The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test With Answers

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Updated on Mar 12, 2025, 07:58

The IELTS Reading section assesses your ability to understand and interpret academic and general texts. You must answer 40 questions in 60 minutes, covering various question types such as matching headings, note completion and matching features. 
 

The passage “The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading Answers” explores the construction and significance of one of Egypt’s earliest pyramids, built during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser. It provides insights into the pyramid’s design, the role of Imhotep, the architect behind it, and how it laid the foundation for later pyramids. 
 

Check out the Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading answers with explanations. The references given for each answer will help you locate the answers within the passage.

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1. The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading Answers Passage

You should spend approximately 20 minutes answering Questions 1 – 13 based on The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading Answers Passage below.

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2. The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading Answers with Sample Questions

Have you read the passage? Now, take the test and find The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading answers!

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3. Check Out Top 15+ IELTS Reading Practice Test Questions with Answers

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1.

The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading Answers Passage

General Information

  • Read Instructions: Understand each question before answering.
  • Manage Time: Spend about 20 minutes per passage.
  • Skim and Scan: Quickly get the main idea and find specific information.
  • Highlight Key Info: Underline essential words or phrases.
  • Answer All Questions: Attempt every question; no penalty for wrong answers.
  • Stay Focused: Avoid distractions and keep your attention on the task.
  • Check Spelling: Ensure correct spelling and grammar.
  • Transfer Answers Clearly: Write answers neatly on the answer sheet.
  • Don’t Dwell: Move on if stuck and return later.
  • Review: If time allows, review your answers.

 


The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading Answers Passage

 

Paragraph 1. The pyramids are the most famous monuments of ancient Egypt and still hold enormous interest for people in the present day. These grand, impressive tributes to the memory of the Egyptian kings have become linked with the country even though other cultures, such as the Chinese and Mayan, also built pyramids. The evolution of the pyramid form has been written and argued about for centuries. However, there is no question that, as far as Egypt is concerned, it began with one monument to one king designed by one brilliant architect: the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara.
 

Paragraph 2. Djoser was the first king of the Third Dynasty of Egypt and the first to build in stone. Prior to Djoser’s reign, tombs were rectangular monuments made of dried clay brick, which covered underground passages where the deceased person was buried. For reasons which remain unclear, Djoser’s main official, whose name was Imhotep, conceived of building a taller, more impressive tomb for his king by stacking stone slabs on top of one another, progressively making them smaller, to form the shape now known as the Step Pyramid. Djoser is thought to have reigned for 19 years, but some historians and scholars attribute a much longer time for his rule, owing to the number and size of the monuments he built.
 

Paragraph 3. The Step Pyramid has been thoroughly examined and investigated over the last century, and it is now known that the building process went through many different stages. Historian Marc Van de Mieroop comments on this, writing, ‘Much experimentation was involved, which is especially clear in the construction of the pyramid in the centre of the complex. It had several plans … before it became the first Step Pyramid in history, piling six levels on top of one another …The weight of the enormous mass was a challenge for the builders, who placed the stones at an inward incline in order to prevent the monument from breaking up.’
 

Paragraph 4. When finally completed, the Step Pyramid rose 62 metres high and was the tallest structure of its time. The complex in which it was built was the size of a city in ancient Egypt and included a temple, courtyards, shrines, and living quarters for the priests. It covered a region of 16 hectares and was surrounded by a wall 10.5 metres high. The wall had 13 false doors cut into it, with only one true entrance cut into the southeast corner; the entire wall was then ringed by a trench 750 metres long and 40 metres wide. The false doors and the trench were incorporated into the complex to discourage unwanted visitors. If someone wished to enter, he or she would have needed to know in advance how to find the location of the true opening in the wall. Djoser was so proud of his accomplishment that he broke the tradition of having only his own name on the monument and had Imhotep’s name carved on it as well.
 

Paragraph 5. The burial chamber of the tomb, where the king’s body was laid to rest, was dug beneath the base of the pyramid, surrounded by a vast maze of long tunnels that had rooms off them to discourage robbers. One of the most mysterious discoveries found inside the pyramid was a large number of stone vessels. Over 40,000 of these vessels, of various forms and shapes, were discovered in storerooms off the pyramid’s underground passages. They are inscribed with the names of rulers from the First and Second Dynasties of Egypt and made from different kinds of stone. There is no agreement among scholars and archaeologists on why the vessels were placed in the tomb of Djoser or what they were supposed to represent. The archaeologist Jean-Philippe Lauer, who excavated most of the pyramid and complex, believes they were originally stored and then given a ‘proper burial’ by Djoser in his pyramid to honour his predecessors. There are other historians, however, who claim the vessels were dumped into the shafts as yet another attempt to prevent grave robbers from getting to the king’s burial chamber.
 

Paragraph 6. Unfortunately, all of the precautions and intricate design of the underground network did not prevent ancient robbers from finding a way in. Djoser’s grave goods, and even his body, were stolen at some point in the past, and all archaeologists found were a small number of his valuables overlooked by the thieves. There was enough left throughout the pyramid and its complex, however, to astonish and amaze the archaeologists who excavated it.
 

Paragraph 7. Egyptologist Miroslav Verner writes, ‘Few monuments hold a place in human history as significant as that of the Step Pyramid in Saqqara … It can be said without exaggeration that this pyramid complex constitutes a milestone in the evolution of monumental stone architecture in Egypt and in the world as a whole.’ The Step Pyramid was a revolutionary advance in architecture and became the archetype that all the other great pyramid builders of Egypt would follow.
 

Also Read: IELTS Reading Tips & Tricks 2024: Techniques for Band 9

2.

The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading Answers with Sample Questions

Have you read the passage? Now, take the test and find The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading answers! Try to answer these questions by yourself before you sneak a peek at the answers given below.

Questions and Answers 1-7
  • The Step of Pyramid Djoser Reading Passage has seven paragraphs: A-G
  • Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
  • Write the correct number, i-ix, for questions 1-7 on your answer sheet.

 

List of Headings
 

i. The areas and artefacts within the pyramid itself

ii. A difficult task for those involved

iii. A king who saved his people

iv. A single certainty among other less definite facts

v.  An overview of the external buildings and areas

vi. A pyramid design that others copied

vii. An idea for changing the design of burial structures

viii. An incredible experience despite the few remains

ix. The answers to some unexpected questions
 

1. Paragraph 1

2. Paragraph 2

3. Paragraph 3

4. Paragraph 4

5. Paragraph 5

6. Paragraph 6

7. Paragraph 7
 
 

The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading Answers with Explanations (1-7)

 

1. iv – A single certainty among other less definite facts


Reference: 
 

From Paragraph 1: “The evolution of the pyramid form has been written and argued about for centuries. However, there is no question that, as far as Egypt is concerned, it began with one monument to one king designed by one brilliant architect: the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara.”
 

Explanation: This line highlights that, despite various debates about pyramid evolution, one certainty remains—the Step Pyramid of Djoser was the first of its kind in Egypt. Hence, the information given in paragraph 1 matches with the title “A single certainty, among other less definite facts. “
 

2. vii – An idea for changing the design of burial structures

 

Reference: 
 

From paragraph 2: “Prior to Djoser’s reign, tombs were rectangular monuments made of dried clay brick, which covered underground passages where the deceased person was buried. For reasons which remain unclear, Djoser’s main official, whose name was Imhotep, conceived of building a taller, more impressive tomb for his king by stacking stone slabs on top of one another, progressively making them smaller, to form the shape now known as the Step Pyramid.”
 

Explanation:  This line highlights the transformation from traditional rectangular clay-brick tombs to a more advanced pyramid structure. Imhotep’s innovative idea led to the Step Pyramid, making "an idea for changing the design of burial structures" the correct answer.
 

3. ii – A difficult task for those involved

 

Reference: 
 

From paragraph 3: “The weight of the enormous mass was a challenge for the builders, who placed the stones at an inward incline in order to prevent the monument breaking up.”
 

Explanation:  According to the line, the builders of Djoser’s first pyramid faced difficulty managing the weight of the huge stone bricks. They tried to incline the shape inwards to prevent it from falling apart. Since paragraph 3 mentions the difficult task, the title “A difficult task for those involved” matches with it.
 

4. v – An overview of the external buildings and areas

 

Reference: 
 

From paragraph 4: “The complex in which it was built was the size of a city in ancient Egypt and included a temple, courtyards, shrines, and living quarters for the priests. “
 

Explanation:  This line provides an overview of the extensive structures surrounding the Step Pyramid. It describes the various buildings and areas within the complex, making "an overview of the external buildings and areas" the correct answer.

 

5. i –  The areas and artefacts within the pyramid itself

 

Reference: 
 

From Paragraph 5: “The burial chamber of the tomb, where the king’s body was laid to rest, was dug beneath the base of the pyramid, surrounded by a vast maze of long tunnels that had rooms off them to discourage robbers. One of the most mysterious discoveries found inside the pyramid was a large number of stone vessels.”
 

Explanation: 
 

According to the above-mentioned lines, the area inside the pyramid consisted of numerous long tunnels to prevent the robbers. The tomb also had artefacts, including stone vessels. As per the information given, paragraph 5 matches the title, “The areas and artefacts within the pyramid itself.”
 

6. viii – An incredible experience despite the few remains

 

Reference:
 

From paragraph 6: “Djoser’s grave goods, and even his body, were stolen at some point in the past, and all archaeologists found were a small number of his valuables overlooked by the thieves. There was enough left throughout the pyramid and its complex, however, to astonish and amaze the archaeologists who excavated it.”
 

Explanation: This line suggests that despite the theft of Djoser’s grave goods, archaeologists were still able to find some remaining artefacts. The discovery of these remnants made for an astonishing experience, making "an incredible experience despite the few remains" the correct answer.

 

7. vi –  A pyramid design that others copied

 

Reference: 
 

From paragraph 7: “The Step Pyramid was a revolutionary advance in architecture and became the archetype which all the other great pyramid builders of Egypt would follow.”
 

Explanation: This line highlights the impact of the Step Pyramid’s design on future pyramid construction. It became the model for later pyramids, making "a pyramid design that others copied" the correct answer.
 

Read more about Dictation Words for IELTS: Practice and Preparation!

Questions and Answers 8-11
  • Complete the notes below.
  • Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the The Step Pyramid of Djoser reading answers passage for each answer.
  • Write your answers to questions 8-11 on your answer sheet.

 

The Step Pyramid of Djoser
 

The complex that includes the Step Pyramid and its surroundings is considered to be as big as an Egyptian 8 __________ of the past. The area outside the pyramid included accommodation that was occupied by 9 __________, along with many other buildings and features.

A wall ran around the outside of the complex, and a number of false entrances were built into it. In addition, a long 10 __________  encircled the wall. As a result, any visitors who had not been invited were cleverly prevented from entering the pyramid grounds unless they knew the 11 __________ of the real entrance.
 


The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading Answers With Explanations (8-11)
 

 

8. City 

 

Reference: 
 

From paragraph 4: “The complex in which it was built was the size of a city in ancient Egypt and included a temple, courtyards, shrines, and living quarters for the priests. It covered a region of 16 hectares and was surrounded by a wall 10.5 metres high. “
 

Explanation:  According to the passage, the step pyramid was built within a huge complex. The area of the complex was 16 hectares. It includes other buildings as well. As per the information, the land was about the size of a city in ancient Egypt. Hence, “city” is the correct answer.
 

9. Priests 

 

Reference:
 

From paragraph 4: “The complex in which it was built was the size of a city in ancient Egypt and included a temple, courtyards, shrines, and living quarters for the priests.” 
 

Explanation:  The area outside the step pyramid consisted of several other buildings, including a temple, courtyards and shrines. In addition, it also had the living quarters for priests. Hence, “priests” is the correct answer.

 

10. Trench 

 

Reference: 
 

From paragraph 4:  “The wall had 13 false doors cut into it with only one true entrance cut into the southeast corner; the entire wall was then ringed by a trench 750 metres long and 40 metres wide.”


Explanation:  The entire complex where the pyramid was situated was covered by a huge wall. Moreover, a huge trench was also built around the wall to prevent robbers and any other unwanted visitors. Hence, “trench” is the correct answer.
 

11. Location

 

Reference: 
 

From paragraph 4: “The wall had 13 false doors cut into it with only one true entrance cut into the southeast corner ----------- If someone wished to enter, he or she would have needed to know in advance how to find the location of the true opening in the wall.”
 

Explanation:  As the paragraph above explains, the wall around the complex had 13 false entrances. This was to distract the outsiders. If a person intends to enter the courtyard, he has to find the exact location of the true door. Hence, “location” is the correct answer.
 

Read more about A Guide on Most Common English Words Used in Daily Life!

Questions and Answers 12-13
  • Choose TWO letters, A-E.
  • Write the correct letters for questions 12 and 13 on your answer sheet.

 

Which TWO of the following points does the writer make about King Djoser?
 

A.  Initially, he had to be persuaded to build in stone rather than clay.

B.  There is disagreement concerning the length of his reign.

C.  He failed to appreciate Imhotep’s part in the design of the Step Pyramid.

D.  A few of his possessions were still in his tomb when archaeologists found it.

E.  He criticised the design and construction of other pyramids in Egypt.
 

The Step Pyramid of Djoser Reading Answers With Explanations (12-13)

 

12. B – There is disagreement concerning the length of his reign

 

Reference:
 

From paragraph 2: “Djoser is thought to have reigned for 19 years, but some historians and scholars attribute a much longer time for his rule, owing to the number and size of the monuments he built. “
 

Explanation: The given passage explains the dispute between the historians regarding the duration of King Dojser’s reign. While some believe it to be 19 years, some scholars attribute a longer duration to his governance, considering the huge number of monuments he built during his reign. Hence, paragraph 2 justifies option B.
 

12. B – There is disagreement concerning the length of his reign

 

Reference: 
 

From paragraph 6: “Djoser’s grave goods, and even his body, were stolen at some point in the past, and all archaeologists found were a small number of his valuables overlooked by the thieves. There was enough left throughout the pyramid and its complex, however, to astonish and amaze the archaeologists who excavated it.”
 

Explanation: As the paragraph suggests, most of the valuable goods from Djjoser’s grave were stolen. Even his body was stolen by the robbers. However, a few remnants were found by the archaeologists who excavated the tomb. Hence, paragraph 6 justifies option D.

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FAQs

Q. What is the Step Pyramid of Djoser?

Ans. The Step Pyramid of Djoser is an ancient Egyptian pyramid built during the 27th century BC for Pharaoh Djoser. It is the earliest large-scale stone structure and a significant architectural achievement.

Q. Who designed the Step Pyramid of Djoser?

Ans. The pyramid was designed by Imhotep, a skilled architect, engineer, and high priest. He introduced the concept of stacking stone mastabas to create a step-like structure.

Q. Why is the Step Pyramid of Djoser important?

Ans. It is important because it marks the beginning of pyramid construction in ancient Egypt. The design influenced later pyramids, including the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Q. What type of questions can appear in the IELTS reading passage on the Step Pyramid of Djoser?

Ans. Questions may include multiple-choice, True/False/Not Given, sentence completion, matching headings, and summary completion based on the passage about the pyramid’s history, construction, and significance.


 

Q. What type of passage is "The Step Pyramid of Djoser" in the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. This passage typically falls under the academic reading section and is a historical or archaeological topic. It requires good comprehension skills to understand ancient structures and their significance.


 

Q. How can I prepare for the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. Practicing more mock tests and sample questions is the best way to prepare for your IELTS Reading test. Try to improve your reading skills through regular reading habits. Start your preparation early and make sure you get the right assistance. You can get IELTS Reading training from Leap’s IELTS experts.

Q. What are some good resources for IELTS Reading preparation?

Ans. Some good resources for IELTS Reading preparation are: 
– IELTS Superpack by Barron’s Educational Series
– Road to IELTS
– Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic by Cambridge University Press
– Focus on the IELTS Foundation
– Mometrix IELTS Books for General Academic Training

Q. What are some good tips for IELTS Reading preparation?

Ans. Some tips for IELTS Reading preparation are
– Practise reading different kinds of texts regularly
– Practise reading sample passages
– Practise reading mock tests
– Ensure you do not make any spelling mistakes
– Read the passage and the exam instructions carefully
– Do not exceed the word limit


 

Q. What are common keywords in The Step Pyramid of Djoser reading passage?

Ans. Common keywords include "Djoser," "Imhotep," "pyramid," "burial," "construction," "stone," "Egypt," "architect," and "tomb." These words help identify key themes related to the historical and architectural significance of the pyramid.

Q. How to answer matching headings questions in The Step Pyramid of Djoser reading?

Ans. Read all headings first, then scan each paragraph for main ideas. Look for synonyms of keywords from the headings and match them logically. Avoid choosing options based on single words; focus on the overall meaning of the paragraph.


 

Q. What is a challenging aspect of The Step Pyramid of Djoser reading passage?

Ans.The passage includes complex historical details, architectural terminology, and paraphrased information, making it difficult to locate answers directly. Matching synonyms and understanding the passage structure are key to overcoming this challenge.