Table of Contents
BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 233
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 233 – PASSAGE – 2
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST – 233
READING PASSAGE – 2
The Renaissance
How it changed everything
A. The Renaissance was a period of broadly 300 years in Europe, between 1300 and 1600, which marked the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Reformation and the Age of Enlightenment. During this period, artistic creativity flourished, new ways of thinking emerged, and the independent cites of northern Italy introduced banking and capitalism. The word renaissance means ‘rebirth’ in French, though it was not commonly used to refer to the period until the nineteenth century.
B. In 1453, the Ottomans invaded Constantinople, and many of the city’s scholars left for the safety of Europe, bringing ancient Greek and Roman classical texts with them. A new interest in philosophy and the art of antiquity arose as a result. Conflicts in Spain also drove many academics to the Italian cities of Florence, Bologna and Padova, creating an atmosphere for a revival in learning. With the establishment of universities, firstly in these cities and then all over Europe, new ways of thinking, independent from the confines of religion, encouraged rational thought based on human experience and natural laws.
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C. The Black Death, a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague, is estimated to have killed up to 60 per cent of the population of Europe. It also helped open the doors to the Renaissance. There was social and political upheaval in Florence, as so many local officials had died and the Medici family moved in, taking advantage of the power gap. They, and other newly powerful families, demonstrated their wealth by patronizing the arts, and artists flocked to Florence to find work. The labour shortage caused by the Black Death meant that workers could demand wages and better living conditions, and were no longer slaves to the aristocracy.
D. Artistic works became more realistic and three-dimensional through the use of perspective and variations in light and shadow, and the subjects depicted were more lifelike and filled with human emotion. The Medici family supported the arts throughout the Renaissance, employing such artists as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Raphael. By the end of the fifteenth century, Rome had overtaken Florence as the centre of the Renaissance when a member of the Medici family, Pope Leo X, began filling the city with religious buildings and art in a period now known as the High Renaissance. Florence is generally considered the focal point of the Renaissance, though developments were happening all over Italy. From there, new philosophies, values and artistic practices moved across Europe.
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E. The invention of the printing press by Gutenberg in 1440 allowed for the perfect reproduction of the Bible, books and printed music to an extent previously unimaginable. The printed word, which had previously been only accessible to the elite, reached more people, allowing modern culture and education to develop, and Renaissance thought still affects the world today. People remained very religious, and certainly much of the art produced still focused on religion, but people began to think less of the afterlife and more of what good they could do in this life. Reason, scientific inquiry and human fulfilment became acceptable objectives. Literature too was characterized by a return to the classical motifs of tragedy and comedy, and humanist themes. Shakespeare’s works are good examples of this, particularly Hamlet, which focuses on the human ability to reason and take action in ways that impact the lives of others.
F. Scientists began to investigate the natural world through observation and experiments, and as a result science and religion began to diverge, causing conflict between scientists and the Church and often leading to persecution and imprisonment. Polish mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus published his theory of a heliocentric solar system in the 1530s, which is the idea that the earth orbits around the sun. Though it was a major breakthrough in science, his book was banned by the Church. Galileo Galilei, spending years in prison and his life threatened, was another such Renaissance scientist persecuted for his scientific work. He improved the telescope, discovered new celestial bodies and supported Copernicus’ ideas. His motion experiments on pendulums and falling objects set the stage for Newton’s later discovery of gravity.
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G. The biggest social change brought about by the Renaissance was the collapse of feudalism and the creation of a capitalist market economy. The banking industry had its beginnings in Italy at this time. An increase in trade paved the way for the emergence of a middle class. To open up new trade routes, explorers set out to discover new lands. Christopher Columbus found the Americas in 1492 and Ferdinand Magellan successfully circumnavigated the globe in 1522. The Renaissance was a time of transition from the ancient world to the modern age. Much of the way we live our lives today is a reflection of the changes that occurred during the Renaissance period.
Questions 14-19
Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Which paragraph relates to the following?
Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
14. A new philosophy changed people’s goals.
15. Tragedy became an opportunity for some.
16. There was a clash between old and new ideas.
17. New techniques breathed life into the visual arts.
18. Escape from war drew bright minds to Italy.
19. A famous drama epitomizes the philosophy of the age.
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Questions 20-21
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Write the correct letters in boxes 20 and 21 on your answer sheet.
Which TWO points were results of the Renaissance?
A. An improvement in health
B. Changed ideological attitudes
C. Less interest in religion
D. A reduction in warfare
E. Increased creativity
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Questions 22-23
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Write the correct letters in boxes 22 and 23 on your answer sheet.
Which TWO results of the Renaissance are not mentioned in the text?
A. Discoveries by explorers
B. Artistic patronage
C. Political uprisings
D. Support for the poor
E. Developments in technology
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Questions 24-26
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 24-26 on your answer sheet.
24. Renaissance paintings were more lifelike because artists began using the technique of ………… and greater variation in shading.
25. The invention of the printing press made books more …………….. to the average person because so many could be produced.
26. The works of Shakespeare are considered typical Renaissance literature because they are based on …………….. ideas and were influenced by Greek philosophy.
ANSWERS ARE BELOW
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ANSWERS
14. E
15. C
16. F
17. D
18. B
19. E
20. B
21. E
22. C
23. D
24. PERSPECTIVE
25. ACCESSIBLE
26. HUMANIST
IELTS Academic Reading Test