Red List of Threatened Spices Reveals Global Extension Crisis Reading Answer

Apr 25, 2025

Red List of Threatened Spices Reveals Global Extension Crisis is an IELTS Reading Answer that contains 13 questions and needs to be completed within 20 minutes. This reading answer also helps you to prepare for your IELTS exam. Red List of Threatened Spices Reveals Global Extension Crisis consists of questions like: Write appropriate numbers, Write no more than three words, and Do the following statement agree with the information in the passage. Participants should go through the IELTS Reading passage to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions. Also, Red List of Threatened Spices Reveals Global Extension Crisis Reading Answers speaks about Earth's most critical endangered species. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Red List of Threatened Spices Reveals Global Extension Crisis

A. The Earth's most critically endangered animals and plants have been disappearing very rapidly since 1996, the world's largest international conservation organisation reported today. One in four mammal species and one in eight species of birds are facing a high risk of extinction in the near future, in almost all cases because of human activities. The total number of threatened animal species has increased from 5,205 to 5,435. The 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is released once every four years by the IUCN-The World Conservation Union. The Red List is considered the most authoritative and comprehensive status assessment of global biodiversity. Founded in 1948, the IUCN brings together 77 states, 112 government agencies, 735 non-governmental organizations, 35 affiliates, and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries in a worldwide partnership. Drawing on all these sources of information, the Red List report uses scientific criteria to classify species into one of eight categories: Extinct, Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Lower Risk, Data Deficient and Not Evaluated. A species is classed as threatened if it falls in the Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable categories.

B. "The fact that the number of critically endangered species has increased-mammals from 169 to 180; birds from 168 to 182-was a jolting surprise, even to those already familiar with today's increasing threats to biodiversity. These findings should be taken very seriously by the global community," says Maritta von Bieberstein Koch-Weser, the IUCN's director general. The magnitude of risk, shown by movements to the higher risk categories, has increased, although the overall percentage of threatened mammals and birds has not greatly changed in four years, the IUCN found. Primates such as apes and monkeys showed the greatest increase in the number of threatened mammals-from 96 to 116 species. Many changes were found to be caused by increased habitat loss and hunting, particularly the bushmeat trade. The number of Critically Endangered primates increased from 13 to 19. Endangered primates number 46 today, up from 29 four years ago.

C. Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International and chair of the IUCN's Primate Specialist Group says, "The Red List is solid documentation of the global extinction crisis, and it reveals just the tip of the iceberg." "Many wonderful creatures will be lost in the first few decades of the 21st century unless we greatly increase levels of support, involvement and commitment to conservation," he warns. Human and financial resources must be mobilised at between 10 and 100 times the current level to address this crisis, the Red List analysis urges.

D. Indonesia, India, Brazil and China are among the countries with the most threatened mammals and birds, while plant species are declining rapidly in South and Central America, Central and West Africa, and Southeast Asia. Habitat loss and habitat degradation affect 89 percent of all threatened birds, 83 percent of mammals, and 91 percent of threatened plants assessed. Habitats with the highest number of threatened mammals and birds are lowland and mountain tropical rainforest.

E. Freshwater habitats are "extremely vulnerable" with many threatened fish, reptile, amphibian and invertebrate species. Freshwater turtles, heavily exploited for food and medicinal use in Asia, went from 10 to 24 Critically Endangered species in the past four years. "Hunting of these species is unregulated and unmanaged, and the harvest levels are far too high for the species to sustain," the IUCN warns. As populations disappear in Southeast Asia, there are signs that this trade is increasingly shifting to India, and further afield to the Americas and Africa. The report points to "extremely serious deterioration" in the status of river-dwelling species largely due to water development projects and other habitat changes. One of the major threats to lake-dwelling species is introduced species. A systematic analysis of the status of these species will be undertaken in three years.

F. BirdLife International produced the global status analysis that forms a major component of the Red List. The most significant changes have been in the albatrosses and petrels, with an increase from 32 to 55 threatened species. Sixteen albatross species are now threatened compared to only three in 1996, as a result of longline fishing. Of the remaining five albatross species, four are now near-threatened. Threatened penguin species have doubled from five to 10. These increases reflect the growing threats to the marine environment," the IUCN reports. BirdLife International has started an international campaign titled, "Save the albatross: keeping the world's sebirds off the hook" to reduce the accidental-by catch of seabirds through longline fisheries, adopting appropriate mitigation measures. The Philippines, another biodiversity hotspot, has lost 97 percent of its original vegetation and has more Critically Endangered birds than any other country.

G. The IUCN Red List includes 5,611 species of threatened plants, many of which are trees. The total number of globally threatened plant species is still small in relation to the total number of plant species, but this is because most plant species have still not been assessed for their level of threat, the IUCN says. The only major plant group to have been comprehensively assessed is the conifers, of which 140 species, 16 percent of the total, are threatened. Assessments undertaken by the Nature Conservancy, not yet incorporated in the Red List, indicate that one-third of the plant species in North America are threatened. In the last 500 years, human activity has forced 816 species to extinction or extinction in the wild. One hundred and three extinctions have occurred since 1800, indicating an extinction rate 50 times greater than the natural rate. Many species are lost before they are discovered. A total of 18,276 species and subspecies are included in the 2000 Red List. Approximately 25 percent of reptiles, 20 percent of amphibians and 30 percent of fishes, mainly freshwater, so far assessed are listed as threatened.

H. Since only a small proportion of these groups has been assessed, the percentage of threatened species could be much higher, the IUCN says. As well as classifying species according to their extinction risk; the Red List provides information on species range, population trends, main habitats, major threats and conservation measures, both already in place and those needed. It allows insight into the processes driving extinction. The release of the 2000 Red List comes a week before the second World Conservation Congress in Amman, Jordan, where members of the IUCN will meet to define global conservation policy for the next four years, including ways of addressing the growing extinction crisis.

Questions 28 - 30

Write the appropriate letter A - H.

Which paragraphs contain the following information?

28. Usefulness of the report.

Answer: H

Supporting statement: "As well as classifying species according to their extinction risk, the Red List provides information on species range, population trends, main habitats, major threats and conservation measures..."

Keywords: usefulness, information, extinction risk, conservation measures

Keyword Location: Paragraph H, lines 2-5

Explanation: Paragraph H highlights the practical uses of the Red List, showing how it offers valuable information for understanding extinction processes and planning conservation efforts.

29. Statistical data to provide evidence that humans are primarily the cause.

Answer: G

Supporting statement: "In the last 500 years, human activity has forced 816 species to extinction or extinction in the wild. One hundred and three extinctions have occurred since 1800, indicating an extinction rate 50 times greater than the natural rate."

Keywords: statistical data, human activity, extinction rate

Keyword Location: Paragraph G, lines 6-9

Explanation: Paragraph G provides numerical data linking human activities to increased extinction rates, emphasizing humanity's significant role in species decline.

30. What one contributing organisation did in response to the threats of certain species.

Answer: F

Supporting statement: "BirdLife International has started an international campaign titled, 'Save the albatross: keeping the world's seabirds off the hook' to reduce the accidental by-catch of seabirds through longline fisheries..."

Keywords: BirdLife International, campaign, response to threats

Keyword Location: Paragraph F, lines 6-9

Explanation: Paragraph F describes BirdLife International’s direct action to address threats facing seabirds, showcasing a specific organisational response.

Question 31 - 35

Using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.

31. The starting date of the report.

Answer: 1996

Supporting statement: "The Earth's most critically endangered animals and plants have been disappearing very rapidly since 1996."

Keywords: endangered animals, since 1996

Keyword Location: Paragraph A, line 1

Explanation: The report tracks the decline of species beginning from the year 1996, marking it as the starting date for data collection.

32. Besides the problem of habitat changes, what was a big reason for problems in rivers, as mentioned in the report?

Answer: water development projects

Supporting statement: "One of the major threats to lake-dwelling species is introduced species... deterioration... largely due to water development projects and other habitat changes."

Keywords: rivers, threats, water development

Keyword Location: Paragraph E, lines 7-9

Explanation: Apart from habitat changes, water development projects pose significant threats to river species, as stated in the report.

33. At what annual event will participants be immediately discussing the findings?

Answer: World Conservation Congress

Supporting statement: "The release of the 2000 Red List comes a week before the second World Conservation Congress in Amman, Jordan."

Keywords: discussing, event, conservation

Keyword Location: Paragraph H, lines 7-9

Explanation: The findings of the Red List will be discussed at the World Conservation Congress, a key event for global conservation policy-making.

34. The geographical areas or terrain that seem to be the worse for endangering birds and mammals be it at high elevations or low elevations.

Answer: tropical rainforest

Supporting statement: "Habitats with the highest number of threatened mammals and birds are lowland and mountain tropical rainforest."

Keywords: worst habitats, birds, mammals

Keyword Location: Paragraph D, lines 4-6

Explanation: Tropical rainforests at both low and high elevations are highlighted as the most dangerous areas for endangered mammals and birds.

35. For what purpose are hunters especially interested in killing primates?

Answer: bushmeat trade

Supporting statement: "Many changes were found to be caused by increased habitat loss and hunting, particularly the bushmeat trade."

Keywords: primates, hunting, bushmeat

Keyword Location: Paragraph B, lines 6-8

Explanation: Primates are hunted primarily for the bushmeat trade, which is a significant driver of their increasing endangerment.

Questions 36 - 40

Do the statements below agree with the information given in the test?

TRUE - if the statement is true

FALSE - if the statement is false

NOT GIVEN - if the information is not given in the passage

36. The report lists most of the plants of the world.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: "The total number of globally threatened plant species is still small in relation to the total number of plant species, but this is because most plant species have still not been assessed for their level of threat."

Keywords: plant species, assessed, small proportion

Keyword Location: Paragraph G, lines 2-4

Explanation: The passage clearly states that most plant species have not yet been assessed, so the report does not list most of the world’s plants.

37. BirdLife has successfully helped reduce the number of deaths related to fishing.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: While BirdLife International has initiated efforts to reduce seabird deaths, there is no information about the campaign’s success.

38. A higher percentage of mammals are threatened with extinction than are birds

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: "One in four mammal species and one in eight species of birds are facing a high risk of extinction."

Keywords: mammals, birds, extinction risk

Keyword Location: Paragraph A, lines 2-3

Explanation: One in four (25%) mammals versus one in eight (12.5%) birds are threatened, confirming that a higher percentage of mammals are at risk.

39. The Red List shows that a third of all plant species are threatened.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: "The total number of globally threatened plant species is still small in relation to the total number of plant species..."

Keywords: plant species, threatened, percentage

Keyword Location: Paragraph G, lines 2-3

Explanation: The Red List does not indicate that a third of all plant species are threatened; it states that most plants have not been assessed.

40. Hunting is not the main threat to birds, plants, or animals.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: "Habitat loss and habitat degradation affect 89 percent of all threatened birds, 83 percent of mammals, and 91 percent of threatened plants assessed."

Keywords: habitat loss, main threat

Keyword Location: Paragraph D, lines 3-5

Explanation: Habitat loss is cited as the primary threat, making hunting a secondary concern for these species.

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