Owl Secrets Reading Answers

Feb 22, 2023

Owl Secrets Reading Answers is an IELTS academic reading topic that requires candidates to solve a given set of questions within 20 minutes. Owl Secrets Reading Answers has been referenced from the Target Band 7 IELTS Academic Module - How to Maximize Your Score (Fourth Edition) and contains a total of 14 questions. The question types in this IELTS reading topic; Owl Secrets Reading Answers that candidates are required to solve are; complete the summary and complete the sentences choosing correct endings. 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

Owl Secrets Reading Answers

It always appeared to fly in the face of logic. But now, the biological secrets that allow owls to rotate their heads without cutting off their blood supply have finally been unraveled. Scientists have discovered four major adaptations in owls designed to prevent injury when the animals rotate their overly large heads by up to 270 degrees.
The study found that the birds' unique bone structures and vascular systems let them move with increased flexibility. Scientists at John Hopkins University School of Medicine in the US studied snowy, barred and great horned owls y after their deaths from natural causes. They found that the vertebral artery enters the neck higher than in other birds, creating more slack. Unlike humans, owls were found to have small vessel connections between the carotid and vertebral arteries, allowing the blood to be exchanged between the two blood vessels. This creates an uninterrupted blood flow to the brain, even if one route is blocked during extreme neck rotation.
The adaptation gives the birds a huge range of vision without having to move their bodies and arouses detection by prey. The lack of similar adaptations in humans could explain why humans are more vulnerable to neck injury, the experts concluded. When humans attempt sudden and violent twists of their neck they risk damaging the lining of their blood vessels, which can result in a fatal blockage or stroke. Study senior investigator Doctor Philippe Gailloud, said: 'Until now, brain imaging specialists like me who deal with human injuries caused by trauma to arteries in the head and neck have always been puzzled as to why rapid, twisting neck movements did not leave thousands of owls lying dead on the forest floor from stroke. 'The carotid and vertebral arteries in the neck of most animals - including owls and humans - are very fragile and highly susceptible to even minor tears of the vessel lining.
To solve the puzzle, the researchers studied the bone and blood vessel structures in the heads and necks of the birds. An injectable contrast dye was used to highlight the birds' blood vessels, which were then dissected, drawn and scanned to allow detailed analysis.
The most striking finding came after researchers injected dye into the owls' arteries, mimicking blood flow, and manually turned the animals' heads. They found that when they turned the heads, the blood vessels below the jaw bone expanded as more dye entered, creating pools of blood capable of maintaining the energy supply to the brain and eyes. They showed that the big carotid arteries, instead of being on the side of the neck as in humans, are carried close to the center of rotation just in front of the spine. As a consequence, these arteries experience much less twisting and turning. The potential for damage is therefore greatly reduced. This conträsted starkly with human anatomical ability, where arteries generally tend to get smaller and smaller, and do not balloon out as they branch out. This creates the risk of clotting after sudden neck movements such as whiplash.
Researchers say these contractile blood reservoirs act as a trade-off, allowing birds to pool blood to meet the energy needs of their large brains and eyes, while they rotate their heads. The supporting vascular network, with its many interconnections and adaptations, helps minimize any interruption in blood flow. The study results demonstrate what physical properties are needed to allow such extreme head movements, and explain why injuries sustained from treatments that involve manipulating bones with the hands such as chiropractic therapy can have such serious consequences for humans. Dr Gailloud added: 'Our new study results show precisely what morphological adaptations are needed to handle such head gyrations and why humans are so vulnerable to bone injury from chiropractic therapy. Extreme manipulations of the human head are really dangerous because we lack so many of the vessel-protecting features seen in owls.'
Medical illustrator Fabian de Kok-Mercado said: 'In humans, the vertebral artery really hugs the brains and eyes, while they rotate their heads. The supporting vascular network, with its many interconnections and adaptations, helps minimize any interruption in blood flow. The study results demonstrate what physical properties are needed to allow such extreme head movements, and explain why injuries sustained from treatments that involve manipulating bones with the hands such as chiropractic therapy can have such serious consequences for humans. Dr Gailloud added: 'Our new study results show precisely what morphological adaptations are needed to handle such head gyrations and why humans have hollow cavities in the neck. But this is not the case in owls, whose structures are specially adapted to allow for greater arterial flexibility and movement.' It is a powerful adaptive trait, but it is not unique. Plenty of birds have a similar ability to look behind them. Red tailed hawks for example are almost as flexible as their nocturnal cousins. 'There are lots of advantages to being able to look over your shoulder and see something coming - if you're trying to avoid predators or detect prey', he added

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Question (27-34):
Complete the summary using the list of words and phrases A-M below.
Write the correct letter, A-M in boxes 27-34 on your answer sheet.
NB: You may use any letter more than once

How can owls rotate their heads by 27 _______________ 270 degrees? The many small bones that make up the neck and spine enable them to achieve 28 _______________ movement. A research team has discovered that in 29 _______________, their vascular network has adapted to make the rotation possible. Owls’ carotid arteries are 30 _______________ the spine, at the centre of rotation. This means the arteries endure 31 _______________ the strain when the head is turned. In addition, the vessels 32 _______________ their heads can expand, creating reservoirs of blood to supply the brain when the head is turned. And the cavities in the neck vertebrae, through which the vessels pass, are extremely 33 _______________ giving the vessels space to move around when twisted. All this is necessary because their eyes can’t move: owls can only look 34 _______________ ahead.

List of word/ phrases:

flexible
as much as
at the base of
in front of
intense
limited
far less
multiple
in excess of
to the side of
various ways
large
straight

Question 27:

Answer: B. as much as
Supporting Sentence: Scientists have discovered owls rotate their overly large heads by up to 270 degrees.
Keyword: Scientists, owls, rotate, overly large heads, 270 degrees.
Keyword Location: Paragraph A, Line 3
Explanation: Scientists have found that owls can spin their disproportionately big heads by up to 270 degrees, according to the third line of paragraph A. Therefore, B is the correct answer.

Question 28:

Answer: A. flexible
Supporting Sentence: The study found that the bird’s unique bone structures and vascular systems let them move with increased flexibility.
Keywords: Study, bird’s, bone structure, vascular systems, increased flexibility.
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, Line 1
Explanation: The study discovered that the bird's special bone architecture and circulatory systems allowed them to move with higher flexibility. It has been stated in the first sentence of paragraph B. So the owls have modified their bodily parts to allow for flexible movement, said the experts.

Question 29:

Answer: K. various ways
Supporting Sentence: Scientists studied owls. They found that the vertebral artery enters the neck higher than in other birds, creating more slack. Owls were found to have small vessel connections between carotid and vertebral arteries, allowing blood to be exchanged between two blood vessels.
Keyword: Scientists, owls, vertebral artery, neck, slack, vessel connections, carotid, vertebral, arteries, blood, exchange
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, Line 2-4
Explanation: According to lines 2–4 of paragraph B, owls were researched by scientists. They discovered that more slack exists in the neck because the vertebral artery enters it higher than it does in other birds. It was discovered that owls have tiny vessels that connect their carotid and vertebral arteries, enabling the exchange of blood between the two blood vessels. According to US scientists, owls' ability to rotate their heads is due to adaptations like a higher vertebral artery. Further, numerous compact connections between blood vessels.

Question 30:

Answer: D. in front of
Supporting Sentence: They showed that the big carotid arteries are carried close to the center of rotation just in front of the spine.
Keyword: Bid, carotid, arteries, center of rotation, spine
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, Line 3
Explanation: The third line of paragraph E indicates, "They demonstrated that the large carotid arteries are carried near to the centre of rotation immediately in front of the spine." The researchers found that the location of carotid arteries close to the centre of rotation and before the vertebral column is the key to owls' flexible neck movement.

Question 31:

Answer: G. far less
Supporting Sentence: As a consequence, these arteries experience much less twisting and turning.
Keyword: Consequence, arteries, experience, twisting, turning
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, Line 4
Explanation: According to the fourth sentence of paragraph E, as a result, these arteries undergo far less twisting and turning. The scientists found that the owls have adapted themselves in such a way that their enormous heads barely cause any rotation of their arteries.

Question 32:

Answer: C. at the base of
Supporting Sentence: They found that when they turned their heads, the blood vessels below the jaw bone expanded, creating pools of blood capable of maintaining the energy supply to the brain and eyes.
Keywords: Turned their heads, blood vessels, jaw bone, expanded, pools of blood, energy supply, brain, eyes
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, Line 2
Explanation: They discovered that as they tilted their heads, the blood arteries below the jaw bone grew, forming pools of blood capable of sustaining the energy supply. It could be sustained to the brain and eyes, as stated in the second line of paragraph E. In order to conserve the energy supply to their brain and eyes throughout their neck rotation. In addition, the researchers discovered that the owls were able to enlarge the blood arteries beneath their heads.

Question 33:

Answer: L. large
Supporting Sentence: Owls’ structures are specially adapted to allow for greater arterial flexibility and movement.
Keyword: Structures, owls, adapted, arterial flexibility, movement.
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, Line 1-2
Explanation: In the first sentences of paragraph G, it is stated that the structures of owls have been carefully modified to permit higher artery flexibility and movement. The owls' huge neck cavities, unlike those of humans, allow for more vascular flexibility and movement.

Question 34:

Answer: M. straight
Supporting Sentence: The adaptation gives the birds a huge range of vision without having to move their bodies and arouses detection by prey.
Keyword: vision
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, 1st line
Explanation: The first sentence of paragraph C's introduction reads, "The modification offers the birds a broad range of vision without having to move their bodies and alerts prey to their presence." The primary cause of the different adaptations present in owls is their total inability to move their eyeballs.

Questions (35-40):
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-H below.
Write the correct letter, A-H in boxes 35-40 on your answer sheet.

collect any excess blood created in the process of turning.
cope with their very large heads
damage the lining of their blood vessels.
decrease in size.
make them lighter.
mimic natural blood flow.
offer a fresh supply of nutrients when blood vessels get closed off.
avoid detection by predators or to find prey.

The bone structure and circulatory system of owls has evolved in order to

Answer: B. cope with their very large heads
Supporting Sentence: The biological secrets that allow owls to rotate their heads without cutting off their blood supply; Scientists have discovered adaptations in owls to prevent injury when the animals rotate their
overly large heads.
Keywords: Owls, rotate, heads, blood supply, adaptations, injury, overly large heads.
Keyword Location: Paragraph A, Line 2-3
Explanation: The biological mechanisms that allow owls to spin their heads without cutting off their blood supply are described in lines 2-3 of paragraph A. Scientists have found owl adaptations that protect them from harm when they rotate their oversized heads. Scientists claim that owls have developed their large heads to the point where they can turn them at least 270 degrees without getting hurt.

Human’s arteries tend to

Answer: D. decrease in size.
Supporting Sentence: This contrasted starkly with human anatomical ability where arteries generally tend to get smaller and smaller.
Keyword: Human, anatomical ability, arteries, smaller
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, Line 6
Explanation: The statement in line 6 of paragraph E reads, "This contrasted sharply with human anatomical abilities where arteries normally tend to get narrower and smaller." Humans always have a predisposition for their arteries to contract, unlike owls.

Scientists injected dye into the blood vessels of dead owls in order to

Answer: F. mimic natural blood flow.
Supporting Sentence: Researchers injected dye into the owls’ arteries, mimicking blood flow.
Keyword: Researchers, injected dye, owls, arteries, mimicking, blood flow.
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, Line 1
Explanation: According to line 1 of paragraph E, scientists put dye into the owls' arteries to simulate blood flow. By injecting dye into owls' arteries, the researchers attempted to mimic the flow of blood through those vessels.

When humans attempt sudden twists of their neck they are more likely to

Answer: C. damage the lining of their blood vessels.
Supporting Sentence: When humans attempt a sudden and violent twist of their neck they risk damaging the lining of their blood vessels.
Keywords: Humans, sudden, violent, twist, neck, damaging, lining, blood vessels
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, Line 3
Explanation: When people try to twist their necks suddenly and violently, they run the risk of injuring the lining of their blood vessels, according to line 3 of paragraph C. Humans can harm the lining of their blood vessels with any vigorous neck movement, unlike owls.

The backup arteries of owls are designed to

Answer: G. offer a fresh supply of nutrients when blood vessels get closed off.
Supporting Sentence: Owls were found to have small vessel connections between carotid and vertebral arteries; This creates an uninterrupted flow to the brain, even if one route is blocked during extreme neck rotation.
Keyword: Owls, small, vessel connections, carotid, vertebral, arteries, uninterrupted flow, brain, extreme, neck rotation
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, Line 4-5
Explanation: According to lines 4 and 5 of paragraph B, it was discovered that owls have tiny vessel connections between their carotid and vertebral arteries. As a result, even if one pathway is stopped during excessive neck movement, the flow to the brain remains unbroken. The US researchers found that even during severe cases of neck rotation, owls manage to retain an uninterrupted blood flow. The blood flow could be maintained to their brain using a small network of blood capillaries.

Owls have a huge range of vision which enables them to

Answer: H. avoid detection by predators or to find prey.
Supporting Sentence: There are lots of advantages to being able to look over your shoulder and see something coming – if you’re trying to avoid predators or detect prey.
Keyword: Advantages, look, shoulder, avoid, predators, detect prey
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, Line 6
Explanation: If you're trying to avoid predators or spot prey, it's very advantageous, as stated in line 6 of paragraph G. It allows them to be able to look over your shoulder and see something coming. Owls can avoid predators and find prey because of their supple neck movements, which give them wide vision.

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