# What destroyed the civilisation of Easter Island?: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 11, Test 2, Reading Passage 2

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 11, 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 | ii | has definitively proved the moai builders were Polynesians |
| 15 | ix | Soil erosion decreased their crop yields. |
| 16 | viii | The moai, he thinks, accelerated the self-destruction. |
| 17 | i | the prehistoric Rapanui were pioneers of sustainable farming |
| 18 | iv | archaeological evidence backs up Rapanui folklore |
| 19 | vii | the settlers were not wholly responsible for the loss of the island's trees |
| 20 | vi | rather than by reckless destroyers ruining their own environment and society |
| 21 | farming | When the islanders cleared the forests for firewood and farming |
| 22 | canoes | they could no longer construct wooden canoes for fishing |
| 23 | birds | for fishing, they ate birds. |
| 24 | wood | but that required both a lot of wood and a lot of people. |
| 25 | B, C | Diamond thinks they laid the moai on wooden sledges, hauled over log rails ... because they were walked upright |
| 26 | B, C | They competed by building ever bigger figures. ... moai-building was an activity that helped keep the peace between islanders |

## Why these answers are right

**14. ii.** Paragraph A reviews old theories about who built the moai, from pre-Inca Peruvians to extraterrestrials, then says modern science has definitively proved the builders were Polynesians. Definitively proved matches an undisputed answer, so the heading is ii. How the statues were moved is left open.

**15. ix.** Paragraph B traces how clearing the forests hit the food supply: without trees the islanders could not build canoes to fish, so they turned to birds, and soil erosion cut their crop yields. Shrinking food sources run through the paragraph, matching heading ix, diminishing food resources.

**16. viii.** Paragraph C opens by saying that, in Diamond's view, the moai accelerated the self-destruction. Rival chiefs built ever bigger statues, which needed more wood and more people, so more land was cleared. Speeding up a decline that was already happening is how the statues made a situation worse, heading viii.

The why and the trap for questions 17 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/what-destroyed-the-civilisation-of-easter-island/answers).

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