# Mapungubwe: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 21, Test 2, Reading Passage 2

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 21, Test 2, Reading Passage 2. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14 | E | but their precise function is not known |
| 15 | G | may have been brought to a crisis point by a series of droughts |
| 16 | C | these probably belonged to male relatives of the king |
| 17 | D | traded with merchants travelling from India by sea |
| 18 | B | The total population of Mapungubwe at its peak in the mid-13th century was around 5,000 people |
| 19 | A | a surplus that could be traded for needed goods |
| 20 | B, D | These objects were all found at the royal burial site |
| 21 | B, D | found nowhere else except Great Zimbabwe |
| 22 | prosperity | and is another indicator of the prosperity of Mapungubwe society. |
| 23 | whistles | There are also ceramic discs, and whistles. |
| 24 | bodies | and small figures of highly stylised humans with elongated bodies and short limbs have been found. |
| 25 | ancestors | The figures may have been used in ceremonies as offerings to ancestors |
| 26 | jewellery | Other discoveries include small jewellery items made from locally sourced copper. |

## Why these answers are right

**14. E.** Paragraph E says the small human figures may have been used in ceremonies as offerings to ancestors, but their precise function is not known. Function means purpose, and not known expresses uncertainty, so this information is in paragraph E.

**15. G.** Paragraph G explains that overpopulation strained local resources and that this situation may have been brought to a crisis point by a series of droughts. Droughts are a climatic factor that made existing problems worse, so the answer is paragraph G.

**16. C.** Paragraph C mentions grander residences around the outskirts of Babandyanalo that probably belonged to male relatives of the king. Relatives are members of the king's family, and probably matches are thought to, so the location is given in paragraph C.

The why and the trap for questions 17 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/mapungubwe/answers).

[Practice Mapungubwe](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/mapungubwe)