Why We Need to Protect Polar Bears Reading Answers 2024

In the Arctic, a majestic and iconic creature roams—the polar bear. Beyond its captivating presence lies a vital cog in the delicate machinery of the Arctic ecosystem. These animals are not only symbols of the Arctic ice; they bring a delicate balance to nature. 

The urgency of protecting polar bears is much broader than simply preserving a single species; it also involves safeguarding an entire ecosystem and, in more profound terms, our planet’s health.

This blog talks about the passage Why we need to protect polar bears reading answers from IELTS Reading section, to help you practise and score well. 

Good luck with your IELTS preparation! 

10 Facts about Polar Bears 

Polar bears are the magnificent symbols of the Arctic and fascinate our imagination with their strength and resilience. These creatures are more than merely the largest land carnivores; they embody a range of astonishing biological adaptations and behaviours that make them awe-inspiring and deeply unique. 

Here are 10 facts about Polar Bears

1. Polar Bears are classified as marine mammals.
2. Polar Bears are at the top of the Arctic food chain, but they rely on the entire food chain to stay alive.
3. Polar Bears are the largest living carnivores on land.
4. The skin of a Polar Bear is black.
5. They can swim for days at a time.
6. Only less than 2% of polar bear hunts are successful.
7. DNA of Polar can be extracted from their footprints.
8. Polar Bear paws have no slip threads
9. There are 19 Subpopulations of Polar Bear.
10. Polar Bears can eat over 100 pounds of blubber in one sitting.

Why We Need to Protect Polar Bears Reading Passage 

Why We Need to Protect Polar Bears reading passage is given below and the questions will be answered on the basis of the passage only. 

                                       Why we need to protect polar bears

Paragraph 1

Polar bears are being increasingly threatened by the effects of climate change, but their disappearance could have far-reaching consequences. They are uniquely adapted to the extreme conditions of the Arctic Circle, where temperatures can reach -40°C. One reason for this is that they have up to 11 centimetres of fat underneath their skin. 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.

Paragraph 2

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. This allowed them to determine the genes that have allowed polar bears to survive in one of the toughest environments on Earth. Liu and his colleagues found the polar bears had a gene known as APoB, which reduces levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) – a form of ‘bad’ cholesterol. In humans, mutations of this gene are associated with increased risk of heart disease. Polar bears may therefore be an important study model to understand heart disease in humans.

Paragraph 3

The genome of the polar bear may also provide the solution for another condition, one that particularly affects our older generation: osteoporosis. This is a disease where bones show reduced density, usually caused by insufficient exercise, reduced calcium intake or food starvation. Bone tissue is constantly being remodelled, meaning that bone is added or removed, depending on nutrient availability and the stress that the bone is under. Female polar bears, however, undergo extreme conditions during every pregnancy. Once autumn comes around, these females will dig maternity dens in the snow and will remain there throughout the winter, both before and after the birth of their cubs. This process results in about six months of fasting, where the female bears have to keep themselves and their cubs alive, depleting their own calcium and calorie reserves. Despite this, their bones remain strong and dense.

Paragraph 4

Physiologists Alanda Lennox and Allen Goodship found an explanation for this paradox in 2008. They discovered that pregnant bears were able to increase the density of their bones before they started to build their dens. In addition, six months later, when they finally emerged from the den with their cubs, there was no evidence of significant loss of bone density. Hibernating brown bears do not have this capacity and must therefore resort to major bone reformation in the following spring. If the mechanism of bone remodelling in polar bears can be understood, many bedridden humans, and even astronauts, could potentially benefit.

Paragraph 5

The medical benefits of the polar bear for humanity certainly have their importance in our conservation efforts, but these should not be the only factors taken into consideration. We tend to want to protect animals we think are intelligent and possess emotions, such as elephants and primates. Bears, on the other hand, seem to be perceived as stupid and in many cases violent. And yet anecdotal evidence from the field challenges those assumptions, suggesting for example that polar bears have good problem-solving abilities. A male bear called GoGo in Tennoji Zoo, Osaka, has even been observed making use of a tool to manipulate his environment. The bear used a tree branch on multiple occasions to dislodge a piece of meat hung out of his reach. Problem-solving ability has also been witnessed in wild polar bears, although not as obviously as with GoGo. A calculated move by a male bear involved running and jumping onto barrels in an attempt to get to a photographer standing on a platform four metres high.

Paragraph 6

In other studies, such as one by Alison Ames in 2008, polar bears showed deliberate and focused manipulation. For example, Ames observed bears putting objects in piles and then knocking them over in what appeared to be a game. The study demonstrates that bears are capable of agile and thought-out behaviours. These examples suggest bears have greater creativity and problem-solving abilities than previously thought.

Paragraph 7

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. Moreover, polar bears can form unusual relationships with other species, including playing with the dogs used to pull sleds in the Arctic. Remarkably, one hand-raised polar bear called Agee has formed a close relationship with her owner Mark Dumas to the point where they even swim together. This is even more astonishing since polar bears are known to actively hunt humans in the wild.

Paragraph 8

If climate change were to lead to their extinction, this would mean not only the loss of potential breakthroughs in human medicine, but more importantly, the disappearance of an intelligent, majestic animal.

Why we need to protect polar bears reading questions

Questions (1-7)

Do the following statements agree with the information in Reading Passage?

In boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet, 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

1. Polar bears suffer from various health problems due to the build-up of fat under their skin.

2.   The study done by Liu and his colleagues compared different groups of polar bears.

3.  Liu and colleagues were the first researchers to compare polar bears and brown bears genetically.

4.   Polar bears are able to control their levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol by genetic means.

5.   Female polar bears are able to survive for about six months without food.

6.   It was found that the bones of female polar bears were very weak when they came out of their dens in spring.

7.   The polar bear’s mechanism for increasing bone density could also be used by people one day.

Answers with explanation (1-7)

1. FALSE

Reference: 

From paragraph 1, ‘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.’ 

Explanation: The answer is False because it is stated in the passage that polar bears do not suffer from health problems such as diabetes and heart disease despite having a significant amount of fat under their skin, which would be considered unhealthy in humans.

2. FALSE

Reference:

From paragraph 2, ‘They compared the genetic structure of polar bears with that of their closest relatives from a warmer climate, the brown bears.’

Explanation: In the above statement, it is mentioned that they compared the genetic structure of polar bears with their closest relatives from a warmer climate, which are brown bears. They did not compare different groups of polar bears. Therefore, the answer is False.

3. NOT GIVEN

Reference:

No reference

Explanation: The answer is Not Given because there is no information provided in the passage regarding Liu and colleagues being the first researchers comparing polar bears and brown bears.

4. TRUE

Reference: 

From paragraph 2, ‘Liu and his colleagues found the polar bears had a gene known as APoB, which reduces levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) – a form of ‘bad’ cholesterol’.

Explanation: The answer is True because the researchers found that polar bears have a gene called APoB that helps in reducing levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), commonly known as ‘bad’ cholesterol. This genetic adaptation is important for their survival in the harsh Arctic environment and could also provide insights into treating heart disease in humans.

5. TRUE

Reference:

From paragraph 3, ‘This process results in about six months of fasting, where the female bears have to keep themselves and their cubs alive, depleting their own calcium and calorie reserves. Despite this, their bones remain strong and dense’.

Explanation: According to paragraph 3, female polar bears undergo six months of fasting, during which they have to keep themselves and their cubs alive. Hence, the answer is True.

6. FALSE

Reference:

From paragraph 3, ‘depleting their own calcium and calorie reserves. Despite this, their bones remain strong and dense’.

Explanation: The answer is False because the statement mentioned above states that despite the female polar bears depleting their own calcium and calorie reserves, their bones remain strong and dense. 

7. TRUE

Reference:

From paragraph 4, ‘If the mechanism of bone remodelling in polar bears can be understood, many bedridden humans, and even astronauts, could potentially benefit’.

Explanation: According to the above statement it is stated that, if scientists can understand the mechanism of bone remodelling in polar bears, it could potentially be used to benefit bedridden humans and even astronauts who may experience reduced bone density due to prolonged periods of weightlessness. Therefore, the answer is True.

Questions (8-13)

Complete the table below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet.

Reasons Why Polar Bears should be protected

People think of bears as unintelligent and 8 ________________

However, this may not be correct. For example:

●  In Tennoji Zoo, a bear has been seen using a branch as a 9 ________________

       This allowed him to knock down some 10 ___________________

●  A wild polar bear worked out a method of reaching a platform where a 11 ____________ was located.

● Polar bears have displayed behaviour such as conscious manipulation of objects and activity similar to a 12 _________________

Bears may also display emotions. For example:

●  They may make movements suggesting 13 ____________ if disappointed when hunting.

●   They may form relationships with other species.

Answers with explanation (8-13)

8. Violent

Reference: 

From paragraph 5, ‘Bears, on the other hand, seem to be perceived as stupid and in many cases violent. And yet anecdotal evidence from the field challenges those assumptions, suggesting for example that polar bears have good problem-solving abilities’. 

Explanation: The answer is “violent” as the passage mentions that bears are often perceived as stupid and violent, but anecdotal evidence challenges those assumptions and suggests that polar bears have good problem-solving abilities.

9. Tool

Reference:

From paragraph 5, ‘ A male bear called GoGo in Tennoji Zoo, Osaka, has even been observed making use of a tool to manipulate his environment’. 

Explanation: A polar bear named GoGo at the Tennoji Zoo in Osaka has been observed using a tool to manipulate his environment. The bear used a tree branch on multiple occasions to dislodge a piece of meat hung out of his reach. 

10. Meat

Reference:

From paragraph 5, ‘The bear used a tree branch on multiple occasions to dislodge a piece of meat hung out of his reach’.

Explanation: The above statement states that the bear used a tree branch to dislodge a piece of meat that was out of its reach. This shows that bears can use tools as a means of problem-solving.

11. Photographer

Reference:

From paragraph 5, ‘A calculated move by a male bear involved running and jumping onto barrels in an attempt to get to a photographer standing on a platform four metres high’.

Explanation: The paragraph mentions that there was a photographer standing on a platform four meters high and the male polar bear was attempting to reach him by running and jumping onto barrels.

12. Game

Reference:

From paragraph 6, ‘ For example, Ames observed bears putting objects in piles and then knocking them over in what appeared to be a game’.

Explanation: “Ames observed bears putting objects in piles and then knocking them over in what appeared to be a game” suggests that bears engage in object manipulation that resembles play.

13. Frustration

Reference:

From paragraph 7, ‘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’.

Explanation: According to the passage, many bears have been observed hitting out at ice and snow, because of which they may experience frustration when they miss out on a kill.

Tips to prepare for IELTS Reading

A key element in assessing your ability to understand and interpret written information is the reading section of the IELTS test. To achieve success in the reading section of IELTS, you need not only English proficiency but also a way of understanding, interpreting and analysing texts effectively. 

Here are some tips to help you prepare better

1. Develop your skimming and scanning skills.
2. Increase your vocabulary
3. Improve your reading skills
4. Focus on keywords 
5. Take as many practice tests as you can 

Summing Up 

The necessity to protect polar bears and other species does not extend to protect only one species. These magnificent creatures are indicators of the health of their ecosystems, indicating a wider change in nature’s environment. 

To protect the populations of bears, there is a need to preserve these famous animals and ensure their habitats are as balanced as possible.

This blog will help you increase your reading skills and vocabulary, which will help you score well in the reading section of IELTS. 

For more guidance on preparing for your IELTS exam reading section, comes our Leap IELTS Expert team.

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