Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 218
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 218 -PASSAGE – 3
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 218
READING PASSAGE – 3
THE EMPTY QUARTER- AN UNEXPLORED SAND DESERT
A. The Arabic name Rub al Khali means “empty quarter.” The name was given to it because it’s a huge stretch of unbroken sand desert that has bested kings, adventurers, and nomads for thousands of years. In a region defined by deserts, the Rub al Khali came to be known for being especially daunting and inhospitable.
B. The desert is 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) long, and 500 kilometres (310 miles) wide. Its surface elevation varies from 800 metres (2,600 ft) in the southwest to around sea level in the northeast. The terrain is covered with sand dunes with heights up to 250 metres (820 ft), interspersed with gravel and gypsum plains.
The sand is of a reddish-orange colour due to the presence of feldspar. There are also brackish salt flats in some areas, such as the Umm al Samim area on the desert’s eastern edge. Sand blows off the surface, of course, but the essential shape of the dunes remains intact, probably due to the moisture leaching up into the base of the dunes from the surrounding sabkhas.
IELTS General Reading Test
C. Along the middle length of the desert there are a number of raised, hardened areas of calcium carbonate, gypsum, marl, or clay that were once the site of shallow lakes. These lakes existed during periods from 6,000 to 5,000 years ago and 3,000 to 2,000 years ago. The lakes are thought to have formed as a result of “cataclysmic rainfall” similar to present-day monsoon rains and most probably lasted for only a few years.
Evidence suggests that the lakes were home to a variety of flora and fauna. Fossil remains indicate the presence of several animal species, such as hippopotamus, water buffalo, and long- horned cattle. The lakes also contained small snails, ostracods, and when conditions were suitable, freshwater clams. Deposits of calcium carbonate and opal phytoliths indicate the presence of plants and algae. There is also evidence of human activity dating from 3,000 to 2,000 years ago, including chipped flint tools, but no actual human remains have been found.
D. The Empty Quarter receives just 1.2 inches of rain a year. This is a desert that makes Death Valley and its annual 2.4 inches of rainfall look positively wet! The area is one of the driest places you can find on earth and subsequently one of the most sparsely populated. Despite the severe environment of the Al Rub’ Al Khali desert, several tribes from the Arabian Peninsula have managed to establish life on its sands. Most tribes that live there do so close to the edge of the desert. Few roads exist to help settlers find water spots and oil production centres.
IELTS General Reading Test
E. The region is classified as “hyper-arid”, which means that it lacks water for the growth of plants or survival of animals. Rainfall is less than 3 cm (1.2 in) every year. The daily temperatures are between 47 °C (117 °F) and 51 °C (124 °F). Anyone visiting the Rub Al Khali needs to remember to bring plenty of water. Visitors can enjoy a 4×4 drive in the desert or a camel ride, or camp out on the dunes.
One of the best experiences in the Empty Quarter is to spend some time with the Bedouins of the desert. Visitors can enjoy listening to old stories about Oman, its culture and the desert. This makes it the perfect place to be if you want to find peace.
Questions 28-30
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D
Write the correct letter in boxes 28-30 in your answer sheet.
28. The colour of the sand is determined by which of the following?
A. By the moisture that remains intact inside the soil
B. By the presence of a mineral in the sand
C. By the hyper- arid nature and lack of rainfall
D. By high temperature and high exposure to wind and sunlight
IELTS General Reading Test
29. How do the tribes in this infinite desert survive?
A. They wait and rely on the scarce rainfall for cultivation
B. They hunt the local fauna for their meals
C. They rely on the road connectivity on the outskirts
D. They depend on tourism where they rent their camels
30. All these evident prove that a normal life existed in the desert about a thousand years ago except?
A. Presence of flora and fauna in the region
B. Presence of minerals and clay in the rock form
C. Presence of agricultural fields and human remains
D. Evidence that points towards the rainfall patterns similar to present day monsoon.
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 31-35
The text has five paragraphs, A-E
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-v, in boxes 31-35 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. Description of the history and evolution of desert
ii. Weather conditions and guidelines for tourists
iii. Characteristics that define the derivation of name
iv. Unique features of the appearance of sand
v. Challenges in carrying out daily activities.
31. Paragraph A
32. Paragraph B
33. Paragraph C
34. Paragraph D
35. Paragraph E
IELTS General Reading Test
Questions 36-40
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.
HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE DESERT
The presence of gypsum, marl or clay provide evidence that (36)……… lakes once existed. They were formed as a result of what we call (37)……… today and these lakes were home to a variety of (38)……… and (39)……… Evidence also shows some human activity about some thousand years ago but human (40)……… are still a subject to question.
ANSWERS ARE BELOW
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
28. B
29. C
30. C
31. iii
32. iv
33. i
34. v
35. ii
36. SHALLOW
37. MONSOON
38. FLORA
39. FAUNA
40. REMAINS
IELTS General Reading Test