Materials to take us beyond concrete: reading answers and analysis
Concrete is cheap, abundant, easy to shape and pairs perfectly with steel, but its sheer scale makes it a major source of emissions. The passage weighs the alternatives: cross-laminated timber towers (strong, fast and quiet to build, but not yet proven at scale), and fly ash or iron slag in place of some cement (useful, but only if they aren't shipped long distances).
Questions 1-13 · 13 marks · 3 question blocks
Where the answers sit
Section matching (1-4) uses C, D, F and G. The summary (5-8) is all in D and E. The people matching (9-13) spans B to H, and Cheeseman is the answer twice.
Questions 1-4
The industrial processes that create fly ash and slag (coal power stations, iron smelting) are in G. The list of cities with tall wooden buildings is D. Cheap, abundant ingredients are in C. The view that wood needs more proven projects closes F.
| Question | Answer | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | — |
| 2 | D | — |
| 3 | C | — |
| 4 | F | — |
Questions 5-8
The summary paraphrases D and E closely. Who is turning to wood, what the air carries into wood to make it swell, what gets glued crosswise, and the building quality paired with low noise. All four answers are nouns.
| Question | Answer | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | architects | — |
| 6 | moisture | — |
| 7 | layers | — |
| 8 | speed | — |
Questions 9-13
Cheeseman makes two points: concrete is high-carbon only because of its scale, and anything with similar properties will be very hard to make. Surgenor warns that shipping waste materials long distances can cancel out the carbon saving. Mannström links demand for timber to climate concerns. Preston and Lehne cite cost and customer resistance.
| Question | Answer | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | C | — |
| 10 | A | — |
| 11 | B | — |
| 12 | D | — |
| 13 | A | — |
The questions most people get wrong
F. Mannström's section ends by saying wood will only be a real alternative once more construction projects have proven it. It's easy to look in D, where the buildings are listed.
C (Surgenor). The cement alternatives save carbon in the mix, but transport may wipe out the gain, so the environmental advantage is smaller than it first looks.
It's architects who are turning to treated timber, according to D. 'Experts' and 'companies' don't fit the text.
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 18 Test 3 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 3, Reading Passage 1. The passage name belongs to Cambridge University Press. No passage text or question wording is reproduced on this page. The answers are published for self-marking, and the analysis is our own.