Poisonous Animals Reading Answers
The IELTS reading section assesses students based on their ability to read a passage and answer subsequent questions. These are the KPIs that are used to evaluate a candidate's reading abilities in IELTS examination. The details are required to be remembered in IELTS reading from the passage that is presented to them. IELTS academic reading is a crucial section and students are required to look after their preparation accordingly. Poisonous animals reading answers is a topic which can be utilized by students to prepare themselves for IELTS reading assessment. The topic includes questions mentioned below:
- Write the correct later
- True, false and not given
- Fill in the blanks
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Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
Poisonous Animals Reading Answers
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 13-26 which are based on Beading Passage 2 below.
Often benign and beautiful, there are so many potential dangers, often lethal, hidden in the natural world that our continued existence on the planet is actually quite astounding. Earthquakes, tsunami and volcanoes are some of natures more cataclysmic risks, but fade in comparison to the dangers presented by the more aggressive flora and fauna around the world.
There are two classes of creature that use chemicals in either attack or defence, but it is important to draw a distinction between those that are considered poisonous and those that are venomous. A poisonous creature is one that has a chemical component to dissuade potential predators; they usually secrete toxins through their skin so that their attacker is poisoned. A venomous creature, on the other hand, is not so passive – they use toxins not in defence but in attack. This differentiation is often seen in the colouring of the creatures in question – those with poisonous toxins are often brightly coloured as a warning to potential predators, whereas those classed as venomous are often camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings, making them more efficient hunters.
One of the most poisonous animals know to man is the poison arrow frog, native to Central and South America. Secreting poison through its skin, a single touch is enough to kill a fully grown human (in fact, the frog earned its name from the practice of putting tiny amounts of this poison onto blow darts used by the native population mainly for hunting and, historically at least, also for battle). It is interesting to note, however, that when bred in captivity, the dart frog is not actually poisonous – it generates its protection from its diet of poisonous ants, centipedes and mites.
Another poisonous creature is the puffer fish, which is actually served as a delicacy in Japan. Although not aggressive or externally dangerous, its extremely high levels of toxicity cause rapid paralysis and death when ingested, and there is at this point no known antidote, hence preparation of puffer fish (called ‘fugu’ in Japan) is restricted only to licensed chefs, In the last ten years, it has been estimated that over 40 people have been killed by fugu poisoning due to incorrect preparation of the fish.
Although there are many hundreds, even thousands of poisonous fauna, the number of venomous animals on the planet far exceeds their number, perhaps the most well-known of which are snakes and spiders. In the snake world, the most lethal is the Inland Taipan. Able to kill up to 100 humans with the intensity of the toxin in one bite, it can cause death in as little as 45 minutes. Fortunately, they are not only very shy when it comes to human contact, there is also a known antivenin (cure), although this needs to be administered quickly. In the arachnid world, the spider that has been identified as being the most venomous is the Brazilian wandering spider. It is responsible for the most number of human deaths of any spider, but perhaps more alarmingly it is true to its name, hiding during daytime in populated areas, such as inside houses, clothes, footwear and cars.
When scientifically calculating the most venomous, there are two points which are considered: how many people can be killed with one ounce of the toxin, and how long it takes for death to occur. Without doubt, the overall winner in this category is the box jellyfish. Found mainly in waters in the Indo-Pacific area, they are notorious in Australia and have even been seen as far south as New Zealand. The box jellyfish has tentacles that can be as long as 10 feet (hence their other name ‘Fire Medusae’ after Medusa, a mythological character who had snakes for hair). Each tentacle has billions of stinging cells, which, when they come into contact with others, can shoot a poisonous barb from each cell. These barbs inject toxins which attack the nervous system, heart and skin cells, the intense pain of which can cause human victims to go in shock, drown or die of heart failure before even reaching shore.
Section 2
Solution and Explanation
Question 13-15:
According to the information in the passage, classify the following information as relating to:
- Poisonous Creature
- Venomous Creature
- Both Poisonous and venomous creature
Write the correct letter, A, B or C in boxes 13-15 on your answer sheet.
- ______ are protected by secretions on their skin.
Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: The answer is A because the poisonous creatures secrete toxins through their skin to protect themselves from potential predators.
Keywords: secretions on their skin
Keyword Location: 2nd Paragraph
Explanation: A poisonous creature is one that has a chemical component to dissuade potential predators; they usually secrete toxins through their skin so that their attacker is poisoned.
- ______ are often colored to match the environment.
Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: The answer is B: a venomous creature is usually a hunter/predator/attacker who is blending in with the environment.
Keywords: colored to, match the environment
Keyword Location: 2nd Paragraph
Explanation: This differentiation is often colored to match the environment whereas those classed as venomous are often camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings, making them more efficient hunters.
Read More IELTS Reading Related Articles
- ______ aggressively use toxins.
Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: The first sentence of the paragraph said that both the poisonous and the venomous use toxins for different purposes. It’s important to notice the adverb “aggressively” of which synonym “not so passive” is found later. The correct answer for this question is B.
Keywords: aggressively, use toxins
Keyword Location: 2nd Paragraph
Explanation: There are two classes of creature that use chemicals in either attack or defense aggressively use toxins. A venomous creature, on the other hand, is not so passive – they use toxins not in defense but in attack.
Questions 16-22:
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 16-22 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
- There is a common misunderstanding of the difference between poisonous and venomous.
Answer: Not Given
- Significant environmental disasters are more damaging than animals.
Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: According to the article, natural disasters can be dangerous but cause less damage (same meaning to “fade in comparison to”) than animals; hence the answer is false.
Keywords: environmental disasters, more damaging, animals
Keyword Location: 1st Paragraph
Explanation: Earthquakes, tsunami and volcanoes are some of nature's more cataclysmic risks, but fade in comparison to the dangers presented by the more aggressive flora and fauna.
- The poison dart frog obtains its poison from its environment.
Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: By scanning the word “poison dart frog” we know that the potential answer can be found in the third paragraph. When in captivity, the frog does not generate its poison by itself but obtains the toxin from its diet (in other words, its environment).
For that reason, the answer is True.
Keywords: poison dart frog, environment
Keyword Location: 3rd Paragraph
Explanation: It is interesting to note, however, that when bred in captivity, the dart frog is not actually poisonous – it generates its protection from its diet of poisonous ants, centipedes and mites.
- Touching a puffer fish can cause paralysis.
Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: Because the puffer fish is not dangerous for people to touch, only eating the fish can cause paralysis or death, the statement is False.
Keywords: touching, puffer fish, paralysis
Keyword Location: 4th Paragraph
Explanation: Although not aggressive or externally dangerous, its extremely high levels of toxicity cause rapid paralysis and death when ingested.
- The Brazilian Wandering spider kills more people every year than any other venomous creature.
Answer: Not Given
- The box jellyfish can cause death by drowning.
Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: As being indicated, the statement is TRUE. The toxin in the barbs of the box jellyfish can cause death by drowning or heart failure.
Keywords: cause death by drowning
Keyword Location: 6th Paragraph
Explanation: These barbs inject toxins which attack the nervous system, heart and skin cells, the intense pain of which can cause human victims to go into shock, drown or die of heart failure before even reaching shore.
- The tentacles on a box jellyfish are used for movement
Answer: Not Given
Questions 23-26:
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.
- What do the people of South and Central America principally use poisoned blow darts for these days?
Answer: hunting
Supporting Sentence: In this aspect there are two different words that can be considered, hunting or for battle. The question highlights the adverb of time “for these days” is the key leading to the final answer: “for hunting” using poisoned darts for battle in the past.
Keywords: people of south and central America
Keyword Location: 3rd Paragraph
Explanation: By scanning, we locate the word “South and Central America” in the 3rd paragraph which contained: “the frog earned its name from the practice of putting tiny amounts of this poison onto blow darts used by the native population mainly for hunting and, historically at least, also for battle”
- The venom of which creature can be neutralised if medical intervention is swift?
Answer: Inland Japan
Supporting Sentence: Since the question is about the venom of a creature, we should concentrate on the last two paragraphs only, no need to read the whole passage all over again.
It is understood that a cure also means the venom can be neutralized. In the sentence above, we are looking for is a creature - a noun, and there the answer should be “Inland Taipan”
Keywords: the venon, neutralized
Keyword Location: 5th Paragraph
Explanation: There is also a known antivenin (cure), although this needs to be administered quickly.
- Where does the Brazilian Wandering spider often sleep?
Answer: populated areas
Supporting Sentence: The question asked where, so we should look for a phrase or an adverb of place. The full answer is the highlighted above but due to the limited words, the accurate answer should be “in populated areas” which include both inside houses, clothes, footwear and cars.
Keywords: Brazilian Wandering spider, often sleep
Keyword Location: 5th Paragraph
Explanation: Perhaps more alarmingly it is true to its name, hiding during daytime in populated areas, such as inside houses, clothes, footwear and cars.
- After whom does the box jellyfish have its other name?
Answer: medusa
Supporting Sentence: It is clearly stated that the box jellyfish has its other name after Medusa, so of course the answer is “Medusa”.
Keywords: box jellyfish, other name, after whom
Keyword Location: 6th Paragraph
Explanation: The box jellyfish has tentacles that can be as long as 10 feet (hence their other name ‘Fire Medusae’ after Medusa, a mythological character who had snakes for hair).
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