Reaching for the Sky: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 13 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “The tall towers that define the skyline of many modern cities are so familiar that it is easy to forget how recent they are. For most of history, the height of buildings was strictly limited, and even the grandest structures rarely rose more than a few storeys above the street.”
- Passage length: about 785 words
- Questions: 13
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“Reaching for the Sky” 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
Reaching for the Sky 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
For most of history, the height of buildings was strictly limited.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “For most of history, the height of buildings was strictly limited, and even the grandest structures rarely rose more than a few storeys”
- 2
In traditional construction, the walls carried the entire load of the building.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “In traditional construction, the walls carried the entire load of the structure”
- 3
With an internal frame, the outer walls still had to bear the building's weight.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “With this frame doing the work of support, the outer walls no longer had to hold anything up. They became a light covering”
- 4
The tall building was made possible by a single invention.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “It was made possible not by a single invention but by the coming together of several developments”
- 5
Tall towers were first built in the largest capital cities.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims tall towers were first built in the largest capital cities, but the passage never confirms or denies this, instead discussing the technological developments that enabled the construction of tall buildings.
Closest related text · Paragraph 1 “The tall towers that define the skyline of many modern cities are so familiar that it is easy to forget how recent they are.”
- 6
Where land was most expensive, the incentive to build tall was greatest.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “Where land was most costly, the incentive to build tall was greatest”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Because there were no tall enough ladders
- B. Because the lower walls would need to be so massive they would take up much of the ground space
- C. Because tall buildings were forbidden by law
- D. Because there were not enough workers
- 7
Why could traditional buildings not simply be built ever higher?
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Answer: B — Because the lower walls would need to be so massive they would take up much of the ground space
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — Because the lower walls would need to be so massive they would take up much of the ground space.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…the lower walls would need to be so massive that they would take up much of the ground space and leave little room inside.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Even thicker than before
- B. A light covering that merely kept out the weather
- C. The main support of the building
- D. Completely unnecessary
- 8
What did the internal skeleton of columns and beams allow the outer walls to become?
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Answer: B — A light covering that merely kept out the weather
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — A light covering that merely kept out the weather.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “They became a light covering, a skin hung on the frame merely to keep out the weather”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. A material that was heavy and flexible
- B. A material that was both strong and comparatively light, made in long straight lengths
- C. A material that was cheap but weak
- D. A material that could not resist fire
- 9
What kind of material was needed to build the frames of tall buildings?
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Answer: B — A material that was both strong and comparatively light, made in long straight lengths
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — A material that was both strong and comparatively light, made in long straight lengths.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “…a material that was both strong and comparatively light, and that could be made in long, straight lengths.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. It reduced the weight of the frame
- B. It allowed people to reach the upper floors without climbing many stairs
- C. It made the walls thinner
- D. It protected the building from wind
- 10
Why was a reliable lifting device essential to the tall building?
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Answer: B — It allowed people to reach the upper floors without climbing many stairs
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — It allowed people to reach the upper floors without climbing many stairs.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “The tall building therefore depended on a second, equally important innovation: a safe and reliable means of carrying people quickly up and down.”
Questions 11–13: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
What did engineers develop to carry the weight of the whole structure instead of thick walls?(max 3 words)
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Answer: an internal skeleton (also accepted: internal skeleton / a strong internal skeleton / a framework of columns and beams)
Why: The answer “an internal skeleton” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…engineers developed a strong internal skeleton, a framework of columns and beams that carried the weight”
- 12
Once freed from bearing weight, what could the thin outer walls largely be made of?(max 2 words)
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Answer: glass
Why: The answer “glass” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…the walls could be thin and could even be made largely of glass”
- 13
What was the key feature of the lifting device that made it safe?(max 3 words)
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Answer: it would not fall (also accepted: would not fall / it would not fall even if its rope broke)
Why: The answer “it would not fall” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “The invention of a lifting device that would not fall even if its rope broke was the key.”
Estimated band score for this test
Your raw score out of 13 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 |
|---|---|
| 13 / 13 | 9.0 |
| 12 / 13 | 8.5 |
| 11 / 13 | 7.5 |
| 10 / 13 | 7.0 |
| 9 / 13 | 6.5 |
| 8 / 13 | 6.0 |
| 7 / 13 | 5.5 |
| 5–6 / 13 | 5.0 |
| 4 / 13 | 4.0 |
| 3 / 13 | 3.5 |
| 2 / 13 | 3.0 |
| 1 / 13 | 2.0 |
| 0 / 13 | 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 “Reaching for the Sky” under exam conditions
Free, auto-marked, with the 20-minute timer and an instant band estimate.
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