What is Exploration Reading Answers

The IELTS Reading section includes different passages followed by questions that test your ability to understand information, identify specific details, and recognise paraphrased ideas. “Topic” is one such IELTS Reading passage. 

This What is Exploration Reading Answer guide covers Questions 27 to 40, taken from Cambridge IELTS 15, Test 1, Reading Passage 3. It's a real exam passage, and this page gives you the full answer key along with clear explanations for each question.

The topic itself is exploration, not ships or mountains, but what actually drives humans to explore at all. The passage brings in real explorers like Wilfred Thesiger, Ran Fiennes, and Robin Hanbury-Tenison, and each one defines exploration in their own way, based on their own field. There's even a bit on novelist Thomas Hardy, and how his writing counts as a kind of exploration too.

This What is Exploration IELTS reading set has 14 questions in total. You'll get Multiple Choice, Matching Features, and Summary Completion, each testing a slightly different skill.

Here's what gets tested:

• Finding details fast, without rereading everything
• Matching statements to the right explorer
• Spotting paraphrasing in the options
• Completing a summary using exact words
• Telling apart answers that look similar

What is Exploration IELTS Reading Passage

This What is Exploration IELTS reading passage is about exploration itself and what actually drives people to explore in the first place. It's not just about travel. It looks at how the idea of an "explorer" has changed, from crossing deserts to exploring ideas through writing.

You'll come across different voices in this passage. A novelist, a mountaineer, a campaigner, and a couple of real explorers each share their own take on what exploration means to them.

The passage runs across 7 paragraphs. All 14 questions that follow, Questions 27 to 40, make up the full What is Exploration Reading Answer IELTS set based directly on these paragraphs. 

What is Exploration IELTS Reading Passage

Paragraph 1: We are all explorers. Our desire to discover, and then share that new-found knowledge, is part of what makes us human. Indeed, this has played an important part in our success as a species. Long before the first caveman slumped down beside the fire and grunted news that there were plenty of wildebeest over yonder, our ancestors had learnt the value of sending out scouts to investigate the unknown. This questing nature of ours undoubtedly helped our species spread around the globe, just as it nowadays no doubt helped the last nomadic Penan maintain their existence in the depleted forests of Borneo, and a visitor negotiated the subways of New York.

Paragraph 2: Over the years, we’ve come to think of explorers as a peculiar breed, different from the rest of us, different from those of us who are merely ‘well travelled’, even. And perhaps there is a type of person more suited to seeking out the new, a type of caveman more inclined to risk venturing out. That, however, doesn’t take away from the fact that we all have this enquiring instinct, even today, and that in all sorts of professions, whether artist, marine biologist or astronomer, borders of the unknown are being tested each day.

Paragraph 3: Thomas Hardy set some of his novels in Egdon Heath, a fictional area of uncultivated land, and used the landscape to suggest the desires and fears of his characters. He is delving into matters we all recognise because they are common to humanity. This is surely an act of exploration, and into a world as remote as the author chooses. Explorer and travel writer Peter Fleming talks of the moment when the explorer returns to the existence he has left behind with his loved ones. The traveller ‘who has for weeks or months seen himself only as a puny and irrelevant alien crawling laboriously over a country in which he has no roots and no background, suddenly encounters his other self, a relatively solid figure, with a place in the minds of certain people’.

Paragraph 4: In this book about the exploration of the earth’s surface, I have confined myself to those whose travels were real and who also aimed at more than personal discovery. But that still left me with another problem: the word ‘explorer’ has become associated with a past era. We think back to a golden age, as if exploration peaked somehow in the 19th century, as if the process of discovery is now on the decline. Though the truth is that we have named only one and a half million of this planet’s species, and there may be more than 10 million, and that’s not including bacteria. We have studied only 5 per cent of the species we know. We have scarcely mapped the ocean floors, and know even less about ourselves. We fully understand the workings of only 10 per cent of our brains.

Paragraph 5: Here is how some of today’s ‘explorers’ define the word. Ran Fiennes, dubbed the ‘greatest living explorer’, said, ‘An explorer is someone who has done something that no human has done before, and also done something scientifically useful.’ Chris Bonington, a leading mountaineer, felt exploration was to be found in the act of physically touching the unknown: ‘You have to have gone somewhere new.’ Then Robin Hanbury-Tenison, a campaigner on behalf of remote so-called ‘tribal’ peoples, said, ‘A traveller simply records information about some far-off world, and reports back; but an explorer changes the world.’ Wilfred Thesiger, who crossed Arabia’s Empty Quarter in 1946, and belongs to an era of unmechanised travel now lost to the rest of us, told me, ‘If I’d gone across by camel when I could have gone by car, it would have been a stunt.’ To him, exploration meant bringing back information from a remote place regardless of any great self-discovery.

Paragraph 6: Each definition is slightly different, and tends to reflect the field of endeavour of each pioneer. It was the same whoever I asked: the prominent historian would say exploration was a thing of the past, the cutting-edge scientist would say it was of the present, and so on. They each set their own particular criteria. The common factor in their approach was that they all had, unlike many of us who simply enjoy travel or discovering new things, both a very definite objective from the outset and also a desire to record their findings.

Paragraph 7: I’d best declare my own bias. As a writer, I’m interested in the exploration of ideas. I’ve done a great many expeditions and each one was unique. I’ve lived for months alone with isolated groups of people all around the world, even two ‘uncontacted tribes’. But none of these things is of the slightest interest to anyone unless, through my books, I’ve found a new slant, explored a new idea. Why? Because the world has moved on. The time has long passed for the great continental voyages, another walk to the poles, another crossing of the Empty Quarter. We know how the land surface of our planet lies; exploration of it is now down to the details, the habits of microbes, say, or the grazing behaviour of buffalo. Aside from the deep sea and deep underground, it’s the era of specialists. However, this is to disregard the role the human mind has in conveying remote places; and this is what interests me: how a fresh interpretation, even of a well-travelled route, can give its readers new insights.

Learn all about IELTS Reading Test

What is Exploration Reading Answers with Explanations

Fourteen questions make up the What is Exploration Reading Answer set after this passage. They're split into three types: Multiple Choice, Matching Features, and Summary Completion.

Each type needs its own approach. Knowing which one you're on before you start makes the whole thing faster.

Read the question slowly first. Then find the paragraph it points to and see how the wording connects.

Questions 27-32 Multiple Choice Answers and Explanations

Six questions here, and they follow the passage in order. Getting these right is a big part of the What is Exploration answers overall, so don't pick an option just because it sounds familiar; check it against the paragraph first.

Q27: The writer refers to visitors to New York to illustrate the point that
A. Exploration is an intrinsic element of being human
B. Most people are enthusiastic about exploring
C. Exploration can lead to surprising results
D. Most people find exploration daunting

Answer: A

Explanation: Paragraph 1 says our urge to discover and share what we find is part of what makes us human. That includes something as ordinary as a visitor figuring out the subways of New York. Therefore, A is the correct answer.

Q28: According to the second paragraph, what is the writer's view of explorers?
A. Their discoveries have brought both benefits and disadvantages
B. Their main value is in teaching others
C. They act on an urge that is common to everyone
D. They tend to be more attracted to certain professions than to others

Answer: C

Explanation: Paragraph 2 says this enquiring instinct shows up in all sorts of professions, not just a few people. This directly supports the idea that explorers act on something everyone shares. Therefore, C is the correct answer.

Q29: The writer refers to a description of Egdon Heath to suggest that
A. Hardy was writing about his own experience of exploration
B. Hardy was mistaken about the nature of exploration
C. Hardy's aim was to investigate people's emotional states
D. Hardy's aim was to show the attraction of isolation

Answer: C

Explanation: Paragraph 3 says Hardy used the landscape to bring out his characters' desires and fears. This points straight to emotional territory rather than physical exploration. Therefore, C is the correct answer.

Q30: In the fourth paragraph, the writer refers to 'a golden age' to suggest that
A. The amount of useful information produced by exploration has decreased
B. Fewer people are interested in exploring than in the 19th century
C. Recent developments have made exploration less exciting
D. We are wrong to think that exploration is no longer necessary

Answer: D

Explanation: Paragraph 4 points out how few species we've actually named, out of possibly ten million or more. This shows the writer proving that exploration is far from finished. Therefore, D is the correct answer.

Q31: In the sixth paragraph, when discussing the definition of exploration, the writer argues that
A. People tend to relate exploration to their own professional interests
B. Certain people are likely to misunderstand the nature of exploration
C. The generally accepted definition has changed over time
D. Historians and scientists have more valid definitions than the general public

Answer: A

Explanation: Paragraph 6 says each definition reflects the pioneer's own field of work. This means people define exploration through what they do professionally. Therefore, A is the correct answer.

Q32: In the last paragraph, the writer explains that he is interested in
A. How someone's personality is reflected in their choice of places to visit
B. The human ability to cast new light on places that may be familiar
C. How travel writing has evolved to meet changing demands
D. The feelings that writers develop about the places that they explore

Answer: B

Explanation: The final paragraph says a fresh interpretation of a well-travelled route can give readers new insight. This matches the idea of casting new light on familiar places. Therefore, B is the correct answer.

Questions 33-37 Matching Features Answers and Explanations

Five questions, five explorers to keep straight, and a common trouble spot in the What is Exploration ielts reading answers. Skip the paragraph-by-paragraph approach here. Go person by person instead, since each one's view isn't grouped together.

List of Explorers: A. Peter Fleming, B. Ran Fiennes, C. Chris Bonington, D. Robin Hanbury-Tenison, E. Wilfred Thesiger

Q33: He referred to the relevance of the form of transport used.

Answer: E (Wilfred Thesiger)

Explanation: Thesiger says going by camel instead of car would've made it "a stunt." This is a direct comment on why the mode of transport mattered to him. Therefore, E is the correct answer.

Q34: He described feelings on coming back home after a long journey.

Answer: A (Peter Fleming)

Explanation: Fleming talks about the moment an explorer returns to the life and people he left behind. This matches the feeling of coming home after time away. Therefore, A is the correct answer.

Q35: He worked for the benefit of specific groups of people.

Answer: D (Robin Hanbury-Tenison)

Explanation: He's described as a campaigner on behalf of remote tribal peoples. This shows him working directly for a specific group's benefit. Therefore, D is the correct answer.

Q36: He did not consider learning about oneself an essential part of exploration.

Answer: E (Wilfred Thesiger)

Explanation: Thesiger says exploration meant bringing back information, "regardless of any great self-discovery." This shows self-discovery wasn't the point for him. Therefore, E is the correct answer.

Q37: He defined exploration as being both unique and of value to others.

Answer: B (Ran Fiennes)

Explanation: Fiennes says an explorer does something no one's done before, and something scientifically useful. This covers both the unique and the valuable side of the definition. Therefore, B is the correct answer.

Questions 38-40 Summary Completion Answers and Explanations

No word bank in this one. Just exact words from the passage, and no more than two per blank.

The writer's own bias
The writer has experience of a large number of 38 ______, and was the first stranger that certain previously 39 ______ people had encountered. He believes there is no need for further exploration of Earth's 40 ______, except to answer specific questions such as how buffalo eat.

Q38: Answer: expeditions
Explanation: The passage says he's done "a great many expeditions and each one was unique." Therefore, expeditions are the correct answer.

Q39: Answer: uncontacted / isolated
Explanation: It mentions "isolated groups of people... even two 'uncontacted tribes'." Therefore, uncontacted or isolated is the correct answer.

Q40: Answer: surface / land surface
Explanation: The line reads, "We know how the land surface of our planet lies," meaning that side of exploration is mostly done. Therefore, surface or land surface is the correct answer.

Also Read: Best IELTS Reading Tips

How to Solve the What is Exploration IELTS Reading Passage

This What is Exploration IELTS reading passage works well for practice because five different people share their views on the same word. Half the difficulty is keeping their opinions apart instead of mixing them up.

Track Each Explorer's Definition Separately

The matching section falls apart fast if you can't tell Thesiger, Fiennes, and the others apart. Each one shows up somewhere in Q33-37, and mixing them up costs more than one mark.

Take exploration and self-discovery as an example:

• Wilfred Thesiger: exploration means bringing back information, not learning about yourself
• Ran Fiennes: exploration means doing something unique and scientifically useful

Same word, exploration. Two completely different takes.

Watch for Paraphrasing

The passage rarely repeats question wording exactly. A claim usually gets reworded across all four multiple-choice options.

Here's an example from Q31: In the sixth paragraph, when discussing the definition of exploration, the writer argues that

• Passage says: each definition reflects the field of endeavour of each pioneer
• Correct option says: people tend to relate exploration to their own professional interests

Different words. Same idea underneath.

Read the Final Section Carefully for Completion Answers

Q38-40 comes from the writer's own account near the end of the passage. There's no word bank this time.

Keep these in mind:

• Every answer must come word for word from the passage
• Spelling matters, so double-check before writing it down
• Word form matters too, one wrong letter and the answer doesn't count
• Max two words per blank, no more

Eliminate Incorrect Options

Stuck between two choices? Elimination usually gets you there faster than trying to prove one option right straight away.

Remove any option that:

• Goes against what the passage actually says
• Belongs to a different explorer's viewpoint
• Sounds close, but only covers half the idea
• Brings in details that the passage never mentions

Read More:

• Today IELTS Reading Passage
• Designed to Last IELTS Reading Answers
• A Neuroscientist Shows How to Think Differently IELTS Reading Answers
• Bird Migration Reading Answers with Explanations
• Online Roommate Finder Toronto IELTS Reading Answers, Explanation

Common Mistakes in What is Exploration Reading Answers

Most students read this Cambridge 15 passage just fine, but still drop marks on their What is Exploration Reading Answer attempts. Usually, it's small slips, not actual misreading. With five explorers each giving their own definition of exploration, a few specific mistakes keep showing up.

Mistake: Mixing Up Which Explorer Made Which Claim

This is the big one, and it mostly hits Q33-37. Thesiger, Fiennes, Fleming, Bonington and Hanbury-Tenison all talk about exploration in the same passage, so it's easy to pin one person's view onto another by mistake.

• Tip: Before starting Q33-37, jot down each explorer's core view in one line
• Takes thirty seconds, saves confusion later
• Useful since the same letter can be the answer more than once

Mistake: Ignoring Word Form and Spelling in Completion

This one affects Q38-40 specifically. Since there's no word bank, every answer needs to come exactly from the passage text. A close guess or a wrong spelling still counts as wrong.

• Tip: Copy the word exactly as it appears in the passage
• Double-check singular versus plural
• Stick to the two-word limit, no more

Mistake: Matching on Topic Overlap, Not the Specific Claim

This trips people up in the matching section, Q33-37, since two explorers can talk about the same broad idea but mean something different by it. Picking based on general topics instead of the exact claim leads to wrong matches.

• Tip: Read the full statement carefully, not just the keyword
• Check which explorer actually said that specific thing
• Topic overlap isn't the same as a matching answer

Conclusion

Getting through the What is Exploration Reading Answer IELTS set from Cambridge 15, Test 1 mostly comes down to one thing, keeping five different explorers' views straight without mixing them up. Once you know what Thesiger, Fiennes, Fleming, Bonington and Hanbury-Tenison each stand for, the passage stops feeling confusing.

A few things matter most here:

• Understanding each explorer's own definition
• Spotting paraphrased wording in the Multiple Choice options
• Getting completion answers exact, spelling included
• Ruling out options that sound close but aren't backed by the passage
• Checking your What is Exploration answers against the paragraph one more time before moving on

Condensed answer key:

• Q27: A
• Q28: C
• Q29: C
• Q30: D
• Q31: A
• Q32: B
• Q33: E
• Q34: A
• Q35: D
• Q36: E
• Q37: B
• Q38: expeditions
• Q39: uncontacted / isolated
• Q40: surface / land surface

If you need help with your IELTS preparation, student visa process, or other parts of your study abroad journey, you can book a free 1:1 counselling session with upGrad’s study abroad experts today!