This General Training IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to Cambridge 15 Reading Test 3 Section 3 that has a passage entitled ‘How animals keep fit’. This is a targeted post for GT IELTS candidates who have big problems finding out and understanding Reading Answers in the GT module. This post can guide you the best to understand every Reading answer without much trouble. Finding out IELTS Reading answers is a steady process, and this post will assist you in this respect.

IELTS Cambridge 15 Test 3: GT Reading Module

Section 3: Question 28-40

The headline of the passage: How animals keep fit    

Questions 28-30: Multiple choice questions

[This type of question asks you to choose a suitable answer from the options using the knowledge you gained from the passage. Generally, this question is set found as the last question set in most passages so you should not worry much about it. Finding all the answers to previous questions gives you a good idea about these questions.]

Question 28: The writer discusses marathon runners and barnacle geese to introduce the idea that  

Keywords for this question: marathon runners, barnacle geese, to introduce the idea,

In the first paragraph, the writer talks about marathon runners and says, “ … .. . But no matter how well they have stuck to their training regime, contestants will find that running non-stop for 42 kilometres is going to hurt.”

Here, running non-stop for 42 kilometres is going to hurt means that serious training hurts human beings.

Then, in paragraph no. 2, the writer says, “Now consider the barnacle goose. Every year this bird carries out a 3000-kilometre migration. So how do the birds prepare for this? . . .. . . . .   Instead, says environmental physiologist Lewis Halsey, ‘They just basically sit on the water and eat a lot.’”

Here, They just basically sit on the water and eat a lot = serious training is not always necessary for physical achievement,  

So, the answer is: D (serious training is not always necessary for physical achievement.)

Question 29: The writer says that human muscles

Keywords for this question: human muscles,

The answer can be traced in paragraph no. 9, in lines 1-5, “Our ancestors’ lives were unpredictable. They had to do a lot of running to catch food and escape danger, but they also needed to keep muscle mass to a minimum because muscle is biologically expensive. Each kilogram contributes about 10 to 15 kilocalories a day to our metabolism when resting – which doesn’t sound like much until you realise that muscles account for about 40 percent of the average person’s body mass. .. .”  

Here, these lines suggest that human muscles use up massive energy when the body takes rest.

So, the answer is: A (use up a lot of energy even when resting.)  

Question 30: The writer says that in order to survive, early humans developed the ability to

Keywords for this question: in order to survive, early humans, developed, the ability,  

Again, the answer can be found in paragraph no. 9, in lines 1-2, “Our ancestors’ lives were unpredictable. They had to do a lot of running to catch food and escape danger, .. .”

Here, Our ancestors = early humans, had to do a lot of running = run long distances, catch food and escape danger = in order to survive,

So, the answer is: B (run long distances.)  

Questions 31-35: Summary completion

[In this kind of question candidates are given a summary for one, two, or three paragraphs with some fill in the blanks questions. Candidates need to find out the related paragraphs by correctly studying the keywords from the questions. Then, they should follow the steps of finding answers to fill in the gaps.]

Title of the summary: What is the key to physical fitness?

Question 31: In biological terms, when an animal is physically fit, its body changes, becoming more powerful and ________.

Keywords for this question: biological terms, animal, physically fit, body changes, becoming, more powerful,  

In paragraph no. 6, the writer says in lines 2-3, “. . . .. Biologically speaking, all it means is that the body has undergone changes that make it stronger and more efficient. .. . .”

Here, Biologically speaking = In biological terms, body has undergone changes = body changes, stronger = more powerful,

So, the answer is: efficient

Question 32: For bears, this change may be initially caused by colder weather or a lack of __________,  . .. . .

Keywords for this question: bears, this change, may be, initially caused by, colder weather, lack of,

In paragraph no. 6, lines 3-5 say, “… … In animals such as bears these changes appear to be triggered by cues such as falling temperatures or insufficient food. .. ..”

Here, In animals such as bears = for bears, triggered by = initially caused by, falling temperatures = colder weather, insufficient = lack of,

So, the answer is: food

Questions 33 and 34:  . . .. . which during 33. _________ causes certain compounds to be released into their 34. _________ and to travel around the body. These compounds appear to prevent muscle loss.

Keywords for this question: during, causes, certain compounds, released into, travel, around the body,  these compounds, prevent, muscle loss,

In lines 5-7 of paragraph no.6, the writer says, “. . .. In the months of hibernation, these factors seem to prompt the release of muscle-protecting compounds which are then carried to the bears’ muscles in their blood and prevent muscle loss.”

Here, In the months of = during, release of muscle-protecting compounds = cause certain compounds to be released, in their blood = into their blood,

So, the answers are:

33. hibernation
34. blood

Question 35: In the case of barnacle geese, the change may be due to a variation in _________.

Keywords for this answer: barnacle geese, change, may be, due to, variation in,  

In paragraph no. 7, take a look at the first few lines, “Barnacle geese, Halsey suggests, may be responding to an environmental change such as temperature, which helps their bodies somehow, ‘know’ that a big physical challenge is looming. .. . .”

Here, may be responding to an environmental change = the change may be due to a variation in,

So, the answer is: temperature

Questions 36-40:  Matching statements with list of people

[In this type of question, candidates need to relate statements that are given by or link to people in the passage. The rules for finding answers to this sort of question are simple. Just find the name of the person and read around it carefully. Then, give a quick look to check whether there is another statement or idea provided by the same person in the text. If there is, check the reference carefully and decide your answer. Remember, the questions may not follow any sequential order.]

Question 36: One belief about how animals stay fit is possibly untrue.

Keywords for this question: one belief, how animals, stay fit, possibly untrue,  

To find the answer to this question, we have to read both paragraphs no. 3 and 4. First, let’s read paragraph no. 3, where the writer says, “Until recently, nobody has really asked whether exercise is as tightly connected to fitness in the rest of the animal kingdom as it is for us. The question is tied up in a broader assumption: that animals maintain fitness because of the exercise they get finding food and escaping predators.”

The paragraph suggests that there has been an assumption (belief) about how animals stay fit.

However, at the beginning of paragraph no. 4, the writer says, “Halsey points out that this may not necessarily be the case. … …”  

Here, this may not necessarily be the case = the belief is possibly untrue,  

So, the answer is: A (Lewis Halsey)  

Question 37: It may not be possible to train all animals to improve their speed.

Keywords for this question: may not be possible, train, all animals, improve, speed,    

The final paragraph discusses animals’ speed. Here, The first lines say, “As for speed, even those animals that do cover impressive distances don’t have to be the fastest they can possibly be. … .”

After that, we find comments made by physiologist Ross Tucker, . .. “ . . . ‘humans may be the only animal that actually cares about reaching peak performance.’ … .  . .. .. . ‘I don’t know that all animals are the same, performance-wise . . . and we don’t know whether training would enhance their ability,’ he says.” 

Here, we don’t know whether training would enhance their ability = it may not be possible to train all animals to improve their speed,

So, the answer is: D (Ross Tucker)  

Question 38: One type of bird has demonstrated fitness when exposed to a stimulus in experimental conditions.

Keywords for this question: One type of bird, demonstrated fitness, exposed to a stimulus, experimental conditions,

In paragraph no. 7, the writer mentions the experiment done by Chris Guglielmo. The writer says in lines 3-7, “. .. . Chris Guglielmo, a physiological ecologist has studied the effect of subjecting migratory songbirds known as yellow-rumped warblers to changing hours of daylight. ‘We don’t need to take little songbirds and train them up to do a 6- or 10-hour flight,’ he says. If they are subjected to the right daylight cycle, ‘we can take them out of the cage and put them in the wind tunnel, and they fly for 10 hours.”

Here, migratory songbirds known as yellow-rumped warblers = one type of bird, If they are subjected to the right daylight cycle, ‘we can take them out of the cage and put them in the wind tunnel, and they fly for 10 hours = demonstrated fitness when exposed to a stimulus in experimental conditions,

So, the answer is: B (Chris Guglielmo)  

Question 39: Human energy use developed in a different way from that of animals.   

Keywords for this question: Human energy use, developed, different way, animals,  

In paragraph no. 10, the writer talks about the development of human energy use compared to other animals. “So our physiology evolved to let our weight and fitness fluctuate depending on how much food was available. ‘This makes us evolutionarily different from most of other animals,’ says Lieberman. . .. . . . . . Cats are fast, but they don’t need to run very far. Perhaps a few mad dashes around the house are all it takes to keep a domestic one fit enough for feline purposes. ‘Humans, on the other hand, needed to adapt to run slower, but for longer,’ says Lieberman.”

Here, the comparison between cats and humans proves that human energy use developed in a different way (needed to adapt to run slower) from that of animals.

So, the answer is: C (Daniel Lieberman)  

Question 40: One type of bird may develop more strength when the weather becomes warmer or cooler.  

Keywords for this question: one type of bird, may develop, more strength, weather becomes, warmer, cooler,   

The answer to this question can be found in lines 1-3 of paragraph no. 7, “Barnacle geese, Halsey suggests, may be responding to an environmental change such as temperature, which helps their bodies somehow ‘know’ that a big physical challenge is looming. .. .. ..”  

Here, Barnacle geese = one type of bird, may be responding = may develop more strength, environmental change such as temperature = the weather becomes warmer or cooler,    

So, the answer is: A (Lewis Halsey)  

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 15 GT Test 3 Reading Section 1 

Click here for solutions to Cambridge 15 GT Test 3 Reading Section 2