Complete the notes below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Ancient Chinese Chariots
A. The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty, according to traditional historiography, ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second-millennium Archaeological work at the Ruins of Yin (near modern-day Anyang), which has been identified as the last Shang capital, uncovered eleven major Yin royal tombs and the foundations of palaces and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices.
B. The Tomb of Fu Hao is an archaeological site at Yinxu, the ruins of the ancient Shang Dynasty capital Yin, within the modem city of Anyang in Henan Province, China. Discovered in 1976，it was identified as the final resting place of the queen and military general Fu Hao. The artefacts unearthed within the grave included jade objects, bone objects, bronze objects etc. These grave goods are confirmed by the oracle texts, which constitute almost all of the first handwritten record we possess of the Shang Dynasty. Below the corpse was a small pit holding the remains of six sacrificial dogs, and along the edge lay the skeletons of human slaves, evidence of human sacrifice.
C. The Terracotta Army was discovered on 29 March 1974 to the east of Xi’an in Shaanxi. The terracotta soldiers were accidentally discovered when a group of local farmers was digging a well during a drought around 1.6 km (1 mile) east of the Qin Emperors tomb at Mount Li (Lishan), a region riddled with underground springs and watercourses. Experts currently place the entire number of soldiers at 8,000 — with 130 chariots (130 m long), 530 horses and 150 cavalry horses helping to ward off any dangers in the afterlife. In contrast, the burial of Tutankhamen yielded six complete but dismantled chariots of unparalleled richness and sophistication. Each was designed for two people (90 cm long) and had its axle sawn through to enable it to be brought along the narrow corridor into the tomb.
D. The excavation of ancient Chinese chariots has confirmed the descriptions of them in the earliest texts. Wheels were constructed from a variety of woods: elm provided the hub, rosewood the spokes and oak the felloes. The hub was drilled through to form an empty space into which the tampering axle was fitted, the whole being covered with leather to retain lubricating oil. Though the number of spokes varied, a wheel by the fourth century BC usually had eighteen to thirty-two of them. Records show how elaborate was the testing of each completed wheel: flotation and weighing were regarded as the best measures of balance, but even the empty spaces in the assembly were checked with millet grains. One outstanding constructional asset of the ancient Chinese wheel was dishing. Dishing refers to the dish like shape of an advanced wooden wheel, which looks rather like a flat cone. On occasion, they chose to strengthen a dished wheel with a pair of struts running from rim to rim on each of the hubs. As these extra supports were inserted separately into the felloes, they would have added even greater strength to the wheel. Leather wrapped up the edge of the wheel aimed to retain bronze.
E. Within a millennium, however, Chinese chariot-makers had developed a vehicle with shafts, the precursor of the true carriage or cart. This design did not make its appearance in Europe until the end of the Roman Empire. Because the shafts curved upwards and the harness pressed against a horse’s shoulders, not his neck, the shaft chariot was incredibly efficient. The halberd was also part of standard chariot weaponry. This halberd usually measured well over 3 metres in length, which meant that a chariot warrior wielding it sideways could strike down the charioteer in a passing chariot. The speed of the chariot, which was tested on the sand, was quite fast. At speed, these passes were very dangerous for the crews of both chariots.
F. The advantages offered by the new chariots were not entirely missed. They could see how there were literally the warring states, whose conflicts lasted down the Qin unification of China. Qin Shi Huang was buried in the most opulent tomb complex ever constructed in China, a sprawling, city-size collection of underground caverns containing everything the emperor would need for the afterlife. Even a collection of terracotta armies called Terra-Cotta Warriors was buried in it. The ancient Chinese, along with many cultures, including ancient Egyptians, believed that items and even people buried with a person could be taken with him to the afterlife.
The hub is made wood from the tree of .
The room through the hub was to put tempering axle in which is wrapped up by leather aiming to retain .
The number of spokes varied from 18 to .
The shape of wheel resembles a .
Two was used to strengthen the wheel .
Leather wrapped up the edge of the wheel aimed to retain .
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Finding the exact material used for the hub
Correct Answer: Elm
Why this is correct: The note asks what tree the hub is made from. The passage clearly says elm provided the hub, so the answer must be Elm copied exactly from the text.
Passage Reference: Wheels were constructed from a variety of woods: elm provided the hub, rosewood the spokes and oak the felloes.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes write wood because the sentence talks about wood types. That is too general and not specific. This is a Partial truth trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: "elm provided the hub" = Notes: "The hub is made wood from the tree of ___"
Tips: When the question asks for a material, look for a list of materials in the passage and copy the exact one.
Key Vocabulary:
- hub = center of a wheel
Question Focus: Identifying what the leather was used to retain
Correct Answer: Lubricating oil
Passage Reference: The hub was drilled through to form an empty space into which the tampering axle was fitted, the whole being covered with leather to retain lubricating oil.
Why this is correct: The note says the leather was wrapped to retain something. The passage states it was covered with leather to retain lubricating oil, so those exact words are the answer.
Common Mistake: Students often write oil only. That loses the full meaning and does not copy the exact phrase. This is a Partial truth trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: "covered with leather to retain lubricating oil" = Notes: "wrapped up by leather aiming to retain ___"
Tips: If the passage uses a fixed phrase, copy the whole phrase, not just one word from it.
Key Vocabulary:
- lubricating = helping parts move smoothly
Question Focus: Finding the maximum number in a range
Correct Answer: 32
Passage Reference: Though the number of spokes varied, a wheel by the fourth century BC usually had eighteen to thirty-two of them.
Why this is correct: The note gives the starting number 18 and asks for the ending number. The passage says the wheel usually had eighteen to thirty-two, so the answer is 32.
Common Mistake: Some students write thirty-two in words. Numbers should be copied in the same form as needed. This is a Format trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: "eighteen to thirty-two" = Notes: "varied from 18 to ___"
Tips: When you see a range, the summary often gives one end and asks you for the other.
Key Vocabulary:
- spokes = thin rods connecting wheel center to edge
Question Focus: Identifying the shape of the wheel
Correct Answer: dish
Passage Reference: Dishing refers to the dish like shape of an advanced wooden wheel, which looks rather like a flat cone.
Why this is correct: The note asks what shape the wheel resembles. The passage explains dishing and says it has a dish like shape, so the single word answer is dish.
Common Mistake: Students may write cone because it is also mentioned, but the note says "resembles a" and the passage focuses on dish. This is a Context shift trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: "dish like shape" = Notes: "resembles a ___"
Tips: Look carefully at which noun the summary chooses when two shapes are mentioned.
Key Vocabulary:
- resembles = looks like
Question Focus: Finding the object used to strengthen the wheel
Correct Answer: struts
Passage Reference: On occasion, they chose to strengthen a dished wheel with a pair of struts running from rim to rim on each of the hubs. As these extra supports were inserted separately into the felloes, they would have added even greater strength to the wheel.
Why this is correct: The note says two were used to strengthen the wheel. The passage states they used a pair of struts, so the correct word to copy is struts.
Common Mistake: Some students write supports because it sounds similar. That word is not used in the passage. This is a Synonym trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: "a pair of struts" = Notes: "Two was used to strengthen the wheel ___"
Tips: If the passage gives a specific technical term, always copy that term, not a synonym.
Key Vocabulary:
- struts = supporting bars
Question Focus: Identifying what the leather edge was meant to protect
Correct Answer: Bronze
Passage Reference: Leather wrapped up the edge of the wheel aimed to retain bronze.
Why this is correct: The final note asks what the leather aimed to retain. The passage clearly says it was to retain bronze, so the answer is Bronze.
Common Mistake: Students sometimes write metal, which is too general and not in the passage. This is a Partial truth trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: "retain bronze" = Notes: "aimed to retain ___"
Tips: Repeat wording often means repeat answers. If you see the same verb, look for the same noun.
Key Vocabulary:
- bronze = a metal made from copper
General Tips:
- Summary completion questions follow passage order. Once you find gap 1, keep reading forward for the next answers.
- Always copy the exact word or phrase from the passage. Do not change it to your own English.
- Check grammar clues like articles and plural words before the gap.
- Be careful with technical vocabulary. IELTS usually wants the precise term used in the text.
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