# Oral Storytelling Before Writing: answers and explanations

Testmigo Practice Test 3, Reading Passage 2

Source: Written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14 | i | this doubt may be misplaced |
| 15 | iii | the role is hereditary |
| 16 | vi | How is so much material held in the mind? |
| 17 | ii | describe this flooding |
| 18 | v | To estimate how old the stories are |
| 19 | vii | Writing has had mixed effects on these traditions |
| 20 | details | started from the physical details that each one contains |
| 21 | depth | looked at the depth of the water that now separates it from the mainland |
| 22 | reconstructions | consulted scientific reconstructions of past sea levels |
| 23 | minimum | which gave a minimum age for the story |
| 24 | A, D | the number of pupils learning the instrument has fallen |
| 25 | A, D | microphones and amplifiers allow griots to perform for much larger audiences |
| 26 | B | Two very different traditions, one in West Africa and one in Australia ... The authors link this remarkable survival to the way knowledge was handled |

## Why these answers are right

**14. i.** Paragraph A explains that scientists have tended to doubt that spoken accounts could last thousands of years, then says two traditions suggest this doubt may be misplaced. Challenging a long-standing belief about memory is heading i.

**15. iii.** Paragraph B describes the jeliw as a hereditary group who marry among themselves, explains how children born into these families learn, and mentions the Kouyaté line that continues today. A trade handed down within families is heading iii.

**16. vi.** Paragraph C opens by asking how so much material is held in the mind, then gives three answers: repeated phrases and patterns, musical accompaniment and linking information to places. These memory aids match heading vi.

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

[Practice Oral Storytelling Before Writing](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/oral-storytelling-before-writing)