Nanotyrannus Skeleton “Jodi” Sells for $47.3 Million at Sotheby’s

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

B2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the article’s main purpose?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To describe how Tyrannosaurus rex hunted its prey
   2. To explain Jodi’s sale and its broader significance
   3. To compare several auction houses’ financial results
   4. To argue that fossils should never be privately owned
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To explain Jodi’s sale and its broader significance

   It explains the sale while examining its scientific and commercial significance.

   The price places the fossil at the meeting point of scientific interest and the market for collectibles.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article mention people beyond specialist fossil circles?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To show that researchers rejected the skeleton
   2. To suggest that Jodi is more famous than T. rex
   3. To explain why public interest may extend beyond specialists
   4. To prove that most auction buyers are scientists
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To explain why public interest may extend beyond specialists

   The T. rex connection helps make Jodi interesting to a broader audience.

   T. rex is one of the most widely recognized dinosaurs, and that connection gives Jodi an immediate point of interest for people beyond specialist fossil circles.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “That distinction” refer to?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The difference between fossils and skeletons
   2. The difference between research value and sale price
   3. The difference between museums and auction houses
   4. The difference between T. rex and Nanotyrannus
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The difference between research value and sale price

   It refers to the difference between scientific value and auction demand.

   At an auction, however, the price is set by competing buyers and reflects demand for that particular object at that particular sale.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What relationship does the third paragraph establish?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Cause and effect between extinction and collecting
   2. A contrast between scientific and market perspectives
   3. A sequence of events during the auction
   4. A comparison between two dinosaur species
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A contrast between scientific and market perspectives

   It contrasts a fossil’s research value with its value as a collectible.

   The price places the fossil at the meeting point of scientific interest and the market for collectibles.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can be inferred about a high-profile auction?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It can make fossils more visible to the public
   2. It can guarantee new scientific discoveries
   3. It can prevent buyers from competing
   4. It can establish the fossil’s exact age
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It can make fossils more visible to the public

   The article suggests publicity can increase public interest in prehistoric life.

   Still, a high-profile auction can bring a prehistoric animal to a wider audience and encourage public interest in fossils.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which statement best describes the article’s treatment of the price?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The price proves Jodi’s scientific importance
   2. The price is irrelevant to the article’s argument
   3. The price reflects demand but cannot answer all scientific questions
   4. The price mainly demonstrates weaknesses in fossil research
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The price reflects demand but cannot answer all scientific questions

   The article presents the price as meaningful but scientifically limited.

   A sale price shows what a buyer was prepared to pay; it does not, by itself, answer every scientific question connected with the specimen.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the final paragraph return to the T. rex connection?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To explain how T. rex fossils are legally protected
   2. To connect commercial attention with familiar public interest
   3. To introduce a new discovery about T. rex behavior
   4. To show that Jodi was displayed in a museum
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To connect commercial attention with familiar public interest

   The connection reinforces why the commercially sold fossil attracts broad attention.

   The transaction adds another prominent example of a prehistoric specimen receiving major attention in a commercial setting, while its connection to T. rex keeps the focus on a dinosaur familiar to many people.

What to review next

Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.

The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?

The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.