# Manatees: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 20, Test 2, Reading Passage 1

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 20, Test 2, Reading Passage 1. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | tail | However, the manatee has a broad, rounded tail, whereas the dugong's is fluked, like that of a whale. |
| 2 | flippers | steering with its flippers. |
| 3 | hairs | They also have some hairs covering their bodies which help them sense vibrations in the water around them. |
| 4 | seagrasses | Seagrasses and other marine plants make up most of a manatee's diet. |
| 5 | lips | manatees have lips which function like a pair of hands to help tear food away from the seafloor. |
| 6 | buoyancy | It's thought that manatees use their muscular diaphragm and breathing to adjust their buoyancy. |
| 7 | TRUE | taking advantage of coastal mangroves and coral reefs, rivers, lakes and inland lagoons |
| 8 | NOT GIVEN | the Antillean manatee is found in waters from the Bahamas to Brazil |
| 9 | FALSE | The species also makes use of rivers, with the mammals seen in landlocked countries such as Mali and Niger. |
| 10 | NOT GIVEN | It is estimated that 140,000 Amazonian manatees were killed between 1935 and 1954 |
| 11 | TRUE | Both are also expected to undergo a decline of 20% over the next 40 years. |
| 12 | NOT GIVEN | A review of almost 1,800 cases of entanglement in fishing nets and of plastic consumption |
| 13 | TRUE | laws in certain parts of Florida now limit boat speeds during winter |

## Why these answers are right

**1. tail.** Paragraph A says dugongs and manatees look alike in size, color and shape, but the manatee has a broad, rounded tail while the dugong's is fluked. The tail is the body part with a different shape, so tail fills the gap.

**2. flippers.** Paragraph B explains that a manatee cannot turn its head sideways, so it must turn its entire body, steering with its flippers. Steering is how it turns around to look left or right, which makes flippers the answer.

**3. hairs.** The last sentence of paragraph B says manatees have some hairs covering their bodies which help them sense vibrations in the water. The note asks what on their skin detects vibrations, so the plural noun hairs completes it.

The why and the trap for questions 4 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/manatees/answers).

[Practice Manatees](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/manatees)