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EPE Pratice
Careful Reading 5
The Galapagos Islands
In 1831, a young student of botany named Charles Darwin accepted an invitation to act as
a traveling companion to a sea captain on a three-year scientific expedition. Nearly four years
later, in 1835, the ship came to a group of islands about 400 miles west of South America called
the Galapagos archipelago. The islands had long been a hideout for pirates and were known as
a popular hunting ground for whalers and seal hunters. But to Darwin's highly trained eye, the
islands were a unique and fascinating opportunity.
During his five weeks on the islands, he observed a remarkable variety of flora and fauna
as well as the many interesting non-living, geological aspects of the islands. Each island
seemed to have slightly different variations of the same animals and plants. The particular
features of these animals and plants were perfectly suited to the environment of their respective
islands. His experiences on the Galapagos Islands would later bring Darwin to write his famous
work On the Origin of Species, in which he proposed the ideas that led to the theory of
evolution.
Today, the Galapagos Islands are a protected natural park under the Ecuadorian
government, and they are a UNESCO world heritage site. They are perhaps best known for
their 14 subspecies of giant tortoise, which can weigh up to 250 kilograms and live for over
100 years. The islands actually take their name from the tortoises: "galapagos" is the Spanish
word for these tortoises, perhaps coming from a word meaning "saddle."
Scientists theorize that normal-sized tortoises originally floated to the islands long ago on
water currents from mainland South America. They grew to their enormous size because the
islands lacked any kind of natural predators. It is estimated that there were originally about
100,000 tortoises living in Galapagos. The tortoises can go for months without food or water.
Unfortunately, this made them an attractive source of food for pirates and whalers in the 18 th
and 19th centuries because the tortoises were simple to capture, they provided a lot of meat,
and they could be stored alive on ships over long voyages.
Today there are only about 15,000 giant tortoises left alive. Three of the fourteen subspecies
are now completely extinct. A fourth subspecies has only one single member left, who is known
as "lonesome George." Efforts to find a female mate for George have thus far been
unsuccessful. When George dies, it will likely mark the extinction of a fourth species.
George lives at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island, an
environmental preservation center established in 1959. One of their major goals is to safeguard
the populations of giant tortoises on the islands. Many populations are still under threat from
foreign animals that were introduced to the islands by the Europeans. Dogs, rats, and pigs eat
their eggs and young. Larger animals, such as donkeys, cattle, and goats step on their nests and
eat their food sources. There are even still instances of humans killing the tortoises: roughly
120 tortoises have been poached from the island of Isabella since 1990.
EPE Pratice
Careful Reading 5
To combat this, the Research Station runs a repopulation program. Eggs are taken from the
wild and hatched at the Research Station. The young are released back into the wild after they
are big enough to survive attacks from other animals. The program has enjoyed some success
and has safeguarded the populations of several of the islands. However, the future of the
Galapagos Islands and its unique forms of life is far from certain. Non-native animal species
and human activities, such as fishing, continue to threaten this once isolated ecosystem.
QUESTIONS
1. Based on the information in paragraph 1, what can be inferred about the ship's
voyage?
(A) The ship's mission was to chart the Pacific Ocean.

(B) The voyage lasted longer than was originally planned.
(C) Charles Darwin was a famous scientist at the time.
2. How long was Charles Darwin a visitor on the Galapagos Islands?
(A) About 4 years

(B) 5 weeks
(C) 3 years
3. According to the passage, why were tortoise hunted by pirates and whalers?
(A) Because they lasted a long time on boat.

(B) Because their meat was prized as a delicacy.
(C) Because they were exciting to hunt.
4. Why does the author mention that there were originally 100,000 tortoises?
(A) To emphasize the surprising number that led to Darwin's theory
(B) To contrast it with the small number alive today
(C) To indicate their high value as a food source
5. Which predators still eat the giant tortoises?

(A) Dogs, cats, wolves, and seals
(B) Humans, rats, goats, and hawks
(C) Dogs, rats, humans, and pigs
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6. According to the passage, which is NOT true?
(A) The Spanish used the tortoise shells to make saddles.

(B) Horses sometimes step on the nests of giant tortoises.
(C) Darwin based his theories on his observations in Galapagos.
7. Which of the following has NOT been mentioned in the last paragraph of the
passage?
(A) Efforts to protect the giant tortoises

(B) Dangers to the giant tortoises
(C) Tourism and giant tortoises
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ANSWER KEY
1. B
2. B
3. A
4. B
5. C
6. A
7. C
Source: Macgillivray, M., & Yancey, P., & Malarcher, C., 2006, “Developing Skills for the
TOEFL IBT”, pp. 52-55

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EPE Pratice

(A) The ship's mission was to chart the Pacific Ocean.

2. How long was Charles Darwin a visitor on the Galapagos Islands?

(A) About 4 years

(A) Because they lasted a long time on boat.

5. Which predators still eat the giant tortoises?

(A) The Spanish used the tortoise shells to make saddles.

(A) Efforts to protect the giant tortoises

TOEFL IBT”, pp. 52-55

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