Some Things You May Not Know About Cacti Reading Answers

The answers for "Some Things You May Not Know About Cacti Reading Answers" include 7 questions and are part of the assessment framework for the IELTS General Reading test. Candidates are allotted 10 minutes to complete the reading responses concerning "Some Things You May Not Know About Cacti Reading Answers" This portion of the IELTS reading exam consists of different question formats, such as do the following statements agree with the information given in the text.

The answers for "Some Things You May Not Know About Cacti Reading Answers" offer a comprehensive overview of the Cacti, which are unique plants adapted to dry environments. And while they can flower and live long lives, they require proper care, such as good drainage, minimal winter watering, and sufficient sunlight. Many beginner-friendly varieties exist, though not all cacti are prickly, and improper care—especially overwatering—is the most common cause of failure. For additional practice with similar reading assessments, candidates can refer to the IELTS Reading Practice Test section.

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Some Things You May Not Know About Cacti Reading Answers

Cacti are special in many ways. Many people think that cacti live in deserts. Nothing can live in a real desert, but 'desert' cacti are adapted in many ways to live in dry and sometimes hot places.

1. Are they indestructible? No, if you've ever killed a cactus you are not alone. The easiest way is by over watering, poor drainage and using the wrong compost. Ordinary potting compost holds water well, which is a huge bonus for most plants but not for cacti, they need very good drainage.

2. Do they flower? Cacti are all flowering plants, but some have more prominent blooms and there are a few, such as Mammillaria, Gymnocalycium and Parodia, that will flower quite easily with impressive, colourful displays.

3. How do I get them to flower? Cacti flower on fresh growth, so if your plant just sits there, unchanging year after year, it's very unlikely to flower. What you should do is to get the plant to follow its natural growth cycle. It needs to go dormant in winter and then wake up in spring. So, put it somewhere dry and cold, but not dark, over winter, and stop watering all together. In spring give it as much sunshine as possible and start to water it.

4. Which are the best varieties for beginners? Moon cacti have very colourful tops, usually red or yellow. These aren't flowers so the colour is there all year round. Bunny ears, also known as polka dot cacti, have spots of golden bristles against a green background so they look modern and geometric. Probably the most common variety is a tiny 'pin cushion' cactus, it's easy to grow and has lovely little pink flowers.

5. Are all cacti prickly? What we usually think of as cacti are desert cacti, but there are also forest cacti without the bristles, however the range available as houseplants is quite small.

6. How long do they live? In the wild cacti can live for hundreds of years. Indoors they may survive for 10 years or more. The trouble with old ones is that every single knock, scratch or blemish they get stays with them, so they tend to look less appealing as they get older.

Questions 1 - 7

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? 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.

1. Cactus plants live in real deserts.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “Many people think that cacti live in deserts. Nothing can live in a real desert...”

Keywords: nothing can live, real desert

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, Lines 1–2

Explanation: The text says real deserts cannot support life, so cacti do not live in true deserts.

2. If you water a cactus too much you are likely to kill it.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “The easiest way is by over watering, poor drainage and using the wrong compost.”

Keywords: over watering, easiest way

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, Line 3

Explanation: The passage confirms that overwatering can kill a cactus.

3. Most cactus plants will flower.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The passage states they can flower but does not say most cactus plants flower.

4. If the cactus has not flowered fora few years it is hardly likely to flower.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “If your plant just sits there… it's very unlikely to flower.”

Keywords: very unlikely to flower

Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, Lines 1–2

Explanation: If there is no growth for years, flowering is unlikely.

5. Cacti grown as houseplants are very small in size.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Supporting statement: “...the range available as houseplants is quite small.”

Keywords: houseplants, small range

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 2

Explanation: The text discusses availability, not the size of houseplant cacti.

6. Cacti can live for two hundred years in the wild.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “In the wild cacti can live for hundreds of years.”

Keywords: hundreds of years

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, Line 1

Explanation: Hundreds of years includes two hundred years, so this is true.

7. All cacti have bristles which can prick.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “...there are also forest cacti without the bristles...”

Keywords: without bristles

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Lines 1–2

Explanation: Not all cacti have bristles; forest cacti lack them.

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