The 1990 Strasbourg conference brought 31 European countries together to protect forests from pollution, fire and poor management. The passage explains forests' biological, economic and leisure roles, notes that no truly natural forests remain, and lists the conference's six resolutions on monitoring, genetic diversity, fires, mountains and research.
The TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN statements (27-33) run through the first three paragraphs in order. The resolutions (34-39) are listed one after another in the last paragraph. Question 40 is about the whole passage.
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: Most of these are FALSE, and each turns on one phrase: the reason problems were excluded, 'a few centuries', 'no remaining primary forests', 'transcend national frontiers'. The Mediterranean statement is NOT GIVEN because the passage only promises they won't be ignored, not when they'll be discussed.
Question 27
Answer: NOT GIVENParagraph 1, last two sentences
Will Mediterranean forest problems be discussed at the next experts' meeting?
Those confined to particular geographical areas, such as countries bordering the Mediterranean or the Nordic countries therefore had to be discarded. However, this does not mean that in future they will be ignored.
Question says → Passage says
Forest problems of Mediterranean countriescountries bordering the Mediterranean
to be discussedthis does not mean that in future they will be ignored
Why: The passage only says these problems won't be ignored in future. It doesn't say when or where they'll be discussed, and no next meeting is mentioned. NOT GIVEN.
The trap: 'Will not be ignored' sounds like a promise to discuss them, so people say TRUE. But there's no date or meeting attached.
Question 28
Answer: FALSEParagraph 1, last two sentences
Were Nordic problems left out because those countries aren't in the EEC?
Those confined to particular geographical areas, such as countries bordering the Mediterranean or the Nordic countries therefore had to be discarded.
Question says → Passage says
Problems in Nordic countries were excludedthe Nordic countries therefore had to be discarded
becauseThose confined to particular geographical areas
Why: The passage gives the reason: these problems affected only a particular region, and the experts wanted problems shared by the most countries. The statement gives a different reason, so FALSE.
The trap: Because the EEC isn't mentioned at all, NOT GIVEN is tempting. But the passage states why they were excluded, and it isn't the EEC, so the statement is contradicted.
Question 29
Answer: TRUEParagraph 2, third sentence
Do forests keep producing raw material?
forests provide raw materials for human activities through their constantly renewed production of wood
Question says → Passage says
a renewable sourceconstantly renewed production
raw materialraw materials
Why: 'Constantly renewed' means the supply keeps coming back, which is what 'renewable' means. TRUE.
Question 30
Answer: FALSEParagraph 2, sixth sentence
Were forests' biological roles only recognised in the twentieth century?
The economic importance of forests has been understood since the dawn of man - wood was the first fuel. The other aspects have been recognised only for a few centuries
Question says → Passage says
The biological functionsThe other aspects
recognised only in the twentieth centuryrecognised only for a few centuries
Why: 'The other aspects' are the biological and recreational roles, as opposed to the economic one. They've been recognised for 'a few centuries', which is longer than just the twentieth century. FALSE.
The trap: 'Only' appears in both, which makes them look like a match. Check the time period: a few centuries vs one century.
Question 31
Answer: FALSEParagraph 3, first two sentences
Are there still natural forests in some parts of Europe?
there are effectively no remaining 'primary' forests in Europe. All European forests are artificial
Question says → Passage says
Natural forests still existno remaining 'primary' forests
in parts of EuropeAll European forests are artificial
Why: No primary forests remain and all forests are artificial. That contradicts the statement, so FALSE.
The trap: 'The myth of the natural forest has survived' could be misread as natural forests surviving. It's the myth, the false belief, that survives.
Question 32
Answer: FALSEParagraph 3, third sentence
Should forest policy stay within national borders?
This means that a forest policy is vital, that it must transcend national frontiers and generations of people
Question says → Passage says
limited by national boundariestranscend national frontiers
Why: 'Transcend' means go beyond. The passage says policy must go beyond national frontiers, the opposite of being limited by them. FALSE.
The trap: If you don't know 'transcend', you might guess NOT GIVEN. The first paragraph also says the threats 'know no frontiers', which points the same way.
Question 33
Answer: TRUEParagraph 3, third to last sentences
Did the conference decide forest policy must allow for change?
it must allow for the inevitable changes that take place in the forests, in needs, and hence in policy. The Strasbourg conference was one of the first events on such a scale to reach this conclusion.
Question says → Passage says
must allow for the possibility of changemust allow for the inevitable changes / the possible effects of unforeseen events
The Strasbourg conference decidedThe Strasbourg conference was one of the first events on such a scale to reach this conclusion
Why: The conference reached the conclusion that policy must allow for change, and its declaration mentions 'unforeseen events'. TRUE.
The trap: 'Inevitable' changes vs 'possibility' of change might make you hesitate. Both mean policy must be ready to adapt.
Matching resolutions to statements (A-J)
Questions 34-39
How to attack this block: The six resolutions appear in order in the last paragraph, so match them one by one. Four statements are decoys that twist a detail: leaf loss is a symptom, not the resolution's aim; skiing is a cause of damage; nitrogen and sulphur are pollutants, not treatments.
Question 34
Answer: JParagraph 4, second sentence
Which statement matches Resolution 1?
The first proposes the extension and systematisation of surveillance sites to monitor forest decline.
Question says → Passage says
Information is to be systematically gatheredsystematisation of surveillance sites
any decline in the condition of foreststo monitor forest decline
Why: 'Systematisation' = 'systematically', and 'surveillance… to monitor' = 'gathering information'. The subject is forest decline. J.
The trap: F (monitor loss of leaves) is the strong distractor. Leaf loss is how the passage describes the symptoms of decline in the next sentence, but the resolution itself is about monitoring decline in general.
Question 35
Answer: AParagraph 4, middle
Which statement matches Resolution 2?
The aim is to reverse the decline in the number of tree species or at least to preserve the 'genetic material' of all of them.
Question says → Passage says
All kinds of species of treesthe number of tree species… all of them
should be preservedto preserve the 'genetic material'
Why: The second resolution is about genetic diversity: keeping all tree species, or at least their genetic material. A.
The trap: C (natural forests don't need priority) also talks about forests surviving, but the passage never says this, and there are no natural forests left anyway.
Question 36
Answer: EParagraph 4, middle
Which statement matches Resolution 3?
the experts to propose as the third resolution that the Strasbourg conference consider the establishment of a European databank on the subject. All information used in the development of national preventative policies would become generally available.
Question says → Passage says
Information on forest firesforest fires… a European databank on the subject
collected and sharedwould become generally available
Why: A databank collects information, and 'generally available' means shared. The subject is forest fires. E.
The trap: J also mentions gathering information, but it's about forest decline, not fires. Check the topic, not just the action.
Question 37
Answer: BParagraph 4, middle
Which statement matches Resolution 4?
In Europe, it is undoubtedly the mountain ecosystem which has changed most rapidly and is most at risk… Proposed developments include a preferential research program on mountain forests.
Question says → Passage says
Fragile mountain forestsmost at risk
should be given priority in research programsa preferential research program on mountain forests
Why: 'Most at risk' = 'fragile', and 'preferential' = 'given priority'. B.
The trap: H (encourage skiing) twists the detail: skiing is named as a cause of damage to mountain ecosystems, not something to encourage.
Question 38
Answer: GParagraph 4, near the end
Which statement matches Resolution 5?
Eurosilva should support joint European research on tree diseases… Each country concerned could increase the number of scholarships and other financial support for doctoral theses and research projects in this area.
Question says → Passage says
Resources should be allocatedincrease the number of scholarships and other financial support
research into tree diseasesresearch on tree diseases
Why: The fifth resolution relaunches Eurosilva for research on tree diseases and suggests more scholarships and funding. Money for disease research: G.
The trap: D (research co-ordinated across Europe) fits 'joint European research', but D belongs to the sixth resolution, which is about a research network on ecosystems.
Question 39
Answer: DParagraph 4, near the end
Which statement matches Resolution 6?
Finally, the conference established the framework for a European research network on forest ecosystems. This would also involve harmonising activities in individual countries
Question says → Passage says
Research is to be better co-ordinatedharmonising activities in individual countries
throughout Europea European research network
Why: A European research network that harmonises what each country does is research co-ordinated across Europe. D.
The trap: G (research into tree diseases) is also about research, but it's Resolution 5. 'Finally' marks this as the sixth.
Multiple choice (best title)
Question 40
How to attack this block: The passage is about the conference and its plans for Europe's forests. One option covers only the second paragraph, one only a single resolution, and one goes beyond Europe.
Question 40
Answer: BWhole passage
What is the best title for the whole passage?
The Strasbourg conference's main concern was to provide for the future.
Question says → Passage says
Planssix detailed resolutions to assist national policy-making
to protect the forests of Europethe first Ministerial Conference on the protection of Europe's forests
Why: The passage is built around the Strasbourg conference and its resolutions to protect European forests. B covers all of it.
The trap: A covers only Paragraph 2. C is one resolution. D says 'world-wide', but the conference was only about Europe.
FALSE. The non-economic roles have been recognised for 'a few centuries', which is much longer than just the twentieth century.
Words from this passage worth keeping
imbalances(Paragraph 1)
situations where things are not in a healthy proportion
discarded(Paragraph 1)
left out, got rid of
unwind(Paragraph 2)
relax
transcend(Paragraph 3)
go beyond the limits of
cumulative(Paragraph 4)
building up gradually over time
culprits(Paragraph 4)
the things responsible for a problem
accentuated(Paragraph 4)
made stronger or more noticeable
harmonising(Paragraph 4)
making things work together consistently
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The full Cambridge 7 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 7, Test 3, Reading Passage 3. 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.
