The Rufous Hare Wallaby Reading Answers

Dec 19, 2022

The Rufous Hare Wallaby Reading Answers has 13 questions that need to be answered in 20 minutes. The Rufous Hare Wallaby Reading Answers is about a species of Australian kangaroo, usually known by its Aboriginal name, ‘mala’. The Rufous Hare Wallaby Reading Answers comprises three types of questions- complete the flowchart, choose no more than three words or a number and true/false/not given. Candidates are required to complete the flowchart after reading the IELTS reading passage. Candidates are required to read the IELTS Reading passage carefully to answer the questions in no more than three words or a number.. Candidates are required to answer whether the given statement is true, false or not given in the passage. Candidates can undertake IELTS Reading practice papers to practise more on different topics.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

The Rufous Hare Wallaby Reading Answers

The Rufous Hare-Wallaby is a species of Australian kangaroo, usually known by its Aboriginal name, ‘mala’. At one time, there may have been as many as ten million of these little animals across the arid and semi-arid landscape of Australia, but their populations, like those of so many other small endemic species, were devastated when cats and foxes were introduced - indeed, during the 1950s it was thought that the mala was extinct. But in 1964, a small colony was found 450 miles northwest of Alice Springs in the Tanami Desert. And 12 years later, a second small colony was found nearby. Very extensive surveys were made throughout the historical mala range - but no other traces were found.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, scientists from the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory monitored these two populations. At first it seemed that they were holding their own. Then in late 1987, every one of the individuals of the second and smaller of the wild colonies was killed. From examination of the tracks in the sand, it seemed that just one single fox had been responsible. And then, in October 1991, a wild-fire destroyed the entire area occupied by the remaining colony. Thus the mala was finally pronounced extinct in the wild.

Fortunately, ten years earlier, seven individuals had been captured, and had become the founders of a captive breeding programme at the Arid Zone Research Institute in Alice Springs; and that group had thrived. Part of this success is due to the fact that the female can breed when she is just five months old and can produce up to three young a year. Like other kangaroo species, the mother carries her young - known as a joey - in her pouch for about 15 weeks, and she can have more than one joey at the same time.

In the early 1980s, there were enough mala in the captive population to make it feasible to start a reintroduction programme. But first it was necessary to discuss this with the leaders of the Yapa people. Traditionally, the mala had been an important animal in their culture, with strong medicinal powers for old people. It had also been an important food source, and there were concerns that any mala returned to the wild would be killed for the pot. And so, in 1980, a group of key Yapa men was invited to visit the proposed reintroduction area. The skills and knowledge of the Yapa would play a significant and enduring role in this and all other mala projects.

With the help of the local Yapa, an electric fence was erected around 250 acres of suitable habitat, about 300 miles'northwest of Alice Springs so that the mala could adapt while protected from predators. By 1992, there were about 150 mala in their enclosure, which became known as the Mala Paddock. However, all attempts to reintroduce mala from the paddocks into the unfenced wild were unsuccessful, so in the end the reintroduction programme was abandoned. The team now faced a situation where mala could be bred, but not released into the wild again.

Thus, in 1993, a Mala Recovery Team was established to boost mala numbers, and goals for a new programme were set: the team concentrated on finding suitable predator-free or predator-controlled conservation sites within the mala’s known range. Finally, in March 1999, twelve adult females, eight adult males, and eight joeys were transferred from the Mala Paddock to Dryandra Woodland in Western Australia. Then, a few months later, a second group was transferred to Trimouille, an island off the coast of western Australia. First, it had been necessary to rid the island of rats and cats - a task that had taken two years of hard work.

Six weeks after their release into this conservation site, a team returned to the island to find out how things were going. Each of the malas has been fitted with a radio collar that transmits for about 14 months, after which it falls off. The team was able to locate 29 out of the 30 transmitters - only one came from the collar of a mala that had died of unknown causes. So far the recovery programme has gone even better than expected.

Today, there are many signs suggesting that the mala population on the island is continuing to do well.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-5:
Complete the flowchart below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

The Wild Australian mala

Q1. Distant past: total population of up to ______ in desert and semi-desert regions.

Answer: 10/ten million
Supporting Sentence: At one time, there may have been as many as ten million of these little animals across the arid and semi-arid landscape of Australia, but their populations, like those of so many other small endemic species, were devastated when cats and foxes were introduced - indeed, during the 1950s it was thought that the mala was extinct.
Keyword: little animals, arid and semi-arid landscape of Australia
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, Line 2
Explanation: The second line of the first paragraph states that there were ten million tiny animal populations in Australia's arid and semi-arid regions.

Q2. Populations of malas were destroyed by ______

Answer: Cats and foxes
Supporting Sentence: At one time, there may have been as many as ten million of these little animals across the arid and semi-arid landscape of Australia, but their populations, like those of so many other small endemic species, were devastated when cats and foxes were introduced - indeed, during the 1950s it was thought that the mala was extinct.
Keyword: small endemic species, devastated, the mala was extinct.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, line 4
Explanation: According to the fourth line of the first paragraph, the population of Mala was thought to be extinct and in ruins in 1950. It was then when the cats and foxes were introduced.

Q3. 1964/1976: two surviving colonies were discovered. Scientists ________ the colonies.

Answer: monitored
Supporting Sentence: Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, scientists from the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory monitored these two populations.
Keyword: Parks and Wildlife Commission, Northern Territory
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, Line 2
Explanation: The second line of the second paragraph explains that from 1970 to 1980, the scientists from the park and the wildlife commission were chosen. They were responsible for keeping an eye on the two populations in the Northern area.

Q4. 1987: one of the colonies was completely destroyed. 1991: the other colony was destroyed by _________

Answer: fire
Supporting Sentence: From examination of the tracks in the sand, it seemed that just one single fox had been responsible. And then, in October 1991, a wild-fire destroyed the entire area occupied by the remaining colony.
Keyword: examination of the tracks, single fox, October 1991, a wild-fire, destroyed the entire area.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, Line 5
Explanation: The second paragraph's fifth line adds that it appeared that just one fox had been involved after looking at the tracks in the sand. The location where the last colony had been located was completely destroyed by a wildfire in October 1991.

Q5. The wild mala was declared_______

Answer: extinct
Supporting Sentence: And then, in October 1991, a wild-fire destroyed the entire area occupied by the remaining colony. Thus the mala was finally pronounced extinct in the wild.
Keyword: a wild-fire destroyed, area occupied by the remaining colony, pronounced
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, Line-6
Explanation: According to the sixth line of the second paragraph, the entire land occupied by the last colony was completely burned by a wildfire in October 1991. Thus, it was determined that the mala had vanished from the wild.

Questions 6-9:
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer. Write the correct answer in boxes 9-9 in your answer sheet.

Q6. At what age can female malas start breeding?

Answer: 5/five months
Supporting Sentence: Part of this success is due to the fact that the female can breed when she is just five months old and can produce up to three young a year.
Keyword: success, female can breed, produce, three young a year
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, Line ¾
Explanation: According to paragraph 3, the Australian mala may begin reproducing at five months of life. Additionally, they have a reproductive capacity of almost three young per year.

Q7. For about how long do young malas stay inside their mother’s pouch?

Answer: 15/fifteen weeks
Supporting Sentence: Like other kangaroo species, the mother carries her young - known as a joey - in her pouch for about 15 weeks, and she can have more than one joey at the same time.
Keyword: kangaroo species, mother carries her young, more than one joey at the same time
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, Line 5
Explanation: The fifth sentence of the third paragraph explains that the wild young mala or joey spends their first fifteen months in their mother's pouch.

Q8. Apart from being a food source, what value did malas have for the Yapa people?

Answer: (strong) medicinal powers
Supporting Sentence: Traditionally, the mala had been an important animal in their culture, with strong medicinal powers for old people.
Keyword: Traditionally, important animal, old people
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line ¾
Explanation: As stated in paragraph 4, they are also a significant source of food. For the elderly yapa people, the Australian mala also has a considerable and potent medicinal power.

Q9. What was the Yapa’s lasting contribution to the mala reintroduction programme?

Answer: skills and knowledge
Supporting Sentence: The skills and knowledge of the Yapa would play a significant and enduring role in this and all other mala projects.
Keyword: play a significant, enduring role
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Line 6
Explanation: It is mentioned in the sixth sentence of the fourth paragraph that the Yapa made a significant contribution to the mala reintroduction initiative. By putting their knowledge and abilities to use.

Questions 10-13:
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage ?
In boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet, write:

TRUE- if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE- if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN- if there is no information on this

Q10. Natural defenses were sufficient to protect the area called Mala Paddock.

Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: However, all attempts to reintroduce mala from the paddocks into the unfenced wild were unsuccessful, so in the end the reintroduction programme was abandoned.
Keyword: reintroduce mala from the paddocks, unfenced wild
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 4
Explanation: According to the fourth line of paragraph 5, all attempts to return mala from the paddocks into the unenclosed wild were failed. The reintroduction programme was therefore discontinued in the end.

Q11. Scientists eventually gave up their efforts to release captive mala into the unprotected wild.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: However, all attempts to reintroduce mala from the paddocks into the unfenced wild were unsuccessful, so in the end the reintroduction programme was abandoned.
Keyword: reintroduction programme was abandoned.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 5
Explanation: The fifth line of paragraph five reveals that scientists eventually gave up trying to free imprisoned Mala in the untamed wilderness. Finally, the programme for reintroduction was terminated.

Q12. The mala population which was transferred to Dryandra Woodland quickly increased in size.

Answer: Not given
Explanation: The passage does not include relevant information related to the question.

Q13. Scientists were satisfied with the initial results of the recovery programme.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: The team was able to locate 29 out of the 30 transmitters - only one came from the collar of a mala that had died of unknown causes. So far the recovery programme has gone better than even expected.
Keyword: locate 29 out of the 30 transmitters, better than even expected
Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, Line 4/5
Explanation: In line 4 and line 5 of paragraph 7, it is stated that the crew was successful in locating 29 of the 30 transmitters. However, only one emerged from a mala's collar whose reason of death was not determined. The recuperation programme has thus far performed considerably better than anticipated.

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