California’s age of Mega fires, European Heat Wave, The concept of childhood in western countries – Reading Answers
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The IELTS Reading passage, California’s age of Mega fires, along with the other two Academic passages – European Heat Wave and The concept of childhood in western countries, make this a complete Reading practice test.
You will have 60 minutes to complete the whole test, which consists of 40 questions in total.
Here are the question types in this reading test:
Reading Passage 1 (California’s age of Mega fires)
- Summary Completion,
- Multiple Choice Questions
- True/False/Not Given Questions
Reading Passage 2 (European Heat Wave)
- True/False/Not Given Questions,
- Short Answer Questions,
- Summary Completion,
- Multiple Choice Questions
Reading Passage 3 (The concept of childhood in western countries)
- True/False/Not Given Questions,
- Short Answer Questions
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Reading Passage 1
California’s Age of Mega fires
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on the Reading Passage below.
Find the practice test with California’s age of Mega fires PDF here.
Questions 1-6
Summary
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using no more than two words from the Reading Passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
Experts point out that blazes in California are having more heat, faster speed and they _________ 1 ______ more unpredictably compared with former ones. One explanation is that California’s summer is dry,_________________ 2 _____ is below the average point. Another long term explanation is that hotter and longer potential days occur due to ________________ 3 ______ . Nowadays, Megafires burn _____ 4 ______ the size of forest area caused by an ordinary fire of 20 years ago. The serious trend is mainly caused by well-grown underbrush, which provides _________ 5 ______ for the siege fires. Other contributors are climate change and extended___________6 _________.
Questions 7-9
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
Write your answers in boxes 7-9 on your answer sheet.
7 What is the expert’s attitude towards California’s performance after 2003 mega-fire?
A They could have done better
B Blamed them on casualties
C Improvement made on preparation
D Serious criticism
8 According to Governor Schwarzenegger, which one is CORRECT about his effort for firefighting?
A Schwarzenegger requested successfully for military weapons
B Schwarzenegger led many prison management staff to work together with local firefighters
C Schwarzenegger acted negatively in recent mega-fire in California
D Schwarzenegger ordered 1,500 office clerks to join the firefighting scene.
9What happened to Ross Simmon on the day of megafire breakout?
A He was sleeping till morning
B He was doing business at Hampton Inn
C He suffered employee death on that morning
D He was alarmed by machine calls
Questions 10-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1? In boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet, write
| TRUE | if the statement is true |
| FALSE | if the statement is false |
| NOT GIVEN | if the information is not given in the passage |
10 The area of open space in California has declined during the past decade.
11 Fire squad wants to recruit more firefighters this year.
12 Firefighters union declared that firefighters have had a more improved and supportive facility by the local government.
13 Before the year of 2004, well coordination and communication between California and other states already existed in fire siege.
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Reading Passage 2
European Heat Wave
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-27, which are based on the Reading Passage below.
Find the practice test with the European Heat Wave PDF here.
Questions 14-19
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage
14 The average summer temperature in 2003 is approximately four degrees higher than that of the past.
15 Jones believes the temperature statistic is within the normal range.
16 The human factor is one of the reasons that caused the hot summer
17 In a large city, people usually measure temperature twice a day.
18 Global warming has an obvious effect of warmer winter instead of hotter summer before 2003.
19 New ski resorts are to be built on a high-altitude spot.
Questions 20-21
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR NUMBERS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 20-21 on your answer sheet
20 What are the two hottest years in Britain besides 2003?
21 will affect UK government policies besides climate change according to Hulme?
Questions 22-26
Complete the summary below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage. Write your answers in boxes 22-26 On your answer sheet
In the summer of 2003, thousands of extra death occurred in the country of________ 22_________ . Moreover, world-widely, the third record of hottest summer date from __________ 23__________ , after the year of _______ 24________ . According to Jones, all the 10 hottest years happened from ________ 25__________ . However, summer of 2003 was at the peak of previous _________ 26_________ years, perhaps even more.
Question 27
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D
Write your answer in box 27 on your answer sheet
27 one can be best served as the title of this passage in the following options?
A Global Warming effect
B Global Warming in Europe
C The Effects of hot temperature
D Hottest summer in Europe
Reading Passage 3
The concept of childhood in the western countries
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on the Reading Passage below.
Find the practice test with The Concept of Childhood in Western Countries here.
Questions 28-34
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3? Write your answers in boxes 28-34 on your answer sheet.
| TRUE | if the statement is true |
| FALSE | if the statement is false |
| NOT GIVEN | if the information is not given in the passage |
28 Aries pointed out that children did different types of work as adults during the Middle Age.
29 During the Middle Age, going to work necessarily means children were unloved indicated by Aries.
30 Scientists think that overworked labor damages the health of young children
31 the rise of trade union majorly contributed to the protection of children from exploitation in the 19th century
32 By the aid of half-time schools, most children went to school in the mid of 19 century.
33 In 20 century almost all children need to go to school in a full-time schedule.
34 Nowadays, children’s needs were much differentiated and categorized based on how old they are
Questions 35-40
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 35-40 on your answer sheet.
35what is the controversial topic arises with the French historian Philippe Aries’s concept
36what image for children did Aries believed to be like in Western Europe during the Middle Ages
37what historical event generated the need for great amount child labour to work long time in 18 and 19 century
38what legal format initiated the protection of children from exploitation in 19th centenary
39what the activities were more and more regarded as being preferable for almost all children time in 19th centenary
40where has been the central area for children to spend largely of their day as people’s expectation in modern society
Answers
Reading Passage 1
1.
Answer: spread
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 1, line 2
Answer explanation: If you read thoroughly, there is a line in the said paragraph that states, “the wildfires themselves, experts say, generally are hotter, move faster, and spread more erratically than in the past.” The term “erratically” means “in a manner that is not even or regular in pattern or movement”; unpredictably. Hence, we can deduce that wildfires have more heat, faster speed and they spread unpredictably.
2.
Answer: rain/rainfall
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 2, line 1
Answer explanation: Paragraph 2 puts forward the information that “the short-term explanation is that the region, which usually has dry summers, has had nine inches less rain than normal this year.” This information confirms that the summers of California are dry and rain/rainfall is below the average point.
3.
Answer: climate change
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 2, line 2
Answer explanation: If you observe clearly, a line in the said paragraph suggests that “longer term, climate change across the West is leading to hotter days on average and longer fire seasons.” From this line, we can infer that the long-term and hotter days than average occurs due to climate change.
4.
Answer: 10 items
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 3, line 1
Answer explanation: The information about the size of the mega fires is given in paragraph 3, where the author mentions that “mega fires also called “siege fires,” are the increasingly frequent blazes that bum 500,000 acres or more – 10 times the size of the average forest fire of 20 years ago.” Hence, you must note that the blazes of mega fires can burn 10 times the size of the average forest.
5.
Answer: primary fuel
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 3, line 3
Answer explanation: In the reference paragraph, it is stated that “the trend to more superhot fires, experts say, has been driven by a century-long policy of the US Forest Service to stop wildfires as quickly as possible. The unintentional consequence was to halt the natural eradication of the underbrush, now the primary fuel for mega fires.” From these lines, it is clear that underbrush serves as a primary fuel for mega fires.
6.
Answer: fire season
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 2, line 2
Answer explanation: In paragraph 3 author says that “longer-term, climate change across the West is leading to hotter days on average and longer fire seasons.” Megafires are immense fires that cause destruction to large areas, and climate change is one of the reasons which caused it, besides fire season.
7.
Answer: C
Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 5, line 1
Answer explanation: There is a line in the said paragraph that confirms the attitude of experts towards California’s performance after mega-fire. It is mentioned that “many experts give California high marks for making progress on preparedness since 2003, when the largest fires in state history scorched 750,000 acres, burned 3,640 homes, and killed 22 people.” The term progress in this sentence has been paraphrased to improvement. Hence, experts praised the improvement (via preparation) in dealing with such megafires.
8.
Answer: B
Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 8, last line
Answer explanation: If you read through, there is a line in the said paragraph that suggests “Governor Schwarzenegger also directed 2,300 inmate firefighters and 170 custody staff from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to work hand in hand with state and local firefighters.” From this line, we can notice the efforts made by Governor Schwarzenegger for firefighting, as to how he directed 170 custody staff ( prison management staff ) from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to work with firefighters.
9.
Answer: D
Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 10, last line
Answer explanation: At the end of paragraph 10, the author informs us that “Mr. Simmons and neighbors began receiving automated phone calls at 3:30 a.m. Monday morning telling them to evacuate. “Notwithstanding all the damage that will be caused by this, we will not come close to the loss of life because of what we have … put in place since then,” he says.” Since Mr. Simmons got informed about the megafire through automated phone calls at 3.30 am. Hence, he got alarmed by these calls.
10.
Answer: TRUE
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 4, line 2
Answer explanation: If you read thoroughly, there’s a line in the said paragraph that describes “in California, where population growth has averaged more than 600,000 a year for at least a decade, housing has pushed into such areas. “What once was open space is now residential homes providing fuel to make fires bum with greater intensity,” says Terry McHale of the California Department of Forestry firefighters union.” The growth in population in the last decade has pushed for the reduction of open spaces in California because people have built their residential homes in those areas.
11.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 8
Answer explanation: A reference can be found in the paragraph that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger deployed many guards and military men to fight the fire along with the firefighters but it is not mentioned that the fire squad wanted to recruit more firefighters in the given year.
12.
Answer: TRUE
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 6, last line
Answer explanation: The firefighters union declaration for the local government for their more improved and supportive facility can be confirmed from the line where the author mentions that “we are pleased that the Schwarzenegger administration has been very proactive in its support of us and come through with budgetary support of the infrastructure needs we have long sought, says Mr. McHale with the firefighters union.”
13.
Answer: FALSE
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 7, last line
Answer explanation: A line in the given paragraph provides the information that “after a 2004 blue-ribbon commission examined and revamped those procedures, the statewide response “has become far more professional and responsive,” he says.” From this line, we can deduce that the communication and coordination amongst the states improved after 2004. Since it got improved, it implies that well coordination and communication didn’t already exist in fire siege.
Reading Passage 2
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14.
Answer: TRUE
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 4, 2nd last line
Answer explanation: The entire sentence has been paraphrased here. In the passage, it states that “as the graph shows, such as the variability of our climate that over the past 200 years, there have been at least half a dozen anomalies, in terms of excess temperature – the peaks on the graph denoting very hot years – approaching, or even exceeding, 20 oC. But there has been nothing remotely like 2003 when the anomaly is nearly four degrees.” The term excess temperature indicates a rise in temperature. Besides that, the term anomaly signifies something that is away from its set standards. Hence, we can conclude that the average summer temperature in 2003 was 4 degrees away from its set standards in the past.
15.
Answer: FALSE
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 5, line 1
Answer explanation: If you observe clearly, it is given that “this is quite remarkable, Professor Jones told The Independent. It’s very unusual in a statistical sense. If this series had a normal statistical distribution, you wouldn’t get this number. There turn period “how often it could be expected to recur” would be something like one in a thousand years.” Professor Jones puts forward the information that this statistical range is unusual and generally occurs in one of thousand years. Hence, it cannot be considered a normal range.
16.
Answer: TRUE
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 5, line 5
Answer explanation: A line in the said paragraph mentions that “if we look at an excess above the average of nearly four degrees, then perhaps nearly three degrees of that is natural variability because we’ve seen that in past summers. But the final degree of it is likely to be due to global warming, caused by human actions.” Global warming is a climate change caused by human actions. Hence we can infer that hot summer is caused by human actions.
17.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: N/A
Answer explanation: None of the passages mentions if people in large city measure temperature twice a day.
18.
Answer: TRUE
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 6, line 1
Answer explanation: If you observe, in the said paragraph it is given that “the summer of 2003 has, in a sense, been one that climate scientists have long been expecting. Until now, the warming has been manifesting itself mainly in winters that have been less cold than in summers that have been much hotter.” From this line, we can deduce that the global warming effects were clearly evident through warm winters than hot summers.
19.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: N/A
Answer explanation: None of the passages confirms or denies that new ski resorts are to be built on a high-altitude spot.
20.
Answer: 1976 and 1995
Question Type: Short Answer Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 8, line 1
Answer explanation: If you read thoroughly, it is given that “for Britain, the year as a whole is likely to be the warmest ever recorded, but despite the high-temperature record on 10 August, the summer itself – defined as the June, July, and August period – still comes behind 1976 and 1955, when there were long periods of intense heat.” Hence, the two long hottest periods in Britain besides 2003 were 1976 and 1955.
21.
Answer: 2000 floods
Question Type: Short Answer Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 9, last line
Answer explanation: Paragraph 9 puts forward the information that “it will certainly have left its mark on a number of countries, as to how they think and plan for climate change in the future, much as the 2000 floods have revolutionised the way the Government is thinking about flooding in the UK. “The 2003 heatwave will have similar repercussions across Europe.” It is mentioned that the current climate change has left many countries re-think their plan of action. Similarly, the policies of the UK are likely to be affected by 2000 floods.
22.
Answer: France
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 8, line 1
Answer explanation: In the reference paragraph, it is written that “the 15,000 excess deaths in France during August, compared with previous years, have been related to the high night-time temperatures.” The term 15000 excess deaths have been paraphrased to thousands of extra deaths in the question. Thus, the country where these deaths occurred was France.
23.
Answer: 1856
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 9, line 2
Answer explanation: A line in the paragraph denotes that “at the moment, the year is on course to be the third-hottest ever in the global temperature record, which goes back to 1856, behind 1998 and 2002 but when all the records for October, November, and December are collated, it might move into second place, Professor Jones said.” Here, the three hottest years recorded were 1856, 1998, and 2002. The third hottest year was 1856.
24.
Answer: 1998 and 2002
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 9, line 2
Answer explanation: The author in the given paragraph states that “at the moment, the year is on course to be the third-hottest ever in the global temperature record, which goes back to 1856, behind 1998 and 2002 but when all the records for October, November, and December are collated, it might move into second place, Professor Jones said.” The third hottest year was 1856, following 1998 and 2002.
25.
Answer: 1990
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 9, line 3
Answer explanation: In the said paragraph, you can point out that “the 10 hottest years in the record have all now occurred since 1990. Professor Jones is in no doubt about the astonishing nature of the European summer of 2003.” The term occurred has been paraphrased to happen in the question. Professor Jones suggests that the 10 hottest years happened from 1990.
26.
Answer: 500
Question Type: Summary Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 9, line 6
Answer explanation: The author in paragraph 9 put forward the information that “the temperatures recorded were out of all proportion to the previous record,” he said. “It was the warmest summer in the past 500 years and probably way beyond that It was enormously exceptional.” This information suggests that the summer of 2003 was at the peak of past/previous 500 years.
27.
Answer: D
Question Type: Multiple Choice Questions
Answer location: Complete passage
Answer explanation: If you read thoroughly, this passage discusses the summer of Europe in 2003. It also provides supporting explanations and evidence about the previous hottest years in the history of Europe. Hence, we can conclude that the appropriate title for the passage should be the hottest summer in Europe.
Reading Passage 3
28.
Answer: TRUE
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 2, line 2
Answer explanation: If you read thoroughly, there’s a line that claims, “the historian Philippe Aries argued that in Western Europe during the Middle Ages (up to about the end of the fifteenth century) children were regarded as miniature adults, with all the intellect and personality that this implies.” Also, in paragraph 3, 2nd line it is mentioned that “back in the Middle Ages, children as young as 5 or 6 did important chores for their parents and, from the sixteenth century, were often encouraged (or forced) to leave the family by the age of 9 or 10 to work as servants for wealthier families or to be apprenticed to a trade.” Since children were regarded as miniature adults, children were expected to perform adult roles. Hence, they performed various types of work (as adults did).
29.
Answer: FALSE
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 2, line 3
Answer explanation: Few lines in said paragraph discuss that “he scrutinised medieval pictures and diaries, he concluded that there was no distinction between children and adults for they shared similar leisure activities and work. However, this does not mean children were neglected, forsaken, or despised, he argued.” If both adults and children shared similar leisure activities and going to work did not mean children were neglected, then it means that children did not feel unloved, according to Aries.
30.
Answer: TRUE
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 4, line 2
Answer explanation: In the said paragraph, refer that, “social reformers began to question whether laboring long hours from an early age would harm children’s growing bodies. They began to recognize the potential of carrying out systematic studies to monitor how far these early deprivations might be affecting children’s development.” Social reformers are people who try to bring change to the current system for good. We can conclude that scientists are the social reformers who thought long working hours were damaging the health of young children and began conducting their studies on the same.
31.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: N/A
Answer explanation: None of the passages provides the information that the rise of trade unions majorly contributed to the protection of children from exploitation in the 19th century.
32.
Answer: FALSE
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 5, line 1
Answer explanation: In paragraph 5 author states that “the Factory Act of 1833 established half-time schools that allowed children to work and attend school. But in the 1840s, a large proportion of children never went to school, and if they did, they left by the age of 10 or11.” This line helps us confirm that even though half-time school policies were introduced, a large proportion (most) of children never went to school.
33.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: N/A
Answer explanation: None of the passages provides the information that in 20 century almost all children needed to go to school on a full-time schedule.
34.
Answer: TRUE
Question Type: True/False/Not Given Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 8, line 2
Answer explanation: The answer is clearly mentioned in the said paragraph and line. In the passage, it is said that “an increasing number of children are being treated as a group with unique needs, and are organised into groups in the light of their age.” This line confirms that children’s needs are uniquely/differently based on their age.
35.
Answer: history of childhood
Question Type: Short Answer Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 1, line 1
Answer explanation: At the beginning of the passage, the author mentions that “the history of childhood has been a heated topic in social history since the highly influential book Centuries of Childhood’, written by French historian Philippe Aries, emerged in 1960.” Hence, the most heated topic that arises with the French historian Philippe Aries’s concept is the history of childhood.
36.
Answer: (as) miniature adults
Question Type: Short Answer Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 2, line 2
Answer explanation: In the said paragraph, refer that, “the historian Philippe Aries argued that in Western Europe during the Middle Ages (up to about the end of the fifteenth century) children were regarded as miniature adults, with all the intellect and personality that this implies.” Aries believed that in the middle ages children were miniature adults.
37.
Answer: (with the) industrialization
Question Type: Short Answer Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 4, line 1
Answer explanation: A line in the said paragraph infers that “in the 18th and 19th centuries, industrialisation created a new demand for child labour; thus many children were forced to work for a long time in mines, workshops, and factories.” It was industrialization that created a need for a great amount of child labour in 18 and 19 centuries.
38.
Answer: The factory Act
Question Type: Short Answer Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 5, line 2
Answer explanation: A line in the said paragraph infers that “for example, in Britain, the Factory Act of 1833 signified the emergence of legal protection of children from exploitation and was also associated with the rise of schools for factory children.” This suggests that it was a factory act which emerged as legal protection of children in the 19th centenary.
39.
Answer: play and education
Question Type: Short Answer Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 5, line 4
Answer explanation: If you read thoroughly, a line in the passage specifies that “initiating children into work as ‘useful’ children was no longer a priority, and childhood was deemed to be a time for play and education for all children instead of a privileged minority.” From this line, we can infer that work was not considered as a priority for children. Rather, play and education were given preference.
40.
Answer: classroom
Question Type: Short Answer Questions
Answer location: Paragraph 7, line 1
Answer explanation: Paragraph 7 bring forth the idea that “it is no longer a privilege for children to attend school and all children are expected to spend a significant part of their day in a classroom.” The term significant has been paraphrased to largely in the question. Thus, children are expected to spend largely of their day in classrooms.
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