IELTS General Reading Test 23

Questions 1 – 6
Look at the information about transportation. Match the information given with the questions given from A- F.

1. London’s transport network is divided into fare zones. The cost of your ticket depends upon the number of zones you wish to travel through. Your ticket must be valid for your entire journey. If not, you may be liable for a Penalty Fare.
2. Ticket offices at busier Underground stations are generally open throughout the day. At less busy stations, supervisors undertake a range of duties and may not always be available in the ticket office. Please try and order and collect your ticket outside of morning or evening rush hours.
3. One day and longer period tickets, whether new issues or renewals, may be bought up to 4 days in advance of the date of validity or commencement date.
4. Underground stations and London Travel Information Centres welcome personal cheques, supported by a cheque guarantee card, and company cheques. If your cheque is in excess of your card limit, you will need to provide proof of your identity and your home address.
5. When paying at other London Transport outlets, please ask for cheque payment details. If you are presenting a company cheque, please provide two proofs of your identity and your home address. At Underground stations, please make your cheque payable to “London Underground Ltd”.
6. At London Travel Information Centres, cheques must be made payable to ‘Transport for London’. Customers traveling from anywhere within the UK by rail can add extensions to their tickets to include Underground travel.

Questions 7- 13
Read the advertisement. Some people have things to sell, and others have things they want to buy. Match the buyers with the sellers. Note if you have something TO SELL, you should look in the WANTED ads. If you WANT TO BUY something, you should look in the FOR SALE ads. In boxes 7 –13 on your answer sheet write

Example Answer
You want TO BUY 2 single beds. 68455
You want TO SELL a brand new TV 35633

7. You have an old bicycle in poor condition to sell.
8. You want to sell a bedside lamp.
9. You have an almost new sofa you wish to sell.
10. You want to buy a bicycle in good condition.
11. You want to buy some inexpensive furniture for your living room.
12 .You have a small TV set to sell.
13. You are a photographer and you need to buy a camera.

Advertisements
For Sale — 2 single beds with mattresses and a large chest of drawers. Excellent Condition £85. Tel
68455.

Wanted — Man’s Bicycle in any condition. Phone Phil 24522.

For Sale — Film developing unit and photo enlarging unit; plus 25 rolls of colour film.

Wanted — TV set (cabinet model). New condition. Tel. 35633.

For Sale — Almost new 12-speed bicycle; new tyres, plus headlight and strong combination lock. Tel 43566.

For Sale — Sofa and 3 chairs, coffee table, dining-table and chairs (well used). All for only £150. Call Peter 456733.

Wanted — Needed urgently inexpensive furniture for apartment (including lamps) Tel. 84355.

For Sale — Minolta 35mm camera. 3 years old + wide-angle lens and leather case. New condition £200. Tel: 45733.

For Sale — 10-speed bicycle. 5 years old. Needs some repairs. Only £35. Tel: 78466.

Wanted — 35mm Japanese camera in good condition. £250. Tel. Rosie 547222.

For Sale — 19 colour TV. Very easy to carry. Tel: 43655.

Wanted — Living-room furniture. Must be in good condition. Phone James 42619.

Wanted — Photographic supplies. All makes of used cameras and photographic equipment. Tel: 64421.

For Sale — Large 26 colour TV. Still under guarantee. £350. Tel: 42377.

For Sale — Standard lamp for living-room. Almost new. £100. Tel: 553642.

Wanted — Small portable TV set. Phone 42677.

For Sale — Rolex Watch in brand-new condition. Phone 543987.

Wanted — VCD in any condition. Tel: 334987.

For Sale — Queen-size bed. Only been used for 5 months. Will negotiate at £400. Phone 48394.

Section 2
Questions 14 —19
Look at the information on the following page about Bathworth University’s refund policy.
In boxes 14 — 19 on your answer sheet write

TRUE                        if the statement is true
FALSE                      if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN          if the information is not given in the passage

14. University transfer of refund fees can be done if handled by both universities.
15. A student may get a full refund if withdrawing for personal reasons, but it is at the university’s discretion.
16. Each day you wait the refund becomes less and less
17. You are entitled to a full refund if you are ill and cannot complete the course.
18. If you enroll in a course and then later find out you do not have the right qualifications to take the program, you may get a refund.
19. If you make a mistake and enroll in the wrong courses and later are advised not to take the course by a school adviser, you may get a refund.

Refund policy

You should be aware of Bathworth’s refund policy for all fee-paying international students enrolled at Bathworth University.
General refund for new students
A general refund may be given if written notice of withdrawal from units or intermission from a course of study is received by the University
Semester 1 and 2
• up to and on the official starting date of the semester–90% refund of the course fee, or:
• after the official starting date of a semester and up to and including the HECS census date–fifty per cent (50%) refund of the course fee.
• when a student withdraws or discontinues from a unit or course of study after the HECS census date for the semester–no refund shall be given.
Semester – Summer
• Withdrawal from units up to and including 13 December–90% refund •
After 13 December–no refund shall be given.
Full refund
A full refund may be given in special circumstances. Such circumstances should be beyond the control of the student . The following reasons are grounds to apply for a full refund:
• a student is refused a student visa
• an offer is withdrawn or an enrolment terminated because the University is unable to provide the course of study, or
• a student withdraws from a unit on the advice of a Faculty Course Adviser and does not enroll in a replacement unit (the signature of the Faculty is needed)
• the University changes or is unable to offer units such that a student is prevented from completing the unit/s
• a student is unable to fulfill the requirements of an offer
• a student withdraws from a unit and enrolls in a replacement unit in the same semester.

Executive discretion may be exercised for applications which do mt comply with the above provisions but for which extraordinary circumstances may exist. Application for a refund in special circumstances must be made in writing and sent to the Executive Director. Proof of payment and validation of the reasons for applyhg for a refund will be required.

Methods of refund
The following apply to refunds:
• Refunds will be made in Australian dollars only, by cheque.
• Refunds in the form of the transfer of fees to another institution will not be made directly to a student. The student must provide evidence of acceptance into that institution before the approved refund will be transferred.

Questions 20 – 25
Look at the letter to a student regarding information about the credit policy of the school.
The text has 7 sections (1 — 7). Choose the most suitable heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the appropriate numbers (i-xii) in boxes 20 — 25 on your answer sheet.

20. Section 2
21. Section 3
22. Section 4
23. Section 5
24. Section 6
25. Section 7

List of Headings
i. Academic Dean Discretion
ii. Undergraduate credit load policy
iii. Minimum load for full-time status
iv. Requirements for credit overload
v. Maximum number any student can take
vi. Maximum credits for full time status
vii. Maximum credits allowed without requiring permission
viii. International Student Credit Overload policies
ix. Definition of the Credit system
x. Requirements for exceeding overload limit
xi. Restrictions on credit policy for International Students
xii. Limitations on Permission to exceed overload limit

Bathworth University

Dear Student,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the maximum and minimum number of courses you are allowed to enroll in at Bathworth. Without knowing your academic record in detail, I can, at least, inform you of our credit load policies.
1. Our system of course minimums and maximums is based on the credit system. The credit system is a measure of the number of hours both within a class and outside of a class that a student would need to devote to a particular course. At Bathworth, one semester credit is equal to 32 class hours and 60 hours of study outside the class.
2. Recognizing that many of Bathworth’s students are also employed, the university recognizes 9 credits for undergraduates (normally 3 classes), and 6 credits for graduates as a standard full-time, course load per semester.
3. The maximum credit load is 12 semester credits for undergraduate and 9 semester credits for graduate students.
4. Requests by students to exceed those limits may be approved by the Academic Dean, or may be allowed on a case by case basis. Undergraduate students may qualify for a credit overload if they have maintained a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 for 20 credits and a graduate student has at least a 3.25 grade point average for 12 credits while enrolled at Bathworth.
5. In some cases, at the discretion of the Academic Dean, you may be allowed to take up to 20 credits if your grade point average is at least 3.0, and graduate students who maintain a 3.4 GPA may be given approval to take up to 12 credits.
6. This permission to exceed the load, however, is extended to a student for only one term, and is subject to review as the student’s circumstances change.
7. International students must attend on a full-time maximum-load basis ( 9 credits for undergraduates and 6 credits for graduates) as defined by the Immigration Authorities to maintain “active” status with the immigration authorities. All other credit load policies remain the same for international students.

I hope this is helpful for you in making a decision

With regards,

Amy Fisher
Assistant to the Academic Dean

Section 3

Questions 26 – 40 are based on the passage “Red List of Threatened Species Reveals Global Extinction”. The passage has 17 paragraphs labeled A-Q.

Questions 26 – 30
Which paragraphs contain the following information? Write the appropriate letter A – Q in boxes 26 – 30 on your answer sheet. You only need ONE letter for each answer.

26. The causes of species reduction in freshwater habitats.
27. What the report shows us that we must do to correct the destruction.
28. Usefulness of the report.
29. Statistical data to provide evidence that humans are primarily the cause.
30. What one contributing organisation did in response to the threats of certain species.

Question 31 — 35
Write the answers to the following questions using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS in boxes 31 – 35 on your answer sheet

1. The starting date of the report.
2. Besides the problem of habitat changes, what was a big reason for problems in rivers, as mentioned in the report?
3. At what annual event will participants be immediately discussing the findings?
4. The geographical areas or terrain that seem to be the worse for endangering birds and mammals be it at high elevations or low elevations.
5. For what purpose are hunters especially interested in killing primates?

Questions 36 — 40
Do the statements below agree with the information given in the test ? in boxes 36 – 40 on your answer sheet write

TRUE                           if the statement is true
FALSE                         if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN              if the information is not given in the passage

36. The report lists most of the plants of the world.
37. BirdLife has successfully helped reduce the number of deaths related to fishing.
38. A higher percentage of mammals are threatened with extinction than are birds
39. The Red List shows that a third of all plant species are threatened.
40. Hunting is not the main threat to birds, plants, or animals.

Red List of Threatened Species Reveals Global Extinction Crisis

A The Earth’s most critically endangered animals and plants have been disappearing very rapidly since 1996, the world’s largest international conservation organisation reported today. One in four mammal species and one in eight species of birds are facing a high risk of extinction in the near future, in almost all cases because of human activities. The total number of threatened animal species has increased from 5,205 to 5,435. The 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is released once every four years by the IUCN–The World Conservation Union. The Red List is considered the most authoritative and comprehensive status assessment of global biodiversity. Founded in 1948, the IUCN brings together 77 states, 112 government agencies, 735 non-governmental organizations, 35 affiliates, and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries in a worldwide partnership. Drawing on all these sources of information, the Red List report uses scientific criteria to classify species into one of eight categories: Extinct, Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Lower Risk, Data Deficient and Not Evaluated. A species is classed as threatened if it falls in the Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable categories.

B “The fact that the number of critically endangered species has increased–mammals from 169 to 180; birds from 168 to 182–was a jolting surprise, even to those already familiar with today’s increasing threats to biodiversity. These findings should be taken very seriously by the global community,” says Maritta von Bieberstein Koch-Weser, the IUCN’s director general. The magnitude of risk, shown by movements to the higher risk categories, has increased, although the overall percentage of threatened mammals and birds has not greatly changed in four years, the IUCN found. Primates such as apes and monkeys showed the greatest increase in the number of threatened mammals–from 96 to 116 species. Many changes were found to be caused by increased habitat loss and hunting, particularly the bushmeat trade. The number of Critically Endangered primates increased from 13 to 19. Endangered primates number 46 today, up from 29 four years ago.

C Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International and chair of the IUCN’s Primate Specialist Group says, “The Red List is solid documentation of the global extinction crisis, and it reveals just the tip of the iceberg.” “Many wonderful creatures will be lost in the first few decades of the 21st century unless we greatly increase levels of support, involvement and commitment to conservation,” he warns. Human and financial resources must be mobilised at between 10 and 100 times the current level to address this crisis, the Red List analysis urges.

D Indonesia, India, Brazil and China are among the countries with the most threatened mammals and birds, while plant species are declining rapidly in South and Central America, Central and West Africa, and Southeast Asia. Habitat loss and habitat degradation affect 89 percent of all threatened birds, 83 percent of mammals, and 91 percent of threatened plants assessed. Habitats with the highest number of threatened mammals and birds are lowland and mountain tropical rainforest.

E Freshwater habitats are “extremely vulnerable” with many threatened fish, reptile, amphibian and invertebrate species. Freshwater turtles, heavily exploited for food and medicinal use in Asia, went from 10 to 24 Critically Endangered species in the past four years. “Hunting of these species is unregulated and unmanaged, and the harvest levels are far too high for the species to sustain,” the IUCN warns. As populations disappear in Southeast Asia, there are signs that this trade is increasingly shifting to India, and further afield to the Americas and Africa. The report points to “extremely serious deterioration” in the status of river-dwelling species largely due to water development projects and other habitat changes. One of the major threats to lake-dwelling species is introduced species. A systematic analysis of the status of these species will be undertaken in three years.

F BirdLife International produced the global status analysis that forms a major component of the Red List. The most significant changes have been in the albatrosses and petrels, with an increase from 32 to 55 threatened species. Sixteen albatross species are now threatened compared to only three in 1996, as a result of longline fishing. Of the remaining five albatross species, four are now near-threatened. Threatened penguin species have doubled from five to 10. These increases reflect the growing threats to the marine environment,” the IUCN reports. BirdLife International has started an international campaign titled, “Save the albatross: keeping the world’s sebirds off the hook” to reduce the accidental–by catch of seabirds through longline fisheries, adopting appropriate mitigation measures. The Philippines, another biodiversity hotspot, has lost 97 percent of its original vegetation and has more Critically Endangered birds than any other country.

G The IUCN Red List includes 5,611 species of threatened plants, many of which are trees. The total number of globally threatened plant species is still small in relation to the total number of plant species, but this is because most plant species have still not been assessed for their level of threat, the IUCN says. The only major plant group to have been comprehensively assessed is the conifers, of which 140 species, 16 percent of the total, are threatened. Assessments undertaken by Nature Conservancy, not yet incorporated in the Red List, indicate that one-third of the plant species in North America are threatened. In the last 500 years, human activity has forced 816 species to extinction or extinction in the wild. One hundred and three extinctions have occurred since 1800, indicating an extinction rate 50 times greater than the natural rate. Many species are lost before they are discovered. A total of 18,276 species and subspecies are included in the 2000 Red List. Approximately 25 percent of reptiles, 20 percent of amphibians and 30 percent of fishes, mainly freshwater, so far assessed are listed as threatened.

H Since only a small proportion of these groups has been assessed, the percentage of threatened species could be much higher, the IUCN says. As well as classifying species according to their extinction risk; the Red List provides information on species range, population trends, main habitats, major threats and conservation measures, both already in place and those needed. It allows insight into the processes driving extinction. The release of the 2000 Red List comes a week before the second World Conservation Congress in Amman, Jordan, where members of the IUCN will meet to define global conservation policy for the next four years, including ways of addressing the growing extinction crisis.