Adam’s Wine Reading Answers

1 Answer: x

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer locations: Paragraph B

Answer explanations:  In the first sentence of paragraph B,it is given that water ‘had a huge impact’ on ‘our lives’ (human lives). In the second sentence, it continues to mention that humankind has always had ‘a rather ambiguous relationship with water’. On one hand ‘receiving enormous benefit’ like being ‘a drinking source’, ‘a provider of food’ and ‘a means whereby to travel and to trade’, on the other hand, when forced to live close to the water in order to survive and to develop, ‘the relationship has not always been peaceful or beneficial’. So, the answer is x ( Humans’ relationship with water).

2 Answer: i

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer locations: Paragraph C

Answer explanations: In Paragraph C, the writer reveal that the ‘dramatic changes to the environment’ (environmental changes) that are now a feature of our daily news are ‘notexactly new’ (‘has always been with us). Some examples for this statement is also provided: ‘fields that were once lush and fertile are now barren; lakes and rivers that were once teeming with life are now long gone; savannah has been turned to desert’. So, the answer is i ( Environmental change has always been with us).

3 Answer: v

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer locations: Paragraph D

Answer explanations: In paragraph D, the writer indicates that ‘these events’ (climatic changes like floods in far-flung places) ‘make us feel better’, as we face the destruction of our own property by ‘floods and other natural disasters’ (disaster caused by climate). So, the answer is v (Disasters caused by the climate make us feel better).

4 Answer: iii

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer locations: Paragraph E

Answer explanations: The main point of paragraph E is how damages are caused by rivers and seas. Many parts of Europe suffered ‘severe flood damage’. Sometimes, ‘properties collapsed into the sea as waves pounded’ the coastline, ‘wreaking havoc with sea defenses’. Even ‘rivers carried large volumes of water’ that ‘wrecked many communities’. So, the answer is iii (Rivers and seas cause damage).

5 Answer: viii

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer locations: Paragraph F

Answer explanations: Paragraph F discusses some ways to solve flooding. ‘Building stronger and more sophisticated river defenses against flooding’ is an expensive short-term answer to flooding. Some simpler ways are ‘planting trees in highland areas, protecting people living in low-lying regions’ and even convincing countries to control ‘emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases’ is a step worth trying. So, the answer is viii (How to solve flooding).

6 Answer: ii

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer locations: Paragraph G 

Answer explanations: Paragraph G discussed the prediction that ‘two-thirds of the world population will be without fresh water by 2025’. While some areas are devastated by flooding, ‘scarcity of water’ in many other places is ‘causing conflict’. So, the answer is ii (The scarcity of water).

7 Answer: xiii

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer locations: Paragraph H

Answer explanations: Paragraph H presents some ‘doom-laden estimates’ (pessimistic view) which tells us that while ‘tropical areas will become drier and uninhabitable, coastal regions and some low-lying islands will in all probability be submerged by the sea as the polar ice caps melt’. It continues to say that ‘popular exotic destinations now visited by countless tourists will become no-go areas’ and ‘today’s holiday hotspots will literally become hotspots – too hot to live in or visit’. Hence, the answer is xiii (A pessimistic view of the future).

8 Answer: iv

Question type: Matching Heading

Answer locations: Paragraph I

Answer explanations: In paragraph I, the writer says that ‘this despondency’ (the doom-laden estimates given in the previous paragraph) is ill-founded, but he also adds that we have had ‘ample proof’ (realistic) that there is ‘something not quite right with the climate’. He gives some examples of the ‘proof’ – ‘many parts of the world have experienced devastating flooding’ and ‘the focus of the destruction moves from one continent to another’ with the change in seasons. So, he says that we will need to become accustomed to these changes and prepare ourselves. Hence the answer is iv (Should we be despondent? Or realistic?).

9 Answer: D

Question type: Multiple Choice Question 

Answer locations: Paragraph A

Answer explanations: In paragraph A, the main idea is how water is or will become important to us. In the beginning, the writer mentions some facts about water like ‘water is the giver and … the taker of life’, ‘it covers most of the surface of the planet’, and ‘features large in the development of the human race’. So, if we take these into account, it is ‘an element that is set to assume even greater significance’ (have even greater importance in our lives in the future). Hence, the answer is D.

10 Answer: A

Question type: Multiple Choice Question 

Answer locations: Paragraph B

Answer explanations: In the first sentence of paragraph B,it is given that water ‘had a huge impact’ on human lives. It continues to mention that humankind has always had ‘a rather ambiguous relationship with water’. On one hand ‘receiving enormous benefit’ like being ‘a drinking source’, ‘a provider of food’ and ‘a means whereby to travel and to trade’, but, when forced to live close to the water in order to survive and to develop, ‘the relationship has not always been peaceful or beneficial’. So, the answer is ‘two-sided’ which is option A.

11 Answer: D

Question type: Multiple Choice Question 

Answer locations: Paragraph C

Answer explanations: In the beginning of paragraph C, the writer states that the ‘dramatic changes to the environment’ that are now a feature of our daily news ‘are not exactly new’. Later, he adds that what perhaps is ‘new’ is our ‘naive wonder’ (surprise) when faced with the forces of nature’. So, the answer is D (our surprise at the environmental change brought about by nature is something new).

12 Answer: C

Question type: Multiple Choice Question 

Answer locations: Paragraph F

Answer explanations: In paragraph F the writer discusses that ‘building stronger and more sophisticated river defenses’ against flooding is ‘expensive’. There are other ways like ‘planting trees’ in highland areas’ like in Europe and Himalayas and ‘low-lying regions’ like the Ganges Delta, which is a ‘cheaper solution’ (less expensive answer). So, the answer is C ( is a less expensive answer to flooding than building river defences.).

13 Answer: C

Question type: Multiple Choice Question 

Answer locations: Paragraph G

Answer explanations: In paragraph G, the writer mentions the prediction that ‘two-thirds of the world population’ will be ‘without fresh water’ by ‘2025’. This means that the remaining one-third of the world population will get fresh water. So, the answer is option C (one-third of the world population will have fresh water).

14 Answer: C

Question type: Multiple Choice Question 

Answer locations: Paragraph H

Answer explanations: In paragraph H, the writer speaks of ‘doom-laden estimates’ and suggests that while tropical areas will become drier and uninhabitable, coastal regions and some ‘low-lying islands’ will in all probability be ‘submerged by the sea’ (will be underwater) as the polar ice caps melt. So, the answer is option C (are likely to be under water).

15 Answer: B

Question type: Multiple Choice Question 

Answer locations: Paragraph I 

Answer explanations: At the end of paragraph I, the writer says that the ‘impact on the environment’ (climate changes) is alarming and the cost to life depressing, but it is a picture to which ‘we’ (people) will need to become ‘accustomed’ (get used to). So, the answer is option B (people will need to get used to climate changes that cause environmental damage).