The Hidden World of Fungi: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 14 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “For most people the word fungus brings to mind a mushroom pushing up through damp soil, or perhaps the mould that spoils a forgotten loaf of bread. Yet these familiar sights are only small clues to a vast and largely hidden kingdom of life.”
- Passage length: about 765 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“The Hidden World of Fungi” 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
The Hidden World of Fungi 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
Fungi are able to make their own food from sunlight, as plants do.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “Unlike plants, they cannot make their own food from sunlight; instead they feed on other living or dead matter, absorbing nutrients directly through their surfaces.”
- 2
A mushroom is the part of a fungus that produces and releases spores.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “The mushroom that appears above ground is not the whole organism but merely the part that produces and releases spores, the tiny cells from which new fungi grow.”
- 3
Fungi break down complex substances by releasing enzymes into the material around them.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Fungi obtain their food by releasing chemicals, known as enzymes, into the material around them. These enzymes break down complex substances into simpler ones that the fungus can then absorb.”
- 4
Mycorrhizal partnerships are found in only a small minority of land plants.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “This mutually beneficial arrangement, called a mycorrhiza, is thought to occur in the great majority of land plants, and many species grow poorly, if at all, without their fungal partners.”
- 5
Most fungal species have never been formally described by scientists.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 7 “The vast majority of fungal species are thought never to have been formally described by scientists, and new ones are found regularly.”
- 6
Fungi are more closely related to animals than plants are.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims fungi are more closely related to animals than plants, but the passage does not confirm or deny this, only noting that fungi's feeding method is more similar to animals than plants.
Closest related text · Paragraph 1 “Fungi are neither plants nor animals but form a separate group of their own, distinct from both.”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. A spore
- B. A hypha
- C. The mycelium
- D. A mycorrhiza
- 7
What is the mass of fine threads that makes up the main body of a fungus called?
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Answer: C — The mycelium
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — The mycelium.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Each individual thread is called a hypha, and together the mass of threads forms what is known as the mycelium.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Fungi provide shade for young trees
- B. Fungi break down dead wood and return nutrients to the soil
- C. Fungi produce the spores that trees need to reproduce
- D. Fungi protect trees from all diseases
- 8
Why does the passage say the growth of forests depends on fungi?
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Answer: B — Fungi break down dead wood and return nutrients to the soil
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — Fungi break down dead wood and return nutrients to the soil.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “When a tree dies, it is largely fungi that break down the tough woody material and return its nutrients to the soil, where plants can use them again.”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Enzymes
- B. Spores
- C. Sugars made through photosynthesis
- D. Protection from the sun
- 9
In a mycorrhiza, what does the plant give the fungus in return for water and minerals?
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Answer: C — Sugars made through photosynthesis
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — Sugars made through photosynthesis.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “In return, the plant supplies the fungus with sugars made through photosynthesis.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. As a fully proven scientific fact
- B. As a claim that is completely false
- C. As a picture that has captured the public imagination but remains debated
- D. As an idea that scientists have abandoned
- 10
How does the passage treat the idea that trees share resources or warnings through fungal networks?
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Answer: C — As a picture that has captured the public imagination but remains debated
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — As a picture that has captured the public imagination but remains debated.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “…a picture that has captured the public imagination. It should be said that the details remain a subject of active debate, and not every claim made about such networks is firmly established.”
Questions 11–14: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
What is each individual fine thread of a fungus called?(max 2 words)
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Answer: hypha (also accepted: a hypha)
Why: The answer “hypha” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “Each individual thread is called a hypha, and together the mass of threads forms what is known as the mycelium.”
- 12
What chemicals do fungi release to break down the material around them?(max 2 words)
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Answer: enzymes
Why: The answer “enzymes” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Fungi obtain their food by releasing chemicals, known as enzymes, into the material around them.”
- 13
What is the beneficial partnership between fungi and plant roots called?(max 2 words)
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Answer: mycorrhiza (also accepted: a mycorrhiza)
Why: The answer “mycorrhiza” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “This mutually beneficial arrangement, called a mycorrhiza, is thought to occur in the great majority of land plants”
- 14
What kind of organism produced the first widely used antibiotic?(max 2 words)
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Answer: a mould (also accepted: mould)
Why: The answer “a mould” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “…the first widely used antibiotic was produced by a mould, and fungi continue to provide compounds used in treatment today.”
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 “The Hidden World of Fungi” under exam conditions
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