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BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 524
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 524 – PASSAGE – 2

IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST – 524
READING PASSAGE – 2
Australia Invaded from Abroad
A. The interconnectedness of the global economy has brought many benefits to Australia. Transportation connections to the rest of the world allow for the export of natural resources. These links to the outside world also bring in other goods as well as people, both immigrants needed for the labor force and tourists. If not for these developments, Australia would not be the prosperous society it is.
However, other plant and animal species can also accompany these movements. Most of them do not pose a threat to the indigenous wildlife, but sometimes they proliferate, harming the existing ecosystem of Australia. Since the Australian economy is dependent on trade with the rest of the world, government, corporations, and individuals must minimize the introduction of species that threaten the environment and effectively manage those invasive ones already present.
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B. The indigenous flora and fauna of Australia exhibit some unique characteristics among life on Earth. Animals such as the kangaroo, koala, and platypus are known throughout the world. Most of the world’s marsupial species are found there. The most notable features of larger marsupials are special pouches in the mother animals where the young suckle. They are born only after a few weeks and the embryo-like baby must crawl unaided into the pouch and attach itself to the teat for sustenance.
This method of birth offers an advantage over placental mammals, like humans, in that the mother is not at great risk from giving birth. The exit of the embryo from the mother is not traumatic and if there is any scarcity while the embryo is still attached to the teat, the young animal dies and the mother produces another one. Australia is also where nearly all monotremes exist. Monotremes, like the platypus and echidna, are similar to other mammals in that they have hair and produce milk for their young, but they lay eggs instead of giving birth to live babies.
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C. According to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, nearly 80 percent of the continent’s indigenous animals and flowering plants are unique to it, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world. The geologic history of plate tectonics explains how this came to be. About 250 million years ago, there existed a supercontinent called Pangaea whose southeastern portion was composed of what is now Australia.
This southern part of Pangaea started to break apart and by about 35 million years ago, Australia separated from what is now Antarctica. Unlike the other parts of the old supercontinent, Australia remains separate from other major landmasses and also has a climate where its unique animal and plant species can survive.
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D. Unfortunately, with the arrival of non-native visitors from Europe, many invasive species were introduced. The first of these vectors were sailing ships with animals stowed away in their holds, as well as settlers and colonists who brought their own animals and plants with them. The environment of Australia makes it the driest inhabited continent on Earth, so the arrival of non-indigenous species makes it hard for other animals and plants to survive.
In modern times container ships, airplanes, and people desiring exotic plants or pets have been other vectors for the introduction of new species. Sometimes, in order to control a weed or pest animal, authorities have deliberately propagated a non-indigenous species with disastrous results. The current cane toad infestation in Australia is a result of poor planning in trying to control a type of beetle. The cane toad shunned eating that particular insect pest and, instead, has wreaked enormous havoc on other indigenous species.
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E. The government has implemented a variety of controls to combat invasive animals. Any method, though, has its limits given the scale of the problem and the variety of limiting factors involved. The red fox is controlled through government bounties, poisoning, and fencing. Shooting animals from helicopters is another method that is more practical for larger animals that congregate in herds, like feral goats and camels.
An early attempt at invasive species control in the 1950’s used a virus that affected only wild rabbits. It was a mostly successful effort, killing over 90% of them, according to the Australian Department of Environment and Water Resources. Unfortunately, they are still present throughout most of the country, albeit in greatly reduced numbers, since some rabbits developed a resistance to the virus. Another method with potential is the use of sterile animals released into the wild to disrupt a species’ reproductive cycle.
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F. Some of these methods are controversial because of their possible impact on indigenous species and questions about their humaneness. There is no question about the economic impact of invasive species, though; weed plant management alone costs Australia about AUD$4 billion a year. The proliferation of destructive species affects industries like agriculture, forestry, and tourism. Through careful regulation and environmental stewardship, Australians can mitigate the impact of these unwelcome plants and animals.
Questions 16 – 22
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 16-22 write:
YES – if the statement agrees with the writer
ΝΟ – if the statement contradicts the writer
NOT GIVEN- if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
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16. Globalization is one factor that causes invasive species to be introduced into Australia.
17. The majority of marsupial species is found outside of Australia.
18. New Zealand shares some plants and animals with Australia.
19. The introduction of invasive species into Australia is always accidental.
20. The Department of Environment and Water Resources reports that wild rabbits were effectively eradicated in Australia.
21. Releasing sterile members of an invasive species into the wild has been shown to be an effective way to control them.
22. Australia can reduce the effect of invasive species through careful policy.
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Questions 23 – 25
Choose the appropriate letters A–D and write them in boxes 23-25 on your answer sheet.
23 What reason do people have to settle in Australia and, thus, potentially bring invasive species?
A. to encourage the extinction of indigenous animal
B. to prevent globalization from taking place.
C. to contribute to the economy of Australia.
D. to help preserve the environment.
24 Why do marsupials females give birth to undeveloped young?
A. to increase the chances of the offspring surviving
B. to better provide food and energy to the baby anim
C. to save space in the pouch where they are raised
D. to minimize risk to the mother
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25 What phrase best describes the author’s opinions on invasive species?
A. must be dealt with in a thoughtful manner
B. an inconvenience that is necessary
C. have to be eradicated at all cost
D. are not really a problem in Australia

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ANSWERS
16. YES
17. NO
18. NOT GIVEN
19. NO
20. NO
21. NOT GIVEN
22. YES
23. C
24. D
25. A
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