Penguin's Anti-Ice Trick Revealed Reading Answers

The reading answers for "Penguin's Anti-Ice Trick Revealed" include 12 questions and are part of the evaluation framework for the IELTS General Reading assessment. Test takers are allotted 20 minutes to complete the reading answers related to "Penguin's Anti-Ice Trick Revealed." This section of the IELTS reading test features different question formats, such as writing only one word from the passage for each answer, and choosing the correct letter.

Penguin's Anti-Ice Trick Revealed Reading Answers offer an in-depth look at how Scientists discovered that Antarctic penguins stay ice-free due to nano-sized pores and a special water-repelling oil on their feathers, making them super hydrophobic. This natural adaptation may inspire new anti-icing technologies, such as safer, frost-resistant aircraft surfaces. For additional practice with similar reading assessments, candidates can refer to the IELTS Reading Practice Test section.

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Penguin's Anti-Ice Trick Revealed Reading Answers

Scientists studying penguins' feathers have revealed how the birds stay ice free when hopping in and out of below zero waters in the Antarctic. A combination of nano-sized pores and an extra water repelling preening oil the birds secrete is thought to give Antarctic Penguins' feathers superhydrophobic properties. Researchers in the US made the discovery using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to study penguin feathers in extreme detail. Antarctic penguins live in one of Earth's most extreme environments, facing temperatures that drop to -40C, winds with speeds of 40 metres per second and water that stays around -2.2C. But even in these sub-zero conditions, the birds manage to prevent ice from coating their feathers.

"They are an amazing species, living in extreme conditions, and great swimmers. Basically they are living engineering marvels," says research team member Dr Pirouz Kavehpour, professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Birds' feathers are known to have hydrophobic, or non-wetting, properties. But scientists from UCLA, University of Massachusetts Amherst and SeaWorld, wanted to know what makes Antarctic penguins' feathers extra ice repelling.

"What we learn here is how penguins combine oil and nano-structures on the feathers to produce this effect to perfection," explains Kavehpour. By analysing feathers from different penguin species, the researchers discovered Antarctic species the gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) was more superhydrophobic compared with a species found in warmer climes - the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) - whose breeding sites include Argentinian desert.

Gentoo penguins' feathers contained tiny pores which trapped air, making the surface hydrophobic. And they were smothered with a special preening oil, produced by a gland near the base of the tail, with which the birds cover themselves. Together, these properties mean that in the wild, droplets of water on Antarctic penguins' superhydrophobic feathers bead up on the surface like spheres - formations that, according to the team, could provide geometry that delays ice formation, since heat cannot easily flow out of the water if the droplet only has minimal contact with the surface of the feather.

"The shape of the droplet on the surface dictates the delay in freezing," explains Kavehpour. The water droplets roll off the penguin's feathers before they have time to freeze, the researchers propose. Penguins living in the Antarctic are highly evolved to cope with harsh conditions: their short outer feathers overlap to make a thick protective layer over fluffier feathers which keep them warm. Under their skin, a thick layer of fat keeps them insulated. The flightless birds spend a lot of time in the sea and are extremely agile and graceful swimmers, appearing much more awkward on land.

Kavehpour was inspired to study Antarctic penguins' feathers after watching the birds in a nature documentary. "I saw these birds moving in and out of water, splashing everywhere. Yet there is no single drop of frozen ice sticking to them," he tells BBC Earth. His team now hopes its work could aid design of better man-made surfaces which minimise frost formation.

"I would love to see biomimicking of these surfaces for important applications, for example, de-icing of aircrafts," says Kavehpour. Currently, airlines spend a lot of time and money using chemical de-icers on aeroplanes, as ice can alter the vehicles' aerodynamic properties and can even cause them to crash.

QUESTIONS 29-33

CHOOSE THE CORRECT LETTER, A, B, C OR D.

29. Penguins stay ice free due to:

A. A combination of nano-sized pores

B. An extra water repelling preening oil

C. A combination of nano-sized pores and an extra water repelling preening oil

D. A combination of various factors

Supporting statement: “A combination of nano-sized pores and an extra water repelling preening oil the birds secrete is thought to give Antarctic Penguins' feathers superhydrophobic properties.”

Keywords: combination, nano-sized pores, preening oil, superhydrophobic

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, lines 2–4

Explanation: The passage clearly states that both nano-sized pores and preening oil together make penguins’ feathers ice-resistant. Hence, option C is correct.

30. Antarctic penguins experience extreme weather conditions, including:

A. Low temperature, that can drop to -40

B. Severe wind, up to 40 metres per second

C. Below zero water temperature

D. All of the above

Supporting statement: “Antarctic penguins live in one of Earth's most extreme environments, facing temperatures that drop to -40C, winds with speeds of 40 metres per second and water that stays around -2.2C.”

Keywords: -40C, 40 metres per second, -2.2C water

Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 1–3

Explanation: The penguins face low temperatures, severe winds, and below-zero water, which includes all conditions mentioned. Hence, D (All of the above) is correct.

31. In line 5 words engineering marvels mean:

A. That penguins are very intelligent

B. That penguins are good swimmers

C. That penguis are well prepared to living in severe conditions

D. Both B and C

Supporting statement: “They are an amazing species, living in extreme conditions, and great swimmers. Basically they are living engineering marvels.”

Keywords: amazing species, extreme conditions, great swimmers

Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 4–6

Explanation: The phrase “engineering marvels” refers to penguins being well adapted to harsh conditions and excellent swimmers, making D (Both B and C) correct.

32. Penguis feather has everything, EXCEPT:

A. Hydrophobic properties

B. Extra ice repelling

C. Soft structures

D. Oil structures

Supporting statement: “Birds' feathers are known to have hydrophobic, or non-wetting, properties… penguins combine oil and nano-structures on the feathers to produce this effect to perfection.”

Keywords: hydrophobic, oil, nano-structures

Keyword Location: Paragraphs 3–4

Explanation: The feathers have hydrophobic and oil-based properties with nano-structures, but there’s no mention of soft structures. Hence, the correct answer is C.

33. The gentoo penguin:

A. Is less superhydrophobic compared to the Magellanic penguin

B. Has feathers that contain tiny pores

C. Can't swim

D. Lives in Argentinian desert

Supporting statement: “Gentoo penguins' feathers contained tiny pores which trapped air, making the surface hydrophobic.”

Keywords: Gentoo penguin, tiny pores, hydrophobic

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, lines 2–3

Explanation: The Gentoo penguin has feathers with tiny pores that trap air and make them water-repellent, confirming B as the correct option.

QUESTIONS 34 - 40

WRITE ONLY ONE WORD FROM THE PASSAGE FOR EACH ANSWER.

WRITE YOUR ANSWERS IN BOXES 34-40 ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET.

34. Formations like ..... could provide geometry that delays ice formation.

Supporting statement: “Droplets of water on Antarctic penguins' superhydrophobic feathers bead up on the surface like spheres — formations that… could provide geometry that delays ice formation.”

Keywords: formations, geometry, delays ice formation, spheres

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, lines 2–4

Explanation: The spherical formations of droplets delay ice formation, making spheres the correct one-word answer.

35. The delay in freezing is dictated by the …………….. of the droplet.

Supporting statement: “The shape of the droplet on the surface dictates the delay in freezing.”

Keywords: shape, droplet, delay in freezing

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, line 5

Explanation: The shape of the droplet determines how long freezing is delayed, making shape the correct answer.

36. Penguins in Antarctic are highly evolved to be able to cope with ………………… conditions.

Supporting statement: “Penguins living in the Antarctic are highly evolved to cope with harsh conditions.”

Keywords: cope, harsh conditions

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, line 1

Explanation: The passage explicitly says they cope with harsh conditions, so harsh is correct.

37. Penguins are insulated by a ……………….. layer of fat

Supporting statement: “Under their skin, a thick layer of fat keeps them insulated.”

Keywords: thick layer, fat, insulated

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, lines 2–3

Explanation: The thick layer of fat helps penguins stay warm, so thick is the correct one-word answer.

38. On the land, penguins appear much more ………………… than in the sea.

Supporting statement: “They are extremely agile and graceful swimmers, appearing much more awkward on land.”

Keywords: graceful swimmers, awkward on land

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, lines 3–4

Explanation: The passage states penguins look awkward on land compared to in water.

39. The inspiration came to Kavehpour after watching a ……………….. about penguins.

Supporting statement: “Kavehpour was inspired to study Antarctic penguins' feathers after watching the birds in a nature documentary.”

Keywords: inspired, watching, nature documentary

Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, lines 1–3

Explanation: The scientist’s inspiration came after watching a documentary, making that the correct answer.

40. Kavehpour would like to see ………………… surfaces which minimise frost formation.

Supporting statement: “I would love to see biomimicking of these surfaces for important applications, for example, de-icing of aircrafts.”

Keywords: biomimicking, surfaces, frost formation

Keyword Location: Paragraph 9, lines 2–4

Explanation: Kavehpour hopes for biomimicking surfaces to reduce frost, making biomimicking the right answer.

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