# Plant 'thermometer' triggers springtime growth by measuring night-time heat: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 16, Test 3, Reading Passage 3

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 16, Test 3, Reading Passage 3. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 27 | NOT GIVEN | An international team of scientists led by the University of Cambridge has discovered |
| 28 | TRUE | but climate change is a major threat to achieving this |
| 29 | TRUE | Key crops such as wheat and rice are sensitive to high temperatures. |
| 30 | NOT GIVEN | could help us breed tougher crops |
| 31 | FALSE | During the day, sunlight activates the molecules, slowing down growth. |
| 32 | FALSE | occur very fast, in less than a second ... the molecules gradually change from their active to inactive state |
| 33 | H | we have outstanding collaborators nearby who work on more applied aspects of plant biology |
| 34 | D | could help us breed tougher crops |
| 35 | G | provides the science behind a well-known rhyme long used to predict the coming season |
| 36 | C | something humans have long used to predict weather and harvest times for the coming year |
| 37 | A | published in the journal Science |
| 38 | warm winter | can flower months in advance during a warm winter |
| 39 | summer | ash before oak we're in for a soak ... a colder summer is likely to be a rain-soaked one |
| 40 | mustard plant | using a mustard plant called Arabidopsis |

## Why these answers are right

**27. NOT GIVEN.** Section A reports what the Cambridge-led team discovered about phytochromes, and later sections quote the lead researcher, but no other scientists' reactions are described anywhere. Whether the finding surprised anyone is never mentioned, so the answer is NOT GIVEN.

**28. TRUE.** Dr Wigge says agricultural yields will need to double by 2050, but climate change is a major threat to achieving this. A threat to achieving a target means the target could be missed, so the statement is TRUE.

**29. TRUE.** Section D says key crops such as wheat and rice are sensitive to high temperatures, and that thermal stress cuts yields by about 10% for every one-degree rise. Being harmed by warming is suffering from a rise in temperature, so the statement is TRUE.

The why and the trap for questions 30 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/plant-thermometer-triggers-springtime-growth-by-measuring-night-time-heat/answers).

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