Question

Read the following paragraphs to answer the next four questions (Questions 16 - 19). Among predatory dinosaurs, few flesh-eaters were bigger, faster and nastier than the "tyrant lizard" of popular imagination, the Tyrannosaurus Rex. At least, that is what we have been led to believe.

Now research suggests that, far from being the Ferrari of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex, whose ferocious reputation has fascinated generations of schoolchildren, was in fact a cumbersome creature with a usual running speed of twenty-five kilometres an hour. This is a mere snail's pace compared with modern animals such as the cheetah.

Unlike some of the predators of today's African savannah, which can change direction almost immediately, the dinosaur would have had to turn slowly or risk tumbling over. And while a human can spin forty-five degrees in a twentieth of a second, a Tyrannosaurus would have taken as much as two seconds, as it would have been hampered by its long tail. Thankfully, however, all its prey, such as triceratops, would have been afflicted with the same lack of speed and agility.

The findings were reached after researchers used computer modelling and biomechanical calculations to work out the dinosaur's speed, agility and weight. They based their calculations on measurements taken from a fossil dinosaur representative of an average Tyrannosaurus and concluded the creatures probably weighed between six and eight tonnes.

Calculations of the leg muscles suggest that the animal would have had a top speed of forty kilometres an hour, which is nothing compared to a cheetah’s one hundred kilometres an hour. It is sobering to reflect, though, that an Olympic sprinter runs at about thirty-five kilometres an hour, not sufficient to outrun a Tyrannosaurus, should Man have been around at that time!



Question 16

Being known as the ‘Ferrari of dinosaurs’ means Tyrannosaurus Rex: A: wore shoes.

B: was a quick and agile creature.

C: was a hunting machine.

D: was the most ferocious of dinosaurs.

E: None of these.



Question 17

In turning, a Tyrannosaurus would have been hampered by: A: its weight.

B: its bulky leg muscles.

C: its overall size.

D: its tail length.

E: All of the above.



Question 18

In calculating the size, speed and agility of Tyrannosaurus Rex, scientists used: A: examination of fossils.

B: biomechanical calculations and computer models.

C: comparisons with modern animals.

D: A and B together.

E: B and C together.



Question 19

The overall theme of the passage is:

A: Because it was cumbersome, Tyrannosaurus Rex was lucky to survive.

B: Tyrannosaurus Rex’s speed and agility were still superior to those of other dinosaurs.

C: Tyrannosaurus Rex’s fierce reputation is now laid to rest.

D: Compared to modern predatory animals, Tyrannosaurus Rex was slow and cumbersome.

E: None of these.​

Answer 1

Answer:

was a quick and agile creature

Answer 2

16. Being known as the ‘Ferrari of dinosaurs’ means Tyrannosaurus Rex B: was a quick and agile creature.

• T. Rex has been compared to a Ferrari. A Ferrari is a car known for its speed and agility hence Rex was believed to be a quick creature.

17. Tyrannosaurus would have been hampered by D: its tail length.

• Tyrannosaurus was a huge creature with a height of over 20 feet. Turning such a huge body was a tough task for it.

18. In calculating the size, speed, and agility of Tyrannosaurus Rex, scientists used D: A and B together.

• To characterize Tyrannosaurus Rex, scientists based their calculations on fossils they excavated. Using computer imaging and other modern technologies, they were able to find T. Rex's speed and size.

19. The overall theme of the passage is D: Compared to modern predatory animals, Tyrannosaurus Rex was slow and cumbersome.

• The overall passage is about how Tyrannosaurus Rex was thought to be a fast, nasty predator. People referred to it as the tyrant lizard. Though in reality, it is quite slow due to its enormous size.