Numeration Reading Answers: The Numeration IELTS Reading Passage explores how humans developed the concept of numbers and counting, from early tribal systems to modern arithmetic. The Numeration Reading Passage with Answers helps IELTS students understand key ideas and patterns in the text.
Practicing with the Numeration IELTS Academic Reading and reviewing the Numeration Reading Test Answers improves comprehension, timing, and accuracy. This passage also strengthens skills relevant to IELTS Reading Topics, IELTS Reading multiple choice questions, IELTS Reading Sentence Completion Questions, and understanding the IELTS Reading structure, supporting strategies to improve IELTS Reading Score and achieve a higher IELTS Reading Band Score.
Numeration IELTS Reading Passage explains the development of numbers and counting systems from ancient times to modern arithmetic. The Numeration Reading Passage with Answers provides clear solutions for all questions. Practicing with the Numeration IELTS Academic Reading and reviewing the Numeration Reading Test Answers improves comprehension and accuracy.
Numeration
One of the best intellectual achievements of a baby is learning how to talk to a person, and the next is learning how to count numbers and play with them. From childhood days, we get so attached to the numbers and the numeration system. It is considered a feat of pure imaginative thinking to look at the problems encountered by humans who did not invent this kind of luxury. After a thorough observation of our self-made numeration system, it is clear that it takes us to the conviction that, instead of being a luxury that is inbuilt in a person, it is one of the best and incomparable achievements of the human tribe.
It is not correct to learn the series of things that happened that made us develop the idea of number, number system, etc. Let's assume that our ancestors developed a system of numeration that, if not advanced, was good enough to perform tasks they had during that time. Our earliest tribal men and women had very limited usage of actual numbers. Is this sufficient? Instead of how many? For instance, when they indulged in hunting and food gathering. On the other hand, when early tribal communities initially started to present on the nature of invariable things surrounded by them, they found out that they required a concept of numbers and number system just to think in an orderly manner. As they started to stop shifting from one place to another, plant trees, and feed animals, the requirement for an advanced number system became inevitable. It will become an unknown fact how and when this numeration skill came to life, however it is clear that certain numeration was developed correctly when we as humans settled for even semi-permanent lives.
There are many proofs and evidence of initial stages of arithmetic and numeration found in some parts of the world. Even now, many tribal people from Tasmania and other parts of Africa were only able to count numbers like one, two, many; in some parts of South Africa counted one, two, two and one, two twos, two twos and one, etc. Now, the number and words are mostly accompanied by physical gestures to avoid unnecessary confusion. For instance, while counting the numbers like one, two, many types of system, the word many would seem to be, Follow my hands and follow the number of fingers I am showing you. This fundamental step is used only in the variety of numbers which it can express, but this will normally diminish while facing the easier components of mere existence.
The deprivation of skills of some ethnicity to face large numbers is not astonishing. When we look back to the earlier version of European languages, it is found that the words, expressions and numbers are very poor in standards. In the ancient Gothic word, the word for teon, tachund tachund, was represented as the number 100 as tachund tachund. Similarly, in the seventh century, the word toen was interchangeable with the tachund or hund of the Anglo-Saxon language, and so 100 was denoted as hund teontig, or ten times ten. A typical individual from the seventh century in Europe did not know anything about numbers as we use them in this modern era. In the previous days, when a person needed to be produced as a witness in a court of law, they must be able to count numbers from one to nine.
In this case the most basic action to develop a sense of number is definitely not how to count but rather to understand that the concept of number is an abstract idea. It is not a simple attachment to a group of specific subjects. The earliest human race must have been able to predict and understand that four birds are different from two birds. But, it is not that basic to count the number 4, as it is associated with four birds, to the number 4, as it is associated with four rocks. Connecting to a number as one of the qualities of a specific object causes great difficulty to the imagination and development of a true number system. If the number 4 is able to register in the mind in terms of a specific word, then the person can easily take the next step to develop a notational system for numbers. Once that is done, they can shift to arithmetic concepts.
There are many traces identified in the early stages of the development of numeration. It can be witnessed in many currently speaking languages. In British Columbia, the Tsimshian language has approximately seven different forms of words, especially for numbers based on the class of the item counted. For example, to count flat objects, materials and animals, to count round objects, time, to count the number of people, to count the long objects like trees, to count canoes, to measure something, and to count any particular item which is not being numerated. It is found that the last was a new development from the humans' side, where the first six groups reveal the order system used. When we look at the Japanese language, we can find this diversity of names for each number.
Interconnected with the number sense development is nothing but the development of a skill to count. Here, the process of counting is not directly associated with the information of a number concept mainly because it is fine to do counting by comparing the items that are counted against a set of pebble stones, corn grains, or the fingers. These support systems might be inevitable to the ancient society, who might have considered this process impossible. This does not require any mechanical support as well. These support systems, though they are different, are in use by literate people as it seems to be convenient. It is very clear that whatever is counted obviously refers to something other than the object that counted. Previously, it was seen as grains, pebbles, etc. Now it is a memorised series of words that are assigned to each number counted.
The Numeration IELTS Reading Passage introduces the history and development of numbers and counting. Practicing sample questions helps students identify key ideas, manage time, and improve accuracy. These exercises are ideal for preparing for the Numeration IELTS Academic Reading and familiarizing yourself with common IELTS reading question types.
Sample Questions on IELTS Numeration Reading Answers | ||
Question No. | Question Type | Question / Instruction |
1 | Multiple Choice | Which intellectual achievement follows learning to talk in babies? |
2 | True/False/Not Given | Early tribal people used advanced numeration systems like modern humans. |
3 | Short Answer | Why did early settled communities need an advanced number system? |
4 | Matching Information | Match the region to its early counting method: |
5 | Sentence Completion | Understanding numbers initially required recognizing that four birds are … |
6 | Multiple Choice | What is the next step after associating numbers with specific objects? |
7 | Summary Completion / Notes | Early languages showed diversity in counting. Give an example. |
The Numeration Reading Passage with Answers provides clear solutions for each question. Reviewing the Numeration Reading Test Answers helps learners locate information, understand concepts, and refine strategies. This practice is essential for boosting comprehension, handling multiple-choice and sentence completion questions, and achieving higher scores in IELTS Academic Reading.
IELTS Numeration Reading Answers | |||
Question No. | Question / Instruction | Answer | Explanation |
1 | Which intellectual achievement follows learning to talk in babies? | Learning how to count numbers and play with them. | The passage states that after talking, babies’ next major intellectual achievement is understanding numbers. |
2 | Early tribal people used advanced numeration systems like modern humans. | False | The passage explains early tribal systems were basic (e.g., one, two, many) and not like modern numeration. |
3 | Why did early settled communities need an advanced number system? | To organize activities like planting, feeding animals, and planning. | Settled communities required numbers for practical daily tasks and managing semi-permanent lives. |
4 | Match the region to its early counting method: | Tasmania/Africa – one, two, many; South Africa – one, two, two and one, etc. | The passage provides examples of simple counting systems still used by tribal communities in these regions. |
5 | Understanding numbers initially required recognizing that four birds are … | different from two birds. | Early humans needed to understand quantity as an abstract concept before learning numerical notation. |
6 | What is the next step after associating numbers with specific objects? | Developing a notational system and arithmetic concepts. | Once numbers were associated with objects, humans could create symbols and perform arithmetic operations. |
7 | Early languages showed diversity in counting. Give an example. | Tsimshian language: seven forms for different classes like flat objects, animals, trees, canoes, etc. | The passage highlights counting variations in Tsimshian language based on object type, showing early complexity. |
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