Cambridge IELTS 7 · Academic · Test 3 · Passage 2
Population Movements And Genetics — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Population Movements And Genetics, Cambridge IELTS 7 Academic Reading Test 3 Passage 2, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Population Movements And Genetics answer key at a glance
Questions 14–26. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with Matching Headings (Q14–19), Table Completion (Q20–21), Matching Features (Q22–25), One Choice (Q26–26). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 14–19: Matching Headings
Strategy: Read the paragraph first and summarise its main idea in five words. Choose the heading that matches the whole paragraph, not a repeated keyword.
Section A
“Study of the origins and distribution of human populations used to be based on archaeological and fossil evidence. A number of techniques developed since the 1950s, however, have placed the study of these subjects on a sounder and more objective footing”
Section A explains that techniques since the 1950s placed population study 'on a sounder and more objective footing' than archaeology and fossils — a heading on a better method.
Section B
“North-east Asia and Siberia have long been accepted as the launching ground for the first human colonisers of the New World1. But was there one major wave of migration across the Bering Strait into the Americas, or several? And when did this event, or events, take place”
Section B asks 'was there one major wave of migration... or several? And when did this event, or events, take place', so its heading poses those questions.
Section C
“Thus, by comparing the Gm allotypes of two different populations (e.g. two Indian tribes), one can establish their genetic 'distance', which itself can be calibrated to give an indication of the length of time since these populations last interbred”
Section C shows how comparing 'Gm allotypes of two different populations' establishes genetic distance and time since they last interbred, so its heading is about that measuring technique.
Section D
“They found that their Gm allotypes could be divided into two groups, one of which also corresponded to the genetic typing of Central and South American Indians. Other tests showed that the Inuit (or Eskimo) and Aleut3 formed a third group.”
Section D concludes from the Gm groupings 'that there had been three major waves of migration across the Bering Strait', so its heading concerns that finding of three waves.
Section E
“Geneticist Douglas Wallace has studied mitochondrial DNA4 in blood samples from three widely separated Native American groups: Pima-Papago Indians in Arizona, Maya Indians on the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico, and Ticuna Indians in the Upper Amazon region of Brazil.”
Section E reports Wallace's mitochondrial DNA work showing Pima-Papago, Maya and Ticuna groups 'descended from the same ancestral (Paleo-Indian) population', a heading on shared ancestry.
Section F
“There are two other kinds of research that have thrown some light on the origins of the Native American population; they involve the study of teeth and of languages. The biological anthropologist Christy Turner is an expert in the analysis of changing physical characteristics in human teeth”
Section F introduces 'two other kinds of research... the study of teeth and of languages', so its heading concerns these additional lines of evidence.
Questions 20–21: Table Completion
Strategy: Work row by row. The row label tells you where to look; the column heading tells you what kind of word you need.
“The first, Paleo-Indian, wave more than 15,000 years ago was ancestral to all Central and South American Indians”
Option E belongs with the first wave, dated 'more than 15,000 years ago', which was 'ancestral to all Central and South American Indians' — the earliest table row.
“ancestors of the Navajo and Apache (who only migrated south from Canada about 600 or 700 years ago)”
Option D fits the later southward movement: the Navajo and Apache ancestors 'only migrated south from Canada about 600 or 700 years ago'.
Questions 22–25: Matching Features
Strategy: Match the statement to the named person or thing. Names can repeat, so check each option against what that person actually says.
Options for Questions 22–25
- Athe first wave
- Bthe second wave
- Cthe third wave
Inuit
“Other tests showed that the Inuit or Eskimo and Aleut 3 formed a third group The third wave, perhaps 10,000 or 9,000 years ago, saw the migration from North-east Asia of groups ancestral to the modern Eskimo and Aleut”
The Inuit (Eskimo) and Aleut 'formed a third group', and the third wave brought 'groups ancestral to the modern Eskimo and Aleut', so C.
Apache
“The second wave, about 14,000-12,000 years ago, brought Na-Dene hunters, ancestors of the Navajo and Apache (who only migrated south from Canada about 600 or 700 years ago)”
Na-Dene hunters of 'the second wave' were 'ancestors of the Navajo and Apache', so Apache belongs to the second wave (B).
Pima-Papago
“The first, Paleo-Indian, wave more than 15,000 years ago was ancestral to all Central and South American Indians Geneticist Douglas Wallace has studied mitochondrial DNA4 in blood samples from three widely separated Native American groups: Pima-Papago Indians in Arizona, Maya Indians on the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico,”
Wallace's Pima-Papago, Maya and Ticuna groups 'descended from the same ancestral (Paleo-Indian) population' of the first wave, so A.
Ticuna
“Geneticist Douglas Wallace has studied mitochondrial DNA4 in blood samples from three widely separated Native American groups: Pima-Papago Indians in Arizona, Maya Indians on the Yucatán peninsula, Mexico, and Ticuna Indians in the Upper Amazon region of Brazil.”
Ticuna Indians of the Upper Amazon were among Wallace's three groups descended from the Paleo-Indian first wave, so A.
Questions 26–26: One Choice
Strategy: Read the question stem and predict the answer before looking at the options. Wrong options often repeat passage words while the correct one paraphrases them.
Christy Turner's research involved the examination of
- Ateeth from both prehistoric and modern Americans and Asians.correct
- Bthousands of people who live in either the New or the Old World.
- Cdental specimens from the majority of prehistoric Americans.
- Dthe eating habits of American and Asian populations.
“Studies carried out by Turner of many thousands of New and Old World specimens, both ancient and modern, suggest that the majority of prehistoric Americans are linked to Northern Asian populations by crown and root traits”
Turner studied 'New and Old World specimens, both ancient and modern', which is teeth from prehistoric and modern Americans and Asians — option A.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Population Movements And Genetics passage come from?
It is Passage 2 of Cambridge IELTS 7 Academic Reading Test 3, and it covers Questions 14–26.
What question types appear in Population Movements And Genetics?
The passage is tested with Matching Headings, Table Completion, Matching Features, One Choice. Each type is explained on this page, alongside the answers.
Are these reading answers reliable?
Every answer is paired with the sentence that proves it, so you can check each one against the passage yourself. Use the page after a timed attempt, not instead of one.
Cambridge IELTS is published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Band9Prep is not affiliated with Cambridge. This page is an independent study aid: it gives the answer key, the passage evidence and an explanation so you can review an attempt you have already made.