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BEST IELTS General Reading Test 469
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 469 – PASSAGE – 3
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – 469
READING PASSAGE – 3
THE GREENLANDS
A. GREENLAND is an autonomous country within the Danish Realm, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographical a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe Greenland is the world’s largest island. Three-quarters of Greenland is covered by the only permanent ice sheet outside of Antarctica. It is the least densely populated country in the world. The Arctic Umiaq Line ferry acts as a lifeline for western Greenland, connecting the various cities and settlements.
B. The first people to set foot in Greenland arrived around 4-5000 years ago from the North American continent via Canada when the sea froze in the narrow strait at Thule in northern Greenland. No less than six different Inuit cultures have immigrated in several waves. Greenland’s population today is descended from the last immigration, the Thule culture, which arrived here in around the 9th century AD. Greenland is thought to have been inhabited since prehistoric times by various Paleo-Eskimo groups.
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Several thousand Greenlandic Inuit reside in Denmark proper. The majority of the population is Lutheran. Nearly all Greenlanders live along the fjords in the south-west of the main island, which has a relatively mild climate. More than 17,000 people reside in Nuuk, the capital city. European settlement and exploration of Greenland did not occur until 986 C.E. when Norwegians and Icelanders settled on its west coast. These people were eventually known as the Norse Greenlanders and they were formally taken over by Norway in the 13th century.
C. In that same century, Norway entered into a union with Denmark which effectively started Greenland’s relationship with that country as well. In 1946, the United States offered to buy Greenland from Denmark but the country refused to sell the island. Greenland’s current head of state is Denmark’s queen, Margrethe II. Because of its very high latitude, Greenland has an arctic to subarctic climate with cool summers and very cold winters.
IELTS General Reading Test
Because of this, its citizens can practice very little agriculture and most of its products are forage crops, greenhouse vegetables, sheep, reindeer and fish. Greenland mostly relies on imports from other countries. Greenland’s topography is mainly flat but there is a narrow mountainous coast. Most of Greenland’s land area is covered by an ice sheet (map) and two-thirds of the country is subject to permafrost.
D. Fishing (shrimp, halibut, salmon, and cod) is the main industry, and dozens of processing plants have been constructed in the south and southwest. Some of the world’s largest shrimp beds are in Disko Bay. In the north and east seals, foxes, and polar bears are hunted. Seabirds are hunted for their flesh, eggs, and down. Reindeer are herded and there is extensive sheep breeding in the southern area. Gold, niobium, tantalite, uranium, iron, and diamonds are mined. Deposits of cryolite, zinc, and lead, which were important to Greenland’s mining industry, have been largely worked out. Copper, coal, oil, and molybdenum deposits also exist but are difficult to extract.
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E. The country is gradually shifting its electricity production from fossil fuel to hydropower. Greenland has gradually modernized its economy but still depends heavily on its fishing industry, and fish products are its largest export. The country must import most machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, and petroleum products. Tourism is being developed. Greenland has benefited from greatly improved air transportation and telecommunications in recent years. Greenland and its surrounding waters support a diverse natural ecosystem. The western coastal areas are important bird and nature protection areas and the glacier fjord Jakobshavn Isfjord is a World Heritage Site.
F. The exploration wells to be drilled in 2010 are located over 150 km from these areas. Greenlandic waters contain a large number of fish species and fishing is an important local industry. Furthermore, 22 known marine mammal species including whales, walruses and seals regularly inhabit the sea off Greenland. Cairn recognizes the unique biodiversity of Greenland and its responsibility to protect it.
IELTS General Reading Test
To safeguard this environment, we will take appropriate actions to reduce or remedy biodiversity loss and seek opportunities to make positive contributions to biodiversity, where possible, adopt a precautionary approach by conducting impact assessments of our proposed drilling activities, to identify specific impacts and risks associated with biodiversity recognizing that not all areas of high biodiversity importance are legally protected and recognize that the local communities are a valuable source of traditional knowledge about the habitats and behaviors of key species.
Questions 28-33
The text has six sections, A-F
Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number I-IX, in boxes 28-33 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. Formal Demographic structure of Greenland
ii. Treasure in the Heart of Greenland
iii. Politics and Profession in Greenland
iv. Lifeline of Greenland
v. Physical features of Greenland
vi. Efforts to protect Biodiversity
vii. Tourism in Greenland
viii. Wild life of Greenland
ix. Growing economy strategies
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28. Section-A
29. Section-B
30. Section-C
31. Section-D
32. Section-E
33. Section-F
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Questions 34-40
Choose the correct letter A, B. C or D
34. 75% of the area of Greenland is covered with
A. Mountains
B. ice
C. valley
D. Forest
35. Greenland is considered to have been populated since prehistoric times by
A. many Pre-Historic groups
B. Inuits
C. various Paleo-Eskimo groups
D. Early man
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36. Greenland citizens practice very little agriculture due to
A. very high altitude
B. very hot weather
C. very dense population
D. very cold winters
37. Greenland’s geography is
A. mainly flat
B. mainly oval
C. mainly round
D. mainly semi-oval
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38. To fulfill the requirement of its people, Greenland mostly relies on
A. trade out
B. trade in
C. not in trade
D. producing for their own
39. The country is gradually shifting from fossil fuel to hydropower for its
A. Petrol production
B. Diesel production
C. Electricity production
D. Fuel production
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40. Greenland has a unique natural ecosystem and this, …………………. has to be saved.
A. water bodies
B. native animals
C. habitats
D. Biodiversity
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IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
28. V
29. I
30. III
31. II
32. IX
33. VI
34. B
35. C
36. D
37. A
38. B
39. C
40. D
IELTS General Reading Test