Welcome to this IELTS Practice Reading Test (Academic) on History.
This test is designed to help you prepare for the IELTS Academic Reading section.
You’ll have one longer, complex passage to read, followed by a series of questions.
The recommended time for this practice test is 20 minutes.
Remember, in the actual IELTS test, you’ll have 60 minutes to complete three such passages.
Good luck!
The Rise and Fall of the Mayan Civilization
The Mayan civilization, one of the most sophisticated and mysterious cultures of the ancient world, flourished in Mesoamerica for over 3,000 years. At its peak, from about 250 to 900 CE, the Maya built impressive cities with towering pyramids, developed a complex writing system, and made significant advancements in mathematics and astronomy. However, their sudden decline remains a subject of intense debate among historians and archaeologists.
The origins of the Maya can be traced back to the Preclassic Period (c. 2000 BCE – 250 CE), during which they established the foundations of their culture. They developed a hierarchical society, with a ruling elite presiding over a large population of farmers, artisans, and traders. The Classic Period (250-900 CE) saw the Maya reach their zenith, with the construction of monumental architecture and the refinement of their intellectual pursuits.
Mayan cities were centers of religious, political, and economic activity. Each major city-state was ruled by a divine king who was believed to be an intermediary between the gods and the people. These rulers oversaw the construction of elaborate temple complexes, palaces, and ball courts. The Maya were skilled mathematicians and astronomers, developing a sophisticated calendar system and accurately predicting celestial events.
One of the most remarkable achievements of the Maya was their writing system. They used a complex system of hieroglyphs, with each glyph representing a word or syllable. This allowed them to record their history, religious beliefs, and astronomical observations on stone monuments, ceramics, and bark paper books called codices.
Despite their advancements, the Maya civilization experienced a dramatic decline during the Terminal Classic period (800-900 CE). Many of their great cities were abandoned, and their population decreased significantly. This collapse has puzzled researchers for decades, and various theories have been proposed to explain it.
One prevalent theory suggests that environmental factors played a crucial role. The Maya may have faced severe droughts, possibly exacerbated by deforestation and intensive agriculture. This could have led to crop failures, famine, and social unrest. Another hypothesis points to warfare and political instability as potential causes. Increased conflict between city-states might have disrupted trade networks and strained resources.
Some scholars argue that the Maya collapse was not a sudden event but a gradual process of decentralization and reorganization. While the great cities of the southern lowlands were abandoned, Maya culture continued to thrive in other areas, particularly in the northern Yucatán Peninsula.
In recent years, advanced technologies such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) have revealed that the Maya civilization was even more extensive and complex than previously thought. These discoveries have shown vast networks of roads, fortifications, and previously unknown settlements hidden beneath the jungle canopy.
Today, millions of Maya descendants continue to live in Mexico, Guatemala, and other parts of Central America, maintaining aspects of their ancient culture and languages. The legacy of the ancient Maya continues to fascinate scholars and the public alike, serving as a reminder of the heights human civilization can achieve and the complexities involved in sustaining such achievements over time.
Questions 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?
Write TRUE if the statement agrees with the information Write FALSE if the statement contradicts the information Write NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
- The Mayan civilization existed for more than three millennia.
- During the Classic Period, Mayan rulers were considered to be divine beings.
- The Maya were the first civilization in the Americas to develop a writing system.
- Environmental factors are universally accepted as the primary cause of the Maya collapse.
- The Maya civilization completely disappeared after the Terminal Classic period.
- Recent technological advancements have expanded our understanding of Mayan territorial extent.
- Modern Maya populations have entirely abandoned their ancestral cultural practices.
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