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IELTS® Academic Reading Practice 29

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This reading practice simulates one part of the IELTS General Reading test. You should spend about twenty minutes on it. Read the passage and answer questions 15-27.

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Some of the senses that we and other terrestrial mammals take for granted are either reduced, absent, or fail to function well in ...
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Questions 15-22
Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-M from the box below.

Write the correct letter A-M in boxes 15-22 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

  1. likely can’t see with both eyes
  2. appear to have lost the sense of smell
  3. likely nearly blind
  4. are vocal with good hearing
  5. are very sensitive to touch
  6. likely can see extremely well in water
  7. have moderate vision both in water and in air
  8. are likely blind
  9. are a group of aquatic mammals
  10. likely can see moderately well in water only
  11. have limited acoustic sense.
  12. has extremely keen vision in air
  13. are very sensitive to light

15. Toothed species of cetaceans

16. Baleen species of cetaceans

17. Cetaceans

18. The blowhole area

19. Humpback whales

20. Bottlenose dolphins

21. Chinese baiji

22. Most species of cetaceans

The answer is B. The question asks about toothed species of cetaceans. According to the first paragraph, "it appears from their brain structure that toothed species are unable to smell," directly supporting answer (B): appear to have lost the sense of smell. This means the sense of smell is absent or greatly reduced in toothed cetaceans due to physical changes in their brains.

Associated Text:
it appears from their brain structure that toothed species are unable to smell.

The answer is A. For baleen species, the first paragraph states, "the position of the eyes in baleen whales restricts the field of vision to the point that they probably do not have the ability to see stereoscopically like humans do, using both eyes." This matches answer (A): likely can’t see with both eyes.

Associated Text:
the position of the eyes in baleen whales restricts the field of vision to the point that they probably do not have the ability to see stereoscopically like humans do, using both eyes.

The answer is I. Cetaceans are described in the first paragraph: "cetaceans, a group of aquatic mammals which include whales,". This directly corresponds to answer (I): are a group of aquatic mammals.

Associated Text:
cetaceans, a group of aquatic mammals which include whales

The answer is E. The area around the blowhole is described in the second paragraph: "The area around the blowhole is also particularly sensitive and captive animals often react very strongly to being touched there." Therefore, the correct answer is (E): are very sensitive to touch.

Associated Text:
The area around the blowhole is also particularly sensitive and captive animals often react very strongly to being touched there.

The answer is G. In the third paragraph, it is stated that certain baleen whales including right whales and humpback whales "have obviously tracked objects with vision underwater, and they can apparently see moderately well both in water and in the air." This fits with answer (G): have moderate vision both in water and in air.

Associated Text:
they can apparently see moderately well both in water and in the air

The answer is F. Bottlenose dolphins are mentioned in the fourth paragraph: "the bottlenose dolphin has extremely keen vision in water. Judging from the way it watches and tracks airborne flying fish, it can apparently see fairly well through the surface of the water as well." Therefore, (F): likely can see extremely well in water is correct.

Associated Text:
the bottlenose dolphin has extremely keen vision in water.

The answer is C. In paragraph five, Chinese baiji are described as having very limited vision: "Some dolphins, such as the Chinese baiji, for instance, appear to have very limited vision, and the South Asian river dolphins are blind." This matches (C): likely nearly blind.

Associated Text:
Some dolphins, such as the Chinese baiji, for instance, appear to have very limited vision, and the South Asian river dolphins are blind, their eyes reduced to slits that probably allow them to sense only the direction and intensity of light

The answer is D. Paragraph six explains: "Although the senses of taste and smell appear to have deteriorated, and vision in water appears uncertain, such weaknesses are more than compensated for by cetaceans’ well-developed acoustic sense. All whale species communicate using some form of acoustic sound." This means most species of cetaceans are vocal with good hearing, so answer (D) is correct.

Associated Text:
Although the senses of taste and smell appear to have deteriorated, and vision in water appears uncertain, such weaknesses are more than compensated for by cetaceans’ well-developed acoustic sense. All whale species communicate using some form of acoustic sound.

Questions 23-27
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? In boxes 23-27 on your answer sheet, write

YES   if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO   if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN   if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

23. It is certain that baleen species are unable to smell.

24. Early experimental evidence indicates that the bottlenose dolphin has good in-air vision.

25. The habitat of clear waters is related to good visual ability.

26. Most large baleens send low-frequency underwater calls to one another.

27. Humpback whales usually hunt in summer.

The answer is NO. The claim is that it is certain that baleen species are unable to smell, but the passage says in the first paragraph, "Baleen species, on the other hand, appear to have some related brain structures, but it is not known whether these are functional." This means it is not certain, so the correct answer is NO.

Associated Text:
Baleen species, on the other hand, appear to have some related brain structures, but it is not known whether these are functional.

The answer is NO. The passage says, "Although preliminary experimental evidence suggests that their in-air vision is poor, the accuracy with which dolphins leap high to take small fish out of a trainer’s hand provides anecdotal evidence to the contrary." Early experimental evidence does not indicate good in-air vision for the bottlenose dolphin, so the answer is NO.

Associated Text:
Although preliminary experimental evidence suggests that their in-air vision is poor, the accuracy with which dolphins leap high to take small fish out of a trainer’s hand provides anecdotal evidence to the contrary.

The answer is YES. The passage states, "vision is more useful to species inhabiting clear open waters than to those living in murky rivers and flooded plains." This means that species in clear waters have good visual ability, so the answer is YES.

Associated Text:
vision is more useful to species inhabiting clear open waters than to those living in murky rivers and flooded plains

The answer is YES. In the last paragraph, the passage says, "Large baleen whales primarily use lower frequencies and are often limited in how many sounds they use." This indicates most large baleens send low-frequency underwater calls to each other; therefore, YES is correct.

Associated Text:
Large baleen whales primarily use lower frequencies and are often limited in how many sounds they use.

The answer is NOT GIVEN. Although the last paragraph mentions the "nearly song-like choruses of bowhead whales in summer and the complex, haunting utterances of the humpback whales," it does not mention that humpback whales usually hunt in summer. No information about their hunting habits in summer is given, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.

Associated Text:
Notable exceptions are the nearly song-like choruses of bowhead whales in summer and the complex, haunting utterances of the humpback whales.

Answer Sheet
1
N/A
2
N/A
3
N/A
4
N/A
5
N/A
6
N/A
7
N/A
8
N/A
9
N/A
10
N/A
11
N/A
12
N/A
13
N/A
14
N/A
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
N/A
29
N/A
30
N/A
31
N/A
32
N/A
33
N/A
34
N/A
35
N/A
36
N/A
37
N/A
38
N/A
39
N/A
40
N/A
Score Summary
0 / 1
Multiple Choice
Matching Sentence Endings
Note Completion
Table Completion
Flow Chart Completion
Summary Completion
Multiple Selection
Short Answer
Matching Headings
Matching Features
Matching Information
Identifying Information
Identifying Viewer Claims
Sentence Completion
Diagram Labelling
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Tips to improve your reading speed
To get a high score on the IELTS reading section, you need to have a fast reading speed. To have a fast reading speed, you need to improve your vocabulary and practice dissecting sentences. One strategy to dissect a sentence is to look for the subject and verb of the sentence. Finding the subject and verb will help you better understand the main idea of said sentence. Keep in mind, a common feature of a IELTS reading passage is to join strings of ideas to form long compound sentences. This produces large chunks that students have a hard time absorbing. Do not get overwhelmed by its length, just look for the subject and verb, the rest of the ideas will flow.

Keep in mind, having a slow reading speed makes skimming or scanning a reading passage more difficult. The process of quickly skimming through a reading passage for specific keywords or main ideas is a requirement for you to employ successful reading strategies to improve your IELTS reading score. In other words, skimming and scanning are critical skills to ensure you complete all questions in the allotted time frame.
IELTS Reading Strategies
Once you can read and comprehend a passage with a rate of, at least, 220 words per minute, you'll be ready to start implementing our strategies. All too often, students spend too much time reading the passages and not enough time answering the questions. Here is a step by step guide for tackling the reading section.

  1. Step 1: Read questions first

    One of the most common mistakes that candidates make when approaching the reading exam is reading every single word of the passages. Although you can practice for the exam by reading for pleasure, "reading blindly" (reading without any sense of what the questions will ask) will not do you any favors in the exam. Instead, it will hurt your chances for effectively managing your time and getting the best score.

    The main reason to read the questions first is because the type of question may determine what you read in the passage or how you read it. For example, some question types will call for the "skimming" technique, while others may call for the "scanning" technique.

    It is important to answer a set of questions that are of the same question type. You'll need to determine which question type you want to tackle first. A good strategy would be to start with the easier question type and move on to more difficult question types later. The Easiest question types are the ones where you spend less time reading. For example, the Matching Heading question type is an easier one because you only need to find the heading that best describes the main idea of a paragraph. An example of a difficult question type would be Identifying Information. For this question type, you'll need to read each paragraph to find out if each statement is TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the passage.

    Here is a table that lists the difficulty levels for each question type. Use this table as a reference when choosing which question type you want to tackle first.

    Difficulty level Question Type
    Easy Sentence Completion
    Short answer
    Medium Matching Features
    Multiple choice
    Matching Headings
    Summary, Table, Flow-Chart Completion
    Difficult Matching Sentence Endings
    Matching Information
    Identifying Information (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN)
    Identifying Viewer's claims (YES/NO/NOT GIVEN)

  2. Step 2: Read for an objective

    After you've read the questions for the passage, you will be able to read for an objective. What does this mean? For example, if you come across a question that includes the year "1896", you can make a note of when this year comes up in the text, using it to answer the question later on. There are two reading techniques that will help you stay on track with reading for an objective. The first one, skimming, is best defined as reading fast in order to get the "gist", or general idea, or a passage. With this technique, you are not stopping for any unfamiliar words or looking for specific details. The second technique, scanning, is best defined as reading for specific information. With this technique, you are not reading for the overall gist, but rather, specific information. Notice how each of these techniques has a specific objective in mind. This will help you find information more quickly.

  3. Step 3: Take notes

    As you're reading for an objective, you should also be making notes on the margins of the passage, placing stars next to key information, or underlining things that you believe will help you answer the various questions. This will make it easier for you to check back when you are asked certain things in the questions. Choose whichever note-taking system is right for you - just make sure you do it!

  4. Step 4: Answer wisely

    After you've read the questions, read the passage, and have taken any appropriate notes, you you should have located the part of the text where you where you need to read carefully. Then just read carefully and think critically to determine the correct answer.

IELTS Reading Question Types

The IELTS reading test contains many different question types:

Matching HeadingsIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Headings
Matching InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Information
Matching FeaturesIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Features
Summary CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Summary Completion
Identifying InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Information
Identifying Writer's claimsIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Writer's claims
Multiple ChoiceIELTS Reading Lesson: Multiple Choice
Short AnswerIELTS Reading Lesson: Short Answer
Match Sentence EndingIELTS Reading Lesson: Match Sentence Ending
Sentence CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Sentence Completion
Table CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Table Completion
 
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