Blue Footed Boobies 2 Reading Answers

Nov 25, 2022

Blue Footed Boobies 2 Reading Answers contains 14 different types of questions that are to be answered within 20 minutes. Candidates will be shown various question types with clear instructions in this IELTS Section. Blue Footed Boobies 2 Reading Answers comprises three types of questions: true/false/not given, no more than two words, and choose the correct heading. For the true/false/not given, candidates need to thoroughly go through each passage. For no more than two words, candidates need to skim the passage for keywords and understand the concept. Candidates are required to strictly abide by the word limits as mentioned. To solve questions associated with choose the correct heading, candidates must read the IELTS Reading passage and understand the statement provided.

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Reading Passage Question

Boobies are a small group of seabirds native to tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world. Their diet consists mainly of fish. They are specialized fish eaters feeding on small school fish like sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and flying fish. When their prey is in sight, they fold their long wings back around their streamlined bodies and plunge into the water from as high as 80 feet, so streamlined they barely make a splash. They travel in parties of about 12 to areas of water with large schools of small fish. When the lead bird sees a fish shoal in the water, it will signal the rest of the group and they will all dive together. Surprisingly, individuals do not eat with the hunting group, preferring to eat on their own, usually in the early morning or late afternoon.
There are three varieties on the Galapagos: the blue-footed, red-footed, and masked boobies. They are all members of the same family, and are not only different in appearance but also in behaviours. The blue-footed and red-footed boobies mate throughout the year, while the masked boobies have an annual mating cycle that differs from island to island. All caught fish in a similar manner, but in different areas: the blue-footed booby does it’s fishing close to shore, while the masked booby goes slightly farther out, and the red-footed booby fishes at the farthest distances from shore.
Although it is unknown where the name “Booby” emanates from, some conjecture it may come from the Spanish word for clown, “bobo”, meaning “stupid”. Its name was probably inspired by the bird’s clumsiness on land and apparently unwarranted bravery. The blue-footed booby is extremely vulnerable to human visitors because it does not appear to fear them. Therefore these birds received such name for their clumsiness on land in which they were easy, captured, killed, and eaten by humans.
The blue-footed booby’s characteristic feet play a significant part in their famous courtship ceremony, the ‘booby dance’. The male walks around the female, raising his bright blue feet straight up in the air while bringing his ‘shoulders’ towards the ground and crossing the bottom tips of his wings high above the ground. Plus he’ll raise his bill up towards the sky to try to win his mate over. The female may also partake in these activities – lifting her feet, sky pointing, and of course, squawking at her mate. After mating, another ritual occurs – the nest-building which ironically is never used because they nest on the bare ground. When the female is ready to lay her eggs, they scrape the existing nest away so she can nest on exposed ground. Sun-baked islands form the booby’s breeding grounds. When ready the female Blue Footed Booby lays one to three eggs.
After mating, two or three eggs are laid in a shallow depression on flat or gently sloping ground. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs. Unlike most birds, booby doesn’t develop brood patches (areas of bare skin on the breast) to warm the eggs during incubation. Instead, it uses its broad webbed feet, which have large numbers of prominent blood vessels, to transmit heat essential for incubation. The eggs are thick-shelled so they can withstand the full weight of an incubating bird.
After hatching, the male plays a major role in bringing fish home. He can bring back a constant supply of small fish for the chicks, which must be fed continuously. The reason is that the male has a longer tail than the female in relation to his body size, which makes him able to execute shallower dives and to feed closer to shore. Then the female takes a greater part as time proceeds. Sooner or later, the need to feed the young becomes greater than the need to protect them and both adults must fish to provide enough.
When times are good, the parents may successfully fledge all three chicks, but, in harder times, they may still lay as many eggs yet only obtain enough food to raise one. The problem is usually solved by the somewhat callous-sounding system of “opportunistic sibling murder.” The first-born chick is larger and stronger than its nestmate(s) as a result of hatching a few days earlier and also because the parents feed the larger chick. If food is scarce, the firstborn will get more food than its nestmate(s) and will outcompete them, causing them to starve. The above system optimizes the reproductive capacity of the blue-foot in an unpredictable environment. The system ensures that, if possible, at least one chick will survive a period of a shortage rather than all three dying of starvation under a more ‘humane’ system

Solution with Explanation

Questions 1-6

The reading passage has seven paragraphs, A–G.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-G from the list below.
Write the correct number, i–ix, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

The unusual way of hatching the chicks

Feeding habit of the red-footed booby
Folding wings for the purpose
Rearing the young
Classification of boobies
Diving for seafood
Surviving mechanism during the food shortage period
Mating and breeding
Origin of the booby’s name

Paragraph A

Answer: vi) diving for seafood
Explanation: Paragraph A begins with a description of the boobies dive straight into the water whenever they found fishes. Their eating habits are first discussed in this passage. They mainly prefer to eat fish. The small schooling fish like sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and flying fish are the most preferred ones of the boobies. They, first, fold their long wings back around their streamlined bodies, and then they plunge into the water from as high as 80 feet. Boobies travel in parties of about 12 to areas of water with large schools of small fish. As soon the lead booby sees a fish shoal in the water, it gives a signal to its group to dive together.
Supporting sentence: they fold their long wings back around their streamlined bodies and plunge into the water from as high as 80 feet, so streamlined they barely make a splash. They travel in parties of about 12 to areas of water with large schools of small fish. When the lead bird sees a fish shoal in the water, it will signal the rest of the group and they will all dive together.
Keywords: travel in parties, dive together
Location in the passage: Paragraph A

Paragraph B

Answer: v) classification of boobies
Explanation: There are types of boobies found in the Galapagos: blue-footed, red-footed, and masked boobies. The classification of the boobies is done based on their appearance. This paragraph offers the description of different types of boobies like the blue-footed, red-footed, and masked boobies. There are significant differences in their appearance in spite of being from the same family. Plus, their behavior also differs from each other.
Supporting sentence: There are three varieties on the Galapagos: the blue-footed, red-footed, and masked boobies. They are all members of the same family, and are not only different in appearance but also in behaviours. The blue-footed and red-footed boobies mate throughout the year, while the masked boobies have an annual mating cycle that differs from island to island. All caught fish in a similar manner, but in different areas: the blue-footed booby does it’s fishing close to shore, while the masked booby goes slightly farther out, and the red-footed booby fishes at the farthest distances from shore.
Keywords: the blue-footed, red-footed, and masked boobies
Location in the passage: Paragraph B

Paragraph D

Answer: viii) Mating & breeding
Explanation: Paragraph D is a description of the mating and breeding process of the boobies. Therefore, it seems to be the accurate title for this paragraph. During hard times, they mate but only obtain food for one. Along with the process of mating and breeding, the rituals are also described in this paragraph. This is why the title of mating and breeding seems apt for this paragraph.
Supporting sentence: The blue-footed booby’s characteristic feet play a significant part in their famous courtship ceremony, the ‘booby dance’. The male walks around the female, raising his bright blue feet straight up in the air while bringing his ‘shoulders’ towards the ground and crossing the bottom tips of his wings high above the ground. Plus he’ll raise his bill up towards the sky to try to win his mate over. The female may also partake in these activities – lifting her feet, sky pointing, and of course, squawking at her mate. After mating, another ritual occurs – the nest-building which ironically is never used because they nest on the bare ground. When the female is ready to lay her eggs, they scrape the existing nest away so she can nest on exposed ground. Sun-baked islands form the booby’s breeding grounds. When ready the female Blue Footed Booby lays one to three eggs.
Keywords: booby dance, mating, squawking at her mate, ritual
Location in the passage: Paragraph D

Paragraph E

Answer: i)The unusual way of hatching the chicks
Explanation: Paragraph E is all about how these birds hatch their chicks. Once they are done with the process of mating, two or three eggs are laid in a shallow depression on flat or gently sloping ground. Here, male and female birds alternatively incubate the eggs. What differentiates the process of hatching from other birds is, booby doesn’t develop brood patches to warm the eggs during incubation; rather they use broad webbed feet to transmit heat essential for incubation. Now, this is unusual.
Supporting sentence: After mating, two or three eggs are laid in a shallow depression on flat or gently sloping ground. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs. Unlike most birds, booby doesn’t develop brood patches (areas of bare skin on the breast) to warm the eggs during incubation. Instead, it uses its broad webbed feet, which have large numbers of prominent blood vessels, to transmit heat essential for incubation. The eggs are thick-shelled so they can withstand the full weight of an incubating bird.
Keywords: Unlike most birds, booby doesn’t develop brood patches, uses its broad webbed feet, prominent blood vessels, to transmit heat essential for incubation
Location in the passage: Paragraph E

Paragraph F

Answer: iv)rearing the young
Explanation: Paragraph F comes with the description of how the boobies rear the young burds after hatching. Here, the male plays a major role in bringing fish home. He brings a constant supply of small fish for the chicks to feed them. As the male has a longer tail than the female, he can execute shallower dives and feed closer to shore. The female feeds the young ones and protect them.
Supporting sentence: After hatching, the male plays a major role in bringing fish home. He can bring back a constant supply of small fish for the chicks, which must be fed continuously. The reason is that the male has a longer tail than the female in relation to his body size, which makes him able to execute shallower dives and to feed closer to shore. Then the female takes a greater part as time proceeds. Sooner or later, the need to feed the young becomes greater than the need to protect them and both adults must fish to provide enough.
Keywords: small fish for the chicks, fed continuously, protect them
Location in the passage: Paragraph F

Paragraph G

Answer: vii) Surviving mechanism during the food shortage period
Explanation: The last paragraph or Paragraph G is all about the survival strategies of the young ones. The firstborn gets more food than others and outcompete them, and this system is known as opportunistic sibling murder. When the food supply is normal, the relation between the siblings is damn good, but when there is a shortage of food, these survival strategies can be seen.
Supporting sentence: When times are good, the parents may successfully fledge all three chicks, but, in harder times, they may still lay as many eggs yet only obtain enough food to raise one. The problem is usually solved by the somewhat callous-sounding system of “opportunistic sibling murder.” The first-born chick is larger and stronger than its nestmate(s) as a result of hatching a few days earlier and also because the parents feed the larger chick. If food is scarce, the firstborn will get more food than its nestmate(s) and will outcompete them, causing them to starve. The above system optimizes the reproductive capacity of the blue-foot in an unpredictable environment. The system ensures that, if possible, at least one chick will survive a period of a shortage rather than all three dying of starvation under a more ‘humane’ system.
Keywords: Opportunistic sibling murder
Location in the passage: Paragraph G

Questions 7-9

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?

In boxes 7– 9 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

Boobies are afraid of human approaching.

Answer: False
Explanation: The birds do not appear to be afraid of human visitors. In the entire passage, there is no evidence that supports the statement that affirms this fact. Instead, it is mentioned in paragraph C that The blue-footed booby is extremely vulnerable to human visitors. It is because they do not appear to fear the human visitors. They received many names for their clumsiness on land, killed, and eaten by humans.
Supporting sentence: Although it is unknown where the name “Booby” emanates from, some conjecture it may come from the Spanish word for clown, “bobo”, meaning “stupid”. Its name was probably inspired by the bird’s clumsiness on land and apparently unwarranted bravery. The blue-footed booby is extremely vulnerable to human visitors because it does not appear to fear them. Therefore these birds received such a name for their clumsiness on land in which they were easy, captured, killed, and eaten by humans.
Keywords: blue-footed booby, vulnerable to human visitors, does not appear to fear them.
Location in the passage: Paragraph C

Female boobies eat more than male ones.

Answer: Not given

Explanation: The relevant information is not mentioned in the reading passage.

When there is not sufficient food, the larger chicks will be fed at the expense of the survival of its smaller mates.

Answer: True
Explanation: It is true that insufficient food is the reason behind the survival strategies of these birds. In paragraph G, there is a clear mention that when there is not sufficient food, the larger chicks will be fed at the expense of the survival of their smaller mates. In such cases, the rest of the nestmates will starve. This is not the case of every day because when there is plenty of food, the relation of the nestmates is absolutely normal. Due to the lack of food, the relation between the nestmates changes.
Supporting sentence: The problem is usually solved by the somewhat callous-sounding system of “opportunistic sibling murder.” The first-born chick is larger and stronger than its nestmate(s) as a result of hatching a few days earlier and also because the parents feed the larger chick. If food is scarce, the firstborn will get more food than its nestmate(s) and will outcompete them, causing them to starve. The above system optimizes the reproductive capacity of the blue-foot in an unpredictable environment. The system ensures that, if possible, at least one chick will survive a period of a shortage rather than all three dying of starvation under a more ‘humane’ system.
Keywords: callous-sounding, opportunistic sibling murder.
Location in the passage: Paragraph G

Questions 10-13

Complete the summary below, using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 10 – 13 on your answer sheet.

The courtship of the Blue-footed Booby consists of the male flaunting his blue feet and dancing to impress the female. During the dance, the male will spread his wings and stamp his feet on the ground with his bills 10 ……………………. After mating, the booby’s unusual demeanour continues with ritual 11…………………… that really serves no purpose. When the female Booby lays eggs, the parental boobies incubate the eggs beneath their 12 …………………… which contain 13 …………………… to transmit the heat, because of the lack of brood patches.

Question 10:

Answer: Sky-pointing
Explanation: The female bird partakes by lifting her feet, sky-pointing, and squawking at her partner. This question is about the mating and breeding process of the blue-footed boobies. This process includes attracting the partner. Here, the male and females play important roles. Females lift their feet, pointing to the sky, squawk at their mate and after this, mating starts.
Supporting sentence: The female may also partake in these activities – lifting her feet, sky pointing, and of course, squawking at her mate.
Keywords: lifting her feet, sky pointing, and of course, squawking at her mate
Location in the passage: Paragraph D

Question 11:

Answer: Nest-building
Explanation: This question is all about the after-mating rituals of these birds. Nest building is an important ritual here because these birds [previously never built any nest. They nested on the bare ground. Once they are done with mating, the male and the female engage in the task of building a nest for their young ones together.
Supporting sentence: Nest-building is another ritual which is never used as they nest on the open ground.
Keywords: Nest-building, nest on the open ground.
Location in the passage: Paragraph D

Question 12 and 13:

Answer: Webbed feet and 13. Answer: Blood vessels
Explanation: Boobies use large webbed feet consisting of numerous blood vessels for transmitting heat for incubation. This is something exceptional in the blue-footed boobies and it differentiates them from other sea birds. This is mentioned in paragraph E that preparing the incubation for the eggs is different among the blue-footed boobies. The webbed feet had large blood vessels that were used for heating.
Supporting sentence: Instead, it uses its broad webbed feet, which have large numbers of prominent blood vessels, to transmit heat essential for incubation.
Keywords: broad webbed feet, prominent blood vessels, transmit heat, incubation
Location in the passage: Paragraph E