# Adapting to the effects of climate change: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 20, Test 4, Reading Passage 2

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 20, Test 4, Reading Passage 2. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14 | C | ecosystems of trees and shrubs that help defend coastal areas by trapping sediment |
| 15 | A | with scientists forecasting that global warming would continue for around 40 years |
| 16 | D | It's much cheaper than permanently elevating houses |
| 17 | F | Using a Geographic Information System data mapping tool |
| 18 | pumps | the city has set up new pumps that can remove up to 75,000 litres of water per minute. |
| 19 | dams | So, Wetlands International started out with a different approach, building semi-permeable dams, made from bamboo poles and brushwood, to mimic the role of mangrove roots and create favourable conditions for mangroves to grow back naturally. |
| 20 | float | Homes in this part of Vietnam are traditionally built on stilts but these ones had been built to float. |
| 21 | crops | ICCO Cooperation has been working with 10,000 farmers in Bangladesh to start cultivating naturally salt-tolerant crops in the region. |
| 22 | trees | which include the planting of trees and the installation of a 'cool pavement' system |
| 23 | B | that engage and benefit communities and local decision-makers |
| 24 | E | Urban cooling is literally a matter of life and death for our future in LA |
| 25 | A | we'll need to go back in there and adjust to the changing environment |
| 26 | C | this technology is becoming necessary in places that didn't previously need it |

## Why these answers are right

**14. C.** Paragraph C describes mangroves as trees and shrubs that defend coastal areas by trapping sediment in their roots, raising the sea bed and calming waves. That explains how a type of plant protects coastlines naturally, so the answer is C.

**15. A.** Paragraph A says that even if all emissions stopped tomorrow, scientists forecast warming would continue for about 40 years. A forecast of how long the effects would last is a prediction of when we might stop noticing them, so the answer is A.

**16. D.** Paragraph D says amphibious housing is much cheaper than permanently elevating houses, costing about a third of replacing a building's foundations. Being far cheaper than the alternative makes it particularly cost-effective, so the information is in D.

The why and the trap for questions 17 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/adapting-to-the-effects-of-climate-change/answers).

[Practice Adapting to the effects of climate change](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/adapting-to-the-effects-of-climate-change)