IELTS Reading Test 3 | 2017 Online Practice

60:00⏰

READING PASSAGE 1

Questions 1-13

Flying tortoises

An airborne reintroduction programme has helped conservationists take significant steps to protect the endangered Galápagos tortoise.

AForests of spiny cacti cover much of the uneven lava plains that separate the interior of the Galápagos island of lsabela from the Pacific Ocean. With its five distinct volcanoes, the island resembles a lunar landscape. Only the thick vegetation at the skirt of the often cloud-covered peak of Sierra Negra offers respite .from the barren terrain below. This inhospitable environment is home to the giant Galápagos tortoise. Some time after the Galápagos's birth, around five million years ago, the islands were colonised by one or more tortoises from mainland South America. As these ancestral tortoises settled on the individual islands, the different populations adapted to their unique environments, giving rise to at least 14 different subspecies. Island life agreed with them. In the absence of significant predators, they grew to become the largest and longest-living tortoises on the planet, weighing more than 400 kilograms, occasionally exceeding 1.8 metres in length and living for more than a century.
BBefore human arrival, the archipelago's tortoises numbered in the hundreds of thousands. From the 17th century onwards, pirates took a few on board for food, but the arrival of whaling ships in the 1790s saw this exploitation grow exponentially. Relatively immobile and capable of surviving for months without food or water, the tortoises were taken on board these ships to act as food supplies during long ocean passages. Sometimes, their bodies were processed into highgrade oil. In total, an estimated 200,000 animals were taken from the archipelago before the 20th century. This historical exploitation was then exacerbated when settlers came to the islands. They hunted the tortoises and destroyed their habitat to clear land for agriculture. They also introduced alien species – ranging from cattle, pigs, goats, rats and dogs to plants and ants – that either prey on the eggs and young tortoises or damage or destroy their habitat.
CToday, only 11 of the original subspecies survive and of these, several are highly endangered. In 1989, work began on a tortoise-breeding centre just outside the town of Puerto Villamil on lsabela, dedicated to protecting the island's tortoise populations. The centre's captive-breeding programme proved to be extremely successful, and it eventually had to deal with an overpopulation problem.
DThe problem was also a pressing one. Captive-bred tortoises can't be reintroduced into the wild until they're at least five years old and weigh at least 4.5 kilograms, at which point their size and weight – and their hardened shells – are sufficient to protect them from predators. But if people wait too long after that point, the tortoises eventually become too large to transport.
EFor years, repatriation efforts were carried out in small numbers, with the tortoises carried on the backs of men over weeks of long, treacherous hikes along narrow trails. But in November 2010, the environmentalist and Galápagos National Park liaison officer Godfrey Merlin, a visiting private motor yacht captain and a helicopter pilot gathered around a table in a small cafe in Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz to work out more ambitious reintroduction. The aim was to use a helicopter to move 300 of the breeding centre's tortoises to various locations close to Sierra Negra.
FThis unprecedented effort was made possible by the owners of the 67-metre yacht White Cloud, who provided the Galápagos National Park with free use of their helicopter and its experienced pilot, as well as the logistical support of the yacht, its captain and crew. Originally an air ambulance, the yacht's helicopter has a rear double door and a large internal space that's well suited for cargo, so a custom crate was designed to hold up to 33 tortoises with a total weight of about 150 kilograms. This weight, together with that of the fuel, pilot and four crew, approached the helicopter's maximum payload, and there were times when it was clearly right on the edge of the helicopter's capabilities. During a period of three days, a group of volunteers from the breeding centre worked around the clock to prepare the young tortoises for transport. Meanwhile, park wardens, dropped off ahead of time in remote locations, cleared landing sites within the thick brush, cacti and lava rocks.
GUpon their release, the juvenile tortoises quickly spread out over their ancestral territory, investigating their new surroundings and feeding on the vegetation. Eventually, one tiny tortoise came across a fully grown giant who had been lumbering around the island for around a hundred years. The two stood side by side, a powerful symbol of the regeneration of an ancient species.

Questions 1 – 7

Choose the correct number, i–viii, of heading for paragraphs A–G from the list of headings below.

List of Headings

iThe importance of getting the timing right
iiYoung meets old
iiiDevelopments to the disadvantage of tortoise populations
ivPlanning a bigger idea
vTortoises populate the islands
viCarrying out a carefully prepared operation
viiLooking for a home for the islands' tortoises
viiiThe start of the conservation project

Paragraph A
x The first paragraph is about the inhospitable environment of the Galapagos Islands and explains that “the islands were ...”. There is no heading about the environment. “Colonise” can be considered the same as “populate”. Moreover, the author claims “This inhospitable environment is home to the giant Galapagos tortoise.” Hence, “one or more tortoises from mainland South America” populated the islands. Heading v is most appropriate for this paragraph. So the answer is v.
Paragraph B
x In paragraph B, the author mentioned what happened to the tortoises after human arrival, and those are negative impacts for the tortoises such as “taken on board these ships to act as food supplies”, “they ...”, and so on. All of these can be considered as “the disadvantage of tortoise populations”, while “human arrival” and “settlers came to the islands” can be seen as “developments”. Therefore, the heading for this paragraph has to be heading iii – “Developments to the disadvantage of tortoise populations”. So the answer is iii.
Paragraph C
x Paragraph C is about a tortoise-breeding centre with its captive-breeding programme. “Work began” on this programme in 1989 and is “dedicated to ...”. Hence, this programme was the starting-point for tortoise conservation. So the answer is viii.
Paragraph D
x Paragraph D told us about an exact point – about 5 years of age – at which “their size and ...”. And the author claims: “But if ...”. That means we need to find the perfect timing for captive-bred tortoises to be reintroduced into the wild. So the answer is i.
Paragraph E
x In paragraph E, the writer mentioned “repatriation efforts”, which refers to every endeavor to bring tortoises back to the islands. The author also tells us that at first, this work was done in small numbers, but then it was decided to “work out ...” – they brought 300 of the breeding centre’s tortoises back to their islands by helicopter. It was a much bigger number, based on a bigger idea. Therefore, heading iv – “Planning a bigger idea” is the heading of this paragraph.

Note: You may be confused between heading iv and heading vii – Looking for a home for the islands’ tortoises. However, this is “repatriation”, which means taking back to the place where they used to be, they are not “looking for” any other home. Hence, heading vii is inappropriate.
Paragraph F
x The 3 remaining headings are: “Carrying out a carefully prepared operation” (keywords: carefully prepared, operation), “Looking for a home for the islands’ tortoises” (look for, home), and “Young meets old” (young, old, meet). Paragraph F is about the preparation to use a helicopter to bring tortoises back to their islands. The author mentioned: “During a period ...” In addition, we are told that groups of volunteers spent some time on the islands before the tortoises arrived, clearing sites for the helicopter to land. There is no line about “looking for a home” or “young meets old”. Therefore, heading vi – “Carrying out a carefully prepared operation” is the most suitable one for this paragraph.
Paragraph G
x In the second sentence of paragraph G, the author mentioned “Eventually, one tiny tortoise ...” “One tiny tortoise” refers to “young” while “a fully grown giant” means “old” – about 100 years old, in fact. And “came across” means “to meet by accident”. Hence, “Young meets old” is the heading for this paragraph – ii.

Questions 8 – 13

Complete the notes. Write ONE WORD ONLY from the text in each gap.

The decline of the Galápagos tortoise

Originally from mainland South America
Numbers on Galápagos islands increased, due to lack of predators
17th century: small numbers taken onto ships used by
x Keyword(s): 17th century, small numbers, taken, ships

“17th century” is mentioned in the second sentence of paragraph B, so we have to pay attention to this part – “From the 17th ...”. “A few” refers to “small numbers” and “on board” refers to “on ships”. We can paraphrase this sentence like this “From the 17th century onwards, small numbers were taken onto ships for food by pirates”. Therefore, the answer is pirates.
1790s: very large numbers taken onto whaling ships, kept for
x Keyword(s): 1790s, large numbers, whaling ships, kept, to produce

The next part of paragraph B is about what happened after “the arrival of whaling ships in the 1790s”. That is “Relatively immobile ...” The tortoises were taken onto ships “to act as food supplies”. That means they were kept for food. So the answer for question 9 is food.
, and also used to produce
x Keyword(s): 1790s, large numbers, whaling ships, kept, to produce

The next part of paragraph B is about what happened after “the arrival of whaling ships in the 1790s”. The author also mentioned “Sometimes, their ...” “processed into highgrade oil” means “used to produce high-grade oil”. However, they allow one word only, so we have to choose the most important word – oil – as the answer for question 10.
Hunted by on the islands
x Keyword(s): hunt, on islands

The author mentioned the word “hunt” later in paragraph B – “They hunted ...”. We have to look at the previous sentences to find out who “they” refers to. “In total, ...” Obviously, “they” are “settlers” who came to the islands”. Therefore, settlers is the answer.
Habitat destruction: for the establishment of agriculture and by various
x Keyword(s): Habitat destruction, not native, fed on, tortoises

They not only hunted tortoises and destroyed their habitat to clear land for agriculture, but settlers also “introduced alien species – ...” (the last sentence of paragraph B). The word “alien” means “coming from a different country, race, or group”, which is the same as “not native to the islands.” The author referred to those alien species that “damage or destroy their habitat”, which means the same as “habitat destruction”. So the answer for question 12 is species.
not native to the islands, which also fed on baby tortoises and tortoises'
x Keyword(s): Habitat destruction, not native, fed on, tortoises

They not only hunted tortoises and destroyed their habitat to clear land for agriculture, but settlers also “introduced alien species – ...” (the last sentence of paragraph B). Those species also “prey on eggs and young tortoises.” “Prey on” means “feed on”, and “young tortoises” refers to “baby tortoises.”. Hence, what remains is “tortoises’ eggs.”. So the answer for question 13 is eggs.

READING PASSAGE 2

Questions 14-26

The Intersection of Health Sciences and Geography

AWhile many diseases that affect humans have been eradicated due to improvements in vaccinations and the availability of healthcare, there are still areas around the world where certain health issues are more prevalent. In a world that is far more globalised than ever before, people come into contact with one another through travel and living closer and closer to each other. As a result, super-viruses and other infections resistant to antibiotics are becoming more and more common.
BGeography can often play a very large role in the health concerns of certain populations. For instance, depending on where you live, you will not have the same health concerns as someone who lives in a different geographical region. Perhaps one of the most obvious examples of this idea is malaria-prone areas, which are usually tropical regions that foster a warm and damp environment in which the mosquitos that can give people this disease can grow. Malaria is much less of a problem in high-altitude deserts, for instance.
CIn some countries, geographical factors influence the health and well-being of the population in very obvious ways. In many large cities, the wind is not strong enough to clear the air of the massive amounts of smog and pollution that cause asthma, lung problems, eyesight issues and more in the people who live there. Part of the problem is, of course, the massive number of cars being driven, in addition to factories that run on coal power. The rapid industrialisation of some countries in recent years has also led to the cutting down of forests to allow for the expansion of big cities, which makes it even harder to fight the pollution with the fresh air that is produced by plants.
DIt is in situations like these that the field of health geography comes into its own. It is an increasingly important area of study in a world where diseases like polio are re-emerging, respiratory diseases continue to spread, and malaria-prone areas are still fighting to find a better cure. Health geography is the combination of, on the one hand, knowledge regarding geography and methods used to analyse and interpret geographical information, and on the other, the study of health, diseases and healthcare practices around the world. The aim of this hybrid science is to create solutions for common geography-based health problems. While people will always be prone to illness, the study of how geography affects our health could lead to the eradication of certain illnesses, and the prevention of others in the future. By understanding why and how we get sick, we can change the way we treat illness and disease specific to certain geographical locations.
EThe geography of disease and ill health analyses the frequency with which certain diseases appear in different parts of the world, and overlays the data with the geography of the region, to see if there could be a correlation between the two. Health geographers also study factors that could make certain individuals or a population more likely to be taken ill with a specific health concern or disease, as compared with the population of another area. Health geographers in this field are usually trained as healthcare workers, and have an understanding of basic epidemiology as it relates to the spread of diseases among the population.
FResearchers study the interactions between humans and their environment that could lead to illness (such as asthma in places with high levels of pollution) and work to create a clear way of categorising illnesses, diseases and epidemics into local and global scales. Health geographers can map the spread of illnesses and attempt to identify the reasons behind an increase or decrease in illnesses, as they work to find a way to halt the further spread or re-emergence of diseases in vulnerable populations.
GThe second subcategory of health geography is the geography of healthcare provision. This group studies the availability (or lack thereof) of healthcare resources to individuals and populations around the world. In both developed and developing nations there is often a very large discrepancy between the options available to people in different social classes, income brackets, and levels of education. Individuals working in the area of the geography of healthcare provision attempt to assess the levels of healthcare in the area (for instance, it may be very difficult for people to get medical attention because there is a mountain between their village and the nearest hospital). These researchers are on the frontline of making recommendations regarding policy to international organisations, local government bodies and others.
HThe field of health geography is often overlooked, but it constitutes a huge area of need in the fields of geography and healthcare. If we can understand how geography affects our health no matter where in the world we are located, we can better treat disease, prevent illness, and keep people safe and well.

Questions 14 – 19

Reading Passage 2 has eight sections, A-H. Which section contains the following information? Choose the correct letter, A-H.

NB You may use any letter more than once

an acceptance that not all diseases can be totally eliminated
x Keyword(s): acceptance, not all diseases, totally eliminated

In paragraph D, the author mentioned some information about health geography and diseases: “It is an increasingly ...” The words “continue to spread” and “still fighting to find a better cure” mean that humans cannot control the above-mentioned diseases and still need “a better cure” for them, which is the same as they are not “totally eliminated”. Later in the paragraph, we find a key statement: “people will always ...”. Therefore, the answer is D.
examples of physical conditions caused by human behaviour
x Keyword(s): examples, physical conditions, human behavior

In paragraph C, the author gives some examples. The human behavior referred to includes: “the massive number of cars being driven”, and “the cutting down of forests”. The physical conditions which have resulted in large cities are “smog and ...”. Therefore, the answer is C.
a reference to classifying diseases on the basis of how far they extend geographically
x Keyword(s): reference, classify diseases, basis, extend, geographically

In paragraph F, the author mentioned a way of categorising illnesses and diseases. “Categorise” is the same as “classify”, which means “to divide diseases into groups according to their type”. Therefore, we have to pay attention to this part of the text: “work to create a clear ...”. “Categorising…into local and global scales” can be understood as “how far the extend geographically”. Hence, the information in paragraph F matches the statement. Therefore, the answer is F.
reasons why the level of access to healthcare can vary within a country
x Keyword(s): reasons, level of access to healthcare, vary, within a country

In paragraph G, the writer mentioned “a very large ...”. “A very large discrepancy” is the same as “vary” and “options available to people” can be seen as “level of access”. In the previous sentence, the author was talking about the availability or the lack of healthcare provision, so we can understand they are “level of access to healthcare”. And the author named some reasons for this large discrepancy – “different social classes, income brackets, and levels of education”. Therefore, paragraph G contains information in the statement. Therefore, the answer is G.
a description of health geography as a mixture of different academic fields
x Keyword(s): health geography, mixture, academic fields

In the second sentence of paragraph D, the author claimed “Health geography is ...” “Combination” is the same as “a mixture”. It is a mixture of “knowledge regarding geography”, “methods used to ...”, and “the study of health, ...”. Those can be considered as “different academic fields” which, when combined, make a “hybrid science” (= a science which is the product of mixing different disciplines). Therefore, the answer is D.
a description of the type of area where a particular illness is rare
x Keyword(s): type of area, a particular illness, rare

In paragraph B, the author claimed “depending on where ...” and gave an example of a particular illness (malaria) in different regions. In tropical regions, malaria is widespread. However, in high-altitude deserts, this disease “is much less of a problem”. High-altitude deserts is a type of area, and “much less of a problem” means it is very unusual, or we can consider it as “rare”. Therefore, the answer is B.

Questions 20 – 26

Complete the sentences below. Write ONE WORD ONLY from the passage in each gap.

Certain diseases have disappeared, thanks to better and healthcare.
x Keyword(s): certain disease, disappeared, thanks to, better, healthcare

In the first sentence of the first paragraph, the author wrote: “many diseases ...”. “diseases have been eradicated” means people are able to “get rid of those diseases completely”, or we can say that those diseases have disappeared completely. “Due to” is the same as “thanks to”, and “improvements” refers to “something better”. In this sentence, the author mentioned 2 things – “vaccinations” and “the availability of healthcare”. “Healthcare” is mentioned in the statement already, therefore, what we are looking for is vaccinations.
Because there is more contact between people, are losing their usefulness.
x Keyword(s): contact between people, lose, usefulness

In the next sentences of the first paragraph, the author mentioned “contact between people” – “In a world that ...” The first sentence let us know that “there is more contact between people” (more globalized, come into contact with one another, closer and closer), and the second one showed its consequence (as a result) that is “super-viruses and ...”. “Resistant to antibiotics” means antibiotics are not useful to combat those super-viruses and other infections. They are losing their usefulness since those super-viruses are becoming more common. Therefore, the answer is antibiotics.
Disease-causing are most likely to be found in hot, damp regions.
x Keyword(s): disease – causing, most likely, found, hot, damp regions

This gap needs a noun, something or someone that can cause diseases. In the paragraph about the disease called malaria (paragraph B), the author mentioned “tropical regions that ...”. So, the writer tells us that mosquitos that can cause malaria to spread in a warm and damp environment. Therefore, what we have to find out here is “mosquitos”. Therefore, the answer is mosquitos.
One cause of pollution is that burn a particular fuel.
x Keyword(s): cause of pollution, burn, particular fuel

In paragraph C, the author named some causes of pollution. They are the massive number of cars being driven, factories that run on coal power, and the rapid industrialisation of some countries. Among them causes, factories is the word that relates to “run on ...”, which means burns a particular fuel (coal – to be more specific). Therefore, the answer is factories.
The growth of cities often has an impact on nearby .
x Keyword(s): the growth of cities, impact, nearby

In the last sentence of paragraph C, the author explained why the rapid industrialization of some countries can cause pollution. “The rapid industrialisation ...” “The expansion of big cities” can be seen as “the growth of cities”. To make way for the growth of cities, they have to “cut down forests”. We can say it has an impact on nearby forests. Therefore, the answer is forests.
is one disease that is growing after having been eradicated.
x Keyword(s): one disease, grow, after eradicated

We need to find out the most appropriate disease, one which is ‘growing’. In paragraph D, the author mentioned some diseases that need a better cure. One of them is polio which is re-emerging. “Emerge” means to appear, and “re” is a prefix used with the meaning “again”. We can understand that polio is a disease that can appear again (after being treated or eradicated). Therefore, the answer is Polio.
A physical barrier such as a can prevent people from reaching a hospital.
x Keyword(s): physical barrier, prevent, reach a hospital

The word needed is after an article and stands in front of a verb. Therefore, it has to be a noun. “Hospital” is mentioned once in the passage in paragraph G, in which the author took an example of people’s attempt to assess the levels of healthcare. The writer states: “it may be very ...”. What prevents people from getting to their nearest hospital is a mountain (a physical barrier). Therefore, the noun we’re looking for is mountain.

READING PASSAGE 3

Questions 27-40

Music and the emotions

Neuroscientist Jonah Lehrer considers the emotional power of music

Why does music make us feel? On the one hand, music is a purely abstract art form, devoid of language or explicit ideas. And yet, even though music says little, it still manages to touch us deeply. When listening to our favourite songs, our body betrays all the symptoms of emotional arousal. The pupils in our eyes dilate, our pulse and blood pressure rise, the electrical conductance of our skin is lowered, and the cerebellum, a brain region associated with bodily movement, becomes strangely active. Blood is even re-directed to the muscles in our legs. In other words, sound stirs us at our biological roots.
A recent paper in Nature Neuroscience by a research team in Montreal, Canada, marks an important step in revealing the precise underpinnings of 'the potent pleasurable stimulus' that is music. Although the study involves plenty of fancy technology, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and ligand-based positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, the experiment itself was rather straightforward. After screening 217 individuals who responded to advertisements requesting people who experience 'chills' to instrumental music, the scientists narrowed down the subject pool to ten. They then asked the subjects to bring in their playlist of favourite songs – virtually every genre was represented, from techno to tango- and played them the music while their brain activity was monitored. Because the scientists were combining methodologies (PET and fMRI), they were able to obtain an impressively exact and detailed portrait of music in the brain. The first thing they discovered is that music triggers the production of dopamine – a chemical with a key role in setting people's moods – by the neurons (nerve cells) in both the dorsal and ventral regions of the brain. As these two regions have long been linked with the experience of pleasure, this finding isn't particularly surprising.
What is rather more significant is the finding that the dopamine neurons in the caudate – a region of the brain involved in learning stimulus-response associations, and in anticipating food and other 'reward' stimuli – were at their most active around 15 seconds before the participants' favourite moments in the music. The researchers call this the 'anticipatory phase' and argue that the purpose of this activity is to help us predict the arrival of our favourite part. The question, of course, is what all these dopamine neurons are up to. Why are they so active in the period preceding the acoustic climax? After all, we typically associate surges of dopamine with pleasure, with the processing of actual rewards. And yet, this cluster of cells is most active when the 'chills' have yet to arrive, when the melodic pattern is still unresolved.
One way to answer the question is to look at the music and not the neurons. While music can often seem (at least to the outsider) like a labyrinth of intricate patterns, it turns out that the most important part of every song or symphony is when the patterns break down, when the sound becomes unpredictable. If the music is too obvious, it is annoyingly boring, like an alarm clock. Numerous studies, after all, have demonstrated that dopamine neurons quickly adapt to predictable rewards. If we know what's going to happen next, then we don't get excited. This is why composers often introduce a key note in the beginning of a song, spend most of the rest of the piece in the studious avoidance of the pattern, and then finally repeat it only at the end. The longer we are denied the pattern we expect, the greater the emotional release when the pattern returns, safe and sound.
To demonstrate this psychological principle, the musicologist Leonard Meyer, in his classic book Emotion and Meaning in Music (1956), analysed the 5th movement of Beethoven's String Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131. Meyer wanted to show how music is defined by its flirtation with – but not submission to – our expectations of order. Meyer dissected 50 measures (bars) of the masterpiece, showing how Beethoven begins with the clear statement of a rhythmic and harmonic pattern and then, in an ingenious tonal dance, carefully holds off repeating it. What Beethoven does instead is suggest variations of the pattern. He wants to preserve an element of uncertainty in his music, making our brains beg for the one chord he refuses to give us. Beethoven saves that chord for the end.
According to Meyer, it is the suspenseful tension of music, arising out of our unfulfilled expectations, that is the source of the music's feeling. While earlier theories of music focused on the way a sound can refer to the real world of images and experiences – its 'connotative' meaning – Meyer argued that the emotions we find in music come from the unfolding events of the music itself. This 'embodied meaning' arises from the patterns the symphony invokes and then ignores. It is this uncertainty that triggers the surge of dopamine in the caudate, as we struggle to figure out what will happen next. We can predict some of the notes, but we can't predict them all, and that is what keeps us listening, waiting expectantly for our reward, for the pattern to be completed.