The Antikythera Mechanism: A Computer from the Ancient World: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 14 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “In the spring of 1901, a group of sponge divers sheltering from a fierce storm dropped anchor near the small Greek island of Antikythera, which lies between Crete and the mainland. Descending to the sea floor to pass the time, one of the divers surfaced in alarm, describing a heap of rotting corpses on the seabed…”
- Passage length: about 744 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: Matching Information, Summary Completion, True / False / Not Given
“The Antikythera Mechanism: A Computer from the Ancient World” 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
The Antikythera Mechanism: A Computer from the Ancient World answers with explanations
Questions 1–5: Matching Information
The passage has six paragraphs, A-F. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A-F.
- A. Paragraph A
- B. Paragraph B
- C. Paragraph C
- D. Paragraph D
- E. Paragraph E
- F. Paragraph F
- 1
a list of the astronomical events and cycles the device could display
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Answer: Paragraph D
Why: Paragraph D is correct because it describes the device's ability to display astronomical events and cycles, such as the positions of the sun and moon, moon phases, eclipses, and athletic games' timing cycles.
Where to find it · Paragraph D “By turning a small handle, a user could wind the device forwards or backwards in time and read off the position of the sun and moon against the constellations, together with the changing phase of the moon.”
- 2
the discovery of the wreck by divers sheltering from bad weather
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Answer: Paragraph A
Why: The correct answer is A because it describes how sponge divers discovered the wreck while seeking shelter from a storm near Antikythera.
Where to find it · Paragraph A “In the spring of 1901, a group of sponge divers sheltering from a fierce storm dropped anchor near the small Greek island of Antikythera, which lies between Crete and the mainland.”
- 3
the long gap before instruments of similar complexity reappeared
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Answer: Paragraph E
Why: Paragraph E explains that the Antikythera mechanism's complexity was unmatched for over a thousand years until similar intricate instruments appeared in medieval Europe, highlighting the long gap before such technology reemerged.
Where to find it · Paragraph E “Nothing of comparable complexity is known to survive from anywhere in the ancient world, and it would be well over a thousand years before clocks and astronomical instruments of similar intricacy appeared in medieval Europe.”
- 4
the methods used to read writing hidden inside the object
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Answer: Paragraph C
Why: Paragraph C is correct because it describes the use of imaging techniques like X-rays and high-resolution scanning to read faint inscriptions inside the corroded object without damaging it.
Where to find it · Paragraph C “Using powerful X-rays and, later, high-resolution three-dimensional scanning, researchers were able to count the teeth of gears buried deep within the object and to read faint inscriptions on its surfaces that the naked eye could never have detected.”
- 5
doubts about whether the device was the only one of its kind
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Answer: Paragraph F
Why: The passage suggests doubts about the device being unique by mentioning that the Antikythera mechanism might not be the only one of its kind, as historians speculate about the existence of similar devices.
Where to find it · Paragraph F “Nor is it clear whether the mechanism was a unique masterpiece or merely one of many such instruments, the rest of which have simply not survived the passage of time.”
Questions 6–10: Summary Completion
Complete the summary below.
Complete the summary using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. The wreck off Antikythera was found in 1901 by (6) ______ who had stopped to shelter from a storm. Among the objects raised from the seabed was a corroded lump of (7) ______ that seemed unimportant at first. Later, traces of hidden (8) ______ were noticed inside it, which greatly surprised scholars. Modern (9) ______ techniques finally allowed researchers to count the gear teeth and read the inscriptions without damaging the fragile fragments. The device worked as a model of the heavens, showing the positions of the sun and the (10) ______ .
- 6
The wreck off Antikythera was found in 1901 by ______ who had stopped to shelter from a storm.(max 2 words)
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Answer: sponge divers (also accepted: divers)
Why: The answer "sponge divers" is found in the first sentence of paragraph A, which describes how a group of sponge divers discovered the wreck near Antikythera while seeking refuge from a storm.
Where to find it · Paragraph A “In the spring of 1901, a group of sponge divers sheltering from a fierce storm dropped anchor near the small Greek island of Antikythera, which lies between Crete and the mainland.”
- 7
Among the objects raised from the seabed was a corroded lump of ______ that seemed unimportant at first.(max 2 words)
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Answer: bronze
Why: The answer "bronze" is found in section A, where it describes the discovery of a corroded bronze object among the antiquities recovered from the shipwreck, initially attracting little attention.
Where to find it · Paragraph A “Over the following months the divers recovered a remarkable haul of antiquities, and among the coins, jewellery and fine sculptures brought up from the deep was an unremarkable-looking lump of bronze, cracked and heavily encrusted, that at first attracted almost no attention at all.”
- 8
Later, traces of hidden ______ were noticed inside it, which greatly surprised scholars.(max 2 words)
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Answer: gearwheels (also accepted: gears / gear wheels)
Why: The answer is found in Section B, where it describes how the encrustation on the object revealed traces of finely cut gearwheels, which were unexpected for the ancient world.
Where to find it · Paragraph B “As the encrustation slowly dried and split apart, it revealed traces of finely cut gearwheels, their delicate teeth still visible in the green corroded metal.”
- 9
Modern ______ techniques finally allowed researchers to count the gear teeth and read the inscriptions without damaging the fragile fragments.(max 2 words)
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Answer: imaging (also accepted: scanning)
Why: The answer "imaging" comes from paragraph C, where it explains that researchers used advanced imaging techniques like X-rays and high-resolution scanning to examine the interior of the corroded metal without damaging it.
Where to find it · Paragraph C “Using powerful X-rays and, later, high-resolution three-dimensional scanning, researchers were able to count the teeth of gears buried deep within the object and to read faint inscriptions on its surfaces that the naked eye could never have detected.”
- 10
The device worked as a model of the heavens, showing the positions of the sun and the ______ .(max 2 words)
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Answer: moon (also accepted: the moon)
Why: The answer "moon" is found in section D, where it describes the Antikythera mechanism as a device that could display the position of the sun and moon, as well as the moon's changing phases.
Where to find it · Paragraph D “The mechanism was a hand-driven model of the heavens, a calculating machine that reproduced the movements of the sun and the moon as they appear from the Earth.”
Questions 11–14: True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? Write TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN.
- 11
The diver who first reached the wreck initially believed he had found dead bodies.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: The diver initially thought he had discovered a pile of rotting corpses on the seabed, as described in the passage.
Where to find it · Paragraph A “Descending to the sea floor to pass the time, one of the divers surfaced in alarm, describing a heap of rotting corpses on the seabed below.”
- 12
Geared devices as delicate as the mechanism were common elsewhere in the ancient world.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: The passage states that nothing of comparable precision to the Antikythera mechanism was believed to exist in the ancient world, indicating such geared devices were not common elsewhere at that time.
Where to find it · Paragraph B “This was astonishing, for nothing of the kind was supposed to exist in the ancient world.”
- 13
The writing found on the device included a kind of instruction manual.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: The passage states that hidden texts on the device, described as a kind of instruction manual, were crucial for understanding its purpose.
Where to find it · Paragraph C “These hidden texts, a kind of instruction manual engraved on the device itself, turned out to be essential to working out exactly what the machine had been designed to do.”
- 14
The ship was sailing towards Rome when it sank.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims the ship was sailing towards Rome when it sank, but the passage does not confirm or deny this, only mentioning that the wreck was found near the Greek island of Antikythera.
Closest related text · Paragraph A “In the spring of 1901, a group of sponge divers sheltering from a fierce storm dropped anchor near the small Greek island of Antikythera, which lies between Crete and the mainland.”
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
Matching Information
- Read each statement and identify exactly what kind of information you are looking for — a reason, a result, an example, a definition, a contrast.
- Note that the statements do NOT follow paragraph order, so treat each one as an independent search.
Common trap: Assuming the questions run in order — they do not, which makes linear reading inefficient.
Full Matching Information strategySummary Completion
- Read the full summary first and identify which passage section it covers.
- Predict the grammar and meaning required in every blank.
Common trap: Choosing an option only because it repeats a passage word.
Full Summary Completion strategyTrue / 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 strategyPractise “The Antikythera Mechanism: A Computer from the Ancient World” under exam conditions
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