Cambridge IELTS 17 Reading Test 3 Part 1 Questions Questions 1-5 Complete the notes. Write ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer. The thylacine Appearance and behaviour looked rather like a dog had a series of stripes along its body and tail ate an entirely 1 diet probably depended mainly on 2 when hunting young spent first months of life inside its mother’s 3 Decline and extinction last evidence in mainland Australia is a 3,100-year-old 4 probably went extinct in mainland Australia due to animals known as dingoes reduction in 5 and available sources of food were partly responsible for decline in Tasmania Questions 6-13 Choose TRUE if the statement agrees with the information given in the text, choose FALSE if the statement contradicts the information, or choose NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this. 6. Significant numbers of thylacines were killed by humans from the 1830s onwards. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN None 7. Several thylacines were born in zoos during the late 1800s. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN None 8. John Gould’s prediction about the thylacine surprised some biologists. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN None 9. In the early 1900s, many scientists became worried about the possible extinction of the thylacine. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN None 10. T.T. Flynn’s proposal to rehome captive thylacines on an island proved to be impractical. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN None 11. There were still reasonable numbers of thylacines in existence when a piece of legislation protecting the species during their breeding season was passed. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN None 12. From 1930 to 1936, the only known living thylacines were all in captivity. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN None 13. Attempts to find living thylacines are now rarely made. TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN None Part 2 Questions Questions 14-20 Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs, A-H.Which paragraph contains the following information?Choose the correct letter. A B C D E F G H 14. examples of a range of potential environmental advantages of oil palm tree cultivation 15. description of an organisation which controls the environmental impact of palm oil production 16. examples of the widespread global use of palm oil 17. reference to a particular species which could benefit the ecosystem of oil palm plantations 18. figures illustrating the rapid expansion of the palm oil industry 19. an economic justification for not opposing the palm oil industry 20. examples of creatures badly affected by the establishment of oil palm plantations Questions 21 and 22 Choose TWO correct answers. Which TWO statements are made about the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)? Its membership has grown steadily over the course of the last decade. It demands that certified producers be open and honest about their practices. It took several years to establish its set of criteria for sustainable palm oil certification. Its regulations regarding sustainability are stricter than those governing other industries. It was formed at the request of environmentalists concerned about the loss of virgin forests. Questions 23-26 Complete the sentences. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text in each gap.23. One advantage of palm oil for manufacturers is that it stays even when not refrigerated. 24. The is the best known of the animals suffering habitat loss as a result of the spread of oil palm plantations. 25. As one of its criteria for the certification of sustainable palm oil, the RSPO insists that growers check on a routine basis. 26. Ellwood and his researchers are looking into whether the bird’s nest fern could restore in areas where oil palm trees are grown. Part 3 Questions Questions 27-31 Choose the correct answer. 27. What point does Shester make about Barr’s book in the first paragraph? It gives a highly original explanation for urban development. Elements of Barr’s research papers are incorporated throughout the book. Other books that are available on the subject have taken a different approach. It covers a range of factors that affected the development of New York. None 28. How does Shester respond to the information in the book about tenements? She describes the reasons for Barr’s interest. She indicates a potential problem with Barr’s analysis. She compares Barr’s conclusion with that of other writers. She provides details about the sources Barr used for his research. None 29. What does Shester say about chapter six of the book? It contains conflicting data. It focuses too much on possible trends. It is too specialised for most readers. It draws on research that is out of date. None 30. What does Shester suggest about the chapters focusing on the 1920s building boom? The information should have been organised differently. More facts are needed about the way construction was financed. The explanation that is given for the building boom is unlikely. Some parts will have limited appeal to certain people. None 31. What impresses Shester the most about the chapter on land values? the broad time period that is covered the interesting questions that Barr asks the nature of the research into the topic the recommendations Barr makes for the future None Questions 32-35 Choose YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer, choose NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer, or choose NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this. 32. The description in the first chapter of how New York probably looked from the air in the early 1600s lacks interest. YES NO NOT GIVEN None 33. Chapters two and three prepare the reader well for material yet to come. YES NO NOT GIVEN None 34. The biggest problem for many nineteenth-century New York immigrant neighbourhoods was a lack of amenities. YES NO NOT GIVEN None 35. In the nineteenth century, New York’s immigrant neighbourhoods tended to concentrate around the harbour. YES NO NOT GIVEN None Questions 36-40 Complete the summary below using the list of words, A-J. Write the correct letter A-J in the blanks.List of wordsA development plans B deep excavations C great distance D excessive expense E impossible tasks F associated risks G water level H specific areas I total expenditure J construction guidelines The bedrock mythIn chapter seven, Barr indicates how the lack of bedrock close to the surface does not explain why skyscrapers are absent from 36 . He points out that although the cost of foundations increases when bedrock is deep below the surface, this cannot be regarded as 37 , especially when compared to 38 .A particularly enjoyable part of the chapter was Barr’s account of how foundations are built. He describes not only how 39 are made possible by the use of caissons, but he also discusses their 40 . The chapter is well researched but relatively easy to understand. Time's up
