5. Ravens will sometimes pretend to hide food to mislead other birds. 6. The brain of a crow contains more neurons than the brain of a chimpanzee. 7. Corvids are the only non-human animals known to engage in tactical deception. Questions 8–10: Summary Completion Complete the summary below using words from the box.
if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
An IELTS Reading Exercise & Answer Key When IELTS candidates encounter the topic of animal intelligence, the usual suspects—chimpanzees, dolphins, and elephants—often come to mind. However, a growing body of scientific literature focuses on a much smaller, feathered genius: the corvid. This family of birds, which includes crows, ravens, magpies, and jays, has repeatedly shattered our assumptions about the link between brain size and cognitive ability. For test-takers, understanding this topic is not just fascinating; it is essential, as passages about corvid intelligence have appeared in academic reading sections due to their rich vocabulary and clear logical structure. The Myth of the "Bird Brain" For centuries, the phrase "bird brain" was used as an insult to denote a lack of intelligence. This prejudice stemmed from the smooth, un-layered structure of the avian forebrain, which looked primitive compared to the laminated mammalian neocortex. Scientists assumed that without a neocortex, complex thought was impossible. Corvids have forced a complete rewrite of this neurological textbook. the intelligence of corvids ielts reading answers
– Explanation: The scrub-jays remembered what, where, and when. They checked different caches based on how long the food had been stored and its decay rate.
Recent neuroanatomical studies reveal that while corvids lack a neocortex, they possess a high density of neurons packed into their pallium (the forebrain region). In fact, some corvids have a higher percentage of neurons in their forebrain than many primates. The result is a brain that, while physically small, performs computational feats that rival those of great apes. One of the clearest indicators of higher intelligence is the ability to not just use a tool, but to modify one. The New Caledonian crow is the poster child for this behavior. In controlled experiments, these crows were presented with a stick too short to reach a piece of food and a piece of wire. Without any training, the crows bent the wire into a hook to retrieve the food. This spontaneous manufacture of a novel tool demonstrates causal reasoning —the ability to understand that modifying an object changes its physical effect on the environment. The brain of a crow contains more neurons
– Explanation: The passage explicitly describes a crow pretending to hide food in one spot while keeping it in its throat.
– Explanation: The Metatool test required using a short stick to get a long stick to get food, which is sequential or multi-step problem solving. their forebrain region
| | instinct | neocortex | apes | pallium | | The intelligence of corvids challenges the old insult of "bird brain." Unlike mammals, birds do not have a (8) ______________; however, their forebrain region, called the (9) ______________, contains a dense packing of neurons. The ability of New Caledonian crows to bend wire into hooks proves (10) ______________, not simple trial and error. | IELTS Reading Answers Key Here are the correct answers for "the intelligence of corvids ielts reading answers":