The Engineering of Suspension Bridges: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 14 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “Of all the structures that engineers build, few are as striking as the suspension bridge. With their slender roadways hung beneath sweeping curves of cable, these bridges can cross distances that no other design can match, leaping across wide rivers and deep bays in a single span.”
- Passage length: about 802 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“The Engineering of Suspension Bridges” 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 Engineering of Suspension Bridges 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
In a suspension bridge the roadway is hung from above rather than supported from below.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “The essential idea is to hang the roadway from above rather than to support it from below.”
- 2
A long beam in a beam bridge can span any distance without sagging.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…a long beam will sag and eventually break under its own weight.”
- 3
The main cables end at the towers.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “The main cables do not stop at the towers; they continue down to the ground at each end, where they are fastened into massive blocks called anchorages.”
- 4
The towers of a suspension bridge are in compression.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “…downward through the towers, which are squeezed and so are said to be in compression”
- 5
Each main cable is made from many thousands of thin steel wires.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “…it is in fact made from many thousands of thin steel wires bundled tightly together.”
- 6
Suspension bridges are more expensive to build than beam bridges.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims suspension bridges are more expensive than beam bridges, but the passage never confirms or denies this, focusing instead on the engineering and structural differences between the two types of bridges.
Closest related text · Paragraph 1 “Of all the structures that engineers build, few are as striking as the suspension bridge.”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Because the deck is extremely light
- B. Because the load is gathered together and directed to a few supports
- C. Because the towers are made of steel wire
- D. Because no cables are needed
- 7
Why can the towers of a suspension bridge be spaced very far apart?
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Answer: B — Because the load is gathered together and directed to a few supports
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — Because the load is gathered together and directed to a few supports.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Because the load is gathered together and directed to a small number of supports, the towers can be spaced very far apart”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. To carry traffic across the deck
- B. To hang the deck from the main cables
- C. To resist the outward pull of the cables
- D. To protect the wires from rust
- 8
What is the job of the anchorages?
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Answer: C — To resist the outward pull of the cables
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — To resist the outward pull of the cables.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “…it is the job of the anchorages to resist it.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Because a single bar would be cheaper
- B. Because steel wire is far stronger for its weight when many strands share the load
- C. Because a single bar cannot rust
- D. Because thin wires are easier to see
- 9
Why is a bundle of thin steel wires used rather than a single thick bar?
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Answer: B — Because steel wire is far stronger for its weight when many strands share the load
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — Because steel wire is far stronger for its weight when many strands share the load.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “Steel wire is far stronger for its weight when many slender strands share the load than a single thick bar would be”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. By building the bridge and waiting for a storm
- B. By testing scale models in wind tunnels
- C. By removing the deck entirely
- D. By making the cables thicker
- 10
How do engineers now study the effect of wind on a bridge design?
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Answer: B — By testing scale models in wind tunnels
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — By testing scale models in wind tunnels.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “…often testing scale models in wind tunnels to observe how the design responds to moving air.”
Questions 11–14: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
What are the tall structures that carry most of the bridge's weight down to the ground called?(max 3 words)
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Answer: towers (also accepted: two tall towers / tall towers)
Why: The answer “towers” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Two tall towers rise from the ends of the central span and carry most of the structure's weight down to the ground.”
- 12
What is the name for the thin vertical cables from which the roadway is suspended?(max 3 words)
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Answer: hangers (also accepted: suspenders / hangers or suspenders)
Why: The answer “hangers” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…many thin vertical cables, called hangers or suspenders”
- 13
What kind of force does a cable carry well when it is stretched?(max 2 words)
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Answer: tension
Why: The answer “tension” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “A cable is very strong when it is stretched, a kind of force engineers call tension”
- 14
What are the massive blocks that the main cables are fastened into called?(max 2 words)
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Answer: anchorages (also accepted: anchorage)
Why: The answer “anchorages” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…where they are fastened into massive blocks called anchorages.”
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 Engineering of Suspension Bridges” under exam conditions
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