Rethinking the Past IELTS Reading Answers

Rethinking the Past is an Academic IELTS Reading Passage 3 about how new archaeological discoveries are transforming our understanding of human evolution. On this page you'll find a full section-by-section summary of the passage, the complete answer key for Questions 27–40, and a detailed explanation of every answer.

Rethinking the Past — Passage Summary (Paragraph by Paragraph)

Paragraph 1 — Human evolution is being rewritten. The writer explains that our understanding of human origins has changed rapidly over the past decade. Two big revisions: our species is now thought to be about 300,000 years old (not 200,000), and extinct relatives like the Neanderthals were more sophisticated than once believed. But with so many species and time periods involved, the common threads are hard to see.

Paragraph 2 — Two big takeaways. The writer highlights two main messages emerging from recent finds. First, "advanced" behaviours such as architecture and art can be traced far further back in time than expected — often to hominin species that existed before modern humans. Second, our assumptions about gender roles in prehistoric societies have been badly wrong, shaped by patriarchal bias.

Paragraph 3 — Ancient architecture and extreme environments. At Kalambo Falls in Zambia, researchers found interlocking logs shaped with stone tools — possibly part of a structure — dated to about 476,000 years ago, nearly 200,000 years before Homo sapiens evolved. The writer also notes that extinct hominins like the Denisovans lived in freezing high-altitude regions 200,000 years ago, overturning the belief that such places were only settled by modern humans around 3,600 years ago.

Paragraph 4 — Art may predate modern humans. Neanderthals are known to have painted on cave walls, and even earlier species such as Homo erectus may have made art by engraving shells. The most controversial claim is that Homo naledi — a small-brained species living around 250,000 years ago — may have created art, based on etchings found in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa. These etchings have not yet been firmly dated.

Paragraph 5 — The H. naledi controversy. Many experts consider the evidence inadequate. The debate intensified because the findings were released in a non-traditional journal that publishes peer reviews publicly alongside the paper. The writer feels more evidence is needed (especially dating), but argues that fixating on H. naledi's small brain is a distraction — internal brain wiring may matter just as much as size.

Paragraph 6 — Evolution moves in small steps. The writer argues we shouldn't be surprised these behaviours began with older hominins, because both evolution and technology usually advance incrementally. Early birds flew poorly and the first mobile phones did little well. The idea of a sudden "explosion" of human intelligence isn't impossible, but there's little evidence for it — the Neanderthals and others "walked so we could run."

Paragraph 7 — Gender bias in early archaeology. The writer explains that archaeology was founded by people with patriarchal views, and those biases shaped their conclusions. Modern researchers are now working to "unpick this stuff" and correct the record.

Paragraph 8 — Rewriting gender in prehistory. The "Man the Hunter" theory has collapsed: a June 2023 meta-analysis of dozens of foraging societies found women hunted in 80% of them. A spear-throwing tool called an atlatl lets women throw as fast as men. Evidence of powerful women is growing too — the Viking queen Thyra may have helped unify Denmark, and a 4,000-year-old Iberian leader once assumed male turned out to be female through protein analysis of her teeth.

Paragraph 9 — Final message. The more we learn about the past, the more our assumptions about how society "must" be turn out wrong. Inequality, authoritarianism and patriarchy aren't inevitable — they're choices, and prehistory shows we can choose differently.

Rethinking the Past Reading Answers — Quick Answer Key

Questions 27–30: Multiple Choice — Answers with Explanations

Question 27 — Answer: A

Location: Paragraph 2 The writer identifies two things that "stand out" — that advanced behaviours go back further than thought, and that gender roles were misunderstood. Both are major shifts in our understanding of prehistory, matching option A (pinpointing key changes). The paragraph isn't about what's still poorly understood (B), other people's attitudes (C), or disagreements between archaeologists (D).

Question 28 — Answer: A

Location: Paragraph 6 Mobile phones illustrate that both technology and evolution advance in small, gradual steps — early phones did almost nothing well. This matches option A. Option D (unpredictability) is a trap; the writer's point is about gradual progress.

Question 29 — Answer: D

Location: Paragraph 7 "Unpick this stuff" refers to re-examining and correcting earlier research that was distorted by outdated patriarchal beliefs about gender — exactly what option D describes.

Question 30 — Answer: A

Location: Paragraph 9 The writer concludes that inequality and patriarchy are choices, not inevitabilities, and that prehistory shows we can choose differently — implying we can build a fairer society today (option A).

Questions 31–34: Matching Sentence Endings — Answers with Explanations

Question 31 — Answer: E

Location: Paragraph 3 The 476,000-year-old shaped logs at Kalambo Falls predate Homo sapiens, proving another species was capable of skilled construction → E (not the only species capable of sophisticated workmanship).

Question 32 — Answer: F

Location: Paragraph 3 Denisovans survived in freezing high-altitude regions long before modern humans arrived → F (other species survived harsh environments before Homo sapiens).

Question 33 — Answer: D

Location: Paragraph 8 The June 2023 meta-analysis found women hunted in 80% of foraging societies, challenging "Man the Hunter" → D (experts were wrong about who looked for food).

Question 34 — Answer: B

Location: Paragraph 8 The Iberian leader assumed to be male was actually female → B (assumptions about who held power were inaccurate).

Questions 35–40: Yes / No / Not Given — Answers with Explanations

Question 35 — Answer: NO

Location: Paragraph 4 The writer suggests even earlier species (Homo erectus) may have made art before Neanderthals, contradicting the claim that Neanderthal paintings were the first → NO.

Question 36 — Answer: NOT GIVEN

Location: Paragraph 4 Shell engraving is mentioned, but nothing is said about how rare it is → NOT GIVEN.

Question 37 — Answer: NOT GIVEN

Location: Paragraphs 4–5 The journal was non-traditional, but the passage says nothing about the research methods used at Rising Star → NOT GIVEN. (Classic trap.)

Question 38 — Answer: YES

Location: Paragraphs 4–5 The etchings have "yet to be firmly dated," and the writer says more dating evidence is needed → YES.

Question 39 — Answer: YES

Location: Paragraph 5 The controversy was "heightened by the way the results were released" in a non-traditional journal → YES.

Question 40 — Answer: NO

Location: Paragraph 5 The writer calls the small-brain focus "a distraction" and stresses internal wiring instead, so brain size is not the key factor → NO.

Vocabulary from Rethinking the Past (Band 7+ Words)

Tips for This Passage Type

1. "What is the writer doing" (Q27): Focus on the paragraph's function, not its details.
2. Matching Sentence Endings (31–34): Find the keyword (Kalambo Falls, June 2023, Iberian leader) first, then match by meaning, not shared words.
3. Yes/No/Not Given (35–40): NO = the writer contradicts it; NOT GIVEN = the writer gives no opinion. Q37 is a perfect NOT GIVEN trap.

FAQs

Q. What is the Rethinking the Past reading passage about?

Recent archaeological discoveries showing extinct hominins were capable of advanced behaviours like building and art, and that prehistoric gender roles were misunderstood due to patriarchal bias.

Q. How many questions does this passage have?

Fourteen (27–40): four multiple choice, four matching sentence endings, and six Yes/No/Not Given.

Q. What is the answer to Question 40?

NO — the writer argues brain size is a distraction and internal wiring may matter equally.

Q. Which Cambridge IELTS book is this from?

It appears in the Cambridge IELTS 19 Academic series.

Get your target band with Pacific Educational Consultant

Book Your FREE Counselling Today