Crocodile Reading Answers

Jan 6, 2023

Crocodile Reading Answers contains a write up about the evolution of crocodiles. Crocodile Reading Answers contains a total of 7 paragraphs. Related to the paragraphs are 13 questions. Candidates in this IELTS Section will be shown various question types with clear instructions. Crocodile Reading Answers comprises two types of questions: Complete the sentence and Choose the correct option. The paragraph is all about various species within the crocodilians. .

To answer the questions provided in the IELTS Reading passage,Applicants must attentively read each passage. Candidates to complete the sentence must be aware of the information provided in the paragraph. To choose the correct option, the paragraphs and their overall interpretation should be kept in mind. The questions are based on the information provided in the paragraph and no information can be identified as not given.To gain proficiency, candidates can practice from IELTS reading practice test.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Crocodile Reading Answers

Even though crocodiles have existed for 200 million years, they’re anything but primitive. As crocodiles’ ancestors, crocodilia came to adapt to an aquatic lifestyle. When most of the other contemporary reptiles went extinct, crocodiles were able to make it because their bodies changed and they adapted better to the climate. They witnessed the rise and fall of the dinosaurs, which once ruled the planet, and even the 65 million years of alleged mammalian dominance didn’t wipe them off. Nowadays, the crocodiles and alligators are not that different from their prehistoric ancestors, which proves that they were (and still are) incredibly adaptive.

The first crocodile-like ancestors came into existence approximately 230 million years ago, and they had many of the features which make crocodiles natural and perfect stealth hunters: streamlined body, long tail, protective armour and long jaws. They are bom with four short, webbed legs, but this does not mean that their capacity to move on the ground shall ever be underestimated. When they move, they are so fast that you won’t even have any chance to try making the same mistake again by getting too close, especially when they’re hunting.

Like other reptiles, crocodiles are poikilothermal animals (commonly known as coldblooded, whose body temperature changes with that of the surroundings) and consequently, require exposure to sunlight regularly to raise body temperature. When it is too hot, they would rather stay in water or shade. Compared with mammals and birds, crocodiles have a slower metabolism, which makes them less vulnerable to food shortage. In the most extreme case, a crocodile can slow its metabolism down even further, to the point that it would survive without food for a whole year, enabling them to outlive mammals in relatively volatile environments.

Crocodiles have a highly efficient way to prey catching. The prey rarely realises there might be a crocodile under the water because the crocodile makes a move without any noise or great vibration when spotting its prey. It only keeps its eyes above the water level. As soon as it feels close enough to the victim, it jerks out of the water with its wide open jaws. Crocodiles are successful because they are capable of switching feeding methods. It chases after fish and snatches birds at the water surface, hides in the waterside bushes in anticipation of a gazelle, and when the chance to ambush presents itself, the crocodile dashes forward, knocks the animal out with its powerful tail and then drags the prey into the water to drown.

In many crocodilian habitats, the hot season brings drought that dries up their hunting grounds, leaving it harder for them to regulate body temperatures. This actually allowed reptiles to rule. For instance, many crocodiles can protect themselves by digging holes and covering themselves in mud, waiting for months without consuming any food or water until the rains finally return. They transform into a quiescent state called aestivation.

The majority of crocodilian is considered to go. into aestivation during the dry season. In a six-year study by Kennett and Christian, the King Crocodiles, a species of Australian freshwater crocodiles, spent nearly four months a year underground without access to water resources. Doubly labelled water was applied to detect field metabolic rates and water flux, and during some years, plasma fluid samples were taken once a month to keep track of the effects of aestivation regarding the accumulation of nitrogenous wastes and electrolyte concentrations.

The study discovered that the crocodiles’ metabolic engines function slowly, creating waste and exhausting water and fat reserves. Waste is stored in the urine, becoming more and more concentrated. Nevertheless, the concentration of waste products in blood doesn’t fluctuate much, allowing the crocodiles to carry on their normal functions. Besides, even though the crocodiles lost water reserves and body weight when underground, the losses were proportional; upon emerging, the aestivating animals had no dehydration and displayed no other harmful effects such as a slowed-down growth rate. The two researchers reckon that this capacity of crocodiles to get themselves through the harsh times and the long starvation periods is sure to be the answer to the crocodilian line’s survival throughout history.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 14-20
Reading passage 2 has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-G from the list below.
Write the correct number, i-xi, in boxes 14-20 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

The competitors with the dinosaur
A historical event for the Supreme survivors
What makes the crocodile the fastest running animal on land
Regulated body temperature by the surrounding environment
Underwater aid in body structure offered to a successful predator
The perfectly designed body for a great land roamer
Slow metabolisms which make crocodile a unique reptile
The favorable features in the impact of a drought
Shifting Eating habits and food intake
A project on a special mechanism
A unique finding has been achieved recently

Paragraph A

Answer: ii
Supporting Statement: early forms of crocodiles are known as crocodilians. Since they spent most of their life beneath the water, accordingly their body adapted to the aquatic lifestyle. Due to the changes formed within their body shape and tendency to adapt according to the climate they were able to survive when most of the reptiles of their period are just a part of history.
Keywords: Crocodilians, history
Keyword Location: Paragraph A
Explanation: Crocodilians are the name for the earliest kind of crocodiles. They developed an aquatic lifestyle-adapted body because they spend the majority of their lives in the water. During their time on Earth, they have experienced meteor impacts, planetary refrigeration, major tectonic surface movements, and significant climate change. According to these lines, crocodiles are the greatest historical survivors because they have survived meteor impacts, planetary refrigeration, tremendous upheavals, etc. They also witnessed the evolution and demise of the dinosaurs. As a result, the historical event for the Supreme Survivors is illustrated in paragraph A. The solution is therefore A.

Paragraph B

Answer: vi
Supporting Statement: the first crocodile-like ancestors appeared about 230 million years ago, with many of the features that make crocs such successful stealth hunters already in place: streamlined body, long tail,
protective armor, and long jaws. They have a long head and long tail that helps them to change their direction in the water while moving. They have four legs which are short and webbed.
Keywords: Crocodile-like, 230 million years ago
Keyword Location: Paragraph B
Explanation: According to the lines of paragraph B, crocodiles have a physique that is perfectly suited for excellent land roving. It's amazing how well they can move around on the ground. As a result, paragraph B describes the superbly constructed body of a big land rover (crocodile). The solution is thus vi.

Paragraph C

Answer: v
Supporting Statement: crocodilians have no lips. When submerged in their classic ‘sit and wait’ position, their mouths fill with water. The nostrils on the tip of the elongated snout lead into canals that run through bone to open behind the valve – allowing the crocodilian to breathe through its nostrils even though its mouth is underwater. When the animal is totally submerged, another valve seals the nostrils, so the crocodilian can open its mouth to catch prey with no fear of drowning.
Keywords: Crocodilian, nostrils
Keyword Location: Paragraph C
Explanation: The lines of paragraph C describe the underwater assistance that crocodiles use. It is also clear from paragraph C how a successful predator receives underwater assistance in body construction. So, v is the correct answer.

Paragraph D

Answer: iv
Supporting Statement: other reptiles, crocodiles are endothermic animals (cold-blooded, or whose body temperature varies with the temperature of the surrounding environment) and, therefore, need to sunbathe, to raise the temperature of the body. On the contrary, if it is too hot, they prefer being in water or in the shade.
Keywords: Endothermic animals
Keyword Location: Paragraph D
Explanation: The crocodilian heart is special because it has an actively regulated valve that can, at will, reroute blood flow away from the lungs and recirculate it around the body, carrying oxygen to where it is most required. This is because they are cold-blooded animals. Additionally, they have an extremely slow metabolism, which allows them to go lengthy stretches without food. Thus, it is clear from these lines that paragraph D explains how the crocodiles' body temperatures are controlled by their environment. The solution is therefore iv.

Paragraph E

Answer: ix
Supporting Statement: Crocodiles use a very effective technique to catch their prey. The prey remains almost unaware of the fact that there can be any crocodile beneath the water. It is due to the fact that when the crocodile sees its prey it moves underwater without making any noise and significant movement. It keeps only its eyes above the water surface.
Keywords: Crocodiles, underwater
Keyword Location: Paragraph E
Explanation: As per paragraph E when it feels like it has gotten close enough to the target, it whistles out of the water with its mouth open. They succeed in 80% of their tries. Their jaws are extremely strong. They consume their prey once it is caught in their jaws. Their ability to kill wild zebras that travel to wet locations in search of water can be used to gauge their strength. Their food is not chewed by them. The dietary habits of crocodiles on land and in the water are explained in paragraph E. The text also discusses their changing food intake and eating habits. So, ix is the correct answer.

Paragraph F

Answer: viii
Supporting Statement: In many places inhabited by crocodiles, the hot season brings drought that dries up their hunting grounds and takes away the means to regulate their body temperature. They allowed reptiles to dominate the terrestrial environment.
Keywords: Crocodiles, reptiles
Keyword Location: Paragraph F
Explanation: As per paragraph F many crocs defend themselves from this by creating tunnels and burying themselves in mud as they wait for the rains to come for months without access to food or water. They enter what is known as aestivation to accomplish this. From these lines, we can infer that paragraph F best exemplifies the positive effects of drought on the habitats of crocodiles. The solution is therefore viii.

Paragraph G

Answer: x
Supporting Statement: crocodiles spent almost four months a year underground without access to water. Doubly labeled water was used to measure field metabolic rates and water flux, and plasma (and cloacal fluid samples were taken at approximately monthly intervals for some years to monitor the effects of aestivation with respect to the accumulation of nitrogenous wastes and electrolyte concentrations.However, the concentration of waste products in the blood changes very little, allowing the crocodiles to function normally.
Keywords: Crocodiles, doubly labeled water
Keyword Location: Paragraph G
Explanation: We can infer from paragraph G that the crocodiles spent around four months a year underground without access to water, based on Kennett and Christian's six-year study of Australian freshwater crocodiles. The project Kennet and Christian are working on for a unique mechanism is therefore clearly explained in paragraph G. So, x is the correct response.

Questions 21-26

Complete the summary and write the correct answer (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS OR A NUMBER) in boxes 21-26 on your answer sheet.

In many places inhabited by crocodiles, most types of the crocodile have evolved a successful scheme to survive in the drought brought by a 21……………………… According to Kennett and Christian’s six-year study of Australian freshwater crocodiles’ aestivation, they found Aestivating crocodiles spent around 22……………………… a year without access to 23……………………… The absolute size of body water pools declined proportionately with 24………………………; thus there is no sign of 25……………………… and other health-damaging impacts in the crocodiles even after an aestivation period. This super capacity helps crocodiles endure the tough drought without slowing their speed of 26……………………… significantly

Question 21)

Answer: dry season
Supporting Statement: In many places inhabited by crocodiles, the hot season brings drought that dries up their hunting grounds and takes away the means to regulate their body temperature. Most (At least nine species of) crocodilians are thought to aestivate during dry periods. Kennett and Christian’s six-year study of Australian freshwater crocodiles – Crocodylus johnstoni (the King Crocodiles).
Keywords: Crocodiles, Kennett
Keyword Location: Paragraph F and G
Explanation: The lines of paragraph F and G show that most crocodile species have successfully evolved a strategy to survive in the drought brought on by a hot season or dry spell in many areas where they are found. The hot season, dry season, or dry time is the answer.

Question 22)

Answer: Four months
Supporting Statement: crocodiles spent almost four months a year underground without access to water.
Keywords: Crocodiles, four month
Keyword Location: Paragraph G
Explanation: We infer from the lines of paragraph G that Kennett and Christian discovered aestivating crocodiles spent about 4 months per year underground without access to water, based on their research on Australian freshwater crocodiles. The answer is therefore four months.

Question 23)

Answer: Water
Supporting Statement: crocodiles spent almost four months a year underground without access to water.
Keywords: Crocodiles, four month
Keyword Location: Paragraph G
Explanation: We infer from the lines of paragraph G that Kennett and Christian discovered aestivating crocodiles spent about 4 months per year underground without access to water, based on their research on Australian
freshwater crocodiles. The answer is therefore Water.

Question 24)

Answer: Body mass
Supporting Statement: though the animals lost water and body mass (just over one-tenth of their initial mass) while underground, the losses were proportional: to emergence.
Keywords: Underground, to emergence, body mass
Keyword Location: Paragraph G
Explanation: The lines of paragraph G show that the absolute size of body water pools decreased commensurate with body mass after the crocodiles had spent four months underwater without access to food. So, the correct answer is Body mass.

Question 25)

Answer: Dehydration
Supporting Statement: furthermore, though the animals lost water and body mass (just over one-tenth of their initial mass) while underground, the losses were proportional: on emergence, the aestivating crocodile was not
dehydrated and exhibited no detrimental effects such as a decreased growth rate.
Keywords: Growth rate, dehydrated
Keyword Location: Paragraph G
Explanation: According to paragraph G, while crocodiles are underground and deprived of food, the absolute size of their bodily water pools shrinks in direct proportion to their level of dehydration. So, dehydration is the correct answer.

Question 26)

Answer: Growth
Supporting Statement: though the animals lost water and body mass (just over one-tenth of their initial mass) while underground, the losses were proportional: on emergence, the aestivating crocodile was not dehydrated and exhibited no detrimental effects such as a decreased growth rate.
Keywords: Decreased growth, detrimental effects
Keyword Location: Paragraph G
Explanation: The lines of paragraph G show that the absolute amount of body water pools decreased proportionately with body mass; hence, even after an aestivation period, there is no evidence of dehydration or other health-damaging effects in the crocodiles. Crocodiles are able to tolerate a severe drought thanks to their extraordinary ability without having their growth rate severely slowed. Growth is the correct answer.

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