The National Parks of America Reading Answers

Mar 4, 2025

The National Parks of America Reading Answers is a generic topic for IELTS Reading Answers. The National Parks of America Reading Answers, in total, consist of 13 IELTS questions. In the given set of questions (Questions No. 1-6), the candidates must answer the given statements in either TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN options. And, for the remaining questions (Questions No. 7-13), you have to write the answers in ONE WORD only.

The IELTS Reading Section is essential to assess a candidate's ability to understand and analyze different texts. Its purpose is to enhance reading skills by identifying main points, picking out specific details, and understanding the main idea. Regular practice helps in deeper understanding and developing effective strategies for better performance. Whether preparing for academic or general topics, practicing the IELTS Reading Practice Tests increases familiarity with the test format and boosts confidence for the actual test.

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Section 1 The National Parks of America Reading Answers

America's national parks are one of the country's most remarkable and influential initiatives. The concept of the national park originated in America, though it was quickly replicated by similar parks in Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Australia, and elsewhere. The first American national park was Yellowstone, created in 1872. Yellowstone comprises some 3,500 square miles of wilderness and today attracts more than four million visitors a year. Since 1872, nearly 60 additional national parks have been established in the USA, incorporating almost every type of natural environment, from mountains to deserts, lakes, rivers, and coastlines. They are administered by the National Parks Service (NPS), which also manages significant monuments and historic structures such as the Statue of Liberty, the Gettysburg Museum, and Ford's Theatre, where President Lincoln was assassinated.

The creation of the national parks came in response to a growing attachment to the natural world that was developing in American society. In 1832, the painter George Catlin dreamed of creating a nation's park' to preserve the grasslands in the state of South Dakota. Catlin failed to see such a park established in his lifetime, but his vision lived on. Four years later, the writer Ralph Waldo Emerson published an important essay entitled 'Nature' in which he argued that natural landscapes should be protected rather than exploited for agriculture and commerce. The campaigner Frederick Olmsted went further, claiming that every American, not only the wealthy and powerful, had the right to access places of natural beauty. The creation of a public park in the Yosemite Valley was directly the result of his work. The development of the national parks was a process that continued through the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The establishment of the first park at Yellowstone in 1872 was perhaps the defining moment in this process. The Yellowstone National Park not only preserved the headwaters of the Mississippi, Colorado, and Snake rivers but also provided a sanctuary for countless endangered species by imposing a ban on hunting in all its forms. Today such an initiative would be commonplace, but in these earliest days of the conservation movement, many Americans still regarded it as their right to shoot or trap wild animals.

Yellowstone was followed by Sequoia (1890), Mount Rainier (1899), Crater Lake (1902), and Wind Cave (1903), among many other parks. But while the creation of additional parks enjoyed wide popular support, there were frequent disagreements about their purpose. For some, the primary goal was the protection of the natural world, while for others the parks were about providing public access to nature. These two goals were at times contradictory and led to a variety of competing voices and factions. In recognition of the difficulties of running these vast wilderness areas, their management was for many years placed in the hands of the military, rather than the federal or state government. The late 19th century was also a time when railroads were being constructed across America. Increasingly, these ran through even the most remote areas, where many parks were located, making tourism possible in these locations for the very first time. While this was welcomed by many park supporters, others were concerned that visitors should appreciate the parks in particular ways. Nathaniel Langford was instrumental in setting up Yellowstone and saw the park as an ideal opportunity for the education of ordinary citizens in all aspects of the natural world and environmental conservation, which was his number one priority. In the early 20th century, the first significant development was the setting up of the NPS in 1916. Now for the first time, a single body was charged with administering the network and managing the numerous groups and interests that had a stake in it. Stephen Mather was appointed as the first Superintendent of Parks and under his leadership seven new parks were established, including the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, and Mount McKinley. However, arguably even more important was Mather's transformation of the hitherto poorly managed finances of the parks.

The NPS generally saw the primary role of the parks as being environmental protection. For this reason, most human activities were regulated farming and forestry were certainly not allowed. However, the controversial decision to permit the construction of dams in national parks was made on the basis that the resulting supplies of water and hydroelectric power would be in the public interest. Certainly, visitor numbers were unaffected as park admissions increased every year. Then in the 1930s, the number of visitors expanded dramatically, largely because mass-produced automobiles became affordable, allowing ever more city-dwellers to reach the park network. With this, the national parks assumed a pre-eminent position in the social fabric of America, a legacy that continues to the present day.

Section 2

Solutions and Explanations

Questions 1-6

Choose TRUE if the statement agrees with the information given in the text,

Choose FALSE if the statement contradicts the information, or

Choose NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1. America copied the idea of national parks from other countries.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “.........The concept of the national park originated in America, though it was quickly replicated by similar parks in Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Australia, and elsewhere. .........”

Keywords: National, Park, Replicated, Concept

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 2-4

Explanation: The passage states that the concept of national parks originated in the US and was later adopted by other countries, refuting claims that the US copied the idea.

2. Yellowstone is the most frequently visited national park in the USA.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “..........Yellowstone comprises some 3,500 square miles of wilderness and today attracts more than four million visitors a year..........”

Keywords: Yellowstone, Miles, Attracts, Visitors

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 5-6

Explanation: The passage states that Yellowstone attracts more than four million visitors annually, but does not claim that it is the most visited national park. Other parks may have higher numbers of visitors.

3. The NPS is responsible for certain buildings as well as natural landscapes

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “..........They are administered by the National Parks Service (NPS), which also manages significant monuments and historic structures such as the Statue of Liberty, the Gettysburg Museum, and Ford's Theatre, where President Lincoln was assassinated. ..........”

Keywords: Monuments, Historic, Structures, Assassinated

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 9-12

Explanation: The passage states that the NPS manages not only national parks but also important monuments and historic structures. This confirms that NPS is also responsible for buildings.

4. Catlin was criticized by some people for proposing 'a nation's park'

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The passage mentions that George Catlin envisioned “a national park” in 1832, but does not say whether he faced criticism for his proposal.

5. Emerson believed that farms and businesses should be allowed to use land freely.

Answer: TRUE

Keywords: Monuments, Historic, Structures, Assassinated

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 9-12

Explanation: The passage states that the NPS manages not only national parks but also essential monuments and historic structures. This confirms that NPS is also responsible for buildings.

6. Olmsted helped establish a park in the Yosemite Valley

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “...........The campaigner Frederick Olmsted went further, claiming that every American, not only the wealthy and powerful, had the right to access places of natural beauty. The creation of a public park in the Yosemite Valley was directly the result of his work...........”

Keywords: Olmsted, Yosemite Valley, Park

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 8-11

Explanation: The passage states that Frederick Olmsted was instrumental in creating a public park in Yosemite Valley, demonstrating his contribution to its establishment.

Questions 7-13

Write ONE WORD ONLY in each gap.

Development of the National Parks

LATE 19TH CENTURY

7. In Yellowstone Park, every type of __________ was prohibited

Answer: Hunting

Supporting statement: “...........The Yellowstone National Park not only preserved the headwaters of the Mississippi, Colorado, and Snake rivers but also provided a sanctuary for countless endangered species by imposing a ban on hunting in all its forms...........”

Keywords: Yellowstone, Mississippi, Colorado, Hunting

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 14-17

Explanation: In Yellowstone Park, all types of hunting were banned to protect endangered species and preserve the ecosystem. This was an early step in the conservation movement.

8. Yellowstone and other parks were administered by the ____________.

Answer: Military

Supporting statement: “...........In recognition of the difficulties of running these vast wilderness areas, their management was for many years placed in the hands of the military, rather than the federal or state government. ...........”

Keywords: Military, Difficulties, Areas, Management

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 7-9

Explanation: In the late 19th century, administrative challenges led to the responsibility for the management of Yellowstone and other national parks being given to the military rather than the federal or state government.

9. The development of a railroad system encouraged new kinds of __________.

Answer: Tourism

Supporting statement: “...........The late 19th century was also a time when railroads were being constructed across America. Increasingly, these ran through even the most remote areas, where many parks were located, making tourism possible in these locations for the very first time.............”

Keywords: Railroad, Remote, Tourism, Locations

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 10-13

Explanation: The expansion of the railroad system allowed access to remote areas, enabling more people to visit national parks for the first time, and leading to a boost in tourism.

10. Langford believed that public _________ was the most important role of the parks

Answer: Education

Supporting statement: “...........Nathaniel Langford was instrumental in setting up Yellowstone and saw the park as an ideal opportunity for the education of ordinary citizens in all aspects of the natural world and environmental conservation, which was his number one priority..............”

Keywords: Langford, Opportunity, Education, Citizens

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 15-17

Explanation: Nathaniel Langford believed that national parks should serve as a means of educating the public about the natural world and environmental conservation, which he considered a top priority.

EARLY 20TH CENTURY

11. Mather greatly improved the __________ of the parks

Answer: Finances

Supporting statement: “...........However, arguably even more important was Mather's transformation of the hitherto poorly managed finances of the parks. ..............”

Keywords: Finances, Mather, Transformation, Parks

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 23-25

Explanation: Stephen Mather, the park's first superintendent, played a key role in improving the management and financial structure of the national parks, ensuring better governance and sustainability.

12. The NPS allowed some __________ to be built in national parks

Answer: Dams

Supporting statement: “...........However, the controversial decision to permit the construction of dams in national parks was made on the basis that the resulting supplies of water and hydroelectric power would be in the public interest..............”

Keywords: Dams, Permit, Construction, Water

Keyword Location: para 4, Line 3-5

Explanation: The National Park Service (NPS) allowed the construction of dams in national parks because they believed that supplying water and hydroelectric power was in the public interest.

13. In the 1930s, the popularity of the parks increased with the availability of ___________.

Answer: Automobiles

Supporting statement: “...........Then in the 1930s, the number of visitors expanded dramatically, largely because mass-produced automobiles became affordable, allowing ever more city-dwellers to reach the park network...............”

Keywords: Automobiles, Visitors, Expanded, Affordable

Keyword Location: para 4, Line 7-9

Explanation: In the 1930s, mass-produced automobiles became more affordable, allowing more people, especially city dwellers, to visit national parks. This led to a dramatic increase in visitor numbers.

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