Bringing Cinnamon to Europe IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

“Bringing Cinnamon to Europe” is Passage 1 of Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Reading Test 2. This page gives the answers for Questions 1–13 with a short explanation of why each answer is right, so you can check your work and learn from every mistake. The question types are: Note Completion, True / False / Not Given.

Quick answers: Questions 1–13

Question	Answer
1	oils
2	friendship
3	funerals
4	wealth
5	indigestion
6	India
7	camels
8	Alexandria
9	Venice
10	TRUE
11	FALSE
12	NOT GIVEN
13	FALSE

Questions 1–9: Note Completion

Q	Question	Answer	Why
1	—	oils	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
2	—	friendship	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
3	—	funerals	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
4	—	wealth	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
5	—	indigestion	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
6	—	India	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
7	—	camels	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
8	—	Alexandria	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
9	—	Venice	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.

Questions 10–13: True / False / Not Given

Q	Question	Answer	Why
10	The Portuguese had control over the cinnamon trade in Ceylon throughout the 16th century.	TRUE	The passage agrees with this statement.
11	The Dutch took over the cinnamon trade from the Portuguese as soon as they arrived in Ceylon.	FALSE	The passage contradicts this statement.
12	The trees planted by the Dutch produced larger quantities of cinnamon than the wild trees.	NOT GIVEN	The passage gives no clear information to confirm or reject this statement.
13	The spice trade maintained its economic importance during the 19th century.	FALSE	The passage contradicts this statement.

Tips for these question types

• Completion tasks: check the word limit and the grammar of the gap before you write the answer exactly as it appears in the passage.
• True / False / Not Given: TRUE means the passage says the same thing, FALSE means it says the opposite, and NOT GIVEN means it does not say. Never use your own knowledge.
• Review every mistake. Find the exact sentence in the passage that proves the answer so you can spot the same trap next time.

FAQ

How many questions does this passage have? Bringing Cinnamon to Europe covers Questions 1–13, which is 13 questions.

Where is this passage from? It is Reading Passage 1 in Cambridge IELTS 13, Academic Test 2.

How should I use these answers? Attempt the passage under timed conditions first, then check your answers here and read the reason for every mistake.

Cambridge IELTS 13 Reading Test 2: all passages
Part 1: Bringing Cinnamon to Europe (you are here)  |  Part 2: Oxytocin  |  Part 3: Making the Most of Trends

Next: Part 2 answers →

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