The Origins of Opera: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 14 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “Opera, the art form in which a dramatic story is told entirely or largely through singing, is often regarded as one of the great achievements of Western music. Yet it did not evolve gradually out of earlier musical traditions in the way one might expect.”
- Passage length: about 712 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“The Origins of Opera” 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 Origins of Opera 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
Opera developed gradually out of earlier musical traditions.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “Yet it did not evolve gradually out of earlier musical traditions in the way one might expect. Instead, it was deliberately invented.”
- 2
The members of the Florentine group were inspired by ancient Greek drama.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Its members were fascinated by the culture of ancient Greece, and in particular by ancient Greek drama, which they believed had been sung or chanted rather than simply spoken.”
- 3
The reformers approved of music in which several voices sang different words at the same time.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “The reformers objected to this, arguing that music should serve the words and make their meaning clear, not bury it beneath layers of competing sound.”
- 4
The earliest operas were based on ancient myths and legends.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “The earliest operas took their subjects from ancient myth and legend, drawing on the same classical world that had inspired the reformers.”
- 5
The first public opera house was larger than any of the private court theatres.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims the first public opera house was larger than private court theatres, but the passage neither confirms nor denies this, only mentioning that public opera houses allowed broader access to opera.
Closest related text · Paragraph 6 “This began to change when the first public opera houses opened, where anyone who could pay for a ticket was admitted.”
- 6
Opera developed different national styles as it spread beyond Italy.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 7 “As opera spread beyond Italy, it developed distinct national styles. Composers and audiences in different countries adapted the form to their own languages and tastes.”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. the emotional effect they believed ancient Greek theatre had had
- B. the popular songs of their own day
- C. the choral music of the church
- D. the dances of the Italian courts
- 7
What did the members of the Camerata want to revive?
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Answer: A — the emotional effect they believed ancient Greek theatre had had
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports A — the emotional effect they believed ancient Greek theatre had had.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “They wished to revive what they imagined to be the powerful emotional effect of this ancient theatre, in which words and music had supposedly worked together to move the audience.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. the use of large choirs singing together
- B. a flexible, speech-like style of singing for a solo voice
- C. the invention of new musical instruments
- D. the building of large public theatres
- 8
What made sung drama possible, according to the passage?
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Answer: B — a flexible, speech-like style of singing for a solo voice
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — a flexible, speech-like style of singing for a solo voice.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “It was this flexible, speech-like singing that made sung drama possible, for it enabled performers to carry a narrative forward through music.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. a battle between rival cities
- B. the life of a Florentine prince
- C. a musician who descends to the underworld to recover his wife
- D. the founding of ancient Greece
- 9
What was the subject of the famous early opera mentioned in the passage?
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Answer: C — a musician who descends to the underworld to recover his wife
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — a musician who descends to the underworld to recover his wife.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “…one based on the myth of a musician who descends to the underworld to recover his lost wife, a story whose subject was itself the power of music.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. it made opera a private courtly amusement
- B. it turned opera into a form of popular entertainment
- C. it ended performances outside Italy
- D. it removed music from the drama
- 10
How did the opening of public opera houses change the art form?
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Answer: B — it turned opera into a form of popular entertainment
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — it turned opera into a form of popular entertainment.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “The appearance of these theatres transformed opera from a private courtly amusement into a form of popular entertainment, and it quickly attracted enthusiastic audiences.”
Questions 11–14: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
In which Italian city did the group of reformers meet?(max 1 word)
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Answer: Florence
Why: The answer “Florence” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 1-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…an informal circle of scholars, poets and musicians who met in the city of Florence.”
- 12
By what name is the Florentine group often referred to by historians?(max 2 words)
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Answer: the Camerata (also accepted: Camerata)
Why: The answer “the Camerata” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “This group is often referred to by historians as the Camerata.”
- 13
The reformers thought that music should serve what element of the drama?(max 2 words)
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Answer: the words (also accepted: words)
Why: The answer “the words” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…arguing that music should serve the words and make their meaning clear.”
- 14
Where was opera first performed, before public theatres opened?(max 3 words)
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Answer: at the courts (also accepted: the courts / courts / at court)
Why: The answer “at the courts” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “At first opera was an exclusive entertainment, performed at the courts of princes and nobles for invited guests on special occasions.”
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 Origins of Opera” under exam conditions
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