# William Henry Perkin: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 1, Reading Passage 1

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 1, 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 | His talent and devotion to the subject were perceived by his teacher, Thomas Hall |
| 2 | NOT GIVEN | he later went on to attend the Royal College of Chemistry |
| 3 | FALSE | within two years, he became Hofmann's youngest assistant. |
| 4 | TRUE | which he succeeded in entering in 1853, at the age of 15. ... Not long after that, Perkin made the scientific breakthrough that would bring him both fame and fortune. |
| 5 | NOT GIVEN | The drug is derived from the bark of the cinchona tree, native to South America |
| 6 | TRUE | He was attempting to manufacture quinine from aniline, an inexpensive and readily available coal tar waste product. |
| 7 | NOT GIVEN | proving the truth of the famous scientist Louis Pasteur's words |
| 8 | rich | in society at the time only the rich could afford it. |
| 9 | commercial | his nearly instant recognition that the new dye had commercial possibilities. |
| 10 | mauve | but it later became commonly known as mauve |
| 11 | Pullar | He asked advice of Scottish dye works owner Robert Pullar |
| 12 | France | The company received a commercial boost from the Empress Eugénie of France ... Very soon, mauve was the necessary shade for all the fashionable ladies in that country. |
| 13 | malaria | their current use is in the search for a vaccine against malaria. |

## Why these answers are right

**1. FALSE.** The statement says Faraday was the first to recognize Perkin's ability. Paragraph B says his teacher Thomas Hall noticed his talent and then encouraged him to attend Faraday's lectures, so Hall recognized it first, and the statement is false.

**2. NOT GIVEN.** Paragraph B says Faraday's lectures fired Perkin's enthusiasm and that he later entered the Royal College of Chemistry, but it never says who suggested the college. No advice from Faraday is mentioned, so the answer is not given.

**3. FALSE.** The statement reverses the roles. Paragraph C explains that Hofmann headed the college and that Perkin, within two years, became Hofmann's youngest assistant. Perkin was the assistant, not the employer, so the statement contradicts the passage.

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

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