Cambridge ielts 1-15 series reading answers explained

CAMBRIDGE IELTS 7 – TEST 3 – PASSAGE 2
POPULATION MOVEMENTS AND GENETICS 

---

126 
PLANS TO PROTECT THE FORESTS OF EUROPE 
QUESTIONS 27-33 TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN 
27. FOREST PROBLEMS OF MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES ARE TO BE 
DISCUSSED AT THE NEXT MEETING OF EXPERTS. 
Keywords: Mediterranean, next meeting, experts 
Information on Mediterranean countries can only be found at the end of paragraph 1, where the writer 
states: ” Those confined to particular geographical areas, such as countries bordering the 
Mediterranean or the Nordic countries therefore had to be discarded. However this does not mean that 
in the future they will be ignored.” This means that the first two meeting of experts did not deal with 
problems of Mediterranean countries, and that they will be noticed in the future. The writer doesn‟t 
indicate a particular time when the problem will be discussed. 
=> ANSWER: NOT GIVEN 
28. PROBLEMS IN NORDIC COUNTRIES WERE EXCLUDED BECAUSE 
THEY ARE OUTSIDE THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY. 
Keywords: Nordic, outside the European Economic Community. 
In paragraph 1 the writer says: “Their initial task was to decide which of the many forest problems of 
concern to Europe involved the largest number of countries and might be the subject of joint 
action. Those confined to particular geographical areas, such as countries bordering the Mediterranean 
or the Nordic countries therefore had to be discarded.” Therefore, the reason for excluding Nordic 
countries here is that their problems are particular/special to that geographical area, not to all of 
Europe. 
+ exclude = discard 
=> ANSWER: FALSE 
29. FORESTS ARE A RENEWABLE SOURCE OF RAW MATERIAL 
Keywords: renewable, raw material 
In paragraph 2, the writer states: “At the same time, forests provide raw materials for human activities 
through their constantly renewed production of wood.” 
=> ANSWER: TRUE 

---

127 
30. THE BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF FORESTS WERE RECOGNISED 
ONLY IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. 
Keywords : biological, twentieth century 
In paragraph 2, the writer argues: “The economic importance of forests has been understood since the 
dawn of man…..The other aspects have been recognised only for a few centuries but they are 
becoming more and more important.” “The other aspects” here are ones mentioned in the first sentence 
of the paragraph in which the writer refers to the „triple function‟ of forests in Europe:biological and 
recreational, as well as economic. This means that biological functions have been recognised for a few 
centuries, not only in the twentieth century. 
=> ANSWER: FALSE 
31. NATURAL FORESTS STILL EXIST IN PARTS OF EUROPE 
Keywords: natural, parts 
In paragraph 3, the writer says: ” The myth of the “natural forest” has survived , yet there are 
effectively no remaining “primary” forests in Europe.All European forests are artificial…” 
+ natural forests = primary forests 
+ not natural = artificial 
=> ANSWER: FALSE 
32. FOREST POLICY SHOULD BE LIMITED BY NATIONAL 
BOUNDARIES. 
Keywords: forest policy, limited, national boundaries 
In the next sentence of paragraph 3, the writer argues : “This means that a forest policy is vital, that it 
must transcend national frontiers and generations of people…” This means forest policy should not be 
limited by national boundaries. 
+ boundaries = frontiers 
+ not limit = transcend (go beyond the limits of countries) 
=> ANSWER: FALSE 
33. THE STRASBOURG CONFERENCE DECIDED THAT A FOREST 
POLICY MUST ALLOW FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF CHANGE. 
Keywords: Strasbourg, forest policy, allow for, change 
In paragraph 3, the writer argues : “This means that a forest policy is vital, that it must transcend 
national frontiers and generations of people, that it must allow for the inevitable changes that take 
place in the forests, in needs,and hence in policy. The Strasbourg conference was one of the first 
events on such a scale to reach this conclusion.” ” …this conclusion” here is that: “it must transcend 
national frontiers ….allow for the inevitable changes…” Thus, the Strasbourg conference was the first 
event to reach this conclusion means that it allows for the changes which are certain to take place. 
=> ANSWER: TRUE 
QUESTIONS 34-39 
34. RESOLUTION 1 
Paragraph 4 discusses the resolutions made at the conference. “The first proposes the extension and 
systematisation of surveillance sites to monitor forest decline.” Thus, there will be more forest sites 
surveyed and systematically monitored, to gather information regularly about the condition of 
forests. Therefore,the most suitable statement, relating to forest decline, is J. 35. Resolution 2. In 

---

128 
paragraph 4, the writer says: “The second resolution concentrates on the need to preserve the genetic 
diversity of European forests. The aim is to reverse the decline in the number of tree species or at least 
to preserve the „genetic material‟ of all of them.” So this resolution deals with preservation of the 
diversity of tree species.Therefore the most suitable statement is A. 
=> ANSWER: A All kinds of species of trees should be preserved. 
36. RESOLUTION 3 
In paragraph 4, the writer states: “Although forest fires do not affect all of Europe to the same extent, 
the amount of damage caused the experts to propose as the third resolution that the Strasbourg 
conference consider the establishment of a European databank on the subject.” So we know that this 
resolution deals with the need to establish a databank on forest fires, with the information made 
available to all of Europe. The most suitable answer, therefore, should be E. 
+ collect information = establish a databank 
=> ANSWER: E Information on forest fires should be collected and shared. 
37. RESOLUTION 4 
In paragraph 4, the writer states: “The subject of the fourth resolution discussed by the ministers was 
mountain forests….Proposed developments include a preferential research program on mountain 
forests.” The answer therefore is B. 
+ be given priority = preferential 
=> ANSWER: B Fragile mountain forests should be given priority in research programs 
38. RESOLUTION 5 
In paragraph 4, the writer says: “The fifth resolution relaunched the European research network on the 
physiology of trees, called Eurosilva. Eurosilva should support joint European research on tree 
diseases and their physiological and biochemical aspects.” So, this resolution deals with developing a 
research network on tree diseases and their physiological and biochemical aspects. 
The answer, then, should be a statement concerning tree diseases: G. 
=> ANSWER: G Resources should be allocated to research into tree diseases. 
39. RESOLUTION 6 
At the end of paragraph 4, the writer states: “Finally, the conference established the framework for a 
European research network on forest ecosystems. This would also involve harmonising activities in 
individual countries as well as identifying a number of priority research topics…” So the conference 
established a research framework for Europe, in which individual countries would pursue the same 
activities and have the same priority for research topics. The most suitable statement left, therefore 
should be D. 
+ co-ordinate throughout Europe corresponds to establishing a European research network. 
=> ANSWER: D Research is to be better co-ordinated throughout Europe. 
QUESTION 40 THE BEST TITLE FOR PASSAGE 3 
The structure of the passage: goes from [1] posing a need for new policies by European countries to 
protect Europe‟s forests, then continues to talk about [2] the functions of forests [3]to stress the 
importance of coordinated policies and [4]finally goes into detail about 6 resolutions proposed by a 
conference. It should be noticed that the resolution part – paragraph 4 – accounts for half of the 
passage‟s length. Therefore, its main content is about ways to improve the decline of 
forests throughout Europe. So the best title should be B. 
A is not correct because it just refers to paragraph 2. 

---

129 
C is not correct because it refers to ecosystems in general, but the passage refers only to forest 
ecosystems. 
D is not correct because the proposal is just on a European scale, not world-wide. 
=> ANSWER: B Plans to protect the forests of Europe.