The Craft of Stained Glass: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 13 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “Few art forms depend so completely on their surroundings as stained glass. A painting hangs on a wall and looks much the same whatever the weather, but a stained-glass window is nothing without light passing through it.”
- Passage length: about 706 words
- Questions: 13
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“The Craft of Stained Glass” 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 Craft of Stained Glass 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
A stained-glass window looks the same regardless of the light conditions.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “…a stained-glass window is nothing without light passing through it... the same window may glow with a soft radiance on a cloudy morning and blaze with colour when the sun breaks through.”
- 2
The colour of stained glass is produced by painting the surface of clear glass.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “The colours of stained glass do not come from paint applied to the surface. Instead, the glass itself is coloured all the way through while it is still molten”
- 3
The process of making a window began with a full-size drawing of the design.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “The designer first prepared a full-size plan showing every line and shape of the finished window.”
- 4
Fine details such as facial features were added by painting dark lines onto the glass.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…such as the features of a face or the folds of a garment, were added by painting fine dark lines onto the surface of the glass.”
- 5
Stained-glass windows were often used to tell stories to people who could not read.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “Many of the people who gazed up at these windows could not read, and the great sequences of glowing images acted as a kind of picture book”
- 6
Medieval stained-glass workshops employed more workers than modern ones do.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims medieval workshops employed more workers than modern ones, but the passage does not confirm or deny this, focusing instead on the techniques and processes used in creating stained glass.
Closest related text · Paragraph 1 “This dependence on light gives stained glass a changing, almost living quality, and it is one reason the craft has been prized for so many centuries as a way of transforming the inside of a building.”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Because they are repainted regularly
- B. Because the colour is part of the glass itself and does not fade or peel
- C. Because they are kept away from sunlight
- D. Because they are made of a special metal
- 7
Why do very old stained-glass windows still keep their bright colours?
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Answer: B — Because the colour is part of the glass itself and does not fade or peel
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — Because the colour is part of the glass itself and does not fade or peel.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Because the colour is part of the glass itself rather than a coating, it does not fade or peel away as a painted surface might”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. To change its colour
- B. To make it thinner
- C. So that the paint fused permanently into the surface
- D. To make it easier to cut
- 8
Why was the painted glass heated in a kiln?
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Answer: C — So that the paint fused permanently into the surface
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — So that the paint fused permanently into the surface.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “The painted glass was then heated in a furnace, or kiln, so that the paint fused permanently into the surface and would not wash away.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Iron bars
- B. Lead
- C. Painted wood
- D. Coloured stone
- 9
What material was used to join the many pieces of glass together?
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Answer: B — Lead
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — Lead.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “The joining was done with strips of a soft metal, lead, which could be bent easily around the edges of each piece.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. It disappeared completely
- B. It underwent a revival as artists rediscovered old methods
- C. It was replaced by painting
- D. It was banned in churches
- 10
What happened to the craft of stained glass in the nineteenth century?
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Answer: B — It underwent a revival as artists rediscovered old methods
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — It underwent a revival as artists rediscovered old methods.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “In the nineteenth century, however, a wave of renewed interest led to a revival, as artists studied surviving medieval windows, rediscovered old methods and created ambitious new works of their own.”
Questions 11–13: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
When is the glass coloured during its manufacture?(max 3 words)
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Answer: while molten (also accepted: while it is still molten / when molten)
Why: The answer “while molten” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…the glass itself is coloured all the way through while it is still molten”
- 12
What is the furnace called in which painted glass is heated?(max 2 words)
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Answer: a kiln (also accepted: kiln)
Why: The answer “a kiln” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “The painted glass was then heated in a furnace, or kiln”
- 13
What was often used to support a finished panel and help it bear its own weight?(max 2 words)
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Answer: iron bars (also accepted: iron / bars)
Why: The answer “iron bars” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “…often supported by iron bars to help it bear its own weight and resist the wind.”
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 Craft of Stained Glass” under exam conditions
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