Spider Silk 2 Reading Answers with IELTS Passage

Spider Silk 2 Reading Answers: The passage "Spider Silk 2" is a popular topic in the IELTS Reading section. It explains the different types of silk produced by spiders, their unique properties, and how these materials are stronger than steel in some ways. This guide provides the complete set of answers to Questions 1–14, along with the answer locations, references from the text, and clear explanations to help you understand the reasoning behind each choice.

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Spider Silk 2 Reading Answers Passage

The passage below, "Spider Silk 2 Reading Answers," is a very common Reading passage in the IELTS exam. Read the passage to answer questions 1—14, which are given below.

Spider Silk 2 Reading Answers

1. Spider silk is not a single or unique material. Different species of spiders make many kinds of silk. Some possess nearly 7 distinct types of glands, each of which produces different silk.

2. Why are there so many types of silk? Each type of silk has a different role. All spiders make dragline silk that works as a lifeline, allowing the creatures to hang from ceilings. It serves as a constant connection to the web, to make quick escapes from attacks. Radial spokes of the web are formed by dragline silk. The first strand by which the web hangs from its support is made by the bridge line silk; yet another silk forms the great spiral.

3. Each type of silk has different and unique physical properties like strength and elasticity. Compared to other synthetic and natural materials, all the types of silk are very strong. Dragline silk has a high degree of  toughness and strength. A strand of dragline silk is many times stronger than steel, on a weight-for-weight basis, but a spider’s dragline is only about 1/10th the diameter of a human hair. The Spider-Man movie underestimates the strength of silk drastically. The real dragline silk would not need to be as thick as the web deployed by Spiderman in the movie.

4. Dragline silk is a composite substance that consists of 2 distinct proteins, each having 3 types of regions with distinct properties. One of these makes an amorphous (non-crystalline) matrix that can be stretched, giving the silk elasticity. When an insect falls on the web, the matrix stretches enabling  the web to absorb the kinetic energy of the insect’s flight. Two types of crystalline regions are embedded in the amorphous portions of both proteins that toughens the silk. Both types of crystalline regions are tightly pleated and resist stretching but one of them is rigid.The less rigid crystals' pleats are thought to not only fit into the rigid crystals' pleats, but also interact with the amorphous portions of the proteins, anchoring the rigid crystals to the matrix. The resulting composite is strong, tough, and yet elastic.

Also Read: 

• IELTS Reading Tips And Strategies

• IELTS Listening Tips

• IELTS Writing Tips

• IELTS Speaking Tips And Tricks

Spider Silk 2 Reading Answers Questions 

Questions 1–4

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

1. What is one key reason spiders produce several types of silk?
   A. To create colourful webs
   B. To scare predators
   C. To perform various specific functions
   D. To hunt in different seasons

2. What is dragline silk mainly used for?
   A. To attract mates
   B. To create colourful patterns in the web
   C. To absorb light
   D. To help spiders escape and support the web

3. What comparison is made between dragline silk and human hair?
   A. Spider silk is heavier
   B. Spider silk is wider
   C. Spider silk is about one-tenth the diameter
   D. Spider silk is thicker but less elastic

4. How does the spider’s web handle the impact of an insect falling onto it?
   A. It breaks and traps the insect
   B. It vibrates until the insect is confused
   C. It stretches due to the amorphous matrix
   D. It coils tightly around the insect

Questions 5–7

Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

5. __________ silk is responsible for creating the radial lines in a spider’s web.

6. Spider silk types are known for their exceptional __________ and elasticity.

7. The movie Spider-Man provides an unrealistic portrayal of silk’s actual __________.

Questions 8–10

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

8. Each species of spider produces only one type of silk.

9. One type of crystal in the silk structure is more rigid than the other.

10. Dragline silk contains a total of three different proteins.

IELTS Reading Answers Spider Silk 2 Reading Answers

1. What is one key reason spiders produce several types of silk?
Answer: C. To perform various specific functions
Location: Paragraph 2
Reference: “Why are there so many types of silk? Each type of silk has a different role.”
Explanation: The passage clearly states that each type of silk has a different purpose, like making webs, draglines, etc., showing different functions.

2. What is dragline silk mainly used for?
Answer: D. To help spiders escape and support the web
Location: Paragraph 2
Reference: “All spiders make dragline silk... It serves as a constant connection to the web, to make quick escapes from attacks.”
Explanation: Dragline silk works as both a lifeline and a structural element in the web, helping spiders escape threats.

3. What comparison is made between dragline silk and human hair?
Answer: C. Spider silk is about one-tenth the diameter
Location: Paragraph 3
Reference: “...but a spider’s dragline is only about 1/10th the diameter of a human hair.”
Explanation: The comparison is directly mentioned, making this the correct answer.

4. How does the spider’s web handle the impact of an insect falling onto it?
Answer: C. It stretches due to the amorphous matrix
Location: Paragraph 4
Reference: “...the matrix stretches enabling the web to absorb the kinetic energy of the insect’s flight.”
Explanation: The amorphous part of the silk structure gives the web elasticity to handle sudden impacts.

5. __________ silk is responsible for creating the radial lines in a spider’s web.
Answer: Dragline
Location: Paragraph 2
Reference: “Radial spokes of the web are formed by dragline silk.”
Explanation: The passage clearly states dragline silk forms the radial spokes.

6. Spider silk types are known for their exceptional __________ and elasticity.
Answer: strength
Location: Paragraph 3
Reference: “Compared to other synthetic and natural materials, all the types of silk are very strong.”
Explanation: The paragraph mentions both strength and elasticity as properties, and "strength" fits grammatically into the sentence.

7. The movie Spider-Man provides an unrealistic portrayal of silk’s actual __________.
Answer: strength
Location: Paragraph 3
Reference: “The Spider-Man movie underestimates the strength of silk drastically.”
Explanation: The comparison is with the actual strength of real dragline silk, which is much higher than shown in the movie.

8. Each species of spider produces only one type of silk.
Answer: FALSE
Location: Paragraph 1
Reference: “Different species of spiders make many kinds of silk. Some possess nearly 7 distinct types of glands...”
Explanation: This contradicts the statement — spiders can produce multiple kinds of silk.

9. One type of crystal in the silk structure is more rigid than the other.
Answer: TRUE
Location: Paragraph 4
Reference: “Two types of crystalline regions... but one of them is rigid.”
Explanation: The passage confirms one crystal is more rigid, while the other is less rigid, directly supporting the statement.

10. Dragline silk contains a total of three different proteins.
Answer: FALSE
Location: Paragraph 4
Reference: “Dragline silk is a composite substance that consists of 2 distinct proteins...”
Explanation: The passage mentions only two distinct proteins, not three.

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