IELTS Academic Reading Practice - 124 - Creating Artificial Reefs
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on IELTS Reading Passage 124 below:
Creating Artificial Reefs
In the coastal waters of the US, a nation's leftovers
have been discarded. Derelict ships, concrete blocks, scrapped cars,
army tanks, tyres filled with concrete and redundant planes litter the
sea floor. However, this is not waste disposal, but part of a
coordinated, state-run programme. To recently arrived fish, plants and
other sea organisms, these artificial reefs are an ideal home, offering
food and shelter.
Sea-dumping
incites widespread condemnation. Little surprise when oceans are seen
as 'convenient' dumping grounds for the rubbish we have created but
would rather forget. However, scientific evidence suggests that if we
dump the right things, sea life can actually be enhanced. And more
recently, purpose-built structures of steel or concrete have been
employed - some the size of small apartment blocks -principally to
increase fish harvests.
Strong currents, for example, the choice of design and
materials for an artificial reef depends on where it is going to be
placed. In areas of a solid concrete structure will be more appropriate
than ballasted tyres. It also depends on what species are to be
attracted. It is pointless creating high-rise structures for fish that
prefer flat or low-relief habitat. But the most important consideration
is the purpose of the reef.
In the US, where there is a national reef plan using
cleaned up rigs and tanks, artificial reefs have mainly been used to
attract fish for recreational fishing or sport-diving. But there are
many other ways in which they can be used to manage the marine habitat.
For as well as protecting existing habitat, providing purpose-built
accommodation for commercial species (such as lobsters and octupi) and
acting as sea defences, they can be an effective way of improving fish
harvests.
Japan, for example, has created vast areas of
artificial habitat - rather than isolated reefs - to increase its fish
stocks. In fact, the cultural and historical importance of seafood in
Japan is reflected by the fact that it is a world leader in reef
technology; what's more, those who construct and deploy reefs have sole
rights to the harvest.
In Europe, artificial reefs have been mainly employed
to protect habitat. Particularly so in the Mediterranean where reefs
have been sunk as physical obstacles to stop illegal trawling, which is
destroying sea grass beds and the marine life that depends on them. If
you want to protect areas of the seabed, you need something that will
stop trawlers dead in their tracks,' says Dr Antony Jensen of the
Southampton Oceanography Centre.
Italy boasts considerable artificial reef activity. It
deployed its first scientifically planned reef using concrete cubes
assembled in pyramid forms in 1974 to enhance fisheries and stop
trawling. And Spain has built nearly 50 reefs in its waters, mainly to
discourage trawling and enhance the productivity of fisheries.
Meanwhile, Britain established its first quarried rock artificial reef
in 1984 off the Scottish coast, to assess its potential for attracting
commercial species.
But while the scientific study of these structures is a
little over a quarter of a century old, artificial reefs made out of
readily available materials such as bamboo and coconuts have been used
by fishermen for centuries. And the benefits have been enormous. By
placing reefs close to home, fishermen can save time and fuel. But
unless they are carefully managed, these areas can become over- fished.
In the Philippines, for example, where artificial reef programmes have
been instigated in response to declining fish populations, catches are
often allowed to exceed the maximum potential new production of the
artificial reef because there is no proper management control.
There is no doubt that artificial reefs have lots to
offer. And while purpose-built structures are effective, the real
challenge now is to develop environmentally safe ways of using recycled
waste to increase marine diversity. This will require more scientific
research. For example, the leachates from one of the most commonly used
reef materials, tyres, could potentially be harmful to the creatures and
plants that they are supposed to attract. Yet few extensive studies
have been undertaken into the long- term effects of disposing of tyres
at sea. And at the moment, there is little consensus about what is
environmentally acceptable to dump at sea, especially when it comes to
oil and gas rigs. Clearly, the challenge is to develop environmentally
acceptable ways of disposing of our rubbish while enhancing marine life
too. What we must never be allowed to do is have an excuse for dumping
anything we like at sea.
Questions 1-3
The list below gives some of the factors that must be taken into account when deciding how to construct an artificial reef. Which THREE of these factors are mentioned by the writer of the article?
The list below gives some of the factors that must be taken into account when deciding how to construct an artificial reef. Which THREE of these factors are mentioned by the writer of the article?
Write the appropriate letters A-F in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.
A The fishing activity in the area
В The intended location of the reef
С The existing reef structures
D The type of marine life being targeted
E The function of the reef
F The cultural importance of the area
|
Questions 4-8
Complete the table below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 4-8 on your answer sheet.
Complete the table below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 4-8 on your answer sheet.
Area/Country
|
Type of Reef
|
Purpose
|
US
|
Made using old ….(4)….
|
To attract fish for leisure activities
|
Japan
|
Forms large area of artificial habitat
|
to improve ….(5)….
|
Europe
|
lies deep down to form …(6)….
|
to act as a sea defence
|
Italy
|
Consists of pyramid shapes of ….(7)…..
|
to prevent trawling
|
Britain
|
made of rock
|
to encourage ….(8)…. Fish species
|
Questions 9-12
Using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, complete the following sentences. Write your answers in boxes 9-12 on your answer sheet.
Using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, complete the following sentences. Write your answers in boxes 9-12 on your answer sheet.
In .....(9)....., people who build reefs are legally
entitled to all the fish they attract. Trawling inhibits the development
of marine life because it damages the .....(10)...... In the past, both ......(11)......were used to make reefs. To ensure that reefs are not over-fished, good ......(12)..... is required.
Question 13
Choose the appropriate letter A-D and write it in box 13 on your answer sheet.
Choose the appropriate letter A-D and write it in box 13 on your answer sheet.
13 According to the writer, the next step in the creation of artificial reefs is
A to produce an international agreement.
В to expand their use in the marine environment.
С to examine their dangers to marine life.
D to improve on purpose-built structures.
A to produce an international agreement.
В to expand their use in the marine environment.
С to examine their dangers to marine life.
D to improve on purpose-built structures.
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