The Economics of the Spice Trade: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 14 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: “For many centuries, a handful of aromatic plant products were among the most valuable commodities in the world. Spices such as pepper, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon were prized in distant markets far from the tropical regions where they grew, and the trade in them shaped economies, drove exploration and even changed the…”
- Passage length: about 709 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“The Economics of the Spice Trade” 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 Economics of the Spice Trade answers with explanations
Questions 1–6: True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? Write TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN.
- 1
The most valuable spices could not be grown in European climates.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Because these plants would not flourish in European climates, there was no possibility of local production, and every gram had to be transported across enormous distances.”
- 2
Spices were used only for adding flavour to food.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “They were also used in medicines and in the making of perfumes, and the possession of costly spices became a mark of wealth and status among the well-to-do.”
- 3
European buyers paid roughly the same price as buyers at the source of the spices.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “European buyers at the far end of the chain paid prices vastly higher than those at the source, with the difference absorbed by the many traders in between.”
- 4
The desire to bypass intermediaries helped to motivate voyages of exploration.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “It was partly the desire to break this chain of intermediaries that spurred the great voyages of exploration.”
- 5
Cloves were more valuable than nutmeg in European markets.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims that cloves were more valuable than nutmeg in European markets, but the passage never confirms or denies this, only discussing spices in general without comparing their specific values.
Closest related text · Paragraph 1 “Spices such as pepper, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon were prized in distant markets far from the tropical regions where they grew, and the trade in them shaped economies, drove exploration and even changed the political map of the world.”
- 6
Trading companies sometimes tried to keep prices high by restricting the supply of spices.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “By restricting supply in this way, a company that held a monopoly could keep prices artificially high and reap huge rewards.”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. scarcity at the source and the expense of transport
- B. low demand and abundant supply
- C. cheap transport and local production
- D. government subsidies and free trade
- 7
According to the passage, what combination kept spice prices high?
Show answerHide answer
Answer: A — scarcity at the source and the expense of transport
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports A — scarcity at the source and the expense of transport.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Scarcity at the source combined with the expense of transport to keep prices high.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. they could be used as money
- B. they helped to make preserved and monotonous diets more palatable
- C. they prevented food from being grown
- D. they replaced the need for cooking
- 8
Why were spices particularly useful in an age without refrigeration?
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B — they helped to make preserved and monotonous diets more palatable
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — they helped to make preserved and monotonous diets more palatable.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…in an age without refrigeration they helped to make preserved and monotonous diets more palatable.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. by lowering their prices below cost
- B. by seizing control of the islands where the spices grew
- C. by giving the spices away for free
- D. by refusing to sell to the wealthy
- 9
How did some trading companies attempt to dominate the trade in particular spices?
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B — by seizing control of the islands where the spices grew
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — by seizing control of the islands where the spices grew.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “…they attempted to establish a monopoly over particular spices by seizing control of the islands where they grew and preventing anyone else from buying or selling them.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. a fall in demand for flavoured food
- B. the closing of all sea routes
- C. an expansion of production and increased competition
- D. the banning of the spice trade
- 10
What ultimately caused the extraordinary value of spices to decline?
Show answerHide answer
Answer: C — an expansion of production and increased competition
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — an expansion of production and increased competition.
Evidence · Paragraph 8 “As supply expanded and competition grew, prices fell until spices that had once been luxuries for the rich could be found in the kitchens of ordinary households.”
Questions 11–14: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
From which broad region did the most sought-after spices come?(max 3 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: Asia (also accepted: southern and south-eastern Asia / south-eastern Asia)
Why: The answer “Asia” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “The spices most sought after in European markets came from regions of southern and south-eastern Asia.”
- 12
Through which region did the spices pass before reaching the Mediterranean?(max 3 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: the Middle East (also accepted: Middle East)
Why: The answer “the Middle East” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “The spices passed along established routes through the Middle East, where merchants bought and sold them before they reached the Mediterranean.”
- 13
What did a company try to establish over a particular spice in order to control it?(max 2 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: a monopoly (also accepted: monopoly)
Why: The answer “a monopoly” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “…they attempted to establish a monopoly over particular spices by seizing control of the islands where they grew.”
- 14
Some spices were eventually moved and grown in other tropical regions through what process?(max 2 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: transplanting (also accepted: being transplanted / transplanted)
Why: The answer “transplanting” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 7 “…some spices that had once grown only in a few closely guarded locations were successfully transplanted to other tropical regions.”
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
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 Economics of the Spice Trade” 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 Rise of the Modern Zoo
easy
The Rise of the Novel
medium
The Rise of Vertical Farming
medium
The Rise, Fall and Revival of the Allotment
medium
The Rosetta Stone and the Decipherment of Hieroglyphs
medium
The Science of a Balanced Diet
medium