# MAKING EVERY DROP COUNT: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 7, Test 1, Reading Passage 2

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 7, Test 1, 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 | xi | At the height of the Roman Empire, nine major systems, with an innovative layout of pipes and well-built sewers, supplied the occupants of Rome |
| 15 | vii | Preventable water-related diseases kill an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 children every day |
| 16 | v | More than 20 % of all freshwater fish species are now threatened or endangered ... Certain irrigation practices degrade soil quality and reduce agricultural productivity. |
| 17 | i | Some water experts are now demanding that existing infrastructure be used in smarter ways rather than building new facilities |
| 18 | ix | Fortunately - and unexpectedly - the demand for water is not rising as rapidly as some predicted. ... And in a few parts of the world, demand has actually fallen. |
| 19 | ii | Two factors: people have figured out how to use water more efficiently, and communities are rethinking their priorities for water use. |
| 20 | x | But such projects must be built to higher specifications and with more accountability to local people and their environment than in the past. |
| 21 | NO | supplied the occupants of Rome with as much water per person as is provided in many parts of the industrial world today. |
| 22 | YES | Food production has kept pace with soaring populations mainly because of the expansion of artificial irrigation systems |
| 23 | NOT GIVEN | half of the world's population still suffers, with water services inferior to those available to the ancient Greeks and Romans. |
| 24 | NO | Although population, industrial output and economic productivity have continued to soar in developed nations, the rate at which people withdraw water from aquifers, rivers and lakes has slowed. |
| 25 | YES | thanks to a range of new technologies that help to conserve water in homes and industry. |
| 26 | NOT GIVEN | On the other hand, dams, aqueducts and other kinds of infrastructure will still have to be built |

## Why these answers are right

**14. xi.** Paragraph A traces how early towns brought water from distant sources with dams and aqueducts, then describes the nine major systems of pipes and sewers that supplied ancient Rome. Its focus is on how water reached people long ago, which matches a description of ancient water supplies, heading xi.

**15. vii.** Paragraph C turns to the dark side of progress: over a billion people lack clean drinking water, billions lack sanitation, and preventable water-related diseases kill thousands of children daily. These points all concern illness and well-being, so the heading about the relevance to health, vii, fits best.

**16. v.** Paragraph D lists harms beyond human health: people displaced by reservoirs, freshwater fish species endangered by dams, soil degraded by irrigation and aquifers pumped down too fast. Most of these are damage to rivers, soil and groundwater, so environmental effects, heading v, summarizes the paragraph.

The why and the trap for questions 17 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/making-every-drop-count/answers).

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