Table of Contents
Koalas
Passage
A. Koalas are just too nice for their own good. And except for the occasional baby taken by birds of prey, koalas have no natural enemies. In an ideal world, the life of an arboreal couch potato would be perfectly safe and acceptable.
B. Just two hundred years ago, koalas flourished across Australia. Now they seem to be in decline, but exact numbers are not available as the species would not seem to be ‘under threat’. Their problem, however, has been man, more specifically, the white man. Koala and aborigine had co-existed peacefully for centuries.
C. Today koalas are found only in scattered pockets of southeast Australia, where they seem to be at risk on several fronts. The koala’s only food source, the eucalyptus tree has declined. In the past 200 years, a third of Australia’s eucalyptus forests have disappeared. Koalas have been killed by parasites, chlamydia epidemics and a tumour-causing retro-virus. And every year 11000 are killed by cars, ironically most of them in wildlife sanctuaries, and thousands are killed by poachers. Some are also taken illegally as pets. The animals usually soon die, but they are easily replaced.
D. Bush fires pose another threat. The horrific ones that raged in New South Wales recently killed between 100 and 1000 koalas. Many that were taken into sanctuaries and shelters were found to have burnt their paws on the glowing embers. But zoologists say that the species should recover. The koalas will be aided by the eucalyptus, which grows quickly and is already burgeoning forth after the fires. So the main problem to their survival is their slow reproductive rate – they produce only one baby a year over a reproductive lifespan of about nine years.
E. The latest problem for the species is perhaps more insidious. With plush, grey fur, dark amber eyes and button nose, koalas are cuddliness incarnate. Australian zoos and wildlife parks have taken advantage of their uncomplaining attitudes, and charge visitors to be photographed hugging the furry bundles. But people may not realise how cruel this is, but because of the koala’s delicate disposition, constant handling can push an already precariously balanced physiology over the edge.
F. Koalas only eat the foliage of certain species of eucalyptus trees, between 600 and 1250 grams a day. The tough leaves are packed with cellulose, tannins, aromatic oils and precursors of toxic cyanides. To handle this cocktail, koalas have a specialised digestive system. Cellulose- digesting bacteria in the break down fibre, while a specially adapted gut and liver process the toxins. To digest their food properly, koalas must sit still for 21 hours every day.
G. Koalas are the epitome of innocence and inoffensiveness. Although they are capable of ripping open a man’s arm with their needle-sharp claws, or giving a nasty nip, they simply wouldn’t. If you upset a koala, it may blink or swallow, or hiccup. But attack? No way! Koalas are just not aggressive. They use their claws to grip the hard smooth bark of eucalyptus trees.
H. They are also very sensitive, and the slightest upset can prevent them from breeding, cause them to go off their food, and succumb to gut infections. Koalas are stoic creatures and put on a brave face until they are at death’s door. One day they may appear healthy, the next they could be dead. Captive koalas have to be weighed daily to check that they are feeding properly. A sudden loss of weight is usually the only warning keepers have that their charge is ill. Only two keepers plus a vet were allowed to handle London Zoo’s koalas, as these creatures are only comfortable with people they know. A request for the koala to be taken to meet the Queen was refused because of the distress this would have caused the marsupial. Sadly, London’s Zoo no longer has a koala. Two years ago the female koala died of a cancer caused by a retrovirus. When they come into heat, female koalas become more active, and start losing weight, but after about sixteen days, heat ends and the weight piles back on. London’s koala did not. Surgery revealed hundreds of pea-sized tumours.
Almost every zoo in Australia has koalas – the marsupial has become the Animal Ambassador of the nation, but nowhere outside Australia would handling by the public be allowed. Koala cuddling screams in the face of every rule of good care. First, some zoos allow koalas to be passed from stranger to stranger, many children who love to squeeze. Secondly, most people have no idea of how to handle the animals; they like to cling on to their handler, all in their own good time and use his or her arm as a tree. For such reasons, the Association of Fauna and Marine parks, an Australian conservation society is campaigning to ban koala cuddling. Policy on koala handling is determined by state government authorities. “And the largest of the numbers in the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, with the aim of instituting national guidelines. Following a wave of publicity, some zoos and wildlife parks have stopped turning their koalas into photo.
Questions
Questions 1-5
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
1. The main reason why koala declined is that they are killed EXCEPT FOR
A. by poachers
B. by diseases they got
C. giving too many birth yet survived little!
D. accidents on the road
2. What can help koalas folly digest their food?
A. toxic substance in the leaves
B. organs that dissolve the fibres
C. remaining inactive for a period to digest
D. eating eucalyptus trees
3. What would koalas do when facing the dangerous situation?
A. show signs of being offended
B. counter attack furiously
C. use sharp claws to rip the man
D. use claws to grip the bark of trees.
4. In what ways Australian zoos exploit koalas?
A. encourage people to breed koalas as pets
B. allow tourists to hug the koalas
C. put them on the trees as a symbol
D. establish a koala campaign
5. What would the government do to protect koalas from being endangered?
A. introduce koala protection guidelines
B. close some of the zoos
C. encourage people to resist visiting the zoos
D. persuade the public to learn more knowledge
Questions 6-12
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1
In boxes 6-12 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the information
NO if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this passage
6. new coming human settlers caused danger to koalas.
7. Koalas can still be seen in most of the places in Australia.
8. it takes decade for the eucalyptus trees to recover after the fire.
9. Koalas will fight each other when food becomes scarce.
10. It is not easy to notice that koalas are ill.
11. Koalas are easily infected with human contagious disease via cuddling
12. Koalas like to hold a person’s arm when they are embraced.
Questions 13
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 13 on your answer sheet. From your opinion this article written by
A. a journalist who write for magazine
B. a zoo keeper in London Zoo.
C. a tourist who traveling back from Australia
D. a government official who studies koalas to establish a law
Answers
Below are the answers, key words, synonyms and full explanations for the IELTS Reading passage Koalas (Passage 1, Questions 1–13).
Questions 1–5: Multiple Choice
1. The main reason why koala declined is that they are killed EXCEPT FOR
Answer: C (giving too many births yet surviving little)
Key words: the main problem to their survival is their slow reproductive rate – they produce only one baby a year
Synonyms: the exception (not a killing cause) = they reproduce slowly (one baby a year), so “giving too many births” is both untrue and not a cause of death = “their slow reproductive rate”
Explanation: Poachers, diseases and cars all kill koalas; “giving too many births” is not a cause (they reproduce slowly) → C.
2. What can help koalas fully digest their food?
Answer: C (remaining inactive for a period to digest)
Key words: To digest their food properly, koalas must sit still for 21 hours every day
Synonyms: remaining inactive for a period = sit still for 21 hours = “koalas must sit still for 21 hours every day”
Explanation: They must stay still for 21 hours to digest → C.
3. What would koalas do when facing a dangerous situation?
Answer: A (show signs of being offended)
Key words: If you upset a koala, it may blink or swallow, or hiccup. But attack? No way!
Synonyms: show signs of being offended = blink, swallow or hiccup, but not attack = “it may blink or swallow, or hiccup”
Explanation: They react mildly (blink/swallow), never attack → A.
4. In what ways do Australian zoos exploit koalas?
Answer: B (allow tourists to hug the koalas)
Key words: charge visitors to be photographed hugging the furry bundles
Synonyms: allow tourists to hug = charge visitors to be photographed hugging them = “charge visitors to be photographed hugging the furry bundles”
Explanation: Zoos charge visitors to hug/photograph koalas → B.
5. What would the government do to protect koalas from being endangered?
Answer: A (introduce koala protection guidelines)
Key words: the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, with the aim of instituting national guidelines
Synonyms: introduce protection guidelines = instituting national guidelines = “with the aim of instituting national guidelines”
Explanation: The plan is to institute national guidelines → A.
Questions 6–12: Yes / No / Not Given
6. New coming human settlers caused danger to koalas.
Answer: YES
Key words: Their problem, however, has been man, more specifically, the white man
Synonyms: new coming human settlers = the white man (settlers) = “Their problem … has been man, more specifically, the white man”
Explanation: The white settlers became the koala’s problem → YES.
7. Koalas can still be seen in most of the places in Australia.
Answer: NO
Key words: Today koalas are found only in scattered pockets of southeast Australia
Synonyms: in most places (contradicted) = only in scattered pockets of southeast Australia = “found only in scattered pockets of southeast Australia”
Explanation: They survive only in scattered southeast pockets, not most places → NO.
8. It takes a decade for the eucalyptus trees to recover after the fire.
Answer: NO
Key words: the eucalyptus, which grows quickly and is already burgeoning forth after the fires
Synonyms: takes a decade (contradicted) = grows quickly and already recovering = “the eucalyptus, which grows quickly and is already burgeoning forth”
Explanation: Eucalyptus recovers quickly, not over a decade → NO.
9. Koalas will fight each other when food becomes scarce.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key words: (the passage says koalas are not aggressive, but never mentions fighting over scarce food)
Explanation: Fighting over scarce food is never discussed → NOT GIVEN.
10. It is not easy to notice that koalas are ill.
Answer: YES
Key words: Koalas are stoic creatures and put on a brave face until they are at death’s door. One day they may appear healthy, the next they could be dead
Synonyms: not easy to notice illness = they hide it until death’s door = “put on a brave face until they are at death’s door”
Explanation: They mask illness, so it’s hard to notice → YES.
11. Koalas are easily infected with human contagious disease via cuddling.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key words: (handling stresses koalas, but the passage never says they catch human contagious diseases)
Explanation: Catching human diseases via cuddling is never stated → NOT GIVEN.
12. Koalas like to hold a person’s arm when they are embraced.
Answer: YES
Key words: they like to cling on to their handler … and use his or her arm as a tree
Synonyms: hold a person’s arm = cling on and use the arm as a tree = “use his or her arm as a tree”
Explanation: They cling to a handler’s arm like a tree → YES.
Question 13: Multiple Choice
13. In your opinion this article was written by
Answer: A (a journalist who writes for a magazine)
Key words: (the informal, wide-ranging, opinionated style — “arboreal couch potato”, “cuddliness incarnate” — is journalistic rather than a keeper’s, tourist’s or official’s account)
Explanation: The lively, general-audience style points to a magazine journalist → A.
Answer Key (Quick Reference)
| Q | Answer | Q | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | 8 | NO |
| 2 | C | 9 | NOT GIVEN |
| 3 | A | 10 | YES |
| 4 | B | 11 | NOT GIVEN |
| 5 | A | 12 | YES |
| 6 | YES | 13 | A |
| 7 | NO |
No Responses