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

A
Saving the Bittern
The bittern, a British waterbird, does not have a good record as far as survival is concerned. By 1886, habitat destruction and other pressures had pushed it close to extinction. Fortunately, it recovered a few decades later, and in 1950 the numbers of mature male bitterns rose to a peak of about 70. By the 1980s, however, it was clear that the bird was in trouble again. The bittern needs extensive wet reedbeds to survive, and long periods of drainage, pollution, and lack of management had destroyed most of its habitat. By 1997, it again faced imminent extinction. To prevent this, the British government set up a plan for the bittern, aiming to establish a population of 50 males by 2010. However, this target was reached six years early, a rate of recovery faster than anyone had dared hope for. We at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) now claim the bittern as one of Britain's greatest wildlife success stories since figures reveal that the number of these rare birds has increased fivefold in just seven years.

B
Bitterns have feathers that help them to conceal themselves and a shy nature; they usually remain hidden within the cover of reedbed vegetation. Our first challenge was to develop standard methods to monitor their numbers. The booming call of the male bittern is its most distinctive feature during the breeding season, and we developed a method to count them using the sound patterns unique to each individual. This not only allowed us to be much more certain of the number of booming males in the UK but also enabled us to estimate local survival of males from one year to the next.

C
Our first direct understanding of what breeding bitterns require in their ideal habitat came from comparisons of reedbed sites that had lost their male birds with those that retained them. This research showed that bitterns had been retained in reedbeds where the natural process of drying out had been slowed through management. Based on this work, broad recommendations on how to manage and rehabilitate reedbeds for bitterns were made, and funding was provided through a European Union (EU) wildlife fund to manage 13 sites within the core breeding range.

D
To refine these recommendations and provide fine-scale, quantitative habitat prescriptions on the bitterns' preferred feeding habitat, we started radio-tracking male bitterns on the RSPB's Minsmere and Leighton Moss reserves. This showed clear preferences for feeding in the wetter reedbed areas, particularly within reedbed next to larger open pools. The average home range sizes of the male bitterns we followed (about 20 hectares) provided a good indication of the area of reedbed necessary when managing or creating habitat for this species. Female bitterns undertake all the incubation and care of the young, so it was important to understand their requirements as well. Over the course of our research, we located 87 bittern nests and found that female bitterns preferred to nest in areas of continuous vegetation, well into the reedbed, but where water was still present during the driest part of the breeding season.>> 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

E
The success of the habitat prescriptions developed from this research has been spectacular. For instance, at Minsmere, male bittern numbers gradually increased from one to ten following reedbed lowering, a management technique designed to halt the drying out process. After a low point of 11 mature males in 1997, bittern numbers in Britain responded to all the habitat management work and started to increase for the first time since 1950.

F
The final phase of research involved understanding the diet, survival, and dispersal of bittern chicks. To do this, we fitted small radio tags to young bittern chicks in the nest, to determine their fate through to fledging, when they begin to fly, and beyond. Many chicks did not survive to this stage, and starvation was found to be the most likely reason for their demise. The fish prey fed to chicks was mainly those species penetrating into the reed edge. So, an important element of recent studies has been the development of recommendations on habitat and water conditions to promote native fish populations. Once independent, radio-tagged young bitterns were found to seek out new sites during their first winter; a proportion of these would remain on new sites to breed if the conditions were suitable. A second EU-funded project aims to provide these suitable sites in new areas. A network of 19 sites developed through this partnership project will secure a more sustainable UK bittern population with successful breeding outside of the core area, less vulnerable to chance events and sea-level rise.

G
By 2004, the number of booming male bitterns in the UK had increased to 55. Almost all of the increase occurred on those sites undertaking management based on advice derived from our research. While rescuing the bittern, the work has helped a range of other spectacular wetland species such as otters. Although science has been at the core of the bittern story, success has only been achieved through the trust, hard work, and dedication of all the managers, owners, and wardens of sites that have implemented, in some cases very drastic, management to secure the future of this wetland species in the UK.

Questions 14–20

Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs A–G.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number in boxes 14–20 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

1. Fluctuations in bittern numbers over time
2. Research findings on habitat needs of adult bitterns
3. Predators in the natural world
4. The importance in the natural world
5. Initial habitat investigation and decisions
6. The need for co-operation to ensure nature preservation
7. Impressive results of initial intervention
8. Determining how many bitterns there are
9. Education as the key to preserving wildlife

Questions

14. Paragraph A
15. Paragraph B
16. Paragraph C
17. Paragraph D
18. Paragraph E
19. Paragraph F
20. Paragraph G

Questions 21–25

Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 21–25 on your answer sheet.

21. When was the bittern population largest?

22. What word is used in the passage to describe the bittern's character?

23. What is probably the main cause of death of bittern chicks?

24. What food supply do bittern chicks depend on?

25. What other creature mentioned in the passage has also benefited from improvements made to the bittern's habitat?

Question 26

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
Write the correct letter in box 26 on your answer sheet.

What is the main theme of Reading Passage 2?

A. how one species may be helped at the expense of another
B. disagreement among environmentalists on methods to protect species from extinction
C. fighting the destruction of wetland reedbeds
D. how research and good management can save an endangered species

New Vocabulary and Explanations

1. Bittern
   • Definition: A type of waterbird found in wet reedbeds.
   • Vietnamese: Chim lặn Bittern.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: The bittern, a British waterbird, does not have a good record as far as survival is concerned.
   • Vietnamese Example: Chim lặn bittern là một loài chim nước Anh, từng đứng trước nguy cơ tuyệt chủng.

1. Habitat
   • Definition: The natural home or environment of an animal or plant.
   • Vietnamese: Môi trường sống.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: The bittern needs extensive wet reedbeds to survive.
   • Vietnamese Example: Chim bittern cần môi trường sống ở những bãi lau sậy ẩm ướt để tồn tại.

1. Reedbed
   • Definition: An area of wetland dominated by reeds.
   • Vietnamese: Bãi lau sậy.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: The bittern needs extensive wet reedbeds to survive.
   • Vietnamese Example: Bãi lau sậy rộng lớn là nơi sống lý tưởng cho chim bittern.

1. Extinction
   • Definition: The state of no longer existing.
   • Vietnamese: Sự tuyệt chủng.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: By 1886, habitat destruction and other pressures had pushed it close to extinction.
   • Vietnamese Example: Vào năm 1886, sự phá hủy môi trường sống và các áp lực khác đã đẩy loài này đến bờ tuyệt chủng.

1. Booming call
   • Definition: A loud, deep sound made by male bitterns during the breeding season.
   • Vietnamese: Tiếng kêu vang (của chim đực trong mùa sinh sản).
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: The booming call of the male bittern is its most distinctive feature during the breeding season.
   • Vietnamese Example: Tiếng kêu vang của chim đực là đặc điểm nổi bật nhất trong mùa sinh sản.

1. Conceal
   • Definition: To hide or keep secret.
   • Vietnamese: Che giấu.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: Bitterns have feathers that help them to conceal themselves.
   • Vietnamese Example: Chim bittern có bộ lông giúp chúng ẩn nấp.

1. Management
   • Definition: The process of dealing with or controlling things or people.
   • Vietnamese: Quản lý.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: Long periods of drainage, pollution and lack of management had destroyed most of its habitat.
   • Vietnamese Example: Quá trình thoát nước kéo dài, ô nhiễm và thiếu quản lý đã phá hủy hầu hết môi trường sống của chúng.

1. Radio-tracking
   • Definition: The use of radio signals to monitor the movements of animals.
   • Vietnamese: Theo dõi bằng sóng radio.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: We started radio-tracking male bitterns on the RSPB's Minsmere and Leighton Moss reserves.
   • Vietnamese Example: Chúng tôi bắt đầu theo dõi chim đực bằng sóng radio tại các khu bảo tồn của RSPB.

1. Fledging
   • Definition: The stage when a young bird develops feathers and learns to fly.
   • Vietnamese: Giai đoạn chim non mọc lông và học bay.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: To determine their fate through to fledging, when they begin to fly, and beyond.
   • Vietnamese Example: Để xác định số phận của chúng đến giai đoạn mọc lông và bắt đầu bay.

1. Sustainable
   • Definition: Able to be maintained at a certain level or rate.
   • Vietnamese: Bền vững.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: A network of 19 sites developed through this partnership project will secure a more sustainable UK bittern population.
   • Vietnamese Example: Mạng lưới gồm 19 địa điểm phát triển qua dự án này sẽ đảm bảo sự bền vững cho quần thể chim bittern tại Anh.

1. Drastic
   • Definition: Extreme or serious in effect or action.
   • Vietnamese: Quyết liệt, nghiêm trọng.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: ... very drastic management to secure the future of this wetland species in the UK.
   • Vietnamese Example: Những biện pháp quản lý rất quyết liệt nhằm bảo vệ tương lai cho loài chim này.

1. Imminent
   • Definition: About to happen.
   • Vietnamese: Sắp xảy ra.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: By 1997, it again faced imminent extinction.
   • Vietnamese Example: Đến năm 1997, loài này một lần nữa đối mặt với nguy cơ tuyệt chủng sắp xảy ra.

1. Prescriptions
   • Definition: Recommendations or rules for achieving something.
   • Vietnamese: Hướng dẫn, quy định.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: To refine these recommendations and provide fine-scale, quantitative habitat prescriptions.
   • Vietnamese Example: Để cải thiện các khuyến nghị này và đưa ra những hướng dẫn chi tiết hơn.

1. Core
   • Definition: The central or most important part.
   • Vietnamese: Cốt lõi, trung tâm.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: Within the core breeding range.
   • Vietnamese Example: Trong khu vực sinh sản cốt lõi.

• 14. i

• 15. viii

• 16. v

• 17. ii

• 18. viii

• 19. iv

• 20. vi

• 21. 1950

• 22. Shy

• 23. Starvation

• 24. Fish

• 25. Otters

• 26. D