Why we need to protect Polar Bears Reading Answers: IELTS Reading

Why we need to protect polar bears- IELTS Reading Passage

Before starting the passage, remember that you will have only 60 minutes to read the three passages and answer the 40 questions in total, so manage your time wisely.

Why We Need to Protect Polar Bears

1. Polar bears are being increasingly threatened by the effects of climate change, but their disappearance could have far-reaching consequences. They are uniquely adapted to the extreme conditions of the Arctic Circle, where temperatures can reach -40°C. One reason for this is that they have up to 11 centimetres of fat underneath 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.

2. 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. This allowed them to determine the genes that have allowed polar bears to survive in one of the toughest environments on Earth. 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. In humans, mutations of this gene are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Polar bears may therefore be an important study model to understand heart disease in humans.

3. The genome of the polar bear may also provide the solution for another condition, one that particularly affects our older generation: osteoporosis. This is a disease where bones show reduced density, usually caused by insufficient exercise, reduced calcium intake or food starvation. Bone tissue is constantly being remodelled, meaning that bone is added or removed depending on nutrient availability and the stress that the bone is under. Female polar bears, however, undergo extreme conditions during every pregnancy. Once autumn comes around, these females will dig maternity dens in the snow and will remain there throughout the winter, both before and after the birth of their cubs. 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. Despite this, their bones remain strong and dense.

4. Physiologists Alanda Lennox and Allen Goodship found an explanation for this paradox in 2008. They discovered that pregnant bears were able to increase the density of their bones before they started to build their dens. In addition, six months later, when they finally emerged from the den with their cubs, there was no evidence of significant loss of bone density. Hibernating brown bears do not have this capacity and must therefore resort to major bone reformation in the following spring. If the mechanism of bone remodelling in polar bears can be understood, many bedridden humans, and even astronauts, could potentially benefit.

5. The medical benefits of the polar bear for humanity certainly have their importance in our conservation efforts, but these should not be the only factors taken into consideration. We tend to want to protect animals we think are intelligent and possess emotions, such as elephants and primates. Bears, on the other hand, seem to be perceived as stupid and, in many cases, violent. And yet anecdotal evidence from the field challenges those assumptions, suggesting for example, that polar bears have good problem-solving abilities. A male bear called GoGo in Tennoji Zoo, Osaka, has even been observed making use of a tool to manipulate his environment. The bear used a tree branch on multiple occasions to dislodge a piece of meat hung out of his reach. Problem-solving ability has also been witnessed in wild polar bears, although not as obviously as with GoGo. 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.

6. In other studies, such as one by Alison Ames in 2008, polar bears showed deliberate and focused manipulation. For example, Ames observed bears putting objects in piles and then knocking them over in what appeared to be a game. The study demonstrates that bears are capable of agile and thought-out behaviours. These examples suggest bears have greater creativity and problem-solving abilities than previously thought.

7. As for emotions, while the evidence is once again anecdotal, 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. Moreover, polar bears can form unusual relationships with other species, including playing with the dogs used to pull sledges in the Arctic. Remarkably, one hand-raised polar bear called Agee has formed a close relationship with her owner Mark Dumas to the point where they even swim together. This is even more astonishing since polar bears are known to actively hunt humans in the wild.

8. If climate change were to lead to their extinction, this would mean not only the loss of potential breakthroughs in human medicine but, more importantly, the disappearance of an intelligent, majestic animal.

Why We Need to Protect Polar Bears- IELTS Questions and Answers

IELTS Reading Questions

Questions (1-7)

Which of the following claims are true regarding the information given in the reading passage?

Write your answers in boxes 1-7 on the answers sheets.

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. Polar bears suffer from various health problems due to the build-up of fat under their skin.

2.  The study done by Liu and his colleagues compared different groups of polar bears.

3.  Liu and colleagues were the first researchers to compare polar bears and brown bears genetically.

4.   Polar bears are able to control their levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol by genetic means.

5.   Female polar bears are able to survive for about six months without food.

6.   It was found that the bones of female polar bears were very weak when they came out of their dens in spring.

7.   The polar bear’s mechanism for increasing bone density could also be used by people one day.

Questions (8-13)

Complete the sentences by giving an answer in one word from the passage given above. Write your answer in boxes 8-13 on the answer sheet.

8.    People think of bears as unintelligent and _______________. However, this may not be correct.

9     In Tennoji Zoo, a bear has been seen using a branch as a  ________________

10.  This allowed him to knock down some ___________________

11.   A wild polar bear worked out a method of reaching a platform where a ____________ was located.

12.   Polar bears have displayed behaviour such as conscious manipulation of objects and activity similar to a  _________________

13.  Bears may also display emotions. For example, they may make movements suggesting ____________ if disappointed when hunting. They may form relationships with other species.

IELTS Reading Answers

Answers (1-7)

1. False

From: Paragraph 1, 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.’

Explanation: This sentence clearly states that polar bears' fat under their skin does not cause them to suffer from any health issues, hence False.

2. False

From: Paragraph 2, ‘They compared the genetic structure of polar bears with that of their closest relatives from a warmer climate, the brown bears.’

Explanation:  This sentence says that they compared polar bears with brown bears, not with other polar bear categories. Therefore, the statement is False.

3. Not Given

From:  Liu and colleagues were the first researchers to compare polar bears and brown bears genetically.

Explanation: The passage does not mention Liu and colleagues being the first researchers to compare polar bears with brown bears hence the solution is Not Given.

4. True

From: Paragraph 2, ‘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’.

Explanation: The above line demonstrates that polar bears have the ability to lower harmful cholesterol, so it is True.

5. True

From: ‘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. Despite this, their bones remain strong and dense’.

Explanation: It is quite simple to answer that female bears can live up to six months without food. The answer is True.

6. False

From: Paragraph 3, ‘depleting their own calcium and calorie reserves. Despite this, their bones remain strong and dense’.

Explanation: Since the statement in question claims that polar bear females' bones stay strong and dense even after they exhaust their own stores of calcium and calories, the answer is False.

7. True

From: Paragraph 4, ‘If the mechanism of bone remodelling in polar bears can be understood, many bedridden humans, and even astronauts, could potentially benefit’.

Explanation: According to the statement, bedridden people and even astronauts who may suffer from decreased bone density due to extended weightlessness may benefit from scientists learning about the mechanism of bone remodelling in polar bears. Thus, the statement is True.

Answers (8-13)

8. Violent

From: Paragraph 5,  ‘Bears, on the other hand, seem to be perceived as stupid and in many cases violent. And yet anecdotal evidence from the field challenges those assumptions, suggesting, for example that polar bears have good problem-solving abilities. 

Explanation: The answer is "violent," as the section notes that people frequently assume polar bears are violent and unintelligent, although informal proof challenges these beliefs and implies that bears are capable of solving problems.

9. Tool

From: Paragraph 5, ‘ A male bear called GoGo in Tennoji Zoo, Osaka, has even been observed making use of a tool to manipulate his environment’.

Explanation: At the Tennoji Zoo in Osaka, a polar bear named GoGo has been seen manipulating his surroundings with a tool. The bear repeatedly used a tree branch to reach a piece of meat hanging out of reach. 

10. Meat

From: Paragraph 5, ‘The bear used a tree branch on multiple occasions to dislodge a piece of meat hung out of his reach’.

Explanation: According to the statement above, the bear used a branch from a tree to remove a portion of meat that was out of his reach. This demonstrates that bears are capable of using tools to solve problems.

11. Photographer

From: Paragraph 5,  ‘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’.

Explanation: The line says the male polar bear was racing and jumping onto barrels in an attempt to get to the photographer, who was standing on a platform four meters above the ground.

12. Game

From: Paragraph 6,  ‘ For example, Ames observed bears putting objects in piles and then knocking them over in what appeared to be a game’.

Explanation: Ames' observation that bears arranged objects in stacks and then crashed them in what seemed to be a game implies that bears manipulate objects in ways that are similar to play.

13. Frustration

From: Paragraph 7, ‘As for emotions, while the evidence is once again anecdotal, 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’.

Explanation: The passage mentions that bears have been known to strike out at ice and snow frequently, which may drive them to become frustrated when they don't make a kill.

Conclusion

In summary, the IELTS Reading section is important as it assesses candidates' reading and comprehension abilities in the IELTS exam. To get good scores in IELTS Reading, you must practice consistently and be your best at understanding and analysing the passage because completing the Reading section in 60 minutes is otherwise difficult.

If you want to get further details on how to prepare for IELTS or, particularly, the IELTS Reading section, you can contact the Prepare IELTS exam (PI) expert counsellors for additional guidance. Our team of education experts is dedicated to providing you with the best test material and guidance to ace the IELTS exam. You can get a one-on-one counselling session and an IELTS online practice test via our platform. Contact us at info@prepareieltsexam.com or call us at +91 9773398388 for further queries.