IELTS Rewind

IELTS Reading Practice Test: A new role for livestock guard dogs

Practice your IELTS reading skills with this comprehensive 14-question test. Time limit: 20 minutes.

Reading Passage Content Summary

## A new role for livestock guard dogs **Livestock guard dogs, traditionally used to protect farm animals from predators, are now being used to protect the predators themselves** **A** For thousands of years, livestock guard dogs worked alongside shepherds to protect their sheep, goats and cattle...

Question Types Included

  • matching-information (5 questions)
  • classification (5 questions)
  • summary-completion (4 questions)

Test Information

  • Total Questions: 14
  • Time Limit: 20 minutes
  • Level: Intermediate to Advanced
  • Format: IELTS Academic Reading

A new role for livestock guard dogs

Reading Passage Content

This page contains IELTS reading practice materials with comprehensive questions and explanations.

Reading Comprehension Questions

Questions 1–5: Matching Information

Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A–G, in boxes 1–5. NB You may use any letter more than once.

1. an example of how one predator has been protected by the introduction of livestock guard dogs
2. an optimistic suggestion about the possible positive developments in the use of livestock guard dogs
3. a description of how the methods used by livestock guard dogs help to keep predators away
4. claims by different academics that the use of livestock guard dogs is a successful way of protecting farmers’ herds
5. a reference to how livestock guard dogs gain their skills

Questions 6–10: Classification

Classify the following according to the passage.
Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 6–10.

List of People

  • A. Dan Macon
  • B. Silvia Ribeiro
  • C. Linda van Bommel
  • D. Julie Young
  • E. Bethany Smith
6. The use of guard dogs may save the lives of both livestock and wild animals.
7. Claims of a change in behaviour from those using livestock guard dogs may not be totally accurate.
8. There may be negative results if the use of livestock guard dogs is not sufficiently widespread.
9. Livestock guard dogs are the best way of protecting farm animals, as long as the dogs are appropriately handled.
10. Teaching a livestock guard dog how to do its work needs a different focus from teaching a house guard dog.

Questions 11–14: Summary Completion

Complete the summary below.
Write the answer in ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 11–14.

Unintended ecological effects of using guard dogs

In Namibia, livestock guard dogs have been used to protect domestic animals from attacks by cheetahs. This has led to a rise in the deaths of other predators, particularly 11. . In addition, it has been suggested that the dogs could have 12. which may affect other species, and that they may reduce the amount of 13. available to certain wild animals. On the other hand, these dogs may help birds by protecting their nests. These might otherwise be threatened by predators such as 14. .

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Exam Duration:
min
Standard test • Range: 5-180 minutes
20 min
14 questions
IELTS Reading #74: A new role for livestock guard dogs | IELTS Rewind