T155 (Key)
T155 (Key)
T155 (Key)
Reading 2
Leakey’s Achievement
Although he made his name with his archeological finds of early humans, Richard Leakey became
famous as the conservationist who turned the tide against elephant poaching. Bringing the slaughter of
Kenya's elephants under control required a military solution, and Leakey was not afraid to apply it.
Many poachers were killed, giving Leakey a reputation for being a cold- blooded obsessive who put
animals before people. Moreover, his efforts to eradicate corruption in Kenya's wildlife management
system won him many enemies.
But the birth of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the eradication of elephant poaching and the ban on
the international trade in ivory are his legacy, and they form the basis of Wildlife Wars. This surprisingly
personal memoir has much to tell about the fragile relationships between conservationists and
governments. It is a story not only of Kenya, but of the continuing cost of trying to save the world's
wildlife from extinction.
Life for the average person in Africa is tough, and basic needs are far from being met. This is the
background against which Leakey fought his war, and he constantly refers to the threat poverty poses to
the preservation of Africa's spectacular wildlife. Leakey's argument, here and in recent lectures, is that
national parks managed exclusively for biodiversity protection must be created, and that this protection
of our wildlife heritage should be funded by international sources.
However, in the early 1990s the development agencies favoured "community based" conservation.
Leakey's stand on protection of parks was seen as a lack of respect for local communities, and used
against him when he resigned as head of the KWS in 1994. Recently donors and conservationists have
come to recognise the limitations of purely local conservation programmes; there is a growing consensus
that the poor are unlikely to manage wildlife resources wisely for the long term because their needs are
immediate.
Wildlife Wars continues where Leakey's memoir One Life left off. It spans a 13-year period, beginning
in 1989 when Leakey became head of the KWS. Then the elephant slaughter was at its height across
Africa; it is estimated that between 1975 and 1989 the international markets for ivory in Europe, the
United States and Asia led to the death of 1.2 m elephants, slaughtered for their ivory to make piano
keys, games and fashion accessories. Kenya's herds were reduced by more than 85% by armed poachers,
who turned their guns on anything and anyone. To stop this killing required changing the perceptions of
ivory users so as to eliminate the markets, as well as mounting an armed force against the poachers.
With both humour and seriousness, Leakey explains the sacrifices he had to make in order to see his
vision succeed.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Leakey makes light of the sometimes comical circumstances,
although it is clear that his life was at risk many times and he worked under tremendous pressure. For
many, however, the real question is why this paleoanthropologist should risk his life for wildlife. The
answer may lie in Leakey's own depiction of himself, although obviously aggressive and driven while
running KWS, as essentially reflective. Presenting in moving terms his introduction to elephant emotions
and society, he describes his outrage at the moral and ethical implications of poaching and culling for
ivory, arguing that elephants, apes, whales and dolphins have emotions so like those of humans that they
deserve to be treated as such.
Hard-core wildlife groups sniggered at his 'bunny- hugging' tendencies, but they underestimated his
impact. It is impossible to put a value on Leakey's work during those years. As the elephant population
began to recover, Kenya's tourist industry revived to become the country's main source of revenue. An
international awareness campaign centred on an ivory bonfire, which led to the ban on ivory trade and
the collapse of ivory prices.
1. Richard Leakey is most well-known for_______
A. increasing wildlife budgets. B. successfully stopping illegal hunting.
C. removing the ban on the ivory trade. D. helping to identify man’s origins.
2. The word poaching in paragraph 1 is closest meaning to_______
A. cooking B. approaching C. hunting illegally D. stealing
3. The word fragile in paragraph 2 has the opposite meaning to_______
A. sturdy B. delicate C. flimsy D. brittle
4. In paragraph 3, Leakey makes the point that_______
A. conservation should be global responsibility. B. a war must be fought against poverty.
C. Africa’s wildlife is an international attraction.D. There is insufficient money to establish parks.
ANSWERS:
1. B 2. C 3.A 4.A 5.D 6.C 7.C 8.D 9.D 10.D
6. CLOZE TEST.
Read the following passages and mark the letter A,B,C,or D to indicate the correct potion for each of
the blanks.
Cloze test 1
Stunt woman for a day
Lara Croft, the heroine in Tomb Raider, flies through the air and perform a range of impressive
movements. Somehow, the flm-makers make it look easy. The Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, who
plays Lara Croft, actually did most of the stunts herself, which is quite a rare (1) ........ nowadays, what
with computer-generated graphics and professional stunt people.
At one time, I (2) ........ the idea of becoming a stunt woman myself, but I was (3) ........ off by the years
of training I thought it would (4) ........ . So, I was thrilled to hear about a new stunt school where anyone
could have a go.
Last Saturday, me and three friends, all wearing stretchy fabric, made our (5) ........ to the RealAction
Stunt Academy. Inside it looked like a (6) ........ between a children’s playground and a work of modern
art, with trampolines, foam blocks and soft mats. Training began with a trampoline session designed to
help us (7) ........how to fall safely. Our first real challenge, the instructor then explained, involved
jumping off a high platform and grabbing a trapeze bar in mid-air. I suddenly felt (8) ........ stiff. The
sight of a safety net helped me (9) ........ the worst of my fears, however, and by the end of the day I had
got through the trapeze challenge, learned how to fall down stairs safely and climbed a huge wall. We
gave ourselves a deserved (10) ........ of applause after the fnal stunt, but I know I’ll never be Lara Croft.
1. A. matter B. phenomenon C. incident D. appearance
2. A. fancied B. aspired C. dreamed D. wished
3. A. let B. put C. brought D. cut
4. A. entail B. oblige C. expect D. insist
5. A. track B. path C. route D. way
6. A. blend B. stew C. cross D. combination
7. A. figure out B. run down C. shape up D. follow through
8. A. frightened B. scared C. terrifed D. afraid
9. A. overstep B. overrule C. overcome D. overload
10. A. roll B. turn C. circle D. round
ANSWERS:
1. B 2. A 3. B 4. A 5. D 6. C 7. A 8. B 9. C 10. D
Cloze test 2
Since the time of Nostradamus, meteorologists have been trying to (1) _______ the mystery of climatic
changes. Their objective has been to be able to precisely (2) _______ the weather for the days to come.
In the past, meteorologists looked skywards to find hints in the clouds. At present, their eyes are (3)
_______ at the spots where the most intriguing climatic transformations (4) _______ about, namely, the
(5) _______ depths of the oceans where swirls, whirlpools and waves generate the patterns for the future
weather.
The most efficient way of (6) _______ hold of the everchanging map of the swirling currents circulating
their heat around the planet is from space. Weather satellites equipped with complicated instruments
examine the surface and the bottom of the oceans and determine the exact height of water. The
impressive advantage offered by satellite scanning is that measurements can be (7) _______ even in the
most inaccessible parts of the oceans and can provide daily pictures of the water surface together with
the (8) _______ wave height and wind speed.
Besides being a priceless device for predicting climatic conditions for tourists, farmers or aviators,
weather satellites also (9) _______ advance warnings against storms or typhoons which (10)_______ the
coastal populations to protect themselves against these destructive forces of nature.
1. A. decipher B. account C. elaborate D. obviate
2. A. unravel B. perceive C. forecast D. explore
3. A. looked B. directed C. focused D. applied
4. A. come B. turn C. bring D. get
5. A. indefinite B. ultimate C. terminal D. utmost
6. A. getting B. coming C. finding D. making
7. A. done B. formed C. fulfilled D. taken
8. A. calculated B. amounted C. scored D. enumerated
9. A. denote B. proceed C. emerge D. issue
10. A. entitle B. entail C. enforce D. enable
ANSWERS:
1. A 2. C 3. B 4. A 5. B 6. A 7. D 8. A 9. D 10. D
II. WRITING.
1. OPEN CLOZE TEST.
Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only ONE WORD for each
space.
Cloze test 1.
Weather in Antarctica
The most extreme weather conditions experienced in Antarctica are associated with blizzards. These are
simply strong winds with falling snow and, more commonly, snow that is picked up and pushed along
the ground by the wind. Blizzards may last for days at (1) _________time, and in some cases it can be
almost impossible for people to see. It is not unusual for objects only about a metre or (2) _________away
to become unrecognisable. Scientists doing research in the area (3) _________then confined to their tents
or caravans. We think of blizzards (4) _________extremely cold, while in fact temperatures in the
Antarctic are usually higher than normal during a blizzard. Major blizzards of several days in length
occur more frequently in some locations than in others. (5) _________ may be eight or ten such
blizzards in any particular place (6) _________an annual basis. They often cause considerable damage,
so that any scientific buildings or equipment constructed in this region must be specially made to give as
(7) _________protection as possible.
If the weather is fine, visibility in Antarctica is usually excellent because of the clear air and the absence
of dust and smoke. (8) _________this means is that people often greatly underestimate the distance of
objects and features of the landscape. Also, very large features such as mountains may appear to be
above the horizon, or even upside (9) _________. These ‘mirages’, which are just tricks played by the
eyes in certain conditions, have led to explorers in the Antarctic making many errors (10) _________
judgment.
ANSWERS:
1. a 2. so/less/two 3. are 4. as 5. There
6. on 7. much 8. What 9. down 10. of
Cloze test 2.
A snow leopard roars in the high mountains of Asia. A black rhinoceros gallops across the plains of
Africa. A grizzly bear hunts for fish in a North American river. A mother blue whale and her calf glide
through the deep waters of the ocean.
All of these animals share the Earth with us. They fascinate us (1) _________ their beauty, their grace,
and their speed. We love observing their behavior, and learning more about their habits. But (2)
_________ loving them is not enough. All of these animals are endangered. Many of them have gone
forever.
What can you do to help endangered animals? Learn as much died, and without special care, they may
someday (3) _________from the Earth. Why is it important to care for animals like these? One reason is
to protects the (4) _________of life on Earth. Another reason is the beauty of the animals themselves.
Each pieces of animal is special. Once it is gone, it as you can about them. The more you know, the
more you can help. (5) _________an effort to support zoos and wildlife groups. Many zoos breed
endangered animals, helping to ensure that they will continue to live on. Contribute to groups, such as
the National Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club, that work hard to protect animals. You can also be
a smart shopper and never buy a (6) _________that has been raised in the wilderness.
The world is made up (7) _________many living things, and each thing is dependent on the others to
survive. (8) _________we allow even one species on Earth to become extinct, it has an impact (9)
_________other living things and changes our world. When we mention any endangered wild animals,
let’s (10) _________ that we never again have to say, “Gone forever”.
ANSWERS:
1. with 2. just/only 3. disappear 4. balance/diversity 5. make
6. pet 7. of 8. If 9. on 10. hope/believe
2. WORD FORMS.
Part 1. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word given:
1. Not sick, Mai guessed, but probably ________________ now that she drank a lot at the party last
night. (HUNG)
2. This chemical removes unsightly ________________in order to restore wood to its natural colour.
(COLOR)
3. ________________beautiful, Hue, the former capital of Vietnam, is steeped in history. (BREATHE)
4. The reckless driver was imprisoned due to his ________________of the traffic law. (OBSERVE)
5. This statue ________________the soldiers who died in the war. (MEMORY)
6. He wanted to escape from the ________________of the small town where he had been brought up
(PROVINCE)
7. Finally a ________________is brought about between the two sides. (RECONCILE)
8. ________________ plays an important part in determining a person’s character. (BRING)
9. To feed the cows in his farm, he usually goes into the valley to take ________________(SOIL)
10. The employees are going to go on strike because of their ________________wages. (BEG)
ANSWERS:
1. hung-over 2. discoloration 3. Breathtakingly 4. non-observation
5. commemorates 6. provincialism 7. reconciliation 8. Upbringing
9. soilage 10. beggarly
Part 2. Read the text below. Fill in each of blank space with the correct form of the word from the
box.
BOOK PUBLICISTS
The courteous smile of an author selling books, signing copies or chatting on television shows can be (1)
______________. Behind the scenes of the book tour that has become as much a part of the modern
bestseller as print and paper, the writer may be a (2) ______________ for a Golden Dartboard Award.
This is the Oscar for authors (3) _____________behaving badly, an informal award nominated by the
weary, sometimes (4) ______________ publicists who travel from city to city garnering publicity and
sales. They call themselves "(5) ______________ " and "wet nurses" as they tend to fragile egos and (6)
_______________ demands of authors freed from their word processors.
Among the most feared (7) _____________________ for the publicists are the feminist writer who is
remembered for yelling at her publicists in public and in (8) _____________________ language, and the
thriller writer whose publicists report that they have instructions from his publisher to speak only when
spoken to. One (9) _____________________ of a tour with him, who nominated him for a Golden
Dartboard, says, "He treats us all as his inferiors". However, publicists on his most recent tour say that
he was an absolute (10) ______________ to work with.
ANSWERS:
1. deceptive 2. contender 3. allegedly 4. traumatized 5. babysitters
6. unconventional 7. assignments 8. colourful 9. survivor 10. joy
3. ERROR IDENTIFICATION.
There are ten mistakes in the following paragraph. Identify and correct them.
It is hard for almost everyone, but especially the young, to imagine a world with television. We have
come to expect that all the important news of the day, worldwide will be there by the touch of a button.
In times going by, only the literate knew what was going on in the world, and then only after a long
delay. But now it is possible for any of us to watch world event as they occur. Nothing has shortened the
distance that divides our private lives from the outside world to such an extent as television.
Time and again, television transports us to the habitats of rare animals, and we may identify among
them. Concern for damage to the environment extends far and away. We worry about the influence of
technology not just in our cities but on us like people. Increasingly, we see us as part of the planet rather
than in isolation. There was once the prerogative of scholars is now accessible to countless people
through the medium of television. Because this form of popular education can be regarded as superficial,
it represents a broadening of knowledge.
ANSWERS:
MISTAKES CORRECTION MISTAKES CORRECTION
1. with without 6. away wide
2. by at 7. like as
3. going gone 8. us ourselves
4. event events 9. There What
5. among with 10. Because Although/Though
4. SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION.
Finish the second sentence without changing the meaning by using the words given at the
beginning.
1. It was not until five years had elapsed that the whole truth about the murder came out.
Not for________________________________________________________________________
2. There is grave concern about confirmed cases of cholera that originated in the makeshift shelters.
Of ___________________________________________________________________________
3. His efforts to find a solution didn’t deserve such savage criticism.
He shouldn’t ___________________________________________________________________
4. I don’t really like her even though I admire her achievement.
Much as_______________________________________________________________________
Rewrite the sentences in such a way that the second sentence has the same meaming as the first one,
using the given words.
5. This important person will pay an official visit to our village. (SHOT)
This _______________________________________________________________________
6. The director said that she wouldn’t tolerate her employees being late any longer. (PUT)
‘I’m not going ________________________________________________,’ said the director.
7. Do you think your father was offended by what I said? (EXCEPTION)
Do you think ________________________________________________________comments?
8. Nobody ever told me my insurance cover was only valid in Europe. (POINT)
At __________________________________________________________________________
9. He had no idea what was going to happen to him when he walked into that room. (STORE)
Little ________________________________________________________________________
10. He became famous but it cost him his privacy. (EXPENSE)
His rise ______________________________________________________________________
ANSWERS:
1. Not for another five years did the whole truth about the murder come out.
2. Of grave concern are confirmed cases of cholera that originated in the makeshift shelters.
3. He shouldn’t have been (so) savagely criticized for his efforts to find a solution.
4. Much as I admire her achievement, I don’t really like her.
5. This big shot will pay an official visit to our village.
6. ‘I’m not going to put up with lateness from my employees any more,’ said the director.
7. Do you think your father took exception to my comments?
8. At no point was I told.. that my insurance cover was only valid in Europe.
9. Little did he know / realize what was in store for him when he walked into that room.
10. His rise to fame was at the expense of his privacy