Guide To ielts (academic reading)

TRUE

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FALSE

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1
At the start of the eighteenth century, scientists knew the Earth was round. 
 
2
Sir Isaac Newton had done scientific experiments at the equator.
 
3
The debate between Newton and Cassini was important for sailors.
 
4
Maupertius and Condamine had worked together in the past.
 
5
Condamine finished his research sooner than he had expected. 
 
6
Condamine left behind no physical evidence of his expedition to South America. 

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TASK TYPE 2 Note/Table Completion 
The Complete Guide To IELTS (ACADEMIC READING) 
3 
IELTS PRACTICE TASK 
Extinct birds of New Zealand 
Many species of birds that once lived in this South Pacific country aren't found today. 
Today, New Zealand is a typical, modern country with cities, towns and roads. But for many 
thousands of years, and until relatively recently, the more than 3,000 islands that make up the 
country had no human inhabitants at all. Instead, a vast number of birds lived in its forests, 
mountains and along the thousands of kilometres of beaches. In fact, New Zealand probably had 
more species of birds than any other country in the world. One reason for this was that the natural 
environment was a perfect source of food to support the bird population, particularly from the 
enormous oceans that surround the country. With so much food readily available, it's not surprising 
that the bird population grew. Another important factor was that the birds had no predators on land 
because, with the exception of a single species of bat, there weren't any mammals at all in the 
country that would otherwise have killed birds and kept their numbers down. Because of this, over 
many, many years, New Zealand's birds developed characteristics not associated with bird 
populations in other countries. For example, they didn't have to defend themselves from predators, 
so many birds lived on the ground and didn't have wings because they didn't need to fly, such as 
the iconic kiwi bird and also the much larger, ostrich-like bird called the moa. This characteristic 
allowed the birds to save huge amounts of energy and provided them with numerous other 
advantages 
– so long as they didn't need to defend themselves against attacks by predators! One 
final development was that many of these birds now made their nests on the ground rather than in 
tress and the eggs that they laid became much bigger over time. This was just one more factor that 
made these populations of birds very vulnerable when humans eventually reached New Zealand.
The first human migrants to New Zealand were the Maori people, who arrived approximately 800 
years ago. The Maori sailed from their original homes in the tropical Pacific to New Zealand in 
canoes, bringing food supplies and many of the things they needed to set up new homes. 
Unfortunately, however, they unintentionally brought Pacific rats with them as well, a species 
previously unknown in New Zealand, and these killed many birds that were unable to fly away. The 
Maori themselves also hunted birds for food, and their loud calls in the forest at night time made 
them particularly easy to find. Birds were useful in other ways, too. Fish hooks were frequently 
manufactured from bones, while feathers were highly prized as decorations to be worn in the hair or 
clothing. The results of this, in terms of bird populations, has been calculated by the scientist Paul 
Martin. His research since the 1960s has assessed the impact on flora and fauna of human arrival 
in various parts of the world, and he has concluded that New Zealand is a unique example because 
bird species were wiped out so fast, relative to other countries. 

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TASK TYPE 2 Note/Table Completion 
The Complete Guide To IELTS (ACADEMIC READING) 
4 
European migrants started arriving in significant numbers in the early 1800s and brought with them 
a whole lot of new problems. The journals of the earliest European explorers in the country are full 
of references to how they relied on their hunting dogs to catch birds in order to supply the expedition 
with food, and these animals have been a constant threat to bird life ever since. Many of the 
European settlers came to New Zealand to set up farms, but before this was possible it was 
necessary to clear the land of trees, and this process of deforestation had serious consequences for 
many birds, as their habitats were destroyed. As the country's population has grown and the need 
for more land for housing, industry and farming has increased with it, many more bird species have 
faced extinction. However, in recent decades attempts have been made to save some of these 
endangered species by creating sanctuaries where they can live and breed. The location for nearly 
all of these sanctuaries has been small islands scattered around the coastline, which can be kept 
free of predators and pests. In some cases, this includes human beings, allowing the environment 
to return to its original condition. 
Questions 1
–4 
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