Odonata Reading Answers

Jan 24, 2023

Odonata Reading Answers comprises a total of 13 questions. Odonata Reading Answers has been referenced from the IELTS book Barron’s IELTS Practice Exams. The IELTS reading section helps candidates increase their reading skills with the help of passages. Candidates in the IELTS reading section are required to read the passage carefully and answer the given questions. The question types included in this IELTS reading; Odonata Reading Answers are; match the information and choose the correct option. There are more topics like this one that candidates are required to solve and are available online. Candidates can practice from IELTS Reading practice papers to help them excel in the IELTS exam.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Odonata Reading Answers

1. Odonata is the insect order that contains dragonflies and damselflies. Their brilliant colors and delicate looking wings make them aesthetically pleasing to the human eye. In the wild, though, they are terrifying predators. Dragonflies and damselflies are named for their formidable, serrated jaws, which they employ to rip apart their prey. The word Odonata means "toothed jaw."

2. Dragonflies and damselflies are frequently mistaken for one another due to their similarity. Close observation reveals the differences between them. The most noticeable distinction is how they hold their wings at rest. Damselflies fold their wings back, whereas dragonflies hold their wings out to the side. Due to their proximity, dragonfly eyes appear to encompass the entire face. There isa gap between the tiny eyes of damselflies. Dragonflies are bigger, stronger, and more capable fliers than damselflies. Consequently, they inhabit forests and areas away from water. Since they do not often fly far from the water, damselflies are typically observed along the margins of ponds and streams.

3. The biggest living odonata are the Hawaiian endemic dragonfly and the Central American damselfly, each of which has a 19-centimeter wing span. The smallest is the libellulidae dragonfly, which is endemic to East Asia and has a 20-millimeter wing span. It has been shown via the discovery of fossils that dragonflies have existed for over 300 million years. The biggest dragonfly fossil ever discovered belonged to the extinct meganeura monyi, which had a wingspan of 75 cm and lived 300 million years ago. This enormous predator fed on little amphibians in addition to other insects.

4. In a pond or stream, dragonflies and damselflies both deposit their eggs on or just beneath the surface of the water. Some species deposit their eggs on the stems of aquatic plants. The hatchlings emerge from the eggs as nymphs. They breathe through their gills and feed on aquatic insects, tadpoles, tiny fish, and even other nymphs. They hunt by lurking at the bottom of a pond or stream and waiting for their victim to swim along. When their prey comes close, they may extend a specialized lip to seize it. Depending on the species, they may exist in this state for months or even years. Several times, as the nymph matures, it sheds its skin. It exits the sea and loses its skin for the final time. The adult emerges, prepared to survive on land and in the air for the next several weeks or months. The adults do not survive more than four months, and many species barely live a few weeks as adults.

5. Dragonflies and damselflies are highly proficient hunters due to their remarkable vision and flying ability. Their specialized eyes provide them with a nearly 360-degree range of vision, allowing them to notice even the tiniest movement or flash of light created by other flying insects. They possess two sets of wings that are capable of moving independently of one another. This provides them with excellent aerial maneuverability, which is essential for these animals since they capture their prey while flying. They are able to hover, execute fast turns, and fly in reverse. Some species of dragonfly may fly at speeds exceeding 60 kilometers per hour. Their prey includes mosquitoes, deer flies, tiny dragonflies, butterflies, and moths. One species of dragonfly is known to remove spiders from their webs.

6. As bloodthirsty predators, dragonflies and damselflies are, in turn, prey for other creatures. Fish, frogs, toads, and other water species consume the nymphs. Adults are preyed upon by birds, frogs, as well as bigger dragonflies and damselflies. They might potentially become entangled in a spider's web. What you give you will receive the same.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 1 - 6

Which of the facts below are true of dragonflies, and which are true of damselflies, according to the information in the passage? On lines 1 - 6 on your answer sheet, write:

if it is a fact about dragonflies only
if it is a fact about damselflies only
if it is a fact about both dragonflies and damselflies

They have saw like jaws.
They hold their wings on their backs while resting.
Their eyes have a gap between them.
They can be seen in fields at a distance from ponds and streams.
The largest species has a wingspan of 19 centimeters.
The largest fossil has a wingspan of 75 centimeters.

(Guide: In this question type, the candidates need to first identify which statement is implying among the three options stated from A to C. If statement 1 matches option ‘A’ then the answer will be ‘A’)

Question 1:

Answer : C
Supporting Sentence: “Dragonflies and damselflies get their name from the powerful serrated jaws they use to tear apart their prey. The word odonata means "toothed jaw."
Keywords: Dragonflies, damselflies, jaws
Keyword Location: Paragraph A: Line 4
Explanation: Dragonflies and damselflies both possess powerful serrated jaws, which they use to shred their prey. This characteristic is reflected in their scientific name, Odonata, which derives from the Greek word for "toothed jaw." Therefore, the statement that both dragonflies and damselflies have dangerous jaws is true.

Question 2:

Answer : B
Supporting Sentence: “Dragonflies hold their wings out to the side while damselflies fold their wings back.”
Keywords: Dragonflies, wings
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, Line 4
Explanation: Although dragonflies and damselflies may have a similar appearance, closer examination reveals some notable differences. One such difference is the way they hold their wings: dragonflies hold their wings out to the side while damselflies fold their wings back. Thus, the distinction between the two types of insects is correctly identified in the original statement.

Question 3:

Answer : B
Supporting Sentence: “Damselflies’ eyes are smaller, and there is a space between them.”
Keywords: Dragonflies, eyes, space
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, Line 6
Explanation: Dragonflies in general have bigger eyes. The larger size of the eyes covers the face of the dragonfly. It is due to the hugeness of the eyes. However, damselflies on the other hand have similar eyes and have considerable space between them. There is no space between the eyes of the dragonflies, however, they almost touch each other.

Question 4:

Answer : A
Supporting Sentence: “Dragonflies are larger and stronger animals than damselflies and fly longer distances. Thus, they can be found in woods and fields away from the water.”
Keywords: Dragonflies, animals, water
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, Lines 7 - 8
Explanation: In size, dragonflies are bigger as well as stronger animals than damselflies. This is the reason dragonflies can fly around the woods and also away from them. Whereas, damselflies are weaker animals as they are small and therefore, cannot fly away from the woods.

Question 5:

Answer : C
Supporting Sentence: “The largest Odonata living today are the Hawaiian endemic dragonfly and the Central American damselfly, each of these species having a wingspan of 19 centimeters.”
Keywords: Odonata, dragonfly, Central American
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, Line 1
Explanation: The largest odonata that is present in the world is the Hawaiian endemic dragonfly and the Central Americal dragonfly and each of them has a wingspan of 19 centimeters that make them the largest animals of this species alive.

Question 6:

Answer : A
Supporting Sentence: “The largest dragonfly fossil ever found belongs to the now-extinct meganeura monyi, which lived 300 million years ago and had a wingspan of 75 centimeters.”
Keywords: Dragonfly, extinct, 300 million years ago, 75 centimeters
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, Line 4
Explanation: The biggest dragonfly fossil ever discovered belonged to the presently extinct meganeura monyi, that lived around 300 million years ago and also comprised of a wingspan of 75 centimeters.

Questions 7 - 13

Complete the notes about the life cycle of Odonata below. Choose your answers from the box below and write the correct letters, a - k, on lines 7 - 13 on your answer sheet.

The eggs are laid 7.______. The young dragonflies and damselflies, called 8. ______ , live underwater for a few 9.______. They eat small water animals, catching their food 10. ______. When they are almost fully grown, they leave the water. The adults live for only a 11.______ . They are skillful 12.______ and catch their prey 13.______ .

in the air
with their lips
tadpoles
fliers
near the water's surface
nymphs
at the bottom of a pond
months or years
weeks or months
swimmers
with their wings

(Guide: In this question type, candidates need to select the correct answer from the list of options from 1 to 11 and put them in the blanks.)

Question 7:

Answer : E
Supporting Sentence: “Dragonflies and damselflies both lay their eggs on or just below the surface of the water in a pond or stream.”
Keywords: Dragonflies, damselflies, eggs, water,
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 1
Explanation: Both dragonflies and damselflies lay their eggs on or just below the surface of the water whereas there are species that lay their eggs on the stem of aquatic plants. Then the babies grow from the eggs in the form of nymphs

Question 8:

Answer : F
Supporting Sentence: “The babies emerge from the eggs in the form of nymphs.”
Keywords: babies, nymphs
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 3
Explanation: While dragonflies and damselflies lay their eggs on or just below the surface of the water, certain species lay their eggs on the stem of aquatic plants. From there, the babies grow from the eggs in the form of nymphs.

Question 9:

Answer : H
Supporting Sentence: “Depending on the species, they live this way for several months or even several years.”
Keywords: species, months, years
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 7
Explanation: The species that lay their eggs in the stem of aquatic plants live underwater and respirate through their gills and their food is other insects, small fishes, and even other small nymphs. They have a lip that can be extended when they see any prey approaching. This is how they spend their time living away for several months or even several years.

Question 10:

Answer : B
Supporting Sentence: “They have a special lip that they can extend far forward in order to grab their prey when it comes close.”
Keywords: special lip, prey, grab
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 7
Explanation: The other species that lay their eggs in the stem of the aquatic plants mostly live under water. They survive on small insects, fishes, and also other nymphs that they catch with their extended lip. That extended lip helps them catch their preys when they are nearby.

Question 11:

Answer : I
Supporting Sentence: “The adults do not live for more than four months, and many species live as adults for only a few weeks.”
Keywords: adults, months, species, few weeks
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, last line
Explanation: the nymphs shed their skin before finally coming out of the water. Once they come out of the water they either live on land or air for around 4 months. Though the adults generally don’t live for more than 4 months, while some live only for few weeks.

Question 12:

Answer : D
Supporting Sentence: “They have two sets of wings that can move independently of each other. This gives them great maneuverability in the air . . . . They can hover, make sharp turns, and fly backward.”
Keywords: wings, air, fly
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, line 3
Explanation: The dragonflies and damselflies have very extraordinary flying and visualizing skills and this makes them very adept hunters. They can catch the slightest movement caused by other insects while moving. Since they have strong wings, they can hover, make swift turns, and also fly backwards.

Question 13:

Answer : A
Supporting Sentence: “they catch their prey while flying.”
Keywords: prey, flying, catch
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, Line 4
Explanation: Since the dragonflies and damselflies are very competent while flying they catch their preys while flying. Their preys are mosquitos, deerflies, smaller dragonflies, butterflies and others.