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Pollination Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test

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Updated on Jul 02, 2024, 11:57

The IELTS Reading section is a crucial component of the IELTS exam, assessing your ability to read and understand various types of texts in English. In this section, you will encounter three passages drawn from academic and general interest sources. Over a duration of 60 minutes, you must answer 40 questions that test your comprehension skills, including identifying main ideas, understanding details, and making inferences.


In the passage "Pollination Reading," you will explore the evolution and significance of skyscrapers in urban landscapes. This text delves into the history of tall buildings, the engineering feats that enable their construction, and the impact of skyscrapers on city planning and culture. Understanding this topic provides insights into how architectural innovation shapes modern cities and influences societal development.

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1. Pollination Reading Reading Passage

You should spend approximately 20 minutes answering Questions 1 - 13 based on the Reading Passage below. This approach can help manage time effectively during a reading comprehension activity or exam. 

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2. Pollination Reading Question & Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Pollination

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1.

Pollination Reading Reading 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.

 

 

 Pollination Reading


Paragraph A

Plants have developed a broad variety of reproductive strategies over time. Some plants, such as garlic and lilies, reproduce asexually by cutting off new roots or bulbs, or even branches, stalks, or leaves (e.g., mangroves, spider plants). Asexually reproducing plants are basically replicas of themselves. This straightforward reproduction technique allows plants to create new plants relatively quickly and with less effort than they can through sexual reproduction. However, most plants mainly reproduce sexually. From an evolutionary standpoint, the perks include more genetic diversity and better dispersion compared with colonies of clones produced by asexual reproduction. In flowering plants, pollen grains are transferred from the anther to the stigma, where they fertilise the female ovaries and produce seeds.

 

Paragraph B

Some flowering plants, like peas, beans, and tomatoes, can pollinate themselves, but pollination between different plants is more common. This can actually occur either because pollen is carried by the wind (it occurs in most conifers and many grasses) or because of pollinators, which are animals that plants depend on to help move pollen from one plant to the ovaries of another. Although certain bird and bat species also contribute significantly, insects make up the majority of pollinators.

 

Paragraph C

Plants have developed a variety of tactics to persuade pollinators to perform their tasks. Most plants produce nectar, a sweet mixture that pollinators consume as food. The honeybee, which gathers nectar and pollen for nourishment, is a well-known example. When a bee enters a flower, it rubs against the anther, causing the surface of its body to absorb pollen particles. When the honeybee enters a second flower and rubs against the stigma, some grain from that plant fertilises the second plant's ovaries, resulting in seeds that include genetic material from the initial plant's gametes coupled with the second plant's female reproductive system. A significant proportion of bees, butterflies, and moths, as well as some kinds of bats and birds, are drawn to flowers that produce nectar.

 

Paragraph D

Flowering plants have developed a variety of tactics to attract pollinators or otherwise simplify their job. Flowers with a "landing platform" that is open during the daytime and vibrant in colour—typically red, yellow, or orange—attract butterflies. On the contrary, most moths are active at night and are therefore attracted to flowers that are light in colour or white, have a strong aroma, and have a wide surface area for them to settle on. Long-tongued insects like butterflies and moths have evolved alongside plants that have formed deep pools of nectar that are exclusively accessible to certain species. Hummingbirds are captivated by bold colours, particularly red, and the flowers that entice them also have sturdy stems and are structured in such a way that the pollen may be rubbed across the heads of the little creatures while they drink nectar.

 

Paragraph E

Bees cannot see red; hence, flowers that are pleasing to them are usually blue, yellow, or other hues. Nectar guides, which are specks in each flower's centre that reflect ultraviolet light and enable the bees to reach the nectar, are another characteristic of several bee attractants. Similarly, flowers with a minty or sweet scent also lure bees. Snapdragons are not only aesthetically appealing to bees, but they are also intended to attract specific bee species: snapdragons possess a landing platform that unfolds if the bee is of appropriate weight, providing access to nectar and pollen.

 

Paragraph F

In agriculture, pollinators play an essential role. For most fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seed crops, farmers must rely on pollinator species, unlike many staple crops like rice, maize, canola, and wheat, which can self-pollinate or be pollinated by the wind. Pollinator animals are essential for the production of more than 30% of all crops around the globe. The most prominent pollinators in agriculture are bees. Crops they pollinate include fruit trees like apples and cherries, vegetables like squash, beans, tomatoes, and eggplant, floral shrubs, seasonal and perennial flowers, forages like clover and alfalfa, and fibre crops like cotton. Other pollinating insects comprise midges (cocoa), wasps (figs), moths (yucca, papaya), butterflies (asters, daisies, marigolds), bats (agave, palms, durians), and even hummingbirds (fuchsia).

 

Paragraph G

Concerns about the future of the food supply have been raised after recent drops in honeybees and other pollinator species across the globe. As a result, several scientists have urged for further research on the function of pollinators, the agricultural and environmental changes responsible for the decreases, as well as the consequences for the economy and the ecosystem, and strategies to stop further losses.
 

2.

Pollination Reading Question & Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Pollination

Questions and Answers 1-5
  • Complete the summary using the list of words and phrases below.
  • Write the correct letter, A-I, in the numbered 1-5 on your answer sheet.

   

        A. pollen

        B. flowering plants

        C. roots

        D. grains

        F. spider plants

        E. air

        G. copies

       H. fertilisation

        I. time
 

The reproduction of plants occurs in different ways. Some plants send out new parts such as 1. _____ or bulbs. These grow into new plants, which are actually 2. _____ of the original plant. The advantage of this form of reproduction is that it does not require a lot of 3. _____ or energy. Many 4. _____ reproduce themselves by forming seeds through the process of pollination. Some plants pollinate through the 5. _____ or animals to carry the pollen from plant to plant.

 

Pollination Reading Reading Answers with Explanations (1-5)

 

Type of question: Summary completion

 

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

 

How to answer:  

  • Read the summary to understand what information it’s missing
  • Identify keywords and locate them in the main passage to find missing words 
  • Review the context of the words you’ve chosen to match the summary
  • Finalise your answers  

 

1. C

 

Reference:

From paragraph A:  "Some plants, such as garlic and lilies, reproduce asexually by cutting off new roots or bulbs." 

 

Explanation

This line explicitly mentions that certain plants reproduce by sending out new parts, specifically roots or bulbs. These parts can grow into new plants, making them a clear example of asexual reproduction in plants.

 

2. G

 

Reference:

From paragraph A: "Asexually reproducing plants are basically replicas of themselves."

 

Explanation

The term "replicas" directly indicates that the new plants are identical copies of the original plant. This means that through asexual reproduction, the offspring are genetic duplicates, maintaining the same genetic makeup as the parent plant.
 

3. I

 

Reference:

From paragraph A: "This straightforward reproduction technique allows plants to create new plants relatively quickly and with less effort than they can through sexual reproduction."

 

Explanation

This line highlights that asexual reproduction enables plants to produce offspring rapidly and with minimal energy expenditure. The process's efficiency implies it takes less time compared to the more complex sexual reproduction, which involves multiple stages and more energy.

 

4. B

 

Reference:

From paragraph B:  "Some flowering plants, like peas, beans, and tomatoes, can pollinate themselves."

 

Explanation

This line identifies specific examples of flowering plants that can self-pollinate. It emphasises that these plants reproduce by forming seeds through the process of pollination, which is characteristic of many flowering plants.

 

5. F

 

Reference:

From paragraph B: “This can actually occur either because pollen is carried by the wind (it occurs in most conifers and many grasses) or because of pollinators, which are animals that plants depend on to help move pollen from one plant to the ovaries of another.”

 

Explanation

This line explains one of the common mechanisms of pollination, where pollen is transported by the wind. It highlights the role of air in moving pollen from one plant to another, facilitating the process of fertilisation in many plant species. 

Questions and Answers 6-10
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage? In boxes 6-10 of your answer sheet, write

  • TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
  • FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
  • NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage.

 

6. Some species of flowers have gradually developed such that they can be pollinated by hummingbirds.
7. If a flower is very attractive but small, the butterfly will use its leaves as a landing surface.
8. Honeybees consume both nectar and pollen.
9. Insects are the key pollinators of the majority of cereals.
10. Almost one-third of the global harvest is dependent on animals for pollination.

 

Pollination Reading Reading Answers with Explanations (6-10)

 

Type of question: Yes/No/Not Given(True/False/Not Given)

 

In this question type, you are required to determine whether the statements provided agree with, contradict, or are not mentioned in the reading passage. 

 

How to best answer: 

  • Understand what information is being presented and what is being asked.
  • Find relevant information in the reading passage that relates to the statement.
  • Determine if the statement agrees with, contradicts, or is not mentioned in the passage.
  • If the information is not explicitly provided in the passage, select 'Not Given' rather than making assumptions.
  • Base your answers solely on the information presented in the passage, avoiding personal opinions or outside knowledge.
     
6. TRUE

 

Reference:

From paragraph D: "Hummingbirds are captivated by bold colours, particularly red, and the flowers that entice them also have sturdy stems and are structured in such a way that the pollen may be rubbed across the heads of the little creatures while they drink nectar."

 

Explanation

The passage describes how certain flowers have evolved to have specific traits, such as bold colours and sturdy stems, to attract hummingbirds. These adaptations facilitate the transfer of pollen to the birds while they drink nectar, indicating that these flowers have indeed developed to be pollinated by hummingbirds.
 

7. NOT GIVEN

 

Reference:

From paragraph: N.A.

 

Explanation

While the passage discusses how butterflies are attracted to vibrant-coloured flowers and mentions the characteristics of flowers that attract them, it does not provide information on whether butterflies use leaves as landing surfaces if the flowers are small. Thus, this specific detail is not addressed in the text.

 

8. TRUE

 

Reference:

From paragraph E: "Snapdragons are not only aesthetically appealing to bees, but they are also intended to attract specific bee species: snapdragons possess a landing platform that unfolds if the bee is of appropriate weight, providing access to nectar and pollen."
 

Explanation

This line details how snapdragons have evolved to attract bees by offering a landing platform that grants access to nectar and pollen. This supports the statement that bees consume both nectar and pollen, as the plant's mechanism is specifically designed to facilitate bee feeding on both substances.

 

9. FALSE

 

Reference:

From paragraph F: "For most fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seed crops, farmers must rely on pollinator species, unlike many staple crops like rice, maize, canola, and wheat, which can self-pollinate or be pollinated by the wind." 

 

Explanation

The passage explicitly states that staple crops like cereals (rice, maize, canola, and wheat) are primarily self-pollinating or depend on wind for pollination. This directly contradicts the statement that insects are the key pollinators of the majority of cereals, making the answer false.  
 

10. TRUE

 

Reference:

From paragraph F: "Pollinator animals are essential for the production of more than 30% of all crops around the globe."

 

Explanation

The passage highlights the significant role of pollinator animals in the global food supply, specifying that they are crucial for the production of over 30% of crops worldwide. This statistic supports the statement about the dependency of a substantial portion of the global harvest on animal pollinators.

Questions and Answers 11-13
  • Complete the sentences below.
  • Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

 

11. Butterflies are attracted to flowers that have ________.
12. Spots near the centre of each flower which helps the bees in finding nectar are called _________.
13. Agave, palms and durians are pollinated by ______.

 

Pollination Reading Reading Answers with Explanations (11-13)

 

Type of question: Sentence Completion

In this question type, you are required to fill in the blanks in a given sentence with words or phrases taken directly from the passage. These questions test your ability to understand specific details and information presented in the text.

 

How to answer:  

  • Read the sentence carefully to understand the context.
  • Identify keywords or clues that can help you find the answer in the passage.
  • Scan the passage for relevant information, focusing on the area around the blank.
  • Choose the answer that fits grammatically and contextually.
  • Verify your answers and finalise them.
     
11. landing platform

 

Reference:

From paragraph D:  "Flowers with a 'landing platform' that is open during the daytime and vibrant in colour—typically red, yellow, or orange—attract butterflies."

 

Explanation

This line describes specific features that attract butterflies to flowers, emphasising the importance of a landing platform along with bright daytime colours. The platform provides a place for butterflies to land and access nectar, which facilitates pollination. 

 

12. nectar guide

 

Reference:

From paragraph E: "Nectar guides, which are specks in each flower's centre that reflect ultraviolet light and enable the bees to reach the nectar, are another characteristic of several bee attractants."


Explanation

The passage explains that nectar guides are specialised spots in flowers that reflect ultraviolet light, directing bees to the nectar. This adaptation is crucial for effective pollination, as it helps bees locate and access the nectar more efficiently, ensuring the transfer of pollen.

 

13. bats

 

Reference:

From paragraph F: "Other pollinating insects comprise midges (cocoa), wasps (figs), moths (yucca, papaya), butterflies (asters, daisies, marigolds), bats (agave, palms, durians), and even hummingbirds (fuchsia)."

 

Explanation

This line identifies bats as key pollinators for specific plants like agave, palms, and durians. It highlights the role of various animals in the pollination process, indicating the diverse interactions between plants and their pollinators that are essential for the production of certain crops.  

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FAQs

Q. What should I do if I run out of time?

Ans.  If you are running out of time, make sure to quickly fill in all unanswered questions, as there is no penalty for incorrect answers. Guessing can increase your chances of scoring additional points. Prioritise completing all questions and transferring your answers to the answer sheet, even if you have to make educated guesses for some.

 

 


 

Q. How can I practise effectively for the IELTS Reading test?

Ans.  Use official IELTS practice materials, read a variety of texts in English regularly, and take timed practice tests to become familiar with the test format and improve your reading skills and speed. Regular practice helps you build the stamina needed for the test and familiarise yourself with different question types and topics. 


 


 

Q. Where can I find reliable IELTS Reading practice materials?

Ans. Official IELTS practice materials can be found on the IELTS website, as well as in IELTS preparation books, and resources provided by British Council, IDP, and other reputable sources. These materials are designed to reflect the actual test format and difficulty, providing an accurate representation of what to expect on test day.