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1 TOPIC 2. ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE – TEST 2 Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 1 to 7. The passenger pigeon was a legendary species. Flying in vast numbers across North America, with potentially many millions within a single flock, their migration was once one of nature’s great spectacles. Sadly, the passenger pigeon’s existence came to an end on 1 September 1914, when the last living specimen died at Cincinnati Zoo. Geneticist Ben Novak is lead researcher on an ambitious project which now aims to bring the bird back to life through a process known as ‘de-extinction’. The basic premise involves using cloning technology to turn the DNA of extinct animals into a fertilised embryo, which is carried by the nearest relative still in existence – in this case, the abundant band-tailed pigeon – before being born as a living, breathing animal. Passenger pigeons are one of the pioneering species in this field, but they are far from the only ones on which this cuttingedge technology is being trialled. In Australia, the thylacine, more commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger, is another extinct creature which genetic scientists are striving to bring back to life. ‘There is no carnivore now in Tasmania that fills the niche which thylacines once occupied,’ explains Michael Archer of the University of New South Wales. He points out that in the decades since the thylacine went extinct, there has been a spread in a ‘dangerously debilitating’ facial tumour syndrome which threatens the existence of the Tasmanian devils, the island’s other notorious resident. Thylacines would have prevented this spread because they would have killed significant numbers of Tasmanian devils. ‘If that contagious cancer had popped up previously, it would have burned out in whatever region it started. The return of thylacines to Tasmania could help to ensure that devils are never again subjected to risks of this kind.’ Since the disappearance of this key species, ecosystems in the eastern US have suffered, as the lack of disturbance caused by thousands of passenger pigeons wrecking trees and branches means there has been minimal need for regrowth. This has left forests stagnant and therefore unwelcoming to the plants and animals which evolved to help regenerate the forest after a disturbance. According to Novak, a hybridized band-tailed pigeon, with the added nesting habits of a passenger pigeon, could, in theory, re- establish that forest disturbance, thereby creating a habitat necessary for a great many other native species to thrive. Shapiro prefers to focus the debate on how this emerging technology could be used to fully understand why various species went extinct in the first place, and therefore how we could use it to make genetic modifications that could prevent mass extinctions in the future. “I would also say there’s an incredible moral hazard to not do anything at all,” she continues. “We know that what we are doing today is not enough, and we have to be willing to take some calculated and measured risks,” (Adapted from Cambridge English IELTS Academic 15 by Cambridge University Press) 1. Which would serve as the best title for the passage? A. Positive news: The extinct animals will return to life soon! B. Should we try to bring extinct species back to life? C. Do we deserve to bring the extinct animals back? D. How to bring extinct animals back to life? 2. What did Ben Novak propose to bring the passenger pigeon back to life, according to paragraph 1? A. He recommended using the band-tailed pigeon’s DNA, the nearest relative that is still in existence. B. He suggested that the extinct species’ DNA be turned into a fertilized embryo. C. He proposed using cloning technology to transform the DNA of the extinct species into a fertilized embryo. D. He proposed to use cloning technology to turn the band-tailed pigeon’s DNA into a fertilized embryo. 3. The word “premise” in the first paragraph mostly means _______?
2 A. hypothesis B. property C. reality D. idea 4. The word “debilitating” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______. A. contagious B. irritating C. unimportant D. enfeebling 5. The word “it” in the last paragraph refers to _______. A. cloning technology B. passenger pigeon’s DNA C. genetic modification D. habitat 6. Which of the following is NOT mentioned, according to the passage? A. There is a technology available to put the extinct animals back to life. B. Bringing an extinct species to its original habitat could improve the health of particular species living there. C. Our current efforts at preserving biodiversity are insufficient. D. Ecosystems in one region have not been challenged in spite of the extinction of the passenger pigeons. 7. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage? A. By trying to bring the extinct back to life, we are helping to bring the ecosystem’s balance. B. There’s nothing we can do with many species becoming extinct C. The existing species are suffering from the loss of other extinct animals D. The cutting-edge technology will allow us to bring back all the extinct animals. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 8 to 12. Enormous, hairy and with a huge hump, the woolly rhino roamed northern Eurasia until about 14,000 years ago. The cause of its demise has been much debated, with remains found near prehistoric human sites raising the question of whether they were hunted to extinction. Now researchers say analysis of ancient DNA from woolly rhinos found in north-east Siberia suggests climate change was the more likely culprit. “It hammers home the fact that rapid climate warming can have devastating impacts on species survival,” said Prof Love Dalén, a co-author of the research at the Centre for Palaeogenetics in Sweden. “While perhaps we are let off the hook in terms of having killed them with spears back then, it highlights the risk that we are taking with biodiversity at present when we are affecting global climate on a rapid scale.” Writing in the journal Current Biology, Dalén and an international team of colleagues report how despite having nuclear DNA from just one woolly rhino – thought to have lived 18,500 years ago – they could peer back in time. The team say the DNA showed little sign of inbreeding or reduced genetic diversity, while population size appeared to have remained stable for thousands of years preceding the animal’s death, suggesting that while human hunting cannot be ruled out as contributing to the woolly rhino’s extinction, it was not a major pressure on numbers. “Humans arrived in north-eastern Sibera at least 30,000 years ago,” said Dalén. “They coexisted there for 12,000 years until [the time of] our [woolly rhino] genome, and during that time we see no evidence for decline in the woolly rhino population.” (Adapted from theguardian.com) 8. What would be the best title for the passage? A. The Consequences of Woolly Rhino Extinction B. Climate Change: The Likely Cause of Woolly Rhino Extinction C. What Made the Extinction of the Woolly Rhino Popular? D. Climate Change: How to Address? 9. The word “demise” in the first paragraph mostly means ______. A. creation B. failure C. merit D. death 10. The word “them” in paragraph 2 refers to ______. A. woolly rhino B. prehistoric humans C. woolly mammoth D. animals
3 11. Which of the following could best summarize Dalén’s viewpoint in the last paragraph? A. The cause of the woolly rhino extinction has much to do with humans. B. For thousands of years, humans and woolly rhino rarely co-existed peacefully. C. Woolly rhinos couldn’t live without humans. D. The cause for the woolly rhino extinction is not humans. 12. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage? A. The cause of the woolly rhino extinction has been recognized by scientists. B. Human hunting was not a major pressure on numbers of the woolly rhino. C. Global warming has little to do the woolly rhino extinction. D. The number of woolly rhinos decreased dramatically because of humans’ hunting. Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions. 13. If action is not taken now, the African elephant will ______ by the end of the decade. A. die out B. die down C. die away D. die from 14. The Indian tiger is _______ and many reserves have been established to help with the plight of this beautiful animal. A. danger B. dangerous C. endanger D. endangered 15. The South African game ______ are home to many endangered animals including the African elephant and rhinoceros. A. reserves B. species C. wildlife D. forest 16. The commercial ______ of the Russian brown bear is leading their imminent decline. A. exploit B. exploiting C. exploitation D. exploitative 17. The hurricane has _______ the whole town and all the inhabitants are now homeless. A. disappeared B. killed C. damaged D. threatened 18. The ______ of solar energy and its implementation is key to the survival of the planet. A. development B. progression C. rise D. increase 19. She was close ______ receiving the grant from the government in order to set up her conservation charity. A. with B. to C. of D. for 20. Many wild cats like lions are illegally _____ in regions of Africa leading to their decline. A. game B. chased C. hunt D. extinct 21. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is _______ at an alarming rate due to global warming. A. escaping B. departing C. exhausting D. disappearing 22. The female panda is the only one _______ in this sanctuary; when she dies we will have to find another in order to keep the species from becoming extinct. A. missing B. over C. survived D. left 23. There are many _______ areas across the UK, many of which are funded by a charity called The National Trust. A. conserve B. preserve C. reservation D. conservation 24. The park ranger drew up a _______ list of all the bears within the woodland in order to keep track of their numbers. A. comprehensive B. rational C. valuable D. understandable 25. Loss of _______ is a main negative effect of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. A. reserve B. generation C. habitat D. diversity 26. Visitors have the chance to see the rhinoceros’ _______ on taking a safari through the game reserve. A. offspring B. ecology C. landscape D. benefit 27. The Indian tiger is being _______ by ruthless hunters and conservationists are struggling to deal with the issue. A. peeled B. poached C. shredded D. grated
4 28. Small villages within the region have had water ________ units set up in order to provide drinking water. A. purification B. harnessing C. temperature D. negation 29. The _______ of wind power into electricity is one way to reduce the burning of fossil fuels for electricity. A. conversion B. discovery C. drainage D. manufacture 30. Millions of years ago the dido population was ______ and now we can only see illustrations in museums of what the bird may have looked like. A. cancelled B. devastated C. extricated D. wiped out 31. The _______ from the cars in the centre of New Delhi is a contributing factor to the smog that engulfs the city. A. remissions B. submissions C. admissions D. emissions 32. The ________ hunter showed no empathy for the poor lioness who had been caught in his death trap. A. marvelous B. warm – hearted C. alarming D. callous 33. Our plan is to ________ the public with information leaflets regarding the issue of abandoned dogs in the region. A. inundate B. magnitude C. amplify D. negate 34. Most of the known rhino _______ are West African. A. species B. variations C. examples D. brands 35. The bird charity has recently launched a ________ to promote the proper care of all birds kept as pets. A. enterprise B. promotion C. operation D. campaign 36. After her _______ shock, the animal lover was thoroughly relieved when the vet was able to save the wounded fox that had been accidentally hit by a car. A. introductory B. initial C. first D. opening 37. She used to be a _______ of elephants but she was soon reeducated, and now she fights for their survival. A. cage B. flash flood C. poacher D. purification 38. I am ______ all products made from palm oil due to the harm farming of palm oil does to the orangutan population. A. boycotting B. degrading C. amplifying D. looming 39. The sound of the elephant’s cry can be so loud that it can ______ one’s hearing if one happens to be too close. A. dilute B. diminish C. dwindle D. impair 40. Much _______ was done to the town hall roof after the hurricane swept across the city last week. A. destruction B. disaster C. devastation D. damage 41. There are fewer and fewer ______ areas of natural habitat left in the wild. A. mouldy B. rusty C. unspoiled D. sour 42. The eco-charity is able to ________ itself financially through donations from the public and government funding. A. obtain B. remain C. maintain D. attain 43. The flora and _______ of the remote island are some of the most diverse, and beautiful, on the planet. A. fruits B. flowers C. plants D. fauna 44. The politician has ________ a huge effort to rally support for the Green Party in the upcoming election. A. taken B. made C. done D. given 45. If we can _______ the amount of electricity we use each day, then we can all do our bit to help the planet. A. reduce B. produce C. increase D. produce 46. Through the efforts of the conservationists, the snow leopard was brought back from the _______ of extinction. A. danger B. border C. margin D. verge