Table of Contents
Passage
The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, named their story collection Children’s and Household Tales and published the first of its seven editions in Germany in 1812. The table of contents reads like an A-list of fairy-tale celebrities: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, the Frog King. Drawn mostly from oral narratives, the 210 stories in the Grimms’ collection represent an anthology of fairy tales, animal fables, rustic farces, and religious allegories that remain unrivalled to this day.
Such lasting fame would have shocked the humble Grimms. During their lifetimes the collection sold modestly in Germany, at first only a few hundred copies a year. The early editions were not even aimed at children. The brothers initially refused to consider illustrations, and scholarly footnotes took up almost as much space as the tales themselves. Jacob and Wilhelm viewed themselves as patriotic folklorists, not as entertainers of children. They began their work at a time when Germany had been overrun by the French under Napoleon, who were intent on suppressing local culture. As young, workaholic scholars, single and sharing a cramped flat, the Brothers Grimm undertook the fairy-tale collection with the goal of saving the endangered oral tradition of Germany.
For much of the 19th century teachers, parents, and religious figures, particularly in the United States, depiored the Grimms’ collection for its raw, uncivilized content. Offended adults objected to the gruesome punishments inflicted on the stories’ villains. In the original “Snow White” the evil stepmother is forced to dance in red-hot iron shoes until she falls down dead. Even today some protective parents shy from the Grimms’ tales because of their reputation for violence.
Despite its sometimes rocky reception, Children’s and Household Tales gradually took root with the public. The brothers had not foreseen that the appearance of their work would coincide with a great flowering of children’s literature in Europe. English publishers led the way, issuing high-quality picture books such as Jack and the Beanstalk and handsome folktale collections, all to satisfy a newly literate audience seeking virtuous material for the nursery. Once the Brothers Grimm sighted this new public, they set about refining and softening their tales, which had originated centuries earlier as earthy peasant fare. In the Grimms’ hands, cruel mothers became nasty stepmothers, unmarried lovers were made chaste, and the incestuous father was recast as the devil.
In the 20th century the Grimms’ fairy tales have come to rule the bookshelves of children’s bedrooms. The stories read like dreams come true: handsome lads and beautiful damsels, armed with magic, triumph over giants and witches and wild beasts. They outwit mean, selfish adults. Inevitably the boy and girl fall in love and live happily ever after. And parents keep reading because they approve of the finger-wagging lessons inserted into the stories: keep your promises, don’t talk to strangers, work hard, obey your parents. According to the Grimms, the collection served as “a manual of manners”.
Altogether some 40 persons delivered tales to the Grimms. Many of the storytellers came to the Grimms’ house in Kassel. The brothers particularly welcomed the visits of Dorothea Viehmann, a widow who walked to town to sell produce from her garden. An innkeeper’s daughter, Viehmann had grown up listening to stories from travellers on the road to Frankfurt. Among her treasures was “Aschenputtel”—Cinderella. Marie Hassenpflug was a 20-year-old friend of their sister, Charlotte, from a well-bred, French-speaking family. Marie’s wonderful stories blended motifs from the oral tradition and from Perrault’s influential 1697 book, Tales of My Mother Goose, which contained elaborate versions of “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Snow White”, and “Sleeping Beauty”, among others. Many of these had been adapted from earlier Italian fairy tales.
Given that the origins of many of the Grimm fairy tales reach throughout Europe and into the Middle East and Orient, the question must be asked: How German are the Grimm tales? Very, says scholar Heinz Rolleke. Love of the underdog, rustic simplicity creative energy—these are Teutonic traits. The coarse texture of life during medieval times in Germany, when many of the tales entered the oral tradition, also coloured the narratives. Throughout Europe children were often neglected and abandoned, like Hansel and Gretel. Accused witches were burned at the stake, like the evil mother-inlaw in “The Six Swans”. “The cruelty in the stories was not the Grimms’ fantasy”, Rolleke points out. “It reflected the law-and-order system of the old times”.
The editorial fingerprints left by the Grimms betray the specific values of 19th-century Christian, bourgeois German society. But that has not stopped the tales from being embraced by almost every culture and nationality in the world. What accounts for this widespread, enduring popularity? Bernhard Lauer points to the “universal style” of the writing. “You have no concrete descriptions of the land, or the clothes, or the forest, or the castles. It makes the stories timeless and placeless.” “The tales allow us to express ‘our utopian longings’,” says lack Zipes of the University of Minnesota, whose 1987 translation of the complete fairy tales captures the rustic vigour of the original text. “They show a striving for happiness that none of us knows but that we sense is possible. We can identify with the heroes of the tales and become in our mind the masters and mistresses of our own destinies. “
Fairy tales proynde a workout for the unconscious, psychoanalysts maintain. Bruno Bettelheim famously promoted the therapeutic value of the Grimms’ stories, calling fairy tales the “great comforters”. By confronting fears and phobias, symbolized by witches, heartless stepmothers, and hungry wolves, children find they can master their anxieties. Bettelheim’s theory continues to be hotly debated. But most young readers aren’t interested in exercising their unconsciousness. The Grimm tales in fact please in an infinite number of ways. Something about them seems to mirror whatever moods or interests we bring to our reading of them. This flexibility of interpretation suits them for almost any time and any culture.
Questions
Questions 27 – 32
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage?
In boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet, write
| YES NO | if the statement agrees with the views of the writer if the statement contradicts the views of the writer |
| NOT GIVEN | if it is impossible to say that the writer thinks about this |
27 The Grimm brothers believed they would achieve international fame.
28 The Grimm brothers were forced to work in secret.
29 Some parents today still think Grimm’s fairy tales are not suitable for children.
30 The first edition of Grimm’s fairy tales sold more widely in England than in Germany.
31 Adults like reading Grimm’s fairy tales for reasons different from those of children.
32 The Grimm brothers based the story “Cinderella” on the life of Dorothea Viehmann.
Questions 33 – 35
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write your answers in boxes 33-35 on your answer sheet.
33 In paragraph 4, what changes happened at that time in Europe?
A. Literacy levels of the population increased.
B. The development of printing technology made it easier to publish.
C. Schools were open to children.
D. People were fond of colleting superb picture books.
34 What changes did the Grimm Brothers make in later editions?
A. They made the stories shorter.
B. They used more oral language.
C. The content of the tales became less violent.
D. They found other origins of the tales.
35 What did Marie Hassenpflug contribute to the Grimm’s Fairy tales?
A. She wrote stories.
B. She discussed the stories with them.
C. She translated a popular book for the brothers using her talent for languages.
D. She told the oral stories that were based on traditional Italian stories.
Questions 36 – 40
Complete each sentence with correct ending, A-H, below.
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.
36 Heinz Rolleke said the Grimm’s tales are “German” because the tales
37 Heinz Rolleke said the abandoned children in tales
38 Bernhard Lauer said the writing style of the Grimm brothers is universal because they
39 Jack Zipes said the pursuit of happiness in the tales means they
40 Bruno Bettelheim said the therapeutic value of the tales means that the fairy tales
A. reflect what life was like at that time.
B. help children deal with their problems.
C. demonstrate the outdated system.
D. tell of the simplicity of life in the German countryside.
E. encourage people to believe that they can do anything.
F. recognize the heroes in the real life.
G. contribute to the belief in nature power.
H. avoid details about characters’ social settings.
Answers
Below are the answers, key words, synonyms and full explanations for the IELTS Reading passage Grimm’s Fairy Tales (Passage 3, Questions 27–40).
Questions 27–32: Yes / No / Not Given (views of the writer)
27. The Grimm brothers believed they would achieve international fame.
Answer: NO
Key words: Such lasting fame would have shocked the humble Grimms
Synonyms: did not believe they would be famous = fame would have shocked them = “Such lasting fame would have shocked the humble Grimms. During their lifetimes the collection sold modestly”
Explanation: The writer says their fame would have shocked them, so they did not expect it → NO.
28. The Grimm brothers were forced to work in secret.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key words: As young, workaholic scholars, single and sharing a cramped flat … undertook the fairy-tale collection
Synonyms: The passage describes their working conditions but never says they had to work in secret.
Explanation: There is no information about the brothers being forced to work secretly → NOT GIVEN.
29. Some parents today still think Grimm’s fairy tales are not suitable for children.
Answer: YES
Key words: Even today some protective parents shy from the Grimms’ tales because of their reputation for violence
Synonyms: some parents still think not suitable = protective parents shy away because of violence = “Even today some protective parents shy from the Grimms’ tales because of their reputation for violence”
Explanation: The writer confirms some parents still avoid the tales as unsuitable → YES.
30. The first edition of Grimm’s fairy tales sold more widely in England than in Germany.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key words: the collection sold modestly in Germany … English publishers led the way
Synonyms: The passage says sales were modest in Germany and English publishers led children’s literature, but never compares first-edition sales in England vs Germany.
Explanation: No comparison of first-edition sales between the two countries is given → NOT GIVEN.
31. Adults like reading Grimm’s fairy tales for reasons different from those of children.
Answer: YES
Key words: parents keep reading because they approve of the finger-wagging lessons … keep your promises, don’t talk to strangers
Synonyms: adults read for different reasons = parents value the moral lessons (while children enjoy the adventures) = “parents keep reading because they approve of the finger-wagging lessons inserted into the stories”
Explanation: Children enjoy the magical adventures while adults value the moral lessons — different reasons → YES.
32. The Grimm brothers based the story “Cinderella” on the life of Dorothea Viehmann.
Answer: NO
Key words: Among her treasure was “Aschenputtel” – Cinderella
Synonyms: not based on her life = she merely told them the tale = “The brothers particularly welcomed the visits of Dorothea Viehmann … Among her treasure was ‘Aschenputtel’ – Cinderella”
Explanation: Viehmann told the brothers the Cinderella tale; it was not based on her life → NO.
Questions 33–35: Multiple Choice
33. In paragraph 4, what changes happened at that time in Europe?
Answer: A (Literacy levels of the population increased)
Key words: to satisfy a newly literate audience seeking virtuous material for the nursery
Synonyms: literacy levels increased = a newly literate audience = “English publishers led the way … all to satisfy a newly literate audience seeking virtuous material for the nursery”
Explanation: The flowering of children’s literature was driven by a newly literate (more literate) audience → A.
34. What changes did the Grimm Brothers make in later editions?
Answer: C (The content of the tales became less violent)
Key words: they set about refining and softening their tales … cruel mothers became nasty stepmothers, unmarried lovers were made chaste
Synonyms: became less violent = refining and softening the tales = “Once the Brothers Grimm sighted this new public, they set about refining and softening their tales”
Explanation: In later editions the brothers softened the harsh/violent content → C.
35. What did Marie Hassenpflug contribute to the Grimm’s Fairy tales?
Answer: D (She told the oral stories that were based on traditional Italian stories)
Key words: Marie’s wonderful stories blended motifs from the oral tradition and from Perrault’s … book … Many of these had been adapted from earlier Italian tales
Synonyms: told oral stories based on Italian tales = her stories blended oral tradition and Perrault’s tales, which came from earlier Italian tales = “Marie’s wonderful stories blended motifs from the oral tradition and from Perrault’s influential 1697 book … Many of these had been adapted from earlier Italian tales”
Explanation: Marie supplied stories drawn from the oral tradition and Perrault, ultimately adapted from earlier Italian tales → D.
Questions 36–40: Complete each sentence with the correct ending (A–H)
Endings: A reflect what life was like at that time; B help children deal with their problems; C demonstrate the outdated system; D tell of the simplicity of life in the German countryside; E encourage people to believe that they can do anything; F recognize the heroes in real life; G contribute to the belief in nature power; H avoid details about characters’ social settings.
36. Heinz Rolleke said the Grimm’s tales are “German” because the tales ______
Answer: D (tell of the simplicity of life in the German countryside)
Key words: Love of the underdog, rustic simplicity, creative energy—these are Teutonic traits
Synonyms: German because of rustic simplicity = simplicity of life in the German countryside = “Very, says scholar Heinz Rolleke. Love of the underdog, rustic simplicity, creative energy—these are Teutonic traits”
Explanation: Rolleke ties the tales’ “Germanness” to rustic simplicity → D.
37. Heinz Rolleke said the abandoned children in the tales ______
Answer: A (reflect what life was like at that time)
Key words: The cruelty in the stories was not the Grimm’s fantasy … It reflected the law-and-order system of the old times
Synonyms: reflect what life was like then = reflected the old times’ law-and-order system; children were neglected and abandoned = “Throughout Europe, children were often neglected and abandoned, like Hansel and Gretel … It reflected the law-and-order system of the old times”
Explanation: Rolleke says abandoned children in the tales mirror the reality of the era → A.
38. Bernhard Lauer said the writing style of the Grimm brothers is universal because they ______
Answer: H (avoid details about characters’ social settings)
Key words: you have no concrete descriptions of the land, or the clothes, or the forest, or the castles … timeless and placeless
Synonyms: avoid details about social settings = no concrete descriptions of land, clothes, castles = “Bernhard Lauer points to the ‘universal style’ … you have no concrete descriptions of the land, or the clothes, or the forest, or the castles”
Explanation: Lauer says the lack of concrete setting detail makes the style universal → H.
39. Jack Zipes said the pursuit of happiness in the tales means they ______
Answer: E (encourage people to believe that they can do anything)
Key words: a striving for happiness … we can identify with the heroes … become … the masters and mistresses of our own destinies
Synonyms: believe they can do anything = become masters of our own destinies = “They show a striving for happiness … We can identify with the heroes of the tales and become in our mind the masters and mistresses of our own destinies”
Explanation: Zipes says the tales let people feel they can master their own destinies → E.
40. Bruno Bettelheim said the therapeutic value of the tales means that the fairy tales ______
Answer: B (help children deal with their problems)
Key words: By confronting fears and phobias … children find they can master their anxieties
Synonyms: help children deal with their problems = confronting fears lets children master anxieties = “Bruno Bettelheim famously promoted the therapeutic … calling fairy tales the ‘great comforters’ … children find they can master their anxieties”
Explanation: Bettelheim says the tales help children confront fears and manage their anxieties → B.
Answer Key (Quick Reference)
| Q | Answer | Q | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | NO | 34 | C |
| 28 | NOT GIVEN | 35 | D |
| 29 | YES | 36 | D |
| 30 | NOT GIVEN | 37 | A |
| 31 | YES | 38 | H |
| 32 | NO | 39 | E |
| 33 | A | 40 | B |
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