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Passage 1: Koalas
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.
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.
Koala and aborigine had co-existed peacefully for centuries.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 photo.
Questions 1-5
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct 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 on the road
2. What can help koalas folly digest their food?
A. toxic substance 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 the dangerous situation?
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 knowledge
Questions 6-12
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1
In boxes 6-12 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the information
NO if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this passage
6. new coming human settlers caused danger to koalas.
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.
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.
Koala and aborigine had co-existed peacefully for centuries.
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.

Koalas
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 photo.
Questions 1-5
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct 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 on the road
2. What can help koalas folly digest their food?
A. toxic substance 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 the dangerous situation?
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 knowledge
Questions 6-12
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1
In boxes 6-12 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees with the information
NO if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this passage
6. new coming human settlers caused danger to koalas.
7. Koalas can still be seen in most of the places in Australia.
8. it takes decade 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.
Questions 13
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 13 on your answer sheet. From your opinion this article
written by
A. a journalist who write for magazine
B. a zoo keeper in London Zoo.
C. a tourist who traveling back from Australia
D. a government official who studies koalas to establish a law
Bài dịch: https://ieltssongngu.page.link/ZUyt
Passage 2: Chocolate
Uncover the bittersweet story of this ancient treat and watch a video
When most of us hear the word chocolate, we picture a bar, a box of bonbons, or
a bunny. The verb that comes to mind is probably "eat," not "drink," and the most
apt adjective would seem to be "sweet." But for about 90 percent of chocolate's
long history, it was strictly a beverage, and sugar didn't have anything to do with
it.
"I often call chocolate the best-known food that nobody knows anything about,"
said Alexandra Leaf, a self-described "chocolate educator" who runs a business
called Chocolate Tours of New York City.
The terminology can be a little confusing, but most experts these days use the
term "cacao" to refer to the plant or its beans before processing, while the term
"chocolate" refers to anything made from the beans, she explained. "Cocoa"
generally refers to chocolate in a powdered form, although it can also be a British
form of "cacao."
Etymologists trace the origin of the word "chocolate" to the Aztec word "xocoatl,"
which referred to a bitter drink brewed from cacao beans. The Latin name for the
cacao tree, Theobroma cacao, means "food of the gods."
Many modern historians have estimated that chocolate has been around for
about 2000 years, but recent research suggests that it may be even older.
In the book The True History of Chocolate, authors Sophie and Michael Coe
make a case that the earliest linguistic evidence of chocolate consumption
stretches back three or even four millennia, to pre-Columbian cultures of
Mesoamerica such as the Olmec.
Last November, anthropologists from the University of Pennsylvania announced
the discovery of cacao residue on pottery excavated in Honduras that could date
back as far as 1400 B.C.E. It appears that the sweet pulp of the cacao fruit,
which surrounds the beans, was fermented into an alcoholic beverage of the
time.
"Who would have thought, looking at this, that you can eat it?" said Richard
Hetzler, executive chef of the café at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the
American Indian, as he displayed a fresh cacao pod during a recent chocolate-
making demonstration. "You would have to be pretty hungry, and pretty creative!"
It's hard to pin down exactly when chocolate was born, but it's clear that it was
cherished from the start. For several centuries in pre-modern Latin America,
cacao beans were considered valuable enough to use as currency. One bean
could be traded for a tamale, while 100 beans could purchase a good turkey hen,
according to a 16th-century Aztec document.
Both the Mayans and Aztecs believed the cacao bean had magical, or even
divine, properties, suitable for use in the most sacred rituals of birth, marriage
and death. According to Chloe Doutre-Roussel's book The Chocolate
Connoisseur, Aztec sacrifice victims who felt too melancholy to join in ritual
dancing before their death were often given a gourd of chocolate (tinged with the
blood of previous victims) to cheer them up.
Sweetened chocolate didn't appear until Europeans discovered the Americas and
sampled the native cuisine. Legend has it that the Aztec king Montezuma
welcomed the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes with a banquet that included
drinking chocolate, having tragically mistaken him for a reincarnated deity instead
of a conquering invader. Chocolate didn't suit the foreigners' tastebuds at first –
one described it in his writings as "a bitter drink for pigs" – but once mixed with
honey or cane sugar, it quickly became popular throughout Spain.
By the 17th century, chocolate was a fashionable drink throughout Europe,
believed to have nutritious, medicinal and even aphrodisiac properties (it's
rumored that Casanova was especially fond of the stuff). But it remained largely
a privilege of the rich until the invention of the steam engine made mass
production possible in the late 1700s.
In 1828, a Dutch chemist found a way to make powdered chocolate by removing
about half the natural fat (cacao butter) from chocolate liquor, pulverizing what
remained and treating the mixture with alkaline salts to cut the bitter taste. His
product became known as "Dutch cocoa," and it soon led to the creation of solid
chocolate.
The creation of the first modern chocolate bar is credited to Joseph Fry, who in
1847 discovered that he could make a moldable chocolate paste by adding
melted cacao butter back into Dutch cocoa.
By 1868, a little company called Cadbury was marketing boxes of chocolate
candies in England. Milk chocolate hit the market a few years later, pioneered by
another name that may ring a bell – Nestle.
In America, chocolate was so valued during the Revolutionary War that it was
included in soldiers' rations and used in lieu of wages. While most of us probably
wouldn't settle for a chocolate paycheck these days, statistics show that the
humble cacao bean is still a powerful economic force. Chocolate manufacturing
is a more than 4-billion-dollar industry in the United States, and the average
American eats at least half a pound of the stuff per month.
In the 20th century, the word "chocolate" expanded to include a range of
affordable treats with more sugar and additives than actual cacao in them, often
made from the hardiest but least flavorful of the bean varieties (forastero).
But more recently, there's been a "chocolate revolution," Leaf said, marked by an
increasing interest in high-quality, handmade chocolates and sustainable,
effective cacao farming and harvesting methods. Major corporations like
Hershey's have expanded their artisanal chocolate lines by purchasing smaller
producers known for premium chocolates, such as Scharffen Berger and
Dagoba, while independent chocolatiers continue to flourish as well.
"I see more and more American artisans doing incredible things with chocolate,"
Leaf said. "Although, I admit that I tend to look at the world through cocoa-tinted
glasses."
Nội dung chính:
- chocolate tưởng là food nhưng trong thời gian dài nó là drink
- định nghĩa chocolate và cacao
- Ngược dòng lịch sử, chocolate có từ cách đây hàng nghìn năm – dựa vào bằng chứng
khảo cổ
- hạt cacao từng được dùng như tiền tệ, thậm chí làm thuốc và xuất hiện trong rất nhiều
nghi thức
- người châu Âu ban đầu không thích vị chocolate nhưng sau điều chỉnh lại cho ngọt và
thích mê
- những năm 1800s chocolate được chế thành food và cuối cùng được đưa ra thị trường
bởi Nestle
- một số thay đổi trong nguyên liệu làm chocolate và sự phổ biến của nó ngày nay
Vậy bài đó lấy từ đâu?
Đây là 1 article từ tháng 3 năm 2008 (?!) trên tạp chí Smithsonian – chuyên về văn
hóa/nghệ thuật/lịch sử và thường có nhiều bức ảnh công phu ấn tượng. Người soạn đề
IELTS chỉ thay đổi từ ngữ chút xíu thôi và tách nó thành paragraphs rõ ràng rồi nghĩ câu hỏi
để test thí sinh. Chúng ta có thể thấy họ sẵn sàng ‘đào mộ’ cả những bài đã viết cả chục
năm trước
Giờ các bạn thấy việc đọc báo/tạp chí có lợi chưa hehe?
Credit: Hợp Xuân Đỗ
Bài dịch: https://ieltssongngu.page.link/bdwZ
Passage 3: Case study in flexible working: Frank
Russell company
A. Two phrases that Frank Russell Company uses to identify itself also suggest why flexible work
options are a perfect fit for this American financial services firm. ‘The sun never sets in Russell’
means this 24-hour, multi-country organizations’ flexible work hours are essential to conducting its
business. ‘Employees first, clients second’ expresses the bottom line worth that management sees
in employee satisfaction and creating an excellent work environment that includes opportunities to
work from home. Telework, (i.e. working away from the traditional office) compressed workweeks
and flexitime serve Russell both as strategic business tools and valued employee benefits. ‘ Of we
have happy staff first, we will have happy client,’ says Mike Phillips, the company’s chief executive.

B. Flexible work options are offered in all departments, but the level and type of use vary widely
among the 970 employees based at the company’s headquaters in Tacoma, Washington State. In
the early 1990s, several work groups pioneered various forms of flexible working, including telework.
As the programs spread, management discovered one size does not fit all. Rather than attempt to
cover every possibility, Russell now provides general guidelines under which departments customize
plans to accommodate individuals’ personal circumstances.

C. Implementing telework becomes less of a leap when a company’s staff and clients are already
scattered around the world. Pam Johnson, Manager of International Assignments, works in Tacoma
but reports to a supervisor based in London. She is responsible for transfers of staff from one
country to another, including negotiating the terms, shipping belongings and obtaining work permits.
She works from home several times a month. Johnson says, 'I take homework that involves reading,
writing, creating spreadsheets and answer emails.’ Johnson says she is a more loyal employee
because of the combination of benefits, flexibility and trust her employer offers. ‘I’ve been here 11
years. Once in a while I wonder if I should look elsewhere, but the opportunity to flex my hours and
work at home are part of the formula that always ends up on the Russell side.’

D. Email and technology such as remote network access not only transformed the office
environment and the communication abilities between branch offices, they supported the growth of
telework. Mike Phillips is as reliant on email and remote access as anyone, regardless of whether he
is working in Singapore, Tacoma or from home. ‘Email is our primary means of communication,’
Phillips says. ‘I can get up two hours early Singapore and respond to 20 emails from associates
around the world or send a company-wide memo from home.’

E. The ability to vary start times or work the longer days of a compressed workweek are a way of
doing business at Russell. An earlier start or a longer day increases telephone communication with
international staff. In addition, since the New York Exchange opens at 9 a.m, traders on the West
Coast need to start by 6 a.m local time. Another group, which provides desktop computer support,
finds four 10-hour days make it easier to accomplish some tasks before or after employees need to
use their computers.

F. The larger consulting department offers compressed workweeks to administrative staff.

Administrative Assistant Jean Boelk works different proportions of alternate weeks in order to
receive one extra day off every other week. She is part of team of four administrative staff who jointly
support a work group of four executives. People are more willing to help each other because we’re
dependent on each other on our days off, Boelk says. Increasing the hours of coverage, plus the
idea of cross-training and shared work, results in less overtime. So long as coverage is adequate,
staff can change days off from one pay period to the next.

G. What motivates teleworkers is usually a combination of work and personal needs. Senior
Technical Analyst Scott Boyd, who is in the Computer Operation section, works at home twice a
month. Boyd’s job involves responding to telephone requests, and in the office it’s hard to work
longer than 10 minutes without getting interrupted by the phone. It’s an incredible relief to be so
productive for one day at home,’ he says.

H. A number of managers also find that working at home improves their overall performance. Sales
and Marketing Services Manager Tricia O’Connell works at home approximately two days a month.
She gives staff her home telephone number and advance notice of her plans, then checks voice mail
every half hour and email every hour from home. In addition, she schedules weekly meetings in her
office with each of eight members of her team to discuss challenges and encourage top
performance. ‘This means I am more able to focus on staff when it counts,’ she says.

I. In the end, management asks two questions when making decisions about work option requests:
1) Will it improve overall employee satisfaction or job performance? and 2) Will it hurt performance of
duties in some way that it not acceptable or is not offset by other improvements? For Frank Russell
Company, the answers these questions show that flexible working is highly satisfactory for business.
Reading Passage 3 has nine paragraphs, A-I.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-D and F-I from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-xi, in boxes 27-34 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings
i Flexible working meets differing business needs
ii The disadvantages of flexible working
iii The process of organising flexible working has changed
iv Involving clients in deciding how best to serve them
v Technical developments have facilitated flexible working
vi The cost/benefit analysis of flexible working
vii Flexible working increases co-operation among staff
ix Flexible working encourages commitment to the company
x The workforce is the company’s top priority
xi It’s easier to get on with the work at home
Example Answer
Paragraph E i

 27. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph A

 28. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph B
 29. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph C
 30. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph D
 31. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph F
 32. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph G
 33. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph H
 34. iiiiiiivvviviiviiiixxxi Paragraph I
QUESTIONS 35 - 37
Look at the following descriptions (Questions 35-37) and the list of staff below.
Match each description with the correct person, A-E.
Write the correct letter. A-E in boxes 35-37 on your answer sheet.

List of Staff
A Mike Phillips
B Pam Johnson
C Jean Boelk
D Scott Boyd
E Tricia O’Connell

 35. ABCDE provides contact details when working out of the office
 36. ABCDE is convinced that staff feelings have an impact on company
 37. ABCDE performance has responsibilities which are shared with certain colleagues
QUESTIONS 38 - 40
Complete the sentence below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answer in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.

 38. The Frank Russell Company aims to ensure that staff gain a sense of from their work.
 39. Mike Phillip mostly uses to contact staff.
 40. In the consulting department flexible working reduces the amount of done by staff.
Bài dịch: https://ieltssongngu.page.link/o3kC