Cambridge 20 Reading Test 2 - Answers With Explanation

1. "The manatee has a broad, rounded tail, whereas the dugong's is fluked, like that of a whale."

2. "To see something on its left or its right, a manatee must turn its entire body, steering with its flippers."

3. "They also have some hairs covering their bodies which help them sense vibrations in the water around them."

4. "Seagrasses and other marine plants make up most of a manatee's diet."

5. "Manatees have lips which function like a pair of hands to help tear food away from the seafloor."

6. "It's thought that manatees use their muscular diaphragm and breathing to adjust their buoyancy."

7. "It moves between fresh water and salt water, taking advantage of coastal mangroves and coral reefs, rivers, lakes and inland lagoons." TRUE.

8. The passage gives a temperature threshold for the Florida manatee (below 20°C) but never compares its waters to the Antillean manatee's — NOT GIVEN.

9. "The species also makes use of rivers, with the mammals seen in landlocked countries such as Mali and Niger" — its range goes beyond the coast — FALSE.

10. The passage gives the estimated death toll but never says when this figure came to light — NOT GIVEN.

11. "Both are also expected to undergo a decline of 20% over the next 40 years." TRUE.

12. The passage gives a single count of cases from 2009-2020 but doesn't compare it with an earlier period to show an increase — NOT GIVEN.

13. "Laws in certain parts of Florida now limit boat speeds during winter, allowing slow-moving manatees more time to respond." TRUE.

14. Section B: "Contrary to popular belief, procrastination is not due to laziness or poor time management" — correcting a false assumption.

15. Section F: "We should remind ourselves that we're not the first person to procrastinate, nor the last."

16. Section B: "Research involving brain imaging has found that areas of the brain linked to detection of threats and emotion regulation are actually different in people who chronically procrastinate."

17. "Contrary to popular belief, procrastination is not due to laziness or poor time management" — matching the common but mistaken belief.

18. "If just thinking about the task threatens our sense of self-worth or makes us anxious, we will be more likely to put it off."

19. "Areas of the brain linked to detection of threats and emotion regulation are actually different" in chronic procrastinators.

20. "Tasks that are emotionally loaded or difficult, such as preparing for exams, are prime candidates for procrastination."

21. "Another group of people who tend to procrastinate are perfectionists, who worry their work will be judged harshly."

22. "People tend to be left with a sense of guilt that not only increases their negative mood, but also reinforces their tendency to procrastinate."

23–24. "Participants who said they regularly procrastinated had less annual income" (lower salaries) "and less employment stability" (don't keep their jobs as long).

25–26. "Forgiving ourselves and feeling compassion when we procrastinate can help break the procrastination cycle" (not judging ourselves harshly), and evidence-based strategies "can help us fend off distractions that can occupy our minds" (avoiding things that stop us concentrating).

27. "Instead of making any judgments himself about a strike, DeJesus had decisions fed to him through an earpiece." ABS made the call, not DeJesus — NO.

28. "During the first robo-umpire season, players complained about some strange calls. In response, MLB decided to tweak the dimensions of the zone." YES.

29. The passage never mentions the system's cost or MLB justifying it — NOT GIVEN.

30. The fastball "flattened the game into strikeouts, walks, and home runs — a type of play lacking much action" — the opposite of exciting — NO.

31. Sword's team "talked about changing" the bats among other things, but the passage doesn't mention any debate over the bat proposals specifically — NOT GIVEN.

32. "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, or something shaped like Texas.'" YES.

33. "MLB... wanted human umpires to announce the calls, just as they would have done in the past" — their former roles.

34. "Previously, calling a strike was a judgment call on the part of the umpire" — a subjective assessment.

35. The strike zone is "an imaginary zone about seventeen inches wide, stretching from the batter's knees to the middle of his chest" — a perceived area.

36. "Countless arguments between a team's manager and the umpire have taken place over its boundaries" — numerous disputes.

37. "There was no heckling and no shouted disagreement. Nobody said a word" — total silence.

38. The writer questions "whether controversy is worth reducing," and Viola calls ABS "unforgiving and pedantic" — suggesting something the game valued is being lost.

39. "Executives are terrified of losing younger fans... ABS was part of a larger project to make baseball more exciting" in order to keep them.

40. Noé calls robo-umpires "a terrible idea" and Russo says "perfect would be weird... What is there to talk about?" — both argue accuracy isn't the same as enjoyment.