The IELTS Reading section includes different types of passages and questions that test your ability to understand information, locate specific details, and recognise paraphrased ideas. Alexander Henderson reading answers is one such IELTS Reading passage.
The passage explores the life and photography career of Alexander Henderson, a Scottish-born photographer who moved to Canada in 1855. It covers his early life, photography journey, landscape work, railway photography, and his association with the Canadian Pacific Railway.
This IELTS Reading passage tests skills such as scanning for key information, understanding paraphrases, and identifying supporting details. Reading the questions carefully and locating relevant information in the passage can help you answer more accurately.
Alexander Henderson Reading Passage
The passage talks about how Alexander Henderson's life took him through different stations, including being brought up in Scotland to become a professional photographer in Canada. This is explained in the passage, where he changes careers from being an accountant to taking an interest in photography, working alongside photographer William Notman.
Alexander Henderson takes his photographic expertise and focuses on Canadian railways. He takes pictures of cities, landscapes, rivers, railroad construction, among others in Canada. Towards the end of his career, he worked with the Canadian Pacific Railway and retired from photography in 1897.
Alexander Henderson (1831-1913)
Born in Scotland, Henderson emigrated to Canada in 1855 and became a well-known landscape photographer
Alexander Henderson was born in Scotland in 1831 and was the son of a successful merchant. His grandfather, also called Alexander, had founded the family business, and later became the first chairman of the National Bank of Scotland. The family had extensive landholdings in Scotland. Besides its residence in Edinburgh, it owned Press Estate, 650 acres of farmland about 35 miles southeast of the city. The family often stayed at Press Castle, the large mansion on the northern edge of the property, and Alexander spent much of his childhood in the area, playing on the beach near Eyemouth or fishing in the streams nearby.
Even after he went to school at Murcheston Academy on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Henderson returned to Press at weekends. In 1849 he began a three-year apprenticeship to become an accountant. Although he never liked the prospect of a business career, he stayed with it to please his family. In October 1855, however, he emigrated to Canada with his wife Agnes Elder Robertson, and they settled in Montreal.
Henderson learned photography in Montreal around the year 1857 and quickly took it up as a serious amateur. He became a personal friend and colleague of the Scottish – Canadian photographer William Notman. The two men made a photographic excursion to Niagara Falls in 1860, and they cooperated on experiments with magnesium flares as a source of artificial light in 1865. They belonged to the same societies and were among the founding members of the Art Association of Montreal. Henderson acted as chairman of the association’s first meeting, which was held in Notman’s studio on 11 January 1860.
In spite of their friendship, their styles of photography were quite different. While Notman’s landscapes were noted for their bold realism, Henderson, for the first 20 years of his career, produced romantic images, showing the strong influence of the British landscape tradition. His artistic and technical progress was rapid, and in 1865 he published his first major collection of landscape photographs. The publication had limited circulation (only seven copies have ever been found), and was called Canadian Views and Studies. The contents of each copy vary significantly and have proved a useful source for evaluating Henderson’s early work.
In 1866, he gave up his business to open a photographic studio, advertising himself as a portrait and landscape photographer. From about 1870 he dropped portraiture to specialize in landscape photography and other views. His numerous photographs of city life, revealed in street scenes, houses, and markets, are alive with human activity, and although his favourite subject was landscape, he usually composed his scenes around such human pursuits as farming the land, cutting ice on a river, or sailing down a woodland stream. There was sufficient demand for these types of scenes and others he took, depicting the lumber trade, steamboats, and waterfalls, to enable him to make a living. There was little competing hobby or amateur photography before the late 1880s because of the time-consuming techniques involved and the weight of equipment. People wanted to buy photographs as souvenirs of a trip or as gifts, and catering to this market, Henderson had stock photographs on display at his studio for mounting, framing, or inclusion in albums.
Henderson frequently exhibited his photographs in Montreal and abroad, in London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris, New York, and Philadelphia. He met with greater success in 1877 and 1878 in New York when he won first prizes in the exhibition held by E and H T Anthony and Company for landscapes using the Lambertype process. In 1878 his work won second prize at the world exhibition in Paris.
In the 1890s and 1880s Henderson travelled widely throughout Quebec and Ontario, in Canada, documenting the major cities of the two provinces and many of the villages in Quebec. He was especially fond of the wilderness and often travelled by canoe on the Blanche, du Lièvre, and other noted eastern rivers. He went on several occasions to the Maritimes, and in 1872 he sailed by yacht along the lower north shore of the St Lawrence River. That same year, while in the lower St Lawrence River region, he took some photographs of the construction of the Intercolonial Railway. This undertaking led in 1875 to a commission from the railway to record the principal structures along the almost-completed line connecting Montreal to Halifax. Commissions from other railways followed. In 1876 he photographed bridges on the Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway between Montreal and Ottawa. In 1885 he went west along the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) as far as Rogers Pass in British Columbia, where he took photographs of the mountains and the progress of construction.
In 1892 Henderson accepted a full-time position with the CPR as manager of a photographic department which he was to set up and administer. His duties included spending four months in the field each year. That summer he made his second trip west, photographing extensively along the railway line as far as Victoria. He continued in this post until 1897, when he retired completely from photography.
When Henderson died in 1913, his huge collection of glass negatives was stored in the basement of his house. Today collections of his work are held at the National Archives of Canada, Ottawa, and the McCord Museum of Canadian History, Montreal.
Alexander Henderson Reading Answers: Questions 1–13
There are two types of questions in the Alexander Henderson reading section, which are the True/False/Not Given type of question and the Note Completion. The former consists of questions 1-8, whereas the latter has questions 9-13. Here are the answers with their explanations.
Questions 1–8: True/False/Not Given
For these questions, decide whether the statement agrees with the passage, contradicts it, or is not mentioned. The answers are TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN.
Q1: Henderson rarely visited the area around Press Estate during his childhood.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: The passage states that Henderson spent most of his childhood in the neighborhood of Press Estate and also used to visit this place during weekends while studying at school. It indicates that he used to visit this place frequently.
Q2: Henderson chose a business career because his family wanted him to do so.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Though Henderson was not much fond of working in a business environment, yet he kept on pursuing his studies because he wanted to make his family proud. Hence, the statement is supported.
Q3: Henderson and Notman were surprised by the outcome of their 1865 experiment.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: The passage clearly indicates that Henderson and William Notman conducted experiments related to the magnesium flare in 1865. But it is not mentioned if they were shocked by the results or not. Therefore, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
Q4: Henderson's early landscape photographs were very similar to Notman's.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: As mentioned in the passage, the style of their photography was different. The landscapes captured by Notman were noted for their bold realism, whereas Henderson's early work had a romantic approach due to the influence of the British landscape tradition.
Q5: Henderson's photographic studio, opened in 1866, was near his home.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: In the passage, it is mentioned that Henderson established a photographic studio in 1866, but no information is provided regarding its location with respect to his home. Hence, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
Q6: Henderson stopped taking portrait photographs so that he could concentrate on scenery.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: From around 1870, Henderson moved away from doing portraits and began doing landscapes and other scenery. This is in support of the statement.
Q7: The Montreal-Halifax railway line was already completed when Henderson started working for the Intercolonial Railway.
Answer: FALSE
Explanation: Henderson did some photographs of the building of the Intercolonial Railway in 1872. He got an assignment in 1875 to take photographs of some buildings along the nearly completed line. Thus, it is evident that the line had not yet been completed when he started working on it.
Q8: Henderson's final photographic job was with the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Henderson was the manager of the photographic department of the CPR between 1892 and 1897. When he quit his job here, Henderson left photography altogether.
For Questions 9-13, fill in the blanks using ONE WORD ONLY from the passage. The answers appear in the order of the information in the text, making it easy to scan.
Q9: Henderson's father was a successful ________.
Answer: MERCHANT
Explanation: The opening paragraph says that Henderson was the son of a successful merchant. Therefore, merchant is the correct answer.
Q10: The heavy ________ made photography difficult for people.
Answer: EQUIPMENT
Explanation: The passage explains that photography was difficult because the techniques were time-consuming and the equipment was heavy. The missing word is equipment.
Q11: People bought Henderson's photographs as ________ or souvenirs.
Answer: GIFTS
Explanation: The passage states that people purchased photographs as souvenirs of trips or as gifts. Since the note already contains "or souvenirs", the correct word is gifts.
Q12: Henderson often travelled along eastern rivers by ________.
Answer: CANOE
Explanation: While travelling through Quebec and Ontario, Henderson was particularly interested in wilderness areas. The passage says he often travelled by canoe on several eastern rivers.
Q13: At Rogers Pass, Henderson photographed the ________ and the railway construction.
Answer: MOUNTAINS
Explanation: In 1885, Henderson travelled west along the Canadian Pacific Railway to Rogers Pass. There, he photographed the mountains and the progress of railway construction. Therefore, the answer is mountains.
Alexander Henderson IELTS Reading Answers: Answer Key
How to Approach Alexander Henderson Reading Answers
A good approach can make this passage much easier. Instead of reading every sentence slowly, use the questions to guide your reading and search for important names, dates, places, and keywords.
Read the Questions First
Before reading the passage in detail, look through Questions 1–13. Notice names such as Henderson and Notman, along with dates such as 1865, 1866, 1870, 1875, and 1885. These details are useful because they are easy to locate while scanning.
Identify Keywords and Synonyms
The wording in the questions may not be exactly the same as the wording in the passage.
For example:
rarely → spent much of his childhood
focus on scenery → specialize in landscape photography
heavy equipment → weight of equipment
photographed mountains → took photographs of the mountains
Looking for meaning instead of only matching exact words can save time.
Understand the Meaning Before Choosing an Answer
Finding one similar word does not automatically give you the answer.
Read the complete sentence around the keyword. This is especially important for True/False/Not Given questions because one small detail can change the answer.
Watch for Contradictions
For example, Question 1 says Henderson rarely visited the Press Estate area. The passage says he spent much of his childhood there. These ideas are opposite, so the answer is FALSE.
If the passage does not mention the point at all, then the answer should be NOT GIVEN.
Follow the Word Limit
Questions 9–13 require ONE WORD ONLY.
If the answer is "photographic equipment", you cannot write both words if the instruction allows only one word. Always check the instructions before transferring your answers.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in "Alexander Henderson" IELTS Reading
Many mistakes in this passage happen because candidates focus too much on individual words instead of the overall meaning. Keep these points in mind while practising.
Confusing FALSE with NOT GIVEN: If the passage contradicts the statement, the answer is FALSE.
Matching keywords only: A similar word does not always mean the information is the same.
Ignoring dates: Dates such as 1865, 1866, 1870, 1875, and 1885 help you locate the relevant information quickly.
Reading every sentence slowly: Use the questions to guide your search.
Ignoring the word limit: Questions 9–13 require one word only.
Overthinking simple answers: Once the passage clearly supports an answer, avoid changing it without a good reason.
Missing paraphrases:IELTS often changes the wording between the passage and the questions.
Tips to Improve Your Score for Alexander Henderson Reading
Practicing the Alexander Henderson reading answers IELTS questions can help you improve both scanning and paraphrasing skills. Use the following methods when working on similar IELTS Reading passages.
Scan for Names, Dates and Places
Proper nouns and dates are easy to spot. Use them to find the correct paragraph instead of searching through the entire passage.
For this passage, names such as Henderson and Notman and places such as Press Estate, Montreal and Rogers Pass are useful search points.
Use the Question Order
Questions 1–8 generally follow the flow of information in the passage. Once you find the answer to one question, continue from that area instead of going back to the beginning.
This can save valuable time.
Eliminate Incorrect Answers Carefully
For True/False/Not Given questions, ask yourself three simple questions:
Does the passage support the statement?
Does it contradict the statement?
Is there no information about it?
This makes it easier to separate FALSE from NOT GIVEN.
Look for Paraphrased Information
Do not expect the question and passage to use identical wording.
For example, "gave up portraiture" and "stopped taking portraits" have the same meaning. Learning to recognise these changes is an important IELTS Reading skill.
Check the Word Limit
Before moving to the next section, check whether your answer follows the instructions.
For Questions 9–13, write only one word. Also check spelling because a spelling mistake can make an otherwise correct answer incorrect.
Practise With a Time Limit
Try to complete this passage in around 20 minutes, which is the suggested time for the 13 questions in the original test.
After finishing, spend a few minutes checking spelling, word limits, and answers you were unsure about.
Conclusion
The Alexander Henderson Reading Answers passage is a useful practice set for improving True/False/Not Given and Note Completion skills. It covers Henderson's early life, photography career, travels across Canada, and work with the railways.
Rather than memorising the answers, focus on how each answer is located and how the passage paraphrases information. This approach can help you handle similar IELTS Reading questions more confidently.
What is the main idea of the Alexander Henderson passage?
The passage traces Alexander Henderson’s journey from his early life in Scotland to his career as a professional photographer in Canada. It also highlights his landscape photography, exhibitions, travels, and railway-related photographic work.
Why is Alexander Henderson important in Canadian photography?
Henderson became well known for documenting Canadian landscapes, cities, rivers, railway construction, and everyday activities. His photographs also provide a visual record of parts of Canada during the 19th century.
Who was William Notman in the Alexander Henderson passage?
William Notman was a Scottish-Canadian photographer and a friend and colleague of Henderson. Although they worked together on some photographic experiments, their approaches to landscape photography were different.
What was Canadian Views and Studies?
Canadian Views and Studies was Henderson’s first major collection of landscape photographs, published in 1865. Only seven copies have been found, and the contents differ considerably between copies.
Why did Henderson's photographs become commercially successful?
Henderson photographed subjects that people were interested in buying, including landscapes, city scenes, rivers, waterfalls, farming, and other aspects of Canadian life. People also purchased photographs as souvenirs and gifts, helping him earn a living from his work.
Where did Alexander Henderson exhibit his photographs?
Henderson exhibited his work in several Canadian and international locations, including London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris, New York, and Philadelphia. His work received prizes at exhibitions in New York and Paris.
What role did railways play in Henderson's photography career?
Railways became an important part of Henderson’s later work. He photographed railway construction and structures for several railway companies before accepting a full-time position with the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1892.
What happened to Alexander Henderson's photographs after his death?
When Henderson died in 1913, his large collection of glass negatives was kept in the basement of his house. Collections of his work are now held by institutions including the National Archives of Canada and the McCord Museum of Canadian History.
Why is understanding paraphrasing important for Alexander Henderson Reading Answers?
IELTS questions often express information differently from the passage. For example, a question may use “stopped taking portraits”, while the passage says Henderson “dropped portraiture.” Recognising these equivalent meanings helps you locate and understand the correct information.
Is the reading Alexander Henderson answer always found using the exact words from the question?
No. IELTS Reading commonly uses synonyms and paraphrases rather than repeating the exact wording of the question. Candidates should therefore search for the meaning of the statement instead of looking only for identical words.
What should I do if I am unsure about an Alexander Henderson IELTS Reading answer?
Return to the relevant part of the passage and check whether the information clearly supports, contradicts, or fails to mention the statement. Avoid choosing an answer based only on your general knowledge or assumptions about Henderson.
Why should I review my mistakes after completing Alexander Henderson Reading Answers?
Reviewing mistakes helps you identify the reason behind each error. You may have missed a synonym, misunderstood a sentence, confused FALSE with NOT GIVEN, or overlooked an important detail. This makes your practice more useful than simply checking the answer key.
Can Alexander Henderson Reading Answers IELTS practice improve my scanning skills?
Yes. The passage contains many useful scanning points, including names, years, locations, railway companies, and publications. Using these details to locate information can help you become faster at finding relevant sections in future IELTS Reading tests.
What should I focus on when practising Alexander Henderson Reading Answers?
Focus on understanding paraphrasing, question order, supporting evidence, and word limits. Instead of memorising the answers, try to understand exactly where each answer comes from and why the other options or interpretations are incorrect.
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