The Origins of the Alphabet: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 14 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “The alphabet is so familiar a tool that most people who use it never pause to consider how remarkable it is. An alphabet is a system of writing in which a small number of symbols each represent an individual sound, and by combining these symbols in different orders it becomes possible to record any word in a language.”
- Passage length: about 772 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“The Origins of the Alphabet” 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 the Alphabet 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
In an alphabet, each symbol generally represents an individual sound.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “An alphabet is a system of writing in which a small number of symbols each represent an individual sound, and by combining these symbols in different orders it becomes possible to record any word in a language.”
- 2
In societies using cuneiform and hieroglyphs, most ordinary people could read and write.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…the ability to read and write was generally confined to a small class of trained scribes.”
- 3
The early Semitic alphabets usually left vowel sounds unwritten.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “One feature of these early Semitic alphabets is that they generally recorded only consonants and left vowels unwritten.”
- 4
The Phoenician alphabet contained more signs than the older writing systems it replaced.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “Because the Phoenician alphabet was simple and easy to learn compared with the older scripts, it could be adopted and adapted by other peoples with relative ease.”
- 5
The Greeks taught the alphabet to the Phoenicians.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “Among those who borrowed the Phoenician system were the Greeks, and it was they who introduced an innovation of lasting importance.”
- 6
The Latin alphabet is the most widely used writing system in the world today.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims the Latin alphabet is the most widely used today, but the passage neither confirms nor denies this, focusing instead on the development and spread of early alphabets like the Phoenician system.
Closest related text · Paragraph 7 “From the Greek alphabet descended the Latin alphabet, which spread across much of Europe with the growth and influence of Rome and which, in a modified form, is used to write English and many other languages today.”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. It used symbols that each stood for whole words.
- B. It used a small number of symbols each representing a sound.
- C. It required writers to learn thousands of characters.
- D. It could only be used by trained scribes.
- 7
How did the alphabet differ from earlier writing systems?
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Answer: B — It used a small number of symbols each representing a sound.
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — It used a small number of symbols each representing a sound..
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “An alphabet is a system of writing in which a small number of symbols each represent an individual sound, and by combining these symbols in different orders it becomes possible to record any word in a language.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. They were invented entirely at random.
- B. They were copied directly from cuneiform tablets.
- C. They began as simple pictures of objects.
- D. They were created by Greek scholars.
- 8
What does the passage suggest about the origin of some early Semitic letters?
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Answer: C — They began as simple pictures of objects.
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — They began as simple pictures of objects..
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Scholars believe that some of these early letters began as simple pictures: a sign might originally have depicted an object whose name started with the sound the letter represented.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. It allowed them to write poetry more easily.
- B. It suited the record-keeping needs of their commerce.
- C. It could only be understood by their own people.
- D. It replaced the need for spoken language in trade.
- 9
Why was the alphabet particularly useful to the Phoenicians?
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Answer: B — It suited the record-keeping needs of their commerce.
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — It suited the record-keeping needs of their commerce..
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “…they also carried their compact and practical writing system, which proved well suited to the record-keeping needs of commerce.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. They added signs to represent vowel sounds.
- B. They reduced the number of consonants.
- C. They replaced letters with pictures.
- D. They wrote only consonants, as the Phoenicians had done.
- 10
What innovation did the Greeks introduce to the alphabet?
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Answer: A — They added signs to represent vowel sounds.
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports A — They added signs to represent vowel sounds..
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “…the Greeks took several signs for which they had no need and used them to stand for vowel sounds. In doing so they created what many scholars regard as the first true alphabet, one in which both consonants and vowels were written out.”
Questions 11–14: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
What is the name of the Mesopotamian writing system made by pressing a tool into clay?(max 2 words)
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Answer: cuneiform
Why: The answer “cuneiform” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “The Mesopotamian system, known as cuneiform, was made by pressing a wedge-shaped tool into soft clay tablets, while the Egyptians developed the elaborate pictorial script known as hieroglyphs.”
- 12
What is the name of the pictorial script developed by the Egyptians?(max 2 words)
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Answer: hieroglyphs (also accepted: hieroglyphics)
Why: The answer “hieroglyphs” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…the Egyptians developed the elaborate pictorial script known as hieroglyphs.”
- 13
Which single type of sound did each sign in the early Semitic alphabet stand for?(max 2 words)
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Answer: a consonant (also accepted: consonant / consonant sound)
Why: The answer “a consonant” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…they developed a much smaller set of signs, each standing for a consonant sound.”
- 14
From which alphabet did the Latin alphabet descend?(max 3 words)
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Answer: the Greek alphabet (also accepted: Greek / Greek alphabet)
Why: The answer “the Greek alphabet” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 7 “From the Greek alphabet descended the Latin alphabet, which spread across much of Europe with the growth and influence of Rome.”
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 the Alphabet” under exam conditions
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