Below is a reading exercise to practise synonyms. As you know, being able to spot paraphrases and synonyms is essential in IELTS Reading. This lesson will help you develop skills which will improve your ability to tackle IELTS Reading questions successfully.
Reading Passage: Did Birds Evolve from Dinosaurs?
Evidence that birds evolved from, dinosaurs, the carnivorous predators that ruled the Mesozoic ecosystems is plentiful. Traditionally, the prime source of evidence in support of this scientific view was the similar shape of the bones of birds but spectacular new discoveries have added other lines of evidence to the table. One of these involves a suite of features from the eggs of these dinosaurs. A host of fossils have shown that not only did maniraptoran dinosaurs resemble birds in the way they laid their eggs but that these eggs also looked like the eggs of birds. Another line of evidence involves fossils of animals in a brooding pose or in a resting postures also show a startling similarity with the behaviours we see among living birds. Yet, perhaps the most compelling new line of evidence comes from the discovery of soft tissues associated with the skeletons of these predatory dinosaurs, many fossils of these creatures are now known to have been covered by plumage. All this evidence has highlighted the fact that many features that were previously thought to be exclusively avian – from feathers to a wishbone – have now been discovered in the immediate dinosaur predecessor of birds. Even flight is likely to have been an attribute inherited by birds from their dinosaurian forebears! If the new wealth of fossils has clarified the old controversy of the origin of birds, many other fossils have provided a vivid testimony of the early phases of avian evolution. Hidden in these fossils are the clues to how birds perfected their flying abilities and how they evolved warm bloodedness.
Source: Article adapted from Natural History Museum
Questions 1-8: Find the following synonyms in the passage above. Answers come in order.
- meat-eating
- a group / set
- stance / position
- resemblance
- persuasive
- feathers
- ancestor
- characteristic / quality
Answers
The answers are available on the following page: click here Answers to Synonyms Practice Lesson
All the best
Liz
Note: This type of question does NOT come in the IELTS reading test. This is a practice lesson to help you review your knowledge of synonyms.
Hey dear Liz
Thank you for all the great content.
I’m a little confused about the first sentence; Evidence is singular and the verb is singular though the adjective used at the end is baffling to me; Plentiful is kind of shows quantities so why the subject and the verb are singlular?
I understand your concern. This is because you need to identify that the word “evidence” is an uncountable noun, which means you will use different adjectives. The words “a piece of evidence” is countable but that’s because the main noun in the phrase is “a piece” which is countable. Also, all uncountable nouns will use a singular third person verb “is”. So, I think the issue you face is your understanding of using uncountable noun. Now you know the issue to tackle, try researching the grammar around uncountable nouns. This page of mine might help: https://ieltsliz.com/uncountable-nouns-word-list/
are a paraphrase and synonym types of questions for the general reading test?
Synonyms practice lessons on my website are to help you develop skills needed to tackle IELTS questions. They are skills based lessons as well as language based lessons. I’ve just put information about this into the page above for clarification.
Please does it mean for paraphrasing, the questions come in order?
Because I saw where you said X came before Y and, therefore, shouldn’t he the answer.
Paraphrasing is a skill, not a question type. All lessons for paraphrasing are only used for building skills – not for practising IELTS test questions.
Thank you, i just fall in love with your teaching always.
1. carnivorous
2. A host of
3. posture/pose
4. similarities
5 compelling
6.flight
7. forebears
8. attribute
Carnivorous
Suite
Pose
Similarity
Compelling
Plumage
Forebears
Attribute
1. Carnivorous
2. Suite
3. Postures
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Forebears
8. Clues
Hi,
When we would get answers??
Thanks
Sam
In the next 10 mins 🙂
1. Carnivorous
2. Mesozoic
3. In support
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Forebears
8. Controversy
1. Carnivorous
2. Suite
3. Pose/Posture
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Predecessor
8. Attribute/Feature
1. Carnivorous
2. suite
3. phase
4. similarity
5. compelling
6.tissues
7. predecessor
8. attribute/ behaviour/ feature
1. Carnivorous
2. Suite
3. Pose
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Forebears
8. Attribute
1.Carnivorous
2.School
3.take place
4.Similarity
5.Motivating
6.Plumage
7.Forefather/seniour
8.Trait
1) carnivorous
2) suite
3) pose/postures
4) similarity
5) compelling
6) plumage
7) early phases
8) abilities
Got my results for test taken on May 4 , Academic IELTS. Overall Band Score 8. Your lessons played a critical role in my achievement .Thanks Liz.
Brilliant!! Very well done 🙂
1, carnivorous
2, mesozoic
3, posture
4, suite
5, compelling
6, plumage
7, forebears
8, features
carnivorous
suite
posture
similarity
compelling
plumage
predecessor
attribute
1. carnivorous
2.suite
3.pose/postures
4.similarity
5.compelling
6.plumage
7.forebears/predecessor
8. attribute
Carnivorous
Suite
Posture
Similarity
Compelling
Plumage
Predecessor
Attribute
Meat-eating-carnivorous
A group/set-suite
Stance/position-view
Resemblance-similarity
Persuassive-compelling
Feathers-plumage
Ancestor-forebears
Characteristic/qualitiy-attribute
1. carnivorous
2.suite
3.pose/postures
4.similarity
5.compelling
6.plumage
7.forebears/predecessor
8. attribute
1. Carnivorous
2. Suite
3. Posture
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Predecessor
8. Attribute
Jabbouri Jihad from Morocco:
1-carnivorous
2-shape
3- view
4- similarity
5- compelling
6- plumage
7- forebears
8- abilities
Carnivorous
Unit
Posture
Similarity
Include action
Plume
Antecedent
Feature
1. Carnivorous
2. Suite
3. Posture
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Predecessor
8. Attribute
1. Carnivorous
2. Suite
3. Posture
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Predecessor
8. Attribute
1) Carnivorous
2) a suite
3) pose
4) similarity
5) compelling
6) predecessor
7) attribute
1. Carnivorous
2. A host of
3. Posture
4. Similarity
5. Evidence
6. Plumage
7. Predecessor
8. Attribute
1. carnivorous
2. host
3. pose
4. similarity
5. compelling
6. plumage
7. forebears
8. abilities
meat-eating – carnivorous
a group/set – suite
stance/position – pose/posture
resemblance – similarities
persuasive – compelling
feathers/plumage
ancestors – predecessors/forebears
characteristic/quality – abilities
1.carnivorous
2.suite
3.predecessor
4.similarity
5.vivid
6.plumage
7.forebear
8.attribute
1. Carnivorous
2. Host
3. Pose
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Predecessor
8. Attribute
1. carnivorous
2. predators
3. view
4. similarity
5. compelling
6. plumage
7. predecessor
8. attribute
Carnivorous
Host
pose
similarity
Compelling
Plumage
predecessor
Features
1 carnivorous
2. ecosystem
3. pose/postures
4. Similarity
5. compelling
6. plumage
7. forebears
8. ability
1. Carnivorous
2. A host of fossils
3. Brooding Pose / Resting Postures
4. Similarities
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7
8. Flying Abilities
1. Carnivorous
2. Host of fossils
3. In the way
4. Looked like
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Predecessor
8. Abilities
1- Carnivorous
2-host
3-posture
4-similarity
5-compelling
6-plumage
7-predecessor
8-testimony
1. Predators
2.Suite
3.Posture
4.Similarity
5.Compelling
6.Plumage
7.Forebear
8.Ability
Carnivorous
Mesozoic
View
Similarity
Compelling
Plumage
Predecessor
Attribute
1- Carnivorous
2-Predators/a suit
3-posture
4-similarity
5-compelling
6-plumage
7-forebears
8-attribute
Meat Eating – Carnivorous
a group of – a suite of
stance / position – posture
resemblance – similarity
Persuasive – compelling
feathers – plumage
ancestors – predecessors
characteristics – features
1.CARNIVOROUS
2.HOST
3.POSE
4.SIMILARITY
5.COMPELLING
6.PLUMAGE
7.FOREBEARS
8.ATTRIBUTE
meat-eating- carnivorous
a group / set- suite
stance / position- fact
resemblance- look alike
persuasive- compelling
feathers- plummage
ancestor- forebears
characteritics – Abilities
Stance /position – view
1. Carnivorous
2. Suite
3. Posture
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Forebear
8. Attribute
1. carnivorous
2. suite
3. pose / posture
4. similarity
5. compelling
6. plumage
7. predecessor
8. attribute
Thanks google
1. carnivorous
2. suite
3. pose/posture
4. similarity
5. compelling
6. plumage
7. forbears
8. features
Hello mam! Please check my answers
1.Carnivorous
2.Ecosystems/host
3.Postures
4.Similarity
5.Compelling
6.Plumage
7.Predecessor
8.Attribute
1.carnivorous
2 a suite
3.view
4.similarity
5.startling
6.plumage
7.forebear
8.attribute
1, carnivorous
2, suite
3, postures
4, similarity
5, compelling
6, plumage
7, forebears
8, wealth
1.Carnivorous
2.plentiful
3.suite
4.resemble
5.compelling
6.plumage
7.predecessor
8.attribute
Carnivorous
a suite
posture
similarity
compelling
plumage
predecessor
attribute
1. Carnivorous
2. Suite
3. Pose
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Forebear / predecessor
8. Attribute / feature
1) Carnivorous
2) a Suite
3) pose/ posture
4) similarity
5) compelling
6) plumage
7) predecessor
8) attribute/ abilities
CARNIVOROUS
BIRDS
BROADING POSE
ASSOCIATED
EVIDENCE
WISHBONE
PREDECESSOR
ATTRIBUTE
1.carnivorous
2.suite
3.postures
4.similarity
5.Compelling
6.plumage
7.forebears
8.abilities
1) Carnivorous
2) suite
3) posture
4) looked like
5) compelling
6) soft tissues
7) Predecessor
8) attribute
1.cranivorous
2.suite
3.pose/posture
4.tissue
5.compelling
6.plumge
7.predecessor
8.attribute
1. CARNIVOROUS
2. A HOST
3. POSE/ POSITION
4. SIMILARITY
5. COMPELLING
6. PLUMAGE
7. PREDECESSOR
8 ATTRIBUTE
1. carnivorous
2. host
3. posture
4. similarity
5. compelling
6. plumage
7. predecessor/ forebears
8. attribute
1.meat eating – carnivorous
2.a group – suite
3. stance/ position-host
4. resemblance- similarity
5. persuasive- compelling
6. feathers- plumage
7. ancestor- predecessor , forebears
8. characteristic/ quality – attribute
Carnivorous
host
postures
similarity
avain
forebears
origin
bloodedness
Carnivorous
A host/a suite
Brooding pose/posture
Similar
Compelling
Plumage
Forebears
Abilities/attributes
1. Carnivorous
2. host
3. pose
4. startling similarities
5. compelling
6. forebear
7. early phase/origin
8. bloodedness/clues
1. CARNIVOROUS
2. PREDATORS
3. POSTURES
4. SIMILARITY
5. COMPELLING
6. PLUMAGE
7. FOREBEARS
8. ATTRIBUTE
1. canivorious
2. a host of
3.pose
4. similarity
5. compelling
6. avian
7. predecessor
8. attribute inherited
1. Meat- eating : carnivoelus
2. a group / set : ecosystems
3. stance / position : host
4. resemblance : resemble
5. persuative : compelling
6. ancestor : forebear, predecessor
7. characteristic / quality : feature
1. Carnivorous
2. Suite
3. Posture
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Predecessor
8. Attribute
Compelling =persuasive
Support =stance
1. Carnivorous
2. Suite
3. Pose
4.Resemble
5. Compelling
6.Plumage
7.Forebears
7.Abilities
1. carnivorous
2. suite
3. posture
4. similarity
5. compelling
6. soft tissues
7. forebears
8. abilities
1 carnivorous
2 host
3 brooding pose
4 looked like
5 compelling
6 flight
7 old controversy
8 abilities
1-Carnivorous
2-Suite
3-Pose
4-Similarity
5-Compelling
6-plumage
7-Forebears
8-Abilities
carnivorous,
suite
brooding pose
similarity
compelling
plumage
predecessor
attribute
predator
set
position
looked like
compelling
plumage
predecessor
feature
1- carnivororous
2- host
3- pose/posture
4- similarity
5- compelling
6- plumage
7- predecessor
8- attribute
1.carnivourous
2.suite
3.brooding pose/resting posture
4.looked like
5.compelling
6.plumage
7.forebears
8.attribute
1. meat-eating – carnivorous
2. a group – suite
3. stance/position – postures
4. resemblance – similarity
5. persuasive -compelling
6. feathers – plumage
7. ancestor – predecessor
8. characteristic/ quality – attribute
1. Carnivorous predators
2. Brooding pose
3. Resting postures
4. Features
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Forebears
8. Attributes
1. Carnivorous
2. Plentiful
3. Posture
4. Looked-like
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Forebears
8. Attribute
1. carnivorous
2. host
3. posture
4. similarity
5. compelling
6. plumage
7. predecessor
8. clues
Carnivorous
Suite
Posture
Similarity
Compelling
Soft tissues
Forebears
Abilities
meat eating – carnivorous
a group/set – plentiful
stance/position – posture
resemble – looked like
persuasive – compelling
feathers – plumage
ancestors – forebears
quality/characteristics – abilities
1. carnivorous
2. suite
3. brooding pose
4.
5.compelling new line of evidence
6. soft tissues/plumage
7.forebears
8. abilities
Carnivorous
Predators
Support
Similar
Compelling
Plumage
Predecessor
Attribute
1. Carnivorous
2. Lines.
3. Pose/posture
4. Similarities
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Forebears
8. Abilities
1.carnivorous
2.maniraptoran dinosaurs
3.posture
4.resemble
5.compelling
6.avian
7.attribute
8.features
1.carnivorous
2. suite
3. pose
4. similarity
5. compelling
6. plumage
7. predecessor
8. attribute
1. carnivorous
2.suite
3.pose/posture
4.similarity
5.compelling
6.plumage
7.forebears
8.attribute
1 carnivorous
2 suite
3 pose
4 similarity
5 compelling
6 plumage
7 predecessor
8 attribute
1 meat eating -Carnivorous
2 a group- suite
3 stance- posture
4 resemblance- resemble
5persuasive- compelling
6feathers- plumage
7ancestors- forebears
8 characteristic – features
Carnivorous
suite
Posture
Similarity
Compelling
Plumage
Predecessor
Atttibute
1.Carnivorous
2.Suite
3.Pose/ posture
4. Similar
5.Compelling
6.
7.Predecessor
8.Attribute
Carnivorous
Brooding
Similar
Compelling
Plumage
Forebears
Attribute
Carnivorous
Host
Similarity
Compelling
Plumage
Forebears
Attribute
1. Carnivorous
2. A Suite
3. Posture
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Forebear
8. Controversy
1.carnivorous
2.a host
3. Posture
4. Similarity
5.compelling
6.plumage
7.origin
8. Abilities
1.carnivorous
2.a host
3.pose
4.looked like
5.compelling
6.plumage
7.forebears
8.attribute
1 Carnivorous
2. Plentiful
3.Posture
4.Similarity
5.Compelling
6.Avian
7.Forebear
8.Attribute
Carnivorous. A suite. Pose/posture. Similarity. Compelling. Plumage. Forebears. Attribute.
1. Carnivorous
2. Ecosystems
3. Evidence
4. Features
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Forebears
8. Attribute
Predator
Fossil
Posture
Similarity
Compelling
Plumage
Dinosaur
Feature
1. Carnivorous
2. A host
3. Posture
4. Looked like
5. Wish bone
6. Forebears
7. Attribute
2. A host of
I. Carnivorous
2. A host of
3. Postures
4. Looked like
5. Most compelling
6. Wish bone
7. Forebears
8. Attribute
Meat eating – Carnivore
A group/set – Plentiful
Stance/positions posture
Resemblance – Similar
Persuasive – Compelling
Feathers – Wish bone/Flight
Ancestors -Predecessors
Characteristics/Quality – Features
Answers to above given synonyms exercise are as follows:
1. Carnivorous
2. A host of
3. Pose / posture
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Forebears
8. Attribute
1)carnivorous (meat eating)
2)suite (a group/set)
3)pose/posture (stance/position)
4)similarity (resemblance)
5)compelling (persuasive)
6) ——- (feathers)
7)old (ancestor)
8)ability (characteristic/quality)
1.Carnivorous
2.similar shape
3.
4.looked like
5.highlighted
6.wishbone
7.forebears
8.Abilities
Carnivorous
Suite
Posture
Similarity
Compelling
Plumage
Forebears
Abilities
Carnivorous,
Predators
Postures
Similarity
Compelling
Plumage
Forbear
Features
I think 2nd will be a suit of
1.carnivorous
2.mesozoic
3.postures
4.looked like
5.compelling
6.plumage
7.forbearers
8.abilities
1.Carnivorous
2.Host
3.Evidence
4.Similarity
5.Compelling
6.Plumage
7.Old
8.Abilities
1. Carnivorous
2. Host
3.
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Predecessor
8. Attribute
1. Carnivorous
2. Suite
3. Pose/ Posture
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Plumage
7. Predecessor
8. Attribute
1. Carnivorous
2. Suite
3. posture
4. similarity
5. compelling
6. plumage
7. forebears
8. abilities
1.carnivorous
2. Mesozoic ecosystem
3.pose /posture
4. Similarity
5. Evidence
6. Avian
7. Forebears
8.warm bloodedness
1. Carnivorous
2. Predators
3. Evidence
4. Similarity
5. Compelling
6. Avian
7. Fossils
8. Clues
carnivorous
suite
pose
startling similarity
compelling
plumage
predecessor
attribute
carnivorous
a suite
posture
similarity
compelling
plumage
predecessor
attribute
1. Carnivorous
2.predators
3.evidence
4.similarity
5.compelling
6.avian
7.fossils
8.clues
1. carnivorous
2. host
3. pose
4. similarity
5. compelling
6. plumage
7. forebears
8. attribute