The Impact of Urban Green Spaces on Health and Society Reading Answers

Aug 2, 2025

The Impact of Urban Green Spaces on Health and Society Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. The Impact of Urban Green Spaces on Health and Society Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the question set given, you have to state whether the statement is true, false or not given with the information given in the text. In the next set, you have to fill in the blank with the correct answer using no more than three words for each.

The IELTS Reading section is an essential part of the test that evaluates a candidate's comprehension and analysis of various passage types. You will work through a number of IELTS reading practice problems in this section that resemble actual test situations. These questions are designed to help you improve your ability to recognise essential concepts, extract particular facts, and make inferences. Practising these IELTS reading problems can help you get comfortable with the structure and increase your confidence for the exam, regardless of whether you are studying for the Academic or General Training module.

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Section 1

THE IMPACT OF URBAN GREEN SPACES ON HEALTH AND SOCIETY

Urban green spaces—such as parks, community gardens, and natural reserves—are increasingly recognized as essential components of sustainable city living. These areas not only contribute to environmental quality by reducing air pollution and urban heat but also have profound effects on public health and social cohesion. The importance of green spaces has grown alongside rapid urbanization, where rising populations and dense infrastructures often limit access to natural environments. Urban planners, health professionals, and policymakers now emphasize the multifaceted benefits of green spaces, advocating for their preservation and enhancement within city landscapes.

One of the primary environmental roles of urban green spaces lies in their ability to improve air quality. Trees and vegetation act as natural filters, absorbing pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and ozone, which are prevalent in congested urban areas. Moreover, through processes such as transpiration and shading, green spaces help mitigate the urban heat island effect—a phenomenon where city centers experience higher temperatures than surrounding rural zones due to concrete, asphalt, and limited vegetation. This cooling effect can reduce energy consumption associated with air conditioning, thereby indirectly contributing to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

In terms of human health, proximity to green spaces has been linked with numerous positive outcomes. Regular exposure to natural environments encourages physical activity, which reduces risks of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. Psychological benefits are also significant: green spaces provide restorative settings that decrease stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. Research indicates that even brief visits to parks can improve mood and cognitive function, emphasizing the therapeutic potential of accessible nature. These effects underscore the role of green spaces as preventive health tools in increasingly urban societies.

Socially, urban green spaces serve as vital community hubs where people gather for recreation, social interaction, and cultural events. Such areas foster a sense of belonging and community identity, enhancing social ties and reducing feelings of isolation. Community gardens, in particular, offer residents opportunities to collaborate, learn about sustainable practices, and engage in food production, promoting social inclusion and environmental awareness. However, disparities in access to quality green spaces remain a challenge; disadvantaged neighbourhoods often have fewer and poorer-quality parks, exacerbating social inequalities and health disparities.

Addressing these challenges requires innovative approaches in urban planning. Cities are increasingly incorporating “green infrastructure,” including green roofs, vertical gardens, and permeable surfaces, to increase vegetated areas without demanding additional land. Furthermore, participatory planning involving local communities helps ensure green spaces meet residents' needs and encourages stewardship. Policymakers are also focusing on equitable distribution to ensure all citizens can benefit from natural urban environments.

In summary, urban green spaces are indispensable for ecological balance, public health, and social well-being in modern cities. Their protection and expansion demand coordinated efforts that integrate environmental science, health policy, and urban design to create healthier, more resilient urban communities for the future.

Questions 1-7

Do the following statements agree with the information in the passage? 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. Urban green spaces help cities reduce energy use related to cooling.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “This cooling effect can reduce energy consumption associated with air conditioning, thereby indirectly contributing to lower greenhouse gas emissions.”

Keywords: cooling effect, reduce energy consumption, air conditioning

Keyword Location: Para 2, Lines 6-7

Explanation: The passage states that the cooling effect of green spaces (due to transpiration and shading) “can reduce energy consumption associated with air conditioning,” which directly supports the idea that they help cities reduce energy use related to cooling.

2. Community gardens are mainly for growing food for commercial sale.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “Community gardens, in particular, offer residents opportunities to collaborate, learn about sustainable practices, and engage in food production, promoting social inclusion and environmental awareness.”

Keywords: Community gardens, collaborate, sustainable practices, social inclusion,

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 4-5

Explanation: The passage describes community gardens as places for collaboration, learning, food production, and promoting social inclusion and environmental awareness. While food production is mentioned, the primary focus is on community benefits and learning, not commercial sale. There is no mention of commercial sale in relation to community gardens.

3. Exposure to natural environments can improve mental health.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “Psychological benefits are also significant: green spaces provide restorative settings that decrease stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. Research indicates that even brief visits to parks can improve mood and cognitive function, emphasizing the therapeutic potential of accessible nature.”

Keywords: Psychological benefits, decrease stress, anxiety, depression

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 4-5

Explanation: The text clearly states that green spaces have psychological benefits and can decrease stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression and improve mood and cognitive function, all of which directly support the idea that exposure to natural environments can improve mental health.

4. Urban green spaces are equally distributed in all neighbourhoods.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “However, disparities in access to quality green spaces remain a challenge; disadvantaged neighbourhoods often have fewer and poorer-quality parks, exacerbating social inequalities and health disparities.”

Keywords: disparities, disadvantaged neighbourhoods, fewer and poorer-quality parks

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 6-7

Explanation: The passage explicitly states that there are disparities in access to quality green spaces and that disadvantaged neighbourhoods often have fewer and poorer-quality parks, which contradicts the idea that they are equally distributed.

5. Green roofs and vertical gardens require less physical space than parks.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “Cities are increasingly incorporating “green infrastructure,” including green roofs, vertical gardens, and permeable surfaces, to increase vegetated areas without demanding additional land.”

Keywords: green roofs, vertical gardens, vegetated areas

Keyword Location: Para 5, Lines 1-2

Explanation: The text indicates that green roofs and vertical gardens are part of green infrastructure designed to increase vegetated areas without demanding additional land, implying they require less physical space in comparison to traditional land-intensive green spaces like parks.

6. Physical health benefits of green spaces include reducing the risk of diabetes.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “Regular exposure to natural environments encourages physical activity, which reduces risks of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes.”

Keywords: physical activity, reduces risks, chronic illnesses, diabetes

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 2-3

Explanation: The passage clearly states that physical activity encouraged by green spaces reduces risks of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, directly supporting the statement.

7. City planners use community input to design green spaces.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “Furthermore, participatory planning involving local communities helps ensure green spaces meet residents' needs and encourages stewardship.”

Keywords: planning, involving local communities, meet residents

Keyword Location: Para 5, Lines 4-5

Explanation: The text explicitly mentions participatory planning involving local communities as a way to help ensure green spaces meet residents' needs, indicating that city planners use community input.

Questions 8-13

Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each.

8. Trees absorb pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and _________

Answer: PARTICULATE MATTER

Supporting statement: “Trees and vegetation act as natural filters, absorbing pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and ozone, which are prevalent in congested urban areas.”

Keywords: pollutants, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, ozone

Keyword Location: Para 2, Lines 2-3

Explanation: The passage lists nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and ozone as pollutants absorbed by trees.

9. The urban heat island effect is caused by materials like________ and asphalt.

Answer: CONCRETE

Supporting statement: “urban heat island effect—a phenomenon where city centers experience higher temperatures than surrounding rural zones due to concrete, asphalt, and limited vegetation.”

Keywords: urban heat, temperatures, concrete, asphalt

Keyword Location: Para 2, Lines 4-6

Explanation: The text states that the urban heat island effect is caused by materials like concrete, asphalt, and limited vegetation, with “concrete” being the missing material.

10. Brief visits to parks can improve________ and cognitive function.

Answer: MOOD

Supporting statement: “Research indicates that even brief visits to parks can improve mood and cognitive function, emphasizing the therapeutic potential of accessible nature.”

Keywords: visits to parks, improve mood, cognitive function

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 5-6

Explanation: The passage states that brief visits to parks can “improve mood and cognitive function.”

11. Community gardens promote social inclusion and__________

Answer: ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

Keywords: Community gardens, social inclusion, awareness

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 3-4

Explanation: The text lists social inclusion and environmental awareness as things promoted by community gardens.

12. Green infrastructure includes vertical gardens and__________ roofs,

Answer: GREEN

Keywords: green infrastructure, green roofs, vertical gardens

Keyword Location: Para 5, Line 2

Explanation: The passage lists green roofs and vertical gardens as components of green infrastructure.

13. Creating healthier urban communities requires integrating environmental science, health policy, and_________

Answer: URBAN DESIGN

Supporting statement: “Their protection and expansion demand coordinated efforts that integrate environmental science, health policy, and urban design to create healthier, more resilient urban communities for the future.”

Keywords: integrate, environmental science, health policy

Keyword Location: Para 6, Line 2

Explanation: The text states that creating healthier communities demands integrating environmental science, health policy, and urban design.

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