Magy's English Edu. Club
Cambridge 16 Academic Reading Test One Passage One
Why we need to protect polar bears
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
Write TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN.
1. Polar bears suffer from various health problems due to the build-up of fat under their skin.
The answer is FALSE.
In paragraph one, it is stated clearly that the polar bear experiences no such consequences. Humans with comparative levels of adipose tissue would be considered obese and would be likely to suffer from diabetes and heart disease. Yet the polar bear experiences no such consequences.
2. The study done by Liu and his colleagues compared different groups of polar bears.
The answer is FALSE.
In paragraph two, they compared the genetic structure of polar bears with that of their closest relatives from a warmer climate, the brown bears.
3. Liu and colleagues were the first researchers to compare polar bears and brown bears genetically.
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
In paragraph two, a 2014 study by Shi Ping Liu and colleagues sheds light on this mystery. They compared the genetic structure of polar bears with that of their closest relatives from a warmer climate, the brown bears.
4. Polar bears are able to control their levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol by genetic
The answer is TRUE.
In paragraph two, Liu and his colleagues found that polar bears had a gene known as APoB, which reduces levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), a form of ‘bad’ cholesterol.
5. Female polar bears are able to survive for about six months without food.
The answer is TRUE.
In paragraph three, this process results in about six months of fasting, where the female bears have to keep themselves and their cubs alive.
6. It was found that the bones of female polar bears were very weak when they came out of their dens in spring.
The answer is FALSE.
In the same paragraph, despite depleting their own calcium, and calorie reserves, their bones remain strong and dense.
7. The polar bear’s mechanism for increasing bone density could also be used by people one day.
The answer is TRUE.
In paragraph four, if the mechanism of bone remodeling in polar bears can be understood, many bedridden humans, and even astronauts, could potentially benefit.
Complete the table.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
8. People think of bears as unintelligent and …….
The answer is VIOLENT.
In paragraph five, bears seem to be perceived as stupid and in many cases violent.
9 and 10. In Tennoji Zoo, a bear has been seen using a branch as a …….
This allowed him to knock down some ……..
9. The answer is TOOL.
10. The answer is MEAT.
In paragraph five, a male polar bear called GoGo in Tennoji Zoo, Osaka, has been observes making use of a …… to manipulate his environment.
In paragraph five, the bear used a tree branch on multiple occasions to dislodge a piece of meat hung out of his reach.
11. A wild polar bear worked out a method of reaching a platform where a ……… was located.
The answer is PHOTOGRAPHER.
In paragraph five, a calculated move by a male bear involved running and jumping onto barrels in an attempt to get a photographer standing on a platform four meters high.
12. Polar bears have displayed behavior such as conscious manipulation of objects and activity similar to a ……..
The answer is GAME.
In paragraph six, for example, Ames observed bears putting objects in piles and then knocking them over in what appeared to be a game.
13. They may make movements suggesting ………… if disappointed when hunting.
The answer is FRUSTRATION.
In paragraph seven, as for emotions, while the evidence is once again anecdotal, many bears have been seen to hit out at ice and snow, seemingly out of frustration, when they have just missed out on a kill.