VOLUME 1 - TEST 3 - PASSAGE 1: Socotra Island

When scientists began the first substantial exploration of the islands 30 years ago, they found a fascinating collection of unusual plants and animals - a unique combination of 'relict' populations (organisms that have become extinct elsewhere) and species that have evolved to cope with the island's harsh conditions. In fact, almost a third of its plant species and up to 80 percent of its terrestrial animals are found nowhere else. 

Life in the arid conditions is harsh for the people living there too. Isolated from the mainland by hundreds of kilometres, and with monsoons that rage for several months every year, the islanders were historically self-sufficient - relying only on what they themselves could produce to survive. There are floods and droughts, and many islanders lack adequate water resources and nutrition. Medical care and education are limited. 

However, the main island, Socotra, is experiencing significant change. A rapid development programme has been instituted that will have far-reaching impacts on the island's people and the environment for decades to come. In the past, the only way to get to Socotra was by travelling for several days on a boat, but irregular flights began touching down on dirt landing strips during the late 1960s. By 1999, a runway had been constructed on Socotra that was capable of taking larger aircraft all year round, and since 2000 the capital, Hadibo, has seen huge expansion. New schools have been built, and a modern terminal was added to the airport, through which an increasing number of tourists are beginning to pass. And there are plans to construct new harbour facilities that will enable fishermen to sell their catch more easily, and also make it simpler for local people to have food, and bricks and timber for construction projects brought to the island.