READING.
Complete questions 1-8.
The honey badger
It looks harmless and vulnerable. But the honey badger is afraid of nothing…and will
attack and eat almost anything.
The honey badger (Melivora capensis) is an African and south-Asian mammal that has
a reputation for being one of the world’s most fearless animals, despite its small size. And in
spite of its gentle-sounding name, it is also one of its most aggressive. Honey badgers have
been known to attack lions, buffalo, and snakes three times their size. Even humans are not
safe from a honey badger if it thinks the human will attack or harm it. They are also
extremely tough creatures and can recover quickly from injuries that would kill most other
animals.
At first glance, honey badgers look like the common European badger. They are
usually between 75cm and 1 meter long, although males are about twice the size of females.
They are instantly recognizable by grey and white stripes that extend from the top of the
head to the tail. Closer inspection, which is probably not a wise thing to do, reveals pointed
teeth, and sharp front claws which can be four centimeters in length.
Honey badgers are meat-eating animals with an extremely varied diet. They mainly
eat a range of small creatures like beetles, lizards and birds, but will also catch larger reptiles
like snakes and small crocodiles. Some mammals, such as foxes, antelope and wild cats also
form part of their diet.
The badgers locate their prey mainly using their excellent sense of smell, and catch
most of their prey through digging. During a 24-hour period, they may dig as many as fifty
holes, and travel more than 40 kilometers. They are also good climbers, and can easily climb
very tall trees to steal eggs from birds’ nests, or catch other tree-dwelling creatures.
As their name suggests, honey badgers have always been associated with honey,
although they do not actually eat it. It is the highly nutritious bee eggs (called “brood”) that
they prefer, and they will do anything to find it. They usually cause a lot of damage to the
hive in the process, and for this reason, humans are one of their main predators. Bee-keepers
will often set special traps for honey badgers, to protect their hives.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the honey badger is its working relationship
with a bird called the greater honeyguide (Indicator indicator). This bird deliberately guides
the badger to beehives, then waits while the badger breaks into the hive and extracts the
brood. The two creatures, bird and mammal, then share the brood between them.
1. Although they are not big animals, honey badgers are fearless, _______________and tough.
2. Honey badgers will attack ________________if they need to protect themselves.
3. The pattern and colors on the honey badger’s back make it _______________.
4. The food they eat is meat-based and _________________.
5. _______________form the biggest part of a honey badger’s diet.
6. Honey badgers find the creatures they eat by their____________________.
7. ________________are often used to catch honey badgers which attack beehives.
1
8. For one particular type of food, the honey badger has a ____________with another creature.
SPEAKING
You are going to do IELTS Speaking Part 2. You will need some paper and a pencil.
Describe a place where you had a holiday that you enjoyed.
You should say:
where the place was
when you went there and how long you stayed
what you did while you were there
and explain why you enjoyed having a holiday at that place
LISTENING
Questions 1-8. Listen to the recording. Choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.
(Track 2.7)
1. The problem is that many people ... have an unhealthy diet.
o Nowadays
o these days
2. The trend for buying Indian takeaways has risen by … since 2016.
o 16%
o 6%
3. Doctors are worried about the increase in heart disease among … and over.
o men aged 35
o men aged 45
4. Good-quality food can be found in many of the city’s ...
o fine hotel restaurants.
o five hotel restaurants.
5. Sales of our … pies have fallen over the last three months.
o ready-made fish
o already-made fish
Questions 1–7 (Track 2.8)
Answer the questions.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer
1. What is the surname of the writer that Sarah likes? ________________
2. What is the password for the university library website? ________________
3. Which drink does Joe say people should stop drinking? ________________
4. Where are many families getting their meals from? ________________
5. What problem does Sarah say is increasing because of unhealthy eating? _______________
6. Which kind of fast food is most popular with other university students? ________________
7. In which street is the sushi café? ________________
