California’s Age Of Megafires – IELTS Reading Sample With Explanation
IELTS Reading section tests the candidate’s understanding skills through three passages and forty questions in total. Candidates need to study the IELTS reading passage, understand the question types, and then find the answers. IELTS reading passages are taken from different sources like technology, business, arts, science, environment, psychology, and more. This is an IELTS academic reading topic. This passage contains the following question types:
- Summary Completion
- Multiple Choice Questions
- Identifying Information
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Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
California’s Age Of Megafires IELTS Reading Sample
Drought, housing expansion, and oversupply of tinder make for bigger, hotter fires in the western United States
Wildfires are becoming an increasing menace in the western United States, with Southern California being the hardest hit area. There's a reason fire squads battling more frequent blazes in Southern California are having such difficulty containing the flames, despite better preparedness than ever and decades of experience fighting fires fanned by the ‘Santa Ana Winds’. The wildfires themselves, experts say, are generally hotter, faster, and spread more erratically than in the past.
Megafires, also called ‘siege fires’, are the increasingly frequent blazes that burn 500,000 acres or more - 10 times the size of the average forest fire of 20 years ago. Some recent wildfires are among the biggest ever in California in terms of acreage burned, according to state figures and news reports.
One explanation for the trend to more superhot fires is that the region, which usually has dry summers, has had significantly below normal precipitation in many recent years. Another reason, experts say, is related to the century- long policy of the US Forest Service to stop wildfires as quickly as possible.
The unintentional consequence has been to halt the natural eradication of underbrush, now the primary fuel for megafires.
Three other factors contribute to the trend, they add. First is climate change, marked by a 1-degree Fahrenheit rise in average yearly temperature across the western states. Second is fire seasons that on average are 78 days longer than they were 20 years ago. Third is increased construction of homes in wooded areas.
‘We are increasingly building our homes in fire-prone ecosystems,’ says Dominik Kulakowski, adjunct professor of biology at Clark University Graduate School of Geography in Worcester, Massachusetts. ‘Doing that in many of the forests of the western US is like building homes on the side of an active volcano.'
In California, where population growth has averaged more than 600,000 a year for at least a decade, more residential housing is being built. ‘What once was open space is now residential homes providing fuel to make fires burn with greater intensity,’ says Terry McHale of the California Department of Forestry firefighters' union. ‘With so much dryness, so many communities to catch fire, so many fronts to fight, it becomes an almost incredible job.'
That said, many experts give California high marks for making progress on preparedness in recent years, after some of the largest fires in state history scorched thousands of acres, burned thousands of homes, and killed numerous people. Stung in the past by criticism of bungling that allowed fires to spread when they might have been contained, personnel are meeting the peculiar challenges of neighborhood - and canyon- hopping fires better than previously, observers say.
State promises to provide more up-to-date engines, planes, and helicopters to fight fires have been fulfilled. Firefighters’ unions that in the past complained of dilapidated equipment, old fire engines, and insufficient blueprints for fire safety are now praising the state's commitment, noting that funding for firefighting has increased, despite huge cuts in many other programs. ‘We are pleased that the current state administration has been very proactive in its support of us, and [has] come through with budgetary support of the infrastructure needs we have long sought,' says Mr. McHale of the firefighters’ union.
Besides providing money to upgrade the fire engines that must traverse the mammoth state and wind along serpentine canyon roads, the state has invested in better command-and-control facilities as well as in the strategies to run them. ‘In the fire sieges of earlier years, we found that other jurisdictions and states were willing to offer mutual-aid help, but we were not able to communicate adequately with them,’ says Kim Zagaris, chief of the state's Office of Emergency Services Fire and Rescue Branch.
After a commission examined and revamped communications procedures, the statewide response ‘has become far more professional and responsive,’ he says. There is a sense among both government officials and residents that the speed, dedication, and coordination of firefighters from several states and jurisdictions are resulting in greater efficiency than in past ‘siege fire’ situations.
In recent years, the Southern California region has improved building codes, evacuation procedures, and procurement of new technology. ‘I am extraordinarily impressed by the improvements we have witnessed,’ says Randy Jacobs, a Southern California- based lawyer who has had to evacuate both his home and business to escape wildfires. ‘Notwithstanding all the damage that will continue to be caused by wildfires, we will no longer suffer the loss of life endured in the past because of the fire prevention and firefighting measures that have been put in place,’ he says.
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Section 2
Solution With Explanation
Question 1-6
Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
(Guide: Candidates need to answer the blanks with not more than one word or number from the passage)
Characteristics of wildfires and wildfire conditions today compared to the past:
- occurrence: more frequent
- temperature: hotter
- speed: faster
- movement: ______________________ more unpredictably
Answer: spread
Supporting Sentence: The wildfires themselves, experts say, are generally hotter, faster, and spread more erratically than in the past.
Keywords: wildfires, United States, California, Santa Ana Winds
Keyword Location: 1st Para, 1st and 2nd line
Explanation: Generally, experts believe, wildfires have been more intense and unpredictable than in the past.
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- Size of fires: _____________________ greater on average than two decades ago
Answer: 10/ten times
Supporting Sentence: Megafires, also called ‘siege fires’, are the increasingly frequent blazes that burn 500,000 acres or more - 10 times the size of the average forest fire of 20 years ago.
Keywords: megafires, siege-fires, 10 times
Keyword Location: 2nd Para, 1st line
Explanation: Fires that burn 500,000 acres or more, commonly known as "siege fires," are becoming more common and are 10 times larger than the typical forest fire of 20 years ago.
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Reasons wildfires cause more damage today compared to the past:
- Rainfall: _____________________ average
Answer: below
Supporting Sentence: One explanation for the trend to more superhot fires is that the region, which usually has dry summers, has had significantly below normal precipitation in many recent years.
Keyword: precipitation, recent years, US Forest Service, wildfires
Keyword Location: 3rd Para, 1st and 2nd line
Explanation: As a result of the region's typically dry summers, several recent years have seen precipitation levels substantially below average.
- More brush to act as _______________________
Answer: fuel
Supporting Sentence: The unintentional consequence has been to halt the natural eradication of the underbrush, now the primary fuel for megafires.
Keyword: megafires
Keyword Location: 4th Para
Explanation: Unintentionally, this has slowed the natural elimination of underbrush, which is now the major fuel source for megafires.
Increase in yearly temperature
- Extended fire __________________________
Answer: seasons
Supporting Sentence: Second is fire seasons that on average are 78 days longer than they were 20 years ago.
Keyword: 1-degree Fahrenheit, seasons, 78 years
Keyword Location: 5th Para, 1st and 2nd line
Explanation: The trend is aided by three major factors. The first is climate change, which has resulted in a 1-degree Fahrenheit increase in average annual temperature in western states. Second, fire seasons are 78 days longer on average than they were 20 years ago.
- More building of ___________________ in vulnerable places.
Answer: homes/housing
Supporting Sentence: Third is increased construction of homes in wooded areas.
Keywords: temperature, seasons
Keyword Location: 5th Para, 1st and 2nd line
Explanation: The trend is aided by three major factors. The first is climate change, which has resulted in a 1-degree Fahrenheit increase in average annual temperature in western states. Second, fire seasons are 78 days longer on average than they were 20 years ago. The third factor is an increase in the number of residences being built in forested regions.
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Questions 7-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 7-13 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
- ___________________ the amount of open space in California has diminished over the last ten years.
Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: What once was open space is now residential homes providing fuel to make fires burn with greater intensity,’ says Terry McHale of the California Department of Forestry firefighters' union.
Keyword: California, population growth,
Keyword Location: 7th Para – 1st and 2nd line
Explanation: More residential housing is being developed in California, where population growth has averaged over 600,000 per year over the past decade. ‘What used to be open space is now residential dwellings,' says Terry McHale of the California Department of Forestry firefighters' union.
- _____________________ many experts believe California has made little progress in readying itself to fight fires.
Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: That said, many experts give California high marks for making progress on preparedness in recent years, after some of the largest fires in state history scorched thousands of acres, burned thousands of homes, and killed numerous people.
Keyword: experts, largest fires
Keyword Location: 8th Para – 1st and 2nd line
Explanation: In recent years, after some of the state's most devastating fires burnt thousands of acres, destroyed thousands of houses, and killed scores of people, many experts have given California high credit for improving its readiness.
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- ____________________ Personnel in the past have been criticized for mishandling fire containment.
Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: Stung in the past by criticism of bungling that allowed fires to spread when they might have been contained, personnel are meeting the peculiar challenges of the neighborhood - and canyon- hopping fires better than previously, observers say.
Keyword: stung, fires
Keyword Location: 8th Para – 2nd line
Explanation: After being stung by criticism in the past for bungling that enabled fires to grow when they might have been contained, the staff is more prepared than ever to deal with the unique problems of the neighborhood- and canyon-hopping flames.
- _________________ California has replaced a range of firefighting tools.
Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: State promises to provide more up-to-date engines, planes, and helicopters to fight fires have been fulfilled.
Keywords: firefighters, helicopters
Keyword Location: 9th Para – 1st and 2nd line
Explanation: Promises made by the state to supply more modern engines, aircraft, and helicopters to battle flames have been kept. Firefighters' unions, which had previously complained about deteriorated equipment, obsolete fire engines, and inadequate fire safety plans, are now complementing the state's dedication, noting that money for firefighting has grown despite massive cuts in many other programs.
- ___________________ More firefighters have been hired to improve fire-fighting capacity.
Answer: Not Given
Explanation: There is no mention about firefighters been hired to improve the fire-fighting capacity
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- ___________________ Citizens and government groups disapprove of the efforts of different states and agencies working together.
Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: There is a sense among both government officials and residents.
Keywords: government officials, firefighters
Keyword Location: 12th Para – 1st and 2nd line
Explanation: Both officials and locals believe that the speed, devotion, and coordination of firefighters from several states and jurisdictions are resulting in better efficiency than in previous "siege fire" scenarios.
- ___________________ Randy Jacobs believes that loss of life from fires will continue at the same levels, despite changes made.
Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: Notwithstanding all the damage that will continue to be caused by wildfires, we will no longer suffer the loss of life endured in the past because of the fire prevention and firefighting measures that have been put in place.
Keywords: Southern California, wildfires, Randy Jacobs
Keyword Location: 13th Para – 1st and 2nd line
Explanation: Despite the continued devastation caused by wildfires, we will no longer suffer the loss of life that has occurred in the past as a result of the fire prevention and firefighting methods that have been implemented.
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