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Animal Minds Parrot Alex Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test

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Updated on Jul 02, 2024, 11:57

Welcome to the IELTS Academic Reading practice test on Animal Minds Parrot Alex. This reading passage is focused on the groundbreaking work of Irene Pepperberg, who attempted to understand the thought process of a one-year-old African grey parrot named Alex. 

 

Through her research, Pepperberg aimed to challenge the widely held belief that animals lack the capacity for thought and emotion. 


 

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1. Animal Minds Parrot Alex Reading Passage

You should spend approximately 20 minutes answering Questions 1 - 13 based on the Reading Passage below.

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2. Animal Minds Parrot Alex Reading Question with Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Animal Minds Parrot Alex

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1.

Animal Minds Parrot Alex Reading Passage

General Information

  • You will have 60 minutes to complete the entire reading test.
  • The test consists of three reading passages with a total of 40 questions.
  • The texts may be taken from books, magazines, journals, or newspapers.
  • You will receive an answer sheet and should write your answers on it.
  • The questions will be in different formats, such as multiple-choice, matching, sentence completion, and summary completion.
  • The reading passages will increase in difficulty as you progress through the test.
  • You cannot bring any electronic devices, including mobile phones, into the test room.

 

 

 

 

Animal Minds Parrot Alex Reading Passage


 

Paragraph A

A recent Harvard University graduate Irene Pepperberg did something very audacious in 1977. She set out to discover what another creature was thinking by conversing with it at a time when animals were still considered automatons. She brought a one-year-old African grey parrot named Alex into her lab to teach him the English language sounds. "I believed that if he learned to communicate, I would be able to inquire about his worldview."
 

Paragraph B

Many scientists believed that animals lacked the capacity for thought before Pepperberg's conversation with Alex, who passed away in September at the age of 31. They were merely machines, robots programmed to respond to stimuli but incapable of thought or emotion. Every owner of a pet would disagree. We can see love in our dogs' eyes and are therefore aware that they have thoughts and emotions. However, such claims remain highly contentious. Instinct is not science, and it is far too simple to attribute human thoughts and emotions to another creature. Then, how does a scientist demonstrate that an animal can think, i.e. acquire information about the world and act upon it? Pepperberg stated, "I began my studies with Alex because of this." They were seated, she at her desk and he on top of his cage, in her lab at Brandeis University, a windowless room roughly the size of a boxcar. There were newspapers on the floor and baskets of colourful toys on the shelves. They worked as a team, and as a result, the idea that animals can think is no longer so fantastical.
 

Paragraph C

Certain talents are regarded as significant indicators of higher mental abilities: a strong memory, an understanding of syntax and symbols, self-awareness, the capacity to comprehend others' motivations, the ability to imitate others and creativity. Researchers have used ingenious experiments to document similar talents in other species, destroying the idea that humans are unique while also offering information on the origins of our abilities. Scrub jays recognise faces; chimps use a variety of tools to probe termite mounds and even use weapons to hunt small mammals; dolphins can imitate human postures; the archerfish, which stuns insects with a sudden blast of water, can learn how to aim its squirt by watching a more experienced fish perform the task; and Alex the parrot was surprisingly intelligent.
 

Paragraph D

Alex continued to get English lessons from Pepperberg and a variety of assistants thirty years after he first began taking them. The humans, together with two younger parrots, functioned as Alex's flock, giving the parrots the social stimulation they require. This tiny flock, like any other, was not without its share of drama. Alex dominated his fellow parrots, acted irritable at times around Pepperberg, tolerated the other female humans, and broke down over a visiting male helper. Pepperberg purchased Alex from a pet store in Chicago, where she let the store's employee choose him because she didn't want other scientists to assume that she had particularly chosen a particularly intelligent bird for her research. Given Alex's walnut-sized brain, the majority of researchers believed Pepperberg's interspecies communication study to be fruitless.
 

Paragraph E

"Many folks believed I was mad for attempting this," she stated. Despite their inability to communicate, scientists considered chimpanzees to be exceptional subjects. Chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas have been trained to communicate with us through the use of sign language and symbols, with often astonishing results. The bonobo Kanzi, for example, carries his symbol-communication board with him so he can "speak" to his human researchers, and he has created sign combinations to represent his views. However, this is not the same as an animal looking up at you, opening his lips, and speaking. Alex learned how to use his vocal tract to duplicate nearly one hundred English words, including the sounds for various foods, even though he calls an apple a "beanery." Pepperberg stated that apples taste slightly resembling bananas to him, and they look a little bit like cherries; Alex coined that word for them.  
 

Paragraph F

The notion that a bird would actively participate in practice lessons sounded a bit absurd. But after listening to and witnessing Alex's behaviour, it was difficult to dispute Pepperberg's explanation. She did not reward him for his repetitive effort or touch him on the claws to induce him to make the sounds. Pepperberg noted after saying "seven" a dozen times in a row for Alex, "He must continually hear the words before he can replicate them correctly." "I am not evaluating Alex's ability to acquire a human language," she stated. "This has never been relevant. My goal was always to use his imitative abilities to gain a greater knowledge of avian cognition."
 

Paragraph G

In other words, because Alex could approximate the sounds of some English phrases, Pepperberg was able to ask him about a bird's fundamental understanding of the universe. She was unable to inquire about his thoughts, but she could inquire about his understanding of numbers, forms, and colours. Pepperberg hoisted Alex on her arm to a tall wooden perch in the centre of the room to show. She then got a green key and a little green cup from a shelf-mounted basket. She presented the two objects to Alex's view. She inquired, "What's identical?" Unhesitatingly, Alex's beak opened: “Color.” "What's different?" Pepperberg questioned. "Form," Alex stated. His voice had the sound of a computer-generated cartoon character. Since parrots lack lips (another reason it was difficult for Alex to pronounce some sounds, such as ba), it appeared as though the words were being spoken by a ventriloquist. However, the words and what can only be termed the thoughts were his alone.
 

Paragraph H

Alex ran through his tests for the next twenty minutes, identifying colours, shapes, sizes, and materials (wool versus wood versus metal). He performed some elementary mathematics, like counting the yellow blocks in a pile of blocks of various colours. Alex then talked as if to provide conclusive evidence of the mind within the brain of his bird. When one of the younger birds, Pepperberg, was also instructing with the wrong pronunciation, he commanded, "Speak clearly!" "Speak audibly!" Pepperberg remarked to him, shaking her head, "Don't be such a smart-aleck!" "He knows everything, but he's bored, so he interrupts the others or offers the incorrect response to be stubborn. At this age, he has the temperament of a teenager; I never know what he'll do."

2.

Animal Minds Parrot Alex Reading Question and Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Animal Minds Parrot Alex

Questions and Answers 1-6
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet, write.

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

 

1. Firstly, Alex has grasped quite a lot of vocabulary.
 

2. At the beginning of the study, Alex felt frightened in the presence of humans.

 

3. Previously, many scientists realised that the animal possesses the ability of thinking.
 

4. It has taken a long time before people get to know cognition exists in animals.
 

5. As Alex could approximately imitate the sounds of English words, he was capable of roughly answering Irene's questions regarding the world.
 

6. By breaking in other parrots as well as producing the incorrect answers, he tried to be focused.

 

Animal Minds Parrot Alex Reading Answers with explanations (1 - 6)

 

Type of Question: Identifying Information or True/False/Not Given

In this task, you are given a set of statements. Based on your understanding of the passage, you should identify the nature of the given statement and write the correct answer.



 

How to best answer the question
 

  • Read the given question statements carefully and note down the keywords
  • With the help of the keywords, locate them in the passage, which will help you decide whether the given statement is true or false
  • Your answer will not be given if the information is not in the passage.

 

1. Not Given

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph A to H: ‘A recent Harvard University graduate Irene Pepperberg……….temperament of a teenager; I never know what he'll do."’
 

Explanation

Based on the reading passage, it is mentioned that Alex, the parrot, had learned to imitate almost a hundred words, which is more vocabulary than the other two parrots. However, it is not particularly stated whether this number qualifies as "quite a lot", so the answer is not given.
 

 

2. Not Given

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph A to H: ‘A recent Harvard University graduate Irene Pepperberg……….temperament of a teenager; I never know what he'll do."’
 

Explanation

Based on the given information in the passage, it is not explicitly stated whether Alex was frightened by humans or not. Therefore, the answer is not given.

 

3. False

 

Reference:

 

From paragraphs A & B: ‘She set out to discover what another creature was thinking by conversing with it at a time when animals were still considered automatons.’ & ‘Many scientists believed that animals lacked the capacity for thought before Pepperberg's conversation with Alex, who passed away in September at the age of 31.’
 

Explanation

The answer is fasle as due to the lack of research at the time, as well as the prevailing scientific notions of the era. Alex's passing in September at the age of 31 was a significant loss to the scientific community, but his legacy lives on as a testament to the remarkable intelligence and emotional complexity that animals are capable of.


 

4. True

 

Reference:

 

From paragraphs A, D, &F: ‘A recent Harvard University graduate, Irene Pepperberg, did something very audacious in 1977.’, ‘Alex continued to get English lessons from Pepperberg and a variety of assistants thirty years after he first began taking them.’ & ‘ "This has never been relevant. My goal was always to use his imitative abilities to gain a greater knowledge of avian cognition."’
 

Explanation

Before 1977, animals were thought to lack the ability to think or feel. Pepperberg's work with Alex, a parrot, showed that certain animals possess advanced cognitive abilities and social interactions. Even after 30 years, Pepperberg and her assistants continued to give Alex English lessons, proving that it took time to recognise the cognitive abilities of animals.


 

5. True

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph G: ‘In other words, because Alex could approximate the sounds of some English phrases, Pepperberg was able to ask him about a bird's fundamental understanding of the universe.’
 

Explanation

Pepperberg used questions about numbers, shapes, and colours to understand what Alex was thinking about the environment around him. This approach was particularly useful as Alex could pronounce a few English words, allowing him to communicate his thoughts more effectively.


 

6. False

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph H: ‘hen one of the younger birds, Pepperberg, was also instructing with the wrong pronunciation, he commanded, "Speak clearly!" "Speak audibly!" Pepperberg remarked to him, shaking her head, "Don't be such a smart-aleck!"’
 

Explanation

During one of Pepperberg's lessons with younger birds, Alex interrupted them out of boredom, commanding them to "Talk clearly!" According to Pepperberg, Alex had a moody personality and acted like a teenager, making it difficult to predict his behaviour. Therefore, the answer is false.

Questions and Answers 7-10
  • Complete the summary using the list of words, A-K, below.
  • Write the correct letter, A-K, in boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.

 

After the training of Irene, Parrot Alex can use his vocal tract to pronounce more than 7…………………….., while other scientists believe that animals have no this advanced ability of thinking, they would rather teach 8………………………. Pepperberg clarified that she wanted to conduct a study concerning 9……………………….. but not to teach him to talk. The store's assistant picked out a bird at random for her for the sake of avoiding other scientists saying that the bird is 10……………………. Afterwards.

 

Animal Minds Parrot Alex Reading Answers with Explanation (7 - 10)

 

Type of questions: Summary Completion (Selecting words from the text)

 

Summary completion is a question type in IELTS Reading where you complete an incomplete passage summary with missing information. It requires good reading skills and an understanding of complex texts. 
 

Under this task, you will be given a summary with incomplete sentences, and you will not be given any list of words/phrases to choose the missing information. Instead, you must refer to the main passage to fill in the missing information.
 

How to best answer the question
 

  • Read the summary carefully to understand what is missing
  • Identify the keywords and find them in the passage 
  • Check the word and the context it is used in properly
  • Finalise your answer


 

7. 100 English words

 

Reference:

From paragraph E: ‘However, this is not the same as an animal looking up at you, opening his lips, and speaking.  Alex learned how to use his vocal tract to duplicate nearly one hundred English words, including the sounds for various foods, even though he calls an apple a "beanery."’
 

Explanation

Dr Irene Pepperberg, an animal psychologist, worked with an African grey parrot named Alex for over 30 years. Through her training methods, Alex could develop an impressive vocabulary of almost 100 words and even understand concepts like colours and shapes. 


 

8. Chimpanzees

 

Reference:

From paragraph E: Chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas have been trained to communicate with us through the use of sign language and symbols, with often astonishing results.’
 

Explanation

Chimpanzees were initially believed to be more capable of communicating with humans due to their ability to learn sign language. However, their lack of ability to speak made it difficult to achieve the desired results.
 

9. Avian cognition

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph F: ‘"This has never been relevant. My goal was always to use his imitative abilities to gain a greater knowledge of avian cognition."’
 

Explanation

Pepperberg's goal in working with Alex the parrot was not to teach him English but to understand birds' perception of the world. This approach allowed her to gather valuable insights on how birds learn and comprehend information.


 

10. Particularly Chosen

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph D: ‘Pepperberg purchased Alex from a pet store in Chicago, where she let the store's employee choose him because she didn't want other scientists to assume that she had particularly chosen a particularly intelligent bird for her research.’
 

Explanation

The assistant at the Chicago pet store chose Alex from a group of parrots. Pepperberg eliminated any potential criticism from other scientists who might claim she chose an unusually intelligent bird. This shows her commitment to unbiased research and a desire to ensure accurate results.

Questions and Answers 11-13
  • Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/ OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

 

11. What did Alex reply regarding the similarity of the subjects shown to him?
 

12. What is the problem of the young parrots except for Alex?
 

13. To some extent, through the way he behaved, what can call him?


Animal Minds Parrot Alex Reading Answers with Explanation (11 - 13)

 

Type of question: Short Answer Questions

 

In this task, you will be given a set of questions with missing information, typically sentences with blank spaces. You must complete each statement with one word or phrase (as instructed). 

 

How to best answer

 

  • Read the questions first to understand what information you need to look for in the passage.
  • Skim the passage and look for keywords 
  • You may have to look for synonyms or paraphrases to locate the answer 
  • Verify your answers and finalise them

 

11. Colour

 

Reference:

From paragraph G: ‘Unhesitatingly, Alex's beak opened: “Colour.” "What's different?" Pepperberg questioned.’

 

Explanation

The passage talks about Alex's abilities and how he perceived the world around him by differentiating between colours, numbers, and shapes. Even though he couldn't express his thoughts verbally, it's impressive how he used these factors to understand and interpret his environment.


 

12. Wrong pronunciation

 

Reference:

From paragraph H: ‘When one of the younger birds, Pepperberg, was also instructing with the wrong pronunciation, he commanded, "Speak clearly!" "Speak audibly!"’
 

Explanation

As per the paragraph, some parrots had trouble pronouncing a certain word, except for Alex. According to their trainer Pepperberg, Alex was much more advanced than the other birds and often interrupted them when bored.


 

13. Teenager

 

Reference:

From paragraph H: ‘At this age, he has the temperament of a teenager; I never know what he'll do."’

 

Explanation

As suggested by the paragraph, Alex, the parrot, who advanced in his language abilities, would often interrupt the younger birds and even give them wrong answers when he felt obstinate. According to Pepperberg, Alex was a moody teenager, and she never quite knew what he would do next.


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FAQs

Q. How much time should I spend on each passage in the IELTS Reading test?

A. The recommended time to spend on each passage in the IELTS Reading test is around 20 minutes. However, the difficulty level of each passage may vary, so it's essential to manage your time efficiently and not spend too long on one passage. You can try to skim through the passage quickly to get an idea of the content and then read it more carefully to find the answers to the questions.

Q. Should I read the passage or questions for my IELTS Reading test first?

A. It's recommended to quickly skim through the passage first to get a general idea of the content and structure, and then move on to the questions. This will help you locate the relevant information more efficiently and answer the questions more accurately. However, ultimately it comes down to personal preference and what works best for you.

Q. What are the criteria for determining the IELTS Reading score?

A. The IELTS Reading score is determined based on a set of criteria that include the number of correct answers given by the test taker, the level of accuracy in their responses, and their ability to understand the main ideas and details presented in the reading passages. The score ranges from 0 to 9, with 9 being the highest possible score. The criteria for determining the score are the same for both the Academic and General Training modules of the IELTS exam.

Q. Are spelling mistakes penalised for the IELTS Reading test?

A. Yes, spelling mistakes can be penalized in the IELTS Reading test. Your answers must be spelt correctly in order to receive credit for them. Therefore, it's important to double-check your spelling before submitting your answers.

Q. Is grammar necessary for the IELTS Reading test?

A. Yes, grammar is important for the IELTS Reading test. While the test primarily assesses your reading comprehension skills, having a good grasp of grammar will help you understand the text better and answer the questions ore accurately. Good grammar skills will also help you write clear and concise responses to the test questions. 

Q. What are some good books for IELTS Reading test preparation?

A. There are several good books available for IELTS Reading test preparation. Some of the popular ones include:
 

1. "The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS" by Cambridge University Press.

2. "Barron’s IELTS Superpack" by Dr. Lin Lougheed.

3. "IELTS Reading Strategies: The Ultimate Guide with Tips and Tricks on How to Get a Target Band Score of 8.0+ in 10 Minutes a Day" by Rachel Mitchell.


 

Q. Where can I get resources for IELTS Reading test preparation?

A. You can find many resources for IELTS Reading test preparation online. Some popular websites for IELTS Reading practice tests and study materials are IELTS.org, Cambridge English, and British Council. Additionally, you can find many IELTS preparation books and study guides on Amazon or at your local bookstore.

Q. How many questions are there in the IELTS Reading test?

A. The IELTS Academic reading test consists of 40 questions that will test your comprehension skills and assess your ability to interpret and understand written information. It's important to be prepared and familiar with the format of the test so that you can perform your best.

Q. How can I improve my comprehension skills for the IS Reading test?

A. To improve comprehension skills, read a variety of materials, pay attention to main ideas, take notes, and summarize the text in your own words. Ask yourself questions about the text and practice taking practice tests and timed readings to build confidence.

Q. What are some good resources for improving my reading skills in general?

A. There are several resources available to help you improve your reading skills. You can try online reading comprehension exercises, join a book club, read widely, use a dictionary, and practice reading regularly.

Q. What are some common misconceptions about the IELTS Reading test?

A. The common misconceptions about the IELTS Reading test include the belief that it only tests reading ability, that skimming through passages is sufficient, and that there is only one correct answer to each question. However, the test also assesses comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking, the passages are complex and require a thorough understanding, and some questions may have multiple correct answers.