Cambridge IELTS Academic 20 Reading Test 2 Answers with Explanation / IELTS Academic Reading: Cambridge 20 Test 2 Answer / Cambridge IELTS 20 Reading Test 2 Answers with Explanation

Cambridge 20 IELTS Reading  Test -2

Reading Passage 1: Manatees

Q	Answer	Keywords	Location	Analytical Explanation
1	tail	look similar to dugongs, differently shaped	Passage 1, Paragraph 1, lines 3–5	The text states that dugongs and manatees "look quite alike", but highlights a contrast: "However, the manatee has a broad, rounded tail, whereas the dugong’s is fluked..." which proves it is differently shaped.
2	flippers	use their, turn their bodies, look sideways	Passage 1, Paragraph 2, lines 3–4	The text explains that because of their short neck, "To see something on its left or its right [look sideways], a manatee must turn its entire body, steering with its flippers."
3	hairs / hair	sense vibrations, water, on their skin	Passage 1, Paragraph 2, lines 9–10	The passage explicitly notes that manatees "have some hairs covering their bodies [on their skin] which help them sense vibrations in the water around them."
4	seagrasses	eat mainly aquatic vegetation, such as	Passage 1, Paragraph 3, line 1	The prompt asks for an example of the aquatic vegetation they eat. The text states: "Seagrasses and other marine plants make up most of a manatee’s diet."
5	lips	grasp and pull up plants	Passage 1, Paragraph 4, lines 4–5	The text explains that instead of having incisors to grasp food, "manatees have lips which function like a pair of hands to help tear food away [pull up plants] from the seafloor."
6	buoyancy	regulate, bodies, muscles of diaphragm, store air	Passage 1, Paragraph 5, lines 5–6	The text notes: "It’s thought that manatees use their muscular diaphragm and breathing to adjust [regulate] their buoyancy."
7	TRUE	West Indian manatees, variety of different aquatic habitats	Passage 1, Paragraph 6, lines 2–3	The text confirms this by listing multiple distinct environments: "fresh water and salt water, taking advantage of coastal mangroves and coral reefs, rivers, lakes and inland lagoons."
8	NOT GIVEN	Florida manatee, warmer waters, Antillean manatee	Passage 1, Paragraph 6	The text details the locations of both subspecies and mentions the Florida manatee seeks "warmed water" in winter. However, it never directly compares the two to state which subspecies lives in warmer waters overall.
9	FALSE	African manatee, range is limited, coastal waters	Passage 1, Paragraph 7, lines 1–3	The text explicitly contradicts the statement that they are limited to the coast by adding: "The species also makes use of rivers, with the mammals seen in landlocked countries such as Mali and Niger."
10	NOT GIVEN	loss of Amazonian manatees, mid-twentieth century, only revealed many years later	Passage 1, Paragraph 8, lines 4–6	The passage provides the data for the mid-twentieth century loss ("140,000 Amazonian manatees were killed between 1935 and 1954"). However, it gives absolutely no information regarding when this loss was "revealed" to the public or scientists.
11	TRUE	predicted, West Indian manatee populations will fall, coming decades	Passage 1, Paragraph 9, lines 1–2	The text clearly confirms this prediction, stating that both subspecies of the West Indian manatee "are also expected to undergo a decline [predicted to fall] of 20% over the next 40 years [coming decades]."
12	NOT GIVEN	risk, entanglement and plastic consumption, increased significantly, 2009-2020	Passage 1, Paragraph 9, lines 3–5	The text provides specific case numbers for the 2009-2020 period (1,800 cases, 700 involving manatees). However, it never compares these numbers to previous decades, so it's impossible to say if the risk "increased significantly."
13	TRUE	legislation, reduce likelihood, boat strikes, Florida	Passage 1, Paragraph 9, lines 6–8	The passage states that "laws" (legislation) in parts of Florida "limit boat speeds during winter, allowing slow-moving manatees more time to respond," which is done specifically to mitigate "boat strikes".

Reading Passage 2: Procrastination

Q	Answer	Keywords	Location	Analytical Explanation
14	B	false assumptions, why people procrastinate	Passage 2, Paragraph B, lines 1–2	The paragraph opens by addressing widespread false assumptions: "Contrary to popular belief, procrastination is not due to laziness or poor time management."
15	F	realisation, others also procrastinate	Passage 2, Paragraph F, lines 10–11	The author suggests a cognitive framing strategy: "We should remind ourselves that we’re not the first person to procrastinate, nor the last." This is the psychological realization that others do it too.
16	B	neurological evidence, link, procrastination and emotion	Passage 2, Paragraph B, lines 6–9	The text cites "brain imaging" (neurological evidence) which shows that "areas of the brain linked to detection of threats and emotion regulation are actually different in people who chronically procrastinate..."
17	laziness	result of, inability to organise time efficiently	Passage 2, Paragraph B, lines 1–2	The summary notes people falsely believe it's caused by an inability to organize time ("poor time management" in the text). The text pairs this with another commonly blamed false trait: "laziness".
18	anxious	damage self-esteem, cause us to feel	Passage 2, Paragraph B, lines 4–6	The text explains that we put tasks off if thinking about them "threatens our sense of self-worth [damages self-esteem] or makes us anxious..."
19	threats	brain regions, regulating emotions, identifying	Passage 2, Paragraph B, lines 7–9	Brain imaging showed actual physical differences in the brain regions linked to "emotion regulation" and the "detection of [identifying] threats."
20	exams	Emotionally loaded, difficult, typical example	Passage 2, Paragraph C, lines 1–2	The text explicitly provides an example: "Tasks that are emotionally loaded or difficult, such as preparing for exams, are prime candidates for procrastination."
21	perfectionists	likely to procrastinate, low self-esteem	Passage 2, Paragraph C, lines 2–4	The text identifies two specific groups who procrastinate: "People with low self-esteem..." and "Another group of people who tend to procrastinate are perfectionists..."
22	guilt	followed by a feeling of, worsens mood	Passage 2, Paragraph C, lines 10–12	The text notes that the immediate mood repair is temporary, and "Afterwards [followed by], people tend to be left with a sense of guilt that not only increases their negative mood [worsens mood]..."
23/24	A, C	comparisons, employees who procrastinate, those who do not	Passage 2, Paragraph D, lines 12–14	A US survey found that employees who procrastinated had "less annual income" (A: Their salaries are lower) and "less employment stability" (C: They don't keep their jobs for as long). B, D, and E are not discussed.
25/26	A, E	recommendations, getting out of a cycle	Passage 2, Paragraph F, lines 4 & 9	The author recommends cognitive strategies to "fend off distractions that can occupy our minds" (E: avoiding things that stop us concentrating) and advises that we should "not be overly critical of ourselves" (A: not judging ourselves harshly).

Reading Passage 3: Invasion of the Robot Umpires

Q	Answer	Keywords	Location	Analytical Explanation
27	NO	DeJesus, shared decision-making	Passage 3, Paragraph 1, lines 3–5	The text explicitly contradicts the idea of "shared" decision-making: "Instead of making any judgments himself about a strike, DeJesus had decisions fed to him through an earpiece..." He merely relayed the machine's call.
28	YES	amend size of strike zone, criticisms from players	Passage 3, Paragraph 4, lines 1–3	The text states that "players complained [criticisms] about some strange calls. In response, MLB decided to tweak the dimensions [amend the size] of the zone..."
29	NOT GIVEN	justify money spent, improving accuracy	Passage 3, Paragraph 4	While MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred argues the ABS device is "near-perfect" and "good for the game," there is absolutely no mention of the cost, money spent, or any effort to justify financial investments.
30	NO	hundred-mile-an-hour fastball, more exciting style	Passage 3, Paragraph 6, lines 9–12	The passage states the exact opposite. The fast pitch "flattened the game into strikeouts, walks, and home runs—a type of play lacking much action." Since fans equate action with excitement, this made it less exciting.
31	NOT GIVEN	differing proposals, alterations to baseball bat, fierce debate	Passage 3, Paragraph 7, lines 1–3	The text notes Sword's team "brainstormed" and "talked about changing—from changing the bats to changing the geometry of the field." However, it never states that this brainstorm resulted in a "fierce debate."
32	YES	ABS, changes to shape, feasible	Passage 3, Paragraph 7, lines 4–6	The text confirms that changing the shape is highly feasible: "once you get the technology right, you can load any strike zone you want into the system. 'It might be a triangle, or a blob...'"
33	F	MLB wanted human umpires, shout out decisions	Passage 3, Paragraph 2, lines 1–3	The text states MLB "wanted human umpires to announce the calls, just as they would have done in the past." "In the past" corresponds perfectly to phrase F (former roles).
34	D	umpire’s job, required a, whether a ball was a strike	Passage 3, Paragraph 2, lines 4–5	The text notes: "Previously, calling a strike was a judgment call on the part of the umpire." A "judgment call" is synonymous with phrase D (subjective assessment).
35	H	crosses through a, extending approximately, knee to chest	Passage 3, Paragraph 2, lines 6–8	A strike happens if a pitch "passes through the 'strike zone (an imaginary zone about seventeen inches wide...)." An "imaginary zone" maps directly to phrase H (perceived area).
36	B	over strike calls, not uncommon	Passage 3, Paragraph 3, lines 1–3	The passage states: "...countless arguments between a team’s manager and the umpire have taken place over its boundaries..." Countless arguments is another way of saying B (numerous disputes).
37	G	first game, strike calls were met with	Passage 3, Paragraph 2, lines 8–10	During that very first game, DeJesus announced the calls and "there was no heckling and no shouted disagreement. Nobody said a word." This perfectly describes G (total silence).
38	B	suggest about ABS, fifth paragraph	Passage 3, Paragraph 5, lines 5–8	Former pitcher Frank Viola nostalgically recalls that umpires used to "reward skill" and there was a "dialogue between pitcher and umpire." The writer suggests ABS removes this human nuance, matching B (It may reduce some of the appeal of the game).
39	D	Morgan Sword says, introduction of ABS	Passage 3, Paragraph 6, lines 2–4	Sword states ABS was part of a larger project to make baseball more exciting "since executives are terrified of losing younger fans." This directly aligns with D (an attempt to ensure baseball retained a young audience).
40	C	why writer includes views, Noe and Russo	Passage 3, Paragraph 9, lines 7–12	Noe says algorithms "take the hard choices of living out of life." Russo argues that perfect technology isn't reality and asks, "What is there to talk about?" Both suggest that removing human error ruins the fun, ma