Reading Passage Content
This page contains IELTS reading practice materials with comprehensive questions and explanations.
IELTS Reading Practice Test: The thylacine
Practice your IELTS reading skills with this comprehensive 13-question test. Time limit: 20 minutes.
Reading Passage Content Summary
## The thylacine The extinct thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, was a marsupial* that bore a superficial resemblance to a dog. Its most distinguishing feature was the 13-19 dark brown stripes over its back, beginning at the rear of the body and extending onto the tail. The thylacine’s av...
Question Types Included
- note-completion (5 questions)
- true-false-not-given (8 questions)
Test Information
- Total Questions: 13
- Time Limit: 20 minutes
- Level: Intermediate to Advanced
- Format: IELTS Academic Reading
Reading Comprehension Questions
Questions 1–5: Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1–5.
The thylacine
Appearance and behaviour- looked rather like a dog
- had a series of stripes along its body and tail
- ate an entirely (1). diet
- probably depended mainly on (2). when hunting
- young spent first months of life inside its mother’s (3).
- last evidence in mainland Australia is a 3,100-year-old
- probably went extinct in mainland Australia due to animals known as dingoes (4).
- reduction in (5). and available sources of food were partly responsible for decline in Tasmania
Questions 6–13: True/False/Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
Write TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
Write FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
Write NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
6 Significant numbers of thylacines were killed by humans from the 1830s onwards.
7 Several thylacines were born in zoos during the late 1800s.
8 John Gould’s prediction about the thylacine surprised some biologists.
9 In the early 1900s, many scientists became worried about the possible extinction of the thylacine.
10 T.T. Flynn’s proposal to rehome captive thylacines on an island proved to be impractical.
11 There were still reasonable numbers of thylacines in existence when a piece of legislation protecting the species during their breeding season was passed.
12 From 1930 to 1936, the only known living thylacines were all in captivity.
13 Attempts to find living thylacines are now rarely made.
Ready to Start?
Customize your exam settings and begin your reading test
Exam Duration:
min
Standard test • Range: 5-180 minutes
20 min
13 questions
The thylacine
Reading Passage Content
This page contains IELTS reading practice materials with comprehensive questions and explanations.
Reading Comprehension Questions
Questions 1–5: Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1–5.
The thylacine
Appearance and behaviour- looked rather like a dog
- had a series of stripes along its body and tail
- ate an entirely (1). diet
- probably depended mainly on (2). when hunting
- young spent first months of life inside its mother’s (3).
- last evidence in mainland Australia is a 3,100-year-old
- probably went extinct in mainland Australia due to animals known as dingoes (4).
- reduction in (5). and available sources of food were partly responsible for decline in Tasmania
Questions 6–13: True/False/Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
Write TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
Write FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
Write NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
6 Significant numbers of thylacines were killed by humans from the 1830s onwards.
7 Several thylacines were born in zoos during the late 1800s.
8 John Gould’s prediction about the thylacine surprised some biologists.
9 In the early 1900s, many scientists became worried about the possible extinction of the thylacine.
10 T.T. Flynn’s proposal to rehome captive thylacines on an island proved to be impractical.
11 There were still reasonable numbers of thylacines in existence when a piece of legislation protecting the species during their breeding season was passed.
12 From 1930 to 1936, the only known living thylacines were all in captivity.
13 Attempts to find living thylacines are now rarely made.
Ready to Start?
Customize your exam settings and begin your reading test
Exam Duration:
min
Standard test • Range: 5-180 minutes
20 min
13 questions