READING » Exam tasks > Yes/No/Not given; sentence completion Skills > Analysing meaning; identifying paraphrases a Introduction ‘A Look at the statements a-j. Do you agree or disagree? Tick (7) the appropriate box. a You should buy food produced locally. b Taking holidays in a less developed country helps its economy. oO ] ¢ Cycle lanes are OK, but roads are vital for building the economy. 4 Ifyou buy wood, you should check it came from a sustainable source. ‘@ Developing a poor country’s economy is more important than saving its wilt, 1 Technology can solve all our environmental problems. 9 h i j You should only use your cari it's essential, You should buy food that is organic and comes in reusable packaging, When you leave @ room, you should turn off the lights. Governments should use oleaner sources of energy. B Compare your answers with a partner. Then discuss the following questions. 1 Why do you agree or disagree with each statement? 2. Which statements are about attitude and which are about actions? 3. In which statements are the opinions ‘green’? 4. Do you do any of the ‘green’ actions mentioned? Why/Why not? Do you have any other ideas about how we should help protect the environment? Discuss with a partner. (CUIISEIZAN) Reaaing module: Yes/No/Not given; sentence completion In the Reading module, your understanding of the writer's In sentence completion tasks you are required to Ideas and attitudes may be tested. For YesiNolNot given _complote sontences so that thy have the same meaning tasks, you are presented with alist of statements, which as information in the text. Depending on the task type, ‘may or may not be the same as the message the writer you might be asked to select words taken either directly presents in the text.You have to decide ifthe statement from the text or from a list of options. matches the writer's message or not. 54 [UNI] Climate and the EnvironmentREADING Identifying paraphrases AWith 2 partner, look at the title of the following text. What environmental problem do you think the text discusses? B Skim the text to see if your predictions were correct. € Reading module questions often requires you to identify synonyms and paraphrases. Match the following words from the text to their synonyms. transformation cultivate ‘monoculturous poached bleak weune grow growing a single crop illegally hunted depressing, without hope change Destroying our neighbours’ homes emma nermme 1 It seems shockingly easy to quote statistics that highlight the destruction of various natural habitats around the world, More worryingly, these facts and figures seem to wash over us, not surprising us in the least. We hear that rainforest now occupies a mere SO per cent of the ground cover that it did 100 years ago, or we discover that 60 per cent of the world’s ecosystems are now considered degraded and | unsustainable, and that biodiversity is seriously under threat, But these facts do not have us up in arms; we are not shouting at our leaders to put a stop to it. In fact, most people don't een know what itis 2 Acommonly used definition describes habitat destruction as the transformation of a species’ natural environment to the extent that it is no longer a viable home. The degradation or eventual destruction of vegetation means that there is either no longer the physical space in which the species can live and breed, or a food supply interruption, | Imboth cases the animals are at best displaced and at worst destroyed ‘The longer-termn consequences of this are that high numbers of species are becoming extinct and biodiversity is shrinking 3 So why isit that we are destroying these habitats ata? The answer is quite simply a dramatically increasing ‘world population, coupled with constantly rising expectations for a better standard of ling; that sto say, ‘our reliance on a constantly growing economy, our never-ending thirst for material possessions, and a need to transport them from A to Bin as short atime as possible, As the number of people populating the planet skyrockets, then corresponding human needs become a burgeoning burden on natural resources, We need more fod, more clothes, more housing and mate ‘energy; in fact, more of everything Every aspect of our needs has a ditect, ‘or indirect impact on the habitat of Cour co-occupants of planet earth, (One of the major causes of habitat destruction is logging. Responsible logging removes only the prime trees within an area, but the by-product of this is that many smaller trees are damaged during the process, Ithas the secondary effect of causing soil erosion, asthe roots ofthe trees act as a binding agent on the soil, Take away the tree and you create land that can no longer sustain other certain types of plant life and, consequently, those species reliant on that particular plant forts food supply. 86 [UNIWE) Climate and the Environment 5 Another reason for habitat destruction is the increasing need for ever-wider ‘motorways to accommodate the rising ‘number of cars, which carve areas of vegetation in two. Referred to as, habitat fragmentation, these huge swathes of tarmac mean that animals are unable to cross, resulting in their having insufficient teritory to allow them to migrate find a mate and breed, or find food 6 As our need to produce more food has grown, the way we menage the land thas changed, usually to the detriment of natural habitats. Growing more ceteals, vegetables and bio-fuels has led to increasing amounts of ‘woodland and forest being turned over to agriculture, and our demand for a more meat heavy diet has led to tracts of forest being replaced by grassland, thus allowing cattle to graze. However, while itis true that a change of land use can mean habitat destruction for one species and habitat creation for another, the overriding issue is that the replacement land use is mote oftenthan not monoculturous: far fewer | species can live in a habitat where only one plant is grown across a very large atea 7 One particularly vivid example of this ‘woeful trend is the island of Bomeo in Southeast Asia, Borneo is home to an extremely biodiverse range of plants and animals. There are over 15,000 species of flowering plants, 3,000 species of trees, 221 types of animals living on the land, and over | 420 types of birds. its home to amazing large mammals such as shinoceroses, clouded leopards, sun beats, gibbons and the iconic corang-utan. Yet, a methodical destruction is taking place, stripping Borneo are discouraging. ZI Yes/No/Not Given away the habitat necessary to support this biodiversity. In the pursuit ofthe cultivation ofthe cash-crop palm ai, major firms have deforested two million acres in the past twenty years. In these areas dedicated to ‘monoculture, 80 per cent of the plant varieties and a staggering 80-90 per cent of the mammals have disappeared; these areas can no longer be said to be biodiverse in any way. Some orang-utans, believed to blight crops, are considered a pest by ‘many farmers of palm oil and are poached; many others fall vitim to the insecticides that are used on the ‘crops. Looking ahead, the United Nations’ projections of forest cover in EADING 8 Balancing the need for economic growth and respecting the environment has been a dificult {issue ever since the first industrial revolution in the 18th century. The difference now is that the environmental impact on the land is on a scale never before seen, The shocking statistics surrounding degradation continue to mount up. Pethaps we will continue to be desensitised to their true ramifications. it might be that requiring people to give up the ‘material wealth that they have grown. accustomed to is too big an ask. But it js clear that if we do nothing, the future for a wealth of species and our planet looks very bleak indeed, {nthe IELTS exam, your understanding ofthe writer's ideas and atitudes is tested. You are presented with a list of statements, which may or may not be the same as the message the writer presents in the text. You have to decide Ifthe statement matches the writer's message or not. The questions appear in the same ‘order asthe information presented inthe text > To locate the information in the txt, pick out the keywords inthe statement, then nd the information inthe tox by looking for synonyms and paraphrass. > Use the order of the questions 383 "maps, Locate the right part ofthe text quik, then spend more time choosing the correct answer. > Answer Yes i the statement means the same asthe ‘message inthe text, > Answer No if the statement contradicts (says the ‘opposite ofthe message inthe text, > Answer Not given ifthe statement says something ‘ot mentioned inthe text, The question may relate ‘very closely co an idea expressed by the writer but not have EXACTLY the same idea. In this case you ‘would answer Not gen. For this reason you should read very carefully to decide precisely what the ‘writer is saying, EXAIVI Questions 1-7 Bbracti Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the possage? You should write Don't answer Yes because you think itis true —what does it say in the tea? ves if the statement agrees with the views of the writer No if the statement contradicts the views of the writer NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this Habitat destruction is defined as the point when a creature's surroundings are changed to the degree that it can no longer live there. Humans believe economic growth is more important than stopping the destruction of habitat. The sharp increase in the number of humans living on the planet has led to habitat destruction. Deforestation has had a large effect on climate change. The cultivation of single crops increases biodiversity One particular species in Borneo is illegally hunted by farmers There is some hope for the future of the natural habitats in Borneo,READING Sentence completion “There are two types of sentence completion tasks. In the first type you are given sentonces which you have ‘to complete using words taken directly from the text. > Look for keywords and paraphrases in the sentence to help you locate the correct part of the text. > Use exactly the same words as in the text ~ do not paraphrase or change them in any way. Ifyou change the words, your answer wil be incorrect > Check the maximum number of words you can use, A hyphenated word such as long-term’ counts as ‘one word, In the second type of sentence completion task, you are asked to complete sentences from lst of options. ‘The completed sentence will have the same meaning 35 the information inthe text. > Quickly locate the relevant section of the text and reread carefully, The questions may focus on Information in one part ofthe text or they may be spread throughout the cx, but they wil always be In the same order as the text. There are extra options that you will not need. > The frst answer you choose may not be correct: ‘often more than one option wil relate to the Information required but only one option will match EXACTLY the idea stated inthe text. Match the ‘ones you are sure about fist, and go back to the others atthe end of the task. > Make sure the completed sentence has the same meaning 2s the text AND is grammatialy correct. EXAM Questions 8-12 BP Practice Complete the sentences below with words token from the reading passage. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. 8 9 10 1" 2 There is now only half as much .. +. 88.4 century ago. When habitat is destroyed, there is either an insufficient area to reproduce, or @ ‘Areas of habitat have been split due to the growing call for... Large amounts of land are now used to feed cows to satisfy our desire for a It might be unrealistic to expect people to go without ... to having. Questions 13-16 Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-H from the box below. 3 ress Tip) +4 Asal 5 questions ae in the same order as | 16 the information in the text, you can use the questions | A asa'map'tohep | you find your way aroundthetet. | o E F H_ growing cash-crops helps to reinvigorate an economy. ‘An increasing world population Despite attempts to remove only the biggest trees, If trees are removed, Increased food production the number of species is declining at an alarming rate. . they have got used ‘many less mature specimens are destroyed as a secondary consequence. will place extra demands on the planet. has transformed our use of the countryside has led to an increased use of chemicals, it can become difficult for animals to find a breeding partner. G_ the soil may be eroded and made unable to support other vegetation. 58 [ENING] Climate and the Environment