The Lost Animals of Australia là một bài đọc IELTS Reading có độ khó vừa phải, chủ đề học thuật quen thuộc nhưng vẫn đủ “khó chịu” nếu bạn không nắm chắc cách đọc và xử lý thông tin. Bài đọc xoay quanh sự tuyệt chủng của các loài động vật khổng lồ tại Úc, với nhiều giả thuyết liên quan đến con người, khí hậu và điều kiện sinh thái.
Trong bài giải đề này, mình sẽ cùng bạn:
- Luyện các dạng câu hỏi phổ biến trong IELTS Reading.
- Hướng dẫn cách xác định từ khóa – khoanh vùng thông tin – giải thích đáp án.
- Tổng hợp từ vựng và collocations quan trọng xuất hiện trong bài.
👉 Cùng bắt đầu giải đề nhé!
The Lost Animals of Australia
The history of Australia’s animals over the past 50,000 years has been largely one of extinction. The time has been too short for new species of large animals to evolve and, over this period, nearly one-third of Australia’s mammal species have become extinct, along with nearly all the large reptiles and many of the flightless birds. The cause of these extinctions is still hotly debated. One school of thought suggests that humans caused the extinctions, and another that they were due to changes in climate. The greatest problem in evaluating these theories is that we do not know exactly when these animals became extinct. Fossils from a number of well-dated cave and lakeside sites suggest that all the now-extinct species had already vanished 35,000 years ago, but a few other sites suggest that giant marsupials might have survived until 25,000 years ago, or even as late as 6,000 years ago. One certainty is that Australia’s climate has changed greatly over the past 40,000 years. Between 25,000 and 15,000 years ago, the sea level dropped by more than 100 metres and the continent experienced an extremely arid phase. Clearly, the timing of the extinctions is of critical importance. If they can be shown to coincide with the arrival of humans, about 50,000 years ago, then circumstantial evidence would point to humans as the cause. If, however, the giant marsupials survived until 25,000 years ago, the increased aridity would seem to be the more likely cause.
Before these extinctions, Australia was a very different place. Naturally occurring fires were probably less frequent than they are now, because large marsupial herbivores (of which there were about forty species) reduced the standing crop of vegetation.
Rainforest plants were widespread in the parts of Australia which are now very dry. The largest marsupial species was the diprotodon, which, like other Australian marsupial giants, was about one-third the weight of its ecological equivalent elsewhere. It probably weighed between 1,000 and 2,000 kilograms, while the elephant of Afro-Asia weighed about 5,000 kilograms. The relatively small size of the Australian marsupial giants has been attributed to Australia’s extraordinarily poor soils and erratic climate, both factors which typically limit plant growth.
Judging by the teeth of extinct species, there were many specialist grazers and browsers, paralleling the great mammal communities of Africa today. But the Australian carnivores were very different from their African equivalents. For example, the Australian marsupial lion was only about the size of a leopard; there was no equivalent of the large group of cat- and dog-like carnivores of Africa. The marsupial lion was Australia’s only cat-like species; there was one dog-like species, the thylacine, which vanished from mainland Australia 3,000 years ago, but seems to have survived on the Australian island of Tasmania until the 1930s, and one scavenger/carnivore, the Tasmanian devil. The larger Australian carnivores were all reptiles. The largest of these, the gigantic snakes of the genus Wonambi, were more than 8 metres long, and together with the 7-metre goanna and the 3-metre land crocodile, were the main predators. There were never vast numbers of most species. Large, warm-blooded creatures were at a disadvantage, their prey being limited by the nature of the soil and climate. The cold-blooded reptilian carnivores, which required less energy, were therefore able to dominate.
There is strong evidence to support the theory that humans were responsible for the decline of large animals in Australia. In their Afro-Eurasian homeland, humans were medium-sized members of a very large community of carnivores and omnivores. But by 40,000 years ago, they were taking a very broad range of prey, including mammals much larger than themselves. Studies have shown that when humans or other predators arrive in areas where there have previously been no ecologically equivalent species, they invariably have a profound impact. For example, over the past 1,000 years, Polynesians in Hawaii have destroyed more than 70% of the bird species, and during the 1800s, hunters on islands close to Antarctica severely depleted many seal species.
Australian animals were particularly vulnerable to the impact of humans. Marsupial herbivores were adapted only to avoiding predation by large but relatively unintelligent reptiles, while humans are the most efficient predators that have ever existed. From the mountain rainforests to the desert centre, extinctions emptied landscape after landscape, until finally the largest surviving mammals were humans themselves. Medium-sized animal species weighing between 10 and 100 kilograms either also became extinct or became smaller over thousands of years. Grey kangaroos are now only half the size they once were, while koalas and Tasmanian devils weigh, on average, one-third less than they once did.
In general, in Australia, the larger the species, the more it has reduced in size, with the exception of humans and wombats; the latter may have been protected by their burrowing habits. This shrinking may also be attributable to human hunting practices. If hunters claimed the largest individuals of these species, fast-maturing small specimens would have been more likely to survive to maturity. Increasingly, they would have produced smaller offspring. Only the smallest mammals, those weighing less than 10 kilograms, survived unaltered, although some may have been restricted to a smaller number of areas. This extinction pattern changed with the arrival of Europeans towards the end of the 18th century. As a result of this, a large number of smaller species also became extinct over the course of the following century, together with 21 medium-sized mammals and one large mammal species.
Xem thêm cách làm các dạng bài:
- Nắm chắc cách làm bài Multiple choice IELTS Reading
- Chiến thuật làm bài Matching Sentence Endings trong IELTS Reading
Questions 27-32
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
27. The writer states that it is difficult to decide why prehistoric Australian animals became extinct because
- A. relevant fossils are scarce.
- B. fossil evidence has been destroyed.
- C. the evidence is somewhat contradictory.
- D. there has not been enough time to carry out research.
28. The writer suggests that Australia’s larger mammals were smaller than those of Africa and Asia because
- A. there was an insufficient supply of food.
- B. the country was covered with thick forest.
- C. smaller animals escaped predators more easily.
- D. they had difficulty digesting the available food.
29. According to the writer, large Australian carnivores were mostly reptiles because
- A. mammals were less skillful at hunting.
- B. reptiles had faster breeding rates.
- C. reptiles were more suited to the environment.
- D. mammals had to compete for territory.
30. According to the writer, the effect of the first humans in Australia was particularly great because Australian animals
- A. were slow and awkward.
- B. had skins that could be used for several purposes.
- C. had little experience in escaping from such skillful hunters.
- D. were attracted towards human settlements because of the food available there.
31. What, according to the writer, does the wombat have in common with humans?
- A. Its size has remained the same.
- B. Its diet was similar to the human diet.
- C. It made shelters to protect itself.
- D. It was able to evade reptiles easily.
32. The writer suggests that Australian mammals have become smaller because
- A. they were able to live underground.
- B. they were vulnerable to human diseases.
- C. bigger examples of the species were killed.
- D. their territories expanded in size.
Questions 33-36
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.
33. The failure of a new species of large mammals to evolve
34. The extinction date of the large Australian
35. A reduction in the number of forest fires
36. The arrival of humans in a previously uninhabited
Options:
A. is due to the fact that not enough time has passed.
B. is evidenced by the remains of their teeth.
C. is responsible for the disappearance of habitat.
D. is often responsible for a significant number of extinctions.
E. is theoretically based on a large herbivore population.
F. is a crucial factor that has yet to be resolved.
Questions 37-40
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?
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
37. Mass extinction in Australia was limited to giant mammals.
38. Australia’s climate became cooler about 50,000 years ago.
39. The Wonambi snake was the biggest Australian carnivore.
40. Europeans caused the extinction of some smaller Australian mammals.
Xem thêm các bài giải đề Reading khác:
- Reading Practice: Mungo Man
- Reading Practice: The dugong: sea cow
- Reading Practice: Katherine Mansfield
Answers
Câu 27
The writer states that it is difficult to decide why prehistoric Australian animals became extinct because
Đáp án: C
Evidence (đoạn 1 – p7):
“Fossils from a number of well-dated cave and lakeside sites suggest that all the now-extinct species had already vanished 35,000 years ago, but a few other sites suggest that giant marsupials might have survived until 25,000 years ago, or even as late as 6,000 years ago.”
Dịch:
Hóa thạch ở một số địa điểm cho thấy các loài đã biến mất từ 35.000 năm trước, nhưng vài nơi khác lại cho rằng chúng tồn tại đến 25.000 năm, thậm chí 6.000 năm trước.
Paraphrase:
- “difficult to decide why”
= “the cause of these extinctions is still hotly debated”
“evidence is somewhat contradictory”
= “some sites suggest…, but a few other sites suggest…”
Câu 28
Australia’s larger mammals were smaller than those of Africa and Asia because
Đáp án: A
Evidence (đoạn 3 – p4):
“The relatively small size of the Australian marsupial giants has been attributed to Australia’s extraordinarily poor soils and erratic climate, both factors which typically limit plant growth.”
Dịch:
Kích thước nhỏ được cho là do đất nghèo dinh dưỡng và khí hậu thất thường, những yếu tố hạn chế sự phát triển của thực vật.
Paraphrase:
- “insufficient supply of food”
= “limit plant growth”
“because”
= “has been attributed to…”
Câu 29
Large Australian carnivores were mostly reptiles because
Đáp án: C
Evidence (đoạn 4 – p11):
“Large, warm-blooded creatures were at a disadvantage… The cold-blooded reptilian carnivores, which required less energy, were therefore able to dominate.”
Dịch:
Động vật máu nóng lớn gặp bất lợi; bò sát máu lạnh cần ít năng lượng hơn nên chiếm ưu thế.
Paraphrase:
“more suited to the environment”
= “required less energy”
= “were therefore able to dominate”
Câu 30
The effect of the first humans was particularly great because Australian animals
Đáp án: C
Evidence (đoạn 6 – p1):
“Marsupial herbivores were adapted only to avoiding predation by large but relatively unintelligent reptiles, while humans are the most efficient predators that have ever existed.”
Dịch:
Các loài chỉ quen tránh bò sát kém thông minh, trong khi con người là loài săn mồi hiệu quả nhất.
Paraphrase:
- “little experience in escaping from such skillful hunters”
= “adapted only to avoiding predation by reptiles” - “humans are the most efficient predators”
Câu 31
What does the wombat have in common with humans?
Đáp án: A
Evidence (đoạn 7 – -1):
“the larger the species, the more it has reduced in size, with the exception of humans and wombats”
Dịch:
Các loài lớn đều nhỏ đi, ngoại trừ con người và wombat.
Paraphrase:
- “have in common”
= “with the exception of humans and wombats”
“its size has remained the same”
= “have not reduced in size”
Câu 32
Australian mammals have become smaller because
Đáp án: C
Evidence (đoạn 7 – p3):
“If hunters claimed the largest individuals… fast-maturing small specimens would have been more likely to survive… they would have produced smaller offspring.”
Dịch:
Nếu thợ săn giết những con lớn nhất, các cá thể nhỏ sống sót và sinh ra thế hệ nhỏ hơn.
Paraphrase:
- “bigger examples were killed”
= “hunters claimed the largest individuals”
“have become smaller”
= “produced smaller offspring”
Câu 33
The failure of a new species of large mammals to evolve
Đáp án: A
Evidence (đoạn 1 – p2):
“The time has been too short for new species of large animals to evolve.”
Dịch:
Thời gian quá ngắn để các loài động vật lớn mới tiến hóa.
Paraphrase:
- “failure … to evolve”
= “the time has been too short…”
“not enough time has passed”
= “too short”
Câu 34
The extinction date of the large Australian (animals)
Đáp án: F
Evidence (đoạn 1 – p6):
“The greatest problem… is that we do not know exactly when these animals became extinct.”
Dịch:
Vấn đề lớn nhất… là chúng ta không biết chính xác khi nào những loài động vật này tuyệt chủng.
Paraphrase:
- “extinction date”
= “do not know exactly when…” - “has yet to be resolved”
= “greatest problem”
Câu 35
A reduction in the number of forest fires
Đáp án: E
Evidence (đoạn 2 – p1):
“Naturally occurring fires were probably less frequent… because large marsupial herbivores reduced the standing crop of vegetation.”
Dịch:
Các vụ cháy rừng tự nhiên có lẽ ít xảy ra hơn… vì các loài thú ăn cỏ có túi lớn đã làm giảm lượng thảm thực vật hiện có.
Paraphrase:
- “reduction in fires”
= “fires were less frequent” - “theoretically based on a large herbivore population”
= “because large marsupial herbivores…”
Câu 36
The arrival of humans in a previously uninhabited
Đáp án: D
Evidence (đoạn 5 – p5):
“when humans… arrive in areas where there have previously been no ecologically equivalent species, they invariably have a profound impact.”
Dịch:
Khi con người… xuất hiện ở những khu vực trước đây không có loài nào tương đương về mặt sinh thái, họ chắc chắn sẽ gây ra tác động sâu sắc.
Paraphrase:
- “arrival of humans”
= “when humans arrive…” - “previously uninhabited”
= “no ecologically equivalent species”
“significant number of extinctions”
= “profound impact”
Câu 37
Mass extinction in Australia was limited to giant mammals.
Đáp án: NO
Evidence (đoạn 1 – p3):
“nearly one-third of Australia’s mammal species have become extinct, along with nearly all the large reptiles and many of the flightless birds.”
Dịch:
Gần một phần ba số loài động vật có vú của Úc đã tuyệt chủng, cùng với gần như tất cả các loài bò sát lớn và nhiều loài chim không biết bay.
Giải thích:
- “limited to giant mammals” ❌
- bài nói: mammals + reptiles + birds
Câu 38
Australia’s climate became cooler about 50,000 years ago.
Đáp án: NOT GIVEN
Giải thích:
Bài chỉ nói:
- “climate has changed greatly”
- “experienced an extremely arid phase”
Không nói cooler và không gắn mốc 50,000 years ago cho việc lạnh hơn.
Câu 39
The Wonambi snake was the biggest Australian carnivore.
Đáp án: YES
Evidence (đoạn 4 – p8):
“The largest of these, the gigantic snakes of the genus Wonambi…”
Dịch:
Trong số đó, loài lớn nhất là những con rắn khổng lồ thuộc chi Wonambi…
Paraphrase:
“biggest Australian carnivore”
= “the largest of these… Wonambi”
Câu 40
Europeans caused the extinction of some smaller Australian mammals.
Đáp án: YES
Evidence (đoạn 7 – p7):
“This extinction pattern changed with the arrival of Europeans… a large number of smaller species also became extinct…”
Dịch:
Mô hình tuyệt chủng này đã thay đổi với sự xuất hiện của người châu Âu… một số lượng lớn các loài nhỏ hơn cũng bị tuyệt chủng…
Paraphrase:
- “Europeans caused extinction”
= “changed with the arrival of Europeans… became extinct” - “smaller mammals”
= “smaller species”
Vừa rồi, mình đã cùng bạn hoàn thành bài IELTS Reading – The Lost Animals of Australia với các dạng câu hỏi quen thuộc như Multiple Choice, Matching sentence endings và Yes/ No/ Not Given. Đây là một passage không quá khó, nhưng rất dễ mắc lỗi nếu bạn đọc lướt hoặc không theo sát lập luận của tác giả.
😉 Đừng xem đáp án trước khi tự làm xong bài nhé!
Sau khi luyện xong, hãy lưu ý một số lỗi thường gặp:
- Nhầm lẫn giữa Yes/ No/ Not Given khi bài đọc đưa ra nhiều quan điểm khác nhau.
- Chọn đáp án Multiple Choice theo cảm tính, không đối chiếu kỹ thông tin trong bài.
- Ghép sai Sentence Endings do không đọc trọn vẹn ý của câu gốc.
Hy vọng bài giải này giúp bạn làm Reading chắc tay hơn và tự tin hơn khi vào phòng thi. Chúc bạn học tốt và đạt band điểm mong muốn!
Hoàng Long 
