Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 237
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – PASSAGE – 1
IELTS GENERAL READING TEST
READING PASSAGE – 1
The London Zoo
London Zoo is the world’s oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828 and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. In 1831 or 1832, the animals of the Tower of London menagerie were transferred to the zoo’s collection. It was opened to the public in 1847. Today, it hosts a collection of 673 species of animals, with 19,289 individuals, making it one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom. The zoo is sometimes called Regent’s Zoo.
It is managed under the aegis of the Zoological Society of London and is situated at the northern edge of Regent’s Park, on the boundary line between the City of Westminster and the borough of Camden. The Society also has a more spacious site at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire to which the larger animals such as elephants and rhinos have been moved. As well as being the first scientific zoo, ZSL London Zoo also opened the first reptile house (1849), first public aquarium (1853), first insect house (1881) and the first children’s zoo (1938). ZSL receives no state backing and relies on ‘Fellows’ and ‘Friends’ memberships, entrance fees and sponsorship to generate income. The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) was established by Sir Stamford Raffles and Sir Humphry Davy in 1826, who obtained the land for the zoo and saw the plans before Raffles died of apoplexy (what would now be called a stroke) later that year on 5 July, his birthday. After his death, the third Marquis of Lansdowne took over the project and supervised the building of the first animal houses. The zoo opened in April 1828 to fellows of the Society, providing access to species such as Arabian oryx, greater kudus, orangutan and the now extinct quagga and thylacine. The Society was granted a Royal Charter in 1829 by King George IV, and in 1847 the zoo opened to the public to aid funding.
IELTS General Reading Test
It was believed that tropical animals could not survive outside in London’s cold weather and so they were all kept indoors until 1902, when Dr Peter Chalmers Mitchell was appointed secretary of the Society. He set about a major reorganisation of the buildings and enclosures of the zoo, bringing many of the animals out into the open, where many thrived. This was an idea inspired by Hamburg Zoo and led to newer designs to many of the buildings. Mitchell also envisaged a new 600-acre (240 ha) park to the north of London, and in 1926 Hall Farm, near to Whipsnade village, was bought. In 1931, Whipsnade Wild Animal Park opened, becoming the world’s first open zoological park. The first woman to be a curator at the London Zoo was Evelyn Cheesman, in 1920. In 1962, ‘Caroline’, an Arabian oryx, was lent to Phoenix Zoo, Arizona in the world’s first international co-operative breeding programme. Today, the zoo participates in breeding programmes for over 130 species. At the beginning of the 1990s, the zoo had almost 7,000 animals; the nearest any other collection came to in Britain was Chester Zoo, with just under 3,500 animals. Many of the species in London Zoo could not be seen anywhere else in the country, such as the wombat, Tasmanian devil, or long-nosed potoroo.
Although this vast collection was part of the zoo’s appeal, it was also one of the main causes of its financial problems. This contributed to the zoo being faced with closure in the 1980s. Due to the public change of attitude to animals kept in captivity and unsuitably cramped space, the zoo close in 1991, a swell of civic support in visitors and donations allowed the zoo to continue its also suffered dwindling visitor numbers. However, when it was announced that London Zoo would work, attempt to balance its books, and take on the huge task of restoring its buildings and creating environments more suitable for animal behavior in the late 20th century. One benefit of the ‘swell of public support’ was the development of volunteer staff. Employed by both Education and Animal care, these volunteers give one day a week to assist the running of London Zoo and can be recognized by their red pullovers.
IELTS General Reading Test
QUESTION 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
TRUE – If the statement agrees with the information.
FALSE – If the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN – If there is no information on this.
1. The London Zoo houses the most substantial assortment of animals in the world.
2. The first aquatic museum for public was opened by ZSL in 18th century.
3. Zoological Society of London heavily depends on subsidy from the government.
4. It was alleged that many tropical animals will perish outdoors in the Zoo owing to London’s freezing climate.
5. Dr Mitchell’s vicissitudes to the London Zoo were stimulated by another Zoo.
6. The chief monetary problem to the London Zoo was due to the enormous gathering of animals there.
7. Community did not care when it was publicised that park will be shut.
IELTS General Reading Test
READ THE TEXT BELOW AND QUESTION 8-13
Circus
A. A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trainedanimals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tig htrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, unicyclists, as well as other object manipulation and stunt-oriented artists. The term circus also describes the performance which has followed various formats through its 250-year modern history. Although not the inventor of the medium, Philip Astley is credited as the father of the modern circus. In 1768, Astley, a skilled equestrian, began performing exhibitions of trick horse riding in an open field called Ha’Penny Hatch on the south side of the Thames River. In 1770, he hired acrobats, tightrope walkers, jugglers, and a clown to fill in the pauses between the equestrian demonstrations and thus chanced on the format which was later named a “circus”. Performances developed significantly over the next fifty years, with large-scale theatrical battle re-enactments becoming a significant feature. The traditional format, in which a ringmaster introduces a variety of choreographed acts set to music, developed in the latter part of the 19th century, and remained the dominant format until the 1970s.
IELTS General Reading Test
B. As styles of performance have developed since the time of Astley, so too have the types of venues where these circuses have performed. The earliest modern circuses were performed in open-air structures with limited covered seating. From the late 18th to late 19th century, custom-made circus buildings (often wooden) were built with various types of seating, a centre ring, and sometimes a stage. The traditional large tents commonly known as “big tops” were introduced in the mid-19th century as touring circuses superseded static venues. These tents eventually became the most common venue. Contemporary circuses perform in a variety of venues including tents, theatres, and casinos. Many circus performances are still held in a ring, usually 13 m in diameter. This dimension was adopted by Astley in the late 18th century as the minimum diameter that enabled an acrobatic horse rider to stand upright on a cantering horse to perform their tricks.
C. Contemporary circus has been credited with a revival of the circus tradition since the late 1970s, when a number of groups began to experiment with new circus formats and aesthetics, typically avoiding the use of animals to focus exclusively on human artistry. Circuses within the movement have tended to favour a theatrical approach, combining character-driven circus acts with original music in a broad variety of styles to convey complex themes or stories. Contemporary circus continues to develop new variations on the circus tradition while absorbing new skills, techniques, and stylistic influences from other performing arts.
IELTS General Reading Test
D. In Ancient Rome, the circus was a building for the exhibition of horse and chariot races, equestrian shows, staged battles, gladiatorial combat, and displays of fights with trained animals. The circuses of Rome were similar to the ancient Greek hippodromes, although circuses served varying purposes and differed in design and construction, and for events that involved re-enactments of naval battles, the circus was flooded with water. The Roman circus buildings were, however, not circular but rectangular with semi-circular ends. The lower seats were reserved for persons of rank; there were also various state boxes for the giver of the games and his friends. The circus was the only public spectacle at which men and women were not separated. Some circus historians such as George Speaight have stated “these performances may have taken place in the great arenas that were called ‘circuses’ by the Romans, but it is a mistake to equate these places, or the entertainments presented there, with the modern circus” Others have argued that the lineage of the circus does go back to the Roman circuses and a chronology of circus related entertainment can be traced to Roman times, continued by the Hippodrome of Constantinople that operated until the 13th century, through medieval and renaissance jesters, minstrels and troubadours to the late 18th century and the time of Astley.
IELTS General Reading Test
E. The first circus in the city of Rome was the Circus Maximus, in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills. It was constructed during the monarchy and, at first, built completely from wood. After being rebuilt several times, the final version of the Circus Maximus could seat 250,000 people; it was built of stone and measured 400m in length and 90m in width. Next in importance were the Circus Flaminius and the Circus Neronis, from the notoriety which it obtained through the Circensian pleasures of Nero. A fourth circus was constructed by Maxentius; its ruins have helped archaeologists reconstruct the Roman circus. For some time after the fall of Rome, large circus buildings fell out of use as centres of mass entertainment. Instead, itinerant performers, animal trainers, and showmen travelled between towns throughout Europe, performing at local fairs.
IELTS General Reading Test
QUESTION 8-13
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write correct letter A-E in your answer sheet.
NB you may use any letter more than once.
8. Circus setting that have come a long way from the past.
9. Not using animals for the revitalization of circus.
10. Rebuilding of a circus with the help of its wrecks.
11. The show that did not discriminate genders of that era.
12. The recognition for the popularity of contemporary circus goes to someone who is not the originator.
13. Circus buildings losing its charm
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS ARE BELOW
IELTS General Reading Test
ANSWERS
1. FALSE
2. FALSE
3. FALSE
4. TRUE
5. TRUE
6. TRUE
7. FALSE
8. B
9. C
10. E
11. D
12. A
13. E
IELTS General Reading Test