Computer Games for Preschoolers: Nintendo’s Research and Design Process
Designing computer games for young children is a daunting task for game producers, who, for a
long time, have concentrated on more “hard core” game fans. This article chronicles the design
process and research involved in creating Nintendo DS for preschool gamers.
After speaking with our producers who have a keen interest in designing for the DS, we finally
agreed on three key goals for our project. First, to understand the range of physical and cognitive
abilities of preschoolers in the context of handheld system game play; second, to understand how
preschool gamers interact with the DS, specifically how they control the different forms of play
and game mechanics offered by the games presently on the market for this platform; third, to
understand the expectation of preschooler’s parents concerning the handheld systems as well as
the purchase and play contexts within which game play occurs. The team of research decided that
in-home ethnographies with preschoolers and their families would yield comprehensive database
with which to give our producers more information and insights, so we start by conducting 26 in-
home ethnographies in three markets across the United States: an East coast urban/suburban area,
a West coast urban/suburban area, and a Midwest suburban/rural area.
This study included 15 girls and 11 boys ranging from 3 years and 3 months old to 5 years and 11
months old. Also, because previous research had shown the effects of older siblings on game play
(demonstrated, for example, by more advanced motor coordination when using a computer
mouse), households were employed to have a combination of preschoolers with and without elder
peers. In order to understand both “experienced” and “new” preschool users of the platform, we
divided the sample so that 13 families owned at least one Nintendo DS and the others did not. For
those households that did not own a DS, one was brought to the interview for the kid to play. This
allowed us to see both the instinctive and intuitive movements of the new players (and of the
more experienced players when playing new games), as well as the learned movements of the
more experienced players. Each of those interviews took about 60 to 120 minutes and included
the preschooler, at least one parent, and often siblings and another caregiver.
Three kinds of information were collected after each interview. From any older siblings and the
parents that were available, we gathered data about: the buying decisions surrounding game
systems in the household, the family’s typical game play patterns, levels of parental moderation
with regard to computer gaming, and the most favorite games played by family members. We
could also understand the ideology of gaming in these homes because of these in-home
interviews: what types of spaces were used for game play, how the system were installed, where
the handheld play occurred in the house (as well as on-the-go play), and the number and type of
games and game systems owned. The most important is we gathered the game-playing
information for every single kid.
Before carrying out the interviews, the research team had closely discussed with the in-house
game producers to create a list of game mechanics and problems tied to preschoolers’ motor and
cognitive capabilities that were critical for them to understand prior to writing the games. These
ranged from general dexterity issues related to game controllers to the effectiveness of in-game
instructions to specific mechanics in current games that the producers were interested in
implementing for future preschool titles. During the interviews, the moderator gave specific
guidance to the preschooler through a series of games, so that he or she could observe the
interaction and probe both the preschooler and his or her parents on feelings, attitudes, and
frustrations that arose in the different circumstances.
If the subject in the experiment had previous exposure to the DS system, he or she was first asked
to play his or her favorite game on the machine. This gave the researchers information about
current level of gaming skill related to the complexity of the chosen one, allowing them to see the
child playing a game with mechanics he or she was already familiar with. Across the 26
preschoolers, the Nintendo DS selections scope were very broad, including New Super Mario
Bros, Sonic Rush, Nintendogs, and Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground. The interview observed the
child play, noting preferences for game mechanic and motor interactions with the device as well
as the complexity level each game mechanic was for the tested subject. The researchers asked all
of the preschoolers to play a specific game in consultation with our producers, The Little
Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. The game was chosen for two major reasons. First, it was
one of the few games on the market with characters that appeal to this young age group. Second,
it incorporated a large variety of mechanics that highlighted the uniqueness of the DS platform,
including using the microphone for blowing or singing.
The findings from this initial experiment were extensive. After reviewing the outcomes and
discussing the implications for the game design with our internal game production team, we then
outlined the designing needs and presented the findings to a firm specializing in game design. We
worked closely with those experts to set the game design for the two preschool-targeted DS
games under development on what we had gathered.
As the two DS games went into the development process, a formative research course of action
was set up. Whenever we developed new game mechanics, we brought preschoolers into our in-
house utility lab to test the mechanics and to evaluate both their simplicity, and whether they
were engaging. We tested either alpha or beta versions of different elements of the game, in
addition to looking at overarching game structure. Once a full version of the DS game was ready,
we went back into the field test with a dozen preschoolers and their parents to make sure that
each of the game elements worked for the children, and that the overall objective of the game was
understandable and the process was enjoyable for players. We also collected parent’s feedback on
whether they thought the game is appropriate, engaging, and worth the purchase.
Questions 1-5
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
Exploratory Research Project
Main Objectives:
Determine the relevant 1………….. in the context
Observe how preschoolers manage playing
Investigate attitudes of 2………….. towards games
Subjects:
26 children from different US 3 …………..
Age range: 3 years and 3 months to 5 years and 11 months
Some children have older 4 …………..
Equal number of new and 5 ………….. players
Some households have Nintendo DS and some don’t
Length of Interview: 1-2 hours
Questions 6-9
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 6-9 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
6. One area of research is how far mothers and fathers controlled children’s playing after school.
7. The researchers are allowed free access to the subject’s houses.
8. The researchers regarded The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure as likely to appeal to
preschoolers.
9. The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is operated entirely by hand controls.
Questions 10-13
Complete the flow-chart below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answer in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.
THE
PERFUME HUNTERS
A Ever since the unguentari plied their trade in ancient Rome, perfumers have had to keep abreast
of changing fashions. These days they have several thousand ingredients to choose from when
creating new scents, but there is always a demand for new combinations. The bigger the “palette”
of smells, the better the perfumer’s chance of creating something new and fashionable. Even with
everyday products such as shampoo and soap, consumers are becoming increasingly fussy.
Cheap, synthetic smells are out. Fresh, natural smells are in. And many of today’s fragrances have
to survive tougher treatment than ever before, resisting the destructive power of bleach or a high
temperature wash cycle. Chemists can now create new smells from synthetic molecules, but
nature has been in the business far longer. Plants produce countless fragrant chemicals. Many are
intended to attract pollinators. Others are produced for quite different purposes. The fragrant
resins that ooze from wounds in a tree, for example, defend it against infection.
B The island of Madagascar is an evolutionary hot spot; 85% of its plants are unique, making it
an ideal source for novel fragrances. Last October, Quest International, a company that develops
fragrances for everything from the most delicate perfumes to cleaning products, sent an
expedition to Madagascar in pursuit of some of nature’s most novel fragrances. With some simple
technology, borrowed from the pollution monitoring industry, and a fair amount of ingenuity, the
perfume hunters bagged 20 promising new aromas in the Madagascan rainforest. Each day the
team set out from their “hotel”—a wooden hut lit by kerosene lamps, and trailed up and down
paths and animal tracks, exploring the thick vegetation up to 10 meters on either side of the trail.
Some smells came from obvious places, often big showy flowers within easy reach. Others were
harder to pin down. “Often it was the very small flowers that were much more interesting,” says
Clery. After the luxuriance of the rainforest, the little-known island of Nosy Hara was a stark, dry
place—geologically and biologically very different from the mainland. “Apart from two beaches,
the rest of the island is impenetrable, except by hacking through the bush,” says Clery. One of the
biggest prizes here was a sweet-smelling sap weeping from the gnarled branches of some ancient
shrubby trees in the parched interior. So far no one has been able to identify the plant.
C With most flowers or fruits, the hunters used a technique originally designed to trap and
identify air pollutants. The technique itself is relatively simple. A grass bell jar or flask is fitted
over the flower. The fragrance molecules are trapped in this “headspace” and can be extracted by
pumping the air out over a series of filter which absorb different types of volatile molecules.
Back home in the laboratory, the molecules are flushed out of the filters and injected into a gas
chromatograph for analysis ． If it is impossible to attach the headspace gear, hunters fix an
absorbent probe close to the source of the smell. The probe looks something like a hypodermic
syringe, except that the “needle” is made of silicone rubber which soaks up molecules from the
air. After a few hours, the hunters retract the rubber needle and seal the tube, keeping the odour
molecules inside until they can be injected into the gas chromatograph in the laboratory．
D Some of the most promising fragrances were those given off by resins that oozed from the bark
of trees. Resins are the source of many traditional perfumes， including frankincense and myrrh.
The most exciting resin came from a Calophyllum tree, which produces a strongly scented
medicinal oil. The sap of this Calophyllum smelt rich and aromatic, a little like church
incense ． But it also smelt of something the fragrance industry has learnt to live without,
castoreum, a substance extracted from the musk glands of beavers and once a key ingredient in
many perfumes. The company does not use animal products any longer, but it was wonderful to
find a tree with an animal smell.
E The group also set out from the island to capture the smell of coral reefs. Odors that conjure up
sunkissed seas are highly sought after by the perfume industry. “From the ocean, the only thing
we have is seaweed, and that has a dark and heavy aroma. We hope to find something unique
among the corals,” says Dir. The challenge for the hunters was to extract a smell from water
rather than air. This was an opportunity to try Clery’s new “aquaspace” apparatus-a set of filters
that work underwater. On Nosy Hara, jars were fixed over knobs of coral about 2 meters down
and water pumped out over the absorbent filters. So what does coral smell like? “It’s a bit like
lobster and crab,” says Clery. The team’s task now is to recreate the best of their captured smells.
First they must identify the molecules that make up each fragrance. Some ingredients may be
quite common chemicals. But some may be completely novel, or they may be too complex or
expensive to make in the lab. The challenge then is to conjure up the fragrances with more
readily available materials. “We can avoid the need to import plants from the rainforest by
creating the smell with a different set of chemicals from those in the original material,” says
Clery. “If we get it right, you can sniff the sample and it will transport you straight back to the
moment you smelt it in the rainforest.”
II. IELTS Reading passage 2: The Perfume Hunters - QUESTIONS
1. Question 14-18
The reading passage has seven paragraphs, A—E Choose the correct heading, for paragraphs A—
E from the list below. Write the correct number, I-VIII, in boxes 14—18 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. Natural scent remains though artificial odours rises
ii. Traditional aromas are not in fashion．
iii. Madagascar: the best spot for finding surviving plants
iv. Design of a simple yet ingenious device
v. A substitute for substance extracted from animal was found
vi. Exploration in Madagascar chasing new fragrances．
vii. One company’s great success in market．
viii. the new challenges and tasks
14 Paragraph A
15 Paragraph B
16 Paragraph C
17 Paragraph D
18 Paragraph E
2. Question 19-23
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 19-
23 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the sataement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
19 Manufactures can choose to use synthetic odours for the perfume nowadays.
20 Madagascar is chosen to be a place for hunting plants which are rare in other parts of the
world.
21 Capturing the smell is one of the most important things for creating new aromas.
22 The technique the hunters used to trap fragrance molecules is totally out of their ingenuity.
23 Most customers prefer the perfume made of substance extracted from the musk glands of
animals.
3. Question 24-26
Filling the blanks and answer the questions below with only one word．
IELTS Reading passage 2: The Perfume Hunters - Questions and answers
29/05/2023
Nội dung chính
I. IELTS Reading passage 2: The Perfume Hunters
II. IELTS Reading passage 2: The Perfume Hunters - QUESTIONS
1. Question 14-18
2. Question 19-23
3. Question 24-26
III. IELTS Reading passage 2: The Perfume Hunters answers
IV. Từ vựng hữu ích
I. IELTS Reading passage 2: The Perfume Hunters
THE PERFUME HUNTERS
A Ever since the unguentari plied their trade in ancient Rome, perfumers have had to keep abreast
of changing fashions. These days they have several thousand ingredients to choose from when
creating new scents, but there is always a demand for new combinations. The bigger the “palette”
of smells, the better the perfumer’s chance of creating something new and fashionable. Even with
everyday products such as shampoo and soap, consumers are becoming increasingly fussy.
Cheap, synthetic smells are out. Fresh, natural smells are in. And many of today’s fragrances have
to survive tougher treatment than ever before, resisting the destructive power of bleach or a high
temperature wash cycle. Chemists can now create new smells from synthetic molecules, but
nature has been in the business far longer. Plants produce countless fragrant chemicals. Many are
intended to attract pollinators. Others are produced for quite different purposes. The fragrant
resins that ooze from wounds in a tree, for example, defend it against infection.
B The island of Madagascar is an evolutionary hot spot; 85% of its plants are unique, making it
an ideal source for novel fragrances. Last October, Quest International, a company that develops
fragrances for everything from the most delicate perfumes to cleaning products, sent an
expedition to Madagascar in pursuit of some of nature’s most novel fragrances. With some simple
technology, borrowed from the pollution monitoring industry, and a fair amount of ingenuity, the
perfume hunters bagged 20 promising new aromas in the Madagascan rainforest. Each day the
team set out from their “hotel”—a wooden hut lit by kerosene lamps, and trailed up and down
paths and animal tracks, exploring the thick vegetation up to 10 meters on either side of the trail.
Some smells came from obvious places, often big showy flowers within easy reach. Others were
harder to pin down. “Often it was the very small flowers that were much more interesting,” says
Clery. After the luxuriance of the rainforest, the little-known island of Nosy Hara was a stark, dry
place—geologically and biologically very different from the mainland. “Apart from two beaches,
the rest of the island is impenetrable, except by hacking through the bush,” says Clery. One of the
biggest prizes here was a sweet-smelling sap weeping from the gnarled branches of some ancient
shrubby trees in the parched interior. So far no one has been able to identify the plant.
C With most flowers or fruits, the hunters used a technique originally designed to trap and
identify air pollutants. The technique itself is relatively simple. A grass bell jar or flask is fitted
over the flower. The fragrance molecules are trapped in this “headspace” and can be extracted by
pumping the air out over a series of filter which absorb different types of volatile molecules.
Back home in the laboratory, the molecules are flushed out of the filters and injected into a gas
chromatograph for analysis ． If it is impossible to attach the headspace gear, hunters fix an
absorbent probe close to the source of the smell. The probe looks something like a hypodermic
syringe, except that the “needle” is made of silicone rubber which soaks up molecules from the
air. After a few hours, the hunters retract the rubber needle and seal the tube, keeping the odour
molecules inside until they can be injected into the gas chromatograph in the laboratory．
D Some of the most promising fragrances were those given off by resins that oozed from the bark
of trees. Resins are the source of many traditional perfumes， including frankincense and myrrh.
The most exciting resin came from a Calophyllum tree, which produces a strongly scented
medicinal oil. The sap of this Calophyllum smelt rich and aromatic, a little like church
incense ． But it also smelt of something the fragrance industry has learnt to live without,
castoreum, a substance extracted from the musk glands of beavers and once a key ingredient in
many perfumes. The company does not use animal products any longer, but it was wonderful to
find a tree with an animal smell.
E The group also set out from the island to capture the smell of coral reefs. Odors that conjure up
sunkissed seas are highly sought after by the perfume industry. “From the ocean, the only thing
we have is seaweed, and that has a dark and heavy aroma. We hope to find something unique
among the corals,” says Dir. The challenge for the hunters was to extract a smell from water
rather than air. This was an opportunity to try Clery’s new “aquaspace” apparatus-a set of filters
that work underwater. On Nosy Hara, jars were fixed over knobs of coral about 2 meters down
and water pumped out over the absorbent filters. So what does coral smell like? “It’s a bit like
lobster and crab,” says Clery. The team’s task now is to recreate the best of their captured smells.
First they must identify the molecules that make up each fragrance. Some ingredients may be
quite common chemicals. But some may be completely novel, or they may be too complex or
expensive to make in the lab. The challenge then is to conjure up the fragrances with more
readily available materials. “We can avoid the need to import plants from the rainforest by
creating the smell with a different set of chemicals from those in the original material,” says
Clery. “If we get it right, you can sniff the sample and it will transport you straight back to the
moment you smelt it in the rainforest.”
II. IELTS Reading passage 2: The Perfume Hunters - QUESTIONS
1. Question 14-18
The reading passage has seven paragraphs, A—E Choose the correct heading, for paragraphs A—
E from the list below. Write the correct number, I-VIII, in boxes 14—18 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. Natural scent remains though artificial odours rises
ii. Traditional aromas are not in fashion．
iii. Madagascar: the best spot for finding surviving plants
iv. Design of a simple yet ingenious device
v. A substitute for substance extracted from animal was found
vi. Exploration in Madagascar chasing new fragrances．
vii. One company’s great success in market．
viii. the new challenges and tasks
14 Paragraph A
15 Paragraph B
16 Paragraph C
17 Paragraph D
18 Paragraph E
2. Question 19-23
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 19-
23 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the sataement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
19 Manufactures can choose to use synthetic odours for the perfume nowadays.
20 Madagascar is chosen to be a place for hunting plants which are rare in other parts of the
world.
21 Capturing the smell is one of the most important things for creating new aromas.
22 The technique the hunters used to trap fragrance molecules is totally out of their ingenuity.
23 Most customers prefer the perfume made of substance extracted from the musk glands of
animals.
3. Question 24-26
Filling the blanks and answer the questions below with only one word．
READING PASSAGE 3
AUSTRALIA’S MEGAFAUNA CONTROVERSY
Just how long did humans live side by side with megafauna in Australia? Barry Brook, Richard
Gillespie and Paul Martin dispute previous claims of a lengthy coexistence
Over the past 50 millennia, Australia has witnessed the extinction of many species of large
animals, including a rhinoceros-sized wombat and goannas the size of crocodiles Debate about
the possible cause of these extinctions has continued for more than 150 years and one the crucial
questions raised is how long humans and megafauna coexisted in Australia. We need to know the
overlap of time to make an informed choice between the two main theories regarding the causes
of these extinctions. If humans and megafauna coexisted for a protracted period then climate
change is the more likely cause. However, if the megafauna became extinct shortly after the
arrival of humans, then humans are the likely culprits
The archaeological site at Cuddie Springs in eastern Australia appears to be well preserved. This
dusty claypan holds within its sediments a rich cache of flaked stone and seed-grinding tools, and
side by side with these clear signals of human culture are the bones of a dozen or more species of
megafauna. Drs Judith Field and Stephen Wroe of the University of Sydney, who excavated the
site, claim that it provides unequivocal evidence of a long overlap of humans and megafauna, and
conclude that aridity leading up to the last Ice Age brought about their eventual demise. In the
long-standing explanation of this site, artefacts such as stone tools and extinct animals remain
were deposited over many thousands of years in an ephemeral lake- a body of water existing for a
relatively short time - and remained in place and undisturbed until the present day.
There is no disputing the close association of bones and stones at Cuddie Springs, as both are
found 1 to 1.7 metres below the modern surface. The dating of these layers is accurate: ages for
the sediments were obtained through radiocarbon dating of charcoal fragments and luminescence
dating of sand grains from the same levels (revealing when a sample was last exposed to
sunlight). Intriguingly, some of the stone show surface features indicating their use for processing
plants, and a few even have well-preserved blood and hair residues suggesting they were used in
butchering animals.
But is the case proposed by Field aside Wroe clear-cut? We carried out a reanalyse of the
scientific data from Cuddie Springs that brings into question their conclusions. The amount of
anthropological evidence found at the site is remarkable: we estimate there are more than 3
tonnes of charcoal and more than 300 tonnes of stone buried there. Field and Wroe estimate that
there are approximately 20 million artefacts. This plethora of tools is hard to reconcile with a site
that was only available for occupation when the lake was dry. Furthermore, no cultural features
such as oven pits have been discovered. If the sediment layers have remained undisturbed since
being laid down, as Field and Wroe contend, then the ages of those sediments should increase
with depth. However, our analysis revealed a number of inconsistencies.
First, the charcoal samples are all roughly 36,000 years old. Second, sand in the two upper levels
is considerably younger than charcoal from the same levels. Third, Field and Wroe say that the
tools and seed-grinding stones used for plant and animal processing are accient, yet they are very
similar to implements found elsewhere that were in use only a few thousand years ago. Also
interest is the fact that a deep drill core made a mere 60 metres from the site recovered no stone
artefact or fossil bones whatsoever. These points suggests strongly that the sediments have been
moved about and some of the old charcoal has been re-deposited in younger layers. Indeed, one
sample of cow bone found I metre below the surface came from sediments where charcoal dated
at 6,000 and 23,000 years old is mixed with 17,000-year-old sand. The megafauna bones
themselves have not yet dated, although new technological developments make this a possibility
in the near future.
We propose that the archaeologists have actually been sampling the debris carried by ancient
flood channels beneath the site, including charcoal transported from bushfires that intermittently
occurred within the catchment. Flood events more likely explain the accumulation of megafauna
remains, and could have mixed old bones With fresh deposits. European graziers also disturbed
the site in 1876 by constructing a well to provide water their cattle. Given the expense of well-
digging, we speculate that the graziers made sure it was protected from the damage caused by
cattle hooves by lining the surface with small stones collected from further afield, including
prehistoric quarries. This Idea Is consistent with the thin layer of stones spread over a large area,
with cattle occasionally breaking through the gravel surface and forcing the stone and even cattle
bones deeper into the waterlogged soil.
The lack of conclusive evidence that humans and megafauna coexisted for a lengthy period casts
doubt on Field and Wroe's assertion that climate change was responsible for the extinction of
Australia's megafauna. However, we do not suggest that newly arrived, well-armed hunters
systematically slaughtered all the large beasts they encountered. Recent studies based on the
biology of modern-day large
Mammals, combined with observations of people who still practise a traditional huntergatherer
lifestyle, reveal an unexpected paradox and suggest a further possible explanation as to what
happened. Using a mathematical model, It was found that a group of 10 people killing only one
juvenile Diprotodon each year would be sufficient to bring about the extinction of that spaces
within 1,000 years. This suggests that here, as in other parts of the word, the arrival of humans in
lands previously inhabited only by animals created a volatile combination in which large animals
fared badly.
Note: The Diprotodon (a rhinoceros-sized wombat), an example of Australia’s now extinct
megafauna
Questions 1-4
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage? In boxes 1-4
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
1. Field and Wroe argue that findings at the Cuddie Springs site show that people lived in
this area at the same time as megafauna.
2. Field and Wroe believe it is likely that smaller megafauna species survived the last Ice
Age
3. The writers believe that the dating of earth up to 1.7m below the present surface at Cuddie
Springs is unreliable.
4. Some artefacts found at Cuddie Springs were preserved well enough to reveal their
function
Questions 5-9
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-l, below
Write the correct letter, A-l in boxes 5-9 on your answer sheet
The writers’ arguments against Field and Wroe's analysis of the scientific data
from Cuddie Springs
One objection to Field and Wroe's interpretation is the large quantity of charcoal, 5
and artefacts found at Cuddie Springs. Such large numbers of artefacts would impossible if the
area had been covered with 6……….for a period. There is also a complete lack of man-made
structures, for instance those used for 7…………..
Other evidence that doubt on Field and Wroe’s claim is the fact that while some material in the
highest levels of sediment is 36,000 years old, the 8………………………….
in the same levels is much more recent. The tools used to process plants and animals may also be
newer than Field and Wroe believe. Further evidence against human occupation of the area is the
absence of tools and 9……………a short distance away.
A seeds B stone C sand
D cooking E deep drill core F water
G fossil bones H sediment I storage
Questions 10-14
Choose the letter, A, B, c or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 10-14 on your answer sheet.
10. What conclusions did the writers reach about the inconsistencies in the data from Cuddie
Springs?
A. The different layers of sediment have been mixed over time.
B. The sand evidence is unhelpful and should be disregarded.
C. The area needs to be re-examined when technology improves.
D. The charcoal found in the area cannot be dated.
11. According to the writers, what impact could a natural phenomenon have had on this site?
A. Floods could have caused the death of the megafauna.
B. Floods could have disturbed the archaeological evidence.
C. Bushfires could have prevented humans from settling in the area for any length of time
D. Bushfires could have destroyed much of the evidence left by megafauna and humans.
12. What did the writers speculate about the people who lived at this site in 1876?
A. They bred cattle whose bones could have been confused with megafauna
B. They found that the soil was too waterlogged for farming
C. They allowed cattle to move around freely at the site
D. They brought stones there from another area
13. In the final paragraph what suggestion do the writers hide about Australia’s megafauna?
A. A rapid change in climate may have been responsible for the extinction of the megafauna.
B. Megafauna could have died out as a result of small numbers being killed year after year.
C. The population of humans at that time was probably insufficient to cause the extinction of
the megafauna.
D. The extinction of ancient animals should not be compared to that of modern-day species.
14. Which of the following best represents the writers' criticism of Field and Wroe?
A. Their methods were not well thought out
B. Their excavations did not go deep enough.
C. Their technology failed to obtain precise data.
D. Their conclusions were based on inconsistent data.
1. abilities 2. parents3. markets4. siblings5. experienced
6. NOT GIVEN7. TRUE8. TRUE9. FALSE10. firm11. simplicity12. full version13. feedback
III. IELTS Reading passage 2: The Perfume Hunters answers
14. i15. vi16. iv17. v18. viii19. TRUE
20. TRUE21. NOT GIVEN22. FALSE23. NOT GIVEN 24. headspace25. filters26. needle
1. YES 2. NOT GIVEN 3. NO 4. YES
5. B 6. F 7. D 8C 9G 10A 11B 12D 13B 14. D
