Cambridge IELTS 17 · Academic · Test 4 · Passage 1
Bats To The Rescue — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Bats To The Rescue, Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Reading Test 4 Passage 1, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Bats To The Rescue answer key at a glance
Questions 1–13. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with True / False / Not Given (Q1–6), Table Completion (Q7–13). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 1–6: True / False / Not Given
Strategy: Judge the whole statement against the text. FALSE contradicts the passage; NOT GIVEN means the passage never addresses that specific claim.
Many Madagascan forests are being destroyed by attacks from insects.
“Madagascar’s forests are being converted to agricultural land at a rate of one percent every year. Much of this destruction is fuelled by the cultivation of the country’s main staple crop: rice.”
The statement blames insects, but the text says forests are 'converted to agricultural land', much of the destruction 'fuelled by the cultivation of ... rice', so FALSE.
Loss of habitat has badly affected insectivorous bats in Madagascar.
“The result is devastating habitat and biodiversity loss on the island, but not all species are suffering. In fact, some of the island’s insectivorous bats are currently thriving and this has important implications for farmers and conservationists alike.”
Habitat loss is 'devastating', yet 'some of the island's insectivorous bats are currently thriving', the opposite of being badly affected, so FALSE.
Ricardo Rocha has carried out studies of bats in different parts of the world.
“Rocha’s new study shows that several species of bats are giving Madagascar’s rice farmers a vital pest control service by feasting on plagues of insects.”
The passage describes Rocha's Madagascar study but never says whether he has studied bats in other parts of the world, so NOT GIVEN.
Habitat modification has resulted in indigenous bats in Madagascar becoming useful to farmers.
“Rocha found that several species of indigenous bats are taking advantage of habitat modification to hunt insects swarming above the country’s rice fields.”
Indigenous bats 'are taking advantage of habitat modification to hunt insects swarming above the country's rice fields', making them useful to farmers, so TRUE.
The Malagasy mouse-eared bat is more common than other indigenous bat species in Madagascar.
“They include the Malagasy mouse-eared bat, Major’s long-fingered bat, the Malagasy white-bellied free-tailed bat and Peters’ wrinkle-lipped bat.”
The Malagasy mouse-eared bat is listed among the species found, but no comparison of its abundance with other species is made.
Bats may feed on paddy swarming caterpillars and grass webworms.
“We found that six species of bat are preying on rice pests, including the paddy swarming caterpillar and grass webworm.”
'six species of bat are preying on rice pests, including the paddy swarming caterpillar and grass webworm' confirms the statement, so TRUE.
Questions 7–13: Table Completion
Strategy: Work row by row. The row label tells you where to look; the column heading tells you what kind of word you need.
“They next used DNA barcoding techniques to analyse droppings collected from bats at the different sites.”
The gap needs what DNA barcoding analysed; 'analyse droppings collected from bats' supplies 'droppings'.
“the scientists also found indications that the bats were consuming pests of other crops, including the black twig borer (which infests coffee plants), the sugarcane cicada, the macadamia nut-borer, and the sober tabby (a pest of citrus fruits).”
The gap needs the crop infested by the black twig borer; 'which infests coffee plants' gives 'coffee'.
“Rocha and his team found evidence that Malagasy bats feed not just on crop pests but also on mosquitoes – carriers of malaria, Rift Valley fever virus and elephantiasis – as well as blackflies, which spread river blindness.”
The gap needs the disease carriers bats also eat; 'feed ... also on mosquitoes - carriers of malaria' supplies 'mosquitoes'.
“When food is scarce, bats become a crucial source of protein for local people.”
The gap needs what bats provide when food is scarce; 'a crucial source of protein for local people' gives 'protein'.
“And as well as roosting in trees, the bats sometimes roost in buildings, but are not welcomed there because they make them unclean.”
The gap needs why bats are unwelcome in buildings; 'they make them unclean' supplies 'unclean'.
“At the same time, however, they are associated with sacred caves and the ancestors, so they can be viewed as beings between worlds, which makes them very significant in the culture of the people.”
The gap needs where bats are significant; 'very significant in the culture of the people' gives 'culture'.
“Rocha says, ‘With the right help, we hope that farmers can promote this mutually beneficial relationship by installing bat houses.”
The gap needs what farmers could install; 'installing bat houses' supplies 'houses'.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Bats To The Rescue passage come from?
It is Passage 1 of Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Reading Test 4, and it covers Questions 1–13.
What question types appear in Bats To The Rescue?
The passage is tested with True / False / Not Given, Table Completion. Each type is explained on this page, alongside the answers.
Are these reading answers reliable?
Every answer is paired with the sentence that proves it, so you can check each one against the passage yourself. Use the page after a timed attempt, not instead of one.
Cambridge IELTS is published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Band9Prep is not affiliated with Cambridge. This page is an independent study aid: it gives the answer key, the passage evidence and an explanation so you can review an attempt you have already made.