The global importance of wetlands: reading answers and analysis
Half the world's wetlands have gone since 1900. The passage covers why they matter (livelihoods, culture, climate defence), how draining peatland for palm oil and pulpwood releases carbon, raises fire risk and makes the land sink, and why experts say local people must profit from wetlands if they are to be protected.
Questions 14-26 · 13 marks · 3 question blocks
Where the answers sit
Paragraph matching (14-17) is spread across A, B, G and H. The sentence completions (18-22) run in order through D and E. The expert matching (23-26) needs the quotes in C, F, G and H.
Questions 14-17
The 'proportion lost' item is the WWF's 'half' in A. 'Cultural significance' is B's religious, historical and archaeological value. Growing appreciation is McCartney's closing comment in H. Keeping local people benefiting from wetlands is G.
| Question | Answer | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | G | — |
| 15 | A | — |
| 16 | H | — |
| 17 | B | — |
Questions 18-22
D and E describe peatland clearance step by step, and the sentences follow that order. Question 21 asks what the logging companies dig. Question 22 names the process where the peat sinks, which the passage calls one of the most alarming consequences.
| Question | Answer | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | carbon | — |
| 19 | fires | — |
| 20 | biodiversity | — |
| 21 | ditches | — |
| 22 | subsidence | — |
Questions 23-26
Each expert is quoted in more than one place, so match ideas, not names. Tickner (F) says nobody sets out to damage wetlands. Van Eijk (C) says restoration can be as simple as planting a few trees. Silvius (H) contrasts different governments. McCartney (G) wants local people involved in decisions.
| Question | Answer | Also accepted |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | A | — |
| 24 | C | — |
| 25 | D | — |
| 26 | B | — |
The questions most people get wrong
The answer is 'biodiversity', from Silvius's line about forests with very high biodiversity value being lost for oil palm revenue. 'Carbon' is already used in question 18.
A (McCartney), not C. Silvius also talks about local income in G, but the line about including people in planning and decisions is McCartney's.
B. Van Eijk's point that it can be as simple as planting a few trees is the 'need not be complex' idea, even though no word overlaps.
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Cambridge IELTS 19, Test 3, Reading Passage 2. 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.