| TRUE | if the statement agrees with the information |
| FALSE | if the statement contradicts the information |
| NOT GIVEN | if there is no information on this |
The great barrier reef
It is the world’s most extensive coral reef and has some of the richest biological diversity found anywhere. The Great Barrier Reef contains extensive areas of sea grass, mangrove, sandy and muddy seabed communities, inter-reefal areas, deep oceanic waters and island communities. Contrary to popular belief, the Great Barrier Reef is not a continuous barrier, but a broken maze of around 2.900 individual reefs, of which 760 are fringing reefs along the mainland or around islands.
Some have coral cays. The reefs range in size from less than one hectare to over 1000 kms, and in shape from flat platform reefs to elongated ribbon reefs.
The Great Barrier Reef provides habitat for many diverse forms of marine life. There are an estimated 1500 species of fish and over 360 species of hard, reef-building corals. More than 4.000 mollusc species and over 1.500 species of sponges have been identified.
Other well-represented animal groups include anemones, marine worms, crustaceans and echinoderms.
The extensive seagrass beds are of an important feeding ground for the dugong. a mammal species internationally listed as vulnerable. The reef also supports a variety of fleshy algae that are heavily grazed by turtles, fish, sea urchins and molluscs.
The reef contains nesting grounds of world significance for the endangered loggerhead turtle, and for green, hawksbill and flat back turtles, which are all listed as vulnerable. It is also a breeding area for humpback whales that come from the Antarctic to give birth in the warm waters.
The islands and cays support around 215 bird species, many of which have breeding colonies there. Reef herons, osprey, pelicans, frigate birds, sea eagles and shearwaters are among the sea birds that have been recorded.
The Great Barrier Reef is also of cultural importance, containing many archaeological sites of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, including fish traps, middens, rock quarries, story sites and rock art. Some notable examples occur on Lizard and Hinchinbrook Islands, and on Stanley. Cliff and Clack Islands where there are spectacular galleries of rock paintings. There are over 30 historic ship wrecks in the area, and on the islands are ruins, operating lighthouses and other sites that are of cultural and historical significance.
About 99.3 per cent of the World Heritage property is within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, with the remainder in Queensland waters and islands. Because of its status, many people think the entire Great Barrier Reefs a marine sanctuary or national park, and therefore protected equally throughout. However, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is a multiple-use area in which a wide range of activities and uses are allowed, including extractive industries.
This has been achieved using a comprehensive, multiple-use zoning system. Impacts and conflicts are minimized by providing high levels of protection for specific areas.
A variety of other activities are allowed to continue in a managed way in certain zones (such as shipping, dredging, research, commercial fishing and recreational fishing).
A new Zoning Plan for the entire Marine Park came into effect on 1 July 2001. The proportion of the Marine Park protected by no-take zones was increased from less than five per cent to over 33 per cent, and now protects representative examples of each of the 70 broad habitat types across the entire Marine Park. Two authorities are now responsible for the Great Barrier Reef: the Queensland Government and the Australian Government. The majority of the World Heritage property is still relatively pristine when compared with coral reef ecosystems elsewhere in the world. Guided by the principle of balancing conservation and sustainable use. the regulatory framework significantly enhances the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.
The Australian and Queensland Governments have a cooperative and integrated approach to managing the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) is theAustralian Government agency responsible for overall management, and theQueensland Government, particularly the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, provides day-to-day management of the marine park for the Authority.
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Question Focus: Synonym match - 'provides food' in the statement matches 'feeding ground' and 'grazed by turtles' in the passage
Correct Answer: TRUE
Why this is correct: The passage clearly says turtles graze on algae supported by the reef. If turtles eat there, the reef provides food for them, so the statement is TRUE.
Passage Reference: The extensive seagrass beds are of an important feeding ground for the dugong. a mammal species internationally listed as vulnerable. The reef also supports a variety of fleshy algae that are heavily grazed by turtles, fish, sea urchins and molluscs.
Common Mistake: Some students miss this because the passage does not use the exact words 'provides food'. They think it is NOT GIVEN. This is a Synonym match trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'heavily grazed by turtles' = Statement: 'provides food for turtles'
Tips: Look for eating verbs like eat, feed, graze. They often match statements about food or diet.
Key Vocabulary:
- graze = eat
- feeding ground = place to find food
Question Focus: Comparison claim - the statement compares the Reef with all other World Heritage areas
Correct Answer: NOT GIVEN
Passage Reference: The Great Barrier Reef is also of cultural importance, containing many archaeological sites of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, including fish traps, middens, rock quarries, story sites and rock art. There are over 30 historic ship wrecks in the area, and on the islands are ruins, operating lighthouses and other sites that are of cultural and historical significance.
Why this is correct: The passage says the Reef has many culturally important sites, but it never compares this number with other World Heritage areas. The passage does not say it has more than all others, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
Common Mistake: Students often choose TRUE because the Reef sounds very important. But importance is not the same as being the most. This is a Not Given trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'many archaeological sites' = Statement: 'as many culturally significant sites as any other area'
Tips: Be careful with comparisons like 'more than any other'. If the passage does not compare, choose NOT GIVEN.
Key Vocabulary:
- cultural importance = cultural value
- archaeological sites = historical places
Question Focus: Future plans - the statement talks about plans to renovate
Correct Answer: NOT GIVEN
Passage Reference: There are over 30 historic ship wrecks in the area, and on the islands are ruins, operating lighthouses and other sites that are of cultural and historical significance.
Why this is correct: The passage mentions ruins and lighthouses, but it does not say anything about plans to renovate them. The passage does not discuss future actions, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.
Common Mistake: Students assume that because ruins exist, renovation plans must exist. This adds information that is not in the text. This is a Not Given trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'ruins, operating lighthouses' = Statement: 'plans to renovate some sites'
Tips: Do not guess future plans. If the passage does not mention plans, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
Key Vocabulary:
- ruins = damaged old buildings
- renovate = repair or improve
Question Focus: Contradiction - the statement uses extreme language 'all forbidden'
Correct Answer: FALSE
Passage Reference: However, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is a multiple-use area in which a wide range of activities and uses are allowed, including extractive industries. A variety of other activities are allowed to continue in a managed way in certain zones.
Why this is correct: The statement says all industrial activity is forbidden, but the passage says extractive industries are allowed. This directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Common Mistake: Some students choose NOT GIVEN because they think the rules are unclear. But the passage clearly says industries are allowed. This is a Contradiction trap.
Paraphrasing: Passage: 'extractive industries are allowed' = Statement: 'all industrial activity is forbidden'
Tips: Watch for extreme words like 'all' or 'forbidden'. They are often contradicted in the passage.
Key Vocabulary:
- extractive industries = industries that take natural resources
- forbidden = not allowed
General Tips:
- TFNG statements follow passage order. Use where you found the last answer to help locate the next one faster.
- For NOT GIVEN, ask yourself: does the passage talk about this exact claim? If not, do not guess.
- Extreme words like 'all', 'none', or 'only' often signal FALSE answers.
- Do not use your own knowledge. Only use what is written in the passage.
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