Humpback Whale Breaks Migration Record Reading Answers

Dec 2, 2022

The topic Humpback Whale Breaks Migration Record Reading Answers has 13 numbers of questions that the candidates should in the given time of 20 minutes. Humpback Whale Breaks Migration Record IELTS Reading Answers has only one type of question, which is- choosing the correct options out of five given options. Candidates in order for opting for the right answers, are required to have a neat understanding of the passage. A thorough study of the IELTS reading passage is mandatory for the candidates so that they can identify the keywords, and recognize the synonyms to choose answer from the tricky options provided below.

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Reading Passage Questions

A whale surprises researchers with her journey. A lone humpback whale traveled more than 9,800 kilometers from breeding areas in Brazil to those in Madagascar, setting a record for the longest mammal migration ever documented.

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are known to have some of the longest migration distances of all mammals, and this huge journey is about 400 kilometres farther than the previous humpback record. The finding was made by Peter Stevick, a biologist at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine.

The whale’s journey was unusual not only for its length, but also because it travelled across almost 90 degrees of longitude from west to east. Typically, humpbacks move in a north-south direction between cold feeding areas and warm breeding grounds - and the longest journeys which have been recorded until now have been between breeding and feeding sites.

The whale, a female, was first spotted off the coast of Brazil, where researchers photographed its tail fluke and took skin samples for chromosome testing to determine the animal's sex. Two years later, a tourist on a whale-watching boat snapped a photo of the humpback near Madagascar.

To match the two sightings, Stevick’s team used an extensive international catalogue of photographs of the undersides of tail flukes, which have distinctive markings. Researchers routinely compare the markings in each new photograph to those in the archive.

The scientists then estimated the animal’s shortest possible route: an arc skirting the southern tip of South Africa and heading north-east towards Madagascar. The minimum distance is 9,800 kilometres, says Stevick, but this is likely to be an underestimate, because the whale probably took a detour to feed on krill in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica before reaching its destination.

Most humpback-whale researchers focus their efforts on the Northern Hemisphere because the Southern Ocean near the Antarctic is a hostile environment and it is hard to get to, explains Rochelle Constantine, who studies the ecology of humpback whales at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. But, for whales, oceans in the Southern Hemisphere are wider and easier to travel across, says Constantine. Scientists will probably observe more long-distance migrations in the Southern Hemisphere as satellite tracking becomes increasingly common, she adds.

Daniel Palacios, an oceanographer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, says that the record-breaking journey could indicate that migration patterns are shifting as populations begin to recover from near-extinction and the population increases. But the reasons why the whale did not follow the usual migration routes remain a mystery. She could have been exploring new habitats, or simply have lost her way. 'We generally think of humpback whales as very well studied, but then they surprise us with things like this,’ Palacios says. ‘Undoubtedly there are a lot of things we still don’t know about whale migration.’

Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-2:
What TWO aspects of the whale’s journey surprised researchers?

the destination
the direction
the distance
the reason
the season

Question 1:

Answer: B- the direction
Supporting Sentence: A lone humpback whale travelled more than 9,800 kilometres from breeding areas in Brazil to those in Madagascar, setting a record for the longest mammal migration ever documented.
The whale’s journey was unusual not only for its length but also because it travelled across almost 90 degrees of longitude from west to east.z
Keyword: Journey, longitude, west to east
Keyword Location: para 1, 3
Explanation: From Paragraph 1 and 3 it can be stated that the whale mesmerises the researchers with their journey. The longest known mammal migration saw a single humpback whale travelling more than 9,800 kilometres from its breeding grounds in Brazil to those in Madagascar. Thus, option B will be the right choice here.

Question 2:

Answer: C- the distance
Supporting Sentence: A whale surprises researchers with her journey. A lone humpback whale travelled more than 9,800 kilometres from breeding areas in Brazil to those in Madagascar, setting a record for the longest mammal migration ever documented.
The whale’s journey was unusual not only for its length, but also because it travelled across almost 90 degrees of longitude from west to east.
Keyword: Journey, longitude, west to east
Keyword Location: para 1, 3
Explanation: The paragraph 1 and 3 suggests that along with the direction, the 9800 kilometres of direction which the whale covers at the time of her voyage, also mesmeries the researchers. So, option C will be the correct choice.

Questions 3-4:
The passage mentions reasons why whales generally migrate.

What TWO reasons are given?

to avoid humans
to be safe
to eat
to keep warm
to produce young

Question 3:

Answer: C- to eat
Supporting Sentence: Typically, humpbacks move in a north-south direction between cold feeding areas and warm breeding grounds - and the longest journeys which have been recorded until now have been between breeding and feeding sites.
Keyword: breeding, feeding sites
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3
Explanation: Paragraph 3 suggests that feeding is one of the main reason for the relocation of the whales. Baleen whales mainly shifts towards north-south in between the places of cold feeding and warm breeding grounds. Thus, C is one of the option.

Question 4:

Answer: E- to produce young
Supporting Sentence: Typically, humpbacks move in a north-south direction between cold feeding areas and warm breeding grounds - and the longest journeys which have been recorded until now have been between breeding and feeding sites.
Keyword: breeding, feeding areas
Keyword Location: para 3
Explanation: Paragraph 3 explains to us that another reason for the relocation of the whales is to give birth of young. The extensive voyage of the whales are mainly viewed between the two breeding places. Thus, option E is the another correct choice for this question.

Questions 5-6:
What TWO methods did researchers use to record the identity of the whale near Brazil?

They analysed part of the whale’s body.
They marked its tail.
They made notes of its behaviour.
They recorded the sounds it made.
They took a picture.

Question 5:

Answer: A- They analysed part of the whale’s body
Supporting Sentence: The whale, a female, was first spotted off the coast of Brazil, where researchers photographed its tail fluke and took skin samples for chromosome testing to determine the animal's sex. Two years later, a tourist on a whale-watching boat snapped a photo of the humpback near Madagascar.
Keyword: photographed, tail fluke, skin samples
Keyword Location: Para 4
Explanation: Paragraph 4 suggests that one of the procedures of the researchers in order for recording the whales’s identity near Brazil is by studying each and every parts of a whale’s body. Thus, option A is one of the right choice for this question.

Question 6:

Answer: E- They took a picture
Supporting Sentence: The whale, a female, was first spotted off the coast of Brazil, where researchers photographed its tail fluke and took skin samples for chromosome testing to determine the animal's sex. Two years later, a tourist on a whale-watching boat snapped a photo of the humpback near Madagascar.
Keyword: photographed, tail fluke, skin samples
Keyword Location: Para 4
Explanation: Paragraph 4 suggesting us that taking pictures of the whale’s specimens is one of the option by which the researchers intends for identifying the whale near Brazil. The researchers took images and skin’s specimens for chromosome testing in order to analyze whether the whale is a male one or a female one. Thus, option E is another option for the answer.

Questions 7-8:
The passage mentions places the whale may have passed close to on its journey.
Which TWO places may the whale have passed?

Antarctica
Hawaii
Maine
New Zealand
South Africa

Question 7:

Answer: A- Antarctica
Supporting Sentence: The scientists then estimated the animal’s shortest possible route: an arc skirting the southern tip of South Africa and heading north-east towards Madagascar.
Keyword: shortest route, South Africa, Madagascar, Antarctica
Keyword Location: Para 6
Explanation: Paragraph 6 suggets that before arriving at its destination, the whale most likely took a detour to eat krill in the Southern Ocean close to Antarctica. Thus, option A is one of the right answers.

Question 8:

Answer: E- South Africa
Supporting Sentence: The scientists then estimated the animal’s shortest possible route: an arc skirting the southern tip of South Africa and heading north-east towards Madagascar.
Keyword: shortest route, South Africa, Madagascar, Antarctica
Keyword Location: Para 6
Explanation: Paragraph 6 of the passage explains that the scientists calculated the animal's shortest path, which was an arc bordering Madagascar's northern coast and South Africa's southernmost tip. Thus, option E is the another right choice for the answer.

Questions 9-10:
The passage says that more research is done in the Northern Hemisphere.
Which TWO reasons are given for this?

It contains more whales.
It has friendlier surroundings.
There are more samples available.
It is easier to reach.
It contains smaller whales.

Question 9:

Answer: B- It has friendlier surroundings.
Supporting sentence: But, for whales, oceans in the Southern Hemisphere are wider and easier to travel across, says Constantine. Scientists will probably observe more long-distance migrations in the Southern Hemisphere as satellite tracking becomes increasingly common, she adds.
Keyword Location: Para 7
Keyword: hostile environment, hard to get to
Explanation: Paragraph 7 suggests that in the Northern Hemisphere, more study is conducted due to its rising popularity, suggesting a familiar environment. Thus, option B is one of the right choice.

Question 10:

Answer: D- it is easier to reach
Supporting sentence: But, for whales, oceans in the Southern Hemisphere are wider and easier to travel across, says Constantine. Scientists will probably observe more long-distance migrations in the Southern Hemisphere as satellite tracking becomes increasingly common, she adds.
Keyword Location: Para 7
Keyword: hostile environment, hard to get to
Explanation: Paragraph 7 of the above passage states that the research in the Northern meridian as the weather prevaiing there is easier to travel. Thus, option D is another right option to support the above question.

Questions 11-12:
The passage suggests why the whale made a different journey from usual.
Which TWO reasons does it suggest?

She did not know where she was going.
She did not want to breed.
She wanted to escape a danger.
She was looking for a new place to live.
She was recovering from an illness.

Question 11:

Answer: A- She did not know where she was going
Supporting Sentence: But the reasons why the whale did not follow the usual migration routes remain a mystery. She could have been exploring new habitats, or simply have lost her way.
Keyword Location: Para 8
Keyword: exploring new habitats, lost her way
Explanation: Paragraph 8 explains that Daniel Palicos speculated that a whale's change in migration pattern can indicate that she is looking for a new home or has lost her way, which indicates that she was unknown of the place where she was travelling. Thus, option A is one of the right choice.

Question 12:

Answer: D- She was looking for a new place to live
Supporting Sentence: But the reasons why the whale did not follow the usual migration routes remain a mystery. She could have been exploring new habitats, or simply have lost her way.
Keyword Location: Para 8
Keyword: exploring new habitats, lost her way
Explanation: Paragraph 8 states that Daniel Palicos speculated that a whale's change in migration pattern can indicate that she is looking for a new home or has lost her way. Thus, option D is considered as another right choice.

Questions 13-14:
Which TWO methods of finding out where whales migrate are mentioned in the passage?

attaching radio transmitters
comparing pictures taken in different place
following them in boats
placing cameras in key positions
following their movements from space.

Question 13:

Answer: B- comparing pictures taken in different place
Supporting Sentence: Scientists will probably observe more long-distance migrations in the Southern Hemisphere as satellite tracking becomes increasingly common, she adds. To match the two sightings, Stevick’s team used an extensive international catalogue of photographs of the undersides of tail flukes, which have distinctive markings.
Keyword Location: Para 5,7
Keyword: satellite tracking, compare markings, photographs, archive
Explanation: Paragraphs 5 and 7 of the above passage states that the scientists captured images of the whales in the various locations is one of the core procedure to trace out the relocations of the whales. Thus, option B is one of the correct choice.

Question 14:

Answer :E- following their movements from space.
Supporting Sentence: Scientists will probably observe more long-distance migrations in the Southern Hemisphere as satellite tracking becomes increasingly common, she adds. To match the two sightings, Stevick’s team used an extensive international catalogue of photographs of the undersides of tail flukes, which have distinctive markings.
Keyword Location: Para 5,7
Keyword: satellite tracking, compare markings, photographs, archive
Explanation: Paragraph 5 and 7 states that the tracking the motions of the whales from space. Thus, option E is another right choice for the scientists to track the loactions of the whales.

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