IELTS Recent Mock Tests Volume 3
- Published on: 31 Jan 2018
- Tests taken: 1,145,734
Answer Keys:
Part 1: Question 1 - 13
- 1 B
- 2 A
- 3 B
- 4 F
- 5 C
- 6 E
- 7 G
- 8 G
- 9 A
- 10 sea water/salt water/salt
- 11 swimming speed
- 12 coastal otters
- 13 small mammals
Part 2: Question 14 - 26
- 14 iii
- 15 vi
- 16 i
- 17 ii
- 18 ix
- 19 v
- 20 iv
- 21 yellow fever
- 22 Finland
- 23 institutions/governments
- 24 Europe
- 25 einkorn wheat
- 26 Singapore
Part 3: Question 27 - 40
- 27 B
- 28 C
- 29 A
- 30 A
- 31 YES
- 32 NOT GIVEN
- 33 NO
- 34 NOT GIVEN
- 35 YES
- 36 NO
- 37 F
- 38 B
- 39 A
- 40 D
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| # | User | Score | Time | |
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| Trinh Thuy Duong |
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| Van Minh Nguyen |
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| Shakhar Sultan |
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| 4 | mahfuz ahmed |
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| 6 | gurleen kaur |
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| 7 | Min Htaw |
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| 8 | nhat vo |
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| 9 | Ekaterina Soboleva |
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| 10 | Danish Ali |
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Review & Explanations:
Questions 1-9
Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 1-9 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
1 A description of how otters regulate vision underwater
2 The fit-for-purpose characteristics of otter’s body shape
3 A reference to an underdeveloped sense
4 An explanation of why agriculture failed in otter conservation efforts
5 A description of some of the otter’s social characteristics
6 A description of how baby otters grow
7 The conflicted opinions on how to preserve
8 A reference to a legislative act
9 An explanation of how otters compensate for heat loss
- 1 Answer: B
Questions 1 to 9: PARAGRAPH – INFO MATCHING:
INSTRUCTION:
Leave this type of questions until last, when you have dealt with the other types because you can remember, to some extent, what the paragraphs are about or where some information is which helps save time
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Look through the questions and choose the easiest one (one with easy keywords or one that you remember reading somewhere already) to answer first.
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Underline the keywords in that question.
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Skim and scan (all) paragraphs (from the beginning).
Keywords in questions
Similar words in passage
Question 1:
A description of how otters regulate vision underwater
Otters have small eyes and are probably short-sighted on land. But they do have the ability to modify the shape of the lens in the eye to make it more spherical, and hence overcome the refraction of water.
NOTE: In paragraph B, there are some pieces of information indicating how vision underwater of otters can be regulated. To be more specific, otters have the ability to change or modify the shape of the lens in the eyes, which enables them to deal with the refraction of water. Therefore, the answer to this question must be B
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- 2 Answer: A
Keywords in questions
Similar words in passage
Question 2:
The fit-for-purpose characteristics of otter’s body shape
Otters have long thin body and short legs—ideal for pushing dense undergrowth or hunting in tunnels
NOTE: In paragraph A, the writer pointed out otters’ body features that help otters to push dense undergrowth or hunt in tunnels so the correct answer must be A
- 3 Answer: B
Keywords in questions
Similar words in passage
Question 3:
A reference to an underdeveloped sense
Otters have small eyes and are probably short-sighted on land
NOTE: “underdeveloped sense” means limitation of sense that otters have. We can find it in the paragraph B; “short-sighted on land” is otters’ underdeveloped sense. Hence, the answer must be B
- 4 Answer: F
Keywords in questions
Similar words in passage
Question 4:
An explanation of why agriculture failed in otter conservation efforts
The pesticides entered the river systems and the food chain - micro-organisms, fish and finally otters, with every step increasing the concentration of the chemicals .From 1962 the chemicals were phased out, but while some species recovered quickly, otter numbers did not—and continued to fall into the 80s. This was probably due mainly to habitat destruction and road deaths.
NOTE: In the paragraph F, pesticides are the main cause leading to decline in population of animals, otters included. In this paragraph also mentioned that although pesticides were gradually stopped using, there was no change in the situation of otters because of habitat destruction and road deaths. Therefore, the answer must be F.
- 5 Answer: C
Keywords in questions
Similar words in passage
Question 5:
A description of some of the otter’s social characteristics
Being such shy and wary creatures, they will prefer territories where man’s activities do not impinge greatly. Of course, there must also be no other otter already in residence—this has only become significant again recently as populations start to recover.
NOTE: In paragraph C, otters are shy and wary creatures therefore they have a strong preference for areas where human activities do not have huge impacts on. Apart from that otters also prefer places in which no other otters live in. The two things mentioned are otters’ social characteristics. Hence, the answer must be C.
- 6 Answer: E
Keywords in questions
Similar words in passage
Question 6:
A description of how baby otters grow
At five weeks they open their eyes—a tiny cub of 700g. At seven weeks they’re weaned onto solid food. At ten weeks they leave the nest, blinking into daylight for the first time. After three months they finally meet the water and learn to swim. After eight months they are hunting, though the mother still provides a lot of food herself. Finally, after nine months she can chase them all away with a clear conscience, and relax—until the next fella shows up
NOTE: In paragraph E, the process of small otters was revealed in details from the fifth week to the ninth month. Therefore, the answer must be E.
- 7 Answer: G
Keywords in questions
Similar words in passage
Question 7:
The conflicted opinions on how to preserve
This is almost entirely due to law and conservation efforts, slowing down and reversing the destruction of suitable otter habitat and reintroductions from captive breeding programs. Releasing captive-bred otters is seen by many as a last resort. The argument runs that where there is no suitable habitat for them, they will not survive after released and when there is suitable habitat; natural populations should be able to expand into the area.
NOTE: There are the arguments about the places that can be homes for otters after they are released. People are skeptical about the likelihood of having suitable place for otters to live. Therefore, the answer must be G
- 8 Answer: G
Keywords in questions
Similar words in passage
Question 8:
A reference to a legislative act
However, reintroducing animals into a fragmented and fragile population may add just enough impetus for it to stabilize and expand, rather than die out. This is what the Otter Trust accomplished in Norfolk, where the otter population may have been as low as twenty animals at the beginning of the 1980s. The Otter Trust has now finished its captive breeding program entirely.
NOTE: In paragraph G, in order to prevent otters from dying out, the organization called Otter Trust introduced captive breeding program, which is a legislative act. Hence, the answer must be G.
- 9 Answer: A
Keywords in questions
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Question 9:
An explanation of how otters compensate for heat loss
Otter fur consists of two types of hair: stout guard hairs which form a waterproof outer covering, and under-fur which is dense and fine, equivalent to an otter’s thermal underwear
NOTE: In paragraph A, it is obvious that stout guard hairs and under-fur have different role in otters’ life under the water. While outer hair is a waterproof covering, under-fur can be seen as thermal underwear, which keeps otters warm when they are under the water. Therefore, the answer to this question must be A
Questions 10-13
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.
What affects the outer fur of otters?
10
What skill is not necessary for Asian short-clawed otters?
11
Which type of otters has the shortest range?
12
Which type of animals do otters hunt occasionally?
13
- 10 Answer: sea water/salt water/salt
Questions 10 to 13: ANSWER QUESTIONS WITH WORD LIMIT
Instructions:
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Pay attention to word limit that you are allowed to fill in
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Guess word class that you need
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Underline keywords in questions
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Skim to find out the similar words in the text
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Read between the lines to figure out the correct answer
Keywords in questions
Similar words in passage
Question 10:
What affects the outer fur of otters?
Sea water reduces the waterproofing and insulate qualities of otter fur when salt water gets in the fur
NOTE: We are looking for a noun that has an influence on otters’ outer fur. In the text, the write says that reduction in the waterproofing and qualities of otter fur is caused by seawater when salt water gets in the fur. Therefore, the answer to this question must be seawater or salt water.
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- 11 Answer: swimming speed
Keywords in questions
Similar words in passage
Question 11:
What skill is not necessary for Asian short-clawed otters?
Giant otters and sea otters have even more prominent webs, while the Asian short-clawed otter has no webbing—they hunt for shrimps in ditches and paddy fields so they don’t need the swimming speed
NOTE: We are looking for a skill that is not of importance to Asian short-clawed otters. From the text, while other species of otters such as giant otters and sea otters have webs, Asian short-clawed otters do not because they hunt for shrimps in ditches and paddy fields therefore they do not need the swimming speed. Hence, the answer must be swimming speed.
- 12 Answer: coastal otters
Keywords in questions
Similar words in passage
Question 12:
Which type of otters has the shortest range?
A typical range for a male river otter might be 25 km of river, a female’s range less than half this. However, the productivity of the river affects this hugely and one study found male ranges between 12 and 80 km. Coastal otters have a much more abundant food supply and ranges for males and females may be just a few kilometers of coastline
NOTE: We are looking for a specific kind of otters that has the shortest range. It can be seen from the text that male river otter might be 25 km of river, a female’s range less than half this which means that female otters’ range is just 12 km of river. And in one study, it was found that male river otters have a range of 12 and 80 km. However, it is coastal otters that have the shortest range. The reason for this is that male and female coastal otters have range of a few kilometers of coastline. Therefore, the correct answer is coastal otters.
- 13 Answer: small mammals
Keywords in questions
Similar words in passage
Question 13:
Which type of animals do otters hunt occasionally?
Otters will eat anything that they can get hold of—there are records of sparrows and snakes and slugs being gobbled. Apart from fish the most common prey are crayfish, crabs and water birds. Small mammals are occasionally taken, most commonly rabbits but sometimes even moles.
NOTE: We are looking for noun that indicates kind of animal hunted by otter not always or often but sometimes. From the text, the most common preys of otters are fish, crayfish, crabs and water birds. From time to time, otters hunt small mammals for food. You may get confused with the word ‘moles’ and think that it can be the answer to this question but it is not true because out of small mammals which are hunted by otter occasionally, rabbits are the most commonly hunted while moles are hunted occasionally. Hence, the answer must be small mammals
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
Otters
A Otters are semiaquatic (or in the case of the sea otter, aquatic) mammals. They are members of the Mustelid family which includes badgers, polecats, martens, weasels, stoats and minks, and have inhabited the earth for the last 30 million years and over the years have undergone subtle changes to the carnivore bodies to exploit the rich aquatic environment. Otters have long thin body and short legs—ideal for pushing dense undergrowth or hunting in tunnels. An adult male may be up to 4 feet long and 30 pounds. Females are smaller, around 16 pounds typically. The Eurasian otter’s nose is about the smallest among the otter species and has a characteristic shape described as a shallow “W”. An otter’s tail (or rudder, or stern) is stout at the base and tapers towards the tip where it flattens. This forms part of the propulsion unit when swimming fast under water. Otter fur consists of two types of hair: stout guard hairs which form a waterproof outer covering, and under-fur which is dense and fine, equivalent to an otter’s thermal underwear. The fur must be kept in good condition by grooming. Sea water reduces the waterproofing and insulating qualities of otter fur when salt water gets in the fur. This is why freshwater pools are important to otters living on the coast:. After swimming, they wash the salts off in the pools and then squirm on the ground to rub dry against vegetation.
B Scent is used for hunting on land, for communication and for detecting danger. Otterine sense of smell is likely to be similar in sensitivity to dogs. Otters have small eyes and are probably short-sighted on land. But they do have the ability to modify the shape of the lens in the eye to make it more spherical, and hence overcome the refraction of water. In clear water and good light, otters can hunt fish by sight. The otter’s eyes and nostrils arc placed high on its head so that it can see and breathe even when the rest of the body is submerged. The long whiskers growing around the muzzle are used to detect the presence of fish. They detect regular vibrations caused by the beat of the fish’s tail as it swims away. This allows otters to hunt even in very murky water. Underwater, the otter holds its legs against the body, except for steering, and the hind end of the body is flexed in a series of vertical undulations. River otters have webbing which extends for much of the length of each digit, though not to the very end. Giant otters and sea otters have even more prominent webs, while the Asian short-clawed otter has no webbing—they hunt for shrimps in ditches and paddy fields so they don’t need the swimming speed. Otter ears are protected by valves which close them against water pressure.
C A number of constraints and preferences limit suitable habitats for otters. Water is a must and the rivers must be large enough to support a healthy population of fish. Being such shy and wary crea-tures, they will prefer territories where man’s activities do not impinge greatly. Of course, there must also be no other otter already in residence—this has only become significant again recently as populations start to recover. A typical range for a male river otter might be 25km of river, a female’s range less than half this. However, the productivity of the river affects this hugely and one study found male ranges between 12 and 80km. Coastal otters have a much more abundant food supply and ranges for males and females may be just a few kilometers of coastline. Because male ranges are usually larger, a male otter may find his range overlaps with two or three females. Otters will eat anything that they can get hold of—there are records of sparrows and snakes and slugs being gobbled. Apart from fish the most common prey are crayfish, crabs and water birds. Small mammals are occasionally taken, most commonly rabbits but sometimes even moles.
D Eurasian otters will breed any time where food is readily available. In places where condition is more severe, Sweden for example where the lakes are frozen for much of winter, cubs are bom in Spring. This ensures that they are well grown before severe weather returns. In the Shetlands, cubs are born in summer when fish is more abundant. Though otters can breed every year, some do not. Again, this depends on food availability. Other factors such as food range and quality of the female may have an effect. Gestation for Eurasian otter is 63 days, with the exception of North American river otter whose embryos may undergo delayed implantation.
E Otters normally give birth in more secure dens to avoid disturbances. Nests are lined with bedding (reeds, waterside plants, grass) to keep the cubs warm while mummy is away feeding. Litter Size varies between 1 and 5 (2 or 3 being the most common). For some unknown reason, coastal otters tend to produce smaller litters. At five weeks they open their eyes—a tiny cub of 700g. At seven weeks they’re weaned onto solid food. At ten weeks they leave the nest, blinking into daylight for the first time. After three months they finally meet the water and learn to swim. After eight months they are hunting, though the mother still provides a lot of food herself. Finally, after nine months she can chase them all away with a clear conscience, and relax—until the next fella shows up.
F The plight of the British otter was recognised in the early 60s, but it wasn’t until the late 70s that the chief cause was discovered. Pesticides, such as dieldrin and aldrin, were first used in '1955 in agriculture and other industries—these chemicals are very persistent and had already been recognised as the cause of huge declines in the population of peregrine falcons, sparrowhawks and other predators. The pesticides entered the river systems and the food chain—micro-organisms, fish and finally otters, with every step increasing the concentration of the chemicals. From 1962 the chemicals were phased out, but while some species recovered quickly, otter numbers did not—and continued to fall into the 80s. This was probably due mainly to habitat destruction and road deaths. Acting on populations fragmented by the sudden decimation in the 50s and 60s, the loss of just a handful of otters in one area can make an entire population enviable and spell the end.
G Otter numbers are recovering all around Britain—populations are growing again in the few areas where they had remained and have expanded from those areas into the rest of the country. This is almost entirely due to law and conservation efforts, slowing down and reversing the destruction of suitable otter habitat and reintroductions from captive breeding programs. Releasing captive-bred otters is seen by many as a last resort. The argument runs that where there is no suitable habitat for them they will not survive after release and when1 there is suitable habitat;, natural populations should be able to expand into the area. However, reintroducing animals into a fragmented and fragile population may add just enough impetus for it to stabilise and expand, rather than die out. This is what the Otter Trust accomplished in Norfolk, where the otter population may have been as low as twenty animals at the beginning of the 1980s. The Otter Trust has now finished its captive breeding program entirely. Great news because it means it is no longer’ needed.
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