Between 1908 and 1924, Gwendoline and Margaret Davies amassed one of the largest collections of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century French paintings in Britain.
Gwendoline and Margaret Davies were the granddaughters of David Davies, a Welshman who made a fortune in the shipping and mining industries. When the sisters inherited their wealth, they became known as two of the wealthiest unmarried women in Britain. Their religious upbringing in rural Wales gave them a strong sense of social responsibility, and they used their inheritance for cultural and philanthropic purposes.
Although there was no strong family history of art collecting, the sisters’ education encouraged their interest in culture and art. Their London school focused more on cultural study than academic subjects. They also travelled widely with their governess, Jane Blaker, visiting art galleries and making detailed notes about the collections they saw.
From 1908 onwards, the sisters began making regular art purchases. They received advice from several people, including the art dealer Hugh Blaker and David Croal Thompson. Earlier, it was believed that these men largely shaped the collection, but recent views suggest that Gwendoline and Margaret played a much more active role in choosing the artworks.
Their journals show that they preferred Old Master paintings. However, they bought very few of them because high-quality Old Master works were extremely expensive. Instead, their early purchases were safer and more fashionable paintings, including works by French artist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot.
Later, their collecting moved in a new direction as they began buying works by French Impressionists. Hugh Blaker, who suppor
ted contemporary French art, likely influenced this decision. The sisters had also seen Impressionist paintings during their visits to Paris. Their first Impressionist purchases, made in October 1912, were scenes of Venice by Claude Monet. Over the next twelve years, they collected more works by Monet, Manet, and Renoir, including Renoir’s famous painting La Parisienne.
The First World War also influenced the development of their collection. At first, the sisters helped Belgian artists travel safely to Wales. Later, both sisters volunteered at a canteen for troops in Troyes, northern France. The work was difficult and emotionally distressing, especially for Gwendoline, whose health was permanently affected.
During one of her trips to Paris, Gwendoline visited the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery and bought two paintings by Cezanne. These paintings were later displayed in Bath, England, becoming the first works by Cezanne to be shown in a public gallery in Britain.
Many commentators have described the sisters as unusual pioneer collectors. They lived in rural Wales and did not have close friendships with artists or gallery owners. However, they were free to follow their own taste rather than fashionable trends. They also travelled often to London and Paris and regularly had paintings sent to their home for consideration.
By the early 1920s, Gwendoline became uncomfortable buying expensive artworks while society was facing poverty and upheaval after the First World War. She then focused more on social causes and the development of Gregynog Hall into a conference centre and cultural venue. Gwendoline made her final art purchase in 1926. Margaret also stopped collecting around that time, although she later bought some contemporary British art in the 1930s.
The sisters collected French Impressionist paintings when such art was often ignored by individuals and institutions. Their collection, donated to the National Museum Wales, included major works by leading French Impressionists. By collecting paintings they loved, Gwendoline and Margaret Davies created a lasting cultural legacy for Wales and beyond.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Their grandfather’s wealth came from 1. __________ and transportation businesses.
Their upbringing gave them a sense of social responsibility.
Their 2. __________ was designed to give them an interest in activities such as collecting art.
Their governess took them on trips to art galleries.
They took lengthy 3. __________ about the things they saw in art galleries.
Their 4. __________ showed they liked Old Master paintings, but they were expensive to buy.
Their early purchases were safe, popular paintings.
The first Impressionist paintings they bought showed places in 5. __________.
They helped bring artists from Belgium to Wales.
They worked in a 6. __________ for soldiers in France.
They were not considered typical collectors because they lived in isolation in the countryside and did not have any 7. __________ who were artists.
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
Write:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
Humans are naturally sensitive to noise because sounds help us understand our surroundings and avoid danger. When we hear loud or unexpected noises, our bodies react immediately. Blood pressure rises, muscles become tense, and hormones are released to prepare us for fight or flight. In the short term, this response can be helpful. However, long-term exposure to excessive noise can cause health problems, including sleep disturbance and cardiovascular disease.
The World Health Organization has described excessive noise as an underestimated threat to public health. People living in large cities such as Mumbai, Tokyo, and Buenos Aires are often exposed to noise levels higher than recommended limits. A report from the European Environment Agency also found that noise is a serious and widespread problem in Europe. According to acoustic consultant Nick Antonio, unlike our eyes, our ears cannot close to protect the brain from noise.
Some cities have started taking action to reduce noise. London was one of the first cities to introduce such measures. It reduced noise from buses, roads, and aircraft. Other cities have used noise-reducing road surfaces and greenery to absorb sound. Washington DC banned petrol-powered leaf blowers, and New York City approved fines for people who modify vehicles to make them louder. Nick Antonio believes that more cities will take similar steps in the future.
Researchers are also studying which kinds of silent experiences are most beneficial for health. One example is the flotation tank, a dark, soundproof tank filled with salt water in which a person floats for deep relaxation. According to clinical neuropsychologist Justin Feinstein, when external sensory information is removed, the brain tries to fill the gap by creating subtle sounds or visual effects. However, the main benefit comes from focusing on breathing, which helps people reach a relaxed or meditative state.
Feinstein and his colleagues studied fifty people with stress-related conditions. Participants completed a questionnaire before and after using a flotation tank. After a one-hour float session, they reported reduced muscle tension, pain, and symptoms, along with increased relaxation and wellbeing.
In another experiment, researchers asked forty-eight people to either float in a tank or relax on a reclining chair for ninety minutes. Brain scans showed that flotation sessions reduced activity in the default mode network, a group of brain regions linked with depression. Feinstein believes flotation tanks may help reset the nervous system.
Neurobiologist Tai Dotan Ben-Soussan also supports silence as a form of therapy. She explains that silence helps people become quiet not only externally but also internally. This allows them to become more aware of their surroundings and respond more appropriately. However, she also says that people must willingly engage in silence. If someone does not want silence, it can be distressing.
Psychotherapy researcher Eric Pfeifer agrees that silence may not benefit everyone, especially people under high stress. Professional guidance can help people approach silence gradually. Pfeifer also says that complete silence is not necessary. In one study, people felt more relaxed and less bored when sitting quietly in a garden than in a completely silent room. He believes that short, frequent periods of silence in daily life can make a big difference.
Reading Passage 2 has seven sections, A–G.
Which section contains the following information?
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
According to Justin Feinstein, flotation tanks allow people to concentrate on their own 18. __________, which helps them relax and enables them to meditate.
Feinstein and his colleagues conducted an experiment in which 50 people, who were all suffering from stress and related issues, were given a 19. __________ to complete before and after using a flotation tank.
Participants reported a reduction in their symptoms after an hour in the tank, together with signs of relaxation and improved general 20. __________.
In another experiment, the researchers had 48 people spend periods of 90 minutes either lying back in a chair or floating in a tank. Brain scans then revealed that those people who had been in a tank had decreased activity in parts of the brain associated with 21. __________.
Look at the following statements and match each statement with the correct person.
A. Nick Antonio
B. Justin Feinstein
C. Tai Dotan Ben-Soussan
D. Eric Pfeifer
Ulbe Bosma’s The World of Sugar is a global history of sugar. The book discusses sugar-producing regions around the world, beginning with Cuba and Java, which were major exporters in the early twentieth century. It covers not only cane sugar but also beet sugar, which has been important in global trade for more than a hundred years. Beet sugar, mainly grown in Europe and the United States, has often been heavily subsidised and sold cheaply, affecting cane sugar producers.
The book also explores the sugar market in Britain. At first, Britain bought cane sugar from its own colonial plantations, which depended on slavery. After slavery was abolished in the British Empire, Britain imported cane sugar from countries where slavery continued, such as Cuba and Brazil. Later, Britain began importing beet sugar from continental Europe. In the twentieth century, Britain started developing its own beet sugar industry.
Bosma also provides a history of labour in sugar production. He challenges the common belief that cane sugar was only grown on large plantations owned by wealthy men. In Java, for example, sugar cane was grown alongside rice by small farmers using highly labour-intensive methods.
The book highlights both similarities and continuity in sugar cultivation. Large-scale sugar production often depended on imported labour. German beet fields employed Polish workers, while Mexican, Sicilian, and other migrant workers were important in the United States. Cane cutting remains a poorly paid and difficult job in many parts of the world. At the same time, traditional small-scale sugar farming continued in regions such as South Asia and Latin America.
The book also examines capitalists, sugar dynasties, and powerful corporations. In many places, wealthy sugar producers had major political influence. In regions such as the British Caribbean, Cuba, and the Philippines, powerful sugar interests shaped government policy. Their markets were protected by trade barriers and subsidies, while poorer countries suffered the consequences.
Sugar production was never only about agriculture. It also required the extraction of sucrose from the sugar plant, which involved machinery powered by humans, animals, wind, or steam. Other processes included boiling and refining. Sugar production was therefore an energy-intensive industrial activity. The industry spread techniques, ideas, machinery, and crop varieties rapidly from one country to another. Cuba, for example, developed railways and steam-powered factories to support sugar production.
Over time, new techniques, improved crop varieties, fertilisers, and irrigation systems made it possible to produce sugar in large quantities. Sugar, once considered a luxury, became widely available and was promoted as a source of energy. However, increased sugar consumption has also harmed people’s health, contributing to dental problems and weight gain.
The sugar industry has often resisted attempts to reduce consumption. Some countries have introduced sugar taxes to deal with the problem. The industry has also tried to shift blame for obesity onto fats, lack of exercise, and poor self-control. More recently, high-fructose corn syrup, made from maize through an enzymatic process invented in Japan in the 1960s, has become widely used in soft drinks and processed foods. It is cheap to produce and is considered a leading cause of obesity.
The reviewer describes The World of Sugar as a rich and powerful example of global history. Bosma avoids emotional language but shows that sugar has caused many problems. The book suggests that people could have lived without sugar and that there are now many alternative sources of sweetness. However, many poor people around the world still depend on sugar production for their livelihood.
27. What does the reviewer suggest about the cultivation and trading of sugar in the first paragraph?
A. Sugar has played a major role in international relations.
B. Beet sugar has been made more internationally competitive.
C. Cane sugar is thought to be of superior quality to beet sugar.
D. New locations for cultivating sugar have increased production
28. In the second paragraph, when discussing the sugar market in Britain, the reviewer stresses:
A. How the sources used changed over time.
B. How developments in agriculture affected trade.
C. The increased demand for sugar over the years.
D. The growing support for ethical methods of cultivation.
29. What is the reviewer doing in the third paragraph?
A. Describing an efficient approach to sugar cultivation
B. Explaining why the use of sugar plantations declined
C. Addressing a misconception about the growing of sugar cane
D. Evaluating different approaches to the cultivation of sugar cane
30. In the final paragraph, what does the reviewer suggest is the overall message of Bosma’s book?
A. Sugar is a harmful and unnecessary product.
B. Economic pressure is needed to control sugar production.
C. Conditions for workers in sugar production should be improved.
D. Intensive marketing of sugar has had disastrous consequences.
The book The World of Sugar points out the similarities in the way that sugar was cultivated around the world. In the big industries in both Germany and the US, sugar farming depended on 31. __________.
However, in other parts of the world such as South Asia and Latin America, 32. __________ continued.
Sugar production has also involved 33. __________ who were eager to protect their markets.
In countries such as Cuba, the sugar industry therefore had a major influence on 34. __________.
To support the interests of sugar producers, 35. __________ were established.
As a result of this, 36. __________ were penalised.
A. national governments
B. agricultural developments
C. less wealthy nations
D. untrained workers
E. small-scale cultivation
F. outdated methods
G. financial controls
H. migrant workers
I. powerful individuals and businesses
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
Write:
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
This IELTS Reading answer key for The Davies Sisters IELTS Reading Answers includes all three reading passages, questions, fill in the blanks, and complete answers. Students should carefully check spelling for one-word answers and use the correct format for TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN, YES, NO questions.
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The Davies Sisters IELTS Reading Answers
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