Table of Contents
Passage
A With quarter of the world’s plants set to vanish within the next 50 years, Dough Alexander reports on the scientists working against the clock the preserve the Earth’s botanical heritage. They travel the four comers of the globe, scouring jungles, forests and savannas. But they’re not looking for ancient artefacts, lost treasure or undiscovered tombs. Just pods. It may lack the romantic allure of archaeology, or the whiff of danger that accompanies going after big game, but seed hunting is an increasingly serious business. Some seek seeds for profithunters in the employ of biotechnology firms, pharmaceutical companies and private corporations on the lookout for species that will yield the drugs or crops of the future. Others collect to conserve, working to halt the sad slide into extinction facing so many plant species.
B Among the pioneers of this botanical treasure hunt was John Tradescant, an English royal gardener who brought back plants and seeds from his journeys abroad in the early 1600s. Later, the English botanist Sir Joseph Banks-who was the first director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and travelled with Captain James Cook on his voyages near the end of the 18th century-was so driven to expand his collections that he sent botanists around the world at his own expense.
C Those heady days of exploration and discovery may be over, but they have been replaced by a pressing need to preserve our natural history for the future. This modern mission drives hunters such as Dr Michiel van Slageren, a goodnatured Dutchman who often sports a wide-brimmed hat in the field-he could easily be mistaken for the cinematic hero Indiana Jones. He and three other seed hunters work at the Millennium Seed Bank, an 80 million [pounds sterling] international conservation project that aims to protect the world’s most endangered wild plant species.
D The group’s headquarters are in a modern glass-and-concrete structure on a 200-hectare Estate at Wakehurst Place in the West Sussex countryside. Within its underground vaults are 260 million dried seeds from 122 countries, all stored at-20 Celsius to survive for centuries. Among the 5,100 species represented are virtually all of Britain’s 1,400 native seed-bearing plants, the most complete such collection of any country’s flora.
E Overseen by the Royal botanic gardens, the Millennium Seed Bank is the world’s largest wild-plant depository. It aims to collect 24,000 species by 2010. The reason is simple: thanks to humanity’s efforts, an estimated 25 percent of the world’s plants are on the verge of extinction and may vanish within 50 years. We’re currently responsible for habitat destruction on an unprecedented scale, and during the past 400 years, plant species extinction rates have been about 70 times greater than those indicated by the geological record as being ‘normal’. Experts predict that during the next 50 years a further one billion hectares of wilderness will be converted to farmland in developing countries alone.
F The implications of this loss are enormous. Besides providing staple food crops, plants are a source of many machines and the principal supply of fuel and building materials in many parts of the world. They also protect soil and help regulate the climate. Yet, across the globe, plant species are being driven to extinction before their potential benefits are discovered.
G The world Conservation Union has listed 5,714 threatened species which is sure to be much higher. In the UK alone, 300 wild plant species are classified as endangered. The Millennium Seed Bank aims to ensure that even if a plant becomes extinct in the wild, it won’t be lost forever. Stored seeds can be used the help restore damaged or destroyed environment or in scientific research to find new benefits for society-in medicine, agriculture or local industry- that would otherwise be lost.
H Seed banks are an insurance policy to protect the world’s plant heritage for the future, explained by Dr Paul Smith, another Kew seed hunter. “Seed conservation techniques were originally developed by farmers,” he says. “Storage is the basis what we do, conserving seeds until you can use them-just as in farming.” Smith says there’s no reason why any plant species should become extinct, given today’s technology. But he admits that the biggest challenge is finding, naming and categorising all the world’s plants. And someone has to gather these seeds before it’s too late. “There aren’t a lot of people out there doing this,” he says.“ The key is to know the flora from a particular area, and that knowledge takes years to acquire.”
I There are about 1,470 seed banks scattered around the globe, with a combined total of 5.4 million samples, of which perhaps two million are distinct nonduplicates. Most preserve genetic material for agriculture use in order to ensure crop diversity; others aim to conserve wild species, although only 15 percent of all banked plants are wild.
J Many seed banks are themselves under threat due to a lack of funds. Last year, Imperial College, London, examined crop collections from 151 countries and found that while the number of plant samples had increased in two thirds of the countries, budget had been cut in a quarter and remained static in another 35 percent. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research has since set up the Global Conservation Trust, which aims to raise $260 million to protect seed banks in perpetuity.
Questions
Question 14-19 Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the sataement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
14 The purpose of collecting seeds now is different from the past.
15 The millennium seed bank is the earliest seed bank.
16 A major reason for plant species extinction is farmland expansion.
17 The approach that scientists apply to reserve seeds is similar to that used by farmers.
18 Development of technology is the only hope to save plant species.
19 The works of seed conservation are often limited by financial problems.
Question 20-24 Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using no more than three words from the Reading Passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 20-24 on your answer sheet.
Summary
Some people collect seeds for the purpose of protecting certain species from 20 …………… ; others collect seeds for their ability to produce 21 …………… . They are called seed hunters. The 22 …………… of them included both gardeners and botanists, such as 23 …………… who financially supported collectors out of his own pockets. The seeds collected are usually stored in seed banks, one of which is the famous millennium seed bank, where seeds are all stored in the 24 …………… at a low temperature.
Question 25-26 Choose the correct letter, A-E. Write your answers in boxes 25-26 on your answer sheet.
Which TWO of the followings are provided by plants to the human?
A food
B fuels
C clothes
D energy
E commercial products
Answers
Below are the answers, key words and full explanations for the IELTS Reading passage Seed Hunting (Passage 2, Questions 14–26).
Questions 14–19: True / False / Not Given
14. The purpose of collecting seeds now is different from the past.
Answer: TRUE
Key words: purpose, now, different from the past
Explanation: “Those heady days of exploration and discovery may be over, but they have been replaced by a pressing need to preserve our natural history for the future.” The old purpose has changed.
exploration and discovery replaced by a need to preserve = purpose now different from the past.
Answer: TRUE
15. The Millennium Seed Bank is the earliest seed bank.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key words: earliest seed bank
Explanation: The passage names earlier seed collectors (Tradescant in the 1600s, Banks in the 1700s), but it never says whether the Millennium Seed Bank is or is not the earliest seed bank. No comparison of seed-bank founding dates is given. (A trap — earlier collectors are not the same as an earlier seed bank.)
Answer: NOT GIVEN
16. One of the major threats for plant species extinction is farmland expansion into wilderness.
Answer: TRUE
Key words: major threat, farmland expansion
Explanation: “Experts predict that during the next 50 years a further one billion hectares of wilderness will be converted to farmland.” Wilderness turned into farmland threatens plants.
wilderness converted to farmland = farmland expansion into wilderness.
Answer: TRUE
17. The approach that scientists apply to store seeds is similar to that used by farmers.
Answer: TRUE
Key words: store seeds, similar, farmers
Explanation: “Seed conservation techniques were originally developed by farmers … Storage is the basis of what we do, conserving seeds until you can use them — just as in farming.“
techniques developed by farmers / just as in farming = similar to that used by farmers.
Answer: TRUE
18. Technological development is the only hope to save plant species.
Answer: FALSE
Key words: only hope, technology
Explanation: Smith says technology means “there’s no reason why any plant species should become extinct,” but also that “the biggest challenge is finding, naming and categorising all the world’s plants” and gathering seeds. So technology is not the only hope — human effort to find and gather is essential too.
the biggest challenge is finding/gathering seeds contradicts “technology is the only hope.”
Answer: FALSE
19. The works of seed conservation are often limited by financial problems.
Answer: TRUE
Key words: limited, financial problems
Explanation: “Many seed banks are themselves under threat due to a lack of funds.“
under threat due to a lack of funds = limited by financial problems.
Answer: TRUE
Questions 20–24: Summary Completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS)
20. … protecting certain species from __ …
Answer: extinction
Key words: protecting species from
Explanation: “Others collect to conserve, working to halt the sad slide into extinction facing so many plant species.“
Answer: extinction
21. … others collect seeds for their ability to produce __ …
Answer: drugs
Key words: ability to produce
Explanation: “hunters … on the lookout for species that will yield the drugs or crops of the future.“
species that will yield the drugs = ability to produce drugs.
Answer: drugs
22. The __ of them included both gardeners and botanists …
Answer: pioneers
Key words: gardeners and botanists
Explanation: “Among the pioneers of this botanical treasure hunt was John Tradescant, an English royal gardener … Sir Joseph Banks … botanist.“
Answer: pioneers
23. … such as __ who financially supported collectors out of his own pocket.
Answer: Sir Joseph Banks
Key words: financially supported, own pocket
Explanation: “Sir Joseph Banks … was so driven to expand his collections that he sent botanists around the world at his own expense.“
sent botanists at his own expense = supported collectors out of his own pocket.
Answer: Sir Joseph Banks
24. … seeds are all stored in the __ at a low temperature.
Answer: underground vaults
Key words: stored, low temperature
Explanation: “Within its underground vaults are 260 million dried seeds … all stored at -20 Celsius.“
Answer: underground vaults
Questions 25–26: Multiple Choice — Which TWO are provided by plants to humans?
Answer: A (food) and B (fuels)
Key words: provided by plants
Explanation: “Besides providing staple food crops, plants are … the principal supply of fuel and building materials.” Plants provide food (A) and fuel (B). (Clothes, energy and commercial products are not stated.)
staple food crops = food; principal supply of fuel = fuels.
Answer: A and B
| Answer Key (Quick Reference) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Q | Answer | Q | Answer |
| 14 | TRUE | 21 | drugs |
| 15 | NOT GIVEN | 22 | pioneers |
| 16 | TRUE | 23 | Sir Joseph Banks |
| 17 | TRUE | 24 | underground vaults |
| 18 | FALSE | 25 | A (food) |
| 19 | TRUE | 26 | B (fuels) |
| 20 | extinction | ||
Cambridge IELTS 1-21 Reading test solutions
