How Telescopes Reveal the Distant Universe: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 14 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “For almost the whole of human history, the study of the heavens was limited to what the unaided eye could see. A few thousand stars, the wandering planets, the Moon and the occasional comet made up the entire visible universe.”
- Passage length: about 750 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“How Telescopes Reveal the Distant Universe” is an original IELTS-style practice passage written by IELTS-Bank. It is not taken from an official IELTS or Cambridge test, so these answers only apply to our version.
Answer key at a glance
How Telescopes Reveal the Distant Universe answers with explanations
Questions 1–6: True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information.
- 1
The main purpose of a telescope is to magnify objects.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “The most important task of a telescope is not, as many people assume, to magnify. Its chief purpose is to collect light.”
- 2
A larger lens or mirror can collect more light than a smaller one.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “The larger the lens or mirror, the more light it can collect, and this is the single most important measure of a telescope's usefulness.”
- 3
Most great modern research telescopes use lenses rather than mirrors.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…almost all of the great research telescopes built in modern times are reflectors, whose mirrors can be made far larger and supported from behind.”
- 4
The atmosphere blurs and unsteadies images seen by telescopes on the ground.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “The same moving air that makes stars appear to twinkle also blurs and unsteadies the images seen through a telescope.”
- 5
Space telescopes are cheaper to build than ground-based ones.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “Their cost and complexity are great, but the clarity they offer has made them among the most valuable tools in all of science.”
- 6
The first telescope was invented in Italy.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims the first telescope was invented in Italy, but the passage never confirms or denies this, only discussing the telescope's impact on astronomy and how it functions.
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. It makes the star brighter by heating it
- B. It gathers far more of the star's faint light and brings it to a focus
- C. It moves closer to the star
- D. It changes the colour of the light
- 7
Why can a telescope show a distant star that the eye cannot see?
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Answer: B — It gathers far more of the star's faint light and brings it to a focus
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — It gathers far more of the star's faint light and brings it to a focus.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “A telescope uses a large lens or mirror to gather far more of that light and bring it to a single focus, producing a bright image where the eye would see nothing at all.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. With a lens at the front
- B. With a curved mirror at the back
- C. With a set of moving parts
- D. With no optical parts at all
- 8
How does a reflecting telescope gather light?
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Answer: B — With a curved mirror at the back
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — With a curved mirror at the back.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “A reflecting telescope, by contrast, uses a curved mirror at the back to catch the light and reflect it to a focus.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. To be closer to the stars
- B. To be above much of the blurring atmosphere and in clear, calm air
- C. To avoid the cost of large mirrors
- D. To detect radio waves more easily
- 9
Why are major observatories built on high mountains?
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Answer: B — To be above much of the blurring atmosphere and in clear, calm air
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — To be above much of the blurring atmosphere and in clear, calm air.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “…major observatories are built on high mountains, above much of the atmosphere, and in dry places where the air is calm and clear.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. That the sky contains no hidden objects
- B. That visible light shows the whole universe
- C. Cold clouds where stars form and other otherwise hidden phenomena
- D. That the atmosphere gives off X-rays
- 10
What have telescopes for invisible radiation revealed?
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Answer: C — Cold clouds where stars form and other otherwise hidden phenomena
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — Cold clouds where stars form and other otherwise hidden phenomena.
Evidence · Paragraph 7 “…revealing cold clouds where stars are forming, the fierce surroundings of collapsed stars, and other phenomena that would remain entirely hidden to ordinary sight.”
Questions 11–14: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
What is the chief purpose of a telescope, according to the passage?(max 3 words)
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Answer: to collect light (also accepted: collect light)
Why: The answer “to collect light” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Its chief purpose is to collect light.”
- 12
What type of telescope uses a lens at the front to bend the light?(max 3 words)
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Answer: a refracting telescope (also accepted: refracting telescope / refractor)
Why: The answer “a refracting telescope” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “A refracting telescope uses a lens at the front to bend the incoming light and bring it to a focus”
- 13
Besides collecting more light, what else can a large telescope reveal?(max 2 words)
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Answer: finer detail (also accepted: detail)
Why: The answer “finer detail” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “…a large telescope offers a second advantage: it can reveal finer detail.”
- 14
Where has the most powerful solution to atmospheric blurring been to place telescopes?(max 3 words)
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Answer: above the atmosphere (also accepted: into orbit / in orbit)
Why: The answer “above the atmosphere” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “The most powerful solution to this problem has been to place telescopes above the atmosphere altogether.”
Estimated band score for this test
Your raw score out of 14 scaled to the 40-question IELTS Reading (Academic) conversion table. This is the same estimate the practice page shows after you submit. A single passage is a small sample, so treat it as a guide.
| Correct answers | Estimated band |
|---|---|
| 14 / 14 | 9.0 |
| 13 / 14 | 8.5 |
| 12 / 14 | 7.5 |
| 11 / 14 | 7.0 |
| 10 / 14 | 6.5 |
| 8–9 / 14 | 6.0 |
| 7 / 14 | 5.5 |
| 6 / 14 | 5.0 |
| 5 / 14 | 4.5 |
| 4 / 14 | 4.0 |
| 3 / 14 | 3.5 |
| 2 / 14 | 3.0 |
| 1 / 14 | 2.0 |
| 0 / 14 | 0.0 |
Full-test score? Use the IELTS band calculator.
Tips for the question types in this test
True / False / Not Given
- Read the statement first and underline the key idea, especially any qualifiers like "all", "only", "never", "always", "more than" or dates and numbers.
- Because the questions follow the order of the passage, scan for the paragraph that deals with the same topic rather than re-reading everything.
Common trap: Confusing "False" with "Not Given": choose False only when the passage actively contradicts the statement; if the passage is silent, it is Not Given.
Full True / False / Not Given strategyMultiple Choice
- Read the question stem carefully before the options so you know exactly what is being asked.
- Because multiple-choice questions follow passage order, locate the relevant section and read it in full — the answer usually depends on more than one sentence.
Common trap: Distractors that use exact words from the passage but distort the meaning.
Full Multiple Choice strategyShort Answer
- Read the instructions and note the exact word limit; going over it means zero marks even if the meaning is right.
- Turn each question into a set of keywords and predict what kind of answer it needs (a person, a date, a place, a noun).
Common trap: Exceeding the word limit (writing four words when only three are allowed).
Full Short Answer strategyPractise “How Telescopes Reveal the Distant Universe” under exam conditions
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