Organism's Appearance Reading Answers

Feb 21, 2023

Organism's Appearance Reading Answers is an IELTS reading topic that requires candidates to solve a given set of questions within 20 minutes. Organism's Appearance Reading Answers has been referenced from the IELTS Book Cambridge IELTS 11 Academic Student's Book with Answers. This IELTS reading topic; Organism's Appearance Reading Answers comprises 12 questions. The question types in this IELTS reading topic that candidates are required to solve are; match the correct sentence, no more than three words, and no more than four words. To practice more such reading passage candidates can refer to the IELTS reading practice papers.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Organism's Appearance Reading Answers

As Darwin discovered his evolution theory, the earliest known fossils were left in rocks which he called the Silurian age. Older rocks seemed to contain no fossils. The apparently sudden appearance of subtle animals like trilobites was not inconsistent with Darwin’s thoughts of gradual evolution. “If my theory will be true, it is unquestionable that before the lowest Silurian stratum was deposited … the world swarmed with living creatures. To the question of why we do not find records of these vast primordial periods, I can give no satisfactory answer,” Darwin wrote in the first edition of On the Origin of Species. His puzzle is known as Darwin’s dilemma.

Of course, we have discovered a lot of fossils from the earliest periods. Rocks of 3.8 billion years old have signs of life, and the first recognizable bacteria come out in rocks of 3.5 billion years old. During the Ediacaran, approximately one billion years ago, multi-cellular plants with red and green algae appeared and approximately 575 million years ago was found in the first multi-cellular animals.

Even so, there are many perplexing questions. Why did animals evolve so late in the day? And why did the ancestors of modern animals apparently evolve in a geological blink of an eye during the early Cambrian period between 542 and 520 million years ago? Recently, a series of discoveries could help to explain these long-lasting mysteries. These discoveries suggest that the earliest animals evolved much earlier than we thought, perhaps over 850 million years ago. However, the really extraordinary part is that these early animals may have completely changed the planet, paving the way for the larger and more complex animals to follow them.

Several aspects of the biggest discoveries have come from an ancient seabed in China, called the Doushantuo Formation, where unusual conditions conserved some extraordinary fossils. During the last part of the Ediacaran period, layers between 550 and 580 million years old include tiny spheres made of from one to dozens of different cells – just like animals’ first embryos. A couple of things have suggested that they are the property of giant bacteria, but a series of studies over the past decade have left little doubt that they are really animal embryos.

Leiming Yin, a researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology in China, reported discovering embryos encased inside hard, spiky shells unlike anything produced by bacteria in 2007. Furthermore, evidence of shells that apart from the deficiency of conserved embryos on the inside are identical can be seen in rocks as old as 632 million years – the appearance of the Ediacaran period – suggesting that the animal embryos themselves go back this far.

Other more tentative discoveries push the appearance of animals back even further. Roger Summons, a researcher in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his colleague Gordon Love studies brownish, oily sandstone cores drilled from 4 kilometres below the desert of Oman. The oily remains of dead organisms drifted down to the depths of ancient oceans, where they decomposed slowly because of the lack of oxygen. No visible fossils are present but within that oil are molecular fossils – chemicals taken from the ancient organisms. In layers that are 635 to 713 million years old, Summons and Love discovered 24-isopropylcholestane (24-IPC), a stable form of a kind of cholesterol that these days are only discovered in the cell membranes of certain sponges. “The sponge biomass must have been so substantial,” says Love, now at the University of California, Riverside. “They were ecologically outstanding.”

Fuel of Life

With the oceans changed, the stage was finally set for the evolution of more complicated body forms. The idea that increasing oxygen levels played a major role in the explosion of life during the Cambrian period is far from new, but most of the researchers attribute the increase in oceanic oxygen to the increase in the atmosphere. If Butterfield is right, it was basically because of animals taking over from bacteria. “These geochemical signatures [of oxygenation] are not causing the evolution of animals,” he insists. “They’re consequences of the dawn of animals.”

“He is right,” says Brasier. In fact, he thinks the link between complex life and the transformation of the planet runs even deeper. In Darwin’s Lost World, a book published earlier this year, Brasier suggests that the improved burial of carbon resulting from the rising of large cells and groups of cells – perhaps with plants like seaweed – sucked carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, setting off the series of ice ages that aided the first animals to wrestle for control of the oceans with bacteria. “Rather than being the cause of animal evolution, the ice ages may well have been the response to it,” he says.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 29-33

Look at the following statements and the list of researchers below.

Match each statement with the correct researcher(s), A-E.
Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 29-33 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

studied brownish, oily sandstone cores.

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: Summons and Love discovered 24-isopropylcholestane (24-IPC), a stable form of a kind of cholesterol that these days are only discovered in the cell membranes of certain sponges. “The sponge biomass must have been so substantial,” says Love, now at the University of California, Riverside. “They were ecologically outstanding.”
Keywords: Summons and Love, 24-isopropylcholestane, cholesterol, cell membranes
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, lines 6-9
Explanation: Summons and Love have found a stable form of cholesterol called 24-isopropylcholestane (24-IPC). It is typically only found in the cell membranes of specific sponges. According to Love, who is currently at the University of California, Riverside, the discovery suggests that the sponge population. It must have been exceptionally large and ecologically significant.

announced embryos on the inside surrounded by hard, spiky shells.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: Leiming Yin, a researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology in China, reported discovering embryos encased inside hard, spiky shells unlike anything produced by bacteria in 2007.
Keywords: Leiming Yin, researcher, Nanjing Institute of Geology
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, lines 1-2
Explanation: In 2007, Leiming Yin, a researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology in China, announced the discovery of embryos. These were contained within uniquely shaped, hard, and spiky shells that are not typically produced by bacteria.

claimed that the expended burial of carbon resulted in the series of ice ages.

Answer: E
Supporting Sentence: Brasier suggests that the improved burial of carbon resulting from the rising of large cells and groups of cells – perhaps with plants like seaweed – sucked carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, setting off the series of ice ages that aided the first animals to wrestle for control of the oceans with bacteria.
Keywords: Brasier, burial, carbon, large cells
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, lines 3-6
Explanation: According to Brasier, the increased burial of carbon, which occurred as a result of the emergence of larger cells and cell groups. It is possibly including seaweed-like plants, led to the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This triggered a sequence of ice ages, which facilitated the emergence of the first animals that competed with bacteria for dominance in the oceans.

wrote in the first edition of On the Origin of Species.

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: To the question of why we do not find records of these vast primordial periods, I can give no satisfactory answer,” Darwin wrote in the first edition of On the Origin of Species. His puzzle is known as Darwin’s dilemma.
Keywords: question, primordial, satisfactory, edition, On the Origin of Species
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, lines 5-7
Explanation: In the first edition of "On the Origin of Species", Darwin expressed his inability to provide a satisfactory answer to the question. The question was related to why there are no records of the extensive early periods of life. This puzzle is now referred to as "Darwin's dilemma".

discovered 24-isopropylcholestane.

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: Summons and Love discovered 24-isopropylcholestane (24-IPC), a stable form of a kind of cholesterol that these days are only discovered in the cell membranes of certain sponges. “The sponge biomass must have been so substantial,” says Love, now at the University of California, Riverside. “They were ecologically outstanding.”
Keywords: Summons and Love, 24-isopropylcholestane, cholesterol, cell membranes
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, lines 6-9
Explanation: Summons and Love have found a stable form of cholesterol called 24-isopropylcholestane (24-IPC), which is typically only found in the cell membranes of specific sponges. Summons and Love have found a stable form of cholesterol called 24-isopropylcholestane (24-IPC). It is typically only found in the cell membranes of specific sponges. According to Love, who is currently at the University of California, Riverside, the discovery suggests that the sponge population. It must have been exceptionally large and ecologically significant.

List of Researchers

Darwin
Leiming Yin
Summons and Love
Elizabeth Turner
Brasier

Questions 34-36

Answer the questions below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 34-36 on your answer sheet.

What is an ancient seabed in China, conserving some weird fossils?

Answer: Doushantuo Formation
Supporting Sentence: Several aspects of the biggest discoveries have come from an ancient seabed in China, called the Doushantuo Formation, where unusual conditions conserved some extraordinary fossils.
Keywords: discoveries, ancient seabed, ancient seabed
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, lines 1-2
Explanation: The Doushantuo Formation, an ancient seabed in China, has yielded several significant discoveries due to the unique conditions that preserved some exceptional fossils.

What made organisms decompose in the depths of ancient oceans?

Answer: Lack of oxygen
Supporting Sentence: The oily remains of dead organisms drifted down to the depths of ancient oceans, where they decomposed slowly because of the lack of oxygen.
Keywords: oily, dead organisms, oxygen
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, lines 4-5
Explanation: The deceased organisms' oily residues sank to the depths of the prehistoric oceans. These then undergo a gradual decomposition process due to the absence of oxygen.

What was written by Brasier to swell burial of carbon resulting from the rise of large cells and groups of cells?

Answer: Darwin’s Lost World
Supporting Sentence: In Darwin’s Lost World, a book published earlier this year, Brasier suggests that the improved burial of carbon resulting from the rising of large cells and groups of cells – perhaps with plants like
seaweed
Keywords: Darwin’s, Lost World, Brasier
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, lines 2-4
Explanation: In his book "Darwin's Lost World," published earlier this year, Brasier proposes that the enhanced carbon burial. It is a result of the emergence of significant cells and multicellular organisms - possibly including seaweed-like plants - played a role.

Questions 37-40

Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

Fuel of Life

From the oceans fluctuated, 37……………………….. of increasing levels played a vital part in the increase of oceanic oxygen in the atmosphere.

Actually, Brasier considers the connection of 38……………………… and 39………………………… goes deeper. According to Darwin’s Lost World, he claims that carbon burial was getting more inhaled 40………………………….. outside of the atmosphere, caused the series of ice ages that was supported with the first organism generated from bacteria.

Question 37.

Answer: oxygen
Supporting Sentence: In Darwin’s Lost World, a book published earlier this year, Brasier suggests that the improved burial of carbon resulting from the rising of large cells and groups of cells – perhaps with plants like seaweed
Keywords: Darwin’s, Lost World, Brasier
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, lines 2-4
Explanation: In his book "Darwin's Lost World," published earlier this year, Brasier proposes that the enhanced carbon burial. It is a result of the emergence of significant cells and multicellular organisms - possibly including seaweed-like plants - played a role.

Question 38.

Answer: complex life
Supporting Sentence: “He is right,” says Brasier. In fact, he thinks the link between complex life and the transformation of the planet runs even deeper.
Keywords: Brasier, between, complex life, transformation
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, lines 1-2
Explanation: Brasier agrees with him, and in fact, he believes that the connection between the evolution of complex life forms and the Earth's changes is even more profound.

Question 39.

Answer: transformation of the planet
Supporting Sentence: “He is right,” says Brasier. In fact, he thinks the link between complex life and the transformation of the planet runs even deeper.
Keywords: Brasier, between, complex life, transformation
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, lines 1-2
Explanation: Brasier agrees with him, and in fact, he believes that the connection between the evolution of complex life forms and the Earth's changes is even more profound.

Question 40.

Answer: carbon dioxide
Supporting Sentence: Brasier suggests that the improved burial of carbon resulting from the rising of large cells and groups of cells – perhaps with plants like seaweed – sucked carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, setting off the series of ice ages that aided the first animals to wrestle for control of the oceans with bacteria.
Keywords: Brasier, burial, carbon, large cells
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, lines 3-6
Explanation: According to Brasier, the increased burial of carbon, which occurred as a result of the emergence of larger cells and cell groups. It possibly including seaweed-like plants, led to the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This triggered a sequence of ice ages, which facilitated the emergence of the first animals that competed with bacteria for dominance in the oceans.