IELTS Rewind

IELTS Reading Practice Test: Silbo Gomero – the whistle ‘language’ of the Canary Islands

Practice your IELTS reading skills with this comprehensive 13-question test. Time limit: 20 minutes.

Reading Passage Content Summary

## Silbo Gomero – the whistle ‘language’ of the Canary Islands La Gomera is one of the Canary Islands situated in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Africa. This small volcanic island is mountainous, with steep rocky slopes and deep, wooded ravines, rising to 1,487 metres at its highest ...

Question Types Included

  • true-false-not-given (6 questions)
  • note-completion (7 questions)

Test Information

  • Total Questions: 13
  • Time Limit: 20 minutes
  • Level: Intermediate to Advanced
  • Format: IELTS Academic Reading

Silbo Gomero – the whistle ‘language’ of the Canary Islands

Reading Passage Content

This page contains IELTS reading practice materials with comprehensive questions and explanations.

Reading Comprehension Questions

Questions 1–5: True/False/Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
Write TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
Write FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
Write NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1 La Gomera is the most mountainous of all the Canary Islands.

2 Silbo is only appropriate for short and simple messages.

3 In the brain-activity study, silbadores and non-whistlers produced different results.

4 The Spanish introduced Silbo to the islands in the 15th century.

5 There is precise data available regarding all of the whistle languages in existence today.

6 The children of Gomera now learn Silbo.

Questions 7–13: Note Completion

Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 7–13.

Silbo Gomero

    How Silbo is produced
    • high- and low-frequency tones represent different sounds in Spanish (7).
    • pitch of whistle is controlled using silbador’s (8).
    • (9). is changed with a cupped hand
    How Silbo is used
    • has long been used by shepherds and people living in secluded locations
    • in everyday use for the transmission of brief (10).
    • can relay essential information quickly, e.g. to inform people about (11).
    The future of Silbo
    • future under threat because of new (12).
    • Canaries’ authorities hoping to receive a UNESCO (13). to help preserve it
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Exam Duration:
min
Standard test • Range: 5-180 minutes
20 min
13 questions
IELTS Reading #116: Silbo Gomero – the whistle ‘language’ of the Canary Islands | IELTS Rewind