Table of Contents
Ambergris
What is it and where does it come from?
Passage
A. Ambergris was used to perfume cosmetics in the days of ancient Mesopotamia and almost every civilization on the earth has a brush with ambergris. Before 1,000 AD, the Chinese names ambergris as lung sien hiang, “dragon’s spittle perfume,” as they think that it was produced from the drooling of dragons sleeping on rocks at the edge of a sea. The Arabs knew ambergris as anbar, believing that it is produced from springs near seas. It also gets its name from here. For centuries, this substance has also been used as a flavouring for food.
B. During the Middle Ages, Europeans used ambergris as a remedy for headaches, colds, epilepsy, and other ailments. In the 1851 whaling novel MobyDick, Herman Melville claimed that ambergris was “largely used in perfumery.” But nobody ever knew where it really came from. Experts were still guessing its origin thousands of years later, until the long ages of guesswork ended in the 1720’s, when Nantucket whalers found gobs of the costly material inside the stomachs of sperm whales. Industrial whaling quickly burgeoned. By 20th century ambergris is mainly recovered from inside the carcasses of sperm whales.
C. Through countless ages, people have found pieces of ambergris on sandy beaches. It was named grey amber to distinguish it from golden amber, another rare treasure. Both of them were among the most sought-after substances in the world, almost as valuable as gold. (Ambergris sells for roughly $20 a gram, slightly less than gold at $30 a gram.)
Amber floats in salt water, and in old times the origin of both these substances was mysterious. But it turned out that amber and ambergris have little in common. Amber is a fossilized resin from trees that was quite familiar to Europeans long before the discovery of the New World, and prized as jewelry. Although considered a gem, amber is a hard, transparent, wholly-organic material derived from the resin of extinct species of trees, mainly pines.
D. To the earliest Western chroniclers, ambergris was variously thought to come from the same bituminous sea founts as amber, from the sperm of fishes or whales, from the droppings of strange sea birds (probably because of confusion over the included beaks of squid) or from the large hives of bees living near the sea. Marco Polo was the first Western chronicler who correctly attributed ambergris to sperm whales and its vomit.
E. As sperm whales navigate in the oceans, they often dive down to 2 km or more below the sea level to prey on squid, most famously the Giant Squid. It’s commonly accepted that ambergris forms in the whale’s gut or intestines as the creature attempts to “deal” with squid beaks. Sperm whales are rather partial to squid, but seemingly struggle to digest the hard, sharp, parrot-like beaks. It is thought their stomach juices become hyper-active trying to process the irritants, and eventually hard, resinous lumps are formed around the beaks, and then expelled from their innards by vomiting.
When a whale initially vomits up ambergris, it is soft and has a terrible smell. Some marine biologists compare it to the unpleasant smell of cow dung. But after floating on the salty ocean for about a decade, the substance hardens with air and sun into a smooth, waxy, usually rounded piece of nostril heaven. The dung smell is gone, replaced by a sweet, smooth, musky and pleasant earthy aroma.
F. Since ambergris is derived from animals, naturally a question of ethics arises, and in the case of ambergris, it is very important to consider. Sperm whales are an endangered species, whose populations started to decline as far back as the 19th century due to the high demand for their highly emollient oil, and today their stocks still have not recovered. During the 1970’s, the Save the Whales movement brought the plight of whales to international recognition.
Many people now believe that whales are “saved”. This couldn’t be further from the truth. All around the world, whaling still exists. Many countries continue to hunt whales, in spite of international treaties to protect them. Many marine researchers are concerned that even the trade in naturally found ambergris can be harmful by creating further incentives to hunt whales for this valuable substance.
G. One of the forms ambergris is used today is as a valuable fixative in perfumes to enhance and prolong the scent. But nowadays, since ambergris is rare and expensive, and big fragrance suppliers that make most of the fragrances on the market today do not deal in it for reasons of cost, availability and murky legal issues, most perfumeries prefer to add a chemical derivative which mimics the properties of ambergris.
As a fragrance consumer, you can assume that there is no natural ambergris in your perfume bottle, unless the company advertises this fact and unless you own vintage fragrances created before the 1980s. If you are wondering if you have been wearing a perfume with this legendary ingredient, you may want to review your scent collection. Here are a few of some of the top ambergris containing perfumes: Givenchy Amarige, Chanel No. 5, and Gucci Guilty.
Questions
Questions 1-6
Classify the following information as referring to
A. ambergris only
B. amber only
C. both ambergris and amber
D. neither ambergris nor amber
Write the correct letter, A, B, C, or D in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
1 being expensive
2 adds flavor to food
3 used as currency
4 being see-through
5 referred to by Herman Melville
6 produces sweet smell
Questions 7-9
Complete the sentences below with NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage.
Write your answers in boxes 7-9 on your answer sheet.
7 Sperm whales can’t digest the ______of the squids.
8 Sperm whales drive the irritants out of their intestines by______
9 The vomit of sperm whale gradually______ on contact of air before having pleasant smell.
Questions 10-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet, 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
10 Most ambergris comes from the dead whales today.
11 Ambergris is becoming more expensive than before.
12 Ambergris is still the most frequently used ingredient in perfume production today.
13 New uses of ambergris have been discovered recently.
Answers
Below are the answers, key words, synonyms and full explanations for the IELTS Reading passage Ambergris (Passage 1, Questions 1–13).
Questions 1–6: Classification (A ambergris only, B amber only, C both ambergris and amber, D neither ambergris nor amber)
1. being expensive
Answer: C
Key words: Both of them were among the most sought-after substances in the world, almost as valuable as gold
Synonyms: being expensive = both were almost as valuable as gold = “Both of them were among the most sought-after substances in the world, almost as valuable as gold. (Ambergris sells for roughly $20 a gram, slightly less than gold at $30 a gram.)”
Explanation: The passage says both ambergris and amber were nearly as valuable as gold → C.
2. adds flavor to food
Answer: A
Key words: For centuries, this substance has also been used as a flavouring for food
Synonyms: adds flavour to food = ambergris used as a flavouring for food = “For centuries, this substance [ambergris] has also been used as a flavouring for food”
Explanation: Only ambergris is described as a food flavouring; amber is not → A.
3. used as currency
Answer: D
Key words: (no mention of currency for either substance)
Synonyms: used as currency = not stated for ambergris or amber anywhere in the passage
Explanation: Neither ambergris nor amber is said to have been used as currency → D.
4. being see-through
Answer: B
Key words: amber is a hard, transparent, wholly-organic material
Synonyms: being see-through = amber is transparent = “Although considered a gem, amber is a hard, transparent, wholly-organic material derived from the resin of extinct species of trees”
Explanation: Only amber is described as transparent; ambergris is a waxy, opaque lump → B.
5. referred to by Herman Melville
Answer: A
Key words: In the 1851 whaling novel Moby-Dick, Herman Melville claimed that ambergris was “largely used in perfumery”
Synonyms: referred to by Herman Melville = Melville wrote about ambergris in Moby-Dick = “In the 1851 whaling novel Moby-Dick, Herman Melville claimed that ambergris was ‘largely used in perfumery'”
Explanation: Melville referred to ambergris (not amber) in Moby-Dick → A.
6. produces sweet smell
Answer: A
Key words: replaced by a sweet, smooth, musky and pleasant earthy aroma
Synonyms: produces sweet smell = ambergris develops a sweet, musky, pleasant aroma = “The dung smell is gone, replaced by a sweet, smooth, musky and pleasant earthy aroma”
Explanation: Only ambergris is said to develop a sweet smell; amber’s smell is not mentioned → A.
Questions 7–9: Sentence Completion (NO MORE THAN ONE WORD)
7. Sperm whales can’t digest the ______ of the squids.
Answer: beaks
Key words: seemingly struggle to digest the hard, sharp, parrot-like beaks
Synonyms: can’t digest the ______ = struggle to digest the hard, sharp beaks = “Sperm whales are rather partial to squid, but seemingly struggle to digest the hard, sharp, parrot-like beaks”
Explanation: The whales cannot digest the squid beaks → beaks.
8. Sperm whales drive the irritants out of their intestines by ______
Answer: vomiting
Key words: hard, resinous lumps are formed around the beaks, and then expelled from their innards by vomiting
Synonyms: drive the irritants out by ______ = expelled from their innards by vomiting = “hard, resinous lumps are formed around the beaks, and then expelled from their innards by vomiting”
Explanation: The lumps (irritants) are expelled by vomiting → vomiting.
9. The vomit of the sperm whale gradually ______ on contact with air before having a pleasant smell.
Answer: hardens
Key words: the substance hardens with air and sun into a smooth, waxy, usually rounded piece
Synonyms: gradually ______ on contact with air = the substance hardens with air and sun = “after floating on the salty ocean for about a decade, the substance hardens with air and sun into a smooth, waxy, usually rounded piece”
Explanation: Exposed to air and sun, the ambergris hardens → hardens.
Questions 10–13: True / False / Not Given
10. Most ambergris comes from dead whales today.
Answer: TRUE
Key words: By 20th century ambergris is mainly recovered from inside the carcasses of sperm whales
Synonyms: most comes from dead whales = mainly recovered from the carcasses of sperm whales = “By 20th century ambergris is mainly recovered from inside the carcasses of sperm whales”
Explanation: “Carcasses” means dead whales, and ambergris is mainly recovered from them → TRUE.
11. Ambergris is becoming more expensive than before.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key words: Ambergris sells for roughly $20 a gram, slightly less than gold
Synonyms: becoming more expensive over time = no comparison of its price across time is given = “Ambergris sells for roughly $20 a gram, slightly less than gold at $30 a gram”
Explanation: The passage gives a current price but never compares it with the past → NOT GIVEN.
12. Ambergris is still the most frequently used ingredient in perfume production today.
Answer: FALSE
Key words: most perfumeries prefer to add a chemical derivative which mimics the properties of ambergris
Synonyms: still the most used ingredient (contradicted) = most perfumeries now use a chemical substitute instead = “since ambergris is rare and expensive … most perfumeries prefer to add a chemical derivative which mimics the properties of ambergris”
Explanation: Perfumeries mostly use a synthetic substitute now, not natural ambergris → FALSE.
13. New uses of ambergris have been discovered recently.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key words: One of the forms ambergris is used today is as a valuable fixative in perfumes
Synonyms: new uses discovered recently = only its established use as a perfume fixative is mentioned = “One of the forms ambergris is used today is as a valuable fixative in perfumes to enhance and prolong the scent”
Explanation: The passage describes existing uses but mentions no newly discovered ones → NOT GIVEN.
Answer Key (Quick Reference)
| Q | Answer | Q | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | 8 | vomiting |
| 2 | A | 9 | hardens |
| 3 | D | 10 | TRUE |
| 4 | B | 11 | NOT GIVEN |
| 5 | A | 12 | FALSE |
| 6 | A | 13 | NOT GIVEN |
| 7 | beaks |
I need reading answers please ambergris all passage