# The Risks of Cigarette Smoke: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 3, Test 1, Reading Passage 2

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 3, 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 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 15 | B | is thought to cause about 14 per cent of leukemia and cervical cancers ... mainly resulting from such problems as pneumonia, bronchitis and influenza |
| 16 | A | interferes with the blood's ability to deliver life-giving oxygen to the heart |
| 17 | C | which increases the likelihood of blood clots |
| 18 | NO | Smoking, it is believed, is responsible for 30 per cent of all deaths from cancer |
| 19 | NOT GIVEN | in the case of a married couple where one partner is a smoker and one a non-smoker, the latter is believed to have a 30 per cent higher risk of death from heart disease |
| 20 | YES | 17 per cent of cases of lung cancer can be attributed to high levels of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke during childhood and adolescence |
| 21 | NOT GIVEN | The American Medical Association represents about half of all US doctors and is a strong opponent of smoking. |
| 22 | E | Consequently, the effects of passive smoking are far greater on non-smokers than on smokers. |
| 23 | G | smoking is associated with cancers of, amongst others, the mouth, stomach and kidneys |
| 24 | H | The report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (AMA) ... is a strong opponent of smoking |
| 25 | A | people who smoke cigarettes are continually damaging their cardiovascular system, which adapts in order to compensate for the effects of smoking |
| 26 | B | Leaving aside the philosophical question of whether anyone should have to breathe someone else's cigarette smoke |
| 27 | B | The UCSF researchers maintain that the simplest and most cost-effective action is to establish smoke-free work places, schools and public places. |
| 28 | C | A report published in 1992 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emphasized the health dangers, especially from side-stream smoke. |

## Why these answers are right

**15. B.** The question pairs leukemia with pneumonia. Paragraph B says smoking is thought to cause about 14 per cent of leukemia cases and that smoking deaths in 1990 came mainly from illnesses such as pneumonia, so both are linked to smoking. The 84,000 figure covers all smoking deaths that year, which rules out A.

**16. A.** The question is about carbon monoxide. Paragraph G says it competes with oxygen in red blood cells and interferes with the blood's ability to deliver oxygen to the heart. That is the same as restricting the flow of oxygen to the heart, which is option A.

**17. C.** The question asks what nicotine promotes. Paragraph G says nicotine and other toxins activate platelets, which increases the likelihood of blood clots, so C is correct. Circulation is harmed rather than encouraged, which rules out A.

The why and the trap for questions 18 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/the-risks-of-cigarette-smoke/answers).

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