[FLASH B – IELTS]

IELTS READING MIDTERM

PASSAGE 1:
Health in the Wild
Many animals seem able to treat their illnesses themselves. Humans may have a thing or two to learn from them.
A. For the past decade Dr Engel, a lecturer in environmental sciences at Britain’s Open University, has been
collating examples of self-medicating behaviour in wild animals. She recently published a book on the subject.
In a talk at the Edinburgh Science Festival earlier this month, she explained that the idea that animals can
treat themselves has been regarded with some scepticism by her colleagues in the past. But a growing
number of animal behaviourists now think that wild animals can and do deal with their own medical needs.
B. One example of self-medication was discovered in 1987. Michael Huffman and Mohamedi Seifu, working in
the Mahale Mountains National Park in Tanzania, noticed that local chimpanzees suffering from intestinal
worms would dose themselves with the pith of a plant called Veronia. This plant produces poisonous
chemicals called terpenes. Its pith contains a strong enough concentration to kill gut parasites, but not so
strong as to kill chimps (nor people, for that matter; locals use the pith for the same purpose). Given that the
plant is known locally as “goat-killer”, however, it seems that not all animals are as smart as chimps and
humans. Some consume it indiscriminately and succumb.
C. Since the Veronia-eating chimps were discovered, more evidence has emerged suggesting that animals
often eat things for medical rather than nutritional reasons. Many species, for example, consume dirt a
behaviour known as geophagy. Historically, the preferred explanation was that soil supplies minerals such as
salt. But geophagy occurs in areas where the earth is not a useful source of minerals, and also in places where
minerals can be more easily obtained from certain plants that are known to be rich in them. Clearly, the
animals must be getting something else out of eating earth.
D. The current belief is that soil—and particularly the clay in it—helps to detoxify the defensive poisons that
some plants produce in an attempt to prevent themselves from being eaten. Evidence for the detoxifying
nature of clay came in 1999, from an experiment carried out on macaws by James Gilardi and his colleagues at
the University of California, Davis. Macaws eat seeds containing alkaloids, a group of chemicals that has some
notoriously toxic members, such as strychnine. In the wild, the birds are frequently seen perched on eroding
riverbanks eating clay. Dr Gilardi fed one group of macaws a mixture of harmless alkaloid and clay, and a
second group just the alkaloid. Several hours later, the macaws that had eaten the clay had 60% less alkaloid
in their bloodstreams than those that had not, suggesting that the hypothesis is correct.
E. Other observations also support the idea that clay is detoxifying. Towards the tropics, the amount of toxic
compounds in plants increases-and so does the amount of earth eaten by herbivores. Elephants lick clay from
mud holes all year round, except in September when they are bingeing on fruit which, because it has evolved
to be eaten, is not toxic. And the addition of clay to the diets of domestic cattle increases the amount of
nutrients that they can absorb from their food by 10-20%.
F. A third instance of animal self-medication is the use of mechanical scours to get rid of gut parasites, in 1972
Richard Wrangham, a researcher at the Gombe Stream Reserve in Tanzania, noticed that chimpanzees were
eating the leaves of a tree called Aspilia. The chimps chose the leaves carefully by testing them in their
mouths. Having chosen a leaf, a chimp would fold it into a fan and swallow it. Some of the chimps were
noticed wrinkling their noses as they swallowed these leaves, suggesting the experience was unpleasant.
Later, undigested leaves were found on the forest floor.
G. Dr Wrangham rightly guessed that the leaves had a medicinal purpose—this was, indeed, one of the
earliest interpretations of a behaviour pattern as self-medication. However, he guessed wrong about what the
mechanism was. His (and everybody else’s) assumption was that Aspilia contained a drug, and this sparked
more than two decades of phytochemical research to try to find out what chemical the chimps were after. But
by the 1990s, chimps across Africa had been seen swallowing the leaves of 19 different species that seemed
to have few suitable chemicals in common. The drug hypothesis was looking more and more dubious.
H. It was Dr Huffman who got to the bottom of the problem. He did so by watching what came out of the
chimps, rather than concentrating on what went in. He found that the egested leaves were full of intestinal
worms. The factor common to all 19 species of leaves swallowed by the chimps was that they were covered
with microscopic hooks. These caught the worms and dragged them from their lodgings.
I. Following that observation, Dr Engel is now particularly excited about how knowledge of the way that
animals look after themselves could be used to improve the health of livestock. People might also be able to
learn a thing or two, and may, indeed, already have done so. Geophagy, for example, is a common behaviour
in many parts of the world. The medical stalls in African markets frequently sell tablets made of different
sorts of clays, appropriate to different medical conditions.
J Africans brought to the Americas as slaves continued this tradition, which gave their owners one more
excuse to affect to despise them. Yet, as Dr Engel points out, Rwandan mountain gorillas eat a type of clay
rather similar to kaolinite – the main ingredient of many patent medicines sold over the counter in the West
for digestive complaints. Dirt can sometimes be good for you, and to be “as sick as a parrot” may, after all, be a
state to be desired.

Questions 1-4: Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1? Write
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

1 It is for 10 years that Dr Engel has been working on animal self-medication.

2 In order to find plants for medication, animals usually need to walk a long distance.
3 Birds such as Macaw, are seen eating clay because it is a part of their natural diet.
4 According to Dr Engel, it is exciting that research into animal self-medication can be helpful in the
invention of new painkillers.

Questions 5-9: Complete the notes below using NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage.
Date Name Animal Food Mechanism

198 Michael Huffman Chimpanzee 5……………… of Contained chemicals

7 and Mohamedi Veronia named 6……………… which
Seifu can kill parasites

199 James Gilardi and Macaw Seeds (contain Clay can 8……………… the
9 his colleagues 7………………) and poisonous contents in food
clay

197 Richard Chimpanzee Leaves with tiny Such leaves can catch and
2 Wrangham 9……………… on expel worms from
surface intestines

Questions 10-13: Complete the summary below using words from the box.
Though often doubted, the self-medicating behaviour of animals has been supported by an increasing amount
of evidence. One piece of evidence particularly deals with 10………………….., a soil-consuming behaviour
commonly found across animals species, because the earth, often clay, can neutralize the 11…………………..
content of their diet. Such behaviour can also be found among humans in Africa, where people purchase
12………………….. at market stalls as a kind of medication to their illnesses. Another example of this is found in
chimps eating leaves of often 13………………….. taste but with no apparent medicinal value until its unique
structure came into light.
A mineral B plants C unpleasant D toxic
E clay tablets F nutritional G geophagy H harmless

PASSAGE 2:

Hydroelectric Power
A. Hydroelectric power is America’s leading renewable energy resource. Of all the renewable power
sources, it’s the most reliable, efficient, and economical. Water is needed to run a hydroelectric
generating unit. It’s held in a reservoir or lake behind a dam, and the force of the water being released
from the reservoir through the dam spins the blades of a turbine. The turbine is connected to the
generator that produces electricity. After passing through the turbine, the water re-enters the river on
the downstream side of the dam.

B. Hydroelectric plants convert the kinetic energy within falling water into electricity. The energy in
moving water is produced in the sun, and consequently is continually being renewed. The energy in
sunlight evaporates water from the seas and deposits it on land as rain. Land elevation differences result
in rainfall runoff, and permit some of the original solar energy to be harnessed as hydroelectric power.
Hydroelectric power is at present the earth’s chief renewable electricity source, generating 6% of global
energy and about 15% of worldwide electricity.

Hydroelectric power in Canada is plentiful and provides 60% of their electrical requirements. Usually
regarded as an inexpensive and clean source of electricity, most big hydroelectric projects being planned
today are facing a great deal of hostility from environmental groups and local people.

C. The earliest recorded use of water power was a clock, constructed around 250 BC. Since then, people
have used falling water to supply power for grain and saw mills, as well as a host of other uses. The
earliest use of flowing water to generate electricity was a waterwheel on the Fox River in Wisconsin in
1882.

D. The first hydroelectric power plants were much more dependable and efficient than the plants of the
day that were fired by fossil fuels. This led to a rise in the number of small to medium sized
hydroelectric generating plants located wherever there was an adequate supply of falling water and a
need for electricity. As demand for electricity soared in the middle years of the 20th century, and the
effectiveness of coal and oil power plants improved, small hydro plants became less popular. The
majority of new hydroelectric developments were focused on giant mega- projects.

E. Hydroelectric plants harness energy by passing flowing water through a turbine. The water turbine
rotation is delivered to a generator, which generates electricity. The quantity of electricity that can be
produced at a hydroelectric plant relies upon two variables. These variables are (1) the vertical distance
that the water falls, called the “head”, and (2) the flow rate, calculated as volume over time. The amount
of electricity that is produced is thus proportional to the head product and the flow rate.

F. So, hydroelectric power stations can normally be separated into two kinds. The most widespread are
“high head” plants and usually employ a dam to stock up water at an increased height. They also store
water at times of rain and discharge it during dry times. This results in reliable and consistent electricity
generation, capable of meeting demand since flow can be rapidly altered. At times of excess electrical
system capacity, usually available at night, these plants can also pump water from one reservoir to
another at a greater height. When there is peak electrical demand, the higher reservoir releases water
through the turbines to the lower reservoir.

“Low head” hydroelectric plants usually exploit heads of just a few metres or less. These types of power
stations use a weir or low dam to channel water, or no dam at all and merely use the river flow.
Unfortunately, their electricity production capacity fluctuates with seasonal water flow in a river.

G. Until only recently people believed almost universally that hydroelectric power was an
environmentally safe and clean means of generating electricity. Hydroelectric stations do not release
any of the usual atmospheric pollutants emitted by power plants fuelled by fossil fuels so they do not
add to global warming or acid rain. Nevertheless, recent studies of the larger reservoirs formed behind
dams have implied that decomposing, flooded vegetation could give off greenhouse gases equal to those
from other electricity sources.
H. The clearest result of hydroelectric dams is the flooding of huge areas of land. The reservoirs built can
be exceptionally big and they have often flooded the lands of indigenous peoples and destroyed their
way of life. Numerous rare ecosystems are also endangered by hydroelectric power plant development.

I. Damming rivers may also change the quantity and quality of water in the rivers below the dams, as
well as stopping fish migrating upstream to spawn. In addition, silt, usually taken downstream to the
lower parts of a river, is caught by a dam and so the river downstream loses the silt that should fertilise
the river’s flood plains during high water periods.

J. Theoretical global hydroelectric power is approximately four times larger than the amount that has
been taken advantage of today. Most of the residual hydro potential left in the world can be found in
African and Asian developing countries. Exploiting this resource would involve an investment of billions
of dollars, since hydroelectric plants normally have very high building costs. Low head hydro capacity
facilities on small scales will probably increase in the future as low head turbine research, and the
standardization of turbine production, reduce the costs of low head hydro-electric power production.
New systems of control and improvements in turbines could lead in the future to more electricity
created from present facilities. In addition, in the 1950’s and 60’s when oil and coal prices were very
low, lots of smaller hydroelectric plants were closed down. Future increases in the prices of fuel could
lead to these places being renovated.

Questions 14-18:
Choose the correct heading for sections A-E from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number (i-x) in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings: 14. Section A

15. Section B
i. Historical uses of hydroelectric power 16. Section C
ii. The environmental impact of hydroelectric plants 17. Section D
iii. Two types of hydroelectric power stations 18. Section E
iv. Reasons for the decline of small hydroelectric plants
v. The basic principles of hydroelectric power
vi. Hydroelectric power's future potential
vii. Hydroelectric power's role in the electricity market
viii. How hydroelectric power is generated
ix. The first modern use of hydroelectric power
x. The global significance of hydroelectric power

Questions 19-23:
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
Write TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN in boxes 6-10 on your answer sheet.

19. Hydroelectric power is responsible for generating about 60% of global electricity.
20. Small hydroelectric plants became less popular due to improvements in fossil fuel plants.
21. Hydroelectric power contributes to acid rain.
22. The impact of hydroelectric dams on fish migration is still under investigation.
23. The majority of potential hydroelectric power sites are located in Africa and Asia.

Questions 24-26:
Complete the summary using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.

Hydroelectric plants rely on two main factors to generate electricity: the 24. __________ of the water’s fall and
the 25. __________ of water passing through the turbine. These variables determine how much energy is
produced. In the future, improvements in 26. __________ could allow more electricity to be generated from
existing facilities.

PASSAGE 3:
Plant ‘Thermometer’ Triggers Springtime Growth By Measuring Night-Time Heat
A photoreceptor molecule in plant cells has been found to have a second job as a thermometer after dark-
allowing plants to read seasonal temperature changes. Scientists say the discovery could help breed crops that
are more resilient to the temperatures expected to result from climate change
A. An international team of scientists led by the University of Cambridge has discovered that the
‘thermometer’ molecule in plants enables them to develop according to seasonal temperature changes.
Researchers have revealed that molecules called phytochromes- used by plants to detect light during the day
actually change their function in darkness to become cellular temperature gauges that measure the heat of
the night.
The new findings, published in the journal Science, show that phytochromes control genetic switches in
response to temperature as well as light to dictate plant development.
B. At night, these molecules change states, and the pace at which they change is ‘directly proportional to
temperature’, say scientists, who compare phytochromes to mercury in a thermometer. The warmer it is, the
faster the molecular changes stimulating plant growth.
C. Farmers and gardeners have known for hundreds of years how responsive plants are to temperature:
warm winters cause many trees and flowers to bud early, something humans have long used to predict
weather and harvest times for the coming year. The latest research pinpoints for the first time a molecular
mechanism in plants that reacts to temperature- often triggering the buds of spring we long to see at the end
of winter.
D. With weather and temperatures set to become ever more unpredictable due to climate change, researchers
say the discovery that this light-sensing molecule also functions as the internal thermometer in plant cells
could help us breed tougher crops. ‘It is estimated that agricultural yields will need to double by 2050, but
climate change is a major threat to achieving this. Key crops such as wheat and rice are sensitive to high
temperatures. Thermal stress reduces crop yields by around 10% for every one degree increase in
temperature,’ says lead researcher Dr Philip Wigge from Cambridge’s Sainsbury Laboratory. ‘Discovering the
molecules that allow plants to sense temperature has the potential to accelerate the breeding of crops
resilient to thermal stress and climate change.
E. In their active state, phytochrome molecules bind themselves to DNA to restrict plant growth. During the
day, sunlight activates the molecules, slowing down growth. If a plant finds itself in shade, phytochromes are
quickly inactivated enabling it to grow faster to find sunlight again. This is how plants compete to escape each
other’s shade. ‘Light-driven changes to phytochrome activity occur very fast, in less than a second,’ says
Wigge.
At night, however, it’s a different story. Instead of a rapid deactivation following sundown, the molecules
gradually change from their active to inactive state. This is called ‘dark reversion’. ‘Just as mercury rises in a
thermometer, the rate at which phytochromes revert to their inactive state during the night is a direct
measure of temperature,’ says Wigge.
F. ‘The lower the temperature, the slower the rate at which phytochromes revert to inactivity, so the
molecules spend more time in their active, growth-suppressing state. This is why plants are slower to grow in
winter. Warm temperatures accelerate dark reversion, so that phytochromes rapidly reach an inactive state
and detach themselves from the plant’s DNA – allowing genes to be expressed and plant growth to resume.’
Wigge believes phytochrome thermo-sensing evolved at a later stage, and co-opted the biological network
already used for light-based growth during the downtime of night.
G. Some plants mainly use day length as an indicator of the season. Other species, such as daffodils, have
considerable temperature sensitivity, and can flower months in advance during a warm winter. In fact, the
discovery of the dual role of phytochromes provides the science behind a well-known rhyme long used to
predict the coming season: oak before ash we’ll have a splash, ash before oak we’re in for a soak. Wigge
explains: ‘Oak trees rely much more on temperature, likely using phytochromes as thermometers to dictate
development, whereas ash trees rely on measuring day length to determine their seasonal timing. A warmer
spring, and consequently a higher likeliness of a hot summer, will result in oak leafing before ash. A cold
spring will see the opposite. As the British know only too well, a colder summer is likely to be a rain-soaked
one.’
H. The new findings are the culmination of twelve years of research involving scientists from Germany,
Argentina and the US, as well as the Cambridge team. The work was done in a model system, using a mustard
plant called Arabidopsis, but Wigge says the phytochrome genes necessary for temperature sensing are found
in crop plants as well. ‘Recent advances in plant genetics now mean that scientists are able to rapidly identify
the genes controlling these processes in crop plants, and even alter their activity using precise molecular
“scalpels”,’ adds Wigge. ‘Cambridge is uniquely well-positioned to do this kind of research as we have
outstanding collaborators nearby who work on more applied aspects of plant biology, and can help us
transfer this new knowledge into the field.’

Questions 27-32: Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3? 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

27. The Cambridge scientists’ discovery of the ‘thermometer molecule’ caused surprise among other
scientists.
28. The target for agricultural production by 2050 could be missed.
29. Wheat and rice suffer from a rise in temperatures.
30. It may be possible to develop crops that require less water.
31. Plants grow faster in sunlight than in shade.
32. Phytochromes change their state at the same speed day and night.

Questions 33-37: Reading Passage 3 has eight sections, A-H. Which section contains the following information?
33. mention of specialists who can make use of the research findings
34. a reference to a potential benefit of the research findings
35. scientific support for a traditional saying
36. a reference to people traditionally making plans based on plant behaviour
37. a reference to where the research has been reported

Questions 38-40: Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for
each answer.
38 Daffodils are likely to flower early in response to weather.
39 If ash trees come into leaf before oak trees, the weather in will probably be wet.
40 The research was carried out using a particular species of .