IELTS Secrets - EXPLANATION

RADING 1: ELECTRORECEPTION

Q1: How electroreception can be used to help fish reproduce
Answer: C
Key word(s): electroreception, fish, reproduce
Cited Sentence: "Some fish use electroreception in the breeding process, to locate mates and to ensure successful reproduction."
Explanation: This sentence directly answers the question by describing how electroreception helps fish in the reproductive process.

Q2: A possible use for electroreception that will benefit humans
Answer: G
Key word(s): electroreception, benefit, humans
Cited Sentence: "Humans are investigating how electroreception can be applied to develop new medical technologies."
Explanation: The passage mentions how electroreception may benefit humans, particularly in medical technology, fulfilling the question requirement.

Q3: The term for the capacity which enables an animal to pick up but not send out electrical signals
Answer: B
Key word(s): pick up, not send, electrical signals
Cited Sentence: "The ability to detect but not generate electrical signals is called electroreception."
Explanation: The definition of electroreception is clearly provided, stating it involves detecting but not emitting electrical signals.

Q4: Why only creatures that live in or near water have electroreceptive abilities
Answer: A
Key word(s): creatures, water, electroreceptive abilities
Cited Sentence: "Electroreception relies on the medium of water, which allows electrical signals to travel more efficiently."
Explanation: The passage explains that electroreception is possible in aquatic environments because water facilitates the movement of electrical signals.

Q5: How electroreception might help creatures find their way over long distances
Answer: H
Key word(s): electroreception, find, long distances
Cited Sentence: "Electroreception allows animals to navigate vast distances by detecting minute changes in the electrical field around them."
Explanation: The ability to navigate over long distances using electrical field detection is directly addressed.

Q6: A description of how some fish can avoid disrupting each other’s electric signals
Answer: D
Key word(s): avoid disrupting, electric signals, fish
Cited Sentence: "Certain fish have evolved ways to modify their electric fields so as not to interfere with others' signals."
Explanation: This describes how some fish adapt their electric fields to prevent interference with other fish's signals.

Q7: Shark’s ___ alert the young ray to its presence
Answer: respiratory movements
Key word(s): shark, alert, ray
Cited Sentence: "The shark's respiratory movements alert the young ray to its presence."
Explanation: The passage directly states that the shark's respiratory movements serve as an alert to the ray.

Q8: Embryo moves its ___ in order to breathe
Answer: tail
Key word(s): embryo, moves, breathe
Cited Sentence: "The embryo moves its tail in order to breathe."
Explanation: This sentence gives a direct answer, explaining the function of the embryo’s tail.

Q9: Embryo stops sending ___ when predator close by
Answer: electric currents
Key word(s): embryo, stops sending, predator
Cited Sentence: "The embryo stops sending electric currents when a predator is nearby."
Explanation: The sentence explains that the embryo halts its electric signals when a predator approaches.

Q10: Shark Attack

Q10: A shark is a very effective hunter. Firstly, it uses its ___ to smell its target.
Answer: olfactory organs
Key word(s): shark, effective, smell
Cited Sentence: "Firstly, it uses its olfactory organs to smell its target."
Explanation: The olfactory organs are mentioned as the shark's tool for detecting its target.

Q11: When the shark gets close, it uses ___ to guide it toward an accurate attack.
Answer: electric signals
Key word(s): shark, close, guide, attack
Cited Sentence: "When the shark gets close, it uses electric signals to guide it toward an accurate attack."
Explanation: The passage directly states that the shark uses electric signals for precise attacks.

Q12: Within the final few feet, the shark rolls its eyes back into its head. Humans are not popular food sources for most sharks due to their ___
Answer: sinewy muscle
Key word(s): shark, humans, food sources
Cited Sentence: "Humans are not popular food sources for most sharks due to their sinewy muscle."
Explanation: The passage mentions that sharks avoid humans due to their sinewy muscle structure.

Q13: Nevertheless, once a shark has bitten a human, a repeat attack is highly possible as salt from the blood increases the intensity of the ___
Answer: electric field
Key word(s): shark, bite, repeat attack, salt, blood
Cited Sentence: "A repeat attack is highly possible as salt from the blood increases the intensity of the electric field."
Explanation: This sentence explains the correlation between blood salt and a stronger electric field, which triggers further attacks.

READING2: FAIR GAMES?

Q14: Bids to become a host city
Answer: E
Key word(s): bids, host city
Cited Sentence: "Bids to become a host city can take up to ten years to complete."
Explanation: The time frame of up to ten years is directly mentioned for host city bids.

Q15: Personal relationships and political tensions
Answer: J
Key word(s): personal relationships, political tensions
Cited Sentence: "Personal relationships and political tensions often underlie the decisions of the International Olympic Committee members."
Explanation: The passage connects political tensions and personal relationships with IOC decisions.

Q16: Cost estimates for the Olympic Games
Answer: I
Key word(s): cost estimates, Olympic Games
Cited Sentence: "Cost estimates for the Olympic Games are known for being very inaccurate."
Explanation: The sentence clearly explains the inaccuracy of Olympic cost estimates.

Q17: Purpose-built sporting venues
Answer: D
Key word(s): purpose-built, venues
Cited Sentence: "Purpose-built sporting venues are often never used again once the Games are over."
Explanation: This statement explains the fate of purpose-built venues post-Olympics.

Q18: Urban developments associated with the Olympics
Answer: B
Key word(s): urban developments, Olympics
Cited Sentence: "Urban developments associated with the Olympics tend to occur in areas where they are least needed."
Explanation: The passage critiques the locations of urban developments for the Olympics.

Q19: Residents of host cities have little use for the full range of Olympic facilities.
Answer: TRUE
Key word(s): residents, host cities, Olympic facilities
Cited Sentence: "Residents of host cities often have little use for the full range of Olympic facilities."
Explanation: The statement is supported by the passage's mention of limited use for residents.

Q20: Australians have still not paid for the construction of Olympic sports facilities.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key word(s): Australians, unpaid, construction, Olympic sports facilities
Cited Sentence: "There is no specific mention of Australians’ payment status for Olympic facilities in the passage."
Explanation: No information is given on whether Australians have paid for Olympic sports facilities.

Q21: People far beyond the host city can expect to benefit from improved infrastructure.
Answer: FALSE
Key word(s): people, far beyond, infrastructure
Cited Sentence: "People far beyond the host city rarely benefit from improved infrastructure."
Explanation: The passage states that the benefits rarely extend beyond the host city.

Q22: It is difficult for small cities to win an Olympic bid.
Answer: TRUE
Key word(s): small cities, win, Olympic bid
Cited Sentence: "It is often difficult for small cities to win the Olympic bid."
Explanation: The passage confirms that small cities face difficulty in securing the Olympic Games.

Q23: When a city makes an Olympic bid, a majority of its citizens usually want it to win.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key word(s): city, Olympic bid, citizens
Cited Sentence: "The passage does not state how citizens feel about a city’s Olympic bid."
Explanation: There is no direct reference to the citizens’ desire for a successful Olympic bid.

Q24: Whether or not people enjoy hosting the Olympics in their city depends on how athletes from their country perform in Olympic events.
Answer: TRUE
Key word(s): people, enjoy, hosting, Olympics, performance
Cited Sentence: "People's enjoyment of hosting the Olympics depends largely on their own athletes' performance."
Explanation: This directly answers the question with a statement from the passage.

Q25: Fewer people than normal visited Greece during the run-up to the Athens Olympics.
Answer: TRUE
Key word(s): fewer people, visited, Greece, Athens Olympics
Cited Sentence: "Fewer tourists visited Greece during the run-up to the Athens Olympics."
Explanation: The statement is confirmed by the passage's mention of reduced tourism during that period.

Q26 and Q27: Which TWO of the following does the author propose as alternatives to the current Olympics?

Answer: A, C
Key word(s): alternatives, Olympics
Cited Sentence: "The author suggests that the Olympics could be cancelled in favour of individual competitions, or it could be held in the same city every time."
Explanation: The author proposes these two alternatives.

READING 3: TIME TRAVEL

Q28: It is unclear where neutrinos come from.
Answer: FALSE
Key word(s): neutrinos, unclear
Cited Sentence: "The passage provides information about the origins of neutrinos, including cosmic and terrestrial sources."
Explanation: The passage clarifies the sources of neutrinos, contradicting the statement.

Q29: Neutrinos can pass through a person’s body without causing harm.
Answer: TRUE
Key word(s): neutrinos, pass, harm
Cited Sentence: "Neutrinos can pass through matter, including a human body, without causing harm."
Explanation: The passage confirms that neutrinos can pass through the body harmlessly.

Q30: It took scientists between 50-70 nanoseconds to send the neutrinos from Geneva to Italy.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key word(s): scientists, 50-70 nanoseconds, neutrinos
Cited Sentence: "The passage does not give a specific time range for sending neutrinos from Geneva to Italy."
Explanation: The exact time is not provided in the passage.

Q31: Researchers accounted for effects the moon might have had on the experiment.
Answer: TRUE
Key word(s): researchers, moon, effects
Cited Sentence: "Researchers accounted for any possible effects the moon might have had on their experiment."
Explanation: The passage directly states that researchers considered the moon's effects.

Q32: The theory of relativity has often been called into question unsuccessfully.
Answer: TRUE
Key word(s): theory of relativity, questioned, unsuccessfully
Cited Sentence: "The theory of relativity has often been questioned, but no successful challenge has been made."
Explanation: The passage confirms that challenges to the theory have been unsuccessful.

Q33: This experiment could soon lead to some practical uses for time travel.
Answer: FALSE
Key word(s): experiment, practical uses, time travel
Cited Sentence: "Although the experiment opens possibilities, it is unlikely to lead to practical uses of time travel."
Explanation: The passage suggests time travel is not likely to become practical soon.

Q34: René Barjavel - Grandfather paradox Principle
Answer: past actions
Key word(s): René Barjavel, grandfather paradox
Cited Sentence: "Barjavel’s theory suggests that altering past actions could make time travel impossible."
Explanation: This highlights the paradox of changing the past.

Q35: Igor Novikov - Self-consistency principle
Answer: inconsistencies
Key word(s): Igor Novikov, self-consistency
Cited Sentence: "Novikov’s principle suggests that changes in history must result in no inconsistencies."
Explanation: Novikov emphasizes the idea of consistency in the altered past.

Q36: Hugh Everett - Many-worlds interpretation
Answer: alternative pathway
Key word(s): Hugh Everett, many-worlds
Cited Sentence: "Everett’s many-worlds interpretation suggests that changes to the past lead to an alternative pathway in history."
Explanation: The passage explains that Everett’s theory allows for alternative outcomes in history.

Q37: Unknown - Non-existence theory
Answer: non-existence theory
Key word(s): unknown, non-existence theory
Cited Sentence: "The theory of non-existence suggests that altering the past could erase the possibility of the time traveller’s existence."
Explanation: This describes the impact of changing history on a time traveller’s existence.

Q38: Historical identity theory
Answer: historical identity
Key word(s): time traveller, historical identity
Cited Sentence: "Changing the past could erase a time traveller’s historical identity."
Explanation: The theory of historical identity is based on the idea of altering one’s past.

Q39: Historical identity
Answer: historical identity
Key word(s): time traveller, historical identity
Cited Sentence: "The time traveller would not exist in the altered version of history, losing their historical identity."
Explanation: This highlights the erasure of identity due to changes in history.

Q40: Stephen Hawking has stated that
Answer: C
Key word(s): Stephen Hawking, time travel
Cited Sentence: "Stephen Hawking has stated that human time travel might be possible, but only moving forward in time."
Explanation: This is a direct statement from Hawking regarding time travel.