A Scottish Wildlife Safari - Ready for Reading

B2 First · Multiple Choice Reading · Ready for B2 First 4th Edition, Macmillan Education Limited

You are going to read an article about a wildlife safari in Scotland. For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

It's nearly one o'clock and I'm waiting expectantly with my wife and two daughters in a car park on the edge of the Scottish town of Fort William. We're arranged to meet Ian MacLeod, a local guide who'll be taking us on a half-day tour to see, we hope, some of the area's rich diversity of wildlife – seals, otters, sea birds and maybe even deer or eagle. There's no guarantee, of course, as animals come and go as they please, but the numerous five-star reviews online have led us to believe that we will be in the best hands possible. On the hour, a minibus with the words 'Wild West Safari' emblazoned on its side pulls into the car park and out steps Ian, beaming from ear to ear. It's difficult not to warm to his cheerful, friendly manner and we all seem to hit it off with him from the start. This is particularly reassuring, since no one else has signed up for today's safari. It's just the five of us in the 9-seater minibus. 'I have to compete with a number of other attractions,' says Ian, by way of explanation. The Jacobite steam train, Loch Ness boat trips, the mountain rope course... 'A lot of families on holiday here opt for those things first.' So, probably, would we, I reflect silently, if the decision were left to my teenage daughters. We set off. Not far from Fort William we take the car ferry across a narrow stretch of water to Corran, and then follow the road that skirts the waters of Loch Linnhe. 'The road is not fully in yet, so we should see some seals along here,' Ian predicts. And sure enough, ten minutes later we are rewarded with the sight of a solitary seal basking on a rock, barely distinguishable at first, as still as the water rises slowly around them. It's a first for my daughters and their excitement is palpable. So too is their father's sense of relief and satisfaction – this was all his idea, after all. We're soon back in the minibus and heading off further down the loch to look for others. We park up in a small lay-by and while our guide bolts on water on a camping stove for a cup of tea, we scan the loch for movements. If only it were, he replies, when we ask him if this is his sole occupation, but he adds quickly, 'I really can't complain, though.' He explains that he also drives doctors out to patients in remote areas, a job which affords him plenty of quiet moments in which he can read up on the region's flora and fauna, local history and even geology, information he can pass on to his grateful safari customers. And the reality is a mine of information; we learn about the Ice Age in Scotland, the Jacobite Rebellion of the 18th century, the healing properties of the plants we see, the biting habits of midges (the west coast's ubiquitous mosquito-like), and to help us become independent wildlife observers, the ideal places to spot various Scottish animals in our own time. Which is a good job, because although we see several interesting water birds such as eider ducks and mergansers, the other wildlife, particularly the otter, remains elusive. Time's up, though – there's a ferry to catch and Ian's evening shift begins soon. We take the same road back to Corran, pleased at the day's results but slightly disappointed not to have seen our first ever wild otter. Suddenly, Ian glimpses something out of his side window. 'Otter!' he shouts and we skid to a halt. There's a pure delight in his voice and for a brief moment, he's one of us. He's lived in the area for over thirty years, but he cannot hide his excitement at seeing this most elusive of creatures, as if for the first time. No wonder he loves his job.

has many satisfied customers.

has a very informative website.

is not the most punctual of people.

is not confident they will see much.

In the first paragraph, the writer suggests that Ian

do not turn up for tours they have booked.

do not want to travel in a crowded minibus.

do not find Ian very easy to get on with.

do not consider a wildlife safari a priority.

In the second paragraph, we learn that some visitors to the area

impressed by the accuracy of Ian's predictions

reassured that he had made the right choice of activity

surprised at how quickly they had spotted some wildlife

pleased that his daughters had been the first to see them

How did the writer feel when they saw the seals?

It is not as profitable as his other job.

It used to be his only source of income.

He wishes he could dedicate himself full-time to it.

There are certain aspects of it that he doesn't like.

What does Ian say about his work as a wildlife safari guide?

an otter

being a wildlife guide

the writer's family holiday

learning where to look for wildlife

What does 'Which' refer to in the fifth paragraph?

have never seen an otter in the wild before.

react to seeing the otter in the same way.

watch the otter together from the roadside.

are very noisy in the presence of the otter.

When the writer says 'he's one of us', he means that Ian and the writer's family

A Scottish Wildlife Safari

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