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10th grade (Year 11 in England) · 16 questions · Common Core: RI.9-10.5, RL.9-10.5 · England: SAT Reading and Writing (Text Structure and Purpose), GCSE English Language Paper 1 Q3

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Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 1

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Why does the writer include the sentence 'Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river'?

    • A. to praise the farmers
    • B. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive
    • C. to introduce a new animal
    • D. to prove that beavers are harmful

  1. Question 2

    The new bridge was hailed as a triumph of engineering. Within a week, however, it had begun to sway alarmingly in the wind, and engineers closed it for repairs. Why does the writer mention that the bridge was 'hailed as a triumph'?

    • A. to contrast early praise with the problems that followed
    • B. to praise the engineers' repairs
    • C. to describe how the bridge was built
    • D. to prove the bridge was safe

  2. Question 3

    Is the proposed answer correct? Scientists studying the Arctic fox noticed something odd: one fox had walked more than 3,500 kilometres in 76 days, from Norway to Canada. What is the main purpose of the specific figures? → to compare Norway and Canada

    • A. yes, it is correct
    • B. no, it is not correct

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 4

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Why does the writer include the sentence 'Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river'?

    • A. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive
    • B. to praise the farmers
    • C. to introduce a new animal
    • D. to prove that beavers are harmful

  1. Question 5

    The new bridge was hailed as a triumph of engineering. Within a week, however, it had begun to sway alarmingly in the wind, and engineers closed it for repairs. Why does the writer mention that the bridge was 'hailed as a triumph'?

    • A. to describe how the bridge was built
    • B. to praise the engineers' repairs
    • C. to contrast early praise with the problems that followed
    • D. to prove the bridge was safe

  2. Question 6

    Is the proposed answer correct? The new bridge was hailed as a triumph of engineering. Within a week, however, it had begun to sway alarmingly in the wind, and engineers closed it for repairs. Why does the writer mention that the bridge was 'hailed as a triumph'? → to contrast early praise with the problems that followed

    • A. yes, it is correct
    • B. no, it is not correct

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 7

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Why does the writer include the sentence 'Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river'?

    • A. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive
    • B. to praise the farmers
    • C. to introduce a new animal
    • D. to prove that beavers are harmful

  1. Question 8

    The company advertises its trainers as 'built to last'. Our tests found that the soles of three out of five pairs had split within two months. Why does the writer quote the slogan 'built to last'?

    • A. to agree with the company
    • B. to recommend the trainers
    • C. to highlight the gap between the company's claim and the test results
    • D. to describe the trainers' design

  2. Question 9

    Is the proposed answer correct? The match was tied with ten seconds left. In the stands, an elderly man who had not missed a home game in fifty years stood up for the first time all season. Why does the writer include the detail about the elderly man? → to introduce the main character

    • A. yes, it is correct
    • B. no, it is not correct

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 10

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Why does the writer include the sentence 'Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river'?

    • A. to introduce a new animal
    • B. to prove that beavers are harmful
    • C. to praise the farmers
    • D. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive

  1. Question 11

    The company advertises its trainers as 'built to last'. Our tests found that the soles of three out of five pairs had split within two months. Why does the writer quote the slogan 'built to last'?

    • A. to recommend the trainers
    • B. to agree with the company
    • C. to highlight the gap between the company's claim and the test results
    • D. to describe the trainers' design

  2. Question 12

    Is the proposed answer correct? Mara's grandmother kept every letter she had ever received in a biscuit tin. When the tin was finally opened, it held sixty years of a friendship carried on across two continents. Why does the writer mention the biscuit tin? → to explain what the grandmother ate

    • A. yes, it is correct
    • B. no, it is not correct

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 13

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Why does the writer include the sentence 'Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river'?

    • A. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive
    • B. to prove that beavers are harmful
    • C. to praise the farmers
    • D. to introduce a new animal

  1. Question 14

    Scientists studying the Arctic fox noticed something odd: one fox had walked more than 3,500 kilometres in 76 days, from Norway to Canada. What is the main purpose of the specific figures?

    • A. to explain why foxes migrate
    • B. to make the fox's journey vivid and impressive
    • C. to compare Norway and Canada
    • D. to show the scientists made errors

  2. Question 15

    Is the proposed answer correct? The match was tied with ten seconds left. In the stands, an elderly man who had not missed a home game in fifty years stood up for the first time all season. Why does the writer include the detail about the elderly man? → to show how tense and important the moment was

    • A. yes, it is correct
    • B. no, it is not correct

Beavers Come Home

Four hundred years after they were hunted to extinction in Britain, beavers are back. Small populations now live wild in parts of Scotland and England, and several other European countries have reintroduced them too. Ecologists describe beavers as "ecosystem engineers". By building dams, they create ponds and wetlands that slow the flow of water, trap sediment and provide homes for insects, amphibians and birds. In one Devon study, the amount of water flowing downstream during heavy rain was noticeably lower below beaver dams than above them, suggesting that dams can help reduce flooding. Not everyone is delighted. Some farmers report flooded fields and felled trees, and they worry about the cost. Their concerns are real, and schemes in some areas now compensate landowners or move beavers whose dams cause serious damage. Supporters argue that the benefits outweigh the costs. Wetlands created by beavers can store water during droughts, improve water quality and attract visitors. Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river, and long-term data are still limited. What is clear is that the return of beavers forces us to ask a broader question: how much room are we willing to make for wild animals in a crowded country?

  1. Question 16

    Read "Beavers Come Home". Why does the writer include the sentence 'Yet researchers caution that results vary from river to river'?

    • A. to praise the farmers
    • B. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive
    • C. to prove that beavers are harmful
    • D. to introduce a new animal

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Answer key: Why did the author include this detail?

  1. 1. B. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive

  2. 2. A. to contrast early praise with the problems that followed

  3. 3. B. no, it is not correct

  4. 4. A. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive

  5. 5. C. to contrast early praise with the problems that followed

  6. 6. A. yes, it is correct

  7. 7. A. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive

  8. 8. C. to highlight the gap between the company's claim and the test results

  9. 9. B. no, it is not correct

  10. 10. D. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive

  11. 11. C. to highlight the gap between the company's claim and the test results

  12. 12. B. no, it is not correct

  13. 13. A. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive

  14. 14. B. to make the fox's journey vivid and impressive

  15. 15. A. yes, it is correct

  16. 16. B. to show that the evidence is not yet conclusive