Atlantis – True Story or Cautionary Tale? IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

“Atlantis – True Story or Cautionary Tale?” is Part 1 of IELTS Reading Test 13. This page gives the answers for Questions 1-13, with a short explanation wherever the reasoning is clear, so you can check your work and learn from every mistake. The task types are: Yes / No / Not Given, Summary Completion, Short Answers.

Quick answers: Questions 1-13

Question	Answer
1	YES
2	NO
3	YES
4	NOT GIVEN
5	NO
6	NO
7	Robert Ballard
8	cataclysmic floods
9	volcanic explosions
10	time of eruption
11	philosophical theories
12	over 11,300 years
13	Robert Ballard

Questions 1–6: Yes / No / Not Given

Decide whether each statement agrees with the passage (Yes), contradicts it (No), or isn't covered (Not Given).

Q	Statement	Answer	Explanation
1	Plato's works were significant for recording human nature	YES	The passage credits Plato's fame to the truths in his writing.
2	Plato's description of Atlantis was quite believable	NO	The passage calls the story almost certainly false, so "believable" contradicts it.
3	Most people still enthusiastically explore whether Atlantis existed	YES	—
4	The myth is popular among astronomy experts and professors	NOT GIVEN	The text mentions a classics professor but nothing about astronomers.
5	Modern people are sure of Atlantis's exact site	NO	Many conflicting locations are proposed, so no exact site is agreed on.
6	Information on whether Atlantis existed is abundant	NO	Only one known source exists, so the evidence is scarce, not abundant.

Questions 7–11: Summary Completion

Fill each gap with no more than three words taken from the "Possibly Based on Real Events?" section. Answers must follow the blank order.

Q	Statement	Answer	Explanation
7	Scientists such as ___ express scepticism	Robert Ballard	—
8	Historical event 1 giving positive evidence	cataclysmic floods	Ballard cites real historical floods as making the legend seem plausible.
9	Historical event 2 giving positive evidence	volcanic explosions	The same sentence names volcanic explosions as the second kind of real disaster.
10	Mismatch between the event and Plato's account	time of eruption	Santorini's eruption date does not match when Plato said Atlantis was destroyed.
11	Plato's purpose: to express his ___	philosophical theories	Romm says Plato used Atlantis to express his philosophical ideas.

Questions 12–13: Short Answers

Answer with no more than three words or a number from the passage.

Q	Statement	Answer	Explanation
12	How long, per Plato, has the Atlantis story existed?	over 11,300 years	—
13	Who discovered the wreck of the Titanic?	Robert Ballard	The passage directly names Ballard as the discoverer.

Tips for these question types

• Read the question first. Underline keywords, then scan the passage for the same idea in different words.
• Check the instructions. Note the word limit and whether letters or words are needed before you write.
• Review every mistake. Find the sentence that proves the answer so you can spot the same trap next time.

FAQ

How many questions does Part 1 have? Part 1 of this test covers Questions 1-13, which is 13 questions.

Why do some answers have no explanation? We add an explanation only where the reasoning is clear. Always confirm doubtful answers against the passage.

IELTS Reading Test 13: all passages
Part 1: Atlantis – True Story or Cautionary Tale? (you are here)  |  Part 2: Where Have All Our Birds Gone  |  Part 3: Life Beyond Earth

Next: Part 2 answers →

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