The Art of Memory: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 13 questionsAcademicmedium
Haven't taken this test yet?
Looking at the answers first spoils the practice — you only get one honest first attempt at a passage. Take the test with the 20-minute timer, get an instant score and estimated band, then come back here to study every answer.
About this passage
The passage opens: “In an age when almost any fact can be looked up in seconds, the ability to memorise large amounts of information might seem an old-fashioned skill. Yet there exist people who can memorise the order of a shuffled pack of cards in a few minutes, or recall long strings of numbers with apparent ease.”
- Passage length: about 763 words
- Questions: 13
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“The Art of Memory” 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 Art of Memory 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
Most people with remarkable memories say they were born with an unusual natural ability.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “…most of these individuals insist that they were not born with unusual memories. Instead, they rely on techniques”
- 2
In the ancient Mediterranean, speakers were often expected to deliver long speeches from memory.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “In those days speakers were often expected to deliver long speeches entirely from memory”
- 3
The method of loci involves placing imagined items at locations along a familiar route.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…they imagine each item, transformed into a vivid and often strange image, placed at one of these locations.”
- 4
Vivid or absurd mental images are harder to remember than dull ones.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “The more vivid, exaggerated or even absurd the mental images, the better they tend to be remembered... A dull image is easily forgotten; a bizarre one lingers.”
- 5
Studies suggest that most memory competitors have naturally superior brains.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “…their brains are much like anyone else's, and that they generally do not have naturally superior memories.”
- 6
Memory competitions offer large cash prizes to the winners.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims that memory competitions offer large cash prizes, but the passage neither confirms nor denies this, only mentioning that competitors perform extraordinary feats using ancient memory techniques.
Closest related text · Paragraph 5 “They lie behind the extraordinary feats performed at memory competitions, where participants memorise long sequences of numbers, words or cards against the clock.”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. That facts are easier to remember than pictures
- B. That people find places and vivid images easier to remember than abstract words
- C. That memory cannot be improved
- D. That speeches should always be written down
- 7
What insight were the ancient memory systems based on?
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B — That people find places and vivid images easier to remember than abstract words
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — That people find places and vivid images easier to remember than abstract words.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…that people find it far easier to remember places and vivid images than to remember abstract words or bare facts.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. By writing the list down
- B. By taking an imaginary walk along the route and 'seeing' each image
- C. By repeating the list aloud many times
- D. By memorising the items in a random order
- 8
How does a person recall a list using the method of loci?
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B — By taking an imaginary walk along the route and 'seeing' each image
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — By taking an imaginary walk along the route and 'seeing' each image.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…to recall the list, they simply take an imaginary walk along the route, visiting each location in turn and 'seeing' the image they left there.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Because it forces people to remember meaningless information
- B. Because it works with the natural strengths of memory rather than against them
- C. Because it replaces the need for images
- D. Because it slows down the process of recall
- 9
Why does the method of loci work so well, according to the passage?
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B — Because it works with the natural strengths of memory rather than against them
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — Because it works with the natural strengths of memory rather than against them.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “…the method of loci works with the natural grain of memory rather than against it.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Because it proves memory cannot be trained
- B. Because it suggests a powerful memory is largely a skill that can be learned
- C. Because it shows devices are unnecessary
- D. Because it means only a lucky few can succeed
- 10
Why does the passage describe the finding about memory competitors as encouraging?
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B — Because it suggests a powerful memory is largely a skill that can be learned
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — Because it suggests a powerful memory is largely a skill that can be learned.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “…it suggests that a powerful memory is, to a considerable extent, a skill that can be learned rather than a gift reserved for a lucky few.”
Questions 11–13: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
What is the best-known memory technique called?(max 3 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: the method of loci (also accepted: method of loci / method of places)
Why: The answer “the method of loci” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “The best-known technique built on this insight is often called the method of loci”
- 12
What does the word 'loci' mean?(max 3 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: places (also accepted: the method of places)
Why: The answer “places” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…the method of loci, meaning the method of places.”
- 13
The passage says people are generally poor at remembering what kind of information?(max 3 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: isolated, meaningless information (also accepted: isolated information / meaningless information)
Why: The answer “isolated, meaningless information” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “People are generally poor at remembering isolated, meaningless information”
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 “The Art of Memory” under exam conditions
Free, auto-marked, with the 20-minute timer and an instant band estimate.
Take this test first (timed)More IELTS Reading tests with answers
The Life Cycle of Stars
medium
The Long Journey of Plastic Through the Ocean
medium
The Long Search for Water on Mars
hard
The Marathon and the Limits of Endurance
medium
The Montessori Method of Education
medium
The Nomads of the Eurasian Steppe
medium