Practice Tests
IELTS Reading (AC) Task 1 #111

A. The Silk Road was not a single thoroughfare but an extensive network of trade routes that connected the East and West for more than 1,500 years. Its primary function was to facilitate the exchange of goods, most notably Chinese silk, which was highly prized in the Roman Empire. However, the significance of this ancient network extends far beyond mere commerce. It served as a vital conduit for the transmission of ideas, technologies, religions, and cultures, profoundly shaping the development of civilizations across Eurasia and North Africa.

B. The exchange of commodities along these routes was remarkably diverse. From the East came silk, spices, tea, and porcelain, while the West traded goods such as horses, glassware, wine, and precious metals. This long-distance trade was fraught with peril, involving treacherous deserts, formidable mountain ranges, and the constant threat of bandits. Consequently, goods passed through the hands of many intermediaries, such as the Parthians and later the Sogdians, with each transaction increasing the final price, making these luxury items symbols of immense wealth and status.

C. Perhaps more influential than the material trade was the intangible exchange of knowledge and beliefs. Buddhism, originating in India, spread eastwards along the Silk Road, reaching China and eventually Japan and Korea, where it became a major religion. Similarly, technologies like papermaking and gunpowder, both Chinese inventions, made their way westward, where they would eventually revolutionise European society. This cross-pollination of ideas also included advancements in mathematics, astronomy, and medicine, fostering a period of shared intellectual growth.

D. The decline of the Silk Road began in the late Middle Ages with the rise of maritime trade, which offered a faster, safer, and more economical alternative for transporting goods. The collapse of major empires that had once secured the routes, such as the Mongol Empire, also contributed to its fragmentation and eventual obsolescence. Despite its decline, the legacy of the Silk Road endures, symbolising the power of interconnectedness and the immense benefits of cross-cultural exchange that continue to shape our globalised world today.