Cambridge IELTS 6 · General Training · Test 2 · Section 3
Pterosaurs — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Pterosaurs, Cambridge IELTS 6 General Training Reading Test 2 Section 3, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Pterosaurs answer key at a glance
Questions 28–40. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this section tests
This section is tested with Matching Information (Q28–34), Matching Features (Q35–38), Sentence Completion (Q39–40). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 28–34: Matching Information
Strategy: Scan for the idea, not the exact words. The answer is a paragraph letter, and one paragraph may be used more than once unless the instructions say otherwise.
similarities between pterosaurs and mechanical flight
“As we walked beneath the Quetzalcoatlus model in Santa Monica, MacCready pointed out its similarity to sailplanes, the most efficient kind of aeroplanes. Both have long slender wings designed to fly with minimum power.”
Paragraph J compares Quetzalcoatlus to 'sailplanes', noting both have 'long slender wings' and would use thermals - parallels with mechanical flight.
the identification of the type of creature a pterosaur actually was
“It was not until 1791 that the great French anatomist Georges Cuvier deduced that the animal was in fact a flying reptile, whose fourth finger supported a wing”
Paragraph D reports that Cuvier 'deduced that the animal was in fact a flying reptile, whose fourth finger supported a wing'.
conflicting theories about how pterosaurs came to fly
“But how pterosaurs learnt to fly remains a matter for disagreement. Most researchers conclude that pterosaurs are descended from a small tree-dwelling reptile that spent its life jumping between branches.”
Paragraph F sets the tree-jumping theory against 'the competing argument' of two-legged reptiles running on the ground, conflicting explanations of flight's origin.
the cause of widespread destruction of animal life on our planet
“At the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago, a meteorite or comet slammed into the Earth. That calamity — and other events — wiped out roughly three quarters of all species, including all pterosaurs and dinosaurs”
Paragraph K blames 'a meteorite or comet' that 'wiped out roughly three quarters of all species', the widespread destruction described.
the fact that pterosaurs once existed all over the world
“Uncontested in the air, pterosaurs colonised all continents and evolved into a vast array of shapes and sizes”
Paragraph A says pterosaurs 'colonised all continents and evolved into a vast array of shapes and sizes', confirming a worldwide presence.
the first clear proof that pterosaurs could fly
“In 1873, a remarkable pterosaur specimen came to light that confirmed Cuvier's deduction. Unlike earlier fossils, this new find near the Bavarian town of Solnhofen contained delicate wing impressions, establishing definitely that the extinct reptile was capable of flight”
Paragraph E describes the Solnhofen find with 'delicate wing impressions, establishing definitely that the extinct reptile was capable of flight'.
concrete evidence that pterosaurs hunted their food from the air
“Proof of this has been found in the fossil of a Eudimorphodon, a 215-million-year-old pterosaur found near Bergamo, Italy. Under a microscope, several fish scales can be seen in the abdomen of the specimen - the remains of the pterosaur's last meal”
Paragraph G cites 'several fish scales ... in the abdomen of the specimen', concrete evidence of the pterosaur's last meal.
Questions 35–38: 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 35–38
- ACosimo Alessandro Collini
- BGeorges Cuvier
- CFabio dalla Vecchia
- DPaul MacCready
He refers to the difficulty of determining how pterosaurs evolved without further evidence.
“'It's very difficult to say how pterosaurs changed over time because the earliest fossils we have are of pterosaurs whose fourth finger has already transformed into a wing,' says Fabio dalla Vecchia, an Italian researcher”
Fabio dalla Vecchia (C) says 'It's very difficult to say how pterosaurs changed over time' because the earliest fossils already show a winged finger.
He failed to interpret the evidence before him.
“Cosimo Alessandro Collini, the first natural historian to study the fossil and describe it, was unable to classify it”
Collini (A), the first to study and describe the fossil, 'was unable to classify it', so he failed to interpret the evidence.
He gave an appropriate name to the first pterosaur that was discovered.
“It was not until 1791 that the great French anatomist Georges Cuvier deduced that the animal was in fact a flying reptile, whose fourth finger supported a wing. He named the fossil Pterodactylus, combining the Greek words for wing and finger”
Cuvier (B) 'named the fossil Pterodactylus, combining the Greek words for wing and finger', an apt name for the creature.
He mentions the ability of pterosaurs to take advantage of their environment.
“'As pterosaurs got larger, they discovered the benefits of gliding on air currents, making use of a free energy source.'”
MacCready (D) says pterosaurs 'discovered the benefits of gliding on air currents, making use of a free energy source'.
Questions 39–40: Sentence Completion
Strategy: Find the stem's keyword in the passage, then complete the sentence with the exact words the grammar requires, within the word limit.
“Even though over a thousand pterosaur specimens are known today, such wing impressions remain rare”
The blank needs a number of specimens; the text says 'over a thousand pterosaur specimens are known today', though wing impressions remain rare.
“This pterosaur had wings over 11 metres wide, making it the largest flying animal ever known”
The blank needs a wingspan measurement; the fossil had 'wings over 11 metres wide', the largest flying animal known.
Learn the question types in this section
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Pterosaurs passage come from?
It is Section 3 of Cambridge IELTS 6 General Training Reading Test 2, and it covers Questions 28–40.
What question types appear in Pterosaurs?
The section is tested with Matching Information, Matching Features, Sentence Completion. 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.