# The Birth of Scientific English: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 5, Test 2, Reading Passage 3

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 5, Test 2, Reading Passage 3. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 28 | Latin | There were several reasons why original science continued to be written in Latin. ... Some scientists might have felt more comfortable with Latin precisely because its audience, though international, was socially restricted. |
| 29 | doctors | Doctors clung the most keenly to Latin as an 'insider language'. |
| 30 | technical vocabulary | it lacked the necessary technical vocabulary. |
| 31 | grammatical resources | it lacked the grammatical resources required to represent the world in an objective and impersonal way |
| 32 | Royal Society | helped found the Royal Society in 1660 ... the society's members did a great deal to foster the publication of science in English |
| 33 | German | In the following century much of this momentum was lost as German established itself as the leading European language of science. |
| 34 | industrial revolution | as the industrial revolution created the need for new technical vocabulary |
| 35 | NOT GIVEN | The emergent nation states of Europe developed competitive interests in world exploration and the development of trade. |
| 36 | FALSE | perhaps the most important scientific revolution of them all - the new theories of astronomy |
| 37 | TRUE | including two with interests in language - John Wallis and John Wilkins ... several members of the Royal Society possessed an interest in language |
| 38 | popular | Hence, popular science was written in English. |
| 39 | Principia | Newton published his mathematical treatise, known as the Principia, in Latin |
| 40 | local | whereas English reached a socially wider, but more local, audience |

## Why these answers are right

**28. Latin.** The summary says the scientific language of choice remained something at first. Paragraph E says 'original science continued to be written in Latin', and paragraph F adds that its audience was international but socially restricted, so Latin is the answer.

**29. doctors.** The summary says the wish to protect ideas was strongest among mathematicians and one other group. Paragraph F says mathematicians kept their proofs secret and that doctors clung most keenly to Latin as an insider language, so doctors is the second group.

**30. technical vocabulary.** The summary says English lacked two things needed to express scientific ideas. Paragraph G says that, first, 'it lacked the necessary technical vocabulary', so technical vocabulary fills the first of the two gaps, using exactly two words from the passage.

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