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Academic IELTS Reading Sample 234 - Travel Books

Travel books.

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Travel Books- IELTS Reading Answer

Updated On Sep 12, 2023

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• 1 Reading Passage
• 2 Travel Books
• 3 Questions 27-28
• 4 Questions 29-36
• 5.1.1 Check More IELTS Reading Answers

The Academic passage ‘ Travel Books’ is a reading passage with various question types, each of which are asked in the IELTS Reading exam. Try to find the answers to get an idea of the difficulty level of the passages in the actual reading test. If you want more passages to solve, try taking one of our IELTS reading practice tests.

Reading Passage

Travel books.

Questions 27-28

Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.

Write your answers in boxes 27-28 on your answer sheet.

27 What were most people traveling for in the early days?

A Studying their own cultures

C knowing other people and places better

D Writing travel books

28 Why did the author say writing travel books is also “a mirror” for travelers themselves?

A Because travelers record their own experiences.

B Because travelers reflect upon their own society and life.

C Because it increases knowledge of foreign cultures.

D Because it is related to the development of human society.

Questions 29-36

Complete the table on the next page.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from Reading Passage 3 for each answer.

Write your answer in boxes 29-36 on your answer sheet.

Questions 37-40

Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

37 Why were the imperial rulers especially interested in these travel stories?

A Reading travel stories was a popular pastime.

B The accounts are often truthful rather than fictional.

C Travel books played an important role in literature.

D They desired knowledge of their empire.

38 Who was the largest group to record their spiritual trips during the post-classical era?

A Muslim traders

B Muslim pilgrims

C Chinese Buddhists

D Indian Buddhist teachers

39 During the early modern era, a large number of travel books were published to

A meet the public’s interest.

B explore new business opportunities.

C encourage trips to the new world.

D record the larger world.

40 What’s the main theme of the passage?

A The production of travel books

B The literary status of travel books

C The historical significance of travel books

D The development of travel books

Reading Answer

27 Answer:  C

Question type:  Multiple Choice Question

Answer location:  Paragraph 1, line 2

Answer explanation:  The 2nd line of the first paragraph states that  Some travelers may have simply desired to satisfy curiosity about the larger world. Until recent times, however, travelers did start their journey for reasons other than mere curiosity. While the travelers’ accounts give much valuable information on these foreign lands and provide a window for the understanding of the local cultures and histories, they are also a mirror to the travelers themselves, for these accounts help them to have a better understanding of themselves.  We can deduce from these lines that travelers simply desire to satisfy the curiosity of the outside world. Most people travel as they want to understand and get acquainted with new people and places. Thus, the answer is C.

28 Answer:  B

Answer location:  Paragraph 1, line 3

Answer explanation:  The 3rd line of the first paragraph states, “ While the travelers’ accounts give much valuable information on these foreign lands and provide a window for the understanding of the local cultures and histories, they are also a mirror to the travelers themselves, for these accounts help them to have a better understanding of themselves.”  These lines suggest that traveling provides information on cities abroad and a window to better understand the local cultures and histories. They’re also a mirror to the travelers themselves for these accounts help them to gain a better understanding of themselves. Thus, the author says writing travel books are a mirror for travelers themselves because travelers reflect upon their society and life. Thus, the answer is B.

29 Answer:  Persian wars

Question type:  Table Completion

Answer location:  Paragraph 2, line 5

Answer explanation:  The 5th line of the 2nd paragraph states that the  Greek historian Herodotus reported on his travels in Egypt and Anatolia in researching the history of the Persian wars.  These lines suggest that during the time of classical Greece, travelers Herodotus reported on his travels in Egypt and Anatolia to gather information for the study of Persian wars. Thus, the answer is the Persian wars.

30 Answer:  allies

Answer location:  Paragraph 2, lines 6 – 7

Answer explanation:  The 6th line of paragraph 2 illustrates that the  Chinese envoy Zhang Qian described much of central Asia as far west as Bacteria (modern-day Afghanistan) based on travels undertaken in the first century BCE while searching for allies for the Han dynasty.  We can deduce from these lines that during the Hans dynasty, traveler, Zhang Qian traveled Central Asia in search of allies. Thus, the answer is allied.

31 Answer:  geographical knowledge

Answer location:  Paragraph 2, last line

Answer explanation:  The last line of the 2nd paragraph is that  Hellenistic and Roman geographers such as Ptolemy, Strabo, and Pliny the Elder relied on their travels through much of the Mediterranean world as well as reports of other travelers to compile vast compendia of geographical knowledge.  These lines indicate that during the time of the Roman empire, Roman travelers and Geographers like Ptolemy, Strabo, and Pliny the Elder depended on their travels through the Mediterranean to acquire a vast compendium of geographical information/ knowledge. Thus, the answer is geographical knowledge.

32 Answer:  pilgrimage

Answer location:  Paragraph 3

Answer explanation:  The initial lines of the 3rd paragraph reveals that  during the post-classical era (about 500 to 1500 CE), trade and pilgrimage emerged as major incentives for travel to foreign lands.  These lines indicate that after the post-classical period, Muslim travelers traveled from East Africa to Indonesia Mecca for trading and pilgrimage. Thus, the answer is a pilgrimage.

33 Answer:  India

Answer location:  Paragraph 3, line 13

Answer explanation:  The 13th line of the 3rd paragraph illustrates that  between the 5th and 9th centuries CE, hundreds and possibly even thousands of Chinese Buddhists traveled to India to study with Buddhist teachers, collect sacred texts, and visit holy sites. Written accounts recorded the experiences of many pilgrims.  We can deduce from these lines that during the 5th and 9th centuries, the Chinese Buddhists traveled to India to collect Buddhist texts and for spiritual enlightenment. Thus, the answer is India.

34 Answer:  colonies

Answer location:  Paragraph 6, line 2

Answer explanation:  The 2nd line of the 6th paragraph states that  European colonial administrators devoted numerous writings to the societies of their colonial subjects, particularly in the Asian and African colonies they established.  These lines indicate that during the 19th century, the colonial administrator traveled to Asia and Africa to provide information for the colonies they set up. Thus, the answer is colonies.

35 Answer:  principles

Answer location:  Paragraph 6, line 5

Answer explanation:  The 5th line of the 6th paragraph illustrates, “ Painfully aware of the military and technological prowess of European and Euro-American societies, Asian travelers, in particular, visited Europe and the United States in hopes of discovering principles useful for the organization of their societies.”  We can deduce from these lines that by the mid-century of the 1900s, Sun Yat-sen Fukuzawa Yukichi traveled to Europe and US, to study the principles for the reorganization of their societies. Hence, the answer is principles.

36 Answer:  wealthy

Answer location:  Paragraph 8, line 5

Answer explanation:  The 5th line of the 8th paragraph states that  the most distinctive of them was mass tourism, which emerged as a major form of consumption for individuals living in the world’s wealthy societies.  These lines indicate that by the 20th century, people from wealthy countries traveled mass tourism for entertainment and pleasure. Thus, the answer is wealth.

37 Answer:  D

Answer location:  Paragraph 2, line 2

Answer explanation:  The 2nd line of 2nd paragraph states that  after the formation of large, imperial states in the classical world, travel accounts emerged as a prominent literary genre in many lands, and they held especially strong appeal for rulers desiring useful knowledge about their realms.  We can understand from these lines that post the formation of huge imperial states in the classical period, the imperial rulers were especially interested in the travel stories as they desired knowledge of their kingdoms (realm). Hence, the answer is D.

38 Answer:  B

Question type:  Multiple Choice Question

Answer location:  Paragraph 3, lines 5 & 15

Answer explanation:  In the 5th line of the 3rd paragraph, it is mentioned that  while merchants set out in search of trade and profit, devout Muslims traveled as pilgrims to Mecca to make their hajj and visit the holy sites of Islam.  The 15th line states that  written accounts recorded the experiences of many pilgrims . It is a well-known fact that during the post-classical era (about 500 to 1500 CE), Muslims traveled from East Africa to Indonesia and Mecca for trading and pilgrimage. Therefore, it is evident that Muslim pilgrims were the largest group to record their spiritual trips during the post-classical era. Thus, the answer is B.

39 Answer:  A

Answer location:  Paragraph 5, line 3

Answer explanation:  Paragraph 5 states the fact that the  Muslim and Chinese dominated travel and travel writing in post-classical times . The 3rd line states that  by no means did Muslim and Chinese travel come to a halt in early modern times. But European peoples ventured to the distant corners of the globe, and European printing presses churned out thousands of travel accounts that described foreign lands and peoples for a reading public with an insatiable appetite for news about the larger world.  The volume of travel literature was so great that several editors, including Giambattista Ramusio, Richard Hakluyt, Theodore de Biy, and Samuel Purchas, assembled numerous travel accounts and made them available in  enormous published collections.  These lines demonstrate that Europeans ventured to distant places churning out thousands of travel accounts that describe foreign and public interest in reading those books. Therefore, it is clear that during the early modern era, a large number of travel books were published to meet the public’s interests. Thus, the answer is A.

40 Answer:  D

Answer location:  Paragraph 1 – 8

Answer explanation:  The 8th line of the first paragraph states that  there are many reasons why individuals have traveled beyond their societies. Some travelers may have simply desired to satisfy curiosity about the larger world.  We can understand from these lines that the main theme of the passage is the development of travel books. Thus, the answer is D.

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Travel Books Reading Answers And Question

The Blog post contains the following IELTS Reading Questions :

• IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions
• IELTS Reading Table Completion

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IELTS Reading Passage: Travel books

Travel Books    

A. There are numerous reasons why people have ventured outside of their own societies. Some travellers might have just wanted to quench their curiosity about the rest of the world. However, until recently, travellers did set out on their journeys for factors other than piqued curiosity. The traveler’s accounts offer a wealth of insightful information about these foreign places and open a window to a better understanding of the local cultures and histories, but they also serve as a mirror for the travellers themselves because they give them a better understanding of who they are.

B. Fragmented travel accounts first appeared in Mesopotamia and Egypt in ancient times, and records of foreign travel started to appear soon after writing was invented. Travel accounts became a popular literary genre after the formation of large, imperial states in the classical world, and they held an especially strong appeal for rulers desiring useful knowledge about their realms. In order to learn more about the history of the Persian wars, the Greek historian Herodotus wrote about his travels to Egypt and Anatolia. Based on journeys made in the first century BCE in search of allies for the Han dynasty, the Chinese envoy Zhang Qian described much of central Asia as far west as Bactria (modern-day Afghanistan). The vast compendia of geographic knowledge that Hellenistic and Roman geographers like Ptolemy, Strabo, and Pliny the Elder compiled were based on their own travels through most of the Mediterranean region as well as the accounts of other travellers.

C. Travel to foreign countries was greatly influenced by trade and pilgrimage during the post-classical era (roughly 500 to 1500 CE). Many parts of the eastern hemisphere were sought after by Muslim traders. They provided the first written accounts of societies in sub-Saharan West Africa and described the lands, peoples, and commercial goods of the Indian Ocean basin from East Africa to Indonesia. Devout Muslims travelled as pilgrims to Mecca to perform the hajj and visit the Islamic holy sites, while traders set out in search of trade and financial gain. Millions of Muslims have followed the prophet Muhammad’s example since his first pilgrimage to Mecca, and thousands of hajj accounts have detailed their experiences. East Asian travellers followed many of the roads and sea lanes in the eastern hemisphere during the post-classical era, though they were not quite as well-known as Muslims. Devout East Asian Buddhists travelled great distances on pilgrimages, and Chinese traders frequently travelled to South-East Asia and India. On occasion, they even ventured to East Africa. Numerous Chinese Buddhists travelled to India between the fifth and ninth centuries CE to study with Buddhist teachers, gather sacred texts, and visit sacred sites. Many pilgrims’ experiences, including those of Faxian, Xuanzang, and Yijing, were chronicled in written accounts. Buddhists from Japan, Korea, and other countries also travelled to other countries in search of spiritual enlightenment, although their numbers were not as great as those of the Chinese pilgrims.

D. Early in the post-classical era, medieval Europeans did not travel as extensively as their Muslim and East Asian contemporaries, despite the fact that ever-increasing numbers of Christian pilgrims travelled to Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago de Compostela (in northern Spain), and other holy sites. However, after the 12th century, numerous merchants, pilgrims, and missionaries from medieval Europe travelled widely and left behind travel diaries; the best-known of these is Marco Polo’s account of his journeys and stay in China. Europeans searched for new and more direct routes to Asian and African markets as they became more familiar with the larger eastern hemisphere and the lucrative commercial opportunities it offered. Their efforts eventually led them to the Americas and Oceania in addition to travelling to every region of the eastern hemisphere.

E. In contrast to Muslim and Chinese travellers and travel writers in post-classical times, European explorers, conquistadors, traders, and missionaries dominated the early modern era (roughly 1500–1800 CE). In early modern times, Muslim and Chinese travel was by no means stopped. However, Europeans travelled to remote regions of the world, and European printing presses produced thousands of travelogues that described distant places and peoples for an audience that seemed to have an insatiable appetite for news about the rest of the world. A number of editors, including Giambattista Ramusio, Richard Hakluyt, Theodore de Biy, and Samuel Purchas, compiled a large number of travel accounts and made them available in sizable published collections due to the volume of travel literature at the time.

F. European travellers explored the interior regions of Africa and the Americas during the 19th century, sparking a new wave of travel writing. While this was going on, European colonial administrators wrote extensively about the societies of their colonial subjects, particularly in the colonies they founded in Asia and Africa. By the middle of the 20th century, attention was also shifting the other way. Travellers from Asia, in particular, visited Europe and the United States in an effort to learn organisational principles that would be helpful for their own societies, despite being painfully aware of the military and technological prowess of European and Euro-American societies. The Japanese reformer Fukuzawa Yu-kichi and the Chinese revolutionary San Yat-senauthor were two of the most notable of these travellers who heavily drew on their overseas observations and experiences in their own writings. 

G. Explosions in both the frequency of long distance travel and the volume of travel writing were seen in the 20th century as a result of the development of affordable and dependable modes of transportation. While there was still a lot of travel for the same reasons as in the past—business, administration, diplomacy, pilgrimage, and missionary work—more efficient mass transportation methods allowed for the growth of new types of travel. Mass tourism emerged as a significant form of consumption for people living in the world’s wealthy societies, making it the most distinctive of them. Travelling allowed people to experience new places like Rome’s landmarks, a Caribbean cruise, a Great Wall of China hike, some Bordeaux wineries, or a Kenyan safari. To accommodate these travellers, a peculiar variation of the travelogue emerged: the guidebook, which provided recommendations on where to eat, stay, shop, observe local customs, and see all the important sights. The global economy has been greatly impacted by tourism, but other recent forms of travel have also had a significant impact.

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Travel books Reading Questions

Questions 1-2 

Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D. Write your answers in boxes 1-2 on your answer sheet.

1. When it first started, why did the majority of people travel?

A. Researching one’s own culture B. Business C. Better familiarity with other people and places D. Publishing travelogues

2. Why did the author say writing travel books is also “a mirror” for travellers themselves?

A. Travellers keep journals of their own experiences. B. Because travellers consider their own culture and way of life. C. Because it broadens our understanding of world cultures. D. As a result of its relevance to the evolution of human society.

Ready to improve your performance in Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) ? Click here to access our comprehensive guide on how to tackle MCQs effectively in the IELTS Reading section.

Questions     3-5  

Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.

Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

3. Why were the imperial rulers especially interested in these travel stories?

A. Reading travel stories was a popular pastime. B. The accounts are often truthful rather than fictional. C. Travel books played an important role in literature. D. They desired knowledge of their empire.

4. Who were the largest group to record their spiritual trips during the post-classical era?

A. Muslim traders B. Muslim pilgrims C. Chinese Buddhists D. Indian Buddhist teachers

5. During the early modern era, a large number of travel books were published to

A. meet the public’s interest. B. explore new business opportunities. C. encourage trips to the new world. D. record the larger world.

Questions 6-13 

Complete the table on the next page.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from Reading Passage 234 for each answer.

Boost your performance in Summary, Notes, Table, and Flowchart Completion tasks . Click here to explore our detailed guide and learn how to effectively complete summaries, notes, tables, and flowcharts in the IELTS Reading section.

Travel books Reading answers

1. C  2. B  3. D 4. B  5. A  6. Persian wars 7. Allies 8. Geographical Knowledge 9. Pilgrimage 10. India 11. Colonies 12. Principles 13. Wealthy

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Travel guide.

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A travel guide

Read a travel guide about Bangkok to practise and improve your reading skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

Preparation

Matching_MjIzNjU=

Whether you're travelling to the islands or the mountains of Thailand, you're likely to spend at least one night in its capital city on the way. Bangkok might be noisy and polluted but it's also an exciting city with plenty of things to see and do. Why not make it a longer stay?

Where to stay

The Khao San Road was a famous traveller spot even before Leonardo di Caprio's character in the film The Beach stayed there. But it's noisy, not very pretty and not very Thai. For something more authentic, Phra Kanong offers an alternative place to stay, with its fantastic street markets where everyday Bangkok people eat, work and live. It's not as convenient for the main tourist sites, but it has a Skytrain station so you can be at the Grand Palace in 20 minutes.

How to get around

Bangkok's traffic can be a nightmare. Sure, you can easily take a taxi – if you want to spend hours stuck in traffic jams – but there are two much better ways to get around the city. To explore the temples and historical sites, catch an express boat river taxi or a longtail boat along the Chao Phraya river and the canals. For the modern part of the city, the Skytrain is a fast, cheap way to travel from the river to the shopping malls and nightlife of Sukhumvit, and the famous Chatuchak street market.

Where to eat

The simple answer is: everywhere! Thai street food is among the best in the world, and for around $5 you can eat a filling and delicious meal. Some food stands have little plastic seats where you can sit and eat and they cook the same dish over and over, like fried chicken on rice or Pad Thai noodles. Head for Chinatown – Yaowarat Street – and choose whatever looks most interesting from the many excellent Chinese and Thai restaurants and food stands.  

After you've seen the main sites like the Giant Buddha at the temple of Wat Pho and the spectacular Grand Palace, and shopped at Chatuchak market, check out the snake farm and watch the live snake show. You can even touch a snake yourself if you want to!

Would you like to visit Bangkok? Why or why not?

Language level

Of course, only if the opportunity were given because the place I have wanted to know since I was little is Spain, exactly Ibiza.

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Maybe in the future, but not anytime soon. I would like to explore different places like Europe because it's closer and less crowded than Bangkok.

Actually, I don't want to visit Bangkok, it's noisy and dirty but I'd like to visit the another parts of Thai, for example, Pattaya or Phuket

I would like to visit the Thailand, Because I always watch the movie ‘ If drinking, not married’, and there it’s talks about the Bangkok, and since then, I want to visit Bangkok. And because I want to prove the Tailand foods, because I like pepper, and I think that the Tailand Food it has much pepper.

I would like to visit Bangkok, but only for one day. I know that Bangkok might be noisy and polluted. I would like to test their street food, to visit main sites and to travel by the river

I would like to visit Thailand to experiment delicious food and to discover the Thai landscapes that look very beautiful.

yes i want to visit Bankok because i want to experiment their culture, their food

Yes! I would love to travel to Bangkok because I've never been to Thailand. I heard their food is delectable.

At the moment I would not like it, I like the idea of ​​knowing Spain more, I am more interested in its culture.

Of course, I would go there if I have a chance. But I think I'm more obsessed with western culture, so I don't think Thailand would be my priority.

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