Alexander Henderson - IELTS Reading Answers: Cambridge 14 Reading Test 2 Reading Passage 1

The purpose and underlying reasons for featuring the Alexander Henderson IELTS Reading Passage are outlined in the details below.

• The text about Alexander Henderson is integrated into the IELTS reading assessment to gauge your concentration levels, time management, reading velocity, and comprehension abilities.
• It aids your preparation for the actual IELTS reading examination by showcasing Alexander Henderson’s ventures, failures, and achievements across diverse question formats.
• The passage originates from Cambridge 14, Reading Test 2, Reading Passage 1, and was selected because it tests your proficiency in managing information and applying knowledge.
• Practicing with this excerpt will accustom you to various query structures and enhance your knack for identifying correct responses.

Within this article, you can access Alexander Henderson’s Reading Answers, along with explanations to verify if your solutions are accurate. 

It serves as a helpful exercise to recognize your strengths and areas needing growth, as the answers paired with explanations provide a transparent view of your performance.

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To discover the solutions to all questions, carefully read the sections. Furthermore, you can check your responses against the explanations provided below. 

Alexander Henderson (1831 – 1913)

Paragraph 1

Originally from Scotland, Henderson moved to Canada in 1855 and established himself as a prominent landscape photographer. Alexander Henderson was born in Scotland in 1831 and is the son of a successful businessman. His grandfather, also named Alexander, established the family enterprise and later served as the inaugural chairman of the National Bank of Scotland. The family held extensive property in Scotland. Besides their home in Edinburgh, the Press Estate encompassed 650 acres of farmland roughly 35 miles southeast of the urban center. The relatives typically resided at Press Castle, the grand estate house situated on the northern boundary of the land, and Alexander spent much of his youth in this district, playing along the shoreline near Eyemouth or angling in nearby creeks.

Paragraph 2

Following his education at Murcheston Academy in the outskirts of Edinburgh, Henderson went back to printing on weekends. In 1849, he commenced a three-year apprenticeship to become an accountant. Though he never desired a corporate career path, he undertook it to please his family. Nevertheless, in October 1855, he and his spouse, Agnes Elder Robertson, migrated to Canada, where they took up residence in Montreal.

Paragraph 3:

Henderson studied photography in Montreal during 1857 and promptly embraced it as a passionate amateur. He evolved into an intimate companion and peer of the Scottish-Canadian photographer William Notman. Both individuals undertook a photographic journey to Niagara Falls in 1860 and, in 1865, cooperated on tests involving magnesium flares as an artificial illumination source. They belonged to the same societies and stood as founding members of the Montreal Arts Association. Henderson chaired the inaugural meeting of the Society on January 11, 1860, at Notman Studios.

Paragraph 4: 

Despite their close bond, their photographic styles diverged entirely. While Notman’s landscapes are recognized for sharp realism, Henderson produced romantic compositions during his career's initial 20 years, reflecting a heavy reliance on British landscape traditions. His artistic and technical progression moved swiftly, and by 1865 he released his maiden major portfolio of landscape photographs. This publication had a restricted print run and bore the title Canadian Views and Studies. The contents of each volume differ significantly and have proven to be a valuable resource for evaluating Henderson’s early work.

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In 1866, he relinquished his business to launch a photographic studio, marketing himself as both a portrait and landscape artist. Starting around 1870, he dropped portraits to focus exclusively on landscape photography and related views. His numerous captures of urban existence displayed through street scenes, dwellings, and marketplaces brim with human vitality, and while landscapes remained his preferred genre, he frequently anchored his compositions around human activities such as tilling the land, harvesting river ice, or journeying down a forest creek. There existed substantial demand for these subjects alongside others featuring the lumber industry, steamboats, and cascades. Prior to the late 1880s, rival entertainment or amateur photography was scarce due to the cumbersome weight of time-intensive methods and gear required. Patrons loved buying photos as keepsakes or tokens from journeys, and to satisfy this demand, Henderson maintained inventory prints in his studio for mounting, framing, or compiling into albums.

Paragraph 6: 

Henderson displayed his works regularly within Montreal and internationally across London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris, New York, and Philadelphia. His greatest triumphs occurred in New York during 1877 and 1878, securing first prizes at an exposition organized by E and H T Anthony & Company for landscapes utilizing the Lambertype technique. His creations secured second place at the 1878 World’s Fair held in Paris.

Paragraph 7: 

Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, Henderson traveled widely across Quebec and Ontario in Canada, recording the principal cities of both territories alongside multiple rural villages in Quebec. He held a deep affection for the wilderness and frequently journeyed by canoe down eastern waterways like the Blanche and du Livre. He made several trips to the Maritimes, setting sail in 1872 along the northern shores of the St. Lawrence River. During that same period, while exploring the lower sections of the St. Lawrence River, he captured images depicting the construction of the Colonial Railway. This undertaking prompted the Railway Authority to commission him to document major infrastructure along the nearly completed rail line linking Montreal to Halifax in 1875. These assignments paved the way for contracts with other rail corporations. In 1876, he photographed viaducts across Quebec, Montreal, and Ottawa, plus the Occidental Railway connecting Montreal and Ottawa. By 1885 he journeyed westward along Rogers Pass in British Columbia via the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), capturing pictures of the peaks and construction progress.

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In 1892, Henderson accepted a permanent role with the CPR as director of a photography division, which he was tasked with establishing and running. His duties entailed spending four months annually out in the field. That very summer, he undertook his second western expedition, producing detailed imagery of the railway stretching to Victoria. He maintained this role until 1897, at which point he formally retired from photography. He stayed active in this position until 1897, concluding his photography career entirely.

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Upon Henderson's passing in 1913, his vast archive of glass negatives was preserved within his residence's basement. Today, selections of his creations find a home in the National Archives of Canada and the McCord Museum of Canadian History situated in Ottawa and Montreal.

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Questions (1 - 5) 

Complete the notes below

Write the correct solution on your answer sheet

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

• Alexander Henderson was born in Scotland in 1 ___________
• Alexander, Henderson's grandfather became the first 2 _____________ of the National Bank of Scotland
• Press Estate owned 3 ___________ acres of agricultural land about 4 ___________ miles southeast of the city. 
• In 1849, Henderson started three years of training to become an 5 ___________

Questions (6 - 9) 

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?

Write any one of the following option on your answer sheet

• TRUE                if the statement agrees with the information
• FALSE              if the statement contradicts the information
• NOT GIVEN      if there is no information on this in the passage

6. Henderson and his wife, Agnes Elder Robertson, emigrated to Canada, where they settled in Montreal, In October 1865.

7. The three men made a photographic excursion to Niagara Falls in 1860, and in 1855 collaborated on experiments with magnesium flares as a source of artificial light. 

8. Henderson presided over the first meeting of the Society on January 11, 1860, at Notman Studios.

9. Henderson and Notman were stunned by the outcomes of their 1865 experimentation.

Questions (10 - 13)

Look at the following year and the list of events below.

Match each event with the correct year and write properly on your answer sheet.

NB - You may use any answer more than once.

1. 1870
2. 1865
3. 1885
4. 1866

10. He published his first large collection of landscape photographs.

11. Henderson abandoned his business to open a photo studio, promoting himself as a portrait and landscape photographer. 

12. He abandoned portraits to specialize in landscape photography and other scenes.

13. He sailed west along Rogers Pass in British Columbia via the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)

You can also refer to our complete guide on Fatal Attraction IELTS Reading Answers to practice another IELTS Reading passage with accurate solutions and detailed explanations.

Compare and check your solutions with the below given Alexander Henderson reading answer key.

(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in the regular font explains the answer in detail.)

1.  Answer: 1831 

Keywords: born, Scotland

Explanation: Alexander Henderson was born in Scotland in 1831 and is the son of a successful businessman.’

2.  Answer: chairman 

Keywords: grandfather, national bank

Explanation: His grandfather, also known as Alexander, founded the family business and later became the first chairman of the National Bank of Scotland.

3.  Answer: 4. 650, 35 

Keywords: Press estate, miles, southeast

Explanation: In addition to its residence in Edinburgh, the Press Estate owned 650 acres of agricultural land about 35 miles southeast of the city. 

5.  Answer: accountant 

Keywords: 1849, three years training

Explanation: After attending school at Murcheston Academy in the suburbs of Edinburgh, Henderson returned to print on weekends. In 1849, he started three years of training to become an accountant.

6.  Answer: False 

Keywords: Agnes Elder Robertson, emigrated, Canada

Explanation: However, in October 1855, he and his wife, Agnes Elder Robertson, emigrated to Canada, where they settled in Montreal.

7.  Answer: False 

Keywords: 1860, 1865, Niagara Falls

Explanation: The two men made a photographic excursion to Niagara Falls in 1860, and in 1865 collaborated on experiments with magnesium flares as a source of artificial light.

8.  Answer: True

Keywords: presided, January 11

Explanation: Henderson presided over the first meeting of the Society on January 11, 1860, at Notman Studios.

9.  Answer: Not given 

Explanation: The particular information is not spoken by the author.

10.  Answer: B. 1865 

Keywords: artistic, landscape

Explanation: His artistic and technological advancement was quick and in 1865 he published his first large collection of landscape photographs. 

11.  Answer: D. 1866 

Keywords: photo studio, landscape

Explanation: In 1866, he abandoned his business to open a photo studio, promoting himself as a portrait and landscape photographer. 

12.  Answer: A. 1870 

Keywords: abandoned, photography, scenes

Explanation: From about 1870 he abandoned portraits to specialize in landscape photography and other scenes. 

13.  Answer: C. 1885 

Keywords: Rogers Pass, Canadian Pacific Railway

Explanation: In 1885 he sailed west along Rogers Pass in British Columbia via the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), where he captured photographs of the mountains and the advancement of construction.

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