Global Warming the Beginning of the End IELTS Reading Answers

This Global Warming the Beginning of the End IELTS Reading Answers appeared in one of the IELTS tests. This is one of the many environmental topics found among the IELTS reading topics.

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To properly answer this IELTS reading passage, the effects of global warming needs to be studied along with the facts provided by the Stern Review. IELTS reading preparation tips suggest practicing numerous IELTS reading practice papers to get hold of the different types of passages.

This Global Warming the Beginning of the End IELTS Reading Answers passage has 3 types of questions:

• Multiple choice questions
• Choose the most suitable heading
• Sentence Completion

Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Global Warming the Beginning of the End IELTS Reading Answers  

The Stern Review Report on The Economics of Climate Change, published in 2006, the same year as Al Gore’s highly-acclaimed film and book, An Inconvenient Truth, made it clear that governments need to take the issue of global warming very seriously indeed. The Stern Review examined the issue of climate change from an economic perspective, looking at what it would cost the government to take appropriate action, and what it would cost if appropriate action were not taken. The report also highlighted a number of catastrophes that would occur if urgent measures were not taken to stop the carbon dioxide production that is heating up the planet. The report indicates that in the last 200 years, average temperatures on the planet have increased by less than one degree Celsius; however, if we do not control the rising carbon dioxide levels over the next 100 years, a rise of up to five degrees Celsius can be expected. This will have an enormous impact on global economic growth and will cause many potentially disastrous changes, including the following:

Melting glaciers—Beginning in the Andes, and then extending to the huge glaciers of the Himalayas, the ice will begin to disappear, threatening the water supply of billions of people. Sea levels will also rise, flooding huge areas of the world, including cities such as London and Tokyo.

Melting ice sheets—Not only will glaciers melt, but as the planet warms up, the huge Antarctic Ice Sheets and the floating sea ice of the Arctic will begin to melt, again resulting in catastrophic rises in sea levels. It is estimated that Arctic summers will be ice-free within 10 years, and the landscapes of the Antarctic will change beyond recognition by 2050. The vast ice plains of Greenland are also under threat.

The acidity resulting from the huge amounts of CO2 that the oceans will absorb will lead to the extinction of hundreds of species as marine ecosystems are destroyed; this will also threaten the fishing industry as thousands of millions of fish die off. This in turn will destroy the livelihood of thousands of fishing communities that depend on already overfished coastal areas.

Accompanying the floods will be an increasing occurrence of droughts, with a decrease of up to 30% in water availability in Africa, and similar decreases in Australia. This will, of course, result in crop failure and malnutrition the world over. It will also lead to an increase in disease, particularly in tropical regions. Large cities in dry regions will find it increasingly difficult to provide enough water for their populations.

Hurricanes, cyclones and tidal waves—Both A1 Gore’s book and the Stern Review indicate that if global temperatures continue to rise, we can expect a greater number of extreme weather phenomena, of an increased severity. Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the United States in 2005, is cited as just one example of the kind of environmental and economic havoc that will result from unchecked global warming. Typhoons, which often cause extensive flooding, are becoming more frequent and devastating in South East Asia.

Up to 50% of animal and plant species on the planet, beginning with those living in fragile environments such as coral reefs, tropical rainforest and alpine tundra, will become extinct. Climate change will eventually affect every ecosystem on the planet as temperatures increase, rainforest is destroyed and sea levels rise, leading to flooding and drought. The impact on ecosystems will be so dramatic that they will never recover from the damage caused by rising temperatures.

Does all this sound too depressing even to contemplate? Well, don’t despair: if you are optimistic by nature, there are two approaches to tackling the problem of global warming you could take.

The first approach is to begin to act locally to do your bit to reduce CO2 emissions and minimise pollution, at the same time hoping that governments will listen to the recommendations of the Stern Review, which, while recognising the seriousness of the threat, clearly indicates that if action is taken now, the right balance between economic growth and environmental conservation may be achieved. The Report is significant, both in its scope and its depth, and it does offer a positive outcome that allows economic growth to continue—so perhaps this will convince governments to take the action necessary to save the planet from environmental and economic disaster.

The second approach you could take, if you wish to remain optimistic, is to disregard the warnings of A1 Gore, the Stern Review team and other like-minded harbingers of doom, and instead opt for the much more positive and less dramatic stance taken by a very different group of scientists and economists. With its nominal leader the Danish economist, Bjorn Lomborg, the Omgivelse group believes that many of the predictions of the environmentalists are hugely exaggerated. Like Stern, Lomborg takes a pragmatic economic approach to the environmental situation and argues for investment in environmental research and development, rather than quick-fix’ measures that would not, he claims, solve the problem. With significantly less investment than that recommended in the Kyoto Accord or by the Stern Review Report, Lomborg believes the planet can be saved.

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Section 2

Solution With Explanation 

Questions 1-3 Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

The Stern Review Report emphasized the (1)…………………….to assess seriously the problem of global warming from (2)…………………………..point of view. It also focused on a number of environmental (3)…………………….that would happen if governments do not act to prevent climate change.

Answer 1: Need

Supporting Sentence: “The Stern Review Report on The Economics of Climate Change, published in 2006, the same year as Al Gore’s highly-acclaimed film and book, An Inconvenient Truth, made it clear that governments need to take the issue of global warming very seriously indeed.”

Keywords: governments need, the issue

Explanations: According to the Stern View Report on the Economics of Climate change, Climate change is a very serious issue and the government should take appropriate action in this direction. There is a need for action which resolves this serious issue.

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Answer 2: An economic

Supporting Sentence: “however, if we do not control the rising carbon dioxide levels over the next 100 years, a rise of up to five degrees Celsius can be expected. This will have an enormous impact on global economic growth and will cause many potentially disastrous changes,...”

Keywords: examined the issue, economic perspective

Explanation: After examining the report, Climate change was analyzed from an economic perspective and the government should take necessary action. From the supporting sentence, it can be noticed that carbon dioxide is rising that might affect the economy.

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Answer 3: disasters

Supporting Sentence: “This will have an enormous impact on global economic growth and will cause many potentially disastrous changes,...”

Keywords: cause, potentially disastrous changes

Explanation: According to the given report, the average temperature of the planet is increasing and it can be very harmful to human beings. It can cause many potentially disastrous changes like melting glaciers, melting ice sheets and more which may be very dangerous.

Questions 4-12: Reading Passage 1 has ten paragraphs, A – J. Choose the most suitable heading for i – xiii paragraphs from the list of the headings below. Write the correct numbers, i – xiii, next to Questions 4-12.

List of headings:

1. Long term solutions
2. A balancing act
3. Killing wildlife
4. Extreme weather
5. Water crisis
6. Endangering sea life
7. Sinking cities
8. Intensive farming
9. Trouble at the poles
10. Alarming studies
11. Two outlooks
12. Arctic wildlife
13. Burning coal

Question 4:
Answer: Paragraph A: Option x

Supporting Sentence: “The report also highlighted a number of catastrophes that would occur if urgent measures were not taken to stop the carbon dioxide production that is heating up the planet. The report indicates that in the last 200 years, average temperatures on the planet have increased by less than one degree Celsius; however, if we do not control the rising carbon dioxide levels over the next 100 years, a rise of up to five degrees Celsius can be expected”

Keyword: Paragraph A

Explanation: alarming studies are referred to the facts derived from the report that states that catastrophic climate change will be occurring the most frightening is the rise of carbon dioxide that is heating up the environment. There is also a rise of the temperature by less than a degree.

Question 5:

Answer: vii

Supporting Sentence: “Melting glaciers—Beginning in the Andes, and then extending to the huge glaciers of the Himalayas, the ice will begin to disappear, threatening the water supply of billions of people. Sea levels will also rise, flooding huge areas of the world, including cities such as London and Tokyo.”

Keyword: Paragraph B

Explanation: The average temperature of the planet is increasing and the glaciers are starting to melt because of the heating issue. Sea levels will also rise and it will start threatening the water supply. London and Tokyo will be among the cities with the rise in sea levels.

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Question 6:

Answer: Paragraph C: option ix

Supporting Sentence: “Melting ice sheets—Not only will glaciers melt, but as the planet warms up, the huge Antarctic Ice Sheets and the floating sea ice of the Arctic will begin to melt, again resulting in catastrophic rises in sea levels. It is estimated that Arctic summers will be ice-free within 10 years, and the landscapes of the Antarctic will change beyond recognition by 2050. The vast ice plains of Greenland are also under threat.”

Keyword: Paragraph C

Explanation: Due to global warming, the Antarctic ice sheets and Arctic’s floating sea ice will melt and result in catastrophic events. It is even stated from the report that the Arctic summers will be totally ice-free within just a short span of 10 years. Trouble at the poles melting of ice is a very serious problem. It will melt glaciers as well as the temperature of the planet is also increasing. Due to this, the planet will warm up, and the survival of various creatures will be affected. It also resulted in a catastrophic increase in sea levels.

Question: 7:

Answer: Paragraph D: Option vi

Supporting Sentence: “The acidity resulting from the huge amounts of CO2 that the oceans will absorb will lead to the extinction of hundreds of species as marine ecosystems are destroyed; this will also threaten the fishing industry as thousands of millions of fish die-off. This, in turn, will destroy the livelihood of thousands of fishing communities that depend on already overfished coastal areas.”

Keyword: Paragraph D

Explanation: Acid rain is very harmful to marine ecosystems. The acidity is an effect of too much emission of carbon dioxide in the environment. The fishing industry is directly affected by this because the oceans absorb huge amounts of acid rain, which causes the death of millions of fish. It also affects the human beings who are directly connected with the fishing industry.

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Question: 8:

Answer: Paragraph E: option v

Supporting Sentence: “Accompanying the floods will be an increasing occurrence of droughts, with a decrease of up to 30% in water availability in Africa, and similar decreases in Australia. This will, of course, result in crop failure and malnutrition the world over. It will also lead to an increase in disease, particularly in tropical regions. Large cities in dry regions will find it increasingly difficult to provide enough water for their populations.”

Keyword: Paragraph E

Explanation: The sea levels are increasing and glaciers are melting, there will be an occurrence of the flood as its result. If flood will be an increasing occurrence of drought, the water availability will reduce across the world. It will also lead to an increase in disease and crop failure.

Question: 9:

Answer: Paragraph F: Option iv

Supporting Sentence: “Hurricanes, cyclones and tidal waves—Both A1 Gore’s book and the Stern Review indicate that if global temperatures continue to rise, we can expect a greater number of extreme weather phenomena, of increased severity. Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the United States in 2005, is cited as just one example of the kind of environmental and economic havoc that will result from unchecked global warming. Typhoons, which often cause extensive flooding, are becoming more frequent and devastating in South East Asia.”

Keyword: Paragraph F

Explanation: As temperature is increasing, there are many weather phenomena arising like hurricanes, cyclones, tidal waves, etc. These all are the result of global warming. It also affects the economy as many extreme kinds of weather badly hit the cities or country.

Question: 10: Paragraph G: Option 4

Supporting Sentence: “Up to 50% of animal and plant species on the planet, beginning with those living in fragile environments such as coral reefs, tropical rainforest and alpine tundra, will become extinct. Climate change will eventually affect every ecosystem on the planet as temperatures increase, rainforest is destroyed and sea levels rise, leading to flooding and drought. The impact on ecosystems will be so dramatic that they will never recover from the damage caused by rising temperatures.”

Keyword: Paragraph G

Explanation: Many wildlife species that are living in the fragile environment such as coral reefs, tropical rainforests, and alpine tundra are going extinct. This is due to climate change and effect of global warming. Rising temperature can damage the planet badly and wildlife will be highly affected.

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Question: 11: Paragraph I: Option ii

Supporting Sentence: “The first approach is to begin to act locally to do your bit to reduce CO2 emissions and minimise pollution, at the same time hoping that governments will listen to the recommendations of the Stern Review, which, while recognising the seriousness of the threat, clearly indicates that if action is taken now, the right balance between economic growth and environmental conservation may be achieved. The Report is significant, both in its scope and its depth, and it does offer a positive outcome that allows economic growth to continue—so perhaps this will convince governments to take the action necessary to save the planet from environmental and economic disaster.”

Keyword: Paragraph I

Explanation: Reduce the emission of carbon dioxide and minimize its production. Make a balance between economic growth and the environment. Recognize the seriousness of the environment and then work upon this to save our planet.

Question: 12:
Answer: Paragraph J: Option i

Supporting Sentence: “The second approach you could take, if you wish to remain optimistic, is to disregard the warnings of A1 Gore, the Stern Review team and other like-minded harbingers of doom, and instead opt for the much more positive and less dramatic stance taken by a very different group of scientists and economists. With its nominal leader the Danish economist, Bjorn Lomborg, the Omgivelse group believes that many of the predictions of the environmentalists are hugely exaggerated. Like Stern, Lomborg takes a pragmatic economic approach to the environmental situation and argues for investment in environmental research and development, rather than quick-fix’ measures that would not, he claims, solve the problem. With significantly less investment than that recommended in the Kyoto Accord or by the Stern Review Report, Lomborg believes the planet can be saved.”

Keyword: Paragraph J

Explanation: As the climate change problem is increasing, so we have to innovate various ideas to reduce the cause and harmful effects of this problem. We can develop many instruments and machines which can help us to fight this problem.

Questions 13 and 14 Complete each of the following statements with the best ending, A – H, from the list of endings below. Write the correct letters, A – H, next to Questions 13-14.

13. The Stern Review points out that it is not too late……………………….
14. More optimistic commentators like Bjorn Lomborg believe that politicians and scientists need………………..

List of endings:

1. to sign international environmental treaties
2. to strike the balance between economy and environment
3. to take personal responsibility for reducing CO2 emissions
4. to stop exaggerating the issue
5. save the planet
6. to find a solution to the problem
7. the issue of global warming
8. the problem of water pollution

Question 13:

Answer: Paragraph I: Option B

Supporting Sentence: “...recommendations of the Stern Review, which, while recognizing the seriousness of the threat, clearly indicates that if action is taken now, the right balance between economic growth and environmental conservation may be achieved”

Keyword: right balance, economic growth and environmental conservation

Explanation: To strike the balance between economy and environment We have to maintain a balance between economy and environment. First, we should reduce the emission of carbon dioxide and minimize pollution. CO2 is a major component in the increment of Global warming. The government should also consider the positive outcome of the report and implement them for economic growth. The government should also listen to the recommendation that has been provided as reviews and feedback in the report.

Question 14:

Answer: Paragraph J: Option D

Supporting Sentence: “The second approach you could take, if you wish to remain optimistic, is to disregard the warnings of A1 Gore, the Stern Review team and other like-minded harbingers of doom, and instead opt for the much more positive and less dramatic stance taken by a very different group of scientists and economists”

Keyword: predictions of environmentalists, hugely exaggerated

Explanation: To stop exaggerating the issue Many nominal leaders like Danish Economist, Bjorn Lomborg, the Omgivelser group believes that many of the predictions of the environmentalists are hugely exaggerated. There is a need for research and development in the field of environment. If we want to save our planet, we should avoid the habit of “Quick Fix”. There is a requirement for an economically sustainable approach.