This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to IELTS Cambridge Official Guide to IELTS Test 6 Reading Passage 2 which is titled ‘Australia’s Lost Giants’. This is a targeted post for IELTS candidates who have big problems finding and understanding reading Answers in the Academic module. This post can guide you to 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.

Cambridge Official Guide to IELTS Test 6: AC Reading Module

Reading Passage 2: Questions 14-26

The headline of the passage: Australia’s Lost Giants

Questions 14-18: Identifying information

[This question asks you to find information from the passage and write the number of the paragraph (A, B, C or D … .. ) in the answer sheet. Now, if the question is given in the very first part of the question set, I’d request you not to answer them. It’s mainly because this question will not follow any sequence, and so it will surely kill your time. Rather, you should answer all the other questions first. And just like the List of Headings, only read the first two lines or last two lines of the expected paragraph initially. If you find the answers, you need not read the middle part. If you don’t find answers yet, you can skim the middle part of the paragraph. Keywords will be a useful matter here.]

Question no. 14: descriptions of naturally occurring events that make the past hard to trace  

Keywords for the question: descriptions, naturally occurring events, make, the past, hard to trace,

The answer to question no. 14 can be found in lines 1-3 of paragraph F. The writer says here, “Unfortunately, the Earth preserves its history haphazardly. Bones disintegrate, the land erodes, the climate changes, forests come and go, rivers change their course – and history, if not destroyed, is steadily concealed. . .. . . . .. ”

Here, Bones disintegrate, the land erodes, the climate changes, forests come and go, rivers change their course = naturally occurring events,  

history, if not destroyed, is steadily concealed = make the past hard to trace,

So, the answer is: F

Question no. 15: an account of the discovery of a particular animal which had died out

Keywords for the question: discovery of a particular animal, which, died out,   

The discovery of a particular animal (Diprotodon/ marsupial) that had died out is given in paragraph E. Take a look at these lines, “Another famous boneyard in the same region is a place called Wellington Caves, where Diprotodon, the largest known marsupial* was first discovered. . .. . . .”

“ . .. . . .. In 1830 a local official named George Rankin lowered himself into the cave on a rope tied to a protrusion in the cave wall. The protrusion turned out to be a bone. A surveyor named Thomas Mitchell arrived later that year, explored the caves in the area, and shipped fossils off to Richard Owen, the British paleontologist who later gained fame for revealing the existence of dinosaurs. Owen recognized that the Wellington cave bones belonged to an extinct marsupial. . .. . . .. ”

Here, Diprotodon/ marsupial = a particular animal, extinct = died out,

So, the answer is: E

Question no. 16: the reason why a variety of animals all died in the same small area

Keywords for the question: reason, a variety of animals, all died, same small area,   

The answer can be found in paragraph A, where the writer says in lines 1-6, “In 1969, a fossil hunter named Rod Wells came to Naracoorte in South Australia to explore what was then known as Victoria Cave. Wells clawed through narrow passages, and eventually into a huge chamber. Its floor of red soil was littered with strange objects. It took Wells a moment to realize what he was looking at the bones of thousands of creatures that must have fallen through holes in the ground above and become trapped. . .. .. . .”

Here, must have fallen through holes in the ground above and become trapped = why a variety of animals all died out in the same small area,

So, the answer is: A

Question no. 17: the suggestion that a procedure to uncover fossilised secrets was inappropriate

Keywords for the question: suggestions, a procedure, to uncover, fossilised secrets, inappropriate,

In paragraph E, let’s have a close look at lines 9-11, “ . . .. . . ..  . Later, between 1909 and 1915 sediments in Mammoth Cave that contained fossils were hauled out and examined in a chaotic manner that no scientist today would approve. . . . … .”

Here, examined in a chaotic manner that no scientist today would approve = a procedure to uncover fossilised secrets was inappropriate,

So, the answer is: E

Question no. 18: examples of the kinds of animals that did not die out as a result of hunting

Keywords for the question: examples, the kinds of animals, did not die out, as a result of hunting,  

In paragraph B, the writer talks about some animals that became extinct after the arrival of human beings, “The disappearance of megafauna in America – mammoths, saber-toothed cats, giant sloths, among others – happened relatively soon after the arrival of human beings, about 13,000 years ago. . .. .. .. .”

Then, in lines 5-7, the writer says, “ . .. . .. . . Modern humans, Martin said, created havoc as they spread through the Americas, wielding spears to annihilate animals that had never faced a technological predator. But this period of extinction wasn’t comprehensive. North America kept its deer, black bears and a small type of bison, and South America its jaguars and llamas.”

Here, this period of extinction wasn’t comprehensive. North America kept its deer, black bears and a small type of bison, and South America its jaguars and llamas = the kinds of animals that did not die out as a result of hunting,

So, the answer is: B

Questions 19-22: Choosing TWO options from given list

[In this kind of question candidates must choose two or three answers for each question from five or six options. The answers will not follow any sequential order as they are randomly spread in the text, so this question will be time-consuming. Skimming will come in handy and previous reading of the text can come in use. Therefore, other questions should be done first before answering this question.]

Questions no. 19 & 20: Which TWO of these possible reasons for Australian megafauna extinction are mentioned in the text?

Keywords for the question: TWO, possible reasons, Australian megafauna extinction,

The answers to these two questions are found in paragraphs B and C.

First, take a look at paragraph B. Here, the writer says in lines 3-6, “ . . .. . … .. .. In the 1960s, paleoecologist Paul Martin developed what became known as the blitzkrieg hypothesis. Modern humans, Martin said, created havoc as they spread through the Americas, wielding spears to annihilate animals that had never faced a technological predator. … . .. . . ”

Here, Modern humans, . . . ..  . created havoc & wielding spears to annihilate animals = human activity,

Then, if we look at paragraph C, lines 1-2 say, “What happened to Australia’s large animals is baffling. For years scientists blamed the extinctions on climate change. Indeed, Australia has been drying out for over a million years, and the megafauna were faced with a continent where vegetation began to disappear. .. .. . . .”

Here, vegetation began to disappear = loss of habitat,

So, the answers are:

A (human activity)

C (loss of habitat)

Questions no. 21 & 22: The list below shows possible forms of proof for humans having contact with Australian megafauna.

Which TWO possible forms of proof does the writer say have been found in Australia?

Keywords for the question: possible forms of proof, humans having contact with, Australian megafauna, have been found in Australia,

The answers to these two questions are found in paragraphs E and F|.

First, take a look at the final lines of paragraph E, “ . .. . Still, one bone in particular has drawn extensive attention: a femur with a cut in it, possibly left there by a sharp tool.”

Here, a femur with a cut in it, possibly left there by a sharp tool = bone injury caused by a man-made object,

Then, take a look at lines 5-8 of paragraph F, “ . . . . … . ..  Paleontologist Peter Murray has studied a rock painting in far northern Australia that shows what looks very much like a megafauna marsupial known as Palorchestes. In Western Australia another site shows what appears to be a hunter with either a marsupial lion or a Tasmanian tiger – … . . . … .”

Here, rock painting & shows what appears to be a hunter with either a marsupial lion or a Tasmanian tiger = preserved images of megafauna species,

So, the answers are:

A (bone injury caused by a man-made object)

D (preserved images of megafauna species)

Questions 23-26: YES, NO, NOT GIVEN

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

The statement in the question matches the claim of the writer in the text- YES
The statement in the question contradicts the claim of the writer in the text- NO
The statement in the question has no clear connection with the account in the text- NOT GIVEN

[TIPS: For this type of question, you can divide each statement into three independent pieces and make your way through to the answer. This question type generally follows a sequence. So, scanning skill is effective here.]

Question no. 23: Extinct megafauna should receive more attention than the extinction of the dinosaurs.   

Keywords for the question: extinct megafauna, should receive, more attention than, extinction, dinosaurs,   

We can find the answer in paragraph A. Take a look at lines 10-11 of this paragraph, “ . . .. . Given how much ink has been spilled on the extinction of the dinosaurs, it’s a wonder that even more hasn’t been devoted to megafauna. .. .. . . … .”

Here, the writer is expressing his/her wonder that the extinction of megafauna is not getting proper attention with these lines, “ . . .. . it’s a wonder that even more hasn’t been devoted to megafauna .. . ..”

This means the writer is suggesting that extinct megafauna should receive more attention than the extinction of the dinosaurs.  

So, the answer is: TRUE

Question no. 24: There are problems with Paul Martin’s ‘blitzkrieg’ hypothesis for the Americas.

Keywords for the question: problems with, Paul Martin’s ‘blitzkrieg’ hypothesis for the Americas,  

We can find the reference to Paul Martin’s ‘blitzkrieg’ hypothesis in paragraph B. However, here we do not find any information on whether there are problems with this hypothesis for North or South America or not.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question no. 25: The Aborigines should have found a more effective way to protest about Flannery’s book.  

Keywords for the question: The Aborigines, should have found, a more effective way, to protest about Flannery’s book,

Paragraph C talks about the book ‘The Future Eaters’, and here in lines 11-12, the writer says, “. . . . .. Some viewed it as critical of the Aborigines, who pride themselves on living in harmony with nature. . .. . . . .. . .”

However, here we do not find any information on whether the Aborigines should have found a more effective way to protest about this book or not.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question no. 26: There is sufficient evidence to support Tim Flannery’s ideas about megafauna extinction.

Keywords for the question: sufficient evidence, support, Tim Flannery’s ideas, megafauna extinction,     

Paragraph C talks about the book ‘The Future Eaters’, and here in line no. 11, the writer says, “. . . . .. Flannery’s book proved highly controversial. .. . . .”

Here, highly controversial = there is not enough evidence to support Tim Flannery’s ideas,

So, the answer is: FALSE

© All the texts with inverted commas used in this post are taken from Cambridge Official Guide to IELTS Test 6

Click here for solutions to Cambridge Official Guide to IELTS AC Test 6 Passage 1

Click here for solutions to Cambridge Official Guide to IELTS AC Test 6 Passage 3