IELTS reading

Reading Test 24

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Section 1

Reading Passage 1

Fossil Files "The Paleobiology Database"

Are we now living through the sixth extinction as our own activities destroy ecosystems and wipe out diversity? That’s the doomsday scenario painted by many ecologists, and they may well be right. The trouble is we don’t know for sure because we don’t have a clear picture of how life changes between extinction events or what has happened in previous episodes. We don’t even know how many species are alive today, let alone the rate at which they are becoming extinct. A new project aims to fill some of the gaps. The Paleobiology Database aspires to be an online repository of information about every fossil ever dug up. It is a huge undertaking that has been described as biodiversity’s equivalent of the Human Genome Project. Its organizers hope that by recording the history of biodiversity they will gain an insight into how environmental changes have shaped life on Earth in the past and how they might do so in the future. The database may even indicate whether life can rebound no matter what we throw at it, or whether a human induced extinction could be without parallel, changing the rules that have applied throughout the rest of the planet’s history. B. But already the project is attracting harsh criticism. Some experts believe it to be seriously flawed. They point out that a database is only as good as the data fed into it, and that even if all the current fossil finds were catalogued, they would provide an incomplete inventory of life because we are far from discovering every fossilised species. They say that researchers should get up from their computers and get back into…

Questions 1–6

The reading passage has seven paragraphs, A-F. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-F from the list below.

1.Paragraph A

2.Paragraph B

Section 2

Reading Passage 2

Longaeva: Ancient Bristlecone Pine

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To understand more about the earth’s history, humans have often looked to the natural environment for insight into the past. The bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva), of the White Mountains in California, has served this purpose greater than any other species of tree on the planet. Conditions here are brutal: scant precipitation and low average temperatures mean a short growing season, only intensified by ferocious wind and mal-nutritious rocky. Nevertheless, bristlecone pines have claimed these barren slopes as their permanent home. Evolving here in this harsh environment, super-adapted and without much competition, bristlecones have earned their seat on the longevity throne by becoming the oldest living trees on the planet. Results of extensive studies on bristlecone pine stands have shown that in fact such, environmental limitations are positively associated with the attainment of great age. This intriguing phenomenon will be discussed further on. But exactly how old is old? Sprouted before the invention of Egyptian hieroglyphs and long before the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, Methuselah is the oldest bristlecone alive at roughly 4,700 years. Although specimens of this age do not represent the species’ average, there are 200 trees more than 3,000 years old, and two dozen more than 4,000. Considering that these high ages are obtained in the face of such remarkable environmental adversity, the bristlecone pines have become the focus of much scientific examination over the past half-century. Perhaps most interested in the bristlecone pine are dendrochronologists or…

Questions 14–17

The Reading Passage has nine paragraphs A-I. Which paragraph contains the following information?

14.Human activity threats bristlecone pines habitat

Section 3

Reading Passage 3

Biology of Bitterness

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To many people, grapefruit is palatable only when doused in sugar. Bitter Blockers like adenosine monophosphate could change that. There is a reason why grapefruit juice is served in little glasses: most people don’t want to drink more than a few ounces at a time. aringin, a natural chemical compound found in grapefruit, tastes bitter. Some people like that bitterness in small doses and believe it enhances the general flavor, but others would rather avoid it altogether. So juice packagers often select grapefruit with low naringin though the compound has antioxidant properties that some nutritionists contend may help prevent cancer and arteriosclerosis. It is possible, however, to get the goodness of grapefruit juice without the bitter taste. I found that out by participating in a test conducted at the Linguagen Corporation, a biotechnology company in Cranbury, New Jersey. Sets of two miniature white paper cups, labeled 304and 305, were placed before five people seated around a conference table. Each of us drank from one cup and then the other, cleansing our palates between tastes with water and a soda cracker. Even the smallest sip of 304 had grapefruit ‘s unmistakable bitter bite. But 305 was smoother; there was the sour taste of citrus but none of the bitterness of naringin. This juice had been treated with adenosine monophosphate, or AMP, a compound that blocks the bitterness in foods without making them less nutritious. Taste research is a booming business these days, with scientists delving into all five basics-sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and umami, the savory taste…

Questions 27–34

The reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-I. Which paragraph contains the following information?

27.Experiment on bitterness conducted

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Answers & explanations

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40 answers3 explanations open

1
iii
Paragraph A begins with the question about the sixth extinction and the need to provide data related to that extinction. From the quoted text, it can be inferred that a new project called The Paleobiology Database is created to provide relevant information and to help assess the possibility of that extinction.
2
i
At the beginning, the passage introduces harsh criticism related to the database. Skimming through the passage then you will find some potential errors including incomplete inventory of life, fossil record riddled with holes and biases.
3
ii
The answer is clearly mentioned: Fans (or supporters) of the Paleobiology Database see its value in looking for global patterns, meaning that they help reclear its value despite its incomplete record.
4
vi
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5
v
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6
iv
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7
B
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8
D
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9
C
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10
B
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11
D
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12
B
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13
C
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14
I
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15
C
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16
D
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17
A
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18
B
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19
A
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20
D
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21
energy
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22
stratification
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23
bark
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24
air
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25
ground cover
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26
distance
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27
B
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28
I
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29
C
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30
E
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31
G
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32
H
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33
A
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34
D
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35
naringin
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36
poisonous
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37
supertasters
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38
taste buds
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39
A
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40
D
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