# In search of the holy grail: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 2, Test 4, Reading Passage 3

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 2, Test 4, Reading Passage 3. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 27 | Apollo programme | it is the most ambitious scientific project since the Apollo programme that landed a man on the moon. |
| 28 | next century | for it will not be complete until early next century. |
| 29 | 7000 | On the printed page it would fill about 7,000 volumes. |
| 30 | disease | None of the single-gene disorders is a disease in the conventional sense |
| 31 | muscular dystrophy | American researchers identified the genetic defect underlying one type of muscular dystrophy. |
| 32 | cystic fibrosis | they had found the site of the gene which, when defective, gives rise to cystic fibrosis. |
| 33 | D | this project should open up new understanding of, and new treatments for, many of the ailments that afflict humanity. |
| 34 | C | to map and analyse every single gene within the double helix |
| 35 | B | fear that the project may open the door to a world peopled by Frankenstein's monsters |
| 36 | C | the position of every letter and its relation to its neighbours will have been tracked down, analysed and recorded. ... writing out all the letters in their correct order |
| 37 | D | the parents will be relieved of worry and stress, knowing that they will be delivered of a baby free from the disorder. |
| 38 | B | many people are concerned that such an emphasis on humanity's genetic constitution may distort our sense of values ... human life is more than just the expression of a genetic program |
| 39 | A | it also holds the threat of creating new forms of discrimination and new methods of oppression. |
| 40 | A | how can we ensure that when we choose, we choose correctly? ... We need only look at the past to understand the danger. |

## Why these answers are right

**27. Apollo programme.** The sentence asks what the Project is compared to in scale. The writer says it is the most ambitious scientific project since the Apollo programme that landed a man on the moon, so the answer is Apollo programme, copied with its British spelling from the passage.

**28. next century.** This sentence needs the expected finish date. The writer says the Project will take longer than the lunar missions because it will not be complete until early next century, so you write next century or early next century, both of which stay within three words.

**29. 7000.** The gap asks how many books the genome would fill on paper. After stating that the genome has more than 3 billion letters, the writer says that on the printed page it would fill about 7,000 volumes, so the number is 7,000, not 3 billion.

The why and the trap for questions 30 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/in-search-of-the-holy-grail/answers).

[Practice In search of the holy grail](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/in-search-of-the-holy-grail)