The Scarlet Pimpernel of The Vatican Reading Answers with IELTS Passage

The Scarlet Pimpernel of The Vatican Reading Answers:  If you are preparing for the IELTS Reading section, mastering passages like The Scarlet Pimpernel of The Vatican can significantly improve your score. This passage is rich in historical content and vocabulary, offering practice for multiple-choice and summary completion question types. In this article, you'll find a full set of answers, complete with explanations, reference points, and keywords to help you understand how to locate and interpret information effectively. Ideal for IELTS Academic and General Training candidates alike, this walkthrough is a valuable resource for enhancing your reading comprehension under timed conditions.

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The Scarlet Pimpernel of The Vatican Reading Answers Passage

Questions 1-13, based on the Reading Passage below, should take you about 20 minutes to complete.

The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican 

A. Born in Kiskeam in his mother’s native North Cork, Hugh O’Flaherty was brought up in Killarney, where his father was the steward of a local golf club. He was the eldest of four children, and from an early age, appeared to have a vocation for the priesthood. His fondness for the church was formed in part during his education, which began at Presentation Brothers’ school in a local monastery in his hometown. He later attended Waterford College, but the priesthood was always going to be his calling, so he applied to Mungret College in Limerick and was accepted into the seminary there. He was posted to Rome as a young seminarian in 1922, the year in which Mussolini came to power. While studying in Rome, he earned a degree in theology and was ordained in 1925 before going on to study there for a further two years, earning his doctorates in divinity, canon law and philosophy.

B. O’Flaherty posted at various times over the next few years in Egypt, Haiti, San Domingo and Czechoslovakia, as well as Palestine, soon proved himself a very able diplomat. His golfing skills were also noted, and he developed a number of high-profile connections in Italy through the world of golf, often playing with the likes of ex-king Alfonso of Spain, as well as Mussolini’s son-in-law, count Ciana. These people were no doubt impressed by the golfing talent of the man, which were, considering he had been playing the game since early childhood and was a natural, by them rather impressive, to say the least. O’Flaherty would come to rely on his high profile, as well as his ‘high’ connections in the coming years as war broke out in Europe and Italy aligned itself with Hitler’s Germany and its policy of discriminating against minority groups. His connections would give him the power and influence to make a difference to the lives of thousands of innocent people when the time came, whilst his high profile made the German and Italian authorities slow to move against him.

C. In the autumn of 1942, the Germans and Italians started to crack down on prominent figures they viewed as being hostile to their goals. As their policies became even more extreme, many people started to become alarmed by fascist propaganda. The German and Italian governments were not interested in executing their policy of ethnically cleansing Italy of the so-called ‘unwanted’: Jews, blacks, gypsies and so on. O’Flaherty, on the other hand, having socialized with many prominent Jews throughout his time in Italy, did not adhere to the Nazi ideology and it was then that he started to act, protecting innocent Jews and other victims of injustice, and keeping them away from the claws of the Italian and German police, whose orders were to ship them to concentration camps.

D. O’Flaherty used his old college and indeed his own official residence as hiding places for the people he was trying to protect. As the situation got more and more desperate, and the numbers of people threatened grew, he even turned to using monasteries and converts as hideouts, calling in favors from old friends in these places who, by agreeing to house the ‘unwanted’, were not just risking a reprimand endangering their own lives by being party to O’Flaherty’s campaign. In the summer of 1943, O’ Flaherty extended his efforts to include helping escaped British prisoners-of-war and shot-down allied airmen. Calling once again on his contacts, he developed a network of apartments in which to house them until their safe return to Britain could be arranged.

E. By the end of the war, over 6,500 Jews and American and British soldiers had O’Flaherty to thank for their escape from the Germans and a nearly-certain death. His success in never being identified when on unauthorized rescue missions outside the Vatican city, and in smuggling Jews and allied airmen inside the city led to him being given the nickname the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican, an acknowledgement of how much the master of disguise. O’Flaherty continued to serve in Rome and received many accolades, including the US medal of freedom and the title Commanders of the British Empire. The fledging Jewish state of Israel also recognized O’Flaherty’s contribution by proclaiming him righteous among Nations.

F. In 1960, O’Flaherty retired and went home to Ireland to a town called Cahirsheveen. There he lived for the remainder of his life until he died on the 30 October 1963. His death was mourned throughout the world and the prestigious New York Times carried a front-page tribute in his honour.

G. Margaret Mead once said: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has’, O’Flaherty and his loyal group of helpers within the Vatican and without are exactly the king of people she was referring to. In life, he saved thousands of innocent Romans; in death, he is remembered as a man who bravely stood up to extremism and who was not prepared to turn a blind eye to injustice.

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The Scarlet Pimpernel of The Vatican Reading Answers Sample Questions

Reading Multiple Choice Questions (Q. 1–8)

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

1. Why was O’Flaherty sent to Rome in 1922?
A. To escape the political unrest in Ireland
B. To complete his religious education
C. To begin his diplomatic career
D. To assist Mussolini’s government

2. What helped O’Flaherty build relationships with influential people in Italy?
A. His reputation as a religious leader
B. His early political affiliations
C. His skills as a golfer
D. His fluency in multiple languages

3. What contributed to O’Flaherty’s ability to protect Jews during the war?
A. His opposition to British policies
B. His diplomatic immunity
C. His access to concentration camps
D. His high status and strong connections

4. According to the passage, how did O’Flaherty help escaped prisoners and airmen?
A. He built a secret tunnel from the Vatican
B. He transported them by sea to Britain
C. He arranged for temporary shelter and later escape
D. He bribed German officers to release them

5. Why was O’Flaherty called “The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican”?
A. Because he was an expert in disguises
B. Because he worked for the Red Cross
C. Because he wore a red Vatican robe
D. Because he collaborated with Allied intelligence

6. What honour did O’Flaherty receive from Israel?
A. A Nobel Peace Prize
B. A statue in Jerusalem
C. The title “Righteous Among Nations”
D. An honorary doctorate from Tel Aviv University

7. What does the author suggest about O’Flaherty’s character?
A. He acted only under orders from superiors
B. He was motivated mainly by fame
C. He was deeply committed to justice
D. He was reluctant to take serious risks

8. How does the author describe O’Flaherty’s death?
A. It went unnoticed except in Ireland
B. It shocked the religious community
C. It was widely acknowledged and respected
D. It led to public protests in Rome

Summary Completion (Q. 9–13)

Complete the summary below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.

During World War II, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty worked secretly to help protect persecuted people in Italy. He used his own residence and even other religious institutions such as (9)________ and (10)________ as safe houses. In 1943, he also began assisting (11)________ and allied airmen by hiding them until arrangements could be made for their return. His efforts saved the lives of more than (12)________ people. After the war, he was awarded many honours, including one from (13)________.

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