How Migratory Birds Find Their Way: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 14 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “Each year, as the seasons turn, billions of birds undertake journeys of extraordinary length, travelling from one part of the world to another and back again. Some species cross entire continents, while others fly from one end of the globe almost to the other.”
- Passage length: about 769 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“How Migratory Birds Find Their Way” 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 Migratory Birds Find Their Way 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
Many migratory birds return each year to the same specific location.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “Many birds return year after year to the very same patch of woodland or stretch of shore, arriving as if guided by an invisible map.”
- 2
To use the sun for direction, a bird must combine what it sees with an internal sense of time.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…a bird must combine what it sees with an internal sense of time in order to read direction from it correctly.”
- 3
Scientists now fully understand how birds detect the Earth's magnetic field.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Exactly how they do so is still not fully understood, and it remains one of the most actively studied questions in the whole field of animal behaviour.”
- 4
Birds rely on only one method of navigation throughout an entire journey.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “Birds do not rely on any single method alone. Instead they appear to draw on several sources of information at once, switching between them or combining them as conditions change.”
- 5
In some species, young birds complete their first migration without an experienced adult to follow.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “In certain species, young birds make their very first journey alone, without any experienced adult to follow, yet still arrive in the correct region far away.”
- 6
Migratory birds fly at higher altitudes at night than during the day.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims that migratory birds fly at higher altitudes at night than during the day, but the passage never confirms or denies this, focusing instead on navigation methods like using the sun, stars, and magnetic fields.
Closest related text · Paragraph 2 “At night, birds that travel in darkness seem instead to make use of the stars.”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. They count the total number of visible stars
- B. They learn the pattern of stars around the point that does not appear to move
- C. They follow a single bright star towards their destination
- D. They wait for the stars to move before setting a course
- 7
According to the passage, how do night-flying birds appear to use the stars?
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Answer: B — They learn the pattern of stars around the point that does not appear to move
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — They learn the pattern of stars around the point that does not appear to move.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…they learn the pattern of the stars around the point in the sky that does not appear to move, and use it to hold their heading.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. A giant magnet
- B. A giant clock
- C. A giant map
- D. A giant compass needle
- 8
What does the passage compare the Earth to when describing its magnetic field?
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Answer: A — A giant magnet
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports A — A giant magnet.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Our planet behaves rather like a giant magnet, and the invisible field it produces varies in a regular way across its surface.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. As a proven fact accepted by all scientists
- B. As a method used only by young birds
- C. As a technique that has been completely disproved
- D. As an idea that is harder to test and remains debated
- 9
How does the passage describe the idea that birds recognise places by smell?
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Answer: D — As an idea that is harder to test and remains debated
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports D — As an idea that is harder to test and remains debated.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “Some researchers believe that birds can even recognise particular places by smell, building up a kind of scent map of a region, though this idea is harder to test and remains debated.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. That navigation is entirely learned from other birds
- B. That young birds never reach the correct region
- C. That part of their navigational ability is inherited rather than learned
- D. That the sun is the only cue they can use
- 10
What does the ability of young birds to migrate alone suggest, according to the passage?
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Answer: C — That part of their navigational ability is inherited rather than learned
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — That part of their navigational ability is inherited rather than learned.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “This suggests that at least part of their navigational ability is inherited rather than learned, present in the bird from birth as a kind of built-in instruction telling it which direction to fly and for how long.”
Questions 11–14: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
What is the built-in sense of the time of day sometimes called?(max 3 words)
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Answer: body clock (also accepted: a body clock)
Why: The answer “body clock” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “This built-in sense of the time of day, sometimes called a body clock, allows the bird to adjust for the sun's changing position and so keep a steady course.”
- 12
What does the passage say birds use the Earth's magnetic field as a kind of?(max 2 words)
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Answer: compass (also accepted: a compass)
Why: The answer “compass” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…many birds can detect this field and use it as a kind of compass, telling them which way is north even when the sun and stars are hidden by cloud.”
- 13
What natural features, along with mountain ranges and rivers, can act as signposts for birds?(max 2 words)
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Answer: coastlines
Why: The answer “coastlines” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “Features such as coastlines, mountain ranges and great rivers can act as signposts, and experienced birds may follow them to guide the final stages of a journey.”
- 14
What light enough devices now allow scientists to follow individual birds across continents?(max 3 words)
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Answer: tracking devices (also accepted: tiny tracking devices)
Why: The answer “tracking devices” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 7 “Tiny tracking devices light enough to be carried by a bird now allow scientists to follow individual animals across whole continents, revealing routes and stopping places that were once entirely unknown.”
Estimated band score for this test
Your raw score out of 14 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 |
|---|---|
| 14 / 14 | 9.0 |
| 13 / 14 | 8.5 |
| 12 / 14 | 7.5 |
| 11 / 14 | 7.0 |
| 10 / 14 | 6.5 |
| 8–9 / 14 | 6.0 |
| 7 / 14 | 5.5 |
| 6 / 14 | 5.0 |
| 5 / 14 | 4.5 |
| 4 / 14 | 4.0 |
| 3 / 14 | 3.5 |
| 2 / 14 | 3.0 |
| 1 / 14 | 2.0 |
| 0 / 14 | 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 Migratory Birds Find Their Way” under exam conditions
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