Flying Tortoises — IELTS Reading Answers

Paragraph A

“the islands were colonised by one or more tortoises from mainland South America”

Paragraph A explains how the islands were colonised by one or more tortoises from mainland South America, matching heading v on their arrival.

Paragraph B

“They hunted the tortoises and destroyed their habitat to clear land for agriculture.”

Paragraph B describes settlers hunting the tortoises and destroying their habitat to clear land for agriculture, matching heading iii on human damage.

Paragraph C

“In 1989, work began on a tortoise-breeding centre just outside the town of Puerto Villamil on Isabela, dedicated to protecting the island’s tortoise populations”

Paragraph C introduces a tortoise-breeding centre dedicated to protecting the island's tortoise populations, matching heading viii on conservation efforts.

Paragraph D

“But if people wait too long after that point, the tortoises eventually become too large to transport”

Paragraph D explains the timing constraint: if people wait too long, the tortoises become too large to transport, matching heading i.

Paragraph E

“a visiting private motor yacht captain and a helicopter pilot gathered around a table in a small café in Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz to work out more ambitious reintroduction. The aim was to use a helicopter to move 300 of the breeding centre’s tortoises to various locations close to Sierra Negra.”

Paragraph E describes an ambitious reintroduction using a helicopter to move 300 tortoises to locations close to Sierra Negra, heading iv.

Paragraph F

“During a period of three days, a group of volunteers from the breeding centre worked around the clock to prepare the young tortoises for transport”

Paragraph F shows volunteers working around the clock for three days to prepare the young tortoises for transport, matching heading vi on intensive preparation.

Paragraph G

“Eventually, one tiny tortoise came across a fully grown giant who had been lumbering around the island for around a hundred years”

Paragraph G ends with a tiny tortoise meeting a fully grown giant that had lumbered around the island for around a century, the outcome heading ii describes.

“From the 17th century onwards, pirates took a few on board for food”

The gap names the group who took tortoises aboard from the seventeenth century; the passage says pirates took a few on board for food.

“the tortoises were taken on board these ships to act as food supplies during long ocean passages”

The gap names what the tortoises provided on long voyages; the passage says they were taken on board to act as food supplies.

“their bodies were processed into high-grade oil”

The gap names the product made from tortoise bodies; the passage says their bodies were processed into high-grade oil.

“This historical exploitation was then exacerbated when settlers came to the islands. They hunted the tortoises and destroyed their habitat to clear land for agriculture.”

The gap names the newcomers whose arrival worsened exploitation; the passage says this was exacerbated when settlers came to the islands.

“They also introduced alien species – ranging from cattle, pigs, goats, rats and dogs to plants and ants”

The gap follows alien and covers cattle, pigs, goats and plants; the passage says they introduced alien species.

“that either prey on the eggs and young tortoises or damage or destroy their habitat”

The gap names what the introduced animals prey on besides young tortoises; the text says they prey on the eggs and young tortoises.