The Nomads of the Eurasian Steppe: 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: “Across the heart of the Eurasian landmass stretches a vast band of open grassland known as the steppe, running for thousands of kilometres from eastern Europe towards the borders of China. This immense, treeless expanse, too dry for reliable farming over much of its area, was for many centuries the home of nomadic…”
- Passage length: about 732 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“The Nomads of the Eurasian Steppe” 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 Nomads of the Eurasian Steppe 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
Much of the steppe was too dry for reliable farming.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “This immense, treeless expanse, too dry for reliable farming over much of its area, was for many centuries the home of nomadic peoples.”
- 2
The nomads moved with their herds in search of fresh grazing and water.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…the people moved with their animals from pasture to pasture, following the seasons in search of fresh grazing and water.”
- 3
The horse was of only minor importance to steppe culture.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Of all their animals, the horse was the most important, and mastery of the horse lay at the centre of steppe culture.”
- 4
The relationship between nomads and settled societies was one of pure conflict.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “Yet it would be a mistake to see the relationship between the nomads and the settled world as one of pure conflict. The two ways of life were, in fact, deeply interdependent.”
- 5
The nomads valued sheep more highly than horses.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims that nomads valued sheep more than horses, but the passage never confirms or denies this, only highlighting the horse's importance and centrality in steppe culture.
Closest related text · Paragraph 2 “The nomads of the steppe were pastoralists, meaning that they depended for their living on domesticated herd animals such as horses, sheep, goats and cattle.”
- 6
Herds could be devastated by disease or by unusually severe winters.
Show answerHide answer
Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “Herds could be devastated by disease or by unusually severe winters, and the loss of animals could bring disaster to a community that depended on them for almost everything.”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. a person who farms crops in one place
- B. a person who depends on domesticated herd animals
- C. a person who lives in a city
- D. a person who trades in luxury goods
- 7
What does the term 'pastoralist' mean in the passage?
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B — a person who depends on domesticated herd animals
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — a person who depends on domesticated herd animals.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “The nomads of the steppe were pastoralists, meaning that they depended for their living on domesticated herd animals such as horses, sheep, goats and cattle.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. by settled farmers conquering the nomads
- B. by leaders uniting the fragmented steppe peoples into a single force
- C. by the building of great cities on the grassland
- D. by trade alone, without any conquest
- 8
How did some of the largest empires in history come to be created on the steppe?
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B — by leaders uniting the fragmented steppe peoples into a single force
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — by leaders uniting the fragmented steppe peoples into a single force.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “…leaders arose who were able to unite the normally fragmented and quarrelsome steppe peoples into a single force... Some of the largest empires in history were created in this way.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. they prevented all contact between civilisations
- B. they carried goods and ideas between distant societies
- C. they produced grain and cloth for the cities
- D. they abandoned trade entirely
- 9
What role did the nomads often play across the vast distances of Eurasia?
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B — they carried goods and ideas between distant societies
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — they carried goods and ideas between distant societies.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “…the nomads often played a vital role in carrying goods and ideas across the vast distances of Eurasia. The steppe acted as a bridge as much as a barrier.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. because they lost interest in horses
- B. because the grassland disappeared entirely
- C. because settled states grew stronger and new military technologies eroded their advantages
- D. because they stopped trading with settled societies
- 10
Why did the power of the steppe nomads eventually decline?
Show answerHide answer
Answer: C — because settled states grew stronger and new military technologies eroded their advantages
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — because settled states grew stronger and new military technologies eroded their advantages.
Evidence · Paragraph 7 “Settled states grew stronger and better organised, and the spread of new military technologies eventually eroded the advantages that mobility and horsemanship had once conferred.”
Questions 11–14: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
What name is given to the vast band of open grassland across Eurasia?(max 2 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: the steppe (also accepted: steppe)
Why: The answer “the steppe” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “…a vast band of open grassland known as the steppe, running for thousands of kilometres from eastern Europe towards the borders of China.”
- 12
Which animal was the most important to steppe culture?(max 2 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: the horse (also accepted: horse / horses)
Why: The answer “the horse” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Of all their animals, the horse was the most important, and mastery of the horse lay at the centre of steppe culture.”
- 13
Mounted warriors were often expert with what weapon?(max 2 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: the bow (also accepted: bow)
Why: The answer “the bow” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “Mounted warriors, often expert with the bow, could strike swiftly and unexpectedly.”
- 14
The steppe is described as acting as both a bridge and a what between civilisations?(max 2 words)
Show answerHide answer
Answer: barrier (also accepted: a barrier)
Why: The answer “barrier” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “The steppe acted as a bridge as much as a barrier between distant civilisations.”
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 Nomads of the Eurasian Steppe” 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 the Internet Sends Data Around the World
medium
How the World Agreed on the Time
medium
How to Read Food Labels
easy
How Vaccines Train the Immune System
medium
Joining Brightpath Couriers: Job Advert and Induction
medium
Joining the Neighbourhood Book Club
easy