This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to an IELTS Reading Test 3 passage 1 that has a passage titled ‘The thylacine’. This is a targeted post for Academic IELTS candidates who have major problems locating and understanding Reading Answers in the AC module. This post can guide you to the best of understanding every reading answer without much trouble. Finding out IELTS Reading answers is a steady process, and this post will assist you.

Academic IELTS: Reading Module

Passage 1: Questions 1-13

The headline of the passage: The thylacine   

Questions 1-5: Completing notes: 

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to complete different notes with ONE WORD ONLY from the passage. Keywords are important to find answers correctly. Generally, this type of question maintains a sequence. However, we should not be surprised if the sequence is not maintained. Find the keywords in the passage and you are most likely to find the answers.]

Title of the notes: The thylacine

Question no. 1:

Appearance and behaviour

• ate an entirely ________ diet

Keywords for this question: appearance, behaviour, ate, entirely, diet,  

In lines 2-3 of paragraph no. 2, the writer talks about the diet of the thylacine, “. . . . In terms of feeding, it was exclusively carnivorous, . .. . .. . .” 

Here, feeding = ate, exclusively = entirely, 

So, the answer is: carnivoruos

Question no. 2: • probably depended mainly on ________ when hunting

Keywords for this question: probably, depended, mainly on, when hunting,     

In lines 6-7 of paragraph no. 2, the writer talks about the hunting technique of the thylacine, “. . . . During long-distance chases, thylacines were likely to have relied more on scent than any other sense. .. . .. . .” 

Here, During long-distance chases = when hunting, 

likely = probably, 

relied more on .. . .. than any other sense = depended mainly on, 

So, the answer is: scent

Question no. 3: • young spent first months of life inside its mother’s __________

Keywords for this question: young, spent, first months of life, inside its mother’s,     

In lines 3-4 of paragraph no. 3, the writer says, “. . . . Newborns crawled into the pouch on the belly of their mother, and attached themselves to one of the four teats, remaining there for up to three months. . .. . .. . .” 

Here, Newborns = young, 

remaining there for up to three months = spent first months, 

So, the answer is: pouch

Question no. 4: Decline and extinction

• last evidence in mainland Australia is a 3,100-year-old __________

Keywords for this question: Decline, extinction, last evidence, mainland Australia, 3100-year-old,    

In lines 2-4 of paragraph no. 4, the writer says, “. . . . The most recent, well-dated occurrence of a thylacine on the mainland is a carbon-dated fossil from Murray Cave in Western Australia, which is around 3,100 years old. . .. . .. . .” 

Here, The most recent, well-dated occurrence = last evidence, 

So, the answer is: fossil

Question no. 5: • reduction in __________ and available sources of food were partly responsible for decline in Tasmania

Keywords for this question: reduction, available sources of food, partly responsible for decline, Tasmania, 

In lines 3-7 of paragraph no. 5, the writer describes, “. . . .. .. . While this determined campaign undoubtedly played a large part, it is likely that various other factors also contributed to the decline and eventual extinction of the species. These include competition with wild dogs introduced by European settlers, loss of habitat along with the disappearance of prey species, and a distemper-like disease which may also have affected the thylacine.” 

Here, various other factors also contributed = partly responsible, 

decline and eventual extinction of the species = decline, 

loss of = reduction,  

disappearance of prey species = reduction in available sources of food, 

So, the answer is: habitat

Questions 6-13: TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:

The statement in the question agrees with the information in the passage – TRUE
The statement in the question contradicts the information in the passage – FALSE
If there is no information on this – NOT GIVEN

For this type of question, you can divide each statement into three independent pieces and follow through with the answer. This question type generally follows a sequence. So, scanning skills is effective here.]

Question no. 6: Significant numbers of thylacines were killed by humans from the 1830s onwards.  

Keywords for this question: Significant numbers, thylacines, killed by humans, from the 1830s onwards,     

In lines 1-3 of paragraph no. 5, the writer talks about the reasons for the decline in thylacines’ number, “The dramatic decline of the thylacine in Tasmania, which began in the 1830s and continued for a century, is generally attributed to the relentless efforts of sheep farmers and bounty hunters** with shotguns. . .. . .. . .” 

Here, the relentless efforts of sheep farmers and bounty hunters** with shotguns = Significant numbers of thylacines were killed by humans, 

which began in the 1830s = from the 1830s onwards, 

So, the answer is: TRUE 

Question no. 7: Several thylacines were born in zoos during the late 1800s.  

Keywords for this question: Several thylacines, born in zoos, during the late 1800s,    

The first lines of paragraph no. 6 give us the answer to this question, as the writer mentions here, “There was only one successful attempt to breed a thylacine in captivity, at Melbourne Zoo in 1899. .. .. … .”

Here, only one successful attempt to breed = ONLY ONE thylacine was born, 

in captivity = in zoo, 

during the late 1800s = in 1899, 

Here, the lines contradict the question. 

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question no. 8: John Gould’s prediction about the thylacine surprised some biologists.  

Keywords for this question: John Gould’s prediction, about the thylacine, surprised, some biologists,     

We learn about the prediction made by John Gould in paragraph no. 6, lines 3-6, “ . . . … .. . The famous naturalist John Gould foresaw the thylacine’s demise when he published his Mammals of Australia between 1848 and 1863, writing, ‘The numbers of this singular animal will speedily diminish, extermination will have its full sway, and it will then, like the wolf of England and Scotland, be recorded as an animal of the past.’”

However, there is NO information of biologists being surprised about the prediction made by John Gould. 

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN 

Question no. 9: In the early 1900s, many scientists became worried about the possible extinction of the thylacine. 

Keywords for this question: early 1900s, many scientists, became worried about, possible extinction, thylacine,

In paragraph no. 7, the writer says in lines 1-2, “However, there seems to have been little public pressure to preserve the thylacine, nor was much concern expressed by scientists at the decline of this species in the decades that followed. . .. . . .. . .” 

Here, nor was much concern expressed by scientists at the decline of this species in the decades that followed = NOT many scientists became worried about the possible extinction of the thylacine in the early 1900s, 

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question no. 10: T. T. Flynn’s proposal to rehome captive thylacines on an island proved to be impractical. 

Keywords for this question: T. T. Flynn’s proposal, rehome captive thylacines, on an island, proved to be impractical, 

We learn about the concern of T.T. Flynn about the decline of thylacine in paragraph no. 7. However, there is NO INFORMATION about T. T. Flynn’s proposal to rehome captive thylacines on an island. 

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question no. 11: There were still reasonable numbers of thylacines in existence when a piece of legislation protecting the species during their breeding season was passed.  

Keywords for this question: were still, reasonable numbers of thylacines, when, legislation, protecting the species, during, breeding season, passed,     

In lines 5-9 of paragraph no. 7, the writer explains, “ .. . .. .. . But it was not until 1929, with the species on the very edge of extinction, that Tasmania’s Animals and Birds Protection Board passed a motion protecting thylacines only for the month of December, which was thought to be their prime breeding season. The last known wild thylacine to be killed was shot by a farmer in the north-east of Tasmania in 1930, leaving just captive specimens. . .. . .. . . .”  

Here, passed a motion = passed a legislation, 

The last known wild thylacine = just one and NOT reasonable numbers, 

Here, the lines clearly explain that there was just one and NOT a reasonable number of thylacines in existence when a piece of legislation protecting the species during their breeding season was passed.

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question no. 12: From 1930 to 1936, the only known living thylacines were all in captivity. 

Keywords for this question: From 1930 to 1936, only known living thylacines, were, all in captivity, 

In paragraph no. 7, the writer says in lines 8-11, “ . . . . .. .. . The last known wild thylacine to be killed was shot by a farmer in the north-east of Tasmania in 1930, leaving just captive specimens. Official protection of the species by the Tasmanian government was introduced in July 1936, 59 days before the last known individual died in Hobart Zoo on 7th September, 1936.”  

Here, leaving just captive specimens = only known living thylacines were all in captivity,

So the answer is: TRUE

Question no. 13: Attempts to find living thylacines are now rarely made. 

Keywords for this question: Attempts to find, living thylacines, now rarely made, 

We do not find any information regarding attempts to find living thylacines in the final paragraph/ paragraph no. 8. 

So the answer is: NOT GIVEN