🔥MAMMOTH KILL: Đề thi thật IELTS READING (IELTS Reading Recent Actual Test) - Làm bài online format computer-based, kèm giải thích từ vựng

READING PASSAGE 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 (pages 6 and 7).

MAMMOTH KILL

What led to the disappearance of the giant mammals? Kate Wong examines the theories.

Although it's hard to imagine in this age of urban sprawl and automobiles, North America once belonged to huge, elephant-like mammoths, camels, bear-sized beavers, and other giant beasts, collectively known as 'megafauna.' Some 11,000 years ago, however, these large-bodied mammals—about 70 species in all—disappeared. Their demise coincided roughly with the arrival of humans in this region and dramatic climate change—factors that have inspired several theories about the die-off. Yet despite decades of scientific investigation, the exact cause remains a mystery. Now, new findings offer support to one of these controversial hypotheses: that human hunting drove these huge megafauna species to extinction.

This belief resulted in the overkill model, which emerged in the 1960s, when it was proposed by Paul S. Martin of the University of Arizona. Since then, critics have charged that no archaeological remains exist to support the idea that the first Americans hunted to the extent necessary to cause these extinctions. However, at the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Mexico City in October 1999, specialist John Alroy of the University of California at Santa Barbara argued that, in fact, hunting-driven extinction is not only plausible, but it was also unavoidable. Using a computer simulation, he determined that even a very modest amount of hunting would have wiped out these animals.

Assuming an initial human population of 100 people that grew no more than 2% annually, Alroy calculated that if each band of, say, 50 people killed 15 to 20 large animals a year, humans could have eliminated the animal populations within 1,000 years. Large mammals, in particular, would have been vulnerable to this pressure because they have longer gestation periods than smaller animals and require extended care for their young.>> Form đăng kí giải đề thi thật IELTS 4 kĩ năng kèm bài giải bộ đề 100 đề PART 2 IELTS SPEAKING quý đang thi (update hàng tuần) từ IELTS TUTOR

However, not everyone agrees with Alroy's assessment. For one thing, the results depend on population size estimates for the extinct animals—estimates that are not necessarily reliable. A more specific criticism comes from mammal expert Ross D.E. MacPhee of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, who points out that the relevant archaeological record contains barely a dozen examples of stone tools embedded in mammoth bones (and none, it should be noted, are known from other megafaunal remains)—hardly what one might expect if hunting drove these animals to extinction. Furthermore, some of these species had a vast range, covering the whole continent—the Jefferson’s Ground Sloth, for example, lived as far north as the Yukon and as far south as Mexico—which would have made hunting them in numbers sufficient to cause their extinction rather unlikely, he says.

MacPhee agrees that humans most likely brought about these extinctions (as well as others around the world that coincided with human arrival), but not directly through hunting. Instead, he suggests that people may have introduced a deadly disease, perhaps through their dogs or accompanying vermin, which then spread wildly among native species because of their low resistance to the new introductions. Repeated outbreaks of a deadly disease could quickly drive them to the point of no return. However, MacPhee does not have empirical evidence for this theory, and it will not be easy to come by: such a disease would kill far too quickly to leave its signature on the bones themselves. But he hopes that analyses of tissue and DNA from the most recent animal remains will eventually reveal the microbes responsible.

A third explanation for what brought on this North American extinction does not involve human beings. Instead, its proponents blame the loss on the climate. The Pleistocene epoch in question witnessed considerable climate instability, explains Russell W. Graham of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. As a result, their familiar habitats disappeared, and species that had once formed communities split apart. For some animals, this brought opportunity. For much of the megafauna, however, the increasingly uniform terrain left them with shrinking geographical ranges—a death sentence for large animals, which need correspondingly large ranges. Although these creatures managed to maintain viable populations through most of the Pleistocene period, the final major climate fluctuation pushed them over the edge, Graham says.

For his part, Alroy is still convinced that human hunters were the destroyers of the giant animals. The overkill model explains everything the disease and climate scenarios explain, he asserts, and in addition makes accurate predictions about which species would eventually become extinct.

Questions 14–20

Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 14–20 on your answer sheet.

Three theories have been put forward to explain the disappearance of the different species of large mammals that inhabited 14. _______ 11,000 years ago. The 15. _______, proposed around fifty years ago by Paul S. Martin, blames 16. _______ by people for mass extinction. Computer calculations seem to support this explanation, but critics question the reliability of the figures they are based on.

The second theory suggests that humans introduced a 17. _______ which wiped out the large mammals. However, so far, this theory also lacks any 18. _______.

The final theory suggests that this period experienced significant 19. _______, which eventually led to the loss of habitat and to the division of the 20. _______ that some of the large mammals had organized.

Questions 21–26

Look at the following statements (Questions 21–26) and the list of people below.
Match each statement with the correct person, A, B, or C.
Write the correct letter, A, B, or C, in boxes 21–26 on your answer sheet.

NB: You may use any letter more than once.

21 Too little evidence exists to support the hunting theory.
22 The bigger the animal, the bigger the territory it requires for survival.
23 Globally, humans have been indirectly responsible for the elimination of many species.
24 Population estimates can be used to understand how large mammals become extinct.
25 Scientific examination of fossil remains may provide some proof for one of the theories.
26 Environmental changes negatively affect social groupings of some large species.

List of People

• A John Alroy
• B Ross D.E. MacPhee
• C Russell W. Graham

Questions 27-32

Reading Passage 3 has seven paragraphs, A-G.

Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-G from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.

Example

Paragraph A
iv

List of Headings

i. Less is more
ii. Research can't guarantee safety
iii. Unexplained symptoms
iv. Setting the limits of acceleration
v. The irresistible appeal of speed
vi. Gentle surprises
vii. A difficult task
viii. A different ride every time

Questions

1. Paragraph B
2. Paragraph C
3. Paragraph D
4. Paragraph E
5. Paragraph F
6. Paragraph G

1. Megafauna

• Definition (English): Large or giant animals, especially extinct species from the past.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Động vật khổng lồ hoặc lớn, đặc biệt là các loài đã tuyệt chủng từ thời tiền sử.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "North America once belonged to huge, elephant-like mammoths, camels, bear-sized beavers and other giant beasts, collectively known as 'megafauna.'"

2. Demise

• Definition (English): The death or end of something, especially on a large scale.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Sự diệt vong hoặc kết thúc, đặc biệt ở quy mô lớn.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Their demise coincided roughly with the arrival of humans."

3. Plausible

• Definition (English): Reasonable or believable.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Hợp lý hoặc có thể tin được.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Hunting-driven extinction is not only plausible, it was unavoidable."

4. Vulnerable

• Definition (English): Weak and likely to be harmed or affected by something.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Dễ bị tổn thương hoặc ảnh hưởng bởi điều gì đó.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Large mammals in particular would have been vulnerable to the pressure."

5. Gestation

• Definition (English): The process of carrying young in the womb before birth.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Quá trình mang thai trước khi sinh.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Large mammals... have longer gestation periods than smaller ones."

6. Archaeological

• Definition (English): Related to the study of ancient societies through their remains.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Liên quan đến khảo cổ học.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "No archaeological remains exist to support the idea."

7. Empirical

• Definition (English): Based on observation or experience rather than theory.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Dựa trên quan sát hoặc kinh nghiệm thực tế thay vì lý thuyết.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Macphee does not have empirical evidence for this theory."

8. Instability

• Definition (English): Lack of stability; frequent changes or fluctuations.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Sự bất ổn, thường xuyên thay đổi.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "The Pleistocene epoch in question witnessed considerable climate instability."

9. Viable

• Definition (English): Capable of surviving or working successfully.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Có khả năng tồn tại hoặc hoạt động hiệu quả.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "These creatures managed to maintain viable populations."

10. Extinction

• Definition (English): The dying out of a species or group of organisms.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Sự tuyệt chủng của một loài hoặc nhóm sinh vật.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Humans most likely brought about these extinctions."

11. Fluctuation

• Definition (English): Frequent and irregular changes or variations.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Sự dao động hoặc thay đổi thất thường.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "The final major climate fluctuation pushed them over the edge."

12. Proponent

• Definition (English): Someone who supports a theory or idea.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Người ủng hộ một lý thuyết hoặc ý tưởng.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Its proponents blame the loss on the climate."

13. Habitat

• Definition (English): The natural home or environment of an animal or plant.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Môi trường sống tự nhiên của động vật hoặc thực vật.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Their natural habitats disappeared."

14. Terrain

• Definition (English): A stretch of land, especially with regard to its physical features.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Địa hình hoặc vùng đất, đặc biệt xét về đặc điểm địa lý.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "The increasingly uniform terrain left them with shrinking geographical ranges."

15. Scenario

• Definition (English): A possible situation or sequence of events.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Tình huống hoặc chuỗi sự kiện có thể xảy ra.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "The overkill model explains everything the disease and climate scenarios explain."

16. Microbes

• Definition (English): Microscopic organisms, such as bacteria or viruses.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Vi sinh vật, chẳng hạn như vi khuẩn hoặc virus.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Tissue and DNA from the most recent animal remains will eventually reveal the microbes responsible."

17. Embedded

• Definition (English): Fixed firmly and deeply in a surrounding mass.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Được gắn chặt và sâu trong một khối xung quanh.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "The relevant archaeological record contains barely a dozen examples of stone points embedded in mammoth bones."

18. Species

• Definition (English): A group of living organisms capable of interbreeding.
• Definition (Vietnamese): Một nhóm sinh vật sống có khả năng giao phối và sinh sản.
• IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Some of these species had a vast range."

14.North America 15.Overkill model 16.Hunting 17.Deadly disease 18.Empirical evidence 19.Climate instability 20.Communities 21.B 22 C 23.B 24.A 25.B 26.C