# The Revival of Natural Indigo Dye: answers and explanations

Testmigo Practice Test 1, Reading Passage 1

Source: Written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | TRUE | on the northern coast of Peru in South America |
| 2 | FALSE | the blue they yield is chemically identical |
| 3 | NOT GIVEN | the chemical company BASF obtained the rights to use it |
| 4 | TRUE | The new product was both cheaper and purer than plant indigo |
| 5 | FALSE | this research did not win back their customers |
| 6 | TRUE | 95 per cent of it was used for denim |
| 7 | NOT GIVEN | some artisans say they miss the earthy smell of a natural vat |
| 8 | ferment | left to ferment for twelve to fifteen hours |
| 9 | lime | lime is stirred in to make the liquid alkaline |
| 10 | legs | churning the mixture with their legs |
| 11 | foam | a blue foam often appears on the surface |
| 12 | cakes | dried into cakes that are easy to store and carry |
| 13 | dips | a deep blue needs many longer dips |

## Why these answers are right

**1. TRUE.** The first paragraph says the earliest fabric known to have been dyed with indigo came from Huaca Prieta on the northern coast of Peru in South America. Earliest known matches oldest known, and the continent is named directly, so the statement is TRUE.

**2. FALSE.** Paragraph B lists Indigofera, woad and knotweed, then says that although the plants look nothing alike, the blue they yield is chemically identical. The statement claims a chemical difference, which directly contradicts this, so the answer is FALSE.

**3. NOT GIVEN.** Paragraph E tells us Baeyer patented his method in 1880 and that BASF obtained the rights to use it. It says nothing about what BASF paid him or whether he earned any money, so the statement can be neither confirmed nor contradicted.

The why and the trap for questions 4 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-revival-of-natural-indigo-dye/answers).

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