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IELTS® Academic Reading Practice 54

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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 28-40.

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Enormous reptiles, marsupials and birds, are known to have once roamed Australia. However, the way that these huge animals known as megafauna went extinct has been under debate throughout the course of the 19th century. Even with technological advances and improvements to the scientific techniques ...
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Questions 28-34
Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-M from the box below.

Write the correct letter A-M in boxes 28-34 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

  1. wiped out in the manner that was originally though
  2. living alongside human beings
  3. made extinct due to dramatic changes in climate
  4. discovered in more than one location
  5. dated using a method called uranium series
  6. lacking in sufficient collagen
  7. made extinct because it was eaten by other animals and because of changes to its environment
  8. encased in its original sediments
  9. the reason that humans and megafauna were forced into contact
  10. destroyed by fire 50,000 years before human beings arrived
  11. found to have a great similarity to the megafauna of Africa
  12. shows that people and megafauna co-existed for less than 17,000 years
  13. died sometime around 33,000 years ago

28. The Genyornis was thought to have been

29. Contrary to what was believed the bird may not have been

30. These megafauna, prior to the animals’ demise were believed to have been

31. Carbon dating has been proved ineffective when it is found to have been

32. Zygomturus trilobus was the size of a bull and specimens have been

33. The remains of Zygomturus trilobus was

34. The Zygomaturus specimen

The answer is G. The text mentions that the giant flightless bird Genyornis newtoni was the subject of some research in this area, and the results demonstrated the creature was wiped out due to significant habitat changes and being targeted by predators. This matches option (G) 'made extinct because it was eaten by other animals and because of changes to its environment,' as stated in the second paragraph.

Associated Text:
The giant flightless bird Genyornis newtoni was the subject of some research in this area, and the results demonstrated the creature was wiped out due to significant habitat changes and being targeted by predators.

The answer is A. In the text, it states, 'Recent research reveals that in Australia, early man coexisted for thousands of years with some of the megafauna prior to these animals’ extinction. Researchers investigating this issue once believed that the megafauna went extinct shortly following the time when the first Australians arrived.' This suggests that contrary to previous beliefs, the bird may not have been wiped out in the manner that was originally thought, which fits answer (A). This information appears in paragraph 2.

Associated Text:
Researchers investigating this issue once believed that the megafauna went extinct shortly following the time when the first Australians arrived.

The answer is B. The text directly states Recent research reveals that in Australia, early man coexisted for thousands of years with some of the megafauna prior to these animals’ extinction, confirming that megafauna lived alongside human beings prior to their demise. This information comes from paragraph 2.

Associated Text:
Recent research reveals that in Australia, early man coexisted for thousands of years with some of the megafauna prior to these animals’ extinction.

The answer is F. In paragraph 5, it is mentioned, 'Unfortunately, carbon dating is not particularly effective for megafauna fossils found in Willandra, as most bones found lack the necessary collagen to obtain a carbon date.' This directly links answer (F)—lacking in sufficient collagen—to why carbon dating is ineffective.

Associated Text:
Unfortunately, carbon dating is not particularly effective for megafauna fossils found in Willandra, as most bones found lack the necessary collagen to obtain a carbon date.

The answer is D. Paragraph 6 says 'Two specimens of this extraordinary marsupial were excavated separately in the 1980s. Zoologist Jeanette Hope found the first, and archaeologists Harvey Johnston and Peter Clarke discovered the second specimen.' This shows that Zygomaturus trilobus had specimens discovered in more than one location, supporting answer (D).

Associated Text:
Two specimens of this extraordinary marsupial were excavated separately in the 1980s. Zoologist Jeanette Hope found the first, and archaeologists Harvey Johnston and Peter Clarke discovered the second specimen.

The answer is H. The text says, 'Researchers sent the animal’s upper jaw (maxilla) to the Australian Museum in Sydney, who then encased it within its original sediments.' This means the remains of Zygomaturus trilobus were encased in their original sediments. This is found in paragraph 6.

Associated Text:
Researchers sent the animal’s upper jaw (maxilla) to the Australian Museum in Sydney, who then encased it within its original sediments.

The answer is M. The text states, 'Taking sediment samples for OSL dating and dating the fossil directly with U-series allowed researchers to determine that the specimen went extinct approximately 33,000 years ago.' This means the Zygomaturus specimen died sometime around 33,000 years ago, fitting answer (M). This information is in paragraph 6.

Associated Text:
Taking sediment samples for OSL dating and dating the fossil directly with U-series allowed researchers to determine that the specimen went extinct approximately 33,000 years ago.

Questions 35-39
Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in 35-39 on your answer sheet.

The evidence for firing of the landscape shows no record of plants going through as a result of significant firing events.

Showing that megafauna died out just after the arrival of the first settlers would support a .

Age estimates on fossils using uranium series only represent .

It is possible that climate change led to fewer sources of appearing around the Willandra Lakes.

Today we are able to forget the and look at the part changes in weather and population played in the extinction of megafauna.

The answer is genetic bottlenecks. Paragraph 4 notes, 'The evidence for fires occurring around the landscape, seen by the genomes of fire sensitive plants, do not provide any proof of genetic bottlenecks in plants that would result from such fires.' Thus, the passage indicates that no evidence for plants going through genetic bottlenecks was found after significant fires.

Associated Text:
The evidence for fires occurring around the landscape, seen by the genomes of fire sensitive plants, do not provide any proof of genetic bottlenecks in plants that would result from such fires.

The answer is rapid extinction model. In paragraph 7 it reads, 'If it’s possible to demonstrate that megafauna died out shortly following the time that the first Australians arrived, this would support a rapid extinction model.' This clearly links the concept to the correct term.

Associated Text:
If it’s possible to demonstrate that megafauna died out shortly following the time that the first Australians arrived, this would support a rapid extinction model.

The answer is minimum age estimates. The passage in paragraph 8 mentions, 'Age estimates are possible for these fossils by use of uranium series (U-series) dating, but only minimum age estimates can be reached.' This explains exactly what is meant by this answer.

Associated Text:
Age estimates are possible for these fossils by use of uranium series (U-series) dating, but only minimum age estimates can be reached.

The answer is water. In the section discussing why Willandra Lakes became a refuge, the passage states, 'Perhaps it was worsening climatic conditions around the Willandra Lakes which led to it becoming a refuge for both megafauna and humans, because the plains around the area would have held less water.' This supports the answer.

Associated Text:
Perhaps it was worsening climatic conditions around the Willandra Lakes which led to it becoming a refuge for both megafauna and humans, because the plains around the area would have held less water.

The answer is overkill hypothesis. Paragraph 10 reads, 'It is now possible to put the overkill hypothesis to rest, and begin work on solving the puzzle on the influences of climate change, or changes in the Aboriginal population levels on the ecology of the megafauna.' This matches the required answer.

Associated Text:
It is now possible to put the overkill hypothesis to rest, and begin work on solving the puzzle on the influences of climate change, or changes in the Aboriginal population levels on the ecology of the megafauna.

Question 40
Complete the short answers below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in 40-40 on your answer sheet.

40. Which method of dating provides the maximum age range of a specimen?

The answer is optically stimulated luminescence/OSL. The passage in paragraph 9 states, 'Fossils which are still encased within their original sediments could allow researchers to date the age of the sand grains with a technique known as optically stimulated luminescence dating (OSL for short). By dating the sand grains that a fossil is found in we arrive at the maximum age range.' This directly gives the answer.

Associated Text:
Fossils which are still encased within their original sediments could allow researchers to date the age of the sand grains with a technique known as optically stimulated luminescence dating (OSL for short). By dating the sand grains that a fossil is found in we arrive at the maximum age range.

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
N/A
16
N/A
17
N/A
18
N/A
19
N/A
20
N/A
21
N/A
22
N/A
23
N/A
24
N/A
25
N/A
26
N/A
27
N/A
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
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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