IELTS Reading: “What Lucy Taught Us” – Answers & Detailed Analysis

In 1974, a groundbreaking discovery in Ethiopia forever changed our perspective on human origins. “Lucy,” the 3.5-million-year-old skeleton of a human ancestor, revealed an incredible story of evolution. The IELTS reading passage “What Lucy Taught Us” is more than just an archaeological account; it is a rigorous test of reading comprehension skills, requiring the ability to track specific information and complete notes accurately. Join ECE as we explore the invaluable lessons learned from Lucy and break down the questions in this reading passage!

Reading Passage & Questions

What Lucy Taught Us

A scientific finding in east Africa has changed our understanding of how humans have developed

(A) On a Sunday morning in late November 1974, a team of scientists were digging in an isolated spot in the Afar region of Ethiopia. Surveying the area, paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson spotted a small piece of bone. Straight away, he recognized it as coming from the elbow of a human ancestor. And there were plenty more. “As I looked up the slopes to my left, I saw bits of the skull, a chunk of jaw, a couple of vertebrae,” says Johanson.

(B) It was immediately obvious that the skeleton was a significant find, because the sediments at the site were known to be 3.5 million years old… It was the most ancient early human ever found. Later it became apparent that it was also the most complete—40% of the skeleton had been preserved.

(C) At the group’s campsite that night, Johanson played a Beatles song called ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,’ and, as the feeling was that the skeleton was female due to its size, someone suggested calling it Lucy… But the morning after the discovery, the discussion was dominated by questions.

(D) According to Johanson, Lucy had an incredible combination of primitive and derived features… Her skull and jaws were more ape-like… Her braincase was also very small… She had a hefty jaw, a low forehead and long dangly arms.

(E) For Johanson, it was immediately apparent that Lucy walked upright… the shape and positioning of her pelvis reflected a fully upright gait… As an upright walker, Lucy strengthened the idea that walking was one of the selective pressures driving human evolution forward. Early humans did not need bigger brains to take defining steps away from apes.

(F) She may have walked like a human, but Lucy spent at least some of her time up in the trees… It may be that upright walking evolved in the trees, as a way to walk along branches that would otherwise be too flexible. It’s not clear why Lucy left the safety of the trees… But hunting for food may have been the real reason for heading to the ground.

(G) Studies of the remains of food trapped on preserved human teeth indicate that… Lucy’s species was expanding its diet around 3.5 million years ago. Instead of mostly eating fruit from trees, they began to include grasses and possibly meat… Fossilized crocodile and turtle eggs were found near her skeleton, suggesting that Lucy died while foraging for them…

(H) Later species, like Homo erectus, are known to have used simple stone tools, but no tools have ever been found from this far back. However, in 2010 archaeologists uncovered animal bones with scratches that seem to have been made by stone tools. This suggests that Lucy and her relatives used stone tools to eat meat.

(I) It also seems that Lucy’s childhood was much briefer than ours and that she had to fend for herself from a young age… she seems to have grown to full size very quickly, and time of death was when she was around 12 years old. In line with that, a recent study of a 3-year-old early human suggested that their brains matured much earlier than ours do.

Questions

Questions 1 – 5

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet, write TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN

1. Donald Johanson was uncertain about the nature of the elbow bone he found in Afar.
2. Several bones were found by Donald Johanson at the same site in Afar.
3. The experts realized the importance of the discovery at Afar.
4. It was the upper part of the skeleton that had suffered the least damage.
5. The skeleton’s measurements helped Johanson’s team to decide if it was male or female.

Questions 6 – 13

Complete the notes below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 6-13 on your answer sheet.

Lucy Physical features

• jaws and skull like those of an ape
• braincase similar in size to that of a chimp
• long arms

Movement

• the positioning and shape of her pelvis made it clear that she walked like a human
• upright movement possibly started among the 6. _______ of trees
• probably moved to the 7. _______ in search of food

Diet and eating habits

• analysis of food in the 8. _______ of the skeletons of early humans shows changes in their diet
• it is likely that meat and grasses were substituted for 9. _______
• 10. _______ that were located close to Lucy suggest these were also part of her diet
• 11. _______ that were found had marks on them, possibly made by tools used for eating

Comparisons with modern-day humans

• modern-day humans have a longer 12. _______ than Lucy did
• the 13. _______ of modern-day humans appear to develop later than Lucy’s did

Reading Passage Summary

The “What Lucy Taught Us” passage provides critical insights into human evolution through the analysis of the Lucy skeleton.

• Discovery and Significance: Lucy is the oldest and most complete human ancestor skeleton ever found, helping scientists better understand the era of 3.5 million years ago.
• Upright Gait: The characteristics of Lucy’s pelvis, knees, and ankles prove that our ancestors walked on two legs before developing large brains. Walking upright was a pivotal evolutionary step.
• Diet and Habitat: Lucy lived both in trees and on the ground. Analysis of her teeth and nearby fossils indicates that her species’ diet expanded from fruit to include grasses and potentially meat, helping them adapt to changing environments.
• Tool Use: There is indirect evidence suggesting that Lucy’s species may have used stone tools.
• Life Cycle: Compared to modern humans, Lucy had a shorter childhood, matured faster, and her brain developed at an earlier stage.

Key Vocabulary Highlights

1. Paleoanthropologist (noun): A scientist who studies human ancestors and evolution.
2. Vertebrae (plural noun): The bones that make up the spine.
3. Primitive (adjective): Relating to an early stage of evolutionary development.
4. Derived features (noun phrase): Traits that have evolved from an ancestral state.
5. Gait (noun): A person’s manner of walking.
6. Bipedal (adjective): Walking on two feet.
7. Foraging (verb): Searching for food or provisions.
8. Fused (verb/adjective): (Of bones) joined together, often a sign of physical maturity.

Answer Key & Detailed Explanations

1. FALSE

• Evidence (Paragraph A): “Straight away, he recognized it as coming from the elbow of a human ancestor.”
• Explanation: The phrases “straight away” and “recognized” indicate that Johanson was certain about the bone’s origin, which contradicts the word “uncertain” in the statement.

2. TRUE

• Evidence (Paragraph A): “And there were plenty more. “…I saw bits of the skull, a chunk of jaw, a couple of vertebrae,” says Johanson.”
• Explanation: Johanson found numerous other bone fragments at the exact same location.

3. TRUE

• Evidence (Paragraph B): “It was immediately obvious that the skeleton was a significant find…”
• Explanation: “Immediately obvious” and “significant find” show that the experts recognized its importance right away.

4. NOT GIVEN

• Explanation: While the passage mentions that 40% of the skeleton was preserved, it does not specify which part (upper or lower) suffered the most or least damage.

5. TRUE

• Evidence (Paragraph C): “…the feeling was that the skeleton was female due to its size…”
• Explanation: The physical “size” of the skeleton was the determining factor for the team in deciding it was female.

6. branches

• Evidence (Paragraph F): “…a way to walk along branches that would otherwise be too flexible.”

7. ground

• Evidence (Paragraph F): “…hunting for food may have been the real reason for heading to the ground.”

8. teeth

• Evidence (Paragraph G): “Studies of the remains of food trapped on preserved human teeth indicate that…”

9. fruit

• Evidence (Paragraph G): “Instead of mostly eating fruit from trees, they began to include grasses and possibly meat.”

10. eggs

• Evidence (Paragraph G): “Fossilized crocodile and turtle eggs were found near her skeleton…”

11. bones

• Evidence (Paragraph H): “…archaeologists uncovered animal bones with scratches that seem to have been made by stone tools.”

12. childhood

• Evidence (Paragraph I): “It also seems that Lucy’s childhood was much briefer than ours…”

13. brains

• Evidence (Paragraph I): “…a recent study… suggested that their brains matured much earlier than ours do.”

The “What Lucy Taught Us” reading passage is a classic example of a biographical-archaeological text where information is presented chronologically alongside scientific arguments. The key to mastering this passage is the ability to scan for specific details to complete the notes.

Furthermore, the skill of distinguishing between facts, hypotheses, and information not mentioned is crucial for the True/False/Not Given section. We hope that by “excavating” the knowledge from this passage with ECE, you have equipped yourself with useful tools to achieve a high score on the IELTS exam. Good luck!

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