STUNNING STAR

Reading

READING PASSAGE 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.

The Ring-tailed Lemur

A. One of the most loved animals found in zoos is the ring-tailed lemur, noted for its long, black and white
ringed tail. The popularity of the animal soared after it was featured as a main character in a series of
animated films that have appeared in cinemas globally since 2005. Known scientifically as lemur catta, with
the latter half of its scientific name referring to its supposed resemblance to the domestic cat, the species
hails from the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. In the local language of Malagasy, the ring- tailed
lemur is also known as the maky or hira. Although thriving in captivity, the lemur wild population numbers
are experiencing a downward trend, as is the case with other species endemic to the island.

B. The ring-tailed lemur's most distinctive feature is its tail, which can grow up to 60cm long and can have as
many as 13 alternately colored rings of fur. The lemur's face, hands, and feet are predominantly white, but
the face is characterized by dark triangular patches surrounding the eyes and nose. The body of the ring-
tailed lemur is usually grey or dark brown in color, with white undersides, completing the recognisable look,
whereas the exposed skin, which can be easily seen on the feet, hands, and face, is dark, almost black, in
colour. The ring-tailed lemur is fairly small in comparison to many mammals, weighing in at around 2.2kg,
but this is relatively large compared to other lemur species. The ring-tailed lemur is mostly spotted during
the day, as this is when it is most active and it can often be seen sunbathing.

C. Due to the isolated geographical location of Madagascarthe island is home to a rich diversity of unique
animal and plant species and the ring-tailed lemur has made the island, as well as a few neighbouring
islands, its home. The lemur appears to have settled in the south-eastern corner of the island and tends to
prefer forested areas, but has been known to explore wider, open spaces. The animal strongly prefers gallery
forests, which are those that form along riverbanks, but rainforests and tropical forests also provide
habitats.

D. Communication between ring-tailed lemurs has provided a rich topic for study, as it is one of the most vocal
primates. Scientists have classified a variety of calls used for different purposes. For example, a barking
sound alerts the group to danger, whereas a howl, which can be heard kilometres away, represents a
marking of territory. In addition to auditory communication, the ring-tailed lemur communicates with facial
expressions, and again, scientists have been able to identify different functions. These include different ways
of baring the teeth, or the movement of eyebrows to indicate friendliness or aggression. Lemurs also
communicate through scent marking, and the ring-tailed lemur is no different. Scent is sprayed either to
show dominance over a territory or in aggression during a fight.

E. Fights over territory are most often performed by dominant females within the group, which is also known
as a troop. In fact, the troop is largely controlled by females, who take hierarchical precedence when feeding
or leading the group. The social group generally consists of between 3 and 25 lemurs, averaging around 17
animals, usually headed by one dominant female. However, this does not mean that males have no ranking;
the male hierarchy relies on age, whereas female hierarchy is usually based on dominant fighting ability. This
means that daughters of the dominant females are not automatically promoted to a higher position but will

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have to fight to reach the top. Females tend to stay in the group into which they are born, but males change
troops on a regular basis and it is not unusual for male lemurs to return to troops they have left.

F. Intelligence in primates has long been a focus of studies, especially their ability to use and create tools.
Observations of ring-tailed lemurs in the wild have not revealed any evidence of tool use or tool making, but
studies carried out at the Myakka City reserve in Madagascar found that lemurs were able to use some tools
if they were trained to do so. Research continues into the cognitive ability of the ring-tailed lemur, but
attempts are being hampered by the challenges of studying animals in isolation from their social groups.

G. While the ring-tailed lemur is surviving well in captivity, its wild population is suffering. According to
research, 95% of the wild population has disappeared since 2000. In 2017, it was reported that there were
around 2,000 lemurs left in the wild. The species has been listed as endangered since 1977, but now it is
likely to be listed as critically endangered because of the decline in numbers. The main reason for this
population loss is habitat destruction and deforestation by humans. It has been estimated that 90% of
original forests in Madagascar have been lost due to logging, mining, and conversion to agricultural land. In
addition to this, drought severely affects parts of the island and this has devastated the lemur population,
with infants and females particularly at risk. Another reason for the decline in population is the hunting of
the species for food or for the illegal pet trade. However, with the increase in popularity of ecotourism,
essential knowledge is being provided to local residents, enabling them to care for this species and other
unique animals and plants.

Questions 1-6

Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs, A-G.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

1. a change in conservation classification

2. a reference to the role of smell in lemur behaviour
3. a reason why lemurs are popular
4. 4 an explanation of noises made by the lemur
5. 5 a description of lemurs' chosen living spaces
6. a summary of how the ring-tailed lemur society functions

Questions 7-10

Answer the questions below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.

7. What other animal do ring-tailed lemurs look like?

8. In addition to its limbs, where else can dark skin be observed on the lemur?
9. Where are the lemur-preferred forests located in south-eastern Madagascar?
10. What sounds do lemurs make to mark their territory?

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Question 11-13

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write the correct letter in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.

11 According to the passage, one of the reasons lemurs spray scent is to

A. be friendly to other animals.

B. recognize members of their own family.
C. show they are fierce fighters.
D. alert the group to danger.

12The social group, known as a troop,

A. is a democracy with many leaders.

B. uses different hierarchical systems.
C. does not need to contain males.
D. has a consistent membership.

13 According to the final paragraph,

A. wild lemur populations are increasing.

B. there are no original forests left in Madagascar.
C. ecotourism has eradicated the illegal pet trade.
D. there are several reasons for the declining numbers of lemurs.

READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.

The Mod Subculture

Sociologically defined, a subculture is a group which exists within a larger culture and has differing interests or
beliefs to those of the majority. There are many facets which can define what a subculture looks like, including
fashion, political beliefs, and musical tastes. One such subculture exploded onto the social scene in the late 50s and
early 60s, and still has some resonance in today's society. The Mod subculture was predominantly a youth culture,
with its origins in London, England, although researchers such as Paul Jobling and David Crowley have stated that the
culture is difficult to define because it kept changing as a result of constant reinvention.

The Mod subculture started to emerge as a result of increased economic prosperity in England following a period of
post-war austerity in the late 1940s and early 1950s. This prosperity allowed the youth of the era to have more
disposable income, combined with the fact that they often didn't have to contribute to household income as much
as previous generations had. This led to a desire for more independence and an avoidance of the strict social norms
and rules that had been imposed before. According to sociologist Simon Frith, the origins of the culture can be
traced to coffee bars which were frequented by art school students, mainly because they opened later than pubs at
the time. Although these cafés were originally targeted at middle class students, as time passed, the clientele
became more mixed.

The independence that comes with earning more money enabled young male mods to spend the bulk of their
income on clothes, travel, and leisure. Experts such as Shari Benstock and Suzanne Ferris claim that male Mods were
obsessed with fashion, and even 'worshipped leisure and money'. They say that this obsession with fashion was seen

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as a move away from the more masculine concerns of labour and hard work, as fashion was previously deemed to be
more of a feminine pursuit. At the same time, women, as members of the Mod movement, were seen to become
more autonomous. According to Stuart Hall and Tony Jefferson, women became much more independent and visible
due to the ability to earn their own income

As mentioned above, one of the defining features of the Mods was their fashion. Since the youth of the day had
more money to spend, they often bought clothing which was stylish and sophisticated. Tailored suits were popular
with male Mods and the initial visit to a high-end tailor for your first made-to-measure suit was a rite of passage.
Some areas became associated with the movement and shops in these places catered to Mods, one such being
Carnaby Street in London's Soho. Much of the fashion, including in areas other than clothes, such as hairstyles and
riding scooters, was influenced by continental art and fashion, especially that of France and Italy. Some male Mods
even experimented with make-up, such as eye shadow or lipstick. Women, on the other hand, adopted a more
androgynous look, often wearing men's trousers and shirts while sporting a short hairstyle. The British sociologist
and expert on subcultures, Dick Hebdige, commented that Mod culture was a mixture of styles rather than one
single style.

Another major characteristic of Mods was their choice of music. In fact, the term 'Mod' comes from 'modernist'
because the early adoptees listened to modern jazz music. Jazz remained a staple music choice for Mods throughout
the years, but was joined by soul, Rhythm and Blues, psychedelic music, and ska. Dedicated nightclubs played these
types of music for the Mods to dance to.

The Mod culture is also heavily connected to scooters or mopeds, such as the Lambretta from Italy. Even though
people who adopted the Mod lifestyle were working, they were often working in low-paid jobs and so the scooter
was a simple and cost-effective method of transport. This was especially helpful as public transport at the time did
not run late into the night, so getting home after being at a nightclub would prove a problem without a means of
transport. As well as being practical and affordable, the scooter chimed with the continental aesthetic that the Mods
took as their inspiration.

As a subculture, the Mods often clashed with other groups, most notoriously the Rockers. The Rockers listened to
different types of music, dressed in a more masculine fashion, and rode motorcycles instead of scooters. There were
often violent clashes between the two groups, especially in Brighton on the south coast of England. This led to the
acclaimed sociologist Stanley Cohen branding the situation a 'moral panic', the term he used to describe the
exaggerated reaction of the media to the clashes between the two groups of youths.

By the late 1960s, the Mod subculture was starting to wane. Dick Hebdige has remarked that the reason for this was
that the Mod lifestyle and clothing were becoming too commercial. Clothing stores started to create their own Mod-
style clothes but this stole the initiative from the Mods themselves. Although the Mod scene has largely declined,
there are still elements of the lifestyle in today's society, which can be seen in singers and bands such as Oasis in the
1990s and 21st-century musicians like Miles Kane. Since its beginnings in Swinging London, the Mod subculture has
travelled all over the world, but now mainly tends to exist more as an underground culture rather than a visible one.

Questions 14-17

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F, below.

Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.

14 The majority of people who followed the Mod lifestyle

15 Mods tended to have more money to spare because they often

16 Women in the Mod subculture

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17 Mods chose to ride scooters because they

A. were able to gain a greater sense of independence.

B. were in their 50s and 60s.
C. tended to wear eye shadow and lipstick.
D. were young people in England.
E. were a relatively cheap way to get around.
F. didn't need to help their parents financially.

Questions 18-21

Look at the following ideas (Questions 18-21) and the list of people below.

Match each idea with the correct person or people, A-E.

Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 18-21 on your answer sheet.

18 the Mods' attitudes towards traditional notions of masculinity

19 the results of the conflict between two subcultures

20 difficulties with the precise definition of 'Mod'

21 the exploitation of Mod culture by businesses

List of People
A Dick Hebdige
B Miles Kane
C Shari Benstock and Suzanne Ferris
D Paul Jobling and David Crowley
E Stanley Cohen

Questions 22-26

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?

In boxes 22-26 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

22 People in the Mod subculture wanted to follow traditional rules and norms.

23 Personal grooming was an important part of Mod culture.

24 Soho was the main place for Mods to buy clothing in London.

25 The name given to Mod subculture derived from an item of clothing.

26 The Mods and the Rockers dressed in distinct styles.

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READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

Uncovering Ecological Treasure

The Majesty of the Bungles
The Purnululu National Park occupies almost 240,000 hectares of Western Australia and is a stunning example of
nature at its finest. The park has become internationally renowned, in part due to large sandstone formations,
commonly known as the Bungle Bungle range. You would think that knowledge of formations like this would be
widespread, yet the area has only recently been discovered and exposed to the wider world.

Although indigenous communities have roamed the area for over 20,000 years and understand and respect the area,
it wasn't until 1982, when aerial photography captured the formations, that the beauty of the Bungles was revealed
to the world. As scientists, we were extremely excited about this new- found location and were keen to explore.
Around 20 years later, in 2003, the site was rightfully classified as a World Heritage Site, meaning that we could
protect and conserve the area. The main features of the Bungles are the magnificent dome-shaped formations made
from sandstone. Other sandstone formations have been found all over the world, and in other parts of Australia, but
the Bungles are truly remarkable.

The main reason why these particular sandstone formations are incredible is because they are the best example of
beehive-shaped, natural structures anywhere in the world. The sheer expanse of them remains unsurpassed, while
their colours and ecological features are unrivalled. What we are not completely certain about is how exactly they
were formed, although we estimate that they began forming around 350 million years ago and that they were part
of a riverbed, with layers that were created over the millennia. We know that they have been weathered and eroded
by water as well as wind to create their impressive shapes, but their exact formation remains a mystery.

The structures are an extremely important scientific discovery, as they highlight the process of their formation, even
though we have yet to fully understand it. In fact, we have only recently discovered the effect of dome formation on
sandstone. What we can see is evidence of the effect that ecology, biology, erosion, and climate have on sandstone
and this is something we will be investigating for many years to come. The Bungles are unique in their range of
diversity, so there is a vast amount of research to be completed.

The colours of the structures are outstanding. The striking orange and black pigments have become characteristically
part of the Bungles' charm. When the iron in the sandstone oxidises, it creates the stunning orange colour that can
be seen, in what is called the 'rusting' process. This part of the rock is liable to dry out more quickly because it has
less clay content, which means that bacteria which protect it from oxidisation cannot grow properly. In contrast,
some of the layers are dark; these areas contain more clay, which retains moisture, meaning the bacteria can protect
these layers from erosion and oxidisation. However, possibly the most exciting thing about the colours is the changes
they undergo in different lighting conditions. Rays from the sun hit the rocks at different angles creating a variety of
hues which are just astonishing. Add in the shadows created by the sun and the spectacle is truly amazing. The
notorious wet season in the area helps to fill the pools and power the waterfalls dotted around, making for a stark
comparison between the rock colours and bright skies.

Since the creation of the World Heritage Site at the Bungles, there has been a rise in the number of visitors to the
area, and this needs to be carefully managed. Management of the park is shared between the Australia Department
of Environment and Conservation and the local, indigenous people. It is essential that the land is co-managed in this
way, so as to respect the culture and traditions of the people who know the area best. Western It would be a
travesty if control were taken away completely.

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Although welcoming visitors to the area is to be encouraged, it is vital that the land is protected and shielded from
any environmental impact from tourists. The Bungles are in a relatively remote location and remain fairly
inaccessible, which means that many tourists take to the skies in helicopters to observe the formations instead of
walking. This, in fact, is probably the best way to see the Bungles. Travelling by air means less of an impact on the
ground so the fragile sandstone structures and the land surrounding them are preserved.

The management of relatively low tourist numbers has so far been effective in keeping conservation levels at a
stable rate. A recent conservation report recorded that the threat level to the area remains low, but this does not
mean that management can be complacent. There may not have been any decline in the geological value of the site,
but there are still threats that pose risks to the scientific and cultural heritage on offer at the Bungles. Some of the
threats to the land include fire and invasive species, in addition to the environmental impact from tourists. Indeed, in
2016, a fire ripped through a large area of the Purnululu National Park, burning tens of thousands of hectares of land
and leading to the temporary closure of the park to tourists.

The importance of the Purnululu National Park and the Bungles cannot be underestimated, yet as we study it and
learn about their formation, we must preserve the cultural heritage by encouraging sensitivity towards the
indigenous culture, traditions, and knowledge which have kept the area safe for over 20,000 years.

Questions 27-31

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.

27 The Purnululu National Park

A. is well-known outside Australia.

B. has only recently been Created.
C. contains part of the Bungle Bungle range.
D. covers all of Western Australia.

28 According to the writer, the Bungles were first recorded scientifically

A. from the air.

B. in indigenous writing.
C. in 2003.
D. over 20,000 years ago.

29 The writer says that the Bungles

A. were created by indigenous settlers.

B. are a complete mystery to scientists.
C. have a unique shape.
D. were probably formed by a river.

30 Visitors to the Purnululu National Park

A. are fewer in number these days.

B. risk damaging the local environment.
C. find the Bungles easy to get to.
D. are only allowed to fly over the park.

31 The threat to the ecology of the Bungles

A. is no longer a problem due to conservation.

B. is now classified as critical in severity.

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C. has not dropped to a lower level.
D. only derives from naturally occurring phenomena.

Questions 32-36

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3?

In boxes 32-36 on your answer sheet, write

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

32 The indigenous people around the park understand the area well.

33 It is unclear how the Bungles have eroded over the years.

34 Further research will be undertaken by Australian scientists.

35 It is right that indigenous communities are involved in conservation.

36 The risk of fire is the biggest threat to the national park.

Questions 37-40

Complete the summary below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

Colours of the Bungles

The colours of the Bungles rocks are stunning to look at. Due to the 37_______________This doesn't happen in
every found in the darker layers is an indication that clay is of iron in unprotected layers of rock, the sandstone turns
a beautiful shade of orange in a process commonly known as 38___________. layer, though. The 39____________
present, and this results in bacteria creating a protective layer over the surface. This protection means that any iron
present doesn't change colour, which in turn prevents 40___________. leaving the rock more solid than other, more
exposed areas.