‘Flying tortoises’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM- 12
Here are explanations of the Questions of passage named ‘Flying tortoises’, which is from the Cambridge 12 book. The Questions that have been asked are ‘List of headings and Blanks’. You will find the locations of the Reading Answers, Keywords(highlighted and underlined) and justifications.
READING PASSAGE 1: FLYING TORTOISES
| Question | Answer |
| 1 | V |
| 2 | III |
| 3 | VIII |
| 4 | I |
| 5 | IV |
| 6 | VI |
| 7 | II |
| 8 | PIRATES |
| 9 | FOOD |
| 10 | OIL |
| 11 | SETTLERS |
| 12 | SPECIES |
| 13 | EGGS |
Questions 1-7
Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-viii, in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet
List of Headings
i The importance of getting the timing right
ii Young meets old
iii Developments to the disadvantage of tortoise populations
iv Planning a bigger idea
v Tortoises populate the islands
vi Carrying out a carefully prepared operation
vii Looking for a home for the islands’ tortoises
viii The start of the conservation project
1 Paragraph A
Location: Paragraph A
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the seventh line of the paragraph. ‘the islands were colonised by one or more tortoises from mainland South America. As these ancestral tortoises settled… giving rise to at least 14 different subspecies. …’Thus, this line suggest that tortoises populate the islands.
Answer: v
‘Flying tortoises’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM- 12
2 Paragraph B
Location: Paragraph B (Second line)
Explanation: The writer says, ‘, pirates took a few on board for food, but the arrival of whaling ships in the 1790s saw this exploitation grow exponentially…’Thus, ‘exploitation’ is a disadvantage to the development. Hence, the answer is iii.
Answer: iii
3 Paragraph C
Location: Paragraph C (Second line)
Explanation: The writer states, ‘In 1989, work began on a tortoise-breeding centre just outside the town of Puerto Villamil on Isabela, dedicated to protecting the island’s tortoise populations…’Here, ‘began’ and ‘start’ are synonyms. Moreover, ‘breeding centre’ project is to protect the tortoises.
Answer: viii
‘Flying tortoises’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM- 12
4 Paragraph D
Location: Paragraph D
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the last line of the paragraph. ‘But if people wait too long after that point, the tortoises eventually become too large to transport.’ This means if timing is not right then it would be difficult to transport tortoises.
Answer: i
5 Paragraph E
Location: Paragraph E
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the last line of the paragraph. ‘The aim was to use a helicopter to move 300 of the breeding centre’s tortoises to various locations close to Sierra Negra.’ Here, this was a planning of bigger idea. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: iv
‘Flying tortoises’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM- 12
6 Paragraph F
Location: Paragraph F
Explanation: The writer says in the second line of the paragraph. ‘the yacht’s helicopter has a rear double door and a large internal space that’s well suited for cargo, so a custom crate was designed to hold up to 33 tortoises…’ Here, this show the preparations of the operation. Thus, the answer is vi.
Answer: vi
7 Paragraph G
Location: Paragraph G (Second last line)
Explanation: The author mentions, ‘Eventually, one tiny tortoise came across a fully grown giant who had been lumbering around the island for around a hundred years…’Here, ‘tiny tortoise’ is ‘young’
And ‘grown giant’ is ‘old’. In addition, ‘came across’ means ‘meet’. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: ii
Questions 8-13
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet
The decline of the Galápagos tortoise
- Originally from mainland South America
- Numbers on Galápagos islands increased, due to lack of predators
- 17th century: small numbers taken onto ships used by 8…………………………..
Location: B paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘17th century’ helps to locate an answer in the second line of the paragraph. ‘From the 17th century onwards, pirates took a few on board for food…’Here, ‘small numbers’ and ‘few’ are synonyms. Thus, small numbers taken onto ships used by pirates.
Answer: Pirates
‘Flying tortoises’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM- 12
- 1790s: very large numbers taken onto whaling ships, kept for 9……………………………….., and also used to produce 10……………………………
Location: B paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword ‘1790s’ helps to locate the answers in the middle line of the paragraph. ‘the tortoises were taken on board these ships to act as food supplies during long ocean passages. Sometimes, their bodies were processed into high-grade oil.’ Here, ‘kept for’ and ‘act as’ means the same. In addition, ‘processed’ and ‘produce’ are synonyms.
Answer: (9) Food
(10) Oil
‘Flying tortoises’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM- 12
- Hunted by 11…………………………… on the islands
Location: B paragraph
Explanation: The main keyword is ‘hunted’ and it helps to locate an answer in the second last line of the paragraph. ‘This historical exploitation was then exacerbated when settlers came to the islands. They hunted the tortoises…’Here, ‘they’ is referring to ‘settlers’ Thus, settlers hunted the tortoises.
Answer: Settlers
- Habitat destruction: for the establishment of agriculture and by various 12………………………… not native to the islands,
Location: B paragraph
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the second last line of the paragraph. ‘They also introduced alien species – ranging from cattle, pigs, goats, rats…’Here, ‘alien species’ means species which are not native. Thus, the answer is ‘species’
Answer: Species
which also fed on baby tortoises and tortoises’ 13…………………………..
Location: B paragraph
Explanation: The writer states, ‘ranging from cattle, pigs, goats, rats and dogs to plants and ants – that either prey on the eggs and young tortoises or damage…’Here, ‘prey on ‘ and ‘fed on’ means the same. Moreover, ‘baby tortoises’ and ‘young tortoises’ are synonyms.
Answer: Eggs
‘Flying tortoises’- Reading Answer Explanation- CAM- 12
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