First self-assessment Test Length: 2:30 hours

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1 BMV1 English Pretest 2012 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine First Year First self-assessment Test Length: 2:30 hours This examination is machine marked. Use only black or blue biro. Make sure the boxes are completely filled with ink or you will not receive credit for the answer. Make sure you read the questions and answer choices very carefully and remember that the correct answer refers to what is said in the text, so do not answer from your general knowledge. If you think several choices are plausible, always select the most precise and accurate one. Do not guess: wrong answers are penalized. u Put your name and student ID on both sheets as required. I. Reading Comprehension THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND WILDLIFE (accessed on 6th June 2012) 1. Cats through the ages have been cruelly persecuted and almost wiped out at times for various reasons, most notably during the Middle Ages when they became all but extinct in Europe due to suspicion and fear that they were witches in disguise. The result was that rats were able to proliferate and bubonic plague or Black Death, which is carried by the rat flea, killed one third of the known human population. It is worth noting that the plague bacillus is still present today in many countries including developed countries like the USA and Australia. 2. No one knows the number of smaller animals killed by cats each year. MISSING LINK A -, it is easy to exaggerate the figures. But it has been estimated there are well over 100 million owned and feral cats in the USA able to prey on wildlife, which translates to a substantial number of potential kills. Estimates of Australia's feral cat population range from four million to 12 million and probably neither estimate is right. In Britain the figure suggested is something over 8 million cats and the British Mammal Society points out that MISSING LINK B - it is unlikely that cats alone will cause any species to become endangered in Britain, for those which are already under pressure for other reasons, cats could become a significant hazard. 3. Cats may outcompete native predators for food and disrupt the balance of nature. Even rodents, the preferred prey of most cats and a pest in houses and other buildings and on farms, are food for desirable wildlife species in some areas. The owned, well-fed cat can be just as efficient a hunter as the feral or stray; in fact owned cats have a big advantage, being protected from disease and immune to starvation brought about by overcompetition and changes in prey populations, factors that limit native predators. 4. Throughout history, cats have been great survivors but contrary to popular belief, this does not mean that dumped or abandoned cats will always survive. A great many die dreadful deaths 1

2 BMV1 English Pretest 2012 due to starvation, predators and disease, but if they do manage to establish themselves where there is a ready food source, they and their offspring can impact very seriously on wildlife to the point of total decimation in small confined areas such as islands and where habitat fragmentation has occurred due to human activities. 5. Cats are prolific breeders, being capable of producing two to three litters per year, four to six kittens per litter. One abandoned non-neutered female cat has the potential to produce 18 kittens per year, and if each of these breeds at the same rate, after a few years the exponential number of kittens that have resulted from that one original cat is quite staggering. MISSING LINK C -, established feral populations appear to be self-limiting, which may be due to reduced litter size and/or non-survival of the kittens. 6. Cats are very adaptable to the environment. They are nocturnal and can derive most of their moisture requirements from the prey they catch. This means they are able to survive in arid areas where they represent a particular threat to wildlife populations which may be marginal already. 7. Cats are one of the routes of transmission of some parasites and diseases, such as toxoplasmosis and sarcosporidiosis, to native animals, other domestic animals and humans. A far greater concern is if rabies ever enters a country like the USA or Australia because cats are one of the many species that can contract and carry this disease. MISSING LINK D - rabies got into feral populations of susceptible animals, it would spread like wildfire and be almost impossible to control. 8. This being said, there s no denying that cats are the world s most popular companion animals. In the mind of felinophiles, and that s millions of people worldwide, there is little competition when it comes to the cats versus wildlife debate the cats win every time and let s face it, they have as much right to live as any species of wildlife or other animal on earth. 9. Tim Lowe (1999) in his book Feral Future points out that because urban cats may be observed to kill birds, they are often condemned as major killers. However ecologically there is nothing wrong with this predation is a fact of life. Lowe discusses the fact that pet cats are the urban equivalent of other bird predators like falcons and owls and that hunting only becomes a worry if the death rate of birds exceeds their birth rate. 10. Cats have not caused the extinction of any mainland species of native animals, nor are they a threat to any mainland ecosystem; in fact, they may have an integral part to play in the balance of many ecosystems even in countries like Australia, where cats were probably not introduced until the sixteenth century and had few natural predators, though contrary to popular belief they did have some, including dingoes and the Aboriginal people themselves, who regarded cats as a significant food source. 11. Cats eat mainly rodents and small rabbits, the so-called pest species. If these animals are not available, only then will they prey on birds and other wildlife. Several studies have indicated that cats play a crucial role in regulating rabbit populations in Australia, a country that has spent a fortune on trying to control rabbits by other means. Normal domestic cats with some hunting experience can kill a rabbit or hare not much less than their own weight. Long-established feral cat colonies become part of the ecosystem in an area and their removal could well upset the complex balance between other predators and prey, native and introduced, in ways not fully understood. Several studies have proved that once cats are established in an area, they are 2

3 BMV1 English Pretest 2012 fiercely territorial and removal of them achieves nothing because it simply allows others to move in. 12. Research indicates that nearly 50% of domestic cats do not hunt at all. Of those that do, nearly 40% catch rats and mice only, and 24% catch introduced birds. Only 4% of domestic cats catch native birds. Stray cats mainly eat rats, mice and garbage. 13. A well-known Queensland Parks and Wildlife education officer, though not particularly a cat lover himself, was famous for saying in his talks to environmental groups that he'd show them the big cat that was killing all the wildlife - and would show a slide of a big Cat (Caterpillar) bulldozer. POSSIBLE GAP A. 14. An article posted on the Community Biodiversity Network pointed out that Australia is the biggest clearer of woodlands and forests of any developed country on Earth. MISSING LINK E., evidence indicates that an average of about 500,000 hectares of native bush is being cleared every year - or more than 100 football fields destroyed every hour in Australia. Land clearing is having a devastating effect on millions of birds, reptiles and other animals, which are killed immediately or die from starvation or injury soon after their habitats are destroyed. According to Dr Garnett, author of the new Action Plan for Australian Birds, 7.5 million birds are killed every year as a result of land clearing. There are now 24 bird species of woodland birds listed as threatened in the Southern Brigalow Belt. POSSIBLE GAP B Cat predation is only one of a host of environmental hazards to native wildlife, the foremost being destruction of habitat, followed in no particular order by cars, foxes, rabbits, rats, hoofed animals, changes to water ways, introduced birds, pollution and others. Habitat destruction due to urbanisation, industrialisation and the keeping of horses is often final with the species becoming locally extinct. It is habitat destruction, not cat predation, which is the greatest threat to wildlife. POSSIBLE GAP C Even where cat predation is considered a problem, it is again the fault of humans for failure to neuter and allowing cats to breed indiscriminately, then later abandoning them in bushland areas to fend for themselves. It seems that of all the cat management strategies proposed or in place, desexing and education about responsible cat ownership have been the most effective. The other strategy thought to be effective is compulsory cat registration but now it s unclear whether it is having much long-term effect in reducing the stray cat problem in areas where it has been introduced. A major criticism is that it simply places an added burden on cat owners who do the right thing anyway. 17. The backyard feeding of native birds does neither birds nor cats any favours, unless the birds are starving due to adverse climatic conditions. Bird feeders are irresistable magnets to cats, but a far bigger problem is that feeding birds attracts large grain-eating birds, which soon displace the smaller species like honey eaters and various insect eaters. Even worse is encouraging the large meat-eating birds like currawongs* with handouts of mince. Currawongs with their melodious call have taken over completely in some urban areas; not only do they viciously attack and drive away other birds, but they raid nests and eat eggs and baby birds. Other reasons wildlife experts discourage the feeding of native birds is that the birds become dependent on it, also the diet fed is often not correct or balanced for the species. 18. Does a feral cat problem even exist? Opinions differ widely because there is no way of calculating what if any damage is done to the ecology by feral cats except on islands and in 3

4 BMV1 English Pretest 2012 fragmented habitat situations. Nor is there any real way of telling how much damage is caused by cats and how much by other predators. And is it all damage anyway? Cats may be just as important to long-term ecological balance as other species. In Australia in the early 1800s, cats were deliberately released into the wild to control wildlife species considered undesirable at that time. The descendants of these cats and others that might have been in Australia for up to two centuries before that would certainly be part of natural ecosystems by now. POSSIBLE GAP D *large magpies living in Australia and Asia I. Five linking words have been deleted from the article. Decide which of the following fit in the gaps left in your text. 1. MISSING LINK A ( 2) 1) Despite 2) However 3) Therefore 4) Unfortunately 2. MISSING LINK B ( 2) 1) Also 2) Although 3) Because 4) Unless 3. MISSING LINK C ( 5) 1) As a result 2) However 3) In fact 4) Indeed 4. MISSING LINK D ( 7) 1) If 2) Unless 3) When 4) Whereas 5. MISSING LINK E ( 14) 1) Actually 2) At present 3) Fortunately 4) Nevertheless II. Decide whether the statements below are True (1) or False / Not said (2). 6. Millions of cats were burned at the stake in the medieval period because they were thought to be agents of the devil. 7. The superstitious minds of the Middle Ages persecuted cats so badly that cat populations almost completely disappeared in Europe. 8. The plague epidemic that took place in the Middle Ages and killed one out of three people in Europe was a consequence of the dramatic decrease in cat populations. 4

5 9. There are more than one hundred million stray cats in the USA today. 10. Because cats easily adapt to the environment, most of them are able to survive in the wild if they are dumped or abandoned. 11. Abandoned cats sometimes die from disease or injuries but never because they can t find food; they always manage to find enough to eat. 12. An abandoned spayed female cat can give birth to more than 15 kittens a year, which means that feral and stray cat populations can multiply and end up impacting wildlife extremely rapidly. 13. Cats were the main route of propagation of rabies in Australia when they were introduced in the country in the 16th century. 14. According to Tim Lowe, the fact that urban cats catch and kill birds cannot be regarded as an ecological issue. 15. When they were introduced in Australia in the 16th century, cats were hunted and eaten by local peoples but did not have any animal predators. 16. Cats prey includes birds, rodents as well as rabbits and hares in decreasing order of preference. 17. Feral cats in Australia do not disrupt the ecosystem of the areas where they have long been established in numbers and their removal could even upset its delicate balance. 18. According to some studies, the reputation of cats as wildlife predators is exaggerated, for the majority of domestic cats never hunt and thus catch prey. 19. Destruction of natural habitat due to deforestation, which is taking place at a faster rate in Australia than in any other developed country, represents a greater danger to native wildlife than cat predation. 20. Cat predation only represents one danger to wildlife in Australia, after destruction of habitat, cars, other predators and pests, and changes to water ways to mention only a few. 21. Even in places where cat predation is recognised as an issue, it cannot be blamed on cats, but rather on careless owners who did not take their responsibilities. 22. In addition to cat desexing and cat ownership responsibility education, compulsory cat registration has served to reduce stray cat populations drastically for the next decades. 23. It can be inferred from the article that its author advises against putting out food for birds provided they can find some on their own. 24. There are linguistic clues in the article that its author is a woman. 25. It can be safely concluded that the author of the article is a cat hater. III. Choose the correct answer. 26. It can be inferred from the article that 1) feral, stray and domestic cats are different cats. 2) feral, stray and owned are different words used to describe the same animals. 3) stray, owned and domestic cats are the same. 4) the adjectives feral and stray can be used to refer to the same cat populations. 27. Which of the following characteristics applies to feral cats according to the information given in the article? 1) Living in large colonies, they are largely immune to disease. 2) They are able to adapt to difficult living conditions including drought. 3) They can be considered better predators than such large bird predators as owls and falcons. 4) They end up living in colonies which often continue to increase in numbers indefinitely. 28. As cats are prolific breeders, they and their offspring are likely to inflict serious damage on wildlife 1) everywhere. 2) in arid areas where food is scarce. 3) in small confined or fragmented zones. 4) Both 2 and 3 are true. 29. According to Tim Lowe, urban domestic cats 5

6 1) can kill many kinds of birds including falcons. 2) do not kill enough birds to represent a threat to native species. 3) mainly, if not only, hunt and hence catch and kill birds close to the ground. 4) unfortunately kill more birds than rodents. 30. According to article, 1) Australia spent a fortune to develop cat species able to kill adult rabbits and hares. 2) cats serve to control rabbit populations in Australia. 3) cats were introduced in Australia to regulate rabbit populations. 4) NONE OF THESE 31. Land clearing and destruction of wildlife habitat in Australia 1) actually kill more feral cats than other wildlife species. 2) destroy woods covering a surface area equal to one million football fields every year. 3) have immediate or longer-term harmful impact on millions of animals of different types. 4) kill 7.5 million birds of 24 different species, which are now considered endangered. 32. Which of the following reasons for not putting out food for birds is NOT mentioned in the article? 1) Birds likely become dependent on food they can find very easily. 2) The birds that are fed so easily accessed food will likely starve in winter. 3) The food likely attracts large grain-eating birds, which will dislodge smaller birds. 4) The food put out for birds is not always one that suits their needs. 33. This is an insert text question. You can see four gaps in paragraphs 13, 14, 15, 18 that represent possible answer choices. Decide at which gap the sentence below is best inserted. It was a great way to emphasise the fact that the destruction or fragmentation of habitat by humans is the main reason species become extinct or threatened. 1) POSSIBLE GAP A 2) POSSIBLE GAP B 3) POSSIBLE GAP C 4) POSSIBLE GAP D IV. Provide synonyms for the words below (underlined in the article) 34. proliferate ( 1) 1) multiply 2) outlive 3) spread 4) threaten 35. offspring ( 4) 1) parents 2) progeny 3) relatives 4) sibling 36. hazard ( 15) 1) chance 2) danger 3) likelihood 4) threaten 6

7 37. released ( 18) 1) caught 2) freed 3) hunted 4) removed II. Veterinary Vocabulary 38. Which of the following words does NOT designate a disease? 1) bird flu 2) anthrax 3) foot-and-mouth 4) hand-stripping 39. Which of the following words does NOT designate a part of the body? 1) bladder 2) bowel 3) goat 4) hoof 40. Which of the following nouns designates a place where some animals live? 1) clutch 2) hump 3) hutch 4) niche 41. Which of the following nouns CANNOT be used with blood to form a compound (as in blood vessel)? 1) cell count 2) sampling 3) screening 4) smear 42. Which of the following terms designates a young animal? 1) chicken 2) lamb 3) lapdog 4) poodle 43. Which of the following is an entire male which can serve as a breeding animal? 1) bull 2) gelding 3) kitten 4) mutton 44. Which of the following words is seen in both dogs and birds? 1) claw 7

8 2) feather 3) muzzle 4) wing 45. Which of the following words CANNOT be considered a clinical sign? 1) clotting 2) coughing 3) itching 4) sneezing 46. Which of the following nouns does NOT designate medical or surgical equipment? 1) drape 2) probe 3) syringe 4) wound 47. Which of the following words is a synonym for leg? 1) clump 2) joint 3) limb 4) lip III.Language 48. Which of the following sentences is correct? 1) Most of the people think that guide dogs provide an invaluable service to the blind. 2) Most people think that guide dogs provide an invaluable service to the blind. 3) Most people think that the guide dogs provide an invaluable service to the blinds. 4) Most peoples think that guide dogs provide an invaluable service to the blinds. 49. Which of the following sentences is correct? 1) Cattle are the largest source of methane emissions resulting from human activity. 2) Cattle are the largest source of methane s emissions resulting from humans activities. 3) Cattle is the largest source of methane emissions resulting from human s activity. 4) Cattle is the largest sources of methane s emissions resulting from human activities. 50. Which of the following sentences is correct? 1) Research has shown that passive smoking causes severe nose, airways and lung damage in household pets. 2) Research has shown that the passive smoking causes severe nose, airways and lung damages in household pets. 3) Researches have shown that passive smoking causes severe nose, airways and lung damages in household pets. 4) Researchs have shown that the passive smoking causes severe nose, airways and lung damage in household pets. 51. Which of the following sentences is correct? 1) Chocolate, a female young Labrador, has given birth to three black little cute puppies. 2) Chocolate, a young female Labrador, has given birth to three little cute puppies black. 3) Chocolate, a young female Labrador, has given birth to three cute little black puppies. 4) Chocolate, a female young Labrador, has given birth to three black cute little puppies. 8

9 52. Which of the following sentences is correct? 1) The larger is your dog, the more susceptible to joint problems it will be. 2) The larger your dog is, the more susceptible to joint problems it will be. 3) The largest is your dog, the most susceptible to joint problems it will be. 4) The largest your dog is, the most susceptible to joint problems it will be. 53. Which of the following sentences is correct? 1) Gerbils are least popular than other pet rodents as hamsters and guinea pigs. 2) Gerbils are not as popular as other pet rodents like hamsters and guinea pigs. 3) Gerbils are not as popular than other pet rodents like hamsters and guinea pigs. 4) Gerbils are not so popular as other pet rodents as hamsters and guinea pigs. 54. If your horse regularly, it rain rot and dandruff. 1) had been groomed would not have developed 2) has been groomed would not develop 3) was been groomed would not have developped 4) was groomed would not have been developping 55. Last week, my 12-year-old German shepherd badly injured by a car along the road and. 1) had been found must have been euthanized 2) has been found had to be euthanized 3) was been found must have been euthanized 4) was found had to be euthanized 56. How long your beef cattle herd when it BSE last year? 1) did you had contracted 2) did you have has contracted 3) had you had contracted 4) have you had has contracted 57. Dozens of dogs in New Mexico since December because they to rabid animals and. 1) had been euthanized were exposed weren t vaccinated 2) have been euthanized were exposed hadn t been vaccinated 3) were euthanized are exposed haven t been vaccinated 4) will have been euthanized were exposed haven t been vaccinated 58. My son in the USA as soon as he the NAVLE, the licensing exam taken by all US vets. 1) settles passes 2) settles will pass 3) will settle passes 4) will settle will pass 59. When I walk my mother s dog, I wish she a Great Dane. 1) did not have 2) had not 3) had not had 4) would not have had 60. You a mare which is 7 months pregnant. It s too much strain. She her baby. 9

10 1) had not to ride might have hurted 2) must not have ridden could have hurted 3) should not have ridden might have hurt 4) should not have rided could have hurt 61. No horse all three of the Triple Crown races for thirty-two years. 1) could win 2) has been able to win 3) has been allowed to win 4) was able to win 62. being seriously injured, Otto, a six-year-old rescue dog, saved the lives of three children. 1) Despite 2) However 3) Unless 4) Unlike 63. Dining out with your dog can be a fun experience for both of you, your dog is ready for a restaurant environment. 1) in case 2) provided 3) unless 4) whether 64. animals, green plants make their own food in a process known photosynthesis., all animals need to find their food. 1) Contrary to like - Therefore 2) Despite like On the other hand 3) Though as - Indeed 4) Unlike as By contrast 65. My affectionate kitty produced a litter of kittens, had curled ears. 1) of which two 2) two of which 3) two of whose 4) whose two 10