Sponging Dolphins Reading Answers

Feb 1, 2023

Sponging Dolphins Reading Answers contains a write up about the Sponging Dolphins. Sponging Dolphins Reading Answers contains a total of 7 paragraphs. Related to the paragraphs are 12 questions. Candidates in this IELTS Section will be shown various question types with clear instructions. The paragraphs contain information about the Dolphins and how they hunt food and live. Also, their intelligence and their acting is a tool of entertainment.

Sponging Dolphins Reading Answers is an IELTS Reading passage which comprises one type of question:Choose the correct option. Candidates must carefully as well as attentively read each paragraph. The response can only be up to two words. The paragraph must be referenced in the answers, which must also be based on the claims in the questions. To gain proficiency, candidates can practice from IELTS reading practice test.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Sponging Dolphins Reading Answers

(A) In 1984, researchers spotted dolphins doing something unusual in Shark Bay, Western Australia. When the animals got hungry, they ripped a marine basket sponge from the seafloor and fitted it over their beaks like a person would fit a glove over a hand. The scientists suspected that as the dolphins foraged for fish, the sponges protected their beaks, or rostra, from the rocks and broken chunks of coral that litter the sea floor, making this behavior the first example of tool use in this species.

(B) The researchers surmised that a long time ago one ingenious Shark Bay dolphin figured out that by prodding the sediments with a sponge attached to her beak, she could stir up these swim bladder-less fish without being hurt. Eventually, such a technique became popular among other dolphins. But why do dolphins go to all of this trouble when they could simply snag a fish from the open sea? The answer is that the bottom-dwelling fish are a lot more nutritious. Some species also don't have swim bladders, gas chambers that help other fish control their buoyancy as they travel up and down the water column. In the Bahamas, where dolphins are also known to forage for bottom-dwelling fish, dolphins hunt partly by echolocating these bladders, which give off a strong acoustic signal. That helps the cetaceans find prey even when it's buried in sea sand. But bottom-dwelling fish, such as barred sandperch, which are favored by some Shark Bay dolphins, don't have swim bladders and so are harder to find with echolocation. The seafloor is not nearly as soft here as it is in the Bahamas, so if dolphins want to probe for these fish, they risk injuring their rostra.

(C) Not every dolphin in Shark Bay hunts with sponges. "It's primarily done by females," says Janet Mann, a behavioral ecologist. She believes the female dolphins invented the method because of the "selective pressures they face while raising a calf as long as they do," about 4 to 5 years. "These clever dolphins have figured out a way to target fish that other dolphins cannot," she says, adding that even the local fishermen do not catch, or even know about, this particular species. Mann's previous research has shown that dolphin mothers pass the sponging method to their daughters and some of their sons, rare evidence of a cultural tradition in an animal other than humans. The team has documented three generations of sponging dolphins.

(D) The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago - very recently in evolutionary terms - when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumor on a dolphin’s nose. Researchers eventually worked out that the ‘tumor’ was a conically shaped sponge and it became apparent that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose. The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the seafloor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase. "It has been thought that behaviours which are exclusively learnt from one parent are not very stable. With our model we could now show that sponging can be a stable behavior," said Dr Anna Kopps, a biologist at the University of New South Wales.

(E) By modeling the emergence of "sponger" dolphins in a computer simulation, the team of researchers could see different scenarios in which the skill could have spread among the dolphin population over the years. They then compared the results of these simulations with field data on the genetic relationship between the spongers, to estimate the role of mothers teaching their offspring in transmitting the skill. They found that if the likelihood of a sponger's offspring learning the ability was less than certain, the dolphins that did pick up the technique needed to gain a survival advantage from the skill, in order for the ability to pass on to the next generation. The model also allowed them to attempt to calculate the date that the behavior was likely to have originated."The results suggested that sponging was invented at least 120 to 180 years ago - it is only a best estimate," said Dr Kopps. Scientists discovered that although dolphins tried to teach the hunting technique to all their young, it was mainly female offspring that grasped the concept. Why male offspring rarely acquire the same skill remains unclear, though the team put forward one possible explanation: male bottlenose dolphins tend to form close bonds with other males, and such alliances aren't suited to seabed foraging, since it is a time-consuming, solitary activity.

(F) The US scientists say discovering a new tool is a direct sign of intelligence. “There’s a strong link between animals with larger brains and tool users. Bottlenose dolphins have a brain second in size only to humans.” said Janet Mann, a marine biologist who led the research. “Dolphins are already good at catching fish so they don’t need tools, but they’ve discovered this sponge makes their job easier. Working out how to use tools in a creative way like that is a hallmark of intelligence.” Mann admits we still do not understand dolphins well. “It’s hard to get inside their heads because their brains are constructed differently and it’s very hard to analyze their language, but they do seem very intelligent,” she said.

(G) Dolphins are also often seen engaging in playful behavior and creating tools to use for entertainment. They have been observed to blow bubbles which they form into rings to play with. After creating the bubble ring, a dolphin will use its nose and body to maintain the shape of the bubble and keep it from floating to the surface. The study provides a "better understanding of the why and how of sponging" by the Shark Bay dolphins, says Louis Herman, a cognitive psychologist. The work "adds to previously documented" examples of "innovation by this highly intelligent species." Patterson's and Mann's results also "reinforce a pattern" often seen in other tool-using animals, says Simon Reader, a behavioral biologist. "Tool use appears to be almost a last option, taken when other options fail or are unavailable," he says, noting that woodpecker finches in the Galápagos Islands "turn to tool use only in arid areas," wielding cactus spines to extract grubs from tree branches. Using tools takes time and energy, Reader says, and animals tend to rely on them only when there's a guaranteed payoff, such as turning up a fatty fish that most other dolphins (and fishermen) know nothing about.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 14-20

Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs, A-G.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 14-20 on your answer sheet.

Hallmark of intelligence

Answer: F
Supporting Statement: Working out how to use tools in a creative way like that is a hallmark of intelligence. Mann admits we still do not understand dolphins well. It’s hard to get inside their heads because their brains are constructed differently and it’s very hard to analyze their language, but they do seem very intelligent
Keywords: Working, hallmark
Keyword Location: Paragraph F
Explanation: As per paragraph F, it has been stated that understanding how to use tools in a novel way is a sign of intelligence. Mann acknowledges that our knowledge of dolphins is still limited. They appear to be incredibly brilliant, but it's difficult to get inside their heads because of the differences in how their brains are built and how difficult it is to study their language. So, the correct answer is F.

First example of dolphins using tools

Answer: A
Supporting Statement: The scientists suspected that as the dolphins foraged for fish, the sponges protected their beaks, or rostra, from the rocks and broken chunks of coral that litter the sea floor, making this behavior the first example of tool use in this species.
Keywords: Scientist, Dolphins
Keyword Location: Paragraph A
Explanation: As per paragraph A, it has been mentioned that the researchers hypothesized that while the dolphins searched for fish, the sponges shielded their rostra from the rocks and fragments of coral that litter the ocean floor, making this behavior the first instance of tool use in this species. So, the correct answer is A.

Tool for entertainment

Answer: G
Supporting Statement: Dolphins are also often seen engaging in playful behavior and creating tools to use for entertainment. They have been observed to blow bubbles which they form into rings to play with. After creating the bubble ring, a dolphin will use its nose and body to maintain the shape of the bubble and keep it from floating to the surface.
Keywords: Dolphins, entertainment
Keyword Location: Paragraph G
Explanation: As per paragraph G, it has been mentioned that Dolphins frequently create items that humans use for enjoyment and exhibit playful behavior. It's been seen that they blow bubbles, which they then shape into rings to play with. A dolphin will utilize its body and snout to retain the shape of the bubble after it has formed one, preventing it from floating to the surface. So, the correct answer is G.

The reason why dolphins go through trouble of getting fish from the bottom of the ocean

Answer: B
Supporting Statement: The answer is that the bottom-dwelling fish are a lot more nutritious. Some species also don't have swim bladders, gas chambers that help other fish control their buoyancy as they travel up and down the water column. In the Bahamas, where dolphins are also known to forage for bottom-dwelling fish, dolphins hunt partly by echolocating these bladders, which give off a strong acoustic signal. That helps the cetaceans find prey even when it's buried in sea sand.
Keywords: Button dwelling fish
Keyword Location: Paragraph B
Explanation: As per paragraph B, The bottom-dwelling fish are far more nutrient-dense, is the response. Additionally, some species lack the gas-filled swim bladders that other fish use to control their buoyancy as they move up and down the water column. So, the correct answer is B.

The evidence of tradition in dolphins

Answer: C
Supporting Statement: Not every dolphin in Shark Bay hunts with sponges. "It's primarily done by females," says Janet Mann, a behavioral ecologist. She believes the female dolphins invented the method because of the "selective pressures they face while raising a calf as long as they do," about 4 to 5 years.
Keywords: Dolphin, female dolphins
Keyword Location: Paragraph C
Explanation: As per paragraph C, it has been stated that in Shark Bay, not every dolphin uses sponges for hunting. According to behavioral ecologist Janet Mann, "women do it most often." Because of the "selective forces females undergo while raising a calf for as long as they do," which is believed to be 4 to 5 years, she thinks female dolphins devised the technique. So. the correct answer is C.

The estimated time of sponging innovation

Answer: E
Supporting Statement: By modeling the emergence of "sponger" dolphins in a computer simulation, the team of researchers could see different scenarios in which the skill could have spread among the dolphin population over the years.
Keywords: Modeling, sponger
Keyword Location: Paragraph E
Explanation: As per paragraph E, it has been clearly mentioned that the research team was able to envision many scenarios for how the ability might have spread through time across the dolphin population by simulating the creation of "sponger" dolphins in a computer simulation. So, the correct answer is E.

The observation of a local fisherman

Answer: D
Supporting Statement: The foraging technique came to light a few decades ago - very recently in evolutionary terms - when a local fisherman spotted what looked like a strange tumor on a dolphin’s nose. Researchers
eventually worked out that the ‘tumor’ was a conically shaped sponge and it became apparent that the dolphins would spend considerable time searching for one the right shape to fit their nose.
Keywords: Foraging technique, local fisherman
Keyword Location: Paragraph D
Explanation: As per paragraph D, it has been mentioned that a local fisherman discovered the foraging strategy a few decades ago quite recently in evolutionary terms when he noticed what appeared to be an odd tumor on a dolphin's nose. When it was discovered that the "tumor" was actually a conically shaped sponge, it became clear that dolphins would spend a lot of time looking for one that would fit their snout. So the correct answer is D.

Questions 21-25

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write the correct letter in boxes 21-25 on your answer sheet.

Dolphins use sponges for hunting fish because:

They like it.
It helps them get fish from the bottom of the ocean.
It makes hunting easier.
It helps them to get more fish during the hunt.

Answer: B
Supporting Statement: The sponge is used to scatter the sand gently on the seafloor and disturb buried fish. When a fish is spotted, the dolphin drops the sponge and gives chase.It has been thought that behaviours which are exclusively learnt from one parent are not very stable.
Keywords: Sponge, dolphin
Keyword Location: Paragraph D
Explanation: As per paragraph D, the sponge is used to gently distribute sand on the ocean floor and disturb fish that are hidden there. The dolphin dumps the sponge and pursues a fish when it spots one. According to certain theories, behaviors that are solely picked up from one parent are not very stable. So, the correct answer is B.

All the following statements about dolphins are true, EXCEPT:

Females discovered the method of hunting with sponges.
The sponging method is passed by female dolphins to their daughters.
Male dolphins never use the sponging technique.
Three generations of sponging dolphins have been documented.

Answer: C
Supporting Statement: male offspring rarely acquire the same skill remains unclear, though the team put forward one possible explanation: male bottlenose dolphins tend to form close bonds with other males, and such alliances aren't suited to seabed foraging, since it is a time-consuming, solitary activity.
Keywords: Male offspring, male bottlenose
Keyword Location: Paragraph E
Explanation: As per paragraph E, it is unclear why male offspring seldom pick up the same talent, but the scientists offered one theory: male bottlenose dolphins often create strong ties with other males, and these alliances are not suitable for seabed foraging because it is a time-consuming, solitary activity. So, the correct answer is C.

Biologist Dr. Anna says that

sponging is very dangerous for dolphins.
dolphins do not inherit the sponging method from their parents.
She has been studying dolphins for a few decades now.
sponging can be a stable behavior.

Answer: D
Supporting Statement: It has been thought that behaviours which are exclusively learnt from one parent are not very stable. With our model we could now show that sponging can be a stable behavior, said Dr Anna Kopps, a biologist at the University of New South Wales.
Keywords: Parent, stable behavior
Keyword Location: Paragraph D
Explanation: As per paragraph D, according to certain theories, behaviors that are solely picked up from one parent are not very stable. With the help of our model, we were able to demonstrate that sponging can be a stable activity, according to biologist Dr. Anna Kopps of the University of New South Wales. So, the correct answer is D.

With the computer simulation that modeled sponging, researchers

managed to find out approximately when sponging originated.
were able to predict the behavior of dolphins.
found out the true reason for sponging.
discovered a new way treating dolphins

Answer: A
Supporting Statement: By modeling the emergence of "sponger" dolphins in a computer simulation, the team of researchers could see different scenarios in which the skill could have spread among the dolphin population over the years.
Keywords: Modeling, sponger
Keyword Location: Paragraph E
Explanation: As per paragraph E, the research team was able to envision many scenarios for how the ability might have spread through time across the dolphin population by simulating the creation of "sponger" dolphins in a computer simulation. So, the correct answer is A.

According to Janet Mann

Bottlenose dolphins have brains as big as humans have.
We can understand dolphins well now.
dolphins are very intelligent.
all of the above.

Answer: C
Supporting Statement: Mann admits we still do not understand dolphins well. “It’s hard to get inside their heads because their brains are constructed differently and it’s very hard to analyze their language, but they do seem very intelligent,” she said.
Keywords: Janet Mann, Intelligent
Keyword Location: Paragraph F
Explanation: As per paragraph F, Mann acknowledges that our knowledge of dolphins is still limited. However, she added, "they do seem highly brilliant. It's hard to get inside their heads because their brains are formed differently, and it's very hard to evaluate their language. So, the correct answer is C.

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