The History of the Tortoise Reading Answers

Manimegalai Samidurai

Author

19-09-2025

The History of the Tortoise Reading Answers

Find Cambridge 9 Test 1 Reading Passage 3 - the history of the tortoise reading answers provided below in the table for your reference.

Solution the history of the tortoise

1. plants 5. NOT GIVEN 9. (triangular ) graph 13. dry-land tortoises
2. breathing and reproduction 6. FALSE 10. cluster 14. D
3. gills 7. TRUE 11. amphibious  
4. dolphins 8. 3 measurements 12. halfway  

Check your answers with the above given solution. If you feel you want more practice, try the reading passage on the same topic given in this post. 

The history of the tortoise reading answers would have let you know of your mistakes and where you should focus on. Utilize the reading passage with a few important questions given here to improve your reading skills. Practice more to prepare yourself to face the final IELTS reading exam.


The history of the tortoise reading passage is all about the tortoises and their origin and biography. The whole passage with three different question types and the history of the tortoise reading answers included here. Try the given question types and also check the other IELTS reading question types.

  • IELTS reading true/false/not given
  • IELTS reading short answer questions
  • IELTS reading multiple choice questions

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9 thoughts on “ The History of the Tortoise” passage appearance in the IELTS practice tests

Some significant reasons are mentioned below for the appearance of the history of the tortoise reading answers’ passage in most of the IELTS practice tests. 

  • This passage contains information about the complete history of the tortoises like birth, lifestyle, and so on.
  • The questions will be quite difficult to answer as this passage has many challenging things like understanding, keyword identification, etc.
  • Unique names, numbers, and years which are mentioned in the reading passage are highly notable. Focus is a key point to crack all the questions easily. 
  • The history of the tortoise reading answers with location makes you comprehend the importance of the reading passage.
  • The complete reading passage and some important questions are included in this article for more practice. 
  • You can also find the history of the tortoise reading pdf in this blog which will be helpful for your later IELTS reading preparation.
  • Search the history of the tortoise reading answers with location to get the perfect solution for the reading passage. 
  • This passage and the solution provided here are taken from Cambridge 9, Test 1, Reading passage 3. 
  • Synonyms, paraphrasing, and unusual words in the reading passage may confuse you. Understand the main idea to get the correct answers quickly.

Hope that the above point might help you to understand the significance and challenges of the passage - The history of the tortoise.

Before attempting to write The history of the tortoise IELTS reading answers, check the IELTS reading tips

IELTS reading passage - The history of the tortoise

Read the complete passage thoroughly to get the correct answers for all the questions (1 - 12). Once finished answering, verify your answers with the history of the tortoise reading answers instantly.

The History of the Tortoise

If you go far back, everything lives in the ocean. At different topics in evolutionary history, interested individuals from different animal groups traveled to land, sometimes taking their own seawater in blood and cellular fluids, even to the aridest deserts. In addition to the reptiles, birds, mammals, and insects that surround us, other groups that have conquered the water contain scorpions, snails, and crustaceans such as woodlice, land crabs, millipedes and centipedes, spiders, and different worms. We must not forget the vegetation, without whose pre-invaded land, no other migrations could have taken place.

Going from water to land involves a significant reshaping of every part of life, and involves respiration and reproduction. However, a good number of terrestrial animals later returned, abandoning the hard-earned terrain resurfacing tool and returning to the water. The seals were only partially returned. On the way to extreme events like Whales and dugongs, they display to us what mediators would have been like. Whales and dugongs, their closest relatives, the Manatees, ceased to be terrestrial creatures as a whole and returned to the whole marine customs of distant ancestors. They do not even come ashore to breed. Nevertheless, they still breathe air, creating nothing similar to the gills of their previous marine incarnation. Turtles went to sea a long time ago, and like all vertebrates that return to the water, they breathe air. Yet, they are, in a way, less likely to return to the water than whales or dugongs because turtles still lay their eggs on the beaches.

There is proof that all modern turtles are descended from a terrestrial ancestor who lived before most dinosaurs. From the earliest dinosaur times, there are two major fossils known as Proganochelys quenstedti and Palaeochersis talampayensis, all of which are closely related to the ancestry of modern turtles and tortoises. You may be wondering how we can tell if fossil animals lived on land or in water, particularly when only fragments are discovered. Sometimes it’s clear. Ichthyosaurs are reptile contemporaries of dinosaurs, with paddles and streamlined bodies. The fossils look like dolphins and they certainly lived in the water like dolphins. With turtles, it manifests a little less. One method is to measure the bones of their forearms.

Walter Joyce and Jacques Gauthier of Yale University obtained three measurements on the specific bones of 71 species of living turtles and turtles. They used a type of triangular graph paper to plan all three measurements against each other. All terrestrial turtle species formed a tight spot at the top of the triangle, while all water turtles are at the bottom of the triangular graph. They are not mutually exclusive, except to add some species that spend time in water and land. Of course, this amphibious species appears on the triangular graph almost halfway between the 'wet cluster' of sea turtles and the 'dry cluster' of land turtles. Determining where the fossils fell was the next step. We have no doubt the bones of P quenstedti and JR talampayensis. Their points on the graph are the thickness of the dry mass. Both of these fossils are arid land turtles. They came before our turtles could return to the water.

So, as most mammals did after going to sea, you might guess that modern land turtles may have stayed on land since that early terrestrial period. But obviously not. If you draw the family tree of all current turtles and tortoises, almost all the branches are aquatic. Today's land turtles are a branch with deep nests built among the branches of aquatic turtles. This suggests that modern land turtles have not relied on the land continuously since the time of P. quenstedti and P. talampayensis. On the contrary, their ancestors were among those who returned to the water, and they reappeared on land in recent times.

Therefore, turtles represent significant double returns. As with all mammals, reptiles, and birds in general, their distant ancestors were marine fish, before which various more or less worm-like creatures, still in the sea, developed into primary bacteria. Later ancestors lived on the land and stayed there for many ages. Afterward, ancestors still turned into water and became sea turtles. Eventually, they returned to the land as turtles, some of which now live in arid deserts.

The history of the tortoise IELTS reading questions

Question (1-4) 

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?

Write

TRUE           -     if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE          -    if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN  -   if there is no information on this in the passage

1. Without whose pre-occupied land, no other displacements could have taken place.

2. Turtles never went to sea for a long time, like all vertebrates.

3.  Turtles still lay their eggs on the beaches.

4. Turtles are among the first batch of creatures to return to the sea.

Click to know more about IELTS Reading True/false/not given

Question (5-9)

Answer the questions below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

5.  Who lived before most dinosaurs?

6. Who are the Proganochelys quenstedti and Palaeochersis talampayensis?

7. What does the fossil look like?

8. Walter Joyce and Jacques Gauthier are from?

9. Which species appear on the triangular graph?

Click to know more about IELTS reading short answer question

Question (10 - 12)

Choose the correct letter, A - D

10. All current turtles and tortoises, almost all the branches are 

A. ancestors
B. fossils
C. aquatic 
D. terrestrial

11. Modern land turtles have not relied on the 

A. water
B. desert
C. sea
D. land

12.  Later ancestors still turned into water and became 

A. land turtles
B. sea turtles
C. arid sea turtles
D. arid land turtles

Click to know more about IELTS reading multiple choice questions

The history of the tortoise IELTS reading answers with explanations

Are you done answering all the above questions? Now, verify your answers with the history of the tortoise IELTS reading answers given below.

(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in the regular font explains the answer in detail.)

1. True 

Explanation: Paragraph 1 – We must not forget the vegetation, without whose pre-invaded land, no other migrations could have taken place.

2. False

Explanation: Paragraph 2 – Turtles went to sea a long time ago, and like all vertebrates that return to the water, they breathe air. 

3. True

Explanation: Paragraph 2 – Yet, they are, in a way, less likely to return to the water than whales or dugongs because turtles still lay their eggs on the beaches.

4. Not given

Explanation: The specific information is not found in the given reading passage. 

5. terrestrial ancestor

Explanation: Paragraph 3 - There is proof that all modern turtles are descended from a terrestrial ancestor who lived before most dinosaurs.

6. fossils

Explanation: Paragraph 3 -  From the earliest dinosaur times, there are two major fossils known as Proganochelys quenstedti and Palaeochersis talampayensis, all of which are closely related to the ancestry of modern turtles and tortoises.  

7. dolphins 

Explanation: Paragraph 3 - The fossils look like dolphins and they certainly lived in the water like dolphins. With turtles, it manifests a little less. One method is to measure the bones of their forearms.

8. Yale University

Explanation: Paragraph 4 - Walter Joyce and Jacques Gauthier of Yale University obtained three measurements on the specific bones of 71 species of living turtles and turtles. 

9. amphibious

Explanation: Paragraph 4 - Of course, this amphibious species appears on the triangular graph almost halfway between the 'wet cluster' of sea turtles and the 'dry cluster' of land turtles. 

10. C. aquatic

Explanation: Paragraph 5 - But obviously not. If you draw the family tree of all current turtles and tortoises, almost all the branches are aquatic. Today's land turtles are a branch with deep nests built among the branches of aquatic turtles.

11. D. land

Explanation: Paragraph 5 - Today's land turtles are a branch with deep nests built among the branches of aquatic turtles. This suggests that modern land turtles have not relied on the land continuously since the time of P. quenstedti and P. talampayensis. 

12. B. sea turtles 

Explanation: Paragraph 6 - Later ancestors lived on the land and stayed there for many ages. Afterward, ancestors still turned into water and became sea turtles. 

Check the other reading passages

Click to check the other important reading passages listed below,

Conclusion

We believe that “the history of the tortoise reading answers” and the exercise given in this blog will help you to prepare for your IELTS reading exams. Do constant practice to attain your expected band score.

Manimegalai Samidurai

About Author Manimegalai Samidurai

Manimegalai is a multifaceted professional, excelling as an author, writer, and study-abroad expert. Her vast knowledge of English proficiency exams, including IELTS, GRE, SAT, and PTE, and exceptional content writing skills make her a go-to resource for students seeking guidance and support in their foreign education journey. She is a trusted authority in writing content related to these test-prep exams, making her an invaluable resource for those seeking guidance. With her well-researched and informative blogs, articles, and study materials, Manimegalai has helped countless students achieve their desired band scores and get admissions to top-notch colleges & universities in countries like Canada, USA, UK, Australia, Ireland, etc. 

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