The Luddites - IELTS Reading Answers

In the IELTS Reading, you will be assessed based on your ability to comprehend information for reading in English. You will encounter different question types in various passages such as the topic on 'The Luddites - IELTS Reading Answers'. To score well, you must understand how to approach and answer the different question types in the reading module. With consistent practice, you will be able to improve your reading skills and take a step towards achieving your target band score of 8+.

By solving and reviewing sample tests such as 'The Luddites - IELTS Reading Answers' which are based on past IELTS papers, you can ensure that your skills are up to the mark. The purpose of this module is to gauge the capability of a test-taker to read and comprehend written English in an academic or general context. By getting familiar with these different types of questions, you will not only develop skills like skimming for quick information, understanding the overall meaning, or reading for detail or opinion to score well in the IELTS exam.

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Types of Questions in The Luddites - IELTS Reading Answers

Understanding the types of questions would help you to know the different strategies which you need to follow in order to attempt these questions. Since you will only have 60 minutes to attempt all the 40 questions given in the Reading module, you must be aware of the questions which you will encounter. Remember that in order to achieve a higher band score, you would need to practice so that you can gain confidence for the test day. The question types in The Luddites - IELTS Reading Answers include:

• IELTS Reading Matching Information (Q. 1-6)
• IELTS Reading True False Not Given (Q. 7-14)

Strategies to Attempt The Luddites - IELTS Reading Answers to Achieve a Band 8+

As you prepare for the reading module whether you are appearing for the IELTS Academic Reading or General Training, you must use a few strategies for different questions to acquire a band 8+. The passage would assess your ability to grasp information given in the passage. It is ideal to focus on practising each question type where a particular strategy would be used depending on the question before you move on to attempt the full-length reading question. The following are some of the strategies which you can use in the The Luddites - IELTS Reading Answers:

Matching Information

• Skimming is one technique which you can use where you need to read the passage first to get the overall meaning of each paragraph.
• Read all the options carefully and focus on keywords and main ideas.
• Scan for Specific Details so that you can identify the pieces of information which are missing.
• Use keyword scanning where you need to look for names, dates, numbers, places, or any technical terms.
• Remember that the questions would be paraphrased due to which the exact wording may not match. Therefore, you need to understand the idea and match the information.
• Read the instructions very carefully before you start attempting to answer.

True/False/Not Given

• Read the statements carefully and understand the meaning of the statements. Remember that matching the keywords would not provide you with the answer.
• You need to mention True if the information that agrees with what is explicitly stated in the passage. While False would mean that the entire information is present in the passage but the meaning is opposite, Not Given would be used if the passage does not provide sufficient information.
• All the information is provided in the same sequence as the question.
• Do not assume anything which is not given in the passage rather read the information and understand the meaning provided.
• Try not spending more than a minute on one question. If you find it difficult, you can move on to the next one and come back to it later.

Reading Passage - The Luddites - IELTS Reading Answers

The Luddites

A The term Luddite is used to refer to a person who is opposed to new technology. The word derives from the name Ned Ludd, a man who may or may not have actually existed. The original Luddites were textile workers in early nineteenth-century England who protested changes brought on by the Industrial Revolution. These weavers made lace and stockings by hand, carrying out their craft independently in their homes according to traditional methods. In the 1800s, automated power looms and stocking frames were introduced, radically changing the traditional work system. Weavers’ work was moved from individual homes to factories; individuals could not afford to buy the new machines for themselves. The new machines were not difficult to run. They could be operated by unskilled workers and turned out an inferior product, but they produced large quantities cheaply, which was the aim of the new factory owners. The makers of finely crafted, handmade textiles could not compete with the new machines. Instead of continuing their tradition as skilled, independent workers, they would have to go to work in factories for low wages.

B The industrial revolution was happening everywhere. In the textile-producing towns of England, workers focused on the new weaving machines as the source of their troubles. The height of Luddite activity occurred in the years 1811-1812. Groups of men, often in disguise, would arrive at a factory and make demands for higher wages and better working conditions. If these demands were not met, the group retaliated by smashing the factory machines. These groups often claimed that they were working under the command of General Ned Ludd, and thus came to be called Luddites.

C Who was Ned Ludd? Rumors about this mysterious person abounded. He came to be associated with that traditional champion of the poor, Robin Hood. The original Luddite activity was centered around Nottingham, and many said that Ned Ludd hid out in nearby Sherwood Forest, just as the legendary Robin Hood had. According to another tradition, Ned Ludd was a weaver who had accidentally broken two stocking frames, and from that, came to be the one blamed any time an expensive piece of weaving equipment was damaged. Whoever Ned Ludd may or may not have been, riots protesting the new factories were carried out in his name throughout England’s textile-producing region.

D Workers’ families suffered as wages fell and food prices rose. There were food riots in several towns, and Luddite activity spread. In the winter of 1812, the Frame-Breaking Act was passed, making the destruction of factory equipment a crime punishable by death. The government sent thousands of troops into areas affected by the riots. In the spring of that year, several factory owners were killed during Luddite riots, and a number of textile workers died as well. Following one of the largest incidents, when rioters set fire to a mill in Westhoughton, four rioters, including a young boy, were executed. In another incident that spring, a group of over a thousand workers attacked a mill in Lancashire with sticks and rocks. When they were beaten back by armed guards protecting the mill, they moved to the mill owner’s house and burned it down. The wave of violence resulted in a crack down by the government. Suspected Luddites were arrested and imprisoned, and many of them were hanged.

E By the summer of 1812, Luddite activity had begun to die down, although there continued to be sporadic incidents over the next several years. In 1816, a bad harvest and economic downturn led to a small revival of rioting. In June of that year, workers attacked two mills, smashing equipment and causing thousands of dollars worth of damage. Government troops were brought in to stop the violence. In the end, six of the rioters were executed for their participation. However, rioting never again reached the levels it had in 1811 and 1812.

F The Luddites were short-lived, but they left an impressive mark. They were responsible for destroying close to one thousand weaving machines during the height of their activity in 1811-1812, as well as burning down several factories. Beyond the physical damage, however, they left their mark in people’s minds. The famed English novelist Charlotte Bronte set her novel Shirley in Yorkshire at the time of the riots. This novel is still widely read today. In our present time of rapid technological change, people who are concerned about the pace of technological advance often call themselves Neo-Luddites. Although the responses to it may differ, concern about the changes brought on by technology continues.

Questions - The Luddites - IELTS Reading Answers

Questions 1-6

List A Causes

1. The new weaving machines were expensive to buy. ………………………
2. The new weaving machines were easy to operate. ………………………
3. Workers’ demands for better pay and conditions were not met. ………………………
4. Rioting spread to many towns. ………………………
5. A law was passed against destroying factory equipment. ………………………
6. Economic conditions worsened in 1816. ………………………

List B Effects

A. Troops were sent into the area.

B. Weavers stopped working at home and went to work in factories.

C. Rioters often wore disguises.

D. Workers destroyed factory equipment.

E. Many rioters were hanged.

F. Charlotte Bronte wrote a novel about the Luddites.

G. Prices went up, and salaries went down.

H. Factory owners did not need to hire skilled weavers.

I. Luddite rioting resumed for a short while.

J. People compared Ned Ludd to Robin Hood.

Questions 7-14

7. A Luddite is a person who resists new technology. ………………………

8. Before the nineteenth century, weavers made lace by hand. ………………………

9. Factory owners, as well as workers, died as a result of Luddite rioting. ………………………

10. The Luddite movement did not spread beyond England. ………………………

11. Nobody knows for certain who Ned Ludd was. ………………………

12. Worker protests during the economic downturn of 1816 were nonviolent. ………………………

13. Luddite activity lasted for many years. ………………………

14. Neo-Luddites do not use computers. ………………………

Answers of The Luddites - IELTS Reading Answers With Location and Explanations

Now, you will find the answers along with the location of the answers in the passage and the keywords that help you find the answers. Check out 'The Luddites' answers and assess your improvement for a high IELTS Band Score.

How did it go? Did you get the answers? Note down the areas of improvement in order to level up your reading preparation, whether you are opting for Academic or IELTS General Reading module. The test-takers can now practice for an individual section such as Section 1 for the passage on The Luddites - IELTS Reading Answers. With such insights into the strategies, you would be able to search for keywords actively under timed conditions while you aim to achieve a band 8+. Therefore, keep the momentum going and continue with the practice on different topics.

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