Wildfires Reading Answers assesses students based on their ability to read a passage and answer subsequent questions. These are the KPIs that are used to evaluate a candidate's reading abilities in the IELTS examination. The details are required to be remembered in IELTS reading from the passage that is presented to them. Wildfire IELTS reading answers include questions like correct headings, no more than three words, and Sentence completion. Candidates face similar topics in IELTS reading practice papers.
Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-13
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on Reading Passage.
Questions 1 – 4:
Reading Passage 1 has 5 paragraphs (A – E).
From the list of headings below choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs B – E.
Write the appropriate number (i – viii) in boxes 1 – 4 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more headings than paragraphs, so you will not use them all.
Q1. Paragraph B
Answer: vii
Supporting Sentence: The speed at which wildfires spread depends on the fuel around them.
Keywords: Fuel around them, material that will burn
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, lines 1-2
Explanation: The author states that the speed of wildfire is often accelerated by the surrounding materials that act as fuel. Such materials can either be living or dead, and they burn rapidly. Hence, “Fuelling the Flames” is the correct answer.
Q2. Paragraph C
Answer: i
Supporting Sentence: Three weather variables that affect wildfires are temperature, wind, and moisture.
Keywords: Weather variables
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, line 1
Explanation: As per the passage, the weather conditions like wind, moisture, and temperature act as a catalyst and aggravate wildfires. Hence, weather conditions or climatic conditions affects wildfires.
Q3. Paragraph D
Answer: v
Supporting Sentence: The principal topographical factor relating to wildfires is the slope.
Keywords: Principal topography, slope
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, line 3
Explanation: We can see that besides fuel and weather conditions, the slope of the land also affects wildfires. The slope or the way in which the land is laid also affects wildfire. Fire tends to spread faster in the case of uphill than downhill.
Q4. Paragraph E
Answer: iv
Supporting Sentence: Each year thousands of firefighters risk their lives in their jobs.
Keywords: Firefighters, risk their lives
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, line 1
Explanation: The passage states that firefighters risk their lives. Firefighters play an essential role in curbing down the fire hazards by risking their lives every year. This means they fight or battle the blaze or fire.
Questions 5 – 9:
Using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Reading Passage 2, answer the following questions.
Write your answers in boxes 5 – 9 on your answer sheet.
Q5. Complete the last pillar of the fire triangle.
(5) _______________
heat fuel
source
Answer: air/oxygen
Supporting Sentence: Three components are necessary to start a fire: oxygen, fuel, and heat.
Keywords: Oxygen, fire, heat, the fire triangle
Keyword Location: Paragraph A, lines 5-6
Explanation: According to the firefighters, the presence of three components, oxygen, heat, and fuel, is required to start a fire. Together they compose the fire triangle. Hence, the third one of the three pillars is air or oxygen.
Q6. What is measured in tons per acre?
Answer: the fuel load
Supporting Sentence: The quantity of inflammable material around a fire is known as “the fuel load” and is determined by the amount of available fuel per unit area, usually tons per acre.
Keywords: The fuel load, available fuel per unit area, tons per acre.
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, line 4
Explanation: The passage directly states that the fuel obtained from around the fire is called the fuel load. This is generally measured in tons per acre. Hence, fuel load is measured in tons per acre.
Q7. When do wildfires burn at their fiercest?
Answer: In the afternoon
Supporting Sentence: Consequently, wildfires tend to rage in the afternoon, during the hottest temperatures.
Keywords: Tend to rage in the afternoon, hottest temperature
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, line 5
Explanation: As per the author, wildfires come at their peak during the afternoon. Wildfires blow out the most during afternoons, especially when the temperatures are the highest.
Q8. What can travel in the wind to create fires at some distance from the initial fire?
Answer: Embers
Supporting Sentence: Winds can even spread embers that can generate additional fires, an event known as spotting.
Keywords: Spread embers, additional fire, spotting
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, line 9
Explanation: Sometimes winds carry embers and spread them in the adjacent areas causing additional fire accidents. This event is known as spotting.
Q9. Name a method using an additional fire that firefighters use to control wildfires.
Answer: backfire(s)
Supporting Sentence: Backfires are created by fire fighters and burn towards the main fire incinerating any potential fuel in its path.
Keywords: Created by firefighters, incinerating any potential fuel
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, line 8
Explanation: In order to slow down and eventually put out the wildfire, firefighters use a technique known as backfires. In this method, a fire is started that moves towards the main fire and burns all potential fuel in its way.
Questions 10 – 13:
Complete each of the following statements (Questions 10 – 13) with words taken from Reading Passage.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 10 – 13 on your answer sheet.
Q10. The most important factor in how quickly a wildfire catches fire is the surface to volume _____________________.
Answer: ratio (of fuel)
Supporting Sentence: Basic fuel characteristics affecting a fire are size and shape, arrangement, and moisture, but with wildfires, where fuel usually consists of the same type of material, the main factor influencing ignition time is the ratio of the fuel’s total surface area to its volume.
Keywords: The main factor influencing ignition time is the ratio of the fuel’s total surface area to its volume
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, line 6
Explanation: As per the passage, Various factors determine the speed and magnitude of a wildfire. They are moisture, arrangement, etc. But most important of all these is the ratio between the fuel's surface area to its volume.
Q11. The most significant weather factor to affect wildfires’ actions is _____________________.
Answer: the wind
Supporting Sentence: The biggest influence on a wildfire is probably wind and this is also the most unpredictable variable.
Keywords: Biggest influence, wind
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, line 6
Explanation: We can see that the wind acts as an active catalyst on wildfires and strengthens them. The passage directly states that wind has biggest influence. Furthermore, it is not easy to predict its course or influence.
Q12. Fires on the tops of trees are known as _____________________.
Answer: crown fire
Supporting Sentence: Winds also change the course of fires, and gusts can take flames into trees, starting a “crown fire”.
Keywords: Gusts can take flames into trees, starting a "crown fire"
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, line 10
Explanation: As wind plays an active role in aggravating wildfires, it can change the course of the fire and take the flames on top of trees. Such a phenomenon is called a crown fire that can be seen on treetops.
Q13. Wildfires usually travel much faster _____________________ because of the typical direction of prevailing winds.
Answer: uphill
Supporting Sentence: As a rule, fires move uphill much faster than downhill, and the steeper the slope, the quicker fires move. This is because fires move in the same direction as the ambient wind, which generally blows uphill.
Keywords: Fires move uphill much faster than downhill, move in the same direction as the ambient wind, generally blows uphill
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, lines 4-5
Explanation: The passage mentions about uphill and downhill. These are the topography of the land that can also impact the wildfire's directions. It usually spreads faster uphill as the winds tend to blow in that direction.
Read More IELTS Reading Samples
Comments