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BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 525
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 525 – PASSAGE – 3

IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST – 525
READING PASSAGE – 3
Trans-Saharan Trade
The Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert. Stretching right across northern Africa from east to west, it lays a seemingly impassable zone between the Mediterranean states at its northem boundary, and the central African states at its south. Between these lies a hyper-arid and hostile wasteland, with only a few scattered oases to break the monotony of the never-ending sands. Nothing, one would think, could cross this desert, and yet crossed it was, regularly in fact, in the past.
The trans-Saharan trade takes us back to an era of some 1000 to 500 years ago. It produces romantic images of heavily-laden camel-trains, hundreds long, plodding across the undulating dunes, to the wail of Arabic music, as wind-blown sand twists away towards a shimmering horizon. However, in reality, such perilous crossings were serious and businesslike, without frivolity or fun, and needing careful preparation and co-ordination.
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Given this, the gain must have certainly far outweighed the loss-a fact achieved, apparently, by two factors: economies of scale (in which the caravans consisted of 1000 camels, and often many thousands more), and the high demand for an exchange of goods between the northern Mediterranean side of the Sahara desert, and the southern ‘Sahelian’ part.
The Sahel is the coast-to-coast strip of semi-arid savannah marking the transition zone between the southem reaches of the Sahara and the forests of central Africa. These ‘Sahelian’ kingdoms thrived on their geographic location. Their camels and horses could not cope with the disease, heat, and humidity further south, limiting expansion in that direction, and their northern expansion was blocked by the Sahara itself, delineating their middle-man status. Kingdoms located around Ghana and Mali grew rich and prosperous as the purveyors of the forest products of middle Africa.
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Mostly these products were gold and ivory (and occasionally slaves). These were laboriously carried northwards along established routes, from oasis to oasis through the vast tracts of the Sahara, to the civilised Mediterranean trading states. After watering and fattening their camels, the caravans turned back southwards, laden with European goods, salt, horses, and more camels-an exchange that continued for centuries. The only comparison to this is the Silk Road, another inhospitable desert wilderness that had to be crossed in the interchange of Chinese and European goods and products.
Such trade could only occur due to the domesticated camel, whose ability to withstand long periods without water is legendary. To do this, they have evolved some very special attributes. They have elongated red blood cells, which can flow even in severely dehydrated states, and also remain unaffected when the animal is allowed to drink its huge quantities of water. Their nostrils are similarly special, trapping exhaled water vapour and absorbing it into their bodies, reducing the amount of water lost through respiration. Finally, their digestive system can more efficiently ingest moisture from their plant diet, and retain it in their bodies, such that camel urine is thick and syrupy, and feces so dry that it can be burnt.
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So, what brought about the end of the trans-Saharan trade? In the 15th century. Portuguese sailing ships began exploring southwards, prudently hugging the coast all the time. Still, it was not until they invented a vessel known as the ‘caravel’ that they could confidently reach Western Africa and begin exploring along the Guinea coastline, even venturing up rivers.
Although these ships were small and limited in their cargo space, they were fast and reliable, and eventually an economic sea-borne trade was established. Rival European countries soon followed, and despite some hostility, eventually marked out spheres of influence. Such determined and concerted maritime efforts sent the trans- Saharan trade into decline.
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Other factors also played a role. Several Sahelian kingdoms began fighting with each other for control of this now unstable trade, resulting in the destruction or disruption of several important transport hubs. In addition, the North African states began trading increasingly more with Europe, reducing interests in the southerly interchange of goods, while the desert crossing itself remained as expensive, arduous, and treacherous as ever. Under the assault of all these factors, trans-Saharan economic links eventually collapsed, to become mere footnotes in history books.
Yet there are plans to renew this trade, this time with the construction of a modern network of superhighways. The obstacles are as daunting as ever. Africa has a poor history in international co- operation, where border restrictions are often tightened, rather than relaxed. Its notorious history of poor governance means that such projects are often merely used as opportunities for official corruption. Finally, wars and conflicts periodically break out, hindering vital maintenance, and even resulting in the outright destruction of infrastructure. Still, hopes remain high that, one day, we may see this most formidable of deserts being regularly crossed once again.
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Questions 27 – 30
Write True, False, or Not Given, according to the information given in the reading passage.
27. The Saharan landscape is monotonous.
28. The camel trains used music.
29. The Sahelian kingdoms had much disease.
30. The products they transported were highly desired.
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Questions 31 – 33
Label the map by filling in the gaps with ONE word only.

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Questions 34 – 37
Fill in the gaps with ONE word only.
The Sahelian kingdoms had an ideal (34)………… , collecting goods from central Africa for transport (35)………… . The only (36)………… to this is the Silk Road, but such trade was only possible through the use of (37)…………
Questions 38 – 40
Choose A, B, C, or D.
38. Which is NOT an adaptation of camels?
A. Special blood
B. Special noses
C. Special respiration
D. Special digestion
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39. Which did NOT contribute to the decline of trans-Saharan trade?
A. The caravel
B. European trade
C. Foreign fighting
D. Difficulty of the crossing
40. Which is NOT an obstacle to a new trans-Saharan highway?
A. History of poverty
B. Difficulties moving across borders
C. Dishonest officials
D. Vandalism
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ANSWERS
27. TRUE
28. FALSE
29. NOT GIVEN
30. TRUE
31. SALT
32. OASIS
33. FOREST(S)
34. LOCATION
35. NORTH(WARD)(S)
36. COMPARISON
37. CAMELS
38. C
39. C
40. A
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