Green roofs save energy, reduce flooding, shelter wildlife, clean the air and can grow food, and gardening is even prescribed for anxiety and depression. London, San Francisco and Toronto lead the way, helped by policy and, in North America, newer buildings that carry more weight. Investors still need economic arguments ('natural capital'), and new versions include blue, brown and solar roofs.
The paragraph matching (1-5) uses D twice. The summary (6-9) is in A and B. The two choose-TWO blocks say which paragraph to use: C for 10-11 and E for 12-13.
Matching information (paragraphs A-E)
Questions 1-5
How to attack this block: D holds two items: the practical hurdles (new skills, drainage, safety, planning) and the need for economic arguments to win over investors. Toronto's policies from the 1990s are in C, living walls and street-tree drainage in B, and 'replicate the success stories' at the end of E.
Question 1
Answer: DParagraph D, second and third sentences
Which paragraph lists practical problems to deal with before a green roof goes up?
Those responsible for maintaining buildings may have to acquire new skills, such as landscaping… Other considerations include installing drainage paths, meeting health and safety requirements and perhaps allowing access for the public
Question says → Passage says
several challengesOther considerations include
before a green roof can be installeddisruption from regular activities in and around the buildings during installation
Why: D runs through a list of hurdles: new skills, volunteers, drainage paths, health and safety, public access, planning restrictions and disruption during installation. 'Several challenges' is a summary of that list.
The trap: E says 'There are still barriers to overcome', which sounds like a perfect match. But it's one vague line with no actual challenges named. D is where they're listed.
Question 2
Answer: CParagraph C, third sentence
Which paragraph mentions a city that has supported green roofs for a long time?
Toronto, Canada, has policies dating from the 1990s, encouraging the development of urban farms on rooftops.
Question says → Passage says
a cityToronto, Canada
promotedencouraging the development of urban farms on rooftops
for many yearspolicies dating from the 1990s
Why: 'Dating from the 1990s' means Toronto's policies have been around for decades, which is 'many years'. 'Encouraging' = 'promoted'.
The trap: London (A) has the London Plan, but no date is given. San Francisco (C) is in the same paragraph, but its policy was created 'only recently', the opposite of many years.
Question 3
Answer: EParagraph E, last sentence
Which paragraph says successful green roofs should be copied?
The success stories need to be studied and replicated elsewhere
Question says → Passage says
existing green roofsThe success stories
used as a model for new onesstudied and replicated elsewhere
Why: To 'replicate' something is to copy it, and you copy a model. The success stories are the existing green roofs that have worked.
The trap: C describes North America as a place where green roofs have 'become mainstream', which sounds like a model to follow. But nobody says it should be copied.
Question 4
Answer: BParagraph B, first two sentences
Which paragraph gives examples of green roofs working alongside other green features?
green roofs in cities can integrate with 'living walls'… green roofs can be integrated with drainage systems on the ground, such as street trees
Question says → Passage says
work in combination withintegrate with / integrated with
other green urban initiatives'living walls' / drainage systems on the ground, such as street trees
Why: B gives two examples: living walls and ground drainage like street trees. 'Integrate with' is the passage's way of saying 'work in combination with'.
The trap: E mentions green roofs combined with solar panels, but solar panels are an energy technology, and that's a single new variation, not other green initiatives in the city.
Question 5
Answer: DParagraph D, fourth sentence
Which paragraph says you need strong money arguments to win investors over?
To convince investors and developers that installing green roofs is worthwhile, economic arguments are still the most important.
Question says → Passage says
make a persuasive argumentTo convince investors and developers
the financial benefitseconomic arguments / the economic value of nature
Why: 'Convince' = 'persuade', and 'economic arguments' = arguments about financial benefits. The 'natural capital' sentence that follows shows how those benefits are measured in money. D is the answer to question 1 as well.
The trap: A starts with 'saving on energy costs', which is a financial benefit, but there's no talk of persuading anyone there. Don't rule out D because you used it for question 1.
Summary completion (ONE WORD ONLY)
Questions 6-9
How to attack this block: The first two gaps come from A's list of benefits: the costs saved, and what roofs can grow. The last two come from B: the activity doctors prescribe, and the physical problem green space helps people avoid.
Question 6
Answer: energyParagraph A, third sentence
What do green roofs help people spend less on?
Among the benefits are saving on energy costs, mitigating the risk of floods, making habitats for urban wildlife
Question says → Passage says
reducing how much money is spent onsaving on… costs
lessening the likelihood that floods will occurmitigating the risk of floods
environments that are suitable for wildlifemaking habitats for urban wildlife
Why: The summary follows A's list of benefits. 'Saving on energy costs' becomes 'reducing how much money is spent on ___', so the gap takes 'energy'. 'Costs' is already covered by 'money'.
The trap: Writing 'costs' fails because the summary has already said 'money is spent'. The thing money is spent on is energy.
Question 7
Answer: foodParagraph A, end of the third sentence
What can green roofs often be used to produce?
tackling air pollution and even growing food
Question says → Passage says
producinggrowing
In many cases, they can also be used forand even
Why: The last benefit in A's list is 'growing food', which becomes 'producing ___'. The gap needs an uncountable noun, and 'food' fits.
The trap: 'Vegetables' appears in C ('fruit and vegetables are farmed'), but that's only one kind of produce, on 'edible roofs'. The summary follows A's list of general benefits, and the word there is 'food'.
Question 8
Answer: gardeningParagraph B, fourth sentence
What activity do doctors recommend for mental health problems?
Doctors are increasingly prescribing time spent gardening outdoors for patients dealing with anxiety and depression.
Question says → Passage says
the medical professionDoctors
recommendsprescribing
cope with mental health issuesdealing with anxiety and depression
Why: Doctors 'prescribe' time spent gardening for anxiety and depression. The gap is 'an activity', so you want the -ing noun: gardening.
The trap: 'Outdoors' comes straight after and describes where, not what. 'Time' is too vague to be an activity.
Question 9
Answer: obesityParagraph B, last sentence
Which physical problem can access to green space help prevent?
access to even the most basic green spaces can provide a better quality of life for dementia sufferers and help people avoid obesity
Question says → Passage says
the availability of green spacesaccess to even the most basic green spaces
preventhelp people avoid
Studies have also shownresearch has found
Why: 'Help people avoid' = 'prevent', and the thing avoided is obesity. The summary asks for a physical problem, and obesity is one.
The trap: Dementia is in the same sentence, but green spaces improve life for people who already have it. They don't prevent it, and it isn't a physical problem in the way the summary means.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 10-11
How to attack this block: C says newer buildings can hold greater weight, so they store more water on the roof, and deeper soil means a wider range of plants. Using water economically sounds similar, but the passage is about keeping and spreading enough water, not saving it.
Question 10-11
Answer: C and D (in either order)Paragraph C, last three sentences
Which two advantages of newer buildings does paragraph C give?
it's much easier to do this in newer buildings, which can typically hold greater weight… Having a stronger roof also makes it easier to grow a greater variety of plants, since the soil can be deeper.
Question says → Passage says
greater water-storage capacitykeep enough water at roof height… newer buildings, which can typically hold greater weight
ability to cultivate more plant typeseasier to grow a greater variety of plants
Why: C: newer buildings can hold more weight, so it's easier to keep enough water on the roof, which is more water storage. D: a stronger roof allows deeper soil and a greater variety of plants, which is more plant types.
The trap: B 'more economical use of water' is the one people pick. The passage is about keeping enough water up there and spreading it across the roof, not about using less. E tempts because C mentions 'expansive' roofs, but that's about North America generally, not about newer buildings.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 12-13
How to attack this block: In E, brown roofs maximise biodiversity and some green roofs are combined with solar panels. Blue roofs hold rainwater on the building for longer, which isn't about wet climates or supplying other buildings.
Question 12-13
Answer: A and D (in either order)Paragraph E, third and fourth sentences
Which two aims of the new kinds of green roof does paragraph E mention?
There are also combinations of green roofs with solar panels, and 'brown roofs' which are wilder in nature and maximise biodiversity.
Question says → Passage says
to provide habitats for a wide range of speciesmaximise biodiversity
to generate power from a sustainable sourcecombinations of green roofs with solar panels
Why: A: brown roofs 'maximise biodiversity', which means supporting as many species as possible. D: solar panels generate power from sunlight, a sustainable source.
The trap: Blue roofs are the trap for both B and E. They hold rainwater on the roof longer during heavy rain, but that's about not draining it quickly. Nothing says the water supplies other buildings or helps plants in wet climates. C (temperature) isn't mentioned in E at all.
E tempts because blue roofs hold water. They keep water on the roof in heavy rain rather than draining it, which has nothing to do with supplying other buildings.
Doctors prescribe time spent 'gardening outdoors', so the one-word answer is 'gardening'.
Words from this passage worth keeping
lush(A)
growing thickly and healthily
mitigating(A)
making something less serious
paved the way(A)
made it possible for something to happen later
mainstream(C)
normal and widely accepted
retro-fit(C)
add new features to an older building
the norm(D)
the usual or expected situation
biodiversity(E)
the variety of plant and animal life in an area
replicated(E)
copied exactly
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The full Cambridge 18 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 18, 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.
