials. Answer: B.