TEST 1 21
Reading Passage 2
Taking soundings
A Until recently it was thought that dolphins, porpoises and bats were the only
mammals to use echolocation to locate prey and to navigate their environment.
New research suggests that ‘great whales’, like the blue whale and the humpback
whale, might be able to ‘see’ in a similar way. Underwater sound recordings of
humpback whales have captured sonar clicks similar to those made by dolphins.
B The ability of ‘great whales’ to use sound to communicate has been known for
decades. In deep water, where light cannot penetrate, whales use sound like we use
our eyes. Low frequency vocalizations, in the form of grunts and moans are inaudible
to the human ear, but form a pattern or song that enables whales to recognize their
own species. Blue whales are the loudest animals on earth and their sounds can
travel for hundreds of kilometres. Highly sensitive hearing allows whales to avoid
shipping and to orientate themselves to the land by listening to waves crashing on
the shore. Whales might also use sound to detect the seabed or polar ice packs by
listening to the echoes of their own whale song. Man-made ocean sound, or ‘noise
pollution’, can drown out whale calls. Increasing amounts of background noise from
motorized shipping and from oil and gas drilling is making it difficult for whales to
communicate and navigate via sound.
C Echolocation, also called bisonar, is a different form of sensory perception.
A dolphin, for example, sends out a series of short clicks and waits for an echo to be
reflected back from the obstacle or prey. Both the size and distance of an object can
be determined from the echo. The clicks, known as ultrasound, consist of high-pitch
(frequency) sound waves, well above the range of the human ear, and distinct from
the low-pitched whale song. Whilst there is evidence supporting the use of ultrasound
by whales, it has not been shown that they can use echolocation. Instead, the clicks
might serve to scare and control shoals of small fish on which some whales prey.
D A major concern of environmentalists is that high-power military sonar might dis
orientate or harm whales, and that it is responsible for the mass strandings seen on
beaches. However, whales were beaching themselves before the invention of sonar
and evidence from fossils indicates that stranding goes back thousands of years.
Today though, stranding occurs more frequently in waters where navy training
exercises take place. The impact of man-made sonar on the stranding of whales
22 How to Master the IELTS
and dolphins can no longer be ignored. Following pressure from environmentalists,
US law requires that the navy take steps to minimize the effects of sonar on mammals
wherever possible. Most of these precautions are common sense and include avoid
ing whale migration routes when whales are present, not operating the sonar when
dolphins are riding a bow wave, and checking to see if a stranding has taken place
after sonar has been deployed.
E The phenomenon of stranding is not well understood but it can occur for entirely
natural reasons. One explanation involves the ability of whales, like many animals, to
use the earth’s magnetic field for direction finding. Ocean currents are thought to
cause fluctuations in the earth’s magnetic field, which may leave whales vulnerable
to navigation errors when they migrate to their breeding grounds. Other reasons for
stranding include straying into shallow coastal water when following prey, or when
attempting to escape predators such as killer whales. Sea currents, winds and
storms are all known to play their part. When a single whale is found dead on a beach
it might have died from natural causes out at sea and been washed up on shore. It is
apparent that multiple deaths at sea cannot produce a ‘mass stranding’ on a single
beach because the carcases would have washed up along different parts of the
shoreline. In these circumstances there is concern that the multiple deaths may be
man-made, linked to marine pollution, over-fishing, which deprives the whales of
food, or entanglement with nets. However, a mass stranding of whales on a single
beach, like those shown on television, can also arise naturally. Whales are social
animals that swim in groups known as ‘pods’. Some scientists have speculated that
if a sick or injured whale takes refuge in shallower water the rest of the pod might
follow on to become trapped when the tide goes out.
Questions 54 to 58
Reading Passage 2 has five paragraphs A to E.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write A, B, C, D or E. You may use any letter more than once.
54 an example of sound being used other than for navigation and location of prey
55 examples of mammals other than whales and dolphins that use echolocation
56 how man’s behaviour has increased the number of whales being stranded
TEST 1 23
57 an example of whales living in a community
58 why people cannot hear whale song.
Questions 59 to 62
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
The harmful effects of high-power sonar on whales are a 59 .
It is recognized that the navy pose a threat to whales during 60 when
the number of beachings have been observed to increase. The impact of sonar on
mammals can be lessened by taking a number of 61 steps.
For example, it is clear that ships with sonar equipment should keep away from
whale 62 .
Questions 63 to 66
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONLY ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
Several reasons, not linked with human activities, have been proposed to explain why
whales beach themselves. Changes in the earth’s magnetic compass can lead to
mistakes in 63 . Alternatively, whales might
stray into shallow water when pursued by 64 ,
or to chase prey, and then become trapped by the tide. Whilst one whale on a beach
might have died naturally out at sea and been washed ashore, a group of whales
65 because their bodies would appear
on different stretches of sand. ‘Mass stranding’ appears to be linked to the
66 nature of whales and their tendency to swim
into shallow water as a group.
