The megafires of California: reading answers and analysis
Wildfires in Southern California are now hotter, faster and far bigger, because of low rainfall, decades of putting fires out (which left more underbrush), warming, longer seasons and homes built in forests. The state has responded with better equipment, funding and coordination, and residents are impressed.
How to attack this block: The notes list causes in the same order as the passage, so move down paragraph by paragraph. Check what each gap needs: a verb before an adverb, a multiplier, a word saying which side of average, and plural nouns.
Question 1
Answer: spreadParagraph 1, last sentence
How do today's wildfires move compared with the past?
The wildfires themselves, experts say, are generally hotter, faster, and spread more erratically than in the past.
Question says → Passage says
more unpredictablymore erratically
compared to the pastthan in the past
Why: The notes already use 'hotter' and 'faster' from this sentence. Under 'movement', the gap sits before 'more unpredictably', which replaces 'more erratically', so the verb is 'spread'.
The trap: 'Erratically' is the passage word that 'unpredictably' replaces, so it's already in the note. You need the verb that goes before it.
Question 2
Answer: 10 timesParagraph 2, first sentence
Also accepted: ten times
How much bigger are fires now than the average fire two decades ago?
the increasingly frequent blazes that burn 500,000 acres or more - 10 times the size of the average forest fire of 20 years ago
Question says → Passage says
greater on averagethe size of the average forest fire
two decades ago20 years ago
Why: The gap goes before 'greater', so it needs a multiplier: '10 times'. The instruction allows ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER, so '10 times' or 'ten times' both work.
The trap: '500,000 acres' is a size, but the note compares with fires 20 years ago, and that comparison is '10 times'.
Question 3
Answer: belowParagraph 3, first sentence
How has rainfall compared with the average?
has had significantly below normal precipitation in many recent years
Question says → Passage says
rainfallprecipitation
averagenormal
Why: 'Precipitation' is rain, and 'normal' becomes 'average'. The gap needs the word that says which side of normal it was: 'below'.
The trap: 'Dry' (from 'dry summers') describes the climate, not how rainfall compares with average. 'Dry average' makes no sense.
Question 4
Answer: fuelParagraph 3, last sentence
What does the extra brush now act as?
The unintentional consequence has been to halt the natural eradication of underbrush, now the primary fuel for megafires.
Question says → Passage says
more brushunderbrush
to act asnow the primary
Why: Stopping fires quickly has let underbrush build up, and that underbrush is now the main fuel. The gap needs a noun: 'fuel'.
The trap: 'Underbrush' itself is already in the note as 'brush'. The answer is what the brush does.
Question 5
Answer: seasonsParagraph 4, third sentence
What has been extended?
Second is fire seasons that on average are 78 days longer than they were 20 years ago.
Question says → Passage says
extended78 days longer
firefire
Why: Longer fire seasons are 'extended fire seasons'. Keep the plural, as the passage does.
The trap: '78 days' is the length of the extension, not what has been extended. The gap follows 'fire', so it needs 'seasons'.
Question 6
Answer: homesParagraph 4, last sentence
Also accepted: housing
What is being built more in vulnerable places?
Third is increased construction of homes in wooded areas.
Question says → Passage says
more building ofincreased construction of
in vulnerable placesin wooded areas / in fire-prone ecosystems
Why: 'Increased construction' is 'more building', and 'wooded areas' that are 'fire-prone' are vulnerable places. The thing built is 'homes' ('housing' is also accepted).
The trap: 'Communities' appears later, but you don't 'build communities' in the passage. It's the homes being constructed.
TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
Questions 7-13
How to attack this block: The second half of the passage is positive, so three FALSEs reverse its positive message: little progress, disapproval of cooperation, and no fall in deaths. The NOT GIVEN is about hiring, when the passage only mentions funding and equipment.
Question 7
Answer: TRUEParagraph 6
Has California's open space shrunk over the last ten years?
population growth has averaged more than 600,000 a year for at least a decade, more residential housing is being built. 'What once was open space is now residential homes
Question says → Passage says
over the last ten yearsfor at least a decade
the amount of open space has diminishedWhat once was open space is now residential homes
Why: Over the past decade, population growth has driven more house building, and land that was open space now has homes on it. That means less open space: TRUE.
The trap: Some readers look for a percentage or the word 'diminished' and pick NOT GIVEN. Open space turning into housing is the reduction.
Question 8
Answer: FALSEParagraph 7, first sentence
Do many experts think California has made little progress on fire preparedness?
many experts give California high marks for making progress on preparedness in recent years
Question says → Passage says
many expertsmany experts
readying itself to fight firespreparedness
made little progresshigh marks for making progress
Why: 'High marks' means strong praise. The experts say California has made good progress, which contradicts 'little progress': FALSE.
The trap: The same paragraph mentions past criticism of 'bungling', which can make the negative statement feel right. That criticism is about the past, before the progress.
Question 9
Answer: TRUEParagraph 7, second sentence
Were fire personnel criticised in the past for handling containment badly?
Stung in the past by criticism of bungling that allowed fires to spread when they might have been contained
Question says → Passage says
criticisedcriticism
mishandlingbungling
fire containmentallowed fires to spread when they might have been contained
Why: 'Bungling' is clumsy mistakes, and they let fires spread that could have been contained. That's mishandling containment, and it drew criticism. TRUE.
Question 10
Answer: TRUEParagraph 8, first sentence
Has California replaced various firefighting tools?
State promises to provide more up-to-date engines, planes, and helicopters to fight fires have been fulfilled.
Question says → Passage says
a range of firefighting toolsengines, planes, and helicopters
replacedmore up-to-date / upgrade the fire engines
Why: Engines, planes and helicopters are a range of tools, and 'more up-to-date' ones replacing the 'dilapidated equipment' unions complained about means they've been replaced. The promises 'have been fulfilled'. TRUE.
The trap: Some people hesitate because 'replaced' isn't used. Providing newer equipment to replace old engines is the same idea.
Question 11
Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph 8, second sentence
Has California hired more firefighters?
noting that funding for firefighting has increased, despite huge cuts in many other programs
Question says → Passage says
improve fire-fighting capacityfunding for firefighting has increased
Why: The passage mentions more funding, new equipment, and better command and communication, but never more staff. NOT GIVEN.
The trap: More money for firefighting makes extra hiring seem obvious. The passage spends the money on equipment and facilities, not on people.
Question 12
Answer: FALSEParagraph 10, last sentence
Do citizens and government disapprove of different states and agencies working together?
There is a sense among both government officials and residents that the speed, dedication, and coordination of firefighters from several states and jurisdictions are resulting in greater efficiency
Question says → Passage says
citizens and government groupsboth government officials and residents
different states and agencies working togethercoordination of firefighters from several states and jurisdictions
disapproveare resulting in greater efficiency
Why: Officials and residents think the coordination is making firefighting more efficient. That's approval, not disapproval: FALSE.
The trap: Zagaris says that in earlier years they couldn't communicate with other states. That was a past problem, now fixed, not anyone disapproving of cooperation.
Question 13
Answer: FALSELast paragraph, last sentence
Does Randy Jacobs expect the same number of deaths from fires in future?
we will no longer suffer the loss of life endured in the past because of the fire prevention and firefighting measures that have been put in place
Question says → Passage says
loss of lifethe loss of life
will continue at the same levelswill no longer suffer
despite changes madebecause of the fire prevention and firefighting measures
Why: Jacobs says the loss of life of the past won't happen again because of the new measures. That contradicts 'continue at the same levels': FALSE.
The trap: He does say damage 'will continue to be caused', which tempts TRUE. He separates damage to property, which continues, from loss of life, which he thinks won't.
'Spread'. The note already has 'more unpredictably' for 'more erratically', so the missing word is the verb before it.
Words from this passage worth keeping
menace(Paragraph 1)
a danger or threat
erratically(Paragraph 1)
in an irregular, unpredictable way
precipitation(Paragraph 3)
rain or snow
eradication(Paragraph 3)
complete removal
bungling(Paragraph 7)
clumsy mistakes
dilapidated(Paragraph 8)
old and in poor condition
proactive(Paragraph 8)
acting in advance rather than reacting
revamped(Paragraph 10)
changed and improved
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The full Cambridge 10 Test 4 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 4, Reading Passage 1. 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.
The rest of Cambridge 10 Test 4
Passage 1 · Questions 1-13 · You're hereThe megafires of California
