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Walking with Dinosaurs Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test

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Updated on Jul 02, 2024, 11:57

The ‘Walking with Dinosaurs Reading Answers’ IELTS Reading practice test is made to help you increase your comprehension
 

You must read the passage carefully and answer questions based on the information provided. This practice test is a great way to prepare for the IELTS reading test and improve your ability to understand academic texts.


 

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1. Walking with Dinosaurs Reading Passage

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

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2. Walking with Dinosaurs Reading Questions & Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Walking with Dinosaurs.

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1.

Walking with Dinosaurs 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.

 

 

 

 

 

Walking With Dinosaurs Reading Passage

 



The tools that Peter L. Falkingham and his colleagues at Manchester University are making will likely change the way we think about how dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals behaved.

 

  1. The media occasionally portrays paleontologists or those who research prehistoric life as meticulously clearing stones from around a large dinosaur bone while they camp in the desert. Peter Falkingham hasn't exactly been doing that lately, which is the problem. Instead, he stares at a screen nonstop throughout the day. Not because he's busy but rather because he works in the relatively new field of computational paleontology. Few people may be aware that when a skeleton or new species is discovered, research truly begins. What we really want to understand is how extinct animals and plants behaved in their natural habitats. Drs. Bill Sellers and Phil Manning of the University of Manchester employ a "genetic algorithm" to analyse the movements and stalking patterns of prehistoric creatures like dinosaurs and our ancestors. A sort of computer code known as a genetic algorithm has the ability to "evolve" and update itself.

     
  2. The surviving bones of a complete dinosaur skeleton may teach scientists a great deal about the animal, but they do not offer the full image, which a computer can attempt to complete. A scanned skeleton and known muscle locations are provided to the computer model. The model then randomly activates the muscles. This, somewhat unexpectedly, ends in the animal falling on its face almost often. Therefore, the computer modifies the activation sequence and tries again... typically with the same outcome. The modelling dinosaurs rapidly "evolve." If an improvement is detected, the computer discards the previous pattern and utilises the new one as the basis for future modifications. 

     
  3. The muscle activation pattern finally develops into a stable mode of locomotion, the optimal solution is reached, and the dinosaur is able to walk, run, chase, and graze. Assuming that natural selection also generates the optimal solution, the modelled species should exhibit comparable behaviour to its extinct relative. Moreover, using the same method applied to actual animals (humans, emus, and ostriches), peak computer speeds were comparable to those attained in reality. By comparing their virtual results to actual measurements of current species, the Manchester team of palaeontologists may have confidence in the calculated data representing how extinct prehistoric animals, such as dinosaurs, travelled.

     
  4. The group from Manchester University has modelled a huge carnivorous dinosaur using computer simulations. The spines that run over its back give rise to its common name, "high-spined lizard" or "acrocanthosaurus." It is theorised by scientists that they propped up a hump that accumulated fat and water reserves, although this is purely conjectural. Many people also think that a sail was supported by the spines. One group thinks it was a blood-flushable display, while another other thinks it was a thermostat. Perhaps both factors were involved. The narrow breadth and frail jaws of the cranium make it look disproportionate to the massive weight of the body. The feet are especially remarkable because of how little they are in proportion to the rest of the animal. Its large, broad tail and powerful leg muscles allow it to move swiftly and are used to aid in locomotion. It walked on its rear legs, while its front legs were small and equipped with vicious claws.

     
  5. Falkingham is analysing historical footprints with modelling tools to learn more about the migratory patterns of extinct animals. Today's trackers, who research the habitats of wild animals, are able to determine the kind of animal that left behind a set of footprints, as well as the animal's speed and, in some cases, gender. However, applying the same logic to a fossil trail is far more challenging. Knowing the circumstances under which the path was formed, particularly with regard to the mud or silt that the animal walked on, may be very helpful. These issues can be answered via experiments, however, there are a staggering amount of potential impacts. Physically recreating each incident with a box of mud is a tedious and error-prone procedure. Simulators on computers can help in this endeavour.

     
  6. Falkingham mimics prehistoric mud by simulating a volume of mud and manipulating the moisture level, consistency, and other variables. The virtual mud is then marked with a virtual foot. Inside this footprint, which can be separated and studied from any angle, the stress values may be retrieved and calculated. By running hundreds of these simulations concurrently on supercomputers, Falkingham may be able to begin to understand what sorts of imprints may be expected if an animal walked in a given way over a specific type of ground. Scientists may more securely interpret fossil tracks with the assistance of the diversity in the recreated trails. Computational approaches in palaeontology are becoming more popular by the year. As computer power increases, so will the number of problems that can be addressed and questions that can be answered.
2.

Walking with Dinosaurs Reading Questions and Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Walking with Dinosaurs.

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. Peter Falkingham does very little fieldwork related to his studies of the ancient era at this point.
 

2. Sellers' and Manning's computerised dinosaur model often requires many tries before it can stand on its hind legs.
 

3. When applied to persons, the Sellers and Manning computer model represented them moving faster than their bodies could.
 

4. Concerns have been raised by a few palaeontologists regarding the Manchester team's findings on dinosaur mobility.
 

5. A skilled tracker can identify fossilised animal tracks just as readily as those left by living creatures.
 

6. It has been discovered that the studies done on the composition of ancient mud were wrong.

 

Walking with Dinosaurs Reading Answers with Explanation (1 - 6)

 

Type of question: Identifying Information (True/False/Not Given)
 

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

The statement is 
 

TRUE               if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE              if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN    if there is no information on this
 

How to best answer the question
 

  • Read the given statements carefully and memorise the keywords
  • With the keywords help, find the passage's references, which will help you decide whether the given statement is true or false
  • If the information is not there in the passage, then your answer will be not given


Check out the answers now.

 

1. True

 

Reference:

 

From passage A: ‘Peter Falkingham hasn't exactly been doing that lately, which is the problem.’

 

Explanation

As per the reference, Peter Falkingham hasn't been doing it, which is a problem. Instead, throughout the day, he stares at a screen. 


 

2. True

 

Reference:

 

From passage B: ‘A scanned skeleton and known muscle locations are provided to the computer model.’
 

Explanation

As explained in the paragraph above, the computer model is provided with a scanned skeleton and a known location of the muscles. Then, the muscle is randomly activated by the model.


 

3. False

 

Reference:

 

From passage C: ‘Assuming that natural selection also generates the optimal solution, the modelled species should exhibit comparable behaviour to its extinct relative.’
 

Explanation

As mentioned in the passage, peak computer speed was equivalent to that achieved in the real world through a similar method applied to actual animals such as humans, emu and ostriches.


 

4. Not Given

 

Reference:

From paragraphs A to F: ‘The media occasionally portrays paleontologists or……….questions that can be answered.’
 

Explanation

According to the passage, several paleontologists expressed concerns about the findings of the Manchester team on dinosaur mobility. However, the information provided does not specify the specific nature of these concerns or the reasons for them, so the answer is not given.
 

 

5. True

 

Reference:

 

From passage F: ‘By running hundreds of these simulations concurrently on supercomputers, Falkingham may be able to begin to understand what sorts of imprints may be expected if an animal walked in a given way over a specific type of ground.’
 

Explanation

As per the reference, by running hundreds of simulations on supercomputers at once, Falkingham could begin to understand what kinds of imprints might be expected when an animal walked across a certain type of surface.

 

6. Not Given

 

Reference:

 

From paragraphs A to F: ‘The media occasionally portrays paleontologists or……….questions that can be answered.’
 

Explanation

The answer is not given because there is no mention of the discovery that studies on the composition of ancient mud have been wrong. Therefore, the information provided does not provide any special details or justifications for the inaccuracy of those studies.

Questions and Answers 7-9
  • Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
  • Write your answers in boxes 7-9 on your answer sheet.
  • Label the diagram below

 

 

 

Walking with Dinosaurs Reading Answers with Explanation (7 - 9)


 

Type of question: Diagram Completion 

 

In this task, you will be given a diagram, chart, graph or illustration with missing elements. With your understanding of the passage, your aim is to complete the missing parts and write the correct answer. 
 

How to best answer the questions
 

  • Understand the instructions and make sure you understand what is required for the question.


 

7. Sail

 

Reference:

 

From passage D: ‘ It is theorised by scientists that they propped up a hump that accumulated fat and water reserves, although this is purely conjectural.’
 

Explanation

It is theorised by scientists that they propped up a hump that accumulated fat and water reserves, although this is purely conjectural. There are also many people who think the spine is behind the sail.


 

8. Narrow

 

Reference:

 

From passage D: ‘The narrow breadth and frail jaws of the cranium make it look disproportionate to the massive weight of the body.’
 

Explanation

The cranium's thin width and frail jaws make it appear too heavy for the weight of its body.


 

9. Locomotion

 

Reference:

 

From passage D: ‘Its large, broad tail and powerful leg muscles allow it to move swiftly and are used to aid in locomotion.’
 

Explanation

Its large, broad tail and powerful leg muscles allow it to move swiftly and are used to aid in locomotion.

Questions and Answers 10-13
  • Complete the flowchart below.
  • Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

 

Mud is stimulated by paying attention to its texture, thickness, and 10. ______ content.

A virtual foot leaves a muddy imprint.

 

11. ______ levels are detected in the footprint.

 

Numerous models link footprints to various 12. ______ types.

 

It is possible to read 13. ______ more accurately.

 

 

 

Walking with Dinosaurs Reading Answers with Explanation (10 - 13)

 

Type of question: Flow Chart Completion
 

How to best answer the questions:

  • Understand the instructions and make sure you understand that what is required for the question.


 

10. Moisture

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph F: ‘Falkingham mimics prehistoric mud by simulating a volume of mud and manipulating the moisture level, consistency, and other variables.’
 

Explanation

 Falkingham replicates the density of mud and manipulates its moisture levels, consistency as well as other variables in order to mimic ancient mud.


 

11. Stress

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph F: ‘The virtual mud is then marked with a virtual foot. Inside this footprint, which can be separated and studied from any angle, the stress values may be retrieved and calculated.’
 

Explanation

Then there's a virtual foot marking the virtual mud. The stress values can be obtained and measured within this footprint, which may be separated and studied from all angles.


 

12. Ground

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph F: ‘By running hundreds of these simulations concurrently on supercomputers, Falkingham may be able to begin to understand what sorts of imprints may be expected if an animal walked in a given way over a specific type of ground.’
 

Explanation

 Falkingham may be able to figure out what kind of imprints are likely, if an animal walks on a particular type of ground, by running hundreds of these simulations at the same time over supercomputers.


 

13. Fossil tracks

 

Reference:

 

From paragraph F: ‘Scientists may more securely interpret fossil tracks with the assistance of the diversity in the recreated trails.’
 

Explanation

With the help of diversity in reconstructed tracks, scientists can better interpret fossil footprints.

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FAQs

Q. What is the band score range for the IELTS Reading module?

A. The band score range for the IELTS Reading module is from 0 to 9. The score is calculated based on the number of correct answers you provide in the test. The score you receive determines your level of proficiency in the English language. A score of 9 indicates an expert user, while a score of 0 means that you did not attempt the test or that your answers were completely incorrect.

Q. Can I skip the IELTS Reading Module for my IELTS exam?

A. No, you cannot skip the IELTS Reading Module if you are taking the IELTS exam. The IELTS exam consists of four modules: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. You are required to take all four modules to receive an overall band score. Skipping any modules will result in an incomplete test, and you will not receive a band score.

Q. Does the IELTS Reading module have more weightage?

A. Each module of the IELTS exam carries equal weightage and contributes to the overall band score. The IELTS Reading module is one of the four IELTS exam modules and is equally important as the other three modules. Therefore, it is important to prepare for each module of the IELTS exam to achieve a good overall score. 

Q. Does the IELTS Reading Module have a negative marking?

A. Yes, the IELTS Reading module has a penalty for incorrect answers. One-fourth of a point is deducted for each incorrect answer, which means that one mark is deducted from your overall score for every four incorrect answers. Therefore, it is important to answer the questions carefully and only attempt the ones you are sure about to avoid losing marks.

Q. What is a good score for my IELTS Reading module?

A. A good score for the IELTS Reading module depends on the institution or organisation you are applying to. Generally, a score of 6.5 or higher is considered a good score. However, some institutions may require a higher score, such as 7.0 or 7.5. It is important to check the requirements of the institution or organisation you are applying to and aim to achieve the score they require.

Q. Does the IELTS Reading module have more weightage?

A. Each module of the IELTS exam is given equal weightage. This means that the Reading module carries the same weightage as the Listening, Writing, and Speaking modules. Each module is scored on a scale of 0 to 9, and the average of the four scores is calculated to give an overall band score. It is important to do well in all modules in order to achieve a high overall band score. 

Q. Does the IELTS Reading Module have a negative marking?

A.  Yes, the IELTS Reading Module has a negative marking system. This means that incorrect answers will result in a deduction of marks. It is important to answer all questions to the best of your ability, but also to manage your time effectively to ensure you do not leave any questions unanswered. Making an educated guess is better than leaving a question blank.

Q. How can I answer multiple choice questions for the IELTS Reading test?

A. To answer multiple-choice questions in the IELTS Reading test, read the instructions carefully, skim the passage, read the question and all the options, look for keywords, eliminate options, choose the best answer, and manage your time. By following these tips, you can improve your chances of answering multiple-choice questions correctly in the IELTS Reading test.

Q. Can I exceed the word limit for the IELTS Reading test?

A. No, you cannot exceed the word limit for the IELTS Reading test. The test is designed to evaluate your ability to read and understand academic texts in English within a specific time frame. The passages and questions are carefully structured to test your skills in a particular way, and exceeding the word limit may affect your score negatively. It is important to answer the questions within the given word limit and manage your time effectively to ensure you answer all the questions.

Q. What can I do if I don't know the answer to my IELTS Reading test question?

A. If you don't know the answer to your IELTS Reading test question, try to make an informed guess. You can omit the less probable options and filter out the most appropriate answer from the options available. If the question seems too difficult to answer, do not overthink it. You can skip the question and move to the next. Make sure you start your IELTS preparation early and cover all the necessary topics within the time. Getting help from expert IELTS trainers can make this much easier.

Q. Can I request extra time for my IELTS Reading test if needed?

A. No, you cannot ask for extra time during your IELTS Reading test. The time allocated for your exam is one hour. You have to finish your test within this time. There isn't any extra transfer or other time permitted. Ensure you read the passages, answer the questions, and proofread them within this time.