A zoologist argues that good zoos give many animals a better life than the wild. Zoos also protect species through captive breeding, educate the public, train conservation workers and support research that helps wild populations.
Paragraph matching (14-17) is out of order and uses A, B, C and E. The TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN statements (18-22) run in order from A to E. The choose-TWO questions use D (23-24) and B and F (25-26).
Answer key and self-check
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the passage yet. Every question number jumps to its explanation.
Q
Your answer
Answer
Questions 14-17 · Matching information (paragraphs A-F)
How to attack this block: Each paragraph covers one purpose of zoos, so the items are easy to place once you know the topic of each. 'How quickly' points to the sudden collapses in B, and 'two ways of learning' to the documentaries and museums in C.
Question 14
Answer: BParagraph B
Which paragraph refers to how fast species can disappear?
Moreover, some of these collapses have been sudden, dramatic and unexpected, or were simply discovered very late in the day.
Question says → Passage says
how quicklysudden, dramatic and unexpected
animal species can die outColossal numbers of species are becoming extinct
Why: B says some species collapses have been 'sudden, dramatic and unexpected'. 'Sudden' is about speed, which matches 'how quickly'.
The trap: A mentions animals dying of drought, starvation or predators, but that's individual animals, not whole species dying out.
Question 15
Answer: EParagraph E
Which paragraph explains why studying animals in captivity beats studying them in the wild?
Being able to undertake research on animals in zoos where there is less risk and fewer variables means real changes can be effected on wild populations.
Question says → Passage says
study animals in captivityundertake research on animals in zoos
reasons why it is preferableless risk and fewer variables
Why: E gives the advantages of zoo research: less risk and fewer variables. Those are the reasons it's preferable to research in the wild.
The trap: D also involves learning about animals, but it's about educating visitors and staff, not scientific research.
Question 16
Answer: CParagraph C
Which paragraph mentions two ways to learn about animals without visiting a zoo?
While it is true that television documentaries are becoming ever more detailed and impressive, and many natural history specimens are on display in museums
Question says → Passage says
two ways of learning about animalstelevision documentaries / natural history specimens are on display in museums
other than visiting them in zoosthere really is nothing to compare with seeing a living creature in the flesh
Why: C names two alternatives, TV documentaries and museum specimens, before saying nothing beats seeing a live animal. Those are the 'two ways'.
The trap: D talks about signs, talks and presentations, but those happen inside zoos, so they aren't alternatives to visiting.
Question 17
Answer: AParagraph A
Which paragraph explains why zoo animals might be healthier than wild ones?
Animals in good zoos get a varied and high-quality diet with all the supplements required, and any illnesses they might have will be treated.
Question says → Passage says
healthiera varied and high-quality diet / any illnesses they might have will be treated
than those in the wildcompared with its wild counterpart
Why: A lists health advantages: good diet, treated illnesses, no parasites or injuries, longer life expectancy. Together those are reasons zoo animals may be healthier.
The trap: F sums up the benefits of zoos, but for species survival and education, not individual animals' health.
TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
Questions 18-22
How to attack this block: Two are NOT GIVEN because they add a cause-and-effect link or a detail about stress that the writer never states. The FALSE turns 'used to be lacking' into 'always excelled'.
Question 18
Answer: TRUEParagraph A
Will an animal usually live longer in a zoo than in the wild?
The average captive animal will have a greater life expectancy compared with its wild counterpart
Question says → Passage says
An animal is likely toThe average captive animal will
live longer in a zoo than in the wildhave a greater life expectancy compared with its wild counterpart
Why: TRUE. 'Greater life expectancy' is 'live longer', and 'the average captive animal' matches 'likely', since it's about a typical case.
Question 19
Answer: TRUEParagraph B
Do some species in zoos no longer exist in the wild?
A good number of species only exist in captivity, with many of these living in zoos.
Question says → Passage says
some species in zoosmany of these living in zoos
can no longer be found in the wildonly exist in captivity
Why: TRUE. If a species exists only in captivity, it can't be found in the wild, and many of those are in zoos.
The trap: The next sentence about reintroduced species is about animals that are back in the wild. Don't mix the two groups up.
Question 20
Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph C
Have better TV documentaries led to more zoo visitors?
television documentaries are becoming ever more detailed and impressive
Question says → Passage says
Improvements in the quality of TV wildlife documentariestelevision documentaries are becoming ever more detailed and impressive
Why: NOT GIVEN. The writer says documentaries are improving, but never mentions visitor numbers or any effect on zoos.
The trap: The writer contrasts documentaries with seeing live animals, which might suggest people prefer zoos. That's not the same as visitor numbers rising because of TV.
Question 21
Answer: FALSEParagraph D, second sentence
Have zoos always been good at communicating information about animals?
This was an area where zoos used to be lacking, but they are now increasingly sophisticated in their communication and outreach work.
Question says → Passage says
have always excelledused to be lacking
transmitting information about animals to the publiccommunication and outreach work / directly communicate information to visitors
Why: FALSE. Zoos 'used to be lacking' at communication and have only recently improved. That contradicts 'always excelled'.
The trap: 'Now increasingly sophisticated' can push people to TRUE if they read only the second half of the sentence.
Question 22
Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph E
Is studying animals in zoos less stressful for them than in the wild?
Being able to undertake research on animals in zoos where there is less risk and fewer variables
Question says → Passage says
Studying animals in zoosundertake research on animals in zoos
Why: NOT GIVEN. E says zoo research involves less risk and fewer variables, but says nothing about how stressful it is for the animals.
The trap: 'Less risk' sounds like 'less stress', and paragraph A says zoo animals avoid the stress of predators. Neither is about the stress of being studied.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 23-24
How to attack this block: Both answers are in the last sentence of D. Read it slowly: zoos educate conservation workers abroad, and keepers travel to help those working in zoos and reserves.
Question 23-24
Answer: B and D (in either order)Paragraph D, last sentence
Which two things does the text say about zoo staff?
Many zoos also work directly to educate conservation workers in other countries, or send their animal keepers abroad to contribute their knowledge and skills to those working in zoos and reserves
Question says → Passage says
teach people who are involved with conservation projectseducate conservation workers in other countries
travel to overseas locations to join teams in zoossend their animal keepers abroad to contribute their knowledge and skills to those working in zoos and reserves
Why: B: keepers go abroad to work with people in zoos and reserves. D: zoos educate conservation workers in other countries. Both are in the same sentence.
The trap: C is the trap: staff do go abroad, but to share what they know, not to gain wild experience before getting zoo jobs. A and E aren't mentioned; documentaries are in C with no staff involved.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 25-26
How to attack this block: Match each option to a purpose the writer gives. Reintroducing captive-bred animals is in B, and making people more environmentally conscious is in F. Jobs, income and children's fears are never mentioned.
Question 25-26
Answer: B and E (in either order)Paragraphs B and F
Which two beliefs about zoos does the writer mention?
Still more only exist in the wild because they have been reintroduced from zoos… educating and informing the general population about these animals and their world so that they can assist or at least accept the need to be more environmentally conscious
Question says → Passage says
raise animals which can later be released into the wildreintroduced from zoos / captive bred animals
increase public awareness of environmental issueseducating and informing the general population / accept the need to be more environmentally conscious
Why: E: B describes species reintroduced from zoos and wild populations boosted by captive-bred animals. B: F says zoos inform the public so they become more environmentally conscious.
The trap: A tempts because C talks about children seeing real animals, but it's about understanding, not fears. C and D (jobs and income) are never mentioned.
C is tempting because keepers go abroad, but they go to share skills, not to gain experience before working in zoos.
Words from this passage worth keeping
ostracism(A)
being excluded from a group
counterpart(A)
a person or thing matching another in a different setting
colossal(B)
extremely large
few and far between(B)
rare; not happening often
in the flesh(C)
in person, not in a picture or film
outreach(D)
work done to reach and help people outside an organisation
bolster(E)
strengthen or support
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The full Cambridge 14 Test 4 reading paper: all three passages, 60 minutes, marked the second you finish with a review of every answer. Already done it? Take it again and see if the same traps still get you.
Cambridge IELTS 14, Test 4, Reading Passage 2. The passage and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. We quote short extracts only as evidence for our own commentary, and the answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full text, or sit the test on Langujet.
