Most Important Domestic Animals in South East Reading Answers

Sep 1, 2023

Most Important Domestic Animals in South East Reading Answers is a topic of the IELTS academic reading topic which includes 13 questions. The specified IELTS topic generates 3 types of questions: choose the correct option, match the correct option, and choose not more than 3 words. Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly in order to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. Candidates can further enhance their reading skills by going through IELTS reading practice papers available on the website. Candidates can use IELTS reading topics like Water Construction in Egypt Reading Answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Most Important Domestic Animals in South East

The family of mammals called bovids belongs to the Artiodactyl class, which also includes giraffes. Bovids are a highly diverse group consisting of 137 species, some of which are man's most important domestic animals.

Bovids are well represented in most parts of Eurasia and Southeast Asian islands, but they are by far the most numerous and diverse in the latter. Some species of bovid are solitary, but others live in large groups with complex social structures. Although bovids have adapted to a wide range of habitats, from arctic tundra to deep tropical forest, the majority of species favor open grassland, scrub or desert. This diversity of habitat is also matched by great diversity in size and form: at one extreme is the royal antelope of West Africa, which stands a mere 25 cm at the shoulder; at the other, the massively built bison of North America and Europe, growing to a shoulder height of 2.2m.

Despite differences in size and appearance, bovids are united by the possession of certain common features. All species are ruminants, which means that they retain undigested food in their stomachs, and regurgitate it as necessary. Bovids are almost exclusively herbivorous: plant-eating “incisors: front teeth herbivorous”.

Typically their teeth are highly modified for browsing and grazing: grass or foliage is cropped with the upper lip and lower incisors** (the upper incisors are usually absent), and then ground down by the cheek teeth. As well as having cloven, or split, hooves, the males of ail bovid species and the females of most carry horns. Bovid horns have bony cores covered in a sheath of horny material that is constantly renewed from within; they are unbranched and never shed. They vary in shape and size: the relatively simple horns of a large Indian buffalo may measure around 4 m from tip to tip along the outer curve, while the various gazelles have horns with a variety of elegant curves.

Five groups, or sub-families, may be distinguished: Bovinae, Antelope, Caprinae, Cephalophinae and Antilocapridae. The sub-family Bovinae comprises most of the larger bovids, including the African bongo, and nilgae, eland, bison and cattle. Unlike most other bovids they are all non-territorial. The ancestors of the various species of domestic cattle banteng, gaur, yak and water buffalo are generally rare and endangered in the wild, while the auroch (the ancestor of the domestic cattle of Europe) is extinct.

The term 'antelope' is not a very precise zoological name - it is used to loosely describe a number of bovids that have followed different lines of development. Antelopes are typically long-legged, fast-running species, often with long horns that may be laid along the back when the animal is in full flight. There are two main sub-groups of antelope: Hippotraginae, which includes the oryx and the addax, and Antilopinae, which generally contains slighter and more graceful animals such as gazelle and the springbok. Antelopes are mainly grassland species, but many have adapted to flooded grasslands: pukus, waterbucks and lechwes are all good at swimming, usually feeding in deep water, while the sitatunga has long, splayed hooves enable it to walk freely on swampy ground.

The sub-family Caprinae includes the sheep and the goat, together with various relatives such as the goral and the tahr. Most are wooly or have long hair. Several species, such as wild goats, chamois and ibex, are agile cliff- and mountain-dwellers. Tolerance of extreme conditions is most marked in this group: Barbary and bighorn sheep have adapted to arid deserts, while Rocky Mountain sheep survive high up in mountains and musk oxen in arctic tundra.

The duiker of Africa belongs to the Cephalophinae sub-family. It is generally small and solitary, often living in thick forest. Although mainly feeding on grass and leaves, some duikers - unlike most other bovids - are believed to eat insects and feed on dead animal carcasses, and even to kill small animals.

The pronghorn is the sole survivor of a New World sub-family of herbivorous ruminants, the Antilocapridae in North America. It is similar in appearance and habits to the Old World antelope. Although greatly reduced in numbers since the arrival of Europeans, and the subsequent enclosure of grasslands, the pronghorn is still found in considerable numbers throughout North America, from Washington State to Mexico. When alarmed by the approach of wolves or other predators, hairs on the pronghorn's rump stand erect, showing and emphasizing the white patch there. At this signal, the whole herd gallops off at a speed of over 60 km per hour.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 1 - 3

Question 1: In which region is the biggest range of bovids to be found?

Africa
Eurasia
North America
South- east Asia

Answer: D
Supporting statement: “...in most parts of Eurasia and Southeast Asian islands, but they are by far the most numerous and diverse in the latter…”
Keywords: Eurasia, Southeast Asian, islands, numerous, diverse, latter
Keyword Location: para 2, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, Bovids are well represented in most parts of Eurasia and Southeast Asian islands, but they are by far the most numerous and diverse in the latter.

Question 2: Most bovids have a preference for living in

Isolation
Small groups
Tropical forest
Wide open spaces

Answer: D
Supporting statement: “...the majority of species favor open grassland, scrub or desert…”
Keywords: majority, species, open grassland, scrub, desert
Keyword Location: para 3, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, bovids have adapted to a wide range of habitats, from arctic tundra to deep tropical forest, the majority of species favor open grassland, scrub or desert.

Question 3: Which of the following features do all bovids have in common?

Their horns are shot
They have upper incisors
They store food in the body
Their hooves are undivided

Answer: C
Supporting statement: “...All species are ruminants, which means that they retain undigested food in their stomachs, and regurgitate it as necessary…”
Keywords: species, ruminants, undigested food, stomachs, regurgitate
Keyword Location: para 4, line 2
Explanation: According to the writer, despite differences in size and appearance, bovids are united by the possession of certain common features. All species are ruminants, which means that they retain undigested food in their stomachs, and regurgitate it as necessary.

Questions 4 - 8

Look at the following characteristics (Questions 4-8) and the list of sub-families below.
Match each characteristic with the correct sub-family, A, B, C or D.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

List of sub-families:

Antelope
Bovinae
Caprinae
Cephalophinae

Question 4: can endure very harsh environments

Answer: C
Supporting statement: “...Tolerance of extreme conditions is most marked in this group…”
Keywords: tolerance, extreme conditions, Barbary, bighorn sheep, arid deserts, rocky mountain sheep, mountains, musk oxen, arctic tundra
Keyword Location: para 10, line 3
Explanation: According to the writer, the sub-family Caprinae includes the sheep and the goat, together with various relatives such as the goral and the tahr. Tolerance of extreme conditions is most marked in this group: Barbary and bighorn sheep have adapted to arid deserts, while Rocky Mountain sheep survive high up in mountains and musk oxen in arctic tundra.

Question 5: includes the ox and the cow

Answer: B
Supporting statement: “...the sub-family Bovinae comprises most of the larger bovids, including the African bongo, and nilgae, eland, bison and cattle…”
Keywords: sub-family, Bovinae, larger bovids, African bongo, nilgae, eland, bison, cattle
Keyword Location: para 7, line 2
Explanation: According to the writer, the sub-family Bovinae comprises most of the larger bovids, including the African bongo, and nilgae, eland, bison and cattle. Unlike most other bovids they are all non-territorial.

Question 6: may supplement its diet with meat

Answer: D
Supporting statement: “...Although mainly feeding on grass and leaves, some duikers - unlike most other bovids - are believed to eat insects and feed on dead animal carcasses, and even to kill small animals.…”
Keywords: feeding, grass, leaves, duikers, bovids, insects, dead animal carcasses, small animals
Keyword Location: para 11, line 2
Explanation: According to the writer, the duiker of Africa belongs to the Cephalophinae sub-family. It is generally small and solitary, often living in thick forest. They are believed to eat insects and feed on dead animal carcasses, and even to kill small animals.

Question 7: can usually move in a speed

Answer: A
Supporting statement: “...Antelopes are typically long-legged, fast-running species, often with long horns.…”
Keywords: Antelopes, long-legged, fast-running species, long horns
Keyword Location: para 8, line 2
Explanation: According to the writer, Antelopes are typically long-legged, fast-running species, often with long horns that may be laid along the back when the animal is in full flight.

Question 8: does not defend a particular area of land

Answer: B
Supporting statement: “...The ancestors of the various species of domestic cattle banteng, gaur, yak and water buffalo are generally rare and endangered in the wild, while the auroch (the ancestor of the domestic cattle of Europe) is extinct.…”,
Keywords: sub-family, Bovinae, larger bovids, African bongo, nilgae, eland, bison, cattle, ancestors, domestic cattle banteng, gaur, yak, water buffalo, rare, endangered, auroch, extinct.
Keyword Location: para 7, line 4
Explanation: According to the writer, the sub-family Bovinae comprises most of the larger bovids, including the African bongo, and nilgae, eland, bison and cattle. The ancestors of the various species of domestic cattle banteng, gaur, yak and water buffalo are generally rare and endangered in the wild, while the auroch (the ancestor of the domestic cattle of Europe) is extinct.