European Transport Systems 1990-2010: reading answers and analysis
Transport demand in the EU keeps rising, driven by car use and by goods travelling longer distances, while candidate countries shift from rail to road. Road transport causes most transport CO2, so the EU wants a modal shift. The passage compares three policy options, from road pricing alone to a full package of measures.
The headings (14-21) cover every paragraph except F, which is the example. The TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN statements (22-26) go back to A and move through B, C, D and E in order.
Answer key and self-check
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the passage yet. Every question number jumps to its explanation.
How to attack this block: A to E each have one clear theme: car growth, goods travelling further, candidate countries, a new long-term goal, and CO2. G, H and I are the three approaches, and three headings separate them: pricing alone, pricing plus better alternatives, and everything together. Two headings (rail costs, road networks) are distractors.
Question 14
Answer: viiiParagraph A
Which heading fits Paragraph A?
For passenger transport, the determining factor is the spectacular growth in car use.
Question says → Passage says
rapid growthspectacular growth / an increase of three million cars each year
private transportcar use / passenger transport
Why: A opens with transport demand in general, but its real point is cars: three million more each year from 1990 to 2010. Cars are private transport, and 'spectacular' is 'rapid'. The answer is viii.
The trap: A also mentions teleworking cutting demand, which can pull you towards a heading about technology. That's a side remark; the paragraph is built around car growth.
Question 15
Answer: iiiParagraph B
Which heading fits Paragraph B?
the production site is hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away from the final assembly plant or away from users
Question says → Passage says
changeschanges in the European economy and its system of production
the distances goods may be transportedhundreds or even thousands of kilometres away
Why: B is about goods transport: frontiers removed, a 'flow' economy, and factories moved far from assembly plants and customers. All of that means goods now travel further, so iii.
The trap: 'Reduce production costs' might suggest a heading about cost, but vi is about rail costs rising. B is about where goods are made, not about rail.
Question 16
Answer: xiParagraph C
Which heading fits Paragraph C?
The strong economic growth expected in countries which are candidates for entry to the EU will also increase transport flows
Question says → Passage says
countries awaiting EU admissioncountries which are candidates for entry to the EU
transport trendsroad haulage increased by 19.4%, while during the same period rail haulage decreased by 43.5%
Why: 'Candidates for entry' is 'awaiting admission', and the rest of C gives their trends: exports, imports, and the swing from rail to road. That's xi.
The trap: Rail falls by 43.5% here, which tempts some people towards vi (rising cost of rail). C is about rail's share falling, not its price.
Question 17
Answer: iParagraph D, first sentence
Which heading fits Paragraph D?
However, a new imperative - sustainable development - offers an opportunity for adapting the EU's common transport policy.
Question says → Passage says
fresh and importanta new imperative
long-term goalThis objective / will ideally be in place in 30 years' time
Why: A 'new imperative' is a fresh, important aim, and D stresses that it can only be met by 2020 and fully in place by 2040. New, important and long-term: heading i.
The trap: D mentions 'shifting the balance between modes', which echoes vii. But vii is the example heading for F, and D's main idea is the new sustainable-development objective.
Question 18
Answer: vParagraph E
Which heading fits Paragraph E?
Once again, road transport is the main culprit since it alone accounts for 84% of the CO2 emissions attributable to transport.
Question says → Passage says
the environmental costsemissions of CO2, the leading greenhouse gas
of road transportroad transport is the main culprit
Why: E is all about CO2: transport's share, the rise expected by 2020, and road transport causing 84% of it. Environmental damage from road transport is heading v.
The trap: 'Costs' can make you think of money. Here the cost is environmental, which is why v fits and vi (rail costs) doesn't.
Question 19
Answer: xParagraph G, first two sentences
Which heading fits Paragraph G?
The first approach would consist of focusing on road transport solely through pricing. This option would not be accompanied by complementary measures in the other modes of transport.
Question says → Passage says
through charging policiesthrough pricing
alonesolely / would not be accompanied by complementary measures
Why: The key word is 'solely': the first approach uses road pricing and nothing else. Charging alone, to restrict road use, is heading x.
The trap: Heading ii also mentions charging for roads, but it adds improving other transport. That's H, the second approach. G deliberately has no measures for other modes.
Question 20
Answer: iiParagraph H, first sentence
Which heading fits Paragraph H?
The second approach also concentrates on road transport pricing but is accompanied by measures to increase the efficiency of the other modes
Question says → Passage says
charging for roadsroad transport pricing
improving other transport methodsmeasures to increase the efficiency of the other modes
Why: H has both halves of heading ii: road pricing, plus better service, logistics and technology for other modes. That's the difference from G.
The trap: Heading iv (taking all the steps) tempts because H does more than G. But H says it lacks new infrastructure investment and isn't enough, so it isn't 'all the steps'.
Question 21
Answer: ivParagraph I, first two sentences
Which heading fits Paragraph I?
comprises a series of measures ranging from pricing to revitalising alternative modes of transport and targeting investment in the trans-European network
Question says → Passage says
taking all the steps necessarya series of measures ranging from pricing to revitalising… and targeting investment
change transport patternsmake a shift of balance
Why: The third approach combines everything: pricing, reviving other modes and investment. It's the one that would actually shift the balance, so it's iv.
The trap: Heading ix (major road networks) catches people who see 'trans-European network'. The investment is meant to support other modes, not to build more roads.
TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
Questions 22-26
How to attack this block: Both FALSEs change one detail: industries moved further from users, not closer, and 739 billion tonnes is the 1990 figure, not the 2020 forecast. The NOT GIVENs ask about car prices and when the Gothenburg Council was set up, neither of which is mentioned.
Question 22
Answer: TRUEParagraph A, second sentence
Is demand for transport still rising even with new technology?
Although modern information technologies can reduce the demand for physical transport by facilitating teleworking and teleservices, the requirement for transport continues to increase.
Question says → Passage says
despite technological developmentsAlthough modern information technologies can reduce the demand
the need for transport is growingthe requirement for transport continues to increase
Why: 'Although' does the work of 'despite', and 'requirement… continues to increase' is 'need… is growing'. The statement is a direct paraphrase: TRUE.
The trap: The sentence starts by saying technology can reduce demand. If you stop reading there, you may wrongly pick FALSE.
Question 23
Answer: FALSEParagraph B, last sentence
Were some industries moved nearer to their customers to save money?
the relocation of some industries, particularly those which are labour intensive, to reduce production costs, even though the production site is hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away from the final assembly plant or away from users
Question says → Passage says
to reduce production coststo reduce production costs
movedrelocation of some industries
closer to their relevant consumersthousands of kilometres away from… users
Why: The reason (cutting costs) matches, but the direction is reversed. The passage says production is now far from users, not closer to them. FALSE.
The trap: Half the statement copies the passage word for word, which makes TRUE feel safe. Always check the detail that's been changed: here, 'closer'.
Question 24
Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph C
Are cars too expensive to buy in some candidate countries?
the distribution between modes has tipped sharply in favour of road transport since the 1990s
Question says → Passage says
EU candidate countriescountries which are candidates for entry to the EU
Why: C talks about candidate countries' trade and the move from rail to road haulage, which is freight. Car prices are never mentioned anywhere, so NOT GIVEN.
The trap: Some people reason that rail was strong there, so cars must have been expensive. That's your inference, not the passage's statement.
Question 25
Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph D, second and last sentences
Was the Gothenburg European Council created 30 years ago?
This objective, agreed by the Gothenburg European Council… a sustainable transport system which will ideally be in place in 30 years' time, that is by 2040
Question says → Passage says
The Gothenburg European Councilagreed by the Gothenburg European Council
30 yearsin 30 years' time
Why: The Council agreed the objective, but nothing says when it was set up. The '30 years' in D looks forward to 2040, not back. NOT GIVEN.
The trap: Seeing '30 years' in the same paragraph pushes people to FALSE. The passage doesn't contradict a founding date; it never gives one at all.
Question 26
Answer: FALSEParagraph E, second sentence
Will transport CO2 reach 739 billion tonnes by 2020?
CO2 emissions from transport can be expected to increase by around 50% to 1,113 billion tonnes by 2020, compared with the 739 billion tonnes recorded in 1990
Question says → Passage says
predictedcan be expected
by the end of this decadeby 2020
739 billion tonnesthe 739 billion tonnes recorded in 1990
Why: The 2020 forecast is 1,113 billion tonnes. 739 billion is the 1990 figure, so the statement swaps the two numbers. FALSE.
The trap: 739 really is in the passage, which tempts TRUE. Check which year each number belongs to.
i for D. Sustainable development is a 'new imperative' with a 2020 to 2040 timescale. Don't be pulled to vii, which is F's example heading.
Words from this passage worth keeping
conceive of(A)
imagine or think of something as possible
facilitating(A)
making something easier to do
labour intensive(B)
needing a lot of workers
imperative(D)
something that must be done; an urgent aim
culprit(E)
the main cause of a problem
marginalisation(F)
being pushed to the edge and made unimportant
curb(G)
limit or control something
lion's share(H)
the largest part of something
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The full Cambridge 10 Test 1 reading paper: all three passages, 60 minutes, marked the second you finish with a review of every answer. Already done it? Take it again and see if the same traps still get you.
Cambridge IELTS 10, Test 1, Reading Passage 2. The passage and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. We quote short extracts only as evidence for our own commentary, and the answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full text, or sit the test on Langujet.
