Why the Body Needs Vitamins: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 14 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “The food we eat provides more than just energy. Alongside the carbohydrates, fats and proteins that fuel and build the body, our diet must supply a range of substances needed in much smaller quantities but no less essential to health.”
- Passage length: about 756 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“Why the Body Needs Vitamins” 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
Why the Body Needs Vitamins 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
The body is unable to produce most vitamins by itself.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “A vitamin is an organic compound that the body requires in tiny amounts to work properly, and which, in most cases, it cannot make for itself.”
- 2
Vitamins are a major source of energy for the body.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Vitamins do not provide energy in the way that sugars or fats do.”
- 3
Fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the body's fatty tissues and liver.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in fat and can be stored in the body's fatty tissues and in the liver.”
- 4
Taking very large amounts of any vitamin is always completely safe.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “…with certain vitamins, a large excess can be as damaging as a shortage.”
- 5
The body can make one vitamin with the help of sunlight on the skin.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “One vitamin is unusual in that the body can produce it with the help of sunlight falling on the skin, so that in this case diet is not the only source.”
- 6
Children need larger amounts of vitamins than adults.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims that children need larger amounts of vitamins than adults, but the passage never confirms or denies this, as it only discusses the general importance and function of vitamins in the diet.
Closest related text · Paragraph 3 “Any excess is generally removed from the body in the urine, which means these vitamins need to be replaced more regularly through the diet.”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. To provide most of the body's energy
- B. To act as helpers in the body's chemical reactions
- C. To build the bulk of the body's tissue
- D. To replace carbohydrates in the diet
- 7
According to the passage, what is the main role of vitamins in the body?
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Answer: B — To act as helpers in the body's chemical reactions
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — To act as helpers in the body's chemical reactions.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Instead, they act as helpers in the countless chemical reactions that keep the body running.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Because they are stored in large amounts in the liver
- B. Because they build up to harmful levels
- C. Because they are mostly not stored and any excess is lost in the urine
- D. Because sunlight destroys them
- 8
Why do water-soluble vitamins need to be replaced more regularly?
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Answer: C — Because they are mostly not stored and any excess is lost in the urine
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — Because they are mostly not stored and any excess is lost in the urine.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Water-soluble vitamins, by contrast, dissolve in water and are mostly not stored in any quantity. Any excess is generally removed from the body in the urine, which means these vitamins need to be replaced more regularly through the diet.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. A disease that made their gums bleed and their wounds refuse to heal
- B. A disease of the nervous system
- C. A harmful build-up of fat-soluble vitamins
- D. A simple shortage of energy
- 9
What did sailors on long voyages suffer from when cut off from fresh food?
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Answer: A — A disease that made their gums bleed and their wounds refuse to heal
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports A — A disease that made their gums bleed and their wounds refuse to heal.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “Sailors on long voyages, cut off from fresh food for months, often fell victim to a disease that made their gums bleed and their wounds refuse to heal.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Because heat adds extra vitamins
- B. Because some vitamins dissolve into the cooking water, which is poured away
- C. Because the vitamins turn into fat
- D. Because water-soluble vitamins become stored in the vegetables
- 10
Why can boiling vegetables for a long time reduce their vitamin content?
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Answer: B — Because some vitamins dissolve into the cooking water, which is poured away
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — Because some vitamins dissolve into the cooking water, which is poured away.
Evidence · Paragraph 7 “Vegetables that are boiled for a long time may lose a portion of their vitamins into the water, which is then poured away.”
Questions 11–14: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
In what amounts does the body require vitamins in order to work properly?(max 2 words)
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Answer: tiny amounts (also accepted: tiny)
Why: The answer “tiny amounts” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “A vitamin is an organic compound that the body requires in tiny amounts to work properly, and which, in most cases, it cannot make for itself.”
- 12
What are the vitamins that dissolve in fat and can be stored called?(max 3 words)
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Answer: fat-soluble (also accepted: fat-soluble vitamins)
Why: The answer “fat-soluble” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in fat and can be stored in the body's fatty tissues and in the liver.”
- 13
Where is any excess of water-soluble vitamins removed from the body?(max 2 words)
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Answer: urine (also accepted: the urine)
Why: The answer “urine” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Any excess is generally removed from the body in the urine, which means these vitamins need to be replaced more regularly through the diet.”
- 14
Apart from diet, what enables the body to produce one particular vitamin?(max 3 words)
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Answer: sunlight (also accepted: sunlight falling on the skin)
Why: The answer “sunlight” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “One vitamin is unusual in that the body can produce it with the help of sunlight falling on the skin, so that in this case diet is not the only source.”
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 “Why the Body Needs Vitamins” under exam conditions
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