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Koalas Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test with Answers

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Updated on Jul 15, 2024, 10:30

The IELTS Reading section is a critical part of the exam, assessing your ability to comprehend written English. You will read passages from a variety of sources, including books, journals, and newspapers, and answer 40 questions in 60 minutes. Sounds challenging? With proper preparation, you can tackle it with ease, and we're here to help!


 

One of the passages you might encounter in IELTS is Koalas Reading Answers. The passage discusses the various challenges faced by koalas in Australia. Once thriving, their population has declined due to habitat loss, disease, and human activities. 


 

Koalas are often exploited in zoos for their cuddly appearance despite the negative impact of constant handling on their well-being. Conservation efforts are underway to address these issues and improve koala care standards in Australia.


 

Let’s look at the ‘Koala Reading’ passage, questions, and answers with explanations.

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1. Koala Reading Passage

You should spend approximately 20 minutes answering Questions 1 - 13 based on the Reading Passage below. This approach can help manage time effectively during a reading comprehension activity or exam. 

 

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2. Koala Reading Questions and Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Koala Reading Answers 

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1.

Koala Reading Passage

General Information

  • Read Instructions: Understand each question before answering.
  • Manage Time: Spend about 20 minutes per passage.
  • Skim and Scan: Quickly get the main idea and find specific information.
  • Highlight Key Info: Underline essential words or phrases.
  • Answer All Questions: Attempt every question; no penalty for wrong answers.
  • Stay Focused: Avoid distractions and keep your attention on the task.
  • Check Spelling: Ensure correct spelling and grammar.
  • Transfer Answers Clearly: Write answers neatly on the answer sheet.
  • Don’t Dwell: Move on if stuck and return later.
  • Review: If time allows, review your answers.

 

 

 

 

Koala Reading Passage 

 

 

Paragraph A: 

 

Koalas are just too nice for their own good. And except for the occasional baby taken by birds of prey, koalas have no natural enemies. In an ideal world, the life of an arboreal couch potato would be perfectly safe and acceptable.

 


 

Paragraph B

 

Just two hundred years ago, koalas flourished across Australia. Now they seem to be in decline, but exact numbers are not available as the species would not seem to be ‘under threat’. Their problem, however, has been man, more specifically, the white man. Koalas and aborigines had co-existed peacefully for centuries.


 

 

Paragraph C

 

Today koalas are found only in scattered pockets of southeast Australia, where they seem to be at risk on several fronts. The koala’s only food source, the eucalyptus tree, has declined. In the past 200 years, a third of Australia’s eucalyptus forests have disappeared. Koalas have been killed by parasites, chlamydia epidemics and a tumour-causing retro-virus. And every year 11000 are killed by cars, ironically most of them in wildlife sanctuaries, and thousands are killed by poachers. Some are also taken illegally as pets. The animals usually soon die, but they are easily replaced.


 

 

 

Paragraph D

 

Bush fires pose another threat. The horrific ones that raged in New South Wales recently killed between 100 and 1000 koalas. Many that were taken into sanctuaries and shelters were found to have burnt their paws on the glowing embers. But zoologists say that the species should recover. The koalas will be aided by the eucalyptus, which grows quickly and is already burgeoning forth after the fires. So the main problem to their survival is their slow reproductive rate – they produce only one baby a year over a reproductive lifespan of about nine years.


 

Paragraph E

 

The latest problem for the species is perhaps more insidious. With plush, grey fur, dark amber eyes and button nose, koalas are cuddliness incarnate. Australian zoos and wildlife parks have taken advantage of their uncomplaining attitudes, and charge visitors to be photographed hugging the furry bundles. But people may not realise how cruel this is, but because of the koala’s delicate disposition, constant handling can push an already precariously balanced physiology over the edge.


 

 

 

Paragraph F

 

Koalas only eat the foliage of certain species of eucalyptus trees, between 600 and 1250 grams a day. The tough leaves are packed with cellulose, tannins, aromatic oils and precursors of toxic cyanides. To handle this cocktail, koalas have a specialised digestive system. Cellulose- digesting bacteria in the break down fibre, while a specially adapted gut and liver process the toxins. To digest their food properly, koalas must sit still for 21 hours every day.

 

 


 

Paragraph G

 

Koalas are the epitome of innocence and inoffensiveness. Although they are capable of ripping open a man’s arm with their needle-sharp claws, or giving a nasty nip, they simply wouldn’t. If you upset a koala, it may blink or swallow, or hiccup. But attack? No way! Koalas are just not aggressive. They use their claws to grip the hard smooth bark of eucalyptus trees.

 

 


 

Paragraph H

 

They are also very sensitive, and the slightest upset can prevent them from breeding, cause them to go off their food, and succumb to gut infections. Koalas are stoic creatures and put on a brave face until they are at death’s door. One day they may appear healthy, the next they could be dead. Captive koalas have to be weighed daily to check that they are feeding properly. A sudden loss of weight is usually the only warning keepers have that their charge is ill. Only two keepers plus a vet were allowed to handle London Zoo’s koalas, as these creatures are only comfortable with people they know. A request for the koala to be taken to meet the Queen was refused because of the distress this would have caused the marsupial. Sadly, London’s Zoo no longer has a koala. Two years ago the female koala died of a cancer caused by a retrovirus. When they come into heat, female koalas become more active, and start losing weight, but after about sixteen days, heat ends and the weight piles back on. London’s koala did not. Surgery revealed hundreds of pea-sized tumours.

 

 


 

Paragraph I

 

Almost every zoo in Australia has koalas – the marsupial has become the Animal Ambassador of the nation, but nowhere outside Australia would handling by the public be allowed. Koala cuddling screams in the face of every rule of good care. First, some zoos allow koalas to be passed from stranger to stranger, many children who love to squeeze. Secondly, most people have no idea of how to handle the animals; they like to cling on to their handler, all in their own good time and use his or her arm as a tree. For such reasons, the Association of Fauna and Marine parks, an Australian conservation society, is campaigning to ban koala cuddling. Policy on koala handling is determined by state government authorities and the largest of the numbers in the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, with the aim of instituting national guidelines. Following a wave of publicity, some zoos and wildlife parks have stopped turning their koalas into photos.

2.

Koala Reading Questions and Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Koala  Reading Answers 

Questions and Answers 1-5

  • Select the correct letter, A, B, C, or D. Write the chosen letter in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

 

 

1. The main reason why koala declined is that they are killed except for

 

A. By poachers

B. By diseases they got

C. Giving too many birth yet survived little

D. Accidents


 

2. What can help koalas fully digest their food?


 

A. Toxic substances in the leaves

B. Organs that dissolve the fibres

C. Remaining inactive for a period to digest

D. Eating eucalyptus trees


 

3. What would koalas do when facing dangerous situations?


 

A. Show signs of being offended

B. Counter attack furiously

C. Use sharp claws to rip the man

D. Use claws to grip the bark of trees.


 

4. In what ways Australian zoos exploit koalas?

 

A. Encourage people to breed koalas as pets

B. Allow tourists to hug the koalas

C. Put them on the trees as a symbol

D. Establish a koala campaign


 

5. What would the government do to protect koalas from being endangered?


 

A. Introduce koala protection guidelines

B. Close some of the zoos

C. Encourage people to resist visiting the zoos

D. Persuade the public to learn more about koalas


 

Also read: IELTS General Reading Test

 

 

Koala Reading Answers 1-5

 

 

Type of Question: Multiple Choice Questions


 

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) in the IELTS Reading section require you to choose the correct answer from a list of options (A, B, C, or D). They test your ability to understand specific details, main ideas, and implications in the text.


 

How to best answer: 

 

  • Understand the questions and options thoroughly before reading the passage.
  • Efficiently skim and scan the passage for keywords related to the question.
  • Use elimination to discard obviously incorrect answers.
  • Verify your selected answer by checking it against the relevant part of the passage for accuracy.

 

1. C

 

 

Reference: Paragraph C: "Koalas have been killed by parasites, chlamydia epidemics and a tumour-causing retro-virus." 

 

 

Explanation: This line indicates that diseases, particularly chlamydia epidemics and a retro-virus, have significantly contributed to the decline of koalas, making C the correct answer.

 

 

2. C

 

 

Reference: Paragraph F: "To digest their food properly, koalas must sit still for 21 hours every day." 

 

 

Explanation: This line explains that koalas need to remain inactive for a long period to digest their food properly, thus making C the correct answer.

 

 

3. A

 

 

Reference: Paragraph G: "If you upset a koala, it may blink or swallow, or hiccup." 

 

 

Explanation: This line shows that koalas exhibit signs of being offended, such as blinking or hiccuping, rather than attacking, making A the correct answer.

 

 

4. B

 

 

Reference: Paragraph E: "Australian zoos and wildlife parks have taken advantage of their uncomplaining attitudes and charge visitors to be photographed hugging the furry bundles." 

 

 

Explanation: This line states that zoos exploit koalas by allowing visitors to hug them for photographs, making B the correct answer.

 

 

5. A

 

 

Reference: Paragraph I: "Policy on koala handling is determined by state government authorities and the largest of the numbers in the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, with the aim of instituting national guidelines." 

 

 

Explanation: This line indicates that the government aims to introduce protection guidelines to ensure the well-being of koalas, making A the correct answer.

Questions and Answers 6-12
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 6-12 on your answer sheet, write

  • YES if the statement agrees with the information given
  • NO if the statement contradicts the information given
  • NOT GIVEN if there is no information about this

 

 

6. _________ New human settlers caused danger to koalas

7. _________ Koalas can still be seen in most of the places in Australia.

8. _________ It takes decades for the eucalyptus trees to recover after the fire.

9. _________ Koalas will fight each other when food becomes scarce.

10. _________It is not easy to notice that koalas are ill.

11. _________ Koalas are easily infected with human contagious disease via cuddling.

12. _________ Koalas like to hold a person’s arm when they are embraced.

 

 


 

Koala Reading Answers 6-12

 

 

Type of question: Yes/No/Not Given


 

In this task, you'll be given a statement, and your objective is to determine whether it agrees with the information presented in the passage. 


 

How to best answer: 

 

  • Carefully read the statement to fully understand its meaning.
  • Scan the passage to locate the section where relevant information will likely be found.
  • Focus on finding evidence that either supports or contradicts the statement, paying attention to details such as dates, numbers, and specific information.

 

6. Yes

 

 

Reference: Paragraph B, "Just two hundred years ago, koalas flourished across Australia. Now, they seem to be in decline... Their problem, however, has been man, more specifically, the white man. Koalas and aborigines had co-existed peacefully for centuries."

 

 

Explanation: This excerpt directly mentions "the white man" as the cause of the koala's decline, implying new human settlers rather than aboriginal populations.

 

 

7. No

 

 

Reference: Paragraph C, "Today koalas are found only in scattered pockets of southeast Australia..."

 

 

Explanation: This line indicates koalas are restricted to isolated areas in southeastern Australia not widespread across the continent.

 

 

8. No

 

 

Reference: Paragraph D, "...the eucalyptus, which grows quickly and is already burgeoning forth after the fires."

 

 

Explanation: This contradicts the idea of eucalyptus trees taking decades to recover. The passage says they're "growing quickly" after bush fires.

 

 

9. Not Given

 

 

Reference: N/A

 

 

Explanation: There's no mention of koalas fighting over scarce food in the passage.

 

 

10. Yes

 

 

Reference: Paragraph H, "They are also very sensitive, and the slightest upset can prevent them from breeding, cause them to go off their food, and succumb to gut infections. Koalas are stoic creatures and put on a brave face until they are at death's door..."

 

 

Explanation: This describes koalas as hiding their illness and mentions their difficulty being noticed as sick because they "put on a brave face."

 

 

11. Not Given

 

 

Reference: N/A

 

 

Explanation: The passage doesn't provide any information about koalas contracting diseases from humans through cuddling.

 

 

12. Yes

 

 

Reference: Paragraph I, "...many children who love to squeeze. Secondly, most people have no idea of how to handle the animals; they like to cling on to their handler, all in their own good time and use his or her arm as a tree."

 

 

Explanation: This line explains that koalas "cling on to their handler" which implies they find comfort in holding onto a person's arm during interaction.

Questions and Answers 13

  • Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter in box 13 on your answer sheet.

 

From your opinion this article written by
 

 

  1. A journalist who writes for a magazine
  2. A zookeeper in London Zoo
  3. A tourist who is traveling back from Australia.
  4. A government official who studies koalas to establish laws.


 

 

Practice IELTS Reading Vocabulary before you move on to the next topic!

 

 

Koala Reading Answer 13 

 

 

Type of question: Multiple Choice Questions

 

Refer to questions 1-5 for more information! 


 

13. A


 

Reference: Whole passage 

 

 


Explanation: The passage aims to raise awareness about the endangered state of koalas and critiques practices involving tourists and zoos. This broad scope suggests the article is written by a journalist aiming to inform and critique, rather than by a zookeeper, tourist, or government official focused solely on legislation or management. Therefore, the answer is A, indicating it was likely written by a journalist who writes for a magazine.

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FAQs

Q. Where can I find good practice materials for the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. Effective sources for IELTS reading practice materials include Cambridge IELTS books, official IELTS practice materials, online resources, IELTS preparation courses, and study groups. These resources provide practice tests, sample questions, and exercises to improve reading skills.

Q. How can I enhance my comprehension skills for the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. Improving comprehension for the IELTS Reading test involves regular reading practice, focusing on context and word meanings, identifying main ideas and key details, making connections, and using effective reading strategies. These techniques help in understanding passages and answering questions accurately.

Q. What resources are beneficial for improving general reading skills?

Ans. To boost general reading skills, consider joining a book club, reading books and online articles, practicing comprehension exercises, and taking speed reading courses. These resources aid in improving reading speed, comprehension, and vocabulary.