🔥Australia's cane toad problem Answers with location - Đề luyện tập IELTS READING- Làm bài online format computer-based, kèm đáp án, dịch & giải thích từ vựng

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🔥Australia's cane toad problem Answers with location - Đề luyện tập IELTS READING- Làm bài online format computer-based, kèm đáp án, dịch & giải thích từ vựng - cấu trúc ngữ pháp khó

March 31, 2026

IELTS TUTOR cung cấp Australia's cane toad problem Đề luyện tập IELTS READING (IELTS Reading Practice Test) - Làm bài online format computer-based, kèm đáp án, dịch & giải thích từ vựng - cấu trúc ngữ pháp khó & GIẢI ĐÁP ÁN VỚI LOCATION

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III. Australia's cane toad problem: Đề luyện tập IELTS READING (IELTS Reading Practice Test)

READING PASSAGE 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 on pages 2 and 3.

Australia's cane toad problem

How a toad introduced in Australia to control pests has itself become a pest

In the north of Australia there are many sugar cane plantations, which early in the 20th century were being damaged by a particular pest. This was a species of beetle whose larvae, the infant form of the beetle, live underground in the soil in the sugar cane fields. The sugar cane plants were weakened or died because their roots were eaten by the larvae. This had serious economic consequences for sugar cane farmers. Modern pesticides were not developed until the 1940s, so farmers had to use what was available at the time. Chemicals like arsenic and copper were used, but these were not only expensive but also stayed in the environment and were poisonous to people, plants and animals. It was generally acknowledged by government, farmers and scientists that cheaper and safer methods of pest control had to be found.

A promising replacement for copper and arsenic was the use of biological control. Farmers already used some forms of biological pest control in the form of predatory and parasitic wasps and flies, insect-eating birds, and plants from different regions or countries to control pests. Common practice was to release these introduced agents into new environments, the expectation being that they would destroy resident pests. Some species of toad already had successful records as agents of biological control in gardens. For example, in 19th-century France toads were sold to gardeners at markets in Paris to eat insect pests in their gardens. In the early 20th century French sugar cane farmers first took giant toads from South America to control pests in their Caribbean sugar cane plantations. Although there is no evidence that these toads did help to control pests, sugar cane scientists then carried some of these toads from Jamaica and Barbados to Puerto Rico and from there to Hawaii.

The idea of biological control of pests was not new to Australia. For example, in 1926 there had been a highly successful prevention of the increase of the exotic prickly-pear cactus by the introduction of a moth from Argentina. This success added strength to the argument that biological control was the answer to the sugar cane industry's pest problems. Accordingly, in the early 1930s a decision was taken to introduce the giant South American toads, which in Australia are now commonly called cane toads, into Australian sugar cane plantations. >> 🔥 Form đăng kí giải đề thi thật IELTS 4 kĩ năng kèm bài giải bộ đề 100 đề PART 2 IELTS SPEAKING quý đang thi (update hàng tuần) từ IELTS TUTOR

In 1935, approximately 100 cane toads were brought to Australia from Hawaii. They were bred in captivity, and more than 3000 young toads were released into sugar cane growing areas around Cairns in northern Queensland. The expectation was that they would multiply, eat the beetle larvae, and save the sugar cane crops. However, the cane toads proved to be spectacularly ineffective at controlling the beetles. There were several reasons for this failure. First, the toads could not jump high enough to catch the adult beetles, which lived on the upper stalks of the sugar cane plants. Second, the toads preferred to eat other insects rather than the beetle larvae, which were not their preferred food. Third, the toads were active during the day, while the beetles were nocturnal. In short, the toads and the beetles rarely encountered each other in the same place at the same time.

While the cane toads failed to control the beetles, they succeeded spectacularly in other respects. The toads adapted perfectly to the Australian environment and began to multiply and spread at an alarming rate. A single female can lay up to 30,000 eggs at a time, and the toads can live for many years. They have no natural predators in Australia because their skin contains a powerful toxin that kills most animals that attempt to eat them. Native predators such as quolls, goannas, and snakes that have tried to eat cane toads have often died in large numbers. Even freshwater crocodiles have been killed after consuming toads.

The spread of cane toads across northern Australia has been relentless. From their original release site in Queensland, they have moved westward at an average rate of about 40 kilometres per year. They reached the Northern Territory in the 1980s and crossed into Western Australia in 2009. They now occupy more than 1.2 million square kilometres of Australia, and their range continues to expand. Wherever they go, they disrupt local ecosystems. They compete with native frogs and other insectivores for food, and they poison the predators that attempt to eat them. Some native species have declined dramatically in areas invaded by cane toads.

Scientists and land managers have tried various methods to control the toad population. Physical barriers, such as fences, have been used to try to stop their spread, but the toads are adept at finding ways through or around them. Trapping campaigns have removed large numbers of toads, but these have had little impact on the overall population because of the toads' high reproductive rate. Biological control options have been investigated, including the release of a virus or a parasite that might target cane toads specifically, but these approaches carry risks of harming other species. Genetic modification has been suggested as a long-term solution, but this technology remains controversial and unproven in the field. >> 🔥 Nhắn zalo 0905834420 join group zalo Hóng đề thi máy 4 skills để cập nhật đề thi thật 4 kĩ năng hằng ngày [Kèm giải & đề làm online]

In recent years, researchers have discovered some promising developments. Some native Australian predators have learned to avoid eating cane toads. For example, populations of red-bellied black snakes in areas long occupied by toads have evolved to have smaller mouths, making it harder for them to swallow toads large enough to be lethal. Some bird species have learned to flip toads over and eat only the non-toxic parts. There is also evidence that meat ants and other native invertebrates are preying on young toads, potentially slowing their spread. However, these adaptations have not reversed the overall impact of the toad invasion.

The cane toad story serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of biological control. What seemed like a simple and elegant solution to a pest problem turned into an environmental disaster. The toads did not control the beetles, but they have caused immense damage to native wildlife. The experience has fundamentally changed the way Australia and other countries approach biological control. Today, any proposal to introduce a non-native species for pest control is subject to rigorous risk assessment and quarantine protocols. The lesson from the cane toad is that in ecology, as in medicine, the first principle should be: do no harm.

Questions 1–5

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 1–5 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

The beetle larvae that damaged sugar cane crops lived underground and ate the roots of the plants.
Modern pesticides were widely available to Australian farmers before 1940.
The use of toads for biological control in French gardens in the 19th century was unsuccessful.
The introduction of a moth from Argentina successfully controlled the prickly-pear cactus in Australia.
Approximately 3000 cane toads were originally brought from South America to Australia in 1935.

Questions 6–10

Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 6–10 on your answer sheet. >> 🔥 IELTS TUTOR gợi ý tham khảo CẦN VIẾT & THU ÂM BAO NHIÊU BÀI ĐỂ ĐẠT 8.0 SPEAKING & 7.0 WRITING?

Cane toads could not catch the adult beetles because these lived on the upper __________ of the sugar cane plants.
A single female cane toad can lay up to 30,000 __________ at one time.
The skin of cane toads contains a powerful __________ that kills most animals that try to eat them.
Cane toads have spread across Australia at an average rate of about 40 __________ per year.
Some native __________ have learned to flip toads over and eat only the non-toxic parts.

Questions 11–13

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
Write your answers in boxes 11–13 on your answer sheet.

Why did cane toads fail to control the beetle pests in sugar cane plantations?
A. The toads arrived in Australia too late in the season.
B. The toads and beetles were active at different times.
C. The toads preferred to eat the sugar cane itself.
D. The beetles were poisonous to the toads.
What has been the main environmental impact of cane toads in Australia?
A. They have destroyed large areas of sugar cane plantations.
B. They have poisoned native predators that attempt to eat them.
C. They have outcompeted native species for shelter.
D. They have contaminated water sources with their toxins.
What is the main lesson that Australia learned from the cane toad experience?
A. Biological control is always cheaper than chemical pesticides.
B. Non-native species should never be introduced for any purpose.
C. Careful risk assessment is essential before introducing species for pest control.
D. Toads are ineffective against beetle larvae in any environment.