How Birds Learn to Sing: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 13 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “The song of a bird may sound like a simple, instinctive burst of noise, but for many species it is anything but automatic. While some birds are born knowing the calls they will use throughout their lives, a large group known as the songbirds must actually learn their songs, much as a human child learns to speak.”
- Passage length: about 755 words
- Questions: 13
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“How Birds Learn to Sing” is an original IELTS-style practice passage written by IELTS-Bank. It is not taken from an official IELTS or Cambridge test, so these answers only apply to our version.
Answer key at a glance
How Birds Learn to Sing answers with explanations
Questions 1–6: True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information.
- 1
Every species of bird has to learn its songs by listening to adults.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “…some birds are born knowing the calls they will use throughout their lives, a large group known as the songbirds must actually learn their songs”
- 2
The earliest sounds a young songbird makes closely resemble its finished adult song.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “This subsong is unstructured and bears little resemblance to the finished product”
- 3
A songbird raised without hearing adults of its species produces a completely normal song.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…if a young songbird is raised in isolation, hearing no adult of its own species, it will still produce a song of sorts, but the result is abnormal and incomplete.”
- 4
A young bird can learn a song from recordings even if they are turned off before it starts singing properly.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…a young bird exposed to recordings of its species' song during a particular window early in life will later reproduce that song accurately, even if the recordings are switched off long before it begins to sing in earnest.”
- 5
Female birds of every species sing to defend their territories.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims that female birds of every species sing to defend their territories, but the passage does not confirm or deny this, as it focuses on how young songbirds learn their songs.
Closest related text · Paragraph 3 “Conversely, a young bird exposed to recordings of its species' song during a particular window early in life will later reproduce that song accurately, even if the recordings are switched off long before it begins to sing in earnest.”
- 6
Songs of the same species can differ between one area and another.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “…they can vary from place to place, producing regional differences that scientists compare to human dialects.”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. The song of a fully grown adult bird
- B. The babbling of a human infant
- C. The call of a different species
- D. A regional dialect
- 7
What is the 'subsong' stage described in the passage compared to?
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Answer: B — The babbling of a human infant
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — The babbling of a human infant.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…it produces a quiet, rambling series of sounds that has been compared to the babbling of a human infant.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. It is when the bird defends its first territory
- B. It is when the bird is especially receptive to the songs it hears
- C. It is when the bird chooses a mate
- D. It is when the bird migrates for the first time
- 8
Why is the 'sensitive period' important for a young songbird?
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Answer: B — It is when the bird is especially receptive to the songs it hears
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — It is when the bird is especially receptive to the songs it hears.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “During these weeks the young bird is especially receptive to the songs around it, memorising the patterns it hears”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. It learns the song more quickly
- B. Its song fails to develop properly
- C. It copies a neighbouring species instead
- D. It sings only at night
- 9
What happens if a young bird cannot hear its own voice while practising?
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Answer: B — Its song fails to develop properly
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — Its song fails to develop properly.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “If a young bird is prevented from hearing itself during the practice stage, its song fails to develop properly even when it had listened to a good model beforehand.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. To find their way when migrating
- B. To locate sources of food
- C. To defend a territory and attract a mate
- D. To warn of approaching predators
- 10
According to the passage, why do male birds of many species sing?
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Answer: C — To defend a territory and attract a mate
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — To defend a territory and attract a mate.
Evidence · Paragraph 7 “…the male sings to defend a territory, warning rivals to keep their distance, and to attract a mate”
Questions 11–13: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
What word describes the final, stable form that a bird's song takes?(max 2 words)
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Answer: crystallised (also accepted: crystallized / fixed)
Why: The answer “crystallised” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Finally the song becomes fixed, or crystallised, into the stable form the bird will use for the rest of its life.”
- 12
What term is used for the more organised but still variable middle stage of song development?(max 2 words)
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Answer: plastic song (also accepted: plastic)
Why: The answer “plastic song” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…entering a stage sometimes described as plastic song”
- 13
What do scientists compare the regional differences in birdsong to?(max 2 words)
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Answer: human dialects (also accepted: dialects / dialect)
Why: The answer “human dialects” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “…producing regional differences that scientists compare to human dialects.”
Estimated band score for this test
Your raw score out of 13 scaled to the 40-question IELTS Reading (Academic) conversion table. This is the same estimate the practice page shows after you submit. A single passage is a small sample, so treat it as a guide.
| Correct answers | Estimated band |
|---|---|
| 13 / 13 | 9.0 |
| 12 / 13 | 8.5 |
| 11 / 13 | 7.5 |
| 10 / 13 | 7.0 |
| 9 / 13 | 6.5 |
| 8 / 13 | 6.0 |
| 7 / 13 | 5.5 |
| 5–6 / 13 | 5.0 |
| 4 / 13 | 4.0 |
| 3 / 13 | 3.5 |
| 2 / 13 | 3.0 |
| 1 / 13 | 2.0 |
| 0 / 13 | 0.0 |
Full-test score? Use the IELTS band calculator.
Tips for the question types in this test
True / False / Not Given
- Read the statement first and underline the key idea, especially any qualifiers like "all", "only", "never", "always", "more than" or dates and numbers.
- Because the questions follow the order of the passage, scan for the paragraph that deals with the same topic rather than re-reading everything.
Common trap: Confusing "False" with "Not Given": choose False only when the passage actively contradicts the statement; if the passage is silent, it is Not Given.
Full True / False / Not Given strategyMultiple Choice
- Read the question stem carefully before the options so you know exactly what is being asked.
- Because multiple-choice questions follow passage order, locate the relevant section and read it in full — the answer usually depends on more than one sentence.
Common trap: Distractors that use exact words from the passage but distort the meaning.
Full Multiple Choice strategyShort Answer
- Read the instructions and note the exact word limit; going over it means zero marks even if the meaning is right.
- Turn each question into a set of keywords and predict what kind of answer it needs (a person, a date, a place, a noun).
Common trap: Exceeding the word limit (writing four words when only three are allowed).
Full Short Answer strategyPractise “How Birds Learn to Sing” under exam conditions
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