IELTS Reading #114: Why fairy tales are really scary tales

Questions 1–5: Complete each sentence

Write the correct letter, A–F, in boxes 1–5.

A. may be provided through methods used in biological research.
B. are the reason for their survival.
C. show considerable global variation.
D. contain animals which transform to become humans.
E. were originally spoken rather than written.
F. have been developed without factual basis.

1. In fairy tales, details of the plot	A	B	C	D	E	F
2. Tehrani rejects the idea that the useful lessons for life in fairy tales	A	B	C	D	E	F
3. Various theories about the social significance of fairy tales	A	B	C	D	E	F
4. Insights into the development of fairy tales	A	B	C	D	E	F
5. All the fairy tales analysed by Tehrani	A	B	C	D	E	F

Questions 6–10: Summary Completion

Complete the summary below.
Drag words from the box into the blanks.
Write your answers in boxes 6–10.

Word Box:

ending events warning links records variations horror people plot

Phylogenetic analysis of Little Red Riding Hood

Tehrani used techniques from evolutionary biology to find out if (6) existed among 58 stories from around the world. He also wanted to know which aspects of the stories had fewest (7) , as he believed these aspects would be the most important ones. Contrary to other beliefs, he found that some (8) that were included in a story tended to change over time, and that the middle of a story seemed no more important than the other parts. He was also surprised that parts of a story which seemed to provide some sort of (9) were unimportant. The aspect that he found most important in a story’s survival was (10).

Questions 11–14: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.

11. What method did Jamie Tehrani use to test his ideas about fairy tales?

A) He compared oral and written forms of the same stories. B) He looked at many different forms of the same basic story. C) He looked at unrelated stories from many different countries. D) He contrasted the development of fairy tales with that of living creatures.

12. When discussing Tehrani’s views, Jack Zipes suggests that

A) Tehrani ignores key changes in the role of women. B) stories which are too horrific are not always taken seriously. C) Tehrani overemphasises the importance of violence in stories. D) features of stories only survive if they have a deeper significance.

13. Why does Tehrani refer to Chinese and Japanese fairy tales?

A) to indicate that Jack Zipes’ theory is incorrect B) to suggest that crime is a global problem C) to imply that all fairy tales have a similar meaning D) to add more evidence for Jack Zipes’ ideas

14. What does Mathias Clasen believe about fairy tales?

A) They are a safe way of learning to deal with fear. B) They are a type of entertainment that some people avoid. C) They reflect the changing values of our society. D) They reduce our ability to deal with real-world problems.

IELTS Reading Practice Test: Why fairy tales are really scary tales

Reading Passage Content Summary

Question Types Included

Test Information

Reading Passage Content

Questions 1–5: Complete each sentence

Questions 6–10: Summary Completion

Word Box:

Phylogenetic analysis of Little Red Riding Hood

Questions 11–14: Multiple Choice

Reading Passage Content

Questions 1–5: Complete each sentence

Questions 6–10: Summary Completion

Word Box:

Phylogenetic analysis of Little Red Riding Hood

Questions 11–14: Multiple Choice