🔥Saving the Skink 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 3, 2026

IELTS TUTOR cung cấp Saving the Skink 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. Saving the Skink: Đề luyện tập IELTS READING (IELTS Reading Practice Test)

READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

Saving the Skink

What can be done to save the skink, one of New Zealand's most endangered lizards?

New Zealand's reptiles come in three forms: the tuatara, the geckos and the skinks. With their gleaming scales, long bodies and often surprisingly short limbs, skinks are instantly recognisable. There are more than 90 species, half of which still await formal description. Identification depends on where specimens are found, and such minutiae as the number of scales on their toes. Two of the largest species of skink—the grand and the Otago—are found only in Otago, in New Zealand's South Island.

Skinks, being reptiles, need to regulate their temperature, and lie on sunny rocks to absorb heat. However, the grand and Otago are the only kinds that do not hibernate through winter; when snow can fall even in summer in Otago, there is no point in them lying dormant for extended periods. Like all other New Zealand reptiles except tuatara and the egg-laying Suter's skink, they give birth to tiny baby lizards. Today, the Otago and grand skinks are lucky to reach five years of age in the wild, although in zoos or research centres they can live beyond thirty.

Unfortunately, extinction may loom for these reptiles. With any decline in New Zealand fauna, predation is always suspected, so the efforts of the Department of Conservation (DOC) have focused on controlling specific pests. An example was a six-year project to control the feral cats on the Otago Skink Reserve, launched in the 1990s. Despite the capture of hundreds of cats, skinks showed no signs of recovery. Indeed, there were further declines. The trapping programme also revealed rats and hedgehogs to be predators.

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Parasite infections are also thought to be on the rise. Although no direct health implications have been detected the trend is a concern, as it may signal a subtle deterioration in the skinks' living environment. Infection with mites is suspected of inhibiting reproduction among captive animals.

Another potential threat is habitat loss. Eight hundred years ago, Otago was covered in forest. However, extensive burning produced wide open tussock country. The skinks' response to this change isn't known, nor what their habitat was in the earlier environment, with its predominance of shrubs and trees. Furthermore, recent intensive farming has led to poor soil. Even if we had the answer to the eradication of predators, we haven't a clue to the habitat we should be recreating for the skinks, or if where they persist is best for conservation.

It is also puzzling that grand and Otago skinks have persisted only in small, isolated populations on rocky outcrops. Why they cannot survive in the surrounding grassland, which appears similar in many respects, is unknown. Climate change poses a further, longer-term threat, potentially altering temperature patterns and food availability in ways that may not favor these specialist reptiles. A lack of fundamental knowledge about their ecology—what they eat, how they interact with other species, and their precise microhabitat needs—makes effective conservation planning difficult. Current efforts involve a combination of captive breeding programs, predator-free fencing around key sites, and ongoing research. The survival of these unique skinks will depend on solving the complex puzzle of intertwined threats, from predators and parasites to habitat degradation and our own limited understanding. >> 🔥 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]

Suggested Questions (27-40) Based on the Passage:

Questions 27-31

Complete the notes below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Key Facts about Otago and Grand Skinks

They are two of New Zealand's largest 27 ________.
Unlike most skinks, they do not 28 ________ in winter.
They give birth to live young, unlike the egg-laying 29 ________.
In the wild, their lifespan is rarely more than 30 ________ years.
One known predator, aside from cats, is the 31 ________.

Questions 32-35

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3? Write:
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Over half of New Zealand's skink species have been formally named and described.
The program to control feral cats in the 1990s was successful in helping the skink population recover.
Mite infections have been proven to cause health problems for wild skinks.
Scientists know what the ideal habitat for the skinks' conservation should be. >> 🔥 IELTS TUTOR gợi ý tham khảo CẦN VIẾT & THU ÂM BAO NHIÊU BÀI ĐỂ ĐẠT 8.0 SPEAKING & 7.0 WRITING?

Questions 36-40

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

What is the main reason given for the skinks' poor survival rate in the wild?
A. Lack of food
B. Predation
C. Extreme winter temperatures
D. Competition with other lizards
According to the passage, what does the rise in parasite infections possibly indicate?
A. An increase in the skink population
B. An improvement in the skinks' environment
C. A decline in the quality of the skinks' habitat
D. The success of captive breeding programs
The transformation of Otago's landscape 800 years ago involved:
A. The planting of forests
B. The creation of farmland
C. Extensive burning
D. The introduction of predators
What does the writer identify as a major obstacle to conserving the skinks?
A. A lack of funding
B. Public apathy
C. Insufficient scientific knowledge
D. Conflict with farmers
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a current conservation effort?
A. Building predator-free fences
B. Captive breeding programs
C. Relocating skinks to new islands
D. Ongoing research