Plant Thermometer Triggers Springtime Growth Reading Answers

Jan 2, 2023

Plant Thermometer Triggers Springtime Growth Reading Answers contains a write up about the thermometer molecules in plants. Plant Thermometer Triggers Springtime Growth Reading Answers contains a total of 8 paragraphs. Related to the paragraphs are 14 questions. Candidates in this IELTS Section will be shown various question types with clear instructions.

Plant Thermometer Triggers Springtime Growth Reading Answers comprises three types of questions: Choose the correct option,Complete the Summary and True/False and Not Given.

To answer the questions provided in the IELTS Reading passage,Applicants must attentively read each passage. The true/false and not given are based on the statement from the paragraphs. There might be a few information not given which must be marked as not given. The sentence completion and choosing the option must be attended carefully. Candidates are required to interpret and understand the paragraphs thoroughly. To gain proficiency, candidates can practice from IELTS reading practice test.

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27–40, which are based on the reading passage below.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Plant Thermometer Triggers Springtime Growth Reading Answers

A photoreceptor molecule in plant cells has been found to have a second job as a thermometer after dark – allowing plants to read seasonal temperature changes. Scientists say the discovery could help breed crops that are more resilient to the temperatures expected to result from climate change

A. An international team of scientists led by the University of Cambridge has discovered that the ‘thermometer’ molecule in plants enables them to develop according to seasonal temperature changes. Researchers have revealed that molecules called phytochromes – used by plants to detect light during the day – actually change their function in darkness to become cellular temperature gauges that measure the heat of the night.

The new findings, published in the journal Science, show that phytochromes control genetic switches in response to temperature as well as light to dictate plant development.

B. At night, these molecules change states, and the pace at which they change is ‘directly proportional to temperature’, say scientists, who compare phytochromes to mercury in a thermometer. The warmer it is, the faster the molecular change – stimulating plant growth.

C. Farmers and gardeners have known for hundreds of years how responsive plants are to temperature: warm winters cause many trees and flowers to bud early, something humans have long used to predict weather and harvest times for the coming year. The latest research pinpoints for the first time a molecular mechanism in plants that reacts to temperature – often triggering the buds of spring we long to see at the end of winter.

D. With weather and temperatures set to become ever more unpredictable due to climate change, researchers say the discovery that this light-sensing molecule also functions as the internal thermometer in plant cells could help us breed tougher crops. ‘It is estimated that agricultural yields will need to double by 2050, but climate change is a major threat to achieving this. Key crops such as wheat and rice are sensitive to high temperatures. Thermal stress reduces crop yields by around 10% for every one degree increase in temperature,’ says lead researcher Dr Philip Wigge from Cambridge’s Sainsbury Laboratory. ‘Discovering the molecules that allow plants to sense temperature has the potential to accelerate the breeding of crops resilient to thermal stress and climate change.’

E. In their active state, phytochrome molecules bind themselves to DNA to restrict plant growth. During the day, sunlight activates the molecules, slowing down growth. If a plant finds itself in shade, phytochromes are quickly inactivated – enabling it to grow faster to find sunlight again. This is how plants compete to escape each other’s shade. ‘Light-driven changes to phytochrome activity occur very fast, in less than a second,’ says Wigge.

At night, however, it’s a different story. Instead of a rapid deactivation following sundown, the molecules gradually change from their active to inactive state. This is called ‘dark reversion’. ‘Just as mercury rises in a thermometer, the rate at which phytochromes revert to their inactive state during the night is a direct measure of temperature,’ says Wigge.

F. ‘The lower the temperature, the slower the rate at which phytochromes revert to inactivity, so the molecules spend more time in their active, growth-suppressing state. This is why plants are slower to grow in winter. Warm temperatures accelerate dark reversion, so that phytochromes rapidly reach an inactive state and detach themselves from the plant’s DNA – allowing genes to be expressed and plant growth to resume.’ Wigge believes phytochrome thermo-sensing evolved at a later stage, and co-opted the biological network already used for light-based growth during the downtime of night.

G. Some plants mainly use day length as an indicator of the reason. Other species, such as daffodils, have considerable temperature sensitivity, and can flower months in advance during a warm winter. In fact, the discovery of the dual role of phytochromes provides the science behind a well-known rhyme long used to predict the coming season: oak before ash we’ll have a plash, ash before oak we’re in for a soak.

Wigge explains: ‘Oak trees rely much more on temperature, likely using phytochromes as thermometers to dictate development, whereas ash trees rely on measuring day length to determine their seasonal timing. A warmer spring, and consequently a higher likeliness of a hot summer, will result in oak leafing before ash. A cold spring will see the opposite. As the British know only too well, a colder summer is likely to be a rain-soaked one.’

H. The new findings are the culmination of twelve years of research involving scientists from Germany, Argentina and the US, as well as the Cambridge team. The work was done in a model system, using a mustard plant called Arabidopsis, but Wigge says the phytochrome genes necessary for temperature sensing are found in crop plants as well. ‘Recent advances in plant genetics now mean that scientists are able to rapidly identify the genes controlling these processes in crop plants, and even alter their activity using precise molecular “scalpels”,’ adds Wigge. ‘Cambridge is uniquely well-positioned to do this kind of research as we have outstanding collaborators nearby who work on more applied aspects of plant biology, and can help us transfer this new knowledge into the field.’

Questions 27 – 32

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

In boxes 27-32 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

27. The Cambridge scientists’ discovery of the ‘thermometer molecule’ caused surprise among other scientists.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: There has been no information given in the paragraphs related to the statement in the question. So, the answer is Not given.

28. The target for agricultural production by 2050 could be missed.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: Agricultural yields are predicted to need to increase by 2050, but climate change poses a serious threat to achieving this. Important crops like rice and wheat are sensitive to high temperatures.
Keywords: 2050, threat to achieving.
Keyword Location: Paragraph D
Explanation: As per paragraph D, it is clearly mentioned that the agricultural target might be missed. The agricultural target for 2050 has been threatened by serious climate change and climatic conditions changing drastically. So, the correct answer is True as per the explanation.

29. Wheat and rice suffer from a rise in temperatures.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: Important crops like rice and wheat are sensitive to high temperatures. For every degree of temperature increase, thermal stress affects crop yields by about 10%. explains principal researcher Dr. Philip Wigge of the Sainsbury Laboratory in Cambridge.
Keywords: Rice and wheat, high temperatures.
Keyword Location: Paragraph D
Explanation: As clearly mentioned in paragraph D, the wheat and rice suffer from high temperatures. The rise in temperature affects these crops and agricultural targets are not fulfilled. So, the statement in the question is True, and an explanation is provided for the same.

30. It may be possible to develop crops that require less water.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: There has been no information given in the paragraphs related to the statement in the question. So, the answer is Not given.

31. Plants grow faster in sunlight than in shade.

Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: The molecules are stimulated by sunshine during the day, which slows growth. Phytochromes are promptly deactivated if a plant finds itself in the shadow, allowing it to develop more quickly and locate sunshine again.
Keywords: Sunshine, develop quickly.
Keyword Location: Paragraph E
Explanation: The question statement is contradictory to paragraph E. The paragraph E states that the molecules get stimulated by the sunshine. This stimulation decreases the growth rate of the plants. While in shadow the plants develop more quickly. So, the correct answer is false as per the explanation provided.

32. Phytochromes change their state at the same speed day and night.

Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: Phytochromes are promptly deactivated if a plant finds itself in the shadow, allowing it to develop more quickly and locate sunshine again.
Keywords: Phytochromes, deactivate
Keyword Location: Paragraph E
Explanation: The question statement is False. As per the paragraph E, the phytochromes deactivate in shadow while it activates in sunlight. So, the speed of their state change does not change day and night. So, the correct answer is False and explanation given for the same.

Questions 33 – 37

The Reading Passage has eight sections, A-H.

Which section contains the following information?

Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 33-37 on your answer sheet.

33. mention of specialists who can make use of the research findings

Answer: H
Supporting Sentence: "Cambridge is uniquely well-positioned to conduct this type of study because we have excellent collaborators nearby who work on more practical elements of plant biology, and who can help us use this
new understanding in the field," says one researcher.
Keywords: Excellent collaborators, study.
Keyword Location: Paragraph H
Explanation: the paragraph H states that Cambridge has excellent collaborators and specialists who can make use of this case study. Their Search findings are of uttermost importance to them. So, the statement has been mentioned in Paragraph H.

34. a reference to a potential benefit of the research findings

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: The development of crops tolerant to thermal stress and climate change may be sped up by the discovery of the chemicals that enable plants to sense temperature.
Keywords: Development, discovery.
Keyword Location: Paragraph D
Explanation: This statement has been mentioned in paragraph D. In this passage, the author claimed that molecules could hasten crop breeding. The research's potential benefit is its future ability to accomplish something. So, the answer is D and an explanation has been provided for the same.

35. scientific support for a traditional saying

Answer: G
Supporting Sentence: In reality, the scientific basis for the well-known rhyme "Oak before Ash, we'll have a splash, Ash before Oak, we're in for a soak" is provided by the discovery of the dual role of phytochromes.
Keywords: Reality, scientific basis.
Keyword Location: Paragraph G
Explanation: This statement has been mentioned in Paragraph G. Since "well-known" here refers to "renowned," it is stated that this rhyme has been used to forecast the season for a long time. According to the author, a specific finding explains the science underlying this rhyme. Thus, it lends scientific backing to this ancient rhyme. So, the correct answer is G.

36. a reference to people traditionally making plans based on plant behavior

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: For hundreds of years, farmers and gardeners have understood how sensitive plants are to temperature: mild winters induce many flowers and trees to bud early, which has long been used by people
to forecast the weather and harvest seasons for the next year.
Keywords: Farmers and gardeners, forecast, next year.
Keyword Location: Paragraph C.
Explanation: This statement has been mentioned in Paragraph C. In this passage, the author claimed that farmers and gardeners were aware of how plants responded to temperature and that they used this information to forecast weather and harvest plans. So, the correct answer is C, as per the explanation given.

37. a reference to where the research has been reported

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: The new research, which was reported in the journal Science, demonstrates that phytochromes regulate genetic switches to control plant development in response to temperature and light.
Keywords: reported, journal
Keyword Location: Paragraph A
Explanation: The research has been reported in Paragraph A, In paragraph A, the new research has been reported in the journal. The research is about phytochromes regulating genetic switches to regulate plant development. So, the correct answer is A, as per the explanation.

Questions 38 – 40

Complete the sentences below.

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

Write your answers in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.

38. Daffodils are likely to flower early in response to ......................... weather.

Answer: Warm (Winter)
Supporting Sentence: Some plants primarily use the length of the day as a cue. Other species, like daffodils, can flower months in advance throughout a warm winter since they are very sensitive to temperature.
Keywords: Daffodils, flower months.
Keyword Location: Paragraph G
Explanation: In paragraph G, the flowering season of Daffodils has been mentioned. In paragraph G, it is clearly mentioned that the Daffodils are likely to flower early in the Warm winter season. So, the correct answer is Warm Winters, as per the explanation given.

39. If ash trees come into leaf before oak trees, the weather in ......................... will probably be wet.

Answer: Summer
Supporting Sentence: Oak will leaf out before ash as a result of a warmer spring and a more likely hot summer. The opposite will occur in a cool spring. A chilly summer is likely to be a rainy one, as the British are all too
aware of.
Keywords: Oak, Chilly Summer
Keyword Location: Paragraph G
Explanation: The lines of Paragraph G, Clearly mentions that the ash trees come into leaf before the Oak trees. The weather will be summer. So, the correct answer is summer per paragraph G. The explanation for the same has been given.

40. The research was carried out using a particular species of ..........................

Answer: Mustard Plant
Supporting Sentence: The research was conducted in a model system using the Arabidopsis mustard plant, but Wigge claims crop plants also contain the phytochrome genes required for temperature sensing.
Keywords: Arabidopsis Mustard plant
Keyword Location: Paragraph H
Explanation: The statement has been given in paragraph H. The writer began explaining the research in the first line of this paragraph H. Then later in this line it is stated that the work was conducted utilizing a mustard plant. The solution is therefore mustard. The explanation for the same is provided.

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