Unit 1: Exercise 3

Read the information. Then read the first sentence of each paragraph (1–4) from
the Reading passage. What is each paragraph about? Choose the correct
answers.

In the IELTS Reading test, it’s important to first skim the text to try and get a general idea
of what it is about.

As well as reading the heading and subheading, it’s very useful to look at the first sentence
of each paragraph. These often ‘introduce’ the paragraph and may explain what it’s going
to be about.

The changing fortunes of Antarctic penguins

Robert Gates explains how climate change has started to affect the natural habitat of the
Adélie penguin

1. The effects of climate change are complex, with scientists constantly trying to
understand how ecosystems are affected. …
2. Over the last five years, scientists have been examining the populations of
different types of penguin that inhabit the Antarctic continent. …
3. Scientists say there are two main reasons for the population decline in this part
of Ross Island. …
4. Elsewhere on Ross Island, in contrast to McMurdo Sound, the situation is more
encouraging. …

1. The first paragraph is an introduction to the whole Reading passage, which is about …
o what experts have learnt about changes to the environment and wildlife.
o whether or not climate change exists.
2. The second paragraph is about …
o what scientists want to know about penguins in the Antarctic.
o what scientists have already learnt about penguins in the Antarctic.
3. The third paragraph discusses …
o two explanations for fewer penguins.
o two things which should be done to prevent the decline of penguins.
4. The fourth paragraph describes …
o a place where penguin numbers are less worrying.
o why we shouldn’t be worried about penguins.
Unit 1: Exercise 4
Read the information. Spend two to three minutes getting a general idea of each paragraph in
the passage. Then choose the correct answers.

In the IELTS Reading test, you won’t have time to read the whole passage in detail. Spend up to 30
seconds looking at each paragraph, skimming for the main idea of each one.
The changing fortunes of Antarctic penguins

Robert Gates explains how climate change has started to affect the natural habitat of the
Adélie penguin

A The effects of climate change are complex, with scientists constantly trying to
understand how ecosystems are affected. Nowhere is this more so than in the Antarctic – a
place where no humans live permanently, but which nevertheless is undergoing change due
to human interference.

B Over the last five years, scientists have been examining the populations of different types
of penguin that inhabit the Antarctic continent. In particular, they have been looking at
penguins living on Ross Island – a huge island connected to the Antarctic mainland by a
permanent sheet of ice, and formed from four large volcanoes, one of which is still active.
On the western side of Ross Island is Cape Royds, home to a colony of Adélie penguins. In
2000, there were estimated to be about 4,000 Adélie nests, but a survey carried out in the
last few months found that the number had fallen to 2,100.

C Scientists say there are two main reasons for the population decline in this part of Ross
Island. Firstly, Adélies cannot lay their eggs directly onto ice or snow. However, the
average winter air temperature of the area has risen in the past half century. This causes
more snow to fall, which buries the rocks on which Adélie penguins would typically
construct their nests. Secondly, after a female Adélie lays her egg, she walks to the sea in
search of food, while the male remains behind to hatch the egg. As soon as the female
reaches an area of open sea, she will dive into the water and start feeding. When the female
returns with fish for the penguin chick to eat, the hungry male also hurries off to reach the
sea. In previous centuries, the walk would have been relatively short, between 15 and 20
kilometres. But in 2000, a large iceberg blocked the mouth of McMurdo Sound, where
many Adélie penguins went to find food. At the same time, the ice in the bay at Cape
Royds failed to break up as it had done in the past. This meant the Adélies then had to walk
much further over the ice – often up to 75 kilometres – before they could reach the ocean.
The result was often that the parent waiting on the nest became too hungry to wait any
longer, and the eggs were abandoned.

D Elsewhere on Ross Island, in contrast to McMurdo Sound, the situation is more

encouraging. At Cape Crozier, Adélie penguins are thriving. The colony is now thought to
have an estimated 230,000 breeding pairs (cặp sinh sản), an upturn of 20% over the last
three decades. Penguins nesting on this part of Ross Island may actually be benefitting
from human activity, scientists suspect. In 1996, a fishing company opened near the area,
and started fishing for vast quantities of Chilean sea bass – otherwise known as the
Patagonian toothfish. As both the Adélies and the sea bass eat silverfish, competition for
this food source has now been dramatically reduced, and this may partly explain why
penguin numbers have risen at Cape Crozier.

E However, it isn’t fish, but krill – tiny, shrimp-like creatures that live just below the
pieces of ice that float on the sea – that form the largest part of an Adélie’s diet.
Unfortunately, krill numbers are also declining rapidly. Dr So Kawaguchi, a biologist
working for the Australian government’s Antarctic Division, suspects he knows the main
reason behind this. He accepts that commercial fishing is partly responsible for huge
amounts of krill being removed from the sea, but he points to rising levels of carbon
dioxide as the chief cause. It is this which is making the waters of the Antarctic more
acidic, in turn preventing the krill eggs from hatching. Diminishing levels of krill not only
means less food for penguins. Digesting up to 40 million of these tiny animals per day,
most whales depend on them for survival, too. Also, thanks to their more diverse diet,
Gentoo penguins, a species which eats squid and small crab-like creatures as well as krill,
have hardly been affected by this situation. In fact, their numbers appear to be on the rise.
Other species, such as the Chinstrap and Emperor penguins, however, have the same
narrow diet as Adélies.

F Scientists are now concerned that Adélie penguins will be forced to move further south
in search of more suitable breeding and feeding locations. A team made up of researchers
 1. In paragraph A/B/C/D/E/F , you can find information about where Adélie penguins
lay their eggs.
2. Paragraph A/B/C/D/E/F gives information about why there is less food for Adélie
penguins to eat.
3. In paragraph A/B/C/D/E/F , you can find information about how many penguin
nests (tổ, ổ) are on Ross Island.
4. You can find some opinions about what Adélie penguins might need to do to
survive in the future in paragraph A/B/C/D/E/F .
5. Paragraph A/B/C/D/E/F explains why one population of Adélie penguins has
increased.
6. The introduction to the Reading passage is in paragraph A/B/C/D/E/F .

Unit 1: Exercise 5
Read the information. Then read the questions. Where can you find the
information in the passage to answer the questions? Choose the correct
paragraphs.

You should now have a general idea of what the Reading passage is about. Use the next
couple of minutes to look at the questions and decide what information you need, and
where you can find it in the passage. At this point, you do not need to answer the questions.

You should now have a general idea of what the Reading passage is about. Use the next
couple of minutes to look at the questions and decide what information you need, and
where you can find it in the passage. At this point, you do not need to answer the questions.

The changing fortunes of Antarctic penguins

Robert Gates explains how climate change has started to affect the natural habitat of the
Adélie penguin

A The effects of climate change are complex, with scientists constantly trying to
understand how ecosystems are affected. Nowhere is this more so than in the Antarctic – a
place where no humans live permanently, but which nevertheless is undergoing change due
to human interference.

B Over the last five years, scientists have been examining the populations of different types
of penguin that inhabit the Antarctic continent. In particular, they have been looking at
penguins living on Ross Island – a huge island connected to the Antarctic mainland by a
permanent sheet of ice, and formed from four large volcanoes, one of which is still active.
(giải thích câu 1) On the western side of Ross Island is Cape Royds, home to a colony of
Adélie penguins. In 2000, there were estimated to be about 4,000 Adélie nests, but a survey
carried out in the last few months found that the number had fallen to 2,100. (giải thích
câu 2)

C Scientists say there are two main reasons for the population decline in this part of Ross
Island. Firstly, Adélies cannot lay their eggs directly onto ice or snow. However, the
average winter air temperature of the area has risen in the past half century. This causes
more snow to fall, which buries the rocks on which Adélie penguins would typically
construct their nests.(giải thích câu 3) Secondly, after a female Adélie lays her egg, she
walks to the sea in search of food, while the male remains behind to hatch the egg. As soon
as the female reaches an area of open sea, she will dive into the water and start feeding.
When the female returns with fish for the penguin chick to eat, the hungry male also
hurries off to reach the sea. In previous centuries, the walk would have been relatively
short, between 15 and 20 kilometres. But in 2000, a large iceberg blocked the mouth of
McMurdo Sound, (giải thích câu 4) where many Adélie penguins went to find food. At the
same time, the ice in the bay at Cape Royds failed to break up as it had done in the past.
This meant the Adélies then had to walk much further over the ice – often up to 75
kilometres – before they could reach the ocean. (giải thích câu 5) The result was often that
the parent waiting on the nest became too hungry to wait any longer, and the eggs were
abandoned.

D Elsewhere on Ross Island, in contrast to McMurdo Sound, the situation is more

encouraging. At Cape Crozier, Adélie penguins are thriving. The colony is now thought to
have an estimated 230,000 breeding pairs, an upturn of 20% over the last three decades.
Penguins nesting on this part of Ross Island may actually be benefitting from human
activity, scientists suspect. In 1996, a fishing company opened near the area, and started
fishing for vast quantities of Chilean sea bass – otherwise known as the Patagonian
toothfish. As both the Adélies and the sea bass eat silverfish, competition for this food
source has now been dramatically reduced, and this may partly explain why penguin
numbers have risen at Cape Crozier.

1. What geographical features (đặc điểm địa lý) have created the land of Ross Island?
A/B/C/D
2. How many Adélie penguin nests were counted at Cape Royds? A/B/C/D
3. On what type of surface do Adélie penguins usually choose to build their nests?
A/B/C/D
4. What has, in the past, prevented penguins from reaching the open sea in the McMurdo
Sound? A/B/C/D
5. Approximately, what distance did Adélie penguins then have to walk to reach the sea?
A/B/C/D

Unit 1: Exercise 6

The changing fortunes of Antarctic penguins

Robert Gates explains how climate change has started to affect the natural habitat of the
Adélie penguin

A The effects of climate change are complex, with scientists constantly trying to
understand how ecosystems are affected. Nowhere is this more so than in the Antarctic – a
place where no humans live permanently, but which nevertheless is undergoing change due
to human interference.

B Over the last five years, scientists have been examining the populations of different types
of penguin that inhabit the Antarctic continent. In particular, they have been looking at
penguins living on Ross Island – a huge island connected to the Antarctic mainland by a
permanent sheet of ice, and formed from four large volcanoes, one of which is still active.
On the western side of Ross Island is Cape Royds, home to a colony of Adélie penguins. In
2000, there were estimated to be about 4,000 Adélie nests, but a survey carried out in the
last few months found that the number had fallen to 2,100.

C Scientists say there are two main reasons for the population decline in this part of Ross
Island. Firstly, Adélies cannot lay their eggs directly onto ice or snow. However, the
average winter air temperature of the area has risen in the past half century. This causes
more snow to fall, which buries the rocks on which Adélie penguins would typically
construct their nests. Secondly, after a female Adélie lays her egg, she walks to the sea in
search of food, while the male remains behind to hatch the egg. As soon as the female
reaches an area of open sea, she will dive into the water and start feeding. When the female
returns with fish for the penguin chick to eat, the hungry male also hurries off to reach the
sea. In previous centuries, the walk would have been relatively short, between 15 and 20
kilometres. But in 2000, a large iceberg blocked the mouth of McMurdo Sound, where
many Adélie penguins went to find food. At the same time, the ice in the bay at Cape
Royds failed to break up as it had done in the past. This meant the Adélies then had to
walk much further over the ice (paraphrase với have to travel to get to the sea) – often
up to 75 kilometres – before they could reach the ocean. The result was often that the
parent waiting on the nest became too hungry to wait any longer, and the eggs were
abandoned.

D Elsewhere on Ross Island, in contrast to McMurdo Sound, the situation is more

encouraging. At Cape Crozier, Adélie penguins are thriving. The colony is now thought to
have an estimated 230,000 breeding pairs, an upturn of 20% over the last three decades.
Penguins nesting on this part of Ross Island may actually be benefitting from human
activity, scientists suspect. In 1996, a fishing company opened near the area, and started
fishing for vast quantities of Chilean sea bass – otherwise known as the Patagonian
toothfish. As both the Adélies and the sea bass eat silverfish, competition for this food
source has now been dramatically reduced, and this may partly explain why penguin
numbers have risen at Cape Crozier.

1. What geographical features have created the land of Ross Island? _four large
volcanoes (đoạn B)_
2. How many Adélie penguin nests were counted at Cape Royds? __2100 (đoạn B)__
3. On what type of surface do Adélie penguins usually choose to build their nests?
__Rocks (đoạn C)____
4. What has, in the past, prevented penguins from reaching the open sea in the McMurdo
Sound? __Large iceberg (đoạn C)___
 5. Approximately, what distance did Adélie penguins then have to travel to get to the
sea? __75 kilometres (đoạn C)___

Unit 1: Exercise 7
You are going to answer some more questions related to the same Reading
passage. You will need to decide what information you want to find.

Read the information and then read questions 6–13. Match the types of
information you will need to look for in the Reading passage with the questions.

In an IELTS Reading sentence completion task, it is important to recognise what type of

information is missing. Then it is easier to find the answer in the Reading passage.

Questions 6–13

6 The Adélie penguin population has increased in the part of Ross Island known as _______.
7 Both Adélie penguins and the Chilean sea bass feed on _______.
8 Dr Kawaguchi believes that an increase in _______ is the main reason for declining
numbers of krill.
9 Not only penguins, but also _______ will be affected by smaller krill populations.
10 The _______ species of penguins have more variety in their diet than other penguins.
11 British and American scientists have used special equipment to find out more about
penguin _______.
12 The British-American team know that it is in _______ that the penguins begin to walk in a
northerly direction.
13 It is now thought by the British-American team that penguins require _______ to help
them avoid threats and to find food.

a month or season a specific location on Ross Island a type of penguin another

animal living in Antarctica something eaten by Adélie penguins and the Chilean sea
bass something that has been increasing something that penguins do
something that penguins need to survive

6. a specific location on Ross Island

7. something eaten by Adélie penguins and the Chilean sea bass
8. something that has been increasing
9. another animal living in Antarctica
10. a type of penguin
11. something that penguins do
12. a month or season
13. something that penguins need to survive

Unit 1: Exercise 8
Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from
the passage for each answer.

Now you know what information you need to find (a specific location on Ross Island,
something eaten by Adélie penguins, etc.), you can look for it in the Reading passage.

 Look through the passage for the type of information you need to complete the
sentences.
 Read that part of the passage in more detail to find the one piece of information that
you need.
 Write your answers to the questions. Make sure you only use one or two words for
each answer.
 Make sure your answers make sense and are grammatically correct.
 Check your spelling very carefully. You should use the same spelling as in the
Reading passage.

Elsewhere on Ross Island, in contrast to McMurdo Sound, the situation is more

encouraging. At Cape Crozier, Adélie penguins are thriving (đồng nghĩa với tăng, phát
triển mạnh) -> giải thích câu 6 The colony is now thought to have an estimated 230,000
breeding pairs, an upturn of 20% over the last three decades. Penguins nesting on this part
of Ross Island may actually be benefitting from human activity, scientists suspect. In 1996,
a fishing company opened near the area, and started fishing for vast quantities of Chilean
sea bass – otherwise known as the Patagonian toothfish. As both the Adélies and the sea
bass eat silverfish (cá nhỏ), -> giải thích câu 7 competition for this food source has now
been dramatically reduced, and this may partly explain why penguin numbers have risen at
Cape Crozier.

However, it isn’t fish, but krill – tiny, shrimp-like creatures that live just below the pieces
of ice that float on the sea – that form the largest part of an Adélie’s diet. Unfortunately,
krill numbers are also declining rapidly. Dr So Kawaguchi, a biologist working for the
Australian government’s Antarctic Division, suspects he knows the main reason behind
this. He accepts that commercial fishing is partly responsible for huge amounts of krill
being removed from the sea, but he points to rising levels of carbon dioxide as the chief
cause (nguyên nhân chính yếu). -> giải thích câu 8 It is this which is making the waters
of the Antarctic more acidic, in turn preventing the krill eggs from hatching. Diminishing
levels of krill not only mean less food for penguins. Digesting up (tiêu thụ, ăn) to 40
million of these tiny animals per day, most whales depend on them for survival, too ->
giải thích câu 9 Also, thanks to their more diverse diet, Gentoo penguins, a species
which eats squid and small crab-like creatures as well as krill, have hardly been
affected by this situation.-> giải thích 10 In fact, their numbers appear to be on the rise.
Other species, such as the Chinstrap and Emperor penguins, however, have the same
narrow diet as Adélies.

Scientists are now concerned that Adélie penguins will be forced to move further south in
search of more suitable breeding and feeding locations. A team made up of researchers
from Stanford University, USA, and the British Antarctic Survey have recently used
geolocation sensors attached (cảm biến định vị được đính kèm) to a number of
penguins to track (truy theo dấu vết) them in order to better understand their
patterns of migration. -> giải thích câu 11 They know that Adélie penguins leave
their nesting areas in February to begin the slow march north to avoid the darkest
time of the year. -> giải thích câu 12 Around 480 kilometres from completely open
water, they stop on the floating sea ice to spend time feeding and increase their body
weight. They then turn around, and march back to the nesting areas – a journey of about
13,000 kilometres in total. Scientists also know that Adélies have never lived further
south of Cape Royd, and suspect that this is because they need light in order to
navigate and search for food. -> giải thích câu 13 It also allows them to spot such
predators as the skua – a large bird that can easily kill young penguins. So, will the Adélies
be able to adapt, move further south, and live in a darker environment? Scientists doubt
that this kind of evolutionary change can happen in a short time.

6. The Adélie penguin population has increased in the part of Ross Island known as
_Cape Crozier (đoạn 1 nhó)__
7. Both Adélie penguins and the Chilean sea bass feed on _ silverfish (đoạn 1)_
8. Dr Kawaguchi believes that an increase in _ carbon dioxide (đoạn 2)__ is the main
reason for declining numbers of krill.
9. Not only penguins, but also __whales (đoạn 2)_ will be affected by smaller krill
populations.
10. The _ Gentoo (đoạn 2)_ species of penguins have more variety in their diet than
other penguins.
11. British and American scientists have used special equipment to find out more
about penguin _migration.__ . (11 -> 13: đoạn cuối)
12. The British-American team know that it is in ___ February____ that the penguins
begin to walk in a northerly direction.
13. It is now thought by the British-American team that penguins require __light__ to
help them avoid threats and to find food.

Unit 1: Exercise 9
Read the information. Then match the words in the box from the Reading
passage with the phrases in bold in the questions which have a similar meaning.

Very often, the information in the questions will be expressed differently in the Reading
passage. An important part of the IELTS Reading test is recognising how different words
or phrases can have a similar meaning.

Adélie penguins are thriving diminishing diverse eat geolocation sensors

need rising levels of slow march north
6. The Adélie penguin population has increased in the part of Ross Island known as
Cape Crozier. __ Adélie penguins are thriving__
7. Both Adélie penguins and the Chilean sea bass feed on silverfish. __ eat___
8. Dr Kawaguchi believes that an increase in carbon dioxide is the main reason for
declining numbers of krill. ___ rising levels of____
9. Not only penguins, but also whales will be affected by smaller krill populations.
_diminishing__

10. The Gentoo species of penguins have more variety in their diet than other
penguins.____ diverse ___
11. British and American scientists have used special equipment to find out more about
penguin migration.___ geolocation sensors ____
12. The British-American team know that it is in February that the penguins begin to
walk in a northerly direction. ___ slow march north__ (đi về hướng Bắc)
13. It is now thought by the British-American team that penguins require light to help
them avoid threats and to find food. ____ need___