1621060128IELTS_20Academic_20Reading_20Practice_20Paper_2015

IELTS ACADEMIC READING PRACTICE PAPER 15
IELTS Academic Reading Sample 3 - Zoo ConservationProgrammes
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 16-28which are based on Reading Passage3 below.
Zoo Conservation Programmes
One of London Zoo’s recent advertisements caused mesome irritation, so patently it distorts reality.Headlined “Without zoos, you might as well tell theseanimals to get stuffed”, it was bordered withillustrations of several endangered species and wenton to extol the myth that without zoos likeLondon Zoo these animals “will almost certainly disappearforever”. With the zoo world’s rathermediocre record on conservation, one might be forgivenfor being slightly sceptical about such anadvertisement.
Zoos were originally created as places of entertainment,and their suggested involvement withconservation didn’t seriously arise until about 30years ago, when the Zoological Society of Londonheld the first formal international meeting on thesubject. Eight years later, a series of worldconferences took place, entitled “The Breeding ofEndangered Species”, and from this point onwardsconservation became the zoo community’s buzzword.This commitment has now been clearlydefined in The World Zoo Conservation Strategy (WZCS,September 1993), which although animportant and welcome document does seem to be basedon an unrealistic optimism about thenature of the zoo industry.
The WZCS estimates that there are about 10,000 zoosin the world, of which around 1,000 representa core of quality collections capable of participatingin coordinated conservation programmes. This isprobably the document’s first failing, as I believethat 10,000 is a serious underestimate of the totalnumber of places masquerading as zoological establishments.Of course, it is difficult to get accuratedata but, to put the issue into perspective, I havefound that, in a year of working in Eastern Europe,I discover fresh zoos on almost a weekly basis.
The second flaw in the reasoning of the WZCS documentis the naive faith it places in its 1,000 corezoos. One would assume that the calibre of these institutionswould have been carefully examined,but it appears that the criterion for inclusion onthis select list might merely be that the zoo isamember of a zoo federation or association. This mightbe a good starting point, working on thepremise that members must meet certain standards,but again the facts don’t support the theory. Thegreatly respected American Association of ZoologicalParks and Aquariums (AAZPA) has hadextremely dubious members, and in the UK the Federationof Zoological Gardens of Great Britainand Ireland has

Occasionally had members that have been roundly censured in the national press. These includeRobin Hill Adventure Park on the Isle of Wight, whichmany considered the most notorious collectionof animals in the country. This establishment, whichfor years was protected by the Isle’s localcouncil (which viewed it as a tourist amenity), wasfinally closed down following a damning report bya veterinary inspector appointed under the terms ofthe Zoo Licensing Act 1981. As it was always acollection of dubious repute, one is obliged to reflectupon the standards that the Zoo Federationsets when granting membership. The situation is evenworse in developing countries where littlemoney is available for redevelopment and it is hardto see a way of incorporating collections into theoverall scheme of the WZCS.
Even assuming that the WZCS’s 1,000 core zoos areall of a high standard complete with scientificstaff and research facilities, trained and dedicatedkeepers, accommodation that permits normal ornatural behaviour, and a policy of cooperating fullywith one another what might be the potential forconservation? Colin Tudge, author of Last Animalsat the Zoo (Oxford University Press, 1992),argues that “if the world’s zoos worked together inco-operative breeding programmes, then evenwithout further expansion they could save around 2,000species of endangered land vertebrates’.This seems an extremely optimistic proposition froma man who must be aware of the failings andweaknesses of the zoo industry, the man who, whena member of the council of London Zoo, had topersuade the zoo to devote more of its activitiesto conservation. Moreover, where are the facts tosupport such optimism?
Today approximately 16 species might be said to havebeen “saved” by captive breedingprogrammes, although a number of these can hardlybe looked upon as resounding successes.Beyond that, about a further 20 species are beingseriously considered for zoo conservationprogrammes. Given that the international conferenceat London Zoo was held 30 years ago, this ispretty slow progress, and a long way off Judges targetof 2,000.
Do the following statements agree with the views ofthe writer in Reading Passage 3? In boxes16-22write :Y if the statement agrees with the writerN if the statement contradicts the writerNGif it is impossible to say what the writerthinks about this
16.    London Zoo’s advertisements are dishonest.17.    Zoos made an insignificant contribution toconservation up until 30 years ago.18.    The WZCS document is not known in Eastern Europe.19.    Zoos in the WZCS select list were carefullyinspected.20.    No-one knew how the animals were being treatedat Robin Hill Adventure Park.21.    Colin Tudge was dissatisfied with the treatmentof animals at London Zoo.22.    The number of successful zoo conservation programmesis unsatisfactory.
Questions 23-25Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write themin boxes 23-25 on your answer sheet.
23 What were the objectives of the WZCS document?

A.    to improve the calibre of zoos worldwideB.    to identify zoos suitable for conservationpracticeC.    to provide funds for zoos in underdevelopedcountriesD.    to list the endangered species of the world
24 Why does the writer refer to Robin Hill AdventurePark?A.    to support the Isle of Wight local councilB.    to criticise the 1981 Zoo Licensing ActC.    to illustrate a weakness in the WZCS documentD.    to exemplify the standards in AAZPA zoos
25 What word best describes the writer’s responseto Colin Tudges’ prediction on captive breedingprogrammes?A.    disbelievingB.    impartialC.    prejudicedD.    accepting
Questions 26-28The writer mentions a number of factors which leadhim to doubt the value of the WZCS documentWhich THREE of the following factors are mentioned?Write your answers (A-F) in boxes26-28onyour answer sheet.
List of Factors:A. the number of unregistered zoos in the worldB. the lack of money in developing countriesC. the actions of the Isle of Wight local councilD. the failure of the WZCS to examine the standardsof the “core zoos”E. the unrealistic aim of the WZCS in view of thenumber of species “saved” to dateF. the policies of WZCS zoo managers