Book 19 IELTS Academic Reading Test 4 |

Reading Passage 1 : Questions 1–13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 1–6 on your answer sheet, 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

1. Forty years ago, there were fewer butterflies in Britain than at present.

True False NG

2. Caterpillars are eaten by a number of different predators.

True False NG

3. ‘Phenology’ is a term used to describe a creature’s ability to alter the location of a lifecycle event.

True False NG

4. Some species of butterfly have a reduced lifespan due to spring temperature increases.

True False NG

5. There is a clear reason for the adaptations that butterflies are making to climate change.

True False NG

6. The data used in the study was taken from the work of amateur butterfly watchers.

True False NG

Questions 7–13

Complete the notes below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 7–13 on your answer sheet.

Butterflies in the UK

The Small Blue

lives in large 7
first appears at the start of 8
completes more than one reproductive cycle per year

The High Brown Fritillary

has one reproductive cycle
is considered to be more 9 than other species
its caterpillars occupy a limited range of 10

The Silver-studded Blue

is already able to reproduce twice a year in warm areas of 11

The White Admiral

is found in 12 areas of England
both climate change and the 13 of the caterpillar are possible reasons for decline

Reading Passage 2 : Questions 14 to 26

Questions 14–17

Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs, A–F.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter, A–F, in boxes 14–17 on your answer sheet.

14 reference to the rapidly increasing need for one raw material in the transport industry
15 a rough estimate of the area of the Earth covered by the oceans
16 how a particular underwater habitat, where minerals and organisms co-exist, is formed
17 reference to the fact that the countries of the world have yet to agree on rules for the exploration of the seabed

Questions 18–23

Look at the following statements (Questions 18–23) and the list of people below.

Match each statement with the correct person or people, A–E.

Write the correct letter, A–E, in boxes 18–23 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

List of People
A Professor Mat Upton
B Julie Hunter, Julian Aguon and Pradeep Singh
C Dr Jon Copley
D Mike Johnston
E Verena Tunnicliffe

18 A move away from the exploration of heavily mined reserves on land is a good idea.
19 The negative effects of undersea exploration on local areas and their inhabitants are being ignored.
20 There are more worthwhile things to extract from the sea than minerals.
21 No other form of human exploration will have such a destructive impact on marine life as deep-sea mining.
22 More is known about outer space than about what lies beneath the oceans.
23 There is one marine life habitat where experts agree mining should not take place.

Questions 24–26

Complete the summary below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 24–26 on your answer sheet.

Mining the sea floor

Mining corporations believe that the mineral resources lying under the sea may be superior to those found in the earth. They also say that these can be removed without producing much 24 .

The extraction is often done by adapting the 25 that has already been used to work on land. The method of excavation involves removing the seawater from the slurry that is brought up to ships and returning it to the seabed. However, concerned groups strongly believe that 26 is necessary due to the possible number of unidentified consequences.

Reading Passage 3 : Questions 27–30

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

Write the correct letter in boxes 27–30 on your answer sheet.

27. What is the writer doing in the first paragraph?

A setting out two opposing views about human nature

B justifying his opinion about our tendency to be greedy

C describing a commonly held belief about people’s behaviour

D explaining why he thinks that humans act in a selfish manner

28. What point is made about Richard Dawkins’ book The Selfish Gene?

A Its appeal lay in the radical nature of its ideas.

B Its success was due to the scientific support it offered.

C It presented a view that was in line with the attitudes of its time.

D It took an innovative approach to the analysis of human psychology.

29. What does the writer suggest about the prehistoric era in the fourth paragraph?

A Societies were more complex than many people believe.

B Supplies of natural resources were probably relatively plentiful.

C Most estimates about population sizes are likely to be inaccurate.

D Humans moved across continents more than was previously thought.

30. The writer refers to Bruce Knauft’s work as support for the idea that

A selfishness is a relatively recent development in human societies.

B only people in isolated communities can live in an unselfish manner.

C very few lifestyles have survived unchanged since prehistoric times.

D hunter-gatherer cultures worldwide are declining in number.

Questions 31–35

Complete the summary below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 31–35 on your answer sheet.

Contemporary hunter-gatherer societies

Bruce Knauft’s research shows that contemporary hunter-gatherer societies tend to exhibit a high level of 31 in all areas of life. In these cultures, distributing resources fairly among all members is a moral obligation. These societies also employ strategies to prevent differences in 32 occurring: for example, the !Kung follow a custom whereby the credit for one person’s success at 33 is given to another member of the group. Individuals who behave in a 34 manner are punished by being excluded from the group, and women have a considerable amount of 35 in choices regarding work and marriage.

Questions 36–40

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?

In boxes 36–40 on your answer sheet, write

YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

36. Some anthropologists are mistaken about the point when the number of societies such as the !Kung began to decline.

Yes No NG

37. Humans who developed warlike traits in prehistory would have had an advantage over those who did not.

Yes No NG

38. Being peaceful and cooperative is a natural way for people to behave.

Yes No NG

39. Negative traits are more apparent in some modern cultures than in others.

Yes No NG

40. Animal research has failed to reveal a link between changes in the environment and the emergence of aggressive tendencies.

Yes No NG

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