GLOBAL WARMING - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Expert on Cambridge IELTS 09 Academic Reading Test 5 · Part 1 · Questions 1–13
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
GLOBAL WARMING
A The average facade temperature of the globe has augmented more than 1 degree Fahrenheit since 1900 and the speed of warming has been almost three folds the century long average since 1970. This increase in earth's average temperature is called Global warming. More or less all specialists studying the climate record of the earth have the same opinion now that human actions, mainly the discharge of greenhouse gases from smokestacks, vehicles, and burning forests, are perhaps the leading power driving the fashion.
B The gases append to the planet's normal greenhouse effect, permitting sunlight in, but stopping some of the ensuing heat from radiating back to space. Based on the study on past climate shifts, notes of current situations, and computer simulations, many climate scientists say that lacking of big curbs in greenhouse gas discharges, the 21st century might see temperatures rise of about 3 to 8 degrees, climate patterns piercingly shift, ice sheets contract and seas rise several feet. With the probable exemption of one more world war, a huge asteroid, or a fatal plague, global warming may be the only most danger to our planet earth.
C As said, the major cause of global warming is the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide etc. into the atmosphere. The major source of carbon dioxide is the power plants. These power plants emit large amounts of carbon dioxide produced from burning of fossil fuels for the purpose of electricity generation. About twenty percent of carbon dioxide emitted in the atmosphere comes from burning of gasoline in the engines of the vehicles. This is true for most of the developed countries. Buildings, both commercial and residential represent a larger source of global warming pollution than cars and trucks.
Building of these structures requires a lot of fuel to be burnt which emits a large amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Methane is more than 20 times as effectual as CO2 at entrapping heat in the atmosphere. Methane is obtained from resources such as rice paddies, bovine flatulence, bacteria in bogs and fossil fuel manufacture. When fields are flooded, anaerobic situation build up and the organic matter in the soil decays, releasing methane to the atmosphere. The main sources of nitrous oxide include nylon and nitric acid production, cars with catalytic converters, the use of fertilizers in agriculture and the burning of organic matter. Another cause of global warming is deforestation that is caused by cutting and burning of forests for the purpose of residence and industrialization.
D Scientists all over the world are making predictions about the ill effects of global warming and connecting some of the events that have taken place in the past few decades as an alarm of global warming. The effect of global warming is increasing the average temperature of the earth. A rise in earth's temperatures can in turn root to other alterations in the ecology, including an increasing sea level and modifying the quantity and pattern of rainfall. These modifications may boost the occurrence and concentration of severe climate events, such as floods, famines, heat waves, tornados, and twisters. Other consequences may comprise of higher or lower agricultural outputs, glacier melting, lesser summer stream flows, genus extinctions and rise in the ranges of disease vectors. As an effect of global warming species like golden toad, harlequin frog of Costa Rica has already become extinct. There are number of species that have a threat of disappearing soon as an effect of global warming. As an effect of global warming various new diseases have emerged lately. These diseases are occurring frequently due to the increase in earth's average temperature since the bacteria can survive better in elevated temperatures and even multiplies faster when the conditions are favorable. The global warming is extending the distribution of mosquitoes due to the increase in humidity levels and their frequent growth in warmer atmosphere. Various diseases due to ebola, hanta and machupo virus are expected due to warmer climates. The marine life is also very sensitive to the increase in temperatures. The effect of global warming will definitely be seen on some species in the water. A survey was made in which the marine life reacted significantly to the changes in water temperatures. It is expected that many species will die off or become extinct due to the increase in the temperatures of the water, whereas various other species, which prefer warmer waters, will increase tremendously. Perhaps the most disturbing changes are expected in the coral reefs that are expected to die off as an effect of global warming. The global warming is expected to cause irreversible changes in the ecosystem and the behaviour of animals.
A group of scientists have recently reported on the surprisingly speedy rise in the discharge of carbon and methane release from frozen tundra in Siberia, now starting to melt because of human cause increases in earth's temperature. The scientists tell us that the tundra is in danger of melting holds an amount of extra global warming pollution that is equivalent to the net amount that is previously in the earth s atmosphere. Likewise, earlier one more team of scientists reported that the in a single year Greenland witnessed 32 glacial earthquakes between 4.6 and 5.1 on the Richter scale. This is a disturbing sign and points that a huge destabilization that may now be in progress deep within the second biggest accretion of ice on the planet. This ice would be enough to raise sea level 20 feet worldwide if it broke up and slipped into the sea. Each day passing brings yet new proof that we are now in front of a global emergency, a climate emergency that needs instant action to piercingly decrease carbon dioxide emissions worldwide in order to turn down the earth's rising temperatures and avoid any catastrophe.
E It is not easy to attach any particular events to global warming, but studies prove the fact that human activities are increasing the earth's temperature. Even though most predictions focus on the epoch up to 2100, even if no further greenhouse gases were discharged after this date, global warming and sea level would be likely to go on to rise for more than a millennium, since carbon dioxide has a long average atmospheric life span.
F Many efforts are being made by various nations to cut down the rate of global warming. One such effort is the Kyoto agreement that has been made between various nations to reduce the emissions of various greenhouse gases. Also many non-profit organizations are working for the cause. Al Gore was one of the foremost U.S. politicians to heave an alarm about the hazards of global warming. He has produced a significantly acclaimed documentary movie called "An Inconvenient Truth", and written a book that archives his advice that Earth is dashing toward an immensely warmer future. Al Gore, the former vice president of United States has given various speeches to raise an awareness of global warming. He has warned people about the ill effects of Global warming and its remedies.
G But an interesting side of the global warming episode is that there are people who do not consider global warming as something that is creating a problem. Skeptics of global warming think that global warming is not an ecological trouble. According to the global warming skeptics, the recent enhancement in the earth's average temperature is no reason for alarm. According to them earth's coastlines and polar ice caps are not at a risk of vanishing. Global warming skeptics consider that the weather models used to establish global warming and to forecast its impacts are distorted. According to the models, if calculations are made the last few decades must have been much worse as compared to actually happened to be. Most of the global warming skeptics believe that the global warming is not actually occurring. They stress on the fact the climatic conditions vary because of volcanism, the obliquity cycle, changes in solar output, and internal variability. Also the warming can be due to the variation in cloud cover, which in turn is responsible for the temperatures on the earth.
Questions
Questions 1–6 Matching Headings
Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-G from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-ix.
i. Views of the skeptics
ii. Long term impacts of the atmosphere carbon dioxide
iii. Actions for slowing down the pace of global warming
iv. Family education on the greenhouse effect
v. The adverse effects of global warming
vi. The benefits that global warming brings
vii. The major drive of global warming
viii. The causes of global warming
ix. The most severe threat to the Earth
Questions 7–13 True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1?
write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ix | With the probable exemption of one more world war, a huge asteroid, or a fatal plague, global warming may be the only most danger to our planet earth | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that except for very rare disasters like another world war, a giant space rock hitting Earth, or a deadly illness, global warming is likely the single biggest danger to our planet. Answer Explanation: The answer "ix" means that the best heading for Paragraph B is "The most severe threat to the Earth". Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is heading ix because Paragraph B describes the great risks of rising temperatures and ends by stating that global warming could be the biggest danger to our world. In this context, the heading's words "severe threat" mean the same thing as the text's words "most danger". |
| Q2 | viii | As said, the major cause of global warming is the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide etc. into the atmosphere | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states clearly that the main reason global warming happens is that gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are released into the air. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the best title for Paragraph C is 'The causes of global warming', which explains what makes the Earth get warmer. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is viii because Paragraph C explains in detail what creates global warming. It lists the main reasons, such as the release of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) from power plants, vehicles, buildings, agriculture, and deforestation. The text specifically highlights phrases like "major cause of global warming" and "Another cause of global warming". |
| Q3 | v | Scientists all over the world are making predictions about the ill effects of global warming and connecting some of the events that have taken place in the past few decades as an alarm of global warming | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that scientists across the globe are warning people about the bad, harmful impacts ("ill effects") of global warming, which the rest of the paragraph explains in detail. Answer Explanation: The answer "v" refers to the heading "The adverse effects of global warming", which means the harmful and dangerous results caused by rising global temperatures. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is v because Paragraph D focuses entirely on the negative consequences and harm resulting from global warming. The paragraph begins by mentioning "predictions about the ill effects of global warming" and goes on to describe various damage: extreme weather (floods, famines, heat waves), the extinction of animal species, the spread of new diseases, dying coral reefs, and melting ice and tundra. The keyword "ill effects" in the passage directly matches the meaning of "adverse effects" in the heading. |
| Q4 | ii | Even though most predictions focus on the epoch up to 2100, even if no further greenhouse gases were discharged after this date, global warming and sea level would be likely to go on to rise for more than a millennium, since carbon dioxide has a long average atmospheric life span | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that even if emissions stop after the year 2100, warming and sea level rises will continue for over a thousand years because carbon dioxide stays in the air for a very long period. Answer Explanation: The answer "ii" means that Paragraph E is best summarized by the title "Long term impacts of the atmosphere carbon dioxide". Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is ii because Paragraph E explains that global warming and sea levels will keep rising for more than 1,000 years ("more than a millennium"), even if humans stop releasing greenhouse gases by 2100. This happens because carbon dioxide stays in the air for a very long time ("a long average atmospheric life span"). Therefore, the paragraph discusses the "long term impacts" of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. |
| Q5 | iii | Many efforts are being made by various nations to cut down the rate of global warming | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage means that countries around the world are working hard and taking steps to reduce how fast the earth is getting warmer. Answer Explanation: The answer 'iii' means the main topic of Paragraph F is the actions being taken to slow down global warming. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is heading iii because Paragraph F explains the different steps people and countries are taking to reduce global warming. The text mentions international agreements like the Kyoto agreement, work by non-profit organizations, and awareness campaigns by individuals like Al Gore. In the passage, the phrase 'efforts are being made... to cut down the rate' directly matches the meaning of 'actions for slowing down the pace'. |
| Q6 | i | Skeptics of global warming think that global warming is not an ecological trouble | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that people who doubt global warming believe it does not cause harm to nature or the environment. Answer Explanation: The answer 'i' means that Paragraph G is mostly about what people who doubt or question global warming believe. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'i' because the entire paragraph explains the ideas and opinions of people who do not think global warming is a real danger. The text uses the word "skeptics" multiple times to describe those who argue that climate change is not a major issue and that climate changes naturally. Therefore, the heading 'Views of the skeptics' perfectly summarizes this paragraph. |
| Q7 | TRUE | The major source of carbon dioxide is the power plants. These power plants emit large amounts of carbon dioxide produced from burning of fossil fuels for the purpose of electricity generation | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that power plants are the biggest producer of carbon dioxide because they burn fossil fuels to make electricity, which sends very large amounts of the gas into the air. Answer Explanation: The answer "TRUE" means that the statement is correct according to the passage. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because the passage clearly states that power plants burning fossil fuels are the main cause of carbon dioxide being released into the air. The passage uses the phrase "major source" and explains that they "emit large amounts of carbon dioxide," which means they "significantly contribute" to this release. |
| Q8 | FALSE | Buildings, both commercial and residential represent a larger source of global warming pollution than cars and trucks | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage means that houses, offices, and other buildings produce more pollution that warms the earth than cars and trucks do. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the statement is incorrect based on the text. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is FALSE because the statement says vehicles cause more global warming pollution than buildings, but the text states the exact opposite. Paragraph C clearly explains that buildings (both commercial and residential) are a larger source of pollution than cars and trucks (vehicles). Because the statement contradicts the passage, the answer is FALSE. |
| Q9 | TRUE | Perhaps the most disturbing changes are expected in the coral reefs that are expected to die off as an effect of global warming | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that one of the most worrying impacts of global warming is that coral reefs are expected to die out. Answer Explanation: The answer "TRUE" means that the statement accurately reflects what the passage says about coral reefs dying because of higher temperatures. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because Paragraph D discusses how sea life is affected by rising water temperatures and explicitly states that coral reefs are predicted to "die off as an effect of global warming." The phrase "die off" matches the meaning of "disappear," and the passage explains that global warming leads to an "increase in the temperatures of the water." Therefore, the statement agrees with the text. |
| Q10 | NOT GIVEN | A group of scientists have recently reported on the surprisingly speedy rise in the discharge of carbon and methane release from frozen tundra in Siberia, now starting to melt because of human cause increases in earth's temperature | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that scientists discovered melting frozen ground (tundra) in Siberia. It says nothing about the tundra in Iceland. Answer Explanation: The answer "NOT GIVEN" means that the text does not tell us whether this statement is true or false because Iceland is never mentioned. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage only mentions a scientific report about melting frozen tundra in Siberia, not Iceland. Since there is no mention of the tundra of Iceland anywhere in the reading, it is impossible to confirm or deny the statement based on the text. |
| Q11 | TRUE | Many efforts are being made by various nations to cut down the rate of global warming. One such effort is the Kyoto agreement that has been made between various nations to reduce the emissions of various greenhouse gases | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that multiple countries around the world are trying to slow down global warming, and the Kyoto agreement is an example of an international deal made to lower harmful gases in the air. Answer Explanation: The answer "TRUE" means that the text confirms that the Kyoto agreement is an international effort intended to combat global warming. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is TRUE because Paragraph F states that different countries are working together to slow down global warming, and the Kyoto agreement is specifically mentioned as one of these efforts between "various nations to reduce the emissions of various greenhouse gases." In this context, "various nations" corresponds to "on a worldwide scale," and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to slow down warming corresponds to "fighting global warming." |
| Q12 | FALSE | He has produced a significantly acclaimed documentary movie called "An Inconvenient Truth", and written a book that archives his advice that Earth is dashing toward an immensely warmer future | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that Al Gore made a well-known documentary film named "An Inconvenient Truth" and wrote a book warning that the planet is rapidly heading toward much hotter temperatures. Answer Explanation: The answer FALSE means that the statement directly contradicts the facts given in the text. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is FALSE because the passage describes "An Inconvenient Truth" as a "documentary movie", which is a factual film showing real information. In contrast, the statement claims that it is a "disaster movie", which is a fictional film genre about catastrophes. Because a documentary is different from a disaster movie, the statement is incorrect according to the passage. |
| Q13 | NOT GIVEN | They stress on the fact the climatic conditions vary because of volcanism, the obliquity cycle, changes in solar output, and internal variability. Also the warming can be due to the variation in cloud cover, which in turn is responsible for the temperatures on the earth | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage lists the natural reasons skeptics give for climate variations and warming, but it completely leaves out any mention of cosmic ray flux. Answer Explanation: The answer "NOT GIVEN" means that the text does not provide any information about whether skeptics believe cosmic ray flux causes temperature increases. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage never mentions the term "cosmic ray flux" anywhere. In Paragraph G, the text describes what global warming skeptics think causes temperature or climate changes, citing factors such as "volcanism, the obliquity cycle, changes in solar output, and internal variability" as well as "variation in cloud cover". Since there is no mention of skeptics having an opinion on cosmic ray flux, we cannot confirm whether this statement is true or false. |