# Alexander Henderson (1831-1913): answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 14, Test 2, Reading Passage 1

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 14, Test 2, Reading Passage 1. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | FALSE | Alexander spent much of his childhood in the area ... Henderson returned to Press at weekends. |
| 2 | TRUE | Although he never liked the prospect of a business career, he stayed with it to please his family. |
| 3 | NOT GIVEN | they cooperated on experiments with magnesium flares as a source of artificial light in 1865. |
| 4 | FALSE | In spite of their friendship, their styles of photography were quite different. ... While Notman's landscapes were noted for their bold realism, Henderson for the first 20 years of his career produced romantic images |
| 5 | NOT GIVEN | In 1866, he gave up his business to open a photographic studio, advertising himself as a portrait and landscape photographer. |
| 6 | TRUE | From about 1870 he dropped portraiture to specialize in landscape photography and other views. |
| 7 | FALSE | a commission from the railway to record the principal structures along the almost-completed line connecting Montreal to Halifax. |
| 8 | TRUE | He continued in this post until 1897, when he retired completely from photography. |
| 9 | merchant | was the son of a successful merchant. |
| 10 | equipment | because of the time-consuming techniques involved and the weight of the equipment. |
| 11 | gifts | People wanted to buy photographs as souvenirs of a trip or as gifts |
| 12 | canoe | often travelled by canoe on the Blanche, du Lievre, and other noted eastern rivers. |
| 13 | mountains | where he took photographs of the mountains and the progress of construction. |

## Why these answers are right

**1. FALSE.** The statement claims Henderson seldom went near Press Estate as a boy. Paragraph A says he spent much of his childhood in the area, and paragraph B adds that even after starting school he went back to Press at weekends. Frequent visits contradict rarely, so the answer is FALSE.

**2. TRUE.** The statement says he followed a business path because his family wanted it. Paragraph B explains that he never liked the idea of a business career but stayed with his accountancy training to please his family. Doing it to please them matches the statement, so it is TRUE.

**3. NOT GIVEN.** This asks how the two men felt about the results of their 1865 experiment. Paragraph C confirms they worked together on magnesium flares as artificial light that year, but it never mentions the outcome or any reaction to it. With no information on surprise, the answer is NOT GIVEN.

The why and the trap for questions 4 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/alexander-henderson-1831-1913/answers).

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