Copyright 1996

Australia, is that once here, the first Australians  was much greener.  
 
Questions 28-37 
Below is a summary of Reading Passage 3. Complete the summary by choosing 
ONE suitable word from the list below. Write your answers in the spaces 
numbered 28-37 on the answer sheet. 
Note that there are more words than you need. 
SUMMARY 
Recent 28 _____________ findings in Australia indicate that previous ideas 
about Aboriginal 29 --------------------may need to be revised. Charcoal radio- 
carbon dating of 30---------------------found in different campsites provides 
evidence of a society that goes back as far as 50,000 years. Furthermore, vast 
numbers of 31 _____________ have been discovered buried in the Lake Victoria 
region, leading researchers to reconsider their estimates of 32 -------------------  
before white settlement. It appears that there may have been 10 times as many 
33______________as was previously thought. 
If we go back far enough, we can consider the Aborigines as the first migrants 
because they would have been able to come 34._____________ from Papua 
New Guinea during the last Ice Age. During this 35-------------------- there was a 
land 36______________ between Arnhem Land and Papua New Guinea which 
would have facilitated movement. The land itself would have been more 
37.. ____________than nowadays with fresh-water fish in the lakes and plenty 
 
of vegetation.  
 
 
List of words  
 
 
period  
civilization  
habitable  
population  
skeletons  
inhabitants  
link  
archaeological  
across  
century  
exploration  
out  
settled  
implements  
 

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Questions 38-42 
The table below sets out information from the passage in three categories: former 
beliefs about Aboriginal Australia, recent changes to these beliefs, and the 
evidence for these changes. Sort the items of information below the table into their 
appropriate categories. Write the letters A-E next to the numbers 38-42 on the 
answer sheet. 
 
Table  
Former beliefs  
Recent changes               Evidence for changes  
38                       "       39.  
human beings had 
inhabited Australia for 
less than 10,000 years 
40. _____    _         -   
41.                                42.  
 
 
Items of information 
 
A   the population was between 250,000 and 500,000   
B   graves were discovered at Lake Victoria  
 
C   the population could have been about 3,000,000  
 
D   tools from different campsites were radio-carbon dated  
E   Australia's Aboriginal civilization goes back about 45,000 years  
 
 

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Reflections on the Reading Test 
1 .   Did you finish the test in 60 minutes? 
Q   Yes Q   No 
2.  Did you look at the questions before you read the passages? 
Q   Yes  Q   No 
Look at Hints for the Reading Test on page 10. 
3. 
When you couldn't understand a section or weren't able to answer a 
question did you go on to the next one? 
Q   Yes  Q   No 
Look at Hints for the Reading Test on page 10. 
4. 
Did you spend a lot of time trying to understand unknown words? 
Q   Yes  Q   No 
Ask a teacher how to practise strategies for understanding ideas without 
knowing all the words. 
5. 
Did you answer the questions according to the instructions? 
Q   Yes  Q   No 
Go back to the test and read the instructions carefully. 
6.  Were some kinds of questions difficult for you? 
Q   Yes  Q   No 
If you can, ask a teacher for practice materials with the difficult 
kinds of questions. 
7.  Were some reading passages difficult for you? 
Q   Yes Q   No 
Practise reading different styles of written English, for example 
newspaper 
articles or reports. Try to develop a wider vocabulary. 

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