Cambridge IELTS 12, Test 7, Reading Passage 1: Flying Tortoises, Solution With Answer Key

Flying Tortoises Passage Solution with Answer Key – Cambridge IELTS 12, Test 7: Reading Passage 1. Here we will discuss detailed explanation of all the questions of the passage. Here is step by step Solution with Tips and Strategies. This post is for educational purpose only. If you find difficulties in reading passage to find the right answer in the exam, just read the post carefully. Tips and strategies will help you find the right answer.

 

Flying Tortoises

IELTS Reading Passage Solution

 

IELTS Cambridge 12, Test 7 or Test 3, Academic Reading Module, Reading Passage 1

 

PASSAGE 1: Flying Tortoises (View Full Passage Here)

Questions 1-7 (List of headings):

** Tips (link details): How To Solve List of Heading in IELTS Reading Passage

General Idea: Skimming is the best reading technique. You need not understand every word here. Just try to gather the gist of the sentences. That’s all. Read quickly and don’t stop until you finish each sentence.

Question 1: Paragraph A
Now, in paragraph A, the answer is found in line 7 where the writer says, “…. . .. the islands were colonized by one or two tortoises from mainland South America…”. And then continues, “……. .. . giving rise to at least 14 different subspecies…” These lines suggest that tortoises were populating the islands.
Answer: v Tortoises populate the islands

Question 2: Paragraph B
Now, in paragraph B, line 3-4 says, “….. saw this exploitation grow exponentially.” The previous lines say that tortoises were taken on ships by pirates as food supply. Then line 3-4 talks about the increase of the exploitation.
Answer: iii Developments to the disadvantages of tortoise populations

Question 3: Paragraph C
Now, for Paragraph C, the answer lies in line 2, where the author mentions, “….. In 1989, work began on a tortoise breeding centre……” suggesting that some people had started a conservation project to protect the tortoises.
Answers: viii The start of the conservation project

Question 4: Paragraph D
Now, as for paragraph D, the answer is found in lines 4-5. Here, the writer states, “…. .. if people wait too long after that point, the tortoises eventually become too large to transport.” This means that if the timing is wrong, there is a big price to pay or they have to face a big problem.
Answer: i The importance of getting the timing right

Question 5: Paragraph E

Now, the answer for paragraph E lies in lines 6-7. Here, the author says, “….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.” It means that the plan is a very big one which is yet to occur.
Answer:  iv Planning a bigger idea

Question 6: Paragraph F
Now, in Paragraph F, the writer mentions the procedures which were taken to complete the transportation of 33 tortoises to relocate them to different parts of Galapagos Island. All the procedures indicate that the operation was carefully prepared.
Answer: vi Carrying out a carefully prepared operation

Question 7: Paragraph G
Now, the answer for paragraph G is in line 3, where the author mentions, “Eventually, one tiny tortoise came across a fully grown giant …..”.
Answer: ii Young meets old

 

Questions 8-13 (Completing sentences with ONE WORD ONLY):

** Tips (link details): How to Solve Sentence Completion Questions in IELTS Reading Module?

General Idea: In this type of question, candidates are asked to write only one word to complete the sentence. For this type of question, first, skim the passage to find the keywords in the paragraph concerned with the answer, and then scan to find the exact word.

Question 8: 17th Century: small numbers taken onto ships used by 8 _____________.
Keywords: 17th Century, small numbers, ships used by
Now, for this question, we look at the paragraph where 17 century is mentioned. Start skimming from the beginning of the text. You’ll nd the
mention of 17 century in paragraph B. So, we can be sure that the answer will be in this paragraph. In line 2-3 the writer says, “… From 17
century onwards, pirates took a few on board for food, … … .”.

Here, a few = small numbers. So, we can understand that those ships were used by pirates, who took small numbers of tortoises on their ships (on board) for food supply.

Answer: pirates

Question 9 and 10: 1790s: very large numbers taken onto whaling ships kept for 9 _______ and also used to produce 10 _______.
Keywords: 1790s, very large numbers, whaling ships, kept for, to produce
Now, in paragraph 2 line 3. Here we nd 1790s, which is our first clue. Then, when we read further, we find in lines 5 and 6, “…. The tortoises were taken on board these ships to act as food supplies during long ocean passages. Sometimes, their bodies were processed into high-grade oil.”
Here, Kept for = act as; To produce = processed;
Answer 9: food
Answer 10: oil

Question 11: Hunted by 11 _________ on the islands
Keywords: hunted
Now, in paragraph 2, the word ‘hunted’ is directly found in line 10—-“They hunted the tortoises……”. As ‘they’ is a pronoun, we have to read the previous line to learn what noun ‘they’ is referring to. “This historical exploitation was then exacerbated when settlers came to the islands.”

Here, ‘they’ is referring to settlers.
Answer: settlers

Questions 12 and 13: Habitat destruction: for the establishment of agriculture and by various 12 ______ not native to the islands, which also fed on baby tortoises and tortoise’s 13 ______
Keywords: Habitat destruction, establishment of agriculture, not native, also fed on, baby tortoises and tortoise’s

Now, continue reading from the previous lines. The word ‘habitat’ is found in line 9, ‘establishment of agriculture’ in line 10. Then, in line 10, the author says, “They also introduced alien species- ranging from …..”. Here the word ‘alien’ is a match with ‘not native’.
Answer 12: species

After that, in line 11, we find, “- that either prey on the eggs and young tortoises… .. ..”. Here, prey on means fed on, young tortoises means baby tortoises.
Answer 13: eggs

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Answer Key – Flying Tortoises

Cambridge IELTS 12 Test 7 Answer Key, Reading Passage 1

 

Flying Tortoises Reading Passage Answers Keys

Passage 1

 

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