Cambridge IELTS 16 · Academic · Test 1 · Passage 1
Why We Need To Protect Polar Bears — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Why We Need To Protect Polar Bears, Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Reading Test 1 Passage 1, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Why We Need To Protect Polar Bears 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 (Q1–7), Table Completion (Q8–13). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 1–7: 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.
Polar bears suffer from various health problems due to the build-up of fat under their skin.
“Humans with comparative levels of adipose tissue would be considered obese and would be likely to suffer from diabetes and heart disease. Yet the polar bear experiences no such consequences.”
Humans with similar fat 'would be likely to suffer from diabetes and heart disease. Yet the polar bear experiences no such consequences', so FALSE.
The study done by Liu and his colleagues compared different groups of polar bears.
“A 2014 study by Shi Ping Liu and colleagues sheds light on this mystery. They compared the genetic structure of polar bears with that of their closest relatives from a warmer climate, the brown bears.”
Liu's team compared polar bears with 'their closest relatives from a warmer climate, the brown bears', not different groups of polar bears, so FALSE.
Liu and colleagues were the first researchers to compare polar bears and brown bears genetically.
“A 2014 study by Shi Ping Liu and colleagues sheds light on this mystery. They compared the genetic structure of polar bears with that of their closest relatives from a warmer climate, the brown bears.”
The genetic comparison of polar and brown bears is described, but the passage never says it was the first such study, so NOT GIVEN.
Polar bears are able to control their levels of bad cholesterol by genetic means.
“Liu and his colleagues found the polar bears had a gene known as APoB, which reduces levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) – a form of ‘bad’ cholesterol.”
The bears have 'a gene known as APoB, which reduces levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) - a form of bad cholesterol', so TRUE.
Female polar bears are able to survive for about six months without food.
“This process results in about six months of fasting, where the female bears have to keep themselves and their cubs alive, depleting their own calcium and calorie reserves.”
The process 'results in about six months of fasting', during which females keep themselves and their cubs alive, matching the statement, TRUE.
It was found that the bones of female polar bears were very weak when they came out of their dens in spring.
“when they finally emerged from the den with their cubs, there was no evidence of significant loss of bone density.”
When the females emerged 'there was no evidence of significant loss of bone density', so their bones were not very weak, FALSE.
The polar bear’s mechanism for increasing bone density could also be used by people one day.
“If the mechanism of bone remodelling in polar bears can be understood, many bedridden humans, and even astronauts, could potentially benefit.”
The text suggests 'many bedridden humans, and even astronauts, could potentially benefit' if the bone mechanism is understood, so TRUE.
Questions 8–13: 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.
“Bears, on the other hand, seem to be perceived as stupid and in many cases violent.”
The gap needs how bears are perceived besides stupid; 'perceived as stupid and in many cases violent' supplies 'violent'.
“A male bear called GoGo in Tennoji Zoo, Osaka, has even been observed making use of a tool to manipulate his environment.”
The gap needs what GoGo was seen using; 'making use of a tool to manipulate his environment' gives 'tool'.
“The bear used a tree branch on multiple occasions to dislodge a piece of meat hung out of his reach.”
The gap needs what the bear dislodged with the branch; 'to dislodge a piece of meat hung out of his reach' gives 'meat'.
“A calculated move by a male bear involved running and jumping onto barrels in an attempt to get to a photographer standing on a platform four metres high.”
The gap needs who stood on the platform; 'a photographer standing on a platform four metres high' supplies 'photographer'.
“For example, Annes observed bears putting objects in piles and then knocking them over in what appeared to be a game.”
The gap needs what Annes thought the behaviour resembled; 'what appeared to be a game' gives 'game'.
“many bears have been seen to hit out at ice and snow — seemingly out of frustration — when they have just missed out on a kill.”
The gap needs the emotion behind hitting ice after a missed kill; 'seemingly out of frustration' supplies 'frustration'.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Why We Need To Protect Polar Bears passage come from?
It is Passage 1 of Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Reading Test 1, and it covers Questions 1–13.
What question types appear in Why We Need To Protect Polar Bears?
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.