‘The history of the tortoise’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 9
Here are explanations of the Questions of passage named, ‘The history of the tortoise’ which is from the Cambridge 9 book. The Questions that have been asked are ‘Blanks’, ‘True/False/Not Given’ and ‘MCQs’. You will find the locations of the Reading Answers, Keywords(highlighted and underlined) and justifications.
READING PASSAGE 3: The history of the tortoise
| Question | Answer |
| 27 | PLANTS |
| 28 | BREATHING, REPRODUCTION ( IN EITHER ORDER) |
| 29 | GILLS |
| 30 | DOLPHINS |
| 31 | NOT GIVEN |
| 32 | FALSE |
| 33 | TRUE |
| 34 | 3 MEASUREMENTS |
| 35 | (TRIANGULAR) GRAPH |
| 36 | CLUSTER |
| 37 | AMPHIBIOUS |
| 38 | HALF WAY |
| 39 | DRY-LAND TORTOISES |
| 40 | D |
Questions 27-30
Answer the questions below
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer
Write your answers in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet.
27. What had to transfer from sea to land before any animals could migrate?
Location: 1st paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the last line of the paragraph. ‘And we mustn’t forget the plants, without whose prior invasion of the land none of the other migrations could have happened…Here, ‘prior invasion to land’ and ‘transfer from sea to land’ means the same. Moreover, ‘before any animals could migrate’ has been written as ‘none of other migrations could happened…’ Thus, plants had to transfer from sea to land.
Answer: plants
‘The history of the tortoise’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 9
28. Which TWO processes are mentioned as those in which animals had to make big changes as they moved onto land?
Location: 2nd paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword is ‘two processes’ and its reference is there in the beginning of the paragraph. ‘Moving from water to land involved a major redesign of every aspect of life, including breathing and reproduction…’Here, the writer states that when animals had to move from water to land then they had to make changes in breathing and reproduction. In addition, ‘big changes’ and ‘major redesign’ means the same. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: Breathing, Reproduction
‘The history of the tortoise’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 9
29. Which physical feature. possessed by their ancestors, do whales lack?
Location: 2nd paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘whales’ helps to find an answer in the last third line of the paragraph. ‘They do, however, still breathe air, having never developed anything equivalent to the gills of their earlier marine incarnation…’ Here, ‘earlier marine incarnation’ refers to ‘ancestors’. In addition, ‘having never developed anything equivalent to gills’ means they lack gills. Thus, the answer is ‘gills’
Answer: Gills
30. Which animals might ichthyosaurs have resembled?
Location: 3rd paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword is ‘ichthyosaurs’ and its reference is there in the second last line of the paragraph. ‘Ichthyosaurs were reptilian contemporaries of the dinosaurs, with fins and streamlined bodies. The fossils look like dolphins and they surely lived like dolphins, in the water…’Here, the writer states, ‘fossils look like dolphins’ that means ichthyosaurs have resembled dolphins. Look like= resembled. Thus, the answer is ‘dolphins’.
Answer: Dolphins
Questions 31-33
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 31-33 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 more than once.
31. Turtles were among the first group of animals to migrate back to the sea.
Location: 2nd paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘turtles’ is there in the second last line of the paragraph. ‘Turtles went back to the sea a very long time ago and, like all vertebrate returnees to the water, they breathe air…’ Here, the writer only states that turtles went back to sea. But there is no information regarding whether they were among the first group of animals or not. Thus, no information available.
Answer: Not Given
‘The history of the tortoise’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 9
32. It is always difficult to determine where an animal lived when its fossilized remains are incomplete.
Location: 3rd paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the third line of the paragraph. ‘You might wonder how we can tell whether fossil animals lived on land or in water, especially if only fragments are found. Sometimes it`s obvious…’Here, the question statement states that it is always difficult to determine. But the passage statement states that sometimes it’s obvious. That means it is not always difficult. Thus, the question statement contradicts the passage statement.
Answer: False
33. The habitat of ichthyosaurs can be determined by the appearance of their fossilized remains.
Location: 3rd paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the last third line of the paragraph. ‘Ichthyosaurs were reptilian contemporaries of the dinosaurs, with fins and streamlined bodies. The fossils look like dolphins and they surely lived like dolphins, in the water…’ Here, ‘fossils look like dolphins’ states about the appearance of fossilized remains. Moreover, ‘surely lived like dolphins, in the water’ give reference to the habitat. Thus, the question statement is same as the passage statement.
Answer: True
‘The history of the tortoise’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 9
Question 34-39
Complete the flow-chart below
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 34-39 on your answer sheet.
Method of determining where the ancestors of turtles and tortoises come from
Step 1: 71 species of living turtles and tortoises were examined and a total of 34 __________ were taken from the bones of their forelimbs.
Location: 4th paragraph
Explanation: The main keywords that are highlighted are there in the first two lines of the paragraph. ‘Walter Joyce and Jacques Gauthier, at Yale University, obtained three measurements in these particular bones of 71 species of living turtles and tortoises…’ Here, ‘obtained three measurements’ and ‘three measurements were taken’ means the same. Thus, the answer is ‘three measurements’.
Answer: Three measurements
‘The history of the tortoise’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 9
Step 2: The data was recorded on a 35 __________ (necessary for comparing the information).
Location: 4th paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the second line of the paragraph. ‘They used a kind of triangular graph paper to plot the three measurements against one another…’ Here, ‘measuring against one another’ means they were comparing the information. In addition, ‘three measurements’ refers to data. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: (Triangular) graph
‘The history of the tortoise’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 9
Outcome: Land tortoises were represented by a dense 36 __________ of points towards the top. Sea turtles were grouped together in the bottom part.
Location: 4th paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the third line of the paragraph
‘All the land tortoise species formed a tight cluster of points in the upper part of the triangle; all the water turtles cluster in the lower part of the triangular graph…’Here, ‘dense’ and ‘tight’ are synonyms. ‘Upper part’= ‘top’. Thus, the answer is ‘Cluster’
Answer: Cluster
‘The history of the tortoise’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 9
Step 3: The same data was collected from some living 37 __________ species and added to the other results.
Location: 4th paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the fifth line of the paragraph. ‘There was no overlap, except when they added some species that spend time both in water and on land. The Sure enough, these amphibious species show up on the triangular graph approximately half way between the ‘wet cluster’ of sea turtles and the ‘dry cluster’ of land tortoises…’ Here, the writer states that species that were added were amphibious.
Answer: Amphibious
‘The history of the tortoise’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 9
Outcome: The points for these species turned out to be positioned about 38 __________ up the triangle between the land tortoises and the sea turtles.
Location: 5th paragraph
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the fifth line of the paragraph. ‘Sure enough, these amphibious species show up on the triangular graph approximately half way between the ‘wet cluster’ of sea turtles and the ‘dry cluster’ of land tortoises…’ Here, ‘positioned’ and ‘show up’ means the same. Moreover, ‘positioned about halfway’ has been written as ‘approximately…’ in the question. Thus, the answer is ‘halfway’.
Answer: Halfway
‘The history of the tortoise’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 9
Step 4: Bones of R quenstedti and P tampanensis were examined in a similar way and the results added.
Outcome: The position of the points indicated that both these ancient creatures were39 __________
Location: 5th paragraph
Explanation: The main keywords ‘quenstedti and P tampanensis…’ helps to locate an answer in the last two lines of the paragraph. ‘The bones of P quenstedti and P. talampayensis leave us in no doubt. Their points on the graph are right in the thick of the dry cluster. Both these fossils were dry-land tortoises…’ Here, ‘ancient creatures’ refers to ‘fossil fuels’ and writer states that both these creatures were dry land tortoises. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: Dry-land tortoise
‘The history of the tortoise’- Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 9
Questions 40
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in box 40 on your answer sheet.
According to the writer, the most significant thing about tortoises is that
A. they are able to adapt to life in extremely dry environments.
B.their original life form was a kind of primeval bacteria,
C. they have so much in common with sea turtles.
D. they have made the transition from sea to land more than once.
Location: Last paragraph
Explanation: The question can answered after reading the whole paragraph. ‘In common with all mammals, reptiles and binds, their remote ancestors were marine fish and before that various more or less worm-like creatures stretching back, still in the sea, Later ancestors still evolved back into the water and became sea turtles. And finally, they returned yet again to the land as tortoises, some of which now live in the driest of deserts…’ Here, the writer states that tortoise have made transition number of times from sea to land. Thus, the best option is D.
Answer: D
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