This Academic IELTS Reading post focuses on solutions to IELTS Cambridge 4 Reading Test 1 Reading Passage 1 with no title and about Children’s ideas about the rainforests and the implications for course design. This is a targeted post for IELTS candidates who have big problems finding out and understanding Reading Answers in the AC module. This post can guide you to the best to understand every Reading answer without much trouble. Finding out IELTS Reading answers is a steady process, and this post will assist you in this respect.

IELTS Cambridge 4 Test 1: AC Reading Module

Reading Passage 1: Questions 1-14

The passage contains no title  

Questions 1-8: TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN

[In this type of question, candidates are asked to find out whether:

The statement in the question agrees with the information in the passage – TRUE
The statement in the question contradicts with the information in the passage – FALSE
If there is no information on this – NOT GIVEN

For this type of question, you can divide each statement into three independent pieces and make your way through with the answer.]

Question no. 1: The plight of the rainforests has largely been ignored by the media. 

Keywords for the question: plight of the rainforests, largely been ignored, by the media,

The answer can be found in paragraph no. 1. First, the writer says in lines 1-2, “Adults and children are frequently confronted with statements about the alarming rate of loss of tropical rainforests. .. .”

Here, the alarming rate of loss of tropical rainforests = The plight of the rainforests,

Then, in lines 7-8, the writer says, “ . .. . In the face of the frequent and often vivid media coverage,  . . . ..”  

Here, frequent and often vivid media coverage = not been ignored at all by the media,  

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question no. 2: Children only accept opinions on rainforests that they encounter in their classrooms.

Keywords for the question: children, only accept, opinions on rainforests, encounter, classrooms,   

The answer can be found in paragraph no.1, lines 8-11, “ . .. it is likely that children will have formed ideas about rainforests – what and where they are, why they are important, what endangers them – independent of any formal tuition. .. . .”

Here, independent of any formal tuition = children do not need to form opinions only in their classrooms, they accept opinions which they conceive outside classrooms also,  

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question no. 3: It has been suggested that children hold mistaken views about the ‘pure’ science that they study at school.

Keywords for the question: children hold, mistaken views, ‘pure’ science, study, at school,    

The very first lines of paragraph no. 2 give us the answer. The writer says here, “Many studies have shown that children harbour misconceptions about ‘pure’, curriculum science. .. ..”

Here, children harbour misconceptions = children hold mistaken views, ‘pure’, curriculum science = ‘pure’ science that they study at school,

So, the answer is: TRUE

Question no. 4: The fact that children’s ideas about science form part of a larger framework of ideas means that it is easier to change them.

Keywords for the question: the fact, children’s ideas about science, form, part of, larger framework of ideas, means, easier, change,    

In line 2-4 of the second paragraph, the writer says, “ . . . These misconceptions do not remain isolated but become incorporated into a multifaceted, but organised, conceptual framework, making it and the component ideas, some of which are erroneous, more robust but also accessible to modification. .. . .”

Here, These misconceptions = children’s ideas, become incorporated = form, multifaceted, but organised, conceptual framework = larger framework, accessible to modification = easier to change them,

So, the answer is: TRUE  

Question no. 5: The study involved asking children a number of yes/no questions such as ‘Are there any rainforests in Africa’?

Keywords for the question: study involved, asking, children, yes/no questions,   

The answer can be found in paragraph no. 4. Here, in lines 2-3, the writer says, “Secondary school children were asked to complete a questionnaire containing five open-form questions. .. ..”

Here, complete a questionnaire = asking children questions, open-form questions = open-ended questions/ questions where the answers are always some information and not yes/no.

So, the answer is: FALSE

Question no. 6: Girls are more likely than boys to hold mistaken views about the rainforests’ destruction.

Keywords for the question: girls, more likely, than boys, hold mistaken views, about, rainforests’ destruction,    

The views on reasons for rainforests’ destruction in explained in paragraph no. 7. However, we find no comparison between boys’ and girls’ views.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Question no. 7: The study reported here follows on from a series of studies that have looked at children’s understanding of rainforests.  

Keywords for the question: study, follows on, from a series of studies, looked at, children’s understanding of rainforests,   

In the final paragraph, look at lines 5-7, “ . .. . . One encouragement is that the results of similar studies about other environmental issues suggest that older children seem to acquire the ability to appreciate, value and evaluate conflicting views. .. . .”

Here, similar studies = a series of studies, older children seem to acquire the ability to appreciate, value and evaluate conflicting views = looked at children’s understanding of rainforests,

So, the answer is: TRUE

Question no. 8: A second study has been planned to investigate primary school children’s ideas about rainforests.

Keywords for the question: a second study, planned, to investigate, primary school children’s ideas, about rainforests,

There is no reference to a second study planned to investigate primary school children’s ideas about rainforests in this passage.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

Questions 9-13: Matching responses with questions

[In this type of question candidates are asked to match some questions with some responses given from the passage. This type of question generally appears in passage 3. Skimming first for the keywords and then scanning to match the information is the best option to find answers to these questions.]

Question no. 9: What was the children’s most frequent response when asked where the rainforests were?

Keywords for the question: children’s most frequent response, where the rainforests were,

The question about the geographical locations is found in paragraph no. 4, lines 5-7, “ . .. . The second question concerned the geographical location of rainforests. The commonest responses were continents or countries: Africa (given by 43% of children), South America (30%), Brazil (25%). . ..”

Here, The commonest responses = most frequent response, Africa (given by 43% of children) = most children thought that rainforests were found in Africa,

So, the answer is: M (Rainforests are found in Africa)

Question no. 10: What was the most common response to the question about the importance of the rainforests?

Keywords for the question: most common response, importance of the rainforests,

The answer can be found in paragraph no. 5, in lines 1-2, “Responses to question three concerned the importance of rainforests. The dominant idea, raised by 64% of the pupils, was that rainforests provide animals with habitats. . …”

Here, The dominant idea = most common response, rainforests provide animals with habitats = Without rainforests some animals would have nowhere to live,

So, the answer is: E (Without rainforests some animals would have nowhere to live.)

Question no. 11: What did most children give as the reason for the loss of the rainforests?

Keywords for the question: most children, reason, loss of the rainforests,  

Let’s have a look at paragraph no. 7. The writer says here, “The fourth question concerned the causes of the destruction of rainforests. Perhaps encouragingly, more than half of the pupils (59%) identified that it is human activities which are destroying rainforests, some personalising the responsibility by the use of terms such as ‘we are’. .. . . .”

Here, more than half of the pupils (59%) = most children, human activities which are destroying rainforests = People are responsible for the loss of the rainforests,

So, the answer is: G (People are responsible for the loss of the rainforests.)

Question no. 12: Why did most children think it important for the rainforests to be protected?  

Keywords for the question: most children, think, important for the rainforests, to be protected,   

Take a look at the beginning of paragraph no. 9. The writer says here, “In answer to the final question about the importance of rainforest conservation, the majority of children simply said that we need rainforests to survive. .. . .”

Here, the importance of rainforest conservation = important for the rainforests to be protected, majority of children = most children, we need rainforests to survive = Humans depend on the rainforests for their continuing existence,

So, the answer is: P (Humans depend on the rainforests for their continuing existence.)

Question no. 13: Which of the responses is cited as unexpectedly uncommon, given the amount of time spent on the issue by the newspapers and television?

Keywords for the question: unexpectedly uncommon, the amount of time spent on the issue, newspapers and television,

In paragraph no. 9, the author of the text says in lines 3-5, “ .. .. . Only a few of the pupils (6%) mentioned that rainforest destruction may contribute to global warming. This is surprising considering the high level of media coverage on this issue. .. . .”

Here, Only a few of the pupils (6%) & This is surprising = unexpectedly uncommon, rainforest destruction may contribute to global warming = As the rainforests are destroyed, the world gets warmer; the high level of media coverage on this issue = given the amount of time spent on the issue by the newspapers and television,

So, the answer is: J (As the rainforests are destroyed, the world gets warmer.)

Question no. 14: Multiple choice questions (Identifying the main purpose/aim/title of the passage)

[This type of question asks you to choose a suitable answer from the options that shows the main aim/purpose/title using the knowledge you gained from the passage. Generally, this question is found as the last question so you should not worry much about it. Finding all the answers to previous questions gives you a good idea about the title.]

Question no. 14: Which of the following is the most suitable title for Reading Passage 1?

Keywords for the question: most suitable title,

At the beginning of the passage, in paragraph no. 1, the writer expresses his concern about misconceptions that children may have about the destruction of rainforests around the world.

Then, in the following paragraphs, he shows some data regarding the knowledge and conceived ideas about the issue among children.

Finally, in the very last paragraphs, the writer restates that some of the ideas that children have about the loss of rainforests might have been wrong. Also, the writer proposes in the final lines, “ . .. . Environmental education offers an arena in which these skills can be developed, which is essential for these children as future decision-makers.” This suggests that the writer is proposing the inclusion of environmental education for children in the course design.

So, the answer is: B (Children’s ideas about the rainforests and the implications for course design.)

Click here for solutions to Cambridge IELTS 4 Academic Reading Test 1 Reading passage 2

Click here for solutions to Cambridge IELTS 4 Academic Reading Test 1 Reading passage 3