# Roman shipbuilding and navigation: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 16, Test 3, Reading Passage 1

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 16, Test 3, 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 | who learned to build ships from the people that they conquered, namely the Greeks and the Egyptians |
| 2 | NOT GIVEN | whereby one plank locked into another without the need for stitching |
| 3 | FALSE | which consisted of building the frame first and then proceeding with the hull |
| 4 | TRUE | the Romans had control over what they therefore called Mare Nostrum |
| 5 | TRUE | rowers were not slaves but mostly Roman citizens enrolled in the military |
| 6 | lightweight | Warships were built to be lightweight and very speedy. |
| 7 | bronze | They had a bronze battering ram |
| 8 | levels | It had rowers in the top, middle and lower levels |
| 9 | hull | They had a wider hull, double planking and a solid interior |
| 10 | triangular | They had from one to three masts with large square sails and a small triangular sail at the bow. |
| 11 | music | music would be played on an instrument, and oars would then keep time with this |
| 12 | grain | and agricultural products (e.g. grain from Egypt's Nile valley). |
| 13 | towboats | be intercepted by a number of towboats that would drag them to the quay |

## Why these answers are right

**1. FALSE.** Paragraph A says the Romans learned to build ships from the people they conquered, namely the Greeks and the Egyptians. The skills went from those peoples to the Romans, not the other way round, so the statement is FALSE.

**2. NOT GIVEN.** Paragraph B explains that mortise and tenon let one plank lock into another without stitching, but it says nothing about who did the work or how skilled they had to be. Because the need for skilled craftsmen is never mentioned, the answer is NOT GIVEN.

**3. FALSE.** The later Mediterranean method, still used today, consisted of building the frame first and then the hull. The statement reverses this order, which actually describes the older Roman technique, so it is FALSE.

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

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