# PTE Reading MCS #1: Historical Transformation of...

Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer #1 - Level 1 - Feeds Reading

> Read the text and answer the question by choosing one option. Only one answer is correct.

It's only a little over 200 years since Tasmania was completely wild - wild from a European's perspective, at least. By the time the first British settlers arrived, Aboriginal people had occupied Tasmania for more than 30,000 years. Their feasting sites were marked by hills of shells on the island's coastlines, and their use of fire as a land-management tool had left an enduring mark on its botanical communities. But the land bore few other signs of their presence. Until the early 1800s, Tasmania remained free of roads and towns, its forests had never seen an ax or saw, and its rivers flowed freely to the sea. It must have been one of the Earth's most beautiful places.

According to the passage, a significant human impact on the Tasmanian environment first began_____

- a little over 200 years ago and was caused by Aboriginal people.
- some 30,000 years ago with the arrival of Aboriginal people.
- some 30,000 years ago with the arrival of British settlers.
- a little over 200 years ago with the arrival of British settlers.

## Answer

a little over 200 years ago with the arrival of British settlers.

## Explanation

The passage explicitly states that the island remained in a wild, untouched state until the arrival of settlers from Europe just over two centuries ago.

## Hints

- Look for the sentence that mentions the arrival of the first settlers.
- Check the duration mentioned in the text regarding the island's wild state.

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