The Step Pyramid of Djoser IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

“The Step Pyramid of Djoser” is Passage 2 of Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Reading Test 1. This page gives the answers for Questions 14–26 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: Matching Headings, Note Completion, Multiple Choice (Choose TWO).

Quick answers: Questions 14–26

Question	Answer
14	iv
15	vii
16	ii
17	v
18	i
19	viii
20	vi
21	city
22	priests
23	trench
24	location
25	B
26	D

Questions 14–20: Matching Headings

Q	Question	Answer	Why
14	Paragraph A	iv	Heading iv best sums up the main idea of this paragraph.
15	Paragraph B	vii	Heading vii best sums up the main idea of this paragraph.
16	Paragraph C	ii	Heading ii best sums up the main idea of this paragraph.
17	Paragraph D	v	Heading v best sums up the main idea of this paragraph.
18	Paragraph E	i	Heading i best sums up the main idea of this paragraph.
19	Paragraph F	viii	Heading viii best sums up the main idea of this paragraph.
20	Paragraph G	vi	Heading vi best sums up the main idea of this paragraph.

Questions 21–24: Note Completion

Q	Question	Answer	Why
21	The complex is described as being as big as an Egyptian ___	city	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
22	Accommodation outside the pyramid was used by the ___	priests	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
23	A long ___ encircled the wall	trench	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
24	Visitors would need to know the ___ of the real entrance	location	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.

Questions 25–26: Multiple Choice (Choose TWO)

Q	Question	Answer	Why
25	Choose TWO letters, A–E.	B	Option B is the one the passage supports.
26	Choose TWO letters, A–E.	D	Option D is the one the passage supports.

Tips for these question types

• Matching headings: read each paragraph for its main idea, not a single detail, and cross out headings once used.
• Completion tasks: check the word limit and the grammar of the gap before you write the answer exactly as it appears in the passage.
• Multiple choice: eliminate options that are only partly right, and watch for words like only, always and never.
• 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? The Step Pyramid of Djoser covers Questions 14–26, which is 13 questions.

Where is this passage from? It is Reading Passage 2 in Cambridge IELTS 16, Academic Test 1.

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 16 Reading Test 1: all passages
Part 1: Why We Need to Protect Polar Bears  |  Part 2: The Step Pyramid of Djoser (you are here)  |  Part 3: The Future of Work

← Previous: Part 1Next: Part 3 answers →

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