# Cutty Sark: the fastest sailing ship of all time: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 13, Test 4, Reading Passage 1

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 13, Test 4, 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 | three-masted ships built to transport goods around the world, although some also took passengers. |
| 2 | FALSE | Tam, a farmer, is chased by a witch called Nannie, who is wearing a 'cutty sark' - an old Scottish name for a short nightdress. |
| 3 | TRUE | ensured that the contract with them put him in a very strong position |
| 4 | TRUE | so Cutty Sark was designed to make the journey more quickly than any other ship. |
| 5 | FALSE | Cutty Sark reached London a week after "Thermopylae". |
| 6 | TRUE | steam ships could make use of the quick, direct route between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea ... Steam ships reduced the journey time between Britain and China by approximately two months. |
| 7 | NOT GIVEN | the canal was of no use to sailing ships, which needed the much stronger winds of the oceans, and so had to sail a far greater distance. |
| 8 | TRUE | bringing her dangerously close to icebergs off the southern tip of South America |
| 9 | wool | This marked a turnaround and the beginning of the most successful period in Cutty Sark's working life, transporting wool from Australia to Britain. |
| 10 | navigator | Richard Woodget, was an excellent navigator |
| 11 | gale | Badly damaged in a gale in 1922, she was put into Falmouth harbour in southwest England, for repairs. |
| 12 | training | Dowman used Cutty Sark as a training ship, and she continued in this role after his death. |
| 13 | fire | The ship suffered from fire in 2007, and again, less seriously, in 2014 |

## Why these answers are right

**1. FALSE.** The statement says clippers were originally meant as passenger ships. Paragraph B says they were built to transport goods around the world and only some also took passengers, so carrying people was secondary. This contradicts the statement, making it FALSE.

**2. FALSE.** The statement claims the ship is named after a character in a poem. Paragraph C explains that a cutty sark is an old Scottish name for a short nightdress worn by the witch Nannie, so the name comes from a piece of clothing, not a character.

**3. TRUE.** The statement says the contract favored Willis. Paragraph D says Willis ensured that the contract with Scott & Linton put him in a very strong position, and the firm was later forced out of business, so the agreement clearly benefited him. The statement is TRUE.

The why and the trap for questions 4 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/cutty-sark-the-fastest-sailing-ship-of-all-time/answers).

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