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CAMBRIDGE IELTS 10 – TEST 3 – PASSAGE 3
BEYOND THE BLUE HORIZON
278
CAMBRIDGE IELTS 10 READING – TEST 4 –
ANSWERS
THE MEGAFIRES OF CALIFORNIA
QUESTIONS 1-6: COMPLETE THE NOTES BELOW.
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1-2. CHARACTERISTICS OF WILDFIRES AND WILDFIRE
CONDITIONS TODAY COMPARED TO THE PAST:
– Occurrence: more frequent
– Temperature: hotter
– Speed: faster
– Movement: 1…….more unpredictably
– Size of fires: 2……greater on average than two decades ago.
1.
AT THE END OF PARAGRAPH 1, THE WRITER INDICATES THAT “
THE WILDFIRES THEMSELVES, EXPERTS SAY, ARE GENERALLY
HOTTER, FASTER, AND SPREAD MORE ERRATICALLY THAN IN THE
PAST.”
– unpredictably=erratically
=>ANSWER: spread
2. AT THE BEGINNING OF PARAGRAPH 2, THE WRITER SAYS THAT
“MEGAFIRES, ALSO CALLED “SIEGE FIRES” ARE THE INCREASINGLY
FREQUENT BLAZES THAT BURN 50,000 ACRES OR MORE – 10 TIMES
THE SIZE OF THE AVERAGE FOREST FIRE OF 20 YEARS AGO.
– 20years = 2 decades
=>ANSWER: 10 times
3-6. REASONS WILDFIRES CAUSE MORE DAMAGE TODAY
COMPARED TO THE PAST:
– Rainfall: 3……average
– More brush to act as 4…..
– Increase in yearly temperature
– Extended fire 5…….
– More building of 6……..in vulnerable places
3. IN PARAGRAPH 3, THE WRITER SAYS THAT “ONE EXPLANATION
FOR THE TREND TO MORE SUPER HOT FIRES IS THAT THE
REGION, WHICH USUALLY HAS DRY SUMMERS, HAS HAD
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SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION IN MANY
RECENT YEARS.”
– rainfall=precipitation
– average=normal
=>ANSWER: below
4.
IN PARAGRAPH 3, “THE UNINTENTIONAL CONSEQUENCE HAS BE
EN TO HALT THE NATURAL ERADICATION OF UNDERBRUSH,
NOW THE PRIMARY FUEL FOR MEGA FIRES.” IN THE PAST, THE US
FOREST SERVICE HAD A POLICY OF CUTTING THIS „BRUSH‟ – THE
PLANTS THAT GROW BENEATH THE TREES. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE
DID NOT REALIZE THEN THAT IF THIS BRUSH WAS ERADICATED
NATURALLY BY FIRES, THEN THIS NATURAL PROCESS WOULD BE
MORE EFFECTIVE. WITHOUT REALISING THIS, AS A RESULT OF
THEIR POLICY, THE BRUSH GREW MORE QUICKLY AND STRONGLY,
PROVIDING MORE FUEL TO START FIRES.
=>ANSWER: fuel
5.
IN PARAGRAPH 4, THE WRITER INDICATES THAT “THREE OT
HER FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO THE TREND, THEY
ADD…SECOND IS FIRE SEASONS THAT ON
AVERAGE ARE 78 DAYS LONGER THAN THEY
WERE 20 YEARS AGO.” THIS MEANS THAT FIRE SEASONS ARE
EXTENDED.
– extended=longer
=>ANSWER: seasons
6.
AT THE END OF PARAGRAPH 4, THE WRITER SAYS THAT “THIRD
IS INCREASED CONSTRUCTION OF HOMES IN WOODED AREAS.”
– more=increased
– building=construction
=>ANSWER: homes
QUESTIONS 7-13: DO THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS AGREE
WITH THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN READING PASSAGE 1 ?
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7. THE AMOUNT OF OPEN SPACE IN CALIFORNIA HAS DIMINISHED
OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS.
Keywords: space, California, diminished, 10 years.
In paragraph 6, “In California, where population growth has averaged more than 600,000 a ye
ar for at least a decade, more residential housing is being built. What once
was open space is now
residential homes…” This means that the open space in California has diminished over the las
t ten years because there have been more residential homes. So, the statement is TRUE.
=>ANSWER: TRUE
8. MANY EXPERTS BELIEVE CALIFORNIA HAS MADE LITTLE
PROGRESS IN READYING ITSELF TO FIGHT FIRES.
Keywords: experts, California, little progress, fight fires.
In paragraph 7, the writer argues that “That said, many experts give California high marks for
making progress on preparedness in recent years, after some of the largest fires in stat
e history
scorched thousands of acres, burned thousands of homes, and killed numerous people.” This
that many experts appreciate California ‟s making progress on preparedness in recent years.
The people involved are now fighting fires “better than previously”. So, the statement is FALSE.
– readying itself=preparedness
=>ANSWER: FALSE
9. PERSONNEL IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN CRITICISED FOR
MISHANDLING FIRE CONTAINMENT.
Keywords: personnel, criticised, mishandling, containment
In paragraph 7, the writer argues that “Stung in the past by criticism of bungling that allowed
fires to spread when they might have been contained, personnel are meeting the peculiar challenges of
neighborhood – and canyon – hoping fires better than previously, observers say.” So, it is true that
personnel in the past have been criticised for mishandling fire containment.
– mishandling=bungling
=>ANSWER: TRUE
10. CALIFORNIA HAS REPLACED A RANGE OF FIREFIGHTING TOOLS.
Keywords: replace, firefighting tools, California
In paragraph 9, “Besides providing money to upgrade the fire engines that must traverse the
mammoth state and wind along serpentine canyon roads, the state has invested in better command-
and-control facilities as well as in the strategies to run them.” This means that California has replaced a
range of firefighting tools. So, the statement is TRUE.
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– replaced=upgrade
– tools=facilities
=>ANSWER: TRUE
11. MORE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE BEEN HIRED TO IMPROVE FIRE-
FIGHTING CAPACITY.
Keywords: more firefighters, hired, improve
In this passage, the writer mentions the improvement in firefighting tools, but does not mentio
n whether more firefighters have been hired to improve fire-fighting capacity. So, the statement is
NOT GIVEN.
=>ANSWER: NOT GIVEN
12. CITIZENS AND GOVERNMENT GROUPS DISAPPROVE OF THE
EFFORTS OF DIFFERENT STATES AND AGENCIES WORKING
TOGETHER.
Keywords: government, disapprove, working together.
At the end of paragraph 9, the writer argues that “There is a sense among both government and
residents that the speed, dedication, and coordination of firefighters from several states and
jurisdictions are resulting in greater efficiency than in past „siege fire‟ situations.” So, this me
ans
that both citizens and government groups appreciate the efforts of different states and agencies
working together. The statement is FALSE.
– agencies=jurisdictions
– citizens=residents
– working together=coordination
=>ANSWER: FALSE
13. RANDY JACOBS BELIEVES THAT LOSS OF LIFE FROM FIRES WILL
CONTINUE AT THE SAME LEVELS, DESPITE CHANGES MADE.
Keywords: Randy Jacobs, loss of life, same levels
At the end of the passage, Randy Jacobs says that “Notwithstanding all the damage that will
continue to be caused by wildfires, we will no longer suffer the loss of life endured in the p
ast because of the fire prevention and firefighting measures that have been put in place”. This means
that, thank‟s to the fire prevention and firefighting measures, we will no longer suffer the loss of life
from fires like we did in the past. So, the statement is FALSE.
=>ANSWER: FALSE
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