Table of Contents
Passage
AS AN EAST WIND blasts through a gap in the Cordillera de Ti ỉ arán, a rugged mountain range that splits northern Costa Rica in half, a female mantled howler monkey moves through the swaying trees of the forest canopy.
A. Ken Glander, a primatologist from Duke University, gazes into the canopy, tracking the female’s movements. Holding a dart gun, he waits with infinite patience for the right moment to shoot. With great care, Glander aims and fires. Hit in the rump, the monkey wobbles. This howler belongs to a population that has lived for decades at Hacienda La Pacifica, a working cattle ranch in Guanacaste province. Other native primates — white-faced capuchin monkeys and spider monkeys — once were common in this area, too, but vanished after the Pan-American Highway was built nearby in the 1950s. Most of the smrounding land was clear-cut for pasture.
B. Howlers persist at La Pacifica, Glander explains, because they are leaf-eaters. They eat fruit, when it’s available but, unlike capuchin and spider monkeys, do not depend on large areas of fruiting trees. “Howlers can survive anyplace you have half a dozen trees, because theft eating habits are so flexible,” he says. In forests, life is an arms race between trees and the myriad creatures that feed on leaves. Plants have evolved a variety of chemical defenses, ranging from bad-tasting tannins, which bind with plantproduced nutrients, rendering them indigestible, to deadly poisons, such as alkaloids and cyanide.
C. All primates, including humans, have some ability to handle plant toxins. “We can detoxify a dangerous poison known as caffeine, which is deadly to a lot of animals” Glander says. For leaf-eaters, long term exposure to a specific plant toxin can increase their ability to defuse the poison and absorb the leaf nutrients. The leaves that grow in regenerating forests, like those at La Pacifica, are actually more howler friendly than those produced by the undisturbed, centuries-old trees that survive farther south, in the Amazon Basin. In younger forests, frees put most of their limited energy into growing wood, leaves and fruit, so they produce much lower levels of toxin than do wellestablished, old-growth trees.
D. The value of maturing forests to primates is a subject of study at Santa Rosa National Park, about 35 miles northwest of Hacienda La Pacifica. The park hosts populations not only of mantled howlers but also of white-faced capuchins and spider monkeys. Yet the forests there are young, most of them less than 50 years old. Capuchins were the first to begin using the reborn forests, when the trees were as young as 14 years. Howlers, larger and heavier than capuchins, need somewhat older trees, with limbs that can support their greater body weight.
A working ranch at Hacienda La Pacifica also explain their population boom in Santa Rosa. “Howlers are more resilient than capuchins and spider monkeys for several reasons,” Fedigan explains. “They can live within a small home range, as long as the trees have the right food for them, spider monkeys, on the other hand, occupy a huge home range, so they can’t make it in fragmented habitat.”
E. Howlers also reproduce faster than do other monkey species in the area. Capuchins don’t bear their first young until about 7 years old, and spider monkeys do so even later, but howlers give birth for the first time at about 3.5 years of age. Also, while a female spider monkey will have a baby about once every four years, well-fed howlers can produce an infant every two years.
F. The leaves howlers eat hold plenty of water, so the monkeys can survive away from open streams and water holes. This ability gives them a real advantage over capuchin and spider monkeys, which have suffered during the long, ongoing drought in Guanacaste.
G. Growing human population pressures in Central and South America have led to persistent destruction of forests. During the 1990s, about 1.1 million acres of Central American forest were felled yearly. Alejandro Estrada, an ecologist at Estacion de Biologia Los Tuxtlas in Veracruz, Mexico, has been exploring how monkeys survive in a landscape increasingly shaped by humans. He and his colleagues recently studied the ecology of a group of mantled howler monkeys that thrive in a habitat completely altered by humans: a cacao plantation in Tabasco, Mexico.
Like many varieties of coffee, cacao plants need shade to grow, so 40 years ago the landowners planted fig, monkey pod and other tall trees to form a protective canopy over their crop. The howlers moved in about 25 years ago after nearby forests were cut. This strange habitat, a hodgepodge of cultivated native and exotic plants, seems to support about as many monkeys as would a same-sized patch of wiki forest. The howlers eat the leaves and fruit of the shade trees, leaving the valuable cacao pods alone, so the farmers tolerate them.
H Estrada believes the monkeys bring underappreciated benefits to such farms, dispersing the seeds of fig and other shade frees and fertilizing the soil with feces. He points out that howler monkeys live in shade coffee and cacao plantations in Nicaragua and Costa Rica as well as in Mexico. Spider monkeys also forage in such plantations, though they need nearby areas of forest to survive in the long term.
He hopes that farmers will begin to see the advantages of associating with wild monkeys, which includes potential ecotourism projects. “Conservation is usually viewed as a conflict between agricultural practices and the need to preserve nature, Estrada says. “We’re moving away from that vision and beginning to consider ways in which agricultural activities may become a tool for the conservation of primates in human-modified landscapes.”
Questions
Questions 14-19
The reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-I.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A-I, in boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet.
14 a reference of reduction in Forest inhabitant
15 Only one species of monkey survived while other two species were vanished
16 a reason for howler Monkey of choosing new leaves
17 mention to howler Monkey’s nutrient and eating habits
18 a reference of asking farmers’ changing attitude toward wildlife
19 the advantage for howler Monkey’s flexibility living in a segmented habitat
Questions 20-22
Look at the following places and the list of descriptions below. Match each description with the correct place, A-E.
List of places
A Hacienda La Pacifica
B Santa Rosa National Park
C a cacao plantation in Tabasco, Mexico
D Estacion de Biotogia Los Tuxtlas in Veracruz, Mexico
E Amazon Basin
Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 20-22 on your answer sheet.
20 howler Monkey’s benefit to the focal region’s agriculture
21 Original home for all three native monkeys
22 A place where Capuchins monkey comes for a better habitat
Question 23-27
Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage or each answer.
Write your answer in boxes 23-27 on your answer sheet.
The reasons for Howlers monkey survive better in local region than other two species – Howlers in La Pacifica since they can feed themselves with leaf when 23…………..is not easily found – Howlers has better ability to alleviate the 24………….., which old and young trees used to protect themselves – when compared to that of spider monkeys and capuchin monkeys, the I 25………… rate of Howlers is relatively faster (round for just every 2 years) – the monkeys can survive away from open streams and water holes as the in Guanacaste leaves howlers eat hold high content of 26………….. which ensure them to resist to continuous 27…………. in Guanacaste.
Answers
Below are the answers, key words, synonyms and full explanations for the IELTS Reading passage Monkeys and Forests (Passage 2, Questions 14–27).
Questions 14–19: Which paragraph contains the following information? (A–H)
14. A reference to the rate of reduction in forest habitats.
Answer: G
Key words: During the 1990s, about 1.1 million acres of Central American forest were felled yearly
Synonyms: rate of reduction in forest habitats = acres of forest felled yearly = “Growing human population pressures … have led to persistent destruction of forests. During the 1990s, about 1.1 million acres … were felled yearly”
Explanation: Paragraph G gives a yearly figure (1.1 million acres) for how fast forests were being cut — a rate of habitat loss → G.
15. An area where only one species of monkey survived while the other two vanished.
Answer: A
Key words: capuchin monkeys and spider monkeys … once were common … but vanished after the Pan-American Highway was built
Synonyms: only one survived while two vanished = howlers persist while capuchins and spider monkeys disappeared = “This howler belongs to a population that has lived for decades at Hacienda La Pacifica … Other native primates … vanished”
Explanation: At La Pacifica (Paragraph A) only the howler survived; capuchins and spider monkeys vanished → A.
16. A reason for howler monkeys to choose new leaves as food over old ones.
Answer: C
Key words: leaves that grow in regenerating forests … more howler friendly … younger forests … produce much lower levels of toxin
Synonyms: choose new leaves over old = regenerating-forest leaves are more howler-friendly than old-growth = “In younger forests, trees … produce much lower levels of toxin than do well-established, old-growth trees”
Explanation: Paragraph C explains that young-forest leaves have less toxin, so howlers prefer them → C.
17. Mention of the howler monkey’s diet and eating habits.
Answer: B
Key words: they are leaf-eaters … do not depend on large areas of fruiting trees … their eating habits are so flexible
Synonyms: diet and eating habits = leaf-eaters with flexible eating habits = “Howlers persist at La Pacifica … because they are leaf-eaters … ‘because their eating habits are so flexible'”
Explanation: Paragraph B describes what howlers eat and how flexible their feeding is → B.
18. A reference to asking farmers to change their attitude towards wildlife.
Answer: H
Key words: He hopes that farmers will begin to see the advantages of associating with wild monkeys
Synonyms: asking farmers to change their attitude = hopes farmers will begin to see the advantages of wild monkeys = “He hopes that farmers will begin to see the advantages of associating with wild monkeys, which includes potential ecotourism projects”
Explanation: Paragraph H expresses the hope that farmers will change how they view wildlife → H.
19. The advantage of the howler monkey’s flexibility in living in a segmented habitat.
Answer: D
Key words: They can live within a small home range … spider monkeys … can’t make it in fragmented habitat
Synonyms: flexibility in a segmented habitat = can live within a small home range / survive in fragmented habitat = “‘Howlers are more resilient … They can live within a small home range … Spider monkeys … can’t make it in fragmented habitat'”
Explanation: Paragraph D shows howlers thrive in fragmented (segmented) habitat where spider monkeys cannot → D.
Questions 20–22: Match each description with the correct place (A–E)
A Hacienda La Pacifica · B Santa Rosa National Park · C a cacao plantation in Tabasco, Mexico · D Estacion de Biologia Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz · E Amazon Basin
20. The howler monkey’s benefit to the local region’s agriculture.
Answer: C (a cacao plantation in Tabasco, Mexico)
Key words: the monkeys bring underappreciated benefits to such farms, dispersing the seeds … and fertilizing the soil
Synonyms: benefit to the region’s agriculture = bring benefits to the farms (the cacao plantation) = “the howlers … a cacao plantation in Tabasco, Mexico … the monkeys bring underappreciated benefits to such farms”
Explanation: The farming benefit is described at the Tabasco cacao plantation → C.
21. The original home for all three native monkeys.
Answer: A (Hacienda La Pacifica)
Key words: Other native primates — white-faced capuchin monkeys and spider monkeys — once were common in this area, too
Synonyms: original home for all three = all three once common at La Pacifica = “This howler … at Hacienda La Pacifica … Other native primates … once were common in this area, too”
Explanation: All three species once lived at Hacienda La Pacifica → A.
22. A place where capuchin monkeys came to a better habitat.
Answer: B (Santa Rosa National Park)
Key words: Capuchins were the first to begin using the reborn forests, when the trees were as young as 14 years
Synonyms: came to a better habitat = the first to begin using the reborn (regrowing) forests = “The value of maturing forests … at Santa Rosa National Park … Capuchins were the first to begin using the reborn forests”
Explanation: Capuchins moved into the regrowing forests at Santa Rosa National Park → B.
Questions 23–27: Complete the sentences (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS)
23. Howlers feed on leaves when ______ is not easily found.
Answer: fruit
Key words: They eat fruit, when it’s available but … do not depend on large areas of fruiting trees
Synonyms: when ______ is not easily found = when fruit is not available = “They eat fruit, when it’s available but … do not depend on large areas of fruiting trees”
Explanation: As leaf-eaters, howlers rely on leaves when fruit is scarce → fruit.
24. Howlers have a better ability to alleviate the ______ that old and young trees use to protect themselves.
Answer: plant toxins
Key words: All primates … have some ability to handle plant toxins … long-term exposure to a specific plant toxin can increase their ability to defuse the poison
Synonyms: alleviate what trees use to protect themselves = handle / defuse the plant toxins = “All primates … have some ability to handle plant toxins … increase their ability to defuse the poison”
Explanation: Trees defend themselves with plant toxins, which howlers can handle better → plant toxins.
25. Compared with spider and capuchin monkeys, the ______ rate of howlers is relatively faster (about every 2 years).
Answer: birth
Key words: well-fed howlers can produce an infant every two years
Synonyms: ______ rate every 2 years = birth rate — an infant every two years = “while a female spider monkey will have a baby about once every four years, well-fed howlers can produce an infant every two years”
Explanation: Howlers reproduce (give birth) more often — every two years — so the birth rate is faster → birth.
26. The leaves howlers eat hold a high content of ______.
Answer: water
Key words: The leaves howlers eat hold plenty of water
Synonyms: high content of ______ = hold plenty of water = “The leaves howlers eat hold plenty of water, so the monkeys can survive away from open streams and water holes”
Explanation: Their leaves are rich in water, letting them live away from streams → water.
27. This helps them resist the continuous ______ in Guanacaste.
Answer: drought
Key words: the long, ongoing drought in Guanacaste
Synonyms: continuous ______ = the long, ongoing drought = “capuchin and spider monkeys, which have suffered during the long, ongoing drought in Guanacaste”
Explanation: The water in their leaves lets howlers withstand Guanacaste’s long drought → drought.
Answer Key (Quick Reference)
| Q | Answer | Q | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | G | 21 | A |
| 15 | A | 22 | B |
| 16 | C | 23 | fruit |
| 17 | B | 24 | plant toxins |
| 18 | H | 25 | birth |
| 19 | D | 26 | water |
| 20 | C | 27 | drought |
