The IELTS Reading section uses different passages to test how well you can understand information, locate specific details, and identify ideas written in different ways. Great Migrations is one such IELTS Reading passage.
The Great Migrations IELTS Reading Answers page helps you check your answers and understand how they are linked to the passage. It explains animal migration, why animals move from one place to another, how they travel, and the challenges they face during migration.
Here is what you will find in this article:
The complete Great Migrations IELTS Reading passage
Questions with answers and simple explanations
Important keywords and paraphrased information
Easy ways to solve the questions
Common mistakes to avoid
FAQs about the passage
The topic may seem simple, but some questions can be tricky. Focus on the passage, look for similar meanings, and use only the information given in the text to find your answers.
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Great Migrations IELTS Reading Passage
The Great Migrations IELTS Reading Passage explains what animal migration means and why different animals move from one place to another. It also looks at how migration helps animals survive and reproduce. The passage later explains how human development can make these journeys harder for animals.
Read the passage carefully before answering the questions. Try to understand the main idea of each paragraph rather than trying to remember every detail.
Great Migrations
Paragraph 1
Animal migration is more than simply moving from one place to another. It usually means travel that happens at regular times, often every year. It can involve many animals of the same species and may require a long journey before they get a reward.
Biologist Hugh Dingle has identified five main features of migration. Migrating animals travel for long periods and leave places that are familiar to them. Their movement is usually in a fairly straight direction. They also show special behaviours before and after the journey, such as eating a lot before travelling. Migration also requires them to use and manage their energy carefully. Most importantly, migrating animals stay strongly focused on reaching their destination and do not easily get distracted by other things.
Paragraph 2
The Arctic tern is a good example. It travels about 20,000 km from the far south of South America to the Arctic. During this long journey, it may see food such as herring offered by people on boats. Unlike local gulls, the tern does not stop to eat.
The reason is simple. The tern is focused on reaching its destination. It can eat, rest and mate later. At that moment, its main goal is to complete the journey.
Paragraph 3
When the Arctic tern reaches the Arctic coastline where other terns have gathered, it has achieved an important part of its journey. This place gives the birds the right conditions to hatch and raise their young.
So, migration is closely linked to reproduction and the survival of the species.
Paragraph 4
Migration is not easy to define because different biologists study different animals. Joe Berger from the University of Montana studies animals such as the American pronghorn. He uses a simple definition of migration: animals leave one seasonal home, travel to another home and later return.
In many cases, animals make these seasonal journeys because they need resources that are not available in one place throughout the whole year.
Paragraph 5
Migration does not always mean travelling over land. Zooplankton in the ocean, for example, move upwards at night to find food and downwards during the day to avoid predators. This can also be called migration.
Aphids provide another example. When they use up the young leaves on one plant, their offspring fly to another plant. They do not have to return to the place where they started.
Paragraph 6
Hugh Dingle, an evolutionary biologist who studies insects, has a more detailed definition of migration. His five features help explain how migration is different from normal movement.
For example, aphids become sensitive to blue light from the sky when it is time to leave. They become sensitive to yellow light from young leaves when it is time to land. Birds also eat large amounts of food before a long migration so that they have enough energy for the journey.
Dingle believes his definition is useful because it helps researchers see what different migrating animals have in common. This can help them understand how evolution has shaped migration in different species.
Paragraph 7
Human activity is now causing problems for animal migration. The American pronghorn is a fast land mammal found in North America. One group spends summer in Grand Teton National Park and then follows a narrow route to the plains for the winter.
The animals depend on this route. They need to reach their summer feeding areas in spring and return to the plains before the winter. Their migration route has three narrow points, or bottlenecks, where their movement can be blocked.
Pronghorn need open land because they depend on good eyesight and speed to escape predators. However, at one bottleneck, forested hills leave only a narrow area of open land. Private homes are also located there. More development is making the route even narrower and putting the animals at risk.
Paragraph 8
Conservation scientists, biologists and land managers in the USA are now working to protect animal migration routes as well as species and habitats. One National Forest has already recognised much of the pronghorn route as a protected migration corridor.
However, protecting these routes is not always easy. Government agencies cannot fully control what happens on private land. Some migrating animals also travel much longer distances and cross different regions and national borders.
Protecting these animals will therefore need careful planning and strong action so that they can continue their journeys in the future.
Great Migrations IELTS Reading Answers: Questions 14–18
Questions 14–18 are True/False/Not Given questions. You need to check whether each statement agrees with the information in the passage.
TRUE means the statement agrees with the passage.
FALSE means the statement goes against what the passage says.
NOT GIVEN means the passage does not give enough information to decide.
IELTS Exam recommends reading the statement carefully and using only the information given in the passage. Do not use your own knowledge about animal migration.
Questions 14–18
14. Local gulls and migrating Arctic terns behave in the same way when food is offered to them.
Answer: FALSE
The passage gives two different examples. The Arctic tern ignores the food and continues its journey. Local gulls, on the other hand, quickly dive for the food.
So, the two birds do not behave in the same way.
Answer: FALSE
15. Experts may define animal migration differently depending on the animals they study.
Answer: TRUE
Paragraph 4 says that migration is a complex topic and that biologists define it differently based partly on the types of animals they study.
This directly supports the statement.
Answer: TRUE
16. Only a small number of experts believe that the movement of aphids can be called migration.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
The passage does say that the movement of aphids can be considered migration. However, it does not tell us how many experts agree with this idea.
There is no information saying that only a small number of experts believe this.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
17. Changes in light can affect the movement of aphids.
Answer: TRUE
Paragraph 6 explains that aphids become sensitive to blue light when it is time to leave. They also respond to yellow light from young leaves when it is time to land.
This shows that changes in the light they detect are linked to their movement.
Answer: TRUE
18. Dingle's main aim is to separate the migration behaviour of different animal species.
Answer: FALSE
Dingle's definition does not aim to separate the migration behaviour of different species. Instead, he wants to show what different migrating animals have in common.
The passage says his definition helps researchers understand what wildebeest and aphid migration share.
Therefore, the statement is opposite to the information in the passage.
Answer: FALSE
Great Migrations IELTS Reading Answers 14–18:
Question
Answer
Main idea
14
FALSE
Gulls and Arctic terns behave differently
15
TRUE
Migration definitions can vary
16
NOT GIVEN
No number of experts is given
17
TRUE
Light affects aphid movement
18
FALSE
Dingle focuses on similarities
Great Migrations IELTS Reading Answers: Questions 19–22
Questions 19–22 are Matching Sentence Endings questions. You have to match the beginning of each sentence with the correct ending from the list.
There are more endings than questions, so some options will not be used. The easiest way to solve these questions is to find the main idea in the passage and then check which ending fits the sentence correctly. IELTS Reading Test says this question type tests your ability to understand the main ideas in a reading text.
Questions 19–22
Choose the correct ending A–G for each sentence.
A. be discouraged by difficulties. B. travel on open land where they can look out for predators. C. eat more than they need for immediate purposes. D. be repeated daily. E. ignore distractions. F. be governed by the availability of water. G. follow a straight line.
Question 19
According to Dingle, migratory routes are likely to...
Answer: G. follow a straight line
In Paragraph 1, Dingle says that migration routes tend to be linear, not zigzag. Linear means moving in a fairly straight direction.
So, the correct ending is follow a straight line.
Question 20
To prepare for migration, animals are likely to...
Answer: C. eat more than they need for immediate purposes
The passage says that migrating animals show special behaviours before the journey. One example is overfeeding.
Animals eat extra food before a long journey so that they have enough energy for migration.
Therefore, the answer is eat more than they need for immediate purposes.
Question 21
During migration, animals are unlikely to...
Answer: A. be discouraged by difficulties
Paragraph 1 says that migrating animals stay focused on their main goal. They are not easily stopped by challenges that might turn other animals away.
So, they are unlikely to be discouraged by difficulties.
Paragraph 2 gives the example of an Arctic tern that ignores food offered by a bird-watcher. The bird keeps flying because it is focused on reaching its destination.
This shows that migrating animals can ignore distractions during their journey.
Great Migrations IELTS Reading Answers 19–22
Question
Answer
Key idea
19
G
Migration routes are usually linear
20
C
Animals may overfeed before migration
21
A
Migrating animals stay focused during difficulties
22
E
Arctic terns ignore distractions
Great Migrations IELTS Reading Answers: Questions 23–26
Questions 23–26 are Summary Completion questions. You have to complete the summary using ONE WORD ONLY from the passage.
The summary is about the migration of pronghorns. All the answers can be found in Paragraph 7 of the passage. Read the summary first and look for keywords such as pronghorns, eyesight, predators, winter, three and homes.
Remember to follow the word limit. IELTS says that you lose the mark if you write more words than the instructions allow.
Questions 23–26
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
The migration of pronghorns
Pronghorns rely on their eyesight and 23 ______ to avoid predators. One particular population's summer habitat is a national park, and their winter home is on the 24 ______ where they go to avoid the danger presented by the snow at that time of year. However, their route between these two areas contains three 25 ______. One problem is the construction of new homes in a narrow 26 ______ of land on the pronghorns' route.
Question 23
Answer: speed
The passage says that pronghorns depend on their ability to see far away and their speed to stay safe from predators.
The question uses eyesight, while the passage uses distance vision. The two ideas match. The missing word next to vision is speed.
Answer: SPEED
Question 24
Answer: plains
The passage says that the pronghorns travel from their summer area in the mountains down to the plains. They stay there during the frozen months because the wind clears some snow from the land and allows them to find food.
The question calls this place their winter home, so the correct word is plains.
Answer: PLAINS
Question 25
Answer: bottlenecks
The passage says that the pronghorns' migration route has three bottlenecks. These are narrow parts of the route where the animals can have trouble passing through.
The word three is a useful keyword because the passage directly connects it with “bottlenecks”.
Answer: BOTTLENECKS
Question 26
Answer: corridor
The passage explains that one bottleneck has forested hills on both sides, leaving a narrow corridor of open land. Private homes have been built in this area, and more development could block the animals' route.
The question uses narrow as a clue, while the passage describes the narrow open area as a corridor.
Answer: CORRIDOR
Great Migrations IELTS Reading Answers 23–26
Question
Answer
Paragraph
23
speed
7
24
plains
7
25
bottlenecks
7
26
corridor
7
How to Approach Great Migrations IELTS Reading Questions
The Great Migrations IELTS Reading passage has different question types, so you should not solve every question in the same way. First check the question type, then look for keywords and similar words in the passage.
Here are some simple steps that can help you solve the questions faster.
1. Read the question first
Do not start by reading every line of the passage very slowly. Read the question first and understand what you need to find.
For example, in the pronghorn question, words like speed, predators, plains, and bottlenecks can help you find the right part of the passage.
IELTS recommends using reading skills such as skimming and scanning to find the information you need.
2. Find keywords in the passage
Look for important words from the question in the passage. Some words may be exactly the same, while others may be changed.
For example:
food is offered → handouts
straight line → linear
eat more before migration → overfeeding
avoid predators → keep safe from predators
This is why you should look for the meaning, not just the exact word.
3. Watch for paraphrasing
IELTS often gives the same idea using different words. This can make a question look harder than it really is.
For example, the passage says Arctic terns are “undeterred by challenges”. The question uses the idea of animals being “not discouraged by difficulties.”
The words are different, but the meaning is almost the same.
4. Check the question type
Each question type needs a slightly different approach.
Question type
What to check
True/False/Not Given
Compare the statement with the passage
Matching Sentence Endings
Find the main idea and choose the ending that fits
Summary Completion
Find the correct part and follow the word limit
5. Follow the word limit
This is very important for Questions 23–26.
The instructions say ONE WORD ONLY, so write only one word. For example, the answer is corridor, not “narrow corridor”.
IELTS says that writing more words than the given limit can cost you the mark.
6. Do not choose an answer only because you see the same word
Seeing the same word in the passage does not always mean you have found the answer.
IELTS calls these wrong clues distractors. A word from an incorrect answer can appear in the relevant part of the text. You should read the sentence and check its meaning before choosing an answer.
7. Keep an eye on time
IELTS Academic Reading gives you 60 minutes for 40 questions. Official IELTS preparation advice suggests working with around 20 minutes for each passage.
Do not spend too much time on one difficult question. Mark it, move on, and come back to it later if you have time.
The Great Migrations IELTS Reading passage can become difficult when you read too quickly or focus only on finding the same words from the question. Small mistakes can also cost marks. IELTS points out that common problems include not understanding the question, not finding the right part of the text, poor time management, spelling mistakes, and writing too many words.
Here are some mistakes to avoid while solving this passage.
Common mistake
Why it can cause problems
What to do instead
Looking for the exact words
IELTS can use different words with the same meaning
Look for keywords and paraphrases
Confusing False and Not Given
A statement can look wrong even when the passage gives no information about it
Check whether the passage contradicts it or simply does not mention it
Choosing an answer too quickly
A word from a wrong option may appear in the passage as a distractor
Read the full sentence and check the meaning
Ignoring the word limit
Writing extra words can make the answer incorrect
Follow instructions such as ONE WORD ONLY
Spending too long on one question
You may not have enough time for the remaining questions
Move on and return later if needed
Using your own knowledge
The answer may not match what the passage says
Use only the information in the passage
Missing spelling errors
A correct idea can still lose the mark if the answer is spelled incorrectly
Check spelling before moving on
Want to practise more IELTS Reading passages? Check out these answer guides covering a range of topics and question types:
The Great Migrations IELTS Reading Answers give you a good way to practise different types of questions in the IELTS Academic Reading test. The passage covers animal migration, how animals behave during their journeys, and the challenges they face.
Before moving on to another reading passage, keep these points in mind:
Read the question carefully and understand what it is asking.
Look for keywords as well as words with similar meanings.
For True/False/Not Given, check the passage before making a choice.
For sentence endings, make sure the ending matches the complete idea.
For summary questions, follow the word limit exactly.
Do not use outside knowledge when the answer must come from the passage.
Check your mistakes after practising and see why you got them wrong.
Regular practice can help you become faster at finding information and more confident when answering IELTS Academic Reading questions.
What type of IELTS Academic Reading questions are in Great Migrations?
The Great Migrations passage includes more than one question type. You may come across True/False/Not Given, Matching Sentence Endings, and Summary Completion questions. Each type checks a different reading skill, so understanding the instructions before answering is useful.
How many questions are there in the Great Migrations IELTS Reading passage?
The Great Migrations question set covered in this article has 13 questions, numbered 14 to 26. This means it is one part of a larger IELTS Reading practice test. In the actual IELTS Academic Reading test, there are 40 questions in total.
Are Great Migrations IELTS Reading Answers available with explanations?
Yes, answers can be checked along with explanations to understand why an option is correct or incorrect. This is more useful than simply checking the answer key. It helps you see where the answer was found and how the question connects with the passage.
How do I identify True, False and Not Given in IELTS Reading?
Read the statement and find the related information in the passage. Choose True when the information agrees with the text and False when it clearly contradicts it. Choose Not Given when the passage does not provide enough information to decide.
What is Matching Sentence Endings in IELTS Academic Reading?
In this question type, you get the beginning of a sentence and several possible endings. You need to choose the ending that completes the idea correctly according to the passage. There are usually more endings than you need, so some options will remain unused.
How does Summary Completion work in IELTS Reading?
You are given a short summary with some missing words. You need to find the relevant part of the passage and use words that fit the meaning and grammar of the summary. Always check the instruction because the answer may have a limit such as ONE WORD ONLY.
Can I get the Great Migrations IELTS Reading answers from the passage itself?
Yes. The answers in IELTS Reading come from the information in the passage. You do not need outside knowledge to solve them. Even when the question uses different words, the required information can be located by matching the meaning with the text.
How much time should I spend on one IELTS Academic Reading passage?
The IELTS Academic Reading test gives you 60 minutes for 40 questions. A simple way to manage this is to aim for around 20 minutes per passage. However, some passages may take a little more or less time depending on the question types.
Does spelling matter in IELTS Reading answers?
Yes, spelling matters when you write an answer yourself. A spelling mistake can make an otherwise correct answer wrong. This is especially important in Summary Completion and other questions where you have to enter words from the passage.
How can I use Great Migrations for IELTS Reading practice?
Try answering the questions first without checking the answer key. After finishing, compare your answers and read the explanations for the questions you got wrong. Then go back to the passage and find the exact information that helped you reach the answer.
Where can I practise IELTS Academic Reading questions?
The official IELTS website has sample tests and preparation material for IELTS Academic Reading. These resources are useful for getting familiar with the test format, question types, and instructions. Regular practice with reliable material can also help you become more comfortable with the test.
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