The Design of the Everyday Chair: 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: “A chair is one of the most ordinary objects in the world, and one of the most quietly difficult to design well. Its task sounds simple: to hold a seated human body comfortably for as long as that body wishes to remain there.”
- Passage length: about 812 words
- Questions: 13
- Question types: Matching Headings, Summary Completion, Multiple Choice — Multiple Answers
“The Design of the Everyday Chair” 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 Design of the Everyday Chair answers with explanations
Questions 1–6: Matching Headings
The passage has six paragraphs, A-F. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
- i. The chair as a mark of power
- ii. Fitting furniture to the human body
- iii. A breakthrough in making chairs affordable
- iv. When sitting still becomes a health problem
- v. An everyday object that is harder to design than it looks
- vi. The chair as a work of art and a statement
- vii. Traditional methods of joining wood
- viii. The rising cost of raw materials
- ix. Chairs designed especially for children
- 1
Paragraph A
Show answerHide answer
Answer: v — An everyday object that is harder to design than it looks
Why: Paragraph A explains that designing a chair is challenging due to the need to balance comfort, durability, cost, and aesthetics, making it more complex than it appears despite being a common object.
Where to find it · Paragraph A “A chair is one of the most ordinary objects in the world, and one of the most quietly difficult to design well.”
- 2
Paragraph B
Show answerHide answer
Answer: i — The chair as a mark of power
Why: Paragraph B explains that chairs were historically reserved for high-ranking individuals, symbolizing authority and power, which aligns with the heading "The chair as a mark of power.
Where to find it · Paragraph B “In many societies ordinary people sat on the floor, on mats, on low stools or on shared benches, while a chair with a back and arms was reserved for those of high rank.”
- 3
Paragraph C
Show answerHide answer
Answer: ii — Fitting furniture to the human body
Why: Paragraph C discusses how designers focus on ergonomics to create chairs that fit the human body, supporting natural curves and allowing adjustments for comfort, aligning with the heading "Fitting furniture to the human body.
Where to find it · Paragraph C “When designers try to make a chair fit the body, they enter the field of ergonomics.”
- 4
Paragraph D
Show answerHide answer
Answer: iii — A breakthrough in making chairs affordable
Why: Paragraph D describes Michael Thonet's Model No. 14 chair, which was inexpensive, simple, and could be shipped cheaply, making chairs affordable and accessible to almost everyone.
Where to find it · Paragraph D “A turning point in the story of the chair came in 1859, when the German-Austrian maker Michael Thonet produced his Model No.”
- 5
Paragraph E
Show answerHide answer
Answer: vi — The chair as a work of art and a statement
Why: Paragraph E describes how twentieth-century designers used new materials to transform chairs into artistic and statement pieces, highlighting the chair as a creative canvas, which aligns with the heading "The chair as a work of art and a statement.
Where to find it · Paragraph E “In the twentieth century the chair became a playground for ambitious designers.”
- 6
Paragraph F
Show answerHide answer
Answer: iv — When sitting still becomes a health problem
Why: Paragraph F discusses how prolonged sitting can lead to health issues, highlighting the importance of ergonomic chair design to prevent spine-related problems, aligning with the heading "When sitting still becomes a health problem.
Where to find it · Paragraph B “To sit in a chair while others stood or crouched was to display authority, and a trace of this old meaning survives in our language: the person who leads a meeting is still called the chair or chairman, and the seat of a king is a throne, the grandest chair of all.”
Questions 7–12: Summary Completion
Complete the summary below.
Complete the summary using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. For most of history, a chair signalled the (7) ______ of the person sitting in it, which is why the leader of a meeting is still called the (8) ______ . Ordinary people more often used benches or low (9) ______ . A key change came in 1859 with Thonet's Model No. 14, made of only a few pieces of (10) ______ bent with steam; because it could be shipped (11) ______ and put together later, it was very cheap. Today, designers know that sitting for long (12) ______ can be bad for health.
- 7
For most of history, a chair signalled the ______ of the person sitting in it, which is why the leader of a meeting is still called the ______ .(max 2 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: authority (also accepted: status / rank / power)
Why: The answer "authority" comes from Passage B, which explains that historically, sitting in a chair while others stood or crouched was a display of authority, as chairs with backs and arms were reserved for high-ranking individuals.
Where to find it · Paragraph B “To sit in a chair while others stood or crouched was to display authority, and a trace of this old meaning survives in our language: the person who leads a meeting is still called the chair or chairman, and the seat of a king is a throne, the grandest chair of all.”
- 8
For most of history, a chair signalled the ______ of the person sitting in it, which is why the leader of a meeting is still called the ______ .(max 2 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: chairman (also accepted: chair)
Why: The answer "chairman" is found in section B, where it explains that the leader of a meeting is referred to as the chair or chairman, reflecting the historical association of chairs with authority.
Where to find it · Paragraph B “To sit in a chair while others stood or crouched was to display authority, and a trace of this old meaning survives in our language: the person who leads a meeting is still called the chair or chairman, and the seat of a king is a throne, the grandest chair of all.”
- 9
Ordinary people more often used benches or low ______ .(max 2 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: stools
Why: The answer "stools" comes from paragraph B, where it mentions that ordinary people historically sat on the floor, mats, low stools, or shared benches, while chairs with backs and arms were reserved for those of high rank.
Where to find it · Paragraph B “In many societies ordinary people sat on the floor, on mats, on low stools or on shared benches, while a chair with a back and arms was reserved for those of high rank.”
- 10
14, made of only a few pieces of ______ bent with steam; because it could be shipped ______ and put together later, it was very cheap.(max 2 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: beech (also accepted: wood)
Why: The answer "beech" is found in Passage D, which describes how Michael Thonet's Model No. 14 was constructed from a small number of beech wood pieces bent into curves using steam.
Where to find it · Paragraph D “Instead of being carved by hand from solid timber, it was built from a small number of lengths of beech that had been bent into graceful curves using steam.”
- 11
14, made of only a few pieces of ______ bent with steam; because it could be shipped ______ and put together later, it was very cheap.(max 2 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: unassembled (also accepted: flat / disassembled)
Why: The answer "unassembled" comes from paragraph D, which explains that Thonet's Model No. 14 was designed with so few parts that the chairs could be packed unassembled into a crate for easy and cheap shipping.
Where to find it · Paragraph D “The design used so few parts that the chairs could be packed unassembled into a crate, shipped cheaply across the world and screwed together on arrival.”
- 12
Today, designers know that sitting for long ______ can be bad for health.(max 2 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: stretches (also accepted: periods)
Why: The answer "stretches" is found in section C, which discusses how a well-made seat distributes the sitter's weight evenly to prevent any single part from being under too much pressure.
Where to find it · Paragraph F “Research suggests that sitting still for long stretches, however well supported, is bad for human health, and that the body benefits from frequent movement.”
Question 13: Multiple Choice — Multiple Answers
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
- A. It was built from very few parts.
- B. It could be shipped unassembled and put together later.
- C. It was carved by hand from solid timber.
- D. It was made from a rare imported hardwood.
- E. It was sold only to wealthy customers.
- 13
Which TWO features helped make the Thonet No. 14 cheap? Choose TWO letters.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: A — It was built from very few parts.; B — It could be shipped unassembled and put together later.
Why: The Thonet No. 14 was cheap because it used a small number of parts and could be shipped unassembled, reducing production and transportation costs, as mentioned in paragraph D.
Where to find it · Paragraph D “The design used so few parts that the chairs could be packed unassembled into a crate, shipped cheaply across the world and screwed together on arrival.”
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
Matching Headings
- Read the list of headings first so you know the options, and notice how they differ from one another — often two headings are deliberately similar.
- Read the first paragraph and ask yourself: "In one sentence, what is this paragraph mainly saying?" before you look back at the headings.
Common trap: Picking a heading because it repeats a word from the paragraph, when that word only appears in a minor detail.
Full Matching Headings 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 strategyMultiple Choice — Multiple Answers
- Underline exactly how many answers are required.
- Locate the relevant passage section and read its full scope.
Common trap: Choosing too many or too few answers.
Full Multiple Choice — Multiple Answers strategyPractise “The Design of the Everyday Chair” 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
How Computers Store Information in Binary
medium
How Coral Reefs Build Themselves
medium
How Forests Regulate the Global Climate
medium
How Migratory Birds Find Their Way
medium
How Painters Learned to Show Depth: The Invention of Perspective
hard
How Satellite Navigation Finds Your Position
medium